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Dangerous Women #3
Dangerous Women Part III
Dangerous Women Vol. 3 includes stories by Sherilynn Kenyon, Joe Abercrombie, Diana Rowland, Melinda Snodgrass, and Pat Cadigan, and features an entirely new 18,000-word novella by New York Times bestselling author Brandon Sanderson, and a new story of Harry Dresden’s world by bestselling author Jim Butcher. All stories were first published in December 2013 Dangerous Women anthology.
Table of contents:
“Bombshells” by Jim Butcher (The Dresden Files)
“Some Desperado” by Joe Abercrombie (Red Country)
“City Lazarus” by Diana Rowland
“The Hands That Are Not There” by Melinda Snodgrass (Imperials)
“Hell Hath No Fury” by Sherrilyn Kenyon
“Caretakers” by Pat Cadigan
Novella: Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell by Brandon Sanderson (The Cosmere)
Table of contents:
“Bombshells” by Jim Butcher (The Dresden Files)
“Some Desperado” by Joe Abercrombie (Red Country)
“City Lazarus” by Diana Rowland
“The Hands That Are Not There” by Melinda Snodgrass (Imperials)
“Hell Hath No Fury” by Sherrilyn Kenyon
“Caretakers” by Pat Cadigan
Novella: Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell by Brandon Sanderson (The Cosmere)
Paperback
First published December 1, 2014
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About the author
George R.R. Martin
1,505 books120k followersGeorge Raymond Richard "R.R." Martin was born September 20, 1948, in Bayonne, New Jersey. His father was Raymond Collins Martin, a longshoreman, and his mother was Margaret Brady Martin. He has two sisters, Darleen Martin Lapinski and Janet Martin Patten.
Martin attended Mary Jane Donohoe School and Marist High School. He began writing very young, selling monster stories to other neighborhood children for pennies, dramatic readings included. Later he became a comic book fan and collector in high school, and began to write fiction for comic fanzines (amateur fan magazines). Martin's first professional sale was made in 1970 at age 21: The Hero, sold to Galaxy, published in February, 1971 issue. Other sales followed.
In 1970 Martin received a B.S. in Journalism from Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, graduating summa cum laude. He went on to complete a M.S. in Journalism in 1971, also from Northwestern.
As a conscientious objector, Martin did alternative service 1972-1974 with VISTA, attached to Cook County Legal Assistance Foundation. He also directed chess tournaments for the Continental Chess Association from 1973-1976, and was a Journalism instructor at Clarke College, Dubuque, Iowa, from 1976-1978. He wrote part-time throughout the 1970s while working as a VISTA Volunteer, chess director, and teacher.
In 1975 he married Gale Burnick. They divorced in 1979, with no children. Martin became a full-time writer in 1979. He was writer-in-residence at Clarke College from 1978-79.
Moving on to Hollywood, Martin signed on as a story editor for Twilight Zone at CBS Television in 1986. In 1987 Martin became an Executive Story Consultant for Beauty and the Beast at CBS. In 1988 he became a Producer for Beauty and the Beast, then in 1989 moved up to Co-Supervising Producer. He was Executive Producer for Doorways, a pilot which he wrote for Columbia Pictures Television, which was filmed during 1992-93.
Martin's present home is Santa Fe, New Mexico. He is a member of Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America (he was South-Central Regional Director 1977-1979, and Vice President 1996-1998), and of Writers' Guild of America, West.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/george...
Martin attended Mary Jane Donohoe School and Marist High School. He began writing very young, selling monster stories to other neighborhood children for pennies, dramatic readings included. Later he became a comic book fan and collector in high school, and began to write fiction for comic fanzines (amateur fan magazines). Martin's first professional sale was made in 1970 at age 21: The Hero, sold to Galaxy, published in February, 1971 issue. Other sales followed.
In 1970 Martin received a B.S. in Journalism from Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, graduating summa cum laude. He went on to complete a M.S. in Journalism in 1971, also from Northwestern.
As a conscientious objector, Martin did alternative service 1972-1974 with VISTA, attached to Cook County Legal Assistance Foundation. He also directed chess tournaments for the Continental Chess Association from 1973-1976, and was a Journalism instructor at Clarke College, Dubuque, Iowa, from 1976-1978. He wrote part-time throughout the 1970s while working as a VISTA Volunteer, chess director, and teacher.
In 1975 he married Gale Burnick. They divorced in 1979, with no children. Martin became a full-time writer in 1979. He was writer-in-residence at Clarke College from 1978-79.
Moving on to Hollywood, Martin signed on as a story editor for Twilight Zone at CBS Television in 1986. In 1987 Martin became an Executive Story Consultant for Beauty and the Beast at CBS. In 1988 he became a Producer for Beauty and the Beast, then in 1989 moved up to Co-Supervising Producer. He was Executive Producer for Doorways, a pilot which he wrote for Columbia Pictures Television, which was filmed during 1992-93.
Martin's present home is Santa Fe, New Mexico. He is a member of Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America (he was South-Central Regional Director 1977-1979, and Vice President 1996-1998), and of Writers' Guild of America, West.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/george...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
February 16, 2015
Overall rating: ★★★☆☆ - Sort of liked/OK. Each story is reviewed individually below.
1/7: "Bombshells" by Jim Butcher
★★★☆☆ - Sort of liked/OK
My rating for this story jumped around a lot. At one point it was really low, but some brilliant moments brought it right back up again.
But, this story can essentially be summarised as: a group of three women going around using their sexuality to their advantage. OK, perhaps it is a bit more complex than that, but they're described as "hot" and use their "racks" to get themselves where they need to be. Plus you have Molly whinging the whole time about how much she misses Harry, oh what would Harry do, oh I wish Harry were here...
Yeah. You get the idea.
Now I don't mind detective-style first-person stories, even magical ones. That's pretty cool in and of itself. But I wish the author would get their tenses right. The beginning is very bizarre, as it starts in present tense, then switches, then has an awkward moment before settling down into a comfortable past-tense set up. That put me off, too. Plus the fact that Molly is described as a tom boy, who's not particularly feminine and rarely wears high heels, but one that is so concerned about femine-hygiene duties and how she feels disgusted if she doesn't follow them... Oh dear. Men really don't know how women think!
If it wasn't for the well-written action and the fact that it wasn't hard to empathise with the characters once the story got going, plus a decent laugh in there, the story would have certainly have scored lower than my generous three stars.
2/7: "City Lazarus" by Diana Rowland
★★★★☆ - Really liked
Wow, what a story, what an ending!! Even though it isn't really my genre, once I got into it is was quite enjoyable in a way and very readable. You keep waiting and wondering what the final twist will be and, once it's revealed, it is quite brilliant!
I really don't like reading about misogynystic men and vain women who just go out of their ways to pander to the egos of said men. But that's life, that's reality, and it's written about in such a realistic way. It is quite different reading these things from a female author's perspective than a male's. Rowland doesn't glorify in their behaviour, but tries to get inside the minds and explain the whos, the what's, the whys. And that's partly what made this story such a great read.
3/7: "Hell Hath No Fury" by Sherrilyn Kenyon
★★★☆☆ - Sort of liked/OK
Hmmm, this was interesting, being as it says it's based on a folk tale, but barely made three stars for me. I'm not quite into all the overblown paranormal stuff. I find it too stupid, really, and this just over-emphasised the whole stupidity of it all.
A bit too bitty and shabby, where I found that the living characters were outplayed by the dead. In fact, the only character I had any sympathy for was one of the dead characters and the only reason this barely makes three stars is because of her parts and how well written they were.
4/7: "Some Desperado" by Joe Abercrombie
★★★★☆ - Really liked
I've actually been meaning to read some of Mr. Abercrombie's works and actually have The Blade Itself on my reading list. And I must say, this short story didn't leave me disappointed. He certainly has a style about him, almost a swagger, using quite colourful language and descriptions in a very down-to-Earth way. I guess I could say that the only thing that disappointed me was the ending, as it felt a bit like it ended too soon. One battle over, but the war wasn't yet won. Certainly left me waiting for more!
5/7: "The Hands That Are Not There" by Melinda Snodgrass
★★★★☆ - Really liked
This story wasn't what I expected it was going to be. At the beginning, I expected it to turn into a kind of space opera, yet it took an entirely different line, perhaps more of the consequences of space travel and expansion.
For those that have thought they've done the right thing, from governmental to family structure, to laws created to protect the human race, some of them are forced to see the consequences of that, but with no way of shouting out to warn others.
Bizarre, but intriguing.
6/7: "Caretakers" by Pat Cadigan
★★☆☆☆ - Disliked
Nah. This just really wasn't me. First of all, I was confused in the beginning. I imagined the narrator to be a mid-twenties male instead of a mid-fifties female. So I got confused when I saw that their name was "Val", then saw them being referred to as the "big sister". Even right to the end, I still couldn't see them as being mid-fifties.
Add to that, a modern tale that seemed much-too loose. There was no grab, little to make me not want to throw the book down in disgust, and that ending just left me feeling even more flat. It felt as if there was no real conclusion, that there was a sort of "eureka" moment, but that it wasn't definitive or solid enough.
And particularly the last few lines (seriously, I'm not going to spoil, but if you read it you'll know what I mean). Just eurgh.
So what keeps it from me giving it a one star? Probably simply the sheer fact that, in my opinion, it wasn't the worst story in the anthology.
7/7: "Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell" by Brandon Sanderson
★★★★☆ - Really liked
A bizarre fantasy story. Whilst quite similar to other ideas in the demons and how they're battled, it's also got a uniqueness about it, a combination of ideas that just come together. Ordinary people living with and battling demons with whatever tools they have to hand.
Having not yet read any of Sanderson's other works, I can't say if this is a universe he has already written about, but if he hasn't, he should certainly expand it further!
The reason for the four stars is because it took me some time to get into, the new ideas of any fantasy story taking time to sink in, but once I did I was hooked.
1/7: "Bombshells" by Jim Butcher
★★★☆☆ - Sort of liked/OK
My rating for this story jumped around a lot. At one point it was really low, but some brilliant moments brought it right back up again.
But, this story can essentially be summarised as: a group of three women going around using their sexuality to their advantage. OK, perhaps it is a bit more complex than that, but they're described as "hot" and use their "racks" to get themselves where they need to be. Plus you have Molly whinging the whole time about how much she misses Harry, oh what would Harry do, oh I wish Harry were here...
Yeah. You get the idea.
Now I don't mind detective-style first-person stories, even magical ones. That's pretty cool in and of itself. But I wish the author would get their tenses right. The beginning is very bizarre, as it starts in present tense, then switches, then has an awkward moment before settling down into a comfortable past-tense set up. That put me off, too. Plus the fact that Molly is described as a tom boy, who's not particularly feminine and rarely wears high heels, but one that is so concerned about femine-hygiene duties and how she feels disgusted if she doesn't follow them... Oh dear. Men really don't know how women think!
If it wasn't for the well-written action and the fact that it wasn't hard to empathise with the characters once the story got going, plus a decent laugh in there, the story would have certainly have scored lower than my generous three stars.
2/7: "City Lazarus" by Diana Rowland
★★★★☆ - Really liked
Wow, what a story, what an ending!! Even though it isn't really my genre, once I got into it is was quite enjoyable in a way and very readable. You keep waiting and wondering what the final twist will be and, once it's revealed, it is quite brilliant!
I really don't like reading about misogynystic men and vain women who just go out of their ways to pander to the egos of said men. But that's life, that's reality, and it's written about in such a realistic way. It is quite different reading these things from a female author's perspective than a male's. Rowland doesn't glorify in their behaviour, but tries to get inside the minds and explain the whos, the what's, the whys. And that's partly what made this story such a great read.
3/7: "Hell Hath No Fury" by Sherrilyn Kenyon
★★★☆☆ - Sort of liked/OK
Hmmm, this was interesting, being as it says it's based on a folk tale, but barely made three stars for me. I'm not quite into all the overblown paranormal stuff. I find it too stupid, really, and this just over-emphasised the whole stupidity of it all.
A bit too bitty and shabby, where I found that the living characters were outplayed by the dead. In fact, the only character I had any sympathy for was one of the dead characters and the only reason this barely makes three stars is because of her parts and how well written they were.
4/7: "Some Desperado" by Joe Abercrombie
★★★★☆ - Really liked
I've actually been meaning to read some of Mr. Abercrombie's works and actually have The Blade Itself on my reading list. And I must say, this short story didn't leave me disappointed. He certainly has a style about him, almost a swagger, using quite colourful language and descriptions in a very down-to-Earth way. I guess I could say that the only thing that disappointed me was the ending, as it felt a bit like it ended too soon. One battle over, but the war wasn't yet won. Certainly left me waiting for more!
5/7: "The Hands That Are Not There" by Melinda Snodgrass
★★★★☆ - Really liked
This story wasn't what I expected it was going to be. At the beginning, I expected it to turn into a kind of space opera, yet it took an entirely different line, perhaps more of the consequences of space travel and expansion.
For those that have thought they've done the right thing, from governmental to family structure, to laws created to protect the human race, some of them are forced to see the consequences of that, but with no way of shouting out to warn others.
Bizarre, but intriguing.
6/7: "Caretakers" by Pat Cadigan
★★☆☆☆ - Disliked
Nah. This just really wasn't me. First of all, I was confused in the beginning. I imagined the narrator to be a mid-twenties male instead of a mid-fifties female. So I got confused when I saw that their name was "Val", then saw them being referred to as the "big sister". Even right to the end, I still couldn't see them as being mid-fifties.
Add to that, a modern tale that seemed much-too loose. There was no grab, little to make me not want to throw the book down in disgust, and that ending just left me feeling even more flat. It felt as if there was no real conclusion, that there was a sort of "eureka" moment, but that it wasn't definitive or solid enough.
And particularly the last few lines (seriously, I'm not going to spoil, but if you read it you'll know what I mean). Just eurgh.
So what keeps it from me giving it a one star? Probably simply the sheer fact that, in my opinion, it wasn't the worst story in the anthology.
7/7: "Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell" by Brandon Sanderson
★★★★☆ - Really liked
A bizarre fantasy story. Whilst quite similar to other ideas in the demons and how they're battled, it's also got a uniqueness about it, a combination of ideas that just come together. Ordinary people living with and battling demons with whatever tools they have to hand.
Having not yet read any of Sanderson's other works, I can't say if this is a universe he has already written about, but if he hasn't, he should certainly expand it further!
The reason for the four stars is because it took me some time to get into, the new ideas of any fantasy story taking time to sink in, but once I did I was hooked.
June 25, 2017
Overall, the whole collection is pretty disappointing to me. The stories might fit the theme of ‘dangerous women’ on a technicality, but few of them feel genuinely dangerous. Usually the twist is that, surprise! She’s not a good girl after all! Righto.
‘Some Desperado’, by Joe Abercrombie — One of the better ones in the collection. The main character is, indeed, a desperado, and things don’t go too well for her — but she defends herself and keeps on running.
‘City Lazarus’, by Diana Rowland — I’ve kind of avoided Rowland’s work since I saw her on a panel at a con and all she did was sell her work, and this didn’t really change my mind. The writing is okay, but lord, the set-up is so typical and the twist so obvious.
‘Hell Hath No Fury’, by Sherrilyn Kenyon — The title doesn’t even make sense, since the ‘woman scorned’ is actually driven out of a village she helped to found, not just scorned. She lays a curse on the land, people with cameras come in long after and try to film a paranormal exposé, she rips ’em to shreds. Yawn. Isn’t this an episode of Supernatural?
‘The Hands That Are Not There’, by Melinda Snodgrass — For a female author, wow does she cater to the male gaze. I didn’t get through the bar scene.
‘Caretakers’, by Pat Cadigan — This kind of… fizzled, for me. It was slow and it took a long time to get where it was going, and once it got there, it wasn’t such a shock at all.
‘Nora’s Song’, by Cecelia Holland — It’s Eleanor of Aquitane, it should be completely badass. Didn’t work for me, though.
‘Bombshells’, by Jim Butcher — Skipped entirely, with a side-eye at the spoiler for the Dresden Files in the intro. I get that it’s been out a long time, but maaaan.
Reviewed for The Bibliophibian.
‘Some Desperado’, by Joe Abercrombie — One of the better ones in the collection. The main character is, indeed, a desperado, and things don’t go too well for her — but she defends herself and keeps on running.
‘City Lazarus’, by Diana Rowland — I’ve kind of avoided Rowland’s work since I saw her on a panel at a con and all she did was sell her work, and this didn’t really change my mind. The writing is okay, but lord, the set-up is so typical and the twist so obvious.
‘Hell Hath No Fury’, by Sherrilyn Kenyon — The title doesn’t even make sense, since the ‘woman scorned’ is actually driven out of a village she helped to found, not just scorned. She lays a curse on the land, people with cameras come in long after and try to film a paranormal exposé, she rips ’em to shreds. Yawn. Isn’t this an episode of Supernatural?
‘The Hands That Are Not There’, by Melinda Snodgrass — For a female author, wow does she cater to the male gaze. I didn’t get through the bar scene.
‘Caretakers’, by Pat Cadigan — This kind of… fizzled, for me. It was slow and it took a long time to get where it was going, and once it got there, it wasn’t such a shock at all.
‘Nora’s Song’, by Cecelia Holland — It’s Eleanor of Aquitane, it should be completely badass. Didn’t work for me, though.
‘Bombshells’, by Jim Butcher — Skipped entirely, with a side-eye at the spoiler for the Dresden Files in the intro. I get that it’s been out a long time, but maaaan.
Reviewed for The Bibliophibian.
October 9, 2015
So here is my take on the last book in the trilogy :
Some Desperado by Joe Abercrombie
Rating : 5/5
In Summary : A woman on the run arrives at a ghost town in the West. She is bloody, battered and tired. On her trail are three bounty hunters who have all the time and resources in the World. But the woman – Shy is no pushover and there are a few desperate cards up her sleeve. I loved this story and in my definition, this is how a dangerous woman story should be written. Bloody and quick its gets to the meat of things and characters don’t cut corners. The writing is also taut and swift which suits the mood of the story very well. I put this story right in the league of tales by GRRM, Brandon Sanderson and Jim Butcher in this collection.
City Lazarusby Diana Rowland
Rating : 4/5
In Summary : What if the dangerous woman in the tale does not come out of the woodwork until the very end ? A post-apocalyptic New Orleans makes for a good setting of a cops v/s mafia whodunit. A corrupt and shady cop Danny finds love in the person of Delia who is a stripper and the story takes off from there. This story is a mix of hard and soft elements and Diana Rowland captures the noir-ish tones deftly. Personally, about 80% into the tale I had a kind of hunch about the outcome of the story which turned out to be just right. In that way, it is slightly predictable.
Hell Hath No Fury by Sherrilyn Kenyon
Rating : 2/5
In Summary : A group of teenagers go meddle in a place where they had no business in the first place. The place reeks of ancient evil and then….all hell breaks loose. There, you see ? This has been the plot outline of many a cheesy movie and this lack of originality kills the story. The writing style is quite good and so is the dialog but like always cliché kills the tale.
The Hands That Are Not There by Melinda Snodgrass
Rating : 4/5
In Summary : Find a stranger in a bar and 9 times out of 10 they will tell you fantastic stories over drinks. This story starts off a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away but it is no space opera ! The plot line is of treachery and high profile espionage which does not really care if it stamps a few innocent lives under its feet. This again was another twist in the tale format but unlike Diana Rowland’s tale you come off this one with a faint sense of paranoia. I am still wondering if that guy who I met in that last bar was real or a figment of my imagination ! Sheesh ! These stories will someday be the end of me…
Caretakers by Pat Cadigan
Rating : 2/5
In Summary : Two sisters, an old mother with dementia, an assisted living home which is not all what it looks like. Somewhere along this way, this tale had a spark but it is written in a very soporific fashion. Using two paragraphs where two sentences would suffice is what I think is called an overkill. This story suffers from an overload of this medical condition.
Bombshells by Jim Butcher
Rating : 4/5
In Summary : Three smoking hot women go on the hunt for a vampire, who happens to be the boyfriend of one of them. On their way to this hunk, they meet up with countless other monstrosities and battle their way to a rather interesting conclusion. This story occurs in the universe of Harry Dresden but he is absent from the tale. I wasn’t a taker for the first book in Dresden’s universe but this one was very well written. It was a pleasant surprise too for in his first story, Butcher’s characters came across as chauvinists while here the tale does a full tilt and has a woman drive the entire plot onward. One of the really good stories in the collection.
The overall reading experience : It is a strictly average collection. While some of the stories ( GRRM, Brandon Sanderson, Sharon Kay Penman, Joe Abercrombie, Jim Butcher) are real dynamite, the bad ones outweigh them heavily. To me splitting this book into three volumes looks to be a dubious way of boosting sales. If you ever chance across the three volume version of this book, avoid the second volume like the plague. The third seems to be the only one worth its salt. I would not recommend this one unless you get a choice to pick and read the stories.
Some Desperado by Joe Abercrombie
Rating : 5/5
In Summary : A woman on the run arrives at a ghost town in the West. She is bloody, battered and tired. On her trail are three bounty hunters who have all the time and resources in the World. But the woman – Shy is no pushover and there are a few desperate cards up her sleeve. I loved this story and in my definition, this is how a dangerous woman story should be written. Bloody and quick its gets to the meat of things and characters don’t cut corners. The writing is also taut and swift which suits the mood of the story very well. I put this story right in the league of tales by GRRM, Brandon Sanderson and Jim Butcher in this collection.
City Lazarusby Diana Rowland
Rating : 4/5
In Summary : What if the dangerous woman in the tale does not come out of the woodwork until the very end ? A post-apocalyptic New Orleans makes for a good setting of a cops v/s mafia whodunit. A corrupt and shady cop Danny finds love in the person of Delia who is a stripper and the story takes off from there. This story is a mix of hard and soft elements and Diana Rowland captures the noir-ish tones deftly. Personally, about 80% into the tale I had a kind of hunch about the outcome of the story which turned out to be just right. In that way, it is slightly predictable.
Hell Hath No Fury by Sherrilyn Kenyon
Rating : 2/5
In Summary : A group of teenagers go meddle in a place where they had no business in the first place. The place reeks of ancient evil and then….all hell breaks loose. There, you see ? This has been the plot outline of many a cheesy movie and this lack of originality kills the story. The writing style is quite good and so is the dialog but like always cliché kills the tale.
The Hands That Are Not There by Melinda Snodgrass
Rating : 4/5
In Summary : Find a stranger in a bar and 9 times out of 10 they will tell you fantastic stories over drinks. This story starts off a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away but it is no space opera ! The plot line is of treachery and high profile espionage which does not really care if it stamps a few innocent lives under its feet. This again was another twist in the tale format but unlike Diana Rowland’s tale you come off this one with a faint sense of paranoia. I am still wondering if that guy who I met in that last bar was real or a figment of my imagination ! Sheesh ! These stories will someday be the end of me…
Caretakers by Pat Cadigan
Rating : 2/5
In Summary : Two sisters, an old mother with dementia, an assisted living home which is not all what it looks like. Somewhere along this way, this tale had a spark but it is written in a very soporific fashion. Using two paragraphs where two sentences would suffice is what I think is called an overkill. This story suffers from an overload of this medical condition.
Bombshells by Jim Butcher
Rating : 4/5
In Summary : Three smoking hot women go on the hunt for a vampire, who happens to be the boyfriend of one of them. On their way to this hunk, they meet up with countless other monstrosities and battle their way to a rather interesting conclusion. This story occurs in the universe of Harry Dresden but he is absent from the tale. I wasn’t a taker for the first book in Dresden’s universe but this one was very well written. It was a pleasant surprise too for in his first story, Butcher’s characters came across as chauvinists while here the tale does a full tilt and has a woman drive the entire plot onward. One of the really good stories in the collection.
The overall reading experience : It is a strictly average collection. While some of the stories ( GRRM, Brandon Sanderson, Sharon Kay Penman, Joe Abercrombie, Jim Butcher) are real dynamite, the bad ones outweigh them heavily. To me splitting this book into three volumes looks to be a dubious way of boosting sales. If you ever chance across the three volume version of this book, avoid the second volume like the plague. The third seems to be the only one worth its salt. I would not recommend this one unless you get a choice to pick and read the stories.
January 23, 2022
“Bombshells” by Jim Butcher – I bought the book because of this, a Dresdenverse story I hadn’t known existed. It’s set right after the novel Ghost Story and features Molly Carpenter, Harry’s former apprentice. She’s my favourite female Dresden Files character and my second favourite of all the DF characters. The depiction of her complex personality and thoughts is excellent, and there are some interesting tidbits about how her magic differs from and in some ways surpasses Harry’s. The plot is an interesting little mission with a good payoff. The title turns out to have a clever triple meaning.
“City Lazarus” by Diana Rowland – I felt no sympathy for the male “victims” because they all had it coming.
“Hell Hath No Fury” by Sherrilyn Kenyon – A good story about taking vengeance too far. I liked the Native American angle.
“Some Desperado” by Joe Abercrombie – An entertaining story with a very resourceful heroine. The tone/subject reminded me of Firefly and Scott Lynch, which is a good thing.
“The Hands That Are Not There” by Melinda Snodgrass – Wow, what a take on identity theft.
“Caretakers” by Pat Cadigan – The resolution of the plot was pretty good, but I skimmed the story because the topics of parents with dementia and assisted living situations are sore spots for me.
“Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell” by Brandon Sanderson – A great story, well-written, with fascinating world-building and good characterisation. I was really rooting for Silence and William Ann and not wanting the story to end in tragedy. I did NOT see the twist coming. Brilliant. And, while some of the damage could be undone, not all of it could, for a touch of realism.
“City Lazarus” by Diana Rowland – I felt no sympathy for the male “victims” because they all had it coming.
“Hell Hath No Fury” by Sherrilyn Kenyon – A good story about taking vengeance too far. I liked the Native American angle.
“Some Desperado” by Joe Abercrombie – An entertaining story with a very resourceful heroine. The tone/subject reminded me of Firefly and Scott Lynch, which is a good thing.
“The Hands That Are Not There” by Melinda Snodgrass – Wow, what a take on identity theft.
“Caretakers” by Pat Cadigan – The resolution of the plot was pretty good, but I skimmed the story because the topics of parents with dementia and assisted living situations are sore spots for me.
“Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell” by Brandon Sanderson – A great story, well-written, with fascinating world-building and good characterisation. I was really rooting for Silence and William Ann and not wanting the story to end in tragedy. I did NOT see the twist coming. Brilliant. And, while some of the damage could be undone, not all of it could, for a touch of realism.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 15, 2019
With seven stories to go through, I’ve reviewed each story individually below.
Some Desperado by Joe Abercrombie
Rating: 5/5
Set in the Wild West, a desperate woman named Shy is chased by bounty hunters into a derelict town. She finds a way to come out on top of the situation. Some Desperado is set before his most recent novel Red Country.
I’ve never read a western before so when I started reading this one, I was hooked from the start. Shy and her horse are on the run and they are injured. She takes shelter in an abandoned town and waits for the bandits to come. Three brothers are on her trail and she finds herself face to face with Jeg, Dodd and Neary.
Abercrombie's tight, intense, action packed style of writing, cursing language and gritty description was captivating. You really get to be side to side with Shy as she fights her way to freedom and her inner thoughts. Although it ends in a sort of cliff hanger, I have found the western genre as something I want to pursue to read, and most likely attempt to write.
City Lazarus by Diana Rowland
Rating 3.75/5
This story follows Captain Danny Faciane in post-Hurricane Katrina New Orleans. He is working on a case and soon finds himself being very much involved with a strip pole dancer Delia Rochon. Their relationship moves at a steady pace but when his friend Peter Bennett supposedly gets too involved with Delia, Danny takes the matter into his own hands.
Reading about misogynistic men is not really my thing but Rowland wrote it in a way that was realistic. This thriller, mystery is normally written by male authors but with a female antagonist from a female writer is refreshing. Also, Rowland explains the town’s desperation to start again after a disaster which gets into the heart of the reader. Although I didn’t understand the ending and Delia’s motive, nevertheless it was a compelling, smart and sassy story with a deadly sting.
Hell Hath No Fury by Sherrilyn Kenyon
Rating 3/5
Be careful what you wish you – you might just find it.
This story is a present Native American horror story and it follows four ghost chasers trying to make a documentary about a particular ghost story.
You have the main character Cait Irwin, a psychic who has come along to communicate with the ghost, her best friend Anne, Brandon and Jaime make up the filming crew. Kenyon describes their looks and brief personality on the first page, which didn’t seem too important to me. Three of them are eager to summon the ghost of Louina who was named after the city in Alabama and was driven from her land. However, Cait is reluctant to pursue this venture.
Kenyon is famous for her twenty two novels, paranormal romance Dark Hunter Series and many other series in this genre. I haven’t read any of them so this story was really a sneak peak of her other successful books. I gave this story a go because I’m interested to read what is based on a true legend.
This story was ok but I did get confused with one of the flashback scenes. Alas, the story picked itself up at a crucial climax point and Cait being a psychic, communicating with the Louina’s vengeful ghost and helps her find peace.
Plus I’m not quite sure what happens to Brandon, he seems to have just disappeared and not given much importance like the other characters.
The Hands That Are Not There by Melinda Snodgrass
Rating: 4/5
This one scared me, not in a gruesome horror way but in a creepy aliens can go around manipulating people kind of way.
To be quite honest I really didn’t know how this story was going to pan out. Set in a dystopian future where second lieutenant Tracy Belmanor hears about a conspiracy theory from a drunk named Rohan about an alien race capable of genetically altering humans, including the femme fatale Sammy.
It’s a very descriptive science fiction story about various species and high technology jargon and a story that Rohan must tell in detail. I was slightly lost with all these different species mentioned and in complete awe with Sammy’s seductive description.
Again I don’t know what to make of the story, but I can say that you do feel sorry for Rohan and want Tracy to believe him. But it also gives a moral to the story, be careful who you trust, looks can be deceiving.
Caretakers by Pat Cadigan
Rating: 3/5
It’s a simple enough story. Two sisters, Val and Gloria, who like to watch late night real life serial killer documentaries, visit their mother in a care home. When Gloria starts volunteering at the care home, she notices unusual behaviour.
I had this notion that the main character Val, who is also the narrator, to be in her mid twenties. Turns out she is in her mid fifties and her younger sister Gloria is fifteen years younger than her.
Not that the age bothered me. In fact, it was pleasant to see the middle aged protagonist, compared to the younger ones throughout this anthology. The most enjoyable part of the story is the sisters’ interaction, as it was done beautifully, showing Val’s opinions of how much of a gap there is with the ‘younger generation’ and how she should act around Gloria because Val is the older sister. She also learns and changes her opinion of Gloria and gives her more credit.
The dangerous woman was clearly someone from the care home, but this part didn’t pop out like the other stories. There was much more focus on Val’s life, her interaction with her mother, who has dementia, her relationship with Gloria and finally figuring out what is going on in the care home.
Nora’s Song by Cecelia Holland
Rating 4/5
A historical short about young princess Nora (Eleanor) and her observations of the royal household of her father Henry II of England, her mother and the future King Richard I.
In the third person narrative, this story is told through Nora, trying to understand her position in her royal life and dealing with ever-increasing tension between her parents. Although the story gives some background to the events leading to the rebellion, Nora relationship with Alais, a girl betrothed to Richard I, comes to blow when Alais warns Nora that Eleanor of Aquitaine is wicked.
It’s thoroughly descriptive and events are easily recognisable. When Alais is taken away Nora understand the lengths her mother would go to protect her children.
I may read this further if the author expands on this story.
Bombshells by Jim Butcher
Rating 3/5
From Butcher’s most popular Dresden Files series follows the death of main man Harry Dresden. The primary focus is on his spunky protégé, Molly, the young wizard's apprentice, who finds herself caught between warring factions and must race against time to save a vampire.
The narrative from Molly is in a conversational style which I actually liked because you felt closer to the character. Unlike the other stories this one was fairly long and at times there was some mediocre points but then some parts picked up the pace well.
But to really summarise this story it essential leads Molly and two other girls, going undercover to rescue a vampire but by doing so they use their sexuality to their advantage. For example, Butcher uses terms like “hot" and "racks" and in that way, they successfully do their mission.
The action is well-written and some thrown in humour is got me through this story. But I’m not all inclined to really read the Dresden Files. And in the topic relating to dangerous women, the only danger I saw was when they put themselves in danger.
Summary
Overall, out of all seven short stories, the ones that I favoured were Some Desperadoes, City Lazarus and The Hands That Are Not There because of the style of writing, the message and overall feel that some are dangerous women. Martin and Dozois have done a fine job with the collection as not only have they got the obvious and cunning dangerous women, but some who were in total disguise.
I can’t wait to get my hands on part one and two.
Overall Average Rating: 4/5
Publishers: Harper Voyager
Publication date: November 20th 2014
Genre: Short Stories Anthology
Some Desperado by Joe Abercrombie
Rating: 5/5
Set in the Wild West, a desperate woman named Shy is chased by bounty hunters into a derelict town. She finds a way to come out on top of the situation. Some Desperado is set before his most recent novel Red Country.
I’ve never read a western before so when I started reading this one, I was hooked from the start. Shy and her horse are on the run and they are injured. She takes shelter in an abandoned town and waits for the bandits to come. Three brothers are on her trail and she finds herself face to face with Jeg, Dodd and Neary.
Abercrombie's tight, intense, action packed style of writing, cursing language and gritty description was captivating. You really get to be side to side with Shy as she fights her way to freedom and her inner thoughts. Although it ends in a sort of cliff hanger, I have found the western genre as something I want to pursue to read, and most likely attempt to write.
City Lazarus by Diana Rowland
Rating 3.75/5
This story follows Captain Danny Faciane in post-Hurricane Katrina New Orleans. He is working on a case and soon finds himself being very much involved with a strip pole dancer Delia Rochon. Their relationship moves at a steady pace but when his friend Peter Bennett supposedly gets too involved with Delia, Danny takes the matter into his own hands.
Reading about misogynistic men is not really my thing but Rowland wrote it in a way that was realistic. This thriller, mystery is normally written by male authors but with a female antagonist from a female writer is refreshing. Also, Rowland explains the town’s desperation to start again after a disaster which gets into the heart of the reader. Although I didn’t understand the ending and Delia’s motive, nevertheless it was a compelling, smart and sassy story with a deadly sting.
Hell Hath No Fury by Sherrilyn Kenyon
Rating 3/5
Be careful what you wish you – you might just find it.
This story is a present Native American horror story and it follows four ghost chasers trying to make a documentary about a particular ghost story.
You have the main character Cait Irwin, a psychic who has come along to communicate with the ghost, her best friend Anne, Brandon and Jaime make up the filming crew. Kenyon describes their looks and brief personality on the first page, which didn’t seem too important to me. Three of them are eager to summon the ghost of Louina who was named after the city in Alabama and was driven from her land. However, Cait is reluctant to pursue this venture.
Kenyon is famous for her twenty two novels, paranormal romance Dark Hunter Series and many other series in this genre. I haven’t read any of them so this story was really a sneak peak of her other successful books. I gave this story a go because I’m interested to read what is based on a true legend.
This story was ok but I did get confused with one of the flashback scenes. Alas, the story picked itself up at a crucial climax point and Cait being a psychic, communicating with the Louina’s vengeful ghost and helps her find peace.
Plus I’m not quite sure what happens to Brandon, he seems to have just disappeared and not given much importance like the other characters.
The Hands That Are Not There by Melinda Snodgrass
Rating: 4/5
This one scared me, not in a gruesome horror way but in a creepy aliens can go around manipulating people kind of way.
To be quite honest I really didn’t know how this story was going to pan out. Set in a dystopian future where second lieutenant Tracy Belmanor hears about a conspiracy theory from a drunk named Rohan about an alien race capable of genetically altering humans, including the femme fatale Sammy.
It’s a very descriptive science fiction story about various species and high technology jargon and a story that Rohan must tell in detail. I was slightly lost with all these different species mentioned and in complete awe with Sammy’s seductive description.
Again I don’t know what to make of the story, but I can say that you do feel sorry for Rohan and want Tracy to believe him. But it also gives a moral to the story, be careful who you trust, looks can be deceiving.
Caretakers by Pat Cadigan
Rating: 3/5
It’s a simple enough story. Two sisters, Val and Gloria, who like to watch late night real life serial killer documentaries, visit their mother in a care home. When Gloria starts volunteering at the care home, she notices unusual behaviour.
I had this notion that the main character Val, who is also the narrator, to be in her mid twenties. Turns out she is in her mid fifties and her younger sister Gloria is fifteen years younger than her.
Not that the age bothered me. In fact, it was pleasant to see the middle aged protagonist, compared to the younger ones throughout this anthology. The most enjoyable part of the story is the sisters’ interaction, as it was done beautifully, showing Val’s opinions of how much of a gap there is with the ‘younger generation’ and how she should act around Gloria because Val is the older sister. She also learns and changes her opinion of Gloria and gives her more credit.
The dangerous woman was clearly someone from the care home, but this part didn’t pop out like the other stories. There was much more focus on Val’s life, her interaction with her mother, who has dementia, her relationship with Gloria and finally figuring out what is going on in the care home.
Nora’s Song by Cecelia Holland
Rating 4/5
A historical short about young princess Nora (Eleanor) and her observations of the royal household of her father Henry II of England, her mother and the future King Richard I.
In the third person narrative, this story is told through Nora, trying to understand her position in her royal life and dealing with ever-increasing tension between her parents. Although the story gives some background to the events leading to the rebellion, Nora relationship with Alais, a girl betrothed to Richard I, comes to blow when Alais warns Nora that Eleanor of Aquitaine is wicked.
It’s thoroughly descriptive and events are easily recognisable. When Alais is taken away Nora understand the lengths her mother would go to protect her children.
I may read this further if the author expands on this story.
Bombshells by Jim Butcher
Rating 3/5
From Butcher’s most popular Dresden Files series follows the death of main man Harry Dresden. The primary focus is on his spunky protégé, Molly, the young wizard's apprentice, who finds herself caught between warring factions and must race against time to save a vampire.
The narrative from Molly is in a conversational style which I actually liked because you felt closer to the character. Unlike the other stories this one was fairly long and at times there was some mediocre points but then some parts picked up the pace well.
But to really summarise this story it essential leads Molly and two other girls, going undercover to rescue a vampire but by doing so they use their sexuality to their advantage. For example, Butcher uses terms like “hot" and "racks" and in that way, they successfully do their mission.
The action is well-written and some thrown in humour is got me through this story. But I’m not all inclined to really read the Dresden Files. And in the topic relating to dangerous women, the only danger I saw was when they put themselves in danger.
Summary
Overall, out of all seven short stories, the ones that I favoured were Some Desperadoes, City Lazarus and The Hands That Are Not There because of the style of writing, the message and overall feel that some are dangerous women. Martin and Dozois have done a fine job with the collection as not only have they got the obvious and cunning dangerous women, but some who were in total disguise.
I can’t wait to get my hands on part one and two.
Overall Average Rating: 4/5
Publishers: Harper Voyager
Publication date: November 20th 2014
Genre: Short Stories Anthology
June 28, 2018
El tercer volumen de esta colección par mí es el que tiene el conjunto más flojo de todos aunque cuenta con el mejor relato de toda la recopilación. Al igual que con el segundo tomo hay que tener cuidado con las ediciones ya que no son equivalentes y el volumen 3 de Tor tiene uno de los relatos del volumen 1 de Harper.
Bombshells – Jim Butcher: El segundo mejor relato de este volumen. Parece ser que pertenece a una saga de libros que no he leído, Dresden Files, pero que me ha dado curiosidad por leer alguna historia. Una mujer iniciada en la magia y encargada de resolver los problemas que suceden en la ciudad. Personaje principal muy disfrutable y sentido del humor.
City Lazarus – Diana Rowland: Historia en la Nueva Orleáns tras las inundaciones. Policías corruptos y hombres poderosos que se aprovechan de ello. No me ha acabado de encajar con la temática de la colección.
Hell Hath No Fury – Sherrilyn Kenyon: La búsqueda de un tesoro legendario siguiendo una leyenda local no siempre es una buena idea si hay maldición de por medio. Relato que me dejó bastante indiferente.
Some Desperado – Joe Abercrombie: Debo ser de los pocos que no disfrutaron con la trilogía de la primera ley y al ver que este relato era del mismo autor me entró curiosidad a ver qué me parecía. Y aunque me ha gustado bastante más que aquellos libros tiene algo en su forma de escribir que no me acaba de enganchar. Eso sí, la historia es de las que mejor encajan con la idea que tenía de la temática de la colección. Una bandolera está huyendo de sus antiguos compañeros de fechorías y no tiene más remedio que hacerles frente en un poblado abandonado.
The Hands That Are Not There – Melinda Snodgrass: Único relato de ciencia ficción en este volumen. En un civilización que se expande por múltiples mundos, machista y xenófoba hacia otras especies alienígenas un miembro de la flota empieza a descubrir una aterradora verdad al pasar tiempo con una mujer de otra especie. Quizás te cuente su historia si le compras una botella de alcohol.
Caretakers – Pat Cadigan: Quizás el relato más humano de la colección. No hace falta tener poderes ni vivir historias extraordinarias para ser considerada una heroína. Historia de dos hermanas y su madre con principios de demencia que está en una residencia.
Shadows for Silence in the Forest of Hell – Brandon Sanderson: Siempre había querido leer algo de este autor y después de este relato creo que tendré que buscar alguna de sus novelas. Probablemente el mejor de la colección y de los que mejor encaja con la temática. Un bosque lleno de peligros mortales, una posada con las mejores protecciones para el viajero y una encargada que es mucho más de lo que te puedas imaginar.
Historia ya incluida en el primer volumen de la edición Harper.
Bombshells – Jim Butcher: El segundo mejor relato de este volumen. Parece ser que pertenece a una saga de libros que no he leído, Dresden Files, pero que me ha dado curiosidad por leer alguna historia. Una mujer iniciada en la magia y encargada de resolver los problemas que suceden en la ciudad. Personaje principal muy disfrutable y sentido del humor.
City Lazarus – Diana Rowland: Historia en la Nueva Orleáns tras las inundaciones. Policías corruptos y hombres poderosos que se aprovechan de ello. No me ha acabado de encajar con la temática de la colección.
Hell Hath No Fury – Sherrilyn Kenyon: La búsqueda de un tesoro legendario siguiendo una leyenda local no siempre es una buena idea si hay maldición de por medio. Relato que me dejó bastante indiferente.
Some Desperado – Joe Abercrombie: Debo ser de los pocos que no disfrutaron con la trilogía de la primera ley y al ver que este relato era del mismo autor me entró curiosidad a ver qué me parecía. Y aunque me ha gustado bastante más que aquellos libros tiene algo en su forma de escribir que no me acaba de enganchar. Eso sí, la historia es de las que mejor encajan con la idea que tenía de la temática de la colección. Una bandolera está huyendo de sus antiguos compañeros de fechorías y no tiene más remedio que hacerles frente en un poblado abandonado.
The Hands That Are Not There – Melinda Snodgrass: Único relato de ciencia ficción en este volumen. En un civilización que se expande por múltiples mundos, machista y xenófoba hacia otras especies alienígenas un miembro de la flota empieza a descubrir una aterradora verdad al pasar tiempo con una mujer de otra especie. Quizás te cuente su historia si le compras una botella de alcohol.
Caretakers – Pat Cadigan: Quizás el relato más humano de la colección. No hace falta tener poderes ni vivir historias extraordinarias para ser considerada una heroína. Historia de dos hermanas y su madre con principios de demencia que está en una residencia.
Shadows for Silence in the Forest of Hell – Brandon Sanderson: Siempre había querido leer algo de este autor y después de este relato creo que tendré que buscar alguna de sus novelas. Probablemente el mejor de la colección y de los que mejor encaja con la temática. Un bosque lleno de peligros mortales, una posada con las mejores protecciones para el viajero y una encargada que es mucho más de lo que te puedas imaginar.
Historia ya incluida en el primer volumen de la edición Harper.
September 28, 2016
Joe Abercrombie writes a story about an outlaw running from the gang of men she just robbed a bank with. This is probably the most dangerous woman I've read in this collection so far (I haven't read the first part yet because my library only bought the last two out of three #budgetcuts). I didn't enjoy the opening because I find Abercrombie's prose takes a while to get in to, but once things kicked off it was intense. This story did a pretty good job of just being a short story and not trying to be more. Ironically it's probably the story that was the most open-ended, but somehow it worked.
Diana Rowland contributed another story from a male perspective, but I think it was far more relevant here than Gabaldon's. This story wasn't about the man, it was about the dangerous woman, who was certainly very dangerous. It was a surprisingly complex story for such a short space and I think it did the format justice. The male POV was also a slimeball, which was pretty fun.
Sherlynn Kenyon sort of ruined the small roll this volume had going for it with a big dollop of 'what did I just read?' This was a horror/ghost story and it read like a bad episode of Scooby Doo. The story itself is based on a "true legend", which I can only assume a legend in the vein of 'oh I nearly picked up a woman on the side of the road but then she VANISHED and apparently someone killed themselves there ten years ago zomg so creepy', because it really was just ... not ... good. Still, a skilled writer could probably have made it creepy. Kenyon did not come across as a skilled writer. I am in no way exaggerating when I say I've read this level of writing and storytelling in twelve year olds. I have read better in thirteen year olds. Regularly. I'm astonished this not only made it into a traditionally-published book, but one edited by such talents as Martin and Dozois. Could they seriously not find anything better than this juvenile nonsense?
Melinda Snodgrass presents another story about strippers and women manipulating men through sex. While not quite as offensive as Lev Grossman having a woman being rescued by a man, I'm now thoroughly worn out on the 'women using sex as a weapon' angle and will be extremely annoyed if it comes up again. While I'm aware that women can be dangerous and powerful while doing these things, strippers and femme fatales are in the vanishingly small minority of women. I need to see some dangerous CEOs please.
Pat Cadigan's story was very good. Opening with an exploration of a relationship between sisters as they watch tv shows about murders, it threw out some decent tension up front. This unfolded into a bit of a mystery story, and another that explored dementia. It seems weird to have two stories in such a small collection be about the same topic (that isn't dangerous women) but it was enjoyable so I'd much rather have 10 stories about dangerous women and dementia than some of the other stuff that's in this.
Cecelia Holland's story is very similar to Penman's from the second volume. Here we get Eleanor of Aquitaine doing her medieval queen thing, except we see it through the eyes of her daughter, Eleanora. Eleanor is a very dangerous woman so I understand the inclusion in the collection, but the story tries really really hard to make Eleanora the dangerous one instead, having her be a bit of a tom boy and want to rescue people and stuff. This was bothersome in various ways, but mostly because it was attempting to present Eleanora as the dangerous one through doing boy stuff like getting in mud and wanting to have a sword. In any other story it wouldn't have been a huge issue, but when her mother's Eleanor of Aquitaine it would have been really nice to see the dangerous woman being dangerous through the ways women usually have to be dangerous: thinking really hard about it and coming up with a good plan. I guess Eleanor's war against her husband is pretty well-documented and maybe we didn't need another fictional retelling of that, but in that case there was way too much about Eleanor's war against her husband in it ... I feel like I'm being harsh and nitpicky more than this deserved, because it was a moderately compelling story. The scenes with Henry were pretty disturbing as they accurately depicted the tension that happens when a man with power tries to use it against women with less. Not a terrible addition, but not great.
Jim Butcher is new to me, although he was recommended to me nearly a decade ago. I probably should've listened back then because this story IS FILLED WITH SPOILERS. Even Butcher's bio spoils the whole series, which is super annoying. That aside, the story is packed full of details and you can tell this is coming from a very well-established universe. He did a decent job of orienting a new reader, but it was difficult at times. Anyway, Molly the protag is an apprentice wizard and she doesn't always know what she's doing, but she's good at improvising. Yay! Unfortunately when the story gets into the action guess what route Molly takes? Dressing up slutty (her words) and being pretty! Yaaaaaaa--no wait. This whole thing just read like what men want strong women to be: in love with their bosses, unable to get over that, and dressed up in high heels and short dresses for all the action scenes.
This collection is not doing a whole lot for feminism, which is probably the opposite of the point. In single doses, many of the problems in this collection would be ok. Women deal with rape, so let's show a woman being strong in the face of rape. Women have historically had no power, let's show a woman getting their way despite that. Women have used their looks to manipulate men into doing things and while it's not a great route to go down, it makes sense to use any advantages you have, right? Ignoring this stuff would be unrealistic, but when you have multiple stories involving rape, multiple stories involving sexual manipulation, and multiple stories of women with little to no power of their own, it becomes ... caging. To me, as a woman. Fiction, especially speculative fiction as much of this is, is the PERFECT battleground on which to take women out of the cage we're put in perpetually by Hollywood and the other media and society in general (men and women).
Show us our OPTIONS! Show us women in ALL walks of life. Give us an actual queen who ruled in her own right instead of the harried consort! Give us LEADERS! Give us multi-tasking women with children who aren't obsessed with their bodies or losing their minds. In short, give us the range of perspectives that men have enjoyed for a very long time. I'm actually feeling LESS empowered by reading these stories to the point where I'm not going to read the first volume just yet because my feminist irritation is exhausted and I need to go read something enlightened to get the poor thing to settle down. This may be foolish, as the first volume begins with Martin and ends with Sanderson, both of whom have historically done a fantastic job writing women, but it's more the ones in between that bother me. Ugh.
Diana Rowland contributed another story from a male perspective, but I think it was far more relevant here than Gabaldon's. This story wasn't about the man, it was about the dangerous woman, who was certainly very dangerous. It was a surprisingly complex story for such a short space and I think it did the format justice. The male POV was also a slimeball, which was pretty fun.
Sherlynn Kenyon sort of ruined the small roll this volume had going for it with a big dollop of 'what did I just read?' This was a horror/ghost story and it read like a bad episode of Scooby Doo. The story itself is based on a "true legend", which I can only assume a legend in the vein of 'oh I nearly picked up a woman on the side of the road but then she VANISHED and apparently someone killed themselves there ten years ago zomg so creepy', because it really was just ... not ... good. Still, a skilled writer could probably have made it creepy. Kenyon did not come across as a skilled writer. I am in no way exaggerating when I say I've read this level of writing and storytelling in twelve year olds. I have read better in thirteen year olds. Regularly. I'm astonished this not only made it into a traditionally-published book, but one edited by such talents as Martin and Dozois. Could they seriously not find anything better than this juvenile nonsense?
Melinda Snodgrass presents another story about strippers and women manipulating men through sex. While not quite as offensive as Lev Grossman having a woman being rescued by a man, I'm now thoroughly worn out on the 'women using sex as a weapon' angle and will be extremely annoyed if it comes up again. While I'm aware that women can be dangerous and powerful while doing these things, strippers and femme fatales are in the vanishingly small minority of women. I need to see some dangerous CEOs please.
Pat Cadigan's story was very good. Opening with an exploration of a relationship between sisters as they watch tv shows about murders, it threw out some decent tension up front. This unfolded into a bit of a mystery story, and another that explored dementia. It seems weird to have two stories in such a small collection be about the same topic (that isn't dangerous women) but it was enjoyable so I'd much rather have 10 stories about dangerous women and dementia than some of the other stuff that's in this.
Cecelia Holland's story is very similar to Penman's from the second volume. Here we get Eleanor of Aquitaine doing her medieval queen thing, except we see it through the eyes of her daughter, Eleanora. Eleanor is a very dangerous woman so I understand the inclusion in the collection, but the story tries really really hard to make Eleanora the dangerous one instead, having her be a bit of a tom boy and want to rescue people and stuff. This was bothersome in various ways, but mostly because it was attempting to present Eleanora as the dangerous one through doing boy stuff like getting in mud and wanting to have a sword. In any other story it wouldn't have been a huge issue, but when her mother's Eleanor of Aquitaine it would have been really nice to see the dangerous woman being dangerous through the ways women usually have to be dangerous: thinking really hard about it and coming up with a good plan. I guess Eleanor's war against her husband is pretty well-documented and maybe we didn't need another fictional retelling of that, but in that case there was way too much about Eleanor's war against her husband in it ... I feel like I'm being harsh and nitpicky more than this deserved, because it was a moderately compelling story. The scenes with Henry were pretty disturbing as they accurately depicted the tension that happens when a man with power tries to use it against women with less. Not a terrible addition, but not great.
Jim Butcher is new to me, although he was recommended to me nearly a decade ago. I probably should've listened back then because this story IS FILLED WITH SPOILERS. Even Butcher's bio spoils the whole series, which is super annoying. That aside, the story is packed full of details and you can tell this is coming from a very well-established universe. He did a decent job of orienting a new reader, but it was difficult at times. Anyway, Molly the protag is an apprentice wizard and she doesn't always know what she's doing, but she's good at improvising. Yay! Unfortunately when the story gets into the action guess what route Molly takes? Dressing up slutty (her words) and being pretty! Yaaaaaaa--no wait. This whole thing just read like what men want strong women to be: in love with their bosses, unable to get over that, and dressed up in high heels and short dresses for all the action scenes.
This collection is not doing a whole lot for feminism, which is probably the opposite of the point. In single doses, many of the problems in this collection would be ok. Women deal with rape, so let's show a woman being strong in the face of rape. Women have historically had no power, let's show a woman getting their way despite that. Women have used their looks to manipulate men into doing things and while it's not a great route to go down, it makes sense to use any advantages you have, right? Ignoring this stuff would be unrealistic, but when you have multiple stories involving rape, multiple stories involving sexual manipulation, and multiple stories of women with little to no power of their own, it becomes ... caging. To me, as a woman. Fiction, especially speculative fiction as much of this is, is the PERFECT battleground on which to take women out of the cage we're put in perpetually by Hollywood and the other media and society in general (men and women).
Show us our OPTIONS! Show us women in ALL walks of life. Give us an actual queen who ruled in her own right instead of the harried consort! Give us LEADERS! Give us multi-tasking women with children who aren't obsessed with their bodies or losing their minds. In short, give us the range of perspectives that men have enjoyed for a very long time. I'm actually feeling LESS empowered by reading these stories to the point where I'm not going to read the first volume just yet because my feminist irritation is exhausted and I need to go read something enlightened to get the poor thing to settle down. This may be foolish, as the first volume begins with Martin and ends with Sanderson, both of whom have historically done a fantastic job writing women, but it's more the ones in between that bother me. Ugh.
September 24, 2023
The final round of Dangerous Women short stories to review! I'll review all of them in detail, give them a score, and base the final score on the average. You can see it already, but as of this writing, I'm yet to determine the average.
When I'm done with that, I'll calculate the average of all three installments, which is the final rating I give this collection, and I'll say something about it as a whole. All right, let's go.
Some Desperado - Joe Abercrombie - 3/5
This story is a western with a woman as the main character, but she fulfills the role of dangerous woman beautifully. There were a lot of fight scenes and action, which I really appreciated.
What I missed, though? Emotional investment. At the end of the short story, Smoke is exactly the same as she was at the start, there's little character development, although the characters themselves are well-written. I lacked the investment I want from these stories, it seemed mostly empty action, which is why it gets a three out of five.
City Lazarus - Diana Rowland - 3/5
Ooh boy. If you love to hate someone, this is the story for you, because not all that much is necessary to hate Danny, the main character, as well as the people he's involved with. But still, Danny is very hateable. Nonetheless, he does get some development as the story progresses.
However, it falls kind of flat because it's too sudden; Rowland tries to write someone from the utter depths of hell and wants to make him likeable, but it doesn't quite work at the end. Also, the dangerous woman does appear, but it's very, very late in the story. So late that I'm still puzzled on her motives. It doesn't get lower because the writing style was good and if someone manages to make me hate a character to that degree, then that shows I was invested. But still, it's only a three out of five for this one as well.
Hell Hath No Fury - Sherrilyn Kenyon - 4/5
This story was fun! It felt almost like a novel in structure, but without it feeling really bloated plot-wise. I was probably the most invested here, this was the best one. I loved the idea of an older woman still haunting a site, and the main character being psychic so that she could sense her. That might sound a little cliché, but Kenyon gets away with it, making this one very enjoyable.
Yet it gets a 4, and not 5, because the cast was just a little too big for such a short story. The climax found me scratching my head because I didn't quite understand what was going on with so many names thrown at me in such a short time. But even then, this one was really well-written!
The Hands That Are Not There - Melinda Snodgrass - 3/5
I felt like I had already read this story, only in a different setting and without the story-within-a-story kind of thing. In fact, I had read it two short stories ago with City Lazarus. The plot was almost exactly the same, and that was such a shame because I love sci-fi and genre fiction in general, and I was expecting a bit more than I got. I didn't hate the main character, I was mostly indifferent towards him, but I loved the worldbuilding, which is why it gets three stars.
Caretakers - Pat Cadigan - 3/5
This short story was just a little too long and took just a little too much time in saying what it wanted to say. There were a lot of time jumps, although the cast remains small so I never quite lost track, but I couldn't help but wonder to myself if some of this couldn't have been cut, because it feels really slow in pacing. That is why it loses two stars, though the characters were really well-written, and although I read it in pretty much one sitting.
Nora's Song - Cecilia Holland - 3/5
I'm not huge on historical fiction, but this one was pretty nice. I loved the perspective it took, with the whole story being described from the perspective of a small girl who wants to be king. It does the same thing GRRM does so succesfully in A Song of Ice and Fire; lament the position of the woman in Medieval times.
And as a result, I couldn't quite see where the dangerous woman was, because the only dangerous person I saw was a man. There were some threats here and there and I can tell that there were probably a few candidates for the role, but none of them quite got to me. As a result, three stars as well.
Bombshells - Jim Butcher - 5/5
This one was probably my favorite in the third part of this anthology! It takes place in the Dresden series. I have never read any of those novels, but I ate this one up, basically, even though I was uninitiated. The structure was really good, it felt like a spy novel, and there were loads of dangerous women in the story. Yes, plural. It was a joy to read and this might just get me to read one of his novels. A definite full rating for Bombshells!
The average rating of all of them is a 3.43, which I'll round down to 3 stars. Which makes the average for all the installments rather easy to calculate - a 3 as well.
So, then, my opinion on the anthology as a whole; I was expecting more.
This anthology claims to be all for dangerous women and a good portrayal, yet I felt it didn't always achieve that. I couldn't quite put my finger on why until I listened to a Writing Excuses episode(Examining your unconscious biases) and it all came together for me.
In some of these short stories, there is one dangerous woman. And she's dangerous, she's fierce, she's amazing. And she's also the ONLY woman in the story. The rest is all male. In other words; characters are only female when the writers need them to be. And that truly is a shame, because I was expecting more from an anthology that was all for feminism. I feel that, for a writer to be truly feminist, they should ask themselves with every character why they are that gender and if it plays a role in the story. If not, they should consider making them female. (Note: I am NOT saying all characters should be female. That is not feminism, that is the skewed view of feminism that its opponents have)
A big, big strength of this anthology was the variety, all the different genres came together very nicely, and as a result there was something in there for everyone, from historical fiction to superheroes. It's also its biggest weakness, because it doesn't feel quite coherent as a result, and some dangerous women made me wonder if this was just a story the writer had lying around that they quickly shoehorned in. Again, I was expecting more from this. Maybe I'll get more some time.
Nonetheless, I hope these three reviews were useful to you. I don't know if I'll come back to another anthology of GRRM soon. I do have Rogues still lying around though, so who knows... :)
When I'm done with that, I'll calculate the average of all three installments, which is the final rating I give this collection, and I'll say something about it as a whole. All right, let's go.
Some Desperado - Joe Abercrombie - 3/5
This story is a western with a woman as the main character, but she fulfills the role of dangerous woman beautifully. There were a lot of fight scenes and action, which I really appreciated.
What I missed, though? Emotional investment. At the end of the short story, Smoke is exactly the same as she was at the start, there's little character development, although the characters themselves are well-written. I lacked the investment I want from these stories, it seemed mostly empty action, which is why it gets a three out of five.
City Lazarus - Diana Rowland - 3/5
Ooh boy. If you love to hate someone, this is the story for you, because not all that much is necessary to hate Danny, the main character, as well as the people he's involved with. But still, Danny is very hateable. Nonetheless, he does get some development as the story progresses.
However, it falls kind of flat because it's too sudden; Rowland tries to write someone from the utter depths of hell and wants to make him likeable, but it doesn't quite work at the end. Also, the dangerous woman does appear, but it's very, very late in the story. So late that I'm still puzzled on her motives. It doesn't get lower because the writing style was good and if someone manages to make me hate a character to that degree, then that shows I was invested. But still, it's only a three out of five for this one as well.
Hell Hath No Fury - Sherrilyn Kenyon - 4/5
This story was fun! It felt almost like a novel in structure, but without it feeling really bloated plot-wise. I was probably the most invested here, this was the best one. I loved the idea of an older woman still haunting a site, and the main character being psychic so that she could sense her. That might sound a little cliché, but Kenyon gets away with it, making this one very enjoyable.
Yet it gets a 4, and not 5, because the cast was just a little too big for such a short story. The climax found me scratching my head because I didn't quite understand what was going on with so many names thrown at me in such a short time. But even then, this one was really well-written!
The Hands That Are Not There - Melinda Snodgrass - 3/5
I felt like I had already read this story, only in a different setting and without the story-within-a-story kind of thing. In fact, I had read it two short stories ago with City Lazarus. The plot was almost exactly the same, and that was such a shame because I love sci-fi and genre fiction in general, and I was expecting a bit more than I got. I didn't hate the main character, I was mostly indifferent towards him, but I loved the worldbuilding, which is why it gets three stars.
Caretakers - Pat Cadigan - 3/5
This short story was just a little too long and took just a little too much time in saying what it wanted to say. There were a lot of time jumps, although the cast remains small so I never quite lost track, but I couldn't help but wonder to myself if some of this couldn't have been cut, because it feels really slow in pacing. That is why it loses two stars, though the characters were really well-written, and although I read it in pretty much one sitting.
Nora's Song - Cecilia Holland - 3/5
I'm not huge on historical fiction, but this one was pretty nice. I loved the perspective it took, with the whole story being described from the perspective of a small girl who wants to be king. It does the same thing GRRM does so succesfully in A Song of Ice and Fire; lament the position of the woman in Medieval times.
And as a result, I couldn't quite see where the dangerous woman was, because the only dangerous person I saw was a man. There were some threats here and there and I can tell that there were probably a few candidates for the role, but none of them quite got to me. As a result, three stars as well.
Bombshells - Jim Butcher - 5/5
This one was probably my favorite in the third part of this anthology! It takes place in the Dresden series. I have never read any of those novels, but I ate this one up, basically, even though I was uninitiated. The structure was really good, it felt like a spy novel, and there were loads of dangerous women in the story. Yes, plural. It was a joy to read and this might just get me to read one of his novels. A definite full rating for Bombshells!
The average rating of all of them is a 3.43, which I'll round down to 3 stars. Which makes the average for all the installments rather easy to calculate - a 3 as well.
So, then, my opinion on the anthology as a whole; I was expecting more.
This anthology claims to be all for dangerous women and a good portrayal, yet I felt it didn't always achieve that. I couldn't quite put my finger on why until I listened to a Writing Excuses episode(Examining your unconscious biases) and it all came together for me.
In some of these short stories, there is one dangerous woman. And she's dangerous, she's fierce, she's amazing. And she's also the ONLY woman in the story. The rest is all male. In other words; characters are only female when the writers need them to be. And that truly is a shame, because I was expecting more from an anthology that was all for feminism. I feel that, for a writer to be truly feminist, they should ask themselves with every character why they are that gender and if it plays a role in the story. If not, they should consider making them female. (Note: I am NOT saying all characters should be female. That is not feminism, that is the skewed view of feminism that its opponents have)
A big, big strength of this anthology was the variety, all the different genres came together very nicely, and as a result there was something in there for everyone, from historical fiction to superheroes. It's also its biggest weakness, because it doesn't feel quite coherent as a result, and some dangerous women made me wonder if this was just a story the writer had lying around that they quickly shoehorned in. Again, I was expecting more from this. Maybe I'll get more some time.
Nonetheless, I hope these three reviews were useful to you. I don't know if I'll come back to another anthology of GRRM soon. I do have Rogues still lying around though, so who knows... :)
December 21, 2017
DANGEROUS WOMEN 1
Gardner Dozois’s introduction
George R. R. Martin, ‘The Princess and the Queen’
Carrie Vaughn, ‘Raisa Stepanova’
Nancy Kress,’“Second Arabesque, Very Slowly’
Lawrence Block, ‘I Know How to Pick ‘Em’
Megan Abbott, ‘My Heart Is Either Broken’
Joe R. Lansdale, ‘Wrestling Jesus’
Brandon Sanderson, ‘Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell’
DANGEROUS WOMEN 2
Gardner Dozois’s introduction
Megan Lindholm, ‘Neighbors’
Lev Grossman, ‘The Girl in the Mirror’
Sharon Kay Penman, ‘A Queen in Exile’
S. M. Stirling, ‘Pronouncing Doom’
Caroline Spector, ‘Lies My Mother Told Me’
Sam Sykes, ‘Name the Beast’
Diana Gabaldon, ‘Virgins’
DANGEROUS WOMEN 3
Gardner Dozois’s introduction
Joe Abercrombie, ‘Some Desperado’
Diana Rowland, ‘City Lazarus’
Sherlynn Kenyon, ‘Hell Hath No Fury’
Melinda Snodgrass, ‘The Hands That Are Not There’
Pat Cadigan, ‘Caretakers’
Cecelia Holland, ‘Nora’s Song’
Jim Butcher, ‘Bombshells’
Gardner Dozois’s introduction
George R. R. Martin, ‘The Princess and the Queen’
Carrie Vaughn, ‘Raisa Stepanova’
Nancy Kress,’“Second Arabesque, Very Slowly’
Lawrence Block, ‘I Know How to Pick ‘Em’
Megan Abbott, ‘My Heart Is Either Broken’
Joe R. Lansdale, ‘Wrestling Jesus’
Brandon Sanderson, ‘Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell’
DANGEROUS WOMEN 2
Gardner Dozois’s introduction
Megan Lindholm, ‘Neighbors’
Lev Grossman, ‘The Girl in the Mirror’
Sharon Kay Penman, ‘A Queen in Exile’
S. M. Stirling, ‘Pronouncing Doom’
Caroline Spector, ‘Lies My Mother Told Me’
Sam Sykes, ‘Name the Beast’
Diana Gabaldon, ‘Virgins’
DANGEROUS WOMEN 3
Gardner Dozois’s introduction
Joe Abercrombie, ‘Some Desperado’
Diana Rowland, ‘City Lazarus’
Sherlynn Kenyon, ‘Hell Hath No Fury’
Melinda Snodgrass, ‘The Hands That Are Not There’
Pat Cadigan, ‘Caretakers’
Cecelia Holland, ‘Nora’s Song’
Jim Butcher, ‘Bombshells’
November 29, 2022
The third of 3 paperbacks with stories already in the full anthology Dangerous Women, this overall has the best stories out of all 3. Brief reviews here with links to full story reviews as they some are quite lengthy.
Bombshells - 4⭐
Molly-POV novella also in Dangerous Women and Brief Cases takes place between Ghost Story and Cold Days. Molly teams up with Justine and Andi to save Thomas and thwart a Fomor plot by getting an uber makeover so the trio of hot women can crash a party, Charlie's Angels style. This was a fun, exciting story and I would love to see more like it.
Some Desperado [The First Law #6.5] - Joe Abercrombie - 2⭐
Shy is on the run after robbing a bank with 3 others and subsequently abandoning her fellow robbers and absconding with the loot. They've shot her horse (now dying) and cornered her in a town. How had it come to this? What the fuck now? Shy decides When you're down to small stakes you have to play long odds, and in true Desperado style, she fights to survive and stay one step ahead of the long arm of the law. An interesting, but not necessarily compelling story since I couldn't connect with Shy at all, possibly because of her callous attitude towards her horse.
City Lazarus - Diana Rowland - 3⭐
Another neo noir set in New Orleans after a flood. A dirty cop falls in love with a stripper who, of course, tells him the local power mob boss now wants her. Very atmospheric. The stripper is one of the better Femme Fatales in this collection for how she played with her prey.
The Hands That Are Not There - Melinda Snodgrass - 4⭐
Tracy Belmanor, disgruntled at not getting an equal promotion because he's not nobility, is told by the bartender there are folks who have it worse. He buys drinks for Rohan who tells him of a conspiracy story involving alien race capable of genetically altering humans, including the femme fatale Sammy who he fell head over heels in love with despite her half cat genetics. This was great.
Hell Hath No Fury - Sherilynn Kenyon - 4⭐
It begins like a found footage film where ghost hunters are ostensibly filming a documentary in some long dead town with their resident psychic. Then the psychic has first hand experience with the ghost of a Native American Woman who cursed the town to a slow death for taking her general store and sending her off on the Trail of Tears, telling them they'll never find the gold she buried with her husband. The documentary makers apparently have a hidden motive, they also want the gold! Can't say I blame that woman for the curse that endured long after her death, because sometimes justice needs to be served. Curses like this apparently have happened as there's other fiction about it, I suppose the grudge must be really strong if the curse is effective.
Caretakers - Pat Cadigan - 4⭐
Two sisters bond over watching true crime stories. The narrator is an accountant who hasn't taken a vacation in years due to being busy with work and visiting their elderly mother who is in a dementia home. The younger sister gets a job there, then tells the older one "something ain't right" which the older sister blows off, until something suspicious happens that makes things look like a true crime story in the making. Great writing, sad situation, dangerous women.
Shadows For Silence in the Forests of Hell [The Cosmere] - Brandon Sanderson - 4⭐
The Threnodite system's Forest is full of shades that prey on the living! Their touch causes withering injuries which are curable if silver dust is used in time, if not it's permanent disfigurement, possible conversion into a new shade, or, at the worst, the victim is turned into dust.
Silence Montane, innkeeper at a Way Station has a secret double life, and has to fight tooth and nail to save her family from not just dangerous bandits, but one of the most hated tax-men to ever grace a book. Scary, thrilling and the real villain is the tax guy!
Bombshells - 4⭐
Molly-POV novella also in Dangerous Women and Brief Cases takes place between Ghost Story and Cold Days. Molly teams up with Justine and Andi to save Thomas and thwart a Fomor plot by getting an uber makeover so the trio of hot women can crash a party, Charlie's Angels style. This was a fun, exciting story and I would love to see more like it.
Some Desperado [The First Law #6.5] - Joe Abercrombie - 2⭐
Shy is on the run after robbing a bank with 3 others and subsequently abandoning her fellow robbers and absconding with the loot. They've shot her horse (now dying) and cornered her in a town. How had it come to this? What the fuck now? Shy decides When you're down to small stakes you have to play long odds, and in true Desperado style, she fights to survive and stay one step ahead of the long arm of the law. An interesting, but not necessarily compelling story since I couldn't connect with Shy at all, possibly because of her callous attitude towards her horse.
City Lazarus - Diana Rowland - 3⭐
Another neo noir set in New Orleans after a flood. A dirty cop falls in love with a stripper who, of course, tells him the local power mob boss now wants her. Very atmospheric. The stripper is one of the better Femme Fatales in this collection for how she played with her prey.
The Hands That Are Not There - Melinda Snodgrass - 4⭐
Tracy Belmanor, disgruntled at not getting an equal promotion because he's not nobility, is told by the bartender there are folks who have it worse. He buys drinks for Rohan who tells him of a conspiracy story involving alien race capable of genetically altering humans, including the femme fatale Sammy who he fell head over heels in love with despite her half cat genetics. This was great.
Hell Hath No Fury - Sherilynn Kenyon - 4⭐
It begins like a found footage film where ghost hunters are ostensibly filming a documentary in some long dead town with their resident psychic. Then the psychic has first hand experience with the ghost of a Native American Woman who cursed the town to a slow death for taking her general store and sending her off on the Trail of Tears, telling them they'll never find the gold she buried with her husband. The documentary makers apparently have a hidden motive, they also want the gold! Can't say I blame that woman for the curse that endured long after her death, because sometimes justice needs to be served. Curses like this apparently have happened as there's other fiction about it, I suppose the grudge must be really strong if the curse is effective.
Caretakers - Pat Cadigan - 4⭐
Two sisters bond over watching true crime stories. The narrator is an accountant who hasn't taken a vacation in years due to being busy with work and visiting their elderly mother who is in a dementia home. The younger sister gets a job there, then tells the older one "something ain't right" which the older sister blows off, until something suspicious happens that makes things look like a true crime story in the making. Great writing, sad situation, dangerous women.
Shadows For Silence in the Forests of Hell [The Cosmere] - Brandon Sanderson - 4⭐
The Threnodite system's Forest is full of shades that prey on the living! Their touch causes withering injuries which are curable if silver dust is used in time, if not it's permanent disfigurement, possible conversion into a new shade, or, at the worst, the victim is turned into dust.
Silence Montane, innkeeper at a Way Station has a secret double life, and has to fight tooth and nail to save her family from not just dangerous bandits, but one of the most hated tax-men to ever grace a book. Scary, thrilling and the real villain is the tax guy!
October 9, 2018
Honestly, I have only bought this volume because of Joe Abercrombie's story and somehow wasn't much surprised to discover that this one truly was the only worthy piece of writing there. I'd give 4 stars to this one - it would be 5 if it wasn't so really short, as it felt like a moment in time and then it was over! The rest of the compilation gets from 1 (totally silly and overly clichéd "Hell Hath no Fury") to 3 (all the rest).
September 3, 2019
Some Desperado
by Joe Abercrombie ~ 5/5
City Lazarus by Diana Rowland ~ 4/5
Hell Hath No Fury by Sherrilyn Kenyon ~ 3.5/5
The Hands That Are Not There by Melinda Snodgrass ~ 3.5/5
Caretakers by Pat Cadigan ~ 4/5
Nora's Song by Cecelia Holland ~ 2.5/5
Bombshells by Jim Butcher ~ 4/5
Overall rating ~ 3.8/5
City Lazarus by Diana Rowland ~ 4/5
Hell Hath No Fury by Sherrilyn Kenyon ~ 3.5/5
The Hands That Are Not There by Melinda Snodgrass ~ 3.5/5
Caretakers by Pat Cadigan ~ 4/5
Nora's Song by Cecelia Holland ~ 2.5/5
Bombshells by Jim Butcher ~ 4/5
Overall rating ~ 3.8/5
June 8, 2019
Short stories from different authors makes short stories of different quality. They are all well written in their own way, but still vary. Especially the mix of genres can be hard to get around as a reader, as each requires different things from the reader, and thus the reader has to change their mindset way to often.
December 17, 2019
I generally enjoyed the book but not as much as I enjoyed the second compilation. Still, I absolutely loved the last story written by Jim Butcher. I never read anything from this author before and I found his writing very engaging and smart. And it's not every day you can find a smart story about modern day wizards. It kind of reminded me of Less Grossman and his "The Magicians".
August 31, 2021
I really struggled with this book and will admit to skipping two of the stories after a couple of pages. I'm mainly a Fantasy and SciFi reader and just couldn't get interested in any of the stories.
Also, if you're reading or want to read the Dresden Files DO NOT read the Jim Butcher story or bio. I made that mistake and it has completely spoiled the future Dresden books.
Also, if you're reading or want to read the Dresden Files DO NOT read the Jim Butcher story or bio. I made that mistake and it has completely spoiled the future Dresden books.
December 30, 2022
Nyt oli kyllä todella huono novellikokoelma luettavana. Ainoa oikeasti hyvä novelli tässä kokoelmassa oli Joe Abercrombien Some Desperado. Muut olivat joko keskinkertaisia (Pat Cadiganin Caretakers sekä Jim Butcherin Bombshells) tai surkeita tekeleitä. 1 tähti, ehkä max. 1,5 tähteä ja sekin tuon Abercrombien novellin ansiosta (jolle voisin yksinään antaa 4,5 tähteä).
August 6, 2020
Read the Sherrilyn Kenyon story. Wasn't bad, just wished the characters had a few more layers. Other than random tidbits being tossed out here and there. But nice to see a bit of legend story telling being brought, to present day. In only the way that Kenyon can.
September 2, 2021
It gets one star for the Joe Abercrombie short story and the Brian Sanderson novella. The rest were really scraping the bottom of the barrel, which is a shame because these anthologies are usually a great introduction to new authors.
July 27, 2017
Zoals bij de meeste verhalenbundels heeft ook deze goede en minder goede verhalen. Ze waren allemaal wel oké, alleen twee van de zes leken héél erg op elkaar... Hmm...
June 19, 2018
I only liked the stories by Brandon Sanderson and Jim Butcher
July 6, 2018
Uff this was terrible - I enjoyed only one of the stories in here and even that wasn’t notably good. What a disappointment
May 9, 2019
Enjoyed the stories, even when I didn't like the characters.
June 4, 2015
After curdling our brains with an awful, near toxic collection of crap in the first volume, Martin & Dozois return with a far superior collection this time. The stories were:
1. "Some Desperado" by Joe Abercrombie: a taut story, that's eminently readable, and opens the book neatly.
2. "City Lazarus" by Diana Rowland: Very good story indeed, and special thanks to the author for giving us a femme fatale for changed times.
3. "Hell Hath No Fury" by Sherrilyn Kenyon: A ghost story that's good enough for one reading.
4. "The Hands That Are Not There" by Melinda Snodgrass: Wow! Despite relying on a traditional trope, the author manages to create a new and seriously paranoia-inducing story. Solid stuff.
5. "Caretakers" by Pat Cadigan: Rather overwritten, but otherwise good.
6. "Nora's Song" by Cecilia Holland: This rubbish story got included again (it had been there in the first volume as well) perhaps as a sort of padding.
7. "Bombshells" by Jim Butcher: The best story of the collection, that carries on with the 'Dresden Files' from where we had been left at the end of "Ghost Story".
Overall, a good anthology. Recommended.
1. "Some Desperado" by Joe Abercrombie: a taut story, that's eminently readable, and opens the book neatly.
2. "City Lazarus" by Diana Rowland: Very good story indeed, and special thanks to the author for giving us a femme fatale for changed times.
3. "Hell Hath No Fury" by Sherrilyn Kenyon: A ghost story that's good enough for one reading.
4. "The Hands That Are Not There" by Melinda Snodgrass: Wow! Despite relying on a traditional trope, the author manages to create a new and seriously paranoia-inducing story. Solid stuff.
5. "Caretakers" by Pat Cadigan: Rather overwritten, but otherwise good.
6. "Nora's Song" by Cecilia Holland: This rubbish story got included again (it had been there in the first volume as well) perhaps as a sort of padding.
7. "Bombshells" by Jim Butcher: The best story of the collection, that carries on with the 'Dresden Files' from where we had been left at the end of "Ghost Story".
Overall, a good anthology. Recommended.
January 15, 2016
Dangerous Women 3 is a collection of short stories by various authors about "dangerous women". I bought this book specifically for the last story, which comes in at just over 70 pages, "Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell" by Brandon Sanderson. I was vaguely aware of most of the other authors in this collection, but had not read anything significant by any of them.
Overall, I found all of the stories enjoyable, though there's a bit of diversity in the genres, and, at times, being included in a collection about "dangerous women" was a bit of a spoiler for some of the stories. This may even encourage me to explore the work of some of the other authors in this collection in the future.
Overall, I found all of the stories enjoyable, though there's a bit of diversity in the genres, and, at times, being included in a collection about "dangerous women" was a bit of a spoiler for some of the stories. This may even encourage me to explore the work of some of the other authors in this collection in the future.
June 5, 2016
2.5 Stars
This book was all over the place. I only really liked two of the stories, and a couple I actively disliked. One I didn't even read because it's set in the same universe as a series I might want to read someday. I basically bought this for Brandon Sanderson' novella, but I recommend just buying the copy off his website.
The breakdown:
Bombshells by Jim Butcher: This is the one I didn't read, because even the introduction before the short story itself gave major Dresden Files spoilers, and I am interested in reading it! I was appalled.
City Lazarus by Diana Rowland: 2/5
Hell Hath No Fury by Sherrilyn Kenyon: 1/5
Some Desperado by Joe Ambercrombie: 4/5
The Hands That Are Not There by Melinda Snodgrass: 3/5
Caretakers by Pat Cadigan: 2/5
Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell by Brandon Sanderson: 4/5
This book was all over the place. I only really liked two of the stories, and a couple I actively disliked. One I didn't even read because it's set in the same universe as a series I might want to read someday. I basically bought this for Brandon Sanderson' novella, but I recommend just buying the copy off his website.
The breakdown:
Bombshells by Jim Butcher: This is the one I didn't read, because even the introduction before the short story itself gave major Dresden Files spoilers, and I am interested in reading it! I was appalled.
City Lazarus by Diana Rowland: 2/5
Hell Hath No Fury by Sherrilyn Kenyon: 1/5
Some Desperado by Joe Ambercrombie: 4/5
The Hands That Are Not There by Melinda Snodgrass: 3/5
Caretakers by Pat Cadigan: 2/5
Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell by Brandon Sanderson: 4/5
January 14, 2020
A novella from the Dresden Files, set during book 13 Ghost Story but told from the point of view of Molly, Harry's young apprentice.
Having just read Ghost Story this book fit perfectly as a tale told concurrently and sheds a little light on a few things that Harry experienced in the novel while being an excellent short story in it's own right. It's good to see another side of some of the characters without Harry being involved, although let's not get used to that. Harry rocks after all.
Well written and as always expertly narrated by James Marsters.
Having just read Ghost Story this book fit perfectly as a tale told concurrently and sheds a little light on a few things that Harry experienced in the novel while being an excellent short story in it's own right. It's good to see another side of some of the characters without Harry being involved, although let's not get used to that. Harry rocks after all.
Well written and as always expertly narrated by James Marsters.
February 19, 2015
This was generally a fun and enjoyable book. A few of the stories were very formulaic though. Butcher's piece is quite formulaic - fun, but predictable and nothing very new. The different genres were interesting to see mixed together. Overall, this made for good bedtime reading, since I could just read one story then sleep. I picked up an author or two to watch out for from it certainly.
March 2, 2021
For a first outing inside the head of one Molly Carpenter, this was by far the best treat you can expect. I'm not going to go into details here as any part of it would ruin a fun story, but its got a good grounding and I simply "LOVE" the way that Harry has unconsciously molded Molly's mind into being a geeky female version of himself.
Totally deserves the 5/5.
Totally deserves the 5/5.
June 28, 2015
After having read all three books in the series, I have to say I like this one best by far . I do think however, think that the majority of the series was not read by George RR Martin just used his name on it to make sales.
Currently reading
April 16, 2015Jim Butcher's story is fun, although it does have a big spoiler for the Dresden series.
Rowland's story is about the most despicable protagonist, but that's intentional. He gets what he deserves.
I found Kenyon's story cute but very pedantic.
Rowland's story is about the most despicable protagonist, but that's intentional. He gets what he deserves.
I found Kenyon's story cute but very pedantic.
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