Bastion

Valdemar: Collegium Chronicles #5

by Mercedes Lackey

Mags returns to the Collegium, but there are mixed feelings--his included--about him actually remaining there. No one doubts that he is and should be a Herald, but he is afraid that his mere presence is going to incite more danger right in the heart of Valdemar. The heads of the Collegia are afraid that coming back to his known haunt is going to give him less protection than if he went into hiding. Everyone decides that going elsewhere is the solution for now. So since he is going elsewhere--why not return to the place he was found in the first place and look for clues? And those who are closest to him, and might provide secondary targets, are going along. With Herald Jadrek, Herald Kylan (the Weaponsmaster's chosen successor), and his friends Bear, Lena, and Amily, they head for the Bastion, the hidden spot in the hills that had once been the headquarters of a powerful band of raiders that had held him and his parents prisoner. But what they find is not what anyone expected.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Young Adult, Magic, Science Fiction Fantasy, High Fantasy, Audiobook

353 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 1, 2013

About the author

Mercedes entered this world on June 24, 1950, in Chicago, had a normal childhood and graduated from Purdue University in 1972. During the late 70's she worked as an artist's model and then went into the computer programming field, ending up with American Airlines in Tulsa, Oklahoma. In addition to her fantasy writing, she has written lyrics for and recorded nearly fifty songs for Firebird Arts & Music, a small recording company specializing in science fiction folk music.

"I'm a storyteller; that's what I see as 'my job'. My stories come out of my characters; how those characters would react to the given situation. Maybe that's why I get letters from readers as young as thirteen and as old as sixty-odd. One of the reasons I write song lyrics is because I see songs as a kind of 'story pill' -- they reduce a story to the barest essentials or encapsulate a particular crucial moment in time. I frequently will write a lyric when I am attempting to get to the heart of a crucial scene; I find that when I have done so, the scene has become absolutely clear in my mind, and I can write exactly what I wanted to say. Another reason is because of the kind of novels I am writing: that is, fantasy, set in an other-world semi-medieval atmosphere. Music is very important to medieval peoples; bards are the chief newsbringers. When I write the 'folk music' of these peoples, I am enriching my whole world, whether I actually use the song in the text or not.

"I began writing out of boredom; I continue out of addiction. I can't 'not' write, and as a result I have no social life! I began writing fantasy because I love it, but I try to construct my fantasy worlds with all the care of a 'high-tech' science fiction writer. I apply the principle of TANSTAAFL ['There ain't no such thing as free lunch', credited to Robert Heinlein) to magic, for instance; in my worlds, magic is paid for, and the cost to the magician is frequently a high one. I try to keep my world as solid and real as possible; people deal with stubborn pumps, bugs in the porridge, and love-lives that refuse to become untangled, right along with invading armies and evil magicians. And I try to make all of my characters, even the 'evil magicians,' something more than flat stereotypes. Even evil magicians get up in the night and look for cookies, sometimes.

"I suppose that in everything I write I try to expound the creed I gave my character Diana Tregarde in Burning Water:

"There's no such thing as 'one, true way'; the only answers worth having are the ones you find for yourself; leave the world better than you found it. Love, freedom, and the chance to do some good -- they're the things worth living and dying for, and if you aren't willing to die for the things worth living for, you might as well turn in your membership in the human race."

Also writes as Misty Lackey

Author's website

Reviews

[Debbie Gascoyne · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sigh. As I come to the close of another disappointing Mercedes Lackey, I wonder why I bother? I always grumble at her leaden prose, at the somewhat colourless characters, at the rather smug and self-congratulatory attitude of all the Valdemarans - constantly telling themselves, and us, how clever and noble and generally worthy they are... So why? Why do I read them? It's not as if, particularly in the case of the latest Valdemar novels, the plots are all that good. They are mostly recycled versions of almost every other Valdemar novel.

I think, to be fair, her work has deteriorated, as so often is the case, from her success, from the pressure to keep churning out yet another book, one or more per year. The "Arrows of the Queen" trilogy is lovely. The "Last Herald Mage" trilogy is quite strong, and notable for its sympathetic portrayal of a gay hero. I liked Oathbound and Oathbreakers very much. I have liked some of the non-Valdemar novels based on fairy tales. But as I think about the countless other trilogies in the Valdemar series, that I have trouble remembering or distinguishing one from the other, I wonder again why I keep reading them.

I think she's trying to keep going with a formula that's worn out. The plot of this latest five-book series (FIVE) could easily have been told in three, possibly even in two books. This last novel in the series (at least one assumes it is, but one never knows), has about three chapters worth of action and a LOT of tired exposition. You know you're in trouble when long sections of it are repeats of a previous book, set out as a memory.

So why do I keep reading them? I love Valdemar. I love the idea of Valdemar, and the very detailed culture and history. Every book is like a little vacation in a foreign country. I'm probably going to keep on reading these books just for the opportunity to go there. Maybe she keeps writing them for the same reason. And I keep hoping that she'll get better. Maybe she will.

[Annette · Rating 2 out of 5]

Without fear of spoilers...
6 people, two horses, and two not-horses go on a camping trip during which Nothing Happens. For 250 pages. Finally, a long lost relative stops by for a real heart-to-heart. Still, aside from a dressing down of epic proportions, Nothing Actually Happens. Finally, in the last 30-40 pages, someone starts shooting real arrows.
What are we reading about in those 250 pages of non-events? Let me see. Well, we find out exactly how many shuttered windows are in a state-of-the-art horse-drawn caravan. We find out that our hero is feeling kinda bad about losing his spot on a sports team, but he's too nice to say anything. We are introduced to a "deep mystery" about why one character is unwilling to get close to anyone. We witness a series of flashbacks. We see a couple of highly trained judge / mediators treat an entire village as if it were made up of 6-year-olds - and then end up with exactly what they were after! Oh, and we find out that the combination of telepathic not-horses and a famous father can be real barriers to our heros' love lives.

Seriously, I would hate to compare Lackey to - ahem - Robert Jordan, but I can't help but feel she's milking a mediocre series to an extreme. Since I'm checking them out from the library, it's no money out of my pocket, but it's getting a bit ridiculous. I keep reading because the series is comfortable and reliable, rather like McDonald's. But the calories are just about as empty.

[Starfury10 · Rating 2 out of 5]

This series feels like something Lackey just churned out to cater to fans who clamored for more stories set in Valdemar, keep a steady income rolling in without any effort, or both. From the start it's badly misnamed, as "The Collegium Chronicles" are really about Mags rather than about the first days of the Heralds creating their school. And I found the pieces about the conflict over whether the Collegium should exist much more interesting that the haphazard and often ridiculous setup of Mags' past. Mags was interesting enough as a completely ignorant child of the mines being dropped into a whole new world as a trainee - the shoe-horning in of a new culture, and a very unlikely one at that, felt thoroughly unnecessary for books at a time. And it took five books to get to a climax that was resolved in fifty pages with the most unbelievable bestowing of skills on a hero yet.

I've been reading Lackey novels from the library for years now because I don't want to spend the money on them. At this point I really don't want to bother with even that.

[Dorian · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the fifth and (presumably) final book in the rather ill-named "Collegium Chronicles" series. (Ill-named because it ought to be about, well, the collegium, but it's mostly not.) It's an improvement on some of the earlier volumes (book two, I seem to recall, was rather dull), but this is not the author's best work by any means.

It does contain much of what Ms. Lackey does well: lots of detail about what life is like in this world (something I love, though I can see that other readers could find it dull); and plenty of character interaction. The story of Mags' background and why he's being hunted is wrapped up, and there's some nice romance (not just for Mags either).

On the other hand, I found the resolution of the story vaguely unsatisfying. As in the previous book, there were flashbacks told by simply regurgitating text from book one, which seems entirely unnecessary and rather too much like padding. And I was sorry not to see Franse and Reaylis again.

Overall, while I enjoyed the book and the series, I did think the Collegium Chronicles didn't need to be five books. A lot of extraneous stuff (and most of the tedious Kirball descriptions) could have been dropped and the whole thing tightened up to make a trilogy, which would have been far stronger.

[Kristin Taggart]

I don't use star ratings, so please read my review!

(Description nicked—mostly—from B&N.com.)

“Mags returns to the Collegium, but there are mixed feelings—his included—about him actually remaining there. No one doubts that he is and should be a Herald, but he is afraid that his mere presence is going to incite more danger right in the heart of Valdemar. The heads of the Collegia are afraid that coming back to his known haunt is going to give him less protection than if he went into hiding. Everyone decides that going elsewhere is the solution for now. So since he is going elsewhere—why not return to the place he was found in the first place and look for clues? And those who are closest to him, and might provide secondary targets, are going along. With Herald Jakyr, Bard Lita, and his friends Bear, Lena, and Amily, they head for the Bastion, the hidden spot in the hills that had once been the headquarters of a powerful band of raiders that had held him and his parents prisoner. But what they find is not what anyone expected.”

A bit of a disclaimer: the text above has been altered to correct a mistake in saying who went to the Bastion with Mags. The same mistake exists on Amazon, though, so I’m not sure what’s up with that. Also, beware of spoilers in this review.

Lord, do I hate giving Lackey’s books bad reviews. I remember when her books were such a joy to read, and now… they sort of fall to the ground with a thud and lie there. I’ve speculated many times on the cause of this. Perhaps it’s because she’s writing so many series now, perhaps it’s that she feels obligated to churn out more Valdemar novels. I just don’t know. What I do know is that the Collegium Chronicles have dragged on for far too long.

I have the same complaints about this novel as I did about the previous ones. Mags continues to be the most special of snowflakes in all of Valdemar, with a Companion who plops information into his head in defiance of everything that says that Companions don’t do that, the strongest telepathic gift you can have, the trust of the most important people in the kingdom… in short, despite some difficulties, Mags is always the character around whom everything revolves.

The secondary characters don’t have much to do in this book. Bear and Lena, who got to shine a little in the last novel, are mostly just tagalongs here with little to do but butter up the locals for Mags to encounter. Amily, possibly because of her relationship with Mags, seems well on her way to being another special snowflake as she suddenly picks up weapons proficiency after a lifetime of physical incapability. She also seems to have gone along on the trip to the Bastion just to give Mags a sex life. Jakyr and Lita do a little more, but mostly exist to bicker and provide tension.

My biggest complaint about this book—and indeed, about the entire series—is that almost nothing happens. Much of this novel consists of travelling: going to the Bastion in several stages, going to villages to visit, and going back to the Bastion from those villages. There are lots of inns to stop at, with meals that are described and rooms that are examined in detail. In fact, aside from a minor incident or two in the villages, there really isn’t any action until the very end.

When the action does start, it’s more of Mags being special, as he finally finds out the mystery of his past via his suddenly appearing cousin. Through a telepathic link, this guy gives Mags all the skills he needs to be a super-assassin, never mind that Mags’s body would be in no way prepared for the kinds of acrobatics he puts in through during the final fight with a large group of assassins. And then the novel is over.

I miss the days when the Valdemar novels had well defined plots, clear villains, and characters that grew and changed and matured. None of this is present anymore. Instead, we get a Mary Sue protagonist (or in this case, a Gary Stu) and a series that was supposed to have been about the founding of the Collegium but has almost nothing to do with that. I don’t know what has happened to turn the Valdemar universe in this direction, but I really wish it would get back on track. Bastion is a boring tale in a world that I usually relish visiting, but I could have done without this particular itinerary. It has none of the hallmarks of a good story, and I can only hope that the series ends here.

This review originally appeared on Owlcat Mountain on October 16, 2013.
http://www.owlcatmountain.com/2013/10...

[Lark of The Bookwyrm's Hoard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review originally published at The Bookwyrm's Hoard.

Bastion, the fifth and possibly final book in the Collegium Chronicles, is an entertaining but ultimately flawed tale that finally offers answers to the main questions of the series arc: Who is Mags, who wants to kidnap him, and why? But those answers don't come until the last 80 pages of the novel; the majority of the book is a long, elaborate, and episodic set-up designed to put Mags and a previously unknown character -- the one with the answers -- in the same place at the same time.

Lackey makes this work, in part because of her strengths in storytelling, worldbuilding, and most importantly, getting you to care about her characters. While I've never felt as deeply connected to Mags as to some of Lackey's earlier main characters (Talia, Vanyel, Elspeth, Karal, even Alberich), I do like him. Mags is the classic outsider-who-finds-a-place-to-belong... and in this book, the threat to him extends to those around him at Court and Collegia. He's kind, heroic in an unassuming way, and tenacious, and apart from a thick dialect in the earlier books (mercifully ameliorated by speech lessons in this installment), there's little to complain about in his character, or indeed in any of the others. It's sweet to watch Mags and Amily's relationship grow, and the sniping between Jakyr and Bard Lena is entertaining.

Still, the pacing feels off, with a relatively slow first three quarters followed by a flurry of revelations and a somewhat abrupt ending. The overall premise is also somewhat flawed. Even if Mags and his friends are at risk anywhere, and his presence increases the risk to the King, the court, and the three collegia, does it really make sense to send him off into the hinterland with his three closest friends, with the only experienced fighter being Mags' mentor? (Incidentally, the book blurb is completely wrong when it comes to "Kylan, the Weaponsmaster's chosen successor." Whoever he is, he's certainly not part of the expedition.) Amily has also made not only a miraculous recovery from her leg surgery, but is suddenly a "natural" fighter, presumably to make it even feasible to take her along. Again, it's hard to swallow that, or that her father, King's Own Herald Nikolas, would allow her to go, given his protectiveness in earlier books. I had to remind myself more than once that Lackey was writing about the Collegium in its earliest days, only a generation or two after Vanyel, and I shouldn't expect the Heralds to think and behave exactly like those of Talia, Elspeth, and Kero's day.

For all its flaws, I did enjoy Bastion. Lackey's Valdemar books have been on my auto-buy list for years, and I wasn't disappointed in this one. Still, I wish she'd return to writing with the depth and edge she brought to earlier books like the Mage Winds trilogy, By the Sword, and Exile's Honor.


FTC disclosure: I borrowed this from the public library.

[Marcus Johnston · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've really enjoyed this series and this book keeps up the story well. Despite the very heavy Harry Potter equivalents, I'm glad that by the fifth book, our author finally realizes that classwork ain't going to cut it for our adventurers, and sends them on... an internship? The characters are great, you want to root then on, but there's a distinct lack of overall plot until two thirds through. Still love it, still reading them!

[Dorri · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mercedes Lackey has a fluid prose that lets a reader drop easily into the story she weaves. We gladly follow along with anything she chooses to write with ease and joy. I have read all of Ms. Lackey's books. All of them. Saying that, when I found out she was creating a story about the start of the Collegia, I was intrigued. In the beginning of Valdemar, when she wrote the Last Herald-Mage trilogy, Heralds were trained either one teacher to one student or one teacher for a two to three like-gifted students. Vanyel trained with two other students under his Aunt Savil, eventually becoming her only student. Then in the Heralds of Valdemar, Talia was in a school that trained heralds. I always wanted to know how that changed? How it went from one type of teaching to another. With the Collegia Chronicles, I'm learning the how and the why through Mags, Lena, and Bear. Three wayward children, who became friends and flourished even in adversity. Bastion is the most recent addition to their story.

In the beginning of Bastion, Mags is returning to Haven after having been kidnapped, drugged, and dragged across two countries. At first it is an awkward homecoming for Mags. The heads of the Collegia, the King, and his advisors now know that Mags' parents were foreign and the kidnappers tried to use a form of odd mind magic to make him into a part of his family. They know he resisted their attempts to change him. They also know that Mags should and will be a herald, but they worry about his safety now that he is back home. The heads of the Collegia and the King decide that Mags should be sent out on a training circuit in an effort to allow him to "disappear" in order to keep him safe. They choose the Bastion circuit, because it includes the caves where he was found as a child and there has been some unrest in that area of Valdemar that needs some looking into. Armed with the knowledge that Mags is being sent away for his own protection, Amily, Bear, and Lena choose to undertake this circuit with him and Herald Jackyr. In a fun twist, Bard Lita decides to replace their cart driver in order to keep an eye on Lena.

The group set out to a location in the Bastion, a hidden valley known only to the locals and the unfortunate bandits that have taken up residents. What they find surprises them all.

Did I enjoy this book? Absolutely. Were some of the pieces of the book recycled from some of Lackey's other stories? Yes. Did that make the book any less fun? Not to me. I'm still enjoying Mags, Amily, Bear, and Lena's story.

[Becky · Rating 2 out of 5]

Remember when Lackey allowed characters to die in the course of the Herald's life that has continually been described as terribly dangerous? Remember the heart-rending loss of multiple characters in the Arrows of the Queen trilogy? And now we have a book where Jakyr should by all rights be killed, but instead is saved because suddenly Companions can make healers who aren't gifted able to heal as though they are gifted. And this is after being told over and over again that the compelling thing about Bear is that he is not gifted, but has none the less proven his value with his hard work and skill with herbs. Even if Jakyr had been saved by Bear's skill at herbs and surgery it would have been more affecting - Bear finally proving that he really doesn't need a gift.

Instead, Dallen conveniently makes Bear essentially gifted. Dallen is nothing if not convenient. He also can suddenly kill bad guys with a thought, if he wants to. He can also tell Mags exactly who is trustworthy, basically immediately. And he can sort through Mags' memories without Mags' help, protect Mags from memories he doesn't want, and download a whole collegium education into Mags' brain without Mags having to go to class. Remember when Thalia couldn't even talk to her companion? She actually had to work and learn and grow.

I became hopeful in the last book when Mags was kidnapped and taken to Karse because for a moment Lackey had returned to form. I was reminded of Kerowyn stranded in Karse, but not in a reheated leftovers way (the way Mags' training as a spy has always reminded me too much of Skiff's story.) This book also had a brief section where the heralds were actually doing herald things - their circuit duties - that felt like the old Lackey. (But was I the only one that read the confrontation at the second town as a take-down of the Tea Party?) Unfortunately this was only after over two hundred pages of Lackey's strange fervor for describing bathrooms being compounded by a new love of describing carriages, inns, empanadas, and steam rooms.

Lackey's early Valdemar books were so important to me in my formative years that I will probably keep reading anything she puts out with heralds in it, but as many others have said in their reviews, I too only get them from the library now.

[Jean · Rating 2 out of 5]

My first review on goodreads as I mostly lurk on here and it has to be a negative:(

So first in the series I was excited if bummed at how short it was. It got me hungering for more and I have faithfully bought each new one as they have come out, but the last few I felt should have been one book. Why was this 5 instead of 3 or 4 tops? What was going on with this book that talked so much about nothing leaving me almost to the end wondering when, if ever, the big bad enemy was going to show. I got the sense from this story that the writing lost heart and wanted to move on to the next story or that editors were being greedy and catering to a shorter attention span by limiting the story to 300ish pages. I read many of Lackey's books and I've noticed this trend in other books as well. I want books to be longer again and not just Lackey's but all books. I'm happy to finally get some closure with this book, but I feel that, in the end, Mags didn't get the ending he should have.

[Courtney Lillard · Rating 2 out of 5]

Please consider this an unofficial spoiler warning. I won't discuss major plot points, but concepts and characters mentioned in the book:

At long last, after finishing the final book of the Collegium Chronicles, I believe I understand what the main issue with the series is. With the Valdemar universe already established and Mags' story taking place near the middle of its history, Lackey still feels the need to try and one-up every other story by including more and more new and inconsistent ideas. This might work if there was a coherent story, but alas, I find myself reaching for a focal point only to come up short in the end. Not only does the reader lose interest, but with so many plot points that are brought up once and then never referred to again in the rest of the series (or any other Lackey book for that matter), it brings about consistency errors. For instance, apparently Companions can heal with the guidance of someone who knows healing? The King's Own has done this before (apparently), yet it is never brought up before or after again. Another example is the Sleepbringers and the country they are from who have been the antagonists of the series (sort of). Not once do I recall seeing or hearing of a country far west in the desert before the last two books. Even the exotic kingdom in the south mentioned in the Gryphon series is referenced again without seeming out of place. Everything with Mags' past is borderline ridiculous and not set up well, not to mention that the talismans are never studied after this. Wouldn't you think something like that, something like what their country's enemy is using, should be studied? What about the Karse priest and familiar from the last book? How has Jakyr been to a vale before and why is there one in the north that has never been looked into before? Why throw in half a dozen different concepts that would have made for a much more interesting story only to discard them once the book is over?

Now that the general issue is out of the way, we can address some of the lesser, yet somehow more annoying character and relationship concepts. Remember how innocent Mags was when he was learning how to be a free human? From Foundation, I sympathized with a character who was essentially behind everyone else because of his past and struggled a bit to interact with others. It was cute. It was a new Lackey character attribute. Well, throw all of that out the window because the new Mags has none of that charm. Whenever he doesn't know something, there is always someone conveniently able to magically dump the knowledge (and skill for some reason) into his head immediately with no repercussion. He is an assassin-level fighter, well-educated trainee who can pull up just about any piece of information out of his brain, and problem-solver based on observation. Mags becomes a character with no weaknesses, which assures the reader that he'll be fine no matter what. Even if it doesn't go as expected, there is nothing compelling me to care about him or any of the other characters because they are all so unrelatable and overly written. Remember Jakyr, the mysterious Herald who refused to make connections because of something in his past? He is now an over-emotional jerk who feels compelled to share his past randomly without prompt. Remember Amily, Mags' love interest whose whole character revolved her ability to blend in with others and cheer from the sidelines because of her sensible nature? She is now a strong, independent woman all healed up faster than humanly possible for how built up her injury and recovery was. Also, she is a master archer and adequate fighter, because how else would Lackey butcher her original thoughtful character into a stereotypical "Valdemar woman?" Remember Lita, the out-spoken leader of the Bards? Her whole purpose in this story is to fight with Jakyr until Lackey forces the cringe-inducing romance (this is not a spoiler. If you didn't see this coming you haven't watched enough Hallmark movies). Remember Bear and Lena, the couple who matured into individuals separate from their daddy issues to be masters of their traits? They apparently aren't useful to the plot anymore and only care about being with each other in private...

Speaking of which, can we talk about this? Why is sex such a pathetically wasted concept in this story? I will admit, Mags and Amily's first time and how Jakyr took on the role as what Lackey describes as an "uncle" (creepy) to explain things to the "oh-so-perfect" Mags reminded me of his earlier character and was a part I enjoyed. However, the lead-up and following mentions surrounding their romantic life were just plain stupid. Why does everyone need to know about their romantic life? Why does no one, not even the COMPANIONS trust them to be responsible or bother educating Mags? Why won't Dallen help and why would Bear ignore his friend to talk about herb birth-control (don't even get me started on how Lackey has to explain how much Bear brought...)? Perhaps this is all Mags thinking that everyone is watching him because they like Amily, but that definitely does not come across clearly. You would think these times are special and wouldn't be done, at least a lot, when the main characters are sent to live in a cave together. Let's just say, when you have your two main couples going off to have implied sex whenever they are not all together in the common room, you've just given up.

Even if the plot is garbage, I can accept it if it is true to the nature of the author. When it is not, like with some parts of this story, I become ready to stop reading. I know the book has to progress, but why is the only idea the Collegium has for this type of situation to send a trainee away with his friends and one Herald? This seems completely uncharacteristic of the Heralds who are all about relying on each other and making thoughtful decisions. Speaking of which, are we even going to address how this series is called the "Collegium Chronicles" without focusing any attention on the changes necessary for the growing amount of chosen trainees? That would have been a better plot point than anything. Another direction for the story could have been on the circuit and dealing with outside towns who are questioning the city. I feel like I am reaching for straws trying to justify this mess of a plot. This is all without mentioning the "Bey ex machina" that came out of nowhere near the end. In reality, my main issue with the entire book is how not once, but TWICE the integrity of the Companions is called into question. Why won't the main characters, one of which is a master Bard and one WHO IS A FREAKING HERALD, trust their judgement about Bey? This is almost as bad as the second book when everyone turns on Mags when Dallen is hurt. They seem to just get washed aside to make room for more nonsense, insulting Lackey's original concept of the beautiful, unique creatures.

Finally, as with every book in this series, I have to nitpick the writing and editing. First, why can Lackey never pick up where the last book ends? Usually, if the story progresses and ends with enough cushion space for the next book to begin later, that works out. However, there is an awkward transition from the last book to the beginning of this, and this has been a consistent error from the beginning of the series. Second, and I hit on this issue before, but I wish Lackey would open a dictionary to look up synonyms for adjectives because the sentence structure and word variety is just bad. Reading "he supposed just some people just enjoyed..." or "he wore...tight embroidered cuffs and a high neck, also embroidered, with an embroidered placket..." distracts from immersing your reader. Honestly, I probably would have rage-quit this book if I read how so-and-so "echoed someone's thoughts" right after it was written or how Mags can do anything because he "has Bey's memories" again. Third, does Lackey think we are so illiterate that we need reminders of what she previously wrote? I don't need a literally copied section of the previous books to know what Mags is reflecting on. I skipped over at least 7 pages because I was so insulted that she would stoop to that level of lazy. Mags' story isn't that complex!!! Fourth, I am fine with descriptions, actually I really enjoy when they are detailed enough to picture, but there were some things that were obviously fluff. Why explain what the cafeteria looks like in the final book of the series when its the same as it has been and won't be visited in this book again? Why do I need a full-on explanation of the caravan when it really isn't used that much in the story? To me, this type of writing is like a desperate grab to hold the reader, but ultimately makes it skippable. Lastly, I don't care what anyone says, thoughts mid-sentence are dumb. When someone is talking and the reader is following the idea, the last thing you want to do as a writer is interrupt the sentence with some random thought. Sometimes, it is tolerable (for example, when Mags is thinking about food-Oh such delicious food!-and the random thought relates to it briefly), but overall it can wait to be made into another sentence or be placed at the end of the current one. I know writing is supposed to be fun and unique to the writer's personality, but I don't ever remember Lackey's work being this sloppy.

Believe it or not, with all of the above being said I would rank this book as my second or third favorite in the series (which really doesn't say a lot). What saves "Bastion" from being rated one star is how it began to remind me of Lackey's older Valdemar books. By moving the story from the Collegium to Mags' circuit, she moves the stagnant plot to familiar ground. I enjoyed exploring the Guard and country, visiting Waystations, and dealing with townsfolk because of when the story takes place in Valdemar's history. Finding an old vale-cave was very unlikely and a cop-out for something normal, but the simplistic journey was worth the read. Unfortunately, it was sandwiched between 100 pages of uneventful, motivation-less plot building and about 50 pages of hurrying up Mags' only character-defining backstory.

As I slogged through another Mags' book, I realized that I really didn't care about what happened because I know it will turn out fine. I guess I am just sad and very upset that I read five 300-page books with the potential to be a unique story about the rise of a Herald-spy with a mysterious background only to realize at the end that it was a disappointment.

[Lark of The Bookwyrm's Hoard · Rating 3 out of 5]

See my review of the hardcover on Goodreads, here.

[Kagan Oztarakci · Rating 3 out of 5]

Trust me, no one likes to grow up. It's damned unpleasant. You learn you're never safe. You learn that people you depend on to protect you might not be able to...You learn all sorts of things you would really rather not have known. I hated it. You hate it. Everyone hates it.

Two virgins in a bed is one virgin too many.

[Heather Gilbert · Rating 4 out of 5]

good ending

I enjoyed this installment, though the series does pale when compared to the first one in this saga. Mag’s introduction is everything you silently hope for a downtrodden kid - the kind of rescue I rather wish was real.

[Catherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

My 3-star rating really applies to the whole five book Collegium Chronicle set. Honestly, at times I thought it was terrible, but I somehow read all the books, so...it must have had some redeeming qualities.

I've been hugely into Mercedes Lackey since a friend introduced me to the books in high school, and have read most of her books. The Valdemar books are generally my favorites, but this series really didn't do it for me. I think it would have worked a bit better as a trilogy, with less of the following: Kirball (thankfully, not too present in book 5), rhapsodizing about pocket pies, blatant moralizing. i.e. the book mentions that Mags "pleasures himself", fine, whatever, don't we all, but I don't need a whole paragraph on how that's natural and A-OK behavior. More annoying were the frequent long-winded explanation of what fine systems the Valdemarans have set up to ensure justice, prevent raging social inequality, stay warm in the winter, or maintain their scrupulous levels of hygiene. All of this stuff is present in previous Valdemar books to varying degrees, but here the balance is off and it's TOO MUCH rah-rah about everyday life in Valdemar and nowhere near enough in the way of plot. After the five book long buildup, the mystery around Mags' family background is resolved fairly quickly and painlessly. Again, it would have worked much better as a trilogy with some of the descriptive excess (and all the Kirball) trimmed out.

The writing style in this book struck me as very simplistic and sloppy, and I did wonder if maybe it was just a consequence of my getting older--maybe I am no longer the target age range of the books. Maybe all the Pollyanna-ish everything-is-wonderful themes wear a little thinner once you've seen a bit more of the world. However, this series did re-pique my interest enough for me to re-read the original Arrows trilogy and frankly, no, it's not me. The writing in the Collegium Chronicles, while still engaging, is simply NOT as good as Lackey's earlier books. I also feel it's not as good as some of the recent Elemental Masters books. I guess Lackey is maybe just not that into Valdemar anymore, but her bank account can't quite bring itself to let go.

[Marissa Patterson · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Collegium Chronicles just kept getting worse and worse. This story could have easily been told in 2 books, and yet we are treated to 5 novels where not much seems to happen. The characters are not well developed, and they have no flaws. I fell in love with Mercedes Lackey after reading the Arrows of the Queen and Last Herald Mage trilogies. Talia and Vanyel have both positive and negative characteristics, are put through terrible struggles, and you are rarely certain that all will come out perfectly. In fact, things aren't always bright and sunny in the end. Yet Mags and his friends never do anything wrong, they always have the support of everyone around them, and the occasional struggles they come across are easily mended over 10-20 pages. There is no real conflict, no drama, and not even believable interesting romance to draw you into the books. I hope Ms Lackey returns to the compelling stories of before.

[Marie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't hate it, but for me it fell into the trap that Lackey's stuff sometimes does, where the hero/ine is just TOO PERFECT - skilled at everything they attempt, with interpersonal relationships that go alarmingly well and the ability to resolve completely preposterous conflicts within 75 pages. I really only read this because I'm a ridiculous completionist and couldn't bear only reading four books of a five-book series - but by the end I didn't even care about Mags' Secret Past except to feel that the Big Reveal was rushed and kind of a cop-out.

I mean, it's Mercedes Lackey, so there's a baseline of entertaining and ridiculous that really appeals...but for me, this book was a waste of a library visit.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a sadly disappointing end to the series. There's no real conflict, aside from the inevitable fight against bad guys. The usual sense of hardship and loss-of-innocence Lackey usually includes in missing here.

Instead, characters receive or are revealed to have skills that normally take years of training, all the romantic loose ends are tied off and the new culture that is revealed is never mentioned again in the future chronology.

There were some interesting interactions, but the meandering plot, the lack of character development and the missing emotional conflict were a letdown.

[Kat Cloaked · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am a huge fan of anything related to Valdemar, but this one is not my favorite of the Collegium Chronicles.

What I've enjoyed most about Mags is his perseverance, and there just is not a lot of struggle in this book. The most important issue seems to be whether or not he will be able to consummate his romance or not.

Yes, we learn more about his past and his ancestry. But in the end I just felt sort of apathetic.

I really wanted to like it. I will keep reading the series, which I imagine will have another book to wrap things up.

[Doris · Rating 3 out of 5]

This series of five books could easily have been edited down to no more than 3, possibly even 2. I think Lackey had a contract to be paid by the word and that whoever negotiated that contract neglected to specify that endlessly repeating herself would not be allowed.

I still enjoy Valdemar, but I'd really not have to wade through so much superfluous verbiage.

[Michelle Artlip]

I really hope this new book is going to answer the questions that the last book left unanswered.! I am spool looking forward to this book!!

[Neenah Lynch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ok I'm ready for more of Bey's story and of his culture!

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

*****3.5*****
I wish I could give this book 5 stars as it's the last book in a series that I really enjoyed and grew to love, but unfortunately, most of the book is about nothing. Very little happens of import to the main conflict until literally the very end. I wish that more of the book connected to what came before it. Each book in this series started slowly and built up to the main story, but I didn't mind it in books 1-4 because they were earlier books in the series but also because they all got to the main action much more quickly. This is the final book, and I was hoping for much more development. I like that we see more of Valdemar and hear about other creatures of this world, like the Hawkbrothers and their lizards, but there is so much useless detail, and it's disappointing. Because I love this world and these characters so much, I didn't mind as much as I would have otherwise, but I did get impatient a few times, wondering when Lackey was going to address the assassins and Mags' history and all of the important topics from the earlier books.
As a whole, though, I did enjoy this book, wrapping up with all the characters, and I'm happy that there's another Mags series. I've seen very negative reviews about this series from people who have read other Valdemar books, but because these have been my first experience with Lackey's world, most of their comments don't apply to my experience. I'm grateful for that, so hopefully, when I read more Valdemar books, I'll enjoy them even more, but I think the Collegium Chronicles will hold a special place in my heart as my first introduction to this world.
I recommend this series if you love slow-moving fantasy and if you want to learn about an interesting world with a lot of rich detail and history. I look forward to reading the next series about Mags and then hopefully moving on to other Valdemar books, ones that are clearly more popular than this series. I'm glad that, like Dragonlance and Star Wars, there are plenty of Valdemar books to indulge in! I'll be reading these series for years to come, I hope!

[ReadKnitHoard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Story: Homecoming. Going on circuit as a lure to the people insistent on returning Mags to his relatives. Answers. Resolution. Romance-ish? Danger. A satisfying conclusion to the Collegium Chronicles, but I still want more Mags—how fortunate that his story continues… ;)

Narration: Good basic narrative. Expressive. Pretty good voices and accents—appropriate—some annoyed, but not the main ones. But the mispronunciations…OMG the mispronunciations! One was a pretty common word where he transposed a couple of consonants due to carelessness—or dyslexia?—but another was a series word where he added an "s" in the middle of the word a couple of times. Later, he got it right, so what's up with the earlier mistakes? Atrocious. >:(

Production: They couldn't be bothered to handle the narrator's mispronunciations. Boo!

[Cari ☾ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book better than the last! I'm glad they finally made Amily stronger and wish they had done the same for Lena and Bear! I really enjoyed reading about the circuits, as well as Jakyr and Lita. I also liked the relationship between Mags and Bey. I think this was a pretty good ending to the Collegium Chronicles. :)

[Chris Diotte-Kelley · Rating 5 out of 5]

A thoroughly enjoyable chapter in Mags' Herald journey

[Christine · Rating 2 out of 5]

This series baffles me.

First of all: Is it over? If anyone knows, please comment!

I don't feel a burning need to read anything else in the series. It didn't end on a cliffhanger and the mysteries of the previous volumes are over. And yet if this is the end ... talk about an anti-climax! It practically whispered out of existence.

Yet paradoxically, even though I'm not sure this is over, I don't want there to be anymore books. There were already 2 books too many! Most of Lackey's series take place in trilogies.

Which brings me to my second baffling point: Why was this five books long? There certainly wasn't enough substance to fill five books. I commented on this two books ago. The fourth book picked up the pace a bit, but this fifth book could just about have been tacked on to the end of that one for all the actual plot that existed.

Thinking back over this book (which I JUST finished), I can't really remember what happened. They returned home from their original adventure, took baths, debriefed, spent time with the weapons master, packed, left, went to inns, rode on circuit ....

Mags did spend quite a bit of time worrying about having sex with his girlfriend. Knowing Lackey as I do, I was sure she'd skip the details of the scene and of course she did, but I have to say that I found some real irony in this case: Mags main concern was that he didn't know what he was doing and was afraid of hurting her. So his mentor explains it (not so the reader can hear, mind -- this is summarized) and I guess it worked ... whatever these magical tricks to please a woman are! I had to laugh because she was, in effect, contributing to the conspiracy of silence and non-information.

Oh, and a nit-pick I just have to put out there: Leena and Leeta? (sp?) I do read audiobooks so these names may not have been quite as similar to read as they were to hear (Lina/Lita/Leena/Leeta?) but it was so annoying to keep them straight! The reader was even good, and gave each one a different voice, but I still had to work to keep them straight.

I'm not sure what to say about this book. Not sure if it's the conclusion of the series or a boring middling book. Overall, I'm not going to recommend this series to new readers, even if the first book in the series was extremely good.

[Gewbook · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ok, that's it, I'm not reading any more Valdemar books - and I can't believe I just said that. I've been so disappointed by the Collegium Chronicles series. The premise had such promise - the founding of the collegium, conflict between the old mentor system and the new classroom system, and Mags is a great character to use to explore it all. But there's actually nothing in these books about the conflict or the founding of the collegium and in fact it's just an excuse to have Mags be heavily mentored, but still use the collegium as a setting and give Mags friends among the trainees of other disciplines. And every book was practically the same story and the same conflict within Mags with extremely tiny info drops about what his past might be. It all could have been done in one book, maybe stretched to two, but certainly did not need to be five books!

Bastion itself was both fine and terrible. At least there was no kirball. And the stuff with Jakyr and Lita was good storytelling. There was no reason for Bear and Lena to even be there except that they've been in the rest of the books, their story was complete. Mags relationship with Amily was nice, but established and not in danger or in any real way furthered in this book. I was hopeful when they set out for the bastion and sure that they would spend the book investigating clues to Mags' past and having meaningful personal interactions. Instead the whole book was spent getting there and then RIDING CIRCUIT! I don't understand! Then, FINALLY, 250 pages in, Mags found a clue to his past and quickly explored and then discarded it as a part of himself all as part of a rushed final few chapters.

I've been asking every review for something about Iftel after the cataclysm or the next generation of mages in Valdemar. Nope, more of the same book about Mags. Sigh.

[Ryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

So we are now on book five of Mag's story, and the fatigue I was feeling after the fourth book, Redoubt, has now passed. I'm not sure if it's because I haven't visited Valdemar in almost a year, or if it's just because I found the pacing of this one to be a bit better, either way, I'm back in love with Mags.

This time around, Mags is just returning to Haven, after his kidnapping and escape from Karse and his native tribe. He is just starting to settle down in his new reality, when it's decided to send him and his friends away, and allow him to investigate the last known location of his parents. Jakyr, the Herald who originally saved him from the slave mines, is the Herald who is assigned as his mentor. It was nice to see him return to the fold, and it was even better to see his character develop a bit more.

By the end of the book, Mags has a better understanding of his past and of who his parents were. He meets his cousin, Bey, who I loved by the way. What a terrific character, too bad he won't get a spin off book. This whole book can bet treated as the growing up stage of Mags' life. He is forced outside of his comfort zones, the star athlete and all around good guy. He feels like he is on the outside looking in, trying to find his way after be away for so long. It's the way a lot of us feel towards the end of our adolescence, trying to find our way in the world, and sometimes trying to even figure out where we came from.

I believe there is now a series that is following Mags as an adult and full Herald, I'm looking forward to finally getting my hands on the first book.

[Elentarri · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book was "ok", not great like Mercedes Lackey's first sets of Valdemar novels, but not as bad as the previous two books in the Collegium Chronicles series either. I found that I just didn't care very much about any of the characters in this set. Bland would be a good term for the whole Collegium Chronicles to date.

The Good: This book actually has "stuff" happening through most of it and the plot goes somewhere.
No endless pages of kirball!

The Bad: Copy/paste fillers from previous books.
(1)No character development and very flat characters. Lena and Bear might as well have been card-board cut outs for all the stuff they didn't do in the book.
(2)Too convenient happenings e.g. Mag's cousin just pitching up and giving up;
telepathic horse just dumping info into Mag's head, magic rocks just dumping whole sale training into heads - this just doesn't fit with the whole Valdemar Universe (IMO).
(3)Too much of Mag's internal thoughts - no action.
(4)No spice/spunk/ struggle or "hanging on the edge of the page waiting to find out what happens next".

Recommendation: If you are a Valdemar/ Mercedes Lackey Fan then by all means read this set (borrow it first though), just don't expect too much. If you are new to Valdemar, then I suggest you start with Queen's Own Trilogy (Arrows of the Queen, Arrow's Flight, and Arrow's Fall) or By the Sword or The Last Herald-Mage Trilogy.