Title: Taking Loup Author: Bruce Glassco In: Sirens and Other Daemon Lovers (Ellen Datlow & Terri Windling) Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again) My Bookshelves:Gender, Paranormal fantasy, Werewolves Dates read: 19th May 2020 Pace: Fast Format: Short story Publisher: EOS Year: 1998 5th sentence, 74th page: Sometimes there are bandages on his face, and he claims that he cut himself shaving or fell through a window.
A total gender reversal is occurring in this great short story where women are suddenly the dangers, and men feel scared when they’re alone in the dark…
To be honest, it can be kind of terrifying sometimes to be a woman in the world today. I can only imagine what it would be like for women in the past, for those in a developing country… what I loved about this short story was that it totally flipped all of the expectations of what a women experiences on its head. A total and utter gender reversal.
Gender reversal stories are always something that enjoy and feel pulled in by. After all, they make you re-examine some of the things that you just take for granted. This didn’t do that so much for me, because I’m already aware of how scary that it can be for women… but there have been others which do make me seriously re-examine even the way I think about gender.
I thought that it was somewhat brilliant to use werewolves and the Loup virus to explain the feelings and experiences of women on a daily basis. The use of violence, fear and confusion when the man is talking about his past and future… the iconic moment at the end when he just can’t fall asleep… yeah, it works incredibly well…
In an unseen world that lurks in the sahdows, they roam the night – feral, passioante, and dangerous. And when their world touches ours, a primitive desire takes hold, leaving mere mortals powerless in its wake…
Four of romance’s most intriguing authors have come together to create a mesmerizing anthology – unforgettable tales of vampires, shapeshifters, and werewolves. At the heart of these deeply sensual tales are everyday people facing extraordinary events – men and women thrown together by fate and an irresistible desire. In this world, your eyes can betray you as myth becomes reality, curses are vanquished, and love is the only weapon that can stand in the face of evil. In this world, there is a moment when passion and forbidden desire collide at the… STROKE OF MIDNIGHT
I absolutely adored this sensual, shapeshifting paranormal romance collection. There was just something about it that was completely impossible to put down. That got my heart pumping. That made me want to run to the nearest book shop and buy all the books. And spend days on end just reading. There was just something that made me fall head over heels with this collection.
The stroke of midnight is an eerie point, a tweening time when you’re kind of between times. The four novellas in this collection perfectly reflected that eerie feeling you get when you happen to be conscious at midnight. Not that the things that begin at midnight in this collection are necessarily good… they’re actually kind of concerning and dark. A little worrying. But still… they’re kind of mystical and great.
This entire collection is fantastic. If you like paranormal romance and things that go bump in the night… it’s the collection that you’re going to want to add to your shelves. It’s definitely one that I’m going to want to read again and again.
Novelist Maya Alexander’s peace is shattered when she is stalked by a Navaho skinwalker who has taken on the guise of a wolf. Her only hope is the mysterious Clay Philips. In his arms, she seeks protection-but as the red moon rises, no one is safe from the danger that lurks nearby…
I’m definitely hooked on this series. There is just something about actually having werewolves as the bad guys that is such a great departure from what I typically read. Adding in a skinwalker in this novella just made me fall even harder for this series. Now I just have to find the next book in the series… it’s buried in one of my many piles of books at the moment I believe.
I love that Maya isn’t really considered a typical beauty. There is something I found a bit “eh” about the continuous repetition of a seriously beautiful woman with an average looking man. But, like in Blue Moon, there’s a bit of a reversal here. The woman isn’t someone who thinks that they’re gorgeous. They’re just not quite that supermodel look… which is what most of us are like. So someone with hips slightly too big and a body that isn’t toned because she sits down all the time? Yeah, I can get behind that!
Although this is a great romance in and of itself, it also starts to seriously set up the rest of the series. Now there is a spy within the hunters, and the lead in this gives up his hunting duties to be a cyber hunter… I’m seriously hoping that he is as helpful and awesome as I’m expecting as this amazing series unfolds!
When Lady Shanara Montiori is taken hostage, she learns that the rumors about her captor are true. Lord Reyes is afflicted with the dark curse of the werewolf. Still, Shanara can’t fight the attraction they both feel. Will their love break the curse-or feed its powerful hold?
This is a great little standalone novella. It was easy, a great world, but I wasn’t disappointed when I found out that it was a standalone. There was just something easy, happy and pleasant about this being a standalone. There was enough going on that I couldn’t put the story down. But everything was tied up neatly at the conclusion, unlike some of the novellas that really need to be a part of a greater series.
I liked the whole Romeo and Juliet feel to this story. After all, it’s two people from warring factions, thrust together. Alright, Reyes actually kidnaps Shanara and plans to use her as bait for her father… but it’s still got that whole forbidden love feel to it. Especially when they realise that they’re starting to fall for one another, and regret it seriously since they’re you know… enemies.
One of the things I love the most about this novella is that everything comes full circle. Reyes must deal with a curse placed upon his father. And is seeking revenge for his father’s death. Shanara is the child of the man who is responsible for much of this. It’s quite poetic that the woman who originally causes all of the heartache is also the one who provides the happily ever after.
There is just something about this novella that is sweet, easy and a nice way to end a long day. It’s hard to pinpoint exactly what it was about the story that made me so happy, but I look forward to reading it again in the future to figure out just what it was that I loved so much…
A science professor enters the steamy bayou to find a new species of animal, convinced that its presence is behind the stories of lycanthropy in the region, but finds herself tempted by a legendary creature straight out of her most sensual nightmare…
Werewolf romances are definitely my guilty pleasure. There is just something about them that completely draws me in. And I don’t know why. Werewolves aren’t really supposed to be such a romantic creature… yet, I absolutely lap up any werewolf romance which comes across my lap. Like this novella. I had to actually walk around, watering my gardens with my nose in the book, I just didn’t want to put it down.
Probably one of the things that ridiculously drew me to this story was the fact that Jenny is a scientist. Alright, I’m not hugely into Cryptozoology as a field… although it could be seriously intriguing. But all of her actions? Yup, they’re the activities of a scientist. And there’s also the moral questions that most scientists must face – where is the line that you must draw in inquiry? How far can you go before you’ve gone way too far? The Manhattan Project always comes to mind when I think of this dilemma…
I read this novella just after I finished Dead Girls are Easy, so it was kind of interesting to read a second voodoo story in such a short amount of time. I like that the lycanthropy was a voodoo curse placed on an ancestor because he did the wrong thing. It was certainly a different take on why people becomes lycanthropes, and one that I found enjoyably refreshing.
Title: Blue Moon Author: Lori Handeland Series: Nightcreature #1 Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect) My Bookshelves:Paranormal romance, Urban fantasy, Werewolves Dates read: 5th – 11th January 2020 Pace: Medium Format: Novel Publisher: St. Martin’s Paperbacks Year: 2004 5th sentence, 74th page: I could have savored another cola in the Sportsman, which was what I usually did when I ate there.
By the light of a blue moon, danger prowls – Miniwa, Wisconsin, is under siege, but not by the usual summer tourists. The area’s normally shy wolf population has begun stalking human prey, and their victims have been disappearing…or worse. Something is happening in the woods. Something no one can explain…
and desire is unleashed… Officer Jessie McQuade has seen plenty in her years on the force – but nothing as intriguing as the gorgeous, naked man she encounters while tracking a rogue wolf. Professor Will Cadotte is a Native American activist. He’s also the only man capable of distracting Jessie from her work. And for a cop, distraction – no matter how pleasurable – can be deadly. It’s against Jessie’s better judgement to accept Will’s help in her investigation, yet she soon finds herself doing exactly that – and more. Will’s dark, penetrating eyes see into a part of Jessie’s soul she never knew existed. It’s exhilarating…and terrifying. Now, as a town’s deepest secrets come to light, no one is safe: not friends, lover, or strangers. And as Jessie follows a trail to the shocking truth, she’ll have to decide who she can trust when the moon is full…
Yeah. This book was brilliant. And fun. I could put it down though, which made me happy, because I have a number of other things that I needed to do. Unlike other books which seem to absorb my whole consciousness (they’re sometimes good), this one was always in my mind. But never all consuming. It let me take my time over the book which I normally wouldn’t be able to do. And, taking that extra time made me feel somehow more connected to Jess and Will.
I read a lot of fantasy books, and especially love stories which feature werewolves. This is the first book in a really, really long time that actually featured werewolves as an evil entity. I loved the change. Especially since there is now going to be an entire, evil werewolf army that is now on the loose. Alright, one evil culprit was killed off. But there are going to be so many more… I also didn’t actually guess who the culprit was going to be… which was a whole other level of surprising.
Most stories that you read which feature a romance has a gorgeous woman, and she’s most likely a virgin or just inexperienced. Thank god, Handeland didn’t go down this route. Actually, she kind of went with the flipside. Instead, they’re both experienced (but not in any insane way in either direction). Yet, the woman is the one who is considered plain and way too normal to attract a gorgeous man, which is what Will is. I love that Will’s looks are also his point of insecurity. One of the things that I often see today is the fact that men won’t “settle” for the plainer women in their lives, thinking that they can “get” a supermodel… it was nice that this expectation was completely flipped.
I don’t have much to do with Native American culture. I don’t have many books which feature it, and it’s something that I want to expand on in my shelves. I do have at least one more book that features such a topic (Stormwalker), but it isn’t something that I often come across. I love that alongside the Native American character and rituals, there was also an incredibly intense history of Nazi experimentation and hunting the evils of the world. I seriously can’t wait to see what the future of this series holds!
The holiday season can bring out the beast in anyone – literally! This collection features 15 werewolf tales by an all-star line up.
This is the second collection I’ve read by Charlaine Harrisand Toni L.P. Kelner. And it’s just as good, if not better than the first. Actually, it was probably better. Because I really wasn’t in the mood for the Holiday Season this year. Normally I read all sorts of nice holiday stories. I didn’t want those. But an anthology about werewolves and Christmas? That was perfect for my mood. Especially when some of the stories involve eating Rudolph and Santa.
Christmas seems to be all about the night and the season. Or something about the imagery of it is. And werewolves are almost always pictured with a full moon. The combination of the two actually makes perfect sense. Which was something I’d never thought of before, but now wonder why not. After all, it works so beautifully.
Not only were the themes in this story perfectly paired, but it was also a fantastic mix of series shorts and standalones. I love finding short stories based in established worlds. But it’s also great to sometimes find a standalone that you can really sink your teeth into. If anything, I think I actually preferred a lot of the standalones in this collection, they were the stories which were a little grittier.
Although there was a bit more darkness to this story than a traditional paranormal fantasy tale, it was still quite a light-hearted mix. Even the stories that involved disembowelling well-known Christmas characters were funny and light. Left me with a nice, big smile on my lips at the end of the collection.
Jack has never really found a place to fit in. It’s Christmas Eve and he thinks he might have finally found his own pack. But, an impulsive decision might just be the end of his happiness.
There were three storylines within this short story. And I actually loved all of them. For starters, there was the Christmas Origins story of werewolves. I’ve heard (well, read, but that doesn’t sound as good) a lot of different werewolf origin stories. This is the first that features Christmas and probably the most innocent and sweet of all such origin stories. I really loved it – probably because it was so differently innocent to the normal stories.
Then there was the tale of young Jake. The way in which he finally finds a place to call home. And finally gets an understanding of what it means to be part of a pack. It’s a great little coming of age story as he finally shucks off the pain of his past and finds joy in his new family and future.
Finally, there’s the story of how Jake risked his role in the pack and actually experienced the Christmas spirit. This not only ties in the other two stories, but it also really bought about the Christmas feeling. Not feeling very Christmassy this past season, it was nice to read a short story that actually made me reflect on such a feeling. Plus, then there’s the fact that Jake finds his other form… and that is just absolutely brilliantly!
Nick has ceased to believe in the joys of Santa. But, his little sister still does. So when a bully starts to give him a hard time, he decides that maybe he’ll bring her a little Christmas joy.
For those of us with a younger sibling, we would do almost anything for them. The fact that this is a story about that, and the spirit of giving over Christmas made this an amazing short story. The fact that as I write this review, I found out that it’s part of a greater series just makes me love this that much more. Having said that, this does take a darker spin on sibling relationships and gift giving… well, I’m not going to complain. I love some darkness in my life.
The whole story is about how the boy doesn’t believe in Santa anymore and how he’s really sad that he doesn’t. and he wants his sister to have that same belief that he now misses… that’s quite cute. When you find out what happened to Santa to stop him from believing in it… it becomes less sweet. A whole lot less sweet.
Bullies are always horrifying. One that is on the right track to becoming a sociopath… so much, much worse. But, Nick deals with him perfectly in this. He even gives him multiple chances to change his ways and become a better human being. He doesn’t take them… but at least there’s a sense of fairness before he becomes part of the Christmas festivities.
There’s a rapist and murderer hunting the women of her hometown, and then she gets a flat and realises that she’s next. But the consequences of her escape? She’s probably turned him into a werewolf…
I’m a big fan of werewolf stories. You can probably tell from how many are on my shelves and fill my bookcases. But, one thing that doesn’t tend to happen so often is that if there’s a female werewolf, the male normally is too. Something about not having a woman more powerful than a man or such nonsense I would suppose. But, that’s not the case in this story. The woman is a werewolf, the man she loves a normal human; and ultimately, it’s the woman that saves the day.
This short story centres around a couple reconnecting as they also fight off a rapist. Or at least, try and catch a serial rapist and killer. It’s quite an intense way to reconnect, but I love that ultimately, she gets her revenge on the man who tried to take her. Rather than her being scared, she’s actually actively hunting him down. A great departure from many of the female storylines I normally find.
This short story was yet another reminder of just how much I love Meljean Brook. Her writing always draws you in. Her world building is brilliant. And the characters make you want to reach through the pages and get to know them just a little bit better. The fact that she doesn’t just do this in novels and novellas, but also short stories was a fantastic surprise to my mind.
Earth and Skye 