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Valdemar: Mage Storms #1-3
The Mage Storms: A Valdemar Omnibus
Karse and Valdemar have long been enemy kingdoms, until they are forced into an uneasy alliance to defend their lands from the armies of Eastern Empire, which is ruled by a monarch whose magical tactics may be beyond any sorcery known to the Western kingdoms. Forced to combat this dire foe, the Companions of Valdemar may, at last, have to reveal secrets which they have kept hidden for centuries... even from their beloved Heralds.
1040 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1994
20 people are currently reading
554 people want to read
About the author
Mercedes Lackey
432 books9,551 followersMercedes 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
"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
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
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April 15, 2019So I started this and got about 50 pages in. There was nothing wrong with it. I just felt a little lost. There were definetly previous books set in this world and I think I need to read them first before diving back into this. If anyone has any suggestions for reading order of previous books, I would really appreciate it 😁
September 19, 2015
This is an omnibus with 3 books from the obvious trilogy.
First up we have Storm Warning.
In this one I realised that there has been 2 trilogies before this one, my bad. So yes some people and events are totally new to me. But what was good is that it's from the pov of Karal. A priest from another country. So we meet everyone through his eyes, and I am saved that way. This book was mostly build up. 2 countries wants to make peace. An empire wants to destroy them all, and storms are coming with devastating effects.
Storm Rising is book 2
This book mostly deals with the aftermath of the first storms and more storms, and people talking about what to do with the storms.
On personal fronts Karal is dealing with what his God wants of him.
His friend is having love issues
And the most interesting part. The Empire sent a man to a neighboring country to take over. They had been ruled by an idiot so they were happy about it. I liked how he came in and understood that he had to care for his new subjects. Now if he can get that he should not take over more countries, than all will be good.
Storm breaking book 3
It's a fact. Duke Tremane is the best character in this book. I found myself reading his passages fast. I like what he is doing in the country he is meant to conquer.
So, all 3 books then. Book 1 was the best. Book 2 the weakest. Book 3 has the best character arc. So for that book 3 was the best, but only when it was about Tremane. It was interesting to read about.
Still I do feel like to really understand this world, those 2 other trilogies should be read first. It took a lot of the pleasure from me when I had not read them. Also the end, yes it was an ending, people are happy. But I felt more could come. Then again I need to check that.
First up we have Storm Warning.
In this one I realised that there has been 2 trilogies before this one, my bad. So yes some people and events are totally new to me. But what was good is that it's from the pov of Karal. A priest from another country. So we meet everyone through his eyes, and I am saved that way. This book was mostly build up. 2 countries wants to make peace. An empire wants to destroy them all, and storms are coming with devastating effects.
Storm Rising is book 2
This book mostly deals with the aftermath of the first storms and more storms, and people talking about what to do with the storms.
On personal fronts Karal is dealing with what his God wants of him.
His friend is having love issues
And the most interesting part. The Empire sent a man to a neighboring country to take over. They had been ruled by an idiot so they were happy about it. I liked how he came in and understood that he had to care for his new subjects. Now if he can get that he should not take over more countries, than all will be good.
Storm breaking book 3
It's a fact. Duke Tremane is the best character in this book. I found myself reading his passages fast. I like what he is doing in the country he is meant to conquer.
So, all 3 books then. Book 1 was the best. Book 2 the weakest. Book 3 has the best character arc. So for that book 3 was the best, but only when it was about Tremane. It was interesting to read about.
Still I do feel like to really understand this world, those 2 other trilogies should be read first. It took a lot of the pleasure from me when I had not read them. Also the end, yes it was an ending, people are happy. But I felt more could come. Then again I need to check that.
December 18, 2019
Now that King Ancar of Hardorn is dead the people of Valdemar feel they can relax and get back to normal lives. However there has been upheaval in the neighbouring kingdom of Karse with a new Sun of the Sun in charge and she is sending an ambassador to the court of Valdemar.
But something is stirring that is going to cause disruption for Hardorn, Karse, Valdemar, the people of the Dhorisha plains and the Pelagris forest as well as many other peoples and it comes from a totally unexpected direction. Can all these disparate peoples work together to find soloutions to the upcoming changes?
But something is stirring that is going to cause disruption for Hardorn, Karse, Valdemar, the people of the Dhorisha plains and the Pelagris forest as well as many other peoples and it comes from a totally unexpected direction. Can all these disparate peoples work together to find soloutions to the upcoming changes?
April 20, 2021
A long journey among friends.
The main characters of the the Mage wars return in this trilogy along with new allies and enemies. The magic in the world is growing out of control and rebounding on the mages and wizards. Earth and mind magic seem to be the only powers unaffected. The cause of this phenomenon is at first, unknown and misunderstandings lead to conflicts and war plans. It is up to the leaders of the various countries and their mages to work together in order to find a solution.
The main characters of the the Mage wars return in this trilogy along with new allies and enemies. The magic in the world is growing out of control and rebounding on the mages and wizards. Earth and mind magic seem to be the only powers unaffected. The cause of this phenomenon is at first, unknown and misunderstandings lead to conflicts and war plans. It is up to the leaders of the various countries and their mages to work together in order to find a solution.
September 3, 2018
Thoroughly enjoyable
Very enjoyable read. Loved the different points of view from the different characters. Shame that skiff was only ever me mentioned in passing would of likes to read his point of view. Would of also liked to read the deterioration of the emperor as it was happening and also of liked to know more of the world after the events at the end.
Overall very enjoyable and due to the characters it means that you would t of had to read the previous books.
Very enjoyable read. Loved the different points of view from the different characters. Shame that skiff was only ever me mentioned in passing would of likes to read his point of view. Would of also liked to read the deterioration of the emperor as it was happening and also of liked to know more of the world after the events at the end.
Overall very enjoyable and due to the characters it means that you would t of had to read the previous books.
July 30, 2019
2.5 really... This omnibus required a bit of patience on my part due to so much of it being boring.. Especially after reading the preceding omnibus (Mage Winds) which I count as one of my favorites of Lackeys.
September 27, 2019
Good book, great cast of characters. It started quite slow, but towards the end of the second part it begun to speed up and the cast of characters came together. I liked begin able to see more about relations between separate religions and cultures, etc.
January 5, 2018
great book little less conflict than I would of liked.
September 5, 2019
I have this prominently displayed on my Mercedes Lackey shelf. It finally ties together a twisted set of stories that cover more books than I can easily count.
February 4, 2020
This is a sequel to the Mage Winds Trilogy which needs to be read first. It wouldn't hurt to read some of the earlier books as well. All Misty's books are very well written
June 26, 2020
Loved this trilogy
This was my second read through of this trilogy, and they’re definitely my favourite out of all the Valdemar series.
This was my second read through of this trilogy, and they’re definitely my favourite out of all the Valdemar series.
October 7, 2021
Mercedes Lackey has done it again.
A brilliant trilogy that answers a lot of questions but leaves you wanting to know more about AFTER!
A brilliant trilogy that answers a lot of questions but leaves you wanting to know more about AFTER!
June 4, 2024
3.5 as I struggled with the extraneous detail and abrupt ending but was delighted to meet all my old valdemar friends in the pages of this book!
September 15, 2015
There was major fangirl squee-ing at being reintroduced to my favourite series when I was a teen - this explains the longer than normal review. Being asked to review it did result in searching out the rest of the series *looks innocent * Although at the moment I don't read much fantasy, any I do read is compared to Valdemar which is just so AWESOME! Valdemar is the reason why I love horses, despite being wary slash afraid of them in real life. Who wouldn't want a creature you can communicate with, who can help you as you live your life?
Diving back into the lives of people who became my friends when I was a teen was bliss. I'd forgotten how high the stakes were (end of the world catastrophe is kind of a major event, unlike my not entirely successful recent chocolate truffle making), and yet while they are scary to read, and the actual event leads to consequences that no one could have predicted, it's just such a beautiful read. Karal starts off not liking anyone, and finding it really hard to live in a culture so different from his own, but by the end he has his own place, trusts people and...I can't tell you what happens because it's a major surprise. Let's just say that horses aren't the only magical creatures. *grins * Cats are involved!
There's lots of humour between certain characters, who make me laugh a lot, or shake my head at their stubbornness (a feature of many of them). I got drawn into remembering why I wanted to be a diplomat when I was a teen: it's a little like a herald, only without a Companion (magical horse of sorts), without having some form of magic, and not as fun, so I stuck with reading about them rather than entering political life - safer and more fun!
A good thing about the Storms trilogy is that because there are new characters like Karal who come from a different culture, it's possible to view the Heralds as an outsider would, which makes me notice things which were obvious when stories were from the view of the Heralds, but not when from a different perspective. Mercedes is a pro at making you think differently, and opening up unseen angles. Storms trilogy throws up a lot of major plot twists which I remember on first reading (think I've read the trilogy at least 6 times now...) blew me away in the outcome from such discoveries. More fangirl squee-ing!
At the time of my first reading I didn't realise how the diversity of cultures could be related to the cultures in our world, so I see the books in a different light now I'm reading them after a fairly long break. I just might have purchased the other books so I can dive into all the stories once more – it's the one case of getting rid of books which I regret. I had nearly the entire collection! However, I know I got rid of them because I knew them almost off by heart and wanted space for other books.
Thank goodness for the invention of ebooks! Shelf space isn't an issue. Not all the books are available on ebook, and the Valdemar Gryphon trilogy isn't the easiest to source, but it is possible to get the other books in this awesome universe which means a lot to me. There is heaps of danger and doom and gloom, which I do try to avoid at the moment, but the humour and hope that somehow Elspeth, Karal and everyone else will succeed counters the darker moment. I can never stop smiling when I see Elspeth grown up, as she was a royal brat (literally, she's a princess) when she was little and Talia managed to tame her - that's in the Arrows trilogy starting with Arrows of the Queen which is in a handy omnibus. I think all these omnibus's are a brilliant idea too!
I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review on my blog, Nayu's Reading Corner. http://nayusreadingcorner.blogspot.co... Due to adoring this series I'm perhaps a bit biased about it!
Diving back into the lives of people who became my friends when I was a teen was bliss. I'd forgotten how high the stakes were (end of the world catastrophe is kind of a major event, unlike my not entirely successful recent chocolate truffle making), and yet while they are scary to read, and the actual event leads to consequences that no one could have predicted, it's just such a beautiful read. Karal starts off not liking anyone, and finding it really hard to live in a culture so different from his own, but by the end he has his own place, trusts people and...I can't tell you what happens because it's a major surprise. Let's just say that horses aren't the only magical creatures. *grins * Cats are involved!
There's lots of humour between certain characters, who make me laugh a lot, or shake my head at their stubbornness (a feature of many of them). I got drawn into remembering why I wanted to be a diplomat when I was a teen: it's a little like a herald, only without a Companion (magical horse of sorts), without having some form of magic, and not as fun, so I stuck with reading about them rather than entering political life - safer and more fun!
A good thing about the Storms trilogy is that because there are new characters like Karal who come from a different culture, it's possible to view the Heralds as an outsider would, which makes me notice things which were obvious when stories were from the view of the Heralds, but not when from a different perspective. Mercedes is a pro at making you think differently, and opening up unseen angles. Storms trilogy throws up a lot of major plot twists which I remember on first reading (think I've read the trilogy at least 6 times now...) blew me away in the outcome from such discoveries. More fangirl squee-ing!
At the time of my first reading I didn't realise how the diversity of cultures could be related to the cultures in our world, so I see the books in a different light now I'm reading them after a fairly long break. I just might have purchased the other books so I can dive into all the stories once more – it's the one case of getting rid of books which I regret. I had nearly the entire collection! However, I know I got rid of them because I knew them almost off by heart and wanted space for other books.
Thank goodness for the invention of ebooks! Shelf space isn't an issue. Not all the books are available on ebook, and the Valdemar Gryphon trilogy isn't the easiest to source, but it is possible to get the other books in this awesome universe which means a lot to me. There is heaps of danger and doom and gloom, which I do try to avoid at the moment, but the humour and hope that somehow Elspeth, Karal and everyone else will succeed counters the darker moment. I can never stop smiling when I see Elspeth grown up, as she was a royal brat (literally, she's a princess) when she was little and Talia managed to tame her - that's in the Arrows trilogy starting with Arrows of the Queen which is in a handy omnibus. I think all these omnibus's are a brilliant idea too!
I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review on my blog, Nayu's Reading Corner. http://nayusreadingcorner.blogspot.co... Due to adoring this series I'm perhaps a bit biased about it!
February 10, 2017
The pace is sedate, painstaking, tedious even -- the reader is subjected to every walk down a hallway, note taken, candle lit, drink sipped, council meeting..... pages & pages of thought processes and inner monologues. It is very repetitive - beyond that necessary to join-up the three stories which were an omnibus here but originally three separate volumes.
However, that said, it was nice to revisit the world introduced in the "Heralds of Valdemar" trilogy and some of the characters introduced there. If you persevere, the tedium is occasionally broken by some exciting bursts of activity & intrigue, and the main characters do slowly grow on you, sinking into the mind so you can't help but read (and read and read) onward to see what happens.
The first "Heralds of Valdemar" trilogy was well done, a page-turner with action and suspense at every step, and the world-building unfolded effortlessly and naturally. This "Mage Storms" trilogy however was much more laboured and drawn out -- strikes me as one book's worth of material stretched out to meet a contract for a trilogy.
However, that said, it was nice to revisit the world introduced in the "Heralds of Valdemar" trilogy and some of the characters introduced there. If you persevere, the tedium is occasionally broken by some exciting bursts of activity & intrigue, and the main characters do slowly grow on you, sinking into the mind so you can't help but read (and read and read) onward to see what happens.
The first "Heralds of Valdemar" trilogy was well done, a page-turner with action and suspense at every step, and the world-building unfolded effortlessly and naturally. This "Mage Storms" trilogy however was much more laboured and drawn out -- strikes me as one book's worth of material stretched out to meet a contract for a trilogy.
October 15, 2012
A continuation of the story of Valdemar. I must admit that this is the 3rd or 4th time I have read them. The story is great and mostly fast moving. I get bogged down when she is focusing on the Empire, but that is just me. Have gotten my fiance to read her and he is on the trilogy before this one. Good books, good reads.
September 5, 2019
The omnibus in Mass Market Paperback form. If you have the money, splurge and get the hardcover.
April 15, 2023
Trilogy about the mage storms and their affect in the world of Valdemar.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews