Review of Burning Up (anthology)



Burning Up (goodreads.com)



Mass Market Paperback, 350 pages

Published August 3rd 2010 by Berkley

ISBN13: 9780425235959

Series: Psy-Changeling #8.5, Children of the Sea #3.5, Iron Seas 0.5

4 Stars

3 Flames (anthologies really are TOO short)

Whisper of Sin by Nalini Singh (homepage): I am one of those people that when I am reading a series I follow it order, including all anthologies. I do not want to miss anything. This one can be read anywhere in the series. The readers a given the back story to Ria, Lucas’s office administrator at Dark River Constructions headquarters. This story takes place before the first book. The readers learn how Ria came to be Lucas’s employee and how she meet her Changeling mate Emmett.

Blood and Roses by Angela Knight (homepage): I really need to read her books. I have read a hand full of short stories from various anthologies by Knight. She always delivers a great original sexy love story. As far as I can tell this is not part of any series. Amaris is a Blood Rose who is being forced to help an evil wizard. She finds an ally in sexy vampire Raniero.

Shifting Sea by Virginia Kantra (homepage): This short story can be read at any point in the Children of the Sea series. It takes place in 1812 Scotland. Morwenna is of the fin folk. She is trying to prove to her twin brother Morgan that she is capable of living on her own, out of the ocean. Jack has just returned, scared from battle to take his inheritance of a distant relative’s estate.

Here There Be Monsters by Meljean Brook (homepage): This story will make any reader kick themselves for not reading Brook’s Iron Seas series sooner! This is by far the best short story in the book. I loved the world she created. No one seems to be an unaltered human in it. Many characters have mechanical limbs or nanoagents living in their bodies. I cannot wait to read how fascinating this world will be in a full length book.

Shifter

Overall this is the best anthology that I have ever read. I can also honestly say I wish each of the stories were longer. I enjoyed each individual story immensely! This is a 5 star, 5 flame read across the board.

Mad Dog Love by Angela Knight, 5 stars, 5 flames. I knew the moment the year was mentioned that I would like this story, 2450. Knight has given us a futuristic sci-fi world of space travel, werewolves, empires and zero gravity sex. Rance has been betrayed by a comrade and sold into slavery. Zarifa, a supposed party girl future empress is running from a fiancé and trying to turn the kingdom over to the rightful emperor. This is a great story! I must say the zero gravity sex was HOT, also first time I had read this. The relationship between Rance and Zarifa progresses at a good pace. They have a few hurdles to jump, but this is a short story so there are not too many pages to work a huge amount into.

A Jaguars Kiss by Lora Leigh, 5 stars, 5 flames. This is #15 of the Breed series. Natalie is the new teacher at the Breed school at Buffalo Gap. The handsome Cajun Saban has been appointed her bodyguard. As with all Breed books and stories there is plenty of sexual tension. To add a good conflict to the story we have an ex-husband with nefarious plans.

Shifter’s Lady by Alyssa Day, 5 stars, 5 flames.  This is 2.5 in the Warriors of Poseidon series. Ethan and Marie are our main characters. Ethan is a panther shifter. The attraction between the two characters is interesting. They are from different worlds and very different ways of life. Marie has spent her whole life on the ocean floor in Atlantis. Ethan is the Big Cypress pack leader. Day gives action and conflict in the story with a pack leader challenge and fight.

Sea Crossing by Virginia Kantra, 5 stars, 5 flames. This is the Children of the Sea prequel. This is a historical, not sure of the year it was never mentioned, nor do I consider it important. Griffith is a selkie. He has a seal pelt that he can wear and become a seal. He rescues Emma from a sinking ship that she has boarded in an attempt to flee her past. My only complaint about this story was the typical anger from one character when they find out the other character is not human. Why does the character always end up feeling betrayed or lied to? This is obviously a secret they must keep to protect themselves. The character keeping the secret will eventually tell the one it loves (end rant.)

Hot For the Holidays

Vampire’s Ball by Angela Knight: 4 stars 4 flames. This is number 9 in the Mageverse series. I have not read any of the series, but the author did a fantastic job of not confusing me. I figured this would a difficult story for me to get into. There are so few pages in the story, so many books into this series; I expected to be very confused. This was not the case. The author did not fill in the blanks through a ton of rehashing either, she explained the Mageverse world just enough for the story to flow. I enjoyed Ridge & Kat’s story. Their romance develops quickly, it has to. They have been put together so that he can assist her with activating her Gift. I am definitely intrigued enough about the Arthurian aspect of this story combined with vampires, werewolves and Majae, that I will read more this series.

A Little Night Magic by Allyson James: 4 Stars and 3 flames. This is the prequel to the Stormwalker series. This was something different! The author has combined Native American culture in a fantasy. This story is filled with Changers, shaman and skinwalkers. Jamison walked out of Naomi’s life two years ago with no explanation. Now he has stepped back into her life and brought trouble on his heels right to her doorstep. He has come back to protect her and also explain what has changed in him that caused him to leave in the first place. I will definitely be reading more of this series. The character Coyote seems like he will play a role as a cryptic helper in the future books.

Sweet Enchantment by Anya Bast: 2 Stars, 2 flames. This is the prequel to the Dark Magick series. If you are a reader that enjoys reading books about the Fae, Seelie and Unseelie Court, you will enjoy this series. I however have noticed it is not for me. I am also not a fan of a romance where there characters are rekindling a past relationship.

A Christmas Kiss by Lora Leigh: 4 Stars and 4 flames. This is number 20 in the Breed series. The story takes place at Haven the Wolf/Coyote compound in Colorado. This is Hawke & Jessica’s story. This story has similar conflicts to the Breed series other books. There is a completely non altered human & a breed. There are the trust hurtles that must be overcome. Of course, there is the ever present evil doer in the Breed compound who has evil intentions of killing as many Breeds as possible. The repetition of these books should get on my nerves, but they don’t. I LOVE the Breed series.