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A review by deearr
Fire: Demons, Dragons and Djinns by Susan MacGregor, Kevin Cockle, Lizbeth Ashton, Claude Lalumière, Annie Neugebauer, Dusty Thorne, J.B. Riley, Krista D. Ball, Blake Jessop, Wendy Nikel, J.G. Formato, Heather M. O'Connor, Rhonda Parrish, Damascus Mincemeyer, R. W. Hodgson, Mara Malins, Laura VanArendonk Baugh, Chadwick Ginther, Gabrielle Harbowy, V.F. LeSann, Joseph Halden, K.T. Ivanrest
5.0
I’ve been fortunate enough to read one of editor Rhonda Parrish’s previous collections (Mrs. Claus: Not the Fairy Tale They Say), and thus looked forward to reading “Fire: Demons, Dragons, and Djinn.”
One might expect that the theme of fire might generate a similarity among the offered tales. However, the diversity of stories (as well as the different writing styles of the 21 authors) kept the book fresh from start to finish. Like anyone else, I enjoyed some stories more than others, but I am happy to report that all of the stories were of high quality.
The elegantly-written “She Alone” (Blake Jessop) was the introductory tale, a magical story fusing past and present events together. Though I enjoyed all of the stories, there are a few that became personal favorites. Krista D. Ball’s “Bait” was a humorous account featured in a memoir by the main character, documenting the meeting between the members of his party with a fire demon. “Double or Nothing” by Mara Malins features the high stakes of a magical futuristic card game (and yes, fire is involved). Special mention has to go to Susan MacGregor for her artful mix of pop culture history and fantasy in “Light My Fire.”
The book became so engrossing it was almost like reading a thriller. Once I completed one story I was on to the next, and the compilation ended way too soon for me. Fun reading, and worth all five stars.
My thanks to NetGalley and Tyche Books for a complimentary copy of this book.
One might expect that the theme of fire might generate a similarity among the offered tales. However, the diversity of stories (as well as the different writing styles of the 21 authors) kept the book fresh from start to finish. Like anyone else, I enjoyed some stories more than others, but I am happy to report that all of the stories were of high quality.
The elegantly-written “She Alone” (Blake Jessop) was the introductory tale, a magical story fusing past and present events together. Though I enjoyed all of the stories, there are a few that became personal favorites. Krista D. Ball’s “Bait” was a humorous account featured in a memoir by the main character, documenting the meeting between the members of his party with a fire demon. “Double or Nothing” by Mara Malins features the high stakes of a magical futuristic card game (and yes, fire is involved). Special mention has to go to Susan MacGregor for her artful mix of pop culture history and fantasy in “Light My Fire.”
The book became so engrossing it was almost like reading a thriller. Once I completed one story I was on to the next, and the compilation ended way too soon for me. Fun reading, and worth all five stars.
My thanks to NetGalley and Tyche Books for a complimentary copy of this book.