Rating: 
Summary: A wonderful book.
Review: I myself am a gay teenage male, and one of my friends recommended this book to me as one with characters I could identify with. I most definately DID identify with the characters; Merecedes Lackey is an expert at finding easily identifiable (but not cliched) characters with which to populate her novels. The narrative to the book is very accessible, neither overly complex or saccharine simple. The story is AMAZING and engrossing, full of twists and turns. This book is not just a great story; because it features a same sex romance, I think it is also a nice piece of political statement. It portrays homosexual love in a dignified and sweet manner; a great book for someone who needs subtle education in acceptance. A+
Rating:
Summary: Makes it hard to go on and read other books
Review: I enjoyed this book a great deal Its a good read and the amount of depth to the character is *just amazing* I got so into this book that i felt like shouting at vanyel when he does somthing wrong or appluding him when he does somthing right. Athought the book is VERY SAD at some points it is a great feel good read, is gives you evertthing you could want in a book--plus more. Lackey is a great author right up there with Anne Mccaffrey and O.S.Card all her books (except the owl ones) are great and can be read over and over again, but this one is the best I have read it so many times I know the first few lines off by heart. One of the most moving books ever written
Rating:
Summary: A beautiful and moving story
Review: I at first did not really feel an overwhelming urge to read Magic's Pawn and so shoved it to the back of my shelf to start other books with female leads. When I finally did read Magic's Pawn I was shocked. The story is beautiful and vivid with just enough detail for me to "see" the main characters in my mind without so much detail that I fell asleep while reading about the glorious woodwork on the bedposts. This book even made me cry. Books do not force me into a blubbering mess easily, but some of the scenes in Magic's Pawn ripped at my heart. The characters became so real to me that I began to feel their pain. To me that shows the work of a master writer. There is so much that I could write about why I liked this or that in the story, but what makes this book so good is that I came away from the book happy. Not all books make me thrilled to have spent my money and time on them, yet Magic's Pawn did and still does.
Rating: 
Summary: Started fast, got boring, but ended well.
Review: This is the first book in Mercedes Lackey's THE LAST HERALD-MAGE trilogy. It is the second series to take place in her land of Valdemar. It takes place a few hundred years before the ARROWS trilogy, but was written afterward. If I had gone to write a review of this book about halfway through the book, I would have had to give it three stars. The book started out really well. The main character was very sympathetic and I kept hoping for him to escape the torturous life he was living. As usual, Lackey's characters are vivid and engaging. You actually start to care about them in the first few pages. Unfortunately, from about page 50 to page 200, not a lot happens. It's 150 pages of gushing, sappy proclamations of love and arguments of who loves who more. Yes, this part of the book is vital for setting up what happens afterward, but I think it could have been done in half the space. After that, though, the action really picks up. We get to see what the Mage powers truly bring to the characters (in the ARROWS trilogy, no one had Mage powers anymore if I recall correctly). The book became an absolute page turner after this. As always, Lackey's plot and action are top notch. This book was definitely a page turner. Even when there wasn't really anything much happening, I still felt compelled to keep reading in order to find out what was going to happen next. This is what I like best about the author: she always knows how to keep the reader engaged in the story. Definitely an enjoyable read and a must for any Lackey fan.
Rating:
Summary: Buy this book!!
Review: This is probably my favourite of Lackey's Valdermar series (and I've read the lot!) It has everything a great hero, tragedy, romance and the battle against evil. Vanyel is truly a legendary hero. If you've read the other books in the Valdermar series and haven't read this - BUY THIS BOOK!! If you haven't read any of the other books in the Valdermar series - BUY THIS BOOK!! - Its a great place to start.
Rating:
Summary: Thank you Misty
Review: I just completed the third book in this trilogy and i must say that out of the literally thousands of books I have read over the years this set is one of the few that I will hang onto. Never before has an author taken what many would consider a 'sexually deviant' person and made him a hero that you loved and wept for. Bravo Ms. Lackey and thank you. I look forward to more of your work.
Rating:
Summary: Should be required reading for any fantasy fan.
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: Hearthundering appeal!
Review: A book of many "1st's." Mercedes Lackey has become one of my favorite people in the world for bringing us such an amazing account of requited love. Her writing is confident in our ability to live in the world and discover the nuances of it in a tale. This introduction to this authors unique explorations of a world where the intelligent of other species is proven and relied upon is a wonder to read. It has been my vast pleasure to read this author over the years and I have never forgotten the hearthundering appeal of this first book.
Rating:
Summary: MAGIC'S PAWN
Review: I read this book about eight years ago and since then have re read it several times. I find it to be a very enlightening and thrilling book. I am an author myself, and I must say, I hope my writing holds the reader as well as this one does. There are three books in this series(the other two, MAGIC'S PROMISE & MAGIC'S PRICE) and I have them all. Somehow Ms Lackey seems to understand what it is like to be considered 'not normal.' These books contain a great deal of information about the terribly painful and sometimes dangerous emotional lives of homosexuals. She shows how these people are just that, people like you and me as she carrys you through a story that holds you glued to the pages, not wanting to put it down for the night because you want to go with the characters in their very real experiences. Thank you Ms Lackey. I appreciate your depth, and give you a great deal of credit along with considerable courage.
Rating:
Summary: Powerful coming-of-age story
Review: This trilogy (Magic's Pawn, Magic's Promise, Magic's Price) is one of my very favorites. Magic's Pawn takes Vanyel through his adolecent stage, from rebelling against his family (who really need rebelling against!), to discovering his true love, to discovering his own power, through great pain and hardship. Vanyel endures more than anyone should have to endure. This is one of those books that keep you awake at night because you NEED TO KNOW what happens next! The book is set in the same universe as the Arrows Trilogy, Winds trilogy, and Owls trilogy, but about a thousand years earlier. It's a good idea to read these books BEFORE you read the Winds trilogy, and I won't spoil it by telling you why. I would recommend this book to adults, but also to teenagers who are struggling with their own identity. I believe it won an award from a gay and lesbian literary society, because of its wonderful portrayal of both straight and gay loving relationships.
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