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Brightly Burning Paperback – January 1, 2002

4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 1,073 ratings

Lavan Chitward is a very unhappy young man; pulled away from his country home by his parents' ambitions and resettled in the big city of Haven, he is desperately lonely, bullied and beaten at school, ignored by his parents. It is not surprising that he falls ill - but his illness is the first manifestation of a terrible power, the Gift of the Firestorm, a power which can and does kill. If controlled, the Gift of the Firestorm can save Valdemar, but if it is uncontrolled, it will destroy the country - and him. Chosen by the Companion Kalira, brought into the ranks of the Heralds of Valdemar, Lavan finds acceptance and hope for the first time. But war with Karse threatens to engulf the Kingdom and only Lavan Firestorm stands between Valdemar and destruction - and only then if he can harness his dreadful power to his will.
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Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Orion Paperbacks (January 1, 2002)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 416 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0575072962
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0575072961
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 8.4 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 4.37 x 1.22 x 7.01 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 1,073 ratings

About the author

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Mercedes Lackey
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Mercedes Lackey is the acclaimed author of over 145 novels and many works of short fiction. In her "spare" time she is also a skilled needleworker, jewelry maker, and collector and costumer of asian ball-jointed dolls. Many of her works go to charity auctions for good causes. She has also been known to play City of Heroes MMORPG and D and D with a close group of friends. Mercedes lives in Oklahoma with her husband and frequent collaborator, artist Larry Dixon, and their flock of parrots. Over half of their parrots are rescues. Her website is www.mercedeslackey.com.

Photo by Mercedes Lackey (her own work)

Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
1,073 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers enjoy the story and find it a good read. They appreciate the emotional depth, with the book making them cry and despair. The characters are well-portrayed and understandable.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

45 customers mention "Story quality"45 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the story. They find it intriguing with good characters and a compelling tale. The book keeps their attention and is a wonderful addition to the series.

"...It truly is a beautiful read!" Read more

"...What an exceptional read!! I highly recommend this wonderful book to all." Read more

"...It picks you up, slows down & then picks you up again. Recommended for new folk who don't normally read Fantasy...." Read more

"...And this book is one of the best: she is not afraid to touch on controversial subjects or shy away from things other writers might in an attempt to..." Read more

21 customers mention "Emotional depth"17 positive4 negative

Customers find the book has an emotional depth that makes them cry and despair. They appreciate the portrayal of the main characters' emotions and the poignant ending. The story touches on deeper issues and creates a soulmate bond between people. Readers say the book brings them into the world of the Hearlds.

"Brightly Burning will take the reader on emotional highs and depths of despair. What an exceptional read!!..." Read more

"...you spend that time getting to learn about Lavan and sympathize with his emotional state and how his life got turned around...." Read more

"This is the second time I have read this book. The ending really moved me, have never forgotten the heart breaking ending." Read more

"...It is one of the best. Very heart-rending." Read more

16 customers mention "Character development"16 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the well-developed characters in the book. They find the characters relatable and understand the main characters' feelings. The author is praised for her writing style and ability to capture young adults.

"...Thankfully the rest of the characters were better written, so those were the only real blights in my enjoyment." Read more

"...We meet many well-portrayed, likable characters: young Owyn, Lavan's ally against the school thugs; Herald Pol, Lavan's mentor; Herald Trainee..." Read more

"...Mercedes lackey is an amazing writer who can capture young adults and older adults with the same child like glee as they delve into this fascinating..." Read more

"...at its worse and i felt a connection to it and undrstood the main characters feelings...." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on August 3, 2021
    This is one of the saddest books in the overall Valdemar saga, perhaps even more so than those of Herald Vanyel. But is also one of my favorites. The book is one of the few standalones within the saga, too.

    Lan has been uprooted from his country home and friends, moved to Haven, the capital of Valdemar. His parents are artisan Guildmasters who seek to rise in their fields, but he’s left feeling as if he has no place. Even his siblings are following in their parents’ footsteps, but Lan wants nothing to do with either family business. All he wants is to be a member of the Guard, which his parents forbid, feeling it to be “beneath” them. It has left Lan an outlier in his own family. To make it worse, they decide to send him to a school, one in which the headmaster leaves all the discipline and order to a group of older students who love nothing more than to cruely bully the younger students. One thing leads to another, and a terrible accident occurs. But there’s a silver lining… he finally finds his path, even if he will probably always remain an outlier, this time from those who fear him.

    The author laudably runs the gamut of relationships in this series, those that aren’t quite as “status quo.” She wrote of same-sex relationships, even throuples, long before those became more mainstream. But this one created a lifebond, a soul mate bond between people, between Lan and his Companion. A completely nonsexual lifebond, but one based on the purest of love and trust.

    It truly is a beautiful read!
    6 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on July 2, 2024
    Brightly Burning will take the reader on emotional highs and depths of despair. What an exceptional read!! I highly recommend this wonderful book to all.
  • Reviewed in the United States on July 15, 2024
    If you have lost a loved one unexpectedly, I suspect you will shed tears at the end of this story. I love the Valdemar series and Ms. Lackey has an amazing gift for telling stories that make you feel like you're reading about a friend you haven't seen in a long time. However, I can't think of a single story that has touched my heart and soul quite as much as this one. Not even the story of Tylendal.
  • Reviewed in the United States on February 16, 2014
    I feel like this author is a hit-and-miss, and Brightly Burning walked a line between the two. The beginning was a little slow and it took a long time for the story to seem to move, but you spend that time getting to learn about Lavan and sympathize with his emotional state and how his life got turned around. Things begin to pick up afterwards, though towards the end it startles to muddle every so slightly once more.

    Some spoilers in this paragraph, read at your own discretion. The characters themselves seem to be all over the place. I lost my respect for Healers in this one. One character was blindly in love with Lavan despite it being impossible for him to return her feelings because he was lifebonded to his Companion, and no matter how often she was told such or how right-before-her-eyes the evidence of this was, she kept pursuing it to the point where it was upsetting herself and Lavan. Then another Healer (the mother of the blindly-in-love one) starts off as this rational person, but when her husband gets attacked and blinded she turns into this hysterical mess who blames herself that she can't heal him right then and there. It was just annoying. I wasn't too fond of the royalty in this book either. Thankfully the rest of the characters were better written, so those were the only real blights in my enjoyment.
    6 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on April 19, 2024
    This is the second time I have read this book. The ending really moved me, have never forgotten the heart breaking ending.
  • Reviewed in the United States on October 21, 2023
    Valdemar enlists a high school junior as a weapon of mass destruction, nation lives to see another day.

    Digs a bit more into life bonds (spiritual codependency vs true love matches), Heralds (civil servants backed by magical minders), and their unique blend of jack-of-all-trades education. Also contrasts Herald Collegium with the truly terrifying Merchant School (which reads like a British public school turned up to 11).

    Were it not for Companions, I wonder if Valdemar is worth saving. Or at the very least, moving somewhere with less snow.
  • Reviewed in the United States on June 14, 2000
    I'm not one of those readers who thought "Owlflight" and its sequels were boring. I thoroughly enjoyed them, and the whole Valdemar series for that matter. "Brightly Burning," however, is quite amazing, a real standout on the level of the Last Herald Mage and Queen's Own trilogies. Mercedes Lackey is at her storytelling best here. And her talent for creating memorable characters we care about is as good as ever. This tale centers around Lavan, the 16-year-old son of a cloth merchant and a needleworker, who is sent by his parents to what proves to be the school-from-hell. It's dominated by a gang of vicious, sadistic bullies, and it's where Lavan's rare and dangerous Gift manifests itself. We meet many well-portrayed, likable characters: young Owyn, Lavan's ally against the school thugs; Herald Pol, Lavan's mentor; Herald Trainee Tuck and his delightful family; King Theran; the Companion Kalira. If you enjoyed the stories of Vanyel and Talia, you'll probably like the story of Lavan Firestorm too.
    54 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on December 25, 2022
    I've read this particular valdemar novel at least 4 times by now. It is one of the best. Very heart-rending.

Top reviews from other countries

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  • Janet
    5.0 out of 5 stars Even having read about Lavan in previous books, the story is a great read and the ending amazing.
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 17, 2019
    I loved this tale. Full of great characters, good and bad. No one deserved such awful parents! Anyone who has read the Valdemar stories has already met the main character and so knows what the ending will be. It is still well worth reading as the details and other characters really enhance the main thread.
  • Wad Mabbit
    5.0 out of 5 stars Not your normal Herald story. Be prepared for a rough ride and a gripping finale
    Reviewed in Australia on January 14, 2024
    This is a Gateway Esstential book. Number 3. That alone sets it apart as a remarkable read.

    Mercedes Lackey has created a Masterwork here.
  • torleya
    4.0 out of 5 stars Fantasy da scoprire
    Reviewed in Italy on July 12, 2014
    Questo libro è la chiara dimostrazione di come il fantasy sia un filone letterario tutto da scoprire.
    Al di là delle saghe più famose, ho scoperto questa che pur non avendo raggiunto l'apice del successo è coinvolgente, originale e ben scritta.
  • sawamura
    4.0 out of 5 stars ヴァルデマール年代記が好きなら
    Reviewed in Japan on December 8, 2003
    これも、読まないわけには行かないでしょう。
    商人の息子だった主人公が、突然の能力に目覚め、
    使徒として育って行きます。魔法と剣と友情の
    ビルドゥングス・ロマン!
    創元推理文庫「女神の誓い」「裁きの門」「運命の剣」あたりを
    先に読んでおくと、世界観になじみがある分、取り掛かりやすいと
    思います。
  • L. Holloway
    5.0 out of 5 stars Another great Mercedes Lackey book.
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 11, 2020
    I love all the Valdemar books and this was one I hadn't read before. Full of drama and emotion. Great.