Warning: The review contains spoilers.
First I guess I will have to say I'm not really a fan of short stories. By the time I get into the story and it ends. And this book is an anthology of 17 short stories. But... I loved it. Or most of it anyway.
Elven Song - bittersweet story of first love, absolutely loved it.
Three of Swords - nice story, not one of my personal favorites in the anthology but good
Three of Swords 2: The Royal Sword - another story with the characters from previous one. Funny, good but still doesn't make it to my personal top 3 from the book.
A Master of The Bow and Torinawa - one of the stories I wanted to be longer, picked my interest and... ended. Perfect example why I don't like short stories in general.
Cavanos' Dragons - and that's the story on 3d place in my personal top 3. What to say.... Dragons!
Moonlight Path - suspense, blood and... um, can I have a little more please?
Night Club - my least favorite. Don't get me wrong, it's not a bad one, just... really not my cup of tea.
Ghostly Afternoon - loved that one, almost made it to my top 3. Almost. I just liked three others a bit more. Good 4th though.
They come from the hills at night 2.0 - another one of not exactly my favorites. Can't exactly point out why. Guess it just goes to the group "not my cup of tea", too.
To Walk On Water - nice little story. Read it and liked it... and promptly forgot it. It's a bit... too even, nothing much happens and in between the other ones, most of which have the impact of a hammer strike... just goes unnoticed, forgettable.
A Dinosaur for Christmas - I want one too. And some more of that story. Absolutely loved it. Deserving 2d place in my top 3.
Tasty to The Last Cup - for coffee lovers. Nice but also on the list of a bit forgettable.
Nomad: The Killer Sleeps Downstairs - a bit overwhelming. Had the same problem with the book. It feels like you are being hit by a train but the violence gets a bit too much for my taste. Okay, I admit it, I'm squeamish.
Closed Timelike Curve - had a lot of fun here. How much trouble exactly two boys with a time machine can get in?
Two Moons - somehow when I read the title (and the previous stories) I was expecting it to be about werewolves. And... it's not. Big surprise for me. In everything - plot, setting, main character. Got me curious. But not about what happens next as more stories do. Got me curious what happened before it started.
The Manipulator - hmmmmm, really not sure what to say about this one. Goes to the "not my cup of tea" category, I guess.
Winter Census Of The Vampire Population - my absolute favorite. I got swallowed by it, chewed and spit out to pick my pieces. Can I have more of it? Pretty please?
So in total:
3 absolutely favorite stories
8 others I loved too
2 nice but forgettable
1 nice but got me squeamish
3 in the "not my cup of tea" category
Considering the fact that the book actually offers a little bit for everyone, I think I have a very nice count of likes. Anyone surprised? Well, that's Elena. If you have read something from her before - you won't.
