Immortal edited by P.C. Cast

"In Immortal: Love Stories With Bite, edited by New York Times bestselling author of the House of Night series P.C. Cast, seven of today's most popular YA vampire and contemporary fantasy authors offer new short stories that prove that when you're immortal, true love really is forever.

Rachel Caine (the Morganville Vampires series) revisits the setting of her popular series, where the vampires are in charge and love is risky

Cynthia Leitich Smith (Tantalize) gives us a love triangle between a vampire, a ghost and a human girl, in which none of them are who or what they seem

Claudia Gray (Evernight) takes us into the world of her Evernight series, in which a pre-Civil War courtesan-to-be is courted by a pale, fair-haired man whose attentions are too dangerous to spurn

Richelle Mead (the Vampire Academy series) brings us the tale of a young vampire on the run from the rest of her kind, and the human boy who provides the getaway car

Nancy Holder (the Wicked series, Buffy the Vampire Slayer) immerses us in a post-apocalyptic New York where two best friends are forced to make a choice that may kill them both

Kristin Cast (the House of Night series) introduces us to a new kind of vampire: one with roots in Greek mythology, and the power to alter space and time

And Tanith Lee (Black Unicorn) shows us what happens when a bright young woman with some supernatural savvy encounters a misguided (but gorgeous) young vampire"

Here is a short review for each of the eight story in this great little anthology.

1. Haunted Love by Cynthia Leitich Smith 4.5/5 - great short story! Little bit different being from the perspective of a guy instead of the girl, but the characters are well done for a short story.
2. Amber Smoke by Kristin Cast 1/5 - I am not a House Of Night fan, but as that is a joint effort with her mom, I wondered if this could be better. It's not. It, like HON, has the potential to be really good. But the protagonist is far, far too self centered and shallow. Didn't like her at all.
3. Dead Man Stalking by Rachel Caine 3/5 - A Morganville Vampires short story told from Shane's perspective. Typical Morganville stuff, good but not great. And I wonder about how much someone who's not read any of the Morganville books before would get out of it. Still, liked it.
4. Table Manners by Tanith Lee 4/5 - fun story! Not spectatular, but it is great fun and made me smile. Really intereting ideas too!
5. Blue Moon by Richelle Mead 4/5 - great short story. Would have loved more though! Doesn't have as much strength as her Vampire Academy series, but I would love to read more set in this world.
6. Changed by Nancy Holder 4.5/5 - excellent short story with great Characters. Feel so bad for Jilly, but by the end you've got to love her strength too.
7. Binge by Rachel Vincent 5/5 - one world: Wow. Amazing story. Fantastic characters that you can relate to easily. Would love to see more from these particular characters, but will settle for the second Soul Screamers book (same world) in the mean time.
8. Free by Claudia Gray 4.5/5 - different, intriguing story. Really liked it though. Will check out her Evernight series after reading this.

Overall, really great young adult anthology with the stories from Richelle Mead, Rachel Vincent, Cynthia Leitich Smith and Claudia Grey all being fantastic. And with the exception of the story from Kristin Cast, the rest aren't far behind. An anthology well worth having for Rachel Vincent's 'Binge' alone, but the rest make it better value ;) 9/10