Full metal magic is an anthology of stories by some  of the hottest writers in the dark urban fantasy  genre.  Stories were written specifically  to be part of the anthology.

To give you some idea of what to expect here’s a taste of a few stories:

In the first story, The bull demon king, by J. A. Cipriano, Mac Brennan and his girlfriend Ricky are trying to enjoy a date at the fair, when they are interrupted by a plea for help.  Mei is begging Ricky for help because her friend was abducted  from a performance  and taken to the funhouse.  Ricky feels obligated to  help because she’s alpha werewolf of the state and Mei is one of her pack.  Mac helps her by being  well-armed and by using his cursed right hand to dispense hellfire and other magical weapons.  Together  they plan to rescue Mei’s friend without too much collateral damage.  Just your normal date night, right?

In The Black Door, by Domino Finn, Cisco Suarez accompanies Rachel to an underground part of an underground club.  Rachel needs some revenge, and Cisco plans to help her…if they can get past the posers and tough guys that keep interrupting their progress.

There’s your taste…and there are 7 more stories and chances to meet characters that star in their own series in works by Sonya Bateman, Ambrose Ibsen, Al K. Line, Rob Cornell, James A. Hunter, Craig Schaefer,  and Pippa DaCosta.  The analogy is available now for 99 cents and is free on kindle unlimited.

I loved the many characters and high-action problem solving in the stories.  The heros are the kind of people who protect others from knowledge or dangers of the paranormal and who stand up for others, although motivations vary.  This is a great way to get a quick introduction to the various series these characters inhabit without having to invest in nine novels to find the one(s) you like.  I highly recommend the book.  Writing is powerful, plots have lots of twists and action, and you get enough of the hero’s backstory and personality to know if you want to read more books.  I know I do!

This review is based on a free review copy provided to Kasey’s Book Nook.