First appearing as a shorter story in the anthology Bad Ass Faeries, The Halfling’s Court has now been expanded into its own book. Its beginning is the same as the short, but we now see the entire story instead of a portion.

After Lance Cosain’s woman, Suzanne, is attacked, he would prefer to think it was an isolated incident. But other happenings lead him to believe that someone was gunning for him. Though the possibility is discussed, it is evident that the animosity directed towards him has nothing to do with his motorcycle club and everything to do with his family history. Lance is half fae and, until recently, had been shielded from notice of the Faerie Court. His human half had been as good at magic as keeping Lance from specific notice. Recently, Lance had somehow evolved and is essentially fully fae now, but even the protection spells from Suzanne and one from his long dead fae mother could not completely protect him. As he learns long kept secrets about his family, heritage and even himself, Lance finds out exactly who and what he is up against.

Fae King Dair was convinced that Lance was using his motorcycle club full of other fae dropouts and half bloods as a cover for gaining power and assuming the throne. His single-minded purpose was to eliminate Lance to ensure his own hold on the crown. When his first few attacks failed and one of his most trusted betrayed him, he changed tactics and abducted Lance’s child-like cousin, Tilly. This act brought on the final two confrontations of this book and led to some startling discoveries for both sides.

When I originally reviewed this as a short, I enjoyed it. As a longer, more in depth story, it is even better. I am still partial to the idea of fae as bikers and I think that is one of my favorite aspects of the story. On the whole, The Halfling Court is a well crafted and thought out book. The characters are immensely likable, and I found myself growing quite fond of them. The Halfling’s Court is a definite must read, and I truly hope that Ms. Ackley-McPhail has many more books about Lance, his family and friends.

Book Stats:

* e-book, digital format
* Publisher: Dark Quest Books
* Book Length: Novel
* Language: English
* ISBN: 978-097969-016-7

To purchase a print copy of The Halfling’s Court from Amazon click here.

To purchase a print copy of The Halfling’s Court from Barnes and Noble click here.

To purchase an eBook copy of The Halfling’s Court click here.

(1 votes, average: 5 out of 5)

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“…courage was the acceptance of one’s fear, and the ability to take action in spite of it.”

Kara O’Keefe has beaten Lucien Black with her wonderful violin, Quicksilver, filled with the “old” power. Her life should have been better. She and her family should have been safe. But as the person with the mortal body and immortality running through her veins, nothing would ever be the same.

The Sidhe, the Fair Folk, are not all so fair. Some have become cold in their isolation from their human kin. Some have forgotten their origins. Some have forgotten their past. And some, some are evil in their intent. No, not all of the Fair folk are as fair as they all believe.

This story swings between the mortal realm and Tir na nOg, the ancient land of the Sidhe. It is the battle between good and evil, an evil that was thought to have been banished long ago. An evil that has come back to haunt all the people, human and Fey alike. Will they be able to once again win against the evil they face? Or will the loses be more than the battle is worth?

This is a tale, like many, that deals with the battle of good versus evil. It follows the premise of the old Celtic beliefs and is filled with many flowing Gaelic sayings. The portraits painted through the author’s words are beautifully clear. While I could appreciate the descriptions throughout the story, as one not completely familiar with the sayings, I wished for more explanations for the phrases used. Not having the knowledge of what was always being said made it difficult for me to completely lose myself within the tale being told. If I could change anything within this work, that would be what I would change. I felt that the promise that was shown with the descriptive prose by the author could have been fully realized with the readers full knowledge and understanding. But what I could understand, I truly enjoyed.

Book Stats:

• Paperback: 324 pages
• Publisher: Mundania Press LLC (October 31, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1594264082
• ISBN-13: 978-1594264085

To purchase a print copy of Tomorrow’s Memories click here.
To purchase an electronic copy of Tomorrow’s Memories click here.

Books in the series in the order they should be read:
Yesterday’s Dreams
Tomorrow’s Memories

To visit the author’s website go here.

(1 votes, average: 5 out of 5)

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Full of strong women as heroes, this anthology contains twenty-one stories from a variety of genres, eras and worlds. From medieval times to other worlds and back to modern times, readers are served a buffet of paranormal offerings.

In Ragged Bones by Bruce Gehweiler we are given a glimpse into the paranormal happenings in the area surrounding the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge near Waycross, Georgia. When a local guide and his two clients are reported missing and two of them are discovered murdered, Sheriff Donna Fargo and her deputies face an evil never before seen in their small town. Involving locals and those long dead, the situation culminates in an explosive ending.

C.J. Henderson’s The Sum Of Existence features shapeshifter Meri’Ki and the foster uncle who raised her. Her origins revealed to her by uncle over years during her childhood, Meri’Ki must reconcile her past with her present and future. Doing so though, means a fight for the life of uncle as well as her own.

Virgin Territory by Patrick Thomas brings us a world where Fae are the norm and Earth is a myth. Daemor warrior Kande is hired to defeat a dragon that is terrorizing a village. Odd thing is that the dragon is requesting a virgin. Kande must decipher that little nugget of information and one way or another, persuade the dragon to go elsewhere. I must admit that this story was one of my favorites because of the characters involved and the twist at the end.

In R. Allen Leider’s Cher, Daughter Of Darkness we meet the daughter of Satan as she discovers her paternal parentage. Cher was conceived at a Hollywood party but as she was born a girl, she and her mother only became semi-famous and not the unbelievable success promised by her wayward father if she had been a boy. Submissive she’s not, so Cher hatches a plan to get her father’s attention and respect.

Purgatory by Danielle Ackley-McPhail is set in a women’s prison full of paranormal powers and characters. Power plays abound in the prison but our nameless heroine wants no part of it. She fights others only when they attack and refuses to participate in the usual prison hierarchy. This of course makes things worse for her but she stands her ground. Not completely damned yet, she still has choices. Will she choose to simply maintain or to lead?

Full of treachery, death, betrayal and even a bit of humor, this anthology has something for everyone. The women in these stories can kick some serious booty whether physically, magically or intellectually. I believe that some of the stories are shorts from various series so be sure to see if you are familiar with the contributing authors. This is also book one in a series so keep watch for the next book!

Book Stats:

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: MariettaPublishing (July 25, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1892669501
• ISBN-13: 978-1892669506

To purchase a print copy of Hear Them Roar click here.

To visit the submitting author’s website go here.

(1 votes, average: 5 out of 5)

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The second Bad-Ass Faeries anthology, Just Plain Bad has an additional twenty faerie stories ready to rip all of your preconceived notions of faeries apart. As in the original Bad-Ass Faerie, this one is also broken down into different categories of Fae and also has continuations of a couple of stories featured in the first anthology.

Under the Rebel Fae grouping, The Rescue of Mr. Spaghetti is by returning Bad-Ass Faerie author L. Jagi Lamplighter. ER doctor and mother, Clara has been the repeated victim of car thieves and Detective Mab is on the case. When she tells him that pirates stole her car, Clara is sure the detective will think her crazy. But when Mab tells her that he pirates are the worst of the supernatural scum in Faeriedom, she is the one who thinks HE is crazy. Because the car happened to contain Mr. Spaghetti, her autistic son Sammy’s doll, Clara is bound and determined to get her car back. But she’s not prepared to deal with what she finds when she takes on the investigation herself.

In Whiskey Sour by Skyla Dawn Cameron, we meet rogue Fae Juliette. A bartender, she had taken a customer home with her over a year ago. While some people regret their one night stands for a variety of reasons, Juliette had a very specific reason. Her one night stand, Toby, had infected her with lycanthropy. Now, as far as she knew, Juliette was the only werefaerie and wasn’t exactly jumping with joy about it. When Toby reappears and requests her help, Juliette realizes she has the perfect opportunity for revenge.

Under the Shadow Fae heading, we revisit some old friends from the first Bad-Ass Faerie book. In Danielle Ackly-McPhail’s story Within The Guardian Bell, we catch up with biker fae Lance and his love Suzanne. Still in danger because of his halfling status, Lance is attacked by gremlins while he travels back to Suzanne. Her latest gift of protection for Lance is a small bell that hangs from his motorcycle. When it is disarmed by the removal of the clapper, Lance must use ingenuity and his halfling powers to save the bell as well as his own life.

In the final category, Enforcer Fae, we find a new take on the traditional Rumplestiltzkin tale. Repostiltzkin by James Daniel Ross is one of my favorite stories from this anthology. Sixteen years old, a computer game geek and unpopular, Sam is shocked to find his mother arguing with a man who puts Sam in the mind of some sort of ancient goblin type. As Sam’s mother is unable to fulfill her end of a contract, Sam is taken as payment. He accompanies his captor throughout the day to make more pick ups. Some of their stops include the homes of his more popular classmates where no one else is taken, but valued traits or possessions are. Their last stop of the day is at the home of Janice, the most beautiful girl in school. To save her and her beauty, Sam must figure out the name of his captor to break the contract.

While I found some of the stories in this installment to be a bit more dark and violent than in the first, I still really liked it. There are a variety of stories with varying subjects and a person should be able to easily find something to like. Also, you don’t need to read the first book to read this one. There are a couple of stories that continue over from the first book, but they aren’t tied into the same story line. You can read this series in any order you wish without following a specific time line.

Book Stats:

• Paperback: 284 pages
• Publisher: Marietta Publishing (May 14, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1892669463
• ISBN-13: 978-1892669469

To purchase a print copy of Just Plain Bad: Bad-Ass Faeries 2 click here.

Books in the Bad-Ass Faeries series in the order they should be read:
Bad-Ass Faeries
Bad-Ass Faeries 2: Just Plain Bad

To visit the submitting author’s website go here.

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This novel will appeal to fans of Charles DeLint with its urban approach to Irish mythology. At times I was mesmerized while at other times I just wanted to red line this book to death. It’s a tribute to the writing of Ackley-McPhail that I kept reading. I’d have to say that the horror element in this was very well done because at times I had to get up and turn the lights on.

Open with two weird characters who are sucked up by some equally weird cloud thingy then jump into the POV of someone else and you are going to have to work hard to keep me interested. Ackley-McPhail managed to do that with her tale of young Kara who decides to pawn the family violin even though it is a precious heirloom. The choice is hard but Ackley-McPhail makes it very believable when you realize what keeping the violin would mean. Basically it’s the house or the fiddle, young Kara.

We meet Kara’s strange mentor, Maggie, who recognizes the magic in the fiddle and in the girl. As the magic is released, more and more darkness gathers on Kara’s horizon. How she escapes this and regains her fiddle make for an interesting tale.

This is a long book and ultimately satisfying. The cover art is spectacular. Do be aware that this is an expanded/revised version of the same story from 2002. I can recommend this book with the caveat that if the proper use of the comma is important to you, you will need to put that aside. There is mad comma abuse in this book, but seriously the story makes it all worth while.

A sampling of the kind of writing you can expect:
“She began softly, barely drawing the bow across the strings. With each full-bodied, heartfelt note, Kara and Quicksilver gave voice to their joint suffering—the agony of watching Papa waste away, the weight of the bills and collection notices stacking up at home, and the sorrow of helplessly watching both parents suffer, powerless to help. As she continued, the rising, haunting tune unfolded with no predetermined path to restrict it. Mingled with the sorrow was Kara’s own exuberance for life, which even her heartache could not quell. The music took on its own life, filling the shop and carrying the two women along, leaving them in a kind of shock as it ended of its own accord.”

I very much enjoyed the tale of Kara and her fiddle. This urban fantasy offers a thrilling ride through a familiar landscape. 4 tombstones from the cranky Southern Bell.

Book Stats:

• E-book and Paperback: 260 pages
• Publisher: Mundania Press LLC (September 15, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 159426354X
• ISBN-13: 978-1594263545

To purchase a print copy of Yesterday’s Dreams click here.
To purchase an electronic copy of Yesterday’s Dreams click here.

Books in the series in the order they should be read:
Yesterday’s Dreams
Tomorrow’s Memories

To visit the author’s website go here.

(4 votes, average: 5 out of 5)

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If you like faeries of all types, then this is the anthology for you! Featuring nineteen stories and twenty authors, this book is broken down into five faerie categories: Warrior Faeries, Outlaw Faeries, Wild Faeries, Street Faeries and Faeries Noir. I think we would both be here all night if I reviewed each story so I’ll condense with one from each category.

Under the Warrior listing, we have Cybernetic Assassin Faerie Hasballah by Adam P. Knave (I must admit that I loved that title!). In this short, we meet Hasballah. As the title says, he is a faerie, assassin and has had a few key body parts replaced with cybernetic implants. His latest target is an Ogre named Ugh. (Not very inventive with names, those Ogres.) Hasballah hates taking out Ogres because they are notoriously hard to kill. But, his girlfriend Bunny owes a bad guy some money and they can use the fee from the hit. The story leads us through his plan for the assassination and the betrayals he discovers after.

What kind of anthology would this be without a Western under the outlaw section? In Ballad of the Seven Up Sprite by Brian Koscienski and Chris Pisano, we meet who else but the Seven Up Sprite. Blowing into the pixie-dust mining town of Deadwillow on his trusty steed (a large crimson cardinal) the Seven Up Sprite, like all good Western legends, sees a wrong done, attempts to right it and winds up challenged to a draw in the middle of town. I loved the intertwining of faeries with the typical American old West story and the ending really made me chuckle.

The faerie featured in Pennidreadful by Lorne Dixon definitely qualifies as a Wild one. Her name is, of course, Pennidreadful and she’s an Elphame. These types of faeries are able to speak with the dead. She travels with a man by the name of Vassili who does various jobs for others, including a form of clean up. Called in by an old acquaintance, Hajime Nishimura after Hajime’s mail order wife “accidentally” dies in a fall down their stairs, Vassili and Penni do their thing. This time though, they add their own touch to the deal.

At The Crossroads by Danielle Ackley-McPhail is one of the featured Street Faerie stories. Centered around halfling Lance, this is a biker faerie tale. Lance is the ride captain for a sixty-five mile run and meets the other riders at Delilah’s, a biker bar. He’s disturbed to realize that his love Suzanne still hasn’t arrived. Suzanne is full fae and has presented Lance with various gifts of protection and sight. One of these gifts is a tattoo of herself. For someone without the gift of Sight, it is just an ordinary tat. But to those that have it, especially Lance, it is an indicator of Suzanne’s thoughts and feelings. Checking it, Lance is dismayed to see the image depicting Suzanne limp and pale as if unconscious. Armed with the powers that he has within him and accompanied by Gavin, Suzanne’s brother, Lance sets out to get her back. This was a very interesting take on faeries as you don’t often hear of faeries being Harley riding, macho guys. I really liked that aspect of the story and the ending wasn’t quite what you expected, but in a good way.

The story of Peaseblossom Marlowe, private dick is featured in the Noir section. After being notified of a faerie suicide, a thing that literally never happens, Blossom starts her investigation. She believes that Carillon (C-Dog to his new gangsta buddies) was murdered because what faerie would cut off his own wings before leaping off a high rise to his death? In this story, faeries aren’t in our world willingly. They have been banished from their own dimension and have had to find ways of supporting themselves in ours. Because of this, there is a lot of prejudice to deal with as well as the fact that the fae are eight inches tall in a human size world. Blossom must cut through prejudice and the conspiracy surrounding the case to get to the bottom of things. This story reminded me of a cross between your classic P.I. stories and a contemporary murder mystery. I really liked it and would love to see this turned into a series if there isn’t one already in the works.

All in all I thought this was a fabulous anthology. It didn’t stereotype the faeries into cute little Tinkerbell types and I think the variety made the whole book. There really weren’t any stories that I disliked at all. Rather, I simply liked some more than others. I believe that there is a story here for everyone’s taste and highly recommend it.

Book Stats:

• Paperback: 216 pages
• Publisher: Marietta Publishing; trade paperback edition (May 24, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1892669404
• ISBN-13: 978-1892669407

To purchase a print copy of Bad-Ass Faeries book one click here.
To purchase an electronic copy of Bad-Ass Faeries click here.

Books in the Bad-Ass Faeries series in the order they should be read:
Bad-Ass Faeries
Bad-Ass Faeries 2: Just Plain Bad

To visit the submitting author’s website go here.

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