Magic's Pawn
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[edit] Synopsis
Mercedes (Misty) Lackey's Last Herald-Mage Trilogy centers around a powerful Herald-Mage name Vanyel. It is comprised of Magic's Pawn, Magic's Promise, and Magic's Price. Vanyel Ashkervon is a young boy, with great Mage Potential. When his lifebonded dies, Vanyel's powers are awakened and he is forced to learn how to control them.
[edit] Characters
Vanyel: The protagonist, who is a young boy of 15. He is shay'a'chern (Shaych) or homosexual. His mage powers are awakened late in the book.
Tylendel: Vanyel's life-bonded. He is a Herald-Mage in training, and Savil's star pupil
Savil: Vanyel's distant Aunt. One of the strongest Herald-Mages, she trains young and upcoming talent.
Gala: Tylendel's Companion.
Yfandes: Vanyel's Companion. She was the only adult Companion not to have chosen before Vanyel's powers were awakened.
Kellan: Savil's Companion.
Mardic: Another of Savil's pupils. His life-bonded is Donni
Donni: The last of Savil's pupils. She is life-bonded to Mardic
Jaysen: A Herald, who initially has prejudices against Vanyel
Andrel: A Healer, who saves Vanyel's life
Moondance: Tayeldras Healer-Adept. His life-bonded is Starwind. He heals and trains Vanyel.
Starwind: Tyeldras Adept. He is life-bonded to Moondance. He trains Vanyel.
[edit] Summary
Vanyel Ashkervon, a young boy of fifteen, is the least popular boy at his estate. His father, Withen, forces him to learn weapons, when Vanyel would much rather focus of music. The armsmaster, Jervis bullies him and eventually breaks his arm. After that, Withen decides to send his eldest son to his sister, Savil.
When Vanyel arrives at the palace his is initially scared. Savil does not have a good reputation within his family. However, Savil does not bully Van, but instead lets him learn many different classes, one of them focusing around music. Unfortunately, Vanyel does not have the Bardic Gift, which shatters his dreams and sends him into depression.
Despite his depression, Vanyel's interest in Tylendel, Savil's star pupil, grows. His interest reaches a climax when Van learns that Tylendel is shay'a'chern, or one who loves another of the same sex. Suspecting that he is also shay'a'chern, but too frightened to admit it, Vanyel shuns 'Lendel.
Finally, the ice is broken when Vanyel has a horrible nightmare, and Tylendel comes to comfort him. Instantlly they become lovers and eventually life-bonded. However, they must keep their relationship secret because Van's father despises Shaych.
The plotline picks up when 'Lendel's twin, Staven (the heir to 'Lendel's house), is killed by Wester Leshara, a member of the Lashara rival house. Since Tylendel and Staven were connected mentally, 'Lendel experiences backlash from the event. When Vanyel finally manages to coax Tylendel out of his coma, 'Lendel is obsessed with revenge.
Van offers to help in any way. Since Van and 'Lyndel were life-bonded, Tylendel could use Van's Mage Potential. Using Van's enormous Potential, Tylendel was able to build a Gate to go to Leshara lands, and release wyrsa (pony-sized creatures that look like a cross between a grayhound and a snake, and hunt in packs) to destroy the Leshara. At this point Gala, 'Lendel's Companion, shows up and renounces Tylendel as her Chosen. She then sacrifices her life to destroy the wyrsa. Tylendel's fragile mind absolutely collapses at Gala's death.
After Gala's death, Heralds Savil, Lancir, and Jaysen show up. They defeat the wyrsa and quickly take the boys back home. They immediately see to Vanyel, because his energy is still tied to the Gate, and he is about to collapse. When the Heralds collapse the Gate, the energy backlashes into Vanyel and takes him down in convultions. While the Heralds' attention is on Vanyel, Tylendel, insane with grief over the loss of his Companion, throws himself of the bell-tower and kills himself.
Tylendel's death sends Vanyel into a mental and physical collapse. The Healer Andrel does his best, but has difficulty curing Van mentally. To make matters worse, Vanyel's incredible Mage Potential has been rudely awakened by the energy backlash from the Gate. This means that not only can Vanyel not control his magic, it causes his pain to use it. The only saving factor was directly after 'Lendel's death, Vanyel was Chosen by Yfandes.
During the days that follow 'Lendel's death, Van attempts to commit suicide too. He overhears Herald Jaysen's homophobic thoughts that Vanyel caused 'Lendel's death (by loving him) and takes the guilt upon himself, believing the only way he can make up for 'Lendel's death is to give up his own life. Fortunately, Van is saved and Savil decides to take Van to the Tayledras.
At the Hawkbrothers Vale, Healer-Adept Moondance is able to heal Vanyel mentally. Moondance has a past similar to Vanyel's and he is very sympathetic with the boy. Moondance's lifebonded, Starwind, teaches Vanyel how to control his magic. Both of the men are stern, but teach Vanyel much. Despite this, Vanyel resists the teaching, because he is still deeply grieving for 'Lendel.
A series of suspicious attacks in the area around the Vale culminates in the appearance of a nest of colddrakes. Moondance, Starwind, and Savil go off to take care of the nest, leaving Van by himself in the Vale. One of Vanyel's more sporadic Gifts is the gift of ForeSight (precognition) and while Vanyel is alone at the Vale, he suffers from a ForeSight vision in the form of a dream that predicts his death. Muzzy and confused by the dream, Vanyel decides that the only way to avoid the death in the dream is to run away from everything magic -- so he takes a pack and strikes out into the wilderness alone. After several hours, however, he finally shakes off the panic left by the dream and realizes his rashness, turning around to return to the Vale. While he is off by himself, however, Vanyel runs into a colddrake attacking a farming families. Van uses his Mage-gift to kill the colddrake, who turns out to be the Queendrake of the entire nest. Soon thereafter, the three adepts show up at the farm, after following the trail of the Queendrake. Helping the farmers showed Van how good it felt others, and he was finally able to realize why he should be a Herald.
The three adept mages then realize that the colddrakes were only a distraction. They find a small village which has been taken over by a blood mage. Moondance, Starwind, Savil, Kellan (Savil's Companion), and Yfandes leave Vanyel in the village, so they can go track down the mage. Nevertheless, the mage shows up in the village. Vanyel is forced to face the mage, though he barely has control of his powers. To beat the mage Van must tap into a magical node. This destroys the mage, but nearly kills Vanyel in the process. Happily, Moondance manages to save him again.
