Friday, December 7, 2012

From the Stacks: Baba Yaga's Daughter and Other Tales of the Old Races

Okay, so I was going to hold off on this review until I re-read the Negotiator trilogy that started all of this and then I would review all of them, but I can't wait any longer. Today I'm delving into a world filled with dragons, vampires, selkies, djinn, and gargoyles. This is the world of the Old Races created by C.E. Murphy, and today I am gushing about the amazing collection of stories in Baba Yaga's Daughter and Other Tales of The Old Races.


Baba Yaga's Daughter and Other Tales of The Old Races by C.E. Murphy
ISBN: 978-1-59606-382-2

Summary

"Ancient rivals, worst of friends, best of enemies: dragonlord Janx and master vampire Eliseo Daisani are the threads upon which a tapestry of lives and loves are woven across the centuries. From the coldest Russian nights to the heat of Chicago's greatest fire, nothing brings the immortal adversaries together--or tears them apart--like a woman.

And there is always a woman.

Vanessa Grey has been at Daisani's side for decades but the secrets borne by a witch may be her undoing. Baba Yaga's daughter has plots that are decades in the hatching, but they may only succeed if Margrit Knight, named "the Negotiator" by Daisani and Janx themselves, will work with her. And there are others: the deadliest vampire hunter mankind has ever known, and a woman for whom the Old Races are a wonder to walk away from.

Revisit C.E. Murphy's world of the Old Races with ten stories that delve into the past and future of the two most beloved characters from her urban fantasy trilogy The Negotiator!"

My Thoughts

I purchased this book back in January and was told it would be ready in September. There was a delay and it wasn't printed until October, which meant I didn't get it until November. Despite the wait, this book was well worth it. My copy of Baba Yaga's Daughter is part of a signed limited edition of 1000 copies and I have #72.

This wonderful collection of stories expands on the Old Races universe and shows a lot more of the history between Janx and Daisani. Theirs is a really interesting relationship, almost how you would act towards a sibling. You torment them and challenge them when you can but no one else better even think of doing such a thing. On the other hand, sometimes the two of them seem to be on completely good terms. Getting to see more of their long and complex history was a complete joy to me.

I have been so intrigued by this world since I first read Heart of Stone, the first book in the Negotiator trilogy. Since then I have read and bought every book in the universe (well, and every book C.E. Murphy writes because, honestly, I'm obsessed. She is such a good writer). If I could I would give this book a 10/5. Since that's totally not cool, you can obviously see that it earns a 5/5 from me and I'm anxiously awaiting the next installment in the Old Races universe.

I do not recommend this book for anyone who hasn't read the trilogy, especially considering that the last story takes place after the trilogy and as such, contains spoilers. However, for fans of these books, it is an amazing addition to the collection of C.E. Murphy/Old Races books.

Baba Yaga's Daughter on Subterranean Press ($40, but it is a signed limited edition): http://subterraneanpress.com/store/product_detail/baba_yagas_daughter_and_other_tales_of_the_old_races

Baba Yaga's Daughter on Barnes & Noble ($28.80 hardcover but not signed): http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/baba-yagas-daughter-other-tales-of-the-old-races-c-e-murphy/1113897200?ean=9781596063822

Negotiator trilogy on Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/?series_id=649505

Other Old Races collections on Barnes & Nobles: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/?series_id=813486

C.E. Murphy on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/C.-E.-Murphy/e/B002D656ZI/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1354900498&sr=1-2-ent

Other Readings

For some reason my reading has slowed down the last couple weeks, but I'm going to try and pick up the pace so I can get a few bonus reviews out this month. Also, I don't know how many brand new books I'll be able to review in the next weeks or even months, due to student loan payments. However, I can honestly say that my TBR pile at home is large enough to give me enough books to review for a couple years.

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