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Kitty Norville #4.4 - Kitty Learns the Ropes
Full Moon City
DANGER LURKS IN THE HEART OF THE CITY . . . BUT NOT ALWAYS WHERE YOU EXPECT IT.
From New York to Los Angeles to Bucharest, fifteen never-before-published tales by some of the world’s finest fantasy and horror writers celebrate the newest incarnations of an age-old terror that strikes when the moon is full . . . the werewolf. No longer confined to the forests, these modern monsters can be found in places you frequent every day—and never before thought to fear.
CARRIE VAUGHN’s popular werewolf radio host Kitty Norville is drawn into a controversy as to whether it’s fair to ban lycanthropy from professional sports. New York’s famous Plaza Hotel is the setting for ESTHER M. FRIESNER’s tale of one very grisly little girl, while Beverly Hills may never quite recover from RON GOULART’s middle-aged Hollywood screenwriter who falls prey to a most unusual problem. Celebrated fantasy author PETER S. BEAGLE tells a chillingly lyrical story of three Louisiana loup garoux locked into a deadly dance of death. Plus many more biting tales from award-winning authors:
HOLLY BLACK • P.D. CACEK • GREGORY FROST • TANITH LEE
HOLLY PHILLIPS • MIKE RESNICK • DARRELL SCHWEITZER • LISA TUTTLE
IAN WATSON • GENE WOLFE • CHELSEA QUINN YARBRO
From New York to Los Angeles to Bucharest, fifteen never-before-published tales by some of the world’s finest fantasy and horror writers celebrate the newest incarnations of an age-old terror that strikes when the moon is full . . . the werewolf. No longer confined to the forests, these modern monsters can be found in places you frequent every day—and never before thought to fear.
CARRIE VAUGHN’s popular werewolf radio host Kitty Norville is drawn into a controversy as to whether it’s fair to ban lycanthropy from professional sports. New York’s famous Plaza Hotel is the setting for ESTHER M. FRIESNER’s tale of one very grisly little girl, while Beverly Hills may never quite recover from RON GOULART’s middle-aged Hollywood screenwriter who falls prey to a most unusual problem. Celebrated fantasy author PETER S. BEAGLE tells a chillingly lyrical story of three Louisiana loup garoux locked into a deadly dance of death. Plus many more biting tales from award-winning authors:
HOLLY BLACK • P.D. CACEK • GREGORY FROST • TANITH LEE
HOLLY PHILLIPS • MIKE RESNICK • DARRELL SCHWEITZER • LISA TUTTLE
IAN WATSON • GENE WOLFE • CHELSEA QUINN YARBRO
304 pages, Paperback
First published March 9, 2010
About the author
Martin H. Greenberg
919 books169 followersMartin Harry Greenberg was an American academic and speculative fiction anthologist. In all, he compiled 1,298 anthologies and commissioned over 8,200 original short stories. He founded Tekno Books, a packager of more than 2000 published books. In addition, he was a co-founder of the Sci-Fi Channel.
For the 1950s anthologist and publisher of Gnome Press, see Martin Greenberg.
For the 1950s anthologist and publisher of Gnome Press, see Martin Greenberg.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews
January 19, 2020
“The children of the night. What music they make.“
"I Was a Middle-Age Werewolf", Ron Goulart, ★★★★★
Hollywood. My kind of humour. Funny. I am envisioning Michael Douglas in the lead and Alan Arkin as Hersh, aka The Kominsky Method with werewolves.
"Kitty Learns the Ropes", Carrie Vaughn, ★★★★☆
This story is most likely the reason I got this anthology five years ago. Well, Carrie Vaughn can write, she‘s proven that often enough. This was easy to read , especially because I have read the whole Kitty Norville series and it‘s one of my favourite UF series. Maybe it is time for a re-read.
"The Bitch", P. D. Cacek, ★★★★☆
Story about a bothersome and creepy ex-lover. Oh, that was unexpected! How fun! I am a big fan of doing something differently and this surprised me. Checked out the author, did not see anything that grabbed me.
"La Lune T'attend", Peter S. Beagle, ★★★★☆
Good world-building and character development. I liked the setting. It felt like a much longer story through what it conveyed. Sad, but powerful ending.
"The Aarne-Thompson Classification Revue ", Holly Black, ★★★★☆
Third person present tense, urgh. I don‘t like it. Never mind. We are auditioning for a musical!
“Being a werewolf is like being Clark Kent, except that when you go into the phone booth, you can‘t control what comes out.“
Sweet, a little sad, made me smile. What a werewolf girl wants. Good! Checked out the author, all YA—not my genre...
"Kvetchula's Daughter", Darrell Schweitzer, ★★★¾☆
Jiddish vampires in New York. Lots of kvetching. Mildly amusing. Where are the werewolves, you ask? Oy vey.
"The Bank Job", Gregory Frost, ★★★¾☆
Well-written, good story. Good pacing, nice level of suspense. Fairly predictable. Will check out the author.
"A Most Unusual Greyhound", a Harry the Book Story, Mike Resnick, ★★★½☆
Amusing. What is a werewolf to do to make some money? Slightly odd tense and grammar in general. Possibly on purpose, but it threw me off.
"Sea Warg", Tanith Lee, ★★★☆☆
“Now the boats put off from the west end of Sandbourne, or at least they did so when the rest of Europe allowed it.“
What did we do? Did Brexit start in 2010 and I missed it?"
I could swear I read some novels written by her, but for the life of me can‘t recall their titles or plot. I only found a short story collection I DNFd.
Hm, interesting. Hadn‘t expected that ending. Well, that was mean. And Johnson is a very creepy character.
"And Bob's Your Uncle", Chelsea Quinn Yarbro, ★★★☆☆
Sad boy meets mysterious, but cute black dog. Promising beginning, but didn‘t turn into much.
"The Truth About Werewolves", Lisa Tuttle, ★★¾☆☆
Unusual take on werewolves. I disliked the female MC for her dishonesty. She felt like a hypocrite to me, especially after disrespecting the Chihuahua woman for „shopping“ and then doing the exact same thing.
"Weredog of Bucharest", Ian Watson, ★★☆☆☆
A murder investigation and a crime writer observing. Ponderous, overly explanatory, superfluous details. The author seemed very eager to show us little details of Romanian life, perhaps trying to create atmosphere? Unsatisfying, with a lame ending.
"Innocent", Gene Wolfe, ★☆☆☆☆
Weird. Guy in prison tells a priest about his life. The story only consists of his side of a dialogue.
"No Children, No Pets", Esther M. Friesner, ★☆☆☆☆
Another odd one, about a werewolf child of six living in Central Park. Humorous writing, I suppose. Not my thing.
"Country Mothers' Sons", Holly Phillips, ★☆☆☆☆
When I started, the slow moving, very descriptive prose had me interested. It never went anywhere though and I lost that little spark. Suggestive, but ultimately pointless.
"I Was a Middle-Age Werewolf", Ron Goulart, ★★★★★
Hollywood. My kind of humour. Funny. I am envisioning Michael Douglas in the lead and Alan Arkin as Hersh, aka The Kominsky Method with werewolves.
"Kitty Learns the Ropes", Carrie Vaughn, ★★★★☆
This story is most likely the reason I got this anthology five years ago. Well, Carrie Vaughn can write, she‘s proven that often enough. This was easy to read , especially because I have read the whole Kitty Norville series and it‘s one of my favourite UF series. Maybe it is time for a re-read.
"The Bitch", P. D. Cacek, ★★★★☆
Story about a bothersome and creepy ex-lover. Oh, that was unexpected! How fun! I am a big fan of doing something differently and this surprised me. Checked out the author, did not see anything that grabbed me.
"La Lune T'attend", Peter S. Beagle, ★★★★☆
Good world-building and character development. I liked the setting. It felt like a much longer story through what it conveyed. Sad, but powerful ending.
"The Aarne-Thompson Classification Revue ", Holly Black, ★★★★☆
Third person present tense, urgh. I don‘t like it. Never mind. We are auditioning for a musical!
“Being a werewolf is like being Clark Kent, except that when you go into the phone booth, you can‘t control what comes out.“
Sweet, a little sad, made me smile. What a werewolf girl wants. Good! Checked out the author, all YA—not my genre...
"Kvetchula's Daughter", Darrell Schweitzer, ★★★¾☆
Jiddish vampires in New York. Lots of kvetching. Mildly amusing. Where are the werewolves, you ask? Oy vey.
"The Bank Job", Gregory Frost, ★★★¾☆
Well-written, good story. Good pacing, nice level of suspense. Fairly predictable. Will check out the author.
"A Most Unusual Greyhound", a Harry the Book Story, Mike Resnick, ★★★½☆
Amusing. What is a werewolf to do to make some money? Slightly odd tense and grammar in general. Possibly on purpose, but it threw me off.
"Sea Warg", Tanith Lee, ★★★☆☆
“Now the boats put off from the west end of Sandbourne, or at least they did so when the rest of Europe allowed it.“
What did we do? Did Brexit start in 2010 and I missed it?"
I could swear I read some novels written by her, but for the life of me can‘t recall their titles or plot. I only found a short story collection I DNFd.
Hm, interesting. Hadn‘t expected that ending. Well, that was mean. And Johnson is a very creepy character.
"And Bob's Your Uncle", Chelsea Quinn Yarbro, ★★★☆☆
Sad boy meets mysterious, but cute black dog. Promising beginning, but didn‘t turn into much.
"The Truth About Werewolves", Lisa Tuttle, ★★¾☆☆
Unusual take on werewolves. I disliked the female MC for her dishonesty. She felt like a hypocrite to me, especially after disrespecting the Chihuahua woman for „shopping“ and then doing the exact same thing.
"Weredog of Bucharest", Ian Watson, ★★☆☆☆
A murder investigation and a crime writer observing. Ponderous, overly explanatory, superfluous details. The author seemed very eager to show us little details of Romanian life, perhaps trying to create atmosphere? Unsatisfying, with a lame ending.
"Innocent", Gene Wolfe, ★☆☆☆☆
Weird. Guy in prison tells a priest about his life. The story only consists of his side of a dialogue.
"No Children, No Pets", Esther M. Friesner, ★☆☆☆☆
Another odd one, about a werewolf child of six living in Central Park. Humorous writing, I suppose. Not my thing.
"Country Mothers' Sons", Holly Phillips, ★☆☆☆☆
When I started, the slow moving, very descriptive prose had me interested. It never went anywhere though and I lost that little spark. Suggestive, but ultimately pointless.
April 19, 2018
Full Moon City is a nice anthology of short stories about werewolves who have adapted to city life. I've encountered many of the authors here before, and some of them I esteem as more important to modern sensibilities than sliced bread! There were a few stories that were a dud for me, and one in particular was disappointing, but overall, there are more winners here.
The Truth About Werewolves by Lisa Tuttle
Set in modern day Houston, this story concerns a lonely woman who puts an ad out in the paper looking for fellow werewolves to socialize. She hooks up with one of the attendees for a one-night stand, and discovers 'the truth' about werewolves. Sex isn't necessarily involved, but dreaming is. This is a strange opening piece, as it's so disconcerting in its message.
Innocent by Gene Wolfe
This short story, related as a first person narrative of a psychopathic killer proclaiming his innocence from prison to an unknown "father," would have made an excellent opening selection for this anthology. Our prisoner, who recounts his youth and his discovery of the joys of eating raw meat, is creepy as all get out. His tales of his eating habits, moving from spoiled meat to rats and other animals, and finally to humans, is sickening. I loved this story.
Kitty Learns the Ropes by Carrie Vaughn
This was a neat introduction for me to Kitty Norville, the werewolf radio personality with her own urban fantasy book series that I keep meaning to get to. Here, Kitty accompanies a reporter to a boxing match to determine if a boxing champ is human or werewolf. I liked this story, and probably would have liked it better were I more acquainted with Kitty.
No Children, No Pets by Esther M. Friesner
I loved this story, it was so freakin' weird and awesome! It's about a strange werewolf girl who roams Central Park and claims to live in the Plaza Hotel. About 7 years old, she has memories of her father, who was an American Communist, offing himself after the arrest of the Rosenbergs. She's been taken in by the local werewolf pack after she is turned by a strange, bug-eyed weredog, and she goes around quoting bits of Marx and spouting communist nonsense in her 7-year-old slang. The ending is a great little happy twist for the poor, downtrodden nanny and the girl. Very nicely done!
Sea Warg by Tanith Lee
This was probably the story that disappointed me the most, because I am such a huge fan of Lee's. I'll leave it at that.
Country Mothers' Sons by Holly Phillips
Here's another sad and lonely werewolf tale, but in a different way from the opening piece by Tuttle, where the weres are looking for soul mates. Here we see the aftereffects of war on farming communities, and what it looks like for widows and orphaned sons to move from country to city and try to adapt to a strange new life. The only mention of wolves comes at the end, when wolf song is heard. Another desolate piece.
A Most Unusual Greyhound by Mike Resnick
Probably my favorite story in the entire collection. Resnick delivers a comic piece about a mafia bookie of a lovesick Mexican werewolf pretending to be a greyhound. Very slick, very cool.
The Bitch by P.D. Cacek
This is another great piece, an awesome little story about a bitch ex-girlfriend stalker who finally gets her comeuppance when the new girlfriend decides that enough is enough.
The Aarne-Thompson Classification Revue by Holly Black
Being a werewolf means that when you take off your clothes, you're still not really naked. You have to take off your skin, too.
I really loved this piece, too. Again, there's a feeling of isolation as a young weregirl moves through life in the city, imitating humans and trying to get by. While waitressing, she auditions for and receives a part in a musical production. The inital performance is, literally, showstopping.
Weredog of Bucharest by Ian Watson
A British writer travels to Romania for inspiration and hangs out with the local artsy fartsy crowd and a police inspector. He rides along for a murder investigation, learns a lesson in hidden elevator doors, and gets the werewolve transformation from the local crone. This one was okay.
I was a Middle-Age Werewolf by Ron Goulart
We move from the Balkans to Hollywood to meet a Beverly Hills screenwriter, recently fired from his latest writing gig, fighting off a vicous ex, and learning that he's growing a full fur pelt. There's a comic voice to this that mixes Curb Your Enthusiasm dry sarcasm with Beverly Hills Chihuahua camp that's fun to read. The ditzy daytime actress daughter who ends up responsible for the whole mess makes a great ending.
Kvetchula's Daughter by Darrell Schweitzer
This one's cute and fast paced. The daughter, of course, is a liberal minded daughter of Jewish vampire-loving parents who return from their Romanian vacation in coffins, having been turned into vamps. They, in turn, quickly turn their daughter's retarded hippy boyfriend into the family Renfeld, and expect her to become a minion. Except, of course, she meets a local werewolf named Heinrich Wolfgang and falls in puppy love. Expect the cubs to be raised Jewish. This one's cute.
And Bob's Your Uncle by Chelsea Quinn Yarbro
I love Yarbro, and this short delivers for me. A nine-year-old boy gets a shot at vengeance against his mom's abusive boyfriend when meets a werewolf in the park. Very nicely done.
The Bank Job by Gregory Frost
A bank heist goes south when one of the customers is a werewolf. A decent story.
La Lune T'Attend by Peter S. Beagle
Probably the longest piece in this collection, and a solid close to the book. Here, two aging Cajun werwolves, with family homes and grandchildren, must come to terms with an evil werewolf they thought they killed and buried forty years ago. I really liked this one.
The Truth About Werewolves by Lisa Tuttle
Set in modern day Houston, this story concerns a lonely woman who puts an ad out in the paper looking for fellow werewolves to socialize. She hooks up with one of the attendees for a one-night stand, and discovers 'the truth' about werewolves. Sex isn't necessarily involved, but dreaming is. This is a strange opening piece, as it's so disconcerting in its message.
Innocent by Gene Wolfe
This short story, related as a first person narrative of a psychopathic killer proclaiming his innocence from prison to an unknown "father," would have made an excellent opening selection for this anthology. Our prisoner, who recounts his youth and his discovery of the joys of eating raw meat, is creepy as all get out. His tales of his eating habits, moving from spoiled meat to rats and other animals, and finally to humans, is sickening. I loved this story.
Kitty Learns the Ropes by Carrie Vaughn
This was a neat introduction for me to Kitty Norville, the werewolf radio personality with her own urban fantasy book series that I keep meaning to get to. Here, Kitty accompanies a reporter to a boxing match to determine if a boxing champ is human or werewolf. I liked this story, and probably would have liked it better were I more acquainted with Kitty.
No Children, No Pets by Esther M. Friesner
I loved this story, it was so freakin' weird and awesome! It's about a strange werewolf girl who roams Central Park and claims to live in the Plaza Hotel. About 7 years old, she has memories of her father, who was an American Communist, offing himself after the arrest of the Rosenbergs. She's been taken in by the local werewolf pack after she is turned by a strange, bug-eyed weredog, and she goes around quoting bits of Marx and spouting communist nonsense in her 7-year-old slang. The ending is a great little happy twist for the poor, downtrodden nanny and the girl. Very nicely done!
Sea Warg by Tanith Lee
This was probably the story that disappointed me the most, because I am such a huge fan of Lee's. I'll leave it at that.
Country Mothers' Sons by Holly Phillips
Here's another sad and lonely werewolf tale, but in a different way from the opening piece by Tuttle, where the weres are looking for soul mates. Here we see the aftereffects of war on farming communities, and what it looks like for widows and orphaned sons to move from country to city and try to adapt to a strange new life. The only mention of wolves comes at the end, when wolf song is heard. Another desolate piece.
A Most Unusual Greyhound by Mike Resnick
Probably my favorite story in the entire collection. Resnick delivers a comic piece about a mafia bookie of a lovesick Mexican werewolf pretending to be a greyhound. Very slick, very cool.
The Bitch by P.D. Cacek
This is another great piece, an awesome little story about a bitch ex-girlfriend stalker who finally gets her comeuppance when the new girlfriend decides that enough is enough.
The Aarne-Thompson Classification Revue by Holly Black
Being a werewolf means that when you take off your clothes, you're still not really naked. You have to take off your skin, too.
I really loved this piece, too. Again, there's a feeling of isolation as a young weregirl moves through life in the city, imitating humans and trying to get by. While waitressing, she auditions for and receives a part in a musical production. The inital performance is, literally, showstopping.
Weredog of Bucharest by Ian Watson
A British writer travels to Romania for inspiration and hangs out with the local artsy fartsy crowd and a police inspector. He rides along for a murder investigation, learns a lesson in hidden elevator doors, and gets the werewolve transformation from the local crone. This one was okay.
I was a Middle-Age Werewolf by Ron Goulart
We move from the Balkans to Hollywood to meet a Beverly Hills screenwriter, recently fired from his latest writing gig, fighting off a vicous ex, and learning that he's growing a full fur pelt. There's a comic voice to this that mixes Curb Your Enthusiasm dry sarcasm with Beverly Hills Chihuahua camp that's fun to read. The ditzy daytime actress daughter who ends up responsible for the whole mess makes a great ending.
Kvetchula's Daughter by Darrell Schweitzer
This one's cute and fast paced. The daughter, of course, is a liberal minded daughter of Jewish vampire-loving parents who return from their Romanian vacation in coffins, having been turned into vamps. They, in turn, quickly turn their daughter's retarded hippy boyfriend into the family Renfeld, and expect her to become a minion. Except, of course, she meets a local werewolf named Heinrich Wolfgang and falls in puppy love. Expect the cubs to be raised Jewish. This one's cute.
And Bob's Your Uncle by Chelsea Quinn Yarbro
I love Yarbro, and this short delivers for me. A nine-year-old boy gets a shot at vengeance against his mom's abusive boyfriend when meets a werewolf in the park. Very nicely done.
The Bank Job by Gregory Frost
A bank heist goes south when one of the customers is a werewolf. A decent story.
La Lune T'Attend by Peter S. Beagle
Probably the longest piece in this collection, and a solid close to the book. Here, two aging Cajun werwolves, with family homes and grandchildren, must come to terms with an evil werewolf they thought they killed and buried forty years ago. I really liked this one.
Want to Read
August 27, 2010Hummmm, just read the book description....
******************************************************************
Celebrated fantasy author PETER S. BEAGLE tells a chillingly lyrical story of three Louisiana loup garoux locked into a deadly dance of death.
******************************************************************
Holy COW!!!!!!
A deadly dance of death!!! stupid me, thinking that a deadly dance could be something as "a deadly dance of sunshine" or "cute bunnies" nooooooooooo a deadly dance is of what????? Death....
(people are payed to write this kind of book description?)
******************************************************************
Celebrated fantasy author PETER S. BEAGLE tells a chillingly lyrical story of three Louisiana loup garoux locked into a deadly dance of death.
******************************************************************
Holy COW!!!!!!
A deadly dance of death!!! stupid me, thinking that a deadly dance could be something as "a deadly dance of sunshine" or "cute bunnies" nooooooooooo a deadly dance is of what????? Death....
(people are payed to write this kind of book description?)
June 16, 2010
I got this *just* for the Kitty story and I'm getting caught up on books I have before the last book comes out. I skimmed some of the other stories, but none caught my attention.
"Kitty Learns the Ropes"- very typical Kitty. I liked it, but it didn't really add anything to the series. It's one that could be skipped and nothing missed.
"Kitty Learns the Ropes"- very typical Kitty. I liked it, but it didn't really add anything to the series. It's one that could be skipped and nothing missed.
March 1, 2010
I only read the Carrie Vaughn story set in the world of Kitty. It is a short story dealing with a character from her last book. Very cute and classic Kitty.
November 10, 2015
A reporter drags Kitty into confronting a boxer she suspects might be a werewolf. Nothing special, but a nice quick read to entertain fans of the series.
September 21, 2020
15 short stories about werewolves and other were animals. If it hadn’t been for the Kitty story I probably wouldn’t have read this, but there was 1 other story made it worthwhile..
1) "The Truth about Werewolves" by Lisa Tuttle. 2 stars. A human female wants to meet a werewolf for a boyfriend so starts a lycanthropy support group.
2) "Innocent" by Gene Wolfe. 2 stars. First person inner narrative. Probably good story but didn’t grab me.
3) "Kitty Learns the Ropes" by Carrie Vaughn. Kitty Norville 4.4. 4 stars. This is the book I got this to read. Kitty is asked to determine if an unusually quick healing boxer is supernatural. I agree with Kitty about boxing. People hitting others is not fun. So I read this fast.
4) "No Children, No Pets" by Esther M. Friesner. 1 star. Life through the eyes of a 6-year old werewolf in Central part NYC. Too weird.
5) "Sea Warg" by Tanith Lee. 3 stars. After retiring to a seaside town, a man observes another man’s unusual nightly activities. A little wordy but interesting. Didn’t like the ending.
6) "Country Mothers' Sons" by Holly Phillips. 2 Stars. Something about mothers during the war worrying about the sons. Too odd.
7) "A Most Unusual Greyhound", a Harry the Book (?) Story by Mike Resnick. 5 stars. Too many nicknames, otherwise a thoroughly entertaining story.
8) "The Bitch" by P. D. Cacek. 4 stars. Yes, I know it’s what a female canine is called and I normally don’t like using the word, but in this case…. A supernatural version of what happens when your boyfriend’s ex gets too clingy.
9) "The Aarne-Thompson Classification Revue" by Holly Black. 3 stars. A werewolf accidently becomes an actress. Odd, stops abruptly.
10) "Weredog of Bucharest" by Ian Watson.1 star. Bunch of old women commiserating on their lost husbands and wayward sons.
11) “I Was a Middle-Age Werewolf" by Ron Goulart. 2 stars. A down on his luck TV writer finds himself turning into a werewolf. Didn’t finish.
12) "Kvetchula's Daughter" by Darrell Schweitzer. 3 stars. A funny story about a Jewish girl whose parents take a trip to Transylvania and come back as vampires. (Don’t worry there’s a werewolf in there.)
13) "And Bob's Your Uncle" by Chelsea Quinn Yarbro. 2 stars. A young boy in a broken home finds a way to change things. Just an ordinary story with a bit of sup added in.
14) "The Bank Job" by Gregory Frost. 4 stars. Bank robbers find out that appearances can be deceiving.
15) "La Lune T'attend" by Peter S. Beagle. 2 stars. Two scion’s of Louisiana werewolf families take revenge on the killer of one’s sister.
1) "The Truth about Werewolves" by Lisa Tuttle. 2 stars. A human female wants to meet a werewolf for a boyfriend so starts a lycanthropy support group.
2) "Innocent" by Gene Wolfe. 2 stars. First person inner narrative. Probably good story but didn’t grab me.
3) "Kitty Learns the Ropes" by Carrie Vaughn. Kitty Norville 4.4. 4 stars. This is the book I got this to read. Kitty is asked to determine if an unusually quick healing boxer is supernatural. I agree with Kitty about boxing. People hitting others is not fun. So I read this fast.
4) "No Children, No Pets" by Esther M. Friesner. 1 star. Life through the eyes of a 6-year old werewolf in Central part NYC. Too weird.
5) "Sea Warg" by Tanith Lee. 3 stars. After retiring to a seaside town, a man observes another man’s unusual nightly activities. A little wordy but interesting. Didn’t like the ending.
6) "Country Mothers' Sons" by Holly Phillips. 2 Stars. Something about mothers during the war worrying about the sons. Too odd.
7) "A Most Unusual Greyhound", a Harry the Book (?) Story by Mike Resnick. 5 stars. Too many nicknames, otherwise a thoroughly entertaining story.
8) "The Bitch" by P. D. Cacek. 4 stars. Yes, I know it’s what a female canine is called and I normally don’t like using the word, but in this case…. A supernatural version of what happens when your boyfriend’s ex gets too clingy.
9) "The Aarne-Thompson Classification Revue" by Holly Black. 3 stars. A werewolf accidently becomes an actress. Odd, stops abruptly.
10) "Weredog of Bucharest" by Ian Watson.1 star. Bunch of old women commiserating on their lost husbands and wayward sons.
11) “I Was a Middle-Age Werewolf" by Ron Goulart. 2 stars. A down on his luck TV writer finds himself turning into a werewolf. Didn’t finish.
12) "Kvetchula's Daughter" by Darrell Schweitzer. 3 stars. A funny story about a Jewish girl whose parents take a trip to Transylvania and come back as vampires. (Don’t worry there’s a werewolf in there.)
13) "And Bob's Your Uncle" by Chelsea Quinn Yarbro. 2 stars. A young boy in a broken home finds a way to change things. Just an ordinary story with a bit of sup added in.
14) "The Bank Job" by Gregory Frost. 4 stars. Bank robbers find out that appearances can be deceiving.
15) "La Lune T'attend" by Peter S. Beagle. 2 stars. Two scion’s of Louisiana werewolf families take revenge on the killer of one’s sister.
October 13, 2020
I wanted to read something spoopy for October so I picked this up. This is a really bizarre collection. There are some strong contenders here; there are also some horrific stories here.
Which stories were good? "Country Mothers' Sons" is a melancholy, artistic, unique take on werewolves that isn't over the top. "The Bitch" was relatable and fun while maintaining artistic integrity. The Aarne-Thompson Classification Review is well-written, beautiful, and unique. "And Bob's Your Uncle" is a quiet, sad meditation on family. "La Lune T'Attend" develops a rich, beautiful, cohesive world in a short time. These stories stood out to me.
Many stories were middle of the road.
Many were terrible. Which were those? "Innocent" involves a passage about a grown man licking a child's vagina. The action is justified in the story and we as readers are supposed to be ok with it. Sorry, I couldn't get past that. Or the bizarre humorous tone of this story (a major issue I had with this collection-- the tone was often really weird.) "No Children, No Pets" was also extremely bizarre. While there were some enjoyable concepts there it was way too over the top. "I was a Middle-Aged Werewolf" and "Kvetchula's Daughter" maintained this bizarre, campy, humorous tone that was not successful. At all. These stories ruined a collection that may have been middle of the road or even good without them. Like, they were really, really bad.
It's hard to rate an anthology overall, but I'll go with a 2/5 because of how terrible those stories were!
Which stories were good? "Country Mothers' Sons" is a melancholy, artistic, unique take on werewolves that isn't over the top. "The Bitch" was relatable and fun while maintaining artistic integrity. The Aarne-Thompson Classification Review is well-written, beautiful, and unique. "And Bob's Your Uncle" is a quiet, sad meditation on family. "La Lune T'Attend" develops a rich, beautiful, cohesive world in a short time. These stories stood out to me.
Many stories were middle of the road.
Many were terrible. Which were those? "Innocent" involves a passage about a grown man licking a child's vagina. The action is justified in the story and we as readers are supposed to be ok with it. Sorry, I couldn't get past that. Or the bizarre humorous tone of this story (a major issue I had with this collection-- the tone was often really weird.) "No Children, No Pets" was also extremely bizarre. While there were some enjoyable concepts there it was way too over the top. "I was a Middle-Aged Werewolf" and "Kvetchula's Daughter" maintained this bizarre, campy, humorous tone that was not successful. At all. These stories ruined a collection that may have been middle of the road or even good without them. Like, they were really, really bad.
It's hard to rate an anthology overall, but I'll go with a 2/5 because of how terrible those stories were!
July 13, 2025
An anthology of new (not previously printed) stories focusing on werewolves in urban areas and not forests, mountains or other wilderness. Most of the stories are first person point of view and the types of werewolves vary from full-moon inspired monsters to ones who can change any time they want.
While they are some really good stories from some really good authors that are definitely worth a read, I was disappointed that none of them fit the advertised theme. I was expecting "werewolves in the big city" where the urban backdrop is as important to the story as it is in a Batman tale, or noir detective story.
None fit that bill. And while Peter S Beagle's "La Lune T'Attend" is a great story, most of it takes place in a log cabin out in the bayou. Tanith Lee's "Sea Warg" takes place in a British seaside village.
Personal favorites are: P.D. Cacek's "The Bitch"and Gregory Frost's "The Bank Job."
So a decent selection of werewolf stories if you're looking for werewolf stories, but not the collection one would be expecting based on the title and cover art.
While they are some really good stories from some really good authors that are definitely worth a read, I was disappointed that none of them fit the advertised theme. I was expecting "werewolves in the big city" where the urban backdrop is as important to the story as it is in a Batman tale, or noir detective story.
None fit that bill. And while Peter S Beagle's "La Lune T'Attend" is a great story, most of it takes place in a log cabin out in the bayou. Tanith Lee's "Sea Warg" takes place in a British seaside village.
Personal favorites are: P.D. Cacek's "The Bitch"and Gregory Frost's "The Bank Job."
So a decent selection of werewolf stories if you're looking for werewolf stories, but not the collection one would be expecting based on the title and cover art.
August 31, 2021
This is a bit of a mixed bag. One or two stories were really good, possibly even five star stories. Most were interesting but not really anything that you haven't read before or that really stands out, and one or two were actually pretty bad. The writing throughout the collection was fine, even great in some places, that was never a problem, but the tone of the collection was all over the place with some of the stories being true horror (what I was hoping for when I picked up the book) and others were more comedic in tone or simply missed the mark. It's not a bad book, certainly worth a read especially during the October month, but it wasn't really what I was looking for either. To be fair though, none of the stories were bad because they were actually bad so much as they were not to my taste. If you pick this up looking for a mixture of urban fantasy and horror (with a few doses of comedy thrown in) than you will likely really enjoy this. It just wasn't for me.
Want to Read
May 13, 2026VA - Full Moon City (2010)
Darrell Schweitzer, Martin H. Greenberg; Lisa Tuttle; Gene Wolfe; Carrie Vaughn; Esther M. Friesner; Tanith Lee; Holly Phillips; Mike Resnick; PD Cacek; Holly Black; Ian Watson; Ron Goulart; Chelsea Quinn Yarbro; Gregory Frost; Peter S. Beagle
INTRODUCTION: CHILDREN OF THE NIGHT by Darrell Schweitzer
THE TRUTH ABOUT WEREWOLVES by Lisa Tuttle
INNOCENT by Gene Wolfe
KITTY LEARNS THE ROPES by Carrie Vaughn - Kitty Norville
NO CHILDREN, NO PETS by Esther M. Friesner
SEA WARG by Tanith Lee
COUNTRY MOTHERS’ SONS by Holly Phillips
A MOST UNUSUAL GREYHOUND
by Mike Resnick THE BITCH by PD Cacek
THE AARNE-THOMPSON CLASSIFICATION REVUE by Holly Black
WEREDOG OF BUCHAREST by Ian Watson
I WAS A MIDDLE-AGE WEREWOLF by Ron Goulart
KVETCHULA’S DAUGHTER by Darrell Schweitzer
AND BOB’S YOUR UNCLE by Chelsea Quinn Yarbro
THE BANK JOB by Gregory Frost
LA LUNE T’ATTEND by Peter S. Beagle
Darrell Schweitzer, Martin H. Greenberg; Lisa Tuttle; Gene Wolfe; Carrie Vaughn; Esther M. Friesner; Tanith Lee; Holly Phillips; Mike Resnick; PD Cacek; Holly Black; Ian Watson; Ron Goulart; Chelsea Quinn Yarbro; Gregory Frost; Peter S. Beagle
INTRODUCTION: CHILDREN OF THE NIGHT by Darrell Schweitzer
THE TRUTH ABOUT WEREWOLVES by Lisa Tuttle
INNOCENT by Gene Wolfe
KITTY LEARNS THE ROPES by Carrie Vaughn - Kitty Norville
NO CHILDREN, NO PETS by Esther M. Friesner
SEA WARG by Tanith Lee
COUNTRY MOTHERS’ SONS by Holly Phillips
A MOST UNUSUAL GREYHOUND
by Mike Resnick THE BITCH by PD Cacek
THE AARNE-THOMPSON CLASSIFICATION REVUE by Holly Black
WEREDOG OF BUCHAREST by Ian Watson
I WAS A MIDDLE-AGE WEREWOLF by Ron Goulart
KVETCHULA’S DAUGHTER by Darrell Schweitzer
AND BOB’S YOUR UNCLE by Chelsea Quinn Yarbro
THE BANK JOB by Gregory Frost
LA LUNE T’ATTEND by Peter S. Beagle
December 29, 2021
This is a compilation of short stories on the genre of werewolves and at times described how they differ from vampires and witches.
How vampires might envy werewolves for they are opposites: Vampires are dead, forced to steal vitality to maintain a shadow existence. Werewolves are very much alive and perhaps too vital.
The story and origin of werewolves is that they are all around us—best yet is Ester Friesner’s werewolf—a child who lives among the very rich in the best part of Manhattan. My all-time favorite is Tanith Lee whose suggestion of a modern British werewolf who may want to live comfortably in the city while comminuting to the country side to carry out his bloody business. “The possibilities multiply. Lycanthropy can be a curse, a lifestyle, or even in some cases a solution.”
How vampires might envy werewolves for they are opposites: Vampires are dead, forced to steal vitality to maintain a shadow existence. Werewolves are very much alive and perhaps too vital.
The story and origin of werewolves is that they are all around us—best yet is Ester Friesner’s werewolf—a child who lives among the very rich in the best part of Manhattan. My all-time favorite is Tanith Lee whose suggestion of a modern British werewolf who may want to live comfortably in the city while comminuting to the country side to carry out his bloody business. “The possibilities multiply. Lycanthropy can be a curse, a lifestyle, or even in some cases a solution.”
June 2, 2021
I would give it 2.5 stars if I could but only because the last two stories saved this disappointing collection. There seemed to be a lot of mainstream-ish fluff here with some comedic entries. Not really what I hoped for in an anthology of werewolf stories. My favorites include No Children, No Pets by Esther M. Friesner, The Bank Job by Gregory Frost and La Lune T'Attend by Peter S. Beagle. The final story, La Lune T'Attend, was fantastic.
January 15, 2019
Solid werewolf anthology. Peter S. Beagle, Esther M. Friesner and Gene Wolfe carry the day, while Carrie Vaughn and Gregory Frost let the side down a bit by not researching the non-supernatural elements of their contributions (professional boxing and professional bank-robbing, respectively).
August 1, 2019
I read the kitty Norville story. Short but decent.
October 14, 2019
Read only the Kitty Norville story by Carrie Vaughn and the Holly Black story.
October 5, 2023
3.5 stars for the short story, “Kitty Learns the Ropes” by Carrie Vaughn.
October 29, 2023
Great stories from Tanith Lee, Holly Black, Peter S. Beagle, and Holly Phillips.
The rest (including the Gene Wolfe piece!) were fine but not outstanding to me.
The rest (including the Gene Wolfe piece!) were fine but not outstanding to me.
May 21, 2024
I was really only interested in Holly Black's story, I'm not into werefolks.
June 11, 2026
I enjoyed nearly all of the stories.
October 19, 2016
The book was good some of the stuff didn't make enough sense like the first chapter with lisa turtle Does Werewolves
astral project to a wolf soul or did Mel lie About being a lycanthrope because she was completely exposed to the full moon yet she drived away its good but its confusing
astral project to a wolf soul or did Mel lie About being a lycanthrope because she was completely exposed to the full moon yet she drived away its good but its confusing
October 3, 2010
It's no secret that I love anthologies! And what could be better than a book full of werewolf stories? Almost nothing! One of the reasons I love anthologies so much is that I can revisit old favorites as well as discover new writers, and this collection was no exception. There are stories from some of my favorites, like Holly Black and Carrie Vaughn, and stories from new-to-me writers that I want to further explore.
Rather than dissect each story in this collection, I just want to touch on a few. I Was a Middle-Age Werewolf by Ron Goulart was an amusing look at a down on his luck Hollywood writer who finds himself cursed with being a werewolf. I also got a kick out of Darrell Schweitzer's Kvetchula's Daughter, about a nice Jewish girl whose life is "ruined" when her parents become vampires. What can I say, I like wacky humor!
In a different vein, No Children, No Pets by Esther M. Friesner is about a six year old city werewolf who lives in Central Park. Don't think I've ever read a story where the main character was a child werewolf before. Or would that be a werewolf cub? Very original!
My two favorite stories were Kitty Learns the Ropes by Carrie Vaughn and The Bitch by P.D. Cacek. I've read several books in the Kitty series, so it was nice to see her again. And while I haven't read Cacek before, this story about an old girlfriend who refuses to let go was really good! Loved the ending!
All in all, I think this was a really nice collection of werewolf stories. Some were not as strong as others, but it's a good anthology. The good stories outweigh the weaker contenders, and the authors are all talented writers. Definitely recommend this one!
Rather than dissect each story in this collection, I just want to touch on a few. I Was a Middle-Age Werewolf by Ron Goulart was an amusing look at a down on his luck Hollywood writer who finds himself cursed with being a werewolf. I also got a kick out of Darrell Schweitzer's Kvetchula's Daughter, about a nice Jewish girl whose life is "ruined" when her parents become vampires. What can I say, I like wacky humor!
In a different vein, No Children, No Pets by Esther M. Friesner is about a six year old city werewolf who lives in Central Park. Don't think I've ever read a story where the main character was a child werewolf before. Or would that be a werewolf cub? Very original!
My two favorite stories were Kitty Learns the Ropes by Carrie Vaughn and The Bitch by P.D. Cacek. I've read several books in the Kitty series, so it was nice to see her again. And while I haven't read Cacek before, this story about an old girlfriend who refuses to let go was really good! Loved the ending!
All in all, I think this was a really nice collection of werewolf stories. Some were not as strong as others, but it's a good anthology. The good stories outweigh the weaker contenders, and the authors are all talented writers. Definitely recommend this one!
December 23, 2016
Mixed bag of stories. Had to trudge through a lot of them. Highlights are Carrie Vaughn's "Kitty Learns the Ropes," "The Bank Job," and the final story. The others were rather disappointing.
July 11, 2010
This book was a bit hit and miss but there were some hidden gems in here that all in all make it a good buy in my opinion. Personally I enjoyed the short stories "The Truth About Werewolves," "Kitty Learns the Ropes", "No Children, No Pets", "The Bitch", "Weredog of Bucharest", "And Bob's Your Uncle", "The Bank Job" and "La Lune T'Attend" the most, they had a nice charm to them respectively and several of them had very new and interesting takes on the werewolf mythos ranging from a kind of sleep/dreamwalking to magic.
I don't often like to talk about what I didn't like in a book but I will say that I didn't enjoy the stories "A Most Unusual Greyhound", "I Was a Middle-Age Werewolf" or "Kvetchula's Daughter". I could even go so far as to say that I really disliked them each for their own reasons but most of all with all three because they seemed silly and I'm not a great fond of the supernatural-turned-comedic, it tends to detract from what could be something magical and enthralling. These three seemed wildly out of place and to be blunt and honest brought the tone of the book down quite a bit, unfortunately.
As a whole, I would recommend the book, but I would probably tell a friend to skip the three silly inclusions if they want a nice, solid flow. All in all, not a bad anthology for a werewolf lover.
I don't often like to talk about what I didn't like in a book but I will say that I didn't enjoy the stories "A Most Unusual Greyhound", "I Was a Middle-Age Werewolf" or "Kvetchula's Daughter". I could even go so far as to say that I really disliked them each for their own reasons but most of all with all three because they seemed silly and I'm not a great fond of the supernatural-turned-comedic, it tends to detract from what could be something magical and enthralling. These three seemed wildly out of place and to be blunt and honest brought the tone of the book down quite a bit, unfortunately.
As a whole, I would recommend the book, but I would probably tell a friend to skip the three silly inclusions if they want a nice, solid flow. All in all, not a bad anthology for a werewolf lover.
Read
May 23, 2011The theme of this anthology is "Werewolves in the big city", which is a bit of a problem. Besides a somewhat liberal interpretation of the term "big city", I get the feeling that someone at Simon and Schuster thinks this is a more clever concept than it actually is. Yes, in general, werewolves are associated with nature and wildness, and so you commonly find them in suburban and rural environments, where they can wolf out in peace. But a quick glance through the titles in my archive will reveal that there's no reason you can't put a werewolf in the city. Depending on the rules the author applies, ignores, or subverts, it might not be difficult at all. Hell, there are entire series of urban fantasy books featuring urban lycanthropes. But we're getting off on the wrong foot here. Like any American college student will tell you, a party doesn't need a reason. It just needs an excuse. So let's see what this party has to offer.
Read the full reviews at Lupines and Lunatics
Read the full reviews at Lupines and Lunatics
May 4, 2016
A mixed bag of stories this is not the best antho that Greenberg edited.
While I did enjoy some of the stories a lot, the overall compilation feels lackluster compared to his former efforts and includes quite a few stories that can be described as being "filler" at best.
Story Title - Author (Not in Order of Appearance)
La Lune T'Attend - Beagle, Peter S.
The Aarne-Thompson Classification Revue - Black, Holly
The Bitch - Cacek, P. D.
No Children, No Pets - Friesner, Esther M.
The Bank Job - Frost, Gregory
I Was a Middle-Age Werewolf - Goulart, Ron
Sea Warg - Lee, Tanith
Country Mothers’ Sons - Phillips, Holly
A Most Unusual Greyhound - Resnick, Mike
Kvetchula's Daughter - Schweitzer, Darrell
The Truth About Werewolves - Tuttle, Lisa
Kitty Learns the Ropes - Vaughn, Carrie
Weredog of Bucharest - Watson, Ian
Innocent - Wolfe, Gene
And Bob's Your Uncle - Yarbro, Chelsea Quinn
While I did enjoy some of the stories a lot, the overall compilation feels lackluster compared to his former efforts and includes quite a few stories that can be described as being "filler" at best.
Story Title - Author (Not in Order of Appearance)
La Lune T'Attend - Beagle, Peter S.
The Aarne-Thompson Classification Revue - Black, Holly
The Bitch - Cacek, P. D.
No Children, No Pets - Friesner, Esther M.
The Bank Job - Frost, Gregory
I Was a Middle-Age Werewolf - Goulart, Ron
Sea Warg - Lee, Tanith
Country Mothers’ Sons - Phillips, Holly
A Most Unusual Greyhound - Resnick, Mike
Kvetchula's Daughter - Schweitzer, Darrell
The Truth About Werewolves - Tuttle, Lisa
Kitty Learns the Ropes - Vaughn, Carrie
Weredog of Bucharest - Watson, Ian
Innocent - Wolfe, Gene
And Bob's Your Uncle - Yarbro, Chelsea Quinn
May 7, 2011
There are some good stories in this book. Some. And these are truly diamonds among coals. Most of them, however either bored me to tears or made me feel slightly sick and uneasy. Definitely not something to read before bed. So, instead of pushing myself to finish those tales, I simply skipped them.
It came to a point where the book sits gathering dust on my nightstand having migrated from top to bottom of the stack. I mean to finish it someday, of course, but I simply don't have the heart to pick up from where the bookmark is set.
It came to a point where the book sits gathering dust on my nightstand having migrated from top to bottom of the stack. I mean to finish it someday, of course, but I simply don't have the heart to pick up from where the bookmark is set.
October 4, 2011
Rating based on two of the fifteen stories.
"Kitty Learns the Ropes" by Carrie Vaughn ~ 2 stars
A throwaway story from the Kitty universe.
"The Aarne-Thompson Classification Revue" by Holly Black ~ 4 stars
A slightly surreal story about a werewolf girl struggling with her nature and her growing acceptance of her new self as she auditions and performs in a strange but liberating theatrical show.
Favourite quote: "Good is forgettable. Good is common. You are not good. You will show everyone what you are made of."
"Kitty Learns the Ropes" by Carrie Vaughn ~ 2 stars
A throwaway story from the Kitty universe.
"The Aarne-Thompson Classification Revue" by Holly Black ~ 4 stars
A slightly surreal story about a werewolf girl struggling with her nature and her growing acceptance of her new self as she auditions and performs in a strange but liberating theatrical show.
Favourite quote: "Good is forgettable. Good is common. You are not good. You will show everyone what you are made of."
May 18, 2011
Full Moon City had some great stories in it, and it also had a few that I didn't really care for. I honestly bought this anthology so that I could read Carrie Vaughn's "Kitty Learns the Ropes" which was another excellent addition to the Kittyverse. I also enjoyed P.D. Cacek's "The Bitch," Ron Goulart's "I Was A Middle Age Werewolf," and Gregory Frost's "The Bank Job." If you like werewolves and a mixture of horror, humor, and wolves, then you may enjoy this anthology.
October 15, 2011
"The Truth About Werewolves" by Lisa Tuttle 3 stars.
"Innocent" by Gene Wolfe 4 stars for being creepy.
"Kitty Learns the Ropes" by Carrie Vaughn 4 stars, enjoyable.
"No Children, No Pets" by Esther M. Friesner 2 stars.
"Sea Warg" by Tanith Lee, 3 stars.
"Country Mother's Son" by Holly Phillips 1 star, couldn't finish.
"A Most Unusual Greyhound" by Mike Resnick 2 stars, meh.
I didn't even bother reading the rest, I wasn't that impressed. I might go back to read Holly Black's story.
"Innocent" by Gene Wolfe 4 stars for being creepy.
"Kitty Learns the Ropes" by Carrie Vaughn 4 stars, enjoyable.
"No Children, No Pets" by Esther M. Friesner 2 stars.
"Sea Warg" by Tanith Lee, 3 stars.
"Country Mother's Son" by Holly Phillips 1 star, couldn't finish.
"A Most Unusual Greyhound" by Mike Resnick 2 stars, meh.
I didn't even bother reading the rest, I wasn't that impressed. I might go back to read Holly Black's story.
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