Into The West
Just finished reading "Into The West - The Founding of Valdemar Book Two" by Mercedes Lackey, published by DAW books.
I remember reading "Arrows of the Queen;" the first novel in what was to become the first trilogy in Lackey's widely popular Valdemar series back in the early 1990s when I discovered it on the shelf in the new release section of the Barnes & Noble near where I live - though now-a-days everything is hodge-podge in Barnes & Noble when it comes as to how they display new releases.
There are strong elements of Andre Norton's Witch World series that run through Lackey's latest outing in her Valdemar - or Heralds series if you prefer - series which explores how the kingdom was founded by a nobleman who was fleeing with him family and people in tow from a corrupt empire that had just fallen - well Baron Kordas Valdemar did help give a good solid push on that corrupt empire's foundation. Lackey's use of gates to travel great distances does strongly parallel Norton's use of gates in the Witch World, and it should be pointed out that Lackey and Norton did collaborate on several novels together.
"Into The West" focuses on the journey Baron Valdemar and his people undertake to find a new home far, far from the reach of the fallen empire they are fleeing. While the outcome is preordained, Lackey does allow her characters to grow and overcome their self doubts, though she never really gives anything of significance for the development of the Dolls beyond their desire to be of help while they are still bound to the physical form that the Empire had imprisoned them in. And there are times in this novel that Lackey seemed to be channeling Norton, which isn't a bad thing, but Valdemar is not Witch World.
It will be interesting to see how Lackey's continues the story of how Valdemar was founded in the next book in this, I believe, trilogy.
Strongly Recommended.
Five Stars.
https://www.amazon.com/Into-Founding-...
I remember reading "Arrows of the Queen;" the first novel in what was to become the first trilogy in Lackey's widely popular Valdemar series back in the early 1990s when I discovered it on the shelf in the new release section of the Barnes & Noble near where I live - though now-a-days everything is hodge-podge in Barnes & Noble when it comes as to how they display new releases.
There are strong elements of Andre Norton's Witch World series that run through Lackey's latest outing in her Valdemar - or Heralds series if you prefer - series which explores how the kingdom was founded by a nobleman who was fleeing with him family and people in tow from a corrupt empire that had just fallen - well Baron Kordas Valdemar did help give a good solid push on that corrupt empire's foundation. Lackey's use of gates to travel great distances does strongly parallel Norton's use of gates in the Witch World, and it should be pointed out that Lackey and Norton did collaborate on several novels together.
"Into The West" focuses on the journey Baron Valdemar and his people undertake to find a new home far, far from the reach of the fallen empire they are fleeing. While the outcome is preordained, Lackey does allow her characters to grow and overcome their self doubts, though she never really gives anything of significance for the development of the Dolls beyond their desire to be of help while they are still bound to the physical form that the Empire had imprisoned them in. And there are times in this novel that Lackey seemed to be channeling Norton, which isn't a bad thing, but Valdemar is not Witch World.
It will be interesting to see how Lackey's continues the story of how Valdemar was founded in the next book in this, I believe, trilogy.
Strongly Recommended.
Five Stars.
https://www.amazon.com/Into-Founding-...
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