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I've never actually read any Mercedes Lackey before, though I have some exposure to the concepts, from fan osmosis, Blue Rose, and filk. Now I am! Random thoughts:
Man, it starts really grim. Every bad medieval stereotype of "women shouldn't read" and girls marrying at 13 and plain clothes and... okay, 9 wives isn't a medieval stereotype, but still.
Oh, these fantasy Mormons are considered weird and extreme by everyone else, not normal. Also they do break the "dirty" stereotype.
Blue Rose really was the stealth Valdemar RPG, wasn't it. I recognize so much in the Heralds.
The basic plot structure reminds me of the much older _Dragonsong_. Abused and oppressed girl runs away, psychically bonds one or more animals, and finds refuge in a school. I feel Dragonsong earned it more, by both the author and the character; at any rate Menolly's abuse part was more drawn out and maybe more nuanced, and she has a longer period of agency, and her rescue seems less deus ex machina.
OTOH, given the Companions' apparent origins, maybe Talia really was subject to divine intervention.
The Heralds and their incorruptibility makes me think of fantasy Lensmen.
I suppose it's pretty plausible that Talia would have trouble trusting that people would believe her and take her side, but it still feels a bit like an idiot plot, given that they're *magically good and incorruptible*... I'd actually been in a discussion recently about whether Menolly trusted people too quickly, given her background; I figured she felt about right to me, especially given the fire lizards (providing both a basic feeling of being loved, and also being a responsibility -- gotta keep feeding them.)
I'm tickled by 'likkercraving' for alcoholism.
Just realized a dumb similarity: Menolly was from a Sea Hold, and Talia is from a Hold. Also, "No female of marriageable age gone overnight without leave would ever be accepted back into the Holding as anything but a drudge." Drudge, eh?
Kind of amusing that the Heralds are unhappy about the beatings that cause Talia to fear all adult men, but they also all think Elspeth (royal brat) needs some good spankings.
Man, it starts really grim. Every bad medieval stereotype of "women shouldn't read" and girls marrying at 13 and plain clothes and... okay, 9 wives isn't a medieval stereotype, but still.
Oh, these fantasy Mormons are considered weird and extreme by everyone else, not normal. Also they do break the "dirty" stereotype.
Blue Rose really was the stealth Valdemar RPG, wasn't it. I recognize so much in the Heralds.
The basic plot structure reminds me of the much older _Dragonsong_. Abused and oppressed girl runs away, psychically bonds one or more animals, and finds refuge in a school. I feel Dragonsong earned it more, by both the author and the character; at any rate Menolly's abuse part was more drawn out and maybe more nuanced, and she has a longer period of agency, and her rescue seems less deus ex machina.
OTOH, given the Companions' apparent origins, maybe Talia really was subject to divine intervention.
The Heralds and their incorruptibility makes me think of fantasy Lensmen.
I suppose it's pretty plausible that Talia would have trouble trusting that people would believe her and take her side, but it still feels a bit like an idiot plot, given that they're *magically good and incorruptible*... I'd actually been in a discussion recently about whether Menolly trusted people too quickly, given her background; I figured she felt about right to me, especially given the fire lizards (providing both a basic feeling of being loved, and also being a responsibility -- gotta keep feeding them.)
I'm tickled by 'likkercraving' for alcoholism.
Just realized a dumb similarity: Menolly was from a Sea Hold, and Talia is from a Hold. Also, "No female of marriageable age gone overnight without leave would ever be accepted back into the Holding as anything but a drudge." Drudge, eh?
Kind of amusing that the Heralds are unhappy about the beatings that cause Talia to fear all adult men, but they also all think Elspeth (royal brat) needs some good spankings.