I Am Completely Serious

Yeah, I'm somewhat in mourning for my ability to read her stuff without wincing. I miss being able to pick up the Talia and Mornelithe Falconsbane books when I feel gross. They were very calming when I didn't realize how bad they were.

The Vanyel books are pretty short, so I have no idea how she makes such a mess of them. Maybe it's because they're tragedies, and she's struggling against the requirements of the plot. She doesn't want to think about the Sad Ending, so she throws in all these distracting subplots and scenes where people talk about politics we don't care about or magical systems. These are books about tragic pretty wizard boys in love! We don't need seven paragraphs on how Vanyel's horse was bred or how his mean tutor (who we don't care about) has seen the error of his ways and is marrying another minor character and isn't that nice. Just make the kids stare soulfully at each other in the rain, woman. It's not hard.

I think what gave them their power at the time was that they were basically pre-internet H/C slash. They're not good, but they're what was available.

I'm okay with treating the horse-lifebond thing as unusual! Maybe I'm intolerant. I'm in total accord with the girl who had a crush on the guy and had a heart attack about it. (I can't remember anyone's name in that book.) But yeah, I really appreciate how low-key people's sexuality generally is for Lackey. The only time I recall someone's gayness being a plot point was the Vanyel books. Then it was a Big Plot Point.