“A Vision in Crimson” Frostbite, Book 1 by Kathryn Troy, Pale and sullen, Luca is a man with a mission: to destroy all vampires—especially the one that fathered him. This will not prove easy, as Luca is the son of Dracula. That’s a great pretext for a story. However, this story takes place on the world of Icarya in the year AD 12,205 and Luca’s companions include a three hundred-year-old time-traveling witch, an aging Hercules (yes, that Hercules), nymphs, fauns, a minotaur, a pegasus, and a talking rat. If the author is going to throw all of that in one book, she had better be able to make it work. Luca the vampire hunter and Kate the witch fall in love. They go mining for quartz because
Frankenstein, Dracula and the Wolfman walk into a bar. The bartender says, "Have a seat. What can I get you?" Dracula says, "A Bloody Mary." Frankenstein says, "Something with a jolt." The Wolfman says, "The hair of the dog that bit me." The bartender says, "That'll be fifteen bucks each," and he fixes the drinks. When they've all been served, the bartender says, "You know, we don't get many famous monsters in here." Dracula sets down his drink and says, "At these prices, I'm not surprised." And they leave.
“Woolgathering” by R. E. Wood, 2018 “Woolgathering is a collection of short stories by R.E. Wood. Like most such collections, it’s up and down—but fortunately, mostly up. The book contains the following: “Just a Shadow” is a tale told from the POVs of a ghost and the little girl he hopes to scare. It’s cute and creepy, sometimes at the same time. 5/5 “Perfect” is a tale of obsession and proof that there really is such a thing as loving someone too much. It’s one of the best stories in the book. 5/5 “The Handyman” is about a man who discovers he really can fix anything. But when he fails to give credit where it’s not due, his fate is sealed. The ending is very believable. 4/5 Nominal
