Joust

Rating:
Summary: Different from Valdemar and just as Interesting!
Review: I enjoyed this book thoroughly, although I should not be surprised because I have never been disappointed by Mercedes Lackey's books. I was very happy to find that this book had a completely different feel than the Valdemar books. I bought this book immediately after noticing that it had been published and read it in less than a day... While reading it, I did think of Jane Yolen and Anne McCaffery, but that's a good thing. I cannot wait for the next one!

Rating:
Summary: Enthralling!
Review: I finished Joust in one sitting and enjoy every moment of it. The world Lackey has created is rich and her descriptons of her dragons and their habits loving, vivid and magical. Her young protagonist, Vetch, is immensely likeable and Ari, the secondary character is just as charming. Nowadays, alot of so called epic fantasies seek for heavy plots and too many characters which I find hard to follow after a while and even frustrating at times. Joust has a simple plot but it possesses all the merits of a captivating fantasy. Joust proves that a fantasy does not need to be convoluted with myriad plots and sub-plots to keep a reader hooked. I look forward to more from Vetch, now named Kiron, Ari and their dragons. Lackey, please don't let us wait too long.

Rating:
Summary: Joust
Review: I have been an avid fan of Mercedes Lackey for years and have read each and every published work I could lay my hands on. My question is "who wrote this book???" Not Mercedes Lackiey - unless it is something from her very early writings. Her usual savvy style, humor, and rich characters are totally missing in this book. And the abundance of typographical errors indicates lack of care or a "copy and paste" of manuscript bits from several sources. Perhaps because I am such a great fan of hers, I expect more from her books. One thing I will say, the cover is absolutely gorgeous.

Rating:
Summary: Coasting by on Name Recognition
Review: I have been really disappointed in many of Ms. Lackey's more recent books. Too many of them seem contrived--just "money books" that she knows will sell on the basis of her name. This book is just more of the same. I didn't feel that it was original or fresh or even that well written. I am particularly tired of the excessive use of italics in all of her works. People rarely think or talk in italics. Some of the best books I've ever read are by this author. This just makes her later works all the more disappointing.

Rating:
Summary: Wonderful dragons
Review: I haven't read too many of Ms. Lackey's books, so cannot make comparisons to her other works, but I found this book entertaining and very enjoyable. I fell in love with the dragons and became quite fond of Vetch and Ari. I read it a second time almost immediately and will probably read it again. I recommend it highly and cannot wait for the next part of the saga.

Rating:
Summary: Fun, Fast--But Not Terribly Original
Review: I knew, going into this book, that I was probably going to find it similar to other things I've read; I'd heard a friend say of it, "Nice book, but Anne McCaffrey did it better." I decided to give it a try anyway, since I'm a fan of Lackey's and a terrible sucker for dragons.

I found that my friend had a point.

The main downside to _Joust_, in my opinion, is that it's so painfully similar to other books: first to McCaffrey's _Dragonflight_ (I found Vetch's sudden reprieve from drudgery on the land his family had previously owned, and his introduction to life in the compound, *very* reminiscent of Lessa's Search) and then in later chapters to Jane Yolen's _Dragon's Blood_. I know it's said there are no truly new stories under the sun, but this went beyond just using the same general themes--some of the scenes in _Joust_ echoed scenes in those other two books so strongly to me that I remain kind of amazed that Lackey got away with it. The near-constant sense of 'Gee, where have I seen this before?' detracted slightly from my enjoyment of the novel. It didn't help that ML recycled her own oft-used 'abused young person stumbles into a new life and discovers amazing talents that earn the respect of almost everyone' theme, either.

A secondary negative was that the editing job seemed a bit sloppy. You should never find a sentence of dialogue followed by a random '%%.' And whoever wrote the dustjacket summary ought to be smacked with a wet noodle--I kept thinking Kashet's 'growth spurt' was going to lead to some sort of plot twist involving the discovery that he was actually female, what with the jacket referring to him as 'she.'

However, these things aside, I really quite liked this book and found it difficult to set aside. The pacing let the story move along quickly. Ari may not have been fully fleshed out, but I enjoyed his scenes anyway; I'll be very disappointed if he doesn't turn up in the sequel! The dragons themselves were fun to read about, the settings were well-described, and I found the pseudo-Egyptian culture of Tia engaging. Too, I'm generally of the opinion that Mercedes Lackey is a talented author with a real flair for storytelling--and while I wouldn't say _Joust_ is as good as some of her earlier works (the Last Herald-Mage trilogy, most notably), she does show off her gifts here, and I'd recommend it to any fan of fantasy... at least in paperback. As far as new SF/fantasy series go, one could certainly do much worse.

Rating:
Summary: Disappointing...
Review: I love lackey. Her Heralds of Valdemar and Last Herald Mage books are among my all time favorites. This book, hoever, must be among the weakest of her works that I have read to date. It is set in a pseudo-Egyptian culture where Dragons exist. The main character is a young serf boy who decides to attempt to raise a dragon as his only chance at freedom. Sad to say, that brief description completely encompasses the scope of this book. There is NO character developement, no plot development, no surprises. If any of you have ever read Jane Yolan's Dragon Boy ( title may be incorrect but I think i got the author right) then you have read this story and in a much better form. This book did not even read like Lackey. I hate to say it but I can not recommend this book at all. It is easily forgotten and won't leave any impressions on your psyche

Rating:
Summary: Good, but not the best
Review: I personally like this book. The main character is well developed and the storyline doesn't split up like crazy like most of her Valdemar books. The plot seems a bit similar to the one she uses and, but I think that's the way all fantasy books go. I bought this book as soon as it came out and I am not disappointed. Go ahead and buy the book if your a fan or looking for a fantasy book that's well written and easy to understand. If this will be your first fantasy book, I would reccommend the Last Herald Mage Trilogy or By the Sword. I'm looking forward to the next installment of this book. This first book lays a foundation for more to come and more to enjoy. a Trully good work from Mrs. Lackey

Rating:
Summary: Pleased
Review: I read Joust in 2 days time. Could not put it down.
I liked the way Mercedes Lackey made Ari a person you
could like. Even thru it all he had faith in himself.
I hope she will write more in the series.
It is a good as the Dargonriders of Pern.

Rating:
Summary: Great potential, but no proofreading!!
Review: I was pleased to see Mercedes Lackey introduce a new novel, and she has done an excellent job of bringing to life a new culture. I hope she will, as the ending leaves WIDE open, write more books in this setting.

However, I have to say that someone has done an absolutely pathetic job of editing this book. Information is "introduced" repeatedly within a few pages of the previous "introduction," as if no one actually read the entire book before it went to the printer. Someone else referred to it feeling as if it had been done "cut and paste" from several manuscripts, and that may be the explanation. Maybe they were rushing to meet a deadline, but it was a serious disappointment.

With more care and attention, this could be an excellent new series. I'll keep my fingers crossed!