Phoenix and Ashes (Elemental Masters, Book 3)

Phoenix and Ashes  - Mercedes Lackey Now this was a good read. A retelling of the cinderella story during World War I. Typically for an urban fantasy of this class you have magicians on both sides working for and against the British Cause. There was perhaps a little bit of lecturing about the class changes post WWI but it wasn't the worst. Actually it sparked off ideas in my head about how certain things could work in a world with magic. Reginald Fenyx is an elemental master of Air who was fighting as a pilot before he crashed, ended up in a trench and was attacked by some Earth Elements. This trauma had him subsume his talent. The following nightmares and injury have him return to the family home to recuperate. Meanwhile Eleanor Robinson is dealing with her evil stepmother, who has magically chained her to her house, having eliminated her father by encouraging him (with a magical push) to enlist. Yes the story drags a bit occasionally and during Eleanor's magical training you would actually need to know a little bit about the Kaballa and the Tarot and there are moments when you want a little more information and things are resolved a bit too quickly (what's new with Mercedes Lackey?) but I enjoyed it a lot and look forward to the next in the series.