Title: The Dragon Book

Author: Edited by Jack dann and Gardner Dozois with stories by Garth Nix, Tad Williams, Jonathan Stroud, Tamora Pierce, Diana Wynne Jones, Sean Williams, Greg Maguire, Kage Baker, Peter S. Beagle, Bruce Coville, Andy Duncan, Samuel Sykes, Diana Gabaldon, Cecilia Holland, Tanith Lee, Naomi Novik, Mary Rosenblum, Harry Turtledove, Adam Stemple, Jane Yolen and Liz Williams

Genre: Fantasy

Publisher: Andersen Press Ltd
Publishing Date: Nov 5 2009
Hardcover: 448 pages

Stand Alone/ Series: All stories are stand alone

Why did I read the book: I was offered a review copy from the publisher and when I saw the awesome list of authors, I could not possibly say no.

How did I get the book : ARC from the publisher

Review:

I have a great admiration for those who write short stories. To be able to tell a complete story with beginning, middle and ending (or setting, conflict and climax) in such a short format can not be an easy task. So it is always with a certain amount of trepidation that I open short stories’ anthologies as (paraphrasing Forrest Gump) I never know what I am going to get. The Dragon Book contains 18 short stories and you know what? All of them are pretty good (although some better than others of course), which should come as no surprise since the stories are written by luminaries of the Fantasy genre, most of them with a lot of experience in writing short stories. There is obviously, a thread that links all stories in this collection – all of them feature dragons – but that is the only thing they have in common. The stories are as diverse as they can possibly be: some are set in medieval times, some in a contemporary world for example; some are funny, some are dark. Some have a fable feel with a moral lesson, some are surrealist explorations of what ifs. There are alternate history stories and stories set in a different world altogether. Some feature good dragons, other bad dragons, some even have dragons as the narrator.

Here is the rundown of stories:

Dragon’s Deep by Cecelia Holland

Poor fishing villagers are told they need to pay more taxes and they decide to travel up the shoreline to a dangerous place where they might find more fish. The main character is a girl who ends up being the sole survivor of the expedition after they are attacked by a dragon. She in entrapped in his lair and they strike up a relationship of sorts but she is never able to forget where she comes from. This is an old-fashioned tale (with a One Thousand and One Nights feel) where the moral of the lesson clearly points to the ugliness inside, once the girl goes back to the life she can no longer abide to. This one remained with me for a while after I read it.

Vici by Naomi Novik

A young man called Antony, who is always in trouble, is told he needs to kill a dragon in order to be pardoned or off with his head! Set in Ancient Rome, this is an alternate history story (one chance to guess WHICH Antony we are talking about here) and possibly the funniest and quirkiest of the collection with the relationship between Antony and Vici, the dragon, giving me the giggles. This is one of my favourites and one that makes me ask the inevitable question: why am I not reading Novik’s Temeraire books???

Bob Choi’s Last Job by Jonathan Stroud

Dragon hunter who is less human than he used to in order to hunt and which brings closer to the ones he hunts. This one has dragons cloaking as humans and interesting world building, which would make SUCH a good, different UF series.

Are You Afflicted With Dragons? by Kage Baker

A hotel owner who realizes he has a dragon infestation on his roof and has to resort to hiring a dragon specialist to get rid of them. Another funny and quirky one with an ultimate moral lesson which is: don’t play with fire (aha) and you will not get burned.

The Tsar’s Dragons by Jane Yolen & Adam Stemple

Another personal favourite of mine. Alternate history in Russia circa Russian Revolution following around different characters, including a Jew who works for Lenin, a member of the Tzar’s aristocratic circle and Rasputin himself. This one is vivid, gripping and actually riveting as the Red Danger takes a whole new meaning here. Loved it.

The Dragon of Direfell by Liz Williams

A mage is called upon a state to help kill a dragon and finds himself facing something else entirely. Interesting world-building that mentions different creatures such as imps , mage and the Fey.

Oakland Dragon Blues by Peter S. Beagle

A policeman is called upon to clear a traffic jam to find out that what is blocking the road is an honest to god dragon. What is one to do? Part funny, part sad, rather poignant tale that also investigates what it means to be a writer and a storyteller. LOVED it.

Humane Killer by Diana Gabaldon and Samuel Sykes

Set in Medieval times. It shows the unlikely alliance between some of the weirdest characters that I have ever seen which include a medieval knight and his female warrior friend from the North, a witch and her revived zombie-like friend whom she calls Lenny, formerly known as Scourge of Savhael.This is one of the longest stories in the book and it opens as the witch is about to be burnt and is given a chance to live – she has to get rid of a dragon. Parallel to that, the Knight is given the task to kill the dragon in order to regain his father’s infamous Mace (used to killed Saracens in the Crusades) . They all meet in front of the Dragon’s cave and the story goes from there. I quite liked this one as well, for its surreal feel.

Stop! By Garth Nix

This one is a mix of Scifi and Fantasy. In the middle of nowhere, at a bomb testing site (about to go off!) a man, but maybe not a man, walks past the guards, in a non-stop mission. An altogether odd story setting it apart from the rest. And that is not a bad thing.

Ungentle Fire by Sean Williams

A Quest. A young man apprentice to a mage, needs to kill a dragon to finish his apprenticeship and be able to marry his sweetheart – but in the way, he revisits his past and thinks about his future and what he must do. This is a proper hero’s journey in which the young must stand against the old in order to become its own person.

A Stark and Wormy Knight by Tad Williams

How I loved this story! This is strictly from the dragons’ point of view, as mother dragon tells a story to help her dragonling to fall sleep. The story is about the fearful old days, when there were horrible, bad Knights going about killing their ancestors….and how their great-grandpap faced one of those terrible knights. But these days are gone, and dragons need to fear no more, because there are greater things that scare humans these days.

None so Blind by Harry Turtledove

A group of Europeans go around the new world’s jungle looking for dragons. On the way, they come face to face with creatures such as vampires and unicorns. This is a great little story exploring the difference between us x them or savages x civilised: as the supposed civilised people do not blink when creatures THEY believe in come out of the jungle and yet the refuse to believe in dragons because the “savages” believe in them.

Joboy by Diana Wynne Jones

The telling about The Destruction of London and the story behind it. A young boy whose father is mysteriously killed and who falls ill with a similar malady which symptoms includes tiredness and dryness. Very twisted Dragon and how one becomes one. It touches issues as adolescence and people having to admit about their dragons and what would happen if you don’t.

Puz-Le by Gregory Maguire

A young teenager stuck her mother when renting a cottage for holiday and starts to rain. She finds a weird puzzle with a dragon to pass her time and is completely engrossed with it. This is one story where I had the feeling that there was much more to come and it left me wanting more.

After the Third Kiss by Bruce Coville

A girl is cursed by her stepmother to become a dragon and the only way to become human again is for her brother to kiss her three times. This is what happens after those kisses, the consequences and sad, dark repercussions of it. There is a spin to a fairy tale (with frogs and dragons) and a bit of mystery behind it all.

The War that Winter Is by Tanith Lee

In ilo tempore: A tale of beginnings of times, maybe, where the dragon brings the cold. A group of nomads go around scavenging when they find the remains of a destroyed village and they save a baby who is to be The Hero. The hero grows up, and he is alien to the people that brought him up because of the very thing that allowed him to survive. Is he the same or is he the other? Very different story.

The Dragon’s Tale by Tamora Pierce

Another one where the dragon is the narrator and it opens:

“Bored, I was bored, bored, bored. If I spoke as two-leggers did, I could have made “bored” into a chant. “

This is set in the author’s Tortall universe and is a story of how the dragon (who is a teenage dragon in case you couldn’t tell by the quote) tries to find something to do while her human foster parents are taking care of grown up stuff. I like the magic system in this world and this is another one that had me wondering: why am I not reading her books?

Dragon Storm by Mary Rosenblum

A girl and a boy are out fishing when they come across a dragon’s egg about to hatch. The dragon proves to be from a species that was thought to be extinct and it is a surprise when the girl can actually communicate with the baby dragon. This one is about fear of the different, about bullies (who so deserve to become dragon food) and about friendship.

The Dragaman’s Bride

The final story in the collection and another favourite. Set in the US around the 30s, a crazy sheriff goes around entrapping teenage girls and boys and having them undergo surgery to prevent them from having children. Quite different tale, which includes a few ghosts, some imps, the devil’s son-in-law, a dragon with a heart of gold and a powerful witch who is the narrator. The fantasy creatures (including the devil’s son-in law) being much more amicable and compelling than the human ones. The perfect way to close the selection.

As you can see from my thoughts, I tend to prefer and gravitate towards the stories that are funnier and lighter but I think there is a little bit here for all sorts of readers.

Notable quotes/ Parts:

From Peter S. Beagle’s Oakland Dragon Blues. The cop tries to get the dragon to move and clear the traffic jam:

“Sir, I am not trying to start anything with you – I’m having enough trouble just believing in you. But I’ve got to get you out of this intersection before somebody gets hurt. I mean, look at all those people, listen to those damn horns.” The Racket was already giving him a headache behind his eyes. “You think you could maybe step over here to the curb, well’s talk about it? That’d work out much better for both of us, don’t you think?”

The dragon raised its head and favoured him with a long, considering stare. “I don’t know. I like this about as well as I like anyplace in this world, which is not at all. Why should I make things easier for you? Nobody ever cares about making anything easier for me, let me tell you.”

Additional Thoughts: there is a website for the book which includes all the authors and editors’ biographies and an excerpt of the book. Check it out: The Dragon Book

Verdict: If you like: Fantasy, Short Stories and Dragons, look no further than this book. It has a great variety of tales.

Rating: 8 – Excellent

Reading Next: One Con Glory by Sarah Kuhn

Title: Fifty-Two Stitches

Author: Anthology, edited by Aaron Polson

Genre: Horror, Anthology, Flash Fiction

Publisher: Strange Publications
Publication Date: September 2009
Paperback: 162 pages

Stand alone or series: Stand alone anthology

How did I get this book: ARC from Publisher

Why did I read this book: When we were contacted by small horror & fantasy press Strange Publications with a review query, I was more than happy to accept. We’re more than happy to do our part to support small publishers, especially in the realm of horror and speculative fiction! When I read a bit about Fifty-Two Stitches and learned that it was entirely composed of flash fiction, I was willing to really try to push myself and work against my biases.

Summary: (from Amazon.com)
Quick, dark, and often filled with black humor, this book will keep readers awake at night with an array of horror flash fiction. Each story can be read in minutes, but will haunt for much longer.

Review:

Earlier today in my review of Malpractice, I revealed that I had a bit of a bias against “flash fiction.” These are extremely short stories, no more than 1000 words in length (at the maximum – word counts can be much lower, depending on the publication). But, dear readers, I have to admit how ridiculously unfounded my bias was – I hadn’t ever really given flash fiction a fair chance and was set against a style of writing I had never really read. With Fifty-Two Stitches, I had a chance to confront my silly biases. Each of these fifty-two stories are 500 words or shorter.

And wouldn’t you know it? I ended up loving many of the stories in this book.

Reading each “stitch” in this book, I came to a (in retrospect, a pretty “duh” moment) realization – writing flash fiction is HARD. I’ve read and reviewed my share of horror anthologies and first novels, and many authors tend to make the same mistakes: wasted, powerless adjectives, descriptions that are lengthy and try too hard at gruesome, for example. But in the flash fiction of Fifty-Two Stitches, there’s simply no space to make these mistakes. Each sentence, each word has to be selected for maximum effectiveness – and the result is all the better for it. As in all anthologies, Fifty-Two Stitches has some duds and unevenness, but there are also some memorable, truly awesome stories within as well. Some of these gems include “New Woman” by Doug Murano (in which a man used to taking charge on dates gets more than he can handle), “In the Garden” and “Mother’s Love” by L.R. Bonehill (both eerie, haunting stories about mothers dealing with loss), “Sitting Up With Grandpa” by Blu Gilliand (where a young boy sits vigil with his recently deceased Grandpa), and “Dead Weight” by Robert Smartwood (a story that gives a whole new meaning to coyotes and border crossing).

Of all the stories in the book though, I had six solid favorites that not only delivered as 500 word stories – they satisfied my reading appetite, provoked thought, and in some situations, made me yearn for more. “Bad Meat” by Natalie L. Sin focused on what happens to life on a farm when a zombie strain takes over not only humanity, but infects cows and poultry – and a young girl that misses meat so much decides to get some protein with an ironic twist. “Something In Common” by Joshua Scribner is beautifully executed – the story opens with a few people walking together, trying to figure out how they are similar. The reason why they are discussing something so odd is revealed gradually, expertly in the story – and when they finally discover exactly what it is that they share, it’s too late. Mr. Scribner’s story is not only imaginative, darkly funny, and expertly executed, but it’s also very visual. Really good stuff. In a change of pace, another favorite of mine was “Let Your Fingers do the Walking” by Rick McQuiston – which is just a funny, absurd story. A man and his wife flip through the phone book that was left on their doorstep, only to find some bizarre listings. I loved the introduction, I was hooked by the creative ad listings, and, best of all, the story finishes with a hilarious new character. “The Exquisite Beauty of Death” by Mercedes M. Yardley is a much more tragic, darkly romantic story that resonated long after I finished it. The visuals of Ms. Yardley’s writing were gorgeous – I loved the image of a woman whose eyes leaked blood. Also, different from any of the other pieces in this anthology, Ms. Yardley has a distinctive, poetic style of writing that I truly appreciated. “They” by Pat Moran is a good, old fashioned monster under the bed story. It feels a bit like Summer of Night by Dan Simmons or It by Stephen King (the same small town, young children facing an evil that no one else wants to acknowledge), and, though very simple, is very effective. Finally, in “The Homeless Situation” by Felicity Dowker, we see a future where human empathy is a disease, and the homeless litter the streets. Of all the stories in Fifty-Two Stitches, this was probably my favorite. I’m a sucker for dystopian stories, and “The Homeless Situation” puts a terrifying new spin on a dreary future.

In all, this was another fantastic anthology from some very talented authors. Though a few of these stories weren’t as neat or tight as others, Fifty-Two Stitches delivered. I highly recommend it to anyone – it certainly helped me realize just how amazing flash fiction can be.

Notable Quotes/Parts: You can read some of the short stories from this anthology online at the official book blog. Here’s one of my aforementioned favorites, from the site:

“Something in Common” by Joshua Scribner

“Did you ever go to Magic Springs Amusement Park?” asked Cho.

“Yes. I’ve been there a few times,” replied Walt.

“You know that ride, Dr. Dean’s Rocket Launcher?”

“That’s the one that lifts people straight up and then drops them.”

“That’s the one. You ever see the people at the start, when it suddenly jerks them up?”

“Sure.”

Cho, who was a stranger to him a few hours ago, and now was the only person he had seen in a week, gulped and said, “That’s what the people looked like when the tentacles fell from the clouds and whipped them up.”

Walt got both pictures in his head. That was what the people looked like, except the horrors were different. On the ride, they had expected it.

Cho had said little after joining him, but now seemed to be warming up. She said, “I’ve had them right by me, a few different times. I’ve seen them bust through the roofs of cars to take people, but they don’t take me.”

They were zigzagging through overturned and wrecked cars on the road. The damage the tentacles could do was apparent.

“They took everyone else,” said Cho. “Why don’t they take us?”

There was a croak in her voice. Walt was long single. Communication wasn’t his forte, and now this woman was in crises and wanted to talk. All he could think to do was be empirical.

“What are the similarities between us?” he asked.

“Huh?”

“How are you and I alike?”

She took nearly a minute to answer, but he was glad to hear she was no longer on the verge of crying. “You’re a middle aged white man. I’m a young Asian woman. You’re big, and I’m small. We’re not really alike at all.”

“True, and in the ways we are alike, being human, speaking English, we were also like all the people who got taken.”

They came to a steep slope in the road. Near the end of the slope, Cho said, “This reminds me of The Peak Trail. I’d just come off it when the tentacles came.”

Walt laughed, though it was hard with his lack of air. “I wish I would have hiked more; then I’d be in better shape for all this walking.”

Cho didn’t laugh. She seemed deep in thought. They were making their way around an overturned tour bus when she said, “What were you doing when they first came?”

“Mowing my lawn.”

She seemed deep in thought for a few seconds and then said, “You were mowing, and I was hiking, both outdoor activities”

Now Walt thought for a few seconds and then said, “But we couldn’t have been the only ones. There must have been hundreds doing both activities on a summer day.”

She sighed and then said, “Yeah. I guess.”

Just then, he felt a sting and slapped it. He withdrew his hand from the little mess of blood and insect parts.

Cho got into her backpack. She pulled out a little blue cylinder. “Here,” she said. “I got this repellant off the internet. It works wonders.”

Walt went to spray it on his exposed skin. It wouldn’t spray. “It’s out,” he said.

“Oh yeah. I don’t know why I didn’t toss it. I finished it last night.”

The tentacles were transparent and you could only see them briefly when the sunlight hit them just right. Right now, Walt could see the suction cups behind Cho.

The thought that came seemed to have arrived to mock him. He looked at the can he was holding. He laughed with exasperation and said, “I got this off the internet, too. Good stuff. I bet we were about the only ones to have this particular brand on that day.” He laughed again. “I ran out last night too.”

Cho stared at him with an inquisitive look for a few seconds. Then there was the stunned horror when she was lifted into the sky.

“Yours must have worn off too,” he said to the girl who was gone.

He wondered what his face would look like when he was going up. After all, he was expecting it.

__________

Joshua Scribner is the author of the novels Mantis Nights, The Coma Lights and Nescata. He’s published over 100 stories. Up to date information on his work can be found at joshuascribner.com. Joshua currently lives in Michigan with his wife and two daughters.

Additional Thoughts: Check out the official book trailer below:

Rating: 7 – Very Good

Reading Next: Elegy Beach by Steven Boyett

Title: Taste of Tenderloin

Author: Gene O’Neil

Genre: Horror

Publisher: Apex Book Company
Publishing Date: August 2009
Paperback: 162 pages

Stand alone or series: Stand alone

How did I get the book: ARC from the publisher

Why did I read the book: We always try to support small publishers and given how one of the stories was a Stoker award finalist, we were more than happy to say yes when contacted by the publisher. I am the one reading it as part of my Halloween week homework.

Summary: Eight stories of dark science fiction and fantasy weave a path through the underbelly of San Francisco’s most notorious district in Taste of Tenderloin by Gene O’Neill. Best known for his strong sense of place and uniquely vibrant characters, O’Neill brings the gritty underside of the city to life with eight interwoven stories of broken lives, missed dreams, and all that can go wrong with both reality and fantasy among the down and out. The city itself opens wide to swallow all comers with the temptation of its secrets and sins, while O’Neill brings dignity and humanity to a set of characters often overlooked in both society and fiction.

Review: Taste of Tenderloin is a collection of short stories by horror writer Gene O’neil all set against the backdrop of the Tenderloin District in San Francisco; there are eight stories altogether, some of them never published before, all of them dark tales following around a few denizens of the ‘Loin.

The anthology is quite diverse in its offering with stories that range from the fantastic to the hauntingly realistic but all of them have something in common: the ugly, brutal life in the streets of the district. They are much less frightening than I expected them to be as instead of gritty horror, we are confronted by characters steeped in and suffering the consequences of poverty, crime, homelessness, addiction – which may not be scary but certainly is horrific. The description of their environs is quite vivid, as the characters walk the streets of the ‘Loin, brushing shoulders with petty criminals, prostitutes, drug addicts, war veterans.

Even the stories that have a Sci-Fi or Fantasy twist to it are still very much within a certain realm of possibility depending on how the reader approaches the tale. Quite frankly, reading these stories, reminded me of the X-Files’ Monster of the Week episodes in which two possible outcomes coexisted and I had a Mulder sitting on my left shoulder telling me to believe and a Scully sitting on the right side telling me that these characters are suffering from Post-traumatic Stress Disorders, drug induced hallucinations or withdrawal syndrome.

One such story and one of my favourites is Balance in which a veteran goes around killing people in order to maintain the Law of Catastrophic Isostasy ,a mission he believes is given to him by Lady Justice. This story is batshit insane and it does not surprise me that it has been nominated for an Award. Similarly impressive are The Apotheosis of Nathan McKee and Bushido , the former relating the change in the life of main character who becomes invisible after a beating , the latter describing how an Ugly Man is given a second chance to follow The Way of the Warrior.

I also very much enjoyed the first one, Lost Patrol about a Vietnam veteran who is visited by the ghosts of his former patrol and Magic Words who presents a gypsy and Pact. In keeping with the TV themed comparisons, these two reminded me of short-ish Twilight Zone episodes. The first story, Lost Patrol even opens and closes with a narration that I could easily picture Rod Serling’s voice, over it.

Overall, I liked the experience of reading these tales, even if I am not a horror fan. These are all sad stories of characters stuck in a rut, some of them being able to escape (regardless if you believe in the manner in which they escaped or not) some sinking further into their fortunes.

Notable Quotes/ Parts: My favourite story was Balance (the one that was a Stoker finalist) and it is the only one that is available online. You can read the entire story here for a taste of … Taste of Tenderloin: Balance

Verdict: This is a good anthology, with diverse characters and stories and a balanced mix of realism and fantasy.

Rating: I am wavering between a 6 and a 7. Most stories were Good. Some were Very Good.

Reading Next: The Dragon Book Anthology

Title: Malpractice: An Anthology of Bedside Terror

Author: Anthology, edited by Nathaniel Lambert

Genre: Horror, Anthology, Short Fiction, Flash Fiction

Publisher: Necrotic Tissue
Publication Date: March 2009
Paperback: 240 pages

Stand alone or series: Stand alone anthology

How did I get this book: Review Copy from Publisher

Why did I read this book: Necrotic Tissue is a quarterly magazine dedicated to horror writers, and Malpractice is their first anthology. When the publisher wrote to us with a review query for this anthology, we were more than happy to accept. We try to do our part to support smaller press efforts, especially in the realm of horror – not to mention Malpractice sounded like good, old fashioned, horrific fun. What better setting for tales of terror than a hospital?

Summary: (from NecroticTissue.com)
Regimens. Routine. A simple checkup. Measure your cholesterol and reflex response, and then you’ll be on your way; clean bill of health. But routines have a tendency to take detours. Tests come back abnormal; too many red numbers and falling graphs place you on an unpaved road, travelling a course that’s the furthest thing from routine.

All you can do is clench the steering wheel and close your eyes.

Review:

Malpractice is a collection of 18 short stories and 13 “100-word Bites” – that is, flash fiction – from assorted authors, all united by a single commonality: they are all set in the evilest hospital in existence, Bloom Memorial. These horrific stories and bites range from psychological to supernatural terror, from crazed nurses, demonic doctors, malignantly hungry tumors to dystopian futures – and everything in between. (Yes, you just read that sentence correctly)

Besides all these stories being inextricably tied to Bloom Memorial, they also share one other similarity:

All of these stories are pretty damn good.

As with any anthology, certain entries are bound to be better than others. Amongst the winners, there are an inevitable few that missed the mark, or did not manage to satisfy. In the case of Malpractice, though, these low notes are few and far between, and I found myself impressed with the overall quality of each entry. Not only were these stories almost uniformly well-written and effectively horrific, but the variation between each piece is remarkable. Certain duds committed the usual new-horror-author-blunders, the most egregious and painfully annoying of which is a tendency to use a thesaurus for adjectives (e.g. “Mid-day sunlight dappled through the deciduous canopy above,” emphasis added), followed closely by the tendency to write overly-ornate, awkwardly phrased descriptions (of often pedestrian, predictable images) as a substitute for novelty or atmospheric terror (e.g. “Their skin was a livid purple, crawling with legions and busily squirming bugs. Their bald scalps shone like beacons above their bloated faces, in which the only truly distinguishable features were their teeth and eyes. Their teeth, long tusk-like protuberances, erupted out of the middle of their faces and jutted obscenely into the room. The eyes, murky green slits, fixed on Carol with malevolence that was genuinely childish in its obviousness.”). And yet, even these duds often had some salvageable merit in their ideas, if somewhat lacking in execution.

More important than these low notes are the overwhelming high ones in Malpractice. My personal favorite stories were “A Kind of Living” by Paul Harris, “Post-Procedural Care on the Bloom Memorial Line” by Jeremy Kelley, “Universal Donor” by Bryce Albertson, “7734″ by Douglas R. Burchill, and “Snip” by Jennifer Greylyn. In “A Kind of Living,” Mr. Harris examines a world where every social and economic problem of humanity has been solved – hunger, money woes, even sickness have been eradicated – but at what cost? “Post-Procedural Care on the Bloom Memorial Line” takes the story outside of Bloom Memorial’s dark halls and on a hiking trail, where two unsuspecting nature adventurers find themselves in the wrong place at the wrong time, on the hospital’s private train tracks. In Mr. Albertson’s “Universal Donor,” a nurse with a personal axe to grind takes it out on a convicted killer under her care. “7734″ is a more traditional supernatural horror novel, with a distinct, Boschian style of surrealism – roommates in Bloom find themselves with certain…enhancements. Which they use to attempt to escape from the hospital’s ever-growing walls. In “Snip,” one of the most original and cleverly written stories of the bunch, a man is admitted to the emergency room with a unique story he cannot open his mouth to tell. Weaving Greek mythology into the medical horror setting, Ms. Greylyn’s story is neck and neck with “7734″ for my favorite of the whole bunch. There are some wonderful gems in Malpractice, and these are just a few of the standouts.

I should also mention that I’m not a huge fan of flash fiction, but the “Bites” in this novel did a pretty convincing job of getting me to drop my bias against this form of abbreviated storytelling. It’s a very, very hard thing to engage a reader in 100 words, and each of the 13 Bites did a damn good job. In particular, I loved the black humor of “Malignant” by Daniel R. Robichard and “Gravity Feed” by Lee Pederson, as well as the creepiness of “Patient Care” by none other than Stoker Nominated Joel A. Sutherland, a Book Smuggler favorite author.

Additional Thoughts: Hospitals and horror – it’s not such an unlikely combination. Fans of this particular medical blend might also appreciate checking out the following – and fans of the following might want to check out this anthology.

The Kingdom, is a Danish television mini-series. Set in the neurosurgical ward of Copenhagen’s Rigshospitalet – the country’s major hospital, built upon “bleaching ponds” – The Kingdom follows a large cast of characters in the hospital as strange, supernatural events occur. It’s a bizarre, trippy show, but definitely worth a rental.

Then, there’s Kingdom Hospital from Stephen King. Based on The Kingdom, Stephen King wrote this miniseries about a hospital built on an old civil war mill, where – you guessed it – strange, supernatural phenomena occur. The series started out strong but kinda floundered in the later episodes, but still worth checking out for King fans. It’s especially worth checking out if you’re a Dark Tower fan, like myself – those easter eggs (Nozz-a-la, Candleton – of Charlie the Choo-Choo/Blaine the Mono infamy) are irresistible. Plus, if nothing else, the intro sequence is pretty cool.

Also, if you’re a LOST geek like myself, you’ll be tickled to know that Evangeline Lily (aka Kate, aka she who used to be cool but now has been relegated to crying uselessness) is in an episode as the chick sleeping in bed, before Benson offs himself.

Verdict: Malpractice is a rare anthology with impressive scope in its range of material; even more impressive, though, is the uniformly high quality of each of its stories. Absolutely recommended.

Rating: 7 – Very Good

Reading Next: Fifty-Two Stitches Anthology

For Halloween Week 2009, we will be bringing you a different guest blogger each day, sharing their own Halloween Words of Wisdom and Ponderings. Today, we give you the uber-talented and supercool Graeme, of Graeme’s Fantasy Book Review. A fellow book blogger and horror fan, Graeme tells us what happens…When Books Attack!

Give it up, boys and ghouls, for Graeme!

‘When Books Attack…’

Books are great aren’t they? I know I’m preaching to the converted here (well, is there anyone reading this blog who isn’t completely mad about books?) but it’s still a fact that there’s nothing better you can do with a spare five minutes than pick up a book and have a read. Books take you out of this world and into another one entirely. Books introduce you to some of the most interesting people you will ever meet and not only do you get to meet them but you also get to hang out with them and see them do the most amazing stuff. If I wasn’t writing this post then the odds are I would be reading something right now.

Books are also strange things though. Not only do they have the power to transport you into another world but sometimes a well written tale can burst right through the page and invade our own. It doesn’t happen all that often but when it does…

Let me tell you the tale of when this happened to me. If you want to hum the ‘Twilight Zone’ theme then now would probably be the best time to start…

It was a couple of years ago and the wife and I were camping in the middle of Dartmoor. Strangely enough, the weather was gorgeous (if you’ve been to Dartmoor, you’ll know what I mean) but that wasn’t the freakiest thing to happen. Things were about to get a lot freakier and it was all down to the book I was reading…

I’d found myself a copy of Robert McCammon’s short story collection ‘Blue World’ and was completely lost in this very under rated horror writer’s work. Seriously, when he’s on form McCammon is brilliant; check out ‘Blue World’ and ‘They Thirst’ (better than ‘Dracula’ in my opinion) if you get a chance. This is a guy who can get right under your skin and make your hair stand on end. The story that got to me the most was ‘Yellowjacket Summer’ where a family trip comes to an unexpected halt in a deserted town. I say ‘deserted’ but what I really mean is ‘deserted apart from a couple of people and a strange boy who can control all the hornets in the area’. I’m scared of wasps and bees so it completely freaked me out reading about the boy who goes to the toilet (in the café) and gets absolutely covered by a swarm of hornets. They don’t sting him but you know they could… The aforementioned strange boy wants the new arrivals to stay in town and he’s not afraid to use a swarm of hornets to get what he wants. The family is after a quick exit though and everything blows up in a massive stinging frenzy. The last thing the reader sees is the family heading out of town in a van that’s low on fuel and being followed by the biggest swarm of hornets that you’ve ever seen…

I couldn’t get ‘Yellowjacket Summer’ out of my head and I was still thinking about it when I went to for a shower the next morning. The toilet cubicles were open at the top (it was in a barn) so imagine how I felt when I heard a really loud buzzing and a hornet came to hover right over me… I couldn’t move (seriously, these things scare me to death!) and was stuck there for ages, waiting to see if the hornet decided to have a piece of me. Luckily it didn’t…

Now, life is full of little coincidences but to read a scary story about hornets and then get to see one at close quarters the very next day…? There was definitely more to this than met the eye. I was just glad that I hadn’t had a visitation along the lines of what happened in McCammon’s ‘He’ll Come Knocking at Your Door’! Read it and you’ll see what I mean…

There’s more to this world than we know and even the most innocent looking book can some back and bite you when you least expect it (if it hasn’t already, has something similar happened to you?) I hope that you enjoy whatever you’re reading this Halloween; just keep an eye out after you put the book down…

Title: Strange Brew – “Seeing Eye” by Patricia Briggs and “Death Warmed Over” by Rachel Caine

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Publisher: St. Martin’s
Publication Date: July 2009
Paperback: 384 pages

Why did I read this book: I have been anxiously awaiting Patricia Briggs’s new novella, “Seeing Eye,” since our interview with her this spring. Rachel Caine is another of my favorite (post-Anita Blake, heroine-centric) Urban Fantasy authors, so I was eager to see what her non-Weather Warden story would entail.

Summary: (from amazon.com)
Today’s hottest urban fantasy authors come together in this delicious brew that crackles and boils over with tales of powerful witches and dark magic!

For anyone who’s ever wondered what lies beyond the limits of reality, who’s imagined the secret spaces where witches wield fearsome magic, come and drink deep. Let yourself fall under the spell of this bewitching collection!

REVIEW:

“Seeing Eye” by Patricia Briggs

In “Seeing Eye,” Patricia Briggs returns to the world of Mercy Thompson, but follows an entirely new character – the witch (Wendy) Moira Keller. When Tom Franklin, werewolf and second in the Emerald City pack, shows up on Moira’s doorstep asking for her help in finding his kidnapped brother Jon, Moira cannot refuse him, even though it could mean her death. For Moira is no ordinary witch, and she has a dark past connected to those who have taken Jon – the Samhain Coven, led by the cruel and power-hungry Kouros. Together, Moira and Tom set out on Jon’s trail, using her magic and Tom’s strength to discover Jon’s fate, and to face Samhain once and for all.

I am continually awed by Patricia Briggs’s ability to write a complete, engaging story in a such a short amount of space. “Seeing Eye” is on par with another of her exceptional novellas, “Alpha and Omega,” and marks the beginning of a new, exciting character in the Mercy Thompson universe. Though readers of the Mercy Thompson and Alpha & Omega series’ have seen witches in prior books, they have never been fully explored or examined in detail before this story. As with werewolves, walkers, vampires and the fae, Ms. Briggs gives her own take on witches, and in this universe they amass power through death, sacrifice and pain, at the expense of others, or themselves. Moira’s power has come at an extraordinary cost, as Tom soon discovers.

As always, the characters in this story are vivid and compelling – like the Alpha & Omega book (and novella of the same title), “Seeing Eye” is told in the third person but with insights to both Moira and Tom’s thoughts. Moira, as a completely new character, holds her own with Mercy and Anna even in these short pages. A dash of Mercy’s straightforward attitude, a touch of Anna’s compassion, but with a deep strength that is entirely her own, Moira stands out as yet another winning Briggs heroine. She is, as the story blurb admits, blind, but the nature of her blindness is a twist that is guaranteed to shock readers – in a very good way (and I refuse to say more, for fear of spoiling it!).

Similarly, Tom (whom we met briefly in the Alpha & Omega series) is another compelling leading character. As a cop and a dominant werewolf Tom is intimidating in his own right, only made more formidable because of his irreparably scarred face, keepsake from a run-in with a fae knife a few years earlier. Though we barely get to meet Tom and Moira, the chemistry is immediate and undeniable. Though things wrap up nicely by the end of the story, I cannot help but hope that another series may be underway – a sentiment I am certain many readers will share.

Verdict: “Seeing Eye” is worth the book alone, especially if you are a fan of the Mercy Thompson and Alpha & Omega books. Another superb, tightly-written story from the formidable Patricia Briggs.

Rating: 8 Excellent

“Death Warmed Over” by Rachel Caine

Rachel Caine’s contribution to Strange Brew focuses on a world apart from her Weather Warden urban fantasy series, in a world where witches moonlight in extremely specialized fields. Holly Caldwell is one such witch with a rare affinity for resurrecting the dead, working at her day job when she receives a last minute email from her other boss, Sam – a request for a “disposable,” or a long-term resurrection from the local police department. Holly has sworn off disposables ever since her first and last job – because of the pain her impossible relationship with the resurrected caused her. Now, Sam and the police want Holly to raise the same man from her past, a powerful witch named Andrew Toland who died in 1875 fighting an army of resurrected dead gone violent (or more commonly, zombies). Though it pains her to reopen a relationship that is in all ways impossible, Holly breathes life back into Andrew. Unfortunately for them both, only later do they learn that someone has been killing resurrection witches, and Holly is next on the list.

As with “Seeing Eye,” “Death Warmed Over” is another self-contained novella, and one that is deftly plotted. Rachel Caine’s Weather Warden books are among my top three all-time favorite Urban Fantasy series’, in part because of her gift for writing storylines with high stakes and at break-neck speeds. In this sense, “Death Warmed Over” is familiar territory. Ms. Caine’s “Death Warmed Over” is an urban fantasy novella in the mystery/whodunit light, as someone is taking out all the local witches who specialized in resurrection. Though the ending seems a touch rushed, the overall plot is exceedingly well executed. I have to repeat myself – just as with Ms. Briggs’s entry, I am awed by Ms. Caine’s ability to write such a thrilling story with a clear beginning, middle, and ending in all of 50 pages.

“Death Warmed Over” also has more of a romantic slant, and the relationship between Holly and Andrew is nicely portrayed. One thing I admire about Ms. Caine’s writing is her ability to write different characters – her adult urban fantasy heroines, Jo and Cassiel are markedly distinct, and Holly is a worthy addition to their ranks. And as for Andrew, well, he’s unlike a character far removed from Djinn or mere human, and I can guarantee that romance readers will feel right at home with his charm.

I was most impressed with Ms. Caine’s take on witches and magic in this novella. The idea that witches possess hereditary gifts, and are only able to really practice in an extremely specialized niche is intriguing – especially concerning the actual physical acts of resurrection. Something else Ms. Caine writes exceptionally well is the actual visualization of magic. For example:

I parted his clay-cold lips and poured in the first, massive dose of the potion. It pooled in his mouth, liquid silver, and then I performed the part that nobody else could do.

I kissed him, very gently, on the lips and completed the last step of the preset spell. I felt a line of power spooling out of me, traveling through the dark and connecting, with a jolting snap of power, with the spirit of Andrew Toland.

And it only gets better from there.

Verdict: Strange Brew has another winner with this short story. Smart, engaging, sexy, “Death Warmed Over” is another solid entry from Rachel Caine.

Rating: 7 Very Good

Additional Thoughts: If you haven’t read either author’s books yet, you really need to get on board.

Patricia Briggs writes the Urban Fantasy Mercy Thompson series in the following order: Moon Called, Blood Bound, Iron Kissed and Bone Crossed. Book 5, titled Silver Bourne is out February 2010 (with two more books under contract). She also has another current Urban Fantasy series with a more romantic bend with the Alpha & Omega books, in the following order: “Alpha and Omega” (in the On the Prowl anthology) and Cry Wolf. Book 3 in the series, titled Hunting Ground is out next month (check out the first chapter online HERE). If that’s not enough Briggs for ya, her Mercy books have been turned into comic books by the Dabel Brothers – the first four issues are collected in the Homecoming storyarc, available in graphic novel form on August 25th. You can read more about Patty on her website, HERE.

Rachel Caine is the author of the Weather Warden Urban Fantasy series, with books in the following order: Ill Wind, Heat Stroke, Chill Factor, Windfall, Firestorm, Thin Air, and Gale Force. Book 8, titled Cape Storm is out next month. She also has another series set in the same universe as her Warden books called Outcast Season, with one book published, Undone. She also writes a very popular YA series, the Morganville Vampires. For more info on Rachel Caine, check out her website HERE.

Reading Next: Darkness Calls by Marjorie M. Liu

Title: The Beast Within

Author: Anthology, edited by Matt Hults

Genre: Horror, Short Fiction

Stand Alone or Series: Stand alone anthology, a collection of stories dealing with shapeshifters of all kinds

Why did we read this book: One of the first books we reviewed on The Book Smugglers was the Graveside Tales horror anthology Fried! Fast Food, Slow Deaths. We were contacted by Matt Hults (who had a story in Fried! that we quite enjoyed) who asked if we would be interested in reading another GST antho he had edited with The Beast Within. Having enjoyed Fried! and seeing how well this fit in with our Halloween Week plans, we took this as a sign and eagerly accepted the offer!

Summary: (from GravesideTales.com)
Throughout history they have existed in folklore and nightmares…

From ancient cultures to the high-tech future, nowhere is safe from the shape-shifting bloodlust of The Beast Within.

Review:

Given that this is an anthology of 20 short stories, we decided to approach our review a little differently, offering mini-reviews for each entry.

Ana: I got the first 10 stories.

“Claws of Native Ghosts” by Lee Battersby

We go back in time with the first story in the anthology. Narrated in first person by one George Dawson, a soldier in the 21st Regiment of the Royal North British Fusiliers, stationed in Mandurah, in the colony of Australia. It follows the regiment’s problems with the local natives via George’s warped point of view. Little by little, it becomes clear that George is mentally disturbed and has created an alternate reality for himself in which he is more important than he really is. When a native spirit of a cat-like creature chooses to inhabit George’s body, things come to a horrific showdown. As an opening story in a horror anthology this story is very effective with the added bonus of mixing an aboriginal tale to a historical setting.

“Like Cat and Dog” by Michael Stone

This story is set in a world where were-cats and were-dogs co-habit with the mundanes without problems as long as they keep to themselves and don’t give in to their animalistic habit of feeding from humans. Sophie is a bartender at the local bar that caters for both cats and humans and she observes as the thrill seeker Jade comes on to a cat and tries to seduce him with the prospect of her own blood. When Owen, a local dog, walks in and ends up tasting Jade’s blood, she knows there will be trouble. She takes Jade and flee – but is followed by Owen and some of his wolf-friends. There is a cool showdown but I wonder if a cat would be able to take down so many wolves but I guess it all comes down to her real motivations – which we learn in the surprising twist at the end.

“Gift of the Bouda” by Richard Farnsworth

Captain John Rogers is a veteran of the army trying to cope with post traumatic stress disorder and OCD after a failed Somalian operation. AS the story opens he is meeting with his new psychiatrist who has decided that the course of treatment of simply giving out meds is not effective. The patient who is desperate fort he med that keep him compulsion (as he calls it) then starts to tell what happened on that fateful day seven years and how his team had a face-off with a were- creature and what exactly happened to him. Now, the psychiatrist really wishes he had given him his meds, doesn’t he? I really liked this story and how the author gives little snippets of John’s improved sense of smell and hearing as clues to what he really is.

“Hatchet Job” by John C. Caruso

A story that features a …… were-slug! Wow, that’s new. And very unexpected. It opens with an after-the-fact recount at the police station by David who is an office bully and hates his co-worker Carl, whom he finds stupid and slow. Turns out there is an explanation for that (points to the first line) . But as we hear more of David’s reasoning the more it becomes clear that he is consumed with his own fear of the different and his own prejudices. Who is the Beast Within here, really? The last sentence is very powerful in conveying just that thought.

“Yard Sale” by Norma Lehr

Fred Griswold and his wife Kate are having a garage sale. They plan to move to Arizona where their needs will be different and because of that the sale include Kate’s favourite pot where she has cooked their family meals and Fred’s favourite knifes and coat….a very special coat. The emotional connection that Fred has with his knifes and the coat presented by his grandfather becomes clear as the story unfolds and he hopes someone special will buy them.
But when Fred’s own granddaughter shows up and is attracted to the goods he is more than happy that the family inheritance with be kept in the family. The story had potential but left me wanting to learn …and understand more of Fred’s family special powers.

“Desert Heart” by William D. Carl

A western! Great!

The Sheriff of Small town Cactus Torch is a werewolf. Transformed a few years ago after an attack, he left wife and kid behind for their protection. Aware of the danger he represents he has confided his secret to his deputy, a young boy named Mike who stands guard when the moon is full and the sheriff barricades himself behind silver bars. When a series of attacks happen and the sheriff suspects that they are the work of a were-creature, he decides to go hunting – it is his town and he will protect it even it means to let his wolf lose. This was my least favorite of the stories I read – I thought the Western setting was underused (the story could have happened anywhere at any time) but also the reasoning behind the sheriff’s distance from his family felt contrived – if he felt self enough around Mile barricaded behind bars, couldn’t he have done the same back home?

“Let’s Welcome the New Guy” by Raoul Wainscoting

This is the shortest of the stories I read and one of my favourites with its cynical humour and laugh out loud quirky moments. The story plays with the craziness that Politically Correctness can bring as Employees at Waxman-Wayne are summoned by HR guy to explain the rules of behaviour around the new accountant guy who is a were-wolf , oops, sorry excuse me, a “Transformative American” according to the LAPA, The Lycanthropic American Protection Act. Seriously, the whole meeting is hilarious!

“Beached” By Joel A. Sutherland

The tale is narrated by Sheila, a fisherman’s wife whose husband Eddie, disappeared one day at sea along with his crew mates Jack, Charlie, and Robert. Sheila believes her husband is not dead and as the days go by and other people become certain that they are dead, Sheila becomes more and more certain of the opposite – she camps at the beach day and night staring at the sea waiting for Eddie’s return.

The were-creatures here are strange ones but to say more is to spoil the twist. I thought this tale to be the most emotional of the stories with a realistic portrayal of a woman consumed with grief but also with hope which is rewarded when Eddie comes back 29 days later (and this number is significant), a changed man.

“Needs to be Met” By Mark W. Coulter

Stephen, who works in advertising, takes a night off to pick up a woman, any woman at a bar. In walks this woman , Charlene who is also looking for something out of her night out and is more than agreeable to Stephen’s approach and invites him home. The moment she tells him she is a widow with children to feed, I knew just what sort of the were-creature she was and it was creepy when she revealed herself to Stephen. Hands down, the scariest of the stories I read, even if a bit predictable.

“Some Touch of Pity” By Gary A. Braunbeck

Some Touch of Pity is a complex story of a man who feels he has become a monster and has been living with this self-hatred for years, believing that the actions and emotions of his young self – who appears to him quite often – were to blame for his change into a werewolf. The story interpolates between past and present and with the rich background of a Native American tribe to boot.

I appreciated the layers in the storytelling although at points it was bit confusing and the powerful emotions (the tale of his young self and what he suffered was a punch to the gut, and highly disturbing) but in the end, I was frustrated as it felt like he was rewarded for the darkness of his soul and the bad things he has done.

Thea: I’ll kick off the back 10 stories.

“The Night John Fell” by Rick Moore

This is easily one of my favorite stories in the anthology. Following a fifty-some year old recovered alcoholic named John who works at the local gas station, we see a strange sort of shapeshifter apocalypse take place. Beginning with a regular named Greg, John watches in horror as his erratic behavior actually starts manifesting in a physical transformation. I loved the grotesque imagery of this story, from Greg snorting sunflower seeds and sprouting a beak, to the wolf creatures outside by the gas pumps. The writing style is well paced, engaging and very effective. Plus, it’s just a cool idea, and a different spin on the zombie apocalypse take. Loved it.

“Okie Werewolf Looking for Love” by Steven E. Wedel

“Okie Werewolf” has an intriguing concept and format for a story, taking the form of a “Dear Abby” type of letter…except that Randy, our narrator, is writing in to a mag called “Beasts and Babes”. The voice for Randy is pretty funny–he has recently become a werewolf, and I loved his admission that now that he can lick his own balls (and gets off on it), there’s no way in hell he’d stop even though his ex-girlfriend was tripping out about it. This is a fun, very short story, drawing more on laughs and a damn good mocking characterization of the main character.

“The Marine” by John Palisano

I’m torn with this story. On the one hand, it has great descriptions and an epic battle between a were-shark and were-squid. On the other hand, it felt almost too ambitious for that space allotted. How exactly did Dylan become a shape-shifting marine animal as well? What war were they involved in? I liked the concept of this story and certain elements (such as the action scenes) were nicely handled. But, I can’t help feeling that this would have made a better novella, allowing more time to get to know these characters. Still, a nicely done piece, even if it did bite off more than it could chew.

“Lure of the Wolf” by Belea T. Keeney

This is another story I really liked–in a sort of futuristic urban fantasy setting, “Lure of the Wolf” follows a quiet older woman as its protagonist, a librarian named Vivian. In the year 2045, lycanthropes (and vampires) have been officially recognized and monitored by the government. Vivian suspects that a werewolf has been in her azaleas, but for some reason does not call the authorities on the rogue wolf (as all the wolves stick in packs and are supposed to have migrated north to the mountains by this time of year). Through Vivian’s experiences, we see the reluctant beginnings of a friendship between the older woman and the outcast wolf. As with the previous story, I think this could have been the beginning of an excellent novella–heck, even a full-length novel. I found myself wondering what happened to Vivian and the golden-pelted wolf? The story ends very abruptly, and I yearned for more. Also, there’s a lot of history crammed into the span of two conversations in this short space, and had this been a full-fledged novel, the writing probably would seem to flow more smoothly. Despite these misgivings, I was pulled into this story completely and I highly enjoyed it–it stands apart from other pieces in this anthology as a more emotional, human tale with a very different main character. One of my favorites of the book.

“SQ 389″ by David W. Hill

“SQ 389″ is a trip. Literally. In a futuristic setting, where humans ‘plug in’ to the net (and in essence recreate themselves in their own image), Lieutenant Perusquia of the investigates a man’s murder, by a lobo–a wolf, with a very high Stealth Quotient. Part cyberpunk, part mystery thriller, this is probably the most complex story in the book–which is both a good and bad thing. Reading Mr. Hill’s bio, I see he’s web designer and programmer, and this expertise definitely comes across in “SQ 389″. While it’s a wonderful idea, I couldn’t help but feel lost with some of the concepts–how can people manifesting in the virtual space give things (like meds) to people in the ‘real’ space? Still, I found the concept of the virtual hacker-type ‘wolves’ and the actual existence of a real wolfman very clever, embodying the whole dichotomy of reality versus the simulated reality brilliantly. Even if I’m not quite smart enough to grasp the finer concepts! Very, very clever story.

“Crop Frogs” by Gina Ranalli

“Kermit’s gonna git ya!” Hah! My single favorite line of the entire book. An enterprising couple takes to sneaking around swamps to scrape green slime off rocks to sell to pharmaceutical companies–as it is the newest miracle ingredient in sexual enhancement/erectile dysfunction medicine. But, unfortunately Joe (the husband) gets bitten on the arm by a giant frog. Named Kermit. Soon after, Joe starts changing–he doesn’t want to leave the shower. His skin starts taking on a greenish, amphibious tint and texture…

“Crop Frogs” does everything a short story should do–it hooks the reader in quickly, it doesn’t give extraneous information, the characters are well-developed…and it blends horror and dark humor effortlessly without taking itself too seriously. Definitely one of my favorites of the book.

“Of Silver Bullets and Golden Teeth” by Trent Hergenader

I was hoping to get a western in the book, and “Of Silver Bullets and Golden Teeth” is it (love the title, by the way). Drawing on the skin-walker Native American lore, this story introduces us to Jim Brick, the second-best gunslinger in the West. Richard Craft, a Yalie, propositions Jim for his hired skills, asking for his help in finding–and possibly shooting–his brother Frederick “Goldie” Craft, named Goldie for his golden tooth. Jim Brick’s services are needed because Richard has only one silver bullet, and he needs a man that can aim true and kill with a single shot, should the need arise-turns out Goldie has been possessed by a spirit, and has taken the form of a great golden-jawed bear.

“Of Silver Bullets and Golden Teeth” is a highly entertaining story–the characters are believable, and the plot well paced. The ending especially is a nice touch. Another solid entry–probably one of the best written of the bunch. Mr. Hergenader definitely knows how to tell a story.

“By the Light of the Silvery Moon” by Vince Churchill

This entry is just…cool. Treece Van Dyke is the Lunar, the latest a torch-bearer in a long family line that bears the lycanthropic curse–but the Van Dykes have turned their curse to good, with each member becoming a costumed vigilante. The catch is that each member that dons the cape can only transform to wolf form 100 times, and then, sworn to the Van Dyke family code, they must injest a serum that will restore them to fully human. If the code is not upheld, the beast’s bloodlust can take over–as is the case with Treece’s arch nemesis, Dreissen (aka the Manimal). The story opens with Treece reluctantly giving up his suit having reached the transformation limit, resigned to drink the serum and pass the torch on to his son. Until, however, he receives a call from the A.I.–named Alfred (the last Van Dyke was a big Batman fan)–that Driessen’s den had been discovered by the police, and Treece goes on one last run as the Lunar. As a fan of Batman and other comic book characters of the vigilante persuasion, I was immediately drawn to this story. I love the idea that there’s a quota on the number of times a man can shift from human to wolf, without losing himself forever to the beast. Most of all, I loved the extension of the masked hero/villain theme to werewolves here–Batman and Joker are nemises but separated only by a very fine line, hence why time after time Batman captures Joker and throws him back in Arkham instead of killing him, despite everything he has done (killing Jason, paralyzing Barbara, etc). In this sense, the line separating Lunar from Driessen is even more tenuous, as they are both werewolves, and Treese is at his limit before losing himself completely to his wolf. Very cleverly done, and a definitely in the running for my favorite story of the book.

“Colugo Men” by Michael J. Hultquist

Narrated in the first person, “Colugo Men” begins with Earnest Price, an 86 year old man, telling us his story. A former soldier and former doctor, Earnest rediscovers new meaning in his life with his grandson David. The two are very close, and Earnest would do anything for him. One Halloween evening, however, Earnest walks into David’s room and finds the boy dead, his body mutilated by a Colugo Man (a were-dog), who is still perched on David’s bed, eating. Earnest vows to avenge David, and avenge him he does–in a slow, torturous methodical manner. “Coluga Men” certainly delivers with the revenge storyline, scoring high points on the torture scale. My only complaint would be the bare writing style–Earnest’s voice doesn’t much sound like an 80-some year old man, and the story is very cut-and-dry. It’s still an engaging tale, though, and I enjoyed it.

“The Immaculate Conception” by Matt Hults

The anthology ends with editor Matt Hults’ own story, “The Immaculate Conception”, which transports us back to 1673 aboard the English merchant ship the Immaculate, as it sails for the colonies with a ship full of slaves. On deck, a slave girl has just died giving birth, though the Captain was able to save her child by way of a last-ditch, desperate Cesarian Section. The Captain of the Immaculate as it turns out is an idealist, as is our protagonist, the first mate Eric. Captain Forester tells Eric, in the privacy of his cabin, that he will turn the ship around, back to Africa because of his moral conflict with treating other humans as slaves. Eric agrees–but they are stopped by Rupert Hollis, who owns the ‘cargo’. As the Captain and Eric’s plan is treason, the ship hands do nothing to stop Hollis from taking control of the ship, and killing the newborn infant. And that is when things get out of hand–by means of old magic, the slaves, the dead, even the ship itself undergo a nightmarish, almost Lovecraftian-like metamorphosis, killing the ship’s crew mercilessly.

This is the most cinematic of all the stories–I couldn’t help but compare this story to a sort of Pirates of the Carribean meets Dead Alive sort of sentiment. This was a very cool way to end the anthology–I’m impressed yet again with Matt Hults’ ability to write action sequences in a wholly entertaining story. I had a hard time swallowing the initial premise, with the Captain and Eric being so progressive and equality minded (wavering on preachy) early in the story considering the time period, but barring this characterization, the tale is, for lack of a better word, awesome. What’s more is, I loved this less literal interpretation of the “beast within”, embracing a more metaphorical sense of our inner demons (though, yes, there is that literal metamorphosis with the rat-people as well). Probably my favorite story of the bunch, though it’s a tough call!

Additional Thoughts:

Thea: This is going to sound completely random, but I like the little Hulk-looking guy used as a break design in each story.

Also, as with Fried! the art in this book is good fun. My favorite would have to be Stephen Blundell’s almost Jae Lee style art, especially for “The Immaculate Conception” and “The Claws of Native Ghosts”.

Also, I heard an interesting story about the cover art–apparently the artist (the talented Matt Hults again) took a virtual photo sample of author Mike Stone’s hair, and used that as a brush for the werewolf on the cover! Pretty sweet claim to fame.

Rating:

Ana: 6, good. Some stories are better than others but overall, a good experience for this non-horror reader.

Thea: 7 Very Good – There was a lot of wonderful variety in this anthology, from slave trading ships, to the untamed West, to even a futuristic cyberpunk simulated reality setting. I’ll certainly be on the lookout for some of these authors in future publications. Graveside Tales delivers once again with The Beast Within; it is a true treat for the shapeshifting enthusiast, and I definitely recommend it.

Reading Next: It by Stephen King

Title: The Magical Christmas Cat

Authors: Lora Leigh, Nalini Singh, Linda Winstead Jones and Erin McCarthy

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Stand Alone/ Series: It can be read as a stand alone but at least two of the stories (Nalini Singh’s and Lora Leigh’s are connected to their ongoing series Psy/Changeling and Breeds, respectively.)

Summary: New York Times bestselling author Lora Leigh and top-selling authors Nalini Singh, Erin McCarthy, and Linda Winstead Jones have a special gift for readers this year: never-before published holiday stories featuring passionate romance, paranormal adventure, and a distinctly alluring feline touch. With four new stories—including one featuring Lora Leigh’s genetically altered Feline Breeds—this is a collection packed with more surprises than Christmas morning, and more chills than the snowiest winter night…

Why Did I Read The Book: We happened to get a review copy from the publishers but I was going to buy the book anyway as I am a NaliniSinghaholic and needed my fix until her next book is out.

Review:

Well, colour me surprised. I actually thought all 4 short stories in this anthology were enjoyable, some more than others. They are all set around Christmas time but there is hardly any mention of Christmas expect for some of the epilogues. They are therefore, not Christmas-y at all. In fact, I would say that rather than “Christmas”, the key word here should be “cat” : two of stories have heroes who are feline changelings; there is one where the cat is the villain and another where the cat is a witch’s familiar.

Stroke of Enticement by Nalini Singh

The story: Annie Kildaire is a human; a primary school teacher and most of her students are changelings. One day one of the kids picks up a fight and she has to call his uncle
Zach to come and talk to him as the boy will not explain the reasons behind the fight. Zach Quinn is a DarkRiver soldier and a ranger at the Yosemite park and as soon as he sees Annie he feels attracted and a few moments later it hits him square in the chest – she is his mate. That visceral feeling that everything is right and from then on he starts wooing Annie: asking her out, talking about their lives, meeting her family, introducing her to his own family and his pack (with cameos by Lucas and Sacha).

The development of their relationship is fast but it doesn’t feel rushed and as with any of Nalini Singh’s pairings it is heart-warming. Annie has had a sad, lonely childhood because she was involved in an accident and almost lost her leg. Furthermore, she has seen her parents’ relationship decaying into something sour and she is scared to death of being trapped in a loveless relationship. Zach is ever so patient and yet determined, as any of Nalini Singh’s heroes.

There is very little in this story, of what makes Nalini Singh’s series unique – the world building and the Psy-Changeling conflict; I sort of missed that interconnection between her romantic elements and her overall story but I understand that this is a really short story and to be honest, at this point in time, I am taking anything that will keep me going until the next full-length novel comes out.

Verdict: I love Nalini Singh’s love stories, and specially her male protagonists – the changelings that are so strong and yet so ready to die (and to kill) for their mates.

Rating: 7 Very good

Christmas Bree by Erin McCarthy

The Story: Bree Murphy is an empathic in a family of witches who has a very close relationship with her two sisters and a very close connection with the house she lives in which she inherited from her grandmother. She is a tarot reader who wears goth clothes and given her empathic gift ends up dating needy guys who take a lot and give back little.

When her younger sister who is just developing a gift for predicting the future foresees her getting together with an executive she thinks she is deluded. But destiny calls when successful lawyer Ian Carrington knocks at her door. Ian and Bree have met briefly once at a coffee shop one year ago and ever since then Ian has been having hot dreams with Bree which is driving him nuts specially because he usually goes for corporate women, does not believe in witchcraft and things Bree is the opposite of what he wants. Still, he jumps at the chance of meeting her again and getting her out of his system when one of his clients decides to make an offer on her house.

This is my first Erin McCarthy story and I was pleasantly surprised. The story that a nice feel to it , both Ian and Bree feel like real people falling in love and learning that they both have been dreaming about each other probably because they both day-dream about the same things: commitment, family, home. The cat here is her familiar who turns out to be working on his own to bring them together.

Verdict: cute, sweet love story with a real-life feel to it even though the heroine is a witch.

Rating: 7 Very Good.

Sweet Dreams by Linda Winstead Jones

The Story: Ruby is a baker who after the death of her Aunt Mildred , inherit their house in Holland Court, a friendly, perfect neighbourhood. As the story opens they are all at their annual Christmas Party and the secret santa exchanges have been made. One last anonymous present is left to be open though, and it is addressed to Ruby: a small jade statue of a cat.

She thinks the gift is beautiful but her neighbour, Zane Benedict, a quiet, sturdy professor of parapsychology recognises the statue for what it is : Il Gato Nero or Soul Collector , a cat-demon who awakens every 200 years or so to collect a soul and is only one soul away from becoming real with enough power to destroy the world. When Ruby is given the cat it means that she is the next soul to be collect and her chances of surviving are close to zero. Zane turns out to be a member of the Brotherhood of Madani, a sect who has been trying to kill the demon for centuries. Now he must find out who in the neighbourhood is working for the demon whilst at the same time, trying to protect Ruby, whom against his better judgement, he has developed feelings for. Meanwhile Ruby, unawares of what is going on, starts dreaming about the 8 previous women that were taken by the demon and is terrified when the statue starts following her around the house.

Talk about a misnomer, there is nothing sweet about this story and much less about the dreams the heroine has. There is very little romance here (a few kisses and the promise of a date when all is said and done) and a lot of horror – I was terrified as the statue moved around the house showing up at places it wasn’t supposed to be. I have no idea how this story made into a romance anthology but I am not complaining. I quite liked it and I was impressed with the fact that the writer did not try to pack some heated, fear-induced, last-chance-before-we-die sex in the mixture.

Verdict: Well done horror and suspense with a bit of romance.

Rating: 6 Good.

Christmas Heat by Lora Leigh

The Story: Haley McQuire, is a Librarian that overhears a conversation between a breed and two scientists linked to major pharmaceutical companies, interested in doing research about the breeds in what seems to be an ongoing storyline – there is just enough information here so I was not completely lost in the plot since this is my first story by Lora Leigh. Noble Chavin is a jaguar breed enforcer who has been friends with Haley for a year and knows deep inside she is his mate. He is terrified at the prospect of losing her when the villains try to kills when they learn she is a witness. He decides it is his job and his duty to protect her but the mating heat may get in the way.

To be honest, I have heard of the Breeds series by Lora Leigh but never read any of the books and was excited at the prospect of having a taste and leaning more about it. The Breeds are humans who have been genetically modified with the DNA of predators such as lions, and jaguars. There is a small introduction before the story starts that explains there is something called Mating Heat, which is the breed’s biggest secret – the fact that there is one mate for each breed that belongs exclusively to them and which causes a reaction that binds them emotionally and physically. Oh well, she lost me right there and then – specially when the Mating Heat is described as being their Achilles’ heels.

Contrary to what may look like since I am a major fan of C.L. Wilson’s Tairen Soul series, Nalini Singh’s Psy-Changeling and Kresley Cole’s IAD, I have a hard time accepting “Mated for Life” stories. The prospect of either the male or the female not having any choice or any saying in a relationship that is supposed to last forever doesn’t sit well with me. For me to actually buy it, it has to be firstly, well-written and believable and then have some mitigating circumstances. Like for example the fact that a mating bond will not come into place until the two accept it and that only happens when there is trust and love (CL Wilson’s and Nalini Singh’s are like that). Most of all, I don’t want the sex or the physical aspects of their relationship to be so binding as to be hurtful if they don’t have it and I certainly don’t want to read about a mating bong being the couple’s Achilles’ heels– again, I use the example of Nalini Singh’s mated couples who feel that finding their mates is the best thing that could ever happen to them – a gift that actually makes then stronger.

In Christmas Heat, Haley is interested in Nobel, finds him hot and has an emotional link to him but because she is human she doesn’t understand what the mating heat means and when he explains it to her –she has very little choice in the matter – I have no idea how she didn’t run as fast as she could: “when I kiss you the taste of that kiss is going to make you crazy for more. The hormone in the small glands beneath my tongue will be released into your system, and the mating hormone will begin to fill your senses. It’s like a drug for sex. It’s like a need that only one thing will ease, and that’s my semen pumping inside you. When that happens, a small, thumb-shaped extension will become erect from beneath the head of my cock. It will lock me inside you (…).”

Oh the horror, the horror. Is it me, or does this whole conversation sound ridiculous? I don’t know if in one of the full-length novels in the series, the love story or the mating heat are better developed and more palatable but in here, it all appeared to be an excuse for all the hot sex in the book. Which is a shame since I was able to appreciate the story up until that point and the epilogue was also very sweet.

Verdict: Well-established fans of Lora Leigh will probably like it – I am just not one of them and don’t think I will ever be.

Rating: 5 meh.

Notable Quotes/ Parts: from Nalini Singh’s of course! I loved the conversation between Zach and Annie’s mother. She is woman has overprotected her daughter because of her bad leg and who has been trying to fix her up with men that are more academicals than physical beings. This is one of the reasons why she has never wanted her daughter going near a changeling, because she is too, scared her daughter will suffer the same disillusion she has suffered with Annie’s father. But then she realises that there is no danger to Annie from Zach, that he would die to protect her and then she asks him to always look at her daughter like she is everything to him. And he just says, of course. Aww.

Additional Thoughts: Since we are talking about cats, have a look at this hilarious video that Katibabs posted last Saturday at her blog. Honestly, I was in hysterics watching it. It’s the Ninja Cat!

Later today: another review of another anthology: It Happened One Night with stories by Stephanie Laurens, Mary Balogh, Jacquie D’Alessandro and Candice Hern