Visit with fantastical friends new and old in this collection of short stories by USA Today bestselling author Aimee Easterling.From werewolves to witches, from Wolf Camp to isolated beaches, this anthology will transport you to page-turning new worlds in:Thirteenth WerewolfBloodling SongTough as NailsBiological ClockMop MagicSalamander in the BasementDon’t miss six bite-size adventures by an … Magic
Salamander in the Basement
Don’t miss six bite-size adventures by an author who has been described as a “good choice for Patricia Briggs fans.”
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This is a great collection of short stories and flash fiction. My favorite story was Thirteenth Wolf. It’s ferocious, but it also has all the feels that Aimee Easterling is good at incorporating. I would certainly recommend this collection just for that story alone. I can’t wait to read more about Luke. He will be an important secondary character in an upcoming novel and this has been a great backstory of his life and what motivates him.
My second favorite short story was Tough as Nails. I always liked Fen’s character and here we get a glimpse of her life before Half Wolf. She might be young, packless, and hungry, but she isn’t stupid. Follow her adventure as she navigates a hostile world and stumbles upon an unlikely friend.
I received an ARC. This is my honest and voluntary review.
ONE OUTSTANDING COLLECTION!!!
Crap on toast! Aimee totally rocked this collection with such smooth finesse and passion it leaves you reeling. A spinning vortex of startling circumstances and bounty of surprising mishaps that launch your emotions exploding front and center. Entangling a plethora of these engaging storylines and gripping plots that bring this bad boy bursting to life beautifully. Sparks fly as intrigue, mayhem and suspense ensues in epic proportions. Struggling through all the trials and tribulations keeping pace with a slew of twists and turns along with bumps and bruises that propel this baby together flawlessly. Remarkable job Aimee, thanks for sharing this little gem with us.
An anthology of shorts, only three felt complete enough to count. Composite rating: 3.9
thirteenth wolf
The ability to form a complete storyline that grabs you from the first sentence and not lee go until you are salivating for more, that is this short story. The whole concept of death camp follows an academy book feel, but with much more brutal finality. Death being the ultimate failure. A definite five star start.
Bloodline song
Listed as a short, this really feels more like a blurb, giving a reader just a hint of the tale. As a blurb, it’s good, but not enough to give me curiosity. The authors writing skills are still on point though, so rating has to be a 3.5
3). Tough as nails
This feels more complete as a short and explores the insecurities all young adults go through concerning maturity, infatuations, and love. Coming into contact with a mature and secure couple helps this struggling shifter come to terms with what path to take. A great short, it doesn’t necessarily compel you towards the next book, but leaves it to your own curiosity. Rating: 4
4). Biological clock
Again, too short to be given a short story status, this however makes a great blurb, one that did have me curious as to what comes next. I find myself wanting to know where this goes. Blurb rating: 4
5). Mop magic
Again, a definite no as a short. Actually not even enough as a blurb. It’s well written but incomplete nor does it store my curiosity. Rating: 3
6). Salamander in the basement
And last but not least, a refreshing tale from the youthful imagination of a child trying to make a daunting chore more pleasant. This truly felt complete and left me with a feel good moment. Rating: 4
Interesting short stories that felt like appetizers. The Dead Camp in the Thirteenth Werewolf story caught my attention with all the drama and ways to make things happen. Intrigued with Luke’s character and hope for more about him. Enjoyed Fen’s little adventure, laughed with her wolf and think I’m going to read her trilogy again because I like her character very much. An entertaining anthology with good descriptions and narrations, some characters that I knew and a pair of stories that piqued my curiosity
Interesting twist on a reform school summer camp idea! Reminds me of the summer camp movies I watched as a kid. Always wished I could attend one myself. Read this book to immerse yourself in your new favor book!
“Welcome to Death Camp. You have a 42% chance of survival. Please take your orientation packet and head directly to your cabin.”
With a hook like this, you just know that Thirteenth Werewolf, the first story in this collection, is going to be exciting. While the Death Camp is quite grim, the story is heartwarming and humorous despite the violence and has a surprisingly sweet ending.
These six short stories are so much fun! Aimee Easterling has a knack for immediately drawing you into her stories. The language is vivid, the pacing is good, but the best aspect is always the characters. Ms. Easterling has a real gift for creating characters who are memorable, quirky, and likeable. I loved the relationships depicted, whether it was the beautiful trust portrayed between a pair of lesbian werewolves, the touching familial bond between a human woman and an infant dragon, or the snarky banter between an alpha werewolf and his human cousin.
All of the stories in this urban fantasy collection are well written and original. Some of them tie in with the author’s other series, but they all stand alone. Note that there is some violence and occasional profanity.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys short stories involving shifters, witches, and other magical creatures (I found the salamander story quite spooky).
Great collection of short stories revisiting some old characters and seeing a bit of their lives mixed in with an interesting new story in the Thirteenth Werewolf. In it Luke runs a camp for unruly werewolves with the hope of helping them gain control and become a pack. It’s been nicknamed “Death Camp” because less than half of the 12 werewolves that come survive to the end. To make it more interesting they get a walk-in 13th werewolf who we don’t know his name until the end. I hope to see more of both Luke and Prince in future books because they are both complex and compelling characters. Whether you’re already a fan of Aimee Easterling’s books or new, this is a great collection of stories to get the feel for her writing or enjoy a peak into characters lives.
I love Aimee Easterling’s stories and envy those who have come across them for the first time. If you’re in this crowd then you are definitely in for a treat with the six “bite-size” stories in her Thirteenth Werewolf and Other Stories collection. These adventures have one unifying thing: they’re all superbly written. And yes, they also have fantastic plots and great casts of characters too. You really can’t go wrong here. Frankly, but for the fact that I’m literally dictating this review to my husband from my hospital bed, I could go on and on with praises. The collection definitely deserves it. Since I can’t do that I will simply note that this collection is most definitely one to read, and it is easy to highly recommend.