Zen and the Art of Vampirism: Vampires try to talk over Zoe's territory and she finds a non-violent way to change their minds.
( )

A Fantasy Medley, published by Subterranean Press and edited by Yanni Kuznia, includes four fantasy stories. Each story is set in the worlds already created in the authors' novels. Having never read an work by the other three authors, I was most excited to be able to read Murphy's story because I already love her Negotiator series, (about a mortal woman getting mixed up in the complexities of the Old Races).

"From Russia, With Love" is a story of the Old Races and is about the rivalry between Janx and Daisani (two of the Negotiator series' most enigmatic characters) as they attempt win the affection of a barmaid, who happens to be Baba Yaga's daughter. As usual, it was fantastic. I most loved the protrayal of Baba Yaga, who is brutal and powerful and wicked, just as she ought to be. I also liked that this story presented witches, and therefore the possibility of other supernatural creatures that exist outside the restrictions of the old races.

I was quite please to discover that the other stories were wonderful, too.

Read the rest of the book review here. ( )

What a great group of authors to come together in one book. Two stories of high fantasy and two urban fantasy authors weave their tales in this short little appetizer of a book.

Robin Hobb's "Words Like Coins" was the strongest story of the 4 - probably why it was last in the book. Kelley Armstrong's "Zen and the Art of Vampirism", the first story in the collection, is true KA style with a strong female lead, and a dash of humor to temper the macabre. C.E. Murphy's "From Russia with Love" re-introduces Daisani and Janx from her Negotiator series and pits them against the great Baba Yaga and her daughter. Last but not least is Kate Elliot's "Riding the Shore of the River of Death" - the longest story in the book. I think I would have ranked this story higher if I had read more of her other works and was more familiar with her world. Still, an engrossing read.

All in all, the only thing keeping me from rating this 5 stars is the fact that it is so short! ( )

I liked three of the four stories contained in "A Fantasy Medley", edited by Yanni Kuznia and with stories by Robin Hobb, Kelley Armstrong, C.E. Murphy, and Kate Elliott. What I didn't like was the hardback price for less than 150 pages of reading! Tsk, tsk.

Kelley Armstrong provides "Zen and the Art of Vampirism" which was quite a darkly humorous tale of a pacifist vampire and her non-violent battle to defend her city against two interlopers. 23 pages.

"Riding the Shore of the River of Death" by Kate Elliott is apparently set in her 'Crown of Stars' world. I confess that I haven't read Elliott's series and that may be why I found this story the darkest, and most disappointing. A tale of a woman who risks everything to escape an unwanted life. 39 pages.

A cold and witchy tale about friendship and betrayal, "From Russia, with Love" by C.E. Murphy gives a different look at the Baba Yaga myths. 25 pages.

Robin Hobb completes the foursome with "Words Like Coins". For me, the best of the bunch and a wickedly tight tale that almost reads like a current Aesop offering. Right and wrong, and influence vs reality. 34 pages.

I'm not sorry I read "A Fantasy Medley". It's certainly quite different from the 'normal' offerings by the authors I'm familiar with. It is, however, darker fantasy than I'm used to reading. It's also, as I said before, irritatingly short for the cost. ( )

Amazon preorder