The Recurring Cast
Character guide · 33 books · 1987 to 2023

Mercedes Lackey

FantasyEpic and high fantasy

Mercedes Lackey's Valdemar is a kingdom protected by Heralds, chosen by magical white horses called Companions. Her many trilogies range from the Heralds Talia and Vanyel to the mage wars of the distant past.

Best estimate, compiled from series guides, publisher descriptions and reviews where available, and from memory otherwise. Book level only, not chapter level. Minor includes cameos and brief references. Each book carries a confidence rating in its tooltip. Only the main trilogies and novels are charted; anthologies and co-written spin-offs are left out. The Mage Wars books were written with Larry Dixon.

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Who appears in which book

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LLeadMMajor·MinorHas a note
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Mercedes Lackey books in order

Each series in publication order, with its lead characters. Where the story runs in a different order, switch to Story order. Crossover books are marked and listed under their main series. Use My books to track what you have read.

Valdemar

33 books · Set in ValdemarEpic and high fantasy
  1. 1Arrows of the Queen1987With TaliaBuy on Amazon
  2. 2Arrow's Flight1987With TaliaBuy on Amazon
  3. 3Arrow's Fall1988With TaliaBuy on Amazon
  4. 4The Oathbound1988With Tarma and KethryBuy on Amazon
  5. 5Magic's Pawn1989With Vanyel AshkevronBuy on Amazon
  6. 6Oathbreakers1989With Tarma and KethryBuy on Amazon
  7. 7Magic's Promise1990With Vanyel AshkevronBuy on Amazon
  8. 8Magic's Price1990With Vanyel AshkevronBuy on Amazon
  9. 9By the Sword1991With KerowynBuy on Amazon
  10. 10Winds of Fate1991With ElspethBuy on Amazon
  11. 11Winds of Change1992With Elspeth and Darkwind k'SheynaBuy on Amazon
  12. 12Winds of Fury1993With ElspethBuy on Amazon
  13. 13The Black Gryphon1994With SkandranonBuy on Amazon
  14. 14Storm Warning1994With KaralBuy on Amazon
  15. 15Storm Rising1995With KaralBuy on Amazon
  16. 16The White Gryphon1995With SkandranonBuy on Amazon
  17. 17Storm Breaking1996With KaralBuy on Amazon
  18. 18The Silver Gryphon1996Buy on Amazon
  19. 19Brightly Burning2000With Lan ChitwardBuy on Amazon
  20. 20Take a Thief2001With SkifBuy on Amazon
  21. 21Exile's Honor2002With AlberichBuy on Amazon
  22. 22Exile's Valor2003With AlberichBuy on Amazon
  23. 23Foundation2008With MagsBuy on Amazon
  24. 24Intrigues2010With MagsBuy on Amazon
  25. 25Changes2011With MagsBuy on Amazon
  26. 26Redoubt2012With MagsBuy on Amazon
  27. 27Bastion2013With MagsBuy on Amazon
  28. 28Closer to Home2014With AmilyBuy on Amazon
  29. 29Closer to the Heart2015With AmilyBuy on Amazon
  30. 30Closer to the Chest2016With AmilyBuy on Amazon
  31. 31Beyond2021With Kordas ValdemarBuy on Amazon
  32. 32Into the West2022With Kordas ValdemarBuy on Amazon
  33. 33Valdemar2023With Kordas ValdemarBuy on Amazon

Characters

15 recurring and key characters, with the book each one first appears in.

Heralds and mages