About This Book
VALDEMAR
A decade and a half ago Mercedes Lackey published Arrows of the Queen, the story of an outcast girl whose life takes a dramatic turn when she is "Chosen" by a mysterious horselike Companion and is inducted into the ranks of an elite corp of magical protectors of her realm. The realm was Valdemar, an ancient land beset by war and internal conflicts, and the protectors were its legendary Heralds. Mindspeakers, FarSeers, FarSpeakers, Firestarters, Empaths, and ForeSeers, the Heralds endeavor to keep the peace and, if necessary, defend their country in the name of their monarch. Emissaries, spies, diplomats, scouts, warriors, judges and counselors, they follow a rigorous code of ethics and are bonded for life with their Companions.
Neither the young author nor her publishers were prepared for the response to this seemingly modest first novel. Now, sixteen years and twenty-five volumes later, the world of Valdemar is a phenomenon of fantasy literature.
Join Tanya Huff, Michelle West, Mickey Zucker Reichert, Judith Tarr, Fiona Patton, and others as they add their own special touch to the world of Valdemar. Discover how the abilities of one remarkable individual can bring peace to two lands which have been sworn enemies for centuries...learn why pain and tragedy are the most valuable teachers an empath can have...and discover how a man never Chosen can still be a Herald in his heart, in thirteen original stories of magic and valor, including an all-new novella by Mercedes Lackey herself.
