Arrows of the Queen
1987 • 320 pages
Ratings49
Average rating3.3
15
Ratings49
Average rating3.3
Arrows of the Queen is the first book in the Heralds of Valdemar Trilogy.
Chosen by the Companion Rolan, a mystical horse-like being with powers beyonding imagining, Talia, once a runaway, has now become a trainee Herald, destined to become one of the Queen's own elite guard. For Talia has certain awakening talents of the mind that only a Companion like Rolan can truly sense.
But as Talia struggles to master he unique abilities, time is running out. For conspiracy is brewing in Valdemar, a deadly treason which could destory Queen and kingdom. Opposed by unknown enemies capable of both diabolical magic and treacherous assassination, the Queen must turn to Talia and the Heralds for aid in protecting the realm and insuring the future of the Queen's heir, a child already in danger of becoming bespelled by the Queen's own foes!
Music from the books can be found on the CD's Heralds, Harpers & Havoc and Lovers, Lore & Loss.
Series
3 primary booksValdemar: Heralds of Valdemar is a 4-book series with 4 primary works first released in 1987 with contributions by Mercedes Lackey.
Series
47 primary booksValdemar (Publication order) is a 47-book series with 47 primary works first released in 1987 with contributions by Mercedes Lackey and Larry Dixon.
Series
37 primary booksValdemar (Chronological) is a 37-book series with 37 primary works first released in 1987 with contributions by Mercedes Lackey and Larry Dixon.
Reviews with the most likes.
Farm girl becomes a wizard. This is and old book, not much its fault for being a cliche, but I hate this particular one. I hated in Harry Potter, I hate it here.
Talia is a 13 year old living in a The Handmaiden type of world where she expected to be a breeder in a house with many other wives. She is supposed to be treated as an object, a property of her husband to be. But one day a magical horse comers along and rescue her, taking her to see the world and fulfill her destiny to become a powerful Herald.
Read: 01:32/09:19 17%
Good escapist literature. For me, it falls somewhere between three and four stars. I've read The Last Herald-Mage trilogy by Lackey, which I really enjoyed. Arrows of the Queen was much simpler a story, and you could tell that it was Lackey's first book from the writing quality.
Utterly enchanting. Other than the weird corporal punishment stuff. Very of its time in that respect—but way ahead of its time in how it deals with emotional trauma.
This book is fantasy in two senses: first, it's a book about people in cloaks and magical powers. Second, it is clearly someone's daydream. Our main character goes from a sexually repressive, religiously constricting polygamist society where women are abused all the time, to a magic school where not only is everyone nice to each other, but there's free love, music, running water, and birth control. Seriously, the MC daydreams and reads books about Herald Mages, and then just as her family is about to sell her into marriage...guess what? She gets picked up by a telepathic horse and taken to magic school where she finds out she's the most important person in the entire kingdom.
I'm not kidding. This is what people mean when they say “eighties fantasy.” Strangely enough, even though Mercedes Lackey was (arguably) the most popular fantasy author immediately pre-Wheel of Time, I don't think this kind of thing was typical, not even from the same publisher (DAW). It's certainly not the best. If you want good “eighties fantasy” I recommend Tiger and Del (Book 1: Sword Dancer) by Jennifer Roberson or The Dragon Prince by Melanie Rawn. No disrespect to Mercedes Lackey, but I have yet to find one of her books I could really get into; this one is just wish fulfillment.
