Winds of Fate (The Mage Winds, Book 1)

Rating:
Summary: OK, one and a half stars
Review: "Winds of Fate" is an extremely disappointing novel by Mercedes Lackey. In it, she takes her previous characterization of Elspeth the princess of Valdemar from previous books (the "Arrows" trilogy, "By the Sword") and mostly tosses it out the window. This sets up an incredibly difficult amount of suspension of disbelief in my view.

Many other reviewers have gone into the basic synopsis of the plot for this book. I don't want to go into that again. Suffice it to say that Elspeth, who's around 25 and acts much younger (more like a bratty 14 year old), despite her earlier characterization of being calm, cool and collected, instead runs off and starts acting even more like a spoiled brat than she did to begin with.

She meets up with Darkwind, a Tayledras mage from the Clan of K'Sheyna. Darkwind, too, is deeply flawed in my view, as he's angry at his father (for good reason), has renounced his magecraft (for a reason that may or may not be good) and, worst of all, sleeps with someone who's not only underage by our standards (at about 17 when he, too, is at least 25), but is under his command, as he's Head of the Scouts and she's a Scout who's recently passed her apprenticeship. This is a big no-no in my view, and I wonder why Ms. Lackey violated the trust relationship of superior to inferior, as she normally does not do this (especially if one is young and the other not so young).

Will Elspeth and Darkwind meet? Of course, but what happens isn't quite as expected. Some is good; some is very, very bad. They meet up with Mornelithe Falconsbane, who is more or less the eternal enemy everyone faces, from Talia in the "Arrows" trilogy to Vanyel in "Magic's Price." They have to try to halt his expansion, while learning to like and trust the other amidst many small setbacks.

Btw, Elspeth has problems along the path with Skif (approximately 33); Skif, despite characterization in other books that shows him to be kind, adult and reasonably level-headed, acts in a rather hamhanded fashion and keeps throwing himself at her. The reasons he does this are twofold: one, she's an extremely powerful potential Mage, and he's been warned by Quentin (a returning character from "By the Sword") that she could easily be taken over if not watched all the time. Who better to watch her than a lover? Two, he's alone and miserably lonely on the road; he doesn't speak much Trade, and he's never been out of Valdemar before. So, while she's in her element (freedom, glorious freedom!), he hates it and clings harder to her.

That part is realistic. This part is not. He's 33 years old. If she says, "No, I don't want to date you," that's the end of it. Period. Even more so if it's, "No, I don't want you for my lover. Period." And Skif, despite previous characterization that basically showed he would respect any woman who asked him to back off, doesn't do so here. Very strange, and most offputting in my view.

Then, Elspeth is fighting against her own Companion, Gwena, every step of the way. This is realistic; she's a feisty gal, and Gwena has been manipulating her for years, and Elspeth just found it out. So it's not Elspeth's behavior I'm questioning, here; it's Gwena's. Gwena is the _only_ companion outside of doomed Tylendel's Gala who acts in this fashion; she's high-handed, rather self-centered (especially considering she's a Companion) and insists her way is the only way there is. It's behavior that's extremely offputting for a Companion, and although it's exactly the reaction Ms. Lackey probably wanted me to have, it leaves me cold.

Darkwind loses his much-younger lover, hardly seeming to care; that, too, was most offputting. I realize the guy is cold and self-absorbed and into himself, but really, does he have to shrug off Dawnfire's loss so easily and quickly? Not to mention callously? (Especially considering she's underage?)

OK, since you probably have figured out I don't like this book at all, you might be wondering why I gave it any stars. Here's why. I still like Ms. Lackey's writing; if Elspeth and Skif hadn't had previously established characterizations, I would have had no problems with what they did (although I still would have thought they both were incredibly immature for their ages). I enjoyed her Shin'a'in characters (Kra'heera, also returning from "By The Sword," among others). I enjoyed her Gryphon characters Treyvan, Hydona, and their gryphlets. And I especially enjoyed Nyara, Falconsbane's daughter (who turns away from him, choosing good instead of evil) who eventually becomes Skif's lover (and next-best-thing to lifebonded mate).

Still. If you've read the rest of the Heralds of Valdemar books, this book simply does not fit. It doesn't. It sticks out like a sore thumb.

Which is why in all good conscience I can only give it one and a half stars. I do recommend it, oddly enough, because the "Mage Winds" series as a series is quite strong. But this was a very weak opening book, and that's why the exceptionally low rating.

Rating:
Summary: OK, one and a half stars
Review: "Winds of Fate" is an extremely disappointing novel by Mercedes Lackey. In it, she takes her previous characterization of Elspeth the princess of Valdemar from previous books (the "Arrows" trilogy, "By the Sword") and mostly tosses it out the window. This sets up an incredibly difficult amount of suspension of disbelief in my view.

Many other reviewers have gone into the basic synopsis of the plot for this book. I don't want to go into that again. Suffice it to say that Elspeth, who's around 25 and acts much younger (more like a bratty 14 year old), despite her earlier characterization of being calm, cool and collected, instead runs off and starts acting even more like a spoiled brat than she did to begin with.

She meets up with Darkwind, a Tayledras mage from the Clan of K'Sheyna. Darkwind, too, is deeply flawed in my view, as he's angry at his father (for good reason), has renounced his magecraft (for a reason that may or may not be good) and, worst of all, sleeps with someone who's not only underage by our standards (at about 17 when he, too, is at least 25), but is under his command, as he's Head of the Scouts and she's a Scout who's recently passed her apprenticeship. This is a big no-no in my view, and I wonder why Ms. Lackey violated the trust relationship of superior to inferior, as she normally does not do this (especially if one is young and the other not so young).

Will Elspeth and Darkwind meet? Of course, but what happens isn't quite as expected. Some is good; some is very, very bad. They meet up with Mornelithe Falconsbane, who is more or less the eternal enemy everyone faces, from Talia in the "Arrows" trilogy to Vanyel in "Magic's Price." They have to try to halt his expansion, while learning to like and trust the other amidst many small setbacks.

Btw, Elspeth has problems along the path with Skif (approximately 33); Skif, despite characterization in other books that shows him to be kind, adult and reasonably level-headed, acts in a rather hamhanded fashion and keeps throwing himself at her. The reasons he does this are twofold: one, she's an extremely powerful potential Mage, and he's been warned by Quentin (a returning character from "By the Sword") that she could easily be taken over if not watched all the time. Who better to watch her than a lover? Two, he's alone and miserably lonely on the road; he doesn't speak much Trade, and he's never been out of Valdemar before. So, while she's in her element (freedom, glorious freedom!), he hates it and clings harder to her.

That part is realistic. This part is not. He's 33 years old. If she says, "No, I don't want to date you," that's the end of it. Period. Even more so if it's, "No, I don't want you for my lover. Period." And Skif, despite previous characterization that basically showed he would respect any woman who asked him to back off, doesn't do so here. Very strange, and most offputting in my view.

Then, Elspeth is fighting against her own Companion, Gwena, every step of the way. This is realistic; she's a feisty gal, and Gwena has been manipulating her for years, and Elspeth just found it out. So it's not Elspeth's behavior I'm questioning, here; it's Gwena's. Gwena is the _only_ companion outside of doomed Tylendel's Gala who acts in this fashion; she's high-handed, rather self-centered (especially considering she's a Companion) and insists her way is the only way there is. It's behavior that's extremely offputting for a Companion, and although it's exactly the reaction Ms. Lackey probably wanted me to have, it leaves me cold.

Darkwind loses his much-younger lover, hardly seeming to care; that, too, was most offputting. I realize the guy is cold and self-absorbed and into himself, but really, does he have to shrug off Dawnfire's loss so easily and quickly? Not to mention callously? (Especially considering she's underage?)

OK, since you probably have figured out I don't like this book at all, you might be wondering why I gave it any stars. Here's why. I still like Ms. Lackey's writing; if Elspeth and Skif hadn't had previously established characterizations, I would have had no problems with what they did (although I still would have thought they both were incredibly immature for their ages). I enjoyed her Shin'a'in characters (Kra'heera, also returning from "By The Sword," among others). I enjoyed her Gryphon characters Treyvan, Hydona, and their gryphlets. And I especially enjoyed Nyara, Falconsbane's daughter (who turns away from him, choosing good instead of evil) who eventually becomes Skif's lover (and next-best-thing to lifebonded mate).

Still. If you've read the rest of the Heralds of Valdemar books, this book simply does not fit. It doesn't. It sticks out like a sore thumb.

Which is why in all good conscience I can only give it one and a half stars. I do recommend it, oddly enough, because the "Mage Winds" series as a series is quite strong. But this was a very weak opening book, and that's why the exceptionally low rating.

Rating:
Summary: Elspeth tells her story
Review: A great book filled with action and new characters in the Heralds of Valdemar series. Elspeth is very different from Talia and, though she is stubborn, Elspeth is quite witty and amusing. Mercedes Lackey's writing is magnificent! The conflicts in the book are very exciting and will keep you entertained.

Rating:
Summary: Elspeth's Quest
Review: Elspeth is not only a full-fledged herald, but the heir to the throne of Valdemar. And as Valdemar faces a tragic looking war with King Ancar from the northern country Hardorn. Unfortunately Ancar has many mages working for him, powerful ones, while Valdemar's gifted heralds are the only one with slightly smaller gifts. Elspeth realizes that she is the only one that can go out and find a mage for Valdemar. Elspeth isn't alone though. She travels with her good friend Skif and her teacher Kerowyn's mysterious protective sword called need. Things start to get complicated when Skif's feelings become more than just friendly towards Elspeth and the sword proves to have a mind of it's own. Elspeth also knows that her biggest problem will be finding the right mage. For the public to trust this mage, the mage must also be a herald, and a herald mage has not existed since the legendary Vanyel who died centuries ago.

Far from Valdemar in K'Sheyna Vale lives the Hawkbrothers who are facing a great ordeal. Not too long ago the heartstone, a place of immense power, was destroyed, ruining all of their lives in the process. No one was scared as deeply as Darkwind though. Darkwind is a former mage who gave up every trace of magic he had after seeing the heartstone destroyed and the death of his mother. Darkwind now serves as a guard but his live gets more complicated when he runs into a strange and beautiful girl, a changechild who has deadly connections to a powerful mage who has connections to the Hawkbrothers. What will happen when Elspeth and Darkwind meet?

Mercedes Lackey once again proves to be one of the stronger modern writers in the fantasy community. Her characters are flawed and well written. It's amazing to see how much Elspeth has grown from simply "the brat," to awkward teenager, and now to strong leader and herald. Darkwind is a strong character you can't help feeling sorry for. The story line is different from the Heralds of Valdemar Trilogy and By the Sword, because of it's concentration on mages. In the beginning of the books the P. O. V. alternates between the ex-mage Darkwind, and the herald princess Elspeth with a few interludes in between. By the end of the book the two have met. The ending is very suspenseful and makes me itch for the second book in the trilogy. I highly recommend this to Mercedes Lackey fans.

Rating:
Summary: Misty strikes again with a great one.
Review: Great novel. Mercedes Lackey once again pleased me with her interesting characters. Elspeth, princess of the realm of Valdemar strikes out with Skiff to go bring a mage back to help her realm to fight Acar. On her journey she meets up with the Hawkbrother Darkwind and finds out that she is gifted with the mage talent.

Rating:
Summary: slow start good finish
Review: Having read several of Mercedes Lackey's books I expected a little more. I found that there was a strong introduction but the body of the book lacked it's usual appeal. The conclusion did leave the reader wanting more. If you are a Mercedes Lackey fan, read and judge for yourself.

Rating:
Summary: A bit distracting
Review: I am a huge Lackey fan and have read almost everything she's written. I know she had just published a romance novel (The Fairy Godmother via Harlequinn Publishing Co, I believe), I guess this was one of the pre-cursors that made her want to try the Romance genre. As a huge fan of epic style romances, I thought I'd give this one a try, but at the moment, I find myself a bit distracted. The main character is really getting on my nerves with how self-involved she is. Supposedly, the Companions are the epitome of wisdom and kindness and all other goodly virtues (except perhaps, modesty and inhibition) but Elsbeth is rude to her Companion, without an obvious reason why. Skif, the great character from _Take a Thief_, goes from being possibly dangerous in the eyes of a friendly mage, to a jealous idiot in the eyes of Elsbeth because he disapproves and supposedly is in love with her, but it is only described in her point of view and could, if logically thought out, could be following her because he is dispatching his duty--being her bodyguard. Then throughout the questionably interesting storyline, every other chapter is devoted to Darkwind's story, which, hey, is great because I love the Tayledras characters. It's very obvious that Darkwind is the answer and romantic/magic ideal that Elsbeth is searching for, but the way in which the story is told somewhat fractures the effect, as she waits a while to get them together. That's bad in the sense that you can't tell why Darkwind's story is relevant and becomes distracting, almost something you rush through to get to the point of Elsbeth's story. Unfortunately, his story happens to be a bit more exciting and interesting, relevant and makes more sense. This is a okay to good read for a first-time Lackey reader perhaps, but a little blah for a reader like me.

Rating:
Summary: This is the worst book Misty has written!
Review: I am an avid fan of the Valdemar series--I even re-read the entire series when a new book comes out--except for this book! The opening sequence is wonderful, and so are the bits with Kero. Then it takes entirely different directions. The Skif/Nyara thing, and then Need awakening just when Elspeth discovers she has Mage/Adept potential? Oh, please. Didn't it take decades for Kethry in the Vows and Honors series to attain Adepthood? How can Elspeth do it a couple of years--totally skiping the in-between ranks? It's not like her channels were blasted open like her ancestor Vanyel's were.

I've taken to reading the summary of this book that can be found in the Valdemar Companion. I would suggest the same for you. Read the book once, if you must, but borrow it from a library or a friend. You won't want it taking up precious bookshelf space.

Rating:
Summary: This is the worst book Misty has written!
Review: I am an avid fan of the Valdemar series--I even re-read the entire series when a new book comes out--except for this book! The opening sequence is wonderful, and so are the bits with Kero. Then it takes entirely different directions. The Skif/Nyara thing, and then Need awakening just when Elspeth discovers she has Mage/Adept potential? Oh, please. Didn't it take decades for Kethry in the Vows and Honors series to attain Adepthood? How can Elspeth do it a couple of years--totally skiping the in-between ranks? It's not like her channels were blasted open like her ancestor Vanyel's were.

I've taken to reading the summary of this book that can be found in the Valdemar Companion. I would suggest the same for you. Read the book once, if you must, but borrow it from a library or a friend. You won't want it taking up precious bookshelf space.

Rating:
Summary: Her best trilogy to date
Review: I can't even be sure how many times I have re-read this trilogy. The development of the characters is amazing. The action is thrilling but not overdone. Character reactions are believable and sincere. This first book in the trilogy had me hooked and waiting impatiently for the second and third books to be released.

A certain treat for any fan of Valdemar!