false http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1172444580m/176827.jpg 176827 8 <I>Brightly Burning</I> 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.<p>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. Moving to the capital city of Haven rips him away from his friends and boyhood pleasures, and nothing in Haven seems to fill that void. Unable to fit into the nouveau riche society, and unwilling to follow his parents into the textile guild, he finds himself adrift and depressed. His father enrolls him in a special school that will allow him to choose a trade that interests him, rather than be apprenticed against his will. There he finds himself terrorized and tortured by the boys in the sixth form until, with an awful roar, the gift of fire awakens deep within him and extracts revenge for his sadistic treatment.<p> With the help of a unique herald, an empathetic healer and a special companion, Laven soon learns to keep his gift under control and eventually, to direct his awful firestorm as far as he can see. When the kingdom of Karse attacks, Laven is hurried to the border to assist his king and country by repelling the invasion. During the final battle Laven earns the name Firestorm and becomes one of the most famous heralds in the history of Valdemar.<p> <I>Brightly Burning</I> is a distinct and unforgettable coming-of-age story. With a compelling cast of characters and lively dialog, Mercedes Lackey once again demonstrates her adroit mastery of fantasy fiction. <I>--Robert Gately</I> 1257876 2000 Brightly Burning (Valdemar) total:1290|5:393|4:450|3:335|2:98|1:14| 1290 4980 1563 33 4 2 false false Fri Jun 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007 Mon Jun 18 11:52:34 -0700 2007 Mon Jun 18 11:54:12 -0700 2007 more...]]> 2 0 false false Sat Apr 04 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Sun Apr 05 21:56:45 -0700 2009 Sun Apr 05 22:17:45 -0700 2009 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 littl...more...]]> 1 0 false false Sun Sep 20 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Thu Sep 17 05:44:16 -0700 2009 Tue Sep 29 01:06:10 -0700 2009
The book starts off not magnificently, but interestingly enough, with the main character, Lavan, being sent off to school by his par...more...]]> 4 0 false false Thu Oct 25 15:53:34 -0700 2007 Wed Oct 03 13:13:19 -0700 2007 Wed Oct 03 13:33:05 -0700 2007 more...]]> 3 0 false false Tue May 27 12:01:13 -0700 2008 Tue May 27 12:06:42 -0700 2008
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 stor...more...]]> 3 0 true false Sun Aug 30 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Tue Aug 25 19:28:56 -0700 2009 Mon Aug 31 07:21:50 -0700 2009 more...]]> 3 0 false false Sun Jul 12 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Sun Jul 12 14:53:53 -0700 2009 Sun Jul 12 14:56:12 -0700 2009 5 0 false false Sat Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2005 Fri Dec 26 14:24:23 -0800 2008 Fri Dec 26 14:26:37 -0800 2008 4 0 false false Thu Mar 19 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Fri Mar 13 13:12:33 -0700 2009 Thu Mar 19 12:44:47 -0700 2009 2 0 false false Sun Apr 05 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Fri Dec 07 21:22:34 -0800 2007 Sun Apr 05 22:51:11 -0700 2009 more...]]> 3 0 false false Wed Oct 07 07:09:30 -0700 2009 Wed Oct 07 09:29:35 -0700 2009 5 0 false false Mon Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2007 Thu Mar 05 10:31:54 -0800 2009 Thu Mar 05 10:34:07 -0800 2009 2 5 0 false false Tue Dec 16 17:26:16 -0800 2008 Tue Dec 16 17:26:37 -0800 2008 4 0 false false Wed Feb 20 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Tue Feb 24 15:19:41 -0800 2009 Tue Feb 24 15:20:00 -0800 2009 5 0 false false Sun Jul 26 13:02:36 -0700 2009 Sun Jul 26 13:02:55 -0700 2009 5 0 false false Sat Apr 11 00:05:38 -0700 2009 Sat Apr 11 00:06:11 -0700 2009 1 0 false false Mon Nov 10 21:43:50 -0800 2008 Mon Nov 10 21:43:50 -0800 2008
Please, save so...more...]]> 5 0 false false Tue Feb 26 16:07:09 -0800 2008 Thu Feb 28 21:54:42 -0800 2008 more...]]> 2 0 false false Mon Oct 01 08:15:09 -0700 2007 Mon Oct 01 08:16:33 -0700 2007 1 0 false false Mon Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2001 Thu Jul 31 14:11:13 -0700 2008 Tue Jan 20 06:05:12 -0800 2009 http://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/8?book_id=176827