There are occasions where these tricks are to harm someone, but also occasions where they save people in trouble. Most of the time though, these shenanigans end up being a way to help overworked individuals blow off a little steam and take a break before getting back to the task at hand.
In the first story of the anthology, Tricks And Traps, Jennifer Brozek continues to explore the characters Kitha and Hadara. The bonded pair of half-hawk/half-girl and blind gryphon are traveling through the Pelagirs on a courier job between Vales, when they stumble into a hunter's trap intended to trap Kyree so that the hunters can sell its pelt. When the trio of hunters decide that the famous couriers could fetch a handsome ransom, they decide to send one of the hertasi servants that follow Kitha and Hadara ahead to start setting up the ransom. The trio of hunters-turned-bandits end up getting more than they bargained for as the hertasi plot to trick and trap the hunters and help free their friends long before the group can make it out of the Pelagirs.
Kristin Schwengel's mini-series following a street urchin turned Herald continues with A Brother’s Promise. Herald Rinton ends up on a rather strange personal quest. When he discovers that Kiyan, a crow that Rinton frequently deals with, has been helping Rinton's younger brother by stealing jewelry so that it can be fenced, Rinton first chides the crow for his deeds and then convinces his brother that the ill-gotten goods must be returned. Of course, Kiyan didn't realize what he was doing was wrong and Rinton's brother thought the crow was doing it on the Herald's behalf, so the last thing that Rinton wants is for any of them to get into trouble. Rinton must use his street smarts to somehow convince the owners of the stolen pieces that they were simply, temporarily misplaced and not actually absconded with. As Rinton, his companion Linx, and Kiyan work together to "find" each item, their reputation for recovering lost items starts to grow. Hopefully, this somewhat unjustified reputation doesn't come back to haunt Rinton in his future adventures.
Causing Trouble by Dylan Birtolo follows a boy, Ari, who lives with his aunt and uncle. While he helps them tend to their farm, he also takes care of Laya, a playful horse that loves to tease and torment Ari. While Ari is often annoyed by the horse, the fact that she belonged to his mother always softens his feelings for it. On this particular evening, Ari and his guardians are expecting a visitor who has been staying at various local houses as he travels across the countryside. Word has spread of the traveler's interesting stories that make him a wonderful guest, so Ari and his aunt and uncle are pulling out all the stops for the upcoming dinner guest. What no one expects is that the guest isn't all he seems to be, or the part that Laya will play in exposing the subterfuge.
Stephanie Shaver's All Around the Bell Tower is a story following Herald Wil while he and a couple of traveling companions stumble into a town with a most peculiar view of Heralds. They also find a Companion that is distraught over not being able to find her next Chosen.
The town of Hjoldhald is composed of refugees that recently left Hardorn when they could not handle the harsh treatment of their kind there. It seems a few centuries before they established themselves in Hardorn, they came from Karse, and while they aren't exactly the Zevynites fighters their ancestors were known to be, they still do their part and have held their own in the current fights against Ancar. This story flips between the perspective of Wil as he comes to town and that of a native of Hjoldhald who has a gift of visions that keeps him constantly seeing events of the past and future. The gift hasn't made his life easy, but it has helped protect his family and town, but one thing that these people fear is that the child-stealing Heralds will someday come to town and steal one of their people away. When one such Companion shows up, the town reacts in a most unusual way, and it is up to Wil and his friends to figure out how to resolve the problem.
Reminiscent by Paige L. Christie takes place about three years after Tieg, the girl who dreamed of being a guard, has joined the Collegium to train for just such a position. When the Collegium wakes up one morning to find a herd of steer in the middle of an upper hallway, most of the staff immediately blame Tieg. After all, that kind of prank just seems to fit her personality. But when Kwell remembers that Tieg has been away for a month, it seems unlikely to be the guard trainee. As it turns out, Tieg is scheduled to arrive back at the Collegium this very day, so Kwell finds the young woman just returning from her journey and tasks her to figure out how exactly the cows made it to the hallway without anyone seeing it, and who could have done it. Tieg, seeing this as a great chance to prove herself someone who can investigate a crime and as someone who has matured, jumps on the idea and the two work out exactly why livestock keep showing up in the unlikeliest of places. Reader beware though, it seems Kwell likes her puns and this story is chock full of them.
Ron Collins' mini-series focusing on the Kyree Nwah and the Chosen Kade continues in Life’s Little Pranks. In the previous story, Nwah had to leave Haven, unable to stand being in a city any longer and dreading leaving Kade behind because he had to continue his training. At the start of this story, Nwah is finally working on her Mage-Gift under the tutelage of Darkwind, but she worries about Kade as she can sense his troubled feelings through their lifebond.
Meanwhile Kade is finding the training and schooling he has to undergo at the Collegium to be far more than he could have ever imagined. While he enjoys spending time with his Companion Leena, he cannot help but feel that he is constantly behind in his schooling. After all, he was raised in the woods, while all of the other students had some kind of education before joining the Collegium. Kade's worries only deepen when he learns of a challenging test coming up soon and he feels he needs to work even harder if he is going to show he belongs. It will take some clever work on Leena's part to really help her Chosen get past his current problems.
Bard Tem and Healer Terek's story continues in Fool’s Week by Anthea Sharp. Here, the two teachers can't help but notice that their students aren't focusing on their work as much as they should. Chalking the lapse up to spring fever, Tem and Terek aren't sure what to do to snap their students back into line. It isn't long before some students learn of an old tradition at the Collegium called Fool's Week. This week of pranks between the different schools is meant to let the students blow off steam at the expense of any real learning that should happen. While some of the teachers feel this would just be destructive, Tem and Terek end up giving tacit approval by setting some ground rules. What follows is a week of ruined laundry, food and sleep for everyone at the Collegium, but once the pranks are out of the student's system, it seems like everyone is willing to get back into their studies once again.
In Charlotte E. English's The Companion Sting, Adgen and Kari are two orphans on the street of Haven. Adgen, in particular, is a gifted thief who has a long history of pulling off seemingly impossible jobs. While Adgen's skills keep the two fed and sheltered, Kari is constantly worried that something will go wrong someday and Adgen will be taken away from her. When Adgen tells Kari that he has a new job, to steal a Companion, Kari fears that this is the one theft he won't be able to pull off. After all, Kari knows a little more about the majestic magical horses than Adgen does. Her own secret, something she hasn't told her brother, is that she has Animal Mindspeech and frequently talks to the white horses and knows they are far more intelligent than common beasts. Kari must make some hard decisions if she is going to keep her brother from making a horrible mistake.
Love, Nothing More, Nothing Less is Brigid Collins' latest installment in the Herald Marli miniseries. In it, Dreyvin and Lady Areshinn arrive in Haven to join in the celebration of a Lifebond that one of the princesses has joined in. While Lady Areshinn could easily have declined the invitation, her son Simen, a Bard and Dreyvin's lover, asked them to come so that they could spend some time together. Upon arriving at Haven, Dreyvin finally meets Simen's friend Herald Marli, along with her unusual Lifebonded companion, Kimfer, and their even stranger adopted daughter. While Dreyvin is happy to see Simen again, he can't help but feel like he is doing his partner a disservice by staying in Lady Areshinn's service as the captain of the guard, a duty that keeps Simen and Dreyvin apart more often than not. As the ceremony around the princess picks up, Dreyvin finds himself surrounded by various forms of love and bonded pairs and he can't help but wonder if Simen would be best off without the one-handed guard, but when an ominous event happens at the main supper, Dreyvin makes a decision that could change the course of all of their lives.
Elisabeth Waters' mini-series focusing on people with Animal Mindspeech continues in A Cry of Hounds where Lady Magdalena and her husband, Kevin, have been invited to court. As they pass through the Animal Mindspeech campus at the Temple of Thenoth, they learn that Kevin's father has not only just come into his own lordship when Lord Crane passed away, but by marrying into another house, he has gained access to a good bit of wealth. As a result of the marriage, Kevin is now Sven-August's step brother, and they learn that Kevin's father is trying to marry Sven-August off for political gain. When Sven-August and Stina rush their own wedding plans to foil the new Lord Crane's plans, Lord Crane shifts his plots to Kevin's younger sister, Sara. Appalled by the idea that she would be married off at such a young age, Kevin, Magdalena and Sven-August must use all of their skills and gifts to stop the man's machinations.
In another amusing entry in her Watchmen series, Fiona Patton's Fowl Play has a couple members of the Dann clan investigating a rather unusual series of thefts in the Iron Street jurisdiction. When Sergeant Hektor Dann and his older brother, Aiden, learn of the series of thefts on Poultry Row, they arrive to find a local blacksmith, Uncle Bertie, accusing his neighbor's chicken of stealing from his garden. While the chicken's owner, Brody, professes innocence, the Dann brothers explain that they will look into the matter and the apparent thefts happening up and down the street.
As the brothers talk to the other shop owners, they learn that each of them have indeed found some small baubles missing over the past few weeks, and as strange as it may sound, while they didn't see the actual theft, there were the chicken feathers on the ground where the theft happened and the shop owners do recall hearing a chicken in the area. With the exception of Uncle Bertie, no one actually believes that a chicken has been trained to steal, but everyone is amused by the idea. The Dann brothers continue their investigation by asking any experts they might know if training a chicken to do such a task is even possible, all the while trying to catch the thief red-handed ... err winged? By the time the whole situation is resolved, the thefts of Poultry Row are just another amusing tale the family of watchmen get to share around their dinner tables.
In The Boy Who Cried Kidnap by Dayle A. Dermatis, we learn of a young boy named Nat who works at his father's tavern in the city of Greenburgh. When he overhears a trio of customers talking about the mayor's daughter, Tarita, he starts to suspect that they plan on kidnapping her and demanding ransom. While trying to eavesdrop on their conversation, the trio spot him and force him to help in their plot, all the while threatening Nat's family. While Nat tries to tell officials of the impending scheme, no one believes him as he, unfortunately, has a history of telling tall tales. Nat is going to have to do some fast talking if he is going to save the mayor's daughter.
Louisa Swann's addition to Shenanigans is Trap Spell, the story of a young man who has been raised by a kertasi. Roli is hoping to pass one final test from Medran, his adoptive father and mentor, in order to prove he has enough control over his Fetching Gift that he can be trusted to be with his people and go into Valdemar society. Roli travels deep into the Pelagirs Forest near the k'Vala vale where father and son have settled, in the hopes of finding just the right place for whatever trial Medran has planned for him. While he does find the perfect clearing to settle in and wait, he soon realizes that he has been followed by a young Hawkbrother named Winterwind. The mischievous scout-in-training has a habit of pulling pranks on Roli and Roli isn't up to dealing with the young man right now. Unfortunately for the two of them, the clearing seems to be some kind of magical trap that is causing them to hallucinate. Much to Roli's chagrin, they must leave the clearing and return to k'Vala even if that means Roli has failed his test. The trek back home isn't as clear cut as either young men would like, but they will have to rely on each other if they are going to get back home safely.
One Trick Pony by Diana Paxson focuses on a farmer named Andry who has had a fairly tragic past. After his family was slaughtered, he joined a military troupe that eventually led to another devastating tragedy. Now, after the survivor of not one but two traumatic events, he has a place in Haven near the Companion's Field. He spent some time with the healers as they helped him get through most of his injuries, both physically and mentally, but he still has horrible nightmares. Now, he spends his days tending to a small flower garden near his hut. One day, a Herald Trainee named Bekka comes to him and after a short discussion invites him to join her and her family for dinner. It isn't long before Andry and Bekka's mother start to develop feelings for one another, but with Andry's tormented nights and history, he is hesitant to take his budding relationship far. It isn't until a night when horses stabled nearby are let out, that Andry realizes just what has been missing in his life and he can truly start to move forward.
Brenda Cooper seems to be starting a new mini-series with her continuation of some characters she introduced in Passages: Tales of Valdemar - Book 14. In Companion’s Lesson, the recently-retired Herald Marjom is finding her time teaching Herald Trainees to be a bit frustrating. Marjom and her friend, Herald Witman, are noticing that their students are getting more and more tense. They both worry that if this latest batch were sent to the frontlines against Arcon, they will break. When Witman suggests that their students need a break in their normal routine in order to help release some steam, Marjom feels the need to point out that the fight needs everyone as soon as possible. The two Heralds, along with their Companions, must find a way to satisfy both needs if they are going to produce effective and mentally-fit Heralds for the troubles ahead.
The story of Cloudbrother and Sparrow from Michele Lang continues, but this time the point-of-view is in Sparrow's hertasi friend, Rork. A Bouquet of Gifts, or The Culinary Adventures of Rork starts off with Rork learning that Sparrow and Cloudbrother are on their way back to the Vale, and to celebrate, Rork is determined to throw a small celebration to show how loved his friend is. When he approaches the Healers Temple to suggest such a gathering, he finds the site a mess. When the literal fires are put out, he learns that there have been a string of strange accidents happening in the area for a while now. While Rork can't help with the Healer's current minor issues, he does ask for some help in setting up the celebration for Sparrow's return. Melia, the senior Healer, assigns a young woman named Rose to Rork to prepare for the party, and as the two work towards their goal, it becomes clear that the strange series of accidents follows Rose around more than anyone else. Will Rork and Rose be able to pull off the celebration despite their various odd and unexpected setbacks? Of course they will, but we will also learn just what is up with Rose and the strange occurrences that happen around her.
Of Ghosts and Stones and Snow is a one-off story from Phaedra Weldon, where Herald Reyes is called in from circuit to help a fellow Herald, Viessa, with a strange mystery she is investigating in a small town. It seems that a sapphire necklace has been stolen from a recent widow and everyone in the town is convinced the culprit is the ghost of her late husband, Bishop Warren. While Viessa is at her wit's end, Reyes' reputation as an investigator proceeds him and she hopes he can get to the bottom of what is really going on. Reyes is, of course, convinced that no ghost is to blame for the missing jewelry and he uses this opportunity to help Viessa hone her own investigative abilities. Their sleuthing will have them look at everyone from the Mayor, the blacksmith, the local doctor and all their families as it seems that each of them have some connection to the late Warren and his widow that needs further explanation.
Pranks For the Memories by Dee Shull focuses on a collection of Healer Trainees, and among them is a young girl named Jayin, who grew up in the circus. When one of her classmates, Kari, claims she is bored, Jayin makes an off-handed comment regarding a prank war that happened in her family. The result is three weeks of practical jokes that spread across the entire Collegium, starting with simple tricks like coins glued to pavestones, but ultimately escalating to actual minor property damage. All the while, Jayin takes extra care to not be involved in any pranks herself as she quickly realizes her reputation means she could easily be a suspect.
As is typically the case in these Valdemar anthology books, the final story is from Mercedes Lackey herself, and co-authoring this particular story is her husband Larry Dixon. In Shin’a’inagins, two Shin'a'in cousins are part of a trade caravan heading to the city of Kata'shin'a'in with a load of goat fleece for the market. Edris and Kenlan shena Ne'vor'ison find the job to be quite amiable, but Edris has his eyes set on the fun that can be had when they arrive at their destination and they sell their wares and the pack horses that hauled the load to the trade city.
In a rather unexpected turn of events, it seems one of their pack horses, Red, sees the horse races happening near their campsite and gets quite excited over the idea. While the races themselves are closely controlled and only the finest horse stock is allowed to run, Edris and Kenlan devise a plan that will show everyone that even a Shin'a'in pack horse can be a fierce competitor in a race. If they can pull off their plans, they might just be able to return home with even more money than they ever intended.
As is always the case with these Valdemar anthology books, Shenanigans is filled with fun little adventures that are quick reads. The mix of continued character development in the various mini-series, along with the one-and-done stories, makes for a nice assortment of stories that just add depth to Lackey's world. I am always happy to see how these books expand her world and it is something that I wish other authors would do more often.
