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juushikaTitle: Arrows of the Queen (The Heralds of Valdemar, Book One)
Author: Mercedes Lackey
Published: New York: DAW Books, 1987
Rating: 4 of 5
Page Count: 320
Total Page Count: 66,906
Text Number: 192
Read For: personal enjoyment, checked out from the library
Short review: Talia, a thirteen year old girl from the outer borders of the Kingdom, is chosen by a Companion—a horse-like creature with human intelligence—to become a Herald of Valdemar. She will become a protector of the Kingdom and a direct advisor to the Queen, but first she must complete her training in weapons, schooling, and magic—and all the while, conspiracy threatens the kingdom and Talia's life. Arrows of the Queen is slightly immature and certainly idealized, but it remains an engrossing and inspiring fantasy and a pleasure to read. I recommend it.
I first read The Heralds of Vademar series when I was in my early teens, and look back upon them with nostalgia; I'm grateful to find that this first book lives up to my memories. It's not without fault, to be sure. The pace is sometimes inconsistent, skipping ahead months or years and throwing the reader off balance. Exposition is sometimes unrealistic and artificially complete, even given an outsider protagonist and plenty of excuses for infodumps. Talia and the Collegium can be too good to be true: Talia is superbly skilled and selfless, and the Collegium is a haven of pure friendships and universally enjoyable classes. Some of this perfection is logical, some is explained by setting or character role, some is simple wish fulfillment, but sometimes it is simply too perfect, exceeding explanation and becoming foolishly idealized.
So the book has marks of immature idealization; otherwise, it is compelling and intriguing concept headed by a realistically vulnerable protagonist. This book is self-contained, but it introduces the wider world of Valdemar, complex and detailed, augmented always by an edge of magic, promising room for infinite exploration (and infinite sequels). Most intriguing are the Heralds, the Collegium, and the magically bonded Companions; although idealized, these aspects welcome Talia with open arms and, through her, welcome the reader as well. Talia is a vulnerable character, and it's easy to identify with her insecurities; her Collegium schooling is lesson that she is unusually talented, therefore has unusual opportunities and challenges, and that she deserves and will receive unconditional love. Like Harry Potter and His Dark Materials, this premise is wish-fulfilling, comforting, and exciting; I can see why I loved this book so much when I was Talia's age, and I'm pleased that it holds a similar magic for me now. I was glad to return to this book, enjoyed it, and will certainly continue on with the series. I recommend it, and it's a good book to introduce the Lackey and the world of Valdemar.
Review posted here on Amazon.com.
Author: Mercedes Lackey
Published: New York: DAW Books, 1987
Rating: 4 of 5
Page Count: 320
Total Page Count: 66,906
Text Number: 192
Read For: personal enjoyment, checked out from the library
Short review: Talia, a thirteen year old girl from the outer borders of the Kingdom, is chosen by a Companion—a horse-like creature with human intelligence—to become a Herald of Valdemar. She will become a protector of the Kingdom and a direct advisor to the Queen, but first she must complete her training in weapons, schooling, and magic—and all the while, conspiracy threatens the kingdom and Talia's life. Arrows of the Queen is slightly immature and certainly idealized, but it remains an engrossing and inspiring fantasy and a pleasure to read. I recommend it.
I first read The Heralds of Vademar series when I was in my early teens, and look back upon them with nostalgia; I'm grateful to find that this first book lives up to my memories. It's not without fault, to be sure. The pace is sometimes inconsistent, skipping ahead months or years and throwing the reader off balance. Exposition is sometimes unrealistic and artificially complete, even given an outsider protagonist and plenty of excuses for infodumps. Talia and the Collegium can be too good to be true: Talia is superbly skilled and selfless, and the Collegium is a haven of pure friendships and universally enjoyable classes. Some of this perfection is logical, some is explained by setting or character role, some is simple wish fulfillment, but sometimes it is simply too perfect, exceeding explanation and becoming foolishly idealized.
So the book has marks of immature idealization; otherwise, it is compelling and intriguing concept headed by a realistically vulnerable protagonist. This book is self-contained, but it introduces the wider world of Valdemar, complex and detailed, augmented always by an edge of magic, promising room for infinite exploration (and infinite sequels). Most intriguing are the Heralds, the Collegium, and the magically bonded Companions; although idealized, these aspects welcome Talia with open arms and, through her, welcome the reader as well. Talia is a vulnerable character, and it's easy to identify with her insecurities; her Collegium schooling is lesson that she is unusually talented, therefore has unusual opportunities and challenges, and that she deserves and will receive unconditional love. Like Harry Potter and His Dark Materials, this premise is wish-fulfilling, comforting, and exciting; I can see why I loved this book so much when I was Talia's age, and I'm pleased that it holds a similar magic for me now. I was glad to return to this book, enjoyed it, and will certainly continue on with the series. I recommend it, and it's a good book to introduce the Lackey and the world of Valdemar.
Review posted here on Amazon.com.
Talia? Teren touched her arm lightly.Optional punctuation, smushed sentences, and Cod Gods—this was a first edition, and I cannot even tell you how many typos there were.
"Coddess—oh, Teren, I saw her die!" (305)
