By the Sword

There was a sudden stillness beyond the kitchen door, and something about the silence made Kero raise her head and glance sharply at the open doorway.
Then the screaming began.

The story:
Kerowyn is "only" the daughter of Lord Rathgar. No matter that she is the one who has kept the keep running since her mother died. No matter that she is a better rider than her brother. No matter that she is a better archer. No matter that she knows she is far more talented with a wepon than her brother is, if only she could get the proper training.

But when, at her brother's wedding, she finds herself the only one able to go after the bandits that kidnapped her brother's bride, she has the wit to ask for help from her grandmother, the mage Kethry.

She gets more than she asked for; Need, and a teacher. And not any teacher, but her grandmother's long-time friend, the Shin'a'in Tarma.

When she is ready to leave, she decides to join a mercenary company, the Skybolts. A decision that will take her into as much trouble as her grandmother had.

Thoughts about the book:
This book binds the story of Tarma and Kethry together with the stories of Valdemar tightly together. It also tells a lot about Rethwellan, and some of the other countries that Valdemar deals with.

As a stand-alone book it does nicely. That some of the characters are known from other books, and a lot of them have grown old, is a nice touch; Lackey's characters do grow old, unlike the heroes of a lot of other fantasy stories.

About the author Mercedes Lackey

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