Rating: 
Summary: bookworm
Review: I think that this book was pretty good. Not quite up to the usual Lackey books, but it will do. The Lifebond was new and pretty ingeneous thing to come up with. But I agree with some of the others that the other characters were kinda bland. Also the book didn't really match up with what the other books said about Lavan Firestorm.
Rating: 
Summary: I hope all her books aren't this bad
Review: The book is boring, the writing style in un-engaging, and the world she weaves is too simple to catch my interest. The story itself has been used a million times, but unlike the good incarnations of this story, this one doesn't add anything worth adding. The world Mercedes Lackey creates for the reader is bland and unoriginal. The Kingdom of Valdemar is is the most idealized, perfectly running, Kingdom I've ever read about, and while that inherently bad in a book, it is in this one. The story telling puts everything in black and white, there are no questions about whether an action is right or wrong, a character is good or bad.Basically this book is a boring story written in a boring way.
Rating: 
Summary: Not bad but....
Review: Parts of this seemed like a story I've already heard from Misty Lackey (*coughVanyelcough*) but I still enjoyed it. It was a fast, fun read, nonetheless. But very light, no real substance. None of the overpowering emotion of the Vanyel triology, or the bright adventure of the Arrows set. Nothing to make it stand out from Mercedes Lackey's other Valdemar fare. Don't get me wrong, I love the universe of these books, but, well... we need something new here.
Rating: 
Summary: A recycled tale...
Review: I love Valdemar books. I really enjoyed Arrows and The Last Herald-Mage, and still consider those series some of my favorite books. However, the recent Valdemar novels are boring and lacking any kind of new, interesting idea. A lifebond between a Herald and a Companion? That was simply ridiculous. Everything seemed to happen so fast in the book and it had a sense of being very rushed. I didn't even really care what happened to the characters at the end. The book merits two stars rather than one only because it's by Misty, but I'm really hoping that any other Valdemar stuff she puts out is much better.
Rating:
Summary: VERY DISAPPOINTING
Review: Don't get me wrong--I'm a huge Misty fan. I have done at least my fair share of swooning over Vanyel. But her latest books (i.e. the Owlsight trilogy) have been huge disappointments. I came to Brightly Burning, not necessarily expecting an Arrows of the Queen or a Magic's Pawn, but hoping for at least a Winds of Change. I didn't get it. I agree with several other reviewers on this page--there was nothing new here. The lifebond between Lavan and Kalira was stupid. The good-natured but essentially superfluous best friend, the gruff but loving mentor and the fiesty but lovestruck young trainee/healer/bard/peasant girl appear in every Valdemar book that I can think of, and Misty has done nothing to make Tuck, Pol or Elenor individuals. The trait that annoys me the most in her latest books are the "coincidences:" Look, it's Vanyel's distant relative! Ha ha ha, now the readers in the know will secretly laugh with delight. The sad thing is that none of this would bother me nearly as much as it does if I hadn't read Misty at her height. As much as I hate to say it, maybe she should put aside her pen for a while until she gets some new ideas. Recycling the same old stuff over and over again doesn't just disappoint readers, it takes away from the dignity of the original (great) Valdemar novels.
Rating:
Summary: An engaging world
Review: Mercedes Lackey's newest papeback, "Brightly Burning", is an engaging but formulaic addition to her fantasy world. The world that she has created is just so engaging and fun that as long as the quality of the writing keeps up to par and her storylines to run out, I'll continue to read ablout Vladamer.
Rating: 
Summary: I should stop being amazed at how great her books are...
Review: but it's tough to predict how much you'll love a Mercedes Lackey story. It's either one you love or one you go beyond obsession with. One of my best friends and I have spent hours, literally, discussing how much we love her books, and Brightly Burning is no exception.
Rating:
Summary: good
Review: This was my first Lackey book -- the reason I started reading all her other books. I loved it -- made me cry... and I really empathised with Lavan. I would not start with this book though -- now I realize there was much I did not really get with my first reading. I think this is one of my favorites though.
Rating:
Summary: More of a 'downer' than usual?
Review: I should start by saying that I love all the Valdemar books and was very happy to see a new one - so why was I left slightly dissatisfied with this one? I suppose that it may have been because I don't think that Lavan was as well drawn a character as some others. Maybe it needs a trilogy? One of the things I particularly like about Mercedes Lackey's heroes is that, while they may be buffeted by fate and be sorry for themselves, they always get up, dust themselves off and get on with life. Most of them fight against fate and, possibly, change it. Lavan did act heroically but the sense I get was that he was a pawn throughout; that he, more than Vanyel, 'went with the flow'. Even though the fate of each was part of 'a grand plan', Vanyel clearly accomplished much more than poor Lavan, and much more than his final act of self sacrifice. Lavan was more like an aimed arrow with only one purpose and one achievement. So, the book was more of a 'downer' than I am used to from this author. Having said that, a 'downer ' from this author is still worth ten of most others so do get it. . .perhaps just not in hardback!
Rating:
Summary: Why so Harsh?
Review: I have read every single Valdemar book, save Oathblood, that was written and when I read the reviews for this one, I was actually shocked and offended. So many people say, "Oh, it was fine, but..." Frankly, this one is my favorite. Of course, I delight in tragedy, which this manifestly is one. The Saga of a boy, surounded by nasty tormenters, finding a Gift he would never have chosen, and finding the courage to face down an army alone. One reviewer said that Firestorm's tormenters were Two Dimentional... I don't know, I allow my imagination to fill in the blanks in any story. I do know, however, that that school situation is very realistic. For proof, read Surprised by Joy, and the school situation with the autobiographer experieced. Bunny Trail... sorry. Really, I cried over, felt very close to this hero and if I were a Bard, I would write a ballad about it. Frankly, as good as Vanyel's series was, I feel closer to this Herald, simply because he was young, frightened and never had a chance, like Vanyel did, to grow into his strengths. All in all, I loved it and I highly recommend it.
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