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Cal Leandros #9.5 - A Grain of Salt
Silver and Salt
For the First Time in One Volume... From furry to fey, shifters to Sidhe, monsters to madmen, and ex-divine to ex-demonic, this collection of supernaturally-spun tales by NEW YORK TIMES Bestselling Author Rob Thurman is bound by the spilled blood of both family and the most fatal of enemies.
Includes two anthology favorites, as well as an original CAL LEANDROS story that takes you through The Windy City as only a fourteen-year-old half-monster facing a fully human "one" could.
It's winner take all and life itself is the bet.
Includes two anthology favorites, as well as an original CAL LEANDROS story that takes you through The Windy City as only a fourteen-year-old half-monster facing a fully human "one" could.
It's winner take all and life itself is the bet.
114 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 17, 2014
25 people are currently reading
471 people want to read
About the author
Rob Thurman
43 books1,562 followersRob Thurman is currently writing three series for Penguin Putnam's imprint ROC FANTASY, as well as a brand-new mainstream series for Simon & Schuster's POCKET BOOKS.
Rob has also written for a Charlaine Harris & Toni L.P. Kelner Anthology, WOLFSBANE AND MISTLETOE. This year, Rob contributed a post-apocalyptic, "grim" faerie tale Western to the anthology, COURTS OF THE FEY.
Rob's work is dark, non-stop action from beginning to end, rife with purely evil sarcasm as sharp as a switchblade - and probably nearly as illegal. If one shoved LORD OF THE RINGS,
THE SHINING, and PULP FICTION into a wood-chipper, the result would be what Rob aims to deliver in a novel or short story.
A member of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA), ROB THURMAN lives in RURAL Indiana - land of endless fields, infinite cows and where dialup is still the only soul-crushing option.
Rob has also written for a Charlaine Harris & Toni L.P. Kelner Anthology, WOLFSBANE AND MISTLETOE. This year, Rob contributed a post-apocalyptic, "grim" faerie tale Western to the anthology, COURTS OF THE FEY.
Rob's work is dark, non-stop action from beginning to end, rife with purely evil sarcasm as sharp as a switchblade - and probably nearly as illegal. If one shoved LORD OF THE RINGS,
THE SHINING, and PULP FICTION into a wood-chipper, the result would be what Rob aims to deliver in a novel or short story.
A member of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA), ROB THURMAN lives in RURAL Indiana - land of endless fields, infinite cows and where dialup is still the only soul-crushing option.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
December 17, 2018
The first time I read this book I actually only read the Cal Leandros story and rated it four stars. Unfortunately after reading the rest of it I've got to lower my rating a bit, but that seems to be pretty much par for the course with Rob's other series now that I've actually read everything she's written.
Individual reviews below:
First Ball...Last Call ★★
Honestly this one has a lot of potential as a longer work, but as a short story it kind of lost me. It's kind of a post-apocalyptic western except the apocalypse was brought about by magic and faeries instead of the more standard disease/zombie option. It's a really cool idea and completely unlike anything else she's written, but I feel like it was just bouncing all over the place so it wasn't actually enjoyable for me in its current form.
Milk and Cookies ★★★
This one is a Christmas werewolf story and while it's an okay read, I hate short stories that over utilize the big ~plot twist~ element ...although I guess if you were originally reading it in [from what I understand] an anthology specifically about Christmas and werewolves, it would probably not have been much of a plot twist anyway. I think the main problem here is that she can literally only write one POV so all her other characters just sound like slightly watered down versions of Cal.
Talking Trash ★★★
This is a VERY short [about 4,500 words] story focusing on Zeke and Griffin from the Trickster series and what happens when a census taker starts snooping around the bar and asking questions. It was a nice enough story, but like I said before Zeke just seems like a watered-down Cal and also it was so incredibly short.
A Grain of Salt ★★★★
Ah yes, the true reason to read this anthology. After reading the other Cal short story in the Shadowed Souls anthology this one does seem incredibly similar - young teenage Cal taking care of a 'monster' who is preying on children near wherever he is living at the time - but it's a good formula and as I said before Cal's POV is really where Rob shines so I love almost everything she does with him.
Individual reviews below:
First Ball...Last Call ★★
Honestly this one has a lot of potential as a longer work, but as a short story it kind of lost me. It's kind of a post-apocalyptic western except the apocalypse was brought about by magic and faeries instead of the more standard disease/zombie option. It's a really cool idea and completely unlike anything else she's written, but I feel like it was just bouncing all over the place so it wasn't actually enjoyable for me in its current form.
Milk and Cookies ★★★
This one is a Christmas werewolf story and while it's an okay read, I hate short stories that over utilize the big ~plot twist~ element ...although I guess if you were originally reading it in [from what I understand] an anthology specifically about Christmas and werewolves, it would probably not have been much of a plot twist anyway. I think the main problem here is that she can literally only write one POV so all her other characters just sound like slightly watered down versions of Cal.
Talking Trash ★★★
This is a VERY short [about 4,500 words] story focusing on Zeke and Griffin from the Trickster series and what happens when a census taker starts snooping around the bar and asking questions. It was a nice enough story, but like I said before Zeke just seems like a watered-down Cal and also it was so incredibly short.
A Grain of Salt ★★★★
Ah yes, the true reason to read this anthology. After reading the other Cal short story in the Shadowed Souls anthology this one does seem incredibly similar - young teenage Cal taking care of a 'monster' who is preying on children near wherever he is living at the time - but it's a good formula and as I said before Cal's POV is really where Rob shines so I love almost everything she does with him.
March 31, 2016
Silver and Salt is a collection of four stories.
Milk and Cookies I had read before. It is a good story, with an unexpected twist at the end. It was still good second time around and I believe it always will be.
First Ball... Last Call was new for me and just like the previous one, it definitely had a twist at the end. A major one. I loved it all the more. Cowboys are good and these men I could fall in love with.
A Grain of Salt was a new Cal Leandros story. really good yes, but I think I am now spoiled by the depth the characters gained with age and do not find reading about the younger versions as interesting.
Talking Trash is set in the Trickster series. Its a day (actually about an hour or so) in the day of Zeke and Griffin - but its good. Its an excellent glimpse into their lives and I definitely enjoyed it.
For anyone who has not read Cal Leandros or Trickster books - this is a great read. For anyone who has - this an awesome read.
Milk and Cookies I had read before. It is a good story, with an unexpected twist at the end. It was still good second time around and I believe it always will be.
First Ball... Last Call was new for me and just like the previous one, it definitely had a twist at the end. A major one. I loved it all the more. Cowboys are good and these men I could fall in love with.
A Grain of Salt was a new Cal Leandros story. really good yes, but I think I am now spoiled by the depth the characters gained with age and do not find reading about the younger versions as interesting.
Talking Trash is set in the Trickster series. Its a day (actually about an hour or so) in the day of Zeke and Griffin - but its good. Its an excellent glimpse into their lives and I definitely enjoyed it.
For anyone who has not read Cal Leandros or Trickster books - this is a great read. For anyone who has - this an awesome read.
June 19, 2019
Well that was fun :) I need more Rob Thurman in my life.
July 11, 2014
A must for Rob Thurman fans! It's a short anthology, at only 4 stories, but I love it for the Griffin and Zeke story alone!
Milk and Cookies is from a previous anthology collection; a Christmas one I believe. It's not inspiring but typical Rob Thurman fun. First read for me. Not my favorite of hers but serviceable. It's all up hill from here, but that's not hard because, like I said, I'll read just about anything about my boys!
First Ball...Last Call is a short I've read before and man I love it. What happens when two wannabe cowboys go monster hunting? Oh, you know, stuff.
A Grain of Salt is a young Cal story. It makes me want to cuddle Cal and at the same time realize he would absolutely have shanked me for it and then quietly buried my body, preferably without telling Niko to avoid the whole disappointed look.
Talking Trash is a day in the life of Trixa's recovering angel and recovery demon lost boys. Such adorable little sociopathic behavior. Or is it psychopathic? Either way, glad I'm not Zeke's neighbor.
Like Cal? Like Trixa's silly boys (with Trixa and Leo stopping in of course)? Read it!
Milk and Cookies is from a previous anthology collection; a Christmas one I believe. It's not inspiring but typical Rob Thurman fun. First read for me. Not my favorite of hers but serviceable. It's all up hill from here, but that's not hard because, like I said, I'll read just about anything about my boys!
First Ball...Last Call is a short I've read before and man I love it. What happens when two wannabe cowboys go monster hunting? Oh, you know, stuff.
A Grain of Salt is a young Cal story. It makes me want to cuddle Cal and at the same time realize he would absolutely have shanked me for it and then quietly buried my body, preferably without telling Niko to avoid the whole disappointed look.
Talking Trash is a day in the life of Trixa's recovering angel and recovery demon lost boys. Such adorable little sociopathic behavior. Or is it psychopathic? Either way, glad I'm not Zeke's neighbor.
Like Cal? Like Trixa's silly boys (with Trixa and Leo stopping in of course)? Read it!
April 26, 2019
Thurman Short Stories
Four tales from Thurman. All are entertaining. A couple are brief adventures of her characters in her ongoing serial novels. Rey are nice introductions to her work. Her characters have violent and sarcastic personalities. The worlds they inhabit are also violent and have unexpected dangers. This collection of short stories is well worth the read. It was a great way to preview another cast of characters in her other series to launch into another reading marathon.
Four tales from Thurman. All are entertaining. A couple are brief adventures of her characters in her ongoing serial novels. Rey are nice introductions to her work. Her characters have violent and sarcastic personalities. The worlds they inhabit are also violent and have unexpected dangers. This collection of short stories is well worth the read. It was a great way to preview another cast of characters in her other series to launch into another reading marathon.
February 5, 2018
More please!
I am a fan of all things Cal Leandros but this collection reminded me that there is more to the Trickster story line. Way more!
I am a fan of all things Cal Leandros but this collection reminded me that there is more to the Trickster story line. Way more!
November 29, 2017
Love the short-stories and love the books. Recommend it to all, especially those who enjoy nice sarcasm and irony.
May 18, 2016
Like so many, I’m a big fan of the Cal Leandros series. That said, I have enjoyed everything Thurman has written so far just as much. When I saw this collection of four short stories I didn’t hesitate. Though this paperback is “self-published,” three of the stories have appeared in other anthologies.
It’s rare for me to enjoy every story in a collection. The only time I can recall other than this is Brigg’s “Shifting Shadows.” All four stories here are not just enjoyable, but downright excellent. Thurman manages to put a true surprise into each story, which is no easy feat.
Milk & Cookies – a Christmas story unlike any other, when a brother who no longer believes in Santa helps his little sister believe just a little bit longer. Fun, with a funny but macabre twist at the end.
First Ball…Las Call – this apocalyptic story about the Fae turns a reader’s expectations on their head.
A Grain of Salt – I love when Thurman goes back to Cal’s childhood, before he became the badass we know. I love even more when she reminds us he was still badass even then!
Talking Trash – a fun little story from the Trickster series about our favorite ex-Demon/Ex-Angel couple. I’ve always loved that it’s the ex-Angel who has trouble fitting in with humanity.
Overall, everything in here is worth the read. While the paperback is very expensive for the amount of material included (not surprising given how it’s published), I decided it was worth the cost. However, there is a much more reasonably priced kindle version also available. Highly recommended.
It’s rare for me to enjoy every story in a collection. The only time I can recall other than this is Brigg’s “Shifting Shadows.” All four stories here are not just enjoyable, but downright excellent. Thurman manages to put a true surprise into each story, which is no easy feat.
Milk & Cookies – a Christmas story unlike any other, when a brother who no longer believes in Santa helps his little sister believe just a little bit longer. Fun, with a funny but macabre twist at the end.
First Ball…Las Call – this apocalyptic story about the Fae turns a reader’s expectations on their head.
A Grain of Salt – I love when Thurman goes back to Cal’s childhood, before he became the badass we know. I love even more when she reminds us he was still badass even then!
Talking Trash – a fun little story from the Trickster series about our favorite ex-Demon/Ex-Angel couple. I’ve always loved that it’s the ex-Angel who has trouble fitting in with humanity.
Overall, everything in here is worth the read. While the paperback is very expensive for the amount of material included (not surprising given how it’s published), I decided it was worth the cost. However, there is a much more reasonably priced kindle version also available. Highly recommended.
September 6, 2016
Great Short Stories!
Hehe...I liked the last story best but all the stories were entertaining and shows the high level of fantasy, sci-fi writing Rob Thurman is able to do creatively.
This misses out on 5 stars because though the writing is superb, I always feel short of an action scene. See example below:
"I was here to get some back for Mels, and when he made his move…. I met his move with mine. Guess what? Mine was a helluva lot better."
That's all you get! Then you're pushed to the future. No, in your face play by play action scene. It's like reaching for an org*sm only to have it dissipate with no finish (sorry, crude analogy but true) it's just unbelievably disappointing. Many of her stories are like that and it gets frustrating after awhile.
I will say, her stories are still amazing, even with that little hick up.
* I love that I don't have to sit or listen to some chic's body being explicitly described by some dude every other page.
** I love that there is no abundance of sexual tension between her characters throughout her stories.
*** I love the little twists and surprises she always finds away to sneak into her tales.
**** I love that even her children characters possess a sense of maturity that does not take away from them being children but give them an edge (Cal Leandros). And I'm so ready for the adult Cal to fall in love with a black chic! Yep, I said it and I'm hoping it too, so there!!!!!
Hehe...I liked the last story best but all the stories were entertaining and shows the high level of fantasy, sci-fi writing Rob Thurman is able to do creatively.
This misses out on 5 stars because though the writing is superb, I always feel short of an action scene. See example below:
"I was here to get some back for Mels, and when he made his move…. I met his move with mine. Guess what? Mine was a helluva lot better."
That's all you get! Then you're pushed to the future. No, in your face play by play action scene. It's like reaching for an org*sm only to have it dissipate with no finish (sorry, crude analogy but true) it's just unbelievably disappointing. Many of her stories are like that and it gets frustrating after awhile.
I will say, her stories are still amazing, even with that little hick up.
* I love that I don't have to sit or listen to some chic's body being explicitly described by some dude every other page.
** I love that there is no abundance of sexual tension between her characters throughout her stories.
*** I love the little twists and surprises she always finds away to sneak into her tales.
**** I love that even her children characters possess a sense of maturity that does not take away from them being children but give them an edge (Cal Leandros). And I'm so ready for the adult Cal to fall in love with a black chic! Yep, I said it and I'm hoping it too, so there!!!!!
January 3, 2016
Excellent as always. I'd read the second story "First Ball, Last Call" in the anthology it was originally released in but I loved it so I was happy to revisit. The first story was Rob's usual mix of saracasm, gritty reality, and a thriller with a mad twist at the end. The new characters were just as engaging as the old favorites occupying the last two stories. I LOVE the Cal Leandros' series and also love the stories of him as a younger kid/teenager. This story shows Rob's talent in a big way giving the reader the usual Cal flash and bang in a much shorter space. And the last...oh my the best for last. Zeke and Griffin are my favorite Rob Thurman couple and I was really excited to get this slice of life from them. Can't wait for Zeke's full length book as his POV is turning out to be just as amazing as her other narrators. Excellent read would highly recommend even to those who are not fans of her work yet. This will introduce and addict you newbies and reaffirm your well placed love for the veterans!
May 29, 2014
This is a collection of 4 short stories by Rob Thurman, 2 of which are unrelated to her current series, 1 related to the Cal Leandros series, and 1 related to the Trickster series. All the stories are really enjoyable, especially because Rob Thurman has a real knack for writing smart-ass characters that are really enjoyable and layered. The western-type short story about the Sidhe was a particularly enjoyable for me. I would love to learn more about that world and the partners in that story, and I hope it might be a seed for a possible full novel or series. I would definitely read it! It is worth noting that 3 out of the 4 stories have been published other places first, but the Cal short is an original. Overall, a nice short story collection that any Rob Thurman fan will definitely enjoy.
May 13, 2015
This consists of four short stories, two from other published anthologies, one new Cal Leandros story, and an edited Zeke and Griffin scene that's unclear to me where it previously appeared.
First Ball...Last Call was in Courts of the Fey, and Milk and Cookies was in Wolfsbane and Mistletoe.
I enjoyed this, but the Cal story and particularly the Zeke and Griffin scene probably aren't going to be very interesting if you haven't read the novels.
First Ball...Last Call was in Courts of the Fey, and Milk and Cookies was in Wolfsbane and Mistletoe.
I enjoyed this, but the Cal story and particularly the Zeke and Griffin scene probably aren't going to be very interesting if you haven't read the novels.
May 19, 2014
Really enjoyed these stories. Was especially nice to catch up with Griffin & Zeke from The Trickster books - I feel a re-read of those two books coming up! What is it about Rob Thurman that she can write a scene with the hint of sex coming up - not write the sex scene itself - yet make it hot all the same???? Got the gift! LOL I love it when authors can do this!
December 31, 2014
Most of these shorts should end with the joke line "What a Twist!" In the good old tradition of pulp fantasy, things aren't what you thought their were...that and the author has a wicked, dark sense of humor! Great fun at the holidays that put me in a sarcastic, grind-your-teeth mood (AND the Santa Claus story rocks.)
June 8, 2015
Silver and Salt
A great set of short stories from Rob Thurman, "Silver and Salt" uses sleight of hand in its storytelling, letting you believe one thing until the very end, when you're slapped in the face with the truth.
A great set of short stories from Rob Thurman, "Silver and Salt" uses sleight of hand in its storytelling, letting you believe one thing until the very end, when you're slapped in the face with the truth.
October 17, 2014
An "at home" look of several of Thurman's characters, this book is fantastic, an absolute must-read for any Thurman fan.
June 3, 2014
If you are a fan of her novels, I'm sure you will find this collection of short stories an interesting and fun read. My favorite story was actually one not directly connected with her story world.
June 9, 2014
Actually 3.5 stars...
September 22, 2014
I loved all the short stories except the western (it's not my cup of tea). I really enjoyed the trickster short story the best!!
April 17, 2015
I read the two Rob Thurman stories. 4 stars for both.
April 15, 2015
Great stories
I had read the first one before, but the other three were new to me. One random one, one Leandros, and one Zeke and Griffin. Thurman is awesome.
I had read the first one before, but the other three were new to me. One random one, one Leandros, and one Zeke and Griffin. Thurman is awesome.
March 8, 2016
Cal leader's books
Great selection of short stories!!! I have read and enjoyed all of the cal leader's books and all of the tricksters books!!!
Great selection of short stories!!! I have read and enjoyed all of the cal leader's books and all of the tricksters books!!!
Read
February 8, 2016I love the Cal Leandros books!
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews