A cursed Beastkin. A witch born of fire. A bond neither of them expected… and a love too dangerous to ignore.
Beastkin aren’t meant to fall in love with witches. That’s what the world tells me. My kind carries a curse—once human, now creatures of claw and fang, feared for a past drenched in war and betrayal. At Widdershins Academy, I’m the monster they all pretend not to watch.
Except for him.
Phoenix Emberwood—the boy who was once my best friend. The boy I lost when his family ripped him away. He’s back now, fire magic at his fingertips, stronger, sharper, and looking at me like he’s trying to decide if he still knows me at all.
I’ve only ever been with women. I never questioned that—never questioned myself. But when I see him, when I smell him, something inside me shifts, something primal and undeniable. It’s impossible. It’s forbidden.
And I want him anyway.
Loving Phoenix means turning my back on everything I know. It means facing a world that would rather see us apart—if not dead. But I’m not sure I can walk away. Not this time.
I never thought I’d see Karrick again. I never thought I’d return to a world where witches whisper warnings about Beastkin, about the creatures who were cursed for a reason.
But here I am, and there he is—bigger, stronger, impossible to ignore.
My family says I should stay away. The academy says I should know better. But my magic doesn’t listen. It flares every time he’s near, like it knows him, like it’s reaching for something lost.
I tell myself he’s just a childhood memory. I tell myself I don’t care. But when he looks at me, when our bodies collide in fleeting touches and unspoken confessions, I feel it.
The bond. The pull. The fire waiting to consume us both.
Giving in to Karrick means defying my family, my coven, the very laws that keep our world from falling apart. But maybe the only way to change history… is to burn it down.
Beastkin is a spellbinding, fated-mates romance filled with longing, forbidden passion, and a love strong enough to defy history itself. Perfect for readers who crave fiery tension, slow-burn desire, and the kind of connection that refuses to be denied.
Blake R. Wolfe has adored werewolves and monsters since he was a child growing up in a small rural Michigan town. Now he lives near the shores of Lake Michigan with his two partners, two cats that need to be fed every three seconds, and a dog that is very spoiled. He spends most of his free time hiking through the nearby forest, thinking up the next great romance story for his readers.
Blake writes under three separate Pen Names:
--Blake R. Wolfe -- Gay Paranormal Romance
--Atreus Rosewood -- Gay Contemporary Romance
--Eoghan R. Cunningham -- LGBTQ+ Fantasy
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› Bon, il m'a fallu un peu de temps pour me remettre dans le bain, me rappeler de la situation, des problèmes avec le « Front de la pureté », une sorte de rassemblement de sorciers de sang pur qui prônent une race supérieure. › Phoenix vient d'une de ces familles où il n'a jamais eu le droit de sortir de chez lui, de côtoyer des personnes non validées par ses parents. Cette année, à l'université, il reste hypersurveillé. › Il y a un passif entre les deux hommes, ce qui va créer une tension, Phoenix ne se souvenant pas de Karrick. › Les personnages secondaires sont, je trouve, assez intéressants, surtout Lila, qui deviendra une vraie amie pour Phoenix et qui est absolument hilarante. › Il y a également plein de sujets propres aux romances contemporaines qui sont abordés ici de manière naturelle, j'aime beaucoup. › Un récit toujours aussi rythmé, avec de bon cul et un fil rouge qui est commun avec le reste de la saga.
Bref, encore un tome que j'ai beaucoup aimé, un plot twist final qui passe bien et qui donne envie de continuer avec le prochain tome !
Continuing on a TBR/Beat-The-Backlog kick (and ignoring my ARCs kick). Here's "Beastkin" by Blake R Wolfe. It's the third novel in his Widdershins Supernatural Academy series.
["A cursed Beastkin. A witch born of fire. A bond neither of them expected… and a love too dangerous to ignore.
Beastkin aren’t meant to fall in love with witches. That’s what the world tells me. My kind carries a curse—once human, now creatures of claw and fang, feared for a past drenched in war and betrayal. At Widdershins Academy, I’m the monster they all pretend not to watch. Except for him. Phoenix Emberwood—the boy who was once my best friend. The boy I lost when his family ripped him away. He’s back now, fire magic at his fingertips, stronger, sharper, and looking at me like he’s trying to decide if he still knows me at all. I’ve only ever been with women. I never questioned that—never questioned myself. But when I see him, when I smell him, something inside me shifts, something primal and undeniable. It’s impossible. It’s forbidden. And I want him anyway. Loving Phoenix means turning my back on everything I know. It means facing a world that would rather see us apart—if not dead. But I’m not sure I can walk away. Not this time.
I never thought I’d see Karrick again. I never thought I’d return to a world where witches whisper warnings about Beastkin, about the creatures who were cursed for a reason. But here I am, and there he is—bigger, stronger, impossible to ignore. My family says I should stay away. The academy says I should know better. But my magic doesn’t listen. It flares every time he’s near, like it knows him, like it’s reaching for something lost. I tell myself he’s just a childhood memory. I tell myself I don’t care. But when he looks at me, when our bodies collide in fleeting touches and unspoken confessions, I feel it. The bond. The pull. The fire waiting to consume us both. Giving in to Karrick means defying my family, my coven, the very laws that keep our world from falling apart. But maybe the only way to change history… is to burn it down."]
These two were fucking adorable! I love the flashbacks and the memories and the utterly strong reaction to seeing each other again. All of the moments of fluff and rightness. It was beautiful and adorable. Best friends to lovers, with some minor detours.
Plus our favorite tetrad making some appearances to save the day.
Trigger Warnings: toxic parents, discrimination, violence, torture, and more.
Voto: 3.5 RECENSIONE A CURA DI EVELYNE “Beastkin” porta all’Accademia Widdershins un legame inaspettato tra Karrick, un Beastkin maledetto, e Phoenix Emberwood, stregone del fuoco e figlio di una delle casate più forti e più importanti tra i puristi. Una volta migliori amici, Karrick e Phoenix si ritrovano in un mondo diviso dal Fronte della Purezza, dove stregoni di sangue nobile disprezzano creature come Karrick, mostri con zanne e artigli. La magia di Phoenix si infiamma alla sua vicinanza, risvegliando un’attrazione che sfida le loro famiglie: lui, etero convinto fino ad allora, sente qualcosa di innegabile quando è al fianco di Karrick e la sua magia riconosce il legame che una volta hanno condiviso. D’altra parte, la magia di Karrick è ancora sopita e la scoperta di questa nuova opportunità cambia le prospettive future di entrambi.Rispetto ai primi due, questo volume è un passo avanti: meno forzato, più fluido nel ritmo e con un filone narrativo che lega la storia principale alla coppia senza però appesantire l’intera narrazione. Una caratterizzazione migliore avrebbe sicuramente giovato alla storia e ai personaggi stessi. Alcune risoluzioni sono troppo veloci, le caratterizzazioni descrivono e presentano, ma non vanno in profondità, il legame unisce tutti i fili necessari ma troppo in fretta. La traduzione poteva essere più accurata, ma rispetto a “Faeheart” ha avuto qualche miglioramento. Continua sul nostro blog!
4.5 stars I really enjoyed this book! Karrick and Phoenix had a strong connection as children, but when Phoenix's parents found out, they took him away immediately and did something horrendous - you'll need to read it to find out. Ten years later they reunite at the Academy. It takes a bit of time, not much, but soon their past connection is rekindled and it grows beyond anything either expected, turning into a deep, lasting bond that is full of spicy passion and a forever love. They made a mistake in thinking they kept everything a secret, and Phoenix's parents make a move. Fortunately, Karrick has some amazing friends (from previous books) that can help them out, and after a brief battle Phoenix and Karrick are reunited once again. There is a lot to like in this engaging, entertaining and highly enjoyable book. Phoenix and Karrick are wonderful and fully developed MC's and there are some great and supportive secondary characters that add to this story. The only negative I had was that there were some things left unanswered, like what happened to Lila, Phoenix's friend? She created a diversion when they all went to save Phoenix, but there was no mention of her after that, and no mention of what, if anything, happened to Phoenix's parents. Other than that, I really enjoyed this book and found it to be a great addition to the series. I would definitely recommend this book, but I feel it should be read in order to fully understand the worldbuilding and characters.
It was a pleasure to revisit Widdershins Academy in this new volume. I couldn't wait to discover Karrick's story! I like that he is proud of who he is and doesn't try to hide it. He is brave to come back after what happened and despite the ongoing political tensions. I enjoyed discovering the character of Phoenix, and what was done to him is so unforgivable. I hope we see Karrick and Phoenix again... I'd like to see more of their magic. They are so much more powerful than they appear!
A new book that's hot, tender, and full of twists and turns! As always, I wanted more! And I can't wait for the next book in the series!
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C'était un plaisir de retrouver l'académie de Widdershins dans ce nouveau tome. J'avais hâte de découvrir l'histoire de Karrick ! J'aime qu'il soit fier de sa nature et qu'il n'essaie pas de se cacher. Il est courageux de revenir après ce qu'il s'est passé et malgré les tensions politiques en cours. J'ai découvert avec plaisir le personnage de Phoenix et ce qu'on lui a fait subir est tellement impardonnable. J'espère qu'on reverra Karrick et Phoenix... J'aimerai voir plus de leurs magies. Ils sont tellement plus puissants que ce qu'il paraît !
Un nouveau livre chaud, tendre et plein de rebondissements ! J'en aurai voulu plus comme toujours ! Et j'attends avec impatience le prochain tome de la série !
D'un coté, Karrick, Beastkin, revenant de très loin après son agression par le père de Caden, se retrouve à se confronter à son passé. De l'autre, Phoenix, sorcier de feu, fils de parents puristes, n'ayant aucune idée de qui est Karrick. Entre eux deux, le charme du passé va resurgir et avec son lot de questions. Est-ce qu'on peut être heureux avec quelqu'un qui sait qui vous êtes et que vous, vous ne le connaissez pas. Avec l'aide d'amis de tout genre, ils vont se redécouvrir. Ils sont des âmes soeurs qui se reconnaisseront toujours. Mais ses parents et un de leur allié ne voyent pas cela d'un bon oeil. Leur histoire est-elle vouée à se répéter ? Vont-ils se battre jusqu'au dernier moment ? Dans cette aventure brûlante, ils auront l'aide de notre adorable tétrade. J'ai été contente de les revoir J'ai adoré cette aventure avec Phoenix et Karrick J'ai trop hâte de lire la suite
I really enjoyed the first two books of this series, but was a little hesitant to continue. Mostly because I have very mixed-to-negative results with series that are set in the same world, but the protagonists keep changing. I tend to prefer continuing series to the stand-alone shared universes.
It was nice, then, that Karrick was actually a character from the first book - though, I have to admit I didn't remember the details of . :/ The book does give you enough to get the gist without going into details of that first story.
It was also nice to see a little bit of the triad from the first two books. (Though calling it a triad when there are four people makes me twitch.)
Anyway -
All that aside, I did really end up enjoying this one, too. There were a few moments where I was a little worried about the series, because there were some parts that were a little too repetitive - what with the witch's parents being part of Purity Front, or whatever, and the similarities with the first stories.
But the characters were individual enough that I was able to set some of this aside and still enjoy the romance.
It also helps that the stories are so short and quick and slightly addictive.
Beastkin is the third book in the Widdershins Supernatural Academy series. Fast paced, I loved that we got to Karrick and Phoenix's fated mate story. Childhood friends, the pair was split up by Phoenix;s status conscious parents. Ten years later, they reconnect at Widdershins and get their chance to be together. Not an easy relationship to maintain. Witch prejudice against beastkind seems to be getting worse as Blake R Wolf writes the series. It will take all their allies' help to get to their HEA. Some edge of seat tension. A little bit of danger. Nice spicy steam. There's more secrets to reveal and I'm looking forward to book four. I received an advanced copy of this ebook from the author and this is my review.
I really enjoyed Karrick and Phoenix. They were childhood friends that were separated by Phoenix's parents. Phoenix knew his parents were controlling but, he didn't realize just how badly until he went off to Widdershins Academy. Karrick and Phoenix know that being mates is not going to be easy especially with coming from different backgrounds but he depth Phoenix's parents will go is unbelievable. Second-chance, fated mates, witches and beastkins falling in love, controlling, cruel parents and a roommate from hell.
I love how each store is different but all still connected to the world. I think this one was slightly rushed in character builds. The span of two days he gets his memories back removes the necklace and forgets who is parents are all while attempting not to make notice that he already in love with the beast? The reason he was bidding was to keep it from his family but he forgot about the trap of the roommate ? When he knew Thomas was a trap in the beginning of the book . Again I love the store just some gaps are … really noticeable.
As much as I LOVED the plot and the intense romance, I feel it ended way to abruptly with SO many unanswered questions: Any charges against the parents for using illegal magic?? Consequences of how Phoenix dealt with Thomas? HOW could these two things not be addressed? (I’ll just assume Lila returned to the mansion with the Tetrad the two MCs)
Hopefully they will be addressed in future stories...
I love this series. I couldn't wait for Karrick's story. And omg. It was amazing, and hairy, and big. The plot was stunning. Phoenix is one of those characters I wish I could give him a hug. You need no enemies when you have parents like he has. It's a beautiful friends-to-lovers story - with a twist, fated mates, and some magic action. Couldn't put it down.
The irony of Phoenix's parents giving him a name like "Phoenix" seeing his afinity for fire and then expecting him to be willing and obedient to their wills is WILD to me . . . regardless, their loss and mistake because Phoenix and Karrick's bond could not be broken.
Day 1: Phoenix doesn’t recognize Karrick Day 2: spells for the medallion and the memories (and it’s already so heavy to bear the medallion … after 2 days… 🙄) Day 3: sex Day 4: mating bond (and the always, forever, fantasy for so long… after 3 days 🙄) So yeah… a whole lot of 🙄🙄🙄
I really enjoyed this book and the characters I enjoyed the relationship they had and how they fought for it. Can’t wait to start the next book and see what kind of storyline they continue.
Keep those hankies close buy as you'll need them the closer you get to the end. So Many climaxes to get through until the best yet to come as they say.
Another amazing installment! Love this series so much! Enjoyed Karrick’s and Phoenix’s story so much! Again I love the world building and magic system! Love!