Arrow’s Flight (Heralds of Valdemar #2)
Summary:
Set in the medieval fantasy kingdom of Valdemar, this unique and exciting novel continues the story of Talia. Having mastered the powers necessary to a guardian of the kingdom, she faces the final preparation for her initiation as adviser and protector of the Queen. (Summary and cover courtesy of goodreads.com)
Review:
The first book in this series felt a lot like the Song of the Lioness series in the sense that Talia was learning to become a Herald and was coming into her own. In contrast, this book felt quite different as Talia is heading out on her tour to prove she has earned her spot. It’s a tough one for me to rate because while I still liked it overall, there was a large number of issues that stemmed from Talia’s disinclination to talk to Kris. I struggled with that a bit because she really seemed to have matured a bit more in the first book than this one would imply. The result of this flaw is that Talia sometimes struck me as mentally immature and overly mature in alternating cycles, which is a bit confusing.
All that being said, the book is a solid one if struggling with the “middle book” tropes and the series does improve again in the final one. There are certainly several things that I did like about the story, particularly Lackey’s attitudes as to how Talia managed romantic development and that mental strength requires just as much practice as physical.
Warning: Contains violence and some sexual content.
Rating: 3 stars!
Who should read it? Folks who enjoyed the first one – you could pick up with this one, but I think the source of some of the broodiness it’d be tough.
Want to read the whole series?
Arrow’s Fall (Heralds of Valdemar #3)