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craigkingsman's review
4.0
Yeah, it took me a while to read this. That's because I hit one story in the anthology that was not to my liking. It was an apocalypse story, something I don't like. But I finally pushed through and read them all.
Don't misunderstand me. Kelley Armstrong is one of my favorite authors. I've read the Otherworld series and anthologies. I'm working my way through the Cainesville series. Other than that one story, I enjoyed the rest.
My favorite was the last one, Devil May Care, because it addresses one of the mysteries in the Cainesville series. Some, while holding true to Kelley's urban fantasy stories are just plain fun.
If you're a Kelley Armstrong fan, this book is for you. If you haven't read anything form Kelley, start with one of her series then come back to Led Astray. But either way, don't miss this anthology.
Don't misunderstand me. Kelley Armstrong is one of my favorite authors. I've read the Otherworld series and anthologies. I'm working my way through the Cainesville series. Other than that one story, I enjoyed the rest.
My favorite was the last one, Devil May Care, because it addresses one of the mysteries in the Cainesville series. Some, while holding true to Kelley's urban fantasy stories are just plain fun.
If you're a Kelley Armstrong fan, this book is for you. If you haven't read anything form Kelley, start with one of her series then come back to Led Astray. But either way, don't miss this anthology.
ksbrennan's review
3.0
"Even as he said ti, he couldn't quite muster the proper level of disdain. He saw the anguish on Gwynn's face, and remembered what it was like to be young and foolish and madly in love and thoroughly convinced you were not good enough to hold onto your beloved."
A fun collection of stories, sure to be enjoyable to Kelley Armstrong fans, both the ones set in familiar worlds, as well as the standalones! I will note that the Cainsville stories are all particularly fucked up and disturbing. Actually, quite a few of these stories slide a bit more onto the horror side of things.
A fun collection of stories, sure to be enjoyable to Kelley Armstrong fans, both the ones set in familiar worlds, as well as the standalones! I will note that the Cainsville stories are all particularly fucked up and disturbing. Actually, quite a few of these stories slide a bit more onto the horror side of things.
book_grinch's review
4.0
Arc provided by Tachyon Publications through Netgalley
As someone who has read _ and loved _the entire "Women of The Otherworld" series as well as the Darkest Powers trilogy, and lets not forget The Darkness Rising series, I am a big fan of this author.
And there's a reason to that: Kelley Armstrong's writing does not disappoint.
This book is another good example of that. If you want an anthology filled with stories that will leave you shock-surprised, this is just the thing for you!
Have fun and don't be scared by the ghosts...or the werewolf's... or just the nice friendly zombies. :)
Rakshashi (standalone) -2.5 Stars
Honestly I didn't start as a big fan of this one. I had no idea of what I was reading at the beginning. For that reason alone, I could have done with a little more background, since I had no idea which sort of character Rakshashi was.
The best thing about it was how it ended with a bang. Nice plot twist.
- Kat (Darkest Powers universe) - 3.5 Stars
I actually had already read this short a while back, but since I practically didn't remember anything about it, I decided to re-read it.
It was still pretty good. Dark Powers quality good.
- A Haunted House of Her Own (standalone) - 4 Stars
Be careful what you wish for..
Now, that is what I call a plot twist! Definitely didn't see that one coming. Also, people should just get cats to live with because humans are just too... murderous.
- Learning Curve (Otherworld universe, Zoe) - 3 Stars
At first I was like: "Who the well is Zoe?"
Like I mentioned at the beginning I did read the Otherworld books but I honestly couldn't remember anything about the "girl".
~after checking some books~
Oh, okay, I now have a vague idea about who Zoe is.
- The Screams of Dragons (Cainsville universe, non-series narrator) - 4 Stars
If this is what I've been missing on the Cainsville series, I definitely have to start it as soon as possible. Creepy, creepy...
- The Kitsune’s Nine Tales (Age of Legends universe, non-series narrator) -4 Stars
Another Kelley Armstrong series that I still haven't started...why?
I do not know.
Judging from this short, it seems to be pretty good.
Another one for my list.
- Last Stand (standalone) - 4.5 Stars
A great twist on a zombies story. People, let's not forget: Zombies have feelings too!
- Bamboozled (Otherworld universe, non-series narrator)- 3 Stars
Werewolfs also made it into the wild West...
Also apparently, Elena wasn't the first female werewolf.
I wonder if Karl is related to this guy...
- Branded (Otherworld universe, non-series narrator) - 2.5 Stars
This felt a little distopian to me... just with super-naturals in it.
- The List (Otherworld universe, Zoe) - 3.5 Stars
This was cute with a twisted "vampir(istic)" sense of humour.
- Young Bloods (Otherworld universe, non-series narrator) - 2.5 Stars
On the importance of respecting one's elders, because if not, bad things may happen.
-The Door” - 3 Stars
This one made me think of Gaiman's Coraline.
- Dead Flowers by a Roadside (standalone) - 4.5 Stars
One of my favourites in this anthology. It was heartbreaking to read.
- Suffer the Children (standalone) - 4.5 Stars
This one reminded me of a movie by M. Night Shyamalan, The village.
Not so much the plot, but the setting.
As for the story in it, it is one of the longest in this anthology, and don't worry: It is also creepy as hell.
- The Collector (standalone) - 2 Stars
It was okay. Maybe the one to which I connected the least.
- Gabriel’s Gargoyles (Cainsville universe, Gabriel) - 4.5 Stars
I liked this one. Made me want to start with the Cainsville novels right away.
- Harbinger (standalone) - 3 Stars
When dead girls start haunting Jenna, she just wants it to stop. Unfortunately their warnings may just come to late...
- V Plates (Otherworld universe, Nick) - 4 Stars
Ah, Zombies in a unexpected place! lol
That will teach Nick Sorentino for life.
- Life Sentence (Otherworld universe, non-series narrator) - 2.5 Stars
This one takes place in the world of the Cabals.
One of its members upon finding out that he's dying decides to do everything he can to reverse the situation : vampires and zombies are then taken into account.
- Plan B (standalone) - 4.5 Stars
Damn it! I was expecting one plot twist. Instead I got two. And that one, I did not see coming. :/
Very clever!
- The Hunt ( A Cainsville Universe Story) - 2 Stars
Hey, what was that? It took less than a minute to read. And I definitely wanted more.
Dead To Me (Standalone) - 3.5 Stars
Another mess with the readers heads kind of story...ye,Gods doesn't anyone do nothing else besides assassinate each other?
Devil May Care ( A Cainsville Universe Story)- 4.5 Stars
Another very tempting insight into the Cainsville universe. I really can't wait to start reading it.
This Patrick character seems very interesting.
In the end as you can read, for me, this ended up being a really successful combination of short stories. Thumbs up.
As someone who has read _ and loved _the entire "Women of The Otherworld" series as well as the Darkest Powers trilogy, and lets not forget The Darkness Rising series, I am a big fan of this author.
And there's a reason to that: Kelley Armstrong's writing does not disappoint.
This book is another good example of that. If you want an anthology filled with stories that will leave you shock-surprised, this is just the thing for you!
Have fun and don't be scared by the ghosts...or the werewolf's... or just the nice friendly zombies. :)
Rakshashi (standalone) -2.5 Stars
Honestly I didn't start as a big fan of this one. I had no idea of what I was reading at the beginning. For that reason alone, I could have done with a little more background, since I had no idea which sort of character Rakshashi was.
The best thing about it was how it ended with a bang. Nice plot twist.
- Kat (Darkest Powers universe) - 3.5 Stars
I actually had already read this short a while back, but since I practically didn't remember anything about it, I decided to re-read it.
It was still pretty good. Dark Powers quality good.
- A Haunted House of Her Own (standalone) - 4 Stars
Be careful what you wish for..
Now, that is what I call a plot twist! Definitely didn't see that one coming. Also, people should just get cats to live with because humans are just too... murderous.
- Learning Curve (Otherworld universe, Zoe) - 3 Stars
At first I was like: "Who the well is Zoe?"
Like I mentioned at the beginning I did read the Otherworld books but I honestly couldn't remember anything about the "girl".
~after checking some books~
Oh, okay, I now have a vague idea about who Zoe is.
- The Screams of Dragons (Cainsville universe, non-series narrator) - 4 Stars
If this is what I've been missing on the Cainsville series, I definitely have to start it as soon as possible. Creepy, creepy...
- The Kitsune’s Nine Tales (Age of Legends universe, non-series narrator) -4 Stars
Another Kelley Armstrong series that I still haven't started...why?
I do not know.
Judging from this short, it seems to be pretty good.
Another one for my list.
- Last Stand (standalone) - 4.5 Stars
A great twist on a zombies story. People, let's not forget: Zombies have feelings too!
- Bamboozled (Otherworld universe, non-series narrator)- 3 Stars
Werewolfs also made it into the wild West...
Also apparently, Elena wasn't the first female werewolf.
I wonder if Karl is related to this guy...
- Branded (Otherworld universe, non-series narrator) - 2.5 Stars
This felt a little distopian to me... just with super-naturals in it.
- The List (Otherworld universe, Zoe) - 3.5 Stars
This was cute with a twisted "vampir(istic)" sense of humour.
- Young Bloods (Otherworld universe, non-series narrator) - 2.5 Stars
On the importance of respecting one's elders, because if not, bad things may happen.
-The Door” - 3 Stars
This one made me think of Gaiman's Coraline.
- Dead Flowers by a Roadside (standalone) - 4.5 Stars
One of my favourites in this anthology. It was heartbreaking to read.
- Suffer the Children (standalone) - 4.5 Stars
This one reminded me of a movie by M. Night Shyamalan, The village.
Not so much the plot, but the setting.
As for the story in it, it is one of the longest in this anthology, and don't worry: It is also creepy as hell.
- The Collector (standalone) - 2 Stars
It was okay. Maybe the one to which I connected the least.
- Gabriel’s Gargoyles (Cainsville universe, Gabriel) - 4.5 Stars
I liked this one. Made me want to start with the Cainsville novels right away.
- Harbinger (standalone) - 3 Stars
When dead girls start haunting Jenna, she just wants it to stop. Unfortunately their warnings may just come to late...
- V Plates (Otherworld universe, Nick) - 4 Stars
Ah, Zombies in a unexpected place! lol
That will teach Nick Sorentino for life.
- Life Sentence (Otherworld universe, non-series narrator) - 2.5 Stars
This one takes place in the world of the Cabals.
One of its members upon finding out that he's dying decides to do everything he can to reverse the situation : vampires and zombies are then taken into account.
- Plan B (standalone) - 4.5 Stars
Damn it! I was expecting one plot twist. Instead I got two. And that one, I did not see coming. :/
Very clever!
- The Hunt ( A Cainsville Universe Story) - 2 Stars
Hey, what was that? It took less than a minute to read. And I definitely wanted more.
Dead To Me (Standalone) - 3.5 Stars
Another mess with the readers heads kind of story...ye,Gods doesn't anyone do nothing else besides assassinate each other?
Devil May Care ( A Cainsville Universe Story)- 4.5 Stars
Another very tempting insight into the Cainsville universe. I really can't wait to start reading it.
This Patrick character seems very interesting.
In the end as you can read, for me, this ended up being a really successful combination of short stories. Thumbs up.
sagek's review
4.0
*I received a free digital version from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I adore Kelley Armstrong's writing, and having just finished her Otherworld series a few days ago, I was eager to read more of her works.
Led Astray is full of short stories that work alone, or go along with some of the author's other series. While some of these shorts are ones I wouldn't consider the best, I did enjoy all of them. I won't go into detail for each and every one of them, as I believe you should read this without any clue as to what twists or mysterious tales you may find when reading, but I will say that this is definitely not something you want to miss out on.
There's ghosts, vampires, werewolves, necromancers, and many of Armstrong's known supernatural types, as well as a new one. The stories are mysterious, dark, and some even creepy. No matter how many books Armstrong writes, none of them are ones you'd get bored of.
I'm being vague in hopes that if you do read this anthology (which you really should), you won't be spoiled and will enjoy all the shorts fully. If I knew some of the twists before I read these, I probably wouldn't have enjoyed them as much. I would've loved them anyway, but still.
I definitely recommend everyone reads this. And more of Armstrong's works. She's kinda brilliant.
I adore Kelley Armstrong's writing, and having just finished her Otherworld series a few days ago, I was eager to read more of her works.
Led Astray is full of short stories that work alone, or go along with some of the author's other series. While some of these shorts are ones I wouldn't consider the best, I did enjoy all of them. I won't go into detail for each and every one of them, as I believe you should read this without any clue as to what twists or mysterious tales you may find when reading, but I will say that this is definitely not something you want to miss out on.
There's ghosts, vampires, werewolves, necromancers, and many of Armstrong's known supernatural types, as well as a new one. The stories are mysterious, dark, and some even creepy. No matter how many books Armstrong writes, none of them are ones you'd get bored of.
I'm being vague in hopes that if you do read this anthology (which you really should), you won't be spoiled and will enjoy all the shorts fully. If I knew some of the twists before I read these, I probably wouldn't have enjoyed them as much. I would've loved them anyway, but still.
I definitely recommend everyone reads this. And more of Armstrong's works. She's kinda brilliant.
canadianbookworm's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.75
This is a collection of stories, so there isn't time in each story for significant character development.
Really enjoyed this.
Really enjoyed this.
josiemae's review against another edition
Some of the stories were fantastic. For the most part, when I didn't like a story as much, it was because it was cut off, too short, and therefore, frustrating. Short stories can be tough because you barely have time to process one before you jump into the next.
glennisleblanc's review against another edition
4.0
This short story collection has bit of everything for a Kelley Armstrong reader. Covering her well known series, standalone short stories and new material written for the book the selection certainly entertains the reader. Several of the stories have appeared in themed anthologies and to have them here without trying to track them all down is a treat since I enjoyed the one for the Clive Barker book but I don’t think I would have bought that collection and would have missed that gem. A great read to get the full flavor of writing and story universes from a very prolific author.
Digital Revew copy provided by the publisher through NetGalley
Digital Revew copy provided by the publisher through NetGalley
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