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hauntedboi's review
2.0
I’ve enjoyed these anthologies before, and all anthologies will hit and miss. The topic of course leans itself into horror, but this book’s sampling seem particularly voyeuristic and focused on the shock value. Not my thing.
bookfessional's review
4.0
The Bespelled - The Hollows, 6.1
4 stars
This is the story of how Ceri came to be Al's familiar.
AL, ladies and gentleman.
But appreciation for the finer nuances of pleading aside, Al is bored. Bored and tired. Life has become a drudgery, and he's even contemplating taking a vacation, removing his name from the human world so he can no longer be summoned.
Until Ceri summons him, that is.
And Ceri prefers the battlefield.
This is one of the shorter stories in this book, but it's one of my favorites. READ IT. I'm pretty sure it's included in the back of one of the paperbacks, b/c I've read it before.
4 stars
This is the story of how Ceri came to be Al's familiar.
The knowledge of who owed him and what was worth a lot in the demon's world, and familiars were known for their loose tongues until you cut them out. It was a practice Algaliarept frowned upon. Most of his brethren were bloody plebeians. Removing a familiar's tongue completely ruined the nuances of their pleas for mercy.
AL, ladies and gentleman.
But appreciation for the finer nuances of pleading aside, Al is bored. Bored and tired. Life has become a drudgery, and he's even contemplating taking a vacation, removing his name from the human world so he can no longer be summoned.
Until Ceri summons him, that is.
But butterflies like carrion as much as flowers, battlefields as much as gardens.
And Ceri prefers the battlefield.
This is one of the shorter stories in this book, but it's one of my favorites. READ IT. I'm pretty sure it's included in the back of one of the paperbacks, b/c I've read it before.
introvertreader's review
4.0
Love all the stories especially for me is was well balanced between old and newer contemporary versions, definitely worth the read.
heregrim's review
4.0
Well written horror stories with not a single bad short story. The best, according to me were The Howling Man, And Love Shall Have No Dominion, 20th Level Chaotic Rogue, The Unicorn Hunter and Other People. Although I got this collection for the Kim Harrison story I found myself not impressed with the capture of Cersi, however the insight into Al was much welcomed.
lpcoolgirl's review
5.0
Really enjoyed this short story (I only read The Bespelled) and yeah, it was awesome to be in Al's POV for the first time (there's another one, set after The Witch With No Name) and how the whole thing with Ceri started! Can't wait to read more short stories that I hadn't!
psalmcat's review
3.0
I hit the last third of this and gave up...some stories were creepy, some were EXCELLENT, and some were blah. I just can't get back into it after putting it down a couple of weeks ago.
briarlian's review
4.0
Lots of good stories here, my definite favourite being Pilgrims at the Cathedral.
It is long, however, and after a while I did start to get a bit bored, but that's the beauty of anthologies. You can pick them up, put them down, pick them up again and start reading from a different place. It does not matter.
Nice range of both older and newer authors.
It is long, however, and after a while I did start to get a bit bored, but that's the beauty of anthologies. You can pick them up, put them down, pick them up again and start reading from a different place. It does not matter.
Nice range of both older and newer authors.
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