Highland Beast is a paranormal anthology featuring stories by Hannah Howell, Heather Grothaus and Victoria Dahl. It is similar in feel to last year's Nature of the Beast anthology which also featured a story by Hannah Howell. I reviewed that last October.
All three stories take place in Scotland in the past, all are in the 80-90 page range and all feature vampires. Given those similarities, it is surprising how different the stories felt. They all shared one important thing, though--they were all excellently written.
It's hard to pick out a favorite this time, which is rare in anthologies where the quality usually varies, but if I had to it would be the first one in the book. In "The Beast Within" by Howell, my one quibble is with the hero's name Gybbon. All I can think of is the ape, not really what I want to picture when I am thinking of a romantic hero. Other than that minor issue, the story is wonderful. Gybbon is searching for the Lost Ones who share his MacNachton bloodline when he comes across Alice Boyd who has been running from hunters for years. Both Gybbon and Alice are very strong characters and there was a lot of action and suspense. I'm rating this 8.5 out of 10.
The second story is "The Vampire Hunter" by Heather Grothaus. Beatrix Levenach is a witch who lives in the Scottish highlands where she runs an inn and protects the village from vampies. The villagers come to suspect her of the deaths the vampires are causing and Alder the White comes to her rescue. He's a vampire who can only regain his humanity if he kills Beatrix. This is a very exciting tale, full of non-stop action and a variety of paranormal activity. I'll rate this 8.0 out of 10.
The last story in the collection is "Laird of Midnight" by Dahl which is set in Scotland in 1595. Finlay Maclain is a vampire who has been hunting those vampires who killed his family and he only has one more to take care of. He finds the widow Kenna Graham working at a tavern and she is threatened by his nemesis, Jean. The sexual tension is delicious and the pace never lets up. I enjoyed watching their relationship develop and watching both of them change. I'll rate this one 8.0 out of 10.
Showing posts with label anthology. Show all posts
Showing posts with label anthology. Show all posts
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
It Happened One Night (Anthology)
It Happened One Night features stories by Stephanie Laurens, Mary Balogh, Jacquie D'Alessandro and Candice Hern. I was intrigued when I read the premise behind this collection. All of the novellas have the same basic plot: a couple who haven't seen each other for ten years meet at a inn in the English countryside.
It was surprising to me that each story was so different. They all have the same basic plot, have the same setting and approximately the same historical time period and yet each was unique. Perhaps I shouldn't have been surprised, since these four authors are among the top historical writers, but I was impressed at the quality of the work. Each one was a small gem.
"The Fall of Rogue Gerrard" by Stephanie Laurens made me laugh and "Only You" by Jacquie D'Alessandro brought me to tears twice. "Spellbound" by Mary Balogh had a heroine I adored and the touching From "This Moment On" by Candice Hern featured an older couple. I can't pick a favorite because I liked them all and can't point to notable flaws in any.
I'd rate this 8.0 out of 10 and recommend it to anyone who enjoys English historicals.
It was surprising to me that each story was so different. They all have the same basic plot, have the same setting and approximately the same historical time period and yet each was unique. Perhaps I shouldn't have been surprised, since these four authors are among the top historical writers, but I was impressed at the quality of the work. Each one was a small gem.
"The Fall of Rogue Gerrard" by Stephanie Laurens made me laugh and "Only You" by Jacquie D'Alessandro brought me to tears twice. "Spellbound" by Mary Balogh had a heroine I adored and the touching From "This Moment On" by Candice Hern featured an older couple. I can't pick a favorite because I liked them all and can't point to notable flaws in any.
I'd rate this 8.0 out of 10 and recommend it to anyone who enjoys English historicals.
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Dead After Dark (Anthology)
Dead After Dark includes paranormal stories by Sherrilyn Kenyon, J.R. Ward, Susan Squires and Dianna Love. They offer a good introduction to each author's style, and to different types of paranormal creatures.
My favorite story was The Story of Son by J.R. Ward. It was a very emotional book, with a strong and brave heroine and a vampire hero who has been chained up and locked away since he was a boy. He is quite a change from the usual strong heroes we see and watching him discover hope and love is deeply affecting. Although this story could fit into her Black Dagger Brotherhood world, it is without the wisecracking usual in those books and is simpler, fitting the story length. I think it showcases what Ward does best--get into the head of her characters and let us feel what they feel. I'd rate it 8.5 out of 10.
Sherrilyn Kenyon's story, Shadow of the Moon, was also very good. It is Fury's story and I was glad to see him get his happy ending after such a difficult life. It's a fast-paced story full of action and a lot of the characters we've grown to love, but I wonder if readers who were not familiar with Kenyon's series would be lost. I also did not like the heroine very much, although she did redeem herself in the end. I'd rate it 7.5 out of 10.
The Susan Squires story, Beyond the Night, is a historical paranormal so had quite a different feel to it. The author developed a nicely eerie atmosphere and the main characters were intriguing because they both had so much baggage. It was nice to see the heroine as the vampire, since it is usually the other way around, and it was gratifying to see both characters grow during the story and work out their issues. I'd rate it 7.5 out of 10.
The weakest story in the book is Midnight Kiss Goodbye by Dianna Love. It has a hero and heroine who both have supernatural powers they've been hiding from each other. Once they find out about each other's abilities, it seemed like the story petered out. I found myself more interested in a couple of the secondary characters than in the main characters. I'd rate this story 6.0 out of 10.
My favorite story was The Story of Son by J.R. Ward. It was a very emotional book, with a strong and brave heroine and a vampire hero who has been chained up and locked away since he was a boy. He is quite a change from the usual strong heroes we see and watching him discover hope and love is deeply affecting. Although this story could fit into her Black Dagger Brotherhood world, it is without the wisecracking usual in those books and is simpler, fitting the story length. I think it showcases what Ward does best--get into the head of her characters and let us feel what they feel. I'd rate it 8.5 out of 10.
Sherrilyn Kenyon's story, Shadow of the Moon, was also very good. It is Fury's story and I was glad to see him get his happy ending after such a difficult life. It's a fast-paced story full of action and a lot of the characters we've grown to love, but I wonder if readers who were not familiar with Kenyon's series would be lost. I also did not like the heroine very much, although she did redeem herself in the end. I'd rate it 7.5 out of 10.
The Susan Squires story, Beyond the Night, is a historical paranormal so had quite a different feel to it. The author developed a nicely eerie atmosphere and the main characters were intriguing because they both had so much baggage. It was nice to see the heroine as the vampire, since it is usually the other way around, and it was gratifying to see both characters grow during the story and work out their issues. I'd rate it 7.5 out of 10.
The weakest story in the book is Midnight Kiss Goodbye by Dianna Love. It has a hero and heroine who both have supernatural powers they've been hiding from each other. Once they find out about each other's abilities, it seemed like the story petered out. I found myself more interested in a couple of the secondary characters than in the main characters. I'd rate this story 6.0 out of 10.
Sunday, November 9, 2008
The Magical Christmas Cat (Anthology)
The Magical Christmas Cat anthology contains stories by Lora Leigh, Erin McCarthy, Nalini Singh and Linda Winstead Jones. This has to be one of the most deceptive titles and book covers ever. The cover has a white cat and a snowglobe on it. You'd think at first glance (if you weren't familiar with Singh and Leigh) that it would be perfect for your elderly cat-loving aunt. Well, if she loves graphic steamy sex scenes it would be.
Leigh's story and Singh's story are similar in feel. They are both wonderful and highly recommended. Stroke of Enticement by Nalini Singh takes place in the world of her popular Psy-Changeling series. The hero, Zack, is a sexy wereleopard and the heroine, Annie, is a human teacher. The story is sweet as well as being erotic, and the way Zach courts Annie is heartwarming.
Christmas Heat by Lora Leigh takes place in her Breeds world. The hero, Noble, is a Breed and Haley is a librarian. This is the most graphic story in the book, as you'd expect from Leigh. It is also fast moving and suspenseful. A couple of scenes were real nail-biters. It's a tough choice, but if I had to pick a favorite from this anthology, I'd pick Christmas Heat. I'd rate both of these stories 8.5 out of 10.
McCarthy's story and Jones' story are also similar. They are much sweeter with less suspense than the previous stories. Christmas Bree by Erin McCarthy and Sweet Dreams by Linda Winstead Jones are both enjoyable, light, and well written, but I was just not invested in the characters. It may just be a matter of taste. I prefer stories that are intense, with characters that leap off the page and twists in the plot I can't guess. I would rate both of them 6.0 out of 10.
Leigh's story and Singh's story are similar in feel. They are both wonderful and highly recommended. Stroke of Enticement by Nalini Singh takes place in the world of her popular Psy-Changeling series. The hero, Zack, is a sexy wereleopard and the heroine, Annie, is a human teacher. The story is sweet as well as being erotic, and the way Zach courts Annie is heartwarming.
Christmas Heat by Lora Leigh takes place in her Breeds world. The hero, Noble, is a Breed and Haley is a librarian. This is the most graphic story in the book, as you'd expect from Leigh. It is also fast moving and suspenseful. A couple of scenes were real nail-biters. It's a tough choice, but if I had to pick a favorite from this anthology, I'd pick Christmas Heat. I'd rate both of these stories 8.5 out of 10.
McCarthy's story and Jones' story are also similar. They are much sweeter with less suspense than the previous stories. Christmas Bree by Erin McCarthy and Sweet Dreams by Linda Winstead Jones are both enjoyable, light, and well written, but I was just not invested in the characters. It may just be a matter of taste. I prefer stories that are intense, with characters that leap off the page and twists in the plot I can't guess. I would rate both of them 6.0 out of 10.
Monday, October 13, 2008
Nature of the Beast (Anthology)
Nature of the Beast is an anthology with historical vampire stories by Hannah Howell, Adrienne Basso and Eve Silver. They take place in Scotland, Wales and London and all are about 100 pages long.
Howell's story, "Dark Hero," which takes place in 1512, was fascinating. It featured a hero and heroine who both have their secrets, and their mysterious nature is slowly and masterfully revealed. There is action, emotion and interesting secondary characters, all very well done especially considering the short length of the story. Sometimes novellas feel rushed or like they are missing something, but this feels just right. I'd rate this story 8 out of 10.
Basso's story, "Bride of the Beast," is the weakest of the three, but that doesn't mean it isn't enjoyable. It takes place in Wales in 1220. The heroine is amazingly brave and the hero appropriately tortured, but the characters didn't entirely come alive for me. There is a lot of action and the pace of the story moves right along, but the prose seems stilted at times. I'd rate this story 6.5 out of 10.
Eve Silver's story, "Kiss of the Vampire," takes place in 1839 London, much of it in a hospital for the poor. Silver creates such a dark and dreary atmosphere you can almost hear the moans of the patients in the wards and smell the blood. The story has a somewhat spooky feeling--you know something is going to happen, and you're sure it won't be good! The vampire hero is wonderfully mysterious and honorable and so lonely you will want to comfort him. The heroine is brave and smart and easy to sympathize with. An excellent story and one that will leave you wanting to read more of Silver's work. I'd rate it 8 out of 10.
Howell's story, "Dark Hero," which takes place in 1512, was fascinating. It featured a hero and heroine who both have their secrets, and their mysterious nature is slowly and masterfully revealed. There is action, emotion and interesting secondary characters, all very well done especially considering the short length of the story. Sometimes novellas feel rushed or like they are missing something, but this feels just right. I'd rate this story 8 out of 10.
Basso's story, "Bride of the Beast," is the weakest of the three, but that doesn't mean it isn't enjoyable. It takes place in Wales in 1220. The heroine is amazingly brave and the hero appropriately tortured, but the characters didn't entirely come alive for me. There is a lot of action and the pace of the story moves right along, but the prose seems stilted at times. I'd rate this story 6.5 out of 10.
Eve Silver's story, "Kiss of the Vampire," takes place in 1839 London, much of it in a hospital for the poor. Silver creates such a dark and dreary atmosphere you can almost hear the moans of the patients in the wards and smell the blood. The story has a somewhat spooky feeling--you know something is going to happen, and you're sure it won't be good! The vampire hero is wonderfully mysterious and honorable and so lonely you will want to comfort him. The heroine is brave and smart and easy to sympathize with. An excellent story and one that will leave you wanting to read more of Silver's work. I'd rate it 8 out of 10.
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Dead of Night (Anthology)
Dead of Night includes stories by J.D. Robb, Mary Blayney, Ruth Ryan Langan and Mary Kay McComas. Each story is about 100 pages long. The quality varied a lot, so I'm going to rate each story separately rather than give one rating for the book.
"Eternity in Death" by J.D. Robb features her futuristic Lt. Eve Dallas. Although I found this novella to be well written, I also thought it was very boring. I really had to force myself to finish it. There was little suspense, little humor and the characters didn't come alive for me. If you are a fan of Robb's series, though, you might enjoy this. I'd rate it a 4 out of 10.
The gem of the book for me was Blayney's "Amy and the Earl's Amazing Adventure." It's an English time travel that uses an unusual approach. My attention was riveted from the beginning and I couldn't wait to see what would happen next. It was fresh and original, with great characters and a nice touch of humor. I'd rate it an 8 out of 10 and would probably have rated it higher if it was longer. I'm going to see what else Blayney has written.
The third story, by Langan, is "Timeless." As you can guess from the title, it's another time travel. This one was quite different than Blayney's story, though. It takes place in Scotland in the 15th century and although it is interesting, there is a major problem with the ending. [SPOILER ALERT] I absolutely HATE books where the hero dies and the heroine returns to the present time to find someone very like him (descendant? reincarnation?) Either way it doesn't matter because he is NOT the hero and it ruins the book for me. Therefore, the story rates a 2 out of 10 solely because of the ending. If it had ended differently, I probably would have rated it a 6.5.
The last story is "On the Fringe" by Mary Kay McComas. I was turned off at first because it felt like chicklit, not a genre I enjoy. I really hate whiny women dealing with boring everyday problems. The story did pick up once the magic carpet appeared. I don't remember reading a romance before with a magic carpet and I found this intriguing. It then took on a "It's a Wonderful Life" feel and I did get quite interested. I thought it was original, although I didn't like the characters that much, and I'll rate it a 7 out of 10.
"Eternity in Death" by J.D. Robb features her futuristic Lt. Eve Dallas. Although I found this novella to be well written, I also thought it was very boring. I really had to force myself to finish it. There was little suspense, little humor and the characters didn't come alive for me. If you are a fan of Robb's series, though, you might enjoy this. I'd rate it a 4 out of 10.
The gem of the book for me was Blayney's "Amy and the Earl's Amazing Adventure." It's an English time travel that uses an unusual approach. My attention was riveted from the beginning and I couldn't wait to see what would happen next. It was fresh and original, with great characters and a nice touch of humor. I'd rate it an 8 out of 10 and would probably have rated it higher if it was longer. I'm going to see what else Blayney has written.
The third story, by Langan, is "Timeless." As you can guess from the title, it's another time travel. This one was quite different than Blayney's story, though. It takes place in Scotland in the 15th century and although it is interesting, there is a major problem with the ending. [SPOILER ALERT] I absolutely HATE books where the hero dies and the heroine returns to the present time to find someone very like him (descendant? reincarnation?) Either way it doesn't matter because he is NOT the hero and it ruins the book for me. Therefore, the story rates a 2 out of 10 solely because of the ending. If it had ended differently, I probably would have rated it a 6.5.
The last story is "On the Fringe" by Mary Kay McComas. I was turned off at first because it felt like chicklit, not a genre I enjoy. I really hate whiny women dealing with boring everyday problems. The story did pick up once the magic carpet appeared. I don't remember reading a romance before with a magic carpet and I found this intriguing. It then took on a "It's a Wonderful Life" feel and I did get quite interested. I thought it was original, although I didn't like the characters that much, and I'll rate it a 7 out of 10.
Thursday, September 18, 2008
The Morgue the Merrier (Anthology)
The Morgue the Merrier is a contemporary anthology with stories by Rosemary Laurey, Karen Kelley (2 stories) and Dianne Castell. They all take place in a town called Christmastown during the Christmas season. They do all have helpful ghosts in them but don't really feel like paranormal stories.
A note about rating: The ratings I give the books are only a note to tell me how much I enjoyed the book. They don't reflect how well written I think the books are (though that is a part of it) or how much I think others will enjoy it. I like certain things in a book, such as kick-ass heroines, time travel, companion animals, humor, tortured heroes, and so on, that others may not. A 5 rating reflects a book I think of as average. I usually rate higher because I pick books to read that I think I will enjoy a lot and I'm usually right.
The Morgue the Merrier's stories were all like meringue--sweet but insubstantial. They are a quick read but you're unlikely to remember much about them the next day. They are not bad, they are not great, they are just your average contemporary romance stories with a bit more humor than usual. The one by Rosemary Laurey was marginally better than the others, but they are all quite similar.
I'd rate this book a 5 out of 10. It might be fun if you want to get in the Christmas mood or if you want a light, uncomplicated read.
A note about rating: The ratings I give the books are only a note to tell me how much I enjoyed the book. They don't reflect how well written I think the books are (though that is a part of it) or how much I think others will enjoy it. I like certain things in a book, such as kick-ass heroines, time travel, companion animals, humor, tortured heroes, and so on, that others may not. A 5 rating reflects a book I think of as average. I usually rate higher because I pick books to read that I think I will enjoy a lot and I'm usually right.
The Morgue the Merrier's stories were all like meringue--sweet but insubstantial. They are a quick read but you're unlikely to remember much about them the next day. They are not bad, they are not great, they are just your average contemporary romance stories with a bit more humor than usual. The one by Rosemary Laurey was marginally better than the others, but they are all quite similar.
I'd rate this book a 5 out of 10. It might be fun if you want to get in the Christmas mood or if you want a light, uncomplicated read.
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