Intrigues by Mercedes Lackey

Slightly Spoilery Review

I said in my Foundation review that Collegium Chronicles would be a good place to point Harry Potter fans. I still stand by that, but I will definitely say that Collegium Chronicles ramps up the darkness much quicker than Harry Potter did. Intrigues literally has Mags getting depressed to the point of suicide. So if you are going to recommend Collegium Chronicles to anyone, you might want to warn them about that. It’s far more visceral than even Vanyel’s descent in The Last Herald Mage. I wasn’t expecting Mag’s depression at all.

While kind of on the subject of Harry Potter, I’m going to come out and say that Kirball is much more fun to read than Quidditch. It would definitely be muuuuch harder to turn into a real-world sport (impossible, really, because Companions), but it’s much more fun to read. I liked the way the teams were structured and I can definitely see how it’s fully living up to its dual role as war training. I do hope the players eventually get to play different positions on the team, because I’m sure there would be instances of Companions being taken out of commission and such that at least the Heralds would need to know how to deal with.

All that aside, I very much enjoyed Intrigues. It definitely lived up to that title. Everyone is much more in their own little worlds within the Collegium at this point, at least as far as Mags’ group of friends. Bear’s got his family stuff to deal with; Lena’s finally getting a bit of attention from her father; and the Kirball teams have been established. It actually kind of reminds me of the Buffy episode “Earshot” in which Mags is essentially playing the part of Jonothan… everyone’s too wrapped up in their own crap to really help Mags deal with his. Which, shame on the Mindhealers for not calling him in for therapy or something. Poor kid.

Also shame on all the Farseers for letting their visions get out. I feel like that stuff should be strictly controlled as to who gets to know what the visions contain. It obviously only causes strife. They need a better system that does not lead to a student being ostracized the way Mags was.

Of course, Mags’ depression wasn’t overly egregious or just there to serve the plot. I feel like anyone would sink into a depression after such a public ostracism and then rift with their only friends… and what happened with Dallen. Dallen’s injury definitely broke the camel’s back… no puns intended. The whole situation was just bad from start to finish.

Anyway, except for the depression part of the book, I felt Intrigues was an enjoyable read. The ante is definitely upped in a satisfying way. I only wish Mags a better second year at the Collegium. 

Favorite Line

::We’re none of us quite so sure of our place in the world that we can’t be rocked off our feet by bad times. It’s the getting back up again that counts. Not that you fall, but getting back up again counts for more in the long run.:: - Dallen