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Valdemar: The Last Herald-Mage #1-3
The Last Herald-Mage
The Last Herald-Mage contains Magic's Pawn, Magic's Promise and Magic's Price.
900 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1990
537 people are currently reading
2370 people want to read
About the author
Mercedes Lackey
441 books9,527 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 182 reviews
February 4, 2008
this trilogy was so good it made me cry and also prompted me to read every Mercedes Lackey book I could get my hands on.
April 11, 2012
This series is angst ridden, broody, very gay, and (to my 15 year old self) nearly perfect. It isn't a great literary work, but it went along way toward convincing me that I wasn't the only one in the world who had feelings like that and that compared to the characters in this book, my life wasn't all that messed up.
March 16, 2009
I was extremely impressed with this series. While it is the typical fantasy storyline of young boy-discovers powers-becomes great hero, the emotional and psychological complexity of the individual characters makes this series truly unique. This series is also the best of Lackey's work that I have read so far, and definitely has more of an adult feel than the other books of hers that I have read. The main protagonist's story is so interesting that I wish that the author would return to his life and write about the time-periods between books that were referenced in the series.
dnf
February 6, 2023dnf @18%
I tried. I don't like the MC. I don't like the romance and I don't like the writing style. Bailing out! 🏃
I tried. I don't like the MC. I don't like the romance and I don't like the writing style. Bailing out! 🏃
May 25, 2012
First, I really do feel like a traitor because ever since I discovered these books in high school, I have loved them. LOVED THEM. I used to weep through the second half of Magic's Pawn. I had to replace the original trilogy because the covers were coming off and you couldn't read the spine. Now, while I enjoyed my latest reread (I wonder how many times I've actually read them?), I was tripped up by the overly-simplistic language, and the inconsistencies that I met like old friends as I read but this time they bothered me as if I had just noticed them. (If you say that Vanyel has the Bardic Gift and no Healing in book 1 then you can't change your mind later and give him Healing and no Bardic Gift in book 2 and 3. Ahem.) And let's talk about the immaturity of Vanyel, the protagonist. Most notably in the first book when he was sixteen. And when I was sixteen, I was right there with him. Mercedes Lackey writes teenagers like no one else. Unfortunately they are very much like actual teenagers so teens completely identify with them. The rest of us, however, want to shake them out of their bouts of manufactured drama, insecurity, and angst--and the whining and moodiness really have to stop. Again, just like real teenagers. In the third book Vanyel is in his thirties--or maybe 40s? I knew precisely at one point--but it's his friend/lover Stefan who I got impatient with for HIS eighteen year old me-centric view of the world. Yes, there is that moving scene where Stefan confronts Vanyel, and you feel it when Vanyel realizes he really IS the last Herald Mage, and there's so much genuine sadness at the end...but I actually enjoyed the second book the best this time around. Vanyel is somewhat battle-hardened and grown-up but still wrestling with demons. He discovers that one of his most hated memories of his home before he left as a teen was not all what it seemed, and there is more than one side to every story. Oh, and he has to solve a magical mystery during this rare visit home with his cantankerous Aunt Savil. Who is always a delight.
Let me say a little about why this series has always been among my favorites, and why it still gets 4 stars despite its shortcomings. Mercedes Lackey's most famous world is Valdemar, land of Heralds and mind magic. And in the first book she ever wrote was about a girl named Talia. The book opens where Talia is reading a history she is not supposed to, it is about the last Herald Mage Vanyel and his death at the hands of an evil mage after he sends his love, the bard Stefan, for help. It's all there, Lackey just had to have an audience...and some confidence before she could tell that story. It is a beautifully tragic story, and for that reason alone it stands out, she is all about the happy ending in all of her other works. Also, the hero is gay. It was the first story I ever read where this was true and it is handled SO well. It is honest without ever crossing the line into vulgarity, asking how it really affects the character, not just the obvious physical aspect. This is an extremely good read for young adults, and adults will enjoy it too. Just be prepared for realistic adolescents.
Let me say a little about why this series has always been among my favorites, and why it still gets 4 stars despite its shortcomings. Mercedes Lackey's most famous world is Valdemar, land of Heralds and mind magic. And in the first book she ever wrote was about a girl named Talia. The book opens where Talia is reading a history she is not supposed to, it is about the last Herald Mage Vanyel and his death at the hands of an evil mage after he sends his love, the bard Stefan, for help. It's all there, Lackey just had to have an audience...and some confidence before she could tell that story. It is a beautifully tragic story, and for that reason alone it stands out, she is all about the happy ending in all of her other works. Also, the hero is gay. It was the first story I ever read where this was true and it is handled SO well. It is honest without ever crossing the line into vulgarity, asking how it really affects the character, not just the obvious physical aspect. This is an extremely good read for young adults, and adults will enjoy it too. Just be prepared for realistic adolescents.
Read
December 6, 2024-born to be a gay wizard bard
-forced to be a gay wizard mediator of the state
-forced to be a gay wizard mediator of the state
October 6, 2010
These are my favorite of Lackey's books, her most moving and heartfelt. It famously has a gay protagonist, rare even in speculative fiction, even in these days. Gay characters aren't unusual, especially now, but gay protagonists still are.
Those themes are important in this book and trilogy, and I think it explores it in ways that are thought-provoking and stayed with me as a young woman. Back then in 1989 when this came out, before Buffy and Will and Grace, I can remember very few positive depictions of gays in fiction. My mother certainly wouldn't have approved of the subversive notions under the innocuous cover with the pretty guy hugging a white horse--nor how I took them to heart.
However, although I do think this theme is part of what gives the Last Herald Mage novels emotional punch, it doesn't pound the narrative to pieces; the book doesn't feel too preachy. It's just a good adventure, fantasy story, set in a pseudo-medieval world of "heralds" who are a police/military force chosen by seeming horses, magical creatures that can see into someone's character and are full partners--it's simply a good read.
Those themes are important in this book and trilogy, and I think it explores it in ways that are thought-provoking and stayed with me as a young woman. Back then in 1989 when this came out, before Buffy and Will and Grace, I can remember very few positive depictions of gays in fiction. My mother certainly wouldn't have approved of the subversive notions under the innocuous cover with the pretty guy hugging a white horse--nor how I took them to heart.
However, although I do think this theme is part of what gives the Last Herald Mage novels emotional punch, it doesn't pound the narrative to pieces; the book doesn't feel too preachy. It's just a good adventure, fantasy story, set in a pseudo-medieval world of "heralds" who are a police/military force chosen by seeming horses, magical creatures that can see into someone's character and are full partners--it's simply a good read.
July 26, 2009
When we talk about writers that are good story tellers but not necessarily good, well, writers, Lackey is always top of the list. I am very well aware of her many, many technical faults, but that doesn't mean I don't have a shelf and a half of her books.
I've read all the books that follow this, so there was a certain...lack of tension, although it was nice to have some of the holes filled in. And it says something that even while I'm mentally picking the book apart I still couldn't put it down. Her characters are Mary Sues of themselves by now, and she's really pretty much just recycling the same plots over and over again, and yet, I shot through 900 pages in a week. It was an easy read, so that wasn't much of a challenge, but the fact that I found that much time obviously means I was enjoying it. Not my favorite of her works, for certain, and I probably won't even buy the trilogy to flesh out my library, but I'm glad I read it.
I've read all the books that follow this, so there was a certain...lack of tension, although it was nice to have some of the holes filled in. And it says something that even while I'm mentally picking the book apart I still couldn't put it down. Her characters are Mary Sues of themselves by now, and she's really pretty much just recycling the same plots over and over again, and yet, I shot through 900 pages in a week. It was an easy read, so that wasn't much of a challenge, but the fact that I found that much time obviously means I was enjoying it. Not my favorite of her works, for certain, and I probably won't even buy the trilogy to flesh out my library, but I'm glad I read it.
April 9, 2017
I just reread this trilogy for the first time since before college. It was better than I remembered!
Brilliant writing. And as much as I enjoy all of the Valdemar books, I agree with the folks who say the more recent ones don't hold a candle to the first two trilogies that were written. These books kept me invested in the characters for 900 pages, and still wanting more.
Brilliant writing. And as much as I enjoy all of the Valdemar books, I agree with the folks who say the more recent ones don't hold a candle to the first two trilogies that were written. These books kept me invested in the characters for 900 pages, and still wanting more.
May 16, 2023
Lovely
This is an emotionally rich, epic fantasy trilogy that fills in the blanks in Valdemar’s history. It’s lush, angsty and obviously written years ago. That said, it still stands strong and, even after 20 some odd rereads, it’s still one of my favorite series.
This is an emotionally rich, epic fantasy trilogy that fills in the blanks in Valdemar’s history. It’s lush, angsty and obviously written years ago. That said, it still stands strong and, even after 20 some odd rereads, it’s still one of my favorite series.
October 4, 2021
Le cadre de l'action, Valdemar, est assez intéressant, mais reste très classique. Le concept des compagnons également, même si, à mon goût, ceux-ci restent moins exploités et impliqués que les personnages humains. Certes, il y a Yfandes, mais je ne trouve pas qu'on puisse la qualifier de personnage principal (si je compare par exemple à Eragon, où Saphira occupe une place beaucoup plus importante).
Ce qui m'a le plus plu dans cette série, c'est Vanyel. Le personnage évolue grandement au fil des tomes, qui sont séparés par plusieurs années, et ses intéractions avec son entourage, les autres hérauts, les gens du peuple, et surtout sa famille, sont très intéressantes. J'ai pleuré pour lui dans les 3 tomes, et j'ai eu mal au coeur de rage et d'injustice pour lui.
Pour un livre de fantasy sorti pour la première fois en 1989, je trouve que le choix de Mercedes Lackey de raconter l'histoire d'un personnage gay devait être très audacieux à l'époque, et les problèmes rencontrés par Vanyel dans ce contexte, malheureusement, restent actuels. Le tout est bien géré et, à mon avis, reste réaliste.
Comme je le disais plus haut, le cadre de l'histoire est classique, et pour ma part j’aime le classique, donc ce n’est pas un problème. Mais pour moi, ce qui fait de cette trilogie une très bonne série, ce sont les personnages, qui sont complexes, et qui évoluent. Par exemple, le jeune Vanyel immature et renfermé du premier tome n'a plus rien à voir avec le Vanyel adulte, plus sage, qui a pris du recul, du troisième tome. Vanyel se remet très souvent en question, a du mal à oublier le passé, et s'angoisse pour le futur (il a de quoi).
En bref, j'ai beaucoup aimé les personnages, l'histoire est bien racontée, même si j'ai été un peu moins séduite par le cadre et l'intrigue très classiques, mais encore une fois, le classique reste dans tous les cas une valeur sure.
Ce qui m'a le plus plu dans cette série, c'est Vanyel. Le personnage évolue grandement au fil des tomes, qui sont séparés par plusieurs années, et ses intéractions avec son entourage, les autres hérauts, les gens du peuple, et surtout sa famille, sont très intéressantes. J'ai pleuré pour lui dans les 3 tomes, et j'ai eu mal au coeur de rage et d'injustice pour lui.
Pour un livre de fantasy sorti pour la première fois en 1989, je trouve que le choix de Mercedes Lackey de raconter l'histoire d'un personnage gay devait être très audacieux à l'époque, et les problèmes rencontrés par Vanyel dans ce contexte, malheureusement, restent actuels. Le tout est bien géré et, à mon avis, reste réaliste.
Comme je le disais plus haut, le cadre de l'histoire est classique, et pour ma part j’aime le classique, donc ce n’est pas un problème. Mais pour moi, ce qui fait de cette trilogie une très bonne série, ce sont les personnages, qui sont complexes, et qui évoluent. Par exemple, le jeune Vanyel immature et renfermé du premier tome n'a plus rien à voir avec le Vanyel adulte, plus sage, qui a pris du recul, du troisième tome. Vanyel se remet très souvent en question, a du mal à oublier le passé, et s'angoisse pour le futur (il a de quoi).
En bref, j'ai beaucoup aimé les personnages, l'histoire est bien racontée, même si j'ai été un peu moins séduite par le cadre et l'intrigue très classiques, mais encore une fois, le classique reste dans tous les cas une valeur sure.
November 21, 2019
Enjoyable read - the author's foreword talks about how LGBT protagonists were rare when she was writing the book and this series is about acceptance - Vanyel starts off as a musical boy, thin and elegant amongst his bulkier siblings and cousins. His father disdains him; his mother holds him tender. He's sent to his aunt in Court to learn to be a bard, but he doesn't have the magical talent to make him a Bard; just the musical one.
We watch him fall in love in the first book, and although .
The second book deals with Vanyel becoming comfortable with his magical abilities and growing his reputation; he goes for a visit home that ends up into him solving a murder mystery. But at its heart, it's also about Vanyel growing more comfortable with his family .
The third book is Vanyel's parents accepting him as who he is, as well as Vanyel . We also see a power transition in Valdemar as fewer Herald-Mages are discovered, although .
3.5/5 stars for the enjoyment I derived - but a book I recommend people to read. It does a good job at balancing character arcs and action.
We watch him fall in love in the first book, and although .
The second book deals with Vanyel becoming comfortable with his magical abilities and growing his reputation; he goes for a visit home that ends up into him solving a murder mystery. But at its heart, it's also about Vanyel growing more comfortable with his family .
The third book is Vanyel's parents accepting him as who he is, as well as Vanyel . We also see a power transition in Valdemar as fewer Herald-Mages are discovered, although .
3.5/5 stars for the enjoyment I derived - but a book I recommend people to read. It does a good job at balancing character arcs and action.
March 3, 2017
Magic's Pawn 1.3.2017
A good, solid, standard Valdemar story. Powerful. 3.5 stars
Magic's Promise 2.3.2017
Incredible character development. Fascinating, convoluted complication of politics and magic. 4 stars
Magic's Price 2-3.3.2017
*sobbing in a heap* I knew how this would end—it's a Valdemar legend mentioned in future stories—but I'm still bawling my eyes out, devastated. *heartbroken* 5 stars
Incredible trilogy. Powerful. Complex. Wonderful. The character development, relationships, values, choices… Wow.
A good, solid, standard Valdemar story. Powerful. 3.5 stars
Magic's Promise 2.3.2017
Incredible character development. Fascinating, convoluted complication of politics and magic. 4 stars
Magic's Price 2-3.3.2017
*sobbing in a heap* I knew how this would end—it's a Valdemar legend mentioned in future stories—but I'm still bawling my eyes out, devastated. *heartbroken* 5 stars
Incredible trilogy. Powerful. Complex. Wonderful. The character development, relationships, values, choices… Wow.
March 21, 2019
This trilogy took me almost a year to read, but not for lack of interest. There was a part of me that didn't want the adventure to end. Lackey writes beautifully, and I couldn't help getting absorbed in the world that she created. This is a love story, but also a coming-of-age story with some heart-wrenching moments. After this first toe-dip into Lackey's writing, I will definitely be reading more of her (very extensive) bibliography!
February 9, 2020
It doesn't get much better than this.
One of the best fantasy trilogies out there.
One of the best fantasy trilogies out there.
October 23, 2022
One of the best trilogies ever.
I’ve been reading Mercedes Lackey’s Valdemar books since I was in high school. This trilogy is one I reread every few years and it never loses its impact. A beautiful series with so much emotion and wonder.
I’ve been reading Mercedes Lackey’s Valdemar books since I was in high school. This trilogy is one I reread every few years and it never loses its impact. A beautiful series with so much emotion and wonder.
October 27, 2024
Not necessarily bad but very much not for me, I only read this because a podcast I follow along with is reading it and I thought I'd at least give it a shot. You win some, you lose some.
June 8, 2016
“The Last Herald-Mage Trilogy” by Mercedes Lackey is a compilation of three books that tell the story of Herald-Mage Vanyel, originally published separately as: “Magic’s Pawn”, “Magic’s Promise”, and “Magic’s Price”.
This m/m fantasy collection starts with “Magic’s Pawn” that introduces Vanyel Ashkevron and details his harsh upbringing and eventual relocation to stay with his aunt, Herald-Mage Savil, where he learns to follow his heart and allows him to discover his own worth. Meeting the extremely talented and charismatic Tylendel changes his life, but attention-starved Vanyel may not have enough resources to deal with the challenges of a personal relationship.
“Magic’s Promise” follows Vanyel as he deals with the responsibilities of being a Herald-Mage in the face of increasing threats to the kingdom, both from without and within. Vanyel also copes with the challenges of family, both acknowledged and unacknowledged, plus adds a new charge to his overwhelming burdens. Again and again, Vanyel must be willing to give his all, until he figures out what magic’s promise truly is.
“Magic’s Price” details the radical changes in both Valdemar and Vanyel’s life that will have lasting effects. There are also frightening shifts in Karse even as Valdemar’s king is fading and the heir makes a radical decision of her own. The bard Stefen finds a way to make himself invaluable but Vanyel discovers there’s much more to him than he realized, which is good, because the weapons being utilized to attack Valdemar and its inhabitants are unlike anything the Herald Mages are used to and every defense becomes vitally important. As evil mounts, it is possible that all will be lost, and the price of safety may be higher than anyone can possibly pay.
I fell in love with this author’s Valdemar series several decades ago. This was fantasy that intrigued me, combining a well-built world with magic and the fascination of horse-type beings who were wise and able to communicate with their special partners. Combining my love of animals with my fascination for magic and ESP, these stories transported me a place that inspired me to believe that there was a place where at least one being could find the best in one and always be there for you. Then I read these three stories, probably some of the first m/m fiction that I had been exposed to at that time. Wow. I couldn’t remember crying while reading a story before, and while I was horrified by some of the occurrences in these tales I was still anxious to read more. In retrospect, it is fascinating the way the author expanded on the mystique of Valdemar and laid the groundwork for tales about some of the surrounding lands which have their own complex relationship with magic and gods and the ongoing struggle between good and evil. Getting a chance to glimpse beings such as the Hawkbrothers (yum), learning new words such as shay’a’chern/shaych (which was a far kinder term for being gay than some of the ones I was hearing in real life), and being exposed to a society where there are those who are capable of learning from their mistakes yet go on to do wondrous and heroic deeds all inspired me just as much as the stories coming from a certain popular science fiction series did. It is not often I think of tales as life-changing, but I consider these to have changed my life and attitude at the time, making me take a look at the world around me and want to change it for the better.
Having the opportunity to read these stories again so many years later reaffirms my fascination with Mercedes Lackey’s Bard-like voice. I was amazed to realize that despite fuzzily remembering some of the horrific events from my previous exposure to these tales, I was still brought to tears (pretty embarrassing, since I was in a doctor’s office at the time, lol) and strongly invested in the characters. It was fun to realize how things played out with some of the other threads and I was reminded how many different peoples I came to know and admire in these books that connect with Valdemar. Please be advised that there are themes that may serve as triggers to those who are sensitive to them, and a dismaying number of losses occur throughout as can be inferred by the title of the trilogy. This is still one of my favorite trilogies in the fantasy genre and I am delighted that this author has written 95 books and is still going strong. Make sure you set aside plenty of time once you start the book…and don’t forget to have tissues close at hand!
A copy of this title was provided to me for review which has been submitted to Night Owl Reviews.
This m/m fantasy collection starts with “Magic’s Pawn” that introduces Vanyel Ashkevron and details his harsh upbringing and eventual relocation to stay with his aunt, Herald-Mage Savil, where he learns to follow his heart and allows him to discover his own worth. Meeting the extremely talented and charismatic Tylendel changes his life, but attention-starved Vanyel may not have enough resources to deal with the challenges of a personal relationship.
“Magic’s Promise” follows Vanyel as he deals with the responsibilities of being a Herald-Mage in the face of increasing threats to the kingdom, both from without and within. Vanyel also copes with the challenges of family, both acknowledged and unacknowledged, plus adds a new charge to his overwhelming burdens. Again and again, Vanyel must be willing to give his all, until he figures out what magic’s promise truly is.
“Magic’s Price” details the radical changes in both Valdemar and Vanyel’s life that will have lasting effects. There are also frightening shifts in Karse even as Valdemar’s king is fading and the heir makes a radical decision of her own. The bard Stefen finds a way to make himself invaluable but Vanyel discovers there’s much more to him than he realized, which is good, because the weapons being utilized to attack Valdemar and its inhabitants are unlike anything the Herald Mages are used to and every defense becomes vitally important. As evil mounts, it is possible that all will be lost, and the price of safety may be higher than anyone can possibly pay.
I fell in love with this author’s Valdemar series several decades ago. This was fantasy that intrigued me, combining a well-built world with magic and the fascination of horse-type beings who were wise and able to communicate with their special partners. Combining my love of animals with my fascination for magic and ESP, these stories transported me a place that inspired me to believe that there was a place where at least one being could find the best in one and always be there for you. Then I read these three stories, probably some of the first m/m fiction that I had been exposed to at that time. Wow. I couldn’t remember crying while reading a story before, and while I was horrified by some of the occurrences in these tales I was still anxious to read more. In retrospect, it is fascinating the way the author expanded on the mystique of Valdemar and laid the groundwork for tales about some of the surrounding lands which have their own complex relationship with magic and gods and the ongoing struggle between good and evil. Getting a chance to glimpse beings such as the Hawkbrothers (yum), learning new words such as shay’a’chern/shaych (which was a far kinder term for being gay than some of the ones I was hearing in real life), and being exposed to a society where there are those who are capable of learning from their mistakes yet go on to do wondrous and heroic deeds all inspired me just as much as the stories coming from a certain popular science fiction series did. It is not often I think of tales as life-changing, but I consider these to have changed my life and attitude at the time, making me take a look at the world around me and want to change it for the better.
Having the opportunity to read these stories again so many years later reaffirms my fascination with Mercedes Lackey’s Bard-like voice. I was amazed to realize that despite fuzzily remembering some of the horrific events from my previous exposure to these tales, I was still brought to tears (pretty embarrassing, since I was in a doctor’s office at the time, lol) and strongly invested in the characters. It was fun to realize how things played out with some of the other threads and I was reminded how many different peoples I came to know and admire in these books that connect with Valdemar. Please be advised that there are themes that may serve as triggers to those who are sensitive to them, and a dismaying number of losses occur throughout as can be inferred by the title of the trilogy. This is still one of my favorite trilogies in the fantasy genre and I am delighted that this author has written 95 books and is still going strong. Make sure you set aside plenty of time once you start the book…and don’t forget to have tissues close at hand!
A copy of this title was provided to me for review which has been submitted to Night Owl Reviews.
June 19, 2023
Mercedes Lackey's heart really seems to be in the right place but the more I read of her the more something nags at my brain that her storytelling is just not quite right. I definitely flipped between being rather bored to intensely interested and then simply baffled throughout the course of this well-known trilogy, but it's difficult to pinpoint exactly what it is that she does wrong as a writer (beyond a fair few of her stylistic tics that I hate, such as characters having to show overt affection to one another nearly everytime they communicate).
Unusually, it's the middle slice of the trilogy that's the best here. That's partly because Lackey goes for an unusual approach of making this trilogy very focussed around the emotional growing older of her protagonist Vanyel, focusing on three different periods of his life, whilst avoiding a big clash with evil or politics storyline, and I think that makes this trilogy relatively unique for the period it was written. Of course, what also makes this trilogy relatively unique is its overt focus on the sexuality of Vanyel - this is a very refreshingly out and proud book and Lackey isn't afraid to explore the emotional positives and negatives that may come with the territory.
The second reason the second book, Magic's Promise, was the most interesting to me was because it wasn't built around gay tragedy, whereas I'd found the first emotionally overwrought. instead we have a tale of Vanyel reconnecting with an estranged family, discovering who he is and why his being gay isn't the disaster it was built up in their heads to be. There's also a strong storyline showing that Vanyel has a resulting prejudice too, and the eventual coming together and fixing of a misunderstanding is rather sweet. Into all of this Lackey does interweave some mystery and suspense to give the whole thing a little plotting and interest and what's nice is that she's quietly (maybe ad hoc) building up the rules of her world, how magic, heralds, companions and politics work as she goes along, and something in the back of my mind is interested as to where she'll take it in forthcoming installments.
Sadly, book 3 is so concerned with the ending that we're never quite taken on the journey to get there. There's so much space given to Vanyel rediscovering himself and his ability to reconnect, that I never quite connected with the piecemeal politics and threat that we're given along the way (and her propensity to include random moments of intense sexual abuse rears its head again. Don't get me wrong, I'm very ok with this kind of material, it's just been rammed so awkwardly into both of her series that I've read). Since Lackey is a writer of time-jumps, too, I don't think those hooks are going to be picked up in a later series.
As such these are books both to be fully embraced but also approached with caution. Lackey doesn't work wonders with her pen but she does have a heart and I feel affectionately towards her work without ever truly relating to it. She holds the distinction of being an important fantasy writer without being a great one - but maybe greatness lies in the heart sometimes. I know people, back in the 90s who really needed these books (at the time the lead character being gay wasn't so much a draw for me, and I never got around to them) and for that, also, I'm grateful.
Unusually, it's the middle slice of the trilogy that's the best here. That's partly because Lackey goes for an unusual approach of making this trilogy very focussed around the emotional growing older of her protagonist Vanyel, focusing on three different periods of his life, whilst avoiding a big clash with evil or politics storyline, and I think that makes this trilogy relatively unique for the period it was written. Of course, what also makes this trilogy relatively unique is its overt focus on the sexuality of Vanyel - this is a very refreshingly out and proud book and Lackey isn't afraid to explore the emotional positives and negatives that may come with the territory.
The second reason the second book, Magic's Promise, was the most interesting to me was because it wasn't built around gay tragedy, whereas I'd found the first emotionally overwrought. instead we have a tale of Vanyel reconnecting with an estranged family, discovering who he is and why his being gay isn't the disaster it was built up in their heads to be. There's also a strong storyline showing that Vanyel has a resulting prejudice too, and the eventual coming together and fixing of a misunderstanding is rather sweet. Into all of this Lackey does interweave some mystery and suspense to give the whole thing a little plotting and interest and what's nice is that she's quietly (maybe ad hoc) building up the rules of her world, how magic, heralds, companions and politics work as she goes along, and something in the back of my mind is interested as to where she'll take it in forthcoming installments.
Sadly, book 3 is so concerned with the ending that we're never quite taken on the journey to get there. There's so much space given to Vanyel rediscovering himself and his ability to reconnect, that I never quite connected with the piecemeal politics and threat that we're given along the way (and her propensity to include random moments of intense sexual abuse rears its head again. Don't get me wrong, I'm very ok with this kind of material, it's just been rammed so awkwardly into both of her series that I've read). Since Lackey is a writer of time-jumps, too, I don't think those hooks are going to be picked up in a later series.
As such these are books both to be fully embraced but also approached with caution. Lackey doesn't work wonders with her pen but she does have a heart and I feel affectionately towards her work without ever truly relating to it. She holds the distinction of being an important fantasy writer without being a great one - but maybe greatness lies in the heart sometimes. I know people, back in the 90s who really needed these books (at the time the lead character being gay wasn't so much a draw for me, and I never got around to them) and for that, also, I'm grateful.
April 20, 2024
I love this series. The first book was something I bought years ago on a whim. I wanted to try something new and had never read Mercedes Lackey before and the cover looked interesting. All I can say is I'm glad I did, years later, I still read this series at least once a year or pick through it to find my favorite parts.
I am in love with Vanyel Ashkevron. He's a handsome and polite with manners and talent and awesome magic, but because of all of these things he never feels accepted by others. And a lot of the time, his feelings don't stem from paranoia. People truly are unnerved, in awe, and just plain scared of him. Reading these books, you hurt for Vanyel as people form the wrong ideas about him. Lackey chooses to use a third person multiple POV, so that we not only see inside of Vanyel's head but others as well to get true interpretations of how Vanyel's being perceived.
After all that, please don't think this is an emo series with a "woe as me" main character. No way. These books are full of action and magical politics ad family dynamics that are often hilarious. I enjoy Vanyel's various trips home to visit his crazy family, his constant bickering with his companion, and his banter with his aunt. I also love when Vanyel shows us the strength of his power and why others should be afraid of him when he's in battle-mode.
Words can't express how dear this series is to my heart. When you get to the last book and realize that the series spans Vanyel's life, that he gets older with each book, and that his end is probably near, you almost don't want to finish, because you're afraid it'll end in death.
I don't want to spoil it, so I'll shut up. But yes, I could not put this series on my list without saying anything about it. Siiigh... now I need to go read them again. There's finally an audio version, so I can listen to my favorite parts in the car. :D. (Such a dork, I know. But to each her own :P ).
I am in love with Vanyel Ashkevron. He's a handsome and polite with manners and talent and awesome magic, but because of all of these things he never feels accepted by others. And a lot of the time, his feelings don't stem from paranoia. People truly are unnerved, in awe, and just plain scared of him. Reading these books, you hurt for Vanyel as people form the wrong ideas about him. Lackey chooses to use a third person multiple POV, so that we not only see inside of Vanyel's head but others as well to get true interpretations of how Vanyel's being perceived.
After all that, please don't think this is an emo series with a "woe as me" main character. No way. These books are full of action and magical politics ad family dynamics that are often hilarious. I enjoy Vanyel's various trips home to visit his crazy family, his constant bickering with his companion, and his banter with his aunt. I also love when Vanyel shows us the strength of his power and why others should be afraid of him when he's in battle-mode.
Words can't express how dear this series is to my heart. When you get to the last book and realize that the series spans Vanyel's life, that he gets older with each book, and that his end is probably near, you almost don't want to finish, because you're afraid it'll end in death.
I don't want to spoil it, so I'll shut up. But yes, I could not put this series on my list without saying anything about it. Siiigh... now I need to go read them again. There's finally an audio version, so I can listen to my favorite parts in the car. :D. (Such a dork, I know. But to each her own :P ).
November 19, 2011
Omnibus volume, so I'm going to review it in parts as I finish them:
Magic's Pawn:
I still don't like teenagers that much, but there's a substantial difference between whiny teenagers and genuinely tragic ones, and Vanyel's definitely the latter. There's a certain amount of "don't do that, dumbass!" going on, but it's all pretty solidly supported by the character development and hangs together quite well. It's a book of its time, in regards to the gay issues, but certainly on the right side of its time - it won a Lambda Award for a reason. Not a happy book, but a solid one.
Magic's Promise:
The best of the three, no question (especially if you don't care for teenagers.) It's a little more mystery/adventure and a little less interpersonal angst, and the plotting is fairly tight. I also very much appreciated the resolution to some of the family issues brought up in the previous volume, and the whole family dynamic was realistic and ultimately very satisfying. This is not a happy trilogy, on the whole, but this is the happiest volume and therefore I like it best.
Magic's Price:
Magic's Price is rather uneven in tone - it begins as a fairly light-hearted, even slapstick romance, then turns darker and darker until the inevitable tragic end. (Not, I should say, tragic in the usual "gay man's lover dies" even though that's pretty much what happens - and more than once in this series.) There's one particular interlude that is fairly horrifying and not well-justified, I think, but while grim, the book holds together fairly well and the coda is really very charming.
All in all, a successful series even discounting the daring nature of the gay lead character for its time.
Magic's Pawn:
I still don't like teenagers that much, but there's a substantial difference between whiny teenagers and genuinely tragic ones, and Vanyel's definitely the latter. There's a certain amount of "don't do that, dumbass!" going on, but it's all pretty solidly supported by the character development and hangs together quite well. It's a book of its time, in regards to the gay issues, but certainly on the right side of its time - it won a Lambda Award for a reason. Not a happy book, but a solid one.
Magic's Promise:
The best of the three, no question (especially if you don't care for teenagers.) It's a little more mystery/adventure and a little less interpersonal angst, and the plotting is fairly tight. I also very much appreciated the resolution to some of the family issues brought up in the previous volume, and the whole family dynamic was realistic and ultimately very satisfying. This is not a happy trilogy, on the whole, but this is the happiest volume and therefore I like it best.
Magic's Price:
Magic's Price is rather uneven in tone - it begins as a fairly light-hearted, even slapstick romance, then turns darker and darker until the inevitable tragic end. (Not, I should say, tragic in the usual "gay man's lover dies" even though that's pretty much what happens - and more than once in this series.) There's one particular interlude that is fairly horrifying and not well-justified, I think, but while grim, the book holds together fairly well and the coda is really very charming.
All in all, a successful series even discounting the daring nature of the gay lead character for its time.
November 28, 2011
In Magic's Pawn, we find young Vanyel not fitting anywhere with his family. Lord Withen Askveron wants to make a man out young Vanyel thru weapons master Jervis. Vanyel is injured in a sparring match with Jervis breaking Vanyel's right arm. Weeks go by asyoung Vanyel is healing while avoiding the weapons master's lessons. Lord Withen announces that Vanyel will be going to Haven to live withh his Aunt Savil. Everyone at Forst Reach is relieved to see young Vanyel leave. Arriving in Haven, Vanyel receives another shock from his Aunt Savil that she doesn't have time for him either. Vanyel has no real friends of his own except court fillies. Vanyel stunned by his Aunt Savil's protogee Tylendel. Tylendel gains Vanyel's trust and his love. Tragedy strikes when Tylendel's twin Stevan is murdered. Vanyel tries to help Tylendel the best that he can but Tylendel becomes more secretive daily. Tylendel and Vanyel crash a party where Tylendel loses his grip and kills. Vanyel's Heraldic Gifts are blasted open as a result and are out of control. In Magic's Promise, Vanyel is a full Herald-Mage with powerful gifts. Vanyel has moved on from past hurts but still feels all of their pain. Vanyel's nephew Medren is a talented young man with Bardic Gift. Vanyel makes sure Medren gets training in Haven. Problems over the border for a young boy named Tashir. Everyone blames Tashir for the slaughter of his family. In Magic's Price, Vanyel is haunted by a dream from 20 years that predicts his death. Vanyel meets Stefan a bard, who is Medren's friend. Your answers to your questions in the Last Herald Mage.
March 27, 2014
Mercedes Lackey is my favorite fiction writer. When I discovered her works while pre-reading one book for my then 12-year old daughter (books did not have ratings) I was entering an unfamiliar genre. By the end of the first book in the Valdemar series I was in love. I ordered a dozen more and then another dozen. All the books were acceptable to me for my 11 and 12 year old daughters. All three of us devoured them and they gave us a common topic for dinner conversations for the next several years.
I did move on to her other series which were also good but Valdemar remains my favorite. Prior to Mercedes Lackey I had read less than 1/2 dozen books twice in my life (Shogun, Alas Babylon, 2150 A.D., Lucifer's Hammer and one more because more than one teacher made it required reading).
After reading about 50 of Mercedes books I started reading other authors and was so dissatisfied in comparison to my new standard that I re-read at least 25 of her books. I can't give a higher compliment. Some of them I have read more than twice. The first time I read the Valdemar series out of order and read them in order the 2nd time.
The series containing Alta and Joust is a great read for pre-teen and teen boys. Exile's Honor is my favorite recommendation to men reading Mercedes for the 1st time.
I've read several of the other series, some of which I would not recommend for children.
As to the "date I finished this book", which time?
This is one of my favorite trilogies among favorites.
I did move on to her other series which were also good but Valdemar remains my favorite. Prior to Mercedes Lackey I had read less than 1/2 dozen books twice in my life (Shogun, Alas Babylon, 2150 A.D., Lucifer's Hammer and one more because more than one teacher made it required reading).
After reading about 50 of Mercedes books I started reading other authors and was so dissatisfied in comparison to my new standard that I re-read at least 25 of her books. I can't give a higher compliment. Some of them I have read more than twice. The first time I read the Valdemar series out of order and read them in order the 2nd time.
The series containing Alta and Joust is a great read for pre-teen and teen boys. Exile's Honor is my favorite recommendation to men reading Mercedes for the 1st time.
I've read several of the other series, some of which I would not recommend for children.
As to the "date I finished this book", which time?
This is one of my favorite trilogies among favorites.
July 13, 2015
This is a classic fantasy novel, and is another of my "go-to" reccs for fantasy fans.
This trilogy is part of the "Valdemar" series, Which is Mercedes' Lackeys fantasy world. (No worries if you're not familiar with it; all the info you will need is in the books.)
THis is a book that I give major, MAJOR props as one of the first fantasy novels by an established author to feature a LGBT hero without being overly "in your face" or divisive about it; I certainly credit it with opening doors for many readers, and cannot overstate the impact it had on me as a gay teen when I first read it.
Best of all, in case it's an issue? This isn't a "Gay Book", per se. While Vanyel's sexuality is a fundemental part of his character, it's not the ONLY piece, like any actual person's. (And, in any event, it's very tame by todays standards in any event.)
Highly recommended.
This trilogy is part of the "Valdemar" series, Which is Mercedes' Lackeys fantasy world. (No worries if you're not familiar with it; all the info you will need is in the books.)
THis is a book that I give major, MAJOR props as one of the first fantasy novels by an established author to feature a LGBT hero without being overly "in your face" or divisive about it; I certainly credit it with opening doors for many readers, and cannot overstate the impact it had on me as a gay teen when I first read it.
Best of all, in case it's an issue? This isn't a "Gay Book", per se. While Vanyel's sexuality is a fundemental part of his character, it's not the ONLY piece, like any actual person's. (And, in any event, it's very tame by todays standards in any event.)
Highly recommended.
December 12, 2014
I just finished this entire trilogy and LOVED IT. I love it so much, I started reading a library book and ended up buying a copy for myself. This book is that good. I'll be reading it over and over and over again.
This trilogy deals with several very serious issues in a straightforward way, despite all the magic in the books. I highly recommend it to anyone who likes reading fantasy and gay romance. That was another thing I enjoyed about this book was the straightforward way it handled the gay romance that was so predominant. Take out the magic and change the setting, and this book could have been set in modern times for all serious issues involved.
GREAT READ!!! I'm terribly sad it's over. And can't wait to reread it again soon!
This trilogy deals with several very serious issues in a straightforward way, despite all the magic in the books. I highly recommend it to anyone who likes reading fantasy and gay romance. That was another thing I enjoyed about this book was the straightforward way it handled the gay romance that was so predominant. Take out the magic and change the setting, and this book could have been set in modern times for all serious issues involved.
GREAT READ!!! I'm terribly sad it's over. And can't wait to reread it again soon!
March 13, 2018
The story pulled me along, but there was so much telling-instead-of-showing. The magical exposition horses that serve only to get around transportation logistics-related plot hurdles and to provide us with transcripts of various characters' psychotherapy sessions. The love affair for the ages which came out of nowhere then suddenly they LOVED. EACH. OTHER. SO. MUCH, seemingly for no other reason than that they were in the same building. Not just ordinary love, but a special kind of super-love which almost never happens, except that it kept happening to everyone in the book. All that aside, it was a quick and easy read, and I wasn't mad that I finished it.
August 21, 2008
This book was a 3-in-1, and it was really well written. I love Mercedes Lackey, and just about everything I've read from her.
So, why did I rate this one one star? Because I can't say I enjoyed a book that goes through 3 long books with one main character, gets you totally attached to him, his companion and his lover, and then offs him at the very end of the third. On top of what he "requests" of his lover, pissed me off as well.
I was so upset, I refused to read any of the other Valdemar books.
So, why did I rate this one one star? Because I can't say I enjoyed a book that goes through 3 long books with one main character, gets you totally attached to him, his companion and his lover, and then offs him at the very end of the third. On top of what he "requests" of his lover, pissed me off as well.
I was so upset, I refused to read any of the other Valdemar books.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 27, 2013
I am currently reading/re-reading all of Mercedes Lackey's books and this one has always been my favorite. I fell hoplessly in love with Vanyel and with Valdamar. I felt that this time around I paid more attention to some of the details and understood more about the history as well. I have to say that three times around now, I still cried and laughed and was infected with anxiety at different places in the story. I have to say that I adored this book and know that one of these days, I will visit with them again.
April 7, 2012
This is the quintessential trilogy of my youth. Perhaps because I had some familial issues myself, I wholly identified with Vanyel and his feelings of isolation and of being an outcast. It definitely expanded my world view and helped shaped my future opinions on a wide range of subjects. They even helped me fight against my own ice dream - held it off a few years anyway! I feel I should check out her other stuff since I love these so much, but I remember trying other series of hers and just not "getting them". If you like these I recommend the Arrows and Oath books also.
May 24, 2014
One of my favorite series hands down. It made me fall in love with Mercedes Lackey and the land of Valdemar. Vanyel's story is beautiful. He is one of the most well written characters I have ever had the joy of getting to know. I would recommend reading this book to anyone who is an avid book lover. This book is an emotional roller coaster that I enjoy going back to again and again.
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