Nowadays that sort of literary device is a bit overused, but back in the 80’s when this book was first published it was a perfectly acceptable way to tell a story. are just kind of infodumped on the reader via Talia not knowing any of this information and then the other students teaching it to her. Though the first few chapters dive right into the action, with Talia setting off on an adventure, once she arrives at the Collegium, the various aspects of this world–the difference between Herald-Mages and regular Mages, why Rolan has only ever spoken to Talia once, why the Mages need to exist, what are the duties of the Queen’s Own Mage, etc. Types of representation presented in this book: LGBTQ+, gynecological issues such as periods and birth controlĪs always, I’ll talk about three good things and three not-so-good things so you can make your own judgement about whether or not to give this a try (though I do highly recommend you give this a try! xD) When Talia “found” one of the legendary Companions, she took the first step along the magical pathway to her destiny… Playlist of Mercedes Lackey songs on Youtube (beware that some songs cover events during/after the Heralds of Valdemar so here is your mandatory spoiler alert) Why I Read This Book: I happened upon several Youtube videos of Mercedes Lackey songs on Youtube, and after a bit of Googling, figured out that these amazing songs I’d found were based on this book series. 4.5 stars, and such a fun read! Definitely going to grab the sequel ASAP!

Queen's own mercedes lackey