Enthralled: Paranormal Diversions Edited by Melissa Marr & Kelley Armstrong

This is a collection of stories from 16 different YA authors:

• Giovanni's Farewell by Claudia Gray: Ravenna's twin brother, Cairo, has been suffering from odd attacks that have caused them to drift apart; during a trip to Rome, Italy Ravenna meets a boy named Giovanni who shifts her perspective in a way that only her brother can understand
• Scenic Route by Carrie Ryan: Margie and her little sister, Sally, have built a hideaway in a remote cabin - away from an unsafe world - but they're about to be discovered by someone from outside
• Red Run by Kami Garcia: Everyone avoids the "Red Run" road in rural Louisiana at night because it's haunted by a killer ghost, but tonight Edie has decided that it's time to stop him
• Things About Love by Jackson Pearce: Lawrence's best friend, Viola, has fallen in love with a jinn which means that now he's regularly watched by the jinni for "security" reasons; however, Juliet isn't an ordinary jinn and she's determined to use her time with Lawrence to learn about the concept of love
  [Sequel to As You Wish]
• Niederwald by Rachel Vincent: Sabine has come to Niederwald, Texas to get answers; but consulting a seer is always tricky, even when she isn't guarded by a town full of harpies...
• Merely Mortal by Melissa Marr: Keenan and his girlfriend, Donia - who happens to be the Winter Queen - decide to take an ordinary, human vacation away from the world of faerie
  [Related to the Wicked Lovely series (the story contains spoilers if you are intending to read the whole series)]
• Facing Facts by Kelley Armstrong: Chloe and her friends (all teens who have abilities from genetically-modified DNA) are living on a country farm and keeping a low profile; but when Tori runs away, they could all be in danger
  [Related to the Darkest Powers series, which starts with The Summoning]
• Let's Get This Undead Show on the Road by Sarah Rees Brennan: Christian is the vampire bass player in the hottest new boy band "4 the One," which is going on tour; but not everyone is comfortable about having a vampire around
• Bridge by Jeri Smith-Ready: Logan may be dead, but he still has something he needs to tell his brother
• Skin Contact by Kimberly Derting: Rafe is in the middle of nowhere, trying to find something he has seen in a dream - and he's scared that he'll find it
• Leaving by Ally Condie: Everything changes for Sora when her father mysteriously leaves the safety of the city and she is tainted by association, but now she has a plan to change everything
• At the Late Night, Double Feature, Picture Show by Jessica Verday: Jane is the "bait" in a family of hunters who chase down supernatural monsters; tonight she has gone out on her own to find a troop of cannibal Girl Scouts...but then everything starts to go wrong...
• IV League by Margaret Stohl: Wren and Hopper are "Drinkers" from a remote town in the South who are on a school trip to interview at colleges where they'll have a convenient supply of "blood donors," if only they can get in
• Gargouille by Mary E. Pearson: Giselle is a gargouille - an angel of the night - but a man has captured her and stripped her wings in the hope of making money, but his hope has destroyed life as she knows it forever
• The Third Kind by Jennifer Lynn Barnes: Jess is used to her sister, Kissy, having strange impulses that force her to do things, so when Kissy wakes her up and says they have to go to San Antonio, they go - but the trip is far more complicated than either of them realize
• Automatic by Rachel Caine: As the youngest vampire in Morganville, Texas (a community primarily composed of vampires), Michael is chosen to demonstrate the new vending machine that dispenses cans of blood
  [Related to the Morganville Vampires series that starts with Glass House]

This was a really great collection of stories that I enjoyed a lot. As the title suggest, they tend more toward the paranormal/supernatural, but these stories represent a large spectrum, including fantasy. I would absolutely recommend this collection to fantasy fans looking for a good collection of short stories, particularly those who enjoy paranormal tales or who have enjoyed some of the other books written by these authors.

• If this book sounds interesting, consider these: The Last Apprentice series, The Magic and the Healing, Swoon, or Rampant

Rampant by Diana Peterfreund

Astrid hates her mother's obsession with unicorns. According to Lilith, unicorns are nasty, man-eating monsters and Astrid herself is descended from a long line of women warriors who hunt them. But Astrid has never bought into the stores - until her boyfriend, Brandt is gored by one and nearly dies. Suddenly Astrid finds herself packed off to Rome where the cloisters of the Order of the Lioness (a.k.a. unicorn hunters) is being revived. But when she arrives, nothing is what she expected. Surrounded by expectations of what she's "supposed" to be and hating every minute of it, Astrid must discover whether she has what it takes to embrace her birthright and lead her fellow warriors against an enemy that once again threatens mankind.


This story, told from Astrid's point of view, is definitely an interesting twist on fairy tales about fluffy versions of unicorns. I felt as though it was a little slow getting started, but once I got into it, there was plenty of action and side stories to keep it going. It was also a bit difficult to keep track of all of the characters, but I didn't feel as though it detracted from the story. By the end, I was wondering if there would be a sequel - and hoping that we would find out more about what happens to Astrid and her friends. I would definitely recommend this book to older teens, particularly those who like stories that take place in the 'real world' or about women warriors.

• If this book sounds interesting, consider these: A Posse of Princesses, Song of the Lioness Quartet, The Lightning Thief, or The Abhorsen Trilogy

Stravaganza: City of Masks by Mary Hoffman

Lucien is a young boy with cancer, struggling through his most recent treatment. His father gives him a blank book with a strange design on the cover so that he'll have someplace to write his thoughts. Something strange happens when Lucien falls asleep holding it, though - he finds himself in a place called 'Belleza' which seems very like old Venice but with important differences. Lucien discovers from the people there that he is a 'Stravagante,' meaning that he can travel between his world and that of Belleza. Although it starts as a fun adventure, his trips begin to cause complications at home, and things become more dangerous in Belleza; will Lucien be able to keep up his double life without everything falling apart?

First of all, I should point out that this book is written by a British author and takes a little getting used to for anyone who reads primarily American English books. Otherwise, the story is interesting and the characters are fairly well-crafted, but I definitely felt that there were some issues. Parts of the book made little sense and, in some cases the logic was explained after the fact, but I really could not accept some of the claims that were central to the plot. Also, the whole story seemed unsophisticated and the ending of the book appears to reconcile all of the loose ends, but I didn't think that it worked quite as well as it is meant to. This book is actually the first of three: Stravaganza: City of Stars, and Stravaganza: City of Flowers but I was not impressed enough with the first to continue reading the series. In general, I would say that this book wasn't bad for a light, 'fluffy' read if the subject sounds appealing, but I don't recommend it as one that I really enjoyed; consider these instead:

• The Keys to the Kingdom, Fablehaven, Once Upon a Marigold, or The Last Apprentice