Hex Appeal
4/5
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About this ebook
Fall under the intoxicating spell of their hex appeal…
In the magical world that lies hidden beneath our own, witches and conjurers play deadly games. They know just the right spell to kill a man with one kiss—or raise him back again. And they're not afraid to exact sweet revenge on those who dare to cross them. But what if you're the unlucky soul who falls victim to a conjurer's curse? And if you had the power to cast a magic spell of your own, would you use it?
In this bewitching collection, nine of today's hottest paranormal authors tell all-new, otherworldly tales. Spellbinding stories featuring bigfoot, albino vampires, professional wizards, resurrected boyfriends and even a sex droid from the twenty- third century named Silicon Lily. But as our conjurers are about to discover, it's all fun and games until someone gets hexed. And sometimes, even the best spun spells can lead to complete and utter mayhem.
Includes Stories From:
Ilona Andrews
Jim Butcher
Rachel Caine
Carole Nelson Douglas
P. N. Elrod
Simon R. Green
Lori Handeland
Erica Hayes
Carrier Vaughn
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Reviews for Hex Appeal
146 ratings25 reviews
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5I quite enjoy these anthologies. I'll come back and review individual stories later. (3.5 stars)
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Another great collection of urban fantasy short stories. Those who enjoy heavy hitter authors like Jim Butcher, Simon R Green, and Ilona Andrews must pick up this book!
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Well, I really enjoyed the stories by Illona Andrews and Jim Butcher, but that was about it. Actually skipped one story outright, it was so unappealing. *sigh* Anthologies.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5There are a bunch of really good reviews of this anthology, most I agree with totally. There are some great stories in this anthology, and a couple my particular tastes didn't care for. But even the ones I wasn't crazy about, I still liked well enough. As with all anthologies I read, I also found a couple of new authors that I didn't know that much about - but find that their work is worth looking into! Overall, I would say a 3.5 more than a 4 in total, but a couple of the stories threw it over the top into the 4 territory.
So, here is a short anthology review of my take on this great anthology!
Retribution Clause by Illona Andrews:
What can I say? It is Illona Andrews, my favorite writing team. They are, in my own estimation, wonderful writers. I love that every time they do an anthology, they give a bit more on characters mentioned in their other works, but you never learn much about. This one is about Adam Talford, cousin of the notorious Saimon the Ice Giant, made popular in Andrews MARVELOUS "Kate Daniels" seriesMagic Bites (Kate Daniels, Book 1). Adam is a much different character than Saimon, in what I consider to be a good way. I have always felt somewhat sorry for Saimon, no matter what an ass he can be. He feels like a scared, broken creature, lacking in confidence and self love. Adam is a different character, more comfortable in his own skin. I would be happy to read more about him, if this mighty writing duo ever thinks to do so.
5 of 5 for character development and story line
Bigfoot on Campus - Jim Butcher:
OK, I love Jim Butcher's work. His Dresden filesStorm Front (The Dresden Files, Book 1) are creative, funny, and well worth a read at any time. Bigfoot On Campus is definitely one of the best of his short stories. Which is saying a lot, as all of his short stories are wonderful. Highly creative, with very likable (and very hateable) characters, this is one of my favorites. A newbie could certainly jump into the Dresden Files from this spot and get a good overview of just what a great series this is.
5 of 5 for interesting characters, and Butcher's unique style
Holly's Balm - Rachel Caine
I have to admit, I have only read one other of Rachel Caine's stories, "Death Warmed Over" in the anthology Strange Brew (2010). I really enjoyed that story, and absolutely enjoyed this one. Holly Anne is a strong resurrectionist witch, but still has to deal with a 9-5 as a paper pusher, just to make the bills. Especially since the testimony of resurrection corpses is no longer legal. Start with Strange Brew, then read this one, in order to keep the story line in order. Or not. Up to you. Still a wonderful addition to my anthology collection.
5 of 5 for continuing storyline, and a female heroine who is a working stiff
Snow Job by Carole Nelson Douglas
Carole Nelson Douglas is an author I never really had in my 'go to' list. No real reason, other than I just have a lot of really great authors on my list. Until, that is, I ran across Dancing with Werewolves: Delilah Street, Paranormal Investigator. Anyone who lives in a magical cottage from a movie set with a huge half wolf, half wolfhound, gets my attention! The series is now on my "must read" list, and will be, without a doubt, one of those series I read more than once. This short story is set later in the book series, so I almost wish I had waited to read it, but I don't regret it - much.
4.5 of 5 for being a bit lost in the storyline as I have only read the first book.
Outside the Box - by P.N. Elrod
Marsha Madinia Goldfarb. An interesting name for a witch, right? Well, a junior witch, with a lot to learn. Vampires are real in Miss Goldfarb's world, but we don't want the 'normals' to know that, now do we? All in all, I found this story to be cute, but not one of my favorites in the anthology. No real reason, it just didn't catch my interest as much as some of the others. You may very well find it one of your favorites of the whole book. Maybe just because I am sort of burned out on vampires? Hum, now that is a possibilities.
3 out of 5 for not being really all that entertaining
How Do You Feel? by Simon R. Green
Let's admit it-I much prefer stories with women heros. However, with Simon R. Green's and Jim Butcher's world building, I have to say this this story is probably my favorite in the whole anthology. This story focuses on one of the more fascinating (to me) characters in Green's Nightside. Dead Boy. You learn more about him, his history, why he is still walking around, and why he is one of the most fearsome of Green's characters from the Nightside. Awesome.
5 of 5 for all sorts of reasons
There Will Be Demons - Lori Handerland
I have never read any of Handerland's works. Won't go on my list. Even the good guys stab each other in the back, and the main character gets whored out by her boss? Meh.
1 out of 5 for the Skinwalker, the rest of it was boring
Cherry Kisses by Erica Hayes
Another story where the main female character has no redeeming qualities? I don't want to be her, don't want to know her, don't like her. No more Hayes for me, any more than Handerland.
1 out of 5 just because she does have chutzpah, even though I couldn't like her
The Arcane Art of Misdirection by Carrie Vaughn
This story gets points for being clever. A blackjack dealer in Las Vegas knows good and well that the person at her table is cheating, but doesn't know how. Bring in wizards, demons, and things that go bump in the night, and I had fun reading the story. I have to admit, I tried Vaughn's "Kitty" series Kitty and the Midnight Hour (Kitty Norville, Book 1), and was deeply unimpressed. I couldn't force myself to like Kitty or her world, but this story was clever.
3.5 out of 5 for creativity of storyline - Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Another anthology that collects several writers that I really like to read. All the stories are set in previous story universes, granted the Rachel Caine one there has only been one other short story with those characters. So this collection is a great calling card for these writers to get you to taste their writing styles and see if you want more of their universes. For the most part I was pretty happy with what I read there were a few that didn't work for me and that means I'll be skipping them. I did add one maybe to the mountain of TBR but who knows when I will get to it. Most of the contributors I have enjoyed their stuff and it was nice to get a small dose of their writing while waiting on the next book.
1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The Jim Butcher short was 5/5 and definitely helped as my Harry fix!
I was disappointed that the Rachel Caine story focused on Holly and Andy - she was the other author I had wanted to read.
The other stories didn't grab me and I found myself skimming pages. - Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5Read only the Ilona Andrews short so far.
This is the first Kate Daniels world novel that I didn't really like, it was OK, 2 to 3 stars. You didn't get enough of the characters banter to know who they were to one another, or who they were altogether. Adam, who is Saiman's brother, is obviously taken with Siroun, his partner. Still you don't know what she thinks and you definitely don't know who these characters are. Instead of building on these characters, the story and the overcoming the wards and hex are the main focus. The only problem with that is the story was a little boring, especially when compared to a Kate story. Even the novella of how she meets Saiman had a story line and you felt like you knew Kate and Saiman afterward. This story would not have me running out and buying the next Kate book. Still I wouldn't mind seeing the characters in a more thought out complete story. - Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5There are a bunch of really good reviews of this anthology, most I agree with totally. There are some great stories in this anthology, and a couple my particular tastes didn't care for. But even the ones I wasn't crazy about, I still liked well enough. As with all anthologies I read, I also found a couple of new authors that I didn't know that much about - but find that their work is worth looking into! Overall, I would say a 3.5 more than a 4 in total, but a couple of the stories threw it over the top into the 4 territory.
So, here is a short anthology review of my take on this great anthology!
Retribution Clause by Illona Andrews:
What can I say? It is Illona Andrews, my favorite writing team. They are, in my own estimation, wonderful writers. I love that every time they do an anthology, they give a bit more on characters mentioned in their other works, but you never learn much about. This one is about Adam Talford, cousin of the notorious Saimon the Ice Giant, made popular in Andrews MARVELOUS "Kate Daniels" seriesMagic Bites (Kate Daniels, Book 1). Adam is a much different character than Saimon, in what I consider to be a good way. I have always felt somewhat sorry for Saimon, no matter what an ass he can be. He feels like a scared, broken creature, lacking in confidence and self love. Adam is a different character, more comfortable in his own skin. I would be happy to read more about him, if this mighty writing duo ever thinks to do so.
5 of 5 for character development and story line
Bigfoot on Campus - Jim Butcher:
OK, I love Jim Butcher's work. His Dresden filesStorm Front (The Dresden Files, Book 1) are creative, funny, and well worth a read at any time. Bigfoot On Campus is definitely one of the best of his short stories. Which is saying a lot, as all of his short stories are wonderful. Highly creative, with very likable (and very hateable) characters, this is one of my favorites. A newbie could certainly jump into the Dresden Files from this spot and get a good overview of just what a great series this is.
5 of 5 for interesting characters, and Butcher's unique style
Holly's Balm - Rachel Caine
I have to admit, I have only read one other of Rachel Caine's stories, "Death Warmed Over" in the anthology Strange Brew (2010). I really enjoyed that story, and absolutely enjoyed this one. Holly Anne is a strong resurrectionist witch, but still has to deal with a 9-5 as a paper pusher, just to make the bills. Especially since the testimony of resurrection corpses is no longer legal. Start with Strange Brew, then read this one, in order to keep the story line in order. Or not. Up to you. Still a wonderful addition to my anthology collection.
5 of 5 for continuing storyline, and a female heroine who is a working stiff
Snow Job by Carole Nelson Douglas
Carole Nelson Douglas is an author I never really had in my 'go to' list. No real reason, other than I just have a lot of really great authors on my list. Until, that is, I ran across Dancing with Werewolves: Delilah Street, Paranormal Investigator. Anyone who lives in a magical cottage from a movie set with a huge half wolf, half wolfhound, gets my attention! The series is now on my "must read" list, and will be, without a doubt, one of those series I read more than once. This short story is set later in the book series, so I almost wish I had waited to read it, but I don't regret it - much.
4.5 of 5 for being a bit lost in the storyline as I have only read the first book.
Outside the Box - by P.N. Elrod
Marsha Madinia Goldfarb. An interesting name for a witch, right? Well, a junior witch, with a lot to learn. Vampires are real in Miss Goldfarb's world, but we don't want the 'normals' to know that, now do we? All in all, I found this story to be cute, but not one of my favorites in the anthology. No real reason, it just didn't catch my interest as much as some of the others. You may very well find it one of your favorites of the whole book. Maybe just because I am sort of burned out on vampires? Hum, now that is a possibilities.
3 out of 5 for not being really all that entertaining
How Do You Feel? by Simon R. Green
Let's admit it-I much prefer stories with women heros. However, with Simon R. Green's and Jim Butcher's world building, I have to say this this story is probably my favorite in the whole anthology. This story focuses on one of the more fascinating (to me) characters in Green's Nightside. Dead Boy. You learn more about him, his history, why he is still walking around, and why he is one of the most fearsome of Green's characters from the Nightside. Awesome.
5 of 5 for all sorts of reasons
There Will Be Demons - Lori Handerland
I have never read any of Handerland's works. Won't go on my list. Even the good guys stab each other in the back, and the main character gets whored out by her boss? Meh.
1 out of 5 for the Skinwalker, the rest of it was boring
Cherry Kisses by Erica Hayes
Another story where the main female character has no redeeming qualities? I don't want to be her, don't want to know her, don't like her. No more Hayes for me, any more than Handerland.
1 out of 5 just because she does have chutzpah, even though I couldn't like her
The Arcane Art of Misdirection by Carrie Vaughn
This story gets points for being clever. A blackjack dealer in Las Vegas knows good and well that the person at her table is cheating, but doesn't know how. Bring in wizards, demons, and things that go bump in the night, and I had fun reading the story. I have to admit, I tried Vaughn's "Kitty" series Kitty and the Midnight Hour (Kitty Norville, Book 1), and was deeply unimpressed. I couldn't force myself to like Kitty or her world, but this story was clever.
3.5 out of 5 for creativity of storyline1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I’ve enjoyed all of P. N. Elrod’s edited paranormal anthologies and Hex Appeal is no exception. I especially liked Ilona Andrew’s contribution, set in the same world as their Kate Daniels series. It was fun to see a frost giant as the good guy. The Jim Butcher short story was fun too. My only critique of the anthology was the inclusion of something by Simon R. Green. In my opinion, he writes horror, not paranormal romance. Other than this caveat, I would strongly recommend Hex Appeal to anyone who enjoys well-written paranormal fantasy.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5A solid collection of urban fantasy from some of the current masters of the field. I admit I wanted it solely for the Jim Butcher short story, one of three so-far-uncollected Bigfoot stories in his Dresden series, but I had a lot of fun reading the rest.Like all anthologies there are highs and lows, but if you enjoy magic in the "real" world you'll find plenty to enjoy here.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A fresh collection of short stories from worlds that are at times both familiar and strange, this anthology displays well the breadth of possibilities in modern fantasy. There are strong entries by several well-known authors, as well as a couple up-and-comers in the genre.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5As always P.N. Elrod has collected a delightful treasury of tales. Most of the stories are written by best-selling authors and set in the worlds they have created. Some feature familiar main characters and some tell us a little more about minor characters who pass through the major series books.I found all of the stories in the book enjoyable and would happily recommend it to anyone.Worth owning.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Review courtesy of All Things Urban FantasyAnother solid supernatural anthology featuring some of the biggest names in urban fantasy.Retribution Clause by Ilona Andrews (Kate Daniels’ world)The magical world of the Kate Daniels series is unparalleled in urban fantasy. Truly. So it was great fun to read a story that takes place across the country from Kate’s Atlanta in Philadelphia. There are no character crossovers, but the hero is Saiman’s cousin and also a frost giant. The characters are impressively developed for the page length, and the Seek and Assassinate mission that Adam and his partner go on is packed with magic and mayham…and even a little romance. Fans of this world will love this and new readers will get hooked on this world.Rating: 4/5 Sexual Content: KissingBigfoot on Campus by Jim Butcher (The Dresden Files)Jim Butcher is the king of short stories. I’ve yet to read one that wasn’t thoroughly entertaining, and I think Bigfoot on Campus is the best yet. Professional wizard, Harry Dresden agrees to investigate a potential threat against his friend Bigfoot’s son. There aren’t any real clues as to when this story takes place chronologically in The Dresden Files, so longtime fans and newbies alike can jump right in. Harry’s trademark biting wit and sly observations are out in force here. Easily my favorite story in the anthology.Rating: 5/5 Sexual Content: Kissing, magical lust magic that causes a orgy in a college dorm (no descriptions), a non graphic/vague sex scene.Holly’s Balm by Rachel CaineSo glad to see Holly and Andy back. I loved them in the STRANGE BREW anthology and hope to see more of them in future short stories (or full novels). It reads a little like an early Anita Blake story…she’s a Resurrection witch and he’s an Old West gunslinger she resurrected and then fell for (read their first story in STRANGE BREW). The romance is sweet and hopeful which contrasts nicely with their hunt for a magical serial killer who is resurrecting his victims to kill them again. This story/series is unlike anything else Rachel writes and it’s one of my favorites from her. Here’s hoping she has future plans for these two.Rating: 4/5 Sexual Content: One sex sceneSnow Job by Carole Nelson Douglas (Delilah Street)Having read only the first book in the Delilah Street series previously, I felt a little disoriented reading Snow Job. The worldbuilding in this series is very good, but it’s complex and really difficult to grasp in these few pages. The author does explain everything, but that unfortunately hurt the story and emotions in my opinion. Too many info dumps. I image readers who are brand new to this series will feel overwhelmed rather than intrigued by this story which involves a missing rock star, a vengeful hell goddess, and a personal grudge between Delilah and Snow.Rating: 2/5 Sexual Content: KissingOutside the Box by P.N. ElrodA simple, straightforward story that appears to be separate from Elrod’s Vampire Files series in which a witch and a vampire work as partner’s for The Company, a bureaucratic agency that monitors new vampires. A supposedly standard rising turns into a search for a missing woman and a hunt for her sire/killer. A little lackluster in terms of excitement, but the world was intriguing.Rating: 3/5 Sexual Content: N/AHow Do You Feel by Simon R. Green (Nightside)The Nightside series features a diverse and densely populated world, and that is no more apparent in How Do You Feel. In this story, we follow an unwilling zombie (aka Dead Boy) on his quest to feel and track down his murderers. Nightside tends to be hit or miss for me, and I’m afraid this story falls into the latter category. It’s just bizarre. The ending especially since it involves a shapeshifting, self-aware car from the future as a love interest. Too weird for me.Rating: 2/5 Sexual Content: N/AThere Will Be Demons by Lori Handeland (The Phoenix Chronicles)Here’s another series where I’ve read the first book, but it’s been years and my memory is foggy at best. Not sure if these are primary or secondary characters from The Phoenix Chronicles series, but it involves fairies, dhampires, skinwalkers and fallen angles. Forced to partner together in a demon killing mission, Summer and Jimmy complete their bloody task and then fall into bed together. It wasn’t exactly clear, but there may have been reincarnation or soul mate destiny between these two. That or memory loss. Again it wasn’t clear enough for me which ended up leaving me more confused than entertained.Rating: 2/5 Sexual Content: One sex sceneCherry Kisses by Erica Hayes (Shadowfae Chronicles #4.5) Read an excerptSet in the world of the Shadowfae Chronicles, Cherry Kisses follows a resourceful con artist on a job that literally forces her to take a trip to hell to steal an object from a demon. A much too handsome and definitely too honorable guy has his own reasons for helping her. I’m so glad this story was included as it gave me the opportunity to enjoy Hayes’ writing without the darker, erotic tone of the full novels. There is a wonderful flavor to the writing that really brings the fae/vampire/demon infused world to life. One of my favorites in the anthology.Rating: 4/5 Sexual Content: KissingThe Aracane Art of Misdirection by Carrie Vaughn (Kitty Norville)According to the author’s website, this story is part of the Kitty Norville series, which I’ve read some of, but I didn’t recognize the characters. It follows a blackjack dealer in Vegas who spots a cheating scam and leads her to magician Odysseus Grant. A little on the slow side compared to the other stories in this anthology, but it is an unusual tale.Rating: 3/5 Sexual Content: N/A
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I received this through Librarything early reviewer program. It is an excellent collection of short stories. My favorites being the ones by Ilona Andrews and Jim Butcher. I highly recommend this book for fans of urban fantasy and readers interested in the genre.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Much variation in the quality of the stories in this anthology. As usual, Jim Butcher's story of the teenage vampire and bigfoot was far and above the best. But, Ilona Andrews is a close second with a fast-pasted and interesting short story of two assassins and minor deity worship. I was also happy to see Carrie Vaughn give her wizard a bit more time. Unfortunately, those are the highlights, and I had a rough time even getting through the other stories. I will say that Simon Green's stories are also excellent, but I skipped it after the first couple of pages because he's a bit too dark and gruesome for me. However, if you can stomach it, I would put good marks on anything he produces.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5All anthologies seem to develop a theme, whether planned or not. For this one, it's partners. Most of the stories feature working partnerships and several offer fresh outlooks from different perspectives within known fantasy authors' settings.The volume kicks off with Ilona Andrews' "Retribution Clause" set in the same post-apocalyptic world of Magic Slays, in which insurance mercenaries are hired to fulfill a client's revenge if murdered. I believe it was a good, strong opener and a well-done stand-alone piece. Next up is Jim Butcher's "Bigfoot on Campus" which is a Dresden story in all its rich surrealistic urban fantasy topsy-turvy glory. Very enjoyable.Rachel Caine's "Holly's Balm" is another winner, telling a complex story of supernatural murder mystery. "Snow Job" by Carole Nelson Douglas was a wash with me. Admittedly, I don't enjoy her novels about her odd supernatural sleuth in Las Vegas, so it wasn't a surprise I couldn't get through this connected short story. I did try, but her writing just does nothing for me except grant sleep.In "Outside the Box", P.N. Elrod delivers a very interesting story of a company who serves as sort of a Welcome Wagon to the undead life. It was entertaining and I hope I'll hear more from these characters in the future.Another profile of life in The Nightside, Simon Green gives us "How Do You Feel?" This story contains several different sorts of partnerships (and double-crosses) that settle it nicely in the central part of the volume.I did not read Lori Handeland's "There Will Be Demons" because I dislike her work and after the earlier attempt with Douglas, I decided not to waste my time here."Cherry Kisses" by Erica Hayes was well-told with an ending I should have expected but didn't. It shows the darker side of partnerships, in my opinion.Finally, Carrie Vaughn's "The Arcane Art of Misdirection" took a look at one of the minor characters from her 'Kitty' series, Odysseus Grant. I rather liked this one, even if the ending dragged out longer than necessary. Overall, this was a very strong anthology and if you like any of these authors, the volume is well worth reading.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I have loved each of P.N. Elrod's earlier paranormal anthologies, and happily this one was just as good. The stories are varied enough to keep my attention, but the over-arching theme of magic/witch related urban fantasy i strong enough to tie all the stories together. Personally, I loved the Ilona Andrews story the best--new characters and a new town set within the general world of her superb Kate Daniels series. The Jim Butcher story, another Harry Dresden adventure, was also very strong--but really, this was a great collection of stories altogether. I enjoyed it!
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I received this Advanced Release Copy through the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program. The book will be released in June 2012.The tag line for the book describes it as, "A star-studded urban fantasy anthology headlined by New York Times bestselling authors Jim Butcher, Carrie Vaughn, and Ilona Andrews." It does feature a lot of big names, but as usual there's a mix here of really amazing stories and a few that fell absolutely flat--not because the writing was bad, but they hit more on the weird-horror side of urban fantasy that isn't my thing. However, the good stories are so good that they redeem the book overall. I found the whole read valuable as it exposed me to several authors I've read about but haven't read yet."Retribution Clause" by Ilona Andrews isn't a bad story, but I had difficulty getting into it as I wasn't familiar with the world or the characters.The best story in the collection is Jim Butcher's "Bigfoot on Campus." It's a Dresden File story. 'Nuff said. If you're a fan of Dresden, this story alone is worth getting the anthology."Holly's Balm" by Rachel Caine is a beautiful yet creepy tale involving Holly, a resurrection witch, and her undead lover Andrew (and that's honestly not the creepy part of the story). I would like to read more involving these characters.Carole Nelson Douglas's "Snow Job" is in another unfamiliar setting for me, and had a lot of strange elements. In a magicked-up version of Vegas, there are walking-around versions of old cinema stars, along with dopplegangers and demons. It wasn't my sort of thing."Outside the Box" is by the book's editor, P.N. Elrod, and is one of the stronger stories. The voice is great as the tale follows a heroine who registers the post-dead (i.e. vampires) and gets set up for their new "life." Of course, everything goes wrong on this particular job."How Do You Feel" by Simon R. Green was probably the story I liked least. Again, it had a distinctly weird vibe and was in a world I haven't read in before, with reason: this just wasn't my thing. I found "Dead Boy" unlikeable and the world too unsettling."There Will Be Demons" by Lori Handeland is a fun urban fantasy romp that brings in a lot of character background and development for a short story."Cherry Kisses" by Erica Hayes is another fun one. The sassy lead character has such a hard, dark edge I wouldn't usually read her type, but in this case she really grew on me.The final story is "The Arcane Art of Misdirection" by Carrie Vaughn and is one of the best in the book, right up with Butcher. It's set in a casino, with a card dealer finding she's dealt a bit too much when a cheater shows up at her table. I have several of Vaughn's books in my to-read pile, and this story really makes me want to read more of her work.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5With Anthologies, I have a tendency to like 1, maybe 2 of the stories, which I bought for typically for one of the authors. This one I actually liked almost ALL of the stories, particularly the Jim Butcher and Carrie Vaughn ones. But all of them were really good. Excellent tidbits of Urban Fantasy!
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Yay!! Too much fun. I have read most of these authors books, but the couple that I hadn't, well, I will have to pick them up. A great anthology for people who enjoy any of the included authors works. I have to admit that I enjoyed probably the Simon Green and the Jim Butcher stories the best, but a great addition to any fantasy lovers bookshelf!
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Short stories by best-selling authors of paranormal fiction.I admit that these types of collections are not my favorite. Often the authors present vignettes of the characters from novels, so nothing of real consequence will happen here. But on the other hand, you do get exposed to writers who do work similar to writers you know you like already.So it's not surprising to me that Jim Butcher's story, "Bigfoot on Campus," is an inconsequential episode in Harry's past about a young Sasquatch and a White Court vampire. And my dislike of Simon Green's Nightside books is again confirmed. But I enjoyed the exposure to some other writers, like the way magic comes and goes like weather in Ilona Andrews' "Retribution Clause" or the bureaucratic administration of vampires in P. N. Elrod's "Outside the Box."My favorite story in the collection is the last one, Carrie Vaughn's "The Arcane Art of Misdirection," in which the supernatural world comes into focus for a blackjack dealer when she finds herself helping a magician expose the cheater at her table. It had the same feel as a Dr. Who episode, and I find myself hoping for more from this team.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Continuing in a solid tradition, (Naked City, Dark and Stormy Knights, Strange Brew, etc.) there's a lot to like about this anthology, including a story featuring Chicago's only consulting wizard, Harry Dresden, and "Retribution Clause" by Illona Andrews introducing a pair of insurance adjusters with slightly more deadly than average talents. Most of the entries left me wanting to read more - which, I suppose, would be the point! Given the slate of authors included, and that most of them revisit familiar characters or introduce new characters in landscapes they've used before, there's no shortage of material to satisfy the urge once you've whetted your appetite.Definitely no memorable clinkers - a few aren't quite as strong, but there are also several characters I hope to read more of, including P.N. Elrod's witch and vampire team, Andrews' Adam and Siroun, and Rachel Caine's resurrectionists, Andy and Holly.A few typos, but nothing too glaring given I read the ARC.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The anthology carries novellas from—I believe--ongoing series of nine established authors of Urban Fantasy. This book, while received free for review, was already on my ‘To Buy’ list because I regularly read four of the authors and used to read a fifth one. The stories run anywhere from 30 – 50 pages and do a good job of filling you in on the different worlds and characters and tell the story without a too-rushed type of feeling.Ilona Andrews – Retrubution Clause. This story is set in Kate Daniels’ world, although it takes place in Philadelphia with Saiman’s frost giant cousin, Adam. He doesn’t have the same level of magic as Saiman does, and he works as an insurance adjuster. He and his partner Siroun are sent out on an impossible task; a client had a retribution clause in her life insurance policy, to kill any person that kills her. They have to determine if the person they’re after is guilty, but even more difficult is getting to the guy. If you need a fix from the Kate Daniels’ world, this one works nicely and I wouldn’t mind seeing future stories about these two. You shouldn’t have a problem getting into this world if you haven’t read the series.Jim Butcher – Bigfoot on Campus. From the Harry Dresden series, this is the story I enjoyed the most. Bigfoot has used Harry before and hires him to go to his son—whom he’s never met—as he has a premonition that his life is in danger. The story is laid out for us after the fact as Harry explains to a college campus police officer why he was found in the middle of an orgy, how a car ended up on the fourth floor of a dormitory, and why there were reports of seeing Bigfoot. This is an out-of-town story, so the white vampires encountered here are new to us. Again, I believe it would be easy to get into the story if you don’t read this series.Rachel Caine – Holly’s Balm. I don’t know if this story is part of a series, but the author mentions that Andy and Holly were introduced in the 2010 anthology, Strange Brew. I’m going to have to go back and read that story as I enjoyed this one. Holly is a resurrection witch and Andy had died back in the Old West but had been resurrected by Holly three months ago to help find a killer. They’d fallen in love and against the normal laws of nature, he still shouldn’t be alive. He’s got his own magical skill set which is needed when a serial killer starts having his victims raised so he can get the thrill of killing them all over again. I really like this duo.Carole Nelson Douglas – Snow Job. From the Delilah Street, Paranormal Investigator series. I had a difficult time getting through this story. The world is very different from anything else I’ve read and I had a hard time understanding some of what was going on, or why, even though an explanation is given. Those who follow the series will no doubt get a kick out of Delilah having to go to the Inferno Hotel/Casino to help out Snow, a person normally considered an enemy, when everything there goes wonky. She’s got to figure out what’s going on and to rescue Snow who has gone missing. P N Elrod – Outside the Box. I’m not sure if this is part of an ongoing series; possibly the Vampire Files. Marsha (Mars) is a witch working for “The Company” which registers newly risen vampires and magically binds them to rules that keep vampires a secret from human society. She’s partnered with Ellinghaus, a vampire that’s supposed to keep her safe while Mars calms down the new vampire and gets it to The Company headquarters so it can learn how to adjust. The vampire they’re helping out is a little more than they bargained for. Interesting story and I wouldn’t mind reading more of this world where there are different types of vampires with different abilities.Simon R Green – How Do You Feel. Story is from the Nightside series about Dead Boy, who’d been killed thirty years ago at the age of seventeen during a mugging. He exists; he doesn’t feel or even taste anything (except with the help of a pill). When Walker approaches him and says his killing hadn’t been an accident, Dead Boy knows that taking out the one responsible is one of the few things that would actually feel good. Someone not already familiar with this very strange world might have some problems with it, although it’s not quite as ‘out there’ as most of the stories in this series.Lori Handeland – There Will Be Demons. From the Phoenix Chronicles series, told from Summer’s point a view. We experience Jimmy’s (dhampir) first meeting of Summer (fairy) and Sawyer (skinwalker), all of them demon killers working for a secret organization that takes out the various types of Nephilim that are doing their best to bring around the Apocolypse. It’s been two years since the last book in the series and no release date yet on the next one. This story should help placate those needing something from this series, although there's not a whole lot to it. Non-readers should have an easy time getting into this world.Erica Hayes – Cherry Kisses. I believe this is from the Shadowfae Chronicles. A female con-artist in a world populated with psychotic fae and vampires with a protection racket, is offered a job by a demon. Fetch an amulet from Hell; it contains something of his. In return he’ll fulfill one wish. This story had potential and plenty of action, but I just couldn’t relate to the female lead.Carrie Vaughn - The Aracane Art of Misdirection. From the Kitty series. Set in Las Vegas, this one follows the magician, Odysseus Grant and a blackjack dealer, as they try to find someone using magic to win at the tables. This will be easy for a non-reader of the series to pick up.Read as an ARC for Library Thing.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5This is one of the best anthologies I've read recently.Almost all of the stories were excellent- whether or not they participated in an ongoing series; mostly, even if they were relevant to an ongoing series, the stories were good stand-alone and created their own context.This had stories from a number of authors I read regularly, and I was happy to get more context into the worlds.There's a huge variety of paranormal here- from vamps to weres through demons and fairies, etc. Spell-casters- "witches"- figure prominently, though every author sees them differently.Anyway- I did find this anthology really compelling- I read it in maybe 2-3 days! And damn near all of the stories were excellent.Recommended- if you like "urban Fantasy"!
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Retribution Clause - Ilona Andrews - Set in the Kate Daniels universe, but in Philadelphia instead of Atlanta. I'm a humongous Ilona Andrews fan, so I'm probably pretty biased, but I loved the story. It did have a hint of exploring ground for a new novel. 4 stars.Bigfood on Campus - Jim Butcher - Jim Butcher can write novels, and he can write short stories. I'm pretty far behind on the Harry Dresden series, so I'm not sure where this fits in the storyline, but I think even someone without a knowledge of Harry's backstory could enjoy this. 5 stars.Holly's Balm - Rachel Caine - I hadn't read the previous story involving the characters, and I found the story way too predictable. Still a fun read, though. 3 stars.Snow Job - Carole Nelson Douglas - Totally confusing, just plain weird and boring. 1 star. Outside the Box - P. N. Elrod - Never read anything by this author before, so I'm unsure if this fits into an existing series. Action-packed and intriguing. 4 stars.How Do You Feel? - Simon R. Green - I'm not a fan of the Nightside novels, but if you like them, you'll like this story. Nice, compact, and well-told, though. 3 stars.There Will Be Demons - Lori Handeland - Backstory for one of the minor characters in her Phoenix Chronicles series. Fun to read, but little substance. 3 stars.Cherry Kisses - Erica Hayes - Fun and action-packed, but felt too much like a cut-down novel rather than a short-story. 3 stars.The Arcane Art of Misdirection - Carrie Vaughn - Very Carrie Vaughn-y. I haven't read most of the series, but apparently starts a reoccurring character. Interesting enough, but not my thing. 3.5 stars.
Book preview
Hex Appeal - Macmillan Publishers
RETRIBUTION CLAUSE
by ILONA ANDREWS
Adam Talford closed his eyes and wished he were somewhere else. Somewhere warm. Where cool waves lapped hot yellow sand, where strange flowers bloomed, and birdsong filled the air.
Take off the watch! Now!
a male voice barked into his ear. You think I am fucking with you? You think I am playing? I’ll rip your flesh off your body and make myself a skin suit.
Adam opened his eyes. The three thugs who pinned him to the brick wall looked half-starved, like mongrel dogs who’d been prowling the alley, feeding on garbage.
He should never have wandered into this side of Philadelphia, not in the evening, and especially not while the magic was up. This was Firefern Road, a place where the refuse of the city hid out among the ruins of the ravaged buildings, gnawed by magic to ugly nubs of brick and concrete. The real predators stalked their prey elsewhere, looking for bigger and meatier scores. Firefern Road sheltered scavengers, desperate and savage, eager to bite, but only when the odds were on their side.
Unfortunately, he had no choice.
You have the cash,
Adam said, keeping his voice low. Take it and go. It’s a cheap watch. You won’t get any money for it.
The larger of the thugs pulled him from the wall and slammed him back into the bricks. The man bent over him, folding his six-foot-two frame down to Adam’s five feet five inches, so their faces were level, forcing Adam to stare straight into his eyes. Adam looked into their blue depths and glimpsed a spark of vicious glee. It wasn’t about the money anymore. It was about domination, humiliation, and inflicting pain. They would beat him just for the fun of it.
The watch, you little bitch,
the thug ordered.
No,
Adam said quietly.
A muscular forearm smashed into his neck, cutting off his air. Bodies pressed against him. He felt fingers prying at the metal band on his narrow wrist. His heart hammered. His chest constricted.
Think of elsewhere. Think of blue waves and yellow sand …
Someone yanked at the band. The world was turning darker—his lungs demanded air. Pain shot through his limbs in sharp, burning spikes.
Blue waves … Azure … Calm … Just need to stay calm …
Cold metal broke his skin. They were trying to cut the watch off his wrist. He jerked and heard the crunch of broken glass. Two tiny watch gears flew before his eyes, sparking with residual traces of magic.
Imbeciles. They’d broken it.
The magic chain that held his body in check vanished. The calming visions of the ocean vanished, swept away by an avalanche of fury. His magic roared inside him, ancient, primal, and cold as a glacier. Frost clamped his eyebrows, falling off in tiny snowflakes. The short blond hairs rained down from his head, and pale blue strands grew in their place, falling down to his shoulders. His body surged, up and out, stretching, spilling out into its natural shape. His outer clothes tore under the pressure as his new form stretched the thick spandex suit he wore underneath to its limit. His feet ripped the cheap cloth Converse sneakers. The three small humans in front of him froze like frightened rabbits.
With a guttural roar, Adam grasped the leader by his shoulder and yanked him up. The man’s fragile collarbone broke under the pressure of his pale fingers, and the man screamed, kicking his feet. Adam brought him close, their eyes once again level. The thug trembled and fell silent, his face a terrified rigid mask. Adam knew exactly what he saw: a creature, an eight-foot-tall giant in the shape of a man, with a mane of blue hair and eyes like submerged ice.
Inside him, the rational, human part of Adam Talbot sighed and faded. Only cold and rage drove him now.
Do you know why I wear the watch?
he snarled into the man’s face.
The thug shook his head.
I wear it so I can keep my body in my tracking form. Because when I’m small, I don’t draw attention. I can go anywhere. Nobody pays me any notice. I’ve been tracking a man for nine days. His trail led me here. I was so close, I could smell his sweat, and the three of you ruined it for me. I can’t follow him now, can I?
He shook the man like a wet rag. I told you to walk away. No. You didn’t listen.
I’ll listen,
the thug promised. I’ll listen now.
Too late. You wanted to feel big and bad. Now I’ll show you what big and bad is.
Adam hurled the human across the alley. The thug flew. Before he crashed into a brick ruin with a bone-snapping crunch, his two sidekicks turned and fled, running full speed. Adam vaulted over a garbage Dumpster to his right and gave chase.
Ten minutes later, he returned to the alley, crouched, dug through the refuse with bloody fingers, and fished out his watch. The glass and the top plate were gone, displaying the delicate innards of gears and magic. Hopelessly mangled. Just like the thug who still sagged motionless against the ruin.
The alley reeked with the scavenger stench: fear, sweat, a hint of urine, garbage. Adam rose, stretching to his full height, and raised his face to the wind. The hint of Morowitz’s scent teased him, slightly sweet and distant. The chase was over.
Dean Morowitz was a thief, and, like all thieves, he would do anything for the right price. He’d stolen a priceless necklace in a feat of outrageous luck, but he didn’t do it on his own. No, someone had hired him, and Adam was interested in the buyer much more than in the tool he had used. Breaking Morowitz’s legs would probably shed some light on his employment arrangements, but it would inevitably alarm the buyer, who’d vanish into thin air. Following the thief was a much better course of action.
Adam sighed. He had failed. Tracking the thief now would be like carrying a neon side above his head that read, POM INSURANCE ADJUSTER. He’d have to give Morowitz a day or two to cool off, then arrange for a replacement watch to hide his true form before trying to find the man again.
A mild headache scraped at the inside of Adam’s head, insistent, like a knock on his door.
He concentrated, sending a focused thought in its direction. Yes?
You’re needed at the office, Mr. Talford,
a familiar female voice murmured directly into his mind.
I’ll be right there,
he promised, rose to his full height, and began to jog, breaking into the long-legged distance-devouring gait that thousands of years ago carried his ancestors across the frozen wastes of the old North.
Night was falling. Anyone with a crumb of sense cleared from the streets or hurried to get home, behind the protection of four walls, barred windows, and a sturdy door. The rare passersby scattered out of his way. Even in post-Shift Philadelphia, the sight of an eight-foot-tall human running full speed in skin-tight black spandex wasn’t a common occurrence. He drew the eye, Adam reflected, leaping over a ten-foot gap in the asphalt. He pounded up the wooden ramp onto the newly built Pine Bridge, spanning the vast sea of crushed concrete and twisted steel that used to be the downtown.
The bridge turned south, carrying him deeper into the city. Far in the distance, the sunset burned out, couched in long orange clouds. The weak light of the dying sun glinted from the heaps of broken glass that used to be hundreds of windows. The cemetery of human ambition.
Human beings had always believed in apocalypse, but they expected the end of the world to come in a furious flash of nuclear cloud, or in environmental disaster, or perhaps even on a stray rock falling from the universe beyond. Nobody expected the magic. It came during one sunny afternoon, in broad daylight, and raged through the world—pulling planes from the sky, stealing electricity, giving birth to monsters. And three days later, when it vanished, and humanity reeled, thousands were dead. Survivors mourned and breathed a sigh of relief, but two weeks later the magic came again.
It flooded the world in waves now, unpredictable and moody, coming back and disappearing on its own mysterious schedule. Slowly but surely, it tore down the tall buildings, feeding on the carcass of technology and molding humanity in its own image. Adam smiled. He took to it better than most.
The latest magic shift took place about half an hour ago, just before he got jumped. While unpredictable, the magic waves rarely lasted less than twelve hours. He was in for a long, magic-filled night.
The bridge split into four different branches. He took the second to the left. It brought him deep into the heart of the city, past the ruins, to the older streets. He cleared the next couple of intersections and turned into the courtyard of a large Georgian-style mansion, a redbrick box, rectangular in shape and three stories high. Anything taller didn’t survive in the new Philadelphia unless it was really old. The POM Mansion, as the house came to be known, had been built at the end of the eighteenth century. Its age and the simplicity of its construction afforded it some immunity against magic.
Adam jogged to the doors. Pressure clutched him for a brief moment, then released him—the defensive spell on the building recognizing his right to enter. Adam stepped through the doors and walked into the foyer. Luxurious by any standards, after his run through the ruined city, the inside of the building looked almost surreal. A hand-knotted blue Persian rug rested on the floor of polished marble. Cream-colored walls were adorned by graceful glass bells of fey lanterns, glowing pale blue as the charged air inside their tubes reacted with magic. A marble staircase veered left and up, leading to the second floor.
Adam paused for a moment to admire the rug. He’d once survived in a cave in the woods for half a year. Luxury or poverty made little difference to him. Luxury tended to be cleaner and more comfortable, but that was about it. Still, he liked the rug—it was beautiful.
The secretary sitting behind a massive redwood desk looked up at his approach. She was slender, young, and dark-skinned. Large brown eyes glanced at him from behind the wide lenses of her glasses. Her name was May, and in the three years of his employment with POM, he’d never managed to surprise her.
Good evening, Mr. Talford.
Good evening.
He could never figure out if she had been there and done that and was too jaded, or if she was simply too well trained.
Will you require a change of clothes?
Yes, please.
May held out a leather file. His reason for being called into the office. He took it. Priority Two. It overrode all of his cases. Interesting. Adam nodded at her and headed up the stairs.
* * *
The heavy door of the office slid open under the pressure of Adam’s hand. When he joined the ranks of POM Insurance Adjusters three years ago, someone asked him how he wanted his office to look. He told him, Like the cabin of a pirate captain,
and that was exactly what he got. Cypress paneling lined every inch of the floor, walls, and ceiling, imitating the inside of a wooden ship. The antique-reproduction desk, bolted to the floor for sheer authenticity, supported a sextant, a chronometer, and a bottle of Bombay Blue Sapphire. Behind the desk, an enormous map drawn in ink on yellowed paper took up most of the wall. To the left, bookshelves stretched, next to a large bed sunken into a sturdy wooden frame, so it looked like it was cut into the wall. The bed’s dark blue curtain hung open.
His nostrils caught a hint of faint spice. He inhaled it, savoring the scent. Siroun.
You smell like blood,
Siroun’s smooth voice said behind him.
Ah. There she is. He turned slightly and watched her circle him, scrutinizing his body. She moved like a lean panther: silent, flexible, graceful. Deadly. Her hair, cropped short into a ragged, messy halo, framed her face like a pale red cloud. She tilted her head. Two dark eyes looked at him.
You fought with three people, and you let them break your watch?
Her voice was quiet and soothing, and deep for a woman’s. He’d heard her sing once, a strange song of murmured words. It had stayed with him.
I was tracking Morowitz,
he told her.
Into Firefern?
Yes.
We agreed you would wait for me if his trail led into Firefern.
I did. I called it in to the office, waited, then followed him.
The office is about four miles from Firefern.
Yes.
How long did you wait?
He frowned, thinking. I’d say about two minutes.
And that struck you as the appropriate length of time?
He grinned at her. Yes.
A bright orange sheen rolled over her irises, like fire over coals, and vanished. She clearly failed to see the humor in this situation.
Post-Shift Philadelphia housed many people with something extra in their blood, including shapeshifters, a small, sad pack of humans stuck on the crossroads between man and beast. Occasionally, they went insane and had to be put down, but most persevered through strict discipline. Their eyes glowed just like that.
Adjusters worked in pairs, and he and Siroun had been partnered with each other from the beginning. After all this time together, working with her and observing her, he was sure that Siroun wasn’t a shapeshifter. At least not any kind he had ever encountered. When she dropped her mask, he sensed something in her, a faint touch of ancient magic, buried deep, hidden like a fossil under the sediment of civilization. He sensed this same primal magic within himself. Siroun wasn’t of his kind, but she was like him, and she drew him like a magnet.
* * *
Siroun pulled the leather file out of Adam’s fingers and sat on the bed, curling around a large pillow.
Adam was possibly the smartest man she had ever known. And also the biggest idiot. In his mind, big and strong equaled invincible. It would only take one bullet to the head in the right spot, one cut of the right blade in the right place, and none of his regeneration would matter.
He went into Firefern by himself. Didn’t wait. Didn’t tell her. And by the time she’d found out, it was too late—he was already on his way to the office, so she paced back and forth, like a caged tiger until she heard his steps in the hallway.
Adam sat behind his desk, sinking into an oversized leather chair. It groaned, accepting his weight. He cocked his head to the side and moved the bottle of Bombay Sapphire a quarter of an inch to the left. The bright blue liquid caught the light of the fey lantern on the wall and sparkled with all the fire of the real gem.
She pretended to read the file while watching him through the curtain of her eyelashes. For sixteen years, her life was full of chaos, dominated by violence and desperation. Then came the prison; and then, then there was POM and Adam. In her crazed, blood-drenched world, Adam was a granite island of calm. When the turbulent storms rocked her inner world, until she was no longer sure where reality ended and the hungry madness inside her began, she clung to that island and weathered the storm. He had no idea how much she needed this shelter. The thought of losing it nearly drove her out of her mind, what little was left of it.
Adam frowned. A stack of neatly folded clothes sat on the corner of the desk, delivered moments before he walked through the door, together with a small package now waiting for his attention. She’d looked through it: T-shirt, pants, camo suit, all large enough to accommodate his giant body. Adam checked the clothes and pulled the package close. She’d glanced at it—the return address label had one word: Saiman.
Who is he?
Siroun asked.
My cousin. He lives in the South.
Adam tore the paper and pulled out a leather-bound book. He chuckled and showed her the cover. Robert E. Howard: The Frost-Giant’s Daughter and Other Stories.
Is he like you?
Apparently they both had a twisted sense of humor.
He has more magic, but he uses it mostly to hide. My original form is still my favorite.
Adam leaned back, stretching his enormous shoulders. The customized chair creaked. He has the ability to assume any form, and he wears every type of body except his own.
Why?
I’m not sure. I think he wants to fit in. He wants to be loved by everyone he meets. It’s a way of controlling things around him.
Your cousin sounds unpleasant.
Siroun leafed through the file. Not like Adam would need it. He had probably read it on the way up. She once witnessed him go through a fifty-page contract in less than a minute, then demand detailed adjustments.
He was looking at her; she could feel his gaze. She raised her head and let a little of the fire raging inside color her irises. Yes, I’m still mad at you.
Most people froze when confronted with that orange glow. It whispered of old things, brutal and hungry, waiting just beyond the limits of human consciousness.
Adam smiled.
Idiot.
She looked back at the file.
He opened the top drawer of his desk, took out a small paper box, and set it on the desk. Now what?
Adam pried the lid open with his oversized fingers and extracted a small brown cupcake with chocolate frosting. It looked thimble-sized in his thick hands. I have a cupcake.
He had lost his mind.
Adam tilted the cupcake from side to side, making it dance. It’s chocolate.
She clenched her teeth, speechless.
It could be your cupcake if you stop—
She dashed across the room in a blur, leaped, and crouched on the desk in front of him. He blinked. She plucked the cupcake from his huge hand with her slender fingers and pretended to ponder it. I don’t like a lot of people.
I’ve noticed,
he said. He was still smiling. Truly, he had a death wish.
Siroun examined the cupcake some more. If you die, I will have to choose a new partner, Adam.
She turned and looked at him. I don’t want a new partner.
He nodded in mock seriousness. In that case, I’ll strive to stay alive.
Thank you.
Knuckles rapped on the door. It swung open, and the narrow-shouldered, thin figure of Chang, their POM coordinator, stepped inside. Chang looked at them for a long moment. His eyes widened. Am I interrupting?
Siroun jumped off the desk and moved back to the bed, palming the cupcake. No.
I am relieved. I’d hate to be rude.
Chang crossed the office, deposited another leather file in front of Adam, and perched in a chair across the room. Lean to the point of delicate, the coordinator had one of those encouraging faces that predisposed people to trust him. He wore a small smile and seemed slightly ill at ease, as if he constantly struggled to overcome his natural shyness. Last year, a man had attacked him outside the POM doors with the intent of robbing him. Chang decapitated him and put his head on a sharpened stick. It sat in front of the office for four days before the stench prevailed, and he took it down. A bit crude, but very persuasive.
That’s a beautiful bottle,
Chang said, nodding at the Bombay. I’ve never seen you drink, Adam. Especially dry gin. So why the bottle?
He likes the color,
Siroun said.
Adam smiled.
Chang glanced at the flat screen in the wall and sighed. Things are much easier when technology is up. Unfortunately, we’ll have to do this the hard way. Please turn to page one in your file.
Siroun opened the file. Page one offered a portrait of a lean man in a business suit, bending forward, looking into the dense torrent of traffic of cars, carts, and riders. A somber man, confident, almost severe. Slick lines, square jaw, elongated shape of the face inviting comparison with a Doberman pinscher, light skin, light blond hair cut very short. Early to mid forties.
John Sobanto, an attorney with Dorowitz & Sobanto, and your target. Mr. Sobanto made a fortune representing powerful clients, but he’s most famous and most hated for representing New Found Hope.
Siroun bared her teeth. Now there was a name everyone in Philly loved to despise.
New Found Hope, a new church born after the Shift, had pushed hard for pure human, no-magic-tolerated membership. So hard, that on Christmas day, sixteen of its parishioners walked into the icy water of the Delaware River and drowned nine of their own children, who had been born with magic. The guilty and the church leaders were charged with first-degree murder. The couples took the fall, but the founder of the church escaped without even a slap on the wrist. John Sobanto was the man who made it happen.
Mr. Sobanto is worth $4.2 million, not counting his investments in Left Arm Securities, which are projected at 2 million plus,
Chang said. The corporation was unable to obtain a more precise estimate. Please turn to page two.
Siroun flipped the page. Another photograph, this one of a woman standing on the bank of a lead-colored Delaware River. In the distance, the remains of the Delaware Memorial Bridge jutted sadly from the water. He knew the exact spot this was taken—Penn Treaty Park.
Unlike the man, the woman was aware of being photographed and looked straight into the camera. Pretty in an unremarkable way that came from good breeding and careful attention to one’s appearance. Shoulder-length hair, blond, worn loose, standard for an upper-class spouse. Her eyes stared out of the photograph, surprisingly hard. Determined.
Linda Sobanto,
Chang said. The holder of POM policy number 492776-M. She spent the last three years funneling an obscene portion of Mr. Sobanto’s earnings into POM bank accounts to pay for it.
A severe, confident man on one page, an equally severe, determined woman on the other. An ominous combination, Siroun decided.
Adam stirred. So what did Mr. Sobanto do to warrant our attention?
It appears he murdered his wife,
Chang said.
Of course.
Mrs. Sobanto’s insurance policy had a retribution clause,
the coordinator continued. In the event of her homicide, we’re required to terminate the guilty party.
How was she killed?
Siroun asked.
She was strangled.
Personal. Very, very personal.
Mr. Sobanto’s thumbprint was lifted from her throat. He had defensive wounds on his face and neck, and his DNA was found under her fingernails. His lawyers have arranged a voluntary surrender. He is scheduled to come in Thursday morning, less than a day from now.
Is he expecting us?
Adam asked.
Chang nodded in a slow, measured way. Most definitely. Please turn to page three.
On page three, an aerial shot showed a monstrously large ranch-style house hugging the top of the hill like a bear. Three rectangular structures sat a short distance from the house, each marked by a red X.
Guards stationed in a pyramid formation, four shifts. The gun towers are marked on your photograph. The house is trapped and extensively warded. At least two arcane disciplines were utilized in creation of the wards. For all practical purposes, it’s a fortress. Page four, please.
Siroun turned the page. A blueprint, showing a large central room with smaller rooms radiating from it in a wheel-and-spokes design.
We believe Mr. Sobanto has locked himself in this central chamber. He is guarded by spells, traps, and armed men.
Siroun shifted in her chair. The guards?
Red Guard,
Chang answered.
Sobanto hired the best.
Expensive to hire,
Adam murmured, plaiting the fingers of his hands together.
And very expensive to kill,
Chang said. Red Guard lawyers are truly excellent, particularly when negotiating a wrongful death compensation. We don’t want additional expenses, so please don’t kill more than three. A higher death count would negatively impact the corporation’s profit margin. Please turn to page five.
Page five presented another image of John Sobanto, surrounded by men and women in business suits, a thin-stemmed glass in his hand. A cowled figure stood in the shadow of the column, watching over him.
Siroun leaned forward. No, the image is too murky.
His reaction time suggests that he is not human. A shapeshifter operative on our staff had an opportunity to sample his scent. He found it disturbing. We don’t know what he is,
Chang said. But we do know that John Sobanto made a lot of people unhappy with his latest settlement. There have been two attempts on his life, and this bodyguard kept Sobanto breathing.
Siroun smiled quietly.
You have eleven hours to kill Mr. Sobanto.
Chang closed the file. After that, he has arranged to surrender into the custody of Philadelphia’s Finest. Sniping people in police custody is bad for business. Will you require a priest for your final rites?
Adam glanced at Siroun. She gave a barely perceptible shake of her head.
That won’t be necessary.
Good luck. Break a leg, preferably not your own.
Chang smiled and headed for the door. Remember, no more than three Red Guardsmen.
The door closed behind him with a click.
Siroun slipped off the bed. Disable the guards, break into a fortress, shatter the wards, disarm the traps, bust into the central chamber, kill a preternaturally fast bodyguard, and eliminate the target. Shall I drive?
Sounds like a plan.
Adam headed for the door.
* * *
Adam sat on the floor of the black POM van and watched Siroun drive. She guided the car along the ruined, crumbling highway with almost surgical precision. She had only two modes of operation: complete control or complete insanity. Considering how tightly she clenched herself now, he was in for a hell of a night.
The magic smothered gas engines; the converted POM van ran on enchanted water. The water vehicles were slow, barely topping fifty miles an hour at the best, and they made an outrageous amount of noise. They’d have to park the car some distance from the house and approach on foot.
Adam stretched. They had had to take all of the seats, except for the driver’s, out of the van to accommodate him. From where he sat, Adam could see a wispy lock of red hair and Siroun’s profile. Her face, etched against the darkness of the night, almost seemed to glow.
Some things can come to pass, he reminded himself. Some things are improbable, and some are impossible.
He had to stop imagining impossible things.
Siroun stirred. What would drive a man to kill his own wife? Two people live together, love each other, make a safe haven for themselves.
I saw a play once,
Adam said. It was about a man and a woman: They were in love a long time ago, but as years passed, they ended up spending their time torturing each other. The man had told the woman, ‘Here is the key to my soul. Take it, beloved. Take the poisoned dagger.’ Those we love know us the best. They know all the right places to strike.
She shook her head.
If we were lovers, and I betrayed you, you would kill me.
Why did he have to go there? Like playing with fire.
She didn’t look at him. What makes you say that?
Love and hate are both means of emotional control to which we subject ourselves. Once you were done with me, you’d want to be free of the pain of betrayal. Absolutely free.
No comment, Siroun? No, not even a glance.
He looked out the window. They had exited the highway onto a narrow country road that wound its way between huge trees. The same magic that devoured skyscrapers fed the forests. Moonlight spilled from the sky like a gauzy silvery curtain, catching on massive branches of enormous hemlocks and white pines. The woods encroached onto asphalt weakened by the magic’s assault, the trees leaning toward the van like grim sentries intent on barring their passage.
Fifty years ago, this might have been a cultivated field or a small town. But then, fifty years ago, he wouldn’t have existed, Adam reflected. Magic fed the ancient power in his blood. Without it, he would be just a man.
Fifty years ago, nobody would’ve purchased an insurance policy with a retribution clause, which assured that one’s murderer would be punished. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. It had been a gentler, more civilized time.
Strangulation contains death,
Siroun said. There’s no release. It’s deeply personal. He wanted to see her eyes as he squeezed the life out of her second by second. To drink it in. He must’ve hated her.
The question is why,
Adam said. He was a skilled lawyer. I’ve looked through the file some more. He seems to have a remarkable talent when it comes to jury selection. In every case, he manages to pick a precise mix of people to favor his case, which suggests he’s an excellent judge of human nature, but all of his arguments are very precise and emotionless. People have passions. He is dispassionate. He would have to be at the brink of his mind to strangle someone. Especially his wife. It doesn’t add up.
Still waters run deep,
she murmured, and made a right turn. The vehicle rolled off the road, careening over roots. We’re here.
* * *
They stepped from the car onto a forest floor thick with five centuries of autumn. Adam stretched, testing his pixilated camo suit. It was loose enough to let him move quickly. The huge trees watched him in silence. He wished it were colder. He would be faster in the cold.
Siroun raised her head and drew the air into her nostrils, tasting it on her tongue. Woodsmoke.
Adam slid the short needle-rifle into its holster on his belt. It was made specifically for him, a modern version of a blowgun made to operate during magic. Siroun stretched her arms next to him, like a lean cat. Her camo suit hugged her, clenched at the waist by a belt carrying two curved, brutal blades. She pulled a dark mask over the lower half of her face and raised her hood. She looked tiny.
Anxiety nipped at him.
Stay safe,
he said.
She turned to him. Adam?
Shit. He had to recover. We’re only allowed three kills. You look on edge. Stay in the safe zone.
This isn’t my first time.
She looked up, high above, where the rough column of a tree trunk erupted into thick branches, blocking the moonlight. For a moment, she tensed, the smooth muscles coiling like springs beneath the fabric, and burst forward, across the soft carpet of pine needles and fallen twigs. Siroun leaped, scrambled up the trunk in a brown-and-green blur, and vanished into the branches as if dissolved into the greenery.
Adam locked the van and dropped the keys behind the right-front wheel. The forest waited for him.
He headed uphill at a brisk trot, guided by traces of woodsmoke and some imperceptible instinct he couldn’t explain. Stay safe. He was beginning to lose it. Remember what you are. Remember who she is. She would never see him as anything more than a partner. To step closer, she would have to risk something. To open herself to possible injury, to give up a drop of her freedom. She would never do it, and if he slipped again and showed her that he had stepped over the line, she would sever what few fragile ties bound them.
The old trees spread their branches wide, greedily hoarding the moonlight, and the undergrowth was scarce. A few times a magic-addled vine cascading from an occasional trunk made a grab for his limbs. When it did manage to snag him, he simply ripped through it and kept