Misspelled

by Julie E. Czerneda

strange magic...in 17 Fascinating tales of spells gone awry When it comes to magic, skipping the directions, changing the ingredients, or garbling the words of a spell can lead to unusual... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0756404754
• ISBN13: 9780756404758
• Release Date: April 2008
• Publisher: Daw Books
• Length: 320 Pages
• Weight: 0.35 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 4.2" x 6.8"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher

Customer Reviews

Great escapism Book!!!

I picked this book up on a whim. I am so glad I did. I was getting sick of the same old romance books from boring authors,so I found this book. I absolutely loved it! It is so different. The many authors give their perspective on casting misspells. It is a nice change of pace. If you want a book with short stories with the paranormal attached, try "Misspelled". You might like it.

Excellent Escapism

I like themed anthologies. I like it when and editor takes a topic or notion and collects a series of stories around it. It allows me as a reader to have general background on the tale, and provides for easier reading of short fiction. In Misspelled, Julie E. Czerneda has collected 17 humorous tales about what happens when a spell goes wrong. The collection has some creative tales, as well as several brand new voices who have never been published before. It is an entertaining collection. Lesley D. Livingston takes the title of the anthology literally and writes a story that is both about a spell going wrong and Freudian slips of the tongue. "Trippingly Off the Tongue" works out well in the end for the protagonist, although its ending is a surprise. Livingston's tale is probably not the one I would have chosen to lead the anthology off with. The plot is a little difficult to follow (it's a bit like trying to listen to that Micro Machines guy back in the early nineties) due to its speedy dialogue. Too many ideas are introduced all at once, and I was a bit overwhelmed. Kristine Smith writes a tale about preparing a house for sale in "8rms, full bsmt." Some houses just happen to have doors to hell, and that's where wizards come into play. Smith's tale is appropriately humorous in this day of the subprime crisis, but I'm not really sure where the spell goes awry in this tale. "Eye of the Beholder" by Kevin G. Maclean is a cautionary tale about getting what you ask for. Sometimes, you see, beauty really is in the eye of the beholder. Maclean has written a fairy tale turned on its head. I can honestly say, I didn't see his ending coming (though I should have). "Cybermancer" by Janet Elizabeth Chase mixes together the worlds of technology and witchcraft. An interesting combo, as in there are so many ways both can go wrong. Chase's protagonist is not the most likable character, but she does do the right thing when her poor sister is dragged into Hell. I like this one for its particular creativity, and it is one of the few to incorporate technology in this anthology. Marc Mackay writes a schoolyard tale about messing with things you know nothing about. "Eye of Newt" shows how two young girls learn that sometimes just because something is traditional, doesn't mean it is useless. This story had a superfluous (implied) lesbian relationship that was unnecessary to the story and ultimately distracting. Had Mackay left it out, his story would have been stronger. "Chafing the Bogey Man" by Kristen Britain is a hilarious take on the sport of golf. Britain's poor protagonist makes a huge gaff in his struggle for retaining lost glory, with hilarious results, including the appearance of a rather strange garden gnome. "A Perfect Circle" by Kent Pollard is another story that incorporates technology. This one does poke a little fun at the MMORPG culture. Having played more than one of them myself, I smiled at Pollard's good-hearted jabs. His story takes the meani

Spellbindingly Good

Misspelled is the latest in the long list of Daw anthologies. Its theme is amusing; basically all the stories are centered around spells that have gone wrong some how. Of course, some of the stories have spells that have actually gone right, but the outcome is not what the caster intended. The result is 17 light and funny stories, with none being too serious or thought provoking. (This was perfect to get me through Senior finals, and it would make an awesome vacation book). I know many of us have favorite authors, so here is a complete list of authors and stories... **Tripping Off the Tongue by Lesley D Livingston, **8 rms, full bsmt by Kristine Smith ** Eye of the Beholder by Kevin G Maclean **Cybermancer by Janet Elizabeth Chase **Eye of Newt by Marc Mackay **Chafing the Bogey Man by Kristen Britian **A Perfect Circle by Kent Pollard **Reading, Writing, Plagues by Kell Brown **Totally Devoted 2 U by John Zakour **The Mysterious Case of Spell Zero by Rob St. Martin **Crosscut by S.W. Mayse **Bitch Bewitched by Doranna Durgin **The Witch of Westmoreland Avenue by Morgan S Brilliant **A Spell of Quality by Jate Paulk **Demon in the Cupboard by Nathan Azinger **Untrained Melody by Jim C Hines and **Yours for Only $19.99 by Shannan Palma This is one of the strongest and best Daw anthologies in quite some time. Those of you who are familiar with my Daw reviews know that I usually try to pick out one of two stories that really catch my attention, but as I was going down the list, I was laughing to myself about each one. They all have strength of writing and charm in their plot. I liked them all, honestly, and I can not often say that. I mean, Chafing the Bogey Man is about a golf spell gone so hideously wrong that people's lives are in danger. A golf spell! Brilliant! Eye of Newt made me think of Harry Potter, but that's just me. I love HP so I wasn't put off by that at all. Romantic troubles are the impetuous for Totally Devoted 2 U and I love the ending... see what I mean, I can say something nice about each and every one. This anthology isn't about creating something brilliant in prose that will last forever as a work of literary greatness, it's about having a good time and it delivers. On a personal note, I found the Narrators Notes before and after each story irritating so I stopped reading them after a while, but that is the only downside of this book. I really love this anthology and I can't recommend it enough! Grab yourself a copy for your next weekend off, vacation, or to rest your brain during finals!

Lots of cute short stories

I really enjoyed this book. The tales are short but very good and I loved the premise. Who hasn't wondered what would happen if one ingredient or incantation should be wrong. These are short not more than a few pages each. But the tales are varied and the outcomes are usually funny. Maybe one or two are not 5 star, but most of them are. With seventeen stories I won't try to tell you about each one but I will say each one is a jewel. If you like shortstories this one is for you.