My Least Favorite But Still Good

books:


	• Arrow's Flight (The Heralds of Valdemar, Book 2) Mercedes Lackey DAW Books, 1987 - 320 pages average customer review:based on 33 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Disappointing

Reviewed by Christina Wantz Fixemer
on 10/01/2008

Talia has earned her Herald whites (see ARROWS OF THE QUEEN) and is ready to embark upon her eighteen-month internship with Kris, her mentor. Together, they are to ride through their assigned sector to settle disputes and perform other duties as Heralds.

The circuit is in trouble from the start, however, as Talia learns of rumors that she has abused her powerful empathic Gift. With her fragile confidence shattered, her Gift gets out of hand. She must regain control, or she'll be a danger to everyone around her.

Talia must successfully complete her internship. The Queen and many, many others are depending on it. Can Talia finish the year and half without driving herself, and her mentor, insane?

I was disappointed with this novel. The first one was enjoyable, so I was eager to dive in to this, the second installment of The Heralds of Valdemar. Unfortunately, the main conflict in this novel was over the lack of control over Talia's Gift. She didn't talk about it with her mentor until it was almost too late. The slow degradation of her abilities over many, many months was painful and repetitive to read. For being a smart character, she didn't act with much intelligence in that regard. One might argue that this lack of communication was due to her long-standing poor self-esteem, but that excuse only goes so far.

One of my pet peeves is when the author expects the reader to swallow a series of misunderstandings that should never have gone beyond the first few scenes. It feels like a deliberate machination on the author's part. If the author feels the need to use this to make the story fit their idea of the plot, then there's a fundamental flaw in the plan. The author should figure out how to work with the conflict without using tenth-grade tricks.

Another thing that annoyed me about this novel is that there were events that seemed important to the story and weren't included. By this, I'm referring to a visit Talia took to her family of birth and was basically turned away. This event was mentioned in passing, but I never saw it happen. The rejection by Talia's family is a critical key to the formation of her as a character, and it needed to be in the book. Whether Lackey didn't feel the need to write this event or whether the editors chopped it to save on page count, I feel it was a mistake.

After all that, it probably sounds like I hated this novel. In fact, I liked it well enough to finish it in less than a day. These two major issues, however, made it difficult for me to enjoy this book to its potential.

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Fun Book, Like the first

This is one of my favorite Lackey series set in Valdemar. Lackey does write fluffy books, but I like that about them. There is good and evil and everyone fights the good fight. Its a quick enjoyable read that is no less worthwhile for being a lite read. The characters are all plausible is slightly one sided and the story is interesting if shallow. If you looking for an epic this isn't it. If you want a couple of fun afternoons try itne Arrows set.

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A growing up story

This is volume two of the story of Talia, a young girl who becomes the Queen's Own Herald in the land of Valdemar. In the first volume, we leared of Talia's history in an abusive home and her being Chosen by a Companion and her training at the Herald Collegium. In this volume that story continues from the point where she receives her Whites as a full fledged Herald and must set out on her 18 month internship under the tutelage of a qualified Herald.

The beauty of this volume is that it is really all about the coming of age of Talia. The poor abused girl who is still very unsure of herself, has to deal with many challenges along the border's frontier. Most of her troubles are really internal as she has a unique Gift (Empathy) for which there are no existing rules or precedents. It does not help her that her hold on her Gift is actually quite tenuous. Throughout the book she struggles with herself.

The book is a wonderful story of how this insecure young woman becomes a mature and secure woman who is comfortable with her unique gifts, is comfortable with who she is, and sheds her inhibitions and fear of men as she spends the 18 months with Kris. While all of this is going on, she is also starting to realize that her true love is another man and we get to watch and observe her feelings for Dirk develop steadily even though Dirk is never present in the book itself.

This volume has restored my faith in this series. The first volume can now be seen as setting the context and filling in the history of this fascinating character. While I was not totally happy with the first volume - essentially its almost direct copying of an earlier trilogy - this second volume has gone in a totally different direction and was a wonderfully engrossing read. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone.

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Second Book Of Trilogy

I have read all three books of Heralds of Valdemar in a week. As one reader commented ,This is second book of a Trilogy and it shows. Talia becomes a full herald and starts normal internship for one and half year journey. She lost her control of gift.

Most of the story resolves around them going from town to town and lost of control of gift. Character build up is very well written. Learning more about typical herald duties help to understand World of Valdemar. Being a Dungeon Master myself, I liked these parts of story.

But there were some points, I disliked. A battle against brigands where 15 to 2 (well 4 with companions). Unrealistic combat.
Also when a healer understand that she lost her shields, she only tell them get your shields instead of helping her.

Overall trilogy was good.

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My Least Favorite But Still Good

This was my least favorite in the Herald's Series. Although I particularly like how the sex was handled, practically, without unnecessary additives. I would have thought Heralds would have no problem perceiving each other's feelings enough to know there was no danger of love happening, but I guess it made for good plot tension. This was a good, but not great book.

reviews: page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

Set in the medieval fantasy kingdom of Valdemar, this unique and exciting novel continues the story of Talia. Having mastered the powers necessary to a guardian of the kingdom, she faces the final preparation for her initiation as adviser and protector of the Queen.

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