The Golden Rope by Tanith Lee

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Image result for red as blood tanith lee book cover

Title: The Golden Rope
Author: Tanith Lee
In: Red as Blood (Tanith Lee)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Dark fantasy, Fairy tales, Retellings
Dates read: 9th November 2019
Pace: Slow
Format: Short story
Publisher: Wildside
Year: 1983
5th sentence, 74th page: The moon rose late upon the walled garden.

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Synopsis

Jaspre was bought before she was born. But her childhood has been idealistic and pure. Until the true purpose of her life is revealed and a more sinister tie is shown.

Thoughts

This short story is a creepy, dark and kind of devilish version of Rapunzel. The prince doesn’t climb up the tower to reach her. In fact, there isn’t really any prince. But there is still a seduction of a form and a woman who keeps a foundling child trapped for some nefarious reason. The nefarious reason in this story is just far more intense and dark than other versions I’ve read of this tale.

As with many of the fairy tales that I’ve read, virginity and purity are major themes. Normally it’s a lot more subtle than in this story. After all, in this version, she is raised purposely sweet and pure so that she will lovingly sacrifice herself to the prince of darkness. Which just seems all the darker and more twisted than a normal virginal sacrifice… maybe because she’s raised to go to it willingly. With no true concept of pain.

There is a bit of a happily ever after in this story. It wasn’t even remotely what I expected. But, apparently it was kind of everything that I wanted. Definitely enjoyable and almost impossible to forget. I look forward to rereading this in the future when I want my fairy tales with just a dash of darkness.

 <- When the Clock Strikes ReviewThe Princess and her Future Review ->
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Iron and Hemlock by Autumn Dawn

Book Review, , , , ,
Overview
Image result for the mammoth book of time travel romance book cover

Title: Iron and Hemlock
Author: Autumn Dawn
In: The Mammoth Book of Time Travel Romance (Trisha Telep)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Fae, Griffins, Paranormal romance, Time travel
Dates read: 9th November 2019
Pace: Slow
Format: Short story
Publisher: Robinson
Year: 2009
5th sentence, 74th page: Jordan lowered her head and muttered something non-committal.

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Synopsis

Jordan has been thrust into the past. But it’s not the past that we remember… there’s griffins, fae and a magical house. Will she find true love or head back to a lonely future?

Thoughts

I read this short story really late at night. After a few wines and fighting the effects of insomnia. I tend to write notes as I go to make it much easier to recall my thoughts when I write reviews. But, since this was on a sleep-deprived alcohol fuelled moment. I thought instead of writing my traditional review, I’d share my very excitable notes instead…

  • Time travel, but to a magic land? Whaaaaa??
  • There’s a talking griffin. Who is actually a man.
  • Oooooooooh, she travelled BACK in time – but magic. Still magic.
  • Love a good, stubborn woman mixed up with the fae!!!
  • Griffin’s ancestor becomes house!!! Yaaaaassssssss Queen!
  • Love that she’s resistant to his immediate overtures. But true love wins!!!
  • 😊 😊 😊 😊 😊…
 <- The Troll Bridge ReviewLast Thorsday Night Review ->
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Larceny and Lace by Annette Blair

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Image result for book cover larceny and lace

Title: Larceny and Lace
Author: Annette Blair
Series: A Vintage Magic Mystery #2
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Chic lit, Cozy mystery, Mystery
Dates read: 19th October – 9th November 2019
Pace: Fast
Format: Novel
Publisher: Berkley Prime Circle
Year: 2009
5th sentence, 74th page: But the longer I waited, the madder the Wiener was going to get.

Synopsis

With all the stress of opening her new vintage clothing store (in a renovated old morgue) Madeira Cutler feels like a bag of bones–until she discovers the real deal, unearthed by an intruder, in an old body drawer. And the bones are as vintage as Maddie’s stock, or so says Maddie’s resident ghostly hunk, Dante Underhill.

Could the break-in have something to do with the local playhouse and its curator going down in flames? Somehow Maddie will have to juggle dressing the store, party planning, and crime solving. Add to the brew the local witch’s costume ball, being held at her store, and Madeira is wishing she knew how to ride a broom right out of there…

Thoughts

I loved this book just as much as the first one. It had that same sense of self and humour. That same quaint feeling of fun and enjoyment. Something which I really enjoy in my reading and shelves. Especially after a long, serious day of hard work… it just makes me so incredibly happy. And you know that there is going to be an easy, simple happy ending… even if this is a mystery about death.

This Vintage Magic Mystery was quite a bit more sinister than A Veiled Deception. Especially considering the fact that unlike in the first novel, this one has people who are actively gunning for Maddie. She just can’t quite seem to keep her nose out of a good mystery, and that has gotten her into a whole lot more trouble than the previous story…. which of course made this all the more difficult to put down and forget about….

Nick is still in this story. There’s nothing in particular that I have against him… but he just isn’t a great fit. Anybody who is in an on again and off again relationship just doesn’t sit quite well. And he’s kind of dismissive of Maddie as a human being. Weiner on the other hand, I think is brilliant. He finds Maddie frustrating, irritating and, most importantly real. As someone who is a bit like Maddie, having a man that recognises all of your flaws is actually kind of amazing… and it also lets you be yourself. Weiner better be this for Maddie later in the series!!!

This story also featured the grand opening of Maddie’s shop. It kind of made me want my own little shop. One that I could let my passions run rampant and be my own boss. I don’t think that it’s a realistic dream… but still. I just loved the Maddie finds a way to live a full life that she wants. One that is filled with her passions and obsessions. Something that I think we could all strive for (even if for a lot of us, it isn’t super realistic).

 <- A Veiled DeceptionDeath by Diamonds ->

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Skein of Sunlight by Devon Monk

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

Title: Skein of Sunlight
Author: Devon Monk
In: The Mammoth Book of Vampire Romance 2 (Trisha Telep)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Easy reading, Paranormal romance, Vampires
Dates read: 9th November 2019
Pace: Slow
Format: Short story
Publisher: Robinson
Year: 2009
5th sentence, 74th page: Maddie still crouched, set herself, feet strong beneath her, shoulder forwards, knitting needles in her hand, ready for the impact.

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Synopsis

Maddie has survived a lot and come out on the other side with a strong sense of self. But all she really wants to do is find her perfect shop and immerse herself in the world of yarn. A chance meeting might just be the answer to all of her dreams. Or her death, one can never be really sure with vampires involved.

Thoughts

One of the few things that my mother and I share in common is a love of craft. I’m not quite as obsessive as she is. But I do share the obsession and fascination in the ways in which a simple piece of yarn can be turned into a beautiful jumper or scarf. A piece of clothing or decoration. The possibilities when you walk into a yarn shop are endless. Add to that a vampire story, and you also have an eternity in which these possibilities can occur.

I’ve been really enjoying the few Devon Monk stories that I’ve had the pleasure of reading. Which meant that it was really nice to end my reading of The Mammoth Book of Vampire Stories 2 with a story by such a well-loved author. Actually, it makes me want to pick up yet another one of her books and sink my teeth into it… I’m trying for a little self-control right now since I’m currently reading 25 books… but the temptation is seriously niggling.

Although this story is about yarn, it’s also about that part of growing older. When the shiney sheen of hope and life have started to wear and you look at the world around you with a more jaded point of view, but one that tends to be a little better balanced. And, it gives a great opening for a happily ever after that you can walk into with your eyes wide open.

 <- Circle Unbroken ReviewThe Mammoth Book of Vampire Stories by Women Review ->
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Conquistador de la Noche by Carrie Vaughn

Book Review, , , , , ,
Overview
Image result for kittys' greatest hits book cover

Title: Conquistador de la Noche
Author: Carrie Vaughn
Series: Kitty Norville #0.4
In: Kitty’s Greatest Hits (Carrie Vaughn) & Vampires: The Recent Undead (Paula Guran)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Paranormal fantasy, Urban fantasy, Werewolves
Dates read: 8th November 2019
Pace: Medium
Format: Short story
Publisher: Tor
Year: 20
5th sentence, 74th page: When will Ruiz return?

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Synopsis

Ruiz has been made into something he never dreamt existed. Never wanted to be and would rather didn’t exist at all. But he might be able to find a new beginning for himself, and just a small spot of revenge.

Thoughts

I don’t know much about the Spanish settlement of the Americas. Actually, Zorro is my only exposure to such a time period and theme. Which of course meant that this short story fascinated me from the outset. Especially since Ricardo was a particularly noble and honourable lead. One who was thrown into the world of the paranormal incredibly unwillingly.

Most stories I read about vampires feature a character who is turned against their will. And this paranormal rape is frequently overlooked or glossed over. Yet, that doesn’t happen in this short story. Actually, the main focuses of this is on the horrors and atrociousness of being turned against your will. It makes you feel incredibly sympathetic towards Ricardo and make you question all of the vampires you’ve read about in books so far.

There is a bit of a Christian overture to this story. One which seriously begs the question – how do you live when your life is a sin? But suicide is also a sin? How can you balance your belief against such a horror and intensity?

 <- A Princess of Spain ReviewThe Temptation of Robin Green Review ->
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Gift Wrap by Charlaine Harris

Book Review, , , , ,
Overview
Image result for wolfsbane and mistletoe book cover

Title: Gift Wrap
Author: Charlaine Harris
Series: Sookie Stackhouse #8.4
In: Wolfsbane and Mistletoe (Charlaine Harris & Toni L.P. Kelner)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Dark fantasy, Paranormal fantasy, Vampires
Dates read: 16th November 2019
Pace: Fast
Format: Short story
Publisher: Gollancz
Year: 2008
5th sentence, 74th page: ‘Ah, do you need me to leave you alone for a second before I help you into the shower?’ I asked, indicating the toilet with a tip of my head.

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Synopsis

Sookie is alone on Christmas Eve and feeling incredibly lonely… and then she finds a surprising body in her backyard and things take a turn for the more… interesting.

Thoughts

I wasn’t really sure what to expect from a Sookie Stackhouse Christmas short story. I knew it would be a little off-kilter and a lot of fun. But beyond that… really not sure how Charlaine Harris would deal with the theme of werewolves and Christmas in the Wolfsbane and Mistletoe anthology. Turns out, she dealt with it brilliantly, kind of amusingly and in a really engaging way.

There seems to be this idea that there is nothing sadder than being alone at Christmas. As someone who has a partner who works away at this time of year every year… I actually don’t think that it’s that sad. But it is incredibly lonely. This story highlights that, and also the joy that you get when you get an incredibly unexpected gift. Although, you don’t truly realise that Sookie’s fun, adult times with a hot stranger, is a gift until the very end of the story.

This is a seriously fun and beautiful Christmas story. It encompasses that Christmas feeling of family and company, but does so with a wonderful dose of paranormal entertainment. And a good, heavy dose of lust throughout.

<- Wolfsbane and MistletoeThe Haire of the Beast ->

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Tacky by Charlaine Harris

Book Review, , , , ,
Overview
Image result for my big fat supernatural wedding book cover

Title: Tacky
Author: Charlaine Harris
Series: Sookie Stackhouse #6.5
In: My Big Fat Supernatural Wedding (P.N. Elrod)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Dark fantasy, Paranormal fantasy, Vampires
Dates read: 8th November 2019
Pace: Fast
Format: Short story
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Year: 2006
5th sentence, 74th page: Several female Weres were kneeling on the ground around the moaning ex-wife.

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Synopsis

Dahlia is the Maid of Honour in an incredibly controversial wedding. One that could end in tears… tears of happiness or devastation… no one’s entirely sure. But as long as the bridesmaid dresses aren’t tacky!

Thoughts

I still haven’t met Dahlia in the main Sookie Stackhouse series, probably because so far I’ve only read Dead Until Dark. But, I’ve read a number of short stories which feature her, and I completely adore those. She is spunky, hardcore and has a major attitude problem. All the sorts of things that I thoroughly enjoy in a heroine. The fact that she’s a lot older and unaware of some wedding traditions such as “ugly bridesmaid dresses” just made me love her all the more.

The vampire and werewolf war is something I come across many, many times in my paranormal fantasy literature. Yet, I was still pleasantly surprised to find one such story in My Big Fat Supernatural Wedding. After all, weddings are a great way to bring together warring peoples, regardless of whether its paranormal or political.

One of my favourite aspects of this story is that it is supposed to be “the” social event of the year. The fact that it becomes even more talked about when an attempted assassination and violence are involved… well, it just makes me want to pick up the Sookie Stackhouse books even more. After all, it is dealing with the paranormal world, weddings, and peoples’ perceptions in a way that I not only thoroughly enjoyed, but could also seriously relate to.

<- Charmed by the MoonA Hard Day’s Night-Searcher ->

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Mate Set by Laurann Dohner

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Image result for book cover mate set laurann dohner

Title: Mate Set
Author: Laurann Dohner
Series: Mating Heat #1
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Paranormal romance, Shapeshifters, Werewolves
Dates read: 8th November 2019
Pace: Medium
Format: eBook, Novel
Publisher: Ellora’s Cave Publishing
Year: 2010
5th sentence, 74th page: Mika sighed and dropped her own.

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Synopsis

It’s werewolf mating season. All the males are in heat and the driving, sexual lust of their beasts is almost uncontrollable. Mika is human, in an alley, surrounded by four horny werewolves. She knows she’s in deep shit. A tall, handsome werewolf rescues her then demands payment. Hot, sweaty, intimate payment. Grady is a half breed whose human mother abandoned him to his werewolf father, so he knows human women just aren’t safe to fall in love with. The wolf within him wants Mika as his mate, but Grady will not give in. Never. Ever. He’s willing to fight his emotions and his beast, no matter how much sexy Mika tempts him. But neither of them expected her Uncle Omar to assign Grady to protect her from other males—24/7, in her home, sleeping just down the hall. Mika decides to make the best of her vacation and keep the hot wolf in her bed. Grady can’t resist the scorching sex, but he is determined to resist the bond.

Thoughts

The night that I read this I had some serious insomnia. Which was annoying… but on a positive note, I spent that time reading this very fun, cute and kind of lustful novel. Mostly because it was on my ereader and I didn’t want to keep my partner up throughout the night… and boy am I glad that I spontaneously decided to read this… I absolutely adored it and just couldn’t put it down!!!

If you’re planning on reading this, as a bit of a warning – there is a potential rape scene. A close call that is intensely uncomfortable and not for those that can be triggered by such an event. However, it is fleeting, in the beginning and afterwards, makes an incredibly comfortable and fun journey. One that I can’t imagine not having read now that I’ve finished it. Having said that, in this trigger scene, I did reach out for my very big, stocky, protective dog and pull him in close…

As with a lot of the romances that I read, this story featured a woman who is the submissive character in the partnership. Not really a position that I take myself, but one that does tend to work in paranormal romance stories. However, Mika is able to still find a way to stick up for herself. She is able to call Grady on his bullshit and find a way to keep her sense of self, even as she falls head over heels for a guy she’s convinced she can never have.

One of the most common tropes of a paranormal romance (and yes, this book fits a lot of them, but it’s still great), is one or both of the romantic leads stuffing it up in some way or another. Grady does this fantastically in this story. In such a way that made me scream moron and then laugh, because hey, it was late at night and he was kind of cute in his moron-cy. Actually, most of his actions were kind of that typical male inability to remember how communication actually works…

 <- Mating Brand ReviewHis Purrfect Mate Review ->

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Dancing Chickens by Edward Bryant

Book Review, ,
Overview
Image result for alien sex book cover

Title: Dancing Chickens
Author: Edward Bryant
In: Alien Sex (Ellen Datlow) & Darkness (Ellen Datlow)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Horror, Science fiction
Dates read: 8th November 2019
Pace: Slow
Format: Short story
Publisher: ROC
Year: 1990
5th sentence, 74th page: “Good-bye,” I say.

Synopsis

The aliens have been lingering over the city for a year, so people mostly ignore them. What do they want and when will they take it?

Thoughts

I’ve read a lot of science fiction stories that start to dabble in the world of horror. Nothing intense and outright, but enough that when you close the last page, you do have goose bumps running up and down your arms. This short story doesn’t flirt with that line. It is firmly in the horror realm of writing and completely creepy. I don’t think I’m going to want to be eaten any chicken for a little while now…

My biggest question as I was reading this was WTF?!?! Who thinks its funny to dance a chicken carcass across the table? Or the road? Or really make a dead anything dance at all? This is where the horror aspect comes in… there was just something so graphic and horrifying about that imagery. Something that I still can’t get out of my head as I write this review…

The imagery, the graphic nature and the questions that this poses (what do the aliens really want?) in this short story left me feeling seriously uncomfortable. Not in the least bit interested in picking up another Alien Sex short story again for a little while… too many ick factors going on in my brain (although I’m still super intrigued for the next story)…

 <- When the Fathers Go ReviewRoadside Rescue Review ->
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Queen Victoria’s Book of Spells edited by Ellen Datlow & Terri Windling

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Overview
Image result for queen victoria's book of spells ellen datlow book cover

Title: Queen Victoria’s Book of Spells
Author: Ellen Datlow, Terri Windling, Delia Sherman, Jeffrey Ford, Genevieve Valentine, Maureen McHugh, Kathe Koja, Elizabeth Wein, Elizabeth Bear, James P. Blaylock, Kaaron Warren, Leanna Renee Hieber, Dale Bailey, Veronica Schanoes, Catherynne M. Valente, Ellen Kushner, Caroline Stevermer, Jane Yolen, Gregory Maguire, Tanith Lee & Theodora Goss
In: Queen Victoria’s Book of Spells (Ellen Datlow & Terri Windling)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Fantasy, Gaslamp, Short story collections
Dates read: 8th June – 6th November 2019
Pace: Slow
Format: Anthology
Publisher: Tor
Year: 2013
5th sentence, 74th page: The sisters and I said nothing to one another, as I speak no German and they no English, but we watched the flames together until they seemed satisfied and departed, I know not where.

Synopsis

Gaslamp fantasy, or historical fantasy set in a magical version of the nineteenth century, has long been popular with readers and writers alike. Many wonderful novels, such as Stardust by Neil Gaiman, Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke, and The Prestige by Christopher Priest, ower their inspiration to works by nineteenth-century writers, including Jane Austen, the Brontes, Charles Dickens, and Anthony Trollope. And, of course, the entire steampunk genre and subculture owes more than a little to literature from and inspired by this period.

Queen Victoria’s Book of Spells is an anthology for everyone who loves neo-Victorian fiction and modern fantasists using vintage settings, characters, and themes. Their approaches stretch from steampunk fiction to the Austen- and Trollope- inspired works known as fantasy of manners. The result is eighteen stories by experts from the fantasy, horror, main-stream, and young-adult fields, including both bestselling writers and exciting new talents, who present a bewitching vision of a nineteenth century enhance (or cursed!) with magic.

Thoughts

This is an absolutely brilliant collection. One that I didn’t want to put down and introduced me to a whole new genre. It’s my first ever Gaslamp collection, and although I found some of the stories throughout a little weird and intense… I also loved the vast majority of them. Enough so that I plan to read this again and again in the future.

I was expecting a pretty simple and balanced collection. I really wasn’t expecting such a convoluted and twisted set of stories. But, as I’ve often found in life, it’s those unexpected surprises are the best and most exciting aspects of life. They’re the moments that you don’t want to forget because they were unplanned. And this anthology kind of felt like that.

I tend to read a lot of short stories late at night. Or when I’m just needing a quick little break from the many complexities of my PhD. This is not the collection that does that for me. It’s seriously intense, completely unexpected and very full on. The kind of short stories that you want to read when you have your concentrating brain working… not when it’s late at night and you just want some easy entertainment…

<- PoeQueen Victoria’s Book of Spells ->

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