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hollie313's review
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.0
litdrivengirl's review against another edition
3.0
Once I finished the first story in this anthology I had some doubts. The second and third story set my doubts at ease, but then the fourth story brought them to the forefront again. My doubts? How in the world did the bookstore think this book was YA? Let's just say Nalini Singh's and Meljean Brook's stories were NOT PG.
My rating for each story with my thoughts.
Angel's Wolf by Nalini Singh - 3 stars; Ms. Singh is a good writer and this was my first experience reading her work. I just couldn't get past the fake feeling of the story and it started a bit confusing for me.
Alphas: Origins by Ilona Andrews - 4 stars; Wow! I had Ilona Andrews' books in the back of my mind with the thought "Some day I will have to get around to reading them." Now, though it isn't some day, but now please. Her characters made me laugh out loud and instantly made me want to know more. I nearly threw the book across the room when her story was over, frustrated it was over. One negative, it is hard to believe Lucas and Kate's relationship would happen as fast as it did. As one of the characters said, it is very Stockholm syndrome.
Nocturne by Sharon Shinn - 4 stars; This story would have gotten a 5 from me, had I known more about the world. I have been acquainted with Sharon Shinn's work for awhile. The first and only book I've read by her, prior to this, was [b:The Shape-Changer's Wife|437806|The Shape-Changer's Wife|Sharon Shinn|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1309203562s/437806.jpg|4251]. It was not what I would call a remarkable book, in fact I didn't like it very well. However, I have several of her books on my shelf to give her a second chance. Now having read this short story, I can't wait to delve into her angel world! Funny, well developed and a world I want to know more about. She and Ilona Andrews are the reason I picked this book up.
Ascension by Meljean Brook - 2 stars; Umm...yeah. The sex seemed to be the only thing that drove this story and not in a good way. (Is there such a thing?) I didn't like it and I'm sure I need to explain it further. Characters, setting, yeah, just didn't work for me.
Cover art 10 stars! I want the cover art as a print hanging in my room. Gorgeous.
My rating for each story with my thoughts.
Angel's Wolf by Nalini Singh - 3 stars; Ms. Singh is a good writer and this was my first experience reading her work. I just couldn't get past the fake feeling of the story and it started a bit confusing for me.
Alphas: Origins by Ilona Andrews - 4 stars; Wow! I had Ilona Andrews' books in the back of my mind with the thought "Some day I will have to get around to reading them." Now, though it isn't some day, but now please. Her characters made me laugh out loud and instantly made me want to know more. I nearly threw the book across the room when her story was over, frustrated it was over. One negative, it is hard to believe Lucas and Kate's relationship would happen as fast as it did. As one of the characters said, it is very Stockholm syndrome.
Nocturne by Sharon Shinn - 4 stars; This story would have gotten a 5 from me, had I known more about the world. I have been acquainted with Sharon Shinn's work for awhile. The first and only book I've read by her, prior to this, was [b:The Shape-Changer's Wife|437806|The Shape-Changer's Wife|Sharon Shinn|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1309203562s/437806.jpg|4251]. It was not what I would call a remarkable book, in fact I didn't like it very well. However, I have several of her books on my shelf to give her a second chance. Now having read this short story, I can't wait to delve into her angel world! Funny, well developed and a world I want to know more about. She and Ilona Andrews are the reason I picked this book up.
Ascension by Meljean Brook - 2 stars; Umm...yeah. The sex seemed to be the only thing that drove this story and not in a good way. (Is there such a thing?) I didn't like it and I'm sure I need to explain it further. Characters, setting, yeah, just didn't work for me.
Cover art 10 stars! I want the cover art as a print hanging in my room. Gorgeous.
katekat's review against another edition
4.0
Ilona Andrews is one of my favorite authors and the Kate Daniels series is my favorite of all the books that the husband/wife duo write. The writing style is fast paced and engaging and the characters are completely believable despite the fantastical elements that surround all the books. These books are a must read for me and I eagerly devour them and count the months until the next one arrives. I love that despite the occult and romance leanings of these books there is still a generous dose of humor. I highly recommend the Kate Daniels series.
jivesalmon's review against another edition
3.0
I bought this book to read the new Ilona Andrews novella, but it was very disappointing. The story felt awkward I did not feel any connection to the characters. It also did not introduce me to a world that I wanted to know more about. I found the story to be clunky and not fun to read. It definitely does not have the magic found in the Kate Daniels books.
On the other hand, I enjoyed the Sharon Shinn story. I had not read her hooks before, so I was not familiar with her stories. I found my way quickly and enjoyed the read.
The other two stories were ok and I enjoyed them enough. I will say that I am glad I got this from the library though since I would've been disappointed if I had paid for it.
Overall the book was OK...the novellas were entertaining enough to grab my attention, but I had no trouble putting the book down. Look for used copies or borrow it from the library if you need something to read. I wouldn't pay full price.
On the other hand, I enjoyed the Sharon Shinn story. I had not read her hooks before, so I was not familiar with her stories. I found my way quickly and enjoyed the read.
The other two stories were ok and I enjoyed them enough. I will say that I am glad I got this from the library though since I would've been disappointed if I had paid for it.
Overall the book was OK...the novellas were entertaining enough to grab my attention, but I had no trouble putting the book down. Look for used copies or borrow it from the library if you need something to read. I wouldn't pay full price.
booksandyarniness's review against another edition
4.0
Not a bad collection of novellas. The only one I had a hard time getting into was the Ilona Andrews one, which was a surprise as I'm a fan of their work. Seemed too choppy to me. Liked the main character in the Sharon Shinn one quite a bit. Would be worth checking out more on each of the series.
amym84's review against another edition
4.0
I'll admit that so far I've only read Nalini Singh and Ilona Abdrews' stories. But this is one of the rare anthologies where I really do want to read all of the authors. I have never read anything by Sharon Shinn but I have a bunch of her books on my TBR pile, and I've only read a few shorts by Meljean Brook and I look forward to reading more for her. For now, this review will be only for the first two stories.
Nalini Singh's story "Angel's Wolf" takes place in her Guild Hunters world. It's a nice little short story about the vampire Noel and the angel Nimra. Noel we've seen before in "Archangel's Kiss" (please forgive me if I'm wrong on that one) he was the vampire that was found badly beaten and tortured. This is the first time we've seen Nimra, the angel who is in charge of Louisiana. Noel is sent into Nimra's court, as he originally thinks, because after the tramatizing events of his beating, he is no longer able to do his job to Raphael's standards. We learn that this is not the case at all and we get to see Noel coming back to life as it were in Nimra's court. Of course it is Nimra and Noel that form the attraction in this short story. I thought that Singh did a wonderful job to tell a full story with a plot conflict and resolution in this limited amount. When I first started reading this series, I liked the focus being on Raphael and Elena. I wasn't sure about switching characters. But reading other short stories in her Guild Hunter world I realized that I do, in fact, enjoy learning about this group that Singh has introduced us to. So far, she's kept the world confined to characters surrounding Raphael and Elena (someone else in the Guild with Elena, one of Raphael's seven, and so forth). So we, in a way, continue to learn about Raphael and Elena based on the company they keep so to speak. I also think this approach keeps the series fresh, yet there's still this center point (Raphael and Elena). On that note, however, I really thought that this story did well not to alienate any new readers. There was enough background information given so people who are not familiar with the Guild Hunters series would still understand everything going on. I say this because I know that a lot of times I won't easily want to read a short story in an anthology if it is part of a larger series that I haven't read because I would feel uninvested in what's going on. Not understanding the characters. But this story doesn't suffer from that. You can read this story and like it and be done or on the off chance it might just make you want to go back and read the rest of the series. Either way it is one to enjoy.
The other story that I've read in this anthology is Ilona Andrews's "Alpha: Origins". I love pretty much everything by this author. They are one of, if not the, top authors that I read. Known for their Kate Daniels and The Edge series, Alphas is brand new. At first, I wasn't sure how they were going to encorporate the Angels theme into this story, but it all worked out. I liked the world building with this one. It was a little comlicated at first to understand what was going on, but this is intentional because we are going through the story at the same time at Karina. We are no more informed on what has happened to Karina than she is. Once everything is revealed and we understand the world it's very creative and plausible. This story really felt like the beginning for me. I really hope the the authors continue this into a series of more short stories or even a full length novel. I am very interested to see where Lucas and Karina are headed. The romance is light, but building. It's another of those things that feels like it's progressing and I want to read more. Since this book is a new story and not a part of any other series new readers should be comfortable reading it. If you haven't read anything by Ilona Andrews in the past, this is as good a place as any to start.
I fully intend to finish this anthology with Sharon Shinn and Meljean Brook. I will add reviews os their stories later. Until Then!
Nalini Singh's story "Angel's Wolf" takes place in her Guild Hunters world. It's a nice little short story about the vampire Noel and the angel Nimra. Noel we've seen before in "Archangel's Kiss" (please forgive me if I'm wrong on that one) he was the vampire that was found badly beaten and tortured. This is the first time we've seen Nimra, the angel who is in charge of Louisiana. Noel is sent into Nimra's court, as he originally thinks, because after the tramatizing events of his beating, he is no longer able to do his job to Raphael's standards. We learn that this is not the case at all and we get to see Noel coming back to life as it were in Nimra's court. Of course it is Nimra and Noel that form the attraction in this short story. I thought that Singh did a wonderful job to tell a full story with a plot conflict and resolution in this limited amount. When I first started reading this series, I liked the focus being on Raphael and Elena. I wasn't sure about switching characters. But reading other short stories in her Guild Hunter world I realized that I do, in fact, enjoy learning about this group that Singh has introduced us to. So far, she's kept the world confined to characters surrounding Raphael and Elena (someone else in the Guild with Elena, one of Raphael's seven, and so forth). So we, in a way, continue to learn about Raphael and Elena based on the company they keep so to speak. I also think this approach keeps the series fresh, yet there's still this center point (Raphael and Elena). On that note, however, I really thought that this story did well not to alienate any new readers. There was enough background information given so people who are not familiar with the Guild Hunters series would still understand everything going on. I say this because I know that a lot of times I won't easily want to read a short story in an anthology if it is part of a larger series that I haven't read because I would feel uninvested in what's going on. Not understanding the characters. But this story doesn't suffer from that. You can read this story and like it and be done or on the off chance it might just make you want to go back and read the rest of the series. Either way it is one to enjoy.
The other story that I've read in this anthology is Ilona Andrews's "Alpha: Origins". I love pretty much everything by this author. They are one of, if not the, top authors that I read. Known for their Kate Daniels and The Edge series, Alphas is brand new. At first, I wasn't sure how they were going to encorporate the Angels theme into this story, but it all worked out. I liked the world building with this one. It was a little comlicated at first to understand what was going on, but this is intentional because we are going through the story at the same time at Karina. We are no more informed on what has happened to Karina than she is. Once everything is revealed and we understand the world it's very creative and plausible. This story really felt like the beginning for me. I really hope the the authors continue this into a series of more short stories or even a full length novel. I am very interested to see where Lucas and Karina are headed. The romance is light, but building. It's another of those things that feels like it's progressing and I want to read more. Since this book is a new story and not a part of any other series new readers should be comfortable reading it. If you haven't read anything by Ilona Andrews in the past, this is as good a place as any to start.
I fully intend to finish this anthology with Sharon Shinn and Meljean Brook. I will add reviews os their stories later. Until Then!
book_grinch's review
4.0
Although i adore Nalini Singh "world" of the "guild-hunters", for me "Angel's Wolf" had the same problem of Sara's and Deacon story in "Must Love hellhounds" anthology. And that is, the length of the story. Or in both cases the reduced length of the stories. Nalini Singh's characters are so complex and bigger than life, that a short story for me is insuficient . I felt that the relationship between these two complex characters were rushed.
So that's the only negative thing that i have to say about this story. I would have liked to read more. To really apreciate Nimra's and Noel story, i would have to read it in a full length book.
I liked "Alphas" by Ilona Andrews. It was something diferent of what i am used. It takes courage to portrait a male character "Lucas" that basically needs to "chew" on the flesh of the female character "Karina" who is a "donnor", someone whose genetics counteract the poisoning that takes place in Lucas body when he undergoes a change. It was a good story.
And then comes "Nocturne" by Sharon Shinn. It was the first time that i've read a story by this author...and i loved it. Cant believe that i've never read anything by this author! Moriah and Corban were perfect :) Corban is this sad angel who after losing his sight loses interest in life. Moriah hasn't had an easy life, and she would be the last person to feel sorry for an angel or for his problems. Neverthless she has a tendency to get into troubles...
"Ascension" by Meljean Brook was the one that i liked the least.
So that's the only negative thing that i have to say about this story. I would have liked to read more. To really apreciate Nimra's and Noel story, i would have to read it in a full length book.
I liked "Alphas" by Ilona Andrews. It was something diferent of what i am used. It takes courage to portrait a male character "Lucas" that basically needs to "chew" on the flesh of the female character "Karina" who is a "donnor", someone whose genetics counteract the poisoning that takes place in Lucas body when he undergoes a change. It was a good story.
And then comes "Nocturne" by Sharon Shinn. It was the first time that i've read a story by this author...and i loved it. Cant believe that i've never read anything by this author! Moriah and Corban were perfect :) Corban is this sad angel who after losing his sight loses interest in life. Moriah hasn't had an easy life, and she would be the last person to feel sorry for an angel or for his problems. Neverthless she has a tendency to get into troubles...
"Ascension" by Meljean Brook was the one that i liked the least.
vegancleopatra's review
2.0
This anthology did not do much for me. For the most part I found it rather boring and nothing new. The Angels/Demons theme is not one I particularly enjoy but I made myself pick it up for the Ilona Andrews story held within. Andrews' story was intriguing but felt rushed and did not give me the level of enjoyment I generally experience with her/their writing. I have no vested interest in the other three as authors or much experience with them so I found it difficult to judge their stories. Overall they were not memorable but at least my curiosity was sated. Anthologies as a general rule are never as good as the authors which comprise them.
sarah42783's review
2.0
① Angel's Wolf by Nalini Singh: DNFed the hell out of this one. 1 star.
② Alphas: Origins by Ilona Andrews: 3.5 stars
③ Nocturne by Sharon Shinn: 3 stars
④ Ascension by Meljean Brook: 1 star. (Because I'm in a good mood today.)
↪ Overall rating: 2 glorious stars
① Angel's Wolf by Nalini Singh: ★
►DNFing is underrated. Especially when it comes to PNR.
② Aphas: Origins by Ilona Andrews : ★★★½
► Problem: you're in a shitty mood. You're in a book slump. You don't know what to read. Every single book you pick up, you lose interest in. You don't even feel like reading anymore
► Solution: you read anything by Ilona Andrews (a story is usually best but cereal box blurb works, too).
►► And this, ladies and gentlemen, is how you get your reading mojo back!
Now. I definitely would have given this story 4+ stars had it been less PNR-ish. But as recenttraumatic experiences have proved, PNR and me were not meant to live happily ever after. The beginning of Alphas: Origins is tropey as hell. So much so that I checked whether I was actually reading the Ilona Andrews piece and not one of the other stories in this anthology. I mean, the heroine is more or less forced to agree to be kidnapped and be used as [BEEP] for some freaky beast. Yes, [BEEP]. Don't know what it is? That's great, you're not supposed to! Because that's me being kind and thoughtful and not telling you what she's going to be used as. You're welcome.
Anyway, we get the whole "my abductor/jailer/whatever is an enraged/scary/vicious/dangerous beast and I hate him but he's kinda hot and he can be kind sometimes but no-no-no I shouldn't think along these lines, he is only using me and could kill me in the blink of the eye blah blah blah" bullshit. But you know why this story worked for me? Because Ilona Andrews. What can I say? These two can work miracles. About halfway through this story goes from PNR trope heaven to awesome world building and kickass action paradise.
Yes, it turns out this story is pretty cool after all. Karina, the heroine, is your typical IA badass, albeit in a sheep's clothing at first. Lucas, the hero, was a bit too stereotypical for my taste but he grew on me as the story progressed. Was it because I kept thinking "Curran" whenever I read "Lucas"? Hmmm, that might have had something to do with it. Might. But I digress. What's really cool about this story is the world: very original, complex, with giganormous potential. Weird powers! Weird creatures! Weird [BEEP]!muhahahaha, got you again! Weird everything! It might be fantasy…or it might not. What might it be then? Hahaha, wouldn't you love to know?! Well I'm afraid you're going to have to read the story to find out. Time to throw another muhahahahahaha in. Damn, how I love doing that.
►► And the moral of this story is: this shouldn't be so short!! This should be a full-length novel!! This should be a series!! I want to know more about this world! The Andrews better get to it the minute they finish writing the last Kate Daniels instalment. I might retaliate if they don't.
③ Nocturne by Sharon Shinn : ★★★
Oh man, I almost gave 4 stars to a freaking Fantasy ROMANCE involving freaking ANGELS. What the hell is wrong with me??!! That's it, I must have reached the final stages of alcohol psychosis. Either that or the end of the world is near.
Thank C-3PO the ending was way too HEA and fluffy bunnies for me, which means I regained sanity before doing the unthinkable. What makes this OMG-I-almost-rated-this-4-stars episode even scarier is that there isn't a lot going on in this short story. Little action, lots of blah blah blah blah. But I still liked it *gasps* It was a nice story *shudders*
I really liked Moriah's character and actually wouldn't mind reading her backstory. The angel…Well for a start, he's a freaking angel which works against him. I mean, apart from S.M. Reine's deliciously nasty angels, they're all a bunch of sissies. And Corban here, with his constant wallowing in self-pity, is no exception. He'd still be there, brooding and miserable, had Moriah not bugged him to death with her delightfully irritating ways.
My 3-star ratings are usually the meh kind but this one was surprisingly enjoyable. Not that it makes me want to read Shinn's Samaria series, though. Because: 1/I haven't completely lost it yet and 2/Have you seen those covers? They're probably some of the scariest I've ever seen.
④ Ascension by Meljean Brook : ★
► Badly written PNR crap. No thank you.
► I actually read this one to the very last page. So I'm patting myself on the back AND giving myself an award. Go me.
② Alphas: Origins by Ilona Andrews: 3.5 stars
③ Nocturne by Sharon Shinn: 3 stars
④ Ascension by Meljean Brook: 1 star. (Because I'm in a good mood today.)
↪ Overall rating: 2 glorious stars
① Angel's Wolf by Nalini Singh: ★
►DNFing is underrated. Especially when it comes to PNR.
② Aphas: Origins by Ilona Andrews : ★★★½
► Problem: you're in a shitty mood. You're in a book slump. You don't know what to read. Every single book you pick up, you lose interest in. You don't even feel like reading anymore
► Solution: you read anything by Ilona Andrews (a story is usually best but cereal box blurb works, too).
►► And this, ladies and gentlemen, is how you get your reading mojo back!
Now. I definitely would have given this story 4+ stars had it been less PNR-ish. But as recent
Anyway, we get the whole "my abductor/jailer/whatever is an enraged/scary/vicious/dangerous beast and I hate him but he's kinda hot and he can be kind sometimes but no-no-no I shouldn't think along these lines, he is only using me and could kill me in the blink of the eye blah blah blah" bullshit. But you know why this story worked for me? Because Ilona Andrews. What can I say? These two can work miracles. About halfway through this story goes from PNR trope heaven to awesome world building and kickass action paradise.
Yes, it turns out this story is pretty cool after all. Karina, the heroine, is your typical IA badass, albeit in a sheep's clothing at first. Lucas, the hero, was a bit too stereotypical for my taste but he grew on me as the story progressed. Was it because I kept thinking "Curran" whenever I read "Lucas"? Hmmm, that might have had something to do with it. Might. But I digress. What's really cool about this story is the world: very original, complex, with giganormous potential. Weird powers! Weird creatures! Weird [BEEP]!
►► And the moral of this story is: this shouldn't be so short!! This should be a full-length novel!! This should be a series!! I want to know more about this world! The Andrews better get to it the minute they finish writing the last Kate Daniels instalment. I might retaliate if they don't.
③ Nocturne by Sharon Shinn : ★★★
Oh man, I almost gave 4 stars to a freaking Fantasy ROMANCE involving freaking ANGELS. What the hell is wrong with me??!! That's it, I must have reached the final stages of alcohol psychosis. Either that or the end of the world is near.
Thank C-3PO the ending was way too HEA and fluffy bunnies for me, which means I regained sanity before doing the unthinkable. What makes this OMG-I-almost-rated-this-4-stars episode even scarier is that there isn't a lot going on in this short story. Little action, lots of blah blah blah blah. But I still liked it *gasps* It was a nice story *shudders*
I really liked Moriah's character and actually wouldn't mind reading her backstory. The angel…Well for a start, he's a freaking angel which works against him. I mean, apart from S.M. Reine's deliciously nasty angels, they're all a bunch of sissies. And Corban here, with his constant wallowing in self-pity, is no exception. He'd still be there, brooding and miserable, had Moriah not bugged him to death with her delightfully irritating ways.
My 3-star ratings are usually the meh kind but this one was surprisingly enjoyable. Not that it makes me want to read Shinn's Samaria series, though. Because: 1/I haven't completely lost it yet and 2/Have you seen those covers? They're probably some of the scariest I've ever seen.
④ Ascension by Meljean Brook : ★
► Badly written PNR crap. No thank you.
► I actually read this one to the very last page. So I'm patting myself on the back AND giving myself an award. Go me.