Beyond World's End continues Eric Banyon's tale in the Bedlam's Bard series. Sieur Eric, Knight and Bard to the court of the Queen of Elfhame Misthold, moves back to the Big Apple to take care of unfinished business. Most notably, he wants to finish his interrupted education at Julliard and settle down to a normal life.

As Eric says goodbye to his friends Kory and Beth, he settles into a new apartment and a rigorous schedule at Julliard. However, a normal life doesn't seem to be in his immediate future as he quickly discovers his apartment has unique features, including a living gargoyle named Greystone and four Guardians who have sworn to protect New York from evil. But the evil the Guardians are facing this time is something they haven't seen before.

Unscrupulous researchers have created a drug that briefly unlocks magical powers in a small percentage of the humans it's given to. Unfortunately, it also has a 100 percent mortality rate. But something evil from Underhill has other plans and seeks to use the temporary human powers to threaten the World Above. As Eric gets drawn into the fray, his past catches up with him and good grades become the least of his problems.

Beyond World's End, which takes place in the same universe as Lackey's SERRAted Edge series, combines human evil and magical evil in a compelling way that brings the characters into today's world. Eric is all grown up now and he's a wonderful hero. However, Beyond World's End feels like it's missing the last few chapters. So much time is spent on back-story and the physical setup of the novel that many characters and their stories are introduced only to be dropped with no explanation or resolution. What could have been a great book ends up being ultimately disappointing coming from these two excellent authors. --Kathie Huddleston


From Publishers Weekly
A human bard returns to the mortal world to find himself battling both elven and human demons in this entertaining entry in Lackey's Urban Faerie series. In this sequel to Bedlam's Bard, Eric Banyon moves to New York to finish his Julliard studies as a flautist, only to find that his apartment building is a safe house for the city's magical Guardians. Together with his Guardian neighbors, his friends Beth and Kory from the previous book, and his erstwhile flame, Ria Llewellyn, Banyon uncovers both a plot to open a nexus to the elven world, Underhill, in the middle of Manhattan and a group of scientists' scheme to use psychotropic drugs to uncover magical powers in normal people. Both the scientists and Aerune, the dark prince, hope to harness the drug-induced abilities of New York's street people to build their own powerAuntil Banyon and his friends intervene. Continual references to contemporary New York life help contextualize and anchor a story that might otherwise wobble on its fantastical underpinnings. While the main characters verge on predictability, quick, vivid portraits of side characters are much more interesting. Readers will want to have read Bedlam's Bard for the back story of Lackey and Edghill's faerie world's complex geography and social structure. Even on its own merits, however, this novel's accessible blend of the urban and the whimsical will appeal to those who wonder whether the phantasmagoric walk city streets. Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From Library Journal
When Eric Banyon leaves the elven realm of Underhill and returns to New York City in the World Above to pursue his musical studies, he finds himself caught in the middle of a conflict between rival elven courts and their business interests in the mortal world. Coauthors Lackey and Edgehill have created a fast-paced urban fantasy that resonates with the pulse of the modern world while remaining true to ancient legends. Fans of Charles de Lint and Tanya Huff should enjoy the latest installment of the popular "Bedlam Bards" series. Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From Booklist
The fifth book in Lackey and various collaborators' series about the intrusion of elves, good and evil, into contemporary human affairs opens with series hero Eric Banyon, a student at Juilliard, back in New York and at school. He is still an elven bard, though, and still up to his eyebrows in elven intrigues. His Manhattan apartment is a lookout post against the forces of evil, which far surpass the ordinary horrors of New York, though Lackey and Edghill handle those skillfully enough to place respectably in the current urban fantasy sweepstakes. Most of the conflict in the book consists of a series of episodes stemming from battles in the past that Eric thought were settled, and the demands on readers to know the series' backstory are considerable. Although likely to bewilder newcomers, this book should go down extremely well with the series' stalwart readers, who, given Lackey's long popularity, probably constitute a big enough band. Roland Green
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved


Book Description
This is your soul on drugs... After the events chronicled in Bedlam's Bard, world-saving bard and magician Eric Banyon moves into his new New York apartment hoping to settle down to the quiet life. No such luck: his building is a safe-house for a group of occultist Guardians protecting the city from supernatural evil. And there's a new evil for them to quard against.... When unethical drug researchers discover that they can induce amazing mental powers using psychotropic drugs, they begin planning to raise a drug-enslaved army of mercenaries and grow very, very rich. But this gets the attention of Aerune mac Audelaine, lord of the dark Unseleighe Sidhe, who hopes to use the drugs to break through to the human world and feed on the suffering there. Both plans will bring terror to the world -- and both are threatened by the very existence of Eric Banyon. With his possibly loyal companions -- a beautiful elven half-breed and a gargoyle -- Eric heads for a three-way battle of wizardry that will determine Gotham's fate -- and his own.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

After the events chronicled in Bedlam's Bard, world-saving bard and magician Eric hopes to settle down to the quiet life. No such luck: his apartment building is a safe-house for a group of occult Guardians protecting New York from supernatural evil. And there's a new evil for them to guard against...

Unethical researchers are planning to raise a psychotropic drug-enslaved army of mercenaries. But this gets the attention of Aerune mac Audelaine, lord of the dark Unseleighe Sidhe, who hopes to use the drugs to break through to the human world. Both plans will bring terror to the world—and both are threatened by the very existence of Eric Banyon.

With his possibly loyal companions—a beautiful elven half-breed and a gargoyle—Eric heads for a three-way battle of wizardry that will determine Gotham's fate—and his own.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

A human bard returns to the mortal world to find himself battling both elven and human demons in this entertaining entry in Lackey's Urban Faerie series. In this sequel to Bedlam's Bard, Eric Banyon moves to New York to finish his Julliard studies as a flautist, only to find that his apartment building is a safe house for the city's magical Guardians. Together with his Guardian neighbors, his friends Beth and Kory from the previous book, and his erstwhile flame, Ria Llewellyn, Banyon uncovers both a plot to open a nexus to the elven world, Underhill, in the middle of Manhattan and a group of scientists' scheme to use psychotropic drugs to uncover magical powers in normal people. Both the scientists and Aerune, the dark prince, hope to harness the drug-induced abilities of New York's street people to build their own power--until Banyon and his friends intervene. Continual references to contemporary New York life help contextualize and anchor a story that might otherwise wobble on its fantastical underpinnings. While the main characters verge on predictability, quick, vivid portraits of side characters are much more interesting. Readers will want to have read Bedlam's Bard for the back story of Lackey and Edghill's faerie world's complex geography and social structure. Even on its own merits, however, this novel's accessible blend of the urban and the whimsical will appeal to those who wonder whether the phantasmagoric walk city streets. (Jan.) Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.

VOYA

In this sequel to Bedlam's Bard (Baen, 1998), Eric Banyon is on his own in New York City. Now a fully trained bard, Eric still wants to prove to himself that he can graduate from Julliard. He fought the good fight against the forces of evil out in Los Angeles and then visited the elven folk in Underhill, where time moves so slowly that he has hardly aged. Now he has moved into an ancient apartment house that is under the protection of the Guardians, who watch out for those who live there and in the city. His particular friend is Greystone, a gargoyle, who leaves his perch outside Eric's window to visit with him, eat popcorn, and watch movies. Evil is afoot, of course. A company trying to develop psychic assassins has a new drug that releases psychic abilities but ultimately kills the user. Aerune mac Audelaine, lord of the dark elves, or Unseleighe Sidhe, has a different use for these psychics. He wishes to create a nexus, or gateway, in the heart of Central Park through which the Wild Hunt can come and lay waste the city. Furthermore, if he can get his hands on a live Bard such as Eric, it will be that much easier. The authors' styles blend seamlessly in this fantasy page-turner, full of fast-paced action and elven lore, that stands on its own quite well but leaves lots of room for a sequel. Fans of the urban faerie genre are going to have a lot of fun with this one. VOYA CODES: 4Q 4P J S A/YA (Better than most, marred only by occasional lapses; Broad general YA appeal; Junior High, defined as grades 7 to 9; Senior High, defined as grades 10 to 12; Adult and Young Adult). 2001, Baen, 331p, $24. Ages 14 to Adult. Reviewer: Bonnie Kunzel SOURCE: VOYA, August 2001 (Vol. 24,No. 3)

KLIATT

Anytime a flute-playing bard can save the world through music, I'm happy. In this book, part of a series about Eric Banyon, a Bard with magic powers, Eric leaves the faery kingdom of Underhill to live in New York City and study music at Julliard. He finds an apartment in a building run by occult Guardians who watch out for supernatural evil. His apartment comes complete with a live gargoyle named Greystone. Meanwhile, evil has invaded the city in the form of T-Stroke, a dangerous drug that brings out supernatural powers in anyone that has even a hint of Talent. It also kills its victims. A businessman, Robert Lintel, pushes the manufacture of T-Stroke so that he may amass an army of supernatural people. His evil attracts Aerune, an evil entity from Underhill. It also attracts Ria Llewellyn, an old enemy of Eric's. When these forces clash in Central Park, it is up to Eric and his enchanted flute to stop the war. This is well written and compelling. Eric is an appealing character, and Ria has many facets. Eric, and the reader, are not sure she can be trusted, right up to the end. I look forward to more stories about Eric. (Bedlam's Bard series) Category: Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror. KLIATT Codes: SA—Recommended for senior high school students, advanced students, and adults. 2000, Baen, 402p., $7.99. Ages 16 to adult. Reviewer: Gail E. Roberts; Youth Scvs., New Bedford P.L., New Bedford, MA SOURCE: KLIATT, March 2002 (Vol. 36, No. 2)

Library Journal

When Eric Banyon leaves the elven realm of Underhill and returns to New York City in the World Above to pursue his musical studies, he finds himself caught in the middle of a conflict between rival elven courts and their business interests in the mortal world. Coauthors Lackey and Edgehill have created a fast-paced urban fantasy that resonates with the pulse of the modern world while remaining true to ancient legends. Fans of Charles de Lint and Tanya Huff should enjoy the latest installment of the popular "Bedlam Bards" series. Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

Internet Book Watch

After his last save the world success (see Bedlam's Bard), musician Eric Banyon looks forward to quiet time studying the flute as an adult-student at Julliard. While Eric plays the student flautist, avaricious research scientists have discovered some drugs that turn individuals into beings with magical capabilities. Being of a non- ethical bent, the coven of scientists plan to use their drug to develop an army of slaves that will make them so rich Gates will seem like a pauper. However, in the Elven realm of Underhill, Prince Aerune mac Audelaine learns of the new enhancing drugs on the mortal side of the portal. He sees this as an opportunity to use Manhattan's abundance of street people to conquer first the island and then the human world. Only, Eric and his guardian cohorts (Beth and Kory on a return engagement) stand in the way of the Dark prince succeeding in his endeavor. Beyond World's End is an entertaining fantasy sequel that works because of the concrete presence of contemporary Manhattan providing a powerful anchor to the tale. Because of numerous references to the previous adventure (see Bedlam's Bard), those who have not read it should to gain the full flavor and understanding of Eric and his band of saviors. The secondary cast makes the novel work as they either provide insight into the elven realm or are part of modern day Manhattan, which in turn gives the tale its subtle strength by making this fantasy seem real.