In this chronicle of the early history of Valdemar, Mercedes Lackey's bestselling world, a thirteen-year-old 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.

The demon sorcerer Chernobog, having failed in his attempt to gain power over Venice, enters into an alliance with the King of Hungary to seize control of Corfu, an island that holds the key to controlling the Adriatic.

Within the Eastern Empire, Duke Kordas Valdemar rules a tiny, bucolic Duchy that focuses mostly on horse breeding. Anticipating the day when the Empire's exploitative and militant leaders would not be content to leave them alone, his father gathered magicians in the hopes of one day finding a way to escape and protect the people of the Duchy from tyranny. One of the Duchy's mages find there is a way to place a Gate at a distance so far from the Empire...

"When Staci was first shunted off to the backwater town of Silence, Maine, to live with her alcoholic mother, she thought her life was over. Silence had none of the amenities a typical teen in the twenty-first century considered essential: no cell service and barely any internet connectivity. But Staci soon learned that Silence was more than a town left behind by progress. The first family of Silence, the Blackthorns, liked the town that way. The...

Lavan, brought to the capital city of Haven against his will, suffers humiliation and beatings at the hands of his classmates until his rage transforms him into something fearsome and powerful--with training, he will become the most notorious Herald in Valdemar's history.

Acting as the "son" her father never had, Gwenhwyfar, when called upon to serve another purpose by the Ladies of the Well, bows to circumstances to become Arthur's queen--only to find herself facing temptation and treachery, intrigue and betrayal, but also love and redemption.

While fighting monsters that break through the barriers surrounding Apex City, Joy and her pack of magical hounds begin finding dead Psimons, and reporting the incidents only causes more trouble.

Baron Eric von Rothbart, a powerful sorcerer, hunts down women who have betrayed men and transforms them into swans who can only resume their true forms by moonlight. His lonely daughter Odile, who watches the flock and studies spells, longs vainly for his approval. One day von Rothbart tells Odette, the swan princess, that she can break the spell by winning and holding a man's faithful love for one month. He's even chosen a candidate, Prince Siegfried....

In the fantasy city of White Gryphon, the rulers have created a new elite force to protect the city, the Silver Gryphons. Two of its members, Tad and Blade, are assigned to a remote outpost, but to get there they must cross unexplored and dangerous territory. By the author of The White Gryphon.

Alberich, formerly of Karse and now a herald of Valdemar, has survived the Tedrel War only to find himself cast in the role of protector to the new young Queen Selenay. Now he has to protect her from the political maneuvering of courtiers and nobles who will try to force her into a marriage to control her.