This collection of short(er) stories by James Rollins features several Sigma Force side adventures, including a crossover with a popular character of author Steve Berry. It also includes two shorts set in the supernatural "Order of the Sanguines" series that he co-wrote with Rebecca Cantrell, and two other non-Sigma stories.

From the Sigma Force roster of characters, there were two Tucker and Kane stories that I enjoyed the most. The duo are a former military K-9 unit, and I loved that part of each story is told from the dog's point of view as he interacts with Tucker. In fact, the book closes with an all new novella featuring the duo, called "Sun Dogs," set in the mystical area of Sedona, AZ.

Other favorites from the book include the YA fantasy story "Tagger," in which a pair of teenage street artists must protect San Francisco from a demon who has been seeking revenge for centuries.

I also enjoyed "Blood Brothers," one of the two "Order of the Sanguines" stories, that incorporates the supernatural in a telling of two long lost half-brothers.

The only story I have mixed feelings about is the horror story "The Pit," about a young dog that is kidnapped and forced into becoming the bloody champion of a dog-fighting ring. I appreciated the uniqueness of the story being told from the dog's point of view, but the dog-fighting scenes were so brutal and hard to read.

I'm giving Unrestricted Access: New and Classic Short Fiction by James Rollins a 4 out of 5 stars.

Some great stories that shed more light on members of Sigma and other Rollins creations. I especially liked the story with my favorite Sigma character Kowalski. If you have read any other James Rollins books you will know what to expect: action, adventure, advanced theoretic science and a dash of comedy. Great book to ready on a cozy fall day!

FORTUNE HUNTERS
Wendy Byrne/Author
Adventure/Fiction
324 pages


When Ivan, an almost MIT graduate, comes up with a plan to find a missing 20 million dollars in an adventure treasure hunt weekend, he recruited 5 five friends from college to go with him into the Appalachian Mountains. While all are nearing 30, they have new lives and past regrets. Ivan blew graduation by “adjusting” his grades and getting caught just before graduation, and ruining his chances with Deana, his perfect woman. She is one of the friends on the trip, and Ivan hopes this windfall will allow him another shot with her. However, the bookie he owes money to breaks Ivan’s arm before they can leave, yet that’s only the smallest problem the friends encounter.

This is refreshingly original! The characters are great and the writing is witty and well-done. This story sneaks up and grabs you very early on. I strongly recommend it!

This book is amazing. It collects all of the short stories that take place in the Sigma Force universe (one of my favorite series of all time) along with two excellent short stories from the Order of The Sanguines series. Combined with the Tucker Wayne and Kane stories that are in this, it becomes a veritable smorgasbord of excellent fiction. I also loved the Author's notes, particularly in the Sigma Force stories. It tells you what the stories fall in between the books in the series.

As for the other short stories in it, "Tagger" was a wonderful story (one I could see turning into it's own series) and I enjoyed "The Pit" as well. It must be difficult to see things from a dog's point of view, but between the Tucker Wayne stories and "The Pit", Rollins does an excellent job.

P.S. I will be reading the Sanguines series ASAP.

SPOILERS


I will say that this book contains one big-time trigger warning: animal abuse. In "The Pit", the dog's second owner is a real sadist, and the pit fights are brutally written. And in "Sun Dogs", Tucker's dog Abel is killed very violently.

Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC. All opinions are my own.

I am a long time fan of James Rollins and have read all of his series and single titles. It's wonderful to see a collection of short stories that highlight characters from those stories as well as introduces new characters/series. I appreciated Rollins' author's notes, as I love understanding the author's writing process and his train of thought, particularly when it comes to long-lived series and adapting to new writing styles and storytelling modes. I would truly read anything that Rollins wrote because he's proved to be consistent with his storytelling. He delivers each time with historical, scientific, and technological insight all perfectly wrapped in an adventure thriller. I highly recommend this collection.