Magic's Pawn: Valdemar: The Last Herald Mage, Book 1

The learners listen. I thought I bought this to reread it. I remembered none of it other than familiar location and people types. I thought I’d read all of the series 40 years ago. What a fabulous story to re-enter this mystical land after I decided to reread the series.

If you want to start reading the Valdemar books, this is a fine place to start. Vanyel is possibly her most famous hero. Born the eldest son to a minor noble, Vanyel dreams of becoming a bard. He’s a misfit, however, to small and scrawny, and far too pretty, to fit in with his rough and tumble family. His largest struggle is with fighting, something he may well be called on to do to defend his holdings when he’s older. His small build limits his ability to move well in the heavy armor. But when he takes matters into his own hands and tries to teach himself a style better suited to his own body, rather than being praised, he is met with fury. Beaten, broken, and exiled, he is sent to live with his aunt in the capital of Haven where she serves as a Herald, one of the land’s magical protectors. There he finds the truth about himself, and begins his journey to become a legend.

I first found this series many Years ago - and have read, and cried over scenes in it, ever since. (A word of warning, no matter HOW tough you view yourself as - start this series with a box of tissues handy, you WILL need them at some point!) Granted, this is not a series for someone who doesn't want to know that anyone who loves can lose, or win, without having control of the situation. And if you are convinced that non-cis relationships make one less than human, don't try this book, your closed minded stance will ensure that you will neither like Nor understand the essential plotline. But if you are not locked in your own head, you will love this book.

I love all of the series and singles that make up the entire Valdemar saga, and this one has always been one of my favorites. Vanyel is a character that I think, in some way, is a universal character that we can all identify with in one way or another.Vanyel Ashkevron is the eldest son of a rather minor noble in the out country. His father is a rigid man, believing very firmly in certain things. And if you do not fall into his idea of what should be or what is right, then you are somehow lacking. This describes the relationship between Vanyel and his father for most of his childhood. His brothers and cousins, while not stupid, were far more interested in weaponswork and women than intellectual pursuits. Vanyel was intelligent and a gifted musician that took after his mother far more than his father. None of these things raised him in the eyes of his father. His mother, however, celebrated most of these things. She was a flightly woman who knew all too well how to play all of the "womanly" games and she loved having a son who could entertain her so well. However, she spent a lot of time throwing her lady's maid at him, despite his repeated assurances that he was not interested, often creating a bit of a mess for them both.When Vanyel's father finally tires of trying to change him, he sends him to his aunt in Haven, a rather brusque woman who is a Herald. Vanyel knows, even as he lives the prison that ihis own home has become, that he is really only trading one prison for another. But things at Haven aren't what he expects and his life changes so very much.I absolutely love the blend of characters in this book. No matter what your life story is, there is a character in this book that is relatable. No two characters are the same, giving a rich tapestry of characters in a wonderful story. I have heard many complain about the rather whiny attitude of Vanyel throughout the book. They are not wrong; he is whiny. But it is totally appropriate for the story. He is a young teenager, a fact easy to forget, and the reality is that he has a lot to whine about. I love that the character isn't portrayed to be perfect, that he is portrayed as realistic.My Recommendation: As with every book in the Valdemar series, I am in love with this book. Such a wonderful epic read!This review originally posted on my blog, The Caffeinated Diva reads.

Having just read a DREADFUL book by Todd McCaffrey ("Dragonheart," see soon "Dragonliver and "Dragonpancreas"), I was looking forward to immersing myself in another Mercedes Lackey trilogy. (Recently I finished the Gryphons trilogy, and two of the Mage Storm books.) The author usually has such a deft hand with her characters; and although she sometimes invests a bit too much plot-exposition/explanation into their meandering "inner thoughts," she makes her protagonists so engaging that the reader cannot help but care what will happen to them next.However --and I realize it is politically incorrect to say so -- I could've done WITHOUT the whole 15-year-old-being-homosexually-seduced-by-an-older-trainee scenario. I would have objected, as well, had the character been a 15-year-old hetero GIRL; a seduction of that kind of character would also have been unacceptable. I didn't object to ADULT same-sex pairings in her earlier books (and still hope she finds Firesong a great lifebonding); and I'm not homophobic (witness the fact that I knowingly SOUGHT OUT these books)... but this was simply an unnecessary, prurient complication of Vanyel's life. I was eager to discover his talents, his magical abilities, his Companion; instead, I have to wade through a 15-year-old's infatuation. (And before you defend the "romance" of it: Have any of you actually been AROUND any 15-year-olds lately, or listened to them talk?) My impatience here isn't just about this crisis of sexual identity: I just don't find adolescent love-stories that enthralling, HOWEVER "romantic" the author tried to make it. (The teenage angst of all three "Twilight" movies bored me out of my mind.) This was basically nothing more than two teenage boys humping wildly, and yet it was presented a Love Affair for the Ages.Lackey handled the early teenage years of another male character, in "Take a Thief," so adroitly, with such detail and sensitivity (not to mention a sense of adventure), that I was hoping for that here. Instead, this story became a rather graceless segue into the crusade for Gay Rights. The author's push to make the reader sympathize was a bit obvious, and disappointingly heavy-handed.The homosexual stereotypes were legion; both Vanyel and 'Lendel are melodramatic, histrionic clothes-horses. (Of course, given that this was published in 1991, I suppose it may have been groundbreaking for its time.) The "romantic" parts were gooshy, cutesy and saccharine, almost beyond bearing. And the idea that Vanyel, who had never been exposed to even the POSSIBILITY of same-sex pairings, would suddenly be the one BEGGING for that intimacy, is not credible. A young teen would be much more likely to respond with, "Wait a minute, you want to do WHAT to me from behind?"Then there was the sort of Dominatrix Auntie with the gooshy caramel center. Here's a woman whose whole responsibility is the EDUCATION and guidance of young students. And she gives them a private lovenest, within her own quarters, in which to "get it on"? Puh-LEESE. Not to mention that her encouragement of this "pairing" resulted (arguably) in the death of one boy! -- and the author NEVER ADDRESSES this! (Imagine sending your own child to a private school, with this result. How would you react? How would this be covered by the media?)Spoiler alert: The relationship between the two boys was so over-sweetened and unbelievable, that I was glad when 'Lendel was killed. Hope he stays that way. Maybe now Vanyel can concentrate on his newly-acquired magical skills, and bonding with his Companion. We'll see. (I'm just starting the final third of the book.)Postscript: Sorry to say, Vanyel spends most of the final third of this book either semiconscious, or moaning "Why didn't you let me die / Why WON'T you let me die?" For the most part, I became extremely irritated with the whiny, self-pitying little crybaby.The author should realize: If this character was grown-up enough to have the "lifebond" she suggests, then he ought to have been able to bear up under the trials of it (including its untimely end). He gets carried through the end of this book like a six-year-old. Either he was a boy, or a young man. Lackey's insistence on his dysfunctional incompetence, made me lose faith in any suggestion of more admirable inner resources. (Humans have proven, historically, to be SO MUCH more heroic and resilient than this! We have survived under SO MUCH more than what crushed this kid!) OK, so the hawk-guys (hawk-gays?) "healed" him; that made his whole personality, emotionally and magically, a kind of artificial construct -- a mental/emotional/magic-wielding cyborg. I found nothing native to this character, that I could truly admire.I can only hope that he continues to grow, in the second book, so that we can see more of the magic (and less of the whining).For those of you who like real, readable magical books: Read the Jim Butcher series.

Ihaveneverhadabooklikethiswithhalfofthetextruntogethermakingitverydifficulttoread.Itmay be a brilliant book, but I have cataracts and I'm cross-eyed trying to read it. I am very disappointed as I have read and enjoyed most of her previous books, it's just the way it has been printed.

I was looking for m/m fantasy books when I found out about Magic's Pawn, it is more or less what I was looking for. I really enjoyed reading about the characters, especially the protagonist, there is a lot of angst and introspection. On the other hand the plot is not very good, very slow and mostly concentrated in the last few chapters, I think it was a bit rushed, however I cared more about the characters relationships so it didn't bother me at all.

As the first book of this trilogy of the early days of the land called Valdemar this sets the scene very well.You sympathise with the leading character and avidly follow his responses to his problems and developing talents.Looking forward to reading the second book Magics Promise which is on its way to me.

Book 1 of 3 in this series. Once I was about half way through this book I got the other two as I knew that this was a series which I would enjoy. I would recommend this series to anyone. Just a very good entertaining read.

To read Mercedes Lackey's "Magic Pawn (Last Herald-Mage)" was really disappointing for me. I'm into so called popular fiction (I devoured a lot of fantasy, vampire, werewolf and fey stories lately); there's a great deal of very well written books. I'm sorry to say that in my oppinion "Magic Pawn" isn't among them.The first thing that catches the reader's eye - in the truest sense of the word - is the author's habit to italicise every word she thinks worth emphasis. Unfortunately, once started she didn't seem to be able to stop ... (And I HAVE to tell you in the end I couldn't STAND it any longer, lol!)Worse, though, is the fact that Lackey can't bring her characters to life. It's not her ideas, they are perfectly all right - a boy who isn't loved, becomes frozen inside and needs to be saved (that's one example) -, but her realisation of them is - at best - weak. One of the main problems is that she doesn't show, she explains. It is said again and again that Vanyel is desperate (also by himself), but I as a reader don't have the desire to be told what's going on inside the characters. I want to suffer along with them, for a while I want to BE the lost boy Vanyel. But although Lakey uses both ways to give her readers an understanding of him - she tells from his perspective and tells about him from the perspective of others -, it isn't easy to feel with him.As a whole the story lacks suspense. The author herself prevents her readers from too much excitement. There's a dialogue between Vanyel's aunt and his lover-to-be Tylendel; together they discover that his dream to be a bard has been shattered for good. Tylendel says, "That boy is bleeding inside. If we can't get him to open up, he may bleed himself to death." But before anyone has a chance to worry, Vanyel awakes from a nightmare, crying, and Tylendel finds him. The problem is solved immediately, and the story is back to dawdling along. In addition, some scenes are completely redundant - the plot is not being advanced by them, they seem to serve no other purpose than to bore the reader.Then there's the love story between Vanyel and Tylendel. It's a nice idea again - Vanyel, who has felt different all the time, who couldn't take an interest in women like his brother and cousins, finds out that he's homosexual when he meets Tylendel. One has to wonder exactly why the boys are so fond of each other, though ... I would have enjoyed it to read a few scenes which show how their mutual affection grows. Instead Lackey does without building the nervous tension somebody with a (forbidden) crush could experience (and spoils the chance to share this experience for her readers).The characters have background stories, but they don't act because of them, they talk about them. Totally open-hearted, they don't try to hold something back; whenever the opportunity presents itself (which is often the case), they spill their guts. Nobody has to struggle to gain information - and this overabundance makes the things heard appear to be of little value.I always read all the books of a series, it's unbearable for me not to know the end. I think I can live with not knowing it in this case.