Supernatural

Four well-known authors team up in this uneven paranormal anthology. Ione's "Vampire Fight Club," set in her popular Demonica world, sets a romance in the shadowy underworld of organized supernatural fight clubs. This strong offering shows off tight writing, well-developed characters and world, and creative spins on the genre. Ivy's Guardians of Eternity tie-in "Darkness Eternal" unceremoniously dumps backstory and a contrived plot in the reader's lap; Frank's "Kane," featuring the youngest sibling of the Nightwalkers demon clan, quickly gets trite, though Kane and his human lust object do share sizzling sex scenes. The funniest and most original of the four is Aiken's "Dragon on Top," a sidesplitting spoof of Renaissance Faire medievalism that gets rowdy and raunchy ("When you fart, I bet rainbows shoot out your ass"), but never misses a beat. (Sept.)