Magic's Pawn (The Last Herald-Mage Series, Book 1)
by Mercedes Lackey
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Book Summary Information
Author: Mercedes LackeyEdition: Mass Market Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 1989-06-06
ISBN: 0886773520
Number of pages: 352
Publisher: DAW
Product features:
- ISBN13: 9780886773526
- Condition: New
- Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. Tracking provided on most orders. Buy with Confidence! Millions of books sold!
Book Reviews of Magic's Pawn (The Last Herald-Mage Series, Book 1)
Book Review: Best trilogy
Summary: 5 Stars
From fans of Mercedes Lackey's novels, I have often heard it said that the Last-herald Mage series was the best. And I shamefully admit, that I have only been a Lackey fan for a relatively short period and have been reading other Valdemar books before this series. (The Arrows of the Queen trilogy is particularly good as well).
Well, I completely agree, Vanyel's trilogy is the most well written and moving. Before I go into the great attributes of this trilogy, particularly in Magic's Pawn. I'd like to offer a few suggestions, (since many of you won't actually make it though my entire review :), no hard feelings.)
I would first suggest you read some of Mercedes Lackey's other novels. The Arrows of the Queen Trilogy is a must, and then perhaps a few novels set in the times of Seleny's reign. (Suggestions being Exile's Honor and Exile's Valor, or To Take a Thief, they aren't trilogies like most of Lackey's Valdemar series but they're good stand alones.) I mostly suggest this so that you can see the perception of some of the characters in the future. Most of the people mentioned in the trilogy will go on to be legendary, for good or bad. And it helps to see the herald's of Seleny's time, and their fears of becoming a Tylendel and their aspirations of becoming a Vanyel. They also mention Stef, and the need to meet Stef will def help push you through some of the dryer parts in Book 2, Magic's Promise. Arrow's of the Queen is essential to this.
Now on to the good stuff. Magic's Pawn...what to say? It is one of the best fantasy books I think I've ever read. Lackey occasionally has a problem with making her work original and changing the plot from series to series, but that issue is no where to be seen here. Elements of the trademark Lackey still remain, such as her desire to write Lifebonds, but they are nowhere near typical. Instead of happy lifebonds, which can only enrich the lives of her characters, she wrote Vanyel's lifebond more as a curse. A lovely curse, but one that leads to so much destruction and broken souls that there are two attempted suicides, some which are more effective than others. Vanyel is a character with depth and real emotions and he is surrounded with other such characters. They have human flaws and very human problems.
I have heard some say that they didn't appreciate the way "a bad guy just sprung up out of no where" and that the bad mage was just "I dimensional and characterized as purely evil". Well there's a reason for that. This book is written in 3rd person point of view, yes, but it is focused on Vanyel and occasional Tylendel or Savil. It shows only their viewpoints purposely, and it furthers the point that this is NOT a good vs. evil type of fantasy book. This is book for and about Vanyel. It is about a boy, who doesn't fit with his family, and doesn't fit with the bards and really doesn't seem to fit anywhere but with Tylendel. And the result of that is utter dependence, a dangerous thing, especially since Tylendel is human, and humans make mistakes.
Bad parts? There are a few, but nothing that significantly takes away from the book. Tylendel and Vanyel's relationship was undeniably an effort of Lackey to put more people at ease with homosexuality. It's a beautifully written relationship, and it shows how much harder it is to be in a relationship which you have to hide, for fear of harm being done to you. BUT occasionally she does focus too much on solely the homosexual aspect of it. The other two novels in the series are much better at that. The only other problem I found to be even the slightest bit disturbing was the few inconstancies only a truly half crazed Lackey fan would find...they probably wont even be noticed by most.
Great book...read it. That's an order :)
Summary of Magic's Pawn (The Last Herald-Mage Series, Book 1)
In Magic's Pawn, an ancient age in the history of Valdemar comes to life--an age when the kingdom was ravaged by the ungoverned fury of bandit warlords, ferocious ice dragons, and the wild magic of wizards. A new addition to Lackey's Valdemar kingdom--and her most powerful series to date!
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