I didn't read the original anthology this is part of (Songs of Love and Death) though given the fact the original collection has almost a dozen authors I like from various genres, I really should have. And maybe I will at some point (that is not right now). This collection however took 5 of the stories--how they were chosen I know not--and released them together as an ebook special.

I'll review each story separately and then my overall impression.

"The Marrying Maid" by Jo Beverly

Here she tells the story of a man wooing a very reluctant maid--with his life and the lives of all his relatives in the balance, all doomed to die if he can't overcome her resistance. Which is not going to be easy.

I typically like Jo Beverly's romances. Most have some sort of magical hint--overtly like this story with Oberon and Titania inferring left, right and center or more subtly, like a 'magic' locket. That said this one felt...off to me. The short format, plus the sudden urgency to the male's plight when a sudden realization hits upon him, made the genuineness of their 'love' feel artificial and as false as can be. This dampened the mood for me and left me feeling a bit uncomfortable.

"Blue Boots" by Robin Hobb

In this poignant story, Hobb shows us that although love can build bridges across the widest of chasms, those bridges can be swept away by a flood of troubles--but that sometimes, with luck and persistence, they can be built again.

The amount of love I feel for this story is manifold. Seriously. It feels a bit long-ish, as long chunks are reflective as Timbal tries to feel out her feelings and reason with her hormones, but it has a...I'm not sure what you would call it. It feels right. The length and narrative structure is like one the ballads Azen (the minstrel) sings about. I rooted for Timbal to find her happiness and despaired when it seemed like Azen was a lout. It had me engaged from beginning to end (though I do wish it could have been longer.

"You and You Alone" by Jacqueline Carey

A compelling and intricate tale that follows the consequences of a promise between star crossed lovers down through the generations--one with quite a high price in blood.

I'll be honest--most of my friends rave about Carey's novels in some fashion. I myself am not so taken with her writing. This story I believe is set in the same world as her Kushiel books (mainly because there's a lot of talk of Naamah and Kushiel's Chosen, but I can't say for sure where it falls in the chronology). And unlike does not end quite as...happily. Depending on what you consider to be happily I suppose. Its quite a romantic tale of tragedy, of losing love and regaining it and losing it again.

I suspect if I knew who Anafiel was, or what this plot he speaks of was really about I may have enjoyed this story better. As is I enjoyed it a lot for what it was (memories of a long gone past filled with regrets, selfish needs and selfless deeds) and wonder a bit at the rest.

"Under/Above the Water" by Tanith Lee

Its said that each of us has one special person in the world that we are destined to love, and that to miss meeting that special person, to go through life without them, is perhaps the worst tragedy that can befall you. Lee shows us that if you miss your destined lover in one lifetime, it may just be possible to find them in another...

I....have no idea what happened in this story. Um reincarnation? Maybe? Kind of? I enjoyed Lee quite a bit when I was younger (her Claidi Journals were boon companions of mine), but I can honestly say I don't remember the novels being this confusing (well the whole truth about who 'Claidi' kind of got confusing). Zaeli is on a trip to maybe feel something other then despair of her lost lover, Zehrendir is doing his best to find a reason to live on after losing the two people he trusted most--two different times, two different people but united. Somehow.

Yeah that's all I really understood.

"Demon Lover" by Cecelia Holland

There's a cost for everything, but here we learn that sometimes the cost can be must too high, no matter how glittering and wonderful the prize is--or seems to be.

I kind of liked this one. I didn't buy into the romance at the end. That is, I could have if Palo's introduction wasn't as bad it was and if it didn't feel like Fioretta settled for him because she felt she could do no better. The author mitigated it a little bit, but it still didn't excuse the abominable way Palo treated Fioretta originally and I found it hard to get over that. Also creepy castle is creepy.

Over all this was a nice sampling of what the anthology has to offer. I'll definitely be checking out the entire collection, there's a few other authors included I would enjoy I think, and this is definitely worth the price its at. ( )

First, the disclaimer: This is essentially a romance anthology, and I’m not a fan of romance novels. I’m also not that crazy for the short story format, although sometimes they make a nice change of pace in small doses. So why on Earth did I read this? I read it for the Robin Hobb story which is set in the series I’m currently reading. Since there are only five stories in the anthology, I’m just going to write a brief review for each of them.

The Marrying Maid by Jo Beverley
This one was… bizarre. For reasons explained (eventually) in the story, Rob must marry and have sex with a pre-determined woman before his 25th birthday or he and his entire family will die. At the beginning of the story, he finally finds the correct woman, Martha, when his time is almost out. Even if I was a fan of romance stories, I don’t think I would have enjoyed this one. The desperation of Rob and the reluctance of Martha made the story uncomfortable, and not at all romantic. 2 stars.

Blue Boots by Robin Hobb
This was the story that I read the anthology for. It’s set in the Six Duchies from her Elderlings series, but familiarity with the series isn’t needed to understand the story. Somebody unfamiliar with it probably wouldn’t even realize it was set in a larger series. It’s a fairly straight-forward romance, with some of what I would consider to be typical romance tropes. The romance took place between characters who barely knew each other, so I never really bought into it. It’s written well enough, so I might have enjoyed this more if I was a romance reader. I think Hobb is great at writing characters, and that showed in this story. However, it really didn’t add any new depth to the Six Duchies setting for me. 3 stars.

You, and You Alone by Jacqueline Carey
This was the story that made me sit and stare at my Kindle for a minute after I finished it. I think I liked it, but it was tragic. The reader knows it’s going to be tragic from the very beginning, so that wasn’t surprising, but I actually got a little invested in the relationship in this one. I think what really helped this one feel more real was that the story takes place over several years and we see their ups and downs. There’s also a little more to this story than just romance; there’s a tiny hint of political intrigue as well. I haven’t yet read Carey’s Kushiel series, but it’s been on my to-read list for a while so I enjoyed getting a taste of her writing. I’m pretty sure this was set in that series, because I recognized some proper names from the book titles. I occasionally had the feeling that this story had a lot more meaning and relevance to a bigger picture than what I was grasping due to being unfamiliar with the setting. I’ll have to re-read this once I do finally read the series. Oh, and my read of The Iliad earlier this year paid off because there were a few references to it. :) 3.5 stars.

Under/Above the Water by Tanith Lee
This story didn’t do anything for me at all. I’m not entirely sure why, but I didn’t buy into the story and I didn’t feel any connection to the characters. I can’t even think of more to say than that, which in itself probably speaks best for the lack of impression this made on me. 2 stars.

Demon Lover by Cecelia Holland
In the first paragraph of this story, a demon is essentially trying to rape the main character. So my initial reaction was, “Oooookay…” But actually, once it got started, the story captured my interest. The romance didn’t have a lot of substance nor did it have much appeal but, by this point in the anthology, I wasn’t really expecting it to. I think short stories are probably not the best vehicle for believable romances. Not for what I as a reader would consider believable, anyway. I might have been interested in a longer version of this story with more focus on the other aspects of the setting aside from the romance. 3 stars.

So those star ratings average out to 2.7, which mathematically-speaking should be rounded down to 2.5. However, I’m going to round it up to 3 based on two things: 1) the strength of the Carey story which I did debate giving 4 stars and 2) an acknowledgement that I really wasn’t the right audience for this anthology, and I knew that going in but chose to read it anyway. ( )

Originally Reviewed At: Mother/Gamer/Writer
Rating: 5 out of 5 Controllers
Review Source: Publisher
Reviewer: AimeeKay


I was soooo excited I got to read this anthology. I am sooo glad I wasn’t disappointed. I have to admit the only reason I jumped at the chance to read and review Songs of Love Lost and Found was because it has a story by Tanith Lee in it. She is one of my all time favorite writers. Fortunately, all the stories were good, not just Lee’s, and before I knew it I found myself already finished!

There are only five stories in the book and they are all about love in one way or another. Not all the stories had happy endings, but each was well-written and drew me in, from the first page to the last.

The Marrying Maid – sweet and funny.
The Blue Boots - I so thought would end differently than it did!
You, And You Alone - so mysterious and moving at the same time.
Under/Above the Water – definitely had to pay attention during this one.
Demon Lover – wasn’t sure how this one was going to end either.

I think if I have any complaint about the anthology or any of the stories it contains, it would be that I wish there could have been more stories or that I wish some of them were longer. I’m definitely giving this one 5 out of 5 controllers! The ones with the little crowns this one was that good! ( )