A review by kimberly_b
Kiss Me Deadly: 13 Tales of Paranormal Love by Trisha Telep
3.0
My thoughts on each story:
The Assassin's Apprentice by Michelle Zink: Although this story was fairly simple, I liked it. I could easily see it being part of a full-sized novel. However, I was confused about the time in which the story was set. Rose's use of the words 'valise,' 'firebox,' 'threshold,' etc. and the mention of coal mines and factories in the beginning suggest it being set maybe early in the 1900's. But, there are some inaccuracies (I looked them up because they struck me as odd): pallets (which were mentioned) weren't developed until at least 1927 and there was no coal mining in New York (where the story was supposed to take place). I'm being nitpicky, but easy to research facts that are wrong bother me. Since the story was okay/likable, I'm rating it 2.5 stars.
Errant by Diana Peterfreund: I'm not sure how this qualifies as 'paranormal love.' It's a stretch at best. The story was interesting enough and the characters in this story were more well-developed than in the first one. The lore surrounding the unicorns in Errant was a little illogical, but at least the paranormal aspect (the unicorns) was original. This story is tough to rate since I don't feel like it fits in with theme well...probably 2.5 stars.
The Spirit Jar by Karen Mahoney: I liked this story, but it didn't knock my socks off, probably because it seemed a little long in parts. The heroine was the most interesting for me out of the stories thus far. 3.5 stars.
Note: So far, the tales really seem as though they are a part of previous/future novels. They don't entirely seem like stand-alone stories.
Lost by Justine Musk: This story was the most concise so far. The plot was fairly simple, but that certainly didn't make for a dull story. I liked the mythological twist to this one. 3.5 stars.
The Spy Who Never Grew Up by Sarah Rees Brennan: This was easily my least favorite story so far. It was meant to be humorous, and it was in parts, but overall it was boring and almost difficult to comprehend at times. 1 star.
"Dungeons of Langeais" by Becca Fitzpatrick: This was my favorite story so far! It pulled me right in and kept me entertained and guessing the whole time. I haven't read Fitzpatrick's Hush, Hush series yet, but this story sparked my curiosity enough to give it a try. 4.5 stars.
Behind the Red Door by Caitlin Kittredge: This story was okay, but I thought the writing was sloppy at times. For instance, in the beginning Deirdre isn't supposed to be smoking because it's so hot out, but then she's flicking ashes into the grass and stubbing out her clove moments later. Kittredge's writing just wasn't rich enough for me. The bones of the story were interesting, but the execution wasn't there. 2 stars.
Hare Moon by Carrie Ryan: There was more sloppy writing in this story. A large part of the plot was based off two contradictory statements. How difficult is it for an author/editor to edit a short story?! This was another story that was tied in with an author's previous work. I haven't read any of Ryan's [b:The Forest of Hands and Teeth|3432478|The Forest of Hands and Teeth (The Forest of Hands and Teeth, #1)|Carrie Ryan|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1320633297s/3432478.jpg|3473471] books and I don't plant to after reading this. The 'world' just wasn't compelling for me. 2 stars.
Familiar by Michelle Rowen: I liked this story overall. There was one dumb part, but other than that it was a solid, interesting story. I could see it making a good full-size YA novel. 3.5 stars.
Fearless by Rachel Vincent: This was a good story that kept my interest. I found Sabine's ability a little too...parasitic, which made it difficult for me to empathize with her. 3 stars.
Vermillion by Daniel Marks: I didn't like Marks' writing AT ALL. Velvet was just plain mean and way too concerned with appearances. What a crappy story for a YA audience. In addition to the ridiculous messages in the story, the 'world building' was sparse at best; I didn't get a clear idea of how everything/everyone worked. 1 star.
The Hounds of Ulster by Maggie Stiefvater: This story was the whole reason I picked up this book. I wasn't disappointed. This story is short but awesome, and I loved the twist at the end. My only complaint is that I could have read so much more of the story than the scant 20 pages there were. 4.5 stars.
Many Happy Returns by Daniel Waters: DNF. I didn't make it past the first paragraph when it talks about people getting thrown out of a vehicle in a wreck. I can't handle reading about car crashes.
My average rating for each story is 2.79, so I'm rounding it up to 3 stars for the the collection as a whole. My favorites stories were the ones by Fitzpatrick and Stiefvater.
The Assassin's Apprentice by Michelle Zink: Although this story was fairly simple, I liked it. I could easily see it being part of a full-sized novel. However, I was confused about the time in which the story was set. Rose's use of the words 'valise,' 'firebox,' 'threshold,' etc. and the mention of coal mines and factories in the beginning suggest it being set maybe early in the 1900's. But, there are some inaccuracies (I looked them up because they struck me as odd): pallets (which were mentioned) weren't developed until at least 1927 and there was no coal mining in New York (where the story was supposed to take place). I'm being nitpicky, but easy to research facts that are wrong bother me. Since the story was okay/likable, I'm rating it 2.5 stars.
Errant by Diana Peterfreund: I'm not sure how this qualifies as 'paranormal love.' It's a stretch at best. The story was interesting enough and the characters in this story were more well-developed than in the first one. The lore surrounding the unicorns in Errant was a little illogical, but at least the paranormal aspect (the unicorns) was original. This story is tough to rate since I don't feel like it fits in with theme well...probably 2.5 stars.
The Spirit Jar by Karen Mahoney: I liked this story, but it didn't knock my socks off, probably because it seemed a little long in parts. The heroine was the most interesting for me out of the stories thus far. 3.5 stars.
Note: So far, the tales really seem as though they are a part of previous/future novels. They don't entirely seem like stand-alone stories.
Lost by Justine Musk: This story was the most concise so far. The plot was fairly simple, but that certainly didn't make for a dull story. I liked the mythological twist to this one. 3.5 stars.
The Spy Who Never Grew Up by Sarah Rees Brennan: This was easily my least favorite story so far. It was meant to be humorous, and it was in parts, but overall it was boring and almost difficult to comprehend at times. 1 star.
"Dungeons of Langeais" by Becca Fitzpatrick: This was my favorite story so far! It pulled me right in and kept me entertained and guessing the whole time. I haven't read Fitzpatrick's Hush, Hush series yet, but this story sparked my curiosity enough to give it a try. 4.5 stars.
Behind the Red Door by Caitlin Kittredge: This story was okay, but I thought the writing was sloppy at times. For instance, in the beginning Deirdre isn't supposed to be smoking because it's so hot out, but then she's flicking ashes into the grass and stubbing out her clove moments later. Kittredge's writing just wasn't rich enough for me. The bones of the story were interesting, but the execution wasn't there. 2 stars.
Hare Moon by Carrie Ryan: There was more sloppy writing in this story. A large part of the plot was based off two contradictory statements. How difficult is it for an author/editor to edit a short story?! This was another story that was tied in with an author's previous work. I haven't read any of Ryan's [b:The Forest of Hands and Teeth|3432478|The Forest of Hands and Teeth (The Forest of Hands and Teeth, #1)|Carrie Ryan|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1320633297s/3432478.jpg|3473471] books and I don't plant to after reading this. The 'world' just wasn't compelling for me. 2 stars.
Familiar by Michelle Rowen: I liked this story overall. There was one dumb part, but other than that it was a solid, interesting story. I could see it making a good full-size YA novel. 3.5 stars.
Fearless by Rachel Vincent: This was a good story that kept my interest. I found Sabine's ability a little too...parasitic, which made it difficult for me to empathize with her. 3 stars.
Vermillion by Daniel Marks: I didn't like Marks' writing AT ALL. Velvet was just plain mean and way too concerned with appearances. What a crappy story for a YA audience. In addition to the ridiculous messages in the story, the 'world building' was sparse at best; I didn't get a clear idea of how everything/everyone worked. 1 star.
The Hounds of Ulster by Maggie Stiefvater: This story was the whole reason I picked up this book. I wasn't disappointed. This story is short but awesome, and I loved the twist at the end. My only complaint is that I could have read so much more of the story than the scant 20 pages there were. 4.5 stars.
Many Happy Returns by Daniel Waters: DNF. I didn't make it past the first paragraph when it talks about people getting thrown out of a vehicle in a wreck. I can't handle reading about car crashes.
My average rating for each story is 2.79, so I'm rounding it up to 3 stars for the the collection as a whole. My favorites stories were the ones by Fitzpatrick and Stiefvater.