Shadowed Souls

The Dresden Files #14.5 - Cold Case

by Jim Butcher (Editor), Kerrie L. Hughes (Editor), Seanan McGuire (Contributor)

In this dark and gritty collection—featuring short stories from Jim Butcher, Seanan McGuire, Kevin J. Anderson, and Rob Thurman—nothing is as simple as black and white, light and dark, good and evil..

Unfortunately, that’s exactly what makes it so easy to cross the line.

In #1 New York Times bestselling author Jim Butcher’s Cold Case, Molly Carpenter—Harry Dresden’s apprentice-turned-Winter Lady—must collect a tribute from a remote Fae colony and discovers that even if you’re a good girl, sometimes you have to be bad...

New York Times bestselling author Seanan McGuire’s Sleepover finds half-succubus Elsie Harrington kidnapped by a group of desperate teenage boys. Not for anything “weird.” They just need her to rescue a little girl from the boogeyman. No biggie.

In New York Times bestselling Kevin J. Anderson’s Eye of Newt, Zombie P.I. Dan Shamble’s latest client is a panicky lizard missing an eye who thinks someone wants him dead. But the truth is that someone only wants him for a very special dinner...

And New York Times bestselling author Rob Thurman’s infernally heroic Caliban Leandros takes a trip down memory lane as he deals wih some overdue—and nightmarish—vengeance involving some quite nasty Impossible Monsters .

ALSO INCLUDES STORIES BY

Tanya Huff * Kat Richardson * Jim C. Hines * Anton Strout * Lucy A. Snyder * Kristine Kathryn Rusch * Erik Scott de Bie *


From the Trade Paperback edition.

Genres: Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Short Stories, Anthologies, Paranormal, Fiction, Audiobook

338 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2016

About the author

Jim Butcher is the author of the Dresden Files, the Codex Alera, and a new steampunk series, the Cinder Spires. His resume includes a laundry list of skills which were useful a couple of centuries ago, and he plays guitar quite badly. An avid gamer, he plays tabletop games in varying systems, a variety of video games on PC and console, and LARPs whenever he can make time for it. Jim currently resides mostly inside his own head, but his head can generally be found in his home town of Independence, Missouri.

Jim goes by the moniker Longshot in a number of online locales. He came by this name in the early 1990′s when he decided he would become a published author. Usually only 3 in 1000 who make such an attempt actually manage to become published; of those, only 1 in 10 make enough money to call it a living. The sale of a second series was the breakthrough that let him beat the long odds against attaining a career as a novelist.

All the same, he refuses to change his nickname.

Reviews

[Carole (Carole's Random Life) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review can also be found at Carole's Random Life.

This was a really good selection of stories. I am really not too big of a fan of anthologies in general because it always seems like a few great stories end up mixed along with some not so great ones. That is not the case in this book. I liked all of the stories found in this book and am really happy that I decided to give it a chance.

I think one of the strengths of this anthology is that there is a little bit of everything in these stories. For fans of urban fiction, this is a perfect mix and I loved the variety. If I had to pick a favorite in the collection, I would have to go with Jim Butcher's Cold Case but there were quite a few of the other stories that were a close pick.

Cold Case by Jim Butcher - 5 stars
I really enjoyed this story featuring Molly. It is part of the Dresden Files series but you won't find Harry in this story because it is all about Molly. She is finding out what her role in the Winter court really means. I really liked seeing things from her point of view.

Sleepover by Seanan McGuire - 4 stars
This was a story about a succubus but it wasn't that kind of story. Her skills are needed to rescue a girl. I thought this story had a really nice flow and it was just so original. Elsie was a great character that was really fun to read about.

If Wishes Were by Tanya Huff - 4 stars
This was another gem of a story. The main character, Vicki, is a vampire but this didn't really feel like a vampire story. It was really more of a genie story and I liked how all of the elements worked together. I haven't read anything by Tanya Huff before so this was a great introduction for me.

Solus by Anton Strout - 4 stars
I enjoyed the banter between the main characters in this story a lot. It was a bit of a ghost story with a touch of haunted house. This pair of ghost busters was an enjoyable read.

Peacock in Hell by Kat Richardson - 4 stars
Most of this story takes place in hell so it gets a lot of points for an interesting location. The characters were interesting and I was really curious about where everything was going.

Eye of Newt by Kevin J. Anderson - 4 stars
This story would win the award for being the silliest one of the bunch. I like silly so that worked fine for me. Our favorite zombie detective, Dan Shambles, has a new client that needs some help finding out who took his eye. There were some funny moments in this one.

What Dwells Within by Lucy A. Snyder - 3.5 stars
This story featuring a witch had a pretty good mystery at its core. I found the characters interesting and the story had a few surprises along with some interesting elements.

Hunter, Healer by Jim C. Hines - 4 stars
This was a story about a unique healer. Her sidekick has a rather comical way of saying what he thinks which added an element of fun to the story. The basis of the story was really intriguing.

Baggage by Erik Scott de Bie - 3 stars
This story is about a superhero or someone who used to be a superhero. It took a while for this one to get really interesting for me but I liked how dark the characters were.

Sales. Force. by Kristine Katherine Rusch - 3 stars
The main character of this story has a broken heart and I really felt her pain. When she is called on a job to test a potion that can take away all of that pain, why would she want to do anything else?

Impossible Monsters by Rob Thurman - 4 stars
Cal is such an interesting character being a half demon. He visits an old teacher from school that had an ugly side. This was a pretty dark story but very entertaining.

I would recommend this book to fans of urban fiction and paranormal. I really think that there is something for everyone in this book. The stories that are part of a larger series read perfectly well as a stand alone so it is a great place to jump in and give it a shot. I have found a few authors that I hope to read more from in the near future.

I received an advanced reader edition of this book from Berkley Publishing Group via NetGalley.

Initial Thoughts
This was really a very good collection of short stories. I liked some better than others but I really liked all of them. There really is a little bit of everything in these stories which kept the collection very interesting.

[Sarah]

Since I've only read one short story in this anthology I'm not rating it or marking it as read. I do plan to come back to it and read the rest of the stories at some point but in the meantime I'll just review the story I've read.

Sleepover by Seanan McGuire - 3.5 stars
Read 18th January 2017

If you've read the other Incryptid short stories you'll recognise Elsie as Artie's sister and cousin to Verity, Alex and Antimony. I love how supportive she's been to Antimony and was curious to find out more about her so I was really pleased to come across this story.

Elsie is a succubus but this isn't a normal succubus story for a couple of reasons: for a start Elsie is a lesbian and her abilities only work on men so they don't exactly help her lovelife but mainly because this is a rescue mission rather than a romance. Elsie is just enjoying watching Antimony's latest Roller Derby match when an encounter with a beautiful woman takes a complicated turn and she ends up getting kidnapped.

I'm not going to say much more about the plot but this was a nice insight into Elsie's character and shows us what she's made of. We get to see a bit more of another group of cryptids and I loved the fact that children just don't notice the difference between species. If only we were all more open minded the world would be a much nicer place! There are a couple of characters in here who really deserve some kind of horrible fate to befall them so I hope that we'll revisit Elsie and see her get her revenge!

[Chad · Rating 4 out of 5]

Picked this up for the Jim Butcher story featuring Molly Carpenter, stayed for the other urban fiction stories. Features a bunch of magical characters living on the edge to keep us safe from what goes bump in the night.

[Wanda Pedersen · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25 stars

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Shadowed Souls is a collection of amazing authors writing shorts to tantalize and expound your imagination. Shadowed Souls is an anthology of short dark urban fantasies that give you a taste for authors you might not have discovered as well as ones you’ve come to love. There are fae, zombies, wizards, genies and more, pretty much providing something for everyone. All these stories are dark, with some shorter than others and the villain that might just turn out not to always being the bad guy/girl.

Quick and enjoyable, Shadowed Souls this is the perfect book to try new authors, grab a short story and embrace the dark side.

I received this ARC copy of Shadowed Souls from Berkley Publishing Group - Roc in exchange for a honest review. This book is set for publication November 1, 2016.

[Magdalena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Shadowed Souls is one of the best collection of short stories I have ever read. Sure there were one or two that I did not fully like as much as the other ones (not bad, just not my cup of tea), but there were several stories that were quite good. I mean I even ordered the first book in Tanya Huff's Vicki Nelson series after finished her short story. That is not something I do often.

What I really liked about the stories is that you don't have to have read anything before by the authors to get the gist of these short stories, sure there were times when I had wanted a short introduction before each story so that I had known more about what is going on. But, at the same time was it kind of nice to get to know the characters without any previous knowledge. It's like getting a chance to try out each author and see if the story and the writer's style are something for you. I mean several of the authors in this book have I never read anything of before and now I would love to read more from them.

Shadowed Souls has everything from ghost to zombies and it's a perfect book for urban fantasy fans. It's a collection that will work both for fans of the authors in this book and people that just like me loves urban fantasy and want to find new authors to read!

I want to thank the publisher for providing me with a free copy through NetGalley for an honest review!

Read this review and others on A Bookaholic Swede

[Melliane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mon avis en Français

My English review

Cold Case – Jim Butcher
I had the opportunity to read the first volume of the Harry Dresden series without ever read on. I was a little disappointed but the reviews of the following volumes made me want to immerse myself in the story to continue it. We find ourselves here in the same universe, which is very nice, especially while following the faes but it’s true that I was a little lost as I have not read enough of the novels. So, it is true that even I was taken at the beginning, it did not continue. I think however that fans of the series will be delighted. 3/5

Sleepover – Seanan McGuire
I love Seanan McGuire and I was delighted to find one of her novellas here. We plunge back in the world of Incryptid series and it was a pleasure to find new characters of the Price family. This time we follow a succubus who would be kidnapped by teenagers for her help. It was a very nice story to follow, especially when we know the series. 4/5

If Wishes Were – Tanya Huff
Ah … Vicki Nelson… this is a series that I read years ago, although I do not remember much about the story in general. It does not change the fact that it’s very nice to dive back into the universe to find the characters. We also follow our heroine in a new survey where she will have to try to stop a genius who does not pay attention to the spread of the evils. 4/5

Solus – Anton Strout
I do not know anything about Anton Strout but I admit that his story really made me want to discover an entire novel. We discover two men, two partners who investigate and help for paranormal cases. This time, they must visit a castle to free the owners of the ghosts residing there. It is a smooth writing with a stort that takes us away. I’m curious to find out more. 3.5 / 5

Peacock in Hell – Kat Richardson
I did read the first two volumes of a series by Kat Richardson (although I admit that I should return to it one day), so it was interesting to find her here. You can imagine that it is a question of hell here. It was nice enough to discover. 3/5

Eye of Newt – Kevin J. Anderson
Again I did not know about the author, but I admit that I was intrigued to discover his world. It was pretty funny to discover a zombie private detective who operates with all different creatures and especially with his new client, a lizard, whom an eye was stolen and who would like his help. It’s a pretty crazy story and it’s true that it’s nice to follow it. 3.5 / 5

What Dwells Within – Lucy A. Snyder
I have heard of the author and her books but I admit that I have never read any. It was a little hard to understand the universe because of that but it was interesting to get a glimpse of the characters. 3.5 / 5

Hunter, Healer – Jim C. Hines
It was a bit difficult to get into this universe without knowing a thing about it but it was interesting to have a different character like our heroine with two souls in one body. A little sad to see what she had to endure so far … 3/5

Baggage – Erik Scott de Bie
Another author I did not know about and a world to which I had a little trouble to hang on but it’s always nice to find demons. Moreover, we find a young woman who begins indoor sports but who does not expect much action. Nice but nothing more for me. 3/5

Dirty. Force – Kristine Kathryn Rusch
This is an interesting and rather sad story. We discover our heroine whose fiancé has died and must try to survive and especially to re-learn how to live. For this she quickly returns to work, working as a hunter but she did not expect to be tempted to pass to the wrong side this time. I became interested in the world and the characters, and I admit that I am curious to read more. 4/5

Impossible Monsters – Rob Thurman
I’ve heard a lot about the author and the series but I confess that even if it is in my wishlist, I still have not read the first volume. It was however interesting to discover the universe even if I admit that I wasn’t as taken as I thought I would. 3/5

[Carolyn F. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anthology. The average rating is 3.89 stars, which I'm rounding up to four. Great anthology.

1. Cold Case by Jim Butcher. Loved it. Loved Molly. The ending was so sad. I hope Molly can figure out an alternative. 5 stars.

2. Sleepover by Seanan McGuire. There was too much going on for such a short story - heartbreak, flirting, kidnapping, rescue, heartbreak - in just a few pages. I think I would have liked it better if everything wasn't so jam-packed. 3 stars.

3. If Wishes Were by Tanya Huff. I've read the first 2 books of this series and this story is 6.1 - Wow have things changed. Vicki tries to give a supernatural a break but he just takes advantage so she has to get rid of him. Good story. 4 stars

4. Solus by Anton Strout. A chirpy guy thinks he's being cute and clever when he's not. I couldn't finish this story. No rating.

5. Peacock in Hell by Kat Richardson. Peacock rescues Redmaynge from hell as directed by her necromancer/boss and then they join forces to not only survive but get rid of the man that murdered them. Good story. 3-1/2 stars.

6. Eye of Newt by Kevin J. Anderson. Couldn't get into this story. Didn't finish it. No rating.

7. What Swells Within by Lucy A. Snyder. A magical girl that has a replaced eye and hand with a ferret familiar helps a friend out and also helps herself out. Okay story. 3 stars.

8. Hunter, Healer by Jim C. Hines. A healer with a double soul has to either destroy or save someone just like her. I liked this story. 3-1/2 stars.

9. Baggage by Erin Scott de Bie. A former super villain and former super hero's past kind of catches up to her. Very good story. 4 stars.

10. Sales, Force by Kristine Kathryn Rusch. Another really good story. A woman's recent loss drives her anger. 4 stars.

11. Impossible Monsters by Rob Thurman. Fantastic story. Loved it. I have a huge cruel streak for child abusers of any kind and this was wonderful. 5 stars.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book a lot. I have my likes and dislikes of course. First of all I am a huge fan of Harry Dresden files and Jim Butcher! Why the Harry Dresden files has not made it to the movies or TV screen is beyond me! My favorite short story wa Cold case. Molly Cartpenter is back and showing off skills the great Harry has taught her. She is the winter queen and bad ass!

My second favorite is What Swells Within. Dark and demon possession while trying to rescue a old friend. Jessie Shimmer is under a death sentence from her god like creature.

The zombie stories I couldn't really get into. I love watching zombie shows or movies but not reading about them. Weird I know.

Any Jim Butcher fans will love those!!

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

To be fully honest I was interested in this book mainly because it had a story by Jim Butcher and I am always happy to find a new Dresden Files story. This is an anthology that contains 10 short stories all based around the same theme. Each story is based on the idea of good and evil, two aspects of the character and how complicated it can be to live as one or the other. The rating is based on the average of all 10 stories.

Cold Case by Jim Butcher: 3.5 stars
The story is about Molly Carpenter in her capacity as the new Winter Lady. Mab has sent her to collect a tribute from a small group of Fae, the Miksani, in Unalaska. There is something odd going on in the town and it may cause trouble for what she needs to do. Carlos Ramirez also happens to be in town which makes it even more clear that there is a problem in the town that cold make the Winter Ladies job even harder.

The characters are just as well drawn here as if they were simply pulled away from their lives in Chicago and the never-never. The new characters are a little hazy and their place in the Fae world are not very clear. The story is enjoyable if a little slower than expected. There is also no appearance by Harry, this is strictly about our Molly and the lesson that Mab has to teach her.


Sleepover by Seanan McGuire: 3.0 stars
Elsinora 'Elsie' Harrington is half human/half succubus in a world that does not really know that supernaturals live among them. Elsie is at a roller derby match rooting for her cousin when she meets a pretty girl and does something totally silly, she follows her out without telling anyone. Before she can formulate a thought she is drugged and taken away by a group of teenage boys who want her to get back the sister of one of the boys.

The characters are a little dull and boring but they still manage to keep you reading. The story has not real snap to it but you can push through and find something interesting in what the are doing. Not sure it really fits the theme.


If Wishes Were by Tanya Huff: 2 stars
Vicki Nelson is a detective who also happens to be a vampire, though this does not seem to have any bearing on anything. When a woman comes to her about a lamp she has found which contained a Jinn, she wants help to set things right. The problem is that she is tricked into doing just what the Jinn wants. Vicki makes an attempt to handle it on her own with less than satisfactory results.

Truth be told this was one of my least favorite stories. I could see potential but it never materialized. I was bored with it almost from the start and it never got better for me.


Solus by Anton Strout: 2 stars
The Department of Extraordinary Affairs-Other Division goes to investigate the claims of ghosts in a castle. They found the ghost of a lonely young woman, Agatha Sedgwick, who was haunting the castle.

I was so bored I cannot even remember anything much about this story. I actually went to sleep while reading it so draw your own conclusions.


Peacock in Hell by Kat Richardson: 3.5 stars
Emily Ann Peacock is half dead and a master thief. She is sent into Hell to rescue Lenny Red Mane for a sketchy character named Peter Fiori. What she finds is though Lenny may be the one in Hell she is working for a devil. The thing is what can she do about it.

I really liked this story and the characters. They held my attention and made me like them and the situation they found themselves in. This is a good one.


Eye of Newt, A Dan Shambles Zombie P.I. by Kevin J. Anderson: 2.5 stars
Dan Shambles has a new client, a newt named Geck who comes to him because there seems to be a hit out on him. He was attacked and one of his eyes was taken out. He needs help and Dan goes on the case.

This was a nice story with a different kind of hero and a different kind of world.


What Dwells Within by Lucy A Snyder: 3 stars
Jesse Shimmer, a magic user and his ferret familiar Pal are outlaws in the magic community. When a friend of hers is compelled to kill himself and his girlfriend is taken Jesse steps in to help. She is very good at killing devils and this one needs it more than most.

Nice short story that holds your interest and makes you want to know more about the characters.


Hunter Healer by Jim C. Hines: 4 stars
Julia Chapel ran from a life that she could not live any longer. Now she is a Healer who has an assistant who is a hearth fairy, Hob. Terrence Chapel is Julia's father and a Hunter, he is also the reason that Julia ran away. Julia had a twin sister, who was a very good Hunter, but now her sister resides within her making Julia double souled. When a Harvester comes to her it is only to gain her attention because it also leads a rogue hunter named Shard to her, and he wants to be the only one with a double soul.

Good story that draws you in and sets up the back story in a quick and effective way. The characters are well fleshed and give you a good look at who they are and can be. I enjoyed this one a lot.


Baggage by Erik Scott de Bie: 3 stars
Vivienne Cain, aka Lady Vengeance, former demon possessed super-villain turned edgy it-girl superhero turned fugitive from vigilante justice. She is a high functioning alcoholic who uses the drinking to keep her powers under control. V has been going to a gym working through some of her frustrations for a while when she senses a demon lurking about. As V becomes friends with a girl at the gym the demon gives glimpses of itself but never fully shows itself.

I really like the character of V but she is never as fleshed out as I would like her to be. None of the other characters are very fleshed out either and the story is a little thin.But it was still a good read.


Sales.Force. by Kristine Kathryn Rusch: 3.5 stars
Kaylee loses her fiancee, Dex, in a car accident after he has sworn that they would be together forever. Kaylee had not worked very much while she and Dex were together, her job is killing evil supernaturals. Kaylee goes back to work after only a week and her boss gives her an assignment that is not exactly up her alley, she is sent to investigate, not kill. When she looks into a love potion it may be the best thing for her.

Good story premise with characters who are likeable and make me willing to see more of in a longer version.


Impossible Monsters by Rob Thurman: 4 stars
"Infernally heroic Caliban Leandros takes a trip down memory lane as he deals with some overdue-and nightmarish vengeance involving some quite nasty Impossible Monsters". Caliban has two lists, one that his brother made for him in order to keep him from doing something unforgivable and inhuman. The other list is one he has made for himself that has the names of people who have done things he feels are wrong but that he wants to give them a chance to change. It's time for him to start working on that second list.

I totally like the Caliban and plan to read the books which can give me a closer and deeper look into who and what he is.

Like with most anthologies this one has good, bad, and iffy stories in it. What did not work for me might work for someone else just as what I liked might not be as good for another. I would recommend this to anyone who likes urban fantasy.

[Sheyla ✎ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I jumped at the chance to read anything by Jim Butcher and when I saw a compilation of short stories done by him and other urban fantasy authors, I couldn't resist.

Jim is in great company. I have heard of most of the other authors (I love October Daye which is written by Seanan McGuire) but I have only read two besides Jim Butcher before. Now, I can say I have had a taste of their writing style and I'm intrigued about their series too.

But let's go back to the stories. I love the main idea! The premise is that there is no black or white; no absolute good or evil. Sometimes good people do bad things. Same with some of our anti-heroes. They can be "dark" but they have good intentions. They have a soul, a conscience, whatever you want to call it.

Through this anthology, I was taken into different worlds of darkness where wizards, fae, succubi, zombies, and genies come to play. I enjoyed all of them.

If I have to pick a favorite, it would be "Cold Case". I'm a huge Molly fan. I actually want her to end up with Dresden (sorry Karrin's supporters). In Cold Case, Molly is on her first job as the Winter Lady. She needs to collect tribute from the fae in a remote area of Alaska. Molly would find herself meeting someone she knows, fighting evil, but at the end of the day, she will learn a hard truth too.

As with Cold Case, this anthology has great short stories and they are going to leave you wanting for more. At least, that's what happened to me.

4/5 Fangs

*A complimentary copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

MrsLeif's Two Fangs About It | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

[CatBookMom · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jan 2018. Skipped through the Jim Butcher story. Enjoyed the KKR, Tanya Huff, and Seanan McGuire stories just as much as before. I liked the Jim C. Hines story and the Rob Thurman one, too; read the Dan Shamble story for the eye-rolls.

March 2017 - Borrowed this to read the Seanan McGuire Cryptid story, "Sleepover, " which is OK, a little story about Elsie, the Price's cousin. But then I squee'd! There's a story with Vicky Nelson and Mike Celucci from Tanya Huff, from my old favorite Blood Price series, "If Wishes Were."

I'm calling this 'read', though I have to admit I skipped, skimmed, and scurried through some of the stories, and just plain abandoned a couple others. This is a fairly dark-toned, noir sort of collection, as is probably apropos for Jim Butcher. Besides the two I mentioned in the above paragraph, Kristine Kathryn Rusch's story *Sales.Force* was interesting; "Impossible Monsters," by Rob Thurman, is YA, more-or-less, but very dark.

This squeaked into a 3-star rating.

[Marta Cox · Rating 4 out of 5]

I saw the name Jim Butcher and just knew I had to read this book. I mean come on, its a collection of urban fantasy stories that come with a huge side of darkness to them. It's all too easy to dislike the monsters but what if the monsters aren't quite the soul sucking bad guys that we usually believe? That's the rub and that's exactly what this anthology delivers.
Ok this is quite a diverse collection and although most of these authors are known to me I did actually discover several that are new , well to this reader at least. Plus what really added to my fun was the breadth of supernaturals featured here. Fae, Wizards, succubi, zombies, genies and a whole lot more. If honest one or two stories are very short but sometimes you just need a quick read. What resonates with me the most though is the darker more painful undertones that several of these stories embrace. Do not despair though as at least one of these shorts held humour but overall I'd say it made me question just what is good and what is really bad.
I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book

[Kathy Davie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eleven short stories in an anthology about shadowed heroes.

The Series
"Cold Case" (The Dresden Files, 14.5)
"Sleepover" (InCryptid, 5.1)
"If Wishes Were" (Vicki Nelson, 6.5)
"Solus" (Simon Canderous, 0.5)
"Eye of Newt" (Dan Shamble, Zombie P.I., xx.5)
"What Dwells Within" (Jessie Shimmer, 3.5)
"Impossible Monsters" (Cal Leandros, 10.5)

The Stories
Jim Butcher's "Cold Case"
Truly is cold as it takes place in winter. In Alaska. It's a clash of similar objectives as Molly runs into Carlos, and they agree to aid each other…despite there being a price on Molly's head. It's also a series of lessons that Molly must learn in her new role as the Winter Lady. And talk about horrible lessons…

The Characters
Molly Carpenter is the new Maiden, the Winter Queen, the Winter Lady, for less than a week now. Charity is her scary mother who taught Molly how to track. Carlos Ramirez is a Warden, a wizard who works for the White Council. Elaine Mallory still runs the Paranet.

Mab is the Queen of Air and Darkness, a.k.a., the mistress of Arctis Tor. Maeve had been the Winter Queen before the bullet found her head. The Outer Gates is where the battle is.

The Miksuni are Cormorant shapeshifters who live in Unalaska, Alaska. Aluki is in charge…and burying her husband, Tupiak. Nauja is one of their warriors. Kunik is a warrior who died. The Elbow Room and Charlie's are bars in Unalaska. Clint is a jerk of a seaman who has everyone terrified. Captain Fisherman is in charge of the seamen. The "Sleeper" is one of the Old Ones.

Seanan McGuire's "Sleepover"
Turns out to be a hoot, once you get through the betrayal and kidnapping. It's simply a look into another culture and how kids don't see the differences. The boys, though, they've got some re-thinkin' to do. Jesus. I do have to wonder about that last line of Carly's, that she and Elsie broke up because Carly's safety matters more to Carly than Elsie's secrets. Sounds like Elsie is SO much better off.

The Characters
Elsinore "Elsie" Harrington is half-succubus thanks to her dad, Theodore Harrington, being an incubus. Her incubus brother, Artie, is in love with Sarah Zellaby, a cuckoo, and holes up in his garage working the computers. A Lilu is a term that applies to both incubus and succubus. Antimony "Annie" Price, a.k.a., Final Girl, is one of the Chicks' jammers and Elsie's cousin.

Angie is the little sister who goes missing. Bogeymen live beneath the cities. Morgan is a potential new girlfriend.

The Slasher Chicks are a roller derby team with Elmira Street as the captain. Carlotta "Carly", a.k.a., Pushy Galore, is the latest of Elsie's ex-girlfriends; she and Fern are team members.

Tanya Huff's "If Wishes Were"
This short story is mostly about Vicki's worries about Mike's injuries with a side dash at the reason for it all. It's definitely a warning about being careful what you wish for. And that jinn does present Vicki with a too-tempting choice.

The Characters
Victory "Vicki" Nelson was a homicide cop who became a private detective after she became a vampire. She lives with her former partner, Mike Celluci, who is still on the force…and she already sorrows for his coming death. Dave Graham is Mike's current partner. Henry Fitzroy, the illegitimate son of Henry VIII and the vampire who made Vicki, makes his living as a writer of bodice rippers.

Amy Shaw is the missing tenant with a greedy soul. Kai Johnson was an innocent victim. Ian Hanomansing is a TV announcer for CBC News. Dr. Sagara is a resource who tells her about Dr. Hariri. Mama Sweet is a fixer. Eddie Ease works the dark side.

Anton Strout's "Solus"
It's an off-the-books job, as Simon and Christos take on a haunted castle with insane inanimate objects. It's Simon's abilities that suss out the truth behind the haunting, a sad, sad tale.

The Characters
Simon Canderous is a psychometrist who is now on the straight and narrow as a new recruit. Connor Christos is a seasoned agent at the Department of Extraordinary Affairs and now Simon's mentor. Evelyn Svenson is his previous partner.

Beverly Rodell is a real estate agent selling the Sedgwick Estate. Agatha "Hagetha" Sedgwick is the woman who died.

Kat Richardson's "Peacock in Hell"
Finds a skilled magic-user and thief rescuing a dead artificer from Hell, during which she discovers the ways in which she was betrayed. Peacock has obviously made this trip before, and it's still quite the adventure, as she and Redmayne plot and plan their own vengeance.

Kevin J. Anderson's "Eye of Newt"
There's a 1940s noirish feel to this corny story, and I can imagine Dan as a Sam Spade kind'a guy. Only, it's set in the Unnatural Quarter, a neighborhood of monsters with your usual everyday problems. Like the mugging of that poor newt. And he comes to Dan for help in getting his eye back.

The Characters
Dan "Shamble" Chambeaux is a private investigator who ended up a zombie. Sheyenne is a ghost, his girlfriend, and his office assistant at Chambeaux & Deyer Investigation. Robin Deyer is human and his lawyer partner.

Geck is a newt who was robbed. Officer Toby McGoohan is Dan's best human friend. Frieda is the Spider Lady of the Unnatural Quarter Public Library and Vault of Secrets who terrifies everyone. Rocky and Ned, a golem and a rock monster, used to be security guards at the library. Ghoul's Diner. Gunther, an imp, manages the Unorthodox Lab Equipment and Organ Boutique.

The Stone-Cold Monster Cook-off is truly gross with the top three contenders: Leatherneck and his Texas chain-saw chili; the Kitchen Litch with her fresh black beetles; and, the Ragin' Cajun Mage with his dozens of secret ingredients.

Lucy A. Snyder's "What Dwells Within"
It's like a pale shadow of Kat Richardson's Greywalker series. Snyder doesn't provide much background — Jessie appears to be some sort of agent?? And when her friend Kai shows up with tales of a kidnapped girlfriend, she takes off at a run. It's a journey that begins to introduce Jessie's world.

The Characters
Jessie Shimmer is being hunted by the Virtus Regnum. Pal is her shapeshifting ferret (he turns into a grizzly). Cooper is the boyfriend. Her "room" is courtesy of the Goad whom Jessie killed. Riviera Jordan is with the Governing Circle; Rafé and Loretta are agents. Mother Karen is a witch and a friend.

Kai is a not-too-bright guy who has helped Jessie in the past. Alice is Kai's new girlfriend. The Virtus Regnum are tasked with protecting humans whom they hold in total contempt. A Virtus is a prime enforcer spirit.

Jim C. Hines' "Hunter, Healer"
I will say that choosing Detroit as the setting was inspired in immediately showing me a city whose economy has been dragged down. Meanwhile, this story is a nightmare of awful choices for a woman whose life has mostly been one of horror. Hines really packs a ton of information in "Hunter, Healer", and I sped through this, desperate to know how Julia could resolve her problem. I definitely understand why she despises her father!

Erik Scott, de Bie's "Baggage"
This was a pip! I'm always a sucker for a strong woman character who takes no prisoners. De Bie created a whole story in this one with lots of color, lol, and so many questions! It drove me nuts with all the questions "Baggage" brought to mind. What happened that night at the reunion? Where's Tony now? Where will V go from here?

Kristine Kathryn Rusch's "Sales. Force."
Oh. Wow. Rusch has created a highly emotional story that digs deep into each one of us, for haven't we all lost a love somehow? I cried. And then I wept for Kaylee. It's that tragedy that sends Kaylee out on an investigation into a love potion. The question is whether that love potion is a good investment. Until Kaylee figures it out.

Rob Thurman's "Impossible Monsters"
Cal is such a monstrous kind of guy and one with a heart whose thought processes and approach to life absolutely intrigue me and that snark of his sucks me right in. For such a bad man, he sure does make me laugh. Well, that and that list his brother, Niko, puts together, lol. Niko is such a complete opposite, and he'll pull you in as well with his love for his brother and his driving need to know.

This complete story takes you back to Cal's high school days and memories of the bullies in his past. There is one in particular that draws Cal's attention, and while brutal, it is so fitting. Anyone who has ever been bullied will cheer.

The Characters
Caliban "Cal" Leandros is half-Auphe, one of the original monsters of the universe. Ishiah is Cal's boss and the owner of the bar. He's also a peri, an ex-angel.

Coach Lee Callahan was part of Cal's past twelve years ago. Shane had been his son.

The Cover and Title
The cover is in the style used by Richardson, McGuire, and Thurman, a gritty, sombre, purpled black snow-laden pier with a black overcoated Carlos in a gray button-down and exposing the tattoos on his neck who is looking down while Molly stands behind him in a brown leather jacket and jeans, poised to throw a ball of fire. The two editors' names are at the top in a pale orange with the title just below center in a distressed white font. The bottom info is in white with a few of the more prominent contributing authors.

The title is the inspiration behind the stories, Shadowed Souls who may be bad, but do good.

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a collection of urban fantasy short stories. I absolutely loved some of these. They reeled me right in and they had me smiling. But the main problem with short stories, is that they are rarely equal when it comes to the enjoyment factor. Some of these were skimmed quickly. And some were skipped immediately after I got a feel for what kind of short story it was. So I can only do 3 stars...but some of these were 5 star worthy.

[☕️Kimberly (Caffeinated Reviewer) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Introduction by Kerri Hughes, read by Julia Whelan. The Foreword was written and read by Jim Butcher. I love gaining insight into this brilliant mind and savior these conversations.


COLD CASE by Jim Butcher, read by Julia Whelan. The tale gives us Molly's perspective in her new role. Mab just loves giving her lessons! This was excellent from the magic to the threat. Grasshopper is clever but at what cost? I have long loved Julia Whelan and felt she did an outstanding job even if I missed Marsters. SLEEPOVER by Seanan McGuire, read by Emily Rankin (InCryptid World). This is a short story about another Price family member and will give you a taste of the series unique world. It isn't necessary to have read the series but a treat if you have. Elise is a succubus, but not quite like you think. When she is kidnapped by a group of teens she is annoyed, until she discovers why. I enjoyed Emily Rankin narration and was pleased to see this series/author in the mix. IF WISHES WERE by Tanya Huff, read by Justine Eyre (Vicki Nelson series). I really enjoyed this one about a vampire PI dealing with a gin and the inevitable loss of someone she cares deeply for. This is what i love about anthologies. I discover series I want to read. Justine Eyre did a stellar job with the narration. SOLUS by Anton Strout, read by David de Vries. Psychometry and a secret agency that regulates the paranormal world. Hells yes! Banter and a castle filled with ghosts have me wanting to discover more of Strout's writings. I enjoyed David de Vries narration. PEACOCK IN HELL by Kat Richardson, read by Mia Barron. I love Kat Richardson. Her Greywalker series is one of my favorite urban fantasy series, and I enjoyed her science fiction debut. Peacock is sent to hell to retrieve someone. While this felt like it was part of a whole series, it was fascinating and left me wanting more. Mia Barron was fantastic giving voice and tone to the characters. EYE OF NEWT by Kevin J. Anderson, read by Jon Lindstrom. This was hilarious. A zombie PI helps a newt. I loved this. It wasn't at all dark, but featured a crazy world I'd like to visit again. Jon Lindstrom did a bangup job with the voices. WHAT DWELLS WITHIN by Lucy A. Snyder, read by Julia Whelan. Of course I love Whelan as narrator. This was an interesting story about a witch with a unique familiar. The world was interesting, but I needed more explanation. It features Jessie from the Jessie Shimmer series. I've added the first book to my bookshelf. HUNTER, HEALER by Jim C. Hines, read by Sumalee Montano. This was an interesting tale about a two-souled woman, her crazy father and her unique abilities. Her assistant had the foulest mouth and I couldn't help but laugh. I had hoped to discover a series, but struck out. Sumalee Montano offered delightful voices to this narration. BAGGAGE by Erik Scott de Bie, read by Mozhan Marno. This was a new to me author and narrator. The story features a retired superhero who drinks to keep things in check. In this tale she ends up tackling something evil. I am curious about V and this world. The narration was well done. SALES. FORCE by Kristine Kathryn Rusch, read by Karissa Vacker. What if you suffered a terrible loss? What if a potion could magically take the pain away. Our heroine is tested on her latest assignment from her employer. This was an interesting tale and I would love to know more about the agency she works for. Karissa Vacker offered a nice listen and captured the protagonists emotions. IMPOSSIBLE MONSTERS by Rob Thurman, read by Macleod Andrews. This is a story from the world of the Cal Leandros series and narrated by one of my favorite narrators. Cal is a half-demon and a visit to an old teacher turns grim. I think this was one of the darkest in the anthology and I've added the series to my backlist.
This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Reviewer

[Lauren Stoolfire · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was mostly interested in this short story anthology for the Dresden Files and Cal Leandros stories. Both of those were fantastic, but I also enjoyed the Jim C. Hines, Seanan McGuire, and Kevin J. Anderson contributions to this collection. I'm going to have to start in on the InCryptid series and the Dan Shamble, Zombie PI series soon because their stories were pretty great.

[Mike Finn · Rating 4 out of 5]

In theory, there are no dusty corners in my digital library where a book can slink out of sight and sulk because I didn't get around to reading it in the first month after I bought it. In practice, that's exactly what 'Shadowed Souls' managed to do. I bought the book a day after it was published in November 2016. If that sounds eager, it's because this book has new stories from six authors whose work I follow and each story has its own narrator, And yet, here I am in 2025, stumbling across the book when it shows up in a LibraryThing search for something else.

So, a little late, I brought this out of the shadows, intending to read a story a day. It didn't work out that way. There's a new portmanteau word doing the rounds now that describes what happened with this book: Snaccident -{snack-si-dent} - noun- mistakenly eating an entire pack of biscuits when the intent was to eat just one.

In the introduction to this collection, Kerrie Hughes says that she "...invited the authors to write a story that good and evil are just two aspects of a complicated and very human story, I wanted the plots to play with the concept and invite the reader to explore the edges of their own darkness."

Some of the stories hit the mark perfectly - dark, complex, compelling, tales. A couple, the ones attempting humour, didn't hold my attention.

I recommend this collection to anyone who enjoys Urban Fantasy that's thoughtful and packs a punch. I recommend the audiobook. Having a different narrator for each story made this a great listen.

Below I've reviewed and rated each story, in the order they appear in the anthology.

COLD CASE by Jim Butcher ★★★★★

I haven't read any Jim Butcher since I gave up on the dirge that was 'Battle Ground' in 2021 so it was a joy to slip back to 2016 and remind myself of why I loved the Harry Dresden books. 

The story is about Molly Carpenter, on her first mission for Mab since she became the Maiden Winter Queen. It's set in the cold and dark in Alaska, which fits a story about a Winter Queen. Molly always was easy to like, especially after she had such a tough time in the Dresden files, so I was glad to get to spend time with her again. At first, this seemed like an upbeat, 'Molly-To-The-Rescue' story, with a daring rescue, a spectacular fight scene and an alliance with the nicest (and youngest and most handsome) White Council Ranger. I should have remembered two things: firstly, this anthology is about the complex relationship between good and evil and secondly, Molly is now working on behalf of Mab. The ending took me in an unexpected direction that wasn't so much a twist as an inevitable outcome that Molly should have seen coming. It was sad and harsh and yet quite probably necessary. This was Jim Butcher at his best. 

SLEEPOVER by Seanan McGuire ★★★★

So far, I've only read the first two books in McGurie's InCryptid series 'Discount Armageddon' and 'Midnight Blue Light Special', I enjoy the way McGuire uses the eccentric cryptozoologist Price family to challenge a humancentric view of the world. Elsinore Harrington, cousin to Verity and Antimony Price, is the protagonist in 'Sleepover' so of course the story starts at a Roller Derby. Then Eisinore has to deal with a kidnapping and the search for a missing child. What I liked most about this story was that Elsinore never makes the obvious choice. She treats people as people, regardless of species, and tries to find a way to de-escalate tense situations. 

IF WISHES WERE by Tanya Huff ★★★★

It was a pleasure to read a new Vicki Nelson from Tanya Huff. It's been fifteen years since I read Tanya Huff's 'Blood' series about Vicki Nelson, an ex-cop, forced to retire because of a degenerative eye disease who, working as a PI, found herself in a series of complex encounters with the supernatural. I've missed her. 

'If Wishes Were' takes place decades after the books Vicki, of course, hasn't aged. She's still thirty-four. Being a vampire will do that for you. Mike, her partner is now in his sixties and still working as a cop. For me, this was a poignant story. I could see that Vicki had grown harder over the years. She's convinced herself that her relationship with Mike is the only thing keeping her even slightly human, although I could still see the core of the person she used to be. 

The conflict at the story's heart wasn't so much how/if Vicki would deal with yet another powerful rogue supernatural but whether she has the strength to live with Mike's choice to live out his natural lifespan. Tanya Huff showed what a difficult and emotionally complex decision this was. 

SOLUS by Anton Strout DNF

Anton Strout was a new author for me. I'm aware of his Simon Canderous series but I'd never tried it. After sampling this story, I'm sure it's not a series that would work for me. I gave up on the 'Solus' part way through because the writing was so leaden and the attempts at humour were so heavy-handed. 

PEACOCK IN HELL by Kat Richardson ★★★

A well-imagined and gory climb out of hell. A twisted revenge plot. A lot of action. Not a (completely) good guy in sight. An entertaining read but a little short on emotional engagement with the protagonists. 

EYE OF NEWT by Kevin J. Anderson DNF

Nope. Not my sort of thing. This is comic book humour of the sniggering, pun-filled kind that never makes me smile. I set it aside.

WHAT DWELLS WITHIN by Lucy A. Snyder ★★★

Well, that was fun. A kick-ass outlawed-but-still-trying-to-be-good heroine with a complicated past, taking on demonic forces in a spectacular rescue. The storytelling was a little condensed but I liked the main character, Jessie Shimer, so I bought the first book in the series: 'Spellbent' (2009) despite its very 'of its time' cover. 

HUNTER, HEALER by Jim C. Hines ★★★★★

Jim Hines met the brief to explore the complex duality of good and evil with this powerful story. It was darker and more violent than his usual stories. He conceives of someone doing something fundamentally evil and justifying it by claiming they are saving lives. He sets up a violent conflict where all the choices seem bleak He carried me right to the brink an outcome fueled by despair and bravery. And then he found a way of transforming all of that into something hopeful without diminishing the impact of the evil. This was very well done. 

BAGGAGE by Erik Scott de Bie ★★★★

Another new-to-me author but this time, one writing in a style that I enjoyed. 

This is a first-person narrative from a retired supervillain/superhero in hiding. It's not easy to paint a picture of a high-functionîng alcoholic with a superpower fed by other people's fear and still make human enough and vulnerable enough to engage a reader's empathy. De Bie managed it in style while delivering a plot that kept momentum and delivered a twist that I didn't see coming.

I'd like to read more about this character, so I've added a copy of 'Libations for the Dead' to my TBR.

SALES FORCE by Kristine Kathryn Rusch ★★★

I liked the idea of the central character as someone who can do what she does because she has less soul than most. The possible scam she was investigating was clever and heartless. The ending was satisfying. The start, and most of the passages about grief, didn't work as well. 

IMPOSSIBLE MONSTERS by Rob Thurman ★★★

This story introduces the monstrous Cal Leandros (think Dexter with a foul mouth and supernatural abilities), the protagonist of Rob Thurman's ten-book Urban Fantasy series about a half-human bogeyman. The start was a little slow and Cal's obsession with expletives got very old very quickly but the story gripped me once it got underway. It was dark, with no redeeming features, although Cal wouldn't lose any sleep about that. I don't know how well the interior monologue of a depressed, violent, sociopathic main character will translate into a novel, but I'm curious enough to want to give 'Nightlife' (2006) the first Cal Leandros book, a try.

[Annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

SHADOWED SOULS is an anthology packed with Urban Fantasy stories from some amazing authors. I picked this up because of Jim Butcher who has become one of my favorite authors in Urban Fantasy.

His story, COLD CASE, is all about Molly Carpenter. You may know her as Harry’s apprentice but she is now the Winter Lady. Molly is full of spunk and sass. She’s a whole lot of fun to read and the little bit of romance that Butcher throws into this story is quite interesting. Even more interesting is the twist. It makes me more both intrigued and feel sorry for Molly and I’m definitely looking forward to seeing what comes of her.

The other story that I think is worth mentioning is Seanan McGuire’s story. This one was a little bit more different. It’s a little bit more out there and since this is the first thing I’ve read from McGuire, I wasn’t sure what to expected.

This story is about a half-succubus named Elsie. She is kidnapped by some teenagers who want her to help find a missing child. Elsie is a little rough around the edges but she is certainly fun to read about.

But probably the most interesting is Rob Thurman’s story, IMPOSSIBLE MONSTER. This is about Cal Leandros who is quite the psycho character. He’s ruthless and sarcastic. He scares me, but there’s also a lot of fascinating things about him.

All the other stories are wonderful too and I think if you’re just getting into Urban Fantasy, this would be a great book to pick up to sample a whole bunch of authors at once. You’re bound to one an author or series you’ll like as all of these authors are quite masterful.

[Bea · Rating 3 out of 5]

Anthologies can be lots of fun and a great way to try out an author without committing to a full-length story. This one has a few authors I really enjoy, many I'd heard of but hadn't read, a few I read once or twice before, and a few new-to-me authors so it was a good mix.

The stories definitely lived up to the stated theme and there was a good range of styles an settings. Below are little mini reviews of each story, just quick thoughts I had about the story.

Cold Case by Jim Butcher: I may have to give the Dresden books another chance. I did NOT see that ending coming. Very good story. Also, love this Star Trek reference: "Dammit, man. I'm a Faerie Princess, not a forensic analyst."

Solus by Anton Strout: Not as dark as I expected. An interesting take on psychometry and an agency that regulates the paranormal world and beings.

Peacock in Hell by Kat Richardson: I'm not sure if this is a stand alone or part of a series but it felt like being dropped into the middle of a story and it was confusing. Interesting characters and concept though.

Eye of Newt by Kevin J. Anderson: A little bit gruesome, a lot predictable, but pleasant overall.

What Dwells Within by Lucy A. Snyder: A new to me author and an enjoyable story; interesting world and characters. This quote made me laugh, interesting priorities: "Drug dealing and dark magic I could handle, but terrible taste in music might make me question our friendship."

Hunter, Healer by Jim C. Hines: An intriguing concept but poorly explained. Still, interesting characters and world.

Baggage by Erik Scott de Bie: Another new to me author. So many shades of gray! V is interesting and I want to know more about the Supergroup, which seems Justice League inspired.

Sales. Force. by Kristine Kathryn Rusch: -The darkest story, interesting concept, still not sure if I like it or not.

Impossible Monsters by Rob Thurman: Dark but intriguing exploration of good and evil and the sometimes thin line between them.

If Wishes Were by Tanya Huff: So good to see Vicki Nelson and Mike Celluci again. Not dark but a look at who is the monster and why. Also, I appreciated that she's aging the characters and moving the series forward in time instead of keeping it stagnant.

Sleepover by Seanan McGuire: A stand alone, which was nice. Pretty standard fare but enjoyable.

[Dee · Rating 4 out of 5]

As I only read the Jim Butcher story I've rounded the stars to 4 but to be honest I was pretty disappointed by Cold Case and would've gone down if it was not a collection since just a 3.25 stars for me. Firstly I expected Molly to sound like Molly, not Harry in drag; secondly, it was set just a week into her Queendom; and thirdly if I read the phrase 'young warden' one more time so help me. . .
Now considering this was an unexpected present (and at the time unappreciated as I hadn't begun the great Dresden series return) November 2016 gift to me, a new book gift, ie., just released, ie., came out two years after Skin Game, which is itself set a year after Molly's ascension to the throne. . . I expected at the leastto read a six months into the Queenship tale. Molly's voice - well, it sounded exactly like Harry's. Bizarre, because you can say mentorship causes people to be similar but come on! And I've read Codex Alera (love them hugely) so I know Butcher can do other POV, and nuances etc. Just disappointing. As to the "young warden" - why was that in there so often? He's older than she is!If it was meant to be a creeping symptom of the mantle's agelessness/longevity it failed and just jarred instead. This made me feel justified in not having gone and got all the other Dresden Files in-between short stories (and you know it pained me skipping them, because, ugh, my OCD hurts when I do that). Thank heck I've got Skin Game here to (hopefully) console me!

[Justyna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked up this book only because I saw Jim Butcher's name under the title. I am not a big fan of short stories, but I sometimes read them. Well, I am not going to review each of the story, I wasn't that impressed with them. I liked some of them, I didn't really care about the others and there were ones I started and didn't even finish, they weren't my kind of story.

What was the most interesting for me was Jim Butcher's short story, which takes place shortly after the book Cold Days. It was told from Molly's POV. She was given her first task since she gained her "new powers". Well, I was supposed to feel sorry for her in the end I guess..I didn't. I wanted to hit her or something. By now, she should have learned to treat any kind of power with a lot of respect. She learned some of the lesson, but still, I hate her attitude. She is nothing like Harry. Ok, she was just discovering what she could do and she had no idea about some things, but being ignorant doeasn't really justify her mistakes. She should have been way more careful. Instead, someone paid a heavy price because of her. It was hard to read in the end, and I lost a lot of respect toward Molly. Sorry, there are some things that are pretty hard to forgive.
At least now I know why one of my favourite wizards in Dresden World was injured and limping in the first chapter of Peace Talks... This short story explains everything.
And I have to say, I am patient and I love Dresden Files, but Winter Mantle idea is one of my least favourite things about these books, and I can't wait until J. Butcher is done with it.

[Darcy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This review is based only on the following stories:

Cold Case by Jim Butcher - Molly is a character that has been through so much through out this series. It finally seems like she is settling into her skin. Sadly during this story Molly is firmly put in her place and I finally feel a bit sorry for her. I really hope that she can find her way clear.

Sleepover by Seanan McGuire - This story really highlights how an ex can really screw you over once the relationship is done. I loved Elsie let her ex know, enough is enough.

If Wishes Were by Tanya Huff - I really liked the Vicki Nelson series, was sad when it was over. So seeing that this short featured her made me happy. Vicki did her thing, loved how she beat her foe, but what interested me was her feelings about her relationship with Mike. So much is changing and soon the relationship will probably end up gutting her due to it's natural progression.

[Kevin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Truthfully I read this one for the Jim Butcher story...a taste of hopefully much more to come. Molly as the winter lady=awesome!

[All Things Urban Fantasy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review from All Things Urban Fantasy

The collection of stories in SHADOWED SOULS are dark, twisted, and filled with mayhem and magic. Each of the stories had qualities I liked, some more than others. I really enjoyed Kevin J. Anderson's EYE OF NEWT where a zombie detective is on the case of a wronged gecko. I adore a bit of the bizarre with dark urban fantasy and this story is very funny. One of my favorites was COLD CASE by Jim Butcher mainly because I am suffering from a Dresden Files withdrawal. After my initial confusion of mixing up Molly for Harry in the first few sentences, I loved being able to see Molly learn about being the Winter Lady. She struggles with her new urges and powers and tries to remain true to herself. I really enjoyed seeing her perspective on this world.

Another one I enjoyed was Sleepover by Seanan McGuire which is set in her Incryptid series world and is about a succubus whose skills are needed to resolve a kidnapping. It was neat to see a story involving a succubus that didn't actually involve sex. I enjoyed the flow of the story and the way it ended.

SHADOWED SOULS is an excellent compilation of darker urban fantasy stories that offer a number different aspects of the genre within their plots. It was really hard to pick which one I liked the best as they all had their separate charms and styles. This anthology is a great way to sample an author whose work you haven't tried yet and dip your toe in the dark twisted side of urban fantasy.

[Jessica ❁ ➳ Silverbow ➳ ❁]

Reviewed by: Rabid Reads

Sleepover, InCryptid 5.1

2 stars

Elsie has a bad breakup. Totally pointless.

If you're interested in this anthology (SHADOWED SOULS edited by Jim Butcher), make sure it's for something more than this one.

[Cathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is about people who are forced to walk on the dark side more than they might like or to live with growing ambiguity as their series goes on and they try balance whether it’s OK to do something, many somethings, wrong for the right reasons. Heroes that start out bright and shiny sometimes start to seem battered, and even a bit tarnished, five or six books into a series. Nothing in a good writer's world is ever quite so simple as it seemed in the beginning.

I do wish they'd tell us what series these stories were from when they are connected to a series, only one or maybe two did that, and also when they sit in the series (4.5 or whatever). Maybe publishers think it would turn people off to know that stories are from a series, they might assume they won't know what's going on if they aren’t familiar with the books. But it's an anthology that's advertised in a huge way to have stories from major authors' series, so readers shouldn’t be surprised. I hate having to look up the authors/stories I’m unfamilar with. And it does them a disservice if people don't bother to do so and then don't follow-up and buy their books because they were too lazy or didn't realize the link.

Jim Butcher - Cold Case - This story is about Molly, Harry Dresden’s former apprentice, in her role as the Winter Lady, less than a week into the “job”. There were some unhappy surprises in store for our pal about what the job entailed. Butcher’s short stories are always great (not just because I like this world), he’s a very talented short story writer, and this was no exception. Though I can never tell how non-fans would react to a cold entry into a series, I think this one would hold up pretty well. I think they might be intrigued enough to want to know more about this world, but there weren’t a lot of annoying references that would frustrate them, and it's tight in-and-of itself. Featured fae and wizards

Seanan McGuire - Sleepover - The story starred Elsie Harrington, first cousin to the Price kids who are usually featured in the InCryptid books. It was interesting to read about someone in this family who wasn't so militant, but was still very competent in her own way. I'm guessing she's a bit of a fan favorite as well, with her string of bad breakups with unworthy girlfriends and having introduced Annie to roller derby, so some readers are sure to be happy to see this story. It was kind of short but showed off some nice aspects of this world. Featured sort-of fae/cryptids

Tanya Huff - If Wishes Were - I’m not familiar with any of her books yet. This story was about Vicki, a tough-gal vampire PI with a middle-aged cop boyfriend and a lot of anxiety about him aging while she still seems 34. It was a good story. Maybe a bit of a weird distance in the "voice"? But good. Featured Vampire and jinn (and mention of a troll under a bridge)

Anton Strout - Solus - It was been so long since I read the last book on the Simon Canderous series, I couldn’t remember anything about it at all except that I liked it. Oh well, that's my leaky brain, no reflection on this author, or any other. The story must have taken place early on in the series since Simon said he just got partnered up with Connor and was still a new recruit at the Department of Extraordinary Affairs. Which is a smart way to new readers interested in the books, start them off near the beginning so they don't feel like they already missed a whole bunch of stuff. It was a well-crafted intro to the characters and the world. And a somewhat less gloomy or edgy take on the theme of this book than the last few stories. Simon has his issues as an ex-thief who's ability kept him on the edge of society, but he was trying to go straight. Featured psychometry, ghosts, mentions that most other things in stories are true too

Kat Richardson - Peacock in Hell - It was about a tough woman thief named Peacock stealing a guy out of hell for some other guy named Peter Fiore, who was the head of the Directorate of Incursion Control. I'm not a big enough fan of Richardson's to figure out if this is part of a series or not. But if the book told me what series the stories were connected to and this one was part of a different series than the one I didn't really like, then I might check it out. Just saying again that the editors/publishers marketing choices confuse me. Featured demons, magic, (sorry, I can't remember the details)

Kevin J. Anderson - Eye of Newt - I'm usually a fan of Anderson’s, but I found the first two books in this “Dan Shamble, Zombie PI” series just OK, kind of cute but pretty derivative. The books feel like a quick was to make money capitalizing on the urban fantasy trend more than something the author is inspired to write. The only thing that feels genuine is the sense of humor. I could totally be wrong, maybe he wanted to write noir mysteries for years and decided to combine it with zombie PI urban fantasy just for fun, it could totally tickle his funny bone. So I never bothered continuing reading the series. But I was glad to see that the editor listed what series this story was from! The story was silly but fine. Featured zombies, ghosts, goblins, more

Lucy A. Snyder - What Dwells Within - I really like her books and have liked the short stories I've read so far too. She likes to write short stories with more of a horror bent, so I have to be careful because I'm a wimp. But yay! This was from her “Jessie Shimmer” series, which I always think of as Shotgun Sorceress, which I think is the name of the second book (and a great cover). Again, my memory is terrible, even for a series that I really like, but it came back to me enough as I read it. And the story seemed to give us the resolution to the series we needed to not feel completely gypped that the stupid publishers wouldn't give us another book,. At least now we know what happened with Jessie being under sentence with the Virtus. But I’m still hoping for more Jessie and Pal (the ferret familiar) stories! Featured magic, zombies-ish, angels-ish

Jim C. Hines - Hunter, Healer - This story doesn’t seem to be part of one of his series, as far as I can tell. The only one I’ve read so far is "Libriomancer". I'm pretty sure it's actually one of the few original stories in the book. It was about Julia, a double-souled hunter become doctor for the supernatural underground in her area, her assistant Hob, her monstrous father and his twisted new protege, and the community of creatures she helped heal and was healed by. Featured all sorts of supernatural beings and the original idea of the double-souled people

Erik Scott de Bie - Baggage - The only author I wasn't familiar with, de Bie writes games, tie-ins and lots of what sound like interesting multi-media projects, as well as short stories. Don't forget to read the author bios in the back, guys! The story was about Vivian, V, the former Lady Vengence, sometimes a villain, sometimes a superhero, now pretty much a boozer (to suppress her empathetic fear power) hiding out from the world and occasional demon fighter because she can't help herself. I have no idea if this is a continuing character. It certainly felt well developed and mid-stream, but that could have just been good writing. It was a fun story, I hope it was an outtake from a series, I'd definitely read more about V. Featured superpowers

Kristine Kathryn Rusch - Sales Force - I didn't like this story about a woman who works for some sort of agency that investigates and kills dark supernatural people or forces. Some of the stuff about how the woman dealt with grief rang true but others were weird, dramatized for the sake of the story but not realistic. (She regretted it? Who is this woman?) it was a weird story that didn't quite work.

Rob Thurman - Impossible Monsters - One of two stories in the book that indicates that it's from a series, this one from the (excellent) "Cal Leandros" novels. Which couldn't be more appropriate for the theme of this book, Cal and Niko live in the shadows and always are forced to walk the line between dark and light and often cross back and forth over it depending on some crazy and difficult circumstances. I love this series, if you haven't read these book yet, you really should try them. Featured Cal, whatever category he is, dark dark supernatural, and mentioned a few others when setting the scene

[Fangs for the Fantasy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This anthology has a theme – and it’s generally a theme it’s handled quite well. Shadowed Souls are people who do not stand neatly in black and white morality and definitely straddle that uncomfortable grey shadow zone (ooooh title reference).

Firstly we have Cold Case by Jim Butcher with a story from the Dresden Files series. And if anything this is the story that defines the meaning of the book.

I like the exploration of Molly, now one of the younger Winter Queens with all the power and moral ambiguity of the Winter Court. The Winter Court has always been savage and dangerous and vicious – by design. It’s the bulwark against terrible outsider evil, it’s a court that has been built to fight an eternal, brutal war against monsters. The Winter Court is the very essence of dubious morality; of using monsters to fight monsters

I also like the how we go some way to explaining the rather bizarre horniness of the Winter Court. After all, Winter =/= generally mean sexytimes (except in Canada when hockey is cancelled). The bleak idea that Winter fae are super horny because of the war – because of the need to constantly breed because the war inflicts atrocious attrition on them is horrifying, bleak and very much in line with the theme of the court and the book.

So we have Molly, a character we know is a good and ethical and moral now with a whole lot more power and urges she has to learn to control – and having to do some really terrible things and make some really terrible choices for The Greater Good. Which is all the harder because Molly is a child of one of the Knights of the Cross, a man so good he gave literal demons multiple chances to repent. That’s a hard path to follow. We see both the good – upholding her duty to her people – and the terrible, her having to enforce the rules and sacrifices of the Winter court. And it is brutal. I love it

I am less thrilled with HOW Molly’s sexualness is portrayed here. So, yes, the Winter Court is horny, we know this – but in Molly this is interpreted by lots and lots of flirting. Which is fine, flirtiatious and sexually charged female characters are not a problem: but when Harry had the Winter Mantle he wasn’t sexually flirting – his thoughts were creepy and outright pushing for rape. It’s a stark contrast between male and female sexuality – especially when Molly also comes with a celibacy contract. And, yes, the story of sacrifice and suffering inherent to the Winter Court is powerful – but the backstory sets it in dubious light.

We do have a latino mage and several Native American supernaturals who play a decent role in the book

Sleepover by Seanan McGuire
While the opening story defines the theme of the book, I don’t see this book as fitting into the theme. The protagonist is a succubus but not inherently or unduly evil nor forced to make evil choices. She is coerced into a mission – but the mission is to rescue a child. That’s not morally ambiguous. And while we have a definite misunderstanding about why that child went missing, again there’s no real grey area so much as just a complete misunderstanding on the part of the humans as to how these beings work

I do love the whole concept of the world created – so much so that I think this book would be an absolutely awesome lead in to a new series so we could look at the Lilim and the Bogeymen and the culture and societies that are there that people have completely gotten wrong. If this is an excerpt of a longer series, count me in because the introduction of the main character and the world building definitely has me hooked

Also, lesbian protagonist who nods at LGBT cultural milestones without being defined by them – definitely here for this.


If Wishes Were by Tanya Huff
Oh painful nostalgia! This is a book series I absolutely loved and it ended and I wasn’t ready to let go and now it releases a short story to invoked and tease and I’m just going to sit in a corner and cling to it for a little while. I liked the Victoria Nelson series, it had issues, but I really really liked it. And Vicki is always an awesome character, tough and capable without all the ridiculous tropes that so often accompany that with power creep and rebel without a clueness. I liked her and this was a great story from her world – Vicki investigating, a djinn with some very tricky wishes which I like (because they were very very tricky indeed) and some POC experts and contacts along the way.

Did it fit the brief? I think so – partly because Vicki is quite an edgy character and not overly given to being sympathetic or fluffy. But also because of the temptation that underpins this story – her lover is vulnerable, hurting and reminding vampiric Vicki of his mortality – there’s a lot of temptation there and a lot of excellent thinking of her motives and wants.

Solus by Anton Strout
Unlike the previous three, this isn’t an author I’m familiar with and I’ve just realised that this book is part of a larger series

I’m in. A psychometrist gets major points for being a unique protagonist (albeit not entirely) with extra support from me by not twisting this power into a new special super power. I like the difficulty and complexity of how it is depicted. I love the idea of a Department of Extraordinary Affairs Bureau (since such organisations tend to be viewed as the enemy in the genre rather than something the protagonist is part of unless it’s revealed as corrupt and our hero has to tear it down). I like the mix of the mundane office complaints (poor training, bureaucracy) next to the magical.

As to the theme? I think that’s supposed to be carried by the protagonist’s moderately shadowy past. It’s a bit small potatoes in a genre so replete with vampires who can’t help but kill things but it works. Thematic or not, I’m looking this series up and adding it to my to-read pile.

Peacock in Hell by Kat Richardson
The odd thing about this book is I don’t think it is part of a series, but everything about it feels like it needs to be. In fact, Solus was much better as a standalone book than this one. This felt like I missed a lot of the preamble and when I reached the end of the book there was definitely a sense that we weren’t done here. There’s a lot of references to people, history, organisations, gifts, creatures and magic systems without a lot of foundation or explanation. And though that makes for intriguing hooks (if there were more to hook into) and pulled me in with a sense of greater world, it didn’t engage me a great deal as there was too much a sense of the nebulous about it for me to go all in. We did have a POC being rescued by a skilled female character – but I think I want this book to be taken, expanded and made into a full story.

On theme – well we’re breaking a soul out of hell, so that’s fairly shadowy. But the protagonist feels a lot more coerced into doing something not-all-that bad rather than a whole lot of moral ambiguity.

Eye of Newt by Kevin J Anderson
Ok, this is definitely part of a larger series and the theme doesn’t even come close to this story. For all this story is dealing with the monstrous all around and has a zombie protagonist and serial killer chefs, grey morality isn’t in it. This whole book and, presumably, the series it’s from is a comedy – and it’s silly and kind of hilarious. Zombie and ghosts, monsters doing a reality show cook-off and an actual animate newt looking for his eye.


Read More

[Dev · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not sure if I would technically recommend this book if you haven't read ...basically all of the series that these stories are a part of, or at least that I assume most of them are a part of because they don't seem to stand that well on their own. I pretty much read this solely for Seanan McGuire and Rob Thurman's stories [yeah, I've never read The Dresden Files, so sue me], although I did enjoy Kat Richardson's story as well and have added the first book in her series to my TBR.

The rest were all pretty meh [yes, even the Dresden one, #sorry] but I'm sure I would have enjoyed them more if I had had background info on the world and the characters. No matter how much they might try, it's pretty much impossible to catch new readers up on everything they would need to really get a feel for the characters in such a short amount of page time.

So the ratings are:

Kat Richardson's story: 3 stars
It was interesting enough to make me want to see more of the characters and the world

Seanan McGuire's story: 4 stars
It was a story about Artie's sister who is also one of Antimony's roller derby buddies. Definitely a fun addition to the main Incryptid series, although I'm not sure how it would read to someone who is unfamiliar with the series.

Rob Thurman's story: 5 [hundred] stars
Ok ok I'm super biased, but I still think it was the best story in the lot, especially since the theme was supposed to be people doing 'bad' things for 'good' reasons, which I felt really didn't shine through in a lot of them. This is a short story set in her Cal Leandros verse and Cal is pretty much the ultimate morally gray 'anti-hero'. In this story he apparently has a list of bad people from his past that he keeps tabs on and takes them out if he decides it's necessary. Yes, it's basically supernatural Dexter, but Cal's POV is my absolute favorite and we get the great line "I threw one of the yearbook dedication pages wadded into a ball at him. This wasn’t SHO. I didn’t have a budget for a sterile room and PowerPoint presentation of the asshole’s sins." Gotta love him.

All other stories: 2.5 stars
They weren't necessarily bad, I just didn't actually end up caring about any of them.

[Diane · Rating 3 out of 5]

I knew going in that this collection would be darker in mood than my usual preference, but with a bunch of "my" authors included, I wasn't about to skip it! It's not a surprise that my rating average for it is about 2.5 on Goodreads's scale. The stories are all well-written; it's just a question of taste.

To be specific, though trying to avoid spoilers ...
(Authors in bold are ones I usually read.)

Cold Case by Jim Butcher; the Dresden Files universe: The first tale from the PoV of new Winter Lady Molly Carpenter is very good, with her determined to take control and make a strong showing on her first assignment. There are even some moments of humor. But then THAT ENDING, when she finds out just how the mantle can enforce the somewhat contradictory demands and duties of her role. It's OMG, horrible, and powerful. There are some questions she should have asked (or should I say, focused on the answers to) sooner, e.g., the nature of the tribute, but who could have seen what happened coming?

BTW, there's also a strong foreword to the anthology from Butcher, about how some dangerous beings are monsters, some honest predators, and sometimes even protectors doing what has to be done... and also how realizing that you just might become food can change your perspective!

Sleepover by Seanan McGuire; InCryptid : Elsie Harrington, daughter of an incubus and a Price, is dealing with being heartbroken after her latest breakup (another roller-derby girlfriend who couldn't accept dating a non-human), when she is tricked and kidnapped by several young men who want her help (rather than anything sexual), in order to get back one's little sister, who followed a bogeyman into the city's tunnels. Bogeymen are reclusive, humanoid cryptids, NOT evil "demons", and this story was more sad/ resigned than dark.

If Wishes Were by Tanya Huff; Vicki Bliss : A djinn story, which naturally means a study of the dangers in wishing, and the temptations. Vicki hates seeing Mike Celucci's aging, and dreads his eventual loss, the loss of her last tie to her own humanity and her life before.

Solus by Anton Strout; Simon Canderous : (I'm sure I've read something else by Strout, but it must have been before I started using Goodreads, and not particularly memorable to me.) Canderous is a psychometrist, and a recently-certified member of the "Other Division" of the Dept.of Extraordinary Affairs. His hostile new partner has trust issues, made worse by Simon's thieving past. The destructive ghost he gets roped into investigating "off the books" turns out to have lived life as an outsider, not unlike him.

Peacock in Hell by Kat Richardson : I've read most of her Greywalker books, but I can't find out whether she plans more stories featuring Peacock [and Redmayne]. (This anthology isn't even included [yet] on the relevant page of her website!) This one is less emotional, more just that no-one who manages to get sent to hell is that pure of heart. I will say that I saw the reveal coming during the climactic confrontation.

Eye of Newt by Kevin J. Anderson; Dan "Shamble", zombie P.I. : I debated whether to bold KJA or not, because I've read some things from him (including movie adaptations, and Jedi Academy & Young Jedi Knights), but nothing that really stood out. The Dan Chambeaux series isn't really dark, it's mainly just somewhat gory/ gross and rather silly. The reveal here is telegraphed. Also, there's a librarian who's an exaggeration of the stern, shushing stereotype.

What Dwells Within by Lucy A. Snyder; Jessie Shimmer : I think this is the first thing I've read from Ms. Snyder. This tale is the sort of urban fantasy tha gets described as "gritty", though my jotting uses the word "grimy". The powers-that-be were also a bit confusing. The story theme is re. not letting dark magic corrupt you.

Hunter, Healer by Jim C. Hines : This story features an unusual magical type, the double-souled, with a grim origin story, but a hopeful ending. There's also a Hob who spouts vulgarity and profanity with every utterance, so skip it if that isn't something you're willing to read. I liked it anyway. I don't know if this is going to remain a stand-alone story or not.

Baggage by Erik Scott de Bie; Lady Vengeance : My first by de Bie. Vivienne Cain has fear powers. She's a former demon-possessed supervillain, former superhero, now an alcoholic fugitive (running a bar) after everything went wrong. When she senses a demon lurking, it gets complicated, especially given the martial-arts-skilled young woman she finds attractive, and memories of her vengeful superhero ex-boyfriend.

Sales. Force. by Kistine Kathryn Rusch : I've read a few things by KKR before (the Diving Universe, mainly). This story, however, would not have sent me out to find more. It ends dark, not sad, though it's about grief.

Impossible Monsters by Rob Thurman, Cal Leandros : This Caliban story features dark vigilantism that I'm not sure how I feel about, though I don't regret the human monster having been stopped. It's been a while since I read any of this series, but Cal in the memory/ flashback scenes seemed more accepting of his own darkness than I remembered him being. (Niko's list of Do's & Don't's even has a certain black humor.) I thought Cal most of the time hated his Auphe side more.