This is the fantasy/gay romance trilogy by Mercedes Lackey which begins with the book Magic’s Pawn, which I’ve previously reviewed here. All three books contained in this large, single volume are these: Magic’s Pawn, Magic’s Promise, and Magic’s Price.  Now that I’ve finished all three books, I cannot speak highly enough of all three. Mercedes Lackey is one heck of an amazing author. All three books deal with many serious issues (such as rape, death of a loved one, suicide, and others) in a straightforward way. Some issues can be hard to deal with in a real life setting, and she shows just how hard they can be even in a magical place. Yet, at the same time, you won’t find these books hard to read. The characters are easily relatable, and most of the magic is easily understood. Here, there are no wands or Harry Potter-like magic. Within the world, the magic used is commonly referred to as “mind magic”. Hard to explain, but once you read it, it makes perfect sense.

This trilogy is roughly twenty years old now, but it’s no worse for the passage of time. If you enjoy fantasy books and like gay romance, you will thoroughly enjoy this book. Hands down.

I started reading this book before I really knew what I was getting into. I knew it was a fantasy book written over twenty years ago now, and it had been recommended to me by a friend of mine who had mentioned something about gay romance in the book. I was a little interested, and unsure where it would go, considering the age and content of the book.

I have to say I was very surprised by it and once I got into it, I simply could not put it down. Please don’t let the cover fool you. It might look aged, but this is a truly ageless book. It is fantasy after all.

This is the story of a young man, 16-years-old, who is destined to take the place of his father in charge of the keep where they live. The only thing is, Vanyel doesn’t want that job. He wants to be a bard, to play music for others. He doesn’t want to fight, and the armsmaster who teaches him is ruthless and cruel to boot. But when he gets shipped off to his aunt who happens to be a herald mage, he finds that his life doesn’t have to be so boring. He falls in love with a fellow male student there, and it is this love, which he’d once thought forbidden, that changes his life forever. Young Vanyel has strengths he never knew he had, strengths he’ll need to learn to control, if he’s to survive, and save the country.

This is the first book in a trilogy, entitled The Last Herald Mage by Mercedes Lackey, and if you enjoy fantasy novels and gay romance, you’ll love this book! I don’t know what else I can say about it, other than it’s a book you need to check out today.