The first book in the Vows and Honor trilogy unites swordmaster and sorceress in a quest for revenge in this thrilling epic fantasy She was Tarma. Born to the Clan of the Hawk of the nomadic Shin’a’in people, she saw her entire clan slain by brigands. Vowing blood revenge upon the murderers, she became one of the sword-sworn, the most elite of all warriors. And trained in all the forms of death-dealing combat, she took to the road in search of her enemies. She was Kethry. Born to a noble house, sold into a hateful “marriage”, she fled life’s harshness for the sanctuary of the White Winds, a powerful school of sorcery. Becoming an adept, she pledged to use her talents for the greatest good. Yet unlike other sorcerers, Kethry could use worldly weapons as well as magical skills. And when she became the bearer of a uniquely magical sword that drew her to those in need, Kethry was led to a fateful meeting with Tarma. United by sword-spell and the will of the Goddess, Tarma and Kethry swore a blood oath to carry on their mutual fight against evil. And together, swordsmaster and sorceress set forth to fulfill their destiny….

When Idra, leader of the crack mercenaries known as the Sunhawks, failed to return from a journey to her home kingdom of Rethwellan, Tarma and Kethry, warrior and mage, set out in search of their vanished leader. Sisters of sword and spell, their fates bound together by Goddess-sworn oath, they were eternally pledged to fight the forces of evil. And evil had indeed cast its shadow over the kingdom of Rethwellan. Idra, so they were told, had left long ago on a search for a legendary magical sword which could reveal which of her two brothers was meant to become the new king. With the princess gone, her younger brother had been branded an outlaw and her older brother had claimed the throne. Both instinct and mage-lore told Kethry and Tarma that all was not as it seemed, that both Idra and her people were in terrible jeopardy. Yet would their Goddess-given powers, aided by those of a Herald of Valdemar, prove strong enough to break the dark enchantment possessing this land?

This exciting new anthology includes a new novella featuring Mercedes Lackey 's most popular heroines, Tarma (one of the sword-sworn and most feared of all warriors) and Kethry (who wields magic and weapons for the greater good), whose fates are suddenly bound together in blood by the powers that control their destinies. Also included in the unique volume is the complete collection of Lackey's short stories about these two brave sisters as they answer the call of their destinies with sword and sorcery!

Tarma was the sole survivor of her clan, bound on a fatal quest for vengeance, when she encountered the sorceress Kethry. Could the two of them do together what neither could do alone?This story was originally published in the anthology Sword and Sorceress 3, Jul 1986.

Tarma and Kethry came to town looking for a meal, something cold to drink, and a chance to rest from their travels in the summer's heat. For the "bard" Leslac, however, this wasn't nearly heroic enough for his next ballad. And the town had a Wicked Overlord, so surely his heroes would want to do something about that—wouldn't they? This story originally appeared in Sword & Sorceress 6, Jun 1990.

The Guild Master was ill, his rival's workplace was a noxious slum, and his apprentice's father had twenty dead horses. Tarma knew that something was seriously wrong; now all she had to do was convince her partners Kethry and Warrl and then figure out what to do about it.

Kethry encounters Mara, an old schoolmate from White Winds—and discovers that Mara, who didn't learn much about magic at school, has discovered another source of magic, one powerful enough to kill both her and Kethry.

Tarma and Kethry deal with many different kinds of heroes. Here they must mend the damage done by one "hero" and help two others. This story was originally published in SWORD & SORCERESS 4, 1987

It's somewhat comforting to know that ours is not the only world where Murphy's Law holds sway. This story originally appeared in Sword & Sorceress 10 in 1993.

Tarma and Kethry follow a Hawkbrother's bond-bird into a nest of firebirds—and a woman who seeks to enslave them all. This story originally appeared in Sword & Sorceress 8 in 1991.