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Four of today's hottest urban fantasy writers together for the first time!
From today's most provocative authors come four tales of urban fantasy and paranormal romance exploring body art that is more than it seems-in a world of magic and mayhem that always leaves its mark.
This captivating tattoo theme surrounds each author's popular characters and Karen Chance 's war mage Lia de Croissets, Marjorie M. Liu 's demon-hunter Maxine Kiss, Yasmine Galenorn 's Otherworld Intelligence Agency operative Camille D'Artigo, and Eileen Wilk 's Lupi world.
From today's most provocative authors come four tales of urban fantasy and paranormal romance exploring body art that is more than it seems-in a world of magic and mayhem that always leaves its mark.
This captivating tattoo theme surrounds each author's popular characters and Karen Chance 's war mage Lia de Croissets, Marjorie M. Liu 's demon-hunter Maxine Kiss, Yasmine Galenorn 's Otherworld Intelligence Agency operative Camille D'Artigo, and Eileen Wilk 's Lupi world.
437 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 5, 2010
About the author
Karen Chance
58 books5,204 followersKaren Chance is the author of two New York Times bestselling series, plus a number of novellas and short stories, all set in the Cassandra Palmer universe. A full-time writer since 2008, she was previously a university history teacher, which comes in handy when writing the time-travel aspect of Cassie’s crazy adventures. She loves Las Vegas, the main setting for her novels, but currently lives in Florida near her family home. Visit her website or connect with her on Facebook here.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 218 reviews
December 5, 2016
This book should have been BEFORE the last one because we had to go back in time to read this. I hate going back in time. If I had a time-machine, I might go back to kill baby Hitler, but other than that, I have no interest in the past. Keep things moving, people!
So, I was reluctant to read this one because of this, but I forced myself to because I am in a buddy-read, and the first rule of Buddy-Reading is never to talk about Buddy-Reading. Wait, wrong club. The first rule in Buddy-Reading is not to leave your buddy hanging. So, Edge of the Bubble, I got ya, girl!
you can totally trust me...
Imagine my surprise when I really liked this story! I'm usually never wrong.. *cough*
Ahem, so anyway, (dodged that lightning bolt), there was a pretty cool mystery over who killed a werewolf. The town he was killed in has a hella lot of bigots against the Lupi, so the possibilities are endless. Plus, there is an entire hate-group devoted to them. My spidey-senses are saying that this group is going to come into play again in a later book.
Overall, this is one half-book that is worth the time and effort to read.
So, I was reluctant to read this one because of this, but I forced myself to because I am in a buddy-read, and the first rule of Buddy-Reading is never to talk about Buddy-Reading. Wait, wrong club. The first rule in Buddy-Reading is not to leave your buddy hanging. So, Edge of the Bubble, I got ya, girl!
you can totally trust me...
Imagine my surprise when I really liked this story! I'm usually never wrong.. *cough*
Ahem, so anyway, (dodged that lightning bolt), there was a pretty cool mystery over who killed a werewolf. The town he was killed in has a hella lot of bigots against the Lupi, so the possibilities are endless. Plus, there is an entire hate-group devoted to them. My spidey-senses are saying that this group is going to come into play again in a later book.
Overall, this is one half-book that is worth the time and effort to read.
February 20, 2015
Magical tatoos are the thread that ties together four substantial short stories by popular urban fantasy authors Karen Chance, Marjorie Liu, Yasmine Galenorn and Eileen Wilks. These stories are just the quick 'fix' to tide us fans over while waiting for the next books in our favorite series but with a nice mix of story, suspense and even a bit of steam they are also great introductions to these authors' wonderful urban fantasy worlds.
Chance's "Skin Deep" is the third short starring half werewolf war mage Accalia (Lia) the previous shorts are "Rogue Elements" from Wolfbane and Mistletoe and "Vegas Odds" in Strange Brew anthology - When Lia's full-blooded were mate goes missing while undercover searching for a were-killer, Lia must try get in touch with her wolfblood in order to find him before he becomes the next victim - I actually really enjoy Lia and her mate Cyrus and would love to read a full length novel with them in the lead, but even here Chance manages to work in a fair amount of backstory (and a little bit of steam) with flashbacks to Lia and Cyrus' past together.
"Armor of Roses" finds Liu's Hunter Kiss heroine Maxine, going back in time when she receives a note from the past asking her help. - This was a nice little carve out from the series and it gives just a bit of insight into the reason Maxine's demons are so enigmatic as Maxine timetravels back to WWII China and meets up with her Grandmother.
Galenorn's Silver Etched is a Sisters of the Moon prequel starring Camille before the sisters leave the otherworld. While Camille is on the hunt for a pervert/murderer she meets Trillion - I am not really a fan of this series (I stopped partway through book four) but I actually really liked this story and it was fun to see the start of Camille's relationship with Trillion and see the misfity half human/fae sisters in the Fae world they don't quite fit into.
Wilk's story runs concurrently time-wise to Night Season. When a shifter friend of werewolf Prince Rule is murdered and another shifter is being accused of the crime, Rule's mate and FBI magical crimes unit agent Lily Yu will help to find the truth behind the death - I am a huge fan of Wilk's Lupi, and this is a nice little mystery for Lily to solve and Wilk's introduces some characters who looks like they might have parts to play later on in the series. I think this will work as a stand alone but Wilks' world is so rich that it is hard to bring all of the culture of the Lupi and the relationship between Rule and Lily into the short.
Chance's "Skin Deep" is the third short starring half werewolf war mage Accalia (Lia) the previous shorts are "Rogue Elements" from Wolfbane and Mistletoe and "Vegas Odds" in Strange Brew anthology - When Lia's full-blooded were mate goes missing while undercover searching for a were-killer, Lia must try get in touch with her wolfblood in order to find him before he becomes the next victim - I actually really enjoy Lia and her mate Cyrus and would love to read a full length novel with them in the lead, but even here Chance manages to work in a fair amount of backstory (and a little bit of steam) with flashbacks to Lia and Cyrus' past together.
"Armor of Roses" finds Liu's Hunter Kiss heroine Maxine, going back in time when she receives a note from the past asking her help. - This was a nice little carve out from the series and it gives just a bit of insight into the reason Maxine's demons are so enigmatic as Maxine timetravels back to WWII China and meets up with her Grandmother.
Galenorn's Silver Etched is a Sisters of the Moon prequel starring Camille before the sisters leave the otherworld. While Camille is on the hunt for a pervert/murderer she meets Trillion - I am not really a fan of this series (I stopped partway through book four) but I actually really liked this story and it was fun to see the start of Camille's relationship with Trillion and see the misfity half human/fae sisters in the Fae world they don't quite fit into.
Wilk's story runs concurrently time-wise to Night Season. When a shifter friend of werewolf Prince Rule is murdered and another shifter is being accused of the crime, Rule's mate and FBI magical crimes unit agent Lily Yu will help to find the truth behind the death - I am a huge fan of Wilk's Lupi, and this is a nice little mystery for Lily to solve and Wilk's introduces some characters who looks like they might have parts to play later on in the series. I think this will work as a stand alone but Wilks' world is so rich that it is hard to bring all of the culture of the Lupi and the relationship between Rule and Lily into the short.
February 5, 2016
I raced through a few favorite Urban Fantasy series and skipped a couple of the themed anthologies that contained the shorter stories in the series. Finally, I'm going back for them. This anthology- which by the way has a cool theme- only contains two series I'm following so I'll read those first, but I do plan to read the other two as well since they are authors I am interested in.
First up, I read Skin Deep by Karen Chance 4.5 Stars
#4.5 Cassandra Palmer series
This story took side character, Lia de Croissets, war mage and were, for a bit of adventure into the Vegas underground. It was exciting and dangerous and I enjoyed following along on Lia's quest to find her boyfriend and get to the bottom of the were disappearances. Lia was already a favorite character so I enjoyed getting a story from her point of view.
Armor of Roses by Marjorie M. Liu 4.5 stars
# 3.5 Hunter's Kiss
This was my first encounter with the author and the series. Definitely coming back for more Maxine and Grant. One of the most unique Urban Fantasy worlds when it comes to demons. Maxine encounters a dying man who shares something startling that involves her grandmother and a handful of people that sends her on a deadly quest. Enjoyed the blend of action, intrigue, and story development.
Etched in Silver by Yasmine Galenorn 4.5
.5 Otherworld/Sisters of the Moon
This was my first experience with this author. I like her writing voice, the Otherworld she has created, the sister bond, and enjoyed following along with Camille on her mission to catch an evil fey and along the way encounters a gorgeous enigmatic stranger who comes to her aid.
While I enjoyed this story, I'm not sure this series would end up being my thing. I'm picky about menages and prefer what I call true menages. But we'll see.
Human Nature by Eileen Wilks 4.5 stars
#5.5 World of the Lupi
This story occurred during the events of book four, Night Season. I was so glad to get it. Some shorter stories in a series just add a new adventure to a series, but I love how Lily and Rule investigating the murder of one of Rule's friends gives a good case to solve and growth in their relationship. And a very tantalizing dangling plot thread for later in the series.
So, this was a strong anthology for me since all the stories were great. I enjoyed the ongoing series that I'm already following and the intro to the others. All the stories would work well alone- some more than others so those new to any or all the series would do alright.
First up, I read Skin Deep by Karen Chance 4.5 Stars
#4.5 Cassandra Palmer series
This story took side character, Lia de Croissets, war mage and were, for a bit of adventure into the Vegas underground. It was exciting and dangerous and I enjoyed following along on Lia's quest to find her boyfriend and get to the bottom of the were disappearances. Lia was already a favorite character so I enjoyed getting a story from her point of view.
Armor of Roses by Marjorie M. Liu 4.5 stars
# 3.5 Hunter's Kiss
This was my first encounter with the author and the series. Definitely coming back for more Maxine and Grant. One of the most unique Urban Fantasy worlds when it comes to demons. Maxine encounters a dying man who shares something startling that involves her grandmother and a handful of people that sends her on a deadly quest. Enjoyed the blend of action, intrigue, and story development.
Etched in Silver by Yasmine Galenorn 4.5
.5 Otherworld/Sisters of the Moon
This was my first experience with this author. I like her writing voice, the Otherworld she has created, the sister bond, and enjoyed following along with Camille on her mission to catch an evil fey and along the way encounters a gorgeous enigmatic stranger who comes to her aid.
While I enjoyed this story, I'm not sure this series would end up being my thing. I'm picky about menages and prefer what I call true menages. But we'll see.
Human Nature by Eileen Wilks 4.5 stars
#5.5 World of the Lupi
This story occurred during the events of book four, Night Season. I was so glad to get it. Some shorter stories in a series just add a new adventure to a series, but I love how Lily and Rule investigating the murder of one of Rule's friends gives a good case to solve and growth in their relationship. And a very tantalizing dangling plot thread for later in the series.
So, this was a strong anthology for me since all the stories were great. I enjoyed the ongoing series that I'm already following and the intro to the others. All the stories would work well alone- some more than others so those new to any or all the series would do alright.
March 7, 2016
March 2016: I just re-read the Eileen Wilks story as part of my World of the Lupi re-read. This story runs concurrently with the events of book 4, Night Season. Great short story.
2010 review: I didn't like the Yasmine Galenorn short story but the Wilks and Chance stories were 4 star and the Liu story was a 3 star.
2010 review: I didn't like the Yasmine Galenorn short story but the Wilks and Chance stories were 4 star and the Liu story was a 3 star.
February 8, 2010
Courtesy of AllThingsUrbanFantasy.blogspot.com
Review:
Skin Deep by Karen Chance. Karen’s story once again features War Mage/were Lia (who is featured on the cover) and her werewolf love interest Cyrus. If you want to read all of the stories about these characters (and you should because they are fantastic) the reading order would be:
1. Rogue Elements (included in the Wolfsbane and Mistletoe anthology)
2. Vegas Odds (included in the Strange Brew anthology)
3. Skin Deep (included in the Inked anthology).
Each of these stories can be read alone, but if you can, I recommend reading them all.
Set in the same world as her Cassandra Palmer’s series, in Skin Deep Karen Chance has created two of my favorite urban fantasy characters in Lia and Cyrus. This time out, Lia is recruited by Sebastian, one of the werewolf clan leaders, to track down his brother/her lover Cyrus who disappeared while hunting a killer who has been skinning werewolves alive. Like all the stories in this anthology, tattoos play a major role serving as magical runes with different magical abilities (Lia has owl tattoo that can enable her to see in the dark) that take the form of tattoos once invoked. And the golden dragon tattoo that Lia is wearing on the cover of Inked is more than just decoration…
I’ve been slightly critical in the past of Karen’s tendency to over plot some of her books, but in the short story format, she is always in fine form. Skin Deep is a great combination of stellar world building, fast-paced action, and that perfect dash of romance between a tough yet vulnerable heroine (with a deliciously dry wit and a rich history) and the ultimate alpha male. I loved every page and can’t wait for the next story (long or short) featuring these two.
Sexual Content: A brief, but graphic oral sex scene.
My Rating: 4 out of 5
Review:
“Armor of Roses” by Marjorie M. Liu continues her Hunter’s Kiss series. If you’re interested reading this series chronologically, the order would be:
1. Hunter Kiss (prequel included in the anthology Wild Hunt, and as an eBook novella)
2. The Iron Hunt (Hunter Kiss, Book 1)
3. Darkness Calls (Hunter Kiss, Book 2)
4. Armor of Roses (included in the anthology Inked)
Maxine Kiss is a demon hunter.
“… a woman whose body is covered in living tattoos—her own personal demons to call upon when the sun goes down, who both protect her life, and are destined to end it.” -Marjorie M. Liu
I don’t know what it is about this series, but I’m always underwhelmed. The world building is interesting enough. This is a world populated by zombies, but not the undead kind. Liu’s zombies are humans possessed by parasitic demons. I think it might be the character of Maxine. Despite have a unique and intriguing back story (all the women in her family host the tattoos/demons until her daughter comes of age at which point the tattoos/demons move on to the next generation and the woman dies) I find her rather dull. To be fair her mission and unavoidable fate are grim, but she is so completely morose and joyless that it’s hard to develop any empathy for her. And in Armor of Darkness she was bland again.
Finding a message that her grandmother left for her, Maxine uses her magical ability to travel back to the time of WWII and help her future grandmother hunt down the nefarious Black Cat who is amassing an armor of rose tattoos that bind the lives of children. If you’re a fan of this series, this story doesn’t really add anything to the meta-narrative of the series or even any real character development.
Without spoiling anything, towards the end of this story there is a scene involving children forced onto the set of a porn film being made. The sex itself is not overly graphic, but the presence of little children there was very disturbing.
Sexual Content: A group of people are filming a pornographic film where children are present.
My Rating: 3 out of 5
Review:
“Human Nature” by Eileen Wilks
If you'd like to read World of the Lupi series in order it would be:
1: "Only Human" in Lover Beware - July 2003
2. Tempting Danger - October 5th, 2004
3. "Originally Human" in Cravings - July 2004
4: Mortal Danger - November 1st, 2005
5: Blood Lines - January 2007
6: "Inhuman" in On the Prowl - August 2007 My Review
7: Night Season - January 2008
8: "Human Nature" in Inked - January 2010
9: Mortal Sins - February 2009
10: Blood Magic - February 2010
Here is the detailed description from Eileen Wilks site:
“Humans have long been aware of the others in their midst—and not particularly happy about it. Until the Supreme Court’s ruling, it was legal in several states to shoot lupi on sight. Times have changed. Some don’t appreciate that. In "Human Nature," Lily Yu turns twenty-nine—a marker she’s decidedly ambivalent about. Her birthday celebration is cut short when the naked, heavily tattooed body of a man is found in a California town. At first it seems like a bizarre ritual killing, but there’s more than magic afoot. The victim, David Pruitt, wasn’t human . . . and years ago, he was Rule’s Turner’s closest friend.
(Note: If you’re following this series, you need to know that the events in “Human Nature” occur before those in MORTAL SINS. It’s April, four months after the Turning; Cynna and Cullen are still in Edge.)” –Eileen Wilks
In Human Nature, Lily Yu, San Diego police detective, is looking into the death of the childhood friend of her mate, Rule Turner prince of the lupi. Not only does Lily need to find out how the Were was murdered (using magical tattoos), but also clear the other Were that the authorities have charged with the murder. Her investigation leads her to the home of Robert Friar, the leader of the notorious hate group Humans First.
The World of the Lupi is is an amazingly detailed magical world. Every aspect of normal life has been impacted and irrevocably transformed since 'The Turning.' Lily is one of the Gifted. Some Gifts manifest themselves as abilities with healing, persuasion, or even controlling the elements. Lily's Gift is much less flashy, though arguably more useful. She is what's know as a Sensitive. With one handshake she can identify someone's Gift.
Beneath some of the uglier aspects of the murder investigations, the love story between Lily and Rule is the beautiful thread tying them together. Both are strong and capable on their own, but there is a tenderness and selfless quality that they exhibit towards each other that speaks of real love.
Eileen’s story is a tightly written Urban Fantasy police procedure with a fascinating and fully nuanced werewolf society. Occasionally playful and flirtatious, but fiercely loyal, it’s the timeless romance of Lily and Rule that pushes this story to the next level. I'm definitely going to be digging up the earlier stories featuring these two.
Sexual Content: A rape is referred to. Some discussion of sex.
My Rating: 4 out of 5
Review:
Skin Deep by Karen Chance. Karen’s story once again features War Mage/were Lia (who is featured on the cover) and her werewolf love interest Cyrus. If you want to read all of the stories about these characters (and you should because they are fantastic) the reading order would be:
1. Rogue Elements (included in the Wolfsbane and Mistletoe anthology)
2. Vegas Odds (included in the Strange Brew anthology)
3. Skin Deep (included in the Inked anthology).
Each of these stories can be read alone, but if you can, I recommend reading them all.
Set in the same world as her Cassandra Palmer’s series, in Skin Deep Karen Chance has created two of my favorite urban fantasy characters in Lia and Cyrus. This time out, Lia is recruited by Sebastian, one of the werewolf clan leaders, to track down his brother/her lover Cyrus who disappeared while hunting a killer who has been skinning werewolves alive. Like all the stories in this anthology, tattoos play a major role serving as magical runes with different magical abilities (Lia has owl tattoo that can enable her to see in the dark) that take the form of tattoos once invoked. And the golden dragon tattoo that Lia is wearing on the cover of Inked is more than just decoration…
I’ve been slightly critical in the past of Karen’s tendency to over plot some of her books, but in the short story format, she is always in fine form. Skin Deep is a great combination of stellar world building, fast-paced action, and that perfect dash of romance between a tough yet vulnerable heroine (with a deliciously dry wit and a rich history) and the ultimate alpha male. I loved every page and can’t wait for the next story (long or short) featuring these two.
Sexual Content: A brief, but graphic oral sex scene.
My Rating: 4 out of 5
Review:
“Armor of Roses” by Marjorie M. Liu continues her Hunter’s Kiss series. If you’re interested reading this series chronologically, the order would be:
1. Hunter Kiss (prequel included in the anthology Wild Hunt, and as an eBook novella)
2. The Iron Hunt (Hunter Kiss, Book 1)
3. Darkness Calls (Hunter Kiss, Book 2)
4. Armor of Roses (included in the anthology Inked)
Maxine Kiss is a demon hunter.
“… a woman whose body is covered in living tattoos—her own personal demons to call upon when the sun goes down, who both protect her life, and are destined to end it.” -Marjorie M. Liu
I don’t know what it is about this series, but I’m always underwhelmed. The world building is interesting enough. This is a world populated by zombies, but not the undead kind. Liu’s zombies are humans possessed by parasitic demons. I think it might be the character of Maxine. Despite have a unique and intriguing back story (all the women in her family host the tattoos/demons until her daughter comes of age at which point the tattoos/demons move on to the next generation and the woman dies) I find her rather dull. To be fair her mission and unavoidable fate are grim, but she is so completely morose and joyless that it’s hard to develop any empathy for her. And in Armor of Darkness she was bland again.
Finding a message that her grandmother left for her, Maxine uses her magical ability to travel back to the time of WWII and help her future grandmother hunt down the nefarious Black Cat who is amassing an armor of rose tattoos that bind the lives of children. If you’re a fan of this series, this story doesn’t really add anything to the meta-narrative of the series or even any real character development.
Without spoiling anything, towards the end of this story there is a scene involving children forced onto the set of a porn film being made. The sex itself is not overly graphic, but the presence of little children there was very disturbing.
Sexual Content: A group of people are filming a pornographic film where children are present.
My Rating: 3 out of 5
Review:
“Human Nature” by Eileen Wilks
If you'd like to read World of the Lupi series in order it would be:
1: "Only Human" in Lover Beware - July 2003
2. Tempting Danger - October 5th, 2004
3. "Originally Human" in Cravings - July 2004
4: Mortal Danger - November 1st, 2005
5: Blood Lines - January 2007
6: "Inhuman" in On the Prowl - August 2007 My Review
7: Night Season - January 2008
8: "Human Nature" in Inked - January 2010
9: Mortal Sins - February 2009
10: Blood Magic - February 2010
Here is the detailed description from Eileen Wilks site:
“Humans have long been aware of the others in their midst—and not particularly happy about it. Until the Supreme Court’s ruling, it was legal in several states to shoot lupi on sight. Times have changed. Some don’t appreciate that. In "Human Nature," Lily Yu turns twenty-nine—a marker she’s decidedly ambivalent about. Her birthday celebration is cut short when the naked, heavily tattooed body of a man is found in a California town. At first it seems like a bizarre ritual killing, but there’s more than magic afoot. The victim, David Pruitt, wasn’t human . . . and years ago, he was Rule’s Turner’s closest friend.
(Note: If you’re following this series, you need to know that the events in “Human Nature” occur before those in MORTAL SINS. It’s April, four months after the Turning; Cynna and Cullen are still in Edge.)” –Eileen Wilks
In Human Nature, Lily Yu, San Diego police detective, is looking into the death of the childhood friend of her mate, Rule Turner prince of the lupi. Not only does Lily need to find out how the Were was murdered (using magical tattoos), but also clear the other Were that the authorities have charged with the murder. Her investigation leads her to the home of Robert Friar, the leader of the notorious hate group Humans First.
The World of the Lupi is is an amazingly detailed magical world. Every aspect of normal life has been impacted and irrevocably transformed since 'The Turning.' Lily is one of the Gifted. Some Gifts manifest themselves as abilities with healing, persuasion, or even controlling the elements. Lily's Gift is much less flashy, though arguably more useful. She is what's know as a Sensitive. With one handshake she can identify someone's Gift.
Beneath some of the uglier aspects of the murder investigations, the love story between Lily and Rule is the beautiful thread tying them together. Both are strong and capable on their own, but there is a tenderness and selfless quality that they exhibit towards each other that speaks of real love.
Eileen’s story is a tightly written Urban Fantasy police procedure with a fascinating and fully nuanced werewolf society. Occasionally playful and flirtatious, but fiercely loyal, it’s the timeless romance of Lily and Rule that pushes this story to the next level. I'm definitely going to be digging up the earlier stories featuring these two.
Sexual Content: A rape is referred to. Some discussion of sex.
My Rating: 4 out of 5
April 29, 2010
This is a set of four novella length stories that deal in some way with tattoos.
Skin Deep by Karen Chance - Every time I read a story about Lia I think I'd like to read about her in a series but it seems that so far she's destined only to appear in anthologies like these. For some reason, the Cassandra Palmer series never really did it for me. Anyway, it's a good story although the tattoo aspect seems tangential to the story.
Armor of Roses by Marjorie M. Liu - This was probably my favorite story, but I already read the series so I think I'm biased. It's a self contained story wherein Maxine travels back in time to WWII to once again meet her grandmother and prevent something from happening in the future.
Etched in Silver by Yasmine Galenorn - Galenorn's style didn't bother me as much as it often does but I still think she had the weakest story. Part of the problem is that it doesn't feel like a self contained story. It feels like it belongs as part of a larger book and so it feels like there's not a real resolution.
Human Nature by Eileen Wilks - I liked this story as well. In fact, I liked it enough that I think I'll pick up the first book in the series.
Skin Deep by Karen Chance - Every time I read a story about Lia I think I'd like to read about her in a series but it seems that so far she's destined only to appear in anthologies like these. For some reason, the Cassandra Palmer series never really did it for me. Anyway, it's a good story although the tattoo aspect seems tangential to the story.
Armor of Roses by Marjorie M. Liu - This was probably my favorite story, but I already read the series so I think I'm biased. It's a self contained story wherein Maxine travels back in time to WWII to once again meet her grandmother and prevent something from happening in the future.
Etched in Silver by Yasmine Galenorn - Galenorn's style didn't bother me as much as it often does but I still think she had the weakest story. Part of the problem is that it doesn't feel like a self contained story. It feels like it belongs as part of a larger book and so it feels like there's not a real resolution.
Human Nature by Eileen Wilks - I liked this story as well. In fact, I liked it enough that I think I'll pick up the first book in the series.
April 11, 2010
I read this book for the Marjorie Liu Hunter Kiss story and that alone was worth the read. Having another Eileen Wilks Lupi story with Lily and Rule made reading through the end worthwhile. The other stories by Karen Chance and Yasmine Galenorn had hot sex and the Chance story made me put Touch the Dark higher up on my TBR pile. The Galenorn story had very, very hot sex but a confusing story. The Liu story takes Maxine back in time to save the lives of four children but that's not the real reason her mission is so critical. The Wilks story which takes place concurrently with Night Season, involves Lily's investigation of a murdered Nokolai Lupi. It reminded me yet again, why I enjoy this series. The Chance story involved a mage and a werewolf and tattoo-based wards, while the Galenorn short was set in Y'Elestrial and other realms along with Charming Fey who have sex magic in their bodies. This anthology is meatier than most, with nearly all the stories over 100 pages. Satisfying.
June 27, 2016
5 stars
All the short stories were very good. Liked all the characters.
Can't wait to read more stories from these worlds!!!
All the short stories were very good. Liked all the characters.
Can't wait to read more stories from these worlds!!!
September 3, 2018
Skin Deep, Karen Chance: 3.5 stars
Armor of Roses, Marjorie M. Liu: 5 stars
Etched in Silver, Yasmine Galenorn: 3 stars. This feels heavily D&D, but I really like Trillian.
Human Nature, Eileen York: 4 stars
Armor of Roses, Marjorie M. Liu: 5 stars
Etched in Silver, Yasmine Galenorn: 3 stars. This feels heavily D&D, but I really like Trillian.
Human Nature, Eileen York: 4 stars
April 29, 2012
Review Courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales
Quick & Dirty: Four novellas featuring love and ink.
The Review:
This anthology contains four stories of love, loss, and tattoos that move, shift, kill, protect, empower and even turn into demons. If only my ink did any one of those things, well not kill, but still.
“Skin Deep” by Karen Chance
Skin Deep features a half-were-half-human heroine, who is also a mage and a member in the War Mage Corps, which is kind of like the magical police. Her mate is a full blooded wolf were, brother to the “Wartime Chief”, who has been banished from his clan, specifically giving him the ability to go undercover in the world of the clanless, and most often lawless, outcast weres. While technically off duty to heal from a shooting, she is specifically requested to look into the magical death of a fellow were, and in doing so, she also must investigate into the disappearance of her mate. When her journey takes her into Tartarus, the underground city in the tunnels beneath Las Vegas, she finds trouble in the form of some rather strange characters, and those weres I mentioned just a bit ago. With the help of some friends and fellow officers, she rescues her love, solves the case and manages to save her were chief from betrayal by his third in command. All in a days work.
Rating 5/5
“Armor of Roses” by Marjorie M. Liu (Hunters Kiss 3.5)
Armor of Roses stars a time traveling demon hunter who is sucked into a half-century-old case by her own personal demon helpers, a man from her “past,” and her very own grandmother. After attending a rather swanky yacht party with her rather rich and hot, even if damaged, lover, she finds a man dying in front of her car. When the man gives her clues that lead to a letter from her dead grandmother, she forces herself to check into things. After tracking down the final intended victim, she discovers that there may be more to this story, but those pesky demons of hers are being rather tight lipped. As she sits outside a hospital awaiting news on the victim, she is unwittingly transported back in time to World War II and where she must emulate a Jew in China during the reign of Hitler. Another surprise planned by these tattoos that come alive is her meeting with none other than her grandmother, who at this time is approximately the same age as she is. It seems that she has been dragged back in time to help rid the world of a specific terror whom preys on children, a zombie known only as The Black Cat. But, it also becomes known in the end, that she was sent to show her grandmother how to be all that she can be; I guess you could say. This is oddly paradoxical, because Maxine is strong and independent because of her grandmother, and her grandmother only becomes strong and independent because of her. Crazy if you think about it hard enough, which I don’t recommend.
Rating 5/5
“Etched in Silver” by Yasmine Galenorn (Otherworld/Sisters of the Moon 0.5)
Etched in Silver is about a half human Moon Witch who is also a member of the YIA, like the CIA but existing in a parallel plane to Earth, and solving crimes where the beings are all sorts of paranormal and magical. Though, I guess, in that plane, humans would be the “paranormal” ones. Our friendly witch is given a case by her boss, destined for failure. But what this guy doesn’t see coming is some help from low places in the form of Trillian, an apparent sex god…um, I mean Charming Fae. Well, despite everything, Trillian does help her get her man, after a strange trip to another realm. Best part, they find out that they are meant to be together, like actually fated. And the mating ceremony that follows is beautiful…painful, but beautiful.
Rating 4/5
“Human Nature” by Eileen Wilks (World of the Lupi 5.5)
Human Nature sees the world, after the presence of a separate race of not quite humans has been announced publicly. Our heroine in this novella has the best luck however, for she is in love with the prince of weres, who just happens to be pretty hot to boot. On the side of not so good luck is that she is in love with the prince of weres, who is used to getting his way when he wants it, and cons her into looking into the murder of a childhood friend. You see, she is a detective in the branch of the FBI that deals with magical crimes, and this murder is almost determined to be non-magical in nature. Good thing she loves him, I guess. What is uncovered in the course of this investigation is nothing short of an honest to goodness love triangle, featuring witchcraft, potions and some rather…well deadly tattoo art.
Rating 4/5
As usual, I am unfashionably late to this particular party, these being my first stories (from what I remember) by all of these authors. So there is a bit of frustration with being thrust into these stories in the middle of all the action, one of them literally occurring in tandem to a previously published book in the series. Otherwise, I have to say that I enjoyed these four well written and interesting stories.
FTC Advisory: Penguin/Berkley provided me with a copy of the Inked Anthology. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
Quick & Dirty: Four novellas featuring love and ink.
The Review:
This anthology contains four stories of love, loss, and tattoos that move, shift, kill, protect, empower and even turn into demons. If only my ink did any one of those things, well not kill, but still.
“Skin Deep” by Karen Chance
Skin Deep features a half-were-half-human heroine, who is also a mage and a member in the War Mage Corps, which is kind of like the magical police. Her mate is a full blooded wolf were, brother to the “Wartime Chief”, who has been banished from his clan, specifically giving him the ability to go undercover in the world of the clanless, and most often lawless, outcast weres. While technically off duty to heal from a shooting, she is specifically requested to look into the magical death of a fellow were, and in doing so, she also must investigate into the disappearance of her mate. When her journey takes her into Tartarus, the underground city in the tunnels beneath Las Vegas, she finds trouble in the form of some rather strange characters, and those weres I mentioned just a bit ago. With the help of some friends and fellow officers, she rescues her love, solves the case and manages to save her were chief from betrayal by his third in command. All in a days work.
Rating 5/5
“Armor of Roses” by Marjorie M. Liu (Hunters Kiss 3.5)
Armor of Roses stars a time traveling demon hunter who is sucked into a half-century-old case by her own personal demon helpers, a man from her “past,” and her very own grandmother. After attending a rather swanky yacht party with her rather rich and hot, even if damaged, lover, she finds a man dying in front of her car. When the man gives her clues that lead to a letter from her dead grandmother, she forces herself to check into things. After tracking down the final intended victim, she discovers that there may be more to this story, but those pesky demons of hers are being rather tight lipped. As she sits outside a hospital awaiting news on the victim, she is unwittingly transported back in time to World War II and where she must emulate a Jew in China during the reign of Hitler. Another surprise planned by these tattoos that come alive is her meeting with none other than her grandmother, who at this time is approximately the same age as she is. It seems that she has been dragged back in time to help rid the world of a specific terror whom preys on children, a zombie known only as The Black Cat. But, it also becomes known in the end, that she was sent to show her grandmother how to be all that she can be; I guess you could say. This is oddly paradoxical, because Maxine is strong and independent because of her grandmother, and her grandmother only becomes strong and independent because of her. Crazy if you think about it hard enough, which I don’t recommend.
Rating 5/5
“Etched in Silver” by Yasmine Galenorn (Otherworld/Sisters of the Moon 0.5)
Etched in Silver is about a half human Moon Witch who is also a member of the YIA, like the CIA but existing in a parallel plane to Earth, and solving crimes where the beings are all sorts of paranormal and magical. Though, I guess, in that plane, humans would be the “paranormal” ones. Our friendly witch is given a case by her boss, destined for failure. But what this guy doesn’t see coming is some help from low places in the form of Trillian, an apparent sex god…um, I mean Charming Fae. Well, despite everything, Trillian does help her get her man, after a strange trip to another realm. Best part, they find out that they are meant to be together, like actually fated. And the mating ceremony that follows is beautiful…painful, but beautiful.
Rating 4/5
“Human Nature” by Eileen Wilks (World of the Lupi 5.5)
Human Nature sees the world, after the presence of a separate race of not quite humans has been announced publicly. Our heroine in this novella has the best luck however, for she is in love with the prince of weres, who just happens to be pretty hot to boot. On the side of not so good luck is that she is in love with the prince of weres, who is used to getting his way when he wants it, and cons her into looking into the murder of a childhood friend. You see, she is a detective in the branch of the FBI that deals with magical crimes, and this murder is almost determined to be non-magical in nature. Good thing she loves him, I guess. What is uncovered in the course of this investigation is nothing short of an honest to goodness love triangle, featuring witchcraft, potions and some rather…well deadly tattoo art.
Rating 4/5
As usual, I am unfashionably late to this particular party, these being my first stories (from what I remember) by all of these authors. So there is a bit of frustration with being thrust into these stories in the middle of all the action, one of them literally occurring in tandem to a previously published book in the series. Otherwise, I have to say that I enjoyed these four well written and interesting stories.
FTC Advisory: Penguin/Berkley provided me with a copy of the Inked Anthology. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
August 21, 2011
Inked is a collection of four short storys
Skin Deep by Karen Chance, pages 1-125
Lia de Croissets short story 3 - occurred after Curse the Dawn
other Lia short storys occurred:
short story 1 = Wolfsbane and Mistletoe
short story 2 = Strange Brew
Lia managed to get a dark mage ward stuck to her and even with the help of caleb and jamie (kick ass war mages) cant seem to get rid of the thing, between that and trying to save the werewolves from a skin hunter you could say lia is having a bad day.
all the character were fantastic, the story was sweet an funny as hell.
Armor of Roses by Marjorie M. Liu, pages 127-243
a short story from the series "Hunter Kiss". Maxine Kiss is the last demon hunter who is trying to save four kids lives from a problem that started in world war 2 with her grandma.
cute story, loved the demon hunter helpers.
Etched in Silver by Yasmine Galenorn, pages 245-323
a short story about Camille from the "sisters of the moon" series. Camille is a witch who's part fae part human who lives in OtherWorld. this short story is based before the "sisters of the moon" series which is set on earth.
Camille has an alright personality but i get sick of her insane sex drive, i prefer the other sisters.
Human Nature by Eileen Wilks, pages 325-437
lily is in training to become a FBI agent when she's called back to her home town to investigate a murdered werewolf using her psychic gifts.
Eileen is an excellent writer, this is the second short story i have read of Wilks and i enjoyed both alot. i have Wilks main series on my to-read list.
Skin Deep by Karen Chance, pages 1-125
Lia de Croissets short story 3 - occurred after Curse the Dawn
other Lia short storys occurred:
short story 1 = Wolfsbane and Mistletoe
short story 2 = Strange Brew
Lia managed to get a dark mage ward stuck to her and even with the help of caleb and jamie (kick ass war mages) cant seem to get rid of the thing, between that and trying to save the werewolves from a skin hunter you could say lia is having a bad day.
all the character were fantastic, the story was sweet an funny as hell.
Armor of Roses by Marjorie M. Liu, pages 127-243
a short story from the series "Hunter Kiss". Maxine Kiss is the last demon hunter who is trying to save four kids lives from a problem that started in world war 2 with her grandma.
cute story, loved the demon hunter helpers.
Etched in Silver by Yasmine Galenorn, pages 245-323
a short story about Camille from the "sisters of the moon" series. Camille is a witch who's part fae part human who lives in OtherWorld. this short story is based before the "sisters of the moon" series which is set on earth.
Camille has an alright personality but i get sick of her insane sex drive, i prefer the other sisters.
Human Nature by Eileen Wilks, pages 325-437
lily is in training to become a FBI agent when she's called back to her home town to investigate a murdered werewolf using her psychic gifts.
Eileen is an excellent writer, this is the second short story i have read of Wilks and i enjoyed both alot. i have Wilks main series on my to-read list.
November 29, 2012
Eileen Wilks' "Human Nature" is a short story that takes place in the Lupi world. A Lupus has been murdered and another lupus, Jason Chance, is being accused of the murder. Lily and Rule must travel home to San Diego to help solve this mystery. This is Jason's first appearance but his character plays a minor role in Wilks' next novel in the series, Blood Magic. - 5 stars
Marjorie M. Liu's "Armor of Roses" - okay, my review may be a little biased but I read her Hunter Kiss series. The first book wasn't bad but by the time I got to the third book I was really struggling to finish it and finally gave up - which has never happened before. So I tried to read armor of roses but made it halfway through and just couldn't connect. I know her series is popular but I just can't get into it and I love all books of this genre so I'm not sure why I can't relate to Ms. Kiss' characters or storyline. - not rated
Yasmine Galenorn's "Etched in Silver": I just finished book 9 of her Otherworld series. I started struggling through book 7. I love fantasy and this genre should really capture me, but the storylines are all over the place and the relationships are implausible. Some of the books I liked but overall the series was not my cup of tea. However, I did actually enjoy this novella which describes how Camille meets her Svartan lover, Trillian. It was a short story, but I liked this peek into their past. 4 stars
Karen Chance's "Skin Deep": Have not read yet
Marjorie M. Liu's "Armor of Roses" - okay, my review may be a little biased but I read her Hunter Kiss series. The first book wasn't bad but by the time I got to the third book I was really struggling to finish it and finally gave up - which has never happened before. So I tried to read armor of roses but made it halfway through and just couldn't connect. I know her series is popular but I just can't get into it and I love all books of this genre so I'm not sure why I can't relate to Ms. Kiss' characters or storyline. - not rated
Yasmine Galenorn's "Etched in Silver": I just finished book 9 of her Otherworld series. I started struggling through book 7. I love fantasy and this genre should really capture me, but the storylines are all over the place and the relationships are implausible. Some of the books I liked but overall the series was not my cup of tea. However, I did actually enjoy this novella which describes how Camille meets her Svartan lover, Trillian. It was a short story, but I liked this peek into their past. 4 stars
Karen Chance's "Skin Deep": Have not read yet
January 15, 2010
Amazon preorder.
I'm sort of torn about these anthologies that have "4.5" of this series, and 3.5 of another series. This anthology I don't mind, because I would buy an anthology for any one of three of the stories. (I just haven't gotten into Gaelorn.)This anthology I didn't mind, three excellent must buy authors, and one that was fine to pass the time. I'm glad, because sometimes I end up buying these for one story and feeling robbed. This was good value.
I love Chance, I love Liu and I love Wilks. All three of these are novella length pieces of ongoing series. The Liu in particular seems to have some significant story advancement in the Hunter Kiss longer story arc.
The Chance is sort an "inbetween" story and I don't think it would matter if it were missed out of the larger arc although I enjoyed it.
The Wilks had some character maturation of both characters. Again, while I enjoyed reading it I don't know that it couldn't have been stuff happening offstage from the main story path.
I'm sort of torn about these anthologies that have "4.5" of this series, and 3.5 of another series. This anthology I don't mind, because I would buy an anthology for any one of three of the stories. (I just haven't gotten into Gaelorn.)This anthology I didn't mind, three excellent must buy authors, and one that was fine to pass the time. I'm glad, because sometimes I end up buying these for one story and feeling robbed. This was good value.
I love Chance, I love Liu and I love Wilks. All three of these are novella length pieces of ongoing series. The Liu in particular seems to have some significant story advancement in the Hunter Kiss longer story arc.
The Chance is sort an "inbetween" story and I don't think it would matter if it were missed out of the larger arc although I enjoyed it.
The Wilks had some character maturation of both characters. Again, while I enjoyed reading it I don't know that it couldn't have been stuff happening offstage from the main story path.
January 24, 2010
First things first: The blurbs at the back are EXTREMELY misleading. Don't base your expectations of the novella on them.
The anthology averaged 3 stars but let's spread it out...
Karen Chance: 5 stars. I love Lia de Croisset's stories and this one was well balanced (action and emotions). I re-read the ending several times.
Marjorie M. Liu: 2 stars. It was boring and heading nowhere and I developed a strong dislike of the heroine. The only reason it got 2 stars instead of one was the last page, which I found touching.
Yasmine Galenorn: 2 star. Most misleading blurb of all four stories goes to this novella. Booo. This 'story' made me decide I wouldn't pick up the actual Sisters of the Moon books. I understand this actually is some sort of prequel to her series, however it didn't sell the series to me.
Eileen Wilks: 4 stars. New to me series but I truly enjoyed the interaction between Lily, a FBI agent, and her mate Rule, Prince of the Lupi. It stands well enough on its own and made me want to pick the rest of the series.
The anthology averaged 3 stars but let's spread it out...
Karen Chance: 5 stars. I love Lia de Croisset's stories and this one was well balanced (action and emotions). I re-read the ending several times.
Marjorie M. Liu: 2 stars. It was boring and heading nowhere and I developed a strong dislike of the heroine. The only reason it got 2 stars instead of one was the last page, which I found touching.
Yasmine Galenorn: 2 star. Most misleading blurb of all four stories goes to this novella. Booo. This 'story' made me decide I wouldn't pick up the actual Sisters of the Moon books. I understand this actually is some sort of prequel to her series, however it didn't sell the series to me.
Eileen Wilks: 4 stars. New to me series but I truly enjoyed the interaction between Lily, a FBI agent, and her mate Rule, Prince of the Lupi. It stands well enough on its own and made me want to pick the rest of the series.
May 12, 2010
Pretty good anthology. I enjoyed 3 of the 4 stories.
Skin Deep by Karen Chance - I really enjoy the short stories of the war mage, Lia. If she ever gets her own book, I will definitely pick it up. Although I wouldn't mind seeing her and Cyrus together for more of the story.
Armor of Roses by Marjorie M. Liu - first I've read by this author. Premise was intriguing (with demons who live on the heroine and protect her from danger). This story was so-so for me, but intrigued me enough to put The Iron Hunt on my wishlist.
Etched in Silver by Yasmine Galenorn - I didn't like, but wasn't surprised as I read the first 3 books of the series and couldn't get into it. I just don't like the sisters, so this prequel about Camille didn't really appeal to me.
Human Nature by Eileen Wilks - I always enjoy stories in the World of the Lupi setting and this was no exception. It is always nice to learn more about Rule's background.
Skin Deep by Karen Chance - I really enjoy the short stories of the war mage, Lia. If she ever gets her own book, I will definitely pick it up. Although I wouldn't mind seeing her and Cyrus together for more of the story.
Armor of Roses by Marjorie M. Liu - first I've read by this author. Premise was intriguing (with demons who live on the heroine and protect her from danger). This story was so-so for me, but intrigued me enough to put The Iron Hunt on my wishlist.
Etched in Silver by Yasmine Galenorn - I didn't like, but wasn't surprised as I read the first 3 books of the series and couldn't get into it. I just don't like the sisters, so this prequel about Camille didn't really appeal to me.
Human Nature by Eileen Wilks - I always enjoy stories in the World of the Lupi setting and this was no exception. It is always nice to learn more about Rule's background.
July 26, 2010
Starting with the first book in the series with Karen Chance, I had actually tried to read her other stories before and I didn't like her writing style, and then I got to read this story Skin Deep, I really enjoyed this book and would love to read more of this story, still not a fan of her other books but this one was great.
And then came Marjorie M Liu, I really loved the dynamics of the story and the history that came with it, I have allready added the series to my must be read books..
As for Yasmine Galenorn, I Love love love this series and was nice to learn more about how Camile and Trillian met.
And then came Eileen Wilks, I'm sure it's a good series and maybe this was just the begining and more the beginings of a good story line.. I didn't like how she would talk in the third person and how she described a few things. I will give her another chance and read the first book in the series.
All in all I loved this book and would recommend this to anyone.
And then came Marjorie M Liu, I really loved the dynamics of the story and the history that came with it, I have allready added the series to my must be read books..
As for Yasmine Galenorn, I Love love love this series and was nice to learn more about how Camile and Trillian met.
And then came Eileen Wilks, I'm sure it's a good series and maybe this was just the begining and more the beginings of a good story line.. I didn't like how she would talk in the third person and how she described a few things. I will give her another chance and read the first book in the series.
All in all I loved this book and would recommend this to anyone.
July 21, 2010
This rating was mostly due to one story dragging down the rest. Without it, it would probably be a 3 maybe 4 star. The Karen Chance and Eileen Wilks stories were good- full of action and decent bit of information about the world and characters to bring in readers who don't read their series. The Marjorie Liu story was okay- not terrible but I just didn't enjoy the plot or the characters. The Yasmin Galenorn story was so bad I couldn't even finish it. So horrid. Writing was bad, characters awful and the "romance"? It made me want to laugh and not the good way.
/start rant/ She's the same author that wrote a horrendously awful story in Never After (an otherwise pretty good anthology also) where she seems to feel that rape and abuse is something a woman should just "get over" because it's "part of the culture". WTF? Why is this woman still publishing books?? /end rant/
/start rant/ She's the same author that wrote a horrendously awful story in Never After (an otherwise pretty good anthology also) where she seems to feel that rape and abuse is something a woman should just "get over" because it's "part of the culture". WTF? Why is this woman still publishing books?? /end rant/
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 28, 2018
Skin deep by Karen Chance: I've liked it a lot (4). I don't like very much Cassandra's book but Lia de Crochet, yes, I do, I've read her story at "Strange brew" and I enjoyed a lot. I've to look for "Wolfbane and Mistletoes".
Armour of roses by Marjorie M. Liu: I've liked it, and I've finished with a little twitch in my guts (4). Perhaps I'll continue with the series.
Etched in silver by Yasmine Galenorn: I couldn't finish it. I don't know, I don't feel it right for me.
Human nature by Eileen Wilks: The one I've enjoyed most (5). This story in the World of Lupi is very entertained and you see how Rule and Lily grow together.
Armour of roses by Marjorie M. Liu: I've liked it, and I've finished with a little twitch in my guts (4). Perhaps I'll continue with the series.
Etched in silver by Yasmine Galenorn: I couldn't finish it. I don't know, I don't feel it right for me.
Human nature by Eileen Wilks: The one I've enjoyed most (5). This story in the World of Lupi is very entertained and you see how Rule and Lily grow together.
December 18, 2011
Anthology with four stories from awesome authors, all linked with magical tattoos. Loved them all, old friends and new ones i want more from.
Karen Chance´s Skin Deep, Lia, half war mage, half werewolf, is tracking her mate Cyrus.
Marjorie Liu´s Armor of Roses, Maxine gets a call for help from herself and time travels to aid her grandmother.
Yasmine Galenorn´s Silver Etched, Camille is hunting a murderer and her boss is waiting for her to fail. Meeeting Trillian was steamy and i´m adding her books to my TBR pile =)
Eileen Wilks´ Human Nature, agent Lily Yu is brought in to help with finding her mate Rule´s friends murderer. Another series i´m itching to read asap.
Karen Chance´s Skin Deep, Lia, half war mage, half werewolf, is tracking her mate Cyrus.
Marjorie Liu´s Armor of Roses, Maxine gets a call for help from herself and time travels to aid her grandmother.
Yasmine Galenorn´s Silver Etched, Camille is hunting a murderer and her boss is waiting for her to fail. Meeeting Trillian was steamy and i´m adding her books to my TBR pile =)
Eileen Wilks´ Human Nature, agent Lily Yu is brought in to help with finding her mate Rule´s friends murderer. Another series i´m itching to read asap.
February 20, 2010
My review is 3.5 because two of the stories I loved and two I didn't. Well, at least I didn't like the Yasmine Garenorn story UNTIL I read the summary of her next book with Camille & Trillian. This story felt rushed with it's HEA but then the next book, it doesn't look like that all. Marjorie Liu's story was so confusing. Maybe if I'd read her other books, I would have enjoyed it more. I loved Eileen Wilk's Lily story and Karen Chance's story. Would recommend the book just for those two.
December 30, 2010
Rating is for "Human Nature" by Eileen Wilks.
I nicely done story featuring Lily and Rule at set at the same time as Night Season. Probably not absolutely necessary, but I suspect also a good one to read as it has so interesting Nokolai background in it. I hope we see more of Jason and Mannie as the series progresses. Maybe even Mariah.
I nicely done story featuring Lily and Rule at set at the same time as Night Season. Probably not absolutely necessary, but I suspect also a good one to read as it has so interesting Nokolai background in it. I hope we see more of Jason and Mannie as the series progresses. Maybe even Mariah.
January 1, 2014
Just read Skin Deep by Karen Chance and Human Nature by Eileen Wilks and both were excellent.
Skin Deep could be omitted from the Cassie Palmer stories and it wouldn't matter, except you'd miss some fine writing and storytelling.
Human Nature introduces Robert Friar in a more personal way, and reinforces Rule and Lilly's relationship, and should be read if you're into World of the Lupi.
Skin Deep could be omitted from the Cassie Palmer stories and it wouldn't matter, except you'd miss some fine writing and storytelling.
Human Nature introduces Robert Friar in a more personal way, and reinforces Rule and Lilly's relationship, and should be read if you're into World of the Lupi.
March 24, 2010
it only gets the four because on Wilkes. Chance's story was ok and the others i could have done without.
May 26, 2015
5* for Karen Chance's SS
April 30, 2012
This book was comprised of 4 novellas from 4 different authors. Quite frankly, I read this book because of Karen Chance, but I did finish reading the entire book. I gave 3 stars to this book overall. Individual ratings as follows... the reviews may contain spoilers so please proceed with caution.
Skin Deep – by Karen Chance - 4 stars
This novella was centered on a half-mage, half-shapeshifter character, Lia. I have read Lia’s stories before from other works by Karen Chance. Lia’s world was set in the same universe as that of the Cassandra Palmer and Dorina Basarab series. The major difference were that we only saw Lia in short stories and novellas, never in the mainlines, and that readers would get a more in-depth view of shapeshifter culture which was not fully explored or described in the mainline stories.
In this novella, Lia’s significant other, Cyrus (a lone wolf who was kicked out of his former pack) was missing-in-action, and Lia would have to find him before it was too late.
This story held my attention from page 1. It started with a homicide investigation involving the supernaturals. As Lia later found out, Cyrus’ well-being was hung on a thin thread and she started doing things and going places that she would not have done in other situations. The plot was well-formed and action-packed. Lia’s werewolf heritage/abilities were further explored and her relationship with Cyrus was more solidified after all the adventures that they’d been through. Even though we didn’t get to see Lia a lot except in anthologies and other novella compilations, I felt as though she had grown quite a bit over time. I definitely had lots of fun reading this one, and hence the 4-star rating.
Armor of Roses – by Marjorie M. Liu - 3 stars
I have read a few other short stories by Ms. Liu before. However, I have never read her series revolving around the characters in this particular novella – Maxine and Grant. Although I had no background or context about these two characters, I felt that the novella gave just enough information to help me understand the basics. Essentially Maxine was a descendent of a long line of demon hunters and she “inherited” these little demon creatures from her mom, who also inherited them from her mom etc. These creatures were “good” and helped the demon hunters through a long line of descendents and were passed from one to the next. They also provided supernatural abilities and protection to the bearer.
In this story, Maxine was given a cryptic message from a dying man. The message was apparently written by her long dead grandma. Maxine then set out on a task to find out more about what this message was about and at the same time, tried to save the life of that dying man (who seemed to have met her before). Her demons gave the ability to time-travel and as a result, she landed in China during Second World War era and there she found the dying man who at the time was only a little boy, and her grandmother who was only 18 years old at the time.
This story was rather interesting because it had a bit of everything – demons, magic, time-travel, romance, murder and mystery. The “bad guy” in the story became obvious after a little while, and there were some things that I didn’t quite understand. For instance, Maxine had a metal-covered hand which she kept gloved for the most part, as well as a scar that decorated a small patch of skin under her ear. These apparently held some significance but I didn’t quite get what they meant. Anyway, it was a quick read and I rather enjoyed myself. Perhaps I will eventually read one of Ms. Liu’s novels one of these days...
Etched in Silver – by Yasmine Galenorn - 1.5 stars
This novella was set in a universe that was parallel to Earthside, except that it was a world that comprised of Fae of all kinds. It was a magical realm that co-existed with the mundane world and for the most part was unknown to humans. Since the story took place in this “Otherworld”, most characters who made an appearance had magical abilities to varying degrees.
The main character, Camille, was an agent of the Otherworld Intelligence Agency (it was almost like the equivalent of the CIA in the mundane world). She was given a mission to apprehend a villain named Roche, who used to be an agent himself but turned psycho and started butchering people. During the investigation, Camille met Trillian who was a Svartan (a name for the race of “Charming Fae”). Trillian assisted Camille with the tracking down of Roche and during the brief partnership, they developed romantic feelings for each other and eventually hooked up.
I liked the idea of a parallel Fae realm. What I didn’t like was the fact that the characters talked and acted like normal mundane humans. They didn’t seem to have those otherworldly characteristics that I had come to expect from the Fae (this expectation was largely based on many other fantasy works that I have read by other authors). The explanation about the Svartan race was minimal and I didn’t understand why people were very adverse to socializing with them – although Camille didn’t seem to have any problems with that.
The worst part of this story was her mission, which seemed like a complete joke. She was having trouble completing her task successfully because she was being played by her asshole boss. At the same time, her magical abilities were apparently “intermittent”. To compensate, she brought with her a bunch of magical tools and toys that would aid her in her goal of capturing Roche. One of these magical gadgets was a curse that would kill someone on the spot – all you had to do was say that person’s name while reciting the incantation. The joke of this whole thing was that she ended up killing Roche by simply saying his name “Roche” and BAM, he was dead!!!! It was unbelievable!! How easy was that?!!!? If it was that easy, why didn’t she do that in the first place?!? Furthermore, what baffled me was that for Fae, true names were usually very important and they didn’t share them with others. Again, based on preconceived notions about the Fae (and sometimes demons even), true names were never lightly given. This villain, Roche, was dead because all Camille did was say his name “Roche”...
Gawd, it was so stupid. Just kill me now.
Finally, I didn’t understand the romance between Camille and Trillian – the chemistry was seriously lacking. Their sex was weird and unusual, and perhaps it was my lack of understanding of the Fae in this universe, but I didn’t understand Trillian’s unusual physiology.
I didn’t really like this story much, but it was bearable. So I gave it 1.5 stars.
Human Nature – by Eileen Wilks - 2 stars
I had a hard time focusing on this story. It was a novella but it took me literally 4 days to finish it. It wasn't horrible in any way that I could describe, but it simply failed to engage me. The story was about Lily, a Gifted federal agent who was part of the Supernatural Unit. She got herself involved in a murder investigation concerning her mate’s clan. Her mate, Rule (what kind of a name was that?!?), was a Lupi (i.e. shapeshifter) of a high rank within his clan. One of the clan members was found dead by having his throat slit and another clan member was accused of murdering him. Since the Lupi healed really fast and was very had to kill my mortal wounds, Lily believed that magic was used in the murder and hence she took part in the investigation.
The story itself was okay. It wasn’t action-packed but Lily kept pulling on threads that were found during the investigation which kept the overall story moving. However, perhaps it was my lack of understanding of the Lupi world, I found that I was fully subscribed to the universe and I found that it was hard to believe a mating bond formed between a Lupi (Rule) and a non-Lupi (Lily). Truthfully, I didn't care much for either of them.
Anyway, all I could say was that this story wasn’t bad, but I didn’t like it much. So I gave it a 2-star rating only.
Skin Deep – by Karen Chance - 4 stars
This novella was centered on a half-mage, half-shapeshifter character, Lia. I have read Lia’s stories before from other works by Karen Chance. Lia’s world was set in the same universe as that of the Cassandra Palmer and Dorina Basarab series. The major difference were that we only saw Lia in short stories and novellas, never in the mainlines, and that readers would get a more in-depth view of shapeshifter culture which was not fully explored or described in the mainline stories.
In this novella, Lia’s significant other, Cyrus (a lone wolf who was kicked out of his former pack) was missing-in-action, and Lia would have to find him before it was too late.
This story held my attention from page 1. It started with a homicide investigation involving the supernaturals. As Lia later found out, Cyrus’ well-being was hung on a thin thread and she started doing things and going places that she would not have done in other situations. The plot was well-formed and action-packed. Lia’s werewolf heritage/abilities were further explored and her relationship with Cyrus was more solidified after all the adventures that they’d been through. Even though we didn’t get to see Lia a lot except in anthologies and other novella compilations, I felt as though she had grown quite a bit over time. I definitely had lots of fun reading this one, and hence the 4-star rating.
Armor of Roses – by Marjorie M. Liu - 3 stars
I have read a few other short stories by Ms. Liu before. However, I have never read her series revolving around the characters in this particular novella – Maxine and Grant. Although I had no background or context about these two characters, I felt that the novella gave just enough information to help me understand the basics. Essentially Maxine was a descendent of a long line of demon hunters and she “inherited” these little demon creatures from her mom, who also inherited them from her mom etc. These creatures were “good” and helped the demon hunters through a long line of descendents and were passed from one to the next. They also provided supernatural abilities and protection to the bearer.
In this story, Maxine was given a cryptic message from a dying man. The message was apparently written by her long dead grandma. Maxine then set out on a task to find out more about what this message was about and at the same time, tried to save the life of that dying man (who seemed to have met her before). Her demons gave the ability to time-travel and as a result, she landed in China during Second World War era and there she found the dying man who at the time was only a little boy, and her grandmother who was only 18 years old at the time.
This story was rather interesting because it had a bit of everything – demons, magic, time-travel, romance, murder and mystery. The “bad guy” in the story became obvious after a little while, and there were some things that I didn’t quite understand. For instance, Maxine had a metal-covered hand which she kept gloved for the most part, as well as a scar that decorated a small patch of skin under her ear. These apparently held some significance but I didn’t quite get what they meant. Anyway, it was a quick read and I rather enjoyed myself. Perhaps I will eventually read one of Ms. Liu’s novels one of these days...
Etched in Silver – by Yasmine Galenorn - 1.5 stars
This novella was set in a universe that was parallel to Earthside, except that it was a world that comprised of Fae of all kinds. It was a magical realm that co-existed with the mundane world and for the most part was unknown to humans. Since the story took place in this “Otherworld”, most characters who made an appearance had magical abilities to varying degrees.
The main character, Camille, was an agent of the Otherworld Intelligence Agency (it was almost like the equivalent of the CIA in the mundane world). She was given a mission to apprehend a villain named Roche, who used to be an agent himself but turned psycho and started butchering people. During the investigation, Camille met Trillian who was a Svartan (a name for the race of “Charming Fae”). Trillian assisted Camille with the tracking down of Roche and during the brief partnership, they developed romantic feelings for each other and eventually hooked up.
I liked the idea of a parallel Fae realm. What I didn’t like was the fact that the characters talked and acted like normal mundane humans. They didn’t seem to have those otherworldly characteristics that I had come to expect from the Fae (this expectation was largely based on many other fantasy works that I have read by other authors). The explanation about the Svartan race was minimal and I didn’t understand why people were very adverse to socializing with them – although Camille didn’t seem to have any problems with that.
The worst part of this story was her mission, which seemed like a complete joke. She was having trouble completing her task successfully because she was being played by her asshole boss. At the same time, her magical abilities were apparently “intermittent”. To compensate, she brought with her a bunch of magical tools and toys that would aid her in her goal of capturing Roche. One of these magical gadgets was a curse that would kill someone on the spot – all you had to do was say that person’s name while reciting the incantation. The joke of this whole thing was that she ended up killing Roche by simply saying his name “Roche” and BAM, he was dead!!!! It was unbelievable!! How easy was that?!!!? If it was that easy, why didn’t she do that in the first place?!? Furthermore, what baffled me was that for Fae, true names were usually very important and they didn’t share them with others. Again, based on preconceived notions about the Fae (and sometimes demons even), true names were never lightly given. This villain, Roche, was dead because all Camille did was say his name “Roche”...
Gawd, it was so stupid. Just kill me now.
Finally, I didn’t understand the romance between Camille and Trillian – the chemistry was seriously lacking. Their sex was weird and unusual, and perhaps it was my lack of understanding of the Fae in this universe, but I didn’t understand Trillian’s unusual physiology.
I didn’t really like this story much, but it was bearable. So I gave it 1.5 stars.
Human Nature – by Eileen Wilks - 2 stars
I had a hard time focusing on this story. It was a novella but it took me literally 4 days to finish it. It wasn't horrible in any way that I could describe, but it simply failed to engage me. The story was about Lily, a Gifted federal agent who was part of the Supernatural Unit. She got herself involved in a murder investigation concerning her mate’s clan. Her mate, Rule (what kind of a name was that?!?), was a Lupi (i.e. shapeshifter) of a high rank within his clan. One of the clan members was found dead by having his throat slit and another clan member was accused of murdering him. Since the Lupi healed really fast and was very had to kill my mortal wounds, Lily believed that magic was used in the murder and hence she took part in the investigation.
The story itself was okay. It wasn’t action-packed but Lily kept pulling on threads that were found during the investigation which kept the overall story moving. However, perhaps it was my lack of understanding of the Lupi world, I found that I was fully subscribed to the universe and I found that it was hard to believe a mating bond formed between a Lupi (Rule) and a non-Lupi (Lily). Truthfully, I didn't care much for either of them.
Anyway, all I could say was that this story wasn’t bad, but I didn’t like it much. So I gave it a 2-star rating only.
September 25, 2017
This book had an excellent short story from Marjorie Liu's Hunter's Kiss series! It seemed pretty obvious where the story was going (and considering that, it seemed odd that the main character didn't come to that conclusion from the start), but it defied my expectations. Fun!
*************************
That's pretty much it. I couldn't get past the first few pages of the other three stories.
Story one starts out with a magical tatoo trying to crawl into someone's butt, then other areas. I think it was trying to be sexy? If so, it missed the mark big time. Pass
Story three starts out with a really boring recounting of what would have been a great start to a story, had it been the actual action instead. Pass.
Story four starts out with a detective who's bad at her job (I'm guessing she's secretly good at her job? So secret no one can tell!), and likes to be classy, yet hangs out at an opium den. She dresses for attention so she can find a particular person, so she doesn't mind when people ogle her, but she's also trying to be circumspect, so maybe that wasn't a great idea, since she can't get through her own favorite bar without being molested. If your already wondering, 'Why wouldn't she just have some informants in her favorite bar?' on page 1, that's a bad sign. Pass.
*****************************
As for the Hunter's Kiss story, the only real problems I had were:
1: It seemed like Maxine should have been assuming that they were supposed to cut tattoos off of the demon for most of the story. It was like she forgot her only clue! I think the author forgot to put that in there, because they had the twist ending in mind already.
2: I was bummed because it seemed as if the story was setting up the Black Cat to be a cool and powerful recurring enemy, but she was killed off screen before the story really even started.
But on the other hand, Pros:
1: It was a cool time travel story, where they actually manage to change the future.
2: Yet, there was an unreliable narrator, so expectations were subverted!
So, very fun!
*************************
That's pretty much it. I couldn't get past the first few pages of the other three stories.
Story one starts out with a magical tatoo trying to crawl into someone's butt, then other areas. I think it was trying to be sexy? If so, it missed the mark big time. Pass
Story three starts out with a really boring recounting of what would have been a great start to a story, had it been the actual action instead. Pass.
Story four starts out with a detective who's bad at her job (I'm guessing she's secretly good at her job? So secret no one can tell!), and likes to be classy, yet hangs out at an opium den. She dresses for attention so she can find a particular person, so she doesn't mind when people ogle her, but she's also trying to be circumspect, so maybe that wasn't a great idea, since she can't get through her own favorite bar without being molested. If your already wondering, 'Why wouldn't she just have some informants in her favorite bar?' on page 1, that's a bad sign. Pass.
*****************************
As for the Hunter's Kiss story, the only real problems I had were:
1: It seemed like Maxine should have been assuming that they were supposed to cut tattoos off of the demon for most of the story. It was like she forgot her only clue! I think the author forgot to put that in there, because they had the twist ending in mind already.
2: I was bummed because it seemed as if the story was setting up the Black Cat to be a cool and powerful recurring enemy, but she was killed off screen before the story really even started.
But on the other hand, Pros:
1: It was a cool time travel story, where they actually manage to change the future.
2: Yet, there was an unreliable narrator, so expectations were subverted!
So, very fun!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 12, 2018
I love tattoos. I have two, I’m going to get more. I love stories that feature tattoos. I loved this collection which was basically all about tattoos. Actually, the most disappointing thing about this was how quickly it ended. After all, there were only four novellas in this collection, and I would have happily enjoyed far more.
I’ve held off on reading this collection until I was up to the right stage in the World of the Lupi series, after all, that was why I bought this. But, then I got a little bit too excited about the idea of tattoo riddled paranormal fantasy tales written by some very captivating authors. And I started reading this. And boy, was I not disappointed. Every single one of these tales drew me in and made me immensely happy. It also caused me to buy quite a few more books that I really didn’t need…
Even if you don’t really like tattoos (yes, I can’t quite believe that people like that exist either), this is a great collection of tales. It features strong women, chaos and magic in a turbulent mass that completely draws you in.
For individual reviews within this collection, head to: https://earthandskye.org/categories/s...
I’ve held off on reading this collection until I was up to the right stage in the World of the Lupi series, after all, that was why I bought this. But, then I got a little bit too excited about the idea of tattoo riddled paranormal fantasy tales written by some very captivating authors. And I started reading this. And boy, was I not disappointed. Every single one of these tales drew me in and made me immensely happy. It also caused me to buy quite a few more books that I really didn’t need…
Even if you don’t really like tattoos (yes, I can’t quite believe that people like that exist either), this is a great collection of tales. It features strong women, chaos and magic in a turbulent mass that completely draws you in.
For individual reviews within this collection, head to: https://earthandskye.org/categories/s...
March 31, 2019
How do I rate an anthology? Some books are great, others not so much. The last book by Eileen Wilks, was like a homecoming. I have read the entire series and this fits into a nitch I didn't know I had. Lily joins Rule in investigating a murder of one of his longtime and close friends. Always beautifully written and full of surprises.
"Finished the second story by Marjorie Liu. "Armor of Roses" I have had some of her books for years, but haven't read them. I will now. From the Hunter Kiss series, Maxine Kiss and her love, Grant, have an amazing experience, which leads to Maxine moving through time to her Grandmother in 1944 Shanghai. Fascinating and beautifully written."
"Karen Chance is the first author "Skin Deep" and I love it. She is just like reading Ilona Andrews, who is one of my favs."
"Finished the second story by Marjorie Liu. "Armor of Roses" I have had some of her books for years, but haven't read them. I will now. From the Hunter Kiss series, Maxine Kiss and her love, Grant, have an amazing experience, which leads to Maxine moving through time to her Grandmother in 1944 Shanghai. Fascinating and beautifully written."
"Karen Chance is the first author "Skin Deep" and I love it. She is just like reading Ilona Andrews, who is one of my favs."
June 8, 2018
We read this book for episode 3 of our podcast. While not terrible, this collection was not quite what we were looking for. We were left with out many sexy, dirty topics to discuss. We really enjoyed Marjorie M Liu's contribution to this collection and appreciated the sex in Yasmine Galenorn's story. For more of our thoughts listen to episode 3 of Shhh We're Reading Dirty Books found on any podcast platform!
September 23, 2024
This is one of the more entertaining and consistently good anthologies that I have read. I only read books by Eileen Wilkes before, but the other stories were good and although I had not read any thing related to those worlds the authors are so experienced I was able to enjoy the stories without feeling I was missing much and I might even investigate other works by the authors to experience a whole novel. This compilation is a great introduction to four intriguing female protagonists and worlds
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