Gryphon in Light by Mercedes Lackey, Larry Dixon Series: Kelvren's Saga #1
Published by DAW Books on July 25, 2023
Genres: Fantasy
Pages: 368
Format: Kindle or ebook
Source: the publisher
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Audible
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Also by this author: The Serpent's Shadow, Phoenix and Ashes, Home from the Sea, Steadfast, Elemental Magic:, Blood Red, House of Four Winds, The Fairy Godmother, The Lark and the Wren, Owlflight, From a High Tower, Owlsight, Owlknight, Closer to Home, Hunter, Closer to the Heart, Take a Thief, A Study in Sable, Closer to the Chest, Beyond, Fortune's Fool
On the border between Valdemar and the deadly Pelagirs Forest, the gryphon hero Kelvren returns from a near-fatal self-sacrifice that won him the approval of Valdemar's ground troops, but caused a diplomatic crisis. Frustrated by his lack of a hero's welcome, Kelvren is talked into helping with an expedition by his old friend, Firesong.
Firesong struggles with his own age and mortality, and he intends to solve a vast mystery at the center of legendary Lake Evendim as his crowning achievement. Just getting the multicultural expedition underway is a challenge, but what awaits them is a situation none of them could expect.
Set in the beloved fantasy realm of Valdemar, Gryphon in Light is adventurous epic fantasy at its best.
I received a review copy of this book from the publisher.
Return to the world of Velgarth with Gryphon in Light
Mercedes Lackey teams up with her husband and co-writer Larry Dixon to carry the story of Valdemar and its neighboring land beyond the events of the Owl Mage (Darian) trilogy. Gryphon in Light picks up several years after Owlknight. The titular gryphon is Kelvren, an engaging, charismatic, and enthusiastic gryphon who currently serves as the leader of the gryphon guards at the diplomatic enclave of k’Valdemar. The book is entertaining, and I loved seeing Kelvren and several other familiar and beloved characters. If you’re new to the series, this is not the place to jump into the Valdemar books, but if you’re already a fan, read on!
The story opens with an open rebellion within Valdemar; Kelvren risks his life to save a group of the Valdemaran Guard, including Hallock Stavern. The effort leaves both Kel and Hallock badly injured, eventually leading to an unusually risky magical working to save Kel. And that’s just the first part of the tale! The story continues with Kel’s recovery and a joint expedition to the shores of Lake Evendim, site of Ma’ar’s former stronghold and now (since the end of the Mage Storms) a new source of trouble.
There were plenty of things I liked about Gryphon in Light, and a few that bothered me. Most appealing, of course, was the chance to catch up and spend time with a number of well-loved characters from previous books. Besides Kelvren, we also get to see Silverfox and Firesong, Snowfire and Nightwind, Ayshen the hertasi, and the gryphon-mage Treyvan, among others. (These characters can be found in one or more of the following: the Mage Winds, Mage Storms, and Darian trilogies.)
The book’s POV is shared between several characters, including Kel, Hallock, and Firesong. This works for the story, and Lackey’s use of the multiple third-person-limited POV will be familiar to most Valdemar fans. In this case, it does make it hard to determine who is the real protagonist. While I think that honor goes to Kel, in terms of whose actions really drive the story, Hallock is also a main character. Both of them are likeable and interesting characters, with enough imperfections to make them feel realistic. Hallock is more mature and steadier than Kel, who tends toward impulsiveness and a certain showiness along with his undeniable courage and intelligence. Hallock’s wife plays an important secondary role, though we rarely see her POV; despite that, I liked her very much.
On the downside, while the plot works, it sometimes feels a little disjointed or episodic. Some of that is no doubt due to the fact that the first third or so of the book was originally three individual short stories, published in three separate volumes; the second half flows more smoothly, though the pacing is somewhat uneven. Another frustration was the occasional inconsistencies with the worldbuilding and magic systems established in previous books, something which drives me nuts. (I understand that it’s hard to maintain consistency in a series this large, even if you’re using a series bible, so I try to cut the authors some slack on this. But I do notice the inconsistences, and they can irritate me enough to temporarily throw me out of the story.)
Despite those quibbles, longtime fans of the series will probably enjoy Gryphon in Light as much I did. Newcomers will do better to start with earlier books set in this world, since the book references everything from the Mage Wars (Black Gryphon) trilogy to the Mage Storms and Owl Knight trilogies. (My personal recommendation is to read the books in publication order, though chronological order works, too.)
A caveat: This novel ends on much more of a cliffhanger than I have ever seen Lackey use before, and I don’t think book two is expected before summer 2024. (ETA, 7/30/2024: Make that summer of 2025.)But if you are eager to read the whole trilogy, please don’t wait to buy it until all three books are out. Publishers have been known to cancel subsequent books in a series if the preorders and sales for the current book aren’t good. If you hate cliffhangers but want to see Kelvren’s story completed, get the book now and stash it away until the next one comes out.
About Mercedes Lackey
Mercedes Lackey is perhaps best known for her bestselling Valdemar, Elemental Masters, and Tales of the 500 Kingdoms series. Her books now total well over 100, not counting anthologies. She writes (or has written) several other popular series as well as stand-alone novels, both on her own and with collaborators including Larry Dixon (her husband and illustrator), Anne McCaffrey, Andre Norton, Rosemary Edghill, Marion Zimmer Bradley, James Mallory, Roberta Gellis, and others.
Lackey graduated from Purdue University in 1972 and worked as a computer programmer before quitting to write full-time. A strong storyteller and a prolific writer, she turns out four to six books per year. She has also written lyrics and recorded songs (many of them based on her stories) for Firebird Arts and Music. Music is a prevailing theme throughout her work, and a major element in the Bardic Voices and Bedlam’s Bard series.
Mercedes Lackey lives with her husband in Oklahoma. She keeps parrots and has been active in raptor rehabilitation. She has also been active in the Society for Creative Anachronism and the MRPG community.
(sources: Goodreads, author website, and Wikipedia.)
Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
- COYER Upside-Down 2023: Chapter 2
- NetGalley & Edelweiss Reading Challenge 2023
Nicole @ BookWyrmKnits
Firesong was one of the characters that I didn’t care much for initially, but that I grew to love over subsequent re-readings of the two trilogies he featured in before this. Thanks for the review! It’s good to see that favorite characters still return in new Valdemar books and stories.
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