Stroke Of Midnight

Rating:
Summary: what great fun
Review: each of these novellas are fun, romantic and magical - if you like Sherrilyn Kenyon you will enjoy all the novellas in this great escape! I might just read it again:)

Rating:
Summary: Good but not Great!!!
Review: I am a fan of Sherrilyn Kenyon's Dark Hunter series so I would never have missed the were-panther story in this book. I agree it was too short and the characters not fleshed out but I still liked it and am glad I read it. Even this short story gave me more information about were-panthers and a little more insight into Acheron. If you haven't read the rest of the series you are not going to get as much out of it, but you should still enjoy the story.

I have read a lot of Amanda Ashley's work and this, of course, was not her best. A little trite but still I enjoyed reading it.

L. A. Banks was not my cup of tea and I would have liked to give this one zero stars. I did not understand it, did not like it and found it quite depressing. Even after some of the reviews explained her seers and guardians I still didn't understand it nor could anything make me like this story. HATE is a more accurate description of how I felt about it and I should have listened to other reviewers and just not read this one. My advice is skip it.

Lori Handland wrote the best story even considering how much I loved reading Kenyon's Winter Born. This one had humor that made it an extremely enjoyable read. I loved Maya and even though I normally would not have liked the first person narrative, I began to really prefer it in this instance. I quickly appreciated Handland's decision to write it that way. A winning story that made me want to read more of this author.

Rating:
Summary: OK, overall... 3.5 stars
Review: I bought this book for Kenyon's story. Kenyon's Dark-Hunter series is what got me started reading this genre. I was rather disappointed with the lack of depth that went into this novella - perhaps a few more pages would have given Kenyon the room to work her magic. Further, Kenyon contradicts herself in the matter of what happens to a Were-Panther when his or her mate dies (see page 45, then page 53). The inconsistency is jarring. As always, I enjoyed the way she makes her other characters a part of the story, reminding us that the 2 central characters aren't the only people in the universe and further fleshing out the characters from her other novels. I loved the setting of the story! Overall, however, the story is not up to Kenyon's usual standards.

Amanda Ashley's novella was cute and sweet, if a bit pat. Not having read her other stuff, I've got nothing to compare it to, but it was a nice story.

L.A. Banks's story was intriguing... not something I would have picked up on my own but it sucked me in. My heart went out to the couple and I found myself hoping for a happily ever after. As others have mentioned, the initial setting (1979) was off-putting but by the end of the story I realized there is a reason for it. I believe I'll be reading more about Guardians and Seers. Consorting with the enemy is sometimes a *good* thing...

I liked Handeland's story quite a bit, too. It's nice to have a 'normal' protagonist and the heroine has a lot of spunk and some great lines. A fast-paced and enjoyable read.

Rating:
Summary: Loved Winterborn
Review: I give this anthology 5 stars because of Winterborn. The other stories I barely noticed. Winterborn had the complexity and energy that I've come to expect from Sherrilyn Kenyon's DarkHunter novels. Dante is a werepanther, the Katagari kind (animal). Pandora is a werepantheress, the Arcadian kind (human). We learn more about Katagari werepanthers, like the fact that once mated, the men are tied for life, while the women are not, and the men stay home and raise the kids while the women only visit fo 2 days/year. Arcadian women are human, though, and stay with their children.

Anyway, Dante is less tortured than Kenyon's usual heroes, and reveals himself to be a werepanther of much honour and integrity. Dante and Pandora are in a science fiction convention place, and Archeron and Simi and some other gods are there too. The thing is, Pandora is in heat, Dante is not mated, Dante's twin unmated brothers are there too, and there is an entire Katigari pack of werepanthers out to re-capture Pandora. We get introduced to werepanther culture, Dante's large family, and another side of Archeron. Very cool.

Most of the Darkhunter novels are full of Greek culture and tortured Romans. So I really enjoyed this werepanther story, even more than the other Drakos and Oneroi short stories and Night Play. Dante is very edgey and hard, more convincingly than many of Kenyon's heroes.

Amanda Ashley's story was a medieval werewolf story, sweet and gentle. L.A.Banks story was typically urban and slightly empty/depressingly practical. I've only read part of Handeland's story, but it's an urban werewolf story, fairly humorous. But for me, Winterborn just put them all in the shade.

Rating:
Summary: 2/4 stories ...
Review: Kenyon's stories as usual continues to provide entertainment and very addictive vampire plots that leaves you wanting more and more. I just hope she doesn't get a writer block like feehan's Dark Destiny and Hamilton very disappointing "Incubus Dreams".

Favourite part of the book is SIMI's shopping spree. Ahhh if I had endless line of credit card with no worry about the payment I be in heaven.

HOWEVER... and I mean HOWEVER, the rest of the collection of short stories is........ dull. Ashley's stories was suprisely not here best or even average usual stories. The other two authors left me falling asleep. I started skipping pages which equates "BLEH".

Since I'm an avid reader of Kenyon, I'll be keeping it for the sake of ONE short story to be added to my collection of vamp bks. OR I would have returned the book.

Rating:
Summary: BORING (with one exception)...
Review: Simply put, the stories in this anthology were amusing if a little staid, not living up to the zing or power of some of the more hip collections (How to be a Wicked Woman, etc.)

The one exception to this rule was the story by L.A. Banks. That one was awful. Absolutely awful. Too much description, not enough conversation, a hero who's saving the world by playing his guitar (huh?) and an ending that was not only dissapointing, but down right absurd. I will certainly not be searching out any other stories by this author, and will avoid any anthologies she's included in.

Rating:
Summary: Different
Review: STROKE OF MIDNIGHT is a collection of four paranormal romances by authors who are known for their romantic stories with a little paranormal twist. In these stories, the myths of werewolves, were-panthers, vampires, and shapeshifters become reality for our heroines.

In Sherrilyn Kenyon's story Winter Born, the female and male were-panther, who are natural enemies, must join together in order to survive and to follow their destiny. In Amanda Ashley's Born of the Night, a period piece, the female is kidnapped by a man who is cursed to be a werewolf, however, the curse is what draws the two together.

In L. A. Banks' Make It Last Forever, a vampire has bitten the young heroine. She meets a handsome young man on a Harley motorcycle who must assist her before she transitions into a full vampire. What they don't know is their lives were destined to cross. For fans of Ms. Banks' Vampire Huntress series, this is a prequel to one of the guardian's stories.

Finally, Lori Handeland's Red Moon Rising, is a welcome reprieve to the previous dark stories, where comedy is used to break up some of the dark moments of this tale based on the ancient beliefs of the Indians. The female character is a writer who is facing writer's block, but is also being stalked by a skinwalker in wolf's clothing. Skinwalkers or shapeshifters can change their appearance by putting on skins of others and in this case a wolf. The wolf needs the heroine, but her male protector plans not only to fight this adversary but also fight his strong romantic feelings for the heroine.

All the stories combine the elements of ordinary people facing extraordinary circumstances who find passion and romance in spite of the predicament they discover themselves in. Although the stories are short in nature, the romance elements are very much intact, in fact there are a few steamy love scenes that will make you blush. However, I am not sure what I was expecting from this compilation, but I felt a bit let down after I completed the novel. The paranormal portions of the stories were great, but the romances in a couple of the stories just seemed out of place. The happily ever after premise found in romance stories are hard to fathom in stories where you meet under life or death situations and in a day or two you are in love. Since these are short stories, the characters are not as developed as I would have liked them to be and as a reader I needed more depth in the plot, since this is not a typical romance novel. Readers who enjoy genres where the mythical and mystical can be real and romance is the key to survival will enjoy this compilation.

Reviewed by Cashana Seals
of The RAWSISTAZ™ Reviewers



Rating:
Summary: Almost Unreadable
Review: The stories in this anthology were almost unreadable. The first (Kenyon) is part of a series - and I've read the series, so I could follow it, but I've no idea how anyone who hasn't read the series could follow it. Indeed, it's not worth the effort.

The second story (Ashley) was the best of the four, but was not much more than a weak romance. There was somewhat of an attempt at a mystical plot, but it was nothing new or interesting.

The third story (Banks) was, for me, completely unreadable.

The final story (Handeland), again, was nothing more than a thrown together romance, with a plot that was better than the others, but still wasn't fleshed out enough to be enjoyable. I get the feeling this was part of a series, but I'm not curious enough to find out.

All in all, if you have a choice (I didn't), skip this.

(*)>

Rating:
Summary: Good, bad and ugly
Review: This anthology was a huge disappointment to me, and I was shocked at the lack of quality in the last two stories. Sorry, but this book just isn't worth the cover price.

The Sherrilyn Kenyon story was oversimplified and lame, but I'd say it was decent considering the length restriction. It seemed really short. The Amanda Ashley story was enjoyable, but if I had one complaint it was that there was sexual tension between the two main characters that Ashley did nothing with.

Red Moon Rising was a good story with plenty of action and I'll definitely look up more of Lori Handeland's work. As for Make It Last Forver... This story was absolutely awful. It rambled on, had no point, had thoroughly dislikeable, unattractive characters and there was no payoff at the end. From this one example, I'd say that LA Banks is a poor writer in this genre.

Rating:
Summary: Half and Half
Review: This is the third or fourth anthology of fantasy tales this year. But this one is not quite as good as the others.
1) Sherrilyn Kenyon can't write a bad story. So you know her story is good. I loved the story set in her Dark-Hunter Universe. Even Ash and Simi have a small part.
Dante Pontis is a werewolf, he and his brothers are at a Sci/Fi convention. When they sense a lady werewolf, the others are off to find her.
Pandora has escaped from a pack that takes females from the future. Those born in the winter, and chains them and forces them to serve their pack.
Dante finds her and saves her at the same time he finds his mate. Now he has to fight for her and stop this unlawful practice.

2) Lady Shanara is taken hostage by Lord Reyes who is cursed by her father's witch. They fall in love and the witch loves Shanara so much she lifts her spell and comes to live in Reye's Castle. (Yeah, Right) This is the witch who cursed his family because his father would not father her child. Then Shanara's father murdered his father while he was a wolf and wears his skin as a token.

3)I have to say this next one was pretty dumb. Or maybe I just didn't like it. Tara is a medicine woman's daughter and she has been bitten by a vampire. She is trying to hold on until she can find her grandmother who can save her. Rider is a biker who saves her at a bus stop. Naturally they fall in love. So he rushes to take her to her grandmother, but when they get there her grandmother has moved to Arizona. We are told that it was never meant that she would be saved, only that she would help Rider to become a Guardian (one who destroys vampires). (Poor Tara, yeah, right)

4)A Navajo Skinwalker is after Maya Alexander, her only hope is Clay Phillips, a member of an x-files type force. Not bad and this one has some interesting information on Indian beliefs.