Beyond
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- Create Date：2021-06-16 04:19:06
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Mercedes Lackey
- ISBN：B08T6VFNQJ
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Summary
The long-awaited founding of Valdemar comes to life in this new series from a New York Times bestselling author and beloved fantasist。
Within the Eastern Empire， Duke Kordas Valdemar rules a tiny， bucolic Duchy that focuses mostly on horse breeding。 Anticipating the day when the Empire’s exploitative and militant leaders would not be content to leave them alone， Korda’s father set out to gather magicians in the hopes of one day finding a way to escape and protect the people of the Duchy from tyranny。
Kordas has lived his life looking over his shoulder。 The signs in the Empire are increasingly dire。 Under the direction of the Emperor， mages have begun to harness the power of dark magics， including blood magic， the powers of the Abyssal Planes， and the binding and "milking" of Elemental creatures。
But then one of the Duchy’s mages has a breakthrough。 There is a way to place a Gate at a distance so far from the Empire that it is unlikely the Emperor can find or follow them as they evacuate everyone that is willing to leave。
But time is running out， and Kordas has been summoned to the Emperor's Court。
Can his reputation as a country bumpkin and his acting skills buy him and his people the time they need to flee？ Or will the Emperor lose patience， invade to strip Valdemar of everything of worth， and send its conscripted people into the front lines of the Imperial wars？
Within the Eastern Empire， Duke Kordas Valdemar rules a tiny， bucolic Duchy that focuses mostly on horse breeding。 Anticipating the day when the Empire’s exploitative and militant leaders would not be content to leave them alone， Korda’s father set out to gather magicians in the hopes of one day finding a way to escape and protect the people of the Duchy from tyranny。
Kordas has lived his life looking over his shoulder。 The signs in the Empire are increasingly dire。 Under the direction of the Emperor， mages have begun to harness the power of dark magics， including blood magic， the powers of the Abyssal Planes， and the binding and "milking" of Elemental creatures。
But then one of the Duchy’s mages has a breakthrough。 There is a way to place a Gate at a distance so far from the Empire that it is unlikely the Emperor can find or follow them as they evacuate everyone that is willing to leave。
But time is running out， and Kordas has been summoned to the Emperor's Court。
Can his reputation as a country bumpkin and his acting skills buy him and his people the time they need to flee？ Or will the Emperor lose patience， invade to strip Valdemar of everything of worth， and send its conscripted people into the front lines of the Imperial wars？
Reviews
Elley Murray
，
Mercedes Lackey's Valdemar books， specifically The Last Herald-Mage series and The Arrows of the Queen， were some of the first adult fantasy I ever read， and really got me into the genre。 I haven't read any of the most recent Valdemar books， but I was so excited to see this prequel series about the founding of this fictional country I've come to know and love that I just had to pick it up。 Like some of the other more recent releases by Mercedes Lackey， this book seems to be missing a certain spa Mercedes Lackey's Valdemar books， specifically The Last Herald-Mage series and The Arrows of the Queen， were some of the first adult fantasy I ever read， and really got me into the genre。 I haven't read any of the most recent Valdemar books， but I was so excited to see this prequel series about the founding of this fictional country I've come to know and love that I just had to pick it up。 Like some of the other more recent releases by Mercedes Lackey， this book seems to be missing a certain spark that her earlier books had。 It was an enjoyable read， but I was aware that I was reading a book the entire time。 It didn't pull me in and transport me into the story - like all of the pieces were there but it didn't have the breath of life in it that stories really need to come alive。 Still， this was a great read and I read it pretty much straight through， only putting it down to sleep。 The book is written in the third person， alternating between following Kordas， the Duke of Valdemar， and Delia， his young sister-in-law。 Both Kordas and Delia spend a fair amount of time in their own heads thinking Big Thoughts - like， PAGES of internal monologue。 Each time was like slamming into a wall of thoughts that just pushed me entirely out of the story。 Getting past their wordy internal monologues， I really loved the plot of this book。 Valdemar is a duchy in an empire ruled by an evil Emperor， and there's plenty of subterfuge and spying and plots within plots here。 I don't want to ruin anything， but what Kordas uncovers when he goes to the imperial palace is really intrigung， and I look forward to seeing how the new plot lines that are opened mid-story are resolved later in the series。 If you're new to the world of Valdemar， the concept of the mind magic （vs mage magic） isn't really well explained in this book， like there's some assumption you've read other books in the series and are already familiar， so that may be a bit of a stumbling block for new readers。 Perhaps it will be better explained in the next book， as the "Gifts" only came into play a very small amount in this first book。 This is the first book in The Founding of Valdemar series。 Some of the main plot lines wrap up nicely by the end of the book， so you could read it as a stand alone if you're not interested in continuing the series。 I， however， and excited to see what new adventures book two will hold！A digital ARC of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley for review。 All opinions are unbiased and my own。Like this review？ Check out more of my reviews on my blog， Elley the Book Otter 。。。more
Nikki Chi
，
Very much enjoyed this one， more than I have the recent Valdemar series， as it has the flavor of some of Lackey's earlier series， e。g。 the Mage Wars or the Gryphons。 The world building is more patient and interesting with the lush backdrop of the antiquated but formidable Empire we all love to hate。 Love the patchwork vrondi。 Looking forward to more。 Very much enjoyed this one， more than I have the recent Valdemar series， as it has the flavor of some of Lackey's earlier series， e。g。 the Mage Wars or the Gryphons。 The world building is more patient and interesting with the lush backdrop of the antiquated but formidable Empire we all love to hate。 Love the patchwork vrondi。 Looking forward to more。 。。。more
Marlene
，
Originally published at Reading RealityTime flies whether you’re having fun or not。 Come to think of it， that kind of applies in the story， too， as there are certainly times when Kordas Valdemar is not having any fun at all， but time is flying because he and his duchy have way， way， way too much to do to get the hell out of， not exactly Dodge， but out of the corrupt Eastern Empire before it either wipes them out or topples from within under the weight of its own corruption。I read what became the Originally published at Reading RealityTime flies whether you’re having fun or not。 Come to think of it， that kind of applies in the story， too， as there are certainly times when Kordas Valdemar is not having any fun at all， but time is flying because he and his duchy have way， way， way too much to do to get the hell out of， not exactly Dodge， but out of the corrupt Eastern Empire before it either wipes them out or topples from within under the weight of its own corruption。I read what became the first book in the very long running Valdemar series， Arrows of the Queen， when it first came out back in 1987。 My initial paperback copies crumbled to dust long ago， but I still have the Science Fiction Book Club hardcover omnibus edition of that original trilogy。 It feels like that was a lifetime ago and very far away。I remember the series fondly， because at the time it was published there wasn’t much like it at the time。 It was female-centered， it was a heroine’s journey， the worldbuilding was deep and fascinating and felt like a place that one would want to live。 It all just worked and I loved the whole thing and seem to have read the first 30 books or so before it fell under the wheels of “so many books， so little time”。So it had been a long time since I traveled to Valdemar， but remembered it so fondly， that when the eARC for Beyond popped up I was， well， beyond interested。 I love foundational stories anyway， and here was a foundational story for a world I still sorta/kinda knew。 That it was set at a time in that world’s history that hadn’t really been touched on before meant that I could pick back up here and not feel the compulsion to go back and read the 15 or so books in the series that I missed before reading this one。Not that I might not take a look at them afterwards！ But events later don’t usually impact events before – and Beyond was certainly before pretty much everything else。So here we are， in the far past， before Arrows of the Queen or Magic’s Pawn， and， as it turns out， headed beyond the borders of the Eastern Empire that Valdemar and his people came from。 This story is the story of the leave-taking， and very much the story of why they left。And it’s a doozy。 If you have fond memories of Valdemar， as I very much did， Beyond is a fantastic way to go back。 If you’ve never been， it’s a terrific time， and place， to start。Escape Rating A-: One of the things that I remember from my previous reading is that， in spite of more than a few crises along the way， Valdemar as a place felt livable。 Like Pern and Celta and Harmony but surprisingly few other fantasy （or fantasy-ish） realms， the world seems to be functional。 Not that humans aren’t more than occasionally idiots – because we are – but the foundations seem to be solid and the place seems to work， more or less， most of the time。The story in Beyond is the beginning of the story of why Valdemar mostly works。 The Eastern Empire is the horrible warning of what happens when bad follows worse in endless succession for centuries。 At the point we meet Kordas Valdemar， it’s not a matter of if the empire will fall， its when – and how much collateral damage that fall will do。What we have， in a way， is kind of a fix-it fic。 Not that Kordas can “fix” the empire， because it is way too late， the corruption is much too thorough。 There have been too many generations trained and “nurtured” in the belief that all the corruption is the way that things are supposed to be。Rather， this is the story of a whole bunch of people from all walks of life who have said， “enough” and have the means and the method to find a way out。 Beyond is the story of a PLAN， definitely all caps on plan， and the implementation of that plan。 It’s about the last coming together， of the getting of all the ducks in their rows， and of all the things and people and events that conspire to make it happen AND that get in the way。And I loved the two-steps forward， one-step back of the whole thing。 The meticulous organization running headlong into the desperate measures。 And I especially loved the people making it happen in spite of the odds and the risks and the strong possibility that it will all go pear-shaped。Which it kind of does， but in the best way possible。So if you enjoy watching a plan coming together， if you like watching people work hard and sweat much in order to bring off the work of decades， if you don’t mind just a bit of villain monologuing and love a story of unlikely heroes， Beyond is a delight。Especially if you’ve never been to Valdemar or are， as I was， looking for an excuse to go back。The one thing I missed in Beyond that was part of the magic of the original series are the magical， fascinating， horse like Companions。 I kept waiting for them to appear because they were such a marvelous part of the original stories。 There are beautiful and intelligent horses， because that’s what Valdemar-as-a-duchy was famous for， but no Companions – at least not yet。Therefore， it made me very， very happy to learn that Beyond is the first book in The Founding of Valdemar trilogy。 The Companions are coming， and I can’t wait for them to get here！ 。。。more
Darlene
，
This is an excellent novel。 The beginning of Valdemar， readers have wondered and now we have some of the answers。 The world building is the best and the characters reach out and touch the reader with their thoughts an actions Highly recommended。
Kim
，
The story of Valdemar’s founding has been mentioned in more than one of Mercedes Lackey’s Heralds of Valdemar books: Once upon a time， Baron Valdemar led his people into the wilderness to escape an empire and find freedom。 There， in their new land， the first Companions emerged from a sacred grove and Chose the first Heralds to help maintain and defend the fledgling kingdom as its people fought to survive and thrive in the wildlands。 But just who was Baron Valdemar， and what were his people like？ The story of Valdemar’s founding has been mentioned in more than one of Mercedes Lackey’s Heralds of Valdemar books: Once upon a time， Baron Valdemar led his people into the wilderness to escape an empire and find freedom。 There， in their new land， the first Companions emerged from a sacred grove and Chose the first Heralds to help maintain and defend the fledgling kingdom as its people fought to survive and thrive in the wildlands。 But just who was Baron Valdemar， and what were his people like？ What conditions did they flee， and how did things get so bad in the empire that they all felt like a life in the wilderness was preferable？ More than thirty years after the publication of the first Valdemar book （Arrows of the Queen， 1987） Mercedes Lackey is finally telling the story of Valdemar’s founding。Kordas Valdemar is a clever man who wants nothing more than to raise his horses in peace， protect his people， and be ignored by the Emperor。 For the majority of his life， he’s been able to do all three， but keeping out of the Emperor’s sight is easier said than done， and if Kordas makes the slightest misstep， he could be turned out of his own home and see his land and its people put under the authority of one of the Emperor’s sycophants。 So for the past two generations， the Valdemar family has been preparing to leave the empire for a land far to the west where the Emperor can’t find them。 There， they will build a new country where they can live as they choose without having to fear for their lives， homes， or freedom。 But getting to this new land is easier said than done， and when the Emperor summons Kordas to the imperial court for no apparent reason， Kordas fears that decades of planning will be for nothing。 But no matter the danger， they have to take the chance。Though the quality of Mercedes Lackey’s Valdemar books has varied over the past thirty years （and some of the earlier ones have not aged particularly well）， they have been perennial favorites for many fantasy readers thanks to lovable characters and fast-paced stories that blend action and adventure with stories of everyday life in a magical kingdom。 The good guys are very good， and the bad guys are very bad– and they always get what’s coming to them in the end。 These books are pure escapism in the best sense of the word， and for many readers， the Valdemar books have served as the first example of LGBTQIA characters portrayed in a positive light。 The cover art of beautiful teenagers riding pretty white horses provided cover for the darker stories inside– after all， what close-minded adult who judged a book by its cover would think twice about handing a book about a girl and her horse to their teenager？ And so， through the years， the magical land of Valdemar and its capital city of Haven became a real haven for many kids who questioned their identity or sexuality thanks to Valdemar’s most basic edict: There is no one true way。In Beyond， we discover that this motto has been baked into Valdemar’s identity from the beginning。 Kordas has created a safe haven for quirky people whose ways of life， love， and happiness don’t fit into the strict and closed-minded norms of the empire they live within。 Fleeing the empire doesn’t just mean that Kordas and his family will have the power to do what they want， it means that all the ‘different’ people who live within his domain will be free to seek happiness as they choose。 The apparently gender-fluid mage can find happiness with the man he loves; a mother will be able to raise her sons without a veil of secrecy; magic-wielding people can live in peace and practice their art without being conscripted into the army to have their powers drained in an endless war。Though some of Lackey’s previous Valdemar books have suffered from a lack of focus， Beyond is an example of Lackey at the height of her powers。 It features engaging and lovable characters doing their best， pastoral slice of life scenes blending with a tense main plotline， and enough political intrigue to keep everyone on their toes。 And while we might know what’s going to happen in the end– the Kingdom of Valdemar comes into being and lasts for hundreds of years， after all– the question of ‘how did they do it？’ is what keeps pages turning。 There’s plenty of both fun and suspense in Beyond， and some sly meta-textual commentary for sharp-eyed readers。 And while plenty of questions are answered by the last page， there are still some left unanswered with the main one being， “When does the next book come out？”。-----Thank you to DAW and NetGalley for providing me with a free ebook in exchange for an honest review。 This did not affect my opinion。 。。。more
Lynne Wagner
，
Review （4。5 stars）: This is the 1st book of the Founding of Valdemar series by Mercedes Lackey and serves as a prequel series to all of the Valdemar series。 Since this is a prequel， it could easily be read as a standalone book。 Those of us who already love and read all of the Valdemar series were just excited to see all of the backstory！ The Empire is the setting， which is an alternate world with a different sort of dark magic。 Kordas， the Duke of Valdemar， has a tiny Duchy that is unlike the re Review （4。5 stars）: This is the 1st book of the Founding of Valdemar series by Mercedes Lackey and serves as a prequel series to all of the Valdemar series。 Since this is a prequel， it could easily be read as a standalone book。 Those of us who already love and read all of the Valdemar series were just excited to see all of the backstory！ The Empire is the setting， which is an alternate world with a different sort of dark magic。 Kordas， the Duke of Valdemar， has a tiny Duchy that is unlike the rest of the Empire。 Their goal is to focus on horse breeding and give the appearance of a backwards， tiny area that is far beneath the value of all the other lands， at least in the eyes of the Emperor。 In reality， Kordas is part of a several-generations plan to find a way to escape the reaches of the Emperor and his constant war。 There’s finally a breakthrough， thanks to one of Kordas’ secret mages， and it looks like it’s almost time for the plan to come to a head。 Unfortunately， Kordas receives a summons to court and there’s a chance the Emperor could destroy their plan before anyone is able to evacuate。 Will Kordas be able to save his people， along with those others he’s found along the way？ Note: I received a free copy of this ebook from the publisher via NetGalley。 My review is my own。 #Beyond #NetGalley 。。。more
Lizanell
，
Lackey's world of Valdemar gets yet another origin story treatment with a wonderfully realized backstory of the whole kingdom （previous origins have been for individual characters or regions such as Alberich， Talia， Vanyel， Kerowyn， and the Pelagirs）。 This iteration is a consistent example of Lackey's world-building and writing style although I agree with those who said it was a little darker than some of the other entries into the world。 My one major complaint is that the over-all conflict seem Lackey's world of Valdemar gets yet another origin story treatment with a wonderfully realized backstory of the whole kingdom （previous origins have been for individual characters or regions such as Alberich， Talia， Vanyel， Kerowyn， and the Pelagirs）。 This iteration is a consistent example of Lackey's world-building and writing style although I agree with those who said it was a little darker than some of the other entries into the world。 My one major complaint is that the over-all conflict seems too diffused。 Although we hear about the horrors of the Empire and the Emperor repeatedly we don't meet the 'monster' who is behind it until far too late in the story。Thanks to Netgalley and DAW books for the advanced reading copy provided in exchange for an honest review。 If you are a Valdemar lover， this is a must-read。 If you've never checked out her Valdemar books before， I wouldn't recommend starting with this one; try either Arrows of the Queen or Magic's Pawn。 。。。more
Donna
，
Mercedes Lackey has done it again！ This book sucked me in with engaging characters and political drama。 This book is a little darker than the other Valdemar books but that could be because Kordas and his people were living under the emperors thumb。 This is a tale of new beginnings and tough decisions。 “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing。” could be the theme of this book。 I can’t wait for the next installment
Margie
，
What a fascinating story！ The characters and storyline grabbed my attention from the beginning。 Valdemar stories are some of my favorites。 The concept of the Heralds and Companions is quite intriguing。 I am so glad author Mercedes Lackey has decided to treat Valdemar readers to the story of the founding of Valdemar。 I really enjoyed reading the surprises at the end of the book。 I am looking forward to the next book in the series。I received an ARC in exchange for a honest review。
Lark of The Bookwyrm's Hoard
，
Thoroughly enjoyed this one！ Wavering between 4 and 4。5 stars。 Review to come。
Liz
，
Review to come on Under the Covers Book Blog
Sandy
，
Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC of this book， in exchange for a fair and honest review。I have to start with this - I cannot get enough Mercedes Lackey， and especially of her Valdemar books！ So， as soon as I got my hands on this one， I put aside the other books I was reading and jumped in - and I wasn't disappointed！Throughout other Valdemar books， we have had tantalizing references to the existence of an Empire that isn't particularly known in Valdemar， and passing references to the founding of V Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC of this book， in exchange for a fair and honest review。I have to start with this - I cannot get enough Mercedes Lackey， and especially of her Valdemar books！ So， as soon as I got my hands on this one， I put aside the other books I was reading and jumped in - and I wasn't disappointed！Throughout other Valdemar books， we have had tantalizing references to the existence of an Empire that isn't particularly known in Valdemar， and passing references to the founding of Valdemar and the history of Companions。 Now we get to find out about the Empire and what drove Kordas of Valdemar （a small duchy in the Empire） to take action to implement the Plan that his family had been working on for generations to escape the Empire。 The good characters are satisfyingly good， evil is evil， and there are a few characters who are not what they seem！ Another satisfying element of this book is that we finally get to learn about the vrondi - who have been present in the most of the Valdemar books， but as somewhat mysterious presences。This is just plain fun to read。 If you've never read a Valdemar book before， this is a great place to jump into the multiple Valdemar series， since it doesn't include any references that will be hard to understand if this is your first Valdemar book。 There are references to the Mage Wars， but not in any way that is necessary to understand and enjoy this book。A good read - interesting， fun， and satisfying。 I can't wait for #2 in the series！ 。。。more
Heidi
，
Okay， I’m totally rounding up instead of down because a new Valdemar book is my happy place。 I liked this one very well。 Because it’s set at the foundation of Valdemar it would be a book a new reader of the series could easily follow。 This volume does definitely feel like a set up for the story of getting the new kingdom going in the next book。 I have a poster on my wall （signed by Larry Dixon and Mercedes Lackey because yes， I am that nerd） of a map of Valdemar and the surrounding countries tha Okay， I’m totally rounding up instead of down because a new Valdemar book is my happy place。 I liked this one very well。 Because it’s set at the foundation of Valdemar it would be a book a new reader of the series could easily follow。 This volume does definitely feel like a set up for the story of getting the new kingdom going in the next book。 I have a poster on my wall （signed by Larry Dixon and Mercedes Lackey because yes， I am that nerd） of a map of Valdemar and the surrounding countries that I’ve probably had 20 years or so。 I was able to find the starting point in Valdemar where the refugees started from as they fled from the （I can’t help calling it this！） Evil Empire。 So， for other long term readers I think we’ll want our maps for this series as we watch the refugees spread out。There were a few cutesy pop culture references but they were fleeting and forgivable。 They were actually my least favorite part of this book。 The good guys were suitably heroic， the villains clearly evil。 The virtues of hard work， courage and team work are rewarded。 It also felt like the author is ready to go back to writing in this world。 It was a good entry in the books of this world。 Seriously， if you are a new reader to the series the Valdemar books are totally comfort reading。 Things may get dark， but with help from friends the heroes generally save the day。 And when they don’t make it to the other side their sacrifice is honored and worthwhile。 Read these books if you need things to be ok for a while。 。。。more
Rachael
，
This review was originally posted on my blog: Tea Rex Reads I was given a free advanced copy of this book by DAW Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 Thank you so much DAW Books！Mercedes Lackey is one of my favorite fantasy authors of all time。 Her Valdemar books are so easy to read and fun to get lost in。 She is one of the authors I turn to when I need to cheer up or de-stress or even get myself out of a reading slump。 So， when I heard she was starting a new series not only This review was originally posted on my blog: Tea Rex Reads I was given a free advanced copy of this book by DAW Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 Thank you so much DAW Books！Mercedes Lackey is one of my favorite fantasy authors of all time。 Her Valdemar books are so easy to read and fun to get lost in。 She is one of the authors I turn to when I need to cheer up or de-stress or even get myself out of a reading slump。 So， when I heard she was starting a new series not only set in Valdemar but about it’s founding， I was so excited！ I already knew I’d be devouring Beyond as soon as it released on June 15th this year， so getting an advanced copy was just icing on the cake。 When I say I devoured Beyond， that’s exactly what I mean。 I finished this book in less than 24 hours。 My expectations for a beautiful story filled with relatable characters and exciting mystery was certainly fulfilled with this book。 Beyond takes place in “the Empire” - a brutal world filled with magic made up of nobles vying for the Emperor’s vacillating approval and taught from birth to back stab and maneuver to accomplish their goals。 The poor commoners are considered less than dirt and barely noticed for more than their usefulness as soldiers in the never-ending war for empirical expansion or as farmers and servants。 This is life in the Empire everywhere except in the Duchy of Valdemar。 Duke Kordas Valdemar was raised by his parents and grandparents to treat his people with respect and to work hard for the benefit of his Duchy。 He raises prized horses to sell throughout the Empire， and puts on a show as being the country bumpkin for the Emperor’s spies。 All of this is so he， his family， and those he trusts with his life can complete a generations long Plan to escape the Empire for good - along with anyone who wants to come。 Naturally， this plan doesn’t go off without a hitch， or two， or three。 As Kordas encounters more and more people he feels obligated by honor to rescue， The Plan becomes increasingly complicated and difficult to execute。 The mystery of how everyone would escape and stay safe from the Empire for good is really what kept me reading this book with zeal。 Seeing Kordas use his brains over brawn to outmaneuver the denizens of the Empire all while making loyal friendships along the way was a great centerpiece of the book。 I also enjoyed seeing LGBTQ+ represented in the cast of characters。 In fact one of the many reasons The Plan came about was to help those who would be persecuted and killed for their beliefs or who they loved to be able to escape the Empire for good and live in relative safety。 Which， from reading other Valdemar books， we know this is a forerunner of thought that leads to the basis for all society and law in Valdemar: there is no one true way to live。 Characters throughout the book even state their “truths” to each other。 It’s evident that at least in the Duchy of Valdemar people seek to discover and live their true lives。 They seek to stop hiding who they are and live their lives free of ostracism and violence simply for what they believe and who they love。 These situations were obviously the author’s commentary on the world today and how we should seek acceptance and equity for all。 All of that being said。 There were a few things about the book that bothered me and may bother other readers as well。 First， most of the opening chapter of the book is a description， in sometimes graphic detail， about a horse giving birth。 This threw me off a bit， but later in the book I realized it was a device to quickly establish what type of person Kordas is to the reader。 In that respect the scene accomplished it’s goal， but just be aware the scene is there。 Finally， there were a couple of points in the book where a transition in the story was a bit abrupt。 Once， when Kordas was called to the Capital， and again when the big conflict in the story was resolved。 Both situations seemed to come out of nowhere。 Kordas traveling to the Capital happened at the beginning of a chapter， and the previous chapter never mentioned him so much as getting a messenger requesting his presence。 So， these two points in the story disrupted my immersion a bit， but otherwise， I really enjoyed this book。 If you’re like me and have been itching to read more about Valdemar， then go out and preorder this book！ My only regret is that now I must wait at least a year for the next one！ 。。。more
Noelle
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I received an ARC of this title from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。OVERALL:Beyond， Book 1 in the Founding of Valdemar series， is a solid classic fantasy and great series opener。 High stakes and clever characters keep the reader engaged as the Valdemar we know and love slowly takes shape。 For anyone who is interested in how Valdemar， the Heralds， and Companions came to be， this is a must-read。SUMMARY:In Beyond we meet Kordas， Duke of Valdemar， and his people as they try to institute I received an ARC of this title from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。OVERALL:Beyond， Book 1 in the Founding of Valdemar series， is a solid classic fantasy and great series opener。 High stakes and clever characters keep the reader engaged as the Valdemar we know and love slowly takes shape。 For anyone who is interested in how Valdemar， the Heralds， and Companions came to be， this is a must-read。SUMMARY:In Beyond we meet Kordas， Duke of Valdemar， and his people as they try to institute The Plan to escape the evil Empire。 Generations in the making， The Plan consists of gathering enough supplies and Gating the entire duchy， including their famed horses， far beyond the reach of the Emperor and constantly scrying mages。 When Kordas is summoned to the Palace， a place he has loathed since he was a hostage there in his youth， he learns that the situation is far more dire than he knew and there are more innocents he must save。CHARACTERS:Our main POV characters are Kordas and his young sister-in-law， Delia。 Both are well-rounded with clear motivations and flaws to overcome。 Kordas is kind despite his upbringing and willing to make hard choices to save his people。 Lackey implies heavily that Kordas struggles with a past he is not proud of， the details of which will likely be exposed in forthcoming titles。 Delia is portrayed as naïve but competent。 Her Fetching Gift makes her a valuable asset in The Plan， but as a pampered young noble she is unused to hard work。 She is infatuated with Kordas， the brother-in-law who rode in on a shining horse to save her from the cruelty of the Emperor， but the inevitable conflict of this subplot has yet to surface。There is also a decent amount of representation （as expected from Lackey）。 There are gay and cross-dressing characters， as well as characters who are imprisoned by the Empire for being “criminalized lovers。” A point is made that Valdemar is accepting of all， in sharp contrast to the rest of the Empire。WORLDBUILDING:Lackey does an excellent job establishing and describing the Empire， and how it fits into the world of Valdemar that readers are already familiar with。 Because the duchy of Valdemar is so different from the rest of the Empire， much of the Empire’s evils are told to the reader instead of shown， but this works in the interest of keeping the plot moving。 The story is established within the world’s history as being post-Mage Wars when magic has been depleted and mages have turned to harnessing Elemental or Abyssal forces。 While the abilities of the Dolls， the possessed mannequin servants of the Palace， seemed a little too convenient and “makes-it-easy，” the limits and consequences of the magic system were otherwise well-defined。PLOT:As this is a series opener， there is a lot of set up in this novel that will not be paid off until future books。 The plot moves slowly at first as little pieces of The Plan are activated， then rushes to a conclusion as Valdemar makes its escape。 The story isn’t over， however， as establishing a new community in a new land will be far more difficult than getting there。 。。。more
Jackie
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Thanks to #Netgalley and DAW Books for providing me a digital ARC of #Beyond in exchange for an honest review。Beyond by Mercedes Lackey is a fantastic look at pre-Valdemar history。 The book follows Kordas Valdemar， a Duke in the eastern empire， as he tries to escape the warmongering empire with his people。 Of course， nothing is easy under a tyrannical Emperor who has no qualms about using everything and everyone for his own power-hungry benefit。 As Kordas' generational plan comes to fruition， th Thanks to #Netgalley and DAW Books for providing me a digital ARC of #Beyond in exchange for an honest review。Beyond by Mercedes Lackey is a fantastic look at pre-Valdemar history。 The book follows Kordas Valdemar， a Duke in the eastern empire， as he tries to escape the warmongering empire with his people。 Of course， nothing is easy under a tyrannical Emperor who has no qualms about using everything and everyone for his own power-hungry benefit。 As Kordas' generational plan comes to fruition， the Emperor calls him back to the capital。 Kordas will have to be cunning and daring if he wants to escape without being found out。 Much like the Mage Wars series by Mercedes Lackey， this book does not include the ever-beautiful and majestic white horse-like Companions。 Instead， we are given normal horses， specifically the Valdemar Gold， a stunning gold horse that Kordas and his family have bred。 Through these horses， you can begin to see Kordas' love of horses， and I can't help but believe we are seeing why the companions turned out the way they did。Overall I found this a fantastic addition to the overarching series， and I am already craving more。 For new fans， I would say it might not be the best place to start because they don't go into the same detail on the magic system as some of the other books （please look at the Heralds of Valdemar trilogy， The Last Herald Mage trilogy， and Mage Winds trilogy for that。） Long-term fans， however， will find plenty of callbacks to things only mention briefly in other novels of the series。 I enjoyed returning to Valdemar and can't wait for more。 。。。more
Jessica
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 I received an advanced copy from DAW in exchange for an honest review。For Mercedes Lackey fans， this is the story they've been waiting for for years， if not decades。 The founding of the country of Valdemar， the setting for so many of her novels， has been referred to， but never written。 We know the basics: Valdemar， escaping a tyrannical emperor， took his people and ran as far away as he could， where he then founded the country of Valdemar， and， when he entered his twilight years， prayed in a sac I received an advanced copy from DAW in exchange for an honest review。For Mercedes Lackey fans， this is the story they've been waiting for for years， if not decades。 The founding of the country of Valdemar， the setting for so many of her novels， has been referred to， but never written。 We know the basics: Valdemar， escaping a tyrannical emperor， took his people and ran as far away as he could， where he then founded the country of Valdemar， and， when he entered his twilight years， prayed in a sacred grove for help in keeping future monarchs honest and true。 What he got was three Companions， white horselike beings with telepathy who bond for life to their chosen person。 The rest is history。This is that story， up close。 A duke in the Eastern Empire， Kordas Valdemar is known for being a bit of a backwater duke， content to breed excellent horses and not much else。 His secret？ He's playing it up to keep out of the Emperor's line of sight， as the Emperor is cruel and loves to play his courtiers against each other。 When one of his mages makes a discovery， it sets into motion a plan that Valdemar dukes have been planning for decades: an escape。 But instead of dedicating himself to saving his people， Valdemar is summoned to court， where he learns the awful truth of what the Emperor is doing not only to his own people， but to thousands of Elemental spirits。 Now， he must try to save himself and his people from an Emperor with no morals and a taste for power。As a long-time （thanks for that Christmas gift in 1991， Uncle Brad！） fan of this world， I've literally been waiting almost 30 years for this story。 And much of it is so， so good， it feels familiar and new all at once。 The good people are good， because they care for each other and those they're responsible for， and the bad people are bad because they use up people as cannon fodder and entertainment。 There's a lot of horse discussion， wacky mages， and mentions of events and places that made me go "oh， I know this thing！"。 For old-time Lackey fans， I'd suggest catching up by reading the Gryphon trilogy and the Winds trilogy to brush up on pre-history and the Eastern Empire。 I'm not sure that I'd recommend this as an introductory read for someone who hasn't read Lackey before， but for established Lackey fans， this is a fantastic read we've been waiting a long time for。 While I received an advance digital copy， I still pre-ordered a hardcover as well。 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Beyond
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Beyond&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Beyond&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0