favorite Mercedes Lackey novel

[davidinalameda]

I can't decide--I enjoy nearly everything I've read of hers

I even enjoyed a romance novel that she wrote-yep, she wrote a romance novel--The Fairy Godmother

hilarious book and with a bit of naughty stuff thrown in for good measure

[kaitykaity]

1. I liked all of the Heralds of Valdemar books.

I'm reading one of hers right now called "Take a Thief."
It's about a 12-year-old pickpocket, but it's set in the
same time/place as the Heralds books.

She's wonderful. She's very prolific, too, so that's good.

[LWolf]

2. favorite??

I couldn't possibly. I don't think I've read one of hers I didn't like.

I recently read The Fairy Godmother, and loved it. I have one non-valdemar book over on the shelf waiting it's turn in line; "Joust."

While my favorites are the Valdemar books, and my favorite of those the Vanyel trilogy as mentioned on a different thread, I haven't read any I didn't like.

I read a few of the Bardic books recently, and really enjoyed them, too.

If I leave out Vanyel's story, my next favorites are probably the "Gryphon" or "Owl" trilogy. It must be the Tayledras, lol.

But I enjoy them all.

[davidinalameda]

4. I'm reading the Owl trilogy right now

many of my books are in storage and I want them!

I have most of the Valdemar books and am resisting buying them again

[LWolf]

6. I put my books in storage last spring;

there were so many of them I couldn't find places in the house any more and I needed to clear space.

I don't have room for more shelves, so I just left a few. Then I couldn't stand it, and I brought in "just the paperbacks." They take less space. Somehow, they've grown, and "just the paperbacks" are getting crowded again. I'm moving this summer, and I swear a room big enough for the whole library, present and future, is high on the priority list.

Don't buy them again; check out some of her other stuff that you haven't read yet!

[davidinalameda]

7. I have The Outstretched Shadow

and haven't read it yet

I'm taking a break from her and re-reading Harry Potter 4

[LWolf]

8. That's one on my growing pile to read.

I spent my winter break collecting new books to read. Right now I'm working on a box of young adult novels for my classroom library and a professional book I've put off for too long; I'll get back to my "personal" stack as soon as I get done with this stuff.

My HP books are hardcovers, so they are still boxed. I'll need to pull them all back out and reread them before book 6 is released in July!

[1monster]

22. I've read just about all of her books. So far, the only one I didn't like

was The Outstretched Shadow. I liked many of the characters, but the evil guys were just too damned sadistic, evil, torture-loving demons. That part of the book kept me from buying the sequel. (Maybe I'll get it this summer...)

All of the Valdemar books are great (including the Gryphon books which were Valdemar prehistory). Bard books, Eric Banyon series, the faerie tales, the Renaissance series, the Henry VIII through Elizabeth I series, the race car elves, and the Dragon fighters series are really good.

[porkrind]

3. I liked "The Black Swan"

There are a lot of her novels that are on my "to read" list.

[Coventina]

5. Probably her "Arrows of the Queen"

I have mixed feelings about ML.

I eventually quit reading her because she gets a little too preachy.
She has really good story ideas, though.

[politicat]

13. Preachy how?

I feel like I out-grew her, to an extent; she's still writing for Golden Agers (11-17) and I'm definitely beyond that.

Re-reading her, I realize that I'm glad she's taking the time to teach kids why taxes are a good idea (Bardic Voices I ) or why educating everyone to a minimum level (most of Valdemar) is a good idea. And I do like the fact that her female characters are rarely faint flowers.

But yeah, I can agree... I am so beyond needing the dangers of fanaticism pointed out to me....

[shimmergal]

9. By the Sword

Also _really_ like her Children of the Night.

[Mist]

10. I liked all the Diana Tregard novels - has she stopped that series? n/t

[Mythsaje]

12. Oh, yeah...

some ten years ago or so.

What's sad is that she was about ten years ahead of her time. "Paranormal Romance" is one of the hottest genres in fiction right now.

[bobbieinok]

17. at one point on her web page she said too many people thought

she was really a guardian herself and wanted her to solve problems .... she was constantly being mobbed by fans demanding she admit she had all this esoteric knowledge and that she should share it with them

I found the novel Jinx High in this series a riot in one way....it's set in Tulsa at Jenks High School and has some funny digs at Oral Roberts University and aspects of the Bible Belt.

[1monster]

23. I read somewhere recently that she stopped doing the Tregard series because

therer were some weirdos out there who thought the "Guardians" were real and were causing her some problems.

But I can't remember where I read it. :shrug:

[Mythsaje]

11. Born to Run

and the Queen's Own series.

[Matilda]

14. I haven't read Mercedes Lackey,

but our library has a number of titles - is there a particular order you'd recommend, or just
pick any one off the shelf?

[LWolf]

15. I like the valdemar series the best.

You could read them in chronological order, or in order of publication; they weren't written in chronological order. Either works. Here's a link that lists them in both orders:

http://www.mercedeslackey.com/text/1mlchron.shtml

Whichever you choose, enjoy! I started in order of publication, and read the first few she published. I enjoyed them, and then got busy with other things. When I came back, I discovered a whole world of novels I hadn't kept up with. I jumped around in time a bit, as I found the books, and finally re-read them all in chronological order.

[Matilda]

16. Thanks for the info.

I might begin at the beginning, if my library has the early ones.

[RiDuvessa]

18. The Last Herald Mage series

I love that series. I also very fond of the Tarma and Kethry stories.

Can't say I'm overly fond of any series were Elspeth is a major character.

[davidinalameda]

19. she whines too much

[RiDuvessa]

20. Exactly.

And she seems to revert back to Royal Brat mode with each new series. I can't stand the way she treats people in the Mage-Winds series.

[childslibrarian]

21. I love all of her books

Just finished reading the Free Bards --again. But I do love the Valdemar series the most. Especially Magic's Pawn.