Mercedes Lackey

6 universes Last reviewed 2026-09-11

Mercedes Lackey is an American fantasy and science fiction author, born June 24, 1950, in Chicago, Illinois, and a 1972 graduate of Purdue University. Active as a professional writer since 1985, she has published more than 140 works at a remarkably prolific pace of roughly five and a half books per year, and was named the 38th Damon Knight Grand Master by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America in 2021. She is best known for the Valdemar series, set within the larger world of Velgarth, alongside the Bedlam's Bard books, the SERRAted Edge novels, and the Diana Tregarde thrillers; she has also collaborated extensively with other prominent authors, including Andre Norton, Marion Zimmer Bradley, Anne McCaffrey, and Piers Anthony. Lackey has won five Pegasus Awards, primarily recognizing her work as a songwriter within science fiction and fantasy fan communities, and is widely described as one of the most prolific fantasy and science fiction writers of all time. She was married to Anthony Lackey from 1972 to 1990 and married fellow author and artist Larry Dixon in 1992. Lackey is deeply involved in raptor rehabilitation and falconry, participates in filking, the science fiction folk music tradition, and is a longtime member of the Society for Creative Anachronism.

Universe(s)

Books

• Arrow's Flight (1987) · Valdemar Core Canon
• Arrows of the Queen (1987) · Valdemar Core Canon
• Arrow's Fall (1988) · Valdemar Core Canon
• The Oathbound (1988) · Valdemar Core Canon
• Burning Water (1989) · Diana Tregarde Core Canon
• Magic's Pawn (1989) · Valdemar Core Canon
• Oathbreakers (1989) · Valdemar Core Canon
• Children of the Night (1990) · Diana Tregarde Core Canon
• Magic's Price (1990) · Valdemar Core Canon
• Magic's Promise (1990) · Valdemar Core Canon
• By the Sword (1991) · Valdemar Core Canon
• Jinx High (1991) · Diana Tregarde Core Canon
• The Elvenbane (1991) · The Halfblood Chronicles Core Canon
• Winds of Fate (1991) · Valdemar Core Canon
• Winds of Change (1992) · Valdemar Core Canon
• Winds of Fury (1993) · Valdemar Core Canon
• Storm Warning (1994) · Valdemar Core Canon
• The Black Gryphon (1994) · Valdemar Core Canon
• Elvenblood (1995) · The Halfblood Chronicles Core Canon
• Grey (1995) · The Elemental Masters Expanded Canon
• Storm Rising (1995) · Valdemar Core Canon
• The Fire Rose (1995) · The Elemental Masters Core Canon
• The White Gryphon (1995) · Valdemar Core Canon
• Storm Breaking (1996) · Valdemar Core Canon
• The Silver Gryphon (1996) · Valdemar Core Canon
• Owlflight (1997) · Valdemar Core Canon
• Sword of Ice and Other Tales of Valdemar (1997) · Valdemar Expanded Canon
• Oathblood (1998) · Valdemar Core Canon
• Owlsight (1998) · Valdemar Core Canon
• Owlknight (1999) · Valdemar Core Canon
• Brightly Burning (2000) · Valdemar Core Canon
• Take a Thief (2001) · Valdemar Core Canon
• The Serpent's Shadow (2001) · The Elemental Masters Core Canon
• The Valdemar Companion (2001) · Valdemar Expanded Canon
• Elvenborn (2002) · The Halfblood Chronicles Core Canon
• Exile's Honor (2002) · Valdemar Core Canon
• The Gates of Sleep (2002) · The Elemental Masters Core Canon
• Exile's Valor (2003) · Valdemar Core Canon
• Joust (2003) · Dragon Jousters Core Canon
• Sun in Glory and Other Tales of Valdemar (2003) · Valdemar Expanded Canon
• Alta (2004) · Dragon Jousters Core Canon
• Phoenix and Ashes (2004) · The Elemental Masters Core Canon
• The Fairy Godmother (2004) · Five Hundred Kingdoms Core Canon
• Crossroads and Other Tales of Valdemar (2005) · Valdemar Expanded Canon
• Sanctuary (2005) · Dragon Jousters Core Canon
• The Wizard of London (2005) · The Elemental Masters Core Canon
• Aerie (2006) · Dragon Jousters Core Canon
• One Good Knight (2006) · Five Hundred Kingdoms Core Canon
• Fortune's Fool (2007) · Five Hundred Kingdoms Core Canon
• Reserved For the Cat (2007) · The Elemental Masters Core Canon
• Foundation (2008) · Valdemar Core Canon
• Moving Targets and Other Tales of Valdemar (2008) · Valdemar Expanded Canon
• The Snow Queen (2008) · Five Hundred Kingdoms Core Canon
• Changing the World (2009) · Valdemar Expanded Canon
• Finding the Way (2010) · Valdemar Expanded Canon
• Intrigues (2010) · Valdemar Core Canon
• The Sleeping Beauty (2010) · Five Hundred Kingdoms Core Canon
• Beauty and the Werewolf (2011) · Five Hundred Kingdoms Core Canon
• Changes (2011) · Valdemar Core Canon
• Under the Vale (2011) · Valdemar Expanded Canon
• Unnatural Issue (2011) · The Elemental Masters Core Canon
• A Tangled Web (2012) · Five Hundred Kingdoms Core Canon
• Elemental Magic (2012) · The Elemental Masters Core Canon
• Home from the Sea (2012) · The Elemental Masters Core Canon
• Redoubt (2012) · Valdemar Core Canon
• Bastion (2013) · Valdemar Core Canon
• Elementary (2013) · The Elemental Masters Core Canon
• Steadfast (2013) · The Elemental Masters Core Canon
• Blood Red (2014) · The Elemental Masters Core Canon
• Closer to Home (2014) · Valdemar Core Canon
• No True Way (2014) · Valdemar Expanded Canon
• Closer to the Heart (2015) · Valdemar Core Canon
• Crucible (2015) · Valdemar Expanded Canon
• From a High Tower (2015) · The Elemental Masters Core Canon
• A Study in Sable (2016) · The Elemental Masters Core Canon
• Closer to the Chest (2016) · Valdemar Core Canon
• Tempest (2016) · Valdemar Expanded Canon
• A Scandal in Battersea (2017) · The Elemental Masters Core Canon
• Pathways (2017) · Valdemar Expanded Canon
• Choices (2018) · Valdemar Expanded Canon
• The Bartered Brides (2018) · The Elemental Masters Core Canon
• The Hills Have Spies (2018) · Valdemar Core Canon
• Eye Spy (2019) · Valdemar Core Canon
• Seasons (2019) · Valdemar Expanded Canon
• The Case of the Spellbound Child (2019) · The Elemental Masters Core Canon
• Jolene (2020) · The Elemental Masters Core Canon
• Passages (2020) · Valdemar Expanded Canon
• Spy, Spy Again (2020) · Valdemar Core Canon
• Beyond (2021) · Valdemar Core Canon
• Boundaries (2021) · Valdemar Expanded Canon
• Into the West (2022) · Valdemar Core Canon
• Shenanigans (2022) · Valdemar Expanded Canon
• The Silver Bullets of Annie Oakley (2022) · The Elemental Masters Core Canon
• Anything with Nothing (2023) · Valdemar Expanded Canon
• Gryphon in Light (2023) · Valdemar Core Canon
• Valdemar (2023) · Valdemar Core Canon
• Feuds (2024) · Valdemar Expanded Canon
• Miss Amelia's List (2024) · The Elemental Masters Core Canon
• The Cyprian (2025) · The Elemental Masters Core Canon

Aggregate across all universes

These are separate, unrelated universes; the totals below are plain sums of already-published per-universe facts, never a blended or averaged score across them. See each universe's own figures above.

• Total Core Canon books across all universes: 79 books
• Award recognitions across all universes: 7 (1 won, 4 finalist mention, 2 nomination)

← All authors