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Villains, Inc
For too long, heroes have gotten all the attention. But the glory doesn't always go the presumed good guys. From super villains and anti-heroes to thieves and monsters, these stories focus on the baddies long overdue for a chance in the spotlight. When Shadows Touch Mountains by Helena Maeve Strait of Monsters by Stephanie Rabig Famished by Cassandra Pierce Vinc by Michelle Chow Good Things Come by Sumi Mandelbrot by A. D. Truax
- GenresLGBTShort Stories
344 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
June 1, 2016
I'm usually not a fan of anthologies, because it's hard to keep the quality of the stories and it's almost impossible for a reader to enjoy every one of them. There will always be better stories and worse stories, and I don't know if i'm ok with that.
I'm sure glad you asked, Lieutenant.
Let me start with telling you that when I read about this book I was delighted! Short stories on villains? Count me in.
When Shadows Touch Mountains - 4/5
I actually enjoyed this story and I'm glad it was the first one because it made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
There was no real connection between the characters, but it was still nice.
I loved the twist on Camelot/Avalon story.
Strait of Monsters - 2/5
It wasn't VERY bad but it wasn't good really.
I liked the trans main character, but that's pretty much all. Again, there was no connection between the chcracters and when the story ended I was just thinking why on Earth it ended like that. There was no sense whatsoever.
Famished - 2/5
I would have given this story 3 stars if there wasn't a summary at the beggining of it. The summary was very detailed and had a description of the ENDING. Well, thank you for that.
The story itself was interesting, even if the language used in it was outdated. Come on, who speaks like that? What is it, XIX century?? I know that the author wanted to show how sophicticated was Elwyn, but HELLO!
Vinc - 1/5
I have one word for you: were-salamander.
Enough said.
Good Things Come - 1/5
The worst story in the entire book. And it says a lot if THIS was worse that pryromariac were-salamander story.
There was no plot whatoever except of very detailed sex scenes. I'm, cool with sex scenes, but come on, give me something! A plotline! Emotion! Something!
The main character was so annoying I felt like slapping him (and I don't mean it in a fun kinky way). I have no idea why would he ever come back to Jeff? Why would he risk everything for a dude he met like 5 minutes ago. Insta-love (or maybe insta-lust) at its finest.
The ending is just preposterous. Please, don't make me explain.
Mandelbrot - 4/5
I enjoyed this story VERY much. I loved the superhero/villain twist.
Extra point for properly self-recongizing (is that even a word? or did I just make it up?) Stockholm syndrome.
I loved the connection the characters had, I enjoyed their interactions very much. They grew and developed, which is always appreciated.
The one thing that bothered me, was the name of the Villain. He has this Polish name - Lew. Ok, first of all, what is he? 70? I know no one under that age with that name. Besides it's not Polish name, really. Russian maybe. Or Ukrainian. Then, he had this huge problem with picking his villain name. I have a resolution for you. You know what "lew" means? Lion. Here you are - The Lion, The Storm Lion. Easy as that. Everything would be better than Maldelbrot (which was very witty nontheless).
Overall, I didn't particulary enjoyed that book (with the exception of 2 stories, well ok, 2.5) so I can't possibly give it more than 2 stars.
I had high expectiations, but I felt like I was hoping for getting Anne Rice and got Stephenie Meyer instead.
Oh, and just so you know - there are some nice sexytimes scenes, so if you're gay hating person, then this book is not for you and don't bother picking it up.
I received this book form the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I'm sure glad you asked, Lieutenant.
Let me start with telling you that when I read about this book I was delighted! Short stories on villains? Count me in.
When Shadows Touch Mountains - 4/5
I actually enjoyed this story and I'm glad it was the first one because it made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
There was no real connection between the characters, but it was still nice.
I loved the twist on Camelot/Avalon story.
Strait of Monsters - 2/5
It wasn't VERY bad but it wasn't good really.
I liked the trans main character, but that's pretty much all. Again, there was no connection between the chcracters and when the story ended I was just thinking why on Earth it ended like that. There was no sense whatsoever.
Famished - 2/5
I would have given this story 3 stars if there wasn't a summary at the beggining of it. The summary was very detailed and had a description of the ENDING. Well, thank you for that.
The story itself was interesting, even if the language used in it was outdated. Come on, who speaks like that? What is it, XIX century?? I know that the author wanted to show how sophicticated was Elwyn, but HELLO!
Vinc - 1/5
I have one word for you: were-salamander.
Enough said.
Good Things Come - 1/5
The worst story in the entire book. And it says a lot if THIS was worse that pryromariac were-salamander story.
There was no plot whatoever except of very detailed sex scenes. I'm, cool with sex scenes, but come on, give me something! A plotline! Emotion! Something!
The main character was so annoying I felt like slapping him (and I don't mean it in a fun kinky way). I have no idea why would he ever come back to Jeff? Why would he risk everything for a dude he met like 5 minutes ago. Insta-love (or maybe insta-lust) at its finest.
The ending is just preposterous. Please, don't make me explain.
Mandelbrot - 4/5
I enjoyed this story VERY much. I loved the superhero/villain twist.
Extra point for properly self-recongizing (is that even a word? or did I just make it up?) Stockholm syndrome.
I loved the connection the characters had, I enjoyed their interactions very much. They grew and developed, which is always appreciated.
The one thing that bothered me, was the name of the Villain. He has this Polish name - Lew. Ok, first of all, what is he? 70? I know no one under that age with that name. Besides it's not Polish name, really. Russian maybe. Or Ukrainian. Then, he had this huge problem with picking his villain name. I have a resolution for you. You know what "lew" means? Lion. Here you are - The Lion, The Storm Lion. Easy as that. Everything would be better than Maldelbrot (which was very witty nontheless).
Overall, I didn't particulary enjoyed that book (with the exception of 2 stories, well ok, 2.5) so I can't possibly give it more than 2 stars.
I had high expectiations, but I felt like I was hoping for getting Anne Rice and got Stephenie Meyer instead.
Oh, and just so you know - there are some nice sexytimes scenes, so if you're gay hating person, then this book is not for you and don't bother picking it up.
I received this book form the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
January 15, 2019
Galley provided by publisher
Rep: wlw and mlm characters, trans characters, non-white characters
Overall rating is averaged from individual ratings
When Shadows Touch Mountains by Helena Maeve ★★★★
This was a solid one to start the anthology off with. It's basically the story of King Arthur, or part of it, but with the reader seeing things from the side of Mordred. It's told from the point of view of Kirth, a man who killed his father and was handed over to a slaver, who subsequently hands him over to Mordred in an attempt to gain favour.
This is one of those ones that works very well as a short story. It felt a bit like a snippet of a longer story, and my one big issue with it was that it wasn't longer. It could easily be a whole book in itself (which I would happily read...).
There was one point where the skip between locations seemed a little abrupt, and there could have been something spent on the time in between, but that was about the only part where I felt it could have been improved.
I loved the inclusion of polyamory, too. It was a nice departure from all the monogamous relationships, and also a great way to avoid those pesky love triangles.
Strait of Monsters by Stephanie Rabig ★★★
More like 2.5.
To be honest, I was a little bored by this one. It told the story of Chryssa, a member of a crew who's ship gets wrecked by Scylla and Charybdis, and who ends up surviving after she is marooned on Medusa's island. Here, she falls in love with Medusa, and decides to stay. That's about all there is to the plot - minus the bit where Perseus shows up to try kill Medusa, and then Chryssa and Medusa fly off on Pegasus to save Andromeda.
I'm not entirely sure what it was lacking for me, though perhaps the characters were a bit flat and unrealistic. I did love that Chryssa was trans though, there is that.
Famished by Cassandra Pierce ★★
This one was just plain weird. There was this house with a basement of dead monks' ghosts who ate people and the owner of the house was perfectly willing (with the help of his creepy butler) to feed them. Until someone he's attracted to shows up at which point he's like hell no.
Again, it was kind of boring and the writing wasn't great. The clubbing scene was kind of strange, and almost didn't fit with the rest of the story. Also, Clive's "big secret" wasn't actually that shocking in the context of the story. I mean, what's one poxy little murder when your boyfriend regularly feeds people to ghosts?
There was also a stifling case of instalove, made even worse by the fact that it's a short story. And the scene where Clive confesses he's gay, he brings it up by saying "I'm not like other blokes...". Sorry to break it to you, bud, but you're not that special.
Then also, this line: "Clive went on hunching his hips and massaging Blaylock's silky throat muscles."
Vinc by Michelle Chow ★★★
Never did I think I would somewhat enjoy a story about a weresalamander, but here I am, proven wrong. It's a little light on the plot, but it was nice to see that there is no instalove whatsoever (thank you, thank you). All that happens is that they start dating, which is loads more realistic than most stories.
I thought perhaps that this story needed a little more context in it as well, because it's light on that too. Like, why are people suddenly becoming infected with this were-virus? Where did it come from?
There was also a magical mystical know-it-all vet, who told the main character to "find his anchor". Teen Wolf much?
Good Things by Sumi ★
This is by far the worst story of the whole anthology. It was about an incubus who suddenly realises that women don't do it for him, he's in fact gay. Which would be OK, but the whole incubus/succubus thing is steeped in dubious consent, and that made this story very uncomfortable.
The whole Erigus/Jeff thing is gross. For one, it's hugely dubious consent, bordering on rape almost, and Jeff does bring that up at one point, but it's never mentioned again. Erigus spends a whole scene mocking Jeff still being a virgin, and the fact that he has a girlfriend even though he's gay. And then, he offers to take Jeff to Hell to be with him forever (which he eventually does to once Jeff's girlfriend-now-wife dies because why not). Just generally, it's pretty messed up.
There's also some pretty dubious comments about Jeff's ethnicity like: "Erigus liked fucking Asian guys because they usually had barely any hair." and "I'm a total lightweight. Asian." O-k-a-y.
Mandelbrot by A. D. Truax ★★★★★
This one was by far my favourite of the whole anthology. It's about Evander, the secret boyfriend of the city's hero, who keeps getting kidnapped by the "villain" who actually just wants to get the hero's attention but it's not working. It reminds me quite a lot of Hero by Perry Moore, which is a great book, and a Disney/Pixar film I can't recall the name of, and probably this story rescues the anthology for me.
Again, it works well as a short story, but equally feels like it could be a longer story too. The characters are great, and the plot is just right for a short story - it doesn't try to fit too much in, but also doesn't skimp on it. I would say, read this anthology just for this story, because it's one of the (few) highlights.
Rep: wlw and mlm characters, trans characters, non-white characters
Overall rating is averaged from individual ratings
When Shadows Touch Mountains by Helena Maeve ★★★★
This was a solid one to start the anthology off with. It's basically the story of King Arthur, or part of it, but with the reader seeing things from the side of Mordred. It's told from the point of view of Kirth, a man who killed his father and was handed over to a slaver, who subsequently hands him over to Mordred in an attempt to gain favour.
This is one of those ones that works very well as a short story. It felt a bit like a snippet of a longer story, and my one big issue with it was that it wasn't longer. It could easily be a whole book in itself (which I would happily read...).
There was one point where the skip between locations seemed a little abrupt, and there could have been something spent on the time in between, but that was about the only part where I felt it could have been improved.
I loved the inclusion of polyamory, too. It was a nice departure from all the monogamous relationships, and also a great way to avoid those pesky love triangles.
Strait of Monsters by Stephanie Rabig ★★★
More like 2.5.
To be honest, I was a little bored by this one. It told the story of Chryssa, a member of a crew who's ship gets wrecked by Scylla and Charybdis, and who ends up surviving after she is marooned on Medusa's island. Here, she falls in love with Medusa, and decides to stay. That's about all there is to the plot - minus the bit where Perseus shows up to try kill Medusa, and then Chryssa and Medusa fly off on Pegasus to save Andromeda.
I'm not entirely sure what it was lacking for me, though perhaps the characters were a bit flat and unrealistic. I did love that Chryssa was trans though, there is that.
Famished by Cassandra Pierce ★★
This one was just plain weird. There was this house with a basement of dead monks' ghosts who ate people and the owner of the house was perfectly willing (with the help of his creepy butler) to feed them. Until someone he's attracted to shows up at which point he's like hell no.
Again, it was kind of boring and the writing wasn't great. The clubbing scene was kind of strange, and almost didn't fit with the rest of the story. Also, Clive's "big secret" wasn't actually that shocking in the context of the story. I mean, what's one poxy little murder when your boyfriend regularly feeds people to ghosts?
There was also a stifling case of instalove, made even worse by the fact that it's a short story. And the scene where Clive confesses he's gay, he brings it up by saying "I'm not like other blokes...". Sorry to break it to you, bud, but you're not that special.
Then also, this line: "Clive went on hunching his hips and massaging Blaylock's silky throat muscles."
Vinc by Michelle Chow ★★★
Never did I think I would somewhat enjoy a story about a weresalamander, but here I am, proven wrong. It's a little light on the plot, but it was nice to see that there is no instalove whatsoever (thank you, thank you). All that happens is that they start dating, which is loads more realistic than most stories.
I thought perhaps that this story needed a little more context in it as well, because it's light on that too. Like, why are people suddenly becoming infected with this were-virus? Where did it come from?
There was also a magical mystical know-it-all vet, who told the main character to "find his anchor". Teen Wolf much?
Good Things by Sumi ★
This is by far the worst story of the whole anthology. It was about an incubus who suddenly realises that women don't do it for him, he's in fact gay. Which would be OK, but the whole incubus/succubus thing is steeped in dubious consent, and that made this story very uncomfortable.
The whole Erigus/Jeff thing is gross. For one, it's hugely dubious consent, bordering on rape almost, and Jeff does bring that up at one point, but it's never mentioned again. Erigus spends a whole scene mocking Jeff still being a virgin, and the fact that he has a girlfriend even though he's gay. And then, he offers to take Jeff to Hell to be with him forever (which he eventually does to once Jeff's girlfriend-now-wife dies because why not). Just generally, it's pretty messed up.
There's also some pretty dubious comments about Jeff's ethnicity like: "Erigus liked fucking Asian guys because they usually had barely any hair." and "I'm a total lightweight. Asian." O-k-a-y.
Mandelbrot by A. D. Truax ★★★★★
This one was by far my favourite of the whole anthology. It's about Evander, the secret boyfriend of the city's hero, who keeps getting kidnapped by the "villain" who actually just wants to get the hero's attention but it's not working. It reminds me quite a lot of Hero by Perry Moore, which is a great book, and a Disney/Pixar film I can't recall the name of, and probably this story rescues the anthology for me.
Again, it works well as a short story, but equally feels like it could be a longer story too. The characters are great, and the plot is just right for a short story - it doesn't try to fit too much in, but also doesn't skimp on it. I would say, read this anthology just for this story, because it's one of the (few) highlights.
August 7, 2016
I received this book through NetGalley and Less Than Three Press in exchange for an honest review
This book is a collection of short stories written by different people, so, instead of reviewing it as a whole, I'll be reviewing them story-by-story.
Overall, the quality of this collection was incredibly poor. Issues with the stories ranged from relationships that straddled the line between obligation and actually wanting to be in the relationship to flat out rape. I only enjoyed two of the six stories (Strait of Monsters and Mandelbrot), which were the only ones with decent writing and a good plot. I also think it's ridiculous that there is only one story where there are women loving women- it makes the rest of the stories seem like they're attempting to fetishize gay men (considering the sheer amount of sexual content in the collection, and the lack of consent, this isn't exactly unlikely).
When Shadows Touch Mountains: 2/5 stars
[Shelves: arthurian legend, classism, erotica, fast track romance, historical fiction, internalized homophobia, lgbtq, ok writing bad plot, unhealthy relationships, unnecessary prose, world building, mlm]
There's something that just doesn't... sit right with me with this tale. The writing isn't that good- it's rife with grammatical and spelling errors and there's so many male characters that it doesn't even pass the Bechdel test. On top of that, . Could've been good, but the random erotica at the end of it had me rolling my eyes... Next.
Strait of Monsters: 4/5 stars
[Shelves: lgbtq, trans characters, mythology, beautiful characterization, wlw]
In all honesty, I was really ready to give up on this collection of stories... This one definitely repaired my faith- trans woman main character in a relationship with Medusa, topped with mythology interpretation??? This one hooked me back in again, and I'd go as far to say that it's maybe the best in the collection.
Famished: 1/5 stars
[Shelves: you're better off not reading this, fast track romance, bad writing bad plot, unnecessary prose, mlm]
You know this is bad when it made me almost drop the entire collection. It's just so long and nothing of substance actually happens- you just get tired of reading purple prose with nothing concrete to back it up.
Vinc: 2/5
[Shelves: tell not show, casual misogyny, addiction, bad writing bad plot, world building, mlm]
Got gay in the last 2% of the story, and the rest of it wasn't too great either. It had me worried that the whole weresalamander thing was just gonna be a metaphor for being gay, which isn't something I should have to worry about. Awful, and not even in a hilarious way.
Good Things: 2/5
[Shelves: erotica, pedophilia {not central, but mentioned/discussed}, slutshaming, explicit sexual assault {sleeping characters cannot consent}, good writing bad plot, mlm, homophobia {against the main character}, asian characters, hypersexualization of gay people]
You know what, the writing for this was actually pretty good. It was very explicit and very uncomfortable but I mean, this is a book about queer characters so I kinda expected the hypersexualization at some point. The thing that made it unbearable, though, was the sheer amount of rape in it- and it's explicitly stated to be rape, so there's no dodging the question! The whole concept of incubi could've been executed without the rape if only they asked before the sex (and that's even more in line with the mythos!). -2 for the constant rape, -1 star for the incubus talking about a little girl hitting puberty and explicitly talking about raping her.
Mandelbrot: 5/5
[Shelves: heroes, mlm, good writing good plot, casual misogyny {not shown in a positive light}, unhealthy relationships]
Okay, so this is one of two stories that I wholeheartedly enjoyed. Honestly, the 'villain falls in love with superhero's love interest because the hero is a douchebag' premise is the one way straight to my heart (or... not so straight, if I'm joking around). I loved Lew, I loved Evander, and I wanted to kick George in the throat. I probably would've been more satisfied with this story if it was a 300 page novel though.
This book is a collection of short stories written by different people, so, instead of reviewing it as a whole, I'll be reviewing them story-by-story.
Overall, the quality of this collection was incredibly poor. Issues with the stories ranged from relationships that straddled the line between obligation and actually wanting to be in the relationship to flat out rape. I only enjoyed two of the six stories (Strait of Monsters and Mandelbrot), which were the only ones with decent writing and a good plot. I also think it's ridiculous that there is only one story where there are women loving women- it makes the rest of the stories seem like they're attempting to fetishize gay men (considering the sheer amount of sexual content in the collection, and the lack of consent, this isn't exactly unlikely).
When Shadows Touch Mountains: 2/5 stars
[Shelves: arthurian legend, classism, erotica, fast track romance, historical fiction, internalized homophobia, lgbtq, ok writing bad plot, unhealthy relationships, unnecessary prose, world building, mlm]
There's something that just doesn't... sit right with me with this tale. The writing isn't that good- it's rife with grammatical and spelling errors and there's so many male characters that it doesn't even pass the Bechdel test. On top of that, . Could've been good, but the random erotica at the end of it had me rolling my eyes... Next.
Strait of Monsters: 4/5 stars
[Shelves: lgbtq, trans characters, mythology, beautiful characterization, wlw]
In all honesty, I was really ready to give up on this collection of stories... This one definitely repaired my faith- trans woman main character in a relationship with Medusa, topped with mythology interpretation??? This one hooked me back in again, and I'd go as far to say that it's maybe the best in the collection.
Famished: 1/5 stars
[Shelves: you're better off not reading this, fast track romance, bad writing bad plot, unnecessary prose, mlm]
You know this is bad when it made me almost drop the entire collection. It's just so long and nothing of substance actually happens- you just get tired of reading purple prose with nothing concrete to back it up.
Vinc: 2/5
[Shelves: tell not show, casual misogyny, addiction, bad writing bad plot, world building, mlm]
Got gay in the last 2% of the story, and the rest of it wasn't too great either. It had me worried that the whole weresalamander thing was just gonna be a metaphor for being gay, which isn't something I should have to worry about. Awful, and not even in a hilarious way.
Good Things: 2/5
[Shelves: erotica, pedophilia {not central, but mentioned/discussed}, slutshaming, explicit sexual assault {sleeping characters cannot consent}, good writing bad plot, mlm, homophobia {against the main character}, asian characters, hypersexualization of gay people]
You know what, the writing for this was actually pretty good. It was very explicit and very uncomfortable but I mean, this is a book about queer characters so I kinda expected the hypersexualization at some point. The thing that made it unbearable, though, was the sheer amount of rape in it- and it's explicitly stated to be rape, so there's no dodging the question! The whole concept of incubi could've been executed without the rape if only they asked before the sex (and that's even more in line with the mythos!). -2 for the constant rape, -1 star for the incubus talking about a little girl hitting puberty and explicitly talking about raping her.
Mandelbrot: 5/5
[Shelves: heroes, mlm, good writing good plot, casual misogyny {not shown in a positive light}, unhealthy relationships]
Okay, so this is one of two stories that I wholeheartedly enjoyed. Honestly, the 'villain falls in love with superhero's love interest because the hero is a douchebag' premise is the one way straight to my heart (or... not so straight, if I'm joking around). I loved Lew, I loved Evander, and I wanted to kick George in the throat. I probably would've been more satisfied with this story if it was a 300 page novel though.
June 30, 2016
Villains Inc. is an anthology all about the bad guys…and the people who end up falling in love with them. Drawn from ancient myth, Gothic tradition, and even comic book stories, these six short tales let the dark side get their turn at telling their side.
When Shadows Touch Mountains by Helena Maeve — 3.5 stars
Kirth, put in chains for the murder of his father, is sold to Mordred by a man seeking favor with the conquering warrior and son of the king of Camelot. In the service of this villain Kirth finds himself witnessing a man of undeniable attraction, but also cold demeanor. Along with Modred’s Captain, Kirth is drawn deeper into the war for Camelot, and for its Black King-to-be.
While this was a very well written short story, I admit that my overall dislike of all things Arthurian made it not as enjoyable for me as it will probably be for others. I did like that the author did not pull back from showing the less than moral righteousness of Mordred, but also at the same time made him a very compelling character. You kinda end up hating how much you like him by the end. And telling the story thru Kirth’s pov kept me from turning my back on the story from sheer dislike of the other main characters. He brings a humanity to the story that is essential. Had this not been about Arthur and Camelot and so forth it probably would have got a higher rating, but it was still good despite my dislike of the source material.
Strait of Monsters by Stephanie Rabig — 3.5 stars
Set in the land of Greek myths and monsters, this story is about a young woman, Chryssa. After having trusted a friend with the secret that she was really a woman–and having been betrayed–Chryssa leaves her life in the hands of fate by jumping off the boat where she has been employed…before she is forcibly thrown off. But while she escapes with her life, the island where she finds shelter is hardly safe. As it is home to Medusa and her stony gaze.
Arthurian legends and now Greek mythology. Wow, I must have pissed the gods off somehow. Well…like the previous story in this anthology, I do not have much bad to say about the content of the story itself. It is just the source material being high on my list of things I could happily live my life without having to read about…again. There was some confusion in the beginning in regards to pronouns, but once I figured out the character was trans it all made sense. This one was a bit less kill-y than the first story, which I appreciated, but still had a villain worth her salt to keep it interesting. So far the writing of these stories has been really good, so I am looking forward to what comes next.
(Though if it is about a dystonia future or a emo-vampire I might just cry.)
Famished by Cassandra Pierce — 4.25 stars
Not all books are harmless…especially those in Baylock’s Abbey. From father to son, for nearly 500 years, the caretaking of the Abbey has belonged to Baylock’s family. But there is a dark secret in the walls of the Abbey. One that is still deadly all these years on.
Well. That certainly wasn’t a story to read at midnight, in the dark, with bastard cats ready to pounce on you at just the right moment (yes, yes, that unholy shriek was me). In the vein of many a Gothic horror story, this short was a right good blend of creepy and mysterious. With a bit of ill-timed romance just for the hell of it. Despite my desire to never turn off the lights again, I must say that i really enjoyed this one.
I did find the tone it was written in kinda off though. For a while I didn’t even realize that it was taking place in our current time, and not, say, at the end of the 19th century.
Vinc by Michelle Chow — 2.5 stars
Tyler has a bit of a problem…that is becoming a bigger problem by the day. And if he is not careful, his problem could very well end up burning the city to ash–if only to see it burn. But what is a were-salamander to do, when fire is in his very blood?
While I certainly liked the premise of this story, the execution was a bit off. The heavy reliance on exposition meant the dialogue felt clunky, and it tripped up the flow of the story itself. By the end I couldn’t help feel that this was a much bigger story crammed into such a small space that it was strangling itself at every turn. A lot of plot points were glossed over, and the climax fizzled. Had the characters been given ample time to grow into themselves, I could have seen myself really enjoying this, but as it was it felt underdone and half finished. Not to mention that trying to shoehorn the romance in at the eleventh hour did not make any sense at all.
Good Things Come by Sumi — 1.5 stars
Erigus is an incubus stuck in a dead-end job, with an eternity of boredom stretched out before him. That is until his best friend, and succubus, drags him out on one of her jobs and his eyes are opened to a whole new world of devilish delight.
Yeah…nope. So very much nope. Starting off, I’ve read too many versions of the incubus-finds-love story to find this plot interesting. There just wasn’t enough here to make the trope feel fresh. Plus I was a little leery of the way it (probably accidentally) tied “childlike” and “sexy” together in several sentences. I think it was going for the whole corruption of innocence feel…but the author really should have thought thru that word choice a bit longer because it came off a bit icky. And I don’t care if these are bad guys, I really don’t want to read icky.
And speaking of word choices…let’s just say that I find the word “pussy” to be kinda nauseating. And this story uses it. A lot. It pretty much put a definite end to any sexy thoughts I might have had, from practically the first page. I’m really not someone who enjoys reading about pointless and meaningless sex, to begin with, so this story and I were doomed from the beginning. But the bland characterizations and scattered plot, didn’t help matters either.
Mandelbrot by A. D. — 4.5 stars
Lew is the new villain in town, and he intends to take down the reigning superhero and usher in a new era to the city. He just has to get the hero’s attention. Which is why he kidnaps the guy’s boyfriend. That’s bound to work wonders. Except the hero seems to not notice that his lover, Evander, has been kidnapped. Highly inconvenient–for both Lew and Evander.
Yes. This is pretty much what I was hoping for when I picked up this anthology to review. I really loved this short, and thought the whole superhero mythos of this universe gave a fresh spin to an already flourishing sub-genre. Had several of the other stories in this book done such a good job at building up a world and characters that were as instantly entertaining, I would have been absolutely thrilled with this book.
While I wouldn’t say this story made reading the whole bunch worth it, it certainly left me on a high note and that is greatly appreciated. I found Lew and Evander very well written. And that whole elevator scene o’ tension was electrifying. I’ll definitely be keeping my eye out for more by this author.
This book was provided free in exchange for a fair and honest review for Love Bytes. Go there to check out other reviews, author interviews, and all those awesome giveaways. Click below.
When Shadows Touch Mountains by Helena Maeve — 3.5 stars
Kirth, put in chains for the murder of his father, is sold to Mordred by a man seeking favor with the conquering warrior and son of the king of Camelot. In the service of this villain Kirth finds himself witnessing a man of undeniable attraction, but also cold demeanor. Along with Modred’s Captain, Kirth is drawn deeper into the war for Camelot, and for its Black King-to-be.
While this was a very well written short story, I admit that my overall dislike of all things Arthurian made it not as enjoyable for me as it will probably be for others. I did like that the author did not pull back from showing the less than moral righteousness of Mordred, but also at the same time made him a very compelling character. You kinda end up hating how much you like him by the end. And telling the story thru Kirth’s pov kept me from turning my back on the story from sheer dislike of the other main characters. He brings a humanity to the story that is essential. Had this not been about Arthur and Camelot and so forth it probably would have got a higher rating, but it was still good despite my dislike of the source material.
Strait of Monsters by Stephanie Rabig — 3.5 stars
Set in the land of Greek myths and monsters, this story is about a young woman, Chryssa. After having trusted a friend with the secret that she was really a woman–and having been betrayed–Chryssa leaves her life in the hands of fate by jumping off the boat where she has been employed…before she is forcibly thrown off. But while she escapes with her life, the island where she finds shelter is hardly safe. As it is home to Medusa and her stony gaze.
Arthurian legends and now Greek mythology. Wow, I must have pissed the gods off somehow. Well…like the previous story in this anthology, I do not have much bad to say about the content of the story itself. It is just the source material being high on my list of things I could happily live my life without having to read about…again. There was some confusion in the beginning in regards to pronouns, but once I figured out the character was trans it all made sense. This one was a bit less kill-y than the first story, which I appreciated, but still had a villain worth her salt to keep it interesting. So far the writing of these stories has been really good, so I am looking forward to what comes next.
(Though if it is about a dystonia future or a emo-vampire I might just cry.)
Famished by Cassandra Pierce — 4.25 stars
Not all books are harmless…especially those in Baylock’s Abbey. From father to son, for nearly 500 years, the caretaking of the Abbey has belonged to Baylock’s family. But there is a dark secret in the walls of the Abbey. One that is still deadly all these years on.
Well. That certainly wasn’t a story to read at midnight, in the dark, with bastard cats ready to pounce on you at just the right moment (yes, yes, that unholy shriek was me). In the vein of many a Gothic horror story, this short was a right good blend of creepy and mysterious. With a bit of ill-timed romance just for the hell of it. Despite my desire to never turn off the lights again, I must say that i really enjoyed this one.
I did find the tone it was written in kinda off though. For a while I didn’t even realize that it was taking place in our current time, and not, say, at the end of the 19th century.
Vinc by Michelle Chow — 2.5 stars
Tyler has a bit of a problem…that is becoming a bigger problem by the day. And if he is not careful, his problem could very well end up burning the city to ash–if only to see it burn. But what is a were-salamander to do, when fire is in his very blood?
While I certainly liked the premise of this story, the execution was a bit off. The heavy reliance on exposition meant the dialogue felt clunky, and it tripped up the flow of the story itself. By the end I couldn’t help feel that this was a much bigger story crammed into such a small space that it was strangling itself at every turn. A lot of plot points were glossed over, and the climax fizzled. Had the characters been given ample time to grow into themselves, I could have seen myself really enjoying this, but as it was it felt underdone and half finished. Not to mention that trying to shoehorn the romance in at the eleventh hour did not make any sense at all.
Good Things Come by Sumi — 1.5 stars
Erigus is an incubus stuck in a dead-end job, with an eternity of boredom stretched out before him. That is until his best friend, and succubus, drags him out on one of her jobs and his eyes are opened to a whole new world of devilish delight.
Yeah…nope. So very much nope. Starting off, I’ve read too many versions of the incubus-finds-love story to find this plot interesting. There just wasn’t enough here to make the trope feel fresh. Plus I was a little leery of the way it (probably accidentally) tied “childlike” and “sexy” together in several sentences. I think it was going for the whole corruption of innocence feel…but the author really should have thought thru that word choice a bit longer because it came off a bit icky. And I don’t care if these are bad guys, I really don’t want to read icky.
And speaking of word choices…let’s just say that I find the word “pussy” to be kinda nauseating. And this story uses it. A lot. It pretty much put a definite end to any sexy thoughts I might have had, from practically the first page. I’m really not someone who enjoys reading about pointless and meaningless sex, to begin with, so this story and I were doomed from the beginning. But the bland characterizations and scattered plot, didn’t help matters either.
Mandelbrot by A. D. — 4.5 stars
Lew is the new villain in town, and he intends to take down the reigning superhero and usher in a new era to the city. He just has to get the hero’s attention. Which is why he kidnaps the guy’s boyfriend. That’s bound to work wonders. Except the hero seems to not notice that his lover, Evander, has been kidnapped. Highly inconvenient–for both Lew and Evander.
Yes. This is pretty much what I was hoping for when I picked up this anthology to review. I really loved this short, and thought the whole superhero mythos of this universe gave a fresh spin to an already flourishing sub-genre. Had several of the other stories in this book done such a good job at building up a world and characters that were as instantly entertaining, I would have been absolutely thrilled with this book.
While I wouldn’t say this story made reading the whole bunch worth it, it certainly left me on a high note and that is greatly appreciated. I found Lew and Evander very well written. And that whole elevator scene o’ tension was electrifying. I’ll definitely be keeping my eye out for more by this author.
This book was provided free in exchange for a fair and honest review for Love Bytes. Go there to check out other reviews, author interviews, and all those awesome giveaways. Click below.
May 29, 2016
I don't normally read anthologies, but I loved the concept behind this one. Villains are usually my favorite characters and given that they're opposing the hero, they don't get the happy ending I'd want for them, so as soon as I heard about a collection of stories featuring villains finding love, I was ecstatic.
That said, I had mixed reactions to the stories featured in Villains, Inc. which I'll address individually.
* When Shadows Touch Mountains by Helena Maeve - I had some difficulty here as I'm used to reading a blurb to get an idea of the main characters and the principal relationship that will develop. Since there wasn't one for this story, I was left floundering because I didn't know whether the romance in question was going to be between Kirth and Mordred or Kirth and Tusandro. In the end, it didn't really matter because while the relationship was consummated physically, I didn't feel there was any real development of an emotional connection between the characters. The plot itself was interesting and I liked this take on the Arthur/Camelot myth, but as a romance, it didn't succeed for me.
*Strait of Monsters by Stephanie Rabig - after the first story, all the others were much easier to follow in that I could clearly identify the romantic pairing that was destined for the Happily-Ever-After treatment. Medusa is a mythological character I've always thought was hard done by and unfairly treated, so I enjoyed getting to read about her finding love, especially as this story featured a trans character. That made the stakes a lot higher and the relationship more precarious as there was no guarantee whether Chryssa would be petrified by her gaze or not. I liked that it followed a more traditional romantic arc (unlike the previous story) with the characters spending time together and growing fond of one another which allowed me to become invested in their relationship.
*Famished by Cassandra Pierce - this was an entertaining enough take on the usual gothic romance with the dewy-eyed ingenue coming to the dark ominous manor ruled over by the brooding lord, only with a gay relationship. While it was easy reading, I thought the characters fell for each other far too quickly to be realistic - Elwyn in particular is far more reprehensible than the previous 'villains', as we see him cold-heartedly plotting the death of a couple characters, and yet he is won over by the earnestly virtuous Clive in less than a day and reconsidering his devotion to maintaining the dark family legacy as a result. The turn-around in his character wasn't believable and the resolution to the central obstacle was so ridiculously simple that it makes no sense why he didn't do it years ago.
*Vinc by Michelle Chow - this story featured a very original approach to the were-creature myth, I've never come across a were-salamander before! It was quite a relief to read about something other than the usual werewolf characters which have saturated the market. Tyler was a very sympathetic protagonist, struggling to reconcile the craving for fire that is innate to his were-salamander nature with the potential for causing death and destruction. I very much enjoyed reading his story and his interactions with other characters, but I felt short-changed on the romance. Honestly, it was 99% friendship right til the third-last paragraph. I understand that there are limitations to the amount of character development and relationship progression that can be portrayed in a short story, but there was a complete lack of romantic tension between Tyler and his partner, which made the ending a bit abrupt. I wish this had been fleshed out just a little bit more because it left me hanging - there wasn't even so much as a kiss!
*Good Things Come by Sumi - this story has completely the opposite issue from the above - the couple featured here have a lot of sex, and there's very little development of a connection between them. I don't understand when or why or how Erigus came to care so much for Jeff that he was willing to risk the wrath of hell for his sake and even less why Jeff was willing to take on hell to be with Erigus. The whole relationship seemed a bit dubious to begin with
*Mandelbrot by A. D. Truax - the best was saved for last. I absolutely adored this story! It was witty, humorous, had fantastic character development, wonderful chemistry between the leads and had me rooting for their happy ending. I would've happily read a full-length novel version, but in its short form, it really shows off how well the style can be executed. There was good world-building along with a proper plot arc and resolution, and I didn't feel short-changed at all, it was completely satisfying. I loved the characters and really enjoyed reading about their interactions and slowly progressing relationship from kidnapper/hostage to romantic partners!
Disclaimer: I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
That said, I had mixed reactions to the stories featured in Villains, Inc. which I'll address individually.
* When Shadows Touch Mountains by Helena Maeve - I had some difficulty here as I'm used to reading a blurb to get an idea of the main characters and the principal relationship that will develop. Since there wasn't one for this story, I was left floundering because I didn't know whether the romance in question was going to be between Kirth and Mordred or Kirth and Tusandro. In the end, it didn't really matter because while the relationship was consummated physically, I didn't feel there was any real development of an emotional connection between the characters. The plot itself was interesting and I liked this take on the Arthur/Camelot myth, but as a romance, it didn't succeed for me.
*Strait of Monsters by Stephanie Rabig - after the first story, all the others were much easier to follow in that I could clearly identify the romantic pairing that was destined for the Happily-Ever-After treatment. Medusa is a mythological character I've always thought was hard done by and unfairly treated, so I enjoyed getting to read about her finding love, especially as this story featured a trans character. That made the stakes a lot higher and the relationship more precarious as there was no guarantee whether Chryssa would be petrified by her gaze or not. I liked that it followed a more traditional romantic arc (unlike the previous story) with the characters spending time together and growing fond of one another which allowed me to become invested in their relationship.
*Famished by Cassandra Pierce - this was an entertaining enough take on the usual gothic romance with the dewy-eyed ingenue coming to the dark ominous manor ruled over by the brooding lord, only with a gay relationship. While it was easy reading, I thought the characters fell for each other far too quickly to be realistic - Elwyn in particular is far more reprehensible than the previous 'villains', as we see him cold-heartedly plotting the death of a couple characters, and yet he is won over by the earnestly virtuous Clive in less than a day and reconsidering his devotion to maintaining the dark family legacy as a result. The turn-around in his character wasn't believable and the resolution to the central obstacle was so ridiculously simple that it makes no sense why he didn't do it years ago.
*Vinc by Michelle Chow - this story featured a very original approach to the were-creature myth, I've never come across a were-salamander before! It was quite a relief to read about something other than the usual werewolf characters which have saturated the market. Tyler was a very sympathetic protagonist, struggling to reconcile the craving for fire that is innate to his were-salamander nature with the potential for causing death and destruction. I very much enjoyed reading his story and his interactions with other characters, but I felt short-changed on the romance. Honestly, it was 99% friendship right til the third-last paragraph. I understand that there are limitations to the amount of character development and relationship progression that can be portrayed in a short story, but there was a complete lack of romantic tension between Tyler and his partner, which made the ending a bit abrupt. I wish this had been fleshed out just a little bit more because it left me hanging - there wasn't even so much as a kiss!
*Good Things Come by Sumi - this story has completely the opposite issue from the above - the couple featured here have a lot of sex, and there's very little development of a connection between them. I don't understand when or why or how Erigus came to care so much for Jeff that he was willing to risk the wrath of hell for his sake and even less why Jeff was willing to take on hell to be with Erigus. The whole relationship seemed a bit dubious to begin with
*Mandelbrot by A. D. Truax - the best was saved for last. I absolutely adored this story! It was witty, humorous, had fantastic character development, wonderful chemistry between the leads and had me rooting for their happy ending. I would've happily read a full-length novel version, but in its short form, it really shows off how well the style can be executed. There was good world-building along with a proper plot arc and resolution, and I didn't feel short-changed at all, it was completely satisfying. I loved the characters and really enjoyed reading about their interactions and slowly progressing relationship from kidnapper/hostage to romantic partners!
Disclaimer: I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
June 18, 2016
What is this about?: Villains Inc is a collection of LGBTQIA short stories about villains, who happen to fall in love.
What else is this about?: Nothing else. This collection focuses entirely on villains and their love lives!
On the surface, this LGBTQIA take on villains and their love lives seems unique and filled with potential. But for me at least, this is an uneven collection with some befuddling narratives and plot choices. But when it gets it right? It gets it RIGHT.
When Shadows Touch Mountains
Set in King Arthur’s time, this is the story of Kirth, who is gifted to Mordred, during his campaign to overtake Camelot. The story is told from Kirth’s POV, and while I can appreciate Kirth’s a strong character, who knows his own mind and doesn’t completely fall for Mordred’s charms straightaway, this is a bland story. There’s no depth to Mordred or anything new, really, and Kirth while exhibiting a strong character at points isn’t engaging enough through the entire narrative to hold my interest.
Strait of Monsters
This on the other hand is a tender tale of Chryssa, who is shipwrecked on Medusa’s island. Contrary to her beliefs and ours, Medusa takes care of her, nursing her back to health when Chryssa fully expected to be turned into stone. The strength of this writing is in Medusa’s character, in bringing new facets of her and her story to life, compared to what we usually know about her. To the outside, everyone in this story is a monster, but the reality this story presents is that these characters are anything but. This story left me elated by the end, lifting me beyond the disappointment of the first.
Famished
Why would you give away your short story plot in the introduction? Like run down absolutely everything, right up until the ending?
Vinc
A were-salamander. Who's a pyromaniac. Does not compute.
Good Things
A funny, sexy short story about an incubus who discovers he's gay, and then has the misfortune to fall in love with a closeted young man, determined to do the right thing by the woman who wants to marry him. It's tender, laugh-out-loud funny and filled with a healthy amount of snark.
Mandelbrot
Is the story of Evander, who falls for his superhero boyfriend's newest foe, after he kidnaps Evander a couple of times. The lesson of this story is: even superheros suck at relationships, so much so that their boyfriends fall in love with someone else who treats them better. And who doesn't understand that?
What else is this about?: Nothing else. This collection focuses entirely on villains and their love lives!
On the surface, this LGBTQIA take on villains and their love lives seems unique and filled with potential. But for me at least, this is an uneven collection with some befuddling narratives and plot choices. But when it gets it right? It gets it RIGHT.
When Shadows Touch Mountains
Set in King Arthur’s time, this is the story of Kirth, who is gifted to Mordred, during his campaign to overtake Camelot. The story is told from Kirth’s POV, and while I can appreciate Kirth’s a strong character, who knows his own mind and doesn’t completely fall for Mordred’s charms straightaway, this is a bland story. There’s no depth to Mordred or anything new, really, and Kirth while exhibiting a strong character at points isn’t engaging enough through the entire narrative to hold my interest.
Strait of Monsters
This on the other hand is a tender tale of Chryssa, who is shipwrecked on Medusa’s island. Contrary to her beliefs and ours, Medusa takes care of her, nursing her back to health when Chryssa fully expected to be turned into stone. The strength of this writing is in Medusa’s character, in bringing new facets of her and her story to life, compared to what we usually know about her. To the outside, everyone in this story is a monster, but the reality this story presents is that these characters are anything but. This story left me elated by the end, lifting me beyond the disappointment of the first.
Famished
Why would you give away your short story plot in the introduction? Like run down absolutely everything, right up until the ending?
Vinc
A were-salamander. Who's a pyromaniac. Does not compute.
Good Things
A funny, sexy short story about an incubus who discovers he's gay, and then has the misfortune to fall in love with a closeted young man, determined to do the right thing by the woman who wants to marry him. It's tender, laugh-out-loud funny and filled with a healthy amount of snark.
Mandelbrot
Is the story of Evander, who falls for his superhero boyfriend's newest foe, after he kidnaps Evander a couple of times. The lesson of this story is: even superheros suck at relationships, so much so that their boyfriends fall in love with someone else who treats them better. And who doesn't understand that?
June 3, 2016
I was really happy to see a book with a focus an villains. Finally a look at the other side of the story. Here we have six different stories/villains and I have six different opinions.
When shadows touch mountains (3 stars): It's a new take on the usual Merlin/Arthur story and in theory very interesting. Sadly the characters had no chemistry with each other and it felt kinda unfinished.
Strait of monsters (5 stars): My favourite story in this collection! At first I thought 'oh no...', but then there's Medusa and I just really felt with her. I liked the romance as well and it even features a trans* woman.
Famished (2 stars): Utterly boring. Because first thing you'll read is a summarization of everything that's going to happen. At first I thought Famished is a second part to something and you'll get a 'this is what happened before', but now. The romance was boring as well.
Vinc (2 stars): I was confused. Not enough world building explanation in my eyes. And I didn't get the romance, because suddenly they were a thing? Or weren't they?
Good things come (3 stars): I thought it was rather funny and interesting, but it would have worked so much better as a novel... because the ending is rather abrupt, but maybe it'll get its own book. One can hope. There is a big focus on sex, though. A little bit too much sex for this short story.
Mandelbrot (4 stars): This is your usual comic book villain. There definitely was some chemistry between both guys and it was a fun read. Thought provoking, too, I'd say.
Disclaimer: I was provided with a free copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you.
When shadows touch mountains (3 stars): It's a new take on the usual Merlin/Arthur story and in theory very interesting. Sadly the characters had no chemistry with each other and it felt kinda unfinished.
Strait of monsters (5 stars): My favourite story in this collection! At first I thought 'oh no...', but then there's Medusa and I just really felt with her. I liked the romance as well and it even features a trans* woman.
Famished (2 stars): Utterly boring. Because first thing you'll read is a summarization of everything that's going to happen. At first I thought Famished is a second part to something and you'll get a 'this is what happened before', but now. The romance was boring as well.
Vinc (2 stars): I was confused. Not enough world building explanation in my eyes. And I didn't get the romance, because suddenly they were a thing? Or weren't they?
Good things come (3 stars): I thought it was rather funny and interesting, but it would have worked so much better as a novel... because the ending is rather abrupt, but maybe it'll get its own book. One can hope. There is a big focus on sex, though. A little bit too much sex for this short story.
Mandelbrot (4 stars): This is your usual comic book villain. There definitely was some chemistry between both guys and it was a fun read. Thought provoking, too, I'd say.
Disclaimer: I was provided with a free copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you.
June 4, 2016
"Villain, Inc" is a mixed bag as far as the quality of the stories goes. Personally, I liked the first two and the last story best. The other two stories weren't necessarily bad, they just did not draw my interest that much. "When Shadows Touch Mountains" and "Strait of Monsters" are twists on well known myths. Since I love both the Legend of Arthur and Greek Mythology, those two were especially fun to read. "Mandelbrot" is an innovative play on the superhero genre with a great writing style.
What I liked about most about these stories was that they turn the known concepts of heroes and villains on their heads and blur the line of good and evil.
What I liked about most about these stories was that they turn the known concepts of heroes and villains on their heads and blur the line of good and evil.
August 6, 2016
Got a copy from NetGalley for an honest review.
Basically... It was okay. 2 1/2 stars.
It was such an interesting concept, but I was honestly kind of bored for most of the book. Partly because it reads like high fantasy, but it's told in such a short story it's hard to get a grasp on the world, or even why these characters are villains.
I didn't hate it, but it is forgettable
Basically... It was okay. 2 1/2 stars.
It was such an interesting concept, but I was honestly kind of bored for most of the book. Partly because it reads like high fantasy, but it's told in such a short story it's hard to get a grasp on the world, or even why these characters are villains.
I didn't hate it, but it is forgettable
July 2, 2016
Really liked the first story, not so much some of the others.
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