Valdemar and Karse had been enemies for longer than anyone could remember. Now the new ruler of Karse was proposing an alliance, to be sealed by having a Herald take vows as a priest of the Sunlord. But the Son of the Sun wasn't asking for just any Herald; she wanted Talia, the Queen's Own.

The title story, by Lackey, is an interesting epilogue to two of her recent novels, Exile's Honor and Exile's Valor. Other notable efforts by professionals are Nancy Asire's "The Cat Who Came to Dinner" (Valdemar fandom is definitely biased toward feline fanciers); "In the Eye of the Beholder," by Josepha Sherman; and "Icebreaker," by Rosemary Edghill. Fans' work includes Michael Longcor's "True Colors," in which one may detect the influence of his background in the famed fantasy-world realization affiliation, the Society for Creative Anachronism, and "Errold's Journey" by Catherine S. McMullen, a 12-year-old who well may have a long career ahead of her. Valdemar fandom, especially, will revel in this sterling example of what such a mixture of fans' and pros' work can be.