What do you think?
Rate this book
A never-before-published Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter story from New York Times bestselling author Laurell K. Hamilton. A brand-new story from New York Times bestselling author Charlaine Harris, featuring the much-loved Sookie Stackhouse. A hot new novella from USA Today bestselling author MaryJanice Davidson, set in the world of Undead and Unwed's Betsy Taylor, the newly, and reluctantly,crowned Vampire Queen. Introduced in the collection Hot Blooded, and on the heels of the wildly successful Master of the Night, Angela Knight has created a fascinating universe of Arthurian Lore and erotic vampirsim. And a sexy original story from Vickie Taylor, a new addition to Berkley Sensation.
ebook
First published December 28, 2004
290 people are currently reading
10009 people want to read
About the author
Laurell K. Hamilton
418 books25.7k followersLaurell K. Hamilton is one of the leading writers of paranormal fiction. A #1 New York Times bestselling author, Hamilton writes the popular Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter novels and the Meredith Gentry series. She is also the creator of a bestselling comic book series based on her Anita Blake novels and published by Marvel Comics. Hamilton is a full-time writer and lives in the suburbs of St. Louis with her family.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 477 reviews
June 25, 2007
This book is about vampires and sex - it's definitely not an example of good short story structure.
The first story is an Anita Blake story, something I have never experienced before.Basically it started out with an interesting premise - a girl who is about to lose her leg who wants to become a vampire so as to save it. But then abandons this plot entirely so as to focus on the more important issue, that Anita Blake is involved with two incredibly hot guys but she hasn't had sex in, like, forever! Omigod! And there's this incredibly sexually tense moment that is ruined by the plot, dammit, crashing back in. But they shove that offstage quickly and come back so as to spray chocolate icing all over each other. Ick. Terrible.
The next is a Sookie Standhouse story (Charlaine Harris), and believe me, I'm suspicous of anyone who insists on going by their nickname for most of their life. Well, it develops that Sookie's long lost cousin has died. Oh and she was a vampire. Oh wait, no, she was killed. And who cares!? It's badly written, never really explaining characters who just pop up with no real reason to be there and we're supposed to care about a cousin that she wasn't even close to? We're never given much reason to. Disappointing.
The next story is by MaryJanice Davidson and gets back to the familiar terrain of vampire sex, thank god. This involves a crush by a human (who is written endearingly smalltown american) on a vampire (an older french animal vet) who recently lost her partner. Then it throws in the plot of a vampire killing women in towns nearby. It might be good if it wasn't so haphazard with its plot. And the characters are just caricatures - the worst is the queen of the vampires - a brainless valley girl type, amazingly annoying,although it's supposed to be humorous. It all falls apart in a ridiculous lover's spat/confrontation with the killer climax.
The story by Angela Knight is complete unrepentant vampire porn, almost refreshing to not have to hide what readers of this book really want. The plot is familiar - two beautiful people are attracted to one another and have mind-blowing sex numerous times inbetween the patent badly put-together good/evil plot.
The last story by Vickie Taylor is boy meets vampire, vampire makes vampire, new vampire bonds with older vampire, sex,sex,sex and then goes and takes vengeance. It's not badly done, neither is it amazing.
It's hard while reading these stories to realize that each writer has different guidelines for what a vampire is and what hurts them. It can get rather confusing when the last story had vampires fall unconscious at dawn but the next one has them burn. In one, vampires fear crosses, and in another only if the crosses are silver, and in another they laygh when faced with one. The only consistancies are that vampires are apparently very erotic creatures/monsters and that for some reason they are all pale beautiful white people with some connection to the South and french names. Go figure.
The first story is an Anita Blake story, something I have never experienced before.Basically it started out with an interesting premise - a girl who is about to lose her leg who wants to become a vampire so as to save it. But then abandons this plot entirely so as to focus on the more important issue, that Anita Blake is involved with two incredibly hot guys but she hasn't had sex in, like, forever! Omigod! And there's this incredibly sexually tense moment that is ruined by the plot, dammit, crashing back in. But they shove that offstage quickly and come back so as to spray chocolate icing all over each other. Ick. Terrible.
The next is a Sookie Standhouse story (Charlaine Harris), and believe me, I'm suspicous of anyone who insists on going by their nickname for most of their life. Well, it develops that Sookie's long lost cousin has died. Oh and she was a vampire. Oh wait, no, she was killed. And who cares!? It's badly written, never really explaining characters who just pop up with no real reason to be there and we're supposed to care about a cousin that she wasn't even close to? We're never given much reason to. Disappointing.
The next story is by MaryJanice Davidson and gets back to the familiar terrain of vampire sex, thank god. This involves a crush by a human (who is written endearingly smalltown american) on a vampire (an older french animal vet) who recently lost her partner. Then it throws in the plot of a vampire killing women in towns nearby. It might be good if it wasn't so haphazard with its plot. And the characters are just caricatures - the worst is the queen of the vampires - a brainless valley girl type, amazingly annoying,although it's supposed to be humorous. It all falls apart in a ridiculous lover's spat/confrontation with the killer climax.
The story by Angela Knight is complete unrepentant vampire porn, almost refreshing to not have to hide what readers of this book really want. The plot is familiar - two beautiful people are attracted to one another and have mind-blowing sex numerous times inbetween the patent badly put-together good/evil plot.
The last story by Vickie Taylor is boy meets vampire, vampire makes vampire, new vampire bonds with older vampire, sex,sex,sex and then goes and takes vengeance. It's not badly done, neither is it amazing.
It's hard while reading these stories to realize that each writer has different guidelines for what a vampire is and what hurts them. It can get rather confusing when the last story had vampires fall unconscious at dawn but the next one has them burn. In one, vampires fear crosses, and in another only if the crosses are silver, and in another they laygh when faced with one. The only consistancies are that vampires are apparently very erotic creatures/monsters and that for some reason they are all pale beautiful white people with some connection to the South and french names. Go figure.
April 6, 2008
Since I’ve been reading the stories from this book in between other full-length reads, I should’ve been making notes on each story as I went along. That said, today I just read the Laurell K. Hamilton contribution, which was pretty short, only 30 pages, and previously, a couple of weeks ago, I read the Charlaine Harris and MaryJanice Davidson stories.
The Girl Who Was Infatuated With Death by Laurell K. Hamilton
Unlike her contributions in other anthologies, this was actually an original short story instead of the first few chapters of her next-to-be-released Anita Blake book. It was only 30 pages long and takes place between the events of books 8 and 9 of the Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter series, Blue Moon and Obsidian Butterfly.
There wasn’t a lot of substance to the story itself. If anything, it probably only serves to introduce those unfamiliar with the Anita Blake series to Anita’s world. That said, though I love LKH’s writing, I found this story kind of flat in comparison with the other Anita books, and more like a filler. If you’re an Anita fan and miss this one, don’t fret as it doesn’t really add anything new to the Anita Blake storyline.
Rating: 7 stars
One Word Answer by Charlaine Harris
Another story I felt was more of a filler to introduce new readers to Sookie Stackhouse and the Southern Vampire series. This one only 23 pages in length, we’re actually introduced to one new fact, that Sookie had a cousin who was a Vampire living in New Orleans. The events which transpire in this story, though not significant to the series in any way, take place after the 4th Sookie novel, Dead to the World. (There’s actually another Sookie story in Powers Of Detection: Stories of Mystery and Fantasy, also published in 2004 and edited by Dana Stabenow, which takes place around this same timeframe.)
In any case, I also found this story rather boring as it didn’t really contain any substance either, and was more of just a single event that occured in the course of one night. A definite fluffer!
Rating: 6 stars
Biting in Plain Sight by MaryJanice Davidson
I liked this story so much better than the previous two. It was 69 pages in length and did contain more of a story. Granted it’s still considered a short story, but there were some new characters introduced, and of course, the old favorites, Betsy and Sinclair and the others. Granted the story and mystery behind it isn’t too deep, you simply can’t go to the depths in a short story that you can in a full-length novel. However, it was meaty enough to let me actually enjoy it.
A rogue vampire is killing innocent young girls. Well, not directly, but he plays mind games with them until they eventually commit suicide. Dr. Sophie Tourneau is a veterinarian in Embarrass, Minnesota, a very small country town where the town knows what she is deep-down, but they don’t discuss it openly, and don’t seem to mind. Dr. Sophie is the first to suspect that these suicides are somehow vampire-related. She enlists the help of Liam, who’s been a silent admirer of Sophie for many years, and they head out from Embarrass to bring the news to the Vampire Queen (Betsy) and ask a few questions of the latest victim’s parents. There’s a bit of a love story underneath it all, as a relationship develops between Sophie and Liam. And of course, Betsy still hates and strongly denies her attraction to Sinclair.
Since it’s a short story, there’s not a whole lot of clue collecting and detective work to the mystery of figuring out whodunit, but the quest to discover the truth and find the rogue vampire is a funny story in itself and does contain a sufficient story line, and even a subplot. :)
Rating: 8 stars
Galahad by Angela Knight
The reviews at Amazon indicated that most of the reviewers liked this story the best of all. I must be very different from the other readers because I hated it! The author tries to mix the world of Vampires with that of King Arthur and his knights, and it just didn’t work for me. Their dialogue seemed completely inappropriate for either group. The author seemed like she was trying to hard and all the references the characters made to pop culture, like being voted off the island, or to Lord of the Rings, was just sad. It felt like some wanna-be writer trying to write her first short story and falling short.
I actually did find the explicit sex scenes rather interesting, but unfortunately they didn’t really seem to mesh with the rest of the story. Sir Galahad as a womanizing vampire? Puh-leeze!
Rating: 4 stars
Blood Lust by Vickie Taylor
I found this to be a good story and I enjoyed the characters too. At 77 pages, it’s long enough to allow for some character development as well as an interesting story.
Daniel wants to become a vampire so that the stakes are even for him to go after Garth La Grange, the Vampire who stole his research, his house, his woman. What follows is the the tale of his hunt, joined with the vampire that converted him, in which he learns more about his new powers. He also discovers some new things about the love he held for his former fiancee, plus the true extent of what his research means to the rest of the vampire community.
Rating: 7 stars
The Girl Who Was Infatuated With Death by Laurell K. Hamilton
Unlike her contributions in other anthologies, this was actually an original short story instead of the first few chapters of her next-to-be-released Anita Blake book. It was only 30 pages long and takes place between the events of books 8 and 9 of the Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter series, Blue Moon and Obsidian Butterfly.
There wasn’t a lot of substance to the story itself. If anything, it probably only serves to introduce those unfamiliar with the Anita Blake series to Anita’s world. That said, though I love LKH’s writing, I found this story kind of flat in comparison with the other Anita books, and more like a filler. If you’re an Anita fan and miss this one, don’t fret as it doesn’t really add anything new to the Anita Blake storyline.
Rating: 7 stars
One Word Answer by Charlaine Harris
Another story I felt was more of a filler to introduce new readers to Sookie Stackhouse and the Southern Vampire series. This one only 23 pages in length, we’re actually introduced to one new fact, that Sookie had a cousin who was a Vampire living in New Orleans. The events which transpire in this story, though not significant to the series in any way, take place after the 4th Sookie novel, Dead to the World. (There’s actually another Sookie story in Powers Of Detection: Stories of Mystery and Fantasy, also published in 2004 and edited by Dana Stabenow, which takes place around this same timeframe.)
In any case, I also found this story rather boring as it didn’t really contain any substance either, and was more of just a single event that occured in the course of one night. A definite fluffer!
Rating: 6 stars
Biting in Plain Sight by MaryJanice Davidson
I liked this story so much better than the previous two. It was 69 pages in length and did contain more of a story. Granted it’s still considered a short story, but there were some new characters introduced, and of course, the old favorites, Betsy and Sinclair and the others. Granted the story and mystery behind it isn’t too deep, you simply can’t go to the depths in a short story that you can in a full-length novel. However, it was meaty enough to let me actually enjoy it.
A rogue vampire is killing innocent young girls. Well, not directly, but he plays mind games with them until they eventually commit suicide. Dr. Sophie Tourneau is a veterinarian in Embarrass, Minnesota, a very small country town where the town knows what she is deep-down, but they don’t discuss it openly, and don’t seem to mind. Dr. Sophie is the first to suspect that these suicides are somehow vampire-related. She enlists the help of Liam, who’s been a silent admirer of Sophie for many years, and they head out from Embarrass to bring the news to the Vampire Queen (Betsy) and ask a few questions of the latest victim’s parents. There’s a bit of a love story underneath it all, as a relationship develops between Sophie and Liam. And of course, Betsy still hates and strongly denies her attraction to Sinclair.
Since it’s a short story, there’s not a whole lot of clue collecting and detective work to the mystery of figuring out whodunit, but the quest to discover the truth and find the rogue vampire is a funny story in itself and does contain a sufficient story line, and even a subplot. :)
Rating: 8 stars
Galahad by Angela Knight
The reviews at Amazon indicated that most of the reviewers liked this story the best of all. I must be very different from the other readers because I hated it! The author tries to mix the world of Vampires with that of King Arthur and his knights, and it just didn’t work for me. Their dialogue seemed completely inappropriate for either group. The author seemed like she was trying to hard and all the references the characters made to pop culture, like being voted off the island, or to Lord of the Rings, was just sad. It felt like some wanna-be writer trying to write her first short story and falling short.
I actually did find the explicit sex scenes rather interesting, but unfortunately they didn’t really seem to mesh with the rest of the story. Sir Galahad as a womanizing vampire? Puh-leeze!
Rating: 4 stars
Blood Lust by Vickie Taylor
I found this to be a good story and I enjoyed the characters too. At 77 pages, it’s long enough to allow for some character development as well as an interesting story.
Daniel wants to become a vampire so that the stakes are even for him to go after Garth La Grange, the Vampire who stole his research, his house, his woman. What follows is the the tale of his hunt, joined with the vampire that converted him, in which he learns more about his new powers. He also discovers some new things about the love he held for his former fiancee, plus the true extent of what his research means to the rest of the vampire community.
Rating: 7 stars
March 13, 2019
This was pretty good overall. I liked some of the stories more than others.
Girl Who Was Infatuated With Death: I liked this because I've read some of the Anita Blake books, but I think if you hadn't read them, you would have been bored. This is the shortest one I believe and there isn't much content.
One Word Answer: as someone who hasn't read the Sookie Stackhouse books, I didn't love it. Again, I felt like there wasn't a lot of content or really a purpose. It was like a deleted scene from her series.
Biting In Plain Sight: my favorite one! It had an actual beginning, middle, and end and I didn't feel like I was missing anything. Liam was so sweet and the characters were fun to read.
Galahad: this had a bit too much backstory for a short story, but I liked the Arthur characters and the magic of it. I would read more of this.
Blood Lust: I felt bad for Daniel in this one. He got screwed over and then made some crazy decisions to seek revenge. It had some nice smut and was okay overall.
Girl Who Was Infatuated With Death: I liked this because I've read some of the Anita Blake books, but I think if you hadn't read them, you would have been bored. This is the shortest one I believe and there isn't much content.
One Word Answer: as someone who hasn't read the Sookie Stackhouse books, I didn't love it. Again, I felt like there wasn't a lot of content or really a purpose. It was like a deleted scene from her series.
Biting In Plain Sight: my favorite one! It had an actual beginning, middle, and end and I didn't feel like I was missing anything. Liam was so sweet and the characters were fun to read.
Galahad: this had a bit too much backstory for a short story, but I liked the Arthur characters and the magic of it. I would read more of this.
Blood Lust: I felt bad for Daniel in this one. He got screwed over and then made some crazy decisions to seek revenge. It had some nice smut and was okay overall.
Read
June 24, 2024Marking this anthology as read, but I have only read the Laurell K Hamilton story, "The Girl Who Was Infatuated with Death." Very short blip in the Anitaverse, between Blue Moon and Obsidian Butterfly where Anita sees Jean Claude after avoiding him, and she doesn't really solve anything. There's a young girl being turned into a vampire, supposedly, but it's all background noise and the story's too short for much detail. Happy I read it, won't be reading it again.
July 17, 2017
Most of the stories are really lame. Only the last one (by Vickie Taylor) really interested me, and even that one could be better. Maybe it's because these are short stories and therefore not as developed.
March 25, 2017
A short story in another series I love. This story is in the books Bite, and Strange Candy, it takes place in between the books Blue Moon and Obsidian Butterfly in the Anita Blake series. I have to say this is one of my favorite short stories by Laurell K. Hamilton, she makes you really understand the girl the story revolves around. I highly recommend reading this if you're a fan of the series.
Merged review:
I seem to be reading a lot of short stories lately since that's all I can find time to read outside of class work. I originally picked up this book for the Laurell K. Hamilton story but ended up enjoying the other stories as well. If you are a fan of any one of these authors I suggest grabbing a copy of this book, it gives you a good reason to check out the other highly entertaining authors.
Merged review:
I seem to be reading a lot of short stories lately since that's all I can find time to read outside of class work. I originally picked up this book for the Laurell K. Hamilton story but ended up enjoying the other stories as well. If you are a fan of any one of these authors I suggest grabbing a copy of this book, it gives you a good reason to check out the other highly entertaining authors.
September 1, 2020
2.5 / 5
Not the best addition, but not bad. A nice little bridge between books 8 & 9.
Not the best addition, but not bad. A nice little bridge between books 8 & 9.
July 31, 2024
I only read "Biting In Plain Sight" by Maryjanice Davidson bc it's part of the Undead/Queen Betsy series, so I don't know what the other stories are like, but I think this one it's cute and easy to read.
Maybe a little rushed, but it is understandable since it is part of an anthology
Maybe a little rushed, but it is understandable since it is part of an anthology
February 23, 2012
“Biting in Plain Sight”
A vampire veterinarian, Dr Sophie Trudeau, from Embarrass, MN notices that another vampire is killing young women and decides to enlist the help of Queen Betsy to stop him. Meanwhile, local farmer Liam has been getting up the courage to confess his attraction to Sophie and insists on accompanying her.
I liked that the town basically knew Sophie was a vampire, but didn’t give her trouble about it because she’s a good vet. Liam was cute, if a little heavy-handed and alpha. Betsy and Eric Sinclair seem to be getting along better, which is nice.
Unfortunately, what I appreciated most from the first couple of books, the accurate depiction of Minnesota geography and setting, was more lax in this one. Davidson mentions in the introduction that “There is a town called Embarrass, Minnesota, but it's not as close to Babbitt Lake as I made it seem.” Unfortunately, there is no Babbitt Lake. Birch Lake is in Babbitt, MN, and that’s about 15 miles from Embarrass. Also, there’s no Tyler Falls, MN either. There’s a Taylor’s Falls, MN…and I don’t see any reason she couldn’t have set the action there. So, there’s your Minnesota Geography lesson for the day. Do authors think people won’t notice these things?
A vampire veterinarian, Dr Sophie Trudeau, from Embarrass, MN notices that another vampire is killing young women and decides to enlist the help of Queen Betsy to stop him. Meanwhile, local farmer Liam has been getting up the courage to confess his attraction to Sophie and insists on accompanying her.
I liked that the town basically knew Sophie was a vampire, but didn’t give her trouble about it because she’s a good vet. Liam was cute, if a little heavy-handed and alpha. Betsy and Eric Sinclair seem to be getting along better, which is nice.
Unfortunately, what I appreciated most from the first couple of books, the accurate depiction of Minnesota geography and setting, was more lax in this one. Davidson mentions in the introduction that “There is a town called Embarrass, Minnesota, but it's not as close to Babbitt Lake as I made it seem.” Unfortunately, there is no Babbitt Lake. Birch Lake is in Babbitt, MN, and that’s about 15 miles from Embarrass. Also, there’s no Tyler Falls, MN either. There’s a Taylor’s Falls, MN…and I don’t see any reason she couldn’t have set the action there. So, there’s your Minnesota Geography lesson for the day. Do authors think people won’t notice these things?
February 21, 2018
This was not long enough. I understand why the girl wanted to be turned. I think this one should have went into the story deeper. I was hoping he would be forgiven. On to the next.
Read
July 12, 2024Una palabra como respuesta: Relato en el que sabemos sobre una pariente de Sookie, cierta herencia y conocemos un personaje peculiar. También algo sobre política vampira y algunas sorpresas sobre el árbol genealógico de la protagonista. Son detalles que no son imprescindibles, pero que ayudan de cara a la novela posterior. GL Bis (Sangre fresca)
March 12, 2019
Overall rating: 3.4
The girl who was infatuated with death: 3/5
One word answer: 3.5/5
Biting in plain sight: 4/5
Galahad: 2.5/5
Blood lust: 4/5
The girl who was infatuated with death: 3/5
One word answer: 3.5/5
Biting in plain sight: 4/5
Galahad: 2.5/5
Blood lust: 4/5
July 24, 2024
Well worth reading!
This book has excellent examples of the best story lines in the world of Sookie Stackhouse, Anita Blake and two others as well. The Anita Blake story is both sweet and shows how she cares for the men in her life. The Sookie story is an interesting one in her World. The other two are new to me but are good too.
The Angela Knight story Galahad is a novella that originally introduced me to her Mageverse series with the vampiric warriors and the new Maja that was the first Mageverse story that I read.
Back when I read this anthology for the first time I enjoyed the snarky tale that at the time I wasn’t aware is a novella set in the Queen Betsy Undead series that has been quite fun reading!
Lastly the Vickie Taylor story is a bit of a different take on vampires but I haven’t run into any other stories that are similar. But I don’t think I actually searched for them before, so I have to finish this review before I can search…
This book has excellent examples of the best story lines in the world of Sookie Stackhouse, Anita Blake and two others as well. The Anita Blake story is both sweet and shows how she cares for the men in her life. The Sookie story is an interesting one in her World. The other two are new to me but are good too.
The Angela Knight story Galahad is a novella that originally introduced me to her Mageverse series with the vampiric warriors and the new Maja that was the first Mageverse story that I read.
Back when I read this anthology for the first time I enjoyed the snarky tale that at the time I wasn’t aware is a novella set in the Queen Betsy Undead series that has been quite fun reading!
Lastly the Vickie Taylor story is a bit of a different take on vampires but I haven’t run into any other stories that are similar. But I don’t think I actually searched for them before, so I have to finish this review before I can search…
December 3, 2008
The MaryJanice Davidson book is great; it was fun to read a story about another character in the Betsy the Vampire Queen world. I really liked the Angela Knight story and went on to read the rest of the series. Laurell Hamilton's Anita Blake story is good, but I'd read it before so it was hard to judge. The Vickie Taylor story didn't do it for me. The Charlaine Harris story was intriguing and made me look forward to the rest of the Sookie Stackhouse series even more than I already was.
April 25, 2022
Read this biting short story collection. Somehow it now makes me think that vampires are just an excuse to include steamy sex scenes... being an immortal, you'd think that there are other things in life?
Anyway, Angela Knight's 'Galahad' was my favourite because it has witches and vampires with an Arthurian twist.
Anyway, Angela Knight's 'Galahad' was my favourite because it has witches and vampires with an Arthurian twist.
September 12, 2022
Only read the short stories by Charlaine Harris and MaryJanice Davidson.
Sookie meets Mr. Cataliades for the first time when he visits her house to inform her of cousin Hadley's demise. This story contains a darker version of Sookie than I'm used to, but it made her seem more badass and likeable.
Small town vamp notices a serial killer and goes to tell Queen Betsy. Her human crush tags along and brings his entitlement with him. Classic romance blaming the woman for not instantly falling head over heels for an overly pushy man.
Sookie meets Mr. Cataliades for the first time when he visits her house to inform her of cousin Hadley's demise. This story contains a darker version of Sookie than I'm used to, but it made her seem more badass and likeable.
Small town vamp notices a serial killer and goes to tell Queen Betsy. Her human crush tags along and brings his entitlement with him. Classic romance blaming the woman for not instantly falling head over heels for an overly pushy man.
January 25, 2024
Puhtakujuline vampiiriporno. Enamik jutte paistsid olevat ettekäänded, et saaks seksistseene kirjeldada. Erandiks Sookie Stackhouse'i lugu, mis paistis lihtsalt olevat kirjanikul üle jäänud stseen, mis võimaluse avanedes kogumikku toppida.
June 17, 2025
After reading all the stories in this volume, I am giving it an average score of 4.6 stars.
Each story was quite different from the others, and while I enjoyed some more than others, they all kept me entertained. The tales center around vampires and themes of lust, though only a few truly engage with the latter.
**' The Girl Who Was Infatuated with Death'** is an Anita Blake short that takes place between *Blue Moon* and *Obsidian Butterfly, * meaning Anita is still grappling with her attraction to Jean Claude, poor girl. A mother approaches Anita for help in finding her daughter before she can be turned into a vampire, leading Anita to confront the one person she claims to want to avoid. While the heat level could have been higher, I give it 5 stars for simply showcasing Jean Claude—he could have me with just a look.
**'One Word Answer'** is a very brief Sookie Stackhouse short that doesn’t offer much substance. Bubba and Bill make appearances, but the focus is on a cousin mentioned briefly, who doesn’t significantly impact the story. The Queen of Louisiana sends two of her men to inform Sookie that her cousin has died and left her a legacy. This story felt a bit bland and didn’t truly connect to the overall narrative. I gave it 4 stars for at least including vampires.
**' Biting in Plain Sight'** is a Queen Betsy story. I particularly enjoy these shorts featuring the lovable yet goofy Queen, as they introduce some of her more interesting subjects. Dr. Sophie is a veterinarian in Embarrass, Minnesota, who has been practicing for the past 40 years, though that detail is never mentioned. It turns out one of her clients has had a crush on her since childhood and is now ready to act on it. The dilemma arises when she needs to consult the Queen because there’s a rogue vampire causing trouble. I rated this story 4.5 stars for its engaging plot and a dash of romantic tension, along with some laugh-out-loud moments.
**'Galahad'** is an excellent story, and I'm thrilled to have discovered this author, whom I had not read before. Caroline has recently been turned into a witch and transported to Avalon, which exists in another dimension. She begins to have visions of fighting alongside a very handsome vampire, which she tries to resist but can’t ignore. This story delivered on all fronts: it had hot vampires, romance, and action. I gave it 5 stars and will be seeking more from the Mageverse.
**'Blood Lust'** features another author I'm excited to read more from in the future. Daniel Hart is a scientist working on developing synthetic blood to benefit mankind. He receives backing from a man who turns out to be far from what he seems, ultimately stealing all of Daniel’s research and leaving him broken and battered. After being healed, he seeks revenge and finds much more than he expected. I rated this story 4.5 stars for its perfect blend of romance and vampire intrigue.
I would recommend this book to vampire enthusiasts.
Each story was quite different from the others, and while I enjoyed some more than others, they all kept me entertained. The tales center around vampires and themes of lust, though only a few truly engage with the latter.
**' The Girl Who Was Infatuated with Death'** is an Anita Blake short that takes place between *Blue Moon* and *Obsidian Butterfly, * meaning Anita is still grappling with her attraction to Jean Claude, poor girl. A mother approaches Anita for help in finding her daughter before she can be turned into a vampire, leading Anita to confront the one person she claims to want to avoid. While the heat level could have been higher, I give it 5 stars for simply showcasing Jean Claude—he could have me with just a look.
**'One Word Answer'** is a very brief Sookie Stackhouse short that doesn’t offer much substance. Bubba and Bill make appearances, but the focus is on a cousin mentioned briefly, who doesn’t significantly impact the story. The Queen of Louisiana sends two of her men to inform Sookie that her cousin has died and left her a legacy. This story felt a bit bland and didn’t truly connect to the overall narrative. I gave it 4 stars for at least including vampires.
**' Biting in Plain Sight'** is a Queen Betsy story. I particularly enjoy these shorts featuring the lovable yet goofy Queen, as they introduce some of her more interesting subjects. Dr. Sophie is a veterinarian in Embarrass, Minnesota, who has been practicing for the past 40 years, though that detail is never mentioned. It turns out one of her clients has had a crush on her since childhood and is now ready to act on it. The dilemma arises when she needs to consult the Queen because there’s a rogue vampire causing trouble. I rated this story 4.5 stars for its engaging plot and a dash of romantic tension, along with some laugh-out-loud moments.
**'Galahad'** is an excellent story, and I'm thrilled to have discovered this author, whom I had not read before. Caroline has recently been turned into a witch and transported to Avalon, which exists in another dimension. She begins to have visions of fighting alongside a very handsome vampire, which she tries to resist but can’t ignore. This story delivered on all fronts: it had hot vampires, romance, and action. I gave it 5 stars and will be seeking more from the Mageverse.
**'Blood Lust'** features another author I'm excited to read more from in the future. Daniel Hart is a scientist working on developing synthetic blood to benefit mankind. He receives backing from a man who turns out to be far from what he seems, ultimately stealing all of Daniel’s research and leaving him broken and battered. After being healed, he seeks revenge and finds much more than he expected. I rated this story 4.5 stars for its perfect blend of romance and vampire intrigue.
I would recommend this book to vampire enthusiasts.
September 3, 2009
Laurell K. Hamilton's "The Girl Who was Infatuated with Death" was a good short story as long as the reader has read Ms. Hamilton's books that correspond with this short. It had more to do with Anita Blake than the girl infatuated with death it was supposed to. We didn't even find out what happened to the girl or the vampire who were supposed to be the basis of the story. If any reader is a fan of this author's herione Anita Blake, then they will love this short story.
"One Word Answer" by Charlaine Harris was again a good short story as long as the reader has read the Sookie Stackhouse novels. That being said, I did like this story because it gave us the story behind her cousin's death that was only hinted at in "Definitely Dead." Loved the story and a must read to all Sookie fans out there!
"Biting in Plain Sight" by MaryJanice Davidson was an entertaining short story of a vampire vet who teams up with a love-sick mortal to find and stop a rogue vampire lothario from causing any more deaths to young women who fall in love him. I enjoyed this story because it included a very young vampire queen and her scary male king trying to help the doctor and her beau.
"Galahad" by Angela Knight was a very entertaining story focusing on the Mageverse, a parallel universe where dragons and mythical creatures exist eternally, vampires, and witches. The story follows Sir Galahad, from the Knights of the Round Table, trying to help a newly turned witch, Caroline defeat a bunch of rogue vampires out to rule the world. Ms. Knight puts a new twist on Camelot, Merlin, etc., and leaves the reader captivated and amused by the interactions between 20th century Caroline and 16th century Galahad. Loved the characters, the plot, and the writing! Will definitely be reading more from Ms. Knight and her Mageverse!
"Blood Lust" by Vickie Taylor had an interesting twist on the way we see vampires. I was actually surprised on how they "fed" as opposed to other vampires I have read about and seen in movies. The story itself focused on Daniel, a microbiologist beaten, robbed, and left for dead by a vampire who wanted his formula for synthetic blood, and Deandre, a vampire Daniel tries to pursuade to turn him into a fellow vampire so he can seek his revenge against his attacker. The story was good for this anthology, but the love story between Daniel and Deandre didn't really mesh with the storyline very well. Still an interesting and entertaining story and plot, "Blood Lust" definitely fit in this anthology.
All in all, I enjoyed this anthology and all of its stories! I would recommend this to any and all PR/UF readers who enjoy different styles of writing, and interesting short-stories!
"One Word Answer" by Charlaine Harris was again a good short story as long as the reader has read the Sookie Stackhouse novels. That being said, I did like this story because it gave us the story behind her cousin's death that was only hinted at in "Definitely Dead." Loved the story and a must read to all Sookie fans out there!
"Biting in Plain Sight" by MaryJanice Davidson was an entertaining short story of a vampire vet who teams up with a love-sick mortal to find and stop a rogue vampire lothario from causing any more deaths to young women who fall in love him. I enjoyed this story because it included a very young vampire queen and her scary male king trying to help the doctor and her beau.
"Galahad" by Angela Knight was a very entertaining story focusing on the Mageverse, a parallel universe where dragons and mythical creatures exist eternally, vampires, and witches. The story follows Sir Galahad, from the Knights of the Round Table, trying to help a newly turned witch, Caroline defeat a bunch of rogue vampires out to rule the world. Ms. Knight puts a new twist on Camelot, Merlin, etc., and leaves the reader captivated and amused by the interactions between 20th century Caroline and 16th century Galahad. Loved the characters, the plot, and the writing! Will definitely be reading more from Ms. Knight and her Mageverse!
"Blood Lust" by Vickie Taylor had an interesting twist on the way we see vampires. I was actually surprised on how they "fed" as opposed to other vampires I have read about and seen in movies. The story itself focused on Daniel, a microbiologist beaten, robbed, and left for dead by a vampire who wanted his formula for synthetic blood, and Deandre, a vampire Daniel tries to pursuade to turn him into a fellow vampire so he can seek his revenge against his attacker. The story was good for this anthology, but the love story between Daniel and Deandre didn't really mesh with the storyline very well. Still an interesting and entertaining story and plot, "Blood Lust" definitely fit in this anthology.
All in all, I enjoyed this anthology and all of its stories! I would recommend this to any and all PR/UF readers who enjoy different styles of writing, and interesting short-stories!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 14, 2008
Genre: Urban Fantasy/Vampire Fantasy/Romance
None of the five short stories really stood out to me. It wasn't an awful read, but I'm not likly to read it again. My favorite was the Charlaine Harris Sookie Stackhouse story, _One Word Answer_ - mostly because of the charm inherent in the tone and characters of those novels. I initially bought the book because of that story and was disappointed in it, having just read all the Sookie novels... but I think I judged it harshly just because it wasn't as rich as the novels.
The Laurell K. Hamilton story was about what you can expect from the recent Anita stuff - not much story there, although the setup was interesting.
I've never read MaryJanice Davidson before, and _Biting in Plain Site_ was cute, although it didn't grab me. The smart-mouthed dynamic between the King and Queen of Minneapolis and their human hangers-on was amusing, I assume they are characters in her vampire series.
Angela Knight's _Galahad_ had some interesting ideas thrown in about the universe and twisting mythology, but the basic plot structure was a romance which didn't hang together that well for me, and I didn't feel like the world/universe was convincingly fleshed out.
Vickie Taylor's _Blood Lust_ was an interesting sipn on what might happen to someone who invented synthetic blood that would work to feed vampires.
None of the five short stories really stood out to me. It wasn't an awful read, but I'm not likly to read it again. My favorite was the Charlaine Harris Sookie Stackhouse story, _One Word Answer_ - mostly because of the charm inherent in the tone and characters of those novels. I initially bought the book because of that story and was disappointed in it, having just read all the Sookie novels... but I think I judged it harshly just because it wasn't as rich as the novels.
The Laurell K. Hamilton story was about what you can expect from the recent Anita stuff - not much story there, although the setup was interesting.
I've never read MaryJanice Davidson before, and _Biting in Plain Site_ was cute, although it didn't grab me. The smart-mouthed dynamic between the King and Queen of Minneapolis and their human hangers-on was amusing, I assume they are characters in her vampire series.
Angela Knight's _Galahad_ had some interesting ideas thrown in about the universe and twisting mythology, but the basic plot structure was a romance which didn't hang together that well for me, and I didn't feel like the world/universe was convincingly fleshed out.
Vickie Taylor's _Blood Lust_ was an interesting sipn on what might happen to someone who invented synthetic blood that would work to feed vampires.
October 26, 2010
If you follow the Sookie Stackhouse series, there may come a time where you felt that Harris forgot to tell you some crucial information and feel completely in the dark as to how Sookie got there and why. If you were like me, you reread several pages and realized it was a bad editing job and not my spacing out as I read. Well, I found those missing pages. Its called her "short story", which has nothing to do with "Dark Seduction", the short-story anthology's theme, but is in fact a cheap attempt to earn more money, "publish more material", by ripping out information from one of her novels. In the future, I'll borrow her books from the library or a friend. She'll never earn another dollar from me. What a schmuck.
May 20, 2025
Biting in Plain Sight - MaryJanice Davidson 3.5 stars
Fun and straight forward. It is good to know the characters of Queen Betsy and Sinclare ahead of time. I still don't know why Liam didn't approach Sophie sooner but it was "the right time".
July 12, 2014 -so far it is the only one I've read. So stars are for only MJD story
Fun and straight forward. It is good to know the characters of Queen Betsy and Sinclare ahead of time. I still don't know why Liam didn't approach Sophie sooner but it was "the right time".
July 12, 2014 -so far it is the only one I've read. So stars are for only MJD story
October 31, 2012
Bite contains five short stories. I rated them individually below and gave the overall book the rating of the majority of stars.
The Girl Who Was Infatuated with Death by Laurell K. Hamilton - 3 stars
One Word Answer by Charlaine Harris- 3 stars
Biting in Plain Sight by MaryJanice Davidson- 2 stars
Galahad by Angela Knight - 2 stars
Blood Lust by Vickie Taylor - 3 stars
The Girl Who Was Infatuated with Death by Laurell K. Hamilton - 3 stars
One Word Answer by Charlaine Harris- 3 stars
Biting in Plain Sight by MaryJanice Davidson- 2 stars
Galahad by Angela Knight - 2 stars
Blood Lust by Vickie Taylor - 3 stars
July 15, 2012
Angela Knight Galahad- 2 stars
"This was like being trapped in an erotic version of Jaws." In no universe is Jaws erotic!
Truebond- seriously I don't think I want to feel what and how my partner felt doing a bunch of other women. Yuck (unless of course I was there at the time;~0)
"This was like being trapped in an erotic version of Jaws." In no universe is Jaws erotic!
Truebond- seriously I don't think I want to feel what and how my partner felt doing a bunch of other women. Yuck (unless of course I was there at the time;~0)
July 5, 2011
The only story I read of this was the Sookie Stackhouse short story! It was just ok, however I will admit that I'm not a fan of anthologies or short stories. I don't feel like the story lines ever develop enough or something. I am glad that I read it tho, cause I will always read all Sookie books.
January 18, 2009
I normally don't enjoy anthologies, but this one was very entertainig. It had a story from Anita Blake, Sookie Stackhouse and from Queen Betsy as well. This was a really great one.
March 1, 2011
Some stories better than others, but I Think I have found a few more authors to read!
November 29, 2012
This is a compilation of short stories. I only read One Word Answer from the Sookie Stackhouse series. Great background on the death of Hadley.
Read
July 23, 2015Again just the Undead novella, Biting something. A bit better than the first novella. But still not my thing.
to-read-anthologies
July 22, 2019✔️Charlaine Harris-"One Word Answer" (Sookie Stackhouse)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 477 reviews