To Light a Candle

To Light a Candle

File:ToLightACandle.jpg
Author	Mercedes Lackey and James Mallory
Cover artist	Todd Lockwood
Language	English
Series	Obsidian Trilogy
Genre	Fantasy novel
Publisher	Tor Books
Publication date	2004
Publication place	United States
Media type	Print (Hardcover and Paperback)
Pages	856 pp (paperback edition) & 656 pp (hardback edition)
ISBN	ISBN 0-7653-4142-5 (paperback edition)
OCLC	63256568
Preceded by	The Outstretched Shadow
Followed by	When Darkness Falls

To Light a Candle is the 2004 second fantasy novel of Mercedes Lackey and James Mallory's Obsidian Trilogy.

Plot

Vestakia, Kellen, Jermayan, and Shalkan reach back elven lands saftley. Kellen is still very week from his dealing with the key stone. Before they arrive Idalia sais to her self she now wants to be with Jermayan because of a war that will eventually start with the Demons and because elf knights will live as long as her with a war. Vestakia is scared that the elves will hate her and try to kill her, but Jermayan promsies that he will not let that happen. When they get their all the elves freak out and want her removed. Jermayan, Shalkan, and Kellen says if she goes we go. So the let Idalia use wild magic to figure out if she is. She gives her a truth potion. She tells the story of what happen its the truth. Idalia tells Kellen to let her heel him. Shalkan tells Kellen not to look at his hands (kellen has not seen his hands since he touched the key stone Jermayan always try to heel it when kellen was a sleep and told him never to take the bandages off) Kellen looks any way and sees that his hands are completeley raw. There is no skin on it. He can see his bones in some places. He starts to panic and ( panic for a Knight-Mage is very bad for him while Anger is good for him). Shalkan forces Kellen to look in his eyes and Kellen feels at peace. While Idalia, Andoreniel, and the other members of the elf council will take the price to cure Kellen hands for all he done for them.

They easily cure Kellen and he can not believe what happens. They all go home and get ready for a grand feast for Kellen, Jermayan, Vestakia. Before Idaila confronts Jermayan and tell her she loves him and wants to be with him for their life. Jermayan want to get married , but Idaila is not sure about that. When elves marry they get linked in a special way. Idaila fears that the link will tell Jermayan what she turned into to stop the rain. The feast starts and Kellen sees how beautiful Vestakia is. Even as a demon the elves mange to take a lot of her demon looks away. Then Idaila takes Vestakia away suddenly. Kellen then remembers he has to be chaste and celibate for a year and a day or Shalkan will kill him even know he friends with him.

The next day Kellen and Idalia go to the war chamber and start making plans. The elfs decided just to take all elven children in the 7 cites. To the elven strong hold. Kellen thinks they should do more, but the elfs take their time at everything including war. Kellen now goes to the House of sword and stone. To learn how to be a knight even more. Idalia loves Jeryman now and spends time with him. Also now when she does wild magic she does not ask for a price. She also revies that the price of controlling the weather was her death. She thinks that either 2 reasons she does not have to pay the price. 1 she will die soon so the magic will not make her. 2 the price was a test and since she gave up her life she will live and not have to pay any more prices.

Meanwhile back in Armethalieh Cilarnen Volpiril is a top student young high mage. His father is on the council with Lycaelon Tavadon. His father is the one that wanted not to get more lands and to take the border all the way to just the city. Cilarnen one day sees his sister having a party in his yard and sees the lady Amintia. Who he falls in love with. Cilarnen ask his father permission, but he refuses to let him talk to her and says it will take away from his studies and Cilarnen is one of the top students.

When the elfs decided to move prince Sandalon and the other children to the elf fortress of the crowed horns. 10 elfs and 10 unicorns escort him and about 6 children. Ice trolls and other creatures take them. Only one unicorn survives while all the children are kid naped.

The unicorn barley makes it back to Sentarshadeen alive and warns them. Kellen is sick of the elfs wating even in something this important. So he tells them he going to rescue Sandalon if you like it or not. So Kellen, Idalia, Jermayan, Vestakia, Shalkan, and about 6 elfen knights kellen befriended while learning to become a knight leave to go look for the prince.

Back in Armethalieh Cilarnen and his friends are making a magic item to help the shortige of food in Armethalieh because of the bounders not being outside the walls and not getting any food from local villages. Anigerel pretends to be their friend, but then gives them away to Lycaelon Tardavon. Who been wating to get Cilaren father kicked off the council of mages. He blames his father for giving him ideahs and the other boys who fathers are on the council get kicked off too. Anigerel takes their place. Lycaelon adopes Anigerel as a he says he has no son after what kellen did. Anigerel helps Lycaelon get back their lands and cut off all contact with elfs and other folks. That's is because they will try to warn them of the Endarkened. Right as they are discosing this a elf from Sentarshadeen comes to tell them. They do not even give him a chance to speak and says if he does not leave they will kill him. They then banish Cilarnen and do the same thing to him as they did to Kellen. Send the Outlaw hun after him. Once he outside he meets the elf. The elf sais he will help him escape.

Kellen,Idalia,Jermayan,Vestakia,Shalkan and the knighs find the place where the children are hiding. Idallia has a cloak that makes you invisible and hides your sound and smell. Idalia decides to go in and help them. The things that kidnap them are half elf half goblin made by the Endarkened. That is why they can get into elven lands and help get others in elven lands. She gets all the children out including Sandalo. However Sandalo nurse Lairamo and Idalia can not fit under the quote. Lairamo takes the cloack angry in leaving Idalia and goes ahead. Idalia trys to be quite and stealthily, but gets caught and falls off a cliff.

Kellen decides he Jermayan and Shalkan will wait. While Vestakia and the knights lead the children back to Sentarshadeen. Jermayan wants to run in their but Kellen tells him to wait. Idalia barley awake sends a bat with wild magic to get help. It reaches one of the last dragon Ancaladar. Who is happy that he has never found a bond with a wild mage or elf. Because when a wild mage forums with the dragon the person gets unmaimly magical power. However if the mage or elf dies then the dragon dies. That is why he is one of the last dragons. He has been in hiding because the Endarkened want him to join him. He decides since he is a creature of ligh he must help the wild mage at least. Maybe even bond with it. So he finds Kellen and the two of them fight of some of the elf goblin hyibirds and save Idalia. When he heals her the wild magic does not ask for a price which is curris. They all get out and Ancaladar ask if he can go back To Sentarshadden with them. He sick of hiding and hunting for ever for food. So he goes with them. They meet up with Vestakia and the others.

The elf Hyandur helps Cilarnen escape and get outside the lands. On the way they see one of Cilarnen dead friends destoryed by the outlaw hunt. Cilarnen is in shock first for what the city done and second for traveling with an elf. Hyandur and Cilarnen reach Marryvile were Cilarnen is even more upset that he has to be with Centars. Hyandur the next Mourning leaves Cilarnen in Merryvile to go back to the elfs. Cilarnen now has to work and live with the Centars and is not happy about it.

The group safley makes it back to Sentarshadeen. After they arrive Ancaladar wants to bond with Jermayan making him first elf mage in thousands of years. Jermayan at first want to decline ,but then accepts. The elfs decide to get their army up and allies to attack the shadow elfs. Kellen is upset with this. He thinks the demons are using the shadow elfs as a distraction becuase if they really wanted the children they could of easley cought them after they rescued them. The elfs say that they cant leave this threat in their land.

The elfs also decide to try agian and moving the children to their fortress of crowed horns. This time kellen will be going with them. While Jermayan and Ancaladar fly them. They reach the fortress safley. Kellen thinks it is great, but it has weekness the elfs do not think of like underground. He tells master Tyrvin who is the leader of the fortress.

They go back to Sentrashadeen and they are must all go to they city of Ondoladeshiron to get with the rest of the elven troups and get ready to fight the shadow elfs. While Kellen is their he meet Atroist an other wild mage who lives in the wild lands near were the demons are. He knew Vestakia mother. Kellen wants him and the other wild mages of the wild lands ( their are more wild mages their then any other places becuase that is were they are needed most) to come help. Atroist does not want to leave the people because the demons would easley kill them. So Kellen comes up with a plan. He wants the elfs to allow safe passage for the wild land folk thro their lands and they go into the wildwoods were they will be safe. Atroist agrees and sais if the people are safe all the wild mages will come and fight for them. They have to get premison first before. They council sais the will debate it.

While the council debates. The elfs go to war aginist the shadow elfs. They go to their first village the place were they held the children. The elf army easley kills them and with Vestika help kills every last one. The elfs at frist were hestite to kill them. Since they are part elf. Their are lots of casuilties tho. Kellen still thinks this is a distraction by the demons.

Back in Merryvile

Charaters

Kellen Tavadon: the main protagonist a Knight-Mage

Idalia Tavadon Kellen Sister, Loves Jermayan, powerful Wild Mage

Jermayan Elven Knight who loves idalia and is a friend of Kellen

Vestakia Demon/Human cross with a human soul but looks like a demon, friend of kellen, can sense when demons are near.

Shalkan Kellen friend, he in unicorn

Cilarnen Volpiril Mage at Armethalieh gets banshed and goes to live at merryvile

Andoreniel King of Elfs

Sandalo Prince of Elfs (child)

Ashaniel Queen of elfs

Lycaelon Tardavon Leader of Armethalieh

Anigerel Lycaelon secerty who trying to get on high concil and is a spy for Endarkened

Queen Savilla Queen of demons/Endarkened main antagonist

Prince ZyperisPrince of the Endarkened

Ancaladar Dragon that bonds with Jermayan

Literary significance & criticism

"Lackey and Mallory combine their talents for storytelling and world-crafting into a panoramic effort. Filled with magic, dragons, elves, and other mythical creatures, this belongs in most fantasy collections." - Library Journal

Awards and nominations

-New York Times Bestseller -Best science fiction, fantasy, or horror, VOYA