Magic Lost, Trouble Found (Raine Benares, Book 1)

by Lisa Shearin

Book Overview

Raine is a sorceress of moderate powers, from an extended family of smugglers and thieves. With a mix of street smarts and magic spells, she can usually take care of herself. But when her friend... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0441015050
• Release Date: May 2007
• Publisher: Ace
• Length: 352 Pages
• Weight: 0.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 6.7" x 0.9" x 4.2"

Customer Reviews

Looking forward to Book 2

MLTF is a terrific beginning to what promises to be an exciting adventure. Seeker elf Raine captivated me so thoroughly from the get go, that it wasn't until someone else commented that it was written in the first person that I realized, `Oh, so it is!'. I loved Raine's snarky inner dialogues, the colourful characters and the rest of the fun and excitement. Lisa Shearin's Mermeia is a fantasy destination I can't wait to visit again, and again, and again...well you get the idea.

Why aren't there more books by Ms Shearin?

Great fun book, very dry humour which I suspect is way over the heads of some reviewers. Didn't want to put it down and can't wait for the next book in the series and the next and the next.....

wonderful fantasy

The City of Mermeia is divided into districts; each one is home to a different race including elves, goblins, dwarves, humans and sorcerers. Mage practitioners are common; Raine Benares, an elf, is a mid-level practitioner who earns her living by seeking lost objects and sometimes people for her clients. Her life changes dramatically when she watches over her friend when he breaks into the house of a powerful necromancer to steal an artifact. Two sets of goblin warriors, one loyal to the king and a group loyal to the exiled prince want the artifact Raine took. Raine creates a diversion and they escape. Raine puts the artifact around her neck and finds she can't take it off or it will kill her. It has powerful magic that enhances her own power and gives her new ones but the price is too high. The goblin king, his sadistic advisor Sarad Nupana and Prince Chigau want the one who wears the artifact because it will lead them to Saghred a weapon of mass destruction. Raine has to find a way to keep it out of evil's hands, find a way to remove the artifact and give it to somebody without getting killed. This is wonderful fantasy tale full of different races and myths and legends who are drawn so perfectly, readers will believe they actually exist. Raine is a strong female, a leader who wants to do the right thing even when she isn't sure what that is. She has an elf and a human interested in her and it is fun watching them compete trying to get her interested in them in between near death escapades. Lisa Shearin has the magic touch (keyboard) when it comes to writing good fantasy.

Excellent and fun--want more!

I had the pleasure--and I do mean that--of reading Shearin's book in prepublication format as an ARC (Advanced Review/Reader Copy). This book is a blast, a total hoot and I thoroughly enjoyed every page. Her characters are spot-on, her plot engrossing, and her world, just wonderful. The story is action-packed with a definite romantic subplot that just adds to the fun. If you want a dense and preachy novel that you have to slog through to bolster your erudition level, or if you crave esoteric doom-and-gloom, this isn't the book for you. Whimsy and great, snarky dialogue abound in MAGIC LOST. Raine Benares is a smart, sassy and likeable protagonist who finds herself caught up between the proverbial rock--though here it's a dangerous magical amulet--and a hard place. The cast of characters Shearin provides to help and hinder Raine are well constructed and worthy of the emotions--both positive and negative--they engender in the reader. Being a published author (and no, I do not write for the same house as Shearin), I'm a picky reader. Books must be well crafted AND enjoyable for me to recommend them. I highly recommend Shearin's MAGIC LOST. ~Linnea Sinclair, RITA award winning author including GABRIEL'S GHOST, GAMES OF COMMAND, THE DOWN HOME ZOMBIE BLUES

Incredible First Book

Lisa Shearin takes urban fantasy and gives it a jump start with her first book Magic Lost, Trouble Found. Raine Benares can wield a sword, avoid capture from a goblin shaman, fight a soul sucking rock for her soul, and still find time to entertain the affections of two attractive men. Shearin's Mermeia gives the fantasy world a new city, full of back alleys, royal embassies, playful night clubs and Gothic ruins. Not only is her portrayal of both elves and humans superb, but she gives goblins a whole new skin to wander about in. Shearin's goblins are tall, muscled, angular, and gray-skinned with pointed ears. She spares no detail for her supporting cast, all of whom are delightful (Tam ranks at the top of my personal list). Add a hint of humor and you have a brilliant book that lives up to the expectations of the avid fantasy reader. All we can wish for is that Mrs. Shearin proves to be most prolific in her writing and provides us with much more trouble, which only magic can remedy.