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lilbeeemma's review
5.0
I received a copy of this book for my honest review.
I only had time to read Sarra Cannons book "Venom" but will add to my review as I read.
Venom is about Rend, which if you have read Sacrifice Me, then you'll know who I'm talking about. Rend was always so mysterious and secretive in Sacrifice Me, so of course he got my attention. I wondered what he went through to make him this way, while enjoying what he brought to the story.
In Venom, we read about his past. We learn why he is this way, and it's heartbreaking. The story is fast-paced, full of action, revealing what readers have wanted to know about him.
I love Sarra Cannon's works, I have read each and everyone-multiple times-and am never disappointed.
I only had time to read Sarra Cannons book "Venom" but will add to my review as I read.
Venom is about Rend, which if you have read Sacrifice Me, then you'll know who I'm talking about. Rend was always so mysterious and secretive in Sacrifice Me, so of course he got my attention. I wondered what he went through to make him this way, while enjoying what he brought to the story.
In Venom, we read about his past. We learn why he is this way, and it's heartbreaking. The story is fast-paced, full of action, revealing what readers have wanted to know about him.
I love Sarra Cannon's works, I have read each and everyone-multiple times-and am never disappointed.
ntrlycrly's review
3.0
Several good stories in here with witty paranormal detectives, etc, but it seems designed as a sales pitch for all the authors hence the three star rating.
gerd_d's review
2.0
I downloaded this eBook for free and as such I guess it would be worth a three star rating.
The writing on most of the "stories" isn't bad at all. The problem with this collection is that they ain't actually stories in a common sense, most of them just serve as a longer prologue to the series the respective author wants to promote.
So usually you get a character introduced and aquainted with their world and mission in life - and end. If you want to know more download the first book in the series... thus I do have to deduct a star from pure annoyance.
Some of the stories herein I actually enjoyed, like "Victoria Gardella: Vampire Slayer", by Colleen Gleason or "Highland Magic", by Helen Harper.
Others felt just too sketchy to make much sense to me, like the opening "The Agency", by Donna Augustine, which needs you to already be familiar with the series it belongs to, or "Atomic" by C. Gockel, a story I had high hopes for because I vastly enjoyed her SF story in [b:Starbound: Eleven Tales of Interstellar Adventure|28953058|Starbound Eleven Tales of Interstellar Adventure|S.M. Reine|https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/books/1454854399s/28953058.jpg|49178060]. But "Atomic" just seems to lead nowhere.
And then there's the story "Illusions", Christine Pope, including this gem:
Really?
As a woman she has to "bond with her soul mate" at a given date or else she won't grow into her full power, where as apparently the same does not apply to the men?
A sort of "best before" date for women's powers?
Consider me annoyed (although, the writing was good enough to almost make me forgive the fact that this too ends right in the middle of the story).
The writing on most of the "stories" isn't bad at all. The problem with this collection is that they ain't actually stories in a common sense, most of them just serve as a longer prologue to the series the respective author wants to promote.
So usually you get a character introduced and aquainted with their world and mission in life - and end. If you want to know more download the first book in the series... thus I do have to deduct a star from pure annoyance.
Some of the stories herein I actually enjoyed, like "Victoria Gardella: Vampire Slayer", by Colleen Gleason or "Highland Magic", by Helen Harper.
Others felt just too sketchy to make much sense to me, like the opening "The Agency", by Donna Augustine, which needs you to already be familiar with the series it belongs to, or "Atomic" by C. Gockel, a story I had high hopes for because I vastly enjoyed her SF story in [b:Starbound: Eleven Tales of Interstellar Adventure|28953058|Starbound Eleven Tales of Interstellar Adventure|S.M. Reine|https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/books/1454854399s/28953058.jpg|49178060]. But "Atomic" just seems to lead nowhere.
And then there's the story "Illusions", Christine Pope, including this gem:
A young woman destined to be the next prima had to bond with her soul mate during her twenty-first year, or she would never develop her full powers,
Really?
As a woman she has to "bond with her soul mate" at a given date or else she won't grow into her full power, where as apparently the same does not apply to the men?
A sort of "best before" date for women's powers?
Consider me annoyed (although, the writing was good enough to almost make me forgive the fact that this too ends right in the middle of the story).
sarzwix's review
4.0
I mainly bought this mainly for Colleen Vanderlinden's contribution, which as always totally rocked. I haven't paid much attention to the other stories as yet, but particularly looking forward to Kate Danley's.
sarah42783's review
2.0
The reason I bought this anthology? S.M. Reine. Because Elise Freaking Kavanagh, obviously. I didn't think I was going to bother reading the other stories in this collection but finally decided to give them all a try. I shouldn't have. Damn it all to hell, I shouldn't even have read the S.M. Reine story. But more on that later.
► So. This anthology? Let me break it down for you real quick:
♦ Stories: 17
♦ Bloody Hell Yes material: 5
♦ Hell To The No material: 3
♦ WTF material: 1
♦ Yes But No material: 1
♦ DNFs: 7 ← I have just been contacted by the Guinness Book Of World Records.
Not so good, huh? You could say so, hahaha. But (and this is a big BUT hereno, not a big butt, you silly people ), the Bloody Hell Yes material was as awesome as the Hell To The No/WTF/DNF material was crappy. So despite the desperately low overall rating for this collection, I'm pretty happy I read it. Three cool series to continue + one on its way to my doom and oblivion shelf (Ms TBR is very happy right now) = not bad! ← I'm beginning to see the bright side of things, I think I should get my head examined.
So. Since I know you people pretty well, I'm guessing you're probably too lazy to read each individual review for these storiesbusted! . And since I'm ever kind and thoughtful hahaha , I'll just tell you which ones are worth reading: The Agency by Donna Augustine, De Facto by Annie Bellet, Honeysuckle Memory by Selene Charles, Angels and Demons by Colleen Vanderlinden and Dragon's Fury by Phaedra Weldon. The rest of the stories are crap, don't bother ← yes, this also applies to the S.M. Reine story *cries*
Now if you feel adventurous enough to read my individual reviews for thesemostly delightful stories, by all means, go ahead! Take a deep breath, you can do it! You might even get a medal if you make it to the end of the page!
• • • • ۰° • ิ • ۰° • ิ • ۰° • ิ • ۰° • ิ • ۰° • ิ ° ۰۰° • ิ• ۰° • ิ • ۰ ° • ิ • ۰° • ิ • ۰° • ิ ° ۰• • • • ۰
① The Agency by Donna Augustine: YES!
✏ Prequel to the Karma series.
✔ One of the coolest premises ever: welcome to The Agency, where employees like Fate, Death, Sixth Sense, Jinxes, Lady Luck and Karma work for the Universe.
✘ One of the shortest short story ever.
✘ Anachronistic use of language: part of the story is set in the 1850s and some the characters say things like "damn, you get all the cool shit," "what's your gig here?" or "arrogant as fuck all." Yeah, I'm pretty sure that's exactly the way people spoke in the mid-19th century. Ridiculous.
►► This world has great potential and is refreshingly vampire and werewolf-free. The rest of this series is set in the present day so improper use of language shouldn't be a problem ← wishful thinking is what this is called. Oh well, I already have book 1 on my Kindle so I might as well bump-bump-bump, bump it up.
② De Facto by Annie Bellet: YES!
✏ Standalone. Sob, sob.
✔ Another pretty cool premise: Verity works for the Office of Banned magic. She has a magic-sniffing rat called Ruby. Verity and Ruby communicate through tattooed spell-links. Ruby the rat loves playing videogames on Verity's touch-screen TV.
►► I thought this story was part of a series but apparently it isn't, sob sob. I would have loved to read more about Verity and Ruby. I guess all that's left for me to do is continue with Bellet's Twenty-Sided Sorceress series. Maybe by the time I catch up on it Bellet will have decided to do something with this storyline.
③ Venom by Sarra Cannon: NOPE!
✏ Prequel to the Sacrifice Me series.
✘ This is basically the story of a guy running around in some woods while being hunted by a bunch of witches. Yay. Fascinating.
►► DNFed the hell out of this one.
④ Honeysuckle Memory by Selene Charles: YES!
✏ Prequel to the yet unreleased Southern Vampire Chronicles: Whiskey, Vamps, and Thieves series.
✔ A story about a recently murdered/recently turned vampire/police investigator who lives with a pack of shifters? Had I known this before I started reading it I wouldn't have bothered. Because vampires + shifters = been there, done that and YAWN. But this story sounds different and more original than your typical fang & fur novel. And scarlet's character seems pretty complex and she sounds deliciously conflicted.
►► Where the hell is the rest of this series?! I want to read it now! I want to know more!
⑤ Spirits of Bourbon Street by Deanna Chase: NOPE!
✏ Book 6.5 in the Jade Calhoun series.
✘ There are very few books I find more desperately stupid than the paranormal chick lit kind. I look at covers for this genre and I shudder. You know, Bewitched-type covers like this one? *starts convulsing*
✘ This story is so badly written it's ridiculous. How old is the author? 15? And don't get me started on the plot. I think I lost one of my eyeballs from all the eyerolling I did while I was reading.
►► It's a miracle I read this one to the last page. What a bunch of crap.
⑥ The Ghost & Mrs. MacKay by Kate Danley: NOPE!
✏ Book 2.5 in the Maggie MacKay, Magical Tracker series.
✘ This? Urban Fantasy? You must be joking. Boring Fantasy is what it is. It's so decaffeinated that I almost fell asleep. Come to think of it, this might be a great cure for insomnia. Or a deadly weapon of some kind: bore your enemies to death! Give them this book to read! They'll fall asleep and never wake up! Yay!
►► DNF Graveyard, here I come!
⑦ Full Moon Mischief by Debra Dunbar: WTF?!
✏ Book 0.9 in the Imp series.
✔✘ Not sure if this was funny, pathetic, rant-material, exasperating, fantastic, original or just plain crap.
⑧ Dog Days of Summer by Hailey Edwards: NOPE!
✏ Prequel to the Black Dog series.
✘ An immature 18-year-old American female mc with a French male name? I'm too old for this shit.
►► DNF is me again. Yay. Dog with a Bone (book 1 in this series) has been on my tbr for a while. Hahaha. Bye bye little book, there's no way in hell I'll be reading you any time soon.
⑨ Atomic by C. Gockel: NOPE!
✏ Prequel to the I Bring the Fire series.
✘ Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah. Please shoot me somebody.
✘ Magic + science + modernity + antiquity = overdoing it much? Keep things simple and improve the writing, then we'll talk.
►► All Hail the Holy DNF.
⑩ Victoria Gardella: Vampire Slayer by Colleen Gleason: NOPE!
✏ Book 1.5 in the Gardella Vampire Hunters series.
✘ The Book Standard says: "Buffy meets Jane Austen." I say: "you're joking right? Please tell me you're joking."
✘ Lady Catherine de Bourgh does not approve. And neither do I.
►► DNF. Because there's only so much sheer stupidity I can take. And because rolling one's eyes gets tiring after a while.
⑪ Highland Magic by Helen Harper: NOPE!
✏ Prequel to the yet unreleased Highland Magic series.
►► Silly fae in kilts = DNF, Highland style.
⑫ Contents may have shifted by Shawntelle Madison: NOPE!
✏ Book 3.5 in the Coveted series.
►► The blurb is quite possibly more interesting than the story itself. Hear me snore.
⑬ Illusions by Christine Pope: yes but no.
✏ Prequel to The Witches of Cleopatra Hill.
✔ Not bad compared to the other shorts in this collection, so yes.
✔ Not too PNRish but the potential is there, crawling, stalking, ready to attack at a moment's notice, so no.
►► I did not NOT like it but this type of story just isn't my thing. I'm pretty sure those who enjoy fantasy romance and PNR would enjoy it, though.
⑭ Dying Night by S.M. Reine: ARGH! NOOOOO!!!!!
✏ Book 0.8 in the OMG-Elise-Kavanagh-Is-Bloody-Awesome-And-This-Is-One-Of-The-Best-UF-Series-Ever Descent series.
✘ What. The. Bloody. Fuck???? What happened to Elise??? What happened to James??? What the fuck is this??? Fanfic????
✘ I love this series so much that I'm pretending this thing (whatever-it-is) never happened. And I'm blaming it all on Malcolm. He's a total dick anyway.
►► S.M. Reine, I don't like you very much right now. But since I usually LOVE you, I've decided to forgive you. Please Will, do your thing and make me forget about it all.
⑮ Brea's Tale: Arrival by Anthea Sharp: NOPE!
✏ Prequel to the Feyland series.
✘ Silly fae time again. And a stupid, hare-brained one at that. Yay.
✘ Confusing, badly written story. Yay.
►► I think not.
⑯ Angels and Demons by Colleen Vanderlinden: YES!
✏ Prequel to the Hidden series.
✔ Wooooooo Blooooody Hoooooooooo!!!!!!!!
✔ Kickass vigilante chick meets potentially aggravating, reformed demon!!!!
►► YESSSSSS!!!!!!!!! And I already have Lost Girl (book 1 in the series) on my Kindle!!!!! YESSSSSS!!!!!!!!!
⑰ Dragon's Fury by Phaedra Weldon: YES!
✏ Standalone? Nooooooooo!
✔ Because, as Casey would say: mothafucking dragons!!
✔ Because this was well-written, with an interesting plot and complex characters.
►►Too bad this is a standalone, I would have loved to read more about these characters. But all is not lost, because Elemental Arcane (book 1 in Weldon's Eldritch Files series) is waiting for me on my Kindle. Yes!
Still here? Wow, I'm impressed! I always keep my promises, so hhere you go:
► So. This anthology? Let me break it down for you real quick:
♦ Stories: 17
♦ Bloody Hell Yes material: 5
♦ Hell To The No material: 3
♦ WTF material: 1
♦ Yes But No material: 1
♦ DNFs: 7 ← I have just been contacted by the Guinness Book Of World Records.
Not so good, huh? You could say so, hahaha. But (and this is a big BUT here
So. Since I know you people pretty well, I'm guessing you're probably too lazy to read each individual review for these stories
Now if you feel adventurous enough to read my individual reviews for these
• • • • ۰° • ิ • ۰° • ิ • ۰° • ิ • ۰° • ิ • ۰° • ิ ° ۰۰° • ิ• ۰° • ิ • ۰ ° • ิ • ۰° • ิ • ۰° • ิ ° ۰• • • • ۰
① The Agency by Donna Augustine: YES!
✏ Prequel to the Karma series.
✔ One of the coolest premises ever: welcome to The Agency, where employees like Fate, Death, Sixth Sense, Jinxes, Lady Luck and Karma work for the Universe.
✘ One of the shortest short story ever.
✘ Anachronistic use of language: part of the story is set in the 1850s and some the characters say things like "damn, you get all the cool shit," "what's your gig here?" or "arrogant as fuck all." Yeah, I'm pretty sure that's exactly the way people spoke in the mid-19th century. Ridiculous.
►► This world has great potential and is refreshingly vampire and werewolf-free. The rest of this series is set in the present day so improper use of language shouldn't be a problem ← wishful thinking is what this is called. Oh well, I already have book 1 on my Kindle so I might as well bump-bump-bump, bump it up.
② De Facto by Annie Bellet: YES!
✏ Standalone. Sob, sob.
✔ Another pretty cool premise: Verity works for the Office of Banned magic. She has a magic-sniffing rat called Ruby. Verity and Ruby communicate through tattooed spell-links. Ruby the rat loves playing videogames on Verity's touch-screen TV.
►► I thought this story was part of a series but apparently it isn't, sob sob. I would have loved to read more about Verity and Ruby. I guess all that's left for me to do is continue with Bellet's Twenty-Sided Sorceress series. Maybe by the time I catch up on it Bellet will have decided to do something with this storyline.
③ Venom by Sarra Cannon: NOPE!
✏ Prequel to the Sacrifice Me series.
✘ This is basically the story of a guy running around in some woods while being hunted by a bunch of witches. Yay. Fascinating.
►► DNFed the hell out of this one.
④ Honeysuckle Memory by Selene Charles: YES!
✏ Prequel to the yet unreleased Southern Vampire Chronicles: Whiskey, Vamps, and Thieves series.
✔ A story about a recently murdered/recently turned vampire/police investigator who lives with a pack of shifters? Had I known this before I started reading it I wouldn't have bothered. Because vampires + shifters = been there, done that and YAWN. But this story sounds different and more original than your typical fang & fur novel. And scarlet's character seems pretty complex and she sounds deliciously conflicted.
►► Where the hell is the rest of this series?! I want to read it now! I want to know more!
⑤ Spirits of Bourbon Street by Deanna Chase: NOPE!
✏ Book 6.5 in the Jade Calhoun series.
✘ There are very few books I find more desperately stupid than the paranormal chick lit kind. I look at covers for this genre and I shudder. You know, Bewitched-type covers like this one? *starts convulsing*
✘ This story is so badly written it's ridiculous. How old is the author? 15? And don't get me started on the plot. I think I lost one of my eyeballs from all the eyerolling I did while I was reading.
►► It's a miracle I read this one to the last page. What a bunch of crap.
⑥ The Ghost & Mrs. MacKay by Kate Danley: NOPE!
✏ Book 2.5 in the Maggie MacKay, Magical Tracker series.
✘ This? Urban Fantasy? You must be joking. Boring Fantasy is what it is. It's so decaffeinated that I almost fell asleep. Come to think of it, this might be a great cure for insomnia. Or a deadly weapon of some kind: bore your enemies to death! Give them this book to read! They'll fall asleep and never wake up! Yay!
►► DNF Graveyard, here I come!
⑦ Full Moon Mischief by Debra Dunbar: WTF?!
✏ Book 0.9 in the Imp series.
✔✘ Not sure if this was funny, pathetic, rant-material, exasperating, fantastic, original or just plain crap.
⑧ Dog Days of Summer by Hailey Edwards: NOPE!
✏ Prequel to the Black Dog series.
✘ An immature 18-year-old American female mc with a French male name? I'm too old for this shit.
►► DNF is me again. Yay. Dog with a Bone (book 1 in this series) has been on my tbr for a while. Hahaha. Bye bye little book, there's no way in hell I'll be reading you any time soon.
⑨ Atomic by C. Gockel: NOPE!
✏ Prequel to the I Bring the Fire series.
✘ Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah. Please shoot me somebody.
✘ Magic + science + modernity + antiquity = overdoing it much? Keep things simple and improve the writing, then we'll talk.
►► All Hail the Holy DNF.
⑩ Victoria Gardella: Vampire Slayer by Colleen Gleason: NOPE!
✏ Book 1.5 in the Gardella Vampire Hunters series.
✘ The Book Standard says: "Buffy meets Jane Austen." I say: "you're joking right? Please tell me you're joking."
✘ Lady Catherine de Bourgh does not approve. And neither do I.
►► DNF. Because there's only so much sheer stupidity I can take. And because rolling one's eyes gets tiring after a while.
⑪ Highland Magic by Helen Harper: NOPE!
✏ Prequel to the yet unreleased Highland Magic series.
►► Silly fae in kilts = DNF, Highland style.
⑫ Contents may have shifted by Shawntelle Madison: NOPE!
✏ Book 3.5 in the Coveted series.
►► The blurb is quite possibly more interesting than the story itself. Hear me snore.
⑬ Illusions by Christine Pope: yes but no.
✏ Prequel to The Witches of Cleopatra Hill.
✔ Not bad compared to the other shorts in this collection, so yes.
✔ Not too PNRish but the potential is there, crawling, stalking, ready to attack at a moment's notice, so no.
►► I did not NOT like it but this type of story just isn't my thing. I'm pretty sure those who enjoy fantasy romance and PNR would enjoy it, though.
⑭ Dying Night by S.M. Reine: ARGH! NOOOOO!!!!!
✏ Book 0.8 in the OMG-Elise-Kavanagh-Is-Bloody-Awesome-And-This-Is-One-Of-The-Best-UF-Series-Ever Descent series.
✘ What. The. Bloody. Fuck???? What happened to Elise??? What happened to James??? What the fuck is this??? Fanfic????
✘ I love this series so much that I'm pretending this thing (whatever-it-is) never happened. And I'm blaming it all on Malcolm. He's a total dick anyway.
►► S.M. Reine, I don't like you very much right now. But since I usually LOVE you, I've decided to forgive you. Please Will, do your thing and make me forget about it all.
⑮ Brea's Tale: Arrival by Anthea Sharp: NOPE!
✏ Prequel to the Feyland series.
✘ Silly fae time again. And a stupid, hare-brained one at that. Yay.
✘ Confusing, badly written story. Yay.
►► I think not.
⑯ Angels and Demons by Colleen Vanderlinden: YES!
✏ Prequel to the Hidden series.
✔ Wooooooo Blooooody Hoooooooooo!!!!!!!!
✔ Kickass vigilante chick meets potentially aggravating, reformed demon!!!!
►► YESSSSSS!!!!!!!!! And I already have Lost Girl (book 1 in the series) on my Kindle!!!!! YESSSSSS!!!!!!!!!
⑰ Dragon's Fury by Phaedra Weldon: YES!
✏ Standalone? Nooooooooo!
✔ Because, as Casey would say: mothafucking dragons!!
✔ Because this was well-written, with an interesting plot and complex characters.
►►Too bad this is a standalone, I would have loved to read more about these characters. But all is not lost, because Elemental Arcane (book 1 in Weldon's Eldritch Files series) is waiting for me on my Kindle. Yes!
Still here? Wow, I'm impressed! I always keep my promises, so hhere you go:
kekinda's review
3.0
The Stories are as follow:
The Agency - Donna Augustine - 2 Stars
De Facto - Annie Bellet - 4 Stars
Venom - Sarra Cannon - 4 Stars
HoneySuckle Memories: A Scarlet Smith Memoir - Selene Charles - 4 Stars
Spirits Of Bourbon Street - Deanna Chase - 1 Star
The Ghost & Mrs. MacKay - Kate Danley - 1 Star
Full Moon Mischief - Debra Dunbar - 3 Stars
Dog Days of Summer - Hailey Edwards - 3 Stars
Atomic - C. Gockel - 1 Star
Victoria Gardella: Vampire Slayer - Colleen Gleason - 3 Stars
Highland Magic - Helen Harper - 4 Stars
Contents May Have Shifted - Shawntelle Madison - 1 Star
Illusion - Christina Pope - 4 Stars
Dying Night - S. M Reine - 3 Stars
Brea's Tale: Arrival - Anthea Sharp - 1 Star
Angels and Demons - Colleen Vanderlinden - 1 Star
Dragon's Fury - Phaedra Weldon - 4 Stars
The Agency - Donna Augustine - 2 Stars
De Facto - Annie Bellet - 4 Stars
Venom - Sarra Cannon - 4 Stars
HoneySuckle Memories: A Scarlet Smith Memoir - Selene Charles - 4 Stars
Spirits Of Bourbon Street - Deanna Chase - 1 Star
The Ghost & Mrs. MacKay - Kate Danley - 1 Star
Full Moon Mischief - Debra Dunbar - 3 Stars
Dog Days of Summer - Hailey Edwards - 3 Stars
Atomic - C. Gockel - 1 Star
Victoria Gardella: Vampire Slayer - Colleen Gleason - 3 Stars
Highland Magic - Helen Harper - 4 Stars
Contents May Have Shifted - Shawntelle Madison - 1 Star
Illusion - Christina Pope - 4 Stars
Dying Night - S. M Reine - 3 Stars
Brea's Tale: Arrival - Anthea Sharp - 1 Star
Angels and Demons - Colleen Vanderlinden - 1 Star
Dragon's Fury - Phaedra Weldon - 4 Stars
More...