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Arrow's Fall (Valdemar (Chronological))

4.13 of 5 stars 4.13 · rating details · 9,739 ratings · 115 reviews

But just as Talia is about to uncover the traitor behind all these intrigues, she is sent off on a mission to the neighboring kingdom, chosen by t

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Paperback, 319 pages

Published January 5th 1988 by DAW (first published 1988)

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Best of YA and Children's Fantasy

29th out of 350 books — 371 voters

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The Dark Lord of Derkholm by Diana Wynne Jones

The Will of the Empress by Tamora Pierce

Hidden Gems: YA-Fantasy Novels

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Dec 25, 2012 Amadei rated it 3 of 5 stars

Crossposted to my blog...

This actually is about all three of the books, but I figure you've probably read the first two before getting to this one.

Once, just once, I’d like to read a fantasy novel wherein the young protagonist doesn’t make everything one hundred percent worse by not telling someone in authority that there is a problem.

Take Arrows of the Queen, the first book in Mercedes Lackey’s The Heralds of Valdemar series. The protagonist, a young girl named Talia, is Chosen by one of the co...more

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Oct 24, 2010 Melissa rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, fiction, series

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Mar 24, 2013 Allie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, valdemar

And so the disappointing Arrows of the Queen trilogy ends. This book is actually the best of the three as far as being an actual fantasy novel - we have a real mage-war, lifebonding, near-death experiences, use of Gifts, and some political intrigue. Unfortunately, all this excitement literally happens in the final third of the book. The latter two-thirds are AGAIN plagued with the what-if-she-thinks, what-if-he-thinks of the second book. People, you are GROWN ADULTS, some of you with TELEPATHIC...more

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Mar 16, 2013 Mynameisntcollins rated it 4 of 5 stars

Such a fast-paced book! I was surprised to find myself so engrossed, because when I started, it had been full daylight, and when I finished, it had started to grow dark with the setting of the sun. My roommates were especially surprised to see that I had not moved in all that time. But I couldn't help it, as I usually can't when reading a good book. One page just seems to follow another, and before I know it, I'm finished.

Talia was everywhere in this novel. She had all of her duties as the Quee...more

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Sep 08, 2010 Kristina rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, young-adult

I loved this last installment to the Heralds of Valdemar series. That’s pretty much all I have to say – it’s a tie for my favorite book out of all three (the tie being with the first).

I think Mercedes Lackey read my previous reviews, because the pacing went up by a considerable amount. There were only a few places in the text where the plot lagged, and even when it did, I could see why it was written that way. Elspeth grew a lot this novel, I think, despite the meager amount that was written abo...more I loved this last installment to the Heralds of Valdemar series. That’s pretty much all I have to say – it’s a tie for my favorite book out of all three (the tie being with the first).

I think Mercedes Lackey read my previous reviews, because the pacing went up by a considerable amount. There were only a few places in the text where the plot lagged, and even when it did, I could see why it was written that way. Elspeth grew a lot this novel, I think, despite the meager amount that was written about her. You’d have thought she’d learned with the whole Hulda incident to not trust anyone wholeheartedly unless you were absolutely sure of them, but apparently she needed a second slap in the face before she learned her lesson. She came a long way from Arrows of the Queen, and I loved seeing the entire process from the Brat to Elspeth-in-the-third-book.

About a fourth into the novel, the plot really picks up. Talia and Kris set out to Hardorn, and you get this feeling of foreboding from the very get-go. The trip there is actually interesting (I felt myself skip a bit of the in-between towns in the second book), and it didn’t take pages upon pages. Talia ends up getting captured – a seemingly hopeless situation – and we almost lose our main character. I love (albeit a very... twisted love) the way Lackey portrayed Talia’s captivity. As a writer, I would not want to write the vile things Talia endured, but Lackey did just that – not in a way that I’d want to throw the book into a wall, but rather in a way that made me sympathize with Talia and want to hold her until her hurt went away.

The way she was rescued was... beyond awesome. I can’t even tell you all how much I was jumping up and down (yes, even after my 10th re-read!). The war... wasn’t that great, compared to other wars depicted through fantasy that I’ve read. It was just so-so; nothing totally epic. I have to admit that I loved how a side character that barely had any face time got the “glory” (and I loved him since book 1, anyway!).

One thing about this book, though... is honestly... prepare some tissues or something. When I went through my first read of this third book, I sobbed my eyes out (I was 10, leave me alone D: ). This time around I didn’t sob, but I did get teary-eyed. No matter how many times I read this series/novel, the one thing that will never change is how I feel about... what made me cry. I felt like I lost a part of me (okay that may be over-dramatization). It was hard not to feel that way, when Lackey does such an amazing job of developing her characters that you feel like they’re your very personal friends.

The wedding at the end was nice and simple (or so it seemed, compared to the lavish decorations Elspeth and the others came up with initially). I was so happy Talia and Dirk finally got together in the end, and I loved the way it led up to its inevitability: hope, confusion, misunderstandings, sickness, capture, reuniting, confessing, and absolute love. Kris’ gift at the end was what made the novel so awesome, and made me write a more hyped review. If you want someone to blame, blame him! :P I... loved that he didn’t back out on his promise.

Lastly, the musical CD that accompanies this book is aptly named and coincides with the book wonderfully -- "Lovers, Lore, and Loss". (less)

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Nov 06, 2012 Jessica rated it 2 of 5 stars

***some spoilers ahead!***

I never thought this series took off. It all felt like a big build up to nothing. The entire series, even this finale, felt like the main character encountered a problem then solved it, then encounters a new one, and solves it. There's no cohesion, no building up. In this book, the main bad guy is defeated rather handily, without much fan fair, actually. The secondary bad guy who might have held some depth besides just being evil, turns out to just be evil after all, an...more

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Jan 07, 2010 Liza added it

Shelves: library-loans, 2010, favorites, re-reads, lackey

Growing up my mom was always reading several books at once, usually biographies / autobiographies or other things that I deemed "serious" reading along with those cheap grocery-store checkout-aisle romance novels with the red covers. She called those her "candy novels"- little substance, quick and enjoyable reads, but they don't quite fill you up intellectually.
No offense intended, but Mercedes Lackey provides my "candy novels". The writing, plot line, character development and other literary el...more

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May 24, 2012 Kelsey Dean rated it 3 of 5 stars

This is an interesting world, and I like the story. As far as plot goes, this one was definitely the most solid of the three books. However, there are a few things that are just so silly to me I can't take it seriously...like this thing for white leather and white velvet...have you ever seen someone dressed in white leather? And I have never even seen white velvet. That's just asking to be teased. Costumes aside, the way some characters switch to some other dialect in "intimate" moments as make...more

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Nov 01, 2011 Gail rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

The last part of Talia’s story. She finally gets back to Haven to serve as Queen’s Own Herald, and try to work her love life out. She’s lifebonded to the homeliest of the Heralds, but he resists because he can’t believe she loves him, especially since she just spent a year with the handsomest Herald. There’s trouble over the border with Hardorn—the prince has sent a marriage proposal for Elspeth, heir to the throne—but the queen is wary because of her own history. She married a younger son of an...more

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Mar 19, 2011 Rebecca rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-i-own, favorites

This, along with Arrows of the Queen, is one of those books that I go back to whenever I have a gap in my reading and an afternoon or so to fill, not wanting to dig into anything more substantial. It's a satisfying end to the trilogy, while still leaving the way for the series that she wrote about Valdemar after that. Elspeth's story in the Winds and Storm series in particular are teed up nicely. Make no mistake about it being a brutal book, though, with a whole section of rape and torture, alth...more

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Jul 03, 2012 Anne Hromalik rated it 3 of 5 stars

Hm hm hm. What to think.

Arrow's Fall, third book in The Queen's Own of Valdemar. Book 3 fares better than Book 2 I thought; there was generally less dragging angst, lots more character interaction, and somewhat more sense made of Talia's Empath Gift.

I think ultimately, I find the rhythm of Lackey's writing odd. It seems like she presents plot events only as far as they develop character, and then they are swept away from view-- and though I am a big believer in character-driven stories, I walked...more Hm hm hm. What to think.

Arrow's Fall, third book in The Queen's Own of Valdemar. Book 3 fares better than Book 2 I thought; there was generally less dragging angst, lots more character interaction, and somewhat more sense made of Talia's Empath Gift.

I think ultimately, I find the rhythm of Lackey's writing odd. It seems like she presents plot events only as far as they develop character, and then they are swept away from view-- and though I am a big believer in character-driven stories, I walked away often feeling slighted because the actual plot point did not resolve 'on screen'. Then again, this goes hand-in-hand with the curious bits of plot-driven movement which felt wooden and contrived. I felt like there were lots of 'character pay-off' climax moments that didn't play as well because the building, the ramp-up, and/or the time spent with the characters previously was either insufficient or nonexistent.

But as I've turned this series over in my head, reminding myself of the time it was published and how storytelling differs across mediums, I find myself thinking about whether my ideas concerning the rhythm of storytelling is a more subjective affair than I've allowed it to be in earlier reviews. I *personally* think the way Lackey writes revelation, climax, epiphany, and dramatic irony is ineffective. But is my sense of it fed by more modern 'action-oriented' storytelling methodology, rooted in fast-paced movies and complex TV drama stories? Are my objections to the way she tells her story merely personal preference, or is there a some objective aspect of this that can be looked to as a standard of right and wrong, effectual and ineffectual?

I am vaguely frustrated to have a review devolve into nothing more than personal likes and dislikes. But perhaps there are just some things like that-- there's nothing more than personal taste that makes something good or bad in the mind. With this series, I don't find particular fault with word construction, character development, or story. I merely dislike the presentation, and the mishandling of emotional highs and lows rankles me.

I really *liked* Book 1. But did I like it because a huge portion of the writing felt comforting as Lackey constructed the Collegium environment in our heads? Is the fact that I didn't like Book 2 or 3 as much due to being taken out of that comfort zone? Do I realistically have an objection against that, or should I remind myself that 'such is life'? Is it self-accusatory to call myself a weak reader if I think Book 2 was too angst-ridden to enjoy? And there's a lot of violence and death throughout the books that feels startling and disturbing when contrasted with the notes of comfort and peace within Heraldic characters. It always had big shock value, but was it more because the acts are shocking in themselves, or because they are placed in a story that normally held the reader in comforting hugs the rest of the time? Is there some more objective storytelling truism about the discordant effect of placing 'too real' events together alongside 'too fantastical' events? Is there a certain lengthed segment of the 'realistic' spectrum a storyteller must restrict oneself to, in order to keep the willing suspension of disbelief burning strongly? Am I grasping at some inexplicable idea of realism/romanticism balance within story, or am I just fabricating elaborate excuses for my dislike?

It's all right to dislike, I suppose. I just wrestle with having good reasons for doing so. It bothers me that I can't seem to find much beyond 'I didn't like the storytelling rhythm', in particular how revelation/plot reveal were handled. Should I be so hard on 'personal preference' as a reason not to like something, or should I be digging deeper for logic-based reasons outside of myself? It's easy to explain why I dislike something if there are grammar mistakes or cardboard cutout characters. It's harder if the book passes baseline story requirements but just doesn't ever evoke a sense of enjoyment from me.

I will likely read more of Lackey; she's prolific after all, and because I have many friends who DO enjoy so much of her writing, I'm forever feeling like I should give more of what she has written a chance. In particular I'm interested to see whether I'll feel the same way about her writing style from book to book, or if I can lay my hands on something more to tell why I don't especially enjoy her writing.(less)

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Jun 09, 2010 Bibliotropic rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: valdemar

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. The action really picks up in this conclusion to the first trilogy of Valdemar, as Orthallen's treachery is uncovered and Ancar's plans are revealed. There is war, death, love... It sounds so very cheesy to put it that way, but Mercedes Lackey pulls it off in a way that doesn't make the reader feel like they're being drowned in cliches.

Most of the time, anyway. I have to admit that the revelation that Orthallen sent an assassin to kill Selenay's father in the heat of battle was just a little too...more The action really picks up in this conclusion to the first trilogy of Valdemar, as Orthallen's treachery is uncovered and Ancar's plans are revealed. There is war, death, love... It sounds so very cheesy to put it that way, but Mercedes Lackey pulls it off in a way that doesn't make the reader feel like they're being drowned in cliches.

Most of the time, anyway. I have to admit that the revelation that Orthallen sent an assassin to kill Selenay's father in the heat of battle was just a little too corny for me.

I'm not sure whether or not to class that one as one of the inconsistancies of the Valdemar timeline, really. In a later book, the one that deals with the Tedrel wars, it's revealed that Sendar was indeed killed in battle, but no mention of anything other than just a simple overpowering by an enemy force was even implied. Somebody could have sent an assassin in specifically to kill Sendar at that moment, I suppose, but it seems like coordinating that would have been far too complicated. It seems more like another little established thing that the author forgot about when she wrote later books.

One thing that has always puzzled me about the Valdemar series is the arrow code, which plays a central part of this first trilogy. If it's ever mentioned again, I don't recall it. No other Herald seems to learn it or teach it in any book that takes place before or after the Arrows trilogy. The way it's presented here, that would be something akin to Herald never learning weaponswork: inconceivable. And yet...

But all that aside, this was an enjoyable trilogy, even if it did start off rather slowly. You see the characters grow and change very realistically as the books progress, especially Talia and Elspeth. I think the author did a wonderful job of protraying people who are having to grow up in extraordinary circumstances. What makes them so believable is that although Heralds as a whole are presented as being immaculate and close to perfect to the general population, they are anything but. Dirk loses himself in angst and confusion and starts drinking himself to sleep at night. Elspeth is made a fool of and then makes a fool of herself. Mistakes are made, and sometimes rectified but sometimes not, and when you're writing a story about a group of heroes who are, in some sense, a gift from the gods, it can be so easy to write them as being infallible, perfectly sensible and with logical reasons behind everything they do. Instead, they are wonderfully portrayed as real people, with problems and emotions and quirks.

I've always said that Mercedes Lackey's talent lies in characterization. If you're looking for fantasy books packed with epic battles and world-changing awesomeness... Well, read Lackey's Storms trilogy, honestly. But the rest of her books are driven more by characters, by people, than by great cataclysms, and that's what I enjoy about them.

The trilogy ends with a positive event as a reprieve from negativity, rather than a negative event overshadowing anything positive that could happen. Talia's wedding to Dirk (and the supernatural gift from Kris at the very end) is a little bit of a twist to the usual formula. Plenty of people would have a wedding surrounded by apprehension over the inevitable war, or have the wedding come before the initial skirmish, to end the book on a much more powerful cliffhanger. Yes, I say powerful because such a thing might have drawn more readers if there had been more action to end the book with, a reason for them to go out and immediately buy the next book to see what happens next. On the other hand, what must be remembered is that this book isn't the story of a country. It's the story of a person, and people are very apt to cling to small moments of happiness in the middle of chaos.

Not saying that's the best way to do it, but the happy -- or rather, happier -- ending can certainly be excused, as it follows the authors style and plays to her strengths very well.

The book also ends with some of the songs of Valdemar, not just ones mentions in the trilogy but also ones written about characters or events that the books deal with, a taste of what Valdemar's Bards have been up to this whole time. It's a nice little treat for the musically-inclined, and I enjoy getting to read the lyrics. (And before I learned that music had already been put to those lyrics and released as CDs, I enjoyed making my own tunes for them!)(less)

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Jun 25, 2012 Ward Bond added it

With Elspeth, the heir to the throne of Valdemar, come of marriageable age, Talia, the Queen's Own Herald returns to court to find Queen and heir beset by diplomatic intrigue as various forces vie for control of Elspeth's future. But just as Talia is about to uncover the traitor behind all these intrigues, she is sent on a mission to the neighboring kingdom, chosen by the Queen to investigate the worth of a marriage proposal from Prince Ancar. And to her horror, Talia soon discovers there is far

...more

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Mar 19, 2013 Jordan rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, own, high-fantasy

The second book dragged a little, but this one made up for it. Everything that was kind of just floating around in the background for the first two books finally all came together. The lifebond stuff kind of made me roll my eyes, but I'm reading a book about magical white horses that telepathically bond to super special humans, so I guess I can deal with it. Despite the magical horses and such I really enjoyed the trilogy.

Two semi-minor dislikes. First, there's a period in the book where Talia m...more

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Aug 29, 2010 Kathleen rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, fantasy, read-in-2010

This book concludes the trilogy centered on Talia very nicely with an epic battle and a wedding. The evil prince of the foreign kingdom manages to be frightening by employing magicians although the torture with his childhood nanny borders on comically evil. The characterization of Talia's love interest Dirk falters a little in this book as well, when their romance is left mostly to the magical life bond between the pair. I really preferred their love stemming from their shared snarkitude in Arro ...more

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Jun 01, 2011 emily rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, fiction-fantasy

this whole trilogy underwhelmed me. the writing wasn't fantastic, it was a little simplistic both in plot and in character development. there was a lot of telling, not a lot of showing; there was barely a time when i felt any emotional connection to any of the characters. that said, the plot wasn't awful, the world creation was decent, and i think if the different plot threads had all been woven together instead of brought up and dealt with episodically the entire trilogy would have been much mo...more

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Feb 06, 2010 Chuck rated it 4 of 5 stars

Ends the trilogy . . .Talia is sent with close friend Kris to represent the queen and a possible alliance between Velddemar and the neighboring kingdom. Although things seem all right in the kingdom at first, something is not quite right, and the two hear startling information about the king's son. While there, the king has his father killed, trying to pass the blame on Talia, Kris, and Valdemar. Talia escapes, barely, and tries to warn the queen and keep her from falling into a trap.

Although th...more

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Nov 06, 2012 Victoria rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy-science-fiction, books-in-a-series, valdemar

Mercedes Lackey’s Valdemar series provides one of the cornerstones of my reading history. After discovering her when quite young, I still follow new additions to the series - nearly twenty years later! I read and re-read these books over and over again throughout my youth, but I haven't re-read this series in its entirety in a long time - and never as an adult. There are some new books added to the series since the last time I read them, so this re-reading project is pretty exciting for me since...more

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Jun 21, 2012 Maria rated it 3 of 5 stars

Recommended to Maria by: Wyatt

Shelves: science-fiction-fantasy

Finally, finally, Orthallen gets his just reward. He was so sneaky, I wasn't sure it would ever happen. I was disappointed in Kris' fate, although I have to admit I have been disappointed in his character since book two. There was more about him than Dirk and I would have preferred the opposite, particularly since I didn't much like Kris in the first place. Also, the book wandered on a bit long after the climax, which I could have done without. The Exile books are still my favorites so far.

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Nov 29, 2011 Jeremy Preacher rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

This is the strongest book in the trilogy, I think - the stakes are raised significantly, and there is some resolution to the major plot threads. The writing is again better than before. It's still flawed, though. The not-talking-to-each-other problem takes up the first third of the book, and is tedious in the extreme. The rape and torture in the middle third feels a bit... not gratuitous, exactly, but cheap, like Lackey couldn't think of a non-obvious way to heighten the tension. And the pacing...more

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Feb 11, 2012 Widdershins rated it 2 of 5 stars

A fairly disappointing ending to a lackluster series. Very uneven depth to both the story and the characters - overdeveloped in some areas and bare bones in others. After having run across Mercedes Lackey's name so often over the years I am pretty disappointed in what I've read so far. I'll try one more book in the hope that this, which was her first outing, I think, is the weakest of her series. Not overly optimistic, though.

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Jan 26, 2012 Erika rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, jan-2012

Probably my favourite of the trilogy. Emotional but well-written. Ties up most of the loose ends nicely. I always forget about the middle part though, probably because I mix it up with when they visit Hardorn in the later books. The ending is super sweet, but I don't mind because by that time Lackey has me in her thrall.

It's cute to come back to this original trilogy after reading all the other novels and see where she started from and how things don't quite mesh, but you ignore it anyway for th...more

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Aug 31, 2011 Anna rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction

To be fair, I felt like the storyline of this third book held together better than earlier books in the trilogy. However, I just didn't like it. The romantic tension just felt so forced --- if everyone had just talked to their friends a tiny bit, all of the angst would have all been avoided. And terrible events that occur seem to have less impact on the main character than I think they really would have.

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Jan 01, 2013 James rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, lgbt

Be careful what you wish for. My main criticism of the previous book in this series was that it appeared to almost completely drop the driving plot thread from the first book. Well this book brings it back, in the form of two cartoon-ish villains and their over-the-top conspiracies that Talia must now protect her country from. Overall a disappointing conclusion to an otherwise enjoyable trilogy.

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Dec 28, 2010 Simeonberesford rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, valdemar, ebook, green, dragon

it comes together in this the third book of a trilogy Lackey's plot often seems rather linear which is what makes me think of them as suitable for young adults.. But I cant think of one that was marketed as such in this case I suspect it is because the conservative American market would find the implied message that its okay to have sex with people that you just think of as friends as dangerous.

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Jul 24, 2009 Megan rated it 3 of 5 stars

Wonderful story, poor editing. I love her stories, but her characters occasionally get on my nerves, because the editing leaves a little something to be desired, and eventually all of the characters' emotional issues drive me nuts...but I can't stop reading her stories!! I love the morals, the acceptance of shay'a'chern, the Valdemar stories, and the rewritten classic fairy tales.

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Apr 22, 2010 Lisa (Harmonybites) rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Fantasy Fans

Shelves: fantasy, romance, novels, fiction

This is the conclusion to Arrows of the Queen and Arrows Flight, which should be read first. I think this is a satisfying resolution to all the threads established in the first books. I like how Talia grew through all three novels and Lackey certainly made me feel for her characters. Well, the ones on the "good" side. This author's and series greatest flaw is arguably that she creates a very black and white world, with villains in the twirl-the-mustache mold, and this is no exception. Combined w...more

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Jun 13, 2011 Kris rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, mercedes-lackey

I wasn't drawn into this world, this trilogy, sad to say. I liked some of her other worlds and stories so much better. It wasn't bad, per say, but near the end of the book when all of this action started to take place I just... couldn't find myself really caring all that much. Maybe I should just stick with her Dragon Jouster books which I dearly love...

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Jan 31, 2013 Sherry rated it 5 of 5 stars

This was much better than the second...but maybe not as good as the first. There's a visit to another country, a war averted, but also fought, and Elsbeth grows into quite the character in this book. I liked it, but it left me wanting to read more from the Valdemar books. The trilogy could stand alone, but doesn't do so very well.

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Feb 29, 2012 Kirsten rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, heroic-fantasy, ebooks

When Talia and Kris are sent as advance emissaries to the court of Hardorn, few suspect anything amiss. Things soon go awry, when the young prince seizes power is a murderous way, and Talia is trapped with no way to warn her friends or the queen that they are walking into a trap. A very emotional book, but it has a lovely ending!

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About Mercedes Lackey

Mercedes entered this world on June 24, 1950, in Chicago, had a normal childhood and graduated from Purdue University in 1972. During the late 70's she worked as an artist's model and then went into the computer programming field, ending up with American Airlines in Tulsa, Oklahoma. In addition to her fantasy writing, she has written lyrics for and recorded nearly fifty songs for Firebird Arts &...more Mercedes entered this world on June 24, 1950, in Chicago, had a normal childhood and graduated from Purdue University in 1972. During the late 70's she worked as an artist's model and then went into the computer programming field, ending up with American Airlines in Tulsa, Oklahoma. In addition to her fantasy writing, she has written lyrics for and recorded nearly fifty songs for Firebird Arts & Music, a small recording company specializing in science fiction folk music.

"I'm a storyteller; that's what I see as `my job.' My stories come out of my characters; how those characters would react to the given situation. Maybe that's why I get letters from readers as young as thirteen and as old as sixty-odd. One of the reasons I write song lyrics is because I see songs as a kind of `story pill' -- they reduce a story to the barest essentials or encapsulate a particular crucial moment in time. I frequently will write a lyric when I am attempting to get to the heart of a crucial scene; I find that when I have done so, the scene has become absolutely clear in my mind, and I can write exactly what I wanted to say. Another reason is because of the kind of novels I am writing: that is, fantasy, set in an other-world semi-medieval atmosphere. Music is very important to medieval peoples; bards are the chief newsbringers. When I write the `folk music' of these peoples, I am enriching my whole world, whether I actually use the song in the text or not.

"I began writing out of boredom; I continue out of addiction. I can't `not' write, and as a result I have no social life! I began writing fantasy because I love it, but I try to construct my fantasy worlds with all the care of a `high-tech' science fiction writer. I apply the principle of TANSTAAFL [`There ain't no such thing as free lunch', credited to Robert Heinlein) to magic, for instance; in my worlds, magic is paid for, and the cost to the magician is frequently a high one. I try to keep my world as solid and real as possible; people deal with stubborn pumps, bugs in the porridge, and love-lives that refuse to become untangled, right along with invading armies and evil magicians. And I try to make all of my characters, even the `evil magicians,' something more than flat stereotypes. Even evil magicians get up in the night and look for cookies, sometimes.

"I suppose that in everything I write I try to expound the creed I gave my character Diana Tregarde in Burning Water:

"There's no such thing as `one, true way'; the only answers worth having are the ones you find for yourself; leave the world better than you found it. Love, freedom, and the chance to do some good -- they're the things worth living and dying for, and if you aren't willing to die for the things worth living for, you might as well turn in your membership in the human race."

Also known as Misty Lackey.

http://us.macmillan.com/author/merced...(less)

More about Mercedes Lackey...

Books by Mercedes Lackey

Arrows of the Queen (Heralds of Valdemar, #1)

Magic's Pawn (Valdemar: Last Herald-Mage, #1)

Magic's Price (Valdemar: Last Herald-Mage, #3)

Magic's Promise (Valdemar: Last Herald-Mage, #2)

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Arrow's Fall (Valdemar (Chronological))

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