Mage Storms Trilogy – Mercedes Lackey

     I know I just complained copiously about a Mercedes Lackey book but this trilogy is one of the reasons her new books annoy me so much. I grew up reading this and some of her earlier works. I still reread them every couple of years and thoroughly enjoy them. She explores so many different themes in her early books that the new stuff is just fluff. There isn’t the same depth. It feels like she is just writing to meet her contractual obligations.

     These books take place after a disastrous war between the countries of Valdemar and Hardorn. The Valedemarans had to enlist the help of their traditional enemies, Karse. They had been fighting over the borders disguised as religious differences for several hundred years. Unfortunately for them, Hardorn’s king despised women in power and was poised to overrun both countries which were ruled by women unless they put aside their differences to defeat him.

     Storm Warning: This book starts with the first non-military ambassadors to Valdemar from Karse. The story concentrates on Karal, the secretary of the ambassador. The ambassador himself is an elderly mage-cleric and the close personal advisor of the ruler of Karse, Solaris, and Karal’s mentor. As usual, the author spends the first few chapters introducing the reader to the world and giving the reactions of the common people a.k.a Karal to this new alliance since the fall of Hardorn’s kingdom for anyone who hasn’t read the series. The protagonists get to deal with two challenges in this book. The legendary country-devouring Empire (simply known as The Empire) trying to add what’s left of Hardorn to itself and the Mage storms, the after-effects of a long ago cataclysm happening in reverse that disrupt the way magic works. The Empire runs mostly on magic and believe that the mage storms are a weapon sent from Valdemar to prevent them from adding to their territory. While Karal is making friends and trying to prevent people from being hurt by the storms and the Empire, they eventually come up with a temporary solution and that is where the first book ends. There are of course many more complications and manipulations from the Empire.

     Storm Rising: This book mostly concentrates on finding a permanent solution to the mage storms. There’s quite a bit of relationship development between Karal, his friends, and a potential love interest. Karal has been promoted to Ambassador because of his mentor’s murder. Unfortunately, his youth and the prejudices of the other councilors cause him so many issues that he begins working himself sick, trying to do too many things at once. Another main protagonist that is expanded on is the Grand Duke Tremaine. Tremaine is the heir to the leader of the Empire and is in charge of “pacifying” Hardorn. The mage storms however have disrupted communications and supplies from the Empire. After many attempts to contact his superiors for more supplies, he comes to believe that the Emperor is sacrificing his own men to test a magic disrupting weapon on the Valdemarans. Tremaine starts to consolidate his power and take over Hardorn for himself and his men. Despite his origins and occasional questionable morals, the people of Hardorn begin to accept him as their protector from hunger and mage-storm created monsters. Sensing that the Duke may be able to help them and knowing he’s left the Empire, Karal and his friends reach out to him for his help to solve the puzzle of the mage storms. Again a temporary solution is found at the end of the novel with half the characters recovering from trauma and the other half still desperately searching for a permanent solution.

     Storm Breaking: This book continues in the same vein as the others. With the help of the Valdemarans, Tremaine is magically bound to the land of Hardorn, so that he can do nothing that would harm the land or the people living, and then crowned King. Everyone is still frantically searching for a way to prevent or lessen the effects of the final cataclysmic mage storm. The only new real development to the story is the involvement of the country of Iftel. Iftel is fairly isolated and mysterious; there are few people allowed in and anyone who leaves never speaks about their homeland. We find out why when a delegation shows up at Tremaine’s court including gryphons and priests that appear to be the same as the ones that rule in Karse. They apparently are the descendents of another part of the ancient armies that were separated from the group that formed Karse. The author was really trying to drive home the fact that this cataclysm was going to be widespread and required much cooperation. Much soul searching is had, the final cataclysm finally happens, a solution is attempted, and the survivors are left tending their wounds and planning how to handle the aftermath.

     I cannot stress enough how much I enjoy these books. Mercedes Lackey explores the themes of religion and magic and science and how they fit together well. The insight she puts into her characters’ arguments of one versus the other or how the various religions interact and tolerance or not is so realistic. I’ve seen people make similar arguments for or against religions that hold different beliefs from their own. Some of it is hard to believe, such as the huge empire directly on the other side of a country that less than five or ten years ago was an ally not being known to any of the people in power in three different countries. Granted they are at about the pony express stage of long distance communication but that would be like Spain not knowing about Germany because France is between them. I also wish she had gone more into the history and future of Iftel. I want the long version of how they became the country they are. Unfortunately, after this series and the OwlMage Trilogy, the only future events that can be found are in short story collections written by other writers and edited or very occasionally written by Mercedes Lackey.