Title: Kisses From Hell
Authors: Kristin Cast (site), Alyson Noel (site), Kelley Armstrong (site), Richelle Mead (site), Francesca Lia Block (site)
Published: August 24, 2010 by HarperTeen
Pages: 272 (Paperback)
Price: $7.99 Book Depository $9.99 Amazon
Series: From Hell Anthologies
Rating: 2/5
Synopsis: Truly, Madly, Undead-ly
This irresistible collection features stories of love amid vampires by five of today's hottest authors—Kristin Cast (Tempted), Richelle Mead(Vampire Academy), Alyson Noël (Evermore), Kelley Armstrong (The Summoning), and Francesca Lia Block (Pretty Dead).
From a fugitive vampire forced to trust a boy who might work for the group bent on destroying her to the legendary romance of two immortals whose love compels them to risk everything, this heart-pounding collection brings new meaning to the words "love you forever." Whether you're into romances that are dark and moody or light and fun, these stories will quench that insatiable thirst for enchanting tales of the beautiful undead. (Goodreads)
Initial Thoughts: I have loved the other books in the From Hell Anthology series, so I expected this one to be great. There are some really big names here and the cover is gorgeous, adding to the expectations.
Review: Overall, this book was a waste of my time. I would recommend it to hardcore fans of The Vampire Academy series, Kristin Cast, or Kelley Armstrong. The stories by Armstrong and Mead were a bit dull, but taken as a little side story to the series, they're fun. Now, for the Story-by-Story
"Sunshine" by Richelle Mead: boy meets girl, apparently the story of how the parents of a character in the VA series met. Fairly predictable and dull. I would like to know if a certain witch got what was coming to her.
"Bring Me To Life" by Alsyon Noel: this was probably the best story of the bunch. A girl accepts a place at a prestigious art school, but there's something strange going on. This one was very interesting. The story kept you guessing until the end, but the end was a bit abrupt and "ta-da!"
"Above" by Kristin Cast: I'll start by saying that I've suspected for a while that what is wrong with the House of Night series is Kristin Cast. This story has confirmed that. She creates a world with 'beings' who live below and their enemies, the 'beings' who live above. It's unclear what exactly these things are, why they're fighting, where the main character came from, and who told Kristin this story was edgy, poetic, and brilliant. Apparently she thinks it is all three, when really it is just a confusing pile of crap. There are some interesting seeds here, but they don't really develop. Complete torture.
"Hunting Kat" by Kelley Armstrong: this was a pretty good story about some kids on the run from Edison, set in the same world as The Summoning (which was amazing), but there just wan't anything special about it. I liked reading about a different kind of paranormal in the same world, but I'd rather have read a full-length novel.
"Lilith" by Francesca Lia Block: a very dark story about a loner in high school who catches the eye of a beautiful and deadly girl. This story was very creepy, with a sad ending. I would like to see a full-length novel about these characters. P.S. She isn't a vampire.
Quick Review: This anthology was a real disappointment, especially since the others in the series were amazing. It would be worth a read for fans of the series mentioned, and one of the stories is quite good, but if you're looking for a solid collection of paranormal stories, look elsewhere. Try the others in the series, for example: Vacations From Hell and Prom Nights From Hell
