Arrows of the Queen
core novel 1987 Valdemar
Record
| First published | 1987 |
|---|---|
| Original language |  EN |
| Work type | novel |
| Canon status | core |
| Reader rating | 4.13 (40,363 ratings, collected 2026-09-12) |
| Page count | 320 |
| First-edition ISBN | 0-88677-189-7 |
| First-edition date | 1987-03 |
Synopsis
The opening novel of the Heralds of Valdemar trilogy follows Talia, a thirteen-year-old girl from the strict, insular Holderkin community on Valdemar's southern border. Facing an arranged marriage she does not want and chafing against her community's rigid expectations for women, Talia runs away, only to be found and Chosen by Rolan, one of the mystical, horse-like Companions that bond for life with the kingdom's Heralds. Brought to the capital, Haven, she begins training at the Collegium alongside other young Heralds-in-training, still an outsider uncertain of her place among peers raised with very different backgrounds. First published in 1987, Arrows of the Queen belongs to the Valdemar series.
Where it sits
- Universe: Valdemar
- Series: The Heralds of Valdemar (Arrows trilogy) core; position 1 of 3 in the series' recorded order
- Author: Mercedes Lackey
Awards (verified)
- Locus Award (Best First Novel), 1988: finalist; Locus reader-poll placement, ranked 6th.
Notes
- From the series record (The Heralds of Valdemar (Arrows trilogy)): Lackey's debut trilogy; internally set centuries after the Founding era.
Neighbouring works
Publication order and internal chronology are tracked as two separate orderings and are never conflated: a book's place in one says nothing about its place in the other.
- Publication order, within the series The Heralds of Valdemar (Arrows trilogy): position 1 of 3: next Arrow's Flight (1987)
Sources
- Mercedes Lackey official site
- Valdemar Wiki (Fandom)
- https://www.isfdb.org
- https://valdemar.fandom.com/wiki/Arrows_of_the_Queen
- ISFDB, Internet Speculative Fiction Database
- https://www.sfadb.com/Mercedes_Lackey
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