Rating: 
Summary: Fantastic!
Review: This book sucked me in immediately! No boring places to drag through. Entertaining all the way! This is the first book by Mercedes Lackey I ever read and I now own nearly all her books! It's even better because it's part of a huge series. I hate it when the book just quits!
Rating: 
Summary: My first Valdemar book that got me hooked!
Review: This book was quite good. I found myself entranced by the first couple of paragraphs. It DID get a little annoying, going back and forth between Elsepth and Darkwind, but the story telling was great. I kept on waiting and waiting and waiting for them to meet up. What's the point of two storylines if they don't? That's what made the book a little on the long side. Other than that.... I loved the change Elspeth managed to go through in a matter of chapters, and I just LOVED the idea of Valdemar and mages and Heralds... it was very interesting.
Rating:
Summary: :-)
Review: This book was rather strange in that it kept shifting in its appeal. One minute the reader is completely interested in Elspeth and Skif, and the next minute they are so annoying that He wishes that they would all just go back to Valdemar where there might be some interesting people. The part about Darkwind was the same way; one minute the reader really cares about him, and the next minute he is completely confused by the complex political structure of his people. All in all, though, the book wasn't bad, and it began to pick up again once Elspeth and Darkwind actually met each other.
Rating: 
Summary: Unfortunately you have to read this for the other 2
Review: This is by far in my oppinion the worst of her books. I found the plot overly contrived. I feel that the charaters in the book do things that are frankly out of character. Above and beyond all that I did find it readable. I just had to ignore my mind saying, . . .oh come on would he/she really do something that stupid? I would say to read this book however. The next two in the series are much better and far less contrived. Not on par with Misty's usual standard :(
Rating:
Summary: A Great Book You Won't Want To Put Down
Review: This is one of her best books , and Elspeth and Darkwind are the captivating main characters. It gets really good when they team up to defeat Mornelithe Falconsbane! I strongly recommend this book for all fantasy fans, because after you read this book you'll be hooked on Mercedes Lackey for good!
Rating:
Summary: Great Lackey book
Review: This is the 1st book in The Mage Winds series by Mercedes Lackey, if you haven't read any of her book prior to this, you should. Go back and read the beginning ones, starting w/The Mage Wars series, The Black Gryphon (book 1) and it will make a lot more sense. Don't be like me and start reading 3/4's the way into the ENTIRE Valdemar collection! But, THIS particular book is a great fantasy book.If you like fantasy, read this series.
Rating:
Summary: A Strong Start to the Trilogy
Review: Valdemar is in trouble yet again. The mysterious magical defenses that have protected it since the time of Herald Vanyel are eroding, while Ancar of Hardorn and his mages grow stronger. Elspeth, Herald and Heir to the throne, decides that she must take matters into her own hands and find mages to protect her beloved country. She sets off on a journey with her friend and fellow Herald, Skif, that will take them far to the south, where Elspeth realizes she may have a Mage Gift of her own...K'Sheyna Vale is also in trouble. Its Heartstone is damaged beyond repair, and half of its inhabitants are stranded at the remote new Vale site. Darkwind, the head scout of Clan K'Sheyna and a powerful mage who has forsaken his powers, faces the daily battle of keeping his home safe from the evil forces of a mysterious Dark Adept that is seeking to destroy everything Darkwind holds dear... "Winds of Fate" is the first book in Mercedes Lackey"s The Mage Winds Trilogy. It has an interesting structure to it. Throughout much of the book, the chapters alternate perspectives between Elspeth and Darkwind, with a few interludes of completely different perspective thrown in. I found this to be very effective. It kept me motivated and reading, especially during the Elspeth chapters that tended to drag a little more. The differences between the storylines were ample enough that I was never confused by events. It was also nice to look forward to the expected unification of the two storylines. I was also pleasantly surprised and delighted by the abundance of Tayledras characters in this book. The Tayledras as a people have fascinated me ever since I read "Magic's Pawn" and became enchanted with Moondance and Starwind. "Winds of Fate" allowed me an even deeper look into their culture, and it was through the eyes of Darkwind, a member of that culture himself. "Winds of Fate" is a fun book to read. Its characters are strong and behave like real people. Its setting is so real that I almost feel like I've been there. Mercedes Lackey keeps the mood light when it needs to be by adding little touches of humor here and there. Bottom Line: A great continuation of the Valdemar books and an absolute treat to the Tayledras lovers out there. However, I would recommend that you first read The Last Herald-Mage Trilogy and The Heralds of Valdemar to truly appreciate this book.
Rating:
Summary: This is a good, good, good, great book
Review: Winds of Fate is the epitomy of an excellent fantasy novel. The two main characters, Elspeth and Darkwind, are both very exciting and unique personas. There are an abundance of intrigueing plot twists that make this story well worth the short time it takes to read (since it is impossible to put down).
Rating:
Summary: Could be better
Review: WINDS OF FATE, by prolific sf/fantasy author Mercedes Lackey, is the first in the "Mage Winds" trilogy. The chapters alternate back and forth between the story of Elspeth, heir to the throne of Valdemar, and Darkwind, one-time mage and now a scout for his people, the Tayledras. This alternation continues until the two meet up near the end of the book, interrupted only by two brief "Interludes." Elspeth is on a quest to bring a mage into Valdemar to work with the Heralds against the growing threat of King Ancar of Holdorn, while Darkwind has to deal with the growing, magical threats to his sundered clan, the K'Sheyna. I just finished reading the "Heralds of Valdemar" books, and I loved them. I was looking forward to reading this book, since it would involve more magic and also because I really like the character of Elspeth. However, though I didn't DISLIKE this book, I was more than a bit disappointed. Many parts of the story drag, and seem to go on for longer than is necessary, flaws that are hard to cover up. The story is not nearly as interesting as that of the "Heralds of Valdemar" books, which were very hard for me to put down. It wasn't until the last 150 pages or so (and remember, this is a 458 page book!) that the plot starts to pick up a bit, and even then it isn't nearly as good as I had hoped for. The characters are good--I liked them a lot--but without an interesting story to be part of, that fact is overshadowed. There are SOME interesting parts, but they come sporatically up until, as I said, the last 150 pages or so. However, on the bright side, this book wasn't boring enough to turn me away from the rest of the trilogy, and the rest of the Valdemar books, and so it can't have been all that bad. Read it, if only so that you'll know what's going on in the other books. Happy reading! P.S. I would've given this book 3 1/2 stars if that were possible.
Rating:
Summary: Could be better
Review: WINDS OF FATE, by prolific sf/fantasy author Mercedes Lackey, is the first in the "Mage Winds" trilogy. The chapters alternate back and forth between the story of Elspeth, heir to the throne of Valdemar, and Darkwind, one-time mage and now a scout for his people, the Tayledras. This alternation continues until the two meet up near the end of the book, interrupted only by two brief "Interludes." Elspeth is on a quest to bring a mage into Valdemar to work with the Heralds against the growing threat of King Ancar of Holdorn, while Darkwind has to deal with the growing, magical threats to his sundered clan, the K'Sheyna. I just finished reading the "Heralds of Valdemar" books, and I loved them. I was looking forward to reading this book, since it would involve more magic and also because I really like the character of Elspeth. However, though I didn't DISLIKE this book, I was more than a bit disappointed. Many parts of the story drag, and seem to go on for longer than is necessary, flaws that are hard to cover up. The story is not nearly as interesting as that of the "Heralds of Valdemar" books, which were very hard for me to put down. It wasn't until the last 150 pages or so (and remember, this is a 458 page book!) that the plot starts to pick up a bit, and even then it isn't nearly as good as I had hoped for. The characters are good--I liked them a lot--but without an interesting story to be part of, that fact is overshadowed. There are SOME interesting parts, but they come sporatically up until, as I said, the last 150 pages or so. However, on the bright side, this book wasn't boring enough to turn me away from the rest of the trilogy, and the rest of the Valdemar books, and so it can't have been all that bad. Read it, if only so that you'll know what's going on in the other books. Happy reading! P.S. I would've given this book 3 1/2 stars if that were possible.
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