It has been a decade since Baron Kordas Valdemar and his followers escaped the Eastern Empire and established a settlement in the lands that the Tayledras have cleansed. Since then, that tribe of Hawkbrothers have moved on to start their work in a new area, but have made sure to keep in touch with their allies. In that decade, the city of Haven has been well established, fortified and, dare Kordas hope, started to prosper. Given the growth and success of the population, it's no wonder that they surprise Kordas by deciding that a Baron is not enough to lead their fledgling nation and he finds himself hoisted into the throne as the first King of Valdemar.
Of course, for Kordas, who grew up in the corrupt and despicable court of the Eastern Empire, he can't help but worry that Valdemar will someday mimic the lands they fled. While he trusts his son and heir, Restil, and whatever children he will someday raise, he cannot help but worry about some distant descendent and the slow erosion of morals over the future generations.
During the celebration of Kordas' coronation, the Tayledras provide a magical light show in the sky, but the show's spectacular ending, a red ball of energy that sweeps across the sky and crashes into a nearby clearing, seems to be unexpected by all, including the Hawkbrothers. When the Valdemarian mages have a chance to examine the site where the ball of energy landed, they find an area steeped in purified magic, something thought to be only theoretical.
In the weeks that follow, Kordas' concerns for the moral state of his fledgling kingdom weigh on him. Late one night, he decides to take his mind off of his troubles and examine the magical field with his own magesight. But, of course, his mind wanders and while in the clearing, he starts to pray to every god he has ever heard of for a way to keep Valdemar in the right. For a way to help guide future rulers and make sure that the kingdom can never edge towards the state of the Eastern Empire. Surprising to Kordas, though not to anyone who has read past books in the Valdemar series, a few majestic white horses appear and Kordas becomes the first Chosen.
These magical beings, calling themselves Companions, promise to bond with people of Valdemar they deem to be worthy and good. They promise to guide their Chosen and help them become shining examples of truth and virtue, and after an in-depth mind sharing with his new Companion, Kordas immediately trusts his new friend, Ardatha. When Kordas' wife and eldest son are also immediately chosen, Kordas makes a decree that the rulers of Valdemar must always be Chosen. He is confident that this new ruling will ensure that, if nothing else, the upper echelon of Valdemar's ruling body will be good and moral people.
While I found the arrival of the Companions and the founding of the Heralds to be the point in this story I had been waiting to read since the first book in this trilogy, I was surprised to see that it was merely the half-way point in Valdemar. After all, just because the Companions have arrived, that doesn't mean that all of Kordas' past problems have been resolved and that the newly-established Heralds don't need to prove themselves.
One side story in this book is that of a life bonded man and woman. She has the rare gift of animal mindspeak and he has the bardic gift. While the two are madly in love, which often happens with life bonds, they are also each afflicted by different curses. Rothfus, the bard, falls into a deep sleep when the sun sets and doesn't wake until it rises. Lythe sleeps during the day and only wakes when the sun sets. Needless to say, only spending an hour or so each day during the twilight does not make for a great relationship between them. The two were being cared for by the Hawkbrothers, but having exhausted all of their options, they have asked Kordas and his mages to attend to the pair and see if they can figure out how to help them.
Kordas and his family also have a lot to do in order to actually establish the Heralds. The Chosen grow in number after the initial encounter with the Companions, and it isn't long before the gifts imparted by the magical beasts show their worth. Unfortunately, establishing the Heralds as a force for good in his kingdom isn't Kordas' only concern. He is constantly reminded of the group of nobles that broke away from his refugees at the first sign of being away from the Eastern Empire. Over the decade, he has had reports that they have become ruled by an Adapt, a sorcerer with power that far surpasses that of the common Mage. Before this trilogy can come to an end, the new Kingdom of Valdemar will have to face that threat directly, whether they want to or not.
While the story of the Founding of Valdemar wraps up in this third book, I can see Lackey starting a follow-up series taking these particular characters to the next stages. I don't know if we will see more of King Kordas or if we will see Restil's reign, but it definitely won't be the first time that Lackey finishes one set in the Valdemar series, only to start a new one where the previous ended. Here's hoping for more tales of the fledgling kingdom as it grows to the point we see in the books later in the timeline. If you are a fan of this world and have been holding off for this particular trilogy to be completed before jumping in, now is your time - you won't be disappointed.
