Kitty’s Greatest Hits
Carrie Vaughn
Tor, Aug 16 2011, $25.99
ISBN 9780765326966

This super fourteen short story collection consist of twelve that are clearly in Kitty’s sphere though the most popular werewolf talk show personality only appears in five of them. Cormac stars in two (with Ben in “Looking After Family” and in the excellent tale of his haunting “Long Time Waiting”). Additionally T.J. stars in “Wild Ride” and Emma from “Kitty Takes Washington” heats the sheets in “Life Is The Teacher”. Rick stars twice as Ricardo in Conquistador de la Noche” and with Kitty in “The Temptation of Robin Green”. Finally there is also Jake the vampire who called the night radio host complaining about how his life literally sucks in “Kitty and the Silver Bullet”; this is what happened to him after his “You’re on the Air” fifteen minutes of fame. Obviously for fans of the Kitty universe who will howl with delight even with two cleverly well written historical paranormal entries (A Princess of Spain and The Book of Daniel) that do not belong within Kitty’s Greatest Hits.

Harriet Klausner

The Thackery T. Lambshead Cabinet of Curiosities: Exhibits, Oddities, Images, and Stories from Top Authors and Artists
Edited by Ann and Jeff Vandermeer
Harper Voyager, Jul 12 2011, $22.99
ISBN: 9780062109927

Thackery T. Lambshead explained to his friends he was not a collector or pack rat of any sort. In fact, he felt he was the opposite trying to properly dispose of things though somehow items had a tendency over his century plus of life to find him. Still with his death in 2003, he left behind an incredible cabinet of curiosities in Brook, England. The Broadmore Exhibits include Tesla’s “The Electric Nuerheographiton (by Minister Faust) and Dacey’s Patent Automatic nanny (by Ted Chiang). The Cabinet has also has noted authors wiring about aspects like China Mieville’s “Pulvadmonitor: The Dust’s Warning” and Naomi Novik’s thesis on Lord Dunsany’s Teapot”. Then of course there are Dr. Lambshead’s astounding journals in which he holds the west culpable for many transgressions.

The second Dr. Lambshead’s anthology (see The Thackery T. Lambshead Pocket Guide to Eccentric and Discredited Diseases) is incredible with stories and pictures that make Thackery T. Lambshead’s Cabinet of Curiosities seem real rather than a steampunk fantasy collection. Loaded with plenty of fun, well written entries, and fabulous designs and photos, readers, especially young adults, will spend several weeks appreciating this engaging compilation. Each relic reminds this reviewer of the ending to the TV show the Naked City: “There are eight million stories” in Dr. Lambshead’s Cabinet and each one is worth reading and seeing.

Harriet Klausner

Kitty’s Big Trouble
Carrie Vaughn
Tor, Jun 28 2011, $7.99
ISBN: 9780765365651

Kitty Norville, alpha pack werewolf and radio show host of the talk show Midnight Hour, is curious as to what roles did the supernatural play in American History. At present she tries to prove that General William T. Sherman was a were, but all efforts to find answers seem blocked. She did learn from her vampire friend Rick that Wyatt Earp was a vampire.

She and her husband Ben go to Dodge City to see if they can verify the Earp claim, but encounter a vampire who dies in front of them. The deceased was wearing a Roman coin around his neck; which means he was controlled by the evil vampire Roman. Vampire Anastasia asks Kitty to visit her in San Francisco because Roman is there looking for the powerful artifact Dragon’s Tear. She needs Kitty, Ben and his cousin Cormac to distract Roman while Anastasia obtains the relic. When Kitty shows Anastasia the coin worn by the dead vampire, the Bay area vamp shows her the exact coin. She says Roman is close to possessing Dragon’s Tear, which will enable him to build an invincible army. Prevention is no longer an option; as they must risk their lives to take the artifact from the malevolent vampire.

Kitty’s latest adventures starts off with en entertaining look at history from a paranormal perspective, but quickly turns into a deadly threat to their wellbeing. Gender bender role switches as Kitty is the alpha and Ben the submissive beta in their pack (and relationship); her confidence in her skills including leadership grows. Humans know that the others exist, but most keep their distance as the vampires and weres have their old alien cultures. Series fans will enjoy the latest urban fantasy entry (see Kitty Goes to War) as Kitty and cohorts battle evil.

Harriet Klausner

Warcry
Elizabeth Vaughan
Berkley, May 3 2011, $7.99
ISBN 9780425241523

Recently a Warprize, Queen Lara may be carrying the Warlord Keir’s child, but knows she must return home to the Kingdom of Xy to claim the throne for herself and her heir. Heath has protected Xy throughout her perilous adventures on the dangerous Plains. He looks forward to seeing family when they get home, but fears for the safety of his childhood friend when they reach the city; as politics is literally a backstabbing betrayal activity.

Heath also tries to persuade Atria of the Bear warrior that they belong together. However, though she is attracted to him, she loathes the idea of living in the city as she prefers the plains. As they accompany the Queen and Keir home, they protect Lara from assassins and a treacherous schemer.

The latest Chronicles of the Warlands is a terrific romantic fantasy as Elizabeth Vaughn enables readers to observe the cultural and social differences between the people of the Kingdom of Xy and those living on the Plains. The story line is loaded with action, but it is the dramatic differences in outlook between Heath and Atria that makes the brisk tale so powerful, refreshing and entertaining. Sub-genre fans will ponder whether he can move his irresistible beloved female warrior to accept their love; while also protecting his friend, the pregnant Queen.

Harriet Klausner

Vampire Dragon
Annette Blair
Berkley, Apr 5 2011, $7.99
ISBN: 9780425240526

The Roman legionnaires were fighting when Killian the crone of Chaos cursed them; changing them into dragons and propelling them into an alternate reality on the Island of Stars. They have waited for centuries to come home as humans. Two millennia after the banishment spell they finally gain a chance due to Killian’s enemy Andra who enables one at a time to return to Earth as a human in search of his soulmate.

Darkwyn Dragonelli arrives on earth after entering the mist. He is euphorically shocked to see her as he manifests nude at Bronte’s club in Salem a hangout for vampires, undead hopefuls and tourists. Bronte’s friend Vivica the dragon liaison manages to keep her friend from calling the cops. Struggling to adapt, Darkwyn gets a position as a vampire master at Bronte’s club. He becomes close to his soulmate’s son Zachary and has hopes Bronte will know they belong together. However she has dark secrets and enemies while he has a crone insuring he fails.

The third Words Like Magic urban romantic fantasy is a terrific often amusing thriller as Darkwyn struggles to adapt to an earth much different from the one he was exiled from and to persuade Bronte they belong together. Because the Blair mythos is extremely complicated, newcomers should start at the beginning with Naked Dragon and Bedeviled Angel. The new readers will agree with fans that, even though the tone is similar to the Beauty and the taming of the Beast theme of its predecessors, that Darkwyn’s efforts to save his soul though love is a terrific tale.

Harriet Klausner

Zombies! An Illustrated History of the Undead
Jovanka Vuckovic
St. Martin’s Griffin, Mar 15 2011, $17.99
ISBN: 9780312656508

Perhaps the most popular Zombie fever advocate is movie director George A. Romero who began the current craze with his classic Night of the Living Dead in 1968. Since then Zombies are a feature of comic books, novels and movies. However, though this terrific reference book devotes about Zombies in the recent decades, the fun in this collection is the less known earlier periods. Thus the first four chapters are insightful and fascinating as the roots in Haiti, the literature of Poe and Shelley; the early films like the Living Dead and of course the Romero flesh feasts. Ironically though the slaves whispered of the dead walking at night, it is in the late nineteenth century the first zombie mania became an American public phenomena due to the work of journalist Patrick Hearne. The next wave is kicked off by EC comics, Romero and the Spanish zombie invasion. Finally there is choices when one enters Zombieland as readers will enjoy being on the menu due to the graphic illustrations enhancing the engaging historical look at peeling flesh via all types of multimedia sources; just keep hand lotion handy.

Harriet Klausner

Deathless
Catherynne M. Valente
Tor, Mar 29 2011, $24.99
ISBN 9780765326300

The city has changed names several times over the past century, but currently is called St. Petersburg as everything goes full circle. On Gorokhovaya Street, Marya Morevna was six years old when she saw the bird turn into Lieutenant Gratch of the Tsar’s Personal Guard who came to take away her older sister Olga with him. Three years later Lieutenant Zuyok of the White Guard also changed as he came for Tatiana. Finally when Marya was twelve Lieutenant Shulan of the Red Army arrived for the third daughter Anna. Watching the birds change to men come for her older sisters leaves Marya musing over the type of bird her mate will be.

Koschei the Deathless Tsar of Life arrives for his woman, Marya. However, she must prove herself worthy as Koschei’s mate. In that regard Baba Yaga tasks Marya with three impossible assignments; failure to compete all three proves she is not the mate of the Deathless Tsar of Life. Marya begins her Herculean tasks, Marya starts to lose her humanity until she meets the innocent Ivan “The Fool” Nikolayevich, who pulls her back to Mother Russia; leaving her confused with one foot in Koschei’s realm and one in the land of her ancestors.

This is a terrific complicated retelling of a Russian folktale that uses The Revolution era as a backdrop to the saga; in fact Marya becomes a Major-General in the Red Army. Fast-paced with a strong protagonist who keeps the engaging story line focused; readers will appreciate this intriguing look at Bolshevik Russia through a fantasy lens.

Harriet Klausner

My Soul To Steal
Rachel Vincent
Harlequin Teen, Jan 1 2011, $9.99
ISBN: 9780373210275

While Nash suffers excoriating withdrawal pains from the Netherworld’s addicted Demon’s Breath his maybe girlfriend Kaylee feels betrayed by his actions (see My Soul To Keep). He knows she is not ready to talk while she misses him after two weeks of no Nash. However, Kaylee wants a serene spring term at school after the nightmarish previous semester that no sixteen years old girl, even a Banshee like her, should ever face.

However, their chance to reconcile their differences takes a tortuous spin towards hell when Nash’s former girlfriend Sabine the Mara transfers to their school. She has arrived with one goal: to win back her boyfriend and any means to achieve her end is acceptable. The Mara uses her skill to read fear and turn that trepidation into a nightmare. as subsistence. She turns up the fear factor to the point people especially her adversary Kaylee cannot sleep due to the nightmares that have their souls screaming for solace as increasingly their dreams are literally killing them.

The fourth Soul Screamers teenage urban fantasy (see My Soul To Save) is a fabulous complex relationship thriller as what Sabine wants Sabine gets. The fast-paced story line is driven by the relational triangulation as the female banshee struggles with her feelings made into something to fear by her vicious rival. My Soul To Steal is much more personal in nature than the powerful previous three tales.

Harriet Klausner

After the Golden Age
Carrie Vaughn
Tor, Apr 12 2011, $24.99
ISBN: 9780765325556

In Commerce City, Celia West the forensic accountant is fortunate that the Olympiad superheroes protect her because she keeps getting kidnapped. She is the daughter of the group’s leaders Suzanne known as the Spark because of her ability to create and control fire and Warren endowed with super speed and strength. However, Celia is estranged from her parents as she wants to live a normal life working assets and liabilities that are numbers and not fighting supervillains with masks and powers.

Currently she is looking into the records of supervillain Destructor seeking proof of tax fraud. When his case comes to court, her relationships through her parents to the alleged felon are exposed. This costs her the job and her friends while widening the rift with her parents. As a crime wave hits the city and with too much idle time on her hands, Celia sees a pattern that ties all the felonious activity to one person. She uses the supercomputer at the Olympiad headquarters trying to uncover the identity of this diabolical mastermind, but also learns much about the yin yang births of superheroes and supervillains.

Carrie Vaughn is a superhero of an author as she deftly switches voices and worlds with her different series (see Kitty the werewolf tales). The story line obviously pays homage to the Golden and Silver Ages of comic books with the twist of an accountant working the numbers to bring down supervillains. Readers root for Celia who they hope reconciles with her parents and obtains self-esteem as she fears she can never live up to the legends her parents are. Filled with pathos and a touch of romance as well as plenty of POW! And AM! Fans will enjoy the silver adventures of the offspring of two Golden Age heroes.

Harriet Klausner

Visions of Magic
Regan Hastings
Signet, Feb 1 2011, $7.99
ISBN: 9780451232465

Although not at fault as it was an avaricious coven that almost destroyed the world in their power grab centuries ago, Torin the Eternal Guardian and his peers were forced to wait centuries impatiently for the magic to reawaken so that he would finally be with his reincarnated witch. Like a cosmic joke the Reawakening has begun a decade ago in Long Beach, California. A warrior he seeks his mate.

The power seekers use the reemergence of witches as a social divide issue. Witches are hunted and burned as obscene pariahs. Lincoln Middle School teacher Shea Jameson’s aunt was executed as a witch, so her niece scampers from one locale to the next. Upset by what one of her students said happened to her mom, when a mugger tries to steal her purse using a knife, she reacts by calling for fire. Immediately, those in the school parking lot become a mob calling her witch. Torin saves her but she is now hunted. He knows she is his destiny, but as they team up with other such pairings, they must erect a potentially lethal artifact while the government leaders send mercenaries to hunt them down.

The first Awakening urban romantic fantasy uses the premise that government and other patriots act by ignoring the First Amendment rights under the guise of national security; which in real American history has occurred. Using that theme of a race hunted down i.e., Japanese-Americans sent to camps during WWII), Regan Hastings provides a powerful but dark thriller. The story line is fast-paced with deep characterizations that make the Awakening of magic seem real. However, it is the underlying social issue of burning the Bill of Rights that makes this a terrific cautionary tale; mindful of Benjamin Franklin’s warning: “They who would give up an essential liberty for temporary security, deserve neither liberty or security”.

Harriet Klausner