A Goose

(This is a re-post and revision of a massive twitter thread that I've had dwelling around in my drafts for months. I finally sat down and got it reasonably sorted.)

I recently read through "Magic's Pawn", "Magic's Promise", and "Magic's Price" by Mercedes Lackey, in nearly exactly the same manner I read them as a teenager:

Devouring every word of the first, flipping halfheartedly through the second, and focusing on the juicy parts of the third.

I'm sorry, "Magic's Promise". I swore to myself that I'd someday give you your due and read you in your entirety, because I know you're a solid political adventure at the end of the day, but I'm here for Vanyel falling in love and that's not what you're about. You're angst and politics with no emotional pay off. We're just not meant to be.

That said, It was gratifying to discover that "Magic's Pawn" is still a solid, enjoyable, and relatable book even 20 years later, though in different directions, and "Magic's Price" has sections and elements that are worth revisiting.

( Rest of the review under the cut. )

One of these days, I'll continue this great re-read of the Books That Shaped My Adolescence with "The Mage Winds" trilogy, but no promises on when that'll actually happen.

I've recently been re-reading some beloved books of my teenage years, namely ones from the Valdemar Series by Mercedes Lackey, and doing big twitter threads on the various ones.

I'm gonna collect and post the threads here, because.... well, why not?

All right, so, the re-read!

I started with "Arrows of the Queen", the first in the "The Heralds of Valdemar" trilogy.

( and I'd completely forgotten that Talia was a fanfiction nerd. )