Have you read any Valdemar novels?

[Myr]

Mercedes Lackey is one of my favorite authors and is one of the most prolific novel writers I know of. she commonly has 4 or 5 books out a year.

 

Her Valdemar Series now has 27 books. I have now read 21 of those and own 25 of them. (some I have both in hardcover and softcover, if this tells you anything)

 

I've been catching up lately on the last 3 novels released in Valdemar (Exile's Honor, Exilie's Valor, and Sun in Glory, the second anthology)

 

It has put me in one hell of a mood to write a Valdemar Fanfic, which will eventaully see the light of day.

 

Mercedes Lackey has written a LOT of coming of age stories about boys. (some girls, but mostly boys) There are also main characters (like in the Last Herald-Mage trilogy) that are gay. Most of the books has a gay character at least passing through. All done tastefully. (for the Valdemar books, at least)

 

I haven't read as extensivelly outside her Valdemar books, but Joust is a damned good book about a boy. It's sequel is do ought in a month (called Alta). And according to her website... the sequel to that will be out in October...

[Jay_BG]

I just hope I would be able to find something of hers here...

[Myr]

I think Amazon shops overseas.. I know amazon.co.uk ships to the USA... (I've purchased a few things that were availible only in jolly ole England)

[B_O_B]

I just called up a bibiolgraphy of her books on her webpage and there are over 90 listed. That's quite a daunting task to get through. Are there any you would recommend staring with?

 

B_O_B

[Myr]

There are 27 Vademar Novels.

If you are looking for a good stand alone... Brightly Burning is good. (there is a link in the recommendations section)

if you want a damn good trilogy with Gay main character starting at age 16, the the Last Herald-Mage trilogy is damned good. (Magic's Pawn, Magic's Promise, and Magic's Price)

 

Joust is a new world novel from her that is not Valdemar. main character is a "Dragon Boy". He's a serf in charge of taking care of a dragon. Very cool book. Sequel "Alta" is due March 1.

 

Order to read Valdemar books:

http://www.mercedeslackey.com/text/1mlchron.shtml

Pre-valdemar

===============

The Mage Wars

The Black Gryphon

The White Gryphon

The Silver Gryphon

===============

 

 

The Last Herald Mage Trilogy - this one stands alone in time and has gay main characters. Won the Lamda Gay Lit award.

Magic's Pawn

Magic's Promise

Magic's Price

 

Brightly Burning

 

Vows & Honor

The Oathbound

Oathbreakers

Oathblood

 

+++++++++

from here down, don't read out of order

Exile's Honor

Exile's Valor

 

Take a Thief

 

Heralds of Valdemar

Arrow of the Queen

Arrow's Flight

Arrow's Fall

 

Kerowyn's Tale

By the Sword

 

The Mage Winds Trilogy

Winds of Fate

Winds of Change

Winds of Fury

 

The Mage Storms Trilogy

Storm Warning

Storm Rising

Storm Breaking

 

Owlflight

Owlsight

Owlknight

[Tyrel]

haven't read any yet, as I only heard about them from this post, but next time I'm in a bookstore, I'm going to look for them.

[gottalme508]

I have a friend who recomended this to me a while ago. She let me borrow a book, "WInds of Fate" but now that I look in both lists (your and the linked one) it's out of any order. So, now that I know that it's a good book, and a good book involving gay characters, I want to read it. Very much so. Before it was just hanging out around my room. But now, I must get the first one and add it to the stack of books I plan on reading. So far I have 6. And two lists to buy... It doesn't help that I work at a book store.

 

Well, thank you for the information. I do have a question about the order in which I should read. Which one would be best to start with in your opinion?

 

P

[Myr]

I'd read the following:

Trilogy in early days of Valdemar (main character is gay)

Magic's Pawn

Magic's Promise

Magic's Price

 

Brightly Burning (stand alone, important history piece. About 16 yr old Lavan Firestorm. He's not gay... but he isn't straight either. I just reread this book Monday for the 5th time or so...)

 

Vows & Honor (I'd skip this group... it's 3 of the 6 books on Valdemar I haven't read. It's about two women and their advetures. They get mentioned later in the series, but not critical to understanding)

The Oathbound

Oathbreakers

Oathblood

 

+++++++++

from here down, don't read out of order

 

Exile's Honor

Exile's Valor (new... only in hardcover)

 

(you can skip the two Exile books.. but they explain a lot of stuff that is only hinted at later on. They are the two newest Valdemar books as far as when they were written, not aobut the time period they take place)

 

Take a Thief (introduces Skif, who is a young boy and a thief at the time he is Chosen. (you'll understand Chosen, pretty quick). Very good book. Skif is straight. He is a Very Important Character is all the following books)

 

These next books go right in order. Reading them out of order will confuse the ever loving hell out of you... trust me on this. I read them out of order

Heralds of Valdemar

Arrow of the Queen

Arrow's Flight

Arrow's Fall

 

Kerowyn's Tale

By the Sword

 

The Mage Winds Trilogy

Winds of Fate

Winds of Change

Winds of Fury

 

The Mage Storms Trilogy

Storm Warning

Storm Rising

Storm Breaking

 

OwlKnight Trilogy - These books are the "newest" is the timeline as they take place after every other book written. Main Character is Darian Firkin, a nice boy. Reading these last is helpful because most of the other characters have shown up in some other book as Very Important People. As a trilogy, it's damned good. Larry Dixon gets a nod in the byline for this. Larry is Mercedes' husband. Love the line in this one... "How did we end up with only guys at this little party?" (they are all sitting in what amounts to a hot tub). "I'm just really lucky I guess," one of the shaych scouts replied. (shaych means gay in Valdemar. It's explained clearly in the Last Herald-MAge trilogy)

Owlflight

Owlsight

Owlknight

 

 

Hope that helps