Rating: 
Summary: Slow start. . . Strong finish!
Review: This is without a doubt the best Mercedes Lackey book I have read yet. The story moves along at lightning speed (except for the first chapter, which moves rather slowly), and is full of action. Many of the characters are very likable in this book. The only one who I thought Lackey made you kind of feel nothing for was Starfall. But, aside from that, this book is a definite MUST READ for all Mercedes' fans!
Rating: 
Summary: I have to say is has a slow start but keep at it.
Review: I will agree with anyone that it does start off kinda slow, bt keep up with it, once the barbarians sack Darians village she starts cooking with gas, for those who think this is the end, be sure to read the second book in the series Owlsight it is even better, and for those who like the non-human races you learn quite a secret out of the Dyheli in this one. I would have to admit that it isnt quite up to Par for Misty, but writing with Larry seems to slow her down, and the writing isnt as good.
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointing...
Review: I have read all of her Valdemar books and this is the most disappointing of the lot. It seems to have come of the oven half-baked. The most entertaing part of the book were the bondbirds Hweel, Huur and Kuari. One can only hope that her next Valdemar book will have more 'body'. Hopefully it would include The other People and races. eg tervadi, ratha, tyrill, Karse, Iftel, the Eastern Empire etc.
Rating:
Summary: Disapointingly average book seems padded for length.
Review: As a fan of the Valdemar series, I was surprised by the latest installment. The premise is interesting, but the plot is standard and extremely thin. The authors repeat the same scenes from two different perspectives, again and again, whether the action warrants it or not. It seems like a good start to a series, but if they didn't even have enough ideas for a full first book, maybe it should have been a short story or novella.
Rating:
Summary: Surprisingly disappointing
Review: usually i love all of lackey's works but i found this one to be a big disappointment. darin was hard to identify with but the i loved the hawkbrothers and their bond birds. i think the book might have been better off as a short story because it felt so unfinished. i'm hoping that when the next one (owlsight?) comes out it will make up for the disappointment.
Rating:
Summary: Is This The End???
Review: After reading all except the very first couple of the 'Valdemar Series' books, I've come 2 love the tales woven by Mercedes with or w/out her husband, Larry. This one is reminiscent of Arrows Flight, wherein 'younglings' come of age & learn how 2 maximize upon the use of their 'Gifts'. Although I'm not finished w/the book at this writing, I felt compelled 2 do so just on the pure enjoyment I'm having so far & the surety that it keeps on getting better until the very end. I sincerely hope Ms. Lackey will continue in this vein & look 4ward 2 the next one! This CAN'T be the end, can it???!!!???
Rating:
Summary: Extremely hard to put down
Review: I loved it! It was extremely hard to put down, and I ended up reading the whole thing in less than a day! It's not the best Valdemar book, but it does justice to the series.
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic!
Review: Mercedes has done it again! Her books about Valdemar are the best. While everybody else has not much sympathy for Darian, I certainly do. He is hurting very much and he gets the healing he needs from the Hawkbrothers. I specifically love reading about the Hawkbrothers, because they are so different. The illustrations are superb, as usual.
Rating:
Summary: This is a great ending to a GREAT series!
Review: I loved this book. Every minute I could, after school, in school, whenever, I was reading that book. I loved Darian's ways. I felt sorry for him, but in awe of the way his life turned out. He lived in a world that we can only daydream about but would love to live. He had gone through so much trama and yet took things the way they were. Then being picked on for being the typical teenage rebel. He was gifted with magical powers that only came as a curse to him. He was a major hero for the village kids, but he just wanted to fit in. He lived the life of a hurt loner, that was followed by bad happenings. If you have ever suffered loss of a loved one, you can almost relate to Darian. All I can say is that I wish that Mercedes Lackey would continue to make books of Valdemar or the Hawkbrothers. When I finished the last of the series, it was like a great loss and I felt a great feeling of sadness. I still do. I just wish it wasn't there, and I could be curled up in my chair instead. With a book about Valdemar.
Rating:
Summary: A new perspective from a good author.
Review: I was very heartend upon reading this book. While all of Lackey's books have been enjoyable to read many of her latters books have lacked a fresheness in there perspective. This new novel was a fresh break from her previous work. The themes are not of global scale and you could feel inimately the plight of the characters. I also was quite delighted by her choice of main character for the novel. Darian, a young mage gifted boy, is not the perfect idealistic youth most often portrayed in books of this type. Instead we are introduce to a young boy who is lazy, neglectful of duty and a bit of a brat. Watching the growth of him through the book only underlines one of the over all premisses of Lackey's books. "There is not one true way". Not in religion, politics, or the raising of a children.
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