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rainbowdragonz's review
4.5
This book has quite a few bad reviews and honestly not quite sure why. This is one of my favourites of the Collegium Chronicles. Yes it gets very dark and I would but a trigger warning on this book for s*icide but I enjoy how raw and emotional this book gets. And I love the descriptions of Kirball and what is in essence battle tactics. I'd say if you enjoyed Arrows and Exiles then give this series a read, it's not as good as them, but in my opinion way better than winds.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Abandonment
lyrrael's review
5.0
I've been disappointed for a while with Lackey's books. It seems like, when she decided to team up with her husband, the general quality level of her Valdemar books dropped significantly, and they began to read like YA titles. Very YA titles. And so I drifted away. I'd read the new ones, be a bit ho-hum about them, and wander off to something else.
I really feel like the first two books of the Foundation trilogy are a return to the writing style of the Arrows and Last Herald-Mage titles. They're not quite as grand -- the first books of a series tend to be the best, in my experience, and Lackey has done some significant exploration of the history and world of Velgarth. That she's able to return to some of the simplicity and grandiosity of the first few books really was a very pleasant surprise.
I just want to say, on the off chance that she checks the reviews for these books, that Lackey was really my introduction to epic fantasy as a genre, and it's really been something I've enjoyed for my whole life as a consequence. I was 13 when I started with the Last Herald-Mage, and it's been fifteen years of absolutely amazing adventures, and through her, I've had my eyes gently opened to some of the more pressing issues of our times. I would not feel guilty giving these books to a young adult in the early teenage years, depending on maturity levels, but also feel as though they're written for an adult.
Either way, definitely worth a read. Writing style and story are on the same level as Brightly Burning, though Mags is not as legendary or as outstanding as Lavan Firestorm -- which is not necessarily a bad thing. I hope I don't have to wait two more years to find out where Mags ends up. :)
I really feel like the first two books of the Foundation trilogy are a return to the writing style of the Arrows and Last Herald-Mage titles. They're not quite as grand -- the first books of a series tend to be the best, in my experience, and Lackey has done some significant exploration of the history and world of Velgarth. That she's able to return to some of the simplicity and grandiosity of the first few books really was a very pleasant surprise.
I just want to say, on the off chance that she checks the reviews for these books, that Lackey was really my introduction to epic fantasy as a genre, and it's really been something I've enjoyed for my whole life as a consequence. I was 13 when I started with the Last Herald-Mage, and it's been fifteen years of absolutely amazing adventures, and through her, I've had my eyes gently opened to some of the more pressing issues of our times. I would not feel guilty giving these books to a young adult in the early teenage years, depending on maturity levels, but also feel as though they're written for an adult.
Either way, definitely worth a read. Writing style and story are on the same level as Brightly Burning, though Mags is not as legendary or as outstanding as Lavan Firestorm -- which is not necessarily a bad thing. I hope I don't have to wait two more years to find out where Mags ends up. :)
faehistory's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
babble_75's review against another edition
3.0
It made it harder to read this knowing that the series doesn't seem to be going anywhere (reading reviews of the 4th book). And it's not the strongest book by Mercedes Lackey I've read. But it was a fun, quick read and I've been having trouble finding those lately. I'll keep reading, because, well, they're library books and I want to know what happens. But I'm also going to be getting the Arrows of the Queen and the Vanyel series out of the library because that's the Valdemar I know and love.
maggpiebymoonlight's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
bunnerz's review
4.0
Ratings - completed series:
#1 Foundation: ★★★★☆
#2 Intrigues (this book): ★★★★☆
#3 Changes: ★★★★☆
#4 Redoubt: ★★★★☆
#5 Bastion: ★★★☆☆
#1 Foundation: ★★★★☆
#2 Intrigues (this book): ★★★★☆
#3 Changes: ★★★★☆
#4 Redoubt: ★★★★☆
#5 Bastion: ★★★☆☆
alpettit's review against another edition
3.0
It had a slow start but picked up towards the end. She spent a little too much time on the Kirball, like it was filler. Despite that I am still going to read the next one to finish Mag's story.
alannabarras's review
3.0
Solid continuation of the series, nothing special or outstanding. An enjoyable read if you see it in the library