Review: Great start to a new series!
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 06 4, 2014
**Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy**ACES WILD is, in my opinion, a perfect start to the new Sin City Collectors series, which features an interesting premise in that the installments will be written by different authors. Since I already like Amanda Carlson’s other series, I was excited to see what she would bring to a totally different setting and characters. I was not disappointed. Though short, ACES WILD manages to pack in action and romance and enough of a hook to bring me back for the next story.In ACES WILD, Carlson manages to introduce us to the idea of the Collectors, plus the supernatural world they inhabit, all without being too heavy-handed about it. This includes such paranormal beings like vampires, dhampirs, nymphs, witches, hellhounds, and more. The Collectors themselves, with the mysterious boss, and weekly assignments, are also fascinating , and since we’re introduced to the organization through Neve’s, and to some extent, Jake’s eyes, we get just enough detail to pique curiosity, leaving lots to be discovered in the future while still giving the basics so the story makes sense.At the beginning prickly Neve and sexy Jake don’t seem like they’re right for each other (I know I was  rooting for Jake to find somebody sweeter) but by the end, I was  convinced. Sparks fly when these two get together, and though the time period of the story is short, they have a clear back-story, which makes their romance more believable than if they had just magically fallen in love over the course of a few hours. I was actually surprised at how much I felt I knew the characters by the end of the novella, since it wasn’t very long (my only complaint – I would not have minded a longer story). They’re well written and multidimensional, and their interactions felt effortless.Like I said, I’m definitely going to be back for more of the Sin City Collectors. The whole idea of a series being written by different authors – including Kristin Painter, Angie Fox and Shawntelle Madison (all authors we’ve reviewed and enjoyed here at All Things Urban Fantasy) – is fun, plus the concept is creative and leaves a lot to be explored. If this first installment is any  indication, the whole series will be a lot of fun, and I can’t wait to see who we get to meet next.