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leelah's review against another edition
4.0
Oh, my god, this book was one giant, crazy whac-a-mole!
Leopard roared...
Jaguar roared...
Barbarian warlord roared AND stumped his chest...
and Shearin story brings an old, familiar debate:
"Do you think if I shoot leprechaun with my gun, lucky charms will explode everywhere?"* ;)
1.Nalini Singh - "Secrets at Midnight" - 4,5 stars
"This is Bastien. Don't let him charm you - next thing you know, you'll be naked."
If you are familiar with Nalini's Psy/Changeling world, Bastien is not a new name for you. He is one of Mercy's beloved brothers she feels very protective of, but he also has to endure the love of other Smith woman: he has to suffer through endless parade of possible girlfriends his mother is throwing at him...until he catches a scent of his mate. :D
You remember how we were whining for Psy/Psy couple for 11 books and then Nalini gave us two in a row with third one coming up? Man, I love them Arrows with a strength of 1000 burning suns, but Bastien reminded me how fun and flirty changelings are! I mean,from the moment they meet their intended hea it's like one, long, sensual foreplay until they finally hook up. Skin privileges, ftw!
Ok, this story is definitely more enjoyable if you read series before, but you can read it without being completely confused. Big, overreaching arc of turmoil in Psy world is briefly mentioned but it's not adding anything to the story. In that case, it will read like nice, neatly wrapped shifter story and that's not bad. But for fans, this is such a treat since there are so many of these nice little fan favorite cameos- I was personally delighted with Teijan appearance and I really want to read his story now- If anyone can pull that, Nalini can. ;)
2.Ilona Andrews - "Magic Steals" - 5 stars
First novella featuring Jim and Dali ([b:Magic Dreams|13627865|Magic Dreams (Kate Daniels, #4.5)|Ilona Andrews|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1397416627s/13627865.jpg|19233926]) is my favorite novella set in this world. :) But, let's face it, in a series where side characters are almost as loved as main characters, can any side story end up being not worth your time?
No, and you will not be disappointed with this one either. ;)
So, first things first.. with all other stories in anthologies, there is a chance you can enjoy it without being familiar with characters before. With this one, I pull a line and say no.**
For fans of series, this story is set between book #6 and book #7, so if you were expecting to read Jim's meltdown about news of his new job..we will have to wait some more. (But, it's going to be epic because Jim is in such a good place right now...;) )
So, Dali and Jim are dating, they are doing all those things like... dinners and lingerie has being bought and stuff... but her mother and her close family of 30+ relatives has no idea about it.:)
We know that Dali is very special shifter: she is a White Tiger and she has her own magic, magic tied to her cultural identity and legacy. So, when her mother brings a friend whose grandmother is in trouble, Dali has to look into it. And Jim volunteered to accompany her. Mystery was completely whacked- villain's MO is not hard to guess, but motive behind it is just crazy. But that's all in background; characters and relationship development is a real story here..This novella has so many great scenes between Dali and Jim, between Dali and her mom; so many great lines.:)
I really like Dali. In a group of badass female and male characters, Dali is unusual because her magic is primarily non combative. She may be be blind and vegetarian cat without fighting skills,but her strength lies in her impressive knowledge on mythology and her smarts, and this is something that was made clear to us in book #3 and in first novella. This Dali is still present here, but what I liked about this story is that it showed us that Dali still is a shifter and therefore dangerous. If she can't curse you or outwit you, she can still be a threat. Of course, this is something Jim was instrumental in making her come to that conclusion herself, but I loved it- it was such a boost to her confidence and exactly what she needs taking her future role in consideration.
But Jim guys! Jim is just swoon-worthy and sexy and flirty here. Let's all cherish this novella for rare treasure that it is...Jim actually smiled. and it was not one of his "you-are-dead" showing-teeth smiles.
This was Extra Virgin, 100% pure smile. :)
3.Lisa Shearin - "Lucky Charms" - 3 stars
Ok this is a prequel to [b:The Grendel Affair|17912981|The Grendel Affair (SPI Files, #1)|Lisa Shearin|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1382941457s/17912981.jpg|25100815], new Shearin UF series. It's a series about Makenna "Mac" Fraser, who is working for SPI (that's like FBI, but for supernaturals) as a seer, which allows her to see through any glamour and this story is actually her first assignment for SPI,as she is sent with her new team to collect five rogue leprechauns.
I personally didn't enjoy TGA, because it looked to me like a UF version of Stephanie Plum, with heroine who keeps stumbling on stuff by accident and is just too silly. It's same here: these leprechauns are like giant, raging balls of hormones with confused sexual identity, so silliness is a given, but I did have fun his story. Maybe this style is working in shorter format for me? ;)
4.Milla Vane - "The Beast of Blackmoore" - 4 stars
I am still giggling like a lunatic over this one.
I don't even know how to describe this!!!
There is a tormented barbarian warlord who pissed of gods(heh!) and there is a female, badass holy warrior who is on a quest "bestowed on her by great goddess". And they fall in love from the moment they laid eyes on each other, "covered in blood and rotting stench of devil's beasts they slayed." And they have this crazy and really smutty romance with funniest sex scene I read in a while.
Spoiler
"Her sheath clenched around his shaft with each soft caress, as if trying to pull him deeper."Guys, there are leather loincloths!
And swords and armors!
And they slay demons by dozens!
It's majestic!
And cracastic and cheesy and hilarious.
And outrageous!
and completely insane.
I swear, while I was reading, I saw these scenes so clearly in my head, in such vivid colors like it was directed by Dino De Laurentiis himself.
Milla Vane is, of course, a pen name of fabulous Meljean Brook and I completely understand now why she got to write Red Sonja.
She is the woman for the job.
I bow to you, Meljean, you are the queen of outrageous entertainment.
*****************************
So, let's repeat: which one to read?
*I will never pass a chance to quote Alucard, HUA.
**
Spoiler
*You haven't read Kate Daniels?
becasaur27's review
4.0
Really liked everything except the Milla Vane. I just wanted that one to be over. I wanted to love it, but I just couldn't get in to it.
amyiw's review
5.0
Nalini Singh's 3 stars
So I went right to another Nalini Singh novella after reading this one to see if maybe I just was not in the mood for the novella, but no, that one was really good. This one was just good/ok. Mainly the problem is that it was predictable and a bit boring after a while. I also got tired of the heroine and her self esteem issues. I did like the story over all and in the beginning I was riveted. As it kept going I started seeing where it was going and was just a little bored in the getting there. If it were a short story instead of a novella and a lot of the worry or angst was taken out, I would've liked it a lot. I liked seeing the other characters from previous stories. This was Mercy's brother's story.
3 stars
Ilona Andrew's 5 stars
Oh I'd been wanting a Dali and Jim book. This hit the spot. I love how Jim understands Dali enough to not get all "is she rejecting me" and angsty. No he just ignores it all and does it his way. She does the same as shown by the car and who drives. The background story just shows how well they do work together.
Lisa Shearin's 4 1/2 stars
I didn't realize that I was reading a Lisa Shearin, some how I glossed over that. I really liked the first few Reine Benares books of her, so probably would've gone to reading this faster. It was fun. Had a little bit of sexual tension, had action, and was smart to boot. Glad I went to the 3rd story as I had stopped and put it down after my two favorite authors.
Milla Vane
Never heard of this author and I really thought of skipping it. I ended up liking it 2nd to only the Ilona Andrews. It is either fantasy or historical paranormal romance. It is the hottest of the stories mainly focusing on the two main characters. Still the back story is engaging too. I was thinking the the goddess was a bit vindictive towards a immature young boy, but if sees the future, she could see where everything would lead. I really like this one.
I'm pretty amazed that the Nalini Singh was my least liked of the novellas in this compilation. I would've thought it would be one of the top. It was just too forgettable. I already cannot remember much. Still it was a Psy-changeling fix and we get to see a bit of Mercy and family. So over all it was the other three stories that made this a very good anthology for me.
audiobookmel's review against another edition
5.0
My review and an extended sample of the audiobook are posted at Hotlistens.com.
Overall, I enjoyed all the stories. All could be read very easily if you've never read the series that they belong to. With Psy/Changling and Kate Daniels stories, as those are the only two that I've read, are great additions to the series. Each story has great characters and an interesting world.
Secrets at Midnight - Nalini Singh - 4.5/5
This is the story of Mercy's brother Bastien Smith after he stumbles across the scent of his mate only to lose it again. Kirby was orphaned as a child and was never adopted. Foster homes didn't even want her. It has left her feeling like she didn't fit in anywhere. I loved seeing how Bastien was willing to do whatever was possible to make her feel wanted and part of the family, without trying to scare her off. Kirby's first interaction with Mercy was great, as Kirby shows Mercy her claws. While this wasn't the sexiest story that Singh has written, I thought it was very heartwarming and had the slight snark that you would expect from Mercy's family.
Magic Steals - Ilona Andrews 5/5
This story takes place while Kate and Curran are off trying to get Panacea in Europe. Jim is in charge of the pack. Going into this story, Jim and Dali are already dating, but they have been keeping pretty quite. We've always know what a badass Jim is. In this story, you get to see a much softer side to him. We also get to see Dali be kickass with her magic. She proves to herself that she isn't weak, even if she is a half-blind vegetarian tiger. Jim and Dali are tracking a person who are using people's worst nightmare against them. It is really funny to watch how Dali tries to hide Jim from her family.
Lucky Charms - Lisa Shearin 4 /5
This was a new to me series. We have Mackenna Frazier, a human seer, starting her first day on the job at Supernatural Protection and Investigations. She can see through all types of glamour. So when some leprechauns go missing, she is tasked to find them. We get to learn about several supernatural creatures in this world, many of which you don't see in other PNR stories. I will be looking up more stories in this series.
The Beast of Blackmoor - Milla Vane 3.5/5
This is a new to me author as well. This story is more fantasy that I normally read or listen to. It took me a little bit to get into the story. There is a warrior princess on a quest to prove herself. She gets there only to learn that the beast is as horrible as she thought. She also has faith in her goddess, but that doesn't make the quest any easier. While I felt the story was a bit slow to start, it ended really well. I do want more from this author.
Narration
I've always thought Angela Dawe did a good job with the Psy/Changeling series. This is the first time I've listened to her do anything else. I think she did a pretty good job. As always, the men and women both have very distinct voices. I think her speed and tone are great. I listen to her at the standard speed. I did have issues with her narrating the Jim and Dali's story. Renee Raudman is the normal narration for this series. I had a hard time listening to a different narrator do their voices. I felt it took me a little out of the story. It wasn't that Dawe did a bad job, it just didn't sound like Jim and Dali because I'm so used to Raudman.
I like to thank Tantor Audio for providing me with a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
Overall, I enjoyed all the stories. All could be read very easily if you've never read the series that they belong to. With Psy/Changling and Kate Daniels stories, as those are the only two that I've read, are great additions to the series. Each story has great characters and an interesting world.
Secrets at Midnight - Nalini Singh - 4.5/5
This is the story of Mercy's brother Bastien Smith after he stumbles across the scent of his mate only to lose it again. Kirby was orphaned as a child and was never adopted. Foster homes didn't even want her. It has left her feeling like she didn't fit in anywhere. I loved seeing how Bastien was willing to do whatever was possible to make her feel wanted and part of the family, without trying to scare her off. Kirby's first interaction with Mercy was great, as Kirby shows Mercy her claws. While this wasn't the sexiest story that Singh has written, I thought it was very heartwarming and had the slight snark that you would expect from Mercy's family.
Magic Steals - Ilona Andrews 5/5
This story takes place while Kate and Curran are off trying to get Panacea in Europe. Jim is in charge of the pack. Going into this story, Jim and Dali are already dating, but they have been keeping pretty quite. We've always know what a badass Jim is. In this story, you get to see a much softer side to him. We also get to see Dali be kickass with her magic. She proves to herself that she isn't weak, even if she is a half-blind vegetarian tiger. Jim and Dali are tracking a person who are using people's worst nightmare against them. It is really funny to watch how Dali tries to hide Jim from her family.
Lucky Charms - Lisa Shearin 4 /5
This was a new to me series. We have Mackenna Frazier, a human seer, starting her first day on the job at Supernatural Protection and Investigations. She can see through all types of glamour. So when some leprechauns go missing, she is tasked to find them. We get to learn about several supernatural creatures in this world, many of which you don't see in other PNR stories. I will be looking up more stories in this series.
The Beast of Blackmoor - Milla Vane 3.5/5
This is a new to me author as well. This story is more fantasy that I normally read or listen to. It took me a little bit to get into the story. There is a warrior princess on a quest to prove herself. She gets there only to learn that the beast is as horrible as she thought. She also has faith in her goddess, but that doesn't make the quest any easier. While I felt the story was a bit slow to start, it ended really well. I do want more from this author.
Narration
I've always thought Angela Dawe did a good job with the Psy/Changeling series. This is the first time I've listened to her do anything else. I think she did a pretty good job. As always, the men and women both have very distinct voices. I think her speed and tone are great. I listen to her at the standard speed. I did have issues with her narrating the Jim and Dali's story. Renee Raudman is the normal narration for this series. I had a hard time listening to a different narrator do their voices. I felt it took me a little out of the story. It wasn't that Dawe did a bad job, it just didn't sound like Jim and Dali because I'm so used to Raudman.
I like to thank Tantor Audio for providing me with a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
booksthatburn's review
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
“Secrets at Midnight” is part of the ongoing Psy Changeling series. I haven’t read any of the other books, but this is an erotic and well-explained introduction to the series. I can tell that some character backstories were probably the focus of other books, but the amount of detail here was enough to let me sample whether it’s a series I’d be interested in reading further. Because it fits in after book twelve, it probably has spoilers for what happens to some characters, but I’d be surprised if any of them are major. As for the plot and characters, I like Kirby and Bastian, and their story is well-paced. Based on reading this I’m adding the main series to my TBR pile. Highly Recommend.
“Magic Steals” is about Jim and Dali, two of the shifters in the Kate Daniels series. It’s set before book seven of the main series and focuses on how their relationship becomes official while Jim helps Dali find out who is magically attacking a group of shop owners. The main plot is an engaging story and the progression of their relationship is handled well. Highly Recommend.
“Lucky Charms” is a prologue to the SPI Files series, covering Mac’s first day on the job. It had a fast-paced, quippy, pop-culture-referencing style which I prefer in much lower concentrations than what is presented here. That style is consistent, which has helped me decide that the rest of the series is not one I intend to read, but I do appreciate that this let me easily make up my mind. I’m also uncomfortable with how it handles queerness, seeming to know some of the complexity of gender presentation and sexual orientation, but still feeling like the main character is disturbed by a male-presenting character who shapeshifts into a woman. Not Recommended.
“The Beast of Blackmoor” is set in the series A Gathering of Dragons, taking place before the first book. It deals with consent and sexual joy in the context of previous abuse, where a warlord is devastating and abusing the people he rules. This is a higher concentration of traumatic events per page than my normal comfort level (alternated with erotica) so I don't think I'll try the rest of the series, but it's very well done. Recommend.
“Magic Steals” is about Jim and Dali, two of the shifters in the Kate Daniels series. It’s set before book seven of the main series and focuses on how their relationship becomes official while Jim helps Dali find out who is magically attacking a group of shop owners. The main plot is an engaging story and the progression of their relationship is handled well. Highly Recommend.
“Lucky Charms” is a prologue to the SPI Files series, covering Mac’s first day on the job. It had a fast-paced, quippy, pop-culture-referencing style which I prefer in much lower concentrations than what is presented here. That style is consistent, which has helped me decide that the rest of the series is not one I intend to read, but I do appreciate that this let me easily make up my mind. I’m also uncomfortable with how it handles queerness, seeming to know some of the complexity of gender presentation and sexual orientation, but still feeling like the main character is disturbed by a male-presenting character who shapeshifts into a woman. Not Recommended.
“The Beast of Blackmoor” is set in the series A Gathering of Dragons, taking place before the first book. It deals with consent and sexual joy in the context of previous abuse, where a warlord is devastating and abusing the people he rules. This is a higher concentration of traumatic events per page than my normal comfort level (alternated with erotica) so I don't think I'll try the rest of the series, but it's very well done. Recommend.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Self harm, Sexual content, Violence, Animal death, Confinement, Death, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Misogyny, Sexual assault, Torture, Body horror, Car accident, Drug use, Grief, Medical content, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, Slavery, Excrement, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Rape, Sexism, and War
Minor: Cursing, Animal cruelty, Ableism, Vomit, and Death of parent
romanthiccreader's review against another edition
3.0
Magic Steals: It was a joy to reenter the World of Kate Daniels. I thought I had read every novel and novella in this series. And yet, I don't recognize this at all. It was adorable to read about Dali and Jim before they get together.
Lucky Charms: The narrator is so talented. Because there were parts of this that were very misogynistic and I might not have finished if she weren't so fun to listen to. I did enjoy the overall story, but man Makenna's a prude.
The Beast of Blackmoor: I wanted to enjoy this. But even the narrator couldn't save it for me. I DNF'd the first book in this series earlier this year, and I couldn't get into this either. I can definitely see it's appeal. It's a fantasy viking novel, but apparently that's just not for me.
nelsonseye's review against another edition
4.0
I just read the Milla Vane story and I really liked it. Will go back later to read the others.
I've now read the Nalini Singh and Kate Daniels novellas. Both were great.
I've now read the Nalini Singh and Kate Daniels novellas. Both were great.
beata's review
challenging
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0