Customer Reviews

Burning Up (Berkley Sensation)

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Burning Up offers a great line-up of popular paranormal authors, but there are a few surprises in store. While authors Nalini Singh and Virginia Kantra come through with stories connected to their established series, Angela Knight leaves her Mageverse behind - but not her vamps and witches - and instead gives us a medieval fantasy offering and MelJean Brook introduces a new universe with her steam punk prequel to her new Iron Seas series.

"Whisper of Sin" - Nalini Singh's Psy-changeling contribution brings in a more than quickie romance as a new mob moves into the city and tries to collect protection money little realizing that the town is DarkRiver territory and the humans there are under the clan's protection - and shape shifting Sentinel Emmet decides that protecting human Ria from the thugs should be done up close and personal - I just love it when a shifter says "mine". The petite yet strong Ria is a wonderful heroine, and her formidable family is great too.(4.5 stars)

"Blood and Roses" Angela Knight - A vampire knight held captive offers hope to a witch whose sister is destined for a ritual which will open a gate to allow an undefeatable enemy into their world - this one was okay, there was a good setup but the story really needed to be longer to capitalize on it. (3 stars)

"Shifting Sea" Virginia Kantra takes a step back in time with her Children of the Sea - I really liked this story, the lovely woman whose people are just a myth and the wounded former soldier, who is now a gentleman land owner, are both appealing characters. I am not a huge fan of historical settings but this one worked for me, paradoxically due to the era in which the story was set - since the independent passionate woman who didn't conform to the strictures of the period is what attracted the honorable hero.(4 stars)

"Here There Be Monsters" - Meljean Brook - I am a huge fan of Brook's Guardians but this story was something completely different - a prequel to Brook's upcoming Steampunk series. I am not really drawn to the steampunk genre but I liked this story, even with the odd world-out-of-time flavor given to the tale by the mixture of Victorian trappings and technology - Brook describes this as "historical sci fi". The action and the inventions were fun but I especially loved how smitten the hero was with the heroine and how patient he was in his courtship - boy, she made him suffer. I will definitely be checking out the rest of the series. (4.5 stars)

So for me Burning Up was a hit, I enjoyed the odd mix of genres and the anthology is good for fans looking for a favorite author fix and all in all most the stories are long enough for new comers looking for a new favorite author too.

SYNOPSIS: This anthology contains four short stories from top authors in the fantasy and paranormal genres. These four stories couldn't be more different if they tried. Quite an interesting lineup.

NALINI SINGH -- WHISPER OF SIN
This story is from the Psy/Changeling series of novels and shows fans of those books how Emmet and Ria met. Emmet is a leopard changeling working with the Dark River pack to protect San Francisco from a vicious gang that is trying to muscle in and frighten the residents, mainly in Chinatown, into paying for protection. Ria is the victim of an attack foiled by Emmet and Dorian.

This was really a good story and helped more fully fill in the information regarding how these two came together. There are not that many human/changeling couples in the series so it was very nice to see how leopard and human came to an understanding. The latest released book in this series is Bonds of Justice (Psy/Changeling) and another novel, Play of Passion (Psy/Changeling), will be released in November of 2010. It is really wonderfull to have this many Psy/Changeling stories in such a short period of time. On a sensuality scale from 1 to 5, I would put this at a three. (For me the scale is: a 1 would be, "what sensuality?", and a 5 would be "too, too much".)

ANGELA KNIGHT -- BLOOD AND ROSES
Raniero is a vampire warrior sent by his King to see if the border wizard Lord Korban is being completely faithful to him or if he may have begun plotting with their enemy, the Varil, to break the boundary which keeps them apart. Amaris, a Blood Rose, is being blackmailed by Korban who is holding her three year old sister captive. He will kill the child and use her magical power to help fuel his magic to breach the boundry unless Amaris agrees to seduce the vampire to give him time to complete his spell.

I have not followed the series written by this author so I am not familiar with whether this story is part of any series. It seemed likely to be a stand alone. This one was a four on the sensuality scale for me.

VIRGINIA KANTRA -- SHIFTING SEA
Major John Harris has suffered serious wounds in the war with Napoleon so when he learns he has inherited property in Scotland he goes there to live on the estate and try to bring it back to productivity. While out riding over the property he meets a beautiful woman, Morwenna, by a tiny cottage all alone by the sea. He knows she is different from any woman he has ever met, but he has no idea just how different she really is.

I've read several other short stories by Virginia Kantra and absolutely loved them all. This was no exception. This is the story in the collection which is slower, softer, more gentle. I definitely enjoyed the respite! I think that this story is tied to the Children of the Sea series, with a new novel Immortal Sea (Children of the Sea) due out in September, 2010. On the sensuality scale this would be a very sweet three.

MELJEAN BROOK -- HERE THERE BE MONSTERS
Ivy Blacksmith (named that because of her trade) must escape London immediately. That is the only reason she would even think about asking for passage with Captain Machen on his ship leaving port tomorrow morning. But there is a reason this man is called Mad Machen. When Ivy finally manages to ask him for passage she is sure he is going to turn her down. With no money to pay him, and with his vessel already having a blacksmith on board, she offers him the only thing she has which she thinks will be a temptation to this horrible man, her virginity.

Now, this was very, very different for me. I am not familiar with this author and this book just dropped me in the middle of a world I was not familiar with and left me to sink or swim. Luckily I'm a stubborn soul and decided to learn how to swim. This is a steam punk story - a first for me - and after I caught on to what was happening I enjoyed it very much. According to the excerpt in the back of this book, The Iron Duke will be released in October 2010. This story is definitely connected with that book which will probably become a series. I will be heading on over to the book page to get on the pre-release list for that one. On the old sensuality scale this one has to be a good four.

RECOMMENDATION: All four of these stories was a very pleasurable reading experience. They were all very different in both "world" and style of writing. There are sensual scenes in all four of the stories, some more intense than others so you need to be aware of your tolerance for that aspect in your choice. If I had to describe this book as a whole I would say that these are love stories. One feels very modern, one feels old fashioned, one feels paranormal and one feels almost futuristic, but all are really interesting examples of the writing craft of each author.

This is one of those cases where I wished I had know what I was getting myself into before I started. I thought this would be more romance, but it's actually more "steamy" than romance. Wait, I take that back. The two books in the middle are steamy. The first and the last ones (ironically, the two I liked most) were more PNR.

The first story, Whisper of Sin, is by Nalini Singh, who I have grown to love. It's a short story, so things moved a little faster than I thought. I liked both Emmett and Ria. Ria's family was crazy, I liked them a lot. I love the cats, they're so hardcore.

I didn't like the second one, Blood and Roses. I couldn't get into it. It wasn't my cup of tea. I don't know. Maybe I'd feel different if I was in a life or death situation but as a reader... I just don't like to read things like that. I couldn't get into the new world.

In the beginning, I did not like the third story, Shifting Seas. Again, this just wasn't my cup of tea. It was like Hi, Nice to meet you, let's get it on, and that's that. No. I did like the end though. I thought the ending was sweet but I liked how it wrapped up.

The last story, Here There be Monsters, I really liked. I could have kept reading it, no problem. I have the Iron Duke here but never read. I have heard great things about it but kept putting it aside. It has definitely moved up on my list. I just loved being in the world that the author created! I loved how complex Mad was and how much he did for Ivy. I liked Ivy because she was independent and an excellent smithy. I just wanted to say smithy.

So all in all, I'm not mad that I read this one, but I wouldn't go out of my way to recommend it. Scratch that. Read it and just stick to the first and last stories and you'll love it.

Whisper of Sin" by Nalini Singh
It's 2072 and a human gang is threatening the streets of San Francisco. Psy government officials have deemed the threat negligible, but the leopard DarkRiver pack, who has claimed San Francisco as their territory, is determined to wipe out any threats in the city. Human Ria Wembley learns just how serious DarkRiver is about the safety of San Franciscans when she's rescued from a deadly attack by DarkRiver Changelings. But Ria isn't safe just yet, and until she is, she'll be guarded by the Changelings - and by one leopard in particular. Emmett, a sexy, possessive, dominant DarkRiver soldier awakens something in Ria she's never before experienced. And Ria is about to learn that when a DarkRiver male sets his sights on his mate, he'll use every sensual trick at his disposal to make her his.

"Whisper of Sin" is romance, sensual delight, action, and fun all woven together into a gorgeous tapestry of a story. Nalini Singh adds another hit to her phenomenal Psy-Changeling series with Ria and Emmett's romance. Emmett is one heck of an alpha leopard, but Ria matches him every step of the way. She may be human, but she's no pushover. These two are one hundred percent perfect for each other and the sparks that fly between them make the pages of "Whisper of Sin" practically crackle with energy.

The biggest obstacle in Ria and Emmett's romance is not the threat of the gang after Ria, but her family. Ria's parents are sure they know what's best for her (and it's not Emmett), but they're genuinely good-hearted people who love their daughter. I adored the Wembley family, particularly Ria's grandmother. The family dynamics added another layer to "Whisper of Sin" that enabled me to connect with Ria even further.

"Whisper of Sin" is a prequel to Ms. Singh's Psy-Changeling series. Fans of the series will surely love, as I did, seeing more of the history of the DarkRiver pack. Lucas, Dorian, and Tammy are all strong secondary characters and other DarkRiver leopards that readers know and love make an appearance as well. It's fascinating to see how DarkRiver built up the power they have by the timeline of the first book, Slave to Sensation. Yet while there is a wealth of entertainment to be had for those who already know and love the Psy-Changeling series (eagle-eyed readers in particular should enjoying watching a scene played out between Ria and Emmett that is referenced in Mine to Possess), those unfamiliar with the series will not be left behind. Ms. Singh ensures that "Whisper of Sin" fully stands on its own. However, I'm sure anyone whose first encounter with the DarkRiver pack is in reading "Whisper of Sin" won't stay a stranger to those luscious leopards for long. Ms. Singh's stories are that addictive!


"Blood and Roses" by Angela Knight
Raniero, a vampire knight loyal to his king, has been sent to investigate rumors that Wizard Lord Korban is attempting to destroy the barrier that keeps the dangerous Varilian raiders out of the kingdom. Ambushed by Korban's deadly allies, Raniero finds himself held captive by the evil wizard. But what's most dangerous to Raniero is not the wizard or the Varil: it's the seductive Blood Rose Amaris he doesn't know he can trust.

A warrior vampire, a seductive Blood Rose, sex, power, danger...all the makings of a great story are present in "Blood and Roses," but somehow the story falls far short of what Angela Knight's capable of. Some of the very best novellas I have read were written by Ms. Knight, but "Blood and Roses" missed the mark for me. Raniero and Amaris had interesting histories, but the two never came to life for me. Sadly, both the sex and battle scenes fell flat for me as well. Obstacles came crashing down in a matter of seconds and made it feel like they were just placed in the story for the sake of being there. I truly wanted to like "Blood and Roses," but I'm afraid I will have to pass on re-reading this novella in favor of enjoying other stories by Ms. Knight.


"Shifting Sea" by Virginia Kantra
Major John Harris has survived war, but he's not so sure he's prepared to survive inheriting a Scottish estate. While riding near the sea one day, Jack encounters a beautiful siren of a woman, Morwenna. Morwenna is unlike any woman Jack has ever met. She's bold, independent, and no one in town seems to know who she is. There's something almost otherworldly about her. The question is, is Jack ready to learn the truth about the woman who is swiftly capturing his heart?

"Shifting Sea" is, quite simply, enchanting. Virginia Kantra lures her readers in from the start, much like Morwenna does to Jack. It's impossible not to adore Morwenna and Jack, for both are kind, honorable, and strong. Furthermore, as someone new to Ms. Kantra's Children of the Sea series, I was intrigued to learn of the "finfolk," which is what Morwenna is - a shape-shifting Child of the Sea.

"Shifting Sea" is a prequel to the Children of the Sea series, and though I have not yet read any of the books, I most definitely want to now!


"Here There Be Monsters" by Meljean Brook
Desperate to flee London, Ivy entered into a dangerous agreement: her body for passage on pirate captain Mad Machen's ship. Fearful of the bargain she made, Ivy willingly accepted aid from one of Mad Machen's rivals. Two years later, the lovely blacksmith is scraping out a living in Fool's Cove. But Ivy's peaceful existence is shattered when Mad Machen finds her. This time, there can be no escape. Mad Machen wants Ivy to build a machine that will be a monster unlike any has ever seen. What's more, the mad pirate still wants her to uphold her end of their long-ago bargain...

Meljean Brook launches what's sure to be a thrilling steampunk series with the exciting "Here There Be Monsters." Ivy and Mad Machen's story is quite possibly my favorite novella in this anthology; and given the other stories, that says something. The world Ms. Brook has created in "Here There Be Monsters" is inventive and intriguing and I can't wait to see where she goes with it in future Iron Seas stories.

Yet, it wasn't just the originality of Ms. Brook's steampunk world that captivated me. Ivy and Eben (aka Mad Machen) are truly the heart and soul of "Here There Be Monsters." Ivy's spirit, talent, and determination made her a heroine to admire. Eben, in turn, just about melted my heart. Most may call him mad, but there's tenderness in him when it comes to Ivy that truly made me envy her.

In "Here There Be Monsters," Ms. Brook perfectly balances world-building with romance. If Ivy and Eban's story is any indication, The Iron Seas will be a series to watch.


There are three great reasons to buy Burning Up: Nalini Singh, Virginia Kantra, and Meljean Brook. Each of these three authors pack one heck of a punch with their sexy, engaging tales. Like the title suggests, Burning Up smolders with red-hot sexuality. That alone might be enough to make it a worthwhile read, but Burning Up goes above and beyond with its original stories and romances that touch the heart.

Shayna
Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

Burning Up by Angela Knight, Nalini Singh, Virginia Kantra, and Meljean Brook
Paranormal anthology- Aug 3, 2010
5 stars

This is one of the best anthologies I have ever read! With anthologies many times the stories seem hurriedly put together, incomplete, or disappointing. A hodge podge that really don't work as a whole. But I think anyone who reads edgy paranormal romances or any of these authors will enjoy the entire anthology. Each author does a superb job of writing an involving and strong story that will keep the pages turning!

This series builds upon a couple of the authors' current series but none of their previous books will need to be read prior to this anthology to enjoy them. In fact, if you haven't read their earlier books after this anthology you will probably want to run and find them!

Nalini Singh continues her Psy series in the heartwarming short about a strong shifter and the surprisingly tough Asian human he protects and grows to love. This was a fun story and more light-hearted that her full length books. As Ria at first refuses to accept Emmett. It was an often hilarious and fascinating look into Ria's quirky and fun loving relatives.

In Virginia Kantra's story, Major John Harris has just returned form the war. He is battle weary and scarred when on his way home he spies a lovely woman near the water's edge. She captures his imagination and he soon finds himself wanting her for himself. But she is elusive and his attempts to keep her are rebuffed. John must discover and decide if he can accept the mystery behind her magic. This was a mystical and enchanting fairy tale like story. I loved how John is willing to bend outside his belief system and embrace Morwenna despite her being so untraditional.

Angela Knight returns in a sensual story that includes a seductive witch and heroic vampire. Amaris is a Blood Rose. Magic flows through her veins and she is the coveted prize of many vampires who after drinking her blood have enhanced powers. However, Amaris is trapped; her young sister is being used to keep her actions on a leash. When Amaris sees an opportunity to seduce a vampire and use him to help rescue her sister she gets far more than she bargains for. This was a lush romance that had danger, intrigue and decadence. Both characters were noble and strong. Plus their passion was blazing hot!

Crazy, wild and fun. Here There Be Monsters is the story of a poor Blacksmith who has captured the attention and the wrath of the infamous pirate Mad Machen. Ivy made the mistake of trusting Mad Machen but he quickly proved her wrong. Now she is in hiding but her days are numbered when she is soon discovered and Mad Machen means to make up for all the times she evaded his clutches... This was my favorite story in the anthology. This book was more lighthearted and fun that Meljean Brook's other series. (I believe this story is the beginning of her steampunk series.) It had a surprising ending that I loved as the heroine outsmarts everyone.

This is a phenomenal anthology that paranormal romances readers will be sure to enjoy and savor.

Reviewed by Steph from Bookaholics Romance Book Club

Bringing together stories from four very popular paranormal romance authors, Burning Up is a solid taste of each contributors work.

Headlining the collection is Angela Knight. Known for her Mageverse series and many other writings her story Blood and Roses is an interesting medieval vampire romance. Combining magic and vampires with what I think would be a pretty cool series realm this one was likable but a toddler character in the mix might be a turn-off and annoy readers. The hero and heroine have great chemistry for such a short story. The love scenes were memorable and quite spicy. 4/5 stars

Author of the popular Psy/Changelings and Guild Hunter series, Nalini Singh contributes a short story from the former. I've read other P/C short stories before but still haven't cracked the novels open. Whisper of Sin pairs a studly leopard with a sweet, young human in danger. These characters make cameos in the P/C series and this is their backstory. Sadly, that made it hard for me to enjoy the story. I didn't have anything to ground me to them and so this story felt kind of contrived. Maybe fans of the series will love it but I didn't feel it. 2/5 stars

The third tale in this tome is Virginia Kantra's Shifting Sea, a Children of the Sea series short. I have to say that the CotS series is one of the more original paranormal romance series I have had the pleasure of reading. Not one of the titles or shorts I have read from this series was a disappointment and this is no exception. When a lady of the finfolk falls for a wounded soldier on land she has to choose between her love and the sea. If you love historicals and paranormals this is a terrific sample of what the best in the genre can be. Fans of the series shouldn't miss this one! 5/5 stars

Probably one of the most anticipated books to be released this year is Meljean Brook's Iron Seas series opener, The Iron Duke. Brook is already well known as the author of paranormal romance The Guardians series and The Iron Duke is her steampunk romance debut. Letting readers have a nibble of the world of the Iron Seas series seems to have only served to whet appetites more. For such a short story where the steampunk element requires intense descriptive world building Here There Be Monsters delivers in spades. The romance between the blacksmith heroine and crazy pirate captain is palpable and downright yummy. Fans of steampunk looking for some romance or fans of Brook's other work should definitely read this tale. It was my favorite! 5/5 stars

Overall this anthology is exceptional. The entries are varied to include shapeshifters, mechanical-limbed pirates, vampires and more. From the big city and the high seas to the Scottish countryside and dangerous fantasy realms there's a little bit for every romance reader who likes a paranormal element. I highly recommend Burning Up and look forward to reading more from these authors in the future.

I specifically bought this book for the story of Ria of the Psy/changeling series by Nalani Singhi...This story was wonderful

I also got to read 3 other short stories of other writers I had heard about...Great read

I got this book as part of a reading challenge I am doing with vvb32 reads (thanks for the awesome book!). Readers of my reviews know that I am more of an urban fantasy fan than a paranormal romance (PNR) fan, but I do enjoy the occasional PNR novel. I was eager to read stories by Nalini Signh and Meljean Brook since those were two authors I have been dying to check out. The collection of stories was pretty good and widely varied.

Angela Knight's Blood and Roses was set in a fantasy setting with a creative world set-up; I enjoyed it and loved the special powers of the Blood Roses. It was a little romancy for me but the creative world definitely kept my attention.

The highlight of the book was Here There Be Monsters, a prelude story to Meljean Brook's new Iron Duke series. This was a great story and made the whole book worth reading. The world Brook has created is incredible, the characters full of depth, and some of the scenes incredibly steamy. This story packed more story than any of the other stories in this novel and didn't sacrifice creativity and action to provide romance. Overall it was a wonderful story that I really enjoyed.

Whisper of Sin by Nalini Singh and Shifting Sea by Virginia Kantra were more typical PNR. Both about tough men falling for beautiful women; the majority of the story focused on getting the two main characters in "bed" so to speak. Although I will say that Kantra's finfolk are interesting and I have never read about anything like them before.

A highly varied collection of stories. All more with a romance bent to them than an urban fantasy bent. I would definitely recommend urban fantasy and steampunk fans check out Here There Be Monsters by Meljean Brook. See below for more detail on each story.

- Whisper of Sin by Nalini Singh (3/5 stars)
Supposedly this is a prelude to Singh's Psy/Changeling series. It was okay. The characters definitely have good chemistry. The story plot is just barely there and mainly used as a vehicle to provide steamy scenes. This was bit too much of your helpless female/alpha male set up for me. I am really not into that kind of thing. It was well-written though.

- Blood and Roses by Angela Knight (4/5 stars)
This was a well done fantasy story. The chemistry between the two main characters was excellent and Knight creates a story in a complex universe with complex politics. The main character is a Blood Rose whose lot in life is to fuel the desire and power of vampires. Both the Blood Rose, Amaris, and the vampire, Raniero, are very conflicted characters. There are some nice fight scenes and some very steamy scenes. I liked this story. Again it was a bit too much of a romance for me, but still well-balanced.

- Shifting Sea by Virginia Kantra (3/5 stars)
Story about a soldier turned landowner who stumbles upon a beautiful woman, Morwenna, who is not quite human. Morwenna is one of the finfolk and wants to escape the ocean to try out life as a human. Basically the soldier sets out to woo Morwenna and there are complications because of her background. The story is well-written and the finfolk are unique. Not much humor or action.

- Here There Be Monsters by Meljean Brook (5/5 stars)
This was an absolutely wonderful story. I have never read any of Brook's books before but I want too. This was a great opportunity to be introduced to her writing and her new Iron Duke series. This is a steampunk fantasy novella and featured an incredibly creative world with a bleak tone to it. Loved that the characters had clockwork limbs grafted on and that steampunk and nano technology helped to run so much of this world. There was action in here, a wonderful world, believable characters, and great descriptions of fantastical devices. The two main characters had excellent chemistry and really tugged at your heart. There were the prerequisite steamy scenes which were tastefully done and engaging. I just really loved this story and am eager to read the Iron Duke series now.

I, like another reviewer bought the book primarily for Nalini's story. She is on my auto-buy list. I loved Whisper of Sin. I also enjoy most of Angela Knight's books, this story did not disappoint. Meljean is another favorite author of mine and I enjoyed her story, not as much as some of her other books though. I just couldn't get into Virginia Kantra's story. I'm also not familiar with any other of her work. But hey, 3 out of 4 isn't bad for the price!

Novellas can often be a mixed experience - there's not enough room for worldbuilding, so if the reader doesn't already know the world, it can be confusing or overwhelming. Yet, in the short form, there needs to be a strong focus on the story and the characters and only enough worldbuilding to keep the reader from being confused. It's that balance that is often missing - between enough world to not be confused and too much world so that I don't get to enjoy the story. The other problem that occurs when a novella is part of a series is that the author expects me to care about the characters and already know their potential difficulties when, if I haven't read the series previously, I'm really just getting started understanding the situation.

Thannkfully, the situation here is well in balance and very enjoyable. What these novellas have done right is to deliver on the characters and on the story, with enough world that you can tell there's more available to flesh it out, but you don't need to know the rest to enjoy the story. The only world I came in knowing was the Psy/Changeling world, but all 4 novellas brought me in, explained what was necessary, and kept me interested and wanting to know more at the end. The conflicts faced were novella-sized conflicts - solveable within the context of the short form. There wasn't the heavy angst that sometimes overwhelms a romance, and the sensuality was just right.

Others have already described the 4 novellas in the book, so I won't. They are each different, but all enjoyable, and I am looking forward to reading more in each of these worlds.