Magic's Pawn

It’s the early 1990s, and a “horse crazy” teenager discovers a fantasy novel with a striking white horse and a handsome, dark-haired young man on the cover at her local K-Mart. Okay, so I’ve dated myself, but I’m not going to lie. A horse and a cute boy got me into reading Mercedes Lackey’s tales of Valdemar, and Magic’s Pawn was the first book I discovered. A fantasy novel with a horse that could talk to you and magic powers was the perfect escape for a teenager, and I’m not alone. Many readers discovered Valdemar, and more importantly, a gay… show more.

Lackey has created a huge following for her Valdemar series and with good cause. Imagine a world where unearthly, beautiful spirits in the guise of horses ‘choose’ a person to be their Herald. Which means they are bonded in a relationship that transcends anything else and their role, nay duty, is to protect and help those less fortunate than themselves. It’s a real world, created with villains and heroes and guarded by the heavenly “Companions” manifesting as horses. If you love magic and horses, you can’t go wrong with any Mercedes Lackey book.