Dark and Stormy Knights: A Paranormal Fantasy Anthology

By Macmillan Publishers

It was a dark and stormy knight, and nine dark defenders embarked upon a most perilous quest….

They're the ultimate defenders of humanity—modern day knights who do dark deeds for all the right reasons. In this all-star collection, nine of today's hottest paranormal authors bring us thrilling, all-new stories of supernatural knights that are brimming with magic mystery and mayhem.

John Marcone sets aside his plans to kill Harry Dresden to go head-to-head with a cantrev lord in Jim Butcher's Even Hand. Kate Daniels is called upon for bodyguard duty to protect Saimen, a shifter she trusts less than the enemy in Ilona Andrews' A Questionable Client. Cormac must stop a killer werewolf before it attacks again on the next full moon in Carrie Vaughn's God's Creatures. And in Vicki Pettersson's Shifting Star, Skamar gets more than she bargained for when she goes after a creature kidnapping young girls—and enlists the aid of her frustratingly sexy neighbor. Shannon K. Butcher, Rachel Caine, Deidre Knight, Vicki Pettersson, and Lilith Saintcrow also contribute stories to this collection.

When everything's on the line, will these knights complete their missions and live to fight again another day? Find out in Dark and Stormy Knights!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Macmillan Publishers
• Release date: Jul 20, 2010
• ISBN: 9781429911184

Book preview

A QUESTIONABLE CLIENT

by ILONA ANDREWS

The problem with leucrocotta blood is that it stinks to high heaven. It’s also impossible to get off your boots, particularly if the leucrocotta condescended to void its anal glands on you right before you chopped its head off.

I sat on the bench in the Mercenary Guild locker room and pondered my noxious footwear. The boots were less than a year old. And I didn’t have money to buy a new pair.

Tomato juice, Kate, one of the mercs offered. Will take it right out.

Now he’d done it. I braced myself.

A woman in the corner shook her head. That’s for skunks. Try baking soda.

You have to go scientific about it. Two parts hydrogen peroxide to four parts water.

A quart of water and a tablespoon of ammonia.

What you need to do is piss on it. . . .

Every person in the locker room knew my boots were shot. Unfortunately, stain removal methods was one of those troublesome subjects somewhere between relationship issues and mysterious car noises. Everybody was an expert, everybody had a cure, and they all fell over themselves to offer their advice.

The electric bulbs blinked and faded. Magic flooded the world in a silent rush, smothering technology. Twisted tubes of feylanterns ignited with pale blue on the walls as the charged air inside them interacted with magic. A nauseating stench, reminiscent of a couple of pounds of shrimp left in the sun for a week, erupted from my boots. There were collective grunts of Ugh and Oh God, and then everybody decided to give me lots of personal space.

We lived in a post-Shift world. One moment magic dominated, fueling spells and giving power to monsters, and the next it vanished as abruptly as it appeared. Cars started, electricity flowed, and mages became easy prey to a punk with a gun. Nobody could predict when magic waves would come or how long they would last. That’s why I carried a sword. It always worked.

Mark appeared in the doorway. Mark was the Guild’s equivalent of middle management, and he looked the part—his suit was perfectly clean and cost more than I made in three months, his dark hair was professionally trimmed, and his hands showed no calluses. In the crowd of working-class thugs, he stood out like a sore thumb and was proud of it, which earned him the rank and file’s undying hatred.

Mark’s expressionless stare fastened on me. Daniels, the clerk has a gig ticket for you.

Usually the words gig ticket made my eyes light up. I needed money. I always needed money. The Guild zoned the jobs, meaning that each merc had his own territory. If a job fell in your territory, it was legitimately yours. My territory was near Savannah, basically in the sparsely populated middle of nowhere, and good gigs didn’t come my way too often. The only reason I ended up in Atlanta this time was that my part-time partner in crime, Jim, needed help clearing a pack of grave-digging leucrocottas from Westview Cemetery. He’d cut me in on his gig.

Under normal circumstances I would’ve jumped on the chance to earn extra cash, but I had spent most of the last twenty-four hours awake and chasing hyena-sized creatures armed with badgerlike jaws full of extremely sharp teeth. And Jim bailed on me midway through it. Some sort of Pack business. That’s what I get for pairing with a werejaguar.

I was tired, dirty, and hungry, and my boots stank.

I just finished a job.

It’s a blue gig.

Blue gig meant double rate.

Mac, a huge hulk of a man, shook his head, presenting me with a view of his mangled left ear. Hell, if she doesn’t want it, I’ll take it.

No, you won’t. She’s licensed for bodyguard detail and you aren’t.

I bloody hated bodyguard detail. On regular jobs, I had to depend only on myself. But bodyguard detail was a couple’s kind of dance. You had to work with the body you guarded, and in my experience, bodies proved uncooperative.

Why me?

Mark shrugged. Because I have no choice. I have Rodriguez and Castor there now, but they just canceled on me. If you don’t take the gig, I’ll have to track down someone who will. My pain, your gain.

Canceled wasn’t good. Rodriguez was a decent mage, and Castor was tough in a fight. They wouldn’t bail from a well-paying job unless it went sour.

I need someone there right now. Go there, babysit the client through the night, and in the morning I’ll have a replacement lined up. In or out, Daniels? It’s a high-profile client, and I don’t like to keep him waiting.

The gig smelled bad. How much?

Three grand.

Someone whistled. Three grand for a night of work. I’d be insane to pass on it. In.

Good.

I started to throw my stink-bomb boots into the locker but stopped myself. I had paid a lot for them, and they should have lasted for another year at least; but if I put them into my locker, it would smell forever. Sadly the boots were ruined. I tossed them into the trash, pulled on my old spare pair, grabbed my sword, and headed out of the locker room to get the gig ticket from the clerk.

When I rode into Atlanta, the magic was down, so I had taken Betsi, my old dented Subaru. With magic wave in full swing, my gasoline-guzzling car was about as mobile as a car-size rock, but since I was technically doing the Guild a favor, the clerk provided me with a spare mount. Her name was Peggy, and judging by the wear on her incisors, she’d started her third decade some years ago. Her muzzle had gone gray, her tail and mane had thinned to stringy tendrils, and she moved with ponderous slowness. I’d ridden her for the first fifteen minutes, listening to her sigh, and then guilt got the better of me and I decided to walk the rest of the way. I didn’t have to go far. According to the directions, Champion Heights was only a couple miles away. An extra ten minutes wouldn’t make that much difference.

Around me a broken city struggled to shrug off winter, fighting the assault of another cold February night. Husks of once mighty skyscrapers stabbed through the melting snowdrifts encrusted with dark ice. Magic loved to feed on anything technologically complex, but tall office towers proved particularly susceptible to magic-induced erosion. Within a couple of years of the first magic wave they shuddered, crumbled, and fell one by one, like giants on sand legs, spilling mountains of broken glass and twisted guts of metal framework onto the streets.

The city grew around the high-tech corpses. Stalls and small shops took the place of swanky coffee joints and boutiques. Wood-and-brick houses, built by hand and no taller than four floors high, replaced the high-rises. Busy streets, once filled with cars and buses, now channeled a flood of horses, mules, and camels. During rush hour the stench alone put hair on your chest. But now, with the last of the sunset dying slowly above the horizon, the city lay empty. Anyone with a crumb of sense hurried home. The night belonged to monsters, and monsters were always hungry.

The wind picked up, driving dark clouds across the sky and turning my bones into icicles. It would storm soon. Here’s hoping Champion Heights, my client’s humble abode, had someplace I could hide Peggy from the sleet.

We picked our way through Buckhead, Peggy’s hooves making loud clopping noises in the twilight silence of the deserted streets. The night worried me little. I looked too poor and too mean to provide easy pickings, and nobody in his right mind would try to steal Peggy. Unless a gang of soap-making bandits lurked about, we were safe enough. I checked the address again. Smack in the middle of Buckhead. The clerk said I couldn’t miss it. Pretty much a guarantee I’d get lost.

I turned the corner and stopped.

A high-rise towered over the ruins. It shouldn’t have existed, but there it was, a brick-and-concrete tower silhouetted against the purple sky. At least fifteen floors, maybe more. Pale tendrils of haze clung to it. It was so tall that the top floor of it still reflected the sunset, while the rest of the city lay steeped in shadow.

Pinch me, Peggy.

Peggy sighed, mourning the fact that she was paired with me.

I petted her gray muzzle. Ten to one that’s Champion Heights. Why isn’t it laying in shambles?

Peggy snorted.

You’re right. We need a closer look.

We wound through the labyrinth of streets, closing in on the tower. My paper said the client’s name was Saiman. No indication if it was his last or first name. Perhaps he was like Batman, one of a kind. Of course, Batman wouldn’t have to hire bodyguards.

You have to ask yourself, Peggy, who would pay three grand for a night of work and why. I bet living in that tower isn’t cheap, so Saiman has money. Contrary to popular opinion, people who have money refuse to part with it, unless they absolutely have to do it. Three grand means he’s in big trouble and we’re walking into something nasty.

Finally we landed in a vast parking lot, empty save for a row of cars near the front. Gray Volvo, black Cadillac, even a sleek gunmetal Lamborghini. Most vehicles sported a bloated hood—built to accommodate a charged water engine. The water-engine cars functioned during magic waves by using magic-infused water instead of gasoline. Unfortunately, they took a good fifteen minutes of hard chanting to start, and when they did spring into action, they attained a maximum speed of forty-five miles per hour while growling, snarling, and thundering loud enough to force a deaf man to file a noise complaint.

A large white sign waited past the cars. A black arrow pointed to the right. Above the arrow in black letters was written, Please stable your mounts. I looked to the right and saw a large stable and a small guardhouse next to it.

It took me a full five minutes to convince the guards I wasn’t a serial killer in disguise, but finally Peggy relaxed in a comfortable stall, and I climbed the stone stairs to Champion Heights. As I looked, the concrete-and-brick wall of the high-rise swam out of focus, shimmered, and turned into a granite crag.

Whoa.

I squinted at the wall and saw the faint outline of bricks within the granite. Interesting.

The stairs brought me to the glass-and-steel front of the building. The same haze that cloaked the building clouded the glass, but not enough to obscure a thick metal grate barring the vestibule. Beyond the grate, a guard sat behind a round counter, between an Uzi and a crossbow. The Uzi looked well maintained. The crossbow bore the Hawkeye logo on its stock—a round bird-of-prey eye with a golden iris—which meant its prong was steel and not cheap aluminum. Probably upward of two hundred pounds of draw weight. At this distance, it would take out a rhino, let alone me.

The guard gave me an evil eye. I leaned to the narrow metal grille and tried to broadcast trustworthy.

I’m here for one fifty-eight. I pulled out my merc card and held it to the glass.

Code, please.

Code? What code? Nobody said anything about a code.

The guard leveled a crossbow at me.

Very scary, I told him. One small problem—you shoot me and the tenant in one fifty-eight won’t live through the night. I’m not a threat to you. I’m a bodyguard on the job from the Mercenary Guild. If you call to one fifty-eight and check, they’ll tell you they’re expecting me.

The guard rose and disappeared into a hallway to the right. A long minute passed. Finally he emerged, looking sour, and pushed a button. The metal grate slid aside.

I walked in. The floor and walls were polished red granite. The air smelled of expensive perfume.

Fifteenth floor, the guard said, nodding at the elevator in the back of the room.

The magic is up. The elevator was likely dead.

Fifteenth floor.

Oy. I walked up to the elevator and pushed the Up button. The metal doors slid open. I got in and selected the fifteenth floor, the elevator closed, and a moment later a faint purring announced the cabin rising. It’s good to be rich.

The elevator spat me out into a hallway lined with a luxurious green carpet. I plodded through it past the door marked 158 to the end of the hallway to the door marked with the EXIT sign and opened it. Stairs. Unfortunately in good repair. The door opened from the inside of the hallway, but it didn’t lock. No way to jam it.

The hallway was T-shaped with only one exit, which meant that potential attackers could come either through the elevator shaft or up the stairs.

I went up to 158 and knocked.

The door shot open. Gina Castor’s dark eyes glared at me. An AK-47 hung off her shoulder. She held a black duffel in one hand and her sword in the other. What took you so long?

Hello to you, too.

She pushed past me, the thin, slightly stooped Rodriguez following her. He’s all yours.

I caught the door before it clicked shut. Where is the client?

Chained to the bed. They headed to the elevator.

Why?

Castor flashed her teeth at me. You’ll figure it out.

The elevator’s door slid open, they ducked in, and a moment later I was alone in the hallway, holding the door open like an idiot. Peachy.

I stepped inside and shut the door. A faint spark of magic shot through the metal box of the card-reader lock. I touched it. The lock was a sham. The door was protected by a ward. I pushed harder. My magic crashed against the invisible wall of the spell and ground to a halt. An expensive ward, too. Good. Made my job a hair easier.

I slid the dead bolt shut and turned. I stood in a huge living room, big enough to contain most of my house. A marble counter ran along the wall on my left, sheltering a bar with glass shelves offering everything from Bombay Sapphire to French wines. A large steel fridge sat behind the bar. White, criminally plush carpet, black walls, steel-and-glass furniture, and beyond it all an enormous floor-to-ceiling window presenting the vista of the ruined city, a deep darkness lit here and there by the pale blue of feylanterns.

I stayed away from the window and trailed the wall, punctuated by three doors. The first opened into a laboratory: flame-retardant table and counters supporting row upon row of equipment. I recognized a magic scanner, a computer, and a spectrograph, but the rest was beyond me. No client.

I tried the second door and found a large room. Gloom pooled in the corners. A huge platform bed occupied most of the hardwood floor. Something lay on the bed, hidden under black sheets.

Saiman?

No answer.

Why me?

The wall to the left of the bed was all glass, and beyond the glass, far below, stretched a very hard parking lot, bathed in the glow of feylanterns.

God, fifteen floors was high.

I pulled my saber from the back sheath and padded across the floor to the bed.

The body under the sheets didn’t move.

Step.

Another step.

In my head, the creature hiding under the sheets lunged at me, knocking me through the window in an explosion of glass shards to plunge far below. . . . Fatigue was messing with my head.

Another step.

I nudged the sheet with my sword, peeling it back gently.

A man rested on the black pillow. He was bald. His head was lightly tanned, his face neither handsome nor ugly, his features well shaped and pleasant. Perfectly average. His shoulders were nude—he was probably down to his underwear or naked under the sheet.

Saiman? I asked softly.

The man’s eyelids trembled. Dark eyes stared at me, luminescent with harsh predatory intelligence. A warning siren went off in my head. I took a small step back and saw the outline of several chains under the sheet. You’ve got to be kidding me. They didn’t just chain him to the bed, they wrapped him up like a Christmas present. He couldn’t even twitch.

Good evening, the man said, his voice quiet and cultured.

Good evening.

You’re my new bodyguard, I presume.

I nodded. Call me Kate.

Kate. What a lovely name. Please forgive me. Normally I would rise to greet a beautiful woman, but I’m afraid I’m indisposed at the moment.

I pulled back a little more of the sheet, revealing an industrial-size steel chain. I can see that.

Perhaps I could impose on you to do me the great favor of removing my bonds?

Why did Rodriguez and Castor chain you? And where the hell did they find a chain of this size?

A slight smile touched his lips. I’d prefer not to answer that question.

Then we’re in trouble. Clients get restrained when they interfere with the bodyguards’ ability to keep them safe. Since you won’t tell me why the previous team decided to chain you, I can’t let you go.

The smile grew wider. I see your point.

Does this mean you’re ready to enlighten me?

I’m afraid not.

I nodded. I see. Well then, I’ll clear the rest of the apartment, and then I’ll come back and we’ll talk some more.

Do you prefer brunets or blonds?

What?

The sheet shivered.

Quickly, Kate. Brunets or blonds? Pick one.

Odd bulges strained the sheet. I grabbed the covers and jerked them back.

Saiman lay naked, his body pinned to the bed by the chain. His stomach distended between two loops, huge and bloated. Flesh bulged and crawled under his skin, as if his body were full of writhing worms.

Blond, I’d say, Saiman said.

He groaned, his back digging into the sheets. The muscles under his skin boiled. Bones stretched. Ligaments twisted, contorting his limbs. Acid squirted into my throat. I gagged, trying not to vomit.

His body stretched, twisted, and snapped into a new shape: lean, with crisp definition. His jaw widened, his eyes grew larger, his nose gained a sharp cut. Cornsilk blond hair sprouted on his head and reaching down to his shoulders. Indigo flooded his irises. A new man looked at me, younger by about five years, taller, leaner, with a face that was heartbreakingly perfect. Above his waist, he was Adonis. Below his ribs, his body degenerated into a bloated stomach. He looked pregnant.

You wouldn’t tell me what you preferred, he said mournfully, his pitch low and husky. I had to improvise.

What are you? I kept my sword between me and him.

Does it really matter?

Yes, it does. When people said shapeshifter, they meant a person afflicted with Lyc-V, the virus that gave its victim the ability to shift into an animal. I’d never seen one who could freely change its human form.

Saiman made a valiant effort to shrug. Hard to shrug with several pounds of chains on your shoulders, but he managed to look nonchalant doing it.

I am me.

Oh boy. Stay here.

Where would I go?

I left the bedroom and checked the rest of the apartment. The only remaining room contained a large shower stall and a giant bathtub. No kitchen. Perhaps he had food delivered.

Fifteenth floor. At least one guard downstairs, bullet-resistant glass, metal grates. The place was a fortress. Yet he hired bodyguards at exorbitant prices. He expected his castle to be breached.

I headed to the bar, grabbed a glass from under the counter, filled it with water, and took it to Saiman. Changing shape took energy. If he was anything like other shapeshifters, he was dying of thirst and hunger right about now.

Saiman’s gaze fastened on the glass. Delightful.

I let him drink. He drained the glass in long, thirsty swallows.

How many guards are on duty downstairs?

Three.

Are they employed by the building owners directly?

Saiman smiled. Yes. They’re experienced and well paid, and they won’t hesitate to kill.

So far so good. When you change shape, do you reproduce internal organs as well?

Only if I plan to have intercourse.

Oh goodie. Are you pregnant?

Saiman laughed softly.

I need to know if you’re going to go into labor. Because that would just be a cherry on the cake of this job.

You’re a most peculiar woman. No, I’m most definitely not pregnant. I’m male, and while I may construct a vaginal canal and a uterus on occasion, I’ve never had cause to recreate ovaries. And if I did, I suspect they would be sterile. Unlike the male of the species, women produce all of their gametes during gestation, meaning that when a female infant is born, she will have in her ovaries all of the partially developed eggs she will ever have. The ovaries cannot generate production of new eggs, only the maturation of existing ones. The magic is simply not deep enough for me to overcome this hurdle. Not yet.

Thank Universe for small favors. Who am I protecting you from, and why?

I’m afraid I have to keep that information to myself as well.

Why did I take this job again? Ah yes, a pile of money. Withholding this information diminishes my ability to guard you.

He tilted his head, looking me over. I’m willing to take that chance.

I’m not. It also puts my life at a greater risk.

You’re well compensated for that risk.

I repressed the urge to brain him with something heavy. Too bad there was no kitchen—a cast-iron frying pan would do the job.

I see why the first team bailed.

Oh, it was the woman, Saiman said helpfully. She had difficulty with my metamorphosis. I believe she referred to me as an ‘abomination.’

I rubbed the bridge of my nose. Let’s try simple questions. Do you expect us to be attacked tonight?

Yes.

I figured as much. With magic or brute force?

Both.

Is it a hit for hire?

Saiman shook his head. No.

Well, at least something went my way: amateurs were easier to deal with than contract killers.

It’s personal. I can tell you this much: the attackers are part of a religious sect. They will do everything in their power to kill me, including sacrificing their own lives.

And we just drove off a cliff in a runaway buggy. Are they magically adept?

Very.

I leaned back. So let me summarize. You’re a target of magical kamikaze fanatics, you won’t tell me who they are, why they’re after you, or why you have been restrained?

Precisely. Could I trouble you for a sandwich? I’m famished.

Dear God, I had a crackpot for a client. A sandwich?

Prosciutto and Gouda on sourdough bread, please. A tomato and red onion would be quite lovely as well.

Sounds delicious.

Feel free to have one.

I tell you what, since you refuse to reveal anything that might make my job even a smidgeon easier, how about I make a delicious prosciutto sandwich and taunt you with it until you tell me what I want to know?

Saiman laughed.

An eerie sound came from the living room—a light click, as if something with long sharp claws crawled across metal.

I put my finger to my lips, freed my saber, and padded out into the living room.

The room lay empty. No intruders.

I stood very still, trying to fade into the black walls.

Moments dripped by.

A small noise came from the left. It was a hesitant, slow clicking, as if some creature slunk in the distance, slowly putting one foot before the other.

Click.

Definitely a claw.

Click.

I scrutinized the left side of the room. Nothing moved.

Click. Click, click.

Closer this time. Fear skittered down my spine. Fear was good. It would keep me sharp. I kept still. Where are you, you sonovabitch?

Click to the right, and almost immediately a quiet snort to the left. Now we had two invisible intruders. Because one wasn’t hard enough.

An odd scent nipped at my nostrils, a thick, slightly bitter herbal odor. I’d smelled it once before, but I had no clue where or when.

Claws scraped to the right and to the left of me now. More than two. A quiet snort to the right. Another in the corner. Come out to play. Come on, beastie.

Claws raked metal directly in front of me. There was nothing there but that huge window and sloping ceiling above it. I looked up. Glowing green eyes peered at me through the grate of the air duct in the ceiling.

Shivers sparked down my back.

The eyes stared at me, heated with madness.

The screws in the air duct cover turned to the left. Righty tighty, lefty loosey. Smart critter.

The grate fell onto the soft carpet. The creature leaned forward slowly, showing me a long conical head. The herbal scent grew stronger now, as if I’d taken a handful of absinthe wormwood and stuck it up my

Reviews for Dark and Stormy Knights

[chrisweir-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Interesting collection of stories which features monsters and other unusual things as the good guys. There's a couple with vampires as good guys. One who is helping a widow who's husband has recently risen from the dead. Another that's more of a noir style and a vampire and ghost who are using a bar as a strong hold. One of the fist stories in the book has both magic and science working in a post apocalyptic world. A body guard is put in charge of guarding a man who is also a very wealthy shape shifter. Lastly a nun who is also a werewolf.

[devilwrites · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The premise: cheesy, but ganked from Amazon.com: They’re the ultimate defenders of humanity—modern day knights who do dark deeds for all the right reasons. In this all-star collection, nine of today’s hottest paranormal authors bring us thrilling, all-new stories of supernatural knights that are brimming with magic mystery and mayhem.John Marcone sets aside his plans to kill Harry Dresden to go head-to-head with a cantrev lord in Jim Butcher’s "Even Hand". Kate Daniels is called upon for bodyguard duty to protect Saimen, a shifter she trusts less than the enemy in Ilona Andrews’ "A Questionable Client". Cormac must stop a killer werewolf before it attacks again on the next full moon in Carrie Vaughn’s "God’s Creatures". And in Vicki Pettersson’s "Shifting Star", Skamar gets more than she bargained for when she goes after a creature kidnapping young girls--and enlists the aid of her frustratingly sexy neighbor.When everything’s on the line, will these knights complete their missions and live to fight again another day?My RatingWorth the Cash: yes, I got this for free, but if I'd paid for it, I'd be happy with my purchase. My ARC did have some things that I hope get fixed in the final print run (darker ink in the author bios, fixed typos, etc), but overall, that's my only real complaint. I really thought this anthology (based on the cover and title) would be more paranormal romance stories than straight up urban fantasy, but of the nine stories, only two have a paranormal romance flavor, and even in those cases, the paranormal romance isn't the focus. So if any of you were hesitant because you're more urban fantasy than paranormal romance, never fear: you'll be FINE. For you paranormal romance readers, your reading of this anthology solely depends on how much romance you require to enjoy something and/or whether or not you're a fan of the contributing authors. On the whole, it's a very solid anthology with stories that stand on their own two feet even if they're set in established universes. The only story set in an existing universe that kind of spoils events of that universe's series is "Shifting Star" by Vicki Pettersson. Everyone else's stories read as stand-alones and are great intros/yummy nuggets to the author's established series. Hands down, the best story was Rachel Caine's "Even a Rabbit Will Bite," which was truly a stand-alone story. That's not what made it totally awesome, but it really helped. The Andrews, Jim Butcher, Pettersson, and Vaughn stories were also good, but I'd rate the Vaughn and Andrews much higher than the Pettersson and Butcher. The Shannon K. Butcher story was not bad, and I just didn't care for the Elrod, Knight, or Saintcrow pieces. But overall, great odds for an anthology, especially considering what bad luck I have reading anthologies in urban fantasy/paranormal romance. This one's worth it for any fan of any of the contributing authors, and if you're not a fan of these authors and are just looking for a sampling to see if you'll even like them, then I have to say: it's a solid sampling of authors in the genre. Well worth the cash.List of Contributing AuthorsIlona AndrewsJim ButcherShannon K. ButcherRachel CaineP.N. ElrodDeidre KnightVicki PetterssonLilith SaintcrowCarrie VaughnReview style: I'm going through each story with brief thoughts and my verdict on said piece and whether or not it makes me want to read more of the author's work, or in the cases where I'm already reading the author, how it fits into the chronology of the existing series and whether or not you'll be MAJORLY SPOILED if you read the story in this anthology out of a certain order. No spoilers, because that would be evil, so feel free to read the full review at my LJ with no nears. As always, comments and discussion are most welcome. :)REVIEW: DARK AND STORMY KNIGHTS anthologyHappy Reading!

[kittycunningh-815148 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

These were fun. I'm digging urban fantasy.

[librarycatnip · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

No, really. LOTS of SPOILERS.


And I got my Kitty fix and I got my Dresden fix and I got my Kate Daniels fix allinthesamebookanditwassocool!!!

I could jump on board with this anthology thing.....

The Kitty story directly interrogates the question of monstrosity. Pitting Cormac against a werewolf, who admittedly is beginning to lose control, but who has never killed a human being leaves both the reader and Cormac questioning the nature of monstrosity. There is no reference to where in the Kitty timeline this takes place, I would suspect earlier rather than later since Cormac's crush on Kitty and his cousin getting all monstrosified should have led him to this question far earlier in the series than where this sits by publication date.

Really, this question is at the heart of so much of the horror genre. What is humanity? What is monstrosity? Let's blur those lines a bit, now what do they look like, is that what they "really" are? Silence of the Lambs is a good example of this line blurring. Sure it is easy enough to code Buffalo Bill as a "monster," he's kidnapping and killing young women for their skins and all. But what about Lector? Monster? Yes.....killing people and making them into, ah, works of art is an easy monstrosity codification. But he also provides invaluable help in catching Buffalo Bill. That makes him, at the very least, a selectively helpful monster. And there is this aspect to his character like a flame to the metaphorical moth that we, the audience, embody. He is an old school gentleman. How does that quality jive with his cannibalistic and violent tendencies? We find ourselves unable to look away from his cleverness in manipulating the police who strive to keep him locked up. We even find ourselves rooting for him, maybe just a little, when he tries to escape his windowless prison. If he is a monster, why do we feel this way? This conundrum is the question of monstrosity that faces Cormac, and so many other characters (and their readers) in Urban Fantasy.

The Dresden story follows Johnny Marcone, suuuuuuuuper mobboss. This story confirmed my theory that Marcone is another form of condoned masculinity in the Dresdenverse. Motivated by the "dark secret" of a girl who took a bullet meant for him, Marcone has her closeted away on life support; not even the girl's mother knows the kid is alive (she incidentally was an antagonist in the first book and now works as a madame for Marcone and probably betrayed him in Small Favor). Here we learn that Marcone's one rule is "No Children." As in, keep the kids out of the crime. It comes out that he disguises this as protecting his business interests, but both the reader and his magical consultant (female, btw) are led to question this "business" as his sole motivation. Particularly after Harry rooting out the kid's existence and understanding the MASSIVE trouble Marcone went to with the Shroud to try curing her.

Harry is totally OCD about saving kids, even more so than he is about saving damsels in distress, and yes, he does categorize said dames in that manner.

Michael is a literal knight in shining armor who met his wife while saving her from a dragon. Doesn't get more classic than that, which was the point. He gets "completely irrational" (Father Forthill, Dark and Stormy Knights) where his children are concerned.

Billy is also a sanctioned representation of masculinity, he's all about protecting his own and gets to deal with that failure in Turn Coat, just like Harry in the Grave Peril-Summer Knight arc via Susan.

Butters is a sanctioned portrayal of masculinity, more interesting that a lot of the others because he is originally coded as a victim, and while he "overcomes" this "deficiency" with some difficulty, he continues to be portrayed as a much less classically macho version of masculinity. His geekness is sanctioned as masculine by Harry when the latter brings the former over to Billy's place to continue the gaming nights with the introduction that Butter's "geek dick" is bigger than everyone elses. Here a premium is put on a high level of geekness, a social subgroup that perceives itself as somewhat disenfranchised and disempowered by more mainstream ideals of masculinity. (This is arguable since geek-dom tends to be extremely male dominated and frequently perpetrates many of the gender issues seen in mainstream patriarchy while loudly pontificating that this cannot possibly be so because of their masculinely disenfranchised state. See blog "From Texas A&M to College Station" for more on the gender complexities of being a female "geek"). Nonetheless, Butters presents a sanctioned, and comparatively disparate, version of masculinity in Butcher's works.

Morgan is also sanctioned....Nicodemus is actually sort of in this category. Maybe. Must think more on that one.....After this short story Hendricks definitely falls here.....Ramirez definitely falls here too....

Anyway.

Andrew's story takes place prior to the rest of the series and provides the explanation of Saiman's and Kate's meeting and the following business, at least on Kate's part, relationship. The range of mythology incorporated lives up to precedent (not a small thing), and fully delivers on characterization and cohesiveness in plot and action. There is an interesting bit about Saimen not being able to mimic viable ovum, thus leaving the actual creation of life in more normal realms. This could potentially be an interesting point of inquiry along the lines of the domestic/public sphere conflict critiqued by Shelley in Frankenstine.

Beyond that, we have Kate married to her very masculine job, a female/male merc team which brings the merc gender count for this story to 2f:1m. Kate gamely sticks to the job, there may be something to that aspect. And she and Saiman debate sexual mores, which definitely bears further scrutiny.

Throughout UF, there seems to be a longing for the mythos of The White Picket Fence while also critiquing it and sometimes rejecting it outright as impractical at best. Harry comments about Michaels house that there probably isn't a place like that for him, homey and full of life. Kate believes that she will also be excluded from mainstream aspects of life because of her bloodline, though she adopts an orphan and does "crazy aunt" pretty well. Anita Blake is scared to death of the normalcy promised her by her upbringing and potentially manifest in the form of Richard. The narrative here argues that WPFM is impractical, dangerous, unrealistic, and nonexistent in general and definitely for Ms. Blake specifically. That being said, she carves out a version of domestic normalcy and finds peace within it. Kitty mourns when she learns that her lycanthropy precludes carrying a pregnancy to term and observes early on that there will be no house in the suburbs with 2.5 kids and a golden retriever in the back yard for her. This doesn't come up so much for Mercy in Briggs' books, or maybe it does since her coyoteness is a portal of sorts by which Adam (or any other werewolf, say, Samuel) might more easily and less painfully acquire WPFM. That is going to make the kid question particularly impactful in this series.

All these books are approaching the point where the question of biological reproduction will be introduced. The books are targeted toward young adult, for the most part, women. With strong female protagonists negotiating a world that tries to dominate, control, kill, use, disempower, and instruct them, it offers a symbolic manifestation of patriarchy and all the subtle dangers that go with it. In a world where a woman can choose to marry, shack up and live happily in sin, go it alone, choose either a female or male partner, be the family bread winner, or have her own valuable and viable career, the question of choosing to reproduce has become socially charged. In so many ways, a woman's supposed value is connected to her physicality (the value thereof ascribed by the male gaze), which in turn connects to her potential to bear children. Much of our culture focuses around supporting this valuation, which makes sound evolutionary sense, but may or may not have a valid place on today's over populated planet.

What does it mean to be a woman who chooses not to have or rear children? UF is about to launch right into this question. What does it mean to be a strong woman and choose to reproduce/rear children? How does this get balanced? Perhaps male nurturers is an answer to this question as well as its parallel in masculinity. What does it mean to be a man in a society whose women can defend themselves? What does it mean to be a man in this society and choose to reproduce/rear children in a society where a man is not necessarily the primary bread winner or protector?

These, I think, are some of the crisis questions of this generation. Reconciling a new culture with older ideals. Perhaps that is always the way of it.

In other reviews, I love the story "Even a Rabbit Will Bite." It has a nice twist and is evidence of short stories lack of need to preserve their main characters.

[raselyem7 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

No, really. LOTS of SPOILERS.


And I got my Kitty fix and I got my Dresden fix and I got my Kate Daniels fix allinthesamebookanditwassocool!!!

I could jump on board with this anthology thing.....

The Kitty story directly interrogates the question of monstrosity. Pitting Cormac against a werewolf, who admittedly is beginning to lose control, but who has never killed a human being leaves both the reader and Cormac questioning the nature of monstrosity. There is no reference to where in the Kitty timeline this takes place, I would suspect earlier rather than later since Cormac's crush on Kitty and his cousin getting all monstrosified should have led him to this question far earlier in the series than where this sits by publication date.

Really, this question is at the heart of so much of the horror genre. What is humanity? What is monstrosity? Let's blur those lines a bit, now what do they look like, is that what they "really" are? Silence of the Lambs is a good example of this line blurring. Sure it is easy enough to code Buffalo Bill as a "monster," he's kidnapping and killing young women for their skins and all. But what about Lector? Monster? Yes.....killing people and making them into, ah, works of art is an easy monstrosity codification. But he also provides invaluable help in catching Buffalo Bill. That makes him, at the very least, a selectively helpful monster. And there is this aspect to his character like a flame to the metaphorical moth that we, the audience, embody. He is an old school gentleman. How does that quality jive with his cannibalistic and violent tendencies? We find ourselves unable to look away from his cleverness in manipulating the police who strive to keep him locked up. We even find ourselves rooting for him, maybe just a little, when he tries to escape his windowless prison. If he is a monster, why do we feel this way? This conundrum is the question of monstrosity that faces Cormac, and so many other characters (and their readers) in Urban Fantasy.

The Dresden story follows Johnny Marcone, suuuuuuuuper mobboss. This story confirmed my theory that Marcone is another form of condoned masculinity in the Dresdenverse. Motivated by the "dark secret" of a girl who took a bullet meant for him, Marcone has her closeted away on life support; not even the girl's mother knows the kid is alive (she incidentally was an antagonist in the first book and now works as a madame for Marcone and probably betrayed him in Small Favor). Here we learn that Marcone's one rule is "No Children." As in, keep the kids out of the crime. It comes out that he disguises this as protecting his business interests, but both the reader and his magical consultant (female, btw) are led to question this "business" as his sole motivation. Particularly after Harry rooting out the kid's existence and understanding the MASSIVE trouble Marcone went to with the Shroud to try curing her.

Harry is totally OCD about saving kids, even more so than he is about saving damsels in distress, and yes, he does categorize said dames in that manner.

Michael is a literal knight in shining armor who met his wife while saving her from a dragon. Doesn't get more classic than that, which was the point. He gets "completely irrational" (Father Forthill, Dark and Stormy Knights) where his children are concerned.

Billy is also a sanctioned representation of masculinity, he's all about protecting his own and gets to deal with that failure in Turn Coat, just like Harry in the Grave Peril-Summer Knight arc via Susan.

Butters is a sanctioned portrayal of masculinity, more interesting that a lot of the others because he is originally coded as a victim, and while he "overcomes" this "deficiency" with some difficulty, he continues to be portrayed as a much less classically macho version of masculinity. His geekness is sanctioned as masculine by Harry when the latter brings the former over to Billy's place to continue the gaming nights with the introduction that Butter's "geek dick" is bigger than everyone elses. Here a premium is put on a high level of geekness, a social subgroup that perceives itself as somewhat disenfranchised and disempowered by more mainstream ideals of masculinity. (This is arguable since geek-dom tends to be extremely male dominated and frequently perpetrates many of the gender issues seen in mainstream patriarchy while loudly pontificating that this cannot possibly be so because of their masculinely disenfranchised state. See blog "From Texas A&M to College Station" for more on the gender complexities of being a female "geek"). Nonetheless, Butters presents a sanctioned, and comparatively disparate, version of masculinity in Butcher's works.

Morgan is also sanctioned....Nicodemus is actually sort of in this category. Maybe. Must think more on that one.....After this short story Hendricks definitely falls here.....Ramirez definitely falls here too....

Anyway.

Andrew's story takes place prior to the rest of the series and provides the explanation of Saiman's and Kate's meeting and the following business, at least on Kate's part, relationship. The range of mythology incorporated lives up to precedent (not a small thing), and fully delivers on characterization and cohesiveness in plot and action. There is an interesting bit about Saimen not being able to mimic viable ovum, thus leaving the actual creation of life in more normal realms. This could potentially be an interesting point of inquiry along the lines of the domestic/public sphere conflict critiqued by Shelley in Frankenstine.

Beyond that, we have Kate married to her very masculine job, a female/male merc team which brings the merc gender count for this story to 2f:1m. Kate gamely sticks to the job, there may be something to that aspect. And she and Saiman debate sexual mores, which definitely bears further scrutiny.

Throughout UF, there seems to be a longing for the mythos of The White Picket Fence while also critiquing it and sometimes rejecting it outright as impractical at best. Harry comments about Michaels house that there probably isn't a place like that for him, homey and full of life. Kate believes that she will also be excluded from mainstream aspects of life because of her bloodline, though she adopts an orphan and does "crazy aunt" pretty well. Anita Blake is scared to death of the normalcy promised her by her upbringing and potentially manifest in the form of Richard. The narrative here argues that WPFM is impractical, dangerous, unrealistic, and nonexistent in general and definitely for Ms. Blake specifically. That being said, she carves out a version of domestic normalcy and finds peace within it. Kitty mourns when she learns that her lycanthropy precludes carrying a pregnancy to term and observes early on that there will be no house in the suburbs with 2.5 kids and a golden retriever in the back yard for her. This doesn't come up so much for Mercy in Briggs' books, or maybe it does since her coyoteness is a portal of sorts by which Adam (or any other werewolf, say, Samuel) might more easily and less painfully acquire WPFM. That is going to make the kid question particularly impactful in this series.

All these books are approaching the point where the question of biological reproduction will be introduced. The books are targeted toward young adult, for the most part, women. With strong female protagonists negotiating a world that tries to dominate, control, kill, use, disempower, and instruct them, it offers a symbolic manifestation of patriarchy and all the subtle dangers that go with it. In a world where a woman can choose to marry, shack up and live happily in sin, go it alone, choose either a female or male partner, be the family bread winner, or have her own valuable and viable career, the question of choosing to reproduce has become socially charged. In so many ways, a woman's supposed value is connected to her physicality (the value thereof ascribed by the male gaze), which in turn connects to her potential to bear children. Much of our culture focuses around supporting this valuation, which makes sound evolutionary sense, but may or may not have a valid place on today's over populated planet.

What does it mean to be a woman who chooses not to have or rear children? UF is about to launch right into this question. What does it mean to be a strong woman and choose to reproduce/rear children? How does this get balanced? Perhaps male nurturers is an answer to this question as well as its parallel in masculinity. What does it mean to be a man in a society whose women can defend themselves? What does it mean to be a man in this society and choose to reproduce/rear children in a society where a man is not necessarily the primary bread winner or protector?

These, I think, are some of the crisis questions of this generation. Reconciling a new culture with older ideals. Perhaps that is always the way of it.

In other reviews, I love the story "Even a Rabbit Will Bite." It has a nice twist and is evidence of short stories lack of need to preserve their main characters.

[theyodamom · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I enjoyed Ilona Andrews story and the Butchers stories very much. I also liked PN Elrod's story, and Deidre Knight's, but not the others. Hey 5 out of 9 is not bad. I am just not a big fan of anthologies.

[madison_keller-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A Questionable Client by Ilona AndrewsIf you’ve read Ilona Andrew’s Kate Daniels Series, this story shows Kate meeting Saiman the shapeshifter for the first time.I really enjoyed this story. Fast paced action, nice dialog, and some genuinely funny sections (I love all the mercs home-brew recipes to get monster stink off Kate’s shoes). The twist at the end is very fun, too.Even Hand by Jim ButcherI’m a big fan of the Harry Dresden series, and this story doesn’t disappoint. Told from the POV of John Marcone, Harry’s sometimes arch-nemesis, although in this case he gets to play the reluctant hero. Marcone must defend a woman and child from a nasty Fomor from Faerie.This story has some very witty lines, and a clever twist ending. Just because Marcone is playing the hero doesn’t mean he won’t profit from it.The Beacon by Shannon K. ButcherA professional killer finds there is a line even he won’t cross.This story had me on the edge of my seat. Very well done. I don’t envy the moral dilemma the main character is faced with during the course of the story.Even a Rabbit Will Bite by Rachel CaineA retiring Dragon Slayer must pass on what she knows to her predecessor, but with only one elderly dragon left in the world, the task seems pointless at first. I won’t say more because I don’t want to spoil this gem of a story.I’ll admit I purchased this set for Ilona Andrews and Jim Butcher, but it ended up that this is by far my favorite story in the collection.Dark Lady by P.N. ElrodA vampire nightclub owner attempts to help a damsel in distress, but ends up needing rescued himself – by the ghost of a former employee.A bit slow to start, this story ends with a bang. Highly enjoyable.Beknighted by Deidre KnightAn artist attempts to free a Knight imprisoned inside a puzzle box, but dark forces seem a bit too eager for his release.I didn’t really enjoy this story, mostly because I really had a hard time understanding what was going on. The writing was dreamlike, in a way which made it hard to follow. At the end I couldn’t really bring myself to care to much what happened.Shifting Star by Vicki PetterssonA newly human, former Tulpa must learn what it means to be human.Another story that had a hard time following, at least at first. This story seems to associated with a series that I haven’t read. However, by the end I was really enjoying this one, and the ending left me very sad.Rookwood & Mrs. King by Lilith SaintcrowA vampire seeks revenge on his creators by killing their new protege, Mr. King.Its a bit more complicated than that, but I don’t want to spoil anything. This one was good, and has a bit of a twist ending that I enjoyed.God’s Creatures by Carrie VaughnCormac discovers that sometimes even a killing that needs to happen can weigh on your soul.Not bad, not great, this story keeps you reading but never really pulled me in. The hero is hunting down a werewolf that has been killing cows outside of town, and he tracks it down to the local church. There is a bit of action, and the story comes to a nice, but sad, ending.Overall a very solid collection, 4 stars.

[krumbs_1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

An ok anthology. I enjoyed the P.N. Elrod story, and the Jim Butcher one was good. I'm not going to hold onto it, though.

Questionable Client: It was ok. I've read another short story with this character, and I think that one was more fun. I could have done without the flirty bits.

Even Hand: A different POV in the Dresden Files verse. I've never really been interested in the character Marcone but this was a good romp. I don't know that it's a great representation of the rest of the series due to the rather huge POV difference.

The Beacon: Eh.

Even a Rabbit will Bite: What's an old dragon slayer to do? This, apparently.

Dark Lady: Great noir story, as always with the Jack Fleming universe. I think I need to read the next three books in the series to get how the character got to where he is in this one.

Beknighted: I don't even remember reading this story. So. There it is.

Shifting Star: I don't read this series so I wasn't really invested in the characters. It made it tough to care about any angsting over past events. It was also pretty obvious how it was going to end.

Rookwood and Mrs. King: Amusing.

God's Creatures: Don't remember this one either. I read it. But, I got nuthin'.

[michellel_15_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I only read the Kate Daniels short story, A Questionable Client, but I may come back and read some others later. It was only about 45 pages long. This is the story of how Kate met Saiman. Kate is hired by Saiman to be his bodyguard. Saiman gets himself into a lot of trouble when he steals a magic acorn with infinite knowledge. I found this to be a funny, quick read with violence and gore. If you've already read the series, this is good story to read to get more background on Saiman. And if you enjoy Saiman in the Kate Daniels series then you'll like this story.

[kayceel_4 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A nice collection of urban fantasy fiction stories about knights in often-tarnished armor.I read this for the Harry Dresden story - I love Jim Butcher's work in all forms, and I was not disappointed! "Even Hand" is from a point of view not heard in the Dresden series: mob boss Johnny Marcone. Here, his plans to destroy Harry are momentarily put aside in order to save a child.I also enjoyed Andrews's Kate Daniels story (Kate's first meeting with sorcerer Saiman), Vaughn's story of a werewolf hunter facing an unpleasant kill, and was quite nicely surprised at Caine's "Even a Rabbit will Bite," about a centuries-old dragon slayer and the apprentice she's training.Recommended.

[mrslee_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I picked this up for the Jim Butcher short story in it, but ended up enjoying most of the other stories as well. I may have to try more stories by Ilona Andrews and P.N. Elrod. There was only one story which I didn't care for at all, by Deidre Knight, which is pretty unusual for me in a short story collection, usually I'm happy if I find one or two I like.

[eowyna_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is a set of 9 short stories written by some of the most popular modern writers of urban fantasy, starring werewolves, vampires, and fae. The running theme of the collection is that the main male character (who may or may not be the protagonist) is in some way chivalric. The first story, "A Questionable Client" by Ilona Andrews, enjoyably fills in a piece of the history of Kate Daniels and the mysterious Saimen. "Even Hand" by Jim Butcheser takes place after _Changes_ and is told from the viewpoint of Marcone. "The Beacon" by Shannon K. Butcher starts out very dark, and finishes on a note of defiance. "Even a Rabbit will Bite" by Rachel Caine is a tale of dragonslayer and dragon. "Dark Lady" by P.N. Elrond starts Jack Fleming in a Chicago-based noir tale of love. "Beknighted" by Deidre Knight is a series of scenes sketched out about an artist and her art. "Shifting Star" by Vicki Pettersson is set within her series of books about the battles between Light and Shadows, "Rookwood & Mrs King" by Lilith Saintcrow was probably my favorite story. It was, in someways, an alternate universe origin story for a reimagined Buffy. "God's Creatures" by Carrie Vaughn explores, in a few pages, how one looks at the existence of werewolves and their relationship to God. This was an enjoyable set of stories.

[sunnysd_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A relatively even collection of short stories, most of them featuring or at least set in familiar territory. Ilona Andrews' A Questionable Client answers the question of how Kate meets Saiman, for example. Jim Butcher's Even Hand finds Gentleman Johnnie Marcone coming to the rescue of a damsel in distress, while in Deidre Knight's Beknighted turns the tables, with the damsel finding herself pressed to aid a trapped hero. Fair enough reading, but kind of like a bite-size candy bar when what you really want is the economy size treat.

[cmwilson101 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I purchased "Dark and Stormy Knights" for the Ilona Andrews story "A Questionable Client" about Kate Daniels' first meeting with Saiman. This was a good read, and helped to explain Kate and Saiman's rather complicated relationship.Other interesting stories included "The Beacon" by Shannon K Butcher, a story about a man who hunts down and kills "beacons", innocents who bring monsters into the world by virtue of acting as a beacon to the monsters. This was a very well written story, asking whether it is better to kill one innocent and save the lives of many. I also greatly enjoyed "Even a Rabbit will Bite" by Rachel Caine. This is about a a long-standing battle between an aged dragon-slayer and the last known dragon in the world. "Dark Lady" by P.N. Elrod is a fun story about a vampire owner of a haunted nightclub who helps a mobster's girlfriend. Some twists kept it interesting and fresh.Lilith Saintcrow's "Rookwood & Mrs. King," about an ex-cop turned vampire who takes on a case involving a request from a beautiful woman to kill her dead husband, is excellent. I hope that Ms. Saintcrow writes more about Rookwood - he is a fascinating character and I'd love to hear more about his back story.

[readingwithmartinis · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Synopsis: P.N. Elrod's latest urban fantasy anthology, Dark and Stormy Knights, contains a series of tales in which the line between the bad guy and the good guy is extremely thin. The collection features short stories by the following authors: * Ilona Andrews * Jim Butcher * Shannon K. Butcher * Rachel Caine * P.N. Elrod * Deidre Knight * Vicki Pettersson * Lilith Saintcrow * Carrie VaughnReview: I ♥ a good urban fantasy anthology. One generally gets a nice mix of authors, though the stories have a similar theme running through them. Generally, I use anthologies as a way of finding and checking out author that aren't on my regular reading list. I enjoyed Dark and Stormy Knights tremendously. I would definitely recommend this collection to urban fantasy fans.

[sweetandsyko · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

some of my favorite authors, coming together with stories, there is no way that could be anything but amazing! I particularly enjoyed Jim butchers, and carrie vaughns stories, but they were all so good! I still find myself going back to read some of the stories!

[spunnsugarz · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I love urban fantasy and when I saw all the authors that collaborated on this anthology, I thought I had died and gone to heaven lolA Questionable Client by Ilona Andrews is a short story in the Kate Daniels series. Kate gets to go on a blug gig - a bodyguard job. She hates bodyguard jobs, but needs the money. When she meets the client, she questions her sanity.Fans of the Dresden Files (raises hand) will enjoy the short story by Jim Butcher - Even Hand. No, it's not about Harry Dresden, but about John Marcone, the crime boss that is always after Harry. Here, Marcone is out to protect children at any cost, even if it costs his business money.Carrie Vaughn writes a short story about a werewolf hunter in God's Creatures. Cormac is hunting it, and the closest building is a Cathlic school and church. He is determined to kill it before it kills again.There are other stories by Shannon K. Butcher, Rachel Caine, P.N. Elrod, Deidre Knight, Vicki Pettersson, and Lilith Saintcrow. I found the collection to be enjoyable and liked revisiting a few secondary characters from favorite series.

[les121 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A dark, action-packed anthology. The stories by Ilona Andrews, Jim Butcher, Shannon K. Butcher, Rachel Caine, P.N. Elrod, and Lilith Saintcrow are all excellent. I had higher hopes for Carrie Vaughn's story about Cormac and Vicki Pettersson's story will probably only be appreciated by fans of her Signs of the Zodiac series, but, nevertheless, they’re both relatively entertaining. The weakest story was the one by Deirdre Knight. Still, only one clunker in an anthology is a pretty amazing thing. Overall, it's a thrilling, suspenseful set of tales - just don't expect humor and lightheartedness. These stories are all about tortured heroes, creepy mysteries, and killing the monsters that go bump in the night.

[edstan76 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I like big honking long ass 1000+ page counts and many many sequels. Short stories work for me but only when they are part of a series. I tried to request this book through the Early Reviewers program but sadly didn't get picked. (sniff, sniff)A nice friend lent it to me. Jim Butcher gives us one hell of a short story in the Dresdenverse from John Marcone's point of view. Wow just wow!!!!!! READ THE DRESDEN FILES. JUST GO OUT RIGHT AND AND READ THEM. ALL 12 AND THE SHORT STORIES. YOU WON'T BE DISAPPOINTED.4.5 stars for that one. Some of the others:Rachel Caine who i've read book 1 of the Weather Wardens wrote about a Dragon Hunter group sponsored by the Vatican. Decent story. Could have used a few more characters and dialogue. We were told about the conversations but didn't get much dialogue till the end. Needs about another 30 pages (that would be double the length) to fully flesh everything out. 2.5 starsP.N. Elrod writes about Jack Flemming, a vampire who is owned by a bar. This is part of a series and its totally something I need to check out. This is what anthologies are for. You read one author you like (Jim Butcher) and find others to read. 4 stars.Ilona Andrews combines magic and technology in a kinda post war devastation type world. A person who is a bit of a shape shifter has stolen something. And Kate Daniels is part of the Guild who was hired to protect him as a body guard. This is another series i want to check out. 3.5 starsShannon Butchers story The Beacon is about a guy, Ryder, who has a gift that he can tell who the unassuming Beacon's are that bring demonic creatures to earth. He kills them before the demon's get here. Generally they are old guys. This time not so much. Good plot. Interesting characters. Simple way of story telling. With the right co-author this could be so much better. I do have 4 more stories to read. Just wanted to post this before my friend comes banging down my door to take the book back. All in all a great read. Very enjoyable. Check it out for some new ideas of books and authors.

[krau0098 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

All of these stories have something in common; they feature a "knight" someone who will go to heroic measures to protect innocents (or to make some money).The best of the bunch is Ilona Andrews "A Questionable Client"; this is a great story in and of itself and is a great sample of Andrew's writing style. Kate Daniels fans will love it too because it fills an important event that happened between Kate and Saiman. My second favorite was Caine's "Even a Rabbit Will Bite" loved the characters and the irony of the story.There were some stories that were entertaining but not outstanding. "Even Hand" by Jim Butcher give insight into John Marcone's character from the Dresden Files. "Rookwood and Mrs. King" by Saintcrow introduces some new characters that I hope she expands on in a series. "Shifting Star" by Vicki Pettersson gives you a story about Zoe's Tulpa, Skamar; unfortunately if you aren't reading Pettersson's Signs of the Zodiac series I think you will be totally lost as to the meaning behind this story.My least favorite of the bunch was Beknighted by Deidre Knight; there was a bit too much of a romance vibe going on here and the world wasn't described well...I thought it didn't really fit with the rest of the stories and the theme of this anthology.Overall a decent anthology. The Ilona Andrews story makes it worth reading. The other stories provide good samplings of some of the best Urban Fantasy authors out there. This is definitely urban fantasy and not PNR; which was awesome...it seems like so many anthologies tend towards paranormal romance (PNR). I personally got it from the library but it might be worth buying if you are a huge fan on one of the series represented. See below for a description and mini-review of each story.- A Questionable Client by Ilona Andrews (5/5 stars)We get to find out about that time Kate served as a bodyguard for Saiman. Action-packed filled with sharp humor; it was nice to have that story filled out some.- Even Hand by Jim Butcher (4/5 stars)A story from John Marcone's point of view. It was interesting to gain some insight into Marcone. The story was entertaining but over-all nothing mind-blowing.- The Beacon by Shannon K. Butcher (4/5 stars)A story about a hunter who assassinates Beacons that lure evil creatures called Terraphages to earth to destroy humanity. This was an entertaining story, I enjoyed the main character and there was a lot of action. I am curious as to what else Butcher has written, but not curious enough to immediately pick up books by her to read.- Even a Rabbit Will Bite by Rachel Caine (5/5 stars)Story about a retired dragon trainer and the young trainee that is supposed to take her place. I liked this story it was entertaining and ironic. I love how the story wrapped up but wasn't all that surprised at the ending. Overall a great story. I have read some of Caine's Weather Warden series and like her okay as an author in general.- Dark Lady by P. N. Elrod (3/5 stars)This is another Jack Flemming story. In general I am not a big fan of Elrod's Jack Flemming stories and this story was no exception. I've read some short stories with Jack and the first book in the Flemming series. This was another noir/gangster-type vampire story. It was okay and was well-written.- Beknighted by Deidre Knight (2/5 stars)An artist has to pay a steep price to free a knight from his prison. The world surrounding this story isn't very well defined and it is a bit confusing. This is more like a romance than anything else and was my least favorite of the bunch. There are parts of it that are a bit amusing and the idea is interesting...just not that well done.- Shifting Star by Vicki Pettersson (3/5 stars)If you have read all the Signs of the Zodiac book (which I have) then this story will be an interesting read for you. It features Skamar, Zoe's tulpa, and takes place sometime after the 4th book in the series. We get to learn more about Skamar as an individual and about what she is doing while Johanna is recovering. Kind of interesting. I think anyone who has not read the series will be totally lost though.- Rookwood and Mrs. King by Lilith Saintcrow (4/5 stars)Story about a woman named Amelia who comes to investigator Rookwood with a plea that he kill her already dead husband. Not much world-building but there was a lot of action and the characters were interesting. It would be great to see some books about Rookwood and Amelia in the future. Previously I have also read Saintcrow's Dante Valentine series and liked it.- God's Creatures by Carrie Vaughn (3.5/5 stars)Story from the point of view of Cormac the Bounty hunter from Vaughn's Kitty Norville series. Basically it just tells about Cormac going on a wolf hunt. It was okay and I enjoyed reading it, but it didn't add much to the characters for me and as a stand alone story it wasn't anything special.

[imayb1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Overall, a very good anthology with several great authors. The collection kicks off with a side story from Ilona Andrews Magic/ Kate Daniels series about Kate's first meeting with Saimon. 3/5 Next, Jim Butcher (of Harry Dresden series) gives us a piece of gangster Marcone's point of view. 3/5 From Shannon Butcher comes a stand-alone along the lines of an episode of Supernatural. 3/5 Rachel Caine presents another stand-alone about a legendary dragon slayer titled, "Even a Rabbit Will Bite". 4/5Back to a series side-story with P.N. Elrod for a film noir mystery with a vampire detective. 4/5Deidre Knight tells a stand-alone story about an artist with a puzzle. 3/5 The only story I didn't like in this collection was Vicki Pettersson's "Shifting Star". I felt it relied too heavily on the background of her Zodiac series. I was lost- and I've read the first couple of books.Readers get the story of a vampire slayer from Lilith Saintcrow. 3/5 Then, the collection finishes up with a spin-off from Carrie Vaughn's 'Kitty' series, featuring bounty hunter Cormac. 4/5

[jenson_aka_dl · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Of all these shorts I was only familiar with two of the series, although I suspect many of these shorts were featuring side characters of other series. The two I am familiar with, The Dresden Series and the Kate Daniels series were the first two and both very enjoyable. I enjoyed the chance to explore the side relationship in the Kate Daniels short and the side character of the always questionable Marcone from the Dresden books.However, I was most surprised that I liked all the other shorts here about equally as well. Of them all I think perhaps Rachel Caine's short story about an ancient dragon hunter and her final foe was the only stand alone story. There was a good mixture of urban fantasy characters represented including the ever popular vampires and werewolves, albeit a more nasty representation than the current romantic trend, and some surprises with Pettersson's thoughts turned flesh and Knight's Templar knights and demons.Overall a well put together anthology in which the stories do a good job of being both series and author representatives.

[antares1_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Dark and Stormy Knights is an anthology edited by P.N. Elrod. It includes some well known names in Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance. As with most anthologies some of the stories were better than others. Not all the authors were able to create a stand alone short story within their worlds.A Questionable Client by Ilone Andrews was an excellent entry. So far I've only read the first novel in her Kate Daniels series, but I've read other short stories about that world in other anthologies. Andrews is adept a mixing in just enough back story so the reader doesn't get lost in the world building. I'm still undecided of whether or not I care for the protagonist, but the world building is sound.Even Hand by Jim Butcher was a bit of a disappointment for me. I think of Butcher's Dresden world, Marcone is my least favorite character. I think someone that wasn't familiar with the world of Harry Dresden would probably miss a lot of the little side notes that illuminate that world. One thing was rather bothersome with the short story, is that the characterization of Justine just didn't seem to fit what I know of her from the Dresden files. Marcone's character was spot on, and I'm still interested in finding out more about the enigmatic Gard.The Beacon by Shannon K. Butcher was interesting. I haven't read any of Shannon's works before, so this gave me an interesting taste of her style. It was a tale of redemption, and although it may have been a bit formulaic, the story was intriguing. The characterizations were a bit light, but that is to be somewhat expected in a short story.Even a Rabbit Will Bite by Rachel Caine was an excellent story. I love the fact that Caine didn't go for the normal young heroine; instead her protagonist was an old woman. She was able to capture the mindset of someone that is very old. That curious mix of just wanting to rest and relax and yet wanting to hold onto the abilities they had when they were younger. The twist at the end was truly well done.Dark Lady by P.N. Elrod was another good entry. Although it's easy at times to forget that her protagonist is a vampire, she has a way of bringing the Depression Era Chicago to life. In some ways I feel she's far better at the short story format than the novel length - or maybe it's just the fact that I don't care for her character's girlfriend in the novels, and the short stories don't have her in them. The girlfriend character always seems way to one-dimensional.Beknighted by Deidre Knight was the weakest entry in the anthology for me. I kept wondering what the whole point of it was. The protagonist didn't really grow at all through the encounter. There didn't seem to be any overriding theme to it. Shifting Star by Vicki Petersson was better than most of her short stories that I've read. I have nothing against Ms. Petersson, but I don't really find her world compelling at all. This story seemed better than most of the ones I've read, even though, there was a lot that wasn't explained in the world building. I caught the gist of most of it.Rookwood and Mrs. King by Lilith Saintcrow seemed like a send up of an old TV show "The Scarecrow and Mrs. King." Maybe because I used to enjoy the show (Yes, I'm that old), I found the story appealing. I would have liked to know where things go from there. I don't know if this piece was connected to any series she's written - it had a feel like it might be.God's Creatures by Carrie Vaughn didn't do much for me. I couldn't really empathise with any of the characters. It may be connected to some series of hers. I don't know if it is. It just seemed that a lot of motivation was left out that might have made the story more compelling.Overall P.N. Elrod has put together another wonderful anthology well worth a read.

[ancientgirl · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Dark and Stormy Knights is an anthology of paranormal stories written by some of the most popular authors in the genre. In fact, I assume that most of its readers will be attracted due to the popularity of its contributors, rather than its theme, to which some of the stories seem only tangentially related. Which is fine; overall, it's a good selection of stories, some of which were more successful than others. Rather than reviewing every story individually, in this review I shall note some of the highlights of the collection as well as some of the stories that didn't work quite as well for me.An anthology with so many bright stars of its genre will attract both readers already addicted to it and those who are merely curious about it and want a taste before launching into full-length novels. The needs of the two groups can be difficult to balance, and for my money, more of the stories in Dark and Stormy Knights will appease the former than the latter. Many of the authors here already have successful paranormal series, and it is both understandable and expected that they return to these series for their short stories here. That's what the long term fans will want. However,when an author has spent several books developing his imaginary world, it can be quite difficult to explain in short story format, especially if you want to have any space left over for plot. That can make the stories daunting and less appealing to those not already fans. For example, Jim Butcher's "Even Hand" is a story taken from his popular Harry Dresden series, although not dealing with Harry himself. Having only read the first of the Dresden books, I don't really think I got as much out of this story as someone already addicted to the series, nor, if I hadn't already decided to read the books, do I think this short story would have convinced me. The same is probably also true of Vicki Pettersson's "Shifting Star;" I found it emotionally rich but it does include many concepts alien to those not familiar with the Zodiac series. On the other hand, I thought Ilona Andrews's "A Questionable Client" did an excellent job of explaining the magic-fickle setting of the Kate Daniels series, and also won me over by dealing with Slavic mythology, which felt refreshingly original. I've only read one of the Kate Daniels books so far, but am now convinced to pick up the series again.Aside from the Ilona Andrews story, my favorite story in the anthology was probably "Even a Rabbit Will Bite" by Rachel Caine, whose books I've been meaning to read but haven't gotten around to yet. As far as I know, this story is not part of any of Caine's series, but even if it is, this tale of modern dragon-slaying stands quite well on its own. My least favorite story was probably "Beknighted" by Deidre Knight, another new author to me. The story wasn't bad, but Knight writes paranormal romance and the language struck me as a bit florid. That was also the case with Lilith Saintcrow's "Rockwood and Mrs. King," but I found its plot more original than the Knight selection. Though one more reference to "glossy hair" might have moved me to defenestration. . .All in all, this anthology is worth reading especially if you are already a fan of any of its contributors. While visiting the world of your favorite series, you may be introduced to a new author or two!

[donnerlibrary · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Dark and Stormy Knights is a collection of short stories by some great authors of paranormal and fantasy fiction. The book includes stories by Ilona Andrews, Jim Butcher, Shannon K. Butcher, Rachel Caine, P. N. Elrod, Deidre Knight, Vicki Pettersson, Lilith Saintcrow, and Carrie Vaughn. I had read books by a couple of these authors before but many of them were new to me.I really loved the majority of stories in this collection. I think short stories are incredibly difficult to write because there is not as much time to develop characters and do world building. The writing has to be very tight to fit all the information in that the reader needs to understand what is going on during this brief episode in the character's journey. All of the authors did a wonderful job with this. The stories that I enjoyed less were still very good and well written, they were just not to my reading taste as much as the others.Another thing that I find difficult with short stories is when they are written about a character who is also a main or supporting character in a series of novels. Sometimes I feel like I need to have read the other books to have the background to understand the story. This was not the case with the stories I read in this book. I've been wanting to read Ilona Andrews' Kate Daniels' series anyway and now that I've read "A Questionable Client" I'm moving those books up on the list. Although I've read Jim Butcher's books, I think I would have been able to follow "Even Hand" just as easily if I hadn't known Harry Dresden's story. "Dark Lady" by P. N. Elrod made me want to read more of The Vampire Files that my husband has sitting on the shelf.I think Dark and Stormy Knights is a fantastic collection of stories for paranormal and fantasy lovers. It introduced me to some new authors and now I want to read more!

[sandyg210 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I usually don't care for anthologies but I enjoyed this one. It was full of enjoyable stories from some of my favorite authors including Jim Butcher, P.N. Elrod, Rachel Caine, and Carrie Vaughn.I received this book through LibraryThing early reviewers.

[randirousseau · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I found I rather liked this anthology better than I usually do - great author picks!Not only that, but neat stories - the anti-heroes you don't tend to think about. John Marcone (mob boss extraordinaire) from Jim Butcher's Dresden books, a man tasked with killing "innocents" to prevent the outbreak of a demon attack, a half-vampire PI/vampire slayer - great characters firmly in the dark gray category of knighthood. Definitely not the pure of heart. But compellingly human and pragmatic in their "good deeds." Nicely compiled!

[faerydust1023 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I was so excited when I got this book. It has short stories from some of my favorite authors: Jim Butcher, Carrie Vaughn, Vicki Pettersson, Ilona Andrews, Lilith Saintcrow and Rachel Caine. I don’t have enough room to review all of them but I am listing my favorites.Ilona Andrews’ story, A Questionable Client is about Kate Daniels. Kate is in Ilona Andrews’ series titled the same, Kate Daniels. This short story did not disappoint. Anyone who enjoyed Magic Bites, Magic Burns, and Magic Strikes will love this side story about Kate who has bad luck at every turn. Why did she agree to be bodyguard to a man that nobody else will guard?Jim Butcher’s story, Even Hand, features John Marcone. He is Harry Dresden’s arch nemesis/sometimes ally. It also features Harry’s brother Thomas’ ex-girlfriend Justine. Fans of Harry Dresden will love this story. I love anything with Harry Dresden. He is my hero.Shannon K. Butcher’s story, The Beacon, had me captivated from the beginning. It is hard to say much without giving the whole story away. I was left wanting more like I often am with short stories. I definitely want to read more by her. Rachel Caine’s Weather Warden series is one of my favorites. Her story, Even a Rabbit Would Bite, is about a centuries old dragon slayer who is being forced to retire and pass her skills on to a new “Buffy” type cheerleader. I was very amused by this story and it had a very good ending.God’s Creatures, by Carrie Vaughn is about a recurring character in her Kitty series. Cormac hunts supernatural beings and is a real bad boy. He is hired to find a werewolf that is killing cattle and is very surprised to find out who it is. The Kitty series is one of my favorites. I am eagerly awaiting her new book in the series this month.I have to say that I was thrilled to read this book by some of my favorite authors. Although I could not list something about all of the stories, I really enjoyed them all. This was a great compilation by some remarkable authors.

[helcura_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

All of the stories in this collection are enjoyable, no disappointments here. Some of them are set in the universe of the novels penned by their particular authors, but all these stories stand on their own. You won't be confused if you haven't read anything else by the author.For those who are fans of paranormal series, Jim Butcher's offering gives us an interesting glimpse into the heart of one of Harry Dresden's frenemies. Likewise, Carrie Vaughn's story shows us another side of the Kitty-verse.Among my favorite stories are the first story in the volume, which offers a clever twist, and P. N. Elrod's noir ghost story.Worth owning and re-reading. I think this one is going to become one of my favorite collections.

[flemmily · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Have I mentioned I'm not a huge short story fan? I find them fairly frustrating; if you get a good one you're almost always left wanting more. Plus there's this convention of O. Henry "what a twist!" endings.However, for all my prejudice, I did mostly enjoy this collection. It's heavy on the hard-boiled/noir aspect of the Paranormal/Urban Fantasy genre, so if that's what floats your boat you may also enjoy.I really liked the Rachel Caine story, I thought it was unusual and created a very detailed picture of an interesting world (although the ending was a little trite). I also liked the Shannon K. Butcher and Deidre Knight stories; I've not read anything else by those authors so I was glad to get a chance to try them out.Sometimes I think I should be reading Jim Butcher, because I haven't and he's such a big player in the genre, so I was also glad to get confirmation that he's not my cup of tea. I got about four pages in and then skipped that story entirely. I also skipped the Carrie Vaughn story. Although I've read her Kitty series, I'm about to give up on it because I really dislike her writing at this point. However, if you love that series, you may be glad to see more of Cormac.Fans of Ilona Andrew's Kate Daniels may also be glad to see more of her, the first story talks about how Kate meets Saiman, and is a nice little tidbit.So in short, I'm glad I got this book for free via Early Reviewers, because I would never have bought it on my own and it gave me some info about authors I may want to read. However, if you like short stories and are into the Paranormal/Urban Fantasy genre, I bet you will really enjoy this collection.