Review: Enthralled

Enthralled: Paranormal Diversions edited by Melissa Marr & Kelley Armstrong

Summary: A journey may take hundreds of miles, or it may cover the distance between duty and desire.

Sixteen of today’s hottest writers of paranormal tales weave stories on a common theme of journeying. Authors such as Kelley Armstrong, Rachel Caine, and Melissa Marr return to the beloved worlds of their bestselling series, while others, like Claudia Gray, Kami Garcia, and Margaret Stohl, create new land-scapes and characters. But whether they’re writing about vampires, faeries, angels, or other magical beings, each author explores the strength and resilience of the human heart.

My Thoughts: Not normally one to embrace short stories, I decided to take a chance on Enthralled because of a few of my favorite YA authors. Jennifer Lynn Barnes, Ally Condie, Kimberly Derting, and Claudia Gray are those whose stories I was excited to read because I really enjoyed their books. I had heard of most of the other authors, and almost always in positive light. They are Kelley Armstrong, Sarah Rees Brennan, Rachel Caine, Kami Garcia, Melissa Marr, Jackson Pearce, Mary E. Pearson, Carrie Ryan, Jeri Smith-Ready, Margaret Stohl, Jessica Verday, and Rachel Vincent. What a talented group of authors. I feel like I have discovered some new favorites. There are books I hadn’t considered reading before that I now can’t wait to have time for. There are others that I hadn’t heard of but look forward to seeking out their other works.

I think the best way to go about this is to talk about the individual stories, and I will give each a rating on its own, followed by a general rating for the whole collection. This is going to be very brief, because I don’t want to spoil anything! These will be in the order in which they appear in the ARC I have before me.

• Giovanni’s Farewell by Claudia Gray ~ Ravenna and Cairo are super-close twins, and they are on a class trip in Rome. Cairo has some issues as of late, and Ravenna seems to feel like she’s losing her brother. Some interesting events occur while they’re visiting the catacombs (of course), and everyone learns something new. It is a first-person narrative in Ravenna’s perspective. I like her. She’s a great storyteller. Aside from the somewhat typical setting, the story itself is unique and enjoyable. 3 stars
• Scenic Route by Carrie Ryan ~ I had not yet read anything by Carrie Ryan, so I found the world we’re dealing with a bit confusing. But, I was able to understand enough to enjoy the story. Margie and Sally are sisters who are struggling to stay alive in a very hostile world, and their world is shaken a bit when Calvin arrives. I liked the characters and the way the story played out. 3.5 stars
• Red Run by Kami Garcia ~ This is the first story I found myself really, really enjoying. Edie is out hunting for the ghost she believes is responsible for her brother’s death when she meets Tommy. I read through to find myself happy with the story as a whole and pleased with the way it played out. 4.5 stars
• Things About Love by Jackson Pearce ~ I don’t think I’ve ever come across much about genies, outside stories (and Disney movies) about Aladdin. This one is told in alternating first-person perspectives of Lawrence and Juliet. Juliet, who chose her name out of a book, is a genie watching Lawrence with the goal of conducting research. She wants to understand love. There’s brief mention about a male genie who fell in love with a human girl, but not enough that I fully understood what was going on. Still, I found Juliet’s journey to discover the truth about love quite interesting. Lawrence is a very likable character. 3 stars
• Niederwald by Rachel Vincent ~ This one might be my favorite story. I’m not entirely sure, though, because there are so many fabulous stories in this book. I love Sabine, and really enjoyed getting into her head. This is one story that really left me wanting more, though. 5 stars
• A Mortal Winter King by Melissa Marr ~ Keenan, the former king of the Summer court of the fey, is now mortal because he gave up his faerie essence (I guess) to save Donia’s life. Donia is the love of his life, and the queen of the Winter court of the fey. He convinces her to embark on a little getaway, so they can just be together for a while. She is worried about him, now that he is mortal – and breakable. Their romance is sweet, but the story was kind of slow for me. There was a lot of thinking, reflecting, worrying, and describing. Aside from a lot of driving – and hints at sex – there is not much action. It almost felt like the odd-man-out story, in that it really was the only one that really wasn’t action-based. 3 stars
• Facing Facts by Kelley Armstrong ~ Narrated by Chloe, the main character, this story is in constant motion and I found it riveting. It had a bit of suspense, some mystery, and a very interesting premise. I wanted a little more information on the back story, but otherwise I found this a great read. While I would’ve loved to have more, I was satisfied with the way this one ended. 5 stars
• Let’s Get this Undead Show on the Road by Sarah Rees Brennan ~ This third-person story centers on Christian, the only undead member of a popular band. They are embarking on a tour and clearly there is little love lost between these bandmates. Christian struggles with the rejection he felt from his family once he had been turned. The band’s manager, Faye, is an interesting character – and pretty typical of what one might think a band’s manager might be like. The band finds themselves kidnapped, and their abductor feeds them – but doesn’t provide food for Christian, who isn’t one to take his meals straight from the source. This puts them in a bit of a bind, and it’s really neat watching the scenario play out. I just might consider this one my favorite, but then I’ve said that before! 5 stars
• Bridge by Jeri Smith-Ready ~ If you’ve been following Proud Book Nerd for at least a few months now, you likely know that I’ve somewhat recently discovered novels told in verse. And I’ve fallen in love with them! Knowing that, imagine my excitement upon discovering that this story is told in verse! I was so excited, and this story does not disappoint at all. I don’t know how, but I find that more can be shared in these verse formats than in an equal amount of prose. I’m not sure how that’s possible, but it feels true in this case for sure. I felt I understood the whole story so much better than I had the others in this book. I felt like I had a firm grasp on everything I needed to know to really get into the story. I loved Logan and I felt for him. This is definitely one of my favorites, if not the favorite. 5 stars
• Skin Contact by Kimberly Derting ~ I became a fan of Kimberly Derting when I read The Body Finder, and was thrilled to find that this story is about Rafe, who arrives in Desires of the Dead (book 2 in the series). I loved that Sara Priest makes an appearance, too! Anyway, I loved learning more about Rafe. I’m guessing that this is pre-Violet in his life. This story made me want to re-read Desires of the Dead. 4.5 stars
• Leaving by Ally Condie ~ This story reminded me of why I loved Matched – and why I’m looking forward to reading Crossed. The world in this story reminded me of the world from Matched, and was quite sadly interesting. I could empathize with Sora’s loneliness and pain, and I kept urging her to leave. Enter Elio. While we don’t get to know him much (it is a short story after all), I loved him. I was satisfied and happy at the conclusion of this story. 5 stars
• At the Late Night, Double Feature, Picture Show by Jessica Verday ~ How’s that one for a long story title? LOL The world Jane lives in is quite interesting. Cannibal Girl Scouts. If that doesn’t give you the heebie-jeebies, nothing will! I loved the group of vampires (defanged, I must add) that she ends up traveling with. They are such a colorful, interesting group of characters. I really got a kick out of them. The premise was interesting, but felt I was left wanting more. Although, the story did end nicely. 4 stars
• I.V. League by Margaret Stohl ~ Ick. This story totally grossed me out. I felt for Wren so far as her being an outcast and almost at the very bottom of the social totem pole. But, that’s about it. Ick. I think the problem was this being told in the first-person from her perspective. I think third-person would’ve suited me better. Unfortunately, I just couldn’t get past the ick-factor. This is definitely my least favorite of the stories. 2.5 stars
• Gargouille by Mary E. Pearson ~ I really, really liked this one a lot. I felt for Giselle – her pain, her regret, her shame, her fear. I felt such sympathy for her, and wanted to see her find a way to recover. Etienne is the name of her beloved, and I couldn’t help but smile with the reminder of Stephanie Perkins’ Anna and the French Kiss. I really don’t want to say much, because for me this was a sweet story that is even more so simply because of the way it played out. This would definitely be another of my favorites. 5 stars
• The Third Kind by Jennifer Lynn Barnes ~ The confusion in this story is necessary for the story, that of Jess and her sister, Kissy. (No, that is not a typo. Her name is explained early in the story.) Once things come together, it’s neat to watch the pieces fall into place. It’s a mysterious story that gave me a new appreciation for Jennifer Lynn Barnes, whose Raised By Wolves was one of my favorite reads last year. This is another story I would have loved to have more of, but it does work where it ends. 4 stars
• Automatic by Rachel Caine ~ I really liked Michael. I liked him enough to possibly check out the Morganville Vampires series. There is a new vending machine at the blood bank. While it looks like a Coke machine, it’s actually a blood-vending machine. It dispenses cans of blood; the vampires can choose what type they want. It’s warm, and apparently just how vampires are expected to like it. And that’s all I’m saying. Michael gets to show the others how it works, and the story plays out from there. I really enjoyed it. 4 stars

As a whole, this is a very, very good collection of short stories. While, yes, it reminded me of many reasons I prefer novels (or at least novellas), I found myself really getting into them. The character development was amazingly deep in most cases, and I rarely felt like I was being starved for information. Most of the time, I was able to know just enough about everything to enjoy it. With many of these stories, I felt like I needed more. I wanted a full-length novel. Maybe I’d feel differently if I’d read many of these authors’ longer works. Despite that, I found I really, really loved this book – much to my own surprise!

Source: Received through Around The World Tours for review.

Read It: Get your own copy HERE. (This is a Book Depository link, and purchase through this link will result in my receiving a small commission at no cost to you. Your support is appreciated!)

Challenges: Counts for the 100 Books in a Year Reading Challenge and iChallenges 2011.

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FTC Disclosure: All items reviewed were either obtained by me for my own enjoyment or sent (from the author, publisher, publicist, via tour sites, etc.) in exchange for an honest review. I receive no monetary compensation for my posts. All opinions expressed are my own.

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