Cheap Sacred Ground (Book) (Mercedes Lackey) Price

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Customer Reviews of Sacred Ground

A good mix of magic and reality
I loved this book! (The only reason I'm not giving it 5 stars is because I think that should be reserved for that special, book-of-a-lifetime read.) I'm always happy to see one of Lackey's books which meld the world as we know it with an element of magic, and the addition of Native American spirituality made it even better! I first read this book at the public library, but I liked it so much I'm planning on buying my own copy. Jennifer's ambivalent reactions to David were also well drawn. P.S. If you've read this and liked it, you might also enjoy her Serrated Edge series, starting with "Born To Run."

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I loved it!!
I found this book incredibly stimulating and interesting. It's mix of aincent magic and old-time evil combined with a modern-day villian backed by a force from the past was marvellous. topped of with a heroine with all the attributes possible it was a wonderful read. Not only was it enjoyable, but I also learned a good deal about native american heritage. Impossible to put down, a well written book.

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Well-researched, extremely readable book
"Sacred Ground" is one of Mercedes Lackey's more serious urban fantasy offerings. It's steeped in Native American culture, folklore and legend (as much that would have been history was destroyed long before the start of this book -- early 1990s -- by unsuspecting, unthinking or uncaring sorts), and it illustrates several major and growing problems.

1) How are Native Americans treated in this country?

2) Can spirituality be integrated into a modern person's life in a meaningful way?

3) Is it worthwhile to help people, always knowing that there are more people who need help than you can afford to help out there?

The last two are answered with an emphatic "YES!" The first one is problematic at best. Jennifer Talldeer, an interesting character if I've ever seen one, talked about the problems of "registering" with the Bureau of Indian Affairs vs. _not_ registering, and chose not to register (as most of her family, if not all, had also chosen). She also showed the difficulty of doing a tough job (private investigator) well, despite being less than five feet tall and rather slight of build. She uses her mind, her heart, and her spirituality to get her through; I think she's an admirable role model for anyone seeking such, and an excellent protagonist for a whole series of novels (would Tor care to resurrect the series, something that looks highly doubtful at this point).

Jennifer's relationship with her grandfather, Mooncrow, is also intriguing. Mooncrow isn't all that traditional in some senses; he loves Nintendo, he eats lots of pizza, he cooks, and he's after her throughout the book to, um, find a fulfilling lover. Not too many grandfathers do this, I don't think.

Mooncrow is a highly contradictory person, as evidenced by his name. Crows are never white, nor do they fly at night, yet Mooncrow . . . well, he delights in being contrary. So it's no surprise that he's found a spiritual successor in his granddaughter, despite that being highly unusual. It's also no surprise that he's teaching her everything he knows, despite the fact that women normally aren't taught so much. ("Good for Mooncrow" is what I kept muttering while reading.)

Jennifer's true name is Kestrel-Hunts-Alone, which is a far, far more straightforward name by any standard than Mooncrow's, and as such, she's shown to be driven, nearly obsessed, and that obsession has cost her things she hasn't realized. There is external conflict in the mystery, which quickly turns from "who did it" to "why did he do it?" And there is loads of internal conflict provided by Jennifer herself, her mission(s), and her relationship with David Spotted Horse, the man who "got away" years ago. (Of course, he was not worth keeping years ago, either. Perhaps now is different?)

Ms. Lackey effortlessly shows how modern women make a living, and combines that with a spiritual quest, some thrilling action-adventure, and a romance. This is an extremely moving book, it is emotionally honest, and it gets almost everything spot on.

Five stars, highly recommended.

Barb Caffrey