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4.07 AVERAGE
4.07 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
sad
medium-paced
Book 3 turned out to be the weakest installment in the series. Still, I loved the whole experience. Instant favourites.
ETA: Strange, in my memory this one remains the most present, not weak at all. I still haven't managed to get more of Lackey's books, but I think I should reread this series first?
ETA: Strange, in my memory this one remains the most present, not weak at all. I still haven't managed to get more of Lackey's books, but I think I should reread this series first?
I used to like this one least because of the inevitable ending. But I remember softening towards it as I got older, and upon re-reading it holds up just as well as the other ones.
Spoiler alert for the middle of the book: the love scene where Vanyel and Stef finally get together came as something of a revelation for Teener Christiner. It was actually the first time I'd encountered a book that managed to successfully imply that love and sex were linked. Now I think about it, the other books I'd been reading were either love with vaguely implied or not-implied-at-all sex (Enchanted Forest Chronicles come to mind), or featured characters hooking up with people who they didn't wind up with (Tamora Pierce's Alanna books, Mercedes Lackey's Arrows of the Queen trilogy). Either of these, I'd like to add, is perfectly legitimate, but there was a gap. But then I ran into this scene. Stefen says something like "I can't share with you how I feel, except physically," (referring to the whole telepathy thing, natch) and I distinctly remember thinking "that can't be right, can it?" Then Teener Christiner thought it over and concluded "well...maybe it is." And it was a damn sweet scene, and it still is.
One thing that I DIDN'T like about Mercedes Lackey's earlier books, to get to the complaints, and still don't, is that we would inevitably get These scenes became less inevitable in her later books, and I didn't miss them.
Anyway, the final part of the book was still moving, and on a whole the trilogy still holds up well. This was one of teenage me's better calls on what to read. Good job, girl.
Spoiler alert for the middle of the book: the love scene where Vanyel and Stef finally get together came as something of a revelation for Teener Christiner. It was actually the first time I'd encountered a book that managed to successfully imply that love and sex were linked. Now I think about it, the other books I'd been reading were either love with vaguely implied or not-implied-at-all sex (Enchanted Forest Chronicles come to mind), or featured characters hooking up with people who they didn't wind up with (Tamora Pierce's Alanna books, Mercedes Lackey's Arrows of the Queen trilogy). Either of these, I'd like to add, is perfectly legitimate, but there was a gap. But then I ran into this scene. Stefen says something like "I can't share with you how I feel, except physically," (referring to the whole telepathy thing, natch) and I distinctly remember thinking "that can't be right, can it?" Then Teener Christiner thought it over and concluded "well...maybe it is." And it was a damn sweet scene, and it still is.
One thing that I DIDN'T like about Mercedes Lackey's earlier books, to get to the complaints, and still don't, is that we would inevitably get
Spoiler
a brutal rape scene. This one left me with an even worse feeling this time around. Because not only is it still horrible, but I realized it feels COMPLETELY unnecessary to the plot, that there were a dozen better ways to move them from point A to point C. So it's horrible, and unnecessary, and extra queasy-making to realize that this only happened to her female and gay male characters. This almost feels a little like it's Vanyel's fault for being too pretty. Ugh.Anyway, the final part of the book was still moving, and on a whole the trilogy still holds up well. This was one of teenage me's better calls on what to read. Good job, girl.
Lackey managed to write an entire fantasy book...while barely skimming over the important battles/plot points.
Also, weird age differences.
Also, weird age differences.
dark
emotional
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Bittersweet ending, my favorite book in the trilogy
4 stars
This trilogy has been in my long term list to finish. I've read the 1st book, [b:Magic's Pawn|28759|Magic's Pawn (The Last Herald-Mage #1)|Mercedes Lackey|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1345854036l/28759._SY75_.jpg|3230346] back in 2018 and the 2nd in 2019, [b:Magic's Promise|28760|Magic's Promise (The Last Herald-Mage #2)|Mercedes Lackey|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1386923597l/28760._SY75_.jpg|3230347]. After reading all 3 of them I'm glad I did, overall it was quite an interesting story and in the future I might try and read another trilogy from the same universe, since all of them are connected in some way.
Previous to reading this book, I knew already how it would end so I think my overall enjoyment was very different if I did know how it would end.. Also, don't get me wrong, I still feel that the ending should't have happened like that, it gave me [b:Half Lost|20814993|Half Lost (The Half Bad Trilogy, #3)|Sally Green|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1441297906l/20814993._SY75_.jpg|40160458] vibes which it's ending I absolutely hated with a passion. At least with [b:Magic's Price|28734|Magic's Price (The Last Herald-Mage #3)|Mercedes Lackey|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1478489331l/28734._SY75_.jpg|170912] the ending served a better purpose and of course I bawled my eyes out when I finished it.
Overall this book was the best of the 3, with great pace and very easy to follow even if you don't remember too much from the other books. Of course that I still think that the world building is very lacking in this trilogy, but it might have been worked more in the other books.
This trilogy has been in my long term list to finish. I've read the 1st book, [b:Magic's Pawn|28759|Magic's Pawn (The Last Herald-Mage #1)|Mercedes Lackey|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1345854036l/28759._SY75_.jpg|3230346] back in 2018 and the 2nd in 2019, [b:Magic's Promise|28760|Magic's Promise (The Last Herald-Mage #2)|Mercedes Lackey|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1386923597l/28760._SY75_.jpg|3230347]. After reading all 3 of them I'm glad I did, overall it was quite an interesting story and in the future I might try and read another trilogy from the same universe, since all of them are connected in some way.
Previous to reading this book, I knew already how it would end so I think my overall enjoyment was very different if I did know how it would end.
Spoiler
Basically there is two ways you can see this trilogy - you either think as Vanyel's progress and how he became such a powerful and important person in this timeline and how he always protected Valdemar from enemy forces, and how at the end he sacrificed his life for the well being of this "country"; OR you focus more on the plot of his initiall lifebonded and how his death and later incarnation affected Vanyel, which at the end is very bittersweet since in both times, one of them ended up dying after a short time of being together. I do appreciate both plot lines, but ultimately this is Vanyel's story of how he was the strongest Herald-Mage (and last one for years) and how he became a legend in this universe. Of course that that the lifebound partner Tylendel and later Stefen were both cataclysts for his character, especially the 1st one since his death made Vanyel discover his magical abilities. In the end I do think that the lifebounded part was more of a plot line progresser than anything else, since that in both instances it was short lived and written to make a point.Spoiler
(since both books have a homosexual couple and in both books both characters end up dying by the end of the book.) In half lost basically one of the main pairing ends up being murdered and since the other can't live without him he turns into a fucking tree??Overall this book was the best of the 3, with great pace and very easy to follow even if you don't remember too much from the other books. Of course that I still think that the world building is very lacking in this trilogy, but it might have been worked more in the other books.
adventurous
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Rape, Suicide, Violence, Grief
The final book of the Herald-Mage trilogy is probably the best- Vanyel as an adult is far more interesting than Vanyel as an emo teen. The story is good, Stephen's a great character (far more likable than Tylendal), and though the book is sad, it isn't too horribly so.