This book does something magical for being number umpteenth in a long line of books - it makes sense and stands on its own without the reader knowing the surrounding stories. However, it leaves lots of matters unfinished for a sequel, so beware of that.
Gryphon in Light is set in a richly detailed fantasy world. Here we get to know gryphons in addition to humans. The beginning of the story is mostly set in a field hospital, moving onward centering on the friendship between a gryphon and a human who met there. While each has their own problems, a larger problem looms over all.
The story is long, and I admittedly lost my way in a few parts, but it mostly held me with its great characters and detailed storytelling. This was the audio book version, the narrator was very good, but on a book this complex, even he was running out of ways to speak differently for new characters by the end. .

This was fine. It was readable and enjoyable but in Lackey's vast body of Valdemar novels and even vaster body of fantasy over all, this didn't really stand out. If you're a big fan of Valdemar, you're going to notice a few annoying inconsistencies/ continuity errors. On the other hand, if you love the Gryphons and their culture, you're probably going to love this. In some ways this reads as YA - and I mean no slur when I say that. It's just that the way certain aspects of mentally growing up are addressed combined with Lackey's very accessible style might make you think of your own teenage years. That said, despite the slow burn start, this was a fun read. Not the Valdemar novel to start with but still solid fantasy.

The first fantasy novel I ever read was The Oathbound in the fifth grade, and I've been reading Lackey ever since. As such, I'm always excited when I come across a new book in the Velgarth universe.

I was thrilled to see some familiar faces fairly early on in the book. There are lots of "remember this" moments sprinkled in, which, as a long-time Lackey reader, made me feel like I was reminiscing with old friends. Despite the quirks of the cocky Gryphon main character Kel and the world's basically constant wars, Lackey stays true to form and manages to make this story kinda cozy and heart-warming.

But if it weren't for the nostalgia and warm fuzzies, the first 70% or so would have probably been too much of a slog for me to continue. It was quite long and dialogue-heavy for how little actual action occurred. Basically, the protagonist was injured, recovered in a miraculous way, travelled home, and planned for another trip. It's only in the last 20-30% that they actually leave for the trip which feels like the meat of the story and is where things start to get engaging, and then it just ends-- right in the middle of the action. Which is frustrating.

Read this book if you want familiar faces and a very slow-paced journey. Avoid this if you expect any kind of action within the first 250 pages.

I enjoyed listening to the story. I had read the book prior so this helped me with name pronunciations.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for my eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Mercedes Lackey never disappoints when it comes to creating a world with magic and wonder. I have been reading her books for quite a long time and I felt as though this book drew me in pretty quickly. We are introduced to a gravely injured Gryphon named Kelvren who, through his actions, is a hero but separated from his own kind. It certainly helps if you have read some of the other Valdemar books before as there are quite a few references which will help you along the way. There are a couple of slow moments which can happen in the first of a series but I feel as the story rolls along, we will get into more action that will keep us on the edge of our seats. I want to thank Netgalley and the publisher for providing me an Advanced reader copy of this book in return for an honest review and I look forward to more magical journeys in the future.

Something you should know about this book is that while it is book one in Kelvren’s Saga, it is part of a wider universe created by Mercedes Lackey, who is a prolific fantasy writer. If you haven't read anything else in the Velgarth universe, you'll still be able to follow along, but it does feel like there are easter eggs and references you just won't get.

As a world-building nerd, I really liked the first part of this story. I felt like I could really dig my claws into this high fantasy setting. This story starts with a soldier and an injured gryphon who takes a huge risked to heal the other. It felt like a much more elevated and mature take on an Eragon like relationship, and I really enjoyed it.

I will say, for me, the world and setting kept my attention, but if you're very plot motivated, the action doesn't pick up until around 80% into the story.

I was granted the opportunity to listen to an advanced copy of this audiobook by #NetGalley and I am glad I was able to listen to this story. I thought the audio was well done, very classic high fantasy vibes. One note - this is not the kind of audiobook you can pay half attention to, there's way too much going on for that!

I have been reading Valdemar books for several decades so I enjoyed revisiting this world, that said, this is not the book to start with for anyone not familiar with Valdemar even though this is the start of a [sub] "series", you should start with The Heralds of Valdemar trilogy. The first, Arrows Queen is a good introduction.
For those who have read other books set in Valdemar especially the Owl Mage Trilogy, you will be reacquainted with familiar characters. This was not my favorite book in the series, but after so many years, revisiting this world is like time spent with an old friend, willing to forgive any lapses in memory or social snafu because their company is special.
I experienced this book as an audiobook with the excellent narration of Paul Woodson. Though I enjoy audiobooks, this is the first time that I have had one for a Valdemar book and it was great. When I first picked up the series as a young teen, reading physical books was the only option and reading was also "better" for that age, but as an adult I could enjoy the book while multitasking. I think audiobooks accompanying text are good for anyone struggling with reading or learning another language and this book series has enough material to follow-along-read for quite a while.
I'd recommend this book to those who have enjoyed Valdemar in the past and are ready for another visit.
I received advanced access to this audiobook thru NetGalley (for which I want to thank NetGalley and the publisher, Tantor Audio) in exchange for an honest review. The opinion expressed here is my own.