This short story jumps around a little bit in timeliness and apace, but it gives this constant sense of a life without hope. Its kind of depressing and sad to read at times. But also enjoyable – who needs happy stories ALL the time?
I like that the ending of this tale is open and full of potential for a future. It might be a bit vague as to which / what future is likely to be chosen, there is still something on the horizon for the lead character.
Louise / Ellen is definitely a character who is going to sink or swim on her own. The way she is able to stand on her own feet and manipulate others makes me think that there’s going to be a lucrative future for her. But still… there is a naivety to her actions that makes me want to know how she goes on her own…
There are a lot of books on my shelves that have some kind of age gap. But, the age gap in this story is definitely a whole lot bigger. Probably because it’s between a college girl and a vampire. So that kind of makes sense. I’ve read a lot of fantasy books that feature this kind of age gap. But, for some reason, in this short story, that just felt slightly… wrong.
I think part of the reason that the age gap and relationship in this story felt wrong was that it felt kind of like the girl was being used. She definitely had feelings for the older vampire, but he didn’t seem to have them for her. It was an interesting story, but I definitely felt bad for the young girl. She even seemed to be aware of the fact that she was just being used to pass the time / decades…
There is so much history that must be seen by an immortal. I too would want to ask a thousand questions. So being constantly told “I forget” would drive me absolutely bonkers. I mean, seriously? So much knowledge, and no chance of having ANY of it shared? Even reading this drove me a little bit nuts…
This is one of those books that I downloaded because it’s on Kobo Plus, and someone in a Facebook group suggested it. Thus, I had absolutely no idea what to expect, and started reading this with absolutely no expectations. And you know what? I kind of loved it. It was funny, quirky and a little off kilter. Plus, it’s adjacently related to a series by Cates that I’m looking forward to diving into… much like the very many, many, many books that are sitting in my TBR.
As someone who has never had to date (I met my SO young and we never actually dated), I have a bit of a fascination with the whole idea and practice of dating. Which meant that, reading about this monster hunter who is just trying to go on a few dates was particularly intriguing. I liked imagining anything and everything that could go wrong (because that was kind of the theme her if I’m being honest). Alright, everything that went wrong here was actually of a paranormal nature, but I can see how some of this would translate to real life situations and difficulties of dating.
From fairly on in the story, it was pretty obvious that Griffin was going to be the male love interest / perfect match up. And the fact that he feels it to, and accidentally sends her on disaster after disaster? Kind of hilarious. Yet, even with being able to predict just who the ultimate love interest is going to be, it was fun reading about how the couple ultimately got there. Plus, there’s a whole heap of interaction with the boss, and the mother… both of whom are also brilliant.
Even though this is a standalone novel, Dating for Monster Hunters does open up a whole new urban fantasy world to explore. I like that it’s got a Van Helsing / monster hunter spin. And that there are all sorts of monsters just introduced within this story – ones that you’ve heard of, some that you haven’t.
This was not a good short story to read when being pregnant and about to give birth. Mostly because it’s dystopian and about the end of life as we know it. And there’s death, and children. And honestly, just writing this review makes me incredibly sad. But that also shows you just how good this story is.
One of the aspects if this that really hit is that, according to this story, the end of days isn’t far away. Rather, it is only in 8 years. And it’s terrifying because I really don’t think it’s that far-fetched of an idea. The way and the how might be vague, but that very vagueness just makes it all that much more terrifying.
I did love this short story, even though it made me cry. I love that it’s about two girls, existing 100 years apart. One telling the story of her life, the other discovering it. And, although it’s not necessarily a happy story, it does highlight the hope and beauty of humanity. Whilst also reminding us of the dangers of our greed and pride.
I absolutely loved this short story. it was absolutely freaking brilliant, and totally unexpected. Every time I thought that the story line would go in one direction, it flipped and went in another. Not always the polar opposite to what I expected, but definitely not in a trajectory that I had anticipated. And I think that it did this about three or four times in not very many pages.
The unpredictableness of this tale is one of the things that I loved. Another aspect was that this was set in a non-binary culture. Instead of there just being two genders (and yes, I recognise that there are many more, but others don’t, and that’s not the rabbit hole to go down today), this story was set in a world that had four genders. Or at least, there were four that I picked up on. It felt a little like there could be a whole lot more flexibility than just those four to be honest.
It might have taken me a little while to get used to the different terms of an and az as gender terms. Actually, the first few times I thought that it was a typo. Which just goes to show how damn ingrained him and her are in our society, and how much work I have to remove my own binary understandings. But, having different terms like in this story is a great way to expand on that idea. A very inclusive and wonderful way to introduce to a new generation that genders and identity are a lot more flexible than some would have you believe.
Gender discussions aside (and I am one who will talk about this all day long), the main story line is about two questions… ‘what is a human?’ and ‘where is the line?’. I love that you start off thinking one group of people and their ideas are the monsters… but by the end of it, you’re really not sure. And even writing this review and seriously thinking about it… I don’t know whether the main character ended up on the side of good, or the side of monsters.
This is one of those collections that I’ve stopped and started multiple times. Because sometimes that’s what I do with a short story collection. And yet, I have enjoyed reading it almost every step of the way. There’s always something fun and interesting about a collection edited by Ellen Datlow.
Vampire stories are one of those things that I’m very much on the fence about. I mean, I often enjoy them. But because of the naughties, they became something that was slightly overdone. Probably one of the reasons this book came in and out of my shelves so much – I enjoyed it but didn’t want to overdo it either.
The stories in this run the gambit of vampire characterisation. Some are classical. Some are romantic. Some are just a little bit bizarre. But every story was fun and worth reading again.
I wanted to like this book a whole lot more than I did. I got through it, just, but it was so “eh” that I really am struggling to even write a review. I’m not sure if it’s because for me, this series has run out of steam. Or the fact that I just wasn’t necessarily in the right headspace to read this book. But all in all, I was disappointed.
I think part of the reason I was so driven to read this is because it rounds out the series. But admittedly I struggled with getting through Battle for the Blood. Again, I wanted to love this more than I did. Maybe it was just that my expectations were too high. After all, the premise is brilliant.
As with all reviews of books I’m not ridiculously into, I’ll keep this review short. I just struggled to feel attached to the characters and didn’t really care what the outcome of the story line was. But it might be amazing for other readers.
Kelley Armstrong is one of those brilliant and wonderful authors that I ca never get enough of. She writes wonderful stories with a strong female lead that is generally sassy and all around enjoyable. High Jinx is no exception to this trend. Kennedy is clever and independent but surrounded by the best kind of support and love. She also undergoes some pretty wonderful growth throughout this duology.
The way things were left off in Cursed Luck, Kennedy and Aiden were right on the cusp of something. But curses and fate got in the way. High Jinx picks up that thread and shows you how much these two are meant to be together. Particularly when Aiden reminds Kennedy that the risk is the decision of both of them. It was so much fun to watch this relationship unfold and grow throughout this book.
As with everything, the challenges and battles Kennedy faces in this are even greater than those in Cursed Luck. I love that Vess and Marius make a bit of an appearance in this story, although it is tangential. Mostly, there are other immortal gods running havoc through everyone’s lives. And, Kennedy has so many less avenues to follow in her attempt to, well, stay alive.
High Jinx is a wonderful, fast paced story. It ties up all of the loose ends from Cursed Luck and gives you a happily ever after vibe. It was a fun and enjoyable adventure. One with horrible families, insane gods and just your general nutty mayhem. I loved every moment of it, and I’m really disappointed that this duology is over. Although, Armstrong did manage to finish it all off perfectly.
I love that the title of this short story is actually the names of the two lead characters. And that they are well-suited to their names. I mean, on the surface. They both definitely have elements of the other within their personalities, but mostly, they are very much like what their names imply.
Dream is seen to be the “perfect” wife, but is also into those activities which are considered unfeminine. I love that although she loves beautiful dresses, she also loves to climb trees and explore in these dresses. It’s a reminder that there is no one way of being a woman.
Contrastingly, Dare is tough and faces a lot of the ridicule for being “too masculine”. In fact, she deals with so much of this nonsense that she decides to effectively escape her life. And enact her revenge on all of those idiots who think that she needs “fixing”. It’s heartbreaking that both the girls experience prejudice in one form or another when they are just existing, but Dare’s constant battles are pretty hard to read about at times.
It was a pretty cute short story this one. I mean, they not only manage to find each other with a heavily implied happily ever after. But they also show that they’ve both been dancing around their interest in each other for years… a very cute little short story. And one I look forward to reading again in the future.
Again, I probably should have read a whole lot more of the Wicked Lovely series before diving into this short story. Since it kind of has a bit of an epilogue feel to the whole series. Yet, even with having pretty much no context to the story, I still thoroughly enjoyed this.
Keenan and Donia are a great couple and definitely a little star crossed. Which is obvious from the moment you meet them both in Wicked Lovely. The fact that they’re finally getting their happily ever after was really nice. And a good way to tidy up what I’m sure are some lingering questions.
Aside from the spoilers and the romance, I love how the fae deal with the reality of humans catching them on camera. And that Donia is the one who stops her court from just going and killing everyone… something that, I feel, is kind of important in many ways. It is also such a creative way to deal with the issues of today and how Big Brother is always watching.
This was a short and sweet story, one that involves happily riding off into the sunset together. On a chilly, wintery night. Way too adorable and sweet.
Earth and Skye 