Rating: 
Summary: Absolutely wonderful
Review: Has anyone ever noticed that in the trilogies that Mercedes Lackey writes, the third book is usually the best? That's how it seems with me: I found "Arrow's Fall" and "Winds of Fury" to be the best of her books.And now this! Wow. For all of you out there who are complete saps, beware of the ending. I cried and cried. It was a great book, with a great ending, and I feel that it completely shadows the other two books in the trilogy ("Magic's Pawn" and "Magic's Promise"). Well worth the read, although it's probably a good idea to read the first two books first, to set the scene. Much suggested if you're a Valdemar fan. This is one of Mercedes Lackey's best!
Rating: 
Summary: A bit disappointed
Review: I was a bit disappointed by this book, it seemed to go way too far into the future. I believe the book picks up somewhere near 10 years AFTER Tylendel's death in the first book. When I began reading I was completely confused and dismayed at the direction that the author took with Vanyel. There are things I wanted to know about more in detail -- like Donni and Mardi's (Least I think that's their name! Hehe) death and to pick up more on the battles that Vanyel face to make the author classify him as 'battle hardened'. In essence, I expected the brilliance of Magic's Pawn to be woven into Magic's Promise. Unfortunately, I didn't get what I was seeking for. Instead, the book was more akin to "Murder she Wrote" or playing a whimsical game of "Clue". Admittedly, I found the book more of the mystery genre than of the fantasy.
Rating:
Summary: Amazingly written
Review: This was a great ending to her gripping trilogy. You have to read them in order! If you don't, you'll know the awesome ending before you learn about Vaynel's past, which you NEED to know about. I've read a total of 17 Mercedes Lackey books, and this trilogy was my absolute favorite. I totally reccomend all her books to anyone who wants to get away from reality for a while.
Rating: 
Summary: Character saves the day
Review: The strength of Magic's Price (the whole trilogy, in fact) can be summed up simply: character. Vanyel raises this trilogy above the level usually achieved by Mercedes Lackey in the rest of her Valdemar novels, which are mediocre and predictable. In Magic's Price, Vanyel remains compelling, and his development drives the novel. He is joined by Stefen, not quite as complex but more accessible. The book could use some tighter editing -- Jisa's age doesn't add up from Magic's Promise, and Lackey seems unsure whether it's Stefen or Stefan. Still,the glimpses of Vanyel happy and secure will please readers who fell in love with him as a suffering adolescent in Magic's Pawn, and sympathized with his grief and confusion in Magic's Promise. There's a good reason I haven't mentioned plot yet -- outside of the charming romance, once Stefen reels in Vanyel the plot has all the thrill of cardboard. Once again, Vanyel must risk his life to defeat an evil mage, a paper-doll baddie drawn with the subtlety of a black crayon. It feels as though Lackey shoehorned the ending to match with her ongoing trilogies, beginning with the Arrows of the Queen series and continuing indefinitely.
Rating:
Summary: Fantasy books and real people do mix!
Review: This book is so sad. Be prepared to be staying awake thinking about it, and thinking about the people you've lost over the years and the people you're lucky enough to still have. Nearly everyone can relate to Vanyel. He isn't perfect (though he may seem so), unlike many of the other characters in books. He's just human, and like every other human, he has his faults. This book is good for those who want to think. Not for those who just want to escape their problems, because although this will get you away from your problems, you'll be put right into the middle of Herald Vanyel's unique set of difficulties.
Rating:
Summary: A disappointment after the first two.
Review: This is the third book in THE LAST HERALD MAGE trilogy (following MAGIC'S PAWN and MAGIC'S PROMISE). After the first two, I was pretty disappointed. There is none of the tension of the first book or suspense of the second book. Everything just seems to happen and then he's going after this antagonist that is even more poorly established than Lackey's usual. Unlike the previous two books, I felt nothing for the characters in this book. The story was interesting, but it needed the antagonist to be more firmly fleshed out and the characters to give us something more to connect with. This book was definitely a let down after the first two books, but it was a somewhat satisfying conclusion to the series.
Rating:
Summary: Buy and read this!
Review: I am not a fan of Lackey at all. I have rarely enjoyed her books, and am not particularly intrigued by the world of Valdemar. However, this is a phenomenal trilogy! It was impossible for me to put any of the three down until they were completely, fully and totally consumed. I bought this trilogy back in 1991, and have re-read it every year or so since. It's a profound love story, full of characters you can almost touch and feel, and definitely sympathise and relate to. Vanyel is a young boy with no latent magical abilities whatsoever, until a niaive sacrifice for his "soul-mate" results in a backwash making him one of the world's most powerful mages, but at a devastating price (and we're not talking just the death of his lover here, folks!). For those who think this is a gay love story, you cannot be more wrong. Vanyel is an unlikely hero who just happens to be homosexual, and the casual way Lackey handles his sexual preference should be inspirational to anyone, straight or gay. Actually, the fact that Vanyel's homosexuality is such a very small and very private part of his life when compared to his other attributes and his duties leads me to think perhaps the gay community has more to learn from his example than any other segment. He's not out to prove anything, or to impress or shock anyone. He simply wants to be accepted, himself alone, and to be allowed to pursue happiness in his own private way. There are some inconsistencies throughout the series, but one won't notice them unless you are particularly observant and/or frequently re-read the trilogy (which you probably will). All in all, very high in my list of fantasy favorites.
Rating:
Summary: Don't miss this series!
Review: Since I first read The Last Herald Mage series, this and "Magic's Promise" have been among my five favorite books of all time. I read these books at least 2 or 3 times every year. It is like going home again every time. Each time I cry and laugh, and each time I wish the story went on. The Heralds of Valdemar books have all been pretty good. Some haven't been the greatest and others have been spectacular, but this series is the best by far. The three books in this series also deal with some difficult issues. They are dealt with in an extremely compassionate manner that is comfortable for most any age reader. I first found these books when I was 13 and am now 25. I count these books as part of the reading of my young adulthood which helped shaped who I am. Many clasify these books as young adult fiction. That is most likely because they are suitable for that age group, but they are certainly complex and plain WONDERFUL enough to captivate any reader. (Final Note: I have three copies of each book of this series, and all of them I have read to tatters, but can't bring myself to get rid of them!)
Rating:
Summary: Moving
Review: Magic's Price is a spectacular end to a wonderful series. Every book in the Last Herald-Mage Trilogy has brought me to tears at one point or another. However, this one struck me as the best. Everyone I know who's read these books has loved them. Mercedes Lackey has created a masterpiece, in my opinion. Vanyel's story was my introduction to the world of Valdemar, and he's probably half the reason I keep coming back to it like I do. One of the greatest challenges of an author is to create characters that the readers feel passionately about and Mercedes Lackey more than succeeds in that aspect in Magic's Price. May she continue to do so in all her future books!!
Rating:
Summary: Absolutely Fantastic- 5 stars!
Review: When one of my friends handed me the trilogy, I was a bit skeptical. I stay away from fantasy books. I lean torwards horror mostly, but I figured I would just try it. Well, I can trufully say that these are the best books I have EVER read in my life. The way Mercades showed Vanyel's life was amazing. I cried (of course) when 'Lendel died, and then again when Vanyel himself died. The books' plots were wonderful, and completely surprising. My favorite book out of the three was probably the Second Book, "Magic's Promise". This is a great book. If you read it you will not be sorry.
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