This has been a long awaited continuation of the Founding of Valdemar series and I was so excited to get my hands on it. It is absolutely fascinating to get the founding and backstory of the founding and it was super satisfying to read. Looking so forward to the next continuation of the series!

The second installation of the founding of Valdemar did not disappoint. I like the split between viewpoints as the reader can delve into the mind of both Valdemar and his sister in law Delia. Some of the past book gets resolved in this one and key elements from previous books get a better grounding in this novel. As one of my favorite fictional kingdoms, I really enjoyed being able to see the country begin to come together.

This book felt like a magical trip on a wagon train into the West. The people of Valdemar are trying to find their place. They are travelling on unknown territory to find a new home. There are challenges of terrain, weather and remnants of a magic war to bring about so many difficulties for the people but with the leadership of the former Baron Kordas the people have a change in the new wild world. I thoroughly enjoyed this book it felt like a trip on a wagon train but with magic.

I was excited to return to Valdemar and see more of the backstory of Mercedes Lackey's creation come to life
I was only disappointed that my visit had to end (until I re-read).

Into The West is a wonderful addition to the world both answering a few questions but also bringing even more.

This could probably be a satisfying read on it's own but would be better after Beyond first book in this series grouping.


I received this ARC from Astra Publishing House/DAW and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

#IntotheWest #Valdemar #NetGalley

We join the Valdemaran exodus already in progress. Baron Valdemar has led his people, and assorted others, into the wilderness to a temporary haven. But there are already people there, and the land can't absorb many more, so they must move on soon. Some choose to return to the Empire rather than face the unknown hardships ahead. Moving nearly 2000 people and at least that many domesticated animals downstream in barges into dangerous territory is not a light undertaken.

For long-time Valdemar fans, who have been awaiting the origin story. Start with the first volume of the sequence.

I am eager to read the final version of this. There are still some awkward bits. We get two descriptions of the woman's barge and two explanations as two why Delia's bunk is above Alberdina's, first that she doesn't want to sleep above or below someone she doesn't know so she doesn't take the other lower bunk, second because Alberdina and any sick person needs the lower, so she was put above Alberdina. Same with the explanation of the grass growing spell coming up twice. By the time Kordas seems surprised about it in chapter 11, we've seen it already in action. We get a line "She would have given up Daystar in a moment" with no idea who or what a Daystar is. Little things like that.

Don't start chapter 20 unless you have a good amount of reading time in front of you. The book become impossible to put down about midway through that chapter.

Fair warning, this review will contain mild spoilers. Reader discretion advised.

The thing that always struck me most about the Star Wars prequel movies was how awkwardly things were showhorned in to fit what was already canon. Lackey faces the same challenges here, but it doesn't feel shoehorned, it doesn't feel awkward. If this were a reader's first encounter with Valdermar, they'd be hard pressed to figure out which parts needed to be there because it's established history and which parts aren't. Everything that is there is there because this story calls for it.

Granted, in the founding stories, King Valdermar was great and perfect and the embodiment of every virtue. And as founding myths, told even in the time of Vanyel, that makes sense. In direct contact with him, we need a character that is both fully human, with virtues and flaws, and yet fully capable of leaving that, granted polished, legacy. In Kordas, Lackey delivers. We see him as he is, and as he presents himself. We see where he falters, driven by his fear or his anger, and we see how he works to set this to right. And we see him, by need, being very mindful of the impression he makes. There is a scene that helps bridge this divide, where Silvermoon tells him, truth or fiction, he needs to build a legacy in his history, in the stories told about him, that will unite his people beyond his life and keep them on the path of honor and compassion. That lets things happend that never make the history books.

One of the most amazing things about Lackey's writing is you can jump into more or less any of her series and quickly become grounded. Arrows of the Queen was her first. Didn't read it? You don't need to for this. It was amazing, and if you haven't read it you're missing out, but you don't need to for this. The Mage Wars series, starting with Black Griffon, came before this, but everything you need to know about that is covered here. They're all beautifully self-contained. You do get rewarded if you have read the other books. I was sure as soon as the gate appeared with such drama exactly what would come through, and I was so excited I think I woke the cat. It took me longer than I'd like to admit to realize where they were. Strange animals distorted by magics from the mage wars. I just never realized how close Haven was to all that. In hindsight, that was in place since book 1. A more astute reader with a familiarity with her work would have seen this coming a long time. We encounter a character who represents a group I'm pretty sure will become the Companions. Knowing about what they are makes that much scene so much richer.

There are some parts that felt off to me. Delia's constand mooning ove Kordas is one. Yes, I realize she's groiwng up. Yes, I realize this is a normal girlhod crush. But there is just too much of it. The bit with Silvermoon claiming the convoy are hostages, the whole "and now we're trying to one up each other and act like adversaries" bit felt a little strange. It didn't fit with anything that came before or after.

There are some parts I loved. I expected Hayworth to be the thing from their past that comes back to haunt them. That's the obvious. It was the less than obvious abandoned threat that rose. Again, made total sense and I didn't see it coming. The kindness they've shown comes back to them in unexpected ways. I love Pebble. He's adorable.

It's a wonderful book. I love it. I can't wait for book 3. I hope there is another trilogy with these characters as there was with Mags.

I enjoyed returning to Mercedes Lackey's Valdemar series and seeing more of the backstory of Kordas and Valdemar explained. Compared to last year's Beyond, Into the West went on a bit in the middle and would have benefited from shortening, perhaps in the animal husbandry sections. I was starting to wonder whether this was purely a "journey" book, but there was resolution toward the end. There's obviously still more to tell on some of these characters, but I feel like I can wait for it now and still look forward and enjoy the next book.

Thanks to netgalley for providing this early copy.

This book was really good with all the heartaches and drama. There was so many plot twists and subtle nuances that it made me really have to think about things. Loved it a lot.

I am truly honoured that I got graced with am arc of this book. Thank you to the author as well as publisher for granting me access to the book early.

As many know Mercedes Lackey is my all time favourite fantasy author with so many series. Into the West is the second in the Baron Valdemar series.

Let me be frank I was not really wanting this series as I always loved the mystique of who this Baron was. Now I am glad they released as so much has been expanded on which gives all of her work just that much more special.

Reading this it seems a lot more violent in times than her most recent books. It isn't shocking to me as Mercedes Lackey definitely has had some violent scenes in earlier books.

My thoughts as re kind of muddled about this book. Yes the story is well written but since it isn't about the heralds as of yet it just feels somewhat off. It isn't bad but just doesn't have the full immersion of the characters and the story.

For some reason I just can't feel anything for Delia or Kordas. They both aren't what I expect and they just seem to be off-putting on some small way.

The dolls are a great addition to the magical lore of the world. I do wish there was more about them in the books that go many centuries past this point. I think it would have made them have greater impact.

The dolls are an unfortunate name as well for me as doesn't give them quite the impact they would have with another name.

Isla is probably my favourite as she reminds me most of what I loved about Valdemar. She is a mindspeaker which is pushing what I love in the psionic gifts.

The book has a lot of powerful imagery however I just don't feel invested as I did with other books and characters that this author has wrote.

The feeling of this book is definitely different to what the standard books are. This felt more adventurous and more monster of the month almost than normal. It had more of a feel of the Silver Gryphon. That's not always a great thing either as it lacks the string characters that always are portrayed with this authors work.

Don't get me wrong the story is good and it is interesting to see what they went through. I think the mystique of Valdemar is what I feel is being pushed away with these books and I think that is good to a point but I just worry that this could change the feeling for the other books.

I am fond of the humour in this book as well or to me what is humourous. I think it just shows that you don't have to always be serious in your story. I just love the small pieces of humour Mercedes Lackey places in her books.

It is strange to see some of the other history and figures show up and while I like it I also find it just makes things too easy for the characters. It always seemed that in The Last Herald Mage showed about the Hawkbrothers but this book kind of rewrote the feeling for it.