Hex Appeal

By: Jim Butcher, Carrie Vaughn, Ilona Andrews, Simon R. Green, Rachel Caine, Erica Hayes, P. N. Elrod - author/editor

Narrated by: Jennifer Van Dyck, Marc Vietor, Gayle Hendrix, Jonathan Davis

Fall under the intoxicating spell of their hex appeal…. In the magical world that lies hidden beneath our own, witches and conjurers play deadly games. They know just the right spell to kill a man with one kiss—or raise him back again. And they’re not afraid to exact sweet revenge on those who dare to cross them. But what if you’re the unlucky soul who falls victim to a conjurer’s curse? And if you had the power to cast a magic spell of your own, would you use it?

In this bewitching collection, nine of today’s hottest paranormal authors tell all-new, otherworldly tales. Spellbinding stories featuring bigfoot, albino vampires, professional wizards, resurrected boyfriends, and even a sex droid from the 23rd century named Silicon Lily. But as our conjurers are about to discover, it’s all fun and games until someone gets hexed. And sometimes, even the best spun spells can lead to complete and utter mayhem.

©2012 Ilona Andrews, Jim Butcher, Rachel Caine, Carole Nelson Douglas, P. N. Elrod, Simon R. Green, Lori Handeland, Erica Hayes, Carrie Vaughn (P)2012 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Heavy hitters serve up sharp, dark, witty urban fantasy in this anthology of nine hex tales, each with a unique twist." ( Publisher's Weekly)

Great book

I have read these authors individually and now in a book of shorts - they shine! I would recommend this anthology to any who want a good listen, and especially if you want quicker bites for short commutes or...

grab bag

This is a short story collection, some were great others were not. If it contains an author you love, then it's worth it. Also good built in stopping places for shorter trips.

An eclectic collection. Some better than others.

I definitely liked some stories better than others but I might have discovered some new authors that I will have to try out.

Some excellent -- some not so great.

Is there anything you would change about this book?

Most of the stories in this collection are excellent. Retribution Clause by Ilona Andrews and Big Foot on Campus were both excellent. The reader performing Big Foot did an amazingly good rendition of Dresden -- so good that I was halfway through the story before I realized that it was different from Marsden's interpretation. Holly's Balm was a nice little visit with resurectionist Holly and Andrew. But I found the forced, tongue in cheek style of Snow Job to be so poor a presentation that I skipped to the next story half way through it. Outside the Box by P.N. Elrod was up to her usual excellent standards. The rest of the stories were moderately good, but not memorable.

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

No. the three best authors are writers whose work I already follow. I enjoyed the addition to their worlds.

What does the narrators bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

It was a decent sampler.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

The narrators all did well. The reader for Big Foot gave an outstanding performance.

Any additional comments?

I've read similar collections and enjoyed learning of new authors. This one had some good storyes by authors whose works I already collect I always hope that a book of this nature will turn up someone new that I've not read before. Such was not the case with this collection.

need readers

several of the stories were read without any emotion, or in a stilted pace