Best Selling Books by Mercedes Lackey

The Outstretched Shadow, the first book in The Obsidian Trilogy from Mercedes Lackey and James Mallory Kellen Tavadon, son of the Arch-Mage Lycaelon, thought he knew the way the world worked. His father, leading the wise and benevolent Council of Mages, protected and guided the citizens of the Golden City of the Bells. Young Mages in training--all men, for women were unfit to practice magic--memorized the intricate details of High Magic and aspired to seats on the council. Then he found the forbidden Books of Wild Magic--or did they find him? The three slim volumes woke Kellen to the wide world outside the City''s isolating walls. Their Magic was not dead, strangled by rules and regulations. It felt like a living thing, guided by the hearts and minds of those who practiced it and benefited from it. Questioning everything he has known, Kellen discovers too many of the City''s dark secrets. Banished, with the Outlaw Hunt on his heels, Kellen invokes Wild Magic--and finds himself running for his life with a unicorn at his side. Kellen''s life changes almost faster than he can understand or accept. Rescued by a unicorn, healed by a female Wild Mage who knows more about Kellen than anyone outside the City should, meeting Elven royalty and Elven warriors, and plunged into a world where the magical beings he has learned about as abstract concepts are flesh and blood creatures-Kellen both revels in and fears his new freedom. Especially once he learns about Demons. He''d always thought they were another abstract concept-a stand-in for ultimate evil. But if centaurs and dryads are real, then Demons surely are as well. And the one thing all the Mages of the City agreed on was that practicing Wild Magic corrupted a Mage. Turned him into a Demon. Would that be Kellen''s fate? Deep in Obsidian Mountain, the Demons are waiting. Since their defeat in the last great War, they''ve been biding their time, sowing the seeds of distrust and discontent between their human and Elven enemies. Very soon now, when the Demons rise to make war, there will be no alliance between High and Wild Magic to stand against them. And all the world will belong to the Endarkened. At the Publisher''s request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

MERCEDES LACKEY''S magical A Tale of the Five Hundred Kingdoms series continues with a captivating new adventure… Heavy is the head—and the eyelids—of the princess who wears the crown… In Rosamund''s realm, happiness hinges on a few simple beliefs. For every princess there''s a prince. The King has ultimate power. Stepmothers should never be trusted. And bad things come to those who break with Tradition…. But when Rosa is pursued by a murderous huntsman and then captured by dwarves, her beliefs go up in smoke. Determined to escape and save her kingdom from imminent invasion, she agrees to become the subject of one of her stepmother''s risky incantations—thus falling into a deep, deep sleep. When awakened by a touchy-feely stranger, Rosa must choose between Tradition and her future between a host of eligible princes and a handsome, fair-haired outsider. And learn the difference between being a princess and ruling as a Queen.

Mage Kellen and his Elven allies must find a way to reclaim the High Magick from the Demons to prevent the forces of Light fall victim to forces of evil.

In the Enduring Flame trilogy, Mercedes Lackey and James Mallory have given readers a new view of the complex and fascinating world they originally created for the Obsidian Trilogy. Jumping one thousand years in time, Lackey and Mallory have told the compelling story of Harrier Gillain, the first Knight-Mage in a thousand years; Tiercel Rolfort, the first High Mage in hundreds of years; and Shaiara, the young leader of a desert tribe who takes both boys under her wing but has a special affection for Harrier. These three young people are their world''s main defense against the evil called up by the rogue Wild Mage, Bisochim. Bisochim''s conviction that he was restoring the balance was shattered the moment Ahairan took her first breath. Now, in The Phoenix Transformed, Bisochim joins forces with Harrier and Tiercel, and the three mages search desperately for a way to destroy Ahairan as she sends her magical forces against them and the desert nomads under their protection. With more than one twist in the telling, centering on a magic-plagued journey across a blistering desert, The Phoenix Transformed is the stunning conclusion to The Enduring Flame. At the Publisher''s request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

New York Times-bestselling author Mercedes Lackey''s Herald Spy series, set in the beloved fantasy world of Valdemar Herald Mags, the King of Valdemar’s Herald-Spy, has been developing a clandestine network of young informants who operate not only on the streets of the capital city of Haven, but also in the Great Halls and kitchens of the wealthy and highborn. In his own established alternate personas, Mags observes the Court and the alleys alike, quietly gathering information to keep Haven and the Kingdom safe. His wife Amily, is growing into her position as the King’s Own Herald, though she is irritated to encounter many who still consider her father, Herald Nikolas, to be the real King’s Own. Nonetheless, she finds it increasingly useful to be underestimated, for there are dark things stirring in the shadows of Haven and up on the Hill. Someone has discovered many secrets of the women of the Court and the Collegia—and is using those secrets to terrorize and bully them. Someone is targeting the religious houses of women, too, leaving behind destruction and obscene ravings. But who? Someone at the Court? A disgruntled Palace servant? One of the members of the Collegia? Someone in the patriarchal sect of the god Sethor? Could the villain be a woman? And what is this person hoping to achieve? It isn’t blackmail, for the letters demand nothing; the aim seems to be the victims’ panic and despair. But why? Mags and Amily take steps to minimize the damage while using both magic and wits to find the evildoer. But just as they appear to be on the verge of success, the letter-writer tires of terror and is now out for blood. Mags and Amily will have to track down someone who leaves few clues behind and thwart whatever plans have been set in motion, and quickly—before terror turns to murder.

The first book in the Vows and Honor trilogy unites swordmaster and sorceress in a quest for revenge in this thrilling epic fantasy She was Tarma. Born to the Clan of the Hawk of the nomadic Shin’a’in people, she saw her entire clan slain by brigands. Vowing blood revenge upon the murderers, she became one of the sword-sworn, the most elite of all warriors. And trained in all the forms of death-dealing combat, she took to the road in search of her enemies. She was Kethry. Born to a noble house, sold into a hateful “marriage”, she fled life’s harshness for the sanctuary of the White Winds, a powerful school of sorcery. Becoming an adept, she pledged to use her talents for the greatest good. Yet unlike other sorcerers, Kethry could use worldly weapons as well as magical skills. And when she became the bearer of a uniquely magical sword that drew her to those in need, Kethry was led to a fateful meeting with Tarma. United by sword-spell and the will of the Goddess, Tarma and Kethry swore a blood oath to carry on their mutual fight against evil. And together, swordsmaster and sorceress set forth to fulfill their destiny….

Fantasy.

Running the gamut from her beloved Bardic fantasies to urban fantasy set in the modern world; from science fiction adventure to chilling horror, this is a volume that demonstrates the wide range of this author''s talent. It is a feast for the multitudes of Lackey fans everywhere--and for new readers, a powerful introduction to the most significant new fantasy writer of the decade.

In this epic fantasy adventure series opener, a young elf, afraid of the magic inside her, becomes a fearsome warrior. She is the unwanted spawn of a mad king and queen, her lands lost before her birth; her family—her very name—erased from history. Cursed by many, yet protected by an even great curse. She was born on a night of storm and terror, raised in protected concealment, then banished from the only home she had ever known—an ancient enemy’s final stroke in a war begun centuries before. Secret studies of hidden lore reveal the truth of the Prophecy that heralded her coming. Dark dreams teach lessons of war and duty, of strategy and Magecraft, that she could not learn in a thousand lifetimes. She does not have a thousand lifetimes. She has just one—and time is running out. For the Prophecy spoke not just of her, but of a great Darkness that would destroy the Elven kingdoms. A Darkness that is coming ever closer. She is Vieliessar Farcarinon and she must save her people. Even if she must shatter custom and destroy the world she was born to rule . . .

In The Mage Winds trilogy, which began with the best-selling novel, Winds of Fate, author Mercedes Lackey continues the epic that started with her first published book, Arrows of the Queen introduced readers to the remarkable land of Valdemar, the kingdom protected by its Heralds--men and women gifted with extraordinary mind powers--aided and served by their mysterious Companions--horselike beings who know the many secrets of Valdemar''s magical heritage. None but the Companions remember the long-ago age when high magic was lost to Valdemar as the last Herald-Mage gave his life to protect his kingdom from destruction by dark sorceries. But now the protective barrier set so long ago over Valdemar is crumbling, and with the realm imperiled by the dark magic of Ancar of Hardorn, Princess Elspeth, Herald and heir to the throne, has gone on a desperate quest in search of a mentor who can teach her to wield her fledgling mage-powers and help her to defend her threatened kingdom.

A massive collection of wonderous science fiction and fantasy stories from New York Times best-selling Mercedes Lackey. Includes Fiddler Fair and Werehunter for the first time in one volume. Fiddler Fair Running the gamut from her beloved Bardic fantasies to urban fantasy set in the modern world, from science fiction adventure to chilling horror, this is Mercedes Lackey at her best. Animal rights fanatics try to "liberate" genetically reconstructed dinosaurs. Lawrence of Arabia meets a power beyond human comprehension, and King Arthur is reborn into the present day when he again gains possession of the enchanted sword Excalibur. Werehunter A young woman who has been given the power to transform herself into a leopard, but she now finds herself pursued by a hunter who is more than human. Skitty, ship''s cat extraordinaire, and telepathic problem-solver, saves the day on a spaceship. Return to the world of the Heralds of Valdemar series, and much more. Plus, Merecedes Lackey''s celebrated occult detective Diana Tregarde, attends a gathering of romance writers and encounters a visitor whose passionate desire is for fresh, warm blood. At the publisher''s request, this title is sold without DRM (Digital Rights Management).

New York Times bestselling author Mercedes Lackey In an isolated land where the lure of the "Moontide" leads to shipwrecks, a woman is torn between obeying her father or her king.

The sequel to the bestseller The Elvenbane

Book Three of The Mage Winds trilogy. No longer the willful novice of Winds of Fate, Princess Herald Elspeth has completed her magical training. She returns to her homeland with her beloved partner Darkwind. Will they be strong enough to confront the magical evil that is threatening their land?

In March 1987, a young author from Oklahoma published her first novel, Arrows of the Queen. This modest book about a magical land called Valdemar was the beginning of a fantasy masterwork series that would span decades and include more than two dozen titles. Now readers can take a journey to the world of Valdemar-including Tanya Huff, Mickey Zucker Reichert, Fiona Patton, and Judith Tarr-each adding their own special touches.

THE CLASSIC FANTASY PHENOMENON: Explore the world of Valdemar alongside the realm’s magical protectors and their horse-like Companions in this fantasy anthology featuring 13 epic short stories! Step into the ancient land of Valdemar! A world beset by war and internal conflicts, it’s protected by the Chosen Heralds—Mindspeakers, Firestarters, and Empaths alike—who endeavor to keep the peace and defend their country in the name of their monarch. Emissaries, spies, diplomats, scouts, warriors, judges and counselors, the Heralds follow a rigorous code of ethics and are bonded for life with their horse-like Companions. Join Tanya Huff, Michelle West, Mickey Zucker Reichert, Judith Tarr, Fiona Patton and others as they add their own special touch to the world of Valdemar. Discover how the abilities of one remarkable individual can bring peace to two lands which have been sworn enemies for centuries . . . Learn why pain and tragedy are the most valuable teachers an empath can have . . . and see how a man never Chosen can still be a Herald in this heart. Discover the fantasy phenomenon in this epic collection of 13 tales of magic and valor—including an all-new novella by Mercedes Lackey herself!

Rediscover the magic of the Tales of the Five Hundred Kingdoms, by New York Times bestselling author Mercedes Lackey. Aleksia, Queen of the Northern Lights, is mysterious, beautiful and widely known to have a heart of ice. But when she''s falsely accused of unleashing evil on nearby villages, she realizes there''s an impostor out there far more heartless than she could ever be. And when a young warrior disappears, Aleksia''s powers are needed as never before. Now, on a journey through a realm of perpetual winter, it will take all her skills, a mother''s faith and a little magic to face down an enemy more formidable than any she has ever known. Originally published in 2008

An original short fiction anthology set in Mercedes Lackey''s bestselling world of Valdemar-featuring heroic Heralds and their horselike companions-and including an all-new novella by Lackey herself, as well as stories by masters such as Mickey Zucker Reichert, Judith Tarr, Tanya Huff, and others.

A second anthology of new stories set in the universe of Lackey''s Elemental Masters alternate-reality Edwardian London features magically gifted individuals whose stories are loosely based on classic fairy tales and includes contributions by leading genre authors.

Fantasy-roman.

In Mercedes Lackey''s Firebird, Ilya, son of a Russian prince, is largely ignored by his father and tormented by his larger, older brothers. His only friends are three old people: a priest, a magician, and a woman who toils in the palace dairy. From them Ilya learns faith, a smattering of magic, and the power of love--all of which he will need desperately, for his life is about to be turned upside-down. The prince''s magnificent cherry orchard is visited at midnight by the legendary Firebird, whose wings are made of flame. Ilya''s brothers'' attempts to capture the magical creature fail. When Ilya tries to catch the Firebird, he sees her as a beautiful woman and earns a magical gift: the speech of animals. Banished, the young man journeys through a fantastical Russia full of magical mazes, enchanted creatures, and untold dangers. As happens in the best fairy tales, Ilya falls in love with an enchanted princess, but to win her freedom will be no easy task.

Anxious to avoid the Traditional path, Bella dons a red cloak and ventures into the forbidden forest to consult with "Granny," the local wisewoman.

Forced to secure her own future when her sole brother is declared the crown prince, Clarice, one of 12 impoverished princess sisters, disguises herself as a boy and joins a pirate crew before her love for her captain is challenged by an evil sorceress. By the best-selling authors of To Light a Candle.

Kiron has secretly gathered an army of dragon riders to seek refuge in the abandoned desert city they have named Sanctuary, where they join with other dragon riders to rid their world of both war and magical domination. But now it is time to build a new society in Aerie: an ancient city that seems to have been designed for dragon riders and their dragons.

This omnibus of the acclaimed Vows and Honor trilogy, set in the New York Times bestselling world of Valdemar, follows Tarma and Kethry, swordswoman and sorceress, as they seek justice for past wrongs. The Oathbound: Introduces Tarma--swordswoman trained by elite warriors in all forms of deadly combat--and Kethry, former noblewoman whose magical skills were shaped by a powerful school of sorcery. United by the Goddess and armed with a magical sword drawing them to those in need, Tarma and Kethry swore a blood oath to fight against evil. Oathbreakers: When Idra, leader of the Sunhawk mercenaries, failed to return from a journey to her home kingdom of Rethwellan, Tarma and Kethry set out in search of her. Instead they find a land shadowed by a dark enchantment, the claim to the throne in question, and the people of Rethwellan in terrible jeopardy. Oathblood: The sisters of sword and spell have pledged to train others to fight for their cause, starting a school for fledgling warriors and mages. But training turns out to be far more perilous than expected--and when two of their students are kidnapped, Tarma and Kethry must draw upon their combined skills to answer the call of destiny in ways they never imagined.

The long-awaited founding of Valdemar comes to life in this second book in the new series from a New York Times-bestselling author and beloved fantasist. Baron Valdemar and his people have found a temporary haven, but it cannot hold all of them, or for long. Trouble could follow on their heels at any moment, and there are too many people for Crescent Lake to support. Those who are willing to make a further trek by barge on into the West will follow him into a wilderness depopulated by war and scarred by the terrible magics of a thousand years ago and the Mage Wars. But the wilderness is not as "empty" as it seems. There are potential friends and rapacious foes.... ....and someone is watching them.

Prince Manfred and his mentor and bodyguard, the deadly warrior Erik, survived dangers and enemies both natural and supernatural, and if they thought that their new mission was going to be anything but more of the same, they soon gave up on that hope. Returning from Jerusalem, they and their escort of knights of the Holy Trinity are escorting an envoy of II Khan Mongol to the lands of the Golden Horde-between the Black Sea and the Carpathians, which happen to be eastern bastion against their old enemies, the demon Chernobog and his possessed puppet, the Jangellion. Unfortunately, what began as a diplomatic mission leads to Manfred and his knights being caught up in an inter-clan civil war, rescuing a fugitive woman and her injured brother, and becoming involved in the problems of Prince Vlad, Duke of Valahia, who has been held as a hostage by King Emeric of Hungary until freed by Countess Elizabeth Batholdy to use as bait to capture a group of nonhumans. Instead, the wolflike nonhumans, who masquerade as gypsies, free Prince Vlad, and help him to return to his homeland to raise revolt against Hungary and to renew age-old magics. Manfred and Erik are forced into an alliance of convenience between the Golden Horde and the ancient magical forces of Valahia, as directed by the troubled Vlad. The magic calls for blood and Vlad is deathly afraid of it¾and at the same time, is irresistibly drawn toward it . . . At the publisher''s request, this title is sold without DRM (Digital Rights Management).

A fantasy epic set 500 years before the bestselling ''Heralds of Valdemar'' series, set in the same world and outlining its early history.

This is the new novel in Mercedes Lackey''s series set in an alternative Edwardian Britain, where magic is real, and elemental masters are in control.

With San Francisco doomed to fall off the continent, the bard must summon the Nightflyers, the soul-devouring shadow creatures from the dreaming world. Original.

This is the new novel in Mercedes Lackey''s series set in an alternative Edwardian Britain, where magic is real, and elemental masters are in control.

This is the new novel in Mercedes Lackey''s series set in an alternative Edwardian Britain, where magic is real, and elemental masters are in control.

Richard Whitestone is an Elemental Earth Master. Blaming himself for the death of his beloved wife in childbirth, he has sworn never to set eyes on his daughter, Suzanne. But when he finally sees her, a dark plan takes shape in his twisted mind - to use his daughter''s body to bring back the spirit of his long-dead wife.