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goblinqueen13's review against another edition
1.0
To me this book had several stories that started of pretty good and then they just end the story. It's like they give you the background and then say ok that's all I've got and end it. When to me there could have been a really great story there. I was very disappointed. This could have been a great read but it is lacking. You may like it but it's not my cup of tea.
ofearna's review against another edition
-30- • shortfiction by Caitlín R. Kiernan
A Voice Like a Hole • [Chronicles of the Borderlands] • (2011) • shortstory by Catherynne M. Valente
Alchemy • (2011) • shortstory by Lucy Sussex
♦ Curses by Jim Butcher
De La Tierra • (2004) • shortstory by Emma Bull
♦ Dog Boys by Charles de Lint RE-READ 5/28/2015
In the Stacks • (2010) • shortfiction by Scott Lynch
Kabu Kabu • (2013) • novelette by Nnedi Okorafor and Alan Dean Foster
Pearlywhite by Mark Laidlaw and John Shirley
♦ Seeing Eye by Patricia Briggs
Stone Man • (2007) • shortstory by Nancy Kress
Stray Magic • (2012) • novelette by Diana Peterfreund
The Arcane Art of Misdirection by Carrie Vaughn
Street Wizard • (2010) • shortstory by Simon R. Green
Paranormal Romance • (2013) • novelette by Christopher Barzak
Grand Central Park • (2002) • novelette by Delia Sherman
Spellcaster 2.0 • (2012) • novelette by Jonathan Maberry
Wallamelon • (2005) • novelette by Nisi Shawl
The Thief of Precious Things • (2011) • shortfiction by A. C. Wise
The Land of Heart's Desire • (2010) • shortstory by Holly Black
Snake Charmer • (2006) • shortfiction by Amanda Downum
The Slaughtered Lamb • (2012) • shortstory by Elizabeth Bear
The Woman Who Walked with Dogs • (2006) • shortfiction by Mary Rosenblum
Words • (2009) • shortstory by Angela Slatter
A Voice Like a Hole • [Chronicles of the Borderlands] • (2011) • shortstory by Catherynne M. Valente
Alchemy • (2011) • shortstory by Lucy Sussex
♦ Curses by Jim Butcher
De La Tierra • (2004) • shortstory by Emma Bull
♦ Dog Boys by Charles de Lint RE-READ 5/28/2015
In the Stacks • (2010) • shortfiction by Scott Lynch
Kabu Kabu • (2013) • novelette by Nnedi Okorafor and Alan Dean Foster
Pearlywhite by Mark Laidlaw and John Shirley
♦ Seeing Eye by Patricia Briggs
Stone Man • (2007) • shortstory by Nancy Kress
Stray Magic • (2012) • novelette by Diana Peterfreund
The Arcane Art of Misdirection by Carrie Vaughn
Street Wizard • (2010) • shortstory by Simon R. Green
Paranormal Romance • (2013) • novelette by Christopher Barzak
Grand Central Park • (2002) • novelette by Delia Sherman
Spellcaster 2.0 • (2012) • novelette by Jonathan Maberry
Wallamelon • (2005) • novelette by Nisi Shawl
The Thief of Precious Things • (2011) • shortfiction by A. C. Wise
The Land of Heart's Desire • (2010) • shortstory by Holly Black
Snake Charmer • (2006) • shortfiction by Amanda Downum
The Slaughtered Lamb • (2012) • shortstory by Elizabeth Bear
The Woman Who Walked with Dogs • (2006) • shortfiction by Mary Rosenblum
Words • (2009) • shortstory by Angela Slatter
canadianbookaddict's review against another edition
1.0
Only 2 of the stories I liked and the rest were boring. I wouldn't waste my money on this.
emsee33's review against another edition
4.0
Short stories are a difficult form to master in any case, but when it comes to sci-fi and fantasy, the author has an even tougher challenge: building an entire world in just a few pages. As with any short-story collection featuring multiple authors, some of the contributions to MAGIC CITY: RECENT SPELLS, edited by Paula Guran, are more successful than others. Ultimately, I think the anthology does a great job of showcasing many different interpretations of ‘urban fantasy’ and gives readers the chance to discover something new.
Read the rest of this review at All Things Urban Fantasy.
Read the rest of this review at All Things Urban Fantasy.
felinity's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 stars
A diverse collection of stories ranging from true paranormal romance and urban faeries to the magical equivalent of a traffic warden, librarians or people working at a pet rescue, creating a most interesting collection. You never know what's going to appear on the next page, except that they cover every aspect of a city from baristas and lawyers to crazy taxi drivers and street kids. Even the short introduction giving the city location and a brief magical overview doesn't spoil the mystery.
These stories are strange, funny, sad, and sometimes bizarre - sometimes all at the same time - but I was disappointed to realize that I'd previously read 5 of the 24 stories before - and they were the ones by the authors whose names had attracted me (including Patricia Briggs, Carrie Vaughn and Jim Butcher). I rounded up anyway.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
A diverse collection of stories ranging from true paranormal romance and urban faeries to the magical equivalent of a traffic warden, librarians or people working at a pet rescue, creating a most interesting collection. You never know what's going to appear on the next page, except that they cover every aspect of a city from baristas and lawyers to crazy taxi drivers and street kids. Even the short introduction giving the city location and a brief magical overview doesn't spoil the mystery.
These stories are strange, funny, sad, and sometimes bizarre - sometimes all at the same time - but I was disappointed to realize that I'd previously read 5 of the 24 stories before - and they were the ones by the authors whose names had attracted me (including Patricia Briggs, Carrie Vaughn and Jim Butcher). I rounded up anyway.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
applezing's review against another edition
3.0
As with most compilations, there were definitely some gems! But overall, it was pretty average.
thiefofcamorr's review against another edition
4.0
An anthology of reprints, this anthology shows how magic really sparkles when grounded in reality – without the natural, how can there be no supernatural to juxtapose? A novel needs to have its own reality (limitations, and such) even when different from our own reality, to show the magic, however common it may be in the fantasy world, in order for to be both believable and engaging. In this anthology we see a range of urban fantasy set in Chicago, New York, London… but also in the ancient city of Babylon, and in fantasy worlds, or near-future cities. We meet wizards, faeries, shape-shifters and more. With many well known names, and those not so well known, this anthology will certainly had me heading straight to Goodreads to see what else the not-so-well-known-names had written. Anthologies are always such a curse for the wallet! They’re the best way to try and test authors, to see if you’d love to read more of their work.
“Street Wizard” © 2010 Simon R. Green.
A good opener to the anthology, we meet a street wizard of London, known only as Charlie boy. He wakes at 9pm to patrol his little spot in Soho to perform little spells to keep the unwitting safe from what really lurks in London’s back-alleys and shadows. It has a nice balance of ‘not much happening’ while so much really is – a general night as a street wizard means feral pixies, a golem, and vermin who look like homeless people living in boxes, prostitutes or otherwise – the trick is in being able to tell the actual from the demon. All in a nights work for Charlie boy. First publication: The Way of the Wizard, ed. John Joseph Adams (Prime Books).
To continue reading this review, please click here.
“Street Wizard” © 2010 Simon R. Green.
A good opener to the anthology, we meet a street wizard of London, known only as Charlie boy. He wakes at 9pm to patrol his little spot in Soho to perform little spells to keep the unwitting safe from what really lurks in London’s back-alleys and shadows. It has a nice balance of ‘not much happening’ while so much really is – a general night as a street wizard means feral pixies, a golem, and vermin who look like homeless people living in boxes, prostitutes or otherwise – the trick is in being able to tell the actual from the demon. All in a nights work for Charlie boy. First publication: The Way of the Wizard, ed. John Joseph Adams (Prime Books).
To continue reading this review, please click here.
sarrie's review against another edition
3.0
As posted on The Bibliophile's Diary
It’s really hard to review a collection of short stories, with no concrete plot or repeating characters it’s difficult to look for and find big flaws that exist within it as a whole. The closest you typically get with short story collections is a theme or idea linking all the stories together. In this case we had urban fantasy, or fantasy that takes place in a city setting. There were a lot of great big name writers in this particular volume and really enjoyed a lot of what was brought to the table. I think overall I have to say the bulk of it seemed long, very long. I read an eBook edition so it was hard to tell the density of it till I actually looked it up. I was shocked it was only 480 pages, it seemed to drag by very slowly.
Overall I enjoyed all of the stories present. Most had great ideas and premises,urban fantasy and it's like are definitely one of my favorite subgenres I spent a bit of time searching out the authors of particular stories for more in those worlds. That is the reason I love anthologies, it gives me a chance to sample and try a new author without committing to an entire novel. In this case I found a few that I will move up my TBR pile and few I’d like to pick up at some point.
A few of my favorites included Spell Caster 2.0 by Jonathan Maberry, In the Stacks by Scott Lynch, The Arcane Art of Misdirection by Carrie Vaughn, The Land of Heart’s Desire by Holly Black, Snake Charmer by Amanda Downum, The Slaughtered Lamb by Elizabeth Bear, and of course Curses by Jim Butcher.
I’ve picked up Jim Butcher, Carrie Vaughn and Holly Black before, so their stories were no surprise. Elizabeth Bear and Scott Lynch both hold places on in my TBR jar already, so I was looking forward to seeing what they had in the anthology. I love Elizabeth Bear’s, in fact I think she may have been one of my top three picks. The story of Edie meeting Matthew (from the Promethean Age series) was exciting and I loved the main character, likely my favorite of all the stories I read. Scott Lynch’s was a great story about returning library books to a magical library that has become its own protector. If you enjoy library stories I would definitely pick that up.
As always my biggest complaint out of short stories is that I always want much more. Snake Charmer by Amanda Downum is the perfect example of this. I loved this one, and it ended with such a great opening. I tried to find out more about her series but as of yet I cannot tell if the story is tied into something she’s published or something she’s working on. I would pick it up in a heartbeat if I could find it though!
Overall it was an interesting anthology, I had fun in just about every single story even though as a whole it felt like a slow read. I’ll definitely be picking up a few more authors the next time I have a book day thanks to this volume.
It’s really hard to review a collection of short stories, with no concrete plot or repeating characters it’s difficult to look for and find big flaws that exist within it as a whole. The closest you typically get with short story collections is a theme or idea linking all the stories together. In this case we had urban fantasy, or fantasy that takes place in a city setting. There were a lot of great big name writers in this particular volume and really enjoyed a lot of what was brought to the table. I think overall I have to say the bulk of it seemed long, very long. I read an eBook edition so it was hard to tell the density of it till I actually looked it up. I was shocked it was only 480 pages, it seemed to drag by very slowly.
Overall I enjoyed all of the stories present. Most had great ideas and premises,urban fantasy and it's like are definitely one of my favorite subgenres I spent a bit of time searching out the authors of particular stories for more in those worlds. That is the reason I love anthologies, it gives me a chance to sample and try a new author without committing to an entire novel. In this case I found a few that I will move up my TBR pile and few I’d like to pick up at some point.
A few of my favorites included Spell Caster 2.0 by Jonathan Maberry, In the Stacks by Scott Lynch, The Arcane Art of Misdirection by Carrie Vaughn, The Land of Heart’s Desire by Holly Black, Snake Charmer by Amanda Downum, The Slaughtered Lamb by Elizabeth Bear, and of course Curses by Jim Butcher.
I’ve picked up Jim Butcher, Carrie Vaughn and Holly Black before, so their stories were no surprise. Elizabeth Bear and Scott Lynch both hold places on in my TBR jar already, so I was looking forward to seeing what they had in the anthology. I love Elizabeth Bear’s, in fact I think she may have been one of my top three picks. The story of Edie meeting Matthew (from the Promethean Age series) was exciting and I loved the main character, likely my favorite of all the stories I read. Scott Lynch’s was a great story about returning library books to a magical library that has become its own protector. If you enjoy library stories I would definitely pick that up.
As always my biggest complaint out of short stories is that I always want much more. Snake Charmer by Amanda Downum is the perfect example of this. I loved this one, and it ended with such a great opening. I tried to find out more about her series but as of yet I cannot tell if the story is tied into something she’s published or something she’s working on. I would pick it up in a heartbeat if I could find it though!
Overall it was an interesting anthology, I had fun in just about every single story even though as a whole it felt like a slow read. I’ll definitely be picking up a few more authors the next time I have a book day thanks to this volume.
mellysdream's review against another edition
4.0
Most of these stories and authors were new to me. Lots of good UF shorts. I really liked "Curses" by Jim Butcher. I also really liked “Kabu Kabu” by Nnedi Okorafor and "Snake Charmer" by Amanda Downum. And of course anything Mercy Thompson related, no matter how many times I've read it, is a favorite - so add "Seeing Eye" by Patricia Briggs to my list ;) I would love more stories about Moira & Tom!
carol26388's review
4.0
Short stories are perfect for those moments when I know I don’t have much time, and don’t have patience for interruptions (really, is there anything more exasperating than having to stop reading during a denouement? Or during a chase?) I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this collection. As I don’t often read short story collections in the modern UF genre, all were new to me, although a peek at copyrights reveal all were previously published. Still, most people will recognize the authors, not the stories, as many are among the most popular in the UF field. In a couple of cases, I found I liked their short stories better than their full-length books. Ultimately, I count it a win, especially since I found a couple of names new to me.
*******************************************
Notes on the stories:
The Introduction, by Paula Guran was strange and poorly done. It discusses some of what makes urban fantasy a genre, goes on to point it has evolved, and then neglects to say what it has evolved into. There’s also a disingenious line of “I’m neither learned nor erudite,” thus proving she is, in fact, erudite. Ignore it, because it doesn’t do justice to the quality of the stories.
Street Wizard by Simon R. Green: It’s a vinette “day in the life” of a clean-up wizard and feels like Green just tossed it off as a couple sections seemed repetitive. Still, there was a good line or two: “The streets are packed with furitive-eyed people, hot on the trail of everything that’s bad for them. It’s my job to see they get home safely, or at least that they only fall prey to the everyday perils of Soho.” Overall, mediocre. Green’s short staccato style doesn’t work well for the short, and the tone seems to mock the genre.
Paranormal Romance by Christopher Barzak. Sheila, a witch with a knack for love charms, can’t find a love of her own, but still has a satisfying life with her business and a cheerful gay couple next door. Still, she goes on a blind date and finds an unexpected way out. Rather charming.
Grand Central Park by Delia Sherman. An encounter with the fae in Central Park told by the perspective of a young, awkward teen. Captures the adolescent voice, the feel of the park and the spirit of the fae nicely. Enjoyable.
Spellcaster 2.0 by Jonathan Maberry. A select group of college students are working on a career-building computer database of all known folklore spells, but when one of the women doing data entry brings some irregularities to the attention of the lead programmer, things start to go awry. Very good characterization, heavy on the moralizing and plotting. I’d call it a wash.
Wallamelon by Nisi Shawl. A small group of friends discover watermelons growing in the abandoned house on their street, and ensuing events lead Oneida to connecting with Big Mama. One of the few stories centered around an inner-city African-American. Plotting was unusual and Shawl has a good feel for dialogue. Standout line (about the art museum gift shop): “Smaller versions of the paintings on the walls, of the huge weird statues that resembled nothing on Earth except themselves.” I’ll look for more by her.
-30- by Caitlin R. Kiernan. A story about how a writer seeking help for writer’s block from the fae goes through four gatekeepers to obtain her boon. Adequately done, but feels rather self-indulgent and in need of cutting. Nice line: “Just another wonder in the tedious string of wonders, that she can speak with teeth like that.“
Seeing Eye by Patricia Briggs. An enjoyable PNR about a blind woman who is asked to help save a werewolf’s brother. Rather enjoyable, although there was an uncomfortable angle with family. Briggs doesn’t quite achieve the tone of suspense she seems to be aiming for.
Stone Man by Nancy Kress. A young teen who spends most of his life on the street gets into a car accident and discovers his magic. Unaccustomed to power and trust, he retreats into the life he knows until lured out. Done well, without being condescending.
In the Stacks by Scott Lynch. Completely different from his Locke Lamora series, Lynch has written a delightful story where the year’s passing grade depends on returning a grimoire to the Living Library, a library full of wild magic. Humor, adventure, daring, well-crafted–it has it all. Fun line: “On any other day, that would have required heroic effort, but it was exams week, and the dread magic of the last minute was in the air.” One of my favorites.
A Voice Like a Hole by Catherynne Valente. A runaway muses on fairy tale runaways versus real ones and ends up uses a talent for singing. It’s Valente; what more can one say? Tearful, haunting, hopeful. “Talking to a runaway is a little like talking to a murderer. There was a time before you did it and a time after and between them there’s just this space, this monstrous thing, and it’s so heavy.“
The Arcane Art of Misdirection by Carrie Vaughn. A Vegas card dealer gets the sense something strange is happening at her table. When it occurs two nights in a row, she decides to investigate, and runs into a stage magician who knows more than most about unseen things. I enjoyed it.
The Thief of Precious Things by A.C. Wise. Only minimally urban fantasy, this takes place in a fantastical world. A fox-girl has stolen something from the crow-lords to help the humans. She can’t remember why, until she meets a human who defends her. It has the feeling of age and equivocal endings, as if it is based on an old Japanese folk tale. Beautiful writing: “The crows fold their wings tight, diving for her eyes. She whirls, snapping and snarling at the storm of feathers… She leaps, twists–a war dance. She is all fox now, her animal heart beating hard inside a cage of burning bones, wrapped in fur the color of coal.” I’d read more by Wise.
The Land of Heart’s Desire by Holly Back. A post on a messageboard leads to a notable uptick in business at a cafe. The trouble is that the Lord of the Unseelie Court isn’t amused to have his privacy compromised by his girlfriend’s best friend. Has Black’s usual dark tone, with a nice emotional complexity. A satisfying ending.
Snake Charmer by Amanda Downum. The dying dragon is about to be reborn. Mary Snakbones has her own idea about what should happen, but Simon just wants to finish avenging his dead lover and be done. An air of spooky voodoo magic, done well.
The Slaughtered Lamb by Elizabeth Bear. A drag queen on the streets of New York has another secret. When the fae world intersects our own, she’s moved to act and finds unexpected help. Enjoyable, a little one-trick-ponyish, but well-written.
The Woman Who Walked with Dogs by Mary Rosenblum. While her Mama’s at work, Mari Jane has taken to exploring her neighborhood, realizing that it is a different world at night. Another nicely done inner-city setting, lovely writing: “A cloud slid across the squashed moon like someone covering their eyes with both hands.” I’d look for more by her.
Words by Angela Slatter. A writer wordsmithing in her cottage attracts the curiosity of the children next door. When the parents object, it becomes a lesson on harassment. Moralistic and unsure of its tone.
Dog Boys by Charles de Lint. A recent transplant to New Mexico finds himself targeted by the gangs after standing up for a young woman in school. Pure de Lint. Enjoyable.
Alchemy by Lucy Sussex. Another on the edge of the ‘urban’ definition. A perfumist in ancient Babylon finds a spirit following her. Notable for nicely creating the feel of an ancient culture and time. Immersive.
Curses by Jim Butcher. Dresden takes a case representing ‘a professional entertainment corporation.’ Specifically, are the Cubs losing because of the Billy Goat Curse? Pure Dresden, and done better than usual, although he still manages to work his sexism in.
De la Tierra by Emma Bull. A futuristic L.A., it’s more of the non-explanational fantasy genre. As such, it’s a little rough. A young Salvadoran works as a hit man for the L.A. gods.
Stray Magic by Diana Peterfreund. A local dog rescuer meets an unusual dog who claims to be a witch’s familiar. Charming and cute.
Kabu Kabu by Nnedi Okorafor with Alan Dean Foster. A Nigerian woman catches a cab to the airport, only to find herself made later and later by all the driver’s side passengers. Fun. Another one that brings in mythology from around the world.
Pearlywhite by Marc Laidlaw & John Shirley. A group of homeless children and their personal guides are being hunted. Moving, sad, and done well.
Finally, thanks to NetGalley for a copy of the ebook for review.
*******************************************
Notes on the stories:
The Introduction, by Paula Guran was strange and poorly done. It discusses some of what makes urban fantasy a genre, goes on to point it has evolved, and then neglects to say what it has evolved into. There’s also a disingenious line of “I’m neither learned nor erudite,” thus proving she is, in fact, erudite. Ignore it, because it doesn’t do justice to the quality of the stories.
Street Wizard by Simon R. Green: It’s a vinette “day in the life” of a clean-up wizard and feels like Green just tossed it off as a couple sections seemed repetitive. Still, there was a good line or two: “The streets are packed with furitive-eyed people, hot on the trail of everything that’s bad for them. It’s my job to see they get home safely, or at least that they only fall prey to the everyday perils of Soho.” Overall, mediocre. Green’s short staccato style doesn’t work well for the short, and the tone seems to mock the genre.
Paranormal Romance by Christopher Barzak. Sheila, a witch with a knack for love charms, can’t find a love of her own, but still has a satisfying life with her business and a cheerful gay couple next door. Still, she goes on a blind date and finds an unexpected way out. Rather charming.
Grand Central Park by Delia Sherman. An encounter with the fae in Central Park told by the perspective of a young, awkward teen. Captures the adolescent voice, the feel of the park and the spirit of the fae nicely. Enjoyable.
Spellcaster 2.0 by Jonathan Maberry. A select group of college students are working on a career-building computer database of all known folklore spells, but when one of the women doing data entry brings some irregularities to the attention of the lead programmer, things start to go awry. Very good characterization, heavy on the moralizing and plotting. I’d call it a wash.
Wallamelon by Nisi Shawl. A small group of friends discover watermelons growing in the abandoned house on their street, and ensuing events lead Oneida to connecting with Big Mama. One of the few stories centered around an inner-city African-American. Plotting was unusual and Shawl has a good feel for dialogue. Standout line (about the art museum gift shop): “Smaller versions of the paintings on the walls, of the huge weird statues that resembled nothing on Earth except themselves.” I’ll look for more by her.
-30- by Caitlin R. Kiernan. A story about how a writer seeking help for writer’s block from the fae goes through four gatekeepers to obtain her boon. Adequately done, but feels rather self-indulgent and in need of cutting. Nice line: “Just another wonder in the tedious string of wonders, that she can speak with teeth like that.“
Seeing Eye by Patricia Briggs. An enjoyable PNR about a blind woman who is asked to help save a werewolf’s brother. Rather enjoyable, although there was an uncomfortable angle with family. Briggs doesn’t quite achieve the tone of suspense she seems to be aiming for.
Stone Man by Nancy Kress. A young teen who spends most of his life on the street gets into a car accident and discovers his magic. Unaccustomed to power and trust, he retreats into the life he knows until lured out. Done well, without being condescending.
In the Stacks by Scott Lynch. Completely different from his Locke Lamora series, Lynch has written a delightful story where the year’s passing grade depends on returning a grimoire to the Living Library, a library full of wild magic. Humor, adventure, daring, well-crafted–it has it all. Fun line: “On any other day, that would have required heroic effort, but it was exams week, and the dread magic of the last minute was in the air.” One of my favorites.
A Voice Like a Hole by Catherynne Valente. A runaway muses on fairy tale runaways versus real ones and ends up uses a talent for singing. It’s Valente; what more can one say? Tearful, haunting, hopeful. “Talking to a runaway is a little like talking to a murderer. There was a time before you did it and a time after and between them there’s just this space, this monstrous thing, and it’s so heavy.“
The Arcane Art of Misdirection by Carrie Vaughn. A Vegas card dealer gets the sense something strange is happening at her table. When it occurs two nights in a row, she decides to investigate, and runs into a stage magician who knows more than most about unseen things. I enjoyed it.
The Thief of Precious Things by A.C. Wise. Only minimally urban fantasy, this takes place in a fantastical world. A fox-girl has stolen something from the crow-lords to help the humans. She can’t remember why, until she meets a human who defends her. It has the feeling of age and equivocal endings, as if it is based on an old Japanese folk tale. Beautiful writing: “The crows fold their wings tight, diving for her eyes. She whirls, snapping and snarling at the storm of feathers… She leaps, twists–a war dance. She is all fox now, her animal heart beating hard inside a cage of burning bones, wrapped in fur the color of coal.” I’d read more by Wise.
The Land of Heart’s Desire by Holly Back. A post on a messageboard leads to a notable uptick in business at a cafe. The trouble is that the Lord of the Unseelie Court isn’t amused to have his privacy compromised by his girlfriend’s best friend. Has Black’s usual dark tone, with a nice emotional complexity. A satisfying ending.
Snake Charmer by Amanda Downum. The dying dragon is about to be reborn. Mary Snakbones has her own idea about what should happen, but Simon just wants to finish avenging his dead lover and be done. An air of spooky voodoo magic, done well.
The Slaughtered Lamb by Elizabeth Bear. A drag queen on the streets of New York has another secret. When the fae world intersects our own, she’s moved to act and finds unexpected help. Enjoyable, a little one-trick-ponyish, but well-written.
The Woman Who Walked with Dogs by Mary Rosenblum. While her Mama’s at work, Mari Jane has taken to exploring her neighborhood, realizing that it is a different world at night. Another nicely done inner-city setting, lovely writing: “A cloud slid across the squashed moon like someone covering their eyes with both hands.” I’d look for more by her.
Words by Angela Slatter. A writer wordsmithing in her cottage attracts the curiosity of the children next door. When the parents object, it becomes a lesson on harassment. Moralistic and unsure of its tone.
Dog Boys by Charles de Lint. A recent transplant to New Mexico finds himself targeted by the gangs after standing up for a young woman in school. Pure de Lint. Enjoyable.
Alchemy by Lucy Sussex. Another on the edge of the ‘urban’ definition. A perfumist in ancient Babylon finds a spirit following her. Notable for nicely creating the feel of an ancient culture and time. Immersive.
Curses by Jim Butcher. Dresden takes a case representing ‘a professional entertainment corporation.’ Specifically, are the Cubs losing because of the Billy Goat Curse? Pure Dresden, and done better than usual, although he still manages to work his sexism in.
De la Tierra by Emma Bull. A futuristic L.A., it’s more of the non-explanational fantasy genre. As such, it’s a little rough. A young Salvadoran works as a hit man for the L.A. gods.
Stray Magic by Diana Peterfreund. A local dog rescuer meets an unusual dog who claims to be a witch’s familiar. Charming and cute.
Kabu Kabu by Nnedi Okorafor with Alan Dean Foster. A Nigerian woman catches a cab to the airport, only to find herself made later and later by all the driver’s side passengers. Fun. Another one that brings in mythology from around the world.
Pearlywhite by Marc Laidlaw & John Shirley. A group of homeless children and their personal guides are being hunted. Moving, sad, and done well.
Finally, thanks to NetGalley for a copy of the ebook for review.