njfinn's review against another edition
4.0
Definitely a different style than the rest of the Westeros stories. Told from the perspective of a Maester reciting history, it's much more analytical and dispassionate narration than we're used to. Still, it's an enjoyable look even further into the history of the Targaryens, and it's fascinating to see them in their prime
fortunesdear's review against another edition
3.0
Some Desperado - 2/5
My Heart Is Either Broken - 5/5
Nora’s Song - 3/5
The Hands That Are Not There - 2/5
Bombshells - 2/5
Raise Stepanova - 2/5
Wrestling Jesus -
Neighbors - 2.5/5
I Know How to Pick ‘Em - 1/5
Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell - 3/5
A Queen in Exile - 4/5
The Girl in the Mirror - 5/5
Second Arabesque, Very Slowly - 2/5
City Lazarus - 2/5
Virgins - 4/5
Pronouncing Doom - 3/5
Name the Beast - 3/5
Caregivers - 3/5
Lies My Mother Told Me - 2/5
Hell Hath No Fury - 2/5
The Princess and the Queen - 5/5
My Heart Is Either Broken - 5/5
Nora’s Song - 3/5
The Hands That Are Not There - 2/5
Bombshells - 2/5
Raise Stepanova - 2/5
Wrestling Jesus -
Neighbors - 2.5/5
I Know How to Pick ‘Em - 1/5
Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell - 3/5
A Queen in Exile - 4/5
The Girl in the Mirror - 5/5
Second Arabesque, Very Slowly - 2/5
City Lazarus - 2/5
Virgins - 4/5
Pronouncing Doom - 3/5
Name the Beast - 3/5
Caregivers - 3/5
Lies My Mother Told Me - 2/5
Hell Hath No Fury - 2/5
The Princess and the Queen - 5/5
lizzy_22's review against another edition
5.0
Review is for Diana Gabaldon's short - Virgins
A short (mis)adventure with Jamie and Ian when they were in France working as hired mercenaries. The conversations and general camaraderie between these two was pure entertainment. It was so easy to slip right into their story and what a treat to be able to fill in more of Jamie and Ian's past.
A short (mis)adventure with Jamie and Ian when they were in France working as hired mercenaries. The conversations and general camaraderie between these two was pure entertainment. It was so easy to slip right into their story and what a treat to be able to fill in more of Jamie and Ian's past.
mjbooknerd's review against another edition
3.0
Completamente perdida - 4*
Ou o meu coração está destroçado - 2*
As mãos que não estão lá - 4*
Raisa Stepanova - 3*
Eu sei escolhe-las a dedo - 1*
Sombras para Silêncio nas florestas do inferno - 5*
Uma rainha no exílio - 2*
A rapariga no espelho - 1*
A princesa e a rainha ou os negros e os verdes - nem consegui terminar de tão chato que este conto é.
Passei algumas histórias à frente só para ler a do Martin, que se que revelou uma desilusão tremenda e deu-me dores de cabeça. Parecia que estava a ler de um história.
A história do Sanderson é fenomenal e adorei a de Melinda M. Snodgrass, uma autora que não conhecia mas que quero conhecer mais depois desta história.
Ou o meu coração está destroçado - 2*
As mãos que não estão lá - 4*
Raisa Stepanova - 3*
Eu sei escolhe-las a dedo - 1*
Sombras para Silêncio nas florestas do inferno - 5*
Uma rainha no exílio - 2*
A rapariga no espelho - 1*
A princesa e a rainha ou os negros e os verdes - nem consegui terminar de tão chato que este conto é.
Passei algumas histórias à frente só para ler a do Martin, que se que revelou uma desilusão tremenda e deu-me dores de cabeça. Parecia que estava a ler de um história.
A história do Sanderson é fenomenal e adorei a de Melinda M. Snodgrass, uma autora que não conhecia mas que quero conhecer mais depois desta história.
bookwyrm_kate's review against another edition
3.0
The stories that I loved, I LOVED (Some Desperado, Neighbors, Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell, Virgins [more because I know the characters and situations already, I imagine new Gabaldon readers might be confused], and Hell Hath No Fury), but the stories I hated, I HATED (I Know How to Pick 'Em, City Lazarus, and Lies My Mother Told Me). Those were just...icky.
Most of the other stories were "meh..." I enjoyed George R.R. Martins story adding to the history of Westeros, but it read as just that; history. I thought "The Girl in the Mirror," had potential, but borrowed heavily from Harry Potter, so much so that it seemed like fan-fiction.
I will look forward to reading "Bombshells," but as I'm not caught up on the Dresden Files yet, the intro alone smacked me in the face with a rotten-fish of a spoiler. Spoilers are only charming when alluded-to by River Song, so I would have appreciated a warning, although I realize that's a selfish, somewhat "spoiled" wish, considering the last book came out two years ago. Still...
Most of the other stories were "meh..." I enjoyed George R.R. Martins story adding to the history of Westeros, but it read as just that; history. I thought "The Girl in the Mirror," had potential, but borrowed heavily from Harry Potter, so much so that it seemed like fan-fiction.
I will look forward to reading "Bombshells," but as I'm not caught up on the Dresden Files yet, the intro alone smacked me in the face with a rotten-fish of a spoiler. Spoilers are only charming when alluded-to by River Song, so I would have appreciated a warning, although I realize that's a selfish, somewhat "spoiled" wish, considering the last book came out two years ago. Still...
thisotherbookaccount's review against another edition
3.0
The thing about anthologies is that it is impossible to hit jackpot with every story in the book. Likewise, in this anthology, which is a collection of 21 writers, there are as many hits as there are misses. There were veteran writers that disappointed and there were semi-professional writers that surprised. Either way, with the genres spreading far and wide for this anthology, expect more than a handful of stories to fall under the category of "not my cup of tea".
On the whole, it was an enjoyable read, even though there were a few duds along the way. The highlight of the anthology, of course, was the novella by George RR Martin called The Princess and the Queen, which tells the story of the Targaryen civil war in the A Song of Ice and Fire universe. It's a exciting look at a part of the universe's history that's been mentioned but not explored. As a fan of that universe, I'd say that that story was the most rewarding.
On the whole, it was an enjoyable read, even though there were a few duds along the way. The highlight of the anthology, of course, was the novella by George RR Martin called The Princess and the Queen, which tells the story of the Targaryen civil war in the A Song of Ice and Fire universe. It's a exciting look at a part of the universe's history that's been mentioned but not explored. As a fan of that universe, I'd say that that story was the most rewarding.
ladyoberholt's review
5.0
I thoroughly enjoyed this anthology. I wasn't sure what to expect, as anthologies aren't really in my wheelhouse of reading, but it introduced me to a variety of authors and was quite fun to read, although, admittedly, there was a story or two I found a bit disturbing . . . But that was all part of the adventure.
Btw: green vs blacks??? Foreshadowing for a certain book series/ HBO show??? We shall see!
Btw: green vs blacks??? Foreshadowing for a certain book series/ HBO show??? We shall see!
cher_n_books's review
2.0
2 stars - Meh. Just ok.
Major disappointment! Despite the big names involved, most of these stories were underwhelming, and almost all were forgettable.
The Dangerous Women anthology contains the following stories:
- “Some Desperado” by Joe Abercrombie - A Red Country story. 3.5 stars. Lots of action, sarcastically funny in parts. One of the few stories that fit the expectations I had for short stories about dangerous women.
- “My Heart is Either Broken” by Megan Abbott - 2 stars. More of a contemporary plot, but had awkward description phrases.
- “Nora’s Song” by Cecelia Holland - 1.5 stars - Yawn.
- “The Hands That Are Not There” by Melinda Snodgrass - 3 stars - Exceeded expectations. Reminiscent of something Hitchcock would have done.
- “Bombshells” by Jim Butcher - A Harry Dresden story - DNF. Drops a MAJOR spoiler in the author's intro with no warning, and the short story is wrapped about that spoiler as well. If you are not already well into the Harry Dresden series, don't even peek at this one.
- “Raisa Stepanova” by Carrie Vaughn - Didn't read it, and didn't realize that until I began writing this review. Must have accidentally skipped over it after DNF'ing Jim Butcher's story.
- “Wrestling Jesus” by Joe R. Lansdale - 4 stars - Includes a very memorable character and hilarious dialogue.
- “Neighbors” by Megan Lindholm - 3 stars - A lot is left unexplained. A sad story, but had very realistic dialogue. Interesting twist on dangerous, as the woman was dangerous to herself.
- “I Know How to Pick ’Em” by Lawrence Block - 2.5 stars - Sick and twisted.
- “Shadows For Silence in the Forests of Hell” by Brandon Sanderson - 4.5 stars - Creepy story about supernatural things in the woods with anger issues. Best story in the book!
- “A Queen in Exile” by Sharon Kay Penman - 2 stars - Not a bad story, but I am at a loss as to how to make the dangerous woman connection.
- “The Girl in the Mirror” by Lev Grossman - A Magicians story - 1.5 stars - While it takes place in the same world from A Magicians story, it is hard to believe it was written by the same author. Read like a middle grade story with gratuitous f**ks thrown in frequently, just to remind you it's for adults despite the juvenile writing and cheesy dialogue.
- “Second Arabesque, Very Slowly” by Nancy Kress - 1.5 stars - Dystopian world where women are a form of sex slaves and everyone is fighting to survive and eat, and then a few characters suddenly become obsessed with ballet. Yes, I thought that was strange as well.
- “City Lazarus” by Diana Rowland - 2 stars - Plot was interesting enough, but the dialogue was a bit cheesy.
- “Virgins” by Diana Gabaldon - An Outlander story - 3.5 stars - Would not be appreciated as much by those that are not already familiar with the characters from Outlander. If you do know and love those characters, this one was quite enjoyable.
- “Hell Hath No Fury” by Sherilynn Kenyon - 3.5 stars - Pleasant enough ghost story.
- “Pronouncing Doom” by S.M. Stirling - An Emberverse story - 1.5 stars - Not that interesting, and so forgettable that less than 2 weeks after reading it, I had to skim much of the story to even remember which one it was and what it was about.
- “Name the Beast” by Sam Sykes - 3 stars. One of the more unique stories - vaguely (very vaguely) reminded me of Avatar.
- “Caretakers” by Pat Cadigan - 2 stars. Ambiguous ending, extremely unrealistic nursing home/ALF setting.
- “Lies My Mother Told Me” by Caroline Spector - A Wild Cards story - DNF - Zombies + cheesy dialogue = I just can't.
- “The Princess and the Queen” by George R.R. Martin - A Song of Ice and Fire story - 2 stars. After what felt like forever in reading time, skimmed along and went to the end to see how it wrapped up. Not what one would call a page turner.
--------------------------------------------
Favorite Quote: When all the trees have been cut down and all the animals have been hunted to extinction, when all the waters are polluted and the air is unsafe to breathe, only then will you discover you cannot eat money. ~ “Hell Hath No Fury” by Sherilynn Kenyon
First Sentence: Genre fiction has always been divided over the question of just how dangerous women are.
Major disappointment! Despite the big names involved, most of these stories were underwhelming, and almost all were forgettable.
The Dangerous Women anthology contains the following stories:
- “Some Desperado” by Joe Abercrombie - A Red Country story. 3.5 stars. Lots of action, sarcastically funny in parts. One of the few stories that fit the expectations I had for short stories about dangerous women.
- “My Heart is Either Broken” by Megan Abbott - 2 stars. More of a contemporary plot, but had awkward description phrases.
- “Nora’s Song” by Cecelia Holland - 1.5 stars - Yawn.
- “The Hands That Are Not There” by Melinda Snodgrass - 3 stars - Exceeded expectations. Reminiscent of something Hitchcock would have done.
- “Bombshells” by Jim Butcher - A Harry Dresden story - DNF. Drops a MAJOR spoiler in the author's intro with no warning, and the short story is wrapped about that spoiler as well. If you are not already well into the Harry Dresden series, don't even peek at this one.
- “Raisa Stepanova” by Carrie Vaughn - Didn't read it, and didn't realize that until I began writing this review. Must have accidentally skipped over it after DNF'ing Jim Butcher's story.
- “Wrestling Jesus” by Joe R. Lansdale - 4 stars - Includes a very memorable character and hilarious dialogue.
- “Neighbors” by Megan Lindholm - 3 stars - A lot is left unexplained. A sad story, but had very realistic dialogue. Interesting twist on dangerous, as the woman was dangerous to herself.
- “I Know How to Pick ’Em” by Lawrence Block - 2.5 stars - Sick and twisted.
- “Shadows For Silence in the Forests of Hell” by Brandon Sanderson - 4.5 stars - Creepy story about supernatural things in the woods with anger issues. Best story in the book!
- “A Queen in Exile” by Sharon Kay Penman - 2 stars - Not a bad story, but I am at a loss as to how to make the dangerous woman connection.
- “The Girl in the Mirror” by Lev Grossman - A Magicians story - 1.5 stars - While it takes place in the same world from A Magicians story, it is hard to believe it was written by the same author. Read like a middle grade story with gratuitous f**ks thrown in frequently, just to remind you it's for adults despite the juvenile writing and cheesy dialogue.
- “Second Arabesque, Very Slowly” by Nancy Kress - 1.5 stars - Dystopian world where women are a form of sex slaves and everyone is fighting to survive and eat, and then a few characters suddenly become obsessed with ballet. Yes, I thought that was strange as well.
- “City Lazarus” by Diana Rowland - 2 stars - Plot was interesting enough, but the dialogue was a bit cheesy.
- “Virgins” by Diana Gabaldon - An Outlander story - 3.5 stars - Would not be appreciated as much by those that are not already familiar with the characters from Outlander. If you do know and love those characters, this one was quite enjoyable.
- “Hell Hath No Fury” by Sherilynn Kenyon - 3.5 stars - Pleasant enough ghost story.
- “Pronouncing Doom” by S.M. Stirling - An Emberverse story - 1.5 stars - Not that interesting, and so forgettable that less than 2 weeks after reading it, I had to skim much of the story to even remember which one it was and what it was about.
- “Name the Beast” by Sam Sykes - 3 stars. One of the more unique stories - vaguely (very vaguely) reminded me of Avatar.
- “Caretakers” by Pat Cadigan - 2 stars. Ambiguous ending, extremely unrealistic nursing home/ALF setting.
- “Lies My Mother Told Me” by Caroline Spector - A Wild Cards story - DNF - Zombies + cheesy dialogue = I just can't.
- “The Princess and the Queen” by George R.R. Martin - A Song of Ice and Fire story - 2 stars. After what felt like forever in reading time, skimmed along and went to the end to see how it wrapped up. Not what one would call a page turner.
--------------------------------------------
Favorite Quote: When all the trees have been cut down and all the animals have been hunted to extinction, when all the waters are polluted and the air is unsafe to breathe, only then will you discover you cannot eat money. ~ “Hell Hath No Fury” by Sherilynn Kenyon
First Sentence: Genre fiction has always been divided over the question of just how dangerous women are.