The Hills Have Spies – Mercedes Lackey

I’m thoroughly enjoying the series about Mags and Amily – I’m so glad Lackey opened up a new period in Valdemar to write about. This latest series is a number of years after the events of the last – with Mags and Amily having had three children, and Sedric and Lydia taking over as King and Queen, and having four children of their own.

Mags and Amily’s eldest – Peregrine, Perry for short – has been training with his father on spycraft pretty much since he could walk. He’s thirteen now, and when Mags has an opportunity to go investigating some strange happenings in the country, he decides to take Perry along.

They’ve gone to visit a Herald who retired out near the Pelagir Hills. Arville’s gift is luck, so when he says there’s something weird going on on the other side of the border, people listen. What they find is far more dangerous than they could ever have bargained for. Perry and Mags don’t immediately agree on how to handle it, which leads Perry to make an impetuous decision he may not be able to get himself out of.

I loved that this story is about someone who’s not going to be a Herald – the events of this story make it clear to everyone that Perry isn’t Herald material. That’s not meant in a bad way- it means his gifts lie in a direction that a Herald can’t easily handle. I like that Lackey has decided to go there. The Heralds are naturally the center of the stories about Valdemar, for obvious reasons, but it’s actually nice to explore how other people can help, since it’s always been clear that Valdemar is a land that actually welcomes that.

Side note – I’d love to know who came up with the cover, because while it’s cool to look at, I can’t see what it has to do with the story.