Blurb:
The long-awaited
founding of Valdemar comes to life in this new series from a New York Times
bestselling author and beloved fantasist.
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, Korda’s father set out to gather magicians in the
hopes of one day finding a way to escape and protect the people of the Duchy
from tyranny.
Kordas has lived his life looking over his
shoulder. The signs in the Empire are increasingly dire. Under the direction of
the Emperor, mages have begun to harness the power of dark magics, including
blood magic, the powers of the Abyssal Planes, and the binding and
"milking" of Elemental creatures.
But then one of the Duchy’s mages has a
breakthrough. There is a way to place a Gate at a distance so far from the
Empire that it is unlikely the Emperor can find or follow them as they evacuate
everyone that is willing to leave.
But time is running out, and Kordas has been
summoned to the Emperor's Court.
Can his reputation as a country bumpkin and his
acting skills buy him and his people the time they need to flee? Or will the
Emperor lose patience, invade to strip Valdemar of everything of worth, and
send its conscripted people into the front lines of the Imperial wars?
My review:
Mercedes Lackey has done it again! This book sucked me in with
engaging characters and political drama. This book is a little darker than the
other Valdemar books but that could be because Kordas and his people were
living under the emperors thumb. This is a tale of new beginnings and tough decisions.
“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.”
could be the theme of this book. I can’t wait for the next installment.
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