James Mallory

"James Mallory" is a pen name used by the American author Rosemary Edghill specifically for her long-running fantasy collaborations with Mercedes Lackey, kept separate from the byline Edghill used on her other books and other Lackey partnerships. Under this name, Edghill and Lackey built the Obsidian Universe together: a shared high-fantasy world of Elven High Reaches, human Border cities, and an ancient sealed Demon threat, explored across three linked trilogies written over roughly two decades and set in three different eras of the same history.

In this catalogue, "James Mallory" is credited on all nine Obsidian Universe novels: The Obsidian Mountain Trilogy (the original entry point, following Kellen and Idalia), The Enduring Flame Trilogy (set a thousand years later, with a new cast), and The Dragon Prophecy Trilogy (set furthest back, in the setting's ancient wars). Readers new to the world can start with any of the three trilogies, since each was written to stand on its own despite sharing a setting with the others.

For Edghill's biographical details and her other, non-pseudonymous work -- including her nine other book credits in this catalogue, co-written with Lackey under her own name -- see her entry under "Rosemary Edghill." She died on April 7, 2026.