It was the first high fantasy series with a gay protagonist from a mainstream publisher, and was well-received by critics, many of whom regard it as Lackey's best work.

An omnibus hardcover edition titled The Last Herald Mage followed in December 1990 from SFBC, with cover art by Dawn Wilson.

Vanyel Ashkevron, age sixteen, is the heir to a great estate, Forst Reach, though he does not measure up to what his father, Lord Withen, deems to be a "proper" man.

Suffering from psychic and emotional damage, Vanyel is "chosen" by a Companion, Yfandes, who reassures him of her love and friendship and his worth.

Savil, realizing Vanyel needs special assistance, takes him to the Tayledras, human beings who live in K'Treva, an environment immersed in magic.

[3] Published from 1989 to 1990, it was one of the earliest young adult works to feature a gay protagonist,[4] and the first in high fantasy from a mainstream press.

[7] While feeling that a gay protagonist might limit its readership, The San Diego Tribune praised the themes of "growing and healing and living to carry your own weight".

[8] A review in the Lambda Rising Book Report found the protagonist Vanyel "warm and engaging" and called his relationship with Tylendel "spellbinding".

[9] In a similar viewpoint, critic Louse J. Winters wrote in 1994 that Vanyel was Lackey's "crowning achievement in characterization".

[10][11] In 2019, a retrospective in Tor.com described the Herald-Mage books as "powerful stories about strength, magic, duty, love, and queer identity".

The reviewer lauded the series for promoting queer acceptance and felt that Vanyel's story evoked a strong personal connection.

[13] Scholar Anne Balay has described the series as an influence on later queer fantasy novels such as Lynn Flewelling's Nightrunner.