Out of all the novels in this trilogy, this has to be my least favorite. But I still enjoyed it, and the series, a lot, so my saying that it’s my least favorite isn’t something bad, really.In this installment of the Heralds of Valdemar trilogy, Talia is sent out on her 18 month intership and the entire book revolves around the duties a Herald is likely to perform on circuit. To be honest, it was a refreshing change of scenery from the Collegium – there were only so many situations Talia could find herself in, and a lot of them were starting to repeat. So when I say the change of scenery is a nice change, I mean it.Right off the bat, a new friendship is unveiled. Kris and Talia are bound to become closer, as he is her “mentor”, of sorts. It doesn’t help, however, when he asks (very bluntly!) Talia about the rumors spreading in Court about her. This dampers the mood immediately, and Talia is suddenly cast into self-doubt and a depression that eats away her soul. In fact, after the first 50 pages, the entire novel was basically Talia being suicidal/depressed, angry, and weak. Am I being harsh in saying she’s weak? Hell no. If I were her, I would have tried my best to reverse the predicament she was in. All she did was reflect on it and allow the doubt to eat away at her. I wanted to reach into the book’s pages and slap her silly. I mean, I’m glad that she had something she wasn’t sure of/skilled at, since a lot of things just came easily to her in the first book, but it was getting me depressed while I was reading about it.Back to Kris and Talia... I love that they both love someone so much they don’t want to hurt that person, and sacrifice their own feelings (however insignificant) because of that. I love Kris; I’ll admit. He’s funny, arrogant, gallant (at times), and understanding/patient (well, after he reevaluates his perceptions of others). He screamed different, very much like Skif did in the first novel [pertaining to how all the characters sounded the same]. Near the end of the novel, the Midsummer’s Eve scene with him had to be one of my favorites. It was such a nice, loving, thoughtful scene, and I have to admit that I got misty eyed. So sweet! I have to admit that I hated the lack of action. By action, I merely mean that half of what we read is just them riding, and Talia being emo in the corner (okay, not the corner). There were only about... four scenes that deviated from the monotonous circuit up north, not including the snow-in that occurred. Two of those scenes were stuck in the back of the book, as if Mercedes Lackey just thrust them in without careful planning at all. I also disliked the lack of time (what can I say, I’m a stickler for time!) sequence. One moment, we’d finish up a scene and in the line break, we’re months ahead. Sometimes it was hard to distinguish when a time jump would happen, and I’d have to re-read again to check what month I was reading about.Upon this re-read, I found some things I had missed in previous reads, which got me really excited. Knowing how the third book goes, I was able to foreshadow a few events (two in particular stuck out; the Weatherwitch and the flowers), so I was happy I was able to pick those events up that I hadn’t in earlier reads.
After how pleasantly surprised I was by Arrows of the Queen, Arrow's Flight was a massive disappointment. This second book in the series sees Talia off on her eighteen-month internship with the handsome Kris; barely after her departure, however, Talia loses control over her Gift and is unable to restrain her projection or reception of emotions. The major problem with Arrow's Flight is pacing. Whereas the first book followed several years of Talia's Herald education, the bulk of this novel takes place within several months. Near the book's middle, Talia and Kris are trapped in a Waystation and Talia's Gift has gone completely erratic; this month long period probably accounts for a third of the book's content and is incredibly, incredibly slow. Beyond that, Talia and Kris do their circuit an experience repetitive conflict: rumours of Talia' abusing her Gift, which leads to more brooding on Talia's part. While I indicated in my review of the first book that Talia's self-doubt never verges into angst, that's not true in Arrow's Flight where the majority of the plot is based on Talia's lack of confidence and her repeated whining about it. Not only was this boring to read about, but it felt as though Talia's character regressed. Talia's self-doubt makes her relatable, but it seems that all the character growth she underwent in Arrows of the Queen vanished; I understand Lackey wanted to demonstrate the fragility of her confidence, but it just didn't work. For the majority of the novel, the only characters present are Talia, Kris, and assorted minor characters. Given that I spent the first book growing to like Skif, Elspeth, Keren, and so on it was frustrating to see absolutely nothing of them, and it was jarring to have the focus reduced to only two individuals. That being said, I did like Kris as a character; though at times a little flat, his relationship with Talia was well done and he was realistically - though not annoyingly - faulted by way of his vanity and tendency to patronize. Arrow's Flight isn't all bad; I enjoy Lackey's writing on a technical level, and her language is evocative and simple, without ever verging into purple prose. Talia's internal conflict was well done and if it had received less focus - and if it hadn't been the only conflict in the book - I might have liked it, as Lackey is very good at conveying emotion. By the time Talia (view spoiler)[regains her control (hide spoiler)]
What do You think about Arrow's Flight (1987)?
It’s official: I am going to adopt the same approach to Mercedes Lackey’s spectacular novels as I have already implemented with my two favorite authors, David Mitchell and Brandon Sanderson, and that is a quick and simple “perfect.” I love all of these authors. I have yet to encounter something written by them that is less than perfect. And rather than use every possible synonym for “love” and “perfect” I can find in a thesaurus when writing these reviews, I am just going to call any work written by Mercedes Lackey (and David Mitchell and Brandon Sanderson) what it is: perfect.Young Herald-in-Training Talia has completed her coursework at the Collegium, but before she can become the full Herald she is destined to be, she must pass one final test: an 18-month internship, out in the field, under the tutelage of a senior Herald. Talia’s heart has started yearning for the homely Dirk, but it is Dirk’s best friend, the dashingly handsome Kris, that is chosen as Talia’s supervisor. The two set out on their field assignment – a tour of duty through Valdemar’s northern border lands – where the biggest danger they hope to find is two farmers fighting over a chicken.What they encounter, however, is far worse. Plague. Invasion. And a blizzard so fierce, none can recall its equal. Then, when Talia needs to be at her best, she finds herself sliding into a dark chasm of doubt and fear. Her telepathic Gift, empathy, has gone rogue, and if she can’t get it under control, somebody could end up dead, including Talia herself. With mountains of snowfall burying Talia and Kris in the forsaken borderlands, and a watching darkness hedging in all around them, Talia's fight for survival has taken on a new ferocity. Who will triumph?I have already espoused my love for Lackey' remarkable Valdemar universe, so what really captured me in Arrow's Flight was the growth of the characters. When we meet Talia in Arrow's of the Queen, she is young, idealistic, and full of dreams. 5 years at the Collegium opened her eyes to the reality of life as a Herald, and her 18 months on the road in Arrow's Flight deepened her significantly. Her own personality flaws crack her innocence, and mistakes she makes leave their marks. I applaud Lackey for her masterful handling of Talia's coming-of-age; she was subtle and discreet. I never felt like it was getting slammed down my throat, or, even worse, not even happening at all.So yeah. Perfect.
—Rachel Barnes
Very good book, with the plight of the heroine and her close friends pulling the reader through the whole time. The major threat comes about without sufficient explanation; it just happens and is explained to a certain bare minimum satisfaction later, but when it's happening, it can be simply frustrating to the reader. Even so, the tale and the twists are gripping all the way through. A few bits remain unexplained for this book and through the next, but they are minor. It seems as if the answers to those couple of mysteries might have been edited out for length at some point. Highly recommended.
—Steve Semler
I thought this one was a little weaker than the first. The pacing was odd to me in some parts; I felt like too much time was spent on the snowed-in incident and not enough on the end of the book. Talia's control problem and inner struggle over the ethics of her magic are such a huge focus in the beginning, but the wrap-up was a bit anticlimactic. I also thought that it seemed strange how suddenly Kris decided he trusted Talia completely. I didn't think it was entirely reasonable for him not to t
—Stephanie
