Brightly Burning

By: Mercedes Lackey

Narrated by: Daniel Thomas May

Lavan Chitward is a very unhappy young man; pulled away from his country home by his parents' ambitions and resettled in the big city of Haven, he is desperately lonely, bullied and beaten at school, ignored by his parents. It is not surprising that he falls ill - but his illness is the first manifestation of a terrible power, the Gift of the Firestorm, a power which can and does kill. If controlled, the Gift of the Firestorm can save Valdemar, but if it is uncontrolled, it will destroy the country - and him. Chosen by the Companion Kalira, brought into the ranks of the Heralds of Valdemar, Lavan finds acceptance and hope for the first time. But war with Karse threatens to engulf the Kingdom and only Lavan Firestorm stands between Valdemar and destruction - and only then if he can harness his dreadful power to his will.

©2000 Mercedes R. Lackey (P)2020 Tantor

excellent voice acting, terrific plot.

I've always enjoyed Mercedes Lackeys' work. She has excellent characterization, beautiful descriptive text, and compelling plot work. this story follows the adventures of a young herald as he grows into his role.

Narrator so-so

I think a different narrator would have been better. This one didn't do much for me when it came to women's and Companions' voices.

a powerful, moving,and compelling story

excellently written, expertly voiced. wholeheartedly captivating. it was a joy to read, and I was saddened when it ended.

Unbelievably bad narration

5 stars for Mercedes Lackey's beautiful story but nothing for this terrible performance. I'm sure he did his best but utterly ruined everything for years-long fans like me. He should have absolutely co-narrated with a woman for the female roles at least. AT THE VERY LEAST! Or just don't try to do voices and accents. I'm sorry to be rude, but that was horribly painful.

Give it a chance

Starts slow, but it’s worth it, characters develop and the story gives you the feels

Great story, annoying reader

Dearly love the story, but someone please explain why the reader tries to give each character a unique voice when all he can do is either give them a harsh whisper or make them sound like they are trying to be Bonny Prince Charlie?

Great listen! Horrid cover art

Don't let the cover art put you off. The narrator does a great job, though the female impersonations are amusing. Mercedes Lackey wrote a great story.

The cover does not do this wonderful story justice. For starters, heralds wear white, not red. It looks like the man is leaning against something, but nothing is there. The design is just bad. The companion is well done, but for the rest... it missed the mark. It would have looked a ton better if they kept the original cover art.

Powerful mental pictures to the end!!!

Not many books have the ability to make me as Judy a visitor become so entrenched with the story that my personal emotions react!!

This writer has created a familial bond of strong ties to not just a characters famiky, but friends and an intense love of country that mirrors how I personally feel about the United States!!

This book grabbed me up and pulled me along the strong intense story about a young man who was bullied but works through his horrific issues to end up saving the people of his land with help from his companion as well as compatriots. His literal blow up ends after the loss of the dearest creature to him, but makes life cone back from the ashes.

a story of love.

Finished in 1 sit down.
brilliant author story has modern day moments, that can be easy to relate too.

Love it

I love this book, the narrator did wry well. It brought life to the story.