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Brightly Burning (Valdemar (Chronological))

3.97 of 5 stars 3.97 · rating details · 5,252 ratings · 95 reviews

Brightly Burning marks Mercedes Lackey's return to the kingdom of Valdemar, and introduces us to a portion of the otherwise unchronicled reign of King Theran. The book's principle figure is Valdemar's most powerful herald, Laven Firestorm, who comes of age during Valdemar's war with its long-time enemy, the kingdom of Karse.

Sixteen-year-old Laven Chitward's world is turned

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Published (first published May 2000)

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Jun 18, 2007 Tahariel rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: fantasy fans

Shelves: fantasy

I absolutely love this book - it's most definitely my favourite of anything I've read by Mercedes Lackey. Not only are the characters appealing, the plot interesting and the prose devoid of sentimentality (a common pitfall in her books), but it is genuinely moving, and I have reread this quite a few times.

Definitely worth it.

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Apr 03, 2013 Kevin rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I am a huge fan of Merceds Lackey and of Valdemar but this book left me cold. I thought that we would get to read the story of one of the legends of Valdemar and that it would be legendary. Unfortunately it wasn't.

Instead we get another misunderstood teenage hero, with another set of parents who have unreasonable demands, the obligatory group of bullies who single out our hero and a Companion that comes to the rescue in the nick of time.

This is a similar story to the other Valdemar novels but wi...more

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Jun 25, 2012 Ward Bond added it

Brightly Burning marks Mercedes Lackey's return to the kingdom of Valdemar, and introduces us to a portion of the otherwise unchronicled reign of King Theran. The book's principle figure is Valdemar's most powerful herald, Laven Firestorm, who comes of age during Valdemar's war with its long-time enemy, the kingdom of Karse.Sixteen-year-old Laven Chitward's world is turned upside down when his mother is selected as a textile guild representative in the small rural community where he was raised.

...more

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Mar 01, 2011 Anna Pearce rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, fiction

Probably because I've been having a bad month, I've been re-reading books from my youth and trying to determine which, if any, hold up now that I'm much older.

This one didn't hold up at all. Of course, I recall not particularly enjoying it when I first bought it on publication, so I'm not sure what it proves.

The main character of this story is Lavan who, like most Lackey heroes, is a poor misunderstood boy whose family just doesn't understand him. He is abused by someone in authority (in this ca...more Probably because I've been having a bad month, I've been re-reading books from my youth and trying to determine which, if any, hold up now that I'm much older.

This one didn't hold up at all. Of course, I recall not particularly enjoying it when I first bought it on publication, so I'm not sure what it proves.

The main character of this story is Lavan who, like most Lackey heroes, is a poor misunderstood boy whose family just doesn't understand him. He is abused by someone in authority (in this case, both the head of his school and a group of older bullies) until Something Horrible happens, and then everyone is really sorry. In this case, Lavan uses his latent fire-starting magic abilities to kill his bullies by burning them to death.

Of course, Lavan is then chosen by a Companion to become a Herald, thus proving that even though he did this horrible thing, he's a good person at heart, whose abilities will be of utmost importance in defending the Kingdom of Valdemar from the evil religious fanatics to the south.

Also, he's lifebonded to his horse.

This is basically a very fast re-telling of Vanyel: The Angsting, except that while you have three books to get very attached to Vanyel and see him growing out of his whiny phase into an entirely different whiny phase, Lavan's story is over before he even turns 18.

This book includes: people becoming disabled in order to add to the angst level of other characters, magically healed disabilities, main male characters continually talking about the female characters being too weak or delicate to handle things, a dearth of female characters, "simple" country folk being contrasted with the "uppity" city folk, bad parenting, and angst.

This book does not include: a compelling main character.

I did enjoy Herald Pol, who is Lavan's mentor, but I felt that was more because I was dreading when Lavan's POV was going to return more than because of anything making Pol terribly interesting.

This book migrated from my shelf to that of the thrift store. I hope they get more enjoyment out of it.(less)

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Sep 29, 2010 Lisa (Harmonybites) rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Valdemar Fans

Shelves: fantasy, young-adult, novels, fiction

If you've never read Lackey or her Valdemar books, this wouldn't be the place I'd start. The first published is the Heralds of Valdemar trilogy beginning with Arrows of the Queen, and the earliest chronologically, and in my opinion her best, is the Last Herald's Mage series beginning with Magic's Pawn.

Chronologically, this book is set between those two trilogies, and fleshes out a mention of Lavan Firestorm in the first trilogy. The book starts out in a way typical for Lackey's books, with a yo...more

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Mar 01, 2010 Chuck rated it 4 of 5 stars

I'm behind on my blogging, so this will be fast.

Sometimes, when you do something the second time, you do it better. This novel is the book that "Magic's Pawn" could have been.

Lavan is a misunderstood child of middle class parents who mean well but don't "get" him. He is suffering soulfully and mightily . . . can anyone say "Vanyel" from Magic's Pawn?

But Lavan is truly picked on, and, when he is pushed to the point where he is about to be killed, maniests the ability to start fires. At this poi...more

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Apr 08, 2012 Bookstorequeer rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

No matter how many times I read this book, it still has the capacity to make me tear up.

As always with Lackey's writing, the characters are relatable, talented (sometimes extremely) but still flawed and real. The pacing is really good in this book, with minor denouement to really pull the reader throughout. It's easy to feel like you're learning and growing right along with the characters (and when I was first reading this book in my teens, I probably was!).

In all, this is one of my favourite La...more

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Sep 29, 2009 Flores rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I picked up Mercedes Lackey's 'Brightly Burning' for $1 at my local library, and unfortunately after reading it I can see why they wanted to get rid of it.

The book starts off not magnificently, but interestingly enough, with the main character, Lavan, being sent off to school by his parents. Over a hundred pages cover his experience at school, where he is bullied by older students. Lackey actually deals with this section well enough, even though Lavan isn't a particularly likeable protagonist,...more I picked up Mercedes Lackey's 'Brightly Burning' for $1 at my local library, and unfortunately after reading it I can see why they wanted to get rid of it.

The book starts off not magnificently, but interestingly enough, with the main character, Lavan, being sent off to school by his parents. Over a hundred pages cover his experience at school, where he is bullied by older students. Lackey actually deals with this section well enough, even though Lavan isn't a particularly likeable protagonist, I think many readers will be able to relate to the fear and suffering that comes with being bullied. Lavan's feelings and reactions, as well as the attitudes of his classmates are covered realistically - this is one of the few strengths that the book has.

Eventually Lavan 'overcomes' his bullies, becomes a Herald trainee (due to his gift, the ability to manipulate fire) and is 'chosen' by a Companion. This is where the book, which for the first 100 pages is rather average but decent fantasy, starts to really go downhill.
The focus of the book shifts to a strange love triangle (between Lavan, a girl called Elenor, and Lavan's Companion, Kalira) and the war between Valdemar and the Karsites. The war is a rather mundane affair, even though it is a main plot point, it has this oddly tacked on feel; the Karsites are typical religious fanatics, who want to wipe out Valdemar, the Companions and Heralds because they are 'evil'. The Karsites' motives are never properly explored, and despite the fact that Lavan and other characters ponder over the fact that many of the Karsite soldiers are probably ordinary people like them, who don't deserve to die, and most likely don't want to fight either, since the reader never gets to know the Karsites, they remain a faceless enemy that doesn't inspire sympathy. The author gives only a few characters on the Valdemar force the bare minimum of character development, so it's difficult to care about what happens to either side during the war.

What really ruined this book more than anything for me though was the love triangle. Lavan has a 'life bond' with his Companion, Kalira, a being who isn't a horse, but physically resembles one. I found the flirtatious exchanges between the two of them downright creepy. Even though Companions aren't horses (as the author constantly reminds us), Kalira is incredibly horse-like, she is more like an intelligent magical horse than a powerful being.
Lavan and Kalira's relationship is never developed, the reader is just made to accept that they will never care romantically for anyone except each other, (even though there is barely any basis for these feelings) because of their 'life bond'. To me, the life bond is the author being lazy - instead of developing a meaningful relationship between the characters, she just slaps the term 'life bond' in place and that's it, they are bonded for better or worse, inseparable. Cue mushy feelings, don't worry about whether or not the relationship works.

If you don't mind reading about the romantic love between a boy and horse, and 300 pages of build up to a boring war sounds good to you, then I recommend 'Brightly Burning'. Otherwise steer clear. (less)

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Jan 02, 2013 Rosemarie Herbert rated it 5 of 5 stars

This review has been crossposted from my blog at The Cosy Dragon . Please head there for more in-depth reviews by me, which appear on a timely schedule.

Lavan is an unremarkable young man who doesn't want to follow in his parents footsteps. Instead, his parents send him off to merchant school to see what can be made of him. Sadly, the bullying at the school is horrific, and poor Lavan can find himself getting angrier and angrier with no outlet. That anger has to find its own outlet somehow.

This n...more

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Sep 16, 2012 Chuck rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I just finished reading this one. I've owned it for years, but just got around to reading it. It was nice visiting "Valdemar" again. It felt like seeing an old friend after many years and picking up the conversation where you left off 20 years ago. However, I found myself often thinking that Levan was merely a reincarnation of Vanyel. Both characters were bullied in life. Both had strong Gifts that overwhelmed them at times. Both felt entirely too responsible for every little nuance of Life arou...more

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Apr 09, 2013 Bibliotropic rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: valdemar

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. This one's a reread for me (as were most of the Valdemar books, to be honest), and I mention that so that I can give one of my very first impressions of the protagonist: This is Vanyel 2. Both Lavan and Vanyel were very similar characters, not just in circumstance but also in execution. Both came from families where their parents pushed them in unsuitable directions and didn't listen to them regarding multiple instances of bullying and abuse, both became Heralds after a traumatic event, and both...more This one's a reread for me (as were most of the Valdemar books, to be honest), and I mention that so that I can give one of my very first impressions of the protagonist: This is Vanyel 2. Both Lavan and Vanyel were very similar characters, not just in circumstance but also in execution. Both came from families where their parents pushed them in unsuitable directions and didn't listen to them regarding multiple instances of bullying and abuse, both became Heralds after a traumatic event, and both sacrifice their lives to save Valdemar from invasion. They have quite similar personalities. They both have extremely powerful Gifts. It seemed to me, even when I first read this book over a decade ago, that Lackey wanted to revisit the same sort of feeling that she'd established with Vanyel in the Last Herald-Mage trilogy (particularly the first book), and that went into the creation of Lavan.

Lavan himself was mentioned briefly in other Valdemar novels, known as Lavan Firestorm, so much like what Lackey did with Skif in Take a Thief, this book was by and large a character study. However, unlike in Take a Thief, Lavan is a far more central figure to Valdemaran history, so there is a great deal more action and tension shown here. Once we get past Lavan's initial trauma and Choosing, the plot quickly focuses on the growing war with Karse, and Lavan and his Gift become essential elements in the plans to end said war. So we have growing tension over a looming war, character death, violent battles, many of the things that create excitement and provide a real ability to make a book into a page-turner, they're all here where they were largely absent in Lackey's previous character study.

This book is also notable for containing one of my favourite passages on the subject of bullying:

"Here. He's been unconscious since they were dragged out," the Healer replied, mouth set in a hard line. "Look,
Herald Pol, I'm not trying to cause trouble, but I don't like some of the things we've uncovered, or the way those other
boys are acting; it seems to me that they want desperately to hide something, and it has to do with that younger boy.
It's hard to tell, under the burns, but we think there's a lot of bruising all over him that doesn't look accidental, and it
definitely looks as if he's been caned."
Pol hadn't been around the Court as long as he had without gathering a fair understanding of how "ordinary" children
sometimes acted. "You think he's being bullied, knocked around—"
"I think he was being tortured," the Healer interrupted, icily. "That's what we'd call it in an adult, and I see no reason
to call it by a lesser name in children."

This passage always, always, makes my chest lurch, because I've experienced not only this kind of bullying, but also the way adults turn a blind eye and downplay the events and effects, and to see even a fictional character acknowledge that if it's wrong in adults then it's just as wrong in children is incredibly heartening. It was only a small section, but it was a powerful moment. Lan's experiences of bullying were, to be blunt, torture. Abuses of power, physical beatings, neglect by those in charge and those he ought to be able to trust (his parents)... It resonated strongly with me, and reading this for the first time, when my own experiences were closer at hand, definitely brought tears to my eyes. I'm not ashamed to admit that.

An interesting element that Lackey also plays with in this novel is the ever-popular Lifebond, only this time applied to Lavan and his Companion. It was a controversial choice, having a person be soul-bonded to their intelligent horse, but I think it worked. Given that it's been established that Companions are basically Heralds reborn, this sort of thing was bound to happen sooner or later, and it was interesting to see the dynamic. There was no sexual element involved at all, and it wasn't even entirely portrayed as a positive thing. In times of crisis Lavan had someone he could utterly rely on, but it was established that "the two must never be out of each others' heads;" the implication being that the weaker personality could easily be subsumed by the stronger one, and that it could be hard to tell where one ended and the other began. Like I said, a controversial bit of subject matter, but I think it was handled deftly.

Again comparing this book to Lackey's previous character study novel, I think this was carried off far more successfully. People who found Take a Thief lacking in action and purpose will no doubt enjoy this one far more. Between the typical coming-of-age story and the war with Karse, there's more here that can appeal to a wider audience. While again not required reading for the Valdemar series (it's not essential to understanding the more central set of trilogies), it does add more detail to the world and the history of it, and even if it can be skipped without losing anything, I don't recommend it. As a standalone Valdemar novel, Brightly Burning is definitely one of the best!(less)

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Feb 17, 2013 Kendra Healy rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: high-fantasy, lost-the-plot, science-fiction-and-fantasy

Mercedes Lackey's Valdemar is a brightly drawn, vivid world, perhaps not terribly unique in its particulars, but remarkable enough in terms of its social & magical structures. Unfortunately, at least in the case of Brightly Burning, the world is populated by flat, unlikable, and inconsistent characters. Furthermore, Brightly Burning suffers from a plot that is hastily conceived and poorly executed.

Lavan Chitward's life is suffering. At the start of the book it was a struggle to determine how...more Mercedes Lackey's Valdemar is a brightly drawn, vivid world, perhaps not terribly unique in its particulars, but remarkable enough in terms of its social & magical structures. Unfortunately, at least in the case of Brightly Burning, the world is populated by flat, unlikable, and inconsistent characters. Furthermore, Brightly Burning suffers from a plot that is hastily conceived and poorly executed.

Lavan Chitward's life is suffering. At the start of the book it was a struggle to determine how much of Lan's struggle was meant to be sympathetic, and how much of it was meant to be hilarious. There's some overblown teen angst because his parents just don't understand him and he doesn't want to have a job or do chores or anything like that, so instead they send him to a school where he is mercilessly bullied. I feel like this was the part of the book that gripped me the most -- there was emotional tension, palpable danger, and I felt like Lan grew as a character during his time at school. However, Lan's gift soon awakens and he moves on to the Collegium.

As a new reader to Lackey's Valdemar, I found the structure of the Collegium fun & engaging, if not particularly inspired. Still, the plot started to drag here -- by the time the midwinter festivities rolled around, I was struggling to finish a chapter per day. Strangely, the narrative doesn't really pick up from that point onward -- there's about as much time devoted to inconsequential travel as there is to the big climax at the end. Which, I think, highlights the fact that the book suffered badly from a lack of conflict. The bullies in the first portion of the narrative provide a source of conflict, but once they're dealt with, and all the loose ends concerning that are tied up, there's no real driving force behind the narrative. Of course there's the war with Karse, but it's strangely absent from the narrative, and, as another reviewer noted, feels tacked on. I guess the foreshadowing at the beginning of the book implied a very different story than the one I eventually got.

Furthermore, while the writing itself was perfectly serviceable, even enjoyable, there were two big weaknesses to the craft of the novel: (1) dialogue, which bordered on unrealistic and even hokey at times, and (2) action sequences, which were especially notable towards the end of the book where we got detailed descriptions of the armies' movements, but no real sense of the battle, or of the impact of the battle. Furthermore, several times the same sequence of events were retold from both Lan and Pol's perspective with nothing unique or valuable added to the retelling.

Still, the greatest flaw in the book lies, at least for me, with its characters. I failed to get a firm grasp on Lavan as a character. He started off as a whiny teenager and grew into someone with very little in the way of personality. Was he witty? He had his moments, but they were few and far between. Was he observant? Some of his comments would lead us to think so, but considering how absurdly obvious he was to Elenor, I would hesitate to attribute this characteristic to him. He was certainly (and understandably) angry, but aside from some (very understandable) reactions, I got no sense of character from him.

Similarly, Pol and Tuck also fell flat. Pol was the generic mentor/dad and Tuck was the token best friend who was conveniently capable of whatever quality was necessary. Kalira had some personality, but since all her interactions were reactionary to Lan she was similarly hard to pin down. I guess I rather liked Elenor, which meant that this book was certainly not for me. Indeed, Elenor's treatment was abhorrent -- she's constantly dismissed as whiny, naive, useless, and stupid (even by her own parents). For the last half of the book she has this completely inexplicable crush on Lan that serves no narrative purpose. It's never acknowledged, it never causes anything to happen, and her presence is ultimately completely meaningless to the plot. I was expecting her to sacrifice herself for Lan or something similarly tragic, but she mostly just mooned over him then got over it.

And, to tackle the elephant in the room, I was pretty weirded out by the whole life-bond thing with Lan and Kalira. Not necessarily because it was a dude in love with his not!horse (though that was strange) but because it happened to immediately. It was just mentioned off hand for the purpose of causing Elenor angst (to no real end) and didn't play much of a role except in the last fifteen pages or so of the novel. I really would've been okay with the life-bond if there had been some growth or acknowledgement of it, but it was mostly a vehicle for the tragedy at the end which made it feel cheap, rather than meaningful.

I'm intrigued enough by the world to try other Valdemar novels by Lackey, but Brightly Burning itself was a disappointment and a trial to read.(less)

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Nov 01, 2012 Victoria rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-in-a-series, fantasy-science-fiction, 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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Dec 26, 2009 Jeremy Preacher rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

In a way, a lot of the Valdemar books are boarding-school books. This is the only one that involves an actual school, though. The first third of the book is as much a bullying-revenge fantasy as anything, although I would very much not recommend it solely for that, as Lavan Firestorm is perhaps the most truly tragic character in a long line of tragic characters of Valdemar.

Beyond the actual arc, it's a charming book filled with Lackey's usual charming supporting cast. There's enough real drama t...more

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Apr 05, 2009 Phoebe added it

Shelves: funtasy, skimmed-it

I add my review of Mercedes Lackey's Brightly Burning belatedly and with some reluctance. Since March 2008, when I started posting goodreads reviews of every book I completed, my reading habits have improved--I finish more books these days, and those that I don't finish, I totally abandon with little guilt. Brightly Burning is the first novel to fall somewhere in between: I skimmed the last third.

It starts with promise, though to be fair it's the same promise of every Mercedes Lackey book. The t...more I add my review of Mercedes Lackey's Brightly Burning belatedly and with some reluctance. Since March 2008, when I started posting goodreads reviews of every book I completed, my reading habits have improved--I finish more books these days, and those that I don't finish, I totally abandon with little guilt. Brightly Burning is the first novel to fall somewhere in between: I skimmed the last third.

It starts with promise, though to be fair it's the same promise of every Mercedes Lackey book. The teenage protagonist, Lavan "Lan" Chitward has been forced to move to the big city by his social climbing parents. What's worse, Lan--a moody loner used to wandering the forest--is made to go to a school for wealthy children where bullying is the order of the day. At school, the torment of his peers slowly releases Lan's dark side, his pyrokinetic powers that he cannot control.

Lackey spends a lot of time developing the beginning of the story. The awakening of Lan's powers is vividly and slowly described. Though I didn't find him a terribly sympathetic character (he's a bit of a sullen brat), the tension here was well-done and enough to power the story forwards.

But it all fell apart for me when Lan is chosen by a companion to become a Herald of Valdemar.

Sure, I expected it--after all, Lan is a legendary character mentioned in passing in the very first Valdemar novel. But after his choosing, the story becomes terribly well-worn. Things seem to just happen to Lan--he's not in control of his powers, but his companion keeps them conveniently dampened so that Lan can collect a coterie of fairly flat friends. There is a very undeveloped love triangle featuring Lan, a friend, and Lan's horse. No, I'm not kidding.

And that was, actually, part of my problem with this story. Lan and his horse are supposed to be soulmates. Sure, this is an uncomfortable idea, and I hate to suggest bestiality, but there's something bizarre about being in a completely chaste but supposedly perfectly fulfilling relationship. With a talking horse.

Without really exploring any of this, or Lan's powers, Misty rushes us off to war. The military plotline is as terrifically undeveloped and unheralded (heh) as everything that happened to Lan at the Collegium. I felt unmoved by the time the tragic, but predictable, ending came around, but to be fair, I'd been skimming for at least a hundred pages.(less)

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Oct 03, 2007 hypothermya rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Mary-Sue fantasy lovers, those interested in cross-species love

Shelves: speculativefiction

Mercedes Lackey was an author who I first discovered when I was in middle-school, and she wrote about exactly what I wanted to read about when I was that age. As a result, she's become the fantasy equivalent of comfort food. When I'm sick and laying about at home, I want grilled cheese sandwiches and gingerale; when I'm emotionally strung out and need to have an easy, comfortable escape, I read Mercedes Lackey. Sure, grilled cheese and Mercedes Lackey books will never achieve 5-star ratings and...more

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Oct 15, 2010 Denise rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, my-fav-authors

The legendary story of Herald Lavan Firestorm and his beloved Companion, Kalira.

The fantasy world of Valdemar is at war with a powerful enemy--the kingdom of Karse. This kingdom is ruled by religious fanatics who consider the Companions to be white demons and who have vowed to destroy them and all of Valdemar. A young Herald-in-training, Lavan, has been discovered with the very rare (and volatile) gift of Fire-Starting. This ability is linked to his emotions (fear, hate, anger, etc) and must be...more

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May 18, 2012 Maria rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: science-fiction-fantasy

I'm not sure what the point of this book was. Once again, Lackey gets the reader totally invested in a character, only to go nowhere. Perhaps the point was that not all gifts can be controlled? If so, I think that point could have been made a little less finally. Or perhaps it is that not all gifts can be forced to do what is most advantageous to one side over another. Whatever the point was, I loved the book, just not the ending.

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Apr 15, 2013 Alexander Leonhardt rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

This book is like, my family heirloom. My sister, Tessa, read it as a kid/teen. She loved it so much, she STOLE it from the library, and then passed it down to me with a 'lil paragraph on how she loved it, stole it, etc. After reading it, I can see why. Such a wonderful book! If I ever have child (not mine, duh, a child of a friend who I call my own) I will pass it to them, and so on and so forth it shall go!

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Jun 14, 2011 Craig rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

I liked the first 2/3 of this book much more than the last 1/3. Although the misunderstood youth brought into the fold is typical Lackey/Valdemar, it's also well-done. The final section of the book was *not* well-done though - rushed and at times just plain poorly written. Enough that it dropped it from 3+ stars to 2. Seems like she had a deadline and cranked out the last bit in a few late nights.

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Jul 03, 2011 Barbara Brien rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

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

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Nov 01, 2010 Kathleen rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, fiction, read-in-2010

The story of Lavan Firestorm--a young pyrokinetic--as he overcomes a truly horrible bullying situation, finds his best friend horse to love him forever, and becomes the greatest hero of a nation at war. Well paced and entertaining, but the idea of a Herald being life-bonded to his companion creeped me out a little bit. Those two bonds really should be separate things.

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Nov 01, 2011 Gail rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, fantasy-romance

The story of Lavan Firestorm—a firestarter whose story was alluded to in the early Valdemar books, and told in this one. He’s a merchant’s son who’s firestarting gift is tormented into explosion—and he has to deal with the fallout the rest of the time. Winds up destroying an army and a forest when his companion is killed in a war. Sad ending, but good read.

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Aug 21, 2012 Rita rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

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

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Feb 29, 2012 Kirsten rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, heroic-fantasy, ebooks

Tearjerking story of Lavan Firestorm, a young Herald with the ability to mentally start fires. He comes from an abusive background, his ability coming to the fore when he accidentally sets fire to a group of cruel bullies at school. He finds a degree of acceptance at Haven, and develops an incredibly unique bond with his Companion.

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Mar 28, 2011 Alex rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

One of my favorites in the Valdemar series I think, and seeing as how the Valdemar series is quite large and my favorite series as a whole, that's saying something. Especially since I typically prefer female protagonists. I think it's well worth reading, although in fairness I say that about basically every Mercedes Lackey book.

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Aug 29, 2010 Caileen rated it 5 of 5 stars

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

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May 27, 2008 Sarah rated it 3 of 5 stars

I love Mercedes Lackey, and this book was good, but not as good as her others. But I would still reccommend it.

The main character, Lavan, is really annoying in the beginning. While it is easy to sympathize with him, he is kindof a pushover still. He gets better. The background story, with the kingdom going to war, is better understood if you have read her other books first, because those explain that part of the story. Here it is only incident to the story of Lavan and so it doesn't get much in...more

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May 21, 2012 Denyse Loeb rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The story of Lavan Firestorm, a Herald Firestarter, a merchant's son who was originally enrolled in the same school that trains the Heralds by his parents. Bullied near daily by the older students, it isn't until he releases his gift in self-defense that anyone is aware he even has a gift. He becomes chosen and trained to be a Herald, it is only during a conflict with Karse that everyone learns how truly devastating his gift can be.

Impressions: Personally I love Lackey's Valdemar books, even tho...more

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Aug 31, 2009 Susan rated it 3 of 5 stars

This book would have been great except for one thing: for a good chunk of pages in the middle NOTHING HAPPENED. I mean several chapters. It was really grueling. I liked the premise, and at least some of the characters, and even the ending seemed appropriate, but I wouldn't want anyone to suffer through the interminably inaction in the middle.

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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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Trivia About Brightly Burning

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Quotes from Brightly Burning

“Give your enemy a face, If he is human, do not dehumanize him. Know him and know why he is your enemy. If your enemy is within you, understand what it is and why you are afraid. Put a face on your fear. When you understand it, and it is no longer vague and shapeless, you will find that your fear is no longer so formidable.” — 121 people liked it

“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.” — 13 people liked it

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BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/176827.Brightly_Burning?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1172444580l/176827.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/176827.Brightly_Burning?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Brightly Burning by Mercedes Lackey[/url]

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