Reading order
Heralds of Valdemar reading order
1
2
3- 3 volumes
- Volumes
- 1987–1988
- Published
- about 18 h
- Reading time
- Completed
- Status
- Fantasy#176
- Genre
Quick answer
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Publication order
3 volumes1987–1988Completed
- The first Valdemar trilogy and the usual way into Mercedes Lackey’s long-running world: Talia, a runaway from a harsh, closed community, is chosen by a Companion, a magical white horse, to become the Queen’s Own Herald.
- Warm, earnest coming-of-age fantasy.
- One story — read in order.
- The ratings rise, and Arrow’s Fall rates highest.
A plan for the whole series
3 volumes, 959 pages, about 18 hours. At 45 min a day that is about 3 weeks.
Share of volume 1’s readers who reach the last volume. Chance of reaching the last volume: high
Stages
This series fits in one stage. You finish around November 21, 2026.
- Stage 118 habout 3 weeksby November 21, 2026
- The end of the series
We count 1.1 min per page, the pace of an average novel reader. Faster? Move the slider.
Does the series hold up
Shape of the series: even. Volume scores differ by at most 0.2 points. You get the same level from the first page to the last.
Best volume: Arrow's Fall (7.9, 74 ratings). Weakest: Arrows of the Queen (7.7). The series is complete; you can read it start to finish with no waiting. The last volume (7.9) scores close to the series average or above it.
How this plan is calculated
The plan comes from the pages and ratings of each volume: we split the series into stages of about three weeks’ reading, size each break to the stage before it, and read the chance of finishing from how many readers rate the last volume compared with the first. How we work out the plan →
Every volume in order
Order checked by hand · Order and years: Wikidata (CC0). Spotted an error? Tell us. · Data updated October 29, 2026
Heralds of Valdemar books ranked, best to worst
- 1.Arrow's FallBook 3 · 19887.9
- 2.Arrow's FlightBook 2 · 19877.7
- 2.Arrows of the QueenBook 1 · 19877.7
Frequently asked questions
Which Heralds of Valdemar book is the best?
By reader score, Arrow's Fall (7.9/10). The lowest-rated is Arrows of the Queen (7.7/10).
Which Heralds of Valdemar book is the longest?
“Arrows of the Queen” is the longest at 320 pages; the shortest is “Arrow's Fall” with 319 pages.
What should I read after Heralds of Valdemar?
Other series by Mercedes Lackey: Elemental Masters, The Obsidian Trilogy, Mage Winds.
