This fourth book of the Collegium Chronicles starts out as one sort of book and then turns into something else. When the story begins, Mags and the rest of Haven are preparing for the wedding of Crown Prince Sedric and his bride Lydia. So the story begins with a romance that turns other characters' thoughts to romance too. Mags questions the consequences of his feelings for his mentor's daughter Amily and Bear and Lena run off to get married which solves some major problems for both of them that were begun in earlier books in this series. It was a good story about growing up and forming adult relationships. But there was more...

We also get to see Mags playing his beloved game of Kirball and learning in every situation not excluding watching rope walkers entertain at the wedding. Mags is constantly observing everything which is a large part of why he is being trained by the King's Own to be a spy. But the one thing that he is willing to overlook is the mystery of his own beginnings. He has done some research and learned that his parents where well-dressed foreigners who died when he was two or three. He has come to a dead end in his search to learn more.

It looks like they mystery is coming to him when he is kidnapped, drugged and dragged into Karse by the same assassins who have been attempting to kill or kidnap other Valdemarans and who have attempted to kidnap him before.

The sections of the story where he is experiencing drugged hallucinations about the terrible time he spent as a small child in the mines were very moving. (As was the description of his life there that he was finally able to share with his mentor Nikolas and a Healer.) Gradually, he gains control of his mind and manages to escape his captors in a raging thunderstorm.

Then we have a survival story of a young man who isn't trained in wilderness survival and has few assets but who has a strong will and desire to survive and return home. After being attacked by demons, Mags is rescued by a hermit Karsite priest and his suncat. He learns that life isn't good for anyone is Karse because of the abuse of the black robed priests who control the demons. He is recaptured, drugged again by the assassins, and gets some information about his past that he will still need to sort out since it came as a series of drug-induced visions.

Beginning with romance and ending with heart-pounding danger, REDOUBT moves the story of Mags along. I look forward to more volumes so that more of the mysteries will be solved. ( )

Despite finally finding out some more about Mags' background, this book is largely a placeholder. It begins with a big whoop-de-doo party for Prince Sedric and Lydia, quite a bit of Kirball, and other general fluff. There's a side-plot about Bear and Lena that is sorta sweet but unnecessary and totally drawn out and I'm not sure how it will impact the future plot, unless it's merely meant as way for Mags to reflect on his feelings for Amily and how maybe he would like to get in her pants (or gown, whatever). It takes nearly 200 pages just to get to Mags' kidnapping, which is referenced right on the back cover. Then it's all wandering around the forest and/or river and/or caves, with many implausible coincidences supplying Mags with all the things he needs to survive, and meeting Sun Priests and philosophizing about the state of Karse. Mags does learn a bit about his history, but it's barely more than learning the name of his homeland and about how they do mind control, and since I am pretty sure no one in Valdemar has ever heard of them (nor will since, you know, this series is basically rewriting Valdemar canon) it doesn't really matter.

And also, the fact that Amily's disability is magically (not actually magically) cured by a 15 year old with some basil and a string, when an entire school's worth of magical (actually magical!) doctors couldn't do it, seems, I dunno, a little far fetched and ridiculous? And it seemed like more of a prize for Mags since he realized how special Amily was even when she couldn't walk so great and now that she's all (mostly) better, she's like almost a regular person? So he gets kisses and stuff.

Anyhow, you could probably read the last third of the book and pick the next one right up if you are in the mood to read more not-Harry-Potter this-is-totally-Harry-Potter-set-in-Valdemar and that way you get to skip the boring, boring, borderline offensive, boring and more boring sub-plots taking up space in this book. Also, tons of weird name typos, Nikolas spelled as Nickolas, Dallen spelled as Dalen, what the hey? I won't rate this up on the strength of Lackey's name, since this book felt so, so lazy. It's still readable, and fine enough, but not so fine that I wish I had bought the book instead of waiting to get to the library for a copy. ( )

I'm convinced with the way she ended this book that there has to be another book in this series. She left too much to be tied up, and she's the kind of person who won't end a series until everything that needs explained is.
So curse you Mercedes Lackey for leaving me with questions and no clue as to when or if you're going to answer them. ( )

I like the books Mercedes Lackey writes, she is good at creating a believable world and people to populate it. While her writing is not the strongest I do find it engaging ang and enjoyable. I like a series I can live inside of and her books are ones that have characters I feel invested in and a world I believe could exist. ( )

Even for Mercedes Lackey, this is derivative. Bits of Storm Warning, By The Sword, and a whole bunch of Take A Thief. This is why I get her books from the library. ( )