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Fall under the intoxicating spell of their hex appeal…
In the magical world that lies hidden beneath our own, witches and conjurers play deadly games. They know just the right spell to kill a man with one kiss—or raise him back again. And they’re not afraid to exact sweet revenge on those who dare to cross them. But what if you’re the unlucky soul who falls victim to a conjurer’s curse? And if you had the power to cast a magic spell of your own, would you use it?
In this bewitching collection, nine of today’s hottest paranormal authors tell all-new, otherworldly tales. Spellbinding stories featuring bigfoot, albino vampires, professional wizards, resurrected boyfriends and even a sex droid from the twenty-third century named Silicon Lily. But as our conjurers are about to discover, it’s all fun and games until someone gets hexed. And sometimes, even the best spun spells can lead to complete and utter mayhem.
Includes:
Retribution Clause by Ilona Andrews
Bigfoot on Campus by Jim Butcher
Holly’s Balm by Rachel Caine
Snow Job by Carole Nelson Douglas
Outside The Box by P. N. Elrod
How Do You Feel? by Simon R. Green
There Will Be Demons by Lori Handeland
Cherry Kisses by Erica Hayes
The Arcane Art of Misdirection by Carrie Vaughn
Length: 13 hours and 8 minutes
In the magical world that lies hidden beneath our own, witches and conjurers play deadly games. They know just the right spell to kill a man with one kiss—or raise him back again. And they’re not afraid to exact sweet revenge on those who dare to cross them. But what if you’re the unlucky soul who falls victim to a conjurer’s curse? And if you had the power to cast a magic spell of your own, would you use it?
In this bewitching collection, nine of today’s hottest paranormal authors tell all-new, otherworldly tales. Spellbinding stories featuring bigfoot, albino vampires, professional wizards, resurrected boyfriends and even a sex droid from the twenty-third century named Silicon Lily. But as our conjurers are about to discover, it’s all fun and games until someone gets hexed. And sometimes, even the best spun spells can lead to complete and utter mayhem.
Includes:
Retribution Clause by Ilona Andrews
Bigfoot on Campus by Jim Butcher
Holly’s Balm by Rachel Caine
Snow Job by Carole Nelson Douglas
Outside The Box by P. N. Elrod
How Do You Feel? by Simon R. Green
There Will Be Demons by Lori Handeland
Cherry Kisses by Erica Hayes
The Arcane Art of Misdirection by Carrie Vaughn
Length: 13 hours and 8 minutes
356 pages, Paperback
First published June 5, 2012
295 people are currently reading
5994 people want to read
About the author
P.N. Elrod
92 books589 followersPatricia 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
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 493 reviews
December 30, 2024
Retribution Clause by Ilona Andrews: For fans of Kate Daniels, this is the one about Saiman's cousin who works for an insurance adjuster doing investigation and recovery. His partner Siroun and he are in Philly on a case. I enjoyed it.
Bigfoot on Campus by Jim Butcher: Classic Butcher, with both the best and worst of his issues. River Shoulders, a bigfoot, would like Dresden to help his son. The payment Dresden wants? That Sr. finally meets Jr. face to face. Of course, there's a wrinkle: the son's girlfriend's family.
Holly's Balm by Rachel Caine: a resurrection witch and her resurrected Old West witchy boyfriend, Andy, are tasked with hunting down a serial killer. It is a blend of relationship issues and investigation that does better with the former than the latter. Predictable twist, obvious villain and the attempt at sensuality is just boring.
"I found myself closing my eyes in an explosion of sensual ecstasy. I moaned in utter satisfaction and sank bonelessly into the nearest chair as it rolled over me and through me, taking all of my day's frustration and exhaustion along with it."
Snow Job by Carole Nelson Douglas: who knew Douglas was still writing? I read her books when I was fifteen. Unfortunately, I am no longer enamored of her overwrought prose and elaborate plotting. "Everyone was dying to know, in a 2013 Vegas packed with supernatural moguls, just what flavor of paranormal the Seven Deadly Sins' lead singer, Christophe, aka Cocaine, aka Snow, was. Rumor whispered that he was an albino vampire, but Snow maintained that was way off base." Tedious and the prose is downright painful.
"I hadn't knonwn it, but every lash scar my lips fresh from an extorted Brimstone Kiss had erased on Ric's skin had appeared as a fresh welt on Snow's sever hotel stories away. Vegas after the Millennium Revelation was the kind of naughty world where one good deed would exact at least another bad one in exchange."
Outside the Box by P.N. Elrod: A different type from Elrod, who usually writes about Prohibition-era vampires (and well). First person from a witch who "register(s) the post-dead and help with he orientation to their new lifestyle." She and her partner have a remote post-dead and trying to hunt down their maker.
How Do You Feel? by Simon R. Green: A Dead Boy (literally dead, not-literally 'boy') is looking to see who had him killed and put back into his body.
“Except, you made a deal, to come back from the dead to avenge your murder. You’ve never said exactly who you made this deal with … It wasn’t the Devil. I’d know. But anyway, you should have read the small print. You rose up from your autopsy slab and went out into the night, tracked down, and killed your killers. Very messily, from what I hear. So far, so good; but there was nothing in the deal you made about getting to lie down again afterwards."
There Will Be Demons by Lori Handeland: An ancient and powerful demon hunter who has been intimately dreaming of a fellow hunter. It is a short, predictable piece. Writing is decent but I'm not sure the world-building works.
Cherry Kisses by Erica Hayes: A con artist takes a job from a demon that takes her into Hell looking for an amulet. She runs into an old teacher and lover doing the same job. It was competently done.
“You ever helltripped before?”
“Nope.” True, actually. A night in hell wasn’t my idea of a good time.
“Have you?”
“I’ve been. It’s not pretty.”
“I can handle it, thanks.” His tone gave me the creeps, but I shrugged it off. How hard could it be? In my experience, monsters were like the Predator: If they bled, I could kill."
The Arcane Art of Misdirection by Carrie Vaughn: A Las Vegas blackjack dealer has a player with a winning streak. A nearby player lets her come along as he tracks the winner and she gets her first taste of magic. I liked this one quite a bit.
Bigfoot on Campus by Jim Butcher: Classic Butcher, with both the best and worst of his issues. River Shoulders, a bigfoot, would like Dresden to help his son. The payment Dresden wants? That Sr. finally meets Jr. face to face. Of course, there's a wrinkle: the son's girlfriend's family.
Holly's Balm by Rachel Caine: a resurrection witch and her resurrected Old West witchy boyfriend, Andy, are tasked with hunting down a serial killer. It is a blend of relationship issues and investigation that does better with the former than the latter. Predictable twist, obvious villain and the attempt at sensuality is just boring.
"I found myself closing my eyes in an explosion of sensual ecstasy. I moaned in utter satisfaction and sank bonelessly into the nearest chair as it rolled over me and through me, taking all of my day's frustration and exhaustion along with it."
Snow Job by Carole Nelson Douglas: who knew Douglas was still writing? I read her books when I was fifteen. Unfortunately, I am no longer enamored of her overwrought prose and elaborate plotting. "Everyone was dying to know, in a 2013 Vegas packed with supernatural moguls, just what flavor of paranormal the Seven Deadly Sins' lead singer, Christophe, aka Cocaine, aka Snow, was. Rumor whispered that he was an albino vampire, but Snow maintained that was way off base." Tedious and the prose is downright painful.
"I hadn't knonwn it, but every lash scar my lips fresh from an extorted Brimstone Kiss had erased on Ric's skin had appeared as a fresh welt on Snow's sever hotel stories away. Vegas after the Millennium Revelation was the kind of naughty world where one good deed would exact at least another bad one in exchange."
Outside the Box by P.N. Elrod: A different type from Elrod, who usually writes about Prohibition-era vampires (and well). First person from a witch who "register(s) the post-dead and help with he orientation to their new lifestyle." She and her partner have a remote post-dead and trying to hunt down their maker.
How Do You Feel? by Simon R. Green: A Dead Boy (literally dead, not-literally 'boy') is looking to see who had him killed and put back into his body.
“Except, you made a deal, to come back from the dead to avenge your murder. You’ve never said exactly who you made this deal with … It wasn’t the Devil. I’d know. But anyway, you should have read the small print. You rose up from your autopsy slab and went out into the night, tracked down, and killed your killers. Very messily, from what I hear. So far, so good; but there was nothing in the deal you made about getting to lie down again afterwards."
There Will Be Demons by Lori Handeland: An ancient and powerful demon hunter who has been intimately dreaming of a fellow hunter. It is a short, predictable piece. Writing is decent but I'm not sure the world-building works.
Cherry Kisses by Erica Hayes: A con artist takes a job from a demon that takes her into Hell looking for an amulet. She runs into an old teacher and lover doing the same job. It was competently done.
“You ever helltripped before?”
“Nope.” True, actually. A night in hell wasn’t my idea of a good time.
“Have you?”
“I’ve been. It’s not pretty.”
“I can handle it, thanks.” His tone gave me the creeps, but I shrugged it off. How hard could it be? In my experience, monsters were like the Predator: If they bled, I could kill."
The Arcane Art of Misdirection by Carrie Vaughn: A Las Vegas blackjack dealer has a player with a winning streak. A nearby player lets her come along as he tracks the winner and she gets her first taste of magic. I liked this one quite a bit.
July 27, 2019
⚡️ Review for Retribution Clause (Kate Daniels #5.6) ⚡️
Actual rating: 3.5 stars.
➽ And the moral of this reread is: I must have been slightly drunk or high or both the first time I read this story because it isn't as despicably bad as I pictured it to be in my original crappy non-review. Granted, it's not as Super Extra Scrumpalicious (SES™) as other books in this series, but it's still Pretty Shrimping Entertaining (PSE™) and stuff. Also, the characters have Quite the Promising Potential (QtPP™) and stuff. Also also, I think this story mostly suffers from its Revoltingly Revolting Shortness (RRS™) and stuff. So QED and stuff.
Please don't ask.
👋 Until next time and stuff.
[March 2018]
⚔ The Grand IAA™ KD Buddy Rerererereread Extravaganza (GIAAKDBRE™), aka theyellow brick road to Magic Triumphs ⚔
☢ Warning: this thing is longer than the story it intends to non-review and stuff. You are quite welcome.
I hereby officially declare that I did NOT give this Ilona Bloody Shrimping Andrews (IBSA™) short story a pathetic 3-star rating and that I did NOT write what follows . Nope nope nope. Absolutely not. Go home, you're drunk.
What do you see here? A moai, a vintage diner doll type chick and an ice cream, perched on a somewhat ancient VCR? Yes? Ha! Told you you were drunk.
Okay, first of all this story is a complete rip-off because it features none of the characters from Kate Daniels. Neither main, nor secondary, nor tertiary, nor quaternary, nor…Sorry, what? Oh, you get the idea? Wow, you're pretty quick for a drunken horde! Anyway, so the main character for this story is a guy called Adam, who happens to be Samain is an Egotistical Cowardly Scumbag and Needs to Be Offered in Sacrifice to Roland (SiaECSaNtBOiStR™)'s cousin. I'd be more than glad to hold this against him, but you don't choose your family and stuff. Besides, it's not the poor guy's fault if his cousin is a Chicken-Hearted Pervert who Needs to Die Dead ASAP Please and Thank You (CHPwNtDDASAPPaTK™). Also, Adam is slightly cool. Like his cousin Saiman the Egomaniacal Creep Choppity Chop Off with His Head (StECCCOwHH), Adam is a frost giant, which is like a Hulk-type dude, Norse style.
Yeah, that's pretty much it. Except that Adam turns blue, not green (probably has something to do with his diet). And that he doesn't use bears as weight training props.
Adam could have been stupendously awesome, only that he is a bloody stinking insurance adjuster, which, weirdly enough, I find kinda NOT super sexy and a teensy little bit boring and stuff (no offense, my Little Insurance Adjusting Barnacles). But hey, the guy wears tight-fitting black spandex, so I guess I can't complain. Because the thought of a blue frost giant wearing skin-tight spandex is not scary at all. Absolutely not. It's so not scary at all that even Grendel the mutant attack poodle loves it when Adam visits the Keep.
Watch out, Grendel loves Adam so much he might barf any second now.
"Anything else," you say? Oh, yes. There is a Basic Badass Chick Wannabe (BBCW™) in this story. Her character might have been interesting, had it been more complex. But it wasn't, so it wasn't. I guess this means there is a new addition to my Flat as an Ironing Board Herd (FanIBH™). Oh, goody. "And what about the story," you ask? It's about a Retribution Clause Thingie (RCT™) and stuff. You are quite welcome.
➽ And the moral of this reread is : had it not been for the mostest wondrousest werereptile in this story, Iprobably might have rated it 2.5 stars. Which is slightly outrageous and disgraceful and scandalous and stuff, since this is an Ilona Andrews story. But I never wrote this and you're drunk as skunks frenzied barnacles on acid, so all is well in the world and stuff. Bye now.
[Pre-review nonsense]
Well well well, would you look at that! Here's another review of mine that went poof while I wasn't looking! And it's for a Kate Daniels short again! Yay and stuff!
➽ Full Please Most Awesome Authorlords Can We Exchange Saiman the Egotistical Bastard Who Can Die Dead for All I Care for His Cousin Adam the Black Spandex Wearing Giant Who is Featured in this Short Story Crappy Non Review (PMAACWEStEBWCDDfAICfHCAtBSWGQiFitSSCNR™) to come.
Actual rating: 3.5 stars.
➽ And the moral of this reread is: I must have been slightly drunk or high or both the first time I read this story because it isn't as despicably bad as I pictured it to be in my original crappy non-review. Granted, it's not as Super Extra Scrumpalicious (SES™) as other books in this series, but it's still Pretty Shrimping Entertaining (PSE™) and stuff. Also, the characters have Quite the Promising Potential (QtPP™) and stuff. Also also, I think this story mostly suffers from its Revoltingly Revolting Shortness (RRS™) and stuff. So QED and stuff.
Please don't ask.
👋 Until next time and stuff.
[March 2018]
⚔ The Grand IAA™ KD Buddy Rerererereread Extravaganza (GIAAKDBRE™), aka the
☢ Warning: this thing is longer than the story it intends to non-review and stuff. You are quite welcome.
I hereby officially declare that I did NOT give this Ilona Bloody Shrimping Andrews (IBSA™) short story a pathetic 3-star rating and that I did NOT write what follows . Nope nope nope. Absolutely not. Go home, you're drunk.
What do you see here? A moai, a vintage diner doll type chick and an ice cream, perched on a somewhat ancient VCR? Yes? Ha! Told you you were drunk.
Okay, first of all this story is a complete rip-off because it features none of the characters from Kate Daniels. Neither main, nor secondary, nor tertiary, nor quaternary, nor…Sorry, what? Oh, you get the idea? Wow, you're pretty quick for a drunken horde! Anyway, so the main character for this story is a guy called Adam, who happens to be Samain is an Egotistical Cowardly Scumbag and Needs to Be Offered in Sacrifice to Roland (SiaECSaNtBOiStR™)'s cousin. I'd be more than glad to hold this against him, but you don't choose your family and stuff. Besides, it's not the poor guy's fault if his cousin is a Chicken-Hearted Pervert who Needs to Die Dead ASAP Please and Thank You (CHPwNtDDASAPPaTK™). Also, Adam is slightly cool. Like his cousin Saiman the Egomaniacal Creep Choppity Chop Off with His Head (StECCCOwHH), Adam is a frost giant, which is like a Hulk-type dude, Norse style.
Yeah, that's pretty much it. Except that Adam turns blue, not green (probably has something to do with his diet). And that he doesn't use bears as weight training props.
Adam could have been stupendously awesome, only that he is a bloody stinking insurance adjuster, which, weirdly enough, I find kinda NOT super sexy and a teensy little bit boring and stuff (no offense, my Little Insurance Adjusting Barnacles). But hey, the guy wears tight-fitting black spandex, so I guess I can't complain. Because the thought of a blue frost giant wearing skin-tight spandex is not scary at all. Absolutely not. It's so not scary at all that even Grendel the mutant attack poodle loves it when Adam visits the Keep.
Watch out, Grendel loves Adam so much he might barf any second now.
"Anything else," you say? Oh, yes. There is a Basic Badass Chick Wannabe (BBCW™) in this story. Her character might have been interesting, had it been more complex. But it wasn't, so it wasn't. I guess this means there is a new addition to my Flat as an Ironing Board Herd (FanIBH™). Oh, goody. "And what about the story," you ask? It's about a Retribution Clause Thingie (RCT™) and stuff. You are quite welcome.
➽ And the moral of this reread is : had it not been for the mostest wondrousest werereptile in this story, I
[Pre-review nonsense]
Well well well, would you look at that! Here's another review of mine that went poof while I wasn't looking! And it's for a Kate Daniels short again! Yay and stuff!
➽ Full Please Most Awesome Authorlords Can We Exchange Saiman the Egotistical Bastard Who Can Die Dead for All I Care for His Cousin Adam the Black Spandex Wearing Giant Who is Featured in this Short Story Crappy Non Review (PMAACWEStEBWCDDfAICfHCAtBSWGQiFitSSCNR™) to come.
November 30, 2016
The story takes place in Kate Daniel’s world.
I guess you can even read it without knowing anything about the series.
The world, where magic is powerful, is well explained.
The action is based in Philadelphia instead of Atlanta.
We meet Saiman's cousin, the frost giant Adam. Adam cannot change shapes as easily as Saiman and he wears an enchanted watch to hide his true form.
He is definitely a lot nicer than Saiman, not sexually twisted and he has a real job as an insurance adjustor in POM Insurance Adjusters.
So Adam and his partner, Siroun, need to kill a man who has strangled his wife in order to implement a client’s Retribution Clause.
The true question is why did he kill her?
And does he really have to die?
I really hope that we will see these characters again.
Nice short story.
I guess you can even read it without knowing anything about the series.
The world, where magic is powerful, is well explained.
The action is based in Philadelphia instead of Atlanta.
We meet Saiman's cousin, the frost giant Adam. Adam cannot change shapes as easily as Saiman and he wears an enchanted watch to hide his true form.
He is definitely a lot nicer than Saiman, not sexually twisted and he has a real job as an insurance adjustor in POM Insurance Adjusters.
So Adam and his partner, Siroun, need to kill a man who has strangled his wife in order to implement a client’s Retribution Clause.
The true question is why did he kill her?
And does he really have to die?
I really hope that we will see these characters again.
Nice short story.
July 21, 2018
THE ARCANE ART OF MISDIRECTION by CARRIE VAUGHN - 4.5 stars
Kitty Norville #4.6 - that was unexpected! This is one of my favourite UF series...
Kitty was not part of this, instead we are reunited with Odysseus Grant, a recurring character in the series.
Excellent story. If I wasn't a Kitty Norville fan already, I would certainly check out the series after this.
*~*~*~*
CHERRY KISSES by ERICA HAYES - 2 stars
Vampires, witches, fairies, demons, over-loaded prose and a truly unlikeable heroine. Really unlikeable. Not a fan of the writing. Not for me. DNF.
*~*~*~*
THERE WILL BE DEMONS by LORI HANDELAND - 3 stars
Belongs to the Phoenix Chronicles series.
Fairies, nephilim, damphirs, skinwalkers... Not bad. A bit pointless, but interesting glimpse into this series. Feels a bit too much like PNR for me.
*~*~*~*
HOW DO YOU FEEL? by SIMON R. GREEN - 2 stars
Connected to the Nightside series.
Dead guy, walking around as a corpse, taking revenge. The writing was ok, but did not grab me. I skimmed a little. Some SciFi elements that felt a bit silly for me. Meh.
*~*~*~*~*
OUTSIDE THE BOX by P. N. ELROD - 3.5 stars
Stand-alone? Can't figure out if this belongs to a series.
Vampire and witch team helps new vampire with her awakening, things go haywire... Good story, liked it, well written. Would get something else by the author, but I've had my share of vampires over the years, it'll keep...
*~*~*~*~*
SNOW JOB by CAROLE NELSON DOUGLAS - 1 star
First author in this collection that I haven't read before.
Delilah Street Paranormal Investigator, #5.1
Long winded, overabundance of adverbs and adjectives. The writing is so convoluted, you can barely make sense of what you are reading. Pass.
*~*~*~*~*
HOLLY’S BALM by RACHEL CAINE - 4.5 stars
Not set in any of her series, as far as I can tell?
Nice world building. Pretty predictable plot, I thought at first. Not so much. Sad, actually, and a little heart-wrenching and nerve-wracking. Good characters, great finish. Perhaps I should give the Weather Warden or one of her other series another try!
*~*~*~*
BIGFOOT ON CAMPUS by JIM BUTCHER - 3.5 stars
#14 of The Dresden Files: Short Stories
I read the first five books of the series and the graphic novel Jim Butcher's Dresden Files: Down Town, set in the same universe. I like Harry, the books are good. But the series never grabbed me completely. Somehow it was all to much of the same, Harry does not seem to evolve or mature much.
This short story is very chatty. Harry thinks and explains a lot. I am not a big fan of having everything explained to me in minute detail.
Other than that the plot is not bad. Nice fight, some humour, good structure to the story.
*~*~*~*
RETRIBUTION CLAUSE by ILONA ANDREWS - 4 stars
Set in the world of Kate Daniels, series order #5.6, between Magic Slays and Magic Rises.
Can probably be read on its own, without knowing the series. It doesn't revolve around any of the main characters of the series and I think the magic world is explained in enough detail to make sense to the uninitiated.
This is a case of "You won't like me when I'm angry!" Just that the guy is blue, not green. And wearing skin-tight black spandex. Odd image! His name is Adam and he is Saiman's cousin. He's a lot nicer though. And more charming. With a very mysterious partner with potential for more.
I would read a full novel with those two. I like him and I want to find out more about her.
Kitty Norville #4.6 - that was unexpected! This is one of my favourite UF series...
Kitty was not part of this, instead we are reunited with Odysseus Grant, a recurring character in the series.
Excellent story. If I wasn't a Kitty Norville fan already, I would certainly check out the series after this.
*~*~*~*
CHERRY KISSES by ERICA HAYES - 2 stars
Vampires, witches, fairies, demons, over-loaded prose and a truly unlikeable heroine. Really unlikeable. Not a fan of the writing. Not for me. DNF.
*~*~*~*
THERE WILL BE DEMONS by LORI HANDELAND - 3 stars
Belongs to the Phoenix Chronicles series.
Fairies, nephilim, damphirs, skinwalkers... Not bad. A bit pointless, but interesting glimpse into this series. Feels a bit too much like PNR for me.
*~*~*~*
HOW DO YOU FEEL? by SIMON R. GREEN - 2 stars
Connected to the Nightside series.
Dead guy, walking around as a corpse, taking revenge. The writing was ok, but did not grab me. I skimmed a little. Some SciFi elements that felt a bit silly for me. Meh.
*~*~*~*~*
OUTSIDE THE BOX by P. N. ELROD - 3.5 stars
Stand-alone? Can't figure out if this belongs to a series.
Vampire and witch team helps new vampire with her awakening, things go haywire... Good story, liked it, well written. Would get something else by the author, but I've had my share of vampires over the years, it'll keep...
*~*~*~*~*
SNOW JOB by CAROLE NELSON DOUGLAS - 1 star
First author in this collection that I haven't read before.
Delilah Street Paranormal Investigator, #5.1
Long winded, overabundance of adverbs and adjectives. The writing is so convoluted, you can barely make sense of what you are reading. Pass.
*~*~*~*~*
HOLLY’S BALM by RACHEL CAINE - 4.5 stars
Not set in any of her series, as far as I can tell?
Nice world building. Pretty predictable plot, I thought at first. Not so much. Sad, actually, and a little heart-wrenching and nerve-wracking. Good characters, great finish. Perhaps I should give the Weather Warden or one of her other series another try!
*~*~*~*
BIGFOOT ON CAMPUS by JIM BUTCHER - 3.5 stars
#14 of The Dresden Files: Short Stories
I read the first five books of the series and the graphic novel Jim Butcher's Dresden Files: Down Town, set in the same universe. I like Harry, the books are good. But the series never grabbed me completely. Somehow it was all to much of the same, Harry does not seem to evolve or mature much.
This short story is very chatty. Harry thinks and explains a lot. I am not a big fan of having everything explained to me in minute detail.
Other than that the plot is not bad. Nice fight, some humour, good structure to the story.
*~*~*~*
RETRIBUTION CLAUSE by ILONA ANDREWS - 4 stars
Set in the world of Kate Daniels, series order #5.6, between Magic Slays and Magic Rises.
Can probably be read on its own, without knowing the series. It doesn't revolve around any of the main characters of the series and I think the magic world is explained in enough detail to make sense to the uninitiated.
This is a case of "You won't like me when I'm angry!" Just that the guy is blue, not green. And wearing skin-tight black spandex. Odd image! His name is Adam and he is Saiman's cousin. He's a lot nicer though. And more charming. With a very mysterious partner with potential for more.
I would read a full novel with those two. I like him and I want to find out more about her.
September 27, 2017
This novella is set in Philadelphia. The only reference to Kate is a package that arrives from Saiman's cousin, Adam. It's still in her world, though. So very cool!!
Adam works for an insurance company. One of their clients has taken out a policy that will come into effect if she is murdered. Since she is murdered, Adam and his enigmatic partner go after the killer. Because the policy guarantees the death of her murderer. Great story!!
Adam works for an insurance company. One of their clients has taken out a policy that will come into effect if she is murdered. Since she is murdered, Adam and his enigmatic partner go after the killer. Because the policy guarantees the death of her murderer. Great story!!
November 14, 2014
Buddy read with
Eilonwy
,
Evgeny
,
Asya
,
Monty Cupcake
This goes only for Retribution Clause by Ilona Andrews.
3 STARS
Very short and kinda filler. This decent story is part of the Kate Daniels world, set not in Atlanta but in Philly with Adam-Saiman's cousin-who deals with all problems Hulk style(which I liked because I love Hulk) and his work partner(only?)-Siroun-a kickass witch with a powerful god like magic due to a traumatizing event in her childhood. I really don't know what was the point of reading this story. It didn't add much(if anything) to the Magic universe for me and ended far too early and far too abruptly. I wanted something more to happen between Adam and Siroun(as it was hinted at here and there). The only interesting fact for me personally was that we met another werereptile bodyguard and they are kinda paradox in this world. May be I'm giving it 3 stars because of it. He(the werereptile) had amazing tattoos! :)
In conclusion, a decent story but you won't miss anything if you skip it.
This goes only for Retribution Clause by Ilona Andrews.
3 STARS
Very short and kinda filler. This decent story is part of the Kate Daniels world, set not in Atlanta but in Philly with Adam-Saiman's cousin-who deals with all problems Hulk style(which I liked because I love Hulk) and his work partner(only?)-Siroun-a kickass witch with a powerful god like magic due to a traumatizing event in her childhood. I really don't know what was the point of reading this story. It didn't add much(if anything) to the Magic universe for me and ended far too early and far too abruptly. I wanted something more to happen between Adam and Siroun(as it was hinted at here and there). The only interesting fact for me personally was that we met another werereptile bodyguard and they are kinda paradox in this world. May be I'm giving it 3 stars because of it. He(the werereptile) had amazing tattoos! :)
In conclusion, a decent story but you won't miss anything if you skip it.
June 7, 2012
Of the 9 stories, two didn't really appeal to me. In fact, if it weren't for those two stories, I'd rank this as a 4.5 or 5. Arguably the best anthology I've ever read!
The Bigfoot story by Jim Butcher was absolutely superb! The method of delivery was clever, the characters were very quickly given depth and likability, (no small feat in a short story), the action was brisk, and the humor elicited a number of chuckles. The man truly is a genius at story telling!
The stories by Illona Andrews, Simon Green and Carrie Vaughn featured minor characters from well established worlds. Immediately, I found myself wishing that each of these characters would receive their own full length treatment! Again, only masterful storytellers can make you care deeply and root for someone after only a page or two. Each was well worth the price of the anthology!
The Rachael Caine story featured two characters who had first appeared in a previous anthology. To my knowledge, they haven't broken into the full length format as of yet, but for both anthologies, I found myself dearly wishing that they would! I'll have to settle for reading one of her other series for now. But I'm crossing my fingers that one day Holly will get her own series!
The other short stories feature leads from worlds I have not yet visited. However, in the case of at least two, I'm going to pick up their series and explore the worlds further. P. N. Elrod's story was particularly intruiging. I may also try Lori Handeland.
All in all, I highly recommend the anthology!
The Bigfoot story by Jim Butcher was absolutely superb! The method of delivery was clever, the characters were very quickly given depth and likability, (no small feat in a short story), the action was brisk, and the humor elicited a number of chuckles. The man truly is a genius at story telling!
The stories by Illona Andrews, Simon Green and Carrie Vaughn featured minor characters from well established worlds. Immediately, I found myself wishing that each of these characters would receive their own full length treatment! Again, only masterful storytellers can make you care deeply and root for someone after only a page or two. Each was well worth the price of the anthology!
The Rachael Caine story featured two characters who had first appeared in a previous anthology. To my knowledge, they haven't broken into the full length format as of yet, but for both anthologies, I found myself dearly wishing that they would! I'll have to settle for reading one of her other series for now. But I'm crossing my fingers that one day Holly will get her own series!
The other short stories feature leads from worlds I have not yet visited. However, in the case of at least two, I'm going to pick up their series and explore the worlds further. P. N. Elrod's story was particularly intruiging. I may also try Lori Handeland.
All in all, I highly recommend the anthology!
July 23, 2017
That was a great short story! Im intrigued to learn more about these characters...
January 22, 2022
Saiman'ın kuzeni Adam Talford ile onun ortağı Siroun'un Philadelphia'daki sigorta şirketindeki bir işini anlatan ara hikayeyi de içeren kitap. Evet, sigorta şirketi. Sigortada bir intikam maddesi yer alıyor. Bu intikam maddesine göre sigorta sahibi cinayete kurban giderse katili bulup öldürüyorlar. Evren yine eşsiz.
February 16, 2020
“If you die, I will have to choose a new partner, Adam.”
She turned and looked at him.
“I don’t want a new partner.”
He nodded in mock seriousness.
“In that case, I’ll strive to stay alive.”
2.5 ★★
Retribution Clause es una historia corta dentro del mundo de Kate Daniels y que forma parte de la antología Hex Appeal. Los protagonistas son Adam y Siroun, unos desconocidos, porque no recuerdo que hayan aparecidos en las otras novelas.
La historia es bastante básica. No da muchos detalles sobre nada y tiene el final más abrupto que he leído en estas novelas. Literal, pase la pagina y ya se había terminado. Nada mas. Fin. Fue tan abrupto que pensé que faltaban hojas.
Lo único que puedo rescatar son los personajes. Bueno, para ser sincera también son un poco abruptos y tampoco hay muchos detalles sobre ambos. Por un lado, Adam es primo de Saiman (el pervertido, acosador, retorcido sexual), pero no se parecen para nada. A excepción de que ambos tienen esa habilidad/descendencia noruega de transformarse en una mezcla de Pie Grande con el Yeti y Hulk, Adam es mucho mas agradable, decente y hasta un poco aburrido (sí, tal vez eso tiene que ver con su trabajo no tan sexy de insurance adjuster).
Luego está Siroun. Su personaje me pareció un poco más interesante. En ciertos aspectos me recordó un poco a Kate y Andrea, pero me sentí defraudada porque no comprendí muy bien la naturaleza de lo que es o cuál es su verdadero poder. No se si es un demonio, si tiene parte demonio o de un Dios, o es una cambiante o es una bruja o...no tengo idea. Como mencione antes, hubo escasos detalles sobre los protagonistas.
Hubo como cierta tensión entre Adam y Siroun, más allá de ser compañeros, creo que tienen un poco de química, pero esto tampoco se profundizó. Obviamente Adam está enamorado de ella y Siroun se preocupa por él, pero eso fue todo. Nada de palabras bonitas ni nada. Fin.
Sinceramente creo que estos dos personajes tienen mucho potencial, así que espero que aparezcan en los siguientes libros de la saga. Me encantaría ver un mejor desarrollo de sus personajes y de su relación amorosa.
October 7, 2015
Retribution Clause by Ilona Andrews
Adam - frost giant cousin to Saiman. He's sweet, I like him & he has the same odd sense of humor as his cousin.
Siroun - an unknown magical being of awesome badass-ery & killing. She's on the level of Kate skills. Yeah, that amazing.
Now the real question: WHY WAS THIS ONLY 53 PAGES LONG? The Andrews gave that whiney bouda brat Andrea a whole effing book, but Siroun & Adam only 53 pages? Something is wrong here. Very wrong, I tell you!
4 stars
2. Bigfoot on Campus: 4 stars. Very good and original. I'd read more by this author.
3. Holly's Balm: meh, 3 stars. I liked these 2 characters better in the previous short story about them in another anthology, Strange Brew.
4. Snow Job: 1 star. HATE. I had no idea what was going on, and even if I did, I don't think I would have liked it. It was too everywhere, no cohesion.
5. Cherry Kisses: eh, 1 star. I hated the main female character.
6. Outside the Box: 3 stars. Good. But it was like reading the middle of a story. I hate feeling disjointed like that.
Alright book, anthology, whatever you are, I am done with you. I only liked the first two stories, the rest is bordering on drivel. I read half the stories and it was EFFORT. Reading for pleasure should not be effort, thus, it's over, book, you're out, off the nook with thee.
Buddy Read with Armina, Asya, Eilonwy, Evgeny.
Adam - frost giant cousin to Saiman. He's sweet, I like him & he has the same odd sense of humor as his cousin.
Siroun - an unknown magical being of awesome badass-ery & killing. She's on the level of Kate skills. Yeah, that amazing.
Now the real question: WHY WAS THIS ONLY 53 PAGES LONG? The Andrews gave that whiney bouda brat Andrea a whole effing book, but Siroun & Adam only 53 pages? Something is wrong here. Very wrong, I tell you!
4 stars
2. Bigfoot on Campus: 4 stars. Very good and original. I'd read more by this author.
3. Holly's Balm: meh, 3 stars. I liked these 2 characters better in the previous short story about them in another anthology, Strange Brew.
4. Snow Job: 1 star. HATE. I had no idea what was going on, and even if I did, I don't think I would have liked it. It was too everywhere, no cohesion.
5. Cherry Kisses: eh, 1 star. I hated the main female character.
6. Outside the Box: 3 stars. Good. But it was like reading the middle of a story. I hate feeling disjointed like that.
Alright book, anthology, whatever you are, I am done with you. I only liked the first two stories, the rest is bordering on drivel. I read half the stories and it was EFFORT. Reading for pleasure should not be effort, thus, it's over, book, you're out, off the nook with thee.
Buddy Read with Armina, Asya, Eilonwy, Evgeny.
March 22, 2016
This little story is about Adam, Saiman's cousin. He seems very different from out pervert: he prefers his frost giant form, he is an insurance adjuster and he appears to be actually in love with a woman (Siroun, who is also his partner).
The two have to enforce a client’s Retribution Clause, and kill a man accused of strangling his wife.
Well, I would like to learn more about Adam and Siroun, so I hope I'll get to see them again.
The two have to enforce a client’s Retribution Clause, and kill a man accused of strangling his wife.
Well, I would like to learn more about Adam and Siroun, so I hope I'll get to see them again.
January 5, 2016
3 stars for Retribution Clause only. I really liked it, like everything else Ilona Andrews writes. But why, why was this soooo short? I loved the characters, this story ended way too quickly. Where was all the kissy-kissy stuff??? I demand this story to be continued... PLEASE?
July 31, 2018
1st read - June 2015 - read my review
2nd read - July 2016
You can read this short story in the Hex Appeal anthology. I'm not really sure where it fits into the series timeline, it can probably be read pretty much anywhere because none of the characters we already know make an appearance. We do get the chance to meet Saiman's much more likeable cousin though so it's well worth giving this a try.
So we have frost giant Adam and his partner Siroun who are insurance adjusters. A job you'd probably assume would be quite boring but things get interesting when they're tasked with carrying out the retribution clause in a policy taken out by a murder victim. Basically it means they have to hunt down the killer and punish him in an eye-for-an-eye / murder-for-murder kind of way.
I'm not going to say more but I would love to spend more time with these characters so I hope Ilona & Gordon decide to revisit them again in the future.
Original Review
This is set in the same world as the Kate Daniels series but we don't get to see any of the characters we already know and love, we do get to meet Saiman's cousin though so there is a link there. I really loved Adam, as much as I find Saiman's constant body swapping amusing it is kind of creepy so it was interesting to see how different Adam is and how comfortable he is in his own skin. Adam and his partner, Siroun, work as insurance adjusters which sounds boring on the surface but in reality means they are charged with investigating any suspicious deaths among their clients. In the case of murder victims it is up to them to dispense justice to their killers. Although this is a farily short story there is a mystery to solve and I enjoyed getting to meet these characters and explore this world further. There is definitely some great potential for these two and I'd love to read more stories about them in the future.
Merged review:
4 stars: Retribution Clause - Ilona Andrews
1st read - June 2015
2nd read - July 2016
This is set in the same world as the Kate Daniels series but we don't get to see any of the characters we already know and love, we do get to meet Saiman's cousin though so there is a link there. I really loved Adam, as much as I find Saiman's constant body swapping amusing it is kind of creepy so it was interesting to see how different Adam is and how comfortable he is in his own skin. Adam and his partner, Siroun, work as insurance adjusters which sounds boring on the surface but in reality means they are charged with investigating any suspicious deaths among their clients. In the case of murder victims it is up to them to dispense justice to their killers. Although this is a farily short story there is a mystery to solve and I enjoyed getting to meet these characters and explore this world further. There is definitely some great potential for these two and I'd love to read more stories about them in the future.
4 stars: Bigfoot on Campus - Jim Butcher
Jim Butcher's Dresden Files series has been on my radar for a long time now but for some reason I've never got around to starting it. Even though this story fits into the timeline after book 11 I still found it fairly easy to dive into and I enjoyed meeting the main character. Harry has been hired by his friend, who happens to be bigfoot, to protect his teenage son. The son is at university and his father is convinced he is in danger. Harry gets much more than he bargains for when he arrives on the scene and the story starts with him getting arrested at an orgy! This was a really fun story to read and it's definitely made me even more keen to start the rest of the series.
3 stars: Holly's Balm - Rachel Caine
While I liked this story it didn't quite manage to capture my attention as much as the first two did. I believe that the two main characters, Holly and Andy, have appeared in a previous short story but I don't think this is linked to any of the author's other series. Holly is a resurrection witch and Andy is someone that she brought back to life which I thought was a really unusual concept. In this story Holly is asked to help the police investigate a murder scene, one that is very similar to a previous case she worked on - right down to having the exact same victim! Yes, that's right, someone is resurrecting the victims so that they can murder them all over again, horrifying thought isn't it? The couple were likeable and the story was interesting but I found it a little too easy to guess who the bad guy was, I guess that's the hazard of short stories though - there isn't much time to introduce a lot of red herrings.
3 stars: Snow Job - Carole Nelson Douglas
Delilah is a paranormal investigator hired by the owner of a local casino to get to the bottom of some mysterious occurrences at his hotel. These is obviously a lot of history between them & I think I missed a lot of the subtleties because I'm unfamiliar with the series. I had a similar problem with the world building - I liked the idea of old movie stars being bought back to life although I'm still confused about how that happens. It's intrigued me enough that I want to try the first full length novel though & I have a feeling I would enjoy this story more (& rate it higher!) if I read it at the correct point in the series.
3 stars: Outside the Box - P.N. Elrod
Marsha is a witch whose job, along with her vampire partner Ellinghaus, is to make sure all newly born vampires are properly registered. What should have been a fairly straightforward case gets a lot more complicated when they discover that the newly made vampire is a young girl whose disappearance a week ago has been highly publicised. This was a fun story, I'm not sure if it's part of a series but I wouldn't mind reading more about these characters.
2 stars: How do you Feel - Simon R. Green
I think this was just a bit too dark & gory for me & I really struggled to connect with the main character. It's about a zombie known as Dead Boy who was killed in a mugging 30 years ago. Ever since his death he has had very little feeling either physically or emotionally & is constantly chasing anything that will give him something, even pain is better than nothing. When someone hints that the mugging may not have been completely random Dead Boy goes looking for revenge.
3.5 stars: There Will Be Demons - Lori Handeland
This story is part of the Phoenix Chronicles which is a series I hadn't heard of before but am definitely going to have to check out now. Summer is a fairy who works as a demon hunter & her latest case brings her a new partner, dhampir Jimmy. Jimmy is someone that Summer has dreamed about for centuries and she's not quite sure how to react to meeting him for the first time.
4 stars: Cherry Kisses - Erica Hayes
Really liked this one - that's another series added to my wish list! Lena is a con artist, she's not quite a witch but she does have some magical abilities. When she's offered a job to track down a demon amulet it means a trip to hell, but the promised payment makes the risk worthwhile. Unfortunately she has competition in the form of Ethan, someone she has history with and a lot of unresolved feelings for. When they get to hell they realise they have fallen into a trap & it looks like they'll have to learn to work together if they want to survive.
3.5 stars: The Arcane Art of Misdirection - Carrie Vaughn
How does a magician cheat at cards? That's something black jack dealer Julie is about to find out when someone at her table beats all the odds to win every hand. With the help of Odysseus Grant Julie is determined to find out exactly what is going on in her casino. I enjoyed this one, apparently Odysseus is a character who appears in the Kitty Norville series but I didn't have a problem following the story even though I'm unfamiliar with his character. I would be happy to read more about these characters in the future though and I already have this series on my to read pile.
2nd read - July 2016
You can read this short story in the Hex Appeal anthology. I'm not really sure where it fits into the series timeline, it can probably be read pretty much anywhere because none of the characters we already know make an appearance. We do get the chance to meet Saiman's much more likeable cousin though so it's well worth giving this a try.
So we have frost giant Adam and his partner Siroun who are insurance adjusters. A job you'd probably assume would be quite boring but things get interesting when they're tasked with carrying out the retribution clause in a policy taken out by a murder victim. Basically it means they have to hunt down the killer and punish him in an eye-for-an-eye / murder-for-murder kind of way.
I'm not going to say more but I would love to spend more time with these characters so I hope Ilona & Gordon decide to revisit them again in the future.
Original Review
This is set in the same world as the Kate Daniels series but we don't get to see any of the characters we already know and love, we do get to meet Saiman's cousin though so there is a link there. I really loved Adam, as much as I find Saiman's constant body swapping amusing it is kind of creepy so it was interesting to see how different Adam is and how comfortable he is in his own skin. Adam and his partner, Siroun, work as insurance adjusters which sounds boring on the surface but in reality means they are charged with investigating any suspicious deaths among their clients. In the case of murder victims it is up to them to dispense justice to their killers. Although this is a farily short story there is a mystery to solve and I enjoyed getting to meet these characters and explore this world further. There is definitely some great potential for these two and I'd love to read more stories about them in the future.
Merged review:
4 stars: Retribution Clause - Ilona Andrews
1st read - June 2015
2nd read - July 2016
This is set in the same world as the Kate Daniels series but we don't get to see any of the characters we already know and love, we do get to meet Saiman's cousin though so there is a link there. I really loved Adam, as much as I find Saiman's constant body swapping amusing it is kind of creepy so it was interesting to see how different Adam is and how comfortable he is in his own skin. Adam and his partner, Siroun, work as insurance adjusters which sounds boring on the surface but in reality means they are charged with investigating any suspicious deaths among their clients. In the case of murder victims it is up to them to dispense justice to their killers. Although this is a farily short story there is a mystery to solve and I enjoyed getting to meet these characters and explore this world further. There is definitely some great potential for these two and I'd love to read more stories about them in the future.
4 stars: Bigfoot on Campus - Jim Butcher
Jim Butcher's Dresden Files series has been on my radar for a long time now but for some reason I've never got around to starting it. Even though this story fits into the timeline after book 11 I still found it fairly easy to dive into and I enjoyed meeting the main character. Harry has been hired by his friend, who happens to be bigfoot, to protect his teenage son. The son is at university and his father is convinced he is in danger. Harry gets much more than he bargains for when he arrives on the scene and the story starts with him getting arrested at an orgy! This was a really fun story to read and it's definitely made me even more keen to start the rest of the series.
3 stars: Holly's Balm - Rachel Caine
While I liked this story it didn't quite manage to capture my attention as much as the first two did. I believe that the two main characters, Holly and Andy, have appeared in a previous short story but I don't think this is linked to any of the author's other series. Holly is a resurrection witch and Andy is someone that she brought back to life which I thought was a really unusual concept. In this story Holly is asked to help the police investigate a murder scene, one that is very similar to a previous case she worked on - right down to having the exact same victim! Yes, that's right, someone is resurrecting the victims so that they can murder them all over again, horrifying thought isn't it? The couple were likeable and the story was interesting but I found it a little too easy to guess who the bad guy was, I guess that's the hazard of short stories though - there isn't much time to introduce a lot of red herrings.
3 stars: Snow Job - Carole Nelson Douglas
Delilah is a paranormal investigator hired by the owner of a local casino to get to the bottom of some mysterious occurrences at his hotel. These is obviously a lot of history between them & I think I missed a lot of the subtleties because I'm unfamiliar with the series. I had a similar problem with the world building - I liked the idea of old movie stars being bought back to life although I'm still confused about how that happens. It's intrigued me enough that I want to try the first full length novel though & I have a feeling I would enjoy this story more (& rate it higher!) if I read it at the correct point in the series.
3 stars: Outside the Box - P.N. Elrod
Marsha is a witch whose job, along with her vampire partner Ellinghaus, is to make sure all newly born vampires are properly registered. What should have been a fairly straightforward case gets a lot more complicated when they discover that the newly made vampire is a young girl whose disappearance a week ago has been highly publicised. This was a fun story, I'm not sure if it's part of a series but I wouldn't mind reading more about these characters.
2 stars: How do you Feel - Simon R. Green
I think this was just a bit too dark & gory for me & I really struggled to connect with the main character. It's about a zombie known as Dead Boy who was killed in a mugging 30 years ago. Ever since his death he has had very little feeling either physically or emotionally & is constantly chasing anything that will give him something, even pain is better than nothing. When someone hints that the mugging may not have been completely random Dead Boy goes looking for revenge.
3.5 stars: There Will Be Demons - Lori Handeland
This story is part of the Phoenix Chronicles which is a series I hadn't heard of before but am definitely going to have to check out now. Summer is a fairy who works as a demon hunter & her latest case brings her a new partner, dhampir Jimmy. Jimmy is someone that Summer has dreamed about for centuries and she's not quite sure how to react to meeting him for the first time.
4 stars: Cherry Kisses - Erica Hayes
Really liked this one - that's another series added to my wish list! Lena is a con artist, she's not quite a witch but she does have some magical abilities. When she's offered a job to track down a demon amulet it means a trip to hell, but the promised payment makes the risk worthwhile. Unfortunately she has competition in the form of Ethan, someone she has history with and a lot of unresolved feelings for. When they get to hell they realise they have fallen into a trap & it looks like they'll have to learn to work together if they want to survive.
3.5 stars: The Arcane Art of Misdirection - Carrie Vaughn
How does a magician cheat at cards? That's something black jack dealer Julie is about to find out when someone at her table beats all the odds to win every hand. With the help of Odysseus Grant Julie is determined to find out exactly what is going on in her casino. I enjoyed this one, apparently Odysseus is a character who appears in the Kitty Norville series but I didn't have a problem following the story even though I'm unfamiliar with his character. I would be happy to read more about these characters in the future though and I already have this series on my to read pile.
February 9, 2017
4.5 stars - great!
The below review was written after my first reading, between September 7 and October 3, 2015.
I reread this book from November 29 through December 1, 2016 (I also read "Retribution Clause" on November 9, then again on December 1). I am not going to make any updates to my review, but there are a few changes I could make. . . But if you're interested in those changes, please read my status updates from 2016, which can be found below this review.
. . .
I reviewed each story as I read them in my status updates, which you can read below this review if you feel so inclined. I expanded on what I wrote in those status updates for this review. I found I had a few more things that I could say than would fit in the small box for status updates. ;-)
All told, I really, really like this collection of stories. A true average of the individual star ratings would lend itself to a four star overall rating for this anthology. But I think I'm going to give it four-and-a-half stars, as I think this is a great book. And I really, really like it. I want to buy it! :-)
Retribution Clause by Ilona Andrews:
Read 09/07/2015. 3 stars - above average/liked it.
Sadly, this story didn't wow me. I liked it, and it was well told and complete, but it didn't feel complete. Adam, Saiman's cousin, and Siroun, his partner, were intriguing characters, but it felt like we barely scratched the surface on getting to know them. It really felt like this story should have been part of a longer narrative. Though it was fun seeing a frost giant who was comfortable as a frost giant. ;-)
Bigfoot on Campus by Jim Butcher:
Read 09/20/2015. 5 stars - outstanding/amazing. :-)
I LOVE this story! It's outstandingly amazing. I had a huge smile on my face when I finished it. :-) I love Harry's explanation to Connie in the end:
I just had to smile when I read that. :-)
Strength-of-a-River-in-his-Shoulders (just River Shoulders, for short) was a fun new character to me. I can't recall ever meeting a Bigfoot in a story before. It was really cool to not only meet one, but to find out he had a name beyond "Bigfoot." And I really loved that he was a pacifist who, when he finally let loose, had this to say about the mayhem he created: "This was in such awful taste." (I am once again smiling widely after reading this line. lol!)
I'm going to have to buy this book just so I can reread this story (and some of the others) from time to time. ;-)
Holly's Balm by Rachel Caine:
Read 09/20/2015. 4.5 stars - great!
This story was so good that, for some reason, I felt like crying after finishing it. And this is even though I found Holly's near-constant worrying about Andy to be tiresome. (This near-constant worrying is the reason I docked this story half a star. I can only take so much angst and Holly exceeded my capacity.)
But that fact that I loved this story despite the angst? That's a sign of a fabulous story. :-)
Snow Job by Carole Nelson Douglas:
Read 09/21/2015. 4 stars - very good/really liked.
Much of this story had me confused. Yet I still really liked it. Quicksilver, Delilah's rescue dog, is my newest love. :-) (Quicksilver is also the reason I "really like" this story.)
What confused me? What was the "something wicked this way comes" that Snow mentioned?
Me thinks I should read the Delilah Street series. Both because this story intrigued me (and I did really like it) and because hopefully the series will explain the in a way I can understand without having my head explode.
Outside the Box by P.N. Elrod:
Read 09/22/2015. 5 stars - outstanding/amazing. :-)
This story is amazing! I did NOT see that coming. :-) I LOVED this twist. It really took me by surprise. :-)
And I loved the ending: Ellinghaus Dare I hope romance is in the future between Ell and Mars? :-)
Are these characters and this Company a part of a series? If not, I hope they become one. I really want to know what's next in the lives of Ell and Mars.
How Do You Feel? by Simon R. Green:
Read 10/01/2015. 5 stars - outstanding/amazing. :-)
I was so excited to see that this is a Nightside story. I LOVE the Nightside books and I finished them all in March of this year. So this one was a bonus! And WHAT a bonus! It's narrated by Dead Boy! I loved it! :-)
Not only do we get to hear a story told from Dead Boy's POV, we find out how he became Dead Boy, who killed him, and why. :-) We also meet his girlfriend, Silicon Lily, and learn a fascinating detail about his oh-so-futuristic car. :-)
In sum, this story was great fun and I loved it. I just wish I knew where it fell within the Nightside series. Walker So this story needs to be read somewhere before you finish the series books. But when and where???
To solve those questions, I think I need to reread the series from start to finish. ;-)
There Will Be Demons by Lori Handeland:
Read 10/03/2015. 3 stars - above average/liked it.
I really liked this story...until it ended with sooo many unanswered questions.
We're left to wonder All these questions and, I think, more were floating around in my head once I'd finished reading it.
It's good to know that this story is part of a series, but I wish it had been a bit more open and closed.
Cherry Kisses by Erica Hayes:
Read 10/03/2015. 3 stars - above average/liked it
This was a good story, but it seemed rather disjointed in parts.
Lena Falco, the female protagonist, was not a particularly likable character. Too shady by far. Ethan had promise as the male lead, but he seemed awfully gullible in the end and lost points with me. The demoms had promise, but we didn't see too much of them.
That said, I'm still interested in reading more in the Shadowfae Chronicles series. Mostly because I want to learn more about this world of demons. :-)
The Arcane Art of Misdirection by Carrie Vaughn:
Read 10/03/2015. 4.5 stars - great!
This is a most excellent story; it's great! I didn't understand all of it, but I think I know that I wasn't meant to understand all of it.
I really liked the mystery: How were those people cheating and winning? Who is the ringleader/mastermind? The answers to these questions make for a really fun story to read. :-)
I hear that Odysseus Grant is a recurring character in CV's Kitty series. I feel a need to read this series soon. :-)
The below review was written after my first reading, between September 7 and October 3, 2015.
I reread this book from November 29 through December 1, 2016 (I also read "Retribution Clause" on November 9, then again on December 1). I am not going to make any updates to my review, but there are a few changes I could make. . . But if you're interested in those changes, please read my status updates from 2016, which can be found below this review.
. . .
I reviewed each story as I read them in my status updates, which you can read below this review if you feel so inclined. I expanded on what I wrote in those status updates for this review. I found I had a few more things that I could say than would fit in the small box for status updates. ;-)
All told, I really, really like this collection of stories. A true average of the individual star ratings would lend itself to a four star overall rating for this anthology. But I think I'm going to give it four-and-a-half stars, as I think this is a great book. And I really, really like it. I want to buy it! :-)
Retribution Clause by Ilona Andrews:
Read 09/07/2015. 3 stars - above average/liked it.
Sadly, this story didn't wow me. I liked it, and it was well told and complete, but it didn't feel complete. Adam, Saiman's cousin, and Siroun, his partner, were intriguing characters, but it felt like we barely scratched the surface on getting to know them. It really felt like this story should have been part of a longer narrative. Though it was fun seeing a frost giant who was comfortable as a frost giant. ;-)
Bigfoot on Campus by Jim Butcher:
Read 09/20/2015. 5 stars - outstanding/amazing. :-)
I LOVE this story! It's outstandingly amazing. I had a huge smile on my face when I finished it. :-) I love Harry's explanation to Connie in the end:
I just had to smile when I read that. :-)
Strength-of-a-River-in-his-Shoulders (just River Shoulders, for short) was a fun new character to me. I can't recall ever meeting a Bigfoot in a story before. It was really cool to not only meet one, but to find out he had a name beyond "Bigfoot." And I really loved that he was a pacifist who, when he finally let loose, had this to say about the mayhem he created: "This was in such awful taste." (I am once again smiling widely after reading this line. lol!)
I'm going to have to buy this book just so I can reread this story (and some of the others) from time to time. ;-)
Holly's Balm by Rachel Caine:
Read 09/20/2015. 4.5 stars - great!
This story was so good that, for some reason, I felt like crying after finishing it. And this is even though I found Holly's near-constant worrying about Andy to be tiresome. (This near-constant worrying is the reason I docked this story half a star. I can only take so much angst and Holly exceeded my capacity.)
But that fact that I loved this story despite the angst? That's a sign of a fabulous story. :-)
Snow Job by Carole Nelson Douglas:
Read 09/21/2015. 4 stars - very good/really liked.
Much of this story had me confused. Yet I still really liked it. Quicksilver, Delilah's rescue dog, is my newest love. :-) (Quicksilver is also the reason I "really like" this story.)
What confused me? What was the "something wicked this way comes" that Snow mentioned?
Me thinks I should read the Delilah Street series. Both because this story intrigued me (and I did really like it) and because hopefully the series will explain the in a way I can understand without having my head explode.
Outside the Box by P.N. Elrod:
Read 09/22/2015. 5 stars - outstanding/amazing. :-)
This story is amazing! I did NOT see that coming. :-) I LOVED this twist. It really took me by surprise. :-)
And I loved the ending: Ellinghaus Dare I hope romance is in the future between Ell and Mars? :-)
Are these characters and this Company a part of a series? If not, I hope they become one. I really want to know what's next in the lives of Ell and Mars.
How Do You Feel? by Simon R. Green:
Read 10/01/2015. 5 stars - outstanding/amazing. :-)
I was so excited to see that this is a Nightside story. I LOVE the Nightside books and I finished them all in March of this year. So this one was a bonus! And WHAT a bonus! It's narrated by Dead Boy! I loved it! :-)
Not only do we get to hear a story told from Dead Boy's POV, we find out how he became Dead Boy, who killed him, and why. :-) We also meet his girlfriend, Silicon Lily, and learn a fascinating detail about his oh-so-futuristic car. :-)
In sum, this story was great fun and I loved it. I just wish I knew where it fell within the Nightside series. Walker So this story needs to be read somewhere before you finish the series books. But when and where???
To solve those questions, I think I need to reread the series from start to finish. ;-)
There Will Be Demons by Lori Handeland:
Read 10/03/2015. 3 stars - above average/liked it.
I really liked this story...until it ended with sooo many unanswered questions.
We're left to wonder All these questions and, I think, more were floating around in my head once I'd finished reading it.
It's good to know that this story is part of a series, but I wish it had been a bit more open and closed.
Cherry Kisses by Erica Hayes:
Read 10/03/2015. 3 stars - above average/liked it
This was a good story, but it seemed rather disjointed in parts.
Lena Falco, the female protagonist, was not a particularly likable character. Too shady by far. Ethan had promise as the male lead, but he seemed awfully gullible in the end and lost points with me. The demoms had promise, but we didn't see too much of them.
That said, I'm still interested in reading more in the Shadowfae Chronicles series. Mostly because I want to learn more about this world of demons. :-)
The Arcane Art of Misdirection by Carrie Vaughn:
Read 10/03/2015. 4.5 stars - great!
This is a most excellent story; it's great! I didn't understand all of it, but I think I know that I wasn't meant to understand all of it.
I really liked the mystery: How were those people cheating and winning? Who is the ringleader/mastermind? The answers to these questions make for a really fun story to read. :-)
I hear that Odysseus Grant is a recurring character in CV's Kitty series. I feel a need to read this series soon. :-)
January 25, 2022
Read: Jan 2022
Retribution Clause - Ilona Andrews - 3/5 stars
Bigfoot on Campus - Jim Butcher - 4/5 stars
Holly's Balm - Rachel Caine - 4/5 stars
Snow Job - Carole Nelson Douglas - did not read
Outside the Box - P.N. Elrod - 3.5/5 stars
How Do You Feel? - Simon R. Green - 5/5 stars
There Will Be Demons - Lori Handeland - did not read
Cherry Kisses - Erica Hayes - did not read
The Arcane Art of Misdirection- Carrie Vaughn - 5/5 stars *FAVOURITE*
Retribution Clause - Ilona Andrews - 3/5 stars
Bigfoot on Campus - Jim Butcher - 4/5 stars
Holly's Balm - Rachel Caine - 4/5 stars
Snow Job - Carole Nelson Douglas - did not read
Outside the Box - P.N. Elrod - 3.5/5 stars
How Do You Feel? - Simon R. Green - 5/5 stars
There Will Be Demons - Lori Handeland - did not read
Cherry Kisses - Erica Hayes - did not read
The Arcane Art of Misdirection- Carrie Vaughn - 5/5 stars *FAVOURITE*
June 28, 2012
I have to say that I am becoming such an Ilona Andrews fan girl that any anthology that has a story by them has an immediate leg up. While Andrews story was my favorite, there were enough other entertaining hexy shorts to make this a worthwhile collection for me.
In the order that I read them...
Bigfoot on Campus - Jim Butcher, Harry Dresden short, this is episode number three of "Harry and the son of Bigfoot" -Irwin's dad has a vision of his son in lethal trouble and again sends Harry in to pinch hit - I enjoyed this one, and I love Harry's humor
Holly's Balm - Rachel Caine - This is continuation of the short "Death Warmed Over" from another anthology Strange Brew - Talk about deadly deja vu, a witch is raising the victims of a serial killer so that murderer can kill them all over again - I really loved getting chance to see more of Holly, a witch who can raise the dead, and Andy, an old west era witch she raised who,through the power of love, managed to beat the 76 hour deadline that sends revenants back to the grave.
The Arcane Art of Misdirection - Carrie Vaugh - featuring Vegas magician Odysseus Grant from the Kitty Norville series - A Vegas dealer who 'sees' more that she should hooks up with Odysseus on the hunt for someone who is trying to cheat 'the House' - I have always liked Odysseus and I liked his 'helper' and wouldn't mind seeing more of this pair.
Retribution Clause - Ilona Andrews - set in the Kate Daniel universe, the leading man is a frost giant relative of Saiman - A supernatural insurance adjuster and his partner need to carry out a vengeance clause to one of their policies which stipulated should the insuree be murdered the benificiary would pay the price with his life - I love Ilona Andrews, her(actually their, since this is a husband/wife writing team) world building is soooo good, and this short story has me screaming for more of the starring pair.
There Will Be Demons - Lori Handland - connected to her Apocalypse series - I think that this is the backstory to Jimmy's betrayal, but it's been along time since I read anything from this series - this was okay
Cherry Kisses - Erica Hayes - a Shadow Fae short - I was surprised by the ending but I shouldn't have been - this was pretty good.
How Do You Feel? - Simon Green - a short little bizarre trip to Nightside, Dead Boy stars - for some reason I like Nightside stories, they are really oddball so won't be everyone's cup of tea - pretty good
Outside the Box - P N Elrod - witches and vamps - I liked it.
Snow Job - Carole Nelson Douglas - Delilah Street story - this is the only story that I didn't make it through yet. I don't follow the series and just didn't feel like working that hard when I started it - I'll probably finish it eventually.
In the order that I read them...
Bigfoot on Campus - Jim Butcher, Harry Dresden short, this is episode number three of "Harry and the son of Bigfoot" -Irwin's dad has a vision of his son in lethal trouble and again sends Harry in to pinch hit - I enjoyed this one, and I love Harry's humor
Holly's Balm - Rachel Caine - This is continuation of the short "Death Warmed Over" from another anthology Strange Brew - Talk about deadly deja vu, a witch is raising the victims of a serial killer so that murderer can kill them all over again - I really loved getting chance to see more of Holly, a witch who can raise the dead, and Andy, an old west era witch she raised who,through the power of love, managed to beat the 76 hour deadline that sends revenants back to the grave.
The Arcane Art of Misdirection - Carrie Vaugh - featuring Vegas magician Odysseus Grant from the Kitty Norville series - A Vegas dealer who 'sees' more that she should hooks up with Odysseus on the hunt for someone who is trying to cheat 'the House' - I have always liked Odysseus and I liked his 'helper' and wouldn't mind seeing more of this pair.
Retribution Clause - Ilona Andrews - set in the Kate Daniel universe, the leading man is a frost giant relative of Saiman - A supernatural insurance adjuster and his partner need to carry out a vengeance clause to one of their policies which stipulated should the insuree be murdered the benificiary would pay the price with his life - I love Ilona Andrews, her(actually their, since this is a husband/wife writing team) world building is soooo good, and this short story has me screaming for more of the starring pair.
There Will Be Demons - Lori Handland - connected to her Apocalypse series - I think that this is the backstory to Jimmy's betrayal, but it's been along time since I read anything from this series - this was okay
Cherry Kisses - Erica Hayes - a Shadow Fae short - I was surprised by the ending but I shouldn't have been - this was pretty good.
How Do You Feel? - Simon Green - a short little bizarre trip to Nightside, Dead Boy stars - for some reason I like Nightside stories, they are really oddball so won't be everyone's cup of tea - pretty good
Outside the Box - P N Elrod - witches and vamps - I liked it.
Snow Job - Carole Nelson Douglas - Delilah Street story - this is the only story that I didn't make it through yet. I don't follow the series and just didn't feel like working that hard when I started it - I'll probably finish it eventually.
July 24, 2022
Anthology Average is 3 stars. There were a few I thought were pretty good, but nothing outstanding. One story I thought would be worth pursuing the series but was turned off by the blurbs. This anthology is worth reading if you want to read a series completely.
1. Retribution Clause by Ilona Andrews - This is a story about Saiman's cousin and the woman he works with. He is not at all like Saiman. Good story. 3-1/2 stars
2. Bigfoot on Campus by Jim Butcher. Skipped his story. No rating.
3. Holly’s Balm by Rachel Caine. Great story about a witch and the man she loves. Wonderful ending. 3-1/2 stars
4. Snow Job by Carole Nelson Douglas. I could not finish. When it got the parallel world and the 3rd Lilith, I was beyond confused. Usually I don't give a rating to a story/book I didn't finish but this one I almost finished so I'm giving a rating. 2 stars.
5. Outside The Box by P. N. Elrod. A platonic working couple - vampire & witch - run into trouble and lean on each other to get through it. It was an interesting story. Absolutely no romance. 3 stars.
6. How Do You Feel? by Simon R. Green. Okay, wow. I've not read this series but does it really have not just paranormal but sci-fi? This book would/could be categorized as paranormal romance, sci-fi romance, futuristic, magical and horror - it is all over the place. I'm just so confused that I'm not sure if I even like it so I'll rate it straight down the middle. 3 stars.
7. There Will Be Demons by Lori Handeland. A woman is used, and then afterwards the man who was part of this, calls their sexual experience a "nightmare" when she thought it was the beginning of love. I sometimes like when there are some misunderstandings - if she would have let him finish a sentence she would find out what really happened - just as long as it's not drawn out. So I read the blurbs for the rest of the series and realize, he's got feelings for someone else. He didn't love this poor woman at all. He honestly was using her. So, done. Not reading the rest of the series. I'll try not to let this sway my rating of before I read the blurbs, so 3-1/2 stars.
8. Cherry Kisses by Erica Hayes. A human uses cherry cola lip gloss to get over on not only vampires but anyone that gets in her way. 2-1/2 stars.
9. The Arcane Art of Misdirection by Carrie Vaughn. A blackjack dealer discovers some shenanigans and gets help from a magician at the casino to figure it out. Okay story. 3 stars.
1. Retribution Clause by Ilona Andrews - This is a story about Saiman's cousin and the woman he works with. He is not at all like Saiman. Good story. 3-1/2 stars
2. Bigfoot on Campus by Jim Butcher. Skipped his story. No rating.
3. Holly’s Balm by Rachel Caine. Great story about a witch and the man she loves. Wonderful ending. 3-1/2 stars
4. Snow Job by Carole Nelson Douglas. I could not finish. When it got the parallel world and the 3rd Lilith, I was beyond confused. Usually I don't give a rating to a story/book I didn't finish but this one I almost finished so I'm giving a rating. 2 stars.
5. Outside The Box by P. N. Elrod. A platonic working couple - vampire & witch - run into trouble and lean on each other to get through it. It was an interesting story. Absolutely no romance. 3 stars.
6. How Do You Feel? by Simon R. Green. Okay, wow. I've not read this series but does it really have not just paranormal but sci-fi? This book would/could be categorized as paranormal romance, sci-fi romance, futuristic, magical and horror - it is all over the place. I'm just so confused that I'm not sure if I even like it so I'll rate it straight down the middle. 3 stars.
7. There Will Be Demons by Lori Handeland. A woman is used, and then afterwards the man who was part of this, calls their sexual experience a "nightmare" when she thought it was the beginning of love. I sometimes like when there are some misunderstandings - if she would have let him finish a sentence she would find out what really happened - just as long as it's not drawn out. So I read the blurbs for the rest of the series and realize, he's got feelings for someone else. He didn't love this poor woman at all. He honestly was using her. So, done. Not reading the rest of the series. I'll try not to let this sway my rating of before I read the blurbs, so 3-1/2 stars.
8. Cherry Kisses by Erica Hayes. A human uses cherry cola lip gloss to get over on not only vampires but anyone that gets in her way. 2-1/2 stars.
9. The Arcane Art of Misdirection by Carrie Vaughn. A blackjack dealer discovers some shenanigans and gets help from a magician at the casino to figure it out. Okay story. 3 stars.
June 18, 2025
2.5 Stars rounded up
If audiobooks collected dust, opening this one would have had me sneezing. It's been on my shelves since 2013. Somewhere along the way, I lost track of it. The cover and the title seem very dated now.
The collection itself was a bit of a disappointment. Of the nine stories in the collection, only the ones by Ilona Andrews, Jim Butcher and Carrie Vaughn, stood out. They were all entertaining and demonstrated how much fun Urban Fantasy can be. Three of the stories I abandoned before the end and one of the ones I finished was an uphill struggle.
I've commented on each of the stories below in the order they appear in the collection.
RETRIBUTION CLAUSE by Ilona Andrews ★★★★★
I skipped this one because I read it recently in 'Small Magics' Here's what I said then:
"This is a story about two supernaturals working for an insurance company. That may sound dull. It wasn’t. The two supernaturals were tasked with executing a ‘Retribution Clause’ which is when a client pays a premium so that, in the event of their death, the person who killed them will be killed by the insurance company’s agents.
I love these excursions into the lives of subsidiary characters in the Kate Daniels universe. They show me how thoroughly imagined that universe is. They pull me into the lives of the characters, just as I was pulled into Kate’sworld when her first words to the Beast Lord were “Here, kitty kitty. kitty”.
‘Retribution Clause’ had lots of violence, a few neat plot twists, a puzzle to be solved and unresolved sexual tension between the two agents. What more could I ask for? The story worked as a standalone and left me wishing there was a spin-off novel out there."
BIGFOOT ON CAMPUS by Jim Butcher ★★★★★
Tnis was fun. It's a story from when Harry was easy to like. When he hadn't died yet. When he wasn't the Winter Knight. When he was still hopeful. I liked that Harry was telling the story to the police officer who had arrested him on campus. The police officers you're-actually-serious-about-this-aren't-you? questions made it easy for Harry to explain what was going on, allowing the story to be read and enjoyed without any prior knowledge of the Dresden Files.
Harry was on campus looking for Bigfoot's son (Harry has history with both of them) who Bigfoot thinks is in danger. The danger turns out to be the cute, pleasant, loving girl that Bigfoot's son, Irwin, has fallen in love with. She's not what she seems, although neither she nor Irwin knows that.
Trying to keep Irwin safe from a threat he doesn't see and which Harry isn't sure is there, gets comically complicated.Until the bad guys turn up and the fighting and explosions start.
I liked that Harry, even though he's a wizard, wasn't even close to being the most powerful person in the melee but he keeps swinging anyway.
I enjpyed the humour and the optimism as much as the fighting and the magic. This was classic Dresden.
HOLLY'S BALM by Rachel Caine ★★★
There were some clever ideas in this, like the dead having no legal rights so killing revenants wasn't murder. The text felt a little stodgy and the romance felt like it was trying too hard. The plot worked well enough to keep this an entertaining piece.
SNOW JOB by Carole Nelson Douglas DNF
Nope. The humour in this didn't work for me. It felt more like a skit than a story. I set it aside.
OUTSIDE THE BOX by P. N. Elrod ★★★
I liked the originality of the premise: a powerful but secret company with a mission to greet, document and constrain the newly risen undead, sends a team of one witch and one vampire to wait for a rising foreseen by their seers. The two-person team is a low-level witch, still on probation with the company and an experienced vampire. The start of the storyfelt a little like a documentary, with the witch explaining what she was there to do. It was deliberately undramatic, with a focus on explaining that even dying doesn't exempt you from bureaucracy if you come back. That was amusing but not compelling. Then came the plot twist and everything changed. Suddenly the story was packed with action and danger, made all the more powerful because it was unexpected.
HOW DO YOU FEEL by Simon R. Green DNF
I tried this, even though I don't normally like Simon R. Green's work. I didn't like this one either. I don't like the Nightside world his stories are set in. It's not the details of the world that I dislike but the tone of it. The storytelling has a self-consciously hard-boiled style but the view it's pushing is a romantic one. It glamourises the sleaze, desperation and despair of Nightside and its residents. I have no sympathy for the place or the people. The glamour Green projects doesn't work for me. So, I guess it's time for me to stop stepping into Nightside.
THERE WILL BE DEMONS by Lori Handeland ★★
This was well enough done that I finished it but it was an uphill struggle. I'm not a fan of Urban Fantasy based on Christian myths, especially when they involve fallen angels. I find them harder to believe in than vampires (I blame my Catholic education). I'm also not a fan of paranormal romance, especially when it stays within the conventions of Romance Writers of America. Still, the pace was fast, the main character's voice was unconventional and the Navajo setting was pretty.
CHERRY KISSES by Erica Hayes DNF
This was another one I couldn't finish. It was a trek through Hell. This Hell was a fairly conventional imagining of the Christian myth. The main character has to hack her way through it to retrieve a magical object. I stopped reading because I was bored. I think elements of the story, particularly the opening scene in the nightclub, were meant to feel transgressive and our heroine was meant to be seen as a chancer. I was unconvinced. The atmosphere and the actions were seedy in a dreary way but with none of the impact of the truly transgressive. The passion in the story felt manufactured. The violence was clichéd. The quest plot was tediously predictable. The upside is that I can cross Eric Hayes' 'Shadowfae Chronicles' off my wishlist.
THE ARCANE ART OF MISDIRECTION by Carrie Vaughn ★★★★
This was fun. I enjoyed meeting Odysseus Grant, the Las Vegas magician who really can do magic, again. Seeing him through the eyes of a blackjack dealer who knows something strange is happening at her table and is determined to find out what it is, kept the tale fresh.
If audiobooks collected dust, opening this one would have had me sneezing. It's been on my shelves since 2013. Somewhere along the way, I lost track of it. The cover and the title seem very dated now.
The collection itself was a bit of a disappointment. Of the nine stories in the collection, only the ones by Ilona Andrews, Jim Butcher and Carrie Vaughn, stood out. They were all entertaining and demonstrated how much fun Urban Fantasy can be. Three of the stories I abandoned before the end and one of the ones I finished was an uphill struggle.
I've commented on each of the stories below in the order they appear in the collection.
RETRIBUTION CLAUSE by Ilona Andrews ★★★★★
I skipped this one because I read it recently in 'Small Magics' Here's what I said then:
"This is a story about two supernaturals working for an insurance company. That may sound dull. It wasn’t. The two supernaturals were tasked with executing a ‘Retribution Clause’ which is when a client pays a premium so that, in the event of their death, the person who killed them will be killed by the insurance company’s agents.
I love these excursions into the lives of subsidiary characters in the Kate Daniels universe. They show me how thoroughly imagined that universe is. They pull me into the lives of the characters, just as I was pulled into Kate’sworld when her first words to the Beast Lord were “Here, kitty kitty. kitty”.
‘Retribution Clause’ had lots of violence, a few neat plot twists, a puzzle to be solved and unresolved sexual tension between the two agents. What more could I ask for? The story worked as a standalone and left me wishing there was a spin-off novel out there."
BIGFOOT ON CAMPUS by Jim Butcher ★★★★★
Tnis was fun. It's a story from when Harry was easy to like. When he hadn't died yet. When he wasn't the Winter Knight. When he was still hopeful. I liked that Harry was telling the story to the police officer who had arrested him on campus. The police officers you're-actually-serious-about-this-aren't-you? questions made it easy for Harry to explain what was going on, allowing the story to be read and enjoyed without any prior knowledge of the Dresden Files.
Harry was on campus looking for Bigfoot's son (Harry has history with both of them) who Bigfoot thinks is in danger. The danger turns out to be the cute, pleasant, loving girl that Bigfoot's son, Irwin, has fallen in love with. She's not what she seems, although neither she nor Irwin knows that.
Trying to keep Irwin safe from a threat he doesn't see and which Harry isn't sure is there, gets comically complicated.Until the bad guys turn up and the fighting and explosions start.
I liked that Harry, even though he's a wizard, wasn't even close to being the most powerful person in the melee but he keeps swinging anyway.
I enjpyed the humour and the optimism as much as the fighting and the magic. This was classic Dresden.
HOLLY'S BALM by Rachel Caine ★★★
There were some clever ideas in this, like the dead having no legal rights so killing revenants wasn't murder. The text felt a little stodgy and the romance felt like it was trying too hard. The plot worked well enough to keep this an entertaining piece.
SNOW JOB by Carole Nelson Douglas DNF
Nope. The humour in this didn't work for me. It felt more like a skit than a story. I set it aside.
OUTSIDE THE BOX by P. N. Elrod ★★★
I liked the originality of the premise: a powerful but secret company with a mission to greet, document and constrain the newly risen undead, sends a team of one witch and one vampire to wait for a rising foreseen by their seers. The two-person team is a low-level witch, still on probation with the company and an experienced vampire. The start of the storyfelt a little like a documentary, with the witch explaining what she was there to do. It was deliberately undramatic, with a focus on explaining that even dying doesn't exempt you from bureaucracy if you come back. That was amusing but not compelling. Then came the plot twist and everything changed. Suddenly the story was packed with action and danger, made all the more powerful because it was unexpected.
HOW DO YOU FEEL by Simon R. Green DNF
I tried this, even though I don't normally like Simon R. Green's work. I didn't like this one either. I don't like the Nightside world his stories are set in. It's not the details of the world that I dislike but the tone of it. The storytelling has a self-consciously hard-boiled style but the view it's pushing is a romantic one. It glamourises the sleaze, desperation and despair of Nightside and its residents. I have no sympathy for the place or the people. The glamour Green projects doesn't work for me. So, I guess it's time for me to stop stepping into Nightside.
THERE WILL BE DEMONS by Lori Handeland ★★
This was well enough done that I finished it but it was an uphill struggle. I'm not a fan of Urban Fantasy based on Christian myths, especially when they involve fallen angels. I find them harder to believe in than vampires (I blame my Catholic education). I'm also not a fan of paranormal romance, especially when it stays within the conventions of Romance Writers of America. Still, the pace was fast, the main character's voice was unconventional and the Navajo setting was pretty.
CHERRY KISSES by Erica Hayes DNF
This was another one I couldn't finish. It was a trek through Hell. This Hell was a fairly conventional imagining of the Christian myth. The main character has to hack her way through it to retrieve a magical object. I stopped reading because I was bored. I think elements of the story, particularly the opening scene in the nightclub, were meant to feel transgressive and our heroine was meant to be seen as a chancer. I was unconvinced. The atmosphere and the actions were seedy in a dreary way but with none of the impact of the truly transgressive. The passion in the story felt manufactured. The violence was clichéd. The quest plot was tediously predictable. The upside is that I can cross Eric Hayes' 'Shadowfae Chronicles' off my wishlist.
THE ARCANE ART OF MISDIRECTION by Carrie Vaughn ★★★★
This was fun. I enjoyed meeting Odysseus Grant, the Las Vegas magician who really can do magic, again. Seeing him through the eyes of a blackjack dealer who knows something strange is happening at her table and is determined to find out what it is, kept the tale fresh.
November 3, 2017
Liked this a bit less than the first time only because I definitely didn't remember it ending so abruptly. Lots of potential but want more. For those playing the home game, this only very thinly connects to the Kate Daniels main series by a connection to Saiman. Not required reading!
Merged review:
Interesting side-story set in Philadelphia which features Saimon's cousin, Adam, and some other intriguing new characters. Don't know if they'll play a part in the main series or only in these little side adventures but it was interesting! And has me wanting to know and read more.
Merged review:
Interesting side-story set in Philadelphia which features Saimon's cousin, Adam, and some other intriguing new characters. Don't know if they'll play a part in the main series or only in these little side adventures but it was interesting! And has me wanting to know and read more.
August 10, 2019
Rating is of Bigfoot on Campus by Jim Butcher.
July 6, 2012
Retribution Clause, Ilona Andrews - 4.5 Stars This story takes place in the Kate Daniels world, but follows characters we've never met before. The main character is Saiman's cousin, but a very different personality (he prefers his true form and subdues it with a magic watch to go unnoticed) and with less magic. He works for an insurance company and when a woman is murdered by her husband he and his partner are assigned to carry out the retribution clause in her life insurance policy within 11 hours, before the man is set to surrender to authorities. There are romantic undercurrents and I would like to see these two come to Atlanta.
Bigfoot on Campus, Jim Butcher - 4 Stars Bigfoot, aka Strength of a River in his Shoulders, is Harry's client and he wants him to look in on his son, Irwin; he's had a premonition that something bad is going to happen to him. Harry visits Irwin at college and realizes that his girlfriend is , but she doesn't know it and doesn't seem to be hurting Irwin in any way. Of course, her evil father shows up Harry, being Harry, can't let that happen and sets out to save the day. I had one major problem with the premise of this story:
I did not enjoy the other stories in this anthology; in some I just didn't like the characters and in others I liked them just fine...up until the end when they pulled a bonehead move.
Bigfoot on Campus, Jim Butcher - 4 Stars Bigfoot, aka Strength of a River in his Shoulders, is Harry's client and he wants him to look in on his son, Irwin; he's had a premonition that something bad is going to happen to him. Harry visits Irwin at college and realizes that his girlfriend is , but she doesn't know it and doesn't seem to be hurting Irwin in any way. Of course, her evil father shows up Harry, being Harry, can't let that happen and sets out to save the day. I had one major problem with the premise of this story:
I did not enjoy the other stories in this anthology; in some I just didn't like the characters and in others I liked them just fine...up until the end when they pulled a bonehead move.
November 26, 2014
Rating and review only for Retribution Clause by Ilona Andrews.
Actual rating: 3.5 stars.
A very short story about two characters we've never met. I'm interested to see if they pop up again down the line. I liked both of them very much!!! Saiman's cousin seems quite different from him!!
Actual rating: 3.5 stars.
A very short story about two characters we've never met. I'm interested to see if they pop up again down the line. I liked both of them very much!!! Saiman's cousin seems quite different from him!!
November 15, 2014
I ONLY read "Retribution Clause" and "Bigfoot on Campus." The first story gets two stars and the second one gets four stars, hence the three-star rating.
May 29, 2012
Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy
Another solid supernatural anthology featuring some of the biggest names in urban fantasy.
Retribution Clause by Ilona Andrews (Kate Daniels’ world)
The magical world of the Kate Daniels series is unparalleled in urban fantasy. Truly. So it was great fun to read a story that takes place across the country from Kate’s Atlanta in Philadelphia. There are no character crossovers, but the hero is Saiman’s cousin and also a frost giant. The characters are impressively developed for the page length, and the Seek and Assassinate mission that Adam and his partner go on is packed with magic and mayham…and even a little romance. Fans of this world will love this and new readers will get hooked on this world.
Rating: 4/5 Sexual Content: Kissing
Bigfoot on Campus by Jim Butcher (The Dresden Files)
Jim Butcher is the king of short stories. I’ve yet to read one that wasn’t thoroughly entertaining, and I think Bigfoot on Campus is the best yet. Professional wizard, Harry Dresden agrees to investigate a potential threat against his friend Bigfoot’s son. There aren’t any real clues as to when this story takes place chronologically in The Dresden Files, so longtime fans and newbies alike can jump right in. Harry’s trademark biting wit and sly observations are out in force here. Easily my favorite story in the anthology.
Rating: 5/5 Sexual Content: Kissing, magical lust magic that causes a orgy in a college dorm (no descriptions), a non graphic/vague sex scene.
Holly’s Balm by Rachel Caine
So glad to see Holly and Andy back. I loved them in the STRANGE BREW anthology and hope to see more of them in future short stories (or full novels). It reads a little like an early Anita Blake story…she’s a Resurrection witch and he’s an Old West gunslinger she resurrected and then fell for (read their first story in STRANGE BREW). The romance is sweet and hopeful which contrasts nicely with their hunt for a magical serial killer who is resurrecting his victims to kill them again. This story/series is unlike anything else Rachel writes and it’s one of my favorites from her. Here’s hoping she has future plans for these two.
Rating: 4/5 Sexual Content: One sex scene
Snow Job by Carole Nelson Douglas (Delilah Street)
Having read only the first book in the Delilah Street series previously, I felt a little disoriented reading Snow Job. The worldbuilding in this series is very good, but it’s complex and really difficult to grasp in these few pages. The author does explain everything, but that unfortunately hurt the story and emotions in my opinion. Too many info dumps. I image readers who are brand new to this series will feel overwhelmed rather than intrigued by this story which involves a missing rock star, a vengeful hell goddess, and a personal grudge between Delilah and Snow.
Rating: 2/5 Sexual Content: Kissing
Outside the Box by P.N. Elrod
A simple, straightforward story that appears to be separate from Elrod’s Vampire Files series in which a witch and a vampire work as partner’s for The Company, a bureaucratic agency that monitors new vampires. A supposedly standard rising turns into a search for a missing woman and a hunt for her sire/killer. A little lackluster in terms of excitement, but the world was intriguing.
Rating: 3/5 Sexual Content: N/A
How Do You Feel by Simon R. Green (Nightside)
The Nightside series features a diverse and densely populated world, and that is no more apparent in How Do You Feel. In this story, we follow an unwilling zombie (aka Dead Boy) on his quest to feel and track down his murderers. Nightside tends to be hit or miss for me, and I’m afraid this story falls into the latter category. It’s just bizarre. The ending especially since it involves a shapeshifting, self-aware car from the future as a love interest. Too weird for me.
Rating: 2/5 Sexual Content: N/A
There Will Be Demons by Lori Handeland (The Phoenix Chronicles)
Here’s another series where I’ve read the first book, but it’s been years and my memory is foggy at best. Not sure if these are primary or secondary characters from The Phoenix Chronicles series, but it involves fairies, dhampires, skinwalkers and fallen angles. Forced to partner together in a demon killing mission, Summer and Jimmy complete their bloody task and then fall into bed together. It wasn’t exactly clear, but there may have been reincarnation or soul mate destiny between these two. That or memory loss. Again it wasn’t clear enough for me which ended up leaving me more confused than entertained.
Rating: 2/5 Sexual Content: One sex scene
Cherry Kisses by Erica Hayes (Shadowfae Chronicles #4.5) Read an excerpt
Set in the world of the Shadowfae Chronicles, Cherry Kisses follows a resourceful con artist on a job that literally forces her to take a trip to hell to steal an object from a demon. A much too handsome and definitely too honorable guy has his own reasons for helping her. I’m so glad this story was included as it gave me the opportunity to enjoy Hayes’ writing without the darker, erotic tone of the full novels. There is a wonderful flavor to the writing that really brings the fae/vampire/demon infused world to life. One of my favorites in the anthology.
Rating: 4/5 Sexual Content: Kissing
The Aracane Art of Misdirection by Carrie Vaughn (Kitty Norville)
According to the author’s website, this story is part of the Kitty Norville series, which I’ve read some of, but I didn’t recognize the characters. It follows a blackjack dealer in Vegas who spots a cheating scam and leads her to magician Odysseus Grant. A little on the slow side compared to the other stories in this anthology, but it is an unusual tale.
Rating: 3/5 Sexual Content: N/A
Another solid supernatural anthology featuring some of the biggest names in urban fantasy.
Retribution Clause by Ilona Andrews (Kate Daniels’ world)
The magical world of the Kate Daniels series is unparalleled in urban fantasy. Truly. So it was great fun to read a story that takes place across the country from Kate’s Atlanta in Philadelphia. There are no character crossovers, but the hero is Saiman’s cousin and also a frost giant. The characters are impressively developed for the page length, and the Seek and Assassinate mission that Adam and his partner go on is packed with magic and mayham…and even a little romance. Fans of this world will love this and new readers will get hooked on this world.
Rating: 4/5 Sexual Content: Kissing
Bigfoot on Campus by Jim Butcher (The Dresden Files)
Jim Butcher is the king of short stories. I’ve yet to read one that wasn’t thoroughly entertaining, and I think Bigfoot on Campus is the best yet. Professional wizard, Harry Dresden agrees to investigate a potential threat against his friend Bigfoot’s son. There aren’t any real clues as to when this story takes place chronologically in The Dresden Files, so longtime fans and newbies alike can jump right in. Harry’s trademark biting wit and sly observations are out in force here. Easily my favorite story in the anthology.
Rating: 5/5 Sexual Content: Kissing, magical lust magic that causes a orgy in a college dorm (no descriptions), a non graphic/vague sex scene.
Holly’s Balm by Rachel Caine
So glad to see Holly and Andy back. I loved them in the STRANGE BREW anthology and hope to see more of them in future short stories (or full novels). It reads a little like an early Anita Blake story…she’s a Resurrection witch and he’s an Old West gunslinger she resurrected and then fell for (read their first story in STRANGE BREW). The romance is sweet and hopeful which contrasts nicely with their hunt for a magical serial killer who is resurrecting his victims to kill them again. This story/series is unlike anything else Rachel writes and it’s one of my favorites from her. Here’s hoping she has future plans for these two.
Rating: 4/5 Sexual Content: One sex scene
Snow Job by Carole Nelson Douglas (Delilah Street)
Having read only the first book in the Delilah Street series previously, I felt a little disoriented reading Snow Job. The worldbuilding in this series is very good, but it’s complex and really difficult to grasp in these few pages. The author does explain everything, but that unfortunately hurt the story and emotions in my opinion. Too many info dumps. I image readers who are brand new to this series will feel overwhelmed rather than intrigued by this story which involves a missing rock star, a vengeful hell goddess, and a personal grudge between Delilah and Snow.
Rating: 2/5 Sexual Content: Kissing
Outside the Box by P.N. Elrod
A simple, straightforward story that appears to be separate from Elrod’s Vampire Files series in which a witch and a vampire work as partner’s for The Company, a bureaucratic agency that monitors new vampires. A supposedly standard rising turns into a search for a missing woman and a hunt for her sire/killer. A little lackluster in terms of excitement, but the world was intriguing.
Rating: 3/5 Sexual Content: N/A
How Do You Feel by Simon R. Green (Nightside)
The Nightside series features a diverse and densely populated world, and that is no more apparent in How Do You Feel. In this story, we follow an unwilling zombie (aka Dead Boy) on his quest to feel and track down his murderers. Nightside tends to be hit or miss for me, and I’m afraid this story falls into the latter category. It’s just bizarre. The ending especially since it involves a shapeshifting, self-aware car from the future as a love interest. Too weird for me.
Rating: 2/5 Sexual Content: N/A
There Will Be Demons by Lori Handeland (The Phoenix Chronicles)
Here’s another series where I’ve read the first book, but it’s been years and my memory is foggy at best. Not sure if these are primary or secondary characters from The Phoenix Chronicles series, but it involves fairies, dhampires, skinwalkers and fallen angles. Forced to partner together in a demon killing mission, Summer and Jimmy complete their bloody task and then fall into bed together. It wasn’t exactly clear, but there may have been reincarnation or soul mate destiny between these two. That or memory loss. Again it wasn’t clear enough for me which ended up leaving me more confused than entertained.
Rating: 2/5 Sexual Content: One sex scene
Cherry Kisses by Erica Hayes (Shadowfae Chronicles #4.5) Read an excerpt
Set in the world of the Shadowfae Chronicles, Cherry Kisses follows a resourceful con artist on a job that literally forces her to take a trip to hell to steal an object from a demon. A much too handsome and definitely too honorable guy has his own reasons for helping her. I’m so glad this story was included as it gave me the opportunity to enjoy Hayes’ writing without the darker, erotic tone of the full novels. There is a wonderful flavor to the writing that really brings the fae/vampire/demon infused world to life. One of my favorites in the anthology.
Rating: 4/5 Sexual Content: Kissing
The Aracane Art of Misdirection by Carrie Vaughn (Kitty Norville)
According to the author’s website, this story is part of the Kitty Norville series, which I’ve read some of, but I didn’t recognize the characters. It follows a blackjack dealer in Vegas who spots a cheating scam and leads her to magician Odysseus Grant. A little on the slow side compared to the other stories in this anthology, but it is an unusual tale.
Rating: 3/5 Sexual Content: N/A
September 10, 2015
This review was posted at Under the Covers
Well the first thing that made me want to read this book was the cover. Yeah I admit it. The second thing? ILONA ANDREWS! Quite frankly, anthologies can be a good place to find new authors to read or just a collection of stories that are hard to develop because they are so short. As you can see by the number of authors in this anthology, yes, the stories were short. But some managed to convey enough of the story where I didn't feel anything was missing.
RETRIBUTION CLAUSE BY ILONA ANDREWS - 4 STARS
This story is set in the Kate Daniels world although there is no Kate or any of the characters we know. It was actually interesting to see a different setting than Atlanta as this story takes place in Philadelphia. It also features Saiman's frost giant cousin Adam. Adam is an insurance adjuster and as such, he will have to enforce the retribution clause in the policy of a client. What does that mean? Him and his partner Siroun have to go and kill whoever killed her. Adam and Siroun are great characters, they work well together and there's a definite attraction as well. The story was very interesting and kept me hooked! Another great one by Ilona Andrews.
BIGFOOT ON CAMPUS BY JIM BUTCHER - 4 STARS
I am probably one of the few people that haven't read the Dresden Files. I've always wondered about the series but didn't get to it yet. And this small taste of Jim Butcher's writing style and of Harry Dresden himself, well...completely wetted my appetite! I loved this story, I loved Harry, and I loved Jim's storytelling. I was sucked in from the beginning. Harry is hired by Bigfoot to go protect his son, who is away at college. Catch is Bigfoot has never officially met his son, and his son doesn't know his heritage, nor the danger he is currently in. Awesome story!
HOLLY'S BALM BY RACHEL CAINE - 3.5 STARS
Having not read any stories by Rachel Caine that this would be even somewhat related to, I had no background for it but it was still a pretty enjoyable story standalone. Holly is a resurrection witch, and yes that means she can resurrect the dead. Her powers are used in police investigations sometimes to ask the victims about their death. She also has an undead (resurrected) boyfriend who, for some reason, hasn't gone away. Some magic is keeping him alive again and with her. Holly is now called in to investigate a crime that resembles one she had already investigated. Turns out the killer found a witch to resurrect his old victims and live his killings all over again, and now Holly has to figure out who is helping him and how to stop them.
SNOW JOB BY CAROLE NELSON DOUGLAS - 2 STARS
Snow is a rock star. Snow goes missing somehow. Delilah is a paranormal investigator and now has to find a way to rescue Snow, even though she didn't have a good relationship with him. I was overwhelmed with this story. Not having read anything by this author or in this series, I was lost and a lot of information was thrown in. Maybe just not my thing.
OUTSIDE THE BOX BY P.N. ELROD - 2 STARS
Maybe this was just not my thing but I didn't enjoy this story. It's the first I read from this author (at least that I can remember). The story is about a witch that works as a to register newly risen vampires. This one vampire she's dealing with now is just more than she bargained for.
HOW DO YOU FEEL BY SIMON R. GREEN - 3 STARS
I've read other Simon R. Green short stories in anthologies and I think I've come to the realization that his writing is not so much my preference style. However this story was entertaining, although a bit dark. It's about Dead Boy. He's been dead for a long time and just kind of existed all that time, not feeling anything and missing it, never thinking about the mugging that took his life. Until someone comes up to him and tells him his death wasn't an accident and Dead Boy is looking for revenge.
THERE WILL BE DEMONS BY LORI HANDELAND - 3 STARS
Dhampirs, skinwalkers, fairies and fallen angels... Oh my! This was a bit unremarkable but not bad. I did have a hard time finding it interesting at the beginning, but basically Summer is a fairy and along with Jimmy and Sawyer they work for a demon killing organization and will go on a mission together. There's something about soulmates but it wasn't too clear to me, maybe I just had to read the series to understand it more.
CHERRY KISSES BY ERICA HAYES - 2 STARS
Going to hell takes on a whole new meaning when you actually have to go to hell to recover an amulet. I really didn't connect with this story.
THE ARCANE ART OF MISDIRECTION BY CARRIE VAUGHN - 4 STARS
Yes, this is part of the Kitty Norville series. Is Kitty in it? No. Much in the same way as the Ilona Andrews story, this is set in the world but there's no active participation from the main series characters. Although we did see Odysseus Grant and the story is set in Vegas, which we visited in one of Kitty's books. Probably would be enjoyed by someone who hasn't read the series.
*Review copy provided by publisher.
Well the first thing that made me want to read this book was the cover. Yeah I admit it. The second thing? ILONA ANDREWS! Quite frankly, anthologies can be a good place to find new authors to read or just a collection of stories that are hard to develop because they are so short. As you can see by the number of authors in this anthology, yes, the stories were short. But some managed to convey enough of the story where I didn't feel anything was missing.
RETRIBUTION CLAUSE BY ILONA ANDREWS - 4 STARS
This story is set in the Kate Daniels world although there is no Kate or any of the characters we know. It was actually interesting to see a different setting than Atlanta as this story takes place in Philadelphia. It also features Saiman's frost giant cousin Adam. Adam is an insurance adjuster and as such, he will have to enforce the retribution clause in the policy of a client. What does that mean? Him and his partner Siroun have to go and kill whoever killed her. Adam and Siroun are great characters, they work well together and there's a definite attraction as well. The story was very interesting and kept me hooked! Another great one by Ilona Andrews.
BIGFOOT ON CAMPUS BY JIM BUTCHER - 4 STARS
I am probably one of the few people that haven't read the Dresden Files. I've always wondered about the series but didn't get to it yet. And this small taste of Jim Butcher's writing style and of Harry Dresden himself, well...completely wetted my appetite! I loved this story, I loved Harry, and I loved Jim's storytelling. I was sucked in from the beginning. Harry is hired by Bigfoot to go protect his son, who is away at college. Catch is Bigfoot has never officially met his son, and his son doesn't know his heritage, nor the danger he is currently in. Awesome story!
HOLLY'S BALM BY RACHEL CAINE - 3.5 STARS
Having not read any stories by Rachel Caine that this would be even somewhat related to, I had no background for it but it was still a pretty enjoyable story standalone. Holly is a resurrection witch, and yes that means she can resurrect the dead. Her powers are used in police investigations sometimes to ask the victims about their death. She also has an undead (resurrected) boyfriend who, for some reason, hasn't gone away. Some magic is keeping him alive again and with her. Holly is now called in to investigate a crime that resembles one she had already investigated. Turns out the killer found a witch to resurrect his old victims and live his killings all over again, and now Holly has to figure out who is helping him and how to stop them.
SNOW JOB BY CAROLE NELSON DOUGLAS - 2 STARS
Snow is a rock star. Snow goes missing somehow. Delilah is a paranormal investigator and now has to find a way to rescue Snow, even though she didn't have a good relationship with him. I was overwhelmed with this story. Not having read anything by this author or in this series, I was lost and a lot of information was thrown in. Maybe just not my thing.
OUTSIDE THE BOX BY P.N. ELROD - 2 STARS
Maybe this was just not my thing but I didn't enjoy this story. It's the first I read from this author (at least that I can remember). The story is about a witch that works as a to register newly risen vampires. This one vampire she's dealing with now is just more than she bargained for.
HOW DO YOU FEEL BY SIMON R. GREEN - 3 STARS
I've read other Simon R. Green short stories in anthologies and I think I've come to the realization that his writing is not so much my preference style. However this story was entertaining, although a bit dark. It's about Dead Boy. He's been dead for a long time and just kind of existed all that time, not feeling anything and missing it, never thinking about the mugging that took his life. Until someone comes up to him and tells him his death wasn't an accident and Dead Boy is looking for revenge.
THERE WILL BE DEMONS BY LORI HANDELAND - 3 STARS
Dhampirs, skinwalkers, fairies and fallen angels... Oh my! This was a bit unremarkable but not bad. I did have a hard time finding it interesting at the beginning, but basically Summer is a fairy and along with Jimmy and Sawyer they work for a demon killing organization and will go on a mission together. There's something about soulmates but it wasn't too clear to me, maybe I just had to read the series to understand it more.
CHERRY KISSES BY ERICA HAYES - 2 STARS
Going to hell takes on a whole new meaning when you actually have to go to hell to recover an amulet. I really didn't connect with this story.
THE ARCANE ART OF MISDIRECTION BY CARRIE VAUGHN - 4 STARS
Yes, this is part of the Kitty Norville series. Is Kitty in it? No. Much in the same way as the Ilona Andrews story, this is set in the world but there's no active participation from the main series characters. Although we did see Odysseus Grant and the story is set in Vegas, which we visited in one of Kitty's books. Probably would be enjoyed by someone who hasn't read the series.
*Review copy provided by publisher.
February 18, 2013
Hex Appeal is a collection of 9 short stories. While anthologies are not usually my favorite reads, I found this anthology to be a quick and enjoyable way to spend a freezing cold Sunday. While most of the stories ranked in the 2 - 3 star range, 3 stories stood out for me:
RETRIBUTION CLAUSE by Ilona Andrews
I'm beginning to think that there is probably not a book or story of the writing team Ilona Andrews that I wouldn't like. I mean, who would think to combine the urban fantasy world of Kate Daniels and something as innocuous as insurance adjusters? Retribution clause takes place in Philadelphia, in a world where magic wreaks havoc. The murdered wife of a lawyer had a retribution clause attached to her life insurance policy and Adam and Siroun are sent to "collect". 4/5 stars
BIGFOOT ON CAMPUS by Jim Butcher
Figures that Harry Dresden would know Bigfoot aka River Shoulders. Harry explains the mayhem and destruction at a campus dorm to a campus cop. Oh, and there are vampires of the White Court involved. How I have missed Harry. 4.5/5 stars
THE ARCANE ART OF MISDIRECTION by Carrie Vaughn
Julie, a Las Vegas card dealer witnesses a cheater. She then sees something completely out of the ordinary and follows Grant out of the casino. A clever take on magic and illusion. 4/5 stars
HOLLY'S BALM by Rachel Caine
So when is a zombie not a zombie? When he has been resurrected by a witch. This short story is about a serial killer who resurrects his victims and kills them again. Nicely done. 3/5 stars
The other stories were not to my taste but fans of those authors may enjoy those stories.
RETRIBUTION CLAUSE by Ilona Andrews
I'm beginning to think that there is probably not a book or story of the writing team Ilona Andrews that I wouldn't like. I mean, who would think to combine the urban fantasy world of Kate Daniels and something as innocuous as insurance adjusters? Retribution clause takes place in Philadelphia, in a world where magic wreaks havoc. The murdered wife of a lawyer had a retribution clause attached to her life insurance policy and Adam and Siroun are sent to "collect". 4/5 stars
BIGFOOT ON CAMPUS by Jim Butcher
Figures that Harry Dresden would know Bigfoot aka River Shoulders. Harry explains the mayhem and destruction at a campus dorm to a campus cop. Oh, and there are vampires of the White Court involved. How I have missed Harry. 4.5/5 stars
THE ARCANE ART OF MISDIRECTION by Carrie Vaughn
Julie, a Las Vegas card dealer witnesses a cheater. She then sees something completely out of the ordinary and follows Grant out of the casino. A clever take on magic and illusion. 4/5 stars
HOLLY'S BALM by Rachel Caine
So when is a zombie not a zombie? When he has been resurrected by a witch. This short story is about a serial killer who resurrects his victims and kills them again. Nicely done. 3/5 stars
The other stories were not to my taste but fans of those authors may enjoy those stories.
June 1, 2013
I read this one because it has a Jim Butcher story in it (Bigfoot on Campus, which is excellent), and then I read most of the rest of them. The line between paranormal romance and urban fantasy has become so blurred that sometimes I no longer know what I'm reading. OK, sure, the book is called Hex Appeal, so what did I expect (on the other hand, Jim Butcher story, so what did I expect)? I finally got to the point where I would read the author's bio first and skip the stories where they're described as a romance writer.
Look, I don't like paranormal romance because I don't like most modern romance-- I really don't like stories about women who fall in love with men who treat them badly [0]. If your boyfriend shows bad judgement, it's appropriate to have doubts about him, not freak out about how your doubts will kill him (due to complicated destiny-entanglement reasons), therefor you must never doubt him even when he's being a dumbass [1]. It doesn't matter whether he's a cowboy, pirate, space smuggler, or vampire. Dumbass guys don't deserve snuggles-- how else will they learn?
I like stories where the main character has a modicum of self-respect, which in my mind is the dividing line between paranormal romance (twu wuv conquers asshattery), supernatural thriller (self-loathing and vengeance), and urban fantasy (let me kick this guy's ass, then we can snuggle).
[0] We need more romances like Pride and Prejudice--- Elizabeth told Darcy and Mr. Collins exactly where they could stick their proposals-- and only married Darcy after he started behaving like a human being.
[1] Holly's Balm by Rachel Caine.
Look, I don't like paranormal romance because I don't like most modern romance-- I really don't like stories about women who fall in love with men who treat them badly [0]. If your boyfriend shows bad judgement, it's appropriate to have doubts about him, not freak out about how your doubts will kill him (due to complicated destiny-entanglement reasons), therefor you must never doubt him even when he's being a dumbass [1]. It doesn't matter whether he's a cowboy, pirate, space smuggler, or vampire. Dumbass guys don't deserve snuggles-- how else will they learn?
I like stories where the main character has a modicum of self-respect, which in my mind is the dividing line between paranormal romance (twu wuv conquers asshattery), supernatural thriller (self-loathing and vengeance), and urban fantasy (let me kick this guy's ass, then we can snuggle).
[0] We need more romances like Pride and Prejudice--- Elizabeth told Darcy and Mr. Collins exactly where they could stick their proposals-- and only married Darcy after he started behaving like a human being.
[1] Holly's Balm by Rachel Caine.
July 3, 2016
3 stars because I would like to read more about these interesting new characters. Would also love to visit new cities and see how their response to the shifts compare with Atlanta's.
January 2, 2013
There are a bunch of really good reviews of this anthology, most I agree with totally. There are some great stories in this anthology, and a couple my particular tastes didn't care for. But even the ones I wasn't crazy about, I still liked well enough. As with all anthologies I read, I also found a couple of new authors that I didn't know that much about - but find that their work is worth looking into! Overall, I would say a 3.5 more than a 4 in total, but a couple of the stories threw it over the top into the 4 territory.
So, here is a short anthology review of my take on this great anthology!
Retribution Clause by Illona Andrews:
What can I say? It is Illona Andrews, my favorite writing team. They are, in my own estimation, wonderful writers. I love that every time they do an anthology, they give a bit more on characters mentioned in their other works, but you never learn much about. This one is about Adam Talford, cousin of the notorious Saimon the Ice Giant, made popular in Andrews MARVELOUS "Kate Daniels" seriesMagic Bites (Kate Daniels, Book 1). Adam is a much different character than Saimon, in what I consider to be a good way. I have always felt somewhat sorry for Saimon, no matter what an ass he can be. He feels like a scared, broken creature, lacking in confidence and self love. Adam is a different character, more comfortable in his own skin. I would be happy to read more about him, if this mighty writing duo ever thinks to do so.
5 of 5 for character development and story line
Bigfoot on Campus - Jim Butcher:
OK, I love Jim Butcher's work. His Dresden filesStorm Front (The Dresden Files, Book 1) are creative, funny, and well worth a read at any time. Bigfoot On Campus is definitely one of the best of his short stories. Which is saying a lot, as all of his short stories are wonderful. Highly creative, with very likable (and very hateable) characters, this is one of my favorites. A newbie could certainly jump into the Dresden Files from this spot and get a good overview of just what a great series this is.
5 of 5 for interesting characters, and Butcher's unique style
Holly's Balm - Rachel Caine
I have to admit, I have only read one other of Rachel Caine's stories, "Death Warmed Over" in the anthology Strange Brew (2010). I really enjoyed that story, and absolutely enjoyed this one. Holly Anne is a strong resurrectionist witch, but still has to deal with a 9-5 as a paper pusher, just to make the bills. Especially since the testimony of resurrection corpses is no longer legal. Start with Strange Brew, then read this one, in order to keep the story line in order. Or not. Up to you. Still a wonderful addition to my anthology collection.
5 of 5 for continuing storyline, and a female heroine who is a working stiff
Snow Job by Carole Nelson Douglas
Carole Nelson Douglas is an author I never really had in my 'go to' list. No real reason, other than I just have a lot of really great authors on my list. Until, that is, I ran across Dancing with Werewolves: Delilah Street, Paranormal Investigator. Anyone who lives in a magical cottage from a movie set with a huge half wolf, half wolfhound, gets my attention! The series is now on my "must read" list, and will be, without a doubt, one of those series I read more than once. This short story is set later in the book series, so I almost wish I had waited to read it, but I don't regret it - much.
4.5 of 5 for being a bit lost in the storyline as I have only read the first book.
Outside the Box - by P.N. Elrod
Marsha Madinia Goldfarb. An interesting name for a witch, right? Well, a junior witch, with a lot to learn. Vampires are real in Miss Goldfarb's world, but we don't want the 'normals' to know that, now do we? All in all, I found this story to be cute, but not one of my favorites in the anthology. No real reason, it just didn't catch my interest as much as some of the others. You may very well find it one of your favorites of the whole book. Maybe just because I am sort of burned out on vampires? Hum, now that is a possibilities.
3 out of 5 for not being really all that entertaining
How Do You Feel? by Simon R. Green
Let's admit it-I much prefer stories with women heros. However, with Simon R. Green's and Jim Butcher's world building, I have to say this this story is probably my favorite in the whole anthology. This story focuses on one of the more fascinating (to me) characters in Green's Nightside. Dead Boy. You learn more about him, his history, why he is still walking around, and why he is one of the most fearsome of Green's characters from the Nightside. Awesome.
5 of 5 for all sorts of reasons
There Will Be Demons - Lori Handerland
I have never read any of Handerland's works. Won't go on my list. Even the good guys stab each other in the back, and the main character gets whored out by her boss? Meh.
1 out of 5 for the Skinwalker, the rest of it was boring
Cherry Kisses by Erica Hayes
Another story where the main female character has no redeeming qualities? I don't want to be her, don't want to know her, don't like her. No more Hayes for me, any more than Handerland.
1 out of 5 just because she does have chutzpah, even though I couldn't like her
The Arcane Art of Misdirection by Carrie Vaughn
This story gets points for being clever. A blackjack dealer in Las Vegas knows good and well that the person at her table is cheating, but doesn't know how. Bring in wizards, demons, and things that go bump in the night, and I had fun reading the story. I have to admit, I tried Vaughn's "Kitty" series Kitty and the Midnight Hour (Kitty Norville, Book 1), and was deeply unimpressed. I couldn't force myself to like Kitty or her world, but this story was clever.
3.5 out of 5 for creativity of storyline
So, here is a short anthology review of my take on this great anthology!
Retribution Clause by Illona Andrews:
What can I say? It is Illona Andrews, my favorite writing team. They are, in my own estimation, wonderful writers. I love that every time they do an anthology, they give a bit more on characters mentioned in their other works, but you never learn much about. This one is about Adam Talford, cousin of the notorious Saimon the Ice Giant, made popular in Andrews MARVELOUS "Kate Daniels" seriesMagic Bites (Kate Daniels, Book 1). Adam is a much different character than Saimon, in what I consider to be a good way. I have always felt somewhat sorry for Saimon, no matter what an ass he can be. He feels like a scared, broken creature, lacking in confidence and self love. Adam is a different character, more comfortable in his own skin. I would be happy to read more about him, if this mighty writing duo ever thinks to do so.
5 of 5 for character development and story line
Bigfoot on Campus - Jim Butcher:
OK, I love Jim Butcher's work. His Dresden filesStorm Front (The Dresden Files, Book 1) are creative, funny, and well worth a read at any time. Bigfoot On Campus is definitely one of the best of his short stories. Which is saying a lot, as all of his short stories are wonderful. Highly creative, with very likable (and very hateable) characters, this is one of my favorites. A newbie could certainly jump into the Dresden Files from this spot and get a good overview of just what a great series this is.
5 of 5 for interesting characters, and Butcher's unique style
Holly's Balm - Rachel Caine
I have to admit, I have only read one other of Rachel Caine's stories, "Death Warmed Over" in the anthology Strange Brew (2010). I really enjoyed that story, and absolutely enjoyed this one. Holly Anne is a strong resurrectionist witch, but still has to deal with a 9-5 as a paper pusher, just to make the bills. Especially since the testimony of resurrection corpses is no longer legal. Start with Strange Brew, then read this one, in order to keep the story line in order. Or not. Up to you. Still a wonderful addition to my anthology collection.
5 of 5 for continuing storyline, and a female heroine who is a working stiff
Snow Job by Carole Nelson Douglas
Carole Nelson Douglas is an author I never really had in my 'go to' list. No real reason, other than I just have a lot of really great authors on my list. Until, that is, I ran across Dancing with Werewolves: Delilah Street, Paranormal Investigator. Anyone who lives in a magical cottage from a movie set with a huge half wolf, half wolfhound, gets my attention! The series is now on my "must read" list, and will be, without a doubt, one of those series I read more than once. This short story is set later in the book series, so I almost wish I had waited to read it, but I don't regret it - much.
4.5 of 5 for being a bit lost in the storyline as I have only read the first book.
Outside the Box - by P.N. Elrod
Marsha Madinia Goldfarb. An interesting name for a witch, right? Well, a junior witch, with a lot to learn. Vampires are real in Miss Goldfarb's world, but we don't want the 'normals' to know that, now do we? All in all, I found this story to be cute, but not one of my favorites in the anthology. No real reason, it just didn't catch my interest as much as some of the others. You may very well find it one of your favorites of the whole book. Maybe just because I am sort of burned out on vampires? Hum, now that is a possibilities.
3 out of 5 for not being really all that entertaining
How Do You Feel? by Simon R. Green
Let's admit it-I much prefer stories with women heros. However, with Simon R. Green's and Jim Butcher's world building, I have to say this this story is probably my favorite in the whole anthology. This story focuses on one of the more fascinating (to me) characters in Green's Nightside. Dead Boy. You learn more about him, his history, why he is still walking around, and why he is one of the most fearsome of Green's characters from the Nightside. Awesome.
5 of 5 for all sorts of reasons
There Will Be Demons - Lori Handerland
I have never read any of Handerland's works. Won't go on my list. Even the good guys stab each other in the back, and the main character gets whored out by her boss? Meh.
1 out of 5 for the Skinwalker, the rest of it was boring
Cherry Kisses by Erica Hayes
Another story where the main female character has no redeeming qualities? I don't want to be her, don't want to know her, don't like her. No more Hayes for me, any more than Handerland.
1 out of 5 just because she does have chutzpah, even though I couldn't like her
The Arcane Art of Misdirection by Carrie Vaughn
This story gets points for being clever. A blackjack dealer in Las Vegas knows good and well that the person at her table is cheating, but doesn't know how. Bring in wizards, demons, and things that go bump in the night, and I had fun reading the story. I have to admit, I tried Vaughn's "Kitty" series Kitty and the Midnight Hour (Kitty Norville, Book 1), and was deeply unimpressed. I couldn't force myself to like Kitty or her world, but this story was clever.
3.5 out of 5 for creativity of storyline
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