Customer Reviews

Strange Brew

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(43)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

SYNOPSIS:
This anthology contains nine paranormal short stories. The following is a brief description of each story.

1. Seeing Eye by Patricia Briggs - A blind witch decides to help a man, a werewolf, find his brother who is an undercover cop and has disappeared while on a case.

2. Last Call by Jim Butcher - Harry Dresden walks into his favorite bar for a beer and a sandwich and finds chaos instead. What is wrong with the beer being brewed by the bar owner?

3. Death Warmed Over by Rachel Caine - Holly is a resurrectionist witch. The last time she brought Andrew Toland back from the dead she fell in love with him. Now the police need his special help to solve another case but how can Holly stand the pain when Andrew has to die this time?

4. Vegas Odds by Karen Chance - Accalia (Lia) trains recruits at the War Mage Corps. Imagine her surprise when she realizes it is her own students who are trying to kill her.

5. Hecate's Golden Eye by P. N. Elrod - Chicago 1937 - Charles Escott and his undead colleague Jack Fleming are hired to help the rightful owner steal back her pendant. The history of the jewel says that any man who touches the Golden Eye dies. Luckily for Jack, he's already dead.

6. Bacon by Charlaine Harris - Dahlia Lynley-Chivers is a vampire who is now a widow because her werewolf husband was defeated in a challenge fight for pack position. She hires a witch to help her find out what was done to her husband to make him vulnerable and weak during the fight.

7. Signatures of the Dead by Faith Hunter - Spruce Pine, North Carolina, is being targeted by a band of rogue vampires. Earth witch Molly Trueblood and her friend shapeshifter Jane Yellowrock must find the vampire lair or the killings will continue.

8. Ginger by Caitlin Kittredge - Sunny Swann and her cousin Luna grew up in Nocturne City. Sunny is a witch without much confidence in her powers totally unlike her werewolf cousin. Then why would someone want to kidnap Sunny?

9. Dark Sins by Jenna Maclaine - Venice 1818 - Cin, Michael, Devlin and Justine (The Righteous-judge, jury, and executioners in the world of vampires) are in the city for pleasure, not business. When they are all four kidnapped by a wizard and his coven Cin is forced to chose between the lives of her lover and friends or dark, evil magic.

RECOMMENDATION:
I definitely enjoyed reading this marvelous anthology. It gave me exactly what I want from a collection of short stories such as these. There are many stories which feature characters already made well known by these authors. Particular favorites of mine are the stories by Patricia Briggs, Jim Butcher, Rachel Caine, P. N. Elrod and Faith Hunter. I have not read novels by many of these authors and this anthology has given me a chance to sample their works and make the decision of whether or not to go seek out and read their full length books.

*****Aug. 31, 2009***** Two of my favorite characters in this anthology are Moira (the blind witch) and Tom (the werewolf) in the Patricia Briggs story "Seeing Eye". Those two characters play a substantial role in the new Briggs book Hunting Ground (Alpha & Omega, Book 2). It was wonderful to meet up with them again.

You never quite know what you are going to get with an anthology. Strange Brew has nine stories involving witchcraft, potions, and the like that definitely doesn't disappoint. I was excited by the fact that I had heard of 7 out of the 9 authors and have read works by 5 of them. I had high hopes that, for once, weren't dashed. I liked EVERY single story in this anthology --- high marks for all the authors involved (mostly A's and perhaps one or two B/B+'s).

Briggs gives us a story of a witch, a werewolf, and the ties that bind: family & love. It may be set in the Mercy Thompson/Alpha & Omega universe, but this is the first time we've seen these characters up close. (I hope to see more of them.)

Harris also sets her story in her well-established Universe (Southern Vampire Chronicles) but using less established characters. Her story of revenge, Bacon, is made all the more delicious and satisfying if you're already familiar with the unlikely interspecies love story, Tacky, found in My Big Supernatural Wedding that precedes this one.

As far as I know, Caine's tale of love resurrected and Chance's action-packed account of espionage among the War Mage Corps are wholly original pieces. I could, of course, be wrong. Regardless, both stories were unique and hard to put down.

The rest of the authors give us stories within there respective series:
Butcher gives us a story involving Harry Dresden, tainted beer, and the Chicago Bulls. Elrod gives us a classic tale of double cross from her Jack Fleming/Vampire Files series.
Hunter's story introduces us to her new butt-kicking, vampire-slaying, heroine - Jane Yellowrock - whose very own book Skinwalker is available this month (7/09).
Kittredge gives us a story of a "glamour-ous" power play from her Nocturne City series that delivers my favorite line in the whole anthology. (I'll let you guess what it is!) And Maclaine's story left me wanting to read more of her Cin Craven series.

Whether new and original or borrowing from established settings or series, all the stories are easy to follow --- even if you are completely unfamiliar with the authors' works. Overall, this may be the best money I ever spent on an anthology. It delivers a fine sampling for anyone who is interested in reading some anecdotes in the realm of urban fantasy. Who knows, you may find some authors from whom you'd like to read more. I know I did.

---DEW---

Anthologies can be a bit hit or miss. Sometimes there is one fantastic author and a cluster of up and comers who haven't hit their stride yet. Not the case here! Strange brew is packed with big writers with big stories that just happen to be short. There's not enough length to the stories for anything too steamy if that's what you require, but the individual stories will keep you too busy flipping pages to notice.

Seeing Eye by Patricia Briggs
Returning to the same world as her Mercy Thompson and Alpha & Omega series, werewolves and witches are real and dominant Tom needs a witches help to get his human brother back after he's taken by a coven. Deformed and odd white witch Moira is the only one willing and capable to help. I read this story and was so pleased to find these characters cropping back up in the newest Alpha & Omega book!

Last Call by Jim Butcher
I'm never a big reader of the Dresden files but Butchers shorts still always amuse me! Of course this one provides a good mystery when the patrons of Harry Dresden's favorite watering hole go crazy and he and love interest Murphy need to track the villain down in time. Even if Harry's tempted to take a more delightful offer...

Death Warmed Over By Rachel Caine
This was possibly the most memorable story of the book! I was bawling be for the end of it! Holly is a resurrection witch paid and bullied by the police to bring back a legendary dead man and former witch whom she's brought back previously and secretly loves. When Holly ends up in a killers twisted sight, Andrew will do anything to protect her, even die all over again for love.

Vegas Odds by Karen Chance
Diving into the worlds of her Cassie Palmer & Dorina Basarab series's we find a sleepy mage trainer under attack during a time of war and traitors. Despite injury and betrayal she'll hunt down the one responsible for her pain despite the werewolf boyfriend who loves her and just wants her to be safe. Action packed!

Hecate's Golden Eye by P.N. Elrod
I have previously not liked this authors work but this story about a gumshoe vampire in the 1930's and his private eye pal trying to get a mystical necklace back for a client was very edge of the seat stuff and visually rich.

Bacon by Charlaine Harris
Into a different area of the Southern Vampire Series world where a lady vampire is set on getting revenge for her werewolf husband who was killed by a competing pack with help from a witch known as the Circe. Kind of a modern day Grimm's fairytale, slightly disturbing but fun!

Signatures of the Dead by Faith Hunter
A creepy tale of vampires preying on the defenseless in a small town and the witch, the human, and the bounty hunter with a splash of Other who go to stop them. Don't read this one after dark! Eeeekk! Now I have to read the Jane Yellowrock series that just started, she's an intriguing character.

Ginger by Caitlin Kittredge
Enter Nocturne City, and it's own series, where police detective Luna Wilder is tying up the ends to a big case when her mild mannered cousin, Sunny Swann, saves the day and countless lives with her curiosity and witchcraft. In her world not everyone is what they seem...

Dark Sins by Jenna Maclaine
Part of the Sin Craven series, the vampire witch Sin, her friends and her lover all get nabbed by a coven of dark witches led by a vengeful man eager to force Sin to become part of his evil plotting and magic. Desperate for their freedom, Sins prayers are answered, just not in the way she expected.

Since Amazon tends to lump reviews together without regard to format, I thought I should make it clear that this review is for the unabridged audiobook with a running time of about twelve hours.

Strange Brew is a compilation of nine short stories by various authors in the urban fantasy genre. These stories cover the entire spectrum from witches to shifters to werewolves to vampires and some strange things in between.

Seeing Eye by Patricia Briggs and narrated by Jennifer Van Dyck (1hr 10min): Story of a blind witch who helps a werewolf find his missing brother. Typically I enjoy Patricia Briggs, but this story was lackluster and I believe it was in part due to the narration. There was embellishment while reading, but Van Dyck's rhythmic choices seemed off and it became distracting.

Last Call by Jim Butcher and narrated by Christian Rummel (1hr 4min): The wizard Harry Dresden must solve the mystery of sabotaged beer. If you've ever seen the Dresden Files on television, and enjoyed it, then you will likely enjoy Rummel's narration which almost exactly captures the voice and tone of Harry Dresden. When it finished, I wanted more.

Death Warmed Over by Rachel Caine and narrated by Gayle Hendrix (1hr 40min): A witch who can bring people back from the dead must decide whether to help the police even though it could mean losing the one she loves. For this story, I enjoyed the spin on necromancy, however, Hendrix's narration left plenty to be desired; it was stilted and bordered on monotonous which, unfortunately, detracted from the overall story.

Vegas Odds by Karen Chance and narrated by Dina Pearlman (2hr 4min): A War Mage Corps. Trainer finds herself being hunted by her recruits. Although her voice may seem innocuous at first listening, Pearlman injected true personality into the reading which kept me glued to her narration.

Hecatees Golden Eye by P. N. Elrod and narrated by Marc Vietor (1hr 18min): A vampire and his partner are hired to help steal back a cursed pendant. If you've ever seen any film noir or detective stories, you have a good idea of Vietor's narration. Although unadorned, there was something about the reading that was hypnotic; Vietor's cadence and chosen accents were spot on, if a little dramatic at times.

Bacon by Charlaine Harris and narrated by Therese Plummer (1hr 7min): After the death of her werewolf husband, a vampire seeks revenge on a witch who helped ensure his death. It took me some time to get acclimated to Plummer's voice, but it grows on you. The variations, the inflections, and cadence all contributed to this entertaining story.

Signatures of the Dead by Faith Hunter and narrated by Karen Chapman (1hr 19min): An earth witch, a shifter, and a cop must track down and destroy a murderous group of vampires. I especially liked the spin on witches not being human. Chapman completely took on the voice of the character as though she were acting it out herself, from the light southern accent to the slight hiccups when the scenes became tense. While the story was a bit on the grisly side, the narration was absolutely gripping.

Ginger : A Noctourne City Story by Caitlain Kitteredge and narrated by Michal Friedman (1hr 20min): A young witch helps a detective solve one of her cases. Friedman's narration was initially surprising, but in a pleasant way. Her voice channeled the young protagonist almost perfectly--spunky, sarcastic, and smart.

Dark Sins by Jenna Maclaine and narrated by Elizabeth Jasicki (1hr 14min): A vampire witch, Cin, must choose between saving The Righteous (think vampiric judicial system) and her lover. While it wasn't too difficult to listen to Jasicki's narration, it seemed to lack something; it didn't encapsulate the personality of the story's protagonist--almost, but not quite.

I enjoyed the majority of the stories and narrators, but it was weaker than I expected. For someone who is new to urban fantasy, it's a great way to dip one's toes in and decide which authors are worth pursuing--I know I discovered a few new names to check out--but know it's not the *best* the genre has to offer. Of all the stories, Last Call by Jim Butcher and Bacon by Charlaine Harris were my favorites.

There were nine CDs included in the package, however, it wasn't one story per CD. The CDs were cut so that you'd have a few minutes of the next story on it and that was a slight annoyance.

As an aside, I'm also rather disappointed in the packaging of the CDs. The publisher used a larger box than necessary (could have been about 40% smaller) and filled out the space with Styrofoam; completely unnecessary, if environmentally unfriendly and, I assume, impractical from a cost perspective.

Overall this is a decent set of stories. The highlights for me were Karen Chance's super action packed "Vegas Odds" and Jenna Maclaine's beautifully written, action packed, and intricate "Dark Sins". I found Cin from "Dark Sins" to be a very interesting heroine and I would definitely like to read more about her. I also really liked meeting Jane Yellowrock in Faith Hunter's "Signatures of the Dead." Jane is a character I would also like to read more about.

My least favorites were Elrod's story (not surprising because I have read a couple of the books with Jack and don't enjoy her writing style all that much) and Harris's "Bacon". See a summary of each below. I liked the book in general and really liked that is gave me a look at some of the new authors and characters coming out in series.

- Seeing Eye by Patricia Briggs
A witch named Moira and a werewolf named Tom go to save Tom's brother from an evil coven. Pretty good, I enjoyed it. 4/5

- Last Call by Jim Butcher
Entertaining story about Murphy and Harry tracking down the source of some tainted beer that Mac accidentally served in his bar. Tons of action, very entertaining! 4/5

- Death Warmed Over by Rachel Caine
About witch named Holly who resurrects an old witch, Andy, to help the police find a witch killer. Unfortunately Holly and the resurrected witch have a history. Fast-paced and engaging story although I didn't like the main character all that much. 4/5

- Vegas Odds by Karen Chance
Lia is a War Mage stuck in the middle of a war between good and evil. When her house comes under attack she is left to figure out who the attackers are and hunt down their master. I really liked this story; it was packed with action and set in an interesting world that I want to learn more about. 5/5

- Hecate's Golden Eye by P. N. Elrod
Jack and Charles are hired to recover a stolen piece of jewelry. The crime turns out to be more than it first seems. This was a fast paced story featuring Elrod's well known Jack Flemming. Overall a decent story. 3/5

- Bacon by Charlaine Harris
This story is about a vampire, Dahlia, who hires a witch to help avenge her werewolf husband that has been murdered. Overall I thought this story was boring and the plot a bit hard to folllow at points. I didn't really like any of the characters much either. 2/5

- Signatures of the Dead by Faith Hunter
About a witch named Molly who works with a Skinwalker named Jane Yellowrock to bring down some rogue vampires. I really didn't find Molly to be all that fascinating of a character. I did really like Jane Yellowrock though. The story moved quickly, was very engaging, and had lots of good action scenes. I am eager to read more stories involving Jane Yellowrock. I know that Hunter's book "Skinwalker" featuring Jane came out earlier this summer and this short story really makes me want to check it out. 4/5

- Ginger: A Nocturne City Story by Caitlin Kittredge
A witch named "Sunny" gets kidnapped as part of a larger plot onvolving a witch coven. This was an okay story, although I didn't think it was great and didn't like any of the characters much. 3/5

- Dark Sins by Jenna Maclaine
I really liked this story. Cin Craven is a vampire who attained her witch powers. Her and her S.O. Michael are attacked and captured; and need to escape to save their lives and the lives of their friends. This story was set in the Victorian era. I really liked both Cin and Michael as characters. Just the glimpse this story give hints at a very interesting and intricate world with a lush history. Lots of action and a tad of romance. The entrance of the goddess Morrgan made things very interesting. One of my favorite stories of the bunch. 5/5

I was quite pleased when I received Strange Brew in the mail. Charlaine Harris, Patricia Briggs, Jim Butcher and Caitlin Kittredge are guaranteed good reads for me. I have enjoyed Karen Chance and Pat Elrod in the past but Faith Hunter, Jenna Maclaine and Rachel Caine were new reads for me. I dove into it within minutes of the postman driving away. When I finished it, I could honestly say that my streak of great anthologies continues! All of the stories revolve around magic and witches.

Patricia Briggs starts out this volume with Seeing Eye. Don't get your hopes up; it isn't about Mercy and Adam or Charles and Anna. It was however a very intriguing story about Moira, a blind witch and Tom, werewolf and second in command of the Emerald City Pack. Tom's brother, Jon who is human and a cop was kidnapped by a black magic coven called Samhain. Tom needs Moira's help to get his brother back in one piece. Moira is not what you expect. She is incredibly cranky and a great character as is Tom. I wouldn't mind seeing them in another story.

Last Call by Jim Butcher was another amusing addition to his Dresden Files. One day I am going to catch up on all of the volumes in this series but until then I can count on the short stories to bring a smile to my face. All he wanted was a beer but what he got was a whole heap of trouble. Mac's, where the magically community goes to relax, was hit with some serious magic and it is up to Harry to stop the trouble before it infects the whole city. This dude should have a collection of metals for all the lives he has saved.

Death Warmed Over by Rachel Caine was quite a surprise. I enjoyed this tale immensely, was quite touched by it. Holly works your typical boring office job but her sideline is raising the dead. When she is coerced by her boss and the police department to raise a particular guy, one she has a past with, she is less than thrilled. But lives are at stake and she is the best as what she does. I would be really happy if Holly's adventures continued.

Vegas Odds by Karen Chance was an action packed ride through the life of Lia, a trainer of new recruits for the War Mage Corps. When a group of mages attacks her at home, she barely makes it out with the help of her werewolf boyfriend Cyrus. She is even more shocked to find out that they aren't the enemy; they are her new crop of students. I am going to be checking out Ms. Chance's other paranormal offerings.

Hecate's Golden Eye by P.N. Elrod featured her beloved gumshoe vampire private eye Jack Fleming. This was a fun read and a nice change from cell phones and such since it takes place in 1937.

Charlaine Harris' Bacon is a wickedly fun tale, if you find revenge taken in unique ways fun like I do. Dahlia is a vampire who is mourning the loss of her husband who was a werewolf. He was murdered and her only desire is to get revenge on the perpetrators. Dahlia is wonderfully written, cranky from having to deal with humans. I liked her a lot.

Signatures of the Dead by Faith Hunter is an awesome read. The main story is about a witch Molly who is called upon to stop a nest of vampires from killing any more families. But the great part here is the introduction of Jane Yellowrock. She is the main character in a new book called Skinwalker coming in July. This story made me want Skinwalker ASAP! I have a feeling Ms. Hunter will be taking up shelf space next to Ms. Briggs on my keeper shelf.

Ginger by Caitlin Kittredge was great!!! I love the Nocturne City books and this is a look at things from Luna's cousin Sunny. I was really amused by Sunny and would love to see some more from her point of view. If you haven't read Caitlin Kittredge, you should be!

Dark Sins by Jenna Maclaine was my first exposure to this author. I had heard of her Cin Craven books but had not picked any of them up. This story takes place in 1818 Venice and must have been early on in Cin's life as a vampire. Cin is a unique vampire in that she was a witch before she was turned and remained one after her death. She became one The Righteous, policing the vamps for the High King of the vampires.This was a cute and at the same time intense read that I enjoyed.

Originally reviewed at Night Owl Romance

All in all I really enjoyed this urban fantasy anthology; it was a lot of fun. I gave this a 4-star rating because there were only a couple duds out of all the nine authors who contributed; and that in itself is really surprising to have so many good novellas in one anthology.

Faith Hunter "Signatures of the Dead" Now this novella was spectacular! This was definitely my favorite out of all nine authors. We are introduced to Jane Yellowrock, the heroine in Faith Hunter's new series. This novella however, focuses on Molly Trueblood, an earth witch. Molly assist her friends, Jane and a detective in locating rogue vampires who are currently on a vicious killing spree. The story was exciting, mysterious and smoothly done. The whole story felt complete even though it was only 31 pages long. 5+/5

Caitlin Kittredge "Ginger" This one comes in at a close second. This novella takes place in Caitlin's Nocturne City world. The story focuses on Sunny who helps Luna in infiltrating a blood magic coven. The story was interesting, moved fluidly and was full of action and intrigue. 5/5

Rachel Caine "Death Warmed Over" I stop reading Rachel's Weather Warden series last year because it started to seem completely unbelievable and coincidental. This story however, was flawless! Holly, a Necromancer, is asked by the police to resurrect a tenacious Zombie War hero to assist them in a current case. This story really surprised me. It was dark, interesting, humorous and smooth. 5/5

Karen Chance "Vegas Odds" Lia a mage teacher and her werewolf boyfriend Cyrus are attached in her home by a few of her rogue students, hellbent on killing her. This story was invigorating, exciting and fast paced. 5/5

Patricia Briggs "Seeing Eye" Moira, a powerful witch aids a werewolf in the search for his brother. The story was interesting but the transitions weren't smooth and flowing; instead it felt choppy and hurried. Regardless of the rushed impression, I liked Moira. She's a blind witch with a lot of courage and a steel spine. She chose to walk into a lion's den in complete darkness, for a complete stranger. 4/5

Jim Butcher "Last Call" Harry Dresden gets more than he bargained for when he goes on a beer run. This was my least favorite. Now I loved the show The Dresden files from the Scifi network and was pissed off when it got canceled. Surprisingly though, this story just didn't hook me. I found it boring and tedious. 1/5

This anthology was a surprisingly fast read and I highly recommend it. Most of the stories had a nice spooky and comfy feel to them. Like when you snuggle up and crack open a good book on a cold and snowy night, and more importantly, with a day off from work the next day.lol

I also recommend:
Night Life (Nocturne City, Book 1)
Moon Called (Mercy Thompson, Book 1)
A Rush of Wings: Book One of The Maker's Song
Blood Engines (Marla Mason, Book 1)
The Demon's Librarian

Review courtesy of [...]
Seeing Eye is a very short story. It clocks in at only 38 pages, and in the hands of a lesser author, it could have been a disaster trying to build a world, create compelling characters, and tell a satisfying story in so few pages. Fortunately for us, Patricia Briggs was more than equal to the task.The story is simple enough, Wendy Moira Keller (yep, named after the Peter Pan character), a blind witch, agrees to help a desperate werewolf, Tom Franklin, search for his abducted brother. If you've read Brigg's Hunting Ground already, then these characters will be familiar to you. If you haven't read it yet, start with Seeing Eye first as it explains how Moira and Tom met. Even though we spend such a brief time with Moira and Tom, Brigg's writes them as fully fleshed out characters. Moira specifically is appealing as she provides us with a firsthand look at what Witches are like in the world of Mercy Thompson. Mercy deals with all kinds of paranormal creatures: vamps, fey, weres, but she only rarely interacts with witches. In Seeing Eye, Brigg's gets to explore that world a little more. The result is that I, for one, have two more reason's to look forward to Hunting Ground. Sexual Content: None

Jim Butcher's story continues his popular Dresden Files Series. In Last Call, which occurs chronologically between Small Favor, book 10 and Turn Coat, book 11, wizard Harry Dresden is on the hunt for the mastermind behind some bewitched beer. I've only read the first book in Butcher's Dresden Files, and despite the gap in my Harry knowledge, this was an easy story to slip into and I never felt disoriented like I had missed a lot in the interim. Harry and Murphy play off each other in just the way I remembered. Harry was, if anything, more enjoyable for me. He is a perfect anti-hero with his sarcasm and humorous non-alpha acts of self-preservation. I'm seriously going to have to pick up Full Moon after thoroughly enjoying this funny paranormal romp. Sexual Content: None

I've read several books in Rachel Caine's Weather Warden series (I'm looking forward to starting her Morganville Vampire series soon too), so I expected something good from this talented writer and that's exactly what I got with Death Warmed Over. Witch Holly Caldwell is not that dissimilar to early Anita Blake: both occasionally work with the police to raise the dead. This time, the case intimately affects Holly in more ways than one because the dead man they want her to raise has been raised before, and when Holly lost Andrew last time, she lost her heart as well. My only disappointment with Death Warmed Over is that it appears to be the only Holly and Andrew story that Rachel has written (please let me know if I'm wrong). I thought for sure reading it that it was the second story featuring these characters. I hope Rachel does write more about Holly because she does have that early Anita vibe that I love so much. There is more of a romantic focus in this story but it doesn't overshadow the paranormal elements. Death is easily one of the best in this anthology. Sexual Content: None

The longest story in Strange Brew is Karen Chance's Vegas Odds coming in at 56 pages. The tale opens with a scene straight out of Mr. & Mrs. Smith. Half-Were Lia and her boyfriend Were Cyrus destroy her house while under attack from a group of War Mages. From there, author Karen Chance does a wonderful job of creating a world full of magic and a strong instantly likeable heroine while never letting up on the non-stop action. This is probably my favorite story that Ms. Chance has written and I would love to spend more time in this world. Sexual Content: A woman performs oral sex on a man in a brief scene that in not overly graphic.

P. N. Elrod is a new author for me. This story continues her Vampire Files series with vampire P.I. Jack Fleming and his partner Escott in 1930's Chicago. I would categorize this story as a noir mystery that just happens to have an undead lead. Not a lot of paranormal. Jack is described as a vampire much in the same way another character is described as being tall. Not a bad story, just not what I look for in urban fantasy. But if you like Raymond Charles with a dash of Tanya Huff...Sexual Content: None

Bacon takes place in the same Sookie Stackhouse world from the Southern Vampire series but minus Sookie. If you read Harris' story Tacky in the anthology My Big Fat Supernatural Wedding then these characters will already be familiar to you. If your planning on reading both, start with Tacky and STOP READING THIS REVIEW because it will spoil aspects of that story. In Bacon, newly widowed vampire Dahlia seeks out the aid of a witch descendent of Circe to get revenge on the werewolf pack that killed her were husband. So far, this is my least favorite story in this anthology: It's predictable, feels small because it fails to take advantage of the Sookieverse, and lacks even one likable character. At only 32 pages, it went on way too long. Sexual Content: None

Faith Hunter kicked off her Jane Yellowrock series in July `09 with Skinwalker (book two, Blood Cross is due out in Jan `10) , but we get an earlier peak at this shapeshifting vampire hunter in Signature of the Dead. Earth witch Molly is the main character who Jane helps track down a feral pack of new vampires. I didn't even realize that Jane was the main character in Skinwalker (which I'm now adding to the top of my wishlist), but I'm thrilled we'll get to read more about her. She reminded me of a cross between Mercy Thompson and Kate Daniels which means I may have just found a favorite new series. Sexual Content: The rape of a woman and her two little girls is referenced but not described.

Like Faith Hunter's story, Caitlin Kittredge's Ginger (41 pages) takes the main character from her Nocturne City series, werewolf detective Luna Wilder, and relegates her to the sidelines. Instead, Ginger focuses on Luna's self-proclaimed wus witch cousin Sunny who agrees to go undercover investigating a blood magic coven. The world building was good here, but Sunny was a bit too prone to crying for my taste. The `villain' in the story is pretty comic book evil too which added a level of corniness that I hope doesn't extend to the whole Nocturne City series because for the world building alone I plan on picking up Night Life to see what Luna does in her own story. Sexual Content: None

Dark Sins picks up after Wages of Sins but before Grave Sins in Jenna Maclaine's Cin Craven series. In 1818 Italy, witch turned vampire Cin and her lover Michael along with another vamp couple travel throughout Europe doling out justice on the criminal vampire population. When the four are abducted by an evil wizard and his followers in an attempt to add Cin to his coven, she must finally learn to use her magic before her friends are killed. If you are a fan of Colleen Gleason's Gardella Vampire Chronicles, you'll probably love this. Me not so much. There are no major faults in these 33 pages, but I like my fantasy urban, without gowns and carriages etc. The idea of a vampire who uniquely retained her human magical abilities make for an interesting character in Cin, and if she survives into the 21st century I'll be sure to look her up. Sexual Content: A man performs oral sex on a woman without graphic description.

The title gives you a pretty good idea of what to expect, tales of witches, beers better left untasted, etc. I bought this collection because three of my favorite authors are in it. That being said, I enjoyed most of the stories and got a sampling of some authors I have not read in full length.

My favorites:

"Last Call" this is another tale of the Dresden Files and the only wizard in Chicago's phone book, Harry Dresden. When you mess with Mac, you're messing with Harry, too. The proprietor of Harry's favorite bar is beaten up and Harry discovers there's a special ingredient in Mac's carefully handcrafted brew that acts like a date rape drug. He and Sgt. Murphy have to track down the brew before someone gets seriously hurt.

"Seeing Eye" is a new tale from Patricia Briggs where a blind witch, Wendy, searches for a missing person.

In Rachel Caine's "Death Warmed Over" a 'resurrection witch' is tasked to revive a dead man she'd fallen in love with to help the police, but she's going to risk having her heart broken when she must release his spirit back to the dead.

The six other tales are all good. Prior to this, I had not read either Kittredge or Maclaine. I will check out their full-length work to see if I might enjoy them.

What's great about this anthology is nothing's so long you cannot read it in a doctor's office or perhaps before bedtime. You may get exposure to authors you have not read, which is always useful, and find some new favorites.

Rebecca Kyle, July 2009

Courtesy of CK2S Kwips and Kritiques

If you are looking for a delightfully fun anthology, with plenty of suspense, and a little bit of romance, then Strange Brew is for you. Just about anyone who enjoys urban fantasy will find something in this collection to satisfy. As with any anthology, here there are some good ones, some not so good ones, and some in between.

Seeing Eye by Patricia Briggs - This is loosely connected to Briggs's werewolf series. Tom, a werewolf, enlists the aid of blind witch, Moira Keller, to find his missing brother. In the midst of their search, they find a very unusual connection linking them to each other.

I enjoyed this glimpse in the world of the packs again with Seeing Eye. I have only read one or two other stories in either of Patricia Briggs's werewolf series so I'm not familiar with all the characters, but that didn't interfere with me enjoying this one. As far as I could tell, we don't have more than a passing mention of any of the characters from either series.

Last Call by Jim Butcher - Here we have another adventure in the Dresden Files series. Harry is on the case when he visits his favorite pub for a beer and finds the place trashed, with owner Mac, beat up. They suspect someone added a little something extra to Mac's famous brew and need to figure out whot it was and why they did it.

I like every adventure I have with Harry but Last Call wasn't quite up to snuff for me. Something just seemed to be missing here. Maybe it was Bob, whom I just love for his dry wit. Granted, I was listening to this book while working on other things so I may have missed bits here and there, but I don't remember Bob putting in an appearance at all.

Death Warmed Over by Rachel Caine - Here we meet Resurrection witch Holly Anne Caldwell, who is called in to resurrect a man, Andrew Toland for assistance in a very pressing case. She has worked with him before, as a resurrection then too. Someone is killing witches and Holly may be next. Andrew is the only one who can protect her. However there is the slight complication when Holly finds herself falling in love with a dead man, who is destined to return to the grave once the mystery is solved.

I love Rachel Caine and I especially love how she resolved this particular conflict in Death Warmed Over. How do you have a happy ending with a man who was raised from the dead, after all, when he is only to be returned to death once his mission is over? Rachel Caine does it with a flair all her own!

Vegas Odds by Karen Chance - Mage Lia is a trainer of new recruits to the War Mage Corps, who finds herself in a precarious situation when her own students turn on her and try to kill her. Only Lia and her boyfriend, werewolf Cyrus, can figure out what's going on and protect Lia, before it's too late.

Karen Chance is always wonderful and I love the world she's created in her books. We get a deeper glimpse here into the War Mage Society in Vegas Odds than we usually see in her books and I enjoyed my visit. Also, as much as I adore Cassie Palmer, Mircea, and company, I loved getting to explore another part of the world beyond the vampire community we spend so much time with in her two series.

Hecate's Golden Eye by PN Elrod - Detectives Jack and Charles are hired to recover a stolen gem, Hecate's Golden Eye, but there is something just slightly odd about this diamond... it looks like an eye and it is cursed to kill any man who touches it. How can they recover what they cannot touch?

Hecate's Golden Eye was not a bad story, but I wouldn't say it was great either. I found my attention wandering even more during this short. The premise of the story was intriguing, but it did not live up to my expectations. This was definitely not a favorite in the collection.

Bacon by Charlaine Harris - Two vampires, Dahlia and Taffy have hired a powerful witch, descended from Circe herself, to find out who killed Taffy's werewolf husband. However, they get more than they bargained for once they meet their Circe.

I was totally unimpressed with Bacon. It didn't live up to what I expect from a Harris story. I found it silly and boring, not at all what I think of when I hear the name Charlaine Harris. This was probably my least favorite story in the entire collection

Signatures of the Dead by Faith Hunter - An Earth witch, Molly, pairs up with skinwalker and vampire hunter, Jane Yellowrock, to track down a nest of rogue vampires on a killing spree. Circumstances have led them to believe Molly's family might be the next victims, unless Molly and Jane, with help from a few trusted police officers before it is too late.

Signatures of the Dead is an excellent introduction to the new Skinwalker series starring Jane Yellowrock. I was fascinated by this fearless hunter and love the concept of her shape changing abilities. I actually own both books in the series to date and look forward to trying them out after reading Signatures of the Dead.

Ginger: A Nocturne City Story by Caitlin Kittredge - When spell caster Sunny and her cousin, werewolf Luna, team up to find out who is killing spell casters in Nocturne City, trouble is sure to find them. Things go from bad to worse when they discover just what the villain's master plan really is.

Ginger can be confusing for folks not well versed in the Nocturne City world, due to having to gloss over details about the rules of magic here. However, if you can get past that and not get wrapped around trying to understand the rules, Ginger is an entertaining story with believable characters.

Dark Sins by Jenna Maclaine - Vampire witch Cin Craven is on a romantic holiday in Venice with her consort Michael, when a dark arts wizard captures them. He (the wizard) tries to force Cin to bond with him for the power it will give him but Cin has other plans.

While I own the entire Cin Craven series, I have not yet found the time to read them, so I am not sure where Dark Sins falls in the chronology Cin's life/undeath. However, I felt Dark Sins happens in times earlier than we find in the other books in the series. I loved seeing Cin come in to the true powers granted to her by the Goddess Morrigan. I wish I had enough time to read every series I am clamoring for, because I would love to spend more time with Cin and Michael sometime soon.

Whether new to the worlds we are teased with adventures in Strange Brew, or a long time fan, we all can find plenty to love here. I especially love collections like this as it gives me a chance to test drive series that I am interested in, without committing a lot of time I don't have to visiting them. Unfortunately for me, it also means I may discover new series that I just have to read!

© Kelley A. Hartsell, March 2010. All rights reserved.