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Valdemar: Vows and Honor #2
Oathbreakers
When Idra, leader of the crack mercenaries known as the Sunhawks, failed to return from a journey to her home kingdom of Rethwellan, Tarma and Kethry, warrior and mage, set out in search of their vanished leader. Sisters of sword and spell, their fates bound together by Goddess-sworn oath, they were eternally pledged to fight the forces of evil.
And evil had indeed cast its shadow over the kingdom of Rethwellan. Idra, so they were told, had left long ago on a search for a legendary magical sword which could reveal which of her two brothers was meant to become the new king. With the princess gone, her younger brother had been branded an outlaw and her older brother had claimed the throne. Both instinct and mage-lore told Kethry and Tarma that all was not as it seemed, that both Idra and her people were in terrible jeopardy. Yet would their Goddess-given powers, aided by those of a Herald of Valdemar, prove strong enough to break the dark enchantment possessing this land?
And evil had indeed cast its shadow over the kingdom of Rethwellan. Idra, so they were told, had left long ago on a search for a legendary magical sword which could reveal which of her two brothers was meant to become the new king. With the princess gone, her younger brother had been branded an outlaw and her older brother had claimed the throne. Both instinct and mage-lore told Kethry and Tarma that all was not as it seemed, that both Idra and her people were in terrible jeopardy. Yet would their Goddess-given powers, aided by those of a Herald of Valdemar, prove strong enough to break the dark enchantment possessing this land?
318 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 3, 1989
162 people are currently reading
3604 people want to read
About the author
Mercedes Lackey
439 books9,605 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 217 reviews
Did not finish
May 22, 2019DNF @ 23%
I hated The Oathbound with a fiery passion. I was going to skip this one but several reviewers said it's better than the first one, so I decided to give this book two or three chapters to see what happens.
What happened was I just can't stand Tarma or Kethry. Every second they're on page is like nails on chalkboard, and since they're the POV characters, that became a problem real quick. What kills me is it would be simple to write these characters as both entrepreneurial, and compassionate and sincere, but the compassion and sincerity are seriously lacking and they come across as self-centered assbutts.
Then there's the plot. The first "book" was a series of short stories thrown together in a really lazy attempt to make a full-length book. The shorts tended to provide the beginning and a quick wrap-up ending, and leave out the middle where the action was supposed to be. Here, we're thrown into the middle, in this case a war between two forces I don't know or care about, in a conflict I don't care about, and that's over by 20%.
So characters I don't like + plot I don't care about = DNF.
I hated The Oathbound with a fiery passion. I was going to skip this one but several reviewers said it's better than the first one, so I decided to give this book two or three chapters to see what happens.
What happened was I just can't stand Tarma or Kethry. Every second they're on page is like nails on chalkboard, and since they're the POV characters, that became a problem real quick. What kills me is it would be simple to write these characters as both entrepreneurial, and compassionate and sincere, but the compassion and sincerity are seriously lacking and they come across as self-centered assbutts.
Then there's the plot. The first "book" was a series of short stories thrown together in a really lazy attempt to make a full-length book. The shorts tended to provide the beginning and a quick wrap-up ending, and leave out the middle where the action was supposed to be. Here, we're thrown into the middle, in this case a war between two forces I don't know or care about, in a conflict I don't care about, and that's over by 20%.
So characters I don't like + plot I don't care about = DNF.
January 3, 2022
Immediate reaction: oh thank god, I remembered correctly.
Oathbreakers was always my favorite of the duology, and now I remember why. It's far less episodic than Oathbound, with a coherent plot for all but the first few chapters of the book, and of course there is much, much less rape, all of which is offscreen and specifically noted as a power crime over everything else. It's actually really interesting how it's treated in Oathbreakers as opposed to Oathbound: Oathbound it's treated as kind of inevitable, which is really upsetting, but this book notes that it's so often used against women in an attempt to break them or punish them, which I quite liked, actually. Sort of Mercedes Lackey calling herself out, though I'm not sure if it stuck quite yet. Her later books don't have anywhere near as much sexual violence as the first few did, though, so she did learn.
That aside. Oathbreakers continues the story of Tarma and Kethry several years after Oathbound left off. They've become professional mercenaries and joined a company, the Sunhawks. The book picks up in the middle of a war, and we deal with that for two chapters before the real plot of the book kicks off in chapter three. Their captain, Idra, is actually a princess who renounced her right to the throne, and now her brothers are squabbling over it and she has to return home to settle the squabble. Then she vanishes. Tarma and Kethry head north to Rethwallen, Idra's home country, to find out what's become of their captain. Spoiler: it's nothing good.
Along the way they hook up with Jadrek (not literally-- at least, not in Tarma's case), the Archivist of Rethwallen. He's got knowledge that is incredibly useful for them, and what I think is rheumatoid arthritis, not that it's super important to his plot arc apart from background and self-esteem issues. Also, relevant point: it's disabling, and while he gets some better palliative measures throughout the book, he's never cured. When he turns up in later stories he's still disabled, and I think that might be pretty important in terms of representation. I am not physically disabled so I don't want to speak for that community, but I appreciated it. Anyway. He ends up being a close ally and falling in love with Kethry, and there's some mutual pining for a while. This may have been the book to establish my love of mutual pining, come to think of it-- either this or Arrow's Fall, but I can't remember which I read first. Damn you, Mercedes Lackey, you established so many of my ironclad story kinks. Sigh.
I think Oathbreakers is much better than Oathbound, and I also think it's possible to read Oathbreakers without having read Oathbound, and enjoy it too. So if you're planning on reading one of these books, just stick with Oathbreakers, it's much better.
And there's less sexual violence. Always a good thing.
Oathbreakers was always my favorite of the duology, and now I remember why. It's far less episodic than Oathbound, with a coherent plot for all but the first few chapters of the book, and of course there is much, much less rape, all of which is offscreen and specifically noted as a power crime over everything else. It's actually really interesting how it's treated in Oathbreakers as opposed to Oathbound: Oathbound it's treated as kind of inevitable, which is really upsetting, but this book notes that it's so often used against women in an attempt to break them or punish them, which I quite liked, actually. Sort of Mercedes Lackey calling herself out, though I'm not sure if it stuck quite yet. Her later books don't have anywhere near as much sexual violence as the first few did, though, so she did learn.
That aside. Oathbreakers continues the story of Tarma and Kethry several years after Oathbound left off. They've become professional mercenaries and joined a company, the Sunhawks. The book picks up in the middle of a war, and we deal with that for two chapters before the real plot of the book kicks off in chapter three. Their captain, Idra, is actually a princess who renounced her right to the throne, and now her brothers are squabbling over it and she has to return home to settle the squabble. Then she vanishes. Tarma and Kethry head north to Rethwallen, Idra's home country, to find out what's become of their captain. Spoiler: it's nothing good.
Along the way they hook up with Jadrek (not literally-- at least, not in Tarma's case), the Archivist of Rethwallen. He's got knowledge that is incredibly useful for them, and what I think is rheumatoid arthritis, not that it's super important to his plot arc apart from background and self-esteem issues. Also, relevant point: it's disabling, and while he gets some better palliative measures throughout the book, he's never cured. When he turns up in later stories he's still disabled, and I think that might be pretty important in terms of representation. I am not physically disabled so I don't want to speak for that community, but I appreciated it. Anyway. He ends up being a close ally and falling in love with Kethry, and there's some mutual pining for a while. This may have been the book to establish my love of mutual pining, come to think of it-- either this or Arrow's Fall, but I can't remember which I read first. Damn you, Mercedes Lackey, you established so many of my ironclad story kinks. Sigh.
I think Oathbreakers is much better than Oathbound, and I also think it's possible to read Oathbreakers without having read Oathbound, and enjoy it too. So if you're planning on reading one of these books, just stick with Oathbreakers, it's much better.
And there's less sexual violence. Always a good thing.
March 4, 2020
I wouldn’t recommend this book.
Update: The author recently made some horrifically ignorant and anti-trans comments on her blog.
See my review about the first book in the series The Oathbound.
While you don't need to read the first book in order to enjoy this one, if you love this one I highly recommend going back and reading the first one.
This story revolves around the disappearance of Idra, commander of the Sunhawks mercenaries. Tarma and Kethry are the members of the mercenary company who lead an investigation into what happened to their beloved leader. The mystery isn't the that complex or really the appeal of the story, but rather the elaborate plan that results of a very satisfying climax. As well as the heart-clenching bond all of the Sunhawks feel for Idra.
Again this is a fantastic fantasy novel. Filled with humor, though this story has a great deal of darkness and a fair amount of sadness. There is a surprise romance, though it is not the focus of the story. Instead the focus is friendship and loyalty, with a platonic relationship (between two women) center stage.
The book may have been published over twenty years ago, but it still does a far better job of female representation and diversity than most modern fantasy novels.
November 7, 2018
Wow. I actually gave a Mercedes Lackey book two stars? How odd. The thing is, I actually finished this over a week ago, and yet I felt no need to review it, think about it and almost no desire to start another book. I have been busy in RL, but I felt like this story had left me drained; it was just so, so boring. I think I realized as well that BOTH the main characters are what we would term 'Mary Sues' in modern writing, even if they weren't considered as such when this book was written. They can do almost no wrong, and are just super great at everything. I also hate how everything they do or say is rationalized for the reader, as if we can't work it out ourselves.
No, I didn't actually go on and read book three which is yet again odd for me. I suppose it is possible to love an author but just not love EVERYTHING they write. I did finally pick up a different book last night, so there is that I suppose. Two Stars.
No, I didn't actually go on and read book three which is yet again odd for me. I suppose it is possible to love an author but just not love EVERYTHING they write. I did finally pick up a different book last night, so there is that I suppose. Two Stars.
August 18, 2018
After the first disappointing volume of this series I was expecting more of the same so it was a pleasant surprise to find that this volume mostly reached the workmanlike level of a good read achieved by the sequel 'By the Sword' which I happened to read first. Unlike the first volume which is basically a series of short stories put together - as I've now realised is actually the case since some of them are reprinted in original form in another volume - this is a proper novel. It deals with the time the two characters spent in a mercenary company, the Sunhawks, which is referred to in the sequel in the first part of that where the two characters appear, much older.
The beginning sets the scene with one of the 'jobs' for which the Sunhawks are engaged, but soon their company leader, Idra, has to leave - she is from the Rethwellan royal family but renounced her claim to the throne in order to live independently as a soldier. Now she is required back to help settle the rival claims of her two brothers following their father's death - a magic sword used to settle such issues but it was stolen some time ago. But Idra does not return when expected and Tarma and Kethry journey incognito, with their sentient wolf partner, to the capital to try to find out what happened to her, only to become embroiled in politics and power struggles. In the course of this, Kethry comes into her own as she grows in her magical abilities and also finds the man who will become her partner and help rebuild Tarma's clan.
Some interesting developments in this story but some puzzles also - in 'By the Sword' the two characters tell Kerowyn that magic does not work in Valdemar - yet in this story they journey there and it very much does work, even if they are staying fairly near the border. In the sequel mages literally can't cross into Valdemar or they suffer terrible psychological problems. So that seems a changed premise. I was also hoping that, as in 'By the Sword', this book had escaped the "rape fixation" that a lot of this author's work seems to suffer from, but late into the book this does intrude again, though offstage and at least acknowledged as a form of torture used to try to break a woman. I did find it rather incredible though that the perpetrators included the brother of the woman subjected to it as this person was not portrayed as sufficiently sociopathic for this to be the case.
As with the other books, sometimes there is a lot of exposition with characters telling each other what they have done rather than showing a bit of it which would be more involving. But on the whole this is an acceptable read with some good character and action sequences. So a 3-star read overall.
The beginning sets the scene with one of the 'jobs' for which the Sunhawks are engaged, but soon their company leader, Idra, has to leave - she is from the Rethwellan royal family but renounced her claim to the throne in order to live independently as a soldier. Now she is required back to help settle the rival claims of her two brothers following their father's death - a magic sword used to settle such issues but it was stolen some time ago. But Idra does not return when expected and Tarma and Kethry journey incognito, with their sentient wolf partner, to the capital to try to find out what happened to her, only to become embroiled in politics and power struggles. In the course of this, Kethry comes into her own as she grows in her magical abilities and also finds the man who will become her partner and help rebuild Tarma's clan.
Some interesting developments in this story but some puzzles also - in 'By the Sword' the two characters tell Kerowyn that magic does not work in Valdemar - yet in this story they journey there and it very much does work, even if they are staying fairly near the border. In the sequel mages literally can't cross into Valdemar or they suffer terrible psychological problems. So that seems a changed premise. I was also hoping that, as in 'By the Sword', this book had escaped the "rape fixation" that a lot of this author's work seems to suffer from, but late into the book this does intrude again, though offstage and at least acknowledged as a form of torture used to try to break a woman. I did find it rather incredible though that the perpetrators included the brother of the woman subjected to it as this person was not portrayed as sufficiently sociopathic for this to be the case.
As with the other books, sometimes there is a lot of exposition with characters telling each other what they have done rather than showing a bit of it which would be more involving. But on the whole this is an acceptable read with some good character and action sequences. So a 3-star read overall.
September 3, 2014
It may interest those who have read this book to know that Mercedes Lackey also put out a cassette/CD of the same name. You can sample some of the songs on YouTube, although the only place to buy it is from the Firebird Arts and Music website.
1)
The Leslac Version
2)
Contemplations
3)
There’s Always a Reason (A Curse Upon All Bards)
4)
Surprised by Joy
5)
(Love) Found
6)
Need
7)
Oathbreakers
8)
The Sunhawks
9)
Suffer the Children
10)
Swordlady, or “That Song”
11)
Mirror Spell (Shield Spell)
(It may also include Leslac's Last Lament & The Archivist, although the Firebird Arts and Music website does not include it on the page for the cassette/CD)
1)
The Leslac Version
2)
Contemplations
3)
There’s Always a Reason (A Curse Upon All Bards)
4)
Surprised by Joy
5)
(Love) Found
6)
Need
7)
Oathbreakers
8)
The Sunhawks
9)
Suffer the Children
10)
Swordlady, or “That Song”
11)
Mirror Spell (Shield Spell)
(It may also include Leslac's Last Lament & The Archivist, although the Firebird Arts and Music website does not include it on the page for the cassette/CD)
July 9, 2022
2018 - This is probably the least episodic of the three books. It's pretty much two stories, one mercenary small-war story which then leads into the larger story of how Tarma and Kethry bring stability to the Rethwellan ruling dynasty, by way of a palace coup. And affect Valdemar's history many years later (yeah, read more of these books).
Plus - it has fewer totally annoying typographical-or-grammatical or spelling/word-choice errors. See comments on Book #1 of this series. ETA: I've just been reading some Regency Romances from Mary Balogh, and it is SO refreshing that those books have so very few typo/spelling/etc errors. Doesn't keep throwing you out of the story. Wonder how Ms Balogh's publisher manages that???
-------------------------------------
3/31/17 - this is probably the most stand-alone of the three Tarma and Kethry books. But all three are very good. I ditched all of my MZB books a while back, including all of the Sword and Sorcery anthologies. So the three books that Ms Lackey has published are most welcome, as a place to keep re-reading these good stories.
2015 - This is a fascinating long-form tale of Tarma and Kethry. Wish Lackey had written another one or two, though perhaps she saw that she had said all she had to say about the pair once they'd gotten the land for their school.
Plus - it has fewer totally annoying typographical-or-grammatical or spelling/word-choice errors. See comments on Book #1 of this series. ETA: I've just been reading some Regency Romances from Mary Balogh, and it is SO refreshing that those books have so very few typo/spelling/etc errors. Doesn't keep throwing you out of the story. Wonder how Ms Balogh's publisher manages that???
-------------------------------------
3/31/17 - this is probably the most stand-alone of the three Tarma and Kethry books. But all three are very good. I ditched all of my MZB books a while back, including all of the Sword and Sorcery anthologies. So the three books that Ms Lackey has published are most welcome, as a place to keep re-reading these good stories.
2015 - This is a fascinating long-form tale of Tarma and Kethry. Wish Lackey had written another one or two, though perhaps she saw that she had said all she had to say about the pair once they'd gotten the land for their school.
May 4, 2018
While I can't help that I love these characters and world...
...again with the raping!
In Oathbreakers, the two main characters are not raped (this time). I appreciate that. All in all, there's very little violence against women in this one.
The rape and violence against women with this one is the plotline.
...again with the raping!
In Oathbreakers, the two main characters are not raped (this time). I appreciate that. All in all, there's very little violence against women in this one.
The rape and violence against women with this one is the plotline.
December 30, 2021
3 1/2 Stars
The second book of my adventure into Lackey's world and I finally got a whiff of what a Herald of Valdemar is. This was a fun easy read, that continues the adventures of Kethry and Tarma. I love that Lackey has the sense not to make her readers travel 3 months with nothing happening. Her characters say they are going, and if nothing worthwhile is going to happen between here and there, well then *poof* we are just there. More authors should take the hint!
Looking forward to the final book in this trio and then moving on to other stories based in this world
The second book of my adventure into Lackey's world and I finally got a whiff of what a Herald of Valdemar is. This was a fun easy read, that continues the adventures of Kethry and Tarma. I love that Lackey has the sense not to make her readers travel 3 months with nothing happening. Her characters say they are going, and if nothing worthwhile is going to happen between here and there, well then *poof* we are just there. More authors should take the hint!
Looking forward to the final book in this trio and then moving on to other stories based in this world
November 22, 2011
Oathbreakers is the only proper novel in the Tarma-and-Kethry sequence, and it's good. It's a little more of a proper Valdemar novel, despite only barely touching on Valdemar itself, and much less a sword-and-sorcery pastiche.
It's still very much pulp - the language, while competent and noticeably smoother than its immediate predecessor, is still rather faux-medieval and occasionally overwrought, the plot is a little too pat to be totally believable, and it's yet another rape-revenge story at the heart. The characters are, as usual, totally delightful, but the worldbuilding isn't as complete as in most of the later stories, and it shows.
Despite all that, it's up there with my favorite Valdemar novels - it's relatively short and a quick, entertaining read. Not fine literature, but excellent pulp.
It's still very much pulp - the language, while competent and noticeably smoother than its immediate predecessor, is still rather faux-medieval and occasionally overwrought, the plot is a little too pat to be totally believable, and it's yet another rape-revenge story at the heart. The characters are, as usual, totally delightful, but the worldbuilding isn't as complete as in most of the later stories, and it shows.
Despite all that, it's up there with my favorite Valdemar novels - it's relatively short and a quick, entertaining read. Not fine literature, but excellent pulp.
January 22, 2010
Reading 100 books in 2010; reviews will be short for a while 'til I catch up blogging with what I've already read this year.
This book made a Mercedes Lackey fan out of me; I was lukewarm about the first one in the series and it had many of the flaws a first novel might. It's amazing how much Lackey grows as an artist between the first novel in the series and the second; better writing, even at the sentence level, better plotting, and more polish in general to go with her two wonderful characters of Keth and Tarma, who wind up trying to find out what happened to, and eventually avenging the death of Idrys, the commander of their military unit. Tight storytelling, satisfying ending, great sense of the world set right at the end.
This book made a Mercedes Lackey fan out of me; I was lukewarm about the first one in the series and it had many of the flaws a first novel might. It's amazing how much Lackey grows as an artist between the first novel in the series and the second; better writing, even at the sentence level, better plotting, and more polish in general to go with her two wonderful characters of Keth and Tarma, who wind up trying to find out what happened to, and eventually avenging the death of Idrys, the commander of their military unit. Tight storytelling, satisfying ending, great sense of the world set right at the end.
November 13, 2023
I like it.
I like Tamra and Keth investigating what happened to Idra and finding new friends along the way. I love that one of this friends is a Herald but am glad that the Herald didn't take over the story.
I really like Jadrek and I like that he makes both of them happy.
I love how the Goddess makes it clear that Tamra is supposed to feel and not cut herself off of feeling and loving her friends and sister. <3
Keths power display? Awesome!
What happened to Idra? *sobs*
I like Tamra and Keth investigating what happened to Idra and finding new friends along the way. I love that one of this friends is a Herald but am glad that the Herald didn't take over the story.
I really like Jadrek and I like that he makes both of them happy.
I love how the Goddess makes it clear that Tamra is supposed to feel and not cut herself off of feeling and loving her friends and sister. <3
Keths power display? Awesome!
What happened to Idra? *sobs*
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 19, 2025
I could re-read this all day long.
In fact I might re read it again next year
In fact I might re read it again next year
December 15, 2021
Second in the Vows & Honor fantasy subseries of the Valdemar universe in 1270 AF and revolving around the kingdom of Valdemar and its bordering countries. The focus is on Rethwellan and Tarma and Kethry. If you're interested, there is a chronological listing of the Valdemar books on my website.
My Take
It was a treat to read how Idra runs her troops so well. It's a philosophy in line with Kethry's noting that low-magic is just as good, if not better, than high-magic.
It's a mystery when Idra disappears, and Tarma and Kethry go undercover, rescue a hostage, battle through a chase, and lead a revolution while uncovering a secret. Yep, it's busy and action-packed.
The pair's actions in pretending to be horsetraders was fun. Especially since Lackey is using third person global subjective point-of-view from the perspective of a number of characters, so we're getting a rounded view of emotions, thoughts, and events from various people.
It helps to have smart friends, lol, as they sting that greedy bard. Those friends are also honorable, even more so when we reach the end of the story.
I do love Tarma and Kethry. Both are honorable women who seek to right wrongs, even as they enhance their reputations and build up that fund.
And Need is growing up.
The Story
Tarma and Kethry are still trying to save up for the school they want to start and they're in the final stage of building their reputations and their funds.
Unfortunately, Idra has gone missing, and Tarma and Kethry go undercover with a herd of horses.
The Characters
Tarma shena Tale'sedrin, a.k.a. Darksib, is a Shin'a'in nomad who became Kal'enedral, a.k.a. Sword-sworn. She's currently the Scoutmaster for Idra's Sunhawks. She's now riding Ironheart, a Shin'a'in battlesteed. Warrl is the kyree who adopted Tarma. Kethry is a White Winds sorceress and Tarma's partner and oathbound sister. Need is Kethry's geas-blade that forces them into taking worthless Just Causes. Hellsbane is now Kethry’s battlesteed. Dust is a dapple, part of the cover herd.
Idra's Sunhawks are . . .
. . . a mercenary company led by Captain Idra, a member of the Royal House of Rethwellan. Gray is Idra's palfrey; Black is her warhorse. (Randel's Raiders is one of the merc companies Idra had been with.) The company's winter home base is Hawksnest. Tresti, handfasted to Sewen who is Idra's second-in-command, is a HealerPriest(ess). Orden and Jiles are two of their hedge-mages. Rethaire is a herbalist; Dee is one of his apprentices. Mala, Garth, Beaker, Gerrold (he's riding Vetch), and Jodi (she's riding Lightfoot) are some of Tarma's scouts. Kyra (she replaced Pawell) is shield-mated to Rild, a mountain of a man. Others of Idra's men include Geoffrey, Ta mas, Lethra, and Bevis who are all serjeants. Ersala. Varny and Sania are shieldmates who chose to start a family.
Jkatha is . . .
. . . the Sunhawks' current client. Queen Sursha was named to be the king's successor. Havak, Lord Leamount, is her General-in-Chief. Jons is one of his sentries. Staferd's Cold-drakes, Lord Shoveral, and Duke Greyhame's levy are some of Sursha's troops.
Declin, Lord Kelcrag, the king's brother, revolted and took the Throne City. Bluecoat is one of Devaril's Demons, a mercenary company.
Rethwellan
Idra's father, King Destillion, has died, and her two brothers are at odds with each other. Raschar "Char", the younger brother, is now king; Prince Stefansen is their brother with a debauched reputation. The Sword That Sings was lost decades ago and was said to choose the rightful king. I think Zaras was one of Raschar's mages.
Jadrek is the too-honest Court Archivist, and not on good terms with the royals. He'll become the Master Astrologist. Tindel is the Master of Horse. Countess Lyris.
The Pig and Potion is a tavern and inn on Carter's Lane. Janna and Arton are lodgers. The Fountain of Beer is another tavern. The stableman at the Wheat Sheaf inn is in on it; Ma Kemak can cook and Pa Kemak don't water the beer. Count Wulfres.
Hawkbrothers
Moonsong k'Vala is a Tale'edras Adept from the Pelagiris Forest.
Valdemar
Roald is a Herald with a hunting lodge; he's also heir to the throne. Lady Mertis has a month-old son, Megrarthon, and living in Roald's lodge. A Companion is a white horse that Chooses the Herald.
Justin Twoblade and Ikan Dryvale are old mercenary friends of Tarma and Kethry's from The Oathbound , 1. Others from their past include Hadell of the Broken Sword and Oskar of the Bottomless Barrel. Spirit-Kal'enedral are Kal'enedral who have passed on, but continue to appear to teach.
Leslac is a bard who is stalking Kethry and Tarma, composing ballads, inaccurate ones, of their deeds. The Warrior (Star-Eyed and Bright Star are nicknames) is the Shin'a'in goddess. A krashak is a mage-made construct. Old Grumio provides support.
The Cover and Title
There's an art deco feel to the cover — I suspect it's the golden wings in the upper left corner against that bit of black background that shows in the upper right. Most of the cover is the blonde-haired Kethry in bracers, and leather jerkin atop the pale gray Hellsbane, her arms outstretched, casting a spell. Below her is Tarma on a darker gray Ironheart. Tarma's head is topped with a turban-like helm and a golden wrapped edge with a teal steel coif. Tarma is in black and relieved by gold clasps down her front. She's also turned backward, pulling her bow. At the very top is a quick summary in white. Starting at Tarma's waist is a golden yellow box framed in a thin line of orange with more orange lines framing the top and bottom of the title in black. Below it is the series info and then the author's name, also in black.
The title is about Raschar, for he is one of the Oathbreakers.
My Take
It was a treat to read how Idra runs her troops so well. It's a philosophy in line with Kethry's noting that low-magic is just as good, if not better, than high-magic.
It's a mystery when Idra disappears, and Tarma and Kethry go undercover, rescue a hostage, battle through a chase, and lead a revolution while uncovering a secret. Yep, it's busy and action-packed.
The pair's actions in pretending to be horsetraders was fun. Especially since Lackey is using third person global subjective point-of-view from the perspective of a number of characters, so we're getting a rounded view of emotions, thoughts, and events from various people.
It helps to have smart friends, lol, as they sting that greedy bard. Those friends are also honorable, even more so when we reach the end of the story.
I do love Tarma and Kethry. Both are honorable women who seek to right wrongs, even as they enhance their reputations and build up that fund.
And Need is growing up.
The Story
Tarma and Kethry are still trying to save up for the school they want to start and they're in the final stage of building their reputations and their funds.
Unfortunately, Idra has gone missing, and Tarma and Kethry go undercover with a herd of horses.
The Characters
Tarma shena Tale'sedrin, a.k.a. Darksib, is a Shin'a'in nomad who became Kal'enedral, a.k.a. Sword-sworn. She's currently the Scoutmaster for Idra's Sunhawks. She's now riding Ironheart, a Shin'a'in battlesteed. Warrl is the kyree who adopted Tarma. Kethry is a White Winds sorceress and Tarma's partner and oathbound sister. Need is Kethry's geas-blade that forces them into taking worthless Just Causes. Hellsbane is now Kethry’s battlesteed. Dust is a dapple, part of the cover herd.
Idra's Sunhawks are . . .
. . . a mercenary company led by Captain Idra, a member of the Royal House of Rethwellan. Gray is Idra's palfrey; Black is her warhorse. (Randel's Raiders is one of the merc companies Idra had been with.) The company's winter home base is Hawksnest. Tresti, handfasted to Sewen who is Idra's second-in-command, is a HealerPriest(ess). Orden and Jiles are two of their hedge-mages. Rethaire is a herbalist; Dee is one of his apprentices. Mala, Garth, Beaker, Gerrold (he's riding Vetch), and Jodi (she's riding Lightfoot) are some of Tarma's scouts. Kyra (she replaced Pawell) is shield-mated to Rild, a mountain of a man. Others of Idra's men include Geoffrey, Ta mas, Lethra, and Bevis who are all serjeants. Ersala. Varny and Sania are shieldmates who chose to start a family.
Jkatha is . . .
. . . the Sunhawks' current client. Queen Sursha was named to be the king's successor. Havak, Lord Leamount, is her General-in-Chief. Jons is one of his sentries. Staferd's Cold-drakes, Lord Shoveral, and Duke Greyhame's levy are some of Sursha's troops.
Declin, Lord Kelcrag, the king's brother, revolted and took the Throne City. Bluecoat is one of Devaril's Demons, a mercenary company.
Rethwellan
Idra's father, King Destillion, has died, and her two brothers are at odds with each other. Raschar "Char", the younger brother, is now king; Prince Stefansen is their brother with a debauched reputation. The Sword That Sings was lost decades ago and was said to choose the rightful king. I think Zaras was one of Raschar's mages.
Jadrek is the too-honest Court Archivist, and not on good terms with the royals. He'll become the Master Astrologist. Tindel is the Master of Horse. Countess Lyris.
The Pig and Potion is a tavern and inn on Carter's Lane. Janna and Arton are lodgers. The Fountain of Beer is another tavern. The stableman at the Wheat Sheaf inn is in on it; Ma Kemak can cook and Pa Kemak don't water the beer. Count Wulfres.
Hawkbrothers
Moonsong k'Vala is a Tale'edras Adept from the Pelagiris Forest.
Valdemar
Roald is a Herald with a hunting lodge; he's also heir to the throne. Lady Mertis has a month-old son, Megrarthon, and living in Roald's lodge. A Companion is a white horse that Chooses the Herald.
Justin Twoblade and Ikan Dryvale are old mercenary friends of Tarma and Kethry's from The Oathbound , 1. Others from their past include Hadell of the Broken Sword and Oskar of the Bottomless Barrel. Spirit-Kal'enedral are Kal'enedral who have passed on, but continue to appear to teach.
Leslac is a bard who is stalking Kethry and Tarma, composing ballads, inaccurate ones, of their deeds. The Warrior (Star-Eyed and Bright Star are nicknames) is the Shin'a'in goddess. A krashak is a mage-made construct. Old Grumio provides support.
The Cover and Title
There's an art deco feel to the cover — I suspect it's the golden wings in the upper left corner against that bit of black background that shows in the upper right. Most of the cover is the blonde-haired Kethry in bracers, and leather jerkin atop the pale gray Hellsbane, her arms outstretched, casting a spell. Below her is Tarma on a darker gray Ironheart. Tarma's head is topped with a turban-like helm and a golden wrapped edge with a teal steel coif. Tarma is in black and relieved by gold clasps down her front. She's also turned backward, pulling her bow. At the very top is a quick summary in white. Starting at Tarma's waist is a golden yellow box framed in a thin line of orange with more orange lines framing the top and bottom of the title in black. Below it is the series info and then the author's name, also in black.
The title is about Raschar, for he is one of the Oathbreakers.
July 5, 2020
When I started Oathbreakers, I expected a format similar to Oathbound and what we will see in Oathblood, the final book in this trilogy -- a collection of loosely tied short stories. I was quite excited when I discovered that Oathbreakers is actually a complete novel!
The best part of Oathbreakers are the character relationships. I fell in love with the deeper partnership between Keth and Tarma. In Oathbound, it was obviously this duo was still learning to work together. Now they have an amazing, trusting, powerful relationship that proves they are both deadly and loving. Keth and Tarma both have unique voices and unique positions. Throw in Warrl and this is my favorite trio in the entire Valdemar universe.
The relationships Keth and Tarma have and continue to develop with others characters are well done, too. The most extreme example is that of Jadrek. When they first meet him, he is distrusting and cold. But, by the end he is more-or-less a family member. Jadrek's evolution felt natural. I was rooting for him to become part of the family by the end of the novel, for sure. But he isn't alone. Justin, Ikan, and even Roald have their own relationship development with our protagonists. As a lover of character-driven novels, I was thrilled.
The plot is fun. Filled with intrigue and scheming, I enjoyed following Keth, Tarma, and Warrl as they adventured to find Idra. Unfortunately, rape is yet again a plot point. But… there was something different about it this time. Lackey more-or-less called out rape as a common way to break a woman. This makes me wonder -- has she started to notice her own trend? Will she break from this in the future?
The best part of Oathbreakers are the character relationships. I fell in love with the deeper partnership between Keth and Tarma. In Oathbound, it was obviously this duo was still learning to work together. Now they have an amazing, trusting, powerful relationship that proves they are both deadly and loving. Keth and Tarma both have unique voices and unique positions. Throw in Warrl and this is my favorite trio in the entire Valdemar universe.
The relationships Keth and Tarma have and continue to develop with others characters are well done, too. The most extreme example is that of Jadrek. When they first meet him, he is distrusting and cold. But, by the end he is more-or-less a family member. Jadrek's evolution felt natural. I was rooting for him to become part of the family by the end of the novel, for sure. But he isn't alone. Justin, Ikan, and even Roald have their own relationship development with our protagonists. As a lover of character-driven novels, I was thrilled.
The plot is fun. Filled with intrigue and scheming, I enjoyed following Keth, Tarma, and Warrl as they adventured to find Idra. Unfortunately, rape is yet again a plot point. But… there was something different about it this time. Lackey more-or-less called out rape as a common way to break a woman. This makes me wonder -- has she started to notice her own trend? Will she break from this in the future?
December 16, 2020
I waited in the second part for things to fit in a row until the end of the story but this is not exactly what happens. As in the first part, so here, there is essentially a series of connected episodes, rather than a novel but this connection is not enough to be coherent. Of course, although they do not add anything special, these episodes are quite interesting and further advance our understanding of the character of our two heroines and their relationship and offer moving female moments (and some very cute girlish) but also a lot of action that of course focuses on the defence of women. That is why, in the end, although this book is inferior, I believe that the whole that is formed offers several things.
Περίμενα στο δεύτερο μέρος τα πράγματα να μπούνε σε μία σειρά μέχρι το τέλος της ιστορίας άλλα δεν γίνεται αυτό ακριβώς. Όπως και στο πρώτο μέρος, έτσι και εδώ, υπάρχει ουσιαστικά μία σειρά από συνδεδεμένα επεισόδια, παρά ένα μυθιστόρημα αλλά αυτή η σύνδεση δεν είναι αρκετή ώστε να υπάρχει συνοχή. Βέβαια, Αν και δεν προσθέτουν κάτι ιδιαίτερο, αυτά τα επεισόδια είναι αρκετά ενδιαφέροντα και προχωράνε περισσότερο την αντίληψή μας για τον χαρακτήρα των δύο ηρωίδων μας και της σχέσης τους και προσφέρει συγκινητικές γυναικείες στιγμές (και μερικές πολύ χαριτωμένες κοριτσίστικες) αλλά και πολύ δράση που φυσικά έχει ως επίκεντρο την υπεράσπιση των γυναικών. Για αυτό, στο τέλος, αν και αυτό το βιβλίο είναι υποδεέστερο, πιστεύω ότι το σύνολο που σχηματίζεται προσφέρει αρκετά πράγματα.
Περίμενα στο δεύτερο μέρος τα πράγματα να μπούνε σε μία σειρά μέχρι το τέλος της ιστορίας άλλα δεν γίνεται αυτό ακριβώς. Όπως και στο πρώτο μέρος, έτσι και εδώ, υπάρχει ουσιαστικά μία σειρά από συνδεδεμένα επεισόδια, παρά ένα μυθιστόρημα αλλά αυτή η σύνδεση δεν είναι αρκετή ώστε να υπάρχει συνοχή. Βέβαια, Αν και δεν προσθέτουν κάτι ιδιαίτερο, αυτά τα επεισόδια είναι αρκετά ενδιαφέροντα και προχωράνε περισσότερο την αντίληψή μας για τον χαρακτήρα των δύο ηρωίδων μας και της σχέσης τους και προσφέρει συγκινητικές γυναικείες στιγμές (και μερικές πολύ χαριτωμένες κοριτσίστικες) αλλά και πολύ δράση που φυσικά έχει ως επίκεντρο την υπεράσπιση των γυναικών. Για αυτό, στο τέλος, αν και αυτό το βιβλίο είναι υποδεέστερο, πιστεύω ότι το σύνολο που σχηματίζεται προσφέρει αρκετά πράγματα.
November 17, 2019
I enjoyed this entry significantly more than the previous book in the trilogy. The plot, though it does take a couple of chapters to get started, is much more cohesive with the two central heroines having somewhat out of necessity become mercenaries and venturing off to discover the fate of their company‘s commander only to become embroiled in a succession fight and meet an archivist Who proves to be much more important than he may seem at first. I got a lot of the fierce female warriors that I wanted in the first book, as well as a lovely, those secondary, romantic subplot. It is a light read and was definitely interesting to encounter some more familiar Valdemaran characters and figures scene from a completely different perspective.
I think it would be completely possible to read this book without having read the first in the trilogy and while I appreciated some of the detail that the first book offered, I would recommend doing so. This is a much more enjoyable read and features a somewhat more nuanced take on the sexual assault of women, and far fewer scenes of such, than the first book.
I think it would be completely possible to read this book without having read the first in the trilogy and while I appreciated some of the detail that the first book offered, I would recommend doing so. This is a much more enjoyable read and features a somewhat more nuanced take on the sexual assault of women, and far fewer scenes of such, than the first book.
May 30, 2021
3.5 stars, a serious improvement over the previous book
I wonder if this should be four stars but I'm still a bit bitter about Oathbound which was so bad it stopped by Valdemar reading dead in its tracks for *months* because I was dreading going back to Tarma and Kethry. Fortunately, this is much tighter story without any of the pacing or structure issues that plagued the previous book. Tarma and Kethry feel more fully developed and their relationship is explored with greater nuance and depth. Even the gratuitously dark elements that plagued Oathbound have been pared back significantly leaving a much happier story overall that I enjoyed quite a bit. I do think Tarma and Kethry make a great duo so I wasn't totally thrilled with them finding other love interests but I guess that's a minor flaw in the grand scheme of things.
I wonder if this should be four stars but I'm still a bit bitter about Oathbound which was so bad it stopped by Valdemar reading dead in its tracks for *months* because I was dreading going back to Tarma and Kethry. Fortunately, this is much tighter story without any of the pacing or structure issues that plagued the previous book. Tarma and Kethry feel more fully developed and their relationship is explored with greater nuance and depth. Even the gratuitously dark elements that plagued Oathbound have been pared back significantly leaving a much happier story overall that I enjoyed quite a bit. I do think Tarma and Kethry make a great duo so I wasn't totally thrilled with them finding other love interests but I guess that's a minor flaw in the grand scheme of things.
March 31, 2021
The writing is much better in Oathbreakers than in the previous novel, Oathbound. The novel has a definite arc and real stakes, plenty of battles and courtly intrigue, while keeping the solid details of magic, animal-wrangling, and combat that Lackey brought to the previous book (and to all her writing). For those who like super-immersive worldbuilding, there's also plenty of maps, dictionaries, and an appendix of in-world ballads about the main characters (Lackey is a filker who writes her own music). I'd give book one 2.5 stars and this one 3.5. If you want to skip book one and start here, Lackey gives enough recap that you can easily do that.
Lackey is the kind of fantasy writer who believes there is a right way of doing things (especially if magic can be deployed to keep anyone from gaming the system), and that it's always possible for a competent person to set up a just and thriving kingdom/city/guild/mercenary troop that works well for all good people under them. For people who like their fantasy without a lot of grimdark or grittiness for the sake of grittiness, this is a good one.
Lackey is the kind of fantasy writer who believes there is a right way of doing things (especially if magic can be deployed to keep anyone from gaming the system), and that it's always possible for a competent person to set up a just and thriving kingdom/city/guild/mercenary troop that works well for all good people under them. For people who like their fantasy without a lot of grimdark or grittiness for the sake of grittiness, this is a good one.
June 19, 2023
lovely
I liked this book in this trilogy more than the first - it was an entries story, not a series of adventures. Not that the first one wasn’t good, it was, but it was a collection, this was a book. And it lays the groundwork for events in later novels.
I liked this book in this trilogy more than the first - it was an entries story, not a series of adventures. Not that the first one wasn’t good, it was, but it was a collection, this was a book. And it lays the groundwork for events in later novels.
November 14, 2021
Review to come!
October 27, 2022
Completely draws you in. Characters are so well developed that they feel like your friends. Excellent read.
September 14, 2023
3.5 stars
This second novel is very enjoyable and somewhat better than the previous title, for it at least focuses ok a singular story instead of many short stories.
This second novel is very enjoyable and somewhat better than the previous title, for it at least focuses ok a singular story instead of many short stories.
October 25, 2019
https://delivreenlivres.blogspot.com/...
Après un démarrage plutôt difficile, j'ai finalement été emporté par l'intrigue et j'ai bien apprécié ce tome.
Depuis le fin du tome précédent, Tarma et Kethry sont devenus mercenaire dans les les Faucons du Soleil, une compagnie bien reconnue dirigée par une femme.
Quand celle ci disparait mystérieusement alors qu'elle était rentrée dans sa famille, les autres mercenaires décident d'engager eux même les deux femmes pour aller enquêter sur place et tenter de la retrouver.
Il se trouve que celle ci était la sœur de l'actuel dirigeant du royaume de Rethwellan. Sur place nos deux héroïnes se retrouve au cœur d'une lutte fratricide pour le pouvoir ...
Je n'aime décidément pas la façon dont l'autrice démarre ses récits. C'était déjà le cas du tome précédent et ça ne c'est pas amélioré ici.
Au lieu de commencer par le début et nous passer rapidement les événements, ou nous les faire découvrir au fur et à mesure de l'histoire, elle commence alors que l'action a déjà bien débuté et nous assomme de données sur ce qu'il c'est passé avant le début pour nous mettre la situation en place.
Du coup les 50 premières pages ne sont qu'un condensé d'informations en vrac qu'il faut remettre dans l'ordre. Avec plein de noms qu'on n'a pas le temps de retenir et qui ne serviront à rien après en plus (pour moi qui ai du mal avec les noms en général, c'est particulièrement chiant).
Et en plus quand on démarre on a l'impression d'avoir loupé une partie du récit, vu que la situation de départ des personnages n'a rien à voir avec celle dans laquelle on les avait laissé à la fin du tome précédent.
Bref, j'ai faillit l'abandonner avant la page 100.
Dommage que chacun des livres que j'ai lu de cette autrice jusqu'ici soit à chaque fois avec un défaut de ce genre qui m’empêche de les apprécier comme je pourrais.
Mais finalement, je suis bien contente d'avoir persévéré parce que la suite m'a bien plu.
Finalement le seul défaut de la second moitié du livre est le fait qu'il faille que le grand méchant soit vraiment très très méchant. Être un mauvais dirigeant qui affame son peuple n'était pas suffisant, il fallait bien sur le transformer en monstre pour justifier les actions des héros contre lui. J'ai trouvé ça un peu exagéré, surtout que ça n'aurais rien changé si ça n'avait pas été le cas, je pense.
Dans la série précédente de l'autrice, la trilogie des flèches, c'était déjà le cas. On découvrait que les antagonistes du début étaient des horreurs sans nom qu'on pouvait à peine qualifier d'humains tellement ils enchaînaient les actes horribles.
J'espère que dans la suite les méchants seront un peu plus nuancés.
Malgré tout celui ci est le meilleur de l'autrice que j'ai lu jusqu'ici, et j'ai bien apprécié ma lecture, donc je garde espoir. On est encore sur ses romans de jeunesse, on a tout juste commencé la série. Il y a moyen que la suite soit encore plus sympa, j'espère.
16/20
Après un démarrage plutôt difficile, j'ai finalement été emporté par l'intrigue et j'ai bien apprécié ce tome.
Depuis le fin du tome précédent, Tarma et Kethry sont devenus mercenaire dans les les Faucons du Soleil, une compagnie bien reconnue dirigée par une femme.
Quand celle ci disparait mystérieusement alors qu'elle était rentrée dans sa famille, les autres mercenaires décident d'engager eux même les deux femmes pour aller enquêter sur place et tenter de la retrouver.
Il se trouve que celle ci était la sœur de l'actuel dirigeant du royaume de Rethwellan. Sur place nos deux héroïnes se retrouve au cœur d'une lutte fratricide pour le pouvoir ...
Je n'aime décidément pas la façon dont l'autrice démarre ses récits. C'était déjà le cas du tome précédent et ça ne c'est pas amélioré ici.
Au lieu de commencer par le début et nous passer rapidement les événements, ou nous les faire découvrir au fur et à mesure de l'histoire, elle commence alors que l'action a déjà bien débuté et nous assomme de données sur ce qu'il c'est passé avant le début pour nous mettre la situation en place.
Du coup les 50 premières pages ne sont qu'un condensé d'informations en vrac qu'il faut remettre dans l'ordre. Avec plein de noms qu'on n'a pas le temps de retenir et qui ne serviront à rien après en plus (pour moi qui ai du mal avec les noms en général, c'est particulièrement chiant).
Et en plus quand on démarre on a l'impression d'avoir loupé une partie du récit, vu que la situation de départ des personnages n'a rien à voir avec celle dans laquelle on les avait laissé à la fin du tome précédent.
Bref, j'ai faillit l'abandonner avant la page 100.
Dommage que chacun des livres que j'ai lu de cette autrice jusqu'ici soit à chaque fois avec un défaut de ce genre qui m’empêche de les apprécier comme je pourrais.
Mais finalement, je suis bien contente d'avoir persévéré parce que la suite m'a bien plu.
Finalement le seul défaut de la second moitié du livre est le fait qu'il faille que le grand méchant soit vraiment très très méchant. Être un mauvais dirigeant qui affame son peuple n'était pas suffisant, il fallait bien sur le transformer en monstre pour justifier les actions des héros contre lui. J'ai trouvé ça un peu exagéré, surtout que ça n'aurais rien changé si ça n'avait pas été le cas, je pense.
Dans la série précédente de l'autrice, la trilogie des flèches, c'était déjà le cas. On découvrait que les antagonistes du début étaient des horreurs sans nom qu'on pouvait à peine qualifier d'humains tellement ils enchaînaient les actes horribles.
J'espère que dans la suite les méchants seront un peu plus nuancés.
Malgré tout celui ci est le meilleur de l'autrice que j'ai lu jusqu'ici, et j'ai bien apprécié ma lecture, donc je garde espoir. On est encore sur ses romans de jeunesse, on a tout juste commencé la série. Il y a moyen que la suite soit encore plus sympa, j'espère.
16/20
August 6, 2021
Reread 2021: I had forgotten that so much of this book revolves around Idra's Sunhawks and Rethwellen. I love seeing Rethwellen from outsiders perspectives, since we know what will happen with Selenay and Valdemar down the road. It's also great to see Idra again. I wish there were more books with proper merc companies, there's this one, Kerowyn's By the Sword, and then a slew of grimdark.
This reread was great. I had forgotten a lot of the minor details, but I was so happy to rediscover them. Also that Tarma and Kethry made it to Valdemar! So far from home, but also yay!
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Reread 2014: rereading.
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Read first time probably back in 2009.
This reread was great. I had forgotten a lot of the minor details, but I was so happy to rediscover them. Also that Tarma and Kethry made it to Valdemar! So far from home, but also yay!
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Reread 2014: rereading.
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Read first time probably back in 2009.
February 20, 2025
This is so much better than The Oathbound (it helps that it's a "real" novel versus a fixup of episodic short stories). We get to see Tarma and Kethry at their best: more mature, more skilled, and on a mission. It acts as a great sequel and finale to their aims since the beginning of The Oathbound, and as part of the larger Valdemar universe, it does have some great clues to other elements of the setting (I'm always amazed at Lackey's seeding of various ideas throughout the series). I was also suitably impressed by the slowburn romance in this one (after all the lifebonding in the Heralds of Valdemar and Last Herald-Mage trilogies). It's not a perfect book, but it's a great Mercedes Lackey novel.
August 6, 2024
(3.5-ish? Clearly the 5 star system is not precise enough for me!)
A solid fantasy adventure with excellent main characters. I have a few quibbles with the style and the pacing (too much internal dialogue, a few aspects of plot that could have been expanded upon), but on the whole it's enjoyable. And it's a relief to me, to find a childhood favorite that stands the test of time!
EDIT 2024: "Excellent main characters," past me? The problem with T and K is... honestly they come off as superior jerks. There's some cool adventurey stuff here, but all too often they are playing mean pranks on people or enacting seriously bloody-minded revenge, and it just really did not age well. Shame, because I do love me some sword and sorcery, but as I said in a comment on another review, 1980s feminism must have been wild, man.
A solid fantasy adventure with excellent main characters. I have a few quibbles with the style and the pacing (too much internal dialogue, a few aspects of plot that could have been expanded upon), but on the whole it's enjoyable. And it's a relief to me, to find a childhood favorite that stands the test of time!
EDIT 2024: "Excellent main characters," past me? The problem with T and K is... honestly they come off as superior jerks. There's some cool adventurey stuff here, but all too often they are playing mean pranks on people or enacting seriously bloody-minded revenge, and it just really did not age well. Shame, because I do love me some sword and sorcery, but as I said in a comment on another review, 1980s feminism must have been wild, man.
March 25, 2025
Man, I don't know what it is about me and revenge stories! Well, to be fair, in this case it's less "revenge" and more "vengence"... which, in my mind, is not quite the same.
Another one of Mercedes Lackey's Valdemar books, this one deals with two women (Tarma and Kethry) who are sworn in an oathbound sisterhood. I won't get in to the vengeance here, that's up to you to discover!
An interesting note here (to me anyway..) is that Tarma is the only literary character that I find "attractive". While I can (and often do) drool over TV or movie characters, I never have the same reaction to books.
Tarma is the exception that proves the rule.
The funnier part of that is that she happens to be essentially sexless, and celibate, due to another vow...
Another one of Mercedes Lackey's Valdemar books, this one deals with two women (Tarma and Kethry) who are sworn in an oathbound sisterhood. I won't get in to the vengeance here, that's up to you to discover!
An interesting note here (to me anyway..) is that Tarma is the only literary character that I find "attractive". While I can (and often do) drool over TV or movie characters, I never have the same reaction to books.
Tarma is the exception that proves the rule.
The funnier part of that is that she happens to be essentially sexless, and celibate, due to another vow...
October 26, 2014
I liked the events of this one much better than the events of The Oathbound. Spying and intrigue are much more to my taste than demon rapists. There was rape in this one, too, which was disappointing, but it wasn't anywhere near as bad as the first book.
Jadrek is a great character, Kethry's magical development is awesome, Tarma continues to be the best. I like travel stories, especially ones that involve surviving the elements. Also, there were Heralds! Well, one Herald.
Jadrek is a great character, Kethry's magical development is awesome, Tarma continues to be the best. I like travel stories, especially ones that involve surviving the elements. Also, there were Heralds! Well, one Herald.
October 12, 2010
Kethry and Tarma join a mercenary company, go to Valdemar, summon Goddesses, and work a whole lot of magic. They also manage to discuss magic with a Herald well after Vanyel's time and well before Selenay's reign, but I think I can justify the inconsistency in the series by imagining there were no air sprites that close to the Rethwellian border on that particular day. Just go with it.
While having read the first Vows and Honor book is a definite prerequisite, this trilogy is shaping up to be fine fantasy fun. Familiarity with the other Valdemar novels is not required.
While having read the first Vows and Honor book is a definite prerequisite, this trilogy is shaping up to be fine fantasy fun. Familiarity with the other Valdemar novels is not required.
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