I recently reread Mercedes Lackey’s Arrows Trilogy: Arrows of the Queen, Arrow’s Flight, and Arrow’s Fall. Evidently was the first trilogy written in the series, despite my reading the Magic’s Promise/Pride/Price trilogy previously.
I enjoyed the series. Some small elements felt repetitious– but given that this was the first series written I guess it’s the other books that repeat the elements introduced here.
Talia is inspiring and refreshing– from the very beginning, she seems like someone whose struggles are worthwhile. The petty humiliations and struggle to adapt to strange environments in the first book are very well written– I sympathized with Talia and hoped she’d find a way to endure.
Arrow’s Flight is ironically named– the vast majority of the action takes places in very confined circumstances. It’s probably my least favorite of the three, due to the closed loop nature of the problem and its solution. Despite that, it’s a good look at the fragility of the gifts and the struggles that go along with mastering something unusual.
Arrow’s Fall is very strong; I like the raised specter of Hulda and the new plot elements introduced. Elspeth’s struggles at fitting in and alienation from Talia are an interesting reflection of Talia’s struggles in the first book. Talia’s imprisonment is appropriately horrific. The sour note is Dirk’s behavior… while it rings possible, it feels too convenient to the plot. Despite that, it’s a strong book overall, with a much quicker pace and more dramatic stakes than the other books in the series. You can tell you’re playing for the trophy this time.