The series about Family Spies is set in the much-loved fantasy world called Valdemar, created by Mercedes Lackey three decades ago. She keeps returning to delight her fans with more adventures. SPY, SPY AGAIN focuses on Prince Kyril and his good friend Tory, who are companions in warrior training and escapades. They share a Gift of Farsight which is increased when the boys work together and use it to check on family members. The lads are about to meet a member of the extended family they never heard about, Siratai, who has an unusual job.
While the young woman has trained long and hard to become a skilled assassin, she does this to protect her tribe and desert mountain home. The Sleepgivers, as they are euphemistically known, are ruled by Bey, a distant cousin of the ruler of Valdemar. His daughter is Siratai, who is quite capable of patrolling the borders to kill off intruders – until she isn’t. A storm and a pack of demons take her down, and she is locked in the topmost tower of a fort, which is a trope for a reason. It’s hard to escape or be rescued. Sira’s brother Ahkhan wants to find his sister, and he will need any help he can get.
The tale is pretty slow going for YA readers at the start, learning about the two different lands and groups of people. But when Sira is captured she sends out a mental distress flare, which is picked up by Kyril and Tory based on their relationship with Kyril. At this point, the action accelerates, as Sira has to survive captivity – with magical aid – long enough that she can be rescued by people who don’t even know where she is yet. The two young men head into the land of Ruven, just knowing someone has been captured by Karsite Demons, which serve the demon-summoning priests of Vkandis. While there is a border around Valdemar that keeps magic out, nobody is too sure how it would work against demons.
This fantasy adventure makes much of a childhood friendship, but the Heralds and their Companions – telepathic animals often like white horses – hardly feature. Those would be a later life stage for the boys, who seem to have amazing strength and endurance for young teenagers. I like best the talismans worn by the Sleepgiver mages, which turn out to summon afrinn, magical beings composed of the elements. Different lands, different magic. The lessons on desert survival are well described, but some younger readers will find the assassin sequence creepy. The age of the characters doesn’t quite fit the action, but if you can read Twilight, you can read SPY, SPY AGAIN. Have fun.
In this third novel of the Family Spies series, set in the bestselling world of Valdemar, Heralds Mags and Amily's youngest child must follow in his parents' footsteps to protect both his family and the realm.
Thirteen year old Prince Kyril and Mags and Amily's fourteen-year-old son Tory "share" the Gift of Farsight--although neither of them are Chosen. They are self-trained, though currently, their shared Gift only allows them to see what is happening with their immediate family members.
After much debate, the Herald's Collegium has decided to test and train them anyway. That's when the surprises start. They do not share a single Gift; they have two complementary Gifts working together in a way that the Heralds have never seen before. Tory is the Farseer--Kee's Gift is to extend his range beyond a few dozen feet.
Their Gifts become crucial when Mags gets a desperate message from his cousin Bey, the head of the enigmatic assassin-tribe, the Sleepgivers. Bey's eldest daughter has been kidnapped, but he doesn't know why or by whom. He's calling in the debt Mags owes him to find his daughter before it's too late.
Tory is certain that if anyone can find her, he can. But that will mean traveling out of Valdemar into an unknown, dangerous country.
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