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103 of 106 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A fine sampling for anyone wishing to explore different authors of paranormal writings., July 10, 2009
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.
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35 of 36 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Make mine a double --- 4.5 stars out of 5, July 13, 2009
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---
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Not Overly Juicy, But Satisfying, September 3, 2009
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.
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