Bedlam’s Bard Books

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Bedlam’s Bard is a series of Urban Fantasy novels from Mercedes Lackey that are set in the Elves on the Road Universe.

The Elves on the Road series tell stories featuring ancient elves living in modern times and trying to make a peaceful life for themselves even as they face off against their less altruistic counterparts.

There are four series within the Elves on the Road collection, the Bedlam’s Bard series being the first.

The bard referred to in the title of the series is Eric. Readers meet this protagonist in Knight of Ghosts and Shadows, the first novel in the Bedlam’s Bard series.

At that particular point in time, Eric has just reached rock bottom. For a little while, Eric made a living as a musician. He had a girlfriend he loved and he was more than happy to spend his days plying his trade at the local fair.

But then the unexpected happened; the land on which the fair stood was purchased by a developer and the fair was forced to vacate.

This left Eric unemployed. If that wasn’t enough, he also lost his girlfriend. So Eric was a beaten, broken, purposeless man when he sat down to play his music.

The sad tunes he produced from his flute were meant to give the pain in his soul an outlet. But instead, they released an ancient elf called Korendil from the magical prison that bound him.

It was then that Eric learned the truth. A long time ago, a band of elves was driven out of Europe. They settled in Southern California.

For a time, they were quite happy. But then times got tough. One of their kind attempted to exert his authority over the rest of them. They fought back. Everyone paid the price.

Now Eric has a choice. He can continue to wallow in his misery. Or he can join his new allies in their quest to keep Los Angeles from falling prey to an old enemy.

The Bedlam’s Bard novels are a record of Eric’s story as he goes forward and finds his destiny.

These books place a lot of emphasis on the interactions between the characters. Some people appreciate this approach. Others dislike it. There are novels in the series that abandon the character approach in favor of a more plot-driven style.

But even these can get divisive from time to time. The people who prefer the character-centric method to storytelling do not always welcome them with open arms, though you won’t find any reader claiming to have abandoned this series because it was either too character-based or story-centered.

Even though Lackey, the author, keeps shifting the focus of each novel, sometimes sticking with the elf threat, other times playing with new creatures, Eric’s importance never wanes.

The musical mage is always put in situations where he must choose between pursuing a normal tranquil life and participating in a fight that will decide the fate of a specific group of people.

Best Bedlam’s Bard Books

These novels are typically praised for their exotic setting which the author describes in vivid detail, with some of the best books in the series including:

Spirits White as Lightning: Eric Banyon thought he had seen all the chaos and insanity that life could ever throw at him. And he was finally ready to focus his efforts on passing his classes at Julliard. But then the Elf Lord Aerune decided that mortal men had to pay for killing his one true love.

Now Eric must step up and stop him.

Music to My Sorrow: Eric might have saved his brother Magnus from a killer demon but keeping him safe from their parents will present a far greater challenge.

Eric thought that Ria’s high-powered law firm and his own magic would tip the scales in his favor. But then he learned that his parents were working with evil elves.

Other Book Series You May Like

You may also like the Heirs of Alexandria Series, also by Mercedes Lackey. Venice in the 1500s is a tolerant but corrupt city. And it has drawn the attention of Chernobog the Demon Lord who is determined to bring it to ruin in his efforts to stumble the Holy Roman Empire.

Standing in his way are the brothers Marco and Benito Valdosta.

Another great series is the Doubled Edge Series, also by Mercedes Lackey. The world balances on a knife’s edge. The Farseers have determined that the future will either be protected by a red-haired child or ruined by an evil queen. The good and evil elves will give everything they have to ensure that the ruler who shares their ideals takes the throne.

What Is The Next Book in The Bedlam's Bard Series?

There doesn't seem to be an upcoming book in The Bedlam's Bard Series. The newest book is A Host of Furious Fancies and was released on September, 1st 2012.

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