Urban Enemies

Cainsville #4.5 - Hounded

by Joseph Nassise (Editor), Jim Butcher, Kevin Hearne

Villains have all the fun—everyone knows that—and this anthology takes you on a wild ride through the dark side! The top villains from sixteen urban fantasy series get their own stories—including the baddies of New York Times bestselling authors Jim Butcher, Kevin Hearne, Kelley Armstrong, Seanan McGuire, and Jonathan Maberry.

For every hero trying to save the world, there’s a villain trying to tear it all down.

In this can’t-miss anthology edited by Joseph Nassise (The Templar Chronicles), you get to plot world domination with the best of the evildoers we love to hate! This outstanding collection brings you stories told from the villains’ point of view, imparting a fresh and unique take on the evil masterminds, wicked witches, and infernal personalities that skulk in the pages of today’s most popular series.

The full anthology features stories by Jim Butcher (the Dresden Files), Kelley Armstrong (the Cainsville and Otherworld series), Seanan McGuire (October Daye), Kevin Hearne (The Iron Druid Chronicles), Jonathan Maberry (Joe Ledger), Lilith Saintcrow (Jill Kismet), Carrie Vaughn (Kitty Norville), Joseph Nassise (Templar Chronicles), C.E. Murphy (Walker Papers), Steven Savile (Glasstown), Caitlin Kittredge (the Hellhound Chronicles and the Black London series), Jeffrey Somers (The Ustari Cycle), Sam Witt (Pitchfork County), Craig Schaefer (Daniel Faust), Jon F. Merz (Lawson Vampire), Faith Hunter (Jane Yellowrock), and Diana Pharaoh Francis (Horngate Witches).

“Even Hand” copyright © 2017 by Jim Butcher and previously published by St. Martin’s Press in the Dark and Stormy Nights collection
“Hounded” copyright © 2017 by Kelley Armstrong
“Nigsu Ga Tesgu” copyright © 2017 by Jeffrey Somers
“Sixty-Six Seconds” copyright © 2017 by Craig Schaefer
“Kiss” copyright © 2017 by Lilith Saintcrow
“The Naughtiest Cherub” copyright © 2017 by Kevin Hearne
“The Resurrectionist” copyright © 2017 by Caitlin Kittredge
Compilation and “Down Where the Darkness Dwells” copyright © 2017 by Joseph Nassise
“Bellum Romanum” copyright ©2017 by Carrie Vaughn
“Altar Boy” copyright © 2017 by Jonathan Maberry
“Make It Snappy” copyright © 2017 by Faith Hunter
“Chase the Fire” copyright © 2017 by Jon F. Merz
“Unexpected Choices” copyright © 2017 by Diana Pharaoh Francis
“Reel Life: A Glass Town Story” copyright © 2017 by Steven Savile
“The Difference Between Deceit and Delusion” copyright © 2017 by Domino Finn
“Balance” copyright © 2017 by Seanan McGuire
“Everywhere” copyright © 2017 by Sam Witt

Genres: Urban Fantasy, Fantasy, Anthologies, Short Stories, Fiction, Paranormal, Audiobook

448 pages, ebook

First published August 1, 2017

About the author

I'm the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than fifty novels, including the Templar Chronicles series, the Jeremiah Hunt trilogy, and the Great Undead War series. I've also written several books in the Rogue Angel action/adventure series from Gold Eagle. I'm a former president of the Horror Writers Association, the world's largest organization of professional horror writers, and a multiple Bram Stoker Award and International Horror Guild Award nominee.

When I'm not writing, I'm hanging out with dogs, practicing recurve archery, or off-roading in the desert around my home in Phoenix, AZ.

Reviews

[Gavin · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked the concept of this anthology: villains from various UF series getting their own novellas. Unfortunately that did not work out so well in practice as it did in theory as tons of stories from, mostly, horrible characters resulted in a bit of burnout as I ended up not being able to invest in any of the characters!

I mostly just picked it up this anthology for the Craig Schaefer novella about Fontaine but figured the others were at least worth a chance regardless of them all sounding a bit crappy!

Thoughts on the individual novellas:

Even Hand by Jim Butcher

This was a novella set in Butcher's Dresden Files series. I was not at all enthused for it considering I refer to the Dresden Files as the Dreadful Files due to how boring and annoying the two books I lasted were!

I've no idea where this little novella fit into the timeline or who any of the characters were but I was surprisingly happy with it in the end. The POV character was John Marconi, who I assume is a HD villain. He turned out to be a fascinating character and the story itself was quite fun as an associate of Dresden's sought his help in escaping some monster that was chasing her. Our POV character was no humanitarian but he had a few personal rules that made him sympathetic towards the woman's plea.

This worked pretty well as a standalone novella and is probably the best work of Butcher that I've read so far. Maybe I just fare better with him in novella length chunks!

Rating: 3.5 stars. I nearly gave it 4 stars but it lost the extra half star for retaining that hint of misogyny that taints the main Dresden Files books.

Hounded by Kelley Armstrong

This tiny novella was set in Armstrong's Cainsville series. I've not read the series but still think this worked fine as a standalone novella.

The story followed an evil fae, they had a weird name but I've forgotten it and they were basically just fae anyway, as he stalked a human victim he was planning to bring "justice" to for her evil ways. It was actually quite a creepy and dark tale and had an interesting twist at the end.

I'm not sure it was exciting enough to interest me in the actual series but it worked fine as a short novella.

Rating: 3 stars.

Nigsu Ga Tesgu by Jeffrey Somers

This novella was set in Somers's Ustari Cycle series. I'm unfamiliar with the series, and author, but felt like this novella worked fine as a standalone.

It was a brief glimpse into the life of an evil bloodmage. The story was OK but I felt like it had the potential to be better.

I doubt I'll ever pick up the Ustari Cycle books but I may be tempted to give Somers's more exciting sounding Avery Cates series a chance.

Rating 2.5 stars.

Sixty-Six Seconds by Craig Schaefer

This novella, set in Schaefer's Faust/Harmony series, is the whole reason I bought this anthology in the first place! I'm familiar with the world and with this novellas lead character, Fontaine, so I'm not sure how well this worked as a standalone story but I got the impression it would have worked fine.

The story followed Fontaine, a demonic bounty hunter, on one of his assignments to track down enemies of Hell. Those enemies are part of the Redemption Choir, a group that wants to reform Hell. As well as catching the souls of his targets Fontaine had to deal with getting a new apprentice and with the fact that he had a personal connection to the case.

It was actually a pretty good novella. We got to learn a whole lot more about Fontaine's personal life, the nature of his relationship with his new apprentice, and some secrets about the Redemption Choir itself. Plus there was the fun mix of great characters, humour, and action that one finds in all of Schaefer's books.

Rating: 4 stars. It might have been more but this story was pretty short!

Kiss by Lilith Saintcrow

This novella was set in the Jill Kismet series and focused on telling the tale of a demons interactions with a line of human hunters from WW2 through to the modern day.

I felt like this was a story that would have been more enjoyable if I had more knowledge of who the characters the demon interacted with were. As it was I feel like this was a dull tale and that the world did not get explained enough to make the story enjoyable to new readers.

Rating: 2 stars. Enthusiasm for the Jill Kismet at an all time low after this.

The Naughtiest Cherub by Kevin Hearne

This novella was set after the 8th book in Herane's Iron Druid series. I've never read the series but felt like this worked fine as a standalone story.

The premise was fun. Loki was the POV character and we followed him on a trip into Hell as he sought to recruit Lucifer into his plans to bring about Ragnorak. The story moved along at a good pace and Hearne seemed to have an engaging enough writing style. The big problem was the humor was incredibly juvenile. It was like watching an episode of South Park at times. I'm audio only for this which is a pity as I'd have provided a few horrific quotes if I'd had a copy of the eBook!

Rating: 2.5 stars. I must admit I'm not feeling great about my chances of liking the Iron Druid series if this novella is an accurate indicator of what to expect from it. Which is a pity as people keep telling me the series is great!

The Resurrectionist by Caitlin Kittredge

This was set in Kittredge's The Hellhound Chronicles series. I've not read the series but think this story worked very well as a standalone novella.

The theme of the novella is that we are getting stories from the villains POV but I think this story sort of ignored that rule. Not that I'm complaining as our monster hunter lead character was an easy guy to root for so that was a fun change of pace from the majority of the stories in the collection so far.

This told the tale of an undead monster hunter who is disillusioned with his calling in life and has slipped into being little more than thuggish muscle for a local gangster. His latest assignment seems him get caught back up in the supernatural world he has tried to escape as he get mixed into the dealings of warlocks, zombies, and even a shapeshifting hellhound.

The world seemed quite interesting and Kittredge had an engaging writing style so I'll definitely consider giving the full series a go at some point.

Rating: 4 stars.

Down Where the Darkness Dwells by Joseph Nassise

This was set in The Templar Chronicles series. It is another series I'm unfamiliar with but I think it worked fine as a standalone story.

We followed the evil necromancer Simon, in his younger days, as he and his evil associates went hunting for a powerful magical artefact in the a tomb. The whole story had the feel of The Mummy movie and Nassise's writing was quite engaging. Simon was even easy enough to root for as none of the people he went up against in this novella were nice people!

I'll definitely consider giving the Templar Chronicles a go after enjoying this story!

Rating: 4 stars.

Bellum Romanum by Carrie Vaughn

This novella was set in Vaughn's Kitty Norville series. It followed the vampire, Gaius Albinus, and told a bit of his backstory. I feel like this would have worked a lot better if I actually knew more about the characters and the world. This did not work great as a standalone novella so ended up being a bit of a dud!

Rating: 2 stars.

Altar Boy by Jonathan Mayberry

This was set in Joe Ledger series and featured the reformed villain Toys (utterly dumb name!) as he had an adventure of his own. This was an OK story that never really managed to be more than average. I think it might have been a bit more fun if I had more knowledge of the world and characters in the main series as I did feel like I was missing out on some key worldbuilding.

Rating: 2.5 stars.

Thoughts on the others still to come!

Make it Snappy by Faith Hunter

This novella was set in the Jane Yellowrock series and focused on Leo, the vampire lord of New York, as he was almost caught in a trap by one of his rivals.

I did not feel like this worked particularly well as a standalone as it felt like prior knowledge of the series was assumed as there was the use of a lot of weird terms and it felt like the reader was already supposed to know who the characters were. Since I did not know that stuff I felt a little lost and what remained of the story was not decent enough to hold my attention.

The vamps in the story also seemed a bit rapey to me with their mind control powers and blood slaves so that has also put me of wanting to try any books in the full series.

Rating: 2.5 stars.

Chase the Fire by Jon F. Merz

This was set in Merz's Lawson Vampires series. It worked fine as a standalone.

It followed the tale of a Shiraz, a rouge vampire, as he sought to get a hold of a weapon that would increases his own power. It was an OK read but nothing special. The world was mildly intriguing and the action played out fine. All in all it was typical average UF fare.

Rating: 3 stars.

Unexpected Choices by Diana Pharaoh Francis

This was set in Francis's Horngate Witches series. I've not read it but this story worked fine as a standalone as Francis provided us with all the worldbuilding details we needed to get the jist of the world.

This was told from the POV of Shoftiel, an angel of punishment. After punishing an innocent soul he found himself bound in a misty prison world. He is offered a chance at release when a witch offers him a bargain. Service to the witch for freedom. He takes the deal!

The story was a bit of a mixed bag. The world seemed similar to that of the Kate Daniels series with its post-magical apocalypse setting and mix of technology and magic. I actually liked the characters as they were an intriguing duo and I enjoyed the witty banter between them. The flaw was that the action scenes were fairly dull and the wrap up of the story was a little confusing!

If this series had any audio versions I'd be tempted to give it a go. As it does not I'm probably going to take a chance on on of Francis's other series as there was enough in this novella to make me think it will be worth reading a full book from her.

Rating: 3.5 stars.

Reel Life by Steven Savile

This was set in Savile's Glass Town series. I've not read the series but I felt like it worked fine as a standalone story.

It was told from the POV of Seth Lockwood. Lockwood was an evil guy who, with the help of a magician, had abducted his brothers lover and disappeared into a small magical world/dimension alone with her. He found that his dream world was not quite the paradise he hoped it would be.

This was an OK read. Seth was pretty vile but the story and magic had a unique feel to it and was very gothic. The world was an interesting one. Not a great story but I might be tempted to give Glass Town a go one day just to see if Savile stories are better with a more likeable protagonist to follow.

Rating: 3 stars.

The Difference between Deceit and Delusion by Domino Finn

This was set in Finn's Black Magic Outlaw series but worked fine as a standalone story.

It was a decent enough read. Finn's world is interesting and the actions ticks along at a fast enough pace to keep the story engaging even if this novella, and the series as a whole, never gets above an OK read.

This one followed Tunji Malu as he found himself in an unexpected battle for his life against a new enemy. I think the story was set before the first Black Magic Outlaw book.

Rating: 3.5 stars.

Balance by Seanan McGuire

This novella was set in the Incryptid series, which I've not read, but I felt like it worked good as a standalone story.

The novella was told from the POV of a Cuckoo, an alien supernatural creature that looks human but can control the minds of those it encounters. We got a real glimpse into the way the creature thought and I felt like it was a suitably creepy and evil villain!

I did quite enjoy this one so I'll definitely be trying one of McGuire's series soon!

Rating: 4 stars.

Everywhere by Sam Witt

This was set in the Pitchfork County series. I've not read it but felt like this worked fine as a standalone novella. It was told from the point of view of The Long Man. I gather he was a vanquished villain in the main series and he gave making a comeback a go in this one.

I found this one pretty dull. There was nothing really happening to hook me to the story. Nothing stood out as particularly bad it was just than nothing managed to hold my attention.

Rating: 2 stars.

----

All in all I'd have to say this anthology was a bit of a flop. It had a few good stories but most were duds and so the end result is I've weeded a bunch of UF series out of my to-read list!

Overall rating: 2.5 stars. Too many duds even for the good novellas to counter.

Audio Note: All the male written stories were narrated by Paul Boehmer and the female written stories by Tanya Eby. It seemed a weird way to split the novellas and I feel like they should have split it by the protagonists gender rather than the authors gender. Both narrators were acceptable without being anything special.

[✘✘ Sarah ✘✘ (former Nefarious Breeder of Murderous Crustaceans) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Disclaimer: there are seventeen short stories in this collection. I only read one of them so far. Craig Schaefer's. Because I'm despicably selective like that. And also because DUH.

➽ Sixty-Six Seconds: 4 stars.

This is a delightful little short about the yummiest corpse highjacker demonic bounty hunter in the Schaeferverse, aka my boyfriend Fontaine. I wouldn’t have minded if my boyfriend Danny Boy had made an appearance here as well, but I guess he’s gotta take some rest from my lurving ministrations once in a while, and let the other prime specimens of my High Security Harem have some quality time in my nefarious company.

Anyhoo and stuff, this jolly romp of a story finds Fontaine slightly stuck in an really hot, recently autopsied body (super sexy Y-incision and debatable haircut included at no extra charge), and most enthusiastically chaperoning a foul-mouthed 118 year old bitch sweet and cuddly 12 year old apprentice:

“You look like Wednesday Addams on the back of a milk carton. And the milk’s gone sour.”
“You look like you fell out of the ugly tree and hit every branch on the way down,” she chirped. “Nice hair, fucko.”
“You kiss your mother with that mouth?”
“I ate my mother,” the little girl said. “Probably ate yours, too. She probably liked it.”

Such a lovable little kid our Rache. No wonder Fontaine is so happy to teach her the ropes! Anyway, in this story the two of them are running a merry (if slightly homicidal) errand on behalf of one of the courts of hell, and joyfully disposing of bad bad bad people (as opposed to bad bad people, aka every single character in this world) around Detroit. Rollicking good times ahead. Especially for said bad bad bad people, who get an all-inclusive vacation at the Pandemonium Holiday Inn in exchange for their trouble. And that’s one pretty sweet deal, if you ask me.



See, even my pal Charlie agrees with me on that one.

“And what happens next?” you ask. Why spoiler spoiler spoiler, obviously. With a nice little twist on top. The end and stuff.



P.S. Don’t tell PETA but bunnies might or might not have been ruthlessly slaughtered moderately hurt in this story. Maybe.

· Book 1: The Long Way Down ★★★★★
· Book 1.5: The White Gold Score ★★★★★
· Book 2: Redemption Song ★★★★★
· Book 3: The Living End ★★★★★
· Book 4: A Plain-Dealing Villain ★★★★★
· Book 5: The Killing Floor Blues ★★★★★
· Book 6: The Castle Doctrine ★★★★★
· Book 6.1: Sweet, Blissful Certainty ★★★
· Book 7: Double or Nothing ★★★★★
· Book 7.1: A Drive in the Country ★★★★
· Book 8: The Neon Boneyard ★★★★★
· Book 9: The Locust Job ★★★★★
· Book 10: Down Among the Dead Men ★★★★★

[Mlpmom (Book Reviewer) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Who doesn't love a good villain? I mean come on, we all love to hate them and even sometimes, hate to love them. When I found out some of the top authors in the urban fantasy genre were going to be writing not only short stories set in some of the best series out there, but also in the point of view of their villains, I was so all over it. And even though some of these series I have yet to try, it didn't stop me from diving right in and seeing what their writing and bad guys were all about.

While all of these stories were good, like most anthologies, some stuck out to me more than others.

I loved Even Hand by Jim Butcher. In fact I liked it so much so that I plan on starting the Harry Dresden Files because of it. I mean who doesn't love witches and all things that go bump in the night?

Kelley Armstrong's Hounded from her Cainville Series was every bit as I expected it to be and I loved getting inside the Huntsman's head and seeing what makes him tick. It was a great bonus addition to the series and I'm so glad I read it.

Kiss by Saintcrow made me also want to start her series. Her villain was creepy and like the author has mentioned before, being inside his head makes you want to take a shower and scrub yourself clean afterward.

I already knew I liked the Iron Druid series by Kearne and seeing Loki and Lucifer featured in his short The Naughtiest Cherub, was just so much fun. It reminded me all over again, why I love his books. The humor is like no other and it's super hard to resist and UF series all set from the male POV.

Truly I could go on, all of these stories were great and while I liked some more than others, there weren't any that I hated, which was a nice change for me. Usually with these type of books you always get that odd ball story that doesn't seem to fit and you would rather have not wasted time on. Overall this was a fun filled, villainous read that I'm glad I took a chance on.

*ARC was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*

[Cyndi · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent compilation of stories into the worlds of a variety of writers. But from the pov of the villains. How cool is that? Some of them try to make them seem redeemable and others a just deliciously evil. 😈 Excellent stories!

[Steven · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me a copy of this in exchange for an honest review.

This anthology included some really excellent stories... and added quite a few series to my TBR pile. Can't wait to pick some of them up!
---
Even Hand by Jim Butcher
Villain & Series: Gentleman John Marcone, The Dresden Files
My Series Status: Devoted Follower/Obsessee
Stars: Five

Even Hand was a great little story, but way too short. I've always been intrigued by Gentleman John Marcone, and seeing inside his head for this one, getting a deeper glimpse into his psyche, just wasn't enough for me. He's in quite a few of the books in the main series, but I really wish he'd play a bigger role over all. With the "apocalyptic trilogy" ender coming up (in five books, so ok, not the near future), maybe he'll jump on the antihero train, and perhaps Dresden and Marcone won't have to have an epic final showdown where only one walks away.

Also, I really like Hendricks, and love Justine and Ms. Gard.
---

Hounded by Kelley Armstrong
Villain & Series: The Rogue Huntsman, Cainsville series
My Series Status: New to Me (on my TBR prior)
Stars: Five

So, I've been working on reading Women of the Otherworld by this author, and really am enjoying the series, but Cainsville has been on my radar for a while. I'm trying to finish up Otherworld first, as I'm in the middle of so many series already, and Otherworld is completed, so might as well knock it out... but this twisted little story with a very dark villain and an even darker ending really makes me excited to check out Cainsville!!!
---

Nigsu Ga Tesgu by Jeff Somers
Villain & Series: Mika Renar, Utsari Cycle
My Series Status: New to Me
Stars: Four

I've never heard of this series or author before, but I'm definitely putting book one on my TBR. This is one seriously creepy villain and an interesting take on magic.
---

Sixty-Six Seconds by Craig Schaefer
Villain & Series: Fontaine (Harmony Black) and The Redemption Choir (Daniel Faust)
My Series Status: I've read book one of Daniel Faust with intentions to attempt to read the rest of the two series
Stars: Three

This wasn't bad, per se, but it just wasn't as polished as the first three stories felt -- and it wasn't really dark and villainous. Fontaine was actually VERY understandable and relatable, and the "twist" at the end wasn't shocking. I don't know what it is about him, but so far, I feel like Schaefer just tries too hard. (Sorry, Sarah)
---

Kiss by Lilith Saintcrow
Villain & Series: Perry/Pericles, Jill Kismet series
My Series Status: New to Me (on my TBR prior)
Stars: Three and a half

I haven't read anything by Lilith Saintcrow before, and this one was a little confusing -- I probably would have understood more had I read some of the series before, and if work hadn't kept interrupting my reading of this one. Enjoyable, but missing something.
---

The Naughtiest Cherub by Kevin Hearne
Villain & Series: Loki, The Iron Druid Chronicles
My Series Status: Read through book 7 (currently one book behind)
Stars: One

I liked the first few books in this series, but the last few haven't been as fun or as exciting. Maybe it's just me, but I grew kinda bored of the whole series, which is a shame, because I love Oberon and Granuaile. Loki's little jaunt through the Christian Hell to have a chat with Lucifer was blasé and meh and contrived.
---

The Resurrectionist by Caitlin Kittredge
Villain & Series: Lee Grey, The Hellhound Chronicles
My Series Status: New to Me (on my TBR prior)
Stars: Three

I enjoyed this shorty, and will definitely pick up the Hellhound Chronicles... but it didn't really feel like this one was in keeping with the theme of the anthology being stories from the villain's perspective. Lee felt like one of the good guys. *shrugs*
---

Down Where the Darkness Dwells by Joseph Nassise
Villain & Series: Simon Logan and Ashereal, The Templar Chronicles
My Series Status: New to Me
Stars: Five

This little gem was tremendous fun. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (one of my favorite movies of all time) meets The Mummy (Brendan Fraser version, another of my favorite movies) and magic. I added this one to my TBR for sure. Is it bad I was rooting for this villain?
---

Bellum Romanum by Carrie Vaughn
Villain & Series: Roman/Gaius Albinus, Kitty Norville series
My Series Status:New to Me (on my TBR prior)
Stars: Four

I will definitely be picking up this series soon -- Roman seems like a really cool villain! I loved the vampire mythology in this one, and the origins of Roman as not only a vampire, but also some form of a magic user.
---

Altar Boy by Jonathan Mayberry
Villain & Series: Toys, Joe Ledger series
My Series Status:New to Me (on my TBR prior)
Stars: Four

I'm intrigued by the character of Toys... I am not a huge "zombie" fan, but I think I'll check this series out, if not just to meet and get to know Toys better, but to see what led to the events of this shorty.
---

Make it Snappy by Faith Hunter
Villain & Series: Leo, Jane Yellowrock series
My Series Status: Devoted Follower/Obsessee
Stars: Five

Absolutely LOVED this one. I adore the Jane Yellowrock world, and it was really cool to see some pre-Jane-coming-to-New-Orleans Leo, Bruiser, Katie, and Bethany... and the precursor first warning signs that the Eurovamps were going to be making their way to come after the US/Leo's territory. Good thing Jane showed up when she did. Her and Beast might just be the "tipping point" needed to tilt things in Leo's favor.
---

Chase the Fire by Jon F. Merz
Villain & Series: Shiraz Aziz, Lawson Vampires
My Series Status: New to Me
Stars: Four

Interesting... It looks like this series is a mishmash and hodgepodge of spy novels and vampires. This story was entertaining enough to check out the first book in the series and see if it's for me. I'm a little worried that Goodreads and the author's site don't really have an accurate reading order for these, but if book one is good, I'll just try to figure it out.
---

Unexpected Choices by Diana Pharaoh Francis
Villain & Series: Shoftiel, Horngate Witches
My Series Status: New to Me (on my TBR prior)
Stars: Four

Really liked Shoftiel's character -- he was showing clear potential for character growth while also exhibiting some of his defining characteristics that I would guess led him to be granted "villain" status within the series -- this one is definitely moving up my list to read sooner rather than later.
---

Reel Life by Steven Savile
Villain & Series: Seth Lockwood, Glass Town (if this is a series, only one book has been published)
My Series Status: New to Me
Stars: Two and a half

This was inexplicably both intriguing and boring to me. I needed to read the Glass Town before I picked this one up, I guess.
---

The Difference between Deceit and Delusion by Domino Finn
Villain & Series: Tunji Malu, Black Magic Outlaw series
My Series Status: New to Me
Stars: Four and a half

Cool villains! Definitely starting this series in the near future!!
---

Balance by Seanan McGuire
Villain & Series: a Cuckoo, Incryptid series
My Series Status: Devoted Follower/Obsessee
Stars: Five

Just FYI, anything Seanan McGuire writes is golden... and this is no different. Cuckoos are insanely disturbing and make for awesome villains (and, if you've read Incryptid, great characters in general).
---

Everywhere by Sam Witt
Villain & Series: The Long Man, Pitchfork County series
My Series Status: New to Me
Stars: Three

This one didn't do much for me, but the Long Man was sufficiently creepy, so I didn't dislike it either.

[Michael Britt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would like to thank the Publisher for approving me for this ARC, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

Actual rating: 3.75 rounded up to 4

Urban Enemies is an awesome collection of 17 Urban Fantasy short stories told from the POV's of the villains of various UF series. I am only familiar with 3 of these authors (Jim Butcher, Kevin Hearne, and Craig Schaefer) but this has helped me find a few new authors worth looking in to.

My obvious favorite was Even Hand by Jim Butcher. Mainly because of how awesome of a bad guy Johnny Marcone is. I absolutely loved getting a look inside his head. I just wish it would've been longer. Like a whole novel longer.

Even though I have read the first book in Schaefer's Daniel Faust series, I didn't recognize his baddies. But it was great writing none-the-less.

Hearne's story actually features Loki. It take a place after Staked (book 8 of the Iron Druid Chronicles) and even though I've only read to book 2 or 3, can't recall off the top of my head, this was an absolute delight. It came very close to beating out Butcher's story. Absolutely loved this one.

Domino Finn was my favorite out of the author's that I discovered through this collection. This had some really great writing and a truly awesome bad guy. I'll definitely be reading this series ASAP!

While there were quite a few meh stories here, the stories that I loved made the bad ones totally worth it! Even if you're like me and only recognize a few authors, I still think it'll be worth picking up. I'll definitely be grabbing me a copy when it comes out.

[Magdalena aka A Bookaholic Swede · Rating 4 out of 5]

Urban fantasy anthologies are always great fun to read. It doesn't matter if you haven't read anything by most of the authors before, heck, it's a great way to be introduced into series.

This anthology appealed to me because I recognized authors like Jim Butcher, Kelley Armstrong, Seanan McGuire and Kevin Hearne. The rest were new ones for me, but for the most part did all of the stories work, even though most of the series in this book were new for me, like even though I have read books by Seanan McGuire before haven't I read anything before from her October Daye series, and I have only read the first book in the Dresden Files by Jim Butcher (and a short story) before so the villain in the book was pretty unknown for me. But, it worked. Most of the stories worked, despite the fact that I had pretty much zero knowledge before I read them. Then again, I love interesting villains so that helped.

The best story was without doubt Kelley Armstrong's. But, I started to read her Cainsville series a while back, and I love it so that's not really a big surprise. It did spoil the series a bit since I have only read the first two books, but that's alright. It doesn't put me off reading the next books.

If I had been wise would I have taken notes of every story, but I was too lazy for that so I will not comment on every story. However, I will say that it's a great collection whether or not you have read anything by the others before.

I want to thank the publisher for providing me with a free copy through NetGalley for an honest review!

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

There's just something about fictional baddies that fascinates and they provide a brilliant hook for an urban fantasy short story collection. Some of the authors I knew, lots I didn't, but this was an intriguing look into each created world from a perspective not usually seen. For the series I'd read before, it was fun to delve into the minds of the other side, a bit of blood and mayhem and a whole lot of attitude. For the ones new to me, it was a great way to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of each author's characterisation and writing style- I mean, if I don't like their stories about the dark side, the goodies were never going to get me... The only problem being that I might just have allied myself to the wrong side, I tend to mentally pledge myself to those I meet first, even if they're on the wrong side of right.

A read full of adventure and death, with the potential to find you some new favourite authors, what's not to like?


ARC via Netgalley

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this anthology. It was a very fun read and it gave me a chance to check out many authors I had not heard of or read previously. I'm excited to be able to check out some of the full length novels! Plus, there's something refreshing about reading the stories of villains instead of heroes.

Even Hand - Jim Butcher - From the world of Harry Dresden, we follow John Marcone. This was an interesting read. I know that Marcone was supposed to be a villain, but in this short story he played, to a small extent, a hero. I loved the variety of magical and mystical creatures introduced, and I thought Gard's character was fantastic (she's a Norse valkyrie). If she ever gets a spinoff, count me in! Marcone had an awesome variety of weapons at his disposal and that made this one of my favorite short stories in the book. 5 stars

Hounded - Kelley Armstrong - The Cainsville Series - The main character of this story, is Cwn Annwn. He is perhaps, one of the most evil characters in the whole book. Cwn is a member of the Wild Hunt who has been cast out (and had his hound repo-ed) because he's lost his mind. Now he needs another hound. The way he goes about acquiring one... well. It made for an excellent and harrowing story. 4 stars

Nigsu Ga Tesgu - Jeff Somers - An Ustari Cycle Story - This one told the back story of Mika Renar. The world building seemed rather complicated and was difficult to follow at times, but I enjoyed it overall. I give the story itself 3 stars, because it was a little slow, but I give Mika 5 stars because she was pretty awesome.

Sixty Six Seconds - Craig Schaefer - Harmony Black - Sixty Six Seconds follows Fontaine on a demonic bounty hunt. This was another story where the villain might have been mistaken for a hero. I think fans of the Harmony Black series would get more enjoyment from this story than I did. The world building again, seemed complicated and some things were hard to follow. I wasn't sure why the people who were being hunted were being hunted, other than Princes of Hell wanted them. 3 stars

Kiss - Lilith Saintcrow - Jill Kismet series - This is another backstory to what I understand to be the series main villain, Perry. He's undoubtedly evil, but the story fell a little flat for me. I would however, be interested in reading more about Jill Kismet. 3 series

The Naughtiest Cherub - Kevin Hearne - The Iron Druid Chronicles - The Naughtiest Cherub was my favorite story of the book. I'm all for anything Viking or Norse mythology. This story sees Loki going into hell trying to make a deal with the devil (The Naughtiest Cherub) to help him assist or stop him from interfering with Ragnorak (the end of the world). Loki was represented well and I loved the idea that Lucifer only does things that amuse him, and all of his evil stems from his want of amusement. I will definitely be checking out The Iron Druid Chronicles! 5 stars

The Resurrectionist - Caitlin Kittredge - The Hellhound Chronicles - This was another bounty hunter type story. I loved the slow burn of Lee Grey from morally neutral guy with a bad past back into full on villain. 4 stars

Down Where the Darkness Dwells - Joseph Nassise - The Templar Chronicles - This was my second favorite story in the book and it tells the beginning of villain Simon Logan. It had a very Indiana Jones feel to it, with a bunch of wizards (warlocks?) and their apprentices descending into the forgotten temple of a Mayan death god in pursuit of a relic with awesome power. This is another series that I definitely want to check out in the future! 5 stars

Bellum Romanum - Carrie Vaughn - Kitty Norville series - This story followed Gaius Albinus, a vampire who was once a Roman Centurion whose crimes are far worse than sucking the blood of unwilling victims. A solid vampire story- 4 stars.

Altar Boy - Jonathan Maberry - Joe Ledger series - This story was interesting because the main character (Toys) was a villain with no illusions about his past. He seems to be attempting to find redemption and the story delivers a decent twist. It also takes a small glance at the science vs. religion debate and gives you something to think about. 4 stars

Make it Snappy - Faith Hunter - Jane Yellowrock - Loved the characters in this one (vampire master Leo and his heir Katherine), and I love the description given of the main character from the series (a Cherokee skin walker). It seemed very reminiscent of Jean Claude and the Anita Blake series. Another story that got me interested in the original series. 4 stars

Chase the Fire - Jon F. Merz - Lawson Vampires - I think this was the most forgettable story of the book. I didn't feel like it brought anything new to the vampire table. Please take this with a grain of salt because I've never read any of the novels before and maybe just didn't understand the world building at play. Ava was a delight though. 2 stars

Unexpected Choices - Diana Pharaoh Francis - The Horngate Witches - So this story isn't my typical flavor of paranormal. For some reason I don't find witches and angels as exciting as vampires and werewolves. However, this story follows a witch named Giselle and an angel named Shoftiel after a magical apocalypse, which sounded pretty awesome and definitely left me wanting more. For a short story I also thought Max and Giselle had a lot of chemistry together. 4 stars

Reel Life - Steven Savile - Glass Town - This story follows Seth Lockwood, whom I think, is just a human. He's locked in an alternate world (his own request) by a magician who has now disappeared. Time moves differently in his alternate reality and he and his captive do not age. This story was seriously disturbing and had a huge dose of horror alongside the paranormal. I'm giving it 4 stars for it's effectiveness (it's horrifying). The story itself wasn't my style.

The Difference Between Deceit and Delusion - Domino Finn - Black Magic Outlaw -This story undoubtedly had the coolest villain. A vampire of sorts with metal fangs and hooked blades (for arms? I think?). There is also a djinn (which I rarely see), and the story is interwoven with African and Caribbean folklore, which I enjoyed. The plot itself wasn't incredibly interesting but I'd check out the book for the characters and world building anyway. 4 stars

Balance - Seanan McGuire - InCryptid Universe - Follows an alien creature called a cuckoo, who can alter the minds of humans. I thought it was a unique premise and story. I loved the ending. 4 stars

Everywhere - Sam Witt - Pitchfork County Series - This follows a villain called the Longman. Again, I didn't understand much of the world building which made it tough to follow, but it had an excellent conclusion. 3 stars

Overall the writing was great. Each author brought something new to the table. I'd recommend this book to existing fans of these series, as well as anyone looking for some new Urban Fantasy series to read. They are excellent previews to the world building, writing, and types of magic or characters at play. None of the stories felt too long or dragged on unnecessarily. i will probably check it out again from time to time as I'm looking for new reading material.

[Trish · Rating 4 out of 5]

Disclaimer: There are 17 short stories in this collection. However, I only read one of them: Seanan McGuire's Balance.

Balance is a story set in the InCryptid universe and thus introduces us to one species of urban monsters - the cuckoos. And boy, are they a nasty piece of work!

I shan't spoiler too much about what happens other than to say that this species power / hunting technique was quite interesting. Thus, this was a nice way of getting introduced to that side of the spectrum before delving into the first novel.

Still, it was just a short story and I think reading them after the first novel will make more sense to a lot of readers (I went with the chronological order).

[Yodamom · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was only going to listen to two story's Jim Butchers and Faith Hunter. They are two of my favorite authors that I never miss. I ended up listening to the whole thing. I enjoy the little tidbits from the above two authors the rest meh...I didn't know their characters, didn't have any feel for them. So meh

[Jen (That's What I'm Talking About) · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Even Hand” by Jim Butcher (Dresden Files)
This story is shared from Dresden’s long-time nemesis, John Marcone.

Justine shows up with a baby and asks for sanctuary from Mag, a powerful fomor wizard. Marcone isn’t one for making bad business decisions, but takes Justine in because one of Marcone’s rules is no harm to children. Mag is extremely determined to get back Justine and brings all his power to bear down on Marcone, Gard, and Hendricks.

While the tale doesn’t directly tie into the overall Dresden story arc, it gives great insight into the warped mind of Marcone, reminding readers he isn’t anybody’s hero. I love he remains the bad guy, even when saving Justine. And his plans for Dresden left me shivering.

“Hounded” by Kelly Armstrong (Cainsville series)
Never having read this series, Ms. Armstrong does a great job giving readers just enough information to understand the short without going into the entire series background and history.

The Cwn Annwn are the Hunters of the Wild Hunt. “Hounded” follows one Huntsman whose hound was taken from him and was cut from his pack for reasons we discover as the story unfolds. Unlike the previous story, where a bad guy does a good deed, this Huntsman is not good, and we witness how he corrupts a woman, bending her will to suit his needs. Very well done and a bit creepy!

“Nigsu Ga Tesgu” by Jeff Somers (Ustari Cycle story)
Once again, the author does a great job giving readers a blurb about the world and antagonist featured in this anthology. Mika Renar is a magician, and she is one of the most powerful and dark ustari in the world. The first line in the story tells us she killed her father, and thus starts our lesson of how wicked magicians truly are.

Told in first person, present tense, “Nigsu Ga Tesgu” shares an attack meant to destroy Mika. While I had no problems following the storyline, I found that it held little interest for me. Maybe if I knew more about Mari, I would have been more invested in her survival. However, she is an evil, selfish woman, one I didn’t care about.

“Sixty-Six Seconds” by Craig Schaefer (This story contains characters from two interconnected series: Harmony Black and Daniel Faust.)

Fontaine and his new apprentice, Rache, work for hell by bringing in damned souls. They are on a mission to stop the Redemption Choir, a group set on bringing down the beings of hell.

The story takes place over the course of one night, while Fontaine takes on a difficult bounty with a big payoff. I like how the tale unfolds and the twist that plays out. It’s an interesting story; I wanted to know more about Fontaine and his human informant, Ada.

“Kiss” by Lilith Saincrow (Jill Kismit series)
The main character in this one is Perry, a nemesis of the series heroine.

Honestly, I was lost most of this story. I think Perry was the first person, “I” telling the story and he is the son (?) of Argoth. Perry is working with a hunter, his enemy, to take down Argoth.

It was also confusing because Perry refers to “you” and “your world,” and it’s unclear if he’s speaking to another character or the reader directly. I ended up DNFing this one after reading about half of it. It was way too confusing.

“The Naughtiest Cherub” by Kevin Hearne (Iron Druid Chronicles)
This story is shared by Loki as he prepares to begin Ragnarok, and without the bounds of Fate, he approaches the Christian devil, Lucifer, for assistance in the upcoming battles.

Mr. Hearne’s sense of humor shines in this short story. Both Loki and Lucifer had me smirking. Loki is growing stronger, and the time to take on Atticus, the Druids, and all of Midgard draws near. As a big fan of the series, I enjoyed this little look inside Loki’s mind.

“The Resurrectionist” by Caitlin Kittredge (Hellhound Chronicles)
This story, set in the 1930’s, features a monster hunter named Lee, who is considered evil to the population of non-human beings living in this world. It’s more of an origin story about Lee.

Reading this one, I was lost most of the time until the very end. I think I would have enjoyed the story much more had I been a fan of the series. With that said, Lee and his nemesis, Ava, intrigued me, enough that I’d like to check out the full series.

“Down Where the Darkness Dwells” by Joseph Nassise (Templar Chronicles)
The story is narrated by necromancer Simon Logan, who is also an acolyte of the big, bad fallen angel, Ashereal, also know as the Adversary. This tale takes readers back to the time when Logan came into power.

I found this dark tale interesting. It’s clear the narrator is a bad man, but I enjoyed learning about how he came to power.

“Bellum Romanum” by Carrie Vaughn (Kitty Norville series)
Heroine Kitty Norville is a werewolf who has stumbled onto a rather large, evil conspiracy, and at the center of the trouble is 2,000-year-old vampire, Roman, aka Dux Bellorum. This story shares how he came into power and hints at the evil plans ahead.

While I’ve never read the Kitty Norville series, I’ve heard great things. Regardless, the story was easy to follow and drew me in. I want to know more about the world and what Roman plans to do with his magic lamp.

“Altar Boy” by Jonathan Maberry (Joe Ledger weird science thrillers)
Joe works for a covert Special Ops group that stops terrorists using cutting-edge science weapons. This story follows a reoccurring, “recovering” villain named Toys, a man who firmly believes he is damned due to his past actions. Yet a new relationship with an equally broken woman gives Toys a new outlook on life.

Wow! Did I love this one. I’ve never even heard of this series, yet I found this to be a powerful story that was emotionally gripping. Toys is a complex man, one worthy of redemption, yet will never seek it. I want to read more from this author ASAP!

“Make It Snappy” by Faith Hunter (Jane Yellowrock series)
This story takes a small look at a backstory of Leo, the vampire Master of New Orleans. The author sets the stage at the opening, which probably makes a lot a sense to those familiar with the series.

Even though I was a bit lost (this series is next on my audiobook TBR), I enjoyed this short episode about Leo and his nemesis, El Mago. Leo is a just Master, but cruel when he is crossed, and this story demonstrates what happens to those who cross him. Entertaining reading!

“Chase the Fire” by Jon F. Merz (Lawson Vampire series)
In this world, vampires remain hidden from the world and protected by an elite cadre. However, there are some vampires who do not wish to live by the rules. Shiraz Aziz is one such creature.

This story sets the stage for a large conspiracy within the ruling vampire council. Shiraz and his partner work to find an artifact and kill Lawson, and I found myself interested in their tale, despite knowing nothing about the series. The plot against Lawson appears to be rather well-thought out, and I want to know if it is successful or not. This one was an exciting tale.

“Unexpected Choices” by Diana Pharaoh Francis (Horngate Witches series)
In Ms. Francis’s world, a group called the Guardians has unleashed a magical apocalypse with the hopes in killing off the humans. Giselle is a witch who formed the Horngate coven to fight on the side of humans. She foresees the need to steal something and calls upon her sometimes nemesis, Shoftiel, a righteous angel of justice, to guard her. The pair form a fragile alliance in an effort to save the world.

I was a bit lost with this story at first, but as I read on, the author filled in more gaps and the mythology became more interesting. What seemed like a “Kate Daniels knockoff,” became a detailed and unique world. I loved the back and forth between Giselle and Shoftiel and want to know what happens after the events of this story.

“Real Life” by Steven Savile (Glass Town Story)
Seth Lockwood is envious of his brother’s life. Obsessed with his brother’s love, Seth kidnaps Eleanor, and the pair live in a magical construct outside of time known as Glass Town. Seth is an evil man who enjoys causing physical and emotional pain.

“Reel Life” is a disturbingly odd story. The magical construct is a lonely, desolate place with only two inhabitants; the captive held against her will and the captor now stuck in this place because of the passing time outside of Glass Town. Seth is truly evil, ruining his own life in an effort to destroy his brother. The story is creepy and distressing.

“The Difference Between Deceit and Delusion” by Domino Finn (Black Magic Outlaw series)
This is the backstory of Tunji Malu, one of the first villains in the series. He is a supernatural bodyguard for a Nigerian businessman making his way in Miami.

Tunji is a being akin to a vampire, best I can tell. He’s a loyal bodyguard and does the things necessary to protect his boss. Yet his boss is only a means to climb out from the world Tunji once lived. In this story we get a taste of his ruthlessness and cruelty. Yet all isn’t what it seems, and by the end of the story, new alliances are formed. The tale is action-filled and exciting, yet easy to follow. I am interested in reading more.

“Balance” by Seanan McGuire (InCryptid Universe)
The InCryptid universe is filled with shifters (?), humans, and non-human others. I believe it is the job of these others, cryptids, to keep humans from discovering they aren’t alone. There are also cuckoos, and I am unsure if they are related to cryptids. The story, shared in first person narrative, follows a female cuckoo who has the ability to read and manipulate the minds of those around her. She’s warped and loves messing with those around her in awful, usually deadly ways.

I think in his effort to explain his world, the author confused me by adding information that was unnecessary for understanding this short tale. The narrator, Eliza, a one of many cuckoos that have invaded our world. They manipulate humans to survive, leaving them after they are used up. In this story Eliza discovers that those hunting the cuckoos have learned a new way to trap her kind. I enjoyed the story, wondering about the larger universe outside the cuckoos.

“Everywhere” by Sam Witt (Pitchfork County Story)
Joe Hark, the Night Marshal, fights the forces of darkness in the world. His mentor and ally, the Long Man, became one of the monsters they fight, and Joe was forced to kill his once friend. However, the Long Man, didn’t wholly perish and has returned, looking to gain back the powers Joe took from him.

Oh... another dark, yet interesting tale! The Long Man is warped... at first wanting to find eternal rest with the Father, but when turned away, his demented mind hatches plans to “save” his soul. Getting inside this dark mind reminded me of a creepy horror movie. I fear for Joe and the world he struggles to protect.

Urban Enemies is an interesting look into several different worlds through short stories that center on a villain or antagonist from each series. Some of its villains are simply misunderstood or have good intentions, while others are truly evil. I enjoyed reading the several varieties of writing styles and antagonists. Even though I only follow two of the seventeen series represented in Urban Enemies, I enjoyed the book, wanting to look further into some series. I recommend this unique anthology to fans of the urban fantasy genre.

My Rating: B, Liked It
Originally posted at That's What I'm Talking About
Review copy provided by publisher

[Bradley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm getting prepared to read the full-out Incryptid series and had to hunt down Eliza's story in this anthology.

That being said, I'm only reading "Balance" for our favorite Cuckoo.

It's a nice little look at the balance between being hunted... and being the hunter. A slice of life in the big city. :)

[Angela (Angel's Book Nook) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Urban Enemies is a collection of seventeen short stories from Joseph Nassies, Jim Butcher, Kevin Hearne, Seanan McGuire, Kelley Armstrong, Jonathan Maberry, Jeff Somers, Steven Savile, Caitlin Kittredge, Sam Witt, Craig Schaefer, Jon F. Merz, Faith Hunter, Diana Pharaoh Francis, Lilith Saintcrow, Carrie Vaughn, & Domino Finn.

This collection of short stories was an ok read. They are all a little dark and deal with the villains of many different series. I think this collection is great for libraries. It's got a lot of author's so, it might get you interested in trying them.

I picked up this collection; because I wanted to read Jim Butcher’s short story, but I did end up reading all seventeen stories featured. I enjoyed some and others didn’t work out.

Rated: 3.5 Stars

*****

Even Hand by Jim Butcher

Even Hand features John Marcone the human criminal lord in Chicago in the Dresden Files. We get to see what he’s been working on in regards to negating magic. The author treats us to a little battle that tests out his defenses. We see that even as a criminal he has rules and one is no children ever.

I’m fan of the Dresden Files. It’s a great Urban Fantasy series to explore. I liked seeing Marcone.

Rated: 4 Stars


Hounded by Kelly Armstrong

Hounded is a dark tale. We learn about the Huntsman and that they hunt those that have killed the fae only. But, here we have one who has been cast out, an outcast; because he hunts humans who have killed. The way he traps these humans isn’t right and it’s what lead him to be outcasted.

It’s interesting, but a little dark for my taste.

Rated: 3 Stars


Nigsu Ga Tesgu by Jeff Somers

Here we learn that Magicians aren’t nice people. It’s told in Mika’s POV and is very dark.

It was enjoyable, but a little dark for my taste.

Rated: 3 Stars


Sixty-Six Seconds by Craig Schaefer 

We are treated to two series that cross in the same world, Harmony Black and Daniel Faust. Faust is nobody's hero. He's a card-carrying villain by trade, a thief and sorcerer. We learn that Demons take over dead bodies and wreak havoc in the modern world. The Chainmen are the first and last line of defense against the enemies of Hell.

I enjoyed Sixty-Six Seconds. Our lead is trying to help someone he cares about out and is on a time crunch.

Rated: 4 Stars


Kiss by Lilith Saintcro  

We get a character from the Jill Kismet series.

I have not read the series, so this one was not easy to follow. We get made up languages and words; which don’t make sense. I was lost.

Rated: DNF  


The Naughties T Cherub By Kevin Hearne

Here we get Loki’s POV a character in the Iron Druid series. It takes place after Staked. Loki is working his way towards Ragnoroke. He visits Hades in Hell to gag if he will participate.

I enjoyed this insight into Loki, the trip to Hell, and this little pop into the series. I’ve got plans to try out the Iron Druid series.

Rated: 3.5 Stars


The Resurrectionist by Caitlin Kittredge

This short is set in the Hellhound Chronicles during the 1930’s. It is the begging of Lee’s story. We get a missing girl, zombies, hellhounds, and warlocks. Lee once was a hunter, but has left that life, yet that life never left him. He’ll have to be that man again. 

I really liked this insight into Lee and little taste of the series.

Rated: 4 Stars


Down where the Darkness Dwells by Joseph Nassise

Here we visit the Templar Chronicles series and Necromancer Simon Logan a villain in the series. This is the start of when he gains his powers. He’s on a search for hidden treasures that will give power, but what he finds turned him into the most powerful leader and no longer an acolyte.

I very much enjoyed this short story. I’m curious about the series now.

Rated: 4 Stars


Bellum Romanum by Carrie Vaughn

Here we meet Roman aka Gaius Albinus who is Kitty’s nemesis in the Kitty Norville series.

I actually tried this series and stoped after book two. It wasn’t working for me. As for this short, Bellum Romanum, I liked Roman and seeing him at the start of his life and what he has in the works.

Rated: 4 Stars


Altar Boy by Jonathan Maberry

Here we visit the Joe Ledger world and it features Toy a villain and a recovering bad guy fighting for his soul and redemption. He’s trying to turn a new leaf, given a new chance to do good, but his past has caught up with him…. What will he do?

This was an interesting short and I enjoyed it. Toy is a complex character. He knows he’s done bad and will probably do it again, but he’s also trying to help the good guys and atone for his sins.

Rated: 4 Stars


Make It Snappy by Faith Hunter 

This one takes us into the Jane Yellowrock series featuring Leo and his vampire gang; before Jane comes into the picture. He takes on an old enemy that he thought was dead and learns that the Europe Vampires have set their sights on his land and will be come.

I liked this short. It was fun to see Leo before Jane. I like the Yellowrock series. It’s a great Urban Fantasy to read. I actually was taking a break from the series, but after reading this I wanted to get back to the books.

Rated: 4 Stars


Chase The Fire by Jon F. Merz 

Here we visit the Lawson Vampire series. Shiraz and Ava both have plans, but only one will live to complete them. It’s interesting that these vampires aren’t dead, but have evolved along side humans. We get deception, politics, and hidden plots inside the Vampire world.

It was an enjoyable read.

Rated 3.5 Stars


Unexpected Choices by Diana Pharaoh Francis

Here we visit the Horngate Witches series. Giselle, a Witch and Shoftiel, an Angel are not good and not evil. They both do what they feel is right to save people they care about, but those choices have a cost. Shoftiel was punished and sent to the Mistlands. He has a chance at freedom by making a deal with Giselle who needs his help in a snatch and grab.

Unexpected was investing. We get a run down of the world and what happened to it and why theirs magic now.

Rated: 4 Stars 


Reel Life by Steven Savile 

This is an odd read. We have Seth who is a criminal. He’s jealous and envious of his brother. He makes a deal with a magician who makes this alternate world called Glass Tower. In this world time moves differently, he doesn’t age, yet can step outside the world into a new time and will age unless he returns to the Glass Tower.

It’s weird, violent, got abuse, rape, death, and destruction. I didn’t care for it. It’s got several trig points that I don’t like to read about and the weirdness of the story didn’t help.

Rated: 1 stars 


The Difference Between Deceit and Delusion by Domino Finn

This short story takes place before the Black Magic Outlaw series kicks off. We get a look at the backstory of the villain, Tunji Malu, who started all the trouble in that world. It stars off with torture then onto the kill. Once we move on we get a short battle, and making a deal with a Jinn who also has big plans.

It was an ok read.

Rated: 3 Stars


Balance by Seanan McGuire

This one is in the InCryptid universe. It’s got manipulating minds and causing chaos.

I couldn’t get into this short story.

Rated: DNF


Everywhere by Sam Witt

Here we visit Pitchfork Country series. Joe Hark fights dark forces that plague the world when he discovers his mentor has; become one of these monsters it puts them against each other.

I didn’t like it and couldn’t get into the short story.

Rated: DNF

[Jim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Most fantasies concentrate on the heroes & heroines. The bad guys (& gals) are often 2D, obviously evil with no redeeming features. That's OK, but it gets old. Bad guys generally aren't bad guys in their own eyes, so it's nice to read some stories from their point of view. I'm sure these will help create better stories in the future, too.

Most of the narrators were good to excellent. Early on, the lead-ins tell us just enough about the world to make sense of the stories yet don't provide any spoilers. They're very short & were fine.

“Even Hand”by Jim Butcher - I tossed this series in disgust years ago after the poor proofing of the 6th book, but now I'm going to give it another try in audio because this story was so good. The idea of hard & fast limiting rules by either side isn't unknown (It's actually a bit hackneyed.) but Butcher really made it work well here.

“Hounded” by Kelley Armstrong - I haven't read much of her stuff, although I really liked Dime Store Magic. It's been a long time since I read it, so this character was completely new to me which was fine. The reveal was great. Excellent story.

“Nigsu Ga Tesgu” by Jeffrey Somers - I've never read any of his stories & probably won't. I'm not much for magic that works just on words, but this was still pretty good. Mika is a tough customer & I have to admire that much about her.

“Sixty-Six Seconds” by Craig Schaefer - According to the lead-in he's actually a good guy to some, but it was complicated & pretty amazing that it turned out to be a love story. Well done!

“Kiss” by Lilith Saintcrow - was OK, but just that. I've liked some of her stuff, but haven't read in this series. I think this story might have been better if I had.

“The Naughtiest Cherub” by Kevin Hearne - Loki visits Satan. Need I say more? It was fun.

“The Resurrectionist” by Caitlin Kittredge - was just OK. Too much of the action was stilted & convenient to the plot. I definitely won't be reading more in this series.

“Bellum Romanum” by Carrie Vaughn - Just OK even though it should have been pretty interesting. I'm not sure why it didn't grab me.

“Altar Boy”by Jonathan Maberry - was another that could have been good, should have been. The overall story itself was good, but the writing was bloated. I've never cared for Mayberry's style & the narrator exacerbated it. Of all the narrators, I like him the least, but his style is OK if the prose is lean. In this case, his overblown style made Mayberry's prose even worse. Still, it was OK.

“Make It Snappy” by Faith Hunter - was pretty good. I think I'd enjoy this more if I knew the characters & world better. That's part of the problem with some of the preceding stories, too.

“Chase the Fire” by Jon F. Merz - This was pretty good. I especially liked the ending, but found it a little unbelievable. The bad guy had just too many holes in his knowledge.

“Unexpected Choices” by Diana Pharaoh Francis - Another good & fun story. Not knowing the world didn't hurt this at all. The end was predictable since it was obviously a feel-good story.

“Reel Life: A Glass Town Story” by Steven Savile - made no sense at all to me. It had some good horror elements, but I was happy it ended.

“The Difference Between Deceit and Delusion” by Domino Finn - had a lot of action, a good end, & was interesting throughout. One of the better stories.

“Balance” by Seanan McGuire - An interesting idea, but most of the story was just setting up the world. Very little actual story.

“Everywhere” by Sam Witt - If I was a reader of the series, this might have been really interesting. As it was, it was OK, but it's not a series I'd be interested in. Knight-Marshal Joe, the main character is too much of a caricature, one I don't care for much.

[Marta Cox · Rating 4 out of 5]

I do love a good anthology and seeing this advertised I couldn't wait to read it. Now I will be frank and say I'm not sure if all these short stories are new and have a feeling that perhaps one or two have been released before so I'd suggest checking the titles and comparing with books you already own . That being said all were fresh to me and as it included works by six authors I follow for me this was an excellent read.
Hmm how do I start? Well if I review each and every story this would be far too long and tedious to read so I will sum up my thoughts. Quite often in urban fantasy we see the bad guys but are not always sure just why they act as they do. It's easy with say a demon to understand that they are by nature evil incarnate but when faced with more human villains I always have questions. So it was interesting to occasionally see a different side with the baddies having standards of their own! We have characters trying to use magic for good and realising that some things really shouldn't be taken for granted. So many variations in play here from the more humourous and frankly quirky to tales with a bitter twist. Prideful men who underestimate others and even angels realising that even they are perhaps not infallible . Yes there's a simple truth throughout these stories and that is that you should always be careful what you wish for!
I'd read books by several of these authors and had heard of some others and this was a delightful way to sample their styles. In fact one or two actually surprised me as I hadn't kept checking the authors names as I sailed through so got completely blindsided. Ok not everyone will enjoy all these stories and yes of course I had favourites but as an introduction to new authors works this was an entertaining collection. All in all I thought this anthology had lots of variety and definitely held my attention
This voluntary review is of a copy I requested from Netgalley and my thoughts and feelings are I believe honest and fair

[Erin Dunn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review to come! Eventually! :P

[Judy Lesley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an e-ARC of this anthology through NetGalley and Gallery Books, Threshold Pocket Books. Thank you.

This was one of those books where I got what I had been wishing for and then wondered if I really appreciated what I got. For me the unremitting villainous focus was harder to enjoy than I had expected (so probably a 3 star rating would express that better), but the writing for each story is excellent so I'm going with the 4 star rating to reflect that aspect. I found that I needed to take breaks from the stories because it was hard for me to start with the first story and read straight through the collection. I've discovered I like my villains better when there is a comparison of actions with the good guys. A few of the stories feature both the good and bad character from a series - and those were my favorite stories - but there aren't many of those. There were quite a few authors included here who were unfamiliar to me. I have been given a great tool to help decide if reading more by specific authors will be in my future.

This collection is edited by Joseph Nassise and he has a story included. There are seventeen short stories and all the stories have the 2017 copyright date but I'm not sure that means none of the stories have been published before. I'm going to list the author, the series title(s), the short story title and the villain(s).

Jim Butcher, The Dresden Files: "Even Hand", Gentleman John Marcone.
Kelley Armstrong, The Cainsville Series: "Hounded", the Huntsman.
Jeff Somers, The Ustari Cycle: "Nigsu Ga Tesgu", Mika Renar.
Craig Schaefer, The Harmony Black Series and The Daniel Faust Series: "Sixty-Six Seconds", Fontaine (Harmony Black Series) confronts The Redemption Choir (Daniel Faust Series).
Lilith Saintcrow, The Jill Kismet Series: "Kiss", Perry.
Kevin Hearne, The Iron Druid Chronicles: "The Naughtiest Cherub", Loki narrates.
Caitlin Kittredge, The Hellhound Chronicles: "The Resurrectionist", Lee Grey.
Joseph Nassise, The Templar Chronicles: "Down Where the Darkness Dwells", Simon Logan and Ashereal.
Carrie Vaughn, The Kitty Norville Series: "Bellum Romanum", Roman (aka Gaius Albinus).
Jonathan Maberry, The Joe Ledger Series: "Altar Boy", Toys.
Faith Hunter, Jane Yellowrock Series: "Make it Snappy", backstory of Leo.
Jon F. Merz, The Lawson Vampire Series: "Chase the Fire", Shiraz Aziz.
Diana Pharaoh Francis, The Horngate Witches Series: "Unexpected Choices", Giselle works with Shoftiel.
Steven Savile, Glass Town: "Reel Life", Seth Lockwood.
Domino Finn, Black Magic Outlaw Series: "The Difference Between Deceit and Delusion", backstory for Tunji Malu.
Seanan McGuire, The InCryptid Series: "Balance", a cuckoo - telepathic ambush predator.
Sam Witt, The Pitchfork County Series: "Everywhere", Joe Hark against the Long Man.

[Jeanny · Rating 2 out of 5]

Audible version. 08/2017. I'm not reading the anthology as a whole or in any particular order. The reason I purchased this was for Leo's story.

Only read 2 stories in this anthology.
“Kiss” by Lilith Saintcrow. Is 44:39 mins long. I rate it 3 stars
“Make It Snappy” by Faith Hunter. Is 42:56 mins long. I rate it 3 stars

A few authors I'm familiar with & may eventually go back to read:
“Unexpected Choices” by Diana Pharaoh Francis
“Bellum Romanum” by Carrie Vaughn
“The Resurrectionist”by Caitlin Kittredge
“Hounded” by Kelley Armstrong

———————
Came back 12/16/2019 & read some of those stories I skipped the last time. Ratings below.

“Hounded” by Kelley Armstrong. Audible version is 22:48 min long it was too short to be anything but shallow & fleeting. 1star

“The Resurrectionist”by Caitlin Kittredge. Audible version is 30:43 min long. 3 stars


“Unexpected Choices” by Diana Pharaoh Francis 1:02 mins long. I loved this series although I never finished that last book. Maybe I’ll revisit it.

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I only read the Kelley Armstrong, which was maybe 10 pages long, but my records must be exact! It was unpleasant. It was meant to be, but that doesn't make it NOT unpleasant.

[hotsake (André Troesch) · Rating 3 out of 5]

A couple of good stories mixed in with mostly forgettable ones.

[Cheryl · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was so excited to read this anthology. While, it has been a while since I have read some of these authors' series, I was happy to see so many of the authors I am familiar with in this anthology. I agree with other readers that the first story Even Hand by Jim Butcher was a let down as it has been produced before. So not a new story. That is kind of the point of an anthology is that readers are exposed to new short stories.

The read the next four stories. They were ok but not one of them except for maybe Sixty-Six Seconds by Craig Schaefer kind of sparked my interest and sort of kept it. In fact, I was disappointed that I did not find the first five stories that great that my interest to read further into this anthology was lost. I might come back to it later and read some of the other stories but for now, I am done. Yet, I will say that I did like the very dark vibes I was getting from the stories. Some stories might just give you nightmares. The view point from the villians' side into of the heroes side was refreshing.

[Jennifer McLean · Rating 3 out of 5]

I decided to take and review this from Netgalley because of the stories by Butcher and Armstrong. I also figured if they were in any anthology, I'd probably love the other writers. I could use an influx of new blood to my reading list as I've read every book all my favorite authors have written so far. I must admit, I was slightly disappointed. I don't have high expectations for anthologies as I assume a great short story can be as hard to write as a great novel but I did hope to be entertained. What happened is I wasn't as entertained as I had hoped.

Firstly, other readers have mentioned that the Dresden story was a repeat from another anthology (which isn't fair) so Butcher's short story shouldn't have been touted as the number one in the book. Secondly, I found that some of the authors assumed the reader had some knowledge of their series so their stories were too convoluted for a first time reader of their work. In some cases I felt like I'd been dropped from a high place into another universe that I knew nothing about and didn't have a translator or guide with me. Those I ended up skipping as I was so confused by the third page I couldn't stand another sentence.

A third reason this anthology did not win a fourth star is that even the good stories, like from my favorite author Kelley Armstrong, seemed to be a little lackluster. I found myself liking the story but being sorry that no new reader would be turned onto her work because the sparkle her words usually have just didn't materialize in her story. That happened a few times with several authors too.

Finally, I must admit, I gave up without finishing a few stories. All for the reasons given above. One reviewers said she much prefers novels to these short stories and I totally agree. If these stories brought new readers to an author then I'm thrilled. But if you're thinking of buying this anthology for the same reason I wanted to review it, then try noting the names of the authors who participated and go get their first book of the series. It's well worth doing. I may do that with a few authors that I feel didn't give me their best. I want to still give them a chance, as I said, I need new blood in my reading list. ;o)

[Marianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Truth be told, I lost interest a few stories into this anthology, but I got what I wanted; the stories of Perry and Leo Pelissier.

Ah, Perry, you are my darling creep, as alway, even though there was no boner present this time. I would have given the story five stars, had it centered around Jane and not her predecessors. Still, learning the story of his making was interesting enough. Given his proclivity for creating aspects of himself, I'm more certain than ever that he is still around... Somewhere ;-)

Leo: Yup, Jane was absolutely right, Leo's tendency to poke every woman he meets, always lands him in trouble, even prior to meeting Jane. Interesting revelation at the end. I'm relatively sure *that* particular guy will reappear in Dark Queen, much to Leo's annoyance, I'm sure. On a side note; I was somewhat disappointed that the usual Jane Yellowrock narrator wasn't there to do Leo's and Bruiser's voices. Leo lacked his usual, sexy, French accent, and poor George sounded more like some brutish English thug than his usual upper-class self.

Overall rating for the two above mentioned stories: 4 stars.

I wish Faith would give us an Edmund short next. Pretty please, Faith Hunter?

[Amyiw · Rating 4 out of 5]

3 1/2 stars again
So this doesn't have any of our favorite characters but is an Incryptid story about a coo coo and her thought patterns while taking over people's minds and lives. I wish I knew who the hunter was and where he came from.

[Bart · Rating 4 out of 5]

** Reading in progress **
Rating will be updated as I read more of the stories.

Feb 2018: Sixty-Six Seconds by Craig Schaefer: 3.50

AUg 2017: Even Hand by Jim Butcher: 4.00

[Trey · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars
Quality of stories are uneven (isn't it usually like that?), but I'm happy with the collection nonetheless.

[Doug Browne]

Some stories are great, but they are wildly uneven

[Debrac2014 · Rating 3 out of 5]

I just read Seanan McGuire's short story, Balance! Good cuckoo story!

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating for Jane Yellowrock story only