Brightly Burning (Daw Books Collectors, No. 1150) (Valdemar) (Hardcover)

~ (Author), Jody Lee (Illustrator), Larry Dixon (Illustrator)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Brightly Burning marks Mercedes Lackey's return to the kingdom of Valdemar, and introduces us to a portion of the otherwise unchronicled reign of King Theran. The book's principle figure is Valdemar's most powerful herald, Laven Firestorm, who comes of age during Valdemar's war with its long-time enemy, the kingdom of Karse.

Sixteen-year-old Laven Chitward's world is turned upside down when his mother is selected as a textile guild representative in the small rural community where he was raised. Moving to the capital city of Haven rips him away from his friends and boyhood pleasures, and nothing in Haven seems to fill that void. Unable to fit into the nouveau riche society, and unwilling to follow his parents into the textile guild, he finds himself adrift and depressed. His father enrolls him in a special school that will allow him to choose a trade that interests him, rather than be apprenticed against his will. There he finds himself terrorized and tortured by the boys in the sixth form until, with an awful roar, the gift of fire awakens deep within him and extracts revenge for his sadistic treatment.

With the help of a unique herald, an empathetic healer and a special companion, Laven soon learns to keep his gift under control and eventually, to direct his awful firestorm as far as he can see. When the kingdom of Karse attacks, Laven is hurried to the border to assist his king and country by repelling the invasion. During the final battle Laven earns the name Firestorm and becomes one of the most famous heralds in the history of Valdemar.

Brightly Burning is a distinct and unforgettable coming-of-age story. With a compelling cast of characters and lively dialog, Mercedes Lackey once again demonstrates her adroit mastery of fantasy fiction. --Robert Gately

From Publishers Weekly

In the latest addition to the Valdemar fantasy series (Arrow's Fall; Winds of Fate), Lackey returns to the capitol city of Haven, where young Lavan Chitward has just arrived with his family. Although the move signals a higher Guild standing for his ambitious parents, Lan is very unhappy to leave his home. His misery increases when he is sent to merchants' school, where the oldest students use their job of keeping order as an excuse to bully and steal from the younger children. As Lan's fear and frustration grow, he begins suffering terrible headaches--and around him, things mysteriously start to catch fire. When at last the older boys push him too far, a huge conflagration erupts, killing four of the bullies. Lan is terrified by his newly discovered power, until he is chosen by the Companion Kalira, one of the magical horselike creatures who work with the Heralds of Valdemar. Kalira can control Lan's dangerous power, and this is vital, as Lan's power will be needed, for another war is brewing with the nearby Karsites. Lan must learn to channel his power and anger against the coming enemy without destroying his friends--or himself. This tale of adolescent anger and revenge is not only deeply disturbing but flawed by Lackey's unclear message about the destructive nature of rage and her careless attempt to work out what it means for Lan's closest friend to be of a different age, gender and species than Lan. (May)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 416 pages
• Publisher: DAW Hardcover; First Edition edition (May 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0886778891
• ISBN-13: 978-0886778897
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.4 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (124 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #534,125 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

36 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A "must" for all Mercedes Lackey fans!, May 8, 2000

By	Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

Brightly Burning tells the legend of Herald Lavan Firestorm of the Heralds of Valdemar. The background is carefully delineated for the tragic tale of young Lavan, the epic hero of the magical kingdom of Valdemar. He begins as an unhappy boy in the Chitward family, textile merchants recently moved from countryside to urban Haven due to their profitable cloth and needlework trade. Lavan is uncomfortable with his family's expectations of him, but he is truly tormented in his new school experiences at Haven. This unleashes a lethal display of his unusual talent (fire starting) and ultimately leads to his discovery and enrollment with other young Heralds at the Collegium. Key to his survival and discovery is his being Chosen by his special protector and Companion, Kalira, the white telepathic horse/Mage who declares she loves him and will risk her life to help train him. Pol, the Collegium tutor is sympathetic to the unique needs of his terrifying protege, and he is also the Chosen of Kalira's father, Satiran, who wonders at her Choice: "Children grow up and make their own paths...It's not for us to force them out of the roads they pick, however much we might wish to. The Choice is made; now let's deal with it (p. 141)." Pol and Satiran, Kalira, Elenor (a Healer), and Tuck, Lan's trusted sturdy friend among the Heralds in training - all become the network of trust that helps anchor, train, comfort and stableize Lan. The story moves quickly but unhurriedly to its natural conclusion, a horrific mad martyr's end for Lavan and an enduring legacy of protection to Valdemar from their demonic enemies the Karsites. Many gripping moments and terrifying ordeals await Lan, but his unusual lifebond with his Chosen Kalira helps him weather many storms until the last tragic stand. Always in his mind is the dread that he is an assassin, a murderer, a deadly instrument. So long as Kalira's life is blended with his, he knows he is not alone and not condemned. Their union curiously transcends species and sexuality, an unusual occurrence even in Valdemar. When the end does come, it is clear why Lavan Firestorm is lifebonded to Kalira and how that bond supported him. Though the tone and events described are grim, cruel, and sometimes frightening, this is excellent adolescent heroic fantasy that does not flinch from the tough questions. The world of Valdemar is all too recognizable and real. Such reading blends the appeal of traumatic adolescent angst with a tempered knowledge of the grim reality behind ultimate sacrifice and bliss. This if very good myth-building, it challenges our preconceptions in all the best, growth provoking ways. In this, it is typical of Mercedes Lackey, and is as highly recommended as all her related works.

Nancy Lorraine Reviewer

47 of 52 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A standout in the Valdemar series, June 14, 2000

By	Sheila L. Beaumont (South Pasadena, CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I'm not one of those readers who thought "Owlflight" and its sequels were boring. I thoroughly enjoyed them, and the whole Valdemar series for that matter. "Brightly Burning," however, is quite amazing, a real standout on the level of the Last Herald Mage and Queen's Own trilogies. Mercedes Lackey is at her storytelling best here. And her talent for creating memorable characters we care about is as good as ever. This tale centers around Lavan, the 16-year-old son of a cloth merchant and a needleworker, who is sent by his parents to what proves to be the school-from-hell. It's dominated by a gang of vicious, sadistic bullies, and it's where Lavan's rare and dangerous Gift manifests itself. We meet many well-portrayed, likable characters: young Owyn, Lavan's ally against the school thugs; Herald Pol, Lavan's mentor; Herald Trainee Tuck and his delightful family; King Theran; the Companion Kalira. If you enjoyed the stories of Vanyel and Talia, you'll probably like the story of Lavan Firestorm too.

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A good turn-around., October 1, 2000

By	Elizabeth Hawxhurst (Seattle) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I guess you would call me a fan of "old-school" Misty...All her old stuff was great, and the more recent publications are trite, boring, and not worth reading. Brightly Burning is about 10 times better than the bilge she's been producing lately, but it's not up to the standard of the Arrow, Vanyel, or Mage Winds trilogies. I think it's a promising sign that she's turned her work around and is getting back on the right track.

So, on to critiquing the book, shall we? Bad points first. It really took awhile for the book to pick up the pace. Too much time was spent on Lan's awakening ability, not enough on his Herald traning and the bonding to his Companion, and the end of the book was very rushed (as I believe someone else pointed out). The characters were the same stock characters Misty loves using. Angst-filled, pure-hearted main character, good-hearted but unprepossessing friends, Companions who resort to childish jibes, simple country folk with the dialect written in, annoying parents, and the hated sibling who actually turns out ok. Misty has also started writing very annoying and subservient female characters (like Ilea and Elenor...I couldn't stand them). There also seem to be a few contradictions in this book as pertaining to the rest of the Valdemar books, especially in the way the Companions Choose and the subsequent acceptance of the new Herald.

On the bright side (pun not intended), the emotion in the book was written superbly. All the times when Lan's Gift comes in, you almost get lost in the same feelings he does. The storyline is decent even if it falters a little. I found myself actually interested in the ending (a phenomenon that hasn't happened since before the Mage Storms came out...).

If you're a fan of the series, definitely buy this book. It's refreshing, if not her best. If you're new to Misty, start off with some of her older series such as Arrows of the Queen or The Last Herald-Mage.