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kathydavie's review against another edition
4.0
When the going gets tough, the tough get their hands dirty...because no job is too big or too small — if the price is right in these six brand-new short stories.
The Series
"Sealed with a Tryst", Ordinary Magic #??a
"At Death's Door", Ordinary Magic #??b
"Bound into Darkness", Jane Yellowrock, 13.1
"The Ties That Bind", Jane Yellowrock, 13.2
(If you're interested, there is a chronological listing of the Jane Yellowrock books on my website.)
"Doggone Mess", Magical Romantic Comedies
The Stories
Devon Monk's "Sealed with a Tryst"
It's an interesting concept of a human family chosen to protect the unknowing somewhat human town of Ordinary where the gods can come down to take a vacation. Sure they have to have their powers bound, and they have their own jobs to do when they come, which makes me curious to read more of this series.
In this case, "Sealed with a Tryst" finds the über controlling Police Chief Delaney Reed trying to find time to go out oDark Queen, Jane Yellowrockf town with her fiancé, Ryder Bailey. As you'll see, there's no end of problems in town, but nothing the rest of 'em couldn't handle... Well, okay, that dragon pig may be more than anyone can handle, lol.
Devon Monk's "At Death's Door"
This is simply a continuation of "Sealed with a Tryst" in the town of Ordinary and keeps on with the fun. That title is a crack-up. And you'll understand why I say this when you meet Than. I do have to appreciate his attitude about junky art, as opposed to cool junk art.
Faith Hunter's "Bound into Darkness"
This is a must-read for Jane Yellowrock fans!! It's a peek in at what Liz wants from a romance with Eli...oooh... I gotta say, that Eli is prepared for most everything. It's still a competition as Liz tries to prove that she can take care of herself — in spite of her lung issues, and Eli freaks about not being able to protect her. Now...if only she could protect herself from her own temptations. Not to worry though, there is plenty of blame to throw around.
I am rather confused as to why a woman would use a urinal out in the woods. Why not just squat and go? I'm also disappointed at the poor proofreading job. Mmm, Hunter touches on the anger-guilt Liz (and her sisters) experience about what Jane did to Evangelina.
...because I follow this series. The still-cursed Liz Everhart, a stone witch, is one of the seven, er, I mean, six Everhart sisters, four of whom are witches. The curse happened in Blood in Her Veins: "The Devil’s Left Boot", 6.25. She and her twin, Cia (a moon witch with a flashier fashion sense), work at the family business: Seven Sassy Sisters' Herb Shop and Café. Ray Conyers, a famous country singer, is Cia's boyfriend. Molly, an older sister, is an earth witch who's married to Big Ethan Trueblood, an in-the-closet air witch. They have three kids these days! Angie-baby is the oldest, then EJ, and now baby Cassy. Evangelina had been their oldest sister and the leader of their coven until Raven Cursed, 4.
Jane Yellowrock, a bounty hunter of vampires and a Cherokee skinwalker, is now the Dark Queen and owns a resort/vineyard. George "Bruiser" Dumas is her significant other. Eli "Hoss" and Alex "the Kid" Younger, brothers, are part of Jane's family. Eli's a former Ranger with lots of skills, Jane's second-in-command...and afraid for Liz. Alex is a computer geek with a police record for hacking. Chewy is a former Ranger who had been on Eli's team.
Lincoln Shaddock is the vampire Master of the City of Asheville. Mayhew is one of his vampires. Romona Mayhew had been his wife and a problem in Blood in Her Veins: "The Devil’s Left Boot".
Golda Ainsworth Holcomb is part of the Ainsworth witch clan who was recently in an accident. Rover is her missing German shepherd-chocolate Lab mix. Sylvia, a sheriff, had been Eli's previous lover. Connie Carroll's teenage daughter died in high school.
Faith Hunter's "The Ties That Bind"
Whoa, we get some insight into the ancient history of Bedelia and Shaddock using a third person dual protagonist point-of-view. It was rather confusing that Bedelia and Shaddock's story comes after Eli and Liz's, but the action happens before Eli and Liz. Weird. You may want to read this before "Bound into Darkness", although, then again, maybe "The Ties That Bind" would give too much away if you read it first. I dunno...
This story is all about love and knowing when you've screwed. Knowing enough to realize ya gotta eat some crow. Bedelia has her own come-to-Jesus moment, even though it was rather confusing.
And there were plenty of regrets in this.
The Characters
Bedelia "Bee" Everhart, a witch who can draw on all the elements, is the mother of the now-six sisters, and she's moved in with her mother who describes herself as "older than dirt". Okay, she's only a hundred and two. Evangelina is Bee's now-dead daughter who had tried to seduce Shaddock. Two of Bedelia's fellow witches, friends, are the free-lovin' Mable and Clara Anne.
Lincoln Shaddock is the vampire Master of the City of Asheville; he's also the chef at his popular barbecue restaurant. Bee's recipe, B's-Mac, is still a bestseller. Some of his current vampires include Mary and Nubit. Romona Mayhew had been one of the long-chained Mithrans in Blood in Her Veins: "The Devil’s Left Boot". Shania Mayhew was an unaligned witch talked into an alliance. Connie Carrol was a human with a grudge.
Alex Younger is one of the brothers partnered up with the Dark Queen, Jane Yellowrock. Brute is trapped in his white werewolf form and works for PsyLED. The Coraville coven used to meet in the 1870s.
Diana Pharaoh Francis' "The Pixie Job"
This was cute and interestingly different as well as annoying. Mal is the primary character who's having her own issues. She's confident enough in her work skills, but doesn't have much faith in her relationship skills. That's the part that rather annoyed me, as Mal whined on and on about it. What I liked was that sense of being a part of a larger story with Francis naturally weaving in Mal's and Law's past and giving us a sense of their future while Mal is vacationing at Effrayant, a supernatural luxury hotel, and Law, her former and current boyfriend, is bound to protect the resort.
I do wish that Francis had made more use of that cute little Elliot, lol. Yeah, I know, Elliot did have good bits, but, but, he was so darn cute! As for So'la…hmmm, I do think I'd like to read more about Mal...
It was certainly a different sort of tale with Law and LeeAnne both bound to make the hotel work under their supernatural laws, keep all the guests safe, and ensure that the bride and/or groom aren't killed. Yep. Not everyone on either side is too happy about a joining of pixie and giant. We get all this via Mal's perspective in a third person protagonist point-of-view.
R.J. Blain's "Doggone Mess"
This was too cute, and I'm looking forward to the rest of the story coming out in 2022 sometime. Yeah, I'm annoyed that this must be a teaser to get me all excited about reading more. It is rather annoying to learn that this short story will be part of an upcoming book. Just leave it as a short and continue with the concept in the full-length. Oy.
That whine over, it really is cute with this different take on lycanthropes with Blain using a first person protagonist point-of-view from Joyce's perspective, as she battles the landlord who wants her out. In many ways it was too easy to predict, but the journey was a lot of fun.
The Cover and Title
The cover has a female character in black leather pants and a low-cut black top, holding a bright crystal of some sort, and crouching on top of a skyscraper with the skyline behind her along with flashes of bright neon and a werewolf head forcing itself through a brick chimney on the right. The title is a gothic metallic gold a'slant at the top. Below the woman is the rest of the text in gold: an info blurb about this collection of stories along with the names of the authors.
The title is about all those Dirty Deeds perpetrated in these short stories.
The Series
"Sealed with a Tryst", Ordinary Magic #??a
"At Death's Door", Ordinary Magic #??b
"Bound into Darkness", Jane Yellowrock, 13.1
"The Ties That Bind", Jane Yellowrock, 13.2
(If you're interested, there is a chronological listing of the Jane Yellowrock books on my website.)
"Doggone Mess", Magical Romantic Comedies
The Stories
Devon Monk's "Sealed with a Tryst"
It's an interesting concept of a human family chosen to protect the unknowing somewhat human town of Ordinary where the gods can come down to take a vacation. Sure they have to have their powers bound, and they have their own jobs to do when they come, which makes me curious to read more of this series.
In this case, "Sealed with a Tryst" finds the über controlling Police Chief Delaney Reed trying to find time to go out oDark Queen, Jane Yellowrockf town with her fiancé, Ryder Bailey. As you'll see, there's no end of problems in town, but nothing the rest of 'em couldn't handle... Well, okay, that dragon pig may be more than anyone can handle, lol.
Devon Monk's "At Death's Door"
This is simply a continuation of "Sealed with a Tryst" in the town of Ordinary and keeps on with the fun. That title is a crack-up. And you'll understand why I say this when you meet Than. I do have to appreciate his attitude about junky art, as opposed to cool junk art.
Faith Hunter's "Bound into Darkness"
This is a must-read for Jane Yellowrock fans!! It's a peek in at what Liz wants from a romance with Eli...oooh... I gotta say, that Eli is prepared for most everything. It's still a competition as Liz tries to prove that she can take care of herself — in spite of her lung issues, and Eli freaks about not being able to protect her. Now...if only she could protect herself from her own temptations. Not to worry though, there is plenty of blame to throw around.
"That was the nature of all power, to always want more, no matter the cost."Hunter uses a third person dual protagonist point-of-view from Liz's and Eli's perspectives. It definitely give us insight into Liz's thoughts about Eli. Meanwhile Eli's thoughts take a bit of time for us to take in.
I am rather confused as to why a woman would use a urinal out in the woods. Why not just squat and go? I'm also disappointed at the poor proofreading job. Mmm, Hunter touches on the anger-guilt Liz (and her sisters) experience about what Jane did to Evangelina.
Yep, it's the South: "Black man with guns. Be careful."The Characters
...because I follow this series. The still-cursed Liz Everhart, a stone witch, is one of the seven, er, I mean, six Everhart sisters, four of whom are witches. The curse happened in Blood in Her Veins: "The Devil’s Left Boot", 6.25. She and her twin, Cia (a moon witch with a flashier fashion sense), work at the family business: Seven Sassy Sisters' Herb Shop and Café. Ray Conyers, a famous country singer, is Cia's boyfriend. Molly, an older sister, is an earth witch who's married to Big Ethan Trueblood, an in-the-closet air witch. They have three kids these days! Angie-baby is the oldest, then EJ, and now baby Cassy. Evangelina had been their oldest sister and the leader of their coven until Raven Cursed, 4.
Jane Yellowrock, a bounty hunter of vampires and a Cherokee skinwalker, is now the Dark Queen and owns a resort/vineyard. George "Bruiser" Dumas is her significant other. Eli "Hoss" and Alex "the Kid" Younger, brothers, are part of Jane's family. Eli's a former Ranger with lots of skills, Jane's second-in-command...and afraid for Liz. Alex is a computer geek with a police record for hacking. Chewy is a former Ranger who had been on Eli's team.
Lincoln Shaddock is the vampire Master of the City of Asheville. Mayhew is one of his vampires. Romona Mayhew had been his wife and a problem in Blood in Her Veins: "The Devil’s Left Boot".
Golda Ainsworth Holcomb is part of the Ainsworth witch clan who was recently in an accident. Rover is her missing German shepherd-chocolate Lab mix. Sylvia, a sheriff, had been Eli's previous lover. Connie Carroll's teenage daughter died in high school.
Faith Hunter's "The Ties That Bind"
Whoa, we get some insight into the ancient history of Bedelia and Shaddock using a third person dual protagonist point-of-view. It was rather confusing that Bedelia and Shaddock's story comes after Eli and Liz's, but the action happens before Eli and Liz. Weird. You may want to read this before "Bound into Darkness", although, then again, maybe "The Ties That Bind" would give too much away if you read it first. I dunno...
This story is all about love and knowing when you've screwed. Knowing enough to realize ya gotta eat some crow. Bedelia has her own come-to-Jesus moment, even though it was rather confusing.
And there were plenty of regrets in this.
The Characters
Bedelia "Bee" Everhart, a witch who can draw on all the elements, is the mother of the now-six sisters, and she's moved in with her mother who describes herself as "older than dirt". Okay, she's only a hundred and two. Evangelina is Bee's now-dead daughter who had tried to seduce Shaddock. Two of Bedelia's fellow witches, friends, are the free-lovin' Mable and Clara Anne.
Lincoln Shaddock is the vampire Master of the City of Asheville; he's also the chef at his popular barbecue restaurant. Bee's recipe, B's-Mac, is still a bestseller. Some of his current vampires include Mary and Nubit. Romona Mayhew had been one of the long-chained Mithrans in Blood in Her Veins: "The Devil’s Left Boot". Shania Mayhew was an unaligned witch talked into an alliance. Connie Carrol was a human with a grudge.
Alex Younger is one of the brothers partnered up with the Dark Queen, Jane Yellowrock. Brute is trapped in his white werewolf form and works for PsyLED. The Coraville coven used to meet in the 1870s.
Diana Pharaoh Francis' "The Pixie Job"
This was cute and interestingly different as well as annoying. Mal is the primary character who's having her own issues. She's confident enough in her work skills, but doesn't have much faith in her relationship skills. That's the part that rather annoyed me, as Mal whined on and on about it. What I liked was that sense of being a part of a larger story with Francis naturally weaving in Mal's and Law's past and giving us a sense of their future while Mal is vacationing at Effrayant, a supernatural luxury hotel, and Law, her former and current boyfriend, is bound to protect the resort.
I do wish that Francis had made more use of that cute little Elliot, lol. Yeah, I know, Elliot did have good bits, but, but, he was so darn cute! As for So'la…hmmm, I do think I'd like to read more about Mal...
It was certainly a different sort of tale with Law and LeeAnne both bound to make the hotel work under their supernatural laws, keep all the guests safe, and ensure that the bride and/or groom aren't killed. Yep. Not everyone on either side is too happy about a joining of pixie and giant. We get all this via Mal's perspective in a third person protagonist point-of-view.
R.J. Blain's "Doggone Mess"
This was too cute, and I'm looking forward to the rest of the story coming out in 2022 sometime. Yeah, I'm annoyed that this must be a teaser to get me all excited about reading more. It is rather annoying to learn that this short story will be part of an upcoming book. Just leave it as a short and continue with the concept in the full-length. Oy.
That whine over, it really is cute with this different take on lycanthropes with Blain using a first person protagonist point-of-view from Joyce's perspective, as she battles the landlord who wants her out. In many ways it was too easy to predict, but the journey was a lot of fun.
The Cover and Title
The cover has a female character in black leather pants and a low-cut black top, holding a bright crystal of some sort, and crouching on top of a skyscraper with the skyline behind her along with flashes of bright neon and a werewolf head forcing itself through a brick chimney on the right. The title is a gothic metallic gold a'slant at the top. Below the woman is the rest of the text in gold: an info blurb about this collection of stories along with the names of the authors.
The title is about all those Dirty Deeds perpetrated in these short stories.
papidoc's review against another edition
4.0
Enjoyed the first two authors, not so much the rest, but I suppose that is a matter of personal taste. YMMV.
starlitbooknerd's review against another edition
5.0
Awesome
I have to be honest and say that I bought this collection to read the Devon Monk and R.J. Blain stories and I also have to say that I loved those stories! Both authors truly are awesome!!
I have to be honest and say that I bought this collection to read the Devon Monk and R.J. Blain stories and I also have to say that I loved those stories! Both authors truly are awesome!!
actrs02's review
4.0
A really liked 3/4 of the authors stories in this one. Devin Monk, Faith Hunter and RJ Blain all had great stories that didn't NEED all the backstory of the series they were pulled from, though if I hadn't read the Ordinary, Oregon series from DM, I'd have probably not enjoyed it as much. While I have read and loved some of Diana Pharaoh Francis' other novels, I hadn't read the series she pulled this story from, and I just felt I was missing too much backstory and world building to enjoy it.
I'd never read RJ Blain before, and now I see I am missing out, because wow. After I finished this, I went out and got her first magical romance comedy series (with a body count) and I stayed up into the wee hours to finish it.
I'd never read RJ Blain before, and now I see I am missing out, because wow. After I finished this, I went out and got her first magical romance comedy series (with a body count) and I stayed up into the wee hours to finish it.
a_h_haga's review
3.0
I bought this book mainly for the Faith Hunter stories, as I don't have much experience with the other authors or their works. Because of that, I also decided to not read those stories, and so this rating is based solely on the Faith Hunter stories.
Bound Into Darkness
I had so many problems with this 1, and I'm so sad about that!
The editing is abhorent, both on regards to grammar, as well as build up. There were repetitions and events coming out of thin air, makimg me feel like I'd skipped a page.
And while I like Eli as a character, his POV here seemed to reduce him to a vet and nothing more, which was disappointing.
And it was slow
2/5
The Ties That Bind
This story was everything the other wasn't. Not only was the action intense, but the underlying plot was very interesting! It may also explain why there was so little cancer in the Everheart-sisters.
I'm so hyped to learn more about this!
Editing was a little spotty, tho.
4/5
Bound Into Darkness
I had so many problems with this 1, and I'm so sad about that!
The editing is abhorent, both on regards to grammar, as well as build up. There were repetitions and events coming out of thin air, makimg me feel like I'd skipped a page.
And while I like Eli as a character, his POV here seemed to reduce him to a vet and nothing more, which was disappointing.
And it was slow
2/5
The Ties That Bind
This story was everything the other wasn't. Not only was the action intense, but the underlying plot was very interesting! It may also explain why there was so little cancer in the Everheart-sisters.
I'm so hyped to learn more about this!
Editing was a little spotty, tho.
4/5
quirkycatsfatstacks's review
5.0
Guys, I have been so anxiously waiting for Dirty Deeds to release, and now it's finally here! This book collects several novellas and shorts from some of my favorite authors, and naturally totals about six hundred and forty pages. I read all of it in one night. It's that good. Go get it, and read it. ASAP.
Included within this anthology you'll find works by Devon Monk (a novella and a short story, both set in her Ordinary Magic world), Faith Hunter (again, a novella and short story, both set in the world of Jane Yellowrock – but following different characters!), Diana Pharaoh Francis, and R.J. Blain (Magical Romantic Comedy series). All of which I've reviewed in further detail down below!
Sealed with a Tryst by Devon Monk
★ ★ ★ ★
It's time to head back to Ordinary in Sealed with a Tryst! Delaney is in desperate need of a vacation – yet she's concerned (and rightly so) about leaving the town of Ordinary behind. Even for just a few days. Given the events that she's had to get involved with over the past couple of years...nobody is going to blame her there.
The latest set of circumstances are going to increase Delaney's desire for a vacation, while also succeeding in increasing her concern about leaving. Once again. It's almost as if somebody had found a way to cause more mayhem in a town full of supernaturals and gods.
“I think this is Crow thing. Which means it's nothing but trouble.”
I'll admit it, I really do enjoy Devon Monk's Ordinary Magic series, yet I never seem to get caught up in it. Still, I happily dove into this novella, even despite that fault. I had zero problems keeping up, though I did spoil a few details for myself along the way (worth it).
This was a fun and chaotic story, as one might expect. I love the Reed family, and the disasters they are constantly working so hard to avoid. There is just so much charm and personality here, which really did shine quite nicely in such a short period of time. Bonus points for all of the humor woven into the plot and world as a whole.
At Death's Door by Devon Monk
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
At Death's Door is a short story directly tied into the novella mentioned above. Only, this time the perspective is from Than! That was a bit of a surprise for me (again, I'm behind on the series, so maybe this isn't the first time that happened).
Than has agreed to take on...guard duty while Delaney is out of town. That in itself is about to bring a fair share of chaos to this vacationing god. All the better for us readers.
“Being a part of constructive change, instead of his rather natural state of chaotic change, pleased him.”
This was such a fun and quirky read! I'm finding myself growing really fond of Than (and again, I haven't even seen all of the adventures he's been up to lately!), so that made this short so much fun for me. As did the other two characters, for obvious reasons. My only regret is that this wasn't longer.
Bound into Darkness by Faith Hunter
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Who doesn't love a spinoff? Bound into Darkness spins off from the beloved Jane Yellowrock series, following Liz Everhart – one of the Everhart twins, and sibling to Molly. Having survived a horrible bout of pneumonia, Liz is trying to get her life back in order.
That may or may not include a certain stubborn man, whom she had been doing the dance with. Right up until he saw her sick, that is. Perhaps she could use her latest job as an excuse to bring them both together, and just see where things go.
In a world of supernaturals and vampires, that sort of planning is just asking for trouble. As Liz Everhart is literally about to find out. For the Jane Yellowrock fans out there, Bound into Darkness is set sometime between Shattered Bonds and True Dead.
“He thought she was weak which might be worse. Stupid man.”
It's thanks to Bound into Darkness that I heard about this anthology in the first place – as I am a massive Faith Hunter fan. Naturally, that meant that while I enjoyed this whole collection, it was this novella that I was most looking forward to.
It lived up to those hopes and expectations, and then some. This was a dark and brilliant story, in all the ways I've come to expect from Jane Yellowrock's world. It was fascinating to see the world from a different character's point of view – one who knew of Jane and had opinions on everything that had gone down so far (well, what she knew of, anyway).
Plus, the Evenharts are amazing, so getting the chance to read about any of them is pretty amazing. This novella gave her (and some of her family) a chance to shine, while also fleshing out the world even further.
Obviously, major bonus points for the secondary character and perspective for this novella (whom you can probably guess, but I don't want to risk spoiling. Just in case). 10/10 would read more about these two.
The Ties That Bind by Faith Hunter
★ ★ ★ ★
The Ties That Bind is Faith Hunter's short story addition to this collection, and it also ties directly into what happened in Bound into Darkness. Gotta love it when that happens! Once again we're provided insight into one of the Everhart's, this time of the mama bear variety. I'm not saying more, because it might spoil the fun.
“As she waited, she added honey to the chamomile infusion. Stirred. Sipped. Patient.”
I knew that there was going to be a novella from a new perspective in Dirty Deeds. What I did not know is that there would also be a short story! Finding this made my day, and I'm sincerely not exaggerating there!
This was a quick read, yet was still full of action, adventure, and plenty of drama. Oh! And don't forget the supernatural, which includes tons of magic (given who it's about, or connected to, that shouldn't be a surprise in the least!).
The Pixie Job by Diana Pharaoh Francis
★ ★ ★ ★
The Pixie Job is part of a series written by Diana Pharaoh Francis. Sticking with the 'I need a vacation' theme, Mal has taken a much deserved break. Though admittedly the length of the vacation was not entirely her idea.
Naturally, that means that something is going to pop up to ruin, alter, or otherwise infuse chaos into her time off. That is the way things go in the urban fantasy world, right? Especially for somebody who has been through as much as her.
“I told you. I'm on vacation. I promised Law, and the other ghosts, and So'la. I'm not supposed to do anything but relax for an entire month.”
Out of all the stories in this anthology, The Pixie Job is the one I had the least background on. Still, I didn't have much trouble following along, or finding enjoyment in the chaos and mess that Mal had to dig her way through.
All of that being said, I'm positive that a longer running fan of Diana Pharaoh Francis would enjoy this story so much more than I would, so please make sure to check it out if that applies to you!
Doggone Mess by R.J. Blaine
★ ★ ★ ★
Last, but not least, there's Doggone Mess, a novella that ties into her Magical Romantic Comedy (with a body count) series. I've never read any of that series, but after having read Doggone Mess – I want to!
Joyce is an unmated female lycanthrope, one who has exactly zero interest in joining a pack, thanks to the method used to induct her into the world of the supernatural. Thus, she spends most of her time working minimum wage jobs, and hiding her identity.
So of course she finds herself in a situation where has to deal with one on a regular basis. On the bright side, the job will pay well, and it comes with some perks. Like the access to Pixie Dust. That'll make things more worthwhile.
“I bet my terrorist virus just wanted me to settle down and used pixie dust to its advantage, although I'd resisted its wicked ways thus far.”
Doggone Mess is my first introduction to Magical Romantic Comedy (with a body count), and I have to admit, that is a very accurate description of what I just read! It was fun and entertaining, with romantic threads throughout.
It's enough to get me interested in reading the rest of the series, whenever I can free up some time and space on my TBR shelf. The balance of themes and elements made this a quick and unique read, one that thoroughly invaded my brain.
Check out more reviews over at Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks
Included within this anthology you'll find works by Devon Monk (a novella and a short story, both set in her Ordinary Magic world), Faith Hunter (again, a novella and short story, both set in the world of Jane Yellowrock – but following different characters!), Diana Pharaoh Francis, and R.J. Blain (Magical Romantic Comedy series). All of which I've reviewed in further detail down below!
Sealed with a Tryst by Devon Monk
★ ★ ★ ★
It's time to head back to Ordinary in Sealed with a Tryst! Delaney is in desperate need of a vacation – yet she's concerned (and rightly so) about leaving the town of Ordinary behind. Even for just a few days. Given the events that she's had to get involved with over the past couple of years...nobody is going to blame her there.
The latest set of circumstances are going to increase Delaney's desire for a vacation, while also succeeding in increasing her concern about leaving. Once again. It's almost as if somebody had found a way to cause more mayhem in a town full of supernaturals and gods.
“I think this is Crow thing. Which means it's nothing but trouble.”
I'll admit it, I really do enjoy Devon Monk's Ordinary Magic series, yet I never seem to get caught up in it. Still, I happily dove into this novella, even despite that fault. I had zero problems keeping up, though I did spoil a few details for myself along the way (worth it).
This was a fun and chaotic story, as one might expect. I love the Reed family, and the disasters they are constantly working so hard to avoid. There is just so much charm and personality here, which really did shine quite nicely in such a short period of time. Bonus points for all of the humor woven into the plot and world as a whole.
At Death's Door by Devon Monk
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
At Death's Door is a short story directly tied into the novella mentioned above. Only, this time the perspective is from Than! That was a bit of a surprise for me (again, I'm behind on the series, so maybe this isn't the first time that happened).
Than has agreed to take on...guard duty while Delaney is out of town. That in itself is about to bring a fair share of chaos to this vacationing god. All the better for us readers.
“Being a part of constructive change, instead of his rather natural state of chaotic change, pleased him.”
This was such a fun and quirky read! I'm finding myself growing really fond of Than (and again, I haven't even seen all of the adventures he's been up to lately!), so that made this short so much fun for me. As did the other two characters, for obvious reasons. My only regret is that this wasn't longer.
Bound into Darkness by Faith Hunter
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Who doesn't love a spinoff? Bound into Darkness spins off from the beloved Jane Yellowrock series, following Liz Everhart – one of the Everhart twins, and sibling to Molly. Having survived a horrible bout of pneumonia, Liz is trying to get her life back in order.
That may or may not include a certain stubborn man, whom she had been doing the dance with. Right up until he saw her sick, that is. Perhaps she could use her latest job as an excuse to bring them both together, and just see where things go.
In a world of supernaturals and vampires, that sort of planning is just asking for trouble. As Liz Everhart is literally about to find out. For the Jane Yellowrock fans out there, Bound into Darkness is set sometime between Shattered Bonds and True Dead.
“He thought she was weak which might be worse. Stupid man.”
It's thanks to Bound into Darkness that I heard about this anthology in the first place – as I am a massive Faith Hunter fan. Naturally, that meant that while I enjoyed this whole collection, it was this novella that I was most looking forward to.
It lived up to those hopes and expectations, and then some. This was a dark and brilliant story, in all the ways I've come to expect from Jane Yellowrock's world. It was fascinating to see the world from a different character's point of view – one who knew of Jane and had opinions on everything that had gone down so far (well, what she knew of, anyway).
Plus, the Evenharts are amazing, so getting the chance to read about any of them is pretty amazing. This novella gave her (and some of her family) a chance to shine, while also fleshing out the world even further.
Obviously, major bonus points for the secondary character and perspective for this novella (whom you can probably guess, but I don't want to risk spoiling. Just in case). 10/10 would read more about these two.
The Ties That Bind by Faith Hunter
★ ★ ★ ★
The Ties That Bind is Faith Hunter's short story addition to this collection, and it also ties directly into what happened in Bound into Darkness. Gotta love it when that happens! Once again we're provided insight into one of the Everhart's, this time of the mama bear variety. I'm not saying more, because it might spoil the fun.
“As she waited, she added honey to the chamomile infusion. Stirred. Sipped. Patient.”
I knew that there was going to be a novella from a new perspective in Dirty Deeds. What I did not know is that there would also be a short story! Finding this made my day, and I'm sincerely not exaggerating there!
This was a quick read, yet was still full of action, adventure, and plenty of drama. Oh! And don't forget the supernatural, which includes tons of magic (given who it's about, or connected to, that shouldn't be a surprise in the least!).
The Pixie Job by Diana Pharaoh Francis
★ ★ ★ ★
The Pixie Job is part of a series written by Diana Pharaoh Francis. Sticking with the 'I need a vacation' theme, Mal has taken a much deserved break. Though admittedly the length of the vacation was not entirely her idea.
Naturally, that means that something is going to pop up to ruin, alter, or otherwise infuse chaos into her time off. That is the way things go in the urban fantasy world, right? Especially for somebody who has been through as much as her.
“I told you. I'm on vacation. I promised Law, and the other ghosts, and So'la. I'm not supposed to do anything but relax for an entire month.”
Out of all the stories in this anthology, The Pixie Job is the one I had the least background on. Still, I didn't have much trouble following along, or finding enjoyment in the chaos and mess that Mal had to dig her way through.
All of that being said, I'm positive that a longer running fan of Diana Pharaoh Francis would enjoy this story so much more than I would, so please make sure to check it out if that applies to you!
Doggone Mess by R.J. Blaine
★ ★ ★ ★
Last, but not least, there's Doggone Mess, a novella that ties into her Magical Romantic Comedy (with a body count) series. I've never read any of that series, but after having read Doggone Mess – I want to!
Joyce is an unmated female lycanthrope, one who has exactly zero interest in joining a pack, thanks to the method used to induct her into the world of the supernatural. Thus, she spends most of her time working minimum wage jobs, and hiding her identity.
So of course she finds herself in a situation where has to deal with one on a regular basis. On the bright side, the job will pay well, and it comes with some perks. Like the access to Pixie Dust. That'll make things more worthwhile.
“I bet my terrorist virus just wanted me to settle down and used pixie dust to its advantage, although I'd resisted its wicked ways thus far.”
Doggone Mess is my first introduction to Magical Romantic Comedy (with a body count), and I have to admit, that is a very accurate description of what I just read! It was fun and entertaining, with romantic threads throughout.
It's enough to get me interested in reading the rest of the series, whenever I can free up some time and space on my TBR shelf. The balance of themes and elements made this a quick and unique read, one that thoroughly invaded my brain.
Check out more reviews over at Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks
gypjet's review against another edition
5.0
Fabulous collection! Great new stuff from Faith Hunter that filled in some blanks, and fun stuff from Devon Monk! I didn't know the other two authors, but I know that I will look them up now and check out their stuff! A must read!
squirrelfish's review
4.0
I love a good novella collection, and these are some fun urban fantasy authors. [a:Diana Pharaoh Francis|8646|Diana Pharaoh Francis|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1269618083p2/8646.jpg] is wonderful, but her full-length series tend towards emotionally wrought while [b:The Incubus Job|28506292|The Incubus Job (Mission Magic #1)|Diana Pharaoh Francis|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1452457751l/28506292._SY75_.jpg|48660273] and this follow on "The Pixie Job" are more fun-filled action and snippets of romance. I also enjoyed the spin-off development of characters from [a:Faith Hunter|234115|Faith Hunter|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1301338242p2/234115.jpg]'s Jane Yellowrock series in the stories "Bound Into Darkness" starring Eli & a witch, and then some followup witch/vampire romance in "At The Ties That Bind". Also a rom-com urban fantasy that is perfectly on brand for [a:R.J. Blain|7190903|R.J. Blain|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1398999548p2/7190903.jpg] with werewolves, mafias, government agencies and some very odd matchmaking. [a:Devon Monk|1375697|Devon Monk|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1223964416p2/1375697.jpg] develops the character of Death as Delaney attempts to get away for a much needed vacation.
Overall, if you're into lighthearted urban fantasy and/or looking for some new urban fantasy authors, I highly recommend it, but heads up you may end up diving into well-developed series with long backlists after you get a taste.
Overall, if you're into lighthearted urban fantasy and/or looking for some new urban fantasy authors, I highly recommend it, but heads up you may end up diving into well-developed series with long backlists after you get a taste.
papi's review
4.0
Enjoyed the first two authors, not so much the rest, but I suppose that is a matter of personal taste. YMMV.
pos1t1vel1fe's review
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
Only read Doggone Mess by R.J. Blain