β Scribed by Mercedes Lackey
No coin nor oath required. For personal study only.
The new Valdemar novel takes place earlier in the kingdomβs history than has any other, set when the Heraldsβ collegium was established. At that time, the system of heraldic training was changing from one-on-one apprenticeship to the collegial system used by Healers and Bards, because there were too many trainees for the old system. Some older Heralds werenβt happy with that change, and as all three collegia rapidly grew, there was much rivalry for builders and teachers. Young Mags, an orphan who drudges for a greedy, cruel mine owner, is Chosen and eventually brought to Haven for training, where his goodheartedness and near-total ignorance make him very dependent on his companion. Thanks to court intrigues and an attempt by foreign infiltrators to trick Valdemar to its disadvantage, Lackey makes a real page-turner out of Magsβ and the collegiaβs development. Though similar in some ways to both Brightly Burning (2000) and Take a Thief (2001), this bookβs outstanding characters, especially Mags, will greatly please Valdemar fans. --Frieda Murray
In this chronicle of the early history of Valdemar, a thirteen-yearΒold orphan named Magpie escapes a life of slavery in the gem mines when he is chosen by one of the magical companion horses of Valdemar to be trained as a herald. Thrust into the center of a legend in the making, Magpie discovers talents he never knew he had-and witnesses the founding of the great Heralds' Collegium.
π SIMILAR VOLUMES
EDITORIAL REVIEW: \*\*"Spellbinding storyteller" (\*Rave Reviews\*) Mercedes Lackey continues her epic \*Valdemar\* series. \*\* 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 H
**Enter the thrilling third volume in the epic *Collegium Chronicles*.** 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 a
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 of Valdemar. The heads of the Collegia are afraid
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 of Valdemar. The heads of the Collegia are afraid