Arrows of the Queen ( The Heralds of Valdemar, Book 1)

Talia is an imaginative young girl trapped in an utterly backward society that punishes her for wanting learn and be independent. When she discovers that her family is going to force her to wed, she runs away. Talia doesn't get very far before she meets a beautiful white horse named Rolan, a Companion of Valdemar. Talia, not sure of what exactly to do, decides to ride Rolan, and he takes her on a journey to Valdemar's capital of Haven. Once there, she discovers that she has been Chosen to become a Herald of Valdemar... and her training begins!"Arrows of the Queen" is the first book in Mercedes Lackey's Heralds of Valdemar trilogy. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was a wonderful introduction the world of Valdemar and to the lives of its Heralds. I loved reading about how Heralds are trained, especially in their "Gifts," special mind powers, such as Mindspeech and Foresight. Lackey's descriptions of the interactions between the Heralds and their Companions was also interesting, if not amusing at times. I would recommend this book to anyone who remotely likes fantasy or is a horse lover.

I have several friends who are big Mercedes Lackey fans, and have been trying to get me to read the Valdemar books for a long time. I was hesitant at first, because, looking at the synopsis, it appeared to be more suited to teenage girls who where overly fond of horses. This is not far from the truth, to be honest, but there is so much more here. I am glad I finally decided to read this book. This is a very touching story. It is also very well written. The beginning seemed a little too pat (girl dreams of becoming a Herald, and by Chapter Two she has been Chosen), but the story really picks up when she reaches the Collegium. There is not alot of plot in this book, as others have noted, because the emphasis is on the characters, especially Talia. I think this works for the benefit of the story. In short, I found this book, the first in the trilogy, to be very engrossing and very, very good. I look forward to reading the next book in the Heralds of Valdemar series.

I know that some of you are thinking that this book had no plot. Did you totally miss the evil empire vs the side of light or what! This book introduces you to Heralds at their weakest moments and at their strongest ones. Mrs. Lackey's point from my view is to introduce you to this particular fantasy world and it's inhabitants. Now for some of you who just HAVE to start from the begining when you read any series. The best place to start would be:Black Gryphon, White Gryphon, Silver GryphonMagic's Pawn, Magic's Price, Magic's PromiseArrows of The Queen, Arrow's flight, Arrow's FallOathblood/Oathbreakers (the 2 in 1 book is called Oathbound)Read By the Sword before you read the following set)Winds of Fate, Winds of change, Winds of FuryStorm Warning, Storm Rising, Storm BreakingOwlflight, Owlsight, Owlknight.And back to the basics with Burning Brightly. (this book actually falls in-between Silver Gryphon and the Magic's series as close as i can figure.)I personally own every book this author has written in Fantasy and sci-fi (and the one romance that was just released). I have a hard time waiting until she comes out with another so that I might devoure it as hungrily as the rest! If you didn't like the arrows books then try something totally different like Oathblood and Oathbreakers which comes out in a set now called Oathbound. Or Burning Brightly which is a stand alone. I hope that you all will continue to try and read books from this author. *Yes my name is a play on one of her characters it's my fave name for all my rpg'ing and all my pals know me by it so....*

I made new friends when I read this book. Not the kind of friends that die at the end or live happily ever after so you never have to wonder about them again, but the kind who stick around for a while. The kind where you buy more books to find out where they are, how they're doing, and what adventures they've gotten themselves into. Arrows of the Queen is the introduction to the realm of Valdemar. The main character of the tale, Talia, is a young girl who is raised in a very strict environment. She runs away and circumstances land her in a school for Heralds, where she begins learning how she can help and protect the people of her realm. Only slightly disappointing is the plot. Simply put, not much of consequence happens. It's a sort of 'Guide to the Life of a Herald', which is ideal if you're planning to read more about the characters of Valdemar, but not if it's the only Mercedes Lackey novel you ever plan to collect. That's not to say that it doesn't have it's exiting moments, just that it isn't focused on them. Character development is without a doubt the best quality of Arrows of the Queen. People like Jadus and Skif and Talia were so much fun to get to know that I read on the train and at lunch and every other available moment to finish the book well before the day was out. The book is a lighter style of fantasy similar to Pern or EarthSea - the kind that you can enjoy on several levels without thinking too deeply.

I first picked this book up 5 years ago, I was 13 andimmediately clicked with the protagonist, Talia, who also happened tobe 13 at the start. Arrows of the Queen is an excellent intro to the world of Velgarth and the concept of Mind-Magic and supernatural beings. Outwardly the story is somewhat fairy-tale like and "sugary". Lackey does however do a wonderful job of developing characters. Sure the mean students seem evil, but look beyond that and catch that they are influenced by the power-struggles of their parents, and the "good" ones like Talia and Skif also have their flaws. The former has to overcome amazingly low self-esteem and the latter an ex-thief. Sure the Heralds seem too perfect, but that is the whole point. The Companions (supernatural beings in the form of white horses) choose them for their noble qualities and magical talent. Oh, but you say "White horses? How cheesy!" Perhaps if you look at it shallowly, then yes, but keep in mind this is Lackey's earliest attempt at this series of novels. If you read the trilolgies beyond, you will find the reason that Companions are white. I won't tell you what the reason is, but it can be found in the Mage Winds Trilogy. So get past the sugariness of the tale and enjoy the charming story for what it really is, a wonderful introduction. I encourage you to read this one and beyond. The novels that follow get increasingly more complex and grown-up and cover other regions and time-periods of Velgarth. There is even subtle sex in the next novel, Arrow's Flight. This novel will always hold a place close to my heart because it was my first into the world of magic and mystical beings. Please read it, even if you're not a 13-year-old girl. Your comments are appreciated. :)