Title: Zombies vs. Unicorns

Authors: Team Unicorn edited by Holly Black – Kathleen Duey, Meg Cabot, Garth Nix, Margo Lanagan, Naomi Novik & Diana Peterfreund; Team Zombie edited by Justine Larbalestier – Libba Bray, Alaya Dawn Johnson, Cassandra Clare, Maureen Johnson, Carrie Ryan & Scott Westerfeld

Genre: Speculative Fiction, Young Adult

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry (Simon & Schuster)
Publication Date: September 2010
Hardcover: 432 pages

It’s a question as old as time itself: which is better, the zombie or the unicorn? In this anthology, edited by Holly Black and Justine Larbalestier (unicorn and zombie, respectively), strong arguments are made for both sides in the form of short stories. Half of the stories portray the strengths–for good and evil–of unicorns and half show the good (and really, really bad-ass) side of zombies. Contributors include many bestselling teen authors, including Cassandra Clare, Libba Bray, Maureen Johnson, Meg Cabot, Scott Westerfeld, and Margo Lanagan. This anthology will have everyone asking: Team Zombie or Team Unicorn?

Stand alone or series: Stand alone collection of short stories (although some stories fit in established universes for other series’ – i.e. Carrie Ryan, Diana Peterfreund)

How did I get this book: ARC at BookExpo America 2010

Why did I read this book: Did you SEE that author list? Although I’m not really a huge anthology fan or unicorn lover (Diana Peterfreund’s killer unicorns the exception), I am always down for a zombie collection. Not to mention, we got to meet the lovely Justine Larbalestier and Holly Black (as well as Scott Westerfeld and Diana Peterfreund) at BEA this year as they were signing galleys for Zombies vs. Unicorns. Put all that together, and there was no way I was going to miss out on reading this promising anthology.

Review:

An anthology is a tricky thing to put together – there are almost always a few gems, sparkling ever-so-brightly (not unlike a unicorn’s pretty, pretty sheen) and there are some stinkers (not unlike a zombie’s dessicated stench). The general trend of Zombies vs. Unicorns, I am happy to report, is toward the positive. While there were a couple of stories I could have done without, overall, I was entertained by and pleased with the quality of the stories in this collection. Mostly.

Here’s my take on each of the stories.

“The Highest Justice” by Garth Nix (Unicorn)

A strong start to the anthology, Garth Nix writes probably the best self-contained short story in the whole book. Featuring both a zombie AND a unicorn in the same story – on the same “side” too (I think this counts as breaking the rules) – “The Highest Justice” is a fantasy tale about a grieving young princess, her unfortunate (zombified) mother, poisoned at the hands of her treacherous father and his twisted lover. And there’s justice too. This one is a bit old school (Garth Nix is one of my favorite authors from childhood, and reading this new story reminded me of how much I love his style of fantasy and writing), and I mean that in the best way. A phenomenal start to the book – well done, editors, for beginning with this one.

Rating: 8 – Excellent

“Love Will Tear Us Apart” by Ayala Dawn Johnson (Zombie)

This short story, one of a surprising – refreshing! – many that feature a same-sex romance, is a frustrating mix of AWESOME and not-so-awesome for me. I loved the sardonic, mac-and-cheese loving voice of teen infected protagonist Grayson. The food comparisons alone are wonderful, and I loved the very real, astonishingly deep relationship portrayed between him and the delectable Jack. Lust, hate, revulsion, love all rolled into one complicated package of emotion, fueled by violence (and set to a killer soundtrack), the overall characterizations and direction of the story is brilliant. The ending line is EPIC. But, there were some stylistic choices that irritated the crap (brains?) out of me. The story is divided into different mini-chapters, alternating the realtime storyline with Grayson’s little asides about his past – and, for the most part, the little asides (in my opinion) were largely unnecessary, dragging down the irresistible momentum of the actual story. Plus, the cheese factor in the asides was high – the “Dirty Harry” chapter in particular, with cringe-worthy rules such as, “Use your brains! Or someone else will eat them for you” didn’t do anything for me, not really flowing well with the heavier, more dramatic tone of the story. But again, just my opinion. Overall, another winner.

Rating: 7 – Very Good

“Purity Test” by Naomi Novik (Unicorn)

I have had Naomi Novik on my shelf for a while now, but have yet to read her Temeraire books. As such, “Purity Test” was my first introduction to the author, and I was thrilled to finally try some of her work… but, unfortunately, this was one of the few duds (for me). Working the humor angle with a trapper-keeper unicorn on the hunt for a certain young woman, “Purity Test” as its title suggests plays on the bond between virginity and unicorns. Unfortunately, the dialogue felt kitschy, the jokes pretty bad, and the story (though well-executed), ultimately forgettable.

Rating: 5 – Meh

“Bougainvillea” by Carrie Ryan

My favorite story of the anthology. I adored The Forest of Hands and Teeth and thoroughly enjoyed The Dead-Tossed Waves, so I was thrilled to discover that “Bougainvillea” fits in the same universe, albeit at a much earlier time. Alternating between past and present (or “Then” and “Now”), “Bougainvillea” follows Iza, a young woman on the island of Curacao shortly after The Return. Daughter of a ruthless – but effective – leader, Iza struggles with her own sense of worth, her relationship with her father, the growing threat of pirates offshore, and the ever present Mudo surrounding them all. Iza’s is a beautifully crafted, bittersweet character arc (this is right in Ms. Ryan’s wheelhouse) and I loved it from beginning to end. Especially the end. “Bougainvillea” provides valuable insight to The Return and Mary and Gabry’s world in TFOHAT and TDTW, also provoking some interesting questions, too.

I would LOVE to see Iza’s journey continue in another story or book…whaddya say, Ms. Ryan? Pretty please?

Rating: 10 – Perfection

“A Thousand Flowers” by Margo Lanagan (Unicorn)

If “Purity Test” was kitschy and plays with the technicalities of virginity and its connection to unicorns, “A Thousand Flowers” takes that virginity connection and perverts and twists it beyond recognition. Ms. Lanagan is not one to shy away from gritty, less-palatable elements and she explores the darker, more complicated side of sexuality (this is the author of Tender Morsels we’re talking about, after all). Ms. Lanagan’s work might not be for everyone, certainly not for the faint of heart, but this is an author with a gift for storytelling as she interweaves magic and wonder together with the uglier side of human nature. Is “A Thousand Flowers” a little sensationalist and exploitative? Yes. But it also is an effective, brutal explication of female sexuality and “virtue.” I’m not really sure if I particularly liked this story, but it’s certainly thought-provoking and memorable, to say the least.

Rating: 7 – Very Good

“The Children of the Revolution” by Maureen Johnson (Zombie)

This story was my first exposure to Maureen Johnson’s writing – I’ve been dying to read something by her ever since her awesome keynote speech at Book Blogger Con earlier this year. Funny, charming, incredibly witty – these are the words I would use to describe the lovely Ms. Johnson. And, just as I hoped, “The Children of the Revolution” was similarly enchanting (well, you know, in a more slimy, guts and brains and raw sinew kind of zombie way). Following a college freshman duped into following her stoner boyfriend out to the UK for a study abroad program only to learn that said program is essentially slave labor and said boyfriend is a grade-A jackass, “The Children of the Revolution” also pokes fun at Hollywood celebrities and their penchant for truly insane religions. Little adorable toddler zombies. Sponge Bob. How could I not love this story? Ms. Johnson’s voice is wry, flippant, and totally winsome. I’ll be back to sample her other work, very soon.

Rating: 7 – Very Good

“The Care and Feeding of Your Baby Killer Unicorn” by Diana Peterfreund (Unicorn)

This story, along with Ms. Ryan’s and Mr. Westerfeld’s, were my most highly anticipated stories of this collection, and I am happy to report that Diana Peterfreund once again delivers. “The Care and Feeding of Your Baby Killer Unicorn” might sound like a playful, lighthearted title, this is a surprisingly moving story about a girl struggling with her terrifying new-found abilities, her family expectations, her relationships, and, of course, a baby killer unicorn. One of the longer stories in the bunch, “Baby Killer Unicorn” actually feels like more of a novella than a short story. I love that protagonist Wen is markedly different from the other female leads in this collection, and in fact from Ms. Peterfreund to date – she’s not as rough as Astrid (of Rampant) or as assured as Amy (of the Secret Society Girl books). Wen is quieter, religious (which stands out in a sea of usually agnostic/atheistic or religion-free genre stories), and confused – but when she does stand up for herself, it’s an awesome, empowering feeling.

While I loved the story overall, what didn’t quite work for me, however, was the question of time frame. First, the integration of unicorns into modern society sits strangely. In Rampant, the existence of unicorns isn’t really something people take as fact – but in this short story, a jump has been made where unicorns are commonly known of (they are on the news, for example) and universally feared. Also in terms of time frame, Flower/Flayer (titled killer baby unicorn)’s growth and Wen’s caring for him felt rushed and abrupt.

That said, this is one of the strongest unicorn pieces in the book, and one of the keeper memorable stories in the collection.

Rating: 7 – Very Good

“Innoculata” by Scott Westerfeld” (Zombie)

My second favorite story of the book, “Innoculata” proves to me, yet again, that Scott Westerfeld is the bees knees. Once zombies have taken over the planet and only a handful of humans remain in a basically safe enclosure, equipped with food, water and shelter, what else is there to do? “Innoculata” is a story about a rarely examined side effect of the zombie apocalypse: boredom. I love the idea of completely random inoculation (and the idea of the cowpox/smallpox explanation); I love the characters (a F/F pairing this time!); I love the idea of apocalypse survivors on a weed farm led by a former DEA raider; I love the action-packed awesomeness of it all.

Another gem of a self-contained story.

Rating: 9 – Damn Near Perfection

“Princess Prettypants” by Meg Cabot (Unicorn)

Ahh, Meg Cabot. How I loved this story – my favorite Team Unicorn entry of the whole bunch. “Princess Prettypants” (truly awesome name) pokes fun at the Lisa Frank type of unicorn:

On Liz’s seventeenth birthday, she gets an honest-to-goodness unicorn from her crazy Aunt – one that literally farts rainbows and is named “Princess Prettypants.” Seriously. What begins as the worst birthday ever turns into a sweet revenge tale, with the help of one really, really pretty unicorn. Hilarious, smart and just…cool, written with Meg Cabot’s trademark wit and verve, “Princess Prettypants” is absolutely delightful.

Rating: 8 – Excellent

“Cold Hands” by Cassandra Clare (Zombie)

Cassandra Clare’s take on zombies is slightly different than the usual “no room in Hell”/pathogen/demonic possession sort of deal – in this story, one town is plagued by a curse that brings deceased loved ones back to life as zombies. These aren’t the eat-your-brains types of zombies; rather, they are the forlorn undead that only want to be with their families and lovers. Because the undead will follow those loved ones wherever they go, no one from “Zombietown” (as Lychgate it is known to the rest of the world) is allowed to leave. That doesn’t bother Adele so much, however, because she has her true love, James, who also happens to be the next Duke of Lychgate, by her side. But when James is killed by his Uncle, their love is tested to its limits, as James returns to claim his place, and to be with Adele.

A solid entry, I liked how earnest and romantic this story was as both Adele and James are tragic characters. Although the time period felt a little oddly anachronistic (Dukes? Really?) and the overall story leaned towards the melodramatic, I finished the story feeling basically satisfied and entertained.

Rating: 6 – Good

“The Third Virgin” by Kathleen Duey (Unicorn)

I’m not going to lie, this story was a near DNFer (“Did Not Finish”). Maybe it’s because the story is so exposition-heavy, and almost entirely internalized for the majority of the tale, from the perspective of a unicorn. Most likely it’s because “The Third Virgin” is yet another unicorn story dealing with the unicorn-virginity connection – which is unfair to Ms. Duey and her story, because had this been placed earlier in the anthology, I probably would not have had such a hard time getting through it. I’ll schedule it for a reread later, but I simply could not get hooked with the slow moving plot, and the lackluster voice of the narrating character. At this point, I think I was a little unicorn’d out.

Rating: 5 – Meh

“Prom Night” by Libba Bray (Zombie)

Well, talk about going out with a bang. “Prom Night” is one of the more haunting stories in the collection, by virtue of that ending. I loved the moral quandary this particular story posed – which is something that none of the other entries attempted. Even though the world has turned into kill or be killed, eat or be eaten, what is the moral thing to do? Did the teens of “Prom Night” do a terrible thing by sending their infected parents beyond their walls? At what point does the veneer of civilization begin to wear thin?

Libba Bray’s closing is a fitting end for a pretty one-sided showdown. Sorry Team Unicorn – from where I’m sitting, Team Zombie is the clear victor.

Rating: 7 – Very Good

On the Introductions…

The book and each story are prefaced by quick exchanges between editors Holly Black and Justine Larbalestier – and while I enjoyed this quippy rapport, and the general idea of a zombie-unicorn throwdown, my only quibble is that after a while, these introductions felt a bit repetitive and the teeniest bit self-serving and silly. I’m absolutely certain that it was a blast to write and work on this collection together – but as a reader, the introductions seemed to be more fun for the authors than perhaps they will be to their audience.

That said, overall, Zombies vs. Unicorns is a solid anthology, and well worth checking out. I definitely recommend it – especially for the zombie or unicorn lover.

Overall Rating: 7 – Very Good

Reading Next: Dark Life by Kat Falls

Giveaway Details:

And would you look at that? We’ve got TWO copies of Zombies vs. Unicorns up for grabs. The contest is open to addresses in the US and Canada and will run until Saturday August 21 at 11:59pm (PST). ONLY ONE ENTRY PER PERSON – multiple entries from the same IP address will be disqualified. Entry is simple – just let us know which team floats your boat – zombies? Or Unicorns?

Good luck! We will announce the winner on Sunday in our weekly Smuggler Stash.

Title: Kiss me Deadly

Author: Edited by Trish Telep with 13 contributors (listed below)

Genre: YA/Paranormal

Publisher: Running Press Kids
Publication Date: August 3, 2010
Paperback: 432 pages

If you can possibly thirst for more mysterious metaphysical accounts of love, Trisha Telep has organized some of the greatest and most thrilling tales of paranormal paramours since The Eternal Kiss. She presents the acclaimed literary talent of thirteen unique authors, creating a collection of stories that will undoubtedly capture the imagination of every soul who dares to read them. Werewolves, ghosts, zombies, vampires, and fallen angels drive the plot of these riveting romances.

Kiss Me Deadly includes the exceptional writings of several authors, including:

• Sarah Rees Brennan (faeries)
• Becca Fitzpatrick (angels)
• Caitlin Kittredge (witches)
• Karen Mahoney (vampires: sequel to story from The Eternal Kiss)
• Daniel Marks (ghost kids)
• Justine Musk (sorcerers)
• Diana Peterfreund (unicorns)
• Michelle Rowen (demons)
• Carrie Ryan (zombies)
• Maggie Stiefvater (werewolves)
• Rachel Vincent (banshees)
• Daniel Waters (zombies)
• Michelle Zink (gothic ghosts)

Why did I read this book: I loved Telep’s previous anthology, The Eternal Kiss and had been waiting for this one anxiously.

How did I get this book: I got an ARC at BEA

Review:

Kiss Me Deadly is an anthology with all new stories by several YA authors, some of them new-to-me. It is edited by Trisha Telep who also edited The Eternal Kiss anthology published last year. I read (and reviewed) The Eternal Kiss and was extremely impressed by the quality of the stories and it was a no-brainer that I would be picking up this new one as well. As with its predecessor, this new anthology has a well-balanced collection of short stories. Out of the 12 stories I read (the collection is supposed to have 13, but my ARC did not contain the story by Becca Fitzpatrick, which will only be a part of the finished product) , one I intensely disliked, 3 I enjoyed to a certain extent and the remaining 8 were, for lack of a better word, completely and totally awesome.

I find myself more and more attracted to short stories these days: a completely different animal from a novel, yet still a perfectly viable form of storytelling. I would even say that when a short story is good, it is really good and I admire authors who can write both shorts and full-length novels. The feeling I had reading those 8 stories aforementioned was that the authors took their time really thinking about them. Diana Peterfreund’s, Carrie Ryan’s and Dan Water’s for example are set in the same world as their full length novels but can be perfectly read as stand alone, because the world-building was less important than the characters and story. This is not to say that attention was not given to the background, it is just that it was integrated in the stories in a way that it never overshadowed the storytelling. It this vein, it didn’t matter to me that I never read a Dan Water novel before, because everything I needed to know about his world came from his main character’s feelings (and I have to say that now I completely understand why Thea is bananas about both Carrie Ryan and Dan Waters’ books) .

A final word before I proceed to examine each story on its own. The Eternal Kiss had a “theme” as all stories had vampires in them. Kiss Me Deadly is supposed to be about “paranormal love” , except that I think this description builds a certain expectation that all stories will be about romantic love when they are not. All stories are paranormal stories, with a great diversity of paranormal creatures and within different genres too but I can’t say that romance is a thread that links all of them and some of them don’t have romance at all. “Love” makes an appearance in the majority of stories, but it can be parental love or the love of a nun for her unicorn. I would go as far as to say that the stories that are supposed to be the most romantic ones are the weakest ones in my opinion – if there is one thing that is really hard to build in the confines of a short story is a believable romance.

Having said that, the stories as they appear in the anthology are:

The Assassin’s Apprentice by Michelle Zink

Rose comes from a long line of Descendants (from Angels) and her entire family has been killed by a demon. Bent on revenge, she is about to attack said demon when she comes across an Assassin’s Apprentice named Asher with whom she forms an alliance. Assassin are usually in charge of protecting the Descendants but Rose is fully capable of taking care of herself, thanks very much. I thought this story had an interesting premise and mythology although the historical setting was not in depth enough for me to know when it was set exactly. I like Rose as protagonist, but felt the romance that started between her and Asher too rushed and artificial, almost like an after-thought to the story. 6 out of 10

Errant by Diana Peterfreund

Part of Peterfreund’s Unicorn Hunters series, Errant is set in the 18th century French when a nun , sister Gitta (a Unicorn Hunter) , accompanied by her unicorn, arrives at a chateau just before the wedding of a girl named Eloise. As part of the celebration, a traditional Unicorn Hunt is to be enacted with Gitta’s help. This story is excellent as it develops, quite well these two characters. Starting with animosity from Gitta’s side – her frustration with these people and this girl who know nothing about tradition and sacrifice, expect yes, yes she does and Gitta slowly realises that and the relationship that builds between the two girls is incredible. There is a communion of spirits between them (and the unicorn) and I would like to use the author’s own words to describe this story:

18th century French feminist killer unicorn story about a nun and a bride and a forest full of monsters.

Perfect. 8 out of 10

The Spirit Jar by Karen Mahoney

This story by Karen Mahoney once again follows her character, the vampire Moth which was introduced in a story in The Eternal Kiss anthology in her struggle to get rid of her Maker, Theo. She keeps going on missions to rescue certain objects for Theo in the hope that one enough difficult missions will buy her freedom. This time around, she travels to London after a book when she meets a part-djinn boy named Adam who is also after the book – he needs it to release his girlfriend’s soul who is entrapped in a spirit jar. Moth is conflicted as to whether help him or just get the book and go away – is she Moth or is she still Marie, the girl she used to be? I loved Moth when I first read about her and I loved her even more here with her reluctant (or is it?) willingness to help the boy. 8 out of 10.

Lost by Justine Musk

I love the opening lines of this story:

“I’ve always been good at finding lost things, but three weeks after a car accident dumped my best friend in a coma, I was the thing that felt lost. And nobody knew where to find me.
Except for one person.”

This is a bittersweet, quite dark-ish tale, a remaining of a well known (and to me, well-loved) Greek myth, which I will leave unspoiled as part of the fun in this story is to slowly realise together with Sasha, the main character, what is her role. Although I liked the premise and enjoyed the writing, I felt that on this case the short format did not help, a longer story was needed to properly develop this. It does work as a teaser though and I would definitely be more interested in learning more. 7 out of 10.

The Spy Who Never Grew Up by Sarah Rees Brennan

It is no surprise that Sarah Rees Brennan, the author of the Demon Lexicon series is one of my favourite writers right now. This story is another reason why. It is funny and terminally clever and maybe even creepy. Peter Pan has been co-opted by the Queen of England to become a spy for the Country in exchange for a “mother” who turns out to be Wendy’s great-great granddaughter.

What I ADORE about this story is how the author totally, completely “gets” Peter Pan. From

“To die for your country,” said Peter. ” “Would that be an awfully big adventure?”

to his creepiness evidenced here by how he has sort of grown up a little bit yet he still has his baby teeth and his need for a mother, any mother. I loved how the girl has been prepared by generations of girls who have been used by Peter and when she faces him it is with a pepper spray in hand. But the thing about Peter Pan, the boy who never grow up (that’s because he has no memories) is how terribly titillating the promise of adventure with him is. Plus you guys: NINJA FAIRIES. Seriously.

“The name’s Pan,” said Peter, who I must admit was showing off. “Peter Pan.”
Neither of them was really on their best behaviour. Spies rarely are.
“What will you have?” asked the bartender.
“Martini,” said Ivana. “shaken, not stirred.”
“Milk,” said Peter. “Warm, not hot.”

8 out of 10 and possibly my favourite story.

Behind the Red Door by Caitlin Kittredge

Small town boredom leads the main character Jo to be dared by her friends to visit decrepit Ash House where she meets the ghost of a boy named Nicholas Day with whom she starts a relationship – which ends up consuming her thoughts. This is part proper ghost story – terrifying and sad – part coming of age as Jo needs to decide what she wants for her life. I loved it. 7 out 10.

Hare Moon by Carrie Ryan

This is definitely another favourite. It is part of Carrie Ryan’s Forest of Hands and Teeth series. I have yet to follow this series but Thea is a HUGE fan and now I understand why. This story follows a girl named Tabitha, trapped in a village surrounded by zombies torn between the mysteries of the outside world and the possibility of love and sex with a boy from another village and her duty. The writing is evocative and beautiful about a very fundamental conflict between love and duty, history and memory and choices. 8 out of 10.

Familiar by Michelle Rowan

A story a reluctant teenage witch who, prompted by her mother, must pick a familiar. She chooses a kitten who turns out to be a shape shifter boy hiding from a clan of werewolves. Witches and their familiar are magically bonded and the bond on this case, the bond is created between the two kids – with eventually extrapolated into a romantic bond and in this case, wholly artificial. I was unimpressed by this story. 5 out of 10.

Fearless by Rachel Vincent

Part of her Soul Screamers series, and the only story in the anthology that seems to be connected with the rest of the series it belongs to. It is set about two years before the first book starts. It follows Sabine, a mara, or living nightmare. The girl is currently under arrest in a Correctional facility and there she where she lives off consuming fears from other girls while they sleep. Some of the scenes with Sabine feeding off fears are absolutely terrifying but not near as terrifying as finding out that all that stands between Sabine and madness is….Nash who seems to love her. A promise made by Nash in the last page seems to be foreboding of DOOM. 7 out of 10.

Vermillion by Daniel Marks
This was my least favourite story in the entire anthology – in fact it made me downright angry. The set up is quite vague….in Purgatory dead people take care of problems caused by spirits in the living world. Velvet is the narrator and member of a team which includes her boyfriend (and undertaker) Nick. Called to investigate some disturbances, they have to side with another team led by a girl who from the first time she sets foot in the story is met with hatred and anger by Velvet because she might be after Nick. Regardless of whether this is true or not, the story is filled with girl-hate and with Velvet being focused solely on her relationship with Nick. That does not a good story make. 4 out of 10.

The Hounds of Ulster by Maggie Stiefvater

Bryant and Sullivan are the best of friends, and they want to be rock stars. Bryant narrates this story, which is an elegy for Sullivan who is lost to Them. It is about their dreams and who they are shattered by this one Girl. This story is typical Maggie Stiefvater affair and it sparked the typical reaction in me after reading her stories. Beautiful writing, incredibly powerful setting and a highly frustrating ending and characters. I am not sure how I am supposed to feel about this story and the punch it packs in the end but I know that I somehow felt cheated. In any case, it is actually a good story. 7 out of 10.

Many Happy Returns by Daniel Waters

Another contender for favourite story. Part of Generation Dead series in which teenagers who die might come back to life albeit in a very constricted manner (slower, difficulty of speech), not exactly zombies per since they keep their personality. In this series, a small town tragedy occurs after there is a car accident and several teenage kids die. From the point of view of one of the parents, Cal observes as his friends’ kids come back to life while he hopes and waits for his daughter Mandy to wake up. I don’t care about what is it that makes the kids come back, I only know what this possibility makes it for a very suspenseful read in many ways: is it a good thing to hope for this to happen? What sort of life would Mandy live if she does? But if she doesn’t , how can Cal possibly move on? Grief, envy, lost love it is all mixed in this bag of absurdly good and sad delights. 8 out of 10.

Verdict: All in all, an excellent anthology which I highly recommend in spite of a couple of less than good stories. The excellent ones more than make up for those.

Rating: 7 Very Good (leaning towards an 8 )

Reading next: Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce

“On The Smugglers’ Radar” is a new feature for books that have caught our eye: books we heard of via other bloggers, directly from publishers, and/or from our regular incursions into the Amazon jungle. This is how the Smugglers’ Radar was born, and because there are far too many books that we want than we can possibly buy or review (what else is new?) we thought we could make it into a weekly feature – so YOU can tell us which books you have on your radar as well!

On Ana’s Radar:

I am in an “anthology” mood at the moment, saw various this past week that seem REALLY cool. The first one I saw over at SciFi Guy’s:

TABLE OF CONTENTS:
Introduction: The Golden Age by Lou Anders
“Cleansed and Set in Gold” by Matthew Sturges
“Where their Worm Dieth Not” by James Maxey
“Secret Identity” by Paul Cornell
“The Non-Event” by Mike Carey
“Avatar” by Mike Baron
“Message from the Bubblegum Factory” by Daryl Gregory
“Thug” by Gail Simone
“Vacuum Lad” by Stephen Baxter
“A Knight of Ghosts and Shadows” by Chris Roberson
“Head Cases” by Peter David & Kathleen David
“Downfall” by Joseph Mallozzi
“By My Works You Shall Know Me” by Mark Chadbourn
“Call Her Savage” by Marjorie M. Liu
“Tonight we fly” by Ian McDonald
“A to Z in the Ultimate Big Company Superhero Universe (Villains Too)” by Bill Willingham

Then there is this another one edited by George R.R. Martin & Gardner Dozois, which features a story by Neil Gaiman!!

-Jim Butcher, “Love Hurts” (a Harry Dresden story)
-Jo Beverly, “The Marrying Maid”
-Carrie Vaughn, “Rooftops”
-M.L.N. Hanover, “Hurt Me”
-Cecelia Holland, “Demon Lover”
-Melinda M. Snodgrass, “The Wayfarer’s Advice” (an Imperials story)
-Robin Hobb, “Blue Boots”
-Neil Gaiman, “The Thing About Cassandra”
-Marjorie M. Liu, “After the Blood”
-Jacqueline Carey, “You and You Alone” (a Kushiel story)
-Lisa Tuttle, “His Wolf”
-Linnea Sinclair, “Courting Trouble”
-Mary Jo Putney, “The Demon Dancer”
-Tanith Lee, “Under/Above the Water”
-Peter S. Beagle, “Kashkia”
-Yasmine Galenorn, “Man in the Mirror”
-Diana Gabaldon, “A Leaf on the Wind of All Hallows” (an OUTLANDER spinoff)

Speaking of Neil Gaiman, there is an anthology coming up, edited by him with an AWESOME cover:

This astonishing collection of all-new tales by some of the most acclaimed writers at work today is called, simply, Stories. Edited by Neil Gaiman (Sandman, The Graveyard Book, Anansi Boys, Coraline) and Al Sarrantonio (award-winning author of forty books and editor of numerous collections), Stories presents never before published short works from a veritable Who’s Who of contemporary literature—breathtaking inventions from the likes of Lawrence Block, Roddy Doyle, Joanne Harris, Joe Hill, Walter Mosley, Joyce Carol Oates, Stewart O’Nan, Chuck Palahniuk, Carolyn Parkhurst, Jodi Picoult, Peter Straub…and, of course, the inimitable Neil Gaiman himself.

Another one that I simply CAN’T, WON’T miss is a collection of stories about yes, the devil himself.

The Devil is known by many names: Serpent, Tempter, Beast, Adversary, Wanderer, Dragon, Rebel. His traps and machinations are the stuff of legends. His faces are legion. No matter what face the devil wears, Sympathy for the Devil has them all. Edited by Tim Pratt, Sympathy for the Devil collects the best Satanic short stories by Neil Gaiman, Holly Black, Stephen King, Kage Baker, Charles Stross, Elizabeth Bear, Jay Lake, Kelly Link, China Mieville, Michael Chabon, and many others, revealing His Grand Infernal Majesty, in all his forms. Thirty-five stories, from classics to the cutting edge, exploring the many sides of Satan, Lucifer, the Lord of the Flies, the Father of Lies, the Prince of the Powers of the Air and Darkness, the First of the Fallen… and a Man of Wealth and Taste. Sit down and spend a little time with the Devil.

And one about dragons!

Dragons: Fearsome fire-breathing foes, scaled adversaries, legendary lizards, ancient hoarders of priceless treasures, serpentine sages with the ages’ wisdom, and winged weapons of war… Wings of Fire brings you all these dragons, and more, seen clearly through the eyes of many of today’s most popular authors, including Peter Beagle, Holly Black, Orson Scott Card, Charles De Lint, Diana Wynne Jones, Mercedes Lackey, Ursula K Le Guin, Dean R Koontz, George R. R. Martin, Anne McCaffrey, Elizabeth Moon, Garth Nix, and many others.

And the only single title this week. I am very very curious about this book:

On Thea’s Radar:

There’s no cover for this yet, but thanks to the lovely Moonsanity for emailing us with the info that a new Steampunk Trilogy authored by Steven Harper has been acquired by Ace! From Steven Harper’s blog:

Ace Books has acquired a new steampunk trilogy from Steven Harper (me). Series title: THE BRAIN PLAGUE.

In Book One, THE DOOMSDAY VAULT, Alice Webb and Gavin Michael join an underground police force in Victorian London, where they fight zombies, mad scientists, and air pirates in an attempt to save the British Empire from a terrible plague, only to discover that the cure may be worse than the disease.

Books two and three are tentatively titled THE IMPOSSIBLE CUBE and THE DRAGON MEN.

THE DOOMSDAY VAULT is due on December 1, 2010. THE IMPOSSIBLE CUBE is due on July 1, 2011, and THE DRAGON MEN is due on February 1, 2012. (In other words, I have about seven months to write each book. Whoo! My fingers will be a-flyin’!)

Anne Sowards at Ace will be editing.

It sounds fantastic; I cannot wait to get my greedy paws on these books!

And here’s the sequel to The Demon King from Cinda Williams Chima – which we will be reviewing in the future. I really enjoyed the first book, and cannot wait for the second installment…although I’m not too crazy about the covers (The Demon King looked like the Orin from The Neverending Story, and this one is soooooo The One Ring To Rule Them All, isn’t it?)

Haunted by the loss of his mother and sister, hunted by the powerful Bayar family, Han Alister makes a devil’s bargain with the clans. If they sponsor his schooling at Mystwerk Academy at Oden’s Ford, he will become their magical sell-sword against the power-hungry Wizard Council.

Han and his clan friend Fire Dancer undertake the dangerous journey south through war-torn Arden. Once in Oden’s Ford, it doesn’t take long for the smoldering feud between Han and Micah Bayar to kindle into flame. After several attempts on his life, Han knows he has to find a way to defend himself.

In the magical dream world of Aediion, Han meets the mysterious Crow, a wizard with a long-standing grudge against the Bayars. Crow offers to tutor Han in wizardry in exchange for his help. Han agrees, once again forced into a bargain he hopes he won’t regret.

Meanwhile, Han’s friends Fire Dancer and Cat Tyburn struggle with their own demons. Dancer is determined to become a clan flashcrafter, despite his charmcaster status. Cat carries a load of guilt, as the only survivor of the slaughter of the gangs in Ragmarket and Southbridge.

Resuming her disguise as gently-born Rebecca Morley, Princess Raisa ana’Marianna travels with her friend Amon Byrne and his triple of cadets to Wien House, the military academy at Oden’s Ford. There she hopes she will find both temporary sanctuary from a forced marriage and the education she needs to succeed as the next Gray Wolf queen.

Much of Raisa’s education takes place outside of the classroom. As she mingles with students of all classes from throughout the Seven Realms, she forges the kind of friendships that don’t happen amid the cut-throat politics of the Gray Wolf Court. She also struggles to deal with her attraction to Amon—an attraction he seems determined to discourage.

When Han Alister asks the girl he knows as Rebecca to tutor him, she agrees. The streetlord turned wizard with the complicated past fascinates her, and he makes it clear the interest is mutual. But Han blames Queen Marianna and the Bayars for the loss of his family. As their relationship deepens, Raisa suspects that if Han knew her true identity, he wouldn’t want anything to do with her.

Thanks to Ana for alerting me to this – my childhood love, Christopher Pike, has a new book. *melts*

One minute Sara’s bored on vacation in Istanbul. The next, she’s unearthed a flying carpet that cleverly drags her to the mysterious Island of the Djinn–or genies. By her side is Amesh, a hot boy she’s starting to love but doesn’t yet trust. When Amesh learns the secret of invoking djinn, he loses control. He swears he’ll call upon only one djinn and make one wish. The plan sounds safe enough. But neither Sara nor Amesh are any match for the formidable monster that that swells before them. It hypnotizes Amesh, compelling him to steal Sara’s flying carpet–the ancient Carpet of Ka–and leave her stranded.

Discovering the Carpet of Ka has sparked a new path for Sara, one that will lead her to battle creatures even deadlier than djinn. In this fight, Sara can save mankind, herself, or the boy she loves. Who will she be forced to sacrifice?

There’s also this new title from Jonathan Maberry. It looks great. Sounds great. Lots of authors I like are endorsing it. But…every book I’ve tried by Maberry is a dud. I’m on the fence, but think I might give this title a try.

A teenager grows up in a post-apocalypic, zombie-infested America in Jonathan Maberry’s Rot & Ruin.

Speaking of zombies, the sequel to David Moody’s Hater, Dog Blood is out soon. I quite enjoyed Hater (even if it was a bit slow and repetitive and the title’s something of a weird misnomer/cultural disconnect to my American-slang mind), so I’ll be checking it out.

On the heels of Patient Zero and Pride and Prejudice with Zombies— the electrifying sequel to Hater where humanity fights itself to the death against a backdrop of ultimate apocalyptic destruction

The Earth has been torn into two parts by an irreversible division. Whether due to nature, or the unknown depths of the mind itself, everyone is now either Human or Hater. Victim or killer. Governments have fallen, command structures have collapsed, and relationships have crumbled. Major cities have become refugee camps where human survivors cower together in fear. Amidst this indiscriminate carnage, Danny McCoyne is on a mission to find his daughter Ellis, convinced that her shared Hater condition means her allegiance is to people like him. Free of inhibitions, unrestricted by memories of peace, and driven by instinct, children are pure Haters, and may well define the future of the Hater race. But, as McCoyne makes his way into the heart of human territory, an incident on the battlefield sets in place an unexpected chain of events, forcing him to question everything he believes he knows about the new order that has arisen, and the dynamic of the Hate itself.

And that’s it from us! What about you – are there any books on your radar you’d like to share?

Title:Steampunk

Author: edited by Jeff and Ann Vandermeer with contributions by Michael Chabon / Neal Stephenson / James P. Blaylock / Joe R. Lansdale / Mary Gentle / Ted Chiang / Michael Moorcock / Jay Lake / Molly Brown / Stepan Chapman / Ian R. MacLeod / Rachel E. Pollock / Paul Di Filippo / Rick Klaw / Jess Nevins / Bill Baker

Genre: Steampunk

Stand alone or series: Stand Alone

Publisher: Tachyon Publications
Publication Date: June 2008
Paperback: 432 pages

Steampunk is Victorian elegance and modern technology: steam-driven robots, souped-up stagecoaches, and space-faring dirigibles fueled by gaslight romance, mad scientists, and oh-so-trim waistcoats. It’s The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, The Wizard of Oz, and The Golden Compass. Replete with whimsical mechanical wonders and bold adventurers, this riveting anthology lovingly collects classic steampunk stories, pop-culture fueled discussions of steampunk, and essential recommended reading lists for the discerning steampunk fan.

From the editors of The Thackery T. Lambshead Pocket Guide to Eccentric and Discredited Diseases and The New Weird, this is steampunk. Hang on tight.

Why did I read the book: This one is considered THE definitive Steampunk anthology

How did I get the book: Bought

Review:

Steampunk is a collection of articles and stories pertaining to Steampunk. The three articles contained in the anthology seem to have been written specially for the collection whereas the stories have all been published before and are collected here as examples of “Best Of” that the genre has to offer.

I guess the question that needs to be asked is this: does the anthology succeed in its purpose to collect the best of the genre? I am….undecided.

I am not too sure that the unsuspecting reader, the one who never read Steampunk, would come away after reading this collection, wanting to read more. I rather think that the best public for the anthology are those who already enjoy Steampunk and want to know more by exploring the short story format or by reading one of the books that are considered an “Essential” reading. In that sense, I consider myself one of those and I am glad I did read it but I can’t really say I liked the majority of what I read.

The three articles for example are rather good. Introduction: The Nineteenth Century Roots of Steampunk by Jess Nevins is my favorite, an interesting essay about the roots of Steampunk going back to dime novels of the 19th century and the difference between a first “wave” of Steampunk fiction and a second “wave”. The other two are The Steam-Driven Time Machine: A Pop Culture Survey by Rick Claw which offers an insight about genre and its different format (books, movies, fashion, etc) and how the media has picked up on it and The Essential Sequential Steampunk: A Modest Survey of the Genre within the Comic Book Medium by Bill Baker takes a look at the genre within comics and graphic novel format. I do have to say though, as much as the articles are all good, they are not particularly insightful in a ”not to be missed” way. Any information provided and collected can easily be found by doing a simple Google search about the genre.

As for the stories themselves. This is where things get really complicated. Some of them are really, really good but amongst hose there are a couple I am not sure I would even consider Steampunk. Cyperpunk (such Neal Stephenson’s Excerpt from the Third and Last Volume of Tribes of the Pacific Coast) Gaslight Romance, yes. Steampunk? Perhaps not. In any case, admitting that all stories are a form of Steampunk – what do these stories say about the genre?

That there isn’t a clear definition, or a clear parameter to define it. Which is something I already knew but became set in stone after reading the anthology.

My favourite stories in the anthology are the lighter, more fun one ones like Victoria by Paul Di Filippo. Part of his Steampunk Trilogy of novella, this one was a delight to read. It tells the story of a how a scientist is able to genetically modify a newt into a woman with a tremendous sexual appetite. He calls her Victoria and she looks a bit like Queen Victoria. When the real Queen goes missing, the prime minister engages his help to substitute one woman for the other while they search for the queen. It is a great Victorian set story full of political intrigue and scandalous behaviour. The Selene Gardening Society is a whimsical comedy of manners in which a group of Victorian ladies decide to send the excess of garbage to the moon – which will, according to them eventually make the atmosphere habitable for humans. Another favourite but more in a darker streak was Seventy-Two Letters by Ted Chiang applying Kaballa and Gollems to a Steampunk setting. There is also a small except (3 pages or so long) of the very good Warlod of the Air by Michael Moorcock,a book considered to be proto-Steampunk. The excerpt is so small and so obviously part of a larger story that I don’t understand its inclusion in the anthology at all.

The other stories were a complete miss for me. Either because the concepts were not fully explored like Jay Lake’s The God-Clown is Near with the idea of “moral” Clowns and one being built to pass judgment lacks context – it seems to be part of one the author’s “world” but in here it just floats in space. Similarly, The Giving Mouth Ian R. MacLeod, a medieval Steampunk is beautifully written
but also lacking gravitas and a clear explanation for what the heck is going on. A Sun in the Attic by Mary Gentle on the other hand has some of the worst dialogue I ever read even if might have an interesting premise (positive and negative outcome of scientific discoveries in a polygamous society). And so on and so forth, cardboard characters, lack of a cohesive or interesting story afflict the remaining tales.

My least favourite (to put it very mildly) of them all is definitely The Steam Man of the Prairie and the Dark Rider Get Down: A Dime Novel by Joe R. Lansdale. The premise is actually pretty good. The Time Traveller of from H.G. Wells’s The Time Machine travelled so much that he disrupted the time-space continuum and somehow ended up a vampire. Sounds good right? Except the entire story is an excuse for gratuitous violence and an overwhelming obsession with … “ass”. To wit, in every single page there is a scene that contains either rape, impaling, haemorrhoids or ass fu**ing (including a scene where the titular character ass f**ks an ape) all in very graphic details. I am not a prude, I have no problem with the word itself nor am I averse to violence per se if it has a context or a point. But the entire story is completely pointless and by the end of it, I wanted to remove my eyes out of my skull and bleach them.

Ultimately the anthology made me reflect about what my greatest problem with the genre is. I have come to find that Steampunk is a mish-mash of good and bad (like any other genre, really) but above all the most important issue I have is that Steampunk is absolutely great in theory and with its premises but the majority of its execution misses the mark completely. Because it is a genre that lacks a clear definition, I find myself constantly finding stories and books that are defined as Steampunk but which are not. Or in the case of this particular anthology, find that the articles about Steampunk are far more interesting and better than the stories themselves.

This dichotomy between theory x execution and how the former seems to be more of a reality than the latter really is what keeps me going – I want to find more and more examples of good Steampunk execution and shall not rest until I do. Until then, I do not think this one is the “Definitive” Steampunk anthology although it is definitely a good representation of the genre as it currently stands. Take that as you will.

BUT IS IT STEAMPUNK: YES. Some stories do fit what I call Steampunk better but overall yes, definitely a Steampunk collection.

Notable Quotes/ Parts: If I had to pick one story to quote would have to be Victoria. I loved the inside joke the author played with one of most famous (or infamous) art critics of his time, John Ruskin (the man who “discovered” the Pre-Raphaelites) and how he supposedly had a problem with women’s pubic hair (seiro7slyt) and never consummated his marriage to Effie Gray (who later married one of my favourites painters, Millais). The source of his “problem” may well have been Victoria, the newt. Awesome. (yes, I am geek, I KNOW THAT).

Additional Thoughts: For another taste of Steampunk short stories, there is also another anthology currently published:

Extraordinary Engines: The Definitive Steampunk Anthology collects original stories by Stephen Baxter, Eric Brown, Paul Di Filippo, Hal Duncan, Jeffrey Ford, Jay Lake, Ian R. MacLeod, Michael Moorcock, Robert Reed, Lucius Shepard, Brian Stableford, Jeff VanderMeer and more.

It also seems that Ann and Jeff Vandermeer have another one in the works as we speak.

Verdict: A collection of stories that try to represent the genre, with some hits and a lot of misses. I would only recommended it to the more seasoned Steampunk reader.

Rating: 5 , meh, take it or leave it.

Reading Next: Here There Be Monsters by Meljean Brook

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