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The Valdemar books can be broken down into different series, with some standalone novels. This is a summary of the various books and how they fall into each series chronologically, in terms of the overall storyline. The books span approximately 3000 years of history. The year after each title indicates the year of the original publication of each individual book.

The Mage Wars series[]

Publisher's image for the Mage Wars series showing the print book covers

Publisher's image for the Mage Wars series

MageWarsUK

Cover of a British omnibus edition

Main article: The Mage Wars series

These are set in pre-history, some 1000 years before the founding of Valdemar. They describe the events which precipitate the Mage Storms, and heavily involve gryphons, creatures created by the Urtho, the Mage of Silence. Co-protagonists include Skandranon Rashkae, a princely but proud ebony gryphon, and Amberdrake, a spirit-healer, called a kestra'chern.

The Founding of Valdemar series[]

Publisher's image for the Founding of Valdemar series showing the print book covers

Publisher's image for the Founding of Valdemar series

Main article: The Founding of Valdemar series

These books detail the founding of the kingdom, and its first King, Kordas Valdemar.

The Last Herald-Mage series[]

Publisher's image for the Last Herald-Mage series showing the print book covers

Publisher's image for the Last Herald-Mage series

LastHeraldMage2

Cover of an omnibus edition

Main article: The Last Herald-Mage series

This series begins in 787 AF, centuries before the Heralds of Valdemar books, telling the life story of legendary hero Vanyel Ashkevron.

The Collegium Chronicles series[]

Publisher's image for the Collegium Chronicles series showing the print book covers

Publisher's image for the Collegium Chronicles series

Main article: The Collegium Chronicles series

The series marked Lackey's novel-length return to Valdemar after a five-year hiatus, focusing on the founding of the Heralds' Collegium through the eyes of a former mine slave turned Herald-Trainee, Mags.

The Herald Spy series[]

Publisher's image for the Herald Spy series showing the print book covers

Publisher's image for the Herald Spy series

Main article: The Herald Spy series

Mags was once an enslaved orphan living a harsh life in the mines, until the King's Own Herald discovered his talent and trained him as a spy. Now a Herald in his own right, at the newly established Heralds' Collegium, Mags has found a supportive family, including his Companion Dallen.

The Family Spies series[]

Publisher's image for the Family Spies series showing the print book covers

Publisher's image for the Family Spies series

Main article: The Family Spies series

Spymaster Herald Mags and King's Own Herald Amily have raised the next generation of spies. Each of their three children comes of age in their own novel.

The Tale of Lavan Firestorm[]

This is a stand-alone novel, set somewhere between the Family Spies and the Heralds books. It describes another tragic legendary character briefly referenced in the latter, Lavan Firestorm.

The Vows and Honor series[]

Publisher's image for the Vows and Honor series showing the print book covers

Publisher's image for the Vows and Honor series

British cover of the omnibus edition of Vows and Honor

Cover of a British omnibus edition

TarmaAndKethry

Cover of an omnibus edition

Main article: The Vows and Honor series

These precede the Heralds of Valdemar books, centering on the characters Tarma and Kethry. These characters appeared first in Marion Zimmer Bradley's Sword and Sorceress series, and were revisited in subsequent short stories. Four of the short stories are woven into The Oathbound as part of a longer narrative. Due to the pair's appearance in part one of By the Sword, the latter is sometimes grouped with the Vows books. The third volume, Oathblood, is made up entirely of short stories in place of a longer narrative. With its publication, nearly all of the Tarma and Kethry stories were available together in a single compiled volume for the first time.

The Exiles of Valdemar series[]

ExilesOfValdemar

British omnibus edition of the prequel novels

Main article: The Exiles of Valdemar series

The series includes the origin story of famous Weaponsmaster Alberich of Karse, his Choosing, and the Tedrel Wars. It also includes the story of Skif, a street orphan who eventually becomes an important Herald with unique gifts, magical and otherwise. The Skif Thief story was published first, but takes place chronologically after the Exiles stories.

The Heralds of Valdemar series[]

Publisher's image for the original Heralds of Valdemar series showing the print book covers

Publisher's image for the original Heralds of Valdemar series

HeraldsOfValdemarUK

Cover of a British omnibus edition

Main article: The Heralds of Valdemar series

This was the original trilogy that began it all. These center on Talia, who from the moment of being Chosen by her Companion Rolan becomes the very special and hard-working Queen's Own Herald.

Kerowyn's Tale[]

ByTheSword

Cover of By the Sword

This is a stand-alone novel which connects the Vows and Honor sub-series to the Heralds and other trilogies, introducing the famous mercenary Kerowyn. Kerowyn is the granddaughter of Kethry from the Vows and Honor sub-series.

The Mage Winds series[]

MageWindsUK

British omnibus of The Mage Winds

Main article: The Mage Winds series

These follow on from the original Heralds of Valdemar trilogy, centering on Princess Elspeth and her adventures as an adult, transforming from a Herald to the first Herald-Mage since Vanyel. Secondary protagonists include Skif and Tayledras adept mages Darkwind and Firesong.

The Mage Storms series[]

Publisher's image for the Mage Storms series showing the print book covers

Publisher's image for the Mage Storms series

MageStormsUK

British omnibus of The Mage Storms

Main article: The Mage Storms series

These continue the saga, centering on the characters Karal and An'desha as all of Velgarth is threatened by a repetition of the Cataclysm described in the Mage Wars trilogy. This trilogy also focuses on the threat posed to Valdemar by the vast Eastern Empire and the development of the newly-formed Alliance between Valdemar and its surrounding nations.

The Darian's Tale series[]

Publisher's image for the Darian's Tale series showing the print book covers

Publisher's image for Darian's Tale

Main article: The Darian's Tale series

Also known as the Owl Mage Trilogy, the series takes place several years after the events of the Mage Storms, and follows the character Darian. The story focuses on the repercussions of the Mage Storms on Valdemar's northern border, and centers on new tensions between the kingdom and invading barbarians from beyond the Ice Wall Mountains.

The Kelvren's Saga series[]

Publisher's image for the Kelvren's Saga series showing the print book covers

Publisher's image for Kelvren's Saga

Main article: The Kelvren's Saga series

First introduced in The Darian's Tale series, the gryphon Kelvren is the main character of the new trilogy. Three previously published stories about Kelvren: A Perfect Day in Valdemar (2002), Transmutation (2006) and Ripples and Cracks (2016) are included in the first novel of the trilogy.

The Valdemar Anthology series[]

Main article: The Valdemar Anthology series

The anthologies include one novella by Mercedes Lackey accompanied by a dozen or more short stories written by other fantasy and science fiction authors. The stories are set within the world of Velgarth, and many of Lackey's stories make reference to characters featured previously in other Valdemar novels and series.

Miniseries[]

Many of the anthology stories follow one or more characters from one anthology to the next, forming a miniseries within the anthologies. A list of miniseries can be found on the Miniseries category page.

Miscellaneous works[]

There are also a few miscellaneous Valdemar works, including a novella and some short stories, that have not been collected into an anthology as yet. These include:

See also[]

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