Pros: Fantastic execution of a delicious premise
Cons: As always for an anthology: not every story will suit you equally
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Review copy courtesy of Penguin Group.
Women, monsters, and ass-kicking—what more could I ask for? A Girl’s Guide to Guns and Monsters
Pros: Interesting takes on Highlanders and magic
Cons: The length of the stories made a couple of the stories feel rushed
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Review book courtesy of Penguin Group
With Christmas being ten days away, now seemed like a good time to read A Highlander Christmas
Pros: Stunning, original, beautiful, intriguing, and mesmerizing
Cons: None at all for me
Rating: 5 out of 5
Review copy (uncorrected proof) courtesy of Penguin Group.
Expected publication date: 2/2/2010.
I’ll have to lead off with a quote from my review of Nalini Singh’s Angels’ Blood, the first book in her Guild Hunter series:
In the world of Nalini Singh’s Guild Hunter novels, angels and archangels rule the earth, each one holding sway over a certain territory. Between angels and mortals reside the vampires—humans altered by angels to serve them. When vampires go rogue, it’s the job of the Hunters’ Guild to track them down and bring them back to the angels they serve.
Elena Deveraux is a natural-born Hunter, able to detect and track the scents of individual vampires, and she’s one of the best Hunters the Guild has ever had. Unfortunately, this has brought her to the attention of archangel Raphael, who rules over New York and who has a very special, very dangerous job for her. This job will land her smack-dab in the middle of archangel politics, vicious killers the likes of which she’s never seen, and a highly dangerous attraction to the utterly lethal Raphael.
Pros: Hilarious topic and some truly standout stories
Cons: A couple of shallow stories; as always in anthologies, variable quality
Rating: 4 out of 5
Review book courtesy of Penguin Group.
I’m growing rather fond of the anthologies edited by Denise Little—The Trouble With Heroes
This time, the topic is the all-too-unknown down-side of heroes. We see them as mythical, wonderful figures. But what do their loved ones and helpers see them as? Who gets to see them when they’re cranky, or do their laundry because they’re always off saving the world? And what happens when a hero’s PR makes them out to be something rather different than he really is? This is a theme both hilarious and poignant, as the tales in this book reveal…
Pros: Original; touching; incredibly creative; tragic; wonderful!
Cons: None
Rating: 5 out of 5
Review copy courtesy of Penguin Group.
Also posted on Epinions.com.
In his “Princess Novels,” author Jim C. Hines explores the truth behind the fairy tale, and what comes after the “happily ever after.” The Stepsister Scheme followed Sleeping Beauty (Talia), Snow White (known simply as Snow), and Cinderella (Danielle) when Danielle’s husband, Armand, was kidnapped. In order to get him back, the three princesses were forced to face some truly perilous foes. What ensued was a wild blend of both the gripping and the hilarious—Hines has a wonderful grasp of the ridiculous without having to sacrifice either beauty or tragedy to achieve it.
In The Mermaid’s Madness
Here you go! Since I can’t list every cool review blog in the sidebar, I decided to participate in this list of SF/F/H review blogs put together by Grasping for the Wind. Very handy for folks looking for a good read.
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Pros: Strong stories in fascinating worlds using engaging characters
Cons: I guess I expected a bit more hellhound…
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Review book courtesy of Penguin Group.
Also posted on Epinions.com.
How could I resist a read of Must Love Hellhounds
Pros: Stunning & original world; continuation of the fascinating plot from “Ghostland”
Cons: Male lead doesn’t stand out as much; secondary plot not as engaging
Rating: 4 out of 5
Review book courtesy of Penguin Group.
Visit Jory Strong online.
Also posted on Epinions.com.
In Jory Strong’s lovely Ghostland, we find ourselves “in a post-apocalyptic world where supernaturals have emerged from hiding, wealthy humans delight in decadence while the religious gain power through temptation.” The Djinn, creatures so old that people mistakenly believe them to be demons, harbor a deep hatred of humans for enslaving them—but thanks to one Djinn and the human shamaness (Aisling) who loves him, that might be changing.
In Spider-Touched we follow the story of Araña, a young woman whose touch can kill, even when she doesn’t want it to. She has a unique ability to manipulate others’ destinies, an ability she fears and doesn’t understand. That ability brings her to Tir, a powerful immortal who doesn’t remember who or what he is—only that humans have kept him enslaved for centuries. When Araña frees him he finds himself drawn to her, and they both set out to find out who and what he is—and to free him from his remaining shackles.
Pros: Fresh, original, dark, and very surprising.
Cons: One maudlin part comes perilously close to extending too long
Rating: 5 out of 5
Review copy courtesy of Penguin Group.
Lev Grossman’s The Magicians is a gritty coming of age story for grown-ups and all-too-adult teens. It’s Harry Potter meets The Chronicles of Narnia, seen through a mirror darkly.
Brooklyn teen Quentin is wickedly smart, and terribly unhappy. He has an unrequited crush on his best friend’s girlfriend, and while he should be worried about getting into the college of his choice, instead all he wishes is that magic were real. In particular, that the Narnia-like world of Fillory, from a series of books he read in his childhood, was real, and he could slip away there and become a hero. Instead, an odd series of circumstances beginning with the death of his college interviewer leads him to Brakebills, a college for magicians hidden away in upstate New York. There he discovers that magic is real, he has a talent for it, and that magic takes a LOT of intense study and work.
When Quentin graduates, he moves in with his girlfriend and spends his time seeking pleasure with several other recent graduates—visiting clubs, taking drugs, drinking, and having sex. Until one day a nearly-forgotten member of his Brakebills class turns up with the key to entering the world of Fillory.
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Pros: Sweet, engaging romance between the characters
Cons: Villain seems to be disposed of a little too easily
Rating: 4 out of 5
Review book courtesy of Penguin Group
Haley Fitzpatrick, a graduate student, is working on her dissertation. While doing research, she discovers a mysterious artifact that sends her back in time to seventeenth-century Scotland, and into the path of Alasdair MacColla, a mighty warrior. Mistaking her for an enemy spy, McColla captures her. Experience quickly proves that she is no spy, and the beginnings of passion prompt him to take care of her. Haley finds herself falling in love, but she knows that without her help, McColla will experience a terrible fate. Can the two of them work together to avert disaster?
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