Black Eagle Rising. Third Book of Elita

The Books of Elita #3

by Kate Jacoby

Third in Kate Jacoby's brilliant high fantasy series.

Genres: Fantasy

464 pages, Hardcover

First published July 20, 2000

About the author

Australian born Kate Jacoby has travelled all over the world. She wrote EXILE'S RETURN, the First Book of Elita, while backpacking through the Middle East.

Reviews

[Beth N · Rating 3 out of 5]

In Elita Kate Jacoby has created a unique, engaging, politically complex fantasy series with many elements to love. We have a tall, dark and handsome Scottish-coded main character with a inner demons and a dark destiny. We have multiple factions with differing goals, sometimes even within the same faction. We have magic and battles and (possibly untrustworthy) prophecies. We have a genuinely compelling baddie who manages to be threatening yet flawed. Much to like.

What I don't understand, then, is why this third book spent so much time on the will-they-won't-they, misunderstanding-driven, adolescent angsting between Robert and Jenn. Granted, their relationship is a fundamental part of the series and, admittedly, I am not a romance fan. I can also see how the place it ended up is going to be a major driver of our hero's actions in later books. But there is so much else of interest going on in this series that the over-focus on the romance left the book feeling oddly weighted, with nothing much happening for 80% of it, then everything happening all at once at the end. (Not to mention some questionable choices such as the ongoing domestic abuse subplot which as far as I can tell existed just so that Robert could rescue Jenn all heroically, and then had very little relevance to her subsequent character development.)

That aside, Black Eagle Rising is a good middle book. Plotlines like the mystery surrounding the Key and the threat of Robert's demon are moved forward, power structures subtly shift, and we get some smaller insights into the prophecy that feel like they will pay off well later in the series. Jacoby's secondary characters are well rounded and this third book allows some development for Finnlay, Micah and others. I also greatly enjoy the chapters from Nash's perspective which show the difficulties of being an evil immortal mastermind: it's fun to see the setbacks in the antagonist's plans coming together.

Don't let my frustrations put you off. If you are looking for a fantasy series that has all the trappings that probably drew you into the genre while feeling a little bit different, Elita has much to recommend it. I fully intend to finish the series and will almost certainly have a good time doing so. I just hope the inevitable romance issues to come show our characters acting more like the mature adults they otherwise manage to be.

[Catherine · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good grief!

[Dr · Rating 4 out of 5]

The epic journey i.e. the tale of Lusara continues with our protagonist finally taking a visible stand to free his country from tyranny. But this book gives us joy n takes it away brutally fast...can't wait to read the next book....