Customer Reviews

Inked

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

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.

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]

Thanks to this book (picked up at a second hand store)I have discovered these authors, and am I ever grateful! I loved every story, and have gone on to buy further works by Marjorie M. Liu and wish that Karen Chance would put out a series about Lia the war mage! If she has done so...somebody let me know!!

4 novellas all featuring tattoos of one kind or another; Karen Chance "Skin Deep" -- Lia is on medical leave when her mate werewolf Cyrus is missing and someone is killing werewolves for their skins. Lia has magical tattoos that are wards; Marjorie M Liu "Armor of Roses" -- Maxine Kiss goes back in time to help her grandmother solve a problem. Her tattoos are demons who leave her body at night and protect her by day; Yasmine Galenorn "Etched in Silver" tells the story of how Camille met Trillian as she searches for a rapist and murderer; Eileen Wilks "Human Nature" tells a Lily and Rule story as Lily investigates the death of one of Rule's friends. All the stories were good. I haven't read any others by Liu but found this story enjoyable.

If you have been reading any of these four popular author's series, you don't want to miss the stories found in this anthology. For me, just getting the background story of the D'Artigo sisters before they came to earth would be worth the cost of this book but I also enjoyed the other three stories. Ms. Galenorn answers a lot of questions I'd thought of about the D'Artigo sisters and how they ended up on earth working for the Otherworld Intelligence Agency. If you haven't started reading this series, this short story is a great introduction to the series. The other three stories happen in between books of their respective series but are all well done. I like anthologies but this is one of the best ones I've read lately if these authors are ones you read. If you have never read any of these authors, each story is a good representation of their work. I recommend this anthologies to anyone who already loves these four authors or loves the new trend towards the darker Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance genres. - Steph B.

What I most enjoyed about Inked was how well each author balanced "being in the world" of their characters with having a complete and new story. I hadn't read a couple of these authors before, but didn't feel like I needed to read the books in the series to enjoy their stories. And now I have a couple of new authors on my list!

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.

I've read all of these authors so these stories were interesting and enjoyable. What I'd like to say is that when I started reading the Karen Chance story, I thought it was about her previous characters. I've read her other books, all in the last month, and this short story has the exact same character drama, interaction, and adventure as her other stories. I could have substituted her other characters for these two. Her characters are starting to all sound, act, and be the same and interchangable to me. Don't get me wrong, I love the way she writes but after reading all her books in such a short time, the characterization needs help.

I've read most of theses Authors books before, and for the new author I've never heard about; these stories were great. It makes me what to find the real series to read it all.
It opens a new door to a new world

This book is a collection of 4 novellas:
"Skin Deep" by Karen Chance. Set in the universe ofTouch the Dark (Cassandra Palmer, Book 1) but told from the POV of a war mage. Helps to have read some of the other books but stands alone well. Nice story.
5 Stars.

"Armor of Roses" by Marjorie M. Liu. A Hunter Kiss story that is rather awkward and doesn't really stand alone. A couple consistency errors don't help.
2 Stars; better than average for the genre but not up to the author's better work.

"Etched in Silver" by Yasmine Galenorn. Prequel to the Witchling (Sisters of the Moon, Book 1) series and set in that universe but does a good job stand alone.
4 Stars plot is a bit weak.

"Human Nature" by Eileen Wilks. Set in the Tempting Danger (The World of the Lupi, Book 1) universe but does an OK job of stand alone. Nice plot and characters.
4 1/2 Stars a very good read.