Inked [Mass Market Paperback]

Karen Chance (Author), Marjorie M. Liu (Author), Yasmine Galenorn (Author), Eileen Wilks (Author)

Book Description

Release date: January 5, 2010

Four of today's hottest urban fantasy writers together for the first time!

From today's most provocative authors come four tales of urban fantasy and paranormal romance exploring body art that is more than it seems-in a world of magic and mayhem that always leaves its mark.

This captivating tattoo theme surrounds each author's popular characters and worlds: Karen Chance's war mage Lia de Croissets, Marjorie M. Liu's demon-hunter Maxine Kiss, Yasmine Galenorn's Otherworld Intelligence Agency operative Camille D'Artigo, and Eileen Wilk's Lupi world.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Karen Chance has lived in France, the United Kingdom and Hong Kong, but always comes back to America. She currently lives in Central Florida, the home of make-believe, which may explain a lot.
Marjorie M. Liu is an attorney who has lived and worked throughout Asia. She hails from both coasts, but currently resides in the Midwest, where she writes full-time. When not writing, she enjoys listening to music, painting, designing websites, and returning to old movie favorites, some of which involve light sabers, various applications of the Force, and small green men with pointy ears. She is also, occasionally, commandeered by poodles.
Eileen Wilks is a national bestselling author and a three-time RITA Award finalist, and has been nominated for a Career Achievement Award by Romantic Times.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 448 pages
• Publisher: Berkley (January 5, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0425231976
• ISBN-13: 978-0425231975
• Product Dimensions: 4.1 x 1.1 x 6.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #181,551 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

37 of 37 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Paranormal 'Ink' A great fix for fans of these popular authors January 9, 2010

By melindeeloo TOP 500 REVIEWER

Format:Mass Market Paperback

Magical tatoos are the thread that ties together four substantial short stories by popular urban fantasy authors Karen Chance, Marjorie Liu, Yasmine Galenorn and Eileen Wilks. These stories are just the quick 'fix' to tide us fans over while waiting for the next books in our favorite series but with a nice mix of story, suspense and even a bit of steam they are also great introductions to these authors' wonderful urban fantasy worlds.

"Skin Deep" is Chance's third short starring half werewolf war mage Accalia (Lia) set in Chance's alternate Las Vegas (Lia also appeared in "Rogue Elements" in Wolfsbane and Mistletoe and "Vegas Odds" in Strange Brew) - When Lia's full-blooded were-mate goes missing while he's undercover searching for a were-killer, Lia must try get in touch with her were-blood in order to find Cyrus before he becomes the next victim - I actually really enjoy Lia and her mate Cyrus and would love to read a full length novel with them in the lead, but even in this short format Chance manages to work in a fair amount of backstory (and a little bit of steam) with flashbacks to Lia and Cyrus' past together.

"Armor of Roses" finds Liu's Hunter Kiss heroine Maxine going back in time when she receives a note from the past asking her help. - This was a nice little carve out from the series and it gives just a bit of insight into the reason Maxine's demons are so enigmatic when Maxine timetravels back to WWII China and meets up with her Grandmother.

Galenorn's "Silver Etched" is a Sisters of the Moon prequel starring Camille set before the sisters left the Fae Otherworld. While Camille is on the hunt for a pervert/murderer she meets and is aided by the sensual dark fae Trillion - I am not really a fan of this series (I stopped partway through book four) but I actually really liked this story and it was fun to see the start of Camille's relationship with Trillion and also to see the misfity half human/fae sisters in the Fae world they don't quite fit into.

Wilks' story, "Human Nature", runs concurrently time-wise to Night Season (The World of the Lupi, Book 4). When a shifter friend of werewolf "Prince" Rule is murdered and another shifter is being accused of the crime, Rule's mate and FBI magical crimes unit agent Lily Yu will help to find the truth behind the death - I am a huge fan of Wilk's Lupi. This is a nice little mystery for Lily to solve and Wilk's introduces some characters who look like they might have parts to play later on in the series. I think this will work as a stand alone but Wilks' rich Lupi world and all of the culture of the Lupi and the relationship between Rule and Lily are just hinted at here.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Lovely sampling of authors; rating 4.5 May 12, 2011

By H. Grove TOP 500 REVIEWER

Format:Mass Market Paperback

Inked includes four short works. The first, Karen Chance's Skin Deep, finds a war mage trying to deal with a magical ward that has a mind of its own. The problem is, she really can't spare the time and energy to deal with it. Her beloved is missing, and only she can find him. The story is funny, poignant, and gripping, and I immediately went and dropped several of Ms. Chance's books on my wishlist.

Marjorie M. Liu's Armor of Roses introduces us to the latest in a long line of demon hunters. She's investigating a murder, but it seems to lead back to a case her grandmother worked long ago, and her own allies don't want to tell her what's going on. Liu's story gives us a dark and unflinching look at a less well-explored part of World War II, and introduces us to a fascinating legacy.

Yasmine Galenorn's Etched in Silver sets a half-human, half-fae investigator, Camille, on the trail of an extremely dangerous man. She discovers a surprising ally in her task, however, in the form of Trillian, one of a type of Fae few trust. As he sets out to help her, a strange connection seems to form between the two of them. I felt that this one rushed a bit, making it seem a little anticlimactic.

Eileen Wilks's Human Nature takes FBI agent Lily Yu to Northern California to investigate the death of a werewolf. She'd better hurry, however, because there are plenty of people who don't want her to investigate. Right now, she can't even tell how the man was killed, let alone who, or what, might have done it. This tale presented a fascinating mystery, in a world that was presented well and clearly despite the short length of the story. I love Lily as a character, and enjoyed watching the complex dance of were/human politics.

As introductions to authors' worlds, these stories do a fantastic job. There might be a few minor confusions here and there, but it doesn't take long to find your footing. The tales are fascinating, and I had difficulty putting the book down. The mood ranges from fun to flirtatious, somber to horrific. There is adult material included, in terms of explicit sex and dark subject matter. The stories do a surprising amount of justice to their premises and settings.

[NOTE: review book provided courtesy of publisher]

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars A Collection with Two Excellent Stories April 3, 2012

By Dream Rider

Format:Kindle Edition

This is a collection of four novellas by some very popular urban fantasy authors loosely connected around the theme of the tattoo.

"Skin Deep" by Karen Chance is a fast paced action-adventure tale set in a world of wizards and werewolves where a magical war is being waged. The backdrop has enough depth to keep things interesting and offers plenty of opportunities for other adventure. The tone is rather fun-loving, which blended well with the fast-paced action. I might have really liked this story if the dialogue had not been such a distraction.

"Etched in Silver" by Yasmine Galenorn suffers from a similar mixture of good and bad elements. The setting of this urban fantasy--a complex mixture of fae societies and other supernatural creatures--captured my interest, but unfortunately, my ability to suspend disbelieve to truly get into the plot was shot in the brain--continually--by abysmal dialogue. It was even more artificial than Chance's and it made it very difficult to complete the story. I did persevere and finish it, because I thought the plot elements were interesting enough that I wished to know how Galenorn would resolve her little mystery, but I can't say that I enjoyed the story.

"Human Nature" by Eileen Wilks is a superb addition to her Lupi series. The tattoo is critically important to the story, the characters are utterly believable, there is a well-drawn mystery with excellent conflicts abounding through the text. It's an all around great story and well worth the time of anyone who enjoys a good urban fantasy.

However, the jewel of this collection is Marjorie M. Liu's "Armor of Roses". I can think of nothing even slightly negative to complain about in this novella. The mystery is subtle and expertly developed. The heroine and the cast around her are sharply drawn and utterly fascinating. The dialogue is letter perfect--flowing naturally and truly developing the cast. And the twists and turns and dilemma's that face the heroine, Maxine, make for a very exciting read. I had never read anything by Liu before this novella but I certainly will seek her out now. I'd appreciate any suggestions regarding her best books.

This collection is definitely worth reading. I wanted to give it five stars on the strength of "Armor of Roses" and "Human Nature" but decided it would be more honest to rate it only four.