This coming-of-age fantasy introduces readers to the kingdom of Valdemar. Talia is a young girl from the edge of Valdemar. Her people are holderkin - poor and patriarchal. When she turns thirteen, Talia is given the choice of marrying or becoming a servant of the goddess. She decides to run away.

Having secretly read stories of Heralds and Companions, she has dreamed of being a Herald herself. But her total ignorance of the world outside her family's gates makes this a very difficult goal. However, Rolan who was the Companion to the Queen's Own has gone off on a quest after the death of the Queen's Own to find another. He chooses Talia.

This excellent story introduces a world to us as readers and to Talia as she discovers her new life. From learning what it means to really be a Herald of Valdemar and what it is to be a target for the same conspiracy that murdered the previous Queen's Own, Talia has a lot to learn. She makes friends, discovers her talents, and finds her life's purpose as the story goes on.

This story, published in 1987, is the first in a trilogy and the first of the multitude of Valdemar books which followed it including new titles to be published in 2024 and 2025. ( )

The family of a thirteen year old girl in a repressive, patriarchal, farming society wants to marry her. She doesn't want to get married. She wants to get away, read books and live adventures and become one of the Heralds of the Queen, with their fabulous intelligent horses. She runs away and finally joins a training institution for young heralds, where she is valued and accepted. So far so good. I love coming of age fantasies, and this is the classic farmboy story, well, farmgirl in this case.

However, once our heroine Talia gets to the heralds' Collegium, we have to realize that Mercedes Lackey is an unsubtle writer. Everything comes too easy for Talia. She is the chosen one for the most important destiny, everyone adores her even though she doesn't socialize with anybody, her psychic horse is the best, she has a stronger mental link with her horse than anyone... As the Queen's own herald, she is expected to civilize the young princess, also know as the Brat, so that she (the Brat) can also be chosen by one of the psychic horses as a companion, which is a prerequisite for becoming heir to the throne. With some basic common-sense discipline Talia accomplishes this easily, which makes us wonder why the queen or someone else had not bothered before.

And everything is like that. I don't have anything against wish-fulfillment coming of age fantasy, Quite the contrary, I like it. But the writing here was a bit too unsubtle for me. For a better writer with similar themes and target audience, I'd suggest Tamora Pierce.

One remarkable thing about this book is that, even though it was written before it was fashionable to have it in YA fantasies, it depicts same-sex relationships between the characters, which is more or less accepted among the heralds but not so much in the outside society. The main character is heterosexual, though. Also, more attention is paid to her sexual life than in other similar young adult coming of age fantasies. Talia tries several times to have sex with a boy she likes. Bizarrely, they are unable to do that, because every time they try to have sex one of them falls asleep. Maybe the author was trying for cute here, but it comes across as a bit ridiculous. Either describe your characters having sex or don't, but having two teenagers repeatedly trying to have sex and being unable to do so because they fall asleep is just silly.

So it's not like I disliked this. I read the whole book. It was easy reading. But it could have been done better. ( )

Very easy reading and I enjoyed the story.
I believe this is my first Mercedes Lackey read and it reminded me very much of Anne McCaffrey.
I do feel that there was not much of a plot - was the typical lowborn, neglected abused nobody is discovered as the "chosen one". There was danger from unknown villains that appeared to be resolved while still remaining basically unknown villains.
I'll forgive the lack of plot as this being the introductory "coming of age" part of the trilogy and expect there to be more challenges and a beefier plotline in the next 2 books. ( )

Another reread. Mercedes Lackey is one of those authors you have to read in your adolescent years to appreciate. Arrows is (mostly) well-written-- I began to notice some awkward spots this time around-- and certainly fun, but far from great literature. ( )

A coming of age story that reads for the most part as if it's written for pre-teens. Not like a lot of Mercedes Lackey's fantasy novels which tend to be very overwritten and with lots of angst between the lovelorn and generally doomed characters. This one's more lively about a 13 year old girl from a very misogynistic and insular society who is 'chosen' by one of the intelligent horses, known as Companions, and undergoes training in the very important role of Queen's Own Herald (yes, all those things have capital letters!)

It's a bit of a Mary Sue (from classic Trek fandom, the character who is absolutely perfect and everyone loves her ... in this case, everyone except certain not well developed baddies). Her only flaws are lack of self confidence but she turns out to be the answer to the kingdom's prayer. Anyway, I liked some characters and enjoyed the first part of the story and there were some touching bits e.g. her friendship with a lonely old harpist but it is a bit too twee somehow. The saving grace is that although it is the first of a trilogy, it is fairly self contained and can be read as a standalone book so you don't feel the need to look for the other volumes! ( )