Arrows of the Queen
Ratings71
Average rating3.4
15
Ratings71
Average rating3.4
Talia, a runaway Holdgirl, is chosen to become a trainee herald in the queen's elite guard and to care for young Princess Elspeth, heir to the throne. The sequels are Arrow's Flight (1987) and Arrow's Fall (1988). The author's Last Herald Mage series (Magic's Pawn, 1989; Magic's Price, 1990; and Magic's Promise, 1990), and her Mage Winds trilogy (Winds of Fate, 1991; Winds of Change, 1992; and Winds of Fury, 1993) are set in the same world. The Black Gryphon (1994), written by Lackey and Larry Dixon, is set in Valdemar 1,000 years earlier. Storm Warning (1994) is the first book in the author's Mage Storms trilogy, also set in Valdemar. Annotation. Talia, a young runaway, is made a herald at the royal court after she rescues one of the legendary Companions. When she uncovers a plot to seize the throne, Talia must use her empathic powers to save the queen. Talia, a trainee Herald, must use her untried psychic and empathic powers to protect the Queen of Valdemar and her child from a deadly conspiracy that threatens to destroy the kingdom.
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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.
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%
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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
50 primary booksValdemar (Publication order) is a 50-book series with 50 primary works first released in 1987 with contributions by Mercedes Lackey and Larry Dixon.
Series
38 primary booksValdemar (Chronological) is a 38-book series with 38 primary works first released in 1987 with contributions by Mercedes Lackey and Larry Dixon.
