The Cyprian (Elemental Masters #18)
Mercedes Lackey
Elena Whitstone and her seven brothers, abandoned by her mother, find themselves with a new stepmother. At first she seems more neglectful than evil, until just after Christmas she proves herself to be worse than evil; she is an actual magician, a Master of Water, who attempts to muder Elena's seven brothers when they are skating. When they survive that attempt by transforming into swans, she drives them away.
But the shock of having all of his heirs perish in a frozen pond is too much for Elena's father. He dies, and his widow is abruptly confronted with the inconvenient truth that the estate is entailed, and she not only must leave, she is lawfully in charge of Elena.
Furious, and possessing "only" what was gifted to her during her marriage, the stepmother retreats to Bath, to take up residence in the luxurious townhouse that was bought for her, and resume her former profession as a "Cyprian," a very exclusive courtesan, with Elena reluctantly posing as a page-boy and her servant. Nothing lasts forever, of course, and three years later, Elena is rapidly maturing too much to continue that ruse--and the stepmother is facing the ravages of time. The stepmother concocts a plan to establish an exclusive brothel and regain her wealth by selling Elena to the highest bidder.
Alone, Elena must not only find a way to save herself, but to reverse the spell that has transformed her brothers.
The latest in Mercedes Lackey's Elemental Masters series is a stand-alone romantasy based on Hans Christian Anderson’s The Wild Swans.
Sponsored links
Tagged as:
- steampunk 1
- historical 1
- urban fantasy 1
- fantasy 1
- magic 1
- paranormal 1
- Add topics
- Format
- Audiobook
romance tags
The 'Elemental Masters' series
3.85 · 461 ratings- The Fire Rose by Mercedes Lackey Book #0
- The Serpent's Shadow by Mercedes Lackey Book #1
- The Gates of Sleep by Mercedes Lackey Book #2
- Phoenix and Ashes by Mercedes Lackey Book #3
- The Wizard of London by Mercedes Lackey Book #4
- Reserved for the Cat by Mercedes Lackey Book #5
- Unnatural Issue by Mercedes Lackey Book #6
- Home from the Sea by Mercedes Lackey Book #7
paranormal · audiobook · urban fantasy · magic · historical · fantasy · young adult · length-medium · high fantasy · victorian · legends & fairy tales · steampunk · science fiction · behind-doors
Elemental Masters reading order and complete book list ❯
Report duplicate books, missing or wrong information
Check out thebooknaut.com for more fantasy books and comics that might match your interests or browse new fantasy releases
- Follow badass main characters, anti-heroes, loners & outcasts and scoundrels and rogues on their epic adventures