Dark and Stormy Knights, edited by P.N. Elrod

ISBN: 9780312598341

I bought this book.

Anthologies are increasingly serving as “samplers” for hungry paranormal readers, but books like this one prove anthologies can be more. In fact, the tales in this book all carry such depth and weight it’s hard to choose a favorite.

“A Questionable Client” by Ilona Andrews is from one of my favorite series and focuses on one of my favorite characters, the Frost Giant/shape shifter Saiman. And true to the full length novels in the series Andrews packs the pages with humor, magic and rich mythos-inspired adventure. The story is independent enough to be enjoyed by pure newbies to Andrews work as well.

Butcher’s Dresden Files series is another one I enjoy, but I have to say I liked even more that “Even Hand” was told, not from the hero’s point of view, but from reoccurring villain, Gentleman Johnny Marcone’s head. This tale is exciting and ruthless as well as leaving readers delightfully confused on just how much of a bad guy the king pin is.

I’ve never read Shannon K. Butcher before, but her tale, “The Beacon”, was surprisingly dark and very, very good. It has a distinct Lovecraftian feel with a nomad man forced to sacrifice the innocent to save the world from creatures from beyond, leaving me to believe she could have horror fans eating out of her hands as much as romance readers, if the mood struck her.

Another new one to me, Rachel Caine’s “Even a Rabbit Will Bite” is about the classic battle between knights and dragons, even after the world has moved on. While a distinctly European in a flooded field, it touches on themes of war, justified or not, and the gluttonous, self-perpetuating fallout of the fight.

P.N. Elrod’s “Dark Lady” is a Prohibition tale of her classic vampire detective (Dracula-style, not Cullen-inspired) and his quest to help all the damsels in distress (living and not) who stumble into him. Here he has to help a woman set up by the mob all for the sake of true love. The alt-history adds another rich level of flavor to this anthology.

Deidre Knight’s “Beknighted” goes a completely different way, both with the conflict being less direct and the heroine’s “magic” being less super-power-y and more alchemical. It could have benefited from a touch less atmosphere and more world explanation, but the premise and challenge is quite intoxicating.

“Shifting Star” by Vicki Pettersson is another new world to me, which probably explains why I was a little lost during this story. The writing is engaging and the lead (a creature birthed from a magical being’s thoughts and willed into true life) and her struggle to be independent in a human world is quite compelling. But the world setting, I think, was designed for readers already familiar with Pettersson’s Zodiac books.

“Rookwood & Mrs. King” by Lilith Saintcrow is a passive aggressive tale who’s narrator switches suddenly between a snide aloofness to desperation Sometimes he seems to just be telling readers “you have no idea” with an all knowing look, then in the next scene he’s passionately grabbing us and explaining a great deal, begging us to believe. It does lead to an off-kilter, mad feel to Saintcrow’s half-vampire hero, but leaves readers less invested in this story than the others.

“God’s Creatures” by Carrie Vaughn closes the anthology. Since I wasn’t quite a fan of her Kitty series I went into this one with some trepidation and discovered a tale of instinct, morality and cowboy justice in what should be a more logical world.

Its a perfect tie-in between the previous stories and a reminder of the book’s theme, tales of the knights, unlikely and obvious, who stand between people and the darkness that seeks to devour them. A powerful, wonderful paranormal read, I’d advise readers to make this anthology one of the ones you pick up first.