Must Love Hellhounds

I love dogs; ergo, I chose this anthology. And it's a good one, guys.

Paranormal Romance

I don't think that Charlaine Harris has written a series related to The Brittingens Go to Hell, and if that's true I really wish she would. The Britlingens are a company of bodyguards in an alternate universe. Batanya and Clovache (both women) have been hired by a thief named Crick to protect him while he steals something back from Lucifer in Hell. The story stands entirely on its own and there is some incredible world-building, at times evoking an epic Eddings-esque fantasy. The characters are slightly twisted, but fun to be with, although there is some incredibly jarring head-hopping, but the hellhounds have some cool saliva and the slugs are even cooler (although they're not hounds).

Paranormal Romance

If this story is any indication, I'll be breaking my monthly book budget yet again. Angels' Judgment is the prequel to Nalini Singh's new series and, although the beginning is a leetle confusing, it holds its own and introduces an interesting world where angels make vampires and the Guild hunters go after rogue vamps. Sara has been chosen as the next Guild director, but before she accepts there is one last assignment she has to fulfill, and a mysterious man named Deacon offers his help. The chemistry is good, the story is good, and even though the dog is a little perfunctory and not at all relevant to the story, her name is ultra-cute.

Paranormal Romance

I have another series to glom. Magic Mourns takes place in a post-Apocalyptic Atlanta where magic regularly wreaks havoc on technology, rendering it unreliable. Shapeshifters, humans, vampires and other beings share the world, and people like Andrea go around solving magic-related problems; the call that she gets today involves Cerberus, dog of the underworld, and a hyena shapeshifter on fire (and you don't get much more problematic than that). Ilona Andrews tries to pack too much in 100 pages, but the plot is decent and the romance stems from a previously established relationship, which gives it weight it mightn't otherwise have. (Although Cerberus is a little boring – giant red-eyed three-headed dog from hell, yeah yeah.)

Paranormal Romance

Blind Spot starts out rather blurrily, with a whirl of names, both new and old characters, that I had trouble keeping apart. However, once the threads come together the plot and characters reveal a depth rarely seen in short fiction. Instead of world-building, Ms. Brook chose to focus on character and plot development, and it works greatly in her favor. Maggie Winters is the next in a small but strong line of female butlers with a past that comes to haunt her, and Geoffrey Blake is a blind hero with a twist – together they are marvelous. However, as fascinating as they are, only one character owns the story and that is Sir Pup, the shapeshifting, snarky hellhound with a sense of humor and lots of hammerspace (the dog's virtual unlimited storage – God, that'd be useful).

So despite an absolutely craptastic cover (my God, is it ever so), this anthology is decidedly on the opposite side of the spectrum. Underneath the ugly-ass cover lies quality story-telling and fun for the canine lover. And sometimes, you can't ask for much more.

-- Jean Wan

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