Scan barcode
tori1771's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Cursing, Murder, Bullying, and Death
abeckstrom's review against another edition
4.0
Rating this 4 stars on the strength of the Dresden Files short story alone. Starring Molly Carpenter, the newly anointed Winter Lady, Butcher continues to develop Molly into one of the series' most interesting characters.
Makes me hungry for a full Dresden novel.
The rest of collection was ... OK. No real gems for me.
Makes me hungry for a full Dresden novel.
The rest of collection was ... OK. No real gems for me.
queenterribletimy's review
5.0
I bought this book because of Rob Thurman. As always, I loved her Cal Leandros short story, and it was good to be back in his world after a year. The other authors I knew nothing about, but some of the short stories were really good and made me interested in their works. All in all it was a good deal :))
golden_lily's review against another edition
3.0
Cold Case by Jim Butcher - NR.
I gave it a try, but it was clear this doesn't stand alone without knowledge of Dresden and Molly. Perhaps another time.
Sleepover by Seanan McGuire - 3 stars
Elsie was cool, a nice addition to the Incryptid family. I love the idea of a lesbian succubus whose powers only work on men, but the story was short and you kind of could have slotted any character into the action.
If Wishes Were by Tanya Huff - 3 stars
I don't think I realized how many of these stories were tied to large existing franchises when I got this. Unlike Dresden though, I thought this served as an ok introduction. I'm sure if I start at the beginning Vicki and Mike wouldn't be together yet, but other than that I thought it was pretty good at setting the stage and world building and I feel like I actually might read more.
Solus by Anton Strout - 2 stars
I LOVE stories of a former street kid gone good, so I really wanted to be into this. Unfortunately, Simon's powers were a bit too nebulous and the "just talk to the ghost" ending was anticlimactic after a bunch of swords got thrown through a castle door. Just kind of eh.
Peacock in Hell by Kat Richardson - 3 stars
This didn't make enough sense but I WANTED it to. Like you start a story "They'd fled into a cul-de-sac where a wall built of eternally tormented bodies of the damned moaned and writhed on three sides, rising towards the billowing fire of the sky for at least thirty meters", and I want to know more! Unfortunately, it seems Peacock is a spin-off character and there aren't more stories with her. Sad face.
Eye of Newt by Kevin J. Anderson - 2.5 stars
Why does every UF anthology have to have a really silly comedy story? There was something to the idea of the library and the Spider Lady, but other than that this was just an excuse to make a lot of puns and winks and nods. And the cooking competition was so gross.
What Dwells Within by Lucy A. Snyder - 2 stars
I read this two days ago and I literally cannot tell you a single plot point.
Hunter, Healer by Jim C. Hines - 4 stars
I really liked the dichotomy of the ex-hunter turned healer and the struggle between her two souls. Julia felt like a really interesting, rich character. The plot was a new take on the "killer who comes back for one last job". I also loved the foul-mouthed Hob and his little bit of comic relief.
Baggage by Erik Scott de Bie - 3 stars
Could men just not write lesbians? Like I'm not mad at the plot but V's so inauthentic I'm surprised she didn't boob boobily down some stairs.
Sales. Force. by Kristine Kathryn Rusch - 4 stars
Hey, let's have a beautiful, tragic look at grief and how it can make us feel monstrous. That seems like something that goes in the same book as Eye of Newt.
Impossible Monsters by Rob Thurman - NR
Another that couldn't stand alone without knowing the series. It's really unfortunate that that's the first and last story in the book, the longest stories. I won't pick up something edited by Butcher again.
I gave it a try, but it was clear this doesn't stand alone without knowledge of Dresden and Molly. Perhaps another time.
Sleepover by Seanan McGuire - 3 stars
Elsie was cool, a nice addition to the Incryptid family. I love the idea of a lesbian succubus whose powers only work on men, but the story was short and you kind of could have slotted any character into the action.
If Wishes Were by Tanya Huff - 3 stars
I don't think I realized how many of these stories were tied to large existing franchises when I got this. Unlike Dresden though, I thought this served as an ok introduction. I'm sure if I start at the beginning Vicki and Mike wouldn't be together yet, but other than that I thought it was pretty good at setting the stage and world building and I feel like I actually might read more.
Solus by Anton Strout - 2 stars
I LOVE stories of a former street kid gone good, so I really wanted to be into this. Unfortunately, Simon's powers were a bit too nebulous and the "just talk to the ghost" ending was anticlimactic after a bunch of swords got thrown through a castle door. Just kind of eh.
Peacock in Hell by Kat Richardson - 3 stars
This didn't make enough sense but I WANTED it to. Like you start a story "They'd fled into a cul-de-sac where a wall built of eternally tormented bodies of the damned moaned and writhed on three sides, rising towards the billowing fire of the sky for at least thirty meters", and I want to know more! Unfortunately, it seems Peacock is a spin-off character and there aren't more stories with her. Sad face.
Eye of Newt by Kevin J. Anderson - 2.5 stars
Why does every UF anthology have to have a really silly comedy story? There was something to the idea of the library and the Spider Lady, but other than that this was just an excuse to make a lot of puns and winks and nods. And the cooking competition was so gross.
What Dwells Within by Lucy A. Snyder - 2 stars
I read this two days ago and I literally cannot tell you a single plot point.
Hunter, Healer by Jim C. Hines - 4 stars
I really liked the dichotomy of the ex-hunter turned healer and the struggle between her two souls. Julia felt like a really interesting, rich character. The plot was a new take on the "killer who comes back for one last job". I also loved the foul-mouthed Hob and his little bit of comic relief.
Baggage by Erik Scott de Bie - 3 stars
Could men just not write lesbians? Like I'm not mad at the plot but V's so inauthentic I'm surprised she didn't boob boobily down some stairs.
Sales. Force. by Kristine Kathryn Rusch - 4 stars
Hey, let's have a beautiful, tragic look at grief and how it can make us feel monstrous. That seems like something that goes in the same book as Eye of Newt.
Impossible Monsters by Rob Thurman - NR
Another that couldn't stand alone without knowing the series. It's really unfortunate that that's the first and last story in the book, the longest stories. I won't pick up something edited by Butcher again.
seeinghowitgoes's review against another edition
3.0
Anthropologies, love them or hate them (mostly hate). I'd gone in hoping for a series of short stories based in the Dresden world but the linking theme for these stories was more about the good/bad split and how good isn't always necessarily what you expect it to look like.
The first offering from Butcher himself revolves around Molly and her first task as the Winter Lady, it was enough to make me want to dive back into the entire series and relive just how we managed to get ourselves to where we are. Even for the theme of the collection the twists cut deeper than expected. BRING ON BOOK 16!!
It helps to know the authors in the collection, the ones I enjoyed the most I knew the backstories to and struggled with the authors I was unfamiliar with.
The first offering from Butcher himself revolves around Molly and her first task as the Winter Lady, it was enough to make me want to dive back into the entire series and relive just how we managed to get ourselves to where we are. Even for the theme of the collection the twists cut deeper than expected. BRING ON BOOK 16!!
It helps to know the authors in the collection, the ones I enjoyed the most I knew the backstories to and struggled with the authors I was unfamiliar with.
pamwinkler's review against another edition
4.0
Cold Case by Jim Butcher was good.
Sleepover by Seanen McGuire was good. I love InCryptid stories.
If Wishes Were by Tanya Huff was also really good.
Both Solus and Peacock in Hell were ok.
I skipped Eye of Newt, I'm not interested in the Dan Shamble, Zombie PI series.
I skipped What Dwells Within by Lucy A. Snyder. It's part of series and not all that interesting to me.
Hunter, Healer by Jim C. Hines was good. He tends to do pretty good stuff.
I adored Baggage by Erik Scott de Bie. It did very strongly feel like part of a series, but it still really grabbed me.
Sales. Force. by Kristine Kathryn Rusch was really good.
I skipped Impossible Monsters, it's from a series I don't like very much.
Sleepover by Seanen McGuire was good. I love InCryptid stories.
If Wishes Were by Tanya Huff was also really good.
Both Solus and Peacock in Hell were ok.
I skipped Eye of Newt, I'm not interested in the Dan Shamble, Zombie PI series.
I skipped What Dwells Within by Lucy A. Snyder. It's part of series and not all that interesting to me.
Hunter, Healer by Jim C. Hines was good. He tends to do pretty good stuff.
I adored Baggage by Erik Scott de Bie. It did very strongly feel like part of a series, but it still really grabbed me.
Sales. Force. by Kristine Kathryn Rusch was really good.
I skipped Impossible Monsters, it's from a series I don't like very much.
reasonpassion's review against another edition
4.0
Great collection, only a couple I wasn't personally interested in and I now have three new authors to read.
jvilches's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
3.75