| Title | : | Kiss Me Deadly: 13 Tales of Paranormal Love |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0762439491 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780762439492 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 430 |
| Publication | : | First published July 27, 2010 |
Kiss Me Deadly: 13 Tales of Paranormal Love Reviews
-
I dropped this book at page 30. -_-
HI GUYS, I'M JEFF THE MEANIE
This book contains a bunch of romantic stories, but really, it was insta-love slapped on top of more insta-love.
So yah, you can't really get an entire, heart wrenching romance scene in 30 pages.
Lesson learned.
The first story had a girl in some sort of dangerous world.
Barely a few PARAGRAPHS in, here comes the hot dude.
Yay.
So for those writers out there, a tip for your paranormal story!
Girl+Boy+strange world= *readers swooning*
YUP, KISS AWAY EVEN THOUGH YOU DON'T KNOW AN F ABOUT EACH OTHER.
I also found that this authors writing was a different style than the one I usually like, so yeah definitely not a plus.
I flipped through it, and to my disappointment, mostly every other story is like this too.
Basically:
1. Girl is lost in mysterious land
2. Boy makes crappy dramatic entrance
3. *Love a first site*
4. AND BAM.
5. Canons explode. Hallelujah. They have found their mates. AND NOW...............CUE THE KISS SCENE.
Yup, hope you enjoy readers. :) -
***SPOILER ALERT!!!***
The Assassin's Apprentice by Michelle Zink - This was actually one of my favorites stories. It deals with vengeance, danger and love. I really hope Ms. Zink will endeavor in creating a series or even a stand-alone about these characters. I'm definitely interested in learning more about them.
Errant by Diana Peterfreund - If you've read Ms. Peterfreund's Rampant, then you'll definitely recognize this world. It's a story about two very different individuals who can find a common ground - their love of a unicorn.
The Spirit Jar by Karen Mahoney - This is the first that I've read by Ms. Mahoney. She's very clever. I loved her witty characters that were snarky and sarcastic (my favorite type). Not to mention any girl with the name Moth gets two thumbs up in my book. The story did feel a little long, but I think Ms. Mahoney used her space wisely.
Lost by Justine Musk - This is also the first time I read anything by Ms. Musk. Sasha is good at finding things. With Haiden's assistance she'll learn to find lost souls. Very beautifully written. But also very sad. I really hope Ms. Musk writes more on this - my interest was definitely piqued.
The Spy Who Never Grew Up by Sarah Rees Brennan - What a fun story. In The Spy Who Never Grew Up, you will be surprised to find that the infamous Peter Pan is a spy. Ashley, who just happens to be one of Wendy's ancestors, comes along for the ride.
Dungeons Of Langeais by Becca Fitzpatrick - This story takes place about 300 years before Patch meets Nora. This is the history between Chauncey and Patch. I really liked this one because you learn of what life in Cheshvan is like. Plus, I'm a big fan of Hush Hush and Crescendo so this one could do no wrong.
Behind the Red Door by Caitlin Kittredge - This is a ghost story. When Jo's best friend dares her to enter a house that is believed to be haunted, Jo can't help but take the dare. There she meets Nicholas whom she falls head over heels for. But Nicholas is not who she thinks and she finds herself in deadly trouble. This one was hands down my favorite. It was very creepy and had some unexpected twists that I did not see coming.
Hare Moon by Carrie Ryan - For fans of Ms. Ryan's previous works The Forest of Hands and Teeth and The Dead-Tossed Waves (like me)... this is a treat, one that will hopefully hold you over until the next book in the series. In Hare Moon you read about Tabitha and Patrick and their forbidden love. Living in separate towns, they meet at the gates to talk and dream of marriage, but when Patrick stops coming around, Tabitha has no other option but to become a nun. Then Patrick returns - claiming that his whole family has perished from an unknown virus. Everyone except him and his little brother. Tabitha takes the chance of hiding him away in the church but we all know what "virus" affects the souls in Ms. Ryan's tales. As always, Ms. Ryan's stories are bittersweet, heartbreaking but so beautifully told. And for those of you who have read her previous novels, then you'll be glad to read more about the detested Sister Tabitha and get insight into what made her the tough and unforgiving woman she is when we first meet her.
Familiar by Michelle Rowen - I really liked this one too. In it Brenda needs to find a familiar (a pet that is used to enhance magic) in order to follow in her mother's footsteps as a successful witch. She picks Owen, a near death kitty - but Owen turns out to be something unexpected. This was the cutest story ever. I really liked Brenda and Owen. There were some swoon-worthy moments in this one.
Fearless by Rachel Vincent - Sadly I haven't read any of Ms. Vincent's books so I wasn't fully understanding of banshees and whatnot. But this was still a good story. It held somewhat of a mystery and I liked how it all resolved.
Vermillion by Daniel Marks - There was a bit too much going on in this one for me to fully enjoy. This happens sometimes with short stories where an author tries to give you too much information and the reader just ends up getting confused. The premise was good though - I like the thought of ghosts having otherworldly missions.
The Hounds of Ulster by Maggie Stiefvater - This story is about faeries! I love Maggie's faeries. Also one of the best stories in the book. This is the story of Sullivan and Bryant. As always, brilliantly told and talk about a shocker ending. One of my faves.
Many Happy Returns by Daniel Waters - This story ties into Mr. Waters' Generation Dead series. I think Mr. Waters poignantly captures one fathers love for his daughter after she is in a car wreck that claims the lives of four teenagers. I teared up over Cal's loss of his beloved daughter Mandy - but even more so at his expectancy of her return. -
Stories are reviewed individually with a wrap up overall after.
"The Assassin's Apprentice" by Michelle Zink
A young girl wishes vengeance on the demon who slew her parents, but is she being aided or hindered by a mysterious young man named Asher? Obviously, not set in her Prophecy of the Sisters books. That said, everything I loved about PotS remains true here. Rose is not an easy person to get along with--too stubborn as she freely admits and Asher is much too secretive to be trustworthy in my opinion. Some of the developments felt more shallow then usual, but as its a short story I forgave quickly. Especially as I liked the ending--it served both their needs perfectly.
"Errant" by Diana Peterfreund
This is set in her Unicorn Hunters Universe, which I haven't read. Gitta arrives at the chateau for the traditional Unicorn Hunt to celebrate Elise's upcoming marriage, but in a household of secrets no one wants what they say they want. This didn't read like a short story to me, it read more like a novel. The pacing wasn't rushed, the two characters who meant something--Gitta and Elise--were both well developed and quite a bit happened in the relatively few pages. The 'love' in this story is less of a romantic nature and more of kindred spirits I think.
"The Spirit Jar" by Karen Mahoney
This a direct sequel to her short story from The Eternal Kiss called "Falling to Ash", so I suggest you read that first before reading this. Moth's story in The Eternal Kiss intrigued me, but there was a lot of developmental problems that gave me pause. Not so in here. Moth is a year older, a year wiser and year more desperate to get away from her Maker Theo. Except Theo is hellbent on keeping her and his latest impossible mission only gets more complicated when she meets a not quite human boy named Adam. Oh I loved this story. I really, really did. Moth's struggle to retain pieces of her mortal life, to keep herself together, are bittersweet. She's kind of like the Little Engine that Could "I think I can I think I can" is her mantra. The complication presented by Adam was intriguing and gave us a chance to see Moth shine--her reluctant use of her 'vampire'-ness, urge to keep helping Adam, thoughts of Jason (from "Falling to Ash")...I hope to see more of Moth in the future.
"Lost" by Justine Musk
I haven't read Musk before, though I feel as if I should now. By the end of the story it becomes apparent what this is meant to be a re-imagining of (it ruins the surprise if I say so now). Sasha finds things, but since her best friend Josh's accident she's felt so lost. An enigmatic stranger who seems to know her holds the key to helping her regain herself--but his price may be too steep. I loved the twist, though I would have preferred if more time had spent on the relationship between Sasha and Haiden.
"The Spy Who Never Grew Up" by Sarah Rees Brennan
If the title doesn't give you an idea of who has a starring role here let me tell you--Peter Pan. But not the Pan you may know. Beautiful and dangerous, Peter works for Her Majesty as her top level spy, but he's still the little boy who never wanted to grow up. This was a kind of chilling story actually, despite the light-hearted tone. Peter Pan was always one of those books that gave me chills, but Brennan's Pan is creepifying; he's kind of grown up, but still retains his baby teeth for instance. And the deal he strikes with Her Maj is...wrong, on so many levels. But I really did enjoy it however.
"Behind the Red Door" by Caitlin Kittredge
A dare from her friends sparks a meeting between Jo and the ghost of Ash House. A kindred spirit (ha) who she spends all her time with, but does he really love her or is she living in a dream? This story was so many things. Part accepting changes in your life and part finding your place in the world, I wasn't certain where it was heading until it became glaringly obvious. I liked it, how the story was broken into parts based on the month, pulling snippets from Jo's life. I was sad for her though in the end.
"Hare Moon" by Carrie Ryan
Sister Tabitha from Forest of Hands and Teeth is the focus of this story, set during her girlhood years when she first joined the Sisterhood. Its a story about duty, love and devotion--what's more important, your selfish wants or the betterment of the whole? I enjoyed this story because it helped me understand better where Sister Tabitha was coming from in Forest. She understood, perhaps better than anyone else, what Mary was going through; the need for freedom and to see the 'world', the constricting nature of their village. How one simple choice is all that it takes to tear down generations of protection.
"Familiar" by Michelle Rowan
This was a nice story about a witch-in-training, her bad luck in choosing a familiar and the boy she accidentally bonded with. I'm rather neutral on this because I'm not a big fan of finding real emotions after magically fabricated ones, but on the bright side I liked that Owen was a werecat of all shapes and sizes!
"Fearless" by Rachel Vincent
Set in her Soul Screamers universe, this is a story about Sabine, a mara who's stuck in the Texas Juvenile Correctional Program. A mara is basically a supernatural creature that feeds off the nightmares and fears of others. This mara in particular has a connection to Nash and the story is set before Nash meets Kaylee by about 2 years (in fact Tod is still alive). This is a pre-cursor to what we can expect in the fourth book My Soul to Steal pretty much. A very ominous pre-cursor since Sabine doesn't seem like the type to say 'lol it was 2 years ago so I understand'. Let me just say the more I read about Nash the less I am liking him. Sabine however is going to be a fun, intriguing character and it makes me want My Soul to Steal now.
"Vermillion" by Daniel Marks
Velvet and Nick are sent on a mission to help out in Vermilion to track down a rogue spirit wreaking havoc in the mortal realm. And that's when things get weird. I really enjoyed this story! At first I wasn't certain, because the background of the story is told in a confusing way, but I really got into it. I liked that spirits have to cover themselves in ash while in Purgatory. That there is a Purgatory and its not terribly different from the mortal world. I really liked Velvet and Nick and hope to see more of them in the future.
"The Hounds of Ulster" by Maggie Stiefvater
Bryant and Sullivan were going to be Irish Punk Gods that ruled the world. Until She came along and ruined what they had together. I spent a lot of time wondering at Bryant's gender in this story--which is ridiculous because it didn't really matter one way or the other, but I was really really curious. At the end of the story we find out definitively. Bryant says, at the beginning of the story, that its Sullivan's story. The story of how the two of them joined the seisun at Mullen's Pub, their dreams and aspirations, of what happened when They got involved. Or who Bryant thought was Them. Interwoven throughout is the story of Cu Chulainn, the Hound of Ulster, and his rages that made him a legend. This story was so wistful and sad and I wanted so badly for them to achieve their goals.
"Many Happy Returns" by Daniel Waters
This ties in with Waters "Generation Dead" series. It should be known that the "Generation Dead" novels make me cry more often than not. This story is no different. After an accident claimed the lives of 4 teenagers (and left another comatose), the town grieves and tries to move forward. Cal, who's daughter Mandy was in the van, watches the other parents and their reactions to the knowledge that their kids may return. Its heart-breaking for a child to die, but I think its worse to have the hope they may come back and if they don't, what do you do? I cried the hardest though because of Jake's younger brother Andy who missed his big brother so much and made him his favorite breakfast every day just in case he came back. Its making me cry now and I finished the story hours ago.
"TBA" by Becca Fitzpatrick
As I received this as an ARC, which did not have Becca's story in it, I can't comment on this one. Once my finished copy arrives I will revise this review to reflect how I feel.
Like The Eternal Kiss anthology, a lot of the stories (the ones not tied in with larger universes) made me want more. Daniel Marks' story for instance or Justine Musk's. This is why I like anthologies--it gives me a chance to read authors I haven't read before (this is also the curse, because now I want more). I appreciated both Rachel Vincent's and Carrie Ryan's stories for the fact they offered insight into their respective universes. This one felt more overtly romantic Eternal Kiss however. I certainly hope there will be another anthology of this nature soon! -
Este es un libro con compilaciones o extras de libros de historias de amor paranormales entre ellos el amor en la serie de hush hush.
Lamentablemente no e podido conseguirme el libro completo pero e podido leer la historia que mas me interesaba leer que es LOS CALABOSOS DE LANGEAIS que vendría siendo el #0.5 en la historia de hush hush.
En esta historia no se trata de la historia principal del romance de patch y Nora, pero si que sale patch. En esta corta historia podemos ver un poco mas del pasado oscuro de patch y descubrimos mas de chauncey, ademas que podemos comprender un poco mas porque es el odio de este personaje ( no tan solo por lo obvio que es el jeshvan). Esta historia se remonta hace 300 años atras, como les e dicho antes dandonos un vistaso al pasado oscuro de patch por sierto SI QUE A CAMBIADO GRACIAS AL AMOR DE NORA.
Lo recomiendo mucho ya que podemos ver mucho mas de patch y comprender tambien a chauncey (se que lo tenemos que odiar pero su historia me a parecido mas interesante, es un buen personaje, bien construido).
Ademas de rondar lo que ya les e comentado igual podemos entender mejor los efectos que tiene el jeshvan en los poseídos, eso me a parecido mas interesante aún.
Es cortito asi que es una buena lectura después de una un poco mas pesada. -
I'm glad to be done with this, if only to get Lita Ford out of my head.
Maggie Stiefvater's contribution was easily the best in the book, and I only wish the other authors had written to her standard. Oh well. I do recommend that Daniel Marks stop writing female characters until he can come up with a motivation that doesn't involve sexual jealousy. It's like a whole story with the sole purpose of failing the Bechdel test. -
A collection of stories, some better than the others. Although all concern the para/super/unnatural, not all of them relate to romantic love, or even love in general.
Michelle Zink, "The Assassin's Apprentice." Clunkily written, with poorly developed characters, a mere sketch of a romance, and sprinkled with malapropisms(ex: "They moved silently through the shadows of our world, doing their duty without worldly aplomb or association.")
Diana Peterfreund, "Errant." Marvelous. In medieval France, a unicorn hunter negotiates with a family to stage a traditional unicorn hunt. Fantastic characterization done entirely through the details and choices of their lives, complex relationships and moral decisions. Not sure why this is in a paranormal love collection, though, because by the end of the story Gitta and Elise are friends and haven't even had a thought about romance.
Karen Mahoney, "The Spirit Jar." A fairly new vampire helps a half-djinn free the soul of his dead ex-girlfriend. I liked all of the characters, and the action was well written. This seems to be part of a larger series--I'll try to track it down.
Justine Musk, "Lost." Once I figured out what was going on, I wanted this to have been spookier and tinged with more sadness. I wish the main character had had a few more qualms.
Sarah Rees Brennan, "The Spy Who Never Grew Up." Peter Pan becomes a secret agent, and eventually gets Wendy's descendent to help him on his spy missions. Fabulous, a bit dizzying, very funny--all the things I've learned to expect from Brennan.
Becca Fitzpatrick, "Dungeons of Langeais." An angel tortured a young duc into swearing fealty, and ever since has possessed him once a year for the last two centuries. The duc has discovered that the angel loves a woman, and uses her to bargain for his freedom. I have no idea who I was supposed to find sympathetic in this story, nor do I really know what happened. It's clearly part of a larger tale, and without knowing it this short story is basically unintelligible.
Caitlin Kittredge, "Behind the Red Door." A punk teen in a small town finds love in a haunted house. Creepy, spooky, twisty. Great imagery, very believable characters. Totally pulled me in!
Carrie Ryan, "Hare Moon." In the world of the Forest of Hands and Teeth, a young woman has to choose between duty to her village and her love for an outsider. I liked this much better than Ryan's books, actually.
Michelle Rowen, "Familiar." A witch-in-training picks a kitten to be her familiar, only to find out the kitten is really a hottie shapeshifter on the run. So boring I couldn't finish it.
Rachel Vincent, "Fearless." A foster girl is annoyed to be sent to a group home, but horrified when she realizes that none of the other girls are afraid of anything. Sabine is a mara that feeds on nightmares, and without them she'll starve.
Daniel Marks, "Vermillion." Am I supposed to like Velvet and Nick? They seem awful. As soon as they meet Amie they're calling her schizophrenic and making fun of her large ears. When Amie compliments Velvet's hairstyle, Velvet internally guffaws and makes yet more jokes about Amies gigantic ears. Then they start talking about their favorite foods:"The barbecue pork with hot mustard was my favorite." Nick's eyes rolled into the back of his head as he searched for the pleasurable memory.
Sooo that was horrible. It's rapidly followed by lots of talk about how slutty Amie is (I started counting the number of times she's called a slut and literally lost count) and fat jokes.
"Fried chicken feet at Uncle's Dim Sum." Amie added, trying to join in.
Velvet startled, her mouth agape. "Chicken's feet?"
"Oh yeah, they're so delicious...and so crunchy. You could just suck the skin right off the bone..."
The girl continued to wax nostalgic about her disturbing meal, while Velvet glanced at Nick, happy to see that his face was as sour as hers. Uncle's Dim Sum must have been a mental institution. Maybe Amie just thought it was a Chinese restaurant...She glanced back at Amie and noticed that, at some point during the exchange, she'd stopped talking about gross things that weren't actually food and was staring directly at the two of them.
Maggie Stiefvater, "The Hounds of Ulster." Overly stylized and the narrator's descriptions of their music are too precious. That said,
Daniel Waters, "Many Happy Returns." Not a good writer, ex: "He yelled orders, people moved. Cal Wilson was running. Mike moved. Other than she-of-the-fluttering-eyelids, none of the other bodies on the ground had moved.
Cal Wilson ran over too." Uh, yeah, I got that he ran over, thanks. Although the writing and tense choices are clunky, I actually quite liked this story, about a grieving father and his daughter's zombie boyfriend coming together. -
Para mi gusto es una historia prescindible.
Esta novela nos habla de Chauncey que si no recuerdo mal sale en el primer libro. Nos habla de su pasado haciendo que puedas entenderle un poco más.
Poco más que decir sobre este libro.
¡Que tengáis buenas lecturas! -
Story reviewed "Dungeons of Langeais - A Hush, Hush Story"
A short story that takes place 300 years before the events of Hush, Hush. It focuses on Chauncey Langeais and what he endures every Cheshvan. He focuses all his time on thinking of ways to prevent the possession that occurs every year. He doesn't succeed.
I felt sorry for Chauncey and hated Patch in this story. Chauncey realized too late that he truly cared for Elyce. -
The Assasin's Apprentice - Michelle Zink
One of those Warrior Angel stories mingled with a girly who is super smart and talks like she lives in the past but I figure its the future.
Was hard to follow the plot and the romance felt rushed but I guess it has to when its a short story.
I left the story feeling unsatisfied.
2 Stars
Errant - Diana Peterfreund
An interesting take on killer mean blood thirsty marly ugly unicorns. I guess that's how everyone is doing unicorns now-a-days.
Set in a far off time where people pluck their eye brows. THe main character reminded me of a kick ass Joan of Arc unicorn whisper who has to train a Princess Bride Buttercup before she gets hitched.
Not too much romance that you want to cheer about but it's full of girl power, friendship, and a great plug for "Be Kind to mythical Animals" week.
3 Stars
The Spirit Jar - Karen Mahoney
An American vampire hops the pond to go get a big old dusty book that her boss man wants. While there she meets a boy who is going all emo because his girlfriend died by a dude that confused me. (Seriously, they called him so many names that I thought he was 3 people)
Not much romance but there is a kiss that might sate you. It's unnecessary, though.
And the girly starts out cute but becomes all Crow Part 2 at the end. Not a bad story but jumped around too much for me.
3 Stars
Lost - Justine Musk
I really enjoyed this story about a girl who had a special talent for finding lost objects and a mystery man who wanted to show her the full use of her talent. Very interesting. This short story could be a novel and I honestly didn't want it to end. And when the end came I wanted to know what would happen next. I definately am interested in reading other stories by this author. Well done!
5 Stars
The Spy Who Never Grew Up - Sarah Rees Brennan
A sort of modern retelling of Peter Pan meets James Bond that is told like a bed time story. I thought the idea was a good one, the way it was told was unique, but the whole story just bored me to tears. The romance if there was any was forced. The whole "First one with a tongue" just seemed unnecessary and added just to be in this collection. While I love and yearn for a modern day Peter Pan this wasn't what I had in mind.
2 Stars -
The Assassin's Apprentice By Michelle Zink
Interesting!! I would read this if it were a longer book, filled with more of the demon hunting adventures! The romance was too rushed, but it is a short story, so...kinda expected right?
Errant by Diana Peterfreund
Unicorns! This wasn't really a romance story, but it had unicorns so it was good.
The Spirit Jar by Karen Mahoney
I didn't get into this one much, I skipped through it mostly. Done with vampires I swear...
Lost by Justine Musk
Cute story based on greek mythology. Pretty sad at the end though.
The Spy Who Never Grew Up by Sarah Rees Brennan
Peter Pan being a spy for the queen? Hilarious. And that kiss! I couldn't stop laughing. I loved, "Milk, warm, not hot."
Dungeons of Langeais by Becca Fitzpatrick
History of Patch and Chauncey...good writing, although I really am starting to hate patch.
Behind the Red Door by Caitlin Kittredge
What a creepy story. I was surprised. Lots of twists in this one.
Hare Moon by Carrie Ryan
I have already read this one before so I skipped it. Real good though.
Familiar By Michelle Rowen
Hands down my favorite!!! So cute!
Fearless by Rachel Vincent
Story of Nash and Sabine back in the days...of course I am getting real mad at Nash lately, so I didnt enjoy this one that much..
Vermillion By Daniel Marks
eh.
Hounds of Ulster By Maggie Stiefvater
Def full of maggieness
And Finally I havent read any of the generation dead novels, but this short story was awesome, I cant wait to read the novels now. -
Esta es la precuela del primer libro de Hush Hush y tengo que decir que conocer acerca de la historia de Chauncey y la relación que tiene con el ángel caído y el odio que tiene por él y que lo vemos después reflejado en el primer libro de esta saga, me hizo entender porqué razones él hizo lo que hizo y todo lo que conllevó a ello.
Es un libro que complementa el primero y nos hace ver más acerca del personaje y qué es lo que lo conecta con nuestros protagonista durante la saga. -
oof this was painful
THE ASSASSIN'S APPRENTICE | MICHELLE ZINK | LIKE
After her family is murdered by a demon, Descendant Rose vows to slay their killer and finds the help of an Apprentice Assassin. Yeah, there was insta-love in this one, but I expected it, and it didn't dampen the high stakes.
ERRANT | DIANA PETERFREUND | LIKE
Unicorn hunter Gitta and Lady Elise de Commarque learn they have more in common than expected when the de Commarque house plans a unicorn hunt to honour Elise's upcoming nuptials. A different take on the ethereal unicorns of legend with a feminist kick.
THE SPIRIT JAR | KAREN MAHONEY | LIKE
Young vampire Moth arrives in London to steal a sacred Arabic text only to realize someone else has their eyes on it for much more personal reasons. I'm close to declaring one too many stretches-of-the-imagination required to allow this story into existence (yes, I know, it's a vampire book) but it was fun romp about regardless.
LOST | JUSTINE MUSK | DISLIKE
A mysterious man named Haiden appears in Sasha's life in this new take on the Greek myth of Persephone and Hades. Haiden was too creepy and Sasha made one dumb decision after another around a man she knows nothing about for me to enjoy a single aspect of this book. Way to not enforce "Stranger Danger."
THE SPY WHO NEVER GREW UP | SARAH REES BRENNAN | DISLIKE
Peter Pan is grown up (even though he won't admit it) and a spy for the Queen in this short story. OMG, I have no clue what I just read. Peter is terrifying and creepy in one, even while Rees Breenan makes attempts at painting him as oddly charming. I want to forget this ever existed.
DUNGEONS OF LANGEAIS | BECCA FITZPATRICK | N/A
I have no interest in the Hush, Hush series. I skimmed some of this and it made no sense to me.
BEHIND THE RED DOOR | CAITLYN KITTREDGE | LIKE
When Jo Ryan becomes fascinated with the abandoned house at the end of her street, things turn deadly. This story starts r-e-a-a-l-l-y slow, to the point that I didn't like it for awhile. Once it picks up, Kittredge sets an eerie scene and I was wholly captivated.
HARE MOON | CARRIE RYAN | LIKE
In a world nearly overtaken by the Unconsecrated, Tabitha's cravings for adventure threatens the very foundations of her small village. The world in this story is fully-rounded and captivating, with a determined heroine who takes hold of the page from the first word.
FAMILIAR | MICHELLE ROWAN | LIKE
When Brenda finally chooses her witch familiar, a runty kitten, she doesn't expect it to a shape-shifter hiding a big secret. This story was entertaining, but the writing left a bit to be desired, with quite a bit of telling and corny dialogue.
FEARLESS | RACHEL VINCENT | N/A
Even though I've read the Soul Screamers series, which this short story is related to, I don't quite feel like diving back into the world right now. I do recall enjoy my first read of FEARLESS though.
VERMILLION | DANIEL MARKS | DISLIKE
Ghosts (and couple) Velvet and Nick are called in to deal with a rogue Undertaker. I didn't understand a lot of this short story. I'm not sure if Velvet and Nick even *were* ghosts, or if they were something a little bit other. There was a lot of slut-shaming, too, and women-hating that made this incredibly painful to read.
THE HOUNDS OF ULSTER | MAGGIE STIEFVATER | LIKE
Bryant recounts the story of friend Patrick Sullivan, and an encounter with Them. Ahh, I really like this story, especially that ending.
MANY HAPPY RETURNS | DANIEL WATERS | LIKE
After five teens are in a fatal car crash, their parents wait to see if any of them will Return, uncertain if this is even the better option. For a zombie book, this story had a surprising amount of heart. -
Oh, my gourd... this was not good. With an overall rating like that, yeah, maybe I should've known better. And sure, it was published way back in 2010 and I'm only familiar with two of the thirteen authors (I suppose that means they stood the test of time), but I reasoned that I like Dark Shadows and that's chock full of paranormal romance. And paranormal romance was my jam once upon a time. Let's dust off the sub-genre, glass half full, shall we? I'm not even sure how to describe the stories... they went on forever and still didn't feel fleshed out. Pretty sure I said way back when that YA has the shelf life of a dairy product and those from my adolescence (God, did that make me feel old) embody this sentiment. Only one had me interested (a unicorn trainer meets a pampered royal-adjacent girl and lesbian vibes abound), and while several had promise (a Hades and Persephone retelling plus a Peter Pan meets James Bond tale-this one is the straw that 'bout broke the camel's back. Non-spoilery rant here, but Peter's physical description was inconsistent. First he's a boy, then in Ashley's- she felt like a self-insert- room, he's suddenly a hot teen. And the cornball humor. Ex. while at a bar next to Ivana-a Russian rival spy because duh- she orders a martini "Shaken, not stirred", Peter says "Milk. warm, not hot." Ok...), they wound up reading like bad fanfiction. Perhaps these are more in line with urban fantasy, and if you look at the mini author bios in the back, a majority of these authors went on to write in that sub-genre. Writing books I've never heard of and never heard mentioned in passing. But that doesn't mean they didn't have success. And my one star just proves art is subjective. I looked at my real world shelves, checking the publication dates on the YA books I've kept, and none go back further than 2014 (Save for Mara Dyer and A Great and Terrible trilogy). This would've been middle school me's cup of tea. But this was published when I was a sophomore in high school so... pretty sure I wouldn't have even picked it up upon its initial release. And now, I'm nervous to read The Eternal Kiss anthology... although, that one is strictly vampires and is rated much higher. Save that indecision for another day.
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I came at this one with two minds. KISS ME DEADLY has been sitting on my review shelf for far too long and I remember when I initially took it on it sounded really interesting and just dark enough that I thought I would enjoy it. When I picked it up to read a few weeks ago, I asked myself, "what the hell was I thinking?" PNR? ME? Do I know me right now? I try to stay as far away from PNR as I can right now. I don't do romance as a default, PNR especially because not only does it not interest me but the stuff I've come across . . . not good. But I said I'd review it so I read it. And loved it.
SHUT UP!
Small doses, people. Small doses. I think that's what really does it. Each story is at most 50 to 60 pages long so there isn't time enough to dwell on the romance. It's shit or get off the pot territory and there were really only a couple that I was less than thrilled with. The rest I was like "Yeah!" Now don't expect me to run out and start gobbling PNR. Not going to happen. But KISS ME DEADLY was a good foray into the genre for someone like me that would rather run away screaming. Telep did an excellent job of compiling a variety of stories that focused on all aspects of paranormal love, from the sweet to the sinister, the light to the dark. There is literally something for everyone and more than one of the stories got this book blogger's black heart beating again.
Here are my thoughts on each individual story -
THE ASSASSIN'S APPRENTICE by Michelle Zink - I think this might have been the precursor to A TEMPTATION OF ANGELS that just released this month. The time period for the story was maybe a day so it's more of an insta-love that I really try to veer away from. It was okay but like AToA it didn't really blow me away.
ERRANT by Diana Peterfeund - aka I need to read more Diana Peterfreund. Nasty unicorns and the warrior virgins that hunt them. Yes. Dementing more classical creatures. Yes. There wasn't anything not good about this one.
THE SPIRIT JAR by Karen Mahoney - An excellent premise but had me questioning why the MC was a vampire because it wasn't really relevant to the story. It was all about the boy's love to his dead girlfriend which was actually really sweet. It was refreshing.
LOST by Justine Musk - A great retelling of Persephone and Hades just with a choice. Brings in reincarnation and opening doorways to other worlds. The love aspect was kind of weird but not off-putting. Just an odd set-up.
THE SPY WHO NEVER GREW UP by Sarah Rees Brennan - This one was more about demented love and, of course, this demented chick really liked it. Granted I found Peter wholly annoying but the twist Brennan gave on Peter Pan darkened it enough for me to get invested.
DUNGEONS OF LANGEAIS by Becca Fitzpatrick - I didn't really get the context because it's a HUSH, HUSH story but removed from that, it's another demented love tale that brought me in. I couldn't help but think of whore complex, though, when it came to the MC's lover so that kind of tampered it. Neat premise despite some awkward elements but it was dark enough for me to like.
BEHIND THE RED DOOR by Caitlin Kittredge - This one was my absolutely favorite. Screw PNR. It was totally YA horror and showed succubus love for what it really was (not literally, no succubus in this one). It was dark and scary with the right amount of light at the end. I need to read more Caitlin Kittredge.
HARE MOON by Carrie Ryan - A FoHaT story, it's context was much easier to grab as the world was more familiar to me. The best part was the religious brainwashing and what can happen when one strays off the path. Yeah it can be read as love being a downfall and that is partly it. But I think it goes beyond that, maybe even a little bit of a satire, a comment on it all. I liked the ending especially.
FAMILIAR by Michelle Rowan - This one was sweet but a little too sickly sweet for me. It was cutesy in the sense that this is the type of PNR I stay away from. They're super hooked on each other at the end and kind of just had me going, "yup, moving on."
FEARLESS by Rachel Vincent - Another awesome one. Again super dark, a girl who needs to feed on people's fears to survive gets to know what it feels like on the other side of the wall. Boyfriend rescuing going on but I was okay with it. It rounded out the strength of the story nicely.
VERMILLION by Daniel Marks - A story from the other side, Purgatory, it was kind of odd but not necessarily in a bad way. There were confusing elements about it that all ended up being part of the greater plot. And I liked the Hulk-Smash ending. The crazy things people do for love!
THE HOUNDS OF ULSTER by Maggie Stiefvater - The first piece I've read by her where the character actually sounds like what I'd think the character sounds like instead of her writing the character in her own author voice. I have to say, I enjoyed it. Of course it's faeire-centric but I was just so floored that the MC sounded genuine that I didn't want to stop reading. I may have the courage to tap into her later books. Maybe.
MANY HAPPY RETURNS by Daniel Waters - I wasn't a GENERATION DEAD fan (far too preachy) but this was a good snippet into the world. Told from the POV of a girl's father so it was a nice departure from the rest. It really hit me because it's about the love of a father for his daughter and I'm totally a daddy's girl. So yeah, I liked it.
Overall an excellent selection. Even if you're not a PNR fan (Hi! Have you met me???) I still think you'd find something you liked in KISS ME DEADLY. The stories are just so varied and come at the topic from so many angles that if you don't find at least one you like you might just be dead on the inside. -
First things first, from the moment I heard of this book I could not help but salivate over it just at the thought of so many of my favorite authors all within the same book. Here is a quick synopsis of the stories inside:
The Assassin's Apprentice by Michelle Zink - This was actually one of my favorites stories. It deals with vengeance, danger and love. I really hope Ms. Zink will endeavor in creating a series or even a stand-alone about these characters. I'm definitely interested in learning more about them.
Errant by Diana Peterfreund - If you've read Ms. Peterfreund's Rampant, then you'll definitely recognize this world. It's a story about two very different individuals who can find a common ground - their love of a unicorn.
The Spirit Jar by Karen Mahoney - This is the first that I've read by Ms. Mahoney. She's very clever. I loved her witty characters that were snarky and sarcastic (my favorite type). Not to mention any girl with the name Moth gets two thumbs up in my book. The story did feel a little long, but I think Ms. Mahoney used her space wisely.
Lost by Justine Musk - This is also the first time I read anything by Ms. Musk. Sasha is good at finding things. With Haiden's assistance she'll learn to find lost souls. Very beautifully written. But also very sad. I really hope Ms. Musk writes more on this - my interest was definitely piqued.
The Spy Who Never Grew Up by Sarah Rees Brennan - What a fun story. In The Spy Who Never Grew Up, you will be surprised to find that the infamous Peter Pan is a spy. Ashley, who just happens to be one of Wendy's ancestors, comes along for the ride.
Dungeons Of Langeais by Becca Fitzpatrick - This story takes place about 300 years before Patch meets Nora. This is the history between Chauncey and Patch. I really liked this one because you learn of what life in Cheshvan is like. Plus, I'm a big fan of Hush Hush and Crescendo so this one could do no wrong.
Behind the Red Door by Caitlin Kittredge - This is a ghost story. When Jo's best friend dares her to enter a house that is believed to be haunted, Jo can't help but take the dare. There she meets Nicholas whom she falls head over heels for. But Nicholas is not who she thinks and she finds herself in deadly trouble. This one was hands down my favorite. It was very creepy and had some unexpected twists that I did not see coming.
Hare Moon by Carrie Ryan - For fans of Ms. Ryan's previous works The Forest of Hands and Teeth and The Dead-Tossed Waves (like me)... this is a treat, one that will hopefully hold you over until the next book in the series. In Hare Moon you read about Tabitha and Patrick and their forbidden love. Living in separate towns, they meet at the gates to talk and dream of marriage, but when Patrick stops coming around, Tabitha has no other option but to become a nun. Then Patrick returns - claiming that his whole family has perished from an unknown virus. Everyone except him and his little brother. Tabitha takes the chance of hiding him away in the church but we all know what "virus" affects the souls in Ms. Ryan's tales. As always, Ms. Ryan's stories are bittersweet, heartbreaking but so beautifully told. And for those of you who have read her previous novels, then you'll be glad to read more about the detested Sister Tabitha and get insight into what made her the tough and unforgiving woman she is when we first meet her.
Familiar by Michelle Rowen - I really liked this one too. In it Brenda needs to find a familiar (a pet that is used to enhance magic) in order to follow in her mother's footsteps as a successful witch. She picks Owen, a near death kitty - but Owen turns out to be something unexpected. This was the cutest story ever. I really liked Brenda and Owen. There were some swoon-worthy moments in this one.
Fearless by Rachel Vincent - Sadly I haven't read any of Ms. Vincent's books so I wasn't fully understanding of banshees and whatnot. But this was still a good story. It held somewhat of a mystery and I liked how it all resolved.
Vermillion by Daniel Marks - There was a bit too much going on in this one for me to fully enjoy. This happens sometimes with short stories where an author tries to give you too much information and the reader just ends up getting confused. The premise was good though - I like the thought of ghosts having otherworldly missions.
The Hounds of Ulster by Maggie Stiefvater - This story is about faeries! I love Maggie's faeries. Also one of the best stories in the book. This is the story of Sullivan and Bryant. As always, brilliantly told and talk about a shocker ending. One of my faves.
Many Happy Returns by Daniel Waters - This story ties into Mr. Waters' Generation Dead series. I think Mr. Waters poignantly captures one fathers love for his daughter after she is in a car wreck that claims the lives of four teenagers. I teared up over Cal's loss of his beloved daughter Mandy - but even more so at his expectancy of her return.
The stories were all good - some better than others, of course, but relatively all of them were readable. I know that I loved the introduction to new authors that, if these stories are any indication, are definitely going to be added to my to be read list. As with all short stories, most of them leave you wanting more - but all in all, I found them to be very satisfying. Overall this was a very enjoyable anthology that for many will be the introduction to a vast variety of new authors. I recommend to lovers of the genre as well as to those that are looking for a glimpse into those worlds that they already know and love. -
It took me just a half a year and ten days, but I managed to finish this book (yaaay?). Don't get me wrong, it wasn't THAT bad, it's just, I wasn't in the right mood for YA books. And that mood probably shifts every half a year, so I should better spent this half with my nose stuck in all the YA goodness. Back to the book, it had 13 YA stories about paranormal romance. It should have been that way, at least, but this anthology consisted of so much more, so I'll just rate each story separately.
1st story - The assassin's apprentice by Michelle Zink. It was so unremarkable, that I had to reread the first page just to remember about what this story actually was. And still couldn't. I gave it 1 star in February, so let's just keep it that way.
2nd story - Errant by Diana Peterfreund. Oh I remember this one, alright. It had some great re-imagining of lore on unicorns and maidens along with actually likable female protagonists. And they didn't spend each waking minute talking about men and that brought some great joy by itself. 4 stars.
3d story - The Spirit Jar by Karen Mahoney. It had some interesting creatures, we don't often see in YA: Djinn. The heroine also had some spunk, so the story itself was quite a fun action packed read. 3.5 stars.
4th story - Lost by Justine Musk. A lost girl and god of the underworld. Believe me, it was a lot less exciting than it sounds. The story itself was rushed and the protagonists so bland, it seemed they both were quite dead themselves. 2 stars.
5th story - The Spy Who Never Grew Up by Sarah Rees Brennan. It was about an actual english spy Peter Pan, who liked to drink tea with the Queen. Just three words. What the fudge? 1 star.
6th story - Dungeons of Langeais by Becca Fitzpatrick. I already had burned my fingers (or rather eyes) by trying to read
Hush Hush by the same author. SO I approached this one with caution. But it was not terrible, readable, to say the least. Even though, it was some kind of prequel about the dark angel of the Hush Hush story. 2,5stars.
7th story - Behind the Red Door by Caitlin Kittredge. Easily my favourite one in this book. It was very well written and quite a gripping ghost story. It had a realistic streak to it I just adore in paranormal YA writing. 5 stars.
8th story - Hare Moon by Carrie Ryan. I believe this one was from
The Forest of Hands and Teeth or rather happened in the same universe. I tried to find a deeper meaning, to it, but failed. In the end, all I could think of, is that nuns shouldn't fall in love. Ever. 3 stars.
9th story - Familiar by Michelle Rowen. It explored bonds between a witch and her familiar. A light and fun read with no strings attached. 2,5 stars.
10th story - Fearless by Rachel Vincent. It was about a walking nightmare of a girl. The author wanted me to hate the antagonist, but instead, I couldn't get myself to like the protagonist. The author wanted to show that having fears and paranoias is a great thing, and I know quite a few people who would give anything to get rid of them. Those fears prevent them from living normal lives and getting this kind of naive perspective pushed at my face made me question the writer's expertise on the subject. She's no psychologist for sure. 2 stars.
11the story - Vermillion by Daniel Marks. About two unlikely detectives in the city of the dead. The over-exaggerated writing style was really not my cup of tea. Plus, the writer should really learn how to write female protagonists. 1 star.
12th story - The Hounds of Ulster by Maggie Stiefvater. A strange little fairy-story with a twist. The magical realism shines, when written by this author. 3,5 stars.
13th story - Many Happy Returns by Daniel Waters. A gruesome and chilling tale about living dead. Probably it should have brought different feelings, I mean it ended quite happily and all.. But somehow, after watching Pet's Cemetery, you just start looking at this kind of stories from a different angle.. 4 stars.
In conclusion, this anthology was a half ok read, so 2.5 stars from me. -
Kiss Me Deadly is a new young adult paranormal romance anthology containing 13 new stories. It is, sort of, the follow up to 'The Eternal Kiss' YA vampire romance anthology that was out last summer. TEK was awesome and completely worth the money, which not all anthos are, and this one had another great line up of authors so I was really looking forward to it.
It is a decent anthology. Lots of different tales, different styles and some interesting romance options. Probably not the best anthology I've read, or rather not the one I've most enjoyed. I actually liked the majority of the stories, but it was more a case of them being great and loving them, or not thinking much of them at all, no real in-between stories. I still think its well worth owning, for the stories from Rachel Vincent, Karen Mahoney and Maggie Stiefvater alone!
The stories in order:
1. The Assassin's Apprentice by Michelle Zink - 8/10 - descendants of angels hunting demons on earth. Nice short, wish it had been longer, liked the characters and the ideas a lot.
2. Errant by Diana Peterfreund - 4/10 - strange story featuring odd unicorns. Not much paranormal love to it, mostly just strange. Just didn't really work for me.
3. The Spirit Jar by Karen Mahoney - 9/10 - Moth, the vampire girl from Karen's short 'Falling To Ash' in TEK, is back and this time in London after a rare book for her maker, and she's not the only one after it. Great short story, I completely love Moth and really hope there is a full book from her POV in the future!
4. Lost by Justine Musk - 9/10 - fantastic short about a girl good at finding lost things, who meets a guy who's not quite human in an abandoned house.
5. The Spy Who Never Grew Up by Sarah Rees Brennan - 5/10 - Peter Pan working for Her Majesty's secret service. Bit strange, but fun as well. Liked it.
6. The Dungeons of Langeais by Becca Fitzpatrick - 5/10 - short set in her Hush, Hush world. An angel, the man tied to him, and the two women who they try to protect. Okay, but nothing great.
7. Behind The Red Door by Caitlin Kittredge - 5/10 - girl meets ghost who is not as great as first appears. Not bad, but felt quite detached. Wasn't too bothered which way things would go.
8. Hare Moon by Carrie Ryan - 8/10 - focuses on Sister Tabitha from The Forest of Hands and Teeth as a teenager, showing where she came from. Great story explaining how she came to be the way she is. Really liked it.
9. Familiar by Michelle Rowen - 8/10 - a reluctant witch has to pick out a familiar. She chooses a little runt of a kitten, who turns out to be a shifter and not a kitten at all. Fun and sweet. Loved it.
10. Fearless by Rachel Vincent - 9/10 - set in Rachel's Soul Screamers world, this story introduces us to Sabine Campbell, in a short set before the SS series begins. Sabine is a mara, someone who feeds off of nightmares to survive, but finds herself somewhere that's oddly empty of them. Really great short and I love Sabine. Looking forward to seeing more of her in SS #4 My Soul To Steal (out Jan 1st 2011), even if she and Kaylee are going to be enemies.
11. Vermillion by Daniel Marks - 4/10 - ghosts causing chaos, or not causing it. Basic idea was fine, but I didn't like the main character. The girl was just too volatile, going from calm happy to enraged too quickly and she wasn't too smart either, though she was meant to be. Could have been better.
12. The Hounds of Ulster by Maggie Stiefvater - 9/10 - beautiful, sad tale of two best friends and the fey girl who comes between them. Wish it had been longer! Loved the characters and the story and would have loved more about all of it.
13. Many Happy Returns by Daniel Waters - 8/10 - very sad tale of a father hoping, wishing, his daughter will rise again as a zombie after she and her boyfriend, and other friends, are killed in a car accident. Not often a zombie fan, but like the ideas and it's enough for me to look in to his Generation Dead series which is the same world as this short.
Overall, 7/10 worth reading! -
This ranged from Becca Fitzpatrick (she wrote the monstrosity known as Hush, Hush) to Maggie Stiefvater (one of my all time favourite authors).
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You know, I'm pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. There really aren't any "bad" stories in it, more like.. "okay" stories and "better" stories. I intended to write a short review of each one, but then I realized that was a lot of writing and getting up and down and... yeah, so instead I'll give you a few reviews of the stories I liked best.
Errant - Diane Peterfreund
I'm not a big unicorn fan, I admit it. I think I got burned out when unicorns were all over the cartoons when I was a little girl. Then of course there was more recent youtube videos with unicorns that made them feel.. cheesy and hokey. That said, this short story was interesting and finally made them out to be a little more bloodthirsty and not quite all rainbows and ponies. Enjoyable story and I'll be looking into more of Peterfruend's writing.
Lost – Justine Musk
I really enjoyed this story about a girl who can find things that are “lost”. I love mythology, though, so it isn't really a surprise that I enjoyed this as much as I did. Unlike some of the other stories in this book, this one had a definite beginning, middle and the perfect ending so, while I wish it had been longer, I was satisfied with what I read.
The Spy Who Never Grew Up – Sarah Rees Brennan
Hands down, my favorite story of the book. Okay, so I admit to rolling my eyes a little at the introduction of 69 the Spy, but the story got better from there, I promise! Such a fun and interesting take on an old story. I'm laughing remembering the introduction to the Queen even as I type this. This story alone is worth picking up this collection.
Hare Moon – Carrie Ryan
Oh Carrie Ryan, how I love you. Carrie has this way of turning zombies into something even more terrifying than zombies! Just the mere mention of the “unconsecrated” and I shiver and get cold chills. In this short story about Tabitha she gives you a small, perfect taste of her longer books and has me remembering I still need to read that second one – soon!
A few surprises - I'm not a big Hush, Hush fan but the Becca Fitzpatrick story kind of blew me away with how good it was. Also, I think I'm done with vampires. Way too many vampire stories out there and when you start mixing them with other fantastical creatures (such as Djinn), it's too much.
Overall enjoyable set of short stories and not nearly as mushy as I thought it would be! -
“Errant” By Diana Peterfruend is set in her unicorn world but does not need to be read in any order for her series. It’s a interesting story with two girls who don’t understand each other: Gitta, a hunter and Elise, a noble lady. They soon work together to get what they want.
“The Spiritual Jar” By Karen Mahoney gives a second short story about Moth an 18-year-old vampire sent to London to receive a book for her sire, Theo. Who knew a book could cause so many problems. I really like Moth and her new friend Adam even though Moth does not have a full novel its enough that she is a strong character I would like to read more short adventures of hers.
“The Spy Who Never Grew Up” By Sarah Rees Brennan is a really cute story for those who love Peter Pan, the boy who thinks he is fabulous. Peter becomes a spy for the Queen who pays his fee by giving him a mother. Ashley, a great…granddaughter of Wendy who knows all about Peter and ready for him with peter spray.
“Hare Moon” by Carrie Ryan gives a short story about Sister Tabitha as a young girl and the hard decision she had to make, her own desires or the protection of the village. I really enjoyed knowing the struggles Sister Tabitha had to go through because I think it made me understand her more when she is in THE FOREST OF HANDS AND TEETH.
“Familiar” By Michelle Rowen was a delightful short story about a witch that does not want to be a witch who picks out a runt looking tabby as her familiar who turns out to be a shifter. A very cute shifter named Owen.
“Fearless” By Rachel Vincent is a short story about a mara, a walking nightmare named Sabine. She feeds on peoples fears like a parasite. She ends up in a house for troubled girls but something isn’t right, there is no fear in the house. Not good for a girl who needs fear to eat. It is a part of her Soul Screamer universe in the pre-Kaylee days and Nash is Sabine’s boyfriend. -
Kiss Me Deadly contains 13 short stories involving paranormal romance. There are quite a few recgonizable names among the contributing authors. Michelle Zink, Sarah Reese Brennan, Carrie Ryan, and Daniel Waters were just a few that drew me to the book. Of course, I also love a good paranormal romance.
Each story offers something different to lovers of the paranormal. There were angels, werewolves, Mara (parasitic empaths), zombies, unicorns, witches, djinns, and so much more. As with all anthologies, some stories were stronger than others. Still, majority of the stories kept me from setting the book down. In fact, I was pleasantly surprised by the nice mix of the perfect short stories, and stories that I wanted to be turned into full-length novels. For example, Caitlin Kitteredge's story, Behind the Red Door, was perfect as a short story. It was engaging, spooky, and it wrapped up nicely. Diana Peterfreund, and Maggie Stiefvater also had great shorts. They each fit into their respected universes nicely, and built upon them. Plus, in the case of Peterfreund, I love a good unicorn story.
I also mentioned that there were a few stories I believe could be made into novels. I wanted to know more about the characters, histories, and basically 300 more pages. The stories by Karen Mahoney (vampires, djinns), Sarah Rees Brennan (Peter Pan as a spy), and Michelle Rowan (witches) were three of those stories. Finally, there was the story by Daniel Marks. He wrote about purgatory, and after checking his website found out that he has written a trilogy (yay). Once they find a publisher, I'll be buying my copies.
Overall, this was a great anthology of strong paranormal romance stories. If you're a fan of any paranormal creatures, I'd give this one a try. -
My Review:
A couple of days ago I received an e-mail from someone at Running Press Book Publishers asking me if I would be interested in doing a review and giveaway of Kiss Me Deadly. So I said yes and I was very excited because some of my favorite authors have a short story in Kiss Me Deadly.
Anyway, I finished reading today and I have to say that this is another first for me. I don't normally read short stories. No reason really, but I just never did. However, I did enjoy reading Kiss Me Deadly. There were two or three stories that really did not get my attention, but majority of the book is good though and I am happy I got the chance to read it.
There are so many authors out there that have been recommended to me (like Rachel Vincent & Sarah Rees Brennan) and I never really get around to reading any of their books. In Kiss Me Deadly I got the chance to read some of these authors and learn their writing style and how they tell their story. I now have a list of new authors to check out and probably a whole new list of books To Be Read.
Every story in Kiss Me Deadly has to do with love, and me being such a love freak, I was in heaven. Throw in a little action and mystery, and the story gets even better! The good thing about short stories are, that there is no room for paragraph after paragraph of explaining things. Almost every story in Kiss Me Deadly started right off and does not stop until the end. A good read and if you love stories about love then I highly recommend this book. I give it Four Stars!
http://goodchoicereading.blogspot.com -
I'm never really sure how to rate anthologies. There were stories in this one I liked, but also stories I hated--including, unfortunately, the opening story, which almost made me throw the rest of the book away unread. Fortunately I'd picked it up originally to read Peterfreund's story, which was the second one in, so I kept going. And things got better.
I am fundamentally the wrong audience for this book: I'm not a huge short story fan, and paranormal romance as a genre leaves me cold. So I'm actually kind of surprised at how many stories I -did- like. Peterfruend's "Errant" was solid, but not in the end my favorite. That title would have to go to "Behind the Red Door," or possibly "The Hounds of Ulster," or even "Hare Moon." (Those who know me will not be surprised that I've pretty much just written a list of the stories with unhappy endings.)
The only story I couldn't finish, aside from the opening "The Assassin's Apprentice" (which just struck me as incredibly shallow, both in terms of character and plot) was "Vermillion." Slut-shaming: not, actually, interesting or original. But other people loved both those stories, so what can I say, except to repeat I'm probably not the target audience? -
I can't rate this book as a whole. :( I mean, I had stories I liked and stories that just left me - meh!
So for my favorite stories, here it goes. And no, it's not a top, it's just the order I read them.
1. Behind the Red Door - Caitlin Kittredge THE SCARY
Freaky story! Spooky and I loved it. I actually hoped for that outcome when Nick first appeared.
2. Familiar - Michelle Rowen THE CUTE
Oh dear, how I loved this story. One it had witches, then it had kittens, and then cute boy. I actually would have loved to see this as a full length novel.
3. Vermilion - Daniel Marks THE INTRIGUING
I was really intrigued by this one in the sense that the "ghosts" were new and interesting. Also, I really liked Velvet. And yaaay! There will be a book. ^_^
4. The Hounds of Ulster - Maggie Stiefvater THE SERIOUSLY-DID-YOU THINK-I WOULDN'T-LOVE-HER -STORY? aka THE HEARTBREAKING
Again. Faeries, Cuchulain, Music, Heartbreak and oh the reveal at the end? (Though somewhere in the middle I had a feeling about it, for some reason). So yeah! Loved it! Absolutely loved it! ( If I'd had made a top this one would have been first <3) -
Got this from the library solely to read Carrie Ryan's Hare Moon, which is the story of Sister Tabitha from The Forest of Hands and Teeth when she was young and how she came to be the person she is in The Forest of Hands and Teeth. While I enjoyed Hare Moon and how it revealed a little more about The Forest of Hands and Teeth world, I thought the story was too short and too rushed. Many of the other short stories which I didn't read were much longer. Fortunately, the third book in The Forest of Hands and Teeth series comes out next week and I'm sure it will not disappoint. Three stars.
Out of boredom, I also read Maggie Stiefvater's The Hounds of Ulster. Given its title, I assumed this would be about wolves much like the Shiver series which I have read and liked, but it was actually indirectly about faeries. I wasn't really a fan. I didn't read any of the other short stories. I'm sure some of them were good, but when it comes to paranormal fiction, I guess I just have no interest in reading about unicorns, faeries or banshees. Two stars. -
I love compilation novels it is my chance to read something from authors that I love, as well as, authors that I am not currently familiar with. Kiss Me Deadly is a very cool collection of stories from some of my faves including: Maggie Stiefvater, Rachel Vincent, Becca Ftizpatrick, Michelle Rowen, and Michelle Zink. With more authors than just these exceptionally talented few I was able to experience writings from authors that I have not had known of. I will definitely be adding to my TBR piles after this book. Check this book out if you are interested in spreading your horizons to many more talented authors.
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Sabrina Smith
Short Stories
This collection of thirteen paranormal tales covers the spectrum, including vampires, witches, zombies, werewolves, demons, unicorns, and more, and boasting some popular paranormal authors.
Romance is a theme that brings them together, but more than that the dark intrigue and grandiosity make the stories a cohesive set, in spite of their varying paranormal flavor and authors. Teens that enjoy paranormal stories will devour these bite-size portions, which are not overly lengthy but still long enough to sink your teeth into, so to speak. Fans of Carrie Ryan’s Forest of Hands and Teeth will be sold on it by the companion story found here. -
It's hard to rate it since it is many books in one but there were only about 4 stories that i liked. The rest I suffered through, sometimes I recognize characters that have been used from other authors and then they changed the personality of that character almost completely. Other stories I just felt like nothing happened when i got to the end.
I'm sorry if I sound a bit harsh, I don't mean to offend anyone. I'm just giving my honest opinion. My opinion may not be yours. :) -
Deslizando su palma abierta contra las espuelas de montar, Chauncey se hizo un corte y sacudió unas cuantas gotas de sangre. Hizo un juramento. El ángel caería de rodillas. Sería implacable. Despiadado.
Leí mucho acerca de que aquí se mostraba el lado malo de Patch, despiadado. No fue tan duro como lo pintaron, pero muy diferente al Patch que se conoce en Hush, Hush. -
The story that stuck with me most was Sarah Rees Brannan's the Spy Who Never Grew Up. Quite creepy and intriguing. Although it was about Peter Pan, it was original. I also like the one by Maggie. There was a twist in the character.
I'm gonna look up the books by some of the authors from this book, like the one who wrote The spirit jar.
