High Elf Novels
fantasy
Series · fantasy
The Enduring Flame Trilogy
The Enduring Flame Trilogy series by Mercedes Lackey has 3 known books (3 published) and is best read in publication order, starting with The Phoenix Unchained (2007).
- Books
- 3 known books (3 novels)
- Published
- 3
- First published
- 2007
- Status
- completed
- Shelved under
- Fantasy
- Last checked
Start here: The Phoenix Unchained (2007) — 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:
The Phoenix Unchained
The Phoenix Unchained opened The Enduring Flame Trilogy in 2007, introducing Harrier and his scholarly best friend Tiercel, who discovers real, unlicensed magical talent in a world where Wildmage abilities were believed to have died out generations earlier.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Phoenix Unchained - Book 2:
The Phoenix Endangered
The Phoenix Endangered followed in 2008 at 416 pages, sending Harrier and Tiercel further into a war against an evil the earlier trilogy's heroes believed permanently defeated.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Phoenix Endangered - Book 3:
The Phoenix Transformed
The Phoenix Transformed closed the trilogy in 2009 as by far its longest volume, at 800 pages -- nearly double its predecessor -- completing Harrier and Tiercel's arc from ordinary teenagers into figures who must relearn magic and courage under pressure.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Phoenix Transformed
About The Enduring Flame Trilogy
Set roughly a thousand years after the events of The Obsidian Mountain Trilogy, this second trilogy in Mercedes Lackey and James Mallory's Obsidian Universe follows a new cast confronting the same world's oldest enemy in a new form. The Phoenix Unchained introduces Harrier and Tiercel, an ordinary young man and his more scholarly best friend who discover that Tiercel has real, unlicensed magical talent in a world where all Wildmage abilities were believed to have died out generations earlier — a discovery that puts them in the path of powers neither of them understands. The Phoenix Endangered and The Phoenix Transformed send the pair (and the companions they gather along the way) into a war against a resurgent evil the earlier trilogy's heroes had believed permanently defeated, forcing an entirely new generation to relearn magic and courage under pressure.
Because it's set so long after the Obsidian Mountain Trilogy, this trilogy works as an entry point into the setting on its own — familiarity with Kellen and Idalia's story isn't required, though longtime readers will recognize how the earlier conflict's consequences have rippled forward into this new era.
Frequently asked questions
How many books are in The Enduring Flame Trilogy?
Three: The Phoenix Unchained (2007), The Phoenix Endangered (2008), and The Phoenix Transformed (2009), all co-written by Mercedes Lackey and James Mallory.
Do I need to read The Obsidian Mountain Trilogy first?
No. This trilogy is set roughly a thousand years after The Obsidian Mountain Trilogy with a completely new cast, and works as a self-contained entry point into the Obsidian Universe.
What order should I read The Enduring Flame Trilogy in?
Publication order — it's one continuous story following Harrier and Tiercel across all three books.
How does this connect to The Dragon Prophecy Trilogy?
All three Obsidian Universe trilogies (Obsidian Mountain, Enduring Flame, Dragon Prophecy) are co-written by Lackey and Mallory and share the same setting, but each follows a different cast in a different era, so none needs to be read before the others.
Is this connected to Valdemar?
No. The Obsidian Universe is an entirely separate setting from Valdemar, with its own history, magic system, and cast.
If you like The Enduring Flame Trilogy
Reading order last verified .