Magic City: Recent Spells

I loved this anthology because of how varied the stories were, and the fact that I was unfamiliar with most of the authors (even the one I was most familiar with, Jim Butcher, had a story in there I had never read). That's the thing with anthologies - if you're already really familiar with the authors' other work, they may not be for you. But if you're still exploring what all the genre has to offer, they can be a great way to find new authors to get hooked on.Which is definitely what happened to me here. I added a couple of authors to my list and will be seeking out their longer-form works in the future. But this anthology in and of itself was a great read because of how varied it was. Despite the title, not all of the stories take place in urban environments. In fact, some are in pretty darn rural and even somewhat desolate locales. It's not the location that matters, though, but the take on magic and supernatural elements mixing with the modern world. This anthology gave a great cross-section of just how rich and interesting the urban fantasy genre really is (it's not all Stephenie Meyer and Laurel K. Hamilton!).

A good collection of urban fantasy short stories. I wanted this collection because Party Briggs and Carrie Vaughn had a story in there. I already had the stories from them in other books. I was disappointed in that. However, I did find a wonderful Harry Dresden story by Jim Butcher about a supposedly cursed ball park in a major U.S. city. It was a fun read. The other stories were good. I like anthologies. However,most of the stories were ok. 4 stars for the 2 stories I already had and the Butcher I didn't.

This anthology was filled with many of my favorite urban fantasy writers. I was a bit disappointed at first when I realized nearly all the stories were reprints... but I had only read a few of them previously, despite my fondness for the genre! Great!And- they were all good, solid, compelling stories. Usually in any anthology, there are at least a couple that, if not duds, are not to my taste. Not in this one. Even the offerings from authors I've tired of a bit were good, and some of the rest were great.If you are a fan of urban fantasy- or if it intrigues you, but you don't know where to start- start here. I don't think any of the stories require prior reading, and you'll encounter the writing- and often the worlds- of many of the major players in the field.Highly recommended for those whose tastes run this way.

I had not read any of the stories before (it is stated in the description that they are from the past few years) so this was a nice treat for me while waiting for the Dresden Files to be released. I also enjoyed reading work by writers I have not run across previously. A few of them I've put on my "watch list" to follow now. As short stories,you're not going to get the full character and story development you would in a regular book.If that is important to you, you will be disappointed. If you enjoy a nice little smorgasbord of urban fantasy,this is for you.

I thought the stories were well written, and showed a variety oftakes on Urban Magic. You need to be willing to go along for theride in some of them, and just accept the premise without imposingrules of convention from other stories.I read it in two evenings, so I must have enjoyed it.

A good read. Thoughtful, creative authors and interesting themes. A couple from favorite authors, and some that have encouraged us to seek out their longer works to read.

There are three or four excellent stories in this book. The Patricia Briggs story, which is why I bought the book, is an old story about how Tom Franklin met his wife. I got lost and/or disoriented with many of the stories. A book you can easily pick up and put down again.

Fun collection of short tories from various authors.

A good collection of stories, some better than others as you would expect with any anthology.

I have not finished it, but so far it is good