Rating: 
Summary: Out Of This World Is An Entertaining Read...
Review: Out Of This World ia a collection of four unrelated stories by four different writers-- two of which are romance writers, a mystery writer, and a sci-fi writer used to round out the collection. A nice touch,a nice blend, and a nice read. Very entertaining...
Rating:
Summary: Four For The Price Of One Kind've Read...
Review: Out Of This World is a collection of four unrelated stories by four different writers. (two romance writers, one mystery writer and one sci-fi writer) making this book a very enjoyable read.
Rating:
Summary: A Fun, Futuristic/Fantasy Adventure
Review: Out of This World is the anthology that all fans of futuristic and fantasy romance have been waiting for! For everyone moaning about the lack of futuristics available there is not one, but two fantastic stories in this anthology. J.D. Robb gives us an excellent addition to her In Death series with a story that finds Eve Dallas attending (very reluctantly) an off world police conference with Roarke in tow. When a crooked cop attempts to bring Roarke down, Eve finds herself fighting one of her own. J.D. Robb is consistently good -- and this story is no exception. Susan Krinard contributes a great futuristic of her own with "Kinsman" a sci-fi adventure telling the story of an empathic/psychic who must join forces with a not-so-truthful woman in order to save both of thier species' from destruction. "Kinsman" is an excellent story combining what I love best: Science-fiction, psychic phenomena, and a HOT love story! Maggie Shayne contributes a short story that is connected to her witch series of books. The tale of an immortal dark witch who lives to regret her actions, and the mortal man who fishes her out of the ocean, this story was very enjoyable, but in my opinion it did not stand alone. I hadn't read the most recent novel in the which series, and found myself lost a few times while reading the story. Laurell K. Hamilton contributed an excerpt from her novel Narcissus in Chains due out in October. It was a wonderful excerpt despite its teaser ending, picking up right where the book Obsidian Butterfly left off. But again, in my opinion the story didn't stand alone -- anyone not familiar with Anita Blake would have been lost. I also felt the publisher had an obligation to state on the cover of the book that her contribution was an excerpt. But as you can see from my rating, the quality of these stories especially Robb's and Krinard's were such that I still highly reccomend this read. Buy it, Read it, Love it!!
Rating: 
Summary: Appetizer before the Main Course
Review: Out of This World should be called the appetizer before the main course. Each of the our authors have written teasing little short stories (with the exception of Laurell K. Hamilton) that will wet your appetite for their new books coming out in the next few months.I'll be honest; I bought this book strictly for the stories by J. D. Robb and Laurell K. Hamilton. Ms. Robb once again brings us that dynamic couple Eve Dallas and Roarke. This time we see glimpse of Roarke's childhood as Dallas fights to keep him from being framed for murder as the result of retaliation against the crimes of his father. Most of the old favorite characters are in the story as they all attend a conference off the planet at a resort owned by Roarke (naturally). While this story isn't one of Robb's best, it sure was nice to see my favorite couple before the release of their next story later this month. Ms. Hamilton brings back Anita Blake and the gang in her story. I was disappointed when I learned it is the first six chapters in her new book coming out in October, but you know what-it was still a blast to read it. It just makes me want October to get here a lot quicker. I can't think of a more intriguing trio than Anita, Jean-Claude, and Richard. This one promises to be continuing saga of a fascinating storyline. I've never read Maggie Shayne before. She is definitely on my list of must read. I really liked her short story because the heroine, instead of the hero starts out as the bad guy. That's something you don't normally see. The preview of her forthcoming books sounds interesting so I've added it to my growing list. The last author is Susan Krinard. Again an author I've never read. For some reason I could not get into her short story. Everyone has told me she is a good writer, but I didn't see it. For well known authors with three short stories and one with a glimpse into her new novel. What more could any reader ask for to tide them over until new releases hit the market?
Rating: 
Summary: Fairly forgettable.
Review: Someone seems to be under the impression that all not-quite-mainstream romance authors are the same. Thus the jumbled collection here. From 4000 year-old Sumarian withches just happening to find a twin in the modern-day Carribbean, to spacial conspiracy theories, to futuristic cop thrillers, to a little menage a trois with a werewolf and a vampire in a S&M club. From the light and fluffy, to the dark and forbidden, it's all in here. Granted, it is all on the strange side, and at least tree of the four are actually out of our world. After a pretty good showing by Eve, and two interesting, but not gripping stories, there is the LKH story, which happens to be a excerpt from her next novel. All in all, I'd have to give this one a pass, if I hadn't already bought it. Unless you a rabid Robb or Hamilton fan who just can't wait for the next fix, you should too.
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Summary: A Word of Warning¿
Review: The advertisement for this book said that what was within were new short stories from five authors. To be honest I only know of two of the five, Laurell K. Hamilton & Nora Roberts. When I read that this book had a new short story involving Anita Blake I decided to purchase it to fill the void until Narcissus in Chains is released in October... However, I am slightly disappointed because instead of getting a short story involving Anita, this book has the first 6 chapters of Narcissus in Chains as the 'story'. If the other 3 stories are also teasers for future books, this one is just a marketing ploy to get more money out of awaiting fans. Even though I loved what I read from the excerpt within of Narcissus in Chains, this does not mean that I am happy with being cheated, and cheated is exactly what I was. This book advertised a NEW story about Anita Blake, not an excerpt of an upcoming book in the series. If you can live without until October, I advise to save your money and buy the book, Narcissus in Chains, in its entirety. What was Laurell K. thinking, for shame! PS Also, there is NO story in here by Nora Roberts, only a one page advertisement for Midnight Bayou "Coming Soon in Hardcover."
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Summary: An explosive collection of stories!!!
Review: This anthology of four paranormal romance stories totally rocked! Laurell K. Hamilton and J.D. Robb are my two favorite authors, but I've never read books by Krinard or Shayne before. J.D. Robb, aka Nora Roberts, contributed 'Interlude in Death.' This mystery/romance story follows her bestselling In Death series, as NYPD Lieutenant Eve Dallas and her billionaire husband, Roarke, chase an esteemed *rogue ex-cop* at an intergalatic conference. The cop harbors a personal vendetta against Roarke because of his mysterious past. All in all, the story stands well alone, and will prove satisfying whether you're a long-time Robb fan or a new reader to the series. Susan Krinard's story 'Kinsman' is a futuristic/romantic thriller. When her brother's ship disappears during a secret space mission, a young princess of a small planet asks a 'Kinsman,' (a member of a special human *race* that possess certain telepathic powers) for aid. Along their journey to find the missing prince and his crew, the two discover a conspiracy brewing among the Kinsman's own people. They also discover that they're falling in love. I find this the weakest of the four stories, mostly because there were a lot of names and species that I didn't understand. Maggie Shayne's 'Immortality' continues her Witch series. Puabi is an Immortal High Dark Witch who finds, after 4,000 years of existence, that she doesn't want to continue her old, evil ways. After being rescued by an unsuspecting human man and getting stranded on his island, Puabi rediscovers the zest to her life, as she and Matthew grow ever closer. However, Puabi's powers are slowly but surely diminishing. And there is unknown danger on the island. Tied into all this is the memory of Gabriella, Matthew's dead wife, who bears an uncanny resemblance to Puabi, although the two women are polar opposites. The ending is very poignant, with a wonderful plot twist. I really loved this story, and I'll definitely pick up her other books now! 'Magic Like Heat Across My Skin' is a sizzling, six-chapter preview of Laurell K. Hamilton's long-awaited NARCISSUS IN CHAINS, the 10th book in her bestselling Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter series. After six months of celibacy, our heroine comes back to St. Louis and finds out that her wereleopards have been kidnapped by a rival group of shapeshifters. To get them back, she seeks her old lover, the sexy vampire Jean-Claude, for help. Jean-Claude agrees, but only if Anita will *marry the marks* so that she has a chance to fight and live. At the S&M club Narcissus in Chains, Anita, Jean-Claude, and Richard (Anita's werewolf lover) merge their energies, completing their triumvirate of power. Anita may be an animator, vampire hunter, necromancer, lupa of Richard's pack, and Nimir-Ra of the wereleopards, but she is human nevertheless. The line between humans and monsters is all-too-thin sometimes, and by consumating the marks, Anita may have become irrevocably changed now. Also, the story tends to lean toward the romance side, which will no doubt create mixed feelings among Hamilton's loyal fans. New readers will most likely find this story difficult to follow, but very, very sensual. I found Laurell's writing style a bit 'off,' but I still can't wait for NARCISSUS IN CHAINS in October!
Rating:
Summary: A collection of four explosive stories...
Review: This anthology was much more than I had hoped for. Laurell K. Hamilton and J.D. Robb are my two favorite authors, but I've never read books by Krinard or Shayne before. I was almost surprised that I enjoyed all four stories. J.D. Robb, aka Nora Roberts, contributed "Interlude in Death." This mystery/romance story follows her bestselling In Death series, as NYPD Lieutenant Eve Dallas and her billionaire husband, Roarke, chases an esteemed *rogue ex-cop* at an intergalatic conference. The cop harbors a personal vendetta against Roarke because of his mysterious past. As always, Eve and Roarke catch the villain, and manages to find time to chill out together. All in all, the story stands well alone, and will prove satisfying whether you're a long-time Robb fan or a new reader to the series. Susan Krinard's story "Kinsman" is a futuristic/romantic thriller. When her brother's ship disappears during a secret space mission, a young princess of a small planet asks a "Kinsman," (a member of a special human *race* that possess certain telepathic powers) for aid. Along their journey to find the missing prince and his crew, the two discover a conspiracy brewing among the Kinsman's own people. They also discover that they're falling in love. I find this the weakest of the four stories, mostly because there were a lot of names and species that I didn't really understand. Also, *alien* type of stories are just not my thing. Perhaps I'll try her next wolf novel, SECRET OF THE WOLF, of which there was a short excerpt in the anthology. Maggie Shayne's "Immortality" continues her Witch series. Puabi is an Immortal High Dark Witch who finds, after 4,000 years of existence, that she doesn't want to continue her old, evil ways. After being rescued by an unsuspecting human man and getting stranded on his island, Puabi rediscovers the zest to her life, as she and Matthew grow ever closer. However, Puabi's powers are slowly but surely diminishing. And there is unknown danger on the island. Tied into all this is the memory of Gabriella, Matthew's dead wife, who bears an uncanny resemblance to Puabi, although the two women are polar opposites. The ending is very poignant, with a wonderful plot twist. I had no difficulty following the plot, although I am new to Shayne's Witch books. I really loved this story, and I'll definitely pick up her other books now. A short excerpt of Shayne's upcoming romantic suspense novel, THE GINGERBREAD MAN, is included in the anthology. "Magic Like Heat Across My Skin" is a sizzling, six-chapter preview of Laurell K. Hamilton's long-awaited NARCISSUS IN CHAINS, the 10th book in her bestselling Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter series. After six months of celibacy, our heroine comes back to St. Louis and finds out that her wereleopards have been kidnapped by a rival group of shapeshifters. To get them back, she seeks her old lover, the sexy vampire Jean-Claude, for help. Jean-Claude agrees, but only if Anita will take the *fourth-mark* so that she has a chance to fight and live. At the S&M club Narcissus in Chains, Anita, Jean-Claude, and Richard (Anita's werewolf lover) *marry the marks,* merging their energies and completing their triumvirate of power. Anita may be a vampire hunter, necromancer, lupa of Richard's pack, and Nimir-Ra of the wereleopards, but she is human nevertheless. The line between humans and monsters is all-too-thin sometimes, and by consumating the marks, Anita may have become irrevocably changed now. Also, the story tends to lean toward the "erotic" side of romance, which will no doubt create mixed feelings among Hamilton's loyal fans. I found Laurell's writing style a bit "off," but I still can't wait for NARCISSUS IN CHAINS in October!
Rating:
Summary: Intriguing Tastes
Review: This book of romance tales loosely categorized as "spellbinding" is an interesting introduction to some interesting authors. I don't read much straight romance, preferring it mixed with sf, fantasy or history. As a Laurell Hamilton fan from the beginning, there was no doubt I'd have to get this book. And I was pleased to be introduced to two new authors I'll have to check out.
"Interlude in Death," J.D. Robb's tale featuring her futuristic cop Eve Dallas and her husband Roarke (of the apparently-shady past) is the strongest of the lot. It has a complete story, starting with murder at the Martian resort where the cops are gathering for a conference. And while they're busy solving the murders, we get a nice taste of their relationship and their chemistry. No supernatural elements, but decent sf. Good enough that I'll want to go back to the beginning and read them. I wanted to know more about the characters, which is pretty much the best you can get from a sort story.
In "Kinsman," Sue Krinard apparently took a departure from her more supernatural world of werewolves, and shared what might be the beginning of an sf romance series. The sf situation (featuring telepaths as liaisons to the aliens) is well set up, and intriguing; the relationship of the two characters predictable but adequately written. I remember Krinard's name from Star Wars and Mad Max fanzines 25 years ago, and was sufficiently intrigued to plan on looking for her current set of books. Not as strong as the Robb, but worth reading.
Maggie Shayne's "Immortality" was the weakest of the four tales. Although complete unto itself, I assume that it is set in a world where other such Witches exist. This is a tale of redemption for a bitter, Black Witch, who finds love along the way. The interaction between the characters was predictable, and without chemistry. The background didn't interest me, and the style of writing, where we were told how people felt, was obtrusive. This is a pass from me, not a world I'll look to revisit.
Laurell Hamilton fans will love and curse the last tale. It's obviously an excerpt from her next Anita Blake novel, Narcissus in Chains, and is not complete. The excerpt does have a start and end, but there's obviously a lot more that's going to happen that night to our daring characters (a master vampire, an alpha werewolf, and the necromancer who holds them and their magic together). It is, however, a good representation of the kind of story Hamilton tells: fast-paced, tense, deadly, sexy. This is some of the best cotton-candy around: a fast read, leaving you both satisfied and wanting more; I reread them often just for the fun of it. The world of legalized monsters -- from vampires to lamias -- is fascinating and fun. I ripped through this story and then cursed it, because I'll have to wait until early November to get the rest!
If you're looking for a little romance in a different place, this is one to check out.
Rating:
Summary: Intriguing Tastes
Review: This book of romance tales loosely categorized as "spellbinding" is an interesting introduction to some interesting authors. I don't read much straight romance, preferring it mixed with sf, fantasy or history. As a Laurell Hamilton fan from the beginning, there was no doubt I'd have to get this book. And I was pleased to be introduced to two new authors I'll have to check out.
"Interlude in Death," J.D. Robb's tale featuring her futuristic cop Eve Dallas and her husband Roarke (of the apparently-shady past) is the strongest of the lot. It has a complete story, starting with murder at the Martian resort where the cops are gathering for a conference. And while they're busy solving the murders, we get a nice taste of their relationship and their chemistry. No supernatural elements, but decent sf. Good enough that I'll want to go back to the beginning and read them. I wanted to know more about the characters, which is pretty much the best you can get from a sort story.
In "Kinsman," Sue Krinard apparently took a departure from her more supernatural world of werewolves, and shared what might be the beginning of an sf romance series. The sf situation (featuring telepaths as liaisons to the aliens) is well set up, and intriguing; the relationship of the two characters predictable but adequately written. I remember Krinard's name from Star Wars and Mad Max fanzines 25 years ago, and was sufficiently intrigued to plan on looking for her current set of books. Not as strong as the Robb, but worth reading.
Maggie Shayne's "Immortality" was the weakest of the four tales. Although complete unto itself, I assume that it is set in a world where other such Witches exist. This is a tale of redemption for a bitter, Black Witch, who finds love along the way. The interaction between the characters was predictable, and without chemistry. The background didn't interest me, and the style of writing, where we were told how people felt, was obtrusive. This is a pass from me, not a world I'll look to revisit.
Laurell Hamilton fans will love and curse the last tale. It's obviously an excerpt from her next Anita Blake novel, Narcissus in Chains, and is not complete. The excerpt does have a start and end, but there's obviously a lot more that's going to happen that night to our daring characters (a master vampire, an alpha werewolf, and the necromancer who holds them and their magic together). It is, however, a good representation of the kind of story Hamilton tells: fast-paced, tense, deadly, sexy. This is some of the best cotton-candy around: a fast read, leaving you both satisfied and wanting more; I reread them often just for the fun of it. The world of legalized monsters -- from vampires to lamias -- is fascinating and fun. I ripped through this story and then cursed it, because I'll have to wait until early November to get the rest!
If you're looking for a little romance in a different place, this is one to check out.
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