The Inheritance Review

The Inheritance

Robin Hobb & Megan Lindholm

Publisher: Harper Voyager

A collection of novellas and stories from one of the most critically acclaimed authors in the fantasy genre, Robin Hobb. Including work written under her pseudonym, Megan Lindholm.
Bingtown heiresses rub shoulders with vampires, tramps and feral cats in this wonderful collection.

In ''The Homecoming'', Lady Carillion Carrock and a few other Jamaillian nobles are sailing to the Cursed Shores after being exiled for plotting against the Satrap. Still, Carillion believes they are bound for wondrous cities, where ancient monarchs dusted their skin with gold and wore jewels above their eyes. But when she is marooned by the ship's unscrupulous captain, she will soon discover the grim reality of what survival in the Rain Wilds entails.
''The Silver Lady'' is a would-be writer, eking out a dull existence by working in a Sears store. Then one day a man comes in: fortyish, pleasant. Nothing out of the ordinary. Except he says his name is Merlin, and he's about to change her life.
In ''Cat's Meat'', Rosemary gets involved with the wrong man. Pell is lazy, good for nothing and a bully. Her best friend, Hilia, knew it and so did her tom cat, Marmalade. Even after she has his child, a beautiful baby boy, he leaves her for another woman. Now he's back, and something must be done...

I have read and loved Robin Hobb’s big fantasy books especially the Liveship Traders but I have to confess I’ve not read and Megan Lindholm despite being Robin Hobb’s ‘other name’, so this anthology was both an introduction and eagerly anticipated. There are more Megan Lindholm stories but there are shorter in length, while the three Robin Hobb stories are much longer and provide little insights into her Rain River and Liveship world.

The Megan Lindholm stories are set in the modern day and are in a different style but have plenty of ideas that intrigue and capture your imagination. A Touch of Lavender is set in a world where aliens have arrived but their touch is addictive. The story focuses on one young boy who’s mum starts living with one of these aliens and the impact this has on their lives. Strays follows a girl who is friends with the queen of stray cats but the queen has an abusive home life. Cut had me squirming in my seat but asks some big questions about how far you can control your own body and when can society interject or if it should. All these stories have a strong initial idea which will stay with you long after the story finishes.

The three Robin Hobb stories all remind me why I adore her fantasy books with Homecoming following the first settlers in the Rain River and the trials and struggles they had with the corrosive river, dreams and changing physical aspects. It made me want to re-read the Liveships again! The other two stories were nice little insights into people in this world as they discover some life changing aspects with Cat’s Meat particularly asking how to fight against someone bigger than you.

Overall, this was a very strong anthology with no real dud amongst the stories and several diamonds. This would be a great introduction to her work for those who aren’t fans and a perfect little appetiser for those of us who do like her books. Right, I’m off to see about buying some Megan Lindholm books...

Recommended for fans of Karen Miller and Tanya Huff. 8.5 out of 10

Early Review: Weird Detectives: Recent Investigations

Weird Detectives: Recent Investigations

Edited by Paula Guran

Publisher: Prime Books - Released on 4th April

Review Copy Courtesy of Netgalley and Prime Books

Paranormal investigators. Occult detectives. Ghost hunters. Monster fighters. Humans who unravel uncanny crimes and solve psychic puzzles; sleuths with supernatural powers of their own who provide services far beyond those normal gumshoes, shamuses, and Sherlocks can. When vampires, werewolves, and things that go "bump" in the night are part of your world, criminals can be as inhuman as the crimes they commit, and magic can seep into the mundane - those who solve the mysteries, bring justice, or even save the world itself, might utter spells, wield wands as well as firearms, or simply use their powers of deduction. Some of the best tales of the last decade from top authors of the 21st century's most popular genres take you down mean streets and into strange crime scenes in this fantastic compilation.

First things first: all these short stories have been published elsewhere previously so if you are after a particular author’s stories just check that you haven’t read it before. I admit I had already read a few of the stories before which dented my enjoyment of this anthology but doesn’t impact the quality and strengths of the stories themselves. Overall, this is a very strong anthology with easy story focusing on a detective encountering the strange, weird and supernatural so works perfect for fans of Urban Fantasy like me!

As with all anthologies there are a couple that stick in your head after you finish. For me one of the strongest stories was “Deal Breaker” by Justin Gustainis which looked in on his hero, Quincy Morris when the devil comes to collect on a deal. I’ve not read any of this series before but I liked Quincy’s quick thinking and the simplicity of the story – one series I will have to explore later, especially as I’m already a fan of his Occult Scene Investigations series. Patricia Brigg’s “Star of David” was also a stand out. Set in the in same world as Mercy Thompson but with complete new characters, I loved the emotional core of a father reconnecting with his daughter after years of estrangement. Plus werewolves in a hospital! J

There was another Fangborn story from Dana Cameron as well, called “Swing Shift”. I was really intrigued by the world she’s set up in another short story and now there is a full length novel set up in the same world, Seven Kinds of Hell – I really need to check it out! Carrie Vaughn also gives us a short story looking at Detective Jess Hardin who appears in some of the Kitty books. Personally I think there could be a great spin-off series starring the Detective with the first investigations into creature of the night. Finally, although I had read it before I have to highlight Jim Butcher’s “Love Hurts” as it’s a wonderful relationship piece for Harry Dresden and Karrin Murphy. Set just before Changes, it deals with some questions fans might have been asking for years.

The list of authors contributing here is very strong with very few weak links in this chain. If you like Urban Fantasy and anthologies, you’ll like this. If you aren’t keen on either then this probably isn’t for you.

Recommended for fans of Patricia Briggs and Carrie Vaughn. 8 out of 10

Dark Alchemy Review

Dark Alchemy

Edited by Jack Dann & Gardner Dozois

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Throughout the ages, the wizard has claimed a spot in human culture-from the shadowy spiritual leaders of early man to precocious characters in blockbuster films. Gone are the cartoon images of wizened gray-haired men in pointy caps creating magic with a wave of their wands. Today's wizards are more subtle in their powers, more discerning in their ways, and-in the hands of modern fantasists-more likely than ever to capture readers' imaginations. 
In Neil Gaiman's "The Witch's Headstone," a piece taken from his much-anticipated novel in progress, an eight-year-old boy learns the power of kindness from a long-dead sorceress. Only one woman possesses two kinds of magic-enough to unite two kingdoms-in Garth Nix's "Holly and Iron." Patricia A. McKillip's "Naming Day" gives a sorcery student a lesson in breaking the rules. And a famished dove spins a tale worthy of a meal, but perhaps not the truth, in "A Fowl Tale" by Eoin Colfer.

This is anthology with a lot of top fantasy writers contributing stories and like many anthologies, it’s only as strong as its weakest story. For some reason the theme of wizards and magic didn’t grab me – I only started reading the book when I finished a book sooner than expected and needed something to read on the way home. Unfortunately that lack of need to read all the stories meant it took me a few weeks to finish this and there was some spark missing to make this a top notch anthology.

Only a few of the stories stick in my mind – The Ruby Incomparable by Kage Baker which follows the life of a girl who learns magic but fails to connect to her mother. The emotional heart of that story was about more than the magic and the lovely ending lingers in my mind. I also really enjoyed Tad Williams’ The Stranger’s Hands which tells the story of two vagabonds who bring with them some unusual gifts when they arrive in a new area. This was an easy read, which surprised me as I struggled with the one Tad Williams book I’ve read before and makes me wonder if I should give him another chance. The Neil Gaiman story was warm and focuses on friendships – but was one of the chapters in The Graveyard Book which I read previously.

The other stories aren’t bad – but they just aren’t particularly memorable and cover a number of different wizards stories – some set in the modern time and some in fantasy worlds but in each occasion the use magic changes the world: sometimes for one person and sometimes the whole world. This was an entertaining enough read but not a book to move to the top of the TBR pile.

Recommended for fans of David Eddings and Terry Brooks. 6.5 out of 10

Winter Warmers Review

Winter Warmers

Carole Matthews

Kindle Book

Three short stories from the wonderfully warm Carole Matthews: Winter Warmers - a gift for you.

All I Want for Christmas is You
Christmas is around the corner but Maria just can't get into the spirit - will she ever find Mr Right? But when a secret admirer starts leaving her poems and notes, it looks as though her luck is about to change . . .
Cold Turkey
Tara is in love with a man she can't have. She expected to spend Christmas with him but when the big day arrives, she finds herself alone. Sad and upset, Tara just wants to ignore the festive season - and then a chance encounter changes everything.

About Gardening
I love my husband Sam but our relationship isn't what it used to be. Can I find a way to bring us back together?

This is a lovely short selection of stories set at Christmas time with some romance added in. The first story – All I Want For Christmas is a sweet, sugary delight of a story. Nothing amazingly original, but a delightfully cute story about wanting to be with someone over Christmas – and looking in the right places for them.

Cold Turkey is more poignant about who we decide to spend Christmas with and being realistic. I liked this as a variation on the sweetness of the first story – it feels like a cheese course – tangy and refreshing with some bite to it. I really liked Tara as a character and hope she finds her happy ending!

The third story, About Gardening is the shortest and blandest of the three – nothing is wrong with it but I struggle to remember much about it. Like a glass of water – nothing wrong with it, but no memorable either.

Overall, these are a nice range of seasonal stories that should provide something for most Chick-Lit fans this Christmas!

Recommended for fans of Trisha Ashley and Marian Keyes. 7 out of 10

Wolfsbane and Mistletoe Review

Wolfsbane and Mistletoe

Edited by Charlaine Harris and Toni L.P. Kelnor

Publisher: Gollancz

The holidays can bring out the beast in anyone. They are particularly hard for lycanthropes. Charlaine Harris and Toni L. P. Kelner have harvested the scariest, funniest and saddest werewolf tales by an outstanding pack of authors, best read by the light of a full moon with a silver bullet close at hand. Whether wolfing down a holiday feast (use your imagination) or craving some hair of the dog on New Year's morning, the werewolves in these frighteningly original stories will surprise, delight, amuse, and scare the pants off readers who love a little wolfsbane with their mistletoe.

This is an anthology which combines Urban Fantasy and Christmas specifically werewolves and features many of my favourite authors including Patricia Briggs, Karen Chance and Carrie Vaughn. This is one of the strongest anthologies I’ve read - for some reason werewolves and Christmas seem a strong match creating many iconic images. One story that will stay with you is the idea of a werewolf leading Santa’s sleigh in Kat Richardson’s The Werewolf Before Christmas- it just brought a smile to my face!

Another idea that will stay with is a self-help group for Shifters – SA by J.A. Konrath. This story is packed full of ideas that will linger with you – transforming into a coral, the idea of the Salvation Army as a real army, what a shifter has to live with after changing back to human. It’s imaginative and fun. I’m not going to go through every short story but the only one that really disappointed me is Gift Wrap by Charlaine Harris. It’s a quick catch up with Sookie during the holiday season, and while I completely believe that authors know their characters best, Sookie disappointed me with her actions.

Overall, this was fun read – mixing up classic urban fantasy and werewolf tropes with festive greetings. There are even a couple of new authors who’s other work I will be checking out – I certainly hope Dana Cameron has written more books about her Fangborn world!

Recommended for fans of Rob Thurman and Kelley Armstrong. 8 out of 10

Side Jobs Review (Dresden Files)

Side Jobs (Dresden Files Anthology)

- Jim Butcher

Publisher: Orbit

Here, together for the first time, are the shorter works of #1 New York Times bestselling author Jim Butcher-a compendium of cases that Harry and his cadre of allies managed to close in record time. The tales range from the deadly serious to the absurdly hilarious. This is a must-have collection for every devoted Harry Dresden fan as well as a perfect introduction for readers ready to meet Chicago's only professional wizard..

This is an anthology of some of Harry Dresden’s side adventures taking place in between the usual adventures. Harry is Chicago’s only Wizard in the phone book, using his magic to investigate and keep his city safe from the monsters in the shadows. For those who aren’t following his story – I really, really urge you to do so as this is one of the most consistently good and frequently excellent UF series out there. The first couple of books really set the scene, but after the end of the third book the major plot arcs are in place for one hell of a wild ride. Like one of my other favourite series, Kate Daniels this is a series that really matures and grows.

As this is an anthology, there are some great tasters of the kind of trouble Harry frequently finds himself in, and I think most of these can be read without having read the rest of series. However, you do get so much more from the stories if you are following the series – from seeing Billy and Georgina’s wedding, getting to know Mac better and seeing what Thomas gets up to when he isn’t helping Harry out. I have read most of these stories before in other anthologies (I like reading anthologies when I can’t focus for a long time!) so this was like falling back into a comfy sofa with a mug of cocoa – warm, soft and cosy. There were a couple that I haven’t read before and I think they stick in mind more as they were brand new to me. The first story – A Restoration of Faith recounted the first meeting between Dresden and his police contact Karrin Murphy. While it isn’t as sophisticated as some of the later stories, it seems to fit perfectly who Harry was at the start of the series and the core elements of Dresden and Murphy are still recognisable. Comparing this against Love Hurts, one of the latter stories where their relationship has deepened changed makes you really feel for them both. In many ways Dresden’s worse enemy is himself and his conscience.

There is a brand new story set just hours after the end of Changes, Aftermath which focuses on Murphy. This is the story that I really bought the book for and I loved seeing Chicago through Murphy’s eyes – and meeting ‘Will’ again. It really is a big teaser for the latest book Ghost Story – but I don’t want to give anything away for those who haven’t read Changes so I have to keep shum. But it is great! As I said at the beginning if you want an Urban Fantasy series with plenty of investigation and action, light on the romance side (but still there occasionally!) then this is the series for you.

Recommended for fans of James R Tuck and Kelley Armstrong. 9 out of 10

Waiting For Midnight Review

Waiting for Midnight

-       Merrie Destefano

Kindle Book

E-Copy received courtesy of the author in exchange for an honest review

From the author of Afterlife: The Resurrection Chronicles comes a collection of 16 short stories, full of the rich prose and plot twists that have become Destefano’s trademark. Written to keep you reading all night long, this combination of short stories and flash fiction contains a ghost story, a werewolf story, and a science fiction story, as well as two stories that feature characters from her novels, AFTERLIFE and FEAST.
Short stories included in this collection:
Set on an alien world, “Letters from Home” tells the tale of a mother’s love for her wayward son and the great lengths to which she’ll go to rescue him from another dimension.
“Learning to Hunt” features Ash, the Darkling dream-eater introduced in Feast: Harvest of Dreams, as he explores seventeenth-century Amsterdam, where his father teaches him how to harvest dreams.
“Waiting for Midnight” explores that dangerous territory between first love and obsession, all set in Primrose Wood, a forest where dark magic rules.

This is an intriguing collection of stories. There are some flash fictions which are very short but do tend to raise a question or two and leave you wondering. The longer stories though are more satisfying. My favourite is In The Garden which is a very different look at what happens in a garden and is a story I’ve been thinking about ever since. In fact I felt like that was a real strength of these stories – looking at something that was familiar but giving it a twist – like looking at the world in a mirror: everything is the same but reversed.

There are a couple of short stories set in the worlds Merrie has created in full length books which are interesting little insights into both world, but it’s not necessary to read the full length books to enjoy them. I was really intrigued by Letter For Home where in a short space of time Merrie has created an interesting science-fictional world in the vein of Blade Runner or the Culture novels and gave it some real emotional depth.

Merrie’s writing style is very lyrical and rich. It’s descriptive without labouring the point and full of detail. This anthology is a great sorbet between courses – refreshing, flavourful and palate cleaning!

Recommended for fans of Rachel Caine and Kelly Meding. 8 out of 10

Enthralled: Paranormal Diversions Review

Enthralled: Paranormal Divisions

-          Edited by Melissa Marr & Kelley Armstrong

Publisher: Harper Collins

A journey may take hundreds of miles, or it may cover the distance between duty and desire.
Sixteen of today's hottest writers of paranormal tales weave stories on a common theme of journeying. Authors such as Kelley Armstrong, Rachel Caine, and Melissa Marr return to the beloved worlds of their bestselling series, while others, like Claudia Gray, Kami Garcia, and Margaret Stohl, create new land-scapes and characters. But whether they're writing about vampires, faeries, angels, or other magical beings, each author explores the strength and resilience of the human heart.

I’ve said before that anthologies can vary depending on the talent involved and the tenuous theme linking them all together. Luckily with Enthralled there is a huge range of very talented authors – pretty much a who’s who of top YA writers and the theme of journey’s – both emotional and physical allows for a wide variety of stories. As ever one or two linegr in the mind longer – for me I enjoyed Kelley Armstrong’s story, Facing Facts which was an interesting little coda to the Darkest Power trilogy. It was nice to catch up with Chloe & Derek again.

Other stories that were excellent are Scenic Route by Carrie Ryan, set in the same world as her Forest of Hands and Teeth series, but much earlier and The Third Kind by Jennifer Lynn Barnes – both of which managed to create exciting and tense adventures with minimal pages. Great example of both writers skills and had me wanting to read more by both.  I also enjoyed the story by Jeri Smith-Ready based in her Shade world with the focus on Logan preparing to move on and saying goodbye to his family.

Overall, this was a high quality collection which has considerably added to my wishlist of authors – in fact I ordered Evernight by Claudia Gray based on the very sweet ghost story she contributed here. There’s not really any major dud stories with all of them worth the investment in your time.

Recommended for fans of Kelley Armstrong’s YA series and Jennifer Lynn Barnes. 8 out of 10

Tales of Terror from the Tunnel's Mouth Review

Tales of Terror From The Tunnel’s Mouth

-          Chris Priestley

Publisher: UK – Bloomsbury

Robert Harper is going back to school, and it is the first railway journey he has ever made alone. And it is not a very usual sort of railway journey. The train stops at the mouth of a tunnel and in order to help while away the time a strange woman dressed in white tells Robert stories. But these are not the kind of stories normally told to a child. soon Robert is both entranced and terrified by the strange woman and the macabre stories.

Once again Chris Priestley has managed to create an enthralling collection of tales that feels both fresh and inherited from the Victorian era. Every story feels like a ghost tale you used to tell at sleepovers to scare your friends with each one attempting to top the last. At the same time each story feels unique and original, painting some truly macabre images in your mind. At least one will have you wondering about some of the everyday elements in your life and giving them a second glance...the crack in my ceiling has suddenly turned menacing rather than another DIY chore...

The thread pulling these stories together this time is a boys train journey and the mysterious woman in white who entertains him while they are held up at the entrance to the tunnel. Once again the teller of tales feels just as intimidating as the tales themselves which I enjoy as it makes me not only anxious to see what the next story is about but wanting to know what the point of the stories is.

There is a strong moral core to these stories with the wicked, impatient or lazy punished – adults and children alike this time. Firmly set in the Victorain era, the morals can still be relevant today – tell the truth, respect the dead, don’t steal, be good to your parents.  Having read two other tales of terror I also enjoyed the subtle nod to the other books in the epilogue and suggested that perhaps there is a link between them all.

In all this was a fun read for the dark evenings and cold weather, which make an excellent background to these spooky stories. Extra marks for some beautifully spooky covers in this reprinted selection!

Recommended for fans of Christopher Pike and LJ Smith. 7.5 out of 10

Must Love Hellhounds Review

Must Love Hellhounds

-          Charlaine Harris, Nalini Singh, Ilona Andrews & Meljean Brook

Publisher: Berkley

In these hound-eat-hound worlds, anything goes... and everything bites.
Follow paranormal bodyguards Clovache and Batanya into Lucifer's realm, where they encounter his fearsome four-legged pets, in Charlaine Harris's The Britlingens Go to Hell. Seek out a traitor in the midst of a guild of non- lethal vampire trackers, one that intends to eradicate the entire species of bloodsuckers, in Nalini Singh's Angels' Judgment. Find out why the giant three-headed dog that guards the gates of Hades has left the underworld for the real world-and whose scent he's following-in Ilona Andrews's Magic Mourns. Embark on a perilous search for the kidnapped niece of a powerful vampire alongside her blind- and damn sexy-companion and a hellhound in Meljean Brook's Blind Spot.

Four novellas from four Urban Fantasy stalwarts each one featuring a hellhound of some description. I’ve read books by Charlaine Harris and Ilona Andrews previously but Nalini Singh and Meljean Brook were new authors to me – even if I have full books by both of them somewhere in my TBR pile...

The Britlingens Go to Hell by Charlaine Harris is a fun romp through a couple of dimesions parallel to Sookie Stackhouse. The Britlingens in question – Clovache and Batanya are fierce, determined warriors with snark and I really enjoyed this tale – more so than recent Sookie Stackhouse books! 8 out of 10

Angel’s Judgement by Nalini Singh follows two Guild Hunters as they look for a traitor in their midsts. This is a sexy short tale in which Sara Haziz takes centre stage. Having no read any books in this world before, there was a lot to get used and at first the relationships between Angels, Archangels, Vampires and the Guild was a little overwhelming and distracted me from the story. However, I soon settled in and enjoyed the ride. I’m happy I have Angel’s Blood to read at some point as I would like to get to know this world better. 7 out of 10

Magic Mourns by Ilona Andrews bypasses Kate Daniels in favour of her best friend, Andrea and an adventure with the were-hyena, Raphael. I love this world were magic and tech battle each other and anything man made slowly falls apart. Andrea has always been a favourite of mine with her preference for guns over swords and troubled past. While it kills me that I have to wait another year for the next Kate book, I’m more than happy with a Andrea based story – Gunmetal Magic this summer! 9 out of 10

Blind Spot by Meljean Brooks is an interesting story – a cute romance and an adorable hellhound makes for a fun read. I enjoyed the handicap that Blake has being blind and the determination of Maggie to prove herself. 7 out of 10

Overall, this was a high quality anthology with each story hitting highs and all worth reading. Recommended for fans of Ilona Andrews, Charlaine Harris, Meljean Brook and Nalini Singh. 8 out of 10

13 Tales of Horror Review

13: Tales of Horror

-       Edited by Christopher Pike

Publisher: Point Horror: First published in 1992

Assembled on the pages of this anthology are 13 original short stories by the best known writers of the genre: Christopher Pike, R.L. Stine, A. Bates, D.E. Athkins, Lael Littke and Pat Windsor---just to name a few. They have given us their best...You'll be cast into an endless night of wax museum horrors, vampire love, deadly dolls, and...who knows what else may await you?So let the masters take you and do their worst---with their best.

This is an anthology of top teen horror writers in the early 90s who each contribute one tale to the collection. I first read this when I was a teenager in the early 90s and picked a second-hand copy earlier this year to relive some of the YA of my youth. Was it successful? Some stories are more memorable than others – Christopher Pike’s Collect Call stands out to me as I think he captures what it means to be a teenager – complete with getting drunk and having sex – not that there is anything explicit but it is talked about.

House of Horrors by JB Stamper is probably the scariest tale here – about being trapped in a wax work house overnight. Some of the tales are a little dated – especially Hacker by Sinclair Smith as most teenagers these days are much more savvy with computers. Some are a little strange – like Where The Deer Are by Caroline B Cooney which tries too hard to scary. Overall though this is a good taste of the type of horror that was popular twenty years ago and a nice flash back to my youth. I wasn’t blown away by any one writer or story and don’t think I’ll be hanging onto this copy any more than I did my original copy.

Recommended for fans RL Stine and LJ Smith. 6 out of 10.

A Midwinter Fantasy Review

A Midwinter Fantasy

-       Leanna Renee Hieber, L.J. Mc Donald, Helen Scott Taylor

Publisher: Dorchester Publishing

E-Arc with thanks to netgalley and Dorchester

You have ventured through the wardrobe and down the rabbit hole. You've beheld the Fading Lands and glimpsed the ivory spires of Minas Tirith. A star now rises over three other kingdoms, and over three heroic couples, all deep in winter's thrall.

 This book is an anthology with three different novellas all set around the time of Christmas or a mid-winter festival. As the stories are so different I’m going to review each one separately.

Visit Leanna Renee Hieber's Strangely Beautiful Victorian London, haunted though these soot-stained urban alleys may be, a lonely headmistress and a gallant vicar shall here reap the season's blessings.

This was my favourite story of the collection. It felt like reading a beautiful epilogue to the Strangely Beautiful series – a series I haven’t read but will definitely be looking into. Loosely based on A Christmas Carol, the headmistress and vicar who have given everything to help the world are finally rewarded. It was beautifully written with great characters and personalities shining through despite only a few pages to explore the world. I love the Victorian period and I am really intrigued to learn more about this world. 8 out of 10

Travel to Meridian and Sylph Valley, where immensely powerful creatures called battle sylphs vie for dominance here, while fulfilling every wish of their queens. But what woman shall rule the mighty Mace?

This is set in fantasy world where fae creatures called Sylph’s bond with human women to love and obey them. When Lily’s latest orphan runs away from home, she sends Mace to fetch him back and he ends up in the same town he passed through nineteen years ago and an old lover. The idea of Battle Sylphs is interesting and I’m not sure this story explores the idea completely, but this is mostly an exploration of family and rekindled love affair. However as I didn’t quite get the world I was a little underwhelmed. 7 out of 10.

 
Discover Helen Scott Taylor's land of The Magic Knot, in the frosty North, in the ice palace of Valhalla, Sonja's life depends upon unraveling the mystery of the Crystal Crib--and upon winning the love of Odin's son.
 

Sonja goes to Iceland in order to win some business for her Aunt’s travel company but ends up meeting the father she never knew and discovering the truth of her past – helped of course by the masculine, tall son of Odin. This was my least favourite story as I don’t to like the insta-love (always unrealistic!). So many ideas are squeezed into such a small number pages I felt nothing was explored in details but just briefly touched upon. This disappointed me as I love mythology stories and the norse gods are usually fascinating. Disappointing. 5 out of 10.

Overall there is a real mix of stories here from a Victorian ghost story, to fantasy action to paranormal romance with gods. Personally I think it’s worth it for the Strangely Beautiful tale alone

Recommended for fans of mammoth books of romance. 7 out of 10

Corsets and Clockwork Review

Corsets and Clockworks

-       Edited Trisha Telep

Publisher: Robinson

Trisha Telep brings an exciting new element to the fast-growing sub-genre of steampunk, which bends and blends the old and the new in increasingly popular dark urban fantasies. Young heroes and heroines battle evil, in various forms with the help of super-technological or supernatural powers, while falling in and out of love.

Anthologies are just like a box of chocolates – you know you’ll like some flavours better than others. If you’re lucky the whole box will be full of soft centres (or whatever your favourite filling is!), but there’s usually at least one tooth cracking toffee in there. This anthology has thirteen tales of steampunk romance with some stories more romantic than others, and some more steampunkery (is that even a word? I don’t know but I like it! J). What surprised me was how much magic and supernatural doings were included as well!

There is a wide mixture of stories from vampires, fae, alternative versions of war and subversives all mingling to create a mix that should satisfy most people. The romance is generally on the soft side and rarely the main focus of the story.  Some stand out stories for me were Wild Magic by Ann Aguirre – maybe not the most original story but beautifully written and The Cannibal Fiend of Rotherhithe by Frewin Jones which I can’t get out of my head.

If you’re new to the steampunk genre this could be a good place to start.

Recommended for fans of Pip Ballantine and Gail Carriger. 8 out of 10

On My Wishlist #36

This is a meme from Book Chick City. There are so many books out there that I want to read that this is the only way I can keep track! I don't usually read a lot of anthologies but there a one or two out there that have caught my eye recently...

Zombies vs. Unicorns - Edited Holly Black & Justine Larbalestier

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books

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. This anthology will have everyone asking: Team Zombie or Team Unicorn?

At first thought I was sure I'd be on Team Unicorn (The Last Unicorn was one of my favourite kids film!), but a quick perusal of my quick links shows zero for unicorns and lots of zombies, so I think I'm on Team zombie by default! Can't wait to see what sort of stories both teams have come up with.

Those Who Fight Monsters: Tales of Occult Detectives - Edited Justin Gustainis

Publisher: EDGE Science Fiction & Fantasy

Got Vampires? Ghosts? Monsters? We Can help!

Those Who Fight Monsters: Tales of Occult Detectives, is your one-stop-shop for Urban Fantasy’s finest anthology of the supernatural. 14 sleuths are gathered together for the first time in all-original tales of unusual cases which require services that go far beyond mere deduction!

Those Who Fight Monsters: Tales of Occult Detectives brings together popular characters from many Urban Fantasy paranormal investigative series, for your enjoyment.

Demons may lurk, werewolves may prowl, vampires may ride the wind. These are things that go bump in the night, but we are the ones who bump back!

So many great authors involved in this with some of my favourite characters reappearing and one or two authors I haven't tried yet...

Songs of Love and Death: Tales of Star-Crossed Love - Edited George R. R. Martin & Gardner Dozois

Publisher: Gallery Press

In this star-studded cross-genre anthology, seventeen of the greatest modern authors of fantasy, science fiction, and romance explore the borderlands of their genres with brand-new tales of ill-fated love. From zombie-infested woods in a postapocalyptic America to faery-haunted rural fields in eighteenth- century England, from the kingdoms of high fantasy to the alien world of a galaxy-spanning empire, these are stories of lovers who must struggle against the forces of magic and fate.

Again another stunning selection of some of my favourite authors plus a very gorgeous cover.

So what are you wishing for this week? :)