This short story definitely jumps around a little bit. With big chunks of the story diving forwards in time, but I kind of liked it. It covered a whole lot of time in very few pages. I really liked this style, it made me not want to put this down and just dive through the pages. Although, in my experience, Vaz’s writing is a little like this.
Something about how this written has a very fae feeling. Which is something hard to describe, but has a very ethereal tone to it. This fit beautifully within the The Faery Reel collection, and it definitely meant that the time jumps felt even more mysterious and intriguing. I really loved the way that this was written and would love to read this short story again.
Your Garnet Eyes is all about the bargains of faeries, and how they must give and receive in equal parts. I love that almost all traditional stories feature faerie bargains of some form, and Vaz really drives this home in Your Garnet Eyes.
It may not have been the best time in my life to read this story – a tale of a wizard who is dying from cancer. But, even though it was a little bit close to home at the moment, it was so well written that I still thoroughly enjoyed this and couldn’t stop thinking about this tale. Even though he’s sick and about to say goodbye to the life that he’s led, he still continues to try and protect his very misguided “way” of life.
I love that in this story, witches are light and life. Whilst the men are just kind of… mired in shit. As a woman, I loved that this was the separation of genders. Plus, it was a reminder that power doesn’t always come from being positive and giving of life, but, in the case of the wizards, it is about giving up things in life. I definitely like the witches’ approach to magic and power much better.
Valdimir as a leader and mentor is so incredibly toxic that I couldn’t even. I feel like, without his leadership and with the influence of the witch, there is much more hope for all of the characters in this story. At least, I finished this short story with a feeling of hope.
I love that as this series unfolds, the slow-burn romance between Charlotte and Felicity slowly becomes more and more serious. They are testing the waters and finding their way. And honestly, it is all just too cute and sweet. Plus, then there’s the fact that they are both animal obsessed and working for the same sanctuary. With every story, I fall more and more in love with this couple and the world that they inhabit.
World building is always an bit of a sticking point with me for a great series. And I loved that Tapeexpanded on the world of Griffin Sanctuary with Charlotte’s visit to another sanctuary. The differences were brilliant, and, honestly, I love the idea of a network of paranormal sanctuaries and the different animals that they specialize in. Plus, it showed entirely different interpersonal dynamics between those who choose to work at such places.
As someone who studied environmental biology, I particularly appreciated the work and studies that go into finding out the reasons for different appendages and practices in animals. I love that, in The Dragon Lantern, it is the ‘lanterns’ on dragons which are focused upon, and their use. I love that there are a number of different theories given and provided. I spent a lot of this story focusing on the why and the how, and trying to figure out potential answers along with Charlotte and her colleagues.
Throughout this series thus far, there has been the overwhelming threat of the end of the internships and continuation of employment. Even though it is a given from fairly early on that Charlotte has a more long-term placement (due to being an apprentice vet), it was still a concern as to who would be able to come back. I love that not everyone that features in Charlotte’s life is due to return (because that would be unrealistic), but some are. It’s a nice testament to the continuation of and reality of this series. One I can’t wait to continue reading.
I absolutely loved this story, and now I have two new series to add into my shelves! Which, I for one, cannot wait to dive into. I mean, I’ve read a short story in both the Sabina Kaneand Hellhound Chronicles series, but now I have even more motivation to dive into their stories. I mean, tough women, paranormal nonsense and kicking butt? That is all what I love about a good urban fantasy.
Both Ava and Sabina are amazing, kick ass women who just… dominate all things. I love that for both of them, their male partners are heavy hitters, but not ones that are likely to try and overtake their women. Rather, they are happy to be partners and backup in those situations that require it. And just let Sabina and Ava figure out how to win the day. I also loved that Sabina is obviously at the end of her story and development within this tale, but Ava is just starting to travel through hers.
This story hit all of my buttons for a good urban fantasy tale. Written by women with strong female leads who aren’t afraid to kick butt. Magic, and mayhem. Plus, this one had necromancer magic and hellhounds. With a whole heap of mysteries woven throughout which makes me incredibly intrigued to pick up the rest of the books in both of these series.
I never thought of the idea of having a mermaid which had been turned. Rather, I always thought of them as a paranormal creature which was born. I absolutely loved how Fiona was actually turned. Which, of course, made it a somewhat traumatic experience. Which, of course, informed the story brilliantly well and lead to a whole lot of mystery and conflict that I honestly wasn’t actually expecting.
Wade is kind of cute, and I love that he spends his whole time just wanting to help Fiona get over her fear, rather than mocking her for it. And lets face it, a mermaid afraid of the water? That is total mocking territory. Plus, he’s incredibly subtle about it. Rather than outright stating his intentions, he is constantly trying to give Fiona the confidence she needs to move past her fear and be her own self.
I seriously enjoy how the Obscure Academy series is built around a group of paranormal university flatmates (and then branches out), who each have some unique and unexpected challenges. Each of them have difficulties which you entirely do not expect for their species. I love how they’re kind of misfits among their own kind, and each find their own happily ever afters with someone who accepts them as they are.
Flipping Tails for Seasick Mermaidswas a fun and pleasant read. I loved he imagery throughout and the support that Wade shows Fiona as she finally deals with the consequences of her turning. I absolutely adored this story, and can’t wait for more Obscure Academy books in my near future.
Hazelnut Latte and Something to Say follows closely behind Pumpkin Spice and Something Nice. Azil and his curse were revealed, and now Willow and Azil are trying to unravel a little more of his curse and give him a little more freedom. They succeed in part, but it does take them a little while to actually figure things out. Then, alongside this, there is the romance that is slowly and very sweetly unfurling. These might be shorter stories, but they are enjoyable from the very first page until the very last.
I can’t imagine having to adjust to the modern world with no warning. I mean, I live in this world and I think that it’s entirely insane. Which meant that I loved that Willow spent the majority of this story trying to find ways to make Azil feel comfortable in the world he’s found himself in. She is a very sweet individual who spent the time to try and figure out what makes Azil tick and how to help him be comfortable in this world. The fact that she is also dating him at the same time just made it a little cuter.
Towards the end of this story, Mona manages to work her magic and help Willow and Azil with a degree of separation from his teapot. I can’t wait to see what some of the ramifications to this spell are going to be. And how that’s going to impact those coming after Azil and trying to recurse him. Plus, it’s fun to read a little about Mona after the conclusion of her series (which I haven’t actually finished yet). It’s yet another piece of this world that has drawn me in happily and with a whole lot of fascination.
Any story with a plucky animal sidekick is going to draw me in. I love that, in this case, it’s Spooky the cat. I always find cats to be an intriguing and fun animal sidekick (even if I do prefer dogs), and Spooky is the quintessential cat. I mean, he’s great, he’s opinionated and highly independent. Now I can’t wait to see how he’s going to work into Willow’s life and just… help. Like all good familiars.
An Artificial Night actually freaked me out a little bit more than other fae stories that I’ve read. Possibly because the idea of losing a child is honestly a visceral fear. Which is most likely why it’s so featured in traditional fae tales – the fae take our children and therefore are terrifying. Having children’s rhymes interspersed throughout just made this all that much freakier and more uncomfortable. But, because of this serious discomfort – I couldn’t put this book down and / or forget about it. It was phenomenal.
I frequently fall in love with McGuire’s characters, and truly enjoy Toby and all of her adventures. But, I must admit I pretty much immediately fell in love with May. I mean, the differences between her and Toby are apparent from the very beginning. And I just found her really cute and kind of naïve, whilst also being a little bit scary. It also made me happy that, even if she is a portent of something that is usually seen as a negative, she was a really positive character.
Connor is interesting as a character from Toby’s past, but I find him kind of painful. I don’t really see the connection between him and Toby, and honestly, every time he shows up, he just causes problems. Mostly by showing his emotions and painting a target on Toby’s back with his somewhat psychotic wife. He just kind of… hangs on and mopes around. Not my favourite character, although not quite detestable either.
Tybalt is so obviously the end game love interest for Toby, and I keep wanting more and more of them. I mean, it’s incredibly obvious that Tybalt has claimed Toby in some kind of way, and that she is entirely clueless about his motives. But this just makes me want more of their relationship. Particularly because I love the whole feline doesn’t do what anyone tells him angle that they’ve got going. I’m not sure if I’m excited for Late Eclipses because I can’t wait to see what other trouble Toby gets herself into, or because I’m excited for more Toby and Tybalt.
Honestly, I was kind of surprised at the fact that Toby managed to triumph like she did. I was expecting her to have a whole lot more trouble than she did with winning the battle. I love that her triumph was totally unexpected and, I feel, has a whole lot of unforeseen consequences. Now onto the next insane battle that she should lose, but won’t…
This novel was absolutely impossible to put down and honestly, really quite tragic in moments. There was a lot more death and destruction than I had anticipated. Which, I absolutely loved, even as I felt sad for all of the tragedies that befell Toby Daye and the fae she was trying to help. Plus, I got to find out more about Toby’s powers and her role in the court.
I absolutely adore the Toby and Tybalt dynamic, and I love how it is unfolding within this series. I’m really hoping that he is the final partner for Toby, just with a lot more drama and action in the lead up. Although, I do wonder why, at the end of this tale, Tybalt starts to avert his gaze from Toby. I can’t wait to discover more about why her powers and actions have potentially made him uncomfortable – and how this will inform their future relationship.
There were a number of twists throughout this story that I just didn’t quite see coming, then there were those that I did predict. I saw the twist of Alex and Terrie coming, but I didn’t quite figure out all of the machinations of how it would work. I also love how their story arc ended. There were so many twists and turns throughout this that I just couldn’t put this story down – I didn’t know what was going to happen from one moment to the next.
I loved how the killer throughout this was manipulated and coerced into some pretty horrifying decisions. And, ultimately, at the core of all of this, it was about the hierarchy of the fae and the abandonment of the changelings. It’s a reminder that issues of abandonment and feeling unloved are universal and always scarring.
Honestly, even a long time after turning the final page of this story, I absolutely cannot stop thinking about this. There is something completely unforgettable about McGuire’s writing that makes me want to constantly devour her writing. And now I can’t wait to get into An Artificial Night.
I adored Issy and Ryan in the main InCryptid series, I mean, they’re both predators, but with vastly different family dynamics, and this shows in their actions. Plus, they go to bat for Verity multiple times, giving her the backup and support that she needs. Which, of course means that when I realised they have a few of their own short stories, I was pretty happy and hooked.
It’s fairly obvious from the beginning of this series that Waheelas are pretty scary and uncomfortable creatures, but this short story shows just how much Issy refrains from acting on her nature. That, and you know, how terrifying their family structure is. I kind of wish there were more moments of Issy beating people up in the bigger series – she’s is incredibly scary and tough.
I love that, although it’s kind of obvious that Issy is trying to scare Ryan out of a relationship with her, he sticks with her instead. He manages to see her for exactly who she is, not some idea of reality, and chooses to love her anyway. To me, this is the perfect indication of true love – understanding all of someone’s past and flaws, and loving them anyway.
I might have loved the creepiness of the Waheela family dynamics. And just this short story in general, but now I really want more Issy and Ryan. Mostly because I can’t wait to find out what a Waheela / Tanuka baby is going to be like…
I read Black as Blood and White as a Raven’s Wing out of order, which kind of gave away a little bit of this short story. But, it was still enjoyable… like everything that McGuirewrites.
I love that this is about Ryan taking Istas home to meet his family, and that they don’t necessarily feel all that friendly towards her and her status and Ryan’s mate. I mean, they are outright cruel and prejudiced against Issy, yet, she is able to overcome this and still maintain her dignity. It’s a little bit too cute. Particularly when it comes down to her final moment with Ryan’s mum in which she is able to win over the day.
Ryan is ridiculously loyal, not just to Istas, but also to his family. I love that Issy understands this, and finds a way to make it work, just so that her partner doesn’t have to choose and have his heart broken. The importance of family seeps from the pages of this story, and I seriously enjoyed reading about such a content couple.
Earth and Skye 