Magic's Promise
by Mercedes Lackey
Valdemar: The Last Herald-Mage (2), Valdemar: Publication Order (7), Valdemar: Chronological Order (798 AF)
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Groundbreaking epic fantasy series in Mercedes Lackey's Valdemar universe-
Lambda-Award winning novels with heartfelt high adventure and magic
Wild magic is taking its toll on the land. Many Heralds and Herald-Mages have died fighting to preserve the peace. Even Vanyel, the most powerful of the Herald-Mages is almost at the end of his strength, in need of a respite from the dual threats of war and dark magic.
But for Vanyel, there can be no rest. Not when his Companion, Yfandes, receives
Is the young Prince Tashir, a newly Chosen Herald who can't control his magic, responsible for the destruction? Or is Tashir a pawn in a deeper, more deadly game—and, if so, will Vanyel be able to find and defeat the true destroyer before this master of dark powers can strike again?
From the Paperback edition. . show less
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Member Reviews
I think this may be one of the best pieces of Lackey's writing. It is also one of my favorite mysteries/antagonists of hers largely because it is done well without being so convoluted that it gets lost (which is how I feel about the Mage Winds and Storms arcs). In addition, the theme of living with grief and loneliness is quite well written. It's still angsty as Lackey tends to write but it tempered with an adult's sensibilities and the hope I most treasure from Valdemar stories - even those that also break me and leave me sobbing over fictional characters.
In this story, taking place 12 years after the end of the previous book, Vanyel returns to Haven after taking the place of 5 other mages on the front lines to save Valdemar from the denizens of dark magic. However, when Yfandes and Vanyel respond to an urgent call for help from a young, untrained mage and his companion from across the border they become embroiled in an international incident that could bring Vanyel's family to the cusp of war, just when he's actually starting to like them.
My biggest complaint here is the leap in time. Although we learn much of Vanyel's life as he grew from the teenage, newly-made Herald-Mage of the first book it seems as though he had a great many adventures that might have been book-worthy. Certainly show more there are a great many surprises that come up during this story of things Vanyel accomplished during this in-between time. The other thing I had difficulty with is all the characters. I totally couldn't keep up with who was who and there is an important scene at the end with the character, Jaysen, who sounded familiar but I had no real clue who the person was. Outside of that this fantasy was very interesting. There is lots of action and lots of soul searching on Vanyel's part who, despite the intervening years, continues to have many of the issues that plagued him at the end of the first book. I also liked the fact that he learned to let go of his grudges and accept people previously vilified in his life. Overall I did enjoy it despite my character confusion and I will be reading the last book of this trilogy. show less
My biggest complaint here is the leap in time. Although we learn much of Vanyel's life as he grew from the teenage, newly-made Herald-Mage of the first book it seems as though he had a great many adventures that might have been book-worthy. Certainly show more there are a great many surprises that come up during this story of things Vanyel accomplished during this in-between time. The other thing I had difficulty with is all the characters. I totally couldn't keep up with who was who and there is an important scene at the end with the character, Jaysen, who sounded familiar but I had no real clue who the person was. Outside of that this fantasy was very interesting. There is lots of action and lots of soul searching on Vanyel's part who, despite the intervening years, continues to have many of the issues that plagued him at the end of the first book. I also liked the fact that he learned to let go of his grudges and accept people previously vilified in his life. Overall I did enjoy it despite my character confusion and I will be reading the last book of this trilogy. show less
This book takes up long after the end of Magic's Pawn and Vanyel is exhuasted by the wild magic and trauma that he has been through. He is almost an entirely different person in this book, changed and matured with the experiences of his past. As much as I loved the first book, I think I love Vanyel as a character even more in this book.
Over the years, he has become everything he was meant to be... and all of the things his father would never have imagined. He is a hero of Valdemar and has dedicated his life to keeping its people safe, even at his own expense. He is told to take some leave to rest and recuperate and goes to the most unlikely place,... Askevron Manor. But it isn't long before he realizes that there are things happening show more just beyond the borders that threaten everything.
Once again, I think Vanyel and his circumstances are universally relatable. I love Vanyel and I love his story. He is such a sympathetic character so it is easy to root for him throughout the story. Even after everything he has done for the kingdom, his parents still can't see him for who he is. His father is still dismissive and his mother is still throwing her ladies at him. And as a person, despite all that he has been through, he still has so much to learn about life, love, and moving forward after grief. This book also answered a lot of questions about some characters from the first book, particularly the family priest and the weaponsmaster. They were extraordinarily hateful in the first book with no real explanation as to why that was so extreme.
As with the other books, this one is full of twists and turns and intrigue. I think that there is an added level of suspense in this particular book because Vanyel is, as the series title suggests, the last of his kind. He is the last Herald-Mage. So much rides on him and there are moments when you wonder, even knowing there is another book in the trilogy, if he is going to survive.
My Recommendation: I highly recommend this series if you love high fantasy and rich, relatable characters!
This review originally posted on my blog The Caffeinated Diva reads. show less
Over the years, he has become everything he was meant to be... and all of the things his father would never have imagined. He is a hero of Valdemar and has dedicated his life to keeping its people safe, even at his own expense. He is told to take some leave to rest and recuperate and goes to the most unlikely place,... Askevron Manor. But it isn't long before he realizes that there are things happening show more just beyond the borders that threaten everything.
Once again, I think Vanyel and his circumstances are universally relatable. I love Vanyel and I love his story. He is such a sympathetic character so it is easy to root for him throughout the story. Even after everything he has done for the kingdom, his parents still can't see him for who he is. His father is still dismissive and his mother is still throwing her ladies at him. And as a person, despite all that he has been through, he still has so much to learn about life, love, and moving forward after grief. This book also answered a lot of questions about some characters from the first book, particularly the family priest and the weaponsmaster. They were extraordinarily hateful in the first book with no real explanation as to why that was so extreme.
As with the other books, this one is full of twists and turns and intrigue. I think that there is an added level of suspense in this particular book because Vanyel is, as the series title suggests, the last of his kind. He is the last Herald-Mage. So much rides on him and there are moments when you wonder, even knowing there is another book in the trilogy, if he is going to survive.
My Recommendation: I highly recommend this series if you love high fantasy and rich, relatable characters!
This review originally posted on my blog The Caffeinated Diva reads. show less
Am Utterly Engrossing Series!
I picked up this series because I was in the process of writing a fantasy novel with a gay hero and I wanted to see what other works were out there. I had never read Ms. Lackey's work, so I didn't know what to expect. I was not just pleasantly surprised by this trilogy, I was completely captivated by it and very sad when I reached the final page. The plot is interesting and the pace is quick. The characters, especially the hero Vanyel, are extremely sympathetic, primarily due to the fact that they are so flawed. Some may find the romance a bit sappy, but I'm the first to admit that I dig that kind of thing and you'll see it in my own novels as well.Orphan's Quest (Chronicles of Firma, Book One) Best of all show more for me, though, was the fact that although her hero is unapologetically gay, the series does not become mired in its "gayness" as so many other works of gay-themed fiction I have read.
This trilogy gave me a great deal of inspiration to push on with my own fantasy aspirations. I owe Misty a big hug if we ever meet face to face. I highly recommend these three books. Whether you're gay or straight, you'll find them an excellent read and, like me, you'll be sorry to reach that last page. show less
I picked up this series because I was in the process of writing a fantasy novel with a gay hero and I wanted to see what other works were out there. I had never read Ms. Lackey's work, so I didn't know what to expect. I was not just pleasantly surprised by this trilogy, I was completely captivated by it and very sad when I reached the final page. The plot is interesting and the pace is quick. The characters, especially the hero Vanyel, are extremely sympathetic, primarily due to the fact that they are so flawed. Some may find the romance a bit sappy, but I'm the first to admit that I dig that kind of thing and you'll see it in my own novels as well.Orphan's Quest (Chronicles of Firma, Book One) Best of all show more for me, though, was the fact that although her hero is unapologetically gay, the series does not become mired in its "gayness" as so many other works of gay-themed fiction I have read.
This trilogy gave me a great deal of inspiration to push on with my own fantasy aspirations. I owe Misty a big hug if we ever meet face to face. I highly recommend these three books. Whether you're gay or straight, you'll find them an excellent read and, like me, you'll be sorry to reach that last page. show less
The Last Herald-Mage trilogy continues with this second novel, in which Vanyel has accepted his responsibilities as a Herald and has aged, not only in years but also in experience. Gone is the whiny and insecure teenager we knew from the previous book, replaced by an older and wiser man, one who has seen far too many battles, and far too many dear friends fall in the line of duty.
We have, in short, someone who's quite earned his chance to be a nervous wreck.
What starts off in a fairly boring way (Vanyel returning to his family home for a rest) quickly gets the action going when he and his Companion receive an urgent call for help, and quickly get embroiled in a murder investigation, political and magical assassination, and something show more that, improperly handled, could devestate more than two countries with a spectacularly large and magically-triggered earthquake.
Business as usual, then.
When I'd first read this series, I was much younger, in my teens, and this book was my least favourite of the trilogy. Now I find myself liking it a lot more, partially because I can relate a little more to the adult that Vanyel has become. While this doesn't necessarily say much for Lackey's ability to convey characters well to any age group, it does speak well for her ability to create characters that readers of certain age groups can relate to.
If there's anything that really grated on me while reading this, it was Vanyel's identity crisis. He goes through a period of not being able to figure out if he's really homosexual or just happened to hall in love with a man. Which, on its own, may sound like a wise thing to ponder, but half the time, the way he went about it made me want to smack him on the head. Consider the time he's in disguise and is being pawed at by a rather despicable woman, who turns his stomach, and then is hit on by a creepy man who gives him the same reaction. He spends the next few pages wondering why, if he's really gay, didn't he just give in to the man hitting on him, and if he's not gay, why doesn't he just sleep with the woman the way she wants. And it took him over half the book to figure out, "Oh right, being gay doesn't mean I'll automatically hop into bed with every single male I come across." Admittedly, he chastises himself for forgetting then what he knew so well when he was young, that sex and love are different things and that he prefers love, or at least affection, to go along with sex, but still. Hearing him debate over and over again whether or not he's really gay just wore on my nerves after a while, and it got frustrating to read.
I still enjoyed the book, following along with the murder mystery and piecing together little clues myself (that's the fun of reading about mysteries, after all), but frankly, this book could have been cut from the trilogy without affecting the main plot very much. It's good for building character, for tying up some minor loose ends, for introducing a character or two that will play minor parts later on, but aside from emotional healing, it doesn't play a very large part in Vanyel's story. More could have been written about him battles on the Karsite border, I think, and have been more important to the plot of the trilogy as a whole. show less
We have, in short, someone who's quite earned his chance to be a nervous wreck.
What starts off in a fairly boring way (Vanyel returning to his family home for a rest) quickly gets the action going when he and his Companion receive an urgent call for help, and quickly get embroiled in a murder investigation, political and magical assassination, and something show more that, improperly handled, could devestate more than two countries with a spectacularly large and magically-triggered earthquake.
Business as usual, then.
When I'd first read this series, I was much younger, in my teens, and this book was my least favourite of the trilogy. Now I find myself liking it a lot more, partially because I can relate a little more to the adult that Vanyel has become. While this doesn't necessarily say much for Lackey's ability to convey characters well to any age group, it does speak well for her ability to create characters that readers of certain age groups can relate to.
If there's anything that really grated on me while reading this, it was Vanyel's identity crisis. He goes through a period of not being able to figure out if he's really homosexual or just happened to hall in love with a man. Which, on its own, may sound like a wise thing to ponder, but half the time, the way he went about it made me want to smack him on the head. Consider the time he's in disguise and is being pawed at by a rather despicable woman, who turns his stomach, and then is hit on by a creepy man who gives him the same reaction. He spends the next few pages wondering why, if he's really gay, didn't he just give in to the man hitting on him, and if he's not gay, why doesn't he just sleep with the woman the way she wants. And it took him over half the book to figure out, "Oh right, being gay doesn't mean I'll automatically hop into bed with every single male I come across." Admittedly, he chastises himself for forgetting then what he knew so well when he was young, that sex and love are different things and that he prefers love, or at least affection, to go along with sex, but still. Hearing him debate over and over again whether or not he's really gay just wore on my nerves after a while, and it got frustrating to read.
I still enjoyed the book, following along with the murder mystery and piecing together little clues myself (that's the fun of reading about mysteries, after all), but frankly, this book could have been cut from the trilogy without affecting the main plot very much. It's good for building character, for tying up some minor loose ends, for introducing a character or two that will play minor parts later on, but aside from emotional healing, it doesn't play a very large part in Vanyel's story. More could have been written about him battles on the Karsite border, I think, and have been more important to the plot of the trilogy as a whole. show less
This book requires a tissue warning! Sometimes the middle book of a trilogy is a weaker one than the ends. This one is a powerful book. Vanyel has come into his own as one of the most powerful (if not THE most powerful) Herald-Mages ever. Valdemar is still taking the geographic shape it would have in the Arrows trilogy. This story is one of personal sacrifice made for the good of others.
Do start at the beginning of the trilogy, but if you like fantasy, then you should try this series.
Do start at the beginning of the trilogy, but if you like fantasy, then you should try this series.
I loved Lackey's Herald series set in Valdemar from the first set of books that began with Arrows of the Queen. This set of three, however, though published after, is set centuries before, so you need not start with those, and I think this set of three is the strongest among those novels she wrote--so you only need read the preceding book, Magic's Pawn.
This protagonist of this book, Vanyel, is gay--unusual in fantasy even now. In this book he returns home and deals with some unsettled business. I like the arc not just of Vanyel but those he grew up with in this book that we saw in the previous novel. Lackey has been criticized for her black and white characterizations--this book is rather unusual for redeeming an unsympathetic show more character in the first book, Jarvis. I liked that, and the friendships Vanyel forms here. And this is, above all, a good action-adventure fantasy read. show less
This protagonist of this book, Vanyel, is gay--unusual in fantasy even now. In this book he returns home and deals with some unsettled business. I like the arc not just of Vanyel but those he grew up with in this book that we saw in the previous novel. Lackey has been criticized for her black and white characterizations--this book is rather unusual for redeeming an unsympathetic show more character in the first book, Jarvis. I liked that, and the friendships Vanyel forms here. And this is, above all, a good action-adventure fantasy read. show less
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Author Information
Fantasy fiction author Mercedes Richie Lackey was born in Chicago on June 24, 1950, and she received a B.S. from Purdue University in 1972. She is also a professional lyricist and has rehabilitated raptors. Lackey started writing her own short stories when her favorite science fiction and fantasy authors weren't producing new books fast enough for show more her. She began writing professionally with the encouragement of author C. J. Cherryh, whom Lackey had met at a science fiction convention. Many of Lackey's books, including the Queen's Own trilogy, the Vows and Honor series, Valdemar: family Spies, and the Last Herald-Mage and Mage Winds trilogies, take place in the imaginary world of Valdemar. She has authored numerous series, including the Bardic Voices series and a series of occult mysteries featuring Diana Tregarde, a modern-day witch. Lackey enjoys collaborating and has co-written books with authors such as C.J. Cherryh, Anne McCaffrey, Piers Anthony, Marion Zimmer Bradley, Mark Shepherd, and Ru Emerson. Her title Redoubt made The New York Times Best Seller List for 2012. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Some Editions
Series
Valdemar: The Last Herald-Mage
3 works (2)
Valdemar: Publication Order
42 works (7)
Valdemar: Chronological Order
42 works (798 AF)
Belongs to Publisher Series
DAW Book Collectors (803)
Work Relationships
Is contained in
Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- Magic's Promise
- Original publication date
- 1990-01
- People/Characters
- Vanyel Ashkevron; Tashir; King Randale; Shavri; Jisa; Yfandes (show all 13); Medren; Jarvis; Lores; Vedric; Savil Ashkevron; Kellan; Ghost
- Important places
- Valdemar (fictional); Velgarth (fictional)
- Dedication
- Dedicated to: Elizabeth (Betsy) Wollheim. Who said - "Go for it"
- First words
- The blue leather saddlebags and a canvas pack, all bulging with filthy clothing and miscellaneous gear, landed in a corner of Vanyel's room with three dull thuds.
- Quotations
- Surrounded as it was by newer, smaller outbuildings of whitewashed stucco, it [Forst Reach] resembled a vast and rather ill-natured gray granite hen squatting among a flock of paler chicks.
Baby Heralds wrecking rooms, adult Heralds making magic Gates and then falling through them half-dead, a possible war on the Border, and still somehow the beds get made. What a world.-- p. 187 - Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)"Stick to the sheep," the armsmaster advised impudently. "They don't snore."
- Original language*
- Englisch
*Some information comes from Common Knowledge in other languages. Click "Edit" for more information.
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