author : Mercedes Lackey

Tells the tale of the pre-(Valdemar)-historic war between the mages Urtho and Ma'ar, which finally ended in a Cataclysm

The survivors of the Cataclysm have found a sanctuary, but must now make peace with the local rulers. A series of murders makes this difficult, since Skandranon is the main suspect.

Tadrith, son of the gryphons Skandranon and Zhaneel, and Silverblade, daughter of the humans Amberdrake and Winterhart, are feeling smothered living in their famous parents' shadows in the cliff city of White Gryphon. So when their first posting as Silvers, to a far-away outpost, comes through, they are delighted: freedom at last! But they never make it that far: something drains away their magic, and they crash, injured, lost, and unable to call for help, in a deep forest, stalked by an unknown enemy. Are their parents' worst fears for their safety about to become reality?

The Silver Gryphon is essentially a rites-of-passage story; unlike many such, the protagonists start out fully trained and competent, but they do still have some conflicts to be resolved, with themselves, with each other, but mainly with their parents. And, naturally, the peril in which they find themselves helps them to do this.

The multiple viewpoints, a feature I have complained about in the past, are handled much better here. There aren't too many changes, given the restricted cast, and when there are, the linking is smooth enough that the change didn't jar me out of the story. I found the ending a little rushed, and just a little too easy, but on the whole this was an enjoyable read.

Lavan Firestorm's tale

Various Tarma and Kethry short stories have appeared in print, scattered mainly through Marion Zimmer Bradley's Sword and Sorceress anthologies. Here they are collected together for the first time, along with two new stories. Some of the stories are quite slight, others are amusing, and one at least is essential reading for Tarma and Kethry fans: "Sword-sworn" tells how it all began.

Contents (possible spoilers)

• Sword-sworn. 1985

How Tarma became Sword-sworn after the massacre of her clan, how she met Kethry and her geas-sword Need, and how they became she'enedra. An uncommon "rape and revenge" tale.

• A Tale of Heroes. 1987

The duo arrive just too late to slay a human-eating monster themselves, but need to rescue a chambermaid from the monstrous 'hero'.

• Keys. 1988

Kethry must unravel a locked-room mystery while Tarma faces trial by combat.

• The Making of a Legend. 1990

Leslac finally catches up with the mercenary duo, in order to record one of their heroic deeds firsthand. But not all deeds are the stuff of ballad.

• The Talisman. 1990

Kethry meets an old schoolmate who, tragically, has never accepted that magic requires hard work, not special talismans.

• Wings of Fire. 1991

The duo fight a sorceress who wants to enslave a Hawkbrother's firebirds.

• A Woman's Weapon. 1992

Tarma and Kethry intervene in a dispute between two Master Tanners.

• Friendly Fire. 1993

The tale of a bad-luck charm.

• Turnabout. 1986

The (slightly different) story behind Bard Leslac's song Threes, telling how Tarma, Kethry and the kyree Warrl (here referred to as a wolf) defeat a gang of pack train bandits, and wreak a poetically just revenge on the leader.

• Spring Plowing at Forst Reach. 1998

Tarma, Jodi and Beaker travel to Valdemar to train, or rather, gentle, horses the Shin'a'in way.

• Oathblood. 1998

Kethry's oldest daughter Jadrie swears blood oath with the twins Kira and Meri. Kethry thinks she is too young to know the seriousness of the oath, but events soon prove otherwise.

Herald Alberich's tale

The story of how Karsite Captain Alberich was Chosen, became the Herald's Weaponsmaster, and fought in the Tedrel wars that saw Selenay become Queen.

Another book filling in the backstory of Valdemar. Alberich is Chosen right at the start, so we get straight into Heralds and trianing. It's mainly from Alberich's viewpoint, so is nicely focussed, and has some interesting twists on things that we know will happen from the Talia stories. A good account of an honorable man struggling to retain his honour in compliated circumstances (although slightly marred by the fact that he figures out how to do so without compromise).

The second part of Herald Alberich's tale is set during the early part of Seleny's reign, where she struggles to cope with the loss of her father, and then her disasterous marriage to Karath.

Told mostly from Alberich's viewpoint, and partly from Seleny's, this again offers some interesting details on the backstory known from the Talia tales. It has more of Alberich's counter-espionage activities, and a suprising love interest. Knowing who the villain really is, and knowing that he won't be uncovered (at least yet!) diffuses some of the tension, but also allows for some knowing little winks at the way people are being decieved.

Skif's tale

This fills in the backstory of how ex-thief Herald Skif was Chosen. About the first two-thirds show him training to be a thief, and the series of tragedies that befall him. Then, once chosen, he and Alberich team up to expose a slaving ring.

This is mostly of interest if you've already read the Talia trilogy. Otherwise some of the sly little references to a major villan will lose their significance, and some of the backstory details will be missed. And it's pleasantly free of some of the problems of late 1990s Lackey books: too many viewpoints, and too many preachy internal monologues.

Kerowyn's tale

This links Tarma and Kethry's story with the Heralds of Valdemar: Kerowyn is Kethry's granddaughter, and this is her story of how she ends up in Valdemar.

Although only a single book (if fat), it reads like it was planned as a trilogy. I think it would have been better as one; it's a bit rushed in places. However, it does mean all the action is packed in well, and the single viewpoint makes it flow well.

A series of inexplicable Mage Storms are sweeping Valdemar. Karal, a young Karsite priest, and various other characters, form an uneasy Alliance in Valdemar, to try and solve the problem of the Storms before they destroy their world.

The Mage Storms are getting worse. The story is told from four main viewpoints: Karal trying to be taken seriously as Karse Ambassador, An'desha coming to terms with his memories and his magic, Firestorm having problems with An'desha's remoteness, and Tremane trying to consolidate his position in Hardorn.

The desperate measures taken at the end of Storm Rising have abated the Cataclysm echo storms for a while, giving everyone a breathing space to consolidate, and prepare for the final trial.

The story structure has three parallel strands: Karal in Urtho's Tower, Elspeth in Hardorn, and Heir Melles in the Empire. Yet again, I found this plot style very off-putting. Multiple strand plots can work: in some of David Weber's Honor Harrington novels, for example, at times the viewpoint can flicker back and forth at the paragraph level. The trick there is to have the various sub-plots illuminate and give depth to the main one. But here, the strands truly are parallel; they never really meet, and there is no main focus. Maybe in an attempt to tell a more complex tale, too many characters get their own time on stage for their own little stories, and nothing gels. This doesn't have to be the case: the 'Queen's Own' trilogy has many very memorable characters, but their stories support Talia's, rather than detracting from it. For example, Elspeth as a character is to me much more real from that trilogy than from the Mage Winds or this Mage Storms ones, even though she has a much greater role in the latter.

And again, the resolution is just too easy.

Has Mercedes Lackey forgotten how to plot? Too much turgid, tedious build-up, to a decidedly unsatisfactory 'climax' that disappointingly fizzled out in a few pages.

Tal Rufen, a constable, High Bishop Ardis, a Justiciar Mage, and Vysir, a Haspur birdman, are hunting a gruesome serial killer. Yawn. We get four viewpoints -- a few chapters of each character, but never building to any real climax, and then swapping to another viewpoint, which starts building background all over again. The structure put me in mind of a joke...

...but this wasn't as funny. And those little italicised internal monologues that show a character's state of mind, which were used sparingly and worked rather well in earlier books, are now becoming ubiquitous, preachy, and irritating.

A retelling of Beauty and the Beast, set in 1905 California, where 'Beast', Jason Cameron, is a fire magician who is stuck half-transformed into a wolf, and 'Beauty', Rosalind (Rose) Hawkins, is a medieval scholar he employs to help him with the research he needs to transform himself back.

I enjoyed reading it, and found it a good page turner, but felt it was strangely unsatisfying once I had finished it. What's there is done well, but there are some guns carefully placed on the wall that either fail to go off at all, or go off with only a small pop. (The Chinese magician carefully warns Rose that the drugs might give her vivid bad dreams, but we hear no more about this; du Mond's massive betrayal seems to have no importance except as a minor plot device to get Rose into the wrong place at the wrong time; and the earthquake is rather underused.)

reimagining "Snow White"

reimagining "Sleeping Beauty"

reimagining "Cinderella"

reimagining "The Snow Queen"

reimagining "Puss in Boots"

The city of Merina is rich and undefended, and falls prey to the conquering Emperor Balthasar, his dark mage Apolon, and his heir Leopold. The dowager queen Adele, her daughter queen Lydana, and the heir Shelyra surrender the city to save it from destruction, but go underground to fight back against the conquerors.

Ho hum. I said the Eight Dreadful Words on page 179, and stopped reading, when I got too bored just waiting for something to happen. By this stage we've had lots of background introductory material, on the three Merinan women, the three enemy men, and various other 'colourful' characters. But that's all we've had (apart from a little heavy-handed foreshadowing about evil gems), it's nearly half-way into the book, and I'm bored.

Maybe the problem is that each of the three writers has provided one book's worth of build-up, all lumped together? Or maybe the problem is that I don't like the kind of plot structure where things get worse, and worse, and worse, and ... until, finally, the characters do something. Maybe the writers are trying to draw a picture of a situation so bad that even the 'ordinary' folk will revolt; I'm just sitting there saying "what are you waiting for: fight back, dammit!"

Ilya Ivanovitch is one of eight hulking sons of a minor Russian Tsar. The father is a greedy, brutish man who is afraid his sons will band together to overthrow him, so encourages them to fight against each other instead. Ilya seems to be the only one of the eight who has any brains, and he longs to be out of his miserable situation. But when he catches sight of the mythical Firebird visiting his father's orchard, his luck just gets worse. Eventually he is forced to leave home, and goes in search of adventure. Naturally, he comes across an evil sorceror who is holding captive a beautiful enchanted princess. Ilya resolves to rescue her, but needs the Firebird to help him in his quest.

The Russian mythology and history seem to be captured well here, although in some places the decriptive detail reads more like a shopping list or catalogue than a story. And that story is very slow to get going. It is more than halfway through the book before Ilya even leaves home, and yet the denoument is crammed into the last few pages.

Ilya himself is well drawn, but doesn't evoke my sympathy, despite, I suspect, the best efforts of the author. He is certainly very put upon, bullied by his brothers, despised by the servants. But it is made quite clear that he in no timid weakling, and has more brains than the rest put together, so one might feel he could have managed rather better than he does. And all the other characters, even the all-important Firebird, are disappointingly peripheral and two dimensional. However, it is good to see a hero using his wits, and in a rather unconventional manner, rather than just brute stength, to win the day.

A variable collection of Lackey's non-Valdemar short fiction, some stand-alone, some set in 'sharecropped' universes and themed anthologies. (My favorite is "Last Rights".) It includes two stories about the mage Mertis and her bodyguard Lyran, that could have some potential if expanded into a novel.

Contents (possible spoilers)

• How I Spent My Summer Vacation. 1998

(essay)

• Aliens Ate My Pickup. 1998

A canny farmer is visited by aliens.

• Small Print. 1994

Read the small print if you make a pact with the Devil, especially if you are a Fundamentalist preacher.

• Last Rights. 1993

Animal Liberationists Free the Dinosaurs. But what if the dinosaurs don't understand the rules?

• Dumb Feast. 1993

A Victorian widower is pining for his dead wife. But when he finally Summons her, she isn't quite as he remembered.

• Dance Track. 1989

Alternate history: Isadora Duncan as a racing driver.

• Jihad. 1993

Alternate history: Lawrence of Arabia wins.

• Balance. 1988

Martis the mage is unimpressed with her new bodyguard Lyran, but needs is help with an old pupil gone rogue.

• Dragon's Teeth. 1988

Martis and Lyran travel to Lyosten, where the magic seems out of control.

• The Cup and the Cauldron. 1992

The old Celtic ways and the newly arrived Christianity have something in common after all.

• Once and Future. 1995

A modern day Pendragon is offered the chance to Save the World.

• Fiddler Fair. 1989

(Originally written for Andre Norton's Magic in Ithkar anthology; later fixed up as an episode in The Lark and the Wren.) Rune competes for a place in the male-dominated Minstrel's Guild.

• The Enemy of My Enemy. 1989

(From Robert Adams' Friends of the Horseclans anthology.) The last remaining gypsies meet the Horseclans, and the 'Dirteater' settlers.

Another collection of Lackey's short fiction (one set in her Valdemar universe), some stand-alone, some set in 'sharecropped' universes and themed anthologies.

The four stories about SKitty have a slightly old-fashioned air -- one could imagine them fixed up into a pleasing 1950s-esque space opera novel. (They also don't read too well one after the other, because of the scene-setting recapitulations in the later ones.) My favorite story is "Operation Desert Fox", set in the Bolo universe. This despite the fact there is a Valdemar story here -- of Alberich's being Chosen. Lackey says this is the only Valdemar short story she has done, because she hates "to waste a good idea on something as small as a short story" -- and I think she's right; the novel (or maybe even trilogy) is her best length (but only when she makes that length up from incidents concerning the main protagonist, not when padding with too many subordinate stories).

Contents (possible spoilers)

• Werehunter. 1987

(Set in Andre Norton's Witch World universe.) Glenda is offered escape from her intolerable life, into a world where she is a were-leopard. Her life gets much better, until the villagers put a werehunter on her trail.

• Nightside. 1989

Urban witch Diana Tregard and her vampire lover Andre must stop a soul-killer.

• SKitty. 1991

Dick White and his gene-tailored shipscat SKitty solve a trading problem on Lacu'un

• A Tail of Two SKitties. 1994

Dick White and SKitty foil a hostile takeover bid

• SCat. 1996

Dick White discovers where SKitty's mate came from

• A Better Mousetrap. 1999

Dick White discovers that not everyone on Lacu'un likes shipscats

• The Last of the Season. 1994

A paedophile chooses the wrong victim

• Satanic, Versus .... 1990

Diana Tregard must cope with the results of a "whoopie witch" summoning "tall dark and handsome" but forgetting to add "human"

• Wet Wings. 1995

The world has grown too politically correct to tolerate Katherine's differences.

• Stolen Silver. 1991

How Alberich was Chosen, and his arrival in Valdemar

• Roadkill. 1990

Why did that cardboard box blow against the wind?

• Operation Desert Fox. 1993

Retired soldier Siegfried O'Harrigan, and obsolete Bolo tank RML-1138 team up on backwater planet Bachman's World.

• Grey. 1997

Sarah's pet and protector, Grey the parrot, is left behind in Africa when she goes to school in London. But she needs his protection more than ever.

• Grey's Ghost. 1999

Sarah, Grey, and Killian investigate a medium.

In the Five Hundred Kingdoms, the Tradition is always hard at work, trying to make everyone's life fit a fairy tale. But there are only so many Sleeping Princesses, or Noble Princes, to go around. So Elena Klovis, ground down by her wicked stepmother and two cruel sisters, awaits her prince. But he's only 11, and so completely unsuitable. But eventually, her Fairy Godmother turns up to help, in a rather unexpected way.

This is a fun play on the traditions of fairy tales, but a bit disjointed, with rather a lot of incidents packed in. But it manages to subvert a few cliches as Elena battles with the Tradition in novel ways, and moves steadily on to its own Happy Ever After.

The bookish Princess Andromeda of Acadia is the only one who knows what needs to be done when a dragon appears and starts terrorising the countryside: it needs to be appeased by a weekly virgin sacrifice. But when she reports to her mother the rumours that the lottery is rigged, she is horrified to discover that she is to be the next sacrifice. Determined not to go quietly, she plots her escape, only to see the dragon frightened off by the Champion Sir George. Both are aware that at this point the Tradition decrees Andromeda should fall in love with her rescuer: both are determined that won't happen. But the Tradition still demands that the dragon be defeated, so off they go on a Quest.

This is another fun romp through the land of the Five Hundred Kingdoms, where Tradition rules your fate, and where the clever can subvert the Tradition to their own ends. But remember, the Tradition is just as happy with a tragedy as it is with a Happy Ever After...

In the Five Hundred Kingdoms, you can do quite well if you understand what the Tradition wants. Sasha, seventh son of the king of Led Belarus, is the Fortunate Fool, and his family knows it. So he spends his time making his Luck work for the land. Katya, seventh daughter of the Sea King, is his eyes and ears on secret missions. When they meet, Tradition goes into overdrive. Katya, while investigating a transplanted Jinn, is taken captive. While she schemes to escape from the inside, Sasha must scheme her rescue from the outside.

This is another fun frolic through the traditions of fairy tale, this time of Russia and Japan. In places, it seems a bit like a whirlwind tour of Russian folktales without doing that much to advance the plot: Rusalka, check; Baba Yaga, check. And all the captives seem to have the same name (five letters, ends in "a", sounds like...) and not enough personality to help me distinguish them easily. But there's enough action, and some loose ends later tied together, to make for some amusing mind candy.

Godmother and Snow Queen, Aleksia's main job is to support the Tradition by abducting young men about to turn bad, and putting them through a trial to show them the error of their ways. She sometimes worries that she is becoming as cold as her own Ice Palace. But then come the rumours of a wicked Snow Witch, freezing whole villages to death, and claiming to be the Snow Queen. Aleksia has to set off on her own adventure to sort things out.

This time we have a romp through Finnish fairy tales. The route to the climactic final trial is entertaining enough, even if feeling a bit like a fairyland travelogue in places, but some guns on walls are left unfired (all that unused buildup about Kaari and the forest spirits -- or is that for a future book?), and the final showdown is too easy and way too obvious, and is over much too soon.

Godmother Lily is having a hard time protecting the small but rich kingdom of Eltaria. The Tradition is trying to force Princess Rosamund down a path -- but is it that of Sleeping Beauty or Snow White? Everything seems to be being subverted, from the seven evil dwarfs who capture Rosamund, to the Wicked Stepmother who rescues her. And to top it all, Prince Siegfried needs to rescue a maiden who isn't his aunt from a ring of fire in order to avoid his own Doom. The only solution to all this: issue a set of challenges to all the local Princes, the prize being the kingdom and fair Rosamund's hand.

Another amusing romp through mangled fairy tales. Here we get Sleeping Princesses aplenty. Lackey recommends listening to Anna Russell summarising the story in her own inimitable fashion, in "The Ring of the Nibelungs (An Analysis)", to help understand some of the plot points here. (I have heard it. I thoroughly recommend it. Be very careful if you are listening to it while driving, however.) Some of the plot points are a bit heavy handed (Siegfried's befriending of the animals, for example), but there are some amusing twists and turns along the way.

Short stories tend to be 'one idea' tales, simply because of lack of space. There is no time to develop characters or backgrounds beyond the needs of the story. Writers in a well-known existing world have an advantage: much of the background is already known to the readers, and can just be assumed. Some of the authors in this Valdemar anthology take advantage of that fact, and give us vignettes of a Herald's or Hawkbrother's life (such as The Demon's Den, or Ironrose), or fill in bits of history mentioned only in passing in the novels (such as Sword of Ice or Vkandis' Own). Others, disappointingly however, seem to have a story they want to tell, and set it in Valdemar merely to fit into the anthology (such as A Song For No One's Mourning).

Helps to while away the time until the next Valdemar novel.

Contents (possible spoilers)

• Philip M. Austin, Mercedes Lackey. Sunlancer. 1997

A Karse captain has to question his conscience: should children be sacrificed to Vkandis?

• Tanya Huff. The Demon's Den. 1997

A Herald is trapped in a collapsed mine; the only person who can save him is a mining engineer badly crippled in a previous accident.

• Larry Dixon, Mel White. Ironrose. 1997

The hertasi conspire to bring together two lonely members of the Hawkbrother clan.

• Josepha Sherman. Babysitter. 1997

A stranded traveller needs all his wits to save an orphaned gryphon cub.

• Richard Lee Byers. The Salamander. 1997

Someone is sending fire against Mornedealth's Blue faction. Is it the hated Greens, or an unknown enemy?

• Janni Lee Simner. A Child's Adventures. 1997

Inya is a grandmother by the time she is Chosen, and she feels to old for adventures.

• Stephanie D. Shaver. Blood Ties. 1997

Unpleasant times in the life in a Border family.

• Lawrence Schimel. ...Another Successful Experiment. 1997

A trainee Herald invents a new game.

• Michelle West. Choices. 1997

Kelsey has yearned all her life to be Chosen, but never has, even though she has all the Herald virtues. Then she finds out why.

• Kristin Schwengel. Song of Valdemar. 1997

Revyn desperately wants to be a Bard, but he has Healer gifts instead. It takes a tragedy before he can accept his fate.

• Elisabeth Waters. The School Up the Hill. 1997

Quenten's White Winds school at Bolthaven is teaching weather control: is that why it's raining in the kitchen of the local inn?

• Mark Shepherd. Chance. 1997

Guardsman Jonne, himself shay'a'chern, meets the legendary Vanyel.

• Mercedes Lackey, John Yezeguielian. Sword of Ice. 1997

How Herald-Mage Savil met Hawkbrother Starwind.

• John Helfers. In the Forest of Sorrows. 1997

Vanyel, spirit of the Forest of Sorrows, rescues Treyon from a sorceress.

• Ben Ohlander. Vkandis' Own. 1997

Solaris' first miracle in Karse.

• Mickey Zucker Reichert. A Herald's Honor. 1997

Herald Martin has vowed to be faithful to Lyssa, then discovers he is lifebonded with Judaia. How can he reconcile his honour and his heart?

• Gary A. Braunbeck. A Song For No One's Mourning. 1997

Olias is a bitter and hardened thief, until he meets the Gifted L'lewythi.

• Philip M. Austin, Mercedes Lackey. Blue Heart. 1997

A Herald-assassin tells Selenay a story of a butterfly.

A rather slight set of tales set against the background of the Valdemar world. Some tell stories that build up the history (such as The Cat Who Came to Dinner and Sun in Glory), but most are just a random vignette of a day in the life of a Herald, or another way to be Chosen. Tanya Huff's Brock is an interesting variant on this theme, but mostly this is mind candy.

Contents (possible spoilers)

• Catherine S. McMullen. Errold's Journey

A wizard and his apprentice escape Ma'ar and set up a new life far away.

• Nancy Asire. The Cat Who Came to Dinner

Reulan makes a pilgrimage to Karse's capital city, on the suggestion of his cat.

• Michelle West. Winter Death

Kayla has suffered one too many harsh winters, and lost one too many kin. So why has the Companion waited until now to Choose her? And what is the sickness gripping Valdemar?

• Mickey Zucker Reichert. A Herald's Rescue

Santar is confronted by a Companion seemingly desperate for his aid in rescuing his Herald. Santar has quite an ordeal before the end.

• Josepha Sherman. In the Eye of the Beholder

Marra's family has been slaughtered by Darick, and she has escaped into the forest, there to meet a strange monster who was once human. They may be the answer to each other's troubles.

• Fiona Patton. Trance Tower Garrison

Who is the Companion trying to reach in the besieged garrison?

• Stephanie D. Shaver. Starhaven

Herald Vess has to find out how the innocent young Healer is using blood magic, and how it is linked to the destruction of Starhaven years earlier.

• Judith Tarr. Rebirth

Herald Mage Mathias dies defending Queen Vera, but has a vision of her losing her soul. So he breaks the rules of the Havens to save her again. What will his punishment be?

• Tanya Huff. Brock

Brock, called half-wit by the villagers, claims he is a Herald. Then two real Heralds arrive. Their Companions are strangely supportive of Brock.

• Michael Longcor. True Colors

Rin is a con-man, and has found the best trick of all in remote Valdemar -- to pose as a Herald. Then a bandit raid and two frightened children put his lie to the test.

• Brenda Cooper. Touches the Earth

Anya's fear is stopping her using her Healing power. Then a friend is badly injured in a raid.

• Rosemary Edghill. Icebreaker

Elidor is training as a scribe, but has always dreamed of being Chosen. When a Companion appears, he discovers dreams don't always come true.

• Mercedes Lackey. Sun in Glory

The story of Talia's induction into the Karsite priesthood under Solaris, the new Sun of the Son , from Alberich's PoV.

Another bunch of tales set in the Valdemar universe, mostly so-so, but a few with an interesting new take.

Contents (possible spoilers)

• Larry Dixon. Transmutation

The gryphon Kelvren is drained of magic, dying, unless another gryphon can be found to cure him. Meanwhile he sets about making the most of what slim resources he remaining to inspire the Valdemar army.

• Nancy Asire. The Feast of the Children

Yet another priest of V'kandis acquires a chatty cat, who helps him save children from the flames.

• Richard Lee Byers. Death in Keenspur House

Selden investigates a murder that threatens the fragile truce between Greens and Blues in Mornedealth.

• Brenda Cooper. Dawn of Sorrows

The cost to those left behind after a Choosing is finally recognised.

• Rosemary Edghill. Horse of Air

Herald Paymin has had to change the manner of his service to the Crown since his Companion was killed 20 years earlier, and now goes to investigate reports of a witch.

• Sarah A. Hoyt, Kate Paulk. A Change of Heart

Ree has been changed into a hobgoblin during the Mage Wars, and worries he is losing his humanity, until he stumbles across Jem.

• Tanya Huff. All the Ages of Man

Circumstances oblige Herald Jors to mentor the young, attractive Herald Alyise on her Internship, but he's worried that he's too young for the responsibility.

• Michael Longcor. War Cry

A gift of empathy awakes during the final battle of the Tedrel Wars.

• Ben Ohlander. Strength and Honor

A Karsite Warmaster must decide where his loyalties lie: with the governing Black Robes, or the Priestly Red Robes.

• Fiona Patton. The Blue Coat

The last survivors of the Goshon tribe hope to find a home in Valdemar.

• Stephanie D. Shaver. Safe and Sound

A novice bard desperate for inspiration for her proving song pesters a Herald about his dead sister.

• Janni Lee Simner. Song for Two Voices

A tale of a Holderkin lifebonding.

• Mickey Zucker Reichert. Finding Elvida

Trainee Herald Elvida has to discover her gift for herself, before the traumatic attack by bandits kills her and her Companion.

• Judith Tarr. Darkwall's Lady

Merris is willing to honour her parent's bargain to make her heir of Darkwall, but she wants to find out precisely what she's letting herself in for.

• Michael Z. Williamson. Naught but Duty

An honourable mercenary captain finds himself contracted to a most dishonourable master.

• Mercedes Lackey. Landscape of the Imagination

Tarma and Kethry find themselves accompanying a mage in a strange landscape between two Gates.

Yet more tales from the Valdemar universe. Many of these are "sequels" to tales in earlier volumes, helping to add a little depth. And many are the usual tales of alientated Herald/Bard/Healer/whatever nevertheless making good.

Contents (possible spoilers)

• Mercedes Lackey, Larry Dixon. Moving Targets

Groan!

• Nancy Asire. An Unexpected Guest

How Sosha and Torgon first met

• Brenda Cooper. The Power of Three

The twins' bond is strong: will they survive separation?

• Janni Lee Simner. What Fire Is

Tamar can call fire: a dangerous ability in Karse

• Mickey Zucker Reichert. Dreams of Mountain Clover

Mola dreams that mountain clover will help her dying Herald mistress

• Richard Lee Byers. The Cheat

Selden is convinced that Dromis is helping his pupils cheat in duels: but how to prove it?

• Kristin Schwengel. A Dream Deferred

Laeka finda a wounded kyree, and helps rescue her stolen cubs

• Michael Z. Williamson. The Sworddancer

Riga has trained all her life to fight, bt finds that war is different

• Stephanie D. Shaver. Broken Bones

A lovesick Bard solves a local problem

• Tanya Huff. Live On

On the Importance of Stories

• Rosemary Edghill. Passage at Arms

Chosen Aellele is convinced that she won't become a Herald, because she is not a nice persons

• Sarah A. Hoyt, Kate Paulk. Heart, Home and Herth

Hobgoblin Ree and his human friend Jem find what looks like a deserted house to shelter in.

• Fiona Patton. Haven's Own

A fire puts Haven City Watch in between two fueding factions

• Judith Tarr. Widdershins

A Herald must put aside his own fears, and the hatred of his intern, to save a riding school.

Further short stories set in the Valdemar world. Some could be set in any generic fantasy world, but most are extending the history of the Heralds, as a group, and as individuals.

Contents (possible spoilers)

• Mercedes Lackey. The One Left Behind

Marya is no fan of the Heralds: first her father, then her fiancee, deserted her to become Heralds. So when two Heralds come knocking on her door for help, she is less than willing to offer it.

• Rosemary Edghill, Denise McCune. For Want of a Nail

The arrival of strange "Companions" at the founding of Valdemar makes the soldier Navos very suspicious.

• Elizabeth A. Vaughan. Softly Falling Snow

Queen Elspeth the Peacemaker looks back on her reign: was it worth the sacrifices?

• Mickey Zucker Reichert. The Reluctant Herald

Lubonne comes from a wealthy family and is about to marry the woman of his dreams, so the arrival of a Companion intent on Choosing him is less than welcome.

• Elisabeth Waters. A Storytelling of Crows

Maia's ability to talk to the animals helps her rescue a wounded Herald.

• Kristin Schwengel. Waiting to Belong

Shia's best friend Teo is Chosen, but her own healing skills are needed at home.

• Brenda Cooper. The Last Part of the Way

Twin Bard and Healer sisters accompanying a Herald devastated by the loss of his family wonder how to get him to continue with his life.

• Stephanie D. Shaver. Midwinter Gifts

Herald Lyle needs his Bardic twin sister Lelia to help uncover a possible serial murderer.

• Michael Z. Williamson. Wounded Bird

Trader Riga is appalled by the brutal treatment of women in Mirr, but what can she do?

• Kate Paulk. Defending the Heart

Ree and Jem's home is invaded by soldiers who carry Jem off. What can Ree do to help?

• Sarah A. Hoyt. Matters of the Heart

Ree and Jem feel displaced when Garrad's son returns home.

• Tanya Huff. Nothing Better to Do

Herald Jors has to deliver an orphaned baby to its next of kin.

• Fiona Patton. The Thief of Anvil's Close

Sergeant Dann of Haven City Watch investigates curious thefts from a cantankerous smith.

• Judith Tarr. Twice Blessed

Cousins Nerys and Kelyn have been fighting each other since birth. Then a Companion appears; which one will he Choose?

• Nancy Asire. Be Careful What You Wish For

A Karsian exile, now a Herald, returns home to track down his kin.

• Ben Ohlander. Interview with a Companion

A modern day journalist finds a fantastic new source.

More short stories set in the world of Valdemar and surrounding lands. Many of these involve characters from earlier collections, slowly building up a richer story about them.

Contents (possible spoilers)

• Mercedes Lackey, Larry Dixon. Finding the Way

Sherra the hertasi guides an impatient Companion through the swamp.

• Rosemary Edghill, Denise McCune. In Burning Zones We Build Against the Sun

Hedion is killing himself with all his healing, and that won't help anyone.

• Elizabeth A. Vaughan. Unintended Consequences

Ceraratha's husband failed to kill Queen Selenay; what will happen to her?

• Mickey Zucker Reichert. The Education of Evita

Evita is Chosen, but has an extremely naive world-view.

• Elisabeth Waters. A Charm of Finches

Maia's ability to talk to the animals helps her punish a wicked brother.

• Kristin Schwengel. Healing in White

Newly Chosen Shia knows more about Healing than being a Herald.

• Brenda Cooper. Songs of a Certain Sort

Twin Bard and Healer sisters find trouble off the beaten track.

• Stephanie D. Shaver. Otherwise Engaged

Lelia and Grier each love another.

• Kate Paulk. Heart's Choice

Ree and Jem discover a baby changeling.

• Sarah A. Hoyt. Heart's Own

Ree and Jem have difficulties raising Meren.

• Tanya Huff. The Time We Have

Herald Jors is strangely drawn to a bandit woman.

• Fiona Patton. A Bard by Any Other Name

Sergeant Dann of Haven City Watch investigates a poetic vandal.

• Judith Tarr. Change of Life

Marlys is marrying off her last daughter, and wonders who the Companion has come to Choose.

• Nancy Asire. Lack of Vision

Karse judge Perren tries a murder case.

• Michael Z. Williamson, Gail Sanders. The Groom's Price

Keth're'son has mind magic, but does not want to go to Valdemar for training.