bookwyrm_lark's review
3.0
3.5 stars None of the stories in this anthology are bad, but there are few remarkable standouts either; for the most part they are well-written and entertaining without lingering in the reader's mind. Review to come.
whisper88's review
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
inferiorwit's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Xenophobia, Violence, Transphobia, Sexual assault, Injury/Injury detail, and Death
Minor: Child death
morgandhu's review against another edition
3.0
Mercedes Lackey seems to release a new Valdemar anthology every year just before Christmas, and 2017 was no exception. Which means that one of my solstice presents was an ebook of the latest volume, Pathways.
This year’s collection is, as always, a balance of stories about heralds or would-be Heralds and stories about people from other parts of Valdemar’s world, some human and some not. Because this is an ongoing series of anthologies, there are some familiar characters, as authors write new tales about old friends. These are for the most part optimistic stories, in which problems get solved, wrongs are righted, plots are foiled, lessons are learned, people find their place in the world.
I sometimes wonder about the reasons behind my deep affection for Lackey’s created country of Valdemar. It’s more than just the enjoyment of good hero stories, or the fact that she was writing women protagonists, and even putting queer characters into her stories, back when there was much less of that going around. I think it hinges on two things.
First, the Valdemarian insistence that there is no one truth, one right form of worship, no state religion. I like the idea of real religious tolerance, and I like that Lackey wanted to write about a society that makes no official windows into people’s souls.
Second, but probably more important, is the idea of the Heralds - and the requirement that the head of government and their chief advisor be Heralds. Living in this world where both the leaders and the agents of the state are so often corrupt, and lack any notion of social justice, it’s a fine fantasy indeed to escape into Valdemar, where Heralds can be trusted to, at the very least, have good intentions.
I’m glad to have spent the last hours of a very rotten year - both personally and globally - reading something light and full of hope that there are good people, and that not only do they sometimes win, but they get to be happy for a while.
*There are 20 short stories in this anthology, 17 written by women, two written by men, and one written by a person who chose not to indicate their gender.
This year’s collection is, as always, a balance of stories about heralds or would-be Heralds and stories about people from other parts of Valdemar’s world, some human and some not. Because this is an ongoing series of anthologies, there are some familiar characters, as authors write new tales about old friends. These are for the most part optimistic stories, in which problems get solved, wrongs are righted, plots are foiled, lessons are learned, people find their place in the world.
I sometimes wonder about the reasons behind my deep affection for Lackey’s created country of Valdemar. It’s more than just the enjoyment of good hero stories, or the fact that she was writing women protagonists, and even putting queer characters into her stories, back when there was much less of that going around. I think it hinges on two things.
First, the Valdemarian insistence that there is no one truth, one right form of worship, no state religion. I like the idea of real religious tolerance, and I like that Lackey wanted to write about a society that makes no official windows into people’s souls.
Second, but probably more important, is the idea of the Heralds - and the requirement that the head of government and their chief advisor be Heralds. Living in this world where both the leaders and the agents of the state are so often corrupt, and lack any notion of social justice, it’s a fine fantasy indeed to escape into Valdemar, where Heralds can be trusted to, at the very least, have good intentions.
I’m glad to have spent the last hours of a very rotten year - both personally and globally - reading something light and full of hope that there are good people, and that not only do they sometimes win, but they get to be happy for a while.
*There are 20 short stories in this anthology, 17 written by women, two written by men, and one written by a person who chose not to indicate their gender.
glennisleblanc's review
3.0
The latest collection of short fiction set in the Valdemar universe. There are several stories in here from returning contributors that continue the lives of characters they have written about in previous collections. The nice thing is that the reader still isn’t lost if they haven’t read the previous ones, but it is a nice little bit of extra for the dedicated fan. Overall this is a typical collection that covers both Heralds and non-Heralds and things that happen both within the kingdom and without.
Digital review copy provided by the publisher through NetGalley
Digital review copy provided by the publisher through NetGalley
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