It might take a bet on the names of Saint Nick’s reindeers to finally get what is owed to him… but this debt collector and his motley crew will definitely do it.
I think that this story in some way relates to the characters in A Very Special Girl. And I enjoyed it just as much. It has the comedy and horror aspect that I’m beginning to associate with Resnick’sshort stories. They’re funny and take some very typical aspects of fantasy and twist and turn them into something satirical and entertaining.
The fact that this story had not only a satirical spin, but also
one that featured trying to name Santa’s reindeer made it incredibly fun. Especially
when the names that were reported to be correct were kind of random. Yet, connected.
It just worked beautifully. I need to find out if there is a greater series or
something to sink my teeth into…
Title: Alis Author: Stephen Graham Jones In: Mad Hatters and March Hares (Ellen Datlow) Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again) My Bookshelves:Horror Pace: Medium Format: Short story Publisher: Tor Year: 2017 5th sentence, 74th page: “Prime number,” Tabby called for herself.
A horror retelling of the world beyond the mirror becomes something that is far more than just a story… it becomes a tale that will leave you with goosebumps and a sick feeling in the pit of your stomach.
This sent shivers up my spine. It gave me goosebumps. And I
had to actually walk away from my computer, clean the house and make sure there
were no ghoulies in it before I could even consider writing this review. It was
that damn creepy. But also amazing. And something I will read again. In the
middle of a very well-lit day.
This is a brilliantly written, horrifying retelling of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. In a way. It takes ideas of mirrors, finding oneself and alternate realities into account. There is an obsession with maths and wordplay. And there is a sense of the characters entering an entirely different dimension. Unlike the Lewis Carroll original, this will keep me up all night and every time I close my eyes… I see the “other” at the other end of a dark tunnel…
Liam has betrayed his sire, and now his sire is going to get revenge in the only way he knows how – through Liam’s love. But, when Liam’s ancestry comes into play, they realise that all might not be as lost as they initially thought.
I like the idea of a witch-born vampire. And that this
ancestry is enough to overcome the change of vampirism. Actually, it’s the
first vampire story I’ve had the pleasure of reading in which the change is
reversed. And since it is a short story, this change occurs quite quickly. But
it doesn’t feel forced and overbearing as it can in some short stories.
I like the weaving together of a bit of Irish folklore and witchcraft
with vampirism. I haven’t read a good story that incorporates the two in quite
a while. And it’s made me kind of desperate to get my hands on the first book
in this series… self-control is a losing battle.
Title: Wild Fire Author: Christine Feehan Series: The Leopard People #4 Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect) My Bookshelves:Animagus, Paranormal romance, Shapeshifters Dates read: 19th December 2018 – 6th January 2019 Pace: Medium Format: Novel Publisher: Jove Books Year: 2010 5th sentence, 74th page: His gaze was too focused, too absolute, making her feel as if she were the only woman in his world.
Called on a dangerous assignment, leopard shifter Conner Vega returns to the Panama rain forest of his homeland, looking every bit the civilized male. But as a member of the most lethal of the shifter tribes, he doesn’t have a civilized bone in his body. He carries the scent of a wild animal in its prime, he bears the soul-crushing sins of past kills and he’s branded with the scars of shame inflicted by the woman he betrayed.
Isabeau Chandler is a Borneo shifter who’s never forgiven Conner – or forgotten him. The mating urge is still with her, and when she crosses Conner’s path, passions burn like wild-fire. But as Conner’s mission draws Isabeau closer, another betrayal lies waiting in the shadows – and it’s the most perilous and intimate one of all.
It took me a very long time to get into this novel. I did
start reading this last year, about six months ago, but it just wasn’t what I
was completely in the mood for. But, this time, it was something that certainly
tickled me fancy a little more. Even though it still took me a while to get
into the first 200 pages. The last 200 I read in a matter of days, it’s just the
pace of the book and the mood I’m in I suppose.
Conner and Isabeau start off this story with a past
relationship, so rather than being a story about first love, it’s one about
gaining trust. Although I do enjoy the stories about first passions, love at
first sight, and the idea of that very first courtship, sometimes it’s a nice
change of pace to read about another stage in the relationship. Especially when
it is a somewhat fragmented one. Somehow, the idea of betrayal and regaining
trust, finding out more about someone after
that initial “honeymoon period” is more engaging. It’s more real. More intense
and able to draw me in. Probably because I’m in a long-term relationship, so
the issues I’m facing are very different to those of first love.
Although I enjoyed Burning Wild, I absolutely adored the setting in Wild Fire. After all, it’s set in some incredibly attractive lands of the rainforest. In Panama, a place I’ve never visited, but one my friend has assured me is absolutely stunning. The mystery of the land and the intensity of the wilderness add to the fast paced storyline as Conner and Isabeau not only fight to return to one another, but also take down a drug cartel and rescue innocent children. It’s certainly a dreamy and intense world in which Feehan transports you to.
In this modern retelling of Little Red Riding Hood, the wolf is far more terrifying than the original. There is a far more modern setting. And the grandmother is just a lingering memory watching over the horrors of her granddaughters life.
This short retelling of Red Riding Hood lost half a point
because of the creep factor. The creep factor still made the story thoroughly
enjoyable and a perfect addition to a series of adult fairy tale retellings.
But I didn’t like the feelings I got when I finished it. Hence the deduction of
half a point.
I actually really enjoyed the shifting of a wolfish predator
from traditional fairy-tale land to a modern day setting. Not only did it work immensely
well, but it increased the sense of warning and horror that I’m sure the
original story would have had. After all, the original fairy tales were not happily
ever afters and nice. They were horrible, ended with some pretty intense torture
and murder half the time and were mostly designed to show you how wrong your
reality can go if you don’t heed the warnings.
And this story did exactly that. It showed the horrors of
the modern world and what one person’s downfall can do to another. How predators
and wolves lurk around every corner, and even with the thin veneer of civility,
you can still be in a lot of danger. Did I mention that there was a pretty high
creep factor in this story?
Kiernan has been in love with the chieftans daughter for his entire life, so when she needs someone to rescue her from an abusive husband, he gladly steps up to the challenge. What follows is a mess of war, conspiracies and the winning of trust.
I was kind of expecting the woman in this to die and become
miraculously bought back by one of the fae, or some equally mysterious being. It
didn’t quite work out like that, but I enjoyed the fact. After all, instead of
being rescued by a mysterious man creature, she was rescued by the man whom she
had loved for a long time and known her entire life. Which I always enjoy in a
story, love doesn’t always bloom in the space of a moment, but over a lifetime
of knowledge.
This is a fun, quick and sweet read that takes you to
another world and another place. I really enjoyed the fact that although there
was a past love between the two leads, the abuse that she had suffered at the
hands of men made her hard of trust. Rather than just falling at the feet of a
strange, new man, she is fiercely independent and that trust must be earnt. Something
that I think speaks to many people across the world.
Title: When Demons Walk Author: Patricia Briggs Series: Sianim #3 Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again) My Bookshelves:Magic, Medieval fantasy, Strong women Dates read: 7th – 11th January 2019 Pace: Fast Format: Novel Publisher: Ace Fantasy Year: 1998 5th sentence, 74th page: He laughed.
Don’t try this at home.
Sham had spent most of her young life as a sorceress and thief, stealing from Southwood’s nobility to survive. Now she must face the greatest test of her skills…
A killer has struck Southwood, claiming the lives of nobels. Lord Kerim, Reeve of Southwood, turns to Sham for help. Posing as his mistress, she delves behind castle walls to find the killer. But this murderer is no mortal – and Sham must use all of her magical wisdom to send the demon away. Because the city of Southwood has nowhere to hide – and no time to run…
I forgot how much I love this book. I first read it about
six years ago, and although I remembered that it was fun, I didn’t really
remember anything else about it. Which kind of made this reread like
discovering the story again for the very first time. And it was amazing. And
beautiful. And really difficult to put down… I had to actually put a timer on
to stop myself from over reading. Especially when I actually had study and
things to do.
I love the premise of this storyline and the world in which this tale is based. It is a beautiful medieval city which is steeped in history and culture. There have been wars and pasts that have been won and lost beautiful you even open the first page of the story. This attention to detail and world creation is one of the things that I have always loved about Patricia Briggs. The fact that this is a standalone novel with this level of detail is somehow far more impressive and intriguing than many of her longer running series. After all, the same level of world building and history creation goes into this single story that has gone into the longer series. Or at least, that’s the way it feels to me.
I like the fact that there is a little romance in this story,
but it isn’t the emphasis, rather there is a hint of people developing feelings
for each other. And that’s it. it’s enough to help raise the stakes of the
story. But not enough to overtake any of the storyline. Rather, it is a tale of
battles and intrigue. A tale that makes you want to know just who the bad guy is… and when it’s
finally figured out… how to get rid of it!
Title: An Ember Amongst the Fallen Author: Colleen Anderson In: Evolve (Nancy Kilpatrick) Rating Out of 5: 3.5 (Liked this) My Bookshelves:Vampires Pace: Medium Format: Short story Publisher: Edge Year: 2010 5th sentence, 74th page: Then he opened a vein on the cow’s wrist and dripped the blood into the wine, watching the drops swirl and spread.
An interesting take on the idea of vampires keeping their own “sheep”, and the ways in which they view them. It’s a little too similar to how some people view cattle.
I felt super uncomfortable reading this short story. Which
I’m pretty sure was the aim. It took a weird turn at the end which made me go
from morally questioning and uncomfortable… to just downright uncomfortable. Like
really. Like I have struggled to write any kind of review for this because I’m
just… yup, you guessed it… uncomfortable.
Actually, this made me so uncomfortable that I’m just not
going to say much more about it. Other than it is really worth the read…
Some members of Adam’s pack think Asil should get out more, so they’ve challenged him to accept a series of blind dates . . .
I really, really like Asil. And I really, really like Christmas. So a story that features both… I’m most likely going to enjoy that. And when it is written in the drily humorous tones of Patricia Briggs… yeah. I really couldn’t put this down. I wandered around the house (and walked into a few doorways) for about ten minutes while I just completely devoured this story.
The premise of giving a “gift” of five dates for Asil was
funny from the very beginning. And I was expecting it to be a series of five
short almost mini stories which outlined each of his adventures. Instead, it
was just about the first one. And honestly, that was enough. It was kind of
hilarious, really sweet and definitely highlighted just why I love Asil so much. After all, he has this sly sense of humour
and a strong sense of dignity. Both things that I love in a man (and a
character).
Unappreciated Gifts is a fun little, Christmassy return to the world of Mercedes Thompson. It is a good little laugh and a nice way to fall into the world, without being dragged too deeply under.
Why didn’t such a smart cat outsmart his owner? Well, maybe he did.
I don’t think I’ve read the original tale of Puss in Boots.
Although I have read a few retellings over time, and I thought that doing new
take on an old classic using a poem was a quaint and attractive way in which to
do so. This was quick, sharp, shiny and straight to the point. It was also well
written, fun and great at highlighting the triumph of beast over man.
One of the things that I love about poems is the way in
which a single page, or a few lines can quickly get the point across. If this tale
was told in prose form, it would take at the very least a few pages of writing,
not the quick, and descriptive wording that is conveyed in poetry.
Earth and Skye 