The characters in Winds of Fate are hit and miss. And what if Ancar and Falconsbane unite? This is the first book in a trilogy, so lots of room for treachery!

Elspeth struggles with her own villain, Prince Ancar, who employs mages. He wants the magic that flows through a Darkwind’s clan’s vale. The blood mage the characters fight - Morenelithe Falconsbane - is ancient, having lived many life times, and remembers the great mage wars, which happened thousands of years ago. Winds of Fate doesn’t end on a terribly happy note, though. Note: Valdemar’s relationship with mages is covered in THE LAST HERALD MAGE. No new mages have come to Valdemar because of the spell Vanyel set. If Valdemar gets a mage who can check other people for mage potential, it’s like returning to the days of Vanyel! The only reason there haven’t been mages in Valdemar is because they were dying rapidly during Vanyel’s time, and no new mages were identified. He takes her under his wing only to learn she has a deadly master, a blood mage, who has something to do with k’Sheyna’s downfall. Taking up a position as a scout along the clan’s border, Darkwind finds a cat-like woman - a Changechild - who assists some animals despite being injured. He is a Hawkbrother in the clan k’Sheyna, a clan that is dying for reasons they can’t quite piece together. In alternating chapters, we meet Darkwind, who was once a mage but has renounced his gift after his mother was killed in an accident. Though the Heralds and Queen appear to fear magic - they won’t even discuss it - Elspeth is convinced that if they found a mage with herald-like qualities, he/she could check youngsters for mage potential and then train people to be Herald mages. It seems as if the spell is weakening, leaving Valdemar exposed. There hasn’t been one in Valdemar since Vanyel died hundreds of years ago, and he was so afraid a mage would attack Valdemar that he set a spell that drives any mages who enter Valdemar insane. When the Heralds realize Prince Ancar, who has attacked Valdemar twice already, is able to magic in assassins, Elspeth realizes Valdemar needs its own mage. Her practice is worth it, as shortly thereafter an assassination attempt is made on her life. The novel begins with Elspeth training with armsmaster Herald Kerowyn and Herald Skif. We did a side step and read By the Sword, a stand-alone novel about a mercenary named Kerowyn. Next, we read THE LAST HERALD MAGE trilogy, which is all about Vanyel. First we read THE HERALDS OF VALDEMAR trilogy starring Talia. We talk about all sorts of things, but the Valdemar books get more complicated the further you read into Lackey’s world, and having someone on the same page - sometimes literally - is amazing. We are now on the 7th book of #ReadingValdemar! I love how this buddy read has given Jackie and I something in common to talk about.

Winds of fate mercedes lackey