Rating: 
Summary: History of Valdemar
Review: Gryphons, what else could I say about them? They are great! Lackey tells a story, nay, she weaves one about a personality of extraodinary porportions and yet the feelings of the characters are so intense and so lifelike that it applies to young and old, across cultures. In this book we discover how good triumph against evil, at heavy losses, and a creature mage-created by a sorceror interacts with humans and forms bonding to fight side by side. Skandranon, in the Black Gryphon, tells of his strange lifestyle, ranging from his choice of friends, mates, battles. He is a web-weaver, one that makes the world change, quite like the way we all hope to change the world in our own little ways. The book goes into the developing relationships between Skan and his healer adept Amberdrake, who plays supporting charactor to the title hero and who has very intricate thoughts and feelings. Lackey is no ordinary run-of-the-mill author as in her books she does explore the intimacy that is love and its physical acts. She also goes further as to intergrate modern concepts and ideas of homosexuality into fantasy. Larry Dixon again does a great job of illustration and mapping! You don't have to look far to create just pictures out of thin air anymore, Dixon puts them in perspective and you just have to go "Ah... so that's what a Wyrsa looks like!" This book is really something different if you're looking to find fantasy of a fresh flavor.
Rating: 
Summary: A fun read for Valdemar fans
Review: Since the gathering of Ma'ar's evil forces drove away High King Leodhan, Urtho, the Mage of Silence, has been forced into becoming the leader of those opposed to Ma'ar. Among Urtho's subjects are the Kaled'a'in, including the kestra'chern Amberdrake, and the magnificent gryphons, most prominent of which is the Black Gryphon Skandranon. As Ma'ar's power continues to grow, Urtho and his forces struggle to keep him from destroying all that is good in the world. Will Amberdrake and Skandranon be able to stop him before it is too late? "The Black Gryphon" is the first book in Mercedes Lackey and Larry Dixon's Mage Wars Trilogy. It was an interesting read that I really enjoyed. Dixon's influence on the style of the writing will be quite evident to those who are familiar with Lackey's other novels. What I liked most about this book were, as with all the other Valdemar books, its characters and their sensitivity and perceptiveness. Amberdrake was simply wonderful, and I loved his interactions with the gryphons and hertasi. Skandranon was a lot of fun to read about. I particularly liked the pep talks he gave himself and the sarcastic conversations he had with Amberdrake and other gryphons. Also, Winterhart's growth was very rewarding to watch. The descriptions of the area surrounding Urtho's Tower were very effective. I felt like I could really see Healer's Hill and the gryphon landing area. I enjoyed reading about the territory that was to become the Dhorisha Plains. I can't wait to read the descriptions of the new surroundings in "White Gryphon" and "Silver Gryphon." My one complaint about this book (and this is a common one I have throughout the Valdemar books) is that the climax comes too close to the end of the story. Lackey and Dixon effectively tie up all the loose ends, but everything somehow feels rushed. Given the length of the book (460 pages), ten pages or so of denouement seems very abrupt, but perhaps this is mainly because it is only the first book in a trilogy. Bottom Line: A solid start to a very promising trilogy, but you'll probably appreciate it more if you read the Mage Winds and Mage Storms trilogies first
Rating: 
Summary: Boring.
Review: I have never come across a review that has given a correct plot of this book .THIS BOOK IS ABOUT A GRYPHON THAT HAPPENS TO BE BLACK SITTING AROUND AND GETTING HEALED!That ,is the plot .This book is the most pointless and boring book ever .If you want good fantasy ,try Terry Brooks ,or Andre Norton .This book is a waste of reading time.
Rating:
Summary: OH MY GOD I LOVE IT
Review: I first read this book at age nine. I was in my local library with my best friend, looking at fantasy books. I picked a rather dusty volume up, with an attractive cover. Shrugging, I added it to a huge pile of books to check out. I didn't think it would be anything special, but boy was I wrong.
I read it in two hours {I am a very fast reader} and was addicted to this whole new world of fantasy. I bought the White and Silver Gryphon books, then the Arrow books, then the Winds books, then the Last Herald books, then the Mage Storms books, then the Oathbound books, then By The Sword, then Brightly Burning, then the Owl books, then Take A Thief. The only Valdemar books I do not own are Oathblood and Owlknight. I have read both of them thugh.
My favorite character in this book is Skandranon, but my favorite used to be Urtho. I cry every time I read it {I read it alot} at the end when... I'm not going to say.
I hope that Mercedes Lackey will come out with pre-Mage war books. I am particularly interested in Urtho creating the gryphons.
Rating:
Summary: From Beginning To End
Review: About 4 months ago I was introduced to Mercedes Lackey- the book that got me started on her novels was Magic's Pawn, after that book I found myself hooked on Lackey. After reading The Last Herald Mage Trilogy I read Brightly Burning, then after that I decided to start at the beginning (before the founding of Valdemar) and read all of her books in order. I just finished The Black Gryphon and have to admit that it sheds some light on a few of the mysteries of Valdemar. This book was fantastic and I would recommend it to anyone interested in fantasy novels, knowing that if they are anything like me they will become fans of Mercedes Lackey.
Rating:
Summary: Absolutly Spectacular
Review: Picking up this book, I'll admit, I was a bit skepticle. My doubts were erased before I finished the first page. I just finished the book an it is one of my favorites. The story and the writing style are nothing short of perfection. I would recommand this book to anyone who asked as well as those who didn't.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful!!
Review: Skandranon is one of the finest of Urtho's gryphon creations. In the war between Urtho, the Mage of Silence, and Ma'ar, Skan is sorely needed. The war is not going well for Urtho and his people, and everyone, from the soldiers and generals to those who heal mind, body, or heart, is working themselves to exhaustion. This was actually the first Heralds of Valdemar book I read; I picked it up because of the gryphon on the cover, and I wasn't sorry about it in the least. Although it's not exactly a Heralds of Valdemar book, since it takes place about 1000 years before Valdemar even existed, there are things in this book that become important in later books in the series. Without the Mage Wars books, there would be no reason for the Mage Storms Trilogy, and we get to see what the Tayledras and Shin'a'in used to be. Skan, Amberdrake, Winterhart, and Zhaneel are all not just perfect little beings whose only failings are that they can't save everyone (although I suppose Amberdrake is the closest to being like that). Too often, Mercedes Lackey's newest books feature main characters that feel almost too perfect and give you a sense that you're being preached at. That's not the case with this book. Just a note about the hardcover edition in comparison to the paperback edition: if you want the artwork inside the book to look its best, I'd advise you to get the hardcover. There's an illustration at the beginning of each chapter, and the illustrations in the paperback edition are a little too dark to see everything clearly. Although I didn't like the illustrations of the humans too much, the illustration of the nonhumans were a great help, since I'm not a big raptor person. Still, it's a nitpicky thing, but even this artwork, done by the author's husband, doesn't quite match the book's description. However, I do like the illustrations, especially the one of Zhaneel.
Rating:
Summary: Mage Wars and fantasy creatures
Review: This book is the best book in the world. While sometimes a little hard to get in to, Mercades Lackey's books pull you in after the first few chapters. In the Black Gryphon, A gryphon named Skandranon (also called Skan)who lives in a continent that will be called Valdemar, is fighting an evil mage who is trying to capture all of the land. There are some things in the book that might be unapropriate to small children, and the book is also hard to understand for them. Still I think it's a GREAT book and recomend it highly.
Rating:
Summary: Pre History of Valdemar
Review: For every one that loves a prequal, also this is the start of an excelent series in its own right. The Charatures are so well structured that you can see why they are still remembered by Valdemar, at least in myth, 1000 years on.
Rating:
Summary: My intro to Valdemar
Review: This was the first Mercerdes Lacky book I'd ever read (That was more than a year ago). And now look at me? I'm hooked! The wife/husband team takes you into an ancient world before the forming of Valdemar. This whole trilogy is a must read for anyone who plans on reading "The Mage Storms." -Toki-chan
| 
