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Beyond the Pale
(The Dresden Files #11.6 - Even Hand)
by
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Beyond the Pale is an anthology of fantasy, urban fantasy and paranormal stories that skirt the border between our world and others. Was that my imagination, or did I hear something under my bed? What was that blurred movement in my darkened closet? There is but a thin Veil separating the real and the fantastic, and therein dwell the inhabitants of these stories.
Beyond t ...more
Beyond t ...more
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Paperback, 230 pages
Published
July 7th 2014
by Birch Tree Publishing
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4.5 stars actually.
This is an absolutely fantastic collection of fantasy stories aimed at older Young Adults written by top-notch authors that all centre around the abstract theme of that thin veil that separates our world from the beyond. With most anthologies as a reader I always expect a mixed bag with perhaps a dud or two but Beyond the Pale is without exception the best collection of short stories I've read this year and this is my 10th. The stories range from great to excellent. Most of th ...more
This is an absolutely fantastic collection of fantasy stories aimed at older Young Adults written by top-notch authors that all centre around the abstract theme of that thin veil that separates our world from the beyond. With most anthologies as a reader I always expect a mixed bag with perhaps a dud or two but Beyond the Pale is without exception the best collection of short stories I've read this year and this is my 10th. The stories range from great to excellent. Most of th ...more

HOOVES AND THE HOVEL OF ABDEL JAMEELA ~ by Saladin Ahmed
Nope. Not for me...just couldn't get into it.
THE CHILDREN OF THE SHARK GOD ~ by Peter S. Beagle
I can't believe I stayed up late to finish this. I am sure this was all full of deeper meaning and shit, but fuck that shit that ending was boring. ...more
Nope. Not for me...just couldn't get into it.
THE CHILDREN OF THE SHARK GOD ~ by Peter S. Beagle
I can't believe I stayed up late to finish this. I am sure this was all full of deeper meaning and shit, but fuck that shit that ending was boring. ...more

Praise for Beyond the Pale includes:
"Beyond the Pale features a stellar, diverse line-up, brimming with talent and imagination."
- New York Times bestseller Jason Hough, author of The Darwin Elevator
"Magic truly exists in Beyond the Pale. These tales are at times elegant, witty, romantic, frightening, exciting and always entertaining. Highly recommended."
- New York Times bestseller Jonathan Maberry, author of Fall of Night and V-Wars
"Beyond the edge of fear and dread, shadows tell each other beau ...more
"Beyond the Pale features a stellar, diverse line-up, brimming with talent and imagination."
- New York Times bestseller Jason Hough, author of The Darwin Elevator
"Magic truly exists in Beyond the Pale. These tales are at times elegant, witty, romantic, frightening, exciting and always entertaining. Highly recommended."
- New York Times bestseller Jonathan Maberry, author of Fall of Night and V-Wars
"Beyond the edge of fear and dread, shadows tell each other beau ...more

I really enjoyed the stories in this collection. Varying supernatural PG 13 stories. Each story completely different from the next and very memorable. My personal favorite story was Misery by Heather Brewer, that one really caught my attention and made me think. Stories about Gods, ghosts, Magic and many more. Escaping danger and standing your ground. It is definitely something I would recommend you pick up. I found it very entertaining and really great stories. There are some very good writers
...more

I was delighted to receive an advance copy of this book in return for my honest opinion. First off, I have to say that I love fantasy and it has always been a favourite genre of mine. This book is a compilation of short stories, something I very seldom read. I was a little apprehensive but I'm glad I received this book and it has changed my opinion of short stories completely. I always thought of short stories as being too short to actually capture the mind or attention. I didn't feel that they
...more

http://www.mybookishways.com/2014/08/...
I didn’t skip around in this anthology (because I usually don’t, but that’s just me), and I think it works better that way. It’s a fantasy collection, with a line up that frankly, if you’re a fan of fantasy/urban fantasy, it should blow your socks right off. The ultra talented Saladin Ahmed kicks things off with “Hooves and the Hovel of Abdel Jameela” about a physicker that is asked for help by a supposed mountain hermit, and it’s nothing like he ever coul ...more
I didn’t skip around in this anthology (because I usually don’t, but that’s just me), and I think it works better that way. It’s a fantasy collection, with a line up that frankly, if you’re a fan of fantasy/urban fantasy, it should blow your socks right off. The ultra talented Saladin Ahmed kicks things off with “Hooves and the Hovel of Abdel Jameela” about a physicker that is asked for help by a supposed mountain hermit, and it’s nothing like he ever coul ...more

Cover:
It looks like the cover is hand drawn and that's a thing I really like! It looks like the woman is curious about something (going into the woods).
Content:
Every single story in this book is beyond awesome. Many different influences to the whole of the book. I have to be honest... I'm a fan of Gillian Philip since I read the two stories! Frost Child was ah-mazing!! <3 Also Red Run was pretty awesome, I was soo into the story that I would have love it to be a whole book. :D
All in all, every s ...more
It looks like the cover is hand drawn and that's a thing I really like! It looks like the woman is curious about something (going into the woods).
Content:
Every single story in this book is beyond awesome. Many different influences to the whole of the book. I have to be honest... I'm a fan of Gillian Philip since I read the two stories! Frost Child was ah-mazing!! <3 Also Red Run was pretty awesome, I was soo into the story that I would have love it to be a whole book. :D
All in all, every s ...more

A lot of variety in the stories! Everything from stuff with a mythological feel to a good ghost story. Definitely dark fantasy, although sometimes the dark bit was quite subtle and didn't really sink in until I reread a story. I felt that Saladin Ahmed and Peter S. Beagle produced the most beautiful stories, although my favorite is Gillian Phillip's South.
For the most part, its a consistently good, engaging anthology with stories I look forward to curling up with on nights when I can't sleep and ...more
For the most part, its a consistently good, engaging anthology with stories I look forward to curling up with on nights when I can't sleep and ...more

http://lynnsbooks.wordpress.com/2014/...
I was given an opportunity to take part in a book tour for Beyond the Pale and given the authors involved in this piece of work jumped at the chance. I love the way the book starts out with a definition of what the phrase ‘beyond the pale’ actually means – long story short it actually means to go beyond the boundaries of safety!! I like that. In fact the introduction got me off to a great start. Not to mention that cover. Just feast your eyes on it. It’s s ...more
I was given an opportunity to take part in a book tour for Beyond the Pale and given the authors involved in this piece of work jumped at the chance. I love the way the book starts out with a definition of what the phrase ‘beyond the pale’ actually means – long story short it actually means to go beyond the boundaries of safety!! I like that. In fact the introduction got me off to a great start. Not to mention that cover. Just feast your eyes on it. It’s s ...more

Overall an average 3ish rating.
Hooves and the Hovel of Abdel Jameela by Saladin Ahmed:
Not my cup of tea. I tried a few pages but couldn't get into it.
Children of the Shark God by Peter S. Beagle:
I'm not sure how to categorize this one. I haven't read any of his books before, but I've definitely heard about them. This story brings the classic moral-fairytale-esque idea and twists it all around for a completely original tale. There's something about the way he writes, like a true ancient storytel ...more
Hooves and the Hovel of Abdel Jameela by Saladin Ahmed:
Not my cup of tea. I tried a few pages but couldn't get into it.
Children of the Shark God by Peter S. Beagle:
I'm not sure how to categorize this one. I haven't read any of his books before, but I've definitely heard about them. This story brings the classic moral-fairytale-esque idea and twists it all around for a completely original tale. There's something about the way he writes, like a true ancient storytel ...more

The editor of this novel, Henry Herz, gave me a copy in exchange for participating in this blog tour.
I am a huge fan of “The Dresden Files” by Jim Butcher so when the editor of the piece approached me to write a review, that author was the one I was most looking forward to reading. I’d heard of some of the others but had never read them and wasn’t really interested in learning more about that work. Everything changed upon finishing this wonderfully laid out anthology. The stories leave readers w ...more
I am a huge fan of “The Dresden Files” by Jim Butcher so when the editor of the piece approached me to write a review, that author was the one I was most looking forward to reading. I’d heard of some of the others but had never read them and wasn’t really interested in learning more about that work. Everything changed upon finishing this wonderfully laid out anthology. The stories leave readers w ...more

Overall, not my kind of stories. A little too scary, and not enough mystery. The stories seemed fresh and original, however, if you like a bit of horror.
Saladin Ahmed - Hooves and the Hovel of Abdel Jameela. Creepy and a little frightening. Mostly just ugh.
Peter S. Beagle - The Children of the Shark God Imaginative, but i wasn't that into it.
Heather Brewer - Misery. a little scary and odd. Original.
Heather Brewer - Shadow Children. a very scary tale that explains why a night-light is important ...more
Saladin Ahmed - Hooves and the Hovel of Abdel Jameela. Creepy and a little frightening. Mostly just ugh.
Peter S. Beagle - The Children of the Shark God Imaginative, but i wasn't that into it.
Heather Brewer - Misery. a little scary and odd. Original.
Heather Brewer - Shadow Children. a very scary tale that explains why a night-light is important ...more

In exchange for a free Audible copy of Beyond the Pale, I'm writing this review.
Generally, I'm not a fan of horror, and I'm an occasional fan of the Thriller genre, but when I saw the line-up of authors, including Jane Yolen, the prolific children's author, I figured it was worth a listen. It started out slow for me, with the first story being rather confusing and lacking focus, but I warmed to the collection quickly. The stories range from paranormal romance to all-out ghost stories to dips in ...more
Generally, I'm not a fan of horror, and I'm an occasional fan of the Thriller genre, but when I saw the line-up of authors, including Jane Yolen, the prolific children's author, I figured it was worth a listen. It started out slow for me, with the first story being rather confusing and lacking focus, but I warmed to the collection quickly. The stories range from paranormal romance to all-out ghost stories to dips in ...more

Aug 11, 2014
Kayla Beck Kalnasy
rated it
really liked it
Shelves:
2014-read,
2014-release,
magic,
fantasy,
paranormal,
dystopia,
fairy-tale,
horror,
review-request,
post-apocalyptic
Review originally posted on Bibliophilia, Please.
I love love love to read short stories (the literary ones from college are my favorites!), but I don't think that I've ever reviewed an anthology. Since I was so intrigued by the authors and the premise of Beyond the Pale , I figured that I would give it a shot.
I have to be honest and say that I skipped some of the stories for various reasons. I know that Jim Butcher is everyone else's favorite here at Bibliophilia, Please, but I am yet to ...more
I love love love to read short stories (the literary ones from college are my favorites!), but I don't think that I've ever reviewed an anthology. Since I was so intrigued by the authors and the premise of Beyond the Pale , I figured that I would give it a shot.
I have to be honest and say that I skipped some of the stories for various reasons. I know that Jim Butcher is everyone else's favorite here at Bibliophilia, Please, but I am yet to ...more

Entertaining quirky and chilling
Loved the Jim Butcher tale best. I may never go without a night light again after reading about Fax & Jon's adventure. Vampire rats and mice made me chuckle too. ...more
Loved the Jim Butcher tale best. I may never go without a night light again after reading about Fax & Jon's adventure. Vampire rats and mice made me chuckle too. ...more

I've only read Even Hand by Jim Butcher.
Book 11.6 of the Dresden files.
Nice perspective, really different POV ...more
Book 11.6 of the Dresden files.
Nice perspective, really different POV ...more

Nice collection of diverse authors and their writings. Enjoyed reading pieces from some of my favorite authors and was introduced to some new authors I've not read before.
...more

I only read Even Hand, but it was a great story, loved seeing things from Marcone's perspective! Must read more of the series now!
...more

I have a soft spot for urban fantasy, and for scary or creepy stories. So when the chance to read this anthology came up, naturally it pushed all my buttons and therefore I jumped at it. It certainly didn’t hurt at all that one of the stories in the lineup is tied into my favourite urban fantasy series! Jim Butcher’s “Even Hand” is among my favourite of his Dresden Files short stories, and despite having read it before I enjoyed it just as much upon re-reading as I did the first time. Being told
...more

Hooves and the Hovel of Abdel Jameela by Saladin Ahmed was weird in parts. Creepy, intriguing and clever though. The slightly far-fetched gives a magical feel to it. 3/5
The Children of the Shark God by Peter S. Beagle is a story that you need to let your imagination go wild with. I do wish the Shark God reacted differently. 3/5
Misery by Heather Brewer was a miserable story. Misery wasn't just the name of the town, it was everywhere and in everything. Wasn't my thing though. 2/5
Shadow Children by ...more
The Children of the Shark God by Peter S. Beagle is a story that you need to let your imagination go wild with. I do wish the Shark God reacted differently. 3/5
Misery by Heather Brewer was a miserable story. Misery wasn't just the name of the town, it was everywhere and in everything. Wasn't my thing though. 2/5
Shadow Children by ...more

Like every anthology I've read, this collection included some stories I liked much more than others. However, in this particular collection there were no stories I disliked and I thought the majority of them were truly enjoyable. The first few stories read like fables and I didn't find them well developed or emotionally engaging. The third story was bland, poorly developed, and predictable. The last story was a funny retelling of Dracula but I didn't feel like the author brought much to it. I th
...more

3.5 STARS
While I did skip around when reading this collection, I don't think it made much difference to my review. Basically the only thing that tied the stories all together is that they all have some supernatural element. A couple I couldn't get into at all, but there were some standouts for me.
"Misery" by Heather Brewer--In this very short story set in a world of grey, Alek is dismayed when he finds out he will not be receiving his special gift. But once he realizes what the gift is, he may c ...more
While I did skip around when reading this collection, I don't think it made much difference to my review. Basically the only thing that tied the stories all together is that they all have some supernatural element. A couple I couldn't get into at all, but there were some standouts for me.
"Misery" by Heather Brewer--In this very short story set in a world of grey, Alek is dismayed when he finds out he will not be receiving his special gift. But once he realizes what the gift is, he may c ...more

I started this assuming it was an anthology of similar stories and then had to go back and re-read the intro to discover.. there is really nothing to connect these stories in any way. They've just all got some sort of fantasy element and an award winning/NT Best selling writer. That's about it.
Also a little disconcerting that a few of the stories are connected to other works, like Jim Butcher's story is connected to his Harry Dresden series and another acts as a prequel to a book, so if you have ...more
Also a little disconcerting that a few of the stories are connected to other works, like Jim Butcher's story is connected to his Harry Dresden series and another acts as a prequel to a book, so if you have ...more

This was a very enjoyable collection of stories set in the fantasy realm. One of the things I really appreciate about short story compilations is that they introduce me to a lot of authors. I'd been wanting to check out Saladin Ahmed for some time; I now have been introduced to at least a glimpse of his style. I liked it, will definitely check out more. I also thoroughly enjoyed discovering Heather Brewer and Rachel Caine. And, of course, the main reason I purchased this book was that it feature
...more

I have to admit that I bought this only because Jim Butcher was in it as I'm an avid fan of Dresden Files, but plenty of times before I ended up discovering a good author through an anthology, so I gave it a try.
I have mixed feelings about this; some of the stories, in particular Gillian Philip's, were to me breathtaking — I have added Firebrand to my wishlist. Others fell short, way short.
I really have not enjoyed Pale Rider — it feels hurried up, even for a short story, and there is way too mu ...more
I have mixed feelings about this; some of the stories, in particular Gillian Philip's, were to me breathtaking — I have added Firebrand to my wishlist. Others fell short, way short.
I really have not enjoyed Pale Rider — it feels hurried up, even for a short story, and there is way too mu ...more
topics | posts | views | last activity | |
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Paranormal Romanc...: Giveaway of SIGNED copies of BEYOND THE PALE | 2 | 20 | Sep 03, 2014 10:54AM | |
The Perks Of Bein...: Giveaway of SIGNED copies of BEYOND THE PALE | 3 | 14 | Sep 03, 2014 07:34AM | |
Urban Fantasy: Giveaway of SIGNED copies of BEYOND THE PALE | 1 | 7 | Sep 03, 2014 07:31AM | |
Fantasy Book Central: Giveaway of SIGNED copies of BEYOND THE PALE | 1 | 2 | Sep 03, 2014 07:27AM | |
Paranormal Romanc...: Giveaway of SIGNED copies of BEYOND THE PALE | 1 | 9 | Sep 03, 2014 07:08AM | |
Children's Books: Seeking Reviewers/Raters for YA dark fantasy anthology | 2 | 7 | Jul 13, 2014 08:22AM | |
Indie Authors Mon...: New dark fantasy/paranormal anthology of amazing authors, Beyond the Pale | 1 | 7 | Jul 13, 2014 08:06AM |
Henry Herz writes fiction and creative nonfiction for children. He authored MONSTER GOOSE NURSERY RHYMES (Pelican, 2015; Best Picture Book at SoCal SCBWI Editor's Day), WHEN YOU GIVE AN IMP A PENNY (Pelican, 2016), MABEL AND THE QUEEN OF DREAMS (Schiffer, 2016; Finalist, Foreword Indies Best Picture Book), LITTLE RED CUTTLEFISH (Pelican, 2016), CAP'N REX & HIS CLEVER CREW (Sterling, 2017), GOOD EG
...more
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