Development and Growth of a young woman

books:

	• By the Sword (Kerowyn's Tale) Mercedes Lackey DAW, 1991 - 496 pages average customer review:based on 64 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Loved it.

Every 'Valdemar' book I've immersed myself in has taken me to a wonderful world that I wish really existed.

Kerowyn, like her grandmother before her, is a strong woman, but still very much a woman, as her attraction to a certain Herald shows. She is also a woman not led around by her hormones (Thank goodness.)

A book that should be recommended to all teen and pre-teen girls as a role model.

By The Sword (Kerowyn's Tale)

One of the Valdemar series by Mercedes Lackey, this is the story of Kerowyn, why she became 'famous,' and how she became one of the Heralds of Valdemar. I am a big fan of Lackey's Valdemar stories, good versus evil with the use of a little mind magic and some very hard work. I think a teenager would like these stories if they would read long enough to get 'into' the story. I high recommend this series.

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Development and Growth of a young woman

By The Sword is part of the world of Valdemar which Mercedes Lackey has fleshed out and detailed over many novels. This one is not actually a part of the series but it is connected to the series that precede it and it lays the groundwork for some of the stories that evolve after it.

In essence, this book is the story of Kerowyn and her life and development from the age of 16 until she approaches 40. Kerowyn is a very appealing character. She is a very strong woman who has significant skills that are typically not encouraged in the somewhat archaic world that she inhabits. She is the daughter of a minor noble so the world expects her to be married off to some other minor noble to breed children and act as the hostess of the manor. Unfortunately - or fortunately for this story - Kerowyn has no interest in that kind of life. Kero (as she prefers to be called) is a high spirited woman who has her own mind and logic about how things should be and seeks to be appreciated for who she is. The manor-lady role is not for her!

The story starts as Kero is running the kitchen in her father's household which is celebrating the upcoming nuptials of Kero's brother and his chosen bride. While the feast is going on, a band of bandits, led by a mage, attacks the keep, kidnaps the bride, kills her father, and disables all the males who are part of the party. Kero takes it upon herself to ride after the kidnappers and retrieve the bride. To do this she needs help and so she turns to her grandmother who is known to be a mage and was a mercenary band captain for help. We are now given the first magical item that will figure prominently in this story and several others in the future. Needless to say, Kero succeeds in her quest of saving her brother's bride.

Just like in real life though, being successful in a task that you are not even expected to attempt leads to both good and bad things. The good is that the wedding can proceed; The bad is that no one is willing to deal with this strange being (Kero) who did something that many men would have failed at! So, Kero decides to leave her life behind and moves in permanently with her grandmother and her friend who train her for the life of a mercenary.

A new complication arises here as Kero is paired up with the younger brother of the heir to the throne in her land. Darren is sent to Kero's grandmother for similar training as he will likely become that country's army commander in the future. As the two teenagers learn the basics of fighting, they also manage to explore each other's other feelings - and they also explore the meaning of lust and love. After three years together, Darren is recalled to the capital following his father's death, and Kero goes off to seek her fortune.

The next portion of the book details Kero's experiences as a mercenary and briefly chronicles her movement through the ranks and ends with her taking command of the company and running it successfully for ten years. A main feature of the early part of this portion is that Kero meets up with a Herald of Valdemar, rescues him from the Karsites, falls in love with him, and has to give him up to ensure his rescue.

In the final portion of the book, Kero takes her mercenaries to Valdemar to assist in the fight against Ancar. This portion ties all the disparate parts together as Kero gets to meet Talia - the Queen's Own Herald; Queen Selenay; and more Companions. It is no surprise that the book ends with her remaining in Valdemar but I will not divulge the various plot twists and turns so you can enjoy them yourselves!

It is easy to see that Kerowyn's story is the story of any strong-willed and capable woman who has succeeded despite the normal "conventions" of what a woman's place in the world is. Despite the thin veneer of a fantasy, sword and sorcery kind of world, Kero is determined to be judged based on her merits and accomplishments and she succeeds in her chosen career. The story details the struggles that ensue because of this and lays out how she juggles her career, her loves, and her positions with her family and others. It is a very positive story as Kero manages to get all she wants in the end, but the struggles she goes through are a fascinating read.

The story is also skillfully interwoven into the Valdemar storyline. Kero meets some characters that were featured in earlier Valdemar series' like Talia, Selenay, Dirk, and Elspeth. Kero introduces some plot points that will obviously be addressed in future tales from Valdemar like Selenay's marital status and the magical sword Need. While this is quite a good standalone story and book, it is clearly part of the Valdemar storyline and should be read as part of that sequence.

The story telling is at times fast and furious and at times slow as molasses. For the most part this was good as major personality developmental points deserve a very slow and methodical treatment. About the only complaint I have along these lines is that Lackey employs the internal dialog device far too frequently with Kero. It was not necessary, in my opinion, to constantly have her describe her internal debates and thoughts. I highly recommend this book!

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Never enough Valdemar

I have read just about every book Mercedes Lackey has written about Valdemar and the Heralds. It isn't possible for her to write too many of these tales. And the more she writes, the better the story becomes. There is such a richness of detail that you feel you are right there in the story. When you put the book down, you still wish you were there and can't wait to find out what happens next.
Kerowyn's Tale is just one more piece of the wonderful puzzle that is Valdemar and all the surrounding countries and cultures.

One of her best

One of her best, and a nice long book to boot. While she does get bogged down in some typical Lackey weaknesses (excessive internal dialogue, for one) the action keeps coming and the central character, Kerowyn, goes through a great deal of realistic personal growth.
I read this around the same time that I read the Paksenarrion series by Elizabeth Moon (also fantasy featuring a female mercenary soldier), and wondered if Lackey had been inspired by Moon. Moon does it better, thanks to her own military background, but Lackey deals inventively with her fantasy world and the ways in which magic can aid soldiers in their daily endeavors.

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