Magic's Price by Mercedes Lackey

Valdemar- the once-peaceful kingdom protected by the magic of its Herald Mages- is now beseiged on all fronts. The king lies near death, the neighboring land of Karse wages a relentless war against Valdemar, and the forces led by a master of dark forbidden magic are massing to stroke the final devastating blow against the kingdom.

And Vanyel, the most powerful Herald-Mage Valdemar has ever known, has become the primary target of the evil which is reaching out to poison all the land. With all his fellow mages slain, Vanyel alone remains to defend his people against the dark master’s army. Yet a dream vision has revealed to Vanyel the fate which awaits should he and his Companion Yfandes take up the dark master’s challenge. And if either Vanyel or Yfandes falters, the dream will become a horrifying reality in which both Valdemar and its last Herald-Mage must pay the ultimate price….


Where to Buy

Amazon
Barnes & Noble
OmniLit
Audible

Arguably the best in the trilogy, this final volume is also the most emotional in many ways. Anyone whose read the Heralds of Valdemar trilogy knows how this one ends - Talia learns the basics of the story in one of her classes - but even knowing what's coming doesn't lessen its impact when it comes. I'm not ashamed to say that it still gets me every time no matter how many times I've read this (though admittedly not as badly as it did the first few times).

Magic's Promise by Mercedes Lackey

The wild magic is taking its toll on the land, and even Vanyel, the most powerful Herald-Mage to ever walk the world, is almost at the end of his strength. But when his Companion, Yfandes, receives a call for help from neighboring Lineas, both Herald-Mage and Companion are drawn into a holocaust of dark magic that could be the end of them both.

Where to Buy

Amazon
Barnes & Noble
OmniLit
Audible

This book continues Vanyel's story and shows us much of the man he has become a decade or more after the events of Magic's Pawn. He's grown up a lot and is far more responsible and duty-minded than he was as a teen, yet in many ways that abused and resentful boy is still a part of him. He's learned to put some wrongs behind him, manages through the course of this story to resolve even more old grudges and move on from them, yet some hurts remain all too fresh for him and healing is still a long way off.

Magic's Pawn by Mercedes Lackey

Mage-Craft—

Though Vanyel has been born with near-legendary abilities to work both Herald and Mage magic, he wants no part of such things. Nor does he seek a warrior's path, wishing instead to become a Bard. Yet such talent as his if left untrained may prove a menace not only to Vanyel but to others as well. So he is sent to be fostered with his aunt, Savil, one of the fame Herald-Mages of Valdemar.

But, strong-willed and self-centered, Vanyel is a challenge which even Savil can not master alone. For soon he will become the focus of frightening forces, lending his raw magic to a spell that unleashes terrifying wyr-hunters on the land. And by the time Savil seeks the assistance of a Shin'a'in Adept, Vanyel's wild talent may have already grown beyond anyone's ability to contain, placing Vanyel, Savil, and Valdemar itself in desperate peril...
 
Where to Buy

Amazon
Barnes & Noble
OmniLit
Audible

The Last Herald-Mage is probably my favorite trilogy from the whole Valdemar Universe. Vanyel's story is both inspiring and heart-breaking and definitely stands the test of time. Despite being a few decades old now, many of the themes here are very relevant to issues that many are dealing with today. This book tells the story of Vanyel's early life, starting before his enormous mage powers are awakened. We follow him through a journey of self-discovery, of love and devastating loss, and of finding the strength to keep going when the future seems unendingly bleak.