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A review by heliotropepajamas
The Complete Arrows Trilogy by Mercedes Lackey
adventurous
slow-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? Yes
3.0
Rereading a series I remember not liking terribly much as a teen back in the 90s/00s, and lo and behold I don't think much of it as an adult in the 20s.
Giving it some slack since it is literally the first time we visit Valdemar, and I liked Talia's beginning story and the introduction to Heralds and the Collegium. It's always interesting to see where things start and how far they deviate as the world continues along.
Solid beginning in the first book, a second book that could easily have been omitted without losing anything, and a third book that is all over the place. On the one hand I appreciated a bit of adventuring and seeing kingdoms other than Valdemar, but could have done without the lovelorn wallowing at the beginning and the torture bits had me really wondering why the series is still considered YA. Are we really going to have a one sentence gang-rape? In a YA story? Everything else in that section was traumatic enough without its inclusion. . The villain was also pretty obvious from book two onward so the ending wasn't that big a reveal.
On a side note, I am not a fan of omnibus editions. They are awkwardly bulky for those who read on the go, it's hard to take a breather between stories, and I always feel vaguely cheated out of my book stats.
Giving it some slack since it is literally the first time we visit Valdemar, and I liked Talia's beginning story and the introduction to Heralds and the Collegium. It's always interesting to see where things start and how far they deviate as the world continues along.
Solid beginning in the first book, a second book that could easily have been omitted without losing anything, and a third book that is all over the place. On the one hand I appreciated a bit of adventuring and seeing kingdoms other than Valdemar, but could have done without the lovelorn wallowing at the beginning and the torture bits had me really wondering why the series is still considered YA.
On a side note, I am not a fan of omnibus editions. They are awkwardly bulky for those who read on the go, it's hard to take a breather between stories, and I always feel vaguely cheated out of my book stats.
Content Warnings
Minor: Rape
I don't want to call the rape of a main character minor, but the author only gives it one sentence in the text.