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Valdemar: Mage Winds #3
Winds of Fury
Valdemar is once again in peril, threatened by Ancar of Hardorn, who has long sought to seize control of the kingdom by any means at his command.
Yet this time Ancar may well achieve his goal, for by harnessing the power of Mornelithe Falconsbane, the Dark Adept, he has set into motion a magical strike against Valdemar the like of which hasn’t been attempted in more than five hundred years—not since Vanyel, the last Herald-Mage, shielded the kingdom from attack by the deadliest of sorceries.
And with Valdemar’s ancient spell-generated protections finally breaking down, Queen Selenay, Herald-Princess Elspeth, and their people could soon be left defenseless against an enemy armed with spells no one in Valdemar has the knowledge to withstand.
But as the long dormant magic of Valdemar begins to awaken, Elspeth finds that she too has a mysterious ally—a powerful spirit from the long-forgotten past…
Yet this time Ancar may well achieve his goal, for by harnessing the power of Mornelithe Falconsbane, the Dark Adept, he has set into motion a magical strike against Valdemar the like of which hasn’t been attempted in more than five hundred years—not since Vanyel, the last Herald-Mage, shielded the kingdom from attack by the deadliest of sorceries.
And with Valdemar’s ancient spell-generated protections finally breaking down, Queen Selenay, Herald-Princess Elspeth, and their people could soon be left defenseless against an enemy armed with spells no one in Valdemar has the knowledge to withstand.
But as the long dormant magic of Valdemar begins to awaken, Elspeth finds that she too has a mysterious ally—a powerful spirit from the long-forgotten past…
427 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published August 1, 1993
350 people are currently reading
2468 people want to read
About the author
Mercedes Lackey
315 books9,535 followersMercedes entered this world on June 24, 1950, in Chicago, had a normal childhood and graduated from Purdue University in 1972. During the late 70's she worked as an artist's model and then went into the computer programming field, ending up with American Airlines in Tulsa, Oklahoma. In addition to her fantasy writing, she has written lyrics for and recorded nearly fifty songs for Firebird Arts & Music, a small recording company specializing in science fiction folk music.
"I'm a storyteller; that's what I see as 'my job'. My stories come out of my characters; how those characters would react to the given situation. Maybe that's why I get letters from readers as young as thirteen and as old as sixty-odd. One of the reasons I write song lyrics is because I see songs as a kind of 'story pill' -- they reduce a story to the barest essentials or encapsulate a particular crucial moment in time. I frequently will write a lyric when I am attempting to get to the heart of a crucial scene; I find that when I have done so, the scene has become absolutely clear in my mind, and I can write exactly what I wanted to say. Another reason is because of the kind of novels I am writing: that is, fantasy, set in an other-world semi-medieval atmosphere. Music is very important to medieval peoples; bards are the chief newsbringers. When I write the 'folk music' of these peoples, I am enriching my whole world, whether I actually use the song in the text or not.
"I began writing out of boredom; I continue out of addiction. I can't 'not' write, and as a result I have no social life! I began writing fantasy because I love it, but I try to construct my fantasy worlds with all the care of a 'high-tech' science fiction writer. I apply the principle of TANSTAAFL ['There ain't no such thing as free lunch', credited to Robert Heinlein) to magic, for instance; in my worlds, magic is paid for, and the cost to the magician is frequently a high one. I try to keep my world as solid and real as possible; people deal with stubborn pumps, bugs in the porridge, and love-lives that refuse to become untangled, right along with invading armies and evil magicians. And I try to make all of my characters, even the 'evil magicians,' something more than flat stereotypes. Even evil magicians get up in the night and look for cookies, sometimes.
"I suppose that in everything I write I try to expound the creed I gave my character Diana Tregarde in Burning Water:
"There's no such thing as 'one, true way'; the only answers worth having are the ones you find for yourself; leave the world better than you found it. Love, freedom, and the chance to do some good -- they're the things worth living and dying for, and if you aren't willing to die for the things worth living for, you might as well turn in your membership in the human race."
Also writes as Misty Lackey
Author's website
"I'm a storyteller; that's what I see as 'my job'. My stories come out of my characters; how those characters would react to the given situation. Maybe that's why I get letters from readers as young as thirteen and as old as sixty-odd. One of the reasons I write song lyrics is because I see songs as a kind of 'story pill' -- they reduce a story to the barest essentials or encapsulate a particular crucial moment in time. I frequently will write a lyric when I am attempting to get to the heart of a crucial scene; I find that when I have done so, the scene has become absolutely clear in my mind, and I can write exactly what I wanted to say. Another reason is because of the kind of novels I am writing: that is, fantasy, set in an other-world semi-medieval atmosphere. Music is very important to medieval peoples; bards are the chief newsbringers. When I write the 'folk music' of these peoples, I am enriching my whole world, whether I actually use the song in the text or not.
"I began writing out of boredom; I continue out of addiction. I can't 'not' write, and as a result I have no social life! I began writing fantasy because I love it, but I try to construct my fantasy worlds with all the care of a 'high-tech' science fiction writer. I apply the principle of TANSTAAFL ['There ain't no such thing as free lunch', credited to Robert Heinlein) to magic, for instance; in my worlds, magic is paid for, and the cost to the magician is frequently a high one. I try to keep my world as solid and real as possible; people deal with stubborn pumps, bugs in the porridge, and love-lives that refuse to become untangled, right along with invading armies and evil magicians. And I try to make all of my characters, even the 'evil magicians,' something more than flat stereotypes. Even evil magicians get up in the night and look for cookies, sometimes.
"I suppose that in everything I write I try to expound the creed I gave my character Diana Tregarde in Burning Water:
"There's no such thing as 'one, true way'; the only answers worth having are the ones you find for yourself; leave the world better than you found it. Love, freedom, and the chance to do some good -- they're the things worth living and dying for, and if you aren't willing to die for the things worth living for, you might as well turn in your membership in the human race."
Also writes as Misty Lackey
Author's website
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 196 reviews
August 19, 2024
Take the deliciously diverse cast of lovable characters, villainous villains, temperamental talking equine companions, mischievous birdies, and slightly sanctimonious sentient sword from the previous installments, add scrumptious spirits galore, Spoiler Spoiler Spoiler (not the character's real name, in case you were wondering), and one of the most glorious covert assassination teams ever, and what do you get? Why a somewhat fantastic conclusion to this trilogy, obviously 😬. And also a celebratory dance, at no extra charge 😬.
P.S. Listen to the audiobook you must, for wonderfully delightful (and delightfully wonderful) Karen White's narration is. You're welcome.
· Book 1: Winds of Fate ★★★★★
· Book 2: Winds of Change ★★★★★
P.S. Listen to the audiobook you must, for wonderfully delightful (and delightfully wonderful) Karen White's narration is. You're welcome.
· Book 1: Winds of Fate ★★★★★
· Book 2: Winds of Change ★★★★★
November 28, 2019
The conclusion of the Mage Winds trilogy was pretty predictable and had a little more padding than it needed which dragged the pacing in places. Aside from the book starting back in the Vale, when the last book ended in the Forest of Sorrows, and the appearance of , there were no surprises in this book. I could tell what was going to happen from one moment to the next and the only thing I was worried about was if it would end on another cliffhanger like Arrows of the Queen did. And it did, but not as bad in the first trilogy. All the major plot threads were wrapped up, a few more are telegraphed for a future trilogy.
Still, it did have some interesting stuff, especially with the character of An'desha, but again, there were no surprises there. And despite this big "alliance" between the big bads of this trilogy and the Arrows trilogy, the threat to Valdemar didn't really get enough attention or really feel immediate enough to get very worried over it - which is just another reason why giving us the bad guy's POV is rarely a good idea. When we know what they're doing (or not doing) then we don't have worry about what they're doing, if that makes sense. There's no real tension of the unknown. Then there's a bit too much repetition as the various characters get caught up on what all the other characters in these various arcs are doing.
Still, it did have some interesting stuff, especially with the character of An'desha, but again, there were no surprises there. And despite this big "alliance" between the big bads of this trilogy and the Arrows trilogy, the threat to Valdemar didn't really get enough attention or really feel immediate enough to get very worried over it - which is just another reason why giving us the bad guy's POV is rarely a good idea. When we know what they're doing (or not doing) then we don't have worry about what they're doing, if that makes sense. There's no real tension of the unknown. Then there's a bit too much repetition as the various characters get caught up on what all the other characters in these various arcs are doing.
August 13, 2024
I think the plotting has improved quite a bit and the worldbuilding here is just so enjoyable - and less patchy. There's still the sexual weirdness/creepiness, some really dated representation of queerness (that was probably a lot less glaring in the 90s but perhaps not completely a great idea), and the characters are a mixed bag of better and worse tropes, but I was invested in the adventure and the stakes, and I'll probably get around to Storms sooner than later (while I still remember enough from the previous volumes to enjoy them).
October 7, 2023
I think I enjoyed this one the most out of this trilogy, purely becaus there was not *that* much that could be spoiled by the different POV's. The ending was still a bit underwhelming purely because everything was convinently served on a platter for our main cast and everything was a lil bit too neat?
But I am still excited to start reading the Mage Wars and Mage Storms trilogies soon
But I am still excited to start reading the Mage Wars and Mage Storms trilogies soon
March 19, 2017
Finally the big conclusion to the whole Ancar/Falconsbane arc! We get some very good revenge, some epic pairings and best of all this leads into the next set of books, which I skipped and read out of order haha. This feels like a kind of bridging series; after a while Mercedes writing becomes more polished and distinct and you get elements in this one. I will freely admit that the Owlmage books are my favorite series, and this series lays down some of the foundations for them.
Another great Valdemar series, although I feel a little worn down by them at the moment. Still not sure if I want to read anything else though, I'm a bit stuck! Five stars!
Another great Valdemar series, although I feel a little worn down by them at the moment. Still not sure if I want to read anything else though, I'm a bit stuck! Five stars!
October 1, 2010
Winds of Fury is the third book in the Mage Winds trilogy, so you'd at least want to go read the first two books, starting with Winds of Fate first and I'd also recommend you first read the trilogy that starts with Arrows of the Queen. I liken the Valdemar series to good comfort food. No, this isn't very literary in quality, but I find myself rereading the series every few years, because I like the characters and the world Lackey created. I don't think this trilogy has quite the same verve as the original Arrows of the Queen trilogy, and isn't as moving as the trilogy with Vanyel that starts with Magic's Pawn. So if you're new to Lackey or the Valdemar series, go read the other books first. But if you've read the other books in this series and trilogy, I think you won't find this conclusion to the trilogy involving Elspeth disappointing. Go then and let yourself enjoy some times with old friends.
September 26, 2025
3.5 stars.
After training with the Hawk Brothers, Elspeth returns to Valdemar to help with the long-expected invasion by Hardorn.
There is decent action, though I'm more than tired of the Villain-in-a-Box. (Will he return again, or is this really the end?) He was tolerable in the first book, but with each book, he became less interesting.
The re-emergence of Herald Mages is an important plot point in the overall narrative, but that is treated as a relatively minor element of the story.
The Elspeth plot is entertaining, both for Elspeth's growth and for the effect on the greater narrative. The Skif plot is largely a throwaway, which is a sad waste of one of the better characters of this era of Valdemar. Firesong k'Treyva is a delight, and perhaps the most fully realized and interesting character in the book.
This is the best book of the trilogy, with a more coherent plot and better-written action than in previous books. The climactic ending is done well, with the exception that the evil-behind-the-evil is the greatest threat yet, and is a threat with virtually no foreshadowing, in spite of what should have been its obvious presence in the world.
Overall, this series is a bridge between the Heralds of Valdemar trilogy (one of my favorites) and the Mage Storms trilogy (which I haven't read in decades). It spends too many pages connecting those with too little reader impact. The fan service (gryphons, Hawk Brothers, Warrl's fawning cousin, et al.) is entertaining, but really doesn't carry the series. I can't recommend this trilogy; there is much better writing in Valdemar.
After training with the Hawk Brothers, Elspeth returns to Valdemar to help with the long-expected invasion by Hardorn.
There is decent action, though I'm more than tired of the Villain-in-a-Box. (Will he return again, or is this really the end?) He was tolerable in the first book, but with each book, he became less interesting.
The re-emergence of Herald Mages is an important plot point in the overall narrative, but that is treated as a relatively minor element of the story.
The Elspeth plot is entertaining, both for Elspeth's growth and for the effect on the greater narrative. The Skif plot is largely a throwaway, which is a sad waste of one of the better characters of this era of Valdemar. Firesong k'Treyva is a delight, and perhaps the most fully realized and interesting character in the book.
This is the best book of the trilogy, with a more coherent plot and better-written action than in previous books. The climactic ending is done well, with the exception that the evil-behind-the-evil is the greatest threat yet, and is a threat with virtually no foreshadowing, in spite of what should have been its obvious presence in the world.
Overall, this series is a bridge between the Heralds of Valdemar trilogy (one of my favorites) and the Mage Storms trilogy (which I haven't read in decades). It spends too many pages connecting those with too little reader impact. The fan service (gryphons, Hawk Brothers, Warrl's fawning cousin, et al.) is entertaining, but really doesn't carry the series. I can't recommend this trilogy; there is much better writing in Valdemar.
June 3, 2024
This is a review for the whole trilogy really, but i'll try to focus on this book.
I enjoyed this! It was fun and I like the characters, plus we're finally wrapping up the threads kicked off in the Arrow's trilogy with Talia.
However, the sort of things I'd like to see versus what the author wants me to see feel disjointed. I felt like in all three books too much time is spent... basically lounging about. Things happen quickly or offscreen and it's a shame. Much of this trilogy takes place away from the court of Valdemar and I think this is shame as I want to see how the characters I know already all interact with the new ones introduced. I want to see the two groups clash and meet and it would be so good but no let's have everyone sit in a hot spring for another 3 chapters instead.
Overall I enjoyed the books but I feel like there was potential for really interesting and cool stuff that was largely just glossed over in the narrative, which was a crying shame.
I enjoyed this! It was fun and I like the characters, plus we're finally wrapping up the threads kicked off in the Arrow's trilogy with Talia.
However, the sort of things I'd like to see versus what the author wants me to see feel disjointed. I felt like in all three books too much time is spent... basically lounging about. Things happen quickly or offscreen and it's a shame. Much of this trilogy takes place away from the court of Valdemar and I think this is shame as I want to see how the characters I know already all interact with the new ones introduced. I want to see the two groups clash and meet and it would be so good but no let's have everyone sit in a hot spring for another 3 chapters instead.
Overall I enjoyed the books but I feel like there was potential for really interesting and cool stuff that was largely just glossed over in the narrative, which was a crying shame.
October 7, 2022
Two of the vilest, most disturbing villains I’ve ever read come together to make for one incredibly high-stakes, unputdownable concluding volume. Balanced against them is a diverse, not wholly expected cast of characters I came to love over the three books. (For two of the three books I was convinced that Elspeth would never be one of my favorite protagonists of the Valdemar series. I was wrong.) There’s more I want to shout about, but alas, spoilers…
As I’ve come to expect from Lackey, the action over the whole trilogy is well plotted and paced. There’s a sense of time passing, resources mustering, logistics and tactics playing out…but somehow it never bogs down. Makes for an awkward work-reading life balance, that’s for sure.
As I’ve come to expect from Lackey, the action over the whole trilogy is well plotted and paced. There’s a sense of time passing, resources mustering, logistics and tactics playing out…but somehow it never bogs down. Makes for an awkward work-reading life balance, that’s for sure.
December 9, 2021
Elspeth, Darkwind, Firesong, Skif and Nyara, along with the griphons have made it back to Valdemar. But things with Hardon have gotten worse. Ancar managed to put up a gate and accidentally rescued Falconsbane by thinking hard about wanting a adept. Between the two of them they moved against Valdemar.
So the group from Valdemar head for the capital of Hardon to rid the country of them.
It's one of the best books, plus being the the final book in this three book series.
So the group from Valdemar head for the capital of Hardon to rid the country of them.
It's one of the best books, plus being the the final book in this three book series.
July 17, 2023
A very good ending to this three book tale of Valdemar.
April 16, 2019
3.5 stars?
September 14, 2023
A great conclusion to a thrilling trilogy
What I expect from a valdemar book <3
What I expect from a valdemar book <3
March 7, 2015
The first book had Elspeth the Heir. The second book had Elspeth the Brat. The third book has Elspeth the Herald, or, as I like to think, Elspeth, the "being heir no longer fits in with my life goals even thought I'm not sure what those are yet". As you can tell, Elspeth is not my favorite character. It was a bit interesting seeing the reaction, in Haven, to the exotic people, both human and non-human, that she returns with. But I end up feeling disappointed about how Lackey wrote Skif in these three books and not over impressed by the Hawksbrothers. Enough with the introspection. Give me more action.
January 27, 2011
Mercedes Lackey's third book of the Mage Wind's series was a satisfying conclusion. I like the way Mercedes builds a main character's journey through these Valdemar trilogy sets. Elspeth was a great character to get to know and watch grow in some ways. Some of the story resolutions were rushed, and other pieces a little drawn out, but overall I enjoyed many of these characters. Knowing her writing style, I doubt I'll see them much in other books except as auxillary characters, which is a shame because I'd like to witness their further development.
October 3, 2012
Mercedes has created the fabulous world of Valdemar. It is chock full of Magic,mystery,romance,suspense. One of the best fantasy series I've ever read.
October 29, 2021
I love Misty's system of magic. I can't get enough of it.
Also, this tale is illustrated by her husband, Larry Dixon. When they work together, magic happens.
Also, this tale is illustrated by her husband, Larry Dixon. When they work together, magic happens.
February 5, 2023
By far the best book of the trilogy. With Ancar and Falconsbane teaming up against Valdemar, Elspeth and Nightwind need to get there ASAP.
June 10, 2019
Winds of Fury is the last book in THE MAGE WINDS trilogy. The villain trying to destroy a native tribe has been captured by the villain trying to destroy the city of Valdemar. Will they team up? Our heroine, Elspeth, uses all of her resources — human and magical — and gathers her team to leave Valdemar and trek the distance to the city where all three main villains reside to kill them and end the reign of human, magical, and environmental destruction.
Mercedes Lackey needed an editor so badly, one who was strong enough to care about the product his/her/their publisher was selling. There were issues with continuity and perspective. For instance, in chapter 8, Darkwind and Firesong know that Ancar has been using magic without protecting himself. There’s no reason they would know what Ancar is doing. Chapter 9 opens with Falconsbane standing in the open window, hair-whipping around, but in previous chapters the shutters were closed and absolutely forbidden from being opened. Small potatoes in the grand scheme, I suppose.
Lackey would get in a pattern of doing the same annoying thing repeatedly. She used the word “bitch” about 20 times in the first chapter and then stops. In one four-page section, she had five winks — some of them simultaneously. I remember in the span of a few pages she wrote something like “it would take a [adjective like stronger or colder] person than [character] to [do a thing]” three or four times. Where did these writer tics come from, and why didn’t an discerning editor notice?
The writing was never amazing in any of the books, but it was embarrassingly poor in Winds of Fury. Amateur mistakes like “two royal twins” would set my hackles up. I refuse to forgive a narrator who allows a writer to use a “big word” and then define it in the next sentence. For example, “And Falconsbane was capricious. He could change his mind at any time.” Although Lackey thanks her entire publishing and editing team at the end of my copy of the Winds of Fury, I steamed over blatant garbage errors like this one: “But the birds had human eyes — eyes as black as night, but spangled with stars.” So, not human eyes at all, right??
My main beef with Winds of Fury was the sexual content. It started with Lackey’s use of the word “pleasure.” It could describe damn near anything, from smiling to raping a slave, having consensual sex to a villain being waited on by endless servants. One instance made me wonder if Lackey even thought about what she was writing:
“. . .at the first, they had tried to force one of the women-contortionists to give them pleasure…”
The words she’s looking for are “rape” or “sexual assault.” Rape isn’t about “pleasure,” it’s about power, and the fact that Lackey perverted the word “pleasure” so greatly infuriated me. After a while, the word started to sicken me, the way some people feel a deep aversion to the word “moist.”
Although there were some great plot points, such as Elsepth’s ring and Darkwind’s feather, and discovering An’desha, I was distracted to pieces by Lackey’s insistence on inserting sex or sexual assault into everything. As Elspeth’s team travel for their suicidal mission, they make sure the couples fit in regular sexual activity. Also, Firesong’s focus is not on their objective, but how long he’s been celibate, and wonders if it is appropriate to have sex with his friend’s husband.
Even characters with histories of being sexually assaulted vigorously jump into physical relationships as a way to get over their rapes — and Lackey has a history of writing that line of reasoning. We saw it in Arrow’s Fall. I was left feeling rather gross, and none of the sexual situations in Winds of Fury served as an actual plot point.
The villains constantly use seduction (there’s another word I wanted to light on fire) to get their way. Imagine: “What if I get A to seduce B. . . or maybe B will seduce A first, and then they’ll both be seduced! Or I could hire a boy with a reputably big penis to seduce C, and then when he’s done, he can seduce me!” GAG. SO MUCH GAG.
This was the first Valdemar book that I was extremely disappointed in. I’m not sure if Lackey was getting famous and the books just kept coming without regard to quality, or if some poor publishing employee was too afraid to make comments to an author bringing in loads of money. But I do know I’m ready to move past THE MAGE WINDS trilogy and hope Lackey grew to be a more conscientious writer from one year to the next.
This review was originally published at Grab the Lapels.
Mercedes Lackey needed an editor so badly, one who was strong enough to care about the product his/her/their publisher was selling. There were issues with continuity and perspective. For instance, in chapter 8, Darkwind and Firesong know that Ancar has been using magic without protecting himself. There’s no reason they would know what Ancar is doing. Chapter 9 opens with Falconsbane standing in the open window, hair-whipping around, but in previous chapters the shutters were closed and absolutely forbidden from being opened. Small potatoes in the grand scheme, I suppose.
Lackey would get in a pattern of doing the same annoying thing repeatedly. She used the word “bitch” about 20 times in the first chapter and then stops. In one four-page section, she had five winks — some of them simultaneously. I remember in the span of a few pages she wrote something like “it would take a [adjective like stronger or colder] person than [character] to [do a thing]” three or four times. Where did these writer tics come from, and why didn’t an discerning editor notice?
The writing was never amazing in any of the books, but it was embarrassingly poor in Winds of Fury. Amateur mistakes like “two royal twins” would set my hackles up. I refuse to forgive a narrator who allows a writer to use a “big word” and then define it in the next sentence. For example, “And Falconsbane was capricious. He could change his mind at any time.” Although Lackey thanks her entire publishing and editing team at the end of my copy of the Winds of Fury, I steamed over blatant garbage errors like this one: “But the birds had human eyes — eyes as black as night, but spangled with stars.” So, not human eyes at all, right??
My main beef with Winds of Fury was the sexual content. It started with Lackey’s use of the word “pleasure.” It could describe damn near anything, from smiling to raping a slave, having consensual sex to a villain being waited on by endless servants. One instance made me wonder if Lackey even thought about what she was writing:
“. . .at the first, they had tried to force one of the women-contortionists to give them pleasure…”
The words she’s looking for are “rape” or “sexual assault.” Rape isn’t about “pleasure,” it’s about power, and the fact that Lackey perverted the word “pleasure” so greatly infuriated me. After a while, the word started to sicken me, the way some people feel a deep aversion to the word “moist.”
Although there were some great plot points, such as Elsepth’s ring and Darkwind’s feather, and discovering An’desha, I was distracted to pieces by Lackey’s insistence on inserting sex or sexual assault into everything. As Elspeth’s team travel for their suicidal mission, they make sure the couples fit in regular sexual activity. Also, Firesong’s focus is not on their objective, but how long he’s been celibate, and wonders if it is appropriate to have sex with his friend’s husband.
Even characters with histories of being sexually assaulted vigorously jump into physical relationships as a way to get over their rapes — and Lackey has a history of writing that line of reasoning. We saw it in Arrow’s Fall. I was left feeling rather gross, and none of the sexual situations in Winds of Fury served as an actual plot point.
The villains constantly use seduction (there’s another word I wanted to light on fire) to get their way. Imagine: “What if I get A to seduce B. . . or maybe B will seduce A first, and then they’ll both be seduced! Or I could hire a boy with a reputably big penis to seduce C, and then when he’s done, he can seduce me!” GAG. SO MUCH GAG.
This was the first Valdemar book that I was extremely disappointed in. I’m not sure if Lackey was getting famous and the books just kept coming without regard to quality, or if some poor publishing employee was too afraid to make comments to an author bringing in loads of money. But I do know I’m ready to move past THE MAGE WINDS trilogy and hope Lackey grew to be a more conscientious writer from one year to the next.
This review was originally published at Grab the Lapels.
May 16, 2020
Winds of Fury is the third book in the Mage Winds trilogy, and is not only a satisfying but also quite creative and interesting conclusion to that part of Valdemar’s history. The war with Ancar rages on, and the stakes are even higher now that, thanks to Ancar botching a spell, he has Falconsbane in his clutches and under magical coercions. Magic has returned to Valdemar and mages are being recruited from all over, and those with mage-potential are being looked for and trained. Everything’s leading up to a battle between not only Valdemar and Ancar, but also Falconsbane, and Hulda, three of the most powerful and pissy people that Valdemar has had to deal with in an age.
That alone would be epic enough, but Lackey takes it a step further by giving us the character on An’desha, the man whose body Falconsbane took over and is currently inhabiting, and who is trapped in a tiny corner of Falconsbane’s mind, his own personality intact but afraid. With the help of a little divine intervention, An’desha works to undermine Falconsbane’s plans from the inside while the heroes of Valdemar can attack from the outside.
I’ve always had a fondness for stories involving trapped mental presences, other people dwelling in minds where normally there’s just one personality present. (What can I say, MPD and DID have been pet interests of mine for a long while now.) An’desha appealed to me from the moment he was introduced for that reason alone, and that was just helped along when we got to see his backstory, find out how his body was taken over by Falconsbane/Ma’ar, and more interestingly, just how he managed to keep his own personality intact while quietly sharing headspace with an ancient psychopath.
If there’s one thing about this book that irks me, though, it was actually the divine intervention that did it. I have no problem with deities showing their hands, but I have to admit that some things seemed a little bit like a cop-out. Avatars assisting someone, fine. But the goddess reaching down and undoing most of the physical changes that were done to both An’desha and Nyara so that they no longer looked so inhuman seemed like things were being tied up too neatly. A good chunk of the Valdemar books stress that actions have consequences, but that’s just undone by admitting that sometimes your gods will step in and remove the consequences or the difficulties just because they feel like it. I’m not saying that An’desha and Nyara didn’t deserve pity for what had been done to them. It’s more like I’m saying it would have been far more interesting to see them continue to cope with what they had, come to grips with it, and moved beyond it. If you’re looking for inspiration in characters, removing their problems rather than having them get past their problems takes away that which could be incredibly inspirational.
It also raises questions. Why didn’t the goddess step in earlier and remove Falconsbane’s coercion from Starblade? Why didn’t she show up and smack Ma’ar down in one of his previous incarnations? Why use that great power for aesthetics? It would give An’desha and Nyara some comfort, no doubt, and was a nice reward for all that they had done to bring Falconsbane down, but it seemed rather arbitrary.
Aside from playing the deity card, this book was quite enjoyable, and a fitting end to the trilogy. It closes off that arc of the story nicely while still leaving some tantalizing unanswered questions. If I didn’t know there were books in the series after this, I’d be able to make a pretty good guess that there would be at least one set soon after. (As it turns out, there’s another trilogy, which I will be getting to shortly.) Good Valdemaran fun, and this is pretty much where we get to see what I would consider the height of Lackey’s stylistic development in the Valdemar novels. Definitely interesting to see that progression.
That alone would be epic enough, but Lackey takes it a step further by giving us the character on An’desha, the man whose body Falconsbane took over and is currently inhabiting, and who is trapped in a tiny corner of Falconsbane’s mind, his own personality intact but afraid. With the help of a little divine intervention, An’desha works to undermine Falconsbane’s plans from the inside while the heroes of Valdemar can attack from the outside.
I’ve always had a fondness for stories involving trapped mental presences, other people dwelling in minds where normally there’s just one personality present. (What can I say, MPD and DID have been pet interests of mine for a long while now.) An’desha appealed to me from the moment he was introduced for that reason alone, and that was just helped along when we got to see his backstory, find out how his body was taken over by Falconsbane/Ma’ar, and more interestingly, just how he managed to keep his own personality intact while quietly sharing headspace with an ancient psychopath.
If there’s one thing about this book that irks me, though, it was actually the divine intervention that did it. I have no problem with deities showing their hands, but I have to admit that some things seemed a little bit like a cop-out. Avatars assisting someone, fine. But the goddess reaching down and undoing most of the physical changes that were done to both An’desha and Nyara so that they no longer looked so inhuman seemed like things were being tied up too neatly. A good chunk of the Valdemar books stress that actions have consequences, but that’s just undone by admitting that sometimes your gods will step in and remove the consequences or the difficulties just because they feel like it. I’m not saying that An’desha and Nyara didn’t deserve pity for what had been done to them. It’s more like I’m saying it would have been far more interesting to see them continue to cope with what they had, come to grips with it, and moved beyond it. If you’re looking for inspiration in characters, removing their problems rather than having them get past their problems takes away that which could be incredibly inspirational.
It also raises questions. Why didn’t the goddess step in earlier and remove Falconsbane’s coercion from Starblade? Why didn’t she show up and smack Ma’ar down in one of his previous incarnations? Why use that great power for aesthetics? It would give An’desha and Nyara some comfort, no doubt, and was a nice reward for all that they had done to bring Falconsbane down, but it seemed rather arbitrary.
Aside from playing the deity card, this book was quite enjoyable, and a fitting end to the trilogy. It closes off that arc of the story nicely while still leaving some tantalizing unanswered questions. If I didn’t know there were books in the series after this, I’d be able to make a pretty good guess that there would be at least one set soon after. (As it turns out, there’s another trilogy, which I will be getting to shortly.) Good Valdemaran fun, and this is pretty much where we get to see what I would consider the height of Lackey’s stylistic development in the Valdemar novels. Definitely interesting to see that progression.
June 27, 2019
While it took me much longer to read Winds of Fury than the other books in this trilogy, I did enjoy reading this novel. Winds of Change suffered from middle-book syndrome. The plot pacing was plodding but the characters were well-developed. Why does this always happen? So we can focus on plot instead of character development in the final book, obviously! Winds of Fury does focus more on plot than character, but thankfully does not neglect character entirely.
Very few new characters are introduced in Winds of Fury, but two new characters get chapters from their own perspectives. Ancar and An'desha. The character that truly kept me reading is An'desha. After being trapped spiritually in his former body, now occupied by Falconsbane's spirit as well, I couldn't imagine how he might be able to escape this horror. I love the character Lackey created in him. While we didn't spend much time with An'desha, he grew the most in this novel. I was constantly drawn to his character, his challenges, his sacrifices, and rooted for him to win.
Winds of Fury differs from the previous book in one critical way: Plot plot plot! There is constant shift to new events and new discoveries that I feel often lacks in Lackey's works. And some of these plot points are incredibly humorous. My favorite plot idea surrounds how our protagonists determine they will undermine and emerge victorious against the Big Bad: By sending in a 5-person assassin team disguised as a circus deep into enemy territory! Who doesn't love this?! That said, they didn't really plan what they'd do in Hardon all that well, even though they had WEEKS of circusing to come up with a plan. Perhaps Firestorm was enjoying the rouse too much. But, as is to be expected -- bam! They won. It might have fallen together for them in the 11th hour in an unbelievable and ridiculous fashion, but I still loved every minute of it.
Despite all the wonderful plot motion, Winds of Fury still had a tendency to drag. I read long-winded passages from the perspective of characters who were just trying to figure things out. While I appreciate Lackey's dedication to making the characters fallible and flawed, most of this content was repetitive. I get it. They are trying to untangle complex problems and personal emotional. Yes, the characters all have a lot to learn and lot of self-discovery to do. But instead of being exciting and interesting it's a bit… dull. So pacing, still not good Lackey. I hope that I see this improve in the future in your writing.
Overall, Winds of Fury is an enjoyable addition to the Valdemar universe. As Lackey is wont to do with her trilogies, she has cleanly wrapped up the overarching plotline for The Mage Winds. But she still left me with many unanswered questions which hook me into continuing to read the Valdemar universe novels.
Obviously, I'm going to keep reading. Not only for #ReadingValdemar, but for my own interest. Here's to another trilogy! Bring it on, Lackey. Bring. It. On.
Very few new characters are introduced in Winds of Fury, but two new characters get chapters from their own perspectives. Ancar and An'desha. The character that truly kept me reading is An'desha. After being trapped spiritually in his former body, now occupied by Falconsbane's spirit as well, I couldn't imagine how he might be able to escape this horror. I love the character Lackey created in him. While we didn't spend much time with An'desha, he grew the most in this novel. I was constantly drawn to his character, his challenges, his sacrifices, and rooted for him to win.
Winds of Fury differs from the previous book in one critical way: Plot plot plot! There is constant shift to new events and new discoveries that I feel often lacks in Lackey's works. And some of these plot points are incredibly humorous. My favorite plot idea surrounds how our protagonists determine they will undermine and emerge victorious against the Big Bad: By sending in a 5-person assassin team disguised as a circus deep into enemy territory! Who doesn't love this?! That said, they didn't really plan what they'd do in Hardon all that well, even though they had WEEKS of circusing to come up with a plan. Perhaps Firestorm was enjoying the rouse too much. But, as is to be expected -- bam! They won. It might have fallen together for them in the 11th hour in an unbelievable and ridiculous fashion, but I still loved every minute of it.
Despite all the wonderful plot motion, Winds of Fury still had a tendency to drag. I read long-winded passages from the perspective of characters who were just trying to figure things out. While I appreciate Lackey's dedication to making the characters fallible and flawed, most of this content was repetitive. I get it. They are trying to untangle complex problems and personal emotional. Yes, the characters all have a lot to learn and lot of self-discovery to do. But instead of being exciting and interesting it's a bit… dull. So pacing, still not good Lackey. I hope that I see this improve in the future in your writing.
Overall, Winds of Fury is an enjoyable addition to the Valdemar universe. As Lackey is wont to do with her trilogies, she has cleanly wrapped up the overarching plotline for The Mage Winds. But she still left me with many unanswered questions which hook me into continuing to read the Valdemar universe novels.
Obviously, I'm going to keep reading. Not only for #ReadingValdemar, but for my own interest. Here's to another trilogy! Bring it on, Lackey. Bring. It. On.
March 8, 2019
The final book in the Mage Winds series concludes the story but leaves a loose end for the Mage Storms series. I recommend the Mage Winds series in order if you are going to read it. There are several characters developed in the Arrows series including a lot of background.
This book - 2.6 stars. The series - <2 stars.
This book is either too long or doesn't have enough in it. It is especially bad just before the climax where the pace is so slow, it goes backwards. As I mentioned in the previous book, there is too much repetition which comes from strategizing what they are going to do and then repeating it all when they do it. And this is combined with too much whining introspection. Despite that, the climax is exciting and has good moments. What follows that was predictable.
The story closely follows several characters including at least two romances which are well developed by the beginning of this book. Elspeth has come into herself and serves as a strong female lead. Darkwind is strong and steady. Firesong is flamboyant, but begins to show some weaknesses that weren't as apparent previously. Nyara is another strong female despite her devastating history. Skif - meh.
Many people will enjoy how much focus there is on the two main villains, Falconsbane and Ancar. We especially get inside Falconsbane's head. Personally, I could have used a lot less of this focus. It is probably a major reason I didn't like this book.
This is my second time through this series and I have learned that a measure of how good you think a book is can be determined from the strength of desire that you might read it again. Not this series - note to self: don't read this again. And despite high star ratings I gave the Mage Storms series last time I read that, my feeling after completing this book convinces me not to revisit the next series.
There are many more typos in the Kindle edition. Some of them make interpreting the meaning difficult or impossible.
Mature themes: there is no description of consensual sex. There are many inferences to sadistic torture with the implication (especially from background in the earlier books) of rape leading to death. It's there, it just isn't stated outright, although the deaths are. There is plenty of killing and fantasy violence. There is blood magic which is the practice of using blood and painful death to build power for magic. I actually prefer the oblique way ML has referred to the atrocities in this and the second book over the explicit way it was described in the first book of this series and in Arrow's Fall. Finally, there is mind control to the point of total mind abduction which is one of the creepiest tropes I can imagine. There is no doubt that these villains are extremely depraved.
This book - 2.6 stars. The series - <2 stars.
This book is either too long or doesn't have enough in it. It is especially bad just before the climax where the pace is so slow, it goes backwards. As I mentioned in the previous book, there is too much repetition which comes from strategizing what they are going to do and then repeating it all when they do it. And this is combined with too much whining introspection. Despite that, the climax is exciting and has good moments. What follows that was predictable.
The story closely follows several characters including at least two romances which are well developed by the beginning of this book. Elspeth has come into herself and serves as a strong female lead. Darkwind is strong and steady. Firesong is flamboyant, but begins to show some weaknesses that weren't as apparent previously. Nyara is another strong female despite her devastating history. Skif - meh.
Many people will enjoy how much focus there is on the two main villains, Falconsbane and Ancar. We especially get inside Falconsbane's head. Personally, I could have used a lot less of this focus. It is probably a major reason I didn't like this book.
This is my second time through this series and I have learned that a measure of how good you think a book is can be determined from the strength of desire that you might read it again. Not this series - note to self: don't read this again. And despite high star ratings I gave the Mage Storms series last time I read that, my feeling after completing this book convinces me not to revisit the next series.
There are many more typos in the Kindle edition. Some of them make interpreting the meaning difficult or impossible.
Mature themes: there is no description of consensual sex. There are many inferences to sadistic torture with the implication (especially from background in the earlier books) of rape leading to death. It's there, it just isn't stated outright, although the deaths are. There is plenty of killing and fantasy violence. There is blood magic which is the practice of using blood and painful death to build power for magic. I actually prefer the oblique way ML has referred to the atrocities in this and the second book over the explicit way it was described in the first book of this series and in Arrow's Fall. Finally, there is mind control to the point of total mind abduction which is one of the creepiest tropes I can imagine. There is no doubt that these villains are extremely depraved.
August 29, 2018
Elspeth and her lover, Darkwind return with Skif and Nyara to Valedemar. King Ancara of theneighboring kingdom has been threatening to invade for quite some time, and it was his assassination plot that started Elspeth off in search of mages. Darkwind's old vale has been turned intoa griffin and other not human races wonderland, and in someways this reader would have prefered to have stayed behind in the treehouses and hot tubs. But then my favorite pair and their offspring decide to go along, and I stopped being resentful about leaving all the griffins I did not know to stay with the ones I have come to love.
We have a brief stay in the forest of Sadness or somesuch, populated by the shades of the First Herald Mage and his partner who called down the mage ban in Valedemar. It's an interesting interlude and I recalled that Lackey had once been MZB's protege, and the weird lake of vapors on Darkover came to mind. The mages talk mage business and Skif and Nyara try to work out their complicated future. Elspeth hopes the griffins and their charming kittens will distract from the fact she's consorting with a hawk brother, and her Herald partner, slotted to be the Queen's Own by many, has taken up with a catwoman. And no sooner thhan they arrive on home turf than unfamiliar heralds are prying into Elspeth's personal business despite the presence of the griffins. I'm a little surprised that Firesong doesn't take more pity on her and keep the Heralds off of her, but there is still a thread of jealousy regarding Darkwind. Or Firesong is simply too self involved for that kind of compassion. He is going to have a parallel journy to Elspeth's discovery that status doesn't always serve as an import to other kingdoms.
Once there we are fight a mage war, and I found my attention flagging as it became battle tactics without any real experience from the evacuees or the Valedemarians. Sort of lost in in the final wrap up.
We have a brief stay in the forest of Sadness or somesuch, populated by the shades of the First Herald Mage and his partner who called down the mage ban in Valedemar. It's an interesting interlude and I recalled that Lackey had once been MZB's protege, and the weird lake of vapors on Darkover came to mind. The mages talk mage business and Skif and Nyara try to work out their complicated future. Elspeth hopes the griffins and their charming kittens will distract from the fact she's consorting with a hawk brother, and her Herald partner, slotted to be the Queen's Own by many, has taken up with a catwoman. And no sooner thhan they arrive on home turf than unfamiliar heralds are prying into Elspeth's personal business despite the presence of the griffins. I'm a little surprised that Firesong doesn't take more pity on her and keep the Heralds off of her, but there is still a thread of jealousy regarding Darkwind. Or Firesong is simply too self involved for that kind of compassion. He is going to have a parallel journy to Elspeth's discovery that status doesn't always serve as an import to other kingdoms.
Once there we are fight a mage war, and I found my attention flagging as it became battle tactics without any real experience from the evacuees or the Valedemarians. Sort of lost in in the final wrap up.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 17, 2017
In "Winds of Fury," Lackey brings the "Mage Winds" trilogy to an appropriately magical close. There are journeys, avatars, pitched magical battles, and of course, all the talking animals. Did I mention the talking and/or telepathic animals? Because I think they deserve mention again. There are not just horses, but also bondbirds, deer-creatures, and gryphons. Really, anything you might want.
In fact, it's fascinating that communion with non-human animals is such a feature in fantasy literature. There's the Wit in Robin Hobb's Farseer books, the wargs in in A Song of Ice and Fire, and loads of other examples. This seems to be a deepseated human desire, on par with human-to-human telepathy, telekinesis, and setting fire to things with our magical mind powers. Which gives me hope for humanity. If we (not so) secretly want to commune with non-human animals, we can't be all bad, can we?
Anyway, where was I? Oh yes, "Winds of Fury." A very satisfying conclusion to the "Mage Winds" trilogy, and one that deals with a lot of the same stuff as the previous books; e.g., the problem of Self vs. Other, and how to organize society. Sure, these books are light escapist fare aimed at adolescent girls, but A) there's nothing wrong with that, and B) like a lot of supposedly light escapist fare aimed at adolescent girls, they wrestle with some of life's big problems, such as culpability, responsibility, and integrating strangers into your society. If you're casting about for what to give the teenagers in your life for Christmas, you could do worse than gift them this trilogy. It will almost certainly make them happier, and it might make them better people too.
In fact, it's fascinating that communion with non-human animals is such a feature in fantasy literature. There's the Wit in Robin Hobb's Farseer books, the wargs in in A Song of Ice and Fire, and loads of other examples. This seems to be a deepseated human desire, on par with human-to-human telepathy, telekinesis, and setting fire to things with our magical mind powers. Which gives me hope for humanity. If we (not so) secretly want to commune with non-human animals, we can't be all bad, can we?
Anyway, where was I? Oh yes, "Winds of Fury." A very satisfying conclusion to the "Mage Winds" trilogy, and one that deals with a lot of the same stuff as the previous books; e.g., the problem of Self vs. Other, and how to organize society. Sure, these books are light escapist fare aimed at adolescent girls, but A) there's nothing wrong with that, and B) like a lot of supposedly light escapist fare aimed at adolescent girls, they wrestle with some of life's big problems, such as culpability, responsibility, and integrating strangers into your society. If you're casting about for what to give the teenagers in your life for Christmas, you could do worse than gift them this trilogy. It will almost certainly make them happier, and it might make them better people too.
December 31, 2020
This book was so good that I've just spent all night reading it, because I've barely had a chance to pick it up since I started it, with Christmas, and present-making so greatly involved!
The conclusion of this trilogy was well worth the loss of sleep, though, as it brought together all of the disparate parts of the huge story of Valdemar, with it's Heralds, and Companions - and associated with them, of course, being the Shin'a'in, the Kaled'a'in, and the Tayledras.
There were friends, and enemies, in their neighbouring countries, too, and each part that touched the lives of those who live in Valdemar, have brought so very much to the stories - and I so hope that this isn't the last I'll read of them all - especially with this particular story ending, as it did, with the interference of the Eastern Empire!
If you've never read these books, then run to your local library and, if they don't stock them, then ask why not! Look in your local second-hand book shop, too, because these are books that will keep to company, and entertain you, for many years to come 😀
So, I'm going to catch up on my sleep and, later on today, I'll have a look to see what comes next on my bookshelves - I know I still have very many more Mercedes Lackey books to read - which I'm so very glad of - though, right now, I'm finding it difficult to remember my own name, let alone what comes next in her books! Lol
Catch you later, and a Happy New Year, for 2021 to you all! 🥰
The conclusion of this trilogy was well worth the loss of sleep, though, as it brought together all of the disparate parts of the huge story of Valdemar, with it's Heralds, and Companions - and associated with them, of course, being the Shin'a'in, the Kaled'a'in, and the Tayledras.
There were friends, and enemies, in their neighbouring countries, too, and each part that touched the lives of those who live in Valdemar, have brought so very much to the stories - and I so hope that this isn't the last I'll read of them all - especially with this particular story ending, as it did, with the interference of the Eastern Empire!
If you've never read these books, then run to your local library and, if they don't stock them, then ask why not! Look in your local second-hand book shop, too, because these are books that will keep to company, and entertain you, for many years to come 😀
So, I'm going to catch up on my sleep and, later on today, I'll have a look to see what comes next on my bookshelves - I know I still have very many more Mercedes Lackey books to read - which I'm so very glad of - though, right now, I'm finding it difficult to remember my own name, let alone what comes next in her books! Lol
Catch you later, and a Happy New Year, for 2021 to you all! 🥰
January 5, 2022
The discovery of Mercedes Lackey might be my most fortunate book discovery of the year by far.
Her seemingly unlimited books and series, though daunting at first, have done an incredible job of keeping my mind of other things.
For this one, Elspeth, the apparent heir to the Kingdom journeys to far-off lands to find a Mage to teach her and her folk as the threat of their neighbouring cruel King Angcar looms. On this journey she and her Companion Gwena discover far more than they ever expected, as well as another world outside her sheltered nation that she never expected.
With new allies, and one very particular and formidable new enemy, these three books had me within their grasp in a day and I finished this particular trilogy faster than I expected given the amount of work I had the past few days.
I'm hopping directly into Lackey's next. Though I have no hope of finishing all her books from this world by the end of the year, I will be looking to make a dent.
Her seemingly unlimited books and series, though daunting at first, have done an incredible job of keeping my mind of other things.
For this one, Elspeth, the apparent heir to the Kingdom journeys to far-off lands to find a Mage to teach her and her folk as the threat of their neighbouring cruel King Angcar looms. On this journey she and her Companion Gwena discover far more than they ever expected, as well as another world outside her sheltered nation that she never expected.
With new allies, and one very particular and formidable new enemy, these three books had me within their grasp in a day and I finished this particular trilogy faster than I expected given the amount of work I had the past few days.
I'm hopping directly into Lackey's next. Though I have no hope of finishing all her books from this world by the end of the year, I will be looking to make a dent.
March 24, 2023
Now that the dark wizard Falconsbane has been defeated and a Gate is being opened bringing the two halves of the k’Sheyna clan together again, it’s time for the Heralds Skif and Elspeth to go home to Haven bringing Nyara and Darkwind with them.
But Ancar, the King of Hardorn is not finished with Valdemar and he has a new, powerful, but uncooperative ally.
I love how the Mage power comes alive in Haven as new Mages are trained and the whole magical side of Valemar blossoms.
Footnote: 1) Why is it that those who are arrogant are they themselves arrogant. And those who kill have to get revenge on those who defend themselves. And those who fight for the freedom of speech refuse it to others? People who aim to do wrong are blind to their own faults.
Fave scenes: Elspeth’s new whites, Kero surprise testing Elspeth, Elspeth creating the shield and Treyvan dealing with the Karsite priestess.
But Ancar, the King of Hardorn is not finished with Valdemar and he has a new, powerful, but uncooperative ally.
I love how the Mage power comes alive in Haven as new Mages are trained and the whole magical side of Valemar blossoms.
Footnote: 1) Why is it that those who are arrogant are they themselves arrogant. And those who kill have to get revenge on those who defend themselves. And those who fight for the freedom of speech refuse it to others? People who aim to do wrong are blind to their own faults.
Fave scenes: Elspeth’s new whites, Kero surprise testing Elspeth, Elspeth creating the shield and Treyvan dealing with the Karsite priestess.
July 16, 2023
This series as a whole was one of my least favorite that Mercedes has written, mainly because I still can’t get behind Elspeth, and while I appreciate that she more so then other characters had a large amount of growth, she still just irks me, and it’s hard for me to get past.
This book did get 4 stars though because, once again, Mercedes has proven that her world building, planning and timelines are just out of this world, and with the return of 2 of my favorite all time characters, I was hooked, and while I would have preferred to just have another book about them, having their unexpected inclusion in this book made me incredibly happy.
As always, for the last book in the series, there was a good amount of excitement and wrap up here with Mercedes talent to leave just enough unknown to ensure more opportunities for future books and tales.
This book did get 4 stars though because, once again, Mercedes has proven that her world building, planning and timelines are just out of this world, and with the return of 2 of my favorite all time characters, I was hooked, and while I would have preferred to just have another book about them, having their unexpected inclusion in this book made me incredibly happy.
As always, for the last book in the series, there was a good amount of excitement and wrap up here with Mercedes talent to leave just enough unknown to ensure more opportunities for future books and tales.
January 28, 2020
A decent conclusion to the series, though I feel it could've been more complex. The characters and relationships from previous books continued, though didn't really develop much beyond where they were in the second book. The enemies could also have been more formidable, it felt like they spent a lot of time doing nothing before they were defeated - it would've been more imposing if at least Falconsbane and Ancar had been allies, they were fairly similar in temperament and preferences. Also, similar to how I felt about the Arrows series, I'm still disappointed in the amount of page time given to Companions - while we learned more about their network, it never felt like they got to be the focus. Also, clearly, being Grove-born doesn't give any significant powers, just prestige.
May 6, 2017
This book was fine, but not particularly impressive. It was generally enjoyable to read, but everything felt a bit rushed (which I couldn't find much of an excuse for because the build up to get into the story took forever at the beginning of the book, and the book itself was pretty long). In particular, I thought that relationships that were dynamic before became somewhat two-dimensional, and foes that were built up to be formidable opponents were readily dispatched without much explanation or sacrifice. Still, it was a neat and tidy resolution of the series, and it felt satisfying to finish.
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