So I just realized I never did review Bombshells...

Bombshells
short Dresdenverse story by Jim Butcher
found in Dangerous Women anthology
curated and edited by George R.R. Martin and Gardner Dozois
 ISBN: 9780765332066

This is the comment from my review of Ghoul Goblin:
"(I did get to read Molly's story Bombshells in the Dangerous Women anthology (GRR Martin, ISBN: 9780765332066) this past weekend (January 5th, 2014), and I can say it's a measure of how much I miss the Dresdenverse that I chose to read that instead of Sanderson's Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell, which I STILL have not gotten to read.)"

So I need to remedy that:

Poor Molly.  This shows how frazzled and thinly-spread the magical coverage is for Chicago now that Harry is AWOL.  It also showed how much she's grown, and how she's really coming into her magical heritage.

I loved seeing the three different women (mage, vampire thrall, and werewolf if you're keeping track at home) work through their problem in a very nice use of "soft power" and then feel equally free to discard that approach and move straight into physicality with no qualms.

Loved the elvenkind (especially when compared to the Marvel universe depiction of them) and their approach to beauty and money.  The fae are getting on my nerves a bit, but Godmother is still doing her thing in rare form, bless her.  I live in hope that Molly will set her on fire at some point.

Sadly, now that Harry's all godlike and snared in fae politics, it's a relief to see more earthbound issues with the old crew in Chicago, just like it was to see him back in the past when he wasn't as hugely powerful.  A bit sad that I feel that way, but it is how it is.  

Short Story: Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell

Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell
short Cosmere story by Brandon Sanderson
Found in: Dangerous Women
Collection curated and edited by George R.R. Martin and Gardner Dozois
ISBN: 9780765332066

Lord in heaven it took me forever to get round to this.  I read Jim Butcher's Dresdenverse story from this anthology way back in November?  December?  and I've been trying to get to this one, but between illness and busywork, it just wasn't happening, and I never want to force myself to read something - I'm afraid I'll jinx it.

So, here we have another Cosmere story (which was pretty damn obvious from the get-go, although I did check his blog to be absolutely sure) set in an unnamed new world because of course it is (jealousy is a terrible awful feeling).

I like this world.  I want to go back.  Hell, I want to stay there.  I want to know more about the Shades, and the Rules, and the Homesteaders, and the Fortfolk, and where the Homeland was, and why they left, and all about the God Below, and why the HELL they ended up in this godawful forest (how big is it?) and how long it took before their ancestors figured everything out (or how much they figured out and what they got wrong)....

He always does this to me.  His worlds are so interesting and his stories are always just giving you enough to understand what's going on at the moment while hinting at ages and eons and lives full of history behind and around them, and I just want to know all the things!!!  I swear, if this man taught actual real human history, people would give a shit.  It's just unreal.

In a way, it's good to have read this just now, because that primes me up for Words of Radiance, which I should be getting soonish (the post office hates me) and at least I can distract myself with another world that I care deeply about and want to know all the things.

But still.  I really need to know more about this Forest.  Really really really badly.  Poor William.  Poor Sebruki.  Aaaargh.