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3.46 AVERAGE
3.46 AVERAGE
I think I would have been happier about this book as a whole if the subtitle had been: tales of urban fantasy and horror. Because really, that's what it is.
I did enjoy a handful of the stories (those I liked most are in bold), but there were also quite a few that didn't work for me at all. Quick synopses/impressions below:
Curses / Jim Butcher
In which Harry ogles a well-mammaried faerie, gets beat up a shocking zero times and investigates a curse placed on the Chicago Cubs in 1945.
How the Pooka Came to New York City / Delia Sherman
Features Liam, a 19th century Irish immigrant to NYC, and his traveling companion, an iron-sick pooka who owes Liam a blood debt. Smart use of mythology and beautifully detailed.
On the Slide / Richard Bowes
neo-noir pop culture with time travel. Too stylized for my taste.
The Duke of Riverside / Ellen Kushner
I'm unfamiliar with this series so it took a bit to get into, but once I did - fabulous! A reluctant heir and his swordsman lover in a high fantasy (?) slum. I need to find other books by this author.
Oblivion by Calvin Klein / Christopher Fowler
metaphors are plentiful and the heroine is vacuous beyond my ability to cope
Fairy Gifts / Patricia Briggs
Didn't work for me as a standalone and it's been too long since I've read the last Mercy Thompson book for it to work as fan service. Also, US restrictions/racism related to Chinese immigrants in the 19th century made it really hard for me to buy into the hero's backstory (which is kind of a problem, since it's half flashbacks).
Picking up the pieces / Pat Cadigan
Two American sisters in Berlin when the walls come down. Engaging, but the paranormal part was a little hard to understand.
Underbridge / Peter S. Beagle
If it hadn't been for the grossness, I might have liked this more. The anxiety of the main character, after a lifetime of living the life of an academic gypsy, seemed both true to life and something out of Gogol. But the Seattle bridge troll? Come on, that's been done to death.
Priced to Sell / Naomi Novik
Funny. Real-estate sales in paranormal NYC.
The bricks of Gelecek / Matthew Kressel
An archetype of Destruction takes human form after hearing the songs of a young girl. Contains rhyming poetry.
Weston Walks / Kit Reed
Creepy, atmospheric
The Projected Girl / Lavie Tidhar
A 13 year old boy in Haifa investigates the disappearance of a young woman decades earlier. Beautifully written, sad and funny in turn.
The Way Station / Nathan Ballingrud
A homeless alcoholic, haunted by the destruction of New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina, searches for his estranged daughter. I didn't really get the haunted group therapy scene, but several other scenes were very moving.
Guns for the Dead / Melissa Marr
Gunrunners in the land of the dead, with a Western feel. Fun characters, pacing, plot. A complete story, but if this turned into a full series, I'd happily read more.
And Go Like This / John Crowley
I'm not sure if the better question is Why? or Huh?
Noble Rot / Holly Black
Wow, I really liked this one. It's hard to describe without spoiling it, but it includes elements of romance, angst and gore.
Daddy Long Legs of the Evening / Jeffrey Ford
Dear author, based on your description of the spider-creature in this story, the name "daddy long legs" seems very... well, wrong.
The Skinny Girl / Lucius Shepard
A middle-aged photographer of the dead meets Santa Muerte, incarnated in the body of a young woman who asks him to become her suitor. I'm not sure if I liked this story exactly, but it's one I'll remember.
The Colliers' Venus / Caitlin R Kiernan
A fossil monster in 19th century Colorado. Spooky fun.
King Pole, Gallows Pole, Bottle Tree / Elizabeth Bear
Las Vegas and a sorcerer who eats memories. Either it's part of series or my indifference to the whole Vegas thing means I'm ignorant of what one is generally expected to know about the city, but there were large parts of this I could tell I just wasn't getting.
I received an ARC of this book through the LTER program.
I did enjoy a handful of the stories (those I liked most are in bold), but there were also quite a few that didn't work for me at all. Quick synopses/impressions below:
Curses / Jim Butcher
In which Harry ogles a well-mammaried faerie, gets beat up a shocking zero times and investigates a curse placed on the Chicago Cubs in 1945.
How the Pooka Came to New York City / Delia Sherman
Features Liam, a 19th century Irish immigrant to NYC, and his traveling companion, an iron-sick pooka who owes Liam a blood debt. Smart use of mythology and beautifully detailed.
On the Slide / Richard Bowes
neo-noir pop culture with time travel. Too stylized for my taste.
The Duke of Riverside / Ellen Kushner
I'm unfamiliar with this series so it took a bit to get into, but once I did - fabulous! A reluctant heir and his swordsman lover in a high fantasy (?) slum. I need to find other books by this author.
Oblivion by Calvin Klein / Christopher Fowler
metaphors are plentiful and the heroine is vacuous beyond my ability to cope
Fairy Gifts / Patricia Briggs
Didn't work for me as a standalone and it's been too long since I've read the last Mercy Thompson book for it to work as fan service. Also, US restrictions/racism related to Chinese immigrants in the 19th century made it really hard for me to buy into the hero's backstory (which is kind of a problem, since it's half flashbacks).
Picking up the pieces / Pat Cadigan
Two American sisters in Berlin when the walls come down. Engaging, but the paranormal part was a little hard to understand.
Underbridge / Peter S. Beagle
If it hadn't been for the grossness, I might have liked this more. The anxiety of the main character, after a lifetime of living the life of an academic gypsy, seemed both true to life and something out of Gogol. But the Seattle bridge troll? Come on, that's been done to death.
Priced to Sell / Naomi Novik
Funny. Real-estate sales in paranormal NYC.
The bricks of Gelecek / Matthew Kressel
An archetype of Destruction takes human form after hearing the songs of a young girl. Contains rhyming poetry.
Weston Walks / Kit Reed
Creepy, atmospheric
The Projected Girl / Lavie Tidhar
A 13 year old boy in Haifa investigates the disappearance of a young woman decades earlier. Beautifully written, sad and funny in turn.
The Way Station / Nathan Ballingrud
A homeless alcoholic, haunted by the destruction of New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina, searches for his estranged daughter. I didn't really get the haunted group therapy scene, but several other scenes were very moving.
Guns for the Dead / Melissa Marr
Gunrunners in the land of the dead, with a Western feel. Fun characters, pacing, plot. A complete story, but if this turned into a full series, I'd happily read more.
And Go Like This / John Crowley
I'm not sure if the better question is Why? or Huh?
Noble Rot / Holly Black
Wow, I really liked this one. It's hard to describe without spoiling it, but it includes elements of romance, angst and gore.
Daddy Long Legs of the Evening / Jeffrey Ford
Dear author, based on your description of the spider-creature in this story, the name "daddy long legs" seems very... well, wrong.
The Skinny Girl / Lucius Shepard
A middle-aged photographer of the dead meets Santa Muerte, incarnated in the body of a young woman who asks him to become her suitor. I'm not sure if I liked this story exactly, but it's one I'll remember.
The Colliers' Venus / Caitlin R Kiernan
A fossil monster in 19th century Colorado. Spooky fun.
King Pole, Gallows Pole, Bottle Tree / Elizabeth Bear
Las Vegas and a sorcerer who eats memories. Either it's part of series or my indifference to the whole Vegas thing means I'm ignorant of what one is generally expected to know about the city, but there were large parts of this I could tell I just wasn't getting.
I received an ARC of this book through the LTER program.
The subject known as “urban fantasy” has grown to become its very own strong and prominent genre in fantasy, and yet there are still many people who have yet to read an urban fantasy book, or an urban fantasy story for that matter. And where are said readers supposed to start with the glut of urban fantasy currently out, along with the many more works being published? An anthology is a good place to start; this particular anthology – Naked City – is a great one.
With so many different authors writing urban fantasy, it’s hard to decide on which one to like and read. Naked City makes that easy for the reader in offering twenty stories by different authors to get interested in and choose from. The book kicks off with another great romping ride courtesy of Jim Butcher, and this time Harry Dresden is on the case of the Chicago Cubs curse. Naomi Novik’s entertaining tale, “Priced to Sell,” is about vampires buying real estate in Manhattan. Patricia Brigg’s “Fairy Gifts” features a vampire called home to save those who freed him from a curse. Melissa Marr’s “Guns for the Dead” is the story of a dead man trying to get by in the afterlife, who keeps falling into trouble.
In the introduction, popular and prolific editor Ellen Datlow talks about the important of place in Naked City, with most of the stories featuring an important location as their focus point. Readers will learn lots about various towns across America in Naked City, as well as some other places not found on any known map.
Originally written on September 21, 2011 ©Alex C. Telander.
For more reviews and exclusive interviews, go to the BookBanter site.
With so many different authors writing urban fantasy, it’s hard to decide on which one to like and read. Naked City makes that easy for the reader in offering twenty stories by different authors to get interested in and choose from. The book kicks off with another great romping ride courtesy of Jim Butcher, and this time Harry Dresden is on the case of the Chicago Cubs curse. Naomi Novik’s entertaining tale, “Priced to Sell,” is about vampires buying real estate in Manhattan. Patricia Brigg’s “Fairy Gifts” features a vampire called home to save those who freed him from a curse. Melissa Marr’s “Guns for the Dead” is the story of a dead man trying to get by in the afterlife, who keeps falling into trouble.
In the introduction, popular and prolific editor Ellen Datlow talks about the important of place in Naked City, with most of the stories featuring an important location as their focus point. Readers will learn lots about various towns across America in Naked City, as well as some other places not found on any known map.
Originally written on September 21, 2011 ©Alex C. Telander.
For more reviews and exclusive interviews, go to the BookBanter site.
Confession, I only read a couple of the stories, but I liked the ones I read.
I only read Curses, which was a great story about the curse on the Cubs. Really enjoyed it!
---some of these arent worth reading.
- Curses / by Jim Butcher -- Dresden files -- Harry Dresden investigates how to lift a curse laid by the Fair Folk on the Chicago Cubs. i liked. "i suppose you'll expect me to believe in their existence." "they'll exist or not exist regardless of what you believe."
- How the pooka came to New York City / by Delia Sherman -- a man saves a pookas life, and the pooka follows him from ireland to america to repay the debt. i liked.
- On the slide / by Richard Bowes -- a man would rather 'slide' back in time than live his current life. it was ok.
- The Duke of Riverside / by Ellen Kushner -- an idiot scholar gets a knight protector and ends up being a duke. i didnt care for this one.
- Oblivion by Calvin Klein / by Christopher Fowler --a woman shops until she cant. something about the green man and the end of the world. odd. i didnt get it.
- Fairy gifts / by Patricia Briggs -- a vampire is called home by magic to save the Fae who freed him from a dark curse. i liked.
- Picking up the pieces / by Pat Cadigan -- a flighty sister gets unwilling rescued during the fall of the berlin wall. meh.
- Underbridge / by Peter S. Beagle -- a man, a bridge, a troll, and what not to feed it. icky ending.
- Priced to sell / by Naomi Novik -- the trials of selling real estate to supernaturals in NYC. i liked.
- The bricks of Gelecek / by Matthew Kressel -- one who destroys everything he touches including cities, meets a girl who remembers what was lost and helps it begin again. i liked.
- Weston walks / by Kit Reed -- a rich guy and a tunnel and a gal who is stealing his stuff after sex. i didnt understand it.
- The projected girl/ by Lavie Tidhar -- a kid finds a magicians journal and a girl trapped in a painting. ok.
- The way station / by Nathan Ballingrud -- a man has the city of new orleans inside him leaking out is trying to reach his daughter. a priest tries to convince him not to. i didnt get it.
- Guns for the dead / by Melissa Marr -- the newly dead Frankie Lee seeks a job in the afterlife on the wrong side of the law. i liked. "all sass and no ass."
- And go like this / by John Crowley -- everyone in the whole entire world goes to NYC and gets assigned housing and food. i didnt like because i couldnt figure out WHY they all went to one city.
- Noble rot / by Holly Black -- a dying rock star discovers that the young woman who brings him food every day has some strange appetites of her own. ok but gross.
- Daddy longlegs of the evening / by Jeffrey Ford -- horror story. a spider crawls into a boys brain and takes him over. didnt like, too gross for me.
- The skinny girl / by Lucius Shepard -- death finds a consort. meh.
- The Colliers' Venus (1893) / by Caitlín R. Kiernan -- a woman comes out of a rock and kills men in a mine. why? how? didnt like.
- King pole, gallows pole, bottle tree / by Elizabeth Bear. two men are the genii of las vegas and someone tries to take the memories from them. i liked.
- Curses / by Jim Butcher -- Dresden files -- Harry Dresden investigates how to lift a curse laid by the Fair Folk on the Chicago Cubs. i liked. "i suppose you'll expect me to believe in their existence." "they'll exist or not exist regardless of what you believe."
- How the pooka came to New York City / by Delia Sherman -- a man saves a pookas life, and the pooka follows him from ireland to america to repay the debt. i liked.
- On the slide / by Richard Bowes -- a man would rather 'slide' back in time than live his current life. it was ok.
- The Duke of Riverside / by Ellen Kushner -- an idiot scholar gets a knight protector and ends up being a duke. i didnt care for this one.
- Oblivion by Calvin Klein / by Christopher Fowler --a woman shops until she cant. something about the green man and the end of the world. odd. i didnt get it.
- Fairy gifts / by Patricia Briggs -- a vampire is called home by magic to save the Fae who freed him from a dark curse. i liked.
- Picking up the pieces / by Pat Cadigan -- a flighty sister gets unwilling rescued during the fall of the berlin wall. meh.
- Underbridge / by Peter S. Beagle -- a man, a bridge, a troll, and what not to feed it. icky ending.
- Priced to sell / by Naomi Novik -- the trials of selling real estate to supernaturals in NYC. i liked.
- The bricks of Gelecek / by Matthew Kressel -- one who destroys everything he touches including cities, meets a girl who remembers what was lost and helps it begin again. i liked.
- Weston walks / by Kit Reed -- a rich guy and a tunnel and a gal who is stealing his stuff after sex. i didnt understand it.
- The projected girl/ by Lavie Tidhar -- a kid finds a magicians journal and a girl trapped in a painting. ok.
- The way station / by Nathan Ballingrud -- a man has the city of new orleans inside him leaking out is trying to reach his daughter. a priest tries to convince him not to. i didnt get it.
- Guns for the dead / by Melissa Marr -- the newly dead Frankie Lee seeks a job in the afterlife on the wrong side of the law. i liked. "all sass and no ass."
- And go like this / by John Crowley -- everyone in the whole entire world goes to NYC and gets assigned housing and food. i didnt like because i couldnt figure out WHY they all went to one city.
- Noble rot / by Holly Black -- a dying rock star discovers that the young woman who brings him food every day has some strange appetites of her own. ok but gross.
- Daddy longlegs of the evening / by Jeffrey Ford -- horror story. a spider crawls into a boys brain and takes him over. didnt like, too gross for me.
- The skinny girl / by Lucius Shepard -- death finds a consort. meh.
- The Colliers' Venus (1893) / by Caitlín R. Kiernan -- a woman comes out of a rock and kills men in a mine. why? how? didnt like.
- King pole, gallows pole, bottle tree / by Elizabeth Bear. two men are the genii of las vegas and someone tries to take the memories from them. i liked.
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Here's a list the stories and my enjoyment of each:
Curses: 4 stars YAY!!
How the Pooka Came to New York City: 3 stars (it was depressing)
On the Slide: 2 stars...couldn't really care
The Duke of Riverside: 2 stars...wanted it to be better, but kinda pointless
Oblivion by Calvin Klein - 2 stars...again, didn't really care
Fairy Gifts: 4 stars YAY!!
Picking Up the Pieces: 3 stars...eh
Underbridge: 3 stars...creepy little story
Priced to Sell: 3 stars
The Bricks of Gelecek: 3 stars
Weston Walks: 2 stars
The Projected Girl: 3 stars
The Way Station: 2 stars
Guns for the Dead: 4 stars...hoping for a series out of this
And Go Like This: 2 stars
Noble Rot: 4 stars...loved this! hope she spins it into a series
Daddy Longlegs of the Evening: 3 stars
The Skinny Girl: 3 stars
The Colliers' Venus (1893): 3 stars
King pole, Gallows Pole, Bottle Tree: 3 stars
Curses: 4 stars YAY!!
How the Pooka Came to New York City: 3 stars (it was depressing)
On the Slide: 2 stars...couldn't really care
The Duke of Riverside: 2 stars...wanted it to be better, but kinda pointless
Oblivion by Calvin Klein - 2 stars...again, didn't really care
Fairy Gifts: 4 stars YAY!!
Picking Up the Pieces: 3 stars...eh
Underbridge: 3 stars...creepy little story
Priced to Sell: 3 stars
The Bricks of Gelecek: 3 stars
Weston Walks: 2 stars
The Projected Girl: 3 stars
The Way Station: 2 stars
Guns for the Dead: 4 stars...hoping for a series out of this
And Go Like This: 2 stars
Noble Rot: 4 stars...loved this! hope she spins it into a series
Daddy Longlegs of the Evening: 3 stars
The Skinny Girl: 3 stars
The Colliers' Venus (1893): 3 stars
King pole, Gallows Pole, Bottle Tree: 3 stars
What a strange hodgepodge of stories. Despite a central theme, of fantasy in cities, many of the stories were nothing like each other. Some were straight up fun urban fantasy, set in fascinating locations like Mexico City and Vegas, as well as the standard NYC, others were almost mythic, high fantasy, and others were incredibly creepy and basically horror stories. Many had very unlikable characters. I liked some stories and not others; since reviewing the book overall is difficult, here's a breakdown of story by author.
Jim Butcher--a Dresden story. I haven't read the series, and I don't really care about baseball, so this story was mildly interesting at most. It didn't recommend his series to me. The cover art was clearly for the story, though, and very cool.
Delia Sherman--I never heard of a pooka before. The characters and story and setting were all interesting, and I appreciated the introduction to Irish mythology and historic immigrant culture in NYC>
Richard Bowes--Another story that barely registered with me. a boring, world-weary older male protagonist walks around having a crappy life and feeling sorry for himself until something finally happens. and there are "sliders", people who want to travel around in time. or something. yawn.
Ellen Kushner--Another story that seems to be part of a series. Considering that I only mildly liked one character, the swordsman, and didn't like the setting, I would not read the series in which it's set.
Christoper Fowler--extremely unpleasant and creepy protagonist, in a dystopian setting that felt forced, and perhaps edited in after the story had been written. The ending was weird and somewhat creepy. I should have liked it, given the commentary on consumerist society and all, but I didn't.
Patricia Briggs--My favorite story in the collection, and not just becuase it's set in Mercy Thompson's world. Darker than the Mercy books, perhaps, but engrossing and involving, with an interesting setting and mythology. When I realized that this was the Thomas Hao of the most recent Mercy book, I was so excited, because he had been really badass, my favorite supporting character in the book, and I thought he deserved a story of his own. However, this isn't enough. I want more Hao!
Pat Cadigan--Uninteresting story about a woman constantly picking up the pieces behind her crazy sister, and somehow some magic/ fantasy worked into that. only the Berlin Wall falling made the story interesting at all.
Peter S Beagle--bleh. I did not like this story. The protagonist was unpleasant at first, increasing to absolutely disturbing by the end. Despite the creativity of a troll under a bridge, I detested this story.
Naomi Novik--I liked the evocation of NYC and its various neighborhoods/ cultures, and imagining how openly supernatural beings would fit into those cultures. The characters weren't memorable, and the story felt silly, but I guess that's better (for me) than creepy. This is the second short story I've read by this author, and second one that felt silly.
Matthew Kressel--Luminously, timelessly beautiful mystical story. extremely creative, mostly sad but with a twist at the end. well done.
Kit Reed--I hated this story so much I didn't even read the whole thing. It was creepy and dark and depressing. I disliked the protagonist. Also, it was written in a really annoying semi-second person tense. I glanced at the end to see if I'd missed anything worthwhile, but I didn't feel that I had. ick.
Lavie Tidhar--I was fascinated by the retro Israeli setting. I could care less about performance magic, but this story was intriguing anyway, fleetingly beautiful, and hauntingly mysterious. My only actual complaint was the abrupt, vague, unsatisfying ending.
Nathan Ballingrad--Bizarre haunting story, with rivers flowing out of chests and homeless men and family estrangement and so on. I did not like it at all, and couldn't make myself read it the whole way through.
Melissa Marr--Purgatory as a frontier town is an entertaining concept, although not original. It reminded me of another story I'd read, starring a character named Velvet. I liked the other story better, as I didn't much care for the protagonists in this story. I don't really care for criminals or crime capers, dead or undead, I guess.
John Growley--This story felt pointless and made no sense. No characters with which to connect. Just the world's population shuffling into NYC to stand around for a day or so and then shuffle back out again, for no apparent reason. Unless of course, the argue was making some sort of commentary about population growth not being an issue, in which case the story is even more stupid, and I dislike it even more.
Holly Black--My other favorite story from this collection. I didn't expect to love a story about a ghoul and a dying rock star, but the characters were sympathetic and likable, and the ghoul concept was unusual, creative, and interesting. I thought the ending was a bit abrupt, but perhaps it's simply that I wanted more of the characters.
Lucius Shepherd--My third favorite story of the collection. Mexico City made a fascinating culture/ location/ setting. The main character was not exactly likable, but that suited the story, same as the Skinny Girl herself. The story was strange, creative, and only a little bit creepy. The ending was too ambiguous for me, but the story was otherwise enjoyable.
Caitlin Kiernan--meh. intricate steampunk Wild West setting. interesting, somewhat likable characters. But just went in a creepy direction, especially the whole weird and seemingly unneccesary dream sequence.
Elizabeth Bear--a weird story about two lovers who are both the "genius" or spirit of Las Vegas. Vegas is an interesting, if unappealing, setting, and the magic, such as bottle trees and the mnemophage, were creative and interesting. I didn't love the two main characters, though, and found the story creepier than I liked.
Overall, the book was really long, and while I really enjoyed a few stories, I came away with very few authors I'm interested in adding to my to-read list.
Jim Butcher--a Dresden story. I haven't read the series, and I don't really care about baseball, so this story was mildly interesting at most. It didn't recommend his series to me. The cover art was clearly for the story, though, and very cool.
Delia Sherman--I never heard of a pooka before. The characters and story and setting were all interesting, and I appreciated the introduction to Irish mythology and historic immigrant culture in NYC>
Richard Bowes--Another story that barely registered with me. a boring, world-weary older male protagonist walks around having a crappy life and feeling sorry for himself until something finally happens. and there are "sliders", people who want to travel around in time. or something. yawn.
Ellen Kushner--Another story that seems to be part of a series. Considering that I only mildly liked one character, the swordsman, and didn't like the setting, I would not read the series in which it's set.
Christoper Fowler--extremely unpleasant and creepy protagonist, in a dystopian setting that felt forced, and perhaps edited in after the story had been written. The ending was weird and somewhat creepy. I should have liked it, given the commentary on consumerist society and all, but I didn't.
Patricia Briggs--My favorite story in the collection, and not just becuase it's set in Mercy Thompson's world. Darker than the Mercy books, perhaps, but engrossing and involving, with an interesting setting and mythology. When I realized that this was the Thomas Hao of the most recent Mercy book, I was so excited, because he had been really badass, my favorite supporting character in the book, and I thought he deserved a story of his own. However, this isn't enough. I want more Hao!
Pat Cadigan--Uninteresting story about a woman constantly picking up the pieces behind her crazy sister, and somehow some magic/ fantasy worked into that. only the Berlin Wall falling made the story interesting at all.
Peter S Beagle--bleh. I did not like this story. The protagonist was unpleasant at first, increasing to absolutely disturbing by the end. Despite the creativity of a troll under a bridge, I detested this story.
Naomi Novik--I liked the evocation of NYC and its various neighborhoods/ cultures, and imagining how openly supernatural beings would fit into those cultures. The characters weren't memorable, and the story felt silly, but I guess that's better (for me) than creepy. This is the second short story I've read by this author, and second one that felt silly.
Matthew Kressel--Luminously, timelessly beautiful mystical story. extremely creative, mostly sad but with a twist at the end. well done.
Kit Reed--I hated this story so much I didn't even read the whole thing. It was creepy and dark and depressing. I disliked the protagonist. Also, it was written in a really annoying semi-second person tense. I glanced at the end to see if I'd missed anything worthwhile, but I didn't feel that I had. ick.
Lavie Tidhar--I was fascinated by the retro Israeli setting. I could care less about performance magic, but this story was intriguing anyway, fleetingly beautiful, and hauntingly mysterious. My only actual complaint was the abrupt, vague, unsatisfying ending.
Nathan Ballingrad--Bizarre haunting story, with rivers flowing out of chests and homeless men and family estrangement and so on. I did not like it at all, and couldn't make myself read it the whole way through.
Melissa Marr--Purgatory as a frontier town is an entertaining concept, although not original. It reminded me of another story I'd read, starring a character named Velvet. I liked the other story better, as I didn't much care for the protagonists in this story. I don't really care for criminals or crime capers, dead or undead, I guess.
John Growley--This story felt pointless and made no sense. No characters with which to connect. Just the world's population shuffling into NYC to stand around for a day or so and then shuffle back out again, for no apparent reason. Unless of course, the argue was making some sort of commentary about population growth not being an issue, in which case the story is even more stupid, and I dislike it even more.
Holly Black--My other favorite story from this collection. I didn't expect to love a story about a ghoul and a dying rock star, but the characters were sympathetic and likable, and the ghoul concept was unusual, creative, and interesting. I thought the ending was a bit abrupt, but perhaps it's simply that I wanted more of the characters.
Lucius Shepherd--My third favorite story of the collection. Mexico City made a fascinating culture/ location/ setting. The main character was not exactly likable, but that suited the story, same as the Skinny Girl herself. The story was strange, creative, and only a little bit creepy. The ending was too ambiguous for me, but the story was otherwise enjoyable.
Caitlin Kiernan--meh. intricate steampunk Wild West setting. interesting, somewhat likable characters. But just went in a creepy direction, especially the whole weird and seemingly unneccesary dream sequence.
Elizabeth Bear--a weird story about two lovers who are both the "genius" or spirit of Las Vegas. Vegas is an interesting, if unappealing, setting, and the magic, such as bottle trees and the mnemophage, were creative and interesting. I didn't love the two main characters, though, and found the story creepier than I liked.
Overall, the book was really long, and while I really enjoyed a few stories, I came away with very few authors I'm interested in adding to my to-read list.
I was reading this for Patricia Briggs' Fairy Gifts. It's set early in the Mercy Verse but the characters don't appear until Frost Burned, I do believe. It was still an enjoyable tale and an interesting one since it's about a good vampire and we don't see many of those in the series. Maybe it's a sign they can turn things around if enough of them decide to!
A mixed bag of urban fantasy stories, not all of which are actually fantasy, and not all of which are really all that urban. A number are magical realism, and if I liked that genre better (or at all) I would have enjoyed this collection better. My favorite stories were Delia Sherman's "How the Pooka came to New York City", Patricia Briggs's "Fairy Gifts", and Peter S Beagle's "Underbridge." Each of them provide a good deal of characterization in a short amount of space amid an interesting plot. My very favorite was Ellen Kushner's "The Duke of Riverside" because I am desperate for any little scrap of Riverside I can get. Kushner is so good at writing characters that every time I read about Alec and Richard I feel like I'm hearing about an old friend I haven't seen in a long time, but know well. They feel very real.