If you liked Alta (Joust #2) by Mercedes Lackey,
here are some books like this:
Firebirds Rising: An Anthology of Original Science Fiction and Fantasy
Francesca Lia Block, Kara Dalkey, Charles de Lint, Alan Dean Foster, Emma Bull, Patricia A McKillip, Sharon Shinn, Nina Kiriki Hoffman, Alison Goodman, Carol Emshwiller, Diana Wynne Jones, Pamela Dean, TANITH LEE, Ellen Klages, Kelly Link
