"Clever...entertaining... excellent"(Library Journal) original vampire stories by Charlaine Harris, Jim Butcher, Kelley Armstrong, and mo...
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Jan 05, 2012
Tatiana
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13 stories in this anthology have a theme in common - vampire birthdays. I didn't really read the entire book, simply because after a few failures I realized that I rarely like anthologies and only enjoy the stories written by the authors I know. Therefore out of 13 short stories published in this book I read only 2.
"Dracula Night" by Charlaine Harris - a Sookie story about Eric's party in honor of Dracula's birthday. In one word, disappointing. While I enjoyed some insigh More...
"Dracula Night" by Charlaine Harris - a Sookie story about Eric's party in honor of Dracula's birthday. In one word, disappointing. While I enjoyed some insigh More...
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Jul 28, 2009
Kat
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I'm not nearly as "into" vampires as I once was- Anne Rice and Laurell K. Hamilton pretty well cured me of THAT phase... Blech. However, I was hunting for more Dresden Files material, since I've read all the books and am between series, and this book popped up on my search. There are a lot of interesting stories in here. Unfortunately, many of them kind of blur together at this point, which is the problem when one reads a lot of short stories in a short amount of time. I'll review
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May 17, 2008
Seth
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Overall, I'm giving Many Bloody Returns three stars, but that's for the general quality of the three stories I read, the value of the theme, and the collection of popular authors. Since all of these stories seem to be set in continuing series, I only read the ones for series I read, since these are unlikely to be good introductions.
Reviews of the stories themselves:
Charlain Harris contributes a rather mediocre Sookie Stackhouse story set on Dracula's Birthday. The story i More...
Reviews of the stories themselves:
Charlain Harris contributes a rather mediocre Sookie Stackhouse story set on Dracula's Birthday. The story i More...
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Jan 08, 2009
I enjoyed the stories in this book, but I primarily read it for Charlaine Harris' contribution because I'm in love with Sookie Stackhouse, which I think draws a lot of readers to this selection, so I'll focus my review on that. It was a great story and exactly what I needed to hold me over while I acquired the next novel in the series. It left a lot to be desired, which isn't necessarily a strike against it because what was desired was a new novel.
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Nov 22, 2011
Leah
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Oddly enough (as the Sookie series is one of my most favorites), the story I liked the least was Dracula Night by Charlaine Harris. The whole premise was so out-of-character for Eric it was silly. Eric has a bad case of hero-worship to the point of being fooled by an imposter? Ridiculous. And it reads even worse. That said several stories were very enjoyable. My favorites included It’s My Birthday, Too by Jim Butcher (never read anything of his before but you can bet I will now), Grave-Rob
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Jan 08, 2012
Lady
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Tal como o "My Big Fat Supernatural Wedding" e o "My Big Fat Supernatural Honeymoon", Many Bloody Returns pega num tema geralmente não associado a vampiros (aniversários) e reúne 13 contos baseados nessa premissa.
Devo dizer, desde já, que começo a ficar farta de antologias de contos escritas para "os fãs". Ou seja, os autores de séries conhecidas (Charlene Harris, Jim Butcher, etc.) precisam de ganhar uns trocos rápidos entre duas novelas. QUe faze More...
Jan 05, 2012
Mara
rated it: 
These anthologies used to appear useful to me, since I could sample the work of new-to-me authors without commitment to a novel or series. However, I will have to reconsider any new anthology that features more than a couple of (already proven) writers.
Of the 13 stories here, only a couple were fun. The best of the bunch were "Twilight" by Kelley Armstrong and "Grave-Robbed" by P.N. Elrod. Honorable mentions go to Jim Butcher (a Harry Dresden story), Rachel Caine More...
Of the 13 stories here, only a couple were fun. The best of the bunch were "Twilight" by Kelley Armstrong and "Grave-Robbed" by P.N. Elrod. Honorable mentions go to Jim Butcher (a Harry Dresden story), Rachel Caine More...
May 01, 2011
Linda
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If you like vampire supernatural romance stories, this may be for you.
To be honest, I mainly read it for Jim Butcher's Dresden Files short story "It's My Birthday, Too," which was good but not great. Don't read it until after Butcher's book Proven Guilty if you don't want spoilers, however.
I also liked P.N. Elrod's vampire detective in "Grave-Robbed." The fact that it is set in the 30s adds a lot to the atmosphere.
Rachel Caine sets up an in More...
To be honest, I mainly read it for Jim Butcher's Dresden Files short story "It's My Birthday, Too," which was good but not great. Don't read it until after Butcher's book Proven Guilty if you don't want spoilers, however.
I also liked P.N. Elrod's vampire detective in "Grave-Robbed." The fact that it is set in the 30s adds a lot to the atmosphere.
Rachel Caine sets up an in More...
Feb 18, 2011
Anthony
rated it:
I picked this collection up pretty much because there was a Harry Dresden story in it by Jim Butcher.
I enjoyed the story, "It's My Birthday, Too," with its focus on the relationship between Harry and Thomas (as well as a bit of the relationship between Harry and Molly). The story flows naturally from Thomas' birthday to the actual action. I am glad I waited to read this until the appropriate spot between Dresden books, although I can't say it really spoils anything even re More...
I enjoyed the story, "It's My Birthday, Too," with its focus on the relationship between Harry and Thomas (as well as a bit of the relationship between Harry and Molly). The story flows naturally from Thomas' birthday to the actual action. I am glad I waited to read this until the appropriate spot between Dresden books, although I can't say it really spoils anything even re More...
Dec 30, 2010
Karissa
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Usually books with a number of short stories in them have some big names with great stories and some unknown authors with either surprisingly good or surprisingly bad stories. This was not the case with this book. All of the stories were really good and there was a larger variety of writing styles than I expected given the genre. All of the stories have to deal with vampires and birthdays.
The main reason I read books like this is to get a sampling of some authors I haven't read and g More...
The main reason I read books like this is to get a sampling of some authors I haven't read and g More...
Sep 15, 2009
Megan
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What a letdown :( Craving more from Charlaine Harris I picked this one up because of the Sookie/Pam/Eric story. Unfortunately, even that wasn't as good as I expected. Without giving away specifics or spoilers, let me just say that at the climax of the story, Sookie acts very out of character. In fact, the vampires act out of character, too. Although I enjoyed the brief trip to Harris' Bon Temps and Shreveport, I was left feeling ripped off. I mean ~ I sort of enjoyed Harris' story because I alre
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Feb 23, 2009
Mo
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This anthology is dedicated to Joss Whedon. = )
Dracula Night by Charlaine Harris - enjoyed the Sookie tale
The Mournful Cry of Owls by Christopher Golden - odd story with a uniquely interesting concept that didn't make as much sense as it could have
I Was a Teenage Vampire by Bill Crider - boring and seemingly pointless
Twilight by Kelley Armstrong - interesting twist to vampire lore, enjoyable read, makes me want to read her novels
It's My More...
Dracula Night by Charlaine Harris - enjoyed the Sookie tale
The Mournful Cry of Owls by Christopher Golden - odd story with a uniquely interesting concept that didn't make as much sense as it could have
I Was a Teenage Vampire by Bill Crider - boring and seemingly pointless
Twilight by Kelley Armstrong - interesting twist to vampire lore, enjoyable read, makes me want to read her novels
It's My More...
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Sep 27, 2010
Alice
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I read 7 of the stories offered here. Only 2 of them stood out for me as worthy of 4 stars.
It's My Birthday, Too by Jim Butcher- A snippet into a 'normal' night for Harry with Thomas and Molly along for the ride. Even just those 45 pages pulled me into this world I love. Solid 4 stars.
The First Day of the Rest of Your Life by Rachel Caine- Normally I wouldn't rate a Morganville story a high 4, but this tale focused on my favorite characters: Eve and Michael. It gives us t More...
It's My Birthday, Too by Jim Butcher- A snippet into a 'normal' night for Harry with Thomas and Molly along for the ride. Even just those 45 pages pulled me into this world I love. Solid 4 stars.
The First Day of the Rest of Your Life by Rachel Caine- Normally I wouldn't rate a Morganville story a high 4, but this tale focused on my favorite characters: Eve and Michael. It gives us t More...
Oct 17, 2009
oliviasbooks
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I should not buy urban fantasy anthologies anymore because most of them - like this one - are an overpriced jumble of seemingly cast-off chapters from paranormal or urban fantasy series. Some well-known author or editor has some time to spare in between series' installments and is asked to use his or her name for a speedy publication of left-over ideas and writing exercises. Reading this collection especially feels like watching the bonus material of some blockbuster on DVD or like reading a f
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Apr 29, 2009
LaDonna
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An interesting concept... birthday stories about vampires and the vampire-adjacent -- but it only gets a "meh" from me.
Some of the short stories are a lot of fun, particularly "It's My Birthday, Too" by Jim Butcher and "The First Day of the Rest of Your Life" by Rachel Caine. Both of these tales had intriguing characters and interesting takes on the whole vampire story and made me want to read more.
Most of the entries in this book are so-so More...
Some of the short stories are a lot of fun, particularly "It's My Birthday, Too" by Jim Butcher and "The First Day of the Rest of Your Life" by Rachel Caine. Both of these tales had intriguing characters and interesting takes on the whole vampire story and made me want to read more.
Most of the entries in this book are so-so More...
Dec 05, 2011
JackieB
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I've wanted to "try out" some of the authors in this colletion of short stories and I thought this would be a good way to do it. There were no stories which I didn't like but I had come across two in other anthologies. I'll probably not read any more of some of the authors included in this, but that's just due to personal taste and not a refl;ection of the quality of their writing. I did think there was a slightly odd balance of stories though. The majority appeared to be about vamp
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Jan 23, 2012
Eden
rated it:
There are a couple of good reasons to read anthologies, in my opinion. One is that there is a theme involved that you enjoy reading about. Another is to discover writers that are new to you. I chose this one for both of those reasons.
Oddly enough, the stories by authors I've read before were my least favorite while I enjoyed more the offerings of writers I've neve read before, such as Jim Butcher, P.N. Elrod, and Toni L. P. Kelner (her How Stella Got Her Grave Back was hysterical, More...
Oddly enough, the stories by authors I've read before were my least favorite while I enjoyed more the offerings of writers I've neve read before, such as Jim Butcher, P.N. Elrod, and Toni L. P. Kelner (her How Stella Got Her Grave Back was hysterical, More...
Sep 27, 2010
Hester
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The short story collection seems to mostly consist of stories by American writers, set in the south, with lots of sex. The best short stories(entries by Harris, Butcher, Caine, and Huff) fit in longer series and are not so focused on romance. There is certainly love and sentimentality, but it is of different sorts. Many stories focus on older women who have lost their looks and/or their reason for living. Elaine Viets' story disturbingly combines these two themes. For me, "The Witch an
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Feb 01, 2010
kari
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This anthology is all vampire and birthday stories. I enjoyed every story in this collection, even though they were all very diffferent. A few of them seem to be excerpts from books as there are things not explained, but that didn't really detract from the stories. I'd look for most of these authors books, the charcters are interesting, the voices and dialogue clear and all in all, an enjoyable read. I'm including a brief synopsis of each story without spoilers
Dracula Night by Charlaine Ha More...
Dracula Night by Charlaine Ha More...
Jun 26, 2010
Kathy
rated it:
13 short stories about vampires and birthdays (or deathdays)...
two stories (Charlaine Harris' and Kelley Armstrong's) are of series' characters that I am familiar with... I liked learning a little more about the Otherworld vampire Cassandra, who is coming to the end of her days (and how she knows because she can't gather enough energy for her annual, deathday kill... and with the support and pushing of Aaron (whom we also learn more about - his good hearted, batman character; born t More...
two stories (Charlaine Harris' and Kelley Armstrong's) are of series' characters that I am familiar with... I liked learning a little more about the Otherworld vampire Cassandra, who is coming to the end of her days (and how she knows because she can't gather enough energy for her annual, deathday kill... and with the support and pushing of Aaron (whom we also learn more about - his good hearted, batman character; born t More...
Aug 17, 2011
The main reason I bought this book is because it had a short story from the Sookie Stackhouse novels by Charlaine Harris. It is an anthology with 12 other contributors about vampires. What I liked the most about it was how different each author interprets vampires. It varies between how they can be killed, whether they can go out in the sunlight or not, between the authors. Some of them had a more serious and morbid tone to them while others had dark humor. My favorites were "Dracula Nights
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May 05, 2009
Again, read only for Harry Dresden story. I would give this one a 4.5 stars.
This one happens on Valentine's Day which happens to be Thomas's birthday. Go fig. Thomas is attending a LARP as a favor to one of his employees. Harry and Molly stop by to give Thomas a present. Once they're there, an outcasted LARPer comes back after being turned into a Black Court vampire.
This story is full of action and happens after White Knight, maybe after Small Favor, given the reference More...
This one happens on Valentine's Day which happens to be Thomas's birthday. Go fig. Thomas is attending a LARP as a favor to one of his employees. Harry and Molly stop by to give Thomas a present. Once they're there, an outcasted LARPer comes back after being turned into a Black Court vampire.
This story is full of action and happens after White Knight, maybe after Small Favor, given the reference More...
Apr 02, 2009
The Flooze (Michelle M.)
rated it:
Enjoyable anthology, with several solid contributions-some of which have encouraged me to check out new writers.
Harris: Dracula's birthday party, hosted by Fangtasia. I love anything Eric-related. Pam continues to be the funniest character of the series.
Golden: Eastern European folklore brings a twist to a 16 year old's life. I like Golden, but I think the story would've been better had we seen more of the character post-"big reveal".
Crider: Teenage More...
Harris: Dracula's birthday party, hosted by Fangtasia. I love anything Eric-related. Pam continues to be the funniest character of the series.
Golden: Eastern European folklore brings a twist to a 16 year old's life. I like Golden, but I think the story would've been better had we seen more of the character post-"big reveal".
Crider: Teenage More...
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Feb 20, 2010
Liz
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Although this by no means was a page turner... I did enjoy reading the majority of it. Like any book of short stories there were stories that I liked and stories I didn't. Luckily there were more of the former than the latter.
Would I recommend this book to other readers? This is one of those that if I was asked what I thought of it in relation to someone reading it I would say, "Ah yes, it was okay." I think that if you aren't a fan of vampires the "real estate" More...
Would I recommend this book to other readers? This is one of those that if I was asked what I thought of it in relation to someone reading it I would say, "Ah yes, it was okay." I think that if you aren't a fan of vampires the "real estate" More...
Oct 24, 2007
Samantha
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Before I even get a few pages into this book I already like it just because it is dedicated to Joss Whedon.
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Dec 07, 2011
Geraldine
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Wanted to buy this book for the longest time already and finally got it. Well, I was kinda disappointed, to be quite honest. I guess short stories are not my type cos' it kinda leaves me half-hanging when one story ends. There are several stories in there that I like, namely, the mournful cry of owls, how Stella got her grave back, vampire hours, the wish etc.
The story that left me half hanging the most was Vampire Hours, I sure hope there's a sequel to it.
As for mournful cr More...
The story that left me half hanging the most was Vampire Hours, I sure hope there's a sequel to it.
As for mournful cr More...
Feb 23, 2009
Erin
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This is a great anthology. All the authors were given the two criteria of vampires and birthdays, and then were left to see what they came up with. I bought most of these paranormal/vampire anthologies for Charlaine Harris's stories and, for the most part, her stories were usually the only good ones (except for Jim Butcher). However, this is a solid anthology. While not all the stories are spectacular, they are all at least interesting and mostly enjoyable. This one also features the best of Cha
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Jan 25, 2012
L8blmr
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A nice variety of stories featuring not only vampires but also witches, wizards, a couple of weres and a demon or two along with an assortment of creatures I am not sure can be categorized. I had the opportunity to read some writers, new to me, without committing to a full-length novel. As a result, I have even more authors' books to add to my ever-escalating TBR list. Interesting that the stories penned by men stood out more, in my opinion, perhaps because I've never read any of their work.
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May 29, 2011
Renee
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This is a decent collection of Vampire stories. Not all of the stories are great but there are some stand outs. The Short by Rachel Caine was very good. It is a lovely backstory on how Eve came to the Glass house after fleeing from Brandon. It is the story that made me read the Morganville vampire series. I loved the story Vampire Hours and another about a woman who tries to cheat death by becoming a Vampire. It is a fun read about Vampires ad birthdays and is the sort of book you can dive into
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Jun 29, 2009
Amber
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This anthology is based on the themes birthdays and vampires. I don't usually read short story anthologies but decided to read this one for several contributing authors and the theme.
Now I remember why I don't read short story anthologies- I don't enjoy them.
While I am a fan of several of the authors and the series they write about and I did enjoy several of the stories, I was a little disappointed. After reading one or two I felt I needed to have read or been familiar more with the se More...
Now I remember why I don't read short story anthologies- I don't enjoy them.
While I am a fan of several of the authors and the series they write about and I did enjoy several of the stories, I was a little disappointed. After reading one or two I felt I needed to have read or been familiar more with the se More...
