Dark Swan
urban fantasy
Series · fantasy
The Collegium Chronicles
The Collegium Chronicles series by Mercedes Lackey has 5 known books (5 published) and is best read in publication order, starting with Foundation (2008).
- Books
- 5 known books (5 novels)
- Published
- 5
- First published
- 2008
- Status
- completed
- Shelved under
- Fantasy
- Last checked
Start here: Foundation (2008) — then read straight through in publication order.
Reading order
The date order of published books and any announced future entries — the default way to read the series.
- Book 1:
Foundation
Foundation is the book that opens Mercedes Lackey's five-book Collegium Chronicles, published in 2008 at 340 pages. It's the natural place to begin the series, which continues with Intrigues.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Foundation - Book 2:
Intrigues
Intrigues is the second book in the Collegium Chronicles, written by Mercedes Lackey and published in 2010 at 328 pages. It follows Foundation and precedes Changes in the reading order.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Intrigues - Book 3:
Changes
Changes is the third entry in the Collegium Chronicles, written by Mercedes Lackey and published in 2011 at 326 pages. It follows Intrigues and precedes Redoubt.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Changes - Book 4:
Redoubt
Redoubt is the fourth book in the Collegium Chronicles, written by Mercedes Lackey and published in 2012 at 509 pages. It follows Changes and precedes the series' final entry, Bastion.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Redoubt - Book 5:
Bastion
Bastion is the fifth and final book in Mercedes Lackey's Collegium Chronicles, published in 2013 at 342 pages, bringing the series to a close after Redoubt. This catalogue tracks the protagonist's continuing story separately in Lackey's Herald Spy and Family Spies trilogies.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Bastion
About The Collegium Chronicles
The Collegium Chronicles rewinds Valdemar's clock to its earliest days, generations before Talia's Arrows trilogy, to dramatize the founding of the Herald's Collegium itself — the training institution every later Herald in the series passes through. The story follows Mags, a former mine slave rescued and Chosen by the Companion Dallen, as he's brought to the newly-established Collegium and, despite deep trauma and suspicion of authority, is drawn into service as one of Valdemar's first spies, working directly for King Valdemar's own herald-founders to root out threats to the fledgling kingdom.
Across five books — Foundation, Intrigues, Changes, Redoubt, and Bastion — Lackey builds out Valdemar's origin story in detail for the first time, showing readers the institution, personalities, and political stakes that every other sub-series takes for granted, while following Mags's own arc from traumatized outsider to trusted Herald and spymaster-in-training. The series set up two direct sequels, the Herald Spy trilogy and the Family Spies trilogy, both continuing Mags's story into adulthood.
Frequently asked questions
How many books are in the Collegium Chronicles?
Five: Foundation (2008), Intrigues (2010), Changes (2011), Redoubt (2012), and Bastion (2013).
What order should I read the Collegium Chronicles in?
Publication order: Foundation, Intrigues, Changes, Redoubt, Bastion. It's a continuous story following Mags from his arrival at the Collegium onward.
Is the Collegium Chronicles a good starting point for Valdemar?
Yes — it's set at the founding of Valdemar's Herald Collegium, chronologically earlier than almost every other sub-series, and doesn't assume prior knowledge of Talia, Vanyel, or the other Heralds who come later in the timeline.
Does the Collegium Chronicles continue into other series?
Yes. It's directly followed by the Herald Spy trilogy (Closer to Home, Closer to the Heart, Closer to the Chest) and later the Family Spies trilogy, both continuing Mags's story into adulthood and fatherhood.
Who is Mags?
A former child slave in an isolated mining community, rescued and Chosen by the Companion Dallen at the start of Foundation; his rise from traumatized outsider to trusted Herald and spy is the series' central arc.
If you like The Collegium Chronicles
Reading order last verified .