Published Synopsis:
An anthology of short stories by new, independent authors. Author royalties will be donated to Reading is Fundamental, the the nation's largest nonprofit children's literacy organization.Stories include:
By a Whisker by Kevin O. McLaughlin (3500 words): Someone is siphoning magical energy from the powerful ley nexus at Northshield University in this urban fantasy. Ryan goes to investigate, and gets help from an unexpected quarter.The Accidental Muse by Amy Rose Davis (6200 words): A girl with no memory, a grieving widower, and a sweet-natured boy with strange power live a quiet life in their sheltered Keep until the night a traveling musician arrives at the door. The power of the musician's harp threatens to destroy their family unless one of them can stop it. A tale of gods, muses, mysterious spirits, and the power of love.
The Price of Vengeance by Derek J. Canyon (7400 words): In 22nd century Atlanta, Maggie hunts the genetically-engineered dwarf who killed her entire gang.
Insomnomancer by JE Medrick (3400 words): Witness life through the eyes of a predator. Kyle Hall, barely remarkable in a world of gray faces, is targeted by a very specialized hunter. To the target, it is night after sleepless night. To the Insomnomancer - a game of points and hungry satisfaction.
Thump by NB Kelly (4650 words): When a hitchhiker becomes part of an impromptu road trip, peace is the last thing that two young men will get out of it.
Iron in Shadow by Edward L. Cote (14900 words): The best thief in Rithmoor, the City of Dark Water, goes by the name Slip. He takes on a promising job, but it gets more complicated and dangerous the more he learns about what exactly it is he must do. To avoid certain death at the hands of the Great Magus Dibian, he must risk the wrath of the world's hardest people.
Together They Die by Brian Drake (3220 words): A former cop helps a ghost solve her murder.
Incubators by Manley Peterson (3200 words): Lost in space, three astronauts struggle to accept their fate aboard a crippled ship. Could a last-minute rescue be all they hoped for?
Cube by Coral Russell (4150 words): Luke's family isn't perfect, but they're worth saving. How far would you go to save your family?
The Star-Eater by K Gorman (6000 words): Karin wakes up one day on her starship, realizing her sister has been killed--but not before her sister cursed the murderer. Now she's got a man to kill. And her boss is starting to suspect that she's a little more than human...
Man-Maker by BC Woods (8050 words): A young boy in a society based entirely around defending itself against zombie-like demons refuses a sacred rite of passage.
Daddy Issues by John G. Hartness (4200 words): Vampires, voodoo, zombies and gold-diggers, it's all in a day's work for the boys at Black Knight Investigations. Vampire Private Investigators Jimmy Black and Greg Knightwood are called in to dispose of a zombie in the library, but there's always more than meets the eye where these detectives are concerned. Takes place before the events in Hard Day's Knight.
BONUS STORIES!
Weird and Wondeful by Tony Lavely (6000 words): Mailira and Marelsa together bring an old Scottish folk tale to life for a young musician.The Light Stream by Jaylin Baer (3060 words): The transition between waking and sleeping, dreaded by some and enjoyed by others, becomes something altogether different for a very select few. Discover one woman's journey into the Light Stream.
Review:
I would recommend buying this book just for the simple reason that all proceeds go to RIF (Reading is Fundamental) which helps bring the joy of reading to children across the country, but happily, there are other reasons to pick this book up as well. Twelve-Worlds has a little something for lovers of paranormal, fantasy and science fiction alike. Some of the stories will make you laugh out loud as the characters scramble to set things right, and others will make you think about such things as a world without music or the need for vengeance and its cost. There were several stories in the anthology that stood out for me:By a Whisper by Kevin O. McLaughlin was the story of a young man sent to stop a magician from setting free an evil that would not only destroy, but forever torture, an entire community. The main character is charming and engaging and I would love to read more about his adventures. Not to mention the adventures of the cat who helps to save the day.
The Accidental Muse by Amy Rose Davis was a lovely story of music and love in a world where music is controlled by gods who can wreak havoc or give joy. The writing was sweet and the ending was just how it should have been.
Together They Die by Brian Drake was a supernatural tale of a ghost who needed to be set free from her hold on this plane. With the help of two determined detectives and a psychic, the ghost gets her revenge but all does not end well. It would have been interesting to read about other adventures these men had.
The Star Eater by K Gorman was a tale of stars, not the Hollywood kind, the space kind. Stars with magic and the bodies of humans. When a woman is killed, her sister must follow the magic that will lead to the killer and along the way, she gains some unexpected help.
Man-Maker was an intriguing tale of a society that valued allegiance to country above all else. When a patriotic young man who has already proved his allegiance balks against a required ceremony on the grounds that it could destroy the person he loves most, he is forced to live as an outsider. His resolve and ingenuity are compelling and the reader will find him or herself rooting him on as he struggles to hold on to his determination at all costs.
Daddy Issues A Black Knight Chronicles Story by John G. Hartness is a story of two vampire private detectives. There were several scenes and some dialogue in this story that made me laugh out loud as they battled a zombie for their client.This story definitely made me want to read more adventures of these two and I was happy to see that there are some available.
The Light Stream by Jaylin Baer was an intriguing tale of a woman who finds that she has the ability to rewrite her life through the power of dreams. A very compelling idea, indeed.
Admittedly, I did not enjoy all the stories. There was one that I did not finish reading because I do not read fiction that involves the brutality against and/or rape of women. Several other stories I found were just not for me. The stories I listed above were well written and made me want to research the authors to see what else they have written but some of the others I found to be a bit slow, the story did not capture my attention, or they were simply not a genre that I care to read. The stories I did enjoy were enough to make me recommend this book with a four star rating. I believe that most lovers of paranormal, fantasy and science fiction will find a story in Twelve-Worlds that will make the purchase of the entire book worthwhile.
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