Dangerous Women by George R. R. Martin & Gardner Dozois (REVIEW)

Average Overall Rating: 3.57 stars 

Some Desperado by Joe Abercrombie - 5 stars 🌟
I have missed Abercrombie! This story filled a hole. Shy reminded me of Ferro because she's capable and no nonsense but also pretty damaged. I can't wait to meet her properly in Red Country, but even in this short story I feel like I got a sense for her character and her struggles. Loved it!

My Heart is Either Broken by Megan Abbott - 3.5 stars 🌟
Well that was harrowing... Interesting story, but could have done with just a bit more detail/information for me.

Nora's Song by Cecelia Holland - 3 stars 🌟
Historical fiction isn't really my bag. The most interesting part of this story was the chosen perspective. A little girl looking up at the King and Queen, or mam and dad.

The Hands that are Not There by Melinda Snodgrass - 3 stars 🌟
Sci-fi setting, but really it was just a sad tale of a husband and wife cheating on each other... Nice little twist to the ending though.

Bombshells by Jim Butcher - 4 stars 🌟
I get the feeling I really shouldn't have read that story...! 🙈 oops. 
Oh well, I now know I would like to read the Dresden Files, even though I know how it ends!

Raisa Stepanova by Carrie Vaughn - 4.5 stars 🌟
A slice of life from World War 2 Russia. Great story about a determined female pilot and the challenges faced by her and her colleagues.

Wrestling Jesus by Joe R. Lansdale - 3.5 stars 🌟
I liked the friendship between the weak kid and the old man, and his crazy ex girlfriend was interesting. She didn't feel like the main focus of the story, but she was certainly a 'dangerous woman'.

Neighbours by Megan Lindholm (Robin Hobb) - 4.5 stars 🌟
A really clever little story about an elderly woman struggling with alzhemiers. I really enjoyed the style and pace of this.

I Know How to Pick 'Em by Lawrence Block - 5 stars 🌟
A dark and disturbing little story about a man with bad mommy issues and a woman with evil intentions... Really well told!

Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell by Brandon Sanderson - 4 stars ⭐
Such a cool story about a bounty hunter and some scary mistwraith like creatures! It had Sanderson written all over it!

A Queen in Exile by Sharon Kay Penman - 2 stars ⭐
Historical fiction, just not my thing. It moved too quickly through the years for any real investment on my part and was quite boring.

The Girl in the Mirror by Lev Grossman - 2 stars ⭐
That felt utterly pointless. I guess I just have no interest in this "adult" Harry Potter world...

Second Arabesque, Very Slowly by Nancy Kress - 5 stars 🌟
In 30 pages this post apocalyptic world was created beautifully and fully. The concept was unique to me and captivating!

City Lazarus by Diana Rowland - 3 stars 🌟
Dirty cops, strippers and something about a diverted river? Interesting I guess.

Virgins by Diana Gabaldon - 3.5 stars ⭐
Having never read the Outlander books, this was interesting to see what the author's writing is like. I liked the characters, even though they were a bit sex obsessed. But the 'short' story was too long and meandering, and I thought the plot got a bit lost.

Hell Hath No Fury by Sherrilyn Kenyon - 4 stars ⭐
A cute ghost story about an abandoned Native American town. Not sure if I was supposed to know who the characters were from other books, but I enjoyed it anyway.

Pronouncing Doom by S. M. Stirling - 2 stars ⭐
This was some sort of post apocalyptic court room drama. Very meh. Not sure why I was supposed to be interested at all really.

Name the Beast by Samuel Sykes - 4 stars ⭐
Two different species are terrified of the beast, but they are both each others beasts. Really cool concept, but very sad in a way. I liked this a lot!

Caretakers by Pat Cadigan - 3.5 stars ⭐
I liked this story, about two sisters' suspicions of a nurse doing harm in a care home. However, all the talk of iPads and 'mad skillz' was cringy in the extreme, felt like the author was your nanna trying to be down with the kids. Unnecessary!

Lies My Mother Told Me by Caroline Spector - 4 stars 🌟
I found the basis of this a bit confusing because I've never read the Wild Cards books and you kinda get dumped into the world. But I got to know the characters quickly and found this to be a quite clever and emotional story. Superheroes and villains seem to be popular at the moment, and this was a unique example.

The Princess and The Queen, Or, The Blacks and The Greens by George R. R. Martin - 2 stars 🌟
My God was this boring. Content was theoretically interesting, but it read like a stuffy, old history book. Not for me. And a really weak ending to this anthology! It went out with a fizzle instead of a bang.