Strange Candy

Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter #0.5

by Laurell K. Hamilton

The #1 "New York Times" bestselling author's short story collection-including an all-new Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter story-now in paperback. From a woman who marries into a family of volatile wizards to a couple fleeing a gang of love-hungry cupids, from a girl who seeks sanctuary in the form of a graceful goose to the disgruntled superhero Captain Housework, readers will revel in the many twists and turns of fortune in these fantastical fairy tales and lush parables. Even hardened vampire hunter and zombie animator Anita Blake gets blindsided by the disturbing motives of her clients in the new "Those Who Seek Forgiveness" and in "The Girl Who Was Infatuated with Death."

Genres: Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Paranormal, Vampires, Paranormal Romance, Short Stories, Fiction

308 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 3, 2006

About the author

Laurell K. Hamilton is one of the leading writers of paranormal fiction. A #1 New York Times bestselling author, Hamilton writes the popular Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter novels and the Meredith Gentry series. She is also the creator of a bestselling comic book series based on her Anita Blake novels and published by Marvel Comics. Hamilton is a full-time writer and lives in the suburbs of St. Louis with her family.

Reviews

[Raven · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was a huge fan of Hamilton's Anita Blake series, until the series went from supernatural to super-pornographic. The hyper-erotic turn simply ruined the character of Anita Blake for me, and angry at Hamilton I swore I wouldn't read any more of her books.

I'm glad that I put that anger aside and picked up "Stange Candy." The book is mostly a collection of short stories published early in her career. The stories are suprisingly diverse, ranging from hard science-fiction to light-hearted, fluffy romance. Her ability engage the reader in only a few short sentences shines, and almost every story has the charcter development of a full-length book. My favorite story involved two sociopathic empath serial killers who find a way to build a career out of their "unique" abilities. Another good one was a fluffy tale about a pack of Cupids bribed to "hit" an unmarried, 35-year-old woman.

I hope that Hamilton is able to re-find the creative spark shown in this collection. She's too good an author to be stuck writing vampire/werewolf threesomes for the rest of her life.

[Shane · Rating 2 out of 5]

So this was ... well "strange". I've never read any Hamilton books so I'm probably coming to it from a completely different background than most readers. I was really surprised by the fact that most of the stories were "straight" fantasy stories.

I was also a little put off by the attitude of most of the introductions. Many of them sounded angry, basically saying, "This was rejected by some editor who was obviously a retard because he didn't absolutely love my work. But now that I'm famous I'm allowed to foist my sub-par writing on you at a premium price."

The fantasy stuff was pretty lame and felt really dated. I'm assuming they were written 15 years ago so I guess that makes sense but I can only believe that it's the author's vanity that brought them back into print rather than the good sense of any editor/publisher. The silly stuff was silly (although I did realize I liked the superhero one later). Finally for some reason I didn't have all the files for the final (Anita) story so it ended abruptly in the middle. But it really didn't leave me wanting more so I didn't try to get the rest.

So overall this makes me not that excited about her other books (translate to: I'll never get around to reading them unless really prodded by trusted friends).

[Jennifer Wardrip · Rating 4 out of 5]

Seeing these short stories by Laurell K. Hamilton was a treat. Some were good, some were great, and some can be skipped over. My biggest problem with the whole shebang is the cover. This book has nothing to do with women in bondage attire eating candy. Actually, this book has no sex in it at all. Which, when you think about it, is "strange" indeed when you consider the other series' that this author writes.

Overall, a pretty good read, although some of Ms. Hamilton's snarky comments in the introductions to some of the stories really didn't need to be included.

If you're a fan of Ms. Hamilton, you'll want to read STRANGE CANDY just to see how she handles short stories. If you're looking for another sex-filled Anita Blake or Meredith Gentry story, this isn't the place to find it.

And for those who feel the need to hide the cover of this book beneath a copy of Good Housekeeping, I don't blame you. The cover is there for shock value alone, nothing else. It doesn't apply to what's inside the book at all, and for that someone should be ashamed.

[N.S. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would never have bought this book if Kroger hadn't been selling it, hardback, for $1.50. Heck, I would never have looked at it, period, because I hadn't heard good things about the author, only that she sells a lot of books. I also have never liked short stories. Lastly, I have never liked fantasy or science fiction. But it was $1.50, and she does sell a lot of books, so there's a lesson there, and so I bought it. How bad could it be?
It's fabulous. FABULOUS. She can write. She's funny. She's unexpected. She drops mythical creatures into the "real" world and makes you wish things were really that way.
It's also great for its behind-the-scene glimpses. These are some of her earliest stories, including some previously unpublished ones, and she introduces each one. She talks about her rejections and her victories and the grudges she still holds.
There's a lesson here, indeed, and great fun to boot. Too bad that -according to Wikipedia, anyway - she appears to be losing her mojo.

[Raquel (Rocki) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Most of these were pretty good I liked the one with the dream walkers who were psychopaths basically that was interesting to read I would have liked more to that one, even if it was a little dark. Of course I liked the stories involving Anita those of course are always pretty good and these two were before she got all smexy with everyone. I also liked the one about Screech the sword or dagger he is and interesting character, all he wants is a little blood that isn't bad right? lol There were a couple that didn't really hold my attention that well but that is to be expected in an anthology. Some times when I read short stories to a series they are good and I really want to read them and know more about the characters in the Anita series it isn't that way unless it is back at the beginning where she was a little more kickass. I think we may need a little more darkness in her writing like in There be Dragons Here.

[Lucy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Strange Candy is LKH's short story collection, and it's alternatively refreshing and narcissistic. When I read some of these stories, I remembered how I used to actually enjoy reading her books instead of slogging through them. She's a pretty good writer when she's not just writing porn. The stories in this book are not excellent, but definitly entertaining. I found it really hilarious when she wrote things in introductions to some of the stories like "When I first submitted this story, I wasn't a big enough name, so they rejected it. And now that I am a big name, I won't send that market stories any more. Ha ha!"

The whole book feels like a pat on LKH's back, which only bothers me so much because I really can't stand the latest Anita books - in my mind, LKH has become a lazy writer. Even the last story in the book, and Anita story called "The Girl Who Was Infatuated With Death," has Jean-Claude sex in it. I mean, come on. Can't we go one short story without the porn? There's nothing wrong with the Jean-Claude sex per se, but I've just gotten so tired of Anita sex scenes that I don't even read through them any more - I just skim them. Which explains why I can't really read her books any more, because I'm just skimming the whole damn things.

The stories are definitly entertaining, though. If you enjoyed reading her work back in the day, you might enjoy these stories.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this in the discount book bin of a grocery store... glad I did! Although this is apparently the author of a vampire series, the stories in this collection are very heavy on fantasy and can be a little macabre. Not really creepy, scary stories, though. Sometimes it is hard to read fantasy/sci-fi because the author is so wrapped up in describing the world they have created ~ happily, this is not the case with Hamilton. She is super creative and a great story teller :) The fictional worlds in these stories tend to overlap, but that actually works in their favor. The reader is left with a sense that they are all part of a larger story ~ I was definately left wanting to read more.

What I did find odd, though... this book seems to be all about the self-promotion & vindication of Hamilton. I mean, the entire back cover is a picture of the author... the spine & cover has her entire name (Laurell K. Hamilton) in capitol letters and in a much larger font than the title of the book. Granted, that is not so unusual.

But the introductions to the stories are largely regarding what publishers have turned down her work & what critiques they have given her. Laurell K. Hamilton stated multiple times in this edition that Laurell K. Hamilton is a well known, best selling author ~ despite her struggles starting out. Funny... I have never heard of this best selling author until I found a first edition, hardback copy of this book in the discount bin of a grocery store. (FYI ~ the book was published 3years ago and had been marked down from $23.95 to $5.99) Not sure if I am amused or annoyed by the author at this point. Regardless, I certainly plan to continure reading her work ... for now :)

[Brittany McCann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some of these were a lot of fun, and some were meh.

Ultimately, if you are afan of Hamilton's Anita Blake Verse, this is a must read.

The stories I lvoed the most didn't feature any of the MCs from that. There was one with the Main Romance couple from the start of Anita Blake: Anita & Jean Claude that I enjoyed a LOT more than the romance in the main series. It felt more mature and enjoyable.

To be fair, I am currently only on the third book of a long series, so this may also be indicative of the maturity of Laurell K. Hamilton's writing in general.

My favorite of the collection was the Psychopathic Therapist Dreamwalker. Is there a series about this? I would read the crap out of that series.

Lots of great Zombies, vampires, and everything in between.

3-3.5 Stars!

[Amanda · Rating 2 out of 5]

There are certain people in the world who have a realness, deeply rooted in the earth, bare to sun and moon. And then there are other people in the world who look at the real ones and mimic their stance, planting roots and glancing out of the corners of their eyes every once in a while to make sure they're still doing it right. But they are a forgery and it doesn't take long to tip these fakers over, upending their shallow roots. This is how I feel about Laurell K. Hamilton.

The thing about fantasy writing is that you can't fake your way through it and make it seem REAL. The essence of fantasy has been around since the dawn of human intelligence--it is our religion, our myth, our history; it speaks to our connection to god, the sky, the earth, each other... and it gives voice to what the rest of us REAL creatures can feel but can't explain. So I get really annoyed when folks like LKH write twenty zillion pretentious vampire novels. I can't help but roll my eyes when the sword-that-drinks-blood begs its bearer for a sip off her own arm seven times in two pages.* It sickens me as a woman to see a cleavage-baring, curly-headed, petite twenty-something having to fuck a nest of vampires in order to save the lives of her werewolf (ex)boyfriend and his pack** after engaging in 50 pages of melodramatic dialogue and references to the heroine's scarred past.

This kind of story doesn't pay homage to the REAL we saw in the writers gone before us (even if the heroes do fight a white winter witch or pass down a sword from generations of noble warriors). And it doesn't inspire us to think, feel loved, or make tangible our bond to the earth and each other. This kind of writing simply keeps a band-aid covering the wounds of lonely women who never recovered from the injuries they received in junior high. It's desperate and pathetic. I find myself creating my own fantasy that LKH takes her bajillion dollars she earns off these crappy novels and puts them into a foundation so that her readers might eventually be able to afford the therapy they really need. I can dream, can't I?





*Ever so slightly exaggerated. It was maybe only five times...
**This particular plot-line did not appear in this particular Hamilton collection. But you get the point.

[Marian · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's been a couple of years since I read Strange Candy and for the most part, it's just a decent collection of short stories. The least interesting stories for me were the Anita ones, although they're obviously the ones hyped so the book would sell.

Skip the more recent stuff if you don't like the way her current books are written or the way the 'plots' flow.

In the two years or so since I read the book, I can still vividly remember two of the stories, and both break my heart in different ways. A Scarcity of Lake Monsters is heartbreakingly sad but well worth it. Sometimes sacrifices must be made and the story is better for it, which is something I truly wish she'd remember.

Selling Houses is so creepy, so fantastically done [until the end:] that it's impossible to put down. And it kills me that she can't write this sort of stuff anymore. If you ignore the end of the story and really, you should because it's a letdown, the creeping dread and suspense reminded me quite a bit of why I used to love her and why I still hold out hope for her writing.

[witchy_book_babe · Rating 5 out of 5]

There just aren’t many Authors’ with the flair that Laurell K. Hamilton possesses. She is so original and badass! I really enjoyed each short story, Geese was probably my favorite. Leech, what an awesome character (if a sword can be considered one🤔)!

I admit, Here Be Dragons was pretty f*%ked up🥴. But, overall this collection reminded why I love this Authors ruthless & raw way of writing 🖤

[Anastasiaadamov · Rating 4 out of 5]

1# Those who seek forgivness ★★★★
Insight into life of Anita Blake the animator and how she deals with every night zombie raising business. It is set before any of the series events in the books. Interesting but rather depressing when looked trough the series as a whole.

2# A Lust of Cupids ★★★★★
This is a cute short story perfect for Valentines day! In the story people sometimes get chased by little Cupid like creatures who shot them with arrows to fall in love or just get infatuated. I loved the concept and the humor of the story. I enjoyed the methapore of the story a lot! Would not mind reading about the vengance either!

3# The Edge of the sea ★★
Story about murder and mystery with supernatural twist. Dark and melancholy. I did not like this story. It was sad and traumatic.
4# The Scarcity of lake monsters ★★★★

This was a well balanced story that made me sad. I like the characters and the idea of fantastical creatures being real. I was lulled into this story with first part being endearing and then got smacked down and a bit heartbroken. Good story though!

5# Selling houses ★★★★★
Simple and concise story set in the Anita Blake world. The main character is a civilian woman realstater checking on a house she needs to sell. There were some nicely creepy elements and the story was a great fit.

6# A token for Celandine ★★★★
The most complex story so far. I like how deep the world felt right away. It was set in a fantastical world akin to those of Dungeons and Dragons. He first part seemed a little hard to get into but it went much better toward the end. It was a nice little adventure. This story is set in the Nightseer world.

7# A clean sweep ★★★
A really short story based on an idea of a cleaning super hero. I liked the twist at the end but I wished there were some more meat to it all.

8# The Curse-Maker ★★★
Very much DnD type of story. There's a bard thats gotten cursed with sickness and theres a female warrior who loves him and wants to find the one who is responsible. I liked the parcticality of the sorcerer in the story. The blade was interesting. As usuall the end shows much more promise that the begining of the story. Story is set in the Nightseer world.

9# Geese ★★★
More magic and sorcery. I found the story quite weird for some reason. It was OK but a bit too much angst for some reason. The idea off a shapeshifter taking refuge in the animal form appealed to me a lot. The ending was just confusing for me

10# House of wizards ★★★★★
I loved the idea of magic and non magic world coliding in such a way. I also have growing respect for people who are good at usefull and practical things. This story just felt sweet and lovely.

11# Here be dragons ★★★★★
Strangely alluring and complex supernatural story. I was fascinated with character motivations. In the core it is a dark story about sociopaths. Children of the story are different. There is strength and there is also hope. Interesting take on human need for intimacy.

12# Winterkill ★★★★
Another story form Nightseer world. Main theme is revenge killing. I liked the magical aspects of the story. There are always some glimpses into horror in most stories in this collection. I think that is just the author's writting style. There is certain strength in main female characters and also backup male characters seem to have come from a same mold. I liked the story and the angsty feel to it.

13# Stealing souls ★★★★★
A very well rounded short story with Sidra and Leech. This one more than the rest made me remember playing RPG with the group of people. There was something endearing in reading a thief do his trapfinding thing. Liked this story a lot!

14# The girl who was infatuated with death ★★★★★
Last story I might have read a long time ago in another short story collection called Bite. It has been so long that I am simply not sure anymore. It has been almost have ayear since I last read Anita Blake novel Crimson Death. It made me remember how much I liked reading them again. These characters have a special place among my favorite books.

[Aurian Booklover · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this book is only fun for the real fans of Laurell K. Hamilton. It contains a lot of short stories written by her, especially in the start of her career, when she was rejected a lot for being an unknown author, and short stories were published in magazines. I liked the introduction to all the stories, how they came to be. There are two short Anita Blake stories in her, and I liked those especially. Some of the stories are a bit disturbing though, but she has also included some straight fantasy stories that really make me want to read a full length book in this world.

The cover really put me of for a long time, but it has nothing to do with one of the stories whatsoever. There are not really sex scenes in this book, or anything extreme. So I am glad I finally read it and I can put it with the rest of her books on my LKH shelf.

7 stars.

© 2014 Reviews by Aurian

[Randy Daugherty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Strange Candy by Laurell K Hamilton, Our author most noted for her Anita Blake Vampire Hunter series, and the very sensual content which have entertained readers for years, now gives a glimpse into her other facets.
With Strange Candy we are given a collection of short storied taking us to the various areas Laurell has written about. We find Cupids chasing a couple bent on making them fall in love,we do have one on raising the dead and a case of murder by a Merman?
The stories are well written and enjoyable, a fairly quick read and one I would suggest to anyone who enjoys fantasy and an afternoon of escape.

[Tabatha lovell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this compilation of short stories. LKH is very talented and I love the way her mind works! I'm a HUGE fan of the Anita Blake series, haven't read Merry Gentry yet, however, it was fun reading this book! Check it out if you haven't already.

[Patti · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent collection of stories

Short stories and a few of the first glimpses into Anita Blake, the Executioner. All the stories were good but the Cupids, the Merman, and of course the Anitas were excellent.
Never too old challenge, Tracy's list.

[StarMan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Better than expected, and some decent variety here. Mostly tales of witches, warriors, vampires, or paranormal/urban fantsy stuff -- some with a bit of humor. I'm NOT a fan of Hamilton's full-length vamp-erotica novels, but this short story collection was much better.

VERDICT : 3+ stars

[Rita · Rating 4 out of 5]

THOSE WHO SEEK FORGIVENESS

This was a great introduction to the Anita Blake series. I so didn't see the surprise coming. I will continue the series.

[hotsake (André Troesch) · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are two kinds of short stories, those that are self contained stories and those that seem to be single chapters of larger works. This is one of the latter. While I enjoy both types, the second type leaves me feeling a bit unsatisfied as is the case here. Don‘t get me wrong I really enjoyed almost all of the stories but I was left wanting more and knowing that in most cases I was out of luck. So in a way this book got docked a star for being too good.

[Kimberley doruyter · Rating 4 out of 5]

well that was a trip into the weird.
AWESOME

[Jessica Pritt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great short stories collection. I really enjoyed all of the stories. They were all different and cute.

[Deirdre · Rating 3 out of 5]

Those Who Seek Forgiveness is set in the Anitaverse, right before Guilty Pleasures. Back to the old pre-porn Anita, a story about a zombie raising where not everything that the client tells Anita is the truth, which has repercussions.

A Lust of Cupids. A very short story about two people trying hard to avoid cupids that are determined to get them involved with each other. I disliked the fact that the characters really didn't have much of a choice and my reaction to finding out that my parents had been involved would have been incensed anger.

The Edge of the Sea was partially about LKH's relationship with the sea and partially about a woman being killed by a mer-man. Did stray into some of the mer legends and was a different story.

A Sacrcity of Lake Monsters is a Nessie story. Had some good ideas lurking that didn't quite surface.

Selling Houses is another story set in Anitaverse, but none of the regular characters are in it. This is the sort of story that you expect to read in compilations (rather than LKH's slightly re-written part of a book). It's a story of an estate agent selling to the newly legal vampires. I liked this one.

A Token for Celandine is set in the world of Nightseer. A healer goes to seek redemption for some evil magic she did. Very black and white look at the world.

A Clean Sweep is about a superhero called Captain Housework. Oh yes indeed, that man we all would love to have, but in this story he snaps.

The Curse Maker is also set in the world of Nightseer and was about a bard who had been cursed and the people who set out to break it. Features a vampire sword.

The Geese is about goose who was a little girl who had a geas laid upon her to kill her parents murderer - by her parents murderer, becoming a goose allowed her to grow up. What will her mate do when she becomes human?

House of Wizards is about a non-magician marrying into a magical family. In a world where magicians have all the rights this could be seen as a way of getting up in society this shows how she copes. I wasn't really impressed with some of the ways she coped.

Here Be Dragons is possibly my favorite story. It is about a doctor who rehabilitates violent criminals. In a world where psionics is a science, psionics are trained by the government but some of them are too dangerous. This is about a child and how the adult copes.

Winterkill is yet another story set in the Nightseer universe. The main character is a lot like Edward of the AB series - she has found that killing ordinary humans are far too easy and only kills wizards. She's hunting a wizard who killed her family, she uses some of the rules of the world to fix things. Reads like a transcript of a roleplaying session.

Stealing Souls is another story set in the Nightseer universe. A wizard has been stealing and imprisoning souls in order to boost his power, and something must be done to stop him. Two of those souls are the heroine's sisters. Features a vampire sword.

The Girl who was Infatuated with Death was previously printed in Bite where I read it, a girl with bone cancer who is about to lose one leg and possibly more is hunted by Anita because she's underage.

A very mixed bag, some of the stories are quite short and many of them could possibly make good longer stories but there would also probably be too much sex if they were lengthened

[Miss Lily · Rating 1 out of 5]

I picked up "Strange Candy" after having read the first "Anita Blake" book. (I've read the entire "Merry Gentry" series since the beginning, and had avoided "Anita Blake" 'till recently.) This review is for the Audio CD format. There are a collection of short stories in "Strange Candy," each with an introduction by Laurell K. Hamilton about the history of or commentary about each story. The Audio CD format used one narrator for the stories themselves, and a different narrator for the introductions. The introductions/commentaries indicated that a number of these stories were early in her writing career, and many of them had been rejected by publishers, anthologies, and/or other editors. (In at least one case, Hamilton indicates that a story was rejected initially, but published later after Hamilton became better-known.)

The "Anita Blake" stories in the collection were fun-- and showed an indication that they weren't as "early" in Hamilton's writing as a number of the others. I'm not able to separate out whether I disliked the speed/style of the narrator-- or whether those other stories were simply terrible, and were rejected for good reasons. One or two of them were interesting, if unpolished. One or two of them were not just poorly-written, but completely trite. (Ms. Hamilton would do well to stay away from the medieval fantasy genre-- a rejecting editor had the truth of it when telling Hamilton that it's been done, and better, by others.)

The couple of fun "Anita Blake" stories in the collection weren't enough for me to even say the book was "okay" with two stars. There seemed to be an open goal of vanity publishing, here-- pushing out a collection of previously-rejected work because she can afford (price? reputation?) to do so now. One supposes that doing so would be gratifying, an 'in your face' to the people who'd rejected the work previously... However, what seems to be clear is that vanity has more aspects to it than just vindication (vindictiveness?)-- it also seems to have caused (or, considering criticism of Hamilton's work in the last few years, going "editor-less," and her published work openly suffering in quality) a blindness to the notion that she may not have been wronged when these people have declined to publish these stories-- they may have had good reasons.

I'm glad I didn't purchase the book; I borrowed it from the library. The narrator's voice and delivery of the stories worked for some of them, but not for others.

[Mandee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I usually don't like short stories since they are, well, short. I usually feel cheated out of the full story and am usually wanting more. I liked most of these, but ran into the all familiar problem of wanting more. At least with the Anita stories there is a series to keep going with.


Those Who Seek Forgiveness: This was written with the author's initial intention for Anita to be just an animator, but I can see this as a catalyst for what comes later


A Lust of Cupids: Eh, OK story. Waaaay too short

The Edge of the Sea: It's only the 3rd story, but so far my favorite. Definitely a taste of the Anita/Merry style that made me a fan to begin with

A Scarcity of Lake Monsters: Aww he's a like a loch ness puppy dog lol :) This is an interesting concept that I wouldn't mind reading a series about.

Selling Houses: I can definitely see this in Anita's world. I can see her working that house as a crime scene...it seems vaguely familiar so maybe she did

A Token for Celandine: Good story! I'd like to read more about the main character, where she came from and what happens next

A Clean Sweep: Silly story but probably what would happen if Captain Housework was real

The Curse-Maker: Another good story from the Nightseer world. I really want to read that now

Geese: This one is one of my favorites, but this why I don't like short stories, especially the good ones. I want more to the story.

House of Wizards: Cute story. Another one I wouldn't mind reading a full book/series of

Here Be Dragons: So incredibly f-ed up and I love it!!! This is my favorite so far. I want more of this story, I want more of how Jasmine got that way. Loved this one!

Winterkill: Another good fantasy-action story. Good but not one leaving me wanting more

Stealing Souls: Another story of Sidra & Leech. Good story; not the best but not the worst

The Girl Who Was Infatuated With Death: Felt like a deleted scene from the regular series. This seems like the turning point for Anita in finally accepting who she is and what her heart needs/wants

[Julia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some of these stories were skippable, some were so-so and some were awesome.They are a mixture of light and dark- a perfect combination if you ask me.

I just have to throw this out there- I think the cover is silly. The stories have nothing to do with bondage. I would love the cover if it had something to do with ... something? anything? from the stories. Maybe I'm just too dense to get it ;]

Some of the introductions to the short stories left a bad taste in my mouth and some of them made me laugh. The book itself was worth the read, though. The worlds in each story overlap, which is a pro for the entirety of the book. LKH really is a great story teller and these stories are creative. It was nice that she didn't get wrapped up in the description of her world/characters, it made me want more.

Ok- I liked this book. I recommend it to anyone who is a fan of the earlier Anita Blake novels by LKH. It isn't one of those books I would read twice, but it is good for what it is - a book of short stories.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Laurell K. Hamilton's collection of short stories are a little different than her Merry Gentry and Anita Blake series. They cover a wide range of genres from epic fantasy to soft-sci-fi and even a hysterical little gem of a three page superhero story. None of them are teribly heavy on plot, no big surprises or unexpected twists, but she does develop wonderful characters and great atmospheres. Also, with the exception of the last story, a little Anita Blake tidibt, much less pointless sex than we've become accustomed to from Hamilton.

Strange Candy is an excellent title for this tome; it's like a little bon-bon box full of different surprises. Depending on how decadent you feel, you can savor them one at a time, or gulp them all down in one sitting.

[Taryn Elliott · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love short stories. As a writer, I kinda suck at writing them. LOL I want to tell too much. There's a definite talent needed to write them. Laurel K. Hamilton brings a lot of fun into these stories, imho.

Anita Blake:

The Merman story, so far is my favorite. I like that in the end, the woman doesn't need a man to save her. She takes matters into her own hands and defeats the call of the sea.

Lake Monster: In a rare male POV story, we learn about Irving, the lake monster with personality. It feels like you get an in depth look at Loch Ness. Or what you would think Loch Ness would be like. Part science, part fun, part sad. It's a sweet, light story.

Selling Houses: Anita's world - non Anita story. I have to say that I was on the edge of my seat for this story, and all about the a very peculiar character. It was rather delicious, actually.


I didn't end up finishing all the shorts and may revisit them down the line.

[Jody Mena · Rating 5 out of 5]

With this book, Laurell K. Hamilton has secured her place as a master of the written word in my book (no pun intended). I've read the Anita Blake and Merry Gentry series, and am undeniably addicted, but sometimes it is more the quality of the plot than the quality of the author that makes a book good, and the plot carries the author. However, the short stories in this book were so varied and original, yet so uniformly enthralling, that it can only be credited to the excellence of the author! The stories ranged from hilarious to disturbing, sometimes hilarious and disturbing, always with a touch of magic and mystery, almost always with a twist that adds that final touch to the masterpiece. I hated for the book to end, and now I am scrambling to find more of LKH's works. I can't wait to read more, and when I've gone through everything she's written, I'll definitely be back to revisit these stories and let them fire my imagination for a second time!

[FG · Rating 3 out of 5]

First foray into this author's work. I wanted to see if it would interest me in more. Not sure about the vampire fantasy romance genre. Since this is a book of short stories from many of her worlds, I thought this would be a good place to see if I want to read more.

When I read vampires, I prefer the bloodthirsty, evil, creatures of the night type over the sparkly, pretty, angsty, romantic ones. Think Midnight Mass over Twilight. This is definitely the latter. So I'm not as inclined.

However, this was a book has short stories from her different fantasy series, and a few were very interesting. Like the bloodthirsty blade, literally begging for a taste of fresh blood!!! It was humorous and the magic was interesting. So although I know she's known for the vampire series, I will look into the other series.

[Jaime · Rating 4 out of 5]

I generally don’t go for short story collections, but I really enjoyed this. It’s the best Laurell Hamilton I’ve read since the appearance of the ardeur in the Anita Blake series.

A couple of the stories seemed too short, or even unfinished (”Those Who Seek Forgiveness”, “A Lust of Cupids”), but several were excellent and left me wanting more (”A Scarcity of Lake Monsters”, “A Token for Celandine”, “House of Wizards”, “The Curse-Maker”) . The remaining fell somewhere in the middle. There were four stories set in the world of her first novel, Nightseer, which I had never heard of. Now I need to seek it out!

If you like Laurell K. Hamilton for more than vampire and faerie sex, you’ll enjoy these stories.