A Dangerous Magic | |||||||||
edited by Denise Little | |||||||||
DAW Books, 312 pages | |||||||||
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A review by Thomas Myer
I didn't know that I would enjoy stories with a mostly romantic interest. I'm a
little too, well, hairy-chested for that stuff.
So I cracked open the cover (which had a beach scene complete
with gorgeous angel and guy with trench coat) and started to read "A Little
Death" by Susan Sizemore, which absolutely smacked me in the nose. Angels
of death, cops, and the power of love to turn back the tides of time. I was
joyfully immersed in a dark, believable world, that yeah, had a romantic
pollen running through it, but the writing was smooth and right on track.
Nothing sissified so far.
So I went on.
"Old Delicious Burdens," by Peter Crowther, began deliciously,
every word hammering into the back of my skull:
In other words, not exactly what I thought when someone
mentions the word "romance."
"The Enchanted Garden," by Deb Stover, is a marvelous little tale
set in faerie land, whose protagonist is the new faerie king
awaited by 20 virgin brides... except that he is sidetracked by a human gardener, and things get, well,
interesting.
In "Teel Rules," Mark Kreighbaum's protagonist, Dave, a 32-year-old virgin,
is in love with Teel Mackenzie, except that Teel Mackenzie has multiple manifestations,
each of which captures her essence at a different point in time -- in love with
so and so, depressed about such and such, working at this or that company. Which
one is the real Teel? Can any of the Teels love back?
Other stories by Tim Waggoner, Andre Norton, Michelle West, and
Laura Hayden will totally change your opinion of "romance." Definitely
add this anthology to your collection -- you'll be glad you did.
Thomas Myer is a technical writer who works for Cisco Systems, Inc. When he was eight, he wished he had a lifetime Wookie companion, but all he had was a ferret named Bruce. |
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