Paranormal/Futuristic
Never After
By Pamela Denise
Mar 1, 2010 - 2:39:18 PM

CAN HE BAKE A CHERRY PIE? by Laurell K. Hamilton

Princess Elinore loathes the idea of marrying the Earl of Chillsworth, a perverted old man. Her father is pushing for the connection as a way to get back into good graces at court. Desperate to keep her father from announcing the betrothal, Elinore declares’s that she will go rescue Prince True. Prince True’s tale had become legend. He was an arrogant prince who’d been imprisoned by an evil sorceress over fifty years ago. A series of trials must be passed in order to rescue him, but so far no one that has made an attempt has ever returned. Knowing this, Elinore bravely faces what’s required and has to make some unexpected decisions along the way. http://www.laurellkhamilton.com

THE SHADOW OF MIST by Yasmine Galenorn

Selkie Siobhan Morgan fled from an arranged marriage, leaving behind an abusive fiancé over one hundred years ago. Now she is settled in the United States and has put her past behind. Secure in her new life with supportive friends and the love of her life, Mitch, Siobhan has just found out she’s with child when her old life comes back to haunt her.  Terrance has tracked her down, intent on dragging her back to her homeland to make good on the promise of marriage. Nothing will stand in his way,and he’s not beneath ending a few lives to achieve his goal. http://www.yasminegalenorn.com

THE TANGLEROOT PALACE by Marjorie M. Liu

Year’s before her parents marriage, Princess Sally’s mother had a close friend who had a son. The two women hoped their children would marry one day and so an informal arranged marriage was formed, but the two never met. Years later, after the passing of Sally’s mother, her father finds himself in a dire situation. War has broken out in the surrounding lands. In order to fortify his kingdom, he has decided to make good on the wish of Sally’s mother, making the betrothal official. The man whom she is promised to is well known as a powerful domineering warlord. To escape marriage, Sally runs away in search of answers about her future to the Tangleroot forest. Along the way she meets a group of travelling performers and has to face an evil queen.

http://marjoriemliu.com

THE WRONG BRIDEGROOM by Sharon Shinn

Princess Olivia has been pledged to Sir Harwin Brenley since childhood. However, Olivia finds Harwin to be the most boring person she’s ever encountered and can’t stand the idea of becoming his bride. The king decides to pacify his daughter by holding a tournament to find his daughter a husband. After the final challenge, there is a tie between two competitors, leaving Olivia to choose which one she wishes to marry. Soon she sets out with her chosen on a trip to meet his family. Along the way, surprising encounters occur and Olivia comes to realize things are not always what they appear. http://www.sharonshinn.net

NEVER AFTER is a collection of modernized fairy-tale like stories that all feature women thwarting the idea of arranged marriages to have a chance at happiness and true love. The opening narrative, CAN HE BAKE A CHERRY PIE? by Laurel K. Hamilton was a cute little number that was a bit like the classic fairy-tales, but with a decided modern twist. In THE SHADOW OF MIST, Yasmine Galenorn brings her OTHERWORLD series to the mix with an intriguing tale that gave glimpses of her D’Artigo sisters (from SISTERS OF THE MOON series) as supportive friends to the heroine. THE TANGLEROOT PALACE by Marjorie M. Liu was an imaginative read that I found to be charming and well developed.  The closing story, THE WRONG BRIDEGROOM by Sharon Shinn, was a delightful read. I truly enjoyed each of the characters in this and loved the interaction between all. Overall, I found this to be a worthwhile and satisfying anthology that showcased a mix of styles. There is no gallant hero dashing in to save the damsel in distress, the women do all the rescuing. It’s certainly an enjoyable read to pass the time with.