Typically, I really don't like reading short story anthologies. The stories, when good, are always too short for my taste. Sometimes, you find only a few good, few not so good in the anthology. Valdemar anthologies are always the exception for me--I drink in the tales full of familiar (and not so familiar) characters eagerly. They're always a treat, and this one is no exception. Excepting only in the wish for the stories to all be much, much longer.

In this anthology we get not only a new short story from Lackey, but sequels to previous short stories in other Valdemar anthologies.

The high fantasy world of Valdemar returns in short stories in Pathways and other tales of Valdemar, edited by Mercedes Lackey. Ordinary people with extraordinary mind talents combine with the Companions that look like horses but are spirit guides and other wonderful animals. Each story is a complete tale. I could not put this down. An excellent addition to Valdemar universe.

A collection of 21 short stories inspired by Mercedes Lackey's Valdemar series- including one short story written by Lackey herself. Most of the stories in "Pathways" leave something to be desired. Short and often missing a few pieces that would make them much more interesting (or coherent), "Pathways" could have benefitted from fewer and longer stories than the brief pieces we see. Very few of the stories contained enough of the taste of the world of Valdemar that would draw in new readers or satisfy old ones. Even die-hard Valdemar fans will probably be disappointed in this collection.

I probably wouldn’t be the avid reader that I am today if it wasn’t for an annoyed librarian who handed me a copy of Arrows of the Queen by Mercedes Lackey almost 15 years ago and told me I could sit down and read quietly or go back outside into the 120-degree heat. Now I’ve discovered a lot of amazing books and authors since that day but Mercedes Lackey and her Heralds of Valdemar books have continuously been among my favorites. While I normally don’t like anthologies I think Pathways contains some great stories that make fantastic new additions to the Valdemar series.

I haven’t really read anything by the majority of the authors in Pathways but I think Mercedes Lackey did an excellent job and picked the perfect authors to help her flesh out the world of Velgarth. My favorite part of this anthology is the way we get a look at locations and gifts that we don’t really get to see much of in the main series. While there are plenty of Heralds and Companions in Pathways I feel like they aren’t the focus for a good chunk of the stories. It’s interesting seeing the world through the eyes of someone other than a Herald for a while.

I also really enjoy how a lot of the stories in Pathways are continuations of stories from the anthologies of previous years. One of my biggest complaints about short fiction is how the story always seems to end just as I’m really starting to get into it. So it’s always nice to be able to continue on with a character or story that I really enjoyed a previous anthology.

I also really enjoy the way that a good chunk of the stories in Pathways are just continuations of stories from the previous year’s anthologies. One of my biggest complaints about short fiction is how the story always seems to end just as I’m really starting to get into it. So it’s always nice to be able to continue on with a character or story I really enjoyed in a previous short story.

While there were a few stories that I didn’t like in this anthology I thought the majority of them were pretty solid and it was nice to see some of my favorite characters make some sort of appearance. I think anyone who is a fan of Mercedes Lackey would enjoy this book and if anyone reading this book hasn’t read anything else by her I would highly suggest that they pick up a copy of Arrows of the Queen next time they are looking for something to read. Trust me you won’t regret it!

While there were a few stories I really didn’t like in this anthology I thought the majority of them were pretty good with a return of many of my favorite characters. I think anyone who is a fan of Mercedes Lackey would enjoy this book and if someone hasn’t read anything else by her I would highly suggest that they pick up a copy of Arrows of the Queen the next time they are looking for something to read. Trust me you won’t regret it

Pathways takes us back to the fabulous world of Mercedes Lackey’s Valdemar, a place I love to visit and revisit as often as I can. It’s a world of magic and fantasy where there is no one true way. This anthology has 23 stories and there isn’t a bad one in the book. Enjoy these stories of heralds, healers, bards and regular folks in extraordinary conditions. I did. I love that these stories are true to the feeling of Valdemar and have to admit that they left me a bit nostalgic. If you are a fan of the Valdemar series you are going to enjoy this book.

Beautiful collection of short stories. So happy that I read this!

Another anthology of Valdemar, We meet up with some old friends from previous anthologies which just fills in more episodes in their lives, you don't need to read the others first.

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.

A lovely collection of short story's set in the fantasy world created by Mercedes Lackey!!!

I remember reading the original Valdemar books in the late 1980s. I have been a lifelong reader of speculative fiction, so it was delightful to me to read about a society where difference was often a strength rather than a reason to be judged and despised. Mercedes Lackey occupied a space in my library with Ursula LeGuin, Anne McCaffrey, Sheri Tepper, Zenna Henderson, Evangeline Walton, and many others (Heinlein, Bradbury, Clarke, Atwood, Bester, Ellison, etc etc).

Throughout the years, I've always loved anthologies. Whether or not they share a thematic cohesiveness, I like the inevitable variation of having a group of stories from which to choose, and have never yet been disappointed in finding a story to fit whatever reading mood I'm in.

Pathways, due out 05 Dec 2017, is a collection of 21 short works set in the Valdemar universe, including a novella by Mercedes Lackey herself. The stories are varied, but editorially cohesive and all of them, in my opinion, are true to the spirit of the Valdemar books. The author list is a nice blending of established writers and unfamiliar-to-me authors, which brings me to another reason I love anthologies. I've yet to read an anthology (and I read a lot of them) that didn't increase my reading list at least a little bit and introduce me to authors with whom I was previously unacquainted.

The general quality of the stories in this anthology is high, with several standouts. I enjoyed seeing familiar characters in new roles and totally new characters.

The cover art is by Jody Lee who will be familiar to readers from earlier volumes (and many other covers in the original novels and collections).

There is something here for Valdemar fans old and new as well as fans of fantasy.

Four stars

PATHWAYS gathers stories from all over Valdemar in this eleventh collection. Many of the authors have contributed to some of the earlier anthologies too. All of the stories were entertaining and well written. My only complaint is that they were too short. I would have been eager to read longer stories with the same characters.

I especially enjoyed the stories that included Companions because I'm a fan of white horse-like creatures with silver hooves and blue eyes. I also enjoyed the stories that took place away from Haven from the Pelagris Hills to Karse.

Readers who want to go on a quick tour of Valdemar won't want to miss this anthology.

One comment that resonates when reading these stories comes from a similar fantasy world Discworld. The comment is it feels like this world is continually ticking along when nobody is paying attention. The glimpses into Valdemar are just part, everything is continuously moving along when nobody is paying attention and it is an excellent visit to a world that exists and every story is someone’s personal tale.

I received an advanced copy of Pathways (Valdemar Anthology #11) from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Pathways is the eleventh book in the Valdemar Anthology, and it consists of twenty-one amazing short stories, written by various authors. The whole of the novel is edited by Mercedes Lackey, so one can feel confident that the feel of each story still fits into the world she has built. With twenty plus stories included in this novel, I’m sure most fans of the Valdemar series will find a few that stick out or resonate more than the others. The shining examples for me were Silent Storms, The Girl Who Rejected the Ordinary, The Hidden Gift, and To Catch a Thief. I’m sure others would list different ones as their favorites (except for maybe To Catch a Thief, I imagine that one being written by Mercedes Lackey will make it onto any list of favorites).
I thought this was a wonderful collection of short stories; even though each one was its own distinct plot and written by a different author, they all felt interconnected, likely due to the shared world they all had. Each one felt like it belonged in the world that Mercedes Lackey has spent so many years building. A few of them ended before I would have liked; but if I’m being honest that happens with good short stories sometimes (you never want them to end!).
One thing I’ve always loved about Mercedes Lackey’s writing, in particular in her Valdemar world, is that she’s unafraid to try new things and experiment with her characters. Each character is their own entity, and frequently they don’t fit the hetero-normative stereotype, or are older/younger/somehow different from a typical main character. I can’t tell you how much I love that, and how much it means to so many people. I’m happy to say that the stories included in Pathways are no exception to this preference by Lackey; there’s so much variety in the main characters throughout, it’s hard not to appreciate the acknowledgement that not everybody is alike.
Included in this novel: Silent Storms by Brigid Collins, Traded Places by Kristin Schwengel, Reborn by Jennifer Brozek, The Girl Who Rejected the Ordinary by Janny Wurts, Unexpected Consequences by Elizabeth A. Vaughan, A Herald’s Duty by Phaedra Weldon, Woven Threads of Love and Honor by Dayle A. Dermatis, Patterns by Diana L. Paxson, Out of Pelagiris by Ron Collins, Trust Your Instincts by Dylan Birtolo, Discovery by Nancy Asire, An Ostentation of Peacocks by Elisabeth Waters, Cobblestones by Fiona Patton, Boggles and Spies by Louisa Swann, The Hidden Gift by Anthea Sharp, Secrets and Truths by D. Shull, Ordinary Miracles by Rebecca Fox, Cloud and Sparrow by Michelle Lang, Clay and Fire by Angela Penrose, Bootknife by Stephanie D. Shaver, and To Catch a Thief by Mercedes Lackey.