MERCEDES LACKEY

The Heralds of Valdemar are the kingdoms ancient order of protectors. They are drawn from all across the land, from all walks of life, and at all agesand all are Gifted with abilities beyond those of normal men and women. They are Mindspeakers, FarSeers, Empaths, ForeSeers, Firestarters, FarSpeakers, and more. These inborn talentscombined with training as emissaries, spies, judges, diplomats, scouts, counselors, warriors, and moremake 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.Now, twenty-three authors ride with Mercedes Lackey to her magical land of Valdemar, adding their own unique voices to the Heralds, Bards, Healers, and other heroes of this beloved fantasy realm.Join Elizabeth Vaughan, Fiona Patton, Jennifer Brozek, Brenda Cooper, Rosemary Edghill, and others in twenty-two original stories, including a brand-new novella by Mercedes Lackey, to Valdemar, where:A Herald must crack an ancient code in a historic tapestry in order to arbitrate a dispute over land and lineageA Healers daughter flees the noble family that has trapped and enslaved her mother, and must seek help to free her motherA young woman who hides her clairvoyant powers from her towns Karsite priests ForeSees a threat, and must risk revealing her Gift to save her communityA Herald finds his assistant has been abducted by a man upon whom he had levied a heavy fine, and must foil the kidnappers plans to save his charge

Karse and Valdemar have long been enemy kingdoms, until they are forced into an uneasy alliance to defend their lands from the armies of Eastern Empire, which is ruled by a monarch whose magical tactics may be beyond any sorcery known to the Western kingdoms. Forced to combat this dire foe, the Companions of Valdemar may, at last, have to reveal secrets which they have kept hidden for centuries... even from their beloved Heralds.

Set around three thousand years before the rest of the Valdemar series, this is the ancient history of Velgarth and the story of Skandranon Rashkae, a gryphon with gleaming ebony feathers, keen magesight and acute intelligence. He is the fulfillment of all that the Mage of Silence, the human sorcerer called Urtho, intended to achieve when he created these magical beings to be his champions, the defenders of his realm.

The sixteenth novel in the magical alternate history Elemental Masters series continues the reimagined adventures of Sherlock Holmes in a richly-detailed alternate 20th-century England.Annie Oakley has always suspected there is something "uncanny" about herself, but has never been able to put a name to it. But when Buffalo Bills Wild West Show goes on tour through Germany, Bill temporarily hires a new sharpshooter to be part of his "World Wide Congress of Rough Riders": a woman named Giselle, who also happens to be an Elemental Master of Air. Alongside this new performer, Annie discovers that she and her husband, Frank, are not simply master marksman, but also magicians of rare ability.As they travel and perform, Annie must use her newfound knowledge and rare skill to combat creatures of the night scattered across the countryside, who threaten both the performers and the locals. Annies got her gun, and its filled with silver bullets.

The long-awaited founding of Valdemar comes to life in this new series from aNew York Timesbestselling author and beloved fantasist.Within the Eastern Empire, Duke Kordas Valdemar rules a tiny, bucolic Duchy that focuses mostly on horse breeding.Anticipating the day when the Empires exploitative and militant leaders would not be content to leave them alone, Kordas father set out to gather magicians in the hopes of one day finding a way to escape and protect the people of the Duchy from tyranny.Kordas has lived his life looking over his shoulder. The signs in the Empire are increasingly dire. Under the direction of the Emperor, mages have begun to harness the power of dark magics, including blood magic, the powers of the Abyssal Planes, and the binding and "milking" of Elemental creatures.But then one of the Duchys mages has a breakthrough. There is a way to place a Gate at a distance so far from the Empire that it is unlikely the Emperor can find or follow them as they evacuate everyone that is willing to leave.But time is running out, and Kordas has been summoned to the EmperorsCourt.Can his reputation as a country bumpkin and his acting skills buy him and his people the time they need to flee? Or will the Emperor lose patience, invade to strip Valdemar of everything of worth, and send its conscripted people into the front lines of the Imperial wars?

Long ago, high magic was lost to Valdemar when the last Herald-Mage gave his life to protect his kingdom from destruction by dark sorceries. But now the protective barrier over Valdemar is crumbling, and with the realm imperiled, Princess Elspeth, Herald and heir to the throne, has gone on a desperate quest in search of a mentor who can teach her to wield her fledgling mage-powers and help her to defend her threatened kingdom.

In this new series, set in the bestselling world of Valdemar, Heralds Mags and Amily must continue to protect the realm of Valdemar while raising their children and preparing them to follow in their footsteps.Mags, Herald Spy of Valdemar, and his wife Amily are happily married with three kids. The oldest, Justyn, has the Gift of animal Mindspeech--he can talk to animals and persuade them to act as he wishes. Justyns dream is to follow in his fathers footsteps as a Herald Spy, but has yet to be Chosen by his horse companion.Mags is more than happy to teach Justyn all he knows. He regularly trains his children, including Justyn, with tests and exercises, preparing them for the complicated and dangerous lives they will likely lead. Justyn has already held positions in the Royal Palace as a runner and in the kitchen, useful places from which he can learn to listen. As the next stage of Justyns training, Mags proposes that Justyn joins a group of traveling players and musicians, to get experience away from home and out in the world. Justyn joins the troupe, and he starts collecting information for his father. And the patterns he finds are unsettling....During the troupes travels, Justyn witnesses growing rural unrest about an indigenous community of Valdemar, known as Hawkbrothers. When the troupe settles for a season at a fortified manor of a local lord, Justyn watches the unrest grow increasingly hostile. The manor lord dismisses Hawkbrothers as inhuman--and has a local militia to back up his hatred. When a child goes missing, the locals immediately blame Hawkbrothers, and Justyn finds himself in a dangerous position.He enlists the help of a local stray dog, who knows a lot about the towns goings-on, despite being a bit...odd. Justyn must find the missing child and warn the Hawkbrothers community of the trouble headed their way--before tensions turn deadly.

Anna May Jones is the daughter of a coal miner. When her father succumbs to Black Lung, the coal company wastes no time in turning the family out of their home. In desperation, Anna Mays mother sends her to live with her Aunt Jinny, a witchy-woman and an Elemental Master, in a holler outside of Ducktown. As she settles into her new life, Anna May finds herself falling for a stonemason with such a talent for stonecarving that people come all the way from Memphis to commission statues and tombstones from him. But hes not content with his current skill--he wants to learn to carve stone so well it looks real.When the stonemason disappears on a quest to fulfill his ambition, it is up to Anna May to follow and find him, armed with the new abilities Aunt Jinny has taught her.To save the man she loves, Anna May must journey into the mountain--and confront the horrors that lurk in the darkness of the mine.

The long-awaited founding of Valdemar comes to life in this new series from the New York Times bestselling author and Grand Master of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America.Baron Valdemar and his people have found a temporary haven, but it cannot hold all of them, or for long. Trouble could follow on their heels at any moment, and there are too many people for Crescent Lake to support. Those who are willing to make a further trek by barge on into the West will follow him into a wilderness depopulated by war and scarred by the terrible magics of a thousand years ago and the Mage Wars. But the wilderness is not as "empty" as it seems. There are potential friends and rapacious foes........and someone is watching them.

New York Times-bestselling author Mercedes Lackeys Herald Spy series, set in the beloved fantasy world of Valdemar.Herald Mags, the King of Valdemars Herald-Spy, has been developing a clandestine network of young informants who operate not only on the streets of the capital city of Haven, but also in the Great Halls and kitchens of the wealthy and highborn. In his own established alternate personas, Mags observes the Court and the alleys alike, quietly gathering information to keep Haven and the Kingdom safe.His wife Amily, is growing into her position as the Kings Own Herald, though she is irritated to encounter many who still consider her father, Herald Nikolas, to be the real Kings Own. Nonetheless, she finds it increasingly useful to be underestimated, for there are dark things stirring in the shadows of Haven and up on the Hill.Someone has discovered many secrets of the women of the Court and the Collegiaand is using those secrets to terrorize and bully them. Someone is targeting the religious houses of women, too, leaving behind destruction and obscene ravings.But who? Someone at the Court? A disgruntled Palace servant? One of the members of the Collegia? Someone in the patriarchal sect of the god Sethor? Could the villain be a woman? And what is this person hoping to achieve? It isnt blackmail, for the letters demand nothing; the aim seems to be the victims panic and despair. But why?Mags and Amily take steps to minimize the damage while using both magic and wits to find the evildoer. But just as they appear to be on the verge of success, the letter-writer tires of terror and is now out for blood.Mags and Amily will have to track down someone who leaves few clues behind and thwart whatever plans have been set in motion, and quicklybefore terror turns to murder.

Talia ha obtenido el rango de heraldo de la reina pero, ¿logrará vencer el desafío que le plantea su propio poder? No puede creer que por fin lo haya conseguido. Pero, aunque parece haber cumplido su gran sueño, su nueva situacion la obligara a enfrentarse a retos cada vez mas temibles. De momento, Talia debe dirigirse hacia el norte para patrullar Valdemar y admi-nistrar la justicia de los heraldos en todo el reino. Sin embargo, para hacer cumplir sus dictados en este territorio sumido en la inquietud, necesitara de toda su habilidad y valor, ya que si utiliza mal sus poderes especiales, tanto ella como el reino de Valdemar pagaran las consecuencias. El vuelo de la flecha es la segunda novela ambientada en Valdemar, un universo magico en el que Mercedes Lackey desarrolla una compleja interaccion entre los humanos, los seres sobrenaturales y sus fascinantes culturas y costumbres.

Escogida por el Compañero Rolan, un caballo mágico dotado de poderes extraordinarios, Talia, una joven fugitiva, se convierte en estudiante de la guardia de elite de la reina. Talia posee ciertas aptitudes de la mente que solo un Compañero como Rolan es capaz de percibir. Mientras tanto, en Valdemar se esta fraguando una traicion diabolica capaz de destruir a la soberana. Enfrentada a enemigos desconocidos que no dudan en emplear la magia y el asesinato, la reina debe recurrir a Talia y a los heraldos para proteger el pais y garantizar el trono a su heredera, una niña que corre el peligro de caer bajo el dominio de sus enemigos.

La heredera al trono de Valdemar, Elspeth, ya tiene edad para casarse. Talia, heraldo de la reina, regresa a la corte y descubre que las intrigas diplomáticas rodean a la reina y su heredera, pues varias fuerzas combaten por controlar el futuro de Elspeth.Pero, en el mismo instante en que Talia esta a punto de descubrir al traidor que se oculta tras estos complots, es enviada a una mision al reino vecino; la reina le encarga que investigue el valor de la proposicion de matrimonio del principe Ancar. Horrorizada, Talia descubre que una magia distinta de la de los heraldos campa a sus anchas por el reino de Ancar, una brujeria antigua y malvada que puede destruir todo Valdemar a menos que Talia logre advertir a la reina a tiempo.

Mercedes Lackey es una de las autoras más veteranas y reconocidas del género fantástico en la actualidad. Escogida por el Compañero Rolan, un caballo mágico dotado de poderes extraordinarios, Talia, una joven fugitiva, se convierte en estudiante de la guardia de elite de la reina. Talia posee ciertas aptitudes de la mente que solo un Compañero como Rolan es capaz de percibir. Mientras tanto, en Valdemar se esta fraguando una traicion diabolica capaz de destruir a la soberana. Enfrentada a enemigos desconocidos que no dudan en emplear la magia y el asesinato, la reina debe recurrir a Talia y a los heraldos para proteger el pais y garantizar el trono a su heredera, una niña que corre el peligro de caer bajo el dominio de sus enemigos.

Mags was once an enslaved orphan living a harsh life in the mines, until the King''s Own Herald discovered his talent and trained him as a spy. Now a Herald in his own right, at the newly established Heralds'' Collegium, Mags has found a supportive family, including his Companion Dallen. Although normally a Herald in his first year of Whites would be sent off on circuit, Mags is needed close to home for his abilities as a spy and his powerful Mindspeech gift. There is a secret, treacherous plot within the royal court to destroy the Heralds. The situation becomes dire after the life of Mags'' mentor, King''s Own Nikolas, is imperiled. His daughter Amily is chosen as the new King''s Own, a complicated and dangerous job that is made more so by this perilous time. Can Mags and Amily save the court, the Heralds, and the Collegium itself?

Available in a single volume for the first time, Mercedes Lackey s debut trilogy of Valdemar! The Complete Arrows Trilogy" contains the three extraordinary novels that launched Mercedes Lackey s remarkable career and sparked the imaginations of millions of readers across the world." The Arrows trilogy tells the story of Talia, a daughter of the repressive Holderfolk, who is Chosen by the immortal Companion Rolan to become one of the legendary Heralds of Valdemar. Companions like Rolan are mystical horse-like beings with powers beyond imagining including the power to sense an awakening potential for special talents of the mind in certain young men and women, like Talia. With Rolan s help, Talia will learn to master her unique mental abilities of telepathy and empathy, and will grow from an uncertain and inexperienced Herald trainee to become the most important Herald of all: the Queen s Own. And together, Talia and Rolan will fight to protect the queen, the heir to the throne, and the entire kingdom from dangerous conspiracies, looming unrest, vicious treachery, and even an evil and ancient sorcery beyond the magic of the Heralds themselves."

Mags was a Herald of Valdemar. But he had once lived the brutal life of a child slave. When he was Chosen by his Companion Dallen, his young life was saved, and he slowly adjusted to being well fed, educated, and treasured as a trainee in the Heralds Collegium at Haven. Singled out by the Kings Own Herald, Mags would thrive in his secret training as a spy. His unusually strong Giftan ability to Mindspeak and Mindhear anyone, not just others who were Giftedmade him a perfect undercover agent for the king.Sequel to Mercedes Lackeys Closer to Home, this adventure continues Magss journey as Valdemars herald spy.

From a High Tower is the newest adventure in Mercedes Lackey’s Elemental Masters series, featuring a retelling of Rapunzel’s not-so-happily-ever-after ending.

When a man is caught stealing from a walled garden owned by a strange woman, he bargains away his youngest daughter in return for food for his family. The woman, rumored to be a witch, takes the golden-haired child and locks her away in a high tower. Sixteen years later, Giselle has lived an isolated life, but her adoptive mother has trained her in Air magic, and Giselle must use her new skills on a quest to avenge her broken heart...

In this third novel of the Family Spies series, set in the bestselling world of Valdemar, Heralds Mags and Amilys youngest child must follow in his parents footsteps to protect both his family and the realm.Thirteen year old Prince Kyril and Mags and Amilys fourteen-year-old son Tory "share" the Gift of Farsight--although neither of them are Chosen. They are self-trained, though currently, their shared Gift only allows them to see what is happening with their immediate family members.After much debate, the Heralds Collegium has decided to test and train them anyway. Thats when the surprises start. They do not share a single Gift; they have two complementary Gifts working together in a way that the Heralds have never seen before. Tory is the Farseer--Kees Gift is to extend his range beyond a few dozen feet.Their Gifts become crucial when Mags gets a desperate message from his cousin Bey, the head of the enigmatic assassin-tribe, the Sleepgivers. Beys eldest daughter has been kidnapped, but he doesnt know why or by whom. Hes calling in the debt Mags owes him to find his daughter before its too late.Tory is certain that if anyone can find her, he can. But that will mean traveling out of Valdemar into an unknown, dangerous country.And it will mean taking a Royal Prince with him.