Customer Reviews

Heralds Of Valdemar Trilogy #3 Arrows Fall

5 star:		(46)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I'm not really sure where these other reviews are coming from. I first started on Mercedes Lackey with The Obsidian Trilogy and was astounded with the quality of the writing, more specifically, the amazing pacing and how story-line could be so tightly woven without seeming convenient. These elements are completely missing from this whole series! The stories drag, the plot-line seems to be a compilation of incessant problems with oh-so-convenient solutions, and even the truly climactic points are ruined by the terrible pacing. Almost the entire story is narrative-style (This happened, then this, then this... ya da ya da ya.), so the reader never quite feels "in the action." Rarely was I engaged in the story. And the ending... the ending was terrible! It left the true climax of the story out to hang without conclusion and sidelined over into her "lifebond" with Dirk. So a queen is really going to pack up in the middle of a war she's running to go to a WEDDING? Are you kidding me?

This is a very emotional ending to the story of the new Queen's Own, Herald Talia. This is a very good Trilogy, but it IS a trilogy. I think you would be advised to read this set in order, Because there is no time lost, as in The Last Herald-Mage Trilogy. If I had started with this trilogy, I don't think I would have become such a fan of Misty. It IS very good. The overall story gripped me, as it did with TLHM. But I did not 'click' with Talia, like I did with Vanyel. (This is of course my opinion, and I know many others who think this story is the best.)

As you followed Talia through the first two books in the Arrows trilogy, you saw her grow and prosper under the guidance and care of those in the Collegium.
Now, after finally completing her classes, and receiving her Whites, she is sent on a mission, with Herald Kris, to investigate a marriage proposal from Prince Ancar of Hardorn, to Elspeth, Heir to the throne of Valdemar.
Everyone has their doubts, and wants those doubts calmed and dismissed before they accept the proposal. But what Talia and Kris discover dismisses the sincerety of Prince Ancar's proposal without a second thought: Ancar, along with Hulda, a Mage who had tried to overthrow the throne of Valdemar, and undermine Elspeth (when she was young), are now trying to overthrow the throne of Hardorn. Not only do they try- they suceed.
We lose one of our favorite characters, and see two of our other favorite characters through a very happy event.
And although this book will make you yell, laugh, and cry, it is worth every second.

This is an extremely good end to an equally good trilogy. I was literally in tears through the last three or four chapters. It's got everything, pain and torture for you sadists out there, heartbreaking romance for the deathless romantics (::waves to fellow deathless romantics::) and action/adventure for the heroic types. Mercedes Lackey skillfully brings all these threads together in a well-crafted book. READ IT!

This is definatly one of the best books since Court Duel, and I almost went crazy waiting for it to come into the library.
Talia has returned from her internship assignment with Herald Kris, and is now the official Queens Own. Unfortunatle, she realizes that she is suffering from more-than-friendly feelings from Kris's best friend, Dirk, and Dirk feels the same way towards her. But Dirk has had a bad beginning with females, since he is not particularly handsome, and he thinks that Talia is in love with Kris, who is really handsome.
Things go downhill from there. Talia, desperate for an escape once she realizes that she and Dirk are suffering from a particularly strong lifebond.
Talia, along with Kris, goes to scout out a possible marriage for the princess Elspeth. But the possible groom spells trouble. Kris is killed, and Talia is tortured.
The last half of the book is sad. I like it when Talia magically confesses love to Dirk, just as he has verbally done it. All in all, this is a very good and moving book.

OKay Okay!
I love Mercedes Lackey this is the first of her trilogies that ive read; but this last book as well as good is messed up i mean i was crying. And the only reason being is because one of my favorite characters is you know. I wont spoil it for the rest of you but the fact that what happened made me so sad that i felt as if a dear friend of mine had been lost like that. It just goes to show what an excellent writer Lackey is .

Talia has just returned from her year and a half of on field training with her now close friend and fellow herald, Kris, only to see her brief happiness come crashing down. Valdemar is suffering greatly because of the war against their enemy, Karse. The Queen Selaney is being pressured towards marrying off her daughter, Elspeth, to Ancar, the prince Hardorn, for political reasons that could help Valdemar. Elspeth, of course, does not want to get married at all, especially not before her training as a herald is finished. She looks to Talia, the Queen's Own, for help. Talia knows that this is a situation that needs to be studied, especially when it appears that Lord Orthallen, a trusted noble to the Queen whom Talia has never trusted, is in favor of this marriage.

But that isn't the only trouble Talia's been having. Matters of the heart are uncovered when Talia begins to realize how much she truly loves her fellow herald, Dirk. Unfortunately Dirk, thinking that Talia is in love with his best friend Kris, tries to ignore the love he feels for her and starts to ignore Talia. Desperate for a break, Talia is almost happy when the Queen sends Talia and Kris into Hardorn to inspect Prince Ancar to see if he might be a worthy match for Elspeth. Talia and Kris have no idea that they're riding into something much more dangerous then they could ever imagine.

As the third book in the Heralds of Valdemar trilogy, Arrow's Fall proves to be the best edition yet. It's wonderful to see how Talia has grown from the first book, and too see the romance between Talia and Dirk finally come into play. The second half of the book is shocking, heartbreaking, exciting, and wonderful all at the same time. But because of the content in the second half of the book, I think the maturity level of the readers should be a bit higher than with the first two books. I can't wait to get started on another book by Mercedes Lackey. She's quickly becoming one of my favorite authors.

Talia has just completed her intership in the field and can now begin her career as Queen's Own Herald. Her first major assignment is to investigate a marriage proposal from Prince Ancar of the neighboring kingdom of Hardorn and to make sure that all is order there for the Queen's visit. She teams up with Kris again to complete this task only to discover that Ancar has his own dark plans for them, their Queen and Valdemar...

"Arrow's Fall" is the final book in Mercedes Lackey's The Heralds of Valdemar Trilogy. This has been one of the best trilogies I have ever read, and this was the best book of this trilogy. It had incredible emotional power, and I found myself crying at various moments throughout the last 100 pages or so. The ending was unbelievable and utterly perfect. It made me cry even more than the other parts.

"Arrow's Fall" is a much darker book than its predecessors, so I would not recommend it to young readers. I do feel that the darkness adds depth and credibility to the story, but for mature readers only.

Bottom Line: A GREAT read! What a fabulous trilogy!! I dare you to read it without crying at least once.

I'll keep this short and sweet....
This series is one of the best I have ever picked up!
The lives in between these covers will entertain you till the last book!
I personally couldn't wait to find out what happened next...
Every character comes to vivid life! ENJOY!!!!...

I enjoyed this trilogy, but the heroine irritated me at times and her suffering was a bit much for me - not because of the graphic nature so much as that I felt it was more than was necessary for the story to be complete. I was frustrated by the Kris-Dirk-Talia triangle. Although there were grains of truth in the relationships and I cared about the characters, overall I felt this series lacked the depth and insight of The Last Herald-Mage Trilogy. That said, I raced through the books and enjoyed re-reading them. A worthwhile read, but not a must-own.