Rating: 
Summary: A "must" for all Mercedes Lackey fans!
Review: Brightly Burning tells the legend of Herald Lavan Firestorm of the Heralds of Valdemar. The background is carefully delineated for the tragic tale of young Lavan, the epic hero of the magical kingdom of Valdemar. He begins as an unhappy boy in the Chitward family, textile merchants recently moved from countryside to urban Haven due to their profitable cloth and needlework trade. Lavan is uncomfortable with his family's expectations of him, but he is truly tormented in his new school experiences at Haven. This unleashes a lethal display of his unusual talent (fire starting) and ultimately leads to his discovery and enrollment with other young Heralds at the Collegium. Key to his survival and discovery is his being Chosen by his special protector and Companion, Kalira, the white telepathic horse/Mage who declares she loves him and will risk her life to help train him. Pol, the Collegium tutor is sympathetic to the unique needs of his terrifying protege, and he is also the Chosen of Kalira's father, Satiran, who wonders at her Choice: "Children grow up and make their own paths...It's not for us to force them out of the roads they pick, however much we might wish to. The Choice is made; now let's deal with it (p. 141)." Pol and Satiran, Kalira, Elenor (a Healer), and Tuck, Lan's trusted sturdy friend among the Heralds in training - all become the network of trust that helps anchor, train, comfort and stableize Lan. The story moves quickly but unhurriedly to its natural conclusion, a horrific mad martyr's end for Lavan and an enduring legacy of protection to Valdemar from their demonic enemies the Karsites. Many gripping moments and terrifying ordeals await Lan, but his unusual lifebond with his Chosen Kalira helps him weather many storms until the last tragic stand. Always in his mind is the dread that he is an assassin, a murderer, a deadly instrument. So long as Kalira's life is blended with his, he knows he is not alone and not condemned. Their union curiously transcends species and sexuality, an unusual occurrence even in Valdemar. When the end does come, it is clear why Lavan Firestorm is lifebonded to Kalira and how that bond supported him. Though the tone and events described are grim, cruel, and sometimes frightening, this is excellent adolescent heroic fantasy that does not flinch from the tough questions. The world of Valdemar is all too recognizable and real. Such reading blends the appeal of traumatic adolescent angst with a tempered knowledge of the grim reality behind ultimate sacrifice and bliss. This if very good myth-building, it challenges our preconceptions in all the best, growth provoking ways. In this, it is typical of Mercedes Lackey, and is as highly recommended as all her related works.Nancy Lorraine Reviewer
Rating: 
Summary: This is more like it!
Review: I was quite disappointed with the latest Herald books (The Owl Series, and the previous Elspeth-centered trilogy). They contained too many boring descriptive passages, and not enough action. Action's back in _Brightly Burning_. This is more like the _Arrows_ trilogy or _The Last Herald-Mage_; good, fun fantasy reading with interesting characters. Recommended, even if you didn't like her last few efforts.
Rating:
Summary: Finally!
Review: I, too, read the Owl series with disappointment. However, for those who have become disenchanted with Misty after her weaker recent entries on the bookshelves, don't give up hope completely! Brightly Burning is an excellent book, in the same tradition as the legendary Last-Herald Mage and Arrows of the Queen. The story is artfully done <along with gorgeous side art, I must add. Hardcover editions certainly do the artwork justice, as compared to the paperbacks>, and the characters are complex and unique - although still Misty's tradition of 'outcast' characters. After breaking into the first couple pages, the pace is steady, although slow at times. The only thing I dislike about this book is... SPOILER ALERT! SPOILER ALERT!SPOILER ALERT! SPOILER ALERT! Lan is lifebonded with his Companion, of all people! Argh!
Rating:
Summary: Lackey's Back In The Saddle!
Review: After the abyssmal boredom of Lackey's Owl series, Brightly Burning is a refreshing return to her earlier Valdemar storytelling skill. Anyone familiar with Valdemar will know how the book ends, but the journey there was worth reading. Getting to know Lavan and Pol and all the rest was like meeting old friends you didn't know you had. I'm glad I didn't let her Owl-series slump change my mind about buying her books. This was well worth buying in hardback.
Rating:
Summary: Another Lackey winner
Review: Being industrious, cloth merchant Archer Chitward and his needle-working wife Nelda move their family from the wooded village of Alderscroft to the big city of Haven. The two adults and three of their children (Sam, Macy, and Feoden) are extremely pleased with the move because their ambitions lie with the Guilds. The other child, teenage Lavan hates leaving behind his beloved woods, especially since he wants nothing to do with the family business. Lan is enrolled in the Collegia, an exclusive school where the wealthy older students bully and humiliate the newcomers. Lan detests the school and loathes the pupils, who constantly pick on him, until he explodes and causes the emission of a monster blaze. Lan, who loved pretending to be a Herald, has the potential to become the greatest of them all, but no one seems to want to train him how to control his fiery nature even with war imminent. BRIGHTLY BURNING is a wonderful addition to Mercedes Lackey's Valdermar universe. The characters, especially the angst-laden Lan and his companion Kalira are fully developed and intriguing characters who make this fantasy world seem like an actual society. The story line is exciting, but tries to showcase too much, never deciding between an out of control Carrie-like rage vs. the problems and controversy of inter-specie relationships. Still, with the talent of Ms. Lackey, fans of the series will feel that the newest book burns brightly. Harriet Klausner
Rating:
Summary: A nice change
Review: After reading the Owl books, I was disappointed. So much of the books seemed hastily written and I didn't really care what happened to the characters. This book, however is a vast improvement over those books, but I still like the Magic's Pawn more. Brightly Burning covers Laven's or Lan's story in a single volume. Because the book has much to cover in one short volume, I felt that certain parts-like those of his time at the Collegium weren't fully fleshed out. I also would have like to see more interaction between Lavan and his sister or friends. But overall, it was fun to read, especially since it isn't during Queen Selenay's reign.
Rating:
Summary: "Brightly Burning" burns very brightly indeed!
Review: In this, Mercedes Lackey's latest masterpiece, she tells the story behind the legend of Herald Lavan Firestorm. It is wonderful, horrible, fantastic and utterly heart wrenching. A must-read for all of us Misty fans, I highly recommend it and would give it ten stars if Amazon would let me!
Rating:
Summary: READ, READ, READ!
Review: I read the owlflight series first as it was something I picked up in a libary, and was drawn to others written by Lackey. Buring Brightly stole my heart and I don't thing I have ever cryed this much over a single book. You will be touched when you read it and will never want to put it down until you have turned the last page. Laven is a brillently written character. Happy Reading!
Rating:
Summary: My First Lackey Book
Review: This was the first book by Lackey that I read. It was wonderful. I was drawn into the story. I read it while driving cross country. I hated putting it down when it was my turn to drive. I tried to get my husband to read it out loud to me while I drove. He did not go for that idea. Out of the Valdemar series this is one of her best. You can read this one first without really missing much.
Rating: 
Summary: Not up to Misty's usual high standards.
Review: We have a misfit adolescent, misunderstood by his/her family and put upon by his/her peers, who finds a place where s/he is loved, understood, and appreciated for what s/he is, and where the very qualities that got him/her in trouble at home are assets, among the Heralds of Valdemar. Where have we heard this before?
Lavan is a much less interesting character than either Talia or Vanyel, and the whole book has a paint-by-numbers feel. I've read on Misty's website that she's decided to take a vacation from the Valdemar books, and this book shows ample cause.
Lets hope that after a few years she comes back refreshed, because I'm sure there are more interesting stories to be told in this world.
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