From what I can remember of Mercedes Lackey’s Valdemar series, Brightly Burning is the most biographical. As such, it centers around Lavan Chitward, a boy who earned his heraldic whites and the name Firestorm. It is one of the series’ four standalone books, including the novella in the Valdemar Companion.

So to speak, Heralds are the white knights of yore. They are the monarch’s right hand, trusted folk who act as peace keepers, judges, diplomats, and guardians of Valdemar. They also tend to be gifted, having abilities such as telepathy, healing, and empathy, to name a few. But in order to become a Herald, one must be chosen by a Companion, the proverbial white steed whose looks are deceiving.

Several ideas and questions are explored in Brightly Burning. Blood kin vs chosen family. At times, boundaries are meaningless when it comes to love. When is it right, if ever, to take revenge? Power can be used for good or bad, but who has control, the person or the power itself? Leaders, who become such for different reasons, come in different sizes and shapes. How can one overcome fear and adversity?

Although there are several reoccurring themes through the Valdemar series, Lackey approaches them from different aspects. This helps to keep them from getting stale. In the Mage Wars trilogy, a war started out of greed and its effects during and after are visited. In Brightly Burning, war is approached from a religious angle and the draft is brought to question. Because of the characters and continuous storyline, good and bad are constants. Still, these concepts are viewed differently through characters and plots.

And although I am one among numerous readers who want Lackey to write more for the series, I can understand why she hasn’t. If anything, I think this shows her integrity as a writer:

Hey, everybody needs a vacation, even from the best job. So, until I come up with a story set in Velgarth that is as compelling as the ones you’ve enjoyed in the past, I’m taking a break. The last thing I want is for my own favorite series to start limping along and go out with a whimper.

When I’ve finished my second lap around Valdemar I’ll just have to read something else by one of my favorite writers. Having read about 40 of her works (short stories included), “Misty” is also the one whom I’ve read the most of. Need I say that this book or the series are recommended?

Quotes from Brightly Burning:

• “Without your actions, I would not be where I am and what I am at this moment.”
• “It needs ashes, mountain winds, and winter storms to thrive…It can send its roots deep into the rock, and rise out of the ashes tall and strong. It needs adversity to thrive.”

A few months ago I decided to revisit Valdemar, a magical kingdom created by Mercedes Lackey. I opted to read the series in chronological order, as opposed to random reads along Valdemar’s time line like the first time. I figure it’ll be easier to review the books in their respective “sets”, instead of 28 individual reviews, which may be a bit much. I’m also trying to avoid spoiling the much beloved series, by adolescents and adults alike, for those who haven’t visited Valdemar.

The series begins with the Mage Wars trilogy, a prehistory of Valdemar that begins a thousand years before the kingdom’s founding. As such, it fills in the blanks as to why some things are the way they are. Throughout the trilogy are the ideas of good vs evil, the reasons for war and how it impacts people directly or indirectly, leadership, the responsibilities of those with power (political, magical, or otherwise), and creators’ duties to their creations.

In the Black Gryphon, a war has broken out between two extremely powerful mages, Urtho and Ma’ar. Helping to defend Urtho’s land and their home, are humans and gryphons alike, the latter being Urtho’s pride and joy. Ma’ar’s forces include humans interested in power or survival and his fiercely-made makaar.

Black Gryphon themes:

• War- life on and off the battlefield
• Power- duties of those with or in power
• Leadership- qualities and duties, whether by choice or not, followings based on respect or fear
• Racism- non-humans are no better than chess pieces
  

In the White Gryphon the refugees have carved out new lives for themselves. Not wanting to lose their new home, an envoy is sent to the court of the Black Kings to negotiate. But when mysterious murders occur fingers point to the foreign trespassers. Whodunnit?

White Gryphon themes:

• War- life afterwards
• Differences- racism, cultures, customs
• Change- fighting and accepting it
• Leadership- not all fun and games, why a leader is respected
• Revenge
  

In the Silver Gryphon Blade and Tadrith fall into trouble during their first assignment for the guard. Injured and drained of magic, they become the prey of unknown hunters.

Silver Gryphon themes:

• Coming of age- self-identity and forging one’s own path
• Growing older- parenting, learning from experience
• Power- right or wrong to use
  

A few quotes I felt worth saving.

• “Change or stagnate. Keep moving or die.”
• “Caught between glass and wood, that which breaks and that which bends, that which sings and that which survive. So our lives go.”
• “When warriors feel afraid they lack something, it is only because they are forgetful. They have forgotten how capable they truly are.”
  

Though not my favorite in the Valdemar series, I flew through each book’s 400 pages in about a week. They were still as enjoyable as the first time around and I’ll probably read them again at another point in time. The series, along with many other books and short stories by Mercedes Lackey, are part of my permanent library.

Recommended.

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