Which Mercedes Lackey Series Should I Start With And In What Order?
So many fans love Valdemar's Heralds and Companions. For a newcomer, finding a fantasy reading order for her epic sagas can feel overwhelming.
2026-08-02 12:09:14
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IanHenry
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Electrician
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LiamRed
Bookworm
Doctor
I'm just gonna sit this one out and take notes. My 'to-read' pile is scary enough without adding a 50-book universe. Good luck to all you brave adventurers!
2026-08-03 17:26:17
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AvaLopez
Ending Guesser
Student
The most underrated starting point is actually her Bardic Voices series, book one 'The Lark and the Wren'. It's a zero-to-hero story about a stubborn street musician who literally charms monsters with her music. The magic is all music-based, which is unique and beautifully described.
It's also set in a world with a rigid class system, so there's great social conflict. It's a complete story that opens up a bigger world. If the idea of magic being channeled through art and performance appeals to you more than psychic bonds or elemental spells, run, don't walk, to this book. It's a masterpiece of a different color.
2026-08-06 22:00:07
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ReeseRose
Story Interpreter
Photographer
Consider your tolerance for 'coming-of-age' tropes. The Arrows trilogy, the Collegium Chronicles, the Joust series – they all feature young protagonists learning their place. If you're tired of that, go for 'Vows and Honor' (established warrior women) or 'The Fire Rose' (Beauty and the Beast with an older, scholarly heroine).
Lackey writes fantastic youth stories, but she also writes brilliant adults. Matching your starter to your protagonist-age preference can make a huge difference in initial engagement. Don't force yourself through a teenager's training saga if you're not in the mood. Her older heroes have just as much depth and drama.
2026-08-06 22:35:33
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SilasBud
Helpful Reader
Engineer
Honestly, just pick up the first Valdemar book you find at a used bookstore. That's how I did it. I found 'Magic's Promise' (book 2 of the Vanyel trilogy) with a cool cover and was confused but enthralled. I went back and hunted down the rest.
There's no perfect order. The joy is in the discovery, in piecing together the history and connections yourself. The world is resilient enough to withstand out-of-order reading. Don't stress about optimization. Choose the book whose blurb speaks to you today. The lore will sort itself out as you go, and that process can be part of the fun.
2026-08-07 02:14:25
16
NicoKing
Helpful Reader
Assistant
Think of it like the Marvel Cinematic Universe. You can watch it in release order (publication order), which has a certain rhythm. You can watch it in timeline order (internal chronology), which is confusing at first. Or you can start with the most acclaimed standalone film that interests you ('Iron Man' or 'Guardians of the Galaxy').
For Lackey, the Arrows trilogy is 'Iron Man' – the solid foundation. Vanyel is 'Captain America: The Winter Soldier' – a darker, deeper story that benefits from context. 'By the Sword' is 'Guardians' – a fantastic romp that stands alone. Pick your MCU entry strategy and apply it here. There's no wrong answer, only different flavors of right.
2026-08-08 21:42:07
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Anyone else get emotionally attached to the Companions more than the Heralds sometimes? Rolan, Gwena, Yfandes... they're characters in their own right. The order you read affects which Companion you meet first and who becomes your favorite. That's a weird little side effect of reading order no one talks about.
My friend got into them by reading 'Owlflight' first, which is the start of the Owl trilogy, set in a different part of the world. She loved it and then branched into Valdemar proper. There's no gate here.
Her collaborations are a whole other can of worms. Books co-written with James Mallory (Obsidian) or Roberta Gellis (the Heirs of Alexandria series) exist in entirely separate worlds. So if you pick up a co-written book, assume it's not connected to Valdemar/Elemental Masters/Five Hundred Kingdoms unless explicitly stated.
The publication order is a complete mess timeline-wise, and I'm here for it. It feels like digging through an archaeologist's midden—you uncover layers of history in a non-linear fashion. You'll start with Queen's Own Heralds in one era, jump back to the Mage Storms, then leap forward to the Collegium chronicles. It doesn't hinder enjoyment; it just means you have to hold a mental map. Some wikis have fantastic reading order guides that merge chronology with publication groups to avoid spoilers.
I'd argue the 'Elemental Masters' series has a loose timeline based on the publication order and the real-world progression of the early 20th century, but the books aren't heavily sequential. You can see the world change slightly from book to book. But again, it's not a plot-driven timeline like Valdemar's. It's more of a backdrop.
At the end of the day, Mercedes Lackey created a world so welcoming that other writers wanted to visit and tell their own tales. The anthologies are the guest book of that world, filled with signatures and little notes from visitors. You don't read a guest book in order; you flip through it and enjoy the sentiments.
That's how they fit. They're the guest book. Read the main series to live in the house. Then peruse the guest book (the anthologies) to see who else has been there and what they thought. It adds to the richness of the experience, but the house stands beautifully on its own. Start wherever you like in the guest book; every entry is a small, self-contained piece of admiration.
The 'Last Herald-Mage' trilogy was groundbreaking for its time—a mainstream fantasy with a gay protagonist whose story wasn't entirely about tragedy (though there is plenty). If LGBTQ+ representation is a draw for you, start there. Vanyel's journey is central to the series' lore and heart. Reading his story first gives a poignant weight to many things mentioned in later (chronologically earlier) books. It's a powerful, emotional entry point that many fans hold dearest.