Tag Archives: Erica Hayes

Cherry Kisses by Erica Hayes

Book Review, , , , ,

Overview

Cherry KissesTitle: Cherry Kisses
Author: Erica Hayes
Series: The Shadowfae Chronicles #4.5
In: Hex Appeal (P.N. Elrod)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Australian authors, Dark fantasy, Demons
Pace: Fast
Format: Short story
Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin
Year: 2012
5th sentence, 74th page: And opened the door.

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Synopsis

Sexy con-artist Lena Falco isn’t a witch, not technically. She uses her cache of stolen magic tricks to seduce and bedazzle her marks. When she’s hired by a demon to steal a cursed magical amulet from a monstrous tower in Hell, it must be her lucky day.

The prize? A single wish—whatever she wants.

The catch? There’s competition: Ethan Benford, swordsman and enchanter, arrogant, maddeningly sexy and the only incorruptible man in town.

Lena’s been burnt before by Ethan’s easy charm, and she vows he’ll meet his match this time. But is ultimate power worth betraying the only man who truly believes in her?

Thoughts

There is something so tantalising about a main character that is so obviously not good. Whether it’s someone like Cherry Kisses’ Lena Falco, or a morally ambiguous hero like Batman, the blurred line in morality makes these characters both more relatable and scandalous. Especially when the tale ends in a truly moral dilemma and the choice made really isn’t what the truly good heroes would make.

I have a tendency to very quickly fall for any tale that mentions an Australian city, or is written by an Australian author. Since it’s where I’m from, it makes it that much easier to relate to the characters and settings of the tale. Lena’s recognition that she is nothing special within such a familiar setting helped to further endear a potentially unlikable character to me.

<- There Will Be Demons Review The Arcane Art of Misdirection Review ->
Image source: Amazon

Hex Appeal edited by P.N. Elrod

Book Review, , , , , , , , , , , ,

Overview

hex-appeal

Title: Hex Appeal
Authors: Ilona Andrews, Jim Butcher, Rachel Caine, Carole Nelson Douglas, P.N. Elrod, Simon R. Green, Lori Handeland, Erica Hayes & Carrie Vaughn
In: Hex Appeal (P.N. Elrod)
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Paranormal fantasy, Short story collections, Urban fantasy
Pace: Medium
Format: Anthology
Publisher: St Martin’s Griffin
Year: 2012
5th sentence, 74th page: Books and clothing and bedclothes and typical dorm room décor had been scattered everywhere.

Synopsis

Fall under the intoxicating spell of their hex appeal…

In the magical world that lies hidden beneath our own, witches and conjurers play deadly games. They know just the right spell to kill a man with one kiss—or raise him back again. And they’re not afraid to exact sweet revenge on those who dare to cross them. But what if you’re the unlucky soul who falls victim to a conjurer’s curse? And if you had the power to cast a magic spell of your own, would you use it?

In this bewitching collection, nine of today’s hottest paranormal authors tell all-new, otherworldly tales.  Spellbinding stories featuring bigfoot, albino vampires, professional wizards, resurrected boyfriends and even a sex droid from the twenty-third century named Silicon Lily.  But as our conjurers are about to discover, it’s all fun and games until someone gets hexed.  And sometimes, even the best spun spells can lead to complete and utter mayhem.

Thoughts

This was a slightly dark and definitely morally questioning collection of short stories. In each tale there was no good or bad guy, but rather someone who was working at surviving with the cards that they have been dealt. The name hints beautifully at this though, Hex Appeal, both appealing and potentially damaging – like all of the leads in these nine very diverse stories.

Finishing this collection left me wanting more, more of these not-quite-good characters that thrived in worlds that ran beautifully parallel to our own. Each tale consisted of a multi-dimensional setting in which fighting to survive allowed for acts that would not necessarily be accepted in today’s society and reality. Drugging someone to rob just seems wrong, but make it a horny vampire and it is much more realistic. Think you’re husband may kill you in a dystopian reality? Take out a retribution clause to ensure that he follows you into death… these ideas are such exaggerated versions of our reality that they truly make you think about the world that we all live in today.

<- The Arcane Art of MisdirectionRetribution Clause ->

Image source: Succubus