Closer to the Heart - (Valdemar: The Herald Spy) by Mercedes Lackey (Paperback)

About the Book

"Mags was a Herald of Valdemar. But he had once lived the brutal life of a child slave. When he was Chosen by his Companion Dallen, his young life was saved, and he slowly adjusted to being well fed, educated, and treasured as a trainee in the Herald's Collegium at Haven. Singled out by the King's Own Herald, Mags would thrive in his secret training as a spy. His unusually strong Gift--an ability to Mindspeak and Mindhear anyone, not just others who were Gifted--made him a perfect undercover agent for the king"--

Book Synopsis

New York Times-bestselling author Mercedes Lackey's Herald Spy series, set in the beloved fantasy world of Valdemar

Herald Mags, Valdemar's first official Herald Spy, is well on his way to establishing a coterie of young informants, not only on the streets of Haven, but in the kitchens and Great Halls of the highborn and wealthy as well.

The newly appointed King's Own Herald, Amily, although still unsure of her own capability in that office, is doing fine work to support the efforts of Mags, her betrothed. She has even found a way to build an army of informants herself, a group of highly trained but impoverished young noblewomen groomed to serve the highborn ladies who live at Court, to be called "The Queens's Handmaidens."

And King Kyril has come up with the grand plan of turning Mags and Amily's wedding into a low-key diplomatic event that will simultaneously entertain everyone on the Hill and allow him to negotiate behind the scenes with all the attending ambassadors―something which had not been possible at his son Prince Sedric's wedding.

What could possibly go wrong?

The answer, of course, is "everything."

For all is not well in the neighboring Kingdom of Menmellith. The new king is a child, and a pretender to the throne has raised a rebel army. And this army is―purportedly―being supplied with arms by Valdemar. The Menmellith Regency Council threatens war. With the help of a ragtag band of their unlikely associates, Mags and Amily will have to determine the real culprit, amass the evidence to convince the Council, and prevent a war nobody wants―

―and, somewhere along the way, get married.

Review Quotes

Praise for The Collegium Chronicles

"Thanks to court intrigues and an attempt by foreign infiltrators to trick Valdemar to its disadvantage, Lackey makes a real page-turner out of Mags' and the collegia's development." ―Booklist

"For fans of her work, the return to the land of Valdemar and the continued tale of treasured characters will not disappoint―and new readers are likely to become devoted fans. Lackey has a playful writing style that is easy to become engrossed in." ―RT Book Reviews

"Returning to her beloved Valdemar universe, Lackey opens her new series at a pivotal time in the history of Valdemar.... Series fans will enjoy the variations on a familiar theme, while enough information is presented for first-timers to discover a world of high adventure and individual courage. Highly recommended." ―Library Journal

"Lackey has effortlessly returned us to the wondrous realm of Valdemar." ―Night Owl Reviews

"As always, she tells an entertaining and enjoyable tale of Valdemar with characters we love and a world we'll always want to visit." ―Pop Culture Beast

"Closer to the Heart has the two things that have always made me love these books: a richly detailed history of the world, and beautiful writing." --The Arched Doorway

About the Author

Mercedes Lackey is a full-time writer and has published numerous novels and works of short fiction, including the best-selling Heralds of Valdemar series. She is also a professional lyricist and a licensed wild bird rehabilitator. She lives in Oklahoma with her husband, artist Larry Dixon, and their flock of parrots. She can be found at mercedeslackey.com or on Twitter at @mercedeslackey.