merlin_reads's review against another edition
3.0
Ok, this is going to be a little different review wise. I'm going to review each individual story, then the average will be my actual book rating.
1. Gentlemen Send Phantoms by Lani Taylor: 5 stars What a way to open the book! I've never read anything else by Lani Taylor but this made me want to. Such an adorable story of how a Prophecy leads girls to their match. And when it ended, I wanted MORE!
2. Burned Bright by Diana Peterfreund: 1 star I did not like this story at all. The religious aspect of it totally turned me off right from the beginning, but I finished it.
3. The Angriest Man by Lisa McMann: 3 stars I really liked the writing style of this one. It was a great storytelling, however, I did not understand the story at all.
4. Out of the Blue by Meg Cabot: 3 stars Out of the Blue started off very interesting. A tale of twins who were recruited by another species to help further earth's advancements. But then it turned comical - which wasn't horrible because it kept me amused. Wasn't amazing, but entertaining.
5. One True Love by Malinda Lo: 2 stars The writer created a very vivid storyline that was easy to follow. But it felt extremely dragged out and then the climatic ending scene a little over dramatic.
6. This Is a Mortal Wound by Michael Grant: 2 stars Nothing special about this one. Told in a futuristic San Francisco where technology rules everything. The protagonist was arrogant and not likeable to me, made it hard to root for him.
7. Misery by Heather Brewer: 3 stars I loved the start of this, the mysterious town of Mystery and the "gifts" its inhabitants receive each year. I really liked the character of Alek. I rooted for him when things got crazy...but then the ending happened, and it seemed like a cop-out when I figured out what it was. Took it down a star from it's original 4.
8. The Mind Is a Powerful Thing by Matt De La Pena: 3 stars The neurotic tendencies of Joanna made this a fun read. She was so paranoid about her fortune of something bad happening to her that it affected everything she did. It wasn't deep, but the ending was interesting and made me want to know what happened to these characters after it was all done.
9. The Chosen One by Saundra Mitchell: 4 stars This was a beautifully written story about taking another's fate into your own hands, and therefore changing yours. And I loved, loved, loved the character of Valerian. The ending actually had me grinning like a fool.
10. Improbable Futures by Kami Garcia: 3 stars Okay plot. Kind of weirded me out by being set in a traveling circus (those things just creep me out), so I think that didn't help my focus while reading. But it was good, nothing special.
11. Death for the Deathless by Margaret Stohl: 4 Loved the setting in France. The two main characters were both intriguing and I loved reading about both of them. The prophecy portion was slid in so under the radar, that by the time I fully understood what was happening, it was over.
12. Fate by Simone Elkeles: 3 stars The story of Carson and Willow. Not sure what it really had to do with prophecies. But I enjoyed it. Was a cute little read.
13. The Killing Garden by Carrie Ryan: 5 stars Wow. This story and it's setting. The relationship between father and daughter and Emperor and his "Gardener" and then Gardener and condemned. Everything about this story was just so good. I don't know why, but this story affected me a little more than the others.
14. Homecoming by Richelle Mead: 4 stars And the story that everyone wanted the book for. I enjoyed this little glimpse into the lives of Rose and Dimitri. The return of some of the characters from Rose's time in Russia was also nice to see. I didn't find it amazing but it was a nice read.
1. Gentlemen Send Phantoms by Lani Taylor: 5 stars What a way to open the book! I've never read anything else by Lani Taylor but this made me want to. Such an adorable story of how a Prophecy leads girls to their match. And when it ended, I wanted MORE!
2. Burned Bright by Diana Peterfreund: 1 star I did not like this story at all. The religious aspect of it totally turned me off right from the beginning, but I finished it.
3. The Angriest Man by Lisa McMann: 3 stars I really liked the writing style of this one. It was a great storytelling, however, I did not understand the story at all.
4. Out of the Blue by Meg Cabot: 3 stars Out of the Blue started off very interesting. A tale of twins who were recruited by another species to help further earth's advancements. But then it turned comical - which wasn't horrible because it kept me amused. Wasn't amazing, but entertaining.
5. One True Love by Malinda Lo: 2 stars The writer created a very vivid storyline that was easy to follow. But it felt extremely dragged out and then the climatic ending scene a little over dramatic.
6. This Is a Mortal Wound by Michael Grant: 2 stars Nothing special about this one. Told in a futuristic San Francisco where technology rules everything. The protagonist was arrogant and not likeable to me, made it hard to root for him.
7. Misery by Heather Brewer: 3 stars I loved the start of this, the mysterious town of Mystery and the "gifts" its inhabitants receive each year. I really liked the character of Alek. I rooted for him when things got crazy...but then the ending happened, and it seemed like a cop-out when I figured out what it was. Took it down a star from it's original 4.
8. The Mind Is a Powerful Thing by Matt De La Pena: 3 stars The neurotic tendencies of Joanna made this a fun read. She was so paranoid about her fortune of something bad happening to her that it affected everything she did. It wasn't deep, but the ending was interesting and made me want to know what happened to these characters after it was all done.
9. The Chosen One by Saundra Mitchell: 4 stars This was a beautifully written story about taking another's fate into your own hands, and therefore changing yours. And I loved, loved, loved the character of Valerian. The ending actually had me grinning like a fool.
10. Improbable Futures by Kami Garcia: 3 stars Okay plot. Kind of weirded me out by being set in a traveling circus (those things just creep me out), so I think that didn't help my focus while reading. But it was good, nothing special.
11. Death for the Deathless by Margaret Stohl: 4 Loved the setting in France. The two main characters were both intriguing and I loved reading about both of them. The prophecy portion was slid in so under the radar, that by the time I fully understood what was happening, it was over.
12. Fate by Simone Elkeles: 3 stars The story of Carson and Willow. Not sure what it really had to do with prophecies. But I enjoyed it. Was a cute little read.
13. The Killing Garden by Carrie Ryan: 5 stars Wow. This story and it's setting. The relationship between father and daughter and Emperor and his "Gardener" and then Gardener and condemned. Everything about this story was just so good. I don't know why, but this story affected me a little more than the others.
14. Homecoming by Richelle Mead: 4 stars And the story that everyone wanted the book for. I enjoyed this little glimpse into the lives of Rose and Dimitri. The return of some of the characters from Rose's time in Russia was also nice to see. I didn't find it amazing but it was a nice read.
sshuherk's review against another edition
4.0
So I seriously hugged the book an whispered "I missed you so much." When I read Dimitri's first line. Nuff said. I love Romitri so much!
The other stories are all very interesting. I can't use another word to describe them. Some are good but some are just straight up weird. Well all in all I like it.
The other stories are all very interesting. I can't use another word to describe them. Some are good but some are just straight up weird. Well all in all I like it.
catxbooks's review against another edition
5.0
Pensé que esta historia sería normal sin tanta acción pero como siempre me sorprendío la trama y sobretodo me encantó que habló más de Rose y Dimka ♥
misssusan's review against another edition
3.0
Very typical short story collection in that it was a highly uneven throughout. I liked some, I thought others were okay, there were a few I just didn't care for at all. Going to try for a couple of words on each story.
Gentlemen Send Phantoms by Laini Taylor: Good start to the collection. I generally enjoy Laini Taylor's work and this wasn't an exception. The romance was sweet and I liked the characters. 4 stars
Burned Bright by Diana Peterfreund: Pretty good! I have a soft spot for stories about faith, however dangerously fanatical. 4 stars
The Angriest Man by Lisa McMann: idk where she was going with this. 2 stars
Out of the Blue by Meg Cabot: Pretty charming. :) It's nice to see Meg Cabot back in form. More of this, less of stuff like Abandon please? 3.5 stars
One True Love by Malinda Lo: As the only story in this collection that didn't default to a hetero protaganist I'm kind of sad I didn't like it better. But what are you going to do? Instalove isn't a a good time, regardless of the characters' gender. I also think this would have been better from Sadiya's perspective. 2.5 stars
This Is a Mortal Wound by Michael Grant: Fun though rather juvenile. 2.5 stars
Misery by Heather Brewer: That was dissatisfying. :/ Points for atmosphere I guess. 2 stars
The Mind Is a Powerful Thing by Matt de la Pena: :<<<<< Yo de la Pena, anxiety is a problem for lots of people and it's kind of dick move to do a story that punishes the protaganist for experiencing it. 1.5 stars
The Chosen One by Saundra Mitchell: Okay now this story can stay. :D Romance! Sisterhood! Questing! Family! Very sweet, very delightful, one of my favourites of the collection. 5 stars
Improbable Futures by Kami Garcia: I would love to read the story of what happens after this. I like Ilana, I want to see things (hopefully) get better for her. 3 stars
Death for the Deathless by Margaret Stohl: Mehhhhhhh. This'd probably make a pretty comic if you got someone good to illustrate it. Otherwise I got nothing. 2 stars
Fate by Simone Elkeles: Nahhhh bro, I don't feel you. I don't even know why I keep trying with Simone Elkeles, the lady clearly has no clue to write characters and their romances in a fleshed out convincing way. 1.5 stars
The Killing Garden by Carrie Ryan: This I like! I'm not really bothered about the love interest being Tanci's catalyst to start rethinking her humanity. Girl's still pretty boss, it's not like romance takes away from what makes her interesting. 4 stars
Homecoming by Richelle Mead: Ehhh. Got bored of the Rose and Dmitri show a long time ago. Also it would be nice if Mead would write a story for these anthologies that had nothing to with the Vampire Academy series for once. 2.5 stars
Overall rating: 3 stars
Gentlemen Send Phantoms by Laini Taylor: Good start to the collection. I generally enjoy Laini Taylor's work and this wasn't an exception. The romance was sweet and I liked the characters. 4 stars
Burned Bright by Diana Peterfreund: Pretty good! I have a soft spot for stories about faith, however dangerously fanatical. 4 stars
The Angriest Man by Lisa McMann: idk where she was going with this. 2 stars
Out of the Blue by Meg Cabot: Pretty charming. :) It's nice to see Meg Cabot back in form. More of this, less of stuff like Abandon please? 3.5 stars
One True Love by Malinda Lo: As the only story in this collection that didn't default to a hetero protaganist I'm kind of sad I didn't like it better. But what are you going to do? Instalove isn't a a good time, regardless of the characters' gender. I also think this would have been better from Sadiya's perspective. 2.5 stars
This Is a Mortal Wound by Michael Grant: Fun though rather juvenile. 2.5 stars
Misery by Heather Brewer: That was dissatisfying. :/ Points for atmosphere I guess. 2 stars
The Mind Is a Powerful Thing by Matt de la Pena: :<<<<< Yo de la Pena, anxiety is a problem for lots of people and it's kind of dick move to do a story that punishes the protaganist for experiencing it. 1.5 stars
The Chosen One by Saundra Mitchell: Okay now this story can stay. :D Romance! Sisterhood! Questing! Family! Very sweet, very delightful, one of my favourites of the collection. 5 stars
Improbable Futures by Kami Garcia: I would love to read the story of what happens after this. I like Ilana, I want to see things (hopefully) get better for her. 3 stars
Death for the Deathless by Margaret Stohl: Mehhhhhhh. This'd probably make a pretty comic if you got someone good to illustrate it. Otherwise I got nothing. 2 stars
Fate by Simone Elkeles: Nahhhh bro, I don't feel you. I don't even know why I keep trying with Simone Elkeles, the lady clearly has no clue to write characters and their romances in a fleshed out convincing way. 1.5 stars
The Killing Garden by Carrie Ryan: This I like! I'm not really bothered about the love interest being Tanci's catalyst to start rethinking her humanity. Girl's still pretty boss, it's not like romance takes away from what makes her interesting. 4 stars
Homecoming by Richelle Mead: Ehhh. Got bored of the Rose and Dmitri show a long time ago. Also it would be nice if Mead would write a story for these anthologies that had nothing to with the Vampire Academy series for once. 2.5 stars
Overall rating: 3 stars
ajlawford's review against another edition
3.0
A nice novella that continues the happily ever aftet in Siberia complete with a dash of action and adventure. I coukd have done without the quick recaps on the lore and backstory and I'm doubtful anyone but a fan would ever read it. the inclusions made it feel more like the bones of a 7th book, but regardless, this little tale was a nice glimpse into Rose and Demitris life after the series end.
pixelski's review against another edition
5.0
*Read purely for Homecoming* Eeeep I love that sensual side of Dimitri and Rose is as funny as ever. So cute! Can they just please get married.
cr6zym0nkeyiz's review against another edition
2.0
Gentlemen Send Phantoms by Laini Taylor - (Will come back and read this one later! For sure!)
Homecoming by Richelle Mead - 2 stars. It was such a disappointment. Like, I"ve been waiting ever since she announced this book for this? Really?! That's it. I liked the short Dimka moments. They were cute. Short, but cute, but the rest was meh.
Homecoming by Richelle Mead - 2 stars. It was such a disappointment. Like, I"ve been waiting ever since she announced this book for this? Really?! That's it. I liked the short Dimka moments. They were cute. Short, but cute, but the rest was meh.
lydsansthekidd's review against another edition
3.0
Honestly, I don't think I remember half of these stories because I started this so long ago. I almost feel unfair giving the book one rating considering some of the stories were good concepts with good writing while some other ones were rubbish. The rubbish ones were adding romances that didn't make sense within the story or the stories were in no way remotely interesting. Also, everyone thought it was really cool to switch POVs and I often found it to be unnecessary.
Save yourself the trouble and read:
"One True Love"
"Misery"
"The Chosen One"
"The Killing Garden"
They have the most build on their backgrounds and some of the best and most interesting characters. The romances in these ones flow much better than most of the other ones and none of them do any weird POV switches.
Save yourself the trouble and read:
"One True Love"
"Misery"
"The Chosen One"
"The Killing Garden"
They have the most build on their backgrounds and some of the best and most interesting characters. The romances in these ones flow much better than most of the other ones and none of them do any weird POV switches.
somewheregirl7's review against another edition
3.0
I'd prefer to give the overall anthology a 2.5. Less than half the stories are actually worth reading (at least by my preferences).
Stories to definitely check out (4 stars): Improbable Futures, The Chosen One, Gentlemen Send Phantoms and Homecoming. One's to give a try(3 stars): Death for the Deathless, Misery, The Killing Garden. Detailed descriptions and reviews for each short story are below.
Reviews for each of the short stories in this anthology.
Gentleman Send Phantoms by Laini Taylor - (4 Stars)
Three girls bake a special cake that will reveal their true love and all hope to see the same boy.
an awesome, sweet little story. It's like a delicious bite of cotton candy that just makes you smile. I love Laini Taylor's writing style and this is classic Taylor - filled with vivid, beautiful descriptions and a fairytale, lilting tone. Plus, the title deserves five stars.
Burned Bright by Diana Peterfreund - ( 2 stars)
At a religious compound the faithful prepare for the rapture, but despite her fervent faith the prophet's daughter is not carried up to heaven.
I read an eBook version of this anthology. Had it been a physical book I'd have flung it across the room after reading this story. The scene description and imagery are vivid and well done, the characters are also vivid. There's no denying Peterfreund is a strong writer. However, the story itself is less than satisfying. It follows a cult-leader's daughter after she believes her family and most of her father's followers have been raptured up to heaven. There's no character progression at all for Bright or the other POV character, Sam, in this story. Both end the short exactly as they began it - Sam doubting Bright's father for the first time, and Bright utterly devout in her belief in her father's prophecy. More-over, the ending feels like a gimmicky trick and an easy out for Bright, whose faith is never really challenged at all. That lack of progression and growth made the story feel stagnant.
The Angriest Man by Lisa McMann - (2 stars)
On his eighteenth birthday a young man sets out to find the grave of the angriest man. All his life the young man's mother told him that he was born wrong, filled with anger, because of the angriest man.
The descriptions in this story are good and I like McMann's word use/choices. She has some very vivid imagery. However, the story is barely coherent and I have no idea what really happened. I can't pin down her main character or the other characters in the story. The entire story reads like a bad drug trip pretending to be a folk tale.
Out of the Blue by Meg Cabot (2.5 stars)
When twins KC & Kyle Conrad were six they had a close encounter with a flying saucer and the spaceman inside. He left them with identical blue dots on their skin to record data about the human race. No one believed them of course and the dots were chalked up as a rare type of mole. Ten years later, when KC makes an imprudent blog post about her close encounter all hell breaks loose and the spaceman returns.
This story started out with a lot of promise. The descriptions and characterization are great and the initial situation is an intriguing one. However, like many stories, that initial promise falls apart in the end and what might have been an intriguing character study turns into just another saturday morning monster special.
One True Love by Melinda Lo (2.5 stars)
Princess Essylt is destined to overthrow her father when she meets her true love, according to a prophecy at her birth. In reaction, the king locks Essylt in a tower and isolates from all contact with men. Seventeen years later the king is set to marry for the third time - a young girl from an island nation. His jealously leads him to isolate the future queen in the West Tower with his daughter where the two become close friends and something more.
This short story is pedantic in every way. Every section is predictable and the situation completely cliche. The story relies on shock value alone, which isn't much of a shock, as a gimmick. So the princess falls in love a girl, big deal. That role reversal in the standard damsel in distress/knight in shining armor story isn't enough to sustain this story and make it interesting. I'm all for LGBT literature, but not just for the sake of being LGBT - give me a good story with compelling characters.
This is a Mortal Wound by Michael Grant (2 stars)
In the year 2017, education has advanced by leaps and bounds and traditional schools and books are a thing of the past. Thirteen-year-old Tomaso disrespects his English teacher for clinging to her books and ignoring the Internet technology at everyone's fingertips. When Tomaso moves to San Francisco he thinks he's well away from Ms. Gill forever. Unfortunately for him she goes off the deep-end, kidnaps a bunch of kids and chains them to desks and forces them to learn their lessons from old books.
The premise of this story is ridiculous, the characters are cardboard cutouts without a spark of life and the twist in the story and resolution are so laughably thin that it's hard not to cringe.
Misery by Heather Brewer (3 stars)
Alek & Sara are teens in a weird town where there is no color, no one smiles and a weird melancholy hangs over everything. As the two queue up to receive 'gifts' from a psychic who seems to run the town Alek feels a nameless dread and soon finds that everything he knows about the town of Misery is wrong and his life is about to change in big ways.
This story has an intriguing premise and the descriptions are well done. It feels a bit rushed but overall not a bad story.
The Mind Is A Powerful Thing by Matt De La Pena (2 stars)
Joanna' s 16th birthday is marred by her unreasoning anxiety that she and her friends will be victims in a violent crime. Joanna's anxieties color every part of her world and staring her friendships, to the point that she considers running away from one of her closest friends because she's convinced herself he must a stalker.
This story is bleak and pointless. There is no ebb and flow, no rhythm, just fast forward crazy without hope. It's a personal preference but I can't stand stories that are all downhill with no ups, no hope and no chance for redemption. Moreover Joanna is an unsympathetic character and I was never able to connect with or care about her.
The Chosen One by Saundra Mitchell (4 stars)
Corvina is the king's illegitimate daughter and has served as hand-maiden to her half-sister, the crown princess of Vernal, all her life. When Corvina's sister falls deathly ill Corvina sets out on a quest to find a fabled cup that may save her sister.
This story is one of the shining gems in the anthology. The main characters are well fleshed out and likable and I love that Mitchell chose to make a main character who is NOT a classic beauty but a scarred and humble girl. Corvina's earnestness and good heart make her an appealing character and while the quest seems too easy in many ways and far from original, Corvina's character makes the story worth the read. I really enjoyed this one.
Improbable Futures by Kami Garcia (3.5-4 stars)
Stuck telling fortunes at a traveling carnival, a young girl hands out only bad news to her clients and discovers one day that her predictions are all coming true. The carnival is the only life Ilana has ever known and the one her mother wants but Ilana feels trapped and helpless, terrorized by the carnival's manager who has a preference for young girls.
Vivid descriptions and characterization bring this story to life. It's a not a fluffy tale but it has a raw honesty to it that feels right. One of the better stories in the anthology.
Death for the Deathless by Margaret Stohl (3 stars)
A pair of immortal vampires, Adi & Luc, must deliver the news to others of their kind that by the end of the evening they will all die. The immortal group has taken the name Nostradamus through the years, inventing the man, to deliver their prophecies and in their way the prophecies are never wrong. Faced with death the immortal community surrenders to chaos as Adi & Luc watch.
An intriguing premise with well thought out characters and a nice twist. One of the better stories in the anthology. Though I would say it's only loosely YA - the characters may look like teens but they're several hundred years old.
Fate by Simone Elkeles (2 stars)
When Carson moves into a trailer park he inherits more than the decrepit old trailer, he gets his irrepressible neighbor, Willow, as well.
This story is utterly maddening. I fail to see how it ties into the anthology theme and there is NO point to the story. No conflict, no up and down, just a steady monotonous drone. Willow comes across as twelve not sixteen and so unbelievably naive and sweet and disingenuous that she loses any chance at coming across as a real, believable character. This is a cotton candy story but one without any satisfaction in it because it isn't a story at all - it's a long drawn out ancedote. I didn't connect with either character.
The Killing Garden by Carrie Ryan (3 stars)
Tanci assumed the position of Gardner and executioner in the emperor's court when she was 15. Over the years she has chased numerous condemned prisoners through the elaborate gardens in a deadly footrace that always ends in her strangling the life out of the prisoners. Then one day Tanci meets a prisoner in the dungeons she doesn't want to kill - Rete a handsome man who refuses to tell her why he has been condemned to die.
It's hard to connect with Tanci as a character or feel sympathy with her. She willingly murders people, hundreds of people, without question. In one scene she even kills her best friend merely because the emperor ordered her too and even though she has no idea why her friend has been sentenced to die. Tanci is merely a tool, as she notes. But it's rather hard to sympathize with a gun or an axe and though Tanci ultimately begins to doubt her position it's too little too late for me to really like her or root for her. Rete's presence and affection for Tanci seems contrived, rather than a natural progression of the story. This isn't a bad story, but not one I especially liked either.
Homecoming by Richelle Mead - (4 Stars)
If you've read and enjoyed Richelle Meads Vampire Academy series you'll love this story. It's a little moment in time with Rose and Dimitri long after fans thought we wouldn't be getting any more significant time with two characters we've loved. For that reason alone, I love the story. It's also classic Rose and Dimitri and just a sweet, nice little peek into their lives. Filled with vivid characters, great dialogue and action it's a fast paced story. If you've never read Vampire Academy I'm not sure it will have as much charm, as the back story on the characters really makes this short come to life.
Stories to definitely check out (4 stars): Improbable Futures, The Chosen One, Gentlemen Send Phantoms and Homecoming. One's to give a try(3 stars): Death for the Deathless, Misery, The Killing Garden. Detailed descriptions and reviews for each short story are below.
Reviews for each of the short stories in this anthology.
Gentleman Send Phantoms by Laini Taylor - (4 Stars)
Three girls bake a special cake that will reveal their true love and all hope to see the same boy.
an awesome, sweet little story. It's like a delicious bite of cotton candy that just makes you smile. I love Laini Taylor's writing style and this is classic Taylor - filled with vivid, beautiful descriptions and a fairytale, lilting tone. Plus, the title deserves five stars.
Burned Bright by Diana Peterfreund - ( 2 stars)
At a religious compound the faithful prepare for the rapture, but despite her fervent faith the prophet's daughter is not carried up to heaven.
I read an eBook version of this anthology. Had it been a physical book I'd have flung it across the room after reading this story. The scene description and imagery are vivid and well done, the characters are also vivid. There's no denying Peterfreund is a strong writer. However, the story itself is less than satisfying. It follows a cult-leader's daughter after she believes her family and most of her father's followers have been raptured up to heaven. There's no character progression at all for Bright or the other POV character, Sam, in this story. Both end the short exactly as they began it - Sam doubting Bright's father for the first time, and Bright utterly devout in her belief in her father's prophecy. More-over, the ending feels like a gimmicky trick and an easy out for Bright, whose faith is never really challenged at all. That lack of progression and growth made the story feel stagnant.
The Angriest Man by Lisa McMann - (2 stars)
On his eighteenth birthday a young man sets out to find the grave of the angriest man. All his life the young man's mother told him that he was born wrong, filled with anger, because of the angriest man.
The descriptions in this story are good and I like McMann's word use/choices. She has some very vivid imagery. However, the story is barely coherent and I have no idea what really happened. I can't pin down her main character or the other characters in the story. The entire story reads like a bad drug trip pretending to be a folk tale.
Out of the Blue by Meg Cabot (2.5 stars)
When twins KC & Kyle Conrad were six they had a close encounter with a flying saucer and the spaceman inside. He left them with identical blue dots on their skin to record data about the human race. No one believed them of course and the dots were chalked up as a rare type of mole. Ten years later, when KC makes an imprudent blog post about her close encounter all hell breaks loose and the spaceman returns.
This story started out with a lot of promise. The descriptions and characterization are great and the initial situation is an intriguing one. However, like many stories, that initial promise falls apart in the end and what might have been an intriguing character study turns into just another saturday morning monster special.
One True Love by Melinda Lo (2.5 stars)
Princess Essylt is destined to overthrow her father when she meets her true love, according to a prophecy at her birth. In reaction, the king locks Essylt in a tower and isolates from all contact with men. Seventeen years later the king is set to marry for the third time - a young girl from an island nation. His jealously leads him to isolate the future queen in the West Tower with his daughter where the two become close friends and something more.
This short story is pedantic in every way. Every section is predictable and the situation completely cliche. The story relies on shock value alone, which isn't much of a shock, as a gimmick. So the princess falls in love a girl, big deal. That role reversal in the standard damsel in distress/knight in shining armor story isn't enough to sustain this story and make it interesting. I'm all for LGBT literature, but not just for the sake of being LGBT - give me a good story with compelling characters.
This is a Mortal Wound by Michael Grant (2 stars)
In the year 2017, education has advanced by leaps and bounds and traditional schools and books are a thing of the past. Thirteen-year-old Tomaso disrespects his English teacher for clinging to her books and ignoring the Internet technology at everyone's fingertips. When Tomaso moves to San Francisco he thinks he's well away from Ms. Gill forever. Unfortunately for him she goes off the deep-end, kidnaps a bunch of kids and chains them to desks and forces them to learn their lessons from old books.
The premise of this story is ridiculous, the characters are cardboard cutouts without a spark of life and the twist in the story and resolution are so laughably thin that it's hard not to cringe.
Misery by Heather Brewer (3 stars)
Alek & Sara are teens in a weird town where there is no color, no one smiles and a weird melancholy hangs over everything. As the two queue up to receive 'gifts' from a psychic who seems to run the town Alek feels a nameless dread and soon finds that everything he knows about the town of Misery is wrong and his life is about to change in big ways.
This story has an intriguing premise and the descriptions are well done. It feels a bit rushed but overall not a bad story.
The Mind Is A Powerful Thing by Matt De La Pena (2 stars)
Joanna' s 16th birthday is marred by her unreasoning anxiety that she and her friends will be victims in a violent crime. Joanna's anxieties color every part of her world and staring her friendships, to the point that she considers running away from one of her closest friends because she's convinced herself he must a stalker.
This story is bleak and pointless. There is no ebb and flow, no rhythm, just fast forward crazy without hope. It's a personal preference but I can't stand stories that are all downhill with no ups, no hope and no chance for redemption. Moreover Joanna is an unsympathetic character and I was never able to connect with or care about her.
The Chosen One by Saundra Mitchell (4 stars)
Corvina is the king's illegitimate daughter and has served as hand-maiden to her half-sister, the crown princess of Vernal, all her life. When Corvina's sister falls deathly ill Corvina sets out on a quest to find a fabled cup that may save her sister.
This story is one of the shining gems in the anthology. The main characters are well fleshed out and likable and I love that Mitchell chose to make a main character who is NOT a classic beauty but a scarred and humble girl. Corvina's earnestness and good heart make her an appealing character and while the quest seems too easy in many ways and far from original, Corvina's character makes the story worth the read. I really enjoyed this one.
Improbable Futures by Kami Garcia (3.5-4 stars)
Stuck telling fortunes at a traveling carnival, a young girl hands out only bad news to her clients and discovers one day that her predictions are all coming true. The carnival is the only life Ilana has ever known and the one her mother wants but Ilana feels trapped and helpless, terrorized by the carnival's manager who has a preference for young girls.
Vivid descriptions and characterization bring this story to life. It's a not a fluffy tale but it has a raw honesty to it that feels right. One of the better stories in the anthology.
Death for the Deathless by Margaret Stohl (3 stars)
A pair of immortal vampires, Adi & Luc, must deliver the news to others of their kind that by the end of the evening they will all die. The immortal group has taken the name Nostradamus through the years, inventing the man, to deliver their prophecies and in their way the prophecies are never wrong. Faced with death the immortal community surrenders to chaos as Adi & Luc watch.
An intriguing premise with well thought out characters and a nice twist. One of the better stories in the anthology. Though I would say it's only loosely YA - the characters may look like teens but they're several hundred years old.
Fate by Simone Elkeles (2 stars)
When Carson moves into a trailer park he inherits more than the decrepit old trailer, he gets his irrepressible neighbor, Willow, as well.
This story is utterly maddening. I fail to see how it ties into the anthology theme and there is NO point to the story. No conflict, no up and down, just a steady monotonous drone. Willow comes across as twelve not sixteen and so unbelievably naive and sweet and disingenuous that she loses any chance at coming across as a real, believable character. This is a cotton candy story but one without any satisfaction in it because it isn't a story at all - it's a long drawn out ancedote. I didn't connect with either character.
The Killing Garden by Carrie Ryan (3 stars)
Tanci assumed the position of Gardner and executioner in the emperor's court when she was 15. Over the years she has chased numerous condemned prisoners through the elaborate gardens in a deadly footrace that always ends in her strangling the life out of the prisoners. Then one day Tanci meets a prisoner in the dungeons she doesn't want to kill - Rete a handsome man who refuses to tell her why he has been condemned to die.
It's hard to connect with Tanci as a character or feel sympathy with her. She willingly murders people, hundreds of people, without question. In one scene she even kills her best friend merely because the emperor ordered her too and even though she has no idea why her friend has been sentenced to die. Tanci is merely a tool, as she notes. But it's rather hard to sympathize with a gun or an axe and though Tanci ultimately begins to doubt her position it's too little too late for me to really like her or root for her. Rete's presence and affection for Tanci seems contrived, rather than a natural progression of the story. This isn't a bad story, but not one I especially liked either.
Homecoming by Richelle Mead - (4 Stars)
If you've read and enjoyed Richelle Meads Vampire Academy series you'll love this story. It's a little moment in time with Rose and Dimitri long after fans thought we wouldn't be getting any more significant time with two characters we've loved. For that reason alone, I love the story. It's also classic Rose and Dimitri and just a sweet, nice little peek into their lives. Filled with vivid characters, great dialogue and action it's a fast paced story. If you've never read Vampire Academy I'm not sure it will have as much charm, as the back story on the characters really makes this short come to life.