The Cyprian

Elemental Masters, Book 18

De: Mercedes Lackey

Narrado por: Zura Johnson

A cozy, cottage-core Regency fantasy perfect for fans of Bridgerton

Elena, having lost her father, must rescue herself from her evil stepmother, a Master of Water, who has bespelled her brothers into swans. She is left without home or protection by her father's villainous widow, who plans to 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 standalone romantasy based on Hans Christian Anderson's The Wild Swans.

©2025 Mercedes Lackey (P)2025 Tantor Media

Loved the twists!

I hadn't read the book first, but enjoyed it thoroughly. I love the ties to folk tales.

Return to the roots of the elemental series

I loved the return to England. Her books are always amazing and this is one of the best yet

Takes a while to get going, but worth the initial

So, this one takes a little while to get rolling -- as is fairly typical of Lackey, there's a LOT of Slice of Life passages before we really get to the conflict -- but once the ball starts rolling, it feels worth the initial slog. A serious improvement over the previous book in the series, Miss Amelia's List.

The title!

Actually, the title caused me a great deal of amusement. I don’t know if Misty was aware of the different definitions of “Cyprian,” but I think it might be difficult to find another word with diametrically opposite definitions. One being a reference to a Christian saint (Saint Thascius Caecillus Cyprianus, a.d. c200–258, early church father, bishop, and martyr) and the other definition to a prostitute.

Wonderful story. Rushed ending.

As usual Lackey spins a fantastic tale. Unfortunately, it was slower to start and ended very abruptly. It’s like she suddenly ran into a deadline and tossed a few words together to tie up the story. It left me feeling like I had a delicious appetizer, excellent salad, and a delightful dinner, but when the desert tray came around, it was only empty plates.