All posts by skyebjenner

The Mammoth Book of Scottish Romance edited by Trisha Telep

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Overview
Image result for the mammoth book of scottish romance book cover

Title: The Mammoth Book of Scottish Romance
Author: Trisha Telep, Heather McCollum, Patricia Grasso, Marta Acosta, Jackie Ivie, Elle Jasper, Jacquie D’Alessandro, Debbie Mazzuca, Julianne MacLean, Susan Sizemore, Lois Greiman, Kimberly Killion, Anne Gracie, Leah Marie Brown, Donna Kauffman, Terri Brisbin, Annette Blair, Sandy Blair, Jackie Barbosa, Donna Grant & Connie Brockway
Series: Mammoth Books
In: The Mammoth Book of Scottish Romance (Trisha Telep)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Historical romance, Scottish romance, Short story collections
Dates read: 23rd November 2018 – 16th March 2019
Pace: Medium
Format: Anthology
Publisher: Robinson
Year: 2011
5th sentence, 74th page: His hair was deep chestnut, a little long and brushed back from a widow’s peak, and his shoulders were wide in an inky black-blue suit.

Synopsis

Real Men Wear Kilts.

Enough to make even the hardiest Highlander blush, here you will find the steamy romantic history of Scotland laid bare. With swords, through sorcery and in the course of some of the hottest nights ever experienced on the Inner Hebrides, Scottish heroes stake their claims, both in the bedroom and out. Dreams come true and legends are born as ancient prophecies are fulfilled by time travellers from the future, in a Scotland where real historical figures exist side by side with pagan magic and werewolves. Dashing lairds and Scottish barbarians fight for love and honour in a wild, magical world.

Thoughts

Oh my gosh. I loved this collection! It had everything in it that I kind of love in the world – romance, Scotsmen and passion. I normally read short story collections because they are easy to put down… that wasn’t the case with this one. It was almost impossible to walk away from it and I now want to find other Scottish-inspired romances that give this same intensity of beautiful feelings.

Whilst the majority of the stories in this collection can be classified as historical romance, there are a sprinkling of contemporary romances scattered throughout. I did buy this collection with the intent of reading historical romances, but it’s kind of nice to have a hint of something a little more modern. It provides a great ability to change the pace of the stories and gives a little more variety.

I’ve read a few Mammoth Books now, and I love the variety of stories they provide under the same umbrella. These collections also run the gambit for story length – the tales in this collection are slightly longer than some other collections and I kind of loved that fact. It meant that I connected to the characters on a deeper level because I got to spend more time with them. And it made my heart skip a beat all the more quickly.

<- The Mammoth Book of Sea BattlesHighland Heart ->

Image source: Hachette Australia

A Tale for the Short Days by Richard Bowes

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Image result for coyote road book cover

Title: A Tale for the Short Days
Author: Richard Bowes
In: The Coyote Road (Ellen Datlow & Terri Windling)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Easy reading, Family, Tricksters
Dates read: 29th March 2019
Pace: Medium
Format: Short story
Publisher: Firebird Fantasy
Year: 2007
5th sentence, 74th page: And the others were very impressed despite themselves.

Buy The Book Now at The Book Depository, Free Delivery World Wide
Synopsis

The God of Tricksters has been called on to help bring balance to a family in the Roaring Twenties. But, he is called on again and again throughout the following generations to try and find a way to correct the outlook of the family.

Thoughts

The mirror of folklore by using the idea of three aspects, or parts, of the trickster worked really well in this story. Part one tells the story of a young lady beseeching help from the trickster. Part two provides a little more of a mid-life crisis and lets you question the role of the trickster in the beginnings of the modern world. And, finally, part three highlights the end of an era, and the start of a new one. One in which the Trickster will either adapt and change or drown in the new world.

I love how this story takes the common themes of the trickster and twists and turns them to see how they fit into the modern world. But, not just alongside the modern world, but rather as an aspect of change as we’ve moved from old understandings to new.

A Tale for the Short Days is fun and thrilling. The kind of short story that I will be able to read again and again. Picking up something new each and every time.

 <- The Fiddler of Bayou Teche ReviewFriday Night at St Cecilia’s Review ->
Image source: Amazon

How Magnificent is the Universal Donor by Jerome Stueart

Book Review, ,
Overview
Evolve

Title: How Magnificent is the Universal Donor
Author: Jerome Stueart
In: Evolve (Nancy Kilpatrick)
Rating Out of 5: 3 (On the fence about this one)
My Bookshelves: Vampires
Dates read: 1st April 2019
Pace: Slow
Format: Short story
Publisher: Edge
Year: 2010
5th sentence, 74th page: I would like to tell you about this donor; I’m going to need his records.

Buy The Book Now at The Book Depository, Free Delivery World Wide
Synopsis

His husband was hospitalised. Next thing he knows, he’s neck deep in a conspiracy that involves blood diseases and vampires…

Thoughts

Organic eating and healthy living is a huge fad lately. It is definitely something that my generation is obsessed with. So mixing this with another obsession of this generation was a really novel idea. And something that I kind of enjoyed. Conspiracy theories and all. There were just a few not-quite plot holes in this story that made me not enjoy it as much as the idea would have drawn me in.

Mixing medicine and vampires to stop a future plague and rescue a mass of peoples is a fun idea. Especially when those vampires are used as a filter… trying to rationalise their existence as something good and healthy. When, as the story closes, you realises that they are still the villains of the tale…

 <- Evolving ReviewThe Sun Also Shines on the Wicked Review ->
Image source: Goodreads

Perdition by Caitlin Kittredge

Book Review, , ,
Overview
Image result for the mammoth book of vampire romance 2 book cover

Title: Perdition
Author: Caitlin Kittredge
In: The Mammoth Book of Vampire Romance 2 (Trisha Telep)
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Vampires, Westerns
Dates read: 1st April 2019
Pace: Slow
Format: Short story
Publisher: Robinson
Year: 2009
5th sentence, 74th page: She wore breeches, like a man, with a man’s jacket over a woman’s shirt.

Buy The Book Now at The Book Depository, Free Delivery World Wide
Synopsis

Kate is on the trail of Doc, an old lover and the man who introduced her to the realm of vampires. But, when she finds him, will she able to do what she has to for a happily ever after?

Thoughts

I’ve never read a vampire western. And I found that it was something that I thoroughly enjoyed and would like to see a lot more of. To be honest, I haven’t really read or been exposed to many westerns, so they hold a fascination for me regardless. You add in a taste of the paranormal and a strong woman intent on upholding a promise… it’s the kind of story that is going to just suck me in.

Sometimes I struggle with flashbacks and jumps in the timeline. This wasn’t one of those times. By adding the date before each of the flashbacks and changing the formatting, I was able to follow more of what was happening. It helped to fill in all of the backstory, whilst continuing forwards with the rest of the narrative and it was done brilliantly. Actually, it kind of felt like each flashback was Kate reminiscing as she drew closer and closer to the end of her long journey. Closer and closer to the moment when she would truly have to face up to the past.

 <- Le Cirque de la Nuit ReviewDeliver Us From Evil Review ->
Image source: Bookdepository

Villaggio Sogno by Richard A. Lupoff

Book Review, ,
Overview
Image result for the mammoth book of dark magic book cover

Title: Villagio Sogno
Author: Richard A. Lupoff
In: The Mammoth Book of Dark Magic (Mike Ashley)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Dark fantasy, Magic
Dates read: 24th March 2019
Pace: Medium
Format: Short story
Publisher: Robinson
Year: 2004
5th sentence, 74th page: When she opened her eyes she knew she was in that other world, the grey world of huge columns, rectangular blocks, dust-covered stones and distant blackness.

Buy The Book Now at The Book Depository, Free Delivery World Wide

Synopsis

Two best friends finally get to travel into the city for their first “grown up” excursion. But, as they are about to find out, things aren’t always as they seem in the city, and it may just take a little quick thinking for them to find their way home again.

Thoughts

This story has such a bright, cheerful and kind of happy beginning. It’s two young girls, best friends, going out for the first time to the city and spending a day out together. Something that was so exciting at twelve years old for myself, so I could almost feel the joy and eagerness jumping out of the page. But, this is a short story in a collection of dark magic tales, so I knew that that wouldn’t be the case.

I was expecting something truly tragic and awful to happen to the two girls from the very get go. The beginning was just too nice and sweet. It was too full of promise. So I was incredibly pleasantly surprised to find that there really wasn’t a tragedy in this tale. Rather, the girls are able to find a way to triumph and finish their day in happiness.

This was a great little story that I struggled to put down. Actually, my need to finish this meant that I was almost late to work… it was just so good and fun.

<- Ten Things I Know about the WizardThe Game of Magical Death ->

Image source: Hachette Australia

Weddings from Hell by Maggie Shayne, Jeaniene Frost, Terri Garey & Kathryn Smith

Book Review, , , , , , ,
Overview
Image result for weddings from hell book cover

Title: Weddings From Hell
Author: Maggie Shayne, Jeaniene Frost, Terri Garey & Kathryn Smith
In: Weddings From Hell (Maggie Shayne, Jeaniene Frost, Terri Garey & Kathryn Smith)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Paranormal romance, Short story collections, Urban fantasy
Dates read: 5th February – 27th March 2019
Pace: Fast
Format: Anthology
Publisher: Harper Fiction
Year: 2008
5th sentence, 74th page: He was Ian.

Buy The Book Now at The Book Depository, Free Delivery World Wide
Synopsis

Some marriages are made in heaven… Some are not.

What happens when “the happiest day of your life” turns into a nightmare? Forget the drunken best man or the bridesmaid dresses from the ’80s… none of these wedding day disasters can compare to a cursed bride determined to make it down the aisle, or a vampire who is about to disrupt you wedding.

Thoughts

My best friend is getting married this year. Which made it feel like kind of a fun time to read this collection of four wedding themed novellas. After all, I get to be a bridesmaid, and this collection will definitely put into light the ways in which things can go seriously and drastically wrong. Especially since none of these things are going to happen at her wedding.

I was honestly expecting these to be four novellas about a couple getting married and things going drastically wrong for them. Instead, it was four tales of mayhem and magic where the weddings just happened to be the backdrop event, or, in some cases, the instigating event. It made the storylines so much less predictable and just that much more fun…

 <- The Wedding Knight ReviewTill Death Review ->
Image source: Harper Collins

Pigeon from Hell by Stephen Graham Jones

Book Review, , ,
Overview
Image result for black feathers ellen datlow book cover

Title: Pigeon from Hell
Author: Stephen Graham Jones
In: Black Feathers (Ellen Datlow)
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Crime, Horror
Dates read: 21st March 2019
Pace: Slow
Format: Short story
Publisher: Pegasus Books Ltd.
Year: 2017
5th sentence, 74th page: We were trading babysitting jobs, Kara and me.

Buy The Book Now at The Book Depository, Free Delivery World Wide
Synopsis

Little Ben went missing one day, but his pigeon stayed around… to remind her just what she’d done.

Thoughts

This was a haunting story from the very outset. But, honestly, it wasn’t until the story started to unfold that I truly started to get goosebumps. And feel uncomfortable. This is a very different and… well, haunting tale that I don’t think will be leaving me for a very long time.

Initially I really loved this story. I thought that it was a tale with an observer retelling a tragedy. And a crapped out, musty old pigeon was somehow part of it. But, as it unfolded, I realised more and more that this wasn’t really a bystander telling the story. And that there wasn’t going to be any kind of happily ever after.

This is one of those stories that doesn’t have a happy ending. It doesn’t leave you with happy, glowy feelings. But it does leave you thinking. Which means that while I don’t plan on rereading this tale anytime soon, it certainly was a… not fun, but something like it… kind of read.

 <- The Fortune of Sparrows ReviewThe Secret of Flight Review ->
Image source: Amazon

Shifting Sea by Virginia Kantra

Book Review, , , , ,
Overview
burning-up

Title: Shifting Sea
Author: Virginia Kantra
Series: Children of the Sea #3.5
In: Burning Up (Angela Knight, Nalini Singh, Virginia Kantra & Meljean Brook)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Celtic, Mermaids, Paranormal romance
Dates read: 29th March 2019
Pace: Fast
Format: Novella
Publisher: Berkley Sensation
Year: 2010
5th sentence, 74th page: “That’s why we came,” Hobson said.

Buy The Book Now at The Book Depository, Free Delivery World Wide
Synopsis

Virginia Kantra continues the haunting tales of the Children of the Sea in BB Shifting Sea BB, the story of a wounded soldier rescued by a strange and enigmatic young woman.

Thoughts

I like the switch from selkies to finfolk in this short story. It helps build upon the storyline of the past, but also to open up a whole new avenue in this series. Or at least, that’s how it kind of felt to me. (I haven’t actually read Sea Lord yet, but I know who it’s about). And Shifting Sea jumps from the modern day to the 1800s, featuring a different group of powerful children of the sea.

I really enjoyed reading about Morwenna and Jack. They had this gorgeous Scottish Highland fling that kind of made my heart melt a little. It was just such a beautiful concept, a beautiful setting and a fantastic romance. The fact that there was treachery and confusion sprinkled throughout this novella just made it all that harder to put down.

I loved this beautiful Celtic romance. It was kind of stunning and just set against a great backdrop. It was hard not to imagine yourself swept away in this situation. Hard not to imagine the world in which these individuals found themselves.

 <- Blood and Roses ReviewHere There Be Monsters Review ->
Image source: Nalini Singh

Don Quixote by Carrie Vaughn

Book Review, , ,
Overview
Image result for the mammoth book of dieselpunk book cover

Title: Don Quixote
Author: Carrie Vaughn
In: The Mammoth Book of Dieselpunk (Sean Wallace)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Dieselpunk, War
Dates read: 15th March 2019
Pace: Medium
Format: Short story
Publisher: Robinson
Year: 2012
5th sentence, 74th page: The battle here had been recent.

Buy The Book Now at The Book Depository, Free Delivery World Wide
Synopsis

Two journalists are in the war zone of Spain have found a machine that could turn the tides of the next war. But is it something that should be reported on, or feared?

Thoughts

I loved the idea in this short story. It was one of those tales that has a great meaning behind it, but it also was a really fun journey to get to that poignant point. It just worked beautifully and I honestly couldn’t stop thinking about it long after I turned the last page.

Journalists in war zones always kind of fascinate me. They put their lives on the line regularly to bring us information in the comfort (and safety) of our own homes. So I really loved that there was a story about journalists in a war torn country. Especially in a time period between the two world wars.

This short story is a fun, engaging and thrilling journey. But it is one with a powerful message – the question of whether power should be held by people or if it should be destroyed. I loved this because it is not only a great story, and it is a great read at the same time!

<- Rolling Steel: A Pre-Apocalyptic Love StoryThe Little Dog Ohori ->

Image source: Running Press

The Wedding Knight by Kathryn Smith

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Image result for weddings from hell book cover

Title: The Wedding Knight
Author: Kathryn Smith
Series: Brotherhood of Blood #3.5
In: Weddings From Hell (Maggie Shayne, Jeaniene Frost, Terri Garey & Kathryn Smith)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Historical romance, Paranormal romance, Vampires
Dates read: 27th March 2019
Pace: Fast
Format: Novella
Publisher: Harper Fiction
Year: 2008
5th sentence, 74th page: Neither Eliza nor I want to see anything happen to either of us.

Synopsis

Payen Carr has reappeared at a most inconvenient time: on the eve of Violet’s wedding. But Payen desperately needs her help, for his immortal life is suddenly at stake… and Violet’s mortal one as well.

Thoughts

This was a bit slow to start with. A little too typical and vampire-y. A theme that I don’t completely love, and one that I do tend to take quite a while to warm to. Luckily for me, this does heat up pretty quickly and it sucked me right into the storyline and pages.

I really enjoyed the Victorian era setting in which this story takes place. The fact that it acts as a backdrop for a strong, independent woman who is quite determined to get what she wants (once she figures out just what that is) makes it an even better timeframe to place it in.

I’ve been a little obsessed with historical romances lately, and more than a little fascinated by secret orders. Both of these play heavily on the storyline, and now I can’t wait to find the rest of the books in this series and find them a nice, snug place on my overflowing bookshelf.

<- Ghouls Night OutWeddings From Hell ->

Image source: Harper Collins