Charmed Destinies: An Anthology

All 3 are beautiful stories. The 3rd story introduced, to me at least, a new author with an original Fantasy series. I had to buy the 5 books that follow the short story.

I actually really liked this collection. I think my least favorite was Drusilla's Dream, with Counting Crows after, but all the stories were great, engaging, and a really nice length. Each was original and touching with good characters.

This anthology marks the launch of the new women's fantasy line by Harlequin. THe Luna line will feature fantasy with women and romance as main themes. I enjoyed all 3 stories- I do agree that the Catherine Asaro tale was the best. The shape mages and their powers and the world they live in is one I wish to read more about. The Mercedes Lackey tale was brutal but I believe honest in its depiction of life for a mere woman in a loveless marriage of convenience. The mystical/magical happenings that changed the heroine's destiny were nicely written and unfolded in a satisfying manner. The psychic connection between our bored out of her gourd data entry clerk and her hunky sys admin in the Rachel Lee tale was great! This was the first romance I have ever read that described the utter mind numbing boredom of life in cube land---- think Dilbert's world and how a woman with a lot of imagination could let her mind wander and explore outside of her body into some psychic cosmic bandwith where she shares her fantasies with another...... I look forward to more by all of these ladies! I also recommend this years Harlequin Halloween anthology- When Darkness Falls. It too has strong supernatural themed romance- with an intro of Fantasy great Tanith Lee to the romance genre!

I really liked this book, despite the fact that I normally can't stand anthologies. All three stories were well fleshed-out, and I found the world-building enthralling.Counting Crows: I actually bought the book for this story, since Lackey is the only author I knew. If you're reading it for the romance, it fails. On the other hand, the character development is wonderful (aside from the interaction in the "romance"), and the surroundings are vivid and compelling. Overall, I loved it.Drusilla's Dream: This is the only one that I disliked. Most of that is probably personal. I found it a bit too silly, and cliched (which it made fun of itself for). I also found it choppy, and it was occasionally hard to tell whether the characters were in the "real" world or in Drusilla's fantasy.Moonglow: I adored this story. Despite how short it was, I felt I really got to know the characters, even the secondary ones. The world building was very intricate, with great attention to detail. I found it occasionally frustrating when things were hinted-at, but never elaborated, but the world and the character's circumstances did a great job of backing up the romance. I'm looking forward to the sequel.

"Counting Crows" by Mercedes Lackey. Lady Gwynhefar has to wed the King's choice abusive Lord Bretagne or her odious neighbor Baron Arghus though both are abominations. She marries Bretagne in a glove ceremony, but he is more brutal than she imagined as he rapes and beats her. Only her childhood hero Sir Atremus and her "maid" Robin give her solace. When Bretagne accepts a seditious deal and Atremus is dying, Gwyn acts to save the kingdom and her beloved with a spell, but what will it cost the witch?"Drusilla's Dream" by Rachel Lee. Drusilla dreams of painting full time, but to eat she works in data entry at GalaxyCom. To get through the inane repetitive tasks Drusilla dreams the night away with thoughts of head programmer Miles fighting evil by her side. When daylight arrives can Drusilla and Miles take a shared dream and turn it into a loving reality?"Moonglow" by Catherine Asaro. In Aronsdale, the most powerful magic practitioners wed the royals. Iris knows she will marry Prince Jarid. Though a spell cast to save his life left him blind, deaf, and unable to speak, Jarid and Iris communicate through the heart. She risks all to perform a spell for her beloved to gain the senses he lost, but the price is that those who killed his mother will murder him and his beloved.These three great romantic fantasy novellas make their respective realms and key cast members seem authentic. The story lines hook the audience whether they prefer romance or fantasy. Readers will marvel at the talent whom provide a tremendous taste of what to expect from Silhouette's new imprint Luna.Harriet Klausner