Blood Sisters

May 15, 2015

The 25 stories reprinted in this anthology share a theme, and all the authors are women, but beyond that there is a huge range of styles and approaches on display. From Carrie Vaughn's historical fantasy opener "A Princess of Spain" about Catherine of Aragon to Suzy McKee Charnas's excellent modern tale "Unicorn Tapestry" about a therapist treating a patient who believes he is a vampire, time periods range from the 16th century to the near future and tones from pitch black to lighter fare. There are some selections set in their author's established worlds, such as a Vicky Nelson story from Tanya Huff. Some stories, for instance, Lucy A. Snyder's "Magdala Amygdala" and Holly Black's "The Coldest Girl in Coldtown" show the newly vampirically afflicted trying to fight their urges, and others such as Nancy Holder's marvelous "Blood Freak," in which Dracula meets Timothy Leary, take a more world-weary look at vampires. VERDICT These are all solid additions to the vampire canon with several outstanding pieces. The sensuality is sometimes raw, sometimes repressed, but always lurking at the root of the vampire myth. Readers will enjoy the stories from authors with established fan bases such as Laurell K. Hamilton and Charlaine Harris and might discover some new favorite writers as well.

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