[.ca] Last Herald Mage Trilogy 02 Magics Promise (ISBN 0886774012)

Vanyel rides again:
In "Magic's Promise," Vanyel Ashkevron is tired. He's been doing the work of five full Herald-mages, and desperately needs some R & R. Does he get it? Well . . . no. Not exactly. But he does find out more about himself, save a neighboring kingdom, and comes to some sort of peace with himself over the lingering grief over his lover Tylendel's death (his lifemate from "Magic's Pawn"). The interesting thing about this book is that it dwells on how difficult dealing with family often is. Vanyel's family doesn't like it that he's gay, and hasn't accepted it fully; his mother is still trying to press women on him, and he really doesn't like that. (Can't say that I blame him, either.) They also don't quite seem to know what to do with Vanyel; he's so powerful, and yet he's one of theirs, so they don't fear him . . . it's very tough for them. So, while Vanyel balances as best he can amidst his not very understanding family, he discovers a few more interesting things along the way. One, he'd badly misjudged Jervis, the armsmaster at Forst Reach (his father's seat); Jervis is a much better person than I'd ever given him credit for in the first book ("Magic's Pawn"), and sincerely wants to make amends for his earlier bad behavior. This was welcome, and quite unexpected. The second is that women can still be turned by a fair face and a handsome body, even if they know you're gay. Maybe (dare I say it?) especially if they know you're gay. Not a welcome revelation, to be sure. But an honest one, and drawn from life. Mercedes Lackey does extremely well drawing these insights, from how families treat their own when they love but do not understand, to the overall treatment of gay men and women in society. In Valdemar, there may indeed by "no one, true way" but there is still a range of behavior -- and, sadly, gay men and women aren't totally accepted everywhere even there. As for why it gets only four stars, rather than five? Well, one character, Melenna, really makes me grit my teeth when she shows up. And I'm not so keen on Herald Lores' behavior, either (you'll have to read it to understand); put them both together and they lessen my enjoyment of the book by a bit. But I still enjoy the book, no question. Lackey shows the best -- and worst -- facets of being young, attractive, powerful, and gay -- in this book, which is why I recommend it highly.

Heart Breakingly Beautiful!:
I went straight into Magic Promise after Magic Pawn. Magic Promise is just as spell binding. Not because of the fantasy aspects or the magic because I have read more imaginative ones. It is the protagonist, Vanyel, who imprisons me. I admit I am in love with this beautiful character. Twelve years after Magic Pawn, Vanyel is now a great herald-mage held in awe by all. Yet he remains sad and so much alone that my heart goes out to him. His struggles with his sexual preference, his attempt to make peace with his father and the arms master who tortured him during his boyhood and the loss of his soul mate 12 years ago which continues to haunt him is touching and beautifully told. Vanyel's pain as he conjures up his soul mate by magic because he misses him so much and Vanyel's final acceptance of his death is just heart rending. Vanyel facing Death, who gave him the choice to live to fight and protect those he loves or final peace and release from pain and sufferings towards the end of Magic Promise just tugs at my heart. Still Magic Promise has its light and tender moments provided by the unique bond and love between Vanyel and his Companion. Because of Vanyel I have added Lackey to my list of must read writers.

Wonderfully written!:
This is the second book in Mercedes Lackey's best trilogy. Also beautifully written, this book takes place years after the first one. The only thing this book lacks is romance. But don't worry! The romance returns full force in book three! In this book, Vanyel has already become a famous, respected and admired Herald-Mage. There is no herald who commands power as he does, and he struggles with inner demons of love for his friends. Out of all three books, this one holds the most action. Vanyel continues to grow in this book, building toward the character he will end up as in the last one. Did you enjoy Magic's Price? Don't hesitate, buy this book -- it's an amazing read. You'll love it. And when you finish this one, you get to look forward to reading the last one...the best one of all.

Wonderfully written!:
This is the second book in Mercedes Lackey's best trilogy. Also beautifully written, this book takes place years after the first one. The only thing this book lacks is romance. But don't worry! The romance returns full force in book three! In this book, Vanyel has already become a famous, respected and admired Herald-Mage. There is no herald who commands power as he does, and he struggles with inner demons of love for his friends. Out of all three books, this one holds the most action. Vanyel continues to grow in this book, building toward the character he will end up as in the last one. Did you enjoy Magic's Pawn? Don't hesitate, buy this book -- it's an amazing read. You'll love it. And when you finish this one, you get to look forward to reading the last one...the best one of all.

I LOVE this book:
The second in Mercedes Lackey's "The Last Herald-Mage" trilogy, this book is part of my all-time favorite trilogy on earth. This book is amazing, though not my favorite of the trilogy (that goes to "Magic's Pawn"), and it is definitely a worthy sequel. Buy this if you read gay OR fantasy fiction, because it is absolutely worth it.