Heralds of Valdemar

About the Heralds of Valdemar series

Heralds of Valdemar is the original branch of Mercedes Lackey's sprawling Valdemar fantasy universe — the books that introduce the kingdom of Valdemar, its telepathically-Chosen Heralds, and the intelligent, soul-bonded Companions (horse-shaped beings who select each Herald and share their mind). The core is the Arrows trilogy, following Talia, a runaway farm girl Chosen by the Companion Rolan and thrust into training as the newest, and youngest, Herald, eventually becoming the Queen's Own — closest advisor and protector to the reigning monarch. Around that trilogy, Lackey later added books filling in other Heralds' stories from the same era: Take a Thief follows Skif, a young thief who becomes one of Talia's fellow trainees, before his Choosing; the Exile's Honor / Exile's Valor duology tells how Alberich, a captured Karsite soldier, was Chosen against every expectation and became the Heralds' feared but respected Weaponsmaster (he appears as Talia's own instructor in the Arrows books); and Brightly Burning stands furthest apart, set generations earlier, following Lavan Chitward, a Herald whose uncontrolled Firestarter Gift makes him one of the most dangerous — and tragic — figures in Heraldic history.

Together these seven books established the tone, magic system, and found-family emotional core (young outsiders Chosen into belonging and purpose) that every later Valdemar sub-series builds on.

How to read this series

The core Arrows trilogy — Arrows of the Queen, Arrow's Flight, Arrow's Fall — is the classic entry point to Valdemar as a whole and should be read in that order; it's still the most commonly recommended starting place for new readers. The other four books are prequels and companions that can be read before or after the trilogy depending on taste: chronologically within the story world, Brightly Burning comes earliest (generations before Talia), followed by Exile's Honor and Exile's Valor (Alberich's backstory, which precedes and overlaps the start of Talia's training), then Take a Thief (Skif, immediately before the Arrows trilogy begins), then the Arrows trilogy itself. Many longtime readers, though, prefer publication order — reading the original trilogy first and treating the prequels as deepening context for characters you already know, rather than reading Alberich and Skif's backstories before meeting them as established supporting characters.