Review--Chicks Kick Butt edited by Rachel Caine and Kerrie Hughes

Today's women don't stand around waiting for a hero. These days, women are quite capable of solving their own problems and slaying their own dragons (or demons, as the case may be).

In this all-new anthology, Kerrie L. Hughes and New York Times bestselling author Rachel Caine have collected original stories from thirteen of today's most exciting urban fantasy and paranormal authors.

Each story features a strong heroine who kicks butt and takes names in a dangerous world and makes that world a better place for everyone in it--except the bad guys, of course. And if she finds a bit of romance along the way, well, a little heat warms the heart and sharpens the mind...just as long as the man can keep up.

This has to be the coolest anthology ever! Chicks Kick Butt is an urban fantasy anthology with 13 incredible short stories from 13 incredible authors!

Since anthologies are hard to review, I'm breaking this down by each story, so here goes in the order that they are in:

Shiny by Rachel Caine

Love the Weather Warden series and it was fun to be back with Joanne and David! Shiny includes an awesome car chase with Joanne behind the wheel trying to track down another Djinn. One with a major attitude problem and happens to be a model! It has quite a shocking twist near the end too that totally blew me away!

Overall rating 5/5 stars

In Vino Veritas by Karen Chance

This one is about Dory--Mircea's daughter who's a dhampir. There's lots of action in this one and rousing drinking game that Dory takes part in, in order to save another vamp's life. But when the alcohol of choice is faery wine, things get mighty interesting.

Overall rating 3/5 stars

Hunt by Rachel Vincent

My FAVE of the anthology!! Once again we get to go back to Rachel's Shifter world and this time Abby is grown up. It's been 2 1/2 years since the events of Stray and what happened to her. And the camping trip she takes with her friends becomes a huge mess when a group of hunters starting offing her friends. Seriously! You learn this about 1-2 pages in! And there's quite a bit of surprises to deal with as well. Abby still deals with what happened to her in Shift and does what she can to overcome it and save the friends that she has left. Oh and Jace is there too!

Overall rating 5/5 stars

Monsters by Lilith Saintcrow

This was an interesting one. We have a vampire or Protector who is out for vengeance, for her charges were murdered. She is now out on a quest to track down each and every killer. She also finds some unexpected help along the way.

Overall rating 3/5 stars

Vampires Prefer Blondes by P.N. Elrod

This was another interesting one that has an old-time kind of mystery feel. It's set in 1937, hence "old-time". It has quite the opening when a group of men are searching for a particular blonde at a show house where talent performs, both male and female. The vamps are looking for a female. Bobbi who knows more than the average woman soon finds out that there's a whole lot more going on than meets the eye and sets out to help the blonde.

Overall rating 2.5/5 stars

Nine-Tenths of the Law by Jenna Black

Morgan Kingsley is back! As far as I could tell, it seems like this takes place some time before the final book. There was nothing definite to that feeling, just a guess. Morgan is contacted by a set of parents who are concerned that their daughter is possessed and want Morgan to do an exorcism. But when the mother almost lets it slip that they're members of God's Wrath, Morgan--and Lugh's instincts are kicking! Morgan has to do some investigating and she's going to have to get help from Reporter Barbie!

Overall rating 4/5 stars

Double Dead by Cheyenne McCray

This definitely takes place before Zombies Sold Separately and if you've read that you'll know why! It might even be earlier than that. My memory is fuzzy on a particular detail, but oh well. It doesn't matter when this takes place. It was quite interesting. This time Nyx is up against Metamorphs. And they've kidnapped her, about to put their evil plan into action unless Nyx can stop them in time.

Overall rating 5/5 stars

A Rose by Any Other Name Would Still be Red by Elizabeth A. Vaughn

This was another one I wasn't too familiar with, so it took some getting used to. Red is trying to rescue someone from slave dealers. There's a lot of bad guys to eliminate in the process and then she receives some unusual help.

Overall rating 2/5 stars

Superman by Jeanne C. Stein

Loved this one! Anna is back and it turns out her ex, Max, needs her help in tracking down a vampire. And killing it. For the vampire is "helping" foreigners cross the border into the US, but then drains them dry--killing them--before they ever reach American soil. It was pretty good. Although the mention of one character has me at a loss, perhaps because it's been too long since I read Jeanne's last book!

Overall rating 4/5 stars

Monster Mash by Carole Nelson Douglas

This was a Delilah Street story and I have yet to get to this series and really considering changing that once I get the chance! Delilah was a fun character and the world setting was just amazing! Very UF! Delilah is trying to do Sansovci a favor by helping out his boss with a problem. There's some screaming going on at the casino that can't be settled. There are a lot of CinSims about the place--ghost like beings of celebs and sometimes characters they played, wasn't 100% clear on all of it. But it was rather fun, because these CinSims are a large part of the story and there was more than one familiar face in the mix!

Overall rating 5/5 stars

Wanted: Dead or Alive by L.A. Banks

This was another one I wasn't familiar with. So I have no idea if the characters were apart of her series or not. Tanya was once human and killed a powerful vampire and became a vamp. Now that vampire's friends and enemies are out to get her because she wants to change vampire ways. She ends up getting some help from a vamp who may not be all bad. And together they will do what's necessary to survive.

Overall rating 2.5/5 stars

Mist by Susan Krinard

This was perhaps the most confusing story for me. I almost stopped reading it, but I kept going. The MC is Mist and she's not quite human. That much was easy to gather. There's some sort of mystical world she once was apart of but is no longer. For some reason I was just totally lost throughout this one.

Overall rating 1/5 stars

Beyond the Pale by Nancy Holder

Meg is a Gifted person and was once a Border Patrol Officer for the borders of Mexico, but after a tragic finding she begins to question things. She ends up going to Germany and joining another group of Border Patrol Officers. This was another slightly confusing one, but not as much. There's still the fae involved of a sort. They mention the Pale which is the line between the Faery world and our world. There's mentioning of Changelings and they're a big part of the storyline as well. The ending kind of confused me as well, but I had been reading all day, so my mind was probably spent!

Overall rating 3.5/5 stars

TOTAL Overall rating for the entire collection: 4/5 stars