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susanthebookbag's review against another edition
5.0
I was excited to get my hands on The Telepath Chronicles when I found out one of my favorite authors, Susan Kaye Quinn, had a story included in it. She takes us back to her Mindjack world with a little taste of what might be coming from her in the future. I can't wait to read more!
The Telepath Chronicles is listed as being in the Sci-fi genre. To be prefectly honest, Sci-fi is one of those genres that I have always avoided. I just thought it was not my cup of tea - avoid it at all costs kind of thing. Well, let me tell you, this collection of stories opened up a whole new reading world to me!
I went into it expecting to just read Susan's story and but I found myself devouring the rest. It was like eating potato chips, I'll just read one more and then I'll stop, just one more and then I'll stop. But the thing was, I couldn't stop!
I highly recommend The Telepath Chronicles! It is filled with amazing stories and each one gave me a chance to sample the words of 13 authors that I was not already familiar with. I love it when I find new authors to read!
The Telepath Chronicles is listed as being in the Sci-fi genre. To be prefectly honest, Sci-fi is one of those genres that I have always avoided. I just thought it was not my cup of tea - avoid it at all costs kind of thing. Well, let me tell you, this collection of stories opened up a whole new reading world to me!
I went into it expecting to just read Susan's story and but I found myself devouring the rest. It was like eating potato chips, I'll just read one more and then I'll stop, just one more and then I'll stop. But the thing was, I couldn't stop!
I highly recommend The Telepath Chronicles! It is filled with amazing stories and each one gave me a chance to sample the words of 13 authors that I was not already familiar with. I love it when I find new authors to read!
lenoreo's review
4.0
I received an ARC of this anthology in exchange for my honest opinion!
Overview: I'm sometimes wary of anthologies with a lot of different authors, but as long as I know a few of them, I figure it's worth it. Well colour me surprised when I thoroughly enjoyed most of them! And the ones I didn't as much was just a personal taste thing you know? That's pretty impressive if you ask me. There were so many different takes on telepathy -- some more in depth, some where it was just a side tool not really elaborated on. I personally enjoyed the ones where telepathy *itself* was explored a bit more. But it definitely has something for everyone. And I DEFINITELY found a few new authors (and series) that I need to add to my wishlist. Overall I think it's probably almost a 4.5 stars for me!
Foreward: I don't think I'm a typical Science Fiction reader, so I didn't really enjoy the foreward. It felt too serious for me or something (I keep thinking pretentious, but I don't think that's right either). Just a personal taste thing. But if you're like me and the foreward is turning you off, keep reading. The first story captured me right away.
#DontTell: 4.5 stars. This one really surprised me, and was a perfect choice to start out the anthology with a bang. The narrator was fantastic, very realistic, sympathetic, and just felt like I could relate to what she was feeling through the whole thing. The stories told by Mr. X were fantastic and really made me feel like I could understand what Tells were like in this world. For a short story, it really managed to drag the feels out of me and make me think. Strangely enough the reveal at the end confused me. But that might be just me not making that final leap. My mind goes in different directions, but I'm not satisfied with my own internal conclusions, so I just feel lost. Otherwise fantastic.
The Elm Tree: 3 stars. This one felt a bit more paranormal-esque to me. Wasn't really much delving into the telepath ability...it was just there in Celine. Story was more about the mystery being solved. The conclusion came kind of fast, and I wasn't quite sure how it resolved things for Celine, but...I don't know. *shrugs*
Stability: 5 stars. Very quickly sucked into the intrigue in the plot surrounding the compound Cora is in. And it was a nice buildup to the world of the Psionics. Through Cora's interactions with Bastian, really got a sense of what these abilities are like and how they differ and can affect the lives of the Psis. Had some twists and turns I absolutely DID NOT see coming, and of course now I just want more.
Dreampath: 4 stars. The narrator had a very relaxed feel to her, so that it didn't take much to like her. Was a completely different take on Telepathy that I wasn't expecting. B/C it was in the discovery phase for the narrator, didn't really get as much of a feel for the ability as I would like, but LOVED the plot twist and tension.
Tortured: 3.5 stars. I think I would have appreciated this story more if I had already read the series that this is related to. I found myself dissatisfied with the detail surrounding the torture part. The two differing sides to such a pinnacle event was intriguing. Seeing telepathy from both the character who has it and is surrounded by people who fear her, and the character who fears her and the unknown was unique.
The Locksmith: 4 stars. Want to hear a secret? For the first page and a half I thought Zeph was a girl. It amused me. Intriguing concept that I think I'm still trying to wrap my mind around. Will definitely be checking out the Mindjack Trilogy though, want to learn more!
Trauma Room: 3 stars. Not my thing. I just had a lengthy discussion with my husband trying to explain what I didn't like about this story, and I don't think I ever got it across, b/c he had no problems with it (not that he read it all, but I was just trying to get across the style). I think I'm just not a hard sci-fi girl, and so I lose interest when things get too technical and intellectual or something.... So basically, I have nothing of use to offer on this story, other than to say it didn't work for me. And that it was the writing style, not the story that didn't work for me. Plot was interesting and unique.
Venus in Red: 3.5 stars. Lots of action and kicking butt, reminded me a LOT of the Matrix fight scenes. I occasionally had a hard time suspending my disbelief with the enhanced tech being used (couldn't imagine writing code at the speed of light). My fave part was when the narrator was talking to Venus. The AI, and the relationship between the narrator and the AI was intriguing. The name twist at the end just left me underwhelmed and confused...there were a few possibilities, and it made my tired brain cranky that I didn't know which one. Didn't really delve into telepathy much, was just a weapon used really.
Decode: 4.5 stars. Well developed characters for a shorter story. Set in a future that I could totally believe could happen (unfortunately). Lots of little bits of plot, but tied together nicely. Thought the telepathy was intriguing and well explained. Definitely will be reading more in this world.
The Null: 3.5 stars. Had a bit of a Watchman (Watchmen?) feel to it for me. Resistant superheros/villains and such. Plot was cool. Enjoyed the concept of the Null power. I have other thoughts, but I can't seem to articulate them (or when I do I question why I think that way). Helpful huh?
Green Gifts: 2.5 stars. I'm not entirely sure what I just read. It didn't really follow a plot arc. I'm also really bad with complex science stuff and big words. Not that I don't like them, but if it's too much in a row, then I can't get absorbed into the story b/c I spend too much time being confused and having to concentrate and think hard. That's what I was left with for this story - a lot of confusion.
Little Blue: 4.5 stars. Totally want to read more in this universe, but definitely want to learn more about Cyann. While it didn't delve into the nature of the telepathy inherent in Cyann, you did get to see a bit through Jovan. But the plot and Cyann (even though I'm not a kid person) totally captured me. Only issue I had was sometimes the POV was hard to follow (switched to Jovan without really making it clear).
No More Lies: 5 stars. Ooooo....really enjoyed this. Vivid world. Great characters. Intriguing plot. Dark, twisted, but with a sense that not all is bad. And enough of the telepathy to keep me satisfied. Yup, will definitely be watching for this series when it comes.
Word-Bound: 4.5 stars. LOVED the concept on this one! I guess I must be like the author, b/c this so intrigued me -- what the world would be like if most were telepaths, and you were not. And the twist!! Nice.... Half a star lost b/c I'm not good with reading baby talk (even though it was kind of appropriate in the context it was used, and wasn't overused). Just a personal quirk thing.
Overview: I'm sometimes wary of anthologies with a lot of different authors, but as long as I know a few of them, I figure it's worth it. Well colour me surprised when I thoroughly enjoyed most of them! And the ones I didn't as much was just a personal taste thing you know? That's pretty impressive if you ask me. There were so many different takes on telepathy -- some more in depth, some where it was just a side tool not really elaborated on. I personally enjoyed the ones where telepathy *itself* was explored a bit more. But it definitely has something for everyone. And I DEFINITELY found a few new authors (and series) that I need to add to my wishlist. Overall I think it's probably almost a 4.5 stars for me!
Foreward: I don't think I'm a typical Science Fiction reader, so I didn't really enjoy the foreward. It felt too serious for me or something (I keep thinking pretentious, but I don't think that's right either). Just a personal taste thing. But if you're like me and the foreward is turning you off, keep reading. The first story captured me right away.
#DontTell: 4.5 stars. This one really surprised me, and was a perfect choice to start out the anthology with a bang. The narrator was fantastic, very realistic, sympathetic, and just felt like I could relate to what she was feeling through the whole thing. The stories told by Mr. X were fantastic and really made me feel like I could understand what Tells were like in this world. For a short story, it really managed to drag the feels out of me and make me think. Strangely enough the reveal at the end confused me. But that might be just me not making that final leap. My mind goes in different directions, but I'm not satisfied with my own internal conclusions, so I just feel lost. Otherwise fantastic.
The Elm Tree: 3 stars. This one felt a bit more paranormal-esque to me. Wasn't really much delving into the telepath ability...it was just there in Celine. Story was more about the mystery being solved. The conclusion came kind of fast, and I wasn't quite sure how it resolved things for Celine, but...I don't know. *shrugs*
Stability: 5 stars. Very quickly sucked into the intrigue in the plot surrounding the compound Cora is in. And it was a nice buildup to the world of the Psionics. Through Cora's interactions with Bastian, really got a sense of what these abilities are like and how they differ and can affect the lives of the Psis. Had some twists and turns I absolutely DID NOT see coming, and of course now I just want more.
Dreampath: 4 stars. The narrator had a very relaxed feel to her, so that it didn't take much to like her. Was a completely different take on Telepathy that I wasn't expecting. B/C it was in the discovery phase for the narrator, didn't really get as much of a feel for the ability as I would like, but LOVED the plot twist and tension.
Tortured: 3.5 stars. I think I would have appreciated this story more if I had already read the series that this is related to. I found myself dissatisfied with the detail surrounding the torture part. The two differing sides to such a pinnacle event was intriguing. Seeing telepathy from both the character who has it and is surrounded by people who fear her, and the character who fears her and the unknown was unique.
The Locksmith: 4 stars. Want to hear a secret? For the first page and a half I thought Zeph was a girl. It amused me. Intriguing concept that I think I'm still trying to wrap my mind around. Will definitely be checking out the Mindjack Trilogy though, want to learn more!
Trauma Room: 3 stars. Not my thing. I just had a lengthy discussion with my husband trying to explain what I didn't like about this story, and I don't think I ever got it across, b/c he had no problems with it (not that he read it all, but I was just trying to get across the style). I think I'm just not a hard sci-fi girl, and so I lose interest when things get too technical and intellectual or something.... So basically, I have nothing of use to offer on this story, other than to say it didn't work for me. And that it was the writing style, not the story that didn't work for me. Plot was interesting and unique.
Venus in Red: 3.5 stars. Lots of action and kicking butt, reminded me a LOT of the Matrix fight scenes. I occasionally had a hard time suspending my disbelief with the enhanced tech being used (couldn't imagine writing code at the speed of light). My fave part was when the narrator was talking to Venus. The AI, and the relationship between the narrator and the AI was intriguing. The name twist at the end just left me underwhelmed and confused...there were a few possibilities, and it made my tired brain cranky that I didn't know which one. Didn't really delve into telepathy much, was just a weapon used really.
Decode: 4.5 stars. Well developed characters for a shorter story. Set in a future that I could totally believe could happen (unfortunately). Lots of little bits of plot, but tied together nicely. Thought the telepathy was intriguing and well explained. Definitely will be reading more in this world.
The Null: 3.5 stars. Had a bit of a Watchman (Watchmen?) feel to it for me. Resistant superheros/villains and such. Plot was cool. Enjoyed the concept of the Null power. I have other thoughts, but I can't seem to articulate them (or when I do I question why I think that way). Helpful huh?
Green Gifts: 2.5 stars. I'm not entirely sure what I just read. It didn't really follow a plot arc. I'm also really bad with complex science stuff and big words. Not that I don't like them, but if it's too much in a row, then I can't get absorbed into the story b/c I spend too much time being confused and having to concentrate and think hard. That's what I was left with for this story - a lot of confusion.
Little Blue: 4.5 stars. Totally want to read more in this universe, but definitely want to learn more about Cyann. While it didn't delve into the nature of the telepathy inherent in Cyann, you did get to see a bit through Jovan. But the plot and Cyann (even though I'm not a kid person) totally captured me. Only issue I had was sometimes the POV was hard to follow (switched to Jovan without really making it clear).
No More Lies: 5 stars. Ooooo....really enjoyed this. Vivid world. Great characters. Intriguing plot. Dark, twisted, but with a sense that not all is bad. And enough of the telepathy to keep me satisfied. Yup, will definitely be watching for this series when it comes.
Word-Bound: 4.5 stars. LOVED the concept on this one! I guess I must be like the author, b/c this so intrigued me -- what the world would be like if most were telepaths, and you were not. And the twist!! Nice.... Half a star lost b/c I'm not good with reading baby talk (even though it was kind of appropriate in the context it was used, and wasn't overused). Just a personal quirk thing.
terriaminute's review
5.0
I savored this collection. I read stories from it during and in between novels, and enjoyed the whole thing. The variety was delightful! I will read more from this series of anthologies and this makes me a happy reader!
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