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?
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!!!
Title: The Falconer Author: Elizabeth May Series: The Falconer #1 Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!) My Bookshelves:Fae, Historical fiction, Steampunk, Young adult Dates read: 27th September – 19th October 2019 Pace: Fast Format: Novel Publisher: Gollancz Year: 2013 5th sentence, 74th page: I walk downstairs, inappropriately carryinig a cup of tea from one room to another.
Lady Aileana Kamerson was destined to a life carefully planned around Edinbrugh’s social events – right up until a faery murdered her mother.
Now, between social engagements, she slaughters the fae in secret, determined to track down that faery, and to destroy any others who cross her path.
But midwinter is approaching, and a battle looms.
Aileana is going to have to decide how much she’s willing to lose – and just how far she’ll go to avenge her mother…
I’m totally in love with this story. I can’t wait to get the
next book in the series… because seriously?!?!? The cliff hanger at the end of
this! I actually turned the page about three times because I WANTED TO KNOW
WHAT HAPPENED NEXT. Who ends a story on a sentence like that? But it was so damn
good… now I just have to wait until next payday… if I can.
Although I recently read The Mammoth Book of Scottish Romance, I have very few books on my shelf which feature Scotland. Let alone fantasy historical fictions which feature a strong, young female lead. Definitely something that needs to be expanded on in my collection…I loved the court intrigue that I find in English stories, but there was a little more language and history in amongst the Scottish culture. Probably also intrigued me because I have a Scottish background and it’s something that I know a lot less about than my English heritage.
Women who are inventors are becoming a quick obsession for
me. Whilst I’m not an inventor, I have a science background and I love when
women share that same STEM, analytical interest. The fact that Aileana is an
inventor in a steampunk version of historical Scotland was kind of ridiculously
exciting. I actually squealed out loud a little when I started reading about
her inventions. Particularly because all of her inventions are also weapons
that she uses to have her fun and kill multiple fae. The darkness combined with
inventions and steampunk hit my total happy spot and was written in a way that
felt completely plausible.
Fae is something that has fascinated me ever since I was a teenager and read Wicked Lovely. And I’m talking traditional fae – the ones that prey on humans and aren’t nice and cuddly like Tinkerbell. This follows that tradition – fae are not nice in this story. They are multifaceted, tricky and incredibly dangerous. Just like much of the folklore within the tales which traditionally come out of the UK. The adherence to more traditional knowledges and practices were amazing. And I loved that at the end of the book, May includes a section which details each of the fae incorporated in the story in far more detail. I think I’ll have to flick back to this a little more when I finally get my hands on the next books…
Title: Priced to Sell Author: Naomi Novik In: Naked City (Ellen Datlow) Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again) My Bookshelves:Fae, Urban fantasy, Vampires Dates read: 25th September 2019 Pace: Medium Format: Short story Publisher: St. Martin’s Press Year: 2011 5th sentence, 74th page: To make the day complete, after she’d gotten off the phone with the vampire, Jennifer’s phone went off with another all-caps CALL ME!!
Real estate is a tough enough gig. But what happens when you are trying to find the paranormal beings that go bump in the night a home? When the homes are cursed? And your latest customer just happens to be Jekyll and Hyde…? Everything must be priced to sell.
We’ve just been through the process of trying to sell a
house. So reading a short story about the difficulties of real estate felt a
lot more real and hilarious than it probably would have previously. Especially
the trying to sell your house in a way that matches your perspective buyers’
desires… the fact that there is a paranormal element added to this mix just
made it all the more entertaining.
I had the pleasure of reading my first Naomi Novik story earlier in the month, and I absolutely adored it. However, I did wonder whether or not it was a once off, or all of her work had that same beautiful flavour. I’m pleased to announce that it wasn’t a fluke. She’s amazing. I need more of her. She takes me to many a happy place…
There were so many little threads running through this
story. It wasn’t just a tale about one house and one client, but a number of
them. There was a vampire, Jekyll & Hyde… and, my personal favourite, a
cursed wall of bugs. All in all they combined to make the rigors of attempting
to sell a house with paranormal influences downright hilarious. Impossible to
forget, and an industry that I really, really want to read more about!
Alana has been entrapped by a selchie. But what if all of the stories she’s heard aren’t true? What if it’s love, and not entrapment?
I’ve read quite a few stories about selkies and the fae. Or at least, stories which have a moment featuring them throughout. This was an incredibly different take on a familiar tale though. Which I’m beginning to expect from Melissa Marr. For starters, the selkie isn’t the one necessarily doing the entrapment, and vice versa.
Alana is kind of a perfect partner for a selkie. A race of
seal-beings who are all about lust, love and sexual fixation. Alana on the
other hand is basically living a celibate life. She doesn’t necessarily want to
pursue the lust that her mother has so heavily involved herself in. And she
really doesn’t want to tie herself down to one being, regardless of how deeply
she is drawn to him. It acts as a nice balance to the traditional tales.
The betrayal and secrets interwoven throughout this story are kind of beautiful. Even though I was pretty sure I knew who the “good guy” was, there were still constant moments of doubt. Moments where you wonder if what you perceive to be the truth was really the truth and so on. It was enough of a mystery to hook me in and make me want to never put the story down. And then it ended. And I was left feeling the urge to pick up yet another Melissa Marr story.
Title: Underbridge Author: Peter S. Beagle In: Naked City (Ellen Datlow) Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!) My Bookshelves:Fae, Mental health, Urban fantasy Dates read: 20th September 2019 Pace: Slow Format: Short story Publisher: St. Martin’s Press Year: 2011 5th sentence, 74th page: The months passed, and the weather turned relatively mild and notably dry.
Richardson just wants tenure, or, at the very least, a stable job. But his discovery of the Troll Underbridge might just change everything…
As someone who is halfway through her PhD and just entering the world of academics… I can completely understand Richardsons’ incredible need to just… crack. Right down the centre. With absolutely no finesse. Alright, I don’t actually want to crack, and I definitely wouldn’t do what he did… but we’ve all had our moments of instability, and I found Beagle’stake on this in this short story incredibly entertaining and intriguing.
We’re all a little scared of the things that go bump in the
night. The creatures which hide under the bed in the dark. The ghouls which
hide under our bridges and in the dark, hideaway places. Which makes the troll
under the bridge a perfect feature for an urban fantasy short story. After all,
they’re a fixture in fairy tales and fit that idea of the things that scare us
– although, they don’t seem to show up as commonly in the stories… probably
because they’re just not quite sexy…
For me, this short story highlighted the question “how far
will you go?” For Richardson, I think the answer was kind of too far. But it
still begs the question – how far would I go to achieve my goals? To get a
steady job… I think that there may be a little of Richardsons’ darkness in all
of us when we truly want something…
Title: Succubus Seduction Author: Cheyenne McCray In: The Mammoth Book of Paranormal Romance (Trisha Telep) Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect) My Bookshelves:Fae, Paranormal romance Dates read: 11th July 2019 Pace: Fast Format: Short story Publisher: Robinson Year: 2009 5th sentence, 74th page: As soon as his hands were free, he tried pushing her to the floor, but she took control and rolled him onto his back so that she was on top.
Liln has to seduce Archer if she wants to remain an immortal succubus. But things aren’t quite what they seem and she’s about to discover that some things are worth more than immortality.
There’s nothing like a good paranormal romance short story to give you a bit of a break from the piles of papers that you have to read. Or at least, that’s how I feel about it. And McCray’s short story about a succubus with a mission was perfect. There was a great level of lust and passion in the story, but the idea of betrayal and insecurity in the tale was far more enjoyable.
I was kind of expecting Liln to be successful in her
attempts at seduction. After all, she’s a succubus and he’s a mere mortal. But,
as with all good short stories, it doesn’t quite work out that way. Rather,
mortality and a happily ever after is on the horizon. And, frankly, I much
rather that ending than one that is filled with lustful guilt at the turning of
the last page. Although, don’t get me wrong, I have a few of those stories
sitting on my shelves, and they might be making their way into my “next read’
pile.
Title: Any Given Doomsday Author: Lori Handeland Series: Phoenix Chronicles #1 Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect) My Bookshelves:Angels, Demons, Fae, Paranormal fantasy Dates read: 11th – 19th July 2019 Pace: Medium Format: Novel Publisher: Lori Handeland Year: 2008 5th sentence, 74th page: I ran toward the approaching vehicle.
From the author who brought you The Nightcreature Novels comes the first installment in an original urban fantasy series.
Psychic ex-cop Elizabeth Phoenix finds herself thrust into saving the world, one demon at a time. Unaware of the supernatural battle that has been raging since the beginning, Liz becomes the untaught leader of the Federation, a collection of seers and demon killers. She’s soon pointing out monsters of Biblical proportion to her ex-boyfriend Jimmy, a half-vampire battling an army of Nephilim intent on bringing about doomsday.
Unable to control her new powers, Liz travels from Wisconsin to New Mexico where she meets with Sawyer, a powerful Navajo shape-shifter whose secrets frighten her and whose sexuality tempts her.
Caught between two worlds and two men, Liz must juggle it all in a spiral toward Armageddon. She will need all her powers, and those of her friends and lovers, to battle an enemy that could be indestructible.
Any Given Doomsday has been sitting on my shelves for about a year now. I bought it when I read the short story Here There Be Demons and then promptly completely forgot about it. Until I read Dead Man Dating in another collection of tales. And then I remembered that I seriously enjoyed Handeland’s writing. I figured I may as well pick this up and see what it was like. And boy am I glad that I did. Now I just have to wait to order and receive the next few books in this series…
Stories of lost loves and tales which are complicated by the
past are always good bait for me. Especially when they are tied into tales of
battle and urban fantasy. What makes this incredibly different is that it also
deals with ideas of God and demons. And the apocalypse. There are many theories
about the fact that we are on the eve of an apocalypse, but surprisingly few
books on my shelves which actually deal with such an idea. The use of seers and
DKs (demon killers) is also just a little bit different, whilst still fitting
into some well-loved tropes. It made me fall head over heels into this world
and feel incredibly disappointed that I have to wait another two weeks before I
can buy more of this series.
Most of the time when a love triangle is building in a
story, I have a clear favourite. From the very beginning. There is something
that always draws me to one character or another. Yet, with this story, I don’t
have a serious favourite. I don’t know who I prefer and which couple I think
will work best. I mostly just know that I want these stories to end with Elizabeth’s
happiness. Whether or not that involves Sawyer or Jimmy, I’m actually not sure.
This is the first time that I’m not even sure the potential love interests are
good matches. But I’m sure that this series will start to sway me one way or
another as it develops.
This is a fantastic novel that starts a fantastic series. It
has all of the entrapments and marvellous snares of a great urban fantasy. With
a beautiful love triangle, a tragic past and a heroine who is destined to lead
the world to a better future. If she can only figure out how to accept her future
and revel in it… I just can’t believe that it took me this long to get my literary
teeth into this, and how much longer it will take me to collect the rest of the
books in this series.
Title: In the Beginning Author: Lori Handeland Series: Phoenix Chronicles #0.5 Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect) My Bookshelves:Angels, Demons, Fae, Paranormal fantasy Dates read: 11th July 2019 Pace: Fast Format: Short story Publisher: Lori Handeland Year: 2008 5th sentence, 74th page: His broad shoulders obscured any light from the distant street or even the minuscule moon.
Liz Phoenix does her best not to let anyone on the Milwaukee Police Force know that she’s psychic. But her partner, Max Murphy, suspects. She’s had one too many spot-on hunches.
When they’re sent to the scene of a murder, Liz’s latest psychic flash leads to disaster.
In the Beginning reveals how Liz came to be an ex-cop and started on the road to becoming the Leader of the Light.
This is one of those short stories that kind of stands alone.
But doesn’t really. It’s almost like a prologue that gives a little more
history and insight into Liz’s choices and history as a cop than you would
otherwise get. Which is, of course what I loved the most about it. I love every
extra little bit of information and history you can glean from a character’s life
when you are about to sink into the depths of a new series.
A good character always has a bit of tragedy in their past, it’s
a great way to add an extra layer of mystery and characterisation to them. There’s
not many tales in which I actually read about one of these past tragedies.
It actually broke my heart a little. Even though this is an incredibly short
(16 pages) tale and I don’t often bond with characters that quickly, there was
something so tragic about the misfortunes which befall Liz and Max.
As soon as I read this origins story, I delved straight into Any Given Doomsday. The foreshadowing in this tale is absolutely fantastic and it made me want to discover what was likely to happen next. And how her discovery of the demons was going to play out throughout the rest of the tale.
Title: How the Pooka Came to New York City Author: Delia Sherman In: Naked City (Ellen Datlow) Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect) My Bookshelves:Comedy, Fae, Urban fantasy Dates read: 4thy July 2019 Pace: Medium Format: Short story Publisher: St. Martin’s Press Year: 2011 5th sentence, 74th page: The shoat it belonged to squealed and bolted, leaving only four and their dam for the Pooka to fight.
The Pooka is a trickster of marsh and bog. So he’s not entirely sure why he’s in New York City, but maybe he should just make the best of his situation…
Most of the fae stories I read form some mentioning of the immigration
of the Fair Folk to America in some way, shape or form. There’s always a
mention of the industrial revolution and a discussion of how hard it was, even
for these supernatural immigrants. But I’ve never read a story that actually
takes place in this time. That talks about those first moments off the boat in
a whole new world that is just as convoluted and confusing to the fae as it was
to the humans. Until now. And I find that I kind of love it…
As with all of the other short stories I’ve read by Delia Sherman, there is a great level of wit and humour to this story. And a slight twist to it that made it so much more fun and more difficult to put down. But, mostly I loved the nature of the trickster and the weird juxtaposition of a man who is accompanied by a fae who is supposed to save him. When the fae is so iron sick that he can barely save himself…
I loved the vivid descriptiveness of this story. I felt like
I was actually standing next to the Pooka as he discovered a new world.
Trudging through a new reality that I didn’t understand or quite like… but one
that had so much potential.
He wants to manufacture fairies and make a fortune. But when the wrong person hears about his plans, things will take a turn for the worse.
I really loved the industrialist spin of this story. The
idea of taking the fae and mass producing them for some kind of gain. That in
and of itself makes for an interesting story. The fact that someone with power
finds out and seeks revenge on the perpetrator just makes it all that much
better.
The story for this is a little convoluted and twisty, but I found that thoroughly enjoyable. Actually, the setting, the story-tale telling and the themes were all a little bit reminiscent of Jekyll & Hyde. There was an atmosphere of mystery, a sense of irony and a darkness about the tale that screamed Victorian England. Murders done in dark streets. And, eventually, wrongs being righted.
The Fairy Enterprise is a great short story that
encompasses the needs and drives of industrialisation. It also helps to give a
fantastical, fae spin to a story that is dark, twisty and more than a little
fun.
Earth and Skye 