In 1987 Mercedes Lackey introduced the world to Valdemar with Arrows of the Queen. Now, more than forty Valdemar novels later, we're excited to crowdfund the first deluxe volume in the Mercedes Lackey Library: GRANDMASTER.Â
This collection of Misty's Valdemar short stories and novellas—previously spread across more than a dozen anthologies—is available exclusively on BackerKit as an audiobook and a collectible leather-bound limited edition.
Whether you love high fantasy, the world of Valdemar, Misty herself (or hey, why not all three?) this project is for you!
Conceived of and spearheaded by Mercedes Lackey and Larry Dixon, and crowdfunded by Zombie Orpheus Entertainment, this project directly benefits two of our favorite authors, who have overseen every stage of the design process to make sure that this project is something special and unique.
The deluxe, leatherbound volume of Misty's collected Valdemar short stories and novellas—together for the very first time—featuresÂ
New full-color interior art by Nene Thomas, Jabari Weathers, Care Halverson, and more
Gorgeous Companion endpapers with a secret puzzle
New commentary from Misty, providing new context for each story
Handwritten signatures from Misty and Larry on a tipped-in vellum page
Integrated timelines, showing exactly when each story takes place in Valdemar's history
Sewn-in, acid-free, wood-free pages for maximum longevity and low environmental impact
Full-color art on page edges,
Two-color foil on a bonded leather cover, on the front, spine, AND back
Six ribs on the spine
Loremasters - The names of everyone who aces this campaign's trivia challenge
As book lovers and Valdemar fans, we've approached every detail on this volume as a labor of love, including making sure that it's manufactured from sustainable materials. That's why we chose biodegradable leather for the cover, rather than forever plastics (vegan leather).
We've also consulted with Valdemar fan-historians, who extensively researched each story to place it correctly within more than 3000 years of history spanning more than forty novels.
Finally, we've carefully art-directed the book so it looks amazing with future volumes: every deluxe book in this series will add to a growing piece of art on your bookshelf. In fact, we're already hard at work designing the next volume, a Queen's Own deluxe omnibus, including Arrows of the Queen, Arrow's Flight, and Arrow's Fall.
Now that we've achieved our campaign goal, we get to start making awesome new extras and bonuses to reward our backers!
UNLOCKED
We start with upgrading the Art of Grandmaster book, with new deluxe features and a larger size!
We're also commissioning new art from Rob Carlos, which will appear in both Grandmaster and Art of Grandmaster.
Plus, we're adding sheet music for three new settings of Misty's Valdemar songs to both books. So many of you asked for it, now it's happening: we're starting to rerelease Misty's Valdemar music!
Since the original tunes aren't available (copyright got complicated), Misty and Ben Dobyns have spent the last few months collaborating on new music. In Misty's words on hearing the first set of compositions, "Ben, this is perfect. This is exactly the direction I want to go."
And yes, we'll soon have enough music to record an entire album!
Finally, we've raised enough to cover a complete round of Deluxe Grandmaster scholarship applications, thanks to the generosity of fan contributors. Eevery scholarship applicant (as of 8pm Pacific Time on September 6th) now receives a copy of Deluxe Grandmaster!
$275,000 – SJ Tucker records an entirely new version of Threes, with music by Ben Dobyns. In this song Tamra, Kethry, and Warri go on the hunt for bandits, as told by the bard Leslac (who got a few details wrong). The full story appears in Chapter 8 of Oathbound.
$350,000 – SJ Tucker records a full album of songs from the Arrows trilogy, with new music by Ben Dobyns. Featuring favorites like It Was a Dark and Stormy Night, Laws, and Arrow's Flight, if funded these new musical settings of Misty's original lyrics will release some time in 2025.
$425,000 – We begin development on a "Moonshot" project. This won't fund the whole endeavor, but it will get it to the point where we can pay for the first stages of development.
What's a Moonshot?
A moonshot is a project that takes a lot of money to develop. If this campaign funds at a high enough level, we'll have the means to get started on a moonshot. It shows publishers that we have enough resources to pay many writers, artists, layout artists, map makers, researchers, proofreaders, and playtesters, so we can do right by a project like a tabletop roleplaying game, or a collaboration on a new Valdemar Companion, or another creative work on that kind of scale. Then, we can come back to crowdfund manufacturing costs in 1-2 years with a completed project!
What do backers receive from funded Development Goals?
We'll keep you in the loop on progress, and at
$275,000 – Digital download of the Threes single.
$350,000 – Digital download of the new album, plus a returning backer discount on the CD
$425,000 – Beta access to whatever we create, plus a returning backer discount when we crowdfund for the rest of the budget.
Written over a twenty-five year period, these collected Valdemar novellas, short stories, and essays span three-thousand years of history. Featuring both characters original to the short stories and fan-favorites from the novels, like Vanyel, this is the definitive collection of Misty's Valdemar stories. They range from serious and tragic to a hilarious Scooby Doo tribute.
A Herald’s Journey • Vixen • A Midnight Clear Vexed Vixen • Moving Targets • To Catch a Thief The One Left Behind • Temper • Boundaries Shin’a’inigans • Stolen Silver • Finding The Path On The Other Side • Out of the Deep The Simple Gifts • Under The Vale The Hawkbrothers’ Ways
All of these stories were printed in the prior Valdemar anthologies, which DAW makes available as ebooks on Amazon, but this is their first time collected in one deluxe volume.
*Eagle-eyed fans will note that Misty's stories from the 2022 and 2023 Valdemar anthologies are not included, as those rights are not yet available. Similarly, rights could not be cleared for Valdemar stories that Misty co-wrote with other authors.
Narrated by Veronica Giguere, the Grandmaster audiobook includes the complete text and is DRM-free. That means you can play it on any audio device of your choice; it's not locked down to only one platform.
Veronica Giguere (V., she/her) became an audiobook narrator through the strange intersection of higher education, fanfiction, and MMORPGs. With her superpower of snark and appreciation of the author's craft, Veronica lends empathy, intelligence, and wit to every project. Professions of her misspent youth include instructional technologist, university administrator, curriculum designer, and naval architect. According to her children, she is better than average at finding the best gif to post in the family group text. According to her husband, she is addicted to coffee and crochet. And according to her three cats, she is late to feed them dinner.
Created by Nene Thomas, Jabari Weathers, Care Halverson, Larry Dixon, and many more artists, these new full-color Valdemar paintings feature Vanyel, Vixen, Sherra, Tafri, and yes, even spiderlings.
We're making these new pieces available in four formats:
Full-page inserts in Deluxe Grandmaster
A digital version included in every pledge level
Full-resolution digital wallpapers (for backers who pledge in the first 48 hours)
A collectible art book
THE ART BOOK
We've collected the paintings commissioned for Grandmaster into an affordable art book. Available as a $20 pledge, this affordable offering ensures that nobody misses out on these new pieces. Since this is all-new content, we're also including a digital edition of the art book with every pledge.
Stretch goals will help us add deluxe features to the art book, including a larger format, foil printing, and more.
$25 – Audiobook + Physical Art Book + Digital Art Book
$100 – Deluxe Grandmaster + Audiobook + Physical Art Book + Digital Art Book
ADD-ONS
$100 – Gift a Grandmaster (for the fan scholarship fund)
$100 – Extra Grandmaster (for yourself)
$20 – Extra Art Book
*Please note that an ebook containing the stories in Grandmaster is unfortunately not available.
As a thank you to Misty's super-fans and early backers, we also have four extra rewards that you can earn!
Backers who signed up before we launched and pledged for a physical reward receive an exclusive earlybird foil print of the cover
Backers who pledged in the first 48-hours (September 5 or 6) receive high-resolution digital wallpapers of our full color book art,
Pledge to Grandmaster and to our collab campaign, The Throne of Luster, to receive a foil bookmark, and
Pledge to Grandmaster and participate in our Valdemar Trivia Challenge. Answer at least thirteen questions correctly and we'll send you a Loremaster embroidered patch!
Not everyone can afford to buy a book like this, but we know more than a few superfans who will be crushed if they can't get it.
Based on the wild success of our shipping scholarship fund for the last Valdemar campaign, and on enthusiastic feedback on our fan survey, we are offering a Deluxe Edition Scholarship Fund for super-fans whose finances are limited.
How to Apply for a Deluxe Grandmaster Scholarship
Please fill out the following Google Form [link]. We'll email applicants in the order received with a special pledge level where you can get Grandmaster for free. Please note that you'll still be responsible for shipping costs when the time comes.
How to Contribute to the Scholarship Fund
After you've selected your reward, visit the "Add-Ons" tab and select "Gift a Deluxe Grandmaster." Every time one of these is purchased, we will email a scholarship applicant with a link to a special pledge level to reserve that copy.
The Honor System
This fund will only work if everyone plays fair. If data shows us that this program is being abused (more free books being claimed than we've sent out, or backers canceling their "Gift a Grandmaster" add-on), we may have to end or modify this offering.
Any unclaimed books from the "Gift a Grandmaster" program will be 1) offered on a first-come basis to fans in need, and then, if any are left over, 2) donated to libraries.
Mercedes Lackey is the acclaimed author of over 145 novels and many works of short fiction. In her "spare" time she is also a skilled needleworker, jewelry maker, and collector and costumer of asian ball-jointed dolls. Many of her works go to charity auctions for good causes. She has also been known to play City of Heroes MMORPG and D&D with a close group of friends. Mercedes lives in Oklahoma with her husband and frequent collaborator, artist Larry Dixon, and their flock of parrots. Over half of their parrots are rescues.Â
Larry Dixon – Co-author & Artist
Dixon, the son of a Delta Force career commando, studied at The North Carolina School of the Arts and at Savannah College of Art & Design. In 1992, he married fantasy author Mercedes Lackey; they live in the Tulsa, Oklahoma area. Dixon, a sports car enthusiast, is also a storm spotter and volunteer firefighter. Larry has collaborated with his wife, Mercedes Lackey, on a number of her books, as well as creating hundreds of art pieces based on her writing.
Zombie Orpheus Entertainment (ZOE)
We're ZOE and we've been running crowdfunding campaigns since 2010. We often partner with Misty and Larry to share booths and conventions and this is the second Valdemar campaign that we've created for them.Â
This campaign is managed by Ben Dobyns and Athena Foster, and art directed by Care Halverson.Â
Additional research is provided by Valdemar historian Joshua Murcray.
We're handling everything for this campaign right here on BackerKit! You'll only need one account, the same one you use when you pledge.
Shipping is charged after the campaign. When the campaign ends we'll get to work on preparing backer surveys. They'll be pretty simple to fill out. If you're receiving any physical products, you'll add your address and pay then for any shipping or taxes that are due. (We can't waive VAT, sorry!)
Shipping is pretty expensive these days, but as always we'll do our best to find good deals, bypass the busiest shipping seasons, and avoid as many extra fees as possible.
TIMELINE
We expect to ship physical rewards in the first half of 2025. The biggest variables in the process are manufacturing and freight. Because we're starting this campaign with our physical proof in hand, most of the approvals process is already done. Once we receive final art assets and have compiled our backer credits for the end material, we should be able to move to manufacturing relatively quickly. Because freight prices are highly variable, we may elect to delay freight for 1-2 months if prices have temporarily quadrupled (as seems to happen frequently). This will help keep shipping costs more reasonable.
The digital rewards will release in stages as they are completed, with the Digital Art of Grandmaster planned for late 2024 and the audiobook planned for early 2025.
RISKS & CHALLENGES
We're confident in our plan and ability to deliver the rewards for this campaign. With decades of experience fulfilling crowdfunding campaigns, we know how to source manufacturing quotes, handle surveys, pack products for safe delivery, and deal with any problems that arise during shipping. As always, however, a dramatic change in global stability or natural disasters could affect our delivery plans. Should that happen, we'll communicate clearly about our plans for mitigating the problem.
UNFULFILLED & LATE BACKERS
If you are one of the small number of backers from the last campaign who have yet to receive your rewards, we have been trying to reach you! Please email [email protected] right away so that we can get your address and ship your rewards. We need to hear from you before February 2025, at the very latest.
We know that life often throws curveballs, so our policy for every campaign is to keep fulfillment open for a full year after we complete shipping.
Producing Grandmaster requires a large budget. In addition to materials and manufacturing costs, we're paying project coordinators, artists, layout artists, proofers, and graphic designers to help us create something beautiful. Then we have our backer support team, freight, warehousing, and advertising. Most importantly, our budget must honor our core goal of benefitting Misty and Larry: they receive a higher percentage of revenue than any other category.
Once we knew our costs, we reached out to the fan community with a survey about prices and contents. The response was overwhelming—most survey respondents selected $125 as a fair price that balanced value with costs and mission. We also reviewed the cost of other deluxe volumes (some have asked for over $200). Then we adjusted our costs and rebalanced our budget to make sure that we were putting as many special features as possible into this book. Finally, we consulted our potential backers one more time and reduced the price to $100. And that's how we ended up with Deluxe Grandmaster!
📚 Welcome to Booktopia — a celebration of creativity and collaboration from a vibrant collective of writers, authors and artists collectively running crowdfunding projects from September 5th -September 26th.
🔥 Limited Cross-Collaboration Freebies — All 50+ Booktopia creators have paired up with a fellow participant to create two unique and limited freebies together. If BOTH projects successfully fund, backers who support BOTH will get the TWO [2] cross-collab freebies listed on their campaign page, one will ship from each creator. The more pairs of Booktopia creators you support, the more freebies you will earn ✨
