Absolutely loved this book! From the First story of 'Little Things' with Toot Toot from the Dresden files, I was hooked. I read this in one sitting something I don't usually do when I read short stories as I like to sit and process each story on it's own but I was hooked. I was pleasantly surprised to read the story by Kevin Hearne as he is one of my favorite Urban Fantasy authors much like Butcher is, and I really enjoyed his story "Fire Hazard". Definitely, a must read for any fantasy lovers.

I received a copy of this book for review from NetGalley. I had assumed that this might be one of those anthologies where you could just cherry pick your favorite authors and be done, but I am so glad to be wrong. This lineup of authors is amazing, and there's not a bad one in the bunch. While your mileage may vary for the individual stories (Dresden was bittersweet, Kevin Hearne made me cheer, and Annie Bellet made me cry, but the Vampires of Karamazov did nothing for me), but there's enough here to satisfy just about any fan of the genre. I enjoyed the heck out of this collection, and I will definitely be sharing it with my family.

This review was originally posted on <a href="https://booksofmyheart.net/2022/05/03/heroic-hearts-by-jim-butcher-et-al/" target="_blank"> Books of My Heart</a>
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<i>Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.</i>

4.5 hearts

<strong>Heroic Hearts</strong> is an anthology of stories by some of my favorite authors.  Easily, one could read the stories without having read the author's work before. Of course, if you are familiar with the author's world and series, it is a further development and additional knowledge. I've added an asterisk (*) by the titles where I have read the author previously and recognize the world.

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<strong>* Little Things</strong> by Jim Butcher is set after <strong>Battle Ground</strong>.  The point of view is that of Toot Toot so it is a further development of a supporting character.  We get a view of how / what Harry is doing after the big battle.

<strong>* The Dark Ship</strong> by Anne Bishop is set in the world of the<em><strong> Others</strong></em>. There is a young woman who lives in a village on the Mediterranean Sea who is not in a good situation.  None of the characters are ones I recognize from the series.

<strong>Comfort Zone</strong> by Kelley Armstrong is not set in a world I recognize but I have read and enjoyed this author previously.  This story and its characters were well-developed enough for me to enjoy without any other connection.

<strong>Train to Last Hope</strong> by Annie Bellet is a very enjoyable LGBTQ  story.  This was my first experience with this author.  I'd be interested to read these characters in a series so I'll go look for it.   I can't find a series but maybe they are side characters in one of her series.   The story is about a couple who is trying to find their daughter.

<strong>* Fire Hazard</strong> by Kevin Hearne is set in the world of his <em><strong>Iron Druid Chronicles</strong></em>.  The series is the one for our Read-along next year and I have read only the first book, but own them all.  I LOVED this, as the point of view is Oberon his dog.  Sausage, squirrels and poodles are key concepts here.  There was so much humor. Based on some aspects, I would guess this sits later in the series.

<strong>Grave Gambles</strong> by RR Virdi is written by an author I do not know.  But now I also want to track down what I hope will be a series about this character.  Yes!  There is a series called <em><strong>The Grave Report</strong></em>. The basic premise is the monster hunter wakes up in a recently dead body and has to track down who killed him. Fun, right?  I loved it.

<strong>* Silverspell</strong> by Chloe Neill is in her current series, <em><strong>Heirs of Chicagoland</strong></em>.  It showed how the community is reacting to Elisa working as an Ombud in a murder case and to her relationship with Connor.

<strong>Troll Life</strong> by Kerri L. Hughes is an author I have not read previously. Apparently in this world, trolls are involved in running a sort of underground train station. The trains are sentient and can communicate telepathically with the trolls. They both know which stops are for humans and which stops go into supernatural dimensions.

<strong>* The Return of the Mage</strong> by Charlene Harris is about side characters we met first in her <em><strong>Sookie Stackhouse</strong></em> series.  This does not have any characters from that series though, except the Britlingens. There are also mages which I don't recall in that series but it has been quite awhile since I read it.

<strong>The Vampires Karamazov</strong> by Nancy Holder is another new to me author.  There are a family of vampires living in New York City.  The youngest brother, it is all men, studied to be a monk before his father turned him.  He is still committed to his faith but unsure of whether he would be wanted.  This was my least favorite story with its religious tones.

<strong>The Necessity of Pragmatic Magic</strong> by Jennifer Brozek is a story set in museum with witches and mysterious artifacts.  It seems to be connected to her <em><strong>Karen Wilson Chronicles</strong></em> with some side characters.

<strong>* Dating Terrors</strong> by Patricia Briggs is another in the adventures in dating for Asil.  The world is the same as her <em><strong>Mercy Thompson</strong></em> series.  The author has been doing these Asil short stories for a few years now.  They are delightful.

I did my first reading of urban fantasy and science fiction fantasy in an anthology not unlike this one.  I found stories by Charlene Harris, Keri Arthur, and Carrie Vaughn which I enjoyed tremendously so I sought out their books and read their series.  I appreciate the opportunity to try new things with a smaller time commitment.  It's also a gift if I already know the world to learn more, usually about a supporting character.

I found all of these stories to be engaging and well-developed.  I would say they are all 4-5 heart reads and not a bad one in the bunch.   If there are authors you already enjoy, you will love their stories. And it's a great chance to try a few new authors, I know I will be reading more in some of those series. I highly recommend this anthology.

"Little Things" by Jim Butcher (2022) I haven't read this series yet so I don't know where in the series order this book falls. Apparently this is a new short story. This story features the pixie Toot-Toot who discovers Gremlin invaders unbeknownst to the wizard Harry Dresden who has just lost someone he loved. Ir order to win, Toot-Toot, fellow pixies, and dread cat Mister must put their lives on the line to save Dresden's castle.

"The Dark Ship" by Anne Bishop (2022) Story set in the world of the Others but for the first time, a different area of the world. A young Intuit woman, Vedette, whose fishing village who is brutalized by a man, essentially a pirate, and she by family as well makes decisions to protect and save those most vulnerable at personal cost. She helps and is eventually helped by a Sanguinati sea captain, Corvo, and some very scary Elders.

"Comfort Zone" by Kelley Armstrong (2022) From the Otherworld series, two college students, necromancer Chloe Saunders and werewolf Derek Souza, are trying to stay out of trouble and avoid supernatural hijinks, but when a ghost asks for their help, Chloe can’t say no.

"Fire Hazard" by Kevin Hearne (2022) Set in Australia, An Atticus story from Oberon's POV as the wolfhound finds himself having to be a hero. Another series that I have fallen so far behind, that it almost seems not worth it to start the series right now.

"Silverspell" by Chloe Neill (2022) Story is part of the authors Heirs of Chicagoland. Elise Sullivan investigates the death of a werewolf unaffiliated with boyfriend, Connor’s pack. Connor aids in tracking down who might have been responsible for kicking off the apocalypse. This story seems like a tie-in to the next book in the series. We shall see.

"The Return of the Mage" by Charlaine Harris (2022) Apparently, this story features come mercenary “soldiers” who appeared in All Together Dead. Batayna and Clovache are tasked with rescuing fellow mercs after their first mission goes wrong and someone is left behind. Has zero bearing on the Sookie Stackhouse series.

"The Vampires Karamazov" by Nancy Holder (2022) This was a rather odd story about a vampire named Alexei who is concerned for his immortal soul as well as his really nasty father and questionable brothers who are also vampires.

"Dating Terrors" by Patricia Briggs (2022) Asil Moreno aka the Moor has been shuttered by the loss and grief of his mate, Sarai, for centuries. Ghost Hunter Ruby Kowalczyk is in desperate need of help with her magic being bound by a dark force. When her friends and Asil’s pack conspire to have them get together from internet dating service, it becomes clear to Asil that this woman not only needs his help, but might be someone much more to him.

What a great anthology! When I pick up an anthology, I always expect that I will find a story or two that just doesn’t work all that well for me. It is almost an unwritten rule but this collection broke that rule because I liked every single story. Yes, every single one! I did like some stories more than others but there wasn’t any part of this book that I didn’t enjoy reading which was a real treat.

This collection features stories from some of my favorite series written by some of my favorite authors. I loved the story featuring Asil from Patricia Brigg’s Mercy Thompson world. It was a fun surprise to find a story from Oberon’s point of view written by Kevin Hearne. We also got a short story from the world of The Others by Anne Bishop. I was thrilled to get a little bit of The Dresden Files with a story from Toot Toot’s point of view. The stories by Kelley Armstrong and Chloe Neill were also a real treat.

I liked the variety in the collection. There was a little bit of everything from the genre of urban fantasy in this group of stories. I have read quite a few books written by the authors featured in this anthology. While some of the stories were a part of a long-running series, everything in this collection would work as a stand-alone so it is a great way to sample the writing of this group of authors.

I would definitely recommend this book to others. I found this to be a very impressive collection of stories and had a hard time putting the book down because I was having such a good time with it. Urban Fantasy fans will not want to miss this anthology.

I received a digital review copy of this book from Berkley Publishing Group via NetGalley.

A lot of the authors in this anthology I’ve been reading for years, so I was excited to give this a try. I admit upfront I’m not a huge fan of short stories, but again, I’ve been a fan for years. After reading this anthology, I was surprised to find that a couple of them are just OK, but they weren’t up to the standards I would expect. However, some of them are great. I’m not going to go into each story, but I will say the authors that stood out to me were Patricia Briggs, Kelley Armstrong, Kerrie Hughes, and Chloe Neill. The others were just more of 3 ½ to 4 stars; I liked Butcher’s story, but I felt it was a little lacking. Overall, this is really worth reading especially if you have favorite author in this. I did find a new author to read, though. Recommend. I was provided a complimentary copy which I voluntarily reviewed.

This delightful collection of stories features some of my favorite authors as well as introducing me to several new ones. The hero theme is as broadly interpreted as the stories themselves are varied, but all come together for a rewarding collection.

Butcher's Toot Toot & Hearne's Oberon stories had me laughing out loud. Bishop's world building is unparalleled. And Brigg's Asil blind date story was the perfect cherry on top!

A book only someone already interested in the authors could love. Every story is either already from a series or feels like it, and from deep in, too. These are almost entirely novelists and it shows. Did not have a need to check out any other authors' works when I was done, which is surprising for a collection like this.

Heroic Hearts is a fantastic collection of short stories by some of the best loved authors in urban fantasy. There are lots of enjoyable stories written by such greats as Jim Butcher, Patricia Briggs, Kelley Armstrong, Charlaine Harris, Anne Bishop and more. It's an interesting and enjoyable read with a little bit of everything.

A really enjoyable collection of stories. Be sure to have a Kleenex on hand for a couple of them. I hadn’t read anything by Kerrie L Hughes before but the story Troll Life makes me want to read more by her. I’ve marked Covens & Conspiracies as to read on Goodreads on the strength of her story. Most of the authors in this book are much bigger names any urban fantasy reader is going to know. Highly recommend and I usually like novels much better than short.

This anthology has the theme of people acting courageous in ways that help others, sometimes at their own expense. No matter how small or unskilled an individual, having the bravery of heart and mind can make a difference. Most people will buy this anthology because it contains one or more of their favorite authors plus it is always a good way to sample the delights of books new to the reader.

DARK SHIP by Anne Bishop-
This World of the Others story takes places in Ms. Bishop’s version of the Mediterranean Sea. A young Intuit woman, Vedette, whose fishing village who is brutalized by a man, essentially a pirate, and she by family as well makes decisions to protect and save those most vulnerable at personal cost. She helps and is eventually helped by a Sanguinati sea captain, Corvo, and some very scary Elders. This story has some very dark elements of women used and abused reminding me of Ms. Bishop’s other long running series.
4 Stars

Troll Life by Kerrie L. Hughes
A new to me author whose story has a very interesting and unique world building. This story pulled me right in so that I want to find out more about Ms. Hughes’s work. Trolls are not often protagonists and this one comes across as a hero indeed.
5 Stars

The Vampires Karamazov by Nancy Holder
This was a rather odd story about a vampire who is concerned for his immortal soul as well as his really nasty father and questionable brothers who are also vampires.
3 Stars

Grave Gambles by R.R. Virdi
This story has an interesting premise of a detective Vincent Graves who occupied the bodies of deceased people helping to solve their case and find the killer.
4 Stars

Silver Spell by Chloe Neill.
From her current series, Heirs of Chicagoland, Elise Sullivan investigates the death of a werewolf unaffiliated with boyfriend, Conor’s pack. Conor aids in tracking down who might have been responsible finding as usual some whackjob supernaturals intent on magic and mayhem.
4 Stars.

The Return of the Mage by Charlaine Harris
This story features come mercenary “soldiers” who appeared in All Together Dead. Batayna and Clovache are tasked with rescuing a fellow merc after the first mission goes wrong and someone is left behind.
3 Stars

Comfort Zone by Kelley Armstrong.
From the Otherworld series, two college students, necromancer Chloe Saunders and werewolf Derek Souza are trying to stay out of trouble and avoid supernatural hijinks, but when a ghost asks for their help, Chloe can’t say no.
3.5 Stars

Dating Terrors by Patricia Briggs
Alpha and Omega, Mercyverse
This story was my absolute favorite of the anthology. Fans of this series in general and Asil in particular, will be thrilled that finally he has a second chance at a new love opening a heart that has centuries been shuttered by the loss and grief of his mate, Sarai. Ghost Hunter Ruby is in desperate need of help with her magic being bound by a dark force. When her friends and Asil’s pack conspire to have them get together from internet dating service, it becomes clear to Asil that this woman not only needs his help, but might be someone much more to him. I hope Miss Briggs will continue this story in the near future.
5 Stars

Also in the anthology are works by Jim Butcher, Anne Bellet, Kevin Hearne, Jennifer Brozek,

Butcher/Dresden fans all know that Toot Toot is a badass. He can demolish a pizza at the drop of a hat- getting a quick fix of an old beloved and not-oft used character from the Dresden Files was a dream. Little Things is short, but full of adventure and hilarity.

Adding to the serotonin hit was Patricia Briggs and her Asil led story, Dating Terrors, with the from the Emerald City pack. I LOVE visiting the Seattle-based pack, they have short story legends in white witch Moira and her mate werewolf/cop Tom. I wish Briggs had time to give fans a series centering around this pack, but this short story will tide me over for a while.

Kelley Armstrong throws Darkest Powers fans a bone with Comfort Zone, Chloe and Derek are back, and a part of me still misses those bygone stories, where Derek was a soupy mess of raging hormones and acne. I really really love him. Seeing them grown is awesome.

This is a contemporary romance that is set in a longer running series of books but can be read by itself. Jacob is a single dad after his high school sweetheart Callie died from meningitis not too long after giving birth to their only child. Jacob is a rising star rugby player much like most of his siblings but is a devoted single father. When he is teamed up with Juliet, Callie’s best friend from high school sparks fly. They had always verbally sparred but both dearly loved Callie. Juliet was sent away to live with her grandparents in Samoa and missed the birth of Esme and the funeral. When she came back to New Zealand she made a clean break from her past and never got in touch with any old friends. When they do meet again it is due to Juliet’s friendship with Jake’s soon to be sister in law. They continue to cross paths due to Juliet’s work and sparks fly. The interconnected series of book is a great payoff to the long time reader but with the plot so focused on the main characters it can be picked up without getting lost. A lovely ending to the book and good to know there is still one more brother to have his book.

"An all-star urban fantasy collection featuring short stories from #1 New York Times bestselling authors Jim Butcher, Patricia Briggs, Charlaine Harris, Kelley Armstrong, and more...

In this short story collection of courage, adventure, and magic, heroes - ordinary people who do the right thing - bravely step forward.

But running toward danger might cost them everything....

In #1 New York Times bestselling author Jim Butcher’s “Little Things,” the pixie Toot-Toot discovers an invader unbeknownst to the wizard Harry Dresden...and in order to defeat it, he’ll have to team up with the dread cat Mister.

In #1 New York Times bestselling author Patricia Briggs’s “Dating Terrors,” the werewolf Asil finds an online date might just turn into something more - if she can escape the dark magic binding her.

In #1 New York Times bestselling author Charlaine Harris’s “The Return of the Mage,” the Britlingen mercenaries will discover more than they’ve bargained for when they answer the call of a distress beacon on a strange and remote world.

And in #1 New York Times bestselling author Kelley Armstrong’s “Comfort Zone,” the necromancer Chloe Saunders and the werewolf Derek Souza are just trying to get through college. But they can’t refuse a ghost pleading for help.

ALSO INCLUDES STORIES BY Annie Bellet * Anne Bishop * Jennifer Brozek * Kevin Hearne * Nancy Holder * Kerrie L. Hughes * Chloe Neill * R.R. Virdi."

What with Soul Taken being pushed back, get your Patricia Briggs fix here with Asil on ANOTHER blind date!

A great collection of short stories! Honestly, I don't believe I have read anything by most of these authors, but that didn't stop me from getting into these stories. I requested this book for the Jim Butcher story, and I loved it! I have been a story from Toot Toot's pov, and this one was exactly what I needed in my life!

Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC!

Thanks to Netgalley and Berkley for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I knew I had to request this one when I saw who some of the authors were!!!

Overall score: I have to give this one 5 stars, because the 4 and 5 star stories were just THAT GOOD.

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Little Things by Jim Butcher
Series: The Dresden Files
My Series Status: Devoted Follower/Obsessee
Stars: Four

NOTE: Do not read this without having read the series up to Battle Ground. Spoilers, people, spoilers.

I love Toot-Toot. Seriously, he's the reason I requested this anthology. Sure, there are plenty of great authors contributing to it, but a story from Toot's perspective was NECESSARY in my life.

I loved this one! It was really cool to be in Toot-Toot's head and see how he views Dresden, Mister, feelings, and the world around him.
---

The Dark Ship by Anne Bishop
Series: The Others
My Series Status: Devoted Follower/Obsessee
Stars: Five (I'd give more if five weren't the limit)
Absolute gem of a story. We get a story set in the world of The Others, but this time, it's in Cel-Romano and revolves around a separate cast in the Mediterranean Sea area. This story was fantastic - I loved the characters, the buildup, and the way she ended it just right.
---

Comfort Zone by Kelley Armstrong
Series: Darkest Powers/The Otherworld Universe
My Series Status: New to me and Devoted Follower/Obsessee
Stars: Four

New characters in a side story from The Otherworld. A necromancer and a werewolf. Honestly, I feel like they might have been from the secret lab in Stolen. But it's been a long time since I've read the early books. Either way, we get a brief mention of the Nasts too! These two characters decide to start using their powers for good, and this is their first case. Really enjoyed it.
---

Train to Last Hope by Annie Bellet
Series: N/A
My Series Status: N/A
Stars: Five

I have no idea if these are side characters from her Twenty-Sided Sorceress world or not, as this is my first time reading Annie Bellet, but I very much enjoyed this one. It threw you right into the story and built the history up as you went along, but it worked really well and showed pretty damn deep characterization for such a shorty. Nailed it.

---

Fire Hazard by Kevin Hearne
Series: The Iron Druid Chronicles
My Series Status: Read through book 7 (currently two books behind)
Stars: Three

I liked the first few books in this series, but the last few haven't been as fun or as exciting. Maybe it's just me, but I grew kinda bored of the whole series, which is a shame, because I love Oberon and Granuaile. This one is from Oberon's point of view, which made it more entertaining, but I also am missing a few things for this one since I haven't read the last two books of the series.

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Grave Gambles by R.R. Virdi
Series: The Grave Report
My Series Status: New to me
Stars: Four

Umm, wow. That was a great story! Definitely going to have to pick up this series. I loved the premise - body-hopping soul jumps into murdered people's bodies and solves their murders!

---

Silverspell by Chloe Neill
Series: Heirs of Chicagoland
My Series Status: New to me
Stars: Three and a half

It was a little predictable, but it was also interesting enough that I will definitely be checking out the main series (though I'll start with the series Chicagoland, as this Heirs series is a followup/spinoff).

---

Troll Life by Kerrie L. Hughes
Series: N/A
My Series Status: N/A
Stars: Four

I'd read more about this world! I loved the development in such a short story. Excellent job building the world. I really liked all the different supernaturals in one story!

---

The Return of the Mage by Charlaine Harris
Series: Southern Vampire Mysteries/Sookie Stackhouse Universe
My Series Status: Devoted Follower/Obsessee
Stars: Three

Batanya and Clovache, Britlingen Mercs from All Together Dead, are back in this shortie. It was a very strange story, but oddly intriguing. I'd read more about these Britlingens! :)

---

The Vampires Karamazov by Nancy Holder
Series: N/A
My Series Status: N/A
Stars: Two and a half

I really didn't care much for this one. I liked Alexei's struggle with good/evil, but I thought the ending was contrived and just wasn't a fan.

---

The Necessity of Pragmatic Magic by Jennifer Brozek
Series: N/A
My Series Status: N/A
Stars: Four

First, I want more Maureen and Felicia. They were hilarious and brave. Second, I want to know what "Him" was. This story was super fun!

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Dating Terrors by Patricia Briggs
Series: Alpha & Omega (Mercyverse)
My Series Status: Devoted Follower/Obsessee
Stars: Five

Asil is such an interesting character, and these little side shorts reveal so much more of who he is at his core. His gracious protection of the characters in this book really make his personality shine, and I very much enjoyed meeting Ruby and her team. I also loved seeing Asil's wolf become his partner again after so long... and the claim it made... I'm gonna need so much more of this story! Please give us more, Patty!!

Reading the foreword is moving and sets the tone for this entire book. I picked this book up mostly because I saw Asil's next date story by Ms. Briggs and that Anne Bishop plus Chloe Neill have stories in this book. How could I pass this up? I dived into the first story ... and fell completely flat on my face and didn't like the book. Devasted, I decided to go straight to the author I wanted to read first. Ms. Brigg's here I come!

Little Things by Jim Butcher kicks off the collection from the viewpoint of a Pixie. I believe this is part of the Dresden files and Harry is an auxiliary character here. Perhaps it is because I haven't read the series that this story did nothing for me. I found the concept interesting. The storyline was good. It is very well written. I just didn't like the story at all. None of the characters did it for me and the dialogue was hard for me to get through. Disheartened, I quickly decided to read only the female authors. I am biased towards reading only female authors. I am posting these in the order I read them.

Dating Terrors by Patricia Briggs

Oh my goodness! Asil! What is happening here? Is this the last of the blind dates? I've read the other ones and they had me chuckling like a loon. I loved this story. It is so smooth and I really liked Asil and his wolf working together for once. I am so eager to see what can happen next with Asil. With this awesome story with Asil being the black knight to save the day, I excitedly dived into the next author I wanted to read.

The Dark Ship by Anne Bishop

Wow. I loved this novella in the world of the Others. The human interaction with terra indigene is fantastic here. Little has been said about what happened when the terra indigene took action against the humans in Cel-Romano. This short story gives a grim glimpse into the continued atrocities humans perpetuate. This time, it is focused on themselves. Wonderfully written and appeals to all things I love about this universe. Definitely a winner for me. On to the next author I eagerly wanted to read.

Comfort Zone by Kelley Armstrong

For those familiar with the Otherworld series and its spin-off, this story may make a little more sense. For someone like me who read the Otherworld series so long ago, it took a little bit for my brain to catch up and figure out what was going on. I am guessing it can be read as a standalone but some of the back histories would enhance the experience better. Two teenagers are trying their best to survivor what happened to them. This is a growth piece for them as they learn they can move on and start making a difference.

Silverspell by Chloe Neill

Into the world of the Heirs of Chicagoland, we get to see more of Elisa and Connor. I do like this couple together. They solve a serial killing and it foreshadows something else coming up. This story excites me. I wonder what will happen in the next book in the series. Ms. Neill also brings forth an interesting question. What happens if what seems like an atrocity is what is needed to save the world? What if it is a sacrifice of a few for the greater good? This is an anathema concept for most of North America and a few other Western thinking countries. I love this kind of theme.

The Return of the Mage by Charlaine Harris

What is this delicious new world? This is patently different than other stories I have read by Ms. Harris and I am floored. I loved this new world and I want more. I hope this is a glimpse into a new series. Or if it is an existing one and I somehow seemed to have missed it, point me in the right direction! This is a tightly woven story that captured my attention with interesting characters and a slight plot twist.

The Vampires Karamazov by Nancy Holder

Ms. Holder is a recognizable name and I have read her before in another anthology. Then I also recalled she wrote a Buffy the Vampire Slayer trilogy. I do love BtVS. This story follows a couple of others in this collection with a dark backdrop. These characters are more anti-heroes and one Blacksheep who is kind of a hero at the end. There seems to be more to this story that the reader is unaware of and makes the story feel a bit unfinished. Or that we are dropped in the middle of an act and then whisked away before we can be fully immersed.

Now that I have read through all the names I recognized and wanted to read, let's dive into the remaining ones.

The Necessity of Pragmatic Magic by Jennifer Brozek

New-to-me author Ms. Brozek pens a world where witches blend in with normal humans and none the wiser. Or at least that is how it seems. I enjoyed the conflict here and it reminded me a little bit of the plot line for Wonder Woman 1984. I prefer what is written here by Ms. Brozek over that travesty of a movie. The two witches uniting to end an ancient evil is a nice showing of women working together instead of competing jealously against each other.

Troll Life by Kerrie L. Hughes

This is a gem and I loved the concept, the story, the characters - everything about it. I looked her up and good ole trusty Goodreads showed that I read something from her back years ago in another anthology. It appears Ms. Hughes focuses on short stories added into collections. If she ever decides to write a full novel, I would love to read what she comes up with based on the world she's created in this one. It is charming and intriguing.

Train to Last Hope by Annie Bellet

This one moved my heart to tears. The loss of a child is never easy. It either brings couples closer together or breaks them. This one is both of these and yet not. I cannot describe how beautifully written this story is and it reminds me a little bit of how Patricia McKinley wrote Deerskin. I loved that book and I cherish this story. This is an unexpected piece of an unresolved missing child that finally receives closure. New-to-me Author Ms. Bellet wows me and I want to read more of her writing.

Grave Gambles by R.R. Virdi

Full disclosure, not only did I not know this author but I didn't know their gender either. So I picked this book next and it isn't until I looked the author up to write my review did I know the author is a male. I loved this story. I liked the characters and the concept. It is kind of a Quantum Leap concept except to right the injustice perpetrated by supernaturals. This is a hard-hitting and fast-paced story. I am intrigued and need to pick up his series, The Grave Report.

Fire Hazard by Kevin Hearne

Yes, yes, I do know who author Kevin Hearne is and yes, I'm well aware of what he writes. I haven't read anything by him as I tend to shy away from male authors with my very CONSCIOUS bias. I may have to revise my stance and make an exception for Mr. Hearne. If his writing of the Iron Druid is like this short story, I am going to probably like him. I loved this story and it is a great finish to an overall amazing collection. This story is told from the point of view of a dog. It is phenomenal and I loved the humour in the dire situation. All I can say is... I hope Oberon receives his ass candle. He is a good doggy. The best doggy.

This collection hit it out of the ballpark for me with the majority of the stories. I highly recommend this to sci-fi/fantasy lovers who want a book filled with the underdog facing adversity.

This short story collection was really great a lot of really great fun short stories here to explore. I requested this book mostly for the Patricia Briggs short story and that did not disappoint at all. I did not realize that Asil had been getting a series of short stories and so when I read this one I was then able to go and find the previous ones and they’re all just so excellent.

Short stories read so far:

- The Dark Ship by Anne Bishop (stand-alone in Others world)

- Comfort Zone by Kelley Armstrong (college mystery with Derek/Chloe from The Summoning)

- Silverspell by Chloe Neill (Heirs of Chicagoland adventure with Elisa and Connor)

Disclaimer: I received a free e-ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Another fantastic anthology with some of my favorites. I jumped immediately to Patricia Briggs' story and wasn't disappointed. It was great to read the new Jim Butcher story and Anne Bishop's The Dark Ship was a pleasure. This is a must buy for fans of these top notch authors.