thegeekyblogger's review against another edition
4.0
Audiobook Review: CarniePunk by Various Authors Listened for Review (Brilliance)Overall Rating: 4.00*Individual Breakdowns Below*Audio Rating: 4.50Audio Thoughts:
Narrated By Candace Thaxton, Kirby Heyborne / Length: 14 hrs and 5 mins
I thought Candace and Kirby both did a fantastic job! Their pacing, emotions, and cadence were perfect for these stories. They each did a great job of sounding different for every character and author. Totally recommend this on audio. As always you should listen to a snippet to make sure the narration will work for you.Thoughts as I listen:Painted Love by Rob Thurman: Having never read Rob Thurman before I wasn't sure what to think. I was engrossed by the story and liked the characters. The ending left me wanting. Overall Rating: 3.50The Three Lives of Lydia by Delilah Dawson: Another author I haven't tried before but I liked this story. It was kind of question of what happened, did she really exist in that world or this one. I wanted more (of course) but felt mostly satisfied. Overall Rating: 3.75The Demon Barket of Wheat Street by Kevin Hearne: I love the Iron Druid series so I was pretty sure this was going to be my favorite of the short stories. I was wrong. It was OK but maybe it is because I am so used to hearing Luke Daniels do the voices that I just wasn't hooked. The story was good enough but not overall my favorite. Overall Rating: 3.50The Sweeter the Juice by Mark Henry: I like Mark Henry's offbeat sense of humor and that came across in his story. It was a different twist on the zombie world and the characters fit the tone. Wasn't a fan of the end of the story but it was still entertaining. Overall Rating: 3.75The WereWife by Jaye Wells: Be careful what you wish/ask for! I really liked the twist in this story. I was totally caught off guard and had to smile (in a sadistic kind of way). This was a really great short story! Overall Rating: 4.25The Cold Girl by Rachel Caine: My favorite so far! The Cold Girl felt like a complete story even though it is short. The end was perfect in a sad sort of way and even though I wanted more I felt satisfied. Overall Rating: 4.50A Duet of Darkness by Allison Pang: I didn't like the lead character she was too full of herself. I liked Elizabeth, the girl that told her off though. I also like Nabu (spelling is probably wrong but I am listening to it on audio so I have no idea how to spell his name) but Mel just never resonated with me. Overall Rating: 3.25Recession of the Divine by Hillary Jacques: This was a pretty decent short story and I liked the Greek mythology mixed in. I did enjoy the characters and while I could have used a little more back story, the story felt complete. Overall Rating: 3.75Parlor Tricks by Jennifer Estep: I had less of a problem with the narration in this one than I thought I would. I thought it was a good little side story for Brea and Gin. Enjoyable. Overall Rating: 3.75Freak House by Kelly Meding: I need to read Kelly Meding as I enjoyed this short story very much. I really wanted more of the story but I liked her writing, pacing, and characters. Overall Rating: 4.25The Inside Man by Nicole Peeler: Being trapped in my old bad memories is very scary. I really enjoyed this story and felt it was probably the most emotional of all the stories in the anthology. Overall Rating: 4.00A Chance in Hell by Jackie Kessler: Not my favorite. The story was ok but I just didn't connect with the characters at all. I think this one would have made an interesting full length though. Overall Rating: 3.50Hell's Menagerie by Kelly Gay: This was a pretty good story though I had to admit I was on edge (don't do well when pets are in harms way). The lead character was pretty spunky and I loved that! Overall Rating: 3.75Daughter of the Midway, the Mermaid, and Open, Lonely Sea by Seanan McGuire: Another author I need to check out because I really did enjoy this story. I thought the characters were great and gave me the feel of Carnival (HBO). Overall Rating: 4.00
Narrated By Candace Thaxton, Kirby Heyborne / Length: 14 hrs and 5 mins
I thought Candace and Kirby both did a fantastic job! Their pacing, emotions, and cadence were perfect for these stories. They each did a great job of sounding different for every character and author. Totally recommend this on audio. As always you should listen to a snippet to make sure the narration will work for you.Thoughts as I listen:Painted Love by Rob Thurman: Having never read Rob Thurman before I wasn't sure what to think. I was engrossed by the story and liked the characters. The ending left me wanting. Overall Rating: 3.50The Three Lives of Lydia by Delilah Dawson: Another author I haven't tried before but I liked this story. It was kind of question of what happened, did she really exist in that world or this one. I wanted more (of course) but felt mostly satisfied. Overall Rating: 3.75The Demon Barket of Wheat Street by Kevin Hearne: I love the Iron Druid series so I was pretty sure this was going to be my favorite of the short stories. I was wrong. It was OK but maybe it is because I am so used to hearing Luke Daniels do the voices that I just wasn't hooked. The story was good enough but not overall my favorite. Overall Rating: 3.50The Sweeter the Juice by Mark Henry: I like Mark Henry's offbeat sense of humor and that came across in his story. It was a different twist on the zombie world and the characters fit the tone. Wasn't a fan of the end of the story but it was still entertaining. Overall Rating: 3.75The WereWife by Jaye Wells: Be careful what you wish/ask for! I really liked the twist in this story. I was totally caught off guard and had to smile (in a sadistic kind of way). This was a really great short story! Overall Rating: 4.25The Cold Girl by Rachel Caine: My favorite so far! The Cold Girl felt like a complete story even though it is short. The end was perfect in a sad sort of way and even though I wanted more I felt satisfied. Overall Rating: 4.50A Duet of Darkness by Allison Pang: I didn't like the lead character she was too full of herself. I liked Elizabeth, the girl that told her off though. I also like Nabu (spelling is probably wrong but I am listening to it on audio so I have no idea how to spell his name) but Mel just never resonated with me. Overall Rating: 3.25Recession of the Divine by Hillary Jacques: This was a pretty decent short story and I liked the Greek mythology mixed in. I did enjoy the characters and while I could have used a little more back story, the story felt complete. Overall Rating: 3.75Parlor Tricks by Jennifer Estep: I had less of a problem with the narration in this one than I thought I would. I thought it was a good little side story for Brea and Gin. Enjoyable. Overall Rating: 3.75Freak House by Kelly Meding: I need to read Kelly Meding as I enjoyed this short story very much. I really wanted more of the story but I liked her writing, pacing, and characters. Overall Rating: 4.25The Inside Man by Nicole Peeler: Being trapped in my old bad memories is very scary. I really enjoyed this story and felt it was probably the most emotional of all the stories in the anthology. Overall Rating: 4.00A Chance in Hell by Jackie Kessler: Not my favorite. The story was ok but I just didn't connect with the characters at all. I think this one would have made an interesting full length though. Overall Rating: 3.50Hell's Menagerie by Kelly Gay: This was a pretty good story though I had to admit I was on edge (don't do well when pets are in harms way). The lead character was pretty spunky and I loved that! Overall Rating: 3.75Daughter of the Midway, the Mermaid, and Open, Lonely Sea by Seanan McGuire: Another author I need to check out because I really did enjoy this story. I thought the characters were great and gave me the feel of Carnival (HBO). Overall Rating: 4.00
biblio_lore's review against another edition
3.0
Good concepts in some cases but ultimately I wasn't drawn into the stories and I felt like it lacked the carnival atmosphere. Also slightly misleading title as per the punk part though admittedly that might have been me wanting it to have more of a steampunk kind of atmosphere which it did not.
athenaevarinya's review against another edition
5.0
I only read it for the Jennifer Estep story. Perhaps I may go back one day if the other authors catch my attention.
andimontgomery's review against another edition
3.0
Overall, this collection gets 3 stars. There were some standouts, like "The Cold Girl," "Parlor Tricks," "Feral House," "The Inside Man," and "Daughter of the Midway, the Mermaid, and the Open Lonely Sea." But some of the stories fell flat for me. Below is a brief synopsis of each and my rating:
"Painted Love" by Rob Thurman - I had a bit of confusion about the main character, Doodle, and it took some time for me to get into this story (really, until Doodle's origins were explained). This was a creepy story about predators who hide in carnivals. 3/5
I've never read anything before by Delilah Dawson, but I wasn't very fond of "The Three Lives of Lydia." This story features Lydia, who enters the magical world of Sang when she falls asleep in our world. She meets and falls almost instantly for Charlie, a "Bludman" (another term for vampire), who is part of a carnival full of magical beings (like a two-headed boy and a wolfman). 2.5/5
I lost interest in Kevin Hearne's series after the second book, so I skipped "The Demon Barker on Wheat Street." Not rated
"The Sweeter the Juice" by Mark Henry has both zombies and transsexuals. Sounds interesting, but I didn't enjoy it. 1/5
"Werewife" by Jaye Wells was a quick read about a couple, Brad and Annie, who are dealing with the consequences of her being bitten by a werewolf at last year's carnival. They return to the carnival a year later looking for a cure, and find something else altogether. 3/5
"The Cold Girl" by Rachel Caine is a story of a naive girl who finds out the kind of person her boyfriend really is when they visit the carnival, and how she gets her revenge. 4/5
I didn't read "A Duet with Darkness" by Allison Pang since I'm not really a fan of her Abby Sinclair series. Not rated
"Recession of the Divine" by Hillary Jacques was disjointed and one of my least favorites. It features Olivia, a seer, god-descendant, and insurance investigator who tries to find the cause of an accident at a carnival. 1/5
"Parlor Tricks" by Jennifer Estep was one of my favorites in this collection, and is also available free on Amazon. Gin and Bria visit a local carnival in search of a missing teenager. While this story is short, Gin and Bria get to show off their investigative and butt-whomping skills. 4.5/5
"Feral House" by Kelly Meding was, in my opinion, the best in this collection. It features a character not seen in her prior books, half-djinn Shiloh, who teams up with a werewolf and human to save her djinn father (and a few others) from a supernatural freak show. Ms. Meding has a way of immediately engaging you in her plots, and this was no different. The story ended with an opening for a new series...one I would absolutely read! 5/5
"The Inside Man" by Nicole Peeler is about a supernatural trio investigating what caused an entire town to become catatonic. They encounter an evil clown and end up fighting for their lives. I know I am oversimplifying the story with this brief summary, but I enjoyed this one. 4/5
"A Chance In Hell" by Jackie Kessler didn't grab my interest in the first few pages, so I gave up. Not rated
"Hell's Menagerie" by Kelly Gay takes place when Charlie is off saving Hank. Emma, Brim, and Rex visit a carnival to rescue Brim's mate and newborn pups. Emma couldn't carry an entire book on her own, but it was nice seeing her shine in this short story. 3.5/5
"Daughter of the Midway, the Mermaid, and the Open Lonely Sea" by Seanan McGuire is about a carnival that returns to the place where their star attraction--a mermaid--was found as an infant. She joined the carnival as a pregnant adult, and her daughter is now faced with learning about her past and future. This book really captured the otherworldly nature of mermaids, and I enjoyed it. 4/5
"Painted Love" by Rob Thurman - I had a bit of confusion about the main character, Doodle, and it took some time for me to get into this story (really, until Doodle's origins were explained). This was a creepy story about predators who hide in carnivals. 3/5
I've never read anything before by Delilah Dawson, but I wasn't very fond of "The Three Lives of Lydia." This story features Lydia, who enters the magical world of Sang when she falls asleep in our world. She meets and falls almost instantly for Charlie, a "Bludman" (another term for vampire), who is part of a carnival full of magical beings (like a two-headed boy and a wolfman). 2.5/5
I lost interest in Kevin Hearne's series after the second book, so I skipped "The Demon Barker on Wheat Street." Not rated
"The Sweeter the Juice" by Mark Henry has both zombies and transsexuals. Sounds interesting, but I didn't enjoy it. 1/5
"Werewife" by Jaye Wells was a quick read about a couple, Brad and Annie, who are dealing with the consequences of her being bitten by a werewolf at last year's carnival. They return to the carnival a year later looking for a cure, and find something else altogether. 3/5
"The Cold Girl" by Rachel Caine is a story of a naive girl who finds out the kind of person her boyfriend really is when they visit the carnival, and how she gets her revenge. 4/5
I didn't read "A Duet with Darkness" by Allison Pang since I'm not really a fan of her Abby Sinclair series. Not rated
"Recession of the Divine" by Hillary Jacques was disjointed and one of my least favorites. It features Olivia, a seer, god-descendant, and insurance investigator who tries to find the cause of an accident at a carnival. 1/5
"Parlor Tricks" by Jennifer Estep was one of my favorites in this collection, and is also available free on Amazon. Gin and Bria visit a local carnival in search of a missing teenager. While this story is short, Gin and Bria get to show off their investigative and butt-whomping skills. 4.5/5
"Feral House" by Kelly Meding was, in my opinion, the best in this collection. It features a character not seen in her prior books, half-djinn Shiloh, who teams up with a werewolf and human to save her djinn father (and a few others) from a supernatural freak show. Ms. Meding has a way of immediately engaging you in her plots, and this was no different. The story ended with an opening for a new series...one I would absolutely read! 5/5
"The Inside Man" by Nicole Peeler is about a supernatural trio investigating what caused an entire town to become catatonic. They encounter an evil clown and end up fighting for their lives. I know I am oversimplifying the story with this brief summary, but I enjoyed this one. 4/5
"A Chance In Hell" by Jackie Kessler didn't grab my interest in the first few pages, so I gave up. Not rated
"Hell's Menagerie" by Kelly Gay takes place when Charlie is off saving Hank. Emma, Brim, and Rex visit a carnival to rescue Brim's mate and newborn pups. Emma couldn't carry an entire book on her own, but it was nice seeing her shine in this short story. 3.5/5
"Daughter of the Midway, the Mermaid, and the Open Lonely Sea" by Seanan McGuire is about a carnival that returns to the place where their star attraction--a mermaid--was found as an infant. She joined the carnival as a pregnant adult, and her daughter is now faced with learning about her past and future. This book really captured the otherworldly nature of mermaids, and I enjoyed it. 4/5
ruthailuj's review against another edition
4.0
I actually only read Kevin Hearn's story from this collection. Maybe more, but I'm not sure. I liked it. I'm not a big fan of short stories in general, actually in this case I would have liked a full novel. More of my favorite characters.
pygment's review against another edition
3.0
I mostly got it for the Kevin Hearne story that was part of the series I'm reading. I read the first 6-8 stories and then I lost interest.
the_wanlorn's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
This book shows a fundamental misunderstanding of the -punk suffix. Also, and possibly more importantly, nearly every single story was actually a short story in a larger series of books, which is intensely annoying. I wish it had been clear before I bought it that that was what was going to happen.
trysarahtop's review against another edition
4.0
I did not read every short story in this anthology, but I did read the few that seemed interesting to me, and I will probably go back and give a few more a try since some are from authors I've never read before.
The one I did read and did not enjoy (it also happens to be an author I've never read before) is "Painted Love" by Rob Thurman. I enjoyed her writing style, and I think that she could have done something good, but the premise was all wrong. It didn't make sense to me, and even though I know there was supposed to be a twist and a surprise, it didn't wow me like I think it was supposed to.
Delilah S. Dawson, and Kevin Hearne were new authors to me and I loved those stories! I probably enjoyed "The Three Lives of Lydia" by Delilah S. Dawson more than the other but they were both well done. I have the first book in both or their series but I have not had a chance to get to them yet. Now I can't wait to get to them. Dawson's has intrigued me the most so I will probably get to that before Hearne's.
I enjoyed Rachel Caine's short "The Cold Girl". I am a big fan of Caine so it really wasn't a surprise that I enjoyed it.
I found Jaye Wells short "The Werewife" to be okay, but that's it. It was slightly creepy which I enjoyed, but it didn't sweep me off my feet. She is also an author I've read before.
Other than that I probably will go back and read a few more.
The one I did read and did not enjoy (it also happens to be an author I've never read before) is "Painted Love" by Rob Thurman. I enjoyed her writing style, and I think that she could have done something good, but the premise was all wrong. It didn't make sense to me, and even though I know there was supposed to be a twist and a surprise, it didn't wow me like I think it was supposed to.
Delilah S. Dawson, and Kevin Hearne were new authors to me and I loved those stories! I probably enjoyed "The Three Lives of Lydia" by Delilah S. Dawson more than the other but they were both well done. I have the first book in both or their series but I have not had a chance to get to them yet. Now I can't wait to get to them. Dawson's has intrigued me the most so I will probably get to that before Hearne's.
I enjoyed Rachel Caine's short "The Cold Girl". I am a big fan of Caine so it really wasn't a surprise that I enjoyed it.
I found Jaye Wells short "The Werewife" to be okay, but that's it. It was slightly creepy which I enjoyed, but it didn't sweep me off my feet. She is also an author I've read before.
Other than that I probably will go back and read a few more.