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Dragon's Teeth
A massive collection of wonderous science fiction and fantasy stories from New York Times best-selling Mercedes Lackey. Includes Fiddler Fair and Werehunter for the first time in one volume.
A massive collection of wonderous science fiction and fantasy stories from New York Times best selling Mercedes Lackey.
Fiddler Fair
Running the gamut from her beloved Bardic fantasies to urban fantasy set in the modern world, from science fiction adventure to chilling horror, this is Mercedes Lackey at her best. Animal rights fanatics try to "liberate" genetically reconstructed dinosaurs. Lawrence of Arabia meets a power beyond human comprehension, and King Arthur is reborn into the present day when he again gains possession of the enchanted sword Excalibur.
Werehunter
A young woman who has been given the power to transform herself into a leopard, but she now finds herself pursued by a hunter who is more than human. Skitty, ship's cat extraordinaire, and telepathic problem-solver, saves the day on a spaceship. Return to the world of the Heralds of Valdemar series, and much more. Plus, Merecedes Lackey's celebrated occult detective Diana Tregarde, attends a gathering of romance writers and encounters a visitor whose passionate desire is for fresh, warm blood.
A massive collection of wonderous science fiction and fantasy stories from New York Times best selling Mercedes Lackey.
Fiddler Fair
Running the gamut from her beloved Bardic fantasies to urban fantasy set in the modern world, from science fiction adventure to chilling horror, this is Mercedes Lackey at her best. Animal rights fanatics try to "liberate" genetically reconstructed dinosaurs. Lawrence of Arabia meets a power beyond human comprehension, and King Arthur is reborn into the present day when he again gains possession of the enchanted sword Excalibur.
Werehunter
A young woman who has been given the power to transform herself into a leopard, but she now finds herself pursued by a hunter who is more than human. Skitty, ship's cat extraordinaire, and telepathic problem-solver, saves the day on a spaceship. Return to the world of the Heralds of Valdemar series, and much more. Plus, Merecedes Lackey's celebrated occult detective Diana Tregarde, attends a gathering of romance writers and encounters a visitor whose passionate desire is for fresh, warm blood.
645 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 1, 2013
47 people are currently reading
493 people want to read
About the author
Mercedes Lackey
436 books9,575 followersMercedes entered this world on June 24, 1950, in Chicago, had a normal childhood and graduated from Purdue University in 1972. During the late 70's she worked as an artist's model and then went into the computer programming field, ending up with American Airlines in Tulsa, Oklahoma. In addition to her fantasy writing, she has written lyrics for and recorded nearly fifty songs for Firebird Arts & Music, a small recording company specializing in science fiction folk music.
"I'm a storyteller; that's what I see as 'my job'. My stories come out of my characters; how those characters would react to the given situation. Maybe that's why I get letters from readers as young as thirteen and as old as sixty-odd. One of the reasons I write song lyrics is because I see songs as a kind of 'story pill' -- they reduce a story to the barest essentials or encapsulate a particular crucial moment in time. I frequently will write a lyric when I am attempting to get to the heart of a crucial scene; I find that when I have done so, the scene has become absolutely clear in my mind, and I can write exactly what I wanted to say. Another reason is because of the kind of novels I am writing: that is, fantasy, set in an other-world semi-medieval atmosphere. Music is very important to medieval peoples; bards are the chief newsbringers. When I write the 'folk music' of these peoples, I am enriching my whole world, whether I actually use the song in the text or not.
"I began writing out of boredom; I continue out of addiction. I can't 'not' write, and as a result I have no social life! I began writing fantasy because I love it, but I try to construct my fantasy worlds with all the care of a 'high-tech' science fiction writer. I apply the principle of TANSTAAFL ['There ain't no such thing as free lunch', credited to Robert Heinlein) to magic, for instance; in my worlds, magic is paid for, and the cost to the magician is frequently a high one. I try to keep my world as solid and real as possible; people deal with stubborn pumps, bugs in the porridge, and love-lives that refuse to become untangled, right along with invading armies and evil magicians. And I try to make all of my characters, even the 'evil magicians,' something more than flat stereotypes. Even evil magicians get up in the night and look for cookies, sometimes.
"I suppose that in everything I write I try to expound the creed I gave my character Diana Tregarde in Burning Water:
"There's no such thing as 'one, true way'; the only answers worth having are the ones you find for yourself; leave the world better than you found it. Love, freedom, and the chance to do some good -- they're the things worth living and dying for, and if you aren't willing to die for the things worth living for, you might as well turn in your membership in the human race."
Also writes as Misty Lackey
Author's website
"I'm a storyteller; that's what I see as 'my job'. My stories come out of my characters; how those characters would react to the given situation. Maybe that's why I get letters from readers as young as thirteen and as old as sixty-odd. One of the reasons I write song lyrics is because I see songs as a kind of 'story pill' -- they reduce a story to the barest essentials or encapsulate a particular crucial moment in time. I frequently will write a lyric when I am attempting to get to the heart of a crucial scene; I find that when I have done so, the scene has become absolutely clear in my mind, and I can write exactly what I wanted to say. Another reason is because of the kind of novels I am writing: that is, fantasy, set in an other-world semi-medieval atmosphere. Music is very important to medieval peoples; bards are the chief newsbringers. When I write the 'folk music' of these peoples, I am enriching my whole world, whether I actually use the song in the text or not.
"I began writing out of boredom; I continue out of addiction. I can't 'not' write, and as a result I have no social life! I began writing fantasy because I love it, but I try to construct my fantasy worlds with all the care of a 'high-tech' science fiction writer. I apply the principle of TANSTAAFL ['There ain't no such thing as free lunch', credited to Robert Heinlein) to magic, for instance; in my worlds, magic is paid for, and the cost to the magician is frequently a high one. I try to keep my world as solid and real as possible; people deal with stubborn pumps, bugs in the porridge, and love-lives that refuse to become untangled, right along with invading armies and evil magicians. And I try to make all of my characters, even the 'evil magicians,' something more than flat stereotypes. Even evil magicians get up in the night and look for cookies, sometimes.
"I suppose that in everything I write I try to expound the creed I gave my character Diana Tregarde in Burning Water:
"There's no such thing as 'one, true way'; the only answers worth having are the ones you find for yourself; leave the world better than you found it. Love, freedom, and the chance to do some good -- they're the things worth living and dying for, and if you aren't willing to die for the things worth living for, you might as well turn in your membership in the human race."
Also writes as Misty Lackey
Author's website
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 25 reviews
December 3, 2018
A collection of thirty-one short stories in fantasy, science fiction, and both that range throughout worlds, space, and history.
The Series
"Balance" (The Way*, 1)
"Dragon's Teeth" (The Way, 2)
* My name for this small series
"The Enemy of My Enemy" is a short story set in Robert Adams' Horseclans world.
"SKitty" (SKitty, 1)
"A Tail of Two SKittys" (SKitty, 2)
"SCat" (SKitty, 3)
"A Better Mousetrap" (SKitty, 4)
"Nightside" (Diana Tregarde, 0.5)
"Satanic, Versus" (Diana Tregarde)
"Stolen Silver" (Valdemar)
"Gray" (Elemental Masters)
"Gray's Ghost" (Elemental Masters)
"For Those About to Rock" (The Secret World Chronicles)
"Haunt You" (The Secret World Chronicles)
"Valse Triste" (The Secret World Chronicles)
"White Bird" (The Secret World Chronicles)
"Sgian Dubh" (The Secret World Chronicles)
The Stories
"Aliens Ate My Pickup" is too funny and will certainly appeal to anyone who owns a pet that eats everything!
"Small Print" is with Larry Dixon and delves into televangelists and pacts with the devil. Oh, yeah, baby, always, always, always read the fine print. I must say, it does explain how it is that so many of these wicked televangelists do so well...
"Last Rights" is with Larry Dixon and pokes fun at protestors and "terrorists" who are all about animal rights. And the fact that such people really have got to do their homework.
"Dumb Feast" is not nice, as Lackey warns us. But it does prove that nice guys can finally finish, as this put-upon wife gets her own back on her domineering husband of the late 1800s. Not that it doesn't still continue today, ahem.
"Dance Track" is a blend of Lackey's and Dixon's interests as we follow Isadora Duncan from dance to car racing to engineering, as she teaches Jimmy Dean to be the best racer he can be.
I enjoyed how Lackey/Dixon pulled in both of their histories and came up with something better for both of 'em.
"Jihad" involves Lawrence of Arabia and a what-if scenario that turns around the events at Deraa. If only Lackey had gone farther and re-shaped that world into today's. I wonder what it would look like.
"Once and Future" is set in Australia and is a crack-up, as the future King Arthur makes a profound decision about Excalibur.
"Fiddler Fair" was the inspiration for Lackey's Bardic Voices and follows Rune, a girl who dares to think she can become a bard. Fabulous! I am prejudiced, since I adore Bardic Voices.
"Balance" is the first story of Martis and Lyran and how they meet.
"Dragon's Teeth" is one nasty "adventure" for Martis and Lyran, as they struggle to survive an enemy city with nothing to hand.
"The Cup and the Caldron" is a blend of Christianity and paganism with a nun and a witch having a dream that could save their land. Whether that salvation be cup or caldron all depends upon your perspective.
"The Enemy of My Enemy" is heartwarming at the start and end and horrible in the middle with a corrupt king and his son who will destroy anyone to get what they want. A story set in Robert Adams' Horseclans world, and now I need to read those, simply because this was so good.
"Werehunter" is sad as the protagonist suffers so much and then stumbles into an alternate world where she discovers the freedom of her true self. Only, she gets cocky and could be doomed.
"SKitty" is too much fun as we follow the adventures of a spacer and the ship's cat who share a psychic bond on a world that holds in awe anyone who can train an animal.
"A Tail of Two SKittys" is a blessing in disguise when a fellow shipping company takes exception to CatsEye Company having negotiation privileges on Lacu'un.
This one's a pip, lol. Hmmm, I think it could make a good kids' cartoon...
"SCat" relates the search Dick makes to learn Prrreet's origins, only it lets the drug smugglers know where Prrreet is.
"A Better Mousetrap" is a tricky tale of warring ideologies, and Vena comes up with a better way to disarm the bad guys.
Now if only we could do the same...
"The Last of the Season" is a well-written and disgusting tale of a pedophile as he gloats while listening to the television reports about the missing Molly. And it's terrifying how easily he eased her into thinking he was safe. Not to worry, there's a truly gruesome ending...
"Satanic, Versus" is a costume party for "Mrs Peel" and "Steed", a.k.a., Diana Tregarde and Andre LeBrel in which they banish a monster not invited to the party.
"Nightside" is Diana Tregarde's very first professional appearance as an occult detective chasing down a soul serial killer.
"Wet Wings" is set in a horrible dystopian world in which magic conflicts with the new world order. It seems that all, ALL, must be equal or you're not allowed to exist.
"Stolen Silver" is Lackey's first Valdemar story, and we discover how Alberich first comes to Valdemar.
"Roadkill" is scary and proves out that proverb about curiosity killing the cat!
"Operation Desert Fox" is a match made in heaven between two outmoded, about-to-be-retired soldiers: Siegfried O'Harrigan and Rommel, a Bolo tank. Friendship is easy given their mutual interest in Erwin "the Desert Fox" Rommel. When you put two intelligent beings together...well...you get heroes.
"Gray" was a story intended to demonstrate parrot behavior and tells us the story of how Sarah Lyon-White met Nan Killian. It leads into...
"Gray's Ghost" continues to follow Sarah and Nan as they help Mem'sab unmask a tricky medium.
"For Those About to Rock" with Dennis Lee is a blip into a mission that goes wrong for Red Djinni, and it is incredible how much information Lackey/Lee cram into this short. Albeit quite a bit of it is background info from Victrix who has some great insults, lol.
"Haunt You" with Cody Martin is another blip into a mission in Kansas City in which John has a flashback into how he was turned.
"Valse Triste" is the tale of a young Jewish pianist who has been a prisoner of Gruppenführer Bruenner for over two years, dreaming of escape. Her impetus will be Brunnhilde, whose voice is a secret weapon.
"White Bird" is a sad tale of a woman who loves to fly and the dogfight that forces her transformation.
"Sgian Dubh" is the code name for a Scottish metahuman sent in to rescue Yankee Doodle and Dixie Belle from a German prison/lab.
The Cover and Title
The cover is wild with the gold and brown jaguar, its teeth bared, prowling into the rocky cave, its A-shaped door frame a scientific wonder. At the horizon in the background is a pool of lights from civilization, one that appears to be set in a desert at twilight with the muddy blues and purples of sunset. The author's name is at the top in a blue outlined white with a circular badge for the publisher at the bottom right. Almost at the bottom on the left, is the title in a black-outlined orange-to-yellow gradation. A testimonial is at the very bottom in white.
The title is one of the short stories, the Dragon's Teeth that must be nurtured.
The Series
"Balance" (The Way*, 1)
"Dragon's Teeth" (The Way, 2)
* My name for this small series
"The Enemy of My Enemy" is a short story set in Robert Adams' Horseclans world.
"SKitty" (SKitty, 1)
"A Tail of Two SKittys" (SKitty, 2)
"SCat" (SKitty, 3)
"A Better Mousetrap" (SKitty, 4)
"Nightside" (Diana Tregarde, 0.5)
"Satanic, Versus" (Diana Tregarde)
"Stolen Silver" (Valdemar)
"Gray" (Elemental Masters)
"Gray's Ghost" (Elemental Masters)
"For Those About to Rock" (The Secret World Chronicles)
"Haunt You" (The Secret World Chronicles)
"Valse Triste" (The Secret World Chronicles)
"White Bird" (The Secret World Chronicles)
"Sgian Dubh" (The Secret World Chronicles)
The Stories
"Aliens Ate My Pickup" is too funny and will certainly appeal to anyone who owns a pet that eats everything!
"Small Print" is with Larry Dixon and delves into televangelists and pacts with the devil. Oh, yeah, baby, always, always, always read the fine print. I must say, it does explain how it is that so many of these wicked televangelists do so well...
"Last Rights" is with Larry Dixon and pokes fun at protestors and "terrorists" who are all about animal rights. And the fact that such people really have got to do their homework.
"Dumb Feast" is not nice, as Lackey warns us. But it does prove that nice guys can finally finish, as this put-upon wife gets her own back on her domineering husband of the late 1800s. Not that it doesn't still continue today, ahem.
"Dance Track" is a blend of Lackey's and Dixon's interests as we follow Isadora Duncan from dance to car racing to engineering, as she teaches Jimmy Dean to be the best racer he can be.
I enjoyed how Lackey/Dixon pulled in both of their histories and came up with something better for both of 'em.
"Jihad" involves Lawrence of Arabia and a what-if scenario that turns around the events at Deraa. If only Lackey had gone farther and re-shaped that world into today's. I wonder what it would look like.
"Once and Future" is set in Australia and is a crack-up, as the future King Arthur makes a profound decision about Excalibur.
"Fiddler Fair" was the inspiration for Lackey's Bardic Voices and follows Rune, a girl who dares to think she can become a bard. Fabulous! I am prejudiced, since I adore Bardic Voices.
"Balance" is the first story of Martis and Lyran and how they meet.
"Dragon's Teeth" is one nasty "adventure" for Martis and Lyran, as they struggle to survive an enemy city with nothing to hand.
"The Cup and the Caldron" is a blend of Christianity and paganism with a nun and a witch having a dream that could save their land. Whether that salvation be cup or caldron all depends upon your perspective.
"The Enemy of My Enemy" is heartwarming at the start and end and horrible in the middle with a corrupt king and his son who will destroy anyone to get what they want. A story set in Robert Adams' Horseclans world, and now I need to read those, simply because this was so good.
"Werehunter" is sad as the protagonist suffers so much and then stumbles into an alternate world where she discovers the freedom of her true self. Only, she gets cocky and could be doomed.
"SKitty" is too much fun as we follow the adventures of a spacer and the ship's cat who share a psychic bond on a world that holds in awe anyone who can train an animal.
"A Tail of Two SKittys" is a blessing in disguise when a fellow shipping company takes exception to CatsEye Company having negotiation privileges on Lacu'un.
This one's a pip, lol. Hmmm, I think it could make a good kids' cartoon...
"SCat" relates the search Dick makes to learn Prrreet's origins, only it lets the drug smugglers know where Prrreet is.
"A Better Mousetrap" is a tricky tale of warring ideologies, and Vena comes up with a better way to disarm the bad guys.
Now if only we could do the same...
"The Last of the Season" is a well-written and disgusting tale of a pedophile as he gloats while listening to the television reports about the missing Molly. And it's terrifying how easily he eased her into thinking he was safe. Not to worry, there's a truly gruesome ending...
"Satanic, Versus" is a costume party for "Mrs Peel" and "Steed", a.k.a., Diana Tregarde and Andre LeBrel in which they banish a monster not invited to the party.
"Nightside" is Diana Tregarde's very first professional appearance as an occult detective chasing down a soul serial killer.
"Wet Wings" is set in a horrible dystopian world in which magic conflicts with the new world order. It seems that all, ALL, must be equal or you're not allowed to exist.
"Stolen Silver" is Lackey's first Valdemar story, and we discover how Alberich first comes to Valdemar.
"Roadkill" is scary and proves out that proverb about curiosity killing the cat!
"Operation Desert Fox" is a match made in heaven between two outmoded, about-to-be-retired soldiers: Siegfried O'Harrigan and Rommel, a Bolo tank. Friendship is easy given their mutual interest in Erwin "the Desert Fox" Rommel. When you put two intelligent beings together...well...you get heroes.
"Gray" was a story intended to demonstrate parrot behavior and tells us the story of how Sarah Lyon-White met Nan Killian. It leads into...
"Gray's Ghost" continues to follow Sarah and Nan as they help Mem'sab unmask a tricky medium.
"For Those About to Rock" with Dennis Lee is a blip into a mission that goes wrong for Red Djinni, and it is incredible how much information Lackey/Lee cram into this short. Albeit quite a bit of it is background info from Victrix who has some great insults, lol.
"Haunt You" with Cody Martin is another blip into a mission in Kansas City in which John has a flashback into how he was turned.
"Valse Triste" is the tale of a young Jewish pianist who has been a prisoner of Gruppenführer Bruenner for over two years, dreaming of escape. Her impetus will be Brunnhilde, whose voice is a secret weapon.
"White Bird" is a sad tale of a woman who loves to fly and the dogfight that forces her transformation.
"Sgian Dubh" is the code name for a Scottish metahuman sent in to rescue Yankee Doodle and Dixie Belle from a German prison/lab.
The Cover and Title
The cover is wild with the gold and brown jaguar, its teeth bared, prowling into the rocky cave, its A-shaped door frame a scientific wonder. At the horizon in the background is a pool of lights from civilization, one that appears to be set in a desert at twilight with the muddy blues and purples of sunset. The author's name is at the top in a blue outlined white with a circular badge for the publisher at the bottom right. Almost at the bottom on the left, is the title in a black-outlined orange-to-yellow gradation. A testimonial is at the very bottom in white.
The title is one of the short stories, the Dragon's Teeth that must be nurtured.
July 20, 2017
Could've done without the surprise homophobic slur in the title stories and the terrifically imperialistic final two stories, but otherwise pretty good. The SKitty ones were high on the list and I am always a sucker for Alberich.
August 10, 2016
Good collection of short stories set in some of the worlds that Mercedes Lackey has created. Some seemed familiar but there were a number of new ones too!
March 20, 2025
If you love short stories, this book is a jackpot! It's actually an omnibus of three books covering the spectrum of Lackey's writing and includes stories from almost all of her series--Valdemar, Elementals, Bardic Voices and others. I was disappointed not to see a story from the Oathbound series, but otherwise I really enjoyed every story. I didn't know that she collaborated so closely with Larry Dixon and knew nothing about their Secret World chronicles.
Her version of the Sara Crewe story was terrific and I have just found out that the two girls are significant characters in the Elemental series. The Skitty stories are among my favorites and I would love an entire book about Skitty and Dick.
Her version of the Sara Crewe story was terrific and I have just found out that the two girls are significant characters in the Elemental series. The Skitty stories are among my favorites and I would love an entire book about Skitty and Dick.
September 3, 2014
It may interest some to know that Mercedes Lackey put out a cassette/CD called "Freedom, Flight, & Fantasy" a mix of some of her songs from various sources.
You can sample some of the songs on YouTube, although the only place to buy it is from the Firebird Arts and Music website.
Arafel’s Lament. It is based on The Dreamstone by C.J. Cherryh.
The Duke’s Eldest Daughter. Unknown. "The Elven Harper"? Kathy Mar.
The Captive
Dream Rider
Snow Magic
The Patterns Of Amber. The Great Book of Amber by Roger Zelazny.
A Last Battle
Rejected
The Trap
Choices
------
"Magic, Moondust, & Melancholy" is another such CD of which Mercedes Lackey likely wrote only the song lyrics to, based on the works of such authors as C.J. Cherryh, Barbara Hambly, and Leigh Brackett. At least in some cases this was done without the knowledge or consent of the author in question.
Signy Mallory. Downbelow Station by C.J. Cherryh.
Medic.
Eumenides. Likely In Fury Born by David Weber.
Gil-Shallos. The Time of the Dark by Barbara Hambly.
Lammas Night. In Celebration of Lammas Night edited by Josepha Sherman.
F.A.P. (Feline American Princess).
Winds Four Quarters. "Wind's Four Quarters is from the short story Swordsworn, the first of the Tarma & Kethry stories. ~ Mercedes Lackey"
Jirel of Jorey. Black God's Kiss by C.L. Moore.
Of Cabbages
Golden Eyes. Golden Eyes became the short story Were-Hunter published in Tales of the Witch World 1. ~ Mercedes Lackey
Mis-Conception.
Kerowyn’s Ride
Note: I do not know what other sources these songs may have by books/author, if you have such information please feel free to comment.
As to why I'm including information on these CDs with this book, it's because of this book combining Werehunter and Fiddler Fair which contain short stories of what most would call now "fan-fiction". That is, Mercedes Lackey's short stories based in the books/works of other authors.
In a somewhat calling the kettle black turn, it is interesting to note that for years while Mercedes Lackey disapproved/did not allow fiction to be written by her fans about her work - yet she is still making money from books like these which are based in the original works of others.
You can sample some of the songs on YouTube, although the only place to buy it is from the Firebird Arts and Music website.
Arafel’s Lament. It is based on The Dreamstone by C.J. Cherryh.
The Duke’s Eldest Daughter. Unknown. "The Elven Harper"? Kathy Mar.
The Captive
Dream Rider
Snow Magic
The Patterns Of Amber. The Great Book of Amber by Roger Zelazny.
A Last Battle
Rejected
The Trap
Choices
------
"Magic, Moondust, & Melancholy" is another such CD of which Mercedes Lackey likely wrote only the song lyrics to, based on the works of such authors as C.J. Cherryh, Barbara Hambly, and Leigh Brackett. At least in some cases this was done without the knowledge or consent of the author in question.
Signy Mallory. Downbelow Station by C.J. Cherryh.
Medic.
Eumenides. Likely In Fury Born by David Weber.
Gil-Shallos. The Time of the Dark by Barbara Hambly.
Lammas Night. In Celebration of Lammas Night edited by Josepha Sherman.
F.A.P. (Feline American Princess).
Winds Four Quarters. "Wind's Four Quarters is from the short story Swordsworn, the first of the Tarma & Kethry stories. ~ Mercedes Lackey"
Jirel of Jorey. Black God's Kiss by C.L. Moore.
Of Cabbages
Golden Eyes. Golden Eyes became the short story Were-Hunter published in Tales of the Witch World 1. ~ Mercedes Lackey
Mis-Conception.
Kerowyn’s Ride
Note: I do not know what other sources these songs may have by books/author, if you have such information please feel free to comment.
As to why I'm including information on these CDs with this book, it's because of this book combining Werehunter and Fiddler Fair which contain short stories of what most would call now "fan-fiction". That is, Mercedes Lackey's short stories based in the books/works of other authors.
In a somewhat calling the kettle black turn, it is interesting to note that for years while Mercedes Lackey disapproved/did not allow fiction to be written by her fans about her work - yet she is still making money from books like these which are based in the original works of others.
June 24, 2020
Great stories by a great writer
It is a joy to spend time with a good writer. In these days of fast and free, there are many great stories being written, but not so many great writers. Mercedes' deft way with words here take you through diverse worlds and neatly deliver you to the end of stories well told. I had read many of these, but not all, it's a great cross section of her work.
It is a joy to spend time with a good writer. In these days of fast and free, there are many great stories being written, but not so many great writers. Mercedes' deft way with words here take you through diverse worlds and neatly deliver you to the end of stories well told. I had read many of these, but not all, it's a great cross section of her work.
February 8, 2019
A collection of short stories by Mercedes Lackey, this contains some stories never before published, and some that I had read before. A couple of them became the basis of books, one in the Heralds of Valdemar set, and the other in the Elemental Masters series. A couple of them really stood out to me, The Enemy of My Enemy, and Valse Triste. None of them was uninteresting. Highly recommended.
February 23, 2022
Good short stories but
The storieswere enjoyable but different than I expected. Magic mixed with historical war. Would have been worth more stars if it were not so incredibly short. I read it in about 45 minutes...
The storieswere enjoyable but different than I expected. Magic mixed with historical war. Would have been worth more stars if it were not so incredibly short. I read it in about 45 minutes...
April 9, 2025
Incredible shortstory collection by one of my favorite authors! Most of them i had not read before. Includes the classic Aliens Ate My Truck and the Shipscatx stories. I found Last of the Season and Roadkill especially chilling.
May 15, 2017
Excellent collection of short stories, spanning various moods, worlds and backgrounds.
September 6, 2018
A wide ranging collection of Mercedes Lackeys short stories
December 12, 2020
an enjoyable re-read.
January 8, 2023
A very good book full of short stories, some of which are seeing their first publication here. Science fiction stories, fantasy stories, and even on that I would definitively classify as horror.
April 30, 2025
Wonderful collection of Mercedes' short stories, just a delightful read from cover to cover. Highly recommend for short story lovers.
December 22, 2022
skipped the stories added at the end; without having read the other books/stories in that universe they didn't make ANY sense...
How I Spent My Summer Vacation
Aliens Ate My Pickup
Small Print • (19
Last Rights • (19
Dumb Feast • (1
Dance Track • (
Jihad • (1993) •
Balance • [Martis Ma
Dragon's Teeth
The Cup and the Cauldron
Once and Future • (1995) •
Fiddler Fair
The Enemy of My Enemy
Werehunter
SKitty • [SKitty] • (1989)
A Tail of Two SKittys • [
SCat • [SK
A Better Mousetrap • [SK
The Last of the Season •
Satanic, Versus ... • [Dian
Nightside
Wet Wings • (1996) • shor
Stolen Silver • [Heralds Of
♠Roadkill re-read 1/2/2016
Operation Desert Fox • [B
Grey • [E
Grey's Ghost • [Elementa
How I Spent My Summer Vacation
Aliens Ate My Pickup
Small Print • (19
Last Rights • (19
Dumb Feast • (1
Dance Track • (
Jihad • (1993) •
Balance • [Martis Ma
Dragon's Teeth
The Cup and the Cauldron
Once and Future • (1995) •
Fiddler Fair
The Enemy of My Enemy
Werehunter
SKitty • [SKitty] • (1989)
A Tail of Two SKittys • [
SCat • [SK
A Better Mousetrap • [SK
The Last of the Season •
Satanic, Versus ... • [Dian
Nightside
Wet Wings • (1996) • shor
Stolen Silver • [Heralds Of
♠Roadkill re-read 1/2/2016
Operation Desert Fox • [B
Grey • [E
Grey's Ghost • [Elementa
November 14, 2014
I love Lackey's writing so it was no surprise that I recognized the first few stories in the book from other anthologies. Then the next, and the next, and the next - and I was just about thru it when I realised that the chapter delineations were actually book titles. Dragon's teeth contains the entirety of Fiddler Fair and Werehunter, both of which I read when they were first released. The five new stories in the book are all set in the Secret World Chronicles, which is the one universe she writes in which I don't read. Sigh. I had had such hopes. But it was good to reread some old favorites.
July 24, 2022
++A huge anthology of Lackey short stories and novellas. Two complete volumes combined with stories from the ridiculous to the sublime. A little heavy on the occult/witchcraft for my personal taste.++
February 13, 2014
If you are a Mercedes Lackey fan like I am, you will greatly enjoy this book. Most of the stories I hadn't read before. There is a nice variety of themes represented and I enjoyed almost all of them. I say "almost all" because I didn't read the two Dianne Tregarde (sp!) and one more story ("Haunt You") that weren't in my wheelhouse (I don't really enjoy the vampire/full-on occult/or anything that even has a whiff of horror to it).
I also enjoyed the intros to each section and each story that she wrote. Gives you a good introduction to the writer herself and some interesting back story.
I also enjoyed the intros to each section and each story that she wrote. Gives you a good introduction to the writer herself and some interesting back story.
January 20, 2015
This collection is a fine example of Mercedes Lackey's aptitude for writing in any world at any time. The glimpses into her mind and personal life are also a joy for long-time fans or new readers wanting to get to know the author. Some of the stories are worthy of the own series (Fiddler Fair, set in Andre Norton's Ithkar; Last Rights - her satirical take on PETA types) and others are self-sufficient short story perfection (Dumb Feast, The Cup and the Cauldron). Highly recommended for anyone who likes fantasy - both high, modern and set in existing worlds - and/or who likes Lackey!
April 26, 2014
This book has many fantastic stories. There were also quite a few less than feel good stories hence the four stars instead of five. The stories were so varied that portions of this book could appeal to almost anyone. I don't recommend this book for younger readers because of some violence and adult content. The author herself rates one story NR-17.
January 28, 2014
This is a gigantic collection of short stories. Some of them are based in worlds familiar to Lackey's fans and others are completely new. I really enjoyed the stories with a somewhat twisted sense of humor. My only regret is that the short stories leave me wishing that I could continue reading!
June 26, 2016
To many of the stories i just could not get through and I think it would have been a lot better if there was a stronger connecting theme other then the author after all just as you are getting into a urban fantasy mood you are suddenly thrown into a high fantasy world.
February 25, 2014
This is an anthology of previously published short stories by Mercedes Lackey. I enjoyed reading the stories I haven't read before and revisiting a few that I had already read.
July 5, 2014
Would probably give it a 3.5 if possible.
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