Winds of Fate (The Mage Winds, Book 1) (Hardcover)

~ (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This first volume of a new trilogy is again set in the imperiled land of Valdemar, encountered earlier in Lackey's Heralds of Valdemar series. The heir to the throne, Herald Elspeth, sets out with Gwena, her Companion (a Guardian Spirit embodied as a horse), to find an Adept who can teach her people both to use and to deflect the power of magic. On learning that she has great potential as a mage, Elspeth goes for training to the k'Sheyna clan of the Tayledras, sorcerers who specialize in cleansing lands damaged in the long-ago Magic Wars. K'Sheyna leader Darkwind, attempting to rally his people as they are assaulted by unknown forces, saves Nyara, a Changechild, and discovers that the evil Adept Mornelithe Falconsbane is the source of the clan's troubles: under Tayledras land lie miraculous artifacts the Adept desires. After Darkwind saves Elspeth, the two join forces to save his people. Lackey's delightful world of magic is inhabited by strong and believable men, women and creatures, the most enchanting being the griffins Treyvan and Hydona.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

YA-- Elspeth, future queen of Valdemar, and her long-term friend, teacher, and fellow Herald, Skif, set out to locate a mage who will either train her or return with them to protect their home. Strong female characterization, vivid description, and fast-paced adventure entertain readers as good battles against evil in this first book in a fantasy trilogy.
- Barbara Hawkins, West Potomac High School, Fairfax, VA
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 400 pages
• Publisher: DAW Hardcover; First. edition (October 3, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0886774896
• ISBN-13: 978-0886774899
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.4 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (50 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #412,300 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

• This is item 1 in The Mage Winds Series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars I think that the book speaks for itself., June 24, 2000

By	Melissa (Midwestern USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Winds of Fate (The Mage Winds, Book 1) (Mass Market Paperback)

In this book Elspeth, heir to the throne of Valdemar, goes in search of someone to teach her to use her magic in the defense of her kingdom. Unknowingly, she steps right into the middle of someone elses war also- the Taledras (sp?) vs. Falconsbane. This is my favorite series of all time, but "Winds of Change" and "Winds of Fury" were far better than this book, in my own opinion. This book is a little slow, with some great kicks here and there, but it doesn't really get doing until Elspeth and Darkwind meet. The ending (and the rest of the series) make it well worth the read! If you have read this book and are discouraged by how slow you thought it went through most of it, I encourage you to go ahead and try the next two in the series. They are much faster paced and well worth the read. The book has a good plot and good characters, and all and all, is a worthwhile read, and a good book.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars In the beginning..., April 18, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Winds of Fate (The Mage Winds, Book 1) (Mass Market Paperback)

In the Arrows triology, we were introduced to "the brat", Elspeth heir to the throne, terror of the Queen's palace, tamed by Talia. After a failed attempt on Elspeth's life, she embarks on a mission to find magical allies in the war with Ancar, king of Hadorn. So begins Elsepth's journey into the outside world.

Meet Darkwind, exmage, scout of the elusive Talyderas, the hawkbrothers. Estranged from his father, he copes with the loss of his mother and a rogue heartstone.

Chance, or fate brings them together. This is the first story in a great triology by Mercedes Lackey. This book gives the background needed for the following books, and neatly ties in with all the history of her previous books, starting with The Last Herald Mage series, all the way through to By The Sword. If you are like me, after you read this book, you will want to reread all the previous books or at least look up some of the finer points in Valdemar's history, and continue on to the last two books in the Mage Winds triology.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Mage Winds Series Rules, September 10, 2002

By	Angela M. Keller (Decatur, IL USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Winds of Fate (The Mage Winds, Book 1) (Mass Market Paperback)

I have to be honest with you. I am new to the works of Mercedes Lackey but I have become hooked by reading this book. I have always loved fantasy and sci-fi novels a little more than most young women should, but I don't care.

On with the book review. I found that the tale of Elspeth and Darkwind was one that I could very easily find myself immersed in. When this first happened it was much like Elspeth learning her magic for the first time...very overwhelming.

As you begin to read the book you find that everything Elspeth deals with by being heir to the throne of Valdemar is what every teenager in every walk of life goes through eventually. That was one of the points that sold me on the book.

Misty does not make you feel anything more than sorry for Elspeth and her plight. She wants to be free, but realizes that will be impossible unless someone who is more worthy than her decides to take the throne of Valdemar and free her from her responsibilities.

All through the book Elspeth doubts that she is even fit enough to rule the kingdom of Valdemar the way it deserves to be ruled. As Elspeth fights her mother Queen Selenay and the Valdamaran council to be able to go on her journey to find the mages and teachers that may very well keep Valdemar safe from the wrath of the evil blood mage that wants to take over the kingdom of Valdemar you feel her rock-solid determination that she is the only one able to carry out this task because she is a herald and as she sees it she is expendable to the kingdom because Talia has the twins that are far more capable of ruling Valdemar than Elspeth is.

Once the council decides that Elspeth is the one for the job the next task is getting them to agree to let her go outside of the kingdom on her own. That is not to be however and the council decides that she can go but that she has to take one more herald with her. That herald turns out to be the well-loved and well-written Skif.

Though Elspeth is not big on the idea of having someone else slowing her progress down she agrees and decides it is better that it is Skif and not a whole troop of Valdamaran soldiers as her mother and the rest of the council wanted to begin with.

The way Mercedes Lackey describes the land that Elspeth and Skif travel through and the people that they meet, it seems like you are right there, riding on the back of the Companions Gwena and Cymry as they wind their way to their destination.

Once Elspeth has the sword Need and she wakes up the action really starts to become intense. Elspeth is a female that every woman young or old can identify with. Her anger at being herded down a path that was already pre-chosen for her is an anger that I am sure every human being, male or female has felt and rebelled against at one time or another in their lifetime.

Once they get onto the D'Horisha Plains and draw closer to the lands of the Tayledras and the gruesome horrors that Mornelithe Falconsbane has unloosed in that territory you begin to feel that Elspeth is finally in charge of her own destiny and nobody is going to tell her what to do or where to go after that.

As they get up to the ruins where the two gryphons Treyvan and Hydona live with their two young gryphlets they are chased into a cave of sorts by Mornelithe Falconsbane's evil concoctions. This is where Elspeth really begins to utilize her magic with the help of Need who is controlling her motions and trying to teach her without making herself a crutch for Elspeth to lean on in times of trouble.

The first time we meet Darkwind and his bondbird Vree he is an enigma to us. We know that he is a scout for the Tayledras who used to be a mage but foreswore magic.

In closing, I think that this book is a must-read for anybody who is into fantasy and magic.