I received this book for free from Netgalley, Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Anything With Nothing by Mercedes LackeyPublished by DAW on 11-28-2023
Genres: fantasy
Pages: 352
Format: ARC, eBook
Source: Netgalley, Publisher
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This 17th anthology of short stories set in the beloved Valdemar high fantasy universe features tales by debut and established authors and a brand-new story from Mercedes Lackey.
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.
Join a variety of authors as they ride with Mercedes Lackey to the beloved land of Valdemar and experience the many facets of this storied high fantasy realm.
While I admire Lackey’s willingness to let others play in her sandbox, I have to say that I prefer the original. These stories of inconsequential characters from throughout the universe of Valdemar are smaller stories that don’t impact any of the main story lines or any of the main characters we have met before. That doesn’t mean that some of these aren’t life or death stories, they are. As always with anthologies, however, the stories vary in quality and in substance.
As a matter of fact, I’d say a couple of these stories don’t even follow the canon set forth by the original, especially as it concerns the nature and behavior of the Companions themselves. Maybe that’s just because I’ve essentially read the entire series in the last six months. Someone who wasn’t as up to date probably wouldn’t notice the difference, but I am apparently cursed with timeliness.
If you’re a Valdemar super fan, this collection of stories was an easy read on a couple of quiet nights. It’s kind of nice being able to see the ordinary stories of the ordinary people of Valdemar. If you’re not a Valdemar super fan… well, you’re probably not going to pick up the 17th volume of short stories in a universe you’re not interested in regardless of what I tell you anyway.
