This was a collection of short stories set in Valdemar. Some of them I like. The others I didn’t. Nevertheless, this is still recommended by fans of Valdemar.

I was especially excited for this collection, since it contains a brand new short story by Mercedes Lackey, in addition to all the other talented authors featured in the collection.

As the title of the collection implies – expect stories full of fun, mischief, and more than a few pranks. I thought that the lighter tone of these stories was refreshing and a much needed change of pace. One of the things I like about The Tales of Valdemar series, and this installment in particular, is the fact that it gives readers a bit of “a slice of life” set in a beloved fantasy world. These stories give readers the chance to see other sides of characters, and read about people and events that they would not get to see if they were only to read the main Valdemar novels.

It’s hard to pick a favourite story in the collection – I really enjoyed “Fowl Play” by Fiona Patton and “Pranks for the Memories” by Dee Shull.

There is something in this short story collection for everyone. If you’re a long-time Valdemar fan, then you’ll be reunited with some familiar characters. However, if, on the other hand, you’re a brand new visitor to Valdemar, then this anthology will give you a fun introduction to the world and characters.

Shenanigans was full of whimsy, magic, and fun, and was a strong addition to the Tales of Valdemar short story series.

Thank you to DAW books and Netgalley for the e-arc of this new short story collection, in exchange for an honest review.

I will always be enamored with the Heralds of Valdemar and the story collections are one of my favorite ways to keep exploring such a vast and enthralling universe.

I definitely have to say that some stories had my attention more than others, but the theme of this one is probably what got me most, just by following it so very closely, the stories began to feel repetitive in a way.

In all I still had fun, so 4 stars for the entertainment value.

I probably say this every time I review one of these books and that is that I’m not normally a big fan of anthologies. They tend to be hit or miss with the stories and then just as I’m getting into a story it ends! I always make an exception for Mercedes Lackey’s anthologies because in all the years I’ve been reading them I’ve yet to find one that disappointed me in any way. Until I read this one. While there were plenty of stories in Shenanigans that I enjoyed but overall I do have to say that as a whole this book disappointed me.

A large part of that is I just didn’t enjoy the theme that all the stories were written around. I’ve never been a fan of pranks and I tend to skip every story or video I see about people playing them on people. Then throw in that suddenly they’re talking about a ‘prank day’ in a bunch of the stories at the collegium that has never once been mentioned in over 30 years worth of Valdemar books when we know if such a thing ever existed, even if it had been banned, Skif would have had a field day with it. I was also disappointed that some of my favorite ongoing stories from previous anthologies weren’t included in this one and can’t help but feel like they weren’t in the anthology because they couldn’t be made to fit the theme.

Don’t get me wrong I think pretty much every author in this book is amazing and all the stories were well-written! The theme of them all the stories and the fact that my favorite characters weren’t in them just made it difficult for me to enjoy. I feel like I’m going to be in the minority of Mercedes Lackey fans so like always I would tell everyone to read the book and judge it themselves. Just don’t expect Shenanigans to stand out the way the rest of her anthologies have over the years.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

In the sixteenth anthology of short stories set in the world of Valdemar, featuring tales by new and established authors alike, the theme has created stories that are simply superb fun. From the first story to the last, each tale is selected carefully and written to resonate with the theme, Shenanigans, in a way that is positive and beautiful. The authors have created engaging characters, each full of depth and fun plots that carefully explore the idea of tricks and jokes to help solve a problem or lead to some kind of insight into the world of Valdemar.

What makes these anthologies so excellent is that each one will find favor with old fans of the Valdemar books but will also be enjoyable to new readers. Even if you aren’t familiar with Mercedes Lackey, I think readers will love the fun stories, especially in this particular anthology. There is whimsy, delight, and love as well as joy and laughter. Every story perfectly suits the theme. New and old fans alike will love the stories full of superb fun.

A nice enough collection of stories about Valdemar. Also perhaps not one of the best collections but still a good read.

Generally, this is a good collection of stories set in the world of the Heralds of Valdemar but I have to admit that it did not work for me. I get that the stories are about tricks and "shenanigans" but the theme really grated on me from about the halfway mark. While these stories aren't interconnected, it did make me puzzled that we had a whole bunch of stories about prank day or similar at the Collegium. Each one kind of implied that there had been no prank days for so long and then they brought it back, which just made me question what the timelines were and what I was reading. True, they could have each been set after a long dry spell because the last prank day was a nightmare, but it got a little tired as far as a story for me to read. By the time the last one rolled around, I was thinking "another prank story?"

I also found that a lot of the stories needed more context. Sure, they are short stories. Sure, we should be familiar with the world of the characters. But in some cases, it has been a very long time since some of these major characters featured and some our memories (i.e. mine) are not as good as they once were for names and the like. I also think that, with the number of short story collections, it's hard to keep track of which characters were in previous stories because there are just so many to go back to.

As with all short story collections, there were some that I truly enjoyed that would have rated higher than a 3 star. There were also some that rated lower.

If you are a fan of the Valdemar series and have enjoyed the short story anthologies to date, you'll likely enjoy this one.

Last week’s Into the West – and Beyond before it – focused on the very serious adventure of the Founding of Valdemar. Kordas Valdemar and Company’s epic journey gave series fans a much better idea of just how much blood, sweat and tears went into the creation of the place that we all love. But that’s certainly not all there is to Valdemar.

Shenanigans, the sixteenth book in the Tales of Valdemar subseries (after last year’s Boundaries), presents series readers with a treat of a present for this holiday season, as the stories within are exactly what the title names them – shenanigans.

While there’s a bit of derring-do, Shenanigans is a collection of marvelous, funny and often marvelously funny stories set in all the periods of Valdemar history among all of the many peoples and creatures that make the place so much fun to read about for so many glorious years.

In spite of the blurb, most of the stories in Shenanigans do not revolve around the Companions and their Chosen. Some do, of course, or it wouldn’t be a Valdemar collection, but quite a few of the shenanigans in the collection thereof are more slice of life stories, and there are a fair number that feature people with telepathic “gifts” that are not Chosen and may not even wish to be.

Of course, there are also several stories set among the students of the Collegium, because, well, students and pranking make for a fun story no matter what world they’re set in.

Which leads to my two favorite stories in the collection, “Pranks for the Memories” by Dee Shull and “Fool’s Week” by Anthea Sharp. The stories are similar, but they are still both excellent. It’s spring. The students are restless. (Probably every teacher everywhere is nodding their head at THAT idea). In “Pranks” one student mentions a family tradition of a week of pranking. In “Fool’s Week”, someone remembers that there used to be a traditional “fool’s week” at the Collegium until the practice, not unsurprisingly, got out of hand.

It’s suddenly in hand again, to the point where even the teachers are participating. And it’s hilarious!

The other standouts – at least for this reader – come in pairs. “All Around the Bell Tower” by Stephanie Shaver and “A Bouquet of Gifts, or The Culinary Adventures of Rork” by Michele Lang. Both are stories about young girls who have gifts that the people around them can’t quite identify – and that give them each more than a few problems. What each child needs is someone to both listen and understand. The story in “Bell Tower” is a bit more traditional Valdemar in that it’s her Companion that finally brings help in the persons of both themself and their accompanying Heralds. In “A Bouquet of Gifts” we get a much fuller than usual portrait of the helpful hertasi as Rork the chef, as he sets up a feast for a returning friend, also makes a new one – along with a menagerie of mischievously ‘helpful’ creatures and animals.

We saw a lot of the hertasi in Into the West and it’s lovely to see them again here.

And then there are the two stories that include both romance and adventure in equal measure – if on nearly opposite ends of the socioeconomic strata. “A Cry of Hounds” by Elisabeth Waters and “One Trick Pony” by Diana Paxson. “Hounds” is set in the King’s Court of Valdemar. Lord Repulsive’s father is dead, and Lord Repulsive himself is trying to marry off his 12-year-old stepdaughter. In reality, he’s selling his 12-year-old stepdaughter and trying to keep the King from finding out that the child is only 12. Because he will not approve the marriage once he learns, and he will not be amused when he discovers the deception. And he is not. Lord Repulsive gets what’s coming to him with the help of his castoff brother, his sister-in-law and every dog she talks to with her AnimalSpeech. And he deserves every bit of it. (Lord Repulsive really is repulsive. It’s not his real name but “if the shoe fits” or in this case, more like “if the Foo shits”…)

Last but not least there’s, Diana Paxson’s “One Trick Pony”, which mixes a bit of the bittersweet memory of heartbreak and the horrors of war into its story about a man who has found peace after grief and war by gardening, and the way that peace is invaded by a woman who reopens his heart and a newly born Companion who is learning the limits of their own power one prank at a time.

Escape Rating B: After the necessary seriousness of Into the West, the mostly lighthearted tales of Shenanigans were an absolute delight. As with most collections, not every single story hits its mark, but more than enough of them to make Shenanigans a treat for Valdemar fans. Certainly something to tide us all over as we wait for Gryphon in Light, coming in June.

As any anthology is a mixed bag but i thoroughly enjoyed some of the story and the final novella. It's a good way to learn more about Valdemar but I think it wouldn't be a good way to start reading this series.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine

I enjoy how many of the short stories are continuation of stories in previous anthologies. We get more in information in their lives. But in actuality I just love reading more stories set in Valdemar, I always have my favorites (those dealing with the chosen of course), but it is good to read about the average folks as well.

Thank you to the authors, publisher and NetGalley for my eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Mercedes Lackey has chosen for us more short stories about Valdemar's heralds and their companions, hertasi and other beings in their world in Shenanigans. Delightful adventures and serious actions abound. Dig in and enjoy the tricks that Valdemarans get up to.

This is a wonderful collection of short stories for fans of Valdemar. Numerous races and societies are represented, with each feeling genuine and distinct. This collection is truly a tribute to the unparalleled universe created by Mercedes Lackey. The stories run the gamut from lighthearted and funny to deeply beautiful, all in a short form that makes it easy to take a brief break for yourself to read them, If you are a fan of the Valdemar universe, even a casual one, do yourself a favor and read this collection. I highly recommend it.

Really well written and beautifully described stories! They flow so well you can read it all in one sitting and just let the world go by! All 13 stories are so well done there is not one that doesn’t come through!

Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I have been reading Mercedes Lackey since I first discovered the Valdemar books over 30 years ago. And while I've read almost everything she's written, I will happily read anything about Valdemar, including the 16 anthologies of Valdemar stories by various authors.

Of course, there are some that I like more than others, either because of the writing style of the author, because sometimes the short story format leaves me a bit unsatisfied (wait, how did we get to this point, and what happens next?), or just because the topic that the author chose doesn't grab me. Regardless of this, however, I always find something to like in each story - if nothing else, a window on something in the Valdemar universe that I hadn't looked through before.

I also enjoy the anthologies for the opportunity to read a story focused on some group of characters that are not prominent in the novels - this anthology, for instance, has a number of stories focusing on hertasi, and on characters of less clear identity.

As you might infer from the title, these stories are written around the theme of "shenanigans," so there's generally a prank of some sort in the story, either intentional or inadvertent. I think this gives a lighter touch to most of the stories, and makes them a fun read.

I try never to miss anything by Lackey, or this series of anthologies about Valdemar, and I'm delighted that I had the opportunity to read this one. Truly a good read!

Another collection of stories set in Valdemar. There are a few that continue the adventures from previous collections but not as many as previous collections. There are more lighthearted stories in this one that prove the title is the theme to a lot but not all the stories in this year’s crop. A great gift for a fan of the series.

Always fun! If you’re a Valdemar fan it’s a fun read. I got to read an ARC but I’m keeping my preorder on the book so I’ve got a copy for myself!

What a breath of fresh air reading fantasy that is light and fun! Mercedes Lackey’s Valdemar has a very classic fairytale world feeling about it. In this collection, we often follow scrappy, exuberant heroes on fun adventures. If you want some good animal companions, this anthology has got you covered. Each story introduces you to a different cast of characters and different setting within the broader Valdemar world.

My personal favorite short stories in the collection are the school-time “Fool’s Weekend” and “The Companion Sting,” a caper.

This anthology presents the perfect chance to either get re-immersed in Valdemar or to get a birds-eye view of it for the first time. I really enjoyed the reading experience.

<b><i>Many thanks to DAW and Netgalley for this e-ARC, in exchange for my honest opinion.</i></b>

This is an anthology of stories in fantasy form.
Daw and Net Galley let me read this book for review (thank you). It has been published so you can get a get a copy now.

The stories vary in length. Some let you make your own mind up about how it ends. They are interesting.

There are quite a few of them. They'll keep you reading.

I like short stories so this was a treat for me.

If you like short stories and fantasy, you'll enjoy this book.

Another great look into the world created by Mercedes Lackey. There are new characters, and returning favorites. New authors, returning favorite authors. I was reluctant to read these stories at first because they weren't written by Misty, but each author has their own slightly different take on the world while holding true to Misty's original works. I'm glad many of the authors return and continue with the same characters so you get to keep enjoying characters you've become fond of.

As an avid fan of Lackey's Valdemar world, I loved most of the stories in this collection. New characters are introduced and the stories are centered around the theme in the title: shenanigans. For some, this takes the form of pranks and trickery. For others, it's subtler deceptions and swindles. Some tales made me laugh out loud and many left me wanting to know more of particular characters' histories and futures.

This collection will appeal most to prior fans of the series, but it's also an excellent introduction to Valdemar. Highly enjoyable!

Received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.