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

Cursed by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Ember McWilliams is having a rough time. After dying in a car crash, her gifted little sister, Olivia, brought her back to life - but now everything that Ember touches dies. Meanwhile, their mother has never quite recovered from the accident, so Ember is trying to keep house and take care of Olivia while still passing high school. Things start to change when she meets Hayden Cromwell, who claims that her new ability is really a gift. But when she and her family are spirited away to a tiny town run by Hayden's adoptive father, she starts to question their motives, and to reevaluate her own life.

This book had some good moments, but the story felt a little stilted - the romance was a little forced and there seemed to be several things going on in the background that we never really find out about. There were also events that seemed implausible, but most of them are explained by the end of the book. However, I did like Ember and seeing her personal growth throughout the book as she learns to deal with her "gift." Overall, this was an interesting book, although it won't make my list of personal favorites. I would suggest it to fantasy fans who enjoy stories about teens with special abilities.

• If this book sounds interesting, consider these: The Summoning, Gifted: Out of Sight, Out of Mind, Immortal Beloved, or Swoon

Moon Flights by Elizabeth Moon

This is a collection of 15 sci fi/fantasy short stories:

• If Nudity Offends You -- Louanne discovers that someone in the trailer park has been stealing her electricity and they're going to pay...
• Gifts -- Dall Drop-hand leaves home to search for adventure; before he leaves, his sister gives him a bit of wood shaped like a knife and her gift could make all the difference
• Politics -- Gunny Vargas is a member of a marine company charged with keeping a landing site safe from hostile aliens, but the real enemy might be closer to home
• And Ladies of the Club -- When the king decides to charge taxes on women's breastplates, the lady warriors of the Ladies' Aid & Armor Society (LA & AS) will need to find a creative solution
• Accidents Don't Just Happen--They're Caused -- Peka is a consulting engineer assigned to a space station to improve the design and prevent accidents, but she's living under the shadow of her mother, who literally wrote the book(s) in the field
• New World Symphony -- Georges Mantenon is a specially-trained musician on his first assignment; his job is to musically represent a newly-discovered world, but it may be more challenging than he dreamed
• No Pain, No Gain -- Girls and women all over the kingdom wake up one morning to discover that their toned arms, legs, and stomachs have been replaced with flabby ones by magic; the members of the LA & AS will have to track down the people responsible and put things to rights
• Hand to Hand -- Ezera comes home after being at war to see her twin sister play in the symphony, but she isn't prepared for what she will hear
• Tradition -- A naval story from World War I
• Fool's Gold -- Cavernous Dire has accidentally been turned into a dragon, and he isn't happy about it; Mirabel Stonefist and the LA & AS decide to rescue him, but they aren't happy about it, either
• Judgment -- When Ker finds some egg-shaped rocks filled with crystals, he starts to feel uneasy, but he can't stop his soon-to-be father-in-law from taking them home
• Gravesite Revisited -- When the clanspeople discover that witches from the future are digging up their graves, they must rethink their traditions
• Sweet Charity -- The annual LA & AS Charity Ball is coming up and this year, Krystal Winterborn is determined to be named Queen of the Ball - no matter what
• Welcome to Wheel Days -- Planning a planet-wide festival is a massive undertaking, particularly since you never know what's going to go wrong...
• Say Cheese -- The Vatta brothers are on their first run, determined that they deserve a place in the family business of space merchants, but one of them may have ruined everything with an ill-fated purchase of cheese to sell

This is a very diverse collection of short stories, although it is definitely weighted toward war and fighters. I enjoyed most of the stories which range from relatively fluffy fantasy tales (such as the stories about the Ladies Aid & Armor Society) to deep, introspective science fiction. If you like both science fiction and fantasy - or if you've thought about branching out a bit - short stories can be a good way to go. I would recommend this to fantasy fans looking for short stories, particularly those who like darker, serious stories in addition to lighter ones.

• If this book sounds interesting, consider these: A Posse of Princesses, Rampant, The Abhorsen Trilogy, or Half Human

The Awakening by Kelley Armstrong

In this sequel to The Summoning, Chloe finds herself locked up by the Edison Group with several others of her housemates from Lyle House (a group home for "troubled" teens). Chloe (a necromancer who can summon ghosts) is finding out new things about herself and the Group's experiments every day, but unfortunately, she doesn't have many options. When she and Tori (a witch) manage to escape and meet up with some other friends (Simon, a sorcerer, and Derek, a werewolf), they realized that their adventures - and problems - have just begun.


I actually enjoyed this book a lot more than the first one. Once the story picked up, it was much more engaging and there was more character development than the first book really addressed. Honestly, I would suggest skipping The Summoning (you only miss a few minor details) or making sure that you have both of them so that you can go straight on to the second. I would recommend this series to fantasy fans who enjoy books that take place in the real world and are less about "magic" and more about the supernatural elements.

• If this book sounds interesting, consider these: Wicked Lovely, Swoon, Gifted: Out of Sight, Out of Mind, or Dragonhaven

Storm Thief by Chris Wooding

Rail and Moa live in Orokos, the only city in the world, or so everyone believes. Unfortunately, it isn't a particularly good place to live despite having no escape - much of the population is poor, living in shacks and eating government-issue gruel. Although the poorest citizens bear the brunt, the whole city is at the mercy of 'probability storms,' terrifying sweeps of chaos that can change nothing or everything, often rearranging streets or moving buildings and people. The storms cause death and destruction in their wake. They have already taken a toll on Rail who can no longer breathe without the aid of a respirator as a result of one storm.

As ghetto-folk, the two make their living as thieves, barely maintaining their existence, although Rail dreams of moving up in the world and giving Moa a better life. On one trip, however, Rail discovers a treasure - a piece of technology from before the 'Fade' and the probability storms. This particular item causes them more trouble than he could have imagined, forcing them to run as fugitives and venture into dangerous places as a way to survive. Soon their path will cross that of a golem from another part of the city - between the three of them, they will discover the darkest secrets of the city and have to make difficult decisions which will affect their lives and the fate of Orokos.


This was an interesting book - although it is fantasy, more or less, it reads like a SciFi novel, with a lot of emphasis on technology and political aspects of the world rather than magic. Also, there were several aspects of the book that reminded me of SciFi movies rather than fantasy - so, readers who prefer 'pure' fantasy should probably pass this one up.

I really liked the characters in this story - particularly the golem, although the relationship between Rail and Moa is kind of ambiguous despite its strength (not a problem although I found myself speculating throughout the book).

I think it's also important for readers to know that this book is kind of dark - very solemn and with the constant feeling of the oppressive storms hanging over the city. Additionally, the ending is incredibly vague, without any real resolution - I don't know if there's going to be a sequel or not, however, according to Wooding's site, a new book called The Fade will be coming out soon (it sounds like it's related, but possibly a prequel).

Another random note: Wooding writes in British English, which doesn't make very much difference, but once or twice it made me blink for a moment, so readers who are bothered by that sort of thing should take it into account.

Given all of this, I have to say that it was an interesting book - and it certainly held my attention - but is probably not one of the best novels I've read. Readers who like more serious, SciFi-inclined books might want to check it out, but if you're looking for dragons or magic, this is not the book for you.

• If this book sounds interesting, consider these: Lady in Gil, Fly by Night, or The Summoning