#9: Mercedes Lackey, Valdemar (The Founding of Valdemar #3)

[kareila]

Ten years have passed since the people of Valdemar began to settle their new home with the help of magical allies, both human and elemental. Kordas is justifiably proud of what they have built, but he still worries that it won't stand the test of time, so he feels compelled to petition the divine powers for guidance and protection against those who would threaten them in the future. If you've read any other Valdemar books, you will already know what answer he receives. If you haven't... well, it's on the book's cover. (Also, why would you start here?)

Once the Companions are finally introduced, the familiar plot template of marshaling forces to fight off invasion quickly comes into play as well, and it's a foregone conclusion that the battle will somehow be won. What continues to make the Valdemar books so rewarding, though, is when the characters come to life on the page, finding solace for their hurts and loneliness, and love and acceptance for the things that make them so different from everyone else - a love that fuels their willingness to sacrifice themselves for the greater good. It doesn't happen as often in the more recently written books, but when it does, it's still the truest kind of magic.