Hotter Than Hell [Mass Market Paperback]

Kim Harrison (Editor)

Book Description

Release date: June 24, 2008

Beyond the boundaries of the everyday is an unseen realm where anything you imagine is possible. Your demon lover is waiting for you in the shadows, ready to fulfill your secret wishes and most dangerous fantasies. Here passion has a face and form both titillating and terrifying—and love has teeth and claws. Get ready to give in to your craving for something exquisitely dark . . . and different.

Hotter Than Hell gathers together a baker's dozen of today's boldest and best authors of supernatural fiction and paranormal romance in a breathtaking anthology that blends black magic with red-hot desire. From the tantalizing tale of a conflicted psychic vampire driven by a powerful, savage love to the strange saga of a Greek warrior woman battling to save the world, these are stories outside the limits, as hypnotic as the full moon . . . and hotter than the sun.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“With this incredibly talented lineup, readers are in for a wild and varied ride! The 12 stories run the gamut from supernaturally sexy to sad and disturbing, with no shortage of intriguingcharacters and creative plots.” (Romantic Times BOOKclub)

About the Author

New York Times bestselling author Kim Harrison was born and raised in Michigan and has recently returned there to escape the South Carolina heat. Her bestselling Hollows novels include Dead Witch Walking; The Good, the Bad, and the Undead; Every Which Way But Dead; A Fistful of Charms; For a Few Demons More; The Outlaw Demon Wails; White Witch, Black Curse; Black Magic Sanction; Pale Demon; and A Perfect Blood plus the graphic novel Blood Work. She also writes the bestselling Madison Avery series for young adults, including Once Dead, Twice Shy and Early to Death, Early to Rise.

Martin H. Greenberg is an anthologist who lives with his wife and young daughter in Green Bay, Wisconsin, where he is a college professor. He has several grown children. Over the years he has collected stories for more than 100 books including Things That Go Bump in the Night, Spaceships and Spells, Dragons and Dreams, and Werewolves, all for HarperCollins

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 512 pages
• Publisher: Harper (June 24, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061161292
• ISBN-13: 978-0061161292
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (29 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #92,669 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

95 of 98 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Must Try -- Paranormal Romance Sampler July 22, 2008

By Rhianna Walker VINE™ VOICE

Format:Mass Market Paperback

At just under 500 pages, Hotter Than Hell, collects a dozen short stories from some of the biggest names in paranormal romance and urban fantasy into one nice little beach ready tome. Because there are a dozen that need a review let me do my best here and give you a very short bit on each one (in the order from the book)!

Music Hath Charms by Tanya Huff is a quicky about a talent scout for a music studio and her sultry adventures to sign a hunky pair of country-rock musicians who's sound has a magic all its own. I hate to say this was my favorite since it was the first story but I loved Huff's crazy concepts for it. 5/5 stars

Minotaur in Stone by Marjorie M. Liu is a darkly fantastical fable about a lonely young woman who is haunted by sensual dreams of a monsterous minotaur made of stone. The concept was great, the present tense narration was awful. Very sexy but not typical Liu. 4/5 stars

Demon Lover by Cheyenne McCray is a story about a writer working on a book relating to incubae when she starts having steamy late night visits from one. A little too cutesey and cliche for me to love but well written and a good example of McCray's writing. 4/5 stars

Equinox by L.A. Banks is a modern mythology of the goddess Artemis' campaign to protect the forests of the world but a group of elite soldiers gets involved and vows get broken. Another excellent story, Banks at her finest and very sensual as always. 5/5 stars

Ride A Dark Horse by Susan Krinard is about a recently divorced woman trying to put her life back together while vacationing in the southwest, there she meets a seductive stranger and a beautiful horse who change her life forever. Never read Krinard before that I know of and I loved this story and her style, another favorite. 5/5 stars

To Die For by Keri Arthur is about a wolf shapeshifter and a werewolf investigating the dissappearance of two teens while fighting the urges to investigate one another intimately. This was one of my least favorite stories. Too abrupt, lacking chemistry and it was more focused on the sex than the story. 2/5 stars

Curse of the Dragon's Tears by Heidi Betts is the story of a man cursed to wear the scales of a dragon and the young woman who wants to break that curse with her love. I've never heard of Betts and I don't plan to look for her after this sloppy story, too many inaccurate details of the culture of Scotland. 1/5 stars

Brother's Keeper by Lilith Saintcrow is about a psychic who's brother is murdered after she receives a frantic call from him and the vampire who protects her. I've not read Saintcrow's Dante Valentine series but I am pretty sure this takes place in the same world. I wasn't impressed and didn't like the characters though the author writes very well. 1/5 stars

(Like A) Virgin of the Spring by Susan Sizemore and Denise Little is a time-travel story, a seer trapped in the past and her rescuer tangle with Arthurian legend. A little cheesy and poorly plotted but fresh and fun. 3/5 stars

Life is the Teacher by Carrie Vaughn is a tale about a newly made vampire struggling with her new power and how it will affect her love life. Fans of the Kitty Norville series will recognize Alette and the story is a good representation of Vaughn's writing but it falls flat otherwise. 3/5 stars

Moonlight Becomes You by Linda Winstead Jones is a cutesey short about a young woman who thinks her neighbor is a vampire and how she tries to prove it but falls in lust/love with him in the process. I've read one of Jones' trilogies and I love her writing, she's got a way of making things light and fun but still solid enough stories and it shows with this one. Very cute and sexy. 4/5 stars

Dirty Magic by Kim Harrison is the final story, about a banshee and her quest to feed her baby daughter. I hate to say it but this one totally lost me. I was so confused by the story I can't give a proper description and I felt it was not Harrison's best despite how much I love her Rachel Morgan series. 1/5 stars

So there you have them... the overall concepts and what I liked and disliked about each of them. Overall I think that this is a good book for someone looking to dabble into the realm of paranormals to pick up so they can try these authors and the concepts of vampires, weres, icubi, time-travel and the like. At the very least check it out at the library and try some of the stories for their unusual faire 'cause stories about banshees, minotaurs and men cursed to be horses aren't your typical everyday paranormal fantasy.

24 of 26 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Lots of reading packed into these hot short shorts! July 6, 2008

By melindeeloo TOP 500 REVIEWER

Format:Mass Market Paperback

Even if you don't normally like anthologies there is such a variety of authors and styles in Hotter than Hell that you're sure to find more than a few that you'll like. And since the stories here are truly short stories, instead of the usual four novellas, there are a dozen little tidbits from some of the hottest paranormal romance(PNR) and urban fantasy (UF) authors. Weighing in at 30 to 50 pages each, most of the authors manage to squeeze a fair amount story into these sexy shorts even though the setup is fast and consummation follows quickly to leave room for the resolution.

My favorites of the bunch were Liu's, Arthur's and McCray's. Liu's two lonely souls coming together had such a sweetness to it, and I am a fan of Arthur's shifters -- this one reminded me of her Imajinn releases which you should check out if you like this one. But the real surprise for me was McCray's tale, I liked the story and liked that she avoided the cruder language she employs in her Magic series. The strangest entry was Saintcrow's, which seemed like it was randomly carved out of a larger story. And Harrison's was the one I liked the least, I read these out of order and the twist to the story left a bit of an unpleasant aftertaste coming on the heels of one of the sweeter romances in the book.

To wet your appetite, here's just a hint for each story.

** Marjorie Liu - "Minotaur in Stone" (PNR)- With a touch of myth, the Minotaur trapped in the Labyrinth and a woman imprisoned by her own isolation grasp their one chance for escape.(5 stars)

** Keri Arthur - "To Die For" (PNR)- A Wolf shifter psychic investigator finds it hard to avoid the animal attraction to her werewolf partner as they hunt for two kidnapped boys.(4.5 stars)

** Cheyenne McCray "Demon Lover" (PNR) - An Incubus' must choose whether his last assignment will earn him heaven or hell.(5 stars)

** Susan Krinard "Ride a Dark Horse" (PNR) - As a woman seeks solitude and emotional healing on a remote ranch, she encounters a dark sensual stranger and the majestic magical horse of her childhood dreams.(4 stars)

** Heidi Betts - "Curse of the Dragon's Tears"- (PNR) A woman searches out the man who has suffered her ancestor's curse and finds the unusual lover who has haunted her dreams for years.(4 stars)

** Tanya Huff "Music Hath Charms" (UF) -A musical duo who weave sensual magic with their music, are sought by two music execs - one who would use that power for a darker purpose.(4 stars)

** Linda Winstead Jones "Moonlight Becomes you" (PNR) - A woman is convinced that her new neighbor is a vamp. Is the attraction that she feels real or has she just fallen under his "spell"? (4 stars)

** Susan Sizemore and Denise Little "(Like a) Virgin of Spring" (PNR) - A group of time travelers may just have to make history to keep from changing the past.(4 stars)

** Lilith Saintcrow - "My Brother's Keeper" (UF) - An odd little slice of life, set in Saintcrow's Saint City World (Dante Valentine, Watchers) featuring a sexwitch and Nictvahren (vampire) with a bit of hate sex thrown in. (3.5 stars) -- it turns out this is the prequel to a serial novel available for subscription on Saintcrow's website.

** L.A. Banks "Equinox" (PNR)- A modern warrior is a worthy adversary for the huntress goddess who awakens to extract retribution from those who have despoiled the world. (3.5 stars)

** Carrie Vaughn - "Life is the Teacher" (UF) - A newbie vamp goes on her first hunt. (3 stars)

** Kim Harrison "Dirty Magic"(UF) - A banshee (emotional vampire) uses a wish to love without harm. (3 stars)

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars Don't waste your money August 3, 2008

By Robin

Format:Mass Market Paperback

No matter the length, a good story should deliver an entertaining plot and engaging characters. Sadly, the vast majority of the stories in this anthology either left you feeling unsatisfied because the story and characters were underdeveloped, or happy you were finally through and on to (hopefully) a better story. If you're not a fan of stories in which characters who've known each other for just over 10 seconds before declaring their unending love for each other, this may not be the book for you.

The worst of the lot were delivered by popular authors Kerri Arthur, Lilith Saintcrow and Kim Harrison. Arthur's story might have better, given more pages to fully develop. As it is, the whole story, as well the chemistry between the main characters was rushed. Characters who have sex at inopportune times (in this case, they are supposed to be trying to stop a murder) are a pet peeve of mine. Lilith Saintcrow's Brother's Keeper read like an excerpt from the middle of a larger novel; it feels like at some point you may have to buy the real novel to find out how the story eventually ends. Unfortunately, I won't be doing that anytime soon since I didn't particularly care for the characters.

Whether it's a result of cramming a dozen stories into one book, or just poor writing, I'm sorry to say this book left me cold. The better stories (Sizemore and Little, Banks, McCray and Liu) were simply not enough to compensate for the others.