Review of Wolfsbane and Mistletoe
Harris and Kelner bring a whole new meaning to Christmas this year. The usual jovial cheer of the holiday season is marked with a dark omen, that of werewolves to be exact, in the latest anthology. The authors provide a creative mix of horror and humor, and there are also some characters you might recognize. Here’s a sampling of some of the stories provided in the book.
Gift Wrap, by Charlaine Harris, finds Sookie Stackhouse alone at Christmas, that is, until she discovers an ailing werewolf outside her home. Not one to abandon a creature in trouble, Sookie swings into action. For those who don’t follow the series, this story takes place just after the latest novel.
In Lucy, at Christmastime, Simon Green writes a short story that complements his popular Nightside series; a werewolf having drinks at a Nightside bar during the holiday season reminisces about his past, including his past love.
Supernatural creatures are usually good-hearted in The Night Things Changed by Dana Cameron. However, in a twist of fate, one turns out to be a killer. A female vampire and her werewolf brother investigate the matter.
Kat Richardson incorporates twisted humor in her story The Werewolf before Christmas. Matthias is a werewolf who has found himself in an unlikely predicament in the North Pole. After having munched on Rudolph the Reindeer, he is forced by St. Nick to be his replacement. How will this mighty werewolf handle being tied to a sleigh?
In true Christmas spirit, Carrie Vaughn writes an uplifting story with her “II Est Ne” contribution. An unlikely encounter in a Waffle House finds Kitty and her new friend, a recently turned werewolf, hunting down a serial killer and changing both their dismal outlooks.
“You’d Better Not Pyout” by Nancy Pickard focuses on two ex-soviet vampires who discover an interesting truth: Santa is actually one of their kind. Being “Santa” gives him the ability to enter homes on Christmas Eve and return later for a snack deadlier than milk and cookies. This is a funny story which describes how the conniving Russians try to get a piece of the action.
In “Rogue Elements”, Karen Chance writes a police mystery set in the supernatural realm of Las Vegas which involves identity denial and werewolf politics.
These talented authors make this compilation a fun and easy read, and will definitely get even the most hardened Scrooges into the Christmas spirit.
