Author Information
Mercedes Lackey
  • Bibliography:
    173 Books (22 Series)
  • First Book:
    December 1985
  • Latest Book:
    July 2024
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About the Author

Mercedes Lackey graduated from Purdue University in 1972, after which she worked as an artist's model then a computer programmer. Lackey began writing out of boredom, which quickly turned into necessity. She considers her job to be primarily that of a story-teller.

She has written over 100 novels in a career spanning over two decades. Lackey has collaborated on many fantasy series with authors such as Roberta Gellis and Rosemary Edghill. She has also written many short story and novella collections. Her novels and stories that focus on the Valdemar universe are some of her most beloved. Lackey also writes lyrics and recorded music for Firebird Arts and Music, a small recording company that specializes in science fiction folk music. She has done about 50 songs for them.

Full Series List in Order

Bardic Voices

1 - Lark and the Wren (Dec-1991)
2 - The Robin and the Kestrel (Oct-1993)
3 - The Eagle & the Nightingales (Jan-1995)
4 - Four & Twenty Blackbirds (Dec-1997)

The Collegium Chronicles

1 - Foundation (Oct-2008)
2 - Intrigues (Oct-2010)
3 - Changes (Oct-2011)
4 - Redoubt (Oct-2012)
5 - Bastion (Oct-2013)

A Diana Tregarde Investigation

1 - Burning Water (Feb-1989)
2 - Children of the Night (Aug-1990)
3 - Jinx High (Oct-1991)
4 - Trio of Sorcery (Nov-2010)
Nightside (Nov-1989)
Satanic, Versus (Nov-1990)
Killer Byte (Apr-1994)

The Dragon Jousters

1 - Joust (Mar-2003)
2 - Alta (Mar-2004)
3 - Sanctuary (Mar-2005)
4 - Aerie (Oct-2006)

Elemental Masters

1 - The Fire Rose (Oct-1995)
1.2 - Grey (Oct-1997)
1.3 - Grey's Ghost (Apr-1999)
2 - The Serpent's Shadow (Mar-2001)
3 - The Gates of Sleep (Apr-2002)
4 - Phoenix and Ashes (Oct-2004)
5 - The Wizard of London (Oct-2005)
6 - Reserved For the Cat (Oct-2007)
7 - Unnatural Issue (Jun-2011)
8 - Home from the Sea (Jun-2012)
9 - Elemental Magic (Dec-2012)
10 - Steadfast (Jun-2013)
11 - Elementary (Dec-2013)
12 - Blood Red (Jun-2014)
13 - From a High Tower (Jun-2015)
14 - A Study in Sable (Jun-2016)
15 - A Scandal in Battersea (Oct-2017)
16 - The Bartered Brides (Oct-2018)
17 - The Case of the Spellbound Child (Dec-2019)
18 - Jolene (Dec-2020)
19 - The Silver Bullets of Annie Oakley (Jan-2022)

The Founding of Valdemar

1 - Beyond (Jun-2021)
2 - Into the West (Dec-2022)
3 - Valdemar (Dec-2023)

Gwenhwyfar

1 - The White Spirit (Oct-2009)

Herald Spy

1 - Closer to Home (Oct-2014)
2 - Closer to the Heart (Oct-2015)
3 - Closer to the Chest (Oct-2016)

Heralds of Valdemar

1 - Take a Thief (Oct-2001)
2 - Exile's Honor (Oct-2002)
3 - Exile's Valor (Nov-2003)
4 - Arrows of the Queen (Mar-1987)
5 - Arrow's Flight (Sep-1987)
6 - Arrow's Fall (Jan-1988)
Stolen Silver (Dec-1991)

Hunter

1 - Hunter (Sep-2015)
2 - Elite (Sep-2016)
3 - Apex (Sep-2017)

Kelvren's Saga

1 - Gryphon in Light (May-2024)
2 - Gryphon's Valor (Jul-2024)

Last Herald-Mage

1 - Magic's Pawn (Jun-1989)
2 - Magic's Promise (Jan-1990)
3 - Magic's Price (Jul-1990)

Mage Storms

1 - Storm Warning (Aug-1994)
2 - Storm Rising (Sep-1995)
3 - Storm Breaking (Oct-1996)

Mage Winds

1 - Winds of Fate (Oct-1991)
2 - Winds of Change (Oct-1992)
3 - Winds of Fury (Aug-1993)

Martis

1 - Balance (Nov-2010)
2 - Dragon's Teeth (May-1988)

Ring of Fire

To Dye For (Jan-2004)

The Secret World Chronicles

1 - Invasion (Mar-2011)
2 - World Divided (Feb-2012)
3 - Revolution (Jan-2014)
4 - Collision (Dec-2014)
5 - Avalanche (Aug-2018)

Secret World War

Sgian Dubh (Jun-2010)
White Bird (Jun-2010)

Shipscat

1 - SKitty (Aug-2010)
3 - SCat (Sep-2010)
4 - A Better Mousetrap (Sep-2010)

A Tale of the Five Hundred Kingdoms

1 - The Fairy Godmother (Jan-2004)
2 - Moontide (Nov-2005)
3 - One Good Knight (Jan-2006)
4 - Fortune's Fool (Mar-2007)
5 - The Snow Queen (Jun-2008)
6 - The Sleeping Beauty (Jul-2010)
7 - A Tangled Web (Oct-2010)
8 - Beauty and the Werewolf (Oct-2011)

Valdemar: Family Spies

1 - The Hills Have Spies (Jun-2018)
2 - Eye Spy (Jul-2019)
3 - Spy, Spy Again (Jun-2020)

Vows and Honor

1 - The Oathbound (Jul-1988)
2 - Oathbreakers (Jan-1989)
3 - Oathblood (Apr-1998)
Sword Sworn (Jul-1986)
A Tale of Heroes (Jul-1987)
Keys (Aug-1988)
Wings of Fire (Sep-1991)
A Woman's Weapon (Apr-1992)
Friendly Fire (Jun-1993)
The Talisman (Aug-2010)

Multi-Author Series List

Darkover

Poetic License (Apr-1994)

Fairytale Retellings: Beauty and the Beast

The Fire Rose (Oct-1995)
Beauty and the Werewolf (Oct-2011)

Fairytale Retellings: Snow White

The Serpent's Shadow (Mar-2001)
The Sleeping Beauty (Jul-2010)

Fairytale Retellings: Cinderella

The Fairy Godmother (Jan-2004)
Phoenix and Ashes (Oct-2004)

Fairytale Retellings: Sleeping Beauty

The Gates of Sleep (Apr-2002)
The Sleeping Beauty (Jul-2010)
Briarheart (Oct-2021)

Fairytale Retellings: Rapunzel

From a High Tower (Jun-2015)

Fairytale Retellings: The Little Mermaid

Fortune's Fool (Mar-2007)

Fairytale Retellings: The Snow Queen

The Wizard of London (Oct-2005)
The Snow Queen (Jun-2008)

Novel of the Serrated Edge

4 - Chrome Circle (Aug-1994)

Valdemar

Storm Warning (Aug-1994)
Storm Rising (Sep-1995)
Storm Breaking (Oct-1996)
Oathblood (Apr-1998)
Brightly Burning (May-2000)
Take a Thief (Oct-2001)
Exile's Honor (Oct-2002)
Exile's Valor (Nov-2003)
Sun In Glory: and Other Tales of Valdemar (Dec-2003)
Crossroads: and Other Tales of Valdemar (Dec-2005)
Foundation (Oct-2008)
Moving Targets: and Other Tales of Valdemar (Dec-2008)
Changing the World: All-New Tales of Valdemar (Dec-2009)
Intrigues (Oct-2010)
Changes (Oct-2011)
Under the Vale: and Other Tales of Valdemar (Dec-2011)
Redoubt (Oct-2012)
Bastion (Oct-2013)
Crucible: All-New Tales of Valdemar (Dec-2015)
Pathways: All-New Tales of Valdemar (Dec-2017)
Choices: All-New Tales of Valdemar (Dec-2018)
Seasons: All-original Stories of Valdemar (Nov-2019)
Passages: All-original Stories of Valdemar (Nov-2020)
Beyond (Jun-2021)
Boundaries: All-original stories of Valdemar (Dec-2021)
Into the West (Dec-2022)
Shenanigans: All-original Stories of Valdemar (Dec-2022)
Anything With Nothing (Dec-2023)
1 - Arrows of the Queen (Mar-1987)
2 - Arrow's Flight (Sep-1987)
3 - Arrow's Fall (Jan-1988)
4 - The Oathbound (Jul-1988)
5 - Oathbreakers (Jan-1989)
6 - Magic's Pawn (Jun-1989)
7 - Magic's Promise (Jan-1990)
8 - Magic's Price (Jul-1990)
9 - By the Sword (Feb-1991)

Valdemar (Publication Order)

1 - Arrows of the Queen (Mar-1987)
2 - Arrow's Flight (Sep-1987)
3 - Arrow's Fall (Jan-1988)
4 - The Oathbound (Jul-1988)
5 - Oathbreakers (Jan-1989)
6 - Magic's Pawn (Jun-1989)
7 - Magic's Promise (Jan-1990)
8 - Magic's Price (Jul-1990)
9 - By the Sword (Feb-1991)
10 - Winds of Fate (Oct-1991)
11 - Winds of Change (Oct-1992)
12 - Winds of Fury (Aug-1993)
14 - Storm Warning (Aug-1994)
16 - Storm Rising (Sep-1995)
18 - Storm Breaking (Oct-1996)
18.5 - Sword of Ice: and Other Tales of Valdemar (Jan-1997)
20 - Oathblood (Apr-1998)
23 - Brightly Burning (May-2000)
24 - Take a Thief (Oct-2001)
25 - Exile's Honor (Oct-2002)
26 - Exile's Valor (Nov-2003)
26.25 - Sun In Glory: and Other Tales of Valdemar (Dec-2003)
26.5 - Crossroads: and Other Tales of Valdemar (Dec-2005)
27 - Foundation (Oct-2008)
27.25 - Moving Targets: and Other Tales of Valdemar (Dec-2008)
27.5 - Changing the World: All-New Tales of Valdemar (Dec-2009)
28 - Intrigues (Oct-2010)
28.5 - Finding the Way: and Other Tales of Valdemar (Dec-2010)
29 - Changes (Oct-2011)
29.5 - Under the Vale: and Other Tales of Valdemar (Dec-2011)
30 - Redoubt (Oct-2012)
30.5 - No True Way: All-New Tales of Valdemar (Dec-2012)
31 - Bastion (Oct-2013)
32 - Closer to Home (Oct-2014)
33 - Closer to the Heart (Oct-2015)
34 - Crucible: All-New Tales of Valdemar (Dec-2015)
35 - Closer to the Chest (Oct-2016)
36 - Tempest: All-New Tales of Valdemar (Dec-2016)
36.5 - Pathways: All-New Tales of Valdemar (Dec-2017)
37 - The Hills Have Spies (Jun-2018)
38 - Choices: All-New Tales of Valdemar (Dec-2018)
39 - Eye Spy (Jul-2019)
39.5 - Seasons: All-original Stories of Valdemar (Nov-2019)
40 - Spy, Spy Again (Jun-2020)
40.5 - Passages: All-original Stories of Valdemar (Nov-2020)
41 - Beyond (Jun-2021)
42 - Boundaries: All-original stories of Valdemar (Dec-2021)
42.5 - Shenanigans: All-original Stories of Valdemar (Dec-2022)
43 - Into the West (Dec-2022)

Book List in Order: 173 titles



  • It takes a lot of courage to be a Free Amazon, but does that mean you absolutely must be a swordswoman?This story was originally published in the Darkover anthology FREE AMAZONS OF DARKOVER, December 1985....



  • Tarma was the sole survivor of her clan, bound on a fatal quest for vengeance, when she encountered the sorceress Kethry. Could the two of them do together what neither could do alone?This story was originally published in the anthology Sword and Sor...




  • A KINGDOM IMPERILED! Chosen by the Companion Rolan, a mystical horse-like being with powers beyond imagining, Talia, once a runaway, has now become a trainee Herald, destined to become one of the Queen's own elite guard. For Talia has certain awaken...



  • Tarma and Kethry deal with many different kinds of heroes. Here they must mend the damage done by one "hero" and help two others. This story was originally published in SWORD & SORCERESS 4, 1987...



  • HERALD'S CHALLENGE! Talia could scarcely believe that she had finally earned the rank of full Herald. Yet though this seemed like the fulfillment of all her dreams, it also meant she would face trials far greater than those she had previously surviv...



  • VALDEMAR'S PERIL! With Elspeth, the heir to the throne of Valdemar, come of marriageable age, Talia, the Queen's Own Herald returns to court to find Queen and heir beset by diplomatic intrigue as various forces vie for control of Elspeth's future. ...



  • A massive collection of wonderous science fiction and fantasy stories from New York Times best-selling Mercedes Lackey.  Includes Fiddler Fair and Werehunter for the first time in one volume.A massive collection of wonderous science fiction and fant...



  • THE SWORDSWOMAN She was Tarma. Boni to the Clan of the Hawk of the nomadic Shin'a'in people she saw her entire clan slain by brigands. Vowing blood revenge upon the murderers, she became one of the sword-sworn, the most elite of all warriors. And tr...






  • Lady Myria was accused of the murder of her husband. She called for trial by combat and named no champion, trusting the gods to send a champion to fight and prove her innocence. The gods sent two: Tarma to fight for her, and Kethry to prove her innoc...



  • SUNHAWK'S QUEST When Idra, leader of the crack mercenaries known as the Sunhawks failed to return fro a journey to her home kingdom of Rethwellan, Tarma and Kethry, warrior and mage, set out in search of their vanished leader. Sisters sword and sp...



  • Something ancient and incredibly powerful is stalking Dallas. First it attacked cattle, now it's going after people: men, women, even children-dozens at a time. And it leaves behind an aura of supernatural evil. Detective Mark Valdez feels that ev...



  • Chali's clan came to the town in peace, to trade. Clan Skaht of the Horseclans came to raid, but was deterred by the peace-banners. Then the son of the local king decided to promote himself, by patricide and regicide, and everything changed.This stor...



  • MAGE-CRAFT Though Vanyel has been born with near-legendary abilities to work both Herald and Mage magic, he wants no part of such things. Nor does he seek a warrior's path, wishing instead to become a Bard. Yet such talent as his if left untrained m...




  • THE WILD MAGIC is taking its toll on the land. Many Heralds and Herald-Mages have died fighting to preserve the peace. Even Vanyel, the most powerful of the Herald-Mages is almost at the end of his strength, in need of a respite from the dual threat...



  • Varzil the Good has put an end to the laran wars, and peace has come to the land--unless you're planning to combine the Sisterhood of the Sword and the Priestesses of Avarra and establish the first Guildhouse for the Free Amazons. Tayksa n'ha Elayna ...



  • Tarma and Kethry came to town looking for a meal, something cold to drink, and a chance to rest from their travels in the summer's heat. For the "bard" Leslac, however, this wasn't nearly heroic enough for his next ballad. And the town had a Wicked O...



  • VALDEMAR -- the once-peaceful kingdom protected by the magic of its Herald-Mages--is now beseiged on all fronts. The king lies near death, the neighboring land of Karse wages a relentless war against Valdemar, and the forces led by a master of dark ...






  • The Gypsy boy had asked for Di's help--called on her for magical assistance--and she could not refuse, especially after he was slain practically on her doorstep. But the vampire Di finds cradling the body isn't the killer--he's the Gypsies' protec...



  • Diana Tregarde and her partner Andre reluctantly attend a romance writers' convention and discover that the most unlikely people can cast spells. And a spell cast by someone who has no idea what she's doing can be extremely dangerous......



  • BY SWORD, SORCERY, AND HONOR BOUND -- Granddaughter of the sorceress Kethry, daughter of a noble house, Kerowyn had been forced to run the family keep since her mother's untimely death. Yet now at last her brother wag preparing to wed, and when ...





  • Teenage passion meets centuries-old magic...Prom Night's going to be Hell! It should have been a relaxing visit with an old friend, a chance to check out the strange occult vibrations around Tulsa's Jenks High. Di hadn't expected to find a male...



  • HIGH MAGIC had been lost to Voldemor centuries ago when the lost Herald-Mage gave his life to save the kingdom from destruction by dark sorceries. Yet now the realm is at risk again. And Elspeth, Herald and heir to the throne, must take up the ch...



  • GHOST AND BARD With the proper schooling young Rune would be one of the greatest bards her world has ever seen. Even if only she knows it. Unfortunately, the daughter of a tavern wench at the Hungry Bear, no matter how talented, doesn't get much i...




  • Omnibus of three novels originally published separately in paperback: Magic's Pawn, (nominated for the 1989 Lambda Award); Magic's Promise, and Magic's Price. (Winner, 1990 Lambda Award) These three novels are set in Valdemar. This is their only hard...






  • The Guild Master was ill, his rival's workplace was a noxious slum, and his apprentice's father had twenty dead horses. Tarma knew that something was seriously wrong; now all she had to do was convince her partners Kethry and Warrl and then figure ou...



  • Two girls from very different backgrounds are sent on a quest, only to discover that they are both seeking -- or being sought by -- the same thing.This story was first published in GRAILS, May 1992....



  • DARK MAGIC With Voldemar in dire peril--threatened by the malevolent spellcraft of Ancor of Hardorn--Princess Elspeth, Herald and heir to the throne, has come to the Vale of the Toyledros Clan to seek Mage training among the magical Hawkbrother A...




  • Believing in animal rights is one thing, but before you act on those beliefs, you had better do some really careful research. This story originally appeared in the anthology DINOSAUR FANTASTIC, Jul 1993....



  • VALDEMAR is once again in peril, threatened by Ancar of Hardorn, who has long sought to seize control of the kingdom by any means at his command. Yet this time Ancar may well achieve his goal, for by harnessing the power of Mornelithe Falconsbone...





  • Just because Bachman's World was back-of-beyond of nowhere, and even the most conservative of military planners thought their insistence on having an on-planet defense force to be paranoid in the extreme, that did not negate their right to have it. T...



  • SOMETHING IS ROTTEN IN THE STATE OF GRADFORD After the affairs recounted in The Lark and The Wren, Robin, a gypsy lass and bard, and Kestrel, semi-fugitive heir to a throne he does not want, have married their fortunes together and travel the open...



  • THE SECRET WORLD OF CATS is about to be revealed in this all-new collection of tales about those mysterious felines who rule the animal and human kingdoms. Whether they are intently stalking their prey, making humans cater to their every whim, or co...






  • Jennifer Talideer is Osage and Cherokee, granddaughter of a powerful Medicine Man. She walks a difficult path: contrary to tribal custom, she is learning a warrior's magics. A freelance private investigator, Jennifer spends hours tracking down stolen...




  • Noted authors--such as Mercedes Lackey, Marion Zimmer Bradley, Diana Paxson, and others--return to Darkover, the planet of the Bloody Sun where a wall of ice separates man from the snowy wasteland. Original....



  • There are mages out there. And some of them are kind of cute. Like Tannim, for instance, a young human mage with a predeliction for hot rock, fast cars and dangerous women. Now he thinks he's found Ms. Right, but there are three tiny little proble...



  • Karse and Valdemar have long been enemy kingdoms their peoples filled with mutual prejudice and mistrust. Only the vile deeds perpetrated on both kingdoms by Ancar of Hardorn, and the subsequent emergence of the armies of the Eastern Empire in the wa...



  • Are we saved by faith or by good works? And if, as Saint Paul said, we have been saved through faith, does anything else matter? As long as we repent our sins, God will forgive us--won't he?This story originally appeared in the anthology DEALS WITH T...



  • LET THE KING BE KING! Why is the High King of the Human kingdoms not doing his job--and thereby allowing the Church to fill the power vacuum in the human lands of Alanda? This is a matter of some concern to Nightingale and her friends: the Church ...



  • No matter how many princes woo you, you need some standards: "If I were ever to marry, which I don't plan on," Princess Rowena said firmly, "I'm sure I would want a husband who had some sense of self-preservation. Camping out on a ledge just outside ...



  • The Dire Threat of War with the powerful, sorcerous, Eastern Empire has forced the kingdom of Valdemar into an uneasy coalition with its traditional enemy, the neighboring kingdom of Karse. But now, mysterious mage-storms are wreaking havoc on bo...



  • Beauty Meets Best in San Francisco... Heiress Rosalind Hawkins was a thoroughly modern medieval scholar, her road through life well planned and already embarked upon: by breaking new ground in the Groves of Academe she would show the world that br...






  • THE HOUR OF CHOOSING IS AT HAND.... In "Lammas Night" a young weaver of spells is persuaded to bide a while in a small village, to make-their village spells and keep the Dark at bay. As part of their persuasion, the villagers have given her the hous...



  • Political correctness can be carried too far -- you can give everyone equal rights, but that's a very different thing from making everyone equal.This story was first published in SISTERS IN FANTASY 2, Apr 1996....



  • ANCIENT MAGIC As mysterious, magical onslaughts ravage Valdemar and the kingdoms of the West, the western allies have traveled far to locate the ruins of the Tower of Urtho, Mage of Silence, and excavate his legendary Vault, hidden stronghold of s...



  • Inspired by a classic fairy tale, Firebird is a marvelous coming-of-age fantasy novel with a most unusual setting: medieval Russia before the Tsars. Ilya is the son of a boyar, a Russian prince. The boyar's majestic cherry orchard is visited at mi...



  • Filled with magic, intrigue, romance and adventure, Mercedes Lackey's world of Valdemar is one of the most popular domains in fantasy literature. Home to the Heralds and thier mysterious horselike Companions, the magical Tayledras Hawk-people, and of...



  • Mercedes Lackey's very first novel, ARROWS OF THE QUEEN, introduced readers to the magical land of Valdemar. In this ancient realm, beset by war and internal conflicts, justice is dispensed by an elite force--the legendary Heralds. These unusual men ...




  • When Nan and Sarah attended a séance, they discovered that the medium holding it was not the one who could communicate with ghosts. Note: this story was incorporated into the novel THE WIZARD OF LONDON. It was originally published in the anthology W...



  • A FINE FEATHERED FIEND A magical maniac is loose in Alanda. The victims are always women, always lower-class, and the weapon is always a three-sided stiletto, most often found among Church regalia. But the killers are never churchmen, and they alw...



  • A COMMAND PERFORMANCE BY FANTASY'S GRAND DIVA Mercedes Lackey has, in a few short years, soared to the peak of the fantasy field, and her thousands of enthusiastic readers clamor for more and more. Now comes a volume demonstrating the wide range o...



  • TARMA She was one of the Shin'a'in sword-sworn--the most elite of all warriors, and she had taken blood vengeance upon the brigands who massacred her people. KETHRY She fled her oppressive arranged marriage and became a powerful sorceress of the...



  • When Nan and Sarah attended a séance, they discovered that the medium holding it was not the one who could communicate with ghosts. Note: this story was incorporated into the novel THE WIZARD OF LONDON. It was originally published in the anthology W...



  • FROM THE WOMAN WHO REDEFINED FANTASY In the short span of a few years, Mercedes Lackey has risen from an exciting new talent to a reigning superstar of fantasy. Last year's Fiddler Fair was a showcase of the wide scope of her talent, ranging from ...



  • THE SHAPESHIFTER As the only child of a powerful sorcerer, Odile Von Rothbart has studied the magical arts under her father's stern tutelage all her life. Yet she feels only fear toward him. For considering his wife's untimely death the ultimate b...



  • Fifteen-year-old Ariella spends her days in the forest caring for the animals, but when her father dies and she is threatened with marriage to a cousin she has never seen, a remarkable horselike creature from the woods will reward the girl's compassi...




  • A CURSE OF FIRE When Archer and Nel Chitward moved their family from a small rural village to the bustling city of Haven, it was cause for great celebration. After all, their textile skills had made them leaders among their Guilds, welcomed into ...



  • STALKED BY SORCERY Maya Witherspoon lived most of the first twenty-five years of her life in her native India. As the daughter of a prominent British physician and a Brahmin woman of the highest caste, she graduated from the University of Delhi as...



  • TO CATCH A THIEF Skif was an orphan. For as long as he could remember he had worked as a drudge in his Uncle Londer's dreary inn_: in the slums of Haven. Sleeping on a pile of rags under, the stairs, wakened before dawn to do the lowliest and filt...



  • SHADOWED BY A SPELL For seventeen years, Marina Roeswood had lived in an old, rambling farmhouse in rural Cornwall in the care of close friends of her wealthy, aristocratic parents. As the ward of bohemian artists in Victorian England, she had gro...



  • TRAINING THE ENEMY Alberich had spent most of his youth in the Karsite military schools training to be an officer. As the son of an impoverished mother, he had had no other career choice open to him. And Alberich had risen in the ranks with almost...



  • THE SECRET OF THE DRAGONS Vetch was an Altan serf working the land which had once been his family's farm. Young and slight, Vetch would have died of overwork, exposure, and starvation if not for the anger which was his only real sustenance--anger ...



  • QUEEN OF HEARTS Alberich was a Herald of Valdemar, but once he had been a captain in the army of Karse. It hadn't been easy for Alberich to transfer his loyalties, nor had it been easy for the court of Valdemar to accept a Karsite Herald. But Albe...



  • In Lady Gwynhefar's dark, lonely court, her only ally was noble Sir Elloran, a warrior willing to fight for her honor. But would her powerful spell capture his heart -- or tumble the kingdom into chaos?...



  • VALDEMAR A decade and a half ago Mercedes Lackey published Arrows of the Queen, the story of an outcast girl whose life takes a dramatic turn when she is "Chosen" by a mysterious horselike Companion and is inducted into the ranks of an elite corp ...



  • In the land of the Five Hundred Kingdoms, if you can't carry out your legendary role, life is no fairy tale.... Elena Klovis was supposed to be her kingdom's Cinderella--until fate left her with a completely inappropriate prince! So she set out to...



  • Hippie Tom Stone insists on giving away his pharmaceutical products, but his beloved's father feels firmly that any prospective son-in-law must have an income. So now Tom must find a way to convince Herr Edelmann that he is worthy of Magdalena's hand...



  • DRAGON RIDER Vetch had done the unimaginable. He had secretly raised his own baby dragon, a crimson female he named Avatre, and when she first took flight he had been on her back. Although Avatre was new to flight, with the help of his trainer and...



  • An abiding presence in myth and literature from around the world, the dragon has been reborn in modern fantasy fiction. The classic winged fire-breathing reptile often associated with evil (they do despoil villages and demand virgin sacrifices, after...



  • Please Read Notes: Brand New, International Softcover Edition, Printed in black and white pages, minor self wear on the cover or pages, Sale restriction may be printed on the book, but Book name, contents, and author are exactly same as Hardcover Edi...



  • THE EVIL OF BLOOD-FUELED MAGIC Eleanor Robinson's life had shattered when Father volunteered for the Great War, leaving her alone with a woman he had just married. Then the letter had come that told of her father's death in the trenches and though...



  • The Lost City of the Desert Kiron had achieved more than he had ever dreamed possible. On the back of his dragon, Avatre, he had crossed the vast desert and reached Alta, the kingdom of his birth. Once there, he had been accepted into the Jousters...



  • He could cope with being the man of the house after his father was killed in the War, but when the Devil decided to come after his sister, Seth knew he needed some extra help.This story was originally published in Bedlam's Edge in 2005....



  • Nigel Peters spent most of his life defusing bombs, which is not a common career choice. But his reason for choosing this career was even less common, perhaps even unique.This story was first published in BEDLAM'S EDGE, Aug 2005....



  • SCHOOL OF MAGIC The letter that introduced twelve-year-old Sarah Jane Lyon-White to Isabelle Harton, who ran the Harton School in central London, seemed quite simple and straightforward. Bat it was what was not written in the letter that resonated...



  • In an isolated land where the lure of the "Moontide" leads to shipwrecks, a woman is torn between obeying her father or her king. When she chooses to follow a Fool, she discovers magic she'd never expected...at a price that might be too high.......



  • In March 1987, Mercedes Lackey, a young author from Oklahoma, published her first novel, Arrows of the Queen. No one could have envisioned that this modest book about a magical land called Valdemar would be the beginning of a fantasy masterwork serie...



  • When a dragon storms the castle, what should a (virgin) princess do? Why, turn to her studies, of course! But nothing practical-minded Princess Andromeda of Acadia finds gives a definitive solution. The only Traditional answer, though, is soothing t...



  • Kiron has secretly gathered an army of dragon riders to seek refuge in the abandoned desert city they have named Sanctuary, where they join with other dragon riders to rid their world of both war and magical domination. But now it is time to build a ...



  • In the Five Hundred Kingdoms, never believe what your eyes tell you... The seventh daughter of the Sea King, Ekaterina is more than a pampered princess--she's also the family spy. Which makes her the perfect emissary to check out interesting happeni...



  • NOT JUST YOUR AVERAGE CAT.... Ninette Dupond was a dancer with the Paris Opera Ballet. She had been very lucky -- if she had not been pretty, and a natural dancer, she could only have become what her mother had been: a washerwoman, or perhaps if she ...



  • Aleksia, Queen of the Northern Lights, is mysterious, beautiful and widely known to have a heart of ice. No one would seek her wisdom except as a last resort. But when she's falsely accused of unleashing evil on nearby villages, she realizes there's ...



  • THE BUILDING OF THE HERALDS' COLLEGIUM Mags had slaved at the gem mines for as long as he could remember, completely unaware of how unusual his paltry existence was -- until some strangers on huge white horses forced their way past the mine owners a...



  • Sixteen original stories set in mercedes lackey's valdemar universe Includes a new novella by Mercedes Lackey! Today's hottest fantasy authors visit Mercedes Lackey's bestselling world of Valdemar, adding their own special touches to the ancien...



  • Quoth, the raven, was a familiar who had specialized in training odd witches for centuries. But even he was having trouble adjusting to his newest witch, which meant that the rest of the world should definitely beware. This story was originally publi...



  • Gwenhwyfar moves in a world where gods walk among their pagan worshipers, where nebulous visions warn of future perils, and where there are two paths for a woman: the path of the Blessing or the rarer path of the Warrior. Gwenhwyfar chooses the latte...



  • Sixteen of today's hottest fantasy authors--including Tanya Huff, Mickey Zucker Reichert, Fiona Patton, and Judith Tarr--visit Lackey's world of Valdemar, adding their own special touches. Includes a brand-new novella by Lackey....



  • A limited edition ebook version of some of the most popular stories from the Secret World Chronicle podcast, Secret World War: Sgian Dubh tells the story of Roddy MacSgian's daring rescue of Echo's top metas, Yankee Doodle and Dixie Belle, from behin...



  • Jeanne Blanchette started out as an airplane-mad girl and grew up to be a pilot. But a fight against Valkeyria, a German metahuman, changed her into La Faucon Blanc, France's greatest -- and strangest -- aviatrix....





  • Herald Enna didn't want to return to her home village, didn't want to see the people who would remember her from when she was a young girl, and especially didn't want to see Bard Jordie Ambersen again. But Heralds go where they are sent, so she didn'...



  • Heavy is the head -- and the eyelids -- of the princess who wears the crown... In Rosamund's realm, happiness hinges on a few simple beliefs: For every princess there's a prince. The king has ultimate power. Stepmothers should never be trusted. And...



  • Tarma and Kethry had managed to get stranded in a place where they couldn't find a new job. When their only way out was into the magic-infested chaos of the Pelagir Hills, Tarma was worried, but then Kethry's enchanted sword Need led them to their ne...



  • The Captain thought that their shipscat would be an asset at the trade negations, so he ordered Dick to bring her with them. Dick had warned her repeatedly not to hunt on this planet, but what cat ever does what a human tells her to?...



  • Kethry encounters Mara, an old schoolmate from White Winds--and discovers that Mara, who didn't learn much about magic at school, has discovered another source of magic, one powerful enough to kill both her and Kethry.This story was originally publis...



  • Bringing cats to the planet to kill the local vermin seemed like a great idea, until they discovered the existence of a sect that revered the vermin as children of their god.This story was previously published in the anthology Werehunter, Apr 1999....



  • When Dick White set out to discover the origins of the ship's new cat, he certainly never expected to find himself involved with the Drug Interdiction group of the Patrol.This story was originally published in the anthology Catfantastic IV, Aug 1996....



  • Magpie is a thirteen-year-old orphan chosen by one of the magical Companion horses of Valdemar and taken to the capital city, Haven, to be trained as a Herald. Like all Heralds, Magpie learns that he has a hidden Gift-the Gift of telepathy. But l...



  • Kidnapping Persephone should have been an easy task. But in the Five Hundred Kingdoms, nothing's ever simple -- and the wrong blonde goddess is stolen by mistake, leaving Prince Leopold without his new bride. At least until he braves the realm of the...



  • When Martis first met her new bodyguard, she thought she'd be the one protecting him. He was young, small, and didn't even wear armor. But when they rode out together on a dangerous mission, she discovered that he had skills she never would have susp...



  • New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Mercedes Lackey presents three exciting short urban fantasy novels featuring three resourceful heroines and three different takes on the modern world and on magics both modern and ancient. Arcanum 10...



  • This collection contains 16 original stories set in Lackey's bestselling Valdemar universe ("Arrows of the Queen"), written by such fantasy luminaries as Tanya Huff, Mickey Zucker Reichert, and Judith Tarr. Includes a new Valdemar novella by Lackey....



  • The world had become used to the metahumans -- people sometimes perfectly ordinary,but sometimes quite extraordinary in appearance -- who mostly worked with their governments as high-powered peace officers, fighting crime, and sometimes fighting rogu...



  • Richard Whitestone is an Elemental Earth Master. Blaming himself for the death of his beloved wife in childbirth, he has sworn never to set eyes on his daughter, Suzanne. But when he finally sees her, a dark plan takes shape in his twisted mind-to us...



  • The eldest daughter is often doomed in fairy tales. But Bella -- Isabella Beauchamps, daughter of a wealthy merchant -- vows to escape the usual pitfalls. Anxious to avoid the Traditional path, Bella dons a red cloak and ventures into the forbidd...



  • In Mercedes Lackey's classic coming-of-age story, the orphan Magpie pursues his quest for his parent's identity with burning urgency-while also discovering another hidden talent and being trained by the King's Own Herald as an undercover agent for Va...



  • In March 1987, a young author from Oklahoma published her first novel, Arrows of the Queen. This modest book about a magical land called Valdemar was the beginning of a fantasy masterwork series that would span decades and include more than two dozen...



  • A teenager with a magical gift is sent to an unusual boarding school in this urban fantasy novel by the acclaimed co-authors of the Shadow Grail series.Fifteen-year-old Tomas Torres has a most unusual gift: he can start fires with his fingertips and ...



  • After an Earth-scarring apocalyptic battle, the meta-humans have turned back a massive invasion of super-science powered Nazi war machines -- and at least driven whoever is in ultimate control of them to pause and regroup. Now meta-hero organizations...



  • Excalibur came to Michael, told him he was King Arthur reborn, and showed him all the good he could do in the world. It is said that those who don't remember history are doomed to repeat it. What about those who do remember? This story originally app...



  • THE WITCHES OF KARRES ARE BACK -- AND NOW THERE'S ALSO A WIZARD!It just wasn't fair! Captain Pausert had foiled the deadliest of space pirates and eliminated the threat of the Worm World, yet his troubles kept piling up.Sent on a secret mission to st...



  • They came from the sea... For as long as she could remember, Mari Prothero had seen things -- things that shouldn't, that couldn't, be real: tiny manlike creatures that were mischievous and wore only seaweed, and beings that spoke to her kindly bu...





  • Mags, a young Herald trainee in Haven, the capital city of Valdemar, has very rare talents. Recognising this, the King's Own Herald trains Mags as a spy, tasking him with uncovering the secrets of a mysterious new enemy who has taken an interest in M...



  • In March 1987, Mercedes Lackey, a young author from Oklahoma, published her first novel, Arrows of the Queen. No one could have envisioned that this modest book about a magical land called Valdemar would be the beginning of a fantasy masterwork serie...



  • Among Mercedes Lackey’s many novels, few are as critically acclaimed and beloved as those about the Elemental Masters. The novels in this series are loosely based on classic fairy tales, and take place in a fantasy version of turn-of-the-century Lo...



  • The new novel in Mercedes Lackey’s bestselling series of an alternative Edwardian Britain, where magic is real -- and Elemental Masters are in control. Lionel Hawkins is a magician whose act is only partially sleight of hand. The rest is real ma...



  • Mags returns to the Collegium, but there are mixed feelings--his included--about him actually remaining there. No one doubts that he is and should be a Herald, but he is afraid that his mere presence is going to incite more danger right in the heart ...



  • In March 1987, Mercedes Lackey, a young author from Oklahoma, published her first novel, Arrows of the Queen. No one could have envisioned that this modest book would be the beginning of a fantasy career that would span decades and more than a hundre...



  • From New York Times best-seller and science fiction and fantasy mistress of adventure Mercedes Lackey, Book #3 in a new pulse-pounding saga of modern-day humans with superpowers. The metaheroes deal with supervillain Verdegris, who seeks to destroy ...



  • Welcome back to the world of Reboots -- a world where zombies, vampires and werewolves live side by side with humans and eke out whatever existence they can, doing whatever jobs they can including space travel where they make the perfect crew members...



  • Welcome to the wide world of paranormal pastimes, where striking out might strike you dead. Editors Charlaine Harris and Toni L. P. Kelner are your announcers for this collection of the most peculiar plays ever made—including a story featuring ...



  • Rosamund is an Earth Master in the Schwarzwald, the ancient Black Forest of Germany. Since the age of ten, she has lived with her teacher, the Hunt Master and Earth Magician of the Schwarzwald Foresters, a man she calls “Papa.” Her adoptive Papa ...



  • Thirteen-year-old Talia longs for a better life, far away from her repressive stepmothers and the village of Sensholding, where books chronicling the adventures of the Heralds of Valdemar and their Compa...



  • Mags was once an enslaved orphan living a harsh life in the mines, until the King's Own Herald discovered his talent and trained him as a spy. Now a Herald in his own right, at the newly established Heralds' Collegium, Mags has found a supportive fam...



  • From New York Times best-seller and science fiction and fantasy mistress of adventure Mercedes Lackey, Book #4 in the pulse-pounding SECRET WORLD saga of modern-day humans with superpowers. The metaheroes deal with the consequences of their superpowe...





  • Sixteen years after her fabled escape from the tower she was locked away in, Giselle has lived an isolated life. Her adoptive mother is an Earth Master, and uses her expertise to train Giselle in her own Air magic. But when a charming man appears to ...



  • They came after the Diseray. Some were terrors ripped from our collective imaginations, remnants of every mythology across the world. And some were like nothing anyone had ever dreamed up, even in their worst nightmares. Monsters. Long ago, t...



  • Please Read Notes: Brand New, International Softcover Edition, Printed in black and white pages, minor self wear on the cover or pages, Sale restriction may be printed on the book, but Book name, contents, and author are exactly same as Hardcover Edi...



  • Herald Mags, Valdemar’s first official Herald Spy, is well on his way to establishing a coterie of young informants, not only on the streets of Haven, but in the kitchens and Great Halls of the highborn and wealthy as well. The newly appointed K...



  • In March 1987, Mercedes Lackey, a young author from Oklahoma, published her first novel, Arrows of the Queen. No one could have envisioned that this modest book about a magical land called Valdemar would be the beginning of a fantasy masterwork serie...



  • Psychic Nan Killian and Medium Sarah Lyon-White -- along with their clever birds, the raven Neville and the parrot Grey -- have been agents of Lord Alderscroft, the Elemental Fire Master known as the Wizard of London, since leaving school. Now, L...



  • Joy knows she'll be facing more dangerous Othersiders than ever before as a new member of the Elite Hunter unit, but if anyone is up to the challenge it's her. She's been Hunting these monsters since she was a child, and has a pack of eleven fiercely...



  • Herald Mags, the King of Valdemar’s Herald-Spy, has been developing a clandestine network of young informants who operate not only on the streets of the capital city of Haven, but also in the Great Halls and kitchens of the wealthy and highborn. In...



  • Twenty-four authors ride with Mercedes Lackey to her magical land of Valdemar, adding their own unique voices to the Heralds, Bards, Healers, and other heroes of this beloved fantasy realm. The Heralds of Valdemar are the kingdom’s ancient order...



  • In this alternate version of reality, Isadora Duncan gave up dancing for auto racing, changing the lives--and deaths--of those she came in contact with. This story was originally published in the anthology Alternate Heroes, 1989....



  • A pragmatic engineer discovers that just because something looks like a cardboard box doesn't mean that it is one.This story was first published in Marion Zimmer Bradley’s Fantasy Magazine #9, Sep 1990...



  • Being a member of the Elite Hunter Command imperils Joy in more ways than one. In their latest clash with Othersiders, the army of monsters nearly wiped them out. Apex City is safe for now. But within the city barriers, Joy must wage a different kind...



  • The twelfth novel in Mercedes Lackey's magical Elemental Masters series reimagines Sherlock Holmes in a richly-detailed alternate 20th-century England Christmas is a very special time of year. It is special for Psychic Nan Killian and Medium Sara...



  • The eleventh anthology of short stories set in Mercedes Lackey's beloved Valdemar universe features stories by debut and established authors and a brand-new story from Lackey herself The Heralds of Valdemar are the kingdom’s ancient order of pro...



  • In this new series, set in the bestselling world of Valdemar, Heralds Mags and Amily must continue to protect the realm of Valdemar while raising their children and preparing them to follow in their footsteps. Mags, Herald Spy of Valdemar, and his...



  • From New York Times best-seller and science fiction and fantasy mistress of adventure Mercedes Lackey, Book #5 in the pulse-pounding SECRET WORLD saga of modern-day humans with superpowers. Ultima Thule has been destroyed--but somehow the Thulian...



  • The thirteenth novel in the magical alternate history Elemental Masters series continues the reimagined adventures of Sherlock Holmes in a richly-detailed alternate Victorian England. The threat of Moriarty is gone -- but so is Sherlock Holmes. ...



  • The twelfth anthology of short stories set in the beloved Valdemar universe, featuring stories by debut and established authors and a brand-new story from Lackey herself. The Heralds of Valdemar are the kingdom's ancient order of protectors. They ...



  • In this second installment of the Family Spies series, set in the bestselling world of Valdemar, the children of Heralds Mags and Amily must follow in their parents' footsteps to protect the realm. Mags, Herald Spy of Valdemar, and his wife, A...



  • This thirteenth anthology of short stories set in the beloved Valdemar universe features tales by debut and established authors and a brand-new story from Lackey herself. The Heralds of Valdemar are the kingdom's ancient order of protectors. T...



  • The fourteenth novel in the magical alternate history Elemental Masters series continues the reimagined adventures of Sherlock Holmes in a richly-detailed alternate 20th-century England. While Sherlock is still officially dead, John and Mary Watso...



  • “Stirring action, appealing character growth, and shocking, vivid violence. . . . Series readers will be pleased with this return to the Secret World.” -- Publishers Weekly   In the late 1930s something fell from the sky and ...



  • In this third novel of the Family Spies series, set in the bestselling world of Valdemar, Heralds Mags and Amily's youngest child must follow in his parents' footsteps to protect both his family and the realm. Thirteen year old Prince Kyri...



  • This fourteenth anthology of short stories set in the beloved Valdemar universe features tales by debut and established authors and a brand-new story from Lackey herself. The Heralds of Valdemar are the kingdom's ancient order of protectors. T...



  • The beloved Elemental Masters series moves to America for the first time in a rich retelling of The Queen of the Copper Mountain, set against the backdrop of Tennessee coal country. Anna May Jones is the daughter of a coal miner. When her father s...



  • The long-awaited founding of Valdemar comes to life in this new series from a New York Times bestselling author and beloved fantasist. Within the Eastern Empire, Duke Kordas Valdemar rules a tiny, bucolic Duchy that focuses mostly on horse breedin...



  • From a beloved fantasy author comes this fresh feminist retelling of Sleeping Beauty about one girl destined for greatness -- and the powerful sister ready to protect her by any means necessary. Miriam may be the daughter of Queen Alethia of Tiren...



  • Unfettered oddball entertainment.—Publisher's Weekly Say hello to Humph the Boggart, the principled, down-on-his-luck private detective, Skinny Jim the zombie, and Fred the werewolf, in this film noir style space opera. Humans aren't ...



  • This fifteenth anthology of short stories set in the beloved Valdemar universe features tales by debut and established authors and a brand-new story from Lackey herself. The Heralds of Valdemar are the kingdom's ancient order of protectors. Th...



  • The sixteenth novel in the magical alternate history Elemental Masters series follows sharpshooter Annie Oakley as she tours Europe and discovers untapped powers. Annie Oakley has always suspected there is something "uncanny" about herself...



  • The long-awaited founding of Valdemar comes to life in this second book in the new series from a New York Times-bestselling author and beloved fantasist.Baron Valdemar and his people have found a temporary haven, but it cannot hold all of them, ...



  • This sixteenth anthology of short stories set in the beloved Valdemar universe features tales by debut and established authors and a brand-new story from Lackey herself.The Heralds of Valdemar are the kingdom's ancient order of protectors. They are d...



  • Think deep. The deep of the sea, the deep of space, the deep of our souls, our fears ... ourselves. Fear not the monsters under your bed-but the mermaids under your boat. Merciless Mermaids: Tails from the Deep features thirty original stories an...



  • This 17th anthology of short stories set in the beloved Valdemar high fantasy universe features tales by debut and established authors and a brand-new story from Mercedes Lackey.The Heralds of Valdemar are the kingdom's ancient order of protectors. T...



  • The long-awaited story of the founding of Valdemar comes to life in this 3rd book of a trilogy from a New York Times bestselling author and beloved fantasist.The refugees from the Empire have established a thriving city called Haven with the help of ...



  • Set in the beloved and New York Times bestselling world of Valdemar, this 1st book in a new trilogy returns to the tales of the majestic gryphons.On the border between Valdemar and the deadly Pelagirs Forest, the gryphon hero Kelvren returns from a n...



  • Set in the beloved and New York Times-bestselling world of Valdemar, this 2nd book in a new trilogy returns to the tales of the majestic gryphonsOn the border between Valdemar and the deadly Pelagirs Forest, the gryphon hero Kelvren returns from a ne...


Award-Winning Books by Mercedes Lackey

Magic's Price
1990 Lambda Literary Award -- Gay Men's SF/Fantasy
The Silver Bullets of Annie Oakley
2022 Dragon Award -- Alternate History Novel


Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Mercedes Lackey has published 173 books.

The next book by Mercedes Lackey, Gryphon's Valor, will be published in July 2024.

The first book by Mercedes Lackey, Different Kind of Courage, was published in December 1985.

Yes. Mercedes Lackey has 22 series.