Title: A Many-Splintered Thing
Author: Mercedes Lackey (Editor)
Publication Date: November 25, 2026
Genres: Epic Fantasy
Protagonist Gender: Male/Female
As much as I love Mercedes Lackey and her tales of Valdemar, this is actually the first time that I've read one of her multi-author anthologies. Suffice to say, I intend to go back and catch up - and with this being the 2oth volume, there's plenty to catch up on.
Before I get into the stories themselves, I need to say a few things about theme and characters. First off, these are not necessarily stories about love, but they are stories where love and connection are central to the plot. Whether it's the love of family and friends, the love between companions, or the love between romantic partners, that need for connection is key. Secondly, this is an anthology where love is offered (and accepted) freely, regardless of gender, with same-sex connections prominent in many of the stories.
The anthology opens with TIME AND TIDES by Charlotte E. English, which pairs the love found in grieving lost family with that of rekindled relationships. Miriel and Hiralda, Bard and Herald, are a lovely couple, and I found myself grieving that their story was over so soon. The next tale, ALL THE TIME IN THE WORLD by Brigid Collins, continues that strong opening with another story that pairs love of family with love of lifebonded partners. This one felt like an excised chapter of a longer story, but that just drew me in deeper.
BOUND HEARTS by Jeanne Adams was, by far, the darkest tale in the collection, dealing with child-trafficking, drugging, and kidnapping. It falls prey to one of my least favorite tropes, that of the characters temporarily losing their memories or their powers, but I still found it a powerful story with a satisfying climax. Ironically, WITHOUT A NAME by Phaedra Weldon falls prey to the very same trope, but I enjoyed the mystery of it, especially as it leads to a very public unveiling of crimes and conspiracies.
THE CIRCLE SPEAKS OF LOVE by Brenda Cooper is, perhaps, a little too on-the-nose in exploring the theme of love, but I did enjoy it. On one level, we have a secret love between Heralds, and on another, we have a very open discussion about love and lust on the battlefield. One illuminates the other, and I thought it a novel lesson for new recruits. Similarly, COURAGE AFTER ALL by Stephanie D. Shaver explicitly confronts the difference between love and lust, between chosen lovers and arranged marriage, which makes the theme of love hard to ignore. It's a story with darkness as well, but it's also one of romantic heroism, which I wholeheartedly approve.
There's a stretch of stories that felt a little safe or a little bland to me, but I understand an anthology needs to vary the pace, the tension, and the emotions in order for stories to stand out. On that note, RIPOSTE by Paige Christie was a more playful story, almost a romantic comedy in many ways, and I thoroughly enjoyed it as a welcome change of pace.
Finally, that brings us to GREATER LOVE by Mercedes Lackey herself, the tale of Lily and Violet, a pair of drudges on a farmstead. Here we have the pure, clean love between friends and family contrasted with the dark, violent lusts of spoiled young men. There's real tension to this story, especially since we know that, no matter who takes them in, the girls would not escape so easily, but there's also hope. Most importantly, this is a Mercedes Lackey story, and it reads beautifully, drawing us in, keeping us engaged, and (of course) leaving us wanting more.
In the end, any excuse to return to Valdemar is a good one, and the one thing the authors here have in common is that they clearly love and appreciate the world Lackey has created as much as the rest of us.
Rating: ♀ ♀ ♀ ♀
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
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