-Maggie Stiefvater's The Hounds of Ulster
My Rating: 8/10Publisher: Running Press Teen
Publication: August 2010
ISBN: 978-0-7624-3949-2
Page Count: 416 pages
Age Range: Young Adult
Kiss Me Deadly: 13 Tales of Paranormal Love is a compilation of 13 short stories from Sarah Rees Brennan, Becca Fitzpatrick, Caitlin Kittredge, Karen Mahoney, Daniel Marks, Justine Musk, Diana Peterfreund, Michelle Rowen, Carrie Ryan, Maggie Stiefvater, Rachel Vincent, Daniel Waters and Michelle Zink.
The Assassin's Apprentice by Michelle Zink
The first story was one of my favorite stories from the whole book. It's about a girl named Rose who lost her whole family because of a devil named Bael--the devil murdered them all. Rose wanted revenge and that's when Asher came by to assist her.
Simple and sweet, I would love to read a whole book about this story. 10/10 <3 style="font-style: italic;">
Errant by Diana Peterfreund
This story is about Elise, a royal princess who will soon marry. There is a unicorn hunt that's necessary for her since her parents are long gone. Gitta, a unicorn hunter, met Elise because Gitta is paid to hunt for Elise. Gitta helps Elise discover that Elise doesn't need to be controlled by Elise's elite society and her to-be-husband (who's a cheater, by the way).
This story was okay...I like the meaning but not how the story was told. I just feel like some details weren't important, and some were missing. 6/10.
The Spirit Jar by Karen Mahoney
This is another one of my favorites! Moth is a vampire who's assigned to retrieve an Arabic book by her master. Adam, a Djinn (or, genie), also was after the same book. Adam needs it to put his dead girlfriend's soul to peace, after his girlfriend was killed by a psycho-magician. Together, Adam and Moth (after some arguments of who gets the book) fights Bilal (the magician) so that Moth can bring the book to Theo--Moth's master--after putting Adam's girlfriend's soul to peace.
The Spirit Jar was fast paced and lovely, and Moth's story was originally from The Eternal Kiss. 10/10 :D
Lost by Justine Musk
Lost is also one of my favorite story. Sasha was always good at finding things--she just can picture everything that needs to be found. Sasha thinks she never met Haiden, the mysterious guy who seemed to know her well and somehow Haiden teaches Sasha mystical things. Sasha was blindfolded and was told to find an X mark on the ground of the house she never stepped into before. Haiden was teaching Sasha to find lost souls. Sasha was special, and Haiden wants her to be by his side. Who was Haiden, and why did Haiden stopped her to eat the apple?
I think this story was very well written and sweet. I really don't want to spoil it for everyone, so I'll just say this is 10/10. :)
The Spy Who Never Grew Up by Sarah Rees Brennan
In the beginning, the story was very confusing--there's a lot of events in history that are mixed around (and that part is very interesting) and Brennan took Peter Pan into another level. Peter Pan is actually a spy for everyone who will pay, a thief and a kid. Ashley, whose ancestor was Wendy, was dragged along Peter Pan's adventure.
I love this story from the middle to the end, not from the beginning; good idea but in the beginning...it was just a bit random. 7/10
Behind the Red Door by Caitlin Kittredge
This is another one of my favorites! Kittregde wrote a ghost story--about a girl named Jo who's different and doesn't have a lot of friends. Her best friend, Ani, spends a lot of time making out with her girlfriend Deirdre and sometimes leaves Jo alone. There's a creepy house where everyone's told that there were millions of people died in the house, and Deirdre challenged Jo. Jo took the dare, and went in. There, she saw Nicholas who was very kind to her. Jo likes Nicholas--her like grows into need and what she thinks is love. Nicholas, though, was just using her. Nicholas isn't who he seemed to be, and Jo is in a big trouble.
This is one of the rare story that took a turn in a direction that I was not expecting. This happens very rarely, and for surprising me, I love this story. 10/10 XD
Hare Moon by Carrie Ryan
Hare Moon is a forbidden love story about Tabitha and Patrick; two individuals who lived in a different community (one gated and clean, the other forests and wildlife). Tabitha is the kind of girl no one would marry because there are better girls, but Patrick seemed to take an interest of her. Tabitha meets Patrick on the gate every day, praying Patrick will ask Tabitha to leave and explore the beautiful forests with him. But one day, Patrick stopped coming and Tabitha gave up wanting to marry, so Tabitha becomes a nun. Tabitha discovered a letter from Patrick (which Patrick used to tell Tabitha that he loves her) and wistfully yearn for him. Then one day Patrick came back, telling Tabitha that his family died from an unknown virus except him and his little brother. Patrick asks for medicine, and Tabitha took the risk to hide Patrick in the church. Tabitha betrays her community for love--and it will bring everyone misery...
I liked it very much and I'd love to read The Forest of Hands and Teeth (which was included--bits of it--in this short story). 8/10
Familiar by Michelle Rowen
This is another one of my favorites (maybe I have too many..but oh well!). Brenda's mom is a successful witch and wants Brenda to follow the tradition. Brenda doesn't really care...Brenda was told to pick a familiar--a pet which supposed to enhance witch's magic--and she picked Owen, a kitten that looked "half dead". Owen was a shifter--he wasn't supposed to be there. He was a guy, who needed his bracelet--which Brenda took--back to reclaim his place in his family. Even though they're not boss and familiar, there's a connection between them that wouldn't let each other get hurt, no matter how little Owen shows his care or how Brenda acts stupid.
This story was simple and focused, I enjoyed it very much! 10/10
Fearless by Rachel Vincent
Sabine is a mara, a girl who feeds when people dream of their fears. Sabine broke some rules and was sent to a similar place to a juvenile detention center. There's something wrong in that place--Sabine can sense it because the place is fearless. Something--something like Sabine--is sucking everyone's fear, making them abnormal (whereas a mara makes them think of the fears and make them normal). Nash, a bean sidhe (or banshee), Sabine's boyfriend helps Sabine to figure out what's happening and how to get Sabine out of trouble...
It was okay...7/10
Vermillion by Daniel Marks
Ghosts have missions--Velvet and Nick are assigned to team up with Amie to catch a soul that messes up with the living. Velvet and Nick are a couple, but Amie's trying to get in the way. There's something off about Amie, and Velvet wants to stop her without losing Nick. This story is about love, trust and whether someone can choose their paths well or not.
I love this story! 9/10
The Hounds of Ulster by Maggie Stiefvater
The story is about Bryant (not a real name of the main character) who lost a friend named Sullivan. Throughout the story, Bryant gives mystery about losing Sullivan. This story is more philosophical than any of the other story in the book. It defines true friendship and how one cope to losing it, being rebellious and wishful thoughts of wanting things to stay the same.
I like this story because it's more mysterious than the others--it's less romantic, less bloody or ghostly, and Stiefvater never mentioned what "they" are throughout the story, but when readers read this, I'm sure they'll want a follow up novel by Stiefvater. ;) 10/10
Many Happy Returns by Daniel Waters
This is the last one of my favorites! The story is being told from Cal's perspective, who is the father of one of the girls that died. There was a car crash and Mandy (Cal's daughter) was in it. Before Mandy's trip, Mandy told Cal that Mandy thinks she's in love with Jake--her boyfriend. Then Mandy died. Every other teenager in the crash had seemed to wake up with a miracle. Some parents are happy that their children are safe and sound. Some, like Jake's parents, wants to leave the dead plain dead; it's strange to have your son die one day and alive but different another day. Jake's parents think he's a freak. Time passed and Mandy still hasn't woke up. The story is about Cal, waiting for his daughter to come home.
I love this story! Original and sweet! 10/10
Becca Fitzpatrick
In the ARC I received, Becca's story was TBA (to be announced) so...I didn't get to read it. :(
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