A rather plodding tale wrapped around familiar characters and centered on the gryphon Kelvren who undergoes trauma and transformation. We spend time with the aging Firesong and Silverfox, and Darian makes an appearance. There is a lot of rain and much talk of cushions. ( )

It's some years after the Heralds of Valdemar trilogy, and major events (Winds of Fate trilogy; Mage Storms trilogy) have wrought major changes in Valdemar. These changes include, but are not limited to, the return of magical, intelligent creatures long absent, and long suspected to be entirely mythical.

These include, most notably for this book, gryphons. And specifically, Kelvren, a wingleader of the Silver Gryphons, part of the k'Valdemar Vale, which is allied with but not part of Valdemar. After intervening to help Valdemaran troops in a battle against merchants motivated solely by greed to secede from Valdemar and stop paying taxes (it's more complicated, of course, but that's the basis of it), Kelvren is very badly wounded. Since this is a Valdemaran troop far from k'Valdemar, and somewhat undersupplied because of the many challenges the kingdom is facing, there's only a "herb and knife" Healer, who does his best, but is not trained at all in caring for gryphons. Kelvren, like his Valdemaran tentmate, Hallock Stavern, Second of the Sixteenth, is unlikely to survive.

But Kelvren does have healing magic, not enough to heal himself adequately, but enough, if he gives it all, to heal Hallock. So he does, and therein, in many ways, lies the start of his problems.

An appropriately Gifted person, more knowledgeable about gryphons, does arrive in time--Treyvan, one of the two gryphons acting as ambassadors to the royal court at Haven. He gets Kelvren flying and accessing magic again, albeit at risk of bursting into flame if he's not careful. He returns to k'Valdemar, undergoes an ordeal he's only barely willing to tolerate, and restrictions he isn't willing to tolerate for long. He has to learn a completely new way of thinking and behaving.

So does the Mage, Firesong, who's helping him, though Firesong is slower to realize it. Though Firesong does come up with the excellent idea of getting Kelvren out of k'Valdemar and the restrictions he has to deal with, by setting out to deal with a problem left over from the Mage Wars, near Lake Evendim.

In k'Valdemar and on the expedition, we meet other magical creatures--the bondbirds (adapted from raptors, and bonded with the Hawkbrothers), the kyree (who might be related to wolves), the tervardi, human-sized, flightless beings adapted from songbirds, and others.

Also, more gryphons arrive, from Iftel. Heavy wing gryphons. Sort of like heavy cavalry rather than the Silver Gryphons' light cavalry, except that's wildly inadequate. Oh, and they have a message from two of the gods.

The fate of the world is at stake, and all stops are to be pulled out in dealing with it. And Kelvren is the gods' choice to lead the expedition.

This is the first of a trilogy, and while I found the introduction to the new state of the world of Valdemar, and the new peoples in that world, and especially the characters completely enthralling, this is part one of three, and at the end, they're making new discoveries of just how complicated this will be and just how much they don't yet know what's going on.

Did I mention the boy whose facial disfigurement has made him an outcast in Valdemar, who wants to learn to care for gryphons? Did I mention the Companion who comes to k'Valdemar to make an unusual choice of a new Herald?

Did I mention the Firecat?

No? I didn't mention any of those? Along with Kelvren and the very difficult Firesong and his lover, Silverfox, and Kelvren's trondi'irn Nightwind, and Ayshen, Silverfox's hertasi (lizard-adapted) assistant, they're among the excellent reasons for digging into this book and getting acquainted.

Worldbuilding and character development are a big part of the joy of reading for me, as long as it's going some place, and this is.

It's a lot of fun.

I received a free electronic galley from the publisher via NetGalley. ( )

Gryphons arise!

The beginning of a new series centered around the gryphon Kelvren, wing leader of the gryphons of k’Valdemarr.
Nicely setup to include the many and varied inhabitants of the Valdemar world. Rogue Barons are looking to secede from Valdemar. A problem when they’re going about it in entirely the wrong way. This is a coup supplied by seized goods from honest tradesmen. That the crown cannot allow so forces have been detached to dissuade the Barons.
We open in the healers tents with a badly injured Hallock. Hallock gives permission to house a wounded gryphon in his tent.
I really like Hallock Haven of the Sixteenth Guard Regiment, and his wife Genni. The waif, the younling Jefti, is another character with promise.
The making of a legend is not all it’s cracked up to be as Kelvren learns. But a disparate group is assembled to take up a quest, a journey to a lake at the center of the change circle area at the behest of the gods. No one turns the Gods down!
Some excellent threads are being interwoven in this fresh Valdemar novel, some from the past and some new strands.
A very strong beginning!

A DAW ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher. ( )

With a cast of characters both old and new, Gryphon in Light finds Valdemar in a difficult situation after the Mage Storms ended, leaving chaos in their wake. Though it's been a while since we visited the world of the mage storms, and some of these characters, I found myself once more wrapped into the book as a warm hug that is Valdemar. One by one we're reintroduced to the magical creatures which inhabit the world alongside human soldiers, Heralds, Tayledras, and more. And when they're swept into adventure, you don't want to be left behind.

While this book may be a bit overwhelming to those new to Valdemar, they won't be unfamiliar with the world for long as the author does a brilliant job of explaining the characters and making each one unique. Needless to say, this is a delightful treat for longtime fans, and my only regret is now I have to wait for the next one. But that's a small price to pay to be able to visit Valdemar once again. ( )

Wow! What an amazing beginning to the the newest trilogy in the world of Valdemar. I could not stop reading this amazing book.

The gryphon Kelvren is joined by a cast of old friends and new, to go on a quest to solve a monumental mystery at the center of Lake Evendim the site of Maar's tower during the Mage Wars and the 2nd site of the cataclysm that created the lake itself and set off the mage storms.

I am thrilled to return to the world that is Valdemar! As always Mercedes Lackey and Larry Dixon bring their signature excellent world-building, magic, wonders and fantastic characters, both human and not, to us in this volume.

I love going back to the Valdemar books again and again and am already eager for the next part of the series.

This is a satisfying read full of magic, wonders and fantastic characters both human and not. Understandably 'Gryphon in Light' does end in a bit of a cliffhanger, since it is a quest trilogy, but it didn't dampen my enjoyment at all.

Mark your calendars for the release date - July 25 2023

I recommend this book and the whole series.

I received this ARC from DAW and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, thank you so much.

#GryphoninLight #NetGalley #Valdemar ( )