Into the West
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- Create Date：2022-12-15 04:20:02
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Mercedes Lackey
- ISBN：B09GVZTGXV
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Summary
The long-awaited founding of Valdemar comes to life in this second book in the new series from a New York Times-bestselling author and beloved fantasist。
Baron Valdemar and his people have found a temporary haven， but it cannot hold all of them， or for long。 Trouble could follow on their heels at any moment， and there are too many people for Crescent Lake to support。 Those who are willing to make a further trek by barge on into the West will follow him into a wilderness depopulated by war and scarred by the terrible magics of a thousand years ago and the Mage Wars。 But the wilderness is not as empty as it seems。 There are potential friends and rapacious foes。。。。
。。。。and someone is watching them。
Baron Valdemar and his people have found a temporary haven， but it cannot hold all of them， or for long。 Trouble could follow on their heels at any moment， and there are too many people for Crescent Lake to support。 Those who are willing to make a further trek by barge on into the West will follow him into a wilderness depopulated by war and scarred by the terrible magics of a thousand years ago and the Mage Wars。 But the wilderness is not as empty as it seems。 There are potential friends and rapacious foes。。。。
。。。。and someone is watching them。
Reviews
Cheryl
，
I truly love reading Mercedes Lackey， but this book for me just droned on and on。 More than 3/4 through the book， the wheels on the barges go round and round。 Finally the Hawkbrothers enter the picture， but still， it wasn't enough to keep my interest。 Was glad to get through the book！ I truly love reading Mercedes Lackey， but this book for me just droned on and on。 More than 3/4 through the book， the wheels on the barges go round and round。 Finally the Hawkbrothers enter the picture， but still， it wasn't enough to keep my interest。 Was glad to get through the book！ 。。。more
Anne
，
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 I enjoyed this book， as I do pretty much every book I’ve read by Mercedes Lackey。 But I had two major issues and a few smaller ones that I wish I could talk over with someone else to get another perspective:1。 The Tayledras handing over the vale。 I love the Tayledras as characters， but seriously？ Could they have made it any easier for them to find a new home？ It felt lazy。 None of them were given any real characters （although Jelavan the Hertasi was fun）， and there didn’t seem to be much purpose I enjoyed this book， as I do pretty much every book I’ve read by Mercedes Lackey。 But I had two major issues and a few smaller ones that I wish I could talk over with someone else to get another perspective:1。 The Tayledras handing over the vale。 I love the Tayledras as characters， but seriously？ Could they have made it any easier for them to find a new home？ It felt lazy。 None of them were given any real characters （although Jelavan the Hertasi was fun）， and there didn’t seem to be much purpose to them other than a means to end。 Especially since there’s never been any indication that I found in any of the other books that the city was a former vale。 2。 Delia’s crush on Kordas。 I thought that was finished in book 1。 Enough already！Smaller issues: There were some inconsistencies in the beginning that I feel like an editor should have caught - like the hostages being sent home instead of brought to the lake。 Please tell me that mysterious night-time conversation has some purpose in the future。 Otherwise， I don’t get a conversation that had to take place just for Kordas to be told he was going to be made to forget it later。 How was the red forest hurt by the travelers？ If it just sensed food， it could have eaten them while they were traveling。 But instead， the book mentions that they hurt it。 How， exactly？ I’ll be doing a re-read to see if I can clear up any of these things in my mind。 Hopefully it was just me。 。。。more
Maijie
，
Revisiting the world of Valdemar after being away for such a long time was a wonderful and refreshing experience。 Into the West is the second part in the "The Founding of Valdemar" series and was a delightful continuation of the story。 It picked up right after the events in Beyond。 After decades of secrets and plotting， Kordas and his people had finally escaped the empire and has travelled into a new land searching for a place they can call their own。 Along the way， they were faced by many chall Revisiting the world of Valdemar after being away for such a long time was a wonderful and refreshing experience。 Into the West is the second part in the "The Founding of Valdemar" series and was a delightful continuation of the story。 It picked up right after the events in Beyond。 After decades of secrets and plotting， Kordas and his people had finally escaped the empire and has travelled into a new land searching for a place they can call their own。 Along the way， they were faced by many challenges and the ordeal of relocating a huge group of people in an unknown region while keeping them safe and trying hard not to antagonize the locals。 The gritty details of their travels sometimes bogged down the pacing and can be a little boring however， the rest of the story did make up for it。 The book focused on Kordas and Delia and their character growth。 It was nice seeing Delia became an integral member of the group and come into her own。 The plot where she had romantic feelings for Kordas was something that I really didn't like and I was happy to see an end to it here。 From the previous stories and the myths told generations later on， Kordas was portrayed as great and perfect and just be the embodiment of virtue。 It was so good to see how human he was here。 We got to see his flaws， the struggles he needed to overcome， his fears， joys and pain。 We also saw him be a father alongside the ever developing leader part of him。 If you've read the other books prior jumping into this series， you get rewarded by little details that's very satisfying to know。 Overall， this was a wonderful read and I can't wait for book 3。I'd give this 4。25 stars out of 5 stars。I received an ARC of this book from Astra Publishing House via NetGalley and I have chosen to publish my fair and honest review。 。。。more
Jenn
，
Into the West by Mercedes Lackey is a deeply engrossing read for fans of the Valdemar universe。 Lackey's writing is always a treat， and this novel is no exception。 We continue to learn about the Founding of Valdemar as begun in the first book of the series。 This book is exciting， full of the adventure you would expect for such an undertaking， and giving us a clear perspective on what the early people of Valdemar had to go through and accomplish。 I highly recommend this book for fans of Valdemar。 Into the West by Mercedes Lackey is a deeply engrossing read for fans of the Valdemar universe。 Lackey's writing is always a treat， and this novel is no exception。 We continue to learn about the Founding of Valdemar as begun in the first book of the series。 This book is exciting， full of the adventure you would expect for such an undertaking， and giving us a clear perspective on what the early people of Valdemar had to go through and accomplish。 I highly recommend this book for fans of Valdemar。 。。。more
Liz
，
A story that captures the tale of the creation of Valdemar for people very nostalgic for that world。 Baron Valdemar and his people know they need to move on from their temporary haven of Crescent Lake。 They built a chain of barges all traveling West into the wilderness destroyed by the Mage Wars thousands of years ago。 They run into some unexpected challenges， and someone watching them。 Overall， if you love tales set in the world of Valdemar， getting this glimpse into its creation is awesome。 It A story that captures the tale of the creation of Valdemar for people very nostalgic for that world。 Baron Valdemar and his people know they need to move on from their temporary haven of Crescent Lake。 They built a chain of barges all traveling West into the wilderness destroyed by the Mage Wars thousands of years ago。 They run into some unexpected challenges， and someone watching them。 Overall， if you love tales set in the world of Valdemar， getting this glimpse into its creation is awesome。 It feels like a very character-driven story， which is a bit unusual for fantasy novels， but I enjoyed seeing the inner workings of some of the characters and how they approached the challenges of the Valdemar Expedition。 For me the biggest struggle of this book was that it all felt very low-stakes。 I really thought it was like those video games where you are going on a quest to find a utopia and face a bunch of small side-quests along the way。 Although it was enjoyable to read， I definitely didn't really get drawn into the story and I wasn't concerned about the characters at any point。 It's definitely not a bad book， but it's also probably not something I'm going to go back to and read again since it just didn't really create any emotional response for me。 If you have spent a lot of time immersed in the other books in the world of Valdemar， I think it's enjoyable to read what's basically the development of their creation story。 If this series is your first dip into the writing of Mercedes Lackey， look elsewhere。 Thank you to NetGalley and Astra Publishing House for providing an advanced copy of this book for review。 All opinions are my own。 。。。more
eyes。2c
，
Valdemar beginnings！Having passed through a gate into a new land， Baron Kordas Valdemar’s people and those who accompanied them， including the “Dolls” were eager to move forward。Kordas is trying to move over fifteen thousand people， their equipment， livestock and barges， in the hunt for unoccupied land。First he has to deal with someone whose brutally attacked on of the Dolls， vrondi elementals trapped in a human shaped body that they animated。 That he would not put up with！ As the tale progresse Valdemar beginnings！Having passed through a gate into a new land， Baron Kordas Valdemar’s people and those who accompanied them， including the “Dolls” were eager to move forward。Kordas is trying to move over fifteen thousand people， their equipment， livestock and barges， in the hunt for unoccupied land。First he has to deal with someone whose brutally attacked on of the Dolls， vrondi elementals trapped in a human shaped body that they animated。 That he would not put up with！ As the tale progresses we see the remarkable development of the elements。 And remember， what one knows they all know。 What they become eventually will I’m sure be remarkable。Delia， Kordas’ sister-in-law， who’s been besotted with him， finally makes the break and comes into her own as a member of the scouting group。Kordas leads his people along the waterways， beside a dangerous brooding forest， with inhabitants that looked like they’d been part of a change circle。Then they come to an area that is protected， a vale built by Hawkbrothers， the Tayledras。Would they be accepted or not， and what does it all mean for the founders of Valdemar？Another tense tale in the series， citing the beginnings of the Valdemar we know and love。An Astra House ARC via NetGalley。 Many thanks to the author and publisher。 。。。more
Glennis
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Review to comeThis book has the Baron and his people traveling by boat to find a place far away from the mess the Empire is currently in。 The story has two groups the main group and the scouts that have his sister-in-law with them checking the river to see if it is safe ahead。 Things pretty much go smoothly for such a large group of people on the run with their herds。 The Baron’s people bump into the Hawkbrothers and they help them find what they are looking for in a place to settle。 This is rea Review to comeThis book has the Baron and his people traveling by boat to find a place far away from the mess the Empire is currently in。 The story has two groups the main group and the scouts that have his sister-in-law with them checking the river to see if it is safe ahead。 Things pretty much go smoothly for such a large group of people on the run with their herds。 The Baron’s people bump into the Hawkbrothers and they help them find what they are looking for in a place to settle。 This is really a solid middle book of a trilogy and fans will be happy to read about the first-time meetings of the two groups but by the end of the book there are some clues about what will happen in the next book。 A good book for fans but may not be the best place for a new reader to start。 Digital review copy provided by the publisher through NetGalley 。。。more
Debbie
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"Into the West" is a fantasy。 It's the second book in a series， and you'll better understand this book if you read them in order。 This book also spoiled events in the first book。Unfortunately， about a third of this book could have been cut or briefly summarized without changing the story， and the pacing would have been a lot better。 The beginning dragged as we're told in people's thoughts （not shown， but told） how the people have been making do and using every last bit of resources with nothing "Into the West" is a fantasy。 It's the second book in a series， and you'll better understand this book if you read them in order。 This book also spoiled events in the first book。Unfortunately， about a third of this book could have been cut or briefly summarized without changing the story， and the pacing would have been a lot better。 The beginning dragged as we're told in people's thoughts （not shown， but told） how the people have been making do and using every last bit of resources with nothing to waste。 We're told again and again the details about how every part of an animal was used for food， arrows， condoms， etc。 We're not just told that they made winter clothing， we're given details about how it was sewn together。 Details about how the manure left behind was handled and how a quick-growing grass spell worked （though this changed by the end， when dung wasn't apparently needed any more and even the rain was diverted）。 The author obviously put a lot of thought into the logistics of how to move thousands of fictional people in a magical world， but I just found this boring。 Just say they made winter clothing， not half a page detailing how， especially as it didn't turn out to matter how they did it。The Baron wasn't very interesting or realistic， either。 Despite the first few sentences， he didn't really seem to struggle to change his ways from Empire ways to fully noble and self-sacrificing。 He rarely made mistakes （though we're told why about halfway through） and everyone loved him （or got kicked out of the group）。 He gave himself pages-long lectures about how a wise leader acts。 He and others thought about every last detailed reason why certain actions were or weren't allowed （like not letting the tow horses eat while working）。 He had a full conversation with one group of people and then went to a new group and repeated that full conversation。 Things were just repeated a lot。 When he negotiated near the end， he made everything extremely complicated in his thoughts， and I just gave up and skimmed that section rather than try to follow his reasoning。However， Delia's sections were fun as she learned to use her skills and grew into a responsible adult。 The sections with the fights against the odd， magical creatures were interesting as the characters had to think fast and experiment to see what would work。 There were no sex scenes。 There was a fair amount of bad language。I received an ebook review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley。 。。。more
Heidi
，
I do love Lackey’s books。 It’s been what？ 35 years since her first book？ They will always hold a special spot in my bookish heart for their gentle wholesomeness。 I was glad to get to read the ARC。 I’ve got the book on back order but it’s nice to not have to wait any longer！ It’s definitely a book for readers who are already a fan of the Valdemar books。 There’s Easter eggs abounding with tidbits of this and that dropped into the book。 I think someone new to the books might find it a bit much but I do love Lackey’s books。 It’s been what？ 35 years since her first book？ They will always hold a special spot in my bookish heart for their gentle wholesomeness。 I was glad to get to read the ARC。 I’ve got the book on back order but it’s nice to not have to wait any longer！ It’s definitely a book for readers who are already a fan of the Valdemar books。 There’s Easter eggs abounding with tidbits of this and that dropped into the book。 I think someone new to the books might find it a bit much but it put a smile on my face。 I look forward to the final book。 。。。more
Harrison Schweiloch
，
I have loved Mercedes Lackey’s books for thirty years。 As I said in my review of her last book， I still have the SFBC omnibus of the Last Herald Mage trilogy on my shelf and I can’t tell you how many times I read it。 Until recently， I haven’t read many of her Valdemar books in the last few years。 I listened to the audiobooks of the Collegium Chronicles series， which was fun， but I felt it dragged on too long， with too many kidnappings， and Mags’s accent drove me bananas。 I lost touch with the se I have loved Mercedes Lackey’s books for thirty years。 As I said in my review of her last book， I still have the SFBC omnibus of the Last Herald Mage trilogy on my shelf and I can’t tell you how many times I read it。 Until recently， I haven’t read many of her Valdemar books in the last few years。 I listened to the audiobooks of the Collegium Chronicles series， which was fun， but I felt it dragged on too long， with too many kidnappings， and Mags’s accent drove me bananas。 I lost touch with the series when my library stopped buying the ebooks of the Herald Spy series after Closer to Home， and I was disappointed in Spy， Spy Again， the third volume in the series focusing on Mags’s kids。 Last year， I really enjoyed Beyond， her new novel about the origins of the kingdom of Valdemar。 So I was very happy to get an eARC of the sequel， Into the West， from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review。This book continues on directly from the last one。 It is a weird book。 The pacing is so strange， and the book never seems to give much focus to the interesting characters， instead sticking mostly with Duke Valdemar， who is somewhat dull， and his sister in law， who takes way too much time to get over her schoolgirl crush on her brother in law， which was always kind of creepy。 The book spends a long time on logistics of the journey of barges down a river， and after some loooooooong slogs it just seems to give up on that with a deus ex machina that takes most of the suspense away from the journey。 Then there is a big battle at the end that feels tacked on and unnecessary。 There were a few fun infrastructure tidbits of how the castle is built that I smiled at， but the ending felt abrupt。 Is there going to be another book？ It felt like a definitive ending。 But We would need another one to explain how the vrondi end up where we know them to be， as well as to establish Companions。 It’s not Valdemar without magical white horses！This was a fun， if odd， book。 I’m glad I read it。 。。。more
Jeannine Jones
，
An excellent entry in the Valdemar series。 Lackey can always be counted on for excellent worldbuilding with in-depth characterizations that totally suck you in。 It built slowly and then really took off at the end。 I love going back to her books again and again。
Lark of The Bookwyrm's Hoard
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3。5 stars。 Review to come。 There's a lot I like， but there are also some problems with pacing and the introduction of new worldbuilding elements that don't fit with what we "know" about the world from previous books。 3。5 stars。 Review to come。 There's a lot I like， but there are also some problems with pacing and the introduction of new worldbuilding elements that don't fit with what we "know" about the world from previous books。 。。。more
Sandy
，
Thanks to netgalley for an ARC of this book in return for a fair and honest review。I've been an avid reader of the Valdemar books for decades， and I've been delighted that Ms。 Lackey is now giving us the backstory - how Valdemar was founded。 The story began in Beyond， with the plan to escape the Empire and the events precipitating it。 The second installment gets us out of the Empire， travelling to find a place where the refugees can make a new home。The refugees run across some of the residuals o Thanks to netgalley for an ARC of this book in return for a fair and honest review。I've been an avid reader of the Valdemar books for decades， and I've been delighted that Ms。 Lackey is now giving us the backstory - how Valdemar was founded。 The story began in Beyond， with the plan to escape the Empire and the events precipitating it。 The second installment gets us out of the Empire， travelling to find a place where the refugees can make a new home。The refugees run across some of the residuals of the Mage Wars， and have to fight off creatures that they have never seen before。 They have to keep evaluating their surroundings， to determine whether they have found a place that will work for a new home - and， all the while， trying to be mindful of the effects that they are having on the places they pass through。 And， winter is coming！As they progress， we see much of the story from the perspective of Kordas， Baron Valdemar， as he's trying to work out how to balance managing the trek of a large number of people， with his values and principles as a leader， and we see him espousing the principles that will run through the Valdemar books， most especially that there is no one true way。This was an excellent backstory， seeing how the Valdemar we are so familiar with in its later years got that way。 I can't wait for what （I assume） will be #3 - I have a couple theories from bits and pieces that were dropped here， and I'm eager to see if they pan out！ 。。。more
Suzanne
，
Fans have long awaited the complete story of Valdemar's founding。 There have been hints and small bits of the story worked into other books as characters discussed the history of their kingdom， but not the full account from beginning to end。 Last summer with the publication of Beyond the tale began and we read of Kordas and his attempt to take the people of the duchy of Valdemar and flee from the cruelty and depravity of the Eastern Empire。 On December 6 the second installment in the series will Fans have long awaited the complete story of Valdemar's founding。 There have been hints and small bits of the story worked into other books as characters discussed the history of their kingdom， but not the full account from beginning to end。 Last summer with the publication of Beyond the tale began and we read of Kordas and his attempt to take the people of the duchy of Valdemar and flee from the cruelty and depravity of the Eastern Empire。 On December 6 the second installment in the series will take us along on the journey to find a new land to settle。Into the West chronicles the efforts of Baron Kordas to weed out the troublemakers and possible imperial spies before he takes the group through the gates set up by his mages to a place far from the empire's reach。 Scenes show Kordas， his wife Isla， sister-in-law Delia， and their companions as they organize supplies， learn new skills， and encounter dangers that try their resolve。 Kordas must face his internal struggle not to fall into the ways of the imperial court。 "I won't be like them。 I can do this and not be like them，" he thinks to himself。As readers of Valdemar stories we know that they are headed into lands blasted by the Mage Wars hundreds of years ago， so we wait to see which creatures corrupted by Change Circles or left behind by those long ago mages the group will encounter。 Will they travel through the Pelagirs？ Will they encounter the Hawkbrothers？ Will the magical gates hold up to the strain of transporting so many and all their supplies？ And who will be lost along the way？With the skill we have come to expect of Mercedes Lackey the journey through the wilderness toward a new home is a compelling story of bravery， cooperation， and the desire for a better way of life。 That won't stop of us from impatiently waiting for the next book， but we can always go back and re-read other Valdemar adventures until it is available。I read an advance copy provided by the publisher for review purposes。 。。。more
Margie
，
Into the West by Mercedes Lackey is book #2 in the Founding of Valdemar series。 I found this book to be quite compelling。 I am a big Valdemar fan and this series brings home to me all the people of Valdemar originally had to go through。 I really enjoyed this adventure and insight into the beginnings of Valdemar。I received an ARC and this is my honest review。
Jenna Deaton
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Into the West by Mercedes Lackey is a wonderful sequel to Beyond following the ongoing adventures that are the eventual founding of the kingdom fans have long known as Valdemar。What I loved-The book drops me immediately into a situation that shows both our main character's problem solving skills and his serious temper control struggle。-Real issues that come with moving a large group of people are not shied away from。 （The effect on nature ， the behavior problems，not knowing the area）-I was left Into the West by Mercedes Lackey is a wonderful sequel to Beyond following the ongoing adventures that are the eventual founding of the kingdom fans have long known as Valdemar。What I loved-The book drops me immediately into a situation that shows both our main character's problem solving skills and his serious temper control struggle。-Real issues that come with moving a large group of people are not shied away from。 （The effect on nature ， the behavior problems，not knowing the area）-I was left excited for book threeWho I would recommend the book forInto the West is a book best fit for fans of the heralds of Valdemar saga that have at a minimum already read its direct predecessor Beyond。 。。。more
Donna
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I love this series and was so looking forward to this book。 After a slow build up things got exciting。 This tale is filled with surprises， action and adventure。
Anne Szlachcic
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This is the second book in the Author's Founding of Valdemar series - I would recommend reading the first book to fully understand the worldbuilding and charactersBaron （ former Duke ） Kordas Valdemar has begun to realise that their temporary camp ， after fleeing from the Empire's capitol ， will only support a few of their number 。。。。。。。 even this needs the consent of the existing villagersHe needs to galvanise his people to take a perilous journey through lands filled with obstacles and mage da This is the second book in the Author's Founding of Valdemar series - I would recommend reading the first book to fully understand the worldbuilding and charactersBaron （ former Duke ） Kordas Valdemar has begun to realise that their temporary camp ， after fleeing from the Empire's capitol ， will only support a few of their number 。。。。。。。 even this needs the consent of the existing villagersHe needs to galvanise his people to take a perilous journey through lands filled with obstacles and mage damaged lands and creatures ， to find unoccupied lands that will support all of them。 It is only by the Duke's deft handling of the difficulties both human and " other " that they will reach safety。。。。。。。。。 but not all will survive ， some giving their lives for othersThe Empire has not forgotten them ， it is only a matter of time until they are found 。。。。。。。。。 can the defeat an army with many more battle mages or will a surprise discovery render they aid they need ？This book is much slower paced than the previous book with the travails of the journey taking centre stagebut just as enjoyable nevertheless - I look forward to the next in the seriesThis is a pioneering story with mages ， magic ， mythical beings and just ordinary humans doing the best they can just to survive 。。。。。。 a fantasy world at its bestI voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book。 All thoughts and opinions are my own 。。。more
Kitty Honeycutt
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Mercedes Lackey has done it again。 I love all of her books and this one is no exception。 This author's fantasy is one of a kind and the story was very emerging and surreal。 She will always be one of my favorite authors。 Mercedes Lackey has done it again。 I love all of her books and this one is no exception。 This author's fantasy is one of a kind and the story was very emerging and surreal。 She will always be one of my favorite authors。 。。。more
Jennifer
，
I read the first book right before this， because since I was being asked to review， I thought that would work best。 So， I didn't have any delay between the characters of Beyond and the plot in Into the West， but if I hadn't or if it had been too long between books in the series， I think that I would have been confused with some of the characters and the story。 For example， Beltran only has a very short appearance in this book， but he was such a pivotal character in the first book。 I think that， I read the first book right before this， because since I was being asked to review， I thought that would work best。 So， I didn't have any delay between the characters of Beyond and the plot in Into the West， but if I hadn't or if it had been too long between books in the series， I think that I would have been confused with some of the characters and the story。 For example， Beltran only has a very short appearance in this book， but he was such a pivotal character in the first book。 I think that， if I had only read this one， I would have been wondering why they even mentioned him。 Ditto Hakkon who has more of a presence in this book， but not much of an explanation in the way of who he really is。 Yes， they do explain his relationship to the boys， but it's a paragraph and then we are done。 As a middle book， it is typically slow so that， while things happen， the action was confined to a few small bursts。 That being said， I really did enjoy the book。 The scouting party portions were probably my favourite， even though Delia rubbed me wrong in the two books。 Her crush was a bit off putting to be honest。 But I am hoping that she'll mature even more in the next book in the series to the point where she keeps growing on me。 And the Dolls and Pebble were pretty amazing as characters。 The book is well written。 The characters who feature prominently are well developed。 And there is room for a lot to happen in the next book。 There was a bit towards the middle-end which started to get into philosophy and religion in a big way， but it ended before I could get truly annoyed。 And was followed by a pretty good action scene。 I like Mercedes Lackey， and the Heralds of Valdemar will have a place in my heart forever。 And reading about their origins is really fun。 Not remembering too much of the founding stories from the previous books helped me a lot， because I wasn't picking apart the details which may not have aligned as well with what I had originally understood as the Duke's story。 。。。more
Mandy Beyers
，
I love the books in this world。 This one was a "road trip" complete with scary monsters and unexpected friends。 Kordas is such an interesting character， pinballing from confidence to despair and back。 I also really enjoyed the way Delia is coming into her own。 I recommend for all Valdemar fan but if you are new to this world， start with the previous story since this one begins in media res。Thanks to NetGalley for my e-review copy。 I love the books in this world。 This one was a "road trip" complete with scary monsters and unexpected friends。 Kordas is such an interesting character， pinballing from confidence to despair and back。 I also really enjoyed the way Delia is coming into her own。 I recommend for all Valdemar fan but if you are new to this world， start with the previous story since this one begins in media res。Thanks to NetGalley for my e-review copy。 。。。more
Sparrow Mills
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Fantastically written， as usual。 This series does an excellent job of being a prequel written before the main continuity， without being awkward or making little sense like many others who attempt the same thing。
Michelle Starkey
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Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me access to this ARC。 This is my honest review。INTO THE WEST is a worthy successor to BEYOND; the first book in The Founding of Valdemar。 I have been a Mercedes Lackey and Valdemar fan ever since I picked up ARROWS OF THE QUEEN decades ago。 I am thrilled to finally get the detail on the hardships Davan mentioned in ARROWS that the Valdemarans went though in their search for a safe "Haven"。 The main plot of the book is the struggle the group Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me access to this ARC。 This is my honest review。INTO THE WEST is a worthy successor to BEYOND; the first book in The Founding of Valdemar。 I have been a Mercedes Lackey and Valdemar fan ever since I picked up ARROWS OF THE QUEEN decades ago。 I am thrilled to finally get the detail on the hardships Davan mentioned in ARROWS that the Valdemarans went though in their search for a safe "Haven"。 The main plot of the book is the struggle the group experiences as they travel through lands that are still experiencing the effects of the Mage Wars。 The detail of their travels did get a bit mind-numbing at times but I feel that just drives home how much of an ordeal relocating an entire barony （former dukedom） actually is。 The book focuses mostly on Kordas and Delia and their character growth。 I really enjoyed seeing how Kordas dealt with all the challenges of keeping the caravan safe while not antagonizing any locals they came across and how his beliefs and concerns will eventually shape the laws of their new land。 I liked seeing Delia come into her own as a vital member of the group and finally outgrow her crush on Kordas。 I also enjoyed the surprise meeting towards the end。 It really tied together certain encounters in previous books。 I can hardly wait for the next book now that they have reached their destination and have to create their kingdom。The only reason I am giving this book 4 （really 4。5） instead of a full 5 stars is I felt there should have been more development with some of the other characters。 From reading ARROWS， we know the names of the first Heralds。 I would have liked to have seen more of those characters （at least the adult one） in this book。 At least some glimpses of what that person may have that would make them an ideal Herald candidate。 Also， the dolls were relegated to more of a support/communication system。 It would have been nice to learn more about the individual dolls as their personalities and free-will grew now that they aren't the mere automatons the Empire created。 。。。more
Kylie
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With thanks to the publisher DAW Books and Netgalley for my ARC。 I’m loving this new storyline within the Valdemar series; reading about how Baron Kordas Valdemar led an expedition of his people and began searching for a new home for them all and the foundation of what will eventually become the country Valdemar。 In this story Kordas is delightfully human， with all of the flaws therein， he is seen in all aspects; Father and husband， Leader and as an individual who has fears， gets angry， and yet With thanks to the publisher DAW Books and Netgalley for my ARC。 I’m loving this new storyline within the Valdemar series; reading about how Baron Kordas Valdemar led an expedition of his people and began searching for a new home for them all and the foundation of what will eventually become the country Valdemar。 In this story Kordas is delightfully human， with all of the flaws therein， he is seen in all aspects; Father and husband， Leader and as an individual who has fears， gets angry， and yet delights in life and in living by the maxims of his Father。 In doing so， and in attempting to rule by example， the Baron， and his people attempt to do no harm while on their journey and to be kind… which ultimately pays off in unexpected ways。 Some strong women are included in the story which is great， although Delia’s mooning over her sister’s husband does get somewhat tiresome， thankfully her attention is diverted partway through the book。 Another fantastic entry into the Valdemar series， which will become just as cherished as other titles。 。 。。。more
Paula Merns
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Another excellent story in the history of Valdemar。The Baron and his expedition fight the ways of the empire as they try to establish a better future for all。 At least all that are willing to give up the very traditions that lead to the flight from the empire in the first place。Foes， both physical and philosophical， are confronted as the expedition makes its way through unfamiliar and dangerous territory。 In the end， good behavior proves the best policy as we re-meet familiar places and peoples Another excellent story in the history of Valdemar。The Baron and his expedition fight the ways of the empire as they try to establish a better future for all。 At least all that are willing to give up the very traditions that lead to the flight from the empire in the first place。Foes， both physical and philosophical， are confronted as the expedition makes its way through unfamiliar and dangerous territory。 In the end， good behavior proves the best policy as we re-meet familiar places and peoples from stories already told。 A fun ride with enough oomph to carry through the travel and enough tension to make the ending stick。 Despite that it leaves me eager for the next part of the series 。。。more
Joyce Yang
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 I received an ARC copy from NetGalley in return for an honest review， and I am glad to have gotten it。I love reading every one of the books that Mercedes Lackey has either written or co-written， and this book is no exception。 The next installment in the story of Baron Valdemar and the Founding of Valdemar lived up to my expectations and also surprised me with developments that I enjoyed。As expected， everything wasn't all peace and harmony after the escape from the Empire。 That's to be expected， I received an ARC copy from NetGalley in return for an honest review， and I am glad to have gotten it。I love reading every one of the books that Mercedes Lackey has either written or co-written， and this book is no exception。 The next installment in the story of Baron Valdemar and the Founding of Valdemar lived up to my expectations and also surprised me with developments that I enjoyed。As expected， everything wasn't all peace and harmony after the escape from the Empire。 That's to be expected， what with human nature and all the dangers present in a new land， especially one that is still dealing with the aftereffects of the Mage Wars。 Baron Valdemar's handling of it all was wonderful， however， though I expect there will be further trouble from one character。I'm glad Delia got sent away to be part of a scouting team， so her crush on her brother-in-law could fade， and she was able to grow and develop on the journey。I won't post spoilers， but the last quarter of the book was the surprising development part。 And yet， I felt that it fit perfectly with the Founding， especially considering events that happen in later books。Anyway， I end this review to say that I enjoyed reading the book immensely and henceforth I will be using "Not my millpond， not my otters" and "Not my henhouse， not my chickens"。 。。。more
Heather
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Into the West， The Founding of Valdemar: Book Two is （obviously） the next book in Mercedes Lackey's Founding of Valdemar series。 She frequently writes in trilogies about Valdemar， so there should be at least a book three this series， but I hope this is one of the times that she will write more than a trilogy。OMG this book is a delight to read！ Mercedes Lackey writes the best stories with artistry and skill。 She elevates every-day interactions and events to an absolutely engrossing story。 The ove Into the West， The Founding of Valdemar: Book Two is （obviously） the next book in Mercedes Lackey's Founding of Valdemar series。 She frequently writes in trilogies about Valdemar， so there should be at least a book three this series， but I hope this is one of the times that she will write more than a trilogy。OMG this book is a delight to read！ Mercedes Lackey writes the best stories with artistry and skill。 She elevates every-day interactions and events to an absolutely engrossing story。 The overarching plot is supported by amazing sub-plots that truly weave around the main plot， creating an engaging， complex story that it is impossible to put down。Because I don't do spoilers， it is killing me not to talk about who is watching （from the publisher's description）。 But if you have read any of the books that center on Valdemar， you will be excited with every reveal。 Don't read this one as a stand-alone。 If you have never read one of the books about the world of Velgarth， which primarily focuses on Valdemar， don't start with this book。 Start with Arrows of the Queen。 If you start with Into the West， there is so much that you will miss。 The story will still be enjoyable， but oh， the nuances and history you will miss。 Without an understanding of this amazing epic fantasy world， you will never know why most events in this book are important to the overarching story。 。。。more
Nancy Cumming
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I could not stop reading this amazing book！ Itwas everything and more that I wanted out ofthe second book！ The story explains much of the beginnings of this beautiful world she has built！ Absolutely fabulous！ From the humor to the anguish and the beauty all between two covers！ Mercedes Lackey is an amazing Wordsmith！
Chrimson Silence
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I have been reading the Valdemar series from Mercedes Lackey since middle school！ I haven’t missed one and was super excited to read this newest installation。 It was great seeing the story progress from the first book with a dual point of view of Baron Valdemar and his sister in law 。 This book was really good with all the drama that pulls you in。 There are some great plot twists and an exciting ending。 I can’t wait for the next book！ I would recommend her books in this series and her other seri I have been reading the Valdemar series from Mercedes Lackey since middle school！ I haven’t missed one and was super excited to read this newest installation。 It was great seeing the story progress from the first book with a dual point of view of Baron Valdemar and his sister in law 。 This book was really good with all the drama that pulls you in。 There are some great plot twists and an exciting ending。 I can’t wait for the next book！ I would recommend her books in this series and her other series as well。 。。。more
Kelly
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This is the long-awaited book two of the Founding trilogy （presumably） that fans of Mercedes Lackey's Valdemar world have been waiting for。 The stage is being set for what will become the nation of Valdemar， with the idea that there is 'no true way'。 Kordas has successfully brought his people out of the clutches of the Empire and left it in ruins。 Now he must move further west to find unoccupied land to settle。 When the people had rested long enough and scouting parties have figured out the next This is the long-awaited book two of the Founding trilogy （presumably） that fans of Mercedes Lackey's Valdemar world have been waiting for。 The stage is being set for what will become the nation of Valdemar， with the idea that there is 'no true way'。 Kordas has successfully brought his people out of the clutches of the Empire and left it in ruins。 Now he must move further west to find unoccupied land to settle。 When the people had rested long enough and scouting parties have figured out the next path of the journey， Kordas invites people to stay or go back， because there are some who don't think they are up to the task of exploration。 Some are also allowed to stay where they camped。 The rest move out。The reader gets to see the process behind which Valdemar is created - to be the opposite of the Empire， to allow people their own beliefs， to respect each others beliefs。 We also see the thought process which really eventually sets Valdemar apart。 Kordas is a good man， but with lots of doubts of how his people will be treated and if he is up to the task of doing what is right for them。 This is Lackey building the world her fans know。 It's a slower pace than some of her other books， but what wagon train to new worlds isn't a slow pace and this is exactly what this trilogy is - the barge train to the founding of Valdemar。 It shows the thought process behind what will become the world we know， with a few surprises along the way。It's also Lackey at her best with comments - I like the variations on the "not my circus， not my monkeys" saying we have these days， but I also like Kordas' internal comments - "Of course we have talking cats。 We're lucky we don't have talking horses， with what we've put them all through。 I should just be grateful that they aren't dictating orders。" Be careful what you think！！ One thing that I dislike about the book is the plot line of Delia being in love with Kordas。 It's not this plot line that I object to， but that Delia can't seem to resign herself to that fact that he's married to her sister and not in love with her。 As she helps out on the scouting expedition she changes her thoughts - she grows as a person from childish， romantic fantasies into a more competent invidividual; you would think that she would at least cease to think about Kordas in terms of 'her Kordas'。 I'm not saying the feelings she has for him would go away， but that she would start trying to turn her thoughts in a different direction to make things easier on herself and Kordas。After several mishaps and fighting， and several unexpected friends and help along the way， the colonists find a place to settle and build。 There's excitement and worry and answers about a few things in this book。 Definitely interesting and well worth the wait！！！ 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Into the West
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Into the West&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Into the West&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0