Valdemar Books in Order
There are 70 Valdemar books, published between 1986 and 2026: 62 in the 12 main-line series and 9 related titles. The first book is Sword Sworn (1986) and the newest main-line book is A Many-Splintered Thing (2026). One more title is announced: Vanyel and Vixen (2027). Publication order is the reading order below.
- Books
- 70 + 1 announced
- Published
- 1986–2026
- Confirmed
- 71 of 71 titles
- Pages on record
- 14,395 in 39 of 71 books
- Reading time
- 240–360 hours
Reading time is an estimate, not a recorded figure: 14,395 pages at 300 words a page, read at 200–300 words a minute, covering the 39 of 71 titles with a page count on record.
Valdemar is the imaginary place in Mercedes Lackey's epic fantasy, and the catalogue groups 71 books under the Valdemar name from 1986 to 2027, most credited to Lackey. Arrows of the Queen (1987), Arrow's Flight (1987) and Arrow's Fall (1988) are early titles, along with The Oathbound (1988), Magic's Pawn (1989) and Magic's Price (1990). Sub-series include Heralds Of Valdemar, Vows and Honor, The Last Herald-Mage, Kerowyn's Tale, Mage Winds, Mage Storms and Mage Wars. A Many-Splintered Thing (2026) is the newest, and Vanyel and Vixen is due in 2027.
How many Valdemar books are there?
Valdemar has 70 published books, released between 1986 and 2026. 62 of them belong to the 12 main-line series (Valdemar, Valdemar: Vows and Honor, Valdemar: Collegium Chronicles and others), and 9 related titles sit outside it: short stories and novellas and other titles. One more, Vanyel and Vixen (2027), is announced.
Valdemar Books in Publication Order
The table lists all 71 Valdemar books in the order they were released, with the release year, the page count where one is on record, and how many independent book listings confirm each title. Catalogue data as of September 2026.
- 11986–3/4
- 219873203/4
- 31987–3/4
- 419873203/4
- 519883203/4
- 61988–3/4
- 719883043/4
- 819893523/4
- 919893203/4
- 101990–3/4
- 1119903183/4
- 1219903523/4
- 131990–3/4
- 1419914923/4
- 151991–3/4
- 1619914603/4
- 171991–3/4
- 1819924803/4
- 191992–3/4
- 2019934323/4
- 211993–3/4
- 2219944283/4
- 2319944643/4
- 24The Arrows of the Queen Concordance:Valdemar in Talia's TimeValdemar Short Stories/Novellas #21994 · confirmed 3/41994–3/4
- 2519954123/4
- 2619954003/4
- 2719964643/4
- 2819964003/4
- 2919973503/4
- 3019983943/4
- 3120004453/4
- 3220033493/4
- 3320053523/4
- 342008–3/4
- 3520083433/4
- 3620093433/4
- 372010–3/4
- 382010–3/4
- 392010–3/4
- 4020113263/4
- 412011–3/4
- 422011–3/4
- 432011–3/4
- 442011–3/4
- 452012–3/4
- 462012–3/4
- 4720133423/4
- 4820143613/4
- 492014–3/4
- 502014–3/4
- 512014–3/4
- 522014–3/4
- 5320153303/4
- 5420153423/4
- 5520163763/4
- 5620164003/4
- 572017–3/4
- 5820183603/4
- 5920182003/4
- 6020183683/4
- 6120193363/4
- 622019–3/4
- 6320203523/4
- 6420203363/4
- 6520213523/4
- 662022–3/4
- 672023–3/4
- 682024–3/4
- 692025–3/4
- 702026–3/4
- 712027–3/4
Valdemar Books in Chronological Order
By publication date, the books of the 12 main-line series run from Sword Sworn (1986) to A Many-Splintered Thing (2026), the sequence in the table above. No separate story order is recorded for Valdemar in the book listings this catalogue merges, so publication order is the only order on record.
Do you have to read Valdemar books in order?
You should read the 12 main-line series in publication order, the order of the numbered table above; the 9 related titles (short stories and novellas and other titles) sit outside that sequence. The catalogue does not record whether each Valdemar book also stands alone.
Where to start with Valdemar
Start with Sword Sworn (1986), the earliest published book in the 12 main-line series.
What is the newest Valdemar book?
A Many-Splintered Thing (2026) is the newest book in the 12 main-line series.
Is there a new Valdemar book coming?
Yes. Vanyel and Vixen (2027) is the next Valdemar book announced in the catalogue. A publication year announced this far ahead moves, so it is worth rechecking: every announced title dated after 2026 sits on the upcoming book releases page.
Awards Valdemar has won
Wikidata records 1 award and 4 nominations for Valdemar. Each row states whether the title won or was shortlisted, and the year the award was given.
- Lambda Literary Award1990Wonfor Magic's Price
- Locus Award for Best Fantasy Novel1996Shortlistedfor Storm Rising
- Locus Award for Best Fantasy Novel1995Shortlistedfor Storm Warning
- Locus Award for Best Fantasy Novel1993Shortlistedfor Winds of Change
- Locus Award for Best First Novel1988Shortlistedfor Arrows of the Queen
Valdemar at a glance
- Still running
- Valdemar is still running. Vanyel and Vixen is announced for 2027.
- Release pace
- Valdemar books have appeared more than one a year on average.
- Length
- 14,395 pages across the 39 of 71 books with a recorded length, a median of 352 pages each.
- Busiest decade
- Most Valdemar books, 26 of 71, were published in the 2010s.
- Attribution
- Of the 71 titles, 59 are credited to Mercedes Lackey, 5 to Michelle Sagara West, 3 to Elisabeth Waters and 2 to Tanya Huff. A further 18 writers are credited. 5 titles carry no credit.
What the Valdemar books are about
40 of the 71 Valdemar books carry subject tags in Open Library's catalogue. The subjects below are the ones that recur across them, most frequent first: fantasy is tagged on 30 of 40. The subjects are cataloguers’ headings, not a plot summary.
- Fantasy 30 of 40 books
- Fantasy, epic 15 of 40 books
- Magic 6 of 40 books
- Short stories 6 of 40 books
- Orphans 5 of 40 books
- Collegium Chronicles 4 of 40 books
- Courts and courtiers 3 of 40 books
- Mage Storms 3 of 40 books
- Mage Wars 3 of 40 books
- Mage Winds 3 of 40 books
- Psychics 3 of 40 books