Like any anthology of short stories, my enjoyment of the various stories within was varied. Some I absolutely loved and looked up the author to find more by them, and some I downright didn't care for. There are some original characters and some you may recognize if you've read other Valdemar anthologies. Basically it's like Mercedes Lackey went "you love my Valdemar books and want to write fanfiction? OK, let's do that and publish it in a book!" There's even a story by Lackey herself ("Temper"). By and large most of the stories were really good - lots more hits and fewer misses than I typically experience in an anthology, possibly because I love the source material!

This is book 14 in the Tales of Valdemar series and it's the first one I've read in years. There's something about the Heralds and the land of Valdemar writing that you just don't forget. It's like finding an old friend. I don't know why I stopped, I think I moved more into mystery and suspense than fantasy. This collection of short stories is perfect for any busy reader. You can read one or several in whatever time frame you choose. Stories by several familiar authors and a new one by Mercedes herself makes this a worthwhile read. I've missed the land of the Companions and their humans. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

“Passages” by Mercedes Lackey: Enthralling
This fourteenth 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.
This fourteenth anthology of short stories set in the Valdemar universe is as good as the first anthology that I read. I’m a long time fan of the Valdemar books and Mercedes Lackey so I’ve been reading the stories for a long time and one of my first observations is the quality. Even with new and established authors, there is no lack of talent and readability. Each story is unique and a pleasure to read. While some feature new characters while others involve long standing characters from previous anthologies and a continuing storyline, each of the stories in the anthology is enjoyable and encompasses the ideals of the Valdemar worlds, caring of others, willingness to risk oneself for others, and a bevy of skills and talents.
One of the best qualities of the stories is that the stories don’t just feature Heralds. They feature characters from all walks of life, lords and peasants, healers and warriors, those from within Valdemar and those from without. There are those with special abilities and those who use only their wits and strength of character. The one thing all the stories have in common are likeable characters and stories that are enthralling to the reader.
The other element that makes this unique is that there are no weak stories, none that are difficult or unenjoyable to read. And if you’ve never read any of the stories by Mercedes Lackey, this anthology is an excellent place to start, to familiarize yourself with the world of the author and whet your appetite for other novels with the enthralling and delightful characters and plots contained within. It will catapult readers into wanting to read the other anthologies and other novels set in this wondrous fantasy world by Mercedes Lackey. If you are a long standing fan, you will thoroughly enjoy every story.
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars.

Return to the world of Valdemar. This short story anthology contains many stories about favorite characters that you know and love.

Passages is an anthology of short stories set in Valdemar by various writers. Several of the stories are sequels to stories in previous collections but a reader doesn’t need to have read them to understand what is going on in these stories. Both Mercedes Lackey and Larry Dixon both have entries in this collection. Misty’s is set during Kerowyn’s early days with her first mercenary company. Larry’s story is less of a story and more of a short anthropological look into Hawkbrother’s customs.



Digital review copy provided by the publisher through NetGalley

I love the world of Valdemar. It is always great to get new stories taking place in this world. My only issue is the short story format - the stories are too short and make you wish you had a longer tale to sink your teeth into. I still enjoyed, though!

Passages is another excellent set of short stories about heralds, bards, and healers of Valdemar. These gifted servants of Valdemar work with their Companions, spirit horses unique to the country. Great high fantasy. With an added gift, a novella by Mercedes Lackey. Enjoy.

I've dipped into the world of Valdemar several times over the years, and though I wouldn't call myself a super-fan, I really enjoy the books. This collection of short stories was an entertaining read, with fourteen stories all by different authors, each taking the theme of someone undergoing a change in their life or their status.

Favourites for me were 'Roads Less Traveled', 'A Ruler's Gift', 'Rising to the Occasion', 'Burrowing Owl, Hidden No More' and Lackey's own story, 'Temper', but there weren't any stories I didn't like. Many of the characters featured are the 'little people' who are tangentially touched by the Heralds, and it was lovely to see low stakes and personal development being just as important as big fantasy plots. This is a delightful anthology that would make a wonderful return to Valdemar for those who are already fans, but would also be very readable for those who are new to the series, but looking for cosy fantasy full of honour and warmth.

It’s been a while since I visited Valdemar and it was fun to be back. I was surprised that only one of the stories here was actually written by Lackey (clearly I did not read the summary very well) and the rest were produced by writers who were fans. I do like to see how other authors tackle an open universe challenge though so the end result was interesting to me. It’s a decent collection of short stories with a few stand out gems.

When I chose this anthology, I wanted to learn about Valdemar, the world created by Mercedes Lackey. Having nothing read by her, I felt intimidated by the vast number of novels written in this setting, didn‘t know if the style fits my taste at all, and if those magic wielding Heralds chosen by mind speaking horse „Companions“ wouldn’t be too girlish for me. Grabbing short stories one can easily drop and skip if it wouldn’t work out.

I was surprised first of all that this is an anthology, not a collection – only one of the stories is written by Lackey herself. The rest is given by relatively unacquainted authors who seemed to be very familiar with Valdemar. The stories fit together perfectly, none was stretching the setting and concepts, and presented a wonderful harmonic impression on the world and its people.
I probably have missed lots of references that fans will cheer at, and I can’t hype this anthology as much as longer readers would do. But I liked all of the stories, because they told about little people like a baker apprentice, a healer, or heralds which weren’t the glorious heroes riding their Circuits as one could imagine. Instead, we see the blind herald, another who‘s lost his magic and is supported by his wife, and another one retiring and finding a new sense. A very good impression in the non-political, non-warfaring inner workings of this country.
Non of the stories were exceptional, and I liked all of them. The result felt like a fan-fiction, written by professional authors knowing their stuff.
As far as short stories go, all of them found to an ending, answering the raised questions and further way of their protagonists. One critic can be raised, that there wasn’t much tension in them, and the endings were mostly trivial and sugary „happy ever after“ like one of those easy romances. My guess would be that this is exactly what fans expect from this world. It’s just not my personal preference and I won‘t dive into this world.

Recommended for fans of the series, but also for newcomers who want to read the exact opposite of GrimDark, who shy away from any trigger word, but need a comfort read.

Passages is a collection of short stories by different authors set in Mercedes Lackey's beloved world of Valdemar. The collection is a mixed bag of characters and settings. As a reader might expect, most are set within the borders of Valdemar itself, and most focus on Heralds and Companions - but not all of them. The quality of the collection is also mixed, with the best of the stories focusing on characters who break the usual Herald/Companion coming-of-age story mold.

Standouts include:

"Expected Consequences" (Elizabeth Vaughan), which focuses on the widow of one of the Rethwellan traitors in Selenay's Court;

"Flying the Nest" (Michele Lang), which acknowledges the sacrifices of the "normal people" who enable the Heralds to perform their great acts of heroism;

"The Border Within" (Brenda Cooper), which gives us a glimpse of those rare Heralds who survive to old age;

"Temper" (Mercedes Lackey), which revisits fan-favorite Kerowyn on her first days with the Skybolts.

If you are a fan of Lackey's Valdemar, you'll especially enjoy the callbacks to minor characters who suffer the consequences of the actions you've read about in canon books. All in all the collection is pretty enjoyable, with enough new and interesting to offset some of the predictability of the other stories.

This objective review is based on a complimentary advanced reader copy provided by NetGalley and DAW.

The Valdemar series is my favourite fantasy series and it’s always a joy to read these anthologies and see little snippets of life in this world. I was especially excited to read Mercedes Lackey’s own novella in this collection as it is about Kerowyn. By the Sword is my favourite book in the Valdemar series so having a little addition to the story was great. All the stories in this anthology were well done and a lot of fun. I usually find anthologies a bit hit or miss but this was a solid collection. It definitely made me want to reread the entire series again.

"Passages" is the new collection of short stories for Mercedes Lackey's world of Valdemar. Here were stories focusing not only on Heralds and Companions but Hawkbrothers, Healers, artificers, and everyday people. You don't need to have read any of the series before to enjoy these tales, and they introduce new readers to the world of Valdemar that Lackey created. Lackey has a short story about Kerowyn joining the Skybolts and Larry Dixon includes a brief story, rather like an essay in an encyclopedia of Valdemar, on the Hawkbrothers' Ways. Overall a nice mix of tales, and a fun book.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Are you a fan of Mercedes Lackey's Tales of Valdemar series? Do you love the world, and all of the rich details included within? Then this is a short story collection worth checking out, as there are over a dozen stories set in this world, all written by different authors.

Included in this collection are Roads Less Traveled by Charlotte E. English, A Ruler's Gift by Anthea Sharp, Rising to the Occasion by Jennifer Brozek, A Nursery of Raccoons by Elisabeth Waters, Tables Turned by Kristin Schwengel, Expected Consequences by Elizabeth Vaughan, Burrowing Owl, Hidden No More by Dayle A. Dermatis, The Dream Seeker by Paige L. Christie, Shadows and Reflections by Lousia Swann, Flying the Nest by Michele Lang, Snowbound by Brigid Collins, The More Things Change, the More They Change More by Fiona Patton, The Choice Makes the Chosen by Stephanie Shaver, Trial by Reflection by Terry O'Brien, Theory and Practice by Angela Penrose, Tools of the Trade by Phaedra Weldon, The Border Within by Brenda Cooper, Temper by Mercedes Lackey, and The Hawkbrothers' Ways Death and the Vales by Larry Dixon. Each of which I'll review in more detail down below.

Roads Less Traveled by Charlotte E. English
Rating: ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆
Roads Less Traveled is an adorable tale of one young Herald and her brand new Companion. Or rather, it's the other way around, as it is the Herald who is very new to this world. Either way, this is the perfect start to this anthology. It's endearing and sweet, while also showing off all the reasons why the Heralds are so fascinating to read about.
“:I am your Companion,: said the horse. :That is the best friend anybody could have.:”


A Ruler's Gift by Anthea Sharp
Rating: ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆
Tarek left him home to become a Healer, even though it is an invocation his father could never respect. Now it's that very talent that calls him home. This was a wonderful tale, cutting right to the core of all the reasons why I love Valdemar and every little detail that Lackey has put in it. I especially loved the ending for this particular story, and how could I not?!
“He'd known, in a distant corner of his mind, that someday he'd have to return to his birthright.”


Rising to the Occasion by Jennifer Brozek
Rating: ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆
Tressa is a brilliant and dedicated baker, one who sometimes gets distracted by a cute Herald who keeps stopping by. However, that will never change her disposition, or her concept of right and wrong. That's what makes Rising to the Occasion such a fantastic read, as Tressa struggles with loyalty and more.
“Our skill. Our quality. Our goods.”


A Nursery of Raccoons by Elisabeth Waters
Rating: ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆
Maja has been handed quite the honor – to take up a new spot full of people and keep them safe and healthy. However, the introvert that Maja is, that is an intimidating task, and it almost feels more like a punishment than a reward. I really enjoyed this story, once again for the messages, it has within it. It's also nicely suited to the world itself.
“Maja was still wondering why she was in this mess.”


Tables Turned by Kristin Schwengel
Rating: ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆
There are times when one should treasure the ability to be bored, as that means things are safe. Safer than an attack, at the very least. Or inclement weather. I kind of adore that the characters in Tables Turned were aware of that, as that early quote came with quite a bit of foreshadowing.
“Right now, I'm glad to be bored.”


Expected Consequences by Elizabeth Vaughan
Rating: ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆
Lady Cera of the Sandbriar has done well for herself, standing up and keeping her people safe and together, even after everything that has happened. It's an empowering tale, to put it lightly. Honestly, I feel like I've seen a similar story in this world, but that didn't dampen my enjoyment one bit. I simply loved Cera's tale, and how fiercely determined she is.
“It's good to be back in the garden, amidst growing things.”


Burrowing Owl, Hidden No More by Dayle A. Dermatis
Rating: ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆
Kya's tale fits in perfectly with the large world of Valdemar. She is a girl working hard to better her life, hoping for more. It's a common theme, but one that I will happily read about again and again. So you can imagine my happiness about reading Burrowing Owl, Hidden No More.
“The Golden Compass was no ordinary tavern, and Kya was no ordinary barmaid.”


The Dream Seeker by Paige L. Christie
Rating: ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆
The Dream Seeker is arguably one of the more unique reads in this anthology. For one thing, there are no Heralds in it. Yet I absolutely adored Mero's tale, and how much she grew over the course of such a short period of time. I honestly wouldn't have minded seeing more of it.
“The only thing that made any of it bearable was having a minstrel trapped here as well.”


Shadows and Reflections by Lousia Swann
Rating: ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆
Petril is a sweet boy, one whose entire life is about to be changed – and it all started because of one good deed. Not because he wanted anything from doing it, but because it was the right thing to do. Proving that Petril is a good man, one who deserved the chance handed to him. It was a sweet story, and I love the message woven throughout.
“Something was about to happen”


Flying the Nest by Michele Lang
Rating: ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆
Flying the Nest is a hard story to describe, not without risking giving away some of the most important parts about it. It was an interesting read, one that felt so human, while also portraying more of a world of magic and critters.
“This time felt like a forever goodbye, to what was gone and could never be called back again.”


Snowbound by Brigid Collins
Rating: ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆
Snowbound was a fascinating read – one that really surprised me, I'm pleased to say. It's the tale of one stubborn Herald, and her beloved Companion. Only, that isn't all that is within this story, as a third character learns to respect who they are in the process. I adored this read, and was actually a little bit sad when it ended, not going to lie.
“:I'm not moving one bit faster than I already am.”


The More Things Change, the More They Change More by Fiona Patton
Rating: ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆
While The More Things Change, the More They Change More is probably the longest title in this anthology, it's still a delight to read. Surprisingly enough, this is a blend of themes, all in one quick read. It's a coming of age story, as well as being a tale of how two families are changing, and the friendships surrounding them.
“All he'd ever wanted was to stand beside them in the pale blue and gray uniform of the Haven City Watch.”


The Choice Makes the Chosen by Stephanie Shaver
Rating: ⋆ ⋆ ⋆
We all know how it goes. There are those with talents in the world – but how does one cope, when they've lost everything that they thought made them special? Do they fight to get it back, or do they learn the truth about themselves along the way?
“But no matter how safe or comfortable he felt, the unease always came back. He could not escape the sense that this was all on borrowed time.”


Trial by Reflection by Terry O'Brien
Rating: ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆
If I had to pick one favorite from this entire anthology, it would be Trial by Reflection. This is a delightfully inclusive tale, one that puts a whole new perspective of magic, biases of the world, and so much more. I would have happily read an entire novel about Shasta and her journeys, if I was given half a chance.
“Of course, only a nonMage would ever make such a statement: even she knew that magic was rarely the answer to anything.”


Theory and Practice by Angela Penrose
Rating: ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆
What sort of adventures can those about to face their Trials come up against? Well, if you read Theory and Practice, you'll know. Bruny is stressed and practicing hard for her Trials, yet it can be very difficult to keep your mind from wandering when you're stressed. I feel like that is something we can all relate to.
“If you work yourself into a muddle, you'll stumble at the trials even if you do master your piece.”


Tools of the Trade by Phaedra Weldon
Rating: ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆
Tools of the Trade is a beautiful, yet truly heartbreaking tale. As the quote I've pulled should clearly indicate, this is a Herald who has gone through a lot of pain and loss in her life. And yet she's still moving forward, and that in itself is so empowering to read about.
“But there was nothing – not even the death of her husband – that could compare to the loss of a Companion.”


The Border Within by Brenda Cooper
Rating: ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆
This is the tale of an older Herald, and how she learns new ways in order to help the people she has come to love with all her heart. I love the message of The Border Within, and I honestly do feel like it fit in very nicely with the larger world and theme of the Heralds in general. It was wonderfully written as well, and is arguably one of my favorites.
“You develop an instinct after decades out here.”


Temper by Mercedes Lackey
Rating: ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆
Temper is the one and only story in this anthology that was written by Mercedes Lackey herself (though they were all edited by her, naturally). That makes it stand out quite a bit, and makes for a solid anchor towards the end of this collection.
This is a surprisingly complex story, given how relatively short it is. And honestly? I adored it. I loved the perspective, as well as the concept of trying to earn your way through life, instead of riding on one great moment.
“Bored mercs needed a place to go, a place that wasn't their quarters.”


The Hawkbrothers' Ways Death and the Vales by Larry Dixon
Rating: ⋆ ⋆ ⋆
The Hawkbrothers' Ways Death and the Vales reads as a story of old; of descriptions, legends, and warnings all wrapped into one. In many ways, it was absolutely fascinating to read. In other ways, it did feel a bit dry, at least in comparison to every other short in this collection, which may not have been fair. Either way, it's not a story I'd recommend skipping out on!
“Hawkbrothers understand that matter, and life itself, exists at many sizes relative to themselves.”

I was granted access to an eARC of Passages by the publisher, DAW, through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This has not swayed my opinion. My thoughts are my own and my review is honest.

Passages is a collection of short stories inspired by and in the world of Mercedes' Lackey's Valdemar series, written by an assortment of authors including but not limited to Lackey herself. I love coming across the anthologies Lackey curates from her worlds because I always discover new authors to seek out and read more from, and I love the fact that this amazingly talented author I both love to read and look up to as an aspiring author encourages fan fiction. I loved the diversity in the sort of characters the other authors decided to focus on in their stories. Obviously, since this series was created by and belongs to Mercedes Lackey there's nothing quite like reading her characters and stories, but many of the other authors chose to tell the stories of characters Lackey might not have considered for major roles, which is both a refreshing and world-broadening experience for fans to read.

I must admit that I'm not nearly as familiar with the Valdemar series as I am with Lackey's books in the Elemental Masters and Tales of 500 Kingdoms, but I didn't feel like I was missing anything while reading this book. In fact, I do feel that Lackey's own story at the end of this book is a great introduction to the Valdemar world for anyone who has enjoyed some of her other works as I have, but perhaps don't know where to start with the dauntingly large Valdemar series. I also appreciate the fact that Lackey's own entry in this anthology is at the end. This both allows all the other authors included to shine while also giving Lacey's fans that treat we crave getting to her writing as the finale.

I would like to acknowledge that short fiction isn't for everyone and note that like all of Lackey's anthologies containing other authors, I'm a little put off by the fact that the cover design does not make it immediately obvious that this is not written entirely by Lackey herself. It's far too easy to miss the "edited by" line above the large author name, and the small front cover blurb that indicates this is a collection of short stories is easily ignored by fans who are used to a small teaser in white text on a corner of the cover design. Although as I said I have come to love discovering new authors through these anthologies, I didn't enjoy the first such anthology I read because I felt so blindsided by the fact that I wasn't reading the author I expected to read.

Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC of this title, in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I really enjoyed this collection of Valdemar stories (so much that I'm contemplating a re-read of my copies of the Valdemar books). I thought that each one was well written and that, taken as a whole, they gave a wide view of Valdemar. We had stories centering on people who wanted to be heralds, or were aspiring artificers, or musicians, gifted or not. It was enjoyable to read stories that were not about herald or people in the herald classes who had other gifts- I certainly enjoy the "regular" Valdemar books - but I really liked reading about people who didn't start out as already special.

I had the problem that I always have with short stories - I want more! Some of these stories ended with clear problems ahead, so I'm hoping that the authors write more. But even when the stories had a clear resolution, I often wanted to know more about the characters, how they got to this point, and what happens next. However, this is, I think, inherent in short stories, so not a particular flaw with this book.

If you enjoy the Valdemar books, and want some brief looks at other aspects of Valdemar, this is a terrific read!

It took me much longer to read the ARC of this book than it usually does but it was because I savored one or two stories at a time at bed. Things are ok in Valdemar. The brave and true work things out with the help of their friends. I have a soft spot a mile wide for Valdemar books it’s true but it’s just so relaxing and enjoyable to read something new set in this world. There are a lot of new episodes of stories and characters we’ve seen in previous anthologies in this world. I particularly like the stories about the minor noblewoman who is focused on her village rebuilding prosperity for her people. I just like that character and am happy to see another in her sequence.

While I love the idea of all stories in Valdemar or part of Velgarth. This was much better than most of the previous anthologies with the exception of sword of ice as well as sun in Glory.

This had one of tbe best short stories I have read and it was the second to last story and was written by Mercedes Lackey and was all about Kerowyn joining the skybolts.

While this was touched on in By the Sword this was really showing the best of what I loved about the original story. It also shows a great understanding and takes into consideration the history of Kerowyn.

Even if all other stories had been horrid which of course they weren't the Skybolts story would have all been worth it.

There was a few stories that were fluff but that is going to happen and even as fluff pieces they were still quite entertaining.