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The Founding of Valdemar #3
Valdemar
The long-awaited story of the founding of Valdemar comes to life in this 3rd book of a trilogy from a New York Times bestselling author and beloved fantasist.
The refugees from the Empire have established a thriving city called Haven with the help of the Tayledras and their allies. But the Tayledras have begun a slow withdrawal to the dangerous lands known as the Pelagirs, leaving the humans of Haven to find their own way.
But even with Haven settled, the lands around Haven are not without danger. Most of the danger comes in the form of magicians: magicians taking advantage of the abundant magical energy in the lands the Tayledras have cleansed; magicians who have no compunction about allying themselves with dark powers and enslaving magical beasts and the Elementals themselves.
Kordas, his family, and his people will need all the help they can get. But when a prayer to every god he has ever heard of brings Kordas a very specific and unexpected form of help, the new kingdom of Valdemar is set on a path like nothing else the world has ever seen.
Perfect for longtime fans of Valdemar or readers diving into the world for the first time, the Founding of Valdemar trilogy will delight and enchant readers with the origin story of this beloved fantasy realm.
The refugees from the Empire have established a thriving city called Haven with the help of the Tayledras and their allies. But the Tayledras have begun a slow withdrawal to the dangerous lands known as the Pelagirs, leaving the humans of Haven to find their own way.
But even with Haven settled, the lands around Haven are not without danger. Most of the danger comes in the form of magicians: magicians taking advantage of the abundant magical energy in the lands the Tayledras have cleansed; magicians who have no compunction about allying themselves with dark powers and enslaving magical beasts and the Elementals themselves.
Kordas, his family, and his people will need all the help they can get. But when a prayer to every god he has ever heard of brings Kordas a very specific and unexpected form of help, the new kingdom of Valdemar is set on a path like nothing else the world has ever seen.
Perfect for longtime fans of Valdemar or readers diving into the world for the first time, the Founding of Valdemar trilogy will delight and enchant readers with the origin story of this beloved fantasy realm.
484 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 26, 2023
About the author
Mercedes Lackey
637 books8,801 followersMercedes entered this world on June 24, 1950, in Chicago, had a normal childhood and graduated from Purdue University in 1972. During the late 70's she worked as an artist's model and then went into the computer programming field, ending up with American Airlines in Tulsa, Oklahoma. In addition to her fantasy writing, she has written lyrics for and recorded nearly fifty songs for Firebird Arts & Music, a small recording company specializing in science fiction folk music.
"I'm a storyteller; that's what I see as 'my job'. My stories come out of my characters; how those characters would react to the given situation. Maybe that's why I get letters from readers as young as thirteen and as old as sixty-odd. One of the reasons I write song lyrics is because I see songs as a kind of 'story pill' -- they reduce a story to the barest essentials or encapsulate a particular crucial moment in time. I frequently will write a lyric when I am attempting to get to the heart of a crucial scene; I find that when I have done so, the scene has become absolutely clear in my mind, and I can write exactly what I wanted to say. Another reason is because of the kind of novels I am writing: that is, fantasy, set in an other-world semi-medieval atmosphere. Music is very important to medieval peoples; bards are the chief newsbringers. When I write the 'folk music' of these peoples, I am enriching my whole world, whether I actually use the song in the text or not.
"I began writing out of boredom; I continue out of addiction. I can't 'not' write, and as a result I have no social life! I began writing fantasy because I love it, but I try to construct my fantasy worlds with all the care of a 'high-tech' science fiction writer. I apply the principle of TANSTAAFL ['There ain't no such thing as free lunch', credited to Robert Heinlein) to magic, for instance; in my worlds, magic is paid for, and the cost to the magician is frequently a high one. I try to keep my world as solid and real as possible; people deal with stubborn pumps, bugs in the porridge, and love-lives that refuse to become untangled, right along with invading armies and evil magicians. And I try to make all of my characters, even the 'evil magicians,' something more than flat stereotypes. Even evil magicians get up in the night and look for cookies, sometimes.
"I suppose that in everything I write I try to expound the creed I gave my character Diana Tregarde in Burning Water:
"There's no such thing as 'one, true way'; the only answers worth having are the ones you find for yourself; leave the world better than you found it. Love, freedom, and the chance to do some good -- they're the things worth living and dying for, and if you aren't willing to die for the things worth living for, you might as well turn in your membership in the human race."
Also writes as Misty Lackey
Author's website
"I'm a storyteller; that's what I see as 'my job'. My stories come out of my characters; how those characters would react to the given situation. Maybe that's why I get letters from readers as young as thirteen and as old as sixty-odd. One of the reasons I write song lyrics is because I see songs as a kind of 'story pill' -- they reduce a story to the barest essentials or encapsulate a particular crucial moment in time. I frequently will write a lyric when I am attempting to get to the heart of a crucial scene; I find that when I have done so, the scene has become absolutely clear in my mind, and I can write exactly what I wanted to say. Another reason is because of the kind of novels I am writing: that is, fantasy, set in an other-world semi-medieval atmosphere. Music is very important to medieval peoples; bards are the chief newsbringers. When I write the 'folk music' of these peoples, I am enriching my whole world, whether I actually use the song in the text or not.
"I began writing out of boredom; I continue out of addiction. I can't 'not' write, and as a result I have no social life! I began writing fantasy because I love it, but I try to construct my fantasy worlds with all the care of a 'high-tech' science fiction writer. I apply the principle of TANSTAAFL ['There ain't no such thing as free lunch', credited to Robert Heinlein) to magic, for instance; in my worlds, magic is paid for, and the cost to the magician is frequently a high one. I try to keep my world as solid and real as possible; people deal with stubborn pumps, bugs in the porridge, and love-lives that refuse to become untangled, right along with invading armies and evil magicians. And I try to make all of my characters, even the 'evil magicians,' something more than flat stereotypes. Even evil magicians get up in the night and look for cookies, sometimes.
"I suppose that in everything I write I try to expound the creed I gave my character Diana Tregarde in Burning Water:
"There's no such thing as 'one, true way'; the only answers worth having are the ones you find for yourself; leave the world better than you found it. Love, freedom, and the chance to do some good -- they're the things worth living and dying for, and if you aren't willing to die for the things worth living for, you might as well turn in your membership in the human race."
Also writes as Misty Lackey
Author's website
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 220 reviews
December 15, 2023
This final book in the Founding of Valdemar trilogy is the one that every fan of the series, both new and old, has been waiting for, not just since the first book in this trilogy, Beyond, came out in 2021, but frankly since the very first book in the very first series, Arrows of the Queen, was published back in 1987.
Because we finally get to see the advent of the beautiful, intelligent, beacons of light and conscience that have kept Valdemar the marvelous and marvelously liveable country it has been since that first book nearly 40 years ago.
It wouldn’t be Valdemar without the Companions, and it wouldn’t have been fair to title this book Valdemar unless it really was Valdemar as it should be. Fair however is very fair indeed, and Kordas Valdemar’s prayers (and ours), are answered.
That the Companions appear in the midst of a reluctant King Valdemar’s dark night of the soul is not a surprise when we get there. One of the things that has made Kordas such a terrific character to follow is that he thinks deeply, feels much and fears often that even if he is doing his best it just isn’t enough.
And he’s not wrong. His kingdom has barely begun. He’s a good man who has done his best but he’s made a few mistakes, as humans do. He’s seen the depths to which an empire and its rulers can sink in the Eastern Empire that he and his people fled from. He’s discovered tiny seeds of those same privileged attitudes in some of his own people, including his younger son.
He fears, rightly so, that no matter how good and fair and just a legacy he leaves, both in the laws being created and the standard of behavior he exhibits, that over time his descendants will fall prey to the same forces that eventually brought the empire to destruction.
So he hopes and he prays and he cries out for a way to keep his kingdom in the light. And he’s answered by the Powers with the galloping hooves of the first Companions.
Now he just has to figure out what comes next. For himself, for his heir, for his kingdom and for his people.
As an implacable enemy marches towards his borders.
Escape Rating A: Valdemar has always been a bit of an anomaly as far as fantasy worlds go. Most epic fantasies are set at times and in places that are in so much turmoil that that are just no nice places to visit and you really wouldn’t want to live there. There are a few exceptions, like Pern, Celta and Harmony, but for the most part, by the time that an epic fantasy series gets written about a place – or epic space opera or a combination thereof – the situation has gotten so FUBAR that liveability is a long way off even by the series’ end.
Which, in a way, means that the Valdemar series, at least the books that are set after the Founding of Valdemar, were cozy fantasy before it was cool. All the problems are human-scale even when they’re not precisely human-shaped, and those problems are not entrenched because the Companions keep them from reaching that point at least within Valdemar’s borders.
The Founding of Valdemar series has been the story of how Valdemar got to be that liveable place we’ve come to know and love, and it’s a humdinger of a start.
Things are never easy. At this point in the Kingdom’s history, they’re barely ten years into what will be a long and storied future. But the situation is neither long nor storied yet. They’re still at the point where the traditions that will sustain them haven’t been created, let alone settled, and Valdemar, both the person and the kingdom, are still figuring out how things are going to go.
Which means that a chunk of the story is involved with literally how the sausage of government gets made, as they have very little to go by. So the rules are being created as a combination of what the Duchy of Valdemar used to do that was good, not doing the things that the Eastern Empire did that were bad, and altering those ideas to fit their new circumstances.
It is generally a two-steps forward, one-step back proposition. We know that sausage is going to be fairly tasty by the time it reaches Queen Selenay in Arrows of the Queen, but making it is hard and frustrating work.
Work that’s hindered by nobles who think that normal means they can go back to some of their more self-indulgent ways, while it’s helped by those who have grown up in the new ways of doing things, like Crown Prince Restil has, and who are now adults and can pick up some of the reins of their own power.
And of course there’s an external threat on the horizon, and much of the action of this entry in the series shows how all those plans and new procedures both help and hinder the preparations for what they hope will be a small-scale war. Emphasis on small with fears focused on war.
To make a long but still beloved story short, Valdemar is a lot of fun to read, especially if you enjoy books where intelligent and competent people do their level best to make good things happen. If you liked L.E. Modesitt’s Imager Portfolio, The Founding of Valdemar trilogy has the same feel to it as that series did after Scholar.
If you read Valdemar back in the day but not recently, Beyond is a great place to get back into the series as it is so “foundational” to what happened later that you don’t need to remember what happened later to get back in there. I would not recommend starting here with Valdemar, as this is very definitely an ending of a chapter, even if it is a beginning for everything we already know.
One final note, and it’s a bit of a trigger warning. As part of the monumental events that bring the Companions to Valdemar, the mages’ beloved, and surprisingly long-lived cat, Sydney-You-Asshole – and yes, that moniker is the cat’s name and he’s EARNED it over the course of this series – choses to go off into the woods on his last journey in the moment the Companions arrive.
The tributes to Sydney-You-Asshole’s death were many and heartfelt, particularly deeply touching to the heart of any reader who has a beloved companion animal that is gone. There is still dust in this review as I write about it – so be prepared.
However, considering that the method of Sydney’s passing was to leave his friends and family as the gate to the Powers was open, I have to wonder if he didn’t turn out to be the archetype for the Firecats of Vkandis. Not that Sydney was a flame point – he was, in fact, a void – but learning at some later point that his attitude was passed down in some fashion to the firecats would not be a surprise. At all. Sydney-You-Asshole certainly had all the cattitude required to become the progenitor of a god’s avatar – but then again, most cats do.
Returning to Valdemar through this Founding series has been a joy and a delight, and has provided the opportunity to slip back into a series that I’ve always loved. Which means I have yet more trips to Valdemar to look forward to, starting with Gryphon’s Valor, the forthcoming follow up to this year’s marvelous Gryphon in Light.
Originally published at Reading Reality
Because we finally get to see the advent of the beautiful, intelligent, beacons of light and conscience that have kept Valdemar the marvelous and marvelously liveable country it has been since that first book nearly 40 years ago.
It wouldn’t be Valdemar without the Companions, and it wouldn’t have been fair to title this book Valdemar unless it really was Valdemar as it should be. Fair however is very fair indeed, and Kordas Valdemar’s prayers (and ours), are answered.
That the Companions appear in the midst of a reluctant King Valdemar’s dark night of the soul is not a surprise when we get there. One of the things that has made Kordas such a terrific character to follow is that he thinks deeply, feels much and fears often that even if he is doing his best it just isn’t enough.
And he’s not wrong. His kingdom has barely begun. He’s a good man who has done his best but he’s made a few mistakes, as humans do. He’s seen the depths to which an empire and its rulers can sink in the Eastern Empire that he and his people fled from. He’s discovered tiny seeds of those same privileged attitudes in some of his own people, including his younger son.
He fears, rightly so, that no matter how good and fair and just a legacy he leaves, both in the laws being created and the standard of behavior he exhibits, that over time his descendants will fall prey to the same forces that eventually brought the empire to destruction.
So he hopes and he prays and he cries out for a way to keep his kingdom in the light. And he’s answered by the Powers with the galloping hooves of the first Companions.
Now he just has to figure out what comes next. For himself, for his heir, for his kingdom and for his people.
As an implacable enemy marches towards his borders.
Escape Rating A: Valdemar has always been a bit of an anomaly as far as fantasy worlds go. Most epic fantasies are set at times and in places that are in so much turmoil that that are just no nice places to visit and you really wouldn’t want to live there. There are a few exceptions, like Pern, Celta and Harmony, but for the most part, by the time that an epic fantasy series gets written about a place – or epic space opera or a combination thereof – the situation has gotten so FUBAR that liveability is a long way off even by the series’ end.
Which, in a way, means that the Valdemar series, at least the books that are set after the Founding of Valdemar, were cozy fantasy before it was cool. All the problems are human-scale even when they’re not precisely human-shaped, and those problems are not entrenched because the Companions keep them from reaching that point at least within Valdemar’s borders.
The Founding of Valdemar series has been the story of how Valdemar got to be that liveable place we’ve come to know and love, and it’s a humdinger of a start.
Things are never easy. At this point in the Kingdom’s history, they’re barely ten years into what will be a long and storied future. But the situation is neither long nor storied yet. They’re still at the point where the traditions that will sustain them haven’t been created, let alone settled, and Valdemar, both the person and the kingdom, are still figuring out how things are going to go.
Which means that a chunk of the story is involved with literally how the sausage of government gets made, as they have very little to go by. So the rules are being created as a combination of what the Duchy of Valdemar used to do that was good, not doing the things that the Eastern Empire did that were bad, and altering those ideas to fit their new circumstances.
It is generally a two-steps forward, one-step back proposition. We know that sausage is going to be fairly tasty by the time it reaches Queen Selenay in Arrows of the Queen, but making it is hard and frustrating work.
Work that’s hindered by nobles who think that normal means they can go back to some of their more self-indulgent ways, while it’s helped by those who have grown up in the new ways of doing things, like Crown Prince Restil has, and who are now adults and can pick up some of the reins of their own power.
And of course there’s an external threat on the horizon, and much of the action of this entry in the series shows how all those plans and new procedures both help and hinder the preparations for what they hope will be a small-scale war. Emphasis on small with fears focused on war.
To make a long but still beloved story short, Valdemar is a lot of fun to read, especially if you enjoy books where intelligent and competent people do their level best to make good things happen. If you liked L.E. Modesitt’s Imager Portfolio, The Founding of Valdemar trilogy has the same feel to it as that series did after Scholar.
If you read Valdemar back in the day but not recently, Beyond is a great place to get back into the series as it is so “foundational” to what happened later that you don’t need to remember what happened later to get back in there. I would not recommend starting here with Valdemar, as this is very definitely an ending of a chapter, even if it is a beginning for everything we already know.
One final note, and it’s a bit of a trigger warning. As part of the monumental events that bring the Companions to Valdemar, the mages’ beloved, and surprisingly long-lived cat, Sydney-You-Asshole – and yes, that moniker is the cat’s name and he’s EARNED it over the course of this series – choses to go off into the woods on his last journey in the moment the Companions arrive.
The tributes to Sydney-You-Asshole’s death were many and heartfelt, particularly deeply touching to the heart of any reader who has a beloved companion animal that is gone. There is still dust in this review as I write about it – so be prepared.
However, considering that the method of Sydney’s passing was to leave his friends and family as the gate to the Powers was open, I have to wonder if he didn’t turn out to be the archetype for the Firecats of Vkandis. Not that Sydney was a flame point – he was, in fact, a void – but learning at some later point that his attitude was passed down in some fashion to the firecats would not be a surprise. At all. Sydney-You-Asshole certainly had all the cattitude required to become the progenitor of a god’s avatar – but then again, most cats do.
Returning to Valdemar through this Founding series has been a joy and a delight, and has provided the opportunity to slip back into a series that I’ve always loved. Which means I have yet more trips to Valdemar to look forward to, starting with Gryphon’s Valor, the forthcoming follow up to this year’s marvelous Gryphon in Light.
Originally published at Reading Reality
January 8, 2024
Public Service Announcement: If you just want to see King Valdemar's prayer to the gods that summoned the first Companions, go to Chapter 10 of this book. The rest of the book has almost nothing else of interest.
Actual Review: This was an incredibly disappointing book. I have loved the Valdemar books ever since I first encountered Arrows of the Queen and The Black Gryphon in my local library when I was in high school, and I even loved the series up through Exile's Valor (even though there's definitely a bit of a writing drop-off starting in the Darian/Owl books). The horrendous Mags series (5 books of pointlessness) soured me on her and I avoided the additional two trilogies based on Mags's family (why?!), but when I heard that Lackey was going to write a trilogy based on the founding of Valdemar, I was excited enough to return to the universe.
I accepted Beyond even though it didn't match up with the original stuff (and she repeated the exact same "raid-the-warehouse" plot from Storm Rising which was boring). I grew more dissatisfied with Into the West as she broke continuity even more and added Hawkbrothers needlessly as fan service.
But this one... where was the dang plot? Literally 90% of the book is just "Hey, we've been in Haven for 10 years now and here's a bunch of infodumping about everything, shoehorned into awkward places, and oh yeah, we finally convinced Kordas to become King and then he wishes for the Companions in the next chapter."
Lackey continually spells things out for her readers, like we can't be trusted to even turn a page in a book. There's part where we literally have the exact same conversation 3 or 4 times but with different people and no new information added after the first one.
One strange moment: A pet cat dies (of old age!) in this book, and they spent more time grieving the cat (including public pronouncements and memorializations) than they ever did on any human's death in the previous 32+ books in this universe I've read, which just felt incredibly bizarre.
I didn't notice as many "meme" attempts as in the previous books, but we still had odd "meme"-like attempts (the "tonight we eat pork" line in the first chapter just felt dumb and we get literal cat-pics again at the end).
Lackey also saw fit to make the villain who does actually show up (at the end) connected to a long-standing series villain, and it just felt like too much. Not every single threat to Valdemar needs to be connected to that guy!
She also introduced Sunsinger and Shadowdancer (they of the "Sun and Shadow" song that Talia and Dirk sang in the Arrows books), but it just felt cheapened the way she wrote them in and solved their problems at the end.
The one reason I read all three books was to see the origin and beginnings of the Companions and Heralds, and it started out strong (I did like Kordas's prayer)--until a random mage walking by interrupted him and really took away from the momentum of the scene. I was also supremely disappointed that there was literally no "growing pains" as they struggled to figure out what the Companions were or what they were even to do with them. Literally (and I mean literally) the next day, they figured it out how Heralds would be organized and even decided on the famous white uniforms. They also gave the King an explanation of where future Companions' souls would come from which I've always felt is such an important series secret that even long-time series readers wouldn't figure it out until the Mage Winds or Mage Storms trilogies.
Also, it still weirds me out how much connection there is with the Hawkbrothers, given how secretive they are. They apparently relied on the Valdemarans themselves to keep their secret instead of, y'know, keeping to their famous xenophobia all along, especially in this era of world history.
Everything is just a bit too neat and it just makes me incredibly sad. I still think this trilogy should have been a single fat book instead of an over-padded trilogy.
The Companions' Grove origin is also delineated in this book, and I have to say that even with the characters' justifications of it, it still grosses me out in a negative way and I wish we hadn't had it.
Actual Review: This was an incredibly disappointing book. I have loved the Valdemar books ever since I first encountered Arrows of the Queen and The Black Gryphon in my local library when I was in high school, and I even loved the series up through Exile's Valor (even though there's definitely a bit of a writing drop-off starting in the Darian/Owl books). The horrendous Mags series (5 books of pointlessness) soured me on her and I avoided the additional two trilogies based on Mags's family (why?!), but when I heard that Lackey was going to write a trilogy based on the founding of Valdemar, I was excited enough to return to the universe.
I accepted Beyond even though it didn't match up with the original stuff (and she repeated the exact same "raid-the-warehouse" plot from Storm Rising which was boring). I grew more dissatisfied with Into the West as she broke continuity even more and added Hawkbrothers needlessly as fan service.
But this one... where was the dang plot? Literally 90% of the book is just "Hey, we've been in Haven for 10 years now and here's a bunch of infodumping about everything, shoehorned into awkward places, and oh yeah, we finally convinced Kordas to become King and then he wishes for the Companions in the next chapter."
Lackey continually spells things out for her readers, like we can't be trusted to even turn a page in a book. There's part where we literally have the exact same conversation 3 or 4 times but with different people and no new information added after the first one.
One strange moment: A pet cat dies (of old age!) in this book, and they spent more time grieving the cat (including public pronouncements and memorializations) than they ever did on any human's death in the previous 32+ books in this universe I've read, which just felt incredibly bizarre.
I didn't notice as many "meme" attempts as in the previous books, but we still had odd "meme"-like attempts (the "tonight we eat pork" line in the first chapter just felt dumb and we get literal cat-pics again at the end).
Lackey also saw fit to make the villain who does actually show up (at the end) connected to a long-standing series villain, and it just felt like too much. Not every single threat to Valdemar needs to be connected to that guy!
She also introduced Sunsinger and Shadowdancer (they of the "Sun and Shadow" song that Talia and Dirk sang in the Arrows books), but it just felt cheapened the way she wrote them in and solved their problems at the end.
The one reason I read all three books was to see the origin and beginnings of the Companions and Heralds, and it started out strong (I did like Kordas's prayer)--until a random mage walking by interrupted him and really took away from the momentum of the scene. I was also supremely disappointed that there was literally no "growing pains" as they struggled to figure out what the Companions were or what they were even to do with them. Literally (and I mean literally) the next day, they figured it out how Heralds would be organized and even decided on the famous white uniforms. They also gave the King an explanation of where future Companions' souls would come from which I've always felt is such an important series secret that even long-time series readers wouldn't figure it out until the Mage Winds or Mage Storms trilogies.
Also, it still weirds me out how much connection there is with the Hawkbrothers, given how secretive they are. They apparently relied on the Valdemarans themselves to keep their secret instead of, y'know, keeping to their famous xenophobia all along, especially in this era of world history.
Everything is just a bit too neat and it just makes me incredibly sad. I still think this trilogy should have been a single fat book instead of an over-padded trilogy.
The Companions' Grove origin is also delineated in this book, and I have to say that even with the characters' justifications of it, it still grosses me out in a negative way and I wish we hadn't had it.
November 8, 2023
I received an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
This is it, this is the book that has the scene you’ve heard about a dozen times over the years– King Valdemar goes into the grove, prays, and ta-daaaa: MAGIC HORSES. I first read this story in 1991, and I’ve been waiting for this to be told directly for 32 years. It’s more complicated, but it always is. If this trilogy is where you started your Lackey journey, that’s okay, it’s an unexpected entry point, but as long as you started with the first book in the trilogy, I think this book will make sense to you. If this is your first Lackey book, stop. Put it down. Go read something else.
The book starts ten years after settlement in Haven, with the Palace erected, the town walls built, and everyone settling into a new life. Against his wishes, the people have decided that Kordas Valdemar needs to be the king, as that’s what they’re used to, and he’s been the de facto leader of this group of settlers for the last decade. But of course, nothing is easy, and while right now there’s a good leader and a good heir, will there always be? And what’s up with that mysterious city in the distance where some settlers have left and traveled to join? In order to protect his people and their descendents, Kordas prays and prays and prays. He prays some more, people come to see, and three Companions show up, all “hoofbeats like bells” and blue-eyed horse spirits. This is when I started to get nit-picky. The Companion names (in the uncorrected proof I got an ARC of) are different from what’s in Arrows of the Queen (and the Valdemar Wiki), but whatever. There’s also Sunsinger and Shadowdancer, of “sad ballad” fame, and Windrider, and some of the lore isn’t quite right or really needs to be squinted at in the right light to see it as matching canon, but I’m willing to let it slide.
Throughout this trilogy, the Tayledras have been supporting characters in that “wise Native characters support the white people on their journey” way, yet they’re absent from previous Valdemar kingdom lore. This gap is neatly explained away, but after 30+ years of writing the Tayledras as “wise Natives”, it’s jarring in 2023 to still read them that way. Lackey has been trying to evolve her characters and writing to meet contemporary norms (especially regarding gender-diverse people), but this is an area that maaaaybe hasn’t quite evolved that much.
Overall, if you’ve been a Lackey reader for years, this is worth reading. The pivotal moment in Valdemaran history is in here, and you’ve been waiting for it. If you’re a casual fantasy reader, this isn’t the book for you, this is entertaining fan service.
This is it, this is the book that has the scene you’ve heard about a dozen times over the years– King Valdemar goes into the grove, prays, and ta-daaaa: MAGIC HORSES. I first read this story in 1991, and I’ve been waiting for this to be told directly for 32 years. It’s more complicated, but it always is. If this trilogy is where you started your Lackey journey, that’s okay, it’s an unexpected entry point, but as long as you started with the first book in the trilogy, I think this book will make sense to you. If this is your first Lackey book, stop. Put it down. Go read something else.
The book starts ten years after settlement in Haven, with the Palace erected, the town walls built, and everyone settling into a new life. Against his wishes, the people have decided that Kordas Valdemar needs to be the king, as that’s what they’re used to, and he’s been the de facto leader of this group of settlers for the last decade. But of course, nothing is easy, and while right now there’s a good leader and a good heir, will there always be? And what’s up with that mysterious city in the distance where some settlers have left and traveled to join? In order to protect his people and their descendents, Kordas prays and prays and prays. He prays some more, people come to see, and three Companions show up, all “hoofbeats like bells” and blue-eyed horse spirits. This is when I started to get nit-picky. The Companion names (in the uncorrected proof I got an ARC of) are different from what’s in Arrows of the Queen (and the Valdemar Wiki), but whatever. There’s also Sunsinger and Shadowdancer, of “sad ballad” fame, and Windrider, and some of the lore isn’t quite right or really needs to be squinted at in the right light to see it as matching canon, but I’m willing to let it slide.
Throughout this trilogy, the Tayledras have been supporting characters in that “wise Native characters support the white people on their journey” way, yet they’re absent from previous Valdemar kingdom lore. This gap is neatly explained away, but after 30+ years of writing the Tayledras as “wise Natives”, it’s jarring in 2023 to still read them that way. Lackey has been trying to evolve her characters and writing to meet contemporary norms (especially regarding gender-diverse people), but this is an area that maaaaybe hasn’t quite evolved that much.
Overall, if you’ve been a Lackey reader for years, this is worth reading. The pivotal moment in Valdemaran history is in here, and you’ve been waiting for it. If you’re a casual fantasy reader, this isn’t the book for you, this is entertaining fan service.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 4, 2024
Such a mess of a letdown
2.5/5. Upped till 3 stars for being part of the favourite series ever in general despite being the glaring disappointment
Valdemar is the latest title in an old classic fantasy series called Valdemar besides the third in a trilogy called The Founding of Valdemar. HEA. Fantasy. Historical. Royals. Magic. Angsty.
3rd person, past tense. This kindle edition 484 pges, 26th December 2023.
Earlier with the first two in the trilogy I felt hesitancy and reluctance to review let alone according to what I felt in my heart because this is the very favourite series forever. I was so befuddled and astounded by my own cataclysmic disappointment as a fanatic fan for decades since the beginning. But ... this title that's the trilogy end title is here and now read.
I've been so let down. I feel so let down.
I could vent about it for hours in tears and for days on end and it still wouldn't be enough.
It's just simply bad in various ways let alone to being able to fullfill the big boots, all the expectations of a magical How Did It All Start trilogy story arc after near half century of a wait. It's been such a huge letdown. It's felt like ... You simply can't count on ANYTHING anymore.
It should've been written DECADES AGO to start with when the author still had the drive and energy and and and - we were made to wait all this time - just unbelievable. It belongs to The Essential Don't Do This Guide For Authors For Dummies like some comparable, notorious, famous and infamous others especially in the field of fantasy.
The whole "doll" thing for example left me mouth open. It's a total negative WTF this can't be real, in Valdemar books this kinda --- . It spoiled the whole at one big shot. It's too outre and weird and just simply doesn't belong and a huge clash and whatnot. Just no.
I can't but wonder at the publisher. I place the blame there too. It's a big publisher, and you can't blame and cry "indie" here, and "indie" can apparently do much better than "published" these days.
Secondly I never read such longwinded and utterly boring and unmoving books in this series nor by this author ever before. I didn't get to connect with the personas at all. They didn't even become lively and relatable characters at all. Not the kind you care about and for. All the magical charm was gone. Not even a whiff of it to be detected. Even the actual important scene consisted of concretely waving hands while walking in a circle while rambling madly out loud. The Reader: So, what, this is it?!
After that for a small while it seemed better, but then it became another mess again. It's even notably difficult to believe this trilogy produced by the same brilliant mind's magical imagination that originally created such a series let alone hoardes of other great fantasy to be eternally loved and cherished for our enjoyment.
Not an at the edge of your seat read by a longshot. Dull, boring, dull, boring, dull, boring. So much telling, so much, instead of action. For example the first part of this particular book seemed to be honestly all about the main charater pondering endlessly upon - if you can believe, I confess I simply even can't - manure of any origin, sewers, sanitation, and the creation thereof.
Literally. Endlessly seeming percentages of the start. On and on, repeteadly.
I didn't sign on for lessons on manure.
I awaited for a magical story for all these decades and what I got was manure, shit, crap, sewers and sanitation planning.
I think that just about describes quite enough and pretty wholeheartedly the problem and a reader's feelings.
This belongs in the cautionary tales of
Don't do this to your readers. Sadly.
It'd've been better to leave this wholly undone at this point than to execute it like this if it wasn't done ages ago when it should've been with a fresher mind. Times go by and then it's too late.
The covers are very nice like usual.
2.5/5. Upped till 3 stars for being part of the favourite series ever in general despite being the glaring disappointment
Valdemar is the latest title in an old classic fantasy series called Valdemar besides the third in a trilogy called The Founding of Valdemar. HEA. Fantasy. Historical. Royals. Magic. Angsty.
3rd person, past tense. This kindle edition 484 pges, 26th December 2023.
Earlier with the first two in the trilogy I felt hesitancy and reluctance to review let alone according to what I felt in my heart because this is the very favourite series forever. I was so befuddled and astounded by my own cataclysmic disappointment as a fanatic fan for decades since the beginning. But ... this title that's the trilogy end title is here and now read.
I've been so let down. I feel so let down.
I could vent about it for hours in tears and for days on end and it still wouldn't be enough.
It's just simply bad in various ways let alone to being able to fullfill the big boots, all the expectations of a magical How Did It All Start trilogy story arc after near half century of a wait. It's been such a huge letdown. It's felt like ... You simply can't count on ANYTHING anymore.
It should've been written DECADES AGO to start with when the author still had the drive and energy and and and - we were made to wait all this time - just unbelievable. It belongs to The Essential Don't Do This Guide For Authors For Dummies like some comparable, notorious, famous and infamous others especially in the field of fantasy.
The whole "doll" thing for example left me mouth open. It's a total negative WTF this can't be real, in Valdemar books this kinda --- . It spoiled the whole at one big shot. It's too outre and weird and just simply doesn't belong and a huge clash and whatnot. Just no.
I can't but wonder at the publisher. I place the blame there too. It's a big publisher, and you can't blame and cry "indie" here, and "indie" can apparently do much better than "published" these days.
Secondly I never read such longwinded and utterly boring and unmoving books in this series nor by this author ever before. I didn't get to connect with the personas at all. They didn't even become lively and relatable characters at all. Not the kind you care about and for. All the magical charm was gone. Not even a whiff of it to be detected. Even the actual important scene consisted of concretely waving hands while walking in a circle while rambling madly out loud. The Reader: So, what, this is it?!
After that for a small while it seemed better, but then it became another mess again. It's even notably difficult to believe this trilogy produced by the same brilliant mind's magical imagination that originally created such a series let alone hoardes of other great fantasy to be eternally loved and cherished for our enjoyment.
Not an at the edge of your seat read by a longshot. Dull, boring, dull, boring, dull, boring. So much telling, so much, instead of action. For example the first part of this particular book seemed to be honestly all about the main charater pondering endlessly upon - if you can believe, I confess I simply even can't - manure of any origin, sewers, sanitation, and the creation thereof.
Literally. Endlessly seeming percentages of the start. On and on, repeteadly.
I didn't sign on for lessons on manure.
I awaited for a magical story for all these decades and what I got was manure, shit, crap, sewers and sanitation planning.
I think that just about describes quite enough and pretty wholeheartedly the problem and a reader's feelings.
This belongs in the cautionary tales of
Don't do this to your readers. Sadly.
It'd've been better to leave this wholly undone at this point than to execute it like this if it wasn't done ages ago when it should've been with a fresher mind. Times go by and then it's too late.
The covers are very nice like usual.
December 27, 2023
Let me preface this by saying how much I love Mercedes Lackey and how I absolutely did cry twice in this book. First when the companions appeared and second when Sydney disappeared.
What I wanted: I was hoping for a gloriously magical tale of how the first companions appeared, how the first Heralds were chosen, how they felt and what they had to deal with in terms of everyone else's reactions, then how they set about organizing the future.
What we got: fully 50% of this was day to day minutiae for running a kingdom. It was slow and pretty boring. We also got sunsinger and shadowdancer, but they were mooney teenagers that just happened to have useful gifts. The Companions didn't appear until fully 48% into the novel. THEN it was still minutiae for another 25% of the book until the reader could figure out it was good ole' Falconsbane (Ma'ar) again and it was a battle for the rest of the novel. It felt VERY railroaded and formulaic, almost as if Lackey is trying to wrap up every last bit of Valdemar history and toss it all into this one book.
Still, 4 stars because it's well done and still Misty, and she made my cry.
What I wanted: I was hoping for a gloriously magical tale of how the first companions appeared, how the first Heralds were chosen, how they felt and what they had to deal with in terms of everyone else's reactions, then how they set about organizing the future.
What we got: fully 50% of this was day to day minutiae for running a kingdom. It was slow and pretty boring. We also got sunsinger and shadowdancer, but they were mooney teenagers that just happened to have useful gifts. The Companions didn't appear until fully 48% into the novel. THEN it was still minutiae for another 25% of the book until the reader could figure out it was good ole' Falconsbane (Ma'ar) again and it was a battle for the rest of the novel. It felt VERY railroaded and formulaic, almost as if Lackey is trying to wrap up every last bit of Valdemar history and toss it all into this one book.
Still, 4 stars because it's well done and still Misty, and she made my cry.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 15, 2024
I seriously could not handle one more monologue from Kordas…
January 24, 2024
I'm sorry, but this is by far the worst ML book ever (and I've read them all). I was excited for this final part of Valdemar's origin story and it was a complete disappointment. Every character is a one dimensional caricature. This reads like a child's stream of consciousness. Everything is over explained and there's barely any action. There is however, a hundred pages spent on the kind of boring minutia I haven't seen since The Hobbit. The sub plot with the star crossed lovers is completely unnecessary and I never made any emotional connection to them. Maybe my tastes have changed, maybe ML is just getting old so her writing isn't its strongest anymore. I don't think we built on the companion's mythos in any exciting way, which you would think would be the point of writing the origin series. To top it all off the villain is defeated in about 5 pages. It's only January, but I can't imagine reading a bigger disappointment this year.
January 26, 2024
I am honestly disappointed.
It's true it's been more than 35 years since bedridden me first entered the kingdom of Valdemar and beheld the wonder of a Companion Choosing, and now I am a much more experienced and well read fantasy reader, but...
I wanted to know how it all began for so much time and perhaps the reverse engineering of the book, having to fit somehow a mold that was just sketched so many years ago, this does not read like a Valdemar book at all. Kordas and the other characters were more active and better presented in the two previous books. Restil plot is ridiculous, I honestly just save the nod to Sydney-you-a##@... that was the right nod to a character that always stole the scene from those that were supposed to be the protagonistsa, as ww know all cats are prone to doing.
It took me much longer than I anticipated to finish the book because I simply did not want to pick it up and continue reading, sadly
It's true it's been more than 35 years since bedridden me first entered the kingdom of Valdemar and beheld the wonder of a Companion Choosing, and now I am a much more experienced and well read fantasy reader, but...
I wanted to know how it all began for so much time and perhaps the reverse engineering of the book, having to fit somehow a mold that was just sketched so many years ago, this does not read like a Valdemar book at all. Kordas and the other characters were more active and better presented in the two previous books. Restil plot is ridiculous, I honestly just save the nod to Sydney-you-a##@... that was the right nod to a character that always stole the scene from those that were supposed to be the protagonistsa, as ww know all cats are prone to doing.
It took me much longer than I anticipated to finish the book because I simply did not want to pick it up and continue reading, sadly
December 4, 2023
Returning back to the beginning of how Valdemar first was settled is a wonderful experience. This book introduces the Companions and my questions over the years about these amazing horse shaped creatures are answered. This book can be read as a standalone. I recommend reading the first two books in this series for a better experiences. This is a spin off of other series and can be read as a standalone series. I might postulate to read this series before reading any of the other series involving Valdemar.
To read the rest of my review, click on the image below to see it on my website.
*provided by NetGalley
To read the rest of my review, click on the image below to see it on my website.
*provided by NetGalley
December 28, 2023
At long last!!!
It was about 30 years ago when I picked up a book with a white horse on it at a friend's house during spring break asked "Would I like this?" That book, Arrows of the Queen, was my gateway into the Fantasy genre. This book felt like coming home, full circle.
It was about 30 years ago when I picked up a book with a white horse on it at a friend's house during spring break asked "Would I like this?" That book, Arrows of the Queen, was my gateway into the Fantasy genre. This book felt like coming home, full circle.
December 5, 2023
So I’ve had a soft spot for Valdemar since the beginning, this is a five star book for me. I was 13 and so very much the target audience for Talia’s story. All these many years later I still love the wholesomeness of these books. Work hard, be brave, do the right thing! Surely the good guys will win the day, good will prevail and evil vanquished even though there will be a terrible cost. I also always loved her message of wholesome loving relationships are great and that she had a message of hey, some people are gay and don’t be an ass to them for being the way they were born long before that was a common message in our society.
You could start with this series as it’s the founding of the kingdom but there are so many many years of books and if you’re looking for light fairly cozy fantasy this would be an excellent author to try. You’ll have plenty to read!
You could start with this series as it’s the founding of the kingdom but there are so many many years of books and if you’re looking for light fairly cozy fantasy this would be an excellent author to try. You’ll have plenty to read!
December 26, 2023
In book 3 of The Founding of Valdemar, Valdemar, Mercedes Lackey has created a wonderful origin story. Whether you are new to the series or have followed along since the beginning, you will find book three of the founding of Valdemar engaging.
The story itself is solidly written with enough details and elements from the other novels to keep readers intrigued as we not only get the origins of Valdemar but also Bardic tales from other novels that offer explanations of Windrider, Shadowdancer and Sunsinger. I also really like how the novel gives us Kordas’ point of view but also the next generation in Restil, his son. We finally also get the origins of the Companions which is just as mystical and magical as I’d hoped.
As a long time reader of the stories, I did find some of the origins a bit more prosaic than expected but real life quite frequently is and I like the realism that Mercedes Lackey infuses into the novel. She continually stresses that real people create the works of magic and heroism in her books much like firefighters and emergency rescue workers in our modern world. I love the conclusion of the novel and actually hope we might get more about the founding of Valdemar.
If you love Mercedes Lackey and the world of Valdemar, you will want to read this novel. The characters are engaging and she has created a truly wonderful origin story that is both magical and realistic at the same time. I loved it so much I had to read some of my other Valdemar books and truly hope for more about this time period.
The story itself is solidly written with enough details and elements from the other novels to keep readers intrigued as we not only get the origins of Valdemar but also Bardic tales from other novels that offer explanations of Windrider, Shadowdancer and Sunsinger. I also really like how the novel gives us Kordas’ point of view but also the next generation in Restil, his son. We finally also get the origins of the Companions which is just as mystical and magical as I’d hoped.
As a long time reader of the stories, I did find some of the origins a bit more prosaic than expected but real life quite frequently is and I like the realism that Mercedes Lackey infuses into the novel. She continually stresses that real people create the works of magic and heroism in her books much like firefighters and emergency rescue workers in our modern world. I love the conclusion of the novel and actually hope we might get more about the founding of Valdemar.
If you love Mercedes Lackey and the world of Valdemar, you will want to read this novel. The characters are engaging and she has created a truly wonderful origin story that is both magical and realistic at the same time. I loved it so much I had to read some of my other Valdemar books and truly hope for more about this time period.
December 15, 2023
Some people grew up on Mercedes Lackey's Valdemar epics. Others, like me, are learning on the fly. For those who don't know, the storied high fantasy setting is watched over by Heralds: people specially Chosen by this world's horse-like Companions to watch over the kingdom and its people. Lackey's latest book, simply titled Valdemar, concludes the Founding of Valdemar trilogy—bringing to life historical events heard only in passing throughout the series's long run.
We join the kingdom's first king just before his (reluctant) coronation, and much of the book is spent handling the concerns of a burgeoning kingdom at an easy pace. But this isn't simply a story of overseeing trade and education. Kordas is aware that this new kingdom needs guidance, and his prayers for that guidance are answered in the form of the first Companions. However, their wondrous arrival comes at a cost—and that cost is tied to a looming threat that could bring the kingdom down just as it's being born.
As someone relatively new to these books, I can't say how they'll read for a long-time fan. However, as someone just wading into the stories, I found it (and last month's anthology Anything with Nothing) an intriguing and alluring start. Even without the decades of homework others have done, I could tell that Rothas Sunsinger and Lythe Shadowdancer (two major characters in the story) are likely the stuff of legend to long-time readers. The pacing is interesting, keeping a relatively steady and productive gait throughout the kingdom's construction and ramping up in its final chapter. I would recommend starting from the beginning of the trilogy, naturally; but for fantasy fans, it's a fun read.
We join the kingdom's first king just before his (reluctant) coronation, and much of the book is spent handling the concerns of a burgeoning kingdom at an easy pace. But this isn't simply a story of overseeing trade and education. Kordas is aware that this new kingdom needs guidance, and his prayers for that guidance are answered in the form of the first Companions. However, their wondrous arrival comes at a cost—and that cost is tied to a looming threat that could bring the kingdom down just as it's being born.
As someone relatively new to these books, I can't say how they'll read for a long-time fan. However, as someone just wading into the stories, I found it (and last month's anthology Anything with Nothing) an intriguing and alluring start. Even without the decades of homework others have done, I could tell that Rothas Sunsinger and Lythe Shadowdancer (two major characters in the story) are likely the stuff of legend to long-time readers. The pacing is interesting, keeping a relatively steady and productive gait throughout the kingdom's construction and ramping up in its final chapter. I would recommend starting from the beginning of the trilogy, naturally; but for fantasy fans, it's a fun read.
January 13, 2024
I have been in love with the land of Valdemar since I read my first Lackey novel at 15 (Arrows of the Queen). I was hooked. So, of course, I buy every book that comes out. I was so excited about the Founding of Valdemar trilogy, but I am left having mixed feelings about it. I'm not sure if it's because I'm a different reader now in my 50s or because the book lacks in some ways.
This book was grittier, lacking in the fantastical magic of previous books in the series, and the pacing felt off. The scene that leads up to the Companions appearing feels rushed, as does the subsequent scenes of these magnificent beings who've come to help save the day. The sheer awe of Companion Bonding is largely missing, and, aside from Heralds and Companions being able to Mindspeak, they seem like fancy horses, which they are not.
On the whole, the book was readable, and I'm glad I now know the backstory, but it will not be a yearly reread like the Arrows or Last Herald-Mage trilogies are.
This book was grittier, lacking in the fantastical magic of previous books in the series, and the pacing felt off. The scene that leads up to the Companions appearing feels rushed, as does the subsequent scenes of these magnificent beings who've come to help save the day. The sheer awe of Companion Bonding is largely missing, and, aside from Heralds and Companions being able to Mindspeak, they seem like fancy horses, which they are not.
On the whole, the book was readable, and I'm glad I now know the backstory, but it will not be a yearly reread like the Arrows or Last Herald-Mage trilogies are.
January 21, 2024
This book is classic Mercedes Lackey. All the iconic pieces are here and it’s much more interesting to read than the first two books, particularly the second book.
We have a touch of romance….in fact, maybe even two romances although one of them is so slow burning I don’t know if we will see a resolution to it or not.
Reste-il really comes into his own in this book. Actually so do the other two princes, Jon and Hakkon.
We see some significant developments in this book and the one we’ve been really waiting for happens in a clash of magical lightning. It’s all very exciting.
Kordas gets some action as does Isla and we meet some new characters too, some of whom will shape the plot going forward. Thank goodness Kordas doesn’t spend as much time feeling sorry for himself as he did in the first two books. In fact it becomes a bit of an inside joke amongst his family and friends.
I’m actually hoping there will be another trilogy with Restil as King.
It was cool to see the beginnings of Herald-Mages, the various other powers (animal speech, mind speech, etc) and of course our favourite silvery white creatures. You know who I mean! lol
I’m not sure I will bother to reread either of the first two books but this third book is worth reading again to pick up on details I missed.
We have a touch of romance….in fact, maybe even two romances although one of them is so slow burning I don’t know if we will see a resolution to it or not.
Reste-il really comes into his own in this book. Actually so do the other two princes, Jon and Hakkon.
We see some significant developments in this book and the one we’ve been really waiting for happens in a clash of magical lightning. It’s all very exciting.
Kordas gets some action as does Isla and we meet some new characters too, some of whom will shape the plot going forward. Thank goodness Kordas doesn’t spend as much time feeling sorry for himself as he did in the first two books. In fact it becomes a bit of an inside joke amongst his family and friends.
I’m actually hoping there will be another trilogy with Restil as King.
It was cool to see the beginnings of Herald-Mages, the various other powers (animal speech, mind speech, etc) and of course our favourite silvery white creatures. You know who I mean! lol
I’m not sure I will bother to reread either of the first two books but this third book is worth reading again to pick up on details I missed.
January 31, 2024
Reading this book was strangely emotional for me. As a kid, I loved books and libraries, but I didn't read with any regularity. During college, I couldn't even think of it. Post-college, I happened upon this series and picked up the first of the ones with the Vanyel character -- reading flame ignited and I burned through every book of this world. I credit Mercades Lackey for this, because the flame has not gone out. Now it's been a few decades later and I'm a dedicated reader who reads many genres, but I was indescribably happy to discover the "Founding of Valdemar" series and this particular one was just perfect for me. And now I know.
December 28, 2023
Awesome, as always
Whew! Bit of a ride. A number of questions fans have had are answers, new ones simmering. The Companions arrive, new enemy rises. Good story all around. Storytelling more like the early books, new friends made, hooks set for another to follow.
If you are a Valdemar fan, you will like. And wait for more...
Whew! Bit of a ride. A number of questions fans have had are answers, new ones simmering. The Companions arrive, new enemy rises. Good story all around. Storytelling more like the early books, new friends made, hooks set for another to follow.
If you are a Valdemar fan, you will like. And wait for more...
January 7, 2024
The story of the founding of Valdemar continues in Book 3. The refugees have settled within Haven, but Kordas and his family will need all the allies they can make to survive. I want to avoid spoilers so I will just add that this story helps provide the backstory for some of the later books and anyone who has enjoyed any of the books from the series will likely enjoy this one (I certainly did).
December 28, 2023
May Valdemar go on forever
Another great Valdemar book, and a wonderful fit for many of the tales that we have read through the many years of the sagas of the people of this kingdom. The reality of this series is even more than most of us could have imagined.
Another great Valdemar book, and a wonderful fit for many of the tales that we have read through the many years of the sagas of the people of this kingdom. The reality of this series is even more than most of us could have imagined.
December 28, 2023
A Valdemar love story
Really, really love all of the Valdemar series & have been gobbling up anything Valdemar for years. And this series answers many of the questions fans have been asking since the beginning. On tenterhooks for more!
Really, really love all of the Valdemar series & have been gobbling up anything Valdemar for years. And this series answers many of the questions fans have been asking since the beginning. On tenterhooks for more!
January 2, 2024
Never fails
I will never not read a book of Valdamar.
I have a massive love of the world building that was already done so many years ago. But getting the read the events that that history is based on make me so happy.
I cried, I cheered, I laughed out loud at work and my my coworkers question my sanity.
And the songs.
I wonder if we could get them popular again?!
I will never not read a book of Valdamar.
I have a massive love of the world building that was already done so many years ago. But getting the read the events that that history is based on make me so happy.
I cried, I cheered, I laughed out loud at work and my my coworkers question my sanity.
And the songs.
I wonder if we could get them popular again?!
February 10, 2024
The coming of the Companions is at last revealed. Other than that it’s more a look at historically how various institutions of Valdemar had their origins.
A necessary read for serious fans but not the most immersive.
A necessary read for serious fans but not the most immersive.
May 6, 2024
"Being able to read, freely, to read anything, is the first thing a tyrant suppresses. The enemy of a tyrant is rational, informed thinking, and the ignorant make the best slaves."
"And - if we are not alive to change the world for the better, why are we even here?"
"Literate people asked questions. and were inclined to think for themselves."
"The essence of a good negotiation is that both sides agree to being equally disappointed."
The founding of Valdemar and the appearance of the Companions. More of a treatise on what makes a good ruler, but monsters and an Adept gone bad threaten the foundling state.
"And - if we are not alive to change the world for the better, why are we even here?"
"Literate people asked questions. and were inclined to think for themselves."
"The essence of a good negotiation is that both sides agree to being equally disappointed."
The founding of Valdemar and the appearance of the Companions. More of a treatise on what makes a good ruler, but monsters and an Adept gone bad threaten the foundling state.
May 6, 2024
Good story. I might go back and re-read the older stories again.
December 27, 2023
Finally…
The origin story of the Companions. Thank you, Mercedes Lackey. I’m going to sleep with a smile on my face.
The origin story of the Companions. Thank you, Mercedes Lackey. I’m going to sleep with a smile on my face.
December 27, 2023
lackey never disappoints
As usual, I’m left wanting more. The humanity of the characters in both triumphs and foibles makes each one special, unique, and unforgettable
As usual, I’m left wanting more. The humanity of the characters in both triumphs and foibles makes each one special, unique, and unforgettable
December 27, 2023
Another trilogy finished. Hope she starts another.
December 27, 2023
It actually brought tears to my eyes when the Companions appeared.
January 4, 2024
A nice wrap up to Kordas's story. His son's story didn't quite finish. I wish I had reread the first two books in the series before reading the third book because there are so many details that refer to what has already happened in the story.
January 16, 2024
Final book in the trilogy.
For the most part I enjoyed it. Lackey builds very intricate worlds, so like a lot of her books, there is a significant amount of infodumping about that world-building. If you're new to her books, this seems overwhelmingly boring. If you've been reading her since she published her first novel, you've probably learned to shrug it off. If her style hasn't changed in the last thirty years, it's not going to now either. And honestly, sometimes the infodump is boring, but sometimes it's interesting to learn how the sausage was made. Depends on what it is, and what else is going on in the novel.
And what else is happening here? We finally get to the creation of the Kingdom of Valdemar, as well as the Heralds and Companions. I think that part lived up to the hype - it makes sense in terms of Kordas' character, nothing was retconned as far as I can tell, and I don't think any of the Companions' mystique and allure are dimmed. (Even all these years later, I may or may not still want a riderless blue-eyed white horse to approach and Choose me.)
What I am disappointed in is that
I don't really have time, but now I want to dig out my old paperbacks and dive back into Valdemar and see how well this does fit in into the other books.
For the most part I enjoyed it. Lackey builds very intricate worlds, so like a lot of her books, there is a significant amount of infodumping about that world-building. If you're new to her books, this seems overwhelmingly boring. If you've been reading her since she published her first novel, you've probably learned to shrug it off. If her style hasn't changed in the last thirty years, it's not going to now either. And honestly, sometimes the infodump is boring, but sometimes it's interesting to learn how the sausage was made. Depends on what it is, and what else is going on in the novel.
And what else is happening here? We finally get to the creation of the Kingdom of Valdemar, as well as the Heralds and Companions. I think that part lived up to the hype - it makes sense in terms of Kordas' character, nothing was retconned as far as I can tell, and I don't think any of the Companions' mystique and allure are dimmed. (Even all these years later, I may or may not still want a riderless blue-eyed white horse to approach and Choose me.)
What I am disappointed in is that
I don't really have time, but now I want to dig out my old paperbacks and dive back into Valdemar and see how well this does fit in into the other books.
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