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TDF Pamela, on June 11th, 2010 |
 Last Gasp by Erastes, Chris Smith, Charlie Cochrane, & Jordan Taylor
Buy It Now: at Noble Romance Publishing
Description: A collection of male/male historical romance short stories. See story descriptions below.
This review is based on a free review copy received from the author.
TDF Pamela’s Review:
Tributary by Erastes
It’s 1936 and a generation of disaffected youth waits in the space between a war that destroyed many of their friends and family, and a war they know is bound to come. Guy Mason wanders through Italy, bored and restless for reasons he can’t even name, and stops at the Hotel Vista, high in the mountains of Lombardy. There, he meets scientist James Calloway and his secretary, Louis Chambers, and it’s there that the meandering stream of Guy’s life changes course forever.
Review: “Tributary” was the most emotionally involved of the four stories, at least for me, and that’s a bit strange because it involves two of the most reticent and aloof characters. Guy is a member of the British idle rich, and he’s wandering through Italy for no particular reason other than wanderlust. When, exhausted, he happens upon a hotel in Lombardy, he stops for the night and finds himself drawn to quiet Louis.
I really liked the emotional play between the three main players: Guy, Louis, and Louis’s employer, James. They’ve all been damaged in different ways, either by the war or by not having fought in the war. James’s feelings for Louis were the most painful for me to read, but I found Guy and Louis’s growing relationship to be comforting and believable. All in all, this was a satisfying, well-written story.
The White Empire by Chris Smith
Edgar Vaughan sincerely believes that six-thousand miles is enough to give him a fresh start. Escaping in 1838 from the drawing rooms of Belgravia and the constraints of his landed family, he takes up missionary work in the trading post of Hong Kong. On arrival, he finds the region on the cusp of war; the Chinese Emperor has outlawed the importation of opium—the key link in the trade of the East India Company. Between Edgar’s sense of isolation, the sight of the puling opium addicts, and one memorable encounter with a man in a peacock waistcoat, Edgar finds himself embroiled in the very marrow of the British Empire’s machinations. He finds himself torn between espousing the expeditious whilst protecting his new acquaintance, and doing what is right and risking the wrath of the British Empire.
Review: It was really fascinating how I came to like the two characters in this story, because at the start, I was sure that I wouldn’t find anything to like about or sympathize with Edgar. He’s… well, to put it simply, he has issues. He tried to escape scandal in England by joining a mission in Hong Kong, only to find that scandal threatened to follow him there. His isolation, despite the motley group who work at the mission, makes him sink into depression. The only thing that can give him a new sense of purpose in life is his passing encounter with the man in the peacock waistcoat.
At this point, the story picked up in pace considerably, culminating in a tense attempt to escape the corrupt British authorities. The complex moral struggles in Smith’s story give it a depth that’s sometimes missing in short stories.
Sand by Charlie Cochrane
“Safe upon solid rock the ugly houses stand: Come and see my shining palace built upon the sand.”
People come to Syria for many reasons: tourism, archaeology, or because they need to leave Edwardian England to escape potential disgrace. Andrew Parks is one of those, burying past heartache and scandal among the tombs.
Charles Cusiter has travelled here as well, as chaperone to a friend whose fondness for the opposite sex gets him into too much trouble at home. Out in the desert there aren’t any women to turn Bernard’s head—just the ubiquitous sand.
The desert works its magic on Charles, softening his heart and drawing him towards Andrew. Not even a potentially fatal scorpion sting can overcome the power this strange land exerts.
Review: Cochrane’s “Sand” feels more like a traditional romance to me than any of the other stories in this collection. It follows a familiar pattern of boy-meets-boy, boy-likes-boy-but-is-wary-of-saying-anything, dangerous-thing-happens, boy-realizes-that-the-attraction-is-mutual. Just because it follows this pattern, though, doesn’t mean that it’s not enjoyable or original. I actually enjoyed this story the most out of the anthology.
Charles and Andrew orbit around each other in a way that’s enticing to the reader. As Charles becomes more comfortable with the desert landscape and Andrew’s beloved archaeology, I found myself silently cheering him on. The two characters meshed together well; Charles’s quiet temperament made him an excellent counterpart to the confident Andrew, and when they did get together, I practically cheered. The story seemed to end a bit abruptly, and I wish it had gone on a bit longer. Actually, I wish that these two could have their own novel. I am partial to historical fiction dealing with Egyptology, though…
The Ninth Language by Jordan Taylor
Thousands of outsiders descend on Canada’s Yukon Territory during the 1898 gold rush, wreaking havoc on the landscape and the indigenous people who live there. Amid the backdrop of this once pristine land, a man struggling against the destruction of his home and culture finds himself indebted to one of the men at fault. These two strangers discover solace and wholeness where they least expect it: with each other.
Review: The final story in this anthology is definitely an unusual one. It does not focus so much on the development of a relationship between the two characters, Mitsrii and Troy, as it does on the broadening of both characters’ perceptions of the world and people around them. Their growing relationship feels almost incidental to their other eye-opening experiences.
I particularly like Troy’s development as a character. Through Mitsrii, he begins to understand the tribes’ connection to the land, and through this, he becomes a much more responsible individual. It’s obvious that Taylor did a lot of research for this story, and being a nerd for well-researched fiction, I really appreciated that.
 TDF Pamela
The Discriminating Fangirl, who is more likely to answer to Pamela if you shout it at her, is the proud owner of an MA in English, focusing on children's/young adult literature and popular culture. Because of her ample free time thanks to being gainfully unemployed, she reads voraciously. She also loves geeky movies and tv shows, reads comic books as often as she can buy them, and when she's procrastinating, she enjoys playing video games. She can be contacted at t.d.fangirl @ gmail.com and followed on Twitter at the link below.
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TDF Pamela, on March 1st, 2010 |
 The Very Best of Fantasy & Science Fiction, edited by Gordon Van Gelder
Buy It Now: on Amazon.com
Description: Collecting more than two dozen stories that *originally* appeared in Fantasy & Science Fiction – the premiere speculative fiction magazine – this extraordinary anthology celebrates 60 years of top-notch genre fiction.
Peter S. Beagle
Alfred Bester
Terry Bisson
Ray Bradbury
Ted Chiang
Philip K. Dick
Harlan Ellison®
Jeffrey Ford
Karen Joy Fowler
Neil Gaiman
Shirley Jackson
John Kessel
Daniel Keyes
Stephen King
Damon Knight
Ursula K. Le Guin
M. Rickert
Theodore Sturgeon
Michael Swanwick
William Tenn
James Tiptree, Jr.
Kurt Vonnegut
Roger Zelazny
Featuring the classic tales:
“All Summer in a Day,” Ray Bradbury’s lasting tale of what happened on one special day
“Flowers for Algernon” by Daniel Keyes, describing what happened to Charlie Gordon when he was made into a genius
“Harrison Bergeron,” Kurt Vonnegut’s absurdist cautionary tale of mandatory equality
“The Electric Ant” by Philip K. Dick, concerning what Garson Poole learned after the accident that hospitalized him.
This remarkable collection also features highly acclaimed, award-winning authors whose careers were jumpstarted by their appearances in F&SF.
This review is based on a free review copy received from the publisher.
TDF Pamela’s Review:
If you’re looking for a strong anthology of excellent science fiction and fantasy, you’ve found it. Editor Gordon Van Gelder has compiled a solid lineup of the best SF/F short stories from Fantasy & Science Fiction magazine’s long and illustrious history, and the anthology works both as an introduction to the wonderful world of speculative fiction as well as a nicely varied collection for the SF/F aficionado.
My personal favorites in the anthology are Peter S. Beagle’s “Two Hearts,” a story set in the world of his famous The Last Unicorn; Neil Gaiman’s “Other People,” a sparse and disturbing idea of what Hell is like; and “The Women Men Don’t See” by James Tiptree, Jr., a deeply intelligent, feminist story. It was difficult to narrow down the list of favorites, because everything in the anthology is excellently written and engrossing. The group of authors included make up sort of a Who’s Who of SF/F, and it’s hard to go wrong with that group.
I definitely recommend this anthology to anyone wanting to beef up their collection of science fiction and fantasy short stories, and it is a great introduction for the SF/F newbie.
TDF Pamela
The Discriminating Fangirl, who is more likely to answer to Pamela if you shout it at her, is the proud owner of an MA in English, focusing on children's/young adult literature and popular culture. Because of her ample free time thanks to being gainfully unemployed, she reads voraciously. She also loves geeky movies and tv shows, reads comic books as often as she can buy them, and when she's procrastinating, she enjoys playing video games. She can be contacted at t.d.fangirl @ gmail.com and followed on Twitter at the link below.
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TDF Pamela, on September 19th, 2009 |
That title would be better as “Ahoy! Here be a review of Fast Ships, Black Sails, ye scallywags!” but it wouldn’t fit.
So, why would that be more appropriate? Because it’s International Talk Like A Pirate Day! So feast yer eyes on this here review or I’ll keelhaul the lot of you bilge-sucking buccaneers! :D Let me put on a bit of Flogging Molly and get to writin’.
 Fast Ships, Black Sails, edited by Ann & Jeff VanderMeer
Buy It Now: at Powell’s / on Amazon
Description: Do you love the sound of a peg leg stomping across a quarterdeck? Or maybe you prefer a parrot on your arm, a strong wind at your back? Adventure, treasure, intrigue, humor, romance, danger — and, yes, plunder. Oh, the Devil does love a pirate — and so do readers everywhere.
Swashbuckling from the past into the future and space itself, Fast Ships, Black Sails, edited by Ann and Jeff VanderMeer, presents an incredibly entertaining volume of original stories guaranteed to make you walk and talk like a pirate.
Come along for the voyage with bestselling authors Naomi Novik, Garth Nix, Carrie Vaughn, Dave Freer, Michael Moorcock, and Eric Flint, as well as such other stellar talents as Kage Baker, Sarah Monette, Elizabeth Bear, Steve Aylett, and Conrad Williams — all offering up a veritable treasure chest of piratical adventure, the likes of which has never been seen in the four corners of the Earth. Highlights include a brand-new Garth Nix “Sir Hereward and Mr. Fitz” novella, as the two clever ne’er-do-wells storm the sea-gates of the scholar-pirates of Sarkoe.
The Fangirl’s Review: A-
This is a very strong anthology with some absolutely excellent pirate fiction. The stories range from traditional pirate tales to genre spoofs to tales with a touch of fantasy to space pirate stories, and I enjoyed the heck out of nearly all of them. Just a couple fell flat for me, but overall, this is a fantastic anthology that would be a great addition to the pirate section of your bookshelf.
You don’t have a pirate section? I can’t be the only one who does.
I think my favorite stories are “Boojum” by Elizabeth Bear & Sarah Monette, “The Nymph’s Child” by Carrie Vaughn, and “Pirate Solutions” by Katherine Sparrow. “Boojum” is the aforementioned space pirate story, narrated by Black Alice, a junior engineer on a living ship. Boojums are strange space creatures that allow humans to use them as transports; they will allow their crew to pillage ships as long as the boojum gets to devour the ship itself–and whatever crew is left on board. Alice develops a bond with the ship, and when they’re attacked by the vicious Mi-Go (yes, that is a Lovecraft reference), Black Alice must do something desperate to survive. This is a very strange story, but it is incredibly imaginative and very well-written.
“The Nymph’s Child,” written by Carrie Vaughn of the Kitty Norville series, is about a woman who had sailed with pirates disguised as a man. When they are captured, the captain–who is her lover–tells the Marshal that Gregory Lark es actually Grace Lark and is with child. Years later and Grace keeps a tavern and has a proud teenage daughter who seems desperate for adventure. When an old face shows up and asks the secret to crossing the Strait of the Iron Teeth, where a dragon is rumored to dwell, Grace must face up to her past and come to terms with her daughter’s desires. I adored this story; the blend of fantasy with a more traditional woman-in-drag pirate tale is very well done.
“Pirate Solutions” is another genre-bending story with three hackers named Jack, Anne, and Mary finding a bottle of bone rum and setting sail with their group of cyber pirates. And I mean that literally, they set sail on a semi-restored sloop with the uncanny knowledge of their pirate forebears: Calico Jack Rackham, Anne Bonny, and Mary Read. The story is a strange blend of sailing-the-seas and cyberpunk piracy and a ragtag group of pirates looking for a home.
It was really difficult to pick just three favorites; I could go on and on and on about how great the stories are in this anthology, but I unfortunately have papers to grade and other stuff to write, alas! But you! I know yer not a yellow-bellied landlubber, so get thee to a bookstore and pick up this anthology! Just don’t pillage it. Bookstore managers don’t look too kindly on those bent on plunder.
TDF Pamela
The Discriminating Fangirl, who is more likely to answer to Pamela if you shout it at her, is the proud owner of an MA in English, focusing on children's/young adult literature and popular culture. Because of her ample free time thanks to being gainfully unemployed, she reads voraciously. She also loves geeky movies and tv shows, reads comic books as often as she can buy them, and when she's procrastinating, she enjoys playing video games. She can be contacted at t.d.fangirl @ gmail.com and followed on Twitter at the link below.
profile | twitter
TDF Pamela, on October 20th, 2008 |
 Time for another installment of the Fangirl’s review of The Mammoth Book of Vampire Romance!
The book info, once more with feeling!
Buy it now: Amazon
Description: The biggest names in paranormal romance have created a fascinating array of 30 short stories of hot blood and inhuman passions that will leave you thirsting for more. Authors include Sherri Erwin, Caitlin R. Kiernan, Jenna Black, Jenna Maclaine, Raven Hart, Delilah Devlin, Keri Arthur, Kimberly Raye, Alexis Morgan, Lilith Saintcrow, C.T. Adams, Cathy Clamp, Susan Sizemore, Dina James, Colleen Gleason, Barbara Emrys, Savannah Russe, Shiloh Walker, Vicki Pettersson, Rebecca York, Rachel Vincent, Amanda Ashley, Karen Chance, and Nancy Holder. These ain’t your mother’s vampires! (from Amazon)
My other TMBOVR reviews:
Ongoing Review, Part 1
Ongoing Review, Part 2
The Reviews!
“Dreams” by Keri Arthur
I’ve read most of Keri Arthur’s Riley Jenson Guardian series, and it’s a good thing, too. If I hadn’t read the series, I would have been completely lost reading this story. Riley’s jealous vampire boyfriend, Quinn, is back in Melbourne, and he’s decided that sexy dreams about the half-vamp/half-werewolf just aren’t enough. Unfortunately, Riley’s other boyfriend (the werewolf) is sleeping in her bed, and something weird is hanging out in the basement. After “suggesting” that the werewolf boyfriend go home, Quinn and Riley head downstairs to investigate and end up fighting bizarre creatures.
This little interlude in the Riley Jenson series really didn’t do much for me, but I fully admit that I might be biased. Quinn started pissing me off a few books into the series, and I find that I really don’t care for him anymore. The fight was interesting, but there just wasn’t enough character development for me. I don’t feel like this story really meant anything in the long run; it was just an excuse for a fight scene and a sex scene. Also? I got squicked out when our two bloody heroes hopped in the bathtub to clean off and have sex. A bath? Ew! Shower all the blood off, then run the bath and soak and screw. Yick.
The Fangirl Says: B-
“Love Bites” by Kimberley Raye
Danielle Blue comes from a long line of vampire hunters. You could say it’s a family tradition. Too bad she’s just not very good at it. And while trying to complete her first hit, she really screws up. She falls for the vampire.
I liked this story pretty well, but I wanted it to be longer. The story seems pretty rushed, zooming from the first kill to Danielle deciding to save the vamp to the Hot Vampire Sexing with little time to breathe in between. Yes, I know, it’s a short story. I just wish this had been worked into a longer narrative. I really liked Danielle’s ambivalence toward her family profession, and her anxiety about being seen as a traitor for saving the vampire’s life.
And the acronym for the vampire-killing outfit cracked me up: Snipers of Otherworldly Beings, or SOB for short (“I know how to handle an SOB.”)
The Fangirl Says: B+
“What’s At Stake?” by Alexis Morgan
Very punny title. [groan] This story takes place in a futuristic or alternative sort of world, where there are vampires and Chancellors (a species that hovers somewhere between vamp and human). Josalyn is a Chancellor who is basically an investigator for the vampire community. She’s called in to find out if Rafferty, who is coincidentally (snicker) her former flame, actually murdered some humans.
I’ve got to admit, I just couldn’t get into this one. Joss is abrasive, one of those badass heroines who come off less badass and more bitchy. She proves her toughness by beating up guards who don’t get out of her way. Rafferty is pretty much a non-character; I can’t remember much about him other than that he had a bitchy ex-fiancée and that he’s got the hots for Joss. Together, they investigate and find out that (gasp!) the bitchy ex-fiancée did set him up for the murder. And they live happily ever after.
Um. Yeah. That’s about it. Color me unimpressed.
The Fangirl Says: D
“Coming Home” by Lilith Saintcrow
I’ve got the first two Dante Valentine novels hanging out in my To Read stack, but I haven’t had a chance to read them yet. After reading this story, which is set within the Dante universe, I think I’m going to have to bump them up in the stack. The story itself was less romance and more urban fantasy (which is fine by me), but Saintcrow’s writing style really sucked me in. I love how she plays with words, both in the narration and in the characters’ dialogue.
The story follows Liana, Dante’s adoptive daughter (I think? fans, correct me if I’m wrong), as she’s forced to face an old vampire flame and help him assassinate his sire. I’ve got to admit to being a little lost in regard to the universe itself, but Saintcrow’s writing kept me reading and made me want more.
The Fangirl Says: A
“To Ease The Rage” by C.T. Adams and Cathy Clamp
Sylvia Beck, a seasoned cop, has been dealing with mysterious phone calls and break-ins lately. Imagine her surprise when she catches the intruder and discovers it’s her former partner, Tim Meyer… who’s been dead for a few years.
This story plays with an interesting collision between the supernatural and the mundane world. I like the concept of vampires completely forgetting their former lives when they’re turned, unless there’s a conscious effort to make themselves remember (i.e. Tim watches videos of himself before he was turned, which helps him remember that he was a cop). I also like the history between Sylvia and Tim. In a romance short story, it’s easy to cram two strangers together and poof! they’re suddenly in love. I can’t stand that plot device, so it’s a breath of fresh air to be introduced to two characters with history that facilitates their romance. I like, too, that Adams and Clamp don’t dump the history on the reader all at one time. The backstory is revealed as the story moves along instead of in an expositional dump at the beginning.
The Fangirl Says: B+
TDF Pamela, on October 9th, 2008 |
Wow, that’s quite an acronym. Time for another review of The Mammoth Book of Vampire Romance! I’ve read four more stories so far, and like last time I’ll try to keep the spoilers mild, but beware! There will be some stories that I can’t help myself with the spoiling.
And to be repetitive, the book info again! ;)
Buy it now: Amazon
Description: The biggest names in paranormal romance have created a fascinating array of 30 short stories of hot blood and inhuman passions that will leave you thirsting for more. Authors include Sherri Erwin, Caitlin R. Kiernan, Jenna Black, Jenna Maclaine, Raven Hart, Delilah Devlin, Keri Arthur, Kimberly Raye, Alexis Morgan, Lilith Saintcrow, C.T. Adams, Cathy Clamp, Susan Sizemore, Dina James, Colleen Gleason, Barbara Emrys, Savannah Russe, Shiloh Walker, Vicki Pettersson, Rebecca York, Rachel Vincent, Amanda Ashley, Karen Chance, and Nancy Holder. These ain’t your mother’s vampires! (from Amazon)
The Reviews!
“Fangs For Hire” by Jenna Black
I like Jenna Black’s Morgan Kingsley series, so I went into this story hoping I’d find the same sarcastic type of protagonist. I wasn’t disappointed on that count; Gemma Johansen is a vampire hitman, or hitwoman as it were, and she’s snarky and seemingly-cold blooded. She’s hired by a young man to take out his stepfather, whom he believes killed his already-ill mother for her money. Gemma goes to investigate her target and finds that Ross Blackburn is more than she bargained for.
I think this story works well in this format. It feels a bit like a condensed longer story, but Black manages to fit a self-contained narrative into nineteen pages. The only complaint I have is slightly uneven characterization for Gemma. When she first meets her client, she narrates that she won’t kill innocents, but as long as she doesn’t know anything about the target, she just knows that they need to die. And yet she decides to go meet Ross and find out if he did kill his wife. That just didn’t quite make sense to me. The narration is first person, and while I suppose Gemma could be an unreliable narrator, it just didn’t quite fit that she would think to herself that she’s cold and detached, and then tries to find out if the guy really was a murderer.
I did like Gemma, though, and I think she’d be worthy of a novel or two.
The Fangirl Says: B+
“The Righteous” by Jenna Maclaine
This story seems to fit into some larger narrative; the story starts with a prologue of sorts, where the Irish war goddess Morrigan commands an unnamed High King to send one of his vampires to Paris. The story then shifts to a vampire spying on a mortal vampire hunter, a young woman who has spent time as an opera singer, a courtesan, the mistress of two kings, and… yeah, now a vampire hunter on the side.
Um. Yeah.
The romance didn’t really pull me in. The hunter finds the vampire attractive and vice versa, but it seems like she caved more out of necessity (the vampires want to use her younger sister to punish her for being such an awesome hunter) than actual desire. And the quick-and-tidy wrap up at the end of the story left me wondering if there was a real point in reading this. Aside from a brief mention, there’s no real conflict within the story, not even when the vampires kidnap the hunter’s sister. We hear about it, but don’t see it. It’s a classic case of telling instead of showing, and frankly, I think that makes a poor story. Add that to being dropped in the middle of a larger narrative without a good explanation and the Mary Sue-ish heroine, and you can color me unimpressed.
The Fangirl Says: D-
“Knowledge of Evil” by Raven Hart
This story is narrated in first-person by a male vampire, and unusual choice in a romance-type story. Unfortunately, he comes off as an arrogant, know-it-all prick, and I wasn’t too fond of him. Of course, you could argue that he’s arrogant and a know-it-all because he’s a damn vampire who’s been around since classical Greece, but… I just had trouble relating to him or even liking him. That’s quite an accomplishment, since his main motivation seems to be gaining knowledge, and I’m planning on being a lifelong student.
Our vampire protagonist meets an anthropologist who is an expert on vampire myths one evening and goes home with her to get a little somethin’ somethin’, only to find that she knows he’s a vampire, and she’s determined to make him turn her. As our hero hates fledgling vampires, who are ravening beasts, he’d rather kill her than turn her. But her thirst for knowledge intrigues him and so he changes his mind and creates a companion for all time.
This story was okay. I wasn’t particularly impressed by it, but at the same time, I can’t say that I really disliked it, either. I do think that a vampire who spends eternity taking university classes is a pretty cool idea, but the arrogant first-person narration put me off. The anthropologist is pretty much a non-character, existing only as a mirror of the vampire’s own desires. An interesting concept, but one that just didn’t work out for me.
The Fangirl Says: B-
“Viper’s Bite” by Delilah Devlin
I’ve read one of Delilah Devlin’s novels (review here), and… well, let’s just say that I wasn’t particularly impressed. However, I was pleasantly surprised by this story. It was erotic without being porny, and it was also deeply emotional.
Viper, a vampire, lures a woman, Mariah, out of her apartment to seduce her, or so we think. As the seduction progresses, we start to get hints that there is more to this situation than is on the surface. Somehow, these two know each other, and though Mariah doesn’t seem to remember, Viper is nearly overwhelmed by the pain of it.
I won’t spoil the story, but I’ll just say that I found myself getting a bit choked up at one point. I really believed these characters and felt for them, which is much more than I can say about the characters in that novel I read. This is a sweet, romantic, and angsty little story, and I liked it a lot.
The Fangirl Says: A
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