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bookwyrm76's review
4.0
This is a collection of story stories so there will be variety of tones, styles, and levels of familiarity. That is just a fact of a decent multi-author collection. While I have not edited a story collection for publishing, as a librarian I have made 100s of book lists and and suggested read-a-like lists. Part of their purpose is to appeal to a range of people, in this case a fairly large range because it's fantasy fans. Fantasy is a VERY diverse genre and I think that Hamilton did a good job including some big name favorites and finding interesting well written shorts from new writers (or less known at least). I'm confident in saying that any fantasy fan picking up this collection will find more stories that they enjoy than those they don't, but while the note of hope ties them together it might have a bit more darkness than some more sensitive readers want to deal with at the moment. For others who enjoy darker worlds, it will be the perfect escapism stories for this time of social isolation.
kathydavie's review
4.0
An anthology of sixteen brand-new sci-fi and fantasy stories that speak to the darkness and despair that life brings while reminding us that good deeds, humor, love, sacrifice, dedication, and following our joy can ignite a light that burns so bright the darkness cannot last.
The Series
"Twilight Falls" (Joe Ledger, 10.1)
"Heart of Clay" (Dan Shamble, Zombie PI, 6.5??)
"Reprise" (Quincy Harker, Demon Hunter, ??)
"Asil and the Not-date" (Alpha & Omega, 5.5 and Mercyverse, 17.5)
"Zombie Dearest" (Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter, 26.5)
The Stories
Jonathan Maberry's "Twilight Falls"...
...is fascinating — and a little too close to our reality what with bioterrorists. I did love the hopefulness of this tale with those do-gooders! I have got to start reading his Joe Ledger series.
Colonel Joe Ledger (call sign "Outlaw") had been an Airborne Ranger, Bradley "Top" Sims (call sign "Pappy"), and Harvey "Bunny" Rabbit make up Havoc Team. Mr Church is the adult in any room, and he heads up Rogue Team International, which appears to be based in Phoenix House on Omfori Island in Greece. Doc Joan Holliday is the head of the integrated sciences division; Dr William Hu is the former head. Bug is their IT guy. I think Jake, Wolf, Anderson, Sean, and Rachel are more team members??
Buzz Clark is a Pulitzer-prize-winning photojournalist who provides hot tips. Junie Flynn is Ledger's lover. Jim Peabody hosts a conspiracy theory radio show. Thabo Mahao and Bongani Jiba are part of a team bent on saving the world. Gunter is their resource guy.
Silentium is a bioterrorist group which wants 90% of the world's population gone.
Sharon Shinn's "Not in this Lifetime"...
...was an intriguing mix of fun and confusion in which she keeps trying to change how she dies. Fortunately, the confusion was short-lived, and I did love that twist of an end. I almost cried.
Lili and the heroine are waitresses at Deli-Lishes. Back in 1969, Lili was living with Adam. Armand, Juwan, Sanjay, and Kenny are more employees. And friends. Bill is a customer and a repeat jerk.
Larry Correia's "Mr. Positive, the Eternal Optimist"...
...was too funny, lol, in a very macabre way. You'll be as frustrated as Stanley in trying to understand that mugger, Chris, who simply will not stop. And who is simply fascinated by what Stanley's time period has and doesn't have. ROFL. On a more serious note, Correia takes advantage of Chris' perspective to note how truly lucky we are. It'll make ya think... And yet another happy, very unexpected, ending.
Kacey Ezell's "No Greater Love"...
...is an historical paranormal tale about love in the dead of winter and the choices people will make to save each other. Sweet with yet another unexpected, happy ending.
Griffin Barber's "Broken Son"...
...revolves around Sol Boy, a career criminal sentenced to a space mining camp who is our unreliable narrator. I'm seeing it as a metaphor for how our soldiers are cared for once they can no longer fight for the government.
Kevin J. Anderson's "Heart of Clay"...
...is both sweet and funny and sad. It's also rather silly with some inconsistencies that didn't make sense.
Private Investigator Dan "Beaux" Shamble is a zombie. Robin Deyer is Dan's human lawyer partner at Chambeau & Deyer Investigations. Sheyenne is Dan's ghost girlfriend and his business manager. Alvina is a ten-year-old vampire girl who is either Dan's or McGoo's daughter...they can't decide which. Officer Toby "McGoo" McGoohan with the Unnatural Quarter PD is Dan's best human friend.
Mortimer Dred is the king of the Real Renaissance Faire, a faire that has it all. Talbot & Knowles run a blood bar at the faire where Jim and Don are golem employees. Alice is a dragon who performs and has a gambling problem. Noxius is a gremlin purveyor of sharp objects. Rettop the Cavewight is a potter who also administers first aid. Joe is a murdered golem. Art is the golem leader.
John G. Hartness's "Reprise"...
...has a very noir feel to this tale of demon summoning in a betrayal of those who want to repair the past.
Quincy Harker is a literal son of the Jonathan Harker in Stoker's 1897 Dracula. So how he's intended to be only 50 years old is beyond me. Count Dracula is Quincy's uncle. Uncle Lucas "Luke" Card is the current holder of the Renfield title and is based in Jersey City, these days. Luke also created the Shadow Council and Quincy is part of it.
Anna Treves had been the first true love of Quincy's life, and she was murdered in France in 1943 by a Nazi colonel. Rosalyn Reismann is Jewish and had had family who died in World War II. Edgar had been a cousin who died in one of the camps. Gerald.
Zippo Guy, Jacob, and Jerry are part of the dark coven attempting to summon Lord Raguel. Hiram and Rosalyn are also part of the coven. Abbadon, formerly known as Muriel who had guarded Eden, and Belial are demons.
Patricia Briggs' "Asil and the Not-date"...
...finds Asil the Moore dealing with a band of pranksters — some Concerned Friends — who have set him up on a not-dating site as a Christmas gift. There are all sorts of rules, and I can see why no one is betting on Asil to fulfill the goal, lol. On this date, there's a rescue with a surprise twist at the end...and you'll end up laughing.
Asil "the Moore" Moreno is a very, very old wolf who specializes in roses. Asil's son rules his old pack in Europe. Mariposa (Cry Wolf, 2) had been Asil's foster daughter who became a black witch. The Marrok is the Alpha wolf for all werewolves in North America.
Tami Reed is a social worker in Spokane and loves her plants. Chris, a cop, is Tami's ex-boyfriend. Joshua is fifteen and lives in his own apartment; his two much younger sisters still live with their mom, Helen.
Aaron Marks was part of that second date, but not damaged by Asil. Carter lives in Billings. Phoebe is in Spokane, loves lilacs, and has a business downtown. Plantophiles is a not-dating site.
Robert E. Hampson's "In the Dust"...
...covers quite a bit of time, introducing us to the two protagonists and whizzing us through their lives in a mass of tell. There sure isn't much in the way of love although there is support.
Winnie "Winn" is a young boy fascinated by history who grows up to become a supervising master machinist at Armstrong Tool and Die...and then much more. Jenny Harriman is the young girl who likes Winnie who grows up to establish an experimental plot, the Garden of Eatin'. Grace and Mary are their children. Her father is an ambitious lawyer. Chris is a contemporary of theirs. Kubric is mayor until Harriman succeeds him. Dr Edwin Aldrin Wright (with three degrees) builds up Wright Fabrication, which becomes the single biggest driver of Armstrong's economy. Melliere Corp does agricultural genetics.
L.E. Modesitt, Jr's "Fallen"...
...is a series of tests: faith versus knowledge, as Estafen drops into different scenarios in which he must argue for knowledge. The arguments for faith are interesting, and thank goodness that Estafen's counterarguments always sound better! It read like a metaphor for our own world, although that second to the last paragraph was kind of spooky.
It's kind of weird with its Go-Captain and Stop-Captain.
Patrick M. Tracy's "Working Conditions"...
...is a weird paranormal and leaves me with questions at the end. It's also a metaphor for our own racist world, as Sam becomes different, which translates into bigotry against him. Delia Castleman owns a convenience store.
M.C. Sumner's "Last Contact"...
...is a science fiction tale that totally bypasses a "first contact". I gotta say this sounds a lot more realistic than most of those first contact stories, especially the way we're destroying our own planet.
What I found most interesting was George's agreeing with Dr Fetherstonhaugh that the aliens showing up at all will cause disruption to earth.
William McCaskey's "Ronin"...
...is a title for Bear, given him by the Sandman. He's meant to champion the child to whom he's given, Emily, and ride her dreams while battling her nightmares. Bear originally belonged to Jason, Emily's father, and without knowing it, Emily helps her father battle his own nightmares. This is so sad and makes me weep, and yet there's that hope again at the end.
Michael Z. Williamson and Jessica Schlenker's "Skjoldmodir"...
...plays off the legend of Grendel and Beowulf, as we follow the female protagonist through her life and her trials as she attempts to raise her disabled son, Grendel.
Monalisa Foster's "Bonds of Love and Duty"...
...is yet another sad tale...with hope at the end. It's a typical government program. Kill off the beings they've used to win their war.
Laurell K. Hamilton's "Zombie Dearest"...
...has a sting in the tail for Anita! Although, I'm not sure what the cannibalism has to do with the ardeur Jean-Claude is speculating about. It's cute that Anita discovers Jean-Claude's need to fuss to deal with stress.
Anita Blake is a US Marshal with the Preternatural Division. She's engaged to Jean-Claude, the vampire Master of the City of St Louis. Belle Morte, the vampire with lust as one of her powers and who created Jean-Claude, is based in Europe. Mary is the daytime receptionist at Animators, Inc where Bert Vaughn is their greedy business manager. Sergeant Zerbrowski is the messy cop who is usually Anita's unofficial partner with the Regional Preternatural Investigation Taskforce. He was there that night at Thomas' gravesite. Katie is Zerbrowski's neat wife. Nicky Murdock, a lionshifter, is one of Anita's bodyguards as well as her Bride.
Herman and Julie Henderson are the parents of Justine who fell in love with Thomas Warrington, a zombie in Dead Ice, 24, two years ago and got pregnant. Harold Ramon works at the crematorium. Robbie Curtis is the creepy buyer.
The Cover and Title
The cover is a deep twilight and a lonely road curving into the distance. The sky is filled with stars including a shooting star. The text begins with an info blurb in lime green about the first editor. Below that the two editors (who are also authors) are listed at the top in white. Immediately below it on the left, in a centered stack, is an info blurb promoting two of the short stories within in a combination of royal blue and black. The title is below center in white with an info blurb below that in a lime green that continues into a white font of the more prominent authors with an "and more" following in the lime green.
The title is what every story offers, a Fantastic Hope.
The Series
"Twilight Falls" (Joe Ledger, 10.1)
"Heart of Clay" (Dan Shamble, Zombie PI, 6.5??)
"Reprise" (Quincy Harker, Demon Hunter, ??)
"Asil and the Not-date" (Alpha & Omega, 5.5 and Mercyverse, 17.5)
"Zombie Dearest" (Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter, 26.5)
The Stories
Jonathan Maberry's "Twilight Falls"...
...is fascinating — and a little too close to our reality what with bioterrorists. I did love the hopefulness of this tale with those do-gooders! I have got to start reading his Joe Ledger series.
Colonel Joe Ledger (call sign "Outlaw") had been an Airborne Ranger, Bradley "Top" Sims (call sign "Pappy"), and Harvey "Bunny" Rabbit make up Havoc Team. Mr Church is the adult in any room, and he heads up Rogue Team International, which appears to be based in Phoenix House on Omfori Island in Greece. Doc Joan Holliday is the head of the integrated sciences division; Dr William Hu is the former head. Bug is their IT guy. I think Jake, Wolf, Anderson, Sean, and Rachel are more team members??
Buzz Clark is a Pulitzer-prize-winning photojournalist who provides hot tips. Junie Flynn is Ledger's lover. Jim Peabody hosts a conspiracy theory radio show. Thabo Mahao and Bongani Jiba are part of a team bent on saving the world. Gunter is their resource guy.
Silentium is a bioterrorist group which wants 90% of the world's population gone.
Sharon Shinn's "Not in this Lifetime"...
...was an intriguing mix of fun and confusion in which she keeps trying to change how she dies. Fortunately, the confusion was short-lived, and I did love that twist of an end. I almost cried.
Lili and the heroine are waitresses at Deli-Lishes. Back in 1969, Lili was living with Adam. Armand, Juwan, Sanjay, and Kenny are more employees. And friends. Bill is a customer and a repeat jerk.
Larry Correia's "Mr. Positive, the Eternal Optimist"...
...was too funny, lol, in a very macabre way. You'll be as frustrated as Stanley in trying to understand that mugger, Chris, who simply will not stop. And who is simply fascinated by what Stanley's time period has and doesn't have. ROFL. On a more serious note, Correia takes advantage of Chris' perspective to note how truly lucky we are. It'll make ya think... And yet another happy, very unexpected, ending.
Kacey Ezell's "No Greater Love"...
...is an historical paranormal tale about love in the dead of winter and the choices people will make to save each other. Sweet with yet another unexpected, happy ending.
Griffin Barber's "Broken Son"...
...revolves around Sol Boy, a career criminal sentenced to a space mining camp who is our unreliable narrator. I'm seeing it as a metaphor for how our soldiers are cared for once they can no longer fight for the government.
Kevin J. Anderson's "Heart of Clay"...
...is both sweet and funny and sad. It's also rather silly with some inconsistencies that didn't make sense.
Private Investigator Dan "Beaux" Shamble is a zombie. Robin Deyer is Dan's human lawyer partner at Chambeau & Deyer Investigations. Sheyenne is Dan's ghost girlfriend and his business manager. Alvina is a ten-year-old vampire girl who is either Dan's or McGoo's daughter...they can't decide which. Officer Toby "McGoo" McGoohan with the Unnatural Quarter PD is Dan's best human friend.
Mortimer Dred is the king of the Real Renaissance Faire, a faire that has it all. Talbot & Knowles run a blood bar at the faire where Jim and Don are golem employees. Alice is a dragon who performs and has a gambling problem. Noxius is a gremlin purveyor of sharp objects. Rettop the Cavewight is a potter who also administers first aid. Joe is a murdered golem. Art is the golem leader.
John G. Hartness's "Reprise"...
...has a very noir feel to this tale of demon summoning in a betrayal of those who want to repair the past.
"Sometimes the best of us die to leave us an example ... to pull it into focus."I get confused over this Renfield-Dracula thing, especially when Hartness talks about uncles and going to see his uncle, Count Dracula, and then he goes to meet Luke. It's a sad tale and yet with a good point about what life is supposed to be.
Quincy Harker is a literal son of the Jonathan Harker in Stoker's 1897 Dracula. So how he's intended to be only 50 years old is beyond me. Count Dracula is Quincy's uncle. Uncle Lucas "Luke" Card is the current holder of the Renfield title and is based in Jersey City, these days. Luke also created the Shadow Council and Quincy is part of it.
Anna Treves had been the first true love of Quincy's life, and she was murdered in France in 1943 by a Nazi colonel. Rosalyn Reismann is Jewish and had had family who died in World War II. Edgar had been a cousin who died in one of the camps. Gerald.
Zippo Guy, Jacob, and Jerry are part of the dark coven attempting to summon Lord Raguel. Hiram and Rosalyn are also part of the coven. Abbadon, formerly known as Muriel who had guarded Eden, and Belial are demons.
Patricia Briggs' "Asil and the Not-date"...
...finds Asil the Moore dealing with a band of pranksters — some Concerned Friends — who have set him up on a not-dating site as a Christmas gift. There are all sorts of rules, and I can see why no one is betting on Asil to fulfill the goal, lol. On this date, there's a rescue with a surprise twist at the end...and you'll end up laughing.
Asil "the Moore" Moreno is a very, very old wolf who specializes in roses. Asil's son rules his old pack in Europe. Mariposa (Cry Wolf, 2) had been Asil's foster daughter who became a black witch. The Marrok is the Alpha wolf for all werewolves in North America.
Tami Reed is a social worker in Spokane and loves her plants. Chris, a cop, is Tami's ex-boyfriend. Joshua is fifteen and lives in his own apartment; his two much younger sisters still live with their mom, Helen.
Aaron Marks was part of that second date, but not damaged by Asil. Carter lives in Billings. Phoebe is in Spokane, loves lilacs, and has a business downtown. Plantophiles is a not-dating site.
Robert E. Hampson's "In the Dust"...
...covers quite a bit of time, introducing us to the two protagonists and whizzing us through their lives in a mass of tell. There sure isn't much in the way of love although there is support.
Winnie "Winn" is a young boy fascinated by history who grows up to become a supervising master machinist at Armstrong Tool and Die...and then much more. Jenny Harriman is the young girl who likes Winnie who grows up to establish an experimental plot, the Garden of Eatin'. Grace and Mary are their children. Her father is an ambitious lawyer. Chris is a contemporary of theirs. Kubric is mayor until Harriman succeeds him. Dr Edwin Aldrin Wright (with three degrees) builds up Wright Fabrication, which becomes the single biggest driver of Armstrong's economy. Melliere Corp does agricultural genetics.
L.E. Modesitt, Jr's "Fallen"...
...is a series of tests: faith versus knowledge, as Estafen drops into different scenarios in which he must argue for knowledge. The arguments for faith are interesting, and thank goodness that Estafen's counterarguments always sound better! It read like a metaphor for our own world, although that second to the last paragraph was kind of spooky.
It's kind of weird with its Go-Captain and Stop-Captain.
Patrick M. Tracy's "Working Conditions"...
...is a weird paranormal and leaves me with questions at the end. It's also a metaphor for our own racist world, as Sam becomes different, which translates into bigotry against him. Delia Castleman owns a convenience store.
M.C. Sumner's "Last Contact"...
...is a science fiction tale that totally bypasses a "first contact". I gotta say this sounds a lot more realistic than most of those first contact stories, especially the way we're destroying our own planet.
What I found most interesting was George's agreeing with Dr Fetherstonhaugh that the aliens showing up at all will cause disruption to earth.
William McCaskey's "Ronin"...
...is a title for Bear, given him by the Sandman. He's meant to champion the child to whom he's given, Emily, and ride her dreams while battling her nightmares. Bear originally belonged to Jason, Emily's father, and without knowing it, Emily helps her father battle his own nightmares. This is so sad and makes me weep, and yet there's that hope again at the end.
Michael Z. Williamson and Jessica Schlenker's "Skjoldmodir"...
...plays off the legend of Grendel and Beowulf, as we follow the female protagonist through her life and her trials as she attempts to raise her disabled son, Grendel.
Monalisa Foster's "Bonds of Love and Duty"...
...is yet another sad tale...with hope at the end. It's a typical government program. Kill off the beings they've used to win their war.
Laurell K. Hamilton's "Zombie Dearest"...
...has a sting in the tail for Anita! Although, I'm not sure what the cannibalism has to do with the ardeur Jean-Claude is speculating about. It's cute that Anita discovers Jean-Claude's need to fuss to deal with stress.
Anita Blake is a US Marshal with the Preternatural Division. She's engaged to Jean-Claude, the vampire Master of the City of St Louis. Belle Morte, the vampire with lust as one of her powers and who created Jean-Claude, is based in Europe. Mary is the daytime receptionist at Animators, Inc where Bert Vaughn is their greedy business manager. Sergeant Zerbrowski is the messy cop who is usually Anita's unofficial partner with the Regional Preternatural Investigation Taskforce. He was there that night at Thomas' gravesite. Katie is Zerbrowski's neat wife. Nicky Murdock, a lionshifter, is one of Anita's bodyguards as well as her Bride.
Herman and Julie Henderson are the parents of Justine who fell in love with Thomas Warrington, a zombie in Dead Ice, 24, two years ago and got pregnant. Harold Ramon works at the crematorium. Robbie Curtis is the creepy buyer.
The Cover and Title
The cover is a deep twilight and a lonely road curving into the distance. The sky is filled with stars including a shooting star. The text begins with an info blurb in lime green about the first editor. Below that the two editors (who are also authors) are listed at the top in white. Immediately below it on the left, in a centered stack, is an info blurb promoting two of the short stories within in a combination of royal blue and black. The title is below center in white with an info blurb below that in a lime green that continues into a white font of the more prominent authors with an "and more" following in the lime green.
The title is what every story offers, a Fantastic Hope.
coynej82's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
bfg01's review against another edition
hopeful
medium-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
3.0
Picked up for Sharon Shinn's story, but didn't click with the others as much.
lisawreading's review
4.0
True confession: I picked up this book for one reason and one reason only -- it includes a new Patricia Briggs story, starring the dangerous old werewolf Asil, who appears in the Alpha & Omega books primarily, although he comes up sometimes in the Mercy Thompson books too. The story is called "Asil and the Not Date", about a blind date gone bad, and the mayhem that ensues. It's fun and exciting, and is a must for fans of Briggs's world.
leabookjoy's review
5.0
French & English reviews
Lu uniquement pour l'histoire d'Asil (et c'est mieux si vous avez déjà lu la série Alpha & Omega avant !!)
Ahhhh LA MEILLEURE NOUVELLE EVER !!
Asil a toujours été un de mes personnages préférés (La meute du Marrok a toujours fait partie de mes favoris <3 ) et j'ai eu un super coup de cœur pour l'intrigue du blind date pour trouver un ami (je suis sûre que c'est Anna et Charles les responsables avec l'aide de Bran parce que je le vois bien faire ça =D) ! Il faut dire qu'Asil a besoin d'ami surtout après
On avait les points de vue de Asil et de l'assistante sociale ce que j'ai adoré et sans rien spoiler parce que c'est tellement génial mais CE RETOURNEMENT DE SITUATION A LA FIN !! JE NE M'Y ATTENDAIS PAS DU TOUT !!!
Bref, un coup de cœur <3
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Read only for the story of Asil (and it's better if you have already read the Alpha & Omega series before !!)
Ahhhh THE BEST SHORT-STORY EVER !!
Asil has always been one of my favorite characters (Of course the Marrok pack has always been one of my favorites <3) and I LOVED the blind date plot to find a friend (I'm sure it's Anna and Charles who are responsible with the help of Bran because I can totally see him doing that =D)! And Asil needs a friend especially after
We had the POV of Asil and the social worker which I loved and without spoiling anything because it is so great but THIS TURNAROUND AT THE END !! I WASN'T EXCPECTING THAT AT ALL !!!
In short, a favorite <3
Lu uniquement pour l'histoire d'Asil (et c'est mieux si vous avez déjà lu la série Alpha & Omega avant !!)
Ahhhh LA MEILLEURE NOUVELLE EVER !!
Asil a toujours été un de mes personnages préférés (La meute du Marrok a toujours fait partie de mes favoris <3 ) et j'ai eu un super coup de cœur pour l'intrigue du blind date pour trouver un ami (je suis sûre que c'est Anna et Charles les responsables avec l'aide de Bran parce que je le vois bien faire ça =D) ! Il faut dire qu'Asil a besoin d'ami surtout après
Spoiler
la trahison de Sage dans le dernier livre qui a du beaucoup le toucher ...On avait les points de vue de Asil et de l'assistante sociale ce que j'ai adoré et sans rien spoiler parce que c'est tellement génial mais CE RETOURNEMENT DE SITUATION A LA FIN !! JE NE M'Y ATTENDAIS PAS DU TOUT !!!
Bref, un coup de cœur <3
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Read only for the story of Asil (and it's better if you have already read the Alpha & Omega series before !!)
Ahhhh THE BEST SHORT-STORY EVER !!
Asil has always been one of my favorite characters (Of course the Marrok pack has always been one of my favorites <3) and I LOVED the blind date plot to find a friend (I'm sure it's Anna and Charles who are responsible with the help of Bran because I can totally see him doing that =D)! And Asil needs a friend especially after
Spoiler
the betrayal of Sage in the last book which must have been so hard for him a lot ...We had the POV of Asil and the social worker which I loved and without spoiling anything because it is so great but THIS TURNAROUND AT THE END !! I WASN'T EXCPECTING THAT AT ALL !!!
In short, a favorite <3
smcwhorter's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
anastasiaadamov's review
4.0
Fantastic Hope
I was very interested in reading these urban fantasy stories. I was mostly in for it for some of my favorite authors and was anticipating to read some great stories with characters I already know and love. When I read the foreword I was pleasantly surprised by the general theme of the stories being something happy and something to make the readers feel good. We need more of those kind of stories in the world!
1. Twilight Falls by Jonathan Maberry ★★★★★
Lately I've been watching some spy thriller conspiracy TV dramas and this story fit right up that alley. I was surprised at how much special operatives language and protocols felt familiar to me. I enjoyed this short story quite a bit! It was a good opening into the collection.
2. Not in this Lifetime by Sharon Shinn ★★★
I must admit this story was a bit cheesy for me. Too many things were too convenient in the end. I liked the little group of characters a lot though.
3. Mr. Positive, The Eternal Optimist by Larry Correia ★★★★★
This story has everything I like in my urban fantasy: some supernatural elements, some humor and something for me to connect with. The tone of the story is very endearing and I liked the action parts as well.
4. No Greater Love by Kacey Ezell ★★★★
I was surprised by religious content of this story. It made me thread very carefully. I ended even more surprised by liking this story a lot.
5. Broken Son by Griffin Barber ★★★★
Science fiction and space themed stories are really not my thing. But this one was really nice. It reminded me a bit at Vorkosigan saga by Lois MacMaster Bujold. I genuienuly liked this story against all odds.
6. Heart of Clay by Kevin J. Anderson ★★★
I could describe this story as a really wild ride. There were too many supernatural elements and quirks for me to be able to really enjoy this story. I liked the humor that reminded me of works of Robert Asprin. I can point out some of the characters and ideas that were really engaging but as a whole I thought it was a bit too much.
7. Reprise by John G. Hartness ★★★★★
So far this story was the easiest to get into. Considering I have never read anything by this author I might have to change that in the future! It's a vampire themed and intriguing. I loved the slightly melancholly feel of the story combined with demons and slightly changed alternate history setting.
8. Asil and the Not-Date by Patricia Briggs ★★★★★
This is one of the two stories in this collection I was most interested about. First, it was written by a favorite author and second, it is set in a world full of lovable characters I already know. Asil is not exactly a favorite character but it is quite endearing and releateable for me. I was scared this story would be a sappy one but I was pleasantly surprised to see that it wasn't. Loved the ending!
9. In the Dust by Robert E. Hampson ★★★
Style of this story was more a series of short scenes than a traditional short story. Even with all that the emotions and the characters were very well done. This one is a bit science fictiony and thst is the only reason it was not that good for me.
10. Fallen by L. E. Modesitt, Jr ★
Finally a story I did not like at all. The theme, the execution, the flow – it was all very unsatisfactory to read. The little screenshots from history were not picked out with care at all. Pseudo religious content left a really bad aftertaste for me.
11. Working Conditions by Patrick M. Tracy ★★★★
This story is an excellent example of a sweet urban fantasy vampire story. And, yes! I am biased when it comes to vampires in urban fantasy! I like the simplicity and the kinda sad theme. It was very light and made me want to read more about the setting and the vampires in it.
12. Last Contact by M. C. Sumner ★★★★
There was someting about this story that I liked and I can not pintpoint what it was. Theme is thoughtfull and has some aliens in it.
13. Ronin by William McCaskey ★★★★
This one is a tear jerker! The story is a lovely blend of urban fatasy and harsh reality. It was a very endearing story.
14. SKJOLDMOĐIR by Michael Z. Williamson and Jessica Schlenker ★★★★★
Earlier this year I've read two different interpretations of nordic myths and this story made me want to read more of them. T has a certain epic quality mixed with subtle pathos of the main characters. I liked it a lot!
15. Bonds of Love and Duty by Monalisa Foster ★★★★★
Another story that surprised me in a good way! The theme was totally science fiction but it I loved it. It is definitely something I could keep on reading.
16. Zombie Dearest by Laurell K. Hamilton ★★★★★
I was very interested in this story and was not disappointed! I loved that this story has a little JC in it! Finally it is something that connects to one of the previous books. The idea that it represents is quite outrageous though. Loved reading it!
I was very interested in reading these urban fantasy stories. I was mostly in for it for some of my favorite authors and was anticipating to read some great stories with characters I already know and love. When I read the foreword I was pleasantly surprised by the general theme of the stories being something happy and something to make the readers feel good. We need more of those kind of stories in the world!
1. Twilight Falls by Jonathan Maberry ★★★★★
Lately I've been watching some spy thriller conspiracy TV dramas and this story fit right up that alley. I was surprised at how much special operatives language and protocols felt familiar to me. I enjoyed this short story quite a bit! It was a good opening into the collection.
2. Not in this Lifetime by Sharon Shinn ★★★
I must admit this story was a bit cheesy for me. Too many things were too convenient in the end. I liked the little group of characters a lot though.
3. Mr. Positive, The Eternal Optimist by Larry Correia ★★★★★
This story has everything I like in my urban fantasy: some supernatural elements, some humor and something for me to connect with. The tone of the story is very endearing and I liked the action parts as well.
4. No Greater Love by Kacey Ezell ★★★★
I was surprised by religious content of this story. It made me thread very carefully. I ended even more surprised by liking this story a lot.
5. Broken Son by Griffin Barber ★★★★
Science fiction and space themed stories are really not my thing. But this one was really nice. It reminded me a bit at Vorkosigan saga by Lois MacMaster Bujold. I genuienuly liked this story against all odds.
6. Heart of Clay by Kevin J. Anderson ★★★
I could describe this story as a really wild ride. There were too many supernatural elements and quirks for me to be able to really enjoy this story. I liked the humor that reminded me of works of Robert Asprin. I can point out some of the characters and ideas that were really engaging but as a whole I thought it was a bit too much.
7. Reprise by John G. Hartness ★★★★★
So far this story was the easiest to get into. Considering I have never read anything by this author I might have to change that in the future! It's a vampire themed and intriguing. I loved the slightly melancholly feel of the story combined with demons and slightly changed alternate history setting.
8. Asil and the Not-Date by Patricia Briggs ★★★★★
This is one of the two stories in this collection I was most interested about. First, it was written by a favorite author and second, it is set in a world full of lovable characters I already know. Asil is not exactly a favorite character but it is quite endearing and releateable for me. I was scared this story would be a sappy one but I was pleasantly surprised to see that it wasn't. Loved the ending!
9. In the Dust by Robert E. Hampson ★★★
Style of this story was more a series of short scenes than a traditional short story. Even with all that the emotions and the characters were very well done. This one is a bit science fictiony and thst is the only reason it was not that good for me.
10. Fallen by L. E. Modesitt, Jr ★
Finally a story I did not like at all. The theme, the execution, the flow – it was all very unsatisfactory to read. The little screenshots from history were not picked out with care at all. Pseudo religious content left a really bad aftertaste for me.
11. Working Conditions by Patrick M. Tracy ★★★★
This story is an excellent example of a sweet urban fantasy vampire story. And, yes! I am biased when it comes to vampires in urban fantasy! I like the simplicity and the kinda sad theme. It was very light and made me want to read more about the setting and the vampires in it.
12. Last Contact by M. C. Sumner ★★★★
There was someting about this story that I liked and I can not pintpoint what it was. Theme is thoughtfull and has some aliens in it.
13. Ronin by William McCaskey ★★★★
This one is a tear jerker! The story is a lovely blend of urban fatasy and harsh reality. It was a very endearing story.
14. SKJOLDMOĐIR by Michael Z. Williamson and Jessica Schlenker ★★★★★
Earlier this year I've read two different interpretations of nordic myths and this story made me want to read more of them. T has a certain epic quality mixed with subtle pathos of the main characters. I liked it a lot!
15. Bonds of Love and Duty by Monalisa Foster ★★★★★
Another story that surprised me in a good way! The theme was totally science fiction but it I loved it. It is definitely something I could keep on reading.
16. Zombie Dearest by Laurell K. Hamilton ★★★★★
I was very interested in this story and was not disappointed! I loved that this story has a little JC in it! Finally it is something that connects to one of the previous books. The idea that it represents is quite outrageous though. Loved reading it!