Hexed

By: Ilona Andrews, Yasmine Galenorn, Allyson James, Jeanne C. Stein

Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell, Renée Raudman

Length: 12 hrs and 25 mins

Publisher's summary

From best-selling authors Ilona Andrews, Yasmine Galenorn, Allyson James, and Jeanne C. Stein comes an anthology of four all-new novellas featuring powerful women who know how to handle a hex or two.

In "Double Hexed" from Allyson James, a novella of the Stormwalker series, Janet and her friends find themselves locked in her hotel, victims of a hex cast by a very powerful sorcerer. And, as they work to release the spell before the sorcerer kills them all, they realize that their worst enemies just might be themselves.

In "Blood Debt" from Jeanne C. Stein, bounty-hunter-turned-vampire Anna Strong is visited by three witches who ask her to right an old magical wrong. Anna will have to live up to her name to make it through alive.

In "Magic Dreams" from Ilona Andrews, old legends and frightening nightmares come to life. The shapeshifting Tigress Dali Harimau finds herself in deep water when she must challenge a dark being to a battle of wits, or risk losing the man she secretly longs for.

Finally, in Yasmine Galenorn's "Ice Shards," Iris Kuusi, a Finnish house sprite who lives with the D'Artigo sisters, must journey to the frozen Northlands to confront the crazed shadow of the former lover she's accused of murdering, so she can break the curse keeping her from marrying the man she loves. This is a must-listen collection for fans of the paranormal.

©2011 Andrew Gordon and Ilona Gordon, Yasmine Galenorn, Jennifer Ashley, and Jeanne C, Stein (P)2011 Tantor

Critic reviews

"All four [novellas] feature strong female characters and unusual world-building with broad appeal." ( Publishers Weekly)

Good collection of stories!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

For having a variety of stories in one collection is great way to enjoy the ride!

What did you like best about this story?

Each story was completely different - yet the same genre.

What about Cassandra Campbell and Renée Raudman ’s performance did you like?

How they brought each character to life. However, disappointed in Jeanne Steins' narration of her story since I am so use to Dina Pearlmans narrated voice. But the story was well read.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

if I could have I probably would have while sitting doing my craftworks

Any additional comments?

Really loved the first story in the collection.

Ilona Andrews

I love the story of Dolly and Jim. I wish that Ilona Andrews would publish all of the novellas in one book.

nice taste of alittle bit of every favorite author

If find anthologies really interesting to listen to and the author used to really great story tellers to do it for them. Some of the stories are quiet short, but its a nice way to see what a new author has out, what their writing style is like and then you can go back and see what else they have wrote. I think Jeanne c. Stein was my favorite. This book is romance and intelligence, strength and kicking butt and it's all done by women!!!

Review of Magic Dreams

Audiobook: Narrator - Renee Raudman

Oh my gosh!!! I LOVED this performance! Ms. Raudman did a superb job as Dali! I can’t imagine this character sounding any other way than how she is portrayed in this audio. This narrator took this short story and made it her own!


Dali has always been a bit peculiar to me, but then again, I thinks she’s supposed to be that way to everyone. I often wondered what her background and motivations were and now I know and oh my! I loved her so much! This is a fast, intense read/listen and it has a great balance of thrills/chills and suspense, along with a bit of romance. I’m all about the romance but too much can kill a story and not enough can make me lose interest. This had the perfect ratio for me. And lordie! When this wraps up, let’s just say Jim turned me into a swoony mess!

In order to get to this one you’re going to need to read the other before it but I gotta say that this has been my fave...it’s all about the geek to me!

Worth it as borrowed Ilona Andrews novella

I borrowed this collection as part of the monthly Audible Escapes subscription. Good thing, because I’d have regretted paying for 1/4 of a book. I enjoyed the 3 hr novella offering a side story from the Kate Daniels series. But I didn’t last more than a few minutes for any of the other three short stories. Either didn’t like the writing, or couldn’t enjoy because I wasn’t familiar with those other series.
The first novella follows Dali the mystical were-tiger, an awkward, coke-bottle glasses wearing drag racer who not only is magic, but can do magic. She assists Jim, a badass, alpha male were-jaguar investigate a mysterious infliction that puts people to sleep. Along the way, there’s also an opposites attract romance. I think I enjoyed this more because I already knew the characters from the Kate Daniels series.

Loved three of four

That’s worth a five for value. I already loved Ilona Andrew’s and now I have two new authors and series to start. For an anthology that’s outstanding! I highly recommend this one to enjoy one of your favorites and find another. You pick the ones you like best.

Originally bought this for Ilona Andrew's book

Originally bought this for Ilona Andrew's book.

Truthfully I just bought this for the Ilona Andrews book. But since it comes with four stories I must not waste my money. I really only liked Magic Dreams in this bunch of books, but I'm sure that is because I haven't read anything by two of the authors and there was just too much back story for me to get into them. My rating is for Ilona Andrews book only.

Magic Dreams by Ilona Andrews. #4.5 order in Kate Daniels series. This is the 1st novella with Dali and Jim. Lots of entertainment packed into a short novella. I recently reread all of Kate Daniels series and realized there are about three short stories that I have missed. I quickly remedied that. I loved Dali's family and this story give a new light to both Dali and Jim's characters. I also appreciated that Renee Raudman narrated this story, she does wonders for this series. Best if read in order. 2 hrs 56 mins.

Ice Shards by Yasmine Galenorn. #9.5 order in Otherworld series. I gave it a try but I only made it about 10 minutes before giving up. I read part of the first book in this series and didn't finish it then and unfortunately I tried again. But the reasons I didn't like it before were still there and now the story was more work than I was willing to put in, too much back story. 3 hrs 27 mins.

Double Hexed by Allyson James. 2.5 order in the Stormwalker series. Another story already in the middle of the series but I gave it a try anyway, hoping it could be a book that can be read alone. It can but it does mention previous events in the series quite a bit. The story itself was okay, but I don't think I will listen to any more from it. 3 hrs 32 mins.

Blood Debt by Jeanne C. Stein. #6.5 order in the Anna Strong series. Since I haven't read any of the other books in these series, I didn't enjoy it overly. There was just too much back story going on for my taste. This series might be one I would give a shot to later as long as I start it from the beginning. 2 hrs 30 mins.

Narrators are good.

Fun to the last sound

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good magic story. I liked to connected points of the stories and it helped fill in a part of the Otherworld series about Ms Koosi. If you read Yasmine Galernom there is a story for you. If you read a story of magic and strong chicks you'll find a lot here.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Four stories with a bang. Sit back and be enthralled.

Leaves you wanting more.

I think the concept of the short story or the novella, all in one book is great! My only disappointment was that I couldn't find a series or complete novel on some that were really interesting.

Skip unless you want Magic Dreams

If it wasn’t for Ilona Andrews, I would have returned this one.
(1) Chapters 1-4: Magic Dreams by Ilona Andrews
Dali Harimau races her Mustang “Rambo”, or drives “Pookie” her Plymouth Prowler, regardless of the fact that she has no license and is extremely near sighted. She has a major crush on Jim Shropshire, Alpha of Clan Cat, but he doesn’t see her unless she gets in trouble. As a mythic White Tiger, she is one of the few magic using shifters who can help Jim fight a lethal magical sleeping sickness. Her adventures in the Atlanta Asian underground are pretty cool. The timeline appears to be 3 weeks after Magic Bleeds.
I enjoy Raudman’s narration.

(2) Chapters 5-12: Ice Shards, an Otherworld novella by Yasmine Galenorn
I got impatient with world building overload in Chapter 1 and skipped the rest.

(3) Chapters 13-23: Double-hexed, a Stormwalker novella by Allyson James
Interesting creative concept. I listened to the full story, but it did not engage me emotionally, either in the world building or characters.

(4) Chapters 24-42: Blood Debt by Jeanne C. Stein
Story did nothing for me. I don’t know if this novella is part of a series or not, but I found it incredibly annoying that there was no reference to the protagonists’ name or gender at all in the first chapter, only that heshe had some vampire powers. It was well into chapter 2 that we find out it’s Anna. I felt the whole intro scene, and the office interview scene, to be idiotic as written. I HAD TO stop listening.

Can’t recommend this anthology unless you’re an Andrews fan and don’t have any other copy of Magic Dreams.