Title: Exile's HonorAuthor: Mercedes Lackey (American, 1950- )
Originally published: 2002
Page count: 423
Dates read: 4/17/2020-4/25/2020
2020 book goal progress: 12 out of 20
Reading category: TBR Shelf - Valdemar Universe
Read my other Valdemar book reviews.
Read my other book reviews for my 2020 goal HERE.
Description on back of book:
Saved from burning as a witch when his odd white stallion braved the flames and carried him over the border from Karsite into Valdemar, Alberich was healed by the same enemies he had been taught to hate his entire life. Though he knew he could never again return to his home, Alberich also knew he could never truly become a Valdemaran. How could he remain true to his people and still retain his honor while helping to train the direst enemy of Karse?
First sentence:
"Silver stamped restively as another horse on the picket line shifted and blundered into his hindquarters."
Favorite quotes:
"Being naturally good at something only took one to a certain point. It was dedication and practice that took one beyond that point."
"Honor was never taking the easy way when it also was the wrong one. Never telling a falsehood unless the truth was painful and unnecessary, or a lie was necessary to save others. Never manipulating the truth to serve only yourself. Protecting the weak and helpless; standing fast even when fear made you weak. Keeping your word."
"You can study justice all you like in books, but you never really understand it until you see it done and do it yourself. Justice isn't just laws, it's people."
CAWPILE Rating: Overall - 9.6 - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Characters - 10
Atmosphere - 10
Writing Style - 10
Plot - 9
Intrigue - 9
Logic - 9
Enjoyment - 10
What is a CAWPILE Rating?
Review:
I love the Arrows of the Queen trilogy by Mercedes Lackey and have wanted to read all her novels in that universe for a while. I am starting that goal, which currently consists of 36 books (not including the companion book and 13+ anthologies), with Exile's Honor. I put off reading it because I was concerned that my enjoyment of the other books would overshadow this one - but it didn't. This was a great book!
This was a wonderful background story for a character from the trilogy I've read multiple times. It had incredible depth of character, culture, politics, and religion. You didn't get to learn much about magic, or what training to be a Herald is like - but you get that in other books. It would be interesting to hear what someone thought about this book as their first introduction to the Valdemar Universe. Even if this book didn't go in-depth about magic, companions (special horses that can mind-speak with humans), and general knowledge of Heralds - I knew a lot because of the other books I read and I wonder if I would have felt a little lost without that additional knowledge. I love the fantasy feel of this Universe and that females play an equal role with the men.
If you like reading fantasy, I highly suggest checking Mercedes Lackey out. I also highly suggest reading the Arrows of the Queen trilogy first - they're the first Valdemar books published. In my goal, I'm not reading in publication order, I'm reading (sort of) in chronological order. If I read in true chronological order, it would take a really long time to get to read the original trilogy that I love. What I did was split the chronological order in half with " Heralds of Valdemar" being the first read, but second chronologically. This section starts with 3 prequels before getting to the first trilogy and consists of 16 books published from 1987-2003. The half I'll read second is the "History of Valdemar," which all chronologically happens before the first book of "Heralds of Valdemar." This section consists of 10 books published between 1988-2000 and 10 books published between 2008-2019.
This was a wonderful background story for a character from the trilogy I've read multiple times. It had incredible depth of character, culture, politics, and religion. You didn't get to learn much about magic, or what training to be a Herald is like - but you get that in other books. It would be interesting to hear what someone thought about this book as their first introduction to the Valdemar Universe. Even if this book didn't go in-depth about magic, companions (special horses that can mind-speak with humans), and general knowledge of Heralds - I knew a lot because of the other books I read and I wonder if I would have felt a little lost without that additional knowledge. I love the fantasy feel of this Universe and that females play an equal role with the men.
If you like reading fantasy, I highly suggest checking Mercedes Lackey out. I also highly suggest reading the Arrows of the Queen trilogy first - they're the first Valdemar books published. In my goal, I'm not reading in publication order, I'm reading (sort of) in chronological order. If I read in true chronological order, it would take a really long time to get to read the original trilogy that I love. What I did was split the chronological order in half with " Heralds of Valdemar" being the first read, but second chronologically. This section starts with 3 prequels before getting to the first trilogy and consists of 16 books published from 1987-2003. The half I'll read second is the "History of Valdemar," which all chronologically happens before the first book of "Heralds of Valdemar." This section consists of 10 books published between 1988-2000 and 10 books published between 2008-2019.
Now I'm off to read another book... but since a review should be more about the author of the book than about the writer of the blog, I will let Mercedes Lackey have the last words:
(King's speech before leading a charge into battle.)
"The enemy thinks that the land is the nation. We know better. We know that Valdemar is not the land - and it is not just the people. Valdemar is a spirit, a community of spirit that binds a hundred disparate peoples with a hundred different religions and ways of life into a company and a greater whole. It is not unity, for that would be denying our diversity, and in our diversity and our tolerance is our strength. That spirit is what you fight for, and what you will live for, Heralds of Valdemar, for you are at the heart of that spirit - a spirit of tolerance, compassion, understanding, and care - all things that our enemy cannot and will never understand."
(King's speech before leading a charge into battle.)
"The enemy thinks that the land is the nation. We know better. We know that Valdemar is not the land - and it is not just the people. Valdemar is a spirit, a community of spirit that binds a hundred disparate peoples with a hundred different religions and ways of life into a company and a greater whole. It is not unity, for that would be denying our diversity, and in our diversity and our tolerance is our strength. That spirit is what you fight for, and what you will live for, Heralds of Valdemar, for you are at the heart of that spirit - a spirit of tolerance, compassion, understanding, and care - all things that our enemy cannot and will never understand."
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