The Arrows of the Queen

Lackey, Mercedes. (1987). Arrows of the Queen. (1^st volume of The Heralds of Valdemar). New York, NY: DAW Books.

ISBN: 9780886773786

Pages: 320

Genres: fantasy

Annotation: Talia searches for where she belongs and saves a kingdom.

Summary: Talia runs away from home in desperate search of a better life. She is surprised, and awed, to encounter the Companion Rolan. The Companions are horse-like beings which protect the kingdom of Valdemar with their human allies. Rolan chooses Talia to help protect Queen Selenay and her daughter Princess Elspeth. He brings Talia to the Collegium for training. Talia learns how the traits she has, personal and magical, make her the best hope to help the queen and train the spoiled Princess Elspeth.

Evaluation: good read

The book has one main character, Talia, and the others are peripheral players. Talia’s character development is feasible, but can feel a bit rushed. It would have been nicer to see more of the small “normal” moments that compromise growth, but there are some. Other than that, her reactions to events and overall character development is believable. The other characters, who the reader gets to know through occasional focuses on their points of view, are worth getting to know. Skif the mischievous, but loyal thief, and Jadus the harp master are two examples. The challenges Talia has to face are varied and the reader roots for her to overcome them. The atmosphere feels average. The reader knows they are in another world, but do not feel deeply immersed in it. The pacing feels too fast: at one point it seems like the book skips a couple of years. This ensures quick movement to the next significant challenge Talia faces, but it cuts out some of the small, normal moments that might be interesting to see. This is a good read for those who like strong heroines and horses.

What else to read:

Other books by Mercedes Lackey.

Green Rider by Kristen Britain also has a strong female hero and horses.

Black Horses for the King by Anne McCaffrey is technically young adult, but is a good match. The hero, like Talia, is unwanted by his family and finds his place helping his ruler. It is also a good story for those who like horses.

Poison Study by Maria Snyder features a strong heroine.