I thoroughly enjoyed this addition to the Elemental Masters series. I got into the tale quickly and was gripped enough to finish it the next day. It is well written, great pacing, and although it is a retelling of a well known fairytale, Misty has definitely made it her own. Excellent holiday reading.

The Cyprian by Mercedes Lackey is the eighteenth book in the Elemental Masters series. First and foremost, I have seen this described as a cozy regency fantasy and romantasy in some of the descriptions on retail sights. It is definitely the first though dark in the way true fairy tales are and not so much the second. There if you are looking for something along the lines of the Honey Witch or The Spell Shop you might be a bit disappointed. Romance does not drive the story and is a light subplot at best. It mostly tells the story of Elena's life during a period of several years after her father remarried and for a very small part of it after she grew up romance was part of that. I believe if you like romantasy you will still enjoy this book despite the lack of romance in it.

The Cyprian follows Elena and 7 brothers for a good portion of the book and then highlights Elena's life and struggles to rescue her brothers for the last third or so. Elena is a smart and quick witted with an incredible skill set that makes her a joy to read about. This novel is completely a stand alone and doesn't feature any of the major characters from previous books in the series. I flew through this and felt it was one of the strongest recent books of the series. Old and new fans alike will find this book enjoyable.

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley and am leaving a review of my own volition.

Lackey does not disappoint. She enriches and empowers the main female protagonist, Elena. You root for her as her unwavering determination to save her brothers, against the other female main character, the Stepmother, is visceral!

"A cozy, cottage-core Regency fantasy perfect for fans of Bridgerton.

Elena Whitstone and her seven brothers, abandoned by her mother, find themselves with a new stepmother. At first she seems more neglectful than evil, until just after Christmas she proves herself to be worse than evil; she is an actual magician, a Master of Water, who attempts to murder Elena's seven brothers when they are skating. When they survive that attempt by transforming into swans, she drives them away.

But the shock of having all of his heirs perish in a frozen pond is too much for Elena's father. He dies, and his widow is abruptly confronted with the inconvenient truth that the estate is entailed, and she not only must leave, she is lawfully in charge of Elena.

Furious, and possessing "only" what was gifted to her during her marriage, the stepmother retreats to Bath, to take up residence in the luxurious townhouse that was bought for her, and resume her former profession as a "Cyprian," a very exclusive courtesan, with Elena reluctantly posing as a page-boy and her servant. Nothing lasts forever, of course, and three years later, Elena is rapidly maturing too much to continue that ruse - and the stepmother is facing the ravages of time. The stepmother concocts a plan to establish an exclusive brothel and regain her wealth by selling Elena to the highest bidder.

Alone, Elena must not only find a way to save herself, but to reverse the spell that has transformed her brothers.

The latest in Mercedes Lackey's Elemental Masters series is a stand-alone romantasy based on Hans Christian Anderson's The Wild Swans."

To end the year with some new Regency Magic is just the kind of good omen I need for the coming year.

This book is a wonderful retelling of a fairytale. I did spend a lot of time wondering when the twist would happen, but my reading wasn't less enjoyable for the wait. The character building that happens between Elena and her brothers is wonderful and led to real tears being shed at emotional moments. The unique introduction of magic to this story was great, and I am intrigued as to how the wider world of this universe works.