106) Led Astray by Kelley Armstrong

The Blurb :

Two brand new tales anchor this wide-ranging collection from one of urban fantasy's most successful authors. Here is the first time that best-selling fantasy, YA, and crime author Kelley Armstrong has had her stories collected from Otherworld and beyond. With her signature twists and turns, Armstrong gives a fresh spin on city-dwelling vampires, werewolves, and zombies, while also traveling further afield, to a post-apocalyptic fortress, a superstitious village, a supernatural brothel, and even to feudal Japan.

My Thoughts :

I should really take the time to read the blurb before pouncing on books by my favourite authors.  I see their name, see a release date that is quickly approaching and just grab a copy.  However within seconds of starting the book I realised I had made a mistake.  This wasn't 'new' and this wasn't at all what I was expecting.

Led Astray is an anthology.  The best of Kelley Armstrong.  Now this may seem like a great idea.  All of Kelley's short stories in one book.  However I have already read the majority of them.  So I ended up speed reading at least two thirds of the book.  The other stories, two new, weren't anything extremely special to write home about.  Although on saying that, I do tend to get a little negative about anthologies.  I'm just not a fan and rarely find one worth praising.

Now if you are a hardcore fan you will have read most of the stories already.  Over the years we have all craved just a little bit more of Armstrong in between books and have grabbed the occasional novella.  So this won't be a top priority for you unless you really want to make sure your collection is complete.  Yes there are two new short stories in here but weigh up the pro's and con's first.  You are buying a whole book full of stories you have already read just to get two new short stories. Think about it and don't blame anyone else for your decision.

If you enjoy Kelley's books but haven't had the chance to read any or many of her short stories then you will want to get a hold of this one.  There are some really nice ones in here and the stories are set in all of her various 'worlds'.  So there is something for everyone.  However if you haven't read many or any of Kelley's books you may want to leave this one for a later date.  There aren't really huge spoilers in here but there are some.  It would certainly annoy me and most likely confuse me if I wasn't that far along with the books in any of the series.

Lots of the stories are standalone but quite a few fit into a certain series somewhere.  One of the original stories (and one of the longest of the collection) is from the Cainsville series where as the other is a standalone.  Actually my favourite of the bunch was the original standalone called 'The Door' but it was a quick read.

In all honesty I nearly didn't finish this book.  After about 20% I had to put the book down and have a break.  My head hurt and I felt like the book should be over already.  The first 20% felt like a whole novel.  If it wasn't for the fact that I was stuck at the doctors for two hours with only my trusty Kindle to keep me occupied I may not have finished this book.

All in all this is a nice collection and also a wonderful idea.  I don't think I would have bought this one but definitely would have borrowed it from the library or a friend.  Kelley is an experienced and special author with some amazing books behind her and hopefully more in her future.  She has the gift of writing a great short story so Led Astray isn't full unworthy reads.  Just full of novellas you may have read before.

36) Life Sentence by Kelley Armstrong

The Blurb :

A duo of zombie tales by best selling author Kelley Armstrong.

LIFE SENTENCE

As other Cabals look to vampires for the cure to mortality, Daniel Boyd sets his sights on the “other” undead: zombies. Of course, finding volunteers for his experiments proves a bit of a challenge, but when a man only has six months to live, he’s willing to break a few rules.

LAST STAND

In the aftermath of a zombie virus outbreak, a troop of soldiers fights to save their people from extinction. But there’s something a little different about this particular group of survivors...

My Thoughts :

There is something very satisfying when curling up with than a Kelley Armstrong story!  I am trying to satiate my hunger for more full length novels by collecting and reading the many short stories that are available.  Life Sentence is one of those novellas and has two tales of the Living Dead inside.

Life Sentence is the first story in the duo and is a semi scary read with some great twists.  A story with a situation you could relate to and some strange and weird ways to extend life.  The story has some ties to the Otherworld series but doesn't really mention anything or anyone from the series, A nice short read that is enjoyable but over too quickly.

Last Stand must be one of my least favourite read by this author.  I believe there is only one other time I didn't really enjoy a story by Kelley Armstrong and this now makes two.  It wasn't that it was bad or not worth reading but there was just something about it that didn't make me wish the story would keep going.  I was glad when it was over and totally uninterested in the characters and plot. Which has never happened in relation to this author.

A nice small collection.  A definite read for the fans and a nice way to get to know the author if you haven't already had the pleasure.

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49) Special Features : A Deacon Chalk Short Story Collection by James R. Tuck

The Blurb :


Deacon Chalk has hunted every monster under the sun. Now read the stories that happen when no one else is looking.

My Thoughts :

Deacon Chalk, Occult Bounty Hunter, is a special hard-ass of a guy who I love to read about.  He is the guy you always want on your side and not one you want to mess with.  He has seen and done things that you can't even imagine which makes reading the books about him well worth checking out.  No holds barred the series is great Paranormal Urban Fantasy.

This collection of short stories is a nice addition to the series and an interesting selection of information about the man himself.  The author also stars in some of the stories and it is fun to how the writer ties up everything in the Deacon universe to fit in with his own life.

Some of the stories may, if you are a fan of the man, be ones you have come across before as guest posts on various blogs.  Otherwise there is a nice selection of new original stories that will delight anyone who has been enjoying the series so far.

I am not a huge fan of anthologies or short stories but James R. Tuck does a nice job of putting this one together and obviously made the time to make this reader friendly for the fans by introducing each piece and explaining where it came from and why it was written.

Well worth checking out but don't expect the full length goodness that you are used to in the series so far.  Deacon Chalk is too huge in so many ways and can't be expected to fit into such small stories.

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44) Hired Gun by James R. Tuck

The Blurb :

Culvert City, a place where bad people do bad things to each other. A hard place, a tough place, it's Killtown USA, Fist City, Murderville America, whatever you want to call it. Culvert City doesn't have a "bad side" of town, every square inch of the place is strychnine nasty and terminal as cancer.

Crime bosses, crooked cops, hitmen, ladies of the night, thugs, petty thieves, junkies, dirty politicians, gun thugs . . . every bad seed of every rotten apple lives here.

Good people who live here too.

They're called victims.

This is Crime fiction done right. Hard as concrete and twice as cold. Eight hard-boiled yarns of wrong-doing.

My Thoughts :

I am not a huge fan of anthologies or short stories but this author has impressed me with this Deacon Chalk series and so I was willing to give this a try.  Not supernatural and not fantasy, this novella is actually practically an anthology of very short stories.  Paragraphs in some cases.  It makes for quick and entertaining read but it left me feeling disappointed.

The stories are good and for such short tales they are well worth reading but I was expecting more.  Something different?  I am not sure but this wasn't what I imagined as I read this book.  It is hard to write more about this book without giving something away because there really isn't that much content.  Quick, to the point and well written this is over before it really begins.

Give me Deacon Chalk!  I am happy to see this author can write something else and has other work out there but this isn't a series that will keep me happy.  Sorry!

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43) That Way Lies Madness by James R. Tuck

The Blurb :

DEEP SPACE.

The void does not care if you live or die.
It's TERRIFYING.

How do you survive an EVIL that lives on the empty edge of the universe?

My Thoughts :

There isn't much to say about this short story.  It is nothing like the Deacon Chalk series, a story by this author I have been really enjoying.  That Way Lies Madness is more science fiction than supernatural and it is quite mad as the title suggests.

As short stories go it isn't bad.  However this wasn't really my cup of tea.  While I love a good Sci-fi TV series or movie I am not a big fan of books in the genre and so this one failed to pique my interest much.  I wish I could have liked it more but the style and content were just not my thing.

However I did see some of the goodness shine through in the story.  There were emotions, action and a twist.  The refreshing unhappy ending was welcomed by me as it does get boring to find everyone live happy ever after in every book you read.  So this book managed to earn some stars from me despite my lack of enthusiasm for the story in general.

I am sure anyone who likes the 'Lovecraftian' style then they will surely like this short read.  Even fans of James R. Tuck may enjoy seeing that else the author has on offer.

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2) Dark Duets by Various Authors

The Blurb :

DARK DUETS: New Tales of Horror and Dark Fantasy will be published in January, 2014 by Harper Voyager. Edited by Christopher Golden, it features an extraordinary lineup of collaborative stories, with the authors of each story collaborating for the very first time. And here they are!

My Thoughts :

Dark duets is exactly what the title suggests.  A collection of dark stories written by duets of authors.  I am not a huge anthology lover but this book caught my eye as well as some of the authors with stories inside.  To be honest the Charlaine Harris and Rachel Caine combination was the one that made me want to try this book.

Each story is dark and some are really not tales you want to read before bed.  Stephen King lovers will enjoy these novellas and paranormal lovers will also like the weird and twisted supernatural elements in some of the short stories.  The collection isn't anything spectacular but there are some stories that will stick with you.  I can't say I enjoyed it enough to give it a glowing review but it was a nice read and a few of the stories were well worth my time.

Below is a list of the stories and the authors.  The first four stick in my mind as being some of the better in the collection and there are a few in the middle of the book that also caught me by surprise.  I wouldn't rush to check out any of the unknown authors because this book was mostly horror.  However it was nice to read something totally different to my usual reads and I am sure a lot of people would find some new authors to add to their wish list.

Do not read before going to sleep and maybe read this collection in a fully lit place.  Nice anthology with some very well known authors.  I wonder how they managed to write the stories together and make them so well thought out and written.

-TRIP TRAP by Sherrilyn Kenyon & Kevin J. Anderson
-WELDED by Tom Piccirilli & T.M. Wright
-DARK WITNESS by Charlaine Harris & Rachel Caine
-REPLACING MAX by Stuart MacBride & Allan Guthrie
-T. RHYMER by Gregory Frost & Jonathan Maberry
-SHE, DOOMED GIRL by Sarah MacLean & Carrie Ryan
-HAND JOB by Chelsea Cain & Lidia Yuknavitch
-HOLLOW CHOICES by Robert Jackson Bennett & David Liss
-AMUSE-BOUCHE by Amber Benson & Jeffrey J. Mariotte
-BRANCHES, CURVING by Tim Lebbon & Michael Marshall Smith
-RENASCENCE by Rhodi Hawk and F. Paul Wilson
-BLIND LOVE by Kasey Lansdale & Joe R. Lansdale
-TRAPPER BOY by Holly Newstein & Rick Hautala
-STEWARD OF THE BLOOD by Nate Kenyon & James A. Moore
-CALCULATING ROUTE by Michael Koryta & Jeffrey David Greene
-SISTERS BEFORE MISTERS by Sarah Rees Brennan, Cassandra Clare, and Holly Black
-SINS LIKE SCARLET by Mark Morris & Rio Youers



 

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153) A Vampire's Christmas Carol by Cynthia Eden

The Blurb :

This holiday season has bite.

Ben Prescott hates Christmas—he’s a vampire, and to him, there’s certainly nothing jolly about the holiday season. While the humans are running around being merry, he’s hunting in the shadows. Ben plans to spend the holidays his way…by stalking deadly prey.

But fate has other plans for Ben.

Three visitors are coming Ben’s way…A demon who will force Ben to face his past, a ghost who will show Ben the present he could have, and a shifter who will reveal the darkness that waits in Ben’s future. Unless Ben can change his ways, he may just turn into a real monster, one who can’t be saved by anyone or anything.

’Tis the season…to be undead.

Ben’s redemption rests in the hands of the one woman he loved and lost—Simone Laurent. If Ben is going to have a chance at being more than just the beast in the darkness, he has to prove himself to the lovely Simone. A very hard task, considering that, once upon a Christmas Eve, Simone died in Ben’s arms…

My Thoughts :

It is time to get into the Christmas spirit because in five weeks it is that time of year again.  So when I got the chance to read this Christmas themed vampire novella I decided to jump on it.  Despite not having read anything by this author recently I really do love her work and really need to spend more time reading her wonderful books.  I was actually looking forward to delving back into her delicious paranormal world even if it was only a short trip.

I wasn't disappointed by this story.  Well ok, slightly...it could have been longer!  But that is the problem with most of the short stories out there.  However other than that I didn't find any fault with this one.  Paranormal elements were great, plot was interesting and captivating, twists in the story made me keep reading and the romance was hot and steamy.  All in all a perfect recipe that Cynthia Eden has perfected over the years.

The supernatural version of A Christmas Carol really is a genius storyline and things are made even more interesting by the slow addition of facts surrounding Ben's past and what happened to him and Simone.  I liked the ending a lot and wonder if these characters will ever make an appearance in any of Cynthia's other books.  It would be nice to see how they get on.

So if you are looking for something short, sweet and supernatural to read to get you into the Christmas spirit, you may want to give this one a chance.  If you haven't already tried this author then A Vampire's Christmas Carol is a great introduction.  Already a fan?  This is a must read!

 

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39) The Witches of the Blue Well by Paula Brackston

The Blurb :

The story of Ceri, a young woman in early eighteenth-century Wales whose grandmother always told her the magic blood of the women in their family flows through her veins. But when famine and hardship come to their village, will Ceri be able to harness her magic to save herself and her sister, or will her power bring about the destruction of all that she loves?

My Thoughts :

After reading The Winter Witch last week I couldn't resist picking up this novella on my Kindle. I am in love with this authors storytelling and the way she weaves Welsh/Wales into her stories is just amazing.

This short story actually takes place before The Winter Witch and gives some background story to the full length novel. It was a quick but very special read and I am glad I came across it. The author managed to tell an inspiring story in a short amount of words and also kept true to her enthralling storytelling that I have come to know and love.

A nice way to get to know the author and her work. Also a nice place to start if you already have The Winter Witch in your sights. However this is also just a nice little tale to curl up with on your lunch break or while you are waiting for that pie to cook in the oven.

This author is a must read for me and I hope you will all give her a go to. This isn't my usual kind of read but I am totally and utterly in love with Paula's work.

172) Asylum Interviews : Trixi by Jocelynn Drake

The Blurb :

Gage's ex-girlfriend is back in town and needs help escaping a master vampire. While not the easiest of tasks, he certainly didn't count of getting help from a mysterious woman with a few secrets of her own.


My Review :

The Asylum series is one of my favourite debuts this year and I can't wait for more! So it was only natural that I had to read this pre-series novella about Trixi. Especially after her part in Angel's Ink. I had already met Bronx in another novella but didn't know how Gage came across Trixi. So it was really nice of the author to give us a chance to find out some more background information.

How Gage came across Trixi is a great story. It actually has to do with one of Gage's ex-girlfriends which is kind of funny if you have read Angel's Ink. What shocked me was that Gage dated a vampire. I am sure he mentioned not having anything against them at some point but I still didn't think he would have had a thing with one of them. Goes to show how well the author writes from a male perspective...they will go after any female if she is a looker ;)

Trixi doesn't give away too much about herself but that story comes in the full length novel. However we do get to see a bit more vampire action and also meet some gargoyles. Also the weird dealer of strange antiques and rarities is present in this book (forgot his name! Sorry!) and I really hope we find out more about him someday. He is scary but cool.

All in all this novella is as special as the Bronx novella and just as amazing as the full length novel. Yes this is only short story but it certainly packs in a lot of strange and unusual stuff that will have you dying for more. I am in love with this series already and hope it doesn't disappoint me in the future!

On a side note : Please Ms Jocelynn write a book about the gargoyles! Or at least a short story. I want more of the cereal eating cuties and I am sure they have a lot of stories to tell! The same goes for the vampires and maybe one from the perspective of the Ivory Towers. This world you have created is awesome so far and I only hope that you don't stop at just Asylum because there is so much potential in the rest of the characters and places.

169) Pet Shop Boys by Kim Harrison

The Blurb :

A pet shop employee’s innocent date with a customer quickly turns disturbing rather than delightful. She and her family hold a centuries-old secret, and they want him to stay with them forever .

My Thoughts :

Kim Harrison is the reason I got into the paranormal genre. I remember taking a chance on Dead Witch Walking and rushing to buy the next in the series before even getting halfway through that first book in The Hollows series. All these years later and I have made my way through some amazing books just because I read this one book. However while Kim Harrison holds a special place in my reading history she is slowly leaving my list of favourite authors.

The Hollows has been suffering for a while. I still read the series but the new books are never as good as those first 5 or 6 books. So when I saw this short story, not based in the Hollows, I was eager to see what else the author had up her sleeve.

All in all the story was poor. Some authors are just not good at writing short stories and this may just be the case as far as Pet Shop Boys is concerned. First and foremost the title kept reminding me of that band...and their songs...and it was weird. After that it was the whole concept. What started off as an interesting but spooky tale turned into a weird story that I just couldn't follow.

At least it was over quick. However this short story is not the best work this author has produced. I hope it doesn't put off people who haven't yet read Kim's work. I actually worry that people may not try her other books just because of this novella.

Some others may enjoy this little read but I just didn't. Of course everyone is welcome to try it and it is reasonably priced. Just don't expect anything as good as the full length yummy books you know and love.

166) The Weird Girls by Cecy Robson

The Blurb :

Celia Wird and her three sisters are just like other 20-something girls—with one tiny exception: they're products of a backfired curse that has given each of them unique powers that make them, well, a little weird…

The Wird sisters are different from every race on earth—human and supernatural. When human society is no longer an option for them, they move in among the resident vampires, werebeasts, and witches of the Lake Tahoe region. Could this be the true home they’ve longed for? Um, not quite. After the sisters accidentally strip a witch of her powers in a bar brawl, they soon realize the mistake will cost them. Because to take on a witch means to take on her coven. And losing the battle isn’t an option.

My Thoughts :

It seems it is all the rage to bring out a prequel novella these days. The short story is a nice introduction to a series and could leave the reader dying for more. However it can also have the opposite effect.

The Weird Girls series has been on my radar and I have to admit it sounds good. So the change to take a look at the series before it comes out wasn't something I was going to pass over. The novella is short and cheap. Something to fill a short gap when you don't have time to read a full length novel.

Did I like it? Unfortunately not much. While the concept and plot were seemingly well thought out I quickly lost focus on which sister was which. Despite the story being told from one perspective the sisters obviously come together as a package. A package that I couldn't get my head around in such a short space of time.

The paranormal aspects came across as interesting but once again I found it was over too fast. I didn't really have a chance to understand what the Weird Girls all had for gifts, powers or abilities. If anything I found this novella to be a pretty bad introduction to what actually could be a terrific series.

So this short story hasn't wet my appetite for the full length debut but instead has me staying clear. This isn't to say that I won't be seeing what Cecy Robson has to offer but I will be waiting to find out. The novella has left me disappointed and maybe this was one of those times where I should have stayed away from the chance to inspect a new series beforehand.

158) To Love a Witch by Debora Geary

The Blurb :

ake thought he had a juvenile delinquent witch in need of rescue. Romy couldn't decide if he was a kidnapper, liar, or too good to be true.Throw in Tattoo Boy, sparking fingers, and a seven-year-old who can see the future, and you have all the makings for a romance. Really. Well, there's some really great linguine and a duet from West Side Story, too.

My Thoughts :

To Love a Witch is a Novel Nibbles. These are books you can read quickly, maybe read in your lunch hour. The blurb didn't sound too bad so I decided to give it a try. It was actually a free Kindle book so there was no loss if I didn't like it. Debora Geary is not an author I know and all in all this book was just a random one I picked up somewhere. I wasn't expecting much from it.

It turned out well though. I was actually surprised how nice the story was and how much was inside it. I liked the characters and the whole concept was cool. It was all about witches who are taken into a kind of 'magical care' to help them learn to control their powers. The story revolved around the new 'carer' and his new place of work. Of course it is obvious, like most romances, that they will get together in the end but the story was interesting and kept me reading till the end.

So I may actually take a look at some of the authors other work. I liked her style and it would be nice to see how she does with a full length novel. If you like reading short stories or just like collecting free ones, then maybe you should check this one out. The romance isn't too over the top and there is some nice content and a reasonable plot.

156) The Dark Lifer's Revenge by Linda Joy Singleton

The Blurb :

After getting kicked out of school and sent to live with her grandmother, Sabine Rose tried to ignore her troublemaking psychic abilities. All she wanted was to be a normal teen. But the spirit world has other plans for her.

Amber Borden is a high school student and aspiring talent agent with an unexpected side-job: she’s a Temp Lifer. By temporarily stepping into the bodies of people who are suffering, Amber navigates their daily lives and tries to fix their problems. Luckily her loyal boyfriend, Eli, has been very supportive—even during that freaky time when Amber inhabited his sister’s body.

When Sabine’s boyfriend, Dominic, loses his own body to a revenge-obsessed Dark Lifer—one of the disturbed souls who “borrow” living people’s bodies to do their dirty work—Sabine goes to Amber for help. Working together to find and free Dominic, the girls begin to unravel the Dark Lifer’s twisted plan of vengeance. But it throws them directly into the path of the troubled soul’s murderous rage.

My Thoughts :

I have been enjoying the Seer series and eyeing up the Dead Girl series so it was only natural that this short story combining both would appeal to me. However it was clear to me almost instantly that maybe I should have put off reading this novella until I had finished the Seer series. There are some spoilers for anyone who hasn't, like myself, finished the series.

Despite having something revealed to me, that I saw coming but yet didn't know, I did enjoy catching up with Sabine and getting to know Amber. The insight to the series has given me a taste for what the Dead Girl is all about. I like what I read and will definitely be moving on to this series after I have finished reading Sabine's story.

A nice short story with a good plot that, as with most novellas, was over way too fast. A must read for anyone who has read either of the series and a great way to see what all the fuss is about. Of course the story gives away a couple of pieces of the main story lines but it isn't anything that you wouldn't have seen coming.

I liked this one and look forward to finishing my visit with Sabine so I can go visit Amber some more. Linda Joy Singleton really has a good writing style and one you may want to introduce to that younger reader in your life.