Hex Appeal [Paperback]

Another solid supernatural anthology featuring some of the biggest names in urban fantasy.

Retribution Clause by Ilona Andrews (Kate Daniels' world)

The magical world of the Kate Daniels series is unparalleled in urban fantasy. Truly. So it was great fun to read a story that takes place across the country from Kate's Atlanta in Philadelphia. There are no character crossovers, but the hero is Saiman's cousin and also a frost giant. The characters are impressively developed for the page length, and the Seek and Assassinate mission that Adam and his partner go on is packed with magic and mayham...and even a little romance. Fans of this world will love this and new readers will get hooked on this world.

Rating: 4/5 Sexual Content: Kissing

Bigfoot on Campus by Jim Butcher (The Dresden Files)

Jim Butcher is the king of short stories. I've yet to read one that wasn't thoroughly entertaining, and I think Bigfoot on Campus is the best yet. Professional wizard, Harry Dresden agrees to investigate a potential threat against his friend Bigfoot's son. There aren't any real clues as to when this story takes place chronologically in The Dresden Files, so longtime fans and newbies alike can jump right in. Harry's trademark biting wit and sly observations are out in force here. Easily my favorite story in the anthology.

Rating: 5/5 Sexual Content: Kissing, magical lust magic that causes a orgy in a college dorm (no descriptions), a non graphic/vague sex scene.

Holly's Balm by Rachel Caine

So glad to see Holly and Andy back. I loved them in the STRANGE BREW anthology and hope to see more of them in future short stories (or full novels). It reads a little like an early Anita Blake story...she's a Resurrection witch and he's an Old West gunslinger she resurrected and then fell for (read their first story in STRANGE BREW). The romance is sweet and hopeful which contrasts nicely with their hunt for a magical serial killer who is resurrecting his victims to kill them again. This story/series is unlike anything else Rachel writes and it's one of my favorites from her. Here's hoping she has future plans for these two.

Rating: 4/5 Sexual Content: One sex scene

Snow Job by Carole Nelson Douglas (Delilah Street)

Having read only the first book in the Delilah Street series previously, I felt a little disoriented reading Snow Job. The worldbuilding in this series is very good, but it's complex and really difficult to grasp in these few pages. The author does explain everything, but that unfortunately hurt the story and emotions in my opinion. Too many info dumps. I image readers who are brand new to this series will feel overwhelmed rather than intrigued by this story which involves a missing rock star, a vengeful hell goddess, and a personal grudge between Delilah and Snow.

Rating: 2/5 Sexual Content: Kissing

Outside the Box by P.N. Elrod

A simple, straightforward story that appears to be separate from Elrod's Vampire Files series in which a witch and a vampire work as partner's for The Company, a bureaucratic agency that monitors new vampires. A supposedly standard rising turns into a search for a missing woman and a hunt for her sire/killer. A little lackluster in terms of excitement, but the world was intriguing.

Rating: 3/5 Sexual Content: N/A

How Do You Feel by Simon R. Green (Nightside)

The Nightside series features a diverse and densely populated world, and that is no more apparent in How Do You Feel. In this story, we follow an unwilling zombie (aka Dead Boy) on his quest to feel and track down his murderers. Nightside tends to be hit or miss for me, and I'm afraid this story falls into the latter category. It's just bizarre. The ending especially since it involves a shapeshifting, self-aware car from the future as a love interest. Too weird for me.

Rating: 2/5 Sexual Content: N/A

There Will Be Demons by Lori Handeland (The Phoenix Chronicles)

Here's another series where I've read the first book, but it's been years and my memory is foggy at best. Not sure if these are primary or secondary characters from The Phoenix Chronicles series, but it involves fairies, dhampires, skinwalkers and fallen angles. Forced to partner together in a demon killing mission, Summer and Jimmy complete their bloody task and then fall into bed together. It wasn't exactly clear, but there may have been reincarnation or soul mate destiny between these two. That or memory loss. Again it wasn't clear enough for me which ended up leaving me more confused than entertained.

Rating: 2/5 Sexual Content: One sex scene

Cherry Kisses by Erica Hayes (Shadowfae Chronicles #4.5) Read an excerpt

Set in the world of the Shadowfae Chronicles, Cherry Kisses follows a resourceful con artist on a job that literally forces her to take a trip to hell to steal an object from a demon. A much too handsome and definitely too honorable guy has his own reasons for helping her. I'm so glad this story was included as it gave me the opportunity to enjoy Hayes' writing without the darker, erotic tone of the full novels. There is a wonderful flavor to the writing that really brings the fae/vampire/demon infused world to life. One of my favorites in the anthology.

Rating: 4/5 Sexual Content: Kissing

The Aracane Art of Misdirection by Carrie Vaughn (Kitty Norville)

According to the author's website, this story is part of the Kitty Norville series, which I've read some of, but I didn't recognize the characters. It follows a blackjack dealer in Vegas who spots a cheating scam and leads her to magician Odysseus Grant. A little on the slow side compared to the other stories in this anthology, but it is an unusual tale.

Rating: 3/5 Sexual Content: N/A

The anthology carries novellas from--I believe--ongoing series of nine established authors of Urban Fantasy. This book, while received free for review, was already on my `To Buy' list because I regularly read four of the authors and used to read a fifth one. The stories run anywhere from 30 - 50 pages and do a good job of filling you in on the different worlds and characters and tell the story without a too-rushed type of feeling.

Ilona Andrews - Retribution Clause. This story is set in Kate Daniels' world, although it takes place in Philadelphia with Saiman's frost giant cousin, Adam. He doesn't have the same level of magic as Saiman does, and he works as an insurance adjuster. He and his partner Siroun are sent out on an impossible task; a client had a retribution clause in her life insurance policy, to kill any person that kills her. They have to determine if the person they're after is guilty, but even more difficult is getting to the guy. If you need a fix from the Kate Daniels' world, this one works nicely and I wouldn't mind seeing future stories about these two. You shouldn't have a problem getting into this world if you haven't read the series.

Jim Butcher - Bigfoot on Campus. From the Harry Dresden series, this is the story I enjoyed the most. Bigfoot has used Harry before and hires him to go to his son--whom he's never met--as he has a premonition that his life is in danger. The story is laid out for us after the fact as Harry explains to a college campus police officer why he was found in the middle of an orgy, how a car ended up on the fourth floor of a dormitory, and why there were reports of seeing Bigfoot. This is an out-of-town story, so the white vampires encountered here are new to us. Again, I believe it would be easy to get into the story if you don't read this series.

Rachel Caine - Holly's Balm. I don't know if this story is part of a series, but the author mentions that Andy and Holly were introduced in the 2010 anthology, Strange Brew. I'm going to have to go back and read that story as I enjoyed this one. Holly is a resurrection witch and Andy had died back in the Old West but had been resurrected by Holly three months ago to help find a killer. They'd fallen in love and against the normal laws of nature, he still shouldn't be alive. He's got his own magical skill set which is needed when a serial killer starts having his victims raised so he can get the thrill of killing them all over again. I really like this duo.

Carole Nelson Douglas - Snow Job. From the Delilah Street, Paranormal Investigator series. I had a difficult time getting through this story. The world is very different from anything else I've read and I had a hard time understanding some of what was going on, or why, even though an explanation is given. Those who follow the series will no doubt get a kick out of Delilah having to go to the Inferno Hotel/Casino to help out Snow, a person normally considered an enemy, when everything there goes wonky. She's got to figure out what's going on and to rescue Snow who has gone missing.

P N Elrod - Outside the Box. I'm not sure if this is part of an ongoing series; possibly the Vampire Files. Marsha (Mars) is a witch working for "The Company" which registers newly risen vampires and magically binds them to rules that keep vampires a secret from human society. She's partnered with Ellinghaus, a vampire that's supposed to keep her safe while Mars calms down the new vampire and gets it to The Company headquarters so it can learn how to adjust. The vampire they're helping out is a little more than they bargained for. Interesting story and I wouldn't mind reading more of this world where there are different types of vampires with different abilities.

Simon R Green - How Do You Feel. Story is from the Nightside series about Dead Boy, who'd been killed thirty years ago at the age of seventeen during a mugging. He exists; he doesn't feel or even taste anything (except with the help of a pill). When Walker approaches him and says his killing hadn't been an accident, Dead Boy knows that taking out the one responsible is one of the few things that would actually feel good. Someone not already familiar with this very strange world might have some problems with it, although it's not quite as `out there' as most of the stories in this series.

Lori Handeland - There Will Be Demons. From the Phoenix Chronicles series, told from Summer's point a view. We experience Jimmy's (dhampir) first meeting of Summer (fairy) and Sawyer (skinwalker), all of them demon killers working for a secret organization that takes out the various types of Nephilim that are doing their best to bring around the Apocalypse. It's been two years since the last book in the series and no release date yet on the next one. This story should help placate those needing something from this series, although there's not a whole lot to it. Non-readers should have an easy time getting into this world.

Erica Hayes - Cherry Kisses. I believe this is from the Shadowfae Chronicles. A female con-artist in a world populated with psychotic fae and vampires with a protection racket, is offered a job by a demon. Fetch an amulet from Hell; it contains something of his. In return he'll fulfill one wish. This story had potential and plenty of action, but I just couldn't relate to the female lead.

This is an excellent collection of paranormal short stories. There's enough big names in there (Elrod, Butcher, Green) to catch your interest and the unfamiliar ones (at least to me) were, for the most part, a pleasant introduction. The only reason this didn't get 5 stars was because of one story I didn't enjoy, but even that wasn't bad, it just didn't measure up to the rest. It's well worth the purchase price and the time it takes to read (which wasn't long, due to it's enjoyability; my new word).