I JUST had a conversation with a close friend who loved this series! And I agree with you, Derri. Dark content in fantasy is fine, but some people seem to wear it like a badge of honor and look down on fantasy that isn't following that same vein.
You’re making me want to pick up the next trilogy now, Derri! I’m looking forward to returning to that world. It deserves much more praise and recognition. Thanks for doing this! ❤
Hooray! With what I know of your reading, I'm sure they're a lovely relaxing read for you. You might also enjoy her Bardic Voices series, where musical gifts are hugely pivotal to the characters. That one starts with The Lark and the Wren (and has a delightful homage to The Devil Went Down To Georgia by the Charlie Daniels Band).
I've had my eye on this series and need some "nice" in my days so will definitely be bumping this up my TBR. Definitely looking forward to more videos from you on Valdemar because there are SO many books and it's overwhelming 😅
Then I'm thrilled with my timing! Eliss, my future Valdemar things will be more specific, in general though all you need to know is that Mercedes Lackey wrote the trilogies completely out of chronological order, so it genuinely doesn't matter where you start. Because they're all pretty easy to find, it's simple enough to go in publication order - start with the Heralds of Valdemar trilogy which begins with Arrows of the Queen. 😍
I have a two part answer to the title question: 1. I've been aware of the series for a long time and have not read it because of the title which sounds like a German name that has all kinds of negative connotations, which just makes it very hard for me to take the series seriously. This is clearly a very specific me problem. 2. The larger point of large parts of the epic fantasy crowd somehow claiming, believing or at least pretending that fantasy is somehow better when it's covered in gore, sexual violence and everyone dies at the end is something I've definitely raged against before. I think it is rooted in the deep-seated inferiority complex of fantasy fans who desperately want to be taken seriously by the "Literary crowd", something that has certainly also been fuelled by said elitist community through the way they talk about fantasy. A lot of contemporary literary fiction and whatever people call "classics" these days tends towards the darker and bleaker end, all the way to the times of Plato and Aristotle really where tragedy was deemed superior to comedy. So we play at being the cool kids who only read the grimmest grimdark because we're grown up and not like the inferior beings who still want happy endings because they are not smart and strong enough to deal with "the real world". Needless to say, I think this attitude is toxic trash but it is rather prevalent although mostly subconsciously and it is easy to fall back into it. So that's the other reason why a more positive series with more clear delineations between good and evil might be ignored or spurned by parts of the performative fantasy crowd.
EXACTLY Raf, and it bugs me. I'm prepared to admit I fell into the 'cool' trap as a youngster, hopefully, most of us can grow out of that and look around for things we truly enjoy too.
So awesome to see some Mercedes Lackey love. She never seems to get mentioned enough with the rest of the fantasy authors of the 90s, while admittingly I've only read a few books from her repertoire, what I have read has been quite enjoyable. Always great to see a video from you Derri. - Cheers!
Chris you DARLING MAN! There seems to be an unspoken rule about admitting the enjoyment that can be found in something 'lite'. I think given how intense so much of fantasy can be, 'lite' is crucial to avoiding burnout!
Spotted this author in the library thanks to this video. Now on the tbr because have been looking for a change of pace in fantasy reading. Thanks Derri 💪🏻
I had heard of her due to Sophia from Sophia Thoughts channel, who is a fan and has read all of it, and bought a recent edition of the Heralds of Valdemar. Looking forward to reading it 😊
Oo I love Mercedes Lackey’s Elemental Masters series and I wish she would continue The Five Hundred Kingdoms series but my favorite will always be The FreeBards. In fact, I’ve sent my freebards for custom re binding into a leather hardcover. And yes, you’re exactly right about her being a light, fluffy, pallet cleanser.
Hello there! These do make for good reads to break up the heaviness. That they have fantastic world building makes them a pleasure to read because there's a solidity to the world which makes is easy to slip into.
Oh wow this has been an author completely off my radar who sounds amazing! I’m all for nice reads, especially to balance out the darker or more grey ones!
Yay! For 'lite' fantasy, the world building Mercedes Lackey achieves is impressive, especially considering she wrote everything all out of order, so she's building forward AND back from her starting point and it all hangs together beautifully.
Such a passionate and wholesome video, I am sold! I've seen some buzz around this series from Books with Britanny, Sophia's Thoughts and Johanna recently, but now that it has the 'Derri seal of approval', I am going to make it top priority. Love the sound of all of this, I am ready to get lost in the world of Valdemar!
Oh Esmay, that brings me joy ❤️ There's a charm to Mercedes Lackey's worlds that I haven't found in many other places. That it comes in such a well realized world makes it a pleasure to come back to. I truly hope you love it.
I think that people tend to get greater emotional catharsis from tragedy than they do with books that are unambiguously happy. Aristotle said it himself that tragedy should breed catharsis by the end. I just recently made a video reflecting on that very subject. I have heard of Lackey, though mostly that she is more or less a safe fantasy author, one that won't knock your socks off but won't disappoint you either. Perhaps I'll give her a look and see for myself after watching your video.
I actually like that that's the 'reputation' a new reader will find for Mercedes Lackey. It's true. Where she shines is in the world building and the consistency of growth within it. Her books aren't a 'challenge' to the heart or senses, but a comforting place to visit when you need to wind down from grim, heartaching, realistic works that take so much effort from a reader.
I haven’t read any Valdemar yet, but I have read 5 or 6 of her Elemental Masters series. They’re also nice 😊 and can be read independently, as far as I can tell.
Asa that's FANTASTIC, I've read I think the first dozen or so (there are so very many) with Fire Rose remaining my favourite, I like her Five Hundred Kingdoms series too, they have the traditional tropes AND traditional sub-species of fair folk, which can be helpful when reading other fantasy. Having said all of that though, I always return to Valdemar. It's the series that I discovered Mercedes Lackey through, and they're the comfort reads I crave when I'm already full on Fitz.
Wonderful video Derri! I need to read Mercedes Lackey. I had no idea she was so forward thinking with representation. Sounds great! Sometimes you just need a “nice” book.
CHAS! Lovely to hear from you, and I think you'd like her worlds, as she genuinely thinks of world infrastructure and it shows. Despite all the various magics and creatures, there's a solid sense of 'real' to her stories.
I have heard of this series! I have not read them😂😂 if you want something lighter that's self published I would recommend keeper chronicles and keepers origin by JA Andrews
I JUST had a conversation with a close friend who loved this series! And I agree with you, Derri. Dark content in fantasy is fine, but some people seem to wear it like a badge of honor and look down on fantasy that isn't following that same vein.
You’re making me want to pick up the next trilogy now, Derri! I’m looking forward to returning to that world. It deserves much more praise and recognition. Thanks for doing this! ❤
Hooray! With what I know of your reading, I'm sure they're a lovely relaxing read for you. You might also enjoy her Bardic Voices series, where musical gifts are hugely pivotal to the characters. That one starts with The Lark and the Wren (and has a delightful homage to The Devil Went Down To Georgia by the Charlie Daniels Band).
I’ve definitely heard of Lackey, but never heard of Valdemar. 40 books!?! 😳 I agree - there’s definitely value in a story that’s simply NICE. 🙂
I've had my eye on this series and need some "nice" in my days so will definitely be bumping this up my TBR. Definitely looking forward to more videos from you on Valdemar because there are SO many books and it's overwhelming 😅
Then I'm thrilled with my timing! Eliss, my future Valdemar things will be more specific, in general though all you need to know is that Mercedes Lackey wrote the trilogies completely out of chronological order, so it genuinely doesn't matter where you start. Because they're all pretty easy to find, it's simple enough to go in publication order - start with the Heralds of Valdemar trilogy which begins with Arrows of the Queen. 😍
I have a two part answer to the title question:
1. I've been aware of the series for a long time and have not read it because of the title which sounds like a German name that has all kinds of negative connotations, which just makes it very hard for me to take the series seriously. This is clearly a very specific me problem.
2. The larger point of large parts of the epic fantasy crowd somehow claiming, believing or at least pretending that fantasy is somehow better when it's covered in gore, sexual violence and everyone dies at the end is something I've definitely raged against before. I think it is rooted in the deep-seated inferiority complex of fantasy fans who desperately want to be taken seriously by the "Literary crowd", something that has certainly also been fuelled by said elitist community through the way they talk about fantasy. A lot of contemporary literary fiction and whatever people call "classics" these days tends towards the darker and bleaker end, all the way to the times of Plato and Aristotle really where tragedy was deemed superior to comedy. So we play at being the cool kids who only read the grimmest grimdark because we're grown up and not like the inferior beings who still want happy endings because they are not smart and strong enough to deal with "the real world". Needless to say, I think this attitude is toxic trash but it is rather prevalent although mostly subconsciously and it is easy to fall back into it. So that's the other reason why a more positive series with more clear delineations between good and evil might be ignored or spurned by parts of the performative fantasy crowd.
EXACTLY Raf, and it bugs me. I'm prepared to admit I fell into the 'cool' trap as a youngster, hopefully, most of us can grow out of that and look around for things we truly enjoy too.
So awesome to see some Mercedes Lackey love. She never seems to get mentioned enough with the rest of the fantasy authors of the 90s, while admittingly I've only read a few books from her repertoire, what I have read has been quite enjoyable. Always great to see a video from you Derri. - Cheers!
Chris you DARLING MAN! There seems to be an unspoken rule about admitting the enjoyment that can be found in something 'lite'. I think given how intense so much of fantasy can be, 'lite' is crucial to avoiding burnout!
Spotted this author in the library thanks to this video. Now on the tbr because have been looking for a change of pace in fantasy reading. Thanks Derri 💪🏻
I adored her Heralds series when I was a teenager.
Not sure I ever want Netflix to discover these books exist though.
I had heard of her due to Sophia from Sophia Thoughts channel, who is a fan and has read all of it, and bought a recent edition of the Heralds of Valdemar. Looking forward to reading it 😊
I read her from the beginning fantasy stories published in anthologies, and I should probably catch up on the more recent Valdemar books.
Oo I love Mercedes Lackey’s Elemental Masters series and I wish she would continue The Five Hundred Kingdoms series but my favorite will always be The FreeBards. In fact, I’ve sent my freebards for custom re binding into a leather hardcover.
And yes, you’re exactly right about her being a light, fluffy, pallet cleanser.
I enjoy the FreeBards too, I've recommended them to Johanna as with her affinity for music, I think she'd find them charming.
Nice!! I noticed a lot of her audiobooks are included with Audible, so I appreciate the endorsement to check them out!
ARE THEY?! jeez... I better get on that!
Yay, nice!
INDEED! 😀
awesome video, Derri. Thanks for putting this up. I might smack some of these as my "palate cleanser"
Hello there! These do make for good reads to break up the heaviness. That they have fantastic world building makes them a pleasure to read because there's a solidity to the world which makes is easy to slip into.
Oh wow this has been an author completely off my radar who sounds amazing! I’m all for nice reads, especially to balance out the darker or more grey ones!
Yay! For 'lite' fantasy, the world building Mercedes Lackey achieves is impressive, especially considering she wrote everything all out of order, so she's building forward AND back from her starting point and it all hangs together beautifully.
@@derrisreaditbefore that is just so hard for me to wrap my mind around how anyone could do that successfully!
Such a passionate and wholesome video, I am sold! I've seen some buzz around this series from Books with Britanny, Sophia's Thoughts and Johanna recently, but now that it has the 'Derri seal of approval', I am going to make it top priority. Love the sound of all of this, I am ready to get lost in the world of Valdemar!
Oh Esmay, that brings me joy ❤️ There's a charm to Mercedes Lackey's worlds that I haven't found in many other places. That it comes in such a well realized world makes it a pleasure to come back to. I truly hope you love it.
@@derrisreaditbefore After all your beautiful and passionate gushing, I have no doubts I will love it 🔥
Hey - I’ve read these books. Well most of them 😂
Along with being nice - they are also well written.
Sal, every time I discover something else you enjoy, I realize I love you more and more ❤️
@@derrisreaditbefore you and I will basically be twins when I complete my Hobb journey
I think that people tend to get greater emotional catharsis from tragedy than they do with books that are unambiguously happy. Aristotle said it himself that tragedy should breed catharsis by the end. I just recently made a video reflecting on that very subject.
I have heard of Lackey, though mostly that she is more or less a safe fantasy author, one that won't knock your socks off but won't disappoint you either. Perhaps I'll give her a look and see for myself after watching your video.
I actually like that that's the 'reputation' a new reader will find for Mercedes Lackey. It's true. Where she shines is in the world building and the consistency of growth within it. Her books aren't a 'challenge' to the heart or senses, but a comforting place to visit when you need to wind down from grim, heartaching, realistic works that take so much effort from a reader.
I haven’t read any Valdemar yet, but I have read 5 or 6 of her Elemental Masters series. They’re also nice 😊 and can be read independently, as far as I can tell.
Asa that's FANTASTIC, I've read I think the first dozen or so (there are so very many) with Fire Rose remaining my favourite, I like her Five Hundred Kingdoms series too, they have the traditional tropes AND traditional sub-species of fair folk, which can be helpful when reading other fantasy. Having said all of that though, I always return to Valdemar. It's the series that I discovered Mercedes Lackey through, and they're the comfort reads I crave when I'm already full on Fitz.
Wonderful video Derri! I need to read Mercedes Lackey. I had no idea she was so forward thinking with representation. Sounds great! Sometimes you just need a “nice” book.
CHAS! Lovely to hear from you, and I think you'd like her worlds, as she genuinely thinks of world infrastructure and it shows. Despite all the various magics and creatures, there's a solid sense of 'real' to her stories.
@@derrisreaditbefore that’s great to know, thank you! I hope you’re doing well.
Hi derri! I've been trying to find the link yo yhe discord group you had posted. I can't seem to find it? Was wondering if you had it?
I'll add the Fireside discord link to my description box from here on out - great reminder. Thank you.
I have heard of this series! I have not read them😂😂 if you want something lighter that's self published I would recommend keeper chronicles and keepers origin by JA Andrews
Hahaha, FINALLY an author you haven't heard of Shaad! I'm adding JA Andrews to 'the list'.