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Valdemar: Mage Storms #3
Storm Breaking
In the conclusion of the Mage Storms trilogy, the Western lands try to devise a new system of magic in place of the ancient forces that once threatened them in order to fend off an assault by the Eastern Empire.
Led by Karal, Karsite Sunpriest and delegate to the Valdemaran Court, and the Adepts Firesong and An'desha, have traveled deep into the Dorisha Plains to locate the ancient ruins of the Tower of Urtho, Mage of Silence, creator of the gryphons. Legend has it that below the Tower, deeply buried beneath the plains, is Urtho's Vault, hidden stronghold of some of the most powerful magical weapons ever devised--weapons that Urtho himself felt were too dangerous to use. Wit the help of the Shin'a'in plainsmen, they have successfully excavated this ancient aresenal, and risked their lives triggering one of these antique but potent tools of death to unleash a monstrous burst of mage-energy. With this explosion of magical power, Karal, Firesong, and their companions have temporarily counteracted the ever-increasing waves of the mage storms. But they know that the desperate action will not save them--they have bought themselves precious time, but are still far from a permanent solution.
They know that the mage storms are an "echo" through time of the prehistoric Cataclysm which destroyed Urtho's Tower, created the vast and barren Dorisha Plains, and permanently warped their world more than two thousand years ago. And they also know that if they don't find a way to banish these magical vibrarions they will culminate in another Cataclysm--this time destroying their world for good.
The Vault is not the only thing buried for centuries below the Dorisha Plains, and camped in the ruins of what once was the workplace of the most ingenious mage their world has ever known, the desperate allies soon come to realize that their solution may lie beneath the dust at their feet. The saving of their world just might be accomplished by whe work of a man who has been dead for millennia!
448 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 1996
196 people are currently reading
2344 people want to read
About the author
Mercedes Lackey
440 books9,489 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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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 155 reviews
September 24, 2007
It seems that the best character in this trilogy, Duke Tremane, has been reduced to a sad and pitifully stupid character, fallen from the great heights of an excellent military leader-- an excellent military leader that made the fatal mistake of attempting to deal in politics against the Valdemarians.
I wanted him to be Chosen. I wanted the Heralds to ask the difficult questions of the meaning of their morality now that there is this bad, bad man in their ranks. I wanted the problems to be solved politically, not religiously. With the creation of Tremane, this series had a very good chance at complexity-- only Lackey lazily dropped him and all the possibilities he represented for formulaic certainties. He vanishes from the story almost as if she forgot that he even existed. I was so upset by this lsot opportunity that even the gentle loveliness of Karal and his friends weren't enough to counter balance the obnoxiousness of everyone else in the book. As can be seen in my review of volume 2, I can't see Tremane as a bad or unworthy man. Flawed. Yes. Capable of misjudgment and mistakes-- but he owns up to his mistakes and works around them.
Lackey has her Companions smugly assuring Elspeth that, no, rest assured they're in no danger of him ever being chosen-- they are free of the possible taint of him ever entering the Heraldic ranks. I find this condescendingly insulting, unbearably smug, and completely unfair. I don't care that he came from the supposed bad guys (who have made so little appearance except for a few "Mwuahahaha I'mma keel j00!" style three second cameos in past books that I have very little sense of whether they even are good or bad or neutral.) -- half the people from Karse came from the bad guys who's badness we've been showed repeatedly and in detail. I don't care that he's imperialistic, and is obviously political minded.
It didn't matter that Tremane spent two volumes being as good of a person and leader as he could under terrible and confusing circumstances. It didn't matter that he even acknowledges other religions and tries to work with the peoples' wishes as much as possible within the sets of rules and laws he understands and believes to be best. It didn't matter that we are not given any real backstory to decide whether or not Tremane was either a good or bad man. The fact that he had a man killed with the intent of protecting his own people-- even going so much as admitting that he had misread the situation and was willing to make reparations-- he was too tainted to be a good man. As I read scene after smugly moral scene, I had no choice to interpret it as thus: The god chosen are more special to the gods than the mere mortal man -- even if one is trying his best to be morally upright and good -- because trying is useless. The taint of survival and expediency is unforgivable and in this world, there is no forgiveness unless you're a Herald. Or possibly blessed by Heraldic intercession. Fine, if that's what Lackey intended-- but she won't be able to sell me the idea that this is a particularly good world to live in.
As for the rest of this book-- this book was formulaic, the characters spent too much time repetitively affirming each others' moral decisions and condemnation. It had too many characters and, in the end, with the ridiculous addition of some old 'surprise' cameo appearances that didn't seem all that surprising in retrospect, it became plain anti-climatic.
Book 2 left me with an impending sense of doom. This last volume simply left a bad taste in my mouth.
I wanted him to be Chosen. I wanted the Heralds to ask the difficult questions of the meaning of their morality now that there is this bad, bad man in their ranks. I wanted the problems to be solved politically, not religiously. With the creation of Tremane, this series had a very good chance at complexity-- only Lackey lazily dropped him and all the possibilities he represented for formulaic certainties. He vanishes from the story almost as if she forgot that he even existed. I was so upset by this lsot opportunity that even the gentle loveliness of Karal and his friends weren't enough to counter balance the obnoxiousness of everyone else in the book. As can be seen in my review of volume 2, I can't see Tremane as a bad or unworthy man. Flawed. Yes. Capable of misjudgment and mistakes-- but he owns up to his mistakes and works around them.
Lackey has her Companions smugly assuring Elspeth that, no, rest assured they're in no danger of him ever being chosen-- they are free of the possible taint of him ever entering the Heraldic ranks. I find this condescendingly insulting, unbearably smug, and completely unfair. I don't care that he came from the supposed bad guys (who have made so little appearance except for a few "Mwuahahaha I'mma keel j00!" style three second cameos in past books that I have very little sense of whether they even are good or bad or neutral.) -- half the people from Karse came from the bad guys who's badness we've been showed repeatedly and in detail. I don't care that he's imperialistic, and is obviously political minded.
It didn't matter that Tremane spent two volumes being as good of a person and leader as he could under terrible and confusing circumstances. It didn't matter that he even acknowledges other religions and tries to work with the peoples' wishes as much as possible within the sets of rules and laws he understands and believes to be best. It didn't matter that we are not given any real backstory to decide whether or not Tremane was either a good or bad man. The fact that he had a man killed with the intent of protecting his own people-- even going so much as admitting that he had misread the situation and was willing to make reparations-- he was too tainted to be a good man. As I read scene after smugly moral scene, I had no choice to interpret it as thus: The god chosen are more special to the gods than the mere mortal man -- even if one is trying his best to be morally upright and good -- because trying is useless. The taint of survival and expediency is unforgivable and in this world, there is no forgiveness unless you're a Herald. Or possibly blessed by Heraldic intercession. Fine, if that's what Lackey intended-- but she won't be able to sell me the idea that this is a particularly good world to live in.
As for the rest of this book-- this book was formulaic, the characters spent too much time repetitively affirming each others' moral decisions and condemnation. It had too many characters and, in the end, with the ridiculous addition of some old 'surprise' cameo appearances that didn't seem all that surprising in retrospect, it became plain anti-climatic.
Book 2 left me with an impending sense of doom. This last volume simply left a bad taste in my mouth.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 27, 2019
I read this about 5 years ago and it appears I liked it less this time. I felt it dragged for most of the book up until around page 320 or so. And there was a lot of magic double talk that was confusing. I wish Lackey had had a cast of characters and who they were as well as a dictionary so I could keep the different factions, tribes, whatever, straight. The book was confusing. Also, I didn't like the end much. Yes, I cried. And was it just me? Did I miss something or did Baron Melles get away with everything he did and became Emperor? I kept waiting for him to get his just desserts.
I lowered my original rating from a 4 to a 3. This book must be read in order of the trilogy. As to where it fits within the Valdemaran books, I would say you might be better off reading the Arrows of the Queen trilogy to get more back story on Elspeth as well as the books with Elspeth and Firesong, Need, Mornelithe Falconsbane and Darkwind ("Winds of..."). Not necessary but it makes this trilogy much richer.
*****
It's strange, I think the trilogy with Elspeth is better overall (the Mage Winds trilogy), perhaps more even, but there is so much to like about this book, this trilogy. I think there are elements in this trilogy that are great (I'll get to that later).
Parts of it were slow and tedious in my opinion, there were things that weren't explained well, didn't make sense, were inconsistant (or at least appeared that way). I got tired of it being stated that Karal felt useless. I got tired of the Shin'a'in proverb about being careful what you ask for. They might have mentioned it at least four times in the book.
On page 46 when An'desha is speaking to Firesong, about Karal he says light-heartedly that Karal is "occasionally bigoted." That really comes out of the blue and sounds harsh and unecessary. Maybe in answer to some criticisms that Karal seems too perfect? That one really rubbed me the wrong way, it was so jarring.
Elspeth... in this book she just pi$$e$ me off. She's so arrogant, and b*tchy. Arrogant in particular on page 56, and b*tchy regarding Tremane maybe starting in the middle of the book.
Religion. While it was kind of cool to see the variety of religion in the books, I really got tired of it, it was or became heavy-handed. And there was too much divine intervention. It make things too easy in a way.
Florian and Karal. I don't know if this is good or bad. Karal was Florian's Chosen for all intents and purposes. Karal should have been chosen. But he wasn't. Even though the Companions are mystical, there doesn't seem to be any particular god involved just individuals that are able to be reincarnated if they choose and retain their memories, and control things from behind the scenes to some degree. But I think he couldn't technically be chosen because he already belonged to Vykandes, so he was unoffically chosen.
The best things about the book:
- Tremane. I love this character. Yeah, I know some things that were going to happen were too perfect in a sense, but I really love how Tremane winds up in Hardorn and what happens to him there.
- The Empire, etc. I really loved how this series showed how other countries acted, worked, thought in comparison to the Valdemar we know. The Empire was especially well done, well fleshed out but then it needed to be.
- The scale of what is happening to whom, and why. The variety of peoples working together and how they came to be working together. I loved the scale of the story.
- Solaris. She's not a favorite character, but I really came to like her at the end.
As I was reading the last pages finding out what happens to who, the aftermath of what's done or not, and then was done and put the book down, I really felt a sense of loss. I liked those characters, I liked them working together from disparate backgrounds and to find out what happens to them, where they go and what they do after what's done is done... I was thinking, "No...!" I guess I just don't like goodbyes.
So, bits of really great stuff, but certainly at times slow, uneven, confusing. Certainly worth reading.
I'll liking be reading the Arrows series with Talia (that came before this trilogy or the Mage Wars trilogy). I remember loving that one. I suspect when I'm done I won't be able to pick a favorite trilogy among the three. Then I'll be off to read the Gryphon trilogy or revisit the Vanyel trilogy to see if I still like it as much as I recall.
I lowered my original rating from a 4 to a 3. This book must be read in order of the trilogy. As to where it fits within the Valdemaran books, I would say you might be better off reading the Arrows of the Queen trilogy to get more back story on Elspeth as well as the books with Elspeth and Firesong, Need, Mornelithe Falconsbane and Darkwind ("Winds of..."). Not necessary but it makes this trilogy much richer.
*****
It's strange, I think the trilogy with Elspeth is better overall (the Mage Winds trilogy), perhaps more even, but there is so much to like about this book, this trilogy. I think there are elements in this trilogy that are great (I'll get to that later).
Parts of it were slow and tedious in my opinion, there were things that weren't explained well, didn't make sense, were inconsistant (or at least appeared that way). I got tired of it being stated that Karal felt useless. I got tired of the Shin'a'in proverb about being careful what you ask for. They might have mentioned it at least four times in the book.
On page 46 when An'desha is speaking to Firesong, about Karal he says light-heartedly that Karal is "occasionally bigoted." That really comes out of the blue and sounds harsh and unecessary. Maybe in answer to some criticisms that Karal seems too perfect? That one really rubbed me the wrong way, it was so jarring.
Elspeth... in this book she just pi$$e$ me off. She's so arrogant, and b*tchy. Arrogant in particular on page 56, and b*tchy regarding Tremane maybe starting in the middle of the book.
Religion. While it was kind of cool to see the variety of religion in the books, I really got tired of it, it was or became heavy-handed. And there was too much divine intervention. It make things too easy in a way.
Florian and Karal. I don't know if this is good or bad. Karal was Florian's Chosen for all intents and purposes. Karal should have been chosen. But he wasn't. Even though the Companions are mystical, there doesn't seem to be any particular god involved just individuals that are able to be reincarnated if they choose and retain their memories, and control things from behind the scenes to some degree. But I think he couldn't technically be chosen because he already belonged to Vykandes, so he was unoffically chosen.
The best things about the book:
- Tremane. I love this character. Yeah, I know some things that were going to happen were too perfect in a sense, but I really love how Tremane winds up in Hardorn and what happens to him there.
- The Empire, etc. I really loved how this series showed how other countries acted, worked, thought in comparison to the Valdemar we know. The Empire was especially well done, well fleshed out but then it needed to be.
- The scale of what is happening to whom, and why. The variety of peoples working together and how they came to be working together. I loved the scale of the story.
- Solaris. She's not a favorite character, but I really came to like her at the end.
As I was reading the last pages finding out what happens to who, the aftermath of what's done or not, and then was done and put the book down, I really felt a sense of loss. I liked those characters, I liked them working together from disparate backgrounds and to find out what happens to them, where they go and what they do after what's done is done... I was thinking, "No...!" I guess I just don't like goodbyes.
So, bits of really great stuff, but certainly at times slow, uneven, confusing. Certainly worth reading.
I'll liking be reading the Arrows series with Talia (that came before this trilogy or the Mage Wars trilogy). I remember loving that one. I suspect when I'm done I won't be able to pick a favorite trilogy among the three. Then I'll be off to read the Gryphon trilogy or revisit the Vanyel trilogy to see if I still like it as much as I recall.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 26, 2019
//19-//2019 Re-read 4-4.5 stars
Misty is my 2nd fav author. Misty's Valdemar is one of my fav series. I read this book a very long time ago. This was my 1st Re-read of the book. I remember being shocked and excited during my 1st read. I loved meeting and learning about Firecats, which are like Companions. I adored seeing gryphons and kyree as well as the other races.
The Re-read was nice.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Spoilers:
Note to Self:
An'desha shena Jor'ethan(15yo,Sorcerer-Mage,half Shin'a'in,run away,former host to Ma'ar,pal)+ Firesong k'Treva(Tayledras envoy,Healing Adept,Vanyel's descendant) & Aya(Firebird, bondbird)
Karal Austreben(16yo,Karsite temple novice,now priest & envoy,channel,ex-protege, ex-secretary, son of chief stableman,ex-stable sweeper,pal)
Ulrich(Karsite envoy, Priest Adept-Mage Black Robe,master,Solaris aid & assistant,scholar,died, pal1)
Altra(Firecat,mage,Karal's advisor,ex-Sun of the Sun,god's avatar)
Florian(Companion,Mage,unpartnered,Karal's advisor)
Elspeth(Herald to Outlanders,ex-heir,Princess,Vanyel's descendant) & Gwena(Companion)+ Darkwind(Adept Mage,k'Sheyna Hawkbrother,ex-scout) & Vree (bondbird)
Skif (Herald,spy,assassin,mate) & Cymry(Companion ?)+Nyara(mate,carrier of Need,daughter of Ma'ar(An'desha daughter kinda)) & Need(mage,spirit-sword,sorceress)
Treyvan(Gryphon envoy,ambassador,mage,dad,pal1)+Hydona(Gryphon envoy,mage,mom)
Kerowyn(Kero,Herald, Capt.,ex-merc) & Sayvil(Companion?)
Alberich(Herald, Karsite,weaponsmaster)
Lady Talia(Queen's Own Herald,Empath,Holderkin,honorary Sunpriest)& Rolan(Companion)+ Dirk(Herald,mate)
Natoli(Rubrik's daughter,Blue, artificer,pal)
Rubrik(Herald,Valdemar escort,paralyzed,dad) & Laylan(Companion)
Rris(kyree,historian)
Queen Seleney(Herald,mom)+ Daren(Prince-Consort,Herald,step-dad,ex-Rethwellan Lord Martial)
Quenten(White Winds rep., freelance mage,Kero's pal)
Querna shena Tale'sedrin(Shin'a'in envoy,ambassador,killed)
Master Magister Henlin(craftsman,Blue)
Master Tam(she,Blue)
Master Levy(mathematician,Blue)
Master Norten(engineer,Blue)
Master Bret(teacher,Blue)
High Priest Solaris(Son of the Sun,Karsite,prophet,Black Robe Adept Mage) & Hansa(Firecat,ex-Sun of the Sun,god's avatar)
Vkandis(Karsite god,Sunlord)
Star-Eyed Kal'enel(Shin'a'in goddess)
Tre'valen(Shin'a'in avatar)
Dawnfire(Shin'a'in avatar)
Sigfrid(Red Robe Priest,Karse,pal1)
Lord Palinor(Seneschal of Valdemar)
Kyril(Seneschal's Herald)
Herald Teren(Dean of Collegium)
Griffon(Lord Marshal's Herald)
Arnod(Herald trainee,17yo)
Johen(Herald trainee)
Lysee(Herald trainee)
Semon(Blues trainee)
Misty is my 2nd fav author. Misty's Valdemar is one of my fav series. I read this book a very long time ago. This was my 1st Re-read of the book. I remember being shocked and excited during my 1st read. I loved meeting and learning about Firecats, which are like Companions. I adored seeing gryphons and kyree as well as the other races.
The Re-read was nice.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Spoilers:
Note to Self:
An'desha shena Jor'ethan(15yo,Sorcerer-Mage,half Shin'a'in,run away,former host to Ma'ar,pal)+ Firesong k'Treva(Tayledras envoy,Healing Adept,Vanyel's descendant) & Aya(Firebird, bondbird)
Karal Austreben(16yo,Karsite temple novice,now priest & envoy,channel,ex-protege, ex-secretary, son of chief stableman,ex-stable sweeper,pal)
Ulrich(Karsite envoy, Priest Adept-Mage Black Robe,master,Solaris aid & assistant,scholar,died, pal1)
Altra(Firecat,mage,Karal's advisor,ex-Sun of the Sun,god's avatar)
Florian(Companion,Mage,unpartnered,Karal's advisor)
Elspeth(Herald to Outlanders,ex-heir,Princess,Vanyel's descendant) & Gwena(Companion)+ Darkwind(Adept Mage,k'Sheyna Hawkbrother,ex-scout) & Vree (bondbird)
Skif (Herald,spy,assassin,mate) & Cymry(Companion ?)+Nyara(mate,carrier of Need,daughter of Ma'ar(An'desha daughter kinda)) & Need(mage,spirit-sword,sorceress)
Treyvan(Gryphon envoy,ambassador,mage,dad,pal1)+Hydona(Gryphon envoy,mage,mom)
Kerowyn(Kero,Herald, Capt.,ex-merc) & Sayvil(Companion?)
Alberich(Herald, Karsite,weaponsmaster)
Lady Talia(Queen's Own Herald,Empath,Holderkin,honorary Sunpriest)& Rolan(Companion)+ Dirk(Herald,mate)
Natoli(Rubrik's daughter,Blue, artificer,pal)
Rubrik(Herald,Valdemar escort,paralyzed,dad) & Laylan(Companion)
Rris(kyree,historian)
Queen Seleney(Herald,mom)+ Daren(Prince-Consort,Herald,step-dad,ex-Rethwellan Lord Martial)
Quenten(White Winds rep., freelance mage,Kero's pal)
Querna shena Tale'sedrin(Shin'a'in envoy,ambassador,killed)
Master Magister Henlin(craftsman,Blue)
Master Tam(she,Blue)
Master Levy(mathematician,Blue)
Master Norten(engineer,Blue)
Master Bret(teacher,Blue)
High Priest Solaris(Son of the Sun,Karsite,prophet,Black Robe Adept Mage) & Hansa(Firecat,ex-Sun of the Sun,god's avatar)
Vkandis(Karsite god,Sunlord)
Star-Eyed Kal'enel(Shin'a'in goddess)
Tre'valen(Shin'a'in avatar)
Dawnfire(Shin'a'in avatar)
Sigfrid(Red Robe Priest,Karse,pal1)
Lord Palinor(Seneschal of Valdemar)
Kyril(Seneschal's Herald)
Herald Teren(Dean of Collegium)
Griffon(Lord Marshal's Herald)
Arnod(Herald trainee,17yo)
Johen(Herald trainee)
Lysee(Herald trainee)
Semon(Blues trainee)
January 7, 2022
This is the final book in the Storm trilogy. It bounces between the Empire, the group in Hardorn, with Tremaine, Elsbeth and Darkwind, plus the group in the center of the Dorshia Plains with Firesong, Andesa and Karal as the main characters.
The final mage storm is coming fast and everyone is trying their best to figure out a way to stop it, except for the Empire which just wants to survive it and still places the blame on Valdemar, thinking that they were attacked.
I don't want to give to much away, looking at it in that if you've read the first two books in this series you are going to want to read this book to see who survives, if anyone. And if magic, as all the mages know it stays or disappears.
I loved it and I think those who read it will too.
The final mage storm is coming fast and everyone is trying their best to figure out a way to stop it, except for the Empire which just wants to survive it and still places the blame on Valdemar, thinking that they were attacked.
I don't want to give to much away, looking at it in that if you've read the first two books in this series you are going to want to read this book to see who survives, if anyone. And if magic, as all the mages know it stays or disappears.
I loved it and I think those who read it will too.
September 16, 2024
Stakes were raised, and raised, and then frankly, the balloon was punctured and it went off with a whimper. Well, this brings me some closure, so at least there is that.
November 13, 2019
I thought we were back in Valdemar, but the envoys in the alliance travel to the tower of one of history’s best mages, a guy named Urtho who faced off and defeated a blood mage named Ma’ar by setting off a device that destroyed all magic spells. In the process, Urtho’s tower was destroyed and Ma’ar’s hideout was decimated like a crater hit it. In contemporary Valdemar, that crater is now a lake around which a village has popped up, so that’s nice.
Karal and the rest of the cast are at Urtho’s tower to see if they can find another device created by the crafty tinkerer that might counteract the last “wave” that will hit, one that is likely to destroy everything as it changes living things into monsters. In fact, these “waves” the undo spells are a historical echo coming back as the result of Urtho hitting the “NO TURNING BACK” button all those thousands of years ago.
Readers are also sent to two other settings: Elspeth and Darkwind travel to Tremane in Hardorn, as he is the newest ally to Valdemar, and we get to know Melle, the new heir to the Eastern Empire now that Tremane clearly isn’t coming back. Both settings demonstrate just how different Tremane and Melle would rule the Eastern Empire, but I found Melle’s story line a snooze. Lackey falls into telling, and my emotional attachment was zero. Melle would silence food riots, and he’d wish for the current emperor’s death, and he would make a backdoor alliance with the captain of the army, but it felt that nothing was at stake. Do I care about the faceless mass living in the Eastern Empire? No.
I started to feel emotionally detached in Karal’s scenes at Urtho’s tower, too. What was it that was keeping me from caring? Then it dawned on me: no one has died — no one I cared about, anyway — since Vanyel’s timeline. And when characters do die, they have the honor of coming back as a deity’s avatar, so they’re not really gone.
What the team at Urtho’s tower was doing, and how long they had to do it, was unclear, which also made me feel like nothing was at stake. Clearly people lived through the destruction caused by Urtho when he defeated Ma’ar or there wouldn’t be people in the present, so what is at stake? Will everything living continue to turn into rage monsters? Will people who can use magic simply die? I honestly have no idea.
As Firesong, Sejanes, and An’desha, among others, translate Urtho’s ancient tongue so they can figure out what each device does, if anything, readers are weirdly given no descriptions other than they settle on a cube puzzle to be their final solution. I felt like I didn’t know what anyone was doing in the tower. Give me some translations of Urtho’s documents, or tests run on a device, or what each device deemed not useful does, or what the devices even look like — something.
Tremane’s sections were much more interesting, as Lackey gives faces and value to the people he rules, and when one character gets lost, hungry, cold, etc., I care about him/her and was interested in how Tremane would react. We also get some new features — wizard magic and what is going on in Iftel in Tremane’s story line, so heads up for an exciting return to mind magic and intrigue!
This review was originally published at Grab the Lapels.
Karal and the rest of the cast are at Urtho’s tower to see if they can find another device created by the crafty tinkerer that might counteract the last “wave” that will hit, one that is likely to destroy everything as it changes living things into monsters. In fact, these “waves” the undo spells are a historical echo coming back as the result of Urtho hitting the “NO TURNING BACK” button all those thousands of years ago.
Readers are also sent to two other settings: Elspeth and Darkwind travel to Tremane in Hardorn, as he is the newest ally to Valdemar, and we get to know Melle, the new heir to the Eastern Empire now that Tremane clearly isn’t coming back. Both settings demonstrate just how different Tremane and Melle would rule the Eastern Empire, but I found Melle’s story line a snooze. Lackey falls into telling, and my emotional attachment was zero. Melle would silence food riots, and he’d wish for the current emperor’s death, and he would make a backdoor alliance with the captain of the army, but it felt that nothing was at stake. Do I care about the faceless mass living in the Eastern Empire? No.
I started to feel emotionally detached in Karal’s scenes at Urtho’s tower, too. What was it that was keeping me from caring? Then it dawned on me: no one has died — no one I cared about, anyway — since Vanyel’s timeline. And when characters do die, they have the honor of coming back as a deity’s avatar, so they’re not really gone.
What the team at Urtho’s tower was doing, and how long they had to do it, was unclear, which also made me feel like nothing was at stake. Clearly people lived through the destruction caused by Urtho when he defeated Ma’ar or there wouldn’t be people in the present, so what is at stake? Will everything living continue to turn into rage monsters? Will people who can use magic simply die? I honestly have no idea.
As Firesong, Sejanes, and An’desha, among others, translate Urtho’s ancient tongue so they can figure out what each device does, if anything, readers are weirdly given no descriptions other than they settle on a cube puzzle to be their final solution. I felt like I didn’t know what anyone was doing in the tower. Give me some translations of Urtho’s documents, or tests run on a device, or what each device deemed not useful does, or what the devices even look like — something.
Tremane’s sections were much more interesting, as Lackey gives faces and value to the people he rules, and when one character gets lost, hungry, cold, etc., I care about him/her and was interested in how Tremane would react. We also get some new features — wizard magic and what is going on in Iftel in Tremane’s story line, so heads up for an exciting return to mind magic and intrigue!
This review was originally published at Grab the Lapels.
May 1, 2023
While I reread these every few years, I think my rating went down this time. There was to much happening in to many places and it felt like most were handled too briefly. The ending was far too abrupt. The best parts of this book were with the Empire and Hardorn. Tremaine was interesting but, as usual, I find Elspeth very annoying. The book was much less satisfying than most of the books are. Although, getting rid of some of the characters that were too powerful and could likely solve everyone's problems too easily was probably a good idea. There were so many mages by the end of this set of books that you suddenly understood Vanyel's actions in making people forget about mage-gift.
September 18, 2020
Will review at www.fantasyliterature.com.
May 5, 2019
Karal and the allies have stopped Valdemar and the other lands from feeling the effects of the Mage Storms, for now, but the final, cataclysmic, wave is still coming. They must stay at Urtho's tower to try find another way to go.
In the meantime, Elspeth and Darkwind bring the Alliance to Hardorn and Duke Tremane. While there they help Hardorn move to it's new phase AND help Tremane with a new alliance with the mysterious nation of Iftel.
All the while, things are disintegrating back in the Empire, with Tremane's mortal enemy, Melles, preparing to take over power as Charliss loses further touch with reality every day.
The danger is real and the action is thrilling, but there is too much story for this book. We bounce between these countries and these stories. Some are fine the way they are, but some I would like to see more of.
Great trilogy. I really enjoyed it. Valdemar is a place I would love to be and I hope I get to revisit there for a very long time.
In the meantime, Elspeth and Darkwind bring the Alliance to Hardorn and Duke Tremane. While there they help Hardorn move to it's new phase AND help Tremane with a new alliance with the mysterious nation of Iftel.
All the while, things are disintegrating back in the Empire, with Tremane's mortal enemy, Melles, preparing to take over power as Charliss loses further touch with reality every day.
The danger is real and the action is thrilling, but there is too much story for this book. We bounce between these countries and these stories. Some are fine the way they are, but some I would like to see more of.
Great trilogy. I really enjoyed it. Valdemar is a place I would love to be and I hope I get to revisit there for a very long time.
May 20, 2023
I just re-read Mage Storms trilogy, which I thought I'd read in the 1990s, but have absolutely no memory of past the first book. So maybe I didn't read it? Mercedes Lackey's Valdemar books are always fun to revisit and a welcome adventure story brain-break now that I'm also doing a lot of grad school reading. I appreciate the fast-moving plot and focus on teamwork throughout.
I have a huge fondness for Lackey, and for the Valdemar books in particular, which featured a wide range of queer characters waaaaaay before it was common. And not just one token, or the creepy bad guy or a passing sidekick, but fully-formed main characters. Reading these books shortly after I came out in college was formative. And they still hold up.
I have a huge fondness for Lackey, and for the Valdemar books in particular, which featured a wide range of queer characters waaaaaay before it was common. And not just one token, or the creepy bad guy or a passing sidekick, but fully-formed main characters. Reading these books shortly after I came out in college was formative. And they still hold up.
October 10, 2021
3 stars, the main Valdemar series comes to an uneven but ultimately satisfying conclusion. The novel is definitely hampered by how many dangling plots it has to tie up and I think it loses a few of them in the shuffle but the plots that are concluded are done so in a way that feels earned.
January 3, 2015
"I liked it."
This probably deserves closer to two stars, but I have a hard time rating it just on its own merits. This book is the true final book of the core Valdemar series, and so I can't help but give it an extra star our of affection and respect for all that came before it.
Every last bit of plot that had been laid down since Arrows of the Queen comes to a head in Storm Breaking, the final book of the "main canon" of the Valdemar novels. The answers to all the mysteries of the Cataclysm, the Mage of Silence, Lake Evendim and the Dorisha Plains, the history of the Shin'a'in and the Taleydras, the barrier of Iftel, the Eastern Empire, the fate of Hardorn, the ultimate purpose of Need, and every single character who ever really mattered to the series is present in one way or another in this book. It's the end to so many things and ...
... sadly, it doesn't conclude them all as well as it should.
I really admire the fact that Misty is clearly trying to go outside of her comfort zone, but she might have been better off staying inside at this one. She's at her best writing about a core group of characters, and while the final sendoff to this world and this cast of hundreds DESERVES a big, grand ensemble cast, Lackey fumbles a bit while trying to maintain tension and pacing throughout many different concurrent plots and characters. This book, like the previous two novels in this trilogy, could have stood to have been twice as long. It's as long as most of her other books, but four times as much happens in this. Storm Breaking has even less focus than the previous too as it shifts away from primarily being about Karal, An'desha, Firesong, and Tremane, and greatly expands the pool of characters to include returning favourites from every series before it. And as much as I loved Need, Vanyel, Stefan, Yfandes, the Avatars, Tarma, Kerowyn, Elspeth, Gwena, Darkwind, and Vree all getting their moments in the sun, there just weren't enough words and pages to fit them all with satisfaction. In addition, the Empire plot in its entirety could have just as well not existed. Melles and Charliss took up a lot of the book while not really having any payoff, or even a long history in the series that needed concluding. They just sort of took up space that could have been better used to fix the pacing in the other plots.
But despite the odd pacing and the sudden ending, Mercedes Lackey manages to tie up every single loose end in this MASSIVE world without anything actually feeling out of place. Some of the relevations, particularly about how the Star-Eyed and the Sun Lord relate, and the true history of Iftel, are fist-pumping moments for people who have been following the series from the start, and it's immensely satisfying to see every separate meandering thread from over the years weave back into this final tapestry.
And you can't talk about the Storms books without talking about Valdemar, who is possibly Lackey's best realized character in the entire series. His long, long arc finally reaches a satisfying conclusion, and tracing him back to the hotshot who first showed his face at k'Sheyna vale in Winds of Change is a great feeling. I have always loved the ending he's been given and how he learns to accept love where he can find it and respect himself for more than his looks. This trilogy is more about Firesong than it is about Karal or An'desha, and Firesong gets a hell of a satisfying ending.
This probably deserves closer to two stars, but I have a hard time rating it just on its own merits. This book is the true final book of the core Valdemar series, and so I can't help but give it an extra star our of affection and respect for all that came before it.
Every last bit of plot that had been laid down since Arrows of the Queen comes to a head in Storm Breaking, the final book of the "main canon" of the Valdemar novels. The answers to all the mysteries of the Cataclysm, the Mage of Silence, Lake Evendim and the Dorisha Plains, the history of the Shin'a'in and the Taleydras, the barrier of Iftel, the Eastern Empire, the fate of Hardorn, the ultimate purpose of Need, and every single character who ever really mattered to the series is present in one way or another in this book. It's the end to so many things and ...
... sadly, it doesn't conclude them all as well as it should.
I really admire the fact that Misty is clearly trying to go outside of her comfort zone, but she might have been better off staying inside at this one. She's at her best writing about a core group of characters, and while the final sendoff to this world and this cast of hundreds DESERVES a big, grand ensemble cast, Lackey fumbles a bit while trying to maintain tension and pacing throughout many different concurrent plots and characters. This book, like the previous two novels in this trilogy, could have stood to have been twice as long. It's as long as most of her other books, but four times as much happens in this. Storm Breaking has even less focus than the previous too as it shifts away from primarily being about Karal, An'desha, Firesong, and Tremane, and greatly expands the pool of characters to include returning favourites from every series before it. And as much as I loved Need, Vanyel, Stefan, Yfandes, the Avatars, Tarma, Kerowyn, Elspeth, Gwena, Darkwind, and Vree all getting their moments in the sun, there just weren't enough words and pages to fit them all with satisfaction. In addition, the Empire plot in its entirety could have just as well not existed. Melles and Charliss took up a lot of the book while not really having any payoff, or even a long history in the series that needed concluding. They just sort of took up space that could have been better used to fix the pacing in the other plots.
But despite the odd pacing and the sudden ending, Mercedes Lackey manages to tie up every single loose end in this MASSIVE world without anything actually feeling out of place. Some of the relevations, particularly about how the Star-Eyed and the Sun Lord relate, and the true history of Iftel, are fist-pumping moments for people who have been following the series from the start, and it's immensely satisfying to see every separate meandering thread from over the years weave back into this final tapestry.
And you can't talk about the Storms books without talking about Valdemar, who is possibly Lackey's best realized character in the entire series. His long, long arc finally reaches a satisfying conclusion, and tracing him back to the hotshot who first showed his face at k'Sheyna vale in Winds of Change is a great feeling. I have always loved the ending he's been given and how he learns to accept love where he can find it and respect himself for more than his looks. This trilogy is more about Firesong than it is about Karal or An'desha, and Firesong gets a hell of a satisfying ending.
September 11, 2021
I've been re-reading all of my Valdemar books from Mercedes Lackey and am loving revisiting all my favorite characters. The Mage Storms trilogy ranked up there as one of my favorite Valdemar series with Karal, Firesong and a lot of the characters from previous series.
May 7, 2020
The Mage Storms trilogy wraps up in an exciting way that was much more tense and action-oriented than the previous novel in the series, which I’m glad to see. The reader gets to see the world as it’s known change drastically. Iftel opens its borders, Hardorn gets a new King, the Empire suffers yet more turmoil (and not just from the increasing mage-storms) and most importantly, the structure of magic itself is shattered and must slowly reform. It’s all a very fitting finish for this chapter of Velgarth’s history, one that does justice to both the large and the small issues of all the major players in the tale.
(Poor Valdemarans, just rediscovering magic and then having to witness it getting scrambled up before they can really get a handle on it.)
But like all things, it has a drawback. In this case, the drawback is the fact that this book — or rather, this book and the book before it — were clearly not meant to be read independently of the Gryphon series, which was published round the same time. While the Storms trilogy deals with the echo of the Cataclysm, the Gryphon books deal with Cataclysm itself, and the events that followed. Publishing these series at the same time formed a nice symmetry, but things are mentioned in the Storms books that get no explanation, and the only way to really find out about them is to read the Gryphon novels. The makaar are a prime example of this. Normally Lackey is all over repeat descriptions in her novels, but in this case it’s almost like she decided to forgo that tactic in favour of getting people to buy both series for a full explanation. Only having read and remembered the Gryphon trilogy kept me from being confused a couple of times.
At the end of this trilogy, though, I have to say that if you’re interested in the Valdemar books, this is a trilogy you can’t miss. Not without leaving a serious gap in your understanding of the world and how it works. Though the second book may have been slower than the first, the third comes roaring back with more fascinating things, world-changing events, and the return of a few beloved characters that no doubt made more than a couple of people grin with glee. There are a few books in the Valdemar series that can be skipped without much problem, but this certainly isn’t one of them. A must-have for Valdemar fans!
(Poor Valdemarans, just rediscovering magic and then having to witness it getting scrambled up before they can really get a handle on it.)
But like all things, it has a drawback. In this case, the drawback is the fact that this book — or rather, this book and the book before it — were clearly not meant to be read independently of the Gryphon series, which was published round the same time. While the Storms trilogy deals with the echo of the Cataclysm, the Gryphon books deal with Cataclysm itself, and the events that followed. Publishing these series at the same time formed a nice symmetry, but things are mentioned in the Storms books that get no explanation, and the only way to really find out about them is to read the Gryphon novels. The makaar are a prime example of this. Normally Lackey is all over repeat descriptions in her novels, but in this case it’s almost like she decided to forgo that tactic in favour of getting people to buy both series for a full explanation. Only having read and remembered the Gryphon trilogy kept me from being confused a couple of times.
At the end of this trilogy, though, I have to say that if you’re interested in the Valdemar books, this is a trilogy you can’t miss. Not without leaving a serious gap in your understanding of the world and how it works. Though the second book may have been slower than the first, the third comes roaring back with more fascinating things, world-changing events, and the return of a few beloved characters that no doubt made more than a couple of people grin with glee. There are a few books in the Valdemar series that can be skipped without much problem, but this certainly isn’t one of them. A must-have for Valdemar fans!
Read
October 23, 2025As Storm Breaking opens, the western allies, led by Karal, Karsite Sunpriest and delegate to the Valdemaran Court, and the Adepts Firesong and An'desha, have traveled deep into the Dorisha Plains to locate the ancient ruins of the Tower of Urtho, Mage of Silence, creator of the gryphons. Legend has it that below the Tower, deeply buried beneath the plains, is Urtho's Vault, hidden stronghold of some of the most powerful magical weapons ever devised - weapons that Urtho himself felt were too dangerous to use. With the help of the Shin'a'in plainsmen, they have successfully excavated this ancient arsenal, and risked their lives triggering one of these antique but potent tools of death to unleash a monstrous burst of mage-energy. With this explosion of magical power, Karal, Firesong, and their companions have temporarily counteracted the ever-increasing waves of the mage storms. But they know that this desperate action will not save them - they have bought themselves precious time, but are still far from a permanent solution. They know now that the mage storms are an "echo" through time of the prehistoric Cataclysm which destroyed Urtho's Tower, created the vast and barren Dorisha Plains, and permanently warped their world more than two thousand years ago. And they also know that if they don't find a way to banish these magical vibrations they will culminate in another Cataclysm - this time destroying their world for good. But the Vault is not the only thing buried for centuries below the Dorisha Plains, and camped in the ruins of what once was the workplace of the most ingenious mage their world has ever known, the desperate allies soon come to realize that their solution may lie beneath the dust at their feet. The saving of their world just might be accomplished by the work of a man who has been dead for millennia!
December 31, 2019
This is my least favorite of the Mage Storms books, by far. Lackey had a lot on her plate wrapping up this series as it ends the core Valdemar stories that started this journey. Every question we had leading up to now is being answered. Unfortunately, Lackey tried to fit too much into this single book. There are too many concurrent plots and characters for pacing to work well. There are too many things that needed to be wrapped up, and a few that we didn't need to have wrapped up, which Lackey tried to do any way.
Speaking of things I never bought -- I could have done entirely without the Melles/Charliss plotline. Melles' plotting and machinations to take over the throne were boring. I don't think Lackey ever found Melles' unique voice, so when I spaced out reading his sections I sometimes confused him and the Army Commander. On the other hand, I love how Elspeth and Darkwind become envoys in Hardon. Tremaine's character is one of my all-time favorites, but I am more comfortable watching what happens in Hardon from Elspeth and Darkwind's perspective than Tremaine. Being an outside is much more interesting when it comes to earth-binding. And, honestly, I don't know if Lackey would have done this fascinating bit of magic justice if written from Tremaine's perspective. She nailed all the Hardon content.
It's going to be difficult for me to say goodbye to many of these characters. Particularly Karal. Karal's character is unique compared to all the other Valdemar voices. I love that he is a priest, a young man with a mentor - without a mentor -with a community of mentors, and can connect so deeply with everyone around him. Karal is the most spectacular unremarkable character I've ever had the honor of reading about. I will miss them all.
Speaking of things I never bought -- I could have done entirely without the Melles/Charliss plotline. Melles' plotting and machinations to take over the throne were boring. I don't think Lackey ever found Melles' unique voice, so when I spaced out reading his sections I sometimes confused him and the Army Commander. On the other hand, I love how Elspeth and Darkwind become envoys in Hardon. Tremaine's character is one of my all-time favorites, but I am more comfortable watching what happens in Hardon from Elspeth and Darkwind's perspective than Tremaine. Being an outside is much more interesting when it comes to earth-binding. And, honestly, I don't know if Lackey would have done this fascinating bit of magic justice if written from Tremaine's perspective. She nailed all the Hardon content.
It's going to be difficult for me to say goodbye to many of these characters. Particularly Karal. Karal's character is unique compared to all the other Valdemar voices. I love that he is a priest, a young man with a mentor - without a mentor -with a community of mentors, and can connect so deeply with everyone around him. Karal is the most spectacular unremarkable character I've ever had the honor of reading about. I will miss them all.
January 7, 2021
This was such a satisfying book for me.
Every loose end has been tied up nicely, along with all of the characters I have got to know and love, while reading about Valdemar, it's allies, and it's enemies turned friends.
I was glad that the main focus was still Karal, but was also fascinated with the interactions between all of the various storylines, characters, and both physical, and spiritual, journeys each one of them took - especially Firesong - now that was a satisfying ending to the storyline running through so much of the Valdamar elements!
There were times during these many strings of storylines when it could have been overwhelming, especially with the amount of detail used to create the endings needed but, as usual, Mercedes Lackey managed it all with style - rather like Firesong himself might have, really.
I found myself quite breathless at the pace of these storylines, but it was leavened with moments of deep introspection, and that gave this book the gravitas it needed, especially when you consider that it is the ending to a series of books spanning millennia.
As this last trilogy of books were actually new to me, this was a brilliant conclusion to a series that I've loved for half of my life - but I'm hoping that I'll be able to visit all of my old, and newfound, friends in the various books of short stories I've been picking up over the last few years, all of which will also be new to read for me.
Strangely, the next book on my 'to read' pile, will be a book of factual things - a Christmas gift that I couldn't start, until I'd finished this one. It'll make a short break for me, until I can get back to the amazing worlds, and characters, that Mercedes so ably writes ☺️
Every loose end has been tied up nicely, along with all of the characters I have got to know and love, while reading about Valdemar, it's allies, and it's enemies turned friends.
I was glad that the main focus was still Karal, but was also fascinated with the interactions between all of the various storylines, characters, and both physical, and spiritual, journeys each one of them took - especially Firesong - now that was a satisfying ending to the storyline running through so much of the Valdamar elements!
There were times during these many strings of storylines when it could have been overwhelming, especially with the amount of detail used to create the endings needed but, as usual, Mercedes Lackey managed it all with style - rather like Firesong himself might have, really.
I found myself quite breathless at the pace of these storylines, but it was leavened with moments of deep introspection, and that gave this book the gravitas it needed, especially when you consider that it is the ending to a series of books spanning millennia.
As this last trilogy of books were actually new to me, this was a brilliant conclusion to a series that I've loved for half of my life - but I'm hoping that I'll be able to visit all of my old, and newfound, friends in the various books of short stories I've been picking up over the last few years, all of which will also be new to read for me.
Strangely, the next book on my 'to read' pile, will be a book of factual things - a Christmas gift that I couldn't start, until I'd finished this one. It'll make a short break for me, until I can get back to the amazing worlds, and characters, that Mercedes so ably writes ☺️
January 2, 2020
As an end to a major work of fantasy, I'm not sure it lived up to the promise of some many books before it. Maybe if I was a die-hard Lackey fan, I would be more disappointed, but as it is, I sort of liked it, sort of was bored by it.
The land has found temporary peace from the storms, but everyone is working hard to find a solution to save them from the ultimate cataclysm, the final storm that will rip through the land. In Uthr's old tower, they are trying to find something that they can use to help, while the new King of Hardorn is having to get used to his new powers. But divine intervention may only be a heartbeat away as prayer might be the only recourse.
It's taken me a while to pinpoint what it is I don't like about these books - after all, they were well written, the characters are realistic and intriguing, the world is drawn beautifully, and yet they are lacking. It's only as I come to review this final book, that I realised what is missing - actual terror or panic or any real emotion about what is happening. You get told a lot about what the storms are doing, but never really get to see it - our heroes are battened down safely and hear about events outside through magical means. So as a reader, you are twice removed.
I did enjoy the read, but somehow what actually happened is starting to fade and I only finished it this morning! I think I want a bit more peril, a bit more personal action and definitely not a lot of spirits/gods/ghosts coming along at the end to help everyone out!
The land has found temporary peace from the storms, but everyone is working hard to find a solution to save them from the ultimate cataclysm, the final storm that will rip through the land. In Uthr's old tower, they are trying to find something that they can use to help, while the new King of Hardorn is having to get used to his new powers. But divine intervention may only be a heartbeat away as prayer might be the only recourse.
It's taken me a while to pinpoint what it is I don't like about these books - after all, they were well written, the characters are realistic and intriguing, the world is drawn beautifully, and yet they are lacking. It's only as I come to review this final book, that I realised what is missing - actual terror or panic or any real emotion about what is happening. You get told a lot about what the storms are doing, but never really get to see it - our heroes are battened down safely and hear about events outside through magical means. So as a reader, you are twice removed.
I did enjoy the read, but somehow what actually happened is starting to fade and I only finished it this morning! I think I want a bit more peril, a bit more personal action and definitely not a lot of spirits/gods/ghosts coming along at the end to help everyone out!
April 25, 2023
By channeling the power of one of Urtho, the Mage of Silence’s war machines, Karal has created a backlash wave to counter the Mage Storm waves devastating the world. But it’s cost him physically and mentally requiring a long period of bed rest and nursing by his group of friends. Now the oncoming winter, instability of portals and more Mage-storm waves have forced them to take cover inside the ruins of Urtho’s Tower in the middle of the Dhorisha Plains.
Elspeth, Darkwind and a small group of guards are traveling as envoys through the harsh winter cold trying to reach Tremaine’s headquarters in Hardorn to negotiate with him about joining the Alliance. (The earth rite was interesting.)
Emperor Charliss knows that his body is weaking and he prepares to name an heir. He originally wanted Count Tremaine, but it seems he has proven a traitor. So, Charliss chooses another, but does his new heir have the ability and wisdom to control the destruction and chaos left by mage storms that threaten to destroy the Empire? (I was back and forth with Melles. He’s clever, wise and not as bad as Tremaine made him out to be.)
Footnote: 1) I noticed that there are no females of any race in the group at Urtho’s Tower. Not that it really matters, it’s just an observation. Though it does to Need.
Fave scenes: the Hardorn guild delegation meeting with Elspeth, finding the storeroom under the floor, transforming the priest and Tremane’s unexpected reinforcements.
Elspeth, Darkwind and a small group of guards are traveling as envoys through the harsh winter cold trying to reach Tremaine’s headquarters in Hardorn to negotiate with him about joining the Alliance. (The earth rite was interesting.)
Emperor Charliss knows that his body is weaking and he prepares to name an heir. He originally wanted Count Tremaine, but it seems he has proven a traitor. So, Charliss chooses another, but does his new heir have the ability and wisdom to control the destruction and chaos left by mage storms that threaten to destroy the Empire? (I was back and forth with Melles. He’s clever, wise and not as bad as Tremaine made him out to be.)
Footnote: 1) I noticed that there are no females of any race in the group at Urtho’s Tower. Not that it really matters, it’s just an observation. Though it does to Need.
Fave scenes: the Hardorn guild delegation meeting with Elspeth, finding the storeroom under the floor, transforming the priest and Tremane’s unexpected reinforcements.
January 2, 2024
Karal continued to be a sweet, thoughtful, and compassionate character and An'desha continued to experience character growth while they worked together and with friends, both old and new, to find a solution to end the Mage Storms before they grew too powerful to survive. Their chapters were relatively slow and plodding without much action and with a fair bit of reflection but continued to show decent development for both the characters themselves, those they were with, and for the overall plot. We saw a return to a POV in the Empire with Charliss selecting a new successor and we had an interesting POV from him as he worked to deal with the ramifications of the Mage Wars in the Empire. While we also continued to follow Tremaine and Hardorn we switched from his POV to Elspeth's as she and Darkwind were sent as envoys. This was the most annoying aspect of this addition to the trilogy as Tremaine's character arc had not ended and he continued to experience many challenges so his POV would've been much more interesting to follow instead of established character POVs. Overall this was a decent finale to the trilogy and the trilogy itself isn't terribly, but it is definitely not my favorite of Lackey's work.
September 12, 2022
I remember loving this series as a young adult. I may have been frustrated with some of the characters and their choices, but it represented such a CHANGE from the previous two trilogies.
Upon my umpteenth reread, I find that there are issues with the story that I never saw before that I can now never unsee. The subplot with the Empire is totally useless - except for a possibility that it was necessary for Charliss to do what those in the tower were doing. But, it's never really explained that it was necessary. Baron Melles and General Thayer come in as weird plot points in the Empire and seem to fulfill no purpose in this story except to show how evil and devious those in the Empire are. Again - unnecessary.
My biggest issue with the whole novel may have been the ridiculous level of detail that is told rather than shown. Almost as if Lackey doesn't trust her readers to pay attention or come to the conclusions that she is writing towards. Along with the "we're all perfect" way that she has of writing her characters, it becomes even more irritating as they are annoyingly perfect.
Upon my umpteenth reread, I find that there are issues with the story that I never saw before that I can now never unsee. The subplot with the Empire is totally useless - except for a possibility that it was necessary for Charliss to do what those in the tower were doing. But, it's never really explained that it was necessary. Baron Melles and General Thayer come in as weird plot points in the Empire and seem to fulfill no purpose in this story except to show how evil and devious those in the Empire are. Again - unnecessary.
My biggest issue with the whole novel may have been the ridiculous level of detail that is told rather than shown. Almost as if Lackey doesn't trust her readers to pay attention or come to the conclusions that she is writing towards. Along with the "we're all perfect" way that she has of writing her characters, it becomes even more irritating as they are annoyingly perfect.
June 29, 2022
This… this was just beautiful. I loved the way Court Baron Melles was portrayed. He was such an interesting character. I also liked how Tremane kind of got both rewarded and punished at the same time. He was forgiven; he got to be king of Hadorn. He was punished; he got the earth–sense and had to suffer through it. It was neat how they didn't entirely forgive him, but they forgave him mostly. I also felt the climax felt nice and dramatic. The resolution tied everything up, but you can't help but feel bad for Karal and Firesong. I loved this book. It was a great ending to the trilogy.
February 15, 2019
aka "Lackey repeats the exact same plot three times & still gets people to buy the book."
Ok, so there's this Very Bad Magic Storm coming & everyone has to figure out what magic doubletalk to use to stop it.
Yeah. That's exactly the plot of this book & the other two books in this series. Mage-storm comes in, causes lots of problems, characters figure out how to stop it.
I really hate SF/F books/shows/movies where the entire plot is the characters having to solve a fantasy problem with lots of fantasy jargon-speak. There's no tension, no suspense, nothing. "The Thingamajig is broken! We have to do WhateverTheHell to fix it!" This works with real-world problems in nonfiction stories, but not with fantasy/SF stories, where the solution is arbitrary Deus Ex Machina.
Boring, boring, boring.
Ok, so there's this Very Bad Magic Storm coming & everyone has to figure out what magic doubletalk to use to stop it.
Yeah. That's exactly the plot of this book & the other two books in this series. Mage-storm comes in, causes lots of problems, characters figure out how to stop it.
I really hate SF/F books/shows/movies where the entire plot is the characters having to solve a fantasy problem with lots of fantasy jargon-speak. There's no tension, no suspense, nothing. "The Thingamajig is broken! We have to do WhateverTheHell to fix it!" This works with real-world problems in nonfiction stories, but not with fantasy/SF stories, where the solution is arbitrary Deus Ex Machina.
Boring, boring, boring.
August 12, 2024
I believe, minus the Eastern Empire chapters (which I freely admit that I barely skimmed with little detriment to the plot of the main story), this one is probably my favorite of the series. All the characters have very much come into their own and can focus on the danger they face instead of having their all their mental ideas, beliefs, and prejudices cracked open and scrambled like an egg.
Also, after everything WE have delt with the last decade or so, this scene really really hit me in the Feels way more than it ever had in my previous rereads.
“I have given them back their dreams and their hope,” he had said [in awe of the situation]. “They see a future now, where their grandchildren can expect to grow up without fear of being murdered on a royal whim.”
Man. I would love to feel that kind of security again. 😟😥😞
Also, after everything WE have delt with the last decade or so, this scene really really hit me in the Feels way more than it ever had in my previous rereads.
“I have given them back their dreams and their hope,” he had said [in awe of the situation]. “They see a future now, where their grandchildren can expect to grow up without fear of being murdered on a royal whim.”
Man. I would love to feel that kind of security again. 😟😥😞
September 20, 2022
The grand finale, chronologically speaking, of Lackey's Valdemar books. Her most recent books have gone back to the founding of Valdemar. This one ends with the last and worst of the great echo mage storms. Most of the book is the buildup to the storm, and the preparations to neutralize it and survive it. This includes the ancient workshops in the plains where the storms began centuries ago, plus the nation which began as an invasion from the Eastern empire but has been cut off by the storms and is blending with the locals as a matter of survival. We get scenes from the empire itself as well, though we don't see the aftermath there. The ending feels a bit abrupt because of that, but it's a good read anyway. I liked it a lot. Good read.
February 28, 2017
This is another disappointing, unmemorable series I am unable to rank one by one. Mage Storms manages to be even worse than Winds because there is so little that happens over the course of the three books. I decided to write my review of the whole trilogy in the space for the third book, since it contains spoilers for the entire series.
I am convinced this trilogy could be condensed down to one book or even a novella. I’m not even sure that book would be better, since I still find nearly everything about this plot uninteresting, but at least it would make for a shorter, tighter read. These two trilogies are most of the reason why I’m hesitant to pick up the rest of Lackey’s Valdemar books.
The plot of this trilogy is that some ancient cataclysm is reverberating through the ages and causing mage storms that affect weather patterns, transport bits of land elsewhere, and even mess with human and animal biology. The people of Valdemar and surrounding lands must figure out to protect themselves against the storms.
While that is going on, Valdermar and Karse are trying to cement the temporary truce the two countries reached while fighting against a common enemy. The Son of the Sun sends a sun priest and his acolyte to Valdemar to discuss the peace treaty. Karal, the acolyte, is the main character of the trilogy.
Karal is a terrible protagonist. He would make a great friend, but is neither extraordinary nor interesting enough to carry a series on his own. I was excited to get a perspective on Valdemar from a resident of its habitual enemy, but Karal did not offer many new insights. I learned more about the Karsites from Alberich.
I had a similar problem with the mage storms as I did with the Dragonriders of Pern’s Thread. It’s hard to really get worked up over a “villain” that is not human or even alive. If you think about it, Pern and Valdemar (in this trilogy) are being threatened by weather. Sounds pretty boring, right? I understand that the mage storms cause a lot of problems, but when there isn’t anything conscious behind the attacks, it’s hard to care about it at all.
At the end of each of the three books, the characters try to protect themselves from the storms and/or stop them entirely. Between the problem above and the repetitive nature of the climaxes, the endings failed to inspire much emotion.
The Eastern Empire was an empty threat. The emperor just sat on his throne and murmured evil things without taking any action. Some might find the politics and jockeying to replace the emperor intriguing, but I thought it was a waste of time. Since Lackey has yet to write any more about them, it’s doubly pointless to read about them here.
I did like the character of Tremaine. His transformation from sort-of enemy to ally was believable. It was nice to see the ravaged country the Eastern Empire invaded being placed in the hands of someone who will care for it and its people.
The country of Iftel, which was such a mystery for so long (I think it’s in the map at the beginning of the Arrows trilogy), ended up being kind of a disappointment. I thought we would get some answers, but instead Lackey just teased us with some information and then went nowhere with it again.
I was surprised that for a trilogy that took place largely in Valdemar’s capital, there weren’t many Heralds in large roles. Karal spends most of his time with the other foreign dignitaries and the unaffiliated students, artificers and engineers mostly. While I suppose it was nice to get to know these groups better, I don’t care about them as much as I do the Heralds.
I liked the fire cat, as well as the Companion that befriends Karal and provides him with information about Valdemar. I wouldn’t have minded reading their conversations instead of just getting references to it, even if we know most of it already, since I was more interested in that than the peace talks or Karal helping An’desha. I did think it was a bit odd that the Companion was so forthright with a stranger – and a former enemy, no less – when most Companions are secretive when it comes to their true nature.
Shockingly, there are no sex or torture scenes whatsoever in this trilogy. While I appreciate the lack of sexual violence, I do think a little romance would have livened up the plot. If memory serves, Karal and his underdeveloped love interest never even kiss. I guess Lackey operates at two extremes – either there is no romance whatsoever or she goes really explicit and often perverted. Lovely.
I did like that most of the characters involved in the final pushback against the storms in the third book face consequences. A couple of them “die,” including the Companion and the sword Need; the various spirits leave the mortal world never to return; the vain Hawkbrother mage’s face is scarred terribly; and Karal himself is blinded. I like it when characters have to sacrifice something to attain their goals.
I also confess I’m somewhat curious how magic will be affected and changed after the storms. It seems to become weaker and more difficult to control. However, unless Lackey really steps it up, I won’t read any future book she publishes about that particular transformation.
Overall, a disappointing trilogy that was way too long and contained way too little plot. The grand saga Lackey began all the way back in the Arrows trilogy ended with barely a whimper here. It’s a shame, because I think some of her characters deserved better. I doubt I will ever try to reread the Mage Storms. If I need to recall the plot, I’ll skim or read a summary of each book.
I am convinced this trilogy could be condensed down to one book or even a novella. I’m not even sure that book would be better, since I still find nearly everything about this plot uninteresting, but at least it would make for a shorter, tighter read. These two trilogies are most of the reason why I’m hesitant to pick up the rest of Lackey’s Valdemar books.
The plot of this trilogy is that some ancient cataclysm is reverberating through the ages and causing mage storms that affect weather patterns, transport bits of land elsewhere, and even mess with human and animal biology. The people of Valdemar and surrounding lands must figure out to protect themselves against the storms.
While that is going on, Valdermar and Karse are trying to cement the temporary truce the two countries reached while fighting against a common enemy. The Son of the Sun sends a sun priest and his acolyte to Valdemar to discuss the peace treaty. Karal, the acolyte, is the main character of the trilogy.
Karal is a terrible protagonist. He would make a great friend, but is neither extraordinary nor interesting enough to carry a series on his own. I was excited to get a perspective on Valdemar from a resident of its habitual enemy, but Karal did not offer many new insights. I learned more about the Karsites from Alberich.
I had a similar problem with the mage storms as I did with the Dragonriders of Pern’s Thread. It’s hard to really get worked up over a “villain” that is not human or even alive. If you think about it, Pern and Valdemar (in this trilogy) are being threatened by weather. Sounds pretty boring, right? I understand that the mage storms cause a lot of problems, but when there isn’t anything conscious behind the attacks, it’s hard to care about it at all.
At the end of each of the three books, the characters try to protect themselves from the storms and/or stop them entirely. Between the problem above and the repetitive nature of the climaxes, the endings failed to inspire much emotion.
The Eastern Empire was an empty threat. The emperor just sat on his throne and murmured evil things without taking any action. Some might find the politics and jockeying to replace the emperor intriguing, but I thought it was a waste of time. Since Lackey has yet to write any more about them, it’s doubly pointless to read about them here.
I did like the character of Tremaine. His transformation from sort-of enemy to ally was believable. It was nice to see the ravaged country the Eastern Empire invaded being placed in the hands of someone who will care for it and its people.
The country of Iftel, which was such a mystery for so long (I think it’s in the map at the beginning of the Arrows trilogy), ended up being kind of a disappointment. I thought we would get some answers, but instead Lackey just teased us with some information and then went nowhere with it again.
I was surprised that for a trilogy that took place largely in Valdemar’s capital, there weren’t many Heralds in large roles. Karal spends most of his time with the other foreign dignitaries and the unaffiliated students, artificers and engineers mostly. While I suppose it was nice to get to know these groups better, I don’t care about them as much as I do the Heralds.
I liked the fire cat, as well as the Companion that befriends Karal and provides him with information about Valdemar. I wouldn’t have minded reading their conversations instead of just getting references to it, even if we know most of it already, since I was more interested in that than the peace talks or Karal helping An’desha. I did think it was a bit odd that the Companion was so forthright with a stranger – and a former enemy, no less – when most Companions are secretive when it comes to their true nature.
Shockingly, there are no sex or torture scenes whatsoever in this trilogy. While I appreciate the lack of sexual violence, I do think a little romance would have livened up the plot. If memory serves, Karal and his underdeveloped love interest never even kiss. I guess Lackey operates at two extremes – either there is no romance whatsoever or she goes really explicit and often perverted. Lovely.
I did like that most of the characters involved in the final pushback against the storms in the third book face consequences. A couple of them “die,” including the Companion and the sword Need; the various spirits leave the mortal world never to return; the vain Hawkbrother mage’s face is scarred terribly; and Karal himself is blinded. I like it when characters have to sacrifice something to attain their goals.
I also confess I’m somewhat curious how magic will be affected and changed after the storms. It seems to become weaker and more difficult to control. However, unless Lackey really steps it up, I won’t read any future book she publishes about that particular transformation.
Overall, a disappointing trilogy that was way too long and contained way too little plot. The grand saga Lackey began all the way back in the Arrows trilogy ended with barely a whimper here. It’s a shame, because I think some of her characters deserved better. I doubt I will ever try to reread the Mage Storms. If I need to recall the plot, I’ll skim or read a summary of each book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 6, 2019
I really enjoyed this extension of Karal and Co.'s adventures. Karal was a really interesting character to follow, and it was good to have another Elspeth/Darkwind adventure. On the whole, I felt that the plot was a fun read, but not one that you'd want to scrutinize too hard. There were a few deus ex machina moments that to me, didn't make much sense.(I.e. the strange inclusion of Vanyel and Stef at the tower in the end...). Also there were certain subplots which served an expository function and not much else (and not hugely helpful exposition, at that). Not one of my favorite Valdemar books, but it's up there.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 17, 2025
So much of this book is spent basically waiting around for the Cataclysm at the end of the book. But there are real bright spots (whoa, Iftel!) and it's pleasant to spend time with these characters after so many pages together in this trilogy and others. Really, though, the highlight is how satisfyingly and completely the storylines begun in so many other places are tied up here.
I am almost positive this was the last Mercedes Lackey I read in the way back, and I see why; it's hard to imagine a compelling story that follows on this conclusion. Any other stops on my nostalgia tour will be of earlier books I skipped over because this is just too definitively The End.
I am almost positive this was the last Mercedes Lackey I read in the way back, and I see why; it's hard to imagine a compelling story that follows on this conclusion. Any other stops on my nostalgia tour will be of earlier books I skipped over because this is just too definitively The End.
December 6, 2019
Mercedes never disappoints
I know, that's kind of bias since this is the third time I have read the "Storm" series since I was 14. I just can't help it. Reading about the Herald's, the Companions and especially Karal makes me nostalgic. It takes me back to all the feels I had for these adventures when I was a kid. Mercedes does not dally in the adventures her characters take. She don't draw out situations just to fill the pages. She keeps the stories moving and fills your imagination with wonder. You won't be disappointed in starting and finishing this adventure.
I know, that's kind of bias since this is the third time I have read the "Storm" series since I was 14. I just can't help it. Reading about the Herald's, the Companions and especially Karal makes me nostalgic. It takes me back to all the feels I had for these adventures when I was a kid. Mercedes does not dally in the adventures her characters take. She don't draw out situations just to fill the pages. She keeps the stories moving and fills your imagination with wonder. You won't be disappointed in starting and finishing this adventure.
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