Following her acclaimed novels The Serpent's Shadow and The Gates of Sleep, Mercedes Lackey reinvents a classic fairy tale-and gives it a new twist. In a dark and atmospheric retelling of Cinderella, she sets her story in London during the first World War.

Since Herald Vanyel's time, all forms of magic, except for Mind magic, ceased to exsist in Valdemar's borders. A mage couldn't even go into Valdemar before he was driven out because of the unseen "eyes" watching him or her. But now, magic is slowly coming back and Ancar, an evil bloodpath-mage from Hardorn knows it. Elspeth, Herald and Heir to the throne of Valdemar, must take up the task and go to seek outside help. She becomes bound to Kerowyn's Sword Need and through Elspeth, the Sword "awakens." and tells her story. Elspeth and Skif set off to go to Kethry and Tarma's Mage schools that are in Tale'sedrin. We are introduced to another main character, Darkwind k'Sheyna who is a Tayledras and a Mage. These are troubled times for his clas an well because their HeartStone went rogue, killing half the mages holding a Gate open and destroying the Gate, leaving half the clan somewhere out beyond their reach. Darkwind's father has changed and his mother was killed, so he vowed not to be a mage anymore. During this book, Elspeth's and Darkwind's paths meet and they decide they need to help eachother, for a dark and mysterious mage is trying to destroy the k'Sheyna Vale. It is left up to Darkwind to take up his dormant powers and train Elspeth in becoming the First Herald-Mag since Vanyel Ashkevron's time.

Maya Witherspoon had lived most of the first twenty-five years of her life in her native India. As the daughter of a prominent British physician and a Brahmin woman of the highest caste, she had known only luxury. Trained by her father in the medical arts since she was old enough to read, she graduated from the University of Delhi as a Doctor of Medicine by the age of twenty-two. Welcomed into her father’s lucrative practice, she treated many of the wives and daughters of the British military personnel who made up a large percentage of their patients in the colonial India of 1909. But the science of medicine was not Maya’s only heritage. For Maya’s aristocratic mother Surya, had not just defied her family, friends and religion to marry Maya’s father, she had turned her back on her family’s powerful magical traditions as well. For her mother was a sorceress—a former priestess of the mystical magics fueled by the powerful and fearsome pantheon of Indian gods.

SUMMARY: In the sequel to Storm Warning, the invasion plans of the powerful, sorcerous Eastern Empire force Valdemar into an uneasy coalition with its traditional enemy, Karse, but the combined forces of the two kingdoms may not be enough to stop the coming holocaust.

SUMMARY: In war-ravaged Valdemar, Queen Selenay is attempting an alliance with an ancient enemy, the neighboring kingdom of Karse. This is no easy task, but it is a venture that must not fail if either realm hopes to survive the coming confrontation with the massive armies of the ancient and enigmatic Eastern Empire.

Skandrannon and AmberDrake are both getting older and have settled into comfortable lives. The people of White Gryphon have been in Alliance with the Haighlei Empire for 12 years now, but that does not mean that they have not prepared themselves for other enemies. White Gryphon started up an elite guard made of humans and non-humans to protect their city; These became known as the Silver Gryphons. Among these are SilverBlade, AmberDrakes daughter, and Tadrith, Skan's son. They are both sick of growing up in the tales of the Fathers' heroisms. They wanted to prove themselves and make their own worths known. So finally, after rigorous training, they are both given their first assignments- a remote guard post in wild , unexplored territory. But something bad happens and Tadrith is forced out of the sky and plummets to the ground with SilverBlade. Bandly injured, and no way of communicating back, they are forced to take care of themselves. All magic has been drained from their equipment. Something evil and unknown lurks in the dark forest beyond them; Will help come in time, or will they both perish at the hands of this evil?

Skif was an orphan boy who's care was in the hands of his Uncle Londer's. His uncle did not care about or even like Skif. He put the boy to work and had him in rags. One day, while Skif was "foraging" for some extra food, he came upon a boy named Deek. This boy was a pick-pocket and a theif. Deek took Skif to meet his master, a crippled man named Bazie who took led and cared for the boys. Skif decided to become a theif. When Skif was 12, he was the most skilled cat burglar in Bazie's gang, but something went horribly wrong. Bazie was killed in a fire because he had no way to get out. Skif was then on his own. Until, one night he saw a finely decked-out white horse standing by itself (which was weird) in the middle of the street. He decided to "steal" it and hope he could get a reward or sell it for a high price. Little did Skif know that this so-called "horse" was a companion and that he was about to become a Herald of Valdemar.

A brand-new Elemental Masters novel from the national bestselling author Mercedes Lackey.Richard Whitestone is an Elemental Earth Master. Blaming himself for the death of his beloved wife in childbirth, he has sworn never to set eyes on his daughter, Suzanne. But when he finally sees her, a dark plan takes shape in his twisted mind-to use his daughter's body to bring back the spirit of his long-dead wife.

A young slave who dreams of becoming a jouster-one of the few warriors who can actually ride a flying dragon. And so, in secret, he begins to raise his own dragon...

EDITORIAL REVIEW: THIS EDITION IS INTENDED FOR USE IN SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES ONLY. Chronicles the story of the most powerful Herald-Mage ever born, tracing his growth from youthful arrogance to a position of power and maturity in the kingdom of Valdemar.