Tag Archives: Hexed

Blood Debt by Jeanne C. Stein

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Hexed

Title: Blood Debt
Author: Jeanne C. Stein
Series: Anna Strong Chronicles #6.5
In: Hexed (Ilona Andrews, Yasmine Galenorn, Allyson James & Jeanne C. Stein)
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Urban fantasy, Vampires
Dates read: 23rd January 2019
Pace: Fast
Format: Novella
Publisher: Berkley
Year: 2011
5th sentence, 74th page: I still can’t shake the idea that watching Stephen and I dance around each other, feeling the attraction, fighting it, would have been his idea of a joke.

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Synopsis

From national bestselling author Jeanne C. Stein comes “Blood Debt,” in which bounty-hunter-turned-vampire Anna Strong is visited by three witches who ask her to right an old magical wrong. Anna will have to live up to her last name to make it through alive.

Thoughts

Most of the time, when I find novellas in a short story collection, they stand up fantastically on their own. Sometimes you even forget that they are part of a greater series. This isn’t quite like that. It is a tale all about the repercussions of a crime obviously committed in a previous story. That’s not to say that this wasn’t a ridiculously enjoyable novella, but it was one that I constantly felt like I needed to have read about the original “crime” to fully understand what was happening.

I really like the idea of a bounty-hunter-turned-vampire and I can’t wait to get my grubby little hands onto this series. It sounds like one that is going to pull you in straight away. And that isn’t with the consideration of the idea of being the Chosen One. Again, I need to actually read the series to completely understand this, but Stein did a very good job of outlining all of the background information enough to not make me feel completely lost and confused.

Unlike the rest of the novellas in this collection, Blood Debt had a bit of a love connection. It had this fun budding relationship that makes you want to yell out loud in joy as the story concludes. Now I just have to find the time and money for the rest of this series… I want to see how the couple develops!

<- Double HexedHexed ->

Image source: Ilona Andrews

Double Hexed by Allyson James

Book Review, , ,
Overview
Hexed

Title: Double Hexed
Author: Allyson James
Series: Stormwalker #2.5
In: Hexed (Ilona Andrews, Yasmine Galenorn, Allyson James & Jeanne C. Stein)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Strong women, Urban fantasy
Dates read: 18th January 2019
Pace: Fast
Format: Novella
Publisher: Berkley
Year: 2011
5th sentence, 74th page: I just wanted someone to talk to.

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Synopsis

National bestselling author Allyson James takes you to Magellan, Arizona, where Stormwalker Janet Begay and her friends are trapped by a powerful curse. It will take every bit of magic simmering beneath her skin for the Stormwalker to survive being “Double Hexed”.

Thoughts

I had no idea what to expect from this novella. I have never read anything by Allyson James and the blurb that accompanies the tale isn’t full of much information. So I basically started this completely blind. And it was so good that I found it impossible to put down. To the point that I was even reading this novella (and dying to finish it) while I was out for dinner and at a friend’s birthday…

This is very much characters in a bottle – take six supernatural characters, trap them in a hotel and then make all of their horrifying base urges come to light. I’ve read a few of these types of stories – ones that highlight the characters and basal human urges in a way that including the wider world wouldn’t allow. But, I haven’t read one that used a half-goddess, vampire-esque creature, trickster god and dragon when mixing up this bottle of characters. And that in and of itself made the story so much more enthralling and entertaining.

One of the things about this novella that I really enjoyed was the fact that although there is obviously a lot of back story (from the previous novels), it isn’t hard to follow the storyline. There is enough moments in which this backstory is filled in to make you feel like you’re not missing out on anything. And there’s just enough mystery in the story to make you want to pick up the first novels in this series…

<- FirewalkerShadow Walker ->

Image source: Ilona Andrews

Ice Shards by Yasmine Galenorn

Book Review, , , , ,
Overview
Image result for ice shards book cover

Title: Ice Shards
Author: Yasmine Galenorn
Series: Otherworld #9.5
In: Hexed (Ilona Andrews, Yasmine Galenorn, Allyson James & Jeanne C. Stein)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Dark fantasy, Fae, Paranormal fantasy
Dates read: 6th – 17th January 2019
Pace: Medium
Format: Novella
Publisher: Berkley
Year: 2011
5th sentence, 74th page: How could you do this to me?

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Synopsis

In “Ice Shards,” New York Times bestselling author Yasmine Galenorn returns to the Otherworld as Iris Kuusi, a Finnish house sprite, journeys to the frozen Northlands to confront the crazed shadow of her former lover and break the curse that is keeping her from marrying the man she loves.

Thoughts

Many of the stories that feature that fae feature characters with some level of power, or at least the court fae. So I kind of loved the fact that this story featured a house sprite. One that is still powerful in her own right, but of a completely different stature and power than the stories which I am used to.

I’m thoroughly enjoying the hexed and cursed theme throughout the Hexed collection. Yet, there was something about this curse and resurgence of the past which was even more intense and potent. Something which I thoroughly enjoyed. After all, there is nothing like a good curse and a lot of remembering into the past to help liven up a battle for justice.

I haven’t yet had the chance to sink myself into the Otherworld series. And reading my second novella of the series has made me want to sink myself into this world… I just have to finish a few of the stories that I have on my shelves first…

 <- Magic Dreams ReviewDouble Hexed Review ->
Image source: Ilona Andrews

Hexed by Ilona Andrews, Yasmine Galenorn, Allyson James & Jeanne C. Stein

Book Review, , , , , ,
Overview
Hexed

Title: Hexed
Author: Ilona Andrews, Yasmine Galenorn, Allyson James & Jeanne C. Stein
In: Hexed (Ilona Andrews, Yasmine Galenorn, Allyson James & Jeanne C. Stein)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Paranormal fantasy, Short story collections, Urban fantasy
Dates read: 6th – 23rd January 2019
Pace: Fast
Format: Anthology
Publisher: Berkley
Year: 2011
5th sentence, 74th page: If I can.

Synopsis

‘Four bestselling names in romance and fantasy come together in this collection of thrilling novellas featuring powerful women who know how to handle a hex or two…

New York Times bestselling author Ilona Andrews spins “Magic Dreams.” Shapeshifting tigress Dali Harimau finds herself in deep waters when she must challenge a dark being to a battle of wits or risk losing the man for whom she secretly longs.

In “Ice Shards”, New York Times bestselling author Yasmine Galenorn returns to the Otherworld as Iris Kuusi, a Finnish house sprite, journeys to the frozen Northlands to confront the crazed shadow of her former lover and break the curse that is keeping her from marrying the man she loves.

National bestselling author Allyson james takes you to Magellan, Arizona, where Stormwalker Janet Begay and her friends are trapped by a powerful curse. It will take every bit of magic simmering beneath her skin for the Stormwalker to survive being “Double Hexed”.

From national bestselling author Jeanne C. Stein comes “Blood Debt,” in which bount-hunter-turned-vampire Anna Strong is visited by three witches who ask her to right an old magical wrong. Anna will have to live up to her last name to make it through alive.

Thoughts

I absolutely adored this collection of novellas. And was wondering why I didn’t pick this up much, much sooner. After all, it’s been sitting on my bookshelf for a few years. Although, since I now have another two series that I need to buy (I already had two), I’m beginning to think that that may have been my reason for not sinking my teeth into this series too early on.

There was a healthy addition of romance throughout these urban fantasy stories. But, mostly they featured kick ass women, curses and pasts that they were trying to overcome. All of which are some of my favourite themes and topics in any kind of story. The fact that I got to read four novellas with these themes, well, that just made me even more happy. And made this collection all the more difficult to put down so I could do something grown up and productive.

 <- Blood DebtMagic Dreams ->

Image source: Ilona Andrews

Magic Dreams by Ilona Andrews

Book Review, , , ,

Overview

Magic Dreams

Title: Magic Dreams
Author: Ilona Andrews
In: Hexed (Ilona Andrews)
Series: Kate Daniels #4.5
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Dystopia, Paranormal fantasy, Shapeshifters
Pace: Fast
Format: Novella
Publisher: Berkley
Year: 2010
5th sentence, 74th page: The street to the left led to a ruined apartment building, now little more than a heap of rubble, and the neighbors to the back of me had fled the city a long time ago.

Synopsis

Alpha Pack leader Jim Shrapshire has always been the strong, silent type. But something has come over him–a magic force currently residing in one of the Pack’s headquarters. Were-tigress Dali Harimau has always wished she could get Jim’s attention–but now he needs her help.

Stricken with a magic-sickness, Jim needs Dali’s flair for magic. And to save him, she must challenge a powerful, dark being to a battle of wits.

Thoughts

Let me start this review by saying I love Dali. She is so different to Andrea and Kate, far softer and a lot more quirky. From the first moment I met her in Magic Strikes her uniqueness and contrariness drew me in. Not to mention the fact that Jim has more than a passing interest in her.

Viewing Kate through the eyes of someone else is always a treat, but Dali’s recollections of the world are such a treat. A vegetarian tiger who is mostly blind and unable to really fight is a great character, and understandably, she sees Daniels in a very different light. Her explanation of Kate’s magic had me giggling aloud.

Most of the Kate Daniels books so far have focused on European magics (Russian, Celtic and Greek), so delving into the world of East Asian mythologies was a really nice change of pace. It also illustrated Andrews’ ability to utilise a broad range of belief systems and understandings of the world. This, paired with Dali’s placement in such a society (and her potential personal danger) as a white tiger was a great new journey to travel on, and I can’t wait for the next one!

<- Magic BleedsMagic Slays ->

Image source: Ilona Andrews