Kisses From Hell

This is a collection of short novellas:

• Sunshine by Richelle Mead - Eric Dragomir is a Moroi (a living vampire); his dad has been pressuring him to marry and start producing heirs to carry on the royal line. But first, Eric is going to a week-long party with his friends to celebrate their high school graduation.
• Bring Me to Life by Alyson Noël - Danika is moving to boarding school in the UK to study painting. But when she arrives, the school isn't quite what she expected.
• Above by Kristin Cast - Rheena dreams of going to the the world Above, where the men hunt, but if she gets her wish, will it truly be what she hoped?
• Hunting Kat by Kelley Armstrong - Katiana is a newly-turned, genetically-modified vampire living with her vampire guardian, Marguerite. On a road trip to attend a party, Kat runs into trouble when people come looking for her.
• Lilith by Francesca Lia Block - Paul Michael isn't like the other students at his high school; he spend more time thinking about his imaginary world than living on Earth. Then he meets a new student, Lilith, and he thinks that perhaps she might finally be someone who can understand him.

I thought this collection of stories was ok, but I had trouble connecting with some of the characters. I would recommend these stories to fantasy fans who prefer stories that are a little odd or thought-provoking.

• If this book sounds interesting, consider these: Tantalize, Half-Human, Cursed, or Sunshine

Paranormalcy by Kiersten White

Evie works for the semi-secret International Paranormal Containment Agency, tracking down creatures of legend and myth, to keep humans unaware and safe from vampires, trolls, hags, and other paranormals. She has lived and worked at IPCA since she was young because she has a special talent - she's the only one who can see through the glamours of every paranormal. Evie longs for regular, teenage experiences, but she's happy to have her mermaid best friend and to help keep the world safe. But then paranormals start to die mysteriously and pieces of a strange faerie prophecy may point toward Evie as the source. Now it's up to her to find a way to save all of the paranormal creatures she's been tracking down. The story continues in Supernaturally and Endlessly

These books are surprisingly serious, even though the tone is fairly light and humorous (told from Evie's point of view). Evie's character is well developed and it's easy to sympathize with her and some of the difficult choices she has to make. I will mention that this series ends rather abruptly; if you like to have all of the loose ends tied up or a "happily ever after" ending, you won't get it from these books. However, I did enjoy the books and I would recommend them to fantasy fans who enjoy stories of magical creatures and the paranormal in real life.

• If this book sounds interesting, consider these: Wicked Lovely, Sisters Red, or Princess for Hire

Steel by Carrie Vaughn

After losing an important fencing competition, Jill starts to rethink her future and what she wants out of life. While her family is on vacation in the Bahamas, she finds an old, corroded spear tip in the sand and puts it in her pocket. But when it sends her back in time, she ends up on an actual pirate ship and has to sign on as a crew member. Pirate life is less glamorous that she expected - and dangerous, as she finds herself holding a live rapier for the first time. But Jill is determined to get home one way or another, if only she can figure out how...

I enjoyed this story and it was a fairly quick read. The characters and settings are very realistic, but not entirely predictable. I would recommend this to fantasy fans of all ages who enjoy stories about pirates, time travel, or strong female characters.

• If this book sounds interesting, consider these: A Posse of Princesses, Young Warriors, The Two Princesses of Bamarre, or Rampant

Sunshine by Robin McKinley

After the Voodoo Wars, life went on, but monsters lurk in corners. Sunshine is happy being the baker at Charlie's, her stepfather's restaurant. It isn't exciting, but she has a comfortable life, and she thought that it would be enough. Everything changes when she is kidnapped by vampires. Though she manages to escape, going back to her ordinary life may be impossible, and her time as a captive continues to haunt her. Slowly, she must learn about her heritage and who she truly wants to be - assuming that she can survive what's coming.

This is told from Sunshine's point of view, which gives it a wry tone even though the story is often a bit dark. It felt a little bit slow to me, particularly since there are often asides with further explanations of how magic functions in that world. However, I did enjoy reading this book and it's an interesting way of approaching a reluctant human-vampire cooperation. I would recommend this book to older fantasy fans who enjoy books with magic in alternate realities or serious, dangerous vampires.

• If this book sounds interesting, consider these: Enthralled, Howl's Moving Castle, Morganville Vampires, or Tantalize