Magic's Promise

Although appealing for Valdemar fans, the Vanyel books also offer serious food for thought on social issues such as religious prejudice and homosexuality. Vanyel contines to wrestle with loneliness, grief and guilt over his lifebond's suicide, his family's hostility to his sexuality and his feelings of unworthiness to be a Herald while struggling to solve a murder mystery involving a newly-Chosen royal in this thrilling adventure. New characters are introduced, such as armsmaster Jervis, whom I was prepared not to like at all, and we get to know Vanyel's family. I really enjoyed this book and highly recommend the entire Valdemar series. Five stars

I went straight into Magic Promise after Magic Pawn. Magic Promise is just as spell binding. Not because of the fantasy aspects or the magic because I have read more imaginative ones. It is the protagonist, Vanyel, who imprisons me. I admit I am in love with this beautiful character. Twelve years after Magic Pawn, Vanyel is now a great herald-mage held in awe by all. Yet he remains sad and so much alone that my heart goes out to him. His struggles with his sexual preference, his attempt to make peace with his father and the arms master who tortured him during his boyhood and the loss of his soul mate 12 years ago which continues to haunt him is touching and beautifully told. Vanyel's pain as he conjures up his soul mate by magic because he misses him so much and Vanyel's final acceptance of his death is just heart rending. Vanyel facing Death, who gave him the choice to live to fight and protect those he loves or final peace and release from pain and sufferings towards the end of Magic Promise just tugs at my heart. Still Magic Promise has its light and tender moments provided by the unique bond and love between Vanyel and his Companion. Because of Vanyel I have added Lackey to my list of must read writers.

I got a loan of this book from a friend and was reluctant to read it at first, but by the time I had gotten through the first chapter I couldn't turn the next page fast enough. Vanyel to me is an inspiration, I found myself thinking back to times when I wanted to be like Superman and other childhood Heroes. My hands were shaking when I had reached half way through, I found I couldn't put the book down. I finished the book that night, and the next day I was in the shop looking for the next book in the series. Lackey is a genius the way she can grab your attention and hold it to the very end of the book and leave you panting for more. I hadn't read any other of her books before, but by the time I was half way through this book I knew who Vanyel was and what his childhood was like, without delving into too much detail. This book is shear excitment and heartache and inner challenges all in one and I would recommend this book to anyone.

...I got this book by chance. Hell, even before reading this particular book I have never even glance at any fantasy novel. I'm glad I did. Vanyel is simply the most wonderful of characters that one might imagine.I cried every time I read the books in this trilogy (and that amounts to hundreds of times). I first read this book in '94 and since then I have been buying Misty's books, basically on the srength of this particular book. Vanyel is the most complex of characters I have ever encountered and to me Misty managed to flesh him out realistically. When I read this book I feel as though I'm a part of the story, an invisible 'ghost' who dogged his every step, shared his every thought and feel his every pain. I love him to the point of madness. I especially respect the way Misty managed to convey his confusion over his feelings towards Shavri and 'Lendel.And I especially love his banters with Yfandes, whom to me is the rock which helped keep his feet on the ground and restrain him from going bonkers. I can imagine how lonely his life is when people's perception of him are coloured by his heroics and how his legend preceeded him. This can be seen by how Herald Sofya (?) treated him. For me this is the best book of the trilogy since this time 'round he's already matured (unlike the time in Magic's Pawn) and not too obsessed (as in his revenge-mad mode in Magic's Price). Okay, for you sceptics out there I can just say one thing: I wish he was straight and alive. I loved him when I was 13 and I still love him now that I'm 18. Miss this book at your own risk.

Magic's Promise is in many ways my favorite book of the trilogy, although I see-saw between them depending on my mood. This book adds more to the trilogy than it would seem from a quick glance over the plot. I find Van's confusions over his reactions to the other characters, espcially over Shavri, to ring very true. I am glad that Mercedes Lackey chose to include a book like this in the series. Although on the surface, it is just a murder mystery type plot with magic and featuring a character who we already know, on another level it brings up very important things in Vanyel's life. By showing him in a book where he is not in love, it allows the reader to watch him come to terms with difficult issues that could not be raised as effectivly in one of the other books in the series. I find that this book is definitly worth reading more than once.