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Valdemar: Owl Mage Trilogy #1
Owlflight
Apprenticed to a venerable wizard when his hunter and trapper parents disappear into the forest never to be seen again, Darian is strong-willed and difficult--much to the dismay of his kindly master. But a sudden twist of fate will change his life forever, when the ransacking of his village forces him to flee into the great mystical forest. It is here in the dark forest that he meets his destiny, as the terrifying and mysterious Hawkbrothers lead him on the path to maturity. Now they must lead the assault on his besieged home in a desperate attempt to save his people from certain death!
342 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1997
284 people are currently reading
3167 people want to read
About the author
Mercedes Lackey
437 books9,444 followersMercedes entered this world on June 24, 1950, in Chicago, had a normal childhood and graduated from Purdue University in 1972. During the late 70's she worked as an artist's model and then went into the computer programming field, ending up with American Airlines in Tulsa, Oklahoma. In addition to her fantasy writing, she has written lyrics for and recorded nearly fifty songs for Firebird Arts & Music, a small recording company specializing in science fiction folk music.
"I'm a storyteller; that's what I see as 'my job'. My stories come out of my characters; how those characters would react to the given situation. Maybe that's why I get letters from readers as young as thirteen and as old as sixty-odd. One of the reasons I write song lyrics is because I see songs as a kind of 'story pill' -- they reduce a story to the barest essentials or encapsulate a particular crucial moment in time. I frequently will write a lyric when I am attempting to get to the heart of a crucial scene; I find that when I have done so, the scene has become absolutely clear in my mind, and I can write exactly what I wanted to say. Another reason is because of the kind of novels I am writing: that is, fantasy, set in an other-world semi-medieval atmosphere. Music is very important to medieval peoples; bards are the chief newsbringers. When I write the 'folk music' of these peoples, I am enriching my whole world, whether I actually use the song in the text or not.
"I began writing out of boredom; I continue out of addiction. I can't 'not' write, and as a result I have no social life! I began writing fantasy because I love it, but I try to construct my fantasy worlds with all the care of a 'high-tech' science fiction writer. I apply the principle of TANSTAAFL ['There ain't no such thing as free lunch', credited to Robert Heinlein) to magic, for instance; in my worlds, magic is paid for, and the cost to the magician is frequently a high one. I try to keep my world as solid and real as possible; people deal with stubborn pumps, bugs in the porridge, and love-lives that refuse to become untangled, right along with invading armies and evil magicians. And I try to make all of my characters, even the 'evil magicians,' something more than flat stereotypes. Even evil magicians get up in the night and look for cookies, sometimes.
"I suppose that in everything I write I try to expound the creed I gave my character Diana Tregarde in Burning Water:
"There's no such thing as 'one, true way'; the only answers worth having are the ones you find for yourself; leave the world better than you found it. Love, freedom, and the chance to do some good -- they're the things worth living and dying for, and if you aren't willing to die for the things worth living for, you might as well turn in your membership in the human race."
Also writes as Misty Lackey
Author's website
"I'm a storyteller; that's what I see as 'my job'. My stories come out of my characters; how those characters would react to the given situation. Maybe that's why I get letters from readers as young as thirteen and as old as sixty-odd. One of the reasons I write song lyrics is because I see songs as a kind of 'story pill' -- they reduce a story to the barest essentials or encapsulate a particular crucial moment in time. I frequently will write a lyric when I am attempting to get to the heart of a crucial scene; I find that when I have done so, the scene has become absolutely clear in my mind, and I can write exactly what I wanted to say. Another reason is because of the kind of novels I am writing: that is, fantasy, set in an other-world semi-medieval atmosphere. Music is very important to medieval peoples; bards are the chief newsbringers. When I write the 'folk music' of these peoples, I am enriching my whole world, whether I actually use the song in the text or not.
"I began writing out of boredom; I continue out of addiction. I can't 'not' write, and as a result I have no social life! I began writing fantasy because I love it, but I try to construct my fantasy worlds with all the care of a 'high-tech' science fiction writer. I apply the principle of TANSTAAFL ['There ain't no such thing as free lunch', credited to Robert Heinlein) to magic, for instance; in my worlds, magic is paid for, and the cost to the magician is frequently a high one. I try to keep my world as solid and real as possible; people deal with stubborn pumps, bugs in the porridge, and love-lives that refuse to become untangled, right along with invading armies and evil magicians. And I try to make all of my characters, even the 'evil magicians,' something more than flat stereotypes. Even evil magicians get up in the night and look for cookies, sometimes.
"I suppose that in everything I write I try to expound the creed I gave my character Diana Tregarde in Burning Water:
"There's no such thing as 'one, true way'; the only answers worth having are the ones you find for yourself; leave the world better than you found it. Love, freedom, and the chance to do some good -- they're the things worth living and dying for, and if you aren't willing to die for the things worth living for, you might as well turn in your membership in the human race."
Also writes as Misty Lackey
Author's website
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 281 reviews
March 26, 2025
Fresh off a re-read of Anne Bishop's The Others series, I realized I was enjoying that environmental cataclysm world-building, along with the uneasy coexistence plot-line. Sounds complicated, I suppose, but it doesn't take a psychologist to read into that one, does it? At any rate, a sale on Owlflight provided the lure, and I jumped in, hook, line and sinker. This proved to be a satisfying return to Valdemar, for return it was. Way back when, a short story in Sword and Sorceress led me to Oathblood, and I was hooked. However, Lackey was publishing in time with my aging, and eventually I found her different takes more repetitive than enjoyable. Owlflight remains familiar: the orphan who doesn't quite fit in and who longs for a life outside the traditional one. In this case, Darien, the son of trappers, starts off from a position of some competence:
"Virtually everything else could be and was made by the people living here. The village was mostly self-sufficient, which was a source of bitter pride, for no one wanted to come here anymore. Errold’s Grove could have dropped off the face of the world and no one would miss it."
He's supposed to be learning mage-craft from Justyn, the village Mage/Healer, but he's indifferent to his studies. It doesn't help that Justyn isn't a particularly good mage after receiving a significant injury during his soldiering days.
"People honored the spectacular, not the everyday. Raise a dead man and bring him back to life, and they would hold you in awe. Keep him from dying in the first place with a little simple hygiene, and they ignored you."
People are the same everywhere, aren't they? Even in fantasy books.
The exposition is surprisingly long, delving deep into everyday life and thoughts about his situation, so there is no danger that a newcomer to the world will feel lost. Interestingly, Lackey's detailed world-building stands in stark contrast to Anne Bishop's, so it was a fun change in story-telling. Part subsistence existence, part magical fantasy, she hits a niche that just works for me. She evolved from the prototypical medieval fantasy to a more complex, magic-dependent civilization that threw things out of balance so far that the repercussions echoed through centuries, much like Bishop's Others.
Anyway, distressing things happen and Darian encounters a band of Hawkbrothers with the expected results. Quite satisfying and empowering for him with a feel-good ending. I have to say, it's rather nice to have an actual positive protagonist. There's the usual positive moralizing with the Tayledras exemplifying a good relationship to the land. They also serve as positive role models for emotional modulation and assuming responsibility. I absolutely would not call it 'cozy,' however, due to subsequent events.
I can do worse, though, then immerse myself in a culture that more closely represents my values than the one I seem to be living in now. I will move on to the next!
Three and a half owls.
"Virtually everything else could be and was made by the people living here. The village was mostly self-sufficient, which was a source of bitter pride, for no one wanted to come here anymore. Errold’s Grove could have dropped off the face of the world and no one would miss it."
He's supposed to be learning mage-craft from Justyn, the village Mage/Healer, but he's indifferent to his studies. It doesn't help that Justyn isn't a particularly good mage after receiving a significant injury during his soldiering days.
"People honored the spectacular, not the everyday. Raise a dead man and bring him back to life, and they would hold you in awe. Keep him from dying in the first place with a little simple hygiene, and they ignored you."
People are the same everywhere, aren't they? Even in fantasy books.
The exposition is surprisingly long, delving deep into everyday life and thoughts about his situation, so there is no danger that a newcomer to the world will feel lost. Interestingly, Lackey's detailed world-building stands in stark contrast to Anne Bishop's, so it was a fun change in story-telling. Part subsistence existence, part magical fantasy, she hits a niche that just works for me. She evolved from the prototypical medieval fantasy to a more complex, magic-dependent civilization that threw things out of balance so far that the repercussions echoed through centuries, much like Bishop's Others.
Anyway, distressing things happen and Darian encounters a band of Hawkbrothers with the expected results. Quite satisfying and empowering for him with a feel-good ending. I have to say, it's rather nice to have an actual positive protagonist. There's the usual positive moralizing with the Tayledras exemplifying a good relationship to the land. They also serve as positive role models for emotional modulation and assuming responsibility. I absolutely would not call it 'cozy,' however, due to subsequent events.
I can do worse, though, then immerse myself in a culture that more closely represents my values than the one I seem to be living in now. I will move on to the next!
Three and a half owls.
January 14, 2011
A long-time Mercedes Lackey fan, I have enthusiastically read everything she's ever published that takes place in Valdemar. Usually, I will read the trilogies as a set, but I did not ever make it a goal to read them in chronological order according to Valdemar's timeline. While I love stories of Companions and Heralds, the "Owl" trilogy that focuses on the Tayledras, or Hawkbrothers, really captured my attention and imagination.
I remember being drawn to the essence of community and whole-mindedness of the Tayledras way of life, and I would gladly move into a Vale if offered the opportunity. I enjoyed the varied creatures that were featured in this series: the deer-like dyheli, the lizard-like hertasi, Bondbirds and Kelvren the Gryphon.
Rarely to I re-read a book, but after finishing a batch of library books and while waiting for the next batch to be ready for pick-up, I knew it was the right time to re-read Lackey's Owl trilogy... and I'm delighted to say that this story still captures my attention and imagination.
I can see why some people might think that Owlflight starts a bit slow, but I think one of Lackey's strong suits is that she really works at creating flawed characters that can grow (and grow up) with you over the course of a trilogy of books. Often, when "listening" to Darian fight with expressing/suppressing his emotions, talking to himself, I caught myself thinking how real the whole scenario was. Sure, he was a little boastful one minute, unsure the next, then petulant -- but what kid isn't?! I had to admire a writer that doesn't try to make a caricature of a hero from a child character, but who takes a very real, honest child and reveals to him -- throughout the journey -- that he has what it takes inside to become a real hero within and without.
"Half of being clever is making certain you are not being stupid." Shin'a'in proverb
I remember being drawn to the essence of community and whole-mindedness of the Tayledras way of life, and I would gladly move into a Vale if offered the opportunity. I enjoyed the varied creatures that were featured in this series: the deer-like dyheli, the lizard-like hertasi, Bondbirds and Kelvren the Gryphon.
Rarely to I re-read a book, but after finishing a batch of library books and while waiting for the next batch to be ready for pick-up, I knew it was the right time to re-read Lackey's Owl trilogy... and I'm delighted to say that this story still captures my attention and imagination.
I can see why some people might think that Owlflight starts a bit slow, but I think one of Lackey's strong suits is that she really works at creating flawed characters that can grow (and grow up) with you over the course of a trilogy of books. Often, when "listening" to Darian fight with expressing/suppressing his emotions, talking to himself, I caught myself thinking how real the whole scenario was. Sure, he was a little boastful one minute, unsure the next, then petulant -- but what kid isn't?! I had to admire a writer that doesn't try to make a caricature of a hero from a child character, but who takes a very real, honest child and reveals to him -- throughout the journey -- that he has what it takes inside to become a real hero within and without.
"Half of being clever is making certain you are not being stupid." Shin'a'in proverb
March 4, 2020
UPDATE:
Screw this mind-fekkery. I am DUN at 73%!
FREEEDOOOM!!!!
And I am giving this book a new rating: 2 Supermassive Black Hole Stars .
---------------------
ONE STAR, cause there are no negative stars on GR
This book is one long INFO DUMP. It's so polluted with unnecessary details, it's almost unreadable. I would not have survived the printed version and I am barely surviving the audio one. It's a wonder I haven't fallen asleep at the wheel ...yet.
I am having a strong urge to DNF at 67%. So far only two things had happen: the invasion of Darion's village at 40% (-ish) and dog/griffin fight at 66%. There is no plot to speak of.
POVs jump around, at one point dissipating into nothingness and what we have on our hands is a long, boring, overly descriptive bestiary; long, boring overly descriptive history of each and every other creature we encounter; a good 10 minutes on potion making (why???); pages and pages on analyzing the poor, emoitonally abused boy's predicament ...and so on.
Will not continue with the rest of the trilogy. As a matter of fact, I don't think I will read another ML's book in the near (or not so near) future.
Screw this mind-fekkery. I am DUN at 73%!
FREEEDOOOM!!!!
And I am giving this book a new rating: 2 Supermassive Black Hole Stars .
---------------------
ONE STAR, cause there are no negative stars on GR
This book is one long INFO DUMP. It's so polluted with unnecessary details, it's almost unreadable. I would not have survived the printed version and I am barely surviving the audio one. It's a wonder I haven't fallen asleep at the wheel ...yet.
I am having a strong urge to DNF at 67%. So far only two things had happen: the invasion of Darion's village at 40% (-ish) and dog/griffin fight at 66%. There is no plot to speak of.
POVs jump around, at one point dissipating into nothingness and what we have on our hands is a long, boring, overly descriptive bestiary; long, boring overly descriptive history of each and every other creature we encounter; a good 10 minutes on potion making (why???); pages and pages on analyzing the poor, emoitonally abused boy's predicament ...and so on.
Will not continue with the rest of the trilogy. As a matter of fact, I don't think I will read another ML's book in the near (or not so near) future.
September 2, 2022
This was pretty fun. I didn’t much care for the narrator, but it was tolerable.
This story doesn’t have a whole lot of plot and there’s only two short portions with action, if you will. Mostly, it’s the story of Darian who is 13 years old and an orphan studying with a mage, which he does not want to become. He’s a good character and a typical highly intelligent teenager. I enjoyed witnessing his transformation and how he comes into his own.
Thanks,Jeff, for reading it with me.
This book has been on my physical bookshelf (in paperback) since 2017, at least.
This story doesn’t have a whole lot of plot and there’s only two short portions with action, if you will. Mostly, it’s the story of Darian who is 13 years old and an orphan studying with a mage, which he does not want to become. He’s a good character and a typical highly intelligent teenager. I enjoyed witnessing his transformation and how he comes into his own.
Thanks,Jeff, for reading it with me.
This book has been on my physical bookshelf (in paperback) since 2017, at least.
July 15, 2019
Mercedes Lackey has a TON of books that take place in Valdemar. I started reading her work because of The Black Gryphon. Skandranon Rashkae was such a novel character, and I couldn't get enough. I finished that series, then read every single book in the timeline up to Owlflight.
By then, I had had enough. Resigning myself to the fact that I would never see another Gryphon protagonist, I put Mercedes Lackey down partway through this book. I'm sure it's a fine read, but it's candy. It's the Twizzlers of fantasy. The first time was so good, but now I've eaten so many of them that I don't think I'll ever eat any more again, and I seriously doubt that I will ever experience what I got out of the first bites.
If you are into popcorn fantasy, then I recommend reading Owlflight. There is nothing wrong with the book; I just had enough.
Not to say I won't read Mercedes again. In fact, I'm very interested in picking up Bedlam's Bard.
By then, I had had enough. Resigning myself to the fact that I would never see another Gryphon protagonist, I put Mercedes Lackey down partway through this book. I'm sure it's a fine read, but it's candy. It's the Twizzlers of fantasy. The first time was so good, but now I've eaten so many of them that I don't think I'll ever eat any more again, and I seriously doubt that I will ever experience what I got out of the first bites.
If you are into popcorn fantasy, then I recommend reading Owlflight. There is nothing wrong with the book; I just had enough.
Not to say I won't read Mercedes again. In fact, I'm very interested in picking up Bedlam's Bard.
December 28, 2012
Honestly, very little actually happens in this book. A young boy goes through extreme emotional issues. Dialogue, direct as well as internal, makes up about 75% of the book, which is a very poor way to move what little plot that exists along in my opinion. It's okay somethings but not when it's nearly the only device. But the biggest problem I had was all the repetition by going through the same events, and even the same dialogue, several times because she switches the POV though a different character and repeats it, and it happens ALL THE TIME, nearly every 5 to 10 pages it's splits POV and will repeat exactly what just happened in a different way.
Usually I love Valdemar books just for the sake of getting the little tidbits of history and amazing minute details of world building because it's such an astonishing universe, and have suffered through horrible series (namely, Mage Storms) just for that, but this book didn't even have that. I'll read the rest, if only because I love Valdemar and just want to go through the Valdemar universe all the way, but unless there is a remarkable turn-around, I doubt this series will amount to much.
Usually I love Valdemar books just for the sake of getting the little tidbits of history and amazing minute details of world building because it's such an astonishing universe, and have suffered through horrible series (namely, Mage Storms) just for that, but this book didn't even have that. I'll read the rest, if only because I love Valdemar and just want to go through the Valdemar universe all the way, but unless there is a remarkable turn-around, I doubt this series will amount to much.
November 15, 2013
Why does this book preach so much?
Not that the messages were bad or anything, but really, do I have to dwell with Darian's grief so much?
It could have been better. This is more like an essay to the insight of a character instead of a book which I hoped would be action packed. I am not a pro writer, but shouldn't such essays be kept only for the author's eyes, as a guideline when she built the character a story?
This is Lackey's first book that I read, and I understand that there are other Valdemar series that took place before Darian's quest, which gained better reviews.
I am rather apprehensive, though, to read the previous series, since it took me a lot of energy and willpower to finish this one book.
Not that the messages were bad or anything, but really, do I have to dwell with Darian's grief so much?
It could have been better. This is more like an essay to the insight of a character instead of a book which I hoped would be action packed. I am not a pro writer, but shouldn't such essays be kept only for the author's eyes, as a guideline when she built the character a story?
This is Lackey's first book that I read, and I understand that there are other Valdemar series that took place before Darian's quest, which gained better reviews.
I am rather apprehensive, though, to read the previous series, since it took me a lot of energy and willpower to finish this one book.
August 12, 2014
I really wanted to get into this book but the author is so indulgent with the characters dialogue and inner dialogue that it takes forever for the story to move on. The characters are written almost identically and once a character focuses on something, a whole chapter is dedicated to it for no reason
July 15, 2018
3.5 stars
Not a bad novel, but not the best. Too much of inner monologues, with lots of telling of the backstory. Not enough action. But when there finally was some action, it was an engrossing read. And of course, I love the Tayledras. They are my favorites of all the nations in the Valdemar series, and this book is more about them than about the Heralds, which was a definite plus.
Not a bad novel, but not the best. Too much of inner monologues, with lots of telling of the backstory. Not enough action. But when there finally was some action, it was an engrossing read. And of course, I love the Tayledras. They are my favorites of all the nations in the Valdemar series, and this book is more about them than about the Heralds, which was a definite plus.
May 19, 2018
Mercedes Lackey is rather hit or miss with me. This one's a hit. Though it does have a rather slow start. It isn't until Darian leaves his village that the action starts and Owlflight becomes unputdownable. I ended up really liking this and will continue the series.
September 25, 2020
Początek do wgryzienia się jest straszny, przez co myślałam, że porzucę książkę w zapomnienie i nie dobrnę do końca. Nie było praktycznie żadnej fabuły, żadnej akcji i żadnych dialogów, tylko przepełnione nastoletnią wściekłością i buntem monologi wewnętrzne głównego bohatera.
Potem jednak sprawdziłam, i okazało się że książka w oryginale została wydana w 1999 roku (!!!), dzięki czemu trochę zmieniłam podejście do jej lektury.
To nie jest najgorsza książka, jaką czytałam. Pomysł na fabułę jest nawet ciekawy, jednak narracja jest okropnie przegadana, jeden temat potrafi być wałkowany przez pięć stron, bohaterowie powtarzają to, co przytacza narrator w opisach. Samej akcji jest tutaj może z 50 stron, reszta to niepotrzebna (bądź źle wprowadzona) ekspozycja i wypełniacz.
Może gdyby było to moje pierwsze spotkanie z high fantasy byłabym zachwycona. Ale niestety książka się dość zestarzała, i dla starych wyjadaczy, którzy nie mieli z nią wcześniej kontaktu, może być naprawdę rozczarowującym tytułem.
Potem jednak sprawdziłam, i okazało się że książka w oryginale została wydana w 1999 roku (!!!), dzięki czemu trochę zmieniłam podejście do jej lektury.
To nie jest najgorsza książka, jaką czytałam. Pomysł na fabułę jest nawet ciekawy, jednak narracja jest okropnie przegadana, jeden temat potrafi być wałkowany przez pięć stron, bohaterowie powtarzają to, co przytacza narrator w opisach. Samej akcji jest tutaj może z 50 stron, reszta to niepotrzebna (bądź źle wprowadzona) ekspozycja i wypełniacz.
Może gdyby było to moje pierwsze spotkanie z high fantasy byłabym zachwycona. Ale niestety książka się dość zestarzała, i dla starych wyjadaczy, którzy nie mieli z nią wcześniej kontaktu, może być naprawdę rozczarowującym tytułem.
dnf
February 10, 2024dnf at about 30%
There is so much telling instead of showing. So much info-dumping done in dialogue. It made an actually interesting story very boring. We spend a lot of time stuck in people’s minds, too, with a loooot of thoughts circling around themselves. It even manages to be repetitive very early on… I was just so bored the entire time... I really don't vibe with the writing style.
I was only here for the owls, and I did like the magic owl, but I just didn’t like the rest, so it wasn't enough to keep me going.
There is so much telling instead of showing. So much info-dumping done in dialogue. It made an actually interesting story very boring. We spend a lot of time stuck in people’s minds, too, with a loooot of thoughts circling around themselves. It even manages to be repetitive very early on… I was just so bored the entire time... I really don't vibe with the writing style.
I was only here for the owls, and I did like the magic owl, but I just didn’t like the rest, so it wasn't enough to keep me going.
November 27, 2022
This book was a pleasant surprise. The themes explores around a child's mental health is both thoughtful and educational. There is no lack in the magical department either with some very imaginative creatures and abilities also being showcased. A very comfy and touching read for all ages.
January 14, 2024
I like it.
I like to see a new part of Valdemar and get to know new people/cultures in this world.
I like Darian even though he's been very whiney and repetitive about a few things.
I like Snowfire and Nightwind and hope we get to know more about Wintersky.
I really like Kel and am looking forward to read more about the fledgling. ;)
The story is the typical "bad guys raid village of young hero" story but it was still nice to read about.
I like to see a new part of Valdemar and get to know new people/cultures in this world.
I like Darian even though he's been very whiney and repetitive about a few things.
I like Snowfire and Nightwind and hope we get to know more about Wintersky.
I really like Kel and am looking forward to read more about the fledgling. ;)
The story is the typical "bad guys raid village of young hero" story but it was still nice to read about.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 13, 2022
Enjoyed this book very much, and not due to my bias towards owls.
The way it explored a child's mind and trauma gave me a lasting impression, really loved Dar'ian's origins, and very excited to continue the series.
Kelvren best character
The way it explored a child's mind and trauma gave me a lasting impression, really loved Dar'ian's origins, and very excited to continue the series.
Kelvren best character
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 29, 2019
Owflight takes place after the Mage Storms trilogy (Storm Warning, Storm Rising, and Storm Breaking), and while it’s not necessary to have read the previous books set in Valdemar, it helps. This book is set in and near the village of Errold’s Grove, on the northern border of Valdemar.
The book makes use of several time-honored tropes: the orphan youngster of low social status, disdained by the villagers; his master, the village mage; and disaster in the form of an attack by northern barbarians, accompanied by monsters. But Lackey departs from the stereotypes almost immediately. Justyn, the wizard, may be well-intentioned, but he’s not a very good mage, nor well-respected in the village, and Darian frequently rebels against him. He certainly doesn’t fit the “wise old teacher” archetype. When the village is attacked, Justyn proves to be a hero, while Darian sees events unfold from a distance – and runs away. As Lackey points out, this is the best thing Darian could do under the circumstances; he’s neither a warrior or a mage, but still a child, which hardly puts him in a position do to anything constructive.
All of this is just set-up for the real meat of the novel, which could be subtitled “Darian Becomes a Hawkbrother.” Darian is rescued by and finds a new mentor in the Tayledras scout Snowfire, who is not a wise old teacher but more of an elder brother. The Tayledras, also known as Hawkbrothers, a people who mentally bond to genetically-engineered, intelligent birds, take him under their wing (pun intended) and Darian begins to heal, not only from the death of his parents but from the trauma of the barbarian attack and Justyn’s death. But when he discovers that not all his fellow villagers escaped capture, Darian and the small band of Tayledras must find a way to take on an army.
As usual, Lackey is a skilled storyteller, creating interesting and believably flawed characters while moving the story along at a good (but never rushed) pace. She has a keen eye for detail, bringing the forest and the Tayledras culture to life. Darian and Snowfire are the POV characters (the book is written in third-person limited), and Lackey switches between them skillfully, depending on the needs of the story.
If I have any complaints, it’s that Owlflight lacks some of the complexity and tension of the Mage Winds and Mage Storms trilogies. Yet not every story can focus on a threat to the-world-as-we-know-it, as both those trilogies did (boy, did they!) In this book, Lackey steps back to tell a more personal story, one with a more localized danger, and does so pretty well. Owflight wasn’t originally marketed as YA, but it has a YA flavor – not a bad choice for a younger teen’s first introduction to Valdemar. (Note: If you do give the book to a younger teen, you should be aware that the sequel is more mature-teen in its outlook.)
When I first read Owlflight, fresh from reading Storm Breaking with its complexities and drama, I gave the book 3 stars. I’ve revised that to 4 after several readings; there’s more there than I thought, and it has grown on me over the years.
The book makes use of several time-honored tropes: the orphan youngster of low social status, disdained by the villagers; his master, the village mage; and disaster in the form of an attack by northern barbarians, accompanied by monsters. But Lackey departs from the stereotypes almost immediately. Justyn, the wizard, may be well-intentioned, but he’s not a very good mage, nor well-respected in the village, and Darian frequently rebels against him. He certainly doesn’t fit the “wise old teacher” archetype. When the village is attacked, Justyn proves to be a hero, while Darian sees events unfold from a distance – and runs away. As Lackey points out, this is the best thing Darian could do under the circumstances; he’s neither a warrior or a mage, but still a child, which hardly puts him in a position do to anything constructive.
All of this is just set-up for the real meat of the novel, which could be subtitled “Darian Becomes a Hawkbrother.” Darian is rescued by and finds a new mentor in the Tayledras scout Snowfire, who is not a wise old teacher but more of an elder brother. The Tayledras, also known as Hawkbrothers, a people who mentally bond to genetically-engineered, intelligent birds, take him under their wing (pun intended) and Darian begins to heal, not only from the death of his parents but from the trauma of the barbarian attack and Justyn’s death. But when he discovers that not all his fellow villagers escaped capture, Darian and the small band of Tayledras must find a way to take on an army.
As usual, Lackey is a skilled storyteller, creating interesting and believably flawed characters while moving the story along at a good (but never rushed) pace. She has a keen eye for detail, bringing the forest and the Tayledras culture to life. Darian and Snowfire are the POV characters (the book is written in third-person limited), and Lackey switches between them skillfully, depending on the needs of the story.
If I have any complaints, it’s that Owlflight lacks some of the complexity and tension of the Mage Winds and Mage Storms trilogies. Yet not every story can focus on a threat to the-world-as-we-know-it, as both those trilogies did (boy, did they!) In this book, Lackey steps back to tell a more personal story, one with a more localized danger, and does so pretty well. Owflight wasn’t originally marketed as YA, but it has a YA flavor – not a bad choice for a younger teen’s first introduction to Valdemar. (Note: If you do give the book to a younger teen, you should be aware that the sequel is more mature-teen in its outlook.)
When I first read Owlflight, fresh from reading Storm Breaking with its complexities and drama, I gave the book 3 stars. I’ve revised that to 4 after several readings; there’s more there than I thought, and it has grown on me over the years.
November 21, 2013
Well, I finally finished Owlflight! It took me several days to plow through this one--partly because I've been juggling five books at once (now four!), but also because, I hate to say it, not much much happened. It could have been a good story. It wasn't badly written. But overall, it was boring.
The story begins with orphaned Darian, mistrusted by the villagers of Errolds Grove, being taught in wizardry by the incompetent Justyn. Darian sulks and runs off into the woods a lot. Stuff from previous novels is rehashed a few times. I glance at the book...fifty pages in, and we're still sulking and rehashing. It's only about 300 pages in total, so there's not a lot of room to spare.
Finally! Around page 75, barbarians invade the village, and Darian flees into the woods and meets the Hawkbrothers, a race of people who have mentally bonded to birds and other animals. That sounds cool, even if one of them is named Snowfire. I mean really, what kind of name is Snowfire?
But then, they talk a lot amongst themselves, and rehash the past some more. Darian gets to sulk a bit, and finally grieves, and is a bit happier now that he's not being judged all the time. Sometimes they talk about Darian behind his back, and sometimes he's around, but not much happens for another hundred pages or so....
What little story there is finally gets under way in the last 75 pages or so of the novel. Even then, it's not that exciting. Overall, Owlflight was a big disappointment. Mercedes Lackey has never been one of my favorite authors, but I remember her Dianna Tregarde novels as being fun.
I'd give Lackey another try, based on liking some of her other books, but honestly, this one was pretty boring.... Just reading along in fifty page increments, hoping that something interesting would happen soon.
The story begins with orphaned Darian, mistrusted by the villagers of Errolds Grove, being taught in wizardry by the incompetent Justyn. Darian sulks and runs off into the woods a lot. Stuff from previous novels is rehashed a few times. I glance at the book...fifty pages in, and we're still sulking and rehashing. It's only about 300 pages in total, so there's not a lot of room to spare.
Finally! Around page 75, barbarians invade the village, and Darian flees into the woods and meets the Hawkbrothers, a race of people who have mentally bonded to birds and other animals. That sounds cool, even if one of them is named Snowfire. I mean really, what kind of name is Snowfire?
But then, they talk a lot amongst themselves, and rehash the past some more. Darian gets to sulk a bit, and finally grieves, and is a bit happier now that he's not being judged all the time. Sometimes they talk about Darian behind his back, and sometimes he's around, but not much happens for another hundred pages or so....
What little story there is finally gets under way in the last 75 pages or so of the novel. Even then, it's not that exciting. Overall, Owlflight was a big disappointment. Mercedes Lackey has never been one of my favorite authors, but I remember her Dianna Tregarde novels as being fun.
I'd give Lackey another try, based on liking some of her other books, but honestly, this one was pretty boring.... Just reading along in fifty page increments, hoping that something interesting would happen soon.
June 29, 2013
This is really a review for the trilogy as a whole.
I'm a big fan of Mercedes Lackey and her Valdemar series is one of my favorite fantasy series.
I read the Owl Mage Trilogy directly after the Mage Storms Trilogy, and unfortunately after the action packed epic of that trilogy the Owl Mage Trilogy came off as slow paced and not particularly compelling.
Darien is the main character for all three books, with Keisha as a second main character in the second and third. They come off as being very similar to characters Lackey has written in the past. (Darien is an orphan picked on by his village until he stumbles across the main plot and is then trained to help defeat the big bad. Keisha is a practical woman who is bored by village life and wants to help people). After the first book there is very little character development, and most of the characters and their relationships come off as rather two dimensional.
The plots from each book can mostly stand on their own and they had some potential for compelling story telling and tension that just never seemed to quite reach its peak. There is a lot of focus on the character's everyday life, and given that Darien is eventually accepted as a Hawk Brother and lives among them that is somewhat interesting... but most of the details of the way they live and their customs have already been covered in previously written books, and these books came off as not adding anything of importance to the overall series.
Overall this trilogy is a good light read, but it is not among Lackey's best work
I'm a big fan of Mercedes Lackey and her Valdemar series is one of my favorite fantasy series.
I read the Owl Mage Trilogy directly after the Mage Storms Trilogy, and unfortunately after the action packed epic of that trilogy the Owl Mage Trilogy came off as slow paced and not particularly compelling.
Darien is the main character for all three books, with Keisha as a second main character in the second and third. They come off as being very similar to characters Lackey has written in the past. (Darien is an orphan picked on by his village until he stumbles across the main plot and is then trained to help defeat the big bad. Keisha is a practical woman who is bored by village life and wants to help people). After the first book there is very little character development, and most of the characters and their relationships come off as rather two dimensional.
The plots from each book can mostly stand on their own and they had some potential for compelling story telling and tension that just never seemed to quite reach its peak. There is a lot of focus on the character's everyday life, and given that Darien is eventually accepted as a Hawk Brother and lives among them that is somewhat interesting... but most of the details of the way they live and their customs have already been covered in previously written books, and these books came off as not adding anything of importance to the overall series.
Overall this trilogy is a good light read, but it is not among Lackey's best work
January 28, 2008
Lackey is one of my favorite authors ever! I started reading her Valdemar series in 8th grade but I will still pull out her books to reread them. I also love her work so much that I never miss the chance to buy her new stuff. This series was her last full Valdemar series and I’m sad to say I almost wish she hadn’t written it. This whole series just fell flat for me and although, as always her characters were great, the whole work just felt a bit formulaic.
April 26, 2017
This trilogy has always been one of my favorites, and this first books is particularly good, so of course I loved it after rereading it again. The combo of Ms. Lackey and Mr. Dixon is a great one in all the books they collaborated on in the Valdemar series! Definitely worth multiple readings!
April 8, 2022
First in The Owl Mage Trilogy, a.k.a. Darian's Tale, a fantasy subseries set in Lackey's Valdemar Universe of 1404 AF. The focus is on the orphaned Darian Firkin. If you're interested, there is a chronological listing of the Valdemar books on my website.
My Take
It's an interesting village in which barter rules. It's also a terrified village that is freaked out by anything or anyone different from them, especially now that the Heralds so rarely come. And their fear of the Firkins is out of this world. A fear they take out on young Darian, through whose perspective we see most of the story through Lackey's use of third person global subjective point-of-view.
It's a brutal treatment of the boy, and I can't blame him for how he reacts. These people are also the greediest bunch. At the end, Lilly has her own righteous cause and those villagers do NOT like it. Go, Lilly!! Nor do they treat Justyn very well, which negates any good impressions Darian may retain about magic. How the Hawkbrothers treat Darian makes a tremendous contrast with those villagers and would be a great tip for parents.
We get Justyn's back history and it goes right back to events that began in Lackey's Mage Winds subseries. We also learn more about the Kaled'a'in whom we first met in Mage Wars and how they split into the Shin'a'in and Hawkbrothers. It's definitely a question I've had for most of the series, and Lackey has been dribbling out bits of their background for ever!
I am confused about the militia that goes out. It sounds as if it's from an estate upriver, but later it sounds as if it's the village militia. Which is the first I've heard of the village having an armed guard.
Lilly certainly has the right idea about surviving the coming battle. I do have to wonder about the Hawkbrothers though. They know about this invasion and they don't do much of anything about it. Sure it makes sense that they're not going to attack, but surely they could warn Lord Breon as soon as they knew anything???
I sure would like to have my own hertasi. Just two. I would only need one, but it would be nice for them to have each other. And, of course, I'd love to learn languages from the dyheli . . . I'm also envious of the tree road, but I don't really feel the need to follow it.
There's a cute bit about Snowfire's envy of those who bond with crows and ravens — for the entertainment value.
It's a cozy tale packed with action with characters that are more about character and people in general, not specifics. And I definitely felt good when I finished it.
The Story
Apprenticed to a venerable wizard when his hunter and trapper parents disappear into the forest never to be seen again, Darian is difficult and strong willed — much to the dismay of his kindly master. But a sudden twist of fate will change his life forever, when the ransacking of his village forces him to flee into the great mystical forest.
It is here in the dark forest that he meets his destiny, as the terrifying and mysterious Hawkpeople lead him on the path to maturity. Now they must lead the assault on his besieged home in a desperate attempt to save his people from certain death.
The Characters
Darian Firkin is an orphan who's good with a bow and one whose hunter-trapper parents brought amazing hides into the terrified village.
Errold's Grove is . . .
. . . on a small part of land on the very far western edge of Valdemar on the edge of the Pelagiris Forest on the River Londell and near Lake Evendim. Wizard Justyn, a hedge-wizard with a touch of mind-magic, suffered through the wars and has been assigned to Errold's Grove as their herbalist, surgeon, and bonesetter. He does a good job of Weather Watching and Finding as well. A beat-up, scruffy black tomcat appears to be Justyn's familiar. Kyle Osterham is the village woodcutter, doing nothing but cutting wood with the villagers supplying him with what he needs. Harris and Vere Neshem, brothers and cousins to Kyle, are a pair of local farmers. Old Man Makus had been the official cobbler. The tanner works hides in the fall. Jakem, the blacksmith, does all the metal work and really hates Darian. Leander is the miller and also the baker. Backet is another farmer. Widow Clay has a bad leg. Old Man Gulian is the rudest man in the village, while Erna Dele appears to be the rudest woman. Every three or four months they all chip in to make dishes. Lilly is the barmaid at the inn, which is owned by Hanbil Brason. Nandy and Derrel Lutter are merchants. Saffy is Ida's daughter. Ananda Pellard has an evil rooster. Stella Harthon is someone's pretty little daughter.
Tom Kalley works at Riverford Farm, an estate upwater. Ado Larsh is the youngest member of the militia. Lord Breon is based at the fortified Kelmskeep.
The Hawkbrothers, a.k.a. . .
. . . the Tayledras, split off from the Shin'a'in centuries ago after the first Mage Wars. Snowfire k'Vala, of the k'Vala clan, is a scout and hunter and a Master of magic. Hweel, an eagle owl, is his bondbird. Huur is Hweel's mate. Kuari is Hweel and Huur's youngster. Nightwind, a Kaled'a'in that's one of the k'Leshya, a.k.a. the "Lost Clan", is Snowfire's lady love, an Empath, and Kelvren's trondi'irn, a gryphon tender. Kelvren Skothkae is a young gryphon-scout and an unranked member of the Silvers. Wintersky is the youngest scout and bunks in with Snowfire. Tiec is Wintersky's bondbird. Starfall is an Adept and in charge of the magical contingent. Skyr, a great suntail hawk-eagle, had been Starfall's father's bondbird. Skyshadow's bondbird is Eere, a suntail. Sunleaf is bonded to a forestgyre. Rainwind and Daystorm are more scouts. Sunstone will trigger the avalanche.
The Hawkbrothers are allied with the expedient dyheli that includes Sifyra, Pyreen, and Tyrsell, the king stag; the meddling and efficient hertasi that includes Ayshen (Drusi is his mate); the bloody-minded gryphons; the tervardi ; and, the kyree .
The northern barbarians
Shkar was in command. Cor is one of the soldiers. There's a Yip Dog and an Attack Dog that scent magic.
Selenay is the queen of Valdemar. Kyllian is a great wizard and a Fireflower mage. Grimkin is/was his feline familiar. Herald-Mage Elspeth, Darkwind Hawkbrother Quenten of White Winds, and Adept Firesong serve Valdemar as magic revives in the land. Herald-Captain Kerowyn had led the Wolfstone's Pack. Ancar had been a miserable king of Hardorn. The truth behind the Forest of Sorrows was discovered in Winds of Fury , 3.
Urtho had been a good Adept (the Dhorisha Plains are where his tower had been located) at war with Ma'ar, a bad Adept (whose tower had been where Lake Evendim is). Their final clash resulted in the Cataclysm that created the first mage-storms, created the Pelagir Hills and the Pelagiris Forest, both uncanny places and worse since the the start of the mage storms. And a Cataclysm that split the k'Leshya clan from all Kaled'a'in. The Star-Eyed is the goddess revered by the Hawkbrothers. We first met the Haighlei in the Mage Wars subseries. Tadrith Wyrsabane, Skandranon's son, became his own legend.
The Cover and Title
The cover is bright and busy with primarily purples and golds. The background is the purple of the Pelagiris Forest with the golds of Hweel, an owl bondbird representing the Hawkbrothers, behind the young Darian, his red-brown hair fluttering in the wind and wearing a highly decorated vest, shirt, and pants in blues, yellows, and greens. He has an intent look on his face as he prepares to shoot the arrow with his bow. At the very top is an epigraph in white with the authors' names below it, also in white. The title is immediately below that in orange.
The title is Darian's introduction to bondbirds and Owlflight.
My Take
It's an interesting village in which barter rules. It's also a terrified village that is freaked out by anything or anyone different from them, especially now that the Heralds so rarely come. And their fear of the Firkins is out of this world. A fear they take out on young Darian, through whose perspective we see most of the story through Lackey's use of third person global subjective point-of-view.
It's a brutal treatment of the boy, and I can't blame him for how he reacts. These people are also the greediest bunch. At the end, Lilly has her own righteous cause and those villagers do NOT like it. Go, Lilly!! Nor do they treat Justyn very well, which negates any good impressions Darian may retain about magic. How the Hawkbrothers treat Darian makes a tremendous contrast with those villagers and would be a great tip for parents.
We get Justyn's back history and it goes right back to events that began in Lackey's Mage Winds subseries. We also learn more about the Kaled'a'in whom we first met in Mage Wars and how they split into the Shin'a'in and Hawkbrothers. It's definitely a question I've had for most of the series, and Lackey has been dribbling out bits of their background for ever!
I am confused about the militia that goes out. It sounds as if it's from an estate upriver, but later it sounds as if it's the village militia. Which is the first I've heard of the village having an armed guard.
Lilly certainly has the right idea about surviving the coming battle. I do have to wonder about the Hawkbrothers though. They know about this invasion and they don't do much of anything about it. Sure it makes sense that they're not going to attack, but surely they could warn Lord Breon as soon as they knew anything???
I sure would like to have my own hertasi. Just two. I would only need one, but it would be nice for them to have each other. And, of course, I'd love to learn languages from the dyheli . . . I'm also envious of the tree road, but I don't really feel the need to follow it.
There's a cute bit about Snowfire's envy of those who bond with crows and ravens — for the entertainment value.
It's a cozy tale packed with action with characters that are more about character and people in general, not specifics. And I definitely felt good when I finished it.
The Story
Apprenticed to a venerable wizard when his hunter and trapper parents disappear into the forest never to be seen again, Darian is difficult and strong willed — much to the dismay of his kindly master. But a sudden twist of fate will change his life forever, when the ransacking of his village forces him to flee into the great mystical forest.
It is here in the dark forest that he meets his destiny, as the terrifying and mysterious Hawkpeople lead him on the path to maturity. Now they must lead the assault on his besieged home in a desperate attempt to save his people from certain death.
The Characters
Darian Firkin is an orphan who's good with a bow and one whose hunter-trapper parents brought amazing hides into the terrified village.
Errold's Grove is . . .
. . . on a small part of land on the very far western edge of Valdemar on the edge of the Pelagiris Forest on the River Londell and near Lake Evendim. Wizard Justyn, a hedge-wizard with a touch of mind-magic, suffered through the wars and has been assigned to Errold's Grove as their herbalist, surgeon, and bonesetter. He does a good job of Weather Watching and Finding as well. A beat-up, scruffy black tomcat appears to be Justyn's familiar. Kyle Osterham is the village woodcutter, doing nothing but cutting wood with the villagers supplying him with what he needs. Harris and Vere Neshem, brothers and cousins to Kyle, are a pair of local farmers. Old Man Makus had been the official cobbler. The tanner works hides in the fall. Jakem, the blacksmith, does all the metal work and really hates Darian. Leander is the miller and also the baker. Backet is another farmer. Widow Clay has a bad leg. Old Man Gulian is the rudest man in the village, while Erna Dele appears to be the rudest woman. Every three or four months they all chip in to make dishes. Lilly is the barmaid at the inn, which is owned by Hanbil Brason. Nandy and Derrel Lutter are merchants. Saffy is Ida's daughter. Ananda Pellard has an evil rooster. Stella Harthon is someone's pretty little daughter.
Tom Kalley works at Riverford Farm, an estate upwater. Ado Larsh is the youngest member of the militia. Lord Breon is based at the fortified Kelmskeep.
The Hawkbrothers, a.k.a. . .
. . . the Tayledras, split off from the Shin'a'in centuries ago after the first Mage Wars. Snowfire k'Vala, of the k'Vala clan, is a scout and hunter and a Master of magic. Hweel, an eagle owl, is his bondbird. Huur is Hweel's mate. Kuari is Hweel and Huur's youngster. Nightwind, a Kaled'a'in that's one of the k'Leshya, a.k.a. the "Lost Clan", is Snowfire's lady love, an Empath, and Kelvren's trondi'irn, a gryphon tender. Kelvren Skothkae is a young gryphon-scout and an unranked member of the Silvers. Wintersky is the youngest scout and bunks in with Snowfire. Tiec is Wintersky's bondbird. Starfall is an Adept and in charge of the magical contingent. Skyr, a great suntail hawk-eagle, had been Starfall's father's bondbird. Skyshadow's bondbird is Eere, a suntail. Sunleaf is bonded to a forestgyre. Rainwind and Daystorm are more scouts. Sunstone will trigger the avalanche.
The Hawkbrothers are allied with the expedient dyheli that includes Sifyra, Pyreen, and Tyrsell, the king stag; the meddling and efficient hertasi that includes Ayshen (Drusi is his mate); the bloody-minded gryphons; the tervardi ; and, the kyree .
The northern barbarians
Shkar was in command. Cor is one of the soldiers. There's a Yip Dog and an Attack Dog that scent magic.
Selenay is the queen of Valdemar. Kyllian is a great wizard and a Fireflower mage. Grimkin is/was his feline familiar. Herald-Mage Elspeth, Darkwind Hawkbrother Quenten of White Winds, and Adept Firesong serve Valdemar as magic revives in the land. Herald-Captain Kerowyn had led the Wolfstone's Pack. Ancar had been a miserable king of Hardorn. The truth behind the Forest of Sorrows was discovered in Winds of Fury , 3.
Urtho had been a good Adept (the Dhorisha Plains are where his tower had been located) at war with Ma'ar, a bad Adept (whose tower had been where Lake Evendim is). Their final clash resulted in the Cataclysm that created the first mage-storms, created the Pelagir Hills and the Pelagiris Forest, both uncanny places and worse since the the start of the mage storms. And a Cataclysm that split the k'Leshya clan from all Kaled'a'in. The Star-Eyed is the goddess revered by the Hawkbrothers. We first met the Haighlei in the Mage Wars subseries. Tadrith Wyrsabane, Skandranon's son, became his own legend.
The Cover and Title
The cover is bright and busy with primarily purples and golds. The background is the purple of the Pelagiris Forest with the golds of Hweel, an owl bondbird representing the Hawkbrothers, behind the young Darian, his red-brown hair fluttering in the wind and wearing a highly decorated vest, shirt, and pants in blues, yellows, and greens. He has an intent look on his face as he prepares to shoot the arrow with his bow. At the very top is an epigraph in white with the authors' names below it, also in white. The title is immediately below that in orange.
The title is Darian's introduction to bondbirds and Owlflight.
November 25, 2022
Darian is 13 years old and unhappy with his current life. His parents, who were skilled in hunting and trapping and had been teaching Darian those same skills, disappeared into the forest one day, and Darian's care was left to the village. As Darian has shown so ability with magic, the village decides to apprentice him to the village mage, Justin, despite the fact that Darian has no desire to use magic himself. Though Justin is kind, Darian is strong-willed and acting out against the village for making sure that he understands just how grateful he should be that they would even deign to take care of him following his parents' disappearance.
But Darian's life path takes a sharp turn one day. Justin has sent him into the forest for gathering when Darian notices smoke coming from the village. Upon his return, he finds an army of barbarians on horseback attacking while Justin attempts to buy the villagers time to escape. As Darian attempts to escape, is herded toward a smaller group of barbarians. Just as Darian thinks he is caught, help shows up in the manner of a member of the Hawkpeople, who not only helps Darian get free of the barbarians, but also adopts Darian into their group and help him grow.
For my first Mercedes Lackey book, this was a fun one. The book takes place in the world of Valdemar and while it begins a new trilogy, it is one of many in that world. Despite the attack on Darian's village early on in the book, there's not a whole lot of action in this book. Much of the book is about Darian dealing with the grief he feels for his parents and his feelings toward the village and its people with respect to how he was treated after his parents disappeared. There are often times when Darian goes from arrogant and boastful to petulant and unsure within moments, but that is very typical of teenage boys, and I quite liked how Lackey and Dixon used that to create a very realistic and well-rounded character in Darian that I can already see will grow as the trilogy progresses.
One of the other things that I appreciated was the inclusion of worldbuilding in a book that is following over 30 other novels in this same world. For new readers, such as myself, it allowed me to learn about this world without (I suspect) becoming repetitive for readers who have read other books in this world. I also enjoyed the somewhat slower pace of this novel. Having read several fast-paced novels recently, it was nice to read one that I could kind of relax with.
While I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Kevin T. Collins, for this book, I don't know that I will continue with the audiobooks as I continue the series. Collins gave a good performance, which was technically great, there was something about it that just didn't work for me. I don't know whether it as Collins' voice or his pacing or some combination of the two, but I found my attention wandering in several places, which meant I would have to go back and relisten to sections so that I knew what was going on. That being said, my issues are absolutely a me thing, and someone else listening might very well disagree. Indeed, please don't avoid that audiobook just because of this review. There is so much about audiobooks that is subjective that you may have a very different reaction to Collins' performance. I also wouldn't avoid listening to the audiobook for a sequel if that was the only version I could find, because the story is compelling enough that I want to continue, and if the audiobook version is the only way for me to do that, I will listen and simply make changes to help ensure that I can pay close attention when listening.
But Darian's life path takes a sharp turn one day. Justin has sent him into the forest for gathering when Darian notices smoke coming from the village. Upon his return, he finds an army of barbarians on horseback attacking while Justin attempts to buy the villagers time to escape. As Darian attempts to escape, is herded toward a smaller group of barbarians. Just as Darian thinks he is caught, help shows up in the manner of a member of the Hawkpeople, who not only helps Darian get free of the barbarians, but also adopts Darian into their group and help him grow.
For my first Mercedes Lackey book, this was a fun one. The book takes place in the world of Valdemar and while it begins a new trilogy, it is one of many in that world. Despite the attack on Darian's village early on in the book, there's not a whole lot of action in this book. Much of the book is about Darian dealing with the grief he feels for his parents and his feelings toward the village and its people with respect to how he was treated after his parents disappeared. There are often times when Darian goes from arrogant and boastful to petulant and unsure within moments, but that is very typical of teenage boys, and I quite liked how Lackey and Dixon used that to create a very realistic and well-rounded character in Darian that I can already see will grow as the trilogy progresses.
One of the other things that I appreciated was the inclusion of worldbuilding in a book that is following over 30 other novels in this same world. For new readers, such as myself, it allowed me to learn about this world without (I suspect) becoming repetitive for readers who have read other books in this world. I also enjoyed the somewhat slower pace of this novel. Having read several fast-paced novels recently, it was nice to read one that I could kind of relax with.
While I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Kevin T. Collins, for this book, I don't know that I will continue with the audiobooks as I continue the series. Collins gave a good performance, which was technically great, there was something about it that just didn't work for me. I don't know whether it as Collins' voice or his pacing or some combination of the two, but I found my attention wandering in several places, which meant I would have to go back and relisten to sections so that I knew what was going on. That being said, my issues are absolutely a me thing, and someone else listening might very well disagree. Indeed, please don't avoid that audiobook just because of this review. There is so much about audiobooks that is subjective that you may have a very different reaction to Collins' performance. I also wouldn't avoid listening to the audiobook for a sequel if that was the only version I could find, because the story is compelling enough that I want to continue, and if the audiobook version is the only way for me to do that, I will listen and simply make changes to help ensure that I can pay close attention when listening.
October 15, 2019
What a nice break from the previous stories! After the intense, complex plots of the last two trilogies, Owlflight felt like a breath of fresh air. This fun adventure tale is simple, easy to follow, and might even be considered written at a middle grade reading level. When the action picked up, it was easy to get lost in the story. It's been a while since I've been desperate to keep reading a Valdemar novel!
Alas, overall there were some pacing problems. It took a really long time to get going; in fact, it took me almost two weeks to read the first 63 pages. 63! I found a lot of repetition in Darian's insecurities, past, and experiences in the town of Errold's Grove. I was bored. Get on with it!
I quite like our new character set. They are diverse emotionally and physically which I have come to expect and appreciate in our Valdemar casts. Alas, there are just too many characters. I struggled to keep them all straight early on. And names? Yes, the Tayledras all have compound names, but please don't have names like Snowfire and Starfall or Wintersky and Windshadow. I will not be able to keep S/F and W/S names separated in my mind while reading. Put confusing names in with too many characters and, well, I at least kept the important ones front of mind.
Speaking of important characters. I love Snowfire. He grew a lot throughout this book and I really enjoyed his path. I also like Darian, but his character is confusing. Everyone keeps referring to him as a child (apparently he's 13?) and yet he keeps making profound statements and very mature decisions. I couldn't make sense of it. He came across as a mercurial Luke Skywalker: Always being whiny and entitled, except when he was being more mature than anyone else. Weird.
Ownflight is a fun middle-grade-on-the-cusp-of-YA read. Darian is too mature at times for the age I believe he is supposed to be, but I have a feeling he will grow up to be an amazing character over the rest of the series. I have hopes for a Vanyel-meets-Darkwind mage. Plus, all these new bondbirds are super cool. I cannot wait to see what happens next!
Alas, overall there were some pacing problems. It took a really long time to get going; in fact, it took me almost two weeks to read the first 63 pages. 63! I found a lot of repetition in Darian's insecurities, past, and experiences in the town of Errold's Grove. I was bored. Get on with it!
I quite like our new character set. They are diverse emotionally and physically which I have come to expect and appreciate in our Valdemar casts. Alas, there are just too many characters. I struggled to keep them all straight early on. And names? Yes, the Tayledras all have compound names, but please don't have names like Snowfire and Starfall or Wintersky and Windshadow. I will not be able to keep S/F and W/S names separated in my mind while reading. Put confusing names in with too many characters and, well, I at least kept the important ones front of mind.
Speaking of important characters. I love Snowfire. He grew a lot throughout this book and I really enjoyed his path. I also like Darian, but his character is confusing. Everyone keeps referring to him as a child (apparently he's 13?) and yet he keeps making profound statements and very mature decisions. I couldn't make sense of it. He came across as a mercurial Luke Skywalker: Always being whiny and entitled, except when he was being more mature than anyone else. Weird.
Ownflight is a fun middle-grade-on-the-cusp-of-YA read. Darian is too mature at times for the age I believe he is supposed to be, but I have a feeling he will grow up to be an amazing character over the rest of the series. I have hopes for a Vanyel-meets-Darkwind mage. Plus, all these new bondbirds are super cool. I cannot wait to see what happens next!
May 19, 2024
this is a lot of exposition and info-dumping, so it took a while to get through. but the lore was fascinating and i started finding it a lot more engaging once we were introduced to the hawk brothers.
i mostly bought it because of the cover (what a cover!!) and it seems like a fairly good introduction to the world of valdemar, which i would definitely like to read more of in the future. i did think this story lacked female characters but i’m fairly sure that’s not the case across this entire world.
i mostly bought it because of the cover (what a cover!!) and it seems like a fairly good introduction to the world of valdemar, which i would definitely like to read more of in the future. i did think this story lacked female characters but i’m fairly sure that’s not the case across this entire world.
September 28, 2023
this one’s for the outcasts
Young outsider finds acceptance in new world just steps from his door.
Nice to revisit Valdemar and the Hawkbrothers, even with Valdemaran rural village sexism and small mindedness.
Young outsider finds acceptance in new world just steps from his door.
Nice to revisit Valdemar and the Hawkbrothers, even with Valdemaran rural village sexism and small mindedness.
March 7, 2017
*Second Read since creating Goodreads account* Well, that's weird. It's almost exactly three years since I first read this book on Goodreads, although it is much longer than that since I really first read it. I've been working my way through the Valdemar books, and I was excited when I knew this one was coming up. This book is that familiar read that brings comfort from just being there, you know? As the years pass and I read more and more books, this will always be one of the few I truly cherish and forever remember. Thank god for Goodreads reread ability! Now I can revisit all my favorites without feeling bad that they don't count towards my reading goals. :) My review from a few years ago stands, as does this book's inclusion into my top five books ever. Always five stars!
Well, I wrote up a review and it didn't send through. Stupid dodgy internet at the parents-in-law's! So here it is again!
When I started this book again (I've read it more times than I care to remember) I was reading to purge a very bad book from my mind. This is my comfort book, one I read purely because I know I already love it. I have loved it since I was around 13. I used to pick books entirely by the cover, because none of my friends read like I did. I had no one to recommend books to me, so I picked books with animals on the cover. It really is pretty, with the owl and the mysterious man with the bow. The cover accurately represents the book within!
This book is the perfect mix of angst, action and excitement for both 13 and 25 year old me. It is the first in a series of three, but this one is by far my favorite. I loved the ideas here, just the plain story line appealed to me most. Even though when I first read it I had no idea it was part of a much bigger series, this book and Brightly Burning are my picks.
Of course I enjoyed my reread. I knew going in that I was going to, and I didn't really have anything fresh to read (until today that is, I bought $250 worth of first and second hand books today, yay!) I cannot recommend this one highly enough, it is a great introduction to Valdemar. A definite five star book :)
Well, I wrote up a review and it didn't send through. Stupid dodgy internet at the parents-in-law's! So here it is again!
When I started this book again (I've read it more times than I care to remember) I was reading to purge a very bad book from my mind. This is my comfort book, one I read purely because I know I already love it. I have loved it since I was around 13. I used to pick books entirely by the cover, because none of my friends read like I did. I had no one to recommend books to me, so I picked books with animals on the cover. It really is pretty, with the owl and the mysterious man with the bow. The cover accurately represents the book within!
This book is the perfect mix of angst, action and excitement for both 13 and 25 year old me. It is the first in a series of three, but this one is by far my favorite. I loved the ideas here, just the plain story line appealed to me most. Even though when I first read it I had no idea it was part of a much bigger series, this book and Brightly Burning are my picks.
Of course I enjoyed my reread. I knew going in that I was going to, and I didn't really have anything fresh to read (until today that is, I bought $250 worth of first and second hand books today, yay!) I cannot recommend this one highly enough, it is a great introduction to Valdemar. A definite five star book :)
March 18, 2017
This was a book of parts. Some bits of it were really good, the rest was an incredibly draggy, annoying experience.
I really liked the setting. The forest sounded really cool and I loved the idea of these enormous trees, and use of the setting gave me some of my favourite parts of the book: for example, when Snowfire was climbing among the trees on a scouting trip. However, there were also a lot of things that seemed very underdescribed; I had the sense that if I were more familar with the Heralds books, I would be able to picture the non-human creatures in particular much more easily.
Unfortunately, I did not much like Darien. I felt very much like I ought to like him, and that he didn't really deserve to be called whiny because his life was difficult and people were horrible to him, but at the same time the way he talked about other people - especially Justyn, who within two pages of his first appearence was my favourite character because he seemed to be the only character who actually was noble and selfless, and actually did have a really tragic backstory. It was really irritating to come off that backstory to hear Darien whining about what a crappy wizard Justyn is and how he hates being apprenticed to him.
As a result, for a good chunk of the book, after Justyn dies, there wasn't really any particular character I liked.
This was where it got really draggy: it felt like there were about 200 pages in the middle of the book in which the plot had taken a holiday and we were just sitting around listening to everyone assure each other of how great Darien is and how mean everyone's been to him. And, yes, he had been ill-treated, but it was still thoroughly frustrating to just plod through page after page of it.
When the plot came back, it was very good, but sped by extremely quickly. I enjoyed seeing Darien actually do something and use the skills he has, and I wish that had been more of the book. I thought the climax in the village was well-written and tense and, again, I wish that had been more of the book.
As it was, this was mostly a dull and draggy book with some very annoying characters that had moments of genuine enjoyability.
I really liked the setting. The forest sounded really cool and I loved the idea of these enormous trees, and use of the setting gave me some of my favourite parts of the book: for example, when Snowfire was climbing among the trees on a scouting trip. However, there were also a lot of things that seemed very underdescribed; I had the sense that if I were more familar with the Heralds books, I would be able to picture the non-human creatures in particular much more easily.
Unfortunately, I did not much like Darien. I felt very much like I ought to like him, and that he didn't really deserve to be called whiny because his life was difficult and people were horrible to him, but at the same time the way he talked about other people - especially Justyn, who within two pages of his first appearence was my favourite character because he seemed to be the only character who actually was noble and selfless, and actually did have a really tragic backstory. It was really irritating to come off that backstory to hear Darien whining about what a crappy wizard Justyn is and how he hates being apprenticed to him.
As a result, for a good chunk of the book, after Justyn dies, there wasn't really any particular character I liked.
This was where it got really draggy: it felt like there were about 200 pages in the middle of the book in which the plot had taken a holiday and we were just sitting around listening to everyone assure each other of how great Darien is and how mean everyone's been to him. And, yes, he had been ill-treated, but it was still thoroughly frustrating to just plod through page after page of it.
When the plot came back, it was very good, but sped by extremely quickly. I enjoyed seeing Darien actually do something and use the skills he has, and I wish that had been more of the book. I thought the climax in the village was well-written and tense and, again, I wish that had been more of the book.
As it was, this was mostly a dull and draggy book with some very annoying characters that had moments of genuine enjoyability.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 25, 2019
it's been many years since I first read this book but it was my introduction to lackey and I Realize I was disobedient in terms of what series I picked up by the writer first.
my 13 year old nerdy self found the main character relatable enough to be of interest I was always a strong willed child and drawn to people of a similiar nature.
The one thing I did want to say about her as a Writer though the most is that Lackey doesn't really cram in the long run of the Valdemar series a lot of politics down the throats of her readers but what little we can glimpse of her political outlook from reading her novels is very much so the senitments I share.
As I comb through this time in order I note for instance the writer stresses quiet often that there is no "one true way" and the "Beneovolents" are the Progressive thinkers who essentially buck patriarchical systems as well as as rigid hierarchies and I have to agree with the writer.
I'm sorry for this review not really being specific to owlflight because it's not the most recent read I've done and I need to go back at some point.
But I did want to stress that Her politics and mine are very similiar so she's an enjoyable read.
it's not like she's Larry Niven writing great Sci fi but forcing his libertarianism down our throats.
my 13 year old nerdy self found the main character relatable enough to be of interest I was always a strong willed child and drawn to people of a similiar nature.
The one thing I did want to say about her as a Writer though the most is that Lackey doesn't really cram in the long run of the Valdemar series a lot of politics down the throats of her readers but what little we can glimpse of her political outlook from reading her novels is very much so the senitments I share.
As I comb through this time in order I note for instance the writer stresses quiet often that there is no "one true way" and the "Beneovolents" are the Progressive thinkers who essentially buck patriarchical systems as well as as rigid hierarchies and I have to agree with the writer.
I'm sorry for this review not really being specific to owlflight because it's not the most recent read I've done and I need to go back at some point.
But I did want to stress that Her politics and mine are very similiar so she's an enjoyable read.
it's not like she's Larry Niven writing great Sci fi but forcing his libertarianism down our throats.
February 20, 2025
One of the reasons I like this trilogy is that it's the only one we get that's set after the epic ending in the Mage Storms trilogy, so we get to see the aftermath of how both magic has changed and how Valdemar is handling it.
Speaking specifically about this book, however, it's a fun one with very small stakes--we're not concerned about the fate of the nation or the state of magic or evil mages from two thousand years ago, but the fate of one young boy in one small village, and his world gets turned upside down. This one only takes place over a couple weeks, but it's a nice, tight story, and I like the new cast of characters.
Also, I love the owls.
Speaking specifically about this book, however, it's a fun one with very small stakes--we're not concerned about the fate of the nation or the state of magic or evil mages from two thousand years ago, but the fate of one young boy in one small village, and his world gets turned upside down. This one only takes place over a couple weeks, but it's a nice, tight story, and I like the new cast of characters.
Also, I love the owls.
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