Rating: 
Summary: My all-time favorite book!
Review: Which woman can't relate to an adolescent who is not understood by her family because she wants something different for herself than they have planned? What woman doesn't feel at some point in her life that she has to contribute to her world by doing something only she can do (in some cases, we call that motherhood, as well as rocket science and brain surgery)? Although some of the writing is a bit awkward, especially in the first few pages, it is a wonderful story of how a girl goes from being the black sheep of the family to being the nation's heroine.As for Valdemar being perfect, I tend to think not. Why would you need Heralds if the place were perfect? No one would be greedy, lie, cheat, murder, plot, or swindle. The imperfections in the nation are evident in books 2 and 3. Just give yourself a chance to get there. A devoted reader.
Rating: 
Summary: I don't know why so many people like this book!
Review: I read these books a few years ago when I was about twelve or thirteen. I really enjoy books by Tamora Pierce and Robin Mckinley and this book looked like the same kind of books as the authors that I mentioned write. How wrong I was, the writing style was horrible! I recognized the horrible writing as a twelve year old, that's kind of sad isn't it? As an aspiring writer am I appalled that this even got published. Ms. Lackey used exclamation points at the end of virtually every sentence, she called so many people pet names that you couldn't keep them straight, and the plot was completely predictable. As a twelve year old Christian girl I was really shocked at what was in this supposedly YA novel. I had been reading young adult fiction for a while by then, I've always been a voracious reader so I knew that I could handle most things in YA fiction. There was so much sex in this book! Not that it went into detail or anything but a lot more detail than Tamora Pierce. The main character hears her horse having sex with another horse, there is a homosexual character, a girl gets raped, has an abortion, the main character gets captured, the jailers almost rape her but instead with her mind she tortures them and rapes them with her mind (I don't really know how that would work, how can you rape someone with your mind?) If she doesn't want to be raped she shouldn't torture them like that either. Really what is this book teaching us? That it's okay to torture someone as long as they tried to first? Really, I can't believe I read this trash! And I can't believe all the glowing reviews that it's getting. Have these people never read good books? Anyway, I advice anyone who is thinking about buying this, do not waste your money. Try Tamora Pierce, Sherwood Smith, Garth Nix, or Robin McKinley, (if you're younger than 15 or 16 don't read Deerskin by Robin Mckinley) They are much better writers with original plots and characters. Don't fall for this cliche of a book.
Rating: 
Summary: Arrows of the Queen
Review: The young misfit Talia finds a home, a milk-white steed, and magical powers. This is uninspired YA fare, wish fulfillment at its lamest. Magical blue-eyed white horses; endless blather about self-esteem and "caring"; a dull plot with massive holes (why can't a Queen fire her own daughter's dry-nurse?). The only hint of something better comes in the stories the kids learning to be Heralds tell about the dark fates of their elders, but that's not enough to carry the book. It's sentimental tripe. The idea of the Heralds is cool, except that we never see them do any Heralding in this book, and the Herald name is misleading because they don't do, well, heraldry, but it's an interesting concept that perhaps the author developed better in another text. Anne McCaffrey's Dragonsong trilogy is a far better written coming of age fantasy.
Rating: 
Summary: This is an EXCELLENT BOOK!!!
Review: When I was in high school I read this book and ever sence fell in love wit it I was so happy to see it out in print again at my local book store and of course I had to buy the whole series. If you like fantasy then this is a book to let yourself fall into.
Rating:
Summary: A book to relate to
Review: Sometimes a book can't get more personal, or more touching, than this book, and every book in the Arrows trilogy.
Young Talia, scorned by the majority of her family, and forced to live a life she despises and dreads, dreams and reads about the famed Heralds and their mystical Companions.
One day, a lone Companion appears and Talia feels that she must return him to his home. Little does she know, however, that she has just been Searched by a Grove Born Companion: one of whom only Chooses Heralds who are bound to serve the Queen, and be her right hand person.
Her struggle through the entire book is one to take to heart, and certainly one to relate to.
Rating:
Summary: Good World, Bad Writing.
Review: When I first read this several years ago, I was fourteen, and enjoyed this book immensely. I greatly enjoyed the world and
the magic, and the stories sparked my imagination. Recently I decided to re-read Arrows of the
Queen, and to see if it was really as good as I remembered. I was sorely disappointed.
Talia, the main hero, is a poor girl who is outcast from her family for wanting to read, and do
things other than her womanly chores. From here she is rescued by a white horse, really a
Magical being called a companion, and is taken back to the Collegium. At the Collegium, she is
trained to be a Herald, and one of the most important heralds.
Through out this story, a majority of the characters are flat, two-dimensional cut-outs, that are
endlessly patient, wise, and caring, if they classify as "good." If they are bad, they are just as
flat, and are selfish, unintelligent, and cruel, IF they even really show up beyond a brief mention.
Talia is magically good at just about anything she sets her sights on doing. What little depth of
character and tension there is in Talia is easily overcome with the help of her companion.
Lackey seems unable to hold any suspense, and the plot, what there is of one, is predictable.
She was obviously "in love" with the character at the time of writing, and this desire to see her
character succeed is made clear through the book, and early on one has the feeling that Talia
could not fail.
However, with all this said, there is some hints of quality in the book. The character of Jadus,
while short-lived within the book lept off the pages and came across as a clear character, even if
a bit on the perfect side (as all her characters in this book are). Skiff, while only playing the role
of the prankster, has hints of a more interesting past than the simple face he shows now. The
ride to the Collegium hints at a larger world that teases the imagination. However, one gets a
much better look at this world through her other writings.
In a sentence: If you want anything other than an imaginative distraction, this isn't the book to
read, and even then read the Mage Winds series (also by Mercedes Lackey) instead.
Rating:
Summary: Really nice book to read.
Review: This is the first book i have read of Lackey, and i really liked it. the story is about a girl who is an outsider in her community, she becomes "chosen" and that is when her world starts to change. She has a realy problem trusting other people, because of her past, but she overcomes this with the help of her Companion Rolan and her new found friends. She has all the makings of becoming an important firgure in the kingdown as one of the Queens'Own. This books is a joy for anyone who has an interest in fiction, paranormal abilities and horses! I cannot wait until i get part 2 in my hands!
Rating:
Summary: A Great Book
Review: This is not the first Lackey book I've read, nor is it the first book of the fantasy genre I have read. I first picked up this book after feeling mentally exhausted from reading the first 6 books of The Wheel of Time. Feeling not up to the task of digesting the bulky complexity of the 7th Wheel of Time book, I searched for some lighter fantasy tales in the library. And guessed what I found? The PERFECT fantasy to occupy my time! Although I agree that this 1 book alone does not have much of a plot, it makes for an excellent introduction to the series, and creates the atmosphere and setting for future books well. The Collegium (school of the "Magical" people) makes for a firm base for all of the character's activities; almost all of the story takes place in the collegium. The characterization is simply marvellous. Main character Talia, is a sweet-natured girl, with an abused childhood, which results in her reticence and lack of trust in people, especially men (who she sees as evil people). It cannot be said that Talia's character stays stagnant throughout the book as she does throws off most of her shyness after the failed attempt on her life near the middle of the book. Other characters, especially Tali's friends are also well-developed for a relatively short book as this. Another thing to be said about the book is that Lackey is not afraid to make her characters die. Such deaths are really sad, and the thoughts of grief on the part of the characters is believable and done so well that you can't help but shed a tear with them. I did, though I am a guy. It is a great book. Go read it, you can really sympathise with Talia.
Rating:
Summary: Complete Fluff, But Fun Fluff!
Review: I've read several Lackey books and all of them are complete fluff, but they're fun fluff. If you pick these (or any Lackey books, IMO) up expecting a complex romp through an original setting you're going to be disappointed. Lackey's books are NOT complex in the least, but they are absolutely FUN! If you like fantasy and historic romance (i.e. bodice rippers) then these are your books! They're great, seriously. I adore them when I want to have a good time and not be so serious. I highly recommend them to anyone.
Rating: 
Summary: NOT BAD. FUN BUT AVERAGE
Review: ARROWS OF THE QUEEN continues the sage of the Heralds of Valdemar. The story may be a little overdone by now but ARROWS does an acceptable job of keeping it fresh and interesting. The characters are a little weak and there really isn't much plot but still it isn't bad for an afternoon read in the sun by the pool. It's difficult to guess where the next two in the series will take you since there is very little foreshadowing and, again, the plot is fairly weak. Will it get better? Who knows, I'll probably try the next one at least, just to see where it goes if for no other reason. Recommended? Yeah but don't expect too much.
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