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Neon's Nerd Nexus (360 KP) created a post
Dec 23, 2019
Phil Leader (619 KP) rated The Kingdom Beyond the Waves in Books
Nov 18, 2019
Professor Amelia Harsh is a discredited academic, shunned by any university she could work for because of her obsession for the lost city of Camlantis which is dismissed by most as a myth. When all her other avenues dry up she grabs a lifeline from a rich industrialist to lead an expedition to find the last evidence of the city.
Meanwhile, why is someone graverobbing obsolete steamman corpses from cemetaries? And why has Furnace-breath Nick - scourge of Quatershift - been asked to break a prisoner free?
For those unfamiliar with Hunt's incredibly imaginative world - revealed in this book to likely be a far future version of our own which somehow mirrors certain aspects such as Victorian England and the French Revolution - would soon be at home in this book, particularly as half of the book involves a trip up a native-infested jungle river worthy of Conrad. Meanwhile the trail is being followed from the other end and the smoggy streets of Middlesteel in the country of Jackals by Furnace-breath Nick's not so mild mannered alter ego, Cornelius Fortune.
The way the story unfolds is very reminiscent of Saturday morning serials that used to be popular when not everyone had a television. There are a series of episodes where our heroes are put into peril and yet somehow (mostly) break free. The difference is in the mostly. Hunt is not afraid of killing off a character and that keeps the reader on the edge of their seat and turning the pages to see if that really was the end or there is a miraculous escape on the cards.
The inventiveness Hunt showed in The Court of the Air is very much still evident with a fiendish plot and fantastic ideas zinging off the page together with very clever dialog. Once again this is a book to read carefully and not to skim, it will be so much more rewarding.
All in all this is a stronger book than the first and the characters in it are terrific, heroes and villains alike. There are still Deus Ex Machina escapes here and there but they are on the whole consistent with the world of Jackals.
I would very much recommend this to anyone who likes their science fiction broad and heading to steam punk rather than space opera (although it's not really steam punk) and their adventure old-school swashbuckling. Terrific work.
Meanwhile, why is someone graverobbing obsolete steamman corpses from cemetaries? And why has Furnace-breath Nick - scourge of Quatershift - been asked to break a prisoner free?
For those unfamiliar with Hunt's incredibly imaginative world - revealed in this book to likely be a far future version of our own which somehow mirrors certain aspects such as Victorian England and the French Revolution - would soon be at home in this book, particularly as half of the book involves a trip up a native-infested jungle river worthy of Conrad. Meanwhile the trail is being followed from the other end and the smoggy streets of Middlesteel in the country of Jackals by Furnace-breath Nick's not so mild mannered alter ego, Cornelius Fortune.
The way the story unfolds is very reminiscent of Saturday morning serials that used to be popular when not everyone had a television. There are a series of episodes where our heroes are put into peril and yet somehow (mostly) break free. The difference is in the mostly. Hunt is not afraid of killing off a character and that keeps the reader on the edge of their seat and turning the pages to see if that really was the end or there is a miraculous escape on the cards.
The inventiveness Hunt showed in The Court of the Air is very much still evident with a fiendish plot and fantastic ideas zinging off the page together with very clever dialog. Once again this is a book to read carefully and not to skim, it will be so much more rewarding.
All in all this is a stronger book than the first and the characters in it are terrific, heroes and villains alike. There are still Deus Ex Machina escapes here and there but they are on the whole consistent with the world of Jackals.
I would very much recommend this to anyone who likes their science fiction broad and heading to steam punk rather than space opera (although it's not really steam punk) and their adventure old-school swashbuckling. Terrific work.
Sophia (Bookwyrming Thoughts) (530 KP) rated The Raven Boys in Books
Jan 23, 2020
I don't really like <i>The Raven Boys</i>. I don't really see the "why" in the hype, and I feel completely indifferent towards everything Maggie Stiefvater offered in this first book of the series.
Or maybe, just maybe, like some books, Stiefvater just had the unfortunate timing to be listened to when I'm not exactly in the mood to read.
It's also when I pull off a really cheap Sophia move. Behold – the list of whatnots about <i>The Raven Boys</i>, or just a summary of my thoughts in the process of listening to Will Patton reading this.
<ol>
<li>Blue has always been warned that if she kiss her true love, she'll cause her true love to die. Sadistic as it is, I like that concept. I <em>really</em> like that concept.</li>
<li>It's official: I like it when audiobooks have music.</li>
<li>What kind of name is Blue? I'm a little perplexed, but since it's unique, I'll let it go.</li>
<li>Gansey seemed far too absorbed in the ley line for a good part of the book – he's as bad as David, I'll tell you that right now (just without the whole metaphors thing).</li>
<li>In sync with number four, I don't get the entire point of <em>why</em> they're looking for this watchamawho of a Welsh King. I mean, I probably do, but...</li>
<li>Cringe-worthy as it sounded, I secretly liked that whole, "I... I'm... I'm very young." part.</li>
<li>Why are The Raven Boys called "The Raven Boys?" I'm not sure I caught that. Do they have an obsession with ravens? Is it really because of that pet raven Ronan has (I assume)? Who's willing to tell me this?</li>
<li>I don't really understand that cliffhanger. I know <em>who</em> Stiefvater is talking about, but I don't <em>understand</em>.</li>
</ol>
<b>Fun fact:</b> Will Patton reads the audiobooks for the entire series (from what I've seen). YAY! That doesn't mean I like him, but it's consistency. I applaud consistency.
And the final question: Should I continue reading the series? (Lupe: NO. READ SILVER SHADOWS FIRST. >_<)
<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/audiobook-review-the-raven-boys-by-maggie-stiefvater/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
Or maybe, just maybe, like some books, Stiefvater just had the unfortunate timing to be listened to when I'm not exactly in the mood to read.
It's also when I pull off a really cheap Sophia move. Behold – the list of whatnots about <i>The Raven Boys</i>, or just a summary of my thoughts in the process of listening to Will Patton reading this.
<ol>
<li>Blue has always been warned that if she kiss her true love, she'll cause her true love to die. Sadistic as it is, I like that concept. I <em>really</em> like that concept.</li>
<li>It's official: I like it when audiobooks have music.</li>
<li>What kind of name is Blue? I'm a little perplexed, but since it's unique, I'll let it go.</li>
<li>Gansey seemed far too absorbed in the ley line for a good part of the book – he's as bad as David, I'll tell you that right now (just without the whole metaphors thing).</li>
<li>In sync with number four, I don't get the entire point of <em>why</em> they're looking for this watchamawho of a Welsh King. I mean, I probably do, but...</li>
<li>Cringe-worthy as it sounded, I secretly liked that whole, "I... I'm... I'm very young." part.</li>
<li>Why are The Raven Boys called "The Raven Boys?" I'm not sure I caught that. Do they have an obsession with ravens? Is it really because of that pet raven Ronan has (I assume)? Who's willing to tell me this?</li>
<li>I don't really understand that cliffhanger. I know <em>who</em> Stiefvater is talking about, but I don't <em>understand</em>.</li>
</ol>
<b>Fun fact:</b> Will Patton reads the audiobooks for the entire series (from what I've seen). YAY! That doesn't mean I like him, but it's consistency. I applaud consistency.
And the final question: Should I continue reading the series? (Lupe: NO. READ SILVER SHADOWS FIRST. >_<)
<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/audiobook-review-the-raven-boys-by-maggie-stiefvater/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
Kirk Bage (1775 KP) rated Black Mirror - Season 5 in TV
Mar 3, 2020 (Updated Mar 3, 2020)
Contains spoilers, click to show
Striking Vipers - 5.5
Perhaps in retrospect, season 5 should have held out for some better scripts. All 3 (and notably there are only 3, because of the effort and time put into the stand alone feature length Bandersnatch) episodes seem a little rushed and weak in terms of depth of idea; replacing it with more gloss and production value. You can see the cash on the screen in this episode about the natural progression of VR becoming all about virtual sex, regardless of your sexuality in the real world (or maybe because of it). There is some irony in considering how Black Mirror began feeling very British and here feels entirely consumed by Netflix and American values. Is that a clever statement in itself? Not sure. Either way, I am not a big fan on this one. I mean, it’s fine, but we have come to expect more.
Smithereens - 6
If there are any clever links to anything else going on here, in what I am now thinking of as the Black Mirror Universe, then I haven’t picked up on it. This one feels quite surface, and just a very sad story about a man in distress that wants technology to answer for its responsibilities. Andrew Scott is ever excellent in the lead – man, he can really act! – but the rest of the cast seem a little lifeless and under-written. Perhaps they were trying for something more sharply focused, but, for me, the moral message of don’t use your phone whilst driving, is a bit weak.
Rachel, Jack and Ashley Too - 6.5
Known as the Miley Cyrus episode, because… she’s in it, and so is an electronic “toy” that replicates her personality for her teen fans. There is some intrigue around the nature of fandom and obsession; also the idea of media manipulation in projecting a saleable image that may be far from “the truth”. There is a lighter tone here, though, which betrays the Black Mirror ethos to some extent. It is an entertaining piece: the CGI on the toy Ashley is great, and there is a lovely twist 3/4 in when the true personality of it comes out to hilarious effect. But, on the whole, another under-written piece that leaves us hanging on the precipice of doubt leading into another season.
Perhaps in retrospect, season 5 should have held out for some better scripts. All 3 (and notably there are only 3, because of the effort and time put into the stand alone feature length Bandersnatch) episodes seem a little rushed and weak in terms of depth of idea; replacing it with more gloss and production value. You can see the cash on the screen in this episode about the natural progression of VR becoming all about virtual sex, regardless of your sexuality in the real world (or maybe because of it). There is some irony in considering how Black Mirror began feeling very British and here feels entirely consumed by Netflix and American values. Is that a clever statement in itself? Not sure. Either way, I am not a big fan on this one. I mean, it’s fine, but we have come to expect more.
Smithereens - 6
If there are any clever links to anything else going on here, in what I am now thinking of as the Black Mirror Universe, then I haven’t picked up on it. This one feels quite surface, and just a very sad story about a man in distress that wants technology to answer for its responsibilities. Andrew Scott is ever excellent in the lead – man, he can really act! – but the rest of the cast seem a little lifeless and under-written. Perhaps they were trying for something more sharply focused, but, for me, the moral message of don’t use your phone whilst driving, is a bit weak.
Rachel, Jack and Ashley Too - 6.5
Known as the Miley Cyrus episode, because… she’s in it, and so is an electronic “toy” that replicates her personality for her teen fans. There is some intrigue around the nature of fandom and obsession; also the idea of media manipulation in projecting a saleable image that may be far from “the truth”. There is a lighter tone here, though, which betrays the Black Mirror ethos to some extent. It is an entertaining piece: the CGI on the toy Ashley is great, and there is a lovely twist 3/4 in when the true personality of it comes out to hilarious effect. But, on the whole, another under-written piece that leaves us hanging on the precipice of doubt leading into another season.
Caribou recommended Ethiopiques 21: Piano Solo by Emahoy Tsegue-Maryam Guebrou in Music (curated)
BookInspector (124 KP) rated Dear Child in Books
Sep 24, 2020 (Updated Oct 8, 2020)
It is worth reading.
This novel is told from multiple perspectives, and we have three people who are sharing their sides of the story. First of all, it is a woman, who ran away from the cabin. She is sharing her story during the time inside, as well as how she is coping now. She is a really disturbed woman, who went through a lot, and I found her story very engrossing and absorbing. The second character is Hannah, one of the children, that were kept in that cabin. She is on the spectrum of Autism, and she sees her life through a completely different perspective than the woman that was held captive. Hannah is a perfectionist, and the cabin with all the rules imposed by the captor are her norms, so she finds very hard to open up about her life, but when she does, I could not stop reading her parts. The last character would be Matthias, Lena’s father. For me he was the least interesting character of all, I could not understand his role in all this story, but he does have few tricks up his sleeve.
The narrative of this book is pure beauty. It has everything that my thriller loving heart could wish for, the twists and turns left me gobsmacked on many occasions, the suspense was very well placed and kept developing throughout the pages, and I was so absorbed in this novel, that the pages just flew by. The topics discussed in this novel were an obsession, controlling personalities, blind fatherly love, denial, post-traumatic disorder and other mental illnesses, and many more.
The book was set in Germany, and I was very intrigued by the way German police were working. I really liked the writing style of this book, we have the very intense parts with Hannah and the woman in the cabin, as well as calmer ones with Matthias, that created the perfect balance. The chapters are short, so the book was easy to read for me. The ending was amazing and I really enjoyed how this book ended, it did answer my questions and rounded this story very well. I would like to mention, that this book has plenty of violent and disturbing parts, so it might not be very suitable to sensitive readers.
The narrative of this book is pure beauty. It has everything that my thriller loving heart could wish for, the twists and turns left me gobsmacked on many occasions, the suspense was very well placed and kept developing throughout the pages, and I was so absorbed in this novel, that the pages just flew by. The topics discussed in this novel were an obsession, controlling personalities, blind fatherly love, denial, post-traumatic disorder and other mental illnesses, and many more.
The book was set in Germany, and I was very intrigued by the way German police were working. I really liked the writing style of this book, we have the very intense parts with Hannah and the woman in the cabin, as well as calmer ones with Matthias, that created the perfect balance. The chapters are short, so the book was easy to read for me. The ending was amazing and I really enjoyed how this book ended, it did answer my questions and rounded this story very well. I would like to mention, that this book has plenty of violent and disturbing parts, so it might not be very suitable to sensitive readers.
Lee (2222 KP) rated Saint Maud (2020) in Movies
Oct 6, 2020
Saint Maud is a psychological horror about a young nurse (Morfydd Clark) who, following ‘an incident’ while working for the NHS, something horrific that is alluded to in the opening scene, now finds herself working in palliative care.
Maud is a lonely, isolated, and very religious young woman, and as she sits in her sparse little bedsit, she prays to God in the hopes that he will guide her as she begins her new role. That new role sees her taking over as carer for Amanda (Jennifer Ehle), an ex-dancer whose body is now succumbing to terminal cancer. As Maud feeds, bathes and generally does everything for Amanda, her obsession with her faith and religion begins to send her into a downward spiral, becoming increasingly convinced that her personal mission from God is to save Amanda's soul. Amanda’s lifestyle choices and love-life are often at odds with Maud’s beliefs, eventually resulting in tensions between them.
'In my head, she's very much this person who has felt really alienated her entire life and has always found it really difficult to connect with other people,' explains British director Rose Glass about the lead character of her feature-length debut. Morfydd Clark fills that role brilliantly, with her calm and innocent voice narrating much of the film through her prayers, and we experience her failed attempts at connecting with others while on a rather heavy and eventful night out on the town. An ominous score also helps to set the tone, along with a rather gloomy colour palette, and there is a general feeling of dread throughout.
Aside from that, it’s fair to say that Saint Maud really didn’t work for me at all. I was fully invested in the character of Maud, how faith was shaping her, and how her relationship with Amanda was affected. But two thirds into this slow-burn character study of a young woman essentially going through a breakdown, I was bored and desperate for something to happen. Considering the runtime is only 84 minutes long, that’s not good.
A last-minute burst of chaos and horror provided a glimmer of hope but was very short-lived. And an attempt to deliver powerfully, memorable imagery only resulted in laughs from my cinema audience the likes of which I haven’t experienced since the ending of Hereditary.
Maud is a lonely, isolated, and very religious young woman, and as she sits in her sparse little bedsit, she prays to God in the hopes that he will guide her as she begins her new role. That new role sees her taking over as carer for Amanda (Jennifer Ehle), an ex-dancer whose body is now succumbing to terminal cancer. As Maud feeds, bathes and generally does everything for Amanda, her obsession with her faith and religion begins to send her into a downward spiral, becoming increasingly convinced that her personal mission from God is to save Amanda's soul. Amanda’s lifestyle choices and love-life are often at odds with Maud’s beliefs, eventually resulting in tensions between them.
'In my head, she's very much this person who has felt really alienated her entire life and has always found it really difficult to connect with other people,' explains British director Rose Glass about the lead character of her feature-length debut. Morfydd Clark fills that role brilliantly, with her calm and innocent voice narrating much of the film through her prayers, and we experience her failed attempts at connecting with others while on a rather heavy and eventful night out on the town. An ominous score also helps to set the tone, along with a rather gloomy colour palette, and there is a general feeling of dread throughout.
Aside from that, it’s fair to say that Saint Maud really didn’t work for me at all. I was fully invested in the character of Maud, how faith was shaping her, and how her relationship with Amanda was affected. But two thirds into this slow-burn character study of a young woman essentially going through a breakdown, I was bored and desperate for something to happen. Considering the runtime is only 84 minutes long, that’s not good.
A last-minute burst of chaos and horror provided a glimmer of hope but was very short-lived. And an attempt to deliver powerfully, memorable imagery only resulted in laughs from my cinema audience the likes of which I haven’t experienced since the ending of Hereditary.
Kim Pook (101 KP) rated Rent-A-Pal (2020) in Movies
Nov 1, 2022
A man sits down to watch a vhs tape, it looks like one of those dating videos you used to be able to get years ago before the Internet. He fast forwards a few women but doesn't find any who takes his interest, so he sets about his daily tasks of taking care of his elderly mother with dementia and the household chores, before heading out to re record his own dating video.
Whilst collecting a few more dating profiles, he finds a tape called 'rent a pal' which promises that whoever watches will have a new best friend. Being someone who is lonely he decides to purchase the tape. He plays a little of the tape when he gets home before stopping it and watching a movie with his mum instead.
After putting his mum to bed he heads back to the basement to continue watching his new tape, he decides to talk to the guy on the tape as if he can hear him and passes out drunk.
The next day he finds out he got a match on his dating profile and goes to the store to collect the video, however, he forgets his wallet and goes back home to collect it, but when he returns, his match had already matched with someone else. He asks to take the video home anyway, so he could see what he missed.
He is devastated to see that the girl had similar interests to him and was also a carer. He soon turns to his rent a pal video again to talk to it like a real person. Eventually he is watching it over and over again each day, to the point where it becomes an obsession. Even when he goes on a date, he comes home to tell the video about his day and starts letting the guy in the video dictate his life.
It is a very strange movie, the guy in the video isn't actually talking to him but he pretends he is and even calls him his best friend!! It is a well acted movie though, especially by the woman playing David's mother, she really is believable in playing a woman with dementia. It's definitely one of those movies where you become drawn in and eager to see how it ends, but I wouldn't watch it again.
Whilst collecting a few more dating profiles, he finds a tape called 'rent a pal' which promises that whoever watches will have a new best friend. Being someone who is lonely he decides to purchase the tape. He plays a little of the tape when he gets home before stopping it and watching a movie with his mum instead.
After putting his mum to bed he heads back to the basement to continue watching his new tape, he decides to talk to the guy on the tape as if he can hear him and passes out drunk.
The next day he finds out he got a match on his dating profile and goes to the store to collect the video, however, he forgets his wallet and goes back home to collect it, but when he returns, his match had already matched with someone else. He asks to take the video home anyway, so he could see what he missed.
He is devastated to see that the girl had similar interests to him and was also a carer. He soon turns to his rent a pal video again to talk to it like a real person. Eventually he is watching it over and over again each day, to the point where it becomes an obsession. Even when he goes on a date, he comes home to tell the video about his day and starts letting the guy in the video dictate his life.
It is a very strange movie, the guy in the video isn't actually talking to him but he pretends he is and even calls him his best friend!! It is a well acted movie though, especially by the woman playing David's mother, she really is believable in playing a woman with dementia. It's definitely one of those movies where you become drawn in and eager to see how it ends, but I wouldn't watch it again.
Acanthea Grimscythe (300 KP) rated It (2017) in Movies
May 12, 2018
Contains spoilers, click to show
My mom took me to see the new It – and it was great. It does have a few changes that are worth noting though – and I’m curious as to how they will play out in the next part. Presently, the film only covers the part that takes place in 1957-1958 (though in the movie, it’s 1988), which leaves things open for another film.
First, I want to say that I have a thing for Bill Skarsgård. I have since I watched Hemlock Grove, where he plays an upir. So finding out that he would be playing Pennywise somehow dispelled my fear of clowns (which actually formed when I was eight and watched the It miniseries – or at least, the first bit of it). Skarsgård performance is spectacular and I have no complaints regarding his acting.
For the most part, It follows a line between the miniseries and the book. When it comes to a tome the size of It, obviously things have need cutting out. To expect more would likely have mean an entire series (not that I’d complain). There are a few things that really bugged me though. First, Richie does not do his voices in It. This is a major character trait that I feel should have been included – especially since he uses his voice imitations in the book to get past Pennywise. To leave out one of Richie’s defining characteristics is disappointing, as I really wanted to see how it would play out.
Second, once again, what Stan sees differs from the book. Those that have read It know that Stan ends up trapped in a standpipe. Here, a corpse comes at him and in order to escape, he recites the names of birds from a book he keeps in his pocket. This causes the door to open and thus Stan Uris lives. His obsession with birds, like Richie’s voice imitations, is another defining characteristic of the boys that is left out.
Because the movie is pressed for time, it’s easier to understand why other elements are left out – such as the real reason behind Eddie Corcoran’s death (which is left simply at “missing” in the film). In fact, several of the disappearance are touched upon just enough to remind viewers how threatening Pennywise is – and that’s perfect for this film.
Overall, I really enjoyed It. I feel that leaving out those two defining characteristics of Richie and Stan was unnecessary. Despite that, It comes in as one of my favorite film so far this year and I might have to bug Mom to get it for me on DVD.
First, I want to say that I have a thing for Bill Skarsgård. I have since I watched Hemlock Grove, where he plays an upir. So finding out that he would be playing Pennywise somehow dispelled my fear of clowns (which actually formed when I was eight and watched the It miniseries – or at least, the first bit of it). Skarsgård performance is spectacular and I have no complaints regarding his acting.
For the most part, It follows a line between the miniseries and the book. When it comes to a tome the size of It, obviously things have need cutting out. To expect more would likely have mean an entire series (not that I’d complain). There are a few things that really bugged me though. First, Richie does not do his voices in It. This is a major character trait that I feel should have been included – especially since he uses his voice imitations in the book to get past Pennywise. To leave out one of Richie’s defining characteristics is disappointing, as I really wanted to see how it would play out.
Second, once again, what Stan sees differs from the book. Those that have read It know that Stan ends up trapped in a standpipe. Here, a corpse comes at him and in order to escape, he recites the names of birds from a book he keeps in his pocket. This causes the door to open and thus Stan Uris lives. His obsession with birds, like Richie’s voice imitations, is another defining characteristic of the boys that is left out.
Because the movie is pressed for time, it’s easier to understand why other elements are left out – such as the real reason behind Eddie Corcoran’s death (which is left simply at “missing” in the film). In fact, several of the disappearance are touched upon just enough to remind viewers how threatening Pennywise is – and that’s perfect for this film.
Overall, I really enjoyed It. I feel that leaving out those two defining characteristics of Richie and Stan was unnecessary. Despite that, It comes in as one of my favorite film so far this year and I might have to bug Mom to get it for me on DVD.
Rachel King (13 KP) rated Fantasy (Includes: Leopard People, #0.5; Midnight, #0.5) in Books
Feb 11, 2019
The fantasy theme was heavy with all four of the stories in the book. The first story is The Widow's Auction by Sabrina Jeffries. In this novella, a young widow is convinced that it is in her favor to auction off one night with her in return for a large sum of money that she can use to benefit her work with a all-boys' school. Of course, she secretly just wants to know what it's like to actually enjoy the bedtime act. In the realm of make-believe, this was quite the enjoyable mix of lust and romance with no negative consequences.
The second story is Luisa's Desire by Emma Holly. In this fascinating read, an immortal woman seeks an alternative to her need for blood to survive in a remote lamasery buried in the Himalayan mountains of Tibet. While she assumes that the answer is a particular form of meditation, what she instead gets is an aspiring monk who possesses a much more fleshly solution to her problem. Reincarnation takes on a whole new meaning in this short story, and I found the different take on vampires in fiction to be well-written.
The third story is Mr. Speedy by Elda Minger. In this plot, an ambitious young woman decides to make herself over into a man in order to sneak into and cover a male-only conference entirely about getting a woman to go to bed with the man. Her genius plan takes a left-turn when she discovers she is rooming with the city's most eligible bachelor coming off of a horrid divorce - whom she is overwhelmingly attracted to. The irony of this story is that the bachelor becomes increasingly interested in her before he is even aware she is in disguise. The humor of this story made it quite charming in a sexy sort of way.
The final story is The Awakening by Christine Feehan. The story begins her series, the Leopard People, with the tale of a young veterinarian lured deep into the jungle to track down her inheritance. Heavy lust and desire take over quite early in the story as the reader discovers that her presence there has been manipulated by a man of the leopard people who has already claimed her for his mate. The intensity and over-dramatization in the writing made this story less enjoyable for me than the others. I was also put off by the man's extreme obsession with the woman and his reluctance to tell her what was happening to her right from the beginning.
The second story is Luisa's Desire by Emma Holly. In this fascinating read, an immortal woman seeks an alternative to her need for blood to survive in a remote lamasery buried in the Himalayan mountains of Tibet. While she assumes that the answer is a particular form of meditation, what she instead gets is an aspiring monk who possesses a much more fleshly solution to her problem. Reincarnation takes on a whole new meaning in this short story, and I found the different take on vampires in fiction to be well-written.
The third story is Mr. Speedy by Elda Minger. In this plot, an ambitious young woman decides to make herself over into a man in order to sneak into and cover a male-only conference entirely about getting a woman to go to bed with the man. Her genius plan takes a left-turn when she discovers she is rooming with the city's most eligible bachelor coming off of a horrid divorce - whom she is overwhelmingly attracted to. The irony of this story is that the bachelor becomes increasingly interested in her before he is even aware she is in disguise. The humor of this story made it quite charming in a sexy sort of way.
The final story is The Awakening by Christine Feehan. The story begins her series, the Leopard People, with the tale of a young veterinarian lured deep into the jungle to track down her inheritance. Heavy lust and desire take over quite early in the story as the reader discovers that her presence there has been manipulated by a man of the leopard people who has already claimed her for his mate. The intensity and over-dramatization in the writing made this story less enjoyable for me than the others. I was also put off by the man's extreme obsession with the woman and his reluctance to tell her what was happening to her right from the beginning.