Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

These are 14 long novellas or short books, having many things in common. In general this is an anthology for the young female teenager who likes clean romantic stories masquerading as paranormal thrillers. Although written by different authors, practically all are following the same prescription. A young girl/woman (15-23) with a dark tragedy in her life (abandoned by a parent, lost a parent in a mysterious accident, never knew who her parent/s was/were, etc...) is resigned to being different. This usually means no friends, weird friends, paranormal friends, or any combination thereof. The heroine also appears not to have the usual requirements for popularity with her age-group males and/or females. This includes being poorly endowed in the mammary department, not dressing to kill or flirt, not flirting, not gossiping and reading math textbooks or Jane Austen. Moreover, the heroine has already discovered, or is about to discover her paranormal talents that vary from clairvoyance and telekinesis to talking with animals, trolls, vampires, or any other para-vermin. Each is drawn into blood-curdling life and spirit threatening situations, from which they manage to escape, usually with the help of opportune handsome paranormal hunk. Ther first novel is sticky sweet to a point of slight nausea. Only one of the stories captured my imagination to the degree requiring to read it from the beginning to the end. This was "I Bring the Fire" by C. Gockel. It is written with enough humor and zest to satisfy my taste. Besides, it describes the Norse deities as super-human but not quite divine. This story alone would get from me 3.5 stars, but...But I immediately take away a point for again using the despicable stratagem to leave you suspended at the most unlikely moment in order to entice you to buy the obligatory sequel. Entrapment that should be punishable by a compulsive literary evening with warewolves and trolls, and the authors of the other novellas. The other twelve seem to be merely boring and absurd, but not terrible.If you're into this kind of escapist pulp, this collection offers hours upon hours of fully forgettable experience.