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mgouker's review
4.0
I only read "Love Hurts," by Jim Butcher. It's a good story with one of my favorite Harry Dresden lines: “It just isn’t fucked-up enough to really be you and me.”
The truth! :-)
The truth! :-)
jgintrovertedreader's review
4.0
This collection of short stories is exactly what the subtitle says: tales of star-crossed love. Crossing a gamut of sub-genres within the realms of science fiction and fantasy, there should be something here for almost everyone.
As with almost any anthology, there were stories that I loved and some that just didn't do anything for me. I was a little afraid that it would start to get depressing (star-crossed love just doesn't sound happy, now does it?) but there was a good balance of happy and sad endings.
Favorite story: "Hurt Me" by M. L. N. Hanover.--A woman moves into a house haunted by an angry ghost. It was dark and disturbing all the way through, but holy cow, what an ending. I feel like I should have seen it coming but I completely did not. Very well done.
"Love Hurts" by Jim Butcher--Someone starts magically forcing people to fall in love on Harry's turf with disastrous results. I've only read the first two books in the Dresden Files, but I do love Harry and Murph. There wasn't really anything spoilery in this story, labeled as # 11.5, but it was a little bittersweet.
"The Marrying Maid" by Jo Beverley--A young aristocrat zeroes in on a sensible vicar's daughter as his one true love. This felt like it was going to venture into bodice-ripper territory (nothing wrong with it, but that's not my thing), but it steered mostly clear. It was fun but I don't think it will end up being memorable for me.
"Rooftops" by Carrie Vaughn--A playwright living in a version of Gotham City is rescued by a masked crusader. A strong contender for my favorite story. A shy new superhero? Yes, please.
"Demon Lover" by Cecelia Holland--A young woman unsatisfied with her lot in life ventures into a castle she's never seen before. I had to look and remind myself what it was about. Not a great sign, but I did enjoy it while I was reading it. A story of mortals drifting into the faery realm is always a safe bet for me.
"The Wayfarer's Advice" by Melinda M. Snodgrass--The captain of a tradeship stumbles on the wreckage of a Imperial cruiser (different wording, same thing) and he's pretty sure his old flame was on board. Again, I had to look back at it, but it was haunting while I was reading it. I felt like there were elements of Serenity in it. I'm not complaining.
"Blue Boots" by Robin Hobb--I did not enjoy the two books I've read by Robin Hobb at all so I gave up on her altogether. This story made me rethink my stance. A plucky kitchen maid and a minstrel? Again, has my name all over it.
"The Thing About Cassandra" by Neil Gaiman--A man starts hearing about an old girlfriend that he'd completely forgotten about. If you read many of my reviews at all, you know I love Neil Gaiman, so you know I was excited for this one. I was let down. There was a twist that surprised me, but I didn't really care. I can't describe it better than that.
"After the Blood" by Marjorie M. Liu--The Amish, a plague, these vampire-y thing? I just didn't understand this story. I felt like I was reading an entry in a series that I knew nothing about. Maybe I was. I was missing a whole lot of information that I think would have helped me make sense of what was going on.
"You, and You Alone" by Jacqueline Carey--Delauney's story, only hinted at in Kushiel's Dart. I loved the Kushiel series so I was very excited to read this, especially when I realized what it was about. Loved it.
"His Wolf" by Lisa Tuttle--A recently relocated woman falls in with a mysterious man and his wolf. It didn't go exactly in the direction I expected, a huge plus.
"Courting Trouble" by Linnea Sinclair--The captain of a tradeship finds herself relying on an old friend for help, years after he betrayed her trust. A little too science-fictiony for my reading taste. I didn't dislike it though.
"The Demon Dancer" by Mary Jo Putney--A magician cop and an old friend tackle a succubus before the spirit can destroy too many lives around the city. I liked this one quite a bit. I didn't see where it was going either.
"Under/Above the Water" by Tanith Lee--Two lovers, separated by centuries, trying to find their way back to each other. Not my style. I typically need to be up in the characters' heads to really enjoy a story and this one felt very distanced.
"Kaskia" by Peter S. Beagle--A man hits "the red button" on a mysterious computer with very unexpected results. Felt a bit too short, although I think Beagle accomplished exactly what he was trying to do. I just wanted a little more!
"Man in the Mirror" by Yasmine Galenorn--A troubled woman moves into a house with a past of its own. A sad, haunting, very visual tale. I really, really liked it.
"A Leaf on the Wind of All Hallows" by Diana Gabaldon--A WWII RAF pilot goes down over Scotland and wakes up in an unexpected place. Possibly my least favorite story. What a crap ending.
And that's it. The good outweighed the bad and overall I enjoyed the book. There were some very strong entries in this collection. I do recommend it.
As with almost any anthology, there were stories that I loved and some that just didn't do anything for me. I was a little afraid that it would start to get depressing (star-crossed love just doesn't sound happy, now does it?) but there was a good balance of happy and sad endings.
Favorite story: "Hurt Me" by M. L. N. Hanover.--A woman moves into a house haunted by an angry ghost. It was dark and disturbing all the way through, but holy cow, what an ending. I feel like I should have seen it coming but I completely did not. Very well done.
"Love Hurts" by Jim Butcher--Someone starts magically forcing people to fall in love on Harry's turf with disastrous results. I've only read the first two books in the Dresden Files, but I do love Harry and Murph. There wasn't really anything spoilery in this story, labeled as # 11.5, but it was a little bittersweet.
"The Marrying Maid" by Jo Beverley--A young aristocrat zeroes in on a sensible vicar's daughter as his one true love. This felt like it was going to venture into bodice-ripper territory (nothing wrong with it, but that's not my thing), but it steered mostly clear. It was fun but I don't think it will end up being memorable for me.
"Rooftops" by Carrie Vaughn--A playwright living in a version of Gotham City is rescued by a masked crusader. A strong contender for my favorite story. A shy new superhero? Yes, please.
"Demon Lover" by Cecelia Holland--A young woman unsatisfied with her lot in life ventures into a castle she's never seen before. I had to look and remind myself what it was about. Not a great sign, but I did enjoy it while I was reading it. A story of mortals drifting into the faery realm is always a safe bet for me.
"The Wayfarer's Advice" by Melinda M. Snodgrass--The captain of a tradeship stumbles on the wreckage of a Imperial cruiser (different wording, same thing) and he's pretty sure his old flame was on board. Again, I had to look back at it, but it was haunting while I was reading it. I felt like there were elements of Serenity in it. I'm not complaining.
"Blue Boots" by Robin Hobb--I did not enjoy the two books I've read by Robin Hobb at all so I gave up on her altogether. This story made me rethink my stance. A plucky kitchen maid and a minstrel? Again, has my name all over it.
"The Thing About Cassandra" by Neil Gaiman--A man starts hearing about an old girlfriend that he'd completely forgotten about. If you read many of my reviews at all, you know I love Neil Gaiman, so you know I was excited for this one. I was let down. There was a twist that surprised me, but I didn't really care. I can't describe it better than that.
"After the Blood" by Marjorie M. Liu--The Amish, a plague, these vampire-y thing? I just didn't understand this story. I felt like I was reading an entry in a series that I knew nothing about. Maybe I was. I was missing a whole lot of information that I think would have helped me make sense of what was going on.
"You, and You Alone" by Jacqueline Carey--Delauney's story, only hinted at in Kushiel's Dart. I loved the Kushiel series so I was very excited to read this, especially when I realized what it was about. Loved it.
"His Wolf" by Lisa Tuttle--A recently relocated woman falls in with a mysterious man and his wolf. It didn't go exactly in the direction I expected, a huge plus.
"Courting Trouble" by Linnea Sinclair--The captain of a tradeship finds herself relying on an old friend for help, years after he betrayed her trust. A little too science-fictiony for my reading taste. I didn't dislike it though.
"The Demon Dancer" by Mary Jo Putney--A magician cop and an old friend tackle a succubus before the spirit can destroy too many lives around the city. I liked this one quite a bit. I didn't see where it was going either.
"Under/Above the Water" by Tanith Lee--Two lovers, separated by centuries, trying to find their way back to each other. Not my style. I typically need to be up in the characters' heads to really enjoy a story and this one felt very distanced.
"Kaskia" by Peter S. Beagle--A man hits "the red button" on a mysterious computer with very unexpected results. Felt a bit too short, although I think Beagle accomplished exactly what he was trying to do. I just wanted a little more!
"Man in the Mirror" by Yasmine Galenorn--A troubled woman moves into a house with a past of its own. A sad, haunting, very visual tale. I really, really liked it.
"A Leaf on the Wind of All Hallows" by Diana Gabaldon--A WWII RAF pilot goes down over Scotland and wakes up in an unexpected place. Possibly my least favorite story. What a crap ending.
And that's it. The good outweighed the bad and overall I enjoyed the book. There were some very strong entries in this collection. I do recommend it.
amazing_emily_anderson's review
3.0
As with any short story collection, some were great, others were meh. I loved the fairytale feel of Robin Hobb's "Blue Boots" and Cecelia Holland's "Demon Lover." The twist endings on M.L.N Hanover's "Hurt Me" and Neil Gaiman's "The Thing About Cassandra" had me reading the stories all over again. My favorite by far was "Under/Above the Water" by Tanith Lee which has such a lovely, dreamlike quality and intriguing plot. Overall, this was an enjoyable collection. 3 stars as I felt like some stories were entirely skippable and not worth reading, and others felt like repetitions of other stories in the same collection.
poisonenvy's review against another edition
adventurous
3.25
Last year, I read a short story nearly every day of the year. This year, I have the same goal, but my year got off to a rough start so it hasn't quite turned out that way, which is why this anthology took so much longer to read than it should have.
My rating is taken from an average of all the short stories I read. I skipped three of them because they're a part of series that are on my TBR, and I'll read them once I get to that point in their respective series.
Overall, I did... not enjoy a lot of the stories in this anthology? I picked it up initially for Robin Hobb's "Blue Boots" which did not disappoint, but I was lukewarm on most of the rest of them. Anyway, on to my individual reviews:
The Marrying Maid by Jo Beverly 2*
Frankly, I did not love this story. The whole forceful, cajoling nature of the relationship didn't set right with me, and I felt like the leads had no chemistry.
Rooftops by Carrie Vaughn 4*
One of my favourites in the anthology. That might just be because I'm an absolute sucker for superhero stories though. The slow build of the relationship and the slow reveal of her relationship with her boyfriend were both very satisfying.
Hurt Me by M.L.N. Hanover 3.5*
I actually don't know how I feel about this one, and it's been too long since I initially read it to properly deconstruct whatever feelings I had.
Demon Lover by Cecelia Holland 2*
Yet another story that I didn't care for with a romance that makes me cringe. Nothing like "You can't do better than me, I'm the only one who wants you" to really set the tone of a relationship.
The Wayfarer's Advice by Melinda M. Soodgrass 3.5*
This story was not for me, I can admit that much. I actually liked it a fair amount despite that, and I both like and loathed the ending.
Blue Boots by Robin Hobb 5*
Am I biased because Hobb is my favourite author, RotE my favourite series, and this story the reason I picked up this anthology? Maybe. But even without all that, this was an extremely well-written story that I loved a lot, and probably would've been my favourite of the anthology even without all my implicit biases.
The Thing About Cassandra by Neil Gaiman 3*
I just don't care much for Gaiman's writing style, ever, even if I normally like his plots. Though, I didn't especially care for this one's plot, and the ending seemed forced.
After the Blood by Marjorie M. Liu 2.5*
This story was extraordinarily difficult for me to get into, and even once I started, it struggled to hold my attention.
His Wolf by Lisa Tuttle 3*
I almost loved this story. It had a strong start and I was riveted. But the second half of the story has major pacing issues. It would have been better served as a novella (or even a full-length novel) than as a short story.
Courting Trouble by Linnea Sinclair 3.5*
I'm not much of a sci fi fan, and so I didn't love this one as much as others might have. It's another case of this story is just not for me. But it was punchy and fun and action packed, and I still enjoyed my time with it.
The Demon Dancer by Mary Jo Putney 2*
I didn't enjoy the prose. I didn't much love the story.
Under/Above The Water by Tanith Lee 4*
The prose was lovely and the story was unique and interesting, but perhaps overly complicated. I think it will benefit from a second read, but I was pretty lost at times. Still, this was one of the better stories in this collection.
Kaskia by Peter S. Beagle 3*
The prose was good, the pacing was good and consistent, and I probably would have loved it if I enjoyed this type of story. Alas.
Man in the Mirror by Yasmine Galeriorn 4*
This Ii actually enjoyed. The prose and the pacing were both alright, though I would've liked to see more of Galen's changing feelings. I was left with questions, but short stories don't always answer all your questions, and I was pretty satisfied regardless.
My rating is taken from an average of all the short stories I read. I skipped three of them because they're a part of series that are on my TBR, and I'll read them once I get to that point in their respective series.
Overall, I did... not enjoy a lot of the stories in this anthology? I picked it up initially for Robin Hobb's "Blue Boots" which did not disappoint, but I was lukewarm on most of the rest of them. Anyway, on to my individual reviews:
The Marrying Maid by Jo Beverly 2*
Frankly, I did not love this story. The whole forceful, cajoling nature of the relationship didn't set right with me, and I felt like the leads had no chemistry.
Rooftops by Carrie Vaughn 4*
One of my favourites in the anthology. That might just be because I'm an absolute sucker for superhero stories though. The slow build of the relationship and the slow reveal of her relationship with her boyfriend were both very satisfying.
Hurt Me by M.L.N. Hanover 3.5*
I actually don't know how I feel about this one, and it's been too long since I initially read it to properly deconstruct whatever feelings I had.
Demon Lover by Cecelia Holland 2*
Yet another story that I didn't care for with a romance that makes me cringe. Nothing like "You can't do better than me, I'm the only one who wants you" to really set the tone of a relationship.
The Wayfarer's Advice by Melinda M. Soodgrass 3.5*
This story was not for me, I can admit that much. I actually liked it a fair amount despite that, and I both like and loathed the ending.
Blue Boots by Robin Hobb 5*
Am I biased because Hobb is my favourite author, RotE my favourite series, and this story the reason I picked up this anthology? Maybe. But even without all that, this was an extremely well-written story that I loved a lot, and probably would've been my favourite of the anthology even without all my implicit biases.
The Thing About Cassandra by Neil Gaiman 3*
I just don't care much for Gaiman's writing style, ever, even if I normally like his plots. Though, I didn't especially care for this one's plot, and the ending seemed forced.
After the Blood by Marjorie M. Liu 2.5*
This story was extraordinarily difficult for me to get into, and even once I started, it struggled to hold my attention.
His Wolf by Lisa Tuttle 3*
I almost loved this story. It had a strong start and I was riveted. But the second half of the story has major pacing issues. It would have been better served as a novella (or even a full-length novel) than as a short story.
Courting Trouble by Linnea Sinclair 3.5*
I'm not much of a sci fi fan, and so I didn't love this one as much as others might have. It's another case of this story is just not for me. But it was punchy and fun and action packed, and I still enjoyed my time with it.
The Demon Dancer by Mary Jo Putney 2*
I didn't enjoy the prose. I didn't much love the story.
Under/Above The Water by Tanith Lee 4*
The prose was lovely and the story was unique and interesting, but perhaps overly complicated. I think it will benefit from a second read, but I was pretty lost at times. Still, this was one of the better stories in this collection.
Kaskia by Peter S. Beagle 3*
The prose was good, the pacing was good and consistent, and I probably would have loved it if I enjoyed this type of story. Alas.
Man in the Mirror by Yasmine Galeriorn 4*
This Ii actually enjoyed. The prose and the pacing were both alright, though I would've liked to see more of Galen's changing feelings. I was left with questions, but short stories don't always answer all your questions, and I was pretty satisfied regardless.
carlacbarroso's review against another edition
3.0
It has some interesting tales, namely Rooftops by Carrie Vaughn, Hurt Me by M.L.N. Hanover, You, and You Alone by Jacqueline Carey, Man in the Mirror by Yasmine Galenorn and A Leaf on the Wind of All Hallows by Diana Gabaldon. If from Diana and Jacqueline I wasn't expecting less than good stories, the others were really nice surprises, especially Hanover and Galenorn who focus on abusive relationships.
Jo Beverley, Mary Jo Putney and Neil Gaiman were authors I've heard of and was expecting more, but felt disappointed. Gaiman was probably the biggest let down of all, since his story was predictable but then I figure out early the end to Night Shyamalan movies and Gaiman's twist and the end of the tale felt just like a Shyamalan's movie.
It has some interesting tales, even if confusing due to lack of development of the world they take place, but overall they fall on the average category or, as I usually put it, "meh!" But it's nice if you are looking for some light reading between books. :/
~*~
Peguei nesta antologia no dia em que saiu A Dance with Dragons, já que o editor é o autor daquele livro. Como não me apetecia pegar n'As Crónicas de Gelo e Fogo, pois aguardo a tradução portuguesa, resolvi então pegar numa antologia cujo título prometia. :P
Bem, não me considero fascinada. Houve alguns contos que se destacaram, dois de autoras das quais não esperava outra coisa, mas de resto achei meh. Os que mais gostei foram sem dúvida Rooftops de Carrie Vaughn, Hurt Me de M.L.N. Hanover, You, and You Alone de Jacqueline Carey, Man in the Mirror de Yasmine Galenorn e A Leaf on the Wind of All Hallows de Diana Gabaldon. Se Diana e Jacqueline confirmaram as minhas suspeitas de que são duas boas escritoras, as outras foram boas descobertas. De Carrie Vaughn já ouvira falar e tinha lido boas críticas aos seus livros, nomeadamente da série Kitty Norville, mas as outras foram boas surpresas, com contos bem desenvolvidos e suficientemente tenebrosos para me fazer arrepiar um pouco.
Houve contos bem desenvolvidos, ainda que com finais previsíveis, houve outros que me deixaram algo confusa e que gostaria de ver uma continuação devido ao ambiente e mundo em que decorrem, casos de After the Blood de Marjorie M. Liu e The Wayfarer's Advice de Melinda M. Snodgrass.
As decepções prendem-se sobretudo com os contos de Jo Beverley, Mary Jo Putney e Neil Gaiman, autores de que tinha ouvido falar, pelo menos os nomes não me eram de todo desconhecidos, mas cujos contos achei estúpidos, pouco interessantes ou grandemente previsível. O de Gaiman é capaz de ter sido realmente a maior decepção e vai daí já o único livro dele que li até ao momento não me tinha deixado muito fascinada. Mas o conto é realmente previsível ou então sou eu que já vi muitos filmes como "Os Outros" ou do Shyamalan (na verdade só vi 2 mas lá está, tão previsíveis!) ou é o meu raciocínio que é estranho. Acho que vou mais para a última hipótese, já que pelos vistos sou das poucas pessoas que perceberam pelo trailer qual seria o fim do filme "O Sexto Sentido". :/
Emprestado e pouco se perde com isso: Não digo que seja uma perda de tempo, pois há contos bem interessantes, mas esperava algo mais desta antologia. Não me pareceu que houvesse assim tantas histórias de star-crossed lovers, até porque dois dos contos que mais gostei se prenderam sobretudo com relações abusivas. Ainda assim não deixa de ser interessante. Convém intercalar com outros livros ou aborrece facilmente.
Jo Beverley, Mary Jo Putney and Neil Gaiman were authors I've heard of and was expecting more, but felt disappointed. Gaiman was probably the biggest let down of all, since his story was predictable but then I figure out early the end to Night Shyamalan movies and Gaiman's twist and the end of the tale felt just like a Shyamalan's movie.
It has some interesting tales, even if confusing due to lack of development of the world they take place, but overall they fall on the average category or, as I usually put it, "meh!" But it's nice if you are looking for some light reading between books. :/
~*~
Peguei nesta antologia no dia em que saiu A Dance with Dragons, já que o editor é o autor daquele livro. Como não me apetecia pegar n'As Crónicas de Gelo e Fogo, pois aguardo a tradução portuguesa, resolvi então pegar numa antologia cujo título prometia. :P
Bem, não me considero fascinada. Houve alguns contos que se destacaram, dois de autoras das quais não esperava outra coisa, mas de resto achei meh. Os que mais gostei foram sem dúvida Rooftops de Carrie Vaughn, Hurt Me de M.L.N. Hanover, You, and You Alone de Jacqueline Carey, Man in the Mirror de Yasmine Galenorn e A Leaf on the Wind of All Hallows de Diana Gabaldon. Se Diana e Jacqueline confirmaram as minhas suspeitas de que são duas boas escritoras, as outras foram boas descobertas. De Carrie Vaughn já ouvira falar e tinha lido boas críticas aos seus livros, nomeadamente da série Kitty Norville, mas as outras foram boas surpresas, com contos bem desenvolvidos e suficientemente tenebrosos para me fazer arrepiar um pouco.
Houve contos bem desenvolvidos, ainda que com finais previsíveis, houve outros que me deixaram algo confusa e que gostaria de ver uma continuação devido ao ambiente e mundo em que decorrem, casos de After the Blood de Marjorie M. Liu e The Wayfarer's Advice de Melinda M. Snodgrass.
As decepções prendem-se sobretudo com os contos de Jo Beverley, Mary Jo Putney e Neil Gaiman, autores de que tinha ouvido falar, pelo menos os nomes não me eram de todo desconhecidos, mas cujos contos achei estúpidos, pouco interessantes ou grandemente previsível. O de Gaiman é capaz de ter sido realmente a maior decepção e vai daí já o único livro dele que li até ao momento não me tinha deixado muito fascinada. Mas o conto é realmente previsível ou então sou eu que já vi muitos filmes como "Os Outros" ou do Shyamalan (na verdade só vi 2 mas lá está, tão previsíveis!) ou é o meu raciocínio que é estranho. Acho que vou mais para a última hipótese, já que pelos vistos sou das poucas pessoas que perceberam pelo trailer qual seria o fim do filme "O Sexto Sentido". :/
Emprestado e pouco se perde com isso: Não digo que seja uma perda de tempo, pois há contos bem interessantes, mas esperava algo mais desta antologia. Não me pareceu que houvesse assim tantas histórias de star-crossed lovers, até porque dois dos contos que mais gostei se prenderam sobretudo com relações abusivas. Ainda assim não deixa de ser interessante. Convém intercalar com outros livros ou aborrece facilmente.
beastreader's review
4.0
Songs of Love and Death is the perfect anthology for every reader. It has a little bit of everything for everyone from paranormal, zombies, and favorite characters from series… as well as new stories from best selling authors. This anthology brings out the heavy hitters.
Mr. Jim Butcher brings his tough as nails Harry Dresden, a puzzling string of love pact murder cases in Love Hurts. Meet some magical sea creatures in Melinda M. Snodgrass’s The Wayfarer’s Advice. There are so many good stories to choose from in this anthology that you will have a hard time picking just one. This anthology was well put together. I met some new authors as well as old favorites. I do not want to give anything away in this anthology. If you have not picked up Songs of Love and Death than you better make sure that it is on your Christmas wish list.
Mr. Jim Butcher brings his tough as nails Harry Dresden, a puzzling string of love pact murder cases in Love Hurts. Meet some magical sea creatures in Melinda M. Snodgrass’s The Wayfarer’s Advice. There are so many good stories to choose from in this anthology that you will have a hard time picking just one. This anthology was well put together. I met some new authors as well as old favorites. I do not want to give anything away in this anthology. If you have not picked up Songs of Love and Death than you better make sure that it is on your Christmas wish list.
lisawreading's review
4.0
I picked up "Songs of Love and Death" specifically to read the new story by Diana Gabaldon ("A Leaf on the Wind of All Saint's"), and it was certainly worth it! "Leaf" is a fantastic addition to Gabaldon's works in the Outlander series. Focusing on a character we've previously heard about but never met, this story explores a plot point introduced in the 7th book in the series, Echo in the Bone. Without going into detail, in order to avoid spoilers, all I can say is that Gabaldon's fans MUST read this story. Lots to think about, and very touching as well. Of course, there are many other stories in this anthology, which is described as focusing on tales of star-crossed lovers, with a supernatural twist. It includes a terrific piece by Neil Gaiman, which I highly recommend. This is a book that I think I'll come back to in between reading other things, rather than reading all in one sitting. Looking forward to enjoying the rest of the stories, and hope to perhaps encounter some new writers for future exploration.
suzemo's review against another edition
3.0
I guess I expected a compilation with the theme of "star crossed love" to be... darker? Some of the tales (even when not dark) fit that theme, but I felt that some did not (which always irks me in an anthology). Most of the stories were decent, but not grabbing.
What I didn't like (maybe I'm just a sensitive, and yet heartless bitch) was the number of stories that seemed to leave the woman either dependent on, or utterly swooning - for no damned reason - some shitty male. Fuck that.
Notables -
Butcher - 3 st, I love Murphy, it was a cute, if irreverent story. It fit nicely in the Dresdenverse and was OK and gave any fans of pairing Karrin&Harry something to enjoy.
Gaiman's "The Thing about Cassandra" was a delightfully chilling story.
Carey's "You and You Alone" was a punch to the gut and was just such a sad and wonderfully written story. I haven't read any of her Kushiel's series, but this may rope me in. It was wonderfully heart wrenching and fit the theme very well and gave me the darkness I was after.
"Hurt Me" by Hanover was awesome and super empowering. Not so much within the theme, which does bug, but it was still a nice super story.
"Under/Above the Water" by Tanith Lee was quite beautiful. I just love her writing, it's always like sinking into the most delicious and complex of drinks. It's invigorating, pleasuring, and always leaves you wanting to sip just a little bit more. Admittedly I'm (mostly) a Lee fangirl (she has disappointed me in the past), but I feel like this short is up to what I love reading from her.
I was disappointed in:
Beverly's "The Marrying Maid" because it just felt like a very weak fairy tale.
Vaughn's "Rooftops" which was ridiculous. It's some sort of world where superheroes are somewhat real, and the protagonist makes some sort of not-quite-agonizing-and-mostly-boring choice between her working beau and a weak-sauce hero (all while secretly wishing the boyfriend was a hero, ugh).
Holland's Demon Lover, which reminds me of Pearl Jam's "Better Man" which pisses me off, because I. Don't. Get. Settling. Seriously, the "Oh, My Hero! You're not as much of an asshole as that guy. I guess I love you because you are the lesser of two shitty options" angers me.
"His Wolf" by Tuttle just feels likes it's been done before.
The others were OK. I just didn't feel like there was a hole lot of memorable to be found in these stories. Definitely not one of my preferred anthologies, and I probably won't be going back to reread most of these any time soon.
What I didn't like (maybe I'm just a sensitive, and yet heartless bitch) was the number of stories that seemed to leave the woman either dependent on, or utterly swooning - for no damned reason - some shitty male. Fuck that.
Notables -
Butcher - 3 st, I love Murphy, it was a cute, if irreverent story. It fit nicely in the Dresdenverse and was OK and gave any fans of pairing Karrin&Harry something to enjoy.
Gaiman's "The Thing about Cassandra" was a delightfully chilling story.
Carey's "You and You Alone" was a punch to the gut and was just such a sad and wonderfully written story. I haven't read any of her Kushiel's series, but this may rope me in. It was wonderfully heart wrenching and fit the theme very well and gave me the darkness I was after.
"Hurt Me" by Hanover was awesome and super empowering. Not so much within the theme, which does bug, but it was still a nice super story.
"Under/Above the Water" by Tanith Lee was quite beautiful. I just love her writing, it's always like sinking into the most delicious and complex of drinks. It's invigorating, pleasuring, and always leaves you wanting to sip just a little bit more. Admittedly I'm (mostly) a Lee fangirl (she has disappointed me in the past), but I feel like this short is up to what I love reading from her.
I was disappointed in:
Beverly's "The Marrying Maid" because it just felt like a very weak fairy tale.
Vaughn's "Rooftops" which was ridiculous. It's some sort of world where superheroes are somewhat real, and the protagonist makes some sort of not-quite-agonizing-and-mostly-boring choice between her working beau and a weak-sauce hero (all while secretly wishing the boyfriend was a hero, ugh).
Holland's Demon Lover, which reminds me of Pearl Jam's "Better Man" which pisses me off, because I. Don't. Get. Settling. Seriously, the "Oh, My Hero! You're not as much of an asshole as that guy. I guess I love you because you are the lesser of two shitty options" angers me.
"His Wolf" by Tuttle just feels likes it's been done before.
The others were OK. I just didn't feel like there was a hole lot of memorable to be found in these stories. Definitely not one of my preferred anthologies, and I probably won't be going back to reread most of these any time soon.
sucitta's review against another edition
4.0
I only read this for Diana Gabaldon's short story that's featured. I'm really glad she decided to write this because it really answered some questions about Roger's parents AND kind of gives you hints about what her next book in the Outlander series will entail for Roger, and perhaps his son, Jem. If you're a fan of Gabaldon's world this story is worth the read! Even moreso if you're a big Roger fan like myself. ;)
misterjay's review
4.0
"Songs of Love and Death" is an anthology of stories focused on, well, love and death and their intersections. There are a lot of good stories presented here, each tying themselves to the overall theme in various ways, whether supernatural, paranormal, or just fantastic. More importantly, at least for the authors and publisher, at least a few of the stories presented in this anthology appear to be gateways to longer, novel length, stories featuring the same characters; the final story in the book, "A Leaf on the Wind of All Hallows," by Diana Gabaldon has already prompted both Wikipedia and Amazon searches on my end, so I suppose that's a job well done.
Naturally though, there are several stand alone stories from the full gamut of authors, several of whom I had never heard of, several of whom I have devoured everything they have ever written. In short, there is a wide selection of authors in this book, each one with a story well worth reading. Personal favorites of mine include "The Thing About Cassandra," by Neil Gaiman, and "Kaskia," by Peter S. Beagle.
If you're a fan of any of the authors presented here, do yourself a favor and read the entire collection. The stories complement one another nicely, and there is not a bad one in the lot, only ones that speak more loudly to one's personal experience. Good stuff.
Naturally though, there are several stand alone stories from the full gamut of authors, several of whom I had never heard of, several of whom I have devoured everything they have ever written. In short, there is a wide selection of authors in this book, each one with a story well worth reading. Personal favorites of mine include "The Thing About Cassandra," by Neil Gaiman, and "Kaskia," by Peter S. Beagle.
If you're a fan of any of the authors presented here, do yourself a favor and read the entire collection. The stories complement one another nicely, and there is not a bad one in the lot, only ones that speak more loudly to one's personal experience. Good stuff.