• Closer to Home

  • Valdemar: The Herald Spy, Book 1
  • By: Mercedes Lackey
  • Narrated by: Nick Podehl
  • Length: 11 hrs and 56 mins
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (971 ratings)

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Closer to Home  By  cover art

Closer to Home

By: Mercedes Lackey
Narrated by: Nick Podehl
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Publisher's summary

Mags was once an enslaved orphan living a harsh life in the mines, until the King's Own Herald discovered his talent and trained him as a spy. Now a Herald in his own right, at the newly established Heralds' Collegium, Mags has found a supportive family, including his Companion Dallen.

Although normally a Herald in his first year of Whites would be sent off on circuit, Mags is needed close to home for his abilities as a spy and his powerful Mindspeech gift. There is a secret, treacherous plot within the royal court to destroy the Heralds. The situation becomes dire after the life of Mags' mentor, King's Own Nikolas, is imperiled. His daughter, Amily, is chosen as the new King's Own, a complicated and dangerous job that is made more so by this perilous time. Can Mags and Amily save the court, the Heralds, and the Collegium itself?

©2014 Mercedes Lackey (P)2014 Audible Inc.

What listeners say about Closer to Home

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  • 10-19-14

Great story !!

I have read most of Mercedes Lackey's Valdmar series and this is the best one yet. I can't wait to read what happen next.

I like seeing how Mags grows throughout the two series, from the mine slave to the upstanding man he is in the book today,

Nick did awesome job telling the story. He really makes you feel like you are right there. I have recently had a lot of narrator changes in the series that I have listened to please don't change this one.

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11 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great transition for this series

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

This book picks up on the Collegium Chronicles, and is able to move them forward. The kids/students are now fully vested in their roles in life. I am surprised how smoothly this process went. The book is enjoyable and I am just waiting for the next book to come out.

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9 people found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Not one of my favorites

I love the Valdemar series and have read them all many times. This is definitely not one of the better ones. All the whining and self pity from Violetta gets old, and the family feud is a bit of a tired and predictable plot. Hoping for better from the rest of the series.

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5 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Great book!

Well written with great use of the English language. The whole collegium series is perfect for high school students and higher.

Great blend of story magic and life lessons.

Excellent! I have "read" 6 so far and will continue in with the story!

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5 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Fun story, better in Audio!

I've enjoyed the entire series so far. I tried to read one and the dialects drove me nuts on paper. However, the narrator is excellent and this is a great series for commuting!

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3 people found this helpful

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    3 out of 5 stars
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  • b
  • 10-15-14

ho hum

shades of Romeo and Juliet, Hate to say it not on my list from William and not now. Silly story of misplaced love and bad and stupid choices . It is an unlisted ya. MS Lackey can we please have new stories and stop with the old tales with different names

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3 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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never better

I am so happy ms. Lackey had continued the tales of mags.
thank you so much please continue

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2 people found this helpful

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    2 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

I'm smart.

The narrator adopts a superior (but not conceited) tone. Monologues are not character development. Together, they rapidly become annoying.

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2 people found this helpful

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    3 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

Bad play on Romeo and Juliet

While I like the Foundation and Herald Spy series in general, starting around chapter 5, this book starts down a path of a bad play on Romeo and Juliet.
Two houses that have a blood feud are both at court at the same time, both trying to get their children married off, a boy and girl from each house seem to get together, and then it all goes down hill from there. This is of course followed by blood and betrayal with the whole book ending on a sour note.
I really only keep the book because the first couple chapters are good and it ties the Foundation series to this one.

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1 person found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Well written

although this book was well written it was indeed not my favorite of all the herald mags series. I believe it has more to do with the storyline and the content then they writing.

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1 person found this helpful