1816: Napoleon is loose, the Year without a Summer is upon the world, and Amelia and Serena, elemental mages and cousins, have picked a terrible time to travel from America to England to help the family and find husbands. Still, Amelia has a List and if she keeps to it, all will be well. Right?

Well... right, basically. Yes, all will be well. This is an absolutely gorgeously-written rich slice of life that has zero conflict in it at all until the 90% mark, and no real driving plot until the 95% point. Now, don't get me wrong, it's lovely. I would have probably spent another 400 pages watching our main ladies trim clothing, go to balls, and be sensible about the state of the world, but I do warn anyone going into it that you will be literally pages away from the end before anything 'happens', plot-wise. Napoleon is a background fear but the protagonists will have nothing to do with him whatsoever (beyond a little insider trading), and likewise, the Year Without a Summer is just an excellent excuse to show off how competent our protagonists are at sewing warm clothes and using earth magic to make sure the locals don't starve. There's simply no conflicts; they do things to solve problems before they become problems. Even when the plot actually hits, it's so EXACTLY related to an item that is kindly given to the protagonist earlier that it doesn't actually feel like Amelia herself does anything to solve it, beyond making use of something someone else did.

It's because of that I'm giving this three stars, because it really is charming and beautifully written and I think if the plot had come in a little earlier and there had been a few more trials for the characters to overcome, it would have been a five-star read. I'd highly recommend it to someone who enjoys a slice of life regency, but someone looking for a regency romance with all the tropes won't find them here, nor someone looking for an adventure fantasy.

Thank you to Daw and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Miss Amelia's List is the 17th book in Mercedes Lackey's Elemental Masters Series. The entire series is a set of retellings all set with in the same world. While you don't have to read any of the others to follow along with the book, I do recommend having read the first few as it gives background and the London Ton are a lot of the same characters. Its a fast paced fun read with engaging characters.
As always Mercedes' characters are well fleshed out and full of life:
Amelia- anxious, caring, and copes through making and crossing off lists
Serena- brave, sifter and quite delightful
I have loved the Elemental Master Series Since I discovered it shortly after high school. While I feel like Miss Amelia's List is missing something towards the end, over all I it reminded me more of Mercedes earlier writings than what has been recently written. It was a very welcome return. A definite must for anyone who loves folklore/fairy tale retellings. I received an arc and am leaving this review of my own volition.

This is the seventeen novel in the magical alternate history, the Elements Masters series. It is set in 1815, Regency England, and is very exciting, engaging, and well written. I enjoyed how Sarina and Amelia navigated property acquisition, marriage proposals, a hidden Roman temple, an Earth Master and a Fire Mage, as they deal with ancient horrors with elemental magic. I recommend reading.

There was a significant lack of plot direction and it seemed very apparent that there was no real research done in regards to Regency era life. For these reasons, The book was very dull and the focus on the clothes, accessories, and furniture was so draw out and detailed that I found myself skimming whole pages just to get beyond the details of the velvet dressing gowns.

The book in general felt like a Pride and Prejudice AU fan fiction. And it could have been so good. It really could have been. But instead of Lizzie and Darcy, we ended up with vague caricatures of them (although I don't think Hightower is Darcy in any way, shape, or form.)

I love Mercedes Lackey. I have loved her writing since I was in high school (so it has been a while) but this was just not it. It was a cozy slice of life set in Regency era, with magic, and then a rushed ending that just didn't flow. I'm so utterly disappointed.

Thank you to Netgalley and DAW for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The magical Regency vibes are vibing but unfortunately, the plot is nowhere to be found.

I’d only read one other Mercedes Lackey book and hadn’t heard of the Elemental Masters series before now. So it would be fair to wonder why I’m suddenly writing a review for the 17th installment. DAW Books reached out asking if I wanted to read Miss Amelia’s List because it’s similar to other historical fantasy romances I’d read. I quickly looked it up and saw it was a magical alternate history set in the Regency period and that it functions as a standalone. Naturally, I immediately said, “YES PLEASE”!

It’s 1815 and two young American cousins, Amelia and Serena, arrive in England armed with a list of tasks. They’re here to help set up their family business and to do so they’ll need to find a property, get to know the neighbours, purchase a whole new wardrobe, and hire staff. Oh, and potentially find husbands all while dodging fortune hunters and hiding their magical prowess from the non-mages in town. As the name of the series would imply, the story is set in a world with Elemental magic—Amelia is an Earth Master and Serena is a Fire Mage and a shapeshifter.

There’s something really cozy about Lackey’s writing style where she goes into the minute details of the everyday life of her characters. In her first book, it was the details of how to care for a baby dragon but in this one, it was setting up a new life in a new city and everything that comes with that. We spent a long time going dress shopping and altering clothing, but I didn’t mind as I was awash in visions of Regency gowns! Then we followed our characters to assemblies, balls, dinners, and on their morning calls as they figured out how to blend into English society. And I was having the best time, especially as Lackey took the same care to dive into how the magical community operates and the certain duties that come with the cousin’s different powers. I love that stuff! Meeting the house Elementals and watching Serena Shapeshift are memorable moments.

However, at about the 60% mark, I started to question whether the book did work as a standalone after all. More than halfway through the book they hadn’t even begun to deal with most of the items on their oh-so-important list. Instead, the story introduces two new external issues that seem like they would lead in intriguing directions only to be irrelevant in the end as the author never followed them to any sort of conclusion. Eventually, the plot dragged, and despite all the moving to new cities (London then Axminster), it felt like we were going nowhere very slowly.

Then, with about 10 or 20 pages left of the book, Lackey suddenly remembered to include some action! Hurray, you might think, but nay, it was at this point that I realized there couldn’t possibly be enough time to resolve everything satisfactorily. And I was right. Within one bizarre action scene, everything conveniently wrapped up. I say bizarre because the source of the last-minute drama was so out of left field that it didn’t fit with the rest of the story. Maybe it fits within the wider world of the series, but having entered here at #17, I don’t know. In some ways, it doesn’t feel like a standalone, and I certainly wish the story had a part 2 to do it more justice. Overall, the enjoyable elements of this world and the writing style make me want to find book #1 and give this series another try!

Quick Thoughts

House of Flame & Shadow by Sarah J Maas. I can’t believe I finally finished these books! Crescent City is sprawling & inventive, with lots of characters battling the big decision of safety versus compassion & freedom. This is my least fave series of hers & contains the main romance arc I was least invested in, but with that being said, it’s still great fantasy & a very high bar to try to reach. 4.25 ⭐️.

Miss Amelia’s List by Mercedes Lackey. Miss Amelia’s List dragged in many ways, & I can’t say that I fully loved any of the characters, who sometimes veered on stuffy, but it’s also an oddly interesting story of manners in a magical England. 2.5 ⭐️, out now. (Thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own.)

Marriage & Masti by Nisha Sharma. This has been a great contemporary series with friendships that I really love. My fave is book 2, but this is a solid, if not 💯 ending, & I’m definitely looking forward to reading more. 4 ⭐️.

House of Blight by Maxym M. Martineau. The vibes are there in this fantasy, but the heroine forgives & forgets way too quickly for me in this one. I grew frustrated at her decision-making. Still, the visceral descriptions paint an effective fantasy setting where the stakes are high, even if I was not cheering for the love triangle romance tension. 3.25 ⭐️, out 04/08/25. (Thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own.)

📖 have you read any of these or are any on your TBR?

I love the books in the Elemental Masters series. Amelia Stonecroft and her cousin Serena Meleva are Americans that have gone to England at the end of America's war of independence from England to help with Amelia's brother's business interests in England, take part in the social scene and if it was possible find a husband amongst the available men of the gentry. Amelia is an Elemental Master and her cousin Serena is a shapeshifter. I loved the social aspects of the book going to parties, making house calls, leaving cards. it's a glimpse into a society that required more formality and awareness of social status that is interesting to navigate. There's also Napoleon's escape from Elba disturbing the continent, magic and a lit of romance.

I have enjoyed almost all of Mercedes Lackey's Elemental Masters novels and this one didn't disappoint at all. The story of Amelia's drive to take care of her cousin and protect the secrets of her home culture as well as the local magical society she enjoys, all while interacting with the unaware non-magical society around them was very absorbing. A few of Ms Lackey's earlier stories got a little more dark than I'm comfortable with, but this had just the right amount before resolution. I've missed the last few books and need to catch up but I greatly enjoyed Miss Amelia's List with its blend of victorian values with magic AND American ingenuity. I also enjoyed the flavor of Jane Austen in the story.

Imgur link goes to the Instagram graphic scheduled for January 1st
Amazon and Barnes & Noble Reviews submitted
Blog post goes live January 3rd

**TL;DR**: A bit slow, but a truly cozy Regency fantasy.
**Source**: Netgalley, thank you so much to the publisher!

**Plot**: Amelia and her cousin head to England from America for business and to possibly find a match!
**Characters**: I genuinely came to love all of our primary characters, especially Amelia and her cousin. By the end I was sad to see it end and went looking hoping the next book would follow them again.
**Setting**: A lovely and cozy Regency setting - it felt very true to old Regency books I’ve picked up in the past.
**Fantasy/Historical Setting**: The magic in here is pretty in depth considering the setting and attention to detail that the Historical facts had. It was very well researched and I learned a few fun things!

**Thoughts**:

I didn’t expect what I got with Miss Amelia’s List and it took me a long time to figure out what this book was doing. This felt very much like a cozy, Jane Austen inspired regency romp with a hard core of fantasy inside. This is the 17th book in the Elemental Masters series, though I would argue it can be read on it’s own (I’ve not read one since perhaps the 4th or 5th?). Amelia and her cousin have moved to England from the States to assist in setting up their family business ventures and possibly find some husbands. Of course a few small things occur, but overall the story just follows their day to day.

Possibly my favorite part of this was the attention to detail. The first three quarters of this book we just follow Amelia and Serena setting up in England, meeting their new neighbors and Elemental Mages and Masters, and doing things like getting clothes made. Mercedes Lackey put in some effort to research and represent what it might have been to do this mundane things and we got it in this. The little bit of action we get is in the last 15% and that was of course a lot of fun. But until that point it’s a slow book, slow but cozy.

If you’re looking for something fast paced and action driven, this isn’t it. But if you’re a fan of Regency novels and cozy, very slow paced ones? Try this. It’s easy, but slow. We get commentary on the period from the characters as well, something I appreciated and overall I was happy with my experience.

4 out of 5 Stars

Although I really enjoyed reading this, not much happened. The characters were really well straight and probably will be coming back. This really felt like the beginning of an arc. There was very little magic use in the book, and the endin* felt a little rushed. Saying all of this, I still loved it and will probably read it again before the next one comes out.

Miss Amelia’s List is a lovely and charming story that will especially appeal to Jane Austen lovers who occasionally wish there was just a bit more actual magic in her stories – but do not want to go nearly as far as Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.

I’m pretty sure the above requires a bit of explanation. Maybe even more than a bit.

Amelia Stonehold and her cousin Serena Meleva arrive in London from the former – definitely and definitively former – American colonies in 1815. To set the historical stage, the War of 1812 was settled by treaty in December of 1814 – which means that some people are still a bit salty about it on both sides of the Atlantic. Jane Austen has published her first three novels, Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, and Mansfield Park, under the pseudonym, ‘A Lady’. The Regency period is in the fullest of its flower. Napoleon is still in his first exile on Elba and has not yet ‘met his Waterloo’ and made that phrase into a cliché.

While this entry in the Elemental Masters series is number 17 in publication order, this series of magical retellings and reinterpretations of classic myths, legends, tales and historical events has not been published in ANY chronological order. The previous book in the series, The Silver Bullets of Annie Oakley, is set in the late 19th century. Annie Oakley wasn’t even born until 1860 – long after the events of Miss Amelia’s List take place.

Which, by a roundabout route, leads us back to Amelia and Serena by way of Jane Austen. I put it that way because Amelia’s and Serena’s introduction to the Regency reads very much like the ‘comedy of manners’ style of Austen. Or at least like Austen if Austen knew about magic.

While Amelia’s and Serena’s perspectives on Regency society are very much informed by their ‘colonial’ origins, the realities of life in a new world, and the existence of magic and their significant powers within it, their story, and the events in which they participate and/or are excluded from is very similar to the world Austen described in such loving detail.

Which means that a large portion of Miss Amelia’s List is, in fact and told in a much more lively fashion, about the list of things that Amelia Stonehold has come to England to accomplish, and about the progression of Amelia and Serena through the highly structured but often ridiculously stratified and stultifying ‘society’ in which they must play an exacting part in order to get things done.

It’s fun, it’s charming. It’s occasionally teeth gnashing but because of Amelia’s and Serena’s outsider perspectives that teeth gnashing is shared by the characters. They know the so-called ‘rules’ are OFTEN ridiculous while knowing they must at least appear to conform, so the reader is in charity with them when some high-stickler makes an ass of themselves in their presence – or behind their backs.

But it’s not a story of action – in spite of the blurb. (Yes, I know, I’ve not been ‘in charity’ with a lot of blurbs in the last few weeks.) Miss Amelia’s List is utterly charming, a delightfully well told Austenesque ‘comedy of manners’, but there’s not a lot of excitement. At least, not until the very end.

An ending which includes death, dismemberment, big snakes and small helpers, as well as a happy ever after that appropriately differs for each and every character.

Escape Rating B: Miss Amelia’s List is a story that I truly enjoyed while I was in it. Howsomever, right up until the very end I didn’t feel any compulsion to find out what happened next, because there’s not really a lot happening at all.

Amelia, surprisingly so for being an Earth Master in this particular magic system, is rather like a duck or better yet, a swan, seeming to float effortless on top of the water – or all the various social situations to which she of necessity must adapt – while paddling furiously under the water DOING all that adapting.

Which is where I circle back to Austen’s comedy of manners style, as a LOT of what Amelia does is observation and then tailoring her behavior to what she’s observed. She may be extremely ruffled on the inside – and in fact often is – but she must appear decidedly UNruffled at all times, which she does.

So not a lot happens because it’s her ‘job’ in effect to make sure that it seems like not a lot is happening. Even if, or especially because, the reality is that a lot is getting done. Which again, gets back to the story being charming and lovely and a delight to sink into much like a warm bath, BUT not exactly a page-turner.

You might very well be looking for something EXACTLY like this amidst, or after, the holiday bustle. I absolutely enjoyed my read of it and hope that the Elemental Masters series eventually returns to the setting and some of the characters of Miss Amelia’s List.

After all, finding a husband for Miss Amelia herself was explicitly NOT on her list. Maybe it will be if we have the chance to see her again. If you like the concept of the Elemental Masters, but want a story that’s a bit more of a page-turner, you might want to try either The Silver Bullets of Annie Oakley or the Sherlock Holmes subseries – my personal favorite – that begins with A Study in Sable.

Mercedes Lackey was one of my formative authors as a teen. Now that I'm just a little older, I've been enjoying her adult Elemental Masters series, especially since it's one of my favorite combos: historical fiction/romance plus fantasy. That said, the books can be uneven, and this particular book just didn't hit the spot.

Amelia is an Earth Master from North Carolina. She comes to England just after the War of 1812 with her "cousin," Air Mage and leopard shifter Serena. The first 3/4 of the book is setting: Amelia and Serena arrive in London, get a new wardrobe, go to public assemblies, go to soirees musicales, make friends and magical connections, etc. etc. (etc. ad nauseum). The history of the time goes on around them and they react to it: Napoleon escapes from Elba, makes a last stand at Waterloo, the Year Without a Summer begins. Truly, the characters don't do anything other than exist in this setting. It's not until the 75/80% mark that they leave London and start doing things other than buying clothes and talking about making preparations for possible famine. (I cannot tell you how many different kinds of fabric were discussed, or what kind of crops do well in cold weather...)

I get it, this is kind of Lackey's MO: tons of stage setting before finally getting to the plot. And that can sometimes work, if I am also hyperfixated on whatever she's decided to research (hawking! mercenary companies! snowstorms!). But honestly, here, it felt excessive, and I found myself pretty bored. Plus, when the plot DID arrive, she was obviously cribbing from/inspired by Pride and Prejudice. Sure, there was a little twist on the awful Darcy proposal, but it was too little, too late.

It's worth considering that I might have been particularly bored because of my heavy consumption of Historical Romance. I'm quite familiar with the history she presents, as well as the many (many!) different takes on P&P out there. Maybe if Waterloo wasn't in every other Regency romance, I might have found this one more interesting. If you are not a Historical Romance reader but you are a Lackey fan, this might work better for you. If you ARE a HistRom reader and you like the idea of Jane Austen plus magic, I'd recommend Shades of Milk and Honey by Mary Robinette Kowal over this one.

This objective review is based on a complimentary copy of the novel.

A fun, cozy, magical story -- perfect for fans of Pride and Prejudice who want their heroines a bit more independent and powerful!

This was a lovely little jaunt into the world of the Elemental Masters. While I prefer the excitement and high stakes of some of the other books in this series, this was pleasant and I would say quite cozy look into regency England. Amelia and Serena are perfectly lovely young women with quite modern views and it was fun to travel along with them as they arrived in England to set up house with their brother as they open a new arm of their father's business and possibly find a good match, as long as they meet all the points on Miss Amelia's list!

Not much romance, but meeting lots of interesting characters, putting up with only a few prejudiced people and most of the book only had distant threats, easily put off by magic, or being prudent and planning ahead. I was a little disappointed that the big bad did not happen till the last fifteen minutes of the book and was also so easily resolved. That could have been so much better than a throw away comment in the middle that was the solution, as the hunts obliquely mentioned were quite interesting and could have been more to make it more thrilling like earlier books.

So all in all a fun little read firmly in the cozy fantasy region.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the chance to read and review this book.

I enjoyed this book, although the repeated mentions of the two females not have servants did get distracting. I also found it introduced & wrapped up the conflict very quickly. However, I enjoyed the story and the characters.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for my eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a very gentle and cozy book. A little slow paced, but it does wrap up nicely at the end. While I have read the whole series. I think this one might stand alone okay if the reader is already familiar with period fantasy novels and will be comfortable with a mage class in society semi secretly taking care of magically issues. The two girls are likable and pragmatic. Given the era they really must marry and are prepared to go about it in a business like fashion hoping to find someone compatible and pleasant where affection might grow. If you’re looking for a low stakes character driven fantasy series this one has been solidly enjoyable. My biggest complaint with the series is that in book 15 the character has an uneducated backwoods accent so you’ve got to read phonetically. But aside from that one nitpick I’ve loved the whole series!

A wonderful addition to the Elemental Masters Series. I love Mercedes Lackey's Valdemar series, but am less familiar with this world, luckily she does excellent world building, and even though this is the 17th book in the series, I was able to jump right in without much background knowledge. Amelia and Serena were wonderful characters, navigating the world of the British Gentry with aplomb and good humor. I loved the way this book tied in real life historical occurrences in alongside magical world happenings.

4.5 stars.

It's been a while since I've read a book in the Elemental Masters series. This one stood well enough on its own, having read at least some of the series. I think because I knew the fundamental precepts of the world, it didn't matter that I am not 100% up to date on the series.

I am not sure that the same could be said for someone with no knowledge of the world building, but it is possible.

This book read very much as slice of life regency (with magic) with not a lot of action until the very end. People should enjoy the MC's realistic portrayal of anxiety. I was, however, a little disappointed with the lack of romance (I know this isn't one of my regencies, but I am used to a bit of romance.)

Amelia and her “cousin” Serena have arrived in England looking to wed mages like themselves. Amela is an Earth Master and channel of that power while Serena is a Fire mage and a leopard shapeshifter. When they arrive Amelia’s brother James introduces them to the family’s friends and business associates, and they settle right into the correct social circles of the well to do tradespeople. They are also meeting mages looking for magical brides that come with a nice dowery if possible. The book is mostly a slice of life in England in 1815 so there is the year of no summer to move the plot along. There is a magical battle at the end but mostly this is a cozy of a fantasy and will be loved by people who like books in Regency settings with magic.

Great list. We start with the list and end with the same. In between you get a tale rich in descriptions. Great characters with a surprising plot. Great read for Lackey fans. Good introduction for others.