I really enjoyed this book of short stories. I am an avid Laurell K. Hamiliton reader and her name was what drew me to the book, but I'd like to say that I now have added another author to my must read list.... Charlaine Harris. I have now read the first 3 in her "Sookie Stackhouse" series.I would recommend this book to anyone who likes vampires or stories of the supernatural.

I loved Angela Knight's story "Galahad" it was the best. My only complaint was that it was not long enough he and Caroline should have had there own book. The rest of these stories sucked.

GREAT book! I bought this book mainly for the short story by Charlaine Harris, and it was REALLY good. I enjoyed it thoroughly, and would reccomend it to anyone. It was great. I also started the story right after that one, and it seemed good too. Glad I bought this book.

GREAT book! I bought this book mainly for the short story by Charlaine Harris, and it was REALLY good. I enjoyed it thoroughly, and would reccomend it to anyone. It was great. I also started the story right after that one, and it seemed good too. Glad I bought this book.

Bite is a collection of five short stories from Laurell K Hamilton (her Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter series), Charlaine Harris (a Sookie Stackhouse short story), MaryJanice Davidson, Angela Knight and Vickie Taylor. I was very familiar with the first two authors but had read nothing of the other three.

Overall this collection was disappointing to me. Although the Laurell Hamilton story "The Girl Who Was Infatuated With Death" was OK it wasn't particularly deep (yes, I know it's a short story and so has limited space). It is set in the interval between Blue Moon and Obsidian Butterfly but fortunately hasn't descended, at that point, into the soft porn that the Anita Blake novels have turned into. The story itself is fairly simple and its resolution is really a chance to enable the main characters Anita Blake and Jean-Claude the Master Vampire to meet again. It was a perfectly acceptable story but nothing to get really excited about.

The Charlaine Harris story "One Word Answer" is set at the end of the third or fourth Sookie Stackhouse novel where Sookie and Vampire Bill are just friends rather than lovers. It features a strange night visit to Sookie's house of an unknown vampire who comes bringing news of a legacy left to Sookie by a cousin who, it turns out, was a vampire and was staked the previous month. There's more going on than the story suggests and, for once, Sookie realises this before Bill Compton or Bubba, her two neighbourly vampires. This is a fun little story but doesn't add much overall to this series.

The third story, "Biting in Plain Sight" by MaryJanice Davidson was really good and worked pretty well as a standalone story. I don't know if this author has written anything else on this theme, but if so this would inspire me to read it. Her main character is a vampire vet - all the people who live in her village know she's a vampire but it's not talked about. When she hears of trouble she finds one of the fellow villagers wants to help her and this is the start of an investigation into a rogue vampire who is causing young mortals to commit suicide. Sophie and her new assistant Liam, the friendly but slightly dim-seeming farmer, ride to the rescue and find each other in the process. It was a well-written book and I enjoyed it very much.

On the other hand, Galahad by Angela Knight was a real disappointment. I expect it's part of a wider series as there was an awful lot of stuff thrown at me that I didn't have a full explanation for. But the basic story seemed to be something upon which to hang a steamy sex scene and it didn't work for me at all. The world/environment was very complex, the magic these people wielded seemed far too convenient to help them save the day, and the sex scene didn't feel sexy. A disappointment. And not actually all that Vampiric - Galahad was a vampire but that was a very minor part of the book; it was mostly about witchcraft.

"Blood Lust" by Vickie Taylor was a better story. It's about a man who has invented synthetic blood, only to have a vampire steal his work and his fiancée. Daniel researches vampires, then plans to be made into one so he can gain revenge and rescue his fiancée by killing her (obviously she wouldn't want to be a vampire really). To do this he finds Deadre, the lonely female vampire, at a club and tries to persuade her to turn him into a vampire. Of course he doesn't really know what he's letting himself in for, particularly the requirement for regular blood as a new-born vampire, and things aren't really what they seem. This was a good story although the denouement happened rather easily, as in all of these stories.

Having read the book, it is obviously something than fans of these authors might want to complete their collection, and the stories are OK in their own right, but none of them are really fantastic and the short story formula doesn't quite seem to provide enough depth to make these truly satisfying stories.

This book of short vampire stories is BAD, BAD, and BAD. The books feels like it was put together in a matter of hours all in pursuit of the mighty dollar. The stories are meaningless, contrived, and a waste of the paper they were printed on. The ONLY REDEEMABLE story in the whole bunch was Angela Knight's Galahad. If she's smart, she'll turn that into a full story to add to her collection of Mageverse. Galahad's story was quite good. We actually read a plot that developed quickly and had a show-down between good and evil. It also explained how another of the three "unholy" grails was destroyed. I'm glad I bought the book simply for that particular story. Galahad deserves FIVE STARS but the book as a whole should simply be left out in the yard for the sun to destroy.

Pages 1-58 are two new stories. The rest of the book are stories that were published years ago and slightly modified so that they could have a 2005 copyright. If you are widely read, 200 pages of old stories will be a major disappointment.

Also, I wouldn't judge any of the individual authors based on what is in the book. The editing appears to be significantly different than what is normal.

Try the anthology "Dates From Hell" instead of this one. Much better writing and editing!

I picked up this book mainly because Laurell K. Hamilton's name is on it, and, being a VERY devoted Anita Blake reader, I bought it to follow along in the series.

Laurell K. Hamilton writes a short story called "The Girl Who Was Infatuated With Death" that is set between Blue Moon and Obsidian Butterfly. Even though the story is only about 30 pages, I couldn't help but read over and over the hot chemistry and scene between Anita and Jean-Claude. The story is about a mother who has a daughter that has bone cancer. The daughter wants to become a vampire to be able to live forever and ever and not get her leg chopped off. So, she goes to Anita for help. The question is, can she stop her in time? I absolutely loved this short story, I wish it was longer so that we could see something more happen between Anita and Jean-Claude. It was nice to go back in time with how Anita was before Narcissus in Chains, the next one in the series I need to read is Incubus Dreams.

The second excerpt is also short and by Charlaine Harris called "One Word Answer" that is part of the Sookie Stackhouse series, which I am now going to begin after reading this short story. It is about some vampires who go to visit her after her cousin, who was also a vampire, died and bequethed her all of her money and things. Sookie is a telepathic who can read people's minds. What the story revolves around is, who killed her cousin? And why? We also see her previous lover, Bill the vampire, among others, which is also another reason why I want to read the previous books in the series (to see the relationship between Sookie and Bill).

The third short story is by MaryJanice Davidson called "Biting in Plain Sight" and is about a vampire vet named Dr.Sophie Tourneau who has lived in a small town called Embarrass since the 1960's. There is a man who has also felt attracted to her named Liam and always finds excuses to go see her. The plot is about a vampire who is seducing innocent young women and causing them to commit suicide, she learns about this and wants to stop is, with a very lovable Liam by her side. This was actually a funny story and am more interested in reading more by her.

The fourth story is by Angela Knight called "Galahad" and is a very hot story, starring Galahad, a very very old vampire and Caroline, a newly made Majae, a magical witch. The chemistry is very hot in this one. The plot is about finding enchanted cups that could be used to destroy and dominate. They obviously get together to fight the bad guys. Since she is a Majae, she must feed vampires or else her blood pressure gets too high, since that is what she was made for, and Galahad, being a very handsome and seductive vampire, is there to releave her of her burden. I kept rereading some scenes, they were too hot to pass:)

The last story is by Vikie Taylor called "Bloodlust" and it is about a scientist, Daniel, who was able to make synthetic blood and it is stolen by a vampire, and his very deceitfully hidden fiancee, who is also a vampire, yet he doesn't know this. They rob him of his house, job, car, etc and he wants revenge. So, he seeks out Deadre, a vampire whom he wants to convert him into one. So she does and now he must figure out a way to get the formula back and to sort his feelings for Deadre.

Very good short stories, I did wish that these stories were longer, nevertheless, now I must expand my reading collection to include these new authors to me.

I it was a really good book to get you started. Especially if you are a Hamilton fan.

This book had some really wonderful authors in it and yet I found it lacking.

I have to say that whoever wrote the back cover description made these stories sound more interesting than they really were.
~The first story is set in Hamilton's Antia Blake series inbetween "Blue Moon" and "Obsidian Butterfly". There was a plot and a halfway decent one, but it really went no where. It seemed it all was resolved while Anita was messing around with Jean-Claude. That's really what this story was centered around, sexual tension between Anita and Jean-Claude.
~The second story was set in Harris's Sookie Stockhouse series. I've never read any books from this series, so that might be why I couldn't get into this story. It really wasn't all that interesting. The characters sat around in a circle and had a chat and it all was just kinda boring. These first two stories, seemed like the authors just plopped them out, so the book could have thier names on it and be sure that die hard fans of the two popular series would buy it.
~The third story was set in Davidson's Undead series and I have to say that I actually enjoyed this one. Like all of Davidson's works it was a light and fun read. You don't have to of read any of her Undead series to follow it.
~The fourth story was one of Knight's and it was set in the same world as her story in the "Hot Blooded" anthology. I actually liked this story, but several people who I talked to didn't like it. They had trouble adjusting to the setting. I have to admit that the story in "Hot Blooded" was much better and was one of my favorites in that book. Because I read that story I could easily slip into this story. It's set with Arthurian characters as vampires and sounds utterly stupid, but I got into it.
~The last story was by Taylor who is an author I had never heard of. This story was alright. Nothing too thrilling and wasn't horrible to read and didn't leave you with a "well that was pointless" feeling at the end. The plot was interesting and acutally went somewhere. The characters were well developed. I think this was probably one of the better written stories in the book.

This book had some really wonderful authors in it and yet I found it lacking.

Hamilton's story was okay. There wasn't really much of a plot. Just some sexual tension between Anita and Jean-Claude. The story could've been better.

Harris's story was the same. It featured characters from her Sookie Stockhouse series and not much seemed to happen. Seems these two stories were just thrown into the book to make sure they sold some because of the popularity of the series and authors. If you're going to buy Bite just for these two stories I'd recommend borrowing from a friend, reading it in the store, or checking it out at your library.

Davidson's story at least seemed to go somewhere. It's based in the world of her Undead series, but you don't have to have read it to keep up. It's fun, light and feels like it actually has a plot that isn't sorted out while the characters are looking the other way. As usual Davidson doesn't disappoint.

Knight's story is good, a bit odd and ackward to get into at first, but you recover quickly. It's set up with characters from Arthurian legend and is quite interesting. Even though I feel her first story set in this world was by far better. That one can be found in the book Hot Blooded, by the way.

I'm not big on books of this style where a whole bunch of authors contribute their own stories, most of them turn out boring. This book wasn't bad at all, it's a decent read. Although, I perfer the eroticism of D.N. Simmons.

Good but much too short. Like several small novels or short stories in a single book, not much flow.

I Love this Book, I read her books alot but this one has short stories from other authors also ..Very Interesting Book..this book i have told all my friends about , a must read..

While reading I couldn't help comparing Angela Knight's "Megaverse" to Sherrilyn Kenyon's "Dark-Hunters" series. With both worlds being very similar (King Arthur's Court vs. Greek mythology). The strongest contrast has to do with the morals of the character. I'm no prude, but with Kenyon's dark hunters, there's this inner beauty to all of her characters. As Kenyon describes "They're Mad, Bad, and Immortal." They have tortured souls, they like to get down and dirty, and you can't help but love them. I have found myself in tears over the betrayals they've suffered and the purpose in life and love they discover that ultimately saves their souls. And they're all honorable. With Angela Knight's "Megaverse" her characters don't have many redeeming qualities in my opinion. You don't love them, can't relate to them. They come across as shallow, selfish souls. They're ruled by a "High Council" that has the power to end their existence with the zap of a finger for ridiculous infractions, like refusing a witch on her knees if you catch my drift. It seems to make the hero out to be less appealing if he can't even make simple decisions, without having to grovel for a favor. The only thing that brings these characters together is sex. There's nothing to endear you to them, which makes for a read that leaves you feeling kind of... dirty. These "Megaverse" books really shouldn't be in the "Romance" section. Sci-fi... erotica maybe, but not romance. I'm not saying that they are flawed in any way. Just as a matter of preference, I hope to help any of you who don't care for sex without emotion and don't want to waste precious reading time on sci-fi porn.

While reading I couldn't help comparing Angela Knight's "Megaverse" to Sherrilyn Kenyon's "Dark-Hunters" series. With both worlds being very similar (King Arthur's Court vs. Greek mythology). The strongest contrast has to do with the morals of the character. I'm no prude, but with Kenyon's dark hunters, there's this inner beauty to all of her characters. As Kenyon describes "They're Mad, Bad, and Immortal." They have tortured souls, they like to get down and dirty, and you can't help but love them. I have found myself in tears over the betrayals they've suffered and the purpose in life and love they discover that ultimately saves their souls. And they're all honorable. With Angela Knight's "Megaverse" her characters don't have many redeeming qualities in my opinion. You don't love them, can't relate to them. They come across as shallow, selfish souls. They're ruled by a "High Council" that has the power to end their existence with the zap of a finger for ridiculous infractions, like refusing a witch on her knees if you catch my drift. It seems to make the hero out to be less appealing if he can't even make simple decisions, without having to grovel for a favor. The only thing that brings these characters together is sex. There's nothing to endear you to them, which makes for a read that leaves you feeling kind of... dirty. These "Megaverse" books really shouldn't be in the "Romance" section. Sci-fi... erotica maybe, but not romance. I'm not saying that they are flawed in any way. Just as a matter of preference, I hope to help any of you who don't care for erotica and don't want to waste precious reading time on sci-fi porn.

Laurell K. Hamilton's story occurs in the interval between BLUE MOON and OBSIDIAN BUTTERFLY. Of course, Ms. Blake is the main character. She is asked to hunt for a girl who is under age and determined to be changed.

Charlaine Harris, my personal favorite vampire series author, gives us a short story involving the characters from her SOUTHERN VAMPIRE series. Sookie Stackhouse has inherited a legacy from an out of touch vampire kin. Bubba (we all know who this famous, supposedly deceased, rock star is since people still claim to have sightings of him) and Bill are the two vampires helping out in this tale.

Then comes Mary Janice Davidson's Dr. Sophie character. She may be a vampire, but she is also a vet. She protects the people in her area AND cares for their animals. If ever there was a good vampire, Dr. Sophie is it.

Next up is Angela Knight whose character is a witch who must team up with THE Sir Galahad (vampire) and enter a horrible super natural battle.

Last, but not least, is Vickie Taylor's enthralling tale of a man whose invention of synthetic blood, to help millions of humans, is stolen by a strong and nasty vampire. The human man needs to be changed into a vampire in order to get his formula back. He ends up joining with an unwilling female vampire and starting a vampire revolution.

**** Five authors of five vampire series have gotten together to create short stories, spin offs of their own series. I give a glimpse of each story in my synopsis. I purchased this book solely for Charlaine Harris's story. I L-O-V-E her SOUTHERN VAMPIRE series! The other tales are good too and this book is worth your time and money even if you read only one of these authors often. As for me, I've read all the authors and can honestly tell you that all five of these authors are terrific! ****

Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.

I had read only 2 of these authors before, Harris and Davidson. Harris' story was a huge disappointment, my least favorite of the bunch. It was dull, went nowhere, had no spice of any flavor, and only connected to the series by relating (secondhand) what happened to Sookie's long-lost druggie cousin. Skip it. Davidson's carried her trademark style, but plotting similar to Harris' was evident. It was interesting to have a secondary couple take lead rolls in this short story. Middle of the road -- not great but not bad, still one of the top three in the book. I find Davidson amusing.

Taylor's story was, I thought, awful. Too dark and "lusty" for me. I never believed for one moment that the two leads were in love with each other. Gives Harris' story a run for worst of the lot. Hamilton writes a very short story, tight and well-plotted, and obviously meshing well with hers series books. It was good enough that I'll consider reading them. Hamilton can write, but I have to read more to know if I'll really like her work. I have the feeling that I would have liked it a lot more if I'd read the series (or at least some of it), but it still falls in the top 2 or 3. A lot of people disliked Knight's story, but I thought it very original -- and that can be tough. She also had strong lead characters and some memorable secondary ones. The longest story, it did have lots of sex, but was (in my opinion) much more tasteful than Taylor's. Does this story connect to other work of hers? She's created a fascinating world, and I'd like to read more of it. I put this story in the top 2 of this anthology.

Bite is a great collection of fantasy/sci-fi romantica. I had previously read Laurell K. Hamilton(Anita Blake Vampire Hunter), Mary Janice Davidson(Betsy Taylor Vampire Queen) and Charlaine Harris(Sookie Stackhouse/Southern Vampire Series) and loved their works so I tried this and it was Great!

Buy this book now!

This is a grouping of stories, many of which are part of a larger series.

The first, by the most recent Queen of Vampyr Fic, is a Laurell K Hamilton piece. It is from the Anita Blake world but a) is not lifted directly from one of her larger works and b) isn't full of embarrassing sex. Pretty good. Still, I think you need to know the Anita/JeanClaude back story to get this completely.

The second, One Word Answer, is a Sookie story, and is also a winner. In this case, I think you probably can read the short alone, though you're better off if you've read the series. There are just these little in's - like Bubba - that you won't get completely without the other books.

Biting in Plain Sight is a Betsy story - and MaryJanice Davidson has just totally made the Clueless Vampire the Coolest one. Here we have a glimpse into Betsy's court, and it's a pretty darn funny place. You also get to meet some other vamps of the realm... this story and the Harris make it worth the purchase price, if you're a reader of these two series.

Galahad may or may not be part of a further universe. I believe it is, but it explained enough for me to be able to read it and enjoy it. I liked it enough to go pick up another Angela Knight book.

Finally, Blood Lust, by Vickie Taylor, is a full story unto itself. It's a good short story, and worth the read.

Another fun summer book, especially if you like flighty stories about vampires.

(*)>

I'm not an anthologies fan. I read fast, so the bigger the better provided it's good. The first three short stories by Hamilton, Davidson, and Harris was a huge disappointment. I have read ALL these ladies books. There was nothing there to capture me. The last two were a little longer and I found myself much more interested.

Angela Knight wrote a short story intitled "Galahad" I thought was great. It was a whole new world and concept on the grail. I liked Vicki Taylor's short story, too. A guy wants to become a vampire to get back at a vampire that took everything from him, even his fiance'. I've never read anything from these two authors, so I'll definitely look into them.

*** If you like vampires, then this is a treasure trove for you. Although the last two entries in the book tend to drag it down just slightly, the one entitled Galahad would not do so if it were less, shall we say - biologically correct? Ms. Knight does exhibit true creativity in re-inventing the Grail quest, much more so than certain best sellers. If you buy the book just to read Ms. Davidson, Ms. Harris, and of course Ms. Hamilton's contributions, you will not waste a dime. Ms. Harris and Ms. Davidson both have down to earth humor that will tickle and charm you. Anita Blake fans will be thrilled to get an anthology story that does not merely reprint a chapter from one of the long books. Taking place between Blue Moon and Obsidian Butterfly, the Girl Who Was Infatuated with Death returns fans to a classic period of Anita's characterization. Although Death does not refer to Edward as might be hoped, it is still a commendable story that is not weighed down by the aspects that has long time fans feeling rather mutinous in regard to the latest books. ***

I am not a fan of these compilation novels. To me, it seems that all of the crappy stories or "cut" scenes end up in the book and I usually end up feeling ripped off. I wouldn't recommend this novel or "Cravings."

This anthology did absolutely nothing for me. The only story that keeps it from sinking into vampire hell is Angela Knight's 'Galahad'.
The other four just plainly sucked (and I don't mean that literally).
So not worth the money. :(

I'm definitely a fan of Laurell Hamiltons earlier works so I enjoyed her story. However, Charlaine Harris, in my opinon always leaves something to be desired. MaryJanice Davidson alternates between amusing and annoying with the childish antics that go on between the vampire couples. Did NOT enjoy Angela Knights' story-too much sex, not enough substance. Still for a bit of fluff when you're totally bored it might be worth picking up. But i recommend the library so you can spend your money on one worth keeping.

For fan's of Laurell K. Hamiliton, Charlaine Harris, MaryJanice Davidson, and Angela Knight this was a fun read that will wet your appetite for their latest full length. Each of these stories are shoot offs from current series that these authors have already in the works.

For readers that are new to any of these authors this will be a great introduction for you and I'm sure it will compel you to run out and buy any of these author's back lists!

Official Reviewer for www.romancedesigns.com

Great cover - made me pick this book up.And though I am a Hamilton fan, this was but a tiny tidbit and merely whetted my appetite. Disappointed in the whole book. Though there are a few good moments in the "otherworld" fantasy, there was very little romance, all in all. Too bad, since Berkley puts out some really BITEY stuff usually.

I seldom give 5 stars to an anthology, however I enjoyed each one of these stories.

Laurell Hamilton:
Anita Blake comes face to face with tempation in this short story. Just one small incidence in her interesting life.

Charlaine Harris:
Sookie Stackhouse has an interesting interview with an entity sent by the Queen of the Vampires. Sometimes it's just a matter of choice, but whose choice is it?

MaryJanice Davidson:
Someone is triffling with the emotions of young girls. They are committing suicide for love. The local vampiress must contact the new Queen of the Vampires, Betsy, for some help.

Angela Knight:
A new magae has a vision. A vision of herself and Galahad fighting evil vamps. It's hard enough to go to someone like Galahad and tell him he has to help her destroy a bunch of vamps. She has had no training so how is she to do her part to protect this hero as well as herself?

Vickie Taylor:
The Queen of the Vamps keeps everyone under control by controlling the supply of blood. In other words, she decides who gets to feed. Daniel is a researcher who has perfected a new blood substitute. She won't allow anyone to control the blood supply but herself. HOw can a human and one lone vampire overcome the might and power of the Queen.?

Need a Laurell K. Hamilton's Anita Blake fix while waiting for Incubus Dreams to come out in paperback? DON'T BOTHER. It is short, 29 ½ pages and you will not get your Anita Blake fix. It takes you through a "case" that Anita takes on w/o any of the usual "activities" and there is nothing new to absorb or learn. I already know how & why Anita is avoiding Jean Claude. If you need an Anita fix, re-read one of the books from the series.

Charlaine Harris's - One Word Answer is even shorter, 24 pages. But, a well worth its while short read, that did give me my Sookie Stackhouse fix as I wait for Dead To The World to come out in paperback. Not a lot of action but a good quick "fix".

Mary Janice Davidson - Biting in Plain Site - Very good continuation of the series and another "fix". My only complaint, being from Minnesota, the main male squeeze, Liam, came off as some sort of lack witted, doofus. I had flashbacks of the movie Fargo and was screaming "NO we really don't talk like that". Betsy, the Queen, being a Minnesotan, should have whacked him upside his head with both shoes :-)

Angela Knight - Galahad - WOW - Excellent. Another hot continuation of what I hope is a long running series. Too bad it was in an anthology, I certainly could have handled another 200 pages of that yummy Galahad. I am definitely making room on my bookshelves for this series!

Vickie Taylor - Blood Lust - This is my first read by the author and after finishing I immediately did a "search". From what I read this is her 1st venture into the paranormal genre. This story was good and I see potential here, enough so that I have added her upcoming book, Carved In Stone to my wish list.

My summation: This book is definitely worth the read. Being a series reader I put Angela Knight at tops, Mary Janice Davidson & Charlaine Harris right on her heels. I can envision several books from all series. Vickie Taylor makes a very good debut to paranormal romance.
If you are a first time reader to Laurel K Hamilton's Anita Blake series, PLEASE start at the beginning. As an Anita Blake series fan I expected so much more depth & length. I asked myself, "Did they take a chapter that was cut from a earlier version? I hold the publisher responsible for their disservice to both Ms. Hamilton & the reader. They used Hamilton as a marketing scheme.

The story by Laurell K. Hamilton was a measly thirty pages and was old news in the Anita Blake series. The story by Charlaine Harris was also too small, even for a short story. However, Angela Knight and MaryJanice Davidson's stories almost make up for Hamilton and Harris' brevity. I'd recommend borrowing it from a friend or a library rather than reading it.

Ok, to be fair, my ire applies only to Laurell K. Hamilton and Charlaine Harris. But! I bought the book because those two are my favorites, and I'm desperate for some more Anita Blake and Sookie Stackhouse. Harris' and Hamilton's short stories start the anthology. Each is about 30-pages long and read like chapters instead of full stories. The Hamilton story is noticeably unfinished - the main plot dealing with an interesting ethical question of vampire making is just dropped. The End. Curious about the ethical question? Too bad for you. Boo, Anita Blake! How about some more plot and less of your romantic angst.

Harris' thirty pages were interesting, but again awfully short. You learn a little bit more about Harris' version of vampire society, but it could have waited for the next full book. It was disappointing to get just a terse little taste.

The winner of this anthology was Galahad by Angela Knight. This story had all that I ask for: hero, heroine, problem or question to be solved, happy ending, sex, and true love. Faint of heart, beware. Knight has some graphic sex between her modern girl and her knight in shining armor. It was a fun quickie with enough mythology to make it interesting.

Davidson and Taylor's stories were also fun and entertaining. Not memorable for me, but certainly worth the read. They gave me enough of a peek at their vampire worlds and their writing styles to make me want to read more.

I honestly got this because Laurell K Hamilton is in it. By the end of the book, the only story I really liked was Angela Knights. Laurell's is just too short and seemed rushed though from what I understand was not. It seemed like an unflushed idea that would make a decent story if more time was put in it. It was only 30 pages. Charlaine Harris I have never read before and this was not all that great an introduction to him in my opinion. I have her first book and will eventually get to it, but this did nothing to interest me in her at all. I would like to read more about Bill and Bubba and the Queen, but this particular store, like LKH's was just too short. Though I will say I liked Charlaine's better then LKH's...and I own all of her books in hard and paperback. MaryJanice Davidson I have never really liked and this story did NOTHING to sway that. Her writing is just a little on the juvenile side for me. Angela Knights was my favorite. I LOVE the King Arthur and the knights and the Avalon aspect. I just really liked it all. I think the ending could have been a little better and not so abrupt and "easy" but in a short story you can't really expect too much. Vickie Taylor's wasn't too bad, but not one that would make me look into other works of hers. All in all, I would not bother spending my money on this one. I would check it out of the library, buy a used copy or borrow it from a friend.

Other then Vicky Taylor, I've been a long time fan of all these authors. I really enjoyed all the stories.

The Girl Who was Infatuated with Death by Laurell K Hamilton is a short story (too short!) set in the time period between Blue Moon and Obsidian Butterfly when Anita was taking a break from 'the boys' :-) It's an interlude between her and Jean-Claude as she's working to save a young girl from becoming a vampire. I really enjoyed this story. It fits very well between the two books and it was wonderful to have a new LKH story in an anthology, as previous ones have been excerpts from her other books.

One Word Answer by Charlaine Harris: I've only read the first book in her Sookie Stackhouse series (and loved it), now I'm going to read the ones I've missed. Sookie receives an inheritance from her cousin and helps to solve the mystery of her death. It was funny, also a bit on the short side and featured Sookie's friend Bubba who is actually Elvis and very funny.

Biting in Plain Sight by MaryJanice Davidson is connected to her Undead and Unwed series. I really enjoyed this story of a small town Veterinarian, who is also a vampire and a man from her town who has finally decided to take matters into his own hands and tell her he loves. They are trying to stop a vampire serial killer with the help of Betsy and Eric from Undead and Unwed. Touching and funny too.

Galahad by Angela Knight was excellent. It's a story in Angela's wonderful series that joins Arthurian legend with vampire lore. Caroline is a former English teacher who has only recently become a Magea (a witch) and was heartbroken by the vampire who turned her. Then she has a vision about someone making evil vamps and her and a handsome vamp getting rid of them, and she goes in search of the good guy vamp who turns out to be Galahad. It's another wonderful, yet stand alone, story in Ms. Knights incredible new series, funny and very steamy.

Blood Lust by Vickie Taylor: Daniel is a scientist who has been working to come up with an alternative to blood. The man he works for turns on him, takes away everything and Daniel wants revenge. He meets Deadre a vampire who he wants to help him. Together they find the bad guy and love.

Writers marketing guides will tell you that there is demand for short stories to be packaged as anthologies. I like anthologies where all of the contributions are strong, and varied within the genre. However this anthology doesn't make the grade. Quite frankly I picked up this book on the strength of two of my favorite writers, neither of whom deliver a strong, quality story in this offering. Anita Blake anthology contributions that were not stand alone stories but snippets of the next book to come out have disappointed in the past. Now I'll have to add Sookie Stackhouse to my "beware list." The other stories were either not compelling or different enough to overcome my dismay at the incredibly short, short stories by Laurell K. Hamilton and Charlaine Harris. I can only wonder at the motivation. I recommend that you get this one used at the discount book store or borrow it from your local public library. Trust me, you won't regret NOT having this in your collection.

For the most part I really enjoyed this book. But I have to warn those not familiar with these authors that if you have not read the previous related novels - Hamilton's Anita Blake series, Harris's Sookie Stackhouse vampire novels, Knight's - Knights of the Roundtable series - you are not going to truly understand what is going on. Since I have read them all it is difficult for me to know whether they could possbily stand on their own, but I think not. Hamilton's story was much too short to even be included as part of the anthology and it added nothing to the series. I feel Harris's story was similar in that it didn't add much to Sookie Stackhouse's adventures. On the other hand Knight's Galahad was a new adventure in her Round Table series that I liked very much and the Taylor story was new to me and worked quite well. I don't think it was part of a series, but if it was it certainly stood on its own. I recommend this anthology especially to those readers who know the authors' series. Even those stories that don't add much contain the characters we know and love, so are therefore still fun reads.

I was excited about reading this anthology. After all, it features stories by Laurell K. Hamilton, Charlaine Harris and MaryJanice Davidson. Those are three of my very favorite sci-fi/fantasy authors. I look forward to reading the next installment of their respective vampire books and I figured Bite would be a nice appetizer before the main course. Even though I was disappointed with the fact that Hamilton and Harris's offerings are short stories instead of novellas, I enjoyed this book to the max. Hamilton's "The Girl Who Was Infatuated with Death" is an Anita Blake story that takes place some time around Blue Moon and Obsidian Butterfly. In other words, it takes place right before the series goes haywire. Anita wants to stop a teenage girl with bone cancer from turning into a vampire. But when Anita asks Jean-Claude to help find the vampire who will do the transition, old feelings and intense sexual tension ensue between them. In Charlaine Harris's "One Word Answer," Sookie Stackhouse discovers that a wayward cousin of hers had turned into a vampire and was recently murdered. In an attempt to offer her condolences, the Vampire Queen of Louisiana bestows a rather interesting favor upon Sookie. Davidson's "Biting in Plain Sight" is a fun novella about a vampire veterinarian who discovers she has a long-time admirer. When she finds out that a rogue vampire is responsible for the deaths of various teenage girls, she asks the Vampire Queen (Undead's Betsy Taylor) for help. Angela Knight's "Galahad" is about a young witch who travels to the world of King Arthur -- only that the people there are vampires. And Vickie Taylor's "Blood Lust" is about a fight over a stolen formula for synthetic blood for vampires.

I loved the stories of Laurell K. Hamilton and Charlaine Harris the most. With Hamilton, it was like going back to the time when the Anita Blake novels were still riveting. This story took place before the ardeur and metaphysical contacts began to monopolize the plot and before Micah and other expendable characters came along. The story, albeit short, was a real treat. And Harris's Sookie Stackhouse story is my favorite one in the book. It tells the reader in various levels that Bill is now just a trusted and reliable friend of Sookie's. There is still some tension there though. After all, he still cares for Sookie and tries to protect her at all cost. MaryJanice Davidson's novella is told in third person and it centers on two new characters, but it was fun to read about Betsy Taylor and friends from other characters' points of view. I am not a big follower of Angela Knight, and Vickie Taylor is unknown to me, but their stories were entertaining. The last three stories center more on romance than anything else. As a whole, Bite is an excellent anthology. Read this if you're a fan of any of the big authors in this offering.

The five short stories/novellas in this book are all well done. Each represents a different set of expectations concerning vampire lore, and all are entertaining. The only author I was unfamiliar with was Vickie Taylor, whose story "Blood Lust" is a romance set to vampire music. This is a boy loses wrong girl to bad guy, finds right girl, gets right girl, i.e. romance. The only thing I found disconcerting was when the characters uttered typical oaths like "good god" they clearly got a negative physical reaction which implied that they were dammed creatures. The story moved quickly and was funny.

Angela Knight, who writes erotic romances for Red Sage Publishing, has written a cute story set in Arthurian times, with interesting relationships between witches and vampires. Another romance, "Galahad" has a right male vampire and right female witch team, at odds with each other, defeat the bad vampires and unite in spite of mischevious witches and dragons. Cute, fast reading, and lots of graphic sex.

MaryJanice Davidson"s "Biting in Plain Sight" stars a vampire vetrinarian who lives in a small town with a don't ask, don't tell policy. After the death of her long-time human companion, she falls into a relationship with Liam, another mortal who has loved her from a distance for a number of years. She seeks out assistance in stoppping a rogue vampire and Liam goes along with her. We also get another opportunity to see the Vampire Majesties, Betsy Taylor and Eric Sinclair, who first came to our attention in Davidson's 2002 novel Undead and Unwed. This novella is a worth addition to Davidson's vampire writings.

Charlaine Harris gives us another visit with Sookie Stackhouse in "One Word Answer." First brought to us in "Dead Until Dark" and staring in the Southern Vampire Mysteries series, Sookie has the mystery of a dead vampire cousin's death to explain. With snappy dialogue and a few puns, the story moves quickly, and ends well. A well written story.

Finally, Laurell K. Hamilton's "The Girl Who Was Infatuated with Death" is from an earlier period in the Anita Blake series. This strong story, which helps bridge the period between Blue Moon and Obsidian Butterfly, helps us understand the fascination that Anita has for Jean Claude, her vampire lover. The story is about a girl with a fatal illness who wants to become a vampire rather than suffer amputation, and the mother who doesn't want this to happen. Mother hires Anita to find the daughter and stop the process. What the story helps us see is the growing moral ambivalence that Anita has over having a vampire lover, and serves as a good lead to Obsidian Butterfly. A marvelous story, well developed, too short.

Over all, this is an excellent collection of stories, worth every spare reading moment.

I don't even know why Hamilton put that piece of crap in the novella, but thank God for Davidson and Knight's work. They are both a little clunky and not nearly as good as anything else they've written but they cover up the smell of rotting corpses coming from the Anita Blake novella. The last one by the new girl was pretty interesting, but I doubt I'd buy anything else from her. Was it a waste of $7.99 - without a doubt - yes!

"The Girl who was Infatuated with Death" by Laurell K. Hamilton. Ms. Rhonda Mackenzie wants vampire executioner Anita Blake to find the vampire that has bitten her daughter two times and kill. If she is bitten three times she will become a vampire which is what she wants because she will lose one leg, perhaps two if she doedn't changes over. Anita asks the master of the city, Jean-Claude if he will help her find the vampire. After not seeing him for a long time because she was learning to control her powers, Anita realizes her feelings for him have not changed.

"One Word Answer" by Charlaine Harris. Telepath Sookie Stackhouse of Bon Temps Louisiana is visited by Mr. Cataliades and Waldo the vampire to inform Sookie that her cousin, a vampire who was staked, left her estate to her cousin. Mr. Cataliades informs Sookie that Waldo killed her because she was the favorite of the queen of New Orleans and he wants Sookie to stake the vampire Sookie doesn't want to but Waldo makes sure that he will not be returned to his queen to be tortured.

"Biting in Plain Sight" by Mary Janice Davidson: In the town of Embarrass, everyone knows that the vet Dr. Sophie Tourneau is a vampire but they ignore that fact because she takes great care of their animals. Liam is in love with her and when she goes out hunting a serial vampire killer, he insists on accompanying her. He tells her how he feels and she takes him to bed and drinks his blood. She cares about him but she's not sure if she is better off without any emotional ties to a mortal. When they go after the vampire killer, Liam impresses Sophie with his actions and his commitment to her.

"Galahad" by Angela Knight. Caroline was turned by a vampire into a witch with magical powers and immortality. She lives in Avalon in the mageverse where vampires and witches form a symbiotic relationship. Witches need their blood drained every few days to lower their blood pressure and vampires have a willing blood source. Caroline has a vision about humans drinking from a cup and turning into vampires who are the antithesis of the undead in the mageverse. Galahad, pure of heart and a vampire is assigned by Morgana Le Fey to work with Caroline to find the threecups and destroy the evil vampires. Along the way fall in love but Galahad fears Caroline won't want him once she learns all the ugly things he had to do to defeat the bad guys.

"Blood lust" by Vickie Taylor. Garth funded Daniel Hart's research into making synthetic blood but stole the formula, Daniel's girlfriend and his house before revealing himself as a vampire. Daniel asks vampire Deadre Blue to turn him a vampire so he can kill Garth, his girlfriend who is now a vampire and then himself. Deadre doesn't want to do it but when he is accidentally killed, she feeds him her blood and he turns into a vampire. Deadre has fallen in love with Daniel and goes with him to fight Garth the enforcer to the High Matron. The synthetic blood make Daniel Garth's equal and their upcoming battle will leave one of them dead.

All five authors have a different take on the vampire mythos but that doesn't mean one story is better than another. This is one of the best vampire romance anthologies ever produced bringing back cult favorites like Anita Blake and Sookie. The stories by the other authors would make a great series..

Harriet Klausner