This volume of short stories, all by new-to-me authors, left me with mixed feelings. I liked 2 of the stories, was "meh" about another, and the first story in the volume was the worst piece of dreck I have EVER read in all my years of reading. Without further ado...

"Torn Desires," Lacey Danes: The only reason I finished it was to count the number of times the author used the word "futter" or some variation thereof...no less than 37 times! The characters were horrible and unsympathetic, and the heroine's fascination for one of the men she was "torn" between was completely incomprehensible. ( Read more... )
Ugh. The whole thing left a bad taste in my mouth. And I warn all of you now not to play a drinking game with the word "futter" in that story, b/c you will die of acute liver poisoning. Absolutely, positively zero readers, happy or otherwise.

"Get There," Megan Hart: Fortunately, this story was completely wonderful and took the bad taste of the first story out of my mouth. This was a sweet and sexy story of an engaged couple counting the hours until they can start their new life together. Edie and Ty are a terrifically believeable couple, and I was rooting for them 100% of the way. My only complaint was that it was too short! Now I simply must get Hart's full-length books...5 happy readers.

"Hell Is Where the Heart Is," Jackie Kessler: I have the first of Ms. Kessler's books featuring succubus Jezebel, but I haven't read it yet. Perhaps I would have liked this story better if I'd read the full-length books first, but since I didn't, this was basically a thin plot with lots of sex -- sex that seemed meaningless without a broader context and understanding of the characters. Yes, you've finally heard me say something had too much sex, LOL. This was probably more my bad than Ms. Kessler's, and I'll still be reading the full-length books. 2 happy readers.

"By Valentine's Day," Jess Michaels: this story was the other winner in the volume. Charlotte once made a play for her brother's best friend, and he turned her down. Colin grew to regret his rejection, and now that Charlotte is a widow, he's ready to play for keeps. This story was both charming, heady, and emotional -- this couple is utterly real, learning from the mistakes of their past, and ensuring their happily ever after. I'll be looking for more from Ms. Michaels. 5 happy readers.

To be fair to the other authors in this volume, I'm only going to count 3 stories for my average rating:

Review © 2009 by Riley's Reviews

Ace, contemporary fantasy anthology, February 2009 (trade paperback edition)

Since I know and love the work of five of the authors in this anthology, I figured it would be more than a safe bet, and I was right. My known authors' stories were excellent, and some of the new-to-me authors have been added to my "check their stuff out" list. Without further ado...

"Dracula Night," Charlaine Harris: In telephatic waitress Sookie Stackhouse's world, there's no such thing as an uneventful party, and when she's invited to celebrate Dracula's birthday (a vampire holiday) at Fangtasia, it's no exception. Just like Linus and the Great Pumpkin, Eric is convinced that Fangtasia is the most sincere party, and that this is going to be the year the celebrated vampire makes an appearance at his party. He's somewhat right, with interesting, suspenseful, and amusing results. 5 happy readers.

"The Mournful Cry of Owls," Christopher Golden: This new-to-me author offers the story of Donika, a teenager who begins to have strange longings around her 16th birthday. There's a reason for that, and when her mother finally tells her what that reason is, it's such a fantastical story she's torn over whether to believe or not. This story I would classify as a bittersweet coming-of-age, and rich with metaphor. Good stuff, though I wish some of the details were better filled in. 4 happy readers.

"I Was a Teenage Vampire," Bill Crider: This was actually my least favorite of the volume. Boy bitten and forced to live his eternal life forever a teenager, and he's getting sick of it. Well written, it nails the voice of a teenage boy, but...meh. 2 happy readers.

"Twilight," Kelley Armstrong: Readers are treated to a rare look inside the head of Cassandra, one of the vampires on the Otherworld Council. In Armstrong's mythos, being a vampire is a bargain one makes, and every year, the vampire must make a kill (rather than just drink enough and send the victim on their merry, memory-wiped way). Cassandra's problem is she's growing more and more indifferent to continuing her existence. Can she, or her on-again-off-again lover Aaron, get past this apathy? I really enjoyed this slice of Cassandra's life, and it struck a haunting and melancholy tone that seemed just right. 5 happy readers.

"It's My Birthday Too," Jim Butcher: Full of humor and snark, Butcher gives us a great short story of how Harry Dresden tracks down his half-brother Thomas to give him a birthday gift and finds him, of all things, playing a vampire RPG after-hours in a mall. Chaos, of course, ensues, as it only can in the Dresden-verse. Top-notch, and the perfect appetizer before I start in on the paperback edition of Small Favor. 5 happy readers.

"Grave-Robbed," P.N. Elrod: I've heard of Elrod's work for ages, but this was my first chance to sample it. I'm kicking myself for waiting so long. Undead detective Jack Fleming is a terrific protagonist. I simply loved his voice, and believe me, I am going to track down the full-length books. 5 happy readers.

"The First Day of the Rest of Your Life," Rachel Caine: This entry wanders down memory lane in Caine's Morganville Vampires series. In it, we get to see Eve Rosser's 18th birthday, and the pivotal events that led her to reject vampire patronage and throw herself on the mercy of Glass House. The events are horrifying, even more so when you realize that they're being perpetuated against someone so young. This story goes a long way into explaining Eve's history and her attitude in the current series. 5 happy readers.

"The Witch and the Wicked," Jeanne C. Stein: In this mostly humorous story, witch Sophie accidentally gets possessed (for lack of a better word) by dead-for-good vampire Jonathon Deveraux, due to an experiment with an anti-aging beauty cream formula she was developing. Now she and Jonathon have to coexist in her body. I would have loved to read more about this unusual "partnership," and if Stein writes another story or full-length book about Sophie and Jonathon, I'm there. 4 happy readers.

"Blood Wrapped," Tanya Huff: Reading this reminded me that I need to finish up the Vicki Nelson Blood books and read all the Smoke books. It reminded me of how much I like the world that Huff has built. The running discussion that Henry Fitzroy and his partner Tony Foster have about what to get Vicki for her 40th birthday provide good comic relief to the main plot of finding a missing child. 5 happy readers.

"The Wish," Carolyn Haines: 20 years ago, Sandra was in a car accident and saw Death come for her children. Though she desperately bargained for Death to take her instead, the ghostly maiden was merciless. Now Death is back for her, but Sandra perversely wants to thwart her in revenge for her decades of refusal. This story was haunting, to say the least. 5 happy readers.

"Fire and Ice and Linguini for Two," Tate Hallaway: Seeing this story reminds me that I have Tall Dark & Dead and Dead Sexy in my TBR. I really need to get to them, because this story of witch Garnet Lacey and her vampire boyfriend Sebastian was great fun. It seems that despite Garnet's best plans to end Sebastian's belief in the idea that his birthday is cursed, she only ends up reinforcing them instead. Though I'd not read the books that came before, I was mostly able to follow this story. 4.5 happy readers.

"Vampire Hours," Elaine Viets: Katherine is a fiftysomething woman in an unhappy marriage. Her plastic surgeon husband checked out emotionally when she refused to let him work on her at the age of 35, and since then has apparently been screwing his way through his patients and his twentysomething assistant. When Katherine meets the mysterious Michael, who offers to turn her into a vampire, she has a lot of thinking to do. Her solution, I have to say is creative and deliciously evil -- Katherine has nothing on the First Wives' Club! 5 happy readers.

"How Stella Got Her Grave Back," Toni L.P. Kelner: This is a cute little story about vampire Stella and her "child"-cum-lover Mark, and their trip to her hometown to see her human grave. Except someone else is in it. They then make an effort to discover the identity of the Jane Doe and bring her killer to justice. Kelner's bio says this is her first vampire story, but this story has the feel of a series -- I felt like I might be missing some backstory. Like Stein's story, if Kelner writes more of Stella and Mark, I'll follow. 4 happy readers.

I really enjoyed this whole book -- it was rather interesting to see what each author did with the common theme of birthdays (life) and vampires (death). Though some succeeded better than others, IMO, I'm very glad I read this book.

Averages out to:
1/2

Review © 2009 by Riley's Reviews

Avon Red, erotica, December 2008

I've mentioned before that I'm a sucker for holiday anthologies, but if you combine that with the Alluring Tales gang, and I'm the biggest sucker on the planet. And with good cause -- each story was a red-hot winner, leaving me a very happy reader.

"Peaches and Cream," Cathryn Fox: the anthology gets off to a great start with the trend of Googling blind dates. When psych student/bartender at a sex club Jennifer Angel Googles herself to see what her blind date, researcher Jack Miller, might find if he had done so, she discovers that she shares her name with a stripper named Peaches. Rather than be mortified at the potential for misunderstanding, she impulsively channels Peaches for their date, leading to a sizzling experiment in exhibition. Though loosely connected with Ms. Fox's Pleasure Games series, this story stands well on its own, and gives newcomers to the series a taste of just how sexy her writing can be. Though under ordinary circumstances, I wouldn't believe in a couple who got so intimate before they barely exchanged hellos, I bought Jennifer and Jack. As erotica, this is top-notch. 5 happy readers.

"Indecent Exposure," Delilah Devlin: When they were in high school, Harmony Wilkins had a huge crush on Dalton McDonough, and her obsession led to an embarrassing incident in which Harmony was caught skinny-dipping in Dalton's family's pool. Now it's 12 years later, and Harmony's back in town, just as determined to get Dalton's attention, but not nearly as shy as she used to be. Her method? To skinny-dip in a judge's pool, knowing that Dalton, as sheriff, would be the arresting officer. This is a completely fun, hot, and engaging tale. 5 happy readers.

"Forbidden Fruit," Lisa Renee Jones: In this story, Laura Cameron is thrilled to discover that her older brother's best friend, Blake Alexander, is back in town. She's always had a crush on him, but now she's old enough to go after what she wants. What she doesn't realize is that Blake returns her feelings, but needs to get over the whole best-friend's-sisters-are-off-limits thing. When Laura convinces Blake to participate in a bachelor auction for charity, then places the winning bid, it's her chance to show him how she feels. This was a sweet and charming romance, which left me sighing happily. 5 happy readers.

"Billboard Babe," Myla Jackson: This is a coworkers-in-lust tale, in which ad exec AJ poses for a sexy billboard to boost company sales during the holiday season...and to attract the attention of her colleague Daniel. She thinks that Daniel didn't notice her until she unleashed her inner vamp, but he's been noticing her all along. This was a slick and heartwarming tale, though I would like to know why, as I've speculated before, why all these women decide they're going to seduce the guy then quit their jobs? I'd like to see just one story where the heroine has the balls to stay. Anyway, it was still fun. 4.5 happy readers.

"Wish Upon a Star," Sasha White: Professional dominatrix Sarah Williams wishes upon a star for her true soulmate to rescue her from what has become a tiresome life, and suddenly, a hunk of burning love appears on the rooftop with her. Commander Nealon Graves is irritated as all get-out to have been summoned by this woman, until he gets a good look at her in action and sees how well she'd fit into his life and society on his home planet. I loved the concept of this story, but some of the execution didn't work for me. There's a rather dominant scene (pun intended) in which Sarah dominates a client with Nealon present, and while I could see the point of the scene, I suppose, it just left me cold. 4 happy readers.

"That Old Black Magic," Sylvia Day: this is a continuation of Ms. Day's story in the first Alluring Tales anthology, about warlock Max Westin and his shapechanger familiar Victoria St. John, but no worries -- even if you haven't read the first story, this one makes sense. For me, it was great to revisit Max and Victoria, and to see some loose ends tied up. I hope to see them again someday. 5 happy readers.

"Silver Waters," Vivi Anna: this is another continued tale from the first anthology, but again, enough backstory is filled in that first-time readers won't get lost. In this tale, mercenary Sangria Silver and her lover Vance Verona are still on the run from her former client's henchmen. They've been hiding out in the Caribbean, but with the threat of their foes still hanging over their heads, they're not completely safe. And when their enemies do catch up to them, they receive help from a most unexpected source. Again, it was fantastic to reacquaint myself with well-liked and familiar characters. 5 happy readers.

So that averages out to:
1/2

Review © 2008 by Riley's Reviews

Pocket Star Books, historical romance, November 2008

Have I mentioned before that I'm a sucker for holiday-themed anthologies? *g* Without futher ado...

"A Holiday Gamble," Jane Feather: I haven't read Ms. Feather in years, and I can't imagine why not; I really like her style and even when I can't totally buy the HEA she presents, I enjoy what I've read. Such is the case here. Younger son and now-titled gentleman Ned Vasey is forced by a storm to rely on the hospitality of a neighboring estate when he comes home to Northumberland after years in India. Although he plans to propose to another neighbor's daughter, while he's at Selby Hall, he meets Georgiana Carey and is almost instantly captivated. There are undercurrents surrounding Georgie and her cousin/ward and her brutish "fiancé," and although Ned tells himself he shouldn't become involved, of course he does. This was a delightful story for the most part; about the only thing I couldn't believe was that Ned and Georgie fell in love with each other in the span of the twelve days of Christmas. I felt like they were more in love with the idea of love than actually in love, but who am I to say? It's just the vibe I got, but it didn't stop me from being entertained...and I've decided I have to pick up a Jane Feather book again. 4 stars.

"When Sparks Fly," Sabrina Jeffries: this author is the reason I picked up this anthology. I can't think of one of her books that isn't on my keeper shelf. This little story is connected to the School for Heiresses series, but other than the letters between headmistress Charlotte and the mysterious "Cousin Michael," it stands alone quite well. Elinor Bancroft, her aunt, her cousins, and a child named Charlie Dickens (yes, him) have a carriage accident and are rescued by Martin Thorncliff, the "Black Baron," called so because Society believes he killed his brother to gain the title. Ellie, however, doesn't know this, and thinks the appellation is because he works closely with the mine he owns and is always covered in soot. Martin was never social to begin with, but when Society branded him the Black Baron, he retreated completely, and has been perfectly content alone on his estate, experimenting with ways to make blasting in mines safer. He has no time for a woman, until he meets Ellie. But even though he wants her, and may even love her, he won't risk her safety by bringing her into his life. Though this story also featured two people falling in love awfully fast, I believed it more. There was more of a depth of emotion between the two characters, both of whom had been treated unfairly in their social circles. Though I found the characters of the children annoying at best and the inclusion of Dickens superfluous, this story was my favorite in the volume for the believable love story. 4.5 stars.

"Snowy Night with a Highlander," Julia London: In this story, Fiona Haines, who has spent almost a decade in London Society, has to rush off to the Highlands to find her brother Jack, who is being simultaneously hunted by the Prince Regent and encouraged to hide by the King. For some unfathomable reason, rather than let Jack stay in the Highlands without disturbing him, or merely sending some sort of message, doesn't occur to Fiona, and off she goes. She is forced to rely on escort from a Highland laird she loathes, Duncan Buchanan, but little does she realize that the scarred and taciturn man serving as her protector is Duncan himself, who both aches to tell Fiona who he is and is terrified of her reaction when she finds out. I found this to be a touching story; Duncan truly had changed his ways, and it was lovely that he realized his old self was an idiot to have dismissed Fiona out of hand. Again, this was a love story I could really believe. 4.5 stars.

Averages out to:

Review © 2008 by Riley's Reviews

Avon Books, historical romance anthology, October 2008

This anthology has an interesting hook: all four authors are writing the same basic theme, that of old acquaintances/lovers meeting at an inn by chance one night. In the opening notes, Mary Balough asks readers if they were successful at designing four completely different stories, even though they all have the same premise. For the most part, I say yes, although two of the stories feature heroines whose heroes are/were of a lower station, which I thought was interesting. Anyway...

"The Fall of Rogue Gerrard," Stephanie Laurens: If I ever wondered if I should try Ms. Laurens again, I got my answer, and that is an emphatic "hell, no." Here we have SL's usual rakish hero with a Regency-era fratboy nickname, which in this case is shortened from "Rogue" to the even more silly-sounding "Ro," who realizes his true love is Lydia at the tender age of twenty-two, but like an idiot, he runs away from it to be a rake instead. Of course, now he's tired of being a rake and happens to run across Lydia, who is on a ridiculous errand to "rescue" her sister's reputation, while wanting to throw caution to the winds with regard to her own. Toss in a big continuity error in the second love scene (his pants are magic -- he takes them off, but they reappear again!), and the other authors are damned lucky I didn't throw in the towel here. 1 not terribly happy reader. That is all.

"Spellbound," Mary Balogh: I'm really glad I continued with the book, despite the supremely lackluster start I got, because this story was, hands-down, my favorite in the volume. Balogh's lovers, Richard and Nora, had eloped when they were young, when Nora was an heiress and Richard her father's secretary. But her family dragged her back home. In the decade that has passed, Richard came into a title and Nora's family became all but destitute. Now they're stranded together at an inn for one night -- will they clear up the misunderstandings and pain of their past and start anew? This one was full of emotion, heart, and heat, and I simply loved it. 5 happy readers.

"Only You," Jacquie D'Alessandro: this is the second of the lower-station men, but the difference in this story is that Ethan is still of a lower station than Cassandra -- she's a widowed countess to his innkeeper. He's always loved her from afar, and when she went off to get married, he hoped she was heading for a happy future. Now her husband is dead and she is coming home, hoping to renew her friendship with Ethan, but also hoping, perhaps, for just a bit more. This story was sweet -- JD can always be counted on for a good read. 4.5 happy readers.

"From This Moment On," Candice Hern: Sam and Wilhelmina were lovers when they were teens in a coastal town, and one day, Sam's boat washed up on shore without him, leaving Willie to think him dead. She ended up making her own way in life as an artist's model and later a member of the demimonde -- where Sam, not dead but conscripted into the navy, found her, years later. Now it's years later again, and they're stranded at an inn together, she a dowager duchess, and he a captain on his way to propose to another woman. Will one night be enough to last a lifetime -- or are they going to want that whole lifetime after all? This was a bittersweet and lovely tale. I feel the need to observe that now that I'm in my thirties, characters in their forties don't seem so ancient to me anymore, LOL. If I had read this even five years ago, it would not have resonated with me as much. 4.5 happy readers.

The Laurens really drags down this average, to a rating of:

3/4

Review © 2008 by Riley's Reviews

Kensington, contemporary romance, October 2006 (mass-market edition)

I love holiday-themed anthologies, and I love straightforward contemporary romance. Holiday-themed anthologies are very often straightforward contemporary romances, so it's all good as far as I'm concerned. And this collection didn't disappoint. I'm just sorry I didn't come across it sooner. I'd only even heard of two of the authors -- Foster and McCarthy, but I'm glad I gave the others a shot.

"White Knight Christmas" by Lori Foster: Parker Ross, a detective in his late 30's who hates Christmas, is attracted to his mid-20's neighbor Lily Donaldson, who happens to love Christmas. This is a short but sweet story in which Lily teaches him that age is just a number and Christmas can be special. 4 happy readers.

"Snowed Under" by Erin McCarthy: This one features another age-difference theme -- Claire Robbins has a thing for Justin Fairbanks, her older brother's best friend. What she doesn't know is that Justin has a thing for her too, but back when she was 18, it was wildly inappropriate. But now she's in her 20's, and she still wants him. I love Erin McCarthy's characters; they're sympathetic and fun, and this was no exception. 4 happy readers.

"Ms. Humbug" by Jill Shalvis: This was a really fun story, about uptight city planner Cami Bennett and mayor Matt Tarino. Watching Matt ruffle Cami's feathers was terrific, and when they dug down into real emotion, it was touching. My only complaint about this is the motives of the bad guy, which I will explain if anyone wants to know. But otherwise, I'd definitely read something by Ms. Shalvis again. 4.5 happy readers.

"I'll Be Home for Christmas" by Kathy Love: This one was, hands-down, my favorite in the volume, featuring reunited lovers Erica Fetzer and Rob Marsten. The coincidental circumstances under which they met again were believable, as were the reasons for their breakup years ago. The emotion and chemistry between them was incredible. I totally bought them as a couple, and I was so glad Rob realized what a dink he'd been back then and how he made things up to Erica in the now. I definitely want to read more from Ms. Love. 5 happy readers.

"Seducing Scrooge" by Katherine Garbera: In this story, Krista Miller sets out to seduce her workaholic boss, Jackson Peterson. While it was a great concept, it came across a bit disjointed and rushed. Apparently Krista's vajayjay is magic, b/c right after sex, Jackson decides not to be such a workaholic any more. Then later, he proposes with Korbel. Korbel? Really? Maybe I'm just a wine snob, but propose with real champagne, dude. Still, I was entertained. 3 happy readers.

"The Good Girl's Guide to a Very Bad Christmas" by Kylie Adams: This story features aspiring actress Peri Knight, who works as a barista while waiting for her big break, and Chase McCloud, a successful actor who is one of Peri's regular customers. Without realizing it, they've both had crushes on each other this entire time, but it takes Peri auditioning for a part on Chase's show to bring them together. This one was cute and sweet. I liked Ms. Adams's voice and I will see what else she's written. 4.5 happy readers.

Just a side comment: what is it with all these women deciding to seduce colleagues or bosses, and if it doesn't work, they'll leave the firm? I keep coming across this theme!

So, that averages out to:

Review © 2008 by Riley's Reviews

Harper, paranormal romance/urban fantasy, July 2008


I actually read this several weeks ago, but needed to review it with the copy in front of me, so I could remember all the stories. Without further ado:

"Music Hath Charms," Tanya Huff: I have enjoyed Ms. Huff's work for ages, but I had no idea she could do such off-the-scale heat as she does in this story of an independent music industry executive struggling to sign an extraordinary act to her label over a huge firm. Ali's a fun and spunky heroine, the supporting cast are terrific, and the paranormal aspect is unique. I could have read more, but at the same time, this story was neatly tied up and very well done for its length. 5

"Minotaur in Stone," Marjorie M. Liu: "Haunting" is the best word I can think to describe this story. Told in stark first-person, present tense prose, this tale of outcasts finding each other against all odds gives the Minotaur myth new life. 4

"Demon Lover," Cheyenne McCray: Aeden is an Incubus whose latest mission is to steal Erika's soul. But the problem is, unlike his past missions, he genuinely likes Erika, and doesn't want to condemn her...but at the same time, sparing her sends him to hell. What's a demon to do? Well, a demon with a paranormal writer on his side can do a lot. This tale was hot, fun, and surprisingly emotional. 5

"Equinox," L.A. Banks: This story brings Artemis back to life. She and her handmaidens are out to "heal" the earth, and Vincent D'Jardin and his team are sent to take out this new group of eco-terrorists. Needless to say, neither one is what the other expects. This was an interesting concept, and was carried out very well. 4

"Ride a Dark Horse," Susan Krinard: A wronged woman curses her lover, and her descendent could either lift the curse or leave him miserable forever. A good story, but one I thought might be better fleshed out in a longer form. Nevertheless, very readable, and left me wanting more. 3.5

"To Die For," Keri Arthur: Since this wasn't connected to the Riley Jenson series, it was nice to see Ms. Arthur can do a heroine who doesn't get thrown into moon lust or kidnapped every time you blink. Grace Rioli is tough as nails, but vulnerable too, and Ethan Garrison is a cocky yet likeable and genuine hero. 5

"Curse of the Dragon's Tears," Heidi Betts: This was the only genuinely new-to-me author in this volume, and I have to say I really liked discovering her in this story. Laura Tomescu is investigating the legend of Dougal MacKay, a legend which states that her ancestor cursed him. It's true, of course, and what follows is a delightful Beauty and the Beast type story. 5

"Brother's Keeper," Lilith Saintcrow: This is the only story in the volume that read more like an introduction than a complete-in-itself tale, and of course, I was right about that, as Ms. Saintcrow is now offering the full novel as a serial on her website (for free too, woot!). Anyway, those readers familiar with Nichtvren Nikolai and his consort Selene will enjoy this glimpse into how they became a couple in the first place. A word of warning: it's not a smooth ride, but it's a damn good one (so far). 5

"(Like a) Virgin of the Spring," Susan Sizemore and Denise Little: The best compliment I can pay this story is that it reminds me of Timeline (and I loved that movie). Time travellers are stuck in ancient times, and have to play parts to survive and get back to their own time. This story was a lot of fun, and I would love to see more of these characters and this concept from the authors. 5

"Life is the Teacher," Carrie Vaughn: This story was more than a little bittersweet, as it features a turned vampire who has to learn to let go of her personal feelings to feed. Definitely not a romance, but fascinating nonetheless. 3.5

"Moonlight Becomes You," Linda Winstead Jones: Lighter than some of the other stories, Claire is trying to prove her new neighbor Simon is a vampire. He's not, but he's not human either. This one is sweet and fun. 4.5

"Dirty Magic," Kim Harrison: I love Ms. Harrison's writing, but it has to be said this story is absolutely downright depressing, all about the seemingly tragic love Mia, a banshee, holds for Tom, a human. The prose is beautiful, but man, what a downer. 3.5

I will say, this has to be one of the first anthologies in which I genuinely liked every story -- each was a winner for me in its own way. So it was definitely worth my time and cash -- it should be worth yours too.

Averaging out to:
1/2

Review © 2008 by Riley Merrick

Harper Collins, paranormal romance/contemporary fantasy, October 2007

Another anthology from the people who brought you Dates from Hell, with a slightly different author list.

"Two Ghosts for Sister Rachel," Kim Harrison. Readers get treated to a chapter from teenaged Rachel Morgan's life. She desperately wants to join Inderland Security, but needs a guardian's permission to submit her application. Considering her father died in the line of duty for the IS, it's not likely that her mother's going to grant her permission. So Rachel makes a bet with her older brother Robbie: if she can do a spell that will raise their father's spirit and get his permission to apply, Robbie will sign the papers. Because this is Rachel, things do not go as planned. What follows is a small taste of what Rachel will face as a bounty hunter. This was a fantastic story, giving insight into Rachel's motivations and filling in her background nicely. 5/5.

"Run, Run Rudolph," Lynsay Sands. The sequel to "The Claire Switch Project" (see Dates from Hell) -- only this time the person getting zapped with the molecular destabilizer is Jill, the sister of the hero from the first story. When the nutcase who zapped her brother and best friend zaps her then tries to kidnap her to be his personal lab rat, Jill is forced to hide in plain sight by shifting her appearance. The only problem is, she really wanted to be herself in the town's Christmas parade, since she's positive that the hunky guy playing Santa, Nick, is finally going to ask her out. Hijinks ensue. This was a cute story. I liked it better than "Claire Switch" but it still hasn't enticed me to buy a full-length Sands novel. One thing that irked me is that when the ultimate love scene finally came, it was majorly short-changed. 3/5.

"Six," Marjorie M. Liu. My favorite of the bunch for originality. Six is a covert Chinese operative, trying to track down a terrorist cell when her mission is interrupted by Joseph Besaud, who appears to reduce her prime suspect to skin and bones right in front of her eyes. Joseph is a necromancer -- he has control over the dead, and the prime suspect was a vampire. Liu has come up with an original twist on vampire lore, and I love her for it. Even in such a short amount of pages, Liu paints a vivid and imaginative story with sympathetic and emotional characters. 5/5.

"The Harvest," Vikki Pettersson. This story was the weakest of the bunch, but it had potential. I get the feeling I missed out on a lot, simply because I haven't read Pettersson's full-length novels -- I suspect that the Zodiac world she sets this story in is set up in more detail in her other books, and I was pretty clueless. From what I could tell, a Zodiac warrior/agent named Zoe gave up her powers to live as a mortal to protect her children, who have a greater destiny in her world than she does. But their lives are in danger and Zoe has to appeal to her former commander and ex-lover in the Zodiac ranks for help in infiltrating the bad side of the Zodiac's fortress. I was both intrigued and confused. I'm not sure I was intrigued enough to go look for Pettersson's other books, but I'll give her kudos for a different concept.
2/5.

So that averages out to: 3/4

Review © 2008 by Riley Merrick