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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?
384 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 15, 2021
403 people are currently reading
5321 people want to read
About the author
Mercedes Lackey
441 books9,502 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 - 30 of 591 reviews
August 5, 2022
Originally published at Reading Reality
Time 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 tall. 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!
Time 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 tall. 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!
June 23, 2021
I started reading Mercedes Lackey’s Valdemar books when I was a horse obsessed young teenager three decades ago. Thinking back on it, of course I started reading them because of the pretty white horses on the covers, but I kept reading them because I loved the very human stories of her characters, and they were definitely formative in my adult beliefs of right and wrong, who is ‘worthy’ of living a valuable and productive life, and all around generally how to behave like a decent human being.
I can’t say I’ve read EVERY Valdemar book in the decades since I first picked up Magic’s Pawn and was astounded to read an openly gay main character in print, but I’ve read the vast majority of them. And like every other fan of Valdemar, I’ve wondered about the founding and the mysterious, long-ago Baron Valdemar who fled a cruel empire with his people and founded a magical kingdom. Well, Lackey has finally decided it’s time to deliver Valdemar’s beginnings.
Kordas Valdemar is known for breeding superb horses and not much else. The book actually opens on quite a confronting scene of Kordas assisting a mare in labour with a breech foal… I can definitely see anyone squeamish noping out here, so maybe consider that before you start reading.
A lot of Lackey’s Valdemar books would probably fall into the Middle Grade or YA Fantasy designation, with young protagonists chosen as Heralds and growing into maturity during the course of the series. And while Delia, Kordas’ young sister-in-law, gets quite a lot of POV page time here, it’s Kordas who gets the most page time. His age isn’t specified precisely but simple math tells me he’s got to be about 30 if not a little more, and the book is correspondingly adult. There’s a moderately gruesome murder, people use swear words a lot, not to mention the explicitly described horse birth scene. This is adult fantasy, even though there’s no sex in it.
Maybe Lackey’s aware that most Valdemar lovers have been adult for years, I don’t know… but if her target audience is adults, the moralizing is on the clunky and unsubtle side. Valdemar has always been super liberal, and I don’t see any of the long term fans picking this up not knowing that. Seriously, did we really need a page and a half of Kordas giving a speech about why he thinks enslaving non-human sentient beings is bad - to one of said non-human sentients??? I’m really not sure new adult fans would be won over by this clunkiness… and I think teenagers would be rolling their eyes, if not already put off by the gory horse birth!
Kordas spends a lot of time struggling with the immutable truth that he can’t save everyone, much though he feels the urge to try. Lackey has always been heavy on the minute detail of what everyone is up to and their motivations but after the third iteration of ‘oh no, this other marginalized group are in trouble, I need to save them, how am I going to manage this’ I started to feel like I wanted some actual action and the plot to move on a bit. It does feel like there’s a bit too much filler here, in parts.
I’ll pick up the rest of what I assume is going to be a trilogy because I’m a long-time fan and I want to know what happens. I don’t think I’d recommend this to readers who aren’t familiar with the world of Valdemar, however. It’s not Lackey’s best work. (I’d say start with the Arrows trilogy, if anyone was wondering). I’ll give it three stars.
Disclaimer: I received a review copy of this title via NetGalley.
I can’t say I’ve read EVERY Valdemar book in the decades since I first picked up Magic’s Pawn and was astounded to read an openly gay main character in print, but I’ve read the vast majority of them. And like every other fan of Valdemar, I’ve wondered about the founding and the mysterious, long-ago Baron Valdemar who fled a cruel empire with his people and founded a magical kingdom. Well, Lackey has finally decided it’s time to deliver Valdemar’s beginnings.
Kordas Valdemar is known for breeding superb horses and not much else. The book actually opens on quite a confronting scene of Kordas assisting a mare in labour with a breech foal… I can definitely see anyone squeamish noping out here, so maybe consider that before you start reading.
A lot of Lackey’s Valdemar books would probably fall into the Middle Grade or YA Fantasy designation, with young protagonists chosen as Heralds and growing into maturity during the course of the series. And while Delia, Kordas’ young sister-in-law, gets quite a lot of POV page time here, it’s Kordas who gets the most page time. His age isn’t specified precisely but simple math tells me he’s got to be about 30 if not a little more, and the book is correspondingly adult. There’s a moderately gruesome murder, people use swear words a lot, not to mention the explicitly described horse birth scene. This is adult fantasy, even though there’s no sex in it.
Maybe Lackey’s aware that most Valdemar lovers have been adult for years, I don’t know… but if her target audience is adults, the moralizing is on the clunky and unsubtle side. Valdemar has always been super liberal, and I don’t see any of the long term fans picking this up not knowing that. Seriously, did we really need a page and a half of Kordas giving a speech about why he thinks enslaving non-human sentient beings is bad - to one of said non-human sentients??? I’m really not sure new adult fans would be won over by this clunkiness… and I think teenagers would be rolling their eyes, if not already put off by the gory horse birth!
Kordas spends a lot of time struggling with the immutable truth that he can’t save everyone, much though he feels the urge to try. Lackey has always been heavy on the minute detail of what everyone is up to and their motivations but after the third iteration of ‘oh no, this other marginalized group are in trouble, I need to save them, how am I going to manage this’ I started to feel like I wanted some actual action and the plot to move on a bit. It does feel like there’s a bit too much filler here, in parts.
I’ll pick up the rest of what I assume is going to be a trilogy because I’m a long-time fan and I want to know what happens. I don’t think I’d recommend this to readers who aren’t familiar with the world of Valdemar, however. It’s not Lackey’s best work. (I’d say start with the Arrows trilogy, if anyone was wondering). I’ll give it three stars.
Disclaimer: I received a review copy of this title via NetGalley.
August 27, 2025
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!
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!
December 24, 2021
4 stars
You can read all of my reviews at Nerd Girl Loves Books.
This is a great fantasy book that has magic, court intrigue, and a quest to escape a cruel Emperors.
Duke Kordas rules a tiny Duchy best known for horse breeding. Thought to be a "country bumpkin" at Court, Kordas' feigned persona hides a cunning intellect and a quest dating back generations to break free from the suffocating empire and its litany of cruel Emperors. While most mages are forced to serve the Empire, Kordas' family has been secreting away mages in their land for generations. Their intention is to build a gateway far enough away from the Empire to move their entire Duchy before the Empire notices they're gone.
When the mages finally make a breakthrough and the plan is set into motion, Kordas is called to Court and must act as a decoy while the rest of his Counselors and Duchy get to work. But Kordas didn't count on finding others at Court that may also be in need of rescue.
I really enjoyed this book. For a fantasy book, the characters are surprisingly optimistic and most of their plans go according to plan. Sometimes the plans go too good, which is hard not to roll your eyes at. The main character Kordas is someone that can't sit still when he sees injustice, which only serves to complicate his life. He meets someone at Court that I really enjoyed reading about - I don't want to say more to avoid spoilers.
There is some mysterious "thing" about Kordas that is constantly eluded to in the book, but is never really explained. That is frustrating. There are only a few main characters in the book, and they are fairly well defined. Most of the side characters aren't well-developed, but they add texture to the story.
This isn't a typical dark and broody fantasy book. It's more fluffy and feel-good - which is weird to say about a fantasy. Nonetheless, I enjoyed the read, and although I thought it was a stand alone book because the ending is pretty satisfying, from the title and the few loose ends left dangling, I can see how this could be made into a series.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley and DAW. All opinions are my own.
You can read all of my reviews at Nerd Girl Loves Books.
This is a great fantasy book that has magic, court intrigue, and a quest to escape a cruel Emperors.
Duke Kordas rules a tiny Duchy best known for horse breeding. Thought to be a "country bumpkin" at Court, Kordas' feigned persona hides a cunning intellect and a quest dating back generations to break free from the suffocating empire and its litany of cruel Emperors. While most mages are forced to serve the Empire, Kordas' family has been secreting away mages in their land for generations. Their intention is to build a gateway far enough away from the Empire to move their entire Duchy before the Empire notices they're gone.
When the mages finally make a breakthrough and the plan is set into motion, Kordas is called to Court and must act as a decoy while the rest of his Counselors and Duchy get to work. But Kordas didn't count on finding others at Court that may also be in need of rescue.
I really enjoyed this book. For a fantasy book, the characters are surprisingly optimistic and most of their plans go according to plan. Sometimes the plans go too good, which is hard not to roll your eyes at. The main character Kordas is someone that can't sit still when he sees injustice, which only serves to complicate his life. He meets someone at Court that I really enjoyed reading about - I don't want to say more to avoid spoilers.
There is some mysterious "thing" about Kordas that is constantly eluded to in the book, but is never really explained. That is frustrating. There are only a few main characters in the book, and they are fairly well defined. Most of the side characters aren't well-developed, but they add texture to the story.
This isn't a typical dark and broody fantasy book. It's more fluffy and feel-good - which is weird to say about a fantasy. Nonetheless, I enjoyed the read, and although I thought it was a stand alone book because the ending is pretty satisfying, from the title and the few loose ends left dangling, I can see how this could be made into a series.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley and DAW. All opinions are my own.
October 30, 2024
Finally, Valdemar’s origin story!
I have been a huge fan of Mercedes Lackey’s Valdemar books since the first trilogy came out in 1988-89. And I have been waiting for the story of Valdemar’s founding for nearly as long. So I was over the moon when I found out that she was finally writing Valdemar’s origin story as a trilogy. I went into Beyond with very high expectations.
It didn’t entirely live up to those expectations—it’s not quite as gripping or well-paced as the best of her earlier books—but it satisfied many of them, and left me eager for the rest of the story.
In Beyond, we get to know Kordas, Duke of Valdemar (not Baron, a discrepancy which is explained later in the book): a conscientious, intelligent, compassionate leader of a backwater dukedom, who is both idealistic and pragmatic. We get an in-depth look at the Empire about 1000 years after the Cataclysm: both its politics and the ways it relies on magic. We find out why Kordas plans to take his people into a (not entirely) untamed wilderness. And we get rather more than some readers will want about the logistics involved in planning and executing that escape. (Personally, I found those sections interesting; I always like to know how things work.)
Beyond offers intrigue, danger, and suspense, but also plenty of moments of humor, friendship, and compassion. Kordas is the main POV character, but there are also a number of scenes from his young sister-in-law Delia’s perspective. (Both are presented in third-person limited.) Other important secondary characters are Kordas’s wife, Isla; his seneschal, Hakkon; and his herald, Beltran; fans of the series will recognize Beltran’s name from the origin story as related to Talia in Arrows of the Queen. There are other Easter eggs for fans, but some involve spoilers, so I’ll let you discover them on your own.
There is a lot going on in this book, and some of it was completely unexpected—which is both good from the perspective of telling an entertaining story, and logical from a “historical” point of view. The origin story as we know it from several of the earlier books had undoubtedly changed and been simplified as it morphed from history into legend, so it’s not surprising that not all the details match up, and much occurs in the “true” tale that is not remembered in those origin myths. In Arrows of the Queen, Davan says “There was a whole lot about all the hardships they went through, and I can’t remember that part too good,” which gives Ms. Lackey plenty of scope for expanding the story… and there was already enough in the two-or-three-page tale Davan relates to expand into a whole trilogy.
One of Ms. Lackey’s strong points as a writer, besides her ability to tell a compelling story, is her skill at portraying everyday life as well as the big, important events. Some readers may find this an annoyance and a distraction from the action of the story, but for me, it makes it easier to immerse myself in the world of the story, to feel and hear and see and even smell the details of the world in which the characters (and I with them) live and move. In Beyond, many of these details are centered around just how you prepare to move thousands of people into the wilderness and keep them safe when you get them there—those “logistics” I alluded to earlier. If Duke Kordas is “idealistic and pragmatic,” this novel is imaginative and pragmatic: Lackey imagines a great migration, then works out and explains exactly how such a thing could be accomplished. For some, this may come across as “padding;” for me, those details make the entire premise of the novel more real and believable.
That said, there are a few things that could have done with a bit more explication, particularly the guns. Fans have been speculating about those ever since the cover reveal, because there are no post-Cataclysm projectile weapons in any of the novels, other than bows; there are no cannon in the canon. (Sorry; I couldn’t resist!) Something like pistols and rifles or mortars do exist in the Empire, but the explanation of how they work is a bit vague, and one can only extrapolate the reason why they no longer exist. As for why no one, in all the long history since, has reinvented something similar… that point is completely ignored, at least so far.
Ms. Lackey is not given to cliffhanger endings, so although the trilogy still has two books to go, Beyond does end at a relatively satisfying point in the story arc. Nonetheless, I’m going to be waiting impatiently for the second and third books! If you’re already a fan of the series, I think you’re going to really enjoy it… and the potential is there to love it as the trilogy goes on.
If you aren’t already familiar with Valdemar, though, I don’t recommend Beyond as a starting place. While the story and characters are interesting for their own sake, a lot of the fun for me was in spotting the links and resonances with the later Valdemar and Empire I know from all the previous books. To get the most out of Beyond, at a minimum you should be familiar with the Arrows trilogy, the Mage Winds trilogy, the Mage Storms trilogy (which is where you’ll learn about the Empire), and The Black Gryphon. You might also want to read By the Sword between the Arrows and Mage Winds trilogies, since its latter third sets up the situation in the Mage Winds trilogy. Luckily, you’ve got two years to catch up on the overall Valdemar series before this trilogy is complete. And, wow, have you got a treat in store!
Review originally published on my blog, The Bookwyrm's Hoard.
FTC disclosure: I received a review copy from the publisher. All opinions are entirely my own.
I have been a huge fan of Mercedes Lackey’s Valdemar books since the first trilogy came out in 1988-89. And I have been waiting for the story of Valdemar’s founding for nearly as long. So I was over the moon when I found out that she was finally writing Valdemar’s origin story as a trilogy. I went into Beyond with very high expectations.
It didn’t entirely live up to those expectations—it’s not quite as gripping or well-paced as the best of her earlier books—but it satisfied many of them, and left me eager for the rest of the story.
In Beyond, we get to know Kordas, Duke of Valdemar (not Baron, a discrepancy which is explained later in the book): a conscientious, intelligent, compassionate leader of a backwater dukedom, who is both idealistic and pragmatic. We get an in-depth look at the Empire about 1000 years after the Cataclysm: both its politics and the ways it relies on magic. We find out why Kordas plans to take his people into a (not entirely) untamed wilderness. And we get rather more than some readers will want about the logistics involved in planning and executing that escape. (Personally, I found those sections interesting; I always like to know how things work.)
Beyond offers intrigue, danger, and suspense, but also plenty of moments of humor, friendship, and compassion. Kordas is the main POV character, but there are also a number of scenes from his young sister-in-law Delia’s perspective. (Both are presented in third-person limited.) Other important secondary characters are Kordas’s wife, Isla; his seneschal, Hakkon; and his herald, Beltran; fans of the series will recognize Beltran’s name from the origin story as related to Talia in Arrows of the Queen. There are other Easter eggs for fans, but some involve spoilers, so I’ll let you discover them on your own.
There is a lot going on in this book, and some of it was completely unexpected—which is both good from the perspective of telling an entertaining story, and logical from a “historical” point of view. The origin story as we know it from several of the earlier books had undoubtedly changed and been simplified as it morphed from history into legend, so it’s not surprising that not all the details match up, and much occurs in the “true” tale that is not remembered in those origin myths. In Arrows of the Queen, Davan says “There was a whole lot about all the hardships they went through, and I can’t remember that part too good,” which gives Ms. Lackey plenty of scope for expanding the story… and there was already enough in the two-or-three-page tale Davan relates to expand into a whole trilogy.
One of Ms. Lackey’s strong points as a writer, besides her ability to tell a compelling story, is her skill at portraying everyday life as well as the big, important events. Some readers may find this an annoyance and a distraction from the action of the story, but for me, it makes it easier to immerse myself in the world of the story, to feel and hear and see and even smell the details of the world in which the characters (and I with them) live and move. In Beyond, many of these details are centered around just how you prepare to move thousands of people into the wilderness and keep them safe when you get them there—those “logistics” I alluded to earlier. If Duke Kordas is “idealistic and pragmatic,” this novel is imaginative and pragmatic: Lackey imagines a great migration, then works out and explains exactly how such a thing could be accomplished. For some, this may come across as “padding;” for me, those details make the entire premise of the novel more real and believable.
That said, there are a few things that could have done with a bit more explication, particularly the guns. Fans have been speculating about those ever since the cover reveal, because there are no post-Cataclysm projectile weapons in any of the novels, other than bows; there are no cannon in the canon. (Sorry; I couldn’t resist!) Something like pistols and rifles or mortars do exist in the Empire, but the explanation of how they work is a bit vague, and one can only extrapolate the reason why they no longer exist. As for why no one, in all the long history since, has reinvented something similar… that point is completely ignored, at least so far.
Ms. Lackey is not given to cliffhanger endings, so although the trilogy still has two books to go, Beyond does end at a relatively satisfying point in the story arc. Nonetheless, I’m going to be waiting impatiently for the second and third books! If you’re already a fan of the series, I think you’re going to really enjoy it… and the potential is there to love it as the trilogy goes on.
If you aren’t already familiar with Valdemar, though, I don’t recommend Beyond as a starting place. While the story and characters are interesting for their own sake, a lot of the fun for me was in spotting the links and resonances with the later Valdemar and Empire I know from all the previous books. To get the most out of Beyond, at a minimum you should be familiar with the Arrows trilogy, the Mage Winds trilogy, the Mage Storms trilogy (which is where you’ll learn about the Empire), and The Black Gryphon. You might also want to read By the Sword between the Arrows and Mage Winds trilogies, since its latter third sets up the situation in the Mage Winds trilogy. Luckily, you’ve got two years to catch up on the overall Valdemar series before this trilogy is complete. And, wow, have you got a treat in store!
Review originally published on my blog, The Bookwyrm's Hoard.
FTC disclosure: I received a review copy from the publisher. All opinions are entirely my own.
August 8, 2021
Reading Beyond reminds me of reading Pern books written by Anne McCaffrey's son. Regardless of the merits of the stories being told, he didn't accurately replicate Pern, his style was different than his mom's, and that "essential Pern" feel was not there. Beyond gives readers a pre-Valdemar story that is missing "essential Valdemar." The dialog of a group of mages (who could have been transported from Discworld's Unseen University) is often present-day, which is fine if you're Ponder Stibbons in Discworld, but it draws attention to itself and breaks the spell of a "Valdemar" story.
There are no Companions, and there's no sparkly love anywhere. In fact, it's anti-love: while the eponymous Duke Valdemar is a steadfast husband, he is not "in love" with his wife. Much is made of this fact, but nothing comes of it. He brings in a younger man to help with "The Plan" (to escape a tyrant), in part because maybe his wife's much younger sister will be interested in him, but absolutely nothing comes of that. The younger sister (Delia) is involved in the birthing of a special filly, and much is made of that connection - but nothing comes of that. (It is the opening scene of the book, fer cryin' out loud.) That's a big let down if you're expecting the "special horses" to set the stage somehow for Companions. They do not - but the set-up is huge. And on it goes. Lots of set up and no follow up. It is possible that these seeds may take root in the next two books.
Honestly, this story is flat. The pages are filled with internal thought and planning, lots of diversions into details about things that are inconsequential, and very little action until the very end, some of which is extremely shocking and not believable for the characters she has shown us. In general, though, there is a lot of writing and not a lot of tension. Every obstacle is quickly dealt with. It feels very safe. Even the threat of someone discovering all the preparations for the mass evacuation is not played out. This book could have been whittled down to a novella and have lost nothing in terms of story.
Some readers insist this is an adult fantasy, not YA. I agree that it is not YA. It is written in a way that would appeal to middle grades. True to ML stories in the last decade or more, it gets teachy about how things are done and preachy about how people should be. At points it's sort of adult and then it's back to middle grade simplicity and silliness. I think that would be fine in the POV of a 13-year-old, but it's not fine in the POV of a seasoned adult (which it most often is.) I slogged through this because of the author and the topic, but if it were an author or story I were not so invested in, I probably would have stopped reading by page 50. As it was, I skimmed through a lot of the second half.
All in all, it is not what I expected of Mercedes Lackey, who has given me some of my very favorite books and characters in fiction.
There are no Companions, and there's no sparkly love anywhere. In fact, it's anti-love: while the eponymous Duke Valdemar is a steadfast husband, he is not "in love" with his wife. Much is made of this fact, but nothing comes of it. He brings in a younger man to help with "The Plan" (to escape a tyrant), in part because maybe his wife's much younger sister will be interested in him, but absolutely nothing comes of that. The younger sister (Delia) is involved in the birthing of a special filly, and much is made of that connection - but nothing comes of that. (It is the opening scene of the book, fer cryin' out loud.) That's a big let down if you're expecting the "special horses" to set the stage somehow for Companions. They do not - but the set-up is huge. And on it goes. Lots of set up and no follow up. It is possible that these seeds may take root in the next two books.
Honestly, this story is flat. The pages are filled with internal thought and planning, lots of diversions into details about things that are inconsequential, and very little action until the very end, some of which is extremely shocking and not believable for the characters she has shown us. In general, though, there is a lot of writing and not a lot of tension. Every obstacle is quickly dealt with. It feels very safe. Even the threat of someone discovering all the preparations for the mass evacuation is not played out. This book could have been whittled down to a novella and have lost nothing in terms of story.
Some readers insist this is an adult fantasy, not YA. I agree that it is not YA. It is written in a way that would appeal to middle grades. True to ML stories in the last decade or more, it gets teachy about how things are done and preachy about how people should be. At points it's sort of adult and then it's back to middle grade simplicity and silliness. I think that would be fine in the POV of a 13-year-old, but it's not fine in the POV of a seasoned adult (which it most often is.) I slogged through this because of the author and the topic, but if it were an author or story I were not so invested in, I probably would have stopped reading by page 50. As it was, I skimmed through a lot of the second half.
All in all, it is not what I expected of Mercedes Lackey, who has given me some of my very favorite books and characters in fiction.
July 15, 2021
Valdemar’s founding has been something of a mythical thing ever since it was first mentioned in the very first Heralds of Valdemar novel, Arrow’s of the Queen. A Baron from a brutal imperial regime in the east sought to free his people from tyranny, and so took them on a long journey far away, beyond the reach of the Empire, where they settled in what eventually became the Kingdom of Valdemar. One of those situations where one man who cared people but was powerful to change an abusive system, so he left the system and created a new one. A different kind of heroism than the kind you see in fantasy stories where one man takes down an entire corrupt regime, but heroism none the less.
In Beyond, we start on Baron Valdemar’s journey to freedom, shedding light on the myth and making it real and relatable, at least within the confines of the world’s lore.
Now, I’ll grant you, this wasn’t quite the story I was expecting. It’s not that the description of Baron Valdemar’s journey away from the Empire was different than how it was briefly described in a few other novels and short stories, but as is often the case with more recent Valdemar novels, it’s all the stuff in between the story’s bones that make me raise an eyebrow in confusion. It seems lately like Lackey wants to tie everything together in neat packages, to have everything connect to everything else, to the point of creating weirdly complicated setups to explain things that didn’t really need an explanation in the first place.
Case in point, the vrondi. Now, vrondi are little air spirits that were largely introduced in the Last Herald-Mage novels and are a key reason why mages were driven insane if they tried to do magic in Valdemar for so long. They were sort of roped into a plan to have them keep an eye on any mages who weren’t also Herald-Mages, watching them until a Herald-Mage could come check them out. Then the Herald-Mages died off, and for a long time mages in Valdemar were just constantly watched by a growing number of invisible presences. Vrondi are also the reason why Heralds can do what they call Truth Spell, which can detect lies or even force someone to be honest. Okay. All makes sense. Nothing contradictory here.
Except that in Beyond, it’s established that vrondi weren’t just “we exist all over the world” natural spiritual creatures; they came with Baron Valdemar to these new unexplored lands after he freed them from a convoluted Imperial scheme that bound them to living dolls and forced them to become slaves. And while I can understand that they felt indebted to Valdemar for his actions in freeing them, it seems rather cruel to have bound them to the spell that made them watch for mages in the first place. They gave permission then, yes, but it begs the question of whether feeling indebted to someone’s legacy, hundreds of years later, would actually make them so willing to bind themselves to that task. It created a weird moral quandary when reading Beyond, and when this book’s story is added to the whole of Valdemar’s lore, it contained aspects that made me quite uncomfortable.
Which would have been find if it was something designed to make the reader uncomfortable, something done to provoke thought and consideration. Instead it felt more like Lackey didn’t think that journeying into unknown lands and trying to keep people safe from dangers on all sides would be an interesting enough story, and so tried to shoehorn in something for long-time readers to recognize, even when it didn’t need to be there and made later books on the timeline make less sense.
It wasn’t that Beyond was a bad book. It was pretty on par with a lot of Lackey’s recent work. But for me, the series peaked a while ago, I think, and each new foray back into the world leaves me increasingly disappointed. From stories complicated in ways that they don’t need to be, to her new strange habit of trying to make modern references that don’t really make any sense (this time it was characters calling a dog a “doggo” and a “pupper,” and yes, they were mages so old it could be argued this was just slang from another era, but really, it’s just a nod to modern real-world slang… which I guess is still better than commentary on the Quiverfull movement or the Scooby-Doo references…) The characters were interesting, the tyrannical debauchery of the Empire was honestly a fascinating setting, and I was interested in seeing how things would play out, but it didn’t hold my interest the way earlier books in the series have done in the past.
And yet, every time I say that I’m done with the series, a new book comes out and I’m dragged back in, out of sheer curiosity if nothing else.
If you’re of like mind to me, thinking that the Valdemar series peaked before the books with Mags started, then this is one I can safely say is easy to pass over without missing much. If you’re a fan of Lackey’s more recent entries into Valdemar, then this one will still be right up your alley, since it’s very much indicative of her modern writing. I can’t say it’s one I’d recommend, per se, but as I said, it isn’t bad, and I can still see it appealing to a certain subset of fans.
In Beyond, we start on Baron Valdemar’s journey to freedom, shedding light on the myth and making it real and relatable, at least within the confines of the world’s lore.
Now, I’ll grant you, this wasn’t quite the story I was expecting. It’s not that the description of Baron Valdemar’s journey away from the Empire was different than how it was briefly described in a few other novels and short stories, but as is often the case with more recent Valdemar novels, it’s all the stuff in between the story’s bones that make me raise an eyebrow in confusion. It seems lately like Lackey wants to tie everything together in neat packages, to have everything connect to everything else, to the point of creating weirdly complicated setups to explain things that didn’t really need an explanation in the first place.
Case in point, the vrondi. Now, vrondi are little air spirits that were largely introduced in the Last Herald-Mage novels and are a key reason why mages were driven insane if they tried to do magic in Valdemar for so long. They were sort of roped into a plan to have them keep an eye on any mages who weren’t also Herald-Mages, watching them until a Herald-Mage could come check them out. Then the Herald-Mages died off, and for a long time mages in Valdemar were just constantly watched by a growing number of invisible presences. Vrondi are also the reason why Heralds can do what they call Truth Spell, which can detect lies or even force someone to be honest. Okay. All makes sense. Nothing contradictory here.
Except that in Beyond, it’s established that vrondi weren’t just “we exist all over the world” natural spiritual creatures; they came with Baron Valdemar to these new unexplored lands after he freed them from a convoluted Imperial scheme that bound them to living dolls and forced them to become slaves. And while I can understand that they felt indebted to Valdemar for his actions in freeing them, it seems rather cruel to have bound them to the spell that made them watch for mages in the first place. They gave permission then, yes, but it begs the question of whether feeling indebted to someone’s legacy, hundreds of years later, would actually make them so willing to bind themselves to that task. It created a weird moral quandary when reading Beyond, and when this book’s story is added to the whole of Valdemar’s lore, it contained aspects that made me quite uncomfortable.
Which would have been find if it was something designed to make the reader uncomfortable, something done to provoke thought and consideration. Instead it felt more like Lackey didn’t think that journeying into unknown lands and trying to keep people safe from dangers on all sides would be an interesting enough story, and so tried to shoehorn in something for long-time readers to recognize, even when it didn’t need to be there and made later books on the timeline make less sense.
It wasn’t that Beyond was a bad book. It was pretty on par with a lot of Lackey’s recent work. But for me, the series peaked a while ago, I think, and each new foray back into the world leaves me increasingly disappointed. From stories complicated in ways that they don’t need to be, to her new strange habit of trying to make modern references that don’t really make any sense (this time it was characters calling a dog a “doggo” and a “pupper,” and yes, they were mages so old it could be argued this was just slang from another era, but really, it’s just a nod to modern real-world slang… which I guess is still better than commentary on the Quiverfull movement or the Scooby-Doo references…) The characters were interesting, the tyrannical debauchery of the Empire was honestly a fascinating setting, and I was interested in seeing how things would play out, but it didn’t hold my interest the way earlier books in the series have done in the past.
And yet, every time I say that I’m done with the series, a new book comes out and I’m dragged back in, out of sheer curiosity if nothing else.
If you’re of like mind to me, thinking that the Valdemar series peaked before the books with Mags started, then this is one I can safely say is easy to pass over without missing much. If you’re a fan of Lackey’s more recent entries into Valdemar, then this one will still be right up your alley, since it’s very much indicative of her modern writing. I can’t say it’s one I’d recommend, per se, but as I said, it isn’t bad, and I can still see it appealing to a certain subset of fans.
April 11, 2021
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.
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.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 10, 2021
Possibly the worst book Mercedes has ever written. I was so excited for it based on some reviews I saw on here, reviews that said this was better than the recent Collegium Chronicles series. Imagine my disappointment when the entire book was very bad, clunky exposition with characters that had no growth or development. There was no plot here. Nothing happened. Everything went perfectly for the main character. Every piece fell into place. No one went through any hardship or learned any important lesson. Everyone had long conversations about things they should already have known. Entire passages were devoted to things the reader couldn't possibly be interested in or need to know (the layout of every room, how every item was made, how people got dressed, etc).
Mercedes spent the entire book explaining things through really bad dialogue. It was painful to listen to. And for all of that, I didn't even get any of the things I was looking forward to (you know what I'm referring to). Just the biggest disappointment in the world. Where is her editor???
Mercedes spent the entire book explaining things through really bad dialogue. It was painful to listen to. And for all of that, I didn't even get any of the things I was looking forward to (you know what I'm referring to). Just the biggest disappointment in the world. Where is her editor???
June 16, 2021
Oh, how I have waited for this book. First, I waited for Mercedes Lackey to even decide to write it. This started over 30 years ago when I first read Arrows of the Queen. I wanted to know more about how Baron Valdemar escaped the horrible Empire, along with all those under him. It sounded like a story I wanted to read. Thank heavens, Mercedes finally did it! And it was all I would have hoped for. In the past years, the new Valdemar books she released, while entertaining, did not give me the same feelings like her earlier books. I still read them, and enjoyed them. But this one is reminiscent of her earlier works. And it felt like going home. Answers to questions were provided (although, there are now more questions to take their place!). New characters have arrived. And I am already wondering when the next will be out.
August 19, 2021
Great to see behind Valdemar. Fascinating concepts. Was amused to see the phrase, “Easy peasy nice and breezy, “ used 🤣 by one of the very eccentric mages. You catch glimpses of what might become. Loved that!
Like others I’ve been reading Lackey’s Valdemar series since they first burst into the Fantasy realm. Valdemar and it’s inhabitants are old friendS. Some inhabitants are closer to me than others.
I always enjoy seeing what new surprises are around the corner in this surprising world.
Like others I’ve been reading Lackey’s Valdemar series since they first burst into the Fantasy realm. Valdemar and it’s inhabitants are old friendS. Some inhabitants are closer to me than others.
I always enjoy seeing what new surprises are around the corner in this surprising world.
June 14, 2021
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
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
June 8, 2021
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?”.
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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.
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?”.
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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.
June 20, 2021
"Beyond" is a fantasy novel. I've been reading the Valdemar novels since I was a teenager, and I felt like this was targeted at longtime fans (now adults) rather than teenagers. This also didn't follow the typical novel format and seemed more of a detailed explanation of how to escape an evil empire--which will interest longtime fans, but maybe is not the best story for people start off with.
Every time something seemed to go wrong, that just turned into an opportunity to more effectively escape rather than actually set back or threaten their escape plans. Add to that all of the details of how they made the Gate, the types of things they took, how they were going to survive on the other side in the wilderness, etc., and it wasn't very suspenseful until the very end. I was also disappointed that the author changed the air elementals. The "truth" is now simply a deeply held personal belief rather than a fact. In past books, they were used to determine if someone was telling the truth in a criminal case. Under the current definition, though, someone could deeply believe that putting poison in someone's food was not murder because the victim wasn't forced to eat that food. They could "truthfully" answer that they did not poison or murder someone as that person killed themselves. Anyway.
The world building was obviously very in-depth. The characters were engaging, and Kordas was determined to save as many people as possible even if it meant sacrificing himself. Happily, he was also willing to listen to advice and so came up with better plans than his own. Frankly, I found the enslaved air elementals to be the most interesting characters even though I also felt that this story was not consistent with what was previously told about them. There was no sex. There was a fair amount of bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this novel to long time fans of the series.
I received an ebook review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.
Every time something seemed to go wrong, that just turned into an opportunity to more effectively escape rather than actually set back or threaten their escape plans. Add to that all of the details of how they made the Gate, the types of things they took, how they were going to survive on the other side in the wilderness, etc., and it wasn't very suspenseful until the very end. I was also disappointed that the author changed the air elementals. The "truth" is now simply a deeply held personal belief rather than a fact. In past books, they were used to determine if someone was telling the truth in a criminal case. Under the current definition, though, someone could deeply believe that putting poison in someone's food was not murder because the victim wasn't forced to eat that food. They could "truthfully" answer that they did not poison or murder someone as that person killed themselves. Anyway.
The world building was obviously very in-depth. The characters were engaging, and Kordas was determined to save as many people as possible even if it meant sacrificing himself. Happily, he was also willing to listen to advice and so came up with better plans than his own. Frankly, I found the enslaved air elementals to be the most interesting characters even though I also felt that this story was not consistent with what was previously told about them. There was no sex. There was a fair amount of bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this novel to long time fans of the series.
I received an ebook review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.
June 20, 2021
A return to form for the Valdemar books! While I really enjoyed the earlier Valdemar works, I've been underwhelmed by the last three series featuring Mags and his family. Beyond seems more like those earlier works, with more sweeping characters and outcomes. I quite liked Kordas as the main character- he reminds me a touch of Alberich and Vanyel, which is all to the good, and I can see how he'll make an excellent first ruler for Valdemar.
Things I wasn't so fond of- I would have liked to see more of Delia. She's set up as the second narrating character but we spend significantly less of the book with her than we do with Kordas and I would have liked to see more development and impact happening on her end of things. I also felt a little like the final act was a bit rushed; the end of the 'the plan' felt very chaotic and I wasn't quite sure what was actually planned a number of times. I also, to be honest, would have liked to see us lose a character. Some of the better Valdemar books make it clear early on that you are going to see people you like not make it (spoilers: Urtho, Ylsa, Ulrich, Tylendel) and I think that sets the tone early for it to be a more serious series. I think that was something missing in the series with Mags, and the stakes here were high enough that I would have liked to see some actual consequences for the characters.
Things I wasn't so fond of- I would have liked to see more of Delia. She's set up as the second narrating character but we spend significantly less of the book with her than we do with Kordas and I would have liked to see more development and impact happening on her end of things. I also felt a little like the final act was a bit rushed; the end of the 'the plan' felt very chaotic and I wasn't quite sure what was actually planned a number of times. I also, to be honest, would have liked to see us lose a character. Some of the better Valdemar books make it clear early on that you are going to see people you like not make it (spoilers: Urtho, Ylsa, Ulrich, Tylendel) and I think that sets the tone early for it to be a more serious series. I think that was something missing in the series with Mags, and the stakes here were high enough that I would have liked to see some actual consequences for the characters.
March 11, 2024
Mercedes Lackey has a way of making even mundane stuff interesting and fun to read.
The book starts off strongly with Kordas and Delia, and its slow exploration of The Plan™️ to escape a brutal emperor's clutches, but it sometimes meanders on the details which was enjoyable in its own right. I especially enjoyed the council of six.
The book starts off strongly with Kordas and Delia, and its slow exploration of The Plan™️ to escape a brutal emperor's clutches, but it sometimes meanders on the details which was enjoyable in its own right. I especially enjoyed the council of six.
November 20, 2023
Liking the first book of this series.
June 3, 2021
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
October 29, 2024
Despite reading the genre almost exclusively, I now feel like I can finally call myself a fantasy fan having read a Mercedes Lackey novel. And, of course, it was fantastic. It's that wonderful high fantasy that's transportive. It had this immersive and relaxing cadence with a strong character driven narrative and big focus on world building. I understand I'm reading a prequel to the Valdemar books I've never read (of which there are dozens I think, wow) so now of course I'm curious about the rest of them.
I liked both prominent perspectives, and I enjoyed how all the characters interacted. The evil Emperor was disconcertingly familiar to modern day politicians.
Kordas' approach to the problem was so thorough and kind of satisfying to see unfold. Watching him unable to resist helping every person who needed help regardless of how it destroyed his plans was endearing. His strategy of being perpetually unassuming was also very effective.
Delia definitely grew over the course of this book, and I appreciated that she was a bit resistant to leave her old life behind. That felt realistic, but I was proud of how she stretched herself. She didn't come across as whiney, just unsure and aware of how many things would change.
The LGBTQ+ rep and general good vibes were entirely unexpected and a wonderful surprise.
I listened to this on audiobook and the voice was so soothing and expressive and I'd definitely recommend it.
The dedication, I have to add, was beautiful; both the tribute to those affected by Covid and the theoretical damning to the soulless who took advantage of their power to exploit instead of aid. It put in perspective some elements of this book.
I'm so sad the sequel isn't out until later this year, but I'll be putting a hold on it as soon as my library lets me.
I liked both prominent perspectives, and I enjoyed how all the characters interacted. The evil Emperor was disconcertingly familiar to modern day politicians.
Kordas' approach to the problem was so thorough and kind of satisfying to see unfold. Watching him unable to resist helping every person who needed help regardless of how it destroyed his plans was endearing. His strategy of being perpetually unassuming was also very effective.
Delia definitely grew over the course of this book, and I appreciated that she was a bit resistant to leave her old life behind. That felt realistic, but I was proud of how she stretched herself. She didn't come across as whiney, just unsure and aware of how many things would change.
The LGBTQ+ rep and general good vibes were entirely unexpected and a wonderful surprise.
I listened to this on audiobook and the voice was so soothing and expressive and I'd definitely recommend it.
The dedication, I have to add, was beautiful; both the tribute to those affected by Covid and the theoretical damning to the soulless who took advantage of their power to exploit instead of aid. It put in perspective some elements of this book.
I'm so sad the sequel isn't out until later this year, but I'll be putting a hold on it as soon as my library lets me.
June 22, 2021
I'm not as willing as others are to say that Lackey has "returned to form" with this book after the tragedy of the eleven(!) books featuring Mags and his family, but I was mostly very pleased with this book. In a lot of ways, this felt like a book-length version of (spoilers for Storm Rising): (seriously Kevin, don't click that), so that will be fun for long-time readers of Valdemar. We definitely get a feel for Kordas and his character, and it's just so much fun to see the seeds of Valdemar-as-we-know-it. Also, in case it has to be mentioned, there are no Companions in this book; this is just the famous "escape from the Empire" book. The settlement of Haven will likely come in the next book or two (and honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if the Founding of Valdemar trilogy ends with the creation/summoning of the Companions).
That said, the resolution/ending of this volume felt a bit abrupt and confusing to me, especially since--as always--Lackey either doesn't remember or prefers to ignore the continuity with earlier books. This is definitely the case here where the end of this book doesn't match what we've been told (or have been revealed in the Mage Storms trilogy). You can make the argument that the passage of time in-universe has made the history murky, but that'd be weird for Lackey to start caring about that now. Not that any of the above paragraph is going to make me stop reading the rest of this trilogy, of course.
That said, the resolution/ending of this volume felt a bit abrupt and confusing to me, especially since--as always--Lackey either doesn't remember or prefers to ignore the continuity with earlier books. This is definitely the case here where the end of this book doesn't match what we've been told (or have been revealed in the Mage Storms trilogy). You can make the argument that the passage of time in-universe has made the history murky, but that'd be weird for Lackey to start caring about that now. Not that any of the above paragraph is going to make me stop reading the rest of this trilogy, of course.
June 22, 2021
OH THIS WAS VERY GOOD!!!
Perhaps I just haven’t had a new Valdemar book in a very long time, but this felt fresh and raw and new in a completely delightful way. I absolutely adored the consistency of the world building which Lackey has always been brilliant at but must have been a challenge in this precursor novel. We are a bit light on some of the characters (I don’t feel like I really get Isla) but others are drawn in beautiful detail. I think Lackey’s strength (well, one of them) is something of a gift for characters that want to do better. It doesn’t feel preachy, it doesn’t feel overly optimistic, it just feels real and nice and warm. This book was like a balm, reminding me so strongly of what I want to be in this world and keeping me thoroughly entertained the entire time. God I wish I had a pile of new Mercedes Lackey books to read, she is just a master of fantasy fiction.
Again, not sure if this is just me, but this book also felt SPICY in a way that I’m not used to. The characters are filled with righteous anger that I think is common to many of her books but they are also very pissed and dogged and ready to fuck things up to fix them in a way that I adored but felt pretty different from her prior books.
Perhaps I just haven’t had a new Valdemar book in a very long time, but this felt fresh and raw and new in a completely delightful way. I absolutely adored the consistency of the world building which Lackey has always been brilliant at but must have been a challenge in this precursor novel. We are a bit light on some of the characters (I don’t feel like I really get Isla) but others are drawn in beautiful detail. I think Lackey’s strength (well, one of them) is something of a gift for characters that want to do better. It doesn’t feel preachy, it doesn’t feel overly optimistic, it just feels real and nice and warm. This book was like a balm, reminding me so strongly of what I want to be in this world and keeping me thoroughly entertained the entire time. God I wish I had a pile of new Mercedes Lackey books to read, she is just a master of fantasy fiction.
Again, not sure if this is just me, but this book also felt SPICY in a way that I’m not used to. The characters are filled with righteous anger that I think is common to many of her books but they are also very pissed and dogged and ready to fuck things up to fix them in a way that I adored but felt pretty different from her prior books.
Read
November 19, 2021“Are you sure of this?” “Well, of course I’m not sure. It’s magic."
Too easy. Ever wondered how a story about an ensemble of Mary Janes might go? Here it is. Nothing ever goes wrong, all the breaks go their way, their luck is beyond luck. Boring. Nothing wrong, just not engaging.
“You’re smarter than you look.” “If I wasn’t, I’d also be deader than I look.”
Presumably written for … fans. Others will find it tedious. Not Lackey’s best writing.
“I think I like your Record Keeper. It has all the good sense the Duke lacks.” “I heard that.” “You were meant to.”
Too easy. Ever wondered how a story about an ensemble of Mary Janes might go? Here it is. Nothing ever goes wrong, all the breaks go their way, their luck is beyond luck. Boring. Nothing wrong, just not engaging.
“You’re smarter than you look.” “If I wasn’t, I’d also be deader than I look.”
Presumably written for … fans. Others will find it tedious. Not Lackey’s best writing.
“I think I like your Record Keeper. It has all the good sense the Duke lacks.” “I heard that.” “You were meant to.”
August 24, 2021
My biggest problem with this book and most books is exposition. And this book had it on every page. Show me, don't tell me. It kept taking me out of the story and felt like someone kept pausing a movie to tell me what was happening. I know this is only my personal issue, but it felt like really immature writing and I couldn't finish it. I made it a couple of chapters in. If this doesn't bother you, then you might enjoy the book. The characters were somewhat interesting and the story had an adventurous feel to it. I didn't hate it, but I could concentrate.
March 20, 2022
Argh! Brand new Valdemar series! I was so in love with this book it sparked a reread of the entire series in chronological order. I cannot wait for the next book and I've already preordered it on my kindle. Valdemar himself is a great character, and the circumstances I had always only wondered at with the founding of Valdemar are finally getting a full and correct explanation. It's so great to have authors like Mercedes Lackey still delivering excellent books in a series that I have loved for so long. I hope the tales never end. Five stars.
April 10, 2024
First in The Founding of Valdemar fantasy for Young Adult readers subseries in the Valdemar universe and revolving around how the kingdom of Valdemar came to be. The focus is on Duke Kordas of Valdemar and his plans to save his people. (Technically, Beyond is the fourth in chronological order.)
If you're interested, there is a chronological listing of the Valdemar books on my website.
My Take
This is fascinating! All those hints I've read over the years and Lackey is finally going to reveal why and how the country of Valdemar came to be. Although, I suspect more about the actual settling will come in the third book.
Lackey uses third person global subjective point-of-view, if only because there are several perspectives with most of them coming from Kordas' perspective.
Oh yeah, ya gotta like Kordas, especially after he "rescued" Delia and all her things from that jumped-up couple.
Lackey certainly caught my attention with all the comments about what a jerk the Emperor is and how the lords of Valdemar have been secretly making preparations, hiding caches, and providing a refuge for mages.
We do know that Kordas is doing all he can to avoid the Emperor's attention, even to the point of hiding the fact that they had children. It does keep the kids safe. And ain't that just sad!
Ooh, there's a reference to the Cataclysm. That Mage-Storms create Change-Circles when their waves intersect. We also meet the vrondi and learn their truth. It explains quite a bit about Vanyel and his spell to protect Valdemar in Magic's Promise , 2.
Most of the attention has been on Kordas and Delia. Poor Kordas. He wants to save the world, and his wife wants him to save himself and their own people. Meanwhile Delia is discovering what a sheltered life she'd led.
Beyond has a mostly fast pace with lots of tension in this homey story. I came to care for the characters and felt sad as people split up. Even worse was reading of that bloody Emperor along with a theory on how he came to be.
It's a sweet statement about Kordas' compassion and care for his people, how the land is a place of peace and quiet beauty. And it comes with such a hideous betrayal and a truth.
The Story
Valdemar has been preparing for decades against the Emperor's plans, the only thing they lack is the Plan to escape him with as many of their people as they can.
They also need those Talismans, if any of it is to work.
The Characters
Kordas, Duke of Valdemar and educated mage, is planning to betray the Emperor. Isla, a mage with a Mindspeaker Gift, is Kordas' wife and Delia's sister. Fidelia "Delia", his sister-in-law with a Fetching Gift, is one of the best shots in the manor. Arial is Kordas' favorite mare and foaling. Cestin is his Healer. Stafngrimr "Grim", is the stablemaster. The gay Hakkon Indal is Kordas' cousin, Lyantha's sister's son, and the reputed father of Kordas and Isla's three children who include Restil. Hakkon is also Kordas' seneschal and will choose Brianta for his squire. Lady Lyantha was Kordas' mother; Duke Erik had been his father. Kordas lays out his pedigree with the first Duke of Valdemar, Lerren, made by High King Sonat I; Lokan; Polmar; Hrothgar; Ugo; Werther; Erik; and now, Kordas.
Tomen is the chief steward. Beltran is his herald and the best knife-fighter in the duchy. Klemath is the weapons-master. Kristoff is carrying the coracle. Kordas is providing a refuge for mages. The Circle is composed of six very old mages: Ponu, Dole, Wis, Koto and Ceri and Sai who they think are twin brothers. Other mages include the light-fingered Jonaton, the most powerful mage and the most senior; Pelias, the youngest mage and who had been Jonaton's apprentice; and, Siman. Sydney, a black cat, is one of Jonaton's pets.
The wealth of Valdemar was in its horses. The Valdemar Golds are rarely sold out of the Duchy; the Charger line is heavy horses favored for tournaments; the Tow-Beasts pull barges; the Sweet-foot palfreys; and, the Fleetfoot racehorses. Penta and Kery are two of the Sweetfoot palfreys. I suspect Sundrop is one as well. Barge hulls are Valdemar's other cash "crop".
The Landwise Squire Lesley is a pig farmer, the local magistrate, and one of Kordas' favorite people. Half the duchy depends upon him. The Empress is Lesley's prize sow. Kliff Reskin a pub owner and brewer, is Lesley's chief rival. There are eight Counts and some of their people in on the plan. Lord Gerther, Count Endicrag of Endicrag Manor has a cousin, a Healer named Alberdina who was willing to go in the first wave. His sixth son, Ivar, can't wait to explore. Bay is Ivar's mastiff. The Valdemar Charger, Manta, will become Ivar's horse.
When Delia and Isla's father died, the Emperor swooped out and threw Delia out, giving the estate to the new Baron of Sterngal and his snooty wife. Isla's twin brother, Idor, had been one of the Emperor's hostages and had died there. Lord Merrin is one of Kordas' neighbors and the Emperor's spy. The Barony of Lepodal got a humongous tree out of a Change-Circle.
The Emperor is power-hungry and likes to keep his landholders on edge. Duke Elnore knows Kordas raises horses. Count Declaine rolls his eyes. Baron Pierson. Duke Holiger is an Imperial favorite. Prince Morthas of Halengard loves salacious gossip. Macalay was one of the hostages who was bullied back in Kordas' day.
Instead of human servants, the Emperor uses "Dolls", constructs, intelligent, aware, and enslaved. There is a Master of Records. Kordas will name the three Dolls assigned to him Star, Rose, and Clover. Feather is the Doll sent with the barge. Scullen and Scont are some of the jailed dissidents. The Beast is an Earth Elemental.
Before there was an emperor, there was a High King wearing the Wolf Crown who worked to protect his people from the Mage-Storms. He then became emperor. The Aetherial Plane is lighter and the Abyssal Plane is heavier, so the magic waves didn't affect them. Velgarth is the planet they all live on — the Material Plane. Vrondi are harmless little Air Elementals.
On the other side
Brandywine and Oakton are settlers the escapees come across. People are warning the newcomers of the Pelagirs. Aylar helps Squire Lesley settle.
The Cover and Title
The cover is rich in color starting with the pinks, oranges, and yellows of the sunset behind the purple lands. In the mid-ground is a stable boy in a blue tabard with a flying white horse on it and wearing a gray cowboy-style hat. He's holding the reins of one of Valdemar's famous Valdemar Golds, the head of which shows behind the lounging Duke/Baron of Valdemar, his long, curling black hair above a white ruff with more ruffles peeking from his coat sleeves, is in a golden vest with a strap of gold bearing his mark — that flying white horse on a blue background. Over the vest, he wears a red belt with a golden pistol thrust through it. His coat is a royal blue satin with gold figures on an emerald green background. His trousers are a brown leather. His right hand clutches a roll of documents while his left wears a green ring. I suspect he's leaning against one of the barges.
The title is where the Duke and his people want to go, Beyond.
If you're interested, there is a chronological listing of the Valdemar books on my website.
My Take
This is fascinating! All those hints I've read over the years and Lackey is finally going to reveal why and how the country of Valdemar came to be. Although, I suspect more about the actual settling will come in the third book.
Lackey uses third person global subjective point-of-view, if only because there are several perspectives with most of them coming from Kordas' perspective.
Oh yeah, ya gotta like Kordas, especially after he "rescued" Delia and all her things from that jumped-up couple.
Lackey certainly caught my attention with all the comments about what a jerk the Emperor is and how the lords of Valdemar have been secretly making preparations, hiding caches, and providing a refuge for mages.
We do know that Kordas is doing all he can to avoid the Emperor's attention, even to the point of hiding the fact that they had children. It does keep the kids safe. And ain't that just sad!
Ooh, there's a reference to the Cataclysm. That Mage-Storms create Change-Circles when their waves intersect. We also meet the vrondi and learn their truth. It explains quite a bit about Vanyel and his spell to protect Valdemar in Magic's Promise , 2.
Most of the attention has been on Kordas and Delia. Poor Kordas. He wants to save the world, and his wife wants him to save himself and their own people. Meanwhile Delia is discovering what a sheltered life she'd led.
Beyond has a mostly fast pace with lots of tension in this homey story. I came to care for the characters and felt sad as people split up. Even worse was reading of that bloody Emperor along with a theory on how he came to be.
It's a sweet statement about Kordas' compassion and care for his people, how the land is a place of peace and quiet beauty. And it comes with such a hideous betrayal and a truth.
The Story
Valdemar has been preparing for decades against the Emperor's plans, the only thing they lack is the Plan to escape him with as many of their people as they can.
They also need those Talismans, if any of it is to work.
The Characters
Kordas, Duke of Valdemar and educated mage, is planning to betray the Emperor. Isla, a mage with a Mindspeaker Gift, is Kordas' wife and Delia's sister. Fidelia "Delia", his sister-in-law with a Fetching Gift, is one of the best shots in the manor. Arial is Kordas' favorite mare and foaling. Cestin is his Healer. Stafngrimr "Grim", is the stablemaster. The gay Hakkon Indal is Kordas' cousin, Lyantha's sister's son, and the reputed father of Kordas and Isla's three children who include Restil. Hakkon is also Kordas' seneschal and will choose Brianta for his squire. Lady Lyantha was Kordas' mother; Duke Erik had been his father. Kordas lays out his pedigree with the first Duke of Valdemar, Lerren, made by High King Sonat I; Lokan; Polmar; Hrothgar; Ugo; Werther; Erik; and now, Kordas.
Tomen is the chief steward. Beltran is his herald and the best knife-fighter in the duchy. Klemath is the weapons-master. Kristoff is carrying the coracle. Kordas is providing a refuge for mages. The Circle is composed of six very old mages: Ponu, Dole, Wis, Koto and Ceri and Sai who they think are twin brothers. Other mages include the light-fingered Jonaton, the most powerful mage and the most senior; Pelias, the youngest mage and who had been Jonaton's apprentice; and, Siman. Sydney, a black cat, is one of Jonaton's pets.
The wealth of Valdemar was in its horses. The Valdemar Golds are rarely sold out of the Duchy; the Charger line is heavy horses favored for tournaments; the Tow-Beasts pull barges; the Sweet-foot palfreys; and, the Fleetfoot racehorses. Penta and Kery are two of the Sweetfoot palfreys. I suspect Sundrop is one as well. Barge hulls are Valdemar's other cash "crop".
The Landwise Squire Lesley is a pig farmer, the local magistrate, and one of Kordas' favorite people. Half the duchy depends upon him. The Empress is Lesley's prize sow. Kliff Reskin a pub owner and brewer, is Lesley's chief rival. There are eight Counts and some of their people in on the plan. Lord Gerther, Count Endicrag of Endicrag Manor has a cousin, a Healer named Alberdina who was willing to go in the first wave. His sixth son, Ivar, can't wait to explore. Bay is Ivar's mastiff. The Valdemar Charger, Manta, will become Ivar's horse.
When Delia and Isla's father died, the Emperor swooped out and threw Delia out, giving the estate to the new Baron of Sterngal and his snooty wife. Isla's twin brother, Idor, had been one of the Emperor's hostages and had died there. Lord Merrin is one of Kordas' neighbors and the Emperor's spy. The Barony of Lepodal got a humongous tree out of a Change-Circle.
The Emperor is power-hungry and likes to keep his landholders on edge. Duke Elnore knows Kordas raises horses. Count Declaine rolls his eyes. Baron Pierson. Duke Holiger is an Imperial favorite. Prince Morthas of Halengard loves salacious gossip. Macalay was one of the hostages who was bullied back in Kordas' day.
Instead of human servants, the Emperor uses "Dolls", constructs, intelligent, aware, and enslaved. There is a Master of Records. Kordas will name the three Dolls assigned to him Star, Rose, and Clover. Feather is the Doll sent with the barge. Scullen and Scont are some of the jailed dissidents. The Beast is an Earth Elemental.
Before there was an emperor, there was a High King wearing the Wolf Crown who worked to protect his people from the Mage-Storms. He then became emperor. The Aetherial Plane is lighter and the Abyssal Plane is heavier, so the magic waves didn't affect them. Velgarth is the planet they all live on — the Material Plane. Vrondi are harmless little Air Elementals.
On the other side
Brandywine and Oakton are settlers the escapees come across. People are warning the newcomers of the Pelagirs. Aylar helps Squire Lesley settle.
The Cover and Title
The cover is rich in color starting with the pinks, oranges, and yellows of the sunset behind the purple lands. In the mid-ground is a stable boy in a blue tabard with a flying white horse on it and wearing a gray cowboy-style hat. He's holding the reins of one of Valdemar's famous Valdemar Golds, the head of which shows behind the lounging Duke/Baron of Valdemar, his long, curling black hair above a white ruff with more ruffles peeking from his coat sleeves, is in a golden vest with a strap of gold bearing his mark — that flying white horse on a blue background. Over the vest, he wears a red belt with a golden pistol thrust through it. His coat is a royal blue satin with gold figures on an emerald green background. His trousers are a brown leather. His right hand clutches a roll of documents while his left wears a green ring. I suspect he's leaning against one of the barges.
The title is where the Duke and his people want to go, Beyond.
November 8, 2021
My thanks to Titan Books for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘Beyond (Founding of Valdemar #1)
by Mercedes Lackey in exchange for an honest review.
Although I have been aware of the Valdemar books for many years, this was actually my first reading of one. Perhaps fitting that this is about Valdemar’s founding.
Some details about the plot: Duke Kordas Valdemar is the ruler of a small Duchy that is mainly focused on horse breeding. He is aware that at some point the Emperor will turn his predatory gaze towards Valdemar. Over the years Kordas’s father had quietly gathered magicians and tasked them with finding a way to free the people of the Duchy from this tyranny.
One of the Duchy’s mages finally has had a breakthrough and uncovers a way to put the Duchy, and its people, beyond the Emperor’s reach forever.
Yet before any plan can be put into action Kordas is summoned to the Emperor’s Court. Playing on his reputation as a country bumpkin he seeks to buy himself and his people the time they need to implement this plan.
This certainly proved to be a solidly plotted high fantasy with memorable characters and superb world-building. I felt that Mercedes Lackey’s style of storytelling was quite traditional without the cynicism or postmodern aspects found in some modern fantasy.
I enjoyed ‘Beyond’ very much and look forward to Book 2 in the trilogy due to be published in 2022. Also, after such a positive experience and this introduction, I plan to read more of her Valdemar novels in the very near future.
In addition, full marks to the design team at Titan Books for such a beautiful cover.
by Mercedes Lackey in exchange for an honest review.
Although I have been aware of the Valdemar books for many years, this was actually my first reading of one. Perhaps fitting that this is about Valdemar’s founding.
Some details about the plot: Duke Kordas Valdemar is the ruler of a small Duchy that is mainly focused on horse breeding. He is aware that at some point the Emperor will turn his predatory gaze towards Valdemar. Over the years Kordas’s father had quietly gathered magicians and tasked them with finding a way to free the people of the Duchy from this tyranny.
One of the Duchy’s mages finally has had a breakthrough and uncovers a way to put the Duchy, and its people, beyond the Emperor’s reach forever.
Yet before any plan can be put into action Kordas is summoned to the Emperor’s Court. Playing on his reputation as a country bumpkin he seeks to buy himself and his people the time they need to implement this plan.
This certainly proved to be a solidly plotted high fantasy with memorable characters and superb world-building. I felt that Mercedes Lackey’s style of storytelling was quite traditional without the cynicism or postmodern aspects found in some modern fantasy.
I enjoyed ‘Beyond’ very much and look forward to Book 2 in the trilogy due to be published in 2022. Also, after such a positive experience and this introduction, I plan to read more of her Valdemar novels in the very near future.
In addition, full marks to the design team at Titan Books for such a beautiful cover.
July 1, 2021
Wow. I really don't know a better way to start this review because I just finished the book a few minutes ago and I'm still left in absolute awe at just how well Lackey managed to write a book that would live up to the years and years of hype that fans of her Valdemar world had built up in our minds about what this story would be. I went into this book hoping for a great story, unsure of how she'd be able to craft an origin story that would fulfill the fantasies and imaginings that readers have been building up in our minds since we got a taste of Valdemar in the 1980s.
The amazing thing about this book is it does all that I'd hoped for and so much more - we get a look at how Valdemar began, but also a very in depth look at the Empire they were all fleeing from to begin with. I knew when I started this book that it wasn't a standalone, so I fully expected it to leave off on a cliffhanger, but it did so in a way that still leaves me happy with the ending and simultaneously incredibly anxious for the next book to get written and published.
All in all, this is a wonderful addition to the world of Valdemar, and one I look forward to rereading again multiple times in the years to come.
The amazing thing about this book is it does all that I'd hoped for and so much more - we get a look at how Valdemar began, but also a very in depth look at the Empire they were all fleeing from to begin with. I knew when I started this book that it wasn't a standalone, so I fully expected it to leave off on a cliffhanger, but it did so in a way that still leaves me happy with the ending and simultaneously incredibly anxious for the next book to get written and published.
All in all, this is a wonderful addition to the world of Valdemar, and one I look forward to rereading again multiple times in the years to come.
May 15, 2022
3.5 stars. I'm always going to read a Mercedes Lackey book, especially a new Valdemar book but this was not my favorite. I did read it in a day but the plot was a little rushed and the stakes weren't high enough to justify the ending. Also, one of the characters says "doggo" and "pupper..." I had to walk away for a bit, this is a fantasy novel set in medieval times, there should not be outdated slang 😭
Time to reread the OG series though because goddamn I love Valdemar
Time to reread the OG series though because goddamn I love Valdemar
June 17, 2021
Scary. Absolute power corrupts. Good thing there are brave, self sacrificing but pragmatic heroes. The man who founded my favorite fantasy world explains a loot about why my Valdemar is my favorite fantasy kingdom. Hope there's a sequel.
September 13, 2023
How To Secretly Escape From Your Hegemonic Feudal Emperor With The Population of Your Entire Duchy While Also Resisting The Inner Darkness Said Empire Has Taught You to Rule With in 12 Not So Easy Steps. Oh, and All While Maintaining Peak Horse People Energy, Part 1
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