Customer Reviews

Hotter Than Hell

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

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.

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)

Because the anthology is edited by Kim Harrison, one of my favorite urban fantasy authors, I expected more of an urban fantasy theme and less paranormal romance. I knew there would be some eroticism to the stories, given the title, but I still found myself rolling my eyes as every single story had at least one sex scene in it--and often, the sex wasn't a crucial element of the story.
Kim Harrison's story did not disappoint, and neither did Tanya Huff's or Carrie Vaughn's. Vaughn's was especially exciting because it was a spinoff from her Kitty series, following a newly-made vampire from Kitty Goes to Washington.Kitty Goes to Washington (Kitty Norville Series, Book 2)
I usually enjoy anthologies because I can find new favorite authors; this one has taught me, however, that it might be more prudent to wait and read the reviews first.
In short, if you enjoy paranormal romance, this anthology will give you an abundance of authors to discover. If your tastes lean more towards urban fantasy, this one could be disappointing.

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.

As another reviewer also said, I bought this because of Kim Harrison's participation, but I was looking more for paranormal stories, not romance. The stories are well written, so if romance floats your boat, go fot it. Otherwise, I'd look for something else.

Overall, I enjoyed this anthology. Some stories were weaker than others. My favorite was "Brother's Keeper" by Lilith Saintcrow.

To those who felt the story "Brother's Keeper" in this anthology had potential but it was too short, go to Lilith Saintcrow's website. [...] This free story continues "Brother's Keeper" with an additional 19 chapters on the author's website. Warning: There is some graphic sex. I thought the world building was amazing. Warning: there is a cliffhanger ending. Lilith Saintcrow's Dante Valentine series mentions Selene and Nikolai once in a while as very peripheral background characters if you want to read even more about them after reading "Selene" on her website.

It's always difficult to review short story collections because the stories are just so short.

I did enjoy Music Hath Charms by Tanya Huff. I thought that had a refreshing new take on music and the supernatural. You don't hear much about sirens these days. <grin>

I picked up the title for the Kim Harrison story. I didn't like the story at first. But you need to have read that story for her new book, White Witch, Black Curse, to make sense.

With today's anthologies mostly being some novellas an actual collection of shorts is refreshing.

Usually I try to rate the individual stories but there are over a dozen here. I will say that most are 4 stars with a couple 5 stars and 3 stars. Two of the outstanding stories were Tanya Huff and a surprise Susan Sizemore and Denise Little both outstanding stories. The disappointment is one of my favorite authors Lilith Saintcrow's story which would make up a good chunk of a Novella or a Novel but doesn't come off as a short. Some authors have been able to write shorts that start after the beginning and end before the conclusionCollected Works of Lord Dunsany and The Collected Fantasies Of Clark Ashton Smith Volume 1: The End Of The Story (Collected Fantasies) come to mind (they ddn't use the device that often); but I don't know of any in this centaury.

There are several redemption stories but they are well written with good twists. Also some new critters besides the customary Were Wolfs (a Wolf were for one) and vampires.

Tanya Huff- "Music Hath Charms"- A bit confusing and not interesting in the least.

Marjorie Liu "Minotaur in Stone"- Slow start and rocky middle. The story is a bit to romancey for me. The usage of Greek mythology is the redeeming factor that made this story a bit interesting. The sex was ok, just a bit weird though, being that she was having sex with a creature that has the head of a bull and the body of a man.

Cheyenne McCray- "Demon Lover"- Exquisite story! Extremely sexy. Cheyenne really knows how to get you to connect with the characters and care for them. This story is about an incubus who falls in love. I'll stop there so I won't give anything away. The sex was hot and sensual. The scenes have a lot of sexual tention in them. No wam-bam here. This is the first time I've read anything thing from this author. Her story was so compelling that I will definitely check out her others books.

L.A. Banks- "Equinox" Just about as perfect a story as you are going to get. The story has a lot of subtle humor that I loved. I also loved the contrast between old times and modern times. I love how different cultures were used. Definitely something different from the norm.

Susan Krinard- "Ride A Dark Horse" Not really sure what to say about this one. It was mediocre at best. It's about dreams, a women, a horse, and a man.

Keri Arthur- "To Die For" Extremely intriguing and sexy. Keri sure knows how to tell a story. This story was about two paranormal agents. One a werewolf, the other a were shifter. The assignment they are given thrust them into more than danger. This story had it all; mystery, action, sexual tension and great sex. I have not read any of Keri's books but I definitely plan to pick one up in the near future.

Heidi Betts- "Curse of the Dragon Tears" This story was predictable but was still extremely interesting. Laura is on a quest that brings her to Scotland, land of her foremothers. She is on a quest to find the man, Dougal MacKay, her great-grandmother cursed 100 years ago. This was a great little story and will not disappoint.

Lilith Saintcrow- "Brother's Keeper" This is the first story that I have really liked from Lilith since the Dante Valentine series. Lilith always has great plots but for some reason her Jill Kismet drags out every moment and emotion. In this story Lilith delivers! I have always wanted Lilith to delve more into the sex-witches from the Dante Valentine series and couldn't be more thrilled with this terrific story. Hopefully we will hear more from Selene and Nokolai in the near future.

Susan Sizemore & Denise Little "(Like A) Virgin of the Spring" Just couldn't hold my interest.

Carrie Vaughn- "Life is the Teacher" Entrancing story. Disappointingly short because I wanted a lot more. Emma's a new vampire that experiences her first real feed.

Linda Winstead Jones- "Moonlight Becomes You" Charming little story. Claire suspects her next door neighbor of being a vampire. Little does she know he has his own secret suspicions for her as well.

Kim Harrison- "Dirty Magic" The return of Mia the banshee. A couple things have changed for Mia since we last heard about in her "Dates From Hell". Mia is now a mother of a beautiful daughter, has a husband and a lover......or so we think. This short story is full of twist. I didn't even see the end coming. Needless to say, I would love to see more of Mia in the near future.

I gave this book review 5-stars because the good stories more than make up for the few dull stories.

Pretty much just poorly written pseudo-porn. Stilted dialog, shallow characterizations. I really didn't find any of the stories worthwhile.