A review by arktosaur
The Bears of Winter by Max Vos, Charles Hopwood, Lewis DeSimone, Jeffrey Ricker, Daniel M. Jaffe, Xavier Axelson, Roscoe Hudson, 'Nathan Burgoine, Nathan Sims, Jeff Mann, Jerry L. Wheeler, Dale Chase, R.W. Clinger, Jay Neal, Phillip Williams, Frank Muse, Hank Edwards
5.0
So this is the kind of book I might read but usually wouldn't post publicly on my Goodreads, but I'm making an exception, here, because this anthology was great. While uneven (like all anthologies, really), the stand-outs here elevated the whole work, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
It wasn't even all porny (not that there's anything wrong with that)!
The stories that stood out the most to me were:
The Psychometry of Snow by 'Nathan Burgoine - so different, and well written, and sweet. I don't want to say anything else, because it's worth discovering it on one's own. I'd love to see this become a full-fledged novel, I'd be very interested in what happened next, and what else the character might get up to.
Snowblind by Jeffrey Ricker - Bears... in space! Sort of.
Miles, of the Antarctic by Jay Neal - I feel like this one suffered the most for being part of an anthology, and not a stand-alone work. The idea had enough meat to go further, I felt, and when the ending came, it felt sudden, unearned and almost out of character. Still, the characters and setting were great.
Sleeping Bear by Xavier Axelson - Urban fantasy-ish? Horror? I don't know how to classify it, and again the ending just sort of... arrived, but it was well written and engaging and I'll be checking out more by the author.
Feast of January by Roscoe Hudson - It was great to see a different part of the bear community represented, and the characterization was well done.
Truckee by Dale Chase - So sweet, and warm. Loved it.
Thaw by Hank Edwards - Another sci-fi-ish tale, this could have used more space to breathe and develop the characters. I wanted more.
Those were the stories that I enjoyed the most, and there were only a few I didn't enjoy at all. The last few stories felt unmemorable, and the whole thing may have been better served with a stronger story to wrap the whole thing up, but overall, a thoroughly enjoyable anthology (sometimes quite, er, steamy).
It wasn't even all porny (not that there's anything wrong with that)!
The stories that stood out the most to me were:
The Psychometry of Snow by 'Nathan Burgoine - so different, and well written, and sweet. I don't want to say anything else, because it's worth discovering it on one's own. I'd love to see this become a full-fledged novel, I'd be very interested in what happened next, and what else the character might get up to.
Snowblind by Jeffrey Ricker - Bears... in space! Sort of.
Miles, of the Antarctic by Jay Neal - I feel like this one suffered the most for being part of an anthology, and not a stand-alone work. The idea had enough meat to go further, I felt, and when the ending came, it felt sudden, unearned and almost out of character. Still, the characters and setting were great.
Sleeping Bear by Xavier Axelson - Urban fantasy-ish? Horror? I don't know how to classify it, and again the ending just sort of... arrived, but it was well written and engaging and I'll be checking out more by the author.
Feast of January by Roscoe Hudson - It was great to see a different part of the bear community represented, and the characterization was well done.
Truckee by Dale Chase - So sweet, and warm. Loved it.
Thaw by Hank Edwards - Another sci-fi-ish tale, this could have used more space to breathe and develop the characters. I wanted more.
Those were the stories that I enjoyed the most, and there were only a few I didn't enjoy at all. The last few stories felt unmemorable, and the whole thing may have been better served with a stronger story to wrap the whole thing up, but overall, a thoroughly enjoyable anthology (sometimes quite, er, steamy).