Magic's Pawn (The Last Herald-Mage Series, Book 1)

This was one of the first mainstream fantasy novels with a gay protagonist. Written and published in 1989, when this was a risky proposition for a mainstream novel.

The book follows the adventures of 15-year old Vanyel Ashkevron, the eldest son of a noble. As such, he will one day succeed his father as head of the family, but father and son don't get along well. After a particularly bad episode, Vanyel's father sends him away to study in the capital, under the guardianship of his aunt Savil. Although Vanyel has no desire to live with his aunt, this exile turns out to be a blessing in disguise. When Vanyel discovers that there are boys who fall in love with boys rather than girls, he realizes that he is one such boy himself; and with it, he understands his feelings for Savil's protégé Tylendel. The two boys enter a relationship, and for a while, Vanyel finally has a happiness that he had never thought possible. Tylendel also introduces Vanyel to his mount Gala, a "Companion": Valdemar's breed of intelligent, magical horses. Valdemars Companions choose its Heralds, and it is Gala who has chosen Tylendel. Gala and Tylendel share a deep bond; she has had to help him over a heartbreak earlier, and is eventually happy that he has found love with Vanyel.

But there are dark clouds over the young lovers' heads. If Vanyels homophobic father learns that he is in a relationship with another boy, he will drag the boy back home and force him into a cloyster. Meanwhile Tylendel's family is involved in a bitter feud, and Vanyel is about to be dragged in...

The book can be quite a tear-jerker, but all in all it is a beautiful and sensitive story. It is as much a coming-of-age novel as it is a fantasy novel. Many teenage protagonists in fantasy are written as fully functional adults in teenage bodies; Vanyel, however, clearly has some growing up to do. And the emotional abuse that he has suffered from his father, doesn't make that any easier.

If I have a criticism of the book, it is that the last part feels rushed; as if a longer story had to be compressed to fit the pocket book format. For example, Vanyel has spent about 300 pages being very self-centered; then a single adventure opens his eyes to the needs of others. Yet this important new insight itself is described with just a few sentences.

Similarly, this is where a villain conveniently shows up. Although the book doesn't lack unpleasant people, from Vanyels father and his brutish armsmaster to the Leshara family that caused Tylendel enormous pain, it doesn't have a villain who deserves being killed in a final battle. Enter Krebain, a sadistic sexual predator who seems to be there only for the purpose of having a climactic battle at the end. To be fair, that final battle does help to bring the book to a satisfying conclusion, so it (almost literally) works out neatly in the end. And when Vanyel launches a near-suicidal attack on Krebain to protect the villagers, his final thought brought tears to my eyes.

Recommended for fantasy fans, horse lovers, and those who like to see a queer protagonist carry the day.