Four authors join together in the anthology Fortune’s Fool to weave four very different tales with one common thread – heroines whose lives are changed by the paranormal.  Encompassing different walks of life, the stories are set in varying time periods, from Boston in the 1800s, to contemporary America, to a futuristic place on another planet.

When I selected the anthology Fortune’s Fool for review, it was primarily based on my admiration for author Bianca D’Arc’s work, having not read any of the other three authors in this anthology previously.  While I was once again impressed by D’Arc’s work, I enjoyed each of the other author’s entries in this anthology as well, each of whom contributed to earn the 5 Klover rating I have given it.

~Arcana:  King of Swords by Bianca D’Arc~

Adele came to Madhatter Station to find her Aunt Della because of a vision concerning the station.  Finding the address given her for Della lands Adele right smack in the middle of The Rabbit Hole, and a host of soldiers enjoying a night off in their favorite tavern.  Psychic ability runs strong in her genes, and her premonition is proven true sooner rather than later when the jit’suku attack the station that very night, forcing Adele and the band of soldiers underground for several hours before they can attempt to regain control of the station.  Several hours in which Adele finds herself alone with the very attractive soldier Dave with only one way to occupy their time while they wait for the sleep gas the enemy flooded the station with to disperse…

As I stated previously, Bianca D’Arc was the primary reason I wanted this anthology.  Even if none of the other stories had interested me, I would have wanted this book.  Arcana:  King of Swords is a prequel to her Sons of Amber series.  Set during the infamous conflict with the jit’suku, D’Arc delivers a story of one battle won by our heroes in a war doomed to failure.  Still, while fans who have read Ezekiel will likely experience a sense of doom, knowing how the struggle against the jit’suku eventually ends after King of Swords, they will find a bright spot in this altercation, when a very unexpected twist to the ending promises hope for the future of the human race and their dealings with the jit’suku.

And let’s not forget the characters!  The romance between Adele and Dave moves at a pace in step with the urgency of the situation.  In what could be their last moments alive, the couple give to each other without reservation, wanting to experience what they could be to each other before all is lost.

Lucky for them, this story is not without its HEA.  I will admit that I was on the edge of my seat for this one, knowing that D’Arc always delivers a happy ending, and worried that the nature of this story would demand otherwise.  Trust Bianca D’Arc to find a way to make what could have been a very dark tale an inspiring story of love and hope.

~Hand of Fate by Eva Gale~

The Drummond women are considered as something of a sideshow to the genteel in Boston, invited to fetes for the wealthy to perform their fortune telling skills for party guests.  Considered an amusement at best, and charity at worst, they still manage to eke out a meager living while preserving what they can of their dignity.

Abigail knows her chances at a decent marriage are non-existent, given her family reputation and social class.  Still, she yearns to experience love and true passion at least once in her life before becoming a spinster.  She never expected her wishes to be fulfilled at the hands of the most prominent banker in town, Caden Dupree.  And she most certainly never expected him to want more than a brief affair…

Hand of Fate by Eva Gale was a wonderful period piece set in 1880 Boston.  Gale tells a story of an unlikely couple who have more in common than they first expect.  Caden carelessly insults Abigail at their first meeting, and Abigail in turn abuses her powers by giving him a very different sort of palm reading.  When Abigail shows up at his office to apologize, sparks fly again, but with a very different result…  Caden is a man who will at first irk you to no end, and then turn right around and charm your socks off, much like he did with Abigail.  Indeed, it is the Abigail’s disbelief that someone from the upper class could ever want to marry a woman with her social standing that keeps this couple apart for as long as they are.  But men like Caden don’t rise to the top without a fair amount of grit and determination, and he uses every bit of it in his bid to win Abigail’s hand.

~Miranda Writes by Cassidy Kent~

Miranda’s writing career is looking up.  Too bad she can’t say the same for her current finances.  The advance for her current work in progress already spent, she is down to her last dollars and close to eviction.  A walk through the park and a kindness to a sweet old woman she meets there find Miranda at the receiving end of the woman’s fortune telling.  Almost immediately, Miranda’s life begins to change.  First she finds a job in a fortune-telling shop pretending to be psychic, and before long she finds herself under investigation by a very hunky and extremely determined detective…

Down on her luck Miranda is an easy character to identify with for those of us who have ever lived paycheck to paycheck.  Yet how many of us would spare five of our last dollars for a beggar in the park?  But that is exactly what Miranda does.  Her generosity is inspiring, even more so when we see the results of her charity.  Sure, the fortune the old woman reads for her leads to her new job as a charlatan palm reader in a shop that is a front for a counterfeiting operation, but that very scam is being investigating by one very handsome agent – the kind of man any woman would be more than happy to call her destiny!

~Flesh and Bone by Selah March~

Leah has had visions for years – psychic ability runs in her family.  But she has never had visions as dark and vivid as those she has experienced recently.  Soon the visions intensify and she finds herself living the nightmare, having teleported to a den of iniquity where one very sexy detective is being held captive and tortured by a group of evil women.  The police won’t believe her story, and Leah knows it is up to her to save Marcus from certain death before it is too late, even if it means putting her own life at risk.

Selah March’s story Flesh and Bone is by far the darkest in the Fortune’s Fool anthology.  With content sure to be condoned by the Marquis de Sade himself, some of the scenes are not for the faint of heart.  Those very same scenes serve well to illustrate the depth of depravity on the part of the villains, and the direness of Marcus’ situation to both the reader and to Leah.

Leah goes far beyond the call of duty more than once on behalf of the sexy detective after he is imprisoned and tortured by Madre Donnatella and her minions.  It is no wonder that Marcus finds himself captivated by this courageous heroine long after their ordeal is over. 

This is definitely not the easiest story to read, with some rather explicit violence, but it is certainly a very intriguing story and earned its 5 Klovers as surely as the other three stories did.

 

Reviewed by Jennifer

BUY IT!

Fortune's Fool
Bianca D'Arc, Eva Gale, Cassidy Kent, and Selah March
ISBN: 9781594269097
Phaze
May 2007
Erotica/Anthology
Paranormal Romance
eBook

Rating:

Posted July 2007