In my opinion, this wasn't Lackey's best - I was completely addicted to the early Valdemar books. But it's her best in a long time - I enjoyed this much more than most of her other recent works. She surprised me - I had thought the concepts of Valdemar were played out, but by choosing a point where setting is in transition, and using all new characters, she's started to build a new set of tensions that have me eagerly awaiting the next in the series. ( )

FOUNDATION is set around a hundred years after Vanyel’s time. The Heralds have recently experienced an influx of Chosen, and the ratio of trainees to full Heralds is dangerously high. With their old system of mentorship in tatters, they found a Collegium to train all these newbies.

Mags is one such newbie. He’s your typical Lackey hero; that is to say, he’s a broken and unwanted child who makes good. The book follows his first few months at the new Collegium as he adjusts to trainee life and becomes involved in some political stuff.

In some ways, I did enjoy this. Mags isn’t as instantly loveable as Talia or Vanyel, but he does have his moments. I teared up a couple of times. (I’m not sure I’ve ever read a Mercedes Lackey where I didn’t tear up a couple of times. That woman wreaks havoc with my tear glands). I liked how Lackey used his entrance into Heraldic life to show us a few more things about Valdemar. I especially enjoyed the scenes at Midwinter, where we learn a little more about Valdemaran religion. Mags’s friendships aren’t developed as well as they could be, perhaps, but there are still a few pleasant exchanges that give me hope for the future.

I was willing to give the book a solid three stars, (enjoyable, but nothing spectacular), but the ending is such a disappointment that I’ve no choice but to bump the star rating down. It’s rushed, makes little sense, and doesn’t have the proper oomph. I understand that there's plenty of room for unanswered questions in the first book of any trilogy, but Lackey's approach here struck me as plain old sloppy writing. It wouldn’t have taken Lackey very long to set the ending up properly, but as it is we have a few very vague hints early on that resolve into something that comes out of left field. It’s disappointing.

I’ll still read the next book in the series, but I’m pretty glad I borrow my hardcovers from the library instead of buying them. I’d be upset if I’d paid full price for this.

(A slightly different version of this review originally appeared on my blog, Stella Matutina). ( )

Foundation: Book One of the Collegium Chronicles by Mercedes Lackey, the latest addition to the Heralds of Valdemar series, takes place during the first year of the newly created Heralds' Collegium. The newest Chosen, Mags, was an orphan forced to work in a mine finding "sparklies" along with other unwanted children when his Companion, Dallen, forces his way onto the mine owner's property, with the help another Herald and Companion, to claim him. From there, Mags begins his new life as a trainee, trying to find his place in an unfamiliar world. Unused to being shown kindness or having friends, he feels like an outsider among the many trainees (Herald, Bard, and Healer) crammed together in one building while two others are under construction.

Mags becomes unlikely friends with two Bard and Healer trainees, children of famous parents, who live under the pressure of high expectations. He even inadvertently befriends a powerful councilman who decides to take an interest in Mags. Meanwhile, foreign princes have visited the city and have their guardsmen looking into Valdemar's weapons training.

I have not read all of the Heralds of Valdemar series, but I know what to expect of a Valdemar book from the ones I have read. Foundation seemed incomplete to me. The climatic scene had little to do with the rest of the book, though I am sure it will be important in the books to come. Having said that, I did enjoy the novel. Mags is likable and sympathetic. His suffering and later loneliness due to the lack of family made me cry. It was also interesting to see the conflicts and issues related to the creation of the Heralds' Collegium. I am definitely looking forward to more of Mags and the continuation of his story. Maybe some of the questions left open at the end of Foundation will finally be answered. ( )

The writing style of this book is not even comparable to previous works of Lackey's such as Magic's Price series. The pace is choppy and the language is almost elementary in nature. Problems resolve unrealistically easily and the "hero" of the story is a teenager who goes from gem digger in a mine to star pupil in a matter of a week or two. It has some Harry Potter overshadowing going on that's almost laughable since it's not even close to setting up the relationships that abound in that HP series. ( )

From literally working in a hole in the ground orphan Mags is Chosen and brought to the newly founded Collegium to learn to be a Herald. Although isolated from his peer group by his deprived childhood, Mags does make friends, among them some of the most powerful people in Valdemar.

An interesting look at Valdemar's early days when Heralds weren't honored and revered by the citizens as they are (for the most part) later on. I hadn't bothered to pick this up after reading some lackluster reviews - I'm glad I did. If it isn't exactly Lackey's strongest work, it was interesting reading, and I'll look forward to reading more about Mags' adventures, as I'm sure he's bound to have some. ( )