Customer Reviews

No Rest for the Witches

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a paranormal romance anthology containing four short stories from four different authors.

The Majicka - By MaryJanice Davidson - a humorous tale about a wealthy farm/land owner that takes in stray folk from the mystical realm; a fairy, a vampire, a werewolf and a woman trapped within a car. When another mysterious stranger ends up on her doorstep it's to reveal something otherworldly about herself.

Voodoo Moon - By Lori Handeland - A serial killer who leaves absolutely no clues at the crime scenes in a small town, except voodoo dolls, has the sheriff finally asking for help from the FBI. Skeptical agent Dana Duran doesn't believe in things that go bump in the night, but soon she starts seeing things she can't explain with her own eyes.

Breath of Magic - By Cheyenne McCray - A battle between good an evil and the possession of a powerful eye ensues in the city and the witches are paired up with Tuatha D'Danann warriors to help them in this power struggle.

Any Witch Way She Can - By Christine Warren - A human girl surrounded by a family of magical foxwomen, werewolves and other magical entities is an oddity. Randy doesn't mind her human status but seeks to find a love ever lasting conjuring a spell from one of her cousin's magical books. The result lands her in her grandmother's house in the middle of a dinner party in nothing but her pajamas.

My one problem with this anthology is one I share with most romance anthologies; making the characters fall in love in less than 100 pages. That means, typically, within a day of meeting these characters are oozing undying love for one another and usually it's not very convincing. I don't know why they insist on doing it that way when you can still have the romance, even the sex, with the characters FALLING in love; they just don't have to complete the journey and FALL in one day.

This is one of the better anthologies I have ever read. I enjoyed all the stories and found their paranormal plot's phenomenal. Breath of Magic left me lost a time or two as it seems to be part of a series I have never read, but for the most part I thoroughly enjoyed it. MaryJanice's had her signature humor all over that story, from the giant He-Fairy to the car with attitude, I giggled continuously. All in all each story lends a unique and exciting twist on the paranormal and on romance. Enjoy!

Cherise Everhard, March 2008

A little something for everyone, this collection runs the gamut from heavily sensual to light and funny. But here's some of your favorite authors doing what they do so well, just in less space.

"The Majicka" by MaryJanice Davidson - With a penchant for wacky off the wall paranormal chick-lit heroines, Davidson has a style all her own that can be hit or miss, but this story really worked for me. Ireland Shea, who comes from a long line of relatives with sanity problems, just wants to be normal in spite of her talent for bringing home strays. Which wouldn't be that weird, except that the strays she acquires aren't animals - well, at lest not all of the time. Her roommates are: a pack-less werewolf, a vampire with a taste for the geriatric and a snobby fae male who just dropped in (literally). If things aren't crazy enough, she's just brought home a zombie with a major problem and gorgeous sexy stranger Michah turns up on her doorstep, claiming to be sent to train her in the ways of the Majicka, and he wants her to play Luke to his Obiwan. In spite of the prerequisite zaniness, Ireland and Michah had a goofy charm and it was impossible not to root for them and the rest of Ireland's "family" really end up pulling through for her in the end.

"Voodoo Moon" by Lori Handeland - No werewolves here, but Handeland has turned out a satisfying sexy short romance. FBI agent Dana "don't call me Scully" Duran is sent to Louisiana to investigate a rash of mysterious murders where the only clue is a voodoo doll of the victim at the crime scene and the spooky thing is there is no signs of forced entry. When Dana finds her own voodoo doll, she has only until the next full moon to find a way to defeat the killer who just maybe not of this world. Dana will just have to silence her inner skeptic, because it will take the magic of love and the help of local voodoo expert sexy Julian Portier to stop the killer once and for all. Dana and Julian really sizzle, after reading her disappointing story in the recent Moon Fever anthology I am glad to see Handleland is back to doing what she has been doing so well in her Night Creatures series - the brooding tortured hero and the spunky capable heroine, who are inexplicably drawn to each other and must use their connection to fight the hidden evil

"Breath of Magic" by Cheyenne McCray, a short connected to her Magic Series.
This is the only one of the shorts that I really didn't like, but I suspect that if you are a fan of the series you will disagree with me here. Along with her fellow D'Anu witches, Sydney uses gray magic to continue to fight to keep the warlock Darkwolf from bringing the evil god Balour back and destroying the world. Paired with her in the fight is Conlan, a gorgeous D'Danann fae warrior. Sydney finds him magnetic and though she tries to avoid the sensual pull of this rugged fighter, she is finding herself rethinking her stance on one night stands. After all, if the world is going to end tomorrow, she might as well go out with a satisfied smile on her face. The language was just crude enough that it kept me from connecting emotionally with Sydney and Conlan, whenever they got intimate the focus was more on the mechanics of the act instead of the emotions behind it. I had the same reaction when attempting to read McCray's Forbidden Magic (Magic Series, Book 1), the first novel in the series. For fans of the series, you probably won't want to miss this story, since the over all plot takes a baby step forward, and questions are raised about Darkwolf's agenda.

"Any Witch Way She Can" by Christine Warren. Another winner for me, Warren's Other series is one of my favorites, with witches, weres, demons, vamps and fae. If you've read Wolf at the Door (The Others, Book 1), you will recognize Randy, Cassidy, Quinn and Randy's grandmother here. Suddenly Randy realizes that she no longer wants to date, she wants a mate like her cousin werefox Cassidy. Unfortunately, Randy's the only human in her family, so she can't just sniff one out. But her cousin has a spell book. Now a love spell would be "crass and immoral", but a spell that directs you toward the one you should be with? Well that's like a "cosmic personal ad". So Randy pulls out the recipe and cooks up a spell, but instead of bringing her love, it drops her a day back in time on her grandmother's rug at the feet of hunky witch Michael. And while Randy thinks her spell's a bust, Michael know that fate and magic have brought Randy here because he's the perfect man for her. I immediately fell in love with Michael, besides being eye candy, he is the perfect man for hardheaded prickly Randy. Michael's patient, passionate and yet practical enough to press Randy and take advantage of their instant attraction-- fates brought her to him and there's no way he's letting her get away.


Even with one story that I didn't particularly care for, this was still a worthwhile anthology and a great "fix" in between series from some of my favorite authors.

In addition to the Wolf at the Door mentioned above, the Others series by Christine Warren:
She's No Faerie Princess (The Others, Book 2)
The Demon You Know (The Others, Book 3)
Howl at the Moon (The Others, Book 4)

The Majicka by MaryJanice Davidson

Ireland Shea has quite a collection of roommates. They include a
vampire, a werewolf, a fairy and a spirit stuck in a car. When they
find a zombie roaming around the cemetery one night, she does what any
Good Samaritan does. She brings her home. Micah is looking to train
the next Majicka, the guardian of all things magic. When he meets
Ireland, he knows she's special. He just doesn't know how special.

Full of MaryJanice Davidson's special brand of wit and sarcasm, The
Majicka is a fun tale that kept me laughing. I enjoyed meeting all of
the characters in this novella. They have quirky temperaments and
characteristics that come together in the end to provide a
spell-binding climax. Definitely a great read.

Voodoo Moon by Lori Handeland

FBI agent Dana "Don't Call Me Scully" Duran has been sent to Devil's
Fork, Louisiana to find a serial killer. When she arrives, the sheriff
tells her the only thing left at the crime scenes is a voodoo doll.
Julian Portier runs the local voodoo shop. He's Dana's top suspect,
until she finds out there are other forces at work.

Voodoo Moon kept me up way into the night, in more ways than one.
Eerie and seductive, I fell in love with the characters and the
setting. I hope this short is the beginning of a series, because I
loved the ending. This novella is not to be missed.

Breath of Magic by Cheyenne McCray

D'Anu witch Sydney Aline is fighting with her other witch sisters
against Darkwolf, a warlock, who has stolen the powerful eye of Balor.
Just when she thinks she has him cornered, things go wrong. That's
when Conlan, a Tuatha D'Danann warrior, comes to help. Unfortunately,
they lose the battle, but win each other. After that, they team up
with their fellow withes and warriors to battle for the eye and keep
its evil power from being unleashed on the world.

Breath of Magic is an action-packed ride. I feel in love with Conlan,
a warrior who definitely has a gentler side that made me tingle with
delight. Ms. McCray's story is a delightful return to the world of her
San Francisco witches.


Any Witch Way She Can by Christine Warren

Miranda "Randy" Berry is a non-magical person, even though many of her
family members are "others." Or so she thinks.

After being stood up, she decides to take matters into her own hands
and cast a spell to find her true love. The spell sends her spiraling
into her grandmother's house one day before, and into the waiting arms
of Michael Devon. Randy and her grandmother don't see eye to eye, but
this is Randy's chance to help the older woman overcome a huge
problem, and gain favor in her sight. And it doesn't hurt that Michael
is there to help her, every step of the way.

Breath of Magic was a delightful breath of fresh air. Randy is a
fantastic character who could be portrayed as bitter and selfish.
Instead she comes across as fun-loving, adventurous and self-reliant.
And Michael is drop dead sexy. This charming tale was my first
experience with Christine Warren, but won't be my last.

One thing I love about anthologies is the chance to get a sampling of
various authors. No Rest for the Witches was perfect for just that. I
visited two writers I love, MaryJanice Davidson and Cheyenne McCray,
and got a taste of Lori Handeland and Christine Warren. Readers will
truly enjoy this foray into worlds that feature vampires, zombies,
voodoo and witches. I know I did.

Amelia
Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

Okay since this is an anthology I guess I should rate each of the stories individually. The individual reviews will follow my overall thoughts of the anthology. A reoccurring hitch in each of the stories to me was the romances developed too quickly (even taking in account the nature of short stories) It was a nice introduction to each of the authors, and each story had their strong points and weak points.

"The Majicka" by Maryjanice Davison (4.5/5)
This was a hilarious short story that parodied at the fact that the numerous characters that toe (if not completely pass by) the line of becoming a Mary Sue/Gary Sue. You also had your various supernatural elements: a chosen one and her Guide, werewolves, vampires, fairies, etcetera, oh and you can't forget the not so understanding family members, several love at first sight (or after a few moments) romances and a mystery, all tied up into an enjoyable and light hearted read.

"Voodoo Moon" by Lori Handerland (3/5)
An FBI agent is sent to Devil's Fork to investigate a string of murders, the only clue being that of a voodoo doll with the same manner of death upon it. While there the FBI agent questions the owner of the local voodoo shop. She discovers that an evil spirit had been summoned, and the only way to send him back was to use a spell that was the exact opposite of the spell used to summon it. Interesting storyline, but I felt the ends could have been tied up a bit tighter.

"Breath of Magic' by Cheyenne McCray (3/5)
A group of eight soldiers (4 witches, 4 warriors) are the only defense between the world and a blind god out to take over the world. During this desperate battle, love blooms between one of the witches and her warrior partner. This story had the feel of a prolog or an introduction to a story, rather than a complete story. It was good, but when I finished, I felt like I was missing the rest of it.

"Any Witch Way She Can" by Christine Warren (3.5/5)
When the heroine decides to takes love into her own hands, and casts a love spell should act pretty much like a cosmic personal ad, she doesn't expect to relive the day that made her choose to do this spell. The idea of playing with time was quite amusing, especially since it was entirely accidental because a spell's instructions weren't followed to the letter. I was a bit miffed at the sudden development of powers, when the heroine had not previously shown any magical abilities in over thirty years.

I didn't like this book. The stories weren't all that great and it seemed as if it was released to satisfy a publishing date. If I was you I would just rent it from the library or better yet, go sit down at your local bookstore and just read the one you're most interested in.

I have mixed feeling about this book. I loved the stories by Cheyenne McCray and Christine Warren, both sequel stories to longer novels which must be read to understand and appreciate these short ones. I'm beginning to tired of Maryjanice Davidson "to cute" style and forced funny characters. I feel hit over the head most of the time by her writing. Lori Handeland's contribution is well written but not memorable. Even with these reservations I'm glad I read it as McCray's and Warren's stories were worth the price. There characters have depth, the stories are fascinating, and the love scenes are sensual and exciting. Enjoy.

Three of these stories read like rough drafts, and the last short story was only okay. Who let this get published in such a sloppy state? I am worried that there are a few bad editors out there, who should be taken away from the romance genre

If you have never read a book by these authors, these stories might make you look for some of their novels. Each is set in the world of the author. I enjoyed each glimpse into that world except for the fact they were to short.

MaryJanice Davidson tells us about a girl who attracts different supernatural characters. They simply move in with her. Finally one she can love comes along. He has come to teach her about what she is. If there was one story not quite up to snuff, this is it.

Lori Handeland tells the story of a voodoo priest and the FBI agent sent to find a serial killer who is unseen and leaves no trace.

Cheyenne McCray tells us Conlan and Sydney's story. If you read WICKED MAGIC you will recognize him as the fae caught with the high queen. Now sent to Earth to help in the battle with Balor.

Christine Warren returns us to her world, to see Randy take a chance and cast a spell, she who supposedly has no magic, somehow moves herself back in time to meet a very attractive witch. He doesn't stay a stranger for long.

All were good but not great. Still sometimes a short story is all you have time for.

An amazing book, a good explanation of Sydney and Conlan, I think it works out wonderfully. I highly recommend this book, and the series. :-]

Anthologies are usually a mixed bag. This one has its share of dross, more's the pity. Of the four stories it contains, I disliked one, could take or leave another, and enjoyed the remaining two.

It often seems in collections like these the weakest offering comes from the biggest name. I figure based on other reviews that MaryJanice Davidson's "The Majicka" works all right when it hits the reader's funny bone, but if it doesn't--as in my case--it has little to offer. The main characters are as thin as single-ply paper towels. Romance and sex come out of nowhere, and the antagonists are such morons it's painful. I'd skip this if you aren't a MJD fan or determined to read the whole thing.

Lori Handeland's "Voodoo Moon" would've been better if it ended a chapter before it did, but the purpose of that last chapter is to tie it in to her Jager-Sucher series, so I get why it's there. I'm tempted to at least check the library for those books based on Handeland's characters and treatment of voodoo--this is the best of the lot, the least cliche, the least contrived, darker than the others, fun in its own right. I wonder whether Ms. Handeland has used Julian Portier in a novel yet? She ought to!

"Breath of Magic" is probably the *most* cliche. I feel like I've seen most of it somewhere else before. It also has three and a half (the last is interrupted, but resumes quickly) sex scenes in under a hundred pages, and they're crass in some way the other authors manage to avoid. I liked Sydney, though. The plot's obviously a slice of a longer story but reasonably self-contained. It moves quickly and didn't lose me; it's very readable, if on the cheesy side.

If Adele Berry were less of an anti-human bigot, Christine Warren's "Any Witch Way She Can" could potentially have tied "Voodoo Moon" for Best In Show. Randy and Michael will have to settle for the honors for fastest hookup. I'm interested in Warren's universe now, mostly because I liked the lead couple. It's kind of a shame that Adele is the core of the plot. I wonder whether Adele plays a bigger part in Warren's series and shows more of her virtues there?

The sum of these parts gave me two new authors to check out, and I can't complain about that. It's a comfortable three-star collection best used as an introduction to the contributors.