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hopeoftheflame's review
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Thanks to #Netgalley and DAW Books for providing me a digital ARC of #Beyond in exchange for an honest review.
Beyond by Mercedes Lackey is a fantastic look at pre-Valdemar history. The book follows Kordas Valdemar, a Duke in the eastern empire, as he tries to escape the warmongering empire with his people. Of course, nothing is easy under a tyrannical Emperor who has no qualms about using everything and everyone for his own power-hungry benefit. As Kordas' generational plan comes to fruition, the Emperor calls him back to the capital. Kordas will have to be cunning and daring if he wants to escape without being found out.
Much like the Mage Wars series by Mercedes Lackey, this book does not include the ever beautiful and majestic white horse-like Companions. Instead, we are given normal horses, specifically the Valdemar Gold, a stunning gold horse that Kordas and his family have bred. Through these horses, you can begin to see Kordas' love of horses, and I can't help but believe we are seeing why the companions turned out the way they did.
Overall I found this a fantastic addition to the overarching series, and I am already craving more. For new fans, I would say it might not be the best place to start because they don't go into the same detail on the magic system as some of the other books (please look at the Heralds of Valdemar trilogy, The Last Herald Mage trilogy, and Mage Winds trilogy for that.) Long-term fans, however, will find plenty of callbacks to things only mention briefly in other novels of the series. I enjoyed returning to Valdemar and can't wait for more.
Beyond by Mercedes Lackey is a fantastic look at pre-Valdemar history. The book follows Kordas Valdemar, a Duke in the eastern empire, as he tries to escape the warmongering empire with his people. Of course, nothing is easy under a tyrannical Emperor who has no qualms about using everything and everyone for his own power-hungry benefit. As Kordas' generational plan comes to fruition, the Emperor calls him back to the capital. Kordas will have to be cunning and daring if he wants to escape without being found out.
Much like the Mage Wars series by Mercedes Lackey, this book does not include the ever beautiful and majestic white horse-like Companions. Instead, we are given normal horses, specifically the Valdemar Gold, a stunning gold horse that Kordas and his family have bred. Through these horses, you can begin to see Kordas' love of horses, and I can't help but believe we are seeing why the companions turned out the way they did.
Overall I found this a fantastic addition to the overarching series, and I am already craving more. For new fans, I would say it might not be the best place to start because they don't go into the same detail on the magic system as some of the other books (please look at the Heralds of Valdemar trilogy, The Last Herald Mage trilogy, and Mage Winds trilogy for that.) Long-term fans, however, will find plenty of callbacks to things only mention briefly in other novels of the series. I enjoyed returning to Valdemar and can't wait for more.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Slavery and Torture
The empire enslaves various people and creatures and sometimes tortures them for their own wants and purposes. While not explicitly shown there are many discussions of what happens in the empire so I am putting it at moderate.
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