After finally finishing both Chronicles of Thomas Covenant series (it only took 18 weeks), I was out of book. Jeremy'd ordered the Last Herald-Mage series by Mercedes Lackey. Summary: A must-read/classic fantasy series.
I'm a newcomer to Valdemar, the kingdom/setting in which the series in centered. For that reason, there are two major components that stood out in the series.
As a setting, Valdemar is sufficiently different from the standard fantasy settings and their dealings with magic to stand apart.
Valdemar the kingdom is headed by a king who must be a Herald. The Heralds are people with what we'd call magic powers - a Herald would have at least one of the ability (known as Gifts) to heal, perform telekinesis, read emotions, speak using their minds, and so forth.
The Herald-Mage of the series' name is a Herald with the Mage Gift, which allows them to do other sorts of powers, such as build Gates to other locations, toss magic bolts, and summon creatures. Herald-Mages are rare (as the name of the series implies).
Heralds are those with the Gifts who get Chosen by Companions, intelligent magical creatures who look like horses. A Companion chooses the Herald for life, and this creates a bond that allows the Companion and Herald to communicate with each other mentally. The Companions are also capable of talking to other Companions, including somewhat at distance.
The Heralds protect and promote Valdemar by using their Gifts in its service. The capital city of Haven is the base and training location of the Heralds.
Besides the Heralds, the Bards are another group which serves Valdemar. They may also share some of the Gifts that Heralds have, but also will have Gifts with regards to the creation or playing of music. These include the ability to evoke certain emotions in people, or creating music or songs. Music in Valdemar seems to be well-appreciated.
It's an engaging setting, although I've no idea how one would model it in an RPG. The lead character, for example, could perform certain acts that not even the most experienced Herald-Mages could perform, and the mental/emotional state of the caster could affect the amount of power available. People have Gift potentials that have upper bounds, but also affect how easily they can learn. I suppose that's the usual fantasy book style, but I'd love an RPG model for the world...
The second component has to do with the sexuality of the lead character. Vanyel is probably the first gay hero in popular fantasy that I know about. The books were written starting in 1989, which means that it was amongst the first books to discuss homosexuality in the way that it does - that is, with respect, and major "liberal" slant. That's not to say that homosexuality is particularly accepted in Valdemar - being a Herald-Mage certainly does help against any persecution.
The concept of lifebond, a mate for life, that creates a bond similar to the Companion's Chosen, is available to same-sex couples. There are at least two same-sex lifebond couples who are important to the plot.
Vanyel's not the carefree type, and spends a long period without a partner, and avoiding getting involved with some that approach him sexually. The series tries a little too hard to drive the "homosexuals aren't paedophiles" message, in my mind, but I suppose that's talking to the choir here.
Vanyel's sexuality is a central theme of the book. It starts with his father diagnosing his sexuality, and trying to hide the entire concept from Vanyel. It continues with Vanyel's discovery via meeting his first love, and the emotions involved in this self-discovery about himself, and how being gay makes his life different and often more complicated.
So, for those reasons, I think this series should be considered a fantasy classic, and should be read by those interested in a great fantasy setting, and especially those interested in finding a serious gay fantasy hero.