By the Sword (Kerowyn's Tale Book 1)

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* Print
* Audio

## POV Information

**Gender**
**Char Name**

Female
Kerowyn

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## About the Book

Part of the Valdemar Universe by Mercedes Lackey.

* **Genres**: Epic Fantasy, Sword and Sorcery.
* **Theme**: The Sequel to the Vows and Honor series
* **Narrative style**:

## Description

Granddaughter of the sorceress Kethry, daughter of a noble house, Kerowyn had been forced to run the family keep since her mother's untimely death. Yet now at last her brother was preparing to wed, and when his bride became the lady of the keep, Kerowyn could return to her true enjoyments - training horses and hunting.
But all Kerowyn's hopes and plans were shattered when her anscestral home was attacked, her father slain, her brother wounded, and his fiancee kidnapped. Drive by desperation and the knowledge that a scorcerer had led the journey which would prove but he first step on the road to the fulfillment of her destiny.

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### Synopsis

The teenage daughter of a minor nobleman, Kerowyn has been in charge of managing her father Rathgar's household since her mother Lenore's death, but hates the life of a noblewoman and would rather learn to fight and to work with horses. She is more than ready to hand the responsibilities of the household over to her younger brother Lordan's new wife Dierna, but the keep is attacked during the wedding feast and the bride is kidnapped. Her father is dead, her brother is badly wounded, and no able-bodied man is available to rescue Dierna. Kero goes to her estranged grandmother, mage Kethryveris, for help, and Kethry gives her the magical sword Need. Kero rides after the bandits herself (watched over, unbeknownst to her, by Kethry's Shin'a'in partner Tarma) and successfully rescues Dierna. The adventure is later immortalized in a song called "Kerowyn's Ride."

Following the rescue, Kero finds that she is both a hero and an embarrassment to her brother. She leaves to live with Kethry and Tarma, becoming Tarma's student in the arts of warfare, and learning to control her mind-magic from Tarma's kyree partner Warrl. In the course of her training Kero meets Prince Daren, third son of the king of Rethwellan and another of Tarma's students; after a period of mutual antagonism, the two of them eventually become friends, and then lovers. But when Daren's father dies and his older brother Faramentha takes the throne, Daren is called back to be Lord Marshal. Kero refuses to go with him to Rethwellan, unwilling to sacrifice her freedom and return to the life of a noblewoman for the sake of maintaining their relationship. Instead, upon completing her training with Tarma, Kero joins the mercenary company known as the Skybolts.

For years, Kerowyn grows in skill and in standing within the company. During a campaign against Karse, disaster strikes and Kero ends up separated from the rest of the company, fleeing farther and farther north into Karse. Ultimately she encounters a group of Karsites who have captured and are planning to torture Herald Eldan. Securing Eldan's promise to pay her for it, she rescues him from the Karsites and the two of them flee together.

Kero and Eldan quickly fall in love, but when she realizes that the Karsite sun-priestesses are somehow tracking Need's presence, she sneaks away in the night, drawing the Karsites away and leaving Eldan to make his way north back to Valdemar. After a hard journey she returns to the Skybolts. Through her intervention, the Skybolts escape ruin by a selfish Captain, and Kero herself takes the Captaincy.

]Ten years pass. The Skybolts are a formidable company under Kero, and they win a decisive battle for Rethwellan against Karse. Kero meets Daren again, who brings her home to meet his brother. While she is at the court, Herald Talia and Herald Dirk arrive, seeking aid. Prince Ancar of Hardorn is making war against Valdemar, using men who are being controlled by magic as soldiers. Valdemar has had no experience with magic since the time of Vanyel, and more importantly, they do not have a large enough army. Kerowyn volunteers the Skybolts as an advance force, while Rethwellan promises a second force with Daren to follow.

In Valdemar, Kero is reunited with Eldan, whom she has not been able to forget. But Ancar's forces seem limitless, and Kero is unable to bring her own mages across the Valdemar border. The Skybolts, to a man, sympathize with Valdemar and their cause, and the forces prepare for what looks like their final stand. With perfect dramatic timing, Daren arrives with the Rethwellan army and a number of Ancar's soldiers, now freed from the controlling spell. Ancar's troops are driven off. In the chaos of the battle, both Kero and Daren are Chosen by Companions, making them Heralds. Daren and Selenay meet on the battlefield and fall instantly in love.

In gratitude, Selenay gives the Skybolts a border town in Valdemar, Bolton, to use as their home base. Kerowyn is able to remain with Eldan while fulfilling her duties as a Captain and a Herald.

### Music

Kerowyn's Ride (song)

By the Sword (album)