Reserved for the Cat: An Elemental Masters Novel
by Mercedes Lackey
DAW Books, 328 pp $25.95

I have quite enjoyed this series of novels about protective wizards and elementals, pixies and brownies and those with partial magical abilities set in an alternate world, usually England. This is the fifth book in the series and takes place during Edwardian times and is set mostly in the port of Blackpool, England.

And even more fun, it concerns a ballerina named Ninette Dupond who starts off as a talented coryphée at the Paris Opera.

And in grand melodramatic fashion, the prima ballerina injures herself right before her afternoon matinee of La Sylphide. And it just so happens that little Ninette has been an understudy.

Of course she is a great success and even the critic of Le Figaro notices.

So, this is Ninette’s big chance to advance---but no—to assuage La Augustine, the prima ballerina Ninette replaced—the coryphée gets fired.

But instead of starving or becoming a member of the demi-monde (a prostitute) her…cat helps her to England, to Blackpool. And how does the cat tell her of his plans—why he speaks to her mentally, of course.

Having survived on the edges of poverty, Ninette is no fool. So despite her understandable misgivings, she LISTENS to the cat and takes his advice.

And sails off to Blackpool

And there her adventures really begin, because the cat decides to give Ninette a boost to her career. She needs to pretend she is a Russian ballerina who is the only survivor of a yacht-wreck. And the local elemental mages rescue her. Among them is a local theater owner who is delighted to have a Russian ballerina named Nina Tchereslavsky to add to his performers. And Ninette, thrilled with the theater owner’s generous offer of her own apartment and new clothes, decides to go along with the feline’s scheme.

The cat’s plans prove fruitful and Ninette, now Nina becomes a big favorite and both she and the theater thrive.

Well, of course all is not that simple!

You see, there is a REAL Nina Tchereslavsky who was absorbed by a rogue troll. A troll wh,o over a couple of centuries, has enjoyed “absorbing” people (kind of a physical vampire. Not blood so much but well, the whole person/animal) and has no intention of being caught by any mage.

So Ninette’s masquerade as Nina is threatened by the troll who eventually finds out that she’s being impersonated and comes to Blackpool to confront the “imposter.”

So the bulk of the novel concerns the troll/Nina trying to kill off or absorb the masquerading Ninette. The mages surrounding Ninette do their best to thwart the troll.

And the cat proves to be not only a valuable ally but much more than he seems. For Ninette finds she is not just merely mortal but has a touch of magic in her veins as well.

A really delightful tale. - Sue Martin