Marion Zimmer Bradley's Darkover

Marion Zimmer Bradley's Darkover
Marion Zimmer Bradley
DAW Books
Copyright: 1993
088675930

The back jacket blurb:

A COLLECTION OF DARKOVER STORIES WRITTEN BY MARION ZIMMER BRADLEY HERSELF!
Return to Darkover, planet of the Bloody Sun, with this collection written solely by the originator of this exotic world, Marion Zimmer Bradley, and including two entirely new stories never before in print. From the Founding to the Ages of Chaos, to the era of the Hundred Kingdoms, to the time of Recontact, travel through the history of Darkover with the writer whose work has inspired so many others to enter her world. Fight alongside the Free Amazons, master the powers of laran with those who work the matrix crystals within their secluded towers, feel the magical pull of the Ghost Wind, explore the mysteries of this long-lost colony with those who come from beyond the stars, and experience all the wonder of Marion Zimmer Bradley's Darkover.

Well, I found myself reading this one a lot sooner than I originally anticipated. As I'd thought, I quite enjoyed it too - though I know I need to re-read some of the full novels set in the world of Darkover now. I'd forgotten just who Dyan Ardais was, and also a lot of the finer points around Camilla, Kyria and the other Renunciates.

Some of the stories I recognized right off - though I couldn't tell you which anthologies they were from originally. Others seemed to be new to me - specifically some of the stories about Hillary. I think a couple of those were published in this volume for the first time.

Believe it or not, one of my favorite things about an anthology like this one are the various notes that begin each section. Especially for a set of short stories set in an already established world, where I can learn a few more tidbits about how that world came to be, and the author's thought processes. Seeing the origins for some of the Free Amazons, for example.

I don't know if this would be a good book for someone who's not already familiar with the world of Darkover. I suspect it, like all the other anthologies of Darkover stories, is really more for the fans who already know the world, have some favorite characters or regions and truly wish to explore more.

For myself, I'm wondering if it's now time to do a Darkover re-read. Anyone interested?

Found at the Thrift Store: Marion Zimmer Bradley's Darkover

Marion Zimmer Bradley's Darkover
Marion Zimmer Bradley
DAW Books
Copyright: 1993
088675930

The back jacket blurb:

A COLLECTION OF DARKOVER STORIES WRITTEN BY MARION ZIMMER BRADLEY HERSELF!
Return to Darkover, planet of the Bloody Sun, with this collection written solely by the originator of this exotic world, Marion Zimmer Bradley, and including two entirely new stories never before in print. From the Founding to the Ages of Chaos, to the era of the Hundred Kingdoms, to the time of Recontact, travel through the history of Darkover with the writer whose work has inspired so many others to enter her world. Fight alongside the Free Amazons, master the powers of laran with those who work the matrix crystals within their secluded towers, feel the magical pull of the Ghost Wind, explore the mysteries of this long-lost colony with those who come from beyond the stars, and experience all the wonder of Marion Zimmer Bradley's Darkover.

I'm pretty sure I've read most of these stories before, as they were published in a number of the Darkover anthologies that have come out over the years. Nonetheless, I don't own most of those books, so it'll be nice to have Marion Zimmer Bradley's stories collected together. I honestly have no idea of when I'm going to get around to reading this one however.

As I noted in my title, I found this one at a local thrift store, on a quick scan through their book section - something that's usually worth doing I find. I can't help but ask what your most recent thrift store/used bookstore find has been.

Oathblood - Mercedes Lackey

Oathblood
Mercedes Lackey
DAW Books
Copyright: 1998
978-0886777739

The amazon.com product description:

This exciting new anthology includes a new novella featuring Mercedes Lackey's most popular heroines, Tarma (one of the sword-sworn and most feared of all warriors) and Kethry (who wields magic and weapons for the greater good), whose fates are suddenly bound together in blood by the powers that control their destinies. Also included in the unique volume is the complete collection of Lackey's short stories about these two brave sisters as they answer the call of their destinies with sword and sorcery!  

Nearly all of the Tarma and Kethry stories published in the Sword and Sorceress anthologies edited by Marion Zimmer Bradley have been collected in this volume, along with two previously unpublished stories.

The stories are:

• Sword Sworn (which was published in Sword and Sorceress III)
  This story details the events that triggered Tarma's taking the oath of Sword-Sworn, and the events that followed, including her meeting with Kethry.
• Turnabout (Marion Zimmer Bradley's Fantasy Magazine)
  The story behind the song "Threes". Turnabout also formed a chapter in The Oathbound IIRC.
• The Making of a Legend (Sword and Sorceress VI)
  Leslac's introduction, and rather hilarious. The story behind "The Leslac Version" published in the song section of Oathbreakers.
• Keys (Sword and Sorceress V)
  Another story that made up a chapter in The Oathbound.
• A Woman's Weapon (Sword and Sorceress IX)
  Tarma and Kethry end up investigating another poisoning. Rather a neat story.
• The Talisman (Sword and Sorceress VII)
  Definitely a somewhat different story. And one that shows the dangers of a sword like Need.
• A Tale of Heroes (Sword and Sorceress IV)
  A happy ending for a side-story. Kethry and Tarma aren't there this time to deal with the main problem, but instead end up resolving problems for some pretty ordinary folk. It's always nice to see Tarma around kids. They love her, and she loves them.
• Friendly Fire (Sword and Sorceress X)
  This is, in my mind the funniest story of the lot. Just how badly can things go for our two heroes, without anything permanent happening to them?
• Wings of Fire (Sword and Sorceress VIII)
  Set much later than the other previously published stories, this one has cameo appearances from Kethry's children. Aside from that, it's a story which involves the Tayledras.
• Spring Plowing at Forst Reach
  One of the two previously unpublished stories, this is a good one. The Stud - and anyone who's read the Last Herald Mage trilogy knows just what horse I'm referring to - well his introduction into the Forst Reach horse breeding program has had some consequences. Consequences that Tarma and a couple of returning guest stars will have to deal with in a rather amusing fashion.
• Oathblood
  The final story in the series, and the second of the previously unpublished stories. We get a picture of what life was like day-to-day in the two schools - Tarma's weaponswork classes and Kethry's mage-school, as well as getting to know Kethry's children, especially Jadrie. A longer story than all the others, and for good reason.

 There is a possibility of one or two more Tarma and Kethry stories in the Sword and Sorceress anthologies, but I'm not sure - Elizabeth Waters and Mercedes Lackey co-write a story called A Dragon In Distress which was published in Sword and Sorceress XII. I have vague memories of the story, but I'm not sure.

Overall, I found Oathblood to be a quick read - though, having read Oathbound just a short time ago, I will admit to skipping the stories that also make up a part of that book on this read. Definitely worth having as a part of your collection.

Read for both the Hardcore Re-Reading Challenge and my own Valdemar Reading Challenge.

Sword and Sorceress VIII - Ed. Marion Zimmer Bradley

This was the final book I read in 2014. I just didn't have time to get the review in before the new year began.

Sword And Sorceress VIII
Ed. Marion Zimmer Bradley
DAW Books
Copyright: 1991
978-0886774868

The back cover blurb:

Spells Cast And Swords Crossed
As the forces of evil reach out to conquer new realms, claiming the lives and treasures of unprotected innocents, there are always a valiant few ready to oppose these masters of darkness and destruction. Bold women warriors, wise women, sorceresses wielding the powers of light - all are ready to aid those in need with no thought to the perils they themselves will face.

Let some of today's finest fantasy writers - Mercedes Lackey, Jennifer Roberson, Diana Paxson, and their fellow visionaries - carry you off to the enchanted lands where stalwart heroines pit their skills against such terrors as: an ancient dragon that has long held a kingom hostage to its terrible hunger... a stealer of magics who seeks to drain the power from all who cross her path... a mortal so caught in evil's thrall that not even his own family is safe from harm... and all the other enemies that only those long-trained to battle with sword and spell can hope to overcome...

Well, the back blurb is definitely over the top in its descriptions, but there are some really good stories in this volume nonetheless. My favorites have to be Wings of Fire by Mercedes Lackey and Geese by Laurell K. Hamilton.

I always forget that Laurell K. Hamilton has written fantasy outside of her Merry Gentry and Anita Blake series, but Geese serves as a good reminder of that fact, and it was an amazing story.

Wings Of Fire is a story I've read at least a couple of times now. I think I may have read some of the stories from this anthology before, aside from this one (also available in Oathblood, where Mercedes Lackey has gathered together all of the Tarma and Kethry stories she wrote for the Sword and Sorceress series of anthologies).

The one other story that seemed familiar enough to make me wonder if I read Sword and Sorceress VII a while back was Marayd's Escape. Not completely familiar - I couldn't remember the story, just some of the plot points - but familiar nonetheless.

Also neat for fans of some of the books Mercedes Lackey has co-written is that there is a story in this anthology from Eluki bes Shahar, who has written books under the name Rosemary Edghill. A name that's familiar from the more recent books in the world of the SERRAted Edge series. Unfortunately I have to admit that the titles of those books escape me for the moment.

Overall, this is a volume that's full of moments of humor - even in the various author biography notes at the beginning of the stories.

No True Way - Ed. Mercedes Lackey

No True Way: All New Tales of Valdemar
Mercedes Lackey
DAW Books
Release Date: December 2, 2014
978-0756407698

The amazon.com product description:

In March 1987, Mercedes Lackey, a young author from Oklahoma, published her first novel, Arrows of the Queen. No one could have envisioned that this modest book about a magical land called Valdemar would be the beginning of a fantasy masterwork series that would span decades and include more than two dozen titles.

Now the voices of other authors add their own special touches to the ancient land where Heralds “Chosen” from all walks of life by magical horse-like Companions patrol their ancient kingdom, dispensing justice, facing adversaries, and protecting their monarch and country from whatever threatens. Trained rigorously by the Herald’s Collegium, these special protectors each have extraordinary Gifts: Mindspeaking, FarSeeing, FarSpeaking, Empathy, Firestarting and ForeSeeing, and are bonded for life with their mysterious Companions. Travel with these astounding adventurers in sixteen original stories.

As always, there are great stories in the annual Valdemar anthology. I'm really glad to see it back after a two year hiatus where the annual anthology was based on Mercedes Lackey's Elemental Masters series instead.

After a two year hiatus, there weren't as many recurring storylines in this anthology as there had been in the previous ones, although there was a story set in the world of the Haven Watch - the latest in the series of those. I missed some of the others from the previous volumes.

Mercedes Lackey's story for this volume was one of my favorites, though I do have to say that there were no stories in No True Way that I actively disliked. Quite a few authors decided to work from a theme of woolwork - mostly weaving, but there was at least one story that used spinning as a key plot point. As a spinner myself, that was something that I found to be quite neat.

I know that the last time I mentioned this book - in an Upcoming Books post back in September, I'd commented that the only pre-order option I was seeing on Amazon.com was for an e-book; well No True Way was also released as a paperback thankfully and is available as such from Amazon as well.

Upcoming Release: Deeds of Honor by Elizabeth Moon

Deeds of Honor: Paksenarrion World Chronicles
Elizabeth Moon
Jabberwocky Literary Agency Ltd.
Release Date: December 22, 2015
B00QVLWNG6

The amazon.com product description:

Elizabeth Moon, the New York Times bestselling author of the celebrated Deed of Paksenarrion and Paladin's Legacy epic fantasy series, presents Deeds of Honor, a brand new collection of short stories set in the world of Paksenarrion.

With two exclusive, never-before-published stories featuring characters from the Paladin's Legacy series, Deeds of Honor gathers together lore and legends from Paksenarrion’s world, along with tales from the Paladin’s Legacy era, all revised and updated for this special compilation.

Rich with the vivid and immersive storytelling for which Elizabeth Moon is known, the eight short stories in Deeds of Honor—collected here for the first time, with all-new author notes—are certain to please any fan of the Paksenarrion saga.

Deeds of Honor: Tales of Paksenarrion’s World
“Point of Honor” – “Falk's Oath” – “Cross Purposes” – “Torre's Ride” – “A Parrion of Cooking” – “Vardan's Tale” – “Those Who Walk in Darkness” – “The Last Lesson”

Elizabeth Moon is releasing a collection of short stories set in the world of The Deed of Paksenarrion. Most of them I haven't heard of, but Those Who Walk In Darkness is a story that I almost consider to be a chapter in The Deeds of Paksenarrion. It tells the story of the boy who was tortured along with Paks by the Liartians. The entirety of Those Who Walk In Darkness has been published on her website, but I've read it before in another of Elizabeth Moon's short story collections, Phases.

None of the other story titles are at all familiar to me, but I'm definitely looking forward to reading this short story collection, even though it's only available as an e-book.

A Little Night Music - Kristine Kathryn Rusch

A Little Night Music
Kristine Kathryn Rusch
WMG Publishing
Copyright: February 20, 2014
B00IK8F73O

The amazon.com product description:

Andrew has problems fitting in. But for a change, he’d like to stand out for something he does well. If only the adults in his life will let him.  

Another one of Kristine Kathryn Rusch's short stories. This one's shorter than most (Amazon lists it as being only nine pages long), but extremely beautiful and thought provoking. I'm just not too sure what I can say without spoiling it, aside from "I really think you should read this".

I certainly enjoyed reading A Little Night Music, and will probably read it again.

Grow Old Along With Me - Lee Barwood - Short Story

Grow Old Along With Me
Lee Barwood
Catfantastic V
Copyright: 1999

On my last read through of Catfantastic V, which I have read and reviewed on here before, it was Lee Barwood's short story Grow Old Along With Me that really stuck in my head as a favorite story.

This is a story that I really wish could be true for so many people. And yet some parts of the story are too true as it is. Reading Grow Old Along With Me left me with a lump in my throat this last time, and I'm re-reading it now as I write this review with the same result.

The story is told from two points of view. That of the cat, and that of Eric, husband and caregiver. His wife has Alzheimer's and he's determined to care for her at home as long as he can. The relationship between the two is so beautifully described - both the past and the present.

One thing about Grow Old Along With Me is that it reminds me in a way of the P.M. Griffin short stories I've reviewed from other Catfantastic anthologies: In Bastet's Service and Partners. At the same time it's completely it's own story and world.

I just wish the ending of this story wasn't fiction and could happen in our world. Such a beautiful story that leaves me going "if only" and "I wish" every time I read it.

The Tale Of The Virtual Cat - Heather Gladney, Don Clayton and Alan Rice Osborne - Short Story

The Tale Of The Virtual Cat
Heather Gladney, Don Clayton and Alan Rice Osborne
Catfantastic IV
DAW Books
Copyright, 2001

When you've got bugs in the system, get a programmer. When you've got Mice in the mains, get a Cat.

So says the introduction to Catfantastic IV, in introducing one of the most memorable stories in that volume. Ten years later, and the story still works. I guess technology hasn't progressed enough yet to make it seem too dated - and no specific dates are mentioned within the story itself either.

The Tale of the Virtual Cat is one of the funniest I've read in a long time - I just re-read it too, as it's been about a month since I read it as part of the whole Catfantastic IV volume.

All of the main characters - Mary, Beverly and especially the cat, Dickens are full of personality and combine to make one heck of an entertaining story. And the technological background of the story works too, at least in my mind. I'm sure that folks who know more about technology though, will be happy to give me a dozen or so ways that this story can't work. I'm just happy to laugh at it.

A Tangled Tahitian Tail - Clare Bell - Short Story

A Tangled Tahitian Tail
Clare Bell
Catfantastic III
DAW Books
Copyright: 1994

Possibly the funniest story in Catfantastic III, at least in my opinion. Clare Bell has written a story that leaves me laughing out loud every single time I've read it, partly in rueful sympathy for the people around that cat, having seen the messes my cats have made of my yarn at times - without the aid of magic, I'm assuming, though with cats, one never knows.

Anyway, A Tangled Tahitian Tail is written from the cat's perspective all the way through, and in a stream-of-conciousness format that just adds to the humor of the situations he finds himself in - ending up as the first cat on the island of Tahiti.

All I'll say on the matter, to try and avoid spoiling the story, is that sometimes what you think is a curse, turns out to be a blessing. And, as I said in my review of Partners, from the same book, that you really should try and find the Catfantastic books if you're a cat or fantasy lover.

Partners - P.M. Griffin - Short Story

Partners
P.M. Griffin
Catfantastic III
DAW Books
Copyright: 1994

Partners is one of my favourite short stories from Catfantastic III, along with Clare Bell's A Tangled Tahitian Tail. Set in the same world as In Bastet's Service from Catfantastic II, it's an amazing story. I just wish I could have a similar type relationship with my two cats - without the element of danger, thank-you-very-much.

I find it interesting to read the two points of view in some of these short stories, that of the cat and the human, and I think that P. M. Griffin has done a really good job, creating a story that's vivid and pulls the reader in.

Trying not to give away any spoilers is making this review nearly impossible to write, simply because everything in it contributes so clearly - even the introduction to the story hints at events later on, I should note, and simply finish off by saying that I've read Partners several times now and have loved it every time. I recommend all of the Catfantastic volumes to any cat and fantasy lover.

Catfantastic II - Ed. Andre Norton and Martin H. Greenberg

Catfantastic II
Ed. Andre Norton and Martin H. Greenberg
Daw Books
Copyright 1991
978-0886774615

The back jacket description:

A yowl shatters the silence of the night -

It is a call to battle, a warning of danger, or the greeting of a fellow predator stalking through the darkness, heading for a rendezvous with adventure in one of the magic places - those mysterious realms undetectable by mere humans. Tonight the cats are gathering to tell their tales, of times past or yet to come, of the two-legged beings they have adopted as their own special pets.

So let us join them now, and if we are very quiet, as silent as a cat on the scent of likely prey, we may be privileged to learn some long-kept secrets of the feline kind. Listen now, the stories begin, legends of such might heroes as: Bomber, the ship's cat out for revenge on the German warship, the Bismark; Graywhiskers, who ruled his kingdom with a unique weapon of his own creation; Bat and Punkin who had patiently lived out several lives while waiting to find the only humans worthy of being theirs; Hermione, who as familiar to an astronomer would have to guard him not from falling stars but from the unexpected dangers lurking in his very own home....

Catfantastic II

Catfantastic II is the second anthology of fantasy and science-fiction based cat stories edited by Andre Norton and Martin H. Greenberg. I've read it before a couple of times, and this volume has some of my favourite stories from the whole series of Catfantastic books (all five of them), including P. M. Griffin's In Bastet's Service, which I reviewed on it's own a few years ago.

On the other hand, I feel a little bit guilty with this review. I didn't read every story in the anthology. These days, I just go looking for my favourites, one of which, as I said is In Bastet's Service by P.M. Griffin. Another, and it's made it's way to the second favourite slot, is The Last Gift by Elizabeth H. Boyer.

The Last Gift is a "how were cats created" story set within Norse Mythology, and it's absolutely out and out hilarious. Of course part of that for me might be the fact I could see my two cats in the behavior of the cats in the story. The best quote: ...creeping across the rafters overhead with larcenous intentions on the meat curing there in the smoke of the fire. They snatched food straight out of the pot... It goes on for a while and every time I read that passage I end up giggling madly, and shaking my head at the same time. I think I need to remember to look for some of Elizabeth Boyer's novels, seeing how much I've enjoyed this story.

Graywhiskers is another character I enjoyed reading about, in The Execution by A. R. Major. Talk about ingenious! Elizabeth Moon's story, Clara's Cat though, I just  found both creepy and sad - and she's normally one of my favourite authors.

Some authors who had stories in the first volume of Catfantastic reuse those characters in Catfantastic II, most notably Ardath Mayhar who writes about Hermione in the form of her reports. The offering in this volume is Hermione at Moon House. On the other hand, I missed Mercedes Lackey's SCat series of stories in this one. I know though, that her stories will be in the rest of the series.

SeniorSource - Kristine Kathryn Rusch

SeniorSource
Kristine Kathryn Rusch
WMG Publishing
Released: July 4th 2013
ASIN: B00DSURGKQ

The amazon.com product description:

For seniors who need a comfortable place to live, SeniorSource fits the bill. Zero-g, medical care, even a work exchange program for those who can’t afford it otherwise. And for one former NYPD detective, SeniorSource provides a lifeline. But if he fails to solve his latest case—the murder of a young boy on the Moon—in 24 hours, he’ll find himself downgraded or worse, back on Earth. In other words, dead. But this case proves to be far from what it seems.

“Kristine Kathryn Rusch is one of the best writers in the field.”
—SFRevu

I'm not usually that big on short stories, I'll be honest on that. Although, now that I think about it more, maybe I read more short stories than I think - it's just that they're usually collected into volumes.

This one though, intrigued me. I love science fiction and the idea of a seniors home being in zero gravity is most definitely a new one to me. The rest of the story was just as captivating and I had an enjoyable time this morning reading it.

I don't want to say too much more, just because I really don't want to risk spoiling the story - it is a short story after all. Still, after reading it, I'm curious to maybe try some of Kristine Kathryn Rusch's other works. Maybe you will be too.

Dragon Rite #1 - Kristie Lynn Higgins

Dragon Rite #1 Catching Black Fire and The Breaking Dawn Riders
Kristie Lynn Higgins
Pandora Project Publisher
April 2011

The Amazon.com product description:

Candidates assembled to participate in the Dragon Rite, a ceremony to bond with a dragon hatchling. For the candidates to complete the first part of the Dragon Rite, their dragon must attain Breaking Dawn, a hatchling's first flight.

Cara, a girl born into slavery, has a chance to break free of her harsh life. Does she have a chance to become a dragonrider or will destiny deal her an even harsher fate?

 I ran into this title while searching to see if the Harper Hall trilogy by Anne McCaffrey was available in e-book form, and thought it looked neat.

For the most part, I found Dragon Rite to be an interesting short story, although it felt more like the first chapter or so to a longer story - there's clearly more story to be told, going by the ending - rather than a completed story in and of itself.

However, there were a fair number of spelling errors to be found - mostly things where one world has been substituted for the right word - "reins" for "reigns", etc. Aside from that though, I have to say I liked the story, though I don't want to give too much away - Dragon Rite is a short story after all, and not a full length novel. I'd like to see more set in this world though.

Under The Vale - Ed. Mercedes Lackey

Under The Vale
Ed. Mercedes Lackey
Daw Books
Copyright: Dec. 6, 2011
978-0756406967

The back jacket description:

Valdemar's Heralds...

...are an ancient order. Chosen from all across the land, from all walks of life, and at all ages, these unusual individuals are Gifted with abilities beyond those of normal men and women. They are Mindspeakers, FarSeers, Empaths, ForeSeers, Firestarters, FarSpeakers, and more. Trained to be emissaries, spies, judges, diplomats, scouts, counsellors, and even warriors, their unique inborn talents make them indispensable to their monarch and their realm. Sought and Chosen by mysterious horselike Companions, they are bonded for life to these telepathic, enigmatic creatures. With their Companions, the Heralds of Valdemar ride circuit throughout the kingdom protecting the peace and, when necessary, defending their land and monarch.
Now, eighteen authors ride with Mercedes Lackey to her magical land of Valdemar, adding their own unique gifts to the Heralds, Bards, Healers, and other heroes of this well-loved fantasy realm.
Join Tanya Huff, Fiona Patton, Rosemary Edghill, Larry Dixon, Elizabeth Waters, Nancy Asire and others in seventeen original stories, including an all-new novella by Mercedes Lackey and Larry Dixon set in the magical land of Valdemar where:
A runaway orphan gets a chance for a new life in Haven...a human transformed into a magical creature struggles to reclaim his legal rights as a man...a Herald, blessed - or burdened - with a variant of the gift of Foresight that allows him to see through another person's eyes, witnesses an event so terrible that its memory is slowly killing him, and finds restoration in a very unexpected way.

Under the Vale is the annual anthology of Valdemar stories that comes out every December. I have to admit that I look forward to it every year and do my best to get my hands on it as soon as possible. Last year, with Finding The Way, that meant that I got it in e-book format, but this year I was able to get the paperback version.

With so many stories and authors, it's inevitable that there are going to be some that are my favourites, and I have to say, that a lot of the stories this year fit that category. I really liked Mercedes Lackey's story in this one - not always a given, I have to admit, given the story she wrote for Moving Targets. The twist she adds to this story just works really well. Elizabeth A. Vaughan's story In An Instant felt perfect too. The way she wrote the story - Queen Selenay's perspective on her new lifebond with Daren - felt like the characters as written by Mercedes Lackey.

Warp and Weft, by Kristen Schwengel (a name I don't recognize off the top of my head) is another story which peaked my interest, given my love of spinning. Not spinning in this story for the most part, but weaving, although there is a good side of spinning, but again, it worked within the world of Valdemar as Mercedes Lackey writes it.

As with previous anthologies, there are some continuing stories, two in particular: that of Ree, the hobgoblin in the Empire - two new stories here, both of which I really liked, and one set in the family of the Haven Watch. I like the continuity these bring to the books.

On the other hand, I missed reading Judith Tarr's story. She's had one in each of the previous several volumes, and I was hoping to see one here. I don't especially find that they fit within the magical structures of Valdemar as it's written, but I enjoy reading them anyway - one of the few places that Dressage features within stories.

Larry Dixon has added a fascinating essay - the first of it's kind in the Valdemar anthologies, but something I hope they continue adding to future volumes. This one was on how the Tayledras Vales are created and structured, both above and below ground - it's where the title for the book comes from, I think. Fascinating and detailed, and something I liked seeing, both as a fan of the series and to see how things work towards world-building - all of the details that the author has to figure out.

In my review of the last book, I lamented the loss of the introductions to the stories. This time, they're not there again, but there is a series of brief biographies of the various authors at the end of the book - not quite as entertaining, but there none the less.

Overall, this is definitely a fascinating read for any fan of the Valdemar series. I'd almost be willing to say that this is one of the best of the anthology collections to date, but it's been so long since I've read some of them that I can't say for sure. Definitely worth the money spent though.

Book Rambling: Short Story to Novel

When I read Anne McCaffrey's book of short stories Get Off The Unicorn a couple of weeks ago, the one thing that really struck me about the book was the way so many of the stories later became full novels. For sure there was the Thorns of Barevi (Freedom's Landing) and The Lady In The Tower, but I'm fairly certain also of the story A Meeting Of Minds as well. It seemed vaguely familiar when I read it. I just can't remember the title of the book for sure, although I think it was Damia.

Lady In The Tower turns up more or less in the middle of the novel The Rowan, and fits in pretty well. In fact I'm not that far past that point in the book now, and I wasn't at all jarred out of the read by reading the short story inserted into the novel.

Anne McCaffrey's not the only author to do that either. I've noticed it a few times with Mercedes Lackey as well. The first time I saw it was with a short story she wrote for one of the Sword and Sorceress anthologies edited by Marion Zimmer Bradley. That later became chapter 6 in the novel Oathbound.

The start of the pair of novels centering on Alberich is another of these stories too. Originally called Stolen Silver, it's supposed to have appeared in the anthology Horse Fantastic if my memory's not playing tricks on me. And, it almost seems like half the novel, but there are three short stories that make up a part of the novel The Wizard Of London.

Now, I'll admit that these are the only two authors where I've read their short stories extensively, but they're also the only two where I've seen this happen. Short stories set in the same worlds as the novels I've seen a lot of though - Sherrilyn Kenyon, J. R. Ward, Patricia Briggs etc have all done it.

Are there other authors who reuse short stories as parts of novels? And, what do you think of it when it happens? I personally don't tend to mind too much, at least if the story works well.

Get Off The Unicorn - Anne McCaffrey

Get Off The Unicorn
Anne McCaffrey
Del Rey
Copyright: 1977
978-0345349354

The amazon.com product description:

Open these pages and discover 14 remarkable stories of fantasy by a grand master of the genre. A wonderful writer, as well as successful and beloved by fans across the world, Anne McCaffrey has created an exciting collection of telepaths, secret gifts, dangerous missions, dragonriders, and more.

As an introduction to the various series and world that Anne McCaffrey's written in, Get Off The Unicorn does fairly well. There's The Littlest Dragonboy, which is the only story set in the world of the Dragonriders of Pern, and it's also possibly my favourite story in this book. There's two stories set in the world of The Rowan, and one set during the two Pegasus books (which are really the same world, just two different time periods). There's a story that introduces the Freedom series too - Thorns of Barevi.

What's kind of neat (I could be wrong in some of these cases, no longer owning copies of the books in question) is that several of the stories in Get Off The Unicorn predate the books. For The Thorns of Barevi  that dating is definite, as I remember when the book, Freedom's Landing, first came out, and that had to be in the nineties. The introduction to Lady In The Tower suggests the same. I know that Thorns of Barevi was incorporated into the later novel, and I think the same thing is true for Lady in the Tower and The Rowan.

There are also a number of stories that stand alone - somewhere between half and two thirds of the book. Of those, my favourites are the two Nora Fenn stories, which I think might have made for a really neat full-length novel. Still, they, like a fair number of other stories in here had something of a dated feel - though they weren't the worst for that. That, unfortunately ended up being the story Apple, which is set in the world of To Ride Pegasus and Pegasus in Flight. There's nothing too dated that I remember about this story in particular, but the thing is, I know that the two books are set in the mid 1990's. It was rather weird reading them a few years ago, and knowing that that time had past with nothing like the stories progress.

All of these stories were written between 1959 and 1973, so some of the basic attitudes are explained away simply by when the books were written.

Of course, with any book of short stories, there's going to be a few that you like more than others, and some that just don't work, at least for that particular read. So, to be honest, I'm going to have to say I either skimmed or skipped reading: Weather on Welladay, Honeymoon (which I think under normal circumstances I'd really like, but it's been too long since I read The Ship Who Sang, and so I couldn't remember anything about the characters), and The Great Canine Chorus. Besides, even for the stories I didn't especially care for, the author's notes are both interesting and entertaining.

Definitely a book for any true Anne McCaffrey fan, even with my grumbling and grousing. There's definitely no way I'm going to sell this one on anytime soon, considering the trouble I had finding it in the first place!

The Ravens of Falkenau and Other Stories - Jo Graham

The Ravens of Falkenau And Other Stories
Jo Graham
Crossroads Press (Kindle Edition)
Copyright: May 21, 2011

The amazon.com product description:

The world is a numinous place, for those who have eyes to see it.

Welcome to the Numinous World, where gods and angels intervene in the lives of mortals, and a band of eternal companions unite and reunite over the centuries, striving to make the world a better place despite wars and dark ages, hatred and cruelty.
Here are stories from the very beginning of our history, when the Lady of Cats entered the life of a young woman and changed her forever, long ago when farmers first scraped a living from the soil. Here too are stories of the ancient world — of Dion, the peerless scientist of Alexandria, of Lucia, a Roman waif, of a Persian princess and her Jewish sister in law, of Lydias of Miletus who is once and always Ptolemy's man, and of a Nubian girl who begins a long journey toward a strange destiny.
There are stories of the Dark Ages, of a last Roman outpost on the shores of Britain and of an Arab warrior who at last comes home to a white city on the sea, of a Scottish witch who serves the Storm Queen and fears no other magic, and a Knight Templar enslaved by the beauty of the world. Others follow — a messenger boy dragged into the Great Story and a desperate ride dogged by the Wild Hunt, and a mercenary captain of the Thirty Years War who finds his destiny in a remote corner of the Bohemian mountains.
Here too are more modern tales of the Age of Revolution, when Dion, Emrys, Sigismund and Charmian reunite in Napoleonic Paris, and at last we roll into the twentieth century with a young American girl with extraordinary oracular powers. Of course there is also Michael, Mik-el, Mikhael, who watches over his charges as best he may, though the world may change around them.
These are tiny windows into a miraculous world, glimpses through a glass and darkly of all that might be — for those with eyes to see.

Table of Contents

The Ravens of Falkenau 1614 AD
Dion Ex Machina 4 BC
Cold Frontier 505 AD
Small Victories 1800 AD
How the Lady of Cats Came to Nagada 8000 BC
Prince Over the Water 1040 AD
Horus Indwelling 285 BC
Paradise 641 AD
Slave of the World 1203 AD
Little Cat 1012 BC
Vesuvius 79 AD
Unfinished Business 22 BC
The Messenger's Tale 1553 AD
Morning Star 469 BC
Templar Treasure 1188 AD
Winter's Child 1821 AD
Brunnhilde in the Fire 1901 AD

The Ravens of Falkenau and Other Stories is a book I've been looking forward to since I first heard about it on Jo Graham's LiveJournal a few months ago. At this point in time at least, it seems to be available only as an e-book.

This book is part of the same world as Black Ships, Stealing Fire and Hand of Isis, a world I'm hearing is due to get another book next year. As such, although the characters in most of the stories are all different, they are all also the same, being reincarnations of Gull/Charmian/Lydias.

One of the best parts of this was seeing how all the parts fit together - each of the stories is dated and given a little explanation of how it fits into the overall world, which is one of my favourite parts, seeing how each is a piece of the larger story. Sometimes those explanations also highlight how Gull/Charmian's character has changed through the ages since Hand of Isis.

Another little thing about this book which I loved was the quote Jo Graham used to open it, from J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings: "Don't the great tales never end?...But the people in them come, and go when their part's ended." (The Two Towers). It's such an appropriate thought for the world that Jo Graham has created. After all, that's exactly what Gull/Charmian does. And, of course, J.R.R. Tolkien is one of my favourite authors, which adds an extra layer of appreciation.

There are even one or two stories with the recognized main or secondary characters from the already published books: Horus Indwelling with Lydias and Dion Ex Machina with Dion from Hand of Isis. The familiarity of these is refreshing.

Of course, with any book of short stories, there's going to be one or two favourites. Aside from the already mentioned story of Lydias, I'd have to say that my favourites are: How the Lady of Cats Came To Nagda, Little Cat, and the two stories about the Knights Templar. I'm a bit of a sucker for cat stories, and I find the Templars intriguing in general. I'd love to see more stories set in these eras.

Definitely a must-read book for the fans of Jo Graham's other books. A wonderful collection, which illuminates so many aspects of this world a little more - some of them are even hinted at in the previously existing books! I know I'm going to be re-reading The Ravens of Falkenau and Other Stories again in the future.

Overtime (Short Story) - Charles Stross

Overtime
Charles Stross
Tor Books

The amazon.com product description:

Introduced to readers in the novels The Atrocity Archive and The Jennifer Morgue, the Laundry is a secret British government agency charged with preventing dark interdimensional entities from destroying the human race.  Now, in "Overtime," the Laundry is on a skeleton staff for Christmas — leaving one bureaucrat to be all that stands between the world and annihilation by the Thing That Comes Down Chimneys. Written especially for Tor.com’s holiday season, Charles Stross’s novelette is a finalist for the 2010 Hugo Award.

I've never read anything by Charles Stross before, but looking at the blurbs on the backs of his other books, I'd thought they looked interesting. So, when I got a chance to download this one, I didn't think twice (I don't think I even read the blurb).

It was only when I started reading the story and going "what?" that I realized that it was part of an established universe. Overtime is a Christmas themed story, and a funny one, given the way the author plays with all of the Christmas traditions we take for granted. The story also made me curious about the books set in this world. I may well have to check them out further. Not to mention the other books Charles Stross has written.

Being a short story, I'm not sure what else I can say without spoiling the story. However, I will note that it had me laughing out loud on the transit system while reading it, and the poetry is hilarious. Doesn't everyone have to play with that old chestnut "The Night Before Christmas" at least once?

In Bastet's Service - P.M. Griffin - Short Story

In Bastet's Service
P.M. Griffin
Catfantastic II
Daw Books
Copyright 1991

In Bastet's Service is one of my favourite cat related short stories. It's found in the anthology Catfantastic II, which came out in 1991. There's a lovely mix of fantasy and realism in the story, although it is a bit sad. I love the use of mythology with Bastet - and the cats are just so realistic. Now having two kittens of my own, I was inspired to go find and re-read this story again. I like the other stories by P.M. Griffin as well, but In Bastet's Service remains my favourite out of all five of the Catfantastic anthologies.

I know I don't often review individual short stories, but frankly, this one just stands out as being one of the best I've ever read.

A woman brings home a statue of Bastet, only to find out that she's gotten so much more than she bargained for, including at least one cat who needs a good, kind human to care for him. I can't say much more without risking spoiling the story, but if you're a cat lover and a lover of fantasy stories, please try and find it. I know you'll at least be smiling as you read In Bastet's Service.