Dark and Stormy Knights

June 14, 2010
Elrod's urban fantasy anthology has a strikingly similar vibe to 2009's Mean Streets, though the two are otherwise unrelated. The one author both volumes share, Jim Butcher, does his usual top-notch job with the Dresden Files tie-in "Even Hand," a dramatic character study of Chicago crime boss John Marcone and his little-known but powerful drive to protect small children at any cost. Equally as good is Carrie Vaughn's taut and suspenseful "God's Creatures," in which a hunter searches for a werewolf among the residents of a Catholic reform school. Rachel Caine's "Even a Rabbit Will Bite," in which a dragon slayer is rendered redundant by the near extinction of her quarry, is unexpectedly poignant. Six less memorable stories round out the volume.

June 1, 2010
Elrod has collected nine original stories by the modern masters of urban fantasy; an anthology that will both thrill fans and serve as a nice introduction to an increasingly popular genre. Several of the stories are set in the authors series worlds but feature minor characters; Jim Butchers Even Hand, for example, uses the landscape of the Dresden Files series but focuses on Chicago Mob boss Johnny Marcone. Carrie Vaughns Gods Creatures features Cormac, who must track down a rogue werewolf. All the stories feature knights of one kind or another, but none is the conventional knight of history. The entire collection is strong, but the two highlights are Rachel Caines Even a Rabbit Will Bite, about two old foes, and Shannon Butchers The Beacon, in which a reluctant hunter must decide the fate of a small girl. With some of the biggest names in urban fantasy contributing stories, this anthology will be an instant hit with fans.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2010, American Library Association.)