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A review by catherine_t
Foundation: Book One of the Collegium Chronicles (a Valdemar Novel) by Mercedes Lackey
4.0
Mags has spent his whole life in Cole Pieter's mine, digging "sparklies" out of the ground, along with a dozen or so other kiddies. But then one day Herald Jakyr and two Companions arrive and whisk Mags away to Haven and the newly-formed Collegium.
Here, Mags finds more than he ever dreamed or bargained for. His Companion, Dallen, is his friend for life. And slowly, he makes friends with other Trainees: Lena, a Bardic Trainee, and Bear, a Healer Trainee. He learns things he never imagined, simple things like history, geography, and math. He gets weapons training. He learns to ride properly. And he learns, slowly, how to use his Gift of Mindspeech.
But all is not in concord at the Collegium. There are too many new Trainees and not enough Heralds to go around. Some Heralds don't like the new way of teaching the Trainees, as if they were Bards or Healers. And Mags finds himself at the centre of Collegium politics.
I've been a fan of Mercedes Lackey since I first picked up Winds of Fate and discovered the world of Valdemar, Heralds, and Companions. It's been a fair few years since I read my last Valdemar novel, I think, but I'm pleased as always to get back to Lackey's wonderful world.
Mags is a bit of a fish out of water. Until he was Chosen, he had no idea of the world outside the Pieters' mine. His world encompassed the mine tunnels, the sleep hole, and occasionally the Big House. His first glimpse of Haven causes some culture shock, softened only by the memories Dallen is able to share with him through their bond. At the same time, Mags is a shrewd judge of human nature, once he gets over the notion that everyone is simply out for themselves. He brings more than just his Gift to the table, as it were.
This is the first book in the Collegium Chronicles, which encompasses five books. Foundation's plot is mainly concerned with Mags and his new surroundings, but there is a thread of intrigue that I suspect will be followed up in further books. A reader doesn't have to be familiar with Lackey's other Valdemar books--after all, Mags is ignorant of all aspects of Valdemaran culture, as would be a first-time reader--but a long-time reader certainly won't be disappointed.
Here, Mags finds more than he ever dreamed or bargained for. His Companion, Dallen, is his friend for life. And slowly, he makes friends with other Trainees: Lena, a Bardic Trainee, and Bear, a Healer Trainee. He learns things he never imagined, simple things like history, geography, and math. He gets weapons training. He learns to ride properly. And he learns, slowly, how to use his Gift of Mindspeech.
But all is not in concord at the Collegium. There are too many new Trainees and not enough Heralds to go around. Some Heralds don't like the new way of teaching the Trainees, as if they were Bards or Healers. And Mags finds himself at the centre of Collegium politics.
I've been a fan of Mercedes Lackey since I first picked up Winds of Fate and discovered the world of Valdemar, Heralds, and Companions. It's been a fair few years since I read my last Valdemar novel, I think, but I'm pleased as always to get back to Lackey's wonderful world.
Mags is a bit of a fish out of water. Until he was Chosen, he had no idea of the world outside the Pieters' mine. His world encompassed the mine tunnels, the sleep hole, and occasionally the Big House. His first glimpse of Haven causes some culture shock, softened only by the memories Dallen is able to share with him through their bond. At the same time, Mags is a shrewd judge of human nature, once he gets over the notion that everyone is simply out for themselves. He brings more than just his Gift to the table, as it were.
This is the first book in the Collegium Chronicles, which encompasses five books. Foundation's plot is mainly concerned with Mags and his new surroundings, but there is a thread of intrigue that I suspect will be followed up in further books. A reader doesn't have to be familiar with Lackey's other Valdemar books--after all, Mags is ignorant of all aspects of Valdemaran culture, as would be a first-time reader--but a long-time reader certainly won't be disappointed.