Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Dark and Stormy Knights (Kitty Norville)

by P.N. Elrod (Editor/Contributor), Ilona Andrews (Goodreads Author) (Contributor), Jim Butcher (Goodreads Author) (Contributor), Shannon K. Butcher (Goodreads Author) (Contributor), Rachel Caine (Contributor), Deidre Knight (Goodreads Author) (Contributor), Vicki Pettersson (Goodreads Author) (Contributor), Lilith Saintcrow (Goodreads Author) (Contributor) , more…

3.85 of 5 stars 3.85 · rating details · 2,882 ratings · 296 reviews

It was a dark and stormy knight, and nine dark defenders embarked upon a mostperilous quest….

They’re the ultimate defenders of humanity—modern day knights who do dark deeds for all the right reasons. In this all-star collection, nine of today’s hottest paranormal authors bring us thrilling, all-new stories of supernatural knights that are brimming with magic mystery and ma...more

Paperback, 357 pages

Published July 20th 2010 by St. Martin's Griffin (first published July 14th 2010)

more details... edit details

Get a copy:

More…

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

Men of the Otherworld by Kelley Armstrong

Must Love Hellhounds by Charlaine Harris

Best Paranormal Romance/Urban Fantasy Anthologies

20th out of 163 books — 203 voters

Can't Wait Books of 2010

310th out of 1,297 books — 10,683 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 3,000)

filter | sort: default (?) | rating details

Jan 31, 2012 BarkLessWagMore rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: audiobook, fantasy

3 out of 5

I read this book on audio during my too long ride to work. Each story seems to have a different narrator and I enjoyed the change of voice for each story (even if every story wasn't so great).

The first story A Questionable Client by Ilona Andrews is a prequel to the Kate Daniels series featuring Kate's first run-in with sexy, shady shifter Saiman. I loved it. It's filled with sarcasam, gore and Saiman doing his creepy shifting thing and attempting to find the perfect form that'll make...more
3 out of 5

I read this book on audio during my too long ride to work. Each story seems to have a different narrator and I enjoyed the change of voice for each story (even if every story wasn't so great).

The first story A Questionable Client by Ilona Andrews is a prequel to the Kate Daniels series featuring Kate's first run-in with sexy, shady shifter Saiman. I loved it. It's filled with sarcasam, gore and Saiman doing his creepy shifting thing and attempting to find the perfect form that'll make Kate jump his bones. He has found himself in a world of trouble after stealing a magical acorn (yes, you read that correctly), and she is called in as a bodyguard. Sounds weird when I write it all down here but trust me it works out. 4.5

Next up is Jim Butcher's Even Hand. I haven't been following the Dresden Files series. I think I made it to book 3 or 4 and was so sad when the tv series came to an untimely end and then sort of forgot about the series. Fortunately, this story stood well enough on it's own. Set in the Harry Dresden universe, it's not about Harry but about another gumshoe type. A young lady and a baby arrive and need his help. Creatures show up, adventure ensues. The writing was crisp but it didn't thrill me. Actually, if I'm being honest it kinda bored me for the most part. 3

The Beacon by Shannon K. Butcher is a very average tale about a man who slays "Beacons". Beacon's are people who somehow have the capacity to bring monstrous man-killing beasts into the world. This Beacon Slayer has spent his life murdering the "Beacon's" before the monsters arrive. They are typically old men so he doesn't feel all that bad about his dutyt but when the latest Beacon turns out to be an adorable little cherub with a beautiful young, single mother he has a change of heart. This is an ok monster tale with some action and emotion but it's not one I'll remember for too long. 3.5

Even a Rabbit Will Bite by Rachel Caine was more my thing. It starts out slow but the payoff was worth it. The last dragonslayer is being forced to retire and train her replacement. She's crotchety and a bit of a bitch and I loved that realism about her personality. But be warned, it's a sad, melancholy story. 4.5

Next up was Dark Lady by P.N. Elrod featuring vampire and private investigator Jack Fleming. This is part of the Vampire Files family and is a well written, noir type of mystery written in the same tone as the rest of the series. Not my favorite, honestly I found it a wee bit boring, but certainly not bad by any means. 3.5

Beknighted by Deidre Knight felt so very stereotypical. A beautiful artist is attempting to bring to life the knight of her dreams by way of her puzzle artwork. Only problem is she doesn't have the cash to buy the special gold stuff needed to spring him free and must take on a patron in order to raise the bucks. She pisses and moans that's shes not a nine to fiver but I think this book is set in the past? This was a little unclear to me. The man with the gold coin is, of course, gorgeous but a terribly Evil guy who has nefarious plans. This was a bit disjointed and didn't gel together for me. 3

Shifting Star by Vicki Pettersson may well be a fabulous story but the narrator was so monotonousness that I tuned much of it out. I haven't listened to a narrator this awful in ages. This one also confused the hell out of me and I found the lead character wooden and odd. She's after something called a "Tulpa" that *I think* has been kidnapping young tweens. It feels very mid series and is not a story that reads well on its own. 2.5

By the time I reached the last two stories by Lilith St. Crow and Carrie Vaughn my attention had left for good and I can't remember enough about either story to write up any kind of synopsis.(less)

8 likes · like · see review

Oct 26, 2010 Bry rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010, anthology, urban-fantasy

Do you ever read anthologies and by the time you are done only remember 1 story?

Like all anthologies 1 was awesome, a couple were ok, 1 I skipped, and the rest I thought was some of the stupidest stories I had ever read. Meh. But I feel this way with every anthology. I read them to read my fave authors additions, but short stories just aren't my thing. Just too few pages to understand an entire universe especially if I haven't read anything from that author before.

I did particularly like 1 stor...more

8 likes · like · see review

Aug 22, 2011 Lora rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: urban-fantasy

Note: This review is only for Ilona Andrews' short story, A Questionable Client.

Length: 45 pages

Call me strange if you'd like, but I found Saiman interesting in the short glimpses we get of his character in Magic Bites and Magic Burns. Since I've been devouring each installment in the Kate Daniels series with vigor lately, I figured I should read the series prequel before moving any further. And when I found out that this prequel is Saiman and Kate's back story, I knew I had to check it out.

In A...more

4 likes · like · see review

Mar 15, 2012 Callista rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: urban-fantasy, vampires-after-all

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Overall rating: 3 stars
4 stars – “A Questionable Client” by Ilona Andrews
The world of the story is intriguing--magic causes the equivalent of rolling blackouts and EMP bursts, and mercenaries roam to deal with beasties. Kate Daniels is a cool character, tough but relatable (especially her love of chocolate). The situation Kate is put into is weird and outrageous, her client is a royal pain; and I liked the outcome. I hadn’t read any Ilona Andrews before; but a friend recommended the Kate Daniels...more

2 likes · like · see review

Feb 10, 2011 Sharon rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal-fantasy, paranormal-romance, jim-butcher

I am not really a short story fan ordinarily, but these stories got me carried away & gave me an idea of the other writers style that I had not read before and I'll admit I cheated & listened to them on audio, each short story had a different narrator & the production was really great.
My favoutrites definately are 'Questionable Client' & 'Even Hand', but most have their merits, the most haunting had to be 'Even a rabbit will Bite', which stayed with me long after.
Here's a snap s...more

1 like · like · see review

Sep 06, 2011 Kathy Davie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Series: A Questionable Client (Kate Daniels, 0.5)
Even Hand (Dresden Files, after Marcone has signed the Unseelie Accords)
Dark Lady (Vampire Files: Jack Fleming, 2 years after his "death" and Lady Crymsyn is open)
Shifting Star (Zodiac, 4.75)
God's Creatures (Kitty Norville, ?)

An anthology of stories with a central theme of the dark, stormy protector. A person who will fight to save but not always in the most scrupulous manner.

The Stories
Ilona Andrews' A Questionable Client fills in the background...more

2 likes · like · see review

Dec 27, 2011 Nora rated it 4 of 5 stars

It's a good collection of stories, I'm not a big fan of anthologies because it's like putting your finger in cake frosting, why have just a taste when you can eat an entire piece. But, I liked the stories and got to read a few authors that weren't on my radar, and that I liked.

I just finished reading the first story, "A Questionable Client". Although I enjoyed it, (because I'm a fan of the Kate Daniels series) I think that if you read it on its own you don´t know what's going on, nor who everyon...more

1 like · like · see review

Dec 06, 2011 ♥ Sarah ♥ rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: urban-fantasy, anthologies, witches-wizards

*Note: This rating/review is only for A Questionable Client by Ilona Andrews. If/when I read the others I will revise my rating/review accordingly.

A Questionable Client by Ilona Andrews: (3 stars)
(Kate Daniels, #0.5 Prequel)
This story is a prequel that takes place before all the other books in the Kate Daniels series. It shows us how Kate and Saiman first met when she's hired to be his bodyguard against a group of creatures that's after him.

It was good and it was good to see how they first met....more

1 like · like · see review

Aug 17, 2010 Emily rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: analysis, read-in-2010

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. No, really. LOTS of SPOILERS.

And I got my Kitty fix and I got my Dresden fix and I got my Kate Daniels fix allinthesamebookanditwassocool!!!

I could jump on board with this anthology thing.....

The Kitty story directly interrogates the question of monstrosity. Pitting Cormac against a werewolf, who admittedly is beginning to lose control, but who has never killed a human being leaves both the reader and Cormac questioning the nature of monstrosity. There is no reference to where in the Kitty timel...more

2 likes · like · see review

Sep 18, 2012 Lady Jaye rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2012, stars-2, anthology, fail, fantasy-urban-fantasy, flat, magic, pb-demons, pb-other, pb-ghosts, pb-vampires, pb-werewolves-or-shapeshifters, pb-dragons, pb-fae, people-criminals, people-knights, people-magic-users, people-warriors, skimmed-it, did-not-like-it

Most definitely not one of the better anthologies out there. I loved the Kate Daniels novella, which I'd already read, and Shannon K. Butcher's entry made me very interested in the series, but that is just about it. Every other short story I found flat and dull an boring. Rachel Caine's left me unmoved, and I DNFed Deidre Knight's story: just couldn't be bothered with it. I skimmed chunks of Jim Butcher's entry and did not even bother with Carrie Vaughn's because Kitty Norville isn't my cup of t...more

2 likes · like · see review

May 25, 2012 Cecilia Quick rated it 4 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this anthology. It had one great novella by one of my favorite authors, and several entertaining stories by authors with whom I was unfamiliar but whose books I now want to read.
First, the best: "A Questionable Client", by Ilona Andrews. This was the main reason I wanted to read the book, and the authors did not disappoint. I've been intrigued by Saimon since I read the Kate Andrews series, and this is a fine introduction. He is at once amoral, vain, cowardly, smart, and amusing. I lau...more I enjoyed this anthology. It had one great novella by one of my favorite authors, and several entertaining stories by authors with whom I was unfamiliar but whose books I now want to read.
First, the best: "A Questionable Client", by Ilona Andrews. This was the main reason I wanted to read the book, and the authors did not disappoint. I've been intrigued by Saimon since I read the Kate Andrews series, and this is a fine introduction. He is at once amoral, vain, cowardly, smart, and amusing. I laughed out loud several times, at his self-serving justifications for why he does the annoying things he does. I like it that Kate not only can withstand his attempts at seduction, but isn't even tempted by them, and I like that she remains professional and takes her duties seriously and refrains from clobbering her client. Even though there is a series involving Kate Andrews, a reader does not need to be familiar with those books to enjoy this story. The resolution is very clever. Overall, well-done.

My next favorite was "Dark Lady", by P.N. Elrod. I was not familiar with this author before this story, but now I want to read something else she's written. I thought the idea of an immortal vampire running a bar in the Windy City in the mob heyday was unique, and I liked the lighthearted tone of the story. It held my interest throughout. And I liked how the ghost, even though not visible, made herself and her opinions known. Cute and fun.

"The Beacon" by Shannon K. Butcher was another good story. I liked how the protagonist, when faced with a moral dilemma, basically reversed his mission and accomplished it by taking on the more difficult task of addressing the actual evil rather than killing an innocent to avoid an evil. It was action-packed, with memorable characters and a good resolution.

"Even Hand" by Jim Butcher was an interesting entry into the Harry Dresden series, and was unique in that it was from the antagonist's perspective. The opening paragraphs established that he was not a particularly good person, but even he had his own code of ethics and he stayed true to them. Very dry humor throughout, and the main character was shrewd and managed to solve the immediate problem of saving an innocent while at the same time not becoming sentimental or vulnerable.

"Shifting Star" by Vicki Pettersson was an interesting premise. My one gripe was that it was clearly part of a larger story and it didn't entirely stand on its own. The short story needed to have the backstory fleshed out a bit more for someone like me who wasn't familiar with the mythology. Still, I thought the concept that the heroine was created by the mind of her master, kind of like Athena rising from Zeus' skull, was well thought out and original. The way the heroine has no memories and has to try and fake an understanding of pop culture was well done, and her unfamiliarity with emotions and struggling to understand grief was interesting. As I say, my only gripe was that I felt like I walked into the middle of a story, and was missing the beginning of it, rather than reading a standalone story, in contrast, for example, to the Ilona Andrews' story, which, even though it involves a character who has a series, stood as a story on its own merit.

"Rookwood and Mrs. King" by Lilith Saintcrow was an interesting vampire story. I liked how the victim turned the tables and became even more effective than the protagonist at rooting out the vampires.

"God's Creatures" by Carrie Vaughn was a poignant werewolf tale. Having been raised Catholic myself, this resonated with me. I liked that the protagonist, while he did what he had to do to protect the community, didn't feel good about it. I found the resolution touching.

"Beknighted" by Deidre Knight was dull and too slow. The end was predictable from the beginning.

"Even a Rabbit will Bite" by Rachel Caine was an interminable story featuring an old, slightly stupid dragonslayer doing one last battle with an old, slightly stupid dragon. I couldn't slog my way to the end.(less)

like · see review

Apr 14, 2012 Kathy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Dark and Stormy Knights,

Ilona Andrews "A Questionable Client" I really enjoyed this novella. It reads like a prequel as Kate's first encounter with Saiman. It was interesting creative and action-packed. I am a huge Kate Daniel's fan; however this novella just didn't feel the same without Curran. 4.5/5

Jim Butcher "Evenhand" Mr. Marcone, a crime lord assists a desperate woman n the run whose plight is not as it seems. I haven't enjoyed many of Jim Butcher's novellas but I did enjoy this short sto...more

like · see review

Jan 20, 2012 Jenn rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: urban-fantasy

I’m so happy that Dark and Stormy Knights is out! I’ve been so excited to read Ilona Andrews and Vicki Pettersson’s stories, and I’m thrilled to report that there are some great stories in here, from the same folks who brought us Strange Brew last year.

The first story in the anthology is A Questionable Client by Ilona Andrews, describing Kate Daniels’ first encounter with Saiman, which means it’s set before the series starts. After putting in a long shift for the Mercenary Guild, Kate’s offered...more

like · see review

Nov 23, 2011 Leah rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, fiction, urban-fantasy, paranormal, anthology

This anthology includes several stories by urban fantasy authors I read on a regular basis. Many focused on some of my favorite secondary characters from their popular series. The Ilona Andrews (Kate Daniels), Jim Butcher (The Dresden Files), P.N. Elrod (The Vampire Files), Rachal Caine and Vicki Pettersson (Signs of the Zodiac) stories were my favorites. Lilith Saintcrow and Carrie Vaughn (The Kitty Norville Series) wrote somewhat entertaining if predictable tales. I enjoyed Deidre Knight's sto...more

like · see review

Jul 24, 2011 Paula rated it 4 of 5 stars

I’m giving the book 4 stars. I enjoyed the stories I read and don’t want the average brought down because I didn’t read all the stories.

A Questionable Client - Ilona Andrews 4 stars
This story is before Curran. Kate is working for the Mercs and she gets an assignment which pays $3000 for one night of bodyguard duty. She definitely earns her money and has an adventure which incorporates mythology and a possible sexual deviant and for sure a morally challenged client, Saiman. I liked the kitty cat...more

like · see review

Mar 10, 2011 Colleen rated it 3 of 5 stars

I don't quite know why I'm so hooked on short story collections right now, but I am. I'm happy to report that, as with the previous P.N.Elrod compendiums, this was a good one. And I'll go further and say that this collection was bang on the money. I liked every story in the book. That's not usually the case, especially when heroes make mistakes and people die. I have to temper my enthusiasm with a complaint that the last story in the collection was not the strongest, so the book kind of trailed...more

like · see review

Jan 22, 2011 Anthony rated it 3 of 5 stars

As I've already reviewed each story individually on the Livejournal [info]365shortstories community, I won't retread those thoughts here in any detail. Of the nine stories in this collection, five are definitely part of existing fictional worlds: Jim Butcher's Dresden Files, Ilona Andrews' Kate Daniels books, Carrie Vaughn's "Kitty" books, Vicki Pettersson's "Sings of the Zodiac" series, and editor P.N. Elrod's Jack Fleming mysteries. I was already very familiar with the Dresden books and have a...more As I've already reviewed each story individually on the Livejournal [info]365shortstories community, I won't retread those thoughts here in any detail. Of the nine stories in this collection, five are definitely part of existing fictional worlds: Jim Butcher's Dresden Files, Ilona Andrews' Kate Daniels books, Carrie Vaughn's "Kitty" books, Vicki Pettersson's "Sings of the Zodiac" series, and editor P.N. Elrod's Jack Fleming mysteries. I was already very familiar with the Dresden books and have a decent familiarity with the Fleming stories; the other three were new to me. Of those, I thought Ilona Andrews and Carrie Vaughn did the best at making a new reader feel comfortable. Pettersson's story was interesting (especially in terms of the question "what makes us human?") but I felt like I was being penalized for not having read the novels -- too much of Pettersson's story seemed to rely on knowing exactly where in the novel series the characters were, while Andrews and Vaughn gave me enough world and character background to enjoy the story as a stand-alone piece. As for the two worlds with which I was already familiar, I'm probably not in a good position to judge whether the Dresden story (which does not feature Harry Dresden himself, but rather gangster "Gentleman" John Marcone) is easily accessible without knowledge of the novels. I think it is, but readers new to Dresden can judge better than I. The Fleming story, as with the others I've read, is a decent little mystery, serviceable towards the anthology's theme, and I think ultimately accessible to new readers; Elrod gives you everything you need to know about Jack to get you through the story.

The remaining four stories in the anthology appear to be truly stand-alone tales. Shannon K. Butcher's "The Beacon" reads like an introduction to a series. I have no idea if she plans to continue with the Ryder Ward character, but I think she certainly could and could build up an interesting world around him. Rachel Caine is always a favorite of mine in these anthologies, and this time she gives a tale of dragon-hunting in the modern day that is both funny and heart-breaking. The Lilith Saintcrow story also felt like it might be an introduction to a new series (or perhaps it is part of something that already exists -- it didn't seem so from the author's notes, though). And the Diedre Knight story felt so complete that I can't imagine where she would go if it was part of a series.(less)

1 like · like · see review

Jan 11, 2011 Stephanie Lorée rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: anthology, para-urban-fantasy, reviewed

(No Spoilers) Dark and Stormy Knights is an anthology of short stories by heavyweight writers in the urban fantasy genre. Every name on the table of contents (Jim Butcher, Ilona Andrews, Rachel Caine, Carrie Vaughn, etc.) was one I recognized. And being a Jim Butcher super-fangirl, there was no way I could stop myself from reading Dark and Stormy Knights.

I have one word for you: badass.

Starting with "A Questionable Client" by Andrews and ending with Vaughn's "God's Creatures," I couldn't put the...more

like · see review

Dec 30, 2010 Karissa rated it 4 of 5 stars

All of these stories have something in common; they feature a "knight" someone who will go to heroic measures to protect innocents (or to make some money).

The best of the bunch is Ilona Andrews "A Questionable Client"; this is a great story in and of itself and is a great sample of Andrew's writing style. Kate Daniels fans will love it too because it fills an important event that happened between Kate and Saiman. My second favorite was Caine's "Even a Rabbit Will Bite" loved the characters and t...more

like · see review

Dec 19, 2010 Kathy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, fantasy-other-world, short-stories, werewolf-shapeshifter, vampire

short stories with a rescuerer, a knight (male or female knight)...

pieces of ongoing characters:

Evan Hand - Jim Butcher
a rival of wizard Harry Dresdan - John Marcone is an assasin - who surrounds himself with capable assistants and magic... and lives by his own standards- which includes the protection of children... he is called upon to protect Justine ( Harry's assistant) and a child... and does so, though the story ends where he is preparing to confront Harry at some point in the future.

The B...more

like · see review

Nov 29, 2010 Brit Mandelo rated it 3 of 5 stars

This isn't the best collection I've read this year. That's not to say it's bad, but that only about half of the stories did a damn thing for me. The half that did, I loved with a nerdy intensity, but the other half I could have done without. I bought it for the Jim Butcher story, but I also thoroughly enjoyed the Elrod, the Carrie Vaughn and the Ilona Andrews.

So: not the best, not the worst. It's high points are high, but some of the stories just did not hit my buttons. I had an active dislike f...more

like · see review

Oct 12, 2010 lisa rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: mine-mine-mine

almost all of these were awesome (how is jim butcher so popular? his story was an absolute snoozefest and the real clunker in this collection) but i do have a definite favorite: "a questionable client" by ilona andrews was funny and smart and incredibly intriguing. i found myself wishing the rest of the book was a continuation of that story for most of the time i spent reading it. (someone please tell me there is more of this 'verse somewhere. i almost never leave a short story feeling this way,...more

like · see review

Sep 10, 2010 Michelle rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2010, urban-fantasy

I'm not sure if it's because I'm so used to reading all the wonderful snippets Ilona Andrews posts on her blog or if the husband-wife writer duo is just excellent at writing period (I'm thinking it's the latter), but I was exceptionally pleased their latest novella "A Questionable Client" found in the Dark and Stormy Knights anthology. After Magic Bleeds rocked my world earlier this year, I was in need of another Kate fix and this short and sweet little story did the job nicely.

"A Questionable C...more

1 like · like · see review

Aug 04, 2010 Sarah rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: anthology, dresden, urban-fantasy

A pretty outstanding anthology, running with the theme of "good guys who walk the shadowy line."

*Questionable Client by Ilona Andrews. Cute. It would have actually read better had the attempts at flirting/romance been kept out of it, which generally fell flat. But the client, and the scape he had gotten himself into, was an interesting premise.

*Even Hand by Jim Butcher. Butcher really does write strong short stories. This story (falling between Turn Coat and Changes, for Dresden fans), offers...more A pretty outstanding anthology, running with the theme of "good guys who walk the shadowy line."

*Questionable Client by Ilona Andrews. Cute. It would have actually read better had the attempts at flirting/romance been kept out of it, which generally fell flat. But the client, and the scape he had gotten himself into, was an interesting premise.

*Even Hand by Jim Butcher. Butcher really does write strong short stories. This story (falling between Turn Coat and Changes, for Dresden fans), offers a bit more of a glimpse into the private workings of Marcone. Always a fascinating character - and always proving that he can cover all bases well. I think out of all the Dresden shorts I have read, this one would be the most difficult for a non-Dresden reader to read.

*The Beacon by Shannon Butcher. Lost it after about 4 pages. Nope. Couldn't do it.

*Even a Rabbit will Bite by Rachel Caine. This one managed to take the old dragon story and provide a nice update and twist to it.

*Dark Lady by PN Elrod. Another short featuring the vampire detective Jack Fleming. Nicely set, fast moving, fun to read.

*Beknighted by Deidre Knight. Yep, nope. Couldn't get through more then 5 pages. Note to to Knight and S Butcher: the overly romantic subplots really don't work with this type of genre.

*Shifting Star by Vicki Pettersson. I really enjoyed this, because I think the concept of Tulpa is very interesting, and watching the development of one, as she becomes more and more rooted in humanity is interesting (rather like watching Ilyara struggle with the issues she faces as Freds' memories become more prominent in Angel, but I digress). Anyway, this is another story that might be hard for those who don't read the authors' primary series to get into (the Zodiac series)

*Rookwood and Mrs. King by Lilith St. Crow. Fairly amusing story about unexpected...strenghts.

*God's Creatures by Carrie Vaughn. I can't say the ending of this was a surprise - its given away pretty early, but it was a well written story.

All over all, I think this anthology had the strongest collection of stories is any collection of its type I have read in a while. (less)

like · see review

Jul 21, 2010 Ann aka Iftcan rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: anthology, fantasy, magic, pnr, urban-fantasy, were-wolf

As with any anthology--some good stories, some ok stories and 1 not so good story.

The Butcher story was set in the world of Harry Dresden and was told from the p.o.v. of one of Harry's some time ally/foe John Marcone. It tells us nothing about Marcone's motivations, but does show his dedication to his personal code and to the lengths he will go to prepare for anything.

P.N. Elrod has a short story set in her Vampire Files universe with vamp Jack Fleming receiving assistance from the ghost who ha...more

like · see review

Jul 08, 2010 Kim rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormalfiction

Please note: I received an ARC of this book through the Librarything Early Reviewers program. The anthology itself is due out in August.

Dark and Stormy Knights is an anthology of paranormal stories written by some of the most popular authors in the genre. In fact, I assume that most of its readers will be attracted due to the popularity of its contributors, rather than its theme, to which some of the stories seem only tangentially related. Which is fine; overall, it's a good selection of stories...more Please note: I received an ARC of this book through the Librarything Early Reviewers program. The anthology itself is due out in August.

Dark and Stormy Knights is an anthology of paranormal stories written by some of the most popular authors in the genre. In fact, I assume that most of its readers will be attracted due to the popularity of its contributors, rather than its theme, to which some of the stories seem only tangentially related. Which is fine; overall, it's a good selection of stories, some of which were more successful than others. Rather than reviewing every story individually, in this review I shall note some of the highlights of the collection as well as some of the stories that didn't work quite as well for me.

An anthology with so many bright stars of its genre will attract both readers already addicted to it and those who are merely curious about it and want a taste before launching into full-length novels. The needs of the two groups can be difficult to balance, and for my money, more of the stories in Dark and Stormy Knights will appease the former than the latter. Many of the authors here already have successful paranormal series, and it is both understandable and expected that they return to these series for their short stories here. That's what the long term fans will want. However,when an author has spent several books developing his imaginary world, it can be quite difficult to explain in short story format, especially if you want to have any space left over for plot. That can make the stories daunting and less appealing to those not already fans. For example, Jim Butcher's "Even Hand" is a story taken from his popular Harry Dresden series, although not dealing with Harry himself. Having only read the first of the Dresden books, I don't really think I got as much out of this story as someone already addicted to the series, nor, if I hadn't already decided to read the books, do I think this short story would have convinced me. The same is probably also true of Vicki Pettersson's "Shifting Star;" I found it emotionally rich but it does include many concepts alien to those not familiar with the Zodiac series. On the other hand, I thought Ilona Andrews's "A Questionable Client" did an excellent job of explaining the magic-fickle setting of the Kate Daniels series, and also won me over by dealing with Slavic mythology, which felt refreshingly original. I've only read one of the Kate Daniels books so far, but am now convinced to pick up the series again.

Aside from the Ilona Andrews story, my favorite story in the anthology was probably "Even a Rabbit Will Bite" by Rachel Caine, whose books I've been meaning to read but haven't gotten around to yet. As far as I know, this story is not part of any of Caine's series, but even if it is, this tale of modern dragon-slaying stands quite well on its own. My least favorite story was probably "Beknighted" by Deidre Knight, another new author to me. The story wasn't bad, but Knight writes paranormal romance and the language struck me as a bit florid. That was also the case with Lilith Saintcrow's "Rockwood and Mrs. King," but I found its plot more original than the Knight selection. Though one more reference to "glossy hair" might have moved me to defenestration. . .

All in all, this anthology is worth reading especially if you are already a fan of any of its contributors. While visiting the world of your favorite series, you may be introduced to a new author or two!(less)

1 like · like · see review

May 04, 2013 Cindy rated it 3 of 5 stars

A 9 story paranormal anthology. No sex. I basically bought this book for the Ilona Andrews story, but of course I'm going to read them all! I'm not familiar with any of the other authors, but some have good potential. My son just gave me the 1st Harry Dresden book, so I'll let you know how I feel about that.

Ilona Andrews - 4 star. I LOVE a Kate Daniels story! This one is a good one. The story of how Kate & Saiman met. Kate is hired as bodyguard protection & meets Saiman who is chained...more A 9 story paranormal anthology. No sex. I basically bought this book for the Ilona Andrews story, but of course I'm going to read them all! I'm not familiar with any of the other authors, but some have good potential. My son just gave me the 1st Harry Dresden book, so I'll let you know how I feel about that.

Ilona Andrews - 4 star. I LOVE a Kate Daniels story! This one is a good one. The story of how Kate & Saiman met. Kate is hired as bodyguard protection & meets Saiman who is chained to his bed. It also explains how she gets on the wrong side of the Volhvs. Saiman is totally without scruples. How he achieves his goals is despicable. Kate manages to save the day as usual.

Jim Butcher - 4 stars. I'm not familiar with the Dresden files books. Harry Dresden is not in this story. John Marcone is not a friend of Harry Dresden. He seems like a mobster, but in this case he does something heroic to save a child. This is a good story, with a twist at the end.

Shannon K. Butcher - 3 stars. I kind of think I've read this before, but she does a good job in holding your interest.

Rachel Caine - 5 stars. A nice surprise. Unfamiliar with this author too. I like a story that you end up thinking about long after you read it.

P.N. Elrod - 4 stars. This has a noir feeling to it. Set in 1938, it is a Chicago mobster mystery. The paranormal part is that the hero is a vampire who has a haunted nightclub.

Deidre Knight - 2 stars. I liked it at the beginning, but the ending was unsatisfying IMO.

Vicki Petterson - 1 star. I realize it must be hard for authors to create a world in their books, then have to explain it all in a short story. You go too far, you piss off the fans who have been with you all along. Do too little & potential new fans are lost. I was lost through this whole story. Unfortunately for the author, I don't care enough to buy another book to figure it all out.

Lilith Saintcrow - 3 stars. A nice little story about vampires. It has some female impowerment in it too.

Carrie Vaughn - 3 stars. This one's about werewolves. Not bad.

I realize some readers only buy an anthology for one author. I would like to pitch it for all those authors who're trying to get a little exposure. Read ALL the stories! I found Nalini Singh, Ilona Andrews & others by buying an anthology & liking the story so much I ended up with a whole series. Give them a chance :)
(less)

like · see review

Apr 18, 2012 Micheala rated it 3 of 5 stars

I really got the book simply for "A Questionable Client" because I wanted to read it from the Kate Daniels series. And it was really great. Out of all the stories I read in the book it was the best.

So here is how the ratings go for me (For the stories I read in the book):
A Questionable Client by Ilona Andrews(4 & a half stars)
The Beacon by Shannon K. Butcher (4 stars)
Even A Rabbit Will Bite by Rachel Caine (1 star)
Dark Lady by P.N. Elrod (3 Stars)

I will admit that being a Morganville Vampire...more

like · see review

Feb 04, 2012 ♆ BookAddict ~ La Crimson Femme rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal-romance, shifters, vampire, interlibrary-loan

See, now this is why I don't like anthologies like this. There are too many authors in here and it pulls down the rating. Overall I liked this anthology. I give it a 3.5 star overall.

I borrowed it SPECIFICALLY to read the Ilona Andrews - Questionable client story. I liked it! I give it a 3.5 star. It's not my favourite novella of theirs, but it was pretty darn good. "Would you like some milk?"

The Rachel Caine one I give a 4 star. It kind of bruised my heart. Her's why. I love dragons. To read th...more

1 like · like · see review

Dec 18, 2011 Lynda Tatad rated it 3 of 5 stars

There are some interesting stories in this anthology, and the common theme is Knights coming to someone's rescue... or a battle between a knight and it's adversary.

Jim Butcher gives us a story set in the Harry Dresdon world told from the pov of John Marcone, and a situation he deals with when a human who works for the White Court vampires comes to him for sanctuary with a child in tow.

Illona Andrews's "Questionable Client" tells of when mercenary Kate Daniels first meets body shifter Saiman.
Ca...more

like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … 99 100 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Be the first to start one »

Recommend it | Stats | Recent status updates

combine
Other Editions (8)

More editions...

Genres

Fantasy > Urban Fantasy

231 users

Anthologies

137 users

Fantasy

111 users

Fantasy > Paranormal

69 users

Short Stories

57 users

Fantasy > Magic

28 users

Paranormal > Vampires

21 users

Romance > Paranormal Romance

17 users

Fantasy > Supernatural

15 users

Mystery

11 users

See top shelves...

Readers also enjoyed similar books

Hex Appeal
by P.N. Elrod (Editor)
Naked City: Tales of Urban Fantasy
by Ellen Datlow (Editor)
Blood Lite III: Aftertaste
by Kevin J. Anderson
Curran; Kate's Daddy
by Gordon Andrews
Must Love Hellhounds
by Charlaine Harris

About P.N. Elrod

Patricia Nead Elrod is an American fantasy writer specializing in novels about vampires. Her work falls into areas of fantasy and (in some cases) mystery or historical fiction, but normally not horror, since her vampires are the heroes. -Wikipedia

More about P.N. Elrod...

Books by P.N. Elrod

My Big Fat Supernatural Wedding (Dark-Hunter, #10.5; There Be Pirates, #1; Night Creature, #1.1; Kit and Olivia, #2; Sookie Stackhouse, #6.1; The Dresden Files, #7.5)

Hex Appeal (Phoenix Chronicles; The Shadowfae Chronicles, #4.5; Kate Daniels, #5.6; The Dresden Files, #11.9)

More…

Share This Book

Facebook Twitter Your website

Trivia About Dark and Stormy K...

No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »

Quotes from Dark and Stormy Knights

“How can you say that so casually? You're talking about the possible death of hundreds of people, yourself included."

He gave a negligent shrug. "Wrong place, wrong time. Life sucks.” — 4 people liked it

“Love is responsible for nearly every kind of insanity in the world though greed, vanity, and pure meanness contribute their portion to general misery.” — 2 people liked it

More quotes…

title link	preview: Dark and Stormy Knights
avg rating	preview: Dark and Stormy Knights Goodreads rating: 3.85 (2882 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7292791-dark-and-stormy-knights?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1317066425l/7292791.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7292791-dark-and-stormy-knights?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Dark and Stormy Knights by P.N. Elrod[/url]

Dark and Stormy Knights (Kitty Norville)

Friend Reviews

Community Reviews

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website