Today, we'll be reviewing Magic's Pawn, by Mercedes Lackey. Magic's Pawn is the first of three books in The Last Herald Mage trilogy. It is set in a kingdom called Valdemar. Mages are those who can do magic. Heralds are people with extrasensory or psychic abilities who have devoted their lives to using their abilities to help others, specifically, the kingdom of Valdemar. A small number of Heralds have mage capabilities and are called Herald-Mages.

This is my first review, so stay with me; we'll be figuring this out together. Magic's Pawn is a wonderful coming of age story, about a young gay (Or, in this case, "shay'a'chern") boy, aged sixteen, named Vanyel Ashkevron. While this may not be a book for every reader, (Indeed, I expect some of you will scoff and move on) I personally greatly enjoyed it. At times, the writing can be somewhat sloppy, and the dialogue could use some work. On the other hand, the character draws you into his life. It forces you to feel emotion, to get involved in his pain as he goes through depression and suicide, turmoil and angst. And yet, this is a fantasy novel, make no mistake. There is plenty of magic and mysticism to go around, so don't worry! But this is definitely not a story meant for deep thought or political intrigue.

The story opens with Vanyel, heir to a great estate. Vanyel does not live up to his Father's expectations, being more interesting in music and elegance than fighting. He dreams to be a Bard, someone that can influence emotions in people through their music. His Father, on the other hand, would like him to get rid of such "childish" fantasies and take his training seriously, for the day that he will take over the estate. Fed up, his Father sends him to Haven, a school in the capital of Valdemar under the care of his Aunt, Savil. Vanyel falls in love, and is truly happy for the first time. But happiness is fleeting, and not meant to last...

At the end of the day, this is a story about the protagonist, and how he deals with preferring his own gender, loving and losing, and all the trials of life. You may be wondering what the attraction to this character is, or perhaps you already understand how a character's pain and misery and confusion seem to blend together into a seething mass of pure emotion that you cannot help but love to hate. It is not often that I find a story that genuinely makes me cry. Perhaps it is because I went through similar events in my teen years, or perhaps it is because Vanyel Ashkevron is very easy to relate to. Overall, I think Vanyel is one of those rare characters that makes me FEEL for them. To the point that you feel what he feels, his triumphs are your triumphs, and so on. More so than many books.

The writing might be sloppy, the dialogue obvious, and the plot might not be deep and involved. But what Magic's Pawn is, is a damn fine book. If you're the target audience, or if you're just looking for a fantasy book that builds more on characters, than plot, I urge you to take a look. Enter with an open mind, and you'll not be disappointed.