Immortal: Love Stories with Bite

Multiple Authors - 8 short stories
Edited by P.C. Cast
Paperback: 280 pages
Published August 2008 by BenBella Books

From Amazon: "In Immortal: Love Stories With Bite, edited by New York Times bestselling author of the House of Night series P.C. Cast, eight of today's most popular YA vampire and contemporary fantasy authors offer new short stories that prove that when you're immortal, true love really is forever."

I have found that I am not a fan of short stories.  First, I get frustrated that when the story is just getting good, it ends. I don't get enough detail, enough character development, enough plot. Second, I just can't get motivated to read this way. I know I only have 30 or so pages to read a whole story, so I read it, then quit. My reading habits were severely diminished by this.  Now, if you are someone who doesn't have a lot of time to read and don't finish stories quickly, then this is a good book for you!  I'll break down each of the 8 stories with a quick opinion.

Introduction by PC Cast:  I love her analysis of why we are so fascinated with vampire stories.

Haunted Love:  "Cynthia Leitich Smith (Tantalize) gives us a love triangle between a vampire, a ghost and a human girl, in which none of them are who or what they seem"  This was an interesting story - definitely would have liked more detail and to have been made into a long story.


Amber Smoke: "Kristin Cast (the House of Night series) introduces us to a new kind of vampire: one with roots in Greek mythology, and the power to alter space and time"  This was best as a short story. Not much more could have developed from it.  It was okay.

Dead Man Stalking: "Rachel Caine (the Morganville Vampires series) revisits the setting of her popular series, where the vampires are in charge and love is risk."  This short story made me want to pick up the Morganville Vamp series ASAP! 

Table Manners:  "Tanith Lee (Black Unicorn) shows us what happens when a bright young woman with some supernatural savvy encounters a misguided (but gorgeous) young vampire."  This story was utterly stupid - a waste of reading time.

Blue Moon: "Richelle Mead (the Vampire Academy series) brings us the tale of a young vampire on the run from the rest of her kind, and the human boy who provides the getaway car."  Um, yes please!  I want more! So, I guess I'll be reading the Vampire Academy series very soon as well.

Changed: "Nancy Holder (the Wicked series, Buffy the Vampire Slayer) immerses us in a post-apocalyptic New York where two best friends are forced to make a choice that may kill them both."  Holder is definately not shy of killing innocent humans off!  I'm not crazy on her writing style, but the story was okay.

Binge: Rachel Vincent (Shifters series) tells the story of a siren and a muse, both best friends, who struggle with self-control and lust within that self control. This was my first exposure to sirens since The Odyssey. I found it quite interesting.

 
Free (A story of Evernight): "Claudia Gray (Evernight) takes us into the world of her Evernight series, in which a pre-Civil War courtesan-to-be is courted by a pale, fair-haired man whose attentions are too dangerous to spurn."   This was my favorite story of them all, probably because I really like the Evernight series. It tells the story of Patrice and how she became a vampire.  If you have read Evernight, you will definitely like this one.

Overall - I give the anthology 3 stars.  Some stories deserve 4, while others deserve 1 or 2. Take your pick: read them all or just a few.