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kathydavie's review
3.0
An anthology of twenty-two short stories in a mixed bag of quality in this tenth in the Tales of Valdemar subseries as part of the Valdemar series.
Series
"A Small Quarrel" (Wil & Leila, ??)
"Haver Hearthstone" (Dann Family of Haven, 6)
"The Apprentice and the Stable Master" (Rhi & Dionne)
"Unexpected Meeting" (Perran and Levron)
"A Trip of Goats" (Lena's Animal MindSpeech, 2)
"Ripples and Cracks" (Owl Mage)
The Stories
Stephanie Shaver's "A Small Quarrel"…
…finds Herald Amelie having made good her escape from the town of Highjorune while Herald Wil and his daughter are on the road, bringing in traitorous bards, solving a murder, and unveiling imposters.
There's a flashback in here to Leila's "announcing" her pregnancy on that battlefield. It's an okay story. It does lead to Wil teaching young Ivy to defend herself.
The Characters
Herald Wil has Visions of the future and the past. Ivy is his four-year-old daughter. Vehs is Herald Wil's Companion; Aubryn allows Ivy to ride him. Both Companions babysit the girl.
Sergeant Bergen is one of the guards. Ferrin is the worst of the traitorous bards working with the Dark Lord. Madra is another who enjoys assassinating. Back in the day, she was known as Androa Baireschild, the sister of Healer Grier and Herald Kemoc Baireschild. Carris was a Bard removed for misuse of her gift.
Janny Wurts' "Girl Without the Gifts"…
…revolves around a young blind girl who only wants to prove herself when she finds the injured Companion, Lark. Tarron had been his Herald.
It was okay.
Elizabeth A. Vaughan's "Unimagined Consequences"…
…finds a lady desperate to provide jobs for her people and willing to bargain for the opportunity. It's an interesting story with several people helped, although the lady still has her personal problems.
Jennifer Brozek's "Feathers in Flight"…
…finds us following Hadara, a gryphon, and Kitha, a newly changed Shin'a'in Change-Child, on an adventurous journey to find acceptance. This was confusing and seemed to change the reasoning every few pages.
Ron Collins' "Blind Leaps"…
…is what Nwah, a kyree, must make up her mind about, for her friend, Kade, wants to leave the Pelagiris Forest, and she's frightened of change. I'm not sure what going into heat has to do with her decision.
Fiona Patton's "Haver Hearthstone"…
…is an absolute crack-up. I do love Patton's Dann short stories. This one is simply another pip, especially when a visiting watch captain insists that this fraud of a merchant be locked up. Oh, man, ROFLMAO. Haver has no problem sitting in a cell…he can do business there just as well as in the marketplace. Especially when the entire neighborhood comes to buy.
The Characters
Sergeant Hektor Dann and his older brother, Corporal Aiden Dann, are with the Haven City Watch. Constables Jakon and Raik are younger brothers; Padreic is the youngest brother and works the Watch as a runner. Kasiath is their sister with a Gift with birds; she's apprenticed to the Watchhouse Bird Master. Peachwing is one of her birds. Thomar was their granther.
The City Watch
Jons is the night sergeant. Willan Elbert is a captain from the Lower Devin District (who might be moving to their district) and a friend of their Captain Tortell and Daedrus. Nessa is the Watchhouse cook. Corporal Thacker.
Daedrus is an Artificer whom Hektor helped in Moving Targets and Other Tales of Valdemar: "Haven's Own". Adele is Daedrus' niece. Lord Markus Indram is a friend of Daedrus'.
Haver Hearthstone is a traveling merchant. He has a number of aliases: Desmon Hearthstead, Brian Hearthease. Toby is his donkey. Fair Master Smith Linton holds a spot for him at the market every year. Bryce Linton is his cousin. Other customers include Mister Crendal, Mister Beecher, Camer Pond, and Paddy.
Holly Poll is annoyed by the enthusiastic lovemaking by Deem and Kiera. Jez is Holly's husband. Benj Granstil is a local iron merchant; Ruby is his wife. Miss Peggi and Miss Sally have new beaus. That ought'a pay back Ken and his friend. Bill and Sue March are herbalists.
Dayle A. Dermatis' "Unraveling the Truth"…
…finds Herald Syrriah pulling on all her years as a former lady of the manor to settle a dispute between two greedy family members who want the poor land (that's improved so much) that another distant family member owns.
I did love the back history Syrriah dived into and the answers she found that showed the jerks up, but it did seem pretty cut-and-dried to me from the start.
Michele Lang's "Sparrow's Gift"…
…tells of Sparrow's loneliness with her and Cloud Brother's new baby. Abilard is Cloud Brother's Companion. There's a magical attack on Sparrow, and it makes no sense. Oh, it's homey, but only makes me think huh, what?
Rosemary Edghill and Rebecca Fox's "Harmless as Serpents"…
…is all about a young Companion overcome with how amazing he is, lol, and his encounters with Brother Junchan who is charged with finding rogue Vkandis priests. This particular one is in dread danger, and Kenisant learns a lesson.
Brenda Cooper's "The Apprentice and the Stable Master"…
…is about a cruel lord and how he treats his people, including Healers who should be respected. It's a good story, but it could have been better written.
The Characters
Marala is the daughter of Healer Kris, who is being trained as a Healer.
Lord Daving is the new lord and a cruel, unthinking, demanding little shit. Norsk is the Stablemaster. Kathlyn, a friend of Marala's; Linal; and, Beatrice are servants.
Healer Dionne and Bard Rhiannon finagled an invite.
Nancy Asire's "Unexpected Meeting"…
…finds a thief being fined, and he's upset at how it will ruin him. Cry me a river, dude. A good one.
Elisabeth Waters' "A Trip of Goats"…
…is cute and notes that one shouldn't judge a book by its cover!
The Characters
Lena, a.k.a., Lady Magdalena Lindholm, has Animal MindSpeech and is a novice at the Temple of Thenoth.
The Temple of Thenoth worships…
…the Lord of the Beasts. Sven-August and Maia (has MindSpeech) are novices. Lady Efanya is Sven-August's mother. The Prior is compassionate.
Guildmaster Jurgen is quite understanding, lol. Lord and Lady Melander are quite disapproving of their son's craziness. Arvid is their son and has a gift of MindSpeech.
Louisa Swann's "The Ones She Couldn't Save"…
…finds Rian discovering that the role she's been playing all her life is backfiring. No one will listen to her now when the village is in danger, and it's too dangerous with the cleansing fires looming for her to go back.
Brigid Collins' "One Last Night Manning the Home Station"…
…finds Yerra hoping that the Companion is here for her. That he appreciates how she's kept that WayStation up. Especially now that Marli has stolen the boy she loved.
As uncomfortable as it was to read, it was an excellent story with a life lesson learned.
D. Shull's "Only Family Matters"…
…is a battle over who will be the new Dean of the Healer's Collegium and how it affects one man, known for his neutrality. The lengths to which he'll go and find a true home. Family is what you make it. Nice.
Jessica Schlenker and Michael Z. Williamson's "Medley"…
…forces Herald Jeris to discover that playing can have consequences when he must rescue his daughter from an ugly fate. Another good one.
Angela Penrose's "A Tangle of Truths"…
…coils about Lord Brandin's fury, as Herald Arvil picks away at the snarl to find the true culprit in this nest of plotters. A good story with a nasty twist although a mixed bag of obviousness in the writing with that deus ex machina.
Anthea Sharp's "The Unwanted Gift"…
…truly is unwanted, as Tereck Strand finds his preferences turned all on end. Very good.
Dylan Birtolo's "Dawn of a New Age"…
…provides hope for a gay man and a gifted child who would otherwise face the cleansing fires of Vkandis. Another good one.
Phaedra Weldon's "BloodLines"…
…is a tale of bigotry, vengeance, and greed. A twisty tale that was very good.
Kristin Schwengel's "In Name Only"…
…refers, I think, to that seeming semblance of loyalty as a traitorous duo attempts to disrupt treaty negotiations while a pair of gryphons prove themselves. Another very good tale.
Larry Dixon and Mercedes Lackey's "Ripples and Cracks"…
…is a nightmare for Kelvren who has returned from victory, almost certain death, and a miraculous healing, only to find his own ready to take him down. Yes, life isn't fair, it just is, although I don't know why they couldn't have explained all this to him at the start.
This occurs shortly after the Mage Storms have started and the Change circles are feared. With reason. It's messy and reads all over the place.
The Characters
k'Valdemar Vale is…
…a base for the Hawkbrothers and meant to be a common point for Valdemar and the Tayledras to work with and understand each other. Kelvren Skothkar is a gryphon and the Wingleader of the gryphon population that includes Kurrundas. Rukayas was appointed the new Wingleader by Redhawk. Kelvren's friends include Darian k'Valdemar who is many things including the Owl Knight of Valdemar known as Darian Firkin, Nightwind is his trondi'irn healer, Snowfire is Nightwind's husband, Nightbird is Nightwind's sister, Firesong is a famous adept who always wears masks, and the human kestra'chern Silverfox.
Tyrsell is the kingstag of the dyheli. Sifyra is the dyheli Snowfire usually rides. Ayshen and his mate, Drusi, are hertasi. Kal'enal is a Velgarthian deity.
Valdemar is…
…a kingdom of peace and the primary location for Lackey's Valdemar series. Treyvan is a gryphon Adept. Lord Breon is doing his best to do damage control.
The Cover and Title
The cover is an eye-catching black, grey, and burgundy: black in the background, grey in the fonts and Indian-style graphics in the upper border and side graphics as well as the border rim of the inset shield in the center with a roped Companion fiercely fighting against the constraints. The burgundy is in the banners for the title and the editor's name, located at top and bottom, respectively. It's rather odd to see an orange, flame-styled bridle on the Companion. The cover also includes two small shields: one has a blue background and a white winged horse while the bottom shield is a red gryphon posed against a black background.
The title is a storm of events, a Tempest with All-New Tales of Valdemar.
Series
"A Small Quarrel" (Wil & Leila, ??)
"Haver Hearthstone" (Dann Family of Haven, 6)
"The Apprentice and the Stable Master" (Rhi & Dionne)
"Unexpected Meeting" (Perran and Levron)
"A Trip of Goats" (Lena's Animal MindSpeech, 2)
"Ripples and Cracks" (Owl Mage)
The Stories
Stephanie Shaver's "A Small Quarrel"…
…finds Herald Amelie having made good her escape from the town of Highjorune while Herald Wil and his daughter are on the road, bringing in traitorous bards, solving a murder, and unveiling imposters.
There's a flashback in here to Leila's "announcing" her pregnancy on that battlefield. It's an okay story. It does lead to Wil teaching young Ivy to defend herself.
The Characters
Herald Wil has Visions of the future and the past. Ivy is his four-year-old daughter. Vehs is Herald Wil's Companion; Aubryn allows Ivy to ride him. Both Companions babysit the girl.
Sergeant Bergen is one of the guards. Ferrin is the worst of the traitorous bards working with the Dark Lord. Madra is another who enjoys assassinating. Back in the day, she was known as Androa Baireschild, the sister of Healer Grier and Herald Kemoc Baireschild. Carris was a Bard removed for misuse of her gift.
Janny Wurts' "Girl Without the Gifts"…
…revolves around a young blind girl who only wants to prove herself when she finds the injured Companion, Lark. Tarron had been his Herald.
It was okay.
Elizabeth A. Vaughan's "Unimagined Consequences"…
…finds a lady desperate to provide jobs for her people and willing to bargain for the opportunity. It's an interesting story with several people helped, although the lady still has her personal problems.
Jennifer Brozek's "Feathers in Flight"…
…finds us following Hadara, a gryphon, and Kitha, a newly changed Shin'a'in Change-Child, on an adventurous journey to find acceptance. This was confusing and seemed to change the reasoning every few pages.
Ron Collins' "Blind Leaps"…
…is what Nwah, a kyree, must make up her mind about, for her friend, Kade, wants to leave the Pelagiris Forest, and she's frightened of change. I'm not sure what going into heat has to do with her decision.
Fiona Patton's "Haver Hearthstone"…
…is an absolute crack-up. I do love Patton's Dann short stories. This one is simply another pip, especially when a visiting watch captain insists that this fraud of a merchant be locked up. Oh, man, ROFLMAO. Haver has no problem sitting in a cell…he can do business there just as well as in the marketplace. Especially when the entire neighborhood comes to buy.
The Characters
Sergeant Hektor Dann and his older brother, Corporal Aiden Dann, are with the Haven City Watch. Constables Jakon and Raik are younger brothers; Padreic is the youngest brother and works the Watch as a runner. Kasiath is their sister with a Gift with birds; she's apprenticed to the Watchhouse Bird Master. Peachwing is one of her birds. Thomar was their granther.
The City Watch
Jons is the night sergeant. Willan Elbert is a captain from the Lower Devin District (who might be moving to their district) and a friend of their Captain Tortell and Daedrus. Nessa is the Watchhouse cook. Corporal Thacker.
Daedrus is an Artificer whom Hektor helped in Moving Targets and Other Tales of Valdemar: "Haven's Own". Adele is Daedrus' niece. Lord Markus Indram is a friend of Daedrus'.
Haver Hearthstone is a traveling merchant. He has a number of aliases: Desmon Hearthstead, Brian Hearthease. Toby is his donkey. Fair Master Smith Linton holds a spot for him at the market every year. Bryce Linton is his cousin. Other customers include Mister Crendal, Mister Beecher, Camer Pond, and Paddy.
Holly Poll is annoyed by the enthusiastic lovemaking by Deem and Kiera. Jez is Holly's husband. Benj Granstil is a local iron merchant; Ruby is his wife. Miss Peggi and Miss Sally have new beaus. That ought'a pay back Ken and his friend. Bill and Sue March are herbalists.
Dayle A. Dermatis' "Unraveling the Truth"…
…finds Herald Syrriah pulling on all her years as a former lady of the manor to settle a dispute between two greedy family members who want the poor land (that's improved so much) that another distant family member owns.
I did love the back history Syrriah dived into and the answers she found that showed the jerks up, but it did seem pretty cut-and-dried to me from the start.
Michele Lang's "Sparrow's Gift"…
…tells of Sparrow's loneliness with her and Cloud Brother's new baby. Abilard is Cloud Brother's Companion. There's a magical attack on Sparrow, and it makes no sense. Oh, it's homey, but only makes me think huh, what?
Rosemary Edghill and Rebecca Fox's "Harmless as Serpents"…
…is all about a young Companion overcome with how amazing he is, lol, and his encounters with Brother Junchan who is charged with finding rogue Vkandis priests. This particular one is in dread danger, and Kenisant learns a lesson.
Brenda Cooper's "The Apprentice and the Stable Master"…
…is about a cruel lord and how he treats his people, including Healers who should be respected. It's a good story, but it could have been better written.
The Characters
Marala is the daughter of Healer Kris, who is being trained as a Healer.
Lord Daving is the new lord and a cruel, unthinking, demanding little shit. Norsk is the Stablemaster. Kathlyn, a friend of Marala's; Linal; and, Beatrice are servants.
Healer Dionne and Bard Rhiannon finagled an invite.
Nancy Asire's "Unexpected Meeting"…
…finds a thief being fined, and he's upset at how it will ruin him. Cry me a river, dude. A good one.
Elisabeth Waters' "A Trip of Goats"…
…is cute and notes that one shouldn't judge a book by its cover!
The Characters
Lena, a.k.a., Lady Magdalena Lindholm, has Animal MindSpeech and is a novice at the Temple of Thenoth.
The Temple of Thenoth worships…
…the Lord of the Beasts. Sven-August and Maia (has MindSpeech) are novices. Lady Efanya is Sven-August's mother. The Prior is compassionate.
Guildmaster Jurgen is quite understanding, lol. Lord and Lady Melander are quite disapproving of their son's craziness. Arvid is their son and has a gift of MindSpeech.
Louisa Swann's "The Ones She Couldn't Save"…
…finds Rian discovering that the role she's been playing all her life is backfiring. No one will listen to her now when the village is in danger, and it's too dangerous with the cleansing fires looming for her to go back.
Brigid Collins' "One Last Night Manning the Home Station"…
…finds Yerra hoping that the Companion is here for her. That he appreciates how she's kept that WayStation up. Especially now that Marli has stolen the boy she loved.
As uncomfortable as it was to read, it was an excellent story with a life lesson learned.
D. Shull's "Only Family Matters"…
…is a battle over who will be the new Dean of the Healer's Collegium and how it affects one man, known for his neutrality. The lengths to which he'll go and find a true home. Family is what you make it. Nice.
Jessica Schlenker and Michael Z. Williamson's "Medley"…
…forces Herald Jeris to discover that playing can have consequences when he must rescue his daughter from an ugly fate. Another good one.
Angela Penrose's "A Tangle of Truths"…
…coils about Lord Brandin's fury, as Herald Arvil picks away at the snarl to find the true culprit in this nest of plotters. A good story with a nasty twist although a mixed bag of obviousness in the writing with that deus ex machina.
Anthea Sharp's "The Unwanted Gift"…
…truly is unwanted, as Tereck Strand finds his preferences turned all on end. Very good.
Dylan Birtolo's "Dawn of a New Age"…
…provides hope for a gay man and a gifted child who would otherwise face the cleansing fires of Vkandis. Another good one.
Phaedra Weldon's "BloodLines"…
…is a tale of bigotry, vengeance, and greed. A twisty tale that was very good.
Kristin Schwengel's "In Name Only"…
…refers, I think, to that seeming semblance of loyalty as a traitorous duo attempts to disrupt treaty negotiations while a pair of gryphons prove themselves. Another very good tale.
Larry Dixon and Mercedes Lackey's "Ripples and Cracks"…
…is a nightmare for Kelvren who has returned from victory, almost certain death, and a miraculous healing, only to find his own ready to take him down. Yes, life isn't fair, it just is, although I don't know why they couldn't have explained all this to him at the start.
This occurs shortly after the Mage Storms have started and the Change circles are feared. With reason. It's messy and reads all over the place.
The Characters
k'Valdemar Vale is…
…a base for the Hawkbrothers and meant to be a common point for Valdemar and the Tayledras to work with and understand each other. Kelvren Skothkar is a gryphon and the Wingleader of the gryphon population that includes Kurrundas. Rukayas was appointed the new Wingleader by Redhawk. Kelvren's friends include Darian k'Valdemar who is many things including the Owl Knight of Valdemar known as Darian Firkin, Nightwind is his trondi'irn healer, Snowfire is Nightwind's husband, Nightbird is Nightwind's sister, Firesong is a famous adept who always wears masks, and the human kestra'chern Silverfox.
Tyrsell is the kingstag of the dyheli. Sifyra is the dyheli Snowfire usually rides. Ayshen and his mate, Drusi, are hertasi. Kal'enal is a Velgarthian deity.
Valdemar is…
…a kingdom of peace and the primary location for Lackey's Valdemar series. Treyvan is a gryphon Adept. Lord Breon is doing his best to do damage control.
The Cover and Title
The cover is an eye-catching black, grey, and burgundy: black in the background, grey in the fonts and Indian-style graphics in the upper border and side graphics as well as the border rim of the inset shield in the center with a roped Companion fiercely fighting against the constraints. The burgundy is in the banners for the title and the editor's name, located at top and bottom, respectively. It's rather odd to see an orange, flame-styled bridle on the Companion. The cover also includes two small shields: one has a blue background and a white winged horse while the bottom shield is a red gryphon posed against a black background.
The title is a storm of events, a Tempest with All-New Tales of Valdemar.
berlinbibliophile's review
3.0
Overall I had fun reading this book. There were some great stories, some not so great ones, but I was just happy to be back in this 'verse.
saphirablue's review
3.0
I honestly don't know what to write besides - some I love, some I don't. Some I wish that have been longer. Some have been just perfect the way they are. As always with these. :)
felinity's review
4.0
A wide variety of stories covering the somewhat grubbier parts of Valdemar - Gifts being misused, Heralds in danger, retribution and vengeance, and far more - but somehow it all makes it realer. Each author has taken the core, the heart of Valdemar and stepped off the map in a new direction, broadening the world and adding more depth to both characters and plots. Worth a read by any fan of Valdemar!
(I must admit that I lost my notes, so this review suffers from more brevity than detail.)
Disclaimer: I received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
(I must admit that I lost my notes, so this review suffers from more brevity than detail.)
Disclaimer: I received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
jennifox's review against another edition
inspiring
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
1.0
Like most anthologies this was a mixed bag, but not one of the stories was great and most weren't even good. A lot weren't even complete stories.
whisper88's review against another edition
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
inferiorwit's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Vomit, Violence, Xenophobia, Religious bigotry, Outing, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, and Homophobia
Minor: Child death
ktglick's review
3.0
I don't know about you, but after the most contentious election I've yet lived through, and its continuing aftermath, I need something comforting to read. For pretty much all of November, I immersed myself in Mercedes Lackey's land of Valdemar.
Why? Well, it's a country that's watched over by magical horses who have the ability to choose people who are incorruptible to be their companions and protectors of the land. And the law of the land is that the ruler must be one of them, so no matter what darkness assails them from outside, the people of Valdemar can rest assured that there are good and just people leading them and protecting them.
I could use some of that right about now. After re-reading the "Arrows" trilogy of Lackey's Valdemar series, I continued my journey with this new collection of short stories, with contributions from 24 authors (including Lackey herself).
This collection is probably not the best place to dip into Valdemar for the first time. The stories contain references to peoples, countries, magical concepts and historic and political events from throughout Valdemar's long history. If you aren't passing familiar with the world, you'll be confused. Even I had to do some wiki-ing when I ran into stories from time periods where I hadn't read the books. But I learned a lot about corners of Valdemar I haven't yet seen that whet my appetite for more.
The stories take the perspective of almost everyone possible: Heralds, Bards, Healers, ordinary citizens, citizens of countries that border Valdemar, gryphons and people of the outlying cultures of the country. Given the variety of story subjects and authors, this anthology is bound to be hit and miss for anyone. Any reader who is familiar with Valdemar and the larger world of Velgarth will have their favorites in this book and other stories that don't land for them.
So the question is, is it worth it? I would say if you are already a fan and have read all of the previous books, go for it. It's a chance to return to this world anew, and the last story by Mercedes Lackey and John Dixon is an extension of the Owlflight series that perhaps hints at things to come in future books.
DISCLAIMER: I received a review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Why? Well, it's a country that's watched over by magical horses who have the ability to choose people who are incorruptible to be their companions and protectors of the land. And the law of the land is that the ruler must be one of them, so no matter what darkness assails them from outside, the people of Valdemar can rest assured that there are good and just people leading them and protecting them.
I could use some of that right about now. After re-reading the "Arrows" trilogy of Lackey's Valdemar series, I continued my journey with this new collection of short stories, with contributions from 24 authors (including Lackey herself).
This collection is probably not the best place to dip into Valdemar for the first time. The stories contain references to peoples, countries, magical concepts and historic and political events from throughout Valdemar's long history. If you aren't passing familiar with the world, you'll be confused. Even I had to do some wiki-ing when I ran into stories from time periods where I hadn't read the books. But I learned a lot about corners of Valdemar I haven't yet seen that whet my appetite for more.
The stories take the perspective of almost everyone possible: Heralds, Bards, Healers, ordinary citizens, citizens of countries that border Valdemar, gryphons and people of the outlying cultures of the country. Given the variety of story subjects and authors, this anthology is bound to be hit and miss for anyone. Any reader who is familiar with Valdemar and the larger world of Velgarth will have their favorites in this book and other stories that don't land for them.
So the question is, is it worth it? I would say if you are already a fan and have read all of the previous books, go for it. It's a chance to return to this world anew, and the last story by Mercedes Lackey and John Dixon is an extension of the Owlflight series that perhaps hints at things to come in future books.
DISCLAIMER: I received a review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
booksandyarniness's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars. A couple of the stories included were a bit too twee for my tastes, but that is the nature of anthologies.
The final story makes me wonder if it is the lead up to a new book.
The final story makes me wonder if it is the lead up to a new book.