Rating and review only for Richelle Mead story. 
 This story was about nothing. I was so excited to read it, and now I am disappointed. 
 I missed Rose and Dimitri and was glad to read about them again. In "Blood Promise" Rose left Russia with unfinished businesses. I wanted to know how Rose will make up with Viktoria, if Viktoria and Nicalai ever hooked up, if Sonya was okay with her new baby. I wanted to read how Rose and Dimitri relationship changed when they became a couple. 
 Unfortunately, all this were mentioned in passing or ignored at all. I understand that the story is short and Richelle Mead had to sacrifice something, but I'd rather she paid less attention to the Strigoi fight and more to the family dynamic and relationships. 
 Moreover, Rose is very ignorant about Russia. I don't know if it was Ms.Mead intention, or she just doesn't know much about this country herself. But all these stereotypes just made me angry. Russian vodka is not a rocket fuel! Russian kitchen is very various and delicious! And they have hot dogs in Russia too! Russians are not uncivilized nation who spend days in wooden huts drinking vodka, playing balalaika, praying on Lenin portrait and wrestling bears for fun! 
 All in all, I think it was an unnecessary story and you wouldn't lose anything by not reading it. And to pay so much money for the whole book just to read 30 pages about Rose and Dimitri - especially if this story don't give any closure or shows characters' progress - just isn't practical.