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4.07 AVERAGE
4.07 AVERAGE
At its start, I liked Vanyel more than I had before. The middle was, admittably, so-so. The brilliance comes in the final moments.
I wish there had been a trigger warning for rape before I began.... So, here it is, in case anyone reads this review.
I understand the value of Vanyel's story within the context of the era in which it was told, but I think it uses damaging tropes--most notably, the homosexual-as-pedophile fear--and the writing is not on par with Lackey's later works, or even her first trilogy. I'm frankly disappointed with it compared to the hype it frequently receives, but I understand the nostalgia that flavours people's feelings about it.
I wish there had been a trigger warning for rape before I began.... So, here it is, in case anyone reads this review.
I understand the value of Vanyel's story within the context of the era in which it was told, but I think it uses damaging tropes--most notably, the homosexual-as-pedophile fear--and the writing is not on par with Lackey's later works, or even her first trilogy. I'm frankly disappointed with it compared to the hype it frequently receives, but I understand the nostalgia that flavours people's feelings about it.
adventurous
emotional
sad
slow-paced
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Homophobia
This book wins 'angst of the year' award. Seriously, I have never been in more pain in my entire life and I've read my fair share of angsty books. I feel bad for Vanyel. I don't know how one could not feel bad for him. I can't think of a single character from anything who has had to suffer for something more than he has.
I friggin adore Stef. Every time his POV chapters happened, I wanted to squeal. He's so cheeky and adorable and loving. I adore the way his relationship with Van evolved from distant hero-worship to devoted-soulmate. He's so bold in his own way and I liked the moments I could take a breather from all the misery and concentrate on a character that is just tirelessly buoyant.
I do appreciate the ties Mercedes Lackey drew between this book and the first book, especially concerning the romantic relationships. 'Lendel from book 1 always rubbed me the wrong way, and Lackey confirmed what was blaring in the back of my mind in this book. 'Lendel didn't love Van enough. And unfortunately, Van was starting to shift in that same direction in this novel. So concerned with revenge that he put Stef in the same position he was put in by 'Lendel's death.
Mercedes Lackey tackles some seriously intense and triggering content in her books. Suicide especially for book 1. And this finale takes those triggers up a few notches. Rape isn't always something done right in books. To be honest, it probably shouldn't be in pop media at all. It's a cheap and ungenuine way to cause conflict, especially since the victims of it are never given the time to work through things. I won't say that Lackey did a bad job but I don't think she did a great job (as clumsy as that all sounds) either. Her novels are a bit shorter, clocking in at 350 pages or less, and so, some things are glossed over for printing sake. The time skips following Van's rape are inelegant, but it was the 90s and this was something like YA so...do with that what you will.
Seriously though, this book is basically 300 pages of 'content warning.' 300 pages of agony. 300 pages of knowing exactly how this is all going to turn out and not being able to stop yourself from consuming it anyway. I put this book off for days at a time because I really didn't want all that emotional anguish in my life, but hey, we readers like to suffer!
Mercedes Lackey, you obliterated my soul, but Van is now numbered among my favorite and most inspiring protagonists. I'm seriously jealous of the middle schoolers and high schoolers that got to read this series at their most trying times of young adult life. Especially for those members of the LGBTQ community who were probably hiding in the closet or unknowing that they were in fact there. I hope they found strength and courage in this book and in a character who has never shied away from the part of him that the rest of the world wanted to forget or destroy.
I friggin adore Stef. Every time his POV chapters happened, I wanted to squeal. He's so cheeky and adorable and loving. I adore the way his relationship with Van evolved from distant hero-worship to devoted-soulmate. He's so bold in his own way and I liked the moments I could take a breather from all the misery and concentrate on a character that is just tirelessly buoyant.
I do appreciate the ties Mercedes Lackey drew between this book and the first book, especially concerning the romantic relationships. 'Lendel from book 1 always rubbed me the wrong way, and Lackey confirmed what was blaring in the back of my mind in this book. 'Lendel didn't love Van enough. And unfortunately, Van was starting to shift in that same direction in this novel. So concerned with revenge that he put Stef in the same position he was put in by 'Lendel's death.
Mercedes Lackey tackles some seriously intense and triggering content in her books. Suicide especially for book 1. And this finale takes those triggers up a few notches. Rape isn't always something done right in books. To be honest, it probably shouldn't be in pop media at all. It's a cheap and ungenuine way to cause conflict, especially since the victims of it are never given the time to work through things. I won't say that Lackey did a bad job but I don't think she did a great job (as clumsy as that all sounds) either. Her novels are a bit shorter, clocking in at 350 pages or less, and so, some things are glossed over for printing sake. The time skips following Van's rape are inelegant, but it was the 90s and this was something like YA so...do with that what you will.
Seriously though, this book is basically 300 pages of 'content warning.' 300 pages of agony. 300 pages of knowing exactly how this is all going to turn out and not being able to stop yourself from consuming it anyway. I put this book off for days at a time because I really didn't want all that emotional anguish in my life, but hey, we readers like to suffer!
Mercedes Lackey, you obliterated my soul, but Van is now numbered among my favorite and most inspiring protagonists. I'm seriously jealous of the middle schoolers and high schoolers that got to read this series at their most trying times of young adult life. Especially for those members of the LGBTQ community who were probably hiding in the closet or unknowing that they were in fact there. I hope they found strength and courage in this book and in a character who has never shied away from the part of him that the rest of the world wanted to forget or destroy.
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape
The final book of The Last Herald-Mage trilogy finds Vanyel quite literally the last Herald-Mage. Most of the other Herald-Mages have been killed in battle, and no child has manifested the Mage Gift in years. As Van probes more deeply into the problem, he discovers that someone is targeting anyone with the Mage Gift--someone who is determined to bring Valdemar, already on the brink of losing its king, into utter chaos.
In this book, we come full circle, as Vanyel finds love again and learns to trust. We also see how Vanyel sets in motion the wardings that keep mages from operating in Valdemar (and if you've read some of the later Valdemar novels first, as I had, you understand what that means to the series as a whole), as well as the origin of the Karsite prejudice against any of their own Gifted.
I think I liked this one the best out of the three, even though in the end, it's kind of sad.
In this book, we come full circle, as Vanyel finds love again and learns to trust. We also see how Vanyel sets in motion the wardings that keep mages from operating in Valdemar (and if you've read some of the later Valdemar novels first, as I had, you understand what that means to the series as a whole), as well as the origin of the Karsite prejudice against any of their own Gifted.
I think I liked this one the best out of the three, even though in the end, it's kind of sad.
Aaaaand we're back to the completely overwrought and dramatic. The second novel in this series is the only one which does not live up to its over-the-top cover. There were several things that bugged me so much that I almost did not finish this series:
- Creepy Age Difference. For some reason, this is incredibly common in M/M fiction. And. Yuck. I'm not talking about younger teens dating older, though of age teens, I'm talking people in their thirties dating people who are 16/17 years old. It's downright creepy and makes me think really badly of your character. Also of the author who includes so many of these couples.
- Rape. Author changes the POV character for this one and... sigh. Was that necessary? Do we need this to happen? I could have survived without, frankly.
- Soulmates. I always think soulmate storylines are foolish and best left alone, this one in these books is especially saccharine and frankly unnecessary. I would have more respect for this entire thing if the two teenaged characters had merely thought they were ~magic~ soulmates, only to discover when grown that that does not exist. THAT would have been something.
- Calling women bitches. I do not care how lovingly it is meant. It automatically makes me lose respect for the character who calls women names, especially that one.
In general, I got the impression that our author had a specific view of gay men when she wrote this and either this stereotype aged really badly or they never existed in the first place and she just ought to not have done that. Since our author is a woman these things come across to me as very creepy rather than just as bad writing.
- Creepy Age Difference. For some reason, this is incredibly common in M/M fiction. And. Yuck. I'm not talking about younger teens dating older, though of age teens, I'm talking people in their thirties dating people who are 16/17 years old. It's downright creepy and makes me think really badly of your character. Also of the author who includes so many of these couples.
- Rape. Author changes the POV character for this one and... sigh. Was that necessary? Do we need this to happen? I could have survived without, frankly.
- Soulmates. I always think soulmate storylines are foolish and best left alone, this one in these books is especially saccharine and frankly unnecessary. I would have more respect for this entire thing if the two teenaged characters had merely thought they were ~magic~ soulmates, only to discover when grown that that does not exist. THAT would have been something.
- Calling women bitches. I do not care how lovingly it is meant. It automatically makes me lose respect for the character who calls women names, especially that one.
In general, I got the impression that our author had a specific view of gay men when she wrote this and either this stereotype aged really badly or they never existed in the first place and she just ought to not have done that. Since our author is a woman these things come across to me as very creepy rather than just as bad writing.
A weaker book in the series. As with the previous book I enjoyed the Forst Reach scenes; I also enjoyed the character of Stefan although it would have been stronger with more development in his own right and less Tylendel-reincarnated.
The balance between domesticity and Big Bad Evil wasn't quite right. It also wasn't fun to read the book knowing - as had been foretold in book one and described in Arrows if the Queen - how it inevitably had to end. The build up to this confrontation was tedious (and included a needless rape scene with a hand-wave convenient recovery) and the actual conclusion too quick to have any emotional impact.
The balance between domesticity and Big Bad Evil wasn't quite right. It also wasn't fun to read the book knowing - as had been foretold in book one and described in Arrows if the Queen - how it inevitably had to end. The build up to this confrontation was tedious (and included a needless rape scene with a hand-wave convenient recovery) and the actual conclusion too quick to have any emotional impact.
I enjoyed the trilogy, but it definitely had some problems. Pacing is a huge issue and some plot points come completely out of nowhere and feel phoned in. The first and third novel have "suddenly there's a bad guy" syndrome in the last 50 pages after dealing with completely different plot points. However, the characters do change and they were even ahead of their time for characters written in the 80s. Overall, I liked it, despite the flaws.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
a good book but i wish it wasn’t like that. this whole series has left a hole in me that i wish i had never opened but have zero regrets about
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Murder
Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault