Okay, this is my all time favorite Lackey series.. This book has been read many times.. but is still ticking.. it just needs people to be gentle with it.. I have this in hard cover, so I am trying to find new homes for these.. (The set will stay together!)

Basic story, Vanyel doesn't fit in... Father sends him to live with an Aunt .. he finds love, loss, and a many new talents that are both a gift and a curse.. Very great series! I can't stress this enough..


Going out to snorkeling soon! Enjoy!

Released on Wednesday, February 04, 2004 at Mailed to a fellow Bookcrosser in n/a, n/a Controlled Releases.

Going it this afternoon

Arrived yesterday. Thanks, Kaija!!

Have started reading it yesterday evening and couldn't stop myself until half past 2 a.m. Well, then I had a glimpse into the next 2 volumes and only managed to get to bed an hour later. Am very tired now, but it bodes well for the books ;-)

Have gulped down the book in almost one go (and almost instantly started book 2 and 3).

I might have rather high standards for story-telling and a very high esteem for subtleness, so I have some quibbles about Lackey's language and plot-development and usage of historical elements (like the Heralds).

Also I have no problem whatsoever with homosexuality - but here Lackey *did* do a great job (I am ever surprised why anyone would refrain from reading a book just because the hero is gay or lesbian - so I'm still wondering about some reviews on amazon etc.).

Love Van, love a lot of the supporting characters, and their world feels totally comfortable to me (says someone who doesn't feel comfortable easily in fantasy-worlds).
And heck, from what I tried so far of the fantasy-genre, in spite of my quibbles, this *is* a far cry from the usual ware, which is to say: a far better quality and characters that seem come alive easily and stay in the reader's mind long after the book is finished.

Having read it so hastily, I'm going to keep it for a short while though, to re-read it.