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13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Romance, faeries, magic, what more does one need?, April 27, 2000
I *love* shared world collections but usually find myself annoyed at having wasted my precious reading time wading through at least one clunker in the bunch. So, I approached this collection with a little hesitation, sure I'd find myself skimming at least one of the stories. I'm thrilled to report that all four stories were skillfully told and enjoyable and no skimming was necessary. My favorite was Barbara Samuel's THE LOVE TALKER which featured a cursed male faery saved from his torment by the love of a mortal woman. Sigh, this story was so romantic that it was worth the cost of the entire book. My least favorite was probably Jo Beverly's tale THE LORD OF ELPHINDALE only because the hero acted like an all-around jerk to the heroine (who was supposed to be his childhood best-friend) for far too long. This is a story that could've benefited from 100 or so more pages to flesh out his actions and make the romance more believable. Still, this was a fitting addition to the collection and is nowhere near what I'd consider a "clunker". If you enjoy romance and hold a soft-spot in your heart for faeries this is a not-to-be-missed book.
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7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Enchanting!! Full of Magic!!, June 29, 2002
The only reason I don't give this book 5 stars is, not all stories are excellent. The first one, The Lord of Elphindale, is about a beautiful half-fairy lady, Gwen, who was conceived specially to bind one magical man to the fairy realm. Sounds interesting, isn't? However this story is my least favorite in all four. Although two main characters were attracted to each other but they kind of lacked of deep feeling for one another. So I'm not really impressed with this one. The second story, The feary braid. The concept is interesting and unique. A human girl, although raised by a fairy, struggled to her human soul to find true love and be loved in return. This story is very passionate..although I think, it's a bit 'too long'. The story moved from one event to another in a very slow speed..and sometime, made me want to say..'Alright! What's next?' But still, it's entertaining enough. The third story, Love talker, is one of "The best" novellas I've ever read. A faery lord, Galen was cursed by a fairy queen for seducing mortal women to their deaths..One fine night during his eternal curse, a plain lady with a good heart, Moira, summoned him and asked him to undo his spell on her beloved cousin. Although Galen was burned by a desire for her, he finally learned a meaning of true love and learned that, the only thing he ever wanted for all eternity is to be with a woman he loved... This story made me sigh with a smile on my lip and tear in my eyes. The author did an excellent job to describe feeling of the two main characters and all people around them. The fourth story, Dangerous gifts, is also good although not as good as 'Love talker'. It describes about how two wounded hearts helped each other to find value of themselves. With helping hands from two fairies, one with good intention and the other was to lure a lady and took her for his own, this simple story line was spiced up to above average.... So if you are looking for a really romantic book to read and don't mind a bit of fantasy, this book is absolutely for you!!. And you will love it just as I do..
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
One of the best collections I've ever read., January 15, 1998
By A Customer
All four of these stories are wonderful, and they blend well together. There is a common theme of the outsider, and it is explored magnificently in each story. Mary Jo Putney's story is a departure for her, writing fantasy, and she does an outstanding job of it. I loved her faery characters, especially. Karen Harbaugh's story is so good, it gives you goose bumps. Barbara Samuel's prose is absolutely gorgeous! Jo Beverley's story has a fascinating premise and great characters. All in all, when you buy this book, you're getting a *lot* for your money, four stories from four amazing writers, two of them, Ms. Putney and Ms. Beverley, RITA winners.
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