Showing posts with label urban fantasy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label urban fantasy. Show all posts

Numbers Don't Lie Review

Numbers Don't Lie
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Numbers Don't Lie ReviewThis is a collection of the three Wilson Wu stories (first published in Asimov's, 1994-98), gathered into a nice little fixup 'novel'. The first, "The Hole in the Hole" introduces Wu and his Brooklyn pal Irving, as they search for an all-Volvo junkyard -- which, the author notes, really exists (or did) in the real Hole in darkest Brooklyn. Presumably the real Frankie's lacks the periodic incongruent neotopological adjacency (aka the lunar tire-dump) that is the centerpiece of this convoluted and very entertaining tall tale.. Which you may well have already seen -- it was a Hugo nominee, and has been reprinted several times. The other two stories aren't quite up to HOLE -- but they're still pretty darned good. Recommended.
The author's website, terrybisson[dot]com, is well worth a visit, and has several free stories, if you're new to Bisson.
Happy reading--
Peter D. TillmanNumbers Don't Lie Overview

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My Big Fat Supernatural Wedding Review

My Big Fat Supernatural Wedding
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My Big Fat Supernatural Wedding ReviewWhat happens when you combine a wedding with the supernatural? Open the pages of MY BIG FAT SUPERNATURAL WEDDING to see how some of the finest writers answered this question....
MY BIG FAT SUPERNATURAL WEDDING opens with "Spellbound" by L.A. Banks. Odelia Hatfield and Jefferson McCoy are in love and want to get married. However, they are plagued by the hatred stemming from the old Hatfield/McCoy feud over land. See what happens when these two defy family tradition as their families resort to any magical means necessary to stop the wedding.
L.A. Banks is perhaps best known for her Vampire Huntress series so it is surprising to read a story by her without vampires. Ms. Banks twist on the Hatfield/McCoy saga is certainly an unusual one, mixing many elements of spells using roots. Her grasp of the dialect is simply astounding and breathes life into even the secondary characters!
Jim Butcher's "Something Borrowed" features his well-known and much-beloved character, Harry Dresden. Harry, a wizard, is about to be best man for his friend, Billy the werewolf, when he realizes things are awry regarding the bride, Georgia. Harry calls on Lieutenant Murphy, who heads up the Special Investigations Department. Together, they must resolve the matter quickly as lives are once again in danger.
Jim Butcher's Harry Dresden series is a favorite of this reviewer and "Something Borrowed" doesn't disappoint! Mr. Butcher does a fabulous job at allowing Harry's personality to shine through while maintaining the level of action one expects from this series. Besides, who can't help but love a series with an enemy appropriately named Jenny Greenteeth? Jim Butcher delivers once again in this fantastic tale that only serves to remind fans just how much Harry Dresden is loved.
"Dead Man's Chest" by Rachel Caine tells the story of Cecilia Welles and her experience with marriage aboard a pirate ship. Cecilia has doubts about Ian Taylor's wedding plans but who can resist a man who looks like the cover of a romance novel? Cecilia learns a lesson about true love and its amazing power in this pirate's tale.
Rachel Caine fans know always to expect the unexpected with her works and "Dead Man's Chest" is no exception. The twists and turns this tale takes will keep the reader happily flipping the pages while marveling at what a devious mastermind Rachel Caine truly is. You don't have to be a pirate fan to enjoy "Dead Man's Chest" as Rachel Caine is sure to make fans of even those who hate pirate stories with this very creative twist on the theme!
P.N. Elrod's "All Shook Up" revives the mystique of Elvis. Frankie Foster is catering for a huge celebrity wedding when she meets the tribute artist who bears an uncanny resemblance to the long-dead Elvis. What happens when Frankie is "All Shook Up" by this Elvis look-alike?
P.N. Elrod's love for Elvis is very apparent in this clever tribute to the King. One can feel just a bit of the excitement that Elvis must have generated while reading "All Shook Up". Ms. Elrod's entry just oozes with mesmerizing appeal! Resisting the King is not an easy task and Frankie has her work cut out for her in "All Shook Up".
"The Wedding of Wylda Serene" by Esther M. Friesner surrounds the wedding of Wylda Serene at The Club. Unfortunately, The Club has a mythological legacy that tends to create problems every time a major event is scheduled there as supernatural beings have a habit of showing up unannounced. Will things go awry at "The Wedding of Wylda Serene"?
Esther M. Friesner's stories are always a hoot! "The Wedding of Wylda Serene" is a surprisingly strong entry in an anthology packed with many of this reviewer's favorite authors. The deceptively cultured writing voice of the narrator accentuates the sheer outlandish humor and is certain to produce laughter in those appreciative of this style of humor. Esther M. Friesner is a master at creating humor in unlikely places and she demonstrates this fully in "The Wedding of Wylda Serene".
Lori Handeland's "Charmed By The Moon" is yet another addition to her Nightcreature series featuring the Jager-Suchers. "Charmed By The Moon" returns to the story of Jessie McQuade and Will Cadotte (previously in BLUE MOON) and takes place on their wedding day. Jessie is having doubts about the entire concept of marriage when she discovers a love charm. Will and Jessie have to venture back into the unknown to determine if their love is real or if they were simply "Charmed By The Moon".
Lori Handeland is one of the best authors out there at mixing werewolves and romance. "Charmed By The Moon" is a bit of a departure for her as the Jager-Suchers are only briefly mentioned in the story. Instead, Ms. Handeland has crafted a very charming romantic story fused with the paranormal elements with which she does so well. Fans of the series will enjoy revisiting Jessie and Will, but it is not necessary to have read BLUE MOON to enjoy their story here.
"Tacky" by Charlaine Harris demonstrates what happens when a werewolf and a vampire decide to have a wedding. Dahlia Lynley-Chivers explores wedding traditions to help her friend, Taffy, marry the werewolf, Don, despite Dahlia's reservations about vampires and werewolves marrying due to a long-standing animosity between the two races. See what happens in this very non-traditional wedding!
Charlaine Harris has a gift for creating likeable vampires. While the marriage of Taffy and Don is the central focus of the story, Dahlia is actually the main character. Readers will appreciate Dahlia's tough side which contrasts so well with her desire to not be caught in a bridesmaid's dress that is "Tacky".
Sherrilyn Kenyon's "A Hard Day's Night-Searcher" is the story of how Dark-Hunter Rafael Santiago finds his love match. Rafael's Squire, Jeff, has published a thinly-veiled story about the Dark-Hunters and the Council now wants to see him. The Squire, Celena, is sent to collect Jeff but Rafael makes a deal with Celina in exchange for Jeff's freedom. Can Rafael break through the safety barriers erected by Celena?
Sherrilyn Kenyon's Dark-Hunter series is arguably one of the best vampire series in print today. Fans will enjoy this quick visit with the Dark-Hunters. However, the short format lacks the depth Kenyon fans have grown to love and expect from her novels. This is not to say that Ms. Kenyon's story is by any means weak or lacking depth as it is still a very strong entry in the anthology. However, compared to her novels, "A Hard Day's Night-Searcher" pales in comparison and adds little, if anything, to the ongoing series. However, this reviewer holds out hope that this is merely a teaser for a longer format in which more is explored regarding this fascinating couple.
Susan Krinard's "... Or Forever Hold Your Peace" is an alternate reality story set in Victorian England in which magical talents are part of the norm. At the wedding of Lady Emma Wakefield and Lord Edward Parish, a mysterious stranger objects to the wedding- only to drop dead from magical means. Lady Olivia Dowling and Christopher "Kit" Meredith agree to assist when Lady Emma disappears, only to find that supernatural forces are at work.
Susan Krinard's entry actually presents as more of a supernatural mystery than a romance and is a nice change of pace in the anthology. The Talents manifested by the various characters are simply fascinating and Ms. Krinard does an excellent job at tying all of the various story elements together. The surprising twists and turns taken in "... Or Forever Hold Your Peace" keep the suspense level high.
MY BIG FAT SUPERNATURAL WEDDING is a superb compilation by some of the best writers out there. Fans of the genre will enjoy this excellent anthology which teases the reader with tidbits from the various worlds crafted by the authors. MY BIG FAT SUPERNATURAL is an excellent addition to this reviewer's keeper shelf!
COURTESY OF CK2S KWIPS AND KRITIQUESMy Big Fat Supernatural Wedding Overview

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My Big Fat Supernatural Honeymoon Review

My Big Fat Supernatural Honeymoon
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My Big Fat Supernatural Honeymoon ReviewThese are mostly very short short stories and the ones that worked for me out of this collection were the ones where the authors gave little vignettes from their long running series. Which meant that because I already was familiar with the characters they were nice fill-ins. I think that Jim Butcher, P.N. Elrod and Katie MacAllister did the best job of telling their tales in the short space allotted, Armstrong, and Saintcrow's were okay, Lui and Thompson's were near misses. Kittredge's prequel was ambitious for the space but her characters and world have promise.
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*** Kelley Armstrong has her existing characters Clay and Elena on their honeymoon being stalked by a nonpack mutt, and if you know these two at all you know that they are going to relish having a hunt to break up the boredom of their idyllic vacation.
*** Jim Butcher manages to carve out a nice little tale from the rescue of a stolen bride employing a couple of his existing characters and using them and some Norse legends to flesh out Marcone's hired wizard Gard.
***Rachel Caine gives us part two of her pirate tale from My Big Fat Supernatural Wedding, here the formerly cursed pirate and his wench get more than they bargain for on their honeymoon cruise but are saved by an intriguing character, a beautiful but damned pirate at the end of the story.
*** P.N. Elrod's vampire detective tackles finding a missing bridegroom for a mafia princess-bride.
*** Caitlin Kittredge's contribution -- a `dectective' story set in a world where a dark magical world, "The Black" that lies at the fringe of ours --the only connection to the honeymoon theme was that the main characters stay in the honeymoon suite and fall into a mystery involving sacrifices and black magic.
*** Marjorie M. Liu gives a story that is supposed to be a prequel to her Dirk & Steele series. It is a very pre-pre-quel, the story of Lucy Steele awakening to the world of magic.
*** Katie MacAlister's tale is a nice little fill-in to her Dark One's series, and answers the question of what Raphael St. John really was -- because we all wondered.
*** Lilith Saintcrow steps away from the dark side on her honeymoon tale of a vampire hunter and a werewolf who both left the full disclosure until the honeymoon and make their discovery when they find they've landed in vampland for their honeymoon.
*** Ronda Thompson give us a decendent of her cursed historical Wulf's. Here we get a modern bridegroom who gets furry now that he's found his true love but hopes the honeymoon consumation will cure him. Unfortunately it's not that easy and his unsuspecting nature hating bride is about to get up close and personal with a wolf.
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While many of these stories were screaming for more space, I would recommend that you don't cross any of these authors off your list based on their work here. All have popular multibook series and all of us fans can't be wrong in our slavishly keeping them on our 'must buy' lists, so check out their longer works. With this collection of authors there is something for everyone from humorous romance, to darker suspense all with a touch of the paranormal or magic, I've included the first books in their series to help you on your hunt.
Butcher's Dresden Files Storm Front (The Dresden Files, Book 1)
Armstrong's Otherworld Bitten (Women of the Otherworld, Book 1)
Caine's Weather Wardens Ill Wind (Weather Warden, Book 1)
MacAllisters Dark Ones A Girl's Guide to Vampires
Saintcrow's Dante Valentine Working for the Devil
Elrod Vampire FilesBloodlist (Vampire Files, Book 1)
Liu's Dirk & Steele Tiger Eye (Dirk & Steele, Book 1)
Thompson's Wild Wulfs of London The Cursed One (Wild Wulfs of London)
My Big Fat Supernatural Honeymoon Overview

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