Valdemar
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- Create Date：2023-12-27 04:23:17
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Mercedes Lackey
- ISBN：B0BY7TCLSF
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Summary
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。
Reviews
Andrea Rittschof
，
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 S 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。 。。。more
Anne Morgan
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This is the book long-time readers of Lackey's Valdemar series have been waiting for since discovering she was writing the Founding trilogy。 10 years after the previous two books， Valdemar has settled into semi-stability and getting down to the 'how-to-do-things-for-all-time" instead of pure survival mode。 Which means Kordas （now King， despite not wanting to be） is obsessing over how to ensure that the kingdom will always be the vision of hope and peace he has for it and his people， no matter ho This is the book long-time readers of Lackey's Valdemar series have been waiting for since discovering she was writing the Founding trilogy。 10 years after the previous two books， Valdemar has settled into semi-stability and getting down to the 'how-to-do-things-for-all-time" instead of pure survival mode。 Which means Kordas （now King， despite not wanting to be） is obsessing over how to ensure that the kingdom will always be the vision of hope and peace he has for it and his people， no matter how many generations in the future。 Long story short， the answer arrives in the form of the Companions， and the Heralds （and Valdemar as we know it） begin！ Overall the pacing is good， mostly steady， and focuses on the development of the kingdom and the Heralds through Kordas and his son Restil's eyes。 The Hawkbrothers get sidelined to a few brief glimpses since Valdemar is supposed to stand on its' own， and Lackey does some tapdancing to explain why there are no mentions of them in the 'future' books about the founding of the kingdom。 There is also the "true" story behind Windrider， Shadowdancer and Sunsinger here。 So if you know the songs you'll get the references and if you don't， you are still ok to read the book。 The ending picked up a lot and until the last I wasn't sure if it was going to be a cliffhanger or a real ending- spoiler alert: not a cliffhanger。 Which was good。 I definitely recommend making sure you've read the first two books in the Founding series before this one so you follow the characters and some of the references， as well as the stakes。 It's a lot of fun for those who know the later books， but not necessary to have read them before this trilogy。 I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review 。。。more
Anna Fox
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I love reading this series。 I have so enjoyed reading about the founding of Valdemar。 I started reading these books in 1990s and I'm so glad they are still being published。 Thank you to the author， the publisher， and NetGalley for my eARC in exchange for an honest review I love reading this series。 I have so enjoyed reading about the founding of Valdemar。 I started reading these books in 1990s and I'm so glad they are still being published。 Thank you to the author， the publisher， and NetGalley for my eARC in exchange for an honest review 。。。more
Marlene
，
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 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 。。。more
Kara Dennison
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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 kin 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。 。。。more
Samantha
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Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC of Valdemar in exchange for an honest review！ I am always so fond of Mercedes Lackey and Valdemar does not disappoint！ This book is the final one in a trilogy about the founding of Valdemar。 It's a prequel trilogy to Lackey's earlier Valdemar works。 I was already a fan of the first two books of this trilogy， and I think this final one might just be my favorite out of them all。 It really elevates the whole trilogy for me personally！ This was a Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC of Valdemar in exchange for an honest review！ I am always so fond of Mercedes Lackey and Valdemar does not disappoint！ This book is the final one in a trilogy about the founding of Valdemar。 It's a prequel trilogy to Lackey's earlier Valdemar works。 I was already a fan of the first two books of this trilogy， and I think this final one might just be my favorite out of them all。 It really elevates the whole trilogy for me personally！ This was a very enjoyable book， especially for people who have questions they want answered about Valdemar！ I just love this world & the characters， and I'm always happy for the chance to return here！ I absolutely recommend that people who have been following the founding of Valdemar continue with this great conclusion！Just to be clear， I'm saying I don't think this book should be anyone's first book by Lackey or about Valdemar。 I'm not sure why someone would want to start here， but I'm clarifying my opinion on that just in case。 It's the third in a trilogy for a reason and should be read after reading the first two。 But， again in my opinion， I absolutely think anyone new to Valdemar can start with this trilogy without having read any of Lackey's other books。 After all it's called the Founding of Valdemar， surely that's a good enough starting place as any。 That's not where I started， but everything will make sense if you do so。 And then you'll get to read this book， which I do think is a worthwhile experience！ 。。。more
Jen
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I’ve been enjoying The Founding of Valdemar story， so I looked forward to the third book。 It turned out to be my favorite of the trilogy！ The book picks up ten years after book two。 The capital， Haven， is being built and permanent settlements are established。 A magical mystery arises， and then another…and a powerful enemy has their sights on the fledgling kingdom。 The books are an origin story of the realm， so you don’t have to know anything about any other Valdemar books to read these。 Also， we I’ve been enjoying The Founding of Valdemar story， so I looked forward to the third book。 It turned out to be my favorite of the trilogy！ The book picks up ten years after book two。 The capital， Haven， is being built and permanent settlements are established。 A magical mystery arises， and then another…and a powerful enemy has their sights on the fledgling kingdom。 The books are an origin story of the realm， so you don’t have to know anything about any other Valdemar books to read these。 Also， we get to see the origin of the Companions- talking horses/magical beings- and the Heralds， who keep order。 The characters are mostly good people doing their best to forge a new life for themselves after escaping a brutal empire。 This was a fun book， and fans of Valdemar won’t want to miss the story of its founding。 It comes out December 26！ Thank you to DAW and NetGalley for the eARC。 。。。more
Heidi
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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 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！ 。。。more
Jenna Deaton
，
Valdemar by Mercedes Lackey serves as a fantastic conclusion for the long awaited foundations of Valdemar trilogy。What I loved1。 Good follow through on story lines set up in the previous two installments2。Great pacing3。 Expert usage of dialogue and character interaction for world building and plot progression。Who I recommend this title forValdemar by its nature as a trilogy conclusion is written for the fans of the previous two installments。
Donna
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This book is everything for fans of the Valdemar series。 It’s been hinted at in previous books but in this book we finally get to see where the companions come from。 There is a lot of detail to the world building but for those like me the characters make the story and this is a truly fabulous story。 I enjoyed every page and will re-read time and again。
BookAddict ✒ La Crimson Femme
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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 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 。。。more
Devon
，
Valdemar is the third installment of The Founding of Valdemar trilogy。 At this point Haven has been founded and it takes place about 10 years after the last book。 While Valdemar is not fully established as we know it from Lackey’s previous books， the foundations have been set。 Kordas， his family， and Haven are threatened by known and unknown enemies。 Upon praying Kordas’ prayers are answered in an unlikely way。 This was the ending was I looking for。 I cried ugly tears through several parts， both Valdemar is the third installment of The Founding of Valdemar trilogy。 At this point Haven has been founded and it takes place about 10 years after the last book。 While Valdemar is not fully established as we know it from Lackey’s previous books， the foundations have been set。 Kordas， his family， and Haven are threatened by known and unknown enemies。 Upon praying Kordas’ prayers are answered in an unlikely way。 This was the ending was I looking for。 I cried ugly tears through several parts， both for the story itself and the fact it was the end。 If you have read the other Valdemar books， this ties up and fleshes out the founding stories as is told by the heralds。 The ending of this book was bittersweet but perfectly done。 I don’t think I have enjoyed one of her trilogies this much since Exile’s Honor。 The writing style definitely was like a warm hug。 It was reminiscent of the 90s fantasy I grew up on while still being modern and with the times。 This will be added to my comfort reads list with the rest of the series for sure。 I received an ARC and am leaving a review of my own volition。 。。。more
Kathy Martin
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The third book in the Founding of Valdemar series brings the Companions and the first Heralds。 Kordas has stopped being able to dodge the will of his people and has been crowned King。 He is the sort of man who is always thinking and planning for the good of his people in this new and dangerous land。 With the Tayledras withdrawing to cleanse new parts of a Pelagirs， Kordas is concerned about his people's future。 Kordas feels that he and his son won't be tempted to form their kingdom into an empir The third book in the Founding of Valdemar series brings the Companions and the first Heralds。 Kordas has stopped being able to dodge the will of his people and has been crowned King。 He is the sort of man who is always thinking and planning for the good of his people in this new and dangerous land。 With the Tayledras withdrawing to cleanse new parts of a Pelagirs， Kordas is concerned about his people's future。 Kordas feels that he and his son won't be tempted to form their kingdom into an empire with all the abuses he fled to get to this new land。 But he worries about his future descendants and petitions the gods for some sort of solution。 The arrival of the Companions is an answer to that prayer。 And the answer is timely because an Adept is planning to take over Valdemar and has an army of magical creatures at her disposal。 I enjoyed this epic fantasy which had great worldbuilding。 There is interesting magic and huge magical battles。 There was a pair of cursed lovers whose story winds its way through many of the later Valdemar stories in the songs of the Bards。 And there are also small things like grieving the loss of a cat。 I enjoyed the people in the story and their trials in building a new world。 This was engaging epic fantasy whether you are new to world of Valdemar or someone like me who has been reading in that world for more than thirty years。 。。。more
Megan Ginther
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Another solid entry to the Valdemar series。 It is so much fun being able to see the beginning of the story as a longtime reader there are so many rewarding moments where things are being fleshed out that we’ve only seen in myths， songs and stories other places in the series。 I’m really enjoying this founding series it has engaging characters， tightly crafted writing and some fun plot twists and turns。
Chrystal Bucchioni
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Mercedes "Misty" Lackey's latest is everything fans of her cherished Valdemar could dream of- witty， detailed， and down-to-earth。 There's more than one origin story interlaced in the ending novel of the prequel series， but Spoilers！ Writing as someone who has read every novel by Lackey （and re-read them over and over again for more than 25 years）， this is a satisfying， nostalgic， joyful telling of the tale only hinted at in Arrows of the Queen （1987）。 As a librarian， I know it is a niche fantasy Mercedes "Misty" Lackey's latest is everything fans of her cherished Valdemar could dream of- witty， detailed， and down-to-earth。 There's more than one origin story interlaced in the ending novel of the prequel series， but Spoilers！ Writing as someone who has read every novel by Lackey （and re-read them over and over again for more than 25 years）， this is a satisfying， nostalgic， joyful telling of the tale only hinted at in Arrows of the Queen （1987）。 As a librarian， I know it is a niche fantasy that is written from a comfortable place high atop the laurels of many past novels。 However， the addition of Sydney-You-Asshole the cat as a main character， the coming of age stories for each of Baron Valdemar's children， the joyous normality of every faith， gender， origin， etc。 （if you've read Misty- you get it） lands this book as one of her top five ever written。 Crisp， clear writing with connections to every level of the Valdemar galaxy。 Long time fans will laugh， weep， and feel at peace at its conclusion。 New arrivals to Haven will find themselves aching to read the past archive of novels。 。。。more
Sara
，
I loved the conclusion to the trilogy。 Everything I felt I needed to know about early Valdemar was answered beautifully。 I’d love to see more books in this time period， but if I don’t， I’m satisfied with the history we got。 The things I was waiting for happened， and we have lots of new information about the founding and the heralds。
Llynnya
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There's something special about an author who can give you a very satisfying tale and leave you wanting more every single time。 This is what I found in the 3rd installment of Mercedes Lackey's The Founding of Valdemar series。This is a well written book that is set far enough from book 2 （10 years） for the Valdemarians to have made nice progress in building a city and the settling the area they want to claim for the country of Valdemar。We get answers - Why does none of the histories/ballads talk There's something special about an author who can give you a very satisfying tale and leave you wanting more every single time。 This is what I found in the 3rd installment of Mercedes Lackey's The Founding of Valdemar series。This is a well written book that is set far enough from book 2 （10 years） for the Valdemarians to have made nice progress in building a city and the settling the area they want to claim for the country of Valdemar。We get answers - Why does none of the histories/ballads talk about the Tayledras befriending and assisting them upon arrival and beyond。We are left with questions - Who or what is the Mother Below and is it still there dormant？And。。。 I want the next book now。 No？ Guess it's re-read the whole series time for me。Thank-you to DAW and NetGalley for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review。#Valdemar #NetGalley 。。。more
Omm
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A fitting end to the Founding Trilogy。 It ties up some loose ends as well as clarify the reason that some pieces are not present in the "later" history books。 As always， engaging and well-paced although certainly could have continued further。 Sets the last piece in place for the creation of the Companions and Heralds and fits seamlessly into the existing lore。 A fitting end to the Founding Trilogy。 It ties up some loose ends as well as clarify the reason that some pieces are not present in the "later" history books。 As always， engaging and well-paced although certainly could have continued further。 Sets the last piece in place for the creation of the Companions and Heralds and fits seamlessly into the existing lore。 。。。more
MAB LongBeach
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Third and last in the Founding of Valdemar sequence。 After ten years in their new home， the exiles have settled in and are thriving， although life is very different from what they knew before。 But they have neighbors who may want to cause problems。 And Kordas， now king， is worried about their long-term viability。 His request to the gods brings unexpected aid （although readers have been eagerly awaiting it）。Solid but not spectacular。I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest re Third and last in the Founding of Valdemar sequence。 After ten years in their new home， the exiles have settled in and are thriving， although life is very different from what they knew before。 But they have neighbors who may want to cause problems。 And Kordas， now king， is worried about their long-term viability。 His request to the gods brings unexpected aid （although readers have been eagerly awaiting it）。Solid but not spectacular。I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Jessica
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 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 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。tThe 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。 tThroughout 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。 tOverall， 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。 。。。more
Tag
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valdemar valdemarne valdemarsgade 16 valdemar lund valdemar estates valdemar aoe4 valdemaras jordebog valdemarskolen valdemarsvik valdemar peliculas
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Valdemar
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Valdemar&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Valdemar&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0