It’s been a crazy year. Last December my debut novel Malice was published by Tor in the UK, and in this December it is published in the US by Orbit. Plenty of crazy-cool things have happened in between, but the top of the cake has to be winning the David Gemmell Morningstar Award for best fantasy debut of 2012. Being awarded the Morningstar came as an absolute shock, and has kept me grinning pretty much permanently.

A bit of background information is probably helpful here. The story of me writing Malice started about 11 years ago - at the time I had recently finished a master’s degree and was teaching at Brighton University. Due to family health issues I stepped out of teaching to help my wife in caring for our daughter, Harriett. She is profoundly disabled and needs round-the-clock care. Life can be pretty intense, when you care for someone full-time, so I thought a hobby might be a good thing, if I could find the time. I've always told stories - to my kids and my wife (if I have them backed into a corner with no routes of escape) and they've often encouraged me to write some of them down (possibly to make me stop talking). So I started to do that, a hobby that restored a bit of ‘me’ in the juggling act that is the parenting of three boys, working from home and also caring for my daughter. It was also a place to indulge my passion for general all-round geekery. Malice and The Faithful and The Fallen just naturally evolved out of this. Somewhere along the way it grew into something more than just a hobby.

I finished Malice in 2010 and gave it to my wife and kids to read, plus a few mates, and then put it away for a while. Feedback was good - but hey, what did I expect from family and friends. Nevertheless most encouraged me to take it further, and though some of my mates do like to humiliate me whenever possible, I got the feeling this was not one of those times. I started looking into how to get a novel published, and the short version of what came next is that I approached an agent - John Jarrold. He had worked in the business for over three decades, running fantasy imprints in the U. K. such as Orbit and Simon and Schuster, editing authors such as Guy Gavriel Kay, as well as representing contemporary writers like Mark Charan Newton, Adam Neville and Stephen Deas. He became my ‘dream agent,’ the man always at the top of my list, so it was no shock that John was the first agent that I approached.

To my surprise and very great pleasure John loved Malice and agreed to represent me. That was a good day. Drinking mead and dancing a jig was involved. John worked with me editorially for a while, then Malice went out to publishers, and within a short time there was a pre-emptive offer from Julie Crisp, acquiring editor of Tor UK. This was just before Christmas 2010. Needless to say, there was much celebrating in the Gwynne household that Christmas, involving more mead drinking and jig-dancing, with extra mulled-wine. So that’s the condensed version of how Malice came to be published.

As to the influences on the actual story, well, there are a few major culprits there. I fell in love with fantasy at a early age - 8, in fact, when a school teacher read The Book of Three by Lloyd Alexander to my class - lots of mythological epicness and I was instantly hooked. After that it was The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, and it is fair to say that Tolkien consumed my pre-teen reading years.

Other writers have crept into the mix along the way, of course. I tend to read mostly fantasy - all types: urban, steampunk, gritty but my first-love is epic - alongside a lot of historical fiction, authors such as Bernard Cornwell, Conn Iggulden and Steven Pressfield, to name a few. If I had to narrow down the major influences on Malice, which is pretty hard, as a lot went into the pot, I’d have to say these are the important ones:
 - Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings
 - Bernard Cornwell’s Arthur trilogy, and The Warlord Chronicles
 - John Milton’s Paradise Lost
 - And pretty much anything by David Gemmell.

Those four really capture the essence of what I aspired to write. Something epic, with a big landscape (Tolkien). Something that felt almost historical, with a foot in ancient history (Bernard Cornwell). Something intimate, personal and character driven (David Gemmell). And something supernatural, with a sinister edge (Paradise Lost).

I discovered David Gemmell in my late teens, back in the mists of time when I still had hair. I've been a huge fan of his since I discovered Legend in my local Waterstones and hurried home to devour it in one sitting. I remember feeling both elated and disappointed when I finished it in the early hours of the next morning - disappointed because I’d finished. Since then David Gemmell has been responsible for a distinct lack of sleep in my life, as his books always had me gripped from page one and reading through the night into the small hours of the morning. Up until then fantasy had consisted largely of whiter-than-white hero’s in black and white worlds - Gemmell chopped a snaga-shaped axe through that, bringing flawed characters and moral ambiguity to the table, whilst still managing to be uplifting and give you a feeling of hope about human nature. I loved his style, his balance of detailed action with wonderful character beats and roller-coaster plotting. ‘Sword in the Storm’ is one of my all time favourite reads. Malice would have been a very different book without the influence of David Gemmell.

It feels pretty surreal to even see Malice in a bookshop at all - I can still vividly remember it being scattered notes on my desk, and I feel exceptionally fortunate to see it in print. There have been lots of great, memorable moments along the path to publication and beyond. Seeing Malice on the same shelf as David Gemmell in my local Waterstones - the same shop that I bought my original copy of Legend from - was one such moment. Finding out I had made the shortlist for the David Gemmell Morningstar Award was awesome, both because of the company I was in, such great writers, and also, well, because DAVID GEMMELL.

To actually win the Morningstar Award really is almost indescribable - first complete and utter shock (I began to clap for the winner before it sank in that my name had just been read out) and followed quickly by very deep joy and a grin as wide as Druss’ axe. I so did not expect to win, and was just over the moon to be enjoying the experience of being shortlisted and being at the awards ceremony - James Barclay’s Druss speech as the opener was quite brilliant and had myself and my two younger sons enraptured.

Being such a massive Gemmell fan made winning a award with the great man’s name attached to it, quite incredibly special, and the moment was made all the better because my family were at the award ceremony - there were a lot of hugs, and a few tears. And red wine. So as you can see, it’s been quite a year. Never thought any of it would have happened - I might have imagined it once or twice back when Malice was just a few scattered notes on my desk, like when you imagine winning the lottery - but it just goes to show, sometimes dreams do come true.

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Read The Truth Behind a Legend by D.E.M. Emrys w/ thoughts by John Gwynne (Guest Post)

AUTHOR INFORMATION: John Gwynne studied and lectured at Brighton University. He’s been in a rock ‘n’ roll band, playing the double bass, travelled the USA and lived in Canada for a time. He is married with four children and lives in Eastbourne running a small family business rejuvenating vintage furniture. Malice is his debut.

NOTE: John Gwynne picture courtesy of himself. John Jarrold picture courtesy of himself. John receiving his award from Michael Marshall Smith (picture courtesy of Stan Nicholls).

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AUTHOR INFORMATION: David Dalglish is the author of the popular Half Orc fantasy series and the Paladin series. He was born in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. He graduated from Missouri Southern State University in 2006 with a degree in Mathematics and used to work with Special Education students. He lives with his family in Missouri; A Dance Of Cloaks was his traditional publication debut.

OFFICIAL BLURB: It's been five long years since the city learned to fear...

The war between the thief guilds and the powerful allegiance known as the Trifect has slowly dwindled. Now only the mysterious Haern is left to wage his private battle against the guilds in the guise of the Watcher - a vicious killer who knows no limits. But when the son of Alyssa Gemcroft, one of the three leaders of the Trifect, is believed murdered, the slaughter begins anew. Mercenaries flood the streets with one goal in mind: find and kill the Watcher.

Peace or destruction; every war must have its end.

CLASSIFICATION: Featuring a world wherein there are multiple factions at work, this book is a dark, character-driven, gritty fantasy novel in the vein of Jon Sprunk, Brent Weeks and Peter V. Brett.

FORMAT/INFO: A Dance of Blades is 407 pages divided over thirty-two numbered chapters and an epilogue. Narration is in the third person via several different point-of-views, both major and supporting characters, including the main protagonist Haern the Watcher, Alyssa Gemcroft, Veliana, Deathmask, Nathaniel Gemcroft, Arthur Hadfield, Oric, Ghost, etc. A Dance of Blades is self-contained, but is the second volume in the Shadowdance series after A Dance of Cloaks.

November 5, 2013 marked the trade paperback and e-book publication of A Dance of Blades via Orbit Books. Cover illustration is provided by Michael Frost and Gene Mollica.

ANALYSIS: As with my re-review of A Dance Of Cloaks, I'm attempting to do a similar thing with this one as this book has changed the least with only some minor text changes. I read this book more than two years ago and since then have absolutely loved this series. The story begins nearly five years since the events shown in “A Dance of Cloaks”. The city of Veldaren is slowly recovering from the catastrophic night in which the Guilds decided to remove the Trifect from the political equation. Unfortunately, things did not go as planned for Thren Felhorn because of the valor and dedication of a select few. Since then, the Guilds have fractured even further and now fight amongst themselves in an attempt to regain their earlier powers. The Trifect also suffers, but fares slightly better than their rivals. Complicating matters is a new addition to the city: the Watcher.

The Watcher calls himself Haern, and is the son of the most famous and devious guildlord (a secret known to no one). Using his former training, Haern’s goal is to sow dissent among the Guilds. Meanwhile, Alyssa Gemcroft, one of the leaders of the Trifect, has successfully taken over the Gemcroft estate and now has a son, Nathaniel, from her dalliance in the previous book. Serving Alyssa as her protector is Zusa, the ex-forsaken of Karak and also a confidante to Veliana. Veliana’s mission to save the Ash guild was successful, but she is now subservient to the new Guild master. Readers are also introduced to Deathmask, a character from The Half Orcs series, while Lord Arthur Hadfield and Mark Tullen try to obtain Alyssa Gemcroft’s hand in marriage.

The heart of the story unfolds when Haern comes across a devious plot to kill the child Nathaniel. Haern intervenes, but with chaotic results. Word soon spreads that the child is missing, presumably dead, so Alyssa in her grief decides to finish off the Guilds and kill the Watcher, who she believes are the guilty parties behind her son’s death. From here, A Dance of Blades follows Haern as he battles the Guilds, the Trifect, and perhaps his greatest enemy, an odd giant of a man who goes by the title of Ghost... 

Compared to A Dance of Cloaks, the prose in A Dance of Blades is remarkably more polished and a major highlight of the book. Pacing is similar to the first novel, meaning thrilling action sequences mingled with intriguing characters that reminded me of Paul S. Kemp and David Gemmell, but Dalglish has definitely turned up the excitement level. The story is more linear and streamlined than its predecessor, but there are still lots of machinations and subplots going on, while a deeper exploration of the world of Dezrel is provided. The grimness, which was so prevalent in the first book, has been toned down a bit, although plenty of killing can still be found in A Dance of Blades. Personally, I was glad for this as the author managed to surprise me a couple of times by killing off a certain character, while saving another. Thematically, salvation is a major theme, with many of the book’s characters seeking redemption, with both successful & unsuccessful results. 

Characterization remains top-notch giving readers a wide variety of characters to follow, including Haern with his psychological scars, Veliana with her toughness and never-say-die attitude, and Alyssa who now understands her father better than ever. What I love most about the characters is how they are all so unique and interesting, which is important in a book that features so many different POVs. Meanwhile, quite a few characters from The Half-Orcs series make an appearance in A Dance of Blades. With this book, there's a slight increase in the magic or paranormal nature of the world, of course in the previous book there were events and things happening that clarified that magic was present but with this volume, the author starts building it up even more starkly with the presence of Deathmask and his antics.

Negatively, Haern’s abilities and vigilante actions reminded me of Batman, which made some things in the book easy to predict. Also, because the Shadowdance series is a prequel to The Half-Orcs series, and features many of the same characters, those who have already finished the Half Orc books know who will survive and who won’t. For me, this is the single biggest flaw in reading any prequel series, which is why I have purposefully held off from reading The Half-Orcs novels.

CONCLUSION: Overall, A Dance of Blades is an excellent sequel, further establishing Haern’s story, while showcasing David Dalglish’s impressive growth as a writer. So now, after having fully enjoyed the first two books in the Shadowdance series, I can’t wait to read what happens next in Haern’s saga in the third book, A Dance of mirrors...

AUTHOR INFORMATION: Christopher Paolini was born in Southern California. and has lived most of his life in Paradise Valley, Montana with his parents and younger sister. Christopher was homeschooled by his parents and some of his favorite books were Bruce Coville's Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher, Frank Herbert's Dune, and Raymond E. Feist's Magician, as well as books by Anne McCaffrey, Jane Yolen, Brian Jacques, E.R. Eddison, David Eddings, and Ursula K. Le Guin.

The idea of Eragon began as the daydreams of a teen. Christopher’s love for the magic of stories led him to craft a novel that he would enjoy reading. Christopher was fifteen when he wrote the first draft of Eragon and took a couple of years to self-publish it. In 2003 it was re-published by Knopf and has gone on to become an international bestseller. In 2007, it was also made into a film of the same name.

OFFICIAL BLURB:  One boy . . .  One dragon . . .  A world of adventure.

When Eragon finds a polished blue stone in the forest, he thinks it is the lucky discovery of a poor farm boy; perhaps it will buy his family meat for the winter. But when the stone brings a dragon hatchling, Eragon soon realizes he has stumbled upon a legacy nearly as old as the Empire itself.

Overnight his simple life is shattered, and he is thrust into a perilous new world of destiny, magic, and power. With only an ancient sword and the advice of an old storyteller for guidance, Eragon and the fledgling dragon must navigate the dangerous terrain and dark enemies of an Empire ruled by a king whose evil knows no bounds.

Can Eragon take up the mantle of the legendary Dragon Riders? The fate of the Empire may rest in his hands

FORMAT/INFO: Eragon is 507 pages long divided over fifty-nine titled chapters with a prologue. Narration is in the third-person via Eragon solely. There is also a map, a glossary, a pronunciation guide, a note from the author explaining this edition & lastly the acknowledgments section. Eragon is the first volume of the Inheritance series.

October 22, 2013 marked the North American hardback publication of this edition and it was published by Knopf books for Young Readers.

ANALYSIS: When I got a chance to review Eragon’s 10th anniversary edition, I didn’t want to turn it down. Because
 (a) I wanted to see how it would hold up when I read it nearly 10 years ago as a fantasy newbie
 (b) This was a gorgeous special edition and being the book-whore collector that I’m, there was no way I could pass up this chance.

What I’m going to do in this review is that I’m going to focus simply on the story of Eragon and not the entire series and also stress the coolness of this special edition. When I had first read the story back in late 2003 in India, I had just about started reading fantasy and had recently finished Lord Of The Rings. I hadn’t seen Star Wars (the old and the new trilogy) and yet when I read this story written by a teenager, I found it to be an interesting read if not simply a good one. Did I see some of the similarities between Tolkien’s magnum opus and Paolini’s debut; the answer would be yes, but I thought at that point that this was an interesting version told by a kid as was The Sword Of Shannara.

Fast forward to a decade later, when I’m re-reading this story after being massively disappointed by Eldest & giving up on the Inheritance series, still haven’t seen the Star Wars films and after reading quite a lot in fantasy. This time around my read wasn’t as smooth as my first one. Here’s what the gist of the plot is about. Eragon is an orphan living with his uncle and cousin Roran in a small village in the farther corners of an empire. His luck changes when he finds a smooth blue egg-shaped stone that hatches into a blue-scaled dragon.

He bonds with the dragon who calls her Saphira and then learns about what it might mean to be a dragon rider if he can survive long enough in his training. That’s how the story begins and soon Eragon and Saphira will become famous all across the lands of Alagaësia but not everyone who seeks them is a friend. The story then twists and turns as the reader is strung along and soon discovers that there’s more to this story than what was assumed. The story is told entirely through Eragon’s eyes and thus the reader slowly gets introduced to the intricacies of the world and the magic within. The author takes care never to overwhelm the readers at any time while doing out bits of history and world info that are interlaced through the dialogue.

The book has a reasonable pace that will keep the readers racing along and especially has a terrific, action-packed climax. This book also has six interior art pieces by these artists: John Jude Palancar, Michael Hague, Donato Giancola, Ciurelo, Raoule Vitale and one piece by the author himself. Another thing that works well within the story is the action sequences, the first half of the story is not quite action packed. But the second half more than makes up for it as the story races towards a terrific climax. The pace is also something that picks up as the story progresses and while it is a bit stagnant in the first few chapters, it does get better.

Now on to the things that make this book such a divisive one, the book’s plot seems very akin to Star Wars and also seems to have a strong inkling of Lord Of The Rings with its generous usage of terms and names that sound a lot similar to those found in the seminal fantasy epic. There’s also the “orphan/chosen one“ trope that the plot heartily plays out on, while this would be entertaining if you are reading it for the first time. But after reading a reasonable amount of fantasy books, this trope as well the story doesn’t quite generate the same amount of attention. But here’s why I still think that this book deserves some accolades, it was written by a teenager (15-17) and on that level, it’s quite a fun read.

Most writers don’t churn out original, path-breaking stuff during that age or much less get published with it. It’s to his and his parents’ perseverance that he got published and has gone on to such divisive fame (or infamy if you will, based on all the dislike as seen on Goodreads). So on that note, I must say that this book will continue to charm and inflame its readers but it can’t be completely discounted. This edition does spruce up that fact and so for readers who loved this story, this edition is a must have with its interior art.

CONCLUSION: The 10th anniversary edition of Eragon is a fine one; it’s a nice homage to a book that launched Christopher Paolini’s career. This book doesn’t have changes in the story but combined with the cool interior art, it does look quite regal. Which I believe is what the publishers and author was aiming for. So Eragon fans, if you don’t mind the price, then this book is a cool addition to your library.

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Order the anthology HERE 
Read Fantasy Book Critic's review of Armageddon Bound
Read Fantasy Book Critic's review of Resurrection 
Read Fantasy Book Critic's review of At The Gates and Betrayal
Read Fantasy Book Critic's review of Echoes Of The Past 
Read Fantasy Book Critic's review of Beyond The Veil
Read Fantasy Book Critic's review of From Hell
Read Fantasy Book Critic interview with Tim Marquitz 

EDITOR INFORMATION: Tim Marquitz is the author of the Demon Squad series, and the Sepulchral Earth serial stories. He is also an editor, a heavy metal aficionado, a Mixed Martial Arts fan, and is also a member of the Live Action Role Playing organization. When he’s not busy writing dark stories, which catch his imagination he also manages to go about his day job. Tim lives in El Paso, Texas with his wonderful family.

EDITOR INFORMATION: Tyson Mauermann was born and raised in Tacoma, Washington. He graduated from the Eastern Washington University with degrees in History, Geography, and Satellite Imagery Analysis. He later went back to the University of Washington to receive his Teaching Certificate and his Masters in Education. After several years of teaching English and History in public schools he was bit by the travel bug and in 2009, he packed his bags and flew to South Korea where he teaches English to middle school students at a public school.

Tyson is constantly reading something whether it is fantasy, science fiction, history or a book that attempts to teach him how to speak Korean so that it can make his life easier when ordering a chilled and frosty adult beverage. He currently lives with his wife in American northwest.

OVERVIEW/ANALYSIS: This anthology was something I was looking forward for twofold reasons:
 a) It focusses on urban fantasy, a favorite sub-genre of mine.
 b) Because Tim and Tyson were helming this project. Both of whom are capable editors in themselves and also are good friends of mine.

The blurb can be read here and I'll be commenting about each story as it simply helps in elucidating what I liked and disliked about each story (apologies in advance for its length):

Rev by Kirk Dougal – The anthology opener is one that focuses on Revenants and the protagonist of the story is one seeking escape from his undead lifestyle. An old Welsh legend might be the key to his salvation but can he beat fate? This story was an interesting one with an odd twist to the usual zombie story and the way it ended made me curious as to whether a sequel would be written. A good opener if not a stellar one.

I’m an Animal. You’re an Animal, Too by Zachary Jernigan – The first thing I liked about the story was the title and coming from Zachary, I didn’t quite know what to expect from this one. The story is simply about an initiation unlike any other and with enough doses of savagery and black humor made this story the first gem in this collection. Dark, brutal and with a few cameos, IAAYAAT gives us the first clue that this is not like most other urban fantasy anthologies, very highly recommended!

Los Lagos Heat by Karina Fabian – Los Lagos Heat focuses on Vern and is a short story from The Case Files of DragonEye series. In this world wherein the Faerie and the Mundane have met and struck up awkward symbiosis of sorts, Vern gets handed a case of a missing dryad. Of course nothing is as ever simple in any P.I. story and in this one, there’s crime, magic and gods muddying the waters. An interesting story with a good conclusion, Karina Fabian really intrigues the reader via her protagonist Vern and the curious world he calls his abode. Another fun and intriguing addition to this collection.

Savage Rise by Adam Millard – Savage Rise is the second time I've come across any of Adam Millard’s work, rest assured it won’t be the last. Savage Rise focuses on Frank who recalls the horrific event he underwent nearly a year ago in Birmingham, UK. This story has quite a bit of horror to it and the way the story expands, readers will be hooked to see what happens in the end. I loved this dark tale and should the author expand it to a novella or book, I would among the first in line to buy a copy.

Front Lines, Big City by Timothy Baker – This story was something more in line with Myke Cole’s Shadow Ops series and features an unnamed narrator who is caught up with a terrible situation. This short almost seemed like a chapter out of a longer story and perhaps left me with a longing to read it in its entirety. For some that might be a plus and for others, it might be detracting so it will be up to the reader to decide. Overall it was an interesting story.

Break Free by Ryan Lawler – The way the author had paraphrased writing this story was his story would mix Matthew Reilly’s explosive story style with magic and it is a very high-octane story. Max is the protagonist who is trying to break free his father from a prison high up in the clouds. A fast-paced story that has a huge, serious twist in the end, this was another plus point for this collection.

Naked the Night Sings by Teresa Frohock – This was another story, whose title was attention-grabbing, plus it was written by Teresa Frohock and so I was assured of two things; elegant prose and dark settings. Not only does the author does her best in creating a rich, dark atmosphere but she also goes about creating admirable characters who leave you hooked onto the story. Another fine dark gem from an author who is fast becoming a solid favorite of mine.

Double Date by Andrew Moczulski – This was another surprise in this collection. Focusing on two individuals who take different routes to get to the same pest, the author explores a neat concept. The story is told through the eyes of Eric Margrave who is a hunter and has a strange partner. His most recent mission however will bring him into more trouble and a competitor as well. A great urban fantasy short with a strong narrative voice.

That Old Tree by R.L. Treadway – This was a very confusing story set in a neighborhood with a typical cast of characters. The way the author has written it can be a tad cumbersome in regards to the actual happenings in the story and some of the dialogue of the narrator. A tale about retribution that is seen through the eyes of an ancient one, That Old Tree was a story that will liked depending upon your temperament.

Dharmasankat by Abhinav Jain – This was another favorite of mine as Abhinav Jain basically subverted urban fantasy with an Indian twist and also at the same time, used a cool mythological story to tie it in with his set up. The story focuses on Vikram, a warrior in training to be a Dharmayoddha. He gets tasked to deal with a rather obnoxious guru whose wishes seem to be unholy to say the least. A very nice story which will require some understanding of Indian terms and mythology and another strong, diverse addition to this fabulous collection.

Nephilim by TSP Sweeney – This one was first story to focus on angels and it had a good noir-ish edge to it. Focussing on Dantalion, a fallen angel who is hunting the source of a new drug called “neph” in Hong Kong. Dantalion soon finds that there are more things in Heaven and earth than thought of by Horatio or him and that might soon be the end of him. A taut story which has a nice twisted ending, Nephilim reminded me a lot of the indie horror Gabriel, with a tad touch of Tad Williams’ current trilogy. Another shining effort from this collection.

Toejam & Shrapnel by Nickolas Sharps – What can I say about this story, simply other than this story was best in terms of fun and subversion of urban fantasy tropes. Beginning with a quirky title, the author neatly lays down a clichéd story about a writer named Cathan Keene who is trying to write his new mystery while being in a locked room of sorts. Pretty soon he finds out that things are going south at a rate he can’t manage and thus he finds himself in the company of our titular characters. What happens next is something that you will have to find out yourself as after finishing this story, I proclaimed myself (with the blessings of the author) as the first T & S fan. A highly enjoyable story that mixes fun, intrigue, death & Middle eastern mythology in a combination that is almost unheard of. Very highly recommended and possibly one of the top three stories in this collection.

Green Grow the Rashes by William Meikle – This was a strange story and perhaps one that I didn't quite understand. The story opens up with a person who via his monologue explains certain things about the environment and the plot happenings. A story that will perhaps endear itself to certain readers who enjoy an understated approach.

Under the Dragon Moon by Jonathan Pine – This was a story that felt as if it was a chapter of a larger book or at least part of a series of shorts or novellas. Kyle is a person who has lost his love and soon finds that there might be people who had a hand in it. They however don’t know what they might be facing. Another short that has a tense ending and leaves the reader wanting to know more about what has happened previously & also what could happen.

Gold Dust Woman by Kenny Soward – Gold dust Woman is a story that takes several different elements and genres to combine itself into an urban fantasy beast, which is one of a kind. Celix is a drug addict who is running away from troubles that cant be contained. Unfortunately for her, her pursuers have sent someone that could be a friend. Whom does she trust and can she still find the power within her to say no and survive. A story that ends on a totally unpredictable note, Kenny Soward showcases some deft skills with this one.

Wizard’s Run by Joshua S. Hill – Wizard’s Run is a story that leaks the plot with its title. The eponymous wizard of the story is shown to be running through the streets of Melbourne (Australia) while being pursued by an unknown number of assailants. Those who are familiar with the city might very well enjoy the author’s descriptions and factoids about the city which are liberally sprinkled throughout. The ending is a quick one and with a nice hook left for sequel stories to follow.

Chains of Gray by Betsy Dornbusch – Chains of Grey is a story set in recent times but occurs in an unnamed place. Suriel is the protagonist of the story and also a Grigori, despised by the angels for his love of mankind. However recent angel deaths have forced Gabriel to seek his aid and when Suriel discovers who is behind all of it, he will be forced to make a tough decision. Another story featuring angels but one that showcases their internecine struggles. Betsy Dornbusch keeps the story moving at a rapid pace but doesn't quite manage to make it entirely unpredictable.

Bloody Red Sun of Fantastic LA by Jake Elliot – This story had an intriguing title and it featured angels and demons particularly focusing on Mikael and Ba’al. The author does a terrific job in describing a confrontation between the two aforementioned entities in the streets of Los Angeles and over it. However after finishing it, I couldn't really say that it had the narrative strength of the its predecessors nor did it offer anything different from the other stories featuring angels.

Queen’s Blood by Lincoln Crisler – Queen’s Blood was a story that features a guy called Max who retrieves things for people who can’t be helped by the police. In his most recent case, he’s trying to recover a young girl who’s been kidnapped and also figure out who is behind it all. A quirky story that features a very likable protagonist with a fascinating condition, Queen’s Blood will easily leave you wanting more of Max.

Beneath a Scalding Moon by Jeff Salyards – This was another surprise for me, I didn't know what to expect from Jeff Salyards and he further compounded it by having a story that mixes Desperate Housewives with True Blood. Cassie is the protagonist of the story that has a cavalier attitude towards life and her sexual partners. Going gung-ho she discovers that perhaps all is not well with her, but the optimist that she is, she never lets it get in the way of her next lay. A very weird story that will have a few chuckling and others shaking their heads, but the audacity of the author in presenting this story can’t be questioned. A very different UF story that shows the scope of this collection.

Separation Anxiety by J.M. Martin – Separation Anxiety was a surprising story that incorporates several mythologies and also showcases a post-apocalyptic theme smartly. To reveal more about the story is spoilery so I would leave it for the reader to discover its charm. An interesting story mix that has an equally interesting plot to go with it.

Blessing and Damnation by Wilson Geiger – A story about what happens when a demon decides to break all accord and nomenclature that has been set since the heavenly war. Norshael is the other demon chosen to stop the previous one and his task has him co-opting a human body whose owner might be more than what he thought. A surprisingly brisk story which leaves the reader asking for more of Norshael.

Jesse Shimmer Goes to Hell by Lucy A. Snyder – Lucy Snyder brings up the last story in this intrepid collection and she focuses on her debut series character Jesse Shimmer. Jesse is forced to look for a person named Miko however Miko might not entirely amiable to being found. The story has a breakneck pace and ends on a surprising note. Quite a strong finish to this collection.

CONCLUSION: Tim and Tyson have compiled quite an eclectic collection of stories, they encompass the vast swath in the urban fantasy sub-genre and some push the line even further. I happen to be a fan of urban fantasy and therefore this collection was a gem in that regard. Perhaps a tad extra focus was provided on angels but each story highlighted a new aspect dealing with angels and so my complaints were muted.

Some of the stories like those by Zachary Jernigan, Teresa Frohock, Nick Sharps and Adam Millard were absolutely delightful and in my view the ones I enjoyed the most. While those by Ryan Lawler, Abhinav Jain, TPS Sweeney, Jeff Salyards, Lincoln Crisler showcased the innovative twists and plots as devised by the authors. All in all this is a must have and must read for any UF fan and those lamenting the pitfalls seen in this genre.