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This 18th anthology of short stories set in the beloved Valdemar high fantasy universe features tales by debut and established authors and a brand-new story from Mercedes Lackey.
The Heralds of Valdemar are the kingdom's ancient order of protectors. They are drawn from all across the land, from all walks of life, and at all ages—and all are Gifted with abilities beyond those of normal men and women. They are Mindspeakers, FarSeers, Empaths, ForeSeers, Firestarters, FarSpeakers, and more. These inborn talents—combined with training as emissaries, spies, judges, diplomats, scouts, counselors, warriors, and more—make them indispensable to their monarch and realm.
Sought and Chosen by mysterious horse-like Companions, they are bonded for life to these telepathic, enigmatic creatures. The Heralds of Valdemar and their Companions ride circuit throughout the kingdom, protecting the peace and, when necessary, defending their land and monarch.
Join a variety of authors as they ride with Mercedes Lackey to the beloved land of Valdemar and experience the many facets of this storied high fantasy realm.
The Heralds of Valdemar are the kingdom's ancient order of protectors. They are drawn from all across the land, from all walks of life, and at all ages—and all are Gifted with abilities beyond those of normal men and women. They are Mindspeakers, FarSeers, Empaths, ForeSeers, Firestarters, FarSpeakers, and more. These inborn talents—combined with training as emissaries, spies, judges, diplomats, scouts, counselors, warriors, and more—make them indispensable to their monarch and realm.
Sought and Chosen by mysterious horse-like Companions, they are bonded for life to these telepathic, enigmatic creatures. The Heralds of Valdemar and their Companions ride circuit throughout the kingdom, protecting the peace and, when necessary, defending their land and monarch.
Join a variety of authors as they ride with Mercedes Lackey to the beloved land of Valdemar and experience the many facets of this storied high fantasy realm.
432 pages, Paperback
Published November 26, 2024
103 people are currently reading
147 people want to read
About the author
Mercedes Lackey
441 books9,543 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 - 30 of 53 reviews
September 3, 2024
Valdemar is one of the first fantasy worlds I fell in love with so I was excited to see this new collection. I like seeing other authors get to play in this playground, but it does mean that some stories are better than others. Mercedes Lackey finishes the anthology with one of her own which was great. I thought feuds were an interesting topic to tie all the stories together and I liked that most of the feuds were found to be silly. I liked that there were a lot of stories centering around the bards as I don’t think they get enough focus or attention as they have quite the vantage point for seeing the right stories. This collection is fun and one that either a long time fan or a new fan could read and follow easily.
September 26, 2024
“Alas, the price of anger is often the loss of something that could have been lovely.”
Thank you to NetGalley and DAW for the e-ARC of Feuds.
I read the Last Herald Mage trilogy in high school and have carried a love for Vanyel and Valdemar in my heart ever since. A few months ago, I decided to read the rest of the Velgarth novels and short stories and now find myself at the end (until next summer). From Arrows to anthologies, this has been a wild but immensely enjoyable ride. I find it very difficult to assign one rating to an anthology - like the Velgarth stories at large, I find the Tales of Valdemar to be 4 star reads in general with a few stories I could do without and a handful that I find to be standouts worthy of 5 stars on their own merit.
As a notice to new readers, in all of the anthologies we have a mix of standalone short stories and continuations of miniseries that stretch between collections. While it should be possible to pick up any of these and read the stories within, if you plan to read all or many of the anthologies, I would start at the beginning so you can see the stories unfold, and see some fan favorites like Ree who haven’t shown up in the past few anthologies. All of the anthologies take place across Velgarth and across time and focus loosely on their titular theme, and Feuds is no exception with settings and characters like Bards and Blues at the Collegia, Heralds and trainees on circuit, and everyday heroes across Valdemar.
The stories in this anthology cling tightly to the theme of feuds, and we see a diverse and enjoyable collection of how they unfold. To me, the standout of the collection was Uncivil Blood by Lackey. I had just told my partner a few days ago that Vanyel’s appearances in the Healer Vixen seemed like a desire to write Vanyel again. I’m glad he finally got an anthology spotlight. It was very enjoyable and fantastic to see him and Savil together again. While one scene seemed directly out of Lackey’s Closer To Home, the ending is very different.
That said, I would highly recommend this anthology, as it’s my favorite written so far. 4.5 stars, rounded up to 5 stars for a 5 star scale.
Thank you to NetGalley and DAW for the e-ARC of Feuds.
I read the Last Herald Mage trilogy in high school and have carried a love for Vanyel and Valdemar in my heart ever since. A few months ago, I decided to read the rest of the Velgarth novels and short stories and now find myself at the end (until next summer). From Arrows to anthologies, this has been a wild but immensely enjoyable ride. I find it very difficult to assign one rating to an anthology - like the Velgarth stories at large, I find the Tales of Valdemar to be 4 star reads in general with a few stories I could do without and a handful that I find to be standouts worthy of 5 stars on their own merit.
As a notice to new readers, in all of the anthologies we have a mix of standalone short stories and continuations of miniseries that stretch between collections. While it should be possible to pick up any of these and read the stories within, if you plan to read all or many of the anthologies, I would start at the beginning so you can see the stories unfold, and see some fan favorites like Ree who haven’t shown up in the past few anthologies. All of the anthologies take place across Velgarth and across time and focus loosely on their titular theme, and Feuds is no exception with settings and characters like Bards and Blues at the Collegia, Heralds and trainees on circuit, and everyday heroes across Valdemar.
The stories in this anthology cling tightly to the theme of feuds, and we see a diverse and enjoyable collection of how they unfold. To me, the standout of the collection was Uncivil Blood by Lackey. I had just told my partner a few days ago that Vanyel’s appearances in the Healer Vixen seemed like a desire to write Vanyel again. I’m glad he finally got an anthology spotlight. It was very enjoyable and fantastic to see him and Savil together again. While one scene seemed directly out of Lackey’s Closer To Home, the ending is very different.
That said, I would highly recommend this anthology, as it’s my favorite written so far. 4.5 stars, rounded up to 5 stars for a 5 star scale.
October 1, 2024
What a great anthology! That was a fantastic adventure in the world of Valdemar - it gave me a hint into some of the books and characters that I haven't had a chance to read about yet and left me wanting more of thos as well.
If you aren't super familiar with all of the Valdemar stories, you'll still be fine to read this as long as you've read something from the universe.
The stories were all written by different authors, but they fit seamlessly together and into the world of Valdemar.
Thank you to Edelweiss and the Penguin Random House team for an advanced copy of this book.
If you aren't super familiar with all of the Valdemar stories, you'll still be fine to read this as long as you've read something from the universe.
The stories were all written by different authors, but they fit seamlessly together and into the world of Valdemar.
Thank you to Edelweiss and the Penguin Random House team for an advanced copy of this book.
November 25, 2024
Tales from Valdemar
The central organizing theme of Feuds in Valdemar makes for both equally interesting and lively tales.
Whether it’s kyrees like Nwah and Maakdal, or a herald going back to the dangerous place he’d been raised, there’s something for everyone.
I loved Lackey’s story featuring Herald-Mage Vanyel and his aunt Herald Savil on a clandestine mission for the king.
Another excellent anthology centered around the intriguing world of Valdemar
A DAW ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.
The central organizing theme of Feuds in Valdemar makes for both equally interesting and lively tales.
Whether it’s kyrees like Nwah and Maakdal, or a herald going back to the dangerous place he’d been raised, there’s something for everyone.
I loved Lackey’s story featuring Herald-Mage Vanyel and his aunt Herald Savil on a clandestine mission for the king.
Another excellent anthology centered around the intriguing world of Valdemar
A DAW ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.
October 8, 2025
I liked that this one had a theme and all the characters were resolved.
November 22, 2024
The individual volumes in the long-running Tales of Valdemar series (this is the EIGHTEENTH collection!) each center around a theme. The theme of this one is clear – as it says so right there on the label. Each of the stories herein centers on a feud. Not a battle, not a war, but a feud.
Think of the infamous Hatfields and the McCoys, names that we only still recognize because they had, you guessed it, a feud that lasted so long it made it into history and legend.
Feuds are usually not fun – and a lot of these stories are not. The collection is very good, but it isn’t nearly as lighthearted as the Shenanigans collection. Howsomever, there is still plenty to savor for repeat visitors to this fascinating world, while newcomers are sure to find something that will leave them thirsting for more – even if it’s not another story about food and drink as there are several of those in this year’s mix!
I picked this up because Valdemar is a world I knew I could slip into and be comforted as well as entertained – even though the theme of the collection isn’t necessarily comforting at all. And that’s exactly what happened.
Because I had such a good time – and ripped right through the whole thing without even bothering to come back to the ‘real world’ until I was finished, this is one of those times when each story is going to get a rating of its own and then I’ll attempt some very fudgy math to rate the whole.
“The Price of Anger” by Brigid Collins
This was a great story to kick off the collection of feuds because it’s a story about the costs of feuding. It’s also a story on two levels, as a young Farseer keeps seeing the ghosts of earlier students feuding while she dodges current students who can’t stop trying to exploit her gift. It’s only when she sees the results of the old feud that she understands that she’s falling into the same trap. Escape Rating A-
“Consequences” by Dylan Birtolo
It’s a stupid feud and an even stupider fight. Not that the story is remotely stupid, but the reader gets the same urge as the Herald – to knock some heads together in the hopes that some sense will break loose. It’s only when we see how things got this way, that a good idea once upon a time is having terrible consequences in the present that we see exactly how this particular road to hell got paved. Escape Rating B because it takes a bit to figure out that we’re seeing the story peel back in history for the point to come through.
“A Bad Business” by Jeanne Adams
A direct follow-up to the book Take a Thief (which I admit I have not read yet), this is a story about what happens in the aftermath of a horrific case. Just because the central villain has been removed from the equation it doesn’t mean that there aren’t still a whole lot of dirty loose ends to clean up. Even though I hadn’t read the case being wrapped up, this story is complete in itself and an appropriately messy clean up to a horrific case. Escape Rating B+
“A Tale of Two Cooks” by Charlotte E. English
This was one of the few relatively light-hearted stories in this collection and it made a refreshing change from the darker stories. Not that this couldn’t have turned dark as well, as it’s a case of too many cooks deliberately spoiling the soup – and the rest of the meal – in ways that could have been deadly. But the poisonous plans of the feuding foodies are thwarted by the quick decisions of one smart and able assistant and her cousin – a savvy Herald. Escape Rating A- because of the excellent way it relies on wits and banter to see its way clear to the solution.
“A Bite and a Pint” by Louisa Swann
Home may be the place that when you have to go there, they have to take you in. But that doesn’t mean they have to listen to you, not even when you come home after a year’s absence as a Herald Trainee on your way to the Collegium in Haven. A feud has broken out between the new Brewmistress of Petril’s tiny village and, unfortunately for him, his own mother. Each believes the other woman has poisoned her best goods, and it’s up to a boy that no one is quite yet willing to acknowledge is a man to find his way to the truth. This was another light story, the solution wasn’t really a surprise but it was a lot of fun getting there. Escape Rating B+
“Dueling Minstrels” by Jennifer Brozek and Marie Bilodeau
This is one of several stories about minstrels and minstrel rivalry in the collection. Minstrels Ozan and Aimar bring out both the best and the worst in each other. The worst behavior, and the best of their Bardic Gifts. But those gifts, combined with their ever-present feud, threaten to set their town literally on fire if they can’t find a way to make their rivalry work for them instead of against each other. Escape Rating B
“A Scold of Jays” by Elisabeth Waters
This is a story about karma being a right bitch – and deservedly so. A nobleman basically throws away his older son after an injury that will leave him with a limp – and not a single bit of other damage. That the nobleman disowns this boy as useless while continuing to indulge his self-indulgent, utterly villainous and downright murderous younger son results in exactly the situation one would hope for. Everyone involved gets EXACTLY what they deserve – many times over. This story is a direct follow-up to one that appeared in the earlier collection, Shenanigans, “A Cry of Hounds” and is even more fun as the karma continues to flow exactly where it should. Escape Rating A.
“Future-Proof” by J.L. Gribble
The feud in this particular story is a tragedy based on a fraud – with two young men paying the price for their elders’ evil deeds. Duri Phran and Cam Aylmer are both persona non grata among the unaffiliated noble students in the Collegium, forced to pretend to hate each other to keep their respective families from punishing them further. It’s only when they’re forced to work together that they realize that there is more wrong in both of their terrible situations that either imagined – and that salvation is waiting for them both if they can just manage to reach beyond what they’ve been taught. I had mixed feelings about this one because the ending felt a bit more deus ex companion than I wanted so Escape Rating B
“A Single Row of Vines” by Brenda Cooper
The setup for this story is similar to the one in Future-Proof, but this time it’s two young women on opposite sides of a village feud who are afraid to put that feud aside as Herald Trainees in Haven. This one worked better for me because the Companions refuse to solve their humans’ problem, instead the girls have to work it out in spite of the tremendous amount of indoctrination they’ve heard for their entire lives. Two girls alone can’t end 40 years of feuding – but they can make a start – and they do. Escape Rating A-
“Most True” by Kristin Schwengel
This one combines the minstrel rivalry of “Dueling Minstrels” with the “consequences” of the story of the same name. In this story, however, it’s those consequences that bring about the ending of the feud, as two gifted bards learn that they are only gifted enough to reach mastery if they reach for it together, and only AFTER the consequences of their feud have nearly ended one if not both of their careers before they’ve truly begun. Escape Rating B.
“Detours and Double Crosses” by Angela Penrose
A story about the cleverness of Bards, the foolishness of people who try to use those Bards in their own nefarious schemes and the stubbornness of one Bard Trainee who proves to herself that she’s more than good enough to become a full bard by saving a young heir from a deadly plot by chasing a villain down no matter how fast he runs. This story was typical of these collections in all the best ways and I fell right into it. Escape Rating A-
“Trade is Trade” by Fiona Patton
As an earlier story was all about food – it’s fitting that this one is all about drinks. Or at least the bragging rights thereto. The feud is entirely predictable – as are the results. The Crown is planning to give a plaque to the oldest pub in Haven. The Guards really, really, really want the Crown to get on with it, because the rash of trouble-making and sign-stealing is driving them to more drink than they can collectively afford. As this story reminds me a great deal of the Discworld City Watch subseries AND it’s a loose follow-up to one of my favorite stories in the Anything with Nothing collection, “Look to Your Houses”, Escape Rating A.
“By the Ticking of My Thumbs” by Rosemary Edghill
A really interesting take on feuding as the feud is, literally, all in their heads. There’s no precipitating event, no history, and the participants have never even met. But they really, really should have. The whole feud is based entirely on their assumptions about each other, and those assumptions have thoroughly made asses out of both of them. It’s sad but fascinating to watch them assign motives to each other that have no basis in anything – and such a beautiful catharsis when they finally figure out where they both went so terribly wrong. Escape Rating A.
“Harmony” by Anthea Sharp
Another story about feuding, dueling bards, there isn’t much harmony in this story – which is the point. Because this is very much a story about pride going before a really, really big fall, and how beautiful music can only be made out of, well, harmony. Not just the harmony of the notes and the melody, but the harmony among the people – ALL THE PEOPLE – who take part in the performance. That age and experience manage to outwit youth, skill and hubris added just the right bit of tartness to an excellent story. Escape Rating A
“Playing Peacemaker Once More” by Dee Shull
Considering the title, it’s a bit of a surprise that this is actually a story about boundaries. Specifically about defending one’s own even as one does their best to get others to examine the placement of theirs. Like the final story in this collection, Uncivil Blood, there’s a bit of a Romeo and Juliet aspect – or perhaps that should be Romeo and Tybalt – to this one that gets worked out much better than Shakespeare’s famous tragedy. Escape Rating B
“Pairmates” by Ron Collins
This one didn’t quite work for me, which I was really sad about as it’s the one story in this collection that features nonhuman protagonists. I think it just passed me by a bit because I couldn’t place it in Valdemar history and wasn’t quite sure how it fit to the overall world or when. I wanted to like it more than I did but I had too many nagging questions at the end. Escape Rating C.
“Battle of the Bands” by Dayle A. Dermatic
This battle of the bands is a family feud, as brothers Eldriss and Davon haven’t spoken to each other in years because Davon claimed that Eldriss stole his sweetheart and married her. Beyond the fact that Shalna isn’t an object to be stolen, that claim is more of an excuse than a reason. Eldriss just wants his brother back, and a mixup at a musical contest – where the brothers enter as the leaders of competing bands – gives them the opportunity they’ve been waiting for for over a decade. A good story with a happy but not surprising ending. Escape Rating B.
“Tangles” by Diana L. Paxson
The feud in this particular instance is a feud between rival shopkeepers who are determined to keep far away from each other in spite of being located in the save Haven district. However, this is also a story about two determined – and somewhat magical – pieces of furniture that make a matched set that are equally determined to be put back together. To the point where they throw a bit of magic in the way of the best person to untangle a web that goes back decades. There are several Romeo and Juliet-type stories in this collection and this one is another, but it’s marvelously twisted because the feud happened because they didn’t marry – although it’s still not too late to fix things the way they should have been! Escape Rating A
“Payment in Kind” by Stephanie Shaver
The title is in reference to what happens when a cheating landholder stiffs a bard for her fee. But underneath that is the saddest story in this collection on multiple fronts as the problem set before that bard and her Herald twin-brother is about a whole village being oppressed by that rapacious landholder – who is also a liar and a cheat – a healer caught between her oaths and her duty, child labor and child murder, and one woman with cancer who wants one last day in the sun – even as she keeps her condition a secret from those she loves the most. Escape Rating A+.
“A Determined Will” by Paige L. Christie
This is a story about going home and discovering that the things you remember aren’t quite what you thought they were – unless they are and someone is trying to swindle you. This one was surprisingly fun in spite of itself, as Guard Trainee Teig has come home to bury the closest thing she had to a father. That he left her everything he had isn’t really the point – it’s more of the last note of a memory. But when someone arrives out of nowhere and attempts to cheat her out of it, she puts all of that Guard training to excellent use! Escape Rating A.
“The Ballad of Northfrost” by Phaedra Weldon
This is a hard, bitter story with an excellent satisfying ending. Reyes fate reads like many of the videogames I love. He’s wounded, near death, in the dark, between a rock and a very hard place, determined to get justice for people long dead who once saved him and set him on his path. That his own ghosts rise to help him take the final steps to safety, freedom and resolution was a bright candle in a very dark story with just the right and necessary ending. Escape Rating A+
“Uncivil Blood” by Mercedes Lackey
A much better version of Romeo and Juliet, with more political shenanigans, considerably fewer deaths, a more sensible ending, and the reappearance of one of Valdemar’s favorite characters who has not graced the stage for entirely too many years. This was my favorite story in the collection, Escape Rating A+.
Escape Rating Overall A-: This was as grand a trip to Valdemar as I hoped it would be. My favorite story in the collection was “Uncivil Blood” by Mercedes Lackey herself, followed by “The Ballad of Northfrost” by Phaedra Weldon and “Payment in Kind” by Stephanie Shaver. If you’ve EVER visited Valdemar this is a great time and a great way to go back for a return trip!
Originally published at Reading Reality
Think of the infamous Hatfields and the McCoys, names that we only still recognize because they had, you guessed it, a feud that lasted so long it made it into history and legend.
Feuds are usually not fun – and a lot of these stories are not. The collection is very good, but it isn’t nearly as lighthearted as the Shenanigans collection. Howsomever, there is still plenty to savor for repeat visitors to this fascinating world, while newcomers are sure to find something that will leave them thirsting for more – even if it’s not another story about food and drink as there are several of those in this year’s mix!
I picked this up because Valdemar is a world I knew I could slip into and be comforted as well as entertained – even though the theme of the collection isn’t necessarily comforting at all. And that’s exactly what happened.
Because I had such a good time – and ripped right through the whole thing without even bothering to come back to the ‘real world’ until I was finished, this is one of those times when each story is going to get a rating of its own and then I’ll attempt some very fudgy math to rate the whole.
“The Price of Anger” by Brigid Collins
This was a great story to kick off the collection of feuds because it’s a story about the costs of feuding. It’s also a story on two levels, as a young Farseer keeps seeing the ghosts of earlier students feuding while she dodges current students who can’t stop trying to exploit her gift. It’s only when she sees the results of the old feud that she understands that she’s falling into the same trap. Escape Rating A-
“Consequences” by Dylan Birtolo
It’s a stupid feud and an even stupider fight. Not that the story is remotely stupid, but the reader gets the same urge as the Herald – to knock some heads together in the hopes that some sense will break loose. It’s only when we see how things got this way, that a good idea once upon a time is having terrible consequences in the present that we see exactly how this particular road to hell got paved. Escape Rating B because it takes a bit to figure out that we’re seeing the story peel back in history for the point to come through.
“A Bad Business” by Jeanne Adams
A direct follow-up to the book Take a Thief (which I admit I have not read yet), this is a story about what happens in the aftermath of a horrific case. Just because the central villain has been removed from the equation it doesn’t mean that there aren’t still a whole lot of dirty loose ends to clean up. Even though I hadn’t read the case being wrapped up, this story is complete in itself and an appropriately messy clean up to a horrific case. Escape Rating B+
“A Tale of Two Cooks” by Charlotte E. English
This was one of the few relatively light-hearted stories in this collection and it made a refreshing change from the darker stories. Not that this couldn’t have turned dark as well, as it’s a case of too many cooks deliberately spoiling the soup – and the rest of the meal – in ways that could have been deadly. But the poisonous plans of the feuding foodies are thwarted by the quick decisions of one smart and able assistant and her cousin – a savvy Herald. Escape Rating A- because of the excellent way it relies on wits and banter to see its way clear to the solution.
“A Bite and a Pint” by Louisa Swann
Home may be the place that when you have to go there, they have to take you in. But that doesn’t mean they have to listen to you, not even when you come home after a year’s absence as a Herald Trainee on your way to the Collegium in Haven. A feud has broken out between the new Brewmistress of Petril’s tiny village and, unfortunately for him, his own mother. Each believes the other woman has poisoned her best goods, and it’s up to a boy that no one is quite yet willing to acknowledge is a man to find his way to the truth. This was another light story, the solution wasn’t really a surprise but it was a lot of fun getting there. Escape Rating B+
“Dueling Minstrels” by Jennifer Brozek and Marie Bilodeau
This is one of several stories about minstrels and minstrel rivalry in the collection. Minstrels Ozan and Aimar bring out both the best and the worst in each other. The worst behavior, and the best of their Bardic Gifts. But those gifts, combined with their ever-present feud, threaten to set their town literally on fire if they can’t find a way to make their rivalry work for them instead of against each other. Escape Rating B
“A Scold of Jays” by Elisabeth Waters
This is a story about karma being a right bitch – and deservedly so. A nobleman basically throws away his older son after an injury that will leave him with a limp – and not a single bit of other damage. That the nobleman disowns this boy as useless while continuing to indulge his self-indulgent, utterly villainous and downright murderous younger son results in exactly the situation one would hope for. Everyone involved gets EXACTLY what they deserve – many times over. This story is a direct follow-up to one that appeared in the earlier collection, Shenanigans, “A Cry of Hounds” and is even more fun as the karma continues to flow exactly where it should. Escape Rating A.
“Future-Proof” by J.L. Gribble
The feud in this particular story is a tragedy based on a fraud – with two young men paying the price for their elders’ evil deeds. Duri Phran and Cam Aylmer are both persona non grata among the unaffiliated noble students in the Collegium, forced to pretend to hate each other to keep their respective families from punishing them further. It’s only when they’re forced to work together that they realize that there is more wrong in both of their terrible situations that either imagined – and that salvation is waiting for them both if they can just manage to reach beyond what they’ve been taught. I had mixed feelings about this one because the ending felt a bit more deus ex companion than I wanted so Escape Rating B
“A Single Row of Vines” by Brenda Cooper
The setup for this story is similar to the one in Future-Proof, but this time it’s two young women on opposite sides of a village feud who are afraid to put that feud aside as Herald Trainees in Haven. This one worked better for me because the Companions refuse to solve their humans’ problem, instead the girls have to work it out in spite of the tremendous amount of indoctrination they’ve heard for their entire lives. Two girls alone can’t end 40 years of feuding – but they can make a start – and they do. Escape Rating A-
“Most True” by Kristin Schwengel
This one combines the minstrel rivalry of “Dueling Minstrels” with the “consequences” of the story of the same name. In this story, however, it’s those consequences that bring about the ending of the feud, as two gifted bards learn that they are only gifted enough to reach mastery if they reach for it together, and only AFTER the consequences of their feud have nearly ended one if not both of their careers before they’ve truly begun. Escape Rating B.
“Detours and Double Crosses” by Angela Penrose
A story about the cleverness of Bards, the foolishness of people who try to use those Bards in their own nefarious schemes and the stubbornness of one Bard Trainee who proves to herself that she’s more than good enough to become a full bard by saving a young heir from a deadly plot by chasing a villain down no matter how fast he runs. This story was typical of these collections in all the best ways and I fell right into it. Escape Rating A-
“Trade is Trade” by Fiona Patton
As an earlier story was all about food – it’s fitting that this one is all about drinks. Or at least the bragging rights thereto. The feud is entirely predictable – as are the results. The Crown is planning to give a plaque to the oldest pub in Haven. The Guards really, really, really want the Crown to get on with it, because the rash of trouble-making and sign-stealing is driving them to more drink than they can collectively afford. As this story reminds me a great deal of the Discworld City Watch subseries AND it’s a loose follow-up to one of my favorite stories in the Anything with Nothing collection, “Look to Your Houses”, Escape Rating A.
“By the Ticking of My Thumbs” by Rosemary Edghill
A really interesting take on feuding as the feud is, literally, all in their heads. There’s no precipitating event, no history, and the participants have never even met. But they really, really should have. The whole feud is based entirely on their assumptions about each other, and those assumptions have thoroughly made asses out of both of them. It’s sad but fascinating to watch them assign motives to each other that have no basis in anything – and such a beautiful catharsis when they finally figure out where they both went so terribly wrong. Escape Rating A.
“Harmony” by Anthea Sharp
Another story about feuding, dueling bards, there isn’t much harmony in this story – which is the point. Because this is very much a story about pride going before a really, really big fall, and how beautiful music can only be made out of, well, harmony. Not just the harmony of the notes and the melody, but the harmony among the people – ALL THE PEOPLE – who take part in the performance. That age and experience manage to outwit youth, skill and hubris added just the right bit of tartness to an excellent story. Escape Rating A
“Playing Peacemaker Once More” by Dee Shull
Considering the title, it’s a bit of a surprise that this is actually a story about boundaries. Specifically about defending one’s own even as one does their best to get others to examine the placement of theirs. Like the final story in this collection, Uncivil Blood, there’s a bit of a Romeo and Juliet aspect – or perhaps that should be Romeo and Tybalt – to this one that gets worked out much better than Shakespeare’s famous tragedy. Escape Rating B
“Pairmates” by Ron Collins
This one didn’t quite work for me, which I was really sad about as it’s the one story in this collection that features nonhuman protagonists. I think it just passed me by a bit because I couldn’t place it in Valdemar history and wasn’t quite sure how it fit to the overall world or when. I wanted to like it more than I did but I had too many nagging questions at the end. Escape Rating C.
“Battle of the Bands” by Dayle A. Dermatic
This battle of the bands is a family feud, as brothers Eldriss and Davon haven’t spoken to each other in years because Davon claimed that Eldriss stole his sweetheart and married her. Beyond the fact that Shalna isn’t an object to be stolen, that claim is more of an excuse than a reason. Eldriss just wants his brother back, and a mixup at a musical contest – where the brothers enter as the leaders of competing bands – gives them the opportunity they’ve been waiting for for over a decade. A good story with a happy but not surprising ending. Escape Rating B.
“Tangles” by Diana L. Paxson
The feud in this particular instance is a feud between rival shopkeepers who are determined to keep far away from each other in spite of being located in the save Haven district. However, this is also a story about two determined – and somewhat magical – pieces of furniture that make a matched set that are equally determined to be put back together. To the point where they throw a bit of magic in the way of the best person to untangle a web that goes back decades. There are several Romeo and Juliet-type stories in this collection and this one is another, but it’s marvelously twisted because the feud happened because they didn’t marry – although it’s still not too late to fix things the way they should have been! Escape Rating A
“Payment in Kind” by Stephanie Shaver
The title is in reference to what happens when a cheating landholder stiffs a bard for her fee. But underneath that is the saddest story in this collection on multiple fronts as the problem set before that bard and her Herald twin-brother is about a whole village being oppressed by that rapacious landholder – who is also a liar and a cheat – a healer caught between her oaths and her duty, child labor and child murder, and one woman with cancer who wants one last day in the sun – even as she keeps her condition a secret from those she loves the most. Escape Rating A+.
“A Determined Will” by Paige L. Christie
This is a story about going home and discovering that the things you remember aren’t quite what you thought they were – unless they are and someone is trying to swindle you. This one was surprisingly fun in spite of itself, as Guard Trainee Teig has come home to bury the closest thing she had to a father. That he left her everything he had isn’t really the point – it’s more of the last note of a memory. But when someone arrives out of nowhere and attempts to cheat her out of it, she puts all of that Guard training to excellent use! Escape Rating A.
“The Ballad of Northfrost” by Phaedra Weldon
This is a hard, bitter story with an excellent satisfying ending. Reyes fate reads like many of the videogames I love. He’s wounded, near death, in the dark, between a rock and a very hard place, determined to get justice for people long dead who once saved him and set him on his path. That his own ghosts rise to help him take the final steps to safety, freedom and resolution was a bright candle in a very dark story with just the right and necessary ending. Escape Rating A+
“Uncivil Blood” by Mercedes Lackey
A much better version of Romeo and Juliet, with more political shenanigans, considerably fewer deaths, a more sensible ending, and the reappearance of one of Valdemar’s favorite characters who has not graced the stage for entirely too many years. This was my favorite story in the collection, Escape Rating A+.
Escape Rating Overall A-: This was as grand a trip to Valdemar as I hoped it would be. My favorite story in the collection was “Uncivil Blood” by Mercedes Lackey herself, followed by “The Ballad of Northfrost” by Phaedra Weldon and “Payment in Kind” by Stephanie Shaver. If you’ve EVER visited Valdemar this is a great time and a great way to go back for a return trip!
Originally published at Reading Reality
November 30, 2024
The theme of this book (much like the title) is Feuds. So we've got a lot of stories about drawn-out conflict. The exact meaning of 'feud' is obviously up to interpretation, but unfortunately what this results in is a lot of stories either about loud and persistent bickering, or about one-sided abuse -- I do think the editor could have stood to break them up with the more plot-based ones instead of stacking most of those toward the front, so that we didn't necessarily read multiple stories of characters doing nonstop griping at each other back to back, especially since the ones towards the back half of the anthology have more variety in what the Feuds look like and how people react. But the stories themselves were, as a whole, extremely charming.
The Price of Anger
Brigid Collins
Nice to see Lillia again! I was a little sad to see that my notes from Collins' Anything with Nothing's story were correct and the lifebonded pair didn't actually like each other. As the child of divorced parents I'm rooting for Lillia here, I can't imagine how much worse it would be with parents supernaturally attached to each other for life and beyond lol. Anyway, Lillia can see imprints of the past, and has to decide how to deal with the fact that other people are really enthusiastic about something traumatic to her. A good little story.
Consequences
Dylan Birtolo
There's a type of story I consider a "Hey! Wouldn't it be fucked up if this happened? Anyway, it has, story over!" genre. This is one of those, but it's a well-written and fun one of them.
A Bad Business
Jeanne Adams
It's nice to see an investigative aftermath of a main storyline story like Take a Thief, but this one didn't work too well for me. I didn't love that Vatean's crimes got covered up in order to benefit Haven politically, didn't feel like much justice for the victims, and the pace was a bit bumpy, but it was good to see this taken a bit further to help take down a network.
A Tale of Two Cooks
Charlotte E. English
Two chefs' rivalry over royal favor gets out of hand. A fun little story. I wish the POV had stayed with one person or switched more than once just to get a clearer idea of what was going on at both ends throughout, but a fun one here.
A Bite and a Pint
Louisa Swann
I like the premise of this -- a herald-trainee comes home, only to find that his mother now has a feud against the brewmistress and both appear to be performing pranks on each other -- but I feel that it almost had a stronger, less vignette-like story in it than it did . Maybe this one's just me, though!
Dueling Minstrels
Jennifer Brozek and Marie Bilodeau
Not my favorite story in this anthology; the twist was pretty obvious up front if you've read other Valdemar works (and why wouldn't you have if you're reading this) and the rest was just musicians squabbling. Still, the way the music battle was written was really charming. They shoulda kissed.
A Scold of Jays
Elisabeth Waters
This one was very satisfying to me. This one falls more under a feud being one-sided and the other side just doing their best to make it through and survive, but the one strike back being stronger than intended ended up making it feel more balanced.
Future-Proof
J.L Gribble
I loved this one right up until the last page or two; a really compelling Feud with great writing and interesting characters. Unfortunately, the very end introduced a complexity:
A Single Row of Vines
Brenda Cooper
This one immediately caught my attention for the all-but-stated premise of "what would it have looked like if Tylendel (and Evan Leshara) had emotional support through their feud?". The situation they set up isn't identical; the two people in this one are BOTH Herald-Trainees, which makes it a bit of a different case since they HAD to learn to work together, and neither were the actual Lord Holder (one of them was even a 'spare' child explicitly) so the apparent need to withhold traditions for the family was different. But the story calls it out explicitly by suggesting they look up songs about Tylendel. (Which is also an interesting note since Stefen had trouble finding much info about him -- implies that STEFEN was the one to write these songs?). Anyway, this one's super well-written and shows the weight that the family feud can have on people trying to live their own lives and not as extensions of their family, though it was a little sad that the conflict resolution was all offscreen -- that's the most interesting part! (Side note, the main character in this implies that people who flunk out of their Herald training might get repudiated and then both might die, but like, Gala didn't just keel over, she threw herself in front of Tylendel's attack, you know? She used her body as a shield. And it makes some incredibly skeevy forgotten realms moonblade-style "You're worthy or you die" implications, so I'm choosing to believe that Cooper either misunderstood or was emphasizing an unlikely scenario around the Companion and Herald's mutual mental health here.
Most True
Kristin Schewengel
This one was sweet! There was basically no feud, just two bards with extremely mild artistic differences & jealousy, but that was fine; it was a nice break after all the other ones so far. Loved the themes of duets and complementary personalities and history, and it was tidily written.
Detours and Double Crosses
Angela Penrose
A strong story with a Bard mentoring a Bard Trainee when the two of them come across a situation with a child in trouble from his own relatives and no Heralds in sight. I liked the level of depth and twist that Penrose managed to work into such a tight space, though I wish we had a little more detail on if
Trade is Trade
Fiona Patton
A pair of constables follows up on some friendly (and sometimes aggressive) rivalry between pubs over who's the oldest in the city. I found this one a bit hard to follow, and it had a sense of building stakes that simply ebbed with no real resolution. What did the bards have to do with it, or were they just flavor? I can believe that people keep on arguing after historical records come up, but then why was the idea of authentic records so important in the first place? But the characters and flavor of the story are fun. (Side note, I simply can't not notice these days when a cop character casually admits to treating one group better for the same crime because they're the group that could harm their reputation, lol.)
By the Ticking of my Thumbs
Rosemary Edgehill
A clockmaker starts a one-sided feud with a new clock & toymaker who came to town. Really well-written, and one feels Verrigan's paranoia. I found parts hard to believe, but in a way that upped my intrigue (he thinks someone's come to murder him and he acts that calm and welcoming?? Tell me more about this guy). Some parts could have used stronger editing (like having "Harper" sneak through here instead of Bard).
Harmony
Anthea Sharp
Loved this one. Two extremely talented rival Bardic trainees are incidentally using their Bardic Gift to influence people and causing a split in the student body, it's up to their teacher to figure out a way to even things out. Really well-written, and it has a strong focus on the impact of the feud and dealing with that, more than resolving the feud itself.
Playing Peacemaker Once More
Dee Shull
I imagine this is a reoccurring character, since his past is teased but not made explicit, but it didn't affect anything and all the information we needed was clear and forward. I liked this one -- a misunderstanding that grew out of hand and anything else would be a spoiler, but it was tidy and charming
Pairmates
Ron Collins
This is another reoccurring miniseries in the short story anthologies, and while that's something I like generally, at this point there's almost too much history for me to easily follow without me having read the earlier ones (six characters are introduced in the first two paragraphs). Still well-written, and the story events in this are technically stand-alone, but it's so thoroughly tied back to the characters' histories that I was lost to the emotional beats of it.
Battle of the Bands
Dayle A. Dermatis
A minstrel troupe scrambles to get ready for a competition and perform when a rival hides the information on the competition until it's almost too late. But the rival isn't exactly a stranger. This one was perfectly well written, but didn't really do it for me.
Tangles
Diana L. Paxson
Loved this sweet little story about Deira! It was a tidy little vignette, and I'm intrigued by what look like Gifts starting to awaken for her.
Payment in Kind
Stephanie Shaver
Oh, this one was fantastic. It was emotionally complicated in all the right ways, managing to fit both the A plot and a very emotional B plot into the short space without feeling like it was skimping on anything while dealing with a fantasy-lens look at capitalism. Really felt properly in the spirit of all things Valdemar.
A Determined Will
Paige L. Christie
Kind of an odd one (dealing with a woman who went home to receive an inheritance and got challenged on it by the person's surprise supposed grandson). I'm not familiar with the folks mentioned in it but it's got just enough ties back to the standard Valdemar setting that it still does feel like it fits. It was a fun addition among all the other feuds, and the writing on it was fun.
The Ballad of Northfrost
Phaedra Weldon
A Herald with undiagnosed PTSD keeps pushing away everyone he could care for, but in the end he needs to lean on others for help when his past catches up to him on a job. Gorgeously written and very evocative. I hadn't cared for Weldon's short story in Anything with Nothing, but I adored this one.
Uncivil Blood
Mercedes Lackey
Vanyel and Savil solve Romeo and Juliet (without bloodshed). This is everything I've wanted -- for decades, I've desperately wanted more novellas and short stories filling in the timeskip gaps between the Last Herald-Mage Trilogy and this does that perfectly. It's fun, delightfully written, and I smiled my whole way through it. This one gets a full five stars for me, rounded down to four due to some of the other short stories not quite landing quite as well.
The Price of Anger
Brigid Collins
Nice to see Lillia again! I was a little sad to see that my notes from Collins' Anything with Nothing's story were correct and the lifebonded pair didn't actually like each other. As the child of divorced parents I'm rooting for Lillia here, I can't imagine how much worse it would be with parents supernaturally attached to each other for life and beyond lol. Anyway, Lillia can see imprints of the past, and has to decide how to deal with the fact that other people are really enthusiastic about something traumatic to her. A good little story.
Consequences
Dylan Birtolo
There's a type of story I consider a "Hey! Wouldn't it be fucked up if this happened? Anyway, it has, story over!" genre. This is one of those, but it's a well-written and fun one of them.
A Bad Business
Jeanne Adams
It's nice to see an investigative aftermath of a main storyline story like Take a Thief, but this one didn't work too well for me. I didn't love that Vatean's crimes got covered up in order to benefit Haven politically, didn't feel like much justice for the victims, and the pace was a bit bumpy, but it was good to see this taken a bit further to help take down a network.
A Tale of Two Cooks
Charlotte E. English
Two chefs' rivalry over royal favor gets out of hand. A fun little story. I wish the POV had stayed with one person or switched more than once just to get a clearer idea of what was going on at both ends throughout, but a fun one here.
A Bite and a Pint
Louisa Swann
I like the premise of this -- a herald-trainee comes home, only to find that his mother now has a feud against the brewmistress and both appear to be performing pranks on each other -- but I feel that it almost had a stronger, less vignette-like story in it than it did . Maybe this one's just me, though!
Dueling Minstrels
Jennifer Brozek and Marie Bilodeau
Not my favorite story in this anthology; the twist was pretty obvious up front if you've read other Valdemar works (and why wouldn't you have if you're reading this) and the rest was just musicians squabbling. Still, the way the music battle was written was really charming. They shoulda kissed.
A Scold of Jays
Elisabeth Waters
This one was very satisfying to me. This one falls more under a feud being one-sided and the other side just doing their best to make it through and survive, but the one strike back being stronger than intended ended up making it feel more balanced.
Future-Proof
J.L Gribble
I loved this one right up until the last page or two; a really compelling Feud with great writing and interesting characters. Unfortunately, the very end introduced a complexity:
A Single Row of Vines
Brenda Cooper
This one immediately caught my attention for the all-but-stated premise of "what would it have looked like if Tylendel (and Evan Leshara) had emotional support through their feud?". The situation they set up isn't identical; the two people in this one are BOTH Herald-Trainees, which makes it a bit of a different case since they HAD to learn to work together, and neither were the actual Lord Holder (one of them was even a 'spare' child explicitly) so the apparent need to withhold traditions for the family was different. But the story calls it out explicitly by suggesting they look up songs about Tylendel. (Which is also an interesting note since Stefen had trouble finding much info about him -- implies that STEFEN was the one to write these songs?). Anyway, this one's super well-written and shows the weight that the family feud can have on people trying to live their own lives and not as extensions of their family, though it was a little sad that the conflict resolution was all offscreen -- that's the most interesting part! (Side note, the main character in this implies that people who flunk out of their Herald training might get repudiated and then both might die, but like, Gala didn't just keel over, she threw herself in front of Tylendel's attack, you know? She used her body as a shield. And it makes some incredibly skeevy forgotten realms moonblade-style "You're worthy or you die" implications, so I'm choosing to believe that Cooper either misunderstood or was emphasizing an unlikely scenario around the Companion and Herald's mutual mental health here.
Most True
Kristin Schewengel
This one was sweet! There was basically no feud, just two bards with extremely mild artistic differences & jealousy, but that was fine; it was a nice break after all the other ones so far. Loved the themes of duets and complementary personalities and history, and it was tidily written.
Detours and Double Crosses
Angela Penrose
A strong story with a Bard mentoring a Bard Trainee when the two of them come across a situation with a child in trouble from his own relatives and no Heralds in sight. I liked the level of depth and twist that Penrose managed to work into such a tight space, though I wish we had a little more detail on if
Trade is Trade
Fiona Patton
A pair of constables follows up on some friendly (and sometimes aggressive) rivalry between pubs over who's the oldest in the city. I found this one a bit hard to follow, and it had a sense of building stakes that simply ebbed with no real resolution. What did the bards have to do with it, or were they just flavor? I can believe that people keep on arguing after historical records come up, but then why was the idea of authentic records so important in the first place? But the characters and flavor of the story are fun. (Side note, I simply can't not notice these days when a cop character casually admits to treating one group better for the same crime because they're the group that could harm their reputation, lol.)
By the Ticking of my Thumbs
Rosemary Edgehill
A clockmaker starts a one-sided feud with a new clock & toymaker who came to town. Really well-written, and one feels Verrigan's paranoia. I found parts hard to believe, but in a way that upped my intrigue (he thinks someone's come to murder him and he acts that calm and welcoming?? Tell me more about this guy). Some parts could have used stronger editing (like having "Harper" sneak through here instead of Bard).
Harmony
Anthea Sharp
Loved this one. Two extremely talented rival Bardic trainees are incidentally using their Bardic Gift to influence people and causing a split in the student body, it's up to their teacher to figure out a way to even things out. Really well-written, and it has a strong focus on the impact of the feud and dealing with that, more than resolving the feud itself.
Playing Peacemaker Once More
Dee Shull
I imagine this is a reoccurring character, since his past is teased but not made explicit, but it didn't affect anything and all the information we needed was clear and forward. I liked this one -- a misunderstanding that grew out of hand and anything else would be a spoiler, but it was tidy and charming
Pairmates
Ron Collins
This is another reoccurring miniseries in the short story anthologies, and while that's something I like generally, at this point there's almost too much history for me to easily follow without me having read the earlier ones (six characters are introduced in the first two paragraphs). Still well-written, and the story events in this are technically stand-alone, but it's so thoroughly tied back to the characters' histories that I was lost to the emotional beats of it.
Battle of the Bands
Dayle A. Dermatis
A minstrel troupe scrambles to get ready for a competition and perform when a rival hides the information on the competition until it's almost too late. But the rival isn't exactly a stranger. This one was perfectly well written, but didn't really do it for me.
Tangles
Diana L. Paxson
Loved this sweet little story about Deira! It was a tidy little vignette, and I'm intrigued by what look like Gifts starting to awaken for her.
Payment in Kind
Stephanie Shaver
Oh, this one was fantastic. It was emotionally complicated in all the right ways, managing to fit both the A plot and a very emotional B plot into the short space without feeling like it was skimping on anything while dealing with a fantasy-lens look at capitalism. Really felt properly in the spirit of all things Valdemar.
A Determined Will
Paige L. Christie
Kind of an odd one (dealing with a woman who went home to receive an inheritance and got challenged on it by the person's surprise supposed grandson). I'm not familiar with the folks mentioned in it but it's got just enough ties back to the standard Valdemar setting that it still does feel like it fits. It was a fun addition among all the other feuds, and the writing on it was fun.
The Ballad of Northfrost
Phaedra Weldon
A Herald with undiagnosed PTSD keeps pushing away everyone he could care for, but in the end he needs to lean on others for help when his past catches up to him on a job. Gorgeously written and very evocative. I hadn't cared for Weldon's short story in Anything with Nothing, but I adored this one.
Uncivil Blood
Mercedes Lackey
Vanyel and Savil solve Romeo and Juliet (without bloodshed). This is everything I've wanted -- for decades, I've desperately wanted more novellas and short stories filling in the timeskip gaps between the Last Herald-Mage Trilogy and this does that perfectly. It's fun, delightfully written, and I smiled my whole way through it. This one gets a full five stars for me, rounded down to four due to some of the other short stories not quite landing quite as well.
August 26, 2024
Overall another good collection. Some are new tales, others are continuations of stories or characters introduced in previous anthologies, although they can be read as stand-alones as always.
Lackey finishes the anthology with a new Vanyel and Savil tale, which will be enjoyable to many fans.
Occasional spelling errors and incorrect names do detract from enjoyment at times.
Lackey finishes the anthology with a new Vanyel and Savil tale, which will be enjoyable to many fans.
Occasional spelling errors and incorrect names do detract from enjoyment at times.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 14, 2024
I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Feuds is an anthology where every story takes place in the world of Valdemar, a high fantasy world created by editor Mercedes Lackey, with many starring bards. Along with stories from debuts and established authors, this anthology includes a new novella from Lackey herself.
One of the reasons I requested this ARC is because, despite loving fantasy for decades, I still have yet to pick up a Mercedes Lackey book even though all of her series are on my TBR. Because of this, I'm not able to comment on whether or not the other authors got certain details correct or how it compares to the original work or even if characters established by Lackey made an appearance. I picked this up and read it as someone who is interested in her works but is a bit intimidated by how sprawling the world is and Lackey's extensive backlist for Valdemar.
I can definitely say that I am going to make it a priority to read at least one of her books by the end of next year. I haven't read a lot of books with bards, so this was a real treat to see a world where bards are a major player, not just one of thirteen classes. I can see someone who really loves playing bard characters in DND having a real blast with how varied the characters are and the situations they end up in. There's also a cozy element to a lot of the stories that I'm curious about whether or not it also shows up in Lackey’s work as I've often heard Valdemar described as a little bit disco.
There were a lot of really great stories so it's certainly hard to pick one or two. My favorite one was probably ‘Harmony’ by Anthea Sharp. The competition between the two students who believe their way is the right way and are so strongly opposed that they risk not graduating unless they set aside their dislike for each other. The setting of a concert to do that was very clever.
I would recommend this to fans of the Valdemar books, readers curious about the Valdemar series who don't mind possible spoilers, and those looking for more short stories involving bards.
Feuds is an anthology where every story takes place in the world of Valdemar, a high fantasy world created by editor Mercedes Lackey, with many starring bards. Along with stories from debuts and established authors, this anthology includes a new novella from Lackey herself.
One of the reasons I requested this ARC is because, despite loving fantasy for decades, I still have yet to pick up a Mercedes Lackey book even though all of her series are on my TBR. Because of this, I'm not able to comment on whether or not the other authors got certain details correct or how it compares to the original work or even if characters established by Lackey made an appearance. I picked this up and read it as someone who is interested in her works but is a bit intimidated by how sprawling the world is and Lackey's extensive backlist for Valdemar.
I can definitely say that I am going to make it a priority to read at least one of her books by the end of next year. I haven't read a lot of books with bards, so this was a real treat to see a world where bards are a major player, not just one of thirteen classes. I can see someone who really loves playing bard characters in DND having a real blast with how varied the characters are and the situations they end up in. There's also a cozy element to a lot of the stories that I'm curious about whether or not it also shows up in Lackey’s work as I've often heard Valdemar described as a little bit disco.
There were a lot of really great stories so it's certainly hard to pick one or two. My favorite one was probably ‘Harmony’ by Anthea Sharp. The competition between the two students who believe their way is the right way and are so strongly opposed that they risk not graduating unless they set aside their dislike for each other. The setting of a concert to do that was very clever.
I would recommend this to fans of the Valdemar books, readers curious about the Valdemar series who don't mind possible spoilers, and those looking for more short stories involving bards.
November 19, 2024
TL;DR: I don’t know how this hit so good but I loved this one just like the last one
Source: NetGalley, thank you to the publisher - I also purchased my own copy so thanks to me too
Plot: Various plots but the theme of this collection was Feuds, fights between families or friends, small squabbles.
Characters: Most of these featured Heralds, Bards, or Healers which are usually intelligent and hardworking. I love all those things in characters.
Setting: VALDEMAR! If I was going to pick a fantasy world to live I’d pick Valdemar so I loved these
Fantasy: Very magic forward, though no HUGE fireballs or such. It felt magical to me.
Thoughts:
Last year I loved Anything With Nothing, I still do. I have a copy of that book on my shelf and honestly, I’m adding this to that collection. These stories are all set in Valdemar, are entry level friendly, and on the whole hopeful and interesting.
The focus in this volume is Feuds. Not wars or battles but small style fights. We had a set of Bard students who were making clashing and causing their fellow students and fans to clash. Two merchant families were fighting over matching pieces of furniture. True to Valdemar standards these end happily in some way, which is part of why I love this world and these stories so much. Mercedes contribution was one of my favorites, a retelling of Romeo and Juliet but with the ending we wanted them to have.
I can’t say too much on this, it’s all short stories but just like last year’s volume I say if you’re a fan pick it up. I would even recommend it to someone who wants hopeful fantasy stories. The land of Valdemar is my favorite for that and these ring true, while being engaging, fun and interesting.
Five stars, of course.
Source: NetGalley, thank you to the publisher - I also purchased my own copy so thanks to me too
Plot: Various plots but the theme of this collection was Feuds, fights between families or friends, small squabbles.
Characters: Most of these featured Heralds, Bards, or Healers which are usually intelligent and hardworking. I love all those things in characters.
Setting: VALDEMAR! If I was going to pick a fantasy world to live I’d pick Valdemar so I loved these
Fantasy: Very magic forward, though no HUGE fireballs or such. It felt magical to me.
Thoughts:
Last year I loved Anything With Nothing, I still do. I have a copy of that book on my shelf and honestly, I’m adding this to that collection. These stories are all set in Valdemar, are entry level friendly, and on the whole hopeful and interesting.
The focus in this volume is Feuds. Not wars or battles but small style fights. We had a set of Bard students who were making clashing and causing their fellow students and fans to clash. Two merchant families were fighting over matching pieces of furniture. True to Valdemar standards these end happily in some way, which is part of why I love this world and these stories so much. Mercedes contribution was one of my favorites, a retelling of Romeo and Juliet but with the ending we wanted them to have.
I can’t say too much on this, it’s all short stories but just like last year’s volume I say if you’re a fan pick it up. I would even recommend it to someone who wants hopeful fantasy stories. The land of Valdemar is my favorite for that and these ring true, while being engaging, fun and interesting.
Five stars, of course.
October 24, 2024
The eighteenth Valdemar anthology is centered around the theme of feuds. There are twenty-two stories including a new novella by Mercedes Lackey. Many of the other authors are frequent contributors to the Valdemar anthologies.
The stories take place in a wide variety of places and have a wide variety of main characters. From heralds to bards and even one story starring a kyree, glimpses are seen from all over Lackey's fantasy world.
All of the stories were enjoyable. Some made me feel that I was entering an established set of characters and situations which I found to be accurate as I was reading the author's brief biographies at the end of the book.
I have not read all of the previous anthologies though I own most of them. I'm not a huge fan of short stories since I find that I want to know more than a short story can fit in. I felt that way about a number of the stories in this anthology. I wanted more information and more adventures for the main characters. I did enjoy Lackey's new novella starring Vanyel and Savil. That one felt long enough to satisfy me.
After the first few stories, I felt that the theme of feuds was too repetitive but later stories expanded the idea of feuds to one-sided ones and other varieties. Fans of the previous anthologies and those just hungry for another look into Lackey's Valdemar will enjoy these stories.
The stories take place in a wide variety of places and have a wide variety of main characters. From heralds to bards and even one story starring a kyree, glimpses are seen from all over Lackey's fantasy world.
All of the stories were enjoyable. Some made me feel that I was entering an established set of characters and situations which I found to be accurate as I was reading the author's brief biographies at the end of the book.
I have not read all of the previous anthologies though I own most of them. I'm not a huge fan of short stories since I find that I want to know more than a short story can fit in. I felt that way about a number of the stories in this anthology. I wanted more information and more adventures for the main characters. I did enjoy Lackey's new novella starring Vanyel and Savil. That one felt long enough to satisfy me.
After the first few stories, I felt that the theme of feuds was too repetitive but later stories expanded the idea of feuds to one-sided ones and other varieties. Fans of the previous anthologies and those just hungry for another look into Lackey's Valdemar will enjoy these stories.
September 24, 2024
This is the 18th anthology set in the secondary world of Mercedes Lackey’s Valdemor high fantasy series, with short stories written by twenty-two authors, some newcomers, others veterans, and concluding with a novella by Lackey herself.
As the title indicates, each deals with a feud of varying degrees of seriousness, and they present the Heralds and their equine Companions with complex challenges to prevent spilling over into increased violence. The Heralds, bards, and other specialists have undergone rigorous training to enhance their particular talents, but even so human nature remains obstinately resistant to compromise over issues for which it prefers to blame others. The feuds are eventually resolved but it requires determination and ingenuity. The most interesting is Lackey’s novella, which recasts the story of Romeo and Juliet.
The message that crises might be avoided by the early intervention of well-trained experts is a valuable one that our increasingly polarised world would be wise to heed, as is the warning against human obduracy, mob mentality, and egotistic self-interest.
Reminiscent of the knights of King Arthur, righting wrongs throughout the realm?
Recommended.
As the title indicates, each deals with a feud of varying degrees of seriousness, and they present the Heralds and their equine Companions with complex challenges to prevent spilling over into increased violence. The Heralds, bards, and other specialists have undergone rigorous training to enhance their particular talents, but even so human nature remains obstinately resistant to compromise over issues for which it prefers to blame others. The feuds are eventually resolved but it requires determination and ingenuity. The most interesting is Lackey’s novella, which recasts the story of Romeo and Juliet.
The message that crises might be avoided by the early intervention of well-trained experts is a valuable one that our increasingly polarised world would be wise to heed, as is the warning against human obduracy, mob mentality, and egotistic self-interest.
Reminiscent of the knights of King Arthur, righting wrongs throughout the realm?
Recommended.
November 5, 2024
I have loved the Velgarth/Valdemar universe since I was in high school, so it was such a pleasure to get my hands on the latest anthology collection. The timing of this release has been perfect as I've actually just been going through and doing a chronological re-read of the entire world, this time slotting in all of the full books and the stories from the previous 17 anthologies. I loved being able to jump right in with this during that full re-read.
This anthology has the usual combination of a new Lackey story, returning authors, and brand-new to Velgarth authors. Not every story is itself a 5-star read (due to preferences around writing styles of authors), but none were badly done and preferences come down to personal taste. We revisited characters from previous mini-series (although you can read each story individually without having read any of the prior entries from a given author!) as well as revisited and added to moments from some of my favorite Lackey books. I can't wait for the next installment. Overall I'd rate this a really solid 4.5, but rounding to a 5 star for the sake of the rating system.
This review is based on NetGalley ARC provided in exchange for an honest, unbiased opinion.
This anthology has the usual combination of a new Lackey story, returning authors, and brand-new to Velgarth authors. Not every story is itself a 5-star read (due to preferences around writing styles of authors), but none were badly done and preferences come down to personal taste. We revisited characters from previous mini-series (although you can read each story individually without having read any of the prior entries from a given author!) as well as revisited and added to moments from some of my favorite Lackey books. I can't wait for the next installment. Overall I'd rate this a really solid 4.5, but rounding to a 5 star for the sake of the rating system.
This review is based on NetGalley ARC provided in exchange for an honest, unbiased opinion.
October 4, 2024
I discovered the magical world of Valdemar over 30 years ago and I've loved it ever since.
I started off with the Gryphon books (Black, White & Silver) and have read nearly every book that Mercedes Lackey (and others) have written about this wondrous place.
I haven't visited Valdemar for a few years so I was really looking forward to stepping back into my favourite world. And this anthology sure did not disappoint. A few of the stories even moved me to tears.
My favourite story of course was the last one, by Mercedes Lackey herself. Vanyel has been the stand out character for me across all fantasy books I've ever read. The Last Herald-Mage trilogy is my go to when I want to lose myself. It was like meeting old friends to find Vanyel and Yfandes working together with his aunt Savil and Kellan.
I certainly recommend this anthology to anyone who loves a good fantasy escape.
Thank you to NetGalley and DAW for the digital ARC. All opinions are my own.
I started off with the Gryphon books (Black, White & Silver) and have read nearly every book that Mercedes Lackey (and others) have written about this wondrous place.
I haven't visited Valdemar for a few years so I was really looking forward to stepping back into my favourite world. And this anthology sure did not disappoint. A few of the stories even moved me to tears.
My favourite story of course was the last one, by Mercedes Lackey herself. Vanyel has been the stand out character for me across all fantasy books I've ever read. The Last Herald-Mage trilogy is my go to when I want to lose myself. It was like meeting old friends to find Vanyel and Yfandes working together with his aunt Savil and Kellan.
I certainly recommend this anthology to anyone who loves a good fantasy escape.
Thank you to NetGalley and DAW for the digital ARC. All opinions are my own.
October 25, 2024
Thank you to NetGalley and DAW for an Advanced Reader’s Copy in exchange for an honest review.
This was, rather by accident, my first introduction to Lackey’s intricate fantasy world of Valdemar. The anthology covers a number of stories, written by twenty-two different authors, including a novella from Lackey herself at the very end. Each story is based on a feud happening someone in Valdemar or one of its neighboring countries, mostly between rival families or students studying at the Collegium.
Pacing was excellent throughout the entire anthology – most of the stories were of similar lengths, and none of the narratives felt like they were dragging. Each was action packed and showed a depth of emotion and character. After the first few, I had a good grasp on the world and the roles of all the Heralds, Companions, and Bards. I’d love to go back and read all of her work in the future.
This was, rather by accident, my first introduction to Lackey’s intricate fantasy world of Valdemar. The anthology covers a number of stories, written by twenty-two different authors, including a novella from Lackey herself at the very end. Each story is based on a feud happening someone in Valdemar or one of its neighboring countries, mostly between rival families or students studying at the Collegium.
Pacing was excellent throughout the entire anthology – most of the stories were of similar lengths, and none of the narratives felt like they were dragging. Each was action packed and showed a depth of emotion and character. After the first few, I had a good grasp on the world and the roles of all the Heralds, Companions, and Bards. I’d love to go back and read all of her work in the future.
November 21, 2024
Feuds is an anthology of short stories. Unsurprisingly, feuds are the over arching theme. I was quite surprised with the variety of feud types. They ranged from friendly rivalries to undisputed enemies. While most resolved in a manor for the better, there were some darker stories. Some of my favorites were The Price of Anger by Brigid Collins, Trade is Trade by Fiona Patton, and The Ballad of Northfrost by Phaedra Weldon. I was most excited for the new Vanyel and Savil story Uncivil Blood. It’s a Romeo and Juliet retelling and written in the most delightful way. I have long been attached to Vanyel and Savil and I was not disappointed. While I feel having read her other Valdemar books would be helpful it is in no way a requirement to enjoy Feuds.
I received an advance reader copy and am leaving this review of my own volition.
I received an advance reader copy and am leaving this review of my own volition.
February 6, 2025
Good but Repetitive-
Ugh. I mean, I guess it's literally the title, but reading the same plot line over and over... After finishing the book over the course of a few weeks, the only two stories I actually enjoyed were the one about the clock makers and the Herald with a knife in his back.
As for Misty's story.... Oy. I LOVE her writing. But it's getting ridiculously repetitive at this point. (Or maybe it just felt that way after the endless feud plots.) The Romeo & Juliet story was already covered in the "Violetta affair" with Mags. I was happy to hang out with Savil & Vanyel again, and Savil knowing the Hardorn Ambassador was a bit amusing, but.... I'm ready for some originality back please!
Cue the next Gryphon of Light, although I'm a little afraid we're going to start off the next book with yet another senseless feud. 🙄
Ugh. I mean, I guess it's literally the title, but reading the same plot line over and over... After finishing the book over the course of a few weeks, the only two stories I actually enjoyed were the one about the clock makers and the Herald with a knife in his back.
As for Misty's story.... Oy. I LOVE her writing. But it's getting ridiculously repetitive at this point. (Or maybe it just felt that way after the endless feud plots.) The Romeo & Juliet story was already covered in the "Violetta affair" with Mags. I was happy to hang out with Savil & Vanyel again, and Savil knowing the Hardorn Ambassador was a bit amusing, but.... I'm ready for some originality back please!
Cue the next Gryphon of Light, although I'm a little afraid we're going to start off the next book with yet another senseless feud. 🙄
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 18, 2025
Ain’t That A Kick In The Head!
TalesValdemar18
These stories are all about connections, and feuds are twisted connections. Some of them, I skipped over initially, as being too taxing - feuds are stressful!
But, the stories are brilliant, brutal and bruising. Some are interconnected with previous tales in other anthologies, and thus share continuing characters.
There are now ages to Valdemar, the world stretched to anchors in times and places, that give a richness to these outings.
Some bear rereading; the tension so finely crafted, that all one could do was hang on to the end, nuances be damned. I want to go back for the nuances.
And a trilogy I have yet to read - that of Vanyel, the last Herald-Mage - was evoked in the last offering, by Mercedes Lackey. Such a treat.
TalesValdemar18
These stories are all about connections, and feuds are twisted connections. Some of them, I skipped over initially, as being too taxing - feuds are stressful!
But, the stories are brilliant, brutal and bruising. Some are interconnected with previous tales in other anthologies, and thus share continuing characters.
There are now ages to Valdemar, the world stretched to anchors in times and places, that give a richness to these outings.
Some bear rereading; the tension so finely crafted, that all one could do was hang on to the end, nuances be damned. I want to go back for the nuances.
And a trilogy I have yet to read - that of Vanyel, the last Herald-Mage - was evoked in the last offering, by Mercedes Lackey. Such a treat.
December 4, 2024
This is a short story collection in Mercedes Lackey's world of Valdemar. While I have a few of the books in that series and have wanted to read them for a long time, reading this just made me want to pull them closer to the top of my huge TBR pile. Only one story in this anthology was written by Lackey, but they all made me want more of that wonderful world! A few parts were a little confusing, but not enough to ruin any of it. I enjoyed my time reading this anthology. Definitely recommend this if you've read any of her Valdemar books, and if you haven't, be warned, you'll be buying up her books to read them! 😉
Thanks to DAW and Netgalley for an ARC of this book. These opinions are my own thoughts!
Thanks to DAW and Netgalley for an ARC of this book. These opinions are my own thoughts!
January 7, 2025
Glimpses of Valdemar
If you are familiar with the land of Valdemar you will enjoy this anthology. If not I suggest you read some of the early books first to become knowledgeable about this great land. I enjoyed the anthology story written by M. Lackey. It was up to her usual talent, interesting and a fun ending. Most of the other stories were not as good. Some were continuations of stories found in previous anthologies which I vaguely remembered. My other disappointment was that there weren't enough stories with Heralds as the main character. Too many of Bards and others found in Valdemar society. I wasn't as interested in finishing the book quickly as I usually am. Good book for Valdemar fans but not quite as fun to read.
If you are familiar with the land of Valdemar you will enjoy this anthology. If not I suggest you read some of the early books first to become knowledgeable about this great land. I enjoyed the anthology story written by M. Lackey. It was up to her usual talent, interesting and a fun ending. Most of the other stories were not as good. Some were continuations of stories found in previous anthologies which I vaguely remembered. My other disappointment was that there weren't enough stories with Heralds as the main character. Too many of Bards and others found in Valdemar society. I wasn't as interested in finishing the book quickly as I usually am. Good book for Valdemar fans but not quite as fun to read.
November 5, 2024
This latest anthology set in the Author's Valdemar series has numerous contributors
- some very good , some good and some just so so........ It's all a matter of preference
I have read all the original books in this well loved world , including the latest which introduces
the "companions" to the world ........... so it was easy to dip into these short tales featuring the
Heralds and their Companions and those featuring Bards
I will say that it is a better anthology than the previous one in which I felt that some of the stories
could have been written in any world but Valdemar .
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own
- some very good , some good and some just so so........ It's all a matter of preference
I have read all the original books in this well loved world , including the latest which introduces
the "companions" to the world ........... so it was easy to dip into these short tales featuring the
Heralds and their Companions and those featuring Bards
I will say that it is a better anthology than the previous one in which I felt that some of the stories
could have been written in any world but Valdemar .
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own
December 27, 2024
This is the eighteenth anthology of stories set in Lackey's beloved Valdemar universe. This reviewer has loved and enjoyed these collections for many years and this newest anthology does not disappoint. For this and many readers, each volume is a chance to catch up and spend time with good friends and meet some new characters. It's a feel-good collection, and an anticipated one. Yes, even this year when the general theme of the stories is about feuds. It's impossible for this Reviewer to choose one story, a copy will be added to the bookshelf where they will be reread and enjoyed.
I received an eARC of this title from NetGalley in exchange for a review.
I received an eARC of this title from NetGalley in exchange for a review.
May 15, 2025
This is the 18th anthology collection, companion stories set in the larger Velgarth world of the Valdemar saga. The stories are authored by a variety of authors, including Mercedes Lackey. The stories are a mix of standalone pieces and continuations of miniseries that run between anthologies. The stories are all centered on the theme of feuds, following previous themed collections in the Tales of Valdemar anthology series. While these probably could be enjoyed as one-off reads, for the best enjoyment, I would suggest starting with the first of the anthologies and reading from there. I enjoyed that there were several stories that dealt with Bards, as they aren't as often the focus of the books and stories within the Valdemar saga.
October 28, 2024
I enjoyed this anthology edited by Mercedes Lackey. The short stories all take place in Valdemar, a country in the series of the same name by Mercedes Lackey. Each of the stories involve a conflict that ultimately is settled, usually through the intervention of a Herald, their Companion or a Bard or other trainee. While the overall quality of these stories are good, individual quality varies a bit but definitely worth reading if you are a fan of the Valdemar series! Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for providing an ARC in return for an honest review.
October 31, 2024
With thanks to Netgalley and the publishers.
Feuds is another excellent addition to the anthologies of Valdemar. Yet again, I was able to slip into the stories and adventures of characters that have become firm favourites and who I hope will become old friends that I can continue to visit frequently.
While feuds are the central theme some feature characters we have met in previous anthologies and continue to expand their stories which for me, is gratifying. I enjoy discovering more about them.
An enjoyable read which made it far too easy to stay up late reading!
Feuds is another excellent addition to the anthologies of Valdemar. Yet again, I was able to slip into the stories and adventures of characters that have become firm favourites and who I hope will become old friends that I can continue to visit frequently.
While feuds are the central theme some feature characters we have met in previous anthologies and continue to expand their stories which for me, is gratifying. I enjoy discovering more about them.
An enjoyable read which made it far too easy to stay up late reading!
December 11, 2024
Great stories
Since introduced to books about the world of Valdemar decades ago, I have loved it and all the characters found therein. This anthology does not disappoint. I see characters written by talented authors returning from previous anthologies. These could be, should be compiled into their own standalone novels, especially stories about Haven's Watch, and the tales of the twins, a male Herald and female Bard. Bravo to Mercedes Lackey for opening up her super interesting and expansive world in this way in order to keep these stories going.
Since introduced to books about the world of Valdemar decades ago, I have loved it and all the characters found therein. This anthology does not disappoint. I see characters written by talented authors returning from previous anthologies. These could be, should be compiled into their own standalone novels, especially stories about Haven's Watch, and the tales of the twins, a male Herald and female Bard. Bravo to Mercedes Lackey for opening up her super interesting and expansive world in this way in order to keep these stories going.
September 30, 2025
This is the latest in a long series of stories about the fantasy world of Valdemar, its Heralds and their Companions. Although it can be read as a stand-alone, many of the stories are part of their own ongoing continuum and are enhanced by having read the earlier tales.
It's always a pleasure to have new tales of Valdemar for those who have loved the earlier books, but if you are new to this world, I would recommend one of the novels/trilogies as a starting place that immerses you in the atmosphere rather than just giving a little nibble.
It's always a pleasure to have new tales of Valdemar for those who have loved the earlier books, but if you are new to this world, I would recommend one of the novels/trilogies as a starting place that immerses you in the atmosphere rather than just giving a little nibble.
December 29, 2025
Some good, some trite
Some of the stories are fairly good, but an entire book about fighting gets repetitive, especially with the editing decisions. I do not know if Lackey is choosing the authors or even writing the stories under her name anymore, but there are nearly identical paragraphs in 2 different stories. It’s bad enough that there are two riffs on Romeo and Juliet, but to have matching lines is poor editing. The older books are still pretty good, but anything written after Mags (Collegium founding), is very questionable quality.
Some of the stories are fairly good, but an entire book about fighting gets repetitive, especially with the editing decisions. I do not know if Lackey is choosing the authors or even writing the stories under her name anymore, but there are nearly identical paragraphs in 2 different stories. It’s bad enough that there are two riffs on Romeo and Juliet, but to have matching lines is poor editing. The older books are still pretty good, but anything written after Mags (Collegium founding), is very questionable quality.
November 11, 2024
I was lucky enough to get to read this as an ARC. I’ll be buying my own copy too. The Valdemar books will always rate a soft spot in my heart. The theme of this book would be use your words boys and girls! The stories lean towards the Bards this time and that was fun to see. The stories also are mostly feuds not of earth shattering importance except to the people so despite the more serious theme of the stories it does remain a fairly cozy volume if you’re looking for something light.
January 4, 2025
3.5 Back to a more uneven quality of stories but most were good, with Lackey’s the usual stand-out (it is after all, her world). The premise of conflicts/feuds and “everything is better if you work together” I think got a little old after about halfway through. Oh well, nice to get back to Valdemar and hoping for a new trilogy soon (not the gryphons though, yes I know there is a new one just the gryphons are not my favorite characters…).
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