Wednesday, August 15, 2007

Best New Romantic Fantasy 2-Paula Guren (ed)

Best New Romantic Fantasy 2
Paula Guren (editor)
Juno, Apr 2007, $13.95
ISBN: 9780809557844

This anthology consists of fifteen well written romantic fantasies published in various sources in 2006. The tales are fun to read as one’s soulmate might be a soul stealer as opposites attract and love does not guarantee a fairy tale happy ever after though it does make the Guren world go round; more often elliptical rather than circular. There are no clinkers as each of the chosen stories is a solid entry though the short format does not lend itself to fully developed paranormal elements. Those excellent few that do typically contain a vivid location make the fantasy seem genuine; especially gripping are the haunting coastal "Journey into the Kingdom" by M. Rickert and the forest of "Evergreen" by Angela Boord. Sub-genre readers will appreciate this fine anthology whether the stars are witches, elves, fairies and various assortments of ilk from other realms as a virtual who’s who (O’Keefe, Friesner, Monette, etc.) contribute. As an aside the first volume is actually titled the BEST NEW PARANORMAL ROMANCE.

Harriet Klausner

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