Over 50 books. Multiple timelines. Chosen ones on magical horses. Here’s how to read Mercedes Lackey’s Valdemar without summoning confusion spirits.
Mercedes Lackey did what most 1980s fantasy authors wouldn’t dare: she put queerness, trauma recovery, and emotional nuance at the heart of her magic system. And she did it with talking horses.
If you’ve heard of Valdemar but never cracked a book, here’s your warning: this series is a whole lifestyle. But don’t worry, we’re breaking it down for you. From classic trilogies to overlapping timelines, here’s how to read the Valdemar series without needing a psychic Companion to guide you.
Who Is Mercedes Lackey and Why Should You Care?
Mercedes Lackey isn’t just prolific, she’s quietly radical. While many fantasy authors in the ‘80s were writing about grimdark antiheroes or Tolkien-lite quest parties, Lackey was weaving in trauma, queerness, emotional healing, and consent. At a time when mainstream publishing avoided these themes like a cursed artifact.
Her Valdemar books were some of the first traditionally published fantasy novels to feature gay protagonists, survivors of abuse, and characters with PTSD without sensationalizing or flattening them. And despite the (then real) risk to her commercial success, she kept doing it. Series after series.
She’s now penned dozens of novels across multiple universes—Elemental Masters, Bardic Voices, Hunter, and more—but Valdemar remains the crown jewel. If you care about found family, emotionally wrecked heroes, and fantasy that punches patriarchy in the face, this is your jam.
What’s the Best Way to Read the Valdemar Series?
There are two basic approaches: chronological order (which follows the in-world timeline) and publication order (which follows the order Lackey wrote them). The twist? Both are legit, and both have perks.
New readers often ask, “Where should I start?” And honestly, it depends on your vibe:
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Want to sob over queer trauma and justice? Start with The Last Herald-Mage.
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Prefer a gateway drug with magic school tropes? Arrows of the Queen it is.
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Curious about the birth of Valdemar itself? The Founding of Valdemar series is your ticket.
For returning fans doing a reread or plugging in gaps, chronological order can be satisfying, especially seeing how events ripple across centuries. But for newcomers, publication order may offer the most emotional payoff. It’s how Lackey designed the reveals, after all.
At the end of the day, the best reading order is the one that gets you hooked. Because once you start? You’re in for the long haul (and probably adopting a horse as your emotional support animal).
Valdemar Series Reading Order (Full List)
Here’s the full reading order as they were published to avoid spoilers between series. If you’d like to read the Valdemar series in chronological order, we got you covered here. No spoilers, just the roadmap you need to dive in confidently.
Click through to grab your next read. Whether you’re just getting started or deep in your reread era, this guide’s here to keep your TBR in the right timeline.
