Review: 4.5 stars. 3 different authors for 3 stories set in the same world
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 10 9, 2011
4.5 stars. I really enjoyed this collection of short stories. They are all set in Parmas, a city where powerful sorcerers use spells and demons' parts to enhance technology or produce consumer goods. They live side by side with humans. We gather that sorcerers used to rule Parmas with an iron fist, but they had to restrain their powers and be more magnanimous to humans and demons alike. The Hell Cops - a law enforcement unity which apprehends loose demons or rogue sorcerers - help maintain the peace and order in the city. The three stories all takes place here, but the three different authors tell the story of one particular couple. I liked them all for different reasons.Next of Kin by Astrid Amara.Jay Yervant is a hell cop who comes from one of the richest families in Parmas. He is a loner because he is a sort of freak of nature even in a city like Parmas: he can't touch anybody because he literally burns. He doesn't fit in his family and he doesn't really fit in the police force either, because he could kill or maim people with a simple touch. One night he meets Brian Day, a young man working in a hospital, who casually touches him without being affected by Jay's condition. Brian is a special man: he is in Parmas looking for the father he's never known. He is young, handsome, naive. Jay is drawn to him for these reasons and because Brian seems to be involved in his investigation, but especially because he craves someone's touch.I think this story was the more complete in terms of world building and the most satisfying in terms of plot. I liked seeing how the younger and more naive character was also the sex expert, while the big tough cop was the more inexperienced. I wish this aspect of their interaction had been given more space.Red Sands by Nicole Kimberling.Michael Gold is a half demon working as a Professor. While returning from a trip between worlds, he ends up together with the corpse of a man. Initially Michael seems the killer and Argent is the hell cop who apprehends him. It doesn't take much to learn that the two of them have history and to clear Michael of all accusations, but still it seems someone near Michael must be the killer and the two investigate together.I liked very much Michael and it probably was so much more interesting than Argent that I didn't feel the connection between the two protagonists. I also think that the ending felt a bit rushed. The most interesting aspect was Michael's halfling nature that prevents him to fit completely in Parmas' world, since there is a sort of prejudice against demons. Argent and Michael should be enemies, but the attraction is too strong. I wish there had been more pages to develop this part of the story.Touching Sparks by Ginn Hale.James and Moran are my favorite couple. Moran, the hell cop, has known James since when he was a child, but little James, a photographer, now is all grown up and is helping Moran with an investigation. James has been attracted to Moran since forever, but he doesn't know how to approach the older and aloof man. Something happened to Moran in the past, we gather that he lost his lover in a traumatic way, and now he seems unable to reach out to someone else. He is attracted to James, he is concerned about his safety, but at the same time he takes no step to learn if James might be interested, he doesn't know if he should act on his attraction.I like stories where there is an age gap and there's the awkwardness of having known someone since when they were children. Moran seems afraid of spoiling James' innocence, as symbolized by his lean and beautiful body which Moran has to heal night after night. There is a very beautiful anticipation, that's why I would have preferred behind-door intimacy.I think all stories had a different degree of sweetness, which I wasn't expecting from these tough guys and in this setting, and they are all beautifully written. The fact that there are three different authors is not disruptive and even if each one of them had a different approach to the world and story, the quality is overall high.