Heroic Hearts

I have read over 100 anthologies, and I can honestly say that this was the first one that I read that had ALL good/great stories! Only one had an abrupt ending that was a bit discomfiting, but still satisfactory. The rest had me saying "that was awesome!" or "such a good story!". Worth every penny.

I usually have such a hard time rating anthologies, but not this time! There were way too many amazing stories to give the whole less than 5 stars!1. Little Things by Jim ButcherThis is part of the Dresden Files, which I love. I didn't actually finish the story because I'm not up to date on the series, and I realized this story might have spoilers. I LOVE that it is written from Toot Toot's perspective and I can't wait to finish it! I'm giving it four stars because it is Jim Butcher and he doesn't disappoint. I may update that after finishing it.2. The Dark Ship by Anne BishopThis is set in the world of the Others, and I am completely obsessed with everything to do with those series. The story itself is amazing, it's a glimpse at a completely new part of the world, one I hope Bishop decides to explore more. True to form, it is compelling and gripping and wonderful! 5 stars!!3. Comfort Zone by Kelley ArmstrongI'm not familiar with the characters in this story. I read the first couple of Otherworld books and couldn't get into them. I'm thinking I may need to give it another shot because this story was pretty good. Solid characters and an interesting plot. 4 stars.4. Train to Last Hope by Annie BelletI have never read anything by Bellet, but I'm going to check out some of her series now! This story was haunting and wonderfully written. I liked the gritty setting and the complex characters, and the story itself was very compelling. 4 stars.5. Fire Hazard by Kevin HearneI am not familiar with any of Hearne's books, but I imagine this story features characters from a series. I had a heard time getting in to the story. I did like that it was from a dog's point of view, that was a fun touch, but overall I was a bit bored with this one. 3 stars.6. Grave Gambles by R.R. VirdiI haven't read any of Virdi's books, but I really love this character. Based on the set up, I imagine this is part of a series as well. The story is fun and intersting, and the characters drew me in. I got Quantam Leap vibes from the whole thing. It was wonderful. 4 stars.7. Silverspell by Chloe NeillThis is another new to me author, and I believe this story is part of a bigger series (the characters and world have the feel of being well established). I liked this one well enough to hunt down the series, but overall it wasn't my favorite. It was a little predictable, even for a short story, but the characters were interesting and I'd like to read more about the world they inhabit.8. Troll Life by Kerrie L. HughesLoved this one! I've never read this author, but I would like to read more about this world. Hughes does a great job building this story with characters you have to root for and a world you'd like to visit. 4 stars.9. The Return of the Mage by Charlaine HarrisI loved the Sookie Stackhouse books, and I believe I remember these characters from that series. This has a completely different feel to it though. I was a little lukewarm about the whole thing, although I did find Batanya interesting. 3 stars.10. The Vampires Karamazov by Nancy HolderI didn't care for this story, unfortunately. I felt like it was kind of all over the place and it never really established itself for me. The ending was a bit confusing as well. 2 stars.11. The Necessity of Pragmatic Magic by Jennifer BrozekI am here for Maureen! I loved her spunk and humor. This story was highly entertaining and I'm hoping it's part of a bigger series because I would definitely read more of this! 4 stars12. Dating Terrors by Patricia BriggsI love the Mercy Thompson/Mercyverse books! Asil is such a wonderful, complex character and Briggs weaves her stories in such a way that you are caught from the beginning! I would give this more than 5 stars if I could! I cannot wait to see where this story goes...I'm sure we'll be seeing more Asil in the future. *Note* While you can read this as a standalone, there are other Asil dating side stories that you should check out. And it always helps to have read the series. In this instance, it is the Alpha and Omega series.

A variety box of stories from different authors. Some stories are better than others, as is always the way with this type of book, but the idea, for me with this type of book, is to introduce me to authors I have not come across before. Some I may try, some I may not.

I only bought this for the next ‘Asil’s dates’ story from Patricia Briggs, so that’s the only one i was interested in reading. I can thoroughly recommend it for that though!

Any book with Harry Dresden in it is a winner as far as I'm concerned.