Book 13 of the 2024 Read Your Hoard Challenge
I couldn't interest my library in ordering this anthology and I eventually knuckled under and paid for my own copy. It is typical of the urban fantasy genre, with some of the stories being well told and intriguing while others seemed to merely be filler. It felt severely overpriced for what I got. I realize that part of the price was a donation to an animal rescue charity which makes me seem like a nasty bitch, but I would prefer my money to go to charities in my own country and I would appreciate being able to donate directly, choose the recipient, and receive a tax receipt. It's like being asked at the cash register if you want to donate to some worthy cause. I never do and I'm impervious to guilt, as I know that the store will get the tax benefits, not me. Bah, humbug!
As per usual, I enjoyed the stories written by authors whose work I am familiar with more than the ones unknown to me. The exception to this was Junkyard Rex by Sam Knight. I loved that he ignored the obvious cats and dogs as fictional subjects and chose dinosaurs instead. How smart were dinosaurs? Knight has some ideas about that!
Seanan McGuire wrote a interesting very short piece on the relationship between cats and people, plus the reason cats have nine lives. A bit sentimental, but cat lovers will appreciate it.
The final story is by Patricia Briggs and concerns the tortured kitten rescued from Elizaveta's house during Storm Cursed. This one gives us Sherwood Post's view of that event and it is the origin story of Sherwood's cat, Pirate. It fits into this anthology perfectly. Of course I am greedy for more Mercy Thompson material, so I would have loved it to be longer, but I have to admit that Briggs achieved her purpose here—giving us some insight into Sherwood's amnesia and the opportunity to witness his feelings about his condition. I will never turn down another story in the Mercyverse, especially one dealing with one of my favourite characters, namely Sherwood.
My advice to you: borrow this if you have the chance to. If you, like me, decide that you must pay for it, gird your loins for the dent in your book budget.
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