Magic's Price

Locations
Call Number: Fantasy / Lackey, Mercedes
On Shelf At: Downtown Library

Location & Checkout Length	Call Number	Checkout Length	Item Status
Downtown 2nd Floor 4-week checkout	Fantasy / Lackey, Mercedes	4-week checkout	On Shelf
Downtown 2nd Floor 4-week checkout	Fantasy / Lackey, Mercedes	4-week checkout	On Shelf

For mature teens, a fantasy in which Vanyel is pitted against the murderous Master Dark. This is the third novel of the Last Herald-Mage trilogy. Preceded by Magic's Pawn (1989) and Magic's Promise (1990). The final chapter in Mercedes Lackey 's spellbinding fantasy trilogy! The Herald-Mage, Vanyel, and his Companion, Yfandes, are alone responsible for saving the once-peaceful kingdom of Valdemar from the forces of a master who wields a dark, forbidding magic. And if either Vanyel or Yfandes falters, both Valdemar and its Herald-Mage must pay the ultimate price.

REVIEWS & SUMMARIES

Booklist Review
Summary / Annotation
Fiction Profile
Author Notes

COMMUNITY REVIEWS

WARNING: SPOILERS BELOW submitted by Jen Chapin-Smith on August 31, 2012, 4:12pm The last of Lackey's trilogy about gay Harold Mage Vanyel, this book is both sad and bittersweet. It is also very violent and so (rightfully) disturbing. I had to skip some of the scarier parts. The end is heartbreaking but I don't think it fits the "Well of Lonliness" trap of gay romance novel endings as Vanyel has sacrificed himself not simply so his true love can become straight but to protect his entire kingdom (making Vanyel quite the hero) and there is the promise that the two men will be together in the afterlife.

Clarification to above review submitted by sally.m.maier on June 16, 2023, 1:59pm This book Is dark, and rightfully so as it’s not a teen story. There are scary parts and sad parts, but nothing so bad that the average reader will need to skip things.

To fix some confusion that may stem from a different reviewer’s comment, there is absolutely no part of this story in which the main character sacrifices himself so that “his true love can become straight.” Perhaps the previous reviewer thinks this is a common trope? (Maybe it is in the stories they’ve read, but I’ve certainly not encountered it in modern LGBTQ+ works.)

Be that as it may, do not allow the review to make you question reading this book. If you liked the first book (and quietly sobbed through the second) then do read the last in the series.