Dear Author » Caitlin Kittredge

REVIEW: Witch Craft by Caitlin Kittredge

Jia — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 21:00:45 +0000

Dear Ms. Kittredge,

I have a very hard time explaining why I keep reading this series. As I’ve mentioned in the past, the main character, Luna Wilder, can be really off-putting at times. On the other hand, it’s very nice to see her maturing and evolving over the course of the series. The Luna Wilder we meet in Witch Craft, the fourth installment of your Nocturne City series, is certainly not the same Luna Wilder we met at the beginning in Night Life. Well, in some ways, at any rate. I still question her taste in men.

When Witch Craft opens, Luna is now the head of the Supernatural Crimes Squad (SCS), a new division in Nocturne City’s police force created to look into cases not quite on the mundane side of things. Problem is they want the SCS to start bringing results ASAP. If not, then they’ll be disbanded and Luna and her co-workers will be out of a job.

Luna sees their chance to prove themselves with a new case. Mysterious fires are being set all over the city, killing some unsavory people who deal with Nocturne City’s supernatural side. What’s more, Luna is being targeted for reasons she doesn’t understand, by things she’s never seen before. To further complicate things, Lucas, the serial killer wendigo from Second Skin, has returned and Luna finds herself unwillingly attracted to Will Fagin, a federal agent who’s been assigned to investigate the ongoings and might have a secret or two of his own. Add to that a mole who’s feeding information to the people the SCS is trying to bring down, and Luna’s got a lot on her hands.

I wish I could say I enjoyed this book more than I did. I didn’t hate it and I did finish it, but it just didn’t incite much of a reaction from me either way like previous books in the series had. In fact, I actually put the book down in the middle for several weeks, and I didn’t feel any pull to return to it. I’m not sure why that is. In a sense, it sort of felt like the story and plot was just going through the motions.

I wasn’t very interested in Luna’s new love interest, Will, even after we learned what his secret was. I’ve also never been particularly keen on Lucas, but serial killers tend to bring forth that reaction from me. Even though I never cared for Dmitri, his interactions with Luna were at least interesting. I can’t really say that here.

It also didn’t help that I figured out who the mole was the second we learned there was a mole in the SCS. I thought it obvious and that removed a lot of the suspense from the plot for me. I’m not sure if we were supposed to believe another person on Luna’s team was the spy. Unfortunately, that person was too obviously a red herring for it to be effective.

I did like the fact that the mythology of the Nocturne City world expanded by having different creatures than we’ve seen previously, and also by including different disciplines of witchcraft. But it almost felt very kitchen sink-like; too much going on to form any lasting impression.

As usual, I enjoyed the relationship between Luna and her cousin, Sunshine. I still think that’s one of the best aspects of the series. And how funny is it that Sunny is now dating Luna’s former boss. Ha! How traumatic that must be for Luna. I also liked seeing the interactions between Luna and her formidable grandmother. It makes me wish we could have seen more of it in previous books. Well, maybe in the next one.

I really do wish I could have liked this book more than I did. I know that the Nocturne City series ends with the next book, though, so maybe the final novel will yield different results. C

My regards,
Jia

This book can be purchased at Amazon. Ebook format? What’s that?

REVIEW: Street Magic by Caitlin Kittredge

Jia — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 10:00:38 +0000

Dear Ms. Kittredge,

I think most readers who’ve heard of you are more familiar with your Luna Wilder series. While I have my reservations about the titular character of those books, I do think they’re a good way to pass the time. But I’ll confess: the series I’ve really been waiting for are the Black London books. My first exposure to this world was in your short story, “Newlydeads,” and although that piece of short fiction didn’t work out so well for me, the world and the characters of Pete and Jack stuck in my mind. So when I opened up a box from Jane to find an ARC of this inside, I immediately snatched it up and out.

Petunia “Pete” Caldecott is a detective inspector for Scotland Yard. Her latest case deals with the kidnapping of a young girl. She has no leads in the investigation until a tip leads her directly to the girl. But there are two problems. First, the girl has been mysteriously struck blind. And second, the informant is a man who died before her eyes when Pete was sixteen.

When Pete was a teenager, Jack Winter dated her older sister, MG (short for Morning Glory — the names in Pete’s family crack me up). He was hot, part of a rock band, and larger than life, all of which contributed to her massive crush. Then one day, Jack asked Pete to come with him to a cemetery so he could do some magic. Pete humored his whims — he’d always been something of a street hustler when it came to performing magic tricks and well, what teenage girl can resist the lure of the forbidden? Unfortunately, that day, she learned that Jack’s magic tricks might actually be more than sleight of hand and even worse, he saw him die because of it.

The incident traumatized Pete. She doesn’t really recall what happened that day because a part of her mind desperately wants to deny what it witnessed. I appreciated this aspect of her character. In so many books do we encounter characters who come face to face with the fantastic and paranormal and after a brief moment of hysterics or disbelief, accept it and continue on their merry way. Pete, on the other hand, completely denied what she saw and convinced herself it never happened. The book doesn’t make light of this decision on her part. There’s no mistaking that in doing so, Pete did herself some damage, which manifests itself through her recurring nightmares.

The discovery that Jack Winter is still alive forces Pete to face what happened on that day long ago. And she has to, because the newly recovered girl is only the first in a string of kidnappings that result in children drained of their sight.

Jack doesn’t make the process easier. The intervening years have not been kind. Since Pete last saw him, Jack has become a drug addict, strung out on heroin to drown out the presence of the dead, which he has been able to see since he was a child. Combined with the fact that he holds a lot of residual anger towards Pete for what happened that day, Pete has a lot on her plate.

Frankly, I think this is the best thing you’ve written to date. “Newlydeads” was the first work of yours I’d read, and I can definitely see a difference between that story and this one. I can’t even begin to explain how happy that makes me because if there’s one thing I hate, it’s falling out of love with a writer’s works due to a perceived decrease in quality. So major kudos for that. I think readers who aren’t fond of the Luna books should definitely give this a try if the premise sounds at all interesting because it is a different sort of book.

The relationship between Pete and Jack is the driving force in the story and, I assume, series. Pete has known Jack since she was a teenager but the rose-tinted glasses she once viewed him through are gone now that she’s an adult. Make no mistake. Jack has made many mistakes, particularly with regards to Pete and what went down that day in the cemetery. I wouldn’t ever call him a good guy but he falls into that area of grey that I like so much in my characters. I really enjoyed seeing how Pete worked past the memories of her hero worship to see the Jack as he is now: a hollowed out shell of a man who, let’s face it, is kind of a jerk.

That said, I do think the world Jack lives in necessitates him being a jerk. Nice people wouldn’t survive long in Black London. I really enjoyed that part of the worldbuilding. It was spooky, seeing the magical underworld overlapped with the “real” world. And speaking of which, I really enjoyed the London portrayed in this book. I’ve never been to London so I can’t say for sure but it certainly didn’t read like a generic city. That’s one of my major complaints about urban fantasy and paranormal novels. They all make a big deal about taking place in a cityscape but in so many cases, they’re interchangeable with little to no distinguishing characteristics. That’s not the case here. Everything, from the descriptions to the narrative to the dialogue, read as British, not American to me. But as I said, I’m not an expert here so if I’m wrong, I’m sure someone will correct me.

I was very pleasantly surprised by this book. Based on my reactions to your Nocturne City novels, I wasn’t sure what to expect. But having finished the book, I don’t regret picking up and, in fact, am very glad I did. I look forward to the next book and seeing what’s in store for Pete and Jack. B

My regards,
Jia

This book can be purchased in mass market from an independent bookstore. No ebook because it’s St. Martin’s Press and they don’t want you to be able to buy a legitimate digital copy.

REVIEW: Second Skin by Caitlin Kittredge

Jia — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 22:00:19 +0000

Dear Ms. Kittredge,

I have an uneasy relationship with the heroine of your Nocturne City novels, Luna Wilder. What this means is that I sometimes think she makes stupid decisions, which I don’t care for since I prefer a certain level of intelligence and competence in my urban fantasy leads (or leads in general, regardless of the genre), but those mistakes are mitigated by the fact that there are actual repercussions for making them. This sounds like a basic concept but from reading — or attempting to read — many an urban fantasy novel, I often encounter leads who don’t have to face the consequences of their actions in an appropriately weighted manner.

When Second Skin opens, Luna has left her position as a police detective and is now a member of a SWAT unit. It’s been a while since I read Pure Blood, so I can’t quite remember if this was introduced then or was a development in between books. At any rate, she can’t escape her former position because being a detective is in her blood and it doesn’t help when former colleagues come knocking on her door and asking for help.

Members of Nocturne City’s oldest and most prominent werewolf families are turning up dead. That’s bad enough but then the people responsible try to make her their next victim. Readers familiar with the Nocturne City novels will know how well that goes over with Luna.

First of all, I’d like to say that Luna was far more bearable in this book than she has been in the past. All those mistakes and their consequences have been having their effect on her. She’s still the same forthright, abrasive character we met in Night Life, but the same obnoxiousness that annoyed me then is not present. Maybe she’s finally grown wiser as time goes by. I can’t emphasize enough how much I like reading about characters who grow and change over the course of a series, so that the character you meet in book 3 is not the same one in book 1 and therefore would not act or react the same way.

On the other hand, part of me wants to sit Luna down and broach the topic about her unfortunate taste in men. I realize this would only result in my getting punched in the face but honestly, it’s terrible! Not only is her boyfriend becoming increasingly unstable as a result of that demon bite he received in Night Life, he’s becoming controlling and domineering in their relationship. It’s obvious to me that as things stand, the two of them are incompatible because what Dmitri wants is the last thing Luna does.

We’re not even going to go into the other prospect, Jason, who may or may not be a crazed killer. I admit I liked him as a character more than I do Dmitri but there are some things that appear to prevent any future relationship from Luna developing. That’s all I’m going to say here to avoid spoilers. I might have drawn the incorrect conclusion from what was presented in the book but to be honest, I’m not sure where Luna’s romantic life is headed from here.

I like the fact that the novel featured wendigo and the surrounding folklore. I feel like that’s one supernatural beastie that should feature more often in urban fantasy novels but that never seems to be the case. And can I just say the wendigo spider monsters were creepy? I shudder even now. Maybe it’s a result of my deep-seated fear of insects and spiders descending upon my head from above or behind. I’m sure some readers out there share that aversion.

As for the story itself, I found myself missing the police procedural that was pervasive in the first two novels. I realize it wasn’t possible to include as much of it here since Luna was now SWAT and a target of the perpetrators but the nitty gritty occupational aspects of Luna’s job were some of my favorite things. That said, I did like most of the novel unfolded but I thought the revelations involving Jason were perhaps a bit sudden and abrupt.

It was interesting to see Luna work with Bryson, someone with whom she’s knocked heads in the past. He still strikes me as slimy and I’m sure that was intentional but oddly enough, I liked the fact that Luna and he didn’t suddenly become the best of friends because of the werewolf killings. That wouldn’t have been realistic at all.

When it comes to a grade, I’m torn between liking how Luna’s character has matured and disliking how the plot weakened a bit at the end. Balancing all things out, Second Skin is a B- for me. I look forward to seeing what Luna’s new role in Nocturne City will involve and possibly learning more about the werewolf/wendigo conflict. It seems like there’s a wealth of history of conflict to mine there.

My regards,
Jia

This book can be purchased in mass market from Amazon. No ebook format. And let me (jane) take the opportunity to say to St. Martin’s Press that charging $14.00 retail for an ebook that is out in mass market paperback (Night Life) is an insult to readers.

REVIEW: Pure Blood by Caitlin Kittredge

Jia — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 09:00:35 +0000

Dear Ms. Kittredge,

When I read your debut novel, Night Life, I’m afraid I found myself among that group of readers who considered your heroine Luna Wilder abrasive, obnoxious, and borderline stupid. But even so, the Nocturne City setting stuck with me and while I felt that I might not be a perfect reader-writer match in terms of the types of characters portrayed, I thought your plotting was strong and sound. Both of these were enough to make me willing to give your series another chance.

It’s been three months since the events of Night Life. Since then Luna’s been on extended medical leave and she’s only just now returning to her job as a police detective. It’s not an easy transition. Newspapers have outed her as a werewolf. She has a new female boss who remains unimpressed with Luna’s headstrong grandstanding. And even better, she has a new partner who could pass for a Barbie doll.

Luna’s personal life is no better. Her cousin Sunny has left and moved back in with their grandmother who hates Luna. Her last boyfriend, werewolf pack leader Dmitri returned to Russia after suffering a demon bite in Night Life. As a result, the werewolf pack elders have forbidden him from contacting Luna because they hold her at fault. To replace him, Luna’s gotten herself a rebound boyfriend, a wannabe rockstar who not only writes atrocious songs in her honor but is disturbingly clingy to boot.

Matters are made worse by Luna’s first case back. What started out as a routine dead body found on a sidewalk soon leads to an intergenerational family feud between two powerful witch families, both of which happen to be on opposing sides — the blood witches and the caster witches. That’s bad enough but when the caster witch family involved is rich, powerful, and influential, we end up with a situation that could take down the entire city with it.

I’m not sure if I’m just in a better mood or I’ve simply gotten used to Luna, but I found her less abrasive in this book. Losing Sunny and Dmitri seemed to have forced her to grow and mature a little. She’s certainly not Little Miss Suzy Sunshine by any stretch of the imagination, but there are definitely fewer of those interpersonal interactions that made me question Luna’s competence as a detective and person.

The plotting remains as strong as it did in the first book, with the added bonus that I did not guess the culprit until well into the book. That’s definitely an improvement over identifying him the moment he steps on the page. Perhaps other readers figured it out earlier than I did, but I found the book more enjoyable not knowing who the true antagonist was right away.

I admit I missed Sunny’s presence. One of the things I like about the Nocturne City series is that Luna has family that is both alive and present. The fact that they’re both female was only an added bonus, given the ongoing question as to why urban fantasy heroines tend to have male-dominated peers and very few female acquaintances. It’s true that Sunny and their grandmother do make appearances, but without Sunny’s immediate presence in Luna’s life, it’s obvious how unbalanced she really is. I realize that was probably a deliberate choice since it forces Luna to reevaluate her life and the choices she makes, but I missed her all the same.

Along those lines, I did enjoy Luna’s interactions with her new partner, Shelby. While Shelby’s behavior during investigations made me wonder how she could have become a cop, she was a good foil for Luna in many ways. And later in the novel, it appears there’s a detail about Shelby’s identity that explains exactly why she was so green in the field.

I would have liked to see more into the conflict between the blood and caster witches. Not necessarily just the O’Hallorans and Blackburns, who are like the magical clan equivalent of the Hatfields and McCoys, but in general. We’ve had prior exposure to caster witches courtesy of Sunny and Luna’s grandmother, so readers get a nice compare and contrast between them and the O’Hallorans. But when it comes ot the Blackburns, we don’t have much to go on. I did like the fact that you touched on the greyness that exists in what people traditionally consider black and white, good and evil. I find just as funny as Luna that the “evil” Blackburns possessed such a dangerous artifact for centuries to no ill effect but the moment the O’Hallorans get their hands on it, all hell breaks loose. It goes to show power can corrupt, even if you’re a “good” guy.

The climactic battle between Luna and the antagonist might have been a little over the top for me. I admit the calling out of spells in Latin reminded me too much of Harry Potter. I know J.K. Rowling does not have the market cornered on Latin magical incantations, but I’m afraid that association is burned into my brain and it’s a hard one to shake loose. But otherwise, not a bad way to spend an afternoon. B-

My regards,
Jia

This book can be purchased in mass market from Amazon or Powells. No ebook format.

REVIEW: Night Life by Caitlin Kittredge

Jia — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 09:00:17 +0000

Dear Ms. Kittredge,

I was introduced to your writing by your short story, “Newlydeads”, in My Big Fat Supernatural Honeymoon. While that story didn’t work as well for me as I’d hoped, I still looked forward to your first novel. Sometimes short stories aren’t the best indicators of good novelists and since Night Life was set in a different world from that of your Black London stories, I hoped I’d enjoy it more.

Night Life takes place in Nocturne City, a dark and gritty place where magic and the supernatural co-exist with the mundane. Luna Wilder works as a detective — with one difference. In addition to being a woman in a male-dominated field, she’s a werewolf. Made into one against her will when she was just fifteen, Luna fled the man who changed her and now lives as an Insoli: a werewolf with no pack, no rank, and no respect. Luna has kept the fact she’s a werewolf a secret from her human co-workers but she finds it more difficult to control her shapeshifting as the full moon approaches.

Luna’s latest case involves investigating a string of ritualistic murders where the victims are prostitutes and often undocumented immigrants. Two things distinguish this case, however. First of all, the latest victim was a werewolf. And secondly, the manner in which the murders are executed eerily resemble a string of murders that took place several decades before. Matters become even more complicated when Luna is recruited to find the District Attorney’s missing son and finds herself attracted to Dmitri Sandovsky, alpha of Nocturne City’s resident werewolf pack and the murders’ prime suspect.

I love the Nocturne City setting. It has the right balance of grit and darkness I enjoy in urban fantasy and wish to see more of. The way the various places were described, especially in the forsaken area called Ghosttown, were wonderful and definitely set this book apart for me when compared to its counterparts in the genre.

The mystery plot was also well done. It moves along at a fast clip and not once does the pacing ever falter or drag. I admit I correctly identified the main antagonist the moment he appeared but that didn’t bother me. I enjoyed reading to discover if my suspicions were correct and how exactly everything tied together.

What didn’t work for me quite as well were the actual characters. Their reactions and emotions never quite rang true for me, and sometimes that made it hard to believe in the choices they made and actions they pursued. I recall having similar difficulties with the characters in “Newlydeads,” so perhaps this is simply a case of author-reader mismatch. While I liked the way Luna obsessively guarded her independence, at times I found her so abrasive and reckless, I couldn’t feel any sympathy when she got into trouble. I like flawed characters, but I thought she was a little too stupid to be one of the best detectives on Nocturne City’s police force given some of the decisions she makes over the course of her investigation.

This problem also fed into how I viewed the relationships between the characters. While Luna’s relationships with her co-workers worked well for me for the most part, I had a harder time buying her more personal ones. I simply could not buy into the attraction between Luna and Dmitri. Half the time, I wasn’t sure what Dmitri saw in Luna. His lover had just been brutally murdered and her death struck him hard to the point of making him emotionally unstable so for him to suddenly switch affections to Luna made me question his character and just how in love he actually had been. Maybe that’s just me.

While I don’t feel Night Life is a groundbreaking entry into the genre of urban fantasy, I’m curious to see what will happen to Luna next. I do want to note, however, that this is a fantasy, so readers should not go in expecting an HEA or even an HFN for our heroine. B-

My regards,
Jia

This book can be purchased in mass market. No ebook format.

REVIEW: My Big Fat Supernatural Honeymoon edited by P.N. Elrod

Jia — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 20:00:10 +0000

Dear Authors,

While many readers dislike anthologies because the good stories are often outnumbered by the bad, I’m not one of them. I love anthologies. They let me sample many different authors at once — old favorites and new-to-mes. And sometimes all it takes is one perfect story to make an anthology worthwhile.

The follow-up to My Big Fat Supernatural Wedding, My Big Fat Supernatural Honeymoon presents nine authors covering the spectrum from paranormal romance to straight urban fantasy. The variety is the anthology’s strength. I think there’s something for everyone who likes these genres. On the other hand, some of these stories aren’t as accessible to new readers as they could be and the quality varies widely.

“Stalked” by Kelley Armstrong
I’m a huge fan of yours and the werewolves are my favorite characters from the Otherworld series, so I was greatly pleased to read this story. Set two years after the birth of their twins, Elena and Clay are enjoying their honeymoon, which amused me because they’re technically not married. (It’s more of a symbolic gesture than anything else.) It’s meant to be relaxing and enjoyable but as usual, they have the bad luck to pick up a stalker who’s interested in challenging Clay and claiming Elena for himself.

The writing here is top notch and I thought it did an excellent job combining the romance of an established relationship, action, and the werewolf politics we’ve come to expect from the Otherworld series. What didn’t work for me as well was that a large portion of the emotional tension depends on lack of communication. While it fits both Clay and Elena and the circumstances presented in the story, I can’t help but wonder why they aren’t past this hurdle yet. I also question whether this story works for someone not familiar with the Otherworld series, because certain plot aspects depend upon events that took place in Broken. It’s a good introduction to the world, but I’m not convinced it’s the best. B+

“Heorot” by Jim Butcher
Your long-running Harry Dresden series has been around for several years, but I think a lot of people were introduced to Chicago’s only wizard through the recent Sci-Fi channel television series, myself included. In this story, Harry agrees to help find a missing bride, who vanished soon after the wedding but before the honeymoon. No one believes the poor groom when he says she was kidnapped; most just assume that she got cold feet and ran off, but Harry’s investigation proves otherwise.

Any story in which Harry is with his dog, Mouse, is a good one, and the presence of Gard and a grendelkin provide some worthwhile entertainment. But while this was a solid, straight urban fantasy effort, I also believe the length hampers how good I know a Harry Dresden story can be. I kept turning pages, but nothing left much of a lasting impression. B-

“Roman Holiday, or SPQ ARRRRRRR!” by Rachel Caine
I haven’t read the Weather Warden series or the Morganville Vampire young adult novels, so this is my first introduction to your work. This is unfortunate, because this read more like a piece of Pirates of the Caribbean fanfiction than an original story.

My initial impression isn’t helped by the fact that this is a follow-up to your contribution to My Big Fat Supernatural Honeymoon. Since I haven’t read that anthology, I have no frame of reference for newlyweds Cecilia and Liam. I’m not invested in these characters, so I don’t much care when Liam’s crew mutinies because they don’t like the modern world, and I don’t care when another pirate shows up and kidnaps Cecilia because he thinks she’s a witch who lifted Liam’s curse. It read like one ridiculous event after another. I felt like I’d walked in midway through a movie and never caught up. I love the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, but I’ve already seen them and I have no desire to read a watered-down version in literary form. D

“Her Mother’s Daughter” by P.N. Elrod
This is my first introduction to your vampire detective, Jack Fleming. I thought he provided an interesting contrast to Harry Dresden: a vampire detective from Depression Era Chicago versus a wizard from present-day Chicago. Even the plot presents a nice contrast: here, it’s the groom who goes missing and the bride who hires Fleming to find him.

I really enjoyed the setting of this story, and I loved the gangster feel provided by the bride’s family, as well as her refusal to become another hapless damsel in distress. That’s why I regret to say I didn’t enjoy this enjoy as much as I’d hoped I would or think I should have. However, it might work better for readers more familiar with your Vampire Files series. C

“Newlydeads: A Tale of Black London” by Caitlin Kittredge
Since your debut novel, Night Life, doesn’t come out for a few months, I believe this will be most readers’ first introduction to your writing. So I admit I was a little disappointed when I realized this story takes place in a different setting with a different cast of characters from your forthcoming werewolf urban fantasy.

To cheer up his partner-of-sorts, Jack Winter takes Pete Caldecott on a holiday and tricks the hotel management into giving them the honeymoon suite. Unfortunately, it’s a holiday that proves anything but restful when hotel guests start disappearing into the lurking fog.

What frustrated me most was that this story relies so much on previous events that took place elsewhere (I believe there is a book in the works about these two?), I again felt like I was missing half the plot when it came to Pete’s issues. I think it’s possible for a story to be connected to other pieces of work, whether they are previous stories or novels, but they also need to stand on their own so new readers can jump in at anytime. Since much of Pete’s lack of emotional well-being depended on events not covered by this story, I was a bit let down by the climax. That said, I did catch some glimpses of brilliance in the writing, so I think this might be one of those cases where future works from you will be astounding. It just might take a few novels and short stories to get there. C

“Where the Heart Lives” by Marjorie M. Liu
I really enjoy your Dirk & Steele series, so I looked forward to this story about the foundation of our favorite paranormal-powered detective agency. Lucy comes from a family of stone cutters who have no use for her, or women in general, as shown by her mother who ran off with a gypsy the year before. So when the opportunity arises, Lucy’s father sends her to take care of a house belonging to a woman named Miss Lindsay. There, Lucy meets Miss Lindsay, a woman with unusual powers, her brother Henry, and Barnabas, the young man who lives with them.

This story reads almost like a fairy tale: a bride stolen by a forest-dwelling faerie witch, a man who pines for the woman he lost, and the very normal woman caught in the middle of it. Of all the stories in this anthology based on existing continuities, I think this is the one that stands alone the best and serves as the best introduction to the world of Dirk & Steele. B

“Cat Got Your Tongue” by Katie MacAlister
This is another first introduction for me and much like the other stories, I think it’s one that’s best enjoyed by existing fans. Fiona and Raphael St. John are on their honeymoon at Fyfe Castle, where they are beseeched by the ghost of Lily Summerton, the wife of one of its former owners, Sir Alec Summerton. She seeks revenge on her husband who betrayed her and supposedly caused her death.

I greatly enjoyed the humorous tone, which provides a great change of pace from an otherwise serious anthology. What made the story less enjoyable was that I predicted what would happen the instant Fiona and Raphael agree to help Lily’s ghost. It’s a good story, and one that I believe loyal fans will enjoy, but when there’s no surprise for me waiting at the end, I find it hard to be excited. C+

“Half of Being Married” by Lilith Saintcrow
I adoreyour Dante Valentine series, so I was happy to find a story of yours included here. And after reading several stories based on pre-existing worlds, I was even happier to learn this doesn’t take place in that setting either. Katrina and Mitchell Black are on their honeymoon but they both failed to reveal an important secret about themselves to the other: Kat is a vampire hunter and Mitch is a werewolf. And when they discover there’s a nest of vampires in the town where they’re staying, things get even more complicated.

I loved the relationship between Kat and Mitch. She very much believes in the mission of her holy order of vampire hunters, while Mitch is very much a product of his werewolf upbringing. I liked that they were both upset when they realized they didn’t know this crucial fact about the other, but that they were able to work through it and then work together, although reluctantly on Mitch’s part, to flush out the vampire nest. And anyone who enjoys the action of your Dante Valentine series will not be disappointed by the action presented here. This was simply a lot of fun, in a bite-sized package. B+

“A Wulf in Groom’s Clothing” by Ronda Thompson
It’s with a sense of bittersweet sadness that I write this. Many readers were saddened by your loss, and reading this final story set in the world of your Wild Wulfs of London series drove that point home. Laura is a city girl, through and through, but her new husband, Sam Wulf, loves the outdoors and she’ll do anything to make him happy, even if it means lying about her true feelings towards the outdoors. As for Sam, he comes from a family that bears a certain curse and hopes that Laura’s love will release him from it.

This is another story about a couple who’ve kept important secrets from one another, but here the bulk of the story focuses on them working through the issues that arise from not sharing those secrets. I liked how Laura wouldn’t accept Sam’s nightly jaunts without explanation and how she tried her best to overcome her dislike of the outdoors because she loved Sam. Normally I hate it when people keep secrets from one another in stories, because it often seems like the author does it to maintain an otherwise superficial conflict but it worked for me here. It’s the motivations of both Sam and Laura that made it believable — Sam doesn’t want to tell Laura he turns into a wolf because he’s afraid she’ll think he’s a monster, and Laura doesn’t want to tell Sam she hates the outdoors because she knows he loves it so much. I do think the ending is a little contrived and perhaps too convenient, but all in all I think it’s a great final send off for the Wulf family. B-

My regards,
Jia

This book can be purchased in mass market. No ebook format.