Hex Appeal

De: Jim Butcher, Carrie Vaughn, Ilona Andrews, Simon R. Green, Rachel Caine, Erica Hayes, P. N. Elrod - author/editor

Narrado por: Jennifer Van Dyck, Marc Vietor, Gayle Hendrix, Jonathan Davis

Fall under the intoxicating spell of their hex appeal…. In the magical world that lies hidden beneath our own, witches and conjurers play deadly games. They know just the right spell to kill a man with one kiss—or raise him back again. And they’re not afraid to exact sweet revenge on those who dare to cross them. But what if you’re the unlucky soul who falls victim to a conjurer’s curse? And if you had the power to cast a magic spell of your own, would you use it?

In this bewitching collection, nine of today’s hottest paranormal authors tell all-new, otherworldly tales. Spellbinding stories featuring bigfoot, albino vampires, professional wizards, resurrected boyfriends, and even a sex droid from the 23rd century named Silicon Lily. But as our conjurers are about to discover, it’s all fun and games until someone gets hexed. And sometimes, even the best spun spells can lead to complete and utter mayhem.

©2012 Ilona Andrews, Jim Butcher, Rachel Caine, Carole Nelson Douglas, P. N. Elrod, Simon R. Green, Lori Handeland, Erica Hayes, Carrie Vaughn (P)2012 Audible, Inc.

Reseñas de la Crítica

"Heavy hitters serve up sharp, dark, witty urban fantasy in this anthology of nine hex tales, each with a unique twist." ( Publisher's Weekly)

Great book

I have read these authors individually and now in a book of shorts - they shine! I would recommend this anthology to any who want a good listen, and especially if you want quicker bites for short commutes or...

grab bag

This is a short story collection, some were great others were not. If it contains an author you love, then it's worth it. Also good built in stopping places for shorter trips.

An eclectic collection. Some better than others.

I definitely liked some stories better than others but I might have discovered some new authors that I will have to try out.

Some excellent -- some not so great.

Is there anything you would change about this book?

Most of the stories in this collection are excellent. Retribution Clause by Ilona Andrews and Big Foot on Campus were both excellent. The reader performing Big Foot did an amazingly good rendition of Dresden -- so good that I was halfway through the story before I realized that it was different from Marsden's interpretation. Holly's Balm was a nice little visit with resurectionist Holly and Andrew. But I found the forced, tongue in cheek style of Snow Job to be so poor a presentation that I skipped to the next story half way through it. Outside the Box by P.N. Elrod was up to her usual excellent standards. The rest of the stories were moderately good, but not memorable.

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

No. the three best authors are writers whose work I already follow. I enjoyed the addition to their worlds.

What does the narrators bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

It was a decent sampler.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

The narrators all did well. The reader for Big Foot gave an outstanding performance.

Any additional comments?

I've read similar collections and enjoyed learning of new authors. This one had some good storyes by authors whose works I already collect I always hope that a book of this nature will turn up someone new that I've not read before. Such was not the case with this collection.

need readers

several of the stories were read without any emotion, or in a stilted pace

Grab bag of Urban Fantasy

I got this anthology because it promised 'nine of today’s hottest paranormal authors'. My dad writes fanfic pretty much on this level. Recycled ideas, recycled plots.

RETRIBUTION CLAUSE by ILONA ANDREWS - 4 stars - post-tech world, pretty cool environment, interesting story.

BIGFOOT ON CAMPUS by JIM BUTCHER - 3 stars - I'm not really a fan of Dresden Files, but the story was interesting enough.

HOLLY'S BALM by RACHEL CAINE - 2.5 stars - love conquers all but is not an excuse for bad prose.

SNOW JOB by CAROLE NELSON DOUGLAS - ? stars - a story so bland, i'm not even sure what it was about anymore.

OUTSIDE THE BOX by P.N. ELROD - 3.5 stars - in a world where vampires are possible, it's only reasonable that there would be a somewhat bureaucratic agency that registers and processes newly risen bloodsuckers.

HOW DO YOU FEEL by SIMON R. GREEN - 3.5 stars - ok story from a sorta-zombie POV

THERE WILL BE DEMONS by LORI HANDELAND - 2 stars - Dhampirs, skinwalkers, fairies and fallen angels... I just didn't find it interesting.

CHERRY KISSES by ERICA HAYES - 2 stars - self-absorbed magical con artist goes to hell to retrieve something. I think amulet, but it didn't really stick.

THE ARCANE ART OF MISDIRECTION by CARRIE VAUGHN - 4 stars - a blackjack dealer in Vegas who spots a cheater. Pretty good start but kinda sours a little towards the end.

Magic in the Air

My overall rating for this book is 4.3 stars.

In the magical world that lies hidden beneath our own, witches and conjurers play deadly games. They know just the right spell to kill a man with one kiss—or raise him back again. They’re not afraid to exact sweet revenge on those who dare to cross them. But what if you’re the unlucky soul who falls victim to a conjurer’s curse? And if you had the power to cast a magic spell of your own, would you use it?

This bewitching collection features nine of today’s hottest paranormal authors, each contributing an all-new tale that pulls readers into otherworldly experiences. The stories explore diverse elements, including Bigfoot, albino vampires, professional wizards, resurrected boyfriends, and even a futuristic sex droid from the 23rd century named Silicon Lily. However, as our conjurers soon realize, it’s all fun and games until someone gets hexed. Sometimes, even the best-spun spells can lead to complete and utter mayhem.

**4.3... Retribution Claus:** Adam Talbot, an insurance adjuster with POM, finds his life irrevocably altered since the resurgence of magic. When a wealthy man is revealed to have murdered his wife, Adam discovers that her insurance policy contained a clause that could turn the tides against the killer. While this is my first encounter with this author, I was pleasantly surprised by how engaging the characters were from the outset. I look forward to exploring more of their work.

**4.9... Big Foot on Campus:** Harry is summoned by River Shoulders to check on his son, Irwin, who seems to be in some sort of danger—though River can’t specify what kind. Upon arriving at the campus, Harry discovers that Irwin's girlfriend has secrets of her own. Established characters like Harry add depth to the plot, and it’s always a delight to see him navigate humor amid supernatural threats. I genuinely enjoy every story where Harry makes an appearance.

**4.7... Holly's Balm:** Holly resurrected Andy for a specific purpose, but after that task was fulfilled, Andy lingered for three more months—longer than any other reanimated person. A year prior, a serial killer terrorized the community, and Holly is brought back once again because it appears one of the victims has been resurrected and killed anew. The complexity of the characters adds a layer of reality to the narrative, making it a captivating read.

**4.1... Snow Job:** In an updated Las Vegas, the infamous city takes on a new twist with a hotel themed around Dante's Inferno, inhabited by characters from iconic films and the spirits of legendary movie stars. A character named Snow, nicknamed Cocaine, senses something amiss in his part of the world and calls for help to investigate a possible haunting. However, he mysteriously disappears before assistance arrives. While the story is entertaining, it lacks the depth I was hoping for.

**4.3... Outside the Box:** Marsha works for an agency focused on managing newly turned vampires to ensure they don't pose a danger to humans. There are always those who oppose their mission, and the agency handles vampire recovery for those with makers ready to take them in, as well as orphaned vampires. The intricate plot and the motivations of the characters keep the reader engaged throughout.

**4.6... How do you feel?** A 17-year-old boy named Dead Boy makes a pact to return to life. Now, thirty years later, he lives on but uses his time to avenge his death. As he hunts down those responsible, he uncovers a far more complicated story than he initially believed. This gripping and unique take on the resurrection tale really pulled me in, and I found myself wanting more.

**4.0... There Will Be Demons:** Summer, a fierce faerie demon hunter, prefers working alone until her handler assigns her a partner—none other than Jimmy, a Dhampir she has loved and lost in countless lifetimes. Their new mission seems cryptic, and while she grapples with the emotions tied to their shared past, she wonders if she can trust him. Unfortunately, the narrative falters in character development and coherence.

**4.5... Cherry Kisses:** Lena Falco, a thief filled with ambition, resents Ethan Benford, a powerful wizard devoted to mastering his magic. When offered a risky job to steal an amulet that can grant unparalleled power from a demon, Lena leaps at the chance. However, the heist leads her into the depths of Hell itself. The narrative excels at quickly establishing character dynamics, particularly portraying Lena as someone I found hard to empathize with, yet I'm intrigued to see where her journey goes.

**3.5... The Arcan Art of Misdirection:** A Las Vegas blackjack dealer stumbles upon bizarre occurrences that disrupt the usual flow of the game, sparking a series of supernatural events. While this story showcases creative elements, it felt a bit disjointed and did not fully resonate with me. It had potential, but left me wanting more clarity on its direction.

This collection of stories offers a captivating glimpse into various magical realms, each with its own unique twists and turns. It’s a delightful mix of humor, suspense, and paranormal antics that truly captures the imagination.

Good Format, Good Stories

On the plus side, each short story was its own chapter so you can easily get between parts of the book. The index of stories is below, along with particular remarks.

On the overall, I enjoyed the writing, and found the narration to be professional, but disappointing. As I told my husband, the narration quality was like when you're used to working with a 20 year veteran contractor and then you start working with someone who only has maybe 2 or 3 years on the job – the rough patches that the 20 year man smooths over by instinct the younger pro is still learning how to sand. The male narrators went a little too far into the film noir style for my tastes, and Ms. Van Dyck spoke too quickly with a lack of dramatic sense. It was rather like listening on fast forward. Ms. Hendrix reminded me of Tavia Gilbert's irritating voice, but with a more refined sense of dramatic speech.


1) Retribution Clause, written by Ilona Andrews, read by Marc Vietor
Overall: 4 Performance: 3 Story: 4

I think I'm so used to Renee Raudman reading for the Andrews' stories that any other voice is starting at a disadvantage. However, of Mr. Vietor's two performances in the book, this is the better.

2) Bigfoot on Campus, written by Jim Butcher, read by Jonathan Davis
Overall: 4 Performance: 4 Story: 4

This was, in my opinion, the best performance of the book, and while I wasn't quite getting into the Harry Dresden character, that was more about the character's archetype than any fault in the reading or the writing.

3) Holly's Balm, written by Rachel Caine, read by Jennifer Van Dyck
Overall: 3 Performance: 3 Story: 4

Ms. Caine is now on my list of authors to check out. The story was good, and this was probably one of the better performances by Ms. Van Dyck.

4) Snow Job, written by Carole Nelson Douglas, read by Gayle Hendrix
Overall: 3 Performance: 3 Story: 3

I am not a film fan, so a lot of the points just didn't hit it for me.

5) Outside the Box, written by P. N. Elrod, read by Jennifer Van Dyck
Overall: 3 Performance: 2 Story: 4

The reading on this one was so fast forward all the way that the only drama came from the writing.

6) How Do You Feel?, written by Simon R. Green, read by Marc Vietor
Overall: 2 Performance: 3 Story: 2

I think Mr. Vietor did a decent job with a crummy story in this one. The writing was sooooo over the top terrible that I'm wondering if it ever went through a real edit or just got passed through proof readers and stamped "good to go" simply because of the author.

7) There Will be Demons, written by Lori Handeland, read by Gayle Hendrix
Overall: 3 Performance: 3 Story: 3

This was pretty much a "meh" story for me. It maybe needs a longer format to flesh out things like why the heroine is a fairy instead of a fallen angel, and other oddities shoe-horned in.

8) Cherry Kisses, written by Erica Hayes, read by Jennifer Van Dyck
Overall: 4 Performance: 3 Story: 4

Ms. Van Dyck managed to slow down enough for some drama to come into her reading for this story. While there were some troupe moments in the plot, the whole of it was fun.

9) The Arcane Art of Misdirection, written by Carrie Vaughn, read by Gayle Hendrix
Overall: 4 Performance: 3 Story: 4

Set in the Kitty Norville universe, this tales tells more about the day to day adventures of Odysseus Grant, and is up to Ms. Vaughn's usual standards of quality story crafting.

Great Mix of Stories...

by favorite authors and new-found favorites.

The stories are long enough to settle into the world without being too long to really enjoy.

Great fun - looking forward to the next collection!

Read this moslty for Jim Butcher

If you could sum up Hex Appeal in three words, what would they be?

Hungry for more.

What did you like best about this story?

That it whetted my appetite for more in the various series.

What does the narrators bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Freedom to drive the car!