A review by felinity
Crucible by Jessica Schlenker, Kristin Schwengel, Brigid Collins, Elizabeth Vaughan, Stephanie D. Shaver, Phaedra Weldon, Jennifer Brozek, Mercedes Lackey, Michele Lang, Dylan Birtolo, Elisabeth Waters, Anthea Sharp, Louisa Swann, Ron Collins, Fiona Patton, Michael Z. Williamson, Angela Penrose, Kerrie L. Hughes, Dayle A. Dermatis

3.0

It may be all-new tales of Valdemar, but for the most part I found myself in only a vaguely familiar landscape. I never managed to get into the Mage Storm books, which didn't help, and the dearth of familiar characters was another impediment; even a major inconsistency I spotted in a later story. I was halfway through before I found one that *felt* like a Valdemar story to me, albeit without Heralds.

So I didn't get on with it as a Valdemar extension, but otherwise the stories themselves were quite good. There were stories of healers and bards, of love and fear, of the trapped and the lost, of new twists on Gifts, of revolutions and rogues. So a variety, but not quite my cup of tea.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.