Rating: 
Summary: By the Sword
Review: This is one of the best books I've ever read although Kerowyn does make stupid coices she tends to be brave and smart I definetly recomend this book to other people!
Rating:
Summary: Great Novel!
Review: This is the story of Kerowyn, a nobleman's daughter. Kero must choose between a dismal and structured life of a proper 'nobleman's wife' and the life of a mercenary soldier. Kero chooses to become a warrior. Alienated from her family, and friends, Kero battles evil with the help of her mystical sword Need. I liked this book because Kero is believable and likeable. She is not entirely selfless (She is a mercenary after all) and does not seek to 'change the world,' instead; this is the adventure of a likeable woman in an extraordinary fantasy setting. One of Lackey's best books!
Rating: 
Summary: A good Valdemar novel
Review: Fans of Tarma and Kethry will enjoy this. (I have not been able to 'get into' their stories.) It is an enjoyable read. I was engrossed in it, but at the same time, I didn't like it as much as the Herald-Mage trilogy.
It is definitely worth reading for any Misty fan.
Rating:
Summary: Great work
Review: This was one of my favorites of the Valdemar series. It offers readers a nice break from the traditional plot of her books--following a Herald through training etc. I'm not saying those weren't good books, they were! But this offered a refreshing diffrent perspective. Kero was a wonderful character to follow, and when I finished I found myself wishing she had more books. There were a few spots in the middle that were a touch slow, but in all it was great. I advise any fans to go and read it, some might like it less than others, but it's still worth the read. And if you've read it, and liked it, go and get the Oathbreakers series (based on Tarma and Kethry) It's just as good.
Rating:
Summary: Mixed Feelings
Review: I've only recently started to read Mercedes Lackey books, and I'm still rather confused about whether to like them or not, due to several annoying quirks that constantly show up. 'By the Sword' follows Kero, a strong-willed fighter, throughout her life from "lady of the house" to an intelligent and skilled mercenary. The characters are fairly well developed. Kero is an exceptionally strong female, and all of the supporting characters have a point and a purpose. (Although they are *all* a tad annoying after awhile). The plot is fairly well strung as well. The military work done in the book, while basic, was very interesting to read. Also, unlike the other Lackey books that I've read, the pace of the book remained constant. My biggest problem with 'By the Sword' was, however, the occasionally annoying plot twists. I found Darren's "newfound" magic power at the end to be a bit irritating, and what irritated me the most was when Kero and Darren acquired Companions at the end. *Why* exactly? To tie the end of the book together in a sudden and pointless plot point? Nonetheless, this was a good read. I don't reccommend it if your looking for something terribly intriguing though.
Rating:
Summary: A classic of its genre.
Review: This was the book that started it all for me. This wonderful, mezmerizing tale pulled me into the world of Valdemar and its surrounding countries and I haven't left since. If you, as a Lackey fan, have not read this book I implore you to do so. Kerowyn's tale is not only a great book in itself, but it also plays a key role in the events that unfold in series to come. Enjoy! You wont regret it! Zhai'helleva!
Rating:
Summary: DA BEST
Review: yeap... its like the best book ive read from mercedes lackey besides the black swan... (dont u love her cover of the books)??
newez, this is a great book about this really great character kerowyn, u have to read this, i totally admit that at first, its sortta strange but then it s like bamm wow....
go for it
Rating:
Summary: Her best so far.
Review: This book is one of my favorites of all time. After I read the arrows series by Mercedes Lackey I was hooked. This is her best book so far. It starts before Talia's story in Arrows of the queen and ends after. It is also linked to the vows and honor trilogy since Kero is Kethry's grandaughter. Kerowyn herself is a strong stubborn and incredible character. She is a misfit in her family and so she leaves. Even if this book is four hundred and ninty two pages long it seems to go by too fast, and when you reach the end you want more. I hope Mrs Lackey does not stop writing about Valdemar.
Rating:
Summary: Maybe 5 stars for a Lackey book, but not compared to others.
Review: After reading all the rave reviews about this book on this site, I was expecting an intense, compelling book that I would be unable to put down. What I got was a well crafted, enjoyable story with vivid characters. I just couldn't give it 5 stars because, IMHO, it just isn't up there with books from Martin, Goodkind, Jordan, or Rawn. It was slow in parts, took a little too much suspension of disbelief in others, and didn't focus enough on some of the more interesting elements, such as Kero's interaction with the sword and her reluctance to use her Mindspeaking abilities. Not that I didn't enjoy the book. I enjoyed it very much. Lackey's characters are always engaging, even if they are painted in either black or white a lot of the time. Very rarely does she use any grays in her characterization. Still, she is a master of character interaction. That is probably the most enjoyable part of her writing and she doesn't let the reader down in this book. The story Lackey weaves is an enjoyable romp, but I was expecting it to have a little grittier of an edge to it. I mean, she's a mercenary, but we never see the hard edge that these people carry. Guess I'm just spoiled from having read Elizabeth Moon's DEED OF PAKSENARRION trilogy, which was a hard core mercenary book. I know Lackey writes for younger readers, but it would have added a touch of realism and tension to the book to have the danger of being a mercenary a little more real. All in all, though, I enjoyed reading the book. It was a fun romp through the world of Valdemar, while not actually taking place in Valdemar. Fans of Lackey's work will enjoy this book, but don't go in expecting anything other than her usual fare...
Rating: 
Summary: I guess I'm alone in thinking this is not her best work....
Review: I absolutely loved the first two books in this cycle, "Oathbound" and "Oathbreakers," but I thought this one fell far short of the mark. Endlessly repetitious and filled with obvious observations, I found myself impatiently skimming through just to get to the end to discover how it all turns out, without getting bogged down in repetitive detail. I never really bought the central love story and the opportunities to deal with Kero's hesitancy about her magic were not explored nearly as much as they could have been. I see from the other reviews that I am obviously in the minority here, so take my review with a grain of salt. I just wanted someone to put out a warning that this may not be up to the Lackey standards you expect. My advice is to go back and read the first two books instead.
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