Eye Spy

[cornerofmadness]

Eye Spy by Mercedes Lackey

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


I remember the last Valdemar book I read. I was picking up my parents from the airport for their 25 anniversary. They've been married 50+ years now so it's been a long time since I returned to Valdemar and I was hoping for a joyous homecoming. That is not this book. It's a 2.5 read at best. It's not bad but it IS boring AF.

I didn't read the first in the Family Spies series but I hope it fits better than this did. I was told Abi, the protagonist was ACE and I needed that for the Popsugar challenge is. We learn this 220 pages in of a 320 page book so I wouldn't call it great rep (there's a hint of lesbianism in this too both mentions last less than a paragraph so if that's what you're looking for, look elsewhere).

My real trouble with this is Abi is a Mary Sue. Never once does any of her plans ever not work. There is next to no conflict or plot in this. Honestly if this had been anyone other than Lackey writing a Valdemar book this thing would not have been published.

Abi is the daughter of Mags and Amily, two Herald spies for the king but Abi's not a Herald. Her powers manifest in a strange way. She can tell how a building is stressed and if it will break. So they enroll her with the Artificers, basically civil engineers. If you're thinking oooo a book on engineering, how exciting, this is the book for you then. If you'd rather slam your fingers in a door than learn about how bridges are built, get that door ready.

Abi does almost no spying unless you consider the one harvest festival (where she tutors a young bard apprentice in how to busk because somehow the girl doesn't know) Abi has grown up with the princess Kat and her siblings so she's friends with the royals. She manages to win over some of her classmates. She comes up with a bridge design no one has seen before and it's the best ever.

I wasn't lying. You learn all about how to build a sewer, how to build bridges and walls plus concrete (i.e. Lackey researched it and by gum you were going to hear about it). I'm still not sure how Abi could be a master and is out in rural villages and NOT know how a wall is built. I mean isn't that engineering 101, here's how to build a wall and here's how to mix concrete. She doesn't know this but she managed to build the uber bridge?!?

Honestly this would have been a MUCH better novella. It starts out okay with a bridge collapse and Abi figuring out her power and the end when she leaves the kingdom with a few other civil engineering masters and guards to try to persuade these rural outliers to join the Kingdom of Valdemar, see what civic marvels we'll make you if you do. Those were interesting.

But the entire middle is a boggy, soggy, mess. We see her trying to train with her magic so its less an upset gut and more useful, i.e. force herself into synesthesia. But it is barely a blip in this story. There is one recurring villain theme but even that barely takes up a chapter each time it comes up (three times).

When did Valdemar make it so mages go insane inside its border? The outlying lands use magic so why would they want to be part of Valdemar?!? (Even Abi was asking that one). Why is everyone constantly lounging ON their dogs?

Abi has a very strange connection to her father in that everything she does is to further her father's career. ooo I can recruit this guy for dad. I'm doing this because it's dad approved. I want to do this for dad. I'm surprise how she cuts her steak and wears her hair isn't to make dad happy. It was creepy weird how dad obsessed she is. Meanwhile Mom is nearly a non-entity. Seriously.

Overall this was a slow dry read that made me think why did I put Valdemar on the shelf for decades? It barely even had Companions in it.



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