Rating: 
Summary: Disappointing
Review: The plot of Brightly Burning is basic: gifted but misunderstood child leaves home, joins the Heralds and saves the country, more or less in that order. It isn't a bad storyline, the same that made the Vanyel and Talia books so successful. In this case it's about Lavan Firestorm, the most Gifted herald in Valdemar history.Brightly Burning begins with Lavan's incompatibility with his merchant family, and the bullying he faces when he is sent to the city school. (Sound familiar already?). After being pushed to the limits by his tormentors, his firestarting abilities come to the fore. The story from that point on is one smooth ride to war and eternal glory, albeit with some bumps. Lackey has never exactly been lauded with critical acclaim, but she's reached the point where the word Valdemar can and does sell novels. Her strongest point has always been with her characters--real, likeable characters that breathe life and verve into cliched plots and an otherwise standard fantasy world. In this respect, Brightly Burning falls flat. Lavan fails to catch the reader's sympathy. Instead of being angst-ridden and tormented by his problems and abilities, he comes across as shallow and self-centered. Lavan wants to be Vanyel. He wants to be tormented and compassionate and sympathetic, but he just comes off flat and unrealistic. He appears no have no reason for existing outside of being in this book--which he doesn't. The only reason for his existence is his being the main character of the book. I saw no reason for this book to be written other than financial demand. Misty has nothing new to say about Valdemar in this book, or even about life in general; the same old themes are reiterated again. We don't even learn anything new about the Heralds; everything said has been said before. (the lifebond between Lavan and his Companion was pointless; while I could appreciate the principle of it, it did offend my sensibilities, and even more annoying, the only purpose of its existence appeared to be to keep Lavan from forming a relationship with anyone else. Nothing came of it.) But Valdemar has built up a large following over the years, one that persistently demands additions to their favorite series. There's a growing consensus that the books have been deteriorating of late; is that because Misty is tired of the same old and wishes to move on? The plot of Burning is closer to her old books than anything we've seen lately, but it appears to lack the passion that fueled those ones. There are twenty books in the series already; isn't that enough to make any story complete?
Rating: 
Summary: Good read, but not as inspired as her earlier works
Review: Let me start by saying I'm a huge Mercedes Lackey fan, and own/have read just about every book she's written. Like other recent Valdemar books, this one is a little on the "soft" side, lacking the gritty edge and captivating suspense of the "Arrows" or "Magic" trilogies. Although the ending of "Brightly Burning" does harken back to the earlier Valdemar books. However, this definitely suffers less from that softness than the last two volumes of the "Owl" series. If you're a casual SF/Fantasy fan, "Brightly Burning" works fine as a stand-alone volume, although some of the references will seem obscure. It's not a bad place to start, but I would strongly suggest starting your exploration of the world of Mercedes Lackey with "Arrows of the Queen", "Magic's Pawn", or "Winds of Change". Two suggestions to the author: Try to decrease the "perfect justice", the good guys being close to flawless, etc. The other is to tighten up the cover art. The companions look like a teenage girl's fantasy of a unicorn, not anything matching the descriptions in the prose. All that being said and done, this is a good book and well worth buying.
Rating: 
Summary: Very Sad
Review: I found this book to be a very emotional book. At the end for about that last 45 pages or so, I couldn't stop sobbing. It was so good. You will continue to hear mentionings og the legendary Laven Firestorm for MANY books to come. If you like Lackey then read McCafferey. They are my 2 favorites. Also try Kate Forsyth. Her books will take you on an amazing adventure through a witch hating world. The author has only written that series of about 6 (I think)so far. I can hardly wait for more.
Rating:
Summary: A standout in the Valdemar series
Review: I'm not one of those readers who thought "Owlflight" and its sequels were boring. I thoroughly enjoyed them, and the whole Valdemar series for that matter. "Brightly Burning," however, is quite amazing, a real standout on the level of the Last Herald Mage and Queen's Own trilogies. Mercedes Lackey is at her storytelling best here. And her talent for creating memorable characters we care about is as good as ever. This tale centers around Lavan, the 16-year-old son of a cloth merchant and a needleworker, who is sent by his parents to what proves to be the school-from-hell. It's dominated by a gang of vicious, sadistic bullies, and it's where Lavan's rare and dangerous Gift manifests itself. We meet many well-portrayed, likable characters: young Owyn, Lavan's ally against the school thugs; Herald Pol, Lavan's mentor; Herald Trainee Tuck and his delightful family; King Theran; the Companion Kalira. If you enjoyed the stories of Vanyel and Talia, you'll probably like the story of Lavan Firestorm too.
Rating:
Summary: Uneven, but worth reading if you're a Lackey fan
Review: Like the Vanyel trilogy, Brightly Burning is an emotionally-driven tale. Where Vanyel had depression and loneliness, Lavan has fear and anger. Lackey depicts these emotions SO powerfully at times that, as someone prone to empathy, I was drawn in completely and found it hard to keep a grip on my own emotions while reading it. But the plot is a little uneven; like other reviewers, I feel that some things should have been resolved, a few things seemed inconsistent with previous descriptions of Valdemar and Heralds, and it did seem a bit rushed at the end. But I do NOT think the ending was a copout -- if you've read the other Valdemar books that mention Lavan, you'll see that this book stays true to the history. Overall, though, the story is good, and if you love Lackey's books (as I do), this is worth reading.
Rating:
Summary: Very touching book
Review: This book is very good. It is the first book by Mercedes Lackey I have read. I got through it over a weekend and I kept wishing it would never end.
The story touched me deeply. I came to care for many of the characters.
The ending saddened me quite a bit even though I also had a feeling what was coming for the last 100 pages or so.
Now I think it is time to start reading more of Mercedes Lackey's books. If they are half as good as this they will be worth taking the time to read.
Rating:
Summary: A standout in the Valdemar series
Review: I'm not one of those readers who thought "Owlflight" and its sequels were boring. I thoroughly enjoyed them, and the whole Valdemar series for that matter. "Brightly Burning," however, is quite amazing, a real standout on the level of the Last Herald Mage and Queen's Own trilogies. Mercedes Lackey is at her storytelling best here. And her talent for creating memorable characters we care about is as good as ever. This tale centers around Lavan, the 16-year-old son of a cloth merchant and a needleworker, who is sent by his parents to what proves to be the school-from-hell. It's dominated by a gang of vicious, sadistic bullies, and it's where Lavan's rare and dangerous Gift manifests itself. We meet many well-portrayed, likable characters: young Owyn, Lavan's ally against the school thugs; Herald Pol, Lavan's mentor; Herald Trainee Tuck and his delightful family; King Theran; the Companion Kalira. If you enjoyed the stories of Vanyel and Talia, you'll probably like the story of Lavan Firestorm too.
Rating:
Summary: Very good, but with a few inconsistancies
Review: "Brightly Burning" is a one of the best Valdemar books yet. Lackey lets you get swept away in the plot with very good writting.
Lavan is unhappy about moving to Haven. To prevent his mopping around the house all day, his parents enroll him in school, thinking that it will help him. But at the school, Lavan is bullied by older children who force the others to steal and do other embarrassing things. Lavan is about to be flogged when his Gift breaks lose. He is Choosen and becomes a Herald. He gets trainging for his unpredictable Gift that flares up when he is either angry or scared and becomes a valued Herald.
As he is in his training, Karse decides that they want a war with Valdemar. Lavan's training is sped up so he can use his Gift on the front lines. While he is holding a pass, his Companion is killed and he goes insane with rage, calling down a Firestorm on himself.
The book had one glaring inconsistancy: In the Herald Mage books, the Monarch's Own Companion is Taver, who then shows up in the Herald's Honor and Valor books, but in this one the Companion is Rolan, who isn't supposed to show up untill Taver is killed. Besides this, the book is very well written and is a must read for Mercedes Lackey fans.
Rating:
Summary: Did Anyone See This!
Review: I loved this book along with all the others, but I noticed that there is one thing wrong following the chronological order of the books. It's the King's Own Compaion (Rolan) shouldn't it be the other one Taver (I think). Not that it's a problem I just thought it's kinda funny.
Rating:
Summary: Overall, a great addition to the Valdemar series
Review: This book has a severly simple storyline, but i was quite taken to find out its ending. Near the end, Lavan is a truly amazing and powerful character, though i must agree that i am disappointed in the fact that Lavan hardly faced any of his own problems... But really, i do recommend this book and i feel that you should have no regrets after finishing it. After looking at other people's reviews I've analyzed that the older readers probably thought that reading about a "struggling teenager" is a pathetic waste of time, which is understandable, but the younger readers, such as myself, would find this an entertaining read so that could be a good thing to keep in mind.
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