To Light a Candle is the 2004 second fantasy novel of Mercedes Lackey

Mercedes Lackey

Mercedes "Misty" Lackey is a best-selling American author of fantasy novels. Many of her novels and trilogies are interlinked and set in the world of Velgarth, mostly in and around the country of Valdemar...

 and James Mallory's Obsidian Trilogy.

Plot Summary

Vestakia, Kellen, Jermayan, and Shalkan return safely to elven lands. Kellen is still very weak from his dealing with the key stone. Before they arrive, Idalia decides she now wants to be with Jermayan because of a war that will eventually start with the Demons and because elf knights will live as long as she will with a war. Vestakia is scared that the elves will hate and try to kill her, but Jermayan promises that he will not let that happen. When they arrive, all the elves demand that Vestakia be removed, but Jermayan, Shalkan and Kellen threaten to leave if she is banned. Idalia uses wild magic and a potion to discover who she is and also heals Kellen. Shalkan tells Kellen not to look at his hands. Kellen has not seen his hands since he touched the key stone. Jermayan has already tried to heal them when Kellen was sleeping and had told him never to take the bandages off. Kellen looks anyway and sees that his hands are completely raw, with bones showing in some places.

Idalia, Andoreniel, and the other members of the elf council pay the price to cure Kellen hands in return for what he has done for them. They all go home and get ready for a grand feast for Kellen, Jermayan, Vestakia. Before the feast begins, Idalia confronts Jermayan and tell him she loves him and wants to be with him for the rest of their lives. Jermayan wants to get married, but Idalia is not sure about that. When elves marry they get linked in a special way. Idalia fears that the link will tell Jermayan what she turned into to stop the rain. The feast begins and Kellen notices how beautiful Vestakia is. Even as a demon, the elves managed to make her demonic features less prominent. Idalia takes Vestakia away suddenly. Kellen then remembers he must be chaste and celibate for a year and a day or Shalkan will castrate him, as part of their previous deal. The next day Kellen and Idalia go to the war chamber and start making plans. The elves decided to take all elven children in the Seven Cities to the Elven stronghold. Kellen thinks they should do more, but the elves take their time at everything, including war. Kellen now goes to the House of Sword and Stone, to gain skill in knighthood.

Idalia and Jermayan spend time together. Now when she does wild magic she does not ask for a price. She also realizes that the price of controlling the weather was her death. She thinks that there are two reasons why she does not have to pay the price. The first being that she will die soon due to the price, the second being that the price was a test, and she has already passed. Meanwhile back in Armethalieh, Cilarnen Volpiril is a top student high mage. His father is on the council with Lycaelon Tavadon. His father is the mage who recommended changing city limits to the very walls of the city instead of hundreds of miles outward. Cilarnen finds his sister having a party in the yard and sees the lady Amintia, who he falls in love with. Cilarnen asks his father permission to talk to her, but he refuses, saying it will take away from his studies. The elves move prince Sandalon and the other children to the elf fortress of the Crowed Horns escorted by ten elves and unicorns. Ice trolls and other creatures take them. Only one unicorn survives while all the children are kidnapped. The unicorn returns to Sentarshadeen alive and warns them. Kellen, impatient, tells the elves he going to rescue Sandalon.

Kellen, Idalia, Jermayan, Vestakia, Shalkan, and six elven knights, whom Kellen befriended while learning to become a knight, leave to go look for the prince. Back in Armethalieh, Cilarnen and his friends are making a magical item to help the shortage of food in Armethalieh due to the recent boundary change resulting in despondent farm-towns surrounding the city. Anigerel pretends to be their friend, but then gives them away to Lycaelon Tardavon, who has been waiting to get Cilaren's father kicked off the council of mages. Cilaren blames his father for giving him ideas, and other children of council members follow suit. Lycaelon adopts Anigerel as he says he has no son after what Kellen did. Anigerel helps Lycaelon get back their lands and cut off all contact with elves and other folk because they will try to warn them of the Endarkened.

As they are discussing this an elf from Sentarshadeen comes to tell them of the Endarkened. They do not give him a chance to speak and say if he does not leave they will kill him. They then banish Cilarnen and do the same thing to him as they did to Kellen—send the Outlaw Hunt after him. Once he is outside he meets the elf, who says he will help him escape. Kellen, Idalia, Jermayan, Vestakia, Shalkan and the knights find the place where the children are hidden. Idalia has a cloak that makes people invisible and hides sound and smell and decides to go in and help them. The things that kidnapped them are half-elf half-goblin, made by the Endarkened, which is why they could get into elven lands and help get others in elven lands. She gets all the children out including Sandalon. However Sandalon's nurse Lairamo and Idalia cannot fit under the cloak. Lairamo takes the cloak grudgingly, leaving Idalia, and goes ahead. Idalia tries to be quiet but gets caught and falls off a cliff.

Kellen decides he, Jermayan, and Shalkan will wait while Vestakia and the knights lead the children back to Sentarshadeen. Jermayan wants to run in but Kellen tells him to wait. Idalia, barely awake, sends a bat with wild magic to get help. It reaches one of the last dragons Ancaladar, who is happy that he has never found a bond with a wild mage or elf, because when a wild mage bonds with a dragon the person gets inhuman magical power. However, if the mage or elf dies then the dragon dies, which is why he is one of the last dragons. He has been in hiding because the Endarkened want him to join them. He decides since he is a creature of light he must help the wild mage at least, perhaps to the point of bonding. He finds Kellen and the two fight off the elf-goblin hybrids and save Idalia. When he heals her, the wild magic does not ask for a price, which is curious.

They all get out and Ancaladar asks if he can go back to Sentarshadden with them. They agree to let him. They meet up with Vestakia and the others. Back in Armethalieh, the elf, Hyandur, helps Cilarnen escape and get outside the lands. On the way they see one of Cilarnen friends dead by the Outlaw Hunt. Cilarnen is in shock, first for what the city has done and second for travelling with an elf. Hyandur and Cilarnen reach Merryville, where Cilarnen is even more upset that he has to stay around centaurs. Hyandur leaves the next morning, abandoning Cilarnen in Merryville to go back to the elves. Cilarnen now has to work and live with the centaurs and is not happy about it. The group safely makes it back to Sentarshadeen. After they arrive Ancaladar wants to bond with Jermayan, making him the first elf mage in thousands of years. Jermayan at first want to decline, but then accepts.

The elves decide to get their army and allies to attack the shadow elves. Kellen is upset with this. He thinks the demons are using the shadow elves as a distraction because if they really wanted the children they could have caught them after the heroes rescued them. The elves say that they can't leave this threat in their land. The elves decide to try moving the children to their fortress of crowed horns again. This time Kellen goes with them, while Jermayan and Ancaladar fly them. They reach the fortress safely. Kellen thinks it is great, but it has a weakness the elves do not think of: underground. He notifies master Tyrvin, who is the leader of the fortress. They go back to Sentrashadeen and they must all go to the city of Ondoladeshiron to meet with the rest of the elven troupes and get ready to fight the shadow elves. Kellen rides with the unicorn knights and finds friends with them.

While Kellen is there he meets Atroist, another wild mage who lives in the wild lands near where the demons are. Kellen wants him and the other wild mages of the wild lands (there are more wild mages there than any other place because that is were they are needed most) to come help. Atroist does not want to leave the people because the demons would easily kill them. So Kellen comes up with a plan. He wants the elves to allow safe passage for the wild folk through their lands since the folk can go into the wild woods where they will be safe. Atroist agrees and says if the people are safe, all the wild mages will come and fight for them. They have to get permission first and petition the council. The council responds that they will debate it. While Kellen is there he meets the leader of the army, General Redhelwar. While the council debates, the elves go to war against the shadow elves. They go to their first shadow elf village, the place were they held the children. The elf army easily kills them with Vestakia's help. The elves at first are hesitant to kill them, because they are part elf. Kellen still thinks this is a distraction by the demons.

Back in Merryville, Cilarnen is adapting to his new life. He likes the people he lives with; Gardner and his daughter Sarlin. He still tells himself these are only centaurs, and someday he will return to Armethalieh, though deep down he loves them and has become friends with them. One day an elf messenger comes and asks the centaur warriors to come to the elven lands and begin preparations for war as soon as possible. They accept, but no one tells Cilarnen why they are going to war. Before they go two wild mages arrive, a human male named Wirance and the first ever Centaur Wildmage named Kardus. Since centaurs can't use magic, Kardus' gift is knowledge. If he wants to know something he can have it answered, but there is a price like regular wild magic. Cilarnen leaves early because he is scared of the wild mages and thinks that they are evil. As he leaves he meets a man who thinks he is Kellen. The man turns into a demon and tries to attack Cilarnen. Cilarnen brings his magic up and blocks the attack. He is shocked that he still has his magic. The demon flies off and heads to the town to attack civilians. Wirance can't stop it and the centaur warriors can't hurt it. Cilarnen returns to see half of the village dead and uses his High Magic to fight and kill the demon. The wild mages are in shock and can't believe simple High Magic defeated it while their Wild magic did nothing. As they mourn the lost ones including Gardner, the wild mages want him to come with them and to tell Kellen about what he did. He agrees and while he leaves, Sarlin kisses him and tells him to come back.

Demon Queen Savilla is very angry, wondering why a demon attacked a worthless center village without her approval, and how he died and what killed him. Kardus and Wirance take Cilarnen to elven lands so he can tell Kellen about this. Kellen is promoted for his success in the first battle and now has people at his command, but gives up Shalkan. Vestakia rides Ancaladar and finds the next shadow elf village. Near the elf city of Ysterialpoerin is a bigger cave system that has two entrances. It is the oldest elf city and the most closest on how elves use to live before the war with the demons. While the army travels to attack them, Kellen once again shows how amazing his Knight-Mage skills are. Once they get to Ysterialpoerin some shadow elves and Wargs kill the scouts and come and attack the army. Kellen realizes that they mean to go around the army and burn Ysterialpoerin, so he takes his men to go and stop them before they destroy the city and finds that the shadow elves have a new fire that can not stop burning by any means.

When Kellen gets back and meets with Redhelwar, all the commanders have a meeting on what to do. Redhelwar divides the army into thirds, one to protect Ysterialperin and two for each cave entrance. Kellen wants him and Idalia to scout ahead under Idalia's invisibility cloak and draw a map to locate the shadow elf villages. One of the commanders, Belepheriel, gets in an argument with Kellen because Kellen is doing things differently than how elves in the past have done them. Kellen gets so angry he challenges him to a duel but Belepheriel declines and walks out. Redhelwar does not want Kellen and Idalia to go because he does not want to risk them. Kellen decides to go any way. While he sneaks off, Shalkan, the unicorn knights, and the elves under his command all catch him and want to help. They go get Idalia and help him get out of the camp. Kellen and Idalia go inside the caves and find booby traps that would kill hundreds of elves. Once Kellen gets to the end several Goblins come out of hiding and attack. After the fight, Kellen finds Idalia is missing. While searching for her, Kellen realizes that if large groups of people head into the shadow elf village the whole cave would collapse, killing more than half of the army. Kellen finds Idalia heading in the opposite way in a trance finding a Duergar, who draws any one in except Knight-Mages. Some crystal spiders stop Idalia from going to it while Kellen quickly kills it. The Crystal Spiders tell Idalia that all the shadow elves have left and there are traps everywhere, but so are the goblins and Duergars. The crystal spiders hate the shadow elves because they hunt their kind. The crystal spiders ask Idalia if they could wait one day before the army comes in. Idalia agrees and goes to inspect Kellen and notices that a goblin has poisoned him. She quickly heals him.

When they get out they find the elf army ready to go in, but Shalkan said he would kill any one that goes in. Kellen tells Redhelwar about the crystal spiders, traps, and how the shadow elves are gone. Redhelwar is happy Kellen saved him from this mistake, even knowing he disobeyed orders. The other cavern they are now going in has to be emptied out, but instead of risking getting caught in traps they try to lure the shadow elves out. They have do have army in thirds. One is at Ysterialpoerin, one is outside the cave and one is hiding atop of cave to trap the shadow elves. One wild mage sacrifices his life to get the shadow elves to come out. The shadow elf army comes and attacks the elf army. Jermayan closes one cave to keep them out and the top army traps them. However there are Death Wings and wargs with them, along with more warriors than the elves thought. When some shadow elves slip past the elven army, Kellen quickly goes after them.

All the shadow elves are dead but for the ones that slipped past the army. Now the army goes in the caves to kill the women and children shadow elves while the unicorn knights defend Ysterialpoerin. While they are in the caves they find only the children. The rest of the shadow elves have a secret exit were the women fled with the males to Ysterialpoerin. When they get there they kill many unicorns and their knights including the leader Petariel while his unicorn Gesade is very badly injured. The shadow elves start to set the city on fire. Jermayan and Ancaldar get Kellen and race towards the city to stop the fire. While Kellen finds Shalkan, he tells him he has to heal Gesade because he is the only virgin wild mage around. Kellen cures her but finds she has no eyes. He blames himself but Shalkan says it was the shadow elf and he could do nothing about it.

Meanwhile Cilarnen has reached elven lands and is battling the harsh winter. The elves tell Kellen that Cilarnen is coming. Kellen is then so upset that his Armethalieh life is coming back he can barely think straight, and is drawn to tears because he hates and loves the city, as he hates and loves his father. Kellen then realize that the price for healing Gesade is to forgive Cilarnen. He has nothing personal against Cilarnen, he just hates the mages. When Cilarnen and Kellen first meet, Cilarnen tells him everything that happened to him. Kellen shows him around camp. Cilarnen meets Redhelwar there and tells him everything. Idalia, Jermayan, and Redhelwar find the news terrible because if the demons take control of the city they would have unlimited power to draw on. Redhelwar asks the wild mages to see inside the city.

All the wild mages get together and make a mirror that will link up to see inside. They ask for two thirds of the army to help with the price because it is powerful. In Armethalieh, Anigerel is making new wards to help protect the city. Kellen and Cilarnen will watch over how the wild mages do the spell. They see Anigerel, everything he did, and how he is a spy for the demons.

Queen Savilla senses they are tampering with her servant and tries to go through the mirror to kill Idalia. But Cilarnen makes a magic shield along with Jermayan and Kellen. With Shalkan giving Kellen power and Ancaladar giving Jeryman and Cilarenne power, they save her life. When it's over Savilla is close to death when Prince Zyperis walks in. The whole army can barely move with tiredness, with Kellen, Jermayan, Cilarnen, Shalkan, and Andcladar all passed out. They however know that Anigerel is the spy and they know what the plan is. The demons do not want to fight in this war yet. They want Armethalieh to go to war with the elves and their allies. The demons will kill the winner.

Main characters

Kellen Tavadon: the trilogy's main protagonist, he is the first Knight-Mage in a thousand years

Idalia Tavadon: Kellen's sister, a powerful wild mage and Jermayan's lover

Jermayan: Elven knight who is Kellen's friend and Idalia's lover, he becomes the first Elven Mage in thousands of years after bonding with Ancaladar.

Vestakia: Demon/Human cross with a human soul but a demonic appearance, she is a friend of Kellen, and can sense demons and demonic taint. Her demonic parentage gives her yellow slit pupil eyes, horns, and hooves.

Shalkan: A unicorn who befriended Kellen and rescued him from the Outlaw Hunt; as a condition of this rescue, Kellen has sworn a vow of chastity and celibacy for a year and a day

Cilarnen Volpiril: Only son of a powerful mage family in Armethalieh, he is tricked into a treasonous conspiracy and banished from Armethalieh

Ancaladar: Dragon that bonds with Jermayan

Minor characters

Andoreniel: King of the Elves

Sandalon: Prince of the Elves (child)

Ashaniel: Queen of the Elves

Lycaelon Tardavon: Arch-Mage of Armethalieh

Anigrel: Lycaelon's secretary and secret slave of the Endarkened Queen

Queen Savilla: Queen of demons/Endarkened main antagonist

Prince Zyperis: Prince of the Endarkened, Savilla's son and lover

Redhelwar: General of the Elven army

Belepheriel: One of Redhelwar's komentai (commanders), who clashes with Kellen

Adaerion: Another komentai and Kellen's direct superior

Kardus: The Centaur Wildmage who befriends and assists Cilarnen in finding Kellen

Wirance: Another Wildmage who travels with Cilarnen and Kardus

Literary significance & criticism

"Lackey and Mallory combine their talents for storytelling and world-crafting into a panoramic effort. Filled with magic, dragons, elves, and other mythical creatures, this belongs in most fantasy collections." - Library Journal

Awards and nominations

• New York Times Bestseller
• Best science fiction, fantasy, or horror, VOYA