Cyn Newman
I enjoyed this anthology more than one might expect from a collection of stories about killers, but then I've read a couple of volumes edited by [a:Brittiany A. Koren 12300 Brittiany A. Koren http://www.goodreads.com/images/nophoto/nophoto-U-50x66.jpg] and [a:Martin H. Greenberg 26064 Martin H. Greenberg http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1247759305p2/26064.jpg] now, and I trust the pair. (Greenberg has turned out so many anthologies that I don't assume anything at all when I see his name.) I had to explain to my family why I kept laughing while reading “Exactly” by [a:Tanya Huff 1967 Tanya Huff http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1207242126p2/1967.jpg]. I'm a long-time fan of her work, so was already familiar with sibling assassins Vree and Bannon from [b:Fifth Quarter 175312 Fifth Quarter (Quarters, #2) Tanya Huff http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1172433365s/175312.jpg 169357] and [b:No Quarter 175300 No Quarter (Quarters, #3) Tanya Huff http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1172433338s/175300.jpg 169345]. While all of Huff's work includes some humor, this story is particularly funny.“Breia's Diamond” by [a:Cat Collins 380276 Cat Collins http://www.goodreads.com/images/nophoto/nophoto-U-50x66.jpg] was a memorable low in the book. In addition to the inappropriate and inept use of romance clichés, it's all too obvious early on that the mercenaries are being paid far too much for too little work by the necromancer. That isn't foreshadowing, it's foreshouting—or just plain stupidity on the part of the mercenaries. They are murderers for hire, nothing else, and I've never felt any sympathy for such. Why would I start now, simply because a story is told from their point of view?[a:Bradley H. Sinor 2282520 Bradley H. Sinor http://www.goodreads.com/images/nophoto/nophoto-U-50x66.jpg]'s “Money's Worth” has the feel of something excerpted from a larger work. It's good and I enjoyed it, but I think I would have enjoyed it far more in its proper context. The only other story that is memorable enough to single out is “The Hundredth Kill” by [a:John Marco 9266 John Marco http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1244460712p2/9266.jpg]. It is a lovely jewel of a story, one that stands for itself, leaving little to be said other than “read it.” I don't believe that I've read any of Marco's novels, but obviously I've missed out on something very good. I intend to remedy that omission shortly.
Thank goodness. A particular story arc is finally closed, spread over the length of this and the previous novel. It was interesting at first, then it got really tiresome. I will say that it was fairly unique, which is fairly rare, so kudos to Flewelling for that, and it really tested the relationship between Alec and Seregil while it lasted.
I'm not sure how much longer these books can stay fresh, although the world does offer more potential. Perhaps it's time for Flewelling to allow this couple to turn things over to a new generation? Their heritage does mean they'll be young enough for nightrunning for years to come, but that doesn't mean readers will stay interested in reading about them that long unless they go off to countries as yet unexplored. I, to be honest, would prefer to read stories including more female POV characters for a change. (I have nothing against gay male characters - I just like female characters, too.)
It took a while to track down this volume, as it has long been out of print. Interlibrary loan was, once again, my friend. But how odd to read an actual physical book again, when I've been reading ebooks almost exclusively lately!Most of the stories were a bit darker than anticipated. 1997 was not such a depressing time to me, so I'm not sure why that would be the case.I've had to send the book back to the library already, so I don't have it at hand despite finishing it last night. The first standout story was “The Drummer and the Skins” by [a:John Brunner 23113 John Brunner http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1234623516p2/23113.jpg]. Finding a reference to a Yoruban peoples' tradition in a white British author's story was somewhat surprising, but go figure. I'm a white southern American woman, too. I suppose some people might argue that neither of us have no right to be interested/know about such things/whatever. I think of Brunner as a very hard SF writer, so that was especially surprising from him. His inclusion in a fantasy anthology was a surprise altogether. These surprises are some of the things I enjoy about anthologies - they challenge my assumptions.I was rather bitter when I first thought I understood what [a:Terri Windling 46137 Terri Windling http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1235254340p2/46137.jpg]'s novelette “The Color of Angels was about. “Just what I need to read about,” I told Sam. “A story about a woman gradually losing everything she loves to illness.” MS, in the story (not one of my diagnoses, but it hit far too close to home, anyway). Suffice it to say that I was glad that I continued to read.Even if I hadn't been happy with where the story went, I would not have been able to resist Windling's writing. She brings in so much of the world - colors, textures, music - so that I felt far more immersed in that one piece than I have in my own life at times. She is marvelously evocative. I haven't managed to put my hands on any of the Bordertown/Borderlands books, despite seeking them for a long time. Now I'm adding her solo works to to the “look for” list, and pushing them much higher on the priority scale.“The Death of Raven” by [a:Ellen Kushner 11889 Ellen Kushner http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1243007888p2/11889.jpg] was unexpectedly comforting. Very brief, quite simply, but one I would love to see reprinted to increase its availability. (It may have been reprinted, for all I know. I certainly hope that it has been.) I've got Kushner's novels on my “to-read” shelf, but I think I'll move them up a bit.
Blood Oath is an interesting and fairly refreshing variation on the vampire riff. Most of the current tales give us a suave, sexy predator who mesmerizes his or her prey, leaving humans pining for their presence. They might even fall in love with a human. Nathaniel Cade, however, refers to humans as food, saying, “Would you have sex with a cow?” That makes much more sense to me. It's a good thing he isn't interested, either, as the typical reaction people have to encountering him is utter panic, often involving the loss of bladder control.Cade is definitely a predator, though - an extremely effective one. Farnsworth attempts to explain his abilities scientifically, rather than mystically (I'd classify this book as science fiction if I had to choose a genre, whereas most books featuring vampires and similar creatures are fantasy or horror). The same is true of the enenies he faces.While I'm not generally interested in socio-political thrillers (which is what this book was, other than a story about a vampire who works for the president), I did enjoy the fresh take on an old trope. While I normally groan when I see the first book from a new author billed as the beginning of a series (do publishers even buy single books any more?), I'm somewhat pleased this time. I do wish they'd been a little more careful with the name of the series (The President's Vampire), as there's another book with the same name: [b:The President's Vampire: Strange-but-True Tales of the United States of America 690096 The President's Vampire Strange-but-True Tales of the United States of America Robert Damon Schneck http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1177264074s/690096.jpg 676444] by [a:Robert Damon Schneck 368998 Robert Damon Schneck http://www.goodreads.com/images/nophoto/nophoto-U-50x66.jpg]. Then again, if Farnsworth's book or series takes off, I suppose there's a chance that sales of Schneck's will as well. I'm sure he wouldn't complain about that at all. I've put it on my to-read list, after all.I hope to talk my partner, Sam, into reading Blood Oath. If I do, it'll be fairly miraculous, as I don't recall him anything with dragons or werewolves in it other than ([a:Jim Butcher 10746 Jim Butcher http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1205261964p2/10746.jpg]'s Dresden Files) for most of the time that I've known him (12 years as of this writing). After his years at White Wolf, I think many books seem more than slightly derivative. He also did so much research before working on books he wrote for them (like [b:The Book of Nod 416122 The Book of Nod Sam Chupp http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1223664741s/416122.jpg 405290]) that he got a little burned out on certain subjects. Farnsworth's approach really is different enough that I think he might give it a chance. Will you?
I've been somewhat uncomfortable with this series since [b:Hunter's Moon 398477 Hunter's Moon (Kate Shugak, Book 9) Dana Stabenow http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1174429360s/398477.jpg 387933], but Stabenow has brought me all the way back into the fold now. Obviously I wasn't too far gone, as I'm still reading the series at book 17 (HM was book 9, I believe?) but Kate finally feels happy again, and that's important to me when I'm reading a series.The mystery really was a mystery, too. There was no obvious answer, no telegraphing of the villain, motive or means. Stabenow kept me guessing, without making me feel cheated by pulling out some vital clue that the reader couldn't possibly have known.The last scene was a bit annoying, setting up conflicts that will obviously carry on to future novels, but I was already looking forward to her next release anyway. My sole complaint is that I have to wait too long between releases for my fix. If Nora Roberts can release two “In Death” books plus however many romance books a year, can't we at least rely on one Kate Shugak book a year? I'd strongly prefer two. One Shugak and one Liam Campbell would be better! That way there'd be variety, see? Aren't I nice when I'm being a demanding brat?
Not the first time I've encountered this take (“demons” are just powerful beings in charge of a particular reality who have been labeled “evil” by beings from a competing reality whose PR has fared better in modern times) but I can't remember the last time it was pushed quite this heavily. I would probably advise most Christians, particularly Baptists, to give this one a pass.
Don't worry, you aren't exactly missing any deathless prose or original plotting, anyway.
Every review I've read has been bad. Honestly, this novel was no better or worse than any of Frost's other books, in my opinions. The main complaint I've seen is that the book isn't about Cat and Bones. Well, their story has pretty much been told in the four Night Huntress novels, and now Frost is moving on to other people in that world.
Given, I was never terribly attached to Cat or Bones, and apparently some fans were. I would advise them to write fan fiction or roleplay or do whatever it is that other obsessive fans do when their favorite authors stop writing about their favorite characters rather than writing negative reviews of Frost's newer fiction because they want it to be more like her older books. (Please note that I have absolutely no idea what Frost's position on such things is, and would strongly recommend querying her or her authorized representative on the matter before acting. Some authors are fine with fanfic/RPing, and some are rabidly against both. I can think of examples who go to extremes each way.)
While Denise never made a big impression on me while reading the NH books, it is nice to find out what happened to her after her husband was slaughtered and her life was screwed up so badly. While minor characters are often affected in Very Bad Ways during the course of paranormal romance novels, we seldom see them getting any kind of compensation. And who could possibly compensate anyone for the loss of a loved one, anyway?
That said, this is not a fantasy novel. Sometimes I waver on how a “paranormal romance” novel should be classified, but that isn't the case here. This is a romance with urban fantasy features tossed in. There's a damsel in distress saved by a hero. There's an obstacle to be overcome before they can be together, blah blah blah. The whole formula is there.
It doesn't suck terribly, but I don't recommend it to anyone who doesn't already like the setting to some extent. If you truly hate the romance formula, don't bother with this one.
I've read Walton's columns at Tor.com with much appreciation, and realized with some ebarrassment that I haven't actually read any of her fiction. I tried this story as a starter.
It is extremely well written, but so chilling that I'm almost scared away from her novels! Fortunately, many of the comments on the story site do point out that her best-known novels aren't as dark as this piece. That's a relief, as I don't think I could stay away from such a marvelous author.
I suppose it must be obvious to anyone who reads my reviews that I enjoy Laura Anne Gilman's writing. I've only read every one of her Retrievers series as well as every one of her short stories sold via Fictionwise (including some that I'd already read in various anthologies, but I didn't want to miss anything). I've been waiting anxiously for Hard Magic, the first in the new Paranormal Scene Investigations series, and it did not disappoint me in the least.If you've read the Retrievers books, you'll recognize the main character, Bonnie Torres, immediately as Wren Valere's neighbor. If you haven't read that series, don't worry - they aren't required to enjoy this book. I do, however, recommend hunting down the short story “Illumination,” which is referred to several times during the novel. It's in the anthology [b:Unusual Suspects: Stories of Mystery & Fantasy 3395318 Unusual Suspects Stories of Mystery & Fantasy Dana Stabenow http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1243223215s/3395318.jpg 3435306]. It isn't strictly required, but I think it would help.If you've ever enjoyed CSI or any similar show, I think you'll really enjoy Hard Magic even more than others will. Bonnie and her coworkers are trying to reinvent all of the forensic science that those shows take for granted from scratch, from a magical perspective. It's fascinating to me, and I would have been happier with more geeking.I'm really looking forward to book two!
Wait - is this the end of Merchant Princes series? But what happens NEXT?! I want MORE! Stross! You can't do this to me!
Anyway, my one and only complaint about this book is that it's been too long since I read the other five, and that isn't Stross' fault. Or maybe it is, in a backwards sense, but only in that it takes longer for him to write than for me to read. If I'd stuck to my guns about not starting any series until it was finished, I'd be fine, but then I'd hardly have anything at all to read, would I? It's just that this particular series is full of intricate plotting and many characters, and I really could have used some sort of serious online reference for this world.
Some plot threads were tied up, and a few new ones were introduced. I'll could understand this book as a resting point for Stross, but not a stopping point! While most series would have lost my interest after six books, this one hasn't. He really is that good.
That said, some of the post-9/11 mania is a little dated, and it is good to be past that. I imagine he's glad to be done writing it, too. I wish our society were completely done with the erosion of civil rights caused by it, too.
At some point, while watching any episode of a TV show like Buffy or a scary movie, you know that you have spoken to the characters on the screen, despite the fact that they can't hear you. “Don't split up! That's when he'll get you!” or “NO! No sex! The ones who have sex DIE you idiots!” And you've wondered how it is NONE of the characters have ever SEEN a horror movie in their lives, right?
Well, Kitty and friends find themselves in the middle of a snuff film being made by people who hate were-beings/vampires/psychics/etc. Kitty, at least, is smarter than your average scream queen. What ensures isn't exactly hilarity, but this being a Kitty Norville book there are a few bright spots here and there (although far fewer than usual).
I remember the earlier books as being more fun, but this one certainly was better written and it felt like it mattered more. Rachel has grown up, as have her friends. The stakes are higher now than they were in the first books, she's grown in power, and now she's going up against a coven of powerful white witches who are determined to see her stripped of her powers and permanently confined in a solitary prison for life - or some of them are.
Seeing Rachel try to figure out who she could trust and what her mistakes might cost the people she loves was touching. In earlier books she felt very young and fairly callow, and I really didn't care much for her. She's much more likable now, which surprised me. That speaks well for Harrison.
I should have written the review as soon as I finished the book. All I remember now is that this anthology tended to be much, much darker than most of the ones I read! I'd classify this volume as horror rather than dark fantasy, and paranormal romance fans should probably just skip it altogether even if they do see familiar authors' names. I should have skipped it, and I wasn't reading for any romance. I'm still shivering!
Karen Chance,
Eileen Wilks,+2 more
The title could just as well have been Much Ado About Nothing (I'm sure that nobody will ever confuse Harris' work with that of the Bard).
As the GoodReads synopsis suggests, there are plenty of subplots that should keep a long-time reader busy, but I found most of them boring.
Jason has settled down with a decent-seeming woman - that's good. And he actually seems to be willing to stand by his sister when she needs him, which is even better–without being asked, without so much as a reminder! Will wonders ever cease? (That one example says so much about why I prefer the books to the televised version.)
Otherwise, though, Eric's maker has shown up with a “brother” for Eric - one who is utterly dysfunctional. If this maker were as powerful and decisive as we are told he is, why hasn't he already taken care of business and put the “brother” down? Why bring him to Eric, as if he needs Eric's help to do the deed? That's completely backwards for this (or any other) vampire mythos. If a younger vampire couldn't handle one of his offspring, he might bring that one to his sire for help or judgment. Now, knowing Eric, and how very proud he is - his sire must know him very deeply, and must know that asking Eric for help will lose Eric's respect completely. How could he possibly lower himself to do that?
I'm more willing to believe that Sookie is having problems with her experiences during the Faerie “war” - why doesn't anybody else ever have PTSD in paranormal romance or urban fantasy books? Her “cure” comes WAY too easily, but it is a fantasy.
Some of a faerie relative's “explanation” for his behavior simply doesn't jive with what we've been told in prior books. Maybe the person in charge of continuity lost his or her job. Maybe Harris is tired of the series. Who knows?
Some of the little details left me befuddled. Bill dated who and now reveals he's her what? Why do crosses hurt vampires, but Bibles don't?
Maybe this book should be left for the diehard Sookie fans. I don't think I count as one.
Very good book, especially for the young adult market. I love the fact that Vaughn doesn't write much differently here than she does in her established series, so she doesn't feel like she's talking down to teens at all.
There's one thing that really bugs me, but if I bring up exactly what it is, it will be a spoiler. I will say that I don't honestly think that every YA book or series really has to include a particular sort of negative experience in order for the protagonist to experience growth.
I'm trying to remember whether or not I've read any of Gaiman's other novels before, and I'm fairly certain that I haven't. I read [b:Good Omens 12067 Good Omens Terry Pratchett http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1266659394s/12067.jpg 4110990], but that was co-written with [a:Terry Pratchett 1654 Terry Pratchett http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1235562205p2/1654.jpg], and the collaboration was genius. I know that the entire world seems to love Sandman, of course, but I'm just not a fan of graphic novels. In fact, it took me a while to realize that the Good Omens co-author and the Sandman author were one and the same. I've certainly read some short stories, too. The most memorable, “Snow, Glass, Apples” was reprinted in an anthology I read recently. I find it disturbing, so I won't re-read it. Well-written, of course—it wouldn't be so very memorably distressing if it weren't so masterfully done! (I found the text online if you care to read it, but please understand that the story deals with pedophilia, necrophilia, and incest here. It is the polar opposite of all things Disney.) Snow White was never one of of my favorite fairy tales, and Gaiman definitely pushed it much farther down the list.In any case, I don't know what I was expecting from Gaiman, but American Gods wasn't it. I like stories with happy endings, and within the first few chapters I was fairly sure that there wouldn't be one. Is Gaiman fundamentally opposed to joy, or is it just happiness that he doesn't allow?The novel is epic. It is masterful. All that stuff from the big critics is dead on. The book could be used as the backbone of a mythological scavenger hunt if a teacher were willing to run a very unstructured but engaging course that way. I certainly enjoyed that aspect of it, and it made me glad that I was reading it on my iTouch so that I could look up anything I liked online at any time, no matter where I happened to be (which was almost always at home or somewhere else that had wifi access, happily). I seldom want to see illustrations in any book, but yes, I think I would like to see good pictures of some of the characters Gaiman described in this one. On the other hand, without artwork I spent time imagining what the characters looked like based on the descriptions. I don't normally stop to do that, as such matters as seldom relevant to a plot, but these beings caught my fancy. Not enough that I would sit through an entire graphic novel, I'm afraid, but if I saw one now I might flip through it to see how the artist's renderings compare with my versions.I'm seldom able to identify an overall Theme to the books I read. Most of them, honestly, are fluff. I'm fine with that. I read them because they entertain me. American Gods is different. It is entertaining, but it isn't light or fluffy in the least. It definitely has an easily identifiably Theme and Tropes and all those elements that I recall from long-ago classes, the sorts of things that put me off from my original English major because I hated tearing other author's works apart instead of writing anything original. (Now, I begin to understand that we were being taught to recognize what makes for good writing so we might have some hope of possibly creating some of it one day.)I somewhat timidly conclude that American Gods is the first piece of Literature I've read in a very long time, and well worth the time spent reading it. (I find it rather amusing that it would be British Literature, despite its title, due to the author's nationality.) I'm not going to state the theme, because that would be a spoiler, and I hate putting those in reviews—but it's something that I see as a Truth, and one that needs to be stated far more often, especiallly today. It's even more interesting that it took a Brit to say it.The book is dark, although it does have some very bright spots in it. I will acknowledge that I was going through a particularly bad time with regards to my health when I was reading it, but I still think it might be best for some people to read this one when in a fairly positive state of mind.
