Paranormal Payback edited by Jim Butcher and Kerrie L. Hughes (book review).
One of the most popular sub-genres of fantasy deals with the paranormal, its pages littered with witches, ghosts, vampires and the occasional zombie. There are entire series of novels featuring them. A number of the stories included in this volume fit into those existing series and will be welcome additions for followers of the authors concerned. Paranormal Payback will also introduce readers to writers and characters they may not know, giving them a taster they may want to follow up. Other than entertainment, this is one of the main purposes of an anthology like this.
As the title suggests, people with paranormal characteristics are involved in one way or another. Payback implies an element of revenge or justice. The contents of this volume are bookended by stories from the editors.
Jim Butcher’s Mister Petty is set in the same Chicago as his Dresden Files series, although there is only a slight overlap between the characters here and those in the novels. Goodman Grey is a private investigator and shapeshifter. He is hired by Sheryl Petty to help her get revenge on her husband, Maurice, who has cancelled her credit cards. It becomes complicated because Maurice is an accountant for the local crime boss and is having an affair with Sheryl’s sister. Although ghouls are also involved, this is a case of human revenge carried out through a paranormal agent.
Also in this vein is A Midsummer Night’s Scheming by Delilah S. Dawson, writing as Ilsa Jewell, which contains elements of farce. Almost by accident, Keelie discovers she is a witch and that her special ability is mimicry. The revenge element sees her using her new talent to get payback on the couple who ruined her sister’s happiness. The comedy comes from the fact that, as a witch, she discovers her familiar is a talking donkey who is completely in love with her.
The Underground Goddess by Kevin Hearne is set in Poland. A coven of witches takes action against a group of scammers targeting elderly people. They discover that an Olympian goddess is behind the fraudulent activity.
In Dying Isn’t Just For The Young by Holly Black, a plague is turning people into vampires. The Coldtowns, as they are called, are quarantined. After Beryl is widowed, she discovers that her children are plotting to get their hands on her wealth by tricking her into signing over power of attorney and then putting her in a home. Her revenge is to enter a Coldtown with the intention of becoming a vampire.
Contained by Tanya Huff involves Henry, a different kind of vampire. Henry is called by a police friend to view the body of someone who has been flayed alive. It is a message intended for him, and he traces the cause to a body-jumping demon that has decided Henry would make a suitable host.
Dirt by Jennifer Blackstream has some great characters. A witch and a necromancer team up, believing they are meting out revenge for someone attacked by a zombie. In reality, they find themselves being lured into a trap.
Black Bond by Maurice Broaddus is perhaps the story I enjoyed least, despite its significant social implications. Rashad is travelling with the ghost of Jerald, his best friend, to the place where Jerald was experimented on as a child and which he now wants to haunt. It feels too coincidental that the tormentors are still hanging around, almost as though they are waiting for him.
A Clean Break by R.L. King has a similar theme. In this case, a mage helps a ghost get revenge on the thugs who killed her.
Dog-Eared by Kim Harrison is told from the point of view of a demon who values his books. When a human wizard damages one of them, Al decides to get his revenge. He has a book enchanted, but the spell will only be triggered if any damage is done to the volume. Anyone who cares about books will probably be on the side of the demon.
Razors And Revenge by Faith Hunter fits into the same universe as her Jane Yellowrock novels. This story centres on Shiloh, who is both a witch and a vampire and, after being attacked by werewolves, fears that she may have acquired some of their qualities as well. Shiloh is given permission to hunt down the werewolves who attacked her and killed her partner.
Grave Payback by R.R. Virdi falls into the crime category but has an original take on the paranormal detective. Vincent Graves is the investigator, but he is a soul without a body. He is inserted into the body of the deceased and has only a limited time to find the murderer and uncover the motive in order to deliver justice and revenge.
Kerrie L. Hughes’ The Broom is another story set within an existing franchise, A Great Lakes Grimoire. Brother and sister Taran and Eilonwy are half-witch and half-fae. They want to buy a building and open a coffee shop, but it comes with a ghost. While this is another story about paranormal characters helping a ghost get revenge on its killer, matters are complicated by the nature of the murderer and the methods the siblings must use to help.
Like many anthologies, the stories cover a range of possibilities, and the book has done its job because there are a couple of characters here whose further adventures I would be interested in following.
Pauline Morgan
July 2026
