The Johnny Maxwell Trilogy
fantasy
Series · fantasy
The Halfblood Chronicles
The Halfblood Chronicles series by Mercedes Lackey has 3 known books (3 published) and is best read in publication order, starting with The Elvenbane (1991).
- Books
- 3 known books (3 novels)
- Published
- 3
- First published
- 1991
- Status
- completed
- Shelved under
- Fantasy
- Last checked
Start here: The Elvenbane (1991) — 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 Elvenbane
The Elvenbane opens the trilogy in 1991 at 414 pages, co-written by Mercedes Lackey and Andre Norton to introduce Shana, secretly half-elf and half-human, after a rebel dragon rescues her from execution as an infant.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Elvenbane - Book 2:
Elvenblood
Elvenblood followed four years later, in 1995, the shortest of the three at 344 pages, as the humans and half-elves Shana has united move into open rebellion.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Elvenblood - Book 3:
Elvenborn
Elvenborn closed the trilogy in 2002, arriving seven years after book two at 382 pages, carrying the conflict to its resolution as the old elven order finally cracks.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Elvenborn
About The Halfblood Chronicles
Written jointly by Mercedes Lackey and fantasy grandmaster Andre Norton, the Halfblood Chronicles is set in a world where high elves rule as slaveholding aristocrats over the humans of a Rome-like empire, treating both humans and magic itself as resources to be extracted. The Elvenbane introduces Shana, secretly raised as half-elf, half-human — a mixed heritage that should be impossible and that gives her power neither side fully understands — after a rebel dragon rescues her from execution as an infant and raises her among his kind. Elvenblood follows the humans and half-elves she has united into open rebellion against elven rule, while Elvenborn carries the conflict to its resolution as the old elven order finally begins to crack.
The trilogy blends Norton's long-running interest in outsider protagonists and non-human intelligences (here, sentient dragons who are genuinely alien in outlook rather than reskinned humans) with Lackey's focus on found family and characters overcoming institutions built to keep them powerless. It's a slower, more classically epic fantasy than either author's solo work, spanning Shana's life from infancy through a full-scale war of liberation.
Frequently asked questions
How many books are in the Halfblood Chronicles?
Three novels: The Elvenbane (1991), Elvenblood (1995), and Elvenborn (2002), all co-written by Mercedes Lackey and Andre Norton.
What order should I read the Halfblood Chronicles in?
Publication order, which is also the only sensible order — it's a single continuous story of rebellion against elven rule, not a set of standalone books.
Who wrote the Halfblood Chronicles?
Mercedes Lackey and Andre Norton co-wrote all three novels together; both names appear as full co-authors on every book.
Is the Halfblood Chronicles connected to Valdemar or Lackey's other series?
No. It's an entirely separate setting with its own history, magic system, and cast, unconnected to Valdemar or any of Lackey's solo series.
Is there a fourth Halfblood Chronicles book?
No. The trilogy concluded with Elvenborn (2002); no further installment has been published, and Andre Norton died in 2005.
If you like The Halfblood Chronicles
Reading order last verified .