The award-winning Julia Whelan and Emily Rankin bring a youthful assuredness and brightness to this stellar collection of 11 urban fantasy tales. The pair lead a talented group of narrators into an edgy, gray otherworld of demons, healers, and zombies. These are not your grandpa’s nineteenth-century “castle-on-a-hill” horror stories. In these, a half-succubus comes to the rescue at the local mall. A group of fairies must somehow pay tribute to the Lady of Winter. A demon visits an evil influence from his past. There’s a just-around-corner closeness and humor in each story, and the narrators deftly bring that intimacy and ease to their readings. But listen carefully. These strange beings are among us . . . B.P. © AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine

09/26/2016
The morally gray heroes of this urban fantasy anthology refute the idea that all magic users are either good or evil. Butcher opens with his own “Cold Case,” the heart-wrenching story of a young woman trying to reconcile her new and terrible power with the duty she must perform. Seanan McGuire’s “Sleepover” follows nicely, revealing a world where magical people are reviled and unwelcome. Tanya Huff’s “If Wishes Were,” the grim story of a vampire holding desperately to her humanity through the man she loves, rounds out a powerful opening, but from here the anthology begins to lose momentum. Several stories are amusing but not exceptional. Kristine Kathryn Rusch’s “Sales. Force.” revives the flagging collection, but the final story, “Impossible Monsters” by Rob Thurman, falls flat, adding an incidental magical element to the tired trope of a serial killer who goes after evildoers. Not every story will appeal to every reader, but the best of them truly shine. (Nov.)

Praise for Jim Butcher and the Dresden Files

“Butcher is the dean of contemporary urban fantasy.”—Booklist

“Think Buffy the Vampire Slayer starring Philip Marlowe.”—Entertainment Weekly

Praise for Seanan McGuire

“The plot is strong, the characterization is terrific, the tragedies hurt...and McGuire's usual beautiful writing and dark humor are present and accounted for. This has become one of my favorite urban fantasy series.”—Fantasy Literature

Praise for Kevin J. Anderson

“Anderson's skill in delivering taut action scenes and creating well-rounded human and alien characters adds depth and variety to a series opener that belongs in most SF collections.”—Library Journal

Praise for Rob Thurman

“Thurman continues to deliver strong tales of dark urban fantasy.”—SFRevu

11/15/2016
The world is not black and white, strictly divided between good and evil, but rather more shades of gray. In these 11 stories, readers will find their most beloved series characters crossing those morally ambiguous boundaries. In editor Butcher's "Cold Case," Molly, Harry Dresden's former apprentice and current Winter Lady, is now in service to Queen Mab and must collect tribute from a remote fae colony. In Seanan McGuire's "Sleepover," Elsie Harrington may be part succubus, but she is no demon, despite the opinions of those around her. Rob Thurman's Caliban Leandros remembers his childhood and takes care of the past in "Impossible Monsters." VERDICT Urban fantasy enthusiasts will love these "in-between" tales from their favorite series.—KC

The award-winning Julia Whelan and Emily Rankin bring a youthful assuredness and brightness to this stellar collection of 11 urban fantasy tales. The pair lead a talented group of narrators into an edgy, gray otherworld of demons, healers, and zombies. These are not your grandpa’s nineteenth-century “castle-on-a-hill” horror stories. In these, a half-succubus comes to the rescue at the local mall. A group of fairies must somehow pay tribute to the Lady of Winter. A demon visits an evil influence from his past. There’s a just-around-corner closeness and humor in each story, and the narrators deftly bring that intimacy and ease to their readings. But listen carefully. These strange beings are among us . . . B.P. © AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine