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The Founding of Valdemar #2
Into the West
The long-awaited founding of Valdemar comes to life in this second book in the new series from a New York Times-bestselling author and beloved fantasist.Baron Valdemar and his people have found a temporary haven, but it cannot hold all of them, or for long. Trouble could follow on their heels at any moment, and there are too many people for Crescent Lake to support. Those who are willing to make a further trek by barge on into the West will follow him into a wilderness depopulated by war and scarred by the terrible magics of a thousand years ago and the Mage Wars. But the wilderness is not as empty as it seems. There are potential friends and rapacious foes........and someone is watching them.
498 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 13, 2022
349 people are currently reading
3529 people want to read
About the author
Mercedes Lackey
441 books9,532 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 380 reviews
December 17, 2022
It’s been a while since I stepped into the world of Valdemar (and I know there are some books I’ve missed) but I have to say it was great to step back in. This world is divided into small series (usually trilogies) and this is book two in this arc. Reading them in order is highly advised, but there is a lot of summarizing and it is possible to read them out of order. I love getting to see the beginning of how Valdemar was formed. The characters were good, but I didn’t love the first king of Valdemar as much as I wanted to. He was surrounded by some great characters. I really liked Delia a lot and I am looking forward to see where else her story branches off to. I love that the Hawkbrothers were in this one as they have always been some of my favorites.
January 6, 2023
Both fascinating and ultimately disappointing. After the events of Beyond, the Valdemaran refugees slowly make their way (eventually) up a river, looking for a new home. The main things that happened were quite cool (awesome revelations!), but all the pieces felt so clumsily handled which detracted from the overall impact. I know Lackey has often played a little loose with continuity before, but it's very clear that she's decided that there's now only 500 years instead of 1000 years in between the Mage Wars and the founding of Valdemar. Things like that confuse me because why make that change? Other clumsy bits included the conversation Kordas has with the leader of another group, which felt quite ham-handed. I remain convinced that the Founding of Valdemar should've just been a single large book. Having to fill out a trilogy makes it feel like she keeps having to pad it out with things that just overload the story (what is going on with the Angia scene??). I'm also not a fan of Lackey's apparent use of memes--the last book had cat pics and this one had a freaking reference to Moonmoon. Come on.
I'm reading this subseries out of inertia at this point, but I do want to see the Companions which I suspect will show up in the next volume.
I'm reading this subseries out of inertia at this point, but I do want to see the Companions which I suspect will show up in the next volume.
January 24, 2023
In a word, disappointing. All the characters are entirely “good” and spend an excruciating amount of time sitting around agreeing with each other about what excellent decisions they make and exactly how a perfect society should be set up and run. Any slightly interesting plot device or adventurous moment is dealt with immediately with minimal loss or damage to “the goodies.” This book is a failure because there are no stakes and no complications. There are only perfect people endlessly traveling through the wilderness, obsessed with describing to me every last scrap of food that has been chopped up to put in the stew.
December 1, 2022
Valdemar beginnings!
Having passed through a gate into a new land, Baron Kordas Valdemar’s people and those who accompanied them, including the “Dolls” were eager to move forward.
Kordas is trying to move over fifteen thousand people, their equipment, livestock and barges, in the hunt for unoccupied land.
First he has to deal with someone whose brutally attacked on of the Dolls, vrondi elementals trapped in a human shaped body that they animated. That he would not put up with! As the tale progresses we see the remarkable development of the elements. And remember, what one knows they all know. What they become eventually will I’m sure be remarkable.
Delia, Kordas’ sister-in-law, who’s been besotted with him, finally makes the break and comes into her own as a member of the scouting group.
Kordas leads his people along the waterways, beside a dangerous brooding forest, with inhabitants that looked like they’d been part of a change circle.
Then they come to an area that is protected, a vale built by Hawkbrothers, the Tayledras.
Would they be accepted or not, and what does it all mean for the founders of Valdemar?
Another tense tale in the series, citing the beginnings of the Valdemar we know and love.
An Astra House ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.
Having passed through a gate into a new land, Baron Kordas Valdemar’s people and those who accompanied them, including the “Dolls” were eager to move forward.
Kordas is trying to move over fifteen thousand people, their equipment, livestock and barges, in the hunt for unoccupied land.
First he has to deal with someone whose brutally attacked on of the Dolls, vrondi elementals trapped in a human shaped body that they animated. That he would not put up with! As the tale progresses we see the remarkable development of the elements. And remember, what one knows they all know. What they become eventually will I’m sure be remarkable.
Delia, Kordas’ sister-in-law, who’s been besotted with him, finally makes the break and comes into her own as a member of the scouting group.
Kordas leads his people along the waterways, beside a dangerous brooding forest, with inhabitants that looked like they’d been part of a change circle.
Then they come to an area that is protected, a vale built by Hawkbrothers, the Tayledras.
Would they be accepted or not, and what does it all mean for the founders of Valdemar?
Another tense tale in the series, citing the beginnings of the Valdemar we know and love.
An Astra House ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.
December 22, 2022
I was very excited for this book to come out, and then disappointed from the start. The majority of this book comes across as “telling” rather than “showing.” We are told how people are living and how things work, rather than being shown them. So many long winded conversations that explain too many things that don’t always need to be explained. There’s even an overly complicated scene to draw Kordas out and explain all the minutiae associated with foresight, which he is then spelled to forget about.
Also, as Lackey has gone back in time, the magic and other technology seems to have gotten more advanced. A magical projector that essentially functions as a movie screen with planned entertainments and times listed? Really? Poomers and spitters annoyed me from the first installment because they did not seem to fit with the world Lackey had originally built.
There were a few places where the author tried to slip in allusions to our world that fell flat and stood out jarringly. The Hawkbrothers playing D&D? A Hawkbrother named “MoonMoon”?
The characters are mostly lackluster. Kordas was fairly pompous this time around. Delia was okay, but had some super annoying moments. The boys are totally okay with their world being thrown upside down and now they adore their parents that they didn’t know about until now.
All told, this book reminded me of the first book of the Herald Spy trilogy: poorly overwritten and out of character for a Valdemar book. I honestly wonder if Lackey even had a hand with this or if it was entirely written by a ghostwriter as it felt like bad fanfiction written by someone who read Macbeth one too many times. At least it isn’t a word-for-word copy of Shakespearean scenes like the Herald Spy?
Also, as Lackey has gone back in time, the magic and other technology seems to have gotten more advanced. A magical projector that essentially functions as a movie screen with planned entertainments and times listed? Really? Poomers and spitters annoyed me from the first installment because they did not seem to fit with the world Lackey had originally built.
There were a few places where the author tried to slip in allusions to our world that fell flat and stood out jarringly. The Hawkbrothers playing D&D? A Hawkbrother named “MoonMoon”?
The characters are mostly lackluster. Kordas was fairly pompous this time around. Delia was okay, but had some super annoying moments. The boys are totally okay with their world being thrown upside down and now they adore their parents that they didn’t know about until now.
All told, this book reminded me of the first book of the Herald Spy trilogy: poorly overwritten and out of character for a Valdemar book. I honestly wonder if Lackey even had a hand with this or if it was entirely written by a ghostwriter as it felt like bad fanfiction written by someone who read Macbeth one too many times. At least it isn’t a word-for-word copy of Shakespearean scenes like the Herald Spy?
December 15, 2022
In the sequel to BEYOND, Mercedes Lackey picks up pretty much where Book 1 left off. Baron Kordas and his people have fled the Empire and are now looking for a new home where they aren't going to dispossess anyone already living there. Most of the book felt very much like a 'bridge' book, that awkward book between where things start and how things end that doesn't quite know how to keep up the pace. It is character driven, alternating between Kordas and Delia as each of them becomes used to their new lives on the move, how best to do what needs to be done in order to survive, and what their new role really is in everything. I liked seeing behind Kordas' facade: seeing his concerns and flaws and how very human he is, how unsure he is of what he's doing and how much trouble he has delegating things to others because of how much responsibility he feels. If you've read other trilogies in the Valdermar cannon you know that the myth of the first King is him being pretty much perfect, so it's good to see the human truth behind that myth. Delia was a bit more annoying for me. Her crush on Kordas felt forced, especially since he's married to her sister. But I liked seeing her growing up and coming into her own with her Gift.
The pace was really slow for about 3/4s of the book, with little side quests and plenty of repetitious speeches about who they should strive to be as a people along the way. Then, right when I didn't think I could handle anymore, BANG!, everything changed and I couldn't put the book down.
*Warning: Mild spoilers ahead*
A touch of 'deus ex machina' suddenly makes anyone familiar with the cannon reevaluate everything they've been reading when the HawkBrothers arrive with the perfect place for our refugees to live. If you haven't read the others, that's ok, you're mostly just missing 'Easter eggs'. Now things go from plodding to the more interesting how-to-turn-a-Vale-into-a-city, meeting people who use amazing amounts of magic, different sentient species, and you see how Valdemar is going to start coming together.
I admit, I am still not a fan of Lackey's 'newer' style of writing, which uses a more relaxed writing style, more rambling and tangents, plenty of 'now's and 'well's, as if we are listening to someone talking or thinking out loud even when we aren't. But it has been her style for long enough now that I've learned to deal with it, even though I prefer her older writing style better. The basic plot is still interesting enough that I want to find out what happens and how it will happen.
I definitely recommend reading BEYOND first, as Book 1 in the series will help you get invested in the characters and their journey beforehand.
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
The pace was really slow for about 3/4s of the book, with little side quests and plenty of repetitious speeches about who they should strive to be as a people along the way. Then, right when I didn't think I could handle anymore, BANG!, everything changed and I couldn't put the book down.
*Warning: Mild spoilers ahead*
A touch of 'deus ex machina' suddenly makes anyone familiar with the cannon reevaluate everything they've been reading when the HawkBrothers arrive with the perfect place for our refugees to live. If you haven't read the others, that's ok, you're mostly just missing 'Easter eggs'. Now things go from plodding to the more interesting how-to-turn-a-Vale-into-a-city, meeting people who use amazing amounts of magic, different sentient species, and you see how Valdemar is going to start coming together.
I admit, I am still not a fan of Lackey's 'newer' style of writing, which uses a more relaxed writing style, more rambling and tangents, plenty of 'now's and 'well's, as if we are listening to someone talking or thinking out loud even when we aren't. But it has been her style for long enough now that I've learned to deal with it, even though I prefer her older writing style better. The basic plot is still interesting enough that I want to find out what happens and how it will happen.
I definitely recommend reading BEYOND first, as Book 1 in the series will help you get invested in the characters and their journey beforehand.
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
August 22, 2022
Don't start chapter 20 unless you have a good amount of reading time in front of you. The book become impossible to put down about midway through that chapter.
Fair warning, this review will contain mild spoilers. Reader discretion advised.
The thing that always struck me most about the Star Wars prequel movies was how awkwardly things were showhorned in to fit what was already canon. Lackey faces the same challenges here, but it doesn't feel shoehorned, it doesn't feel awkward. If this were a reader's first encounter with Valdermar, they'd be hard pressed to figure out which parts needed to be there because it's established history and which parts aren't. Everything that is there is there because this story calls for it.
Granted, in the founding stories, King Valdermar was great and perfect and the embodiment of every virtue. And as founding myths, told even in the time of Vanyel, that makes sense. In direct contact with him, we need a character that is both fully human, with virtues and flaws, and yet fully capable of leaving that, granted polished, legacy. In Kordas, Lackey delivers. We see him as he is, and as he presents himself. We see where he falters, driven by his fear or his anger, and we see how he works to set this to right. And we see him, by need, being very mindful of the impression he makes. There is a scene that helps bridge this divide, where Silvermoon tells him, truth or fiction, he needs to build a legacy in his history, in the stories told about him, that will unite his people beyond his life and keep them on the path of honor and compassion. That lets things happend that never make the history books.
One of the most amazing things about Lackey's writing is you can jump into more or less any of her series and quickly become grounded. Arrows of the Queen was her first. Didn't read it? You don't need to for this. It was amazing, and if you haven't read it you're missing out, but you don't need to for this. The Mage Wars series, starting with Black Griffon, came before this, but everything you need to know about that is covered here. They're all beautifully self-contained. You do get rewarded if you have read the other books. I was sure as soon as the gate appeared with such drama exactly what would come through, and I was so excited I think I woke the cat. It took me longer than I'd like to admit to realize where they were. Strange animals distorted by magics from the mage wars. I just never realized how close Haven was to all that. In hindsight, that was in place since book 1. A more astute reader with a familiarity with her work would have seen this coming a long time. We encounter a character who represents a group I'm pretty sure will become the Companions. Knowing about what they are makes that much scene so much richer.
There are some parts that felt off to me. Delia's constand mooning ove Kordas is one. Yes, I realize she's groiwng up. Yes, I realize this is a normal girlhod crush. But there is just too much of it. The bit with Silvermoon claiming the convoy are hostages, the whole "and now we're trying to one up each other and act like adversaries" bit felt a little strange. It didn't fit with anything that came before or after.
There are some parts I loved. I expected Hayworth to be the thing from their past that comes back to haunt them. That's the obvious. It was the less than obvious abandoned threat that rose. Again, made total sense and I didn't see it coming. The kindness they've shown comes back to them in unexpected ways. I love Pebble. He's adorable.
It's a wonderful book. I love it. I can't wait for book 3. I hope there is another trilogy with these characters as there was with Mags.
Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced reader's copy of this book.
Fair warning, this review will contain mild spoilers. Reader discretion advised.
The thing that always struck me most about the Star Wars prequel movies was how awkwardly things were showhorned in to fit what was already canon. Lackey faces the same challenges here, but it doesn't feel shoehorned, it doesn't feel awkward. If this were a reader's first encounter with Valdermar, they'd be hard pressed to figure out which parts needed to be there because it's established history and which parts aren't. Everything that is there is there because this story calls for it.
Granted, in the founding stories, King Valdermar was great and perfect and the embodiment of every virtue. And as founding myths, told even in the time of Vanyel, that makes sense. In direct contact with him, we need a character that is both fully human, with virtues and flaws, and yet fully capable of leaving that, granted polished, legacy. In Kordas, Lackey delivers. We see him as he is, and as he presents himself. We see where he falters, driven by his fear or his anger, and we see how he works to set this to right. And we see him, by need, being very mindful of the impression he makes. There is a scene that helps bridge this divide, where Silvermoon tells him, truth or fiction, he needs to build a legacy in his history, in the stories told about him, that will unite his people beyond his life and keep them on the path of honor and compassion. That lets things happend that never make the history books.
One of the most amazing things about Lackey's writing is you can jump into more or less any of her series and quickly become grounded. Arrows of the Queen was her first. Didn't read it? You don't need to for this. It was amazing, and if you haven't read it you're missing out, but you don't need to for this. The Mage Wars series, starting with Black Griffon, came before this, but everything you need to know about that is covered here. They're all beautifully self-contained. You do get rewarded if you have read the other books. I was sure as soon as the gate appeared with such drama exactly what would come through, and I was so excited I think I woke the cat. It took me longer than I'd like to admit to realize where they were. Strange animals distorted by magics from the mage wars. I just never realized how close Haven was to all that. In hindsight, that was in place since book 1. A more astute reader with a familiarity with her work would have seen this coming a long time. We encounter a character who represents a group I'm pretty sure will become the Companions. Knowing about what they are makes that much scene so much richer.
There are some parts that felt off to me. Delia's constand mooning ove Kordas is one. Yes, I realize she's groiwng up. Yes, I realize this is a normal girlhod crush. But there is just too much of it. The bit with Silvermoon claiming the convoy are hostages, the whole "and now we're trying to one up each other and act like adversaries" bit felt a little strange. It didn't fit with anything that came before or after.
There are some parts I loved. I expected Hayworth to be the thing from their past that comes back to haunt them. That's the obvious. It was the less than obvious abandoned threat that rose. Again, made total sense and I didn't see it coming. The kindness they've shown comes back to them in unexpected ways. I love Pebble. He's adorable.
It's a wonderful book. I love it. I can't wait for book 3. I hope there is another trilogy with these characters as there was with Mags.
Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced reader's copy of this book.
September 11, 2022
This is the long-awaited book two of the Founding trilogy (presumably) that fans of Mercedes Lackey's Valdemar world have been waiting for.
The stage is being set for what will become the nation of Valdemar, with the idea that there is 'no true way'.
Kordas has successfully brought his people out of the clutches of the Empire and left it in ruins. Now he must move further west to find unoccupied land to settle. When the people had rested long enough and scouting parties have figured out the next path of the journey, Kordas invites people to stay or go back, because there are some who don't think they are up to the task of exploration. Some are also allowed to stay where they camped. The rest move out.
The reader gets to see the process behind which Valdemar is created - to be the opposite of the Empire, to allow people their own beliefs, to respect each others beliefs. We also see the thought process which really eventually sets Valdemar apart. Kordas is a good man, but with lots of doubts of how his people will be treated and if he is up to the task of doing what is right for them.
This is Lackey building the world her fans know. It's a slower pace than some of her other books, but what wagon train to new worlds isn't a slow pace and this is exactly what this trilogy is - the barge train to the founding of Valdemar. It shows the thought process behind what will become the world we know, with a few surprises along the way.
It's also Lackey at her best with comments - I like the variations on the "not my circus, not my monkeys" saying we have these days, but I also like Kordas' internal comments - "Of course we have talking cats. We're lucky we don't have talking horses, with what we've put them all through. I should just be grateful that they aren't dictating orders." Be careful what you think!!
One thing that I dislike about the book is the plot line of Delia being in love with Kordas. It's not this plot line that I object to, but that Delia can't seem to resign herself to that fact that he's married to her sister and not in love with her. As she helps out on the scouting expedition she changes her thoughts - she grows as a person from childish, romantic fantasies into a more competent invidividual; you would think that she would at least cease to think about Kordas in terms of 'her Kordas'. I'm not saying the feelings she has for him would go away, but that she would start trying to turn her thoughts in a different direction to make things easier on herself and Kordas.
After several mishaps and fighting, and several unexpected friends and help along the way, the colonists find a place to settle and build. There's excitement and worry and answers about a few things in this book. Definitely interesting and well worth the wait!!!
The stage is being set for what will become the nation of Valdemar, with the idea that there is 'no true way'.
Kordas has successfully brought his people out of the clutches of the Empire and left it in ruins. Now he must move further west to find unoccupied land to settle. When the people had rested long enough and scouting parties have figured out the next path of the journey, Kordas invites people to stay or go back, because there are some who don't think they are up to the task of exploration. Some are also allowed to stay where they camped. The rest move out.
The reader gets to see the process behind which Valdemar is created - to be the opposite of the Empire, to allow people their own beliefs, to respect each others beliefs. We also see the thought process which really eventually sets Valdemar apart. Kordas is a good man, but with lots of doubts of how his people will be treated and if he is up to the task of doing what is right for them.
This is Lackey building the world her fans know. It's a slower pace than some of her other books, but what wagon train to new worlds isn't a slow pace and this is exactly what this trilogy is - the barge train to the founding of Valdemar. It shows the thought process behind what will become the world we know, with a few surprises along the way.
It's also Lackey at her best with comments - I like the variations on the "not my circus, not my monkeys" saying we have these days, but I also like Kordas' internal comments - "Of course we have talking cats. We're lucky we don't have talking horses, with what we've put them all through. I should just be grateful that they aren't dictating orders." Be careful what you think!!
One thing that I dislike about the book is the plot line of Delia being in love with Kordas. It's not this plot line that I object to, but that Delia can't seem to resign herself to that fact that he's married to her sister and not in love with her. As she helps out on the scouting expedition she changes her thoughts - she grows as a person from childish, romantic fantasies into a more competent invidividual; you would think that she would at least cease to think about Kordas in terms of 'her Kordas'. I'm not saying the feelings she has for him would go away, but that she would start trying to turn her thoughts in a different direction to make things easier on herself and Kordas.
After several mishaps and fighting, and several unexpected friends and help along the way, the colonists find a place to settle and build. There's excitement and worry and answers about a few things in this book. Definitely interesting and well worth the wait!!!
January 8, 2023
Page after page of boring, irrelevant detail and unexciting characters' repetitious internal dialogues; most of the book was not about the founding of Valdemar but of the tedious journey across land. Only the Hawkbrothers brightened things up a bit. Nothing to indicate that the Tayledras Vale where they ended up was or would become Haven; and no sign of Companions. Surely the emergence of the Companions is essential to the Founding of Valdemar? I can only assume this series is going to be strung out in what has become Lackey's signature style, with no editorial overview, and a plot that's barely worth a single book stretched over several titles. Deeply disappointing.
September 10, 2022
This book is the second installation of “The Founding of Valdemar” series and it is definitely a wonderful continuation of the story. It picks up right where the last book leaves off and presents a new set of challenges that start to feel more and more like the Valdemar we know and love. That being said, this book follows the same pattern as the first in that it can feel rather slow at the beginning but has a dramatic and fast-paced ending.
After decades of plotting and secret, Kordas and his people have finally made their escape from the Empire. However, they now face a whole new set of challenges. Crescent Lake cannot support the number of people that have suddenly showed up on its banks and the clock is ticking. The search for a new home where they can all truly be free of their past has begun and it will bring them closer and closer to the lands ruined by the Mage War. New mysteries and challenges await as the legend of Kordas Valdemar continues to grow.
Though very similar in feel, this sequel is much closer to what I was expecting from this prequal series. The Kingdom of Valdemar and the history of its founding are well established in previous series though it is clear that these accounts have become more like legend over time. Since we know how things end up in the future, Lackey had the challenge of providing a story that feels unique to these characters while also introducing things that are familiar and really stepped up to the plate. There are so many moments, both big and small, that start to introduce things that long time readers of Valdemar books will recognize and appreciate. These don’t feel unnatural in the story, so readers who are new to this will never lose that sense of immersion for the sake of having these callbacks. Callbacks like these were mostly missing in the first book, so I was particularly excited to see them in this one.
Overall, I personally feel that this newest installation in the series is stronger than the first. That being said, it struggles with mostly the same issues including repetitiveness and a generally slower pace. However, as we enter the heart of the story, a lot of these go away and it is just a fun, intense ride the rest of the way.
Special thanks to NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
After decades of plotting and secret, Kordas and his people have finally made their escape from the Empire. However, they now face a whole new set of challenges. Crescent Lake cannot support the number of people that have suddenly showed up on its banks and the clock is ticking. The search for a new home where they can all truly be free of their past has begun and it will bring them closer and closer to the lands ruined by the Mage War. New mysteries and challenges await as the legend of Kordas Valdemar continues to grow.
Though very similar in feel, this sequel is much closer to what I was expecting from this prequal series. The Kingdom of Valdemar and the history of its founding are well established in previous series though it is clear that these accounts have become more like legend over time. Since we know how things end up in the future, Lackey had the challenge of providing a story that feels unique to these characters while also introducing things that are familiar and really stepped up to the plate. There are so many moments, both big and small, that start to introduce things that long time readers of Valdemar books will recognize and appreciate. These don’t feel unnatural in the story, so readers who are new to this will never lose that sense of immersion for the sake of having these callbacks. Callbacks like these were mostly missing in the first book, so I was particularly excited to see them in this one.
Overall, I personally feel that this newest installation in the series is stronger than the first. That being said, it struggles with mostly the same issues including repetitiveness and a generally slower pace. However, as we enter the heart of the story, a lot of these go away and it is just a fun, intense ride the rest of the way.
Special thanks to NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
December 4, 2022
A story that captures the tale of the creation of Valdemar for people very nostalgic for that world.
Baron Valdemar and his people know they need to move on from their temporary haven of Crescent Lake. They built a chain of barges all traveling West into the wilderness destroyed by the Mage Wars thousands of years ago. They run into some unexpected challenges, and someone watching them.
Overall, if you love tales set in the world of Valdemar, getting this glimpse into its creation is awesome. It feels like a very character-driven story, which is a bit unusual for fantasy novels, but I enjoyed seeing the inner workings of some of the characters and how they approached the challenges of the Valdemar Expedition.
For me the biggest struggle of this book was that it all felt very low-stakes. I really thought it was like those video games where you are going on a quest to find a utopia and face a bunch of small side-quests along the way. Although it was enjoyable to read, I definitely didn't really get drawn into the story and I wasn't concerned about the characters at any point. It's definitely not a bad book, but it's also probably not something I'm going to go back to and read again since it just didn't really create any emotional response for me.
If you have spent a lot of time immersed in the other books in the world of Valdemar, I think it's enjoyable to read what's basically the development of their creation story. If this series is your first dip into the writing of Mercedes Lackey, look elsewhere.
Thank you to NetGalley and Astra Publishing House for providing an advanced copy of this book for review. All opinions are my own.
Baron Valdemar and his people know they need to move on from their temporary haven of Crescent Lake. They built a chain of barges all traveling West into the wilderness destroyed by the Mage Wars thousands of years ago. They run into some unexpected challenges, and someone watching them.
Overall, if you love tales set in the world of Valdemar, getting this glimpse into its creation is awesome. It feels like a very character-driven story, which is a bit unusual for fantasy novels, but I enjoyed seeing the inner workings of some of the characters and how they approached the challenges of the Valdemar Expedition.
For me the biggest struggle of this book was that it all felt very low-stakes. I really thought it was like those video games where you are going on a quest to find a utopia and face a bunch of small side-quests along the way. Although it was enjoyable to read, I definitely didn't really get drawn into the story and I wasn't concerned about the characters at any point. It's definitely not a bad book, but it's also probably not something I'm going to go back to and read again since it just didn't really create any emotional response for me.
If you have spent a lot of time immersed in the other books in the world of Valdemar, I think it's enjoyable to read what's basically the development of their creation story. If this series is your first dip into the writing of Mercedes Lackey, look elsewhere.
Thank you to NetGalley and Astra Publishing House for providing an advanced copy of this book for review. All opinions are my own.
November 20, 2023
I like the setting and characters, but the story is a bit slow for my taste.
November 14, 2022
"Into the West" is a fantasy. It's the second book in a series, and you'll better understand this book if you read them in order. This book also spoiled events in the first book.
Unfortunately, about a third of this book could have been cut or briefly summarized without changing the story, and the pacing would have been a lot better. The beginning dragged as we're told in people's thoughts (not shown, but told) how the people have been making do and using every last bit of resources with nothing to waste. We're told again and again the details about how every part of an animal was used for food, arrows, condoms, etc. We're not just told that they made winter clothing, we're given details about how it was sewn together. Details about how the manure left behind was handled and how a quick-growing grass spell worked (though this changed by the end, when dung wasn't apparently needed any more and even the rain was diverted). The author obviously put a lot of thought into the logistics of how to move thousands of fictional people in a magical world, but I just found this boring. Just say they made winter clothing, not half a page detailing how, especially as it didn't turn out to matter how they did it.
The Baron wasn't very interesting or realistic, either. Despite the first few sentences, he didn't really seem to struggle to change his ways from Empire ways to fully noble and self-sacrificing. He rarely made mistakes (though we're told why about halfway through) and everyone loved him (or got kicked out of the group). He gave himself pages-long lectures about how a wise leader acts. He and others thought about every last detailed reason why certain actions were or weren't allowed (like not letting the tow horses eat while working). He had a full conversation with one group of people and then went to a new group and repeated that full conversation. Things were just repeated a lot. When he negotiated near the end, he made everything extremely complicated in his thoughts, and I just gave up and skimmed that section rather than try to follow his reasoning.
However, Delia's sections were fun as she learned to use her skills and grew into a responsible adult. The sections with the fights against the odd, magical creatures were interesting as the characters had to think fast and experiment to see what would work. There were no sex scenes. There was a fair amount of bad language.
I received an ebook review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.
Unfortunately, about a third of this book could have been cut or briefly summarized without changing the story, and the pacing would have been a lot better. The beginning dragged as we're told in people's thoughts (not shown, but told) how the people have been making do and using every last bit of resources with nothing to waste. We're told again and again the details about how every part of an animal was used for food, arrows, condoms, etc. We're not just told that they made winter clothing, we're given details about how it was sewn together. Details about how the manure left behind was handled and how a quick-growing grass spell worked (though this changed by the end, when dung wasn't apparently needed any more and even the rain was diverted). The author obviously put a lot of thought into the logistics of how to move thousands of fictional people in a magical world, but I just found this boring. Just say they made winter clothing, not half a page detailing how, especially as it didn't turn out to matter how they did it.
The Baron wasn't very interesting or realistic, either. Despite the first few sentences, he didn't really seem to struggle to change his ways from Empire ways to fully noble and self-sacrificing. He rarely made mistakes (though we're told why about halfway through) and everyone loved him (or got kicked out of the group). He gave himself pages-long lectures about how a wise leader acts. He and others thought about every last detailed reason why certain actions were or weren't allowed (like not letting the tow horses eat while working). He had a full conversation with one group of people and then went to a new group and repeated that full conversation. Things were just repeated a lot. When he negotiated near the end, he made everything extremely complicated in his thoughts, and I just gave up and skimmed that section rather than try to follow his reasoning.
However, Delia's sections were fun as she learned to use her skills and grew into a responsible adult. The sections with the fights against the odd, magical creatures were interesting as the characters had to think fast and experiment to see what would work. There were no sex scenes. There was a fair amount of bad language.
I received an ebook review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.
September 20, 2022
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me access to this ARC. This is my honest review.
INTO THE WEST is a worthy successor to BEYOND; the first book in The Founding of Valdemar. I have been a Mercedes Lackey and Valdemar fan ever since I picked up ARROWS OF THE QUEEN decades ago. I am thrilled to finally get the detail on the hardships Davan mentioned in ARROWS that the Valdemarans went though in their search for a safe "Haven".
The main plot of the book is the struggle the group experiences as they travel through lands that are still experiencing the effects of the Mage Wars. The detail of their travels did get a bit mind-numbing at times but I feel that just drives home how much of an ordeal relocating an entire barony (former dukedom) actually is. The book focuses mostly on Kordas and Delia and their character growth. I really enjoyed seeing how Kordas dealt with all the challenges of keeping the caravan safe while not antagonizing any locals they came across and how his beliefs and concerns will eventually shape the laws of their new land. I liked seeing Delia come into her own as a vital member of the group and finally outgrow her crush on Kordas.
I also enjoyed the surprise meeting towards the end. It really tied together certain encounters in previous books. I can hardly wait for the next book now that they have reached their destination and have to create their kingdom.
The only reason I am giving this book 4 (really 4.5) instead of a full 5 stars is I felt there should have been more development with some of the other characters. From reading ARROWS, we know the names of the first Heralds. I would have liked to have seen more of those characters (at least the adult one) in this book. At least some glimpses of what that person may have that would make them an ideal Herald candidate. Also, the dolls were relegated to more of a support/communication system. It would have been nice to learn more about the individual dolls as their personalities and free-will grew now that they aren't the mere automatons the Empire created.
INTO THE WEST is a worthy successor to BEYOND; the first book in The Founding of Valdemar. I have been a Mercedes Lackey and Valdemar fan ever since I picked up ARROWS OF THE QUEEN decades ago. I am thrilled to finally get the detail on the hardships Davan mentioned in ARROWS that the Valdemarans went though in their search for a safe "Haven".
The main plot of the book is the struggle the group experiences as they travel through lands that are still experiencing the effects of the Mage Wars. The detail of their travels did get a bit mind-numbing at times but I feel that just drives home how much of an ordeal relocating an entire barony (former dukedom) actually is. The book focuses mostly on Kordas and Delia and their character growth. I really enjoyed seeing how Kordas dealt with all the challenges of keeping the caravan safe while not antagonizing any locals they came across and how his beliefs and concerns will eventually shape the laws of their new land. I liked seeing Delia come into her own as a vital member of the group and finally outgrow her crush on Kordas.
I also enjoyed the surprise meeting towards the end. It really tied together certain encounters in previous books. I can hardly wait for the next book now that they have reached their destination and have to create their kingdom.
The only reason I am giving this book 4 (really 4.5) instead of a full 5 stars is I felt there should have been more development with some of the other characters. From reading ARROWS, we know the names of the first Heralds. I would have liked to have seen more of those characters (at least the adult one) in this book. At least some glimpses of what that person may have that would make them an ideal Herald candidate. Also, the dolls were relegated to more of a support/communication system. It would have been nice to learn more about the individual dolls as their personalities and free-will grew now that they aren't the mere automatons the Empire created.
March 26, 2023
If this had been any other author I wouldn’t have even finished this book. But it’s Valdemar … still …
This whole book is full of explanation, as if the reader can’t work anything out for themselves, and the so-called negotiation with the Tayledras was so painful I almost dumped the book then! And why do we suddenly have swearing? This pulled me right out of the Valdemaran world and back into reality. Not why I read these books!
I don’t care so much about the inconsistencies with the early books of the series. I could forgive that if this had been well written, but it isn’t. This book, and too many of the books of recent years, feel more like coming from a rookie writer than from someone with so much experience. I will probably read the next one, just to see how companions are introduced, but I suspect that will be the end of my Valdemaran journey.
1.5 stars
This whole book is full of explanation, as if the reader can’t work anything out for themselves, and the so-called negotiation with the Tayledras was so painful I almost dumped the book then! And why do we suddenly have swearing? This pulled me right out of the Valdemaran world and back into reality. Not why I read these books!
I don’t care so much about the inconsistencies with the early books of the series. I could forgive that if this had been well written, but it isn’t. This book, and too many of the books of recent years, feel more like coming from a rookie writer than from someone with so much experience. I will probably read the next one, just to see how companions are introduced, but I suspect that will be the end of my Valdemaran journey.
1.5 stars
August 22, 2022
We join the Valdemaran exodus already in progress. Baron Valdemar has led his people, and assorted others, into the wilderness to a temporary haven. But there are already people there, and the land can't absorb many more, so they must move on soon. Some choose to return to the Empire rather than face the unknown hardships ahead. Moving nearly 2000 people and at least that many domesticated animals downstream in barges into dangerous territory is not a light undertaken.
For long-time Valdemar fans, who have been awaiting the origin story. Start with the first volume of the sequence.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
For long-time Valdemar fans, who have been awaiting the origin story. Start with the first volume of the sequence.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
April 15, 2024
Second in the Founding of Valdemar fantasy subseries for Young Adult readers revolving around the beginning of the country. It’s but a part of Lackey’s overall Valdemar universe. The focus is on the caravan’s journey through a strange land.
If you're interested, there is a chronological listing of the Valdemar books on my website.
My Take
It’s a Plan that went back several generations, which doesn’t say much for the government’s awareness of the damage they were doing.
I love that the Dolls were self-aware enough to help Kordas back in Beyond , 1. Their “becoming” is even more encouraging and goes toward enhancing Kordas’ character as a compassionate man. It was fascinating to read of how the Dolls are made, their abilities, and their self-awareness. It does explain the vrondi that appear much later in the series.
Kordas’ concern about immediate needs rather than palliative aid for the mentally ill reminds me of Marion Zimmer Bradley’s Darkover, particularly as the characters assess their immediate needs in Darkover Landfall .
Then again, Kordas does prove he’s a politician with some of his actions and talk. Yes, we learn this through Lackey’s use of third person global subjective point-of-view. Kordas’ perspective is the primary POV, but there are other characters whose thoughts, feelings, and actions we experience through their perspectives.
For the first time in their lives, Kordas and Isla can openly claim their children, whom they had been passing off as Hakkon’s bastards. Another freedom in their escape from the Empire is what the mages reveal to Kordas.
There’s such a beautiful sharing and exchange of aid and information. Including that nicely done info dump related by the Tayledras about their past. This includes a summary of the Mage Wars, and we learn of the creation of Lake Evendim. I love the Tayledras emphasis on education and the importance of general knowledge!
I had to laugh. It’s true that we think adventure is a wonder, when it’s actually “cold, mud, or bugs. Usually all three.” It’s definitely an adventure with traps, encounters with angry villagers, internal strifes, striving through unfamiliar, uncivilized lands, unnatural creatures, unexpected reveals of manipulation,
Then again, the aid the Valdemarans get from Pebble only goes to show why befriending different beings is beneficial, lol. Lackey’s depiction of Pebble’s reactions was a crack-up.
Okay, so I’m laughing a lot. Into the West is such a blend of drama, action, tension, inner examination, and fun as it reveals the creation of the Valdemar I love through its characters and their responses to both trouble and those unexpected encounters..
It’s so amazing to see the beginnings of how Valdemar will evolve, and I could wish our own system paid such attention to our own societies. Staying mindful of what’s going badly and then taking care of them. That action reinforcing talk is truth. Presenting the “very best, significant, and understandable examples”, which, I guess, means eliminating most of the news media which promotes its own preferences rather than true truth. Now isn’t that a scary thought, that one has to define “truth”.
Despite the weird words, Into the West is an easy and exciting read. I think I need to re-read it.
The baron’s mission statement is one we should all take to heart: “There is no one, true way.”
The Story
Although many had turned back, Kordas still leads some 15,000 people onward into the unknown West as they float down the Ter’i’le’e.
The Characters
Duke, I mean, Baron Valdemar, Kordas, is not a soft man, but he is a compassionate one. Isla is his supportive wife. Their “nephews” include Little Jon, Restil, and Hakkon. Delia is Isla’s sister with a Fetching Gift and in love with Kordas. Arial is a Valdemaran Gold who has given birth. Delia rides a False Gold. Hakkon, Kordas’ gay cousin and seneschal, has Skydancer, a Valdemar Gold.
Herald Beltran is good with a knife. Ivar and Alberdina Endicrag — she's a healer with knowledge of herbs and more. Bay is Ivar’s black mastiff. Manta is Ivar’s horse, a Charger out of the Grimjack line of Valdemaran horses. Alberdina rides Dandylion, a False Gold. The Page Army is created to give the young ones purpose and is organized by Sol Adrescu, a retired Imperial Army lieutenant. Others in the convoy include Pig, a truffle pig that belongs to Cass Pommery from Coldspring; I think Howler is a herding dog; Hale Lorant is a mayor; Wymat Rai is on the Council; Lord Ashbern; Mrs Gully; Goosecatcher Phobro; Hoggee Ferbrow; and, Grim, who is the horsemaster. The middle-aged Lord Portrain thinks he should have more than those peasants. Lord Hayworth is considering his options.
The Tow-Beasts have all been trained in harness to pull their barges and include Tight Squeeze; Dasha, a False Gold; Sunshine; and, Buttercup. Hoggees are human barge-towing specialists.
Valdemar’s Guard . . .
. . . arose from the caravan’s need for a policing group. Petrof is the oldest Guard. Belkenny is a town in the Duchy of Penrake where former Imperial Master Sergeant Briada Fairweather had been in the Penrake Guard and has two idiot cousins, Bret and Bart, who want to be part of the baron’s scouting party.
Rose is a Doll, named Truthseekers by the Tayledras. Dolls are constructs, intelligent, aware with all knowing what one knows, and enslaved to serve as the backbone of the Imperial Palace’s servant-structure. Part of their construction includes vrondi , Air-spirits. More of the Dolls are naming themselves and include Trout, Cobweb, Ivy, Dern, Amethyst (she’d been a gift to Lady Meriposa from the Emperor), Pansy, Dagger, Panacea, and Peridot.
The Six Old Men are . . .
. . . the primary mages and include the cheerful Dole, Ponu, Wis, Koto, and the twins Ceri and Sai. Jonaton is a very powerful mage, and Sydney is his enormous black cat. Carrot is the mule he rides. The Mender is a young protege of Sai’s who is good with Doll repair; Venidel is Sai’s new apprentice. Endas has trained in things useful for a scout. Pelias is Timon's apprentice. Angia is said to have a knack with plant magic. The mages have all chosen to stay with Kordas and the unknown future — they know how the Empire treats magicians.
Pebble is the baby Earth Elemental the Emperor had imprisoned in Beyond .
Those who left the caravan, for whatever reason include . . .
. . . The Squire with his prize sow, the Empress, has settled in a new village. Donat Benin is the criminal who is exiled. Siman is a mage who will stay with the new village at Crescent Lake.
The Tayledras are . . .
. . . also known as the Hawk brothers who bond with birds. Silvermoon k’Vesla is the leader of his clan. With him are Leafdance; Steelstrike; Cloudcaller, who is one of their mages; Steelrain; Calmwaters, who is a healer; and, Wildwolf, who had been known as Moonmoon. Jelavan, a hertasi, will help guide the Valdemarans. The Star-Eyed is their goddess. A vale is their protected home-place powered by a Heartstone. The tervardi are humanoid birds while the dyheli are a larger version of goats; Akayla is their King Stag. These dyheli are pretty clever at herd management. Ekeles are Tayledras dwellings.
Back in the Empire
Duke Merrin, formerly Lord Merrin, has taken over Kordas’ former home and estate.
Another “conspirator” had been the Earth Elemental seeking vengeance against the Emperor ( Beyond ). Poomers and Spitters are weapons. Change-circles are a trap for living beings, a result of the Mage Wars. The wyrsa are a nasty sort of beast while the maka’ar are flying horrors. The Red Forest, a.k.a. Blood Forest, is almost worse. The Pelagirs is a system of evolving entities that could take over the world. A telcaster is a device that can ensure everyone gets a good view; an illusionarium is a bigger, fancier version. The Ter’i’le’e is the river on which their caravan floats.
Magic Storms marked the end of the Great War five hundred years ago.
Ma’ar’s evolution as an evil mage is recounted. How he singled out small portions of a population and villainized them, made these people sound as if they were “out to get” the majority population. A Hitler, a Putin of their times. Urtho was an Archmage who simply wanted to create wonderful things. The co-existence of Ma’ar and Urtho that led to the Valdemar: Mage Wars.
The Cover and Title
The cover has a rugged prettiness with the baron riding into the wind, his black hair flowing behind him. Dressed in a green embroidered vest and pants and a white shirt, he’s astride one of his Valdemar Golds, carrying a highly decorated crossbow in his gauntleted hands. The background is mostly grays of a dismal journey with orange dragonflies flitting about, a lazy river twining behind him. The author’s name is at the top in white while the title, also in white, is at the bottom. To the right of Kordas’ head is the series info in a deep orange.
The title reflects the escape of the duke and his people, Into the West.
If you're interested, there is a chronological listing of the Valdemar books on my website.
My Take
It’s a Plan that went back several generations, which doesn’t say much for the government’s awareness of the damage they were doing.
I love that the Dolls were self-aware enough to help Kordas back in Beyond , 1. Their “becoming” is even more encouraging and goes toward enhancing Kordas’ character as a compassionate man. It was fascinating to read of how the Dolls are made, their abilities, and their self-awareness. It does explain the vrondi that appear much later in the series.
Kordas’ concern about immediate needs rather than palliative aid for the mentally ill reminds me of Marion Zimmer Bradley’s Darkover, particularly as the characters assess their immediate needs in Darkover Landfall .
Then again, Kordas does prove he’s a politician with some of his actions and talk. Yes, we learn this through Lackey’s use of third person global subjective point-of-view. Kordas’ perspective is the primary POV, but there are other characters whose thoughts, feelings, and actions we experience through their perspectives.
For the first time in their lives, Kordas and Isla can openly claim their children, whom they had been passing off as Hakkon’s bastards. Another freedom in their escape from the Empire is what the mages reveal to Kordas.
There’s such a beautiful sharing and exchange of aid and information. Including that nicely done info dump related by the Tayledras about their past. This includes a summary of the Mage Wars, and we learn of the creation of Lake Evendim. I love the Tayledras emphasis on education and the importance of general knowledge!
”A monarch’s sweetest crop is the quality of his people.”There are character arcs everywhere, from Kordas to Delia who questions her inhibitions, her Gift, and her insecurities;
I had to laugh. It’s true that we think adventure is a wonder, when it’s actually “cold, mud, or bugs. Usually all three.” It’s definitely an adventure with traps, encounters with angry villagers, internal strifes, striving through unfamiliar, uncivilized lands, unnatural creatures, unexpected reveals of manipulation,
Then again, the aid the Valdemarans get from Pebble only goes to show why befriending different beings is beneficial, lol. Lackey’s depiction of Pebble’s reactions was a crack-up.
Okay, so I’m laughing a lot. Into the West is such a blend of drama, action, tension, inner examination, and fun as it reveals the creation of the Valdemar I love through its characters and their responses to both trouble and those unexpected encounters..
It’s so amazing to see the beginnings of how Valdemar will evolve, and I could wish our own system paid such attention to our own societies. Staying mindful of what’s going badly and then taking care of them. That action reinforcing talk is truth. Presenting the “very best, significant, and understandable examples”, which, I guess, means eliminating most of the news media which promotes its own preferences rather than true truth. Now isn’t that a scary thought, that one has to define “truth”.
Despite the weird words, Into the West is an easy and exciting read. I think I need to re-read it.
The baron’s mission statement is one we should all take to heart: “There is no one, true way.”
The Story
Although many had turned back, Kordas still leads some 15,000 people onward into the unknown West as they float down the Ter’i’le’e.
The Characters
Duke, I mean, Baron Valdemar, Kordas, is not a soft man, but he is a compassionate one. Isla is his supportive wife. Their “nephews” include Little Jon, Restil, and Hakkon. Delia is Isla’s sister with a Fetching Gift and in love with Kordas. Arial is a Valdemaran Gold who has given birth. Delia rides a False Gold. Hakkon, Kordas’ gay cousin and seneschal, has Skydancer, a Valdemar Gold.
Herald Beltran is good with a knife. Ivar and Alberdina Endicrag — she's a healer with knowledge of herbs and more. Bay is Ivar’s black mastiff. Manta is Ivar’s horse, a Charger out of the Grimjack line of Valdemaran horses. Alberdina rides Dandylion, a False Gold. The Page Army is created to give the young ones purpose and is organized by Sol Adrescu, a retired Imperial Army lieutenant. Others in the convoy include Pig, a truffle pig that belongs to Cass Pommery from Coldspring; I think Howler is a herding dog; Hale Lorant is a mayor; Wymat Rai is on the Council; Lord Ashbern; Mrs Gully; Goosecatcher Phobro; Hoggee Ferbrow; and, Grim, who is the horsemaster. The middle-aged Lord Portrain thinks he should have more than those peasants. Lord Hayworth is considering his options.
The Tow-Beasts have all been trained in harness to pull their barges and include Tight Squeeze; Dasha, a False Gold; Sunshine; and, Buttercup. Hoggees are human barge-towing specialists.
Valdemar’s Guard . . .
. . . arose from the caravan’s need for a policing group. Petrof is the oldest Guard. Belkenny is a town in the Duchy of Penrake where former Imperial Master Sergeant Briada Fairweather had been in the Penrake Guard and has two idiot cousins, Bret and Bart, who want to be part of the baron’s scouting party.
Rose is a Doll, named Truthseekers by the Tayledras. Dolls are constructs, intelligent, aware with all knowing what one knows, and enslaved to serve as the backbone of the Imperial Palace’s servant-structure. Part of their construction includes vrondi , Air-spirits. More of the Dolls are naming themselves and include Trout, Cobweb, Ivy, Dern, Amethyst (she’d been a gift to Lady Meriposa from the Emperor), Pansy, Dagger, Panacea, and Peridot.
The Six Old Men are . . .
. . . the primary mages and include the cheerful Dole, Ponu, Wis, Koto, and the twins Ceri and Sai. Jonaton is a very powerful mage, and Sydney is his enormous black cat. Carrot is the mule he rides. The Mender is a young protege of Sai’s who is good with Doll repair; Venidel is Sai’s new apprentice. Endas has trained in things useful for a scout. Pelias is Timon's apprentice. Angia is said to have a knack with plant magic. The mages have all chosen to stay with Kordas and the unknown future — they know how the Empire treats magicians.
Pebble is the baby Earth Elemental the Emperor had imprisoned in Beyond .
Those who left the caravan, for whatever reason include . . .
. . . The Squire with his prize sow, the Empress, has settled in a new village. Donat Benin is the criminal who is exiled. Siman is a mage who will stay with the new village at Crescent Lake.
The Tayledras are . . .
. . . also known as the Hawk brothers who bond with birds. Silvermoon k’Vesla is the leader of his clan. With him are Leafdance; Steelstrike; Cloudcaller, who is one of their mages; Steelrain; Calmwaters, who is a healer; and, Wildwolf, who had been known as Moonmoon. Jelavan, a hertasi, will help guide the Valdemarans. The Star-Eyed is their goddess. A vale is their protected home-place powered by a Heartstone. The tervardi are humanoid birds while the dyheli are a larger version of goats; Akayla is their King Stag. These dyheli are pretty clever at herd management. Ekeles are Tayledras dwellings.
Back in the Empire
Duke Merrin, formerly Lord Merrin, has taken over Kordas’ former home and estate.
Another “conspirator” had been the Earth Elemental seeking vengeance against the Emperor ( Beyond ). Poomers and Spitters are weapons. Change-circles are a trap for living beings, a result of the Mage Wars. The wyrsa are a nasty sort of beast while the maka’ar are flying horrors. The Red Forest, a.k.a. Blood Forest, is almost worse. The Pelagirs is a system of evolving entities that could take over the world. A telcaster is a device that can ensure everyone gets a good view; an illusionarium is a bigger, fancier version. The Ter’i’le’e is the river on which their caravan floats.
Magic Storms marked the end of the Great War five hundred years ago.
Ma’ar’s evolution as an evil mage is recounted. How he singled out small portions of a population and villainized them, made these people sound as if they were “out to get” the majority population. A Hitler, a Putin of their times. Urtho was an Archmage who simply wanted to create wonderful things. The co-existence of Ma’ar and Urtho that led to the Valdemar: Mage Wars.
The Cover and Title
The cover has a rugged prettiness with the baron riding into the wind, his black hair flowing behind him. Dressed in a green embroidered vest and pants and a white shirt, he’s astride one of his Valdemar Golds, carrying a highly decorated crossbow in his gauntleted hands. The background is mostly grays of a dismal journey with orange dragonflies flitting about, a lazy river twining behind him. The author’s name is at the top in white while the title, also in white, is at the bottom. To the right of Kordas’ head is the series info in a deep orange.
The title reflects the escape of the duke and his people, Into the West.
December 19, 2022
I received an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
I've been reading Lackey since 1991, and this trilogy is a story I've been waiting for since 1991. As the second book in the trilogy, Into The West has to bridge "we ran from the Empire" to "We ended up with magical horses", which is a pretty big jump, but it succeeds. Starting out, the 15,000 refugees (holy cow that's a lot) are coming to grips with not being able to stay on the shores of the lake they've landed at (I kept thinking it was Lake Evendim, but it's not, it's crescent-shaped?), and they must continue their journey along the river, heading northwest. The book focuses on two characters-- Baron Kordas Valdemar, the leader of this group, and his young sister-in-law, Delia, who's been sent ahead with the scouts to make sure the way forward is safe.
The first half of this book was kind of slow to me-- the chapters are longer than what I'm used to (I've been reading a ton of romance), and it felt very small, even as it's thousands of people taking the biggest journey of their lives. But once the caravan got moving, and the Tayledras showed up, it got fun. I have to point out that Lackey has definitely recognized and incorporated changing social mores and standards when it comes to indigenous characters (or those who don't read as the dominant culture), but it still felt a little off to me-- there's some "Here Is The Correct Way To Be Respectful" stuff that seemed awkward, but it didn't slow me down. As the book closes, there are things familiar to long-time readers starting to appear, and I'm so excited for the third book. This series is a must-read for longtime Lackey fans, but for new readers, I would suggest reading the books in publishing order instead.
(and while I got an advance digital copy, I still purchased a hardcover copy, because I was hoping for a map and there wasn't one. I'll spend my time poring over pixelated maps online until the next book comes!)
I've been reading Lackey since 1991, and this trilogy is a story I've been waiting for since 1991. As the second book in the trilogy, Into The West has to bridge "we ran from the Empire" to "We ended up with magical horses", which is a pretty big jump, but it succeeds. Starting out, the 15,000 refugees (holy cow that's a lot) are coming to grips with not being able to stay on the shores of the lake they've landed at (I kept thinking it was Lake Evendim, but it's not, it's crescent-shaped?), and they must continue their journey along the river, heading northwest. The book focuses on two characters-- Baron Kordas Valdemar, the leader of this group, and his young sister-in-law, Delia, who's been sent ahead with the scouts to make sure the way forward is safe.
The first half of this book was kind of slow to me-- the chapters are longer than what I'm used to (I've been reading a ton of romance), and it felt very small, even as it's thousands of people taking the biggest journey of their lives. But once the caravan got moving, and the Tayledras showed up, it got fun. I have to point out that Lackey has definitely recognized and incorporated changing social mores and standards when it comes to indigenous characters (or those who don't read as the dominant culture), but it still felt a little off to me-- there's some "Here Is The Correct Way To Be Respectful" stuff that seemed awkward, but it didn't slow me down. As the book closes, there are things familiar to long-time readers starting to appear, and I'm so excited for the third book. This series is a must-read for longtime Lackey fans, but for new readers, I would suggest reading the books in publishing order instead.
(and while I got an advance digital copy, I still purchased a hardcover copy, because I was hoping for a map and there wasn't one. I'll spend my time poring over pixelated maps online until the next book comes!)
March 7, 2023
I do like this series and have for many years. I’m glad there’s so many books and can’t wait for the next one.
September 10, 2022
I received a copy of this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This year I decided to re-read all of my childhood Valdemar favourites and the new(ish) books in the series, so I was ecstatic when I saw I was approved for an ARC of INTO THE WEST. One of the great things about reading an entire series spanning multiple decades of work is that you can see how the author's style has grown over time, the evolution of their storytelling and the growth of the world they've built.
INTO THE WEST answers questions I've had since I first picked up ARROWS OF THE QUEEN as a preteen, in a more sophisticated and less problematic way than the earliest novels in the series. In BEYOND we learned how Baron Valdemar left the Empire and in INTO THE WEST
I've been in love with Valdemar and its denizens for over 20 years and am so happy to see it continue to flourish.
This year I decided to re-read all of my childhood Valdemar favourites and the new(ish) books in the series, so I was ecstatic when I saw I was approved for an ARC of INTO THE WEST. One of the great things about reading an entire series spanning multiple decades of work is that you can see how the author's style has grown over time, the evolution of their storytelling and the growth of the world they've built.
INTO THE WEST answers questions I've had since I first picked up ARROWS OF THE QUEEN as a preteen, in a more sophisticated and less problematic way than the earliest novels in the series. In BEYOND we learned how Baron Valdemar left the Empire and in INTO THE WEST
I've been in love with Valdemar and its denizens for over 20 years and am so happy to see it continue to flourish.
May 6, 2023
Listened. "I can't believe I ate that whole thing." Definitely needed mental Alka-Seltzer after finishing this, because man, it was bad. Should have quit after the first hour, but decided I'd stick it out regardless. Musta been feeling masochistic. Unending telling rather than showing. Unending pretentiously pompous self-congratulatory half-assed introspection. Unending supply of irrelevant and 1-dimensional characters. Unending nothingness of a plot. Unending blah, blah, blah. Just really, really bad. Like a first attempt at fan-fiction by a 6th grader, or by a beta version of ChatGPT that had only been fed fan-fiction by 6th graders. Actually it couldn't have been masochism, 'cause there was absolutely not a drop of pleasure in the whole thing.
January 14, 2023
There are good moments. But it's very very middle-book-of-a-trilogy, with lots of discussion of how to move a convoy of several thousand people through uncharted territory, discussions of food and dealing with livestock and scouting, and the occasional monster attack to liven things up. And speeches. Several speeches about how we all need to work together and live together and trust each other and There Is No One True Way.
December 28, 2022
Yep, this was a good book. It had everything I was hoping for and more. A few points that were important to me;
- The pacing felt better than it has in other books by Lackey. I used to find that the books would be too slow up until the very last 1/4 of the book. This time around, I found maybe the first 1/3 a bit slow. Too much internal dialogue and mundane descriptions but I'll chalk it up to "there's not much else to talk about at this time". After this though, Lackey really picks up the pace and threw some action at us midway through that I wasn't expecting. The last 4-5 chapters are not easy to put down as we get another increase in action. Overall I am happy with the direction Lackey is taking regarding the pacing of her novels.
- Throughout the entire book I found myself highlighting little bits of Lore. I've read most of the early Valdimar books and to see mentions of the Mage Wars, characters from other books, Border Boundaries and some monsters making another appearance was super fun. Nothing felt like it was forced into the story to fit the narrative of the greater "Valdimar" timeline and that's not an easy thing to accomplish.
- I think my least favourite part of the book was Delia and her insufferable crush on Kordas. This bothers me in Beyond, and it didn't go away. I'm not sure why it needed to be pushed into the spotlight but I'm glad we seem to be through with the idea now.
- My favourite characters were the Dolls and I think the ending did a good job for setting up Book 3 (if we get one) and Ive already enjoyed theorizing what's going to happen next, based on what I already know.
- The pacing felt better than it has in other books by Lackey. I used to find that the books would be too slow up until the very last 1/4 of the book. This time around, I found maybe the first 1/3 a bit slow. Too much internal dialogue and mundane descriptions but I'll chalk it up to "there's not much else to talk about at this time". After this though, Lackey really picks up the pace and threw some action at us midway through that I wasn't expecting. The last 4-5 chapters are not easy to put down as we get another increase in action. Overall I am happy with the direction Lackey is taking regarding the pacing of her novels.
- Throughout the entire book I found myself highlighting little bits of Lore. I've read most of the early Valdimar books and to see mentions of the Mage Wars, characters from other books, Border Boundaries and some monsters making another appearance was super fun. Nothing felt like it was forced into the story to fit the narrative of the greater "Valdimar" timeline and that's not an easy thing to accomplish.
- I think my least favourite part of the book was Delia and her insufferable crush on Kordas. This bothers me in Beyond, and it didn't go away. I'm not sure why it needed to be pushed into the spotlight but I'm glad we seem to be through with the idea now.
- My favourite characters were the Dolls and I think the ending did a good job for setting up Book 3 (if we get one) and Ive already enjoyed theorizing what's going to happen next, based on what I already know.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 12, 2024
The search for a homeland continues in the second book of the trilogy and it is no easy task as it requires a lot of thought and the arrangement of thousands of details. Fortunately, here and there comes the attack of thousands of demonic creatures and the routine is broken. These are all interesting and add a lot of cool stuff to the fable but I feel like the trilogy maintains a procedural tone, as if this book was written just because it had to be written. Of course, this intention is good but I think there are some things missing that would make this book other than highly informative and highly engaging.
Η αναζήτηση μιας πατρίδας συνεχίζεται στο δεύτερο βιβλίο της τριλογίας και δεν είναι καθόλου εύκολη υπόθεση καθώς απαιτεί πολύ σκέψη και τη διευθέτηση χιλιάδων λεπτομερειών. Ευτυχώς, που και που έρχεται η επίθεση χιλιάδων δαιμονικών πλασμάτων και σπάει η ρουτίνα. Όλα αυτά είναι ενδιαφέροντα και προσθέτουν πολλά ωραία πράγματα στον μύθο αλλά έχω την αίσθηση ότι η τριλογία διατηρεί έναν διεκπεραιωτικό τόνο, σαν αυτό το βιβλίο να γράφτηκε μόνο γιατί έπρεπε να γραφτεί. Φυσικά, αυτή η πρόθεση είναι καλή αλλά νομίζω ότι λείπουν κάποια πράγματα που θα έκανα αυτό το βιβλίο εκτός από ιδιαίτερα ενημερωτικό και ιδιαίτερα συναρπαστικό.
Η αναζήτηση μιας πατρίδας συνεχίζεται στο δεύτερο βιβλίο της τριλογίας και δεν είναι καθόλου εύκολη υπόθεση καθώς απαιτεί πολύ σκέψη και τη διευθέτηση χιλιάδων λεπτομερειών. Ευτυχώς, που και που έρχεται η επίθεση χιλιάδων δαιμονικών πλασμάτων και σπάει η ρουτίνα. Όλα αυτά είναι ενδιαφέροντα και προσθέτουν πολλά ωραία πράγματα στον μύθο αλλά έχω την αίσθηση ότι η τριλογία διατηρεί έναν διεκπεραιωτικό τόνο, σαν αυτό το βιβλίο να γράφτηκε μόνο γιατί έπρεπε να γραφτεί. Φυσικά, αυτή η πρόθεση είναι καλή αλλά νομίζω ότι λείπουν κάποια πράγματα που θα έκανα αυτό το βιβλίο εκτός από ιδιαίτερα ενημερωτικό και ιδιαίτερα συναρπαστικό.
October 31, 2024
I'm loving this origin story. I've wanted to hear about Valdemar's founding since I started reading these books an eon ago in the 90's. Sure this is a slightly slower story as a large section of the book is the final preparations to start their journey into the unknown and then the trek to move thousands of people across the land to who knows where. I was still fascinated by what it took to move all of those people
Of course the minute that they run into the Hawkbrothers thinks start picking up pace pretty quickly and the last quarter to a third of the book kicks things into high gear. I appreciate that Kordas is human in these stories. He desperately wants to be a good leader and take care of his people. He takes on everything as his responsibility, but he's fallible and he agonizes over decisions. At his core though Kordas is a good man and it shines through his actions. It's understandable why people would want to help him because he isn't going to ever take the easy route just because it's easier, but instead is going to do what's right even if it makes things harder. Delia also grows a lot in this story. It was lovely to see her start to come into her own and realize her own strengths. She is starting to move away from the spoiled nobleman's daughter into a woman who recognizes and values the contributions that only she can make.
I'm loving seeing how things began for Valdemar and I'm almost giddy thinking about the next book in the series. That book is going to be the one that hopefully gives a long standing fan of this series the secret answers I've been dreaming of for years.
Of course the minute that they run into the Hawkbrothers thinks start picking up pace pretty quickly and the last quarter to a third of the book kicks things into high gear. I appreciate that Kordas is human in these stories. He desperately wants to be a good leader and take care of his people. He takes on everything as his responsibility, but he's fallible and he agonizes over decisions. At his core though Kordas is a good man and it shines through his actions. It's understandable why people would want to help him because he isn't going to ever take the easy route just because it's easier, but instead is going to do what's right even if it makes things harder. Delia also grows a lot in this story. It was lovely to see her start to come into her own and realize her own strengths. She is starting to move away from the spoiled nobleman's daughter into a woman who recognizes and values the contributions that only she can make.
I'm loving seeing how things began for Valdemar and I'm almost giddy thinking about the next book in the series. That book is going to be the one that hopefully gives a long standing fan of this series the secret answers I've been dreaming of for years.
January 10, 2023
Kordas Valdemar has fulfilled his father's and grandfather's dream of escaping from the empire with all of the people that wanted to go with him plus all the dolls that have vourondi's in them that were forced to be servants in the empire, promising to figure out a way to free them.
They are all camped out on the site that was found for them to gate to. Living in the barges they brought with them is cramped but for the first time Kordas and Isla are getting to be parents to their 3 sons. Isla's sister Delia is living with them and it's becoming obvious to Kordas that she has a big crush on him so when they setup a crew to gate out looking for that perfect place for all of them to settle in, he has to send her with the group going before she causes problems for him and his wife.
After the group set out, the rest of the group needs to get ready to leave crescent lake. Some people don't want to go on and some others want to stay there so they send those back before they pull down the gate and head out.
I'm not going to try and cover everything that happens in the 500+ pages, there's areas that drag some and other areas that might remind you as it did me of the political problems of today. And when you get to the last 100 pages or so be ready for a surprise.
Overall, I was surprised that Ms. Lackey is using language that she hasn't used before in her Valdemar books and I think it took away from the book, it wasn't necessary.
They are all camped out on the site that was found for them to gate to. Living in the barges they brought with them is cramped but for the first time Kordas and Isla are getting to be parents to their 3 sons. Isla's sister Delia is living with them and it's becoming obvious to Kordas that she has a big crush on him so when they setup a crew to gate out looking for that perfect place for all of them to settle in, he has to send her with the group going before she causes problems for him and his wife.
After the group set out, the rest of the group needs to get ready to leave crescent lake. Some people don't want to go on and some others want to stay there so they send those back before they pull down the gate and head out.
I'm not going to try and cover everything that happens in the 500+ pages, there's areas that drag some and other areas that might remind you as it did me of the political problems of today. And when you get to the last 100 pages or so be ready for a surprise.
Overall, I was surprised that Ms. Lackey is using language that she hasn't used before in her Valdemar books and I think it took away from the book, it wasn't necessary.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 22, 2023
Meh. I enjoyed it fine, but less than even the previous book. I thought I would enjoy it more once they got into the wilderness wracked by mage wars, but there was so much of the tedious parts of the journey, that the exciting action parts felt a packed together. It was weird to me how the main Doll assistant from the previous book (Star) was barely even present in this book and a different one (Rose) became the main assistant who was growing a personality. I liked Delia's character development, though there was still a lot of inconsistency going between incompetent and competent at things, between mature 19 year old to giggling running kid, loving a thing to hating it. This book had a ton of continuity errors, from wrong names to awkward timelines to people-counting, to contradictory character descriptions, it made slow going as I had to re-read a lot. And the ending was unsatisfying, it felt retconned to have the Tayledras swoop in and all the negotiations somehow done by only 2 people all by themselves with no one the wiser.
February 11, 2023
Oh, I deeply, truly enjoyed this. It is a low-conflict book -- not a no-conflict book, but it's a man-vs-nature story, where nature might also be possessed by evil magics, so the conflict is less focused and human than the first book.
A lot of this book is a sort of survival slice of life. It's often gentle about it, though it doesn't shy away from the nitty gritty, and the moments of horror that do come are extremely horrific.
More to the point, though -- the first book was about justified anger at the spoiled 1% who are harming those around them because they 'got theirs', and was very much an early pandemic book. This book is a natural follow-up: it is a kind book about the fact that even if the compassionate choices one makes in the moment don't have immediate obvious outcomes, they MATTER, both to those who are treated compassionately and those who value compassion as a whole, and that kindness has rewards no matter how hard it can be. It seems at places like a lot of things (though certainly not all) are handed to the characters -- but they are only handed as a direct result of hard work and a deliberate choice to repeatedly be kind and empathetic, and thus ultimately ARE based on the characters' actions.
It has -- barring a few sections, which have some intense and really great action-horror (I stan an evil monster forest, you know I do) -- a generally soft cozy feeling, where it is a bit more about the close-up choices in the moment about how to farm and what to do to care for animals and our people, the necessities around hunting, etc. Go in embracing that and you'll love it. And -- the ending is a culmination of many things with great action and powerful emotions and I'm not embarrassed to admit I cried.
4.5 stars, rounded up.
ETA: Hey, in retrospect though, where's Star????
A lot of this book is a sort of survival slice of life. It's often gentle about it, though it doesn't shy away from the nitty gritty, and the moments of horror that do come are extremely horrific.
More to the point, though -- the first book was about justified anger at the spoiled 1% who are harming those around them because they 'got theirs', and was very much an early pandemic book. This book is a natural follow-up: it is a kind book about the fact that even if the compassionate choices one makes in the moment don't have immediate obvious outcomes, they MATTER, both to those who are treated compassionately and those who value compassion as a whole, and that kindness has rewards no matter how hard it can be. It seems at places like a lot of things (though certainly not all) are handed to the characters -- but they are only handed as a direct result of hard work and a deliberate choice to repeatedly be kind and empathetic, and thus ultimately ARE based on the characters' actions.
It has -- barring a few sections, which have some intense and really great action-horror (I stan an evil monster forest, you know I do) -- a generally soft cozy feeling, where it is a bit more about the close-up choices in the moment about how to farm and what to do to care for animals and our people, the necessities around hunting, etc. Go in embracing that and you'll love it. And -- the ending is a culmination of many things with great action and powerful emotions and I'm not embarrassed to admit I cried.
4.5 stars, rounded up.
ETA: Hey, in retrospect though, where's Star????
January 19, 2024
I found this book pretty boring. There was too much detail about things I didn’t care about (like how high the grass grows, how people divided themselves up between barges, etc) and I got tired of Kordas moaning all the time, constantly second guessing himself. Even the old mages and Isla got tired of it.
I loved hearing more about how the refugees went about finding a safe place to settle. There were some interesting parts in the book, how they fight against the red forest, the gates, meeting the Taylendras and so on. The book could’ve taken a lot of the excruciating detail and stuck it in an addendum at the back but I realize it was needed to fill out the book.
I liked the storyline with the Dolls.
The other thing that made the book less fun to read was the lack of a romance. I was expecting Delia to meet someone and see the beginnings of a lasting romance. I hope she gets her HEA in the next book.
I loved hearing more about how the refugees went about finding a safe place to settle. There were some interesting parts in the book, how they fight against the red forest, the gates, meeting the Taylendras and so on. The book could’ve taken a lot of the excruciating detail and stuck it in an addendum at the back but I realize it was needed to fill out the book.
I liked the storyline with the Dolls.
The other thing that made the book less fun to read was the lack of a romance. I was expecting Delia to meet someone and see the beginnings of a lasting romance. I hope she gets her HEA in the next book.
May 16, 2024
Wish she knew where she was going.
Let's start off with what is good about this book. The characters are good, you get to spend more time with them after caring about them in the first book, and the crises they face are epic and well fought.
However... Just like Kordas, the author has no idea where she wants to take the people of Valdemar. The scouting was good, but the story was aimless, and all she wanted you to know was that they were NOT going to be like the Empire.
So a lot of the book devolves into preaching about the joy of freedom, avoiding being a tyrant, and how heavy weighs the crown. When she ran out of that, she pulled a deus ex machina, and got them where they needed to go. I'm not enthusiastic about the next book.
Let's start off with what is good about this book. The characters are good, you get to spend more time with them after caring about them in the first book, and the crises they face are epic and well fought.
However... Just like Kordas, the author has no idea where she wants to take the people of Valdemar. The scouting was good, but the story was aimless, and all she wanted you to know was that they were NOT going to be like the Empire.
So a lot of the book devolves into preaching about the joy of freedom, avoiding being a tyrant, and how heavy weighs the crown. When she ran out of that, she pulled a deus ex machina, and got them where they needed to go. I'm not enthusiastic about the next book.
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