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Arrows of the Queen The Heralds of Valdemar Book 1 Mercedes Lackey 9780886773786 Books

Download As PDF : Arrows of the Queen The Heralds of Valdemar Book 1 Mercedes Lackey 9780886773786 Books

Arrows of the Queen The Heralds of Valdemar Book 1 Mercedes Lackey 9780886773786 Books

'Arrows of the Queen' by Mercedes Lackey is the first book in the 'Arrow' trilogy,and is set in the land of Valdemar. It tells the story of Talia, a young farm girl who is fated to become the 'Queen's Own' a position that will make her the advisor to the Queen of Valdemar, and the highest ranking person in the land next to the queen. It follows her in her training to become a Herald, and her relationship with all the other trainees, and teachers and mentors. It is also the story of the effort of all of the people who love and respect her to keep her safe from conspirators who would bring down the Queen and the Kingdom of Valdemar by destroying Talia, and thus her future assistance to the Queen.

Like all of the books of Lackey's Valdemar series, this is a wonderful read for those who love fantasy, and I highly recommend it to them.


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Arrows of the Queen The Heralds of Valdemar Book 1 Mercedes Lackey 9780886773786 Books Reviews

This book was the 4th of Lackey's Valdemar books I purchased, as soon as I could after finishing The Last Herald-Mage trilogy.

I found Arrows of the Queen not to be quite as compelling as Vanyel's story, yet I quite enjoyed it. Talia is a strong character whose quirks and personality drew me in.

Though some readers may find the concept of Heralds and Companions a little saccharine, they are not without their challenges and difficulties. These are good people overall, but they do have flaws. One of Talia's, related to her upbringing as Holderkin, only increases her difficulties once she arrives at Haven. That's one thing I enjoy about Lackey's writing and characterization, particularly with her MCs and important POV characters She weaves their histories into their personalities in such a way that the former deeply play into the latter.

Lackey's worldbuilding is superb, if a little unimaginative as a typical European-type backdrop. Everything his vividly described, though, giving the reader an excellent picture of the characters' surroundings. The author is neither purple nor miserly with these descriptions, often providing precisely enough to bring the surroundings just the right amount of clarity as the scene progresses instead of in gigantic clumps of exposition that detract from the story.

I also like how Lackey in the course of this book sets up the basis of one of the primary conflicts in the next book. She does this so well, I didn't spot what she was doing the first time I read the books. Everything Talia does and experiences as a Herald Trainee makes sense, is reasonable, and everything seems to be included. She's too busy trying to survive harassment and gain access to Princess Elspeth to realize anything is wrong, and her mentors are understandably clueless due to their own busy lives.

This is another book I'd happily suggest to someone seeking a "gateway" into fantasy. With its vivid worldbuilding, reasonable conflicts for the MC, and skilled characterization, it's one of the best books I can think of for introducing a reader to fantasy.
This is the book that started the whole of the Valdemar saga and was, I believe, Lackey's first published book. As a freshman novel, it is incredibly good, though many modern readers might find it to be a bit simplistic. Certainly it falls well into the Young Adult category by modern standards, though there is plenty for adults to appreciate here as well. Unlike many other books from it's time, this one has also aged quite well, though that is likely as much a function of the genre as anything. Fantasy tends to not become as dated as, say, romance novels do over time as readers' tastes and opinions change.

Talia is eminently likeable and a very easy character for anyone who has felt like an outcast for whatever reason to relate to. While her struggles, both internal and external, are shown in a very sympathetic light it is never a pitying one. Even when she is in the darkest periods of her time as a student at the Collegium her inner strength is quite evident. True, she makes various critical mistakes in judgement, particularly as regards trusting those around her, but what adolescent doesn't? Talia my be wise well beyond her years in many regards, but she is still just a scared and lonely teenage girl beneath the capable and dependable demeanor. The heart often breaks for her and the things she must endure, but it's impossible to feel too much pity for a young girl who faces every obstacle and crisis with as much courage and determination as Talia does.

It's difficult for me to comment too much on the story in general at this point, for my perception of it is too heavily colored by my knowledge of all that comes after it in the saga. I suppose one of my main comments for those who haven't read the whole extended series is to pay attention here, for though it seems a simple enough tale on the surface, the groundwork for several complicated plots is being laid here, many of which won't come to light until much later. There is also a lot of worldbuilding here of course, and many characters that we will come to know and love over the course of the saga are introduced here, but Talia's story always takes center stage.

I've given this one 4 stars, which is a somewhat arbitrary rating perhaps, though not undeserved. I certainly enjoy it that much, even now after however many times I've read it, but I've never considered it to be one of my favorites. Looking at it a bit more critically this time through (since I can't seem to help noticing various problems in books these days) I noted several times where POV wavered a bit, shifting focus between characters without proper breaks, often between paragraphs in a single scene. Some may find this distracting, though I don't let such things bother me overmuch unless they get really bad, and it doesn't in this instance. Despite such flaws, this is still a book (and series) that I'd definitely recommend to anyone interested in Fantasy, particularly "old school" epic or sword & sorcery type Fantasy.
'Arrows of the Queen' by Mercedes Lackey is the first book in the 'Arrow' trilogy,and is set in the land of Valdemar. It tells the story of Talia, a young farm girl who is fated to become the 'Queen's Own' a position that will make her the advisor to the Queen of Valdemar, and the highest ranking person in the land next to the queen. It follows her in her training to become a Herald, and her relationship with all the other trainees, and teachers and mentors. It is also the story of the effort of all of the people who love and respect her to keep her safe from conspirators who would bring down the Queen and the Kingdom of Valdemar by destroying Talia, and thus her future assistance to the Queen.

Like all of the books of Lackey's Valdemar series, this is a wonderful read for those who love fantasy, and I highly recommend it to them.