Spy, Spy Again

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When I saw this Advance Reader Copy (ARC) offered on NetGalley, I jumped at the chance to review it. I hadn’t read a novel of Valdemar since 2004, and honestly, I hadn’t known there had been any published since then. So when I learned this was the third book of a series, I naturally got my hands on the first two books and read those first so I would be familiar with the series and would’t be coming into the third book blind. You could certainly read this book without having read the previous two novels, or any other novels of Valdemar, but I enjoyed all three.

Diving back into the world of Valdemar was like coming home, and it was wonderful. I don’t remember everything, obviously, but I didn’t have to. All the good things I remembered were in this series, if a bit less due to the nature of the characters and the plot of these books. I won’t elaborate too much on that, except to say that as spies, the main characters of these books travel outside Valdemar for large portions of their books.

In SPY, SPY AGAIN, Mercedes Lackey introduces a new character named SIratai who is attacked by demons while traveling abroad. Her father has a cousin in Valdemar named Mags, and he calls upon him for help. It just so happens that when Siratai was attacked, she inadvertently called out to Mags’ youngest son Tory, who shares a close bond with his best friend Kyril. Their bond allows them to locate and visibly see either of their family members. The two boys felt her fear and pain, but had no idea who she was or how to help until her father’s plea. 

Without hesitation, the two boys confirm that Siratai is still alive, but they can’t see more from such a distance. They volunteer to use their bond to locate where she has being imprisoned, but they need to travel much closer. That means crossing two countries and this will be the first time either boy leaves Valdemar. Despite their parents’ hesitation, Siratai’s father offer’s payment in return that they cannot refuse. Thus begins a perilous adventure filled with magic, demons, friendship, love, loss, and the end of everything Tory and Kyril have every known.

While the heart of this novel is about a childhood friendship that has grown into a shared magic that can now possibly save a life, it is also about facing pending changes as one of those friends discovers something new about themselves and finds love. These changes threaten to tear their friendship apart, and is devastating to the friend that sees himself being left behind. These feelings are raw and deep, but the reader can’t help but be happy for the friend who found love and magic amid all the danger. It truly is a book filled with complex emotions.

From beginning to end it was a delightful read, and I highly recommend it and the entire series. Any book of Valdemar is worth a read.