The first story's like an antiquated dream, enjoyable for what it is though never my first choice. The second story was my least favorite. The third, Hiacinth the fairy's, was a blend of fun and annoying, hard to distill down to a simple review. I don't regret reading it, but I wouldn't have regretted missing it either, unlike the first story, The Firebird. (These reviews are combined since GR lost my running review and I had to remember what I'd written.)

I am thrilled to have read The Imp and Mr. Sunshine. That was GREAT.

The Wolf in the Garden's MC knows the MC from The Firebird, which took place 80 years ago, very nice touch. We learn of things Rennet did as a child, too. This story is where it pays to have read all these stories.

The Dragon's Egg is about Arthur and Bertie (A Boy and His Dragon) and a surprise. Wonderful. A great ending to this collection. If you have read the Beings in Love series, don't miss this collection. ( )

“The world is a troubled and cruel place. Shouldn’t we embrace happiness when we find it, no matter the odds on it lasting or the world interfering?"

This could be the motto of the anthology, or even the whole series.
Most of these stories take place in Los Cerros, a town that was mentioned a few times in the series and if I remember right the first 2 books take place there. Over time it became some kind of a safe haven for beings.

The Firebird - 1934

“You have more to say? You think I was cruel? That he did not deserve rejection?”
The man considered him over the wire rim of his glasses. Kazimir knew he was being studied, and yet could not catch the man’s gaze. The strange, somewhat insolent human took another drink of his brown booze.
“You didn’t have much respect for his feelings.”
Kazimir surprised himself by letting out a short, icy laugh. “He should have had respect for mine.”
“Were yours clear?”
[...]
“What responsibility is it of mine to make my feelings clear? My feelings are mine.” His voice rang out; the little American would not argue. Kazimir kept on. “He was told no. It’s not my fault he did not listen.”

I read this story twice, and only now that I'm writing his review and selecting quotes does it occur to me that Kazimir and Jacob's dialogue is almost like listening to Elizabeth and Darcy arguing. Isn't it? :D And now that I think about it, the tone and atmosphere of the story is similar to a degree.

I'm not sure why but the writing felt different from what I'm used to from the author. It might be the historical setting or the nature of the characters, but I enjoyed it more because of it. Definitely liked the dialogue. :)
I can't explain how much I loved this story. It takes place after WWII and well, I'm not sure what exactly happened in France at that time... something with the fascists and a coup d'état but beyond that I have not bothered to look it up.
This historical event gave the story a melancholic feel. The story cut off without a proper ending, so the reader could only guess what happened... well.. you don't actually have to guess because Firebird shows up in the story The Wolf in the Garden. Not only that but we get little hints throughout the anthology, even though the stories are not connected to each other.
Not sure how successful I was in conveying my feelings towards this story, but this is the best I could do.

The Warrior's Sacrifice - 1947
I wasn't too fond of this story, something felt off to me. Not sure what. I don't think I quite understood what was going on. On top of that the author created a love interest who is cold and aloof, and doesn't talk much, he's more of an observer and only speaks if he has something meaningful to say. So the story was lacking in dialogue. But it's just as melancholic as the first story.
To those who are looking specifically for characters like Teo, he is what the Mexicans call 'muxe' which in my understanding is a genderfluid person, I hope I'm not mixing up the terms.

Hyacinth on the Air - 1961

"Not seeking to understand one another was what had led the humans into decades of war. Hyacinth did not want to see decades more. He found it wasteful and ugly."

Quite the kinky read this turned out to be in the end. lol
I don't have much to say about this one. I liked it. Hyacinth is a typical fairy: flirtatious and outspoken. He doesn't understand the human stupidity in which they frown upon two men or two women in love, especially if one of them is a being. Then there is Walter who is clearly smitten with Hyacinth, but he doesn't want to be, though he doesn't take much convincing.

A Giant among Men - 1982

It's a short and interesting crime story with Tank the troll as the main character, who is in love with an elf, who works as a bartender in the local bar beings usually frequent. A typical story from the author, which means these two idiots didn't seem to notice they are in love with each other.
I find it interesting how the author worked the historical events into these stories. Not as the main objective, but placed the love story in an already existing environment. In this case the mysterious human illness called the gay cancer that they blamed the fairies for. Even though not one fairy was sick.
It was basically mentioned as a side comment.

The Imp and Mr. Sunshine - 2005

This was pure fun. Rennet is a disaster. Wherever he goes, he causes destruction. Otherwise he is a fun being to be around. And he is in love with a politician of all people. For a human, to be in a relationship with a being is still frowned upon but John doesn't seem to care.I enjoyed this, it was light and fun.

The Wolf in the Garden - 2014

Miki thinks he's an ugly duckling due to the birthmark on his face. He's always hiding under clothes and his hair, and feels content in the company of his flowers. Along comes a werewolf who lost his mate, and he is immediately in awe of Miki and can't take his eyes (or nose) off him. Miki believes he doesn't have a chance with the incredibly handsome were, who sends some mixed signals. So he needs some nudging and convincing from his friend/roommate/parent, the one and only Kazimir, our precious Firebird.What happened to Kaz, how he got to Los Cerros from France, that's not my story to tell.

The Dragon's Egg - 2015

A bonus story with Arthur and Bertie, which takes place a few years after A Boy and His Dragon. Arthur is busier than ever, so when he finds a Dragon's egg in their living room, which mysteriously appeared overnight after his passionate reunion with Bertie, after the dragon came home from a month-long lecture tour, he is rather miffed and freaked out. But that doesn't stop him from planning, because that's what he's best at.This was charming and delightful.

Overall this anthology was more melancholic and sad than I would have expected. But that didn't take away from the enjoyment. This series is starting to become a comfort read for me. ( )

Beautiful! R. Cooper's stories resonate with me the way few others do. This is a gorgeous passage through time telling tales of love and heartache and triumph. I cried, and I felt connected to these characters and moved by their experiences. So worth reading.

Oh and Arthur & Bertie! ( )

As anyone who follows my reviews knows, I absolutely adore the ‘Being(s) In Love’ series. I was hoping for another full-length novel, but when this collection of short stories popped up on my radar, I was quite excited. For one thing, they tell parts of the history of this world, which answered some of the questions I had from reading the first four books in the series. For another, they introduced me to a whole range of magical and mystical beings that have so far not appeared in the books, or have only been mentioned without further details. In short, this is a great addition to the series and I loved reading all of the stories so much that – guess what – now I want more!

The Firebird is set in 1934 Paris, and tells a story from Kazimir’s long life. As a firebird he is not only close to immortal, as he knows from having had many owners, but insanely attractive. Kazimir is lonely, has never met another firebird, and is mystically linked to the humans around him. He is clearly burdened, and this story holds more than a touch of bittersweet and tragedy. But it is beautifully written, and when Kazimir finally finds what he has been looking for, the man who completes him, I breathed more than one sigh of relief! Tantalizingly tragic with a happy ending.

The Warrior’s Sacrifice is set in 1947 Mexico. A powerful jaguar shifter rescues Teo, who has been beaten for being gay, then left out as a sacrifice to appease the mighty jaguar – still seen as a god by many of Teo’s village’s inhabitants. The jaguar is not at all who Teo believed him to be, and as they gradually got to know each other, it becomes clear that they will make their own destiny. I loved the mysteriousness of the jaguar shifter, the raw power he exudes, and how timid Teo gradually begins to understand that he might not die after all. Mysteriously powerful and quietly seductive.

Hyacinth on the Air takes place in 1961, and stars Hyacinth the fairy who makes a living as a DJ. His world, how he sees things is quite different from the way a human perceives reality. His observations and thoughts were fascinating, and really pulled me into the fairy world. He has trouble with some of the human conventions, and some of his thoughts about those issues were really funny. Hyacinth has set his eyes on a human coworker, Walter, but they have more than one misunderstanding to clarify before they can figure out how they fit together. A sweet and funny story that made me smile.

A Giant Among Men happens in 1982, during the AIDS crisis, and features a leather-wearing troll named Tank who wants to share his life with Simon, an elf of indeterminate heritage. Tank is very protective of Simon, and when several attacks in the area of the bar end up bringing them closer, things heat up considerably. Fierce, intense, and very hot.

The Imp and Mr. Sunshine is set in 2005, and stars an imp who heroically tries to control his chaotic, impish magic. Rennet tries to behave, he really does. Well, most of the time. He works with the police and city hall, so he’s mostly a good guy. But he IS an imp, so stuff happens and the inadvertent damage can be rather annoying. I thought some of it was hilarious, but then, I’m not the one who had to clean up some of his messes. Rennet clearly “has a thing” for John, the human mayor, but nether of them will admit it. It takes them quite a while to figure it out, and I loved every second. Seductively hilarious.

The Wolf in the Garden takes place in 2014, and has Miki, a human who loves working with poisonous and carnivorous plants that he tends until they’re sold in a magic shop, pining for a werewolf who has lost his mate. Diego is a quiet observer, and clearly fascinated by Miki’s tour of the garden and explanations of all the plants around them. His roommate Kazimir (now alone because his human lover died) gives him some perspective, and it encourages Miki not to give up too soon. His romance with Diego develops slowly, but was beautiful to watch. A quietly passionate story with lots of thoughtful reflections.

The Dragon’s Egg, dated “present”, took me back into the world of ‘A Boy and His Dragon’. Bertie, the dragon, has been away for a month and can’t wait to be with Arthur again. Arthur is about to finish his dissertation, and Bertie is afraid he will lose him. But then a magically appearing dragon’s egg changes everything, and both Arthur and Bertie have to adjust to the fact that they will soon be fathers. I loved all the details about the dragon reproductive cycle and the blossoming of parental love. Sweetly romantic and utterly charming!


NOTE: This book was provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
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