Mercedes Lackey

While fighting monsters that break through the barriers surrounding Apex City, Joy and her pack of magical hounds begin finding dead Psimons, and reporting the incidents only causes more trouble.

Talented but penniless dancer Ninette Dupond finds her luck changing when she meets a cat who, speaking to her mind-to-mind, orders her to impersonate a missing Russian ballerina, plunging her into the middle of a war against the darkest Elemental Spirit.

When Ekaterina, the seventh daughter of the Sea King, uses her special ability to move around on land to serve as her father's spy, she is kidnapped, along with other princesses, and held hostage in a castle where her only hope for rescue lies within a man thought to be a fool.

The story of Darian, a troubled young orphan of Valdemar. Apprenticed to a venerable wizard when his hunter and trapper parents disappear into the forest never to be seen again, Darian is difficult and strong willed--much to the dismay of his kindly master. But a sudden twist of fate will change his life forever, when the ransacking of his village forces him to flee into the great mystical forest. It is here in the dark forest that he meets his destiny,...

Miriam may be the daughter of Queen Alethia of Tirendell, but she's not a princess. She's the child of Alethia and her previous husband, the King's Champion, who died fighting for the king, and she has no ambitions to rule. When her new baby sister Aurora, heir to the throne, is born, she's ecstatic. She adores the baby, who seems perfect in every way. But on the day of Aurora's christening, an uninvited Dark Fae arrives, prepared to curse her, and...

"The refugees from the Empire have established a thriving city called Haven with the help of the Tayledras and their allies. But the Tayledras have begun a slow withdrawal to the dangerous lands known as the Pelagirs, leaving the humans of Haven to find their own way. But even with Haven settled, the lands around Haven are not without danger. Most of the danger comes in the form of magicians: magicians taking advantage of the abundant magical energy...

When the city state of Merina is conquered by an emperor, its ruling women go underground to continue the struggle. The dowager queen, Adele, disappears into a temple, the ruling queen, Lydana, becomes a peddler of beads, and Shehyra, heir to the throne, joins the gypsies. A tale of feminine deception.

"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"--