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Arrows of the Queen
Mercedes Lackey

Statistics:
ISBN: 0886773784
Fantasy
Part of the Valdemar series.
In Print
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Horse connection:
Valdemar's "Companions" are magical beings in equine form with wisdom and mental telepathy.

Description:
Valdemar is an enlightened kingdom where simple "mind-magics" are common, and has a corps of Heralds matched with Companions (the horses) who keep order and defend the populace.

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painfully inaccurate   [login to vote]   detailed and exquisitely accurate

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minimal or background   [login to vote]   horsey

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The first Valdemar book, by ponydom on June 29, 2004

This is the first Lackey book written in the Valdemar universe. Although it does not end up being the first in the whole timeline, this book (and its two trilogy companions) is a great place to start. The Companions Lackey envisions are beautiful white horse-shaped beings, able to run enormous distances very quickly, and communicate telepathically with their rider/Heralds or with other Companions. They serve (and choose) the Heralds, essentially Valdemar's cavalry and police force.

The Valdemar books tend to be coming of age stories; this one follows young Talia as she is Chosen from a remote corner of the Kingdom, so far away that she does not know much of Heralds and their traditions. Talia must bond with her Companion and find her way in a largely alien environment.

But face it: this is a horse-lover's archetypical fantasy, and with around a dozen novels, a nice big hunk of popcorn reading material.