Brief Cases by Jim Butcher

Title: Brief Cases
Author: Jim Butcher
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series: The Dresden Files # 15.1

Hardcover, 448 Pages
Publication: June 5, 2018 by Ace Books

Source: I received a review copy from the publisher in exchange for a honest review.

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An all-new Dresden Files story headlines this urban fantasy short story collection starring the Windy City's favorite wizard.

The world of Harry Dresden, Chicago's only professional wizard, is rife with intrigue--and creatures of all supernatural stripes. And you'll make their intimate acquaintance as Harry delves into the dark side of truth, justice, and the American way in this must-have short story collection.

From the Wild West to the bleachers at Wrigley Field, humans, zombies, incubi, and even fey royalty appear, ready to blur the line between friend and foe. In the never-before-published "Zoo Day," Harry treads new ground as a dad, while fan-favorite characters Molly Carpenter, his onetime apprentice, White Council Warden Anastasia Luccio, and even Bigfoot stalk through the pages of more classic tales.

With twelve stories in all, Brief Cases offers both longtime fans and first-time readers tantalizing glimpses into Harry's funny, gritty, and unforgettable realm, whetting their appetites for more to come from the wizard with a heart of gold.

I’ve heard a lot of great things over the years about The Dresden Files. I think it’s safe to say it’s synonymous with the Urban Fantasy genre. Unlike most folks, I actually haven’t read the series yet but always wanted to. So when I heard about Brief Cases, a short stories collection by Jim Butcher was coming out; I thought what better way is there to get acquainted with the series then to read short stories taking place in the Dresden World. It was the perfect introduction.

Brief Cases consisted of 12 short stories from The Dresden Files World, some narrated by Harry and other characters in the same world. Most of the stories were previously published in different anthologies and take places at various timeline during the series. I personally don’t read many novellas unless it’s by my favorite authors, but as I said since I am interested in the series It was a great way for me to discover the characters and Butcher’s writing style. Which I gotta say, I really enjoyed it. I also liked that fact that there was an author introduction before each story. The author pretty much set the reader up for what to expect and/or why he wrote the story, a more in-depth explanation into the author’s mind/scene. It was interesting and very helpful.

I think long-time fan will definitely enjoy the book, it’s a great in-between book as they await the next book in the series and those new-to the series, such as myself, will appreciate this glimpse into The Dresden Files World full of all sort of preternatural beings. 

Magic Stars by Ilona Andrews

Title: Magic Stars
Author: Ilona Andrews
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series: Grey Wolf #1/KD #8.5

Paperback, 64 Pages
Publication: December 8, 2015 by NYLA

Source: Personal library.

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Scarred, solitary Derek Gaunt has separated from his Pack, and is truly a lone wolf. With no family he answers to no one; but is fiercely loyal to a chosen few. So, when several of those close to him are murdered, he’ll stop at nothing to hunt their killer through the magic-drenched streets of Atlanta. Never one to be left on the sidelines, equally determined—some might say stubborn—Julie Lennart-Olsen soon joins in his pursuit; and what began as revenge turns into a race to save the city. Their search pits them against powers they never imagined and magic so old, it predates history. It may cost Derek his life, but there are things for which even he would risk everything.

Novellas aren’t my things. I normally avoid it. Books under a certain length don’t interest me because I don’t think there’s enough pages and/or words to develop a fully fleshed out world or characters. It’s not to say that I don’t read them at all. There are very few authors that I follow and are willing to read anything and everything they write. Ilona Andrews is one of the few. If their names on it, I’ll read it. So, when I heard that Magic Stars, a novella from Derek’s point-of-view was written; I jumped right on it. Derek is one of my favorite characters besides Kate and Ascanio.

I haven't read Magic Shifts yet and this book takes place after book 8. I thought it was just a complete spin-off. If I knew it was continuing from the series, I've would've read it in order. But anyways, what makes this novella great and unlike any other novellas is that we finally get to see inside Derek’s head. He’s such a serious and closed off character, an enigma, that I’ve always wondered what was going on in his head. Well, I finally get that chance with Magic Stars. What started out as a murder investigation turns into something even more sinister involving an ancient stone and mythical creature. Readers get to see a completely different side of Derek and I must say, it’s refreshing and makes me like Derek more.

Julie, Kate and Curran’s adopted daughter is also another main lead in the story. We rarely get to see Julie, so I thought it was cool to see more of her for a change. Julie been spending most of her free time with her grandfather, Roland…learning magic! But not only that, Julie thinks the best way to defeat an enemy is to get to know them; hence her hanging out with Roland. Again, we don’t see much of Julie, but from this novella, I can say without hesitation that she is beginning to sound more and more like Kate. She is literally a miniature version of Kate, not sure if that’s awesome or worrisome!

This is a very short novella, under 70 pages. I was able to finish it in one sitting. I really enjoyed it and thought it was a very well written novella, though I wished it was a bit longer as most novella averaged 150 pages or so. Andrews did a great job of incorporating a solid plot with humor and action and since most readers starting this novella have already read the Kate Daniels series; there were no issues with needing to build a backstory or foundation for the world and its characters. We learned a lot in this short story, which I’m positive will play a bigger role in the final books. I’m excited to see how Andrews plans to finish this amazing series. If you’ve been under a rock and haven’t read the Kate Daniel series, I highly suggest it! Start at the beginning with Magic Bites!

Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire

Title: Every Heart a Doorway
Author: Seanan McGuire
Genre: Portal Fantasy
Series: Wayward Children # 1

Hardcover, 173 pages
Publication: April 5, 2016 by Tor.com

Source: Purchased

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No Solicitations.No Visitors.No Guests.

Children have always disappeared under the right conditions; slipping through the shadows under a bed or at the back of a wardrobe, tumbling down rabbit holes and into old wells, and emerging somewhere... else.

But magical lands have little need for used-up miracle children.
Nancy tumbled once, but now she’s back. The things she’s experienced... they change a person. The children under Miss West’s care understand all too well. And each of them is seeking a way back to their own fantasy world.

But Nancy’s arrival marks a change at the Home. There’s a darkness just around each corner, and when tragedy strikes, it’s up to Nancy and her new-found schoolmates to get to the heart of the matter.

No matter the cost. 

I never knew there was a specific name for books where the characters traveled to a different world/dimension/realm, which has been dubbed Portal Fantasy. However, it’s not anything new. We’ve seen it in movies and literature alike from Alice in Wonderland, The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe to Harry Potter and Coraline. There’s an abundance of them. But what sets McGuire's novella apart from the previous novels mention is McGuire deals with the aftermath of the characters’ adventures and travels. Asking the question, what happens next? Readers get an inside look at these characters who were whisked away as children and returned as young adults adjusting to coming home/to reality; trying to normalize their lives when they never felt normalcy except in the worlds they escaped to as kids.

I don’t read novellas often but Seanan McGuire is one of my favorite authors (If you haven’t checked out her October Daye series yet, you’re seriously missing out!). And anything she writes is a must read for me. I get that novellas are short and you can only do so much in x-amount of pages; you have to have fleshed out characters, some sort of world building/concept and a plot. Despite the rave reviews for Every Heart a Doorway, this novella fell short on all three accounts. The characters weren’t fully developed and except for Jack and Jill; Nancy, our main protagonist and all of the other characters felt one dimensional. The world building was a unique idea but with the book being so short, McGuire could only set the foundation for it and didn’t really explore it further. And lastly, the plot was pretty generic and straightforward. A whodunit mystery. Someone is going around murdering the students and Nancy and her new friends are trying to figure out who the killer is. That’s basically the gist of it.

This book had its interesting moments but overall it didn’t meet my expectations. Although I didn’t enjoy Every Heart a Doorway as much as I wanted, the next book in this novella series (?) is centered around Jack and Jill and their time before they came to West’s Home for Wayward Children. Now that is something I’d read, plus they were the only characters I found intriguing. If you were planning on checking this novella out, I’d suggest borrowing it some way, some how. In my opinion it’s not worth purchasing.

Review: Bloodsick by Melissa F. Olson + Promo

Title: Bloodsick
Author: Melissa F. Olson
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series: An Old World Novella #2

E-book, 175 pages
Publication: October 27th 2014 by SMP via Shifters After Dark Anthology. Available as a stand-alone December 26, 2014

Source: I received a review copy from the author in exchange for a honest review.

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All her life, Sashi’s mother warned her not to get involved with werewolf problems. But Sashi, a witch who uses healing magic on sick and injured bodies, has never made a habit of ignoring trauma. When she meets an abused shapeshifter that no one else seems willing to help, Sashi will risk everything –including her fledgling relationship – to save a woman who can’t save herself.

Bloodsick is Will Carling’s origin story, a character that readers met in the Scarlett Bernard series. Bloodsick is narrated by Sashi Noring, a twenty-something Thaumaturge witch (healing magic) living in Minnesota and occasionally Astrid, a female werewolf recently traded to the Minnesota pack to mate with their alpha Luke. There are two stories occurring simultaneously, one with Sashi discovering her place in the world, who wants to make her own path rather than follow in her mom’s footsteps using her magic as an oncologist; and Astrid a new werewolf and member to the Minnesota pack, being mistreated by her Alpha Luke who is determined to bond/mate their wolves together…regardless of their mutual dislike for one another.

I never read a short-story with duo narration, nor is it a preference of mine but I found myself wrapped up in both of these strong women voices and really enjoyed it. Sashi’s mother, Stephanie Noring is Luke’s go-to healer every time he or his wolves get injured. A few days before the full moon, Luke brings Astrid to Stephanie to heal a broken leg and this is where Sashi first meets Astrid and eventually discovers that Luke is not only physically and mentally abusing Astrid but he’s also forcing himself on her in hopes that their wolves bond, and that he will be cured of his madness. Sashi knows she shouldn't meddle in pack affairs, but she's not one to stand by and see another woman go through what Astrid is going through. Sashi's involvement has a snowball effect not only in her Old World business life but also her personal life. While this is supposed to be a story of Will’s origins, the two women are the ones mostly in the spotlight. However, the story still did a great job in painting an image of Will prior to his werewolf transformation and a life before he became the Alpha of the L.A. pack. It was interesting to see all the events that lead up to Will’s transformation, especially when he never had a say in it.

I loved Sashi and Astrid, they were very likeable leads. They are two very different woman but have the same qualities that make them the perfect heroines; both of them are strong, independent, smart, brave and headstrong. I also loved learning all about the witches and wolfs dynamic as well as more of the old world (term used when referring to all the hidden supernaturals). The two supernaturals are very complex in their rules and it was interesting to see how much they differ yet one thing is for certain; the sects cannot stand one another nor do they interact with each other much, which is exactly the way everyone wants it to be kept.

Another great novella from Olson! Bloodsick has all the elements that I love and come to associate with the Scarlett Bernard series packed into this short-story. Bloodsick clocks out at 175 pages, but it was jammed packed with action, a well-written plot, awesome characters and an intriguing world. Bloodsick is a great introduction to Olson’s writing style/story telling; fans of the Scarlett Bernard series will be delighted to jump back into the Old World, while new fans…let me just say ‘get ready to be hooked’! I absolutely loved Bloodsick and was so sad when it ended...I just didn’t want to leave Sashi, Astrid, Will, and the wolf pack! The ending/Epilogue was just crazy and bittersweet! I hope we find out what happens next for Sashi! I highly recommend Bloodsick, Olson’s spin on the supernaturals (Witches, Vamps, and Weres) is a breath of fresh air. Read it, you won’t be disappointed!

Bloodsick is available now in the Shifters After Dark Anthology!

Six authors, six books for only .99￠ ! For a limited time only! 

Sell-By Date by Melissa F. Olson

Title: Sell-By Date
Author: Melissa F. Olson
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series: Old World Short Story (.5 Scarlett Bernard)

E-Book, 23 Pages
Publication: April 22, 2014

Source: I received a review copy from the author in exchange for a honest review.

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Via Amazon: This prequel story takes us back to the first meeting between crime scene cleaner and null Scarlett Bernard and her roommate Molly, a vampire with a complicated past and an even more complicated motive for inviting Scarlett into her home. Here, for the first time, read the story of Molly and Scarlett's first meeting - from Molly's point of view. (This short story takes place prior to the beginning of Dead Spots.)

MY THOUGHTS 

Sell-by Date is a short story that takes place (in the same world) before Dead Spot. In Dead Spot readers meet the heroine Scarlett’s roommate Molly…but we never knew how they came to be roomies. Sell-by Date answers that precise question, how did Scarlett and Molly meet?

Sell-by Date is narrated by the oh-so-funny Molly as she navigates the human world and the new L.A. scene. You see, Molly was turn when she was 17-years-old and even though she is about 90 …she can’t order a beer or stay out late after curfew without having the cops card her. I really enjoyed reading this short story and seeing a different side to Molly. In Dead Spot, Molly came off as a fun and outgoing roommate that kind of roomed with Scarlett so that she may ‘age’ (because any supernatural being that comes within a 15 mile radius of Scarlett becomes normal/human again). While that is definitely one of the reasons why, it turns out there’s another entirely different reason why Molly so desperately wanted Scarlett as a roommate.

I loved Molly ever since I met her in Dead Spots, and after reading Sell-by Date I would really like to read more of the old world from Molly’s POV. I think the author is planning to write a spin-off from her Scarlett Bernard series, so finger crosses that Molly gets a full book! I highly recommend this short story to already fans of Scarlett or if you’re interested in checking out the series (Dead Spot, book 1) this is a great introduction to the world, characters, and the author’s writing. I highly recommend it! Sell-by Date was a fun and cute short story!