"A Taste of Trek Mi Q'an"

"Naughty Nancy" by Jaid Black. This story is found in the anthology THINGS THAT GO BUMP IN THE NIGHT.

Nancy Lombardo goes to a Halloween party in Salem, Massachusetts, with three friends. She steps out for a breath of air and finds herself in a nest on the planet Khan-Gor -- buck naked, to boot. Vorik F'al Vader (Son of Yorin, mate to Janna, book 4) hears her screams and assumes she is a yenni beast ripe for the taking. He decides she will be his, and only after "feeding" her all night does he realizes that she is his Bloodmate!

"Naughty Nancy" is Black's offering in Ellora's Cave's Halloween anthology -- and another story in the Trek Mi Q'an universe. This story, however, stands pretty well on its own. (In fact, volume 4 of the series is a bit more understandable/enjoyable after reading it!) It is not absolutely necessary to read the rest of the series to find some enjoyment in "Naughty Nancy", unlike Black's other Trek Mi Q'an stories. The only tricky part is figuring out what a yenni is exactly...

The story itself is fun, with interesting characterization and a great premise -- gargoyle/vampire creatures! For fans of the series, we get a deeper look at the dwellers of Khan- Gor. This short was really a great read, though it didn't include any of the characters from the rest of the series, and is a great taste of Black's universe for anyone who is interested in test-driving the sequence.

Reviewed by Ann Leveille
Posted March 8, 2002

Summary

"Bloodlust" by Marilyn Lee: Schoolteacher Erica Kalai is always warning her female students against letting teenage boys sweet talk them into bed. But on her 40th birthday, she encounters a man dressed as her favorite anti-hero, Dracula. One look at the younger, strangely compelling giant, and Erica is soon out of her clothes and into his arms. It won't take her long to figure out, however, that she's put herself into the clutches of a real Dracula...

"A Little Too Charming" by Treva Harte: Janna doesn?t believe in magic, or witches, or fate, or even love anymore. Such fairy tales as romance are for women who don?t have to live in the real world. What she?d really like is some hot sex just to satisfy her hormones. Once Jana gets a good look at Ted Grimes she has a very hard time keeping her mind on business. He practically kisses her senseless before he even says hello. Something really weird is going on. Is Ted her destiny? Or is this man who's reputed to be a witch just A Little Too Charming?

"Naughty Nancy II - Book 4 & 1/2: Trek Mi Q'an" by Jaid Black: Nancy Lombardo is determined to become a new woman. No more wearing spectacles, no more pulling her hair back into a tight spinsterish bun, and no more spending every night alone and sexless. Nancy gets more than she bargained for when she's whisked away to a planet of Barbarians and claimed for a mate by an eight-foot tall shape-shifting predator.