Customer Reviews

On the Prowl

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(38)
3 star:		(17)
2 star:		(11)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Though I really like 2 of the authors of the stories in this compilation, I was extremely displeased by this "book". The first two stories ended with "if you want to read the end of this story, buy ... book". GRRR. This takes "series" fic to a more insane level.

The stories themselves are a mix.

Briggs rocks (as usual). This story takes place in the Moon Called universe, with a side character from there and answers as to where the sold weres came from in book 1. It is a good standalone, though, except for the big old "to be continued" at the close.

I'm not a big fan of Eileen Wilks writing, but this is an introduction to her Temting Danger series. It is also the opening to a new book, only half told here. There was too much trite political commentary for my taste. (making the "gifted" register in Texas and comparing it to Nazi Germany? A thinly veiled Trent Lott as the big bad politician? please. Tell a story, not your politics.)

The Chance story is the best standalone, I think, though it links with her Touch the Dark series. And it is a good, solid story. Probably the best of this batch. Her universe is very complex, but her story telling is quite riveting. And her characters just ooze with sensuality. She gets her point across without all the tab a slot b stuff. unlike...

Sunny who writes thinly veiled porn. This stuff would make Laurell Hamilton blush, and that's saying something. Jeezum Crow. The story was, again, the middle of her universe that begins with Mona Lisa Awakening. It seems like it might be a decent story, but mostly just sex. And that's not for me.

This book was given to me. I'd read two of the authors before and liked them (see other reviews). I'd skimmed the other two and passed. This did give me the benefit of knowing I'd passed on them for a reason. But boy, I don't like seeing "if you want to see the end of this story, look for the book in August 2008!"

GRRRR

(*)>

If it weren't for the last story by Sunny, I would rate all the stories in this anthology as 5 stars. I'm not sure who made the decision to include her in this book, but it felt completely out of place.

"Alpha and Omega" by Patricia Briggs, was great start to this anthology. I've read the first 2 paranormal books in this world by Briggs, and they are wonderful reads. However, you don't have to read those books to understand this short story. Anna, is an Omega werewolf, whose introduction to the werewolf world has been through several years of hell. Witnessing something that she's knows she's not supposed to, Anna places a call to a higher lupine authority. Charles, an enforcer gets dispatched to her to investigate the problems in her area. The story was really bitter sweet because of all the abuse Anna had been through. Although the plot wraps up in the end, the relationship between Charles and Anna is still uncertain. I will be looking forward to their book.

"Inhuman" by Eileen Wilks, was another great read. Someone is impersonating Kai, and draining gifted people of blood and energy. Nathan, a cop, who has his own gifted secrets, is out to prove Kai's innocence and that maybe friendship isn't what he needs from Kai. I've read the first 3 books and most of Wilks anthology stories, and this book makes some vague references to some of the events that have happened in the other books, but the story is completely stand alone as well. The plot also wraps up well, and indicates that a book will continue their relationship.

"Buying Trouble" by Karen Chance, was a surprise for me. I bought her first book, "Taking a Chance" when it first came out, but could never get in the mood for it beyond the first chapter, so I never finished. After this short story, I will have to dig that out and finish it. This was perhaps my favorite of all the stories. Claire, a Null, someone who can nullify magic users is working at an auction house to keep the crowd in line for the upcoming bidding, not realizing that she may be one of the items up for sale. Heidar, a Light Elf, has come to bid on an item but he wouldn't mind making a bid for Claire as well. When a riot erupts, Claire and Heidar, get thrown into a difficult situation, and she finds out more about herself that might prove all her insecurities correct. This was a great humorous read. I was disappointed that there was not indication whether their story would continue on in its own book. I would have loved reading about Claire's adventure further.

"Mona Lisa Betwining" by Sunny, made me glad I have never picked up any of her books despite some of the great reviews she's received on her books. The story was not stand alone, so I was completely baffled by the world and characters. In addition, the type of story it was felt inappropriate compared to all the previous stories. The other stories were slightly more paranormal fiction than romance. Sunny's story was all about sex, and non-monogamous ones that that. I couldn't understand the point of the story, because there wasn't enough characterization it made all of the heroine's action and thoughts unmeaningful. It was a horrible story, no plot, and awful characters. This was the only story I would rate 0 stars.

Even though all the stories except for Sunny's deserved a 5 star, I rated this as 4, just because Sunny's took a star away from being included.

I bought this 4 novella edition for the Patricia Briggs story and was delighted to discover that each of the four contributors' offerings was well-written and interesting.

"Alpha and Omega", the first story by Patricia Briggs, is part of the back-story of her first Mercedes Thompson novel, "Moon Called." Charles, the Marrok (chief werewolf of the US) son and executioner, is called to Chicago when the Marrok discovers that one of the Chicago Alphas has sold werewolves to humans for experimentation. While this Alpha finds a corrupt packleader, he also finds an Omega Wolf in Anna, a young female werewolf who aids him in his investigation. I'm really looking forward to reading more about this pair. In just a few short pages, Ms. Briggs brought a character to life and gave her a reason to fight.

"Inhuman" by Eileen Wilks, deals with a time where the magic current have shifted stranding a Hellhound on Earth during Elizabethan times. He's now shifted fully to human form and works as a lawman. When he discovers a chameleon has come through the vales to this world, he must contact the Faery Queen he's lieged to--but in doing so, he risks his newfound love. This is my first exposure to Ms. Wilks' work and will not be my last. She writes very evocatively.

"Buying Trouble" by Karen Chance introduces us to Claire, who'd like a divorce from her family, but they try to sell her instead. She escapes the auction house with a Lord of the Fey and discovers her true identity. This is actually my favorite of what I've read by Ms. Chance. The story's funny ironic edge is definitely appealing.

"Mona Lisa Betwining" is by Sunny, who is a totally new author to me. Mona Lisa, the new Queen of the Monere in Mississippi must answer for the death of the former Queen. Additionally, she must deal with a lot of intricate sexual issues. This is a beautifully written story but explicit and erotic in content--may not be suitable for younger readers.

What I like about these types of collections is that for a small investment per author, you get a taste of their work. Anthologies have introduced me to some of my favorite authors.

I put the date on my calendar, counted down the days, and eagerly searched the shelves for it on the release date. A new story in the Mercy Thompson universe by Patricia Briggs! I was in heaven, even though I hadn't yet read anything by two of the other authors. I couldn't wait to get started. I wasn't disappointed. I'm a bit surprised that this book hasn't been reviewed yet, so I decided to go ahead and throw in my 2 cents.

The first story, Alpha & Omega, is by Patricia Briggs and features one of the Marrok's sons, Charles, and his efforts to clean up the Chicago pack. Although it helps to have the back story from the first Mercedes Thompson novel (Moon Called), I think you could enjoy the story without it. As always, Patricia Briggs's stories are about characters and how they interact with each other in their universe. Charles is the alpha mentioned in the title, and a new character, Anna, is an omega werewolf. Her story is quite heartbreaking, and the relationship that develops between Charles and Anna is very poignant. I didn't want the story to end, but I guess I'll have to wait for the next Mercy Thompson novel next fall.

In Eileen Wilks's story, Inhuman, a shift in the balance of magic has occurred, breaking down some of the barriers between not only the psyche but also between dimensions. Kai, an empath and telepath and more, ends up on the run from the fearful and non-magical police, aided by her very sexy and not-quite human neighbor, Nathan. I really liked Nathan's back story and the reveal about Kai. Although I felt that the ending was a bit, um, over-the-top perhaps, I enjoyed it and will look forward to checking out Ms. Wilks's other stories.

Up next was Karen Chance and her story, Buying Trouble. I have read some other works by Ms. Chance and although I didn't care for those other works, I thought she was a good writer. This story confirmed that belief. Fiery-haired Claire has been on the run ever since her father tried to sell her to the Fey, and she evaded capture until her greedy boss got wind of the situation and decided to put Claire up for auction to the highest bidder. Will it be her despicable brother, Sebastian, or the Lord of the Fey who tempts Claire with only a touch, who will win the charming Claire? Nicely written story with a twist that I certainly didn't see coming. Perhaps Ms. Chance will write more about this universe...

The final story, Mona Lisa Betwining, is by Sunny. I haven't read anything else by this author and didn't know this story, but here goes. The new mixed blood queen, Mona Lisa, is called before The Council to explain the death of her predecessor. She ends up having to confront her own inner demons and trusting her sexy new master of arms, Dontaine, in a time of chaos and confusion. Although I liked the character development of both Mona Lisa and Dontaine, I found that I wanted more plot. The side character, Lucinda, was intriguing and I'll definitely check out her story. Perhaps if I knew more about the characters' back stories I would have enjoyed it more. Or perhaps I'm not ready to accept a society where monogamy is taboo and promiscuity is endorsed by everyone, including the main character. In case you didn't guess, there's quite a bit of, well, explicit sex in this story. Consider yourself warned.

Each of the stories is connected in an interesting way, other than the obvious, and I'll leave that connection for you to discover. I highly recommend this collection, and for Mercy fans it's a MUST have. I think anyone interested in urban fantasy will enjoy these stories. I certainly did.

This book has been in my TBR pile for a while and I finally got to it! So... Briggs story Alpha & Omega begins the adventure of Charles Cornick, son of the Marrok, and newly found Omega wolf, Anna. This story had me fixated as Briggs does to me for her Mercy Thompson novels. As soon as this short was over, I immediately went to my local bookstore to buy Cry Wolf simply to continue Charles & Anna's full story in its entirety. I, unlike others, enjoyed choosing for myself whether to continue this series or simply walk away from the short. I'm very happy to have had a taste thanks to this anthology.

I actually have Wilks first World of the Lupi book also in my TBR, and again thanks to her Inhuman short, I'm anxious to begin this series. I rather enjoy strong male otherworldly characters who are not quite comfortable in their own 'skin', and Nathan in this story fits the bill perfectly. As a hellhound who's been masked as a human for some time, he begins to feel humanly emotions towards his only friend Kai.

I was pleasantly surprised once I realized Karen Chance also had a short in this book. I'm a huge fan of her Cassie Palmer series of Fae, vamps and other things that Bump in the night. This short did not disappoint with hot Fey Heidar & his newfound companion, the mysterious Claire who finds herself on the run all of a sudden and in his arms. Chance's intricate telling of the Faerie world and their rules makes for some awesome fantasy.

The only writer I was not familiar with is Sunny. I was actually excited to read her short b/c I'm always happy to find new authors to read. Sadly though, this short had very little in story and focused more on the lust of it's characters. Such a pity since the world she created in a few pages seemed interesting. This one didn't make me run out to get her series of Mona Lisa I'm sad to say.

Courtesy of CK2S Kwips and Kritiques

On the Prowl is a wonderful collection of paranormal romance tales with strong heroines gifted with some pretty impressive abilities. At the same time though, even the strongest of women can use a little help from their man...

In Alpha and Omega by Patricia Briggs, we meet Anna, a recently turned werewolf, whom everyone believes to be a true submissive wolf. But when Charles Cornick arrives, son of the Marrok werewolf (or king as we humans understand better), arrives to investigate some problems in the Chicago pack, he knows immediately that Anna is more than anyone thinks, and is one very special female he could easily fall for.

This was my first foray into Patricia Briggs's werewolf society and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Fortunately, though I assume this takes place in the same society as in her two most recent werewolf books, I did not need to read them first. I had no problem following along with the rules of the werewolves and unfolding events. There are also some very interesting twists thrown into the story that explain just what did happen to the missing werewolves in the pack and why there are no females besides Anna and the pack leader's mate.

Inhuman by Eileen Wilks introduces us to Kai and Nathan. Kai has a special ability to sense people's feelings, but not by normal means. She sees something that is similar to but not exactly the same as auras and through these she hears and feels what other people are going through. She knows there is something very mysterious about her neighbor Nathan, though even her gifts can't help her figure out what that is. When someone or something goes on a murderous rampage, witnesses claim it is Kai committing the crimes. But can she prove her innocence if she goes on the run with sexy neighbor Nathan?

I had the hardest time following Inhuman out of all the stories in this anthology. I've never read anything by Wilks before though I have several of her books on my book shelf, most of which occur in the same world as this story does. I was very confused about the rules of magic in this world. Then there was the added circumstance of a powerful magic storm blowing through the country that threw numerous worlds and universes into chaos. As it turns out, Inhuman is the beginning of a new set of stories that focus on Nathan and Kai. I can only hope that future books in the series explain things more clearly for those of us new to the minds of Eileen Wilks and her players.

Claire is a rarity in the world of mages who when assisting her boss in a large sale, finds herself on the auction block. When Heidar of one of the Fae tribes helps Claire escape, he never realized he was only Buying Trouble (by Karen Chance). Now they are on the run and in the midst of it all, Claire finds out she is far more powerful than anyone, including herself, ever anticipated.

I'm a huge fan of Karen Chance's Cassandra Palmer books so I was glad to see this story in the same world but featuring different characters and many more magical creatures. We learn a little bit more about the different kinds of Fae in the author's worlds through Heidar's explanations to Claire of the differences between them. One additional aspect I enjoyed is the strong romance. Yes, there is some romance in Cassie's series, but while those books are more urban fantasy than romance, Buying Trouble is the reverse. Fans of Karen Chance, be they new or "old," will find themselves enjoying this story, which was probably my favorite in the collection.

In Mona Lisa Betwining by Sunny, the erotic adventures of Mixed Blood Monère and new queen, Mona Lisa continues. While attending a Council meeting, she comes in contact with demon princess Lucinda and suddenly finds herself in great agony as she begins to learn of a whole other side to herself she never knew she had. Only one man can help her through the discovery.

I could not get into Mona Lisa Betwining for anything and I'd have to say it's my least favorite story in On the Prowl. Though it fit the general overall theme of this collection, I do not feel it really belonged. It was much sexier than any of the other stories, being erotica and I felt, unfortunately, that the sex outweighed the plot, something I've never been a fan of. I had great difficulty following what was actually happening, probably because I've not read any of the previous books in the Mona Lisa series. Also, I had a very hard time believing that Mona Lisa, mourning her lost love would suddenly one day realize her grief has ended and start jumping into bed (figuratively speaking since a bed is not usually involved) with each man that catches her eye and then suddenly realizing that one of those men is, surprise!, her new love.

Within the covers of On the Prowl, readers can explore the worlds of a variety of magical creatures, all while getting that necessary romantic fix for us romance readers. We find werewolves, empaths (which is about as close as I can come to categorizing one heroine though it still doesn't quite fit), mages, were-tigers, and then some. There are varying degrees of heat in each story as well, so fans of tamer romance and erotic romance are sure to find something to suit their mood. I enjoyed my introduction to some of these worlds, and loved the chance to revisit others, in On the Prowl and I expect you will too.

© Kelley A. Hartsell, July 2007. All rights reserved.

These four stories are all about shapeshifters of one kind or another.

Patricia Briggs "Alpha and Omega" picked up a thread from her Moon Called and Blood Bound storyline and fleshed out some secondary characters, including an "omega" werewolf who solves a mystery with the help of the werewolf king's son. Nicely done and a sort of bonus scene for fans of her novels, although the tale stands alone if you haven't read her before.

Eileen Wilkes "Inhuman" starts a new novel series and introduces Kai, an interesting character who senses the emotions of others. If you like Wilkes and plan to read her newest series, this is a must-have.

Karen Chance wrote my favorite story of the four, a stand alone with all the elements of a novel neatly rolled into a smaller package. It was the only one to have an element of humor and gave us her usual rollicking pace and solid plot. Claire is a "projective null", a witch who can block the magic of others, who finds herself enmeshed in fey politics and discovers that her background is a lot more interesting than she'd imagined.

Sunny's story requires a back knowledge of the Monere universe. If you've read her books and liked them, you'll probably enjoy this. If you haven't previously encountered her works, however, you may be a little lost.

All in all, a solid anthology well worth the money.

I usually don't read anthologies, I usually find the stories too short and always leaving me with a sense that there is more to the story than written or the overwhelming need to buy more books just to know about several characters.However, I found this one to be extremly satisfying, piquing my interest, and leaving me with a keen interest too know more rather than the frustration of not having half the story at my finger tips.

Alpha and Omega by Patricia Briggs, brings the story of Charles, who is an obscure character in her novels Moon Called and Blood Bound, and introduces Anna, a very rare werewolf who needs Charles' help. Here we are given an even greater glimpse into the world of werewolves that Briggs has created. The story is quick paced and not convuluted with the characters feelings towards each other. Though short for my liking, it acts as a well written and complete preview of the novel to come.

Inhuman introduced me to Eileen Wilks and impressed me greatly with her writing. Kai and Nathan team up to stop a monster who is killing people who possess magical gifts in their town. Both live secretive lives and the discovery of their secrets and their developing relationship is a perfect combination for this short story. Though there is a continuation of their story in her next Lupi novel, the story is enough if you are not interested in beginning a new series.

Buying Trouble by Karen Chance is awesome. It is quick paced, to the point, with enough romance and action to keep the pages turing. Fey Lord Heider, and null Claire must make it through the dangers of Faerie to stop an enemy from getting a rune that could possbily start another war. The twists in this story and the tribulations Claire faces as a result of family issues could possbily lead to a very interesting novel, but stands well as a short story.

Mona Lisa Betwining, I cannot comment on. I couldn't quite comprehend what was going on becase I haven't read Sunny's other novels, and the plot was not developed well.

This anthology is very good for the paranormal romance lovers out there. Approach the anthology with an open mind and it may just impress you.

There are four short stories/novellas in this book. Take it on vacation or on a flight as they aren't really involved.

Alpha and Omega by Patricia Briggs, author of the Mercy Thompson books, is a definite must-read. As I've read books one and two, I wasn't lost. If this was the only story, I'd give the book five stars. I thought Charles was kind of spooky, as opposed to his half-brother Samuel in the Mercy books. He's a bit more human in this novella. *****

Inhuman by Eileen Wilks was good, but I had trouble with the male lead having been a hellhound (a supernatural dog, okay) up until the past 400 years. He finally falls in love, etc., etc. ****

Buying Trouble was also good and I may look into other novels by Karen Chance. A woman who has been told she is a magical null (one who negates/drains magic) and has also known she is not her Father's real daughter most all her life, has to flee during an auction and is helped by a Fey warrior. She ultimately discovers she is a human-dragon hybrid and does have magic after all. ****

Mona Lisa Betwining by Sunny was quite a disappointment. I didn't see the point of even bothering with this novella other than an excuse to write a sex scene. ** for correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation.

First I want to address the romance in the stories. The first three stories in this collection were great. The one by Sunny is, well, basically porn. Yes, all the stories have bits of romance in them, and even some love making. The first three stories handle the love making without all the graphic detail that Sunny includes in her stories. I found it out of place in the collection. Some of the details in Sunny's story were just plain icky.

So, for the stories themselves:

On The Prowl - 5 stars - This story is the reason I have this book. If you've read any of Briggs' Mercy Thompson stories, you'll be familiar with the name Charles. He's the Marrok's son and enforcer. This is mainly the story of how he and Anna meet, and a prequel to the Alpha and Omega series. Typical of Briggs writing, this story had great detail and characterization. It also clears up a couple of questions I had after reading about Mac and the others like him from her novel Moon Called. It made me want to run out and grab the series to see what happens to Charles and Anna.

Inhuman - 4 stars - Set in a world where some people have special Gifts (like magic or psychic abilities), we follow Kai and her friend Nathan. Nathan is an investigator looking into some strange deaths in the area, when a witness says he saw Kai with one of the murder victims. They have to figure out how to prove Kai's innocence while finding the killer. The story was ok, but I can't really say it compelled me to want to get book referenced at the end "Night Season", especially after reading reviews only to find out that even though the end of the story says "Kai and Nathan's story will be continued in ... Night Season" the book isn't even about them.

Buying Trouble - 5 stars - A mage named Claire finds herself as the premier item of an auction at the auction house she works at. In her attempt to escape her fate, she is accidentally transported to the land of the Fey with a Fey Lord. The Fey Lord tries to help her escape to somewhere safe, and in the process, she finds out a surprising secret about herself. I wish there was a novel tied to this short story. I found myself wanting to read more about the characters in this story.

Mona Lisa Betwining - 0 stars - There was a story in here, I'm sure, but I missed it because of all the graphic sex, which I wasn't expecting. A major turn off, if you ask me. Basically, this queen of the were-tigers has to explain how the former queen of her area was killed. The shortest story of the four in this collection was also the heaviest with sex, and extremely graphic sex at that. I'm sure that the story would have been a good one, if Sunny had spent any time in characterization and explaining what is going on in this world, but mostly it was just about the sex that Mona Lisa is having with her multiple partners. I can't say that I'm even slightly interested in any more stories from this author. Way too much sex and not enough story. I would not recommend this story to any person under ... 16 years old, and maybe not even that young.

Overall, it was a good book, but I'm glad the Sunny story was last because I might not have read the others if I thought they were all going to be like that.