Customer Reviews

Foundation (Collegium Chronicles)

5 star:		(32)
4 star:		(26)
3 star:		(18)
2 star:		(12)
1 star:		(12)

 

 

It's been awhile since there's been a new Valdemar book, and I'd been really eager to read it. Unfortunately, this newest book just doesn't hold up.
Firstly, the writing style is overly simplistic. It almost reads like a Young Adult book. I think it's to try and showcase the main character's general ignorance about the world at large, but since the book is still written in the third person, it brings the whole book down. Speaking of the main character, he's a bit flat....and also seems to be near perfect at everything he does with little struggle. There also isn't much in the way of story...very little really happens. I suspect that's because this is more of a just prologue for more books to come, especially since the ending kind of came out of nowhere and left things unexplained.
The most glaring problem for me though, as a long time reader of the series, are the many places that it contradicts things that are stated in other books, and that even though it's supposed to be taking place hundreds of years in the past (from the "present day" Valdemar reign of Selenay), some things actually seem to be more advanced, and the rest seem exactly the same, as if the passing of time has very little effect.

It's also worth noting that if you've never read a Valdemar book, this is not the one to start with. Most of the other books offer at least some background, information, or explanation of the general aspects Valdemar...this one very much does not, and just assumes that you already know. You particularly would want to read The Last Herald Mage trilogy before this one.

I was 13 when Arrows of the Queen was published, so I've been with Misty for quite a while now. I was really looking forward to this book, but it turned out to be a major disappointment.

In a nutshell: don't waste your money on the hardcover version, and unless you're a big fan of Valdemar, and HAVE to read every book out there, you can probably live your life without having read it and be okay.

The main character of the book is a TOTAL Mary Sue. He's practically illiterate, malnourished, knows nothing at all of the world outside his slavery, but once he is freed and Chosen, he pretty much can do anything he tries to do, and do it better than most other people. Even if he's never done it before. Or even heard about it before. And he does it all in a totally unrealistic short period of time. Oh, and his Gift of Mindspeech is greater than anybody else's, ever. And he has no failings (unless you count his wavering doubt of others/self-doubt as a failing). He is also, apparently, the only one in the ENTIRE Circle who can do what he does, and he does it as a newly Chosen.

If that weren't off-putting enough, the characters in the book play blindman's bluff, and I Spy (and actually call it "I Spy"). The student Healer-herbalist uses pills rather than tea and knows all about heart disease and its causes ("Cut down on red meat..."), there is a mechanical log-splitter, the houses have wall-to-wall carpeting in them and are furnished like houses in the modern world. There are so many references to 20th-century type things.... I don't know how she can put this in a medieval setting. And yet, this is supposed to take place 500 years before Talia.

It's been less than 50 years since Vanyel died, but Stefan died a long time ago from the way it reads.... he should still be alive at this point, however. So should Treven and Jisa, unless something weird happened to them. But I don't think anything did.... Treven was still listed as king, iirc, in the epilogue of Magic's Price. The vrondi are seen as totally mythical, which would not happen in the span of 50 years. Oh, and the Holderkin are alive and well in Valdemar, even though it states in AotQ they only came to Valdemar in Talia's grandmother's time. It's like she completely ignored her own canon, or was just too lazy to look up some simple facts.

And I don't even want to talk about her writing. At least she wrote this from a single POV, and didn't split the chapters up into separate POV. But her writing has just gone downhill from her earliest books. You don't lose talent, though. You just get lazy. And that's how it reads, as lazy writing. It's uninspired and unoriginal, and maybe it's hard to be original in Valdemar after all these years, but to pull modern day tools, games, food (fondue, anyone?), etc. and stick them in Valdemar without even trying to disguise the fact that you're doing so is just laziness. How about creating a brand new Gift that is volatile and dangerous, but absolutely necessary for the crisis at hand, and then have the Companions suppress it from memory (they're good at that). Or something. Anything. But this? I've read fanfiction better than this. I only gave it two stars because it's Valdemar. Maybe I should only have given it one.

I'm just really disappointed with this book.

Misty Lackey is capable of writing Valdemar novels that aren't bildungroman - coming of age in Valdemar stories. She is also capable of writing Valdemar novels that aren't seemingly written for 13 year olds. This story is neither. After a promising start - the protagonist is a child slave, working in a mine - the story lapses into the same, tired plot line we have seen in the Owl Trilogy and a depressing number of her other, recent books. Combined with the annoying, frequent inconsistencies and lapses from facts established in earlier novels, and you have a two star mess.

I'm afraid this story will annoy serious fans and bewilder those new to the otherwise admirable Valdemar series. Skip it.

Mags, a 13 year old orphan, is rescued from a life of hardship in a gemstone mine, by a herald and a white horse who becomes his Companion. He soon finds he has the gift of Mindspeech which allows him to converse with the intelligent white horse, his Companion Dellen. Mags is brought to Haven, where the new Herald's Collegium was started a year ago. There has been a huge influx of newly chosen Herald trainees, and the mentor/protegee training system that worked in Vanyel's time has been abandoned as there are many more trainees than active Heralds.

Mags is distrustful of his new environment and has a difficult time making friends. He slowly uncovers the hidden power struggles and politics in Haven, and is relieved to discover the hidden discord, as this is something he can understand and trust.

Foundation appears to have been written to explain why the method of training Heralds changed between Vanyel's time and that of Lavan Firestorm and Talia. The whole book spans about 4-6 months in the life of a 13 year old. The name of the reigning King or Heir is never mentioned, unlike every other Valdemar book. It was an enjoyable read that I had trouble putting down, but the book was shallower than all previous Valdemar books. I can tell Lackey intends to develop a new series following this book, but the novel did not do a good job of standing alone. It did feel like a young adult book, good, but I always hope for more in a Valdemar book. Guess I shouldn't be surprised, as most Valdemar series' start chronicling the life of a teenager, with the exception of Winds of Fate and Exile's Honor.

I thought the title Foundation was misleading as Herald's Collegium was founded a year before the story starts, and Mags has nothing to do with the process. The book felt unfinished as I did not understand or feel the significance of Mags' character in the world of Valdemar.

I read this again last night, after avoiding it since I read it when it first came out. (Let me add that I have re-read the entire series several times within this period.)

And, you know? It wasn't as bad as I remembered.

All of Misty's novels are based on the more "interesting" characters; therefore, Mags is different (to the point just approaching Mary Sue-dom) from all of the other Heralds. All of her novels stick the climax somewhere in the last 20 pages. All of them talk about food so much that I get hungry reading them. And all of them could use a second copyedit (perhaps a developmental edit as well) and some thorough fact-checking.

I found myself liking Mags a lot more the second time around, though I found Dallen irritating. He's giving away the Companion's secrets! They were all quite serious about hiding the fact that they are reborn in the other novels; why has this changed? I did find the parts about the conflict over building the Collegium interesting. (It also explains away the change in teaching styles that irritated me before.) The timeline is wonky, but I've gotten used to the lack of fact-checking, so it doesn't bother me as much anymore. (Anyone else wonder where the whole arrows thing went?)

Overall, it was not up to par with the rest of the Valdemar novels, but it was a decent read if you're looking for something fluffy.

Like many of Lackey's fans, I discovered the Valdemar books as a teen and from that point on, they were my constant companions. It started when I found copies of the Vows and Honor duology at the used bookstore and it was love at first read. By the time Brightly Burning came out, however, I was starting to notice the writing had changed; it no longer held me as tightly fascinated as before. Then Exile's Honor and Valor frustrated me because of the blatant Mary Sue character thrust into the center of things, despite how interesting it was to see Alberich's beginnings.

I drifted away from the Valdemar series, always keeping them on my bookshelf as a constant reminder to myself that "Lackey is my favorite author!" Gradually, I began to doubt that. I didn't realize it had been 5 years since the last Valdemar novel, but when I heard about Foundations, I was curious but also apprehensive. The premise sounded like any generic Herald's tale and the cover was reminiscent of Magic's Pawn, which made me pause. They couldn't think of something original for this new character? Nevertheless, after being a fan for so long, how could I not pick up the latest Valdemar book?

It is a tribute to how much I felt I owed Lackey as a fan that I managed to finish the book. I was highly disappointed in the writing, which seemed aimed at young adults, and found many of the characters very flat or unappealing. Mags' Companion annoyed me to no end with his lengthy explanations and repeated "taking over" to help his Chosen. When have the Companions ever done that? I know they've always been a support to the Heralds and in more recent books, a blind Herald was able to see through his Companion's eyes, but completely taking over a Herald's motor functions? That was just too much, in my opinion.

I also have to agree with other reviewers who point out the inconsistencies with the rest of the Valdemar timeline as well as the introduction of modern-day ideas into a novel set in Valdemar's past. Knowledge of heart disease and "Duck, duck goose"? At that point in the novel, I was completely turned off and was just trying to make it to the end. I hate to put down a book without finishing it--in fact, I think I've only done it two or three times--but I persevered because this wasn't really awful. It was just disappointing and at times, boring. I thought the number one rule of writing was "Show don't tell" but I was told so much I felt like I was back in school.

In summary, I don't think this is a good representation of the world of Valdemar, even if it shows the Collegium's beginnings. If you're new to this world, go with The Last Herald Mage or Arrows of the Queen trilogies. I'm not sure I can recommend it even to the die-hard Lackey fans but since some reviewers have enjoyed it, maybe that's up to you to decide. Certainly younger readers might not feel as frustrated as I was, but after the maturity and depth of Lackey's other books, I expected the same from this one. One thing is for sure, I will not be reading the follow-up books to this one.

It's possible that I loved this book because it had been so long since a Valdemar/Heraldic book had been published by Mercedes Lackey. While I love almost everything that she writes (I can't seem to wrap my head around the bardic books), my favorites have always been those that centered around Valdemar.

Unlike many of the reviews I read regarding this book, I thought the plot was well played out. I've gotten tired of it always being such blatant abuse that the child has endured before his/her life was transformed by a magical savior. This sounds jaded and even cruel (I would NEVER dismiss the abuse of children or anyone else in real life), I was happy to see how someone in the situation itself would react and understand their own lives. Mags didn't even know his life was more difficult than most and he went through quite a journey to realize this and more to realize his own worth.

I would think any die-hard Mercedes Lackey fan will snatch this book in an instant and absorb every bit of the Heraldic life they can. Quite honestly, I don't know if non-fans will like it or not...I'm not one of them! However, I still recommend this book. Please don't let negative reviewers sway you. Be transported to Valdemar yourself! I myself can't WAIT until the next installment. Write fast! :)

Like the others here, I waited a long time for another installment of the Heralds of Valdemar books and thought this one fell short. I won't recap what other's here have said, but their statements are valid. I got the impression this book was written to fill a contractual obligation instead of being a story that needed to be told.

I have no doubt this book is the first of at least one more, if not two knowing Misty and her penchant for trilogies, just because it really went no where at all.

The biggest dissapointment for me was that there seemed no way you could become emotionally attached to the main characters in the book. This is not normal for Mercedes Lackey's books, she usually has you emotionally involved with in a couple of chapters. All of the major players in the book were so emotionally stunted themselves, I don't know if you could become attached.

There was a glimmer of hope in a couple of the supporting characters, Amily for instance, but that part of the story just kind of dissapeared before it was really begun.

I do have to defend Misty on one point though. Someone mentioned that Mags was the best at everything he laid his hand to, even his gift was stronger than any of the others. Misty generally tells the story of the extrodinary Heralds and non Heralds in her world. Talia and her empathy, Vanyel and Elspeth and the mage gift, even Kerowyn, Albrech and Tarma were the best fighters of their times and Skif the best theif.

I am beginging to believe the series should have a name change though, from the Heralds of Valdemar to "The Lives and Times of Rolan."

In summation, I don't know how or why Mercedes Lackey lost her passion for this world, but I hope she gets it back.

I had, I thought, removed this book from my wish list, as a direct result of having read the several disparaging reviews here on Amazon. Imagine my surprise and apathetic response to receiving this book for Christmas.

Now I'm an avid, some might say, voracious reader, so now that the book was in my grasp, nothing would do but that I actually give the book a try. The book is *NOT* as bad as some reviewers have made it out to be.

Mags' life prior to being Chosen is a wretched existence indeed. The change in his circumstances, is typical for a Valdemar tale and while a bit formulaic, it is expected. Only those who have known and found away above desperate times, be they physical or emotional will make exceptional Heralds. It's a good 'test' of character as it were. This has been the case in most of the series and offends me not in the least.

What *does* cause a bit of frustration are the confusing time line issues. I couldn't understand why the Vrondi were a mystery. Even after recalling that this detail is handled in "The Winds of Change" series, I still felt that somehow it was ... temporally challenged. There are a few other points where the passage of time just feels too short for people to forget key details.

However, those annoyances are just that, annoyances. While they do poke at the continuity of the series a bit, they are not insurmountable issues. The story, at it's most basic is about Mags and the person he was and is becoming. We will see him continue to grow through two other books.

I truth, my largest complaint is that the book leaves off with an unsatisfactory ending. There is less closure in this portion of the trilogy than in any other three-parter that I have read by Misty, previously.

I'll get over it.

I *do* look forward to seeing how Mags grows up in book two and the conclusion to whatever it is that reeks of such evil that a fresh-faced Herald trainee might sense it so early in his schooling.

The end result is a book that was enjoyable to read after shaking off the few hitches that interrupted my flow. I liked the main character and I look forward to resolution of the series. It's better than a three but not a four so for her effort, Misty gets a solid 3.5 stars out of 5.

I have been a fan of Mercedes Lackey for nearly 20 years, devouring her books as I can find them. While this book returns us to Valdemar, the experience is like returning to your childhood home as an adult. It's almost as you remember it, but not quite. The discrepancies in timeline & canon are enough to make one cringe. Other reviewers have mentioned many of the issues, but the timeline itself deserves mention. Based on my recollection of the other Valdemar books, it is seriously out of whack, and has distorted the chronology greatly.

As for the book itself, it follows a trend seen in some of her other recent books. Developing the story and characters takes 90% of the book, and the climactic action is introduced from nowhere and resolved swiftly in a few pages that smack of poor editing. In Foundation, we see the development of Mags, the introduction of his Haven friends, the buildup of interweaving plot threads -- and the action sequence has no bearing to anything that has happened before. Honestly, the book could have used another 50-60 pages so the denouement made sense.

I hope, really and truly hope, that the next book in this series improves, and that she rediscovers her joy in telling the stories of the Heralds. Ms. Lackey's books still have the power to grab me, but it seems the Valdemar series no longer holds her interest. That is a shame.