Queen’s Own The official Mercedes Lackey and Larry Dixon fan club

Valdemar Timeline

(Revised 10/18/26)

Chronological Order

Here are all of the Valdemar novels in the order in which their events take place. Dates are given in the "After the Founding" (AF) reckoning used in the books; works set before the founding of Valdemar are marked "BF" (Before the Founding). The timeline is adapted from the chart that appears at the front of the Valdemar books, extended to cover the novels published since. A date marked "c." is approximate, and the exact years within a reign vary from source to source.

Date (AF/BF) Reign or Era Series Novels
1000-975 BF Prehistory: Era of the Black Gryphon The Mage Wars The Black Gryphon,
The White Gryphon,
The Silver Gryphon
2 BF - 10 AF Founding of Valdemar The Founding of Valdemar Beyond,
Into the West,
Valdemar
750 AF Elspeth the Peacemaker The Last Herald-Mage Magic's Pawn
798 AF Randale The Last Herald-Mage Magic's Promise,
Magic's Price
c. 855 AF Kiril The Collegium Chronicles Foundation,
Intrigues,
Changes,
Redoubt,
Bastion
c. 860 AF Kiril The Herald Spy Closer to Home,
Closer to the Heart,
Closer to the Chest
c. 880 AF Sedric The Family Spies The Hills Have Spies,
Eye Spy,
Spy, Spy Again
1077 AF Theran Brightly Burning
c. 1270-1315 AF Co-Consorts Arden & Leesa; Roald Vows and Honor The Oathbound,
Oathbreakers;
Oathblood (short stories)
1355 AF Sendar Exiles of Valdemar Exile's Honor
1376 AF Selenay Exiles of Valdemar Exile's Valor
c. 1381 AF Selenay Take a Thief
c. 1386-1393 AF Selenay The Heralds of Valdemar Arrows of the Queen,
Arrow's Flight,
Arrow's Fall
c. 1374-1395 AF Selenay Kerowyn's Tale By the Sword
c. 1402-1405 AF Selenay The Mage Winds Winds of Fate,
Winds of Change,
Winds of Fury
c. 1406-1407 AF Selenay The Mage Storms Storm Warning,
Storm Rising,
Storm Breaking
c. 1407-1413 AF Selenay Darian's Tale Owlflight,
Owlsight,
Owlknight
after 1413 AF Selenay Kelvren's Saga Gryphon in Light

Two further Valdemar novels have been announced but not yet published: Gryphon's Valor, the second book of Kelvren's Saga, and Vanyel and Vixen, which is set between Magic's Promise and Magic's Price.

Sword of Ice does not fall neatly onto the timeline. It contains tales that stretch from just before Vanyel's time (Savil's first encounter with the Tayledras) up through Selenay's reign. The short stories gathered in Oathblood follow Tarma and Kethry across the reigns listed above, and "A Herald's Journey" in The Valdemar Companion is also set during Selenay's reign.

This is the order in which Mercedes Lackey copyrighted the various works: