Boundaries

Valdemar (Publication order) #53

by Mercedes Lackey (Editor)

This fifteenth anthology of short stories set in the beloved Valdemar universe features tales by debut and established authors and a brand-new story from Lackey herself.

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.

Genres: Fantasy, Anthologies, Short Stories, Fiction, Adventure, Adult, Magic

368 pages, Paperback

First published December 7, 2021

About the author

Mercedes 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

Reviews

[CatBookMom · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoy so many of the stories in these annual anthologies, especially the ones which are long chains of stories with the same characters - fwiw, most of them are, but some are more 'favorite' than others.

So when this dropped yesterday, I started with "Final Consequences" (Elizabeth Vaughn), about Lady Cera and how she's rebuilding a community, a manor. And then skipped to "A Clutter of Cats" (Elisabeth Waters), about Lena and her Animal Mindspeech friends, human and otherwise. Next up is "The Beating of the Bounds" (Fiona Patton), about the many characters, blood-family and otherwise, who are part of the Haven City Watch.

Yeah, I feel like drawing out the fun, this year. And yeah, I'll probably go back and re-read previous stories in these. Bumping this to 4stars, just because of the extra enjoyment.

[eyes.2c · Rating 3 out of 5]

There were rather fewer than usual stories here that really grabbed me. Liked the first, Tides of War Dylan Bartolommeo, and the last, Boundaries by Mercedes. Otherwise I was mostly underwhelmed. Although a couple would’ve been great starting points for a longer novel. Still us fans will read the collection because it’s Valdemar.

[Katie Mercer · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I was younger I became completely obsessed with Mercedes Lackey - and Valdemar was one of my favourite series/worlds to read. It was honestly really lovely to revisit Valdemar through the lens of other authors writing about it - the writing itself was excellent, and I really liked the new characters. It made me really nostalgic for the earlier books, and I didn't realize how much I've forgotten, so absolutely time for a general re-read. Very much recommend this anthology!

ARC recieved from NetGalley.

[Sean · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tides of War by Dylan Birtolo

Interesting story that made me feel good. I didn't pick up any of the fear or the pain of war. Instead I felt more that it was about finding a new way which fits perfectly with the Valdemar idealology.

A Time for Prayer by Kristin Schwengel

I like the story and I really enjoyed seeing more to do with the Karsite Sunpriests. This shows a different side especially as you generally only saw the rough life of the priests and how they destroy lives.

This show a great aspect of how Sunpriests can be and what they should be. The style of writing wasn't as fluid as I was hoping for but it was solid.

What I really liked is that it seemed that there was a lot of hiding the truth. I found that it was done for good and you saw a strong woman be able to become that much stronger.

The Ghost of the High Hill by Stephanie Shaver

This wasn't for me as it felt that they used something that was good and then warped so it felt wrong. Using Tarma clan just felt wrong and the writing just wasn't for me

Unsavory by Jennifer Brozek

A very simple story that really didn't have a lot of depth however it was a fun story. I would have liked to meet more of the heralds that she wrote about.

Final Consequences by Elizabeth Vaughan

Very interesting story and I love the focus that they use as well. The showing of the healers was also fun to see. I think this was a great story just needed a bit more substance.


Hearts of Made for Mending by Dayle Dermatis

I am confused with this story as doesn't seem to fit together. Not a great story for me.

A Gift of Courage by Anthea Sharp

I really enjoyed this story especially as there is so few stories where you get to really meet Bards. I love that angle and that it is really about love.

I think this is unique story and I think that's the best thing about Valdemar is the different special classes healer , Herald and bars.

Sacrifices of the Heart by Michele Lang

I unfortunately couldn't get through this story and had to skip so that I could read the next story. Just didn't have the feel of the Valdemar that I loved.

They Don't Burn Children by Louisa Swann

This is probably one of the best stories I can feel Riann and her fear as well and I love how this story unfolds. However I think that this story has timeline issues as they talk about change circles and children burning.

That timeline is really off as the change circles were during the time when the Sunpriests were beginning to work with the Valdemaran people and that had been abolished as soon as Solaris came to power.

Out of Bounds by Charlotte E English

Very interesting about a girl who wanted to be chosen. It was too short for my tastes and I wanted to see so much more as I really liked the characters

A Clutter of Cat by Elisabeth Waters
A piece of fluff that really is interesting but didn't bring anything to the world that I love so much.

Ghost Cider by Brigid Collins

Pretty interesting and I loved the twist on the gift of the person. So unusual and I haven't really seen it before in the Valdemar series.

The Beating The Bounds by Fionna Patton

Nice story with a fun character but I don't expect anything else from this author. She is amazing and she makes her characters come to life.

Stepping Up by Angela Penrose

The language for talking was very rough and made it much more difficult for me to follow it. I loved the Mags books that had dialect but this was every more choppy.

The Measure of Imagination by Paige Christie

Not for me was just very flat and dull.

Puppies and Ponies by Phaedra Weldon

Very interesting and it is a good story but really very short and just not as much substance as I was hoping for in the chosen stories.

The Gift of Twins by Brenda Cooper

Another bardic story which is great love seeing this however this one just seemed a bit slow for me and I didn't see much that I would call great. It had some solid characters but that's about it.

No Simple Kyree by Ron Collins

This was a hard story I liked the premise and loved the Kyree but when referencing characters like Darkwinds and Elspeth I get very nervous as it wasn't their creation and could ruin the best characters.

The Upper Air by Terry O'Brien

Fun and love the gryphon story. It is probably one of the top stories however I wanted to see and here more of that gryphon since it's a lot of fun to read from their standpoint

Boundaries by Mercedes Lackey


Nice but I think that it needed a bit more to it as I was a bit confused. The writing style like always was amazing and I did like the main character.

[Sandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed many of the stories in the anthology, some better than others. Very few we’re about heralds or Companions while many were of the common folk who turn out to be special in all kinds of ways. Nice to revisit gryphons, the mysterious Kirstie’s, small villages. Nothing was outstanding but fun reading just the same. I hope a few longer novels are in the works as Valdemar is a wonderful place to spend many hours curled up with a book.

[June · Rating 3 out of 5]

None really stood out for me.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a Valdemar book, I'm always going to read them.

[Eileen Lynx · Rating 3 out of 5]

An anthology of short stories. Some good some ok none were bad.

[Marlene · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally published at Reading Reality

After reading – and loving – Beyond, the opening book in the Founding of Valdemar prequel series, I was reminded of just how much I loved this world, and how many stories it still had to tell. So when Boundaries popped up, it seemed like a good time to see if that good feeling about Valdemar still held up.

Because there are so many stories yet to tell in this world, and Boundaries is the fifteenth book of a long-standing series of Tales of Valdemar told by writers who have fallen in love with this well-developed world and have been given the opportunity to explore a bit of it that has piqued their love and interest.

Some collections I dip into and out of in various places within the collection, looking for stories with certain features or certain characters. And not that I don’t love the Firecats, because cats. There’s a long, long ago Valdemar story where two Firecats, at the end of an adventure, have a taste for “field mice on toast” and are planning to go out and hunt for their field mice, admonishing their human on the way out the door that “Toast will be provided!” And isn’t that just cats all over?

The theme of this collection is, just like it says on the label, boundaries, particularly the boundary between Valdemar and Karse. A border that has been a tense place where two countries with conflicting views on just about everything – magic, religion, freedom and opportunity – observe an uneasy peace that is all too often neither easy or peaceful.

Borders are always interesting places, as they are where unlike things and people rub up against each other with interesting, and occasionally even incendiary, results. As it proves in several of the stories in this collection.

Escape Rating B+: Like all collections, some entries are stronger than others. And some work for more people than others. But it was still wonderful to visit Valdemar and its neighbors again, so I’m happy I picked it up.

My favorite story in the collection is “A Time for Prayer” by Kristin Schwengel as it manages to tell a story that both displays the fear in which the hierarchy of the Sunpriests of Karse is held by most people while at the same time showing the service of the priests at the local level to their communities and the surprising flexibility of how that service is performed. Priests are supposed to be men – and only men – in Karse. And yet this is the story of a woman who has been trained by the previous priest in this little village as his acolyte and who, in spite of all the laws and strictures against it, steps fully into his place upon his death. Who, in spite of her fears is not found wanting by her god, no matter what those who believe they speak in his name might believe.

There are also two lovely stories about healers, “Tides of War” by Dylan Birtolo and “Final Consequences” by Elizabeth Vaughan. The first is about a young soldier during and after his first battle (against Karse, of course!) discovering that in spite of what everyone else thinks, both he and his country would be best served if he became a battlefield medic rather than one of their patients.

While “Final Consequences” takes place far from a battlefield, it tells a lovely story about the life of a healer, the demands on their time, the joy of their work, and the way that their service leads to both a full life and just occasionally, a happy ever after. In a setting where not all battles involve obvious bloodshed.

And of course, last but not least for this reader, there’s a cat story. Not a Firecat story, but a cat story. “A Clutter of Cat” by Elisabeth Waters is just an adorable story, not entirely filled with kitten fluff, about a community centered around the ability to Mindspeak animals – and some of the resistance to that gift. Along with some resistance to the cats who are, after all, just being cats.

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

So, I planned on reading the stories in this ARC one or two at a time for relaxing before sleep. That didn’t last too many nights… I plowed through the remaining stories on night three. There’s a nice mix of continuing stories and new stories, My particular favorite is the continuing story of Lady Cera and her village, I just find that set of stories really enjoyable and she’s very likable. Seriously if life is stressing you out relax with Valdemar books where the good, brave and true will win the day and things are ok. These books are my happy safe place!

[Todd · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun anthology, as always some good or great stories and some can be skipped

There are always a good mix of stories in the anthologies, some good, some great, and a few bad. I still always look forward to reading them as it interesting too see how other authors play in Ms Lackey’s Valdemar.

Tides of War (4/5)
Initially I was concerned with all the puffed up language about the glory to be had in war. The author turned this about, making the main character see in himself the hard side of war. It still may be needed at times in defense of others, but there are other ways to support such things. Using the warrior turned healer’s assistant was a great way to handle this. I was especially pleased at how well his warrior companion didn’t snub or belittle him for his choices either.

A Time for Prayer (5/5)
The Karse stories usually tend to be about the escape of children or others from the red-robed sunpriests before they are fed to fired of Vkandis. I liked that this story was different. An entire village has accepted this acolyte due to the local priest, even after his death was a great concept. That Vkandis would come to her within the ceremonial rites and light the fire was even better.

The Ghost of the High Hills (4/5)
General feel good story and handled well. The only thing I found a little unrealistic, wouldn’t the Companions have suggested looking elsewhere to try and find someone to help Chellan in shielding herself? Even more so, since her own partner came from another community, before sealing themselves off in the middle of nowhere.

Unsavory (4/5)
Another fun story. Shows that even a baker in the Royal Kitchens can have the wherewithal to protect her charges. It doesn’t always require a Herald to root out a plot against the crown.

Final Consequences (5/5)
I have always enjoyed each chapter in the Sandbriar story. It’s a light hearted and fun story explaining the various conditions of life in the realm and does so in a meaningful way.

Hearts Are Made for Mending (3/5)
This was an ok story and I liked that it touched on the hazards a Herald may be exposed to with stress & potential PTSD struggles. The romance between Zan and Maglia was a little too precious for my tastes and somewhat unrealistic, but the rest of the story was quite well done.

A Gift of Courage (1/5)
I have enjoyed chapters of this story in earlier anthologies, but this one was too drawn out. The majority of it could have been handled within two or three pages. There was nothing new to the story or characters that wasn’t already done before. Hopefully this will be he last boring entry for Tarek and Shan.

Sacrifices of the Heart (0/5)
I have never cared for any of the Cloudbrother stories. They aren’t written as if they are part of Valdemar. I have always had the impression that the characters were written for something else, and then forced to fit within the confines of this anthology. Hopefully the author will write about new characters in the future instead of these extremely poor designed knockoffs.

They Don’t Burn Children (1/5)
The obligatory story of a Karse child escaping to Valdemar so they won’t die in the Fires of the Sunpriests. Honestly, a bad story and written so poorly, I thought I was reading the same paragraph over and over, as each sounded similar.

Out of Bounds (4/5)
Though similar types of stories have been written about being Chosen or not Chosen, I enjoyed how this one handled it. I’d be interested to read future chapters about the main character.

A Clutter of Cats (5/5)
The Temple of Thenoth stories are always unique. Always a good time.

Ghost Cider (3/5)
Didn’t care for this one and seemed too drawn out for what it was. The lifebonding premise was poorly handled.

The Beating the Bounds (5/5)
Another fun entry. I always enjoy a new tale about the Dann family and about life in Haven.

Stepping Up (4/5)
A good Bardic story. Bruny was an interesting and multifaceted character.

The Measure of Imagination (3/5)
Ok of a story, but I think the female lead didn’t hold your attention. Character development could have been much better.

Puppies & Ponies (2/5)
A second must escape Karse story. Better then the first from this anthology, but still not a great story. It was predictable and formulaic.

The Gift of Twins (2/5)
I usually like this author’s entry, but this time I didn’t feel like the story did anything to further the development of the characters. They didn’t even handle to ‘Bad’ Bard themselves, just escaped and sent for others to handle it.

No Simple Kyree (3/5)
This was OK story but nothing special either. I could not find myself invested in the characters, maybe because it was too short, or the concept of fighting the Blood Mages was redundant.

The Upper Air (2/5)
Boring. I don’t mind discussions of esoteric concepts, but to suddenly throw a story in about higher realms, without any preface to it didn’t help. The characters were flat and the dialogue weak.

Boundaries (3/5)
A good story, but I feel like it has been told before with similar but different characters.

[Liz (Quirky Cat) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Boundaries is the latest Valdemar series, and once again, readers are regaled with a short story anthology written by those who love the series very much. Honestly, I love that Mercedes Lackey (and the publisher, DAW) allow for this to happen. Not only must it be a delight to fellow authors and fans, but it lets the world become a little bit bigger each and every time. For those that are curious, this makes the fifteenth anthology in the series.

In this anthology, you'll find the following short stories: Tides of War by Dylan Birtolo, A Time for Prayer by Kristin Schwengel, The Ghost of the High Hill by Stephanie Shaver, Unsavory by Jennifer Brozek, Final Consequences by Elizabeth Vaughan, Hearts of Made for Mending by Dayle Dermatis, A Gift of Courage by Anthea Sharp, Sacrifices of the Heart by Michele Lang, They Don't Burn Children by Louisa Swann, Out of Bounds by Charlotte E English, A Clutter of Cats by Elisabeth Waters, Ghost Cider by Brigid Collins, The Beating The Bounds by Fionna Patton, Stepping Up by Angela Penrose, The Measure of Imagination by Paige Christie, Puppies and Ponies by Phaedra Weldon, The Gift of Twins by Brenda Cooper, No Simple Kyree by Ron Collins, The Upper Air by Terry O'Brien, and Boundaries by Mercedes Lackey.

For the first time in a long time, I forgot to take notes while reading this anthology. So you'll have to forgive me, but my review will be on the overall tone and theme of the collection (there are too many for me to remember the fine details without assistance).

Boundaries is yet another delightful collection of so many different stories from the world of Valdemar. The anthologies are something I always delight in reading if I'm being completely honest. They are just so well-suited to the world. Or is it the other way around?

My favorite stories included A Time for Prayer, A Clutter of Cats (no surprise there), and Boundaries. I enjoyed many others, but those are the three that keep coming to mind every time I stop to think about this anthology.

Thanks to DAW Books and #NetGalley for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Read more reviews over at Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks

[Andrea Rittschof · Rating 5 out of 5]

Riveting

This fifteenth anthology of short stories set in the beloved Valdemar universe features tales by debut and established authors and a brand-new story from Lackey herself.




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.

Every time that I read an anthology or book about Valdemar, I fall in love again just like I did with the first book in the series. “Boundaries” is no exception. I find myself immersed in a world unlike any other in fantasy full of interesting characters, dramatic stories, and diverse talents. Every character, no matter the author, brings you into the universe of Mercedes Lackey and makes you want to read more. 

I think one of the reasons I love this particular anthology is that it is paced in such a way to keep you reading. Every story makes you want to read more and every character makes me fall in love with them. Normally I would look at a few examples but this anthology is so strong and so riveting overall, that I just recommend it to anyone who loves fantasy. You don’t have to know the world to enjoy it, you will find yourself delving further in without wasting a breath. For fans of Mercedes Lackey, you couldn’t ask for a better anthology of stories.

Rating: 5 out of 5 characters.

[Samantha Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall a really enjoyable collection of short stories, featuring a lot of the types of people, different times and places from the Valdemar books. There are Heralds and Companions (of course), Healers, Bards, Guards, Gryphons, Karsites, change circles, Kyree, Hertasti, Shina'ain (sorry if I spell that wrong!)etc and others - plenty to enjoy if you love Valdemar.
For anyone who is new to the series these anthologies tend to have many stories that follow on (or begin) in other books of the anthology series, so it's best to start reading from the beginning ( as in book 1 - this is book 15) so you don't get confused. Some of the stories that started many anthologies ago seem to have their final part in this book (like possibly the one about Bard Shandara and her friends, and the one about Lady Cera of Sandbriar. I hope it's not the end as I look forward to this set of stories, but it works as an end). Some are continuations (the Dann family, the story about Tieg who wants to be a guard, Nwah the Kyree, and others like the Clutter of Cats story, the shepherdess bard), some are the beginnings of completely new stories that look like they'll continue in the next book, and some are stand alone stories like the one by Misty herself (Boundaries). One of the stronger Anthologies, and I really liked it.

[Angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5. I enjoyed the anthology for the most part. I'm still invested in Lady Cera, and liked seeing how things were going for the Watchman in Haven stories. They're characters that have come a long way throughout the anthologies and I'm happy seeing how things have improved or turned out for them. The animal mindspeaker story is still progressing but not too much really happened this time around compared to in the other anthologies. There are a few older characters that I'm missing still such as Herald Wil as well as Herald Jors. Jors hasn't been seen in ages so it would've been nice to have him around again. As for Wil I can understand why he wasn't around but at the same time a cameo would've been nice. Overall I was happy with the anthology and look forward to the next one.

[Jenna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love Mercedes Lackey, which is why I decided to check this book out. Unfortunately, this was my first time reading one of her anthologies, and I did not like it at all. A majority of the stories were well-written and interesting and got me immediately invested. That was the problem, though. I got invested, and then it cut off for a new story without the satisfaction of a conclusion or even a climax in some cases. I wonder if previous ones had the same characters, but for a first-time reader of the anthologies, some felt like they just jumped in. Overall I think this type of book, with each chapter a different story, is not for me. As I love this world, I will keep reading the full books in the series and skip the anthologies for now.

[Kristen (belles_bookshelves) · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Whatever you seek, it won't come in the form you expect."

Tides of war: siblings Taelor and Eranel fight Karsites
A time for prayer:a female acolyte of the sunlord pretends to be a man
The ghost of high hills: woman’s spirit separated from her body
Unsavory: cooking
Final consequences: Cera adopts gareth as her heir
Hearts are made for mending: herald has ptsd and works in the stables
A gift of courage: Tarek (healer) proposes to Shan
Sacrifices of the heart: Sparrow and Cloudbrother
They don’t burn children: Rian escape Karse with a baby
Out of bounds: Companion comes for servant Libet, Mariana thought it was hers
A clutter of cats: Lena with the animal mind speech, Tansy rescues kittens
Ghost cider: Harper and a ghost
The beating the bounds: father/ son, tavern
Stepping up: Bruny starting at bardic college
A measure of imagination: Teig joining the Guard
Puppies & ponies: Harris accused of witchcraft by his wife
A gift of twins: Rhiannon and Dionne
No simple kyree: Darkwind training Nwah
The upper air: gryphons
Boundaries: herald Lagan and companion Hal at Karse border

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the past, a new Valdemar anthology has caused me to go back and reread the others. Not so much with this one:
-One of these stories was the denouement for an entire arc that took place across several of the anthologies, while I was glad to see things resolved, there was no actual story and it made no sense on it's own.
-Another story that continued characters from other anthologies was definitely not up to the previous stories (though at least it had it's own plot).

Other stories were at least moderately interesting and could stand alone as short stories, but not up to the standards of the previous volumes.

[Sara Harrison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Any collection of short stories is always a grab bag--there will be some that are excellent, and some that are not so good. Who thinks which are which is the fun of discussion. Mercedes Lackey has collected a huge number of fans over the decades, including many fellow authors. And some of these authors are privileged enough to be invited to participate in her worlds. Their delight in her magic, settings, and characters is evident.

My personal favorites tend to be the stories that focus on the "regular" people of Valdemar. The running saga of the Dann clan, Watchemen of the city of Haven, are an especial delight.

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

What I love about anthologies is the ability to enjoy numerous different storytellers and their creations.

This time it felt as if some of the "continuations" from the prior 14 editions have begun to stretch to create new stories. This isn't to say that I didn't enjoy them, but they didn't feel as rich as the prior stories about the same characters. The newer contributors had rich texture feel to them as they introduced new ideas into the Valdemar world.

Having read Valdemar since the late 1980s, it is one of the few series that have continued to be a relaxing read throughout all this time. I appreciated the clear diversity of characters then and even more so now.

[annapi · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the 15th anthology of Valdemar short stories and it's as usual, the mediocre ones balancing out the good ones to average 3 stars. I noticed that many of the tales here felt cut short, as if the writer wrote something longer but it was edited to fit into the anthology. Certainly more than a handful left me wanting more. Lackey's own story is as usual the best one, though Fiona Patton's series featuring the Dann family give her a run for her money and really ought to be collected into a book on its own.

[Kylie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I do not have enough superlatives to describe how much I enjoyed the stories in this book; each story a jewel in the crown that is the world of Valdemar. This anthology offers superb writing, new stories and characters, and subsequently, new ways to enjoy Valdemar.

Dip into the latest anthology and enjoy a few stories at a time or gorge on the entire book in one sitting, either way your enjoyment is assured.

With thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for my ARC.

[Glennis · Rating 4 out of 5]

The annual anthology of Valdemar stories brings back several writers from the last few years to continue working on storylines they have going in this setting. It was nice to see the continuation of these characters and not have them in peril. The final story is by Mercedes, and it is a standalone story with a Herald in Karse. For the most part the collection is entertaining and if you are happy visiting different settings in the Valdemar universe then you will be happy to read this one.


Digital review copy provided by the publisher through Edelweiss

[greeneyes9999 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great short stories by new authors!

I really adore anything by Mercedes Lackey! I love that she has opened up her realm to include new authors who grew up reading about her Heralds and Companions! All the stories were well written and didn’t leave you frustrated. I greatly loved her short story at the end of the book. These Tales Books in this series are perfect for fitting in a little reading enjoyment in a busy day! Enjoy!

[Amanda Rogers · Rating 5 out of 5]

As always, Ms Lackey sets forth another anthology in the Valdemar series that is both connective and engaging. Comprised of many stories, each taking place in different areas and times but all touching on Valdemar or it's neighboring kingdoms.

I found all the stories relevant and entertaining. Many of them I could identify familiar characters from stories in previous anthologies and that made them more enjoyable.
I cannot reccomend this book and this series highly enough.

[Jessica Patzer · Rating 3 out of 5]

My review is broken into pieces following each individual story in the order I read them in. I only read two stories from this anthology.

“The Gift of Twins” by Brenda Cooper: I liked this one alright. Untrained Bard vs Trained Bard. I doubt Lisue was evil, but yeah, definitely had issues, that one.

“Final Consequences” by Elizabeth A. Vaughan: Lady Cera finally has herself all settled, with an heir and a husband. Good finish to a nice little miniseries.

[Kmleeh · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent addition to the world of Valdemar. I always enjoy when authors can dip their ink and pen into another author's world and this collection of stories make revisiting Valdemar through the eyes of others a fun experience. From everyday people living in that world to heroes you have heard of before, these stories really bring the world to life.

[Margie · Rating 5 out of 5]

The imagination of Mercedes Lackey is just breath-taking. Her world of Valdemar is full of characters who are brave, strong, smart and good-hearted. I really like the whole premise of this world. This is a great addition to Ms. Lackey's anthology series. The guest authors tell some wonderful tales.

I received an ARC and this is my honest review.

[Jo Oehrlein · Rating 3 out of 5]

A gryphon story, a Dann city guard story, a Cera of Sandbriar story (what do you call a baby Chirra?), a Sparrow and Cloudbrother story, and more. This has the continuing sagas of the people we've learned to know in earlier anthologies.

I think PTSD featured strongly in 2 stories. Two stories with suncats.

[Anna Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great anthology in the Valdemar world, these boundaries aren't just physical but also metaphysical, mental, spiritual, and so much more. Many are further glimpses into characters from previous books, just like old friends that you haven't seen in awhile, always great to catch up.

Some interesting new authors, will need to find some of their other works.