Cravings

June 7, 2004
One need only glance at this anthology's lineup of authors to know that it's bound to be loaded with kinky, creative sex. And indeed, that's exactly what Hamilton delivers in "Beyond the Ardeur," which uses the setting of a wedding to bring back virtually the entire cast of characters from her popular series about necromancer Anita Blake. While Hamilton's fans will enjoy revisiting these night creatures, some may be disappointed to find that this tale is all sex and no slaying; the only mystery is which paranormal hunk(s) will satisfy Anita's ardeur. Far more suspenseful is York's "Burning Moon," which follows a blind tarot reader and a werewolf as they steam up the sheets and try to trap a serial killer. Equally compelling but more inventive is Wilks's "Originally Human"; neither the succubus heroine (whose age varies between 19 and 300, with stops at 50 and 35) nor the reader uncovers her amnesiac mystery man's identity till the final pages. Davidson, meanwhile, delivers nonstop, witty repartee and a surprise denouement in "Dead Girls Don't Dance," a delightful romance between a vampiress and her old college classmate. By turns sensual, suspenseful and amusing, this anthology will satisfy almost any craving.

July 1, 2004
Four novellas focus on feminine desire. Hamilton, the reigning queen of vampiric romance, offers a new Anita Blake tale, "Beyond the Ardeur." Anita is attending a friend's wedding when Nathaniel, her " pomme de sang " (i.e., the outlet for her intense desire, or "ardeur"), makes known in no uncertain terms that he wants to take the relationship to the next level. Anita's subsequent actions take her to a place she has hitherto carefully avoided. In MaryJanice Davidson's "Dead Girls Don't Dance," vampire Andrea Mercer is literally dug up by an old crush, Daniel Harris, and during a trip to Minnesota to see the vampire queen, her desire for him reignites. Succubus Molly Brown discovers a gorgeous, naked man in the woods and decides to help him recover his memory in Eileen Wilks' "Originally Human," and in "Burning Moon," Rebecca York brings a werewolf seeking vengeance for his mate's death to a psychic's door. Exciting, spicy tales sure to please fans of steamy supernatural fiction. (Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2004, American Library Association.)