Anthology - Strange Brew

An anthology of stories edited by P N Elrod, published July 7, 2009.
Genre: urban fantasy
Cover: good



Today's hottest urban fantasy authors come together in this delicious brew that crackles and boils over with tales of powerful witches and dark magic!

A lot of famous authors in this anthology, and the stories are sweet and short. I do know all the authors, but not all the stories/series those stories take place in.

Patricia Briggs - Seeing Eye

A blind witch is asked for help by a werewolf, to find his kidnapped brother, who is an undercover policeman. As the kidnapper is her evil father, Moira feels obliged to help him. But when touching him while working a spell, she can actually see again!
Great story, with a happy ending, and this couple is mentioned again the Patricia Briggs' books. I enjoyed it, but I have read it before in other anthologies.

8 stars.

Jim Butcher - Last Call

When Harry Dresden needs a beer and a sandwich, he goes to his favourite pub, where he finds all the patrons in need of medical attention. Apparently, someone has tampered with the beer, and it is up to Harry, his apprentice and police detective Murray to figure out who, why and stop them from.

A nice little story, and as Harry has an apprentice, a lot farther in the series than were I am at yet.

7 stars.

Rachel Caine - Death warmed over

Holly is a resurrection witch, and the police want her to resurrect the famous Andrew Toland, again. If she refuses the job, they will ask the next in line, and that is her biggest enemy, a woman who enjoys torturing those the resurrects. And so, very reluctantly, she complies. She had real trouble putting Andrew back to death the last time, and she doesn't look forward to the heartbreak again.
When she brings back Andrew, he remembers everything about last time and his previous life, and that should not be possible! How can she be in love with a dead man? But it is Holly who needs protection as someone is killing resurrection witches, and the police send to protect them…

A great story I enjoyed. I have read a short story with this couple before and it was nice to read the start of it. I am not sure if this is part of a series I have not read yet by Rachel Caine.

8 stars.

Karen Chance - Vegas Odds

Again a short story about a mage I have read another short story about before, but I think this one is the sequel of the previous one, so I was glad to have some back story. Lia is attacked in her own home, and nearly killed by her own students. But the one who is supposed to be behind it, is not the real one, something closer to home is behind it all, to protect his own secrets and evil deeds …

Good story, lots of action as I am used to with Karen Chance, and I hope to see Lia again. Part warmage, part werewolf and part human make for a very interesting mix.

9 stars.

P.N. Elrod - Hecate's golden eye

Charles Escott and vampire Jack Fleming form some sort of private investigation firm, and they are hired by Miss Mabel Weaver, to steal her precious yellow diamond pendant back from her cousin, before she can sell it to a collector. The stone has been in her family for generations, and she inherited it from their grandmother, while cousin Agnes inherited the house.

I haven't read anything by this author yet, but I liked the writing style, and her take on a vampire with Jack Fleming. I will try something else from her hand.

7 stars.

Charlaine Harris - Bacon

I am not a fan of the Sookie Stackhouse series, and this story seems to belong to that series. Vampire Dahlia takes her revenge on the witch and the werewolves who killed her husband, and I enjoyed reading this. I might try more of Charlaine Harris after all.

8 stars.

Faith Hunter - Signatures of the Dead

I think this is the very first story in the Jane Yellowrock series, and as I am a huge fan of it, I was glad to finally read this story. I don’t think I would have liked it as much without having read some of the books in the series, as there is not much of a background on Jane and her friend Molly. But knowing the series I really loved this short story, as there is some mention of it in start the series.

9 stars.

Caitlin Kittredge - Ginger

A short story in the Nocturne City series I believe. I haven't read anything by this author yet, but I liked this story and her writing style. A young witch with a werewolf cousin detective, who always is stronger and braver and faster, finally shows her own courage and saves some children in the process.

8 stars.

Jenna MacLaine - Dark Sins

Jenna MacLaine used to write the Sin Craven series, about historical vampires. It was and still is an amazing series and I loved it. But when the publisher pulled the plug on it, as far as I can find out, she never wrote another story. And that is a real shame as she is very good at it.
If you can find the books in this series (beautiful covers as wel!), give them a try!

So, discovering a new to me short story in this world was awesome, I enjoyed it very much.

10 stars.

All in all, a great anthology, with famous names and no duds at all. Recommended.

8 stars.

© 2016 Reviews by Aurian