Arrow's Fall (The Heralds of Valdemar, Book 3)

Rating:
Summary: GREAT!
Review: Anyone who thinks these books are too graphic should read up on what they did to people being tortured in the Middle Ages. The people getting tortured then would consider themselves very lucky to get away with only crushed feet and rape. I loved this series, in case you don't get it, Talia was in the wrong sometimes, like with her Gift. (She thought she was manipulating others, etc.) If you don't get what I mean, reread the books. I cried when Kris died, and I felt absolutely bad when Dirk thought Talia was in love with Kris. Poor Dirk! :) Read these books!

Rating:
Summary: A story of courage and love despite horrible odds...
Review: Arrow's Fall was the first book I had ever read by Mercedes Lackey and it will most likely always be my favorite. In this stunning completion of her 'Heralds of Valdemar' trilogy she manages to put the final polish on a charater that you can't help but love and admire for her unending kindness and her ability to survive. Through a wonderfully developed plot you find the answers to many of the questions that have been nagging in the back of your mind since you read 'Arrows of the Queen'. I have no wish to give away the ending but I must say this: it leaves you feeling that justice has finally been done

Rating:
Summary: Great Ending to a Great Series
Review: As you followed Talia through the first two books in the Arrows trilogy, you saw her grow and prosper under the guidance and care of those in the Collegium.
Now, after finally completing her classes, and receiving her Whites, she is sent on a mission, with Herald Kris, to investigate a marriage proposal from Prince Ancar of Hardorn, to Elspeth, Heir to the throne of Valdemar.
Everyone has their doubts, and wants those doubts calmed and dismissed before they accept the proposal. But what Talia and Kris discover dismisses the sincerety of Prince Ancar's proposal without a second thought: Ancar, along with Hulda, a Mage who had tried to overthrow the throne of Valdemar, and undermine Elspeth (when she was young), are now trying to overthrow the throne of Hardorn. Not only do they try- they suceed.
We lose one of our favorite characters, and see two of our other favorite characters through a very happy event.
And although this book will make you yell, laugh, and cry, it is worth every second.

Rating:
Summary: Great Ending to a Great Series
Review: As you followed Talia through the first two books in the Arrows trilogy, you saw her grow and prosper under the guidance and care of those in the Collegium.
Now, after finally completing her classes, and receiving her Whites, she is sent on a mission, with Herald Kris, to investigate a marriage proposal from Prince Ancar of Hardorn, to Elspeth, Heir to the throne of Valdemar.
Everyone has their doubts, and wants those doubts calmed and dismissed before they accept the proposal. But what Talia and Kris discover dismisses the sincerety of Prince Ancar's proposal without a second thought: Ancar, along with Hulda, a Mage who had tried to overthrow the throne of Valdemar, and undermine Elspeth (when she was young), are now trying to overthrow the throne of Hardorn. Not only do they try- they suceed.
We lose one of our favorite characters, and see two of our other favorite characters through a very happy event.
And although this book will make you yell, laugh, and cry, it is worth every second.

Rating:
Summary: Training through Hardships
Review: Finally, after years of training, Talia has finally earned her whites. Now all that stands before her is a year and a half intership with Kris as her advisor. The 1 1/2 year goes by slowly. Monay things happen that try both her strength and will. Through snow and feelings of doubt, Talia finds new friends, confidence, control, and most importantly, the lessons she has learned.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent
Review: I absolutly love this series! I've re-read it to many times to count, and love it every time. I first read it when I was 12, and was a bit startled by the graphic content, but that certinly didn't stop me from reading. I think it was a necessary touch, for Mercedes Lackey to show she was willing to have bad things happen to her characters, so there would be suspense.

Rating:
Summary: Love This Book
Review: I became a fan of Mercedes Lackey during my freshman year of college, when a friend suggested I read Magic's Pawn, about six years ago. Since then I've been hooked. I read all of the Valdemar books through Owlsflight, then lost touch. I'm now re-reading all the books in the order in which they were published. Some of them I'm re-reading for the first time and it's amazing how much I've forgotten in six years. It's wonderful to be rediscovering these books. Some of those I didn't like as much before, I like a lot more now. I've changed a lot in six years and the time has given me a new perspective. I'm thirlled that I have found new things to love about these books. Arrows of the Queen is one of the books I haven't read in five years or so, and I have a new-found appreciation for it.

Rating:
Summary: Heart wrenching... bittersweet...but wonderful!
Review: I cried, like I do with a lot of her books. This one had some truly sorrowful moments, and was I so incredibly happy for her at the end, that I cried some more. I loved this book and it was an incredible finale to her very first series. Read the trilogy, or else!

Rating:
Summary: Good, but not great
Review: I enjoyed this trilogy, but the heroine irritated me at times and her suffering was a bit much for me - not because of the graphic nature so much as that I felt it was more than was necessary for the story to be complete. I was frustrated by the Kris-Dirk-Talia triangle. Although there were grains of truth in the relationships and I cared about the characters, overall I felt this series lacked the depth and insight of The Last Herald-Mage Trilogy. That said, I raced through the books and enjoyed re-reading them. A worthwhile read, but not a must-own.

Rating:
Summary: The Best Book I've ever read!
Review: I finished the book just yesterday, and since than it is all that i can think about! I have read the other 2 books, and I have found that this one is by far the best of them! Some may argue that it is too graphic, but i really don't think so. It is a book you can never put down, and it is truly a tear-jerker. I was reading this book at one point on a bus, and i had to stop reading for a few minutes, bite my lip, and try my very hardest not to cry. It was such an amazing book, and I think that i will read it many times to come. It will probably stand as the best book I've ever read for years to come!