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The Dresden Files #Mister Petty
Paranormal Payback
A superstar lineup is included in this urban fantasy collection featuring short stories from New York Times bestselling authors Jim Butcher, Holly Black, Kim Harrison, Faith Hunter, and more …
In this short story collection, our heroes get what’s due to them—with a supernatural flair.
But the injustices that have been holding them back might cost them more than they realized. . . .
In “Mister Petty,” a brand-new Dresden Files story from #1 New York Times bestselling author Jim Butcher, a woman hires Goodman Grey to get back at her cheating husband. She’s about to find out that Grey isn’t your ordinary detective—he’s a professional monster. And he’s going to balance the scales.
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Holly Black, “Dying Isn’t Just for the Young” follows an elderly widow reckoning with family scheming to take away her independence in a world infected by a disease of vampirism.
New York Times bestselling author Faith Hunter’s “Razors and Revenge” finds the vampire bounty hunter Shiloh awaiting her judgement at the hands of the Dark Queen, fresh off a brutal werewolf attack and the loss of a dear friend. But Shiloh’s not just a vampire anymore—and the wolfish instincts growing inside her are howling for blood.
And Kim Harrison takes us to the #1 New York Times bestselling series of the Hollows in her story “Dog-eared.” The demon Algaliarept makes a bargain with the dangerously insane Newt, the last female demon, to punish an arrogant wizard for abusing his precious magical texts—but how ruthless is Al willing to be to get his petty vengeance?
ALSO INCLUDES STORIES BY Jennifer Blackstream * Maurice Broaddus * Delilah S. Dawson * Kevin Hearne * Tanya Huff * Kerrie L. Hughes * R. L. King * R. R. Virdi
Contents:
Mister Petty by Jim Butcher
The Underground Goddess by Kevin Hearne
Dying Isn't Just for the Young by Holly Black
A Midsummer Night's Scheming by Delilah S. Dawson writing as Isla Jewell
Contained by Tanya Huff
Dirt by Jennifer Blackstream
Black Bond by Maurice Broaddus
Dog-Eared by Kim Harrison
Razors and Revenge by Faith Hunter
A Clean Break by R. L. King
Grave Payback by R. R. Virdi
The Broom by Kerrie L. Hughes
In this short story collection, our heroes get what’s due to them—with a supernatural flair.
But the injustices that have been holding them back might cost them more than they realized. . . .
In “Mister Petty,” a brand-new Dresden Files story from #1 New York Times bestselling author Jim Butcher, a woman hires Goodman Grey to get back at her cheating husband. She’s about to find out that Grey isn’t your ordinary detective—he’s a professional monster. And he’s going to balance the scales.
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Holly Black, “Dying Isn’t Just for the Young” follows an elderly widow reckoning with family scheming to take away her independence in a world infected by a disease of vampirism.
New York Times bestselling author Faith Hunter’s “Razors and Revenge” finds the vampire bounty hunter Shiloh awaiting her judgement at the hands of the Dark Queen, fresh off a brutal werewolf attack and the loss of a dear friend. But Shiloh’s not just a vampire anymore—and the wolfish instincts growing inside her are howling for blood.
And Kim Harrison takes us to the #1 New York Times bestselling series of the Hollows in her story “Dog-eared.” The demon Algaliarept makes a bargain with the dangerously insane Newt, the last female demon, to punish an arrogant wizard for abusing his precious magical texts—but how ruthless is Al willing to be to get his petty vengeance?
ALSO INCLUDES STORIES BY Jennifer Blackstream * Maurice Broaddus * Delilah S. Dawson * Kevin Hearne * Tanya Huff * Kerrie L. Hughes * R. L. King * R. R. Virdi
Contents:
Mister Petty by Jim Butcher
The Underground Goddess by Kevin Hearne
Dying Isn't Just for the Young by Holly Black
A Midsummer Night's Scheming by Delilah S. Dawson writing as Isla Jewell
Contained by Tanya Huff
Dirt by Jennifer Blackstream
Black Bond by Maurice Broaddus
Dog-Eared by Kim Harrison
Razors and Revenge by Faith Hunter
A Clean Break by R. L. King
Grave Payback by R. R. Virdi
The Broom by Kerrie L. Hughes
352 pages, Paperback
First published April 14, 2026
About the author
Jim Butcher
200 books51.7k followersJim Butcher is the author of the Dresden Files, the Codex Alera, and a new steampunk series, the Cinder Spires. His resume includes a laundry list of skills which were useful a couple of centuries ago, and he plays guitar quite badly. An avid gamer, he plays tabletop games in varying systems, a variety of video games on PC and console, and LARPs whenever he can make time for it. Jim currently resides mostly inside his own head, but his head can generally be found in his home town of Independence, Missouri.
Jim goes by the moniker Longshot in a number of online locales. He came by this name in the early 1990′s when he decided he would become a published author. Usually only 3 in 1000 who make such an attempt actually manage to become published; of those, only 1 in 10 make enough money to call it a living. The sale of a second series was the breakthrough that let him beat the long odds against attaining a career as a novelist.
All the same, he refuses to change his nickname.
Jim goes by the moniker Longshot in a number of online locales. He came by this name in the early 1990′s when he decided he would become a published author. Usually only 3 in 1000 who make such an attempt actually manage to become published; of those, only 1 in 10 make enough money to call it a living. The sale of a second series was the breakthrough that let him beat the long odds against attaining a career as a novelist.
All the same, he refuses to change his nickname.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Paranormal Payback
by Jim Butcher
This is a collection of short paranormal, urban fantasy stories by popular authors. There is quite a variety and I enjoyed most of them. My two favorite stories were written by Jim Butcher and R.R. Virdi. I want to thank the publisher and NetGalley for letting me read this wonderful book!
by Jim Butcher
This is a collection of short paranormal, urban fantasy stories by popular authors. There is quite a variety and I enjoyed most of them. My two favorite stories were written by Jim Butcher and R.R. Virdi. I want to thank the publisher and NetGalley for letting me read this wonderful book!
April 20, 2026
Thanks to Netgalley and Berkley for the pre-release copy of Paranormal Payback by a bunch of great authors! Below is my honest review.
Mister Petty by Jim Butcher - 5 stars - This story is set in world of the Dresden Files. Goodman Gray is such a fun character and I'd like to see him more often!
The Underground Goddess by Kevin Hearne - 4 stars - an interesting tale about some modern day witches.
Dying Isn't Just for the Young by Holly Black - 4 stars - This is set in the world of Coldtown. It was really cool to see some of the world of Coldtown from someone else's perspective, absolutely.
A Midsummer Night's Scheming by Delilah S. Dawson/Isla Jewell - 3.5 stars - This is set in the world of Arcadia Falls. This was a weird tale about a magical woman coming into her powers and getting a donkey familiar, Gary, who was hilariously weird, and helping get some revenge on the awful people who hurt her sister.
Contained by Tanya Huff - 3.5 stars - This is set in the world of Henry Fitzroy. Definitely made me interested into looking into this series. Henry was a cool character.
Dirt by Jennifer Blackstream - 4 stars - This is set in the world of Shade Renard/Blood Trails. I think I would have enjoyed this one so much more if I'd had more knowledge of the world. Yay for a new UF series to add to my list, though!
Black Bond by Maurice Broaddus - 4 stars - Some much overdue justice is served!
Dog-Eared by Kim Harrison - 5 stars - This is set in the world of The Hollows. I freaking adore Al and Newt so this story was an absolute gem.
Razors and Revenge by Faith Hunter - 5 stars - This is set in the world of Jane Yellowrock. I'm hoping we see some more of Shiloh in the upcoming Angie Baby/Evan Jr series. She was an interesting combination of lore!
A Clean Break by R.L. King - 3.5 stars - This is set in the world of Alastair Stone. I'd take a leap into this world again to get to know it better.
Grave Payback by R.R. Virdi - 3.5 stars - This is set in the world of The Grave Report. I read one of these in the last anthology, Heroic Hearts, and added it to my list. I need to go ahead and get to the series already!
The Broom by Kerrie L. Hughes - 4.5 stars - This is set in the world of Great Lakes Grimoire. I was very intrigued by the brother-sister pair and the magic they used. I definitely want to pick up more of this series!
All in all, a great anthology! Definitely worth a read.
Mister Petty by Jim Butcher - 5 stars - This story is set in world of the Dresden Files. Goodman Gray is such a fun character and I'd like to see him more often!
The Underground Goddess by Kevin Hearne - 4 stars - an interesting tale about some modern day witches.
Dying Isn't Just for the Young by Holly Black - 4 stars - This is set in the world of Coldtown. It was really cool to see some of the world of Coldtown from someone else's perspective, absolutely.
A Midsummer Night's Scheming by Delilah S. Dawson/Isla Jewell - 3.5 stars - This is set in the world of Arcadia Falls. This was a weird tale about a magical woman coming into her powers and getting a donkey familiar, Gary, who was hilariously weird, and helping get some revenge on the awful people who hurt her sister.
Contained by Tanya Huff - 3.5 stars - This is set in the world of Henry Fitzroy. Definitely made me interested into looking into this series. Henry was a cool character.
Dirt by Jennifer Blackstream - 4 stars - This is set in the world of Shade Renard/Blood Trails. I think I would have enjoyed this one so much more if I'd had more knowledge of the world. Yay for a new UF series to add to my list, though!
Black Bond by Maurice Broaddus - 4 stars - Some much overdue justice is served!
Dog-Eared by Kim Harrison - 5 stars - This is set in the world of The Hollows. I freaking adore Al and Newt so this story was an absolute gem.
Razors and Revenge by Faith Hunter - 5 stars - This is set in the world of Jane Yellowrock. I'm hoping we see some more of Shiloh in the upcoming Angie Baby/Evan Jr series. She was an interesting combination of lore!
A Clean Break by R.L. King - 3.5 stars - This is set in the world of Alastair Stone. I'd take a leap into this world again to get to know it better.
Grave Payback by R.R. Virdi - 3.5 stars - This is set in the world of The Grave Report. I read one of these in the last anthology, Heroic Hearts, and added it to my list. I need to go ahead and get to the series already!
The Broom by Kerrie L. Hughes - 4.5 stars - This is set in the world of Great Lakes Grimoire. I was very intrigued by the brother-sister pair and the magic they used. I definitely want to pick up more of this series!
All in all, a great anthology! Definitely worth a read.
April 20, 2026
I read this one for the Jim Butcher short story which was excellent.
I enjoyed the rest and maybe found some new authors.
I enjoyed the rest and maybe found some new authors.
April 12, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for providing this ARC.
Butcher and Hughes have collected a strong group of stories that all nail the theme of payback.
Standouts for me were “Dying Isn’t Just For The Young,” by Holly Black, and “Clean Break,” by R.L. King. While Black’s story is a standalone and King’s is part of an established universe, both were able to welcome me into their worlds with no issues.
In anthologies there are always stories are a let down, either through their own merits or because they feel too dependent on the reader knowing the ins and outs of the world they are set in through the author’s other works. While some of the stories here didn’t grab my attention enough to seek out more work from the author, I was pleased at how the majority of them were able to stand on their own.
Butcher and Hughes have collected a strong group of stories that all nail the theme of payback.
Standouts for me were “Dying Isn’t Just For The Young,” by Holly Black, and “Clean Break,” by R.L. King. While Black’s story is a standalone and King’s is part of an established universe, both were able to welcome me into their worlds with no issues.
In anthologies there are always stories are a let down, either through their own merits or because they feel too dependent on the reader knowing the ins and outs of the world they are set in through the author’s other works. While some of the stories here didn’t grab my attention enough to seek out more work from the author, I was pleased at how the majority of them were able to stand on their own.
April 14, 2026
I used to love urban fantasy novels, but I haven't read any in such a long time. I was instead reading mainly romances, historicals and mysteries. I recently got back into reading horror novels, but still hadn't picked up urban fantasy again. When I saw that Kim Harrison had a story from The Hollows, one of my favorite series of all time in this volume of short stories, I figured this book would be the best way to be reintroduced to that genre. And I am pleased that I read this, as it reminded me why I loved it so much! There were familiar-to-me authors here, like Ms. Harrison, but also writers like Jim Butcher, whose books I've always wanted to check out. Once again I'm hooked.
I usually write a brief synopsis of each book I read, but since this is a story collection we'd be here all week! So I'm going to do things a bit differently here, with the story name, author, and a quick opinion of each one. Here goes...
Mister Petty by Jim Butcher: A man who is a professional monster? Sounds more interesting than being a secretary like I was! I have GOT to read more of Jim Butcher's work. Things can get a bit bloody, but the humor had me LOL. Who knew urban fantasy could be so funny?!
The Underground Goddess by Kevin Hearne: To be honest, without going back to read his story again, this is the only one that didn't draw me in. It was maybe a bit too short. It wasn't bad at all, just not memorable. I do have several books from Mr. Hearne that I haven't read yet, so I plan on checking those out to see how an entire novel of his is for me..
Dying Isn't Just for the Young by Holly Black: This was a very good story. The world is being infected by vampirism, and an elderly widow is having her free will taken from her. What choice does she have, however? The answer is a good one.
A Midsummer Night's Scheming by Delilah S. Dawson writing as Isla Jewell: Oh, my goodness, I almost fell out of my chair laughing! A woman discovers she has a weird witchy power, and she puts it to good use. You will absolutely love Gary the donkey...so funny!
Contained by Tanya Huff: One hell of a story! Really big payback here...and a rather bloody one, at that.
Dirt by Jennifer Blackstream: Witches and pixies and necromancers, oh, my! I especially enjoyed Peasblossom the pixie and Jenkins, a terrier who's a bag of bones until his beloved owner brings him back to life as needed. This was quite entertaining.
Black Bond by Maurice Broaddus: A Black man and his best friend, who just happens to be deceased, go on a road trip. They are confronted with racism. They know how to deal with that. Very satisfying.
Dog-Eared by Kim Harrison: Kim Harrison, one of my all-time favorites! It was great to be reunited with demons Algaliarept (or Al, if you prefer) and Newt, plus Nick Sparagmos the wizard and Ceri the elf. Rachel herself doesn't appear here, but it's still an awesome story. My favorite passage in the entire book was from this story, and it's one I wholeheartedly agree with: "Don't trust him. You can't convince someone who dog-ears books to not do it again. It's a chronic disease." Amen to that!
Razors and Revenge by Faith Hunter: This story takes place in the world of Jane Yellowrock. I have a number of her books, and now I can't wait to read them. This story was the most exciting, and I loved it. So much action! (And a bit of gore, as well. We're talking about payback here!)
A Clean Break by R. L. King: A motel haunted by Luisa the ghost, the men who killed her, and a man who got the worst motel room ever was quite entertaining.
Grave Payback by R. R. Virdi: This was a great story. A paranormal investigator and soul without a body wakes up in the bodies of those killed by the supernatural and finds out what kills them. And stops them.
The Broom by Kerrie L. Hughes: A brother and sister plan to buy an allegedly haunted building to build a coffee house; and these two are used to dealing with the supernatural. This is one of the best stories in the book. Don't let me give anything away...I'll just say the "crows" get their vengeance.
If you want to dip your toe into the world of urban fantasy, this is a great book to start with. It was a fast and fun read, and I have new series to check out!
I received an ARC of this book courtesy of the publisher and NetGalley. I received no compensation for my review, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are entirely my own.
I usually write a brief synopsis of each book I read, but since this is a story collection we'd be here all week! So I'm going to do things a bit differently here, with the story name, author, and a quick opinion of each one. Here goes...
Mister Petty by Jim Butcher: A man who is a professional monster? Sounds more interesting than being a secretary like I was! I have GOT to read more of Jim Butcher's work. Things can get a bit bloody, but the humor had me LOL. Who knew urban fantasy could be so funny?!
The Underground Goddess by Kevin Hearne: To be honest, without going back to read his story again, this is the only one that didn't draw me in. It was maybe a bit too short. It wasn't bad at all, just not memorable. I do have several books from Mr. Hearne that I haven't read yet, so I plan on checking those out to see how an entire novel of his is for me..
Dying Isn't Just for the Young by Holly Black: This was a very good story. The world is being infected by vampirism, and an elderly widow is having her free will taken from her. What choice does she have, however? The answer is a good one.
A Midsummer Night's Scheming by Delilah S. Dawson writing as Isla Jewell: Oh, my goodness, I almost fell out of my chair laughing! A woman discovers she has a weird witchy power, and she puts it to good use. You will absolutely love Gary the donkey...so funny!
Contained by Tanya Huff: One hell of a story! Really big payback here...and a rather bloody one, at that.
Dirt by Jennifer Blackstream: Witches and pixies and necromancers, oh, my! I especially enjoyed Peasblossom the pixie and Jenkins, a terrier who's a bag of bones until his beloved owner brings him back to life as needed. This was quite entertaining.
Black Bond by Maurice Broaddus: A Black man and his best friend, who just happens to be deceased, go on a road trip. They are confronted with racism. They know how to deal with that. Very satisfying.
Dog-Eared by Kim Harrison: Kim Harrison, one of my all-time favorites! It was great to be reunited with demons Algaliarept (or Al, if you prefer) and Newt, plus Nick Sparagmos the wizard and Ceri the elf. Rachel herself doesn't appear here, but it's still an awesome story. My favorite passage in the entire book was from this story, and it's one I wholeheartedly agree with: "Don't trust him. You can't convince someone who dog-ears books to not do it again. It's a chronic disease." Amen to that!
Razors and Revenge by Faith Hunter: This story takes place in the world of Jane Yellowrock. I have a number of her books, and now I can't wait to read them. This story was the most exciting, and I loved it. So much action! (And a bit of gore, as well. We're talking about payback here!)
A Clean Break by R. L. King: A motel haunted by Luisa the ghost, the men who killed her, and a man who got the worst motel room ever was quite entertaining.
Grave Payback by R. R. Virdi: This was a great story. A paranormal investigator and soul without a body wakes up in the bodies of those killed by the supernatural and finds out what kills them. And stops them.
The Broom by Kerrie L. Hughes: A brother and sister plan to buy an allegedly haunted building to build a coffee house; and these two are used to dealing with the supernatural. This is one of the best stories in the book. Don't let me give anything away...I'll just say the "crows" get their vengeance.
If you want to dip your toe into the world of urban fantasy, this is a great book to start with. It was a fast and fun read, and I have new series to check out!
I received an ARC of this book courtesy of the publisher and NetGalley. I received no compensation for my review, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are entirely my own.
April 14, 2026
If you read any of the author's included, you will like their stories. Most of them are set in their most popular series, with side characters you get to know more of. It was fun to see these lesser known parts and characters. Fun reads about why you shouldn't cross people, but especially those in these stories.
April 21, 2026
This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart
Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
4.5 hearts
I enjoy these collection of short stories because it gives a view into the author and sometimes series. For authors I already love, it's both a connection between main stories and often an opportunity for them to further develop a side character. I had a hard time getting it read on my time schedule though.
Mister Petty by Jim Butcher
I have read the entire Dresden Files series on audio, including the novella collections. It's amazing on audio. As expected, Mister Petty uses the full beauty of the world but with a character I don't recall from the main books. Goodman Grey has some sort of magic and a human assistant. They aren't exactly private investigators, more like karma justice.
A woman comes to Grey wanting revenge on her husband for ruining her life. It's worse than she knows really. There are plenty of financial shenanigans with powerful players like the ghouls, and Marcone to make things worse. I had fun with Grey's investigation and handling of the case.
The Underground Goddess by Kevin Hearne
I got another story which was just what I like, the expansion of a side character. One of the Polish witches has an elderly friend Babcia who knits her a lovely scarf every year and they have tea together. Babcia has been tricked out of all her money by criminals who got her to verify information on the phone. Anna the younger witch takes it to the coven. Malina originally was against going after the scammers. But Anna convinced all the younger witches and eventually they all decided to pinch the scammers.
The divination showed it was not just human scammers but something seriously wrong. When they went to the building it was where the Warsaw Uprising had happened. In the basement, they found the creatures, and humans and more. A bit of a battle occurred but then goddesses got involved.
Dying Isn't Just for the Young by Holly Black
There's a new disease which is like vampires or a bit like zombies, happening across the US. Beryl is at the hospital with her husband, Nigel, as this begins. The hospital takes in some who have money, and soon there is a whole ward of infected ones. Nigel's lungs fail and he dies.
Beryl's children come for the funeral, although they are concerned about the vampire disease. Diane and David both try to get their mother to come live with them so they can sell the home (worth millions). She goes on with some of Nigel's work and the lawyer has set things up with Nigel's wishes.
Then Beryl fell and hurt some ribs, and Diane and David came and got her to sign paperwork while she was medicated. They push her to come stay with Diane. They keep her drugged so they can sell her house, take her money, put her in a home. Beryl finds out and has a different idea for the rest of her life. I was rooting for Beryl rather than her awful kids.
A Midsummer's Night's Scheming by Delilah S Dawson
A funny tale of Keelie with her horse, Marigold, her donkey, Gary and her pitbull, Peach Pit. She takes a tumble and learns she has some powers and she can talk to Gary. It's quite hilarious. Keelie has other priorities though. Mark cheated on her sister, Cash, with her best friend, Samantha. Cash had left town for six years but was back now. Keelie wanted Mark and Sam to leave her sister alone or leave town.
Keelie goes to work and learns from her boss that she is a witch and many people in town are. She will have a special skill but she doesn't know what it is. But when she figures it out she will use it to help her sister. And she and Gary, the donkey have solidified their friendship. Keelie and Gary are fun, and she has a sense of karma I enjoyed.
Contained by Tanya Huff
Henry, the five hundred year old vampire makes graphic comics and helps his friend RCMP Inspector Jack Elson with the non human crimes. Various predators have decided here that Henry must not be so tough since he doesn't really hunt anymore. Henry shows them what they forgot about him, as he tracks the killer who murdered his friend. I liked Henry and Jack. I would definitely read more about them.
Dirt by Jennifer Blackstream
There are plenty of interesting characters here. Again, we get a witch who is a private investigator, along with necromancers, and a pixie. A necromancer is concerned about her revenge plots that hurt a young man. She "hires" the witch to help her find out who raised a zombie to go after a young man. Alex is a college student who helps others get revenge with planted cameras or minor traps. So they follow his list of people he "helped." The whole thing is a twisty revenge plot.
Black Bond by Maurice Broaddus
yes each story is a revenge plot and I have to say I am on board for it. Here we have two young black men who grew up together. One went into the military and the other ended up dying from cancer. The ghost of the cancer victim is traveling with his old friend, the military man to many places of their childhood. We see the intelligence and competence of the military man, and the bigotry he faces.
Dog-Eared by Kim Harrison
Set in the world of the Hollows, at the time of the first book roughly, the main characters are Al, Ceri, Newt and Nick. Nick is summoning Al to learn curses and spells. Al is trying to learn as much as he can about Rachel. All three in the ever after are in pain and it's not a good situation. Overall, everyone is trying to manipulate others. But I have a soft spot for each of them in the ever after, but not Nick.
Razors and Revenge by Faith Hunter
Jane Yellowrock is the Dark Queen. The world is in that series with characters I know. Shiloh was a witch who got turned into a vampire. She and Atticus went to catch crazy werewolves. Atticus was killed. But Shiloh brought down three werewolves and survived but was bitten. She did not turn furry. Here she goes out with three other vamps to track down the other werewolves. She works her vampire, witch and new werewolf skills to get revenge, survive and build a new career.
A Clean Break by RL King
I haven't read this author previously. A professor with magic ends up at a broken down motel because his reservation was wrong. He is headed to Comic-Con but won't be able to get his reserved room until tomorrow. The motel is creepy and has less than reputable guests. In his room, he sees a red haze and realizes it is a ghost of a young woman in a maid uniform. He ends up learning what happened to her and helping her with her revenge.
Grave Payback by RR Virdi
I've read short stories from this series but never the actual books. But I want to read them. Vincent the main character is a soul without a body who does paranormal investigations. He takes the body of the recently dead and investigates how they died to get vengeance or justice. In this case, a miner knows a mine has been skimping on protection equipment. He's collected information on every death and every investigation. Now he is dead.
The Broom by Kerrie L. Hughes
I really liked this too. There is a brother -sister team who are half fae- half witch. Their father was fae and their mother a witch. Now they are looking at buying a building to open a coffeehouse. The realtor said it is haunted. It is, but not by a ghost. They have the skills to deal with it and give payback to those needing it.
These are all excellent! I really enjoyed them. There are four stories where I have read the main series: Butcher, Hearne, Harrison and Hunter. These are really fun like an gift of an expanded vignette in that world. Having all the background of the other characters, and how the world works makes those the easiest to read.
The others are all a bit more effort to assimilate a new world but ones I would like to learn. Holly Black has a standalone, The Coldest Girl in Coldtown which her story is in that world. It looks like Tanya Huff's story is connected to the Henry Fitzroy series. Jennifer Blackstream's story is related to her Blood Trails series. The RL King short is linked to the Alastair Stone Chronicles , originally she misnamed a trilogy, which now has forty books. RR Virdi has the Grave Report series which is the word for his tale and one I already wanted to read from another anthology.
Really I want to read all the series of authors I have not read previously, because the stories were all very good. The subject matter of paranormal payback is perfect. I guess I am petty and love revenge, at least in fiction.
Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
4.5 hearts
I enjoy these collection of short stories because it gives a view into the author and sometimes series. For authors I already love, it's both a connection between main stories and often an opportunity for them to further develop a side character. I had a hard time getting it read on my time schedule though.
Mister Petty by Jim Butcher
I have read the entire Dresden Files series on audio, including the novella collections. It's amazing on audio. As expected, Mister Petty uses the full beauty of the world but with a character I don't recall from the main books. Goodman Grey has some sort of magic and a human assistant. They aren't exactly private investigators, more like karma justice.
A woman comes to Grey wanting revenge on her husband for ruining her life. It's worse than she knows really. There are plenty of financial shenanigans with powerful players like the ghouls, and Marcone to make things worse. I had fun with Grey's investigation and handling of the case.
The Underground Goddess by Kevin Hearne
I got another story which was just what I like, the expansion of a side character. One of the Polish witches has an elderly friend Babcia who knits her a lovely scarf every year and they have tea together. Babcia has been tricked out of all her money by criminals who got her to verify information on the phone. Anna the younger witch takes it to the coven. Malina originally was against going after the scammers. But Anna convinced all the younger witches and eventually they all decided to pinch the scammers.
The divination showed it was not just human scammers but something seriously wrong. When they went to the building it was where the Warsaw Uprising had happened. In the basement, they found the creatures, and humans and more. A bit of a battle occurred but then goddesses got involved.
Dying Isn't Just for the Young by Holly Black
There's a new disease which is like vampires or a bit like zombies, happening across the US. Beryl is at the hospital with her husband, Nigel, as this begins. The hospital takes in some who have money, and soon there is a whole ward of infected ones. Nigel's lungs fail and he dies.
Beryl's children come for the funeral, although they are concerned about the vampire disease. Diane and David both try to get their mother to come live with them so they can sell the home (worth millions). She goes on with some of Nigel's work and the lawyer has set things up with Nigel's wishes.
Then Beryl fell and hurt some ribs, and Diane and David came and got her to sign paperwork while she was medicated. They push her to come stay with Diane. They keep her drugged so they can sell her house, take her money, put her in a home. Beryl finds out and has a different idea for the rest of her life. I was rooting for Beryl rather than her awful kids.
A Midsummer's Night's Scheming by Delilah S Dawson
A funny tale of Keelie with her horse, Marigold, her donkey, Gary and her pitbull, Peach Pit. She takes a tumble and learns she has some powers and she can talk to Gary. It's quite hilarious. Keelie has other priorities though. Mark cheated on her sister, Cash, with her best friend, Samantha. Cash had left town for six years but was back now. Keelie wanted Mark and Sam to leave her sister alone or leave town.
Keelie goes to work and learns from her boss that she is a witch and many people in town are. She will have a special skill but she doesn't know what it is. But when she figures it out she will use it to help her sister. And she and Gary, the donkey have solidified their friendship. Keelie and Gary are fun, and she has a sense of karma I enjoyed.
Contained by Tanya Huff
Henry, the five hundred year old vampire makes graphic comics and helps his friend RCMP Inspector Jack Elson with the non human crimes. Various predators have decided here that Henry must not be so tough since he doesn't really hunt anymore. Henry shows them what they forgot about him, as he tracks the killer who murdered his friend. I liked Henry and Jack. I would definitely read more about them.
Dirt by Jennifer Blackstream
There are plenty of interesting characters here. Again, we get a witch who is a private investigator, along with necromancers, and a pixie. A necromancer is concerned about her revenge plots that hurt a young man. She "hires" the witch to help her find out who raised a zombie to go after a young man. Alex is a college student who helps others get revenge with planted cameras or minor traps. So they follow his list of people he "helped." The whole thing is a twisty revenge plot.
Black Bond by Maurice Broaddus
yes each story is a revenge plot and I have to say I am on board for it. Here we have two young black men who grew up together. One went into the military and the other ended up dying from cancer. The ghost of the cancer victim is traveling with his old friend, the military man to many places of their childhood. We see the intelligence and competence of the military man, and the bigotry he faces.
Dog-Eared by Kim Harrison
Set in the world of the Hollows, at the time of the first book roughly, the main characters are Al, Ceri, Newt and Nick. Nick is summoning Al to learn curses and spells. Al is trying to learn as much as he can about Rachel. All three in the ever after are in pain and it's not a good situation. Overall, everyone is trying to manipulate others. But I have a soft spot for each of them in the ever after, but not Nick.
Razors and Revenge by Faith Hunter
Jane Yellowrock is the Dark Queen. The world is in that series with characters I know. Shiloh was a witch who got turned into a vampire. She and Atticus went to catch crazy werewolves. Atticus was killed. But Shiloh brought down three werewolves and survived but was bitten. She did not turn furry. Here she goes out with three other vamps to track down the other werewolves. She works her vampire, witch and new werewolf skills to get revenge, survive and build a new career.
A Clean Break by RL King
I haven't read this author previously. A professor with magic ends up at a broken down motel because his reservation was wrong. He is headed to Comic-Con but won't be able to get his reserved room until tomorrow. The motel is creepy and has less than reputable guests. In his room, he sees a red haze and realizes it is a ghost of a young woman in a maid uniform. He ends up learning what happened to her and helping her with her revenge.
Grave Payback by RR Virdi
I've read short stories from this series but never the actual books. But I want to read them. Vincent the main character is a soul without a body who does paranormal investigations. He takes the body of the recently dead and investigates how they died to get vengeance or justice. In this case, a miner knows a mine has been skimping on protection equipment. He's collected information on every death and every investigation. Now he is dead.
The Broom by Kerrie L. Hughes
I really liked this too. There is a brother -sister team who are half fae- half witch. Their father was fae and their mother a witch. Now they are looking at buying a building to open a coffeehouse. The realtor said it is haunted. It is, but not by a ghost. They have the skills to deal with it and give payback to those needing it.
These are all excellent! I really enjoyed them. There are four stories where I have read the main series: Butcher, Hearne, Harrison and Hunter. These are really fun like an gift of an expanded vignette in that world. Having all the background of the other characters, and how the world works makes those the easiest to read.
The others are all a bit more effort to assimilate a new world but ones I would like to learn. Holly Black has a standalone, The Coldest Girl in Coldtown which her story is in that world. It looks like Tanya Huff's story is connected to the Henry Fitzroy series. Jennifer Blackstream's story is related to her Blood Trails series. The RL King short is linked to the Alastair Stone Chronicles , originally she misnamed a trilogy, which now has forty books. RR Virdi has the Grave Report series which is the word for his tale and one I already wanted to read from another anthology.
Really I want to read all the series of authors I have not read previously, because the stories were all very good. The subject matter of paranormal payback is perfect. I guess I am petty and love revenge, at least in fiction.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
I had the pleasure of listening and reading along to Paranormal Payback. I loved themed anthologies, and this had an all-star cast of authors. Anthologies are the perfect gift: treats from favorite worlds and authors, as well as new series and authors to discover.
Mister Petty by Jim Butcher – If you are a fan of the Harry Dresden series, you are familiar with Goodman Grey, and I was delighted he got his own short story . Our private investigator differs from Harry, as do his clients. Goodman Grey owns Monster LLC and has his business in Chicago. Grey gets a case when Sheryl Petty walks into his office, Thursday morning, seeking revenge. The tale that unfolded was fantastic, and let’s just say everyone got their just deserts. James Marsters rocked the narration. 5 cups
The Underground Goddess by Kevin Hearne – This one deals with a coven of Poland Witches, that those who have devoured the Iron Druid Chronicles will recognize. I loved the series and was delighted with the story. Anna is the youngest of the Three Auroras and she convinces the coven to help her when her Babcia (grandmother) is scammed out of her money. Alexandra Potocka narrates, giving us a wonderful Polish accent. I had to slow my listening down to 1.2x. 5 cups.
Dying Isn’t Just for the Young by Holly Black – I am not sure which series this short began in, but Black provided an intriguing tale that takes place during a vampire outbreak in the United States. An older woman loses her husband and has to deal with her greedy children after a fall. I devoured this. If you know the series, let me know! Narrated by Elizabeth Wiley, who did a fantastic job of capturing Beryl Finch, our widow. 4.5 cups.
A Midsummer Night’s Scheming by Delilah S. Dawson writing as Isla Jewell, narrated by Thérèse Plummer. – I have read none of her work as Jewell and Arcadia Falls, but love her writing as Dawson. I loved this cozy fantasy world filled with witches and will definitely pick them up. One reason I love anthologies is for this. I did not know she wrote under another name. I laughed and the thread about Gary the donkey and enjoyed this dish of cold revenge. Plummer did a stellar job with the narration and capturing the voice of Keelie King, Arcadia Falls’ newest witch. 4.5 cups.
Contained by Tanya Huff – This story is from the Victory Nelson’s Blood Investigations series featuring a five-hundred-year-old vampire named Henry Fitzroy who aids in investigations. I have read a previous short of this author and want to try this series. When a vampire named Henry gets a message from his friend RCMP Inspector Jack Elson with an address and “get here ASAP”, he arrives on to find a grisly murder scene. Narrated by Sean Patrick Hopkins, this tale takes place in Vancouver as Henry seeks revenge for the death of a friend. 4 cups.
Dirt by Jennifer Blackman – This was a lot of fun. Narrated by Hannah Curtis, we meet a witch and a pixie. Shade Renard, PI, is at her office when Poppy, a necromancer, stops in with a case. I was quickly pulled in and invested in the mystery. I loved the familiars. 4.5 cups.
Black Bond by Maurice Broaddus – We meet Rashad as he is traveling through southern Indiana with his dead best friend, Jerald. Rashad loves history and traveling along The Negro Motorist Green Book, but Jerald takes them on a side trip; he has things he wants to show Rashad. Narrated by JD Jackson, this was dark, relevant and, despite being fantasy, it reminded me of Stephen King. A dark story of revenge. 4 cups.
Dog-Eared by Kim Harrison- This short tells a tale about Al, Ciri, Nicolas Gregory Sparagmos, and Newt from The Hollows series. Narrated by Marguerite Gavin. I enjoyed this tale and have read all the books in the series. It was fun hearing Gavin’s voice, which differed from the ones in my head. Is revenge always worth it? 5 cups.
Razors and Revenge by Faith Hunter – I have not read the Jane Yellowrock series, but love her Junkyard Cats series. This story is from the Yellowrock world and is about Shiloh and her need for revenge after she and others were attacked by wolves. Narrated by Khristine Hvam, the story pulled me in and has me wanting to begin the series. 5 cups.
A Clean Break by R.L. King – Narrated by Will Watt, we meet Alastair Stone who finds himself stuck for the night in a less than savory hotel after a booking snafu. Not sure what series this is from, but loved this murder-mystery and our Magician Stone. 4.5 cups.
Grave Payback by R.R. Virdi – I loved the premise of this one. A bodiless detective enters the body of a recently murdered victim and has a reset window to allow him to solve the murder. Narrated by Graham Halstead, it’s the newest Grim Report. 4.5 cups.
The Broom by Kerrie L. Hughes – narrated by Stella Hunter. I thoroughly enjoyed this one. It’s a Great Lake Grimoire Story with witches, ghost and a mystery requiring revenge. 4 cups.
A fantastic collection. I highly recommend grabbing these fantasy anthology collections whenever you can. I loved the shorts from favorite authors, like Butcher, Hearne, Dawson, Hunter, and Harrison. But also enjoyed exploring new series through shorts by other authors in this collection. A total win. This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Reviewer
Mister Petty by Jim Butcher – If you are a fan of the Harry Dresden series, you are familiar with Goodman Grey, and I was delighted he got his own short story . Our private investigator differs from Harry, as do his clients. Goodman Grey owns Monster LLC and has his business in Chicago. Grey gets a case when Sheryl Petty walks into his office, Thursday morning, seeking revenge. The tale that unfolded was fantastic, and let’s just say everyone got their just deserts. James Marsters rocked the narration. 5 cups
The Underground Goddess by Kevin Hearne – This one deals with a coven of Poland Witches, that those who have devoured the Iron Druid Chronicles will recognize. I loved the series and was delighted with the story. Anna is the youngest of the Three Auroras and she convinces the coven to help her when her Babcia (grandmother) is scammed out of her money. Alexandra Potocka narrates, giving us a wonderful Polish accent. I had to slow my listening down to 1.2x. 5 cups.
Dying Isn’t Just for the Young by Holly Black – I am not sure which series this short began in, but Black provided an intriguing tale that takes place during a vampire outbreak in the United States. An older woman loses her husband and has to deal with her greedy children after a fall. I devoured this. If you know the series, let me know! Narrated by Elizabeth Wiley, who did a fantastic job of capturing Beryl Finch, our widow. 4.5 cups.
A Midsummer Night’s Scheming by Delilah S. Dawson writing as Isla Jewell, narrated by Thérèse Plummer. – I have read none of her work as Jewell and Arcadia Falls, but love her writing as Dawson. I loved this cozy fantasy world filled with witches and will definitely pick them up. One reason I love anthologies is for this. I did not know she wrote under another name. I laughed and the thread about Gary the donkey and enjoyed this dish of cold revenge. Plummer did a stellar job with the narration and capturing the voice of Keelie King, Arcadia Falls’ newest witch. 4.5 cups.
Contained by Tanya Huff – This story is from the Victory Nelson’s Blood Investigations series featuring a five-hundred-year-old vampire named Henry Fitzroy who aids in investigations. I have read a previous short of this author and want to try this series. When a vampire named Henry gets a message from his friend RCMP Inspector Jack Elson with an address and “get here ASAP”, he arrives on to find a grisly murder scene. Narrated by Sean Patrick Hopkins, this tale takes place in Vancouver as Henry seeks revenge for the death of a friend. 4 cups.
Dirt by Jennifer Blackman – This was a lot of fun. Narrated by Hannah Curtis, we meet a witch and a pixie. Shade Renard, PI, is at her office when Poppy, a necromancer, stops in with a case. I was quickly pulled in and invested in the mystery. I loved the familiars. 4.5 cups.
Black Bond by Maurice Broaddus – We meet Rashad as he is traveling through southern Indiana with his dead best friend, Jerald. Rashad loves history and traveling along The Negro Motorist Green Book, but Jerald takes them on a side trip; he has things he wants to show Rashad. Narrated by JD Jackson, this was dark, relevant and, despite being fantasy, it reminded me of Stephen King. A dark story of revenge. 4 cups.
Dog-Eared by Kim Harrison- This short tells a tale about Al, Ciri, Nicolas Gregory Sparagmos, and Newt from The Hollows series. Narrated by Marguerite Gavin. I enjoyed this tale and have read all the books in the series. It was fun hearing Gavin’s voice, which differed from the ones in my head. Is revenge always worth it? 5 cups.
Razors and Revenge by Faith Hunter – I have not read the Jane Yellowrock series, but love her Junkyard Cats series. This story is from the Yellowrock world and is about Shiloh and her need for revenge after she and others were attacked by wolves. Narrated by Khristine Hvam, the story pulled me in and has me wanting to begin the series. 5 cups.
A Clean Break by R.L. King – Narrated by Will Watt, we meet Alastair Stone who finds himself stuck for the night in a less than savory hotel after a booking snafu. Not sure what series this is from, but loved this murder-mystery and our Magician Stone. 4.5 cups.
Grave Payback by R.R. Virdi – I loved the premise of this one. A bodiless detective enters the body of a recently murdered victim and has a reset window to allow him to solve the murder. Narrated by Graham Halstead, it’s the newest Grim Report. 4.5 cups.
The Broom by Kerrie L. Hughes – narrated by Stella Hunter. I thoroughly enjoyed this one. It’s a Great Lake Grimoire Story with witches, ghost and a mystery requiring revenge. 4 cups.
A fantastic collection. I highly recommend grabbing these fantasy anthology collections whenever you can. I loved the shorts from favorite authors, like Butcher, Hearne, Dawson, Hunter, and Harrison. But also enjoyed exploring new series through shorts by other authors in this collection. A total win. This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Reviewer
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I love these anthologies that Butcher and Hughes have been putting together. Not only do we get a new story set in the world of the Dresden Files but these are a great way to sample the urban fantasy of other authors' to add to my lists of books to read. All of these stories all have to do with revenge or payback for some kind of wrong. I generally liked all of them but the Faith Hunter story which was just way too steeped in the mythology of her series to really know what's going on and I felt lost.
As promised, thoughts for each story within.
Mister Petty by Jim Butcher - Goodman Grey from The Dresden Files get his own short. He's a different kind of private investigator, one who really is a monster. Butcher is one of my favorite authors.
The Underground Goddess by Kevin Hearne - A coven of witches in Poland go after some scam artists after one of them bilks one of their grandmothers out of a bunch of money. I really like what I've read of Kevin Hearne. I'm adding the Iron Druid Chronicles to my TBR list.
Dying Isn't Just for the Young by Holly Black - An older woman fights with her adult children about staying in New York while a vampire outbreak occurs in the background. This was interesting.
A Midsummer Night's Scheming by Delilah S. Dawson writing as Isla Jewell - I was only familiar with Dawson's Star Wars novels. This is about a woman who just found out she's a witch. She uses her new found powers to get back at a scumbag ex-boyfriend of her sister's.
Contained by Tanya Huff - This was pretty good. A vampire gets payback on someone who murdered a friend of his. It's nice to see Vancouver as the setting.
Dirt by Jennifer Blackman - Really good. A witch and her pixie sidekick are on the case when a man shows up complaining that a necromancer tried to steal his life force. I loved the twists in this.
Black Bond by Maurice Broaddus - This one didn't work for me. It's about generational racism among some ghosts. Just didn't feel fleshed out enough.
Dog-Eared by Kim Harrison - This is part of Harrison's The Hollows series. It's about a demon getting revenge on a wizard who doesn't take of spellbooks lent to me. I feel like this was completely justified. It's not much work to take care of books.
Razors and Revenge by Faith Hunter - Way too much lore and alludes to other things in this very complicated paramilitary supernatural world. It may just not by my thing.
A Clean Break by R.L. King - A magician has to spend the night in a seedy motel, the night before Comicon. He uncovers an old undiscovered murder in the hotel. I liked this one too.
Grave Payback by R.R. Virdi - Virdi has written this character in these anthologies in the past. It's about a Deadman like character who takes over the recently dead and gets justice for their murder.
The Broom by Kerrie L. Hughes - I really enjoyed this urban fantasy that mixes fairy and witches. It's a bit darker. Really enjoyed this brother and sister duo. Need to seek out more of this.
As promised, thoughts for each story within.
Mister Petty by Jim Butcher - Goodman Grey from The Dresden Files get his own short. He's a different kind of private investigator, one who really is a monster. Butcher is one of my favorite authors.
The Underground Goddess by Kevin Hearne - A coven of witches in Poland go after some scam artists after one of them bilks one of their grandmothers out of a bunch of money. I really like what I've read of Kevin Hearne. I'm adding the Iron Druid Chronicles to my TBR list.
Dying Isn't Just for the Young by Holly Black - An older woman fights with her adult children about staying in New York while a vampire outbreak occurs in the background. This was interesting.
A Midsummer Night's Scheming by Delilah S. Dawson writing as Isla Jewell - I was only familiar with Dawson's Star Wars novels. This is about a woman who just found out she's a witch. She uses her new found powers to get back at a scumbag ex-boyfriend of her sister's.
Contained by Tanya Huff - This was pretty good. A vampire gets payback on someone who murdered a friend of his. It's nice to see Vancouver as the setting.
Dirt by Jennifer Blackman - Really good. A witch and her pixie sidekick are on the case when a man shows up complaining that a necromancer tried to steal his life force. I loved the twists in this.
Black Bond by Maurice Broaddus - This one didn't work for me. It's about generational racism among some ghosts. Just didn't feel fleshed out enough.
Dog-Eared by Kim Harrison - This is part of Harrison's The Hollows series. It's about a demon getting revenge on a wizard who doesn't take of spellbooks lent to me. I feel like this was completely justified. It's not much work to take care of books.
Razors and Revenge by Faith Hunter - Way too much lore and alludes to other things in this very complicated paramilitary supernatural world. It may just not by my thing.
A Clean Break by R.L. King - A magician has to spend the night in a seedy motel, the night before Comicon. He uncovers an old undiscovered murder in the hotel. I liked this one too.
Grave Payback by R.R. Virdi - Virdi has written this character in these anthologies in the past. It's about a Deadman like character who takes over the recently dead and gets justice for their murder.
The Broom by Kerrie L. Hughes - I really enjoyed this urban fantasy that mixes fairy and witches. It's a bit darker. Really enjoyed this brother and sister duo. Need to seek out more of this.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I really like the collections these two authors put together. I am a massive Dresden Files fan so will read anything that has a new Dresden universe story. Beyond that, the two authors have enough cachet to pull together a number of their famous friends with series/characters or writing styles I already know I like, plus solid enough reputations that they draw in authors I'm not familiar with who have substantial skills in their own right. I always find at least one or two new authors to add to my list of people to follow when I read one of their collections and this was no exception.
The Dresden Files story was, of course, fabulous. Goodman Gray is a deliciously morally ambiguous character and it was fun to see him star in his own feature. He's Harry Dresden without the conscience, which makes him very fun to follow.
Aside from that, I enjoyed the Kevin Hearne story because I always enjoy his writing and his ability to make unusual choices about his main characters - hello Polish witches, I'm talking to you - and give them fascinating adventures that are always exciting to read. The Kim Harrison story was fun, although having read the Rachel Morgan books up until the most recent version, it was a bit of a throwback for me - but Al is always a fun character, and it was wild to see Newt, Ceri and Nick in their "old" versions again. It was also very fun to see it Tanya Huff story, since I haven't seen the indomitable Henry since I first stumbled across the Blood Books in the late 90s. I'm definitely going to have to look that series up again!
As far as new-to-me, I thoroughly enjoyed the stories by RR Virdi and RL King, and have added both of their series to my Kindle. Despite my loving the work Kerrie Hughes does in co-editing these collections, I somehow always manage to enjoy the stories she includes in her anthologies but never *quite* enough to start her series. I'm not sure why that is, and I think I might have to give her books a try out of loyalty if nothing else...
The other authors, whose work I wasn't familiar with, were either not for me or felt so mid-series that I was confused by what I was reading (especially the Faith Hunter - I read the first Yellowrock book so at least have some familiarity with the universe and still felt completely lost with the references in this one).
All in all it was another solid anthology from two very talented authors who do a fantastic job curating around a theme!
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my obligation-free review copy.
The Dresden Files story was, of course, fabulous. Goodman Gray is a deliciously morally ambiguous character and it was fun to see him star in his own feature. He's Harry Dresden without the conscience, which makes him very fun to follow.
Aside from that, I enjoyed the Kevin Hearne story because I always enjoy his writing and his ability to make unusual choices about his main characters - hello Polish witches, I'm talking to you - and give them fascinating adventures that are always exciting to read. The Kim Harrison story was fun, although having read the Rachel Morgan books up until the most recent version, it was a bit of a throwback for me - but Al is always a fun character, and it was wild to see Newt, Ceri and Nick in their "old" versions again. It was also very fun to see it Tanya Huff story, since I haven't seen the indomitable Henry since I first stumbled across the Blood Books in the late 90s. I'm definitely going to have to look that series up again!
As far as new-to-me, I thoroughly enjoyed the stories by RR Virdi and RL King, and have added both of their series to my Kindle. Despite my loving the work Kerrie Hughes does in co-editing these collections, I somehow always manage to enjoy the stories she includes in her anthologies but never *quite* enough to start her series. I'm not sure why that is, and I think I might have to give her books a try out of loyalty if nothing else...
The other authors, whose work I wasn't familiar with, were either not for me or felt so mid-series that I was confused by what I was reading (especially the Faith Hunter - I read the first Yellowrock book so at least have some familiarity with the universe and still felt completely lost with the references in this one).
All in all it was another solid anthology from two very talented authors who do a fantastic job curating around a theme!
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my obligation-free review copy.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
The best part about a collection of shorts by various authors is the opportunity to find new authors and series to read. Here's what I thought of each story.
Mister Petty - Jim Butcher: I liked this one. It was sort of a paranormal almost detective noir. I haven't read a Butcher story before and I think I might check it out.
The Underground Goddess - Kevin Hearne: There's nothing "wrong" with this one, but it wasn't my thing. Witches and phone scammers.
Dying Isn't Just for the Young - Holly Black: At first I didn't care for this one and was tempted to stop reading, but I'm glad I didn't because it had a really fun twist and great ending. I'm on the fence about whether I'm going to look up everything Holly Black to read. Vampiric disease and greedy relatives.
A Midsummer Night's Scheming - Isla Jewell: Absolutely loved this one. Witch and familiar donkey with special talents and twist. Probably my favorite story from the book.
Contained - Tanya Huff: 500 year old historical monster solves murder. I enjoyed it.
Dirt - Jennifer Blackstream: Very inventive and entertaining. I may need to look up more from this author. Necromancy and spells.
Black Bond - Maurice Broaddus: Didn't finish. It took too long to find out what the character's motivations were. Where are they going and why?
Dog-eared - Kim Harrison: This is the story I picked up the book to read primarily. I enjoyed it but was also disappointed because I didn't feel like it was a complete story. I felt like it just ended in the middle. I think probably what happened is that the author felt a different thing was the central conflict than what I thought was the central conflict? That would give off a cliffhanger feeling, if true. Anyway this was demon and familiar get revenge on a human.
Razors and Revenge - Faith Hunter: Did not finish. Had trouble keeping track of who the characters were. It was like I was coming in the middle because I didn't already know the series.
A Clean Break - R. L. King: Haunted hotel. I liked this one but it wasn't my favorite. Maybe a 4 stars?
Grave Payback - R.R. Virdi: I feel sort of neutrally about this one. I normally like any story that takes place mostly underground, but I wasn't in love with the creature in this one. I can't tell you what that is, it's supposed to be a discovery/mystery in the story.
The Broom - Kerrie L. Hughes: I thought this one was a little strange which might be what someone else would describe as original concept. Witches and fae and spells in a small business.
Mister Petty - Jim Butcher: I liked this one. It was sort of a paranormal almost detective noir. I haven't read a Butcher story before and I think I might check it out.
The Underground Goddess - Kevin Hearne: There's nothing "wrong" with this one, but it wasn't my thing. Witches and phone scammers.
Dying Isn't Just for the Young - Holly Black: At first I didn't care for this one and was tempted to stop reading, but I'm glad I didn't because it had a really fun twist and great ending. I'm on the fence about whether I'm going to look up everything Holly Black to read. Vampiric disease and greedy relatives.
A Midsummer Night's Scheming - Isla Jewell: Absolutely loved this one. Witch and familiar donkey with special talents and twist. Probably my favorite story from the book.
Contained - Tanya Huff: 500 year old historical monster solves murder. I enjoyed it.
Dirt - Jennifer Blackstream: Very inventive and entertaining. I may need to look up more from this author. Necromancy and spells.
Black Bond - Maurice Broaddus: Didn't finish. It took too long to find out what the character's motivations were. Where are they going and why?
Dog-eared - Kim Harrison: This is the story I picked up the book to read primarily. I enjoyed it but was also disappointed because I didn't feel like it was a complete story. I felt like it just ended in the middle. I think probably what happened is that the author felt a different thing was the central conflict than what I thought was the central conflict? That would give off a cliffhanger feeling, if true. Anyway this was demon and familiar get revenge on a human.
Razors and Revenge - Faith Hunter: Did not finish. Had trouble keeping track of who the characters were. It was like I was coming in the middle because I didn't already know the series.
A Clean Break - R. L. King: Haunted hotel. I liked this one but it wasn't my favorite. Maybe a 4 stars?
Grave Payback - R.R. Virdi: I feel sort of neutrally about this one. I normally like any story that takes place mostly underground, but I wasn't in love with the creature in this one. I can't tell you what that is, it's supposed to be a discovery/mystery in the story.
The Broom - Kerrie L. Hughes: I thought this one was a little strange which might be what someone else would describe as original concept. Witches and fae and spells in a small business.
April 24, 2026
I received this book as an Advanced Reader's Copy (ARC) in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.
There’s a difference between justice and payback and Paranormal Payback leans hard into that distinction from the very start. As Jim Butcher notes in the introduction, justice may be about balance, but payback is about satisfaction. It’s a simple idea, but one that perfectly frames the kind of stories this anthology delivers.
Each story explores what happens when characters move beyond fairness and into something more personal, more emotional. Whether it’s revenge, reckoning, or something in between, there’s a clear throughline of characters taking matters into their own hands in ways that feel both satisfying and, at times, unsettling.
What I really appreciated was the variety in tone and approach. Some stories lean darker, fully embracing the idea of revenge without apology, while others blur the line between justice and payback in more nuanced ways. That balance keeps the anthology from feeling repetitive and makes each entry feel distinct.
As with most anthologies, there are standouts and others that didn’t resonate as strongly for me, but the central theme ties everything together in a way that feels cohesive. The introduction and foreword do a great job setting expectations, and the stories that follow deliver on that promise.
Overall, Paranormal Payback is a solid collection for readers who enjoy supernatural stories with an edge—especially those that aren’t afraid to explore the more satisfying, and sometimes messier, side of justice.
Paranormal Payback includes stories from the following authors: Jim Butcher, Holly Black, Kim Harrison, Faith Hunter, Kevin Hearne, Delilah S. Dawson, Tanya Huff, and R.R. Virdi.
One of the highlights of this anthology for me was seeing some familiar names included. I always love going into a collection like this and recognizing authors I already enjoy and finding myself back in worlds with some of my favorite characters.
⭐️ Jim Butcher brings us a new Dresden Files story, featuring Goodman Grey.
⭐️ Kevin Hearne with a new Iron Druid story, featuring the coven of Poland Witches.
⭐️ Kim Harrison with a new Hollows story, featuring Al, Ciri, Nick and Newt.
⭐️ Faith Hunter with a new Jane Yellowrock story, featuring Shiloh.
If you’re into character-driven revenge plots from some of our favorite urban fantasy and paranormal writers, then this anthology is for you.
There’s a difference between justice and payback and Paranormal Payback leans hard into that distinction from the very start. As Jim Butcher notes in the introduction, justice may be about balance, but payback is about satisfaction. It’s a simple idea, but one that perfectly frames the kind of stories this anthology delivers.
Each story explores what happens when characters move beyond fairness and into something more personal, more emotional. Whether it’s revenge, reckoning, or something in between, there’s a clear throughline of characters taking matters into their own hands in ways that feel both satisfying and, at times, unsettling.
What I really appreciated was the variety in tone and approach. Some stories lean darker, fully embracing the idea of revenge without apology, while others blur the line between justice and payback in more nuanced ways. That balance keeps the anthology from feeling repetitive and makes each entry feel distinct.
As with most anthologies, there are standouts and others that didn’t resonate as strongly for me, but the central theme ties everything together in a way that feels cohesive. The introduction and foreword do a great job setting expectations, and the stories that follow deliver on that promise.
Overall, Paranormal Payback is a solid collection for readers who enjoy supernatural stories with an edge—especially those that aren’t afraid to explore the more satisfying, and sometimes messier, side of justice.
Paranormal Payback includes stories from the following authors: Jim Butcher, Holly Black, Kim Harrison, Faith Hunter, Kevin Hearne, Delilah S. Dawson, Tanya Huff, and R.R. Virdi.
One of the highlights of this anthology for me was seeing some familiar names included. I always love going into a collection like this and recognizing authors I already enjoy and finding myself back in worlds with some of my favorite characters.
⭐️ Jim Butcher brings us a new Dresden Files story, featuring Goodman Grey.
⭐️ Kevin Hearne with a new Iron Druid story, featuring the coven of Poland Witches.
⭐️ Kim Harrison with a new Hollows story, featuring Al, Ciri, Nick and Newt.
⭐️ Faith Hunter with a new Jane Yellowrock story, featuring Shiloh.
If you’re into character-driven revenge plots from some of our favorite urban fantasy and paranormal writers, then this anthology is for you.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Paranormal payback is the short story collection with multiple authors such as Jim Butcher, Kim Harris, Faith Hunter, Carrie L Hughes, Kevin Heirn and many other great riders whose name I cannot remember. I will say one of my favorites was Clean Break, in the beginning it makes you chuckle but by the end you wish you could put your hand over your eyes he checks into a motel room for one yet fines he’s not alone. I also loved the Underground Goddess, besides the great pontification about scarves we learn her grandma gets cheated by a scammer and she vows to get revenge with the Help of a few of her friends. I think my favorite was Mr. Petty; monsters Inc. LLC, and would definitely love to see that as a series with Goodman Grey and Veedie, in Midsummer, a girls donkey can’t stop trying to make love to her boot while she’s riding her horse and it causes Keely to fall into the lake. yet when everything is said and done he isn’t the one she wants revenge on... she soon learns not only does Gary want to make love to her he’s also in love with her and oh yeah now he can talk but there’s way more she’s going to learn about Gary and the town she lives in. I thought this one was so cute I loved it so much I love that Gary could talk who doesn’t love a talking animal. There’s so many other stories in this book that are so worth mentioning I couldn’t pick one that I didn’t like this book absolutely deserves five stars I don’t think you could get as many horror authors unless you went to a horror convention but they won’t tell you the great tales that are in this book I loved it I definitely recommended if you love paranormal happenings from vampires to monsters to witches talking animals ghost princesses the list goes on and on. #NetGalley, #TheBlindReviewer, #MyHonestReview,
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
📱📖 Read on Kindle
📃 352 pages
⏱ Read time: 5 hours
🏷️ Publisher: Ace
📅 ARC provided by NetGalley
🗓️ Release Date: April 14, 2026
I came into this one already a little biased. Hand me anything with a Dresden Files label and I'm basically a golden retriever who just heard the word "walk". The Goodman Grey story Mister Petty absolutely delivered. Grey is Harry Dresden without the moral hand-wringing, and watching him operate in his own spotlight felt like being a handed a gift. If Butcher ever decides to give Grey a full novel, I will pre-order it at midnight without blinking.
The anthology as a whole is a solid sampler platter of urban fantasy. You've got witches, demons, vampires, and at least one ghost with a serious grudge, which honestly, is the energy we all deserve. The theme of payback ties everything together just enough to give it cohesion without feeling forced. Some stories introduced me to worlds and author I hadn't explored before, and a few of those are already on my TBR now. That's exactly what a good anthology should do. It's a speed-dating event for book series, and I left with a few numbers.
If you are a fan of The Dresden Files or urban fantasy in general, this collection offers enough sparks to keep you turning pages.
Would I recommend it?
It's a solid read, especially for fans of Harry Dresden Universe. It's a genuinely fun read with some standout moments, a few new authors worth following, and at least one story (you know which one, Grey fans) that'll have you grinning. Not every story hits home, but enough did to make it worth the few hours I spent with it.
📃 352 pages
⏱ Read time: 5 hours
🏷️ Publisher: Ace
📅 ARC provided by NetGalley
🗓️ Release Date: April 14, 2026
I came into this one already a little biased. Hand me anything with a Dresden Files label and I'm basically a golden retriever who just heard the word "walk". The Goodman Grey story Mister Petty absolutely delivered. Grey is Harry Dresden without the moral hand-wringing, and watching him operate in his own spotlight felt like being a handed a gift. If Butcher ever decides to give Grey a full novel, I will pre-order it at midnight without blinking.
The anthology as a whole is a solid sampler platter of urban fantasy. You've got witches, demons, vampires, and at least one ghost with a serious grudge, which honestly, is the energy we all deserve. The theme of payback ties everything together just enough to give it cohesion without feeling forced. Some stories introduced me to worlds and author I hadn't explored before, and a few of those are already on my TBR now. That's exactly what a good anthology should do. It's a speed-dating event for book series, and I left with a few numbers.
If you are a fan of The Dresden Files or urban fantasy in general, this collection offers enough sparks to keep you turning pages.
Would I recommend it?
It's a solid read, especially for fans of Harry Dresden Universe. It's a genuinely fun read with some standout moments, a few new authors worth following, and at least one story (you know which one, Grey fans) that'll have you grinning. Not every story hits home, but enough did to make it worth the few hours I spent with it.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Please allow me to begin by sincerely thanking Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for the ARC copy in return for my honest review of Paranormal Payback.
First, let me say I very much enjoyed this anthology of a paranormal topic by these established and talented authors. The best part of such a compilation is the ability to discover new talent all in one place.
The main reason I wanted to read this book was the association of Jim Butcher. I've read his Dresden Files books (currently 18!) and I'm a fan for life. He has a story in the book a well as writing an introduction, so it was fabulous to start the journey this way.
The common theme is payback, as in the title of the book, and this resonates with us all at some point in life, if we've had any sort of life experience at all. Not only do we get to see how these beings handle what comes their way, the twist is how supernatural they are!
Vampires, pixies, fae folk, ghosts and witches all make an appearance. This is right up my interest alley.
I do like, in this tome, the crossover of human and paranormal in a revenge payback theme. In this manner, it's not really directed in a bloodthirsty way towards humanity. You can disassociate yourself from the results intuitively because you know interacting with these paranormal creatures, they are not real (they aren't, are they?). Still, it is satisfying to say the least.
I believe you will enjoy this book and all the paths it takes you down.
Happy reading (and getting even)!
First, let me say I very much enjoyed this anthology of a paranormal topic by these established and talented authors. The best part of such a compilation is the ability to discover new talent all in one place.
The main reason I wanted to read this book was the association of Jim Butcher. I've read his Dresden Files books (currently 18!) and I'm a fan for life. He has a story in the book a well as writing an introduction, so it was fabulous to start the journey this way.
The common theme is payback, as in the title of the book, and this resonates with us all at some point in life, if we've had any sort of life experience at all. Not only do we get to see how these beings handle what comes their way, the twist is how supernatural they are!
Vampires, pixies, fae folk, ghosts and witches all make an appearance. This is right up my interest alley.
I do like, in this tome, the crossover of human and paranormal in a revenge payback theme. In this manner, it's not really directed in a bloodthirsty way towards humanity. You can disassociate yourself from the results intuitively because you know interacting with these paranormal creatures, they are not real (they aren't, are they?). Still, it is satisfying to say the least.
I believe you will enjoy this book and all the paths it takes you down.
Happy reading (and getting even)!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This anthology is a collection of stories from a variety of popular urban fantasy authors. The collection starts with a story from the Dresden Files universe from the perspective of Goodman Grey who is hired to balance the scales between a married couple. As a longtime Dresden Files fan I enjoyed a new POV and loved seeing a glimpse of Grey sans Harry. Kim Harrison's Hollows series has a story dealing with how demon Algaliarept deals with people who don't respect books. Kevin Hearne's contribution has a group of Polish witches getting revenge against scammers preying on the elderly. I will say one of my favorite stories was Black Bond by Maurice Broaddus which was so reminiscent of HBO's Lovecraft Country that I want an entire series examining Black ghosts getting revenge on racists. Unfortunately as is the nature of anthologies not every story hit for me. The one I had the most issues with was Razors and Revenge by Faith Hunter, some of the things just took me out of the story like descriptions of fangs on "hinges" and repeated use of the razor metaphor. That story I felt I was missing the most by not being familiar with Hunter's Jane Yellowrock series. The stories in this collection show that sometimes its not about being the bigger person, theres a time and place for revenge and retribution.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
The latest in a string of anthologies by Butcher and Hughes, Paranormal Payback features stories based on revenge with a paranormal twist. It kicks off with a Dresden Files short told from Goodman Grey's POV, which is a superb choice for a story focused on vengeance. Some of the other authors were familiar to me thanks to long-running series -- Tanya Huff with her very long-running Blood Books series produced a short story about everyone's favorite illegitimate prince / vampire Henry Fitzroy, while Kevin Hearne's short looked like a standalone set in the world of the Iron Druid series. Kim Harrison provided a story from her Hallows series that fleshed out demon Algaliarept's backstory.
All of the short stories were good to excellent, though in a few cases when I hadn't read the author's series, I was pretty lost. For example, Faith Hunter's story featuring Jane Yellowrock was strongly tied to the series and I could tell I was missing out on a lot of references.
All in all, this is an excellent anthology and I've been inspired to check out the works of more than one of its authors. And thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for sending me an advance copy for feedback!
All of the short stories were good to excellent, though in a few cases when I hadn't read the author's series, I was pretty lost. For example, Faith Hunter's story featuring Jane Yellowrock was strongly tied to the series and I could tell I was missing out on a lot of references.
All in all, this is an excellent anthology and I've been inspired to check out the works of more than one of its authors. And thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for sending me an advance copy for feedback!
April 17, 2026
I liked most of these stories, but one was the most tragic tale with more truth than ever should have happened. The story about Lyle's Station, IN is so close to a town I have personally visited. (A maternal aunt & her family lived close to there for many years. Yet I hadn't heard anything about this tragedy.) That in 1927, 10 African American children were purposely exposed to radiation by nurses, without any permission from their families, teachers, or principal during a "school trip" to the local hospital caused me to wish the vengeance part of the story was real even as an middle age white person. I grew up poor in an allegedly sundowner town in middle Ohio in schools that had many black kids who were friendly but older white men in the community were not. I keep hoping that as those old pricks die, that things can change for the better & become more accepting of all kinds of differences. Yet things become more divided & hateful. So these kinds of stories are a double edged sword... Justice ... But only paranormal stories can be trusted to wield that sword with true unbiased integrity.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I thoroughly enjoyed every story in this anthology! Were there one or two that felt a little odd to me? Sure. But that didn’t take away from the overall experience at all. In fact, it made me even more curious about the authors I wasn’t already familiar with. I’ll definitely be checking out the work of every contributor who isn’t already on my must-read list.
What really makes a great anthology is the ability of each author to tell a complete, satisfying story within an already established world. The best ones make it easy for new readers to jump in without feeling lost or like they should have read several previous books first. This collection absolutely succeeds at that. Each story stands well on its own while still giving a taste of the larger worlds they come from.
If you’re looking for tales of payback and vengeance written by some of the best voices in urban fantasy, this anthology delivers. It’s also perfect if you just want a set of strong standalone stories that are quick, entertaining reads.
This ARC was provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
What really makes a great anthology is the ability of each author to tell a complete, satisfying story within an already established world. The best ones make it easy for new readers to jump in without feeling lost or like they should have read several previous books first. This collection absolutely succeeds at that. Each story stands well on its own while still giving a taste of the larger worlds they come from.
If you’re looking for tales of payback and vengeance written by some of the best voices in urban fantasy, this anthology delivers. It’s also perfect if you just want a set of strong standalone stories that are quick, entertaining reads.
This ARC was provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you Netgalley and the authors for sending me this advance review copy for free. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
This was a great anthology with a lot of variety. It was a blast from the past, and it was so good to revisit some of my long time favorite worlds, like Dresden Files, The Hollows, and others. I even found a few new favorites to go hunt down and read too, like the story by R.R. Virdi. It was a paranormal version of Quantum Leap and so good! I don't know how in the world I missed that series.
There was one or two that were harder to read, because I had no knowledge about the series. It felt like it was for long time readers. I do want to go check the series out, and come back to the anthology again later.
I think my favorite story was the one from Jim Butcher. I loooved learning more about Goodman Grey!
Overall I really enjoyed this selection of series, and this is fantastic for those of us that have been reading urban fantasy for a long time.
This was a great anthology with a lot of variety. It was a blast from the past, and it was so good to revisit some of my long time favorite worlds, like Dresden Files, The Hollows, and others. I even found a few new favorites to go hunt down and read too, like the story by R.R. Virdi. It was a paranormal version of Quantum Leap and so good! I don't know how in the world I missed that series.
There was one or two that were harder to read, because I had no knowledge about the series. It felt like it was for long time readers. I do want to go check the series out, and come back to the anthology again later.
I think my favorite story was the one from Jim Butcher. I loooved learning more about Goodman Grey!
Overall I really enjoyed this selection of series, and this is fantastic for those of us that have been reading urban fantasy for a long time.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
An anthology of fantasy short stories on the theme of payback.
I wanted to read this one because I'm a fan of the Dresden Files. “Mister Petty" is a fun side story to the series, and features an investigator who is quite a bit different than Harry. I loved the comeuppance that the loathsome people got!
Tanya Huff's "Contained" was another standout story for me. Henry Fitzroy tracks down the people responsible for killing someone under his protection. It's self-contained enough that a deep knowledge of the Blood Books and Henry Fitzroy series isn't necessary.
My favorite story wound up being "Dog-Eared" by Kim Harrison. It's set in the early part of the Hollows series and features the demon Algaliarept serving out 100% proportionate and justified retribution against a human who damaged a rare book.
The rest of the stories I found fair to middling, but that's my experience of most themed anthologies.
Three and a half stars.
Received via NetGalley.
I wanted to read this one because I'm a fan of the Dresden Files. “Mister Petty" is a fun side story to the series, and features an investigator who is quite a bit different than Harry. I loved the comeuppance that the loathsome people got!
Tanya Huff's "Contained" was another standout story for me. Henry Fitzroy tracks down the people responsible for killing someone under his protection. It's self-contained enough that a deep knowledge of the Blood Books and Henry Fitzroy series isn't necessary.
My favorite story wound up being "Dog-Eared" by Kim Harrison. It's set in the early part of the Hollows series and features the demon Algaliarept serving out 100% proportionate and justified retribution against a human who damaged a rare book.
The rest of the stories I found fair to middling, but that's my experience of most themed anthologies.
Three and a half stars.
Received via NetGalley.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Paranormal Payback by Jim Butcher and Kerrie L. Hughes is a stellar collection of paranormal tales by popular writers in the field that supplies the reader with a sense of comeuppance that so many are looking for in this day and age.
I loved the new stories by some of my favourite authors - Jim Butcher, Tanya Huff, and Kim Harrison to name a few. But there truly isn't a mediocre story in the bunch, and I am happy to say that I've found some new (to me anyway) authors that I will be sure to follow up on.
All of the tales are well-written, full of paranormal elements, and of course feature the payback promised in the title. And being a collection of stories, the structure of the book allows you to consume it in smaller sittings.
I was thrilled to get an ARC of #ParanormalPayback from #NetGalley, and am happy to report that it didn't disappoint.
I loved the new stories by some of my favourite authors - Jim Butcher, Tanya Huff, and Kim Harrison to name a few. But there truly isn't a mediocre story in the bunch, and I am happy to say that I've found some new (to me anyway) authors that I will be sure to follow up on.
All of the tales are well-written, full of paranormal elements, and of course feature the payback promised in the title. And being a collection of stories, the structure of the book allows you to consume it in smaller sittings.
I was thrilled to get an ARC of #ParanormalPayback from #NetGalley, and am happy to report that it didn't disappoint.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Anthologies are great for quick reads, especially when you need a palette cleanser from a book or books you’ve read recently. I chose this one as a favorite author had a short story in this one. Love Tanya Huff, and I’m glad to have picked this up as the short story in this book touched on a favorite character of mine from the Blood book series. The story was short sweet but soooo good. Was just enough of glimpses in his life since his series. The rest of the stories were hit or miss. There are a couple that are really good and was nice to discover new authors to try. Can never have too many of those. Was a nice variation of writing styles, which… for me seems less common. So there should be at least one story in this book for most types of readers if they like the paranormal genre.
Was an arc read
Was an arc read
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
When asked to recommend a book or genre, I typically recommend an anthology. These books of short stories provide a cross-section of stories by several different authors. Each book typically has a theme; this one is payback. The authors are free to give their own spin to the theme, which results in some interesting stories. This allows the authors to flex their skills while providing readers with the opportunity to discover new authors or return to their favorite series. As always, some stories are better than others, but all of them are entertaining. I not only recommend anthologies, but I also gift them to my friends and family. Paranormal Payback contains twelve examples sure to give you a few new authors to add to your must-read TBR.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
A Fun Mix of New Discoveries and Familiar Favorites
Paranormal Payback is a great reminder of why collaboration collections can be so much fun. They’re one of the best ways to stumble onto new authors and series you might never have found otherwise, while still giving you those satisfying returns to worlds you already follow.
This anthology is packed with short stories, and several of them add genuinely enjoyable layers to ongoing series. It’s quick, varied, and entertaining, with enough standout moments to keep you turning the pages. A solid, lively read for anyone who loves paranormal fiction and wants both fresh voices and familiar favorites in one place.
Thank you to Netgalley, Berkley Publishing Group | Ace for this ARC review copy.
Paranormal Payback is a great reminder of why collaboration collections can be so much fun. They’re one of the best ways to stumble onto new authors and series you might never have found otherwise, while still giving you those satisfying returns to worlds you already follow.
This anthology is packed with short stories, and several of them add genuinely enjoyable layers to ongoing series. It’s quick, varied, and entertaining, with enough standout moments to keep you turning the pages. A solid, lively read for anyone who loves paranormal fiction and wants both fresh voices and familiar favorites in one place.
Thank you to Netgalley, Berkley Publishing Group | Ace for this ARC review copy.
March 24, 2026
Some of my favorite books are collections of short stories focusing on a certain theme. In this case, payback. More often than not, I pick the book up because one or more of my favorite authors have contributed a story. That was the case with this one, and I loved them!
I also found some new authors I want to explore and really, what more could you ask for? A great group of stories from amazing authors, the ability to jump around or read it cover to cover and yes, more books to add to your TBR.
I would like to thank Ace, Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for a copy. All opinions are my own and my review is voluntarily given.
I also found some new authors I want to explore and really, what more could you ask for? A great group of stories from amazing authors, the ability to jump around or read it cover to cover and yes, more books to add to your TBR.
I would like to thank Ace, Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for a copy. All opinions are my own and my review is voluntarily given.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This was a great collection of stories! I liked all of the stories to some degree but had a few favorites in the bunch. The Jim Butcher story features Goodman Grey which was a lot of fun. Kim Harrison's story featured Al who happens to be one of my favorite characters in the series. I definitely want to read more of Holly Black's work after reading her story. Overall, this was a very solid collection that I wouldn't hesitate to recommend to others.
I received a review copy of this book from NetGalley.
I received a review copy of this book from NetGalley.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
A big thanks to Netgalley for this ARC, which I received in exchange for my opinion. This short story collection has some of my favorite urban paranormal authors and characters. The Dresden files have been a long-time favorite, and Kim Harrisons series The Hollows are another favorite. This one was a unique take as the story is about our favorite demon, Al. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes paranormal books as well as for fans of these authors. 4 stars!!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I received this eARC from Netgalley and I am providing a free, unbiased opinion.
I always enjoy the collections of stories such as this one. Many times, they have several authors I have read and enjoy, and many times, their short story in the book is about the regular main character they write about. This collection was no exception, and I enjoyed it tremendously.
I always enjoy the collections of stories such as this one. Many times, they have several authors I have read and enjoy, and many times, their short story in the book is about the regular main character they write about. This collection was no exception, and I enjoyed it tremendously.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC.
I was so excited about this and really thought I would enjoy it. Bite size portions of Dresden style stories seems perfect, but unfortunately it just didn't land. I really enjoyed the Jim Butcher story, and would LOVE to read more with that character, but the other stories just didnt hold up to his.
I was so excited about this and really thought I would enjoy it. Bite size portions of Dresden style stories seems perfect, but unfortunately it just didn't land. I really enjoyed the Jim Butcher story, and would LOVE to read more with that character, but the other stories just didnt hold up to his.
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