Review: Fantasy, fairy tales, romance, and sci-fi - all well written
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 08 29, 2012
This is an anthology and sampler combination. It includes stories by five authors, followed by some excerpts from their books. The stories and excerpts are lengthy. I actually don't have a favorite. They were all equally good, and all worthy of five stars."Legacy Lost" is a romance story about mermen and mermaids followed by an excerpt from the book "Of Poseidon." Although "Legacy" can be a stand alone story, it is probably a preface to the book."The Witch of Duva" has all the characters of Hansel and Gretel but a slightly differing plot. It's followed by an excerpt from the unrelated (probably) fantasy book "Shadow & Bone," about two orphans trained for the military. The excerpt gives just a glimpse into the settings and characters of this complex world."The Prophet" is less a stand alone story because of lack of ending, and is a preface to the book "Struck." Both main characters are struck by lightening and seem to have acquired gifts from the strike."Dress Your Marines in White" is an "evil scientist" sci-fi story set in the near future. It's followed by an excerpt from the book "Monument 14." The story is  unrelated (probably) to the book. In the book teenagers are hit by a giant hailstorm while on the bus to school, and seek shelter in a superstore. This book sounded intriguing."Glitches" is a kind of Cinderella-cyborg story. 11-year-old Cinder is adopted by a family in New Beijing after her family is killed in Europe. She is left with an artificial hand and leg after the accident, and later discovers some interesting programming in her brain. This story isn't followed by another excerpt of a book, only an ad for the book "Cinder."