Synopses & Reviews
A CURSE OF FIRE
When Archer and Nelda Chitward moved their family from a small rural village to the bustling city of Haven, it was cause for great celebration. After all, their textile skills had made them leaders among their Guilds, welcomed into the highest of Guild social circles.
But not everyone in the Chitward home was happy about this "improvement" in the family's position. Lavan, their middle son, had no desire to be a cloth-merchant, needleworker, cloth-dyer, or anything related to his family's Guilds. He didn't really know what he wanted to be -- except back home in Alderscroft! To make matters worse, his parents had enrolled him in an "exclusive" private school. It was a place where the arrogant older students were expected to keep discipline, and as a lanky, undersized, sixteen-year-old newcomer, Lavan quickly became the primary scapegoat.
It didn't help that whenever the older boys caught him he turned a bright scarlet with suppressed rage -- a rage which left his skin feeling sunburned and tender, and so filled his mind that he was unable to see, hear, or even to think. For days on end Lavan was overwhelmed by blinding headaches and was unable to attend classes, yet even his pain was a welcome respite from the daily torture he suffered at school.
But nothing could have prepared Lavan or anyone in Haven for what was to come. For from his rage a Gift unlike any known in Valdemar would be born in a fiery conflagration which Heralds and Healers alike would be hard-pressed to contain...
Review
"Affecting and compulsive reading." Locus
Review
"Lackey's Valdemar series is already a fantasy classic." Romantic Times
Review
"In the latest in her popular Valdemar series, Lackey combines the intensity of a young man's agonized coming of age with a tale of love, honor, and sacrifice. Essential for series fans, this title belongs in most fantasy collections." Library Journal
Review
"Lackey's kingdom of Valdemar is intriguing, and Lavan is a sympathetic character....This coming-of-age story is enthralling and satisfying. Fans of fantasy who [enjoy] Philip Pullman's...His Dark Materials trilogy should select this title....Like Pullman's daemons, Companions are alluring creatures that seem ideal, and there are more than a dozen other Valdemar books from which to choose." VOYA
Review
"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." Publishers Weekly
Review
"Only Valdemar experts will be able to place this installment chronologically -- or want to." Kirkus Reviews
Synopsis
Lackey's first major stand-alone novel set in Valdemar tells the legend of Lavan Firestorm, a young man blessed--and cursed--with a special talent for starting fires. His legend has haunted the darkest corners of Valdemar, yet the truth has never been told.
Synopsis
His name is Lavan Firestorm, a young man blessed—and cursed—with a special talent for firestarting. His legend has haunted the darkest corners of Valdemar, yet the truth has never been told. Here, at last, is his story.
About the Author
Mercedes Lackey is a full-time writer and has published numerous novels and works of short fiction, including the best-selling Heralds Of Valdemar series. She is also a professional lyricist and a licensed wild bird rehabilitator. She lives in Oklahoma with her husband, artist Larry Dixon, and their flock of parrots.