Reading order
The Last Herald-Mage reading order
1
2
3- 3 volumes
- Volumes
- 1989–1991
- Published
- about 19 h
- Reading time
- Completed
- Status
- Fantasy#98
- Genre
Quick answer
Publication order
3 volumes1989–1991Completed
- Set centuries before Arrows of the Queen, this Valdemar trilogy follows Vanyel, a sensitive young nobleman who becomes the most powerful Herald-Mage of his age and the last.
- Published from 1989, it was one of the first popular fantasy series with a gay hero.
- Emotional and often tragic; read in order.
- All three books rate almost exactly the same, and highly.
A plan for the whole series
3 volumes, 1,021 pages, about 19 hours. At 45 min a day that is about 4 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 23, 2026.
- Stage 119 habout 4 weeksby November 23, 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 0.0 points. You get the same level from the first page to the last.
Best volume: Magic's Price (8.0, 83 ratings). Weakest: Magic's Promise (8.0). The series is complete; you can read it start to finish with no waiting. The last volume (8.0) 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
The Last Herald-Mage books ranked, best to worst
- 1.Magic's PriceBook 3 · 19918.0
- 1.Magic's PawnBook 1 · 19898.0
- 1.Magic's PromiseBook 2 · 19908.0
Frequently asked questions
Which Last Herald-Mage book is the best?
By reader score, Magic's Price (8.0/10). The lowest-rated is Magic's Promise (8.0/10).
Which The Last Herald-Mage book is the longest?
“Magic's Price” is the longest at 352 pages; the shortest is “Magic's Promise” with 320 pages.
What should I read after The Last Herald-Mage?
Other series by Mercedes Lackey: Heralds of Valdemar, Elemental Masters, The Obsidian Trilogy.
