Tag Archives: An Apple for the Creature

Academy Field Trip by Donald Harstad

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Image result for an apple for the creature book cover

Title: Academy Field Trip
Author: Donald Harstad
In: An Apple for the Creature (Charlaine Harris & Toni L. P. Kelner)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Cops, Paranormal fantasy, Vampires
Dates read: 6th May 2019
Pace: Medium
Format: Short story
Publisher: Ace Books
Year: 2012
5th sentence, 74th page: “Anyhow, that’s as close as they can come,” he said.

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Synopsis

The Academy is teaching young police recruits about those odd cases. But one woman is about to be singled out… and it’s not for the reasons you’ll think.

Thoughts

It was surprising to read a cop story in this collection. Mostly because it’s a collection that is surrounded by ideas of school and teaching. And well, cops aren’t normally what I would associate with such a topic. Having said that, it was still a thoroughly fun and exciting journey to be taken on. And probably a little more enjoyable because it was such a surprise…

Since this was a cop story, I was kind of expecting a typical one – you know, the cops outline an issue, pull a newbie in to help them solve it. And after you turn the last page, you find that the bad guy has been caught, stopped whichever. This didn’t quite work out like that. Actually, it really wasn’t about the bad guy at all. It was more so about the battles that are fought. About the woman who is caught up in a vampire’s snare. And the ways in which the battle for good doesn’t stop, but sometimes does blur the lines a little.

 <- Spellcaster 2.0 ReviewSympathy for the Bones Review ->
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Spellcaster 2.0 by Jonathan Maberry

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Image result for an apple for the creature book cover

Title: Spellcaster 2.0
Author: Jonathan Maberry
In: An Apple for the Creature (Charlaine Harris & Toni L. P. Kelner)
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Dark fantasy, Magic, Technology
Dates read: 17th April 2019
Pace: Fast
Format: Short story
Publisher: Ace Books
Year: 2012
5th sentence, 74th page: Anthem suddenly stopped biting her thumb and they both looked at the bead of blood that welled from where she’d bitten too deeply.

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Synopsis

A group of academic anthropologists are working on a database of spells to make the perfect summoning spell. But when you play with magic, things can go very awry at the drop of a hat… and they’re about to find out that you just don’t mess with magic.

Thoughts

I understand the pressure and stress of trying to get a ridiculously ambitious project done in a much shorter amount of time than desirable. After all, like the characters in this short story, I too am a PhD student. The fact that this tale of the pressures of being a postgrad student intertwines with murder, mayhem and magic just made me connect all the quicker with the characters and the storyline.

One of the questions I often asked myself when doing my anthropology degree (especially in my honours year) was what right do we have to stick our noses into other peoples’ cultures? Maberry highlights this beautifully with the use of technology and people’s beliefs in the mythos. By taking something that is often a vibrant part of people’s cultures (the summoning of other beings, or demons) and making it so clinical with the use of computers, the way in which we approach things that appear antiquated is really bought into light. We might not have much of a right to stick our noses into other people’s religions, but we definitely shouldn’t be treated it with such nonchalant disregard. Or at least, that’s the way this story takes such an issue…

 <- Playing Possum ReviewAcademy Field Trip Review ->
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Playing Possum by Charlaine Harris

Book Review, , , , ,
Overview
Image result for an apple for the creature book cover

Title: Playing Possum
Author: Charlaine Harris
Series: Sookie Stackhouse #12.6
In: An Apple for the Creature (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: 10th April 2019
Pace: Fast
Format: Short story
Publisher: Ace Books
Year: 2012
5th sentence, 74th page: “Oh,” she said, looking appropriately sober.

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Synopsis

Sookie Stackhouse brings enough birthday cupcakes for her nephew’s entire class but finds she’s one short when the angry ex-boyfriend of the school secretary shows up.

Thoughts

I both thoroughly enjoyed this story and felt kind of concerned by it. This is the first short story in a collection of short stories based on our experiences in school. And it has a shooter entering the school grounds. Granted, this was written and published quite a few years ago and may not have been such a hot issue… but considering the constant gunning down of children happening in America at the moment… it was more than a little concerning that the story starts with a tale about a gunman.

I’ve only briefly dabbled into the world of Sookie Stackhouse, but every time I read one of the short stories based in this world, I really want to pick up another one. It’s not great for my self-control when I have two unread Sookie Stackhouse books sitting on my bookshelf just waiting to go… especially since I’ve been told again and again that the stories get better as they unfold, and short stories like Playing Possum really support this idea.

Although this was a tale that I thoroughly enjoyed in the moment, I still find it incredibly problematic. A crazy man taking a gun into a kindergarten in revenge of a woman… it’s a strong comment on our society today that that is so normalised that a short story can be written about it. After all, if this was far fetched, it wouldn’t work in this series…

<- An Apple for the CreatureSpellcaster 2.0 ->

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Magic Tests by Ilona Andrews

Book Review, , , , , ,

Overview

Small Magics

Title: Magic Tests
Author: Ilona Andrews
In: Small Magics & An Apple for the Creature (Charlaine Harris & Toni L. P. Kelner)
Series: Kate Daniels #5.3
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Dystopia, Paranormal fantasy, Shapeshifters
Pace: Fast
Format: eBook short story
Publisher: NYLA
Year: 2012
5th sentence, 74th page: The look he gave me said loud and clear that he thought I was full of it.

Synopsis

Teenage Julie is sent to a school for exceptional children by her guardian, Kate Daniels.

The events of Magic Tests take place after Magic Slays. The story is told from Julie’s point of view.

Thoughts

Julie is probably the cutest and sassiest of the Kate Daniels characters, which is saying something – most of the women in the Kate Daniels universe are sassy and have an attitude problem. Her cheekiness and contrary attitude translate beautifully into the narrative’s voice and left me giggling quietly throughout the story.

Julie’s attempt at emulating Kate throughout her first solo mission (of sorts) is kind of adorable – you can tell how much admiration there is between the two. Although she spends much of the time trying to figure out how Kate would solve the problem, Julie is still able to have her own unique style. Her talents and skills are used beautifully and help her to shine in her own right.

Magic Tests also leaves Julie to find her own place that she is comfortable and happy in – better than her years on the streets and months in the boarding school.

<- Magic SlaysMagic Gifts ->

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