Title: Jack Author:Pat Cadigan In: Haunted Nights (Lisa Morton & Ellen Datlow) Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again) My Bookshelves:Horror, Paranormal fantasy, Spirits Dates read: 30th December 2019 Pace: Medium Format: Short story Publisher: Blumhouse Year: 2017 5th sentence, 74th page: There isn’t even any daytime, only darkness.
For one night of the year, Jack has the opportunity to escape. It’s her job to stop him. But this is her first night solo. What will happen?
This short story is beautifully dark and impossible to put down. It has a bit of an urban fantasy feel that is reminiscent of a lot of the series that I read. But it also had a great sense of mystery to the story. One that made me wonder what was going to happen. And, since it was in this collection… if there would be a happily ever after in the end.
I’ve heard a few retellings of Jack, the trickster. This might be my favourite so far. There was something a little more down to earth about it. Yet, it had a great sense of modernity to an old story that I love. The modernisation and journey that this takes you on is seriously brilliant.
My favourite part of this story though is knowing that there is a trick coming. But not being sure what it is or when it’s going to appear. And when it does… it takes you by surprise. And then you wonder who will come out on top. A good little adventure to go on.
How do you get rid of an unwanted / problematic pack of werewolves at Christmas time? Well, you give their end as a gift to someone else…
I’m still not entirely sure how this is a werewolf story. Actually, I am. Because I get where the werewolves come in. What I’m confused about is that it starts with a group of ?something? wanting to kill off a rogue pack. And then at the end, someone turns into a werewolf. It was all just very, very confusing.
Although I really enjoyed this story. I spent the entire time flipping back a page, thinking that I had missed some crucial piece of information. It just didn’t quite work. There was something more that I needed to make me feel truly happy about this storyline. It’s difficult to truly love something when you’re not entirely sure what is happening. Or at least, it is for me.
I did love the fact that this is the first time in a long time that plays with the mystical nature of the 7th son. And the fact that he was born on Christmas Eve… a unique take that I was incredibly excited by. One that completely made up for my confusion.
Title: All Through the Night Author: Elise Forier Edie In: Haunted Nights (Lisa Morton & Ellen Datlow) Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!) My Bookshelves:Fae, Ghosts, Paranormal fantasy Dates read: 28th December 2019 Pace: Medium Format: Short story Publisher: Blumhouse Year: 2017 5th sentence, 74th page: But all that happened was a hand touched her head, warm and soft.
She moved from Ireland to create a better life. But then she lost her husband. And then the fae came visiting on All Hallows Eve…
Most of the stories in the Haunted Nights collection have been a little intense and quite frankly horrifying. This one isn’t really horrifying. It’s just incredibly tragic and sad. I don’t cry, much, at all. But I did feel a sore point in my breast. It was just so… sad.
This short story is a fantastic weaving together of Irish folklore and the difficulties of travelling to America at the turn of the century. The poverty and the risks that were taken for such a thing. It’s also about a melding of the world and beliefs. She spends her time believing that the fae are going to take her baby. And her baby is taken… but it has a little more to do with the realities of the world in which she’s found herself.
All Hallows Eve is creepy. It’s probably why I hate Halloween so much. People celebrate it because they have no idea about the history of it and the darkness that surrounds the night. The thin veiling between the spirit world and reality. This was a great way to bring back those realities of what I actually think is a kind of terrifying night.
In this thrilling collection of original stories, some of today’s hottest paranormal authors delight, thrill, and captivate readers with otherworldly tales of magic and mischief. In Jim Butcher’s “Curses”, Harry Dresden investigates how to lift a curse laid by the Fair Folk on the Chicago Cubs. In Patricia Briggs’s “Fairy Gifts”, a vampire is called home by magic to save the Fae who freed him from a dark curse. In Melissa Marr’s “Guns for the Dead”, the newly dead Frankie Lee seeks a job in the afterlife on the wrong side of the law. In Holly Black’s “Noble Rot”, a dying rock star discovers that the young woman who brings him food every day has some strange appetites of her own.
Featuring original stories from twenty authors, this dark, captivating, fabulous, and fantastical collection is not to be missed!
This is a seriously diverse collection of urban fantasy short stories. Not to mention fun and engaging. Probably moving right to the top of my list if I’m being honest. Normally my purview of urban fantasy is kind of small. But the breadth and width of these stories and the style in which they’re written… just wow.
I loved the fact that most of these short stories were standalones. I used to really enjoy finding new series through short stories and novellas. But, I have so many now that sometimes just reading a standalone without having to hunt out more of that world (I’m obsessive, I do this EVERY time) was kind of nice. I got a great taste of the imaginations and storytelling talents of a variety of authors, without actually feeling the need to buy more, more, more. Honestly, there is nothing worse than finding myself a new series to obsess over and then realising that I have a whole slew of new books to buy…
Although this is an urban fantasy collection, it does have a darker twist to it than usual. Every single one of these stories is a little bit dark, a lot bit fun and most don’t have a happy ending. Which, I tend to love, because I get a bit over all the happily ever afters… but it’s definitely something to keep in mind as you rip through the stories.
Title: The Wager Author: Sherrilyn Kenyon In: The Mammoth Book of Paranormal Romance (Trisha Telep) Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect) My Bookshelves:Camelot, Paranormal fantasy Dates read: 26th December 2019 Pace: Slow Format: Short story Publisher: Robinson Year: 2009 5th sentence, 74th page: In his day that Sir had meant that he was a man with standing.
Sir Thomas Mallory thought that it was all a dream. So there was a drunken night in a bar. Then there was a book. And then he remembered that it wasn’t actually a dream…
Here I’m speaking from personal experience: sometimes you should just keep your damn mouth shut. And the narrator of this short story is definitely in agreement with me. He should have kept his mouth shut, and then maybe he wouldn’t be in purgatory. Definitely enjoyed this story. But it’s in a collection of romances… and I don’t feel like this is a romance at all. Sure, there’s a little lust, but it’s not exactly about a romance between two individuals.
I love that this story uses the stories of Camelot, Arthur and Avalon. That the narrator is Sir Thomas Mallory. The senses of history and truth interwoven with paranormality and supernatural fantasy worked really well. These are the kinds of stories that I love – the ones that use fact and fiction to create a fantastic new reality that you just can’t help but dive into.
I’m kind of annoyed that this isn’t part of a bigger series. I would love one in which the stories of Camelot are true, but with a supernatural twist. Weirdly enough, I did just receive The Guinevere Deception in a book box… so this might be what I have to pick up next to get my fix.
Title: The Difference Between Deceit and Delusion Author: Domino Finn Series: Black Magic Outlaw Companion In: Urban Enemies (Joseph Nassise) Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again) My Bookshelves:Paranormal fantasy, Urban fantasy Dates read: 19th December 2019 Pace: Medium Format: Short story Publisher: Gallery Books Year: 2017 5th sentence, 74th page: Bullets peppered the large surface but failed to penetrate.
What’s the difference between deceit and delusion? Will this villain be able to figure out the answer before it’s too late?
This entire story was just a complete, total and utter massacre. Which I loved. Because I’m a blood-thirsty little freak. But it’s probably not okay that I actually enjoyed this much death and killing. I grinned the whole way through this story. Completely unable to remove the grin from my face. But, it’s hooked me into this series. So obviously it was a story that was worth reading and a series that will make it to the top of my TBR list.
I loved that this story utilises people of African faith and mythology. It’s not one that I come across frequently, and I hope that this African flavor makes its way into the greater series when I finally get to add them to my shelves. Most of my stories generally include European mythologies, and I’m sure some of that will makes its way in, but the fact that there was discussion of Anansi and the such? It made the bloodthirsty grin even wider.
One of the reasons that I probably enjoyed the bloodthirstiness of this story so much – I’ve been in a pretty bad mood of late. Reading a story which is incredibly violent and dark is always a way to draw me in when I’m in such a state. Not the kind of short story that I’m likely to forget anytime soon.
Jo and David just want to spend a nice, leisurely afternoon at the beach. But a group of thugs, a near drowning and some not-so-pretty mermaids are about to mess with their plans.
The Weather Warden series is one of those that I thoroughly enjoy. Yet, I don’t tend to pick it up as quickly. Probably because the chapters are pretty much half the novel. Having said that, reading Blue Crush reminded me how much I love this series and how much I need to read the next one. There is just something about Jo’s spunk that draws me in. Even when it’s a short story about a day at the beach with her lover…
This short story reminds me of the reasons why I hate swimming in the ocean. There is just something about it that gives me the heebies. And considering this short story also has mermaids in the ocean who want to kidnap and kill unwilling swimmers… ugly mermaids. Although, it adds an extra layer to the mythos of the series. An extra paranormal race which could be potentially very interesting further along in the series.
This short story is a sweet, fun and not-so-easy read. It’s quick, but so much goes on in just a few pages. Probably one of the main reasons I love Caine’s work. So much is squeezed into such a few pages. Leaving you feeling in shock and completely disappointed that the story was over so quickly.
Kitty is all alone on New Years Eve. That is, until David walks into the dinner. David is fed up with being a werewolf, the black outs, the violence, the departure from his normal life… but now he might have found a way to start living again. If only they can work together on Christmas Eve.
I vaguely remember from French that il est ne means something like it isn’t. I think… it’s been a while since I studied French. But, if that is the literal translation for this story… it kind of works well. It’s a tale of Kitty at Christmas time, alone and without family, friends or pack. And another werewolf who is also completely alone. There is always something perpetuated as quite sad about such an eventuality.
That I do love about this is that it’s actually all about Kitty helping someone else. Which, after all, isn’t helping the less fortunate what Christmas is all about? At least, that’s what I choose to focus on at this time of year. Which, seems to be losing it’s glossy, beautiful, happy shine a little more with each passing year. It’s also about loneliness. Although I might have family around at this time of year, my partner is often away and I feel that loneliness quite drastically. Which made me feel a little too in touch with some of the emotions in this story. I’m honestly not sure if that’s good or bad, but I certainly enjoyed the tale because of it!
There is a great sense of love, understanding and compassion in this story. Feelings and emotions that I think we should embrace year round, not just in the holiday season. It kind of made me happily wistful when the story ended and more than a little tempted to reach out and help somebody less fortunate…
Elise hasn’t felt anything since her fiance attacked her. But, a chance encounter with a demon possessed man could help her. With help from Menchares, she might just find a way to her happily ever after.
This year I’ve managed to read a few Night Huntress novels and each time, I fall a little bit more in love with the series. There is just something amazingly engaging and fun about it! But, what I got really, really excited about in this novella – it’s the first story so far in the series which features a demon! Not sure why, but that was a ridiculously exciting moment for me…
Although this story isn’t actually about Bones and Cat, they do still make their appearance. Which was much appreciated. Albeit, only briefly. But enough to give a great sense of continuity whilst you’re barracking for another couple and another supernatural difficulty. There’s nothing like spending a half hour to quickly revisit some characters and a world that you weren’t entirely sure you were missing… actually, mostly I was kind of disappointed that it was over.
Mencheres also makes a great appearance in this story. It’s nice to visit him after the occurrences in At Grave’s End. His was a bit of a tragic story, and you can feel the scars left on him – I look forward to getting to know this character more as the series develops.
But mostly, I just loved this novella because it was about a reclusive woman finding a way to live, love and exist again. I’m always a big fan of stories which feature a character overcoming the shit in their past and finding their own happily ever after… which happens in this. A great little read for late at night, after a long, horrible day…
She’s banished him to purgatory for the past three and a half years. But now she brings him back to protect her from a greater evil. Will they survive or will he turn on this powerful witch?
So far in the collection of Urban Enemies, this is the most coherent story. All the other stories, you definitely have to read the rest of the series, or at least some of it, to understand the characters. To the point that I’ve almost given up… almost. And then you get a story like this… which makes sense completely on its own. I still feel like I need to read the series attached to this. But because it was such a great story, not because I finished it and sat there wondering “huh”?
You can tell that this short story takes place at a critical turning point in the series timeline. It is the turning of the world – from our current reality, to one in which magic is commonplace and there are greater battles going on. See how much I can get out of a well written short story? Actually, the entire turning of reality seriously intrigued me and now I want to know how that happened, why and what’s going to happen next… pity there’s such a thing as a budget, hey?
I like that this seems to be an enemies to friends kind of story. I don’t really read many of them, but the consensus I got was that the Big Bad Wolf (or angel, whatever) is starting to question his reality and motives. And, in doing so, understanding that of the “good witch”. It’ll be interesting to see how this change in perspectives changes the rest of the series narrative.
Earth and Skye 