I like the books Mercedes Lackey writes, she is good at creating a believable world and people to populate it. While her writing is not the strongest I do find it engaging ang and enjoyable. I like a series I can live inside of and her books are ones that have characters I feel invested in and a world I believe could exist. ( )

This is the first Valdemar book. I must have read it first more than twenty years ago and began to read it again with some trepidation, wondering if it could be as emotionally engaging as it was when I first read it. If anything, it was even better this time.

Talia is a thirteen-year-old girl who was raised in a very restrictive sect on the border of Valdemar. Her life was bound and restricted. Reading was discouraged and any disobedience was harshly punished. When she is told on her thirteenth birthday that it was time for her to marry a man chosen for her by her father, she runs away but really doesn't know where she might be going.

She is picked up by Rolan who was the Companion of the previous Queen's Own Herald. Talia doesn't know what is going on. She's certain that she'll be punished for stealing the Companion. When she arrives at the Palace and the Collegium, she finds herself in a life she couldn't possibly have imagined. Now, she is in training to become a Herald and the Queen's Own to Queen Selenay. One of her first tasks is to befriend the Queen's Heir who has become thoroughly spoiled and is in danger of never being Chosen by a Companion of her own.

But the spoiled Heir is just one thread of a bigger conspiracy that caused the murder of the previous Queen's Own and the death of a number of other Heralds. Talia is also in danger of being a victim of that conspiracy and would have except for the friendships she's made among the other Heralds and Trainees at the Collegium.

I enjoyed the seamless way the world building was built into the story in the form of stories told Talia whose past upbringing made her ignorant of the world she is now living in. I liked Talia's common sense and compassion. I could understand her fear of trusting which has her keeping secrets from those who would be able to help her if only she could open up to them.

There is an engaging cast of characters who surround Talia and make the story even richer. I can't wait to read the rest of this trilogy again to watch Talia grow into the Herald she becomes. ( )

Arrows of the Queen: This first book in the Arrows trilogy, set in Lackey's Valdemar, was mostly enjoyable. It's pretty episodic, which I don't love, but I liked Talia and the whole set up here enough to carry on. Since I first read the Magic's Whatsit" trilogy in my early twenties, I've been wanting to return to this world, and I'm glad I did. I mean to continue on with this trilogy soonish, and I hope that the next book will be a little more plotty. ~July 2019 ( )

This is a collection of Arrow's of the Queen, Arrow's Flight, and Arrow's Fall. The series is a strong one.

Arrows of the Queen: Talia's struggles during her trainee days resonated with me. People have dinged the book because it isn't action-packed, gritty fantasy. The book is a gentle fantasy, focused on characters who are mostly likable. The Heralds are mostly good; their Companions (white, blue-eyed "horses" with at least human intelligence) wouldn't choose them to be Heralds if they weren't. This is the original introduction to Valdemar and has aged gracefully. (It was published in 1987.)

Arrow's Flight: t seems that many times the middle book of a trilogy is a bit weaker; this one is just as strong as its predecessor. There are problems to be overcome; people grow and change in this story. There is foreshadowing for the next book and you'll find yourself saying "So that's what it meant!"

Arrow's Fall: This book brings the series to a strong finish. All the hints in earlier books are made clear. Do plan on having tissues handy as I cried both in sorrow and joy.

If you are a fantasy fan and haven't read the series, go ahead and do it. I don't think you will be disappointed. ( )

Overall, this trilogy is a thrilling adventure, including many pages of intense reading about gallant Herolds defending their queen, fleeting romances, and bonds between humans and Companions. This book is a wonderful choice for people who are willing to journey far and wide to discover truth.

The book starts out with Talia. A young kid, no more than thirteen. Between household chores, she encloses herself with tales of Herolds and their brave Companions. She wishes with all her heart that a Companion, which is a horse that can mindspeak to their chosen one and defends them with their lives, will come save her from the world of Wives and chores. On her birthday, her father's wives express their wishes to talk with Talia. She expects the usual speech about new responsibilities, but instead, the wives imply that she is to marry.

Talia is horrified by this news, and runs into the forest and hides in a cave. There, she runs over her possibilities, and concludes that her best chance is to go back to her family. But then she hears a sound- which turns out to be a Companion. She decides to take him back to the Queen, because the Companion was all alone without a rider, and in doing so, embarks on a life changing journey accompanied by friends and horses, classes, and dangerous adventures. ( )