Intrigues

Valdemar: Collegium Chronicles, Book 2

By: Mercedes Lackey

Narrated by: Nick Podehl

Mags was an orphan and slave of ‘bad blood’ who toiled in a gem mine all his young life. He would have died before adulthood, had he not been Chosen and taken to Haven to be trained in the new Herald Collegium.

Now, Mags was never hungry and never cold. He slept in a real bed in his own room and, most importantly, he had Dallen, who was like another part of himself. And yet, aside from Lena and Bear, both loners like he was, he couldn’t relate to most of the Herald, Healer, or Bard trainees. He was the only trainee who came from what - to the others - was unimaginable poverty.

There was another factor that contributed to Mag’s isolation. Foreign assassins, masquerading at court as envoys, were discovered. As they fled from the Guard, one of them seemed to “recognize” Mags. Now, Mags was an object of suspicion.

He had always been curious about his parents, but after the incident it became urgent for Mags to discover exactly who his parents were. And at Haven, he had access to the extensive Archives. Poring through the Archives, he got only incomplete information: his parents, found dead in a bandit camp, had been two of a number of hostages, some of whom had survived. The survivors had told the Guard that Mags’ parents spoke a language that no one understood or recognized.

This information did not help, for the ForeSeers had been having visions of the king’s assassination by “one of the foreign blood”. Some had even Seen Mags with blood on his hands. How could Mags defend himself against a crime that hadn’t yet been committed?

Enchanted? Spend some more time in Valdemar.©2010 Mercedes Lackey (P)2010 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

Teen angst

At the end of the fifth episode of this year’s season of Game of Thrones, Aryia is rescued from the burning city of King’s a Landing by a white horse. So what could I do but reread the tales of Valdemar? I had no doubt at all that her Companion had found her and she was on her way to the Heralds’ Collegium. Most of these books have aged well since I last read them. This is the exception. I’m too old for the teenaged sense of power and importance so that everything g that goes wrong is their fault. “I’m such a bad person” “You’re all better off without my presence tainting everything with evil”. The basic plot line is OK, but there’s just too much angst.

Good story

I thoroughly enjoyed the story. Enough of the evil versus good to stay interesting and unsure of what is going to happen next. Looking forward to the next book in the series.

l love Mercedes lackeys book's. I read everyone I

can find specially the valdamer series. l wish I had a list of all of them in the order of the time line they accure.

Mags had a bad day!

Mags is hated by most of the school, because by researching
the the school’s records, he discovers his parents were the hated "furrrin

Wonderful!

Any additional comments?

I have yet to read a Mercedes Lackey book I didn't love, and this is no exception. The story of the beginning of the Heralds is one I've wanted to read for a long time, and the main character has a fascinating beginning. I enjoyed all three of these books tremendously.