Mercedes Lackey bibliography

Co-written with Larry Dixon. These are set in pre-history, some 2500 years before the Heralds of Valdemar trilogy. They describe the events which set off the Mage Storms. It involves gryphons, creatures created by the mage Urtho (Mage of Silence). The co-protagonists are Skandranon Rashkae, a princely but proud ebony gryphon, and Amberdrake, a Healer of spirit and mind called a kestra'chern.

1. The Black Gryphon (1994)
2. The White Gryphon (1995)
3. The Silver Gryphon (1996)

The story of the Baron Kordas Valdemar fleeing with his people the oppressive Eastern Empire and founding the kingdom of Valdemar in the western wilds. The trilogy takes place c. 1000 years after The Mage Wars and some 1400 years before the original Arrows trilogy.

1. Beyond (2021) ISBN 978-0-7564-1733-8
2. Into the West (2022) ISBN 978-0-7564-1736-9
3. Valdemar (to be published on 12-12-2023) ISBN 978-0756417390

These occur some centuries before the Heralds of Valdemar books, telling the life story of Vanyel Ashkevron; by the time of the "later" books he has become legend, thus explaining some of the small inconsistencies. This series was also consistently nominated for the Lambda Literary Prize, with Magic's Price winning in 1990.[1] As of 2021, the novels in the Last Herald-Mage trilogy are in development as the first season of a television show based on the Valdemar universe adapted by Kit Williamson and Brittany Cavallaro with Ted Field, Anthony Tringali, Michael Napoliello, and Maria Frisk at Radar Pictures executive-producing.[2] This will be the first live action adaptation of Lackey's work.

1. Magic's Pawn (1989) ISBN 978-0-14-016751-1
2. Magic's Promise (1990) ISBN 978-0-88677-401-1
3. Magic's Price (1991) ISBN 978-0-88677-426-4

This series marked Lackey's novel-length return to Valdemar after a five-year hiatus. The series takes place about a half a century after Magic's Price and about 500 years before the Heralds of Valdemar books and tells about the time of the founding of the Heralds' Collegium.

1. Foundation (2008) ISBN 978-0-7564-0576-2
2. Intrigues (2010) ISBN 978-0-7564-0639-4
3. Changes (2011) ISBN 978-0-7564-0692-9
4. Redoubt (2012) ISBN 978-0-7564-0745-2
5. Bastion (2013) ISBN 978-0-7564-0944-9

This series is a continuation of the story of Mags from the Collegium Chronicles. It covers Mags' journey as a full herald and a spy.

1. Closer to Home (2014) ISBN 978-0-7564-0899-2
2. Closer to the Heart (2015) ISBN 978-0-7564-0900-5
3. Closer to the Chest (2016) ISBN 978-0-7564-0901-2

This series is a continuation of the story of Mags after The Herald Spy trilogy. It follows Mags and his children as they learn the family business.

1. The Hills Have Spies (2018) ISBN 978-0-7564-1317-0
2. Eye Spy (July 2019) ISBN 978-0-7564-1320-0
3. Spy, Spy Again (June 2020) ISBN 978-0756413231

Brightly Burning (May 2000) ISBN 978-0-613-63021-4 is a stand-alone novel, set somewhere between Collegium Chronicles and the Heralds of Valdemar books; it describes another legendary character briefly referred to in the latter, Lavan Firestorm.

These precede the Heralds of Valdemar books and center around the characters Tarma and Kethry. These characters appeared first in Marion Zimmer Bradley's Sword and Sorceress series and were revisited in subsequent short stories. Two of these short stories are woven into the Vows and Honor books as part of a longer narrative. The original Vows and Honor pair of books were linked together with By the Sword (published long before Oathblood) as a trilogy.

1. The Oathbound (1988)
2. Oathbreakers (1989)
3. Oathblood (1998)

The third volume, Oathblood, is made up entirely of short stories in place of a longer narrative. With its publication, nearly all of the Tarma and Kethry stories were available together in a single compiled volume for the first time. The single missing story, "A Dragon in Distress", was co-authored with Elisabeth Waters and was originally published in the Sword and Sorceress series, volume XII. The story, now available as a solo e-book, is missing from the Oathblood collection due to being set in Elisabeth Waters's world, not Mercedes Lackey's Valdemar.

The contents of Oathblood are as follows:

1. "Introduction" (1998)—Originally published in Oathblood
2. "Sword-sworn" (1985)—Originally published in Sword and Sorceress III
3. "Turnabout" (1986)—Originally published in Oathbound
4. "The Making of a Legend" (1990)—Originally published in Sword and Sorceress VI
5. "Keys" (1988)—Originally published in Sword and Sorceress V
6. "A Woman's Weapon" (1992)—Originally published in Sword and Sorceress IX
7. "The Talisman" (1990)—Originally published in Sword and Sorceress VII
8. "A Tale of Heroes" (1987)—Originally published in Sword and Sorceress IV
9. "Friendly Fire" (1993)—Originally published in Sword and Sorceress X
10. "Wings of Fire" (1991)—Originally published in Sword and Sorceress VIII
11. "Spring Plowing at Forst Reach" (1998)—Originally published in Oathblood
12. "Oathblood" (1998)—Originally published in Oathblood

In the books and short stories, Tarma is a sword-wielding Shin'a'in clanswoman. Kethry is a magic-user who carries a sword with unusual properties. The nature of this sword, Need, is explored in later series set in Valdemar. At the time of the Vows and Honor books, all that is known is that it is magic, protects female bearers, and can pressure its owner into assisting other women. The overarching goal for the two women is to accumulate resources enough to regenerate Tarma's almost-destroyed clan. As the titles of the books suggest, emphasis is laid on the importance and consequences of oaths in at least one story from each book. The setting of the books is generally in the lands south of Valdemar such as Rethwellan, although there is a brief sojourn in Valdemar in Oathbreakers. Despite limited time in Valdemar, there were references in the first two Vows and Honor books to the Companions of Valdemar which laid early hints to their nature. The introduction of a fourfold deity (Tarma's Goddess) was something of a novel idea at the time of publication.

This is a stand-alone novel which connects the Vows & Honor sub-series to the Heralds and other trilogies; it introduces the character Kerowyn, who is the granddaughter of Kethry from the Vows and Honor sub-series.

• By the Sword (1991)

This set consists of the original trilogy, the very first Valdemar books published, and a prequel trilogy.

These center on the Weaponsmaster Alberich (in the first two books) and the thief Skif (in the third book), telling the stories of their not-entirely-voluntary enrollments as Heralds. The order in which they were written differs from the internal chronology.

1. Exile's Honor (2002)
2. Exile's Valor (2003)
3. Take a Thief (2001)

The first written and published of the Valdemar novels, these center on the character Talia, who from the moment of being Chosen by her Companion Rolan becomes the special and hard-working Queen's Own Herald.

1. Arrows of the Queen (1987)
2. Arrow's Flight (1987)
3. Arrow's Fall (1988)

These follow on from the original Heralds of Valdemar trilogy and center on Princess Elspeth completing her transformation from "the Brat" to a fully-fledged Herald. Secondary protagonists include Skif and a new character, Darkwind.

The latter part of Kerowyn's Tale, By the Sword, fills in the events that happen after Arrow's Fall but before Winds of Fate.

1. Winds of Fate (1991) ISBN 978-0-88677-516-2
2. Winds of Change (1992) ISBN 978-0-88677-563-6
3. Winds of Fury (1993) ISBN 978-0-88677-612-1

This next trilogy follows on the Heralds of Valdemar story and centers around the characters Karal and An'desha as Velgarth is threatened by a repetition of the Cataclysm described in The Mage Wars trilogy. This trilogy also focuses on the threat posed to Valdemar by the vast Eastern Empire and the development of the newly formed Alliance between Valdemar and its surrounding nations.

1. Storm Warning (1994)
2. Storm Rising (1995)
3. Storm Breaking (1996)

The Owl trilogy takes place several years after the events of The Mage Storms and follows the character Darian. The story focuses on the repercussions of the mage storms on Valdemar's northern border and centers on new tensions between the Kingdom and invading barbarians from beyond the Ice Wall.

1. Owlflight (1997) ISBN 978-0-613-18137-2
2. Owlsight (1998) ISBN 978-0-88677-803-3
3. Owlknight (1999) ISBN 978-0-88677-916-0

The setting of this miniseries of shorter fiction and a novel to be published in 2023 is a post–Mage Storms military conflict with a "secessionist" movement in Deedun. The series features the character Kelvren Skothkar from the preceding series Darian's Tale.

1. "A Perfect Day in Valdemar" (2002), novelette by Larry Dixon, first appeared in the anthology Fantasy: DAW 30th Anniversary
2. "Transmutation" (2005), short story by Larry Dixon, first appeared in Crossroads and Other Tales of Valdemar, Valdemar Anthology, Volume 3
3. "Ripples and Cracks" (2016), short story with Larry Dixon, first appeared in Tempest, Valdemar Anthology, Volume 10
4. Gryphon in Light (2023) ISBN 978-0756414481, with Larry Dixon
5. Gryphon's Valor (to be published on 25-06-2024) ISBN ‎ 978-0756418892 Parameter error in {{ISBN}}: invalid character, with Larry Dixon

Various anthologies have been published from 1997 featuring some short stories by Lackey and other authors she invited to write about the Valdemar universe. A companion book was also produced about the universe.

• Sword of Ice and Other Tales of Valdemar (1997)
• Sun in Glory and Other Tales of Valdemar (2003)
• Crossroads and Other Tales of Valdemar (2005)
• Moving Targets and Other Tales of Valdemar (2008)
• Changing the World: All-New Tales of Valdemar (2009)
• Finding the Way and Other Tales of Valdemar (2010)
• Under the Vale and Other Tales of Valdemar (2011)
• No True Way: All-New Tales of Valdemar (2014)
• Crucible: All-New Tales of Valdemar (2015)
• Tempest: All-New Tales of Valdemar (2016)
• Pathways: All-New Tales of Valdemar (2017)
• Choices: All-New Tales of Valdemar (2018)
• Seasons (November 2019, ISBN 978-0756414702)
• Passages (November, 2020, ISBN 978-0756414726)
• Boundaries (December, 2021, ISBN 978-0756414740)
• Shenanigans (December 2022, ISBN 978-0756418502)
• Anything with Nothing (to be published in November 2023, ISBN 978-0756418731)
• "On the Other Side" (2003) (short story) (collected in Janis Ian's and Mike Resnick's anthology Stars: Original Stories Based on the Songs of Janis Ian)
• The Valdemar Companion (2001), edited by John Helfers and Denise Little

Lackey wrote the first few in this series with Ellen Guon and the latter part with Rosemary Edghill.

• Bedlam Boyz (1993) by Ellen Guon—later-published prequel to Knight of Ghosts and Shadows
• Knight of Ghosts and Shadows (1990) with Ellen Guon
• Summoned to Tourney (1992) with Ellen Guon

Bedlam's Bard (1998)—compilation of Knight of Ghosts and Shadows and Summoned to Tourney

• Beyond World's End (2001) with Rosemary Edghill
• Spirits White as Lightning (2001) with Rosemary Edghill

A Host of Furious Fancies—compilation of Beyond World's End and Spirits White as Lightning

• Mad Maudlin (2003) with Rosemary Edghill
• Music to My Sorrow (2005) with Rosemary Edghill
• Bedlam's Edge (2005) with Rosemary Edghill—a collection of short stories, set in the same universe as the rest of the series but not involving any of the characters from the rest of the books. It includes two stories and an essay by Mercedes Lackey, one story each from Ellen Guon and Rosemary Edghill, and nine from a variety of other authors.

When reading the series in chronological order, Music to My Sorrow follows directly from Mad Maudlin.

The main character, Diana Tregarde, is an American witch, practicing a fantasy version of Wicca; by virtue of her position as a "Guardian" Diana has access to more magical power than many and she is required to give her help when someone asks it of her. Her magical abilities do not pay the bills, however, and so Diana makes her living by writing romance novels. In the stories, Diana must protect others from angry deities, vampires and a sorceress who intends to remain eternally young.

• Burning Water (1989)
• Children of the Night (1990)
• Jinx High (1991)
• Diana Tregarde Investigates (2006) (omnibus edition of the above three novels)[3]
• Arcanum 101 (2010) is a novella included in Trio of Sorcery (2010)[4]

The character Diana Tregarde first appeared in two short stories, "Satanic, Versus..." and "Nightside", which were originally written for inclusion in the Bureau 13: Stalking the Night Fantastic roleplaying game. The short stories were first published in Marion Zimmer Bradley's Fantasy Magazine:

• "Satanic, Versus ..." (1990) Marion Zimmer Bradley's Fantasy Magazine, Autumn 1990[5]
• "Nightside" (1989) Marion Zimmer Bradley's Fantasy Magazine, Autumn 1989[6]
• "Killer Byte" (1994) Marion Zimmer Bradley's Fantasy Magazine, Spring 1994[7]

The books were published under Tor's horror imprint rather than its fantasy. At the time of publication, positive depictions of what Wiccans and, more generally, neopagans believed and did were rare. In the mid-nineties, Lackey's books generally were regularly cited as examples of pagan-friendly fiction.[8] Lackey wrote that she had no plans for further books in the series because they did not sell well;[9] nonetheless, she incorporated several elements of the Guardian mythos, including the apartment building where Diana lived, into later books in her Bedlam's Bard series.

In the collection Bedlam's Edge Lackey notes that she placed the Diana Tregarde world with her SERRAted Edge and Summoned to Tourney world with the intention of forcing anyone who believed Diana Tregarde and the Guardians were real[9] to also have to believe in elves, dragons, and other patently fantastical things.

• Born to Run (1992) with Larry Dixon ISBN 978-0-671-72110-7
• Wheels of Fire (1992) with Mark Shepherd ISBN 978-0-671-72138-1
• When the Bough Breaks (1993) with Holly Lisle ISBN 978-0-671-72154-1
• Chrome Circle (1994) with Larry Dixon ISBN 978-0-671-87615-9
• Elvendude (1994) by Mark Shepherd ISBN 978-0-671-87630-2
• Spiritride (1997) by Mark Shepherd ISBN 978-0-671-87775-0
• Lazerwarz (1999) by Mark Shepherd ISBN 978-0-671-57806-0
• Stoned Souls with Josepha Sherman (never published, as of February 2020)[10]
• Silence (2017) with Cody Martin ISBN 978-1-481-48240-0
• The Waters and the Wild (2019) with Rosemary Edghill
• Breaking Silence (2020) with Cody Martin
• The Otherworld (1999) with Holly Lisle and Mark Shepherd (omnibus edition, contains Wheels of Fire and When the Bough Breaks) ISBN 978-0-671-57852-7
• The Chromeborne (1999) with Larry Dixon (omnibus edition, contains Born to Run and Chrome Circle) ISBN 978-0-671-57834-3

The Doubled Edge series is set several hundred years earlier than the other SERRAted edge books. The storyline is historically based, surrounding Elizabeth I's parentage, birth, and rise to power. In the fictional series, the Light court elves try to bring Elizabeth safely to the throne, while the Dark court elves hope for the misery of religious persecution from her half-sister Mary. This Scepter'd Isle revolves around Henry VIII's illegitimate son Henry FitzRoy, 1st Duke of Richmond and Somerset, and the later three focus on Elizabeth.

• This Scepter'd Isle (2004) with Roberta Gellis ISBN 978-0-7434-9889-0
• Ill Met by Moonlight (2005) with Roberta Gellis ISBN 978-1-4165-2096-2
• By Slanderous Tongues (2007) with Roberta Gellis ISBN 978-1-4165-2107-5
• And Less than Kind (2008) with Roberta Gellis ISBN 978-1-4391-3284-5

1. The Lark and the Wren (1992)
2. The Robin & the Kestrel (1994)
3. The Eagle & the Nightingales (1996)
4. Four and Twenty Blackbirds (1997, ISBN 0-671-87853-0)

The Free Bards had their genesis in the story "Fiddler Fair", originally written for an Andre Norton shared-world anthology titled Magic in Ithkar, and published in the third volume. Lackey rewrote, changed, and expanded the story into a setting of its own in The Lark and the Wren. "Fiddler Fair" may be found in the Mercedes Lackey short-story collection that is also titled Fiddler Fair.

1. A Cast of Corbies (1994)

This series primarily follows the adventures of Kellen Tavadon during the third war between the races of light and the Endarkened.

1. The Outstretched Shadow (2003)
2. To Light a Candle (2004)
3. When Darkness Falls (2006)

Set 1000 years after the events in the Obsidian Mountain Trilogy and following an entirely new cast of characters, with the exception of cameo appearances by major characters Jermayan and Idalia, and the continued presence of Ancaladar the Dragon.

1. The Phoenix Unchained (2007)
2. The Phoenix Endangered (2008)
3. The Phoenix Transformed (2009)

1. Crown of Vengeance with James Mallory (2012)
2. Blade of Empire[15] with James Mallory (October 2017)
3. "The Art of War"[15] with James Mallory (TBD)

Nine Mercedes Lackey stories written for the Sword and Sorceress series anthology involve Tarma & Kethry as the main characters. With the notable exception of "A Dragon in Distress", all of these short stories have subsequently been published in a compiled Tarma & Kethry novel called Oathblood (April 1998, ISBN 0-88677-773-9). The reason this story was left out of the compiled novel is due to the fact that the setting for "A Dragon in Distress" takes place in Elisabeth Waters's world, not Mercedes Lackey's Velgarth.

1. Sword and Sorceress III (July 1986, ISBN 0-88677-141-2), story "Sword Sworn"
2. Sword and Sorceress IV (July 1987, ISBN 0-88677-210-9), story "A Tale of Heroes"
3. Sword and Sorceress V (August 1988, ISBN 0-88677-288-5), story "Keys"
4. Sword and Sorceress VI (June 1990, ISBN 0-88677-423-3), story "The Making of a Legend"
5. Sword and Sorceress VII (December 1990, ISBN 0-88677-457-8), story "The Talisman"
6. Sword and Sorceress VIII (September 1991, ISBN 0-88677-486-1), story "Wings of Fire"
7. Sword and Sorceress IX (April 1992, ISBN 0-88677-509-4), story "A Woman's Weapon"
8. Sword and Sorceress X (June 1993, ISBN 0-88677-552-3), story "Friendly Fire"
9. Sword and Sorceress XII (July 1995, ISBN 0-88677-657-0), story "A Dragon in Distress" with Elisabeth Waters
10. Sword and Sorceress XXIII (November 2008, ISBN 1-934648-78-7), story "Scam Artistry" with Elisabeth Waters

• some of these stories were recycled in "Heirs of Alexandria":
  • "Deathangel" (1987) (novelette), in the anthology Merovingen Nights: Festival Moon, edited by C. J. Cherryh
  • "A Plague On Your Houses" (1987) (novelette), in the anthology Merovingen Nights: Fever Season, edited by C. J. Cherryh
  • "A Tangled Web We Weave" (1988) (novelette), in the anthology Merovingen Nights: Troubled Waters, edited by C. J. Cherryh
  • "More Than Meets the Eye" (1988) (novelette), in the anthology Merovingen Nights: Smugglers Gold, edited by C. J. Cherryh
  • "Merovingian Folklore 101, or, Alarums, Excursions, and Rumors" (1988) (essay), in the anthology Merovingen Nights: Smugglers Gold, edited by C. J. Cherryh
  • "Turning Point" (1989) (novelette), in the anthology Merovingen Nights: Divine Right, edited by C. J. Cherryh
  • "Turning Point (Reprised) (#1)" (1989) (novelette), in the anthology Merovingen Nights: Divine Right, edited by C. J. Cherryh
  • "Don't Look Back" (1990) (novelette), in the anthology Merovingen Nights: Flood Tide, edited by C. J. Cherryh
  • "With Friends Like These" (1990) (novelette), in the anthology Merovingen Nights: Flood Tide, edited by C. J. Cherryh
  • "Proving Ground" (1991) (novelette), in the anthology Merovingen Nights: Endgame, edited by C. J. Cherryh

• • "A Different Kind of Courage" (1985) in the anthology Free Amazons of Darkover edited by Marion Zimmer Bradley
  • "An Object Lesson" (1990) in the anthology Domains of Darkover edited by Marion Zimmer Bradley
  • "Set a Thief" (1991) in the anthology Renunciates of Darkover edited by Marion Zimmer Bradley
  • "Poetic License" (1994) in the anthology Snows of Darkover edited by Marion Zimmer Bradley

• • "A Friend In Need" (1989) (short story), in the anthology Elfquest - The Blood of Ten Chiefs, Vol. 3: Winds of Change edited by Richard Pini
  • "The Phantom of the Berry Patch" (1989) (short story) with Richard Pini, in the anthology Elfquest - The Blood of Ten Chiefs, Vol. 3: Winds of Change edited by Richard Pini
  • "Ties That Bind" (1990) (short story), in the anthology Elfquest - The Blood of Ten Chiefs, Vol. 4: Against Wind edited by Richard Pini
  • "Riders of the Storm" (1993) (short story), in the anthology Elfquest - The Blood of Ten Chiefs, Vol. 5: Dark Hours edited by Richard Pini

• • "To Dye For" (2004) (short story, in the anthology Ring of Fire, edited by Eric Flint
  • "Dye Another Day" (2011) (short story, in the anthology Ring of Fire III, edited by Eric Flint

• "Quest of the Dream Warrior" (1995), short story with composer and musician David Arkenstone; Arkenstones album with the same name is based on the story that appears in the booklet that comes with the album
• "Return of the Guardians" (1996), short story with David Arkenstone; Arkenstones album with the same name is based on the story that appears in the booklet that comes with the album

• Lackey contributed a story arc to City of Heroes in 2010 using that game's Architect system. This arc features "Diane Tregarde" (not "Diana" as referred to above, probably due to copyright issues) as a contact for a comic story about supernatural villain temp agencies.[21]