Series Spotlight: Mercedes Lackey's Valdemar

I was introduced to Mercedes Lackey in late middle school, early high school, and she has remained a steady presence in my reading list ever since. I love how she writes, her representation of gay characters, and her consistent world-building efforts throughout a series that spans over fifty novels, including some stunning anthologies. It wouldn't be easy for me to review all of these books for you, so I'm fixing that problem by giving you a look at what, in my opinion, is the best fantasy series I've ever read, and remains a staple of my reading list.

The Valdemar series spans many years, and has a detailed timeline. The books were not released in chronological order, but rather in bursts of separate series within the universe, starting with the Heralds of Valdemar trilogy that stars the lovely leading lady Talia and her companion, Rolan. Other series talk about founding the Herald's school, or collegium, another regales you with the heartbreaking tale of Vanyel, the last Herald-Mage of Valdemar.

Image Source: goodreads.com

This series is about people called Heralds, who are magically bonded to Companions--magically-gifted "horses," who have pure white coats and manes and silver hooves. These Companions are almost the source of good in Valdemar--they are beings on unknowable power, who 'choose' a human (usually a child about 13 years old) to be their partner and help the King or Queen carry messages, ride through the kingdom, fight, and help the kingdom grow and flourish. Some of the novels focus on outside peoples, those who are allied to Valdemar. While mainly composed of series, there are some books that are stand-alones within the universe, and every book is ready to make you feel some sort of way about horses and their humans.

This universe is so incredibly detailed, right down to the smallest town and the palace in Haven, and it takes the time to introduce you to even the smallest of characters who help the Heralds do their job. Lackey also introduces the reader to the schooling of the Heralds, an intimate relationship with the King and/or Queen through the eyes of their dedicated Heralds, and even a game that I'd love to play, Kirball (which is like polo, but better). Every time I read another novel in this series, or even re-read a novel, I get enthralled with this vivid universe and its lovable characters. Rife with magic, intrigue, and love, these books take "fantasy" and run with it to a beautiful result.

The most recent additions to the Valdemar world are The Collegium Chronicles and The Herald Spy series, which both focus on Herald Mags, who was rescued by his Companion Dallen from horrible conditions in a mine, and becomes a cornerstone of the kingdom. These series are a particular favorite of mine, because they're intricate, and focus the timeline on the growth of the Heralds and their expansion into a new system as well as Mag's own role as the Herald Spy for King Kyril.

The best things about this series is that you can start reading it almost anywhere in the series. I'd recommend starting with Talia's tale in the Arrows of the Queen trilogy, because those were the first novels published in the series, but you could start with Vanyel, or with Mags, or with any other novels, because the universe is so well-constructed. The only thing I wouldn't recommend is starting with any of the anthologies, because they lack the background contained in the regular novels.

I hope this convinces you to try Lackey's series, because it is truly one of the best series I've ever read, and helped shaped my own life. If you were a horse-person in middle school, you'll love it. If you weren't, you'll still love it. Give it a try, and make sure you bring an apple for the Companions. Or a pocketpie.