In war-ravaged Valdemar, Queen Selenay struggles to overcome years of hatred, hostility, and superstition to forge an alliance with Valdemar's long-time enemy, the neighboring kingdom of Karse, to combat a mutual enemy from the mysterious Eastern Empire. In the face of a growing threat from the mysterious and powerful Eastern Empire, the lands of Valdemar and Karse attempt to form an alliance despite old prejudices and misunderstandings. Readers familiar with the author's previous Valdemar series ("The Mage Winds," "The Heralds of Valdemar," etc.) will enjoy the return of favorite characters, while a vivid assortment of new protagonists continues to expand the wealth of cultures present in one of fantasy's most intriguing universes. Lackey's talent for evoking the youthful passions of her heroes and heroines brings life to this creation. Recommended. Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. Lackey returns to her most popular creation, the world of Valdemar, in the first novel of a new trilogy, Mage Storms. Valdemar faces the problems of a necessary alliance with its longtime foe, Karse, against Hadorn and the resurgent Eastern Empire. Lackey is a sound storyteller, and Valdemar is a well-wrought world in which problem-ridden characters (human and other) and plots and schemes (more than a few involving sorcery) abound. There is also a large audience for Lackey's creation, but it's hard to avoid feeling that Lackey is beginning to repeat herself and that Valdemar may not be the arena for her best work. This will not, however, much alloy the pleasure devout Valdemar readers will take in the new book. Their desires should be met: get this volume. Roland Green From Lackey (with Bill Dixon, The Black Gryphon, 1993) a starter for yet another sword-and-sorcery trilogy set, like her Mage Winds books, in Valdemar, though only experts will know where, chronologically, this one fits in. Charliss ``the Immortal,'' Adept and Emperor of the Eastern Empire, dreams of conquering the West. However, his armies have been fought to a standstill in Hardorn, so he sends his putative successor, the Grand Duke Tremane, to remedy matters and complete the conquest. In neighboring Karse, meanwhile, the new High Priest, Solaris, has cast forth the evil demon- summoners, child-burners, and False Sons. And though for centuries the Karsites have demonized Valdemar's Herald-Mages and their horselike Companions, Solaris sends the powerful mage Ulrich and his secretary, Karal, to the Valdemaran Court. Here the long, slow process of forging a magical alliance to defeat the Eastern Empire gets underway, while violent storms sent by Tremane roll across the land. Valdemar devotees who delight in description and chat and the absence of action should feel perfectly at home. Non-fans and browsers will simply yawn and pass on. -- Copyright ©1994, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved. Mercedes Lackey is a full-time writer and has published numerous novels and works of short fiction, including the best-selling Heralds Of Valdemar series. She is also a professional lyricist and a licensed wild bird rehabilitator. She lives in Oklahoma with her husband, artist Larry Dixon, and their flock of parrots. She can be found at mercedeslackey.com.