Scan barcode
A review by poisonenvy
Games Creatures Play by Jan Burke, Caitlin Kittredge, Charlaine Harris, Brandon Sanderson, Mercedes Lackey, William Kent Krueger, Toni L.P. Kelner, Dana Cameron, Brendan DuBois, Ellen Kushner, Seanan McGuire, Joe R. Lansdale, Adam-Troy Castro, Scott Sigler, Laura Lippman
4.0
Average Rating: 3.6*
In the Blue Hereafter I did not actually read this book because the Sookie Stackhouse novels are on my books to read list and I didn't want to spoil myself. Will update once I get to that part in the series.
Hide and Seek this was really great. A story of love and sacrifice, and while I didn't especially love the ending with the real estate agent and the couple, it did draw a nice parallel with Cameron and (4*)
Stepping into the Dead Zone This was another really good story. (4.5*)
Dead on the Bones This is the second Lansdale short story I've read, and so far I've more or less liked them. It was really had to place how old the MC was - sometimes I thought pre/early teens bot other times he didn't talk like a kid at all, so who knows. overall enjoyable, if not a little Hamlet-y. (3.5*)
The Devil Went Down to Boston Well-written, and a lot crammed into such a short story. I'll hope for a sequel someday. (4*)
On the Playing Fields of Blood Sexist, savage Indians play a game, get pissed off when someone deigns to score against them, and then murder the poor, innocent white people. Such groundbreaking originality. (1*)
The God's Game I'm hardly a historian, but this was a mostly well-written story with lots of fun historical tidbits thrown in. THe pacing seemed a little off (a little took quick), but overall it was very enjoyable. (4*)
The Case of the Haunted Safeway I don't really know how I feel about this. I got the feeling that maybe it was trying to be funny, but it wasn't. And for most of it, I really hated the MC. But it was nice to see him grow and his opinions change, and it was a sweet story overall. (3.5*)
Prise De Fer This was my favourite story in the collection. It was well-written and surprisingly charming. The language was immersive, and I very much enjoyed the interaction between Isabelle and Honoré. A not-quite-happy ending, which only served to make it more enjoyable. (5*)
Dreamer As I was reading the story, I remember thinking that the MC didn't seem much better than Phi; The twist at the end was really well done. I enjoyed this quite a lot. (4.5*)
False Knight on the Road I didn't love the writing style, but it wasn't out of place. (3.5*)
Jammed This story was written closer to the style of the main series than the other short stories I've read, but I didn't really love it. Antimony just sounded too much like Verity, but with derby references instead of dance references (some of them seemingly incorrect. I've never seen a derby whip-chain and I can't picture it working? I'm willing to be corrected on this though). The story and the fight seemed weaker than normal too. (3.5*)
Hide and Shriek I was ready to criticize this story as being a touch altiloquent, but you know, it kind of worked for it in a strange kind of absurd way. The story was pretty funny overall; there were definitely parts where I actually laughed out loud. (3.5*)
Ice I did enjoy the bookends of Atheena's story and the There was something uncomfortable with the way race was used in this story though. (3*)
Bell, Book nad Candlepin There was something about the writing style that did not jive with me at all. There was no real flow, I guess. It just seemed really choppy. The story was okay, but not great, but Jake was a great character. (2.5*)
In the Blue Hereafter I did not actually read this book because the Sookie Stackhouse novels are on my books to read list and I didn't want to spoil myself. Will update once I get to that part in the series.
Hide and Seek this was really great. A story of love and sacrifice, and while I didn't especially love the ending with the real estate agent and the couple, it did draw a nice parallel with Cameron and
Spoiler
ignoring evil for the sake of some rewardStepping into the Dead Zone This was another really good story.
Spoiler
Tommy's seven-hundred year destiny and his relationship with Anton and his heroics/knightliness were all superbly done, and Bobby's fate made me happy.Dead on the Bones This is the second Lansdale short story I've read, and so far I've more or less liked them. It was really had to place how old the MC was - sometimes I thought pre/early teens bot other times he didn't talk like a kid at all, so who knows. overall enjoyable, if not a little Hamlet-y. (3.5*)
The Devil Went Down to Boston Well-written, and a lot crammed into such a short story. I'll hope for a sequel someday. (4*)
On the Playing Fields of Blood Sexist, savage Indians play a game, get pissed off when someone deigns to score against them, and then murder the poor, innocent white people. Such groundbreaking originality. (1*)
The God's Game I'm hardly a historian, but this was a mostly well-written story with lots of fun historical tidbits thrown in. THe pacing seemed a little off (a little took quick), but overall it was very enjoyable. (4*)
The Case of the Haunted Safeway I don't really know how I feel about this. I got the feeling that maybe it was trying to be funny, but it wasn't. And for most of it, I really hated the MC. But it was nice to see him grow and his opinions change, and it was a sweet story overall. (3.5*)
Prise De Fer This was my favourite story in the collection. It was well-written and surprisingly charming. The language was immersive, and I very much enjoyed the interaction between Isabelle and Honoré. A not-quite-happy ending, which only served to make it more enjoyable. (5*)
Dreamer As I was reading the story, I remember thinking that the MC didn't seem much better than Phi;
Spoiler
he didn't seem to care about human life at all. I just didn't realize how much.False Knight on the Road
Spoiler
These anthologies all seem to have at least one mortal vs. the devil story in them (and this one already had The Devil Went Down to Boston), so I definitely believed that his was one of them. I was happily surprised at the twist at the end.Jammed This story was written closer to the style of the main series than the other short stories I've read, but I didn't really love it. Antimony just sounded too much like Verity, but with derby references instead of dance references (some of them seemingly incorrect. I've never seen a derby whip-chain and I can't picture it working? I'm willing to be corrected on this though). The story and the fight seemed weaker than normal too. (3.5*)
Hide and Shriek I was ready to criticize this story as being a touch altiloquent, but you know, it kind of worked for it in a strange kind of absurd way. The story was pretty funny overall; there were definitely parts where I actually laughed out loud. (3.5*)
Ice I did enjoy the bookends of Atheena's story and the
Spoiler
play on the theme of 'people only die when they're forgotten,' in this case it being considered a good thing instead of a tragic one where Atheena was finally able to move on.Bell, Book nad Candlepin There was something about the writing style that did not jive with me at all. There was no real flow, I guess. It just seemed really choppy. The story was okay, but not great, but Jake was a great character. (2.5*)