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The Spellbound Box Set
7 sexy heroes.
7 strong heroines.
These works of fiction are from some of today's most exciting authors.
A star-studded anthology of thrilling, action-packed and totally swoon-worthy first books by your favorite young adult authors.
The Light Keepers by Mande Matthews
Crush by Chrissy Peebles
Courage Runs Red by W.J. May
Resounding Truth by Kate Thomas
The Unseen Wonder (Novella) by Karin De Havin
Betrothal by Mande Matthews
Eternal Vows by Chrissy Peebles
***
Some stories have been previously published. Some stories are novellas and some are full length.
***All stories are part one’s to other series***
As a courtesy, the authors inform you there are some stories with cliffhangers. These are the first books or prequels to individual series.
Some stories have been previously published.
The SPELLBOUND Box Set: 7 Fantasy stories including Vampires, Werewolves, Steam Punk, Magic, Romance, Blood Feuds, Alphas, Medieval Queens, Celtic Myths, Time Travel, and More!
7 strong heroines.
These works of fiction are from some of today's most exciting authors.
A star-studded anthology of thrilling, action-packed and totally swoon-worthy first books by your favorite young adult authors.
The Light Keepers by Mande Matthews
Crush by Chrissy Peebles
Courage Runs Red by W.J. May
Resounding Truth by Kate Thomas
The Unseen Wonder (Novella) by Karin De Havin
Betrothal by Mande Matthews
Eternal Vows by Chrissy Peebles
***
Some stories have been previously published. Some stories are novellas and some are full length.
***All stories are part one’s to other series***
As a courtesy, the authors inform you there are some stories with cliffhangers. These are the first books or prequels to individual series.
Some stories have been previously published.
The SPELLBOUND Box Set: 7 Fantasy stories including Vampires, Werewolves, Steam Punk, Magic, Romance, Blood Feuds, Alphas, Medieval Queens, Celtic Myths, Time Travel, and More!
983 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 7, 2015
1090 people are currently reading
1913 people want to read
About the author
Mande Matthews
16 books90 followersMande Matthews is the author of the ShadowLight Saga. Her debut novel is "Bonded" - book one of the ya epic fantasy trilogy. A free prequel to the ShadowLight Saga, entitled "The LightKeepers" is now available for free at most online retailers.
While attending a performing arts college for writing and arranging, Mande discovered Joseph Cambell's Masks of God series. Her desire to understand humanity through myth and legend mingled with her love of fantasy fiction, birthing her life-long quest to create original new worlds for readers.
A hermit at heart, Mande recedes into the realms of imagination where she occasionally surfaces to face the real world aided by her minions: a husband who plays the dog drum (the belly of their border collie), and a menagerie of furred, feathered and mostly magical friends.
While attending a performing arts college for writing and arranging, Mande discovered Joseph Cambell's Masks of God series. Her desire to understand humanity through myth and legend mingled with her love of fantasy fiction, birthing her life-long quest to create original new worlds for readers.
A hermit at heart, Mande recedes into the realms of imagination where she occasionally surfaces to face the real world aided by her minions: a husband who plays the dog drum (the belly of their border collie), and a menagerie of furred, feathered and mostly magical friends.
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
July 18, 2017
I so wanted to love this collection of young adult stories. I mean, look at that cover! But alas, I just didn't care for it. The stories were all well-written but I found myself losing interest real quickly.
My Rating: 3 stars
My Rating: 3 stars
June 16, 2015
Yes it's another collection of cliffhangers but...
While this is yet another collection of cliffhangers it is different in several ways, firstly not all the books are free which is usually the case, not all of them are available elsewhere at least not at the moment anyway, for example I couldn't find 'The Unseen Warrior' and while there's the ever present Chrissy Peebles and M.J May some of the others were new to me.
This book also clearly states:
'Some stories have been previously published. Some stories are novellas and some are full length. ***All stories are part one’s to other series*** As a courtesy, the authors inform you there are some stories with cliffhangers. These are the first books or prequels to individual series.'
My advice is, while this is a great way to sample new authors just be aware of how long some this these series's are and how expensive they can be, I know I've been caught out in the past.
January 11, 2018
Free on kindle, a box set of 8 stories, some that are prequels to a series or excerpts from a book.
Book 1 - "The Light Keepers" started off strong. It was well constructed, both the world building and the character development. A young mute woman is travelling with her mother and a warrior, trying to avoid detection because she possesses special abilities and 'bad people' want to use them. I liked the whole premise of the shadow and the shadowwalk. An intriguing prequel.
Book 2 - "Crush" was so poor I'm not even going to waste my words on it. It has characters who shift into animals, which isn't a spoiler as the blurb gives this away.
Book 3 - "Seventh Mark" was not bad but the plot/writing in some areas was rather weak and this let it down somewhat. You didn't get a completely clear picture about MC Rouge but
Book 4 - "Resounding Truth" wasn't really my cup of tea but it would probably appeal to those who like reading about werewolves. In this case a pack of werewolves and a coven of vampires are under threat by humans.
Book 5 - "The Girl Chameleon" sounded so stupid based on the blurb that I didn't even bother to read it. Sorry, no disrespect intended to the author.
Book 6 - "Betrothal" is written by Mande Matthews, the same author of Book 1. This was my favourite of the lot and demonstrates that, in my opinion, Matthews is the strongest author of the lot and the only one whose work I would actually continue to read. I loved the twist regarding Guinevere because it made her a hell of a lot more interesting as a character on her own.
Book 7 - "Eternal Vows" has just come to my attention. I missed it somehow. Oops.
Book 8 - "Courage Runs Red" should have been better but wasn't. A vampire tale that's a bit west side story with our MC, not belonging to either side, caught in the middle.
Overall not too bad. I'll be looking up Mande Matthews after taking a look at this box set.
Book 1 - "The Light Keepers" started off strong. It was well constructed, both the world building and the character development. A young mute woman is travelling with her mother and a warrior, trying to avoid detection because she possesses special abilities and 'bad people' want to use them. I liked the whole premise of the shadow and the shadowwalk. An intriguing prequel.
Book 2 - "Crush" was so poor I'm not even going to waste my words on it. It has characters who shift into animals, which isn't a spoiler as the blurb gives this away.
Book 3 - "Seventh Mark" was not bad but the plot/writing in some areas was rather weak and this let it down somewhat. You didn't get a completely clear picture about MC Rouge but
Book 4 - "Resounding Truth" wasn't really my cup of tea but it would probably appeal to those who like reading about werewolves. In this case a pack of werewolves and a coven of vampires are under threat by humans.
Book 5 - "The Girl Chameleon" sounded so stupid based on the blurb that I didn't even bother to read it. Sorry, no disrespect intended to the author.
Book 6 - "Betrothal" is written by Mande Matthews, the same author of Book 1. This was my favourite of the lot and demonstrates that, in my opinion, Matthews is the strongest author of the lot and the only one whose work I would actually continue to read. I loved the twist regarding Guinevere because it made her a hell of a lot more interesting as a character on her own.
Book 7 - "Eternal Vows" has just come to my attention. I missed it somehow. Oops.
Book 8 - "Courage Runs Red" should have been better but wasn't. A vampire tale that's a bit west side story with our MC, not belonging to either side, caught in the middle.
Overall not too bad. I'll be looking up Mande Matthews after taking a look at this box set.
May 12, 2020
Mostly lame
Two were okay.
The rest were terrible. The last was probably the worst of the lot.
Im not sure what's happened to writing, but foregoing character development is a trend that needs to end.
One of these authors mentioned writing for yourself, not your readers. I think that's terrible advice if you're going to publish.
You should read your book from a reader's perspective. Are you noticing your character has no personality? Try and fix that.
Riding the coattails of other authors with poorly written books is also disturbing. Most of these stories fit into that category, with exception of the first.
So glad this is finally over, and I know which authors to avoid in the future.
Two were okay.
The rest were terrible. The last was probably the worst of the lot.
Im not sure what's happened to writing, but foregoing character development is a trend that needs to end.
One of these authors mentioned writing for yourself, not your readers. I think that's terrible advice if you're going to publish.
You should read your book from a reader's perspective. Are you noticing your character has no personality? Try and fix that.
Riding the coattails of other authors with poorly written books is also disturbing. Most of these stories fit into that category, with exception of the first.
So glad this is finally over, and I know which authors to avoid in the future.
August 8, 2017
Awesome
It was awesome ! All the stories were Awesome ! I loved all of them, it's so cool the different worlds !
It was awesome ! All the stories were Awesome ! I loved all of them, it's so cool the different worlds !
September 9, 2018
Meh
While a couple of the books were good, most didn't hold my interest for very long. I enjoyed the one about the ruby ring, the rest were just too lame.
While a couple of the books were good, most didn't hold my interest for very long. I enjoyed the one about the ruby ring, the rest were just too lame.
Want to read
January 27, 2020🎁 FREE on Amazon & on iBooks today (1/27/2020)! 🎁
Read
March 2, 2021Another favorite that is a series for the masses. It is a classic love story theme but with surprising turns mixed in. It is not as lighthearted as others.
May 4, 2021
Good
It was good.I would recommend the book to anyone who likes books like this. Keep up the good work. Love
It was good.I would recommend the book to anyone who likes books like this. Keep up the good work. Love
July 15, 2021
Good
A really interesting collection of stories . I couldn't put it down.
I would definately recommend thst you should read them
A really interesting collection of stories . I couldn't put it down.
I would definately recommend thst you should read them
December 26, 2016
Love it
April 10, 2017
1. The Light Keepers (Shadow Light .5) by Mande Matthews ****4 Stars (PR)
Astrid is isolated with her mother and their protector Balin. She needs to learn to sing protections from the Shadow to protect herself. This is a struggle when she has never been able to utter a sound and she is drawn to the Shadowalk. One night she gives away their location and they must flee...Isla and Balin to safety and Astrid to the boy she knows as her protector. This was a quick read with a lot of story. I liked the characters even though I felt Isla was a bit harsh at times. I am very interested in continuing the series.
2. Crush by Chrissy Peebles *1 Star (PR)
Taylor moves to California and runs into the supernatural. Like literally, everywhere. Unbelievable situations, unreasonable reactions...This just didn't have a good story, or good characters, or good dialogue.
3. Seventh Mark (Part 1) by W.J. May ***3 Stars (PR)
So this wasn't great, Rouge befriends Grace and Michael and it quickly becomes blatantly clear that strange things are going on. You get little tidbits but no real information. This was a quick read and didn't really have a cliff hanger so much as this is literally the first part of the story. I think I may continue this series.
4. Resounding Truth (Resounding 2.5) by Kate Thomas ***3 Stars
After reading this I think it rates more 2 Stars but I rounded up to 3 because it was fairly interesting and kept my attention. So we are told how strong Dru is and she might e the leader if something happens to Derik...but when it actually came to a fight she couldn't take him. Caleb is this crazy strong alpha that also has feelings...but when push came to shove he gave up very quickly. And I felt the thing with the vampires came out of nowhere and I kinda just finished it cuz I was so close to the end. Maybe if I had read any other books in this series I would have liked it more with some background.
5. The Girl Chameleon by Karin De Havin *1DNF Star
'oh you're name is Jennifer, you must be named after Jennifer Aniston"...Or because Jennifer is a ridiculously common name. Just a nauseating firs meeting between Jenn and Brooklyn, and since I already was thinking about quitting, I decided to not finish.
6. Betrothal: Queen's Honor (1) by Mande Matthews Not Rated
I'm not going to rate this one because I have no interest in reading it. I have never enjoyed the story of Guinevere and Lancelot nor have I found it the least bit romantic. I got 2 chapters into this and decided it was not worth the frustration I knew I would feel later.
7. Eternal Vows by Chrissy Peebles ***3 Stars(PR)
Sarah finds herself in a different world, literally when she is searching for her missing sister. She runs into an incredibly handsome and charming king that seems like he is a jerk but they have some steamy chemistry. I was really enjoying this and then Sarah inexplicable became too stupid to live...but thankfully the book ended with a cliffhanger at that point.
8. Courage Runs Red by W.J. May **2 Stars
Kallie's father was somehow turned into a vampire on the same night thye were in a bad car accident. Her family had ben keeping her fathers condition a secret since then. Liam steps in the picture knowing a lot more than Kalli but in a precarious position if he wants to help her. Then there's Caleb who is also a vampire and knows a lot and is also fallowing Kalli around. This book was all tell, kind of like an outline. I would have liked to have read about feelings developing and information being learned that dictated actions. It just didn't work for me.
Astrid is isolated with her mother and their protector Balin. She needs to learn to sing protections from the Shadow to protect herself. This is a struggle when she has never been able to utter a sound and she is drawn to the Shadowalk. One night she gives away their location and they must flee...Isla and Balin to safety and Astrid to the boy she knows as her protector. This was a quick read with a lot of story. I liked the characters even though I felt Isla was a bit harsh at times. I am very interested in continuing the series.
2. Crush by Chrissy Peebles *1 Star (PR)
Taylor moves to California and runs into the supernatural. Like literally, everywhere. Unbelievable situations, unreasonable reactions...This just didn't have a good story, or good characters, or good dialogue.
3. Seventh Mark (Part 1) by W.J. May ***3 Stars (PR)
So this wasn't great, Rouge befriends Grace and Michael and it quickly becomes blatantly clear that strange things are going on. You get little tidbits but no real information. This was a quick read and didn't really have a cliff hanger so much as this is literally the first part of the story. I think I may continue this series.
4. Resounding Truth (Resounding 2.5) by Kate Thomas ***3 Stars
After reading this I think it rates more 2 Stars but I rounded up to 3 because it was fairly interesting and kept my attention. So we are told how strong Dru is and she might e the leader if something happens to Derik...but when it actually came to a fight she couldn't take him. Caleb is this crazy strong alpha that also has feelings...but when push came to shove he gave up very quickly. And I felt the thing with the vampires came out of nowhere and I kinda just finished it cuz I was so close to the end. Maybe if I had read any other books in this series I would have liked it more with some background.
5. The Girl Chameleon by Karin De Havin *1DNF Star
'oh you're name is Jennifer, you must be named after Jennifer Aniston"...Or because Jennifer is a ridiculously common name. Just a nauseating firs meeting between Jenn and Brooklyn, and since I already was thinking about quitting, I decided to not finish.
6. Betrothal: Queen's Honor (1) by Mande Matthews Not Rated
I'm not going to rate this one because I have no interest in reading it. I have never enjoyed the story of Guinevere and Lancelot nor have I found it the least bit romantic. I got 2 chapters into this and decided it was not worth the frustration I knew I would feel later.
7. Eternal Vows by Chrissy Peebles ***3 Stars(PR)
Sarah finds herself in a different world, literally when she is searching for her missing sister. She runs into an incredibly handsome and charming king that seems like he is a jerk but they have some steamy chemistry. I was really enjoying this and then Sarah inexplicable became too stupid to live...but thankfully the book ended with a cliffhanger at that point.
8. Courage Runs Red by W.J. May **2 Stars
Kallie's father was somehow turned into a vampire on the same night thye were in a bad car accident. Her family had ben keeping her fathers condition a secret since then. Liam steps in the picture knowing a lot more than Kalli but in a precarious position if he wants to help her. Then there's Caleb who is also a vampire and knows a lot and is also fallowing Kalli around. This book was all tell, kind of like an outline. I would have liked to have read about feelings developing and information being learned that dictated actions. It just didn't work for me.
Want to read
August 19, 2016The Light Keepers by Mande Matthews
Crush (The Crush Saga, #1) by Chrissy Peebles- 2 stars
When Taylor sparks moves with her family to California her meeting with the locals doesn't go as expected. Her new crush Jesse is hiding something from her.
Really? One stupid mistake after another for the characters. The characters don't have much of an attention span, they jump from one thing to another. Taylor just acts dumb and has no common sense whatsoever. The characters were flat, there was no substance to them at all. I thought the writing was sloppy and the story did not have as much action as I thought it would.
Courage Runs Red by W.J. May
Resounding Truth by Kate Thomas
The Unseen Wonder (Novella) by Karin De Havin
Betrothal by Mande Matthews
Eternal Vows by Chrissy Peebles
Crush (The Crush Saga, #1) by Chrissy Peebles- 2 stars
When Taylor sparks moves with her family to California her meeting with the locals doesn't go as expected. Her new crush Jesse is hiding something from her.
Really? One stupid mistake after another for the characters. The characters don't have much of an attention span, they jump from one thing to another. Taylor just acts dumb and has no common sense whatsoever. The characters were flat, there was no substance to them at all. I thought the writing was sloppy and the story did not have as much action as I thought it would.
Courage Runs Red by W.J. May
Resounding Truth by Kate Thomas
The Unseen Wonder (Novella) by Karin De Havin
Betrothal by Mande Matthews
Eternal Vows by Chrissy Peebles
Read
July 27, 2016The Spellbound Box Set Review
Features seven paranormal treats. The Lightkeepers by Mande Matthews, Crush by Chrissy Peeples, Courage Runs Red by W. J. May, Resounding Truth by Kate Thomas, The Unseen Wonder by Karin De Havin, Betrothal by Mande Matthews, and Eternal Vows by Chrissy Peeples. This book has stories about vampires, werewolves, queens and kings, Bigfoot, and portals to past worlds. A great way to sample and fall in love with these authors works.
Features seven paranormal treats. The Lightkeepers by Mande Matthews, Crush by Chrissy Peeples, Courage Runs Red by W. J. May, Resounding Truth by Kate Thomas, The Unseen Wonder by Karin De Havin, Betrothal by Mande Matthews, and Eternal Vows by Chrissy Peeples. This book has stories about vampires, werewolves, queens and kings, Bigfoot, and portals to past worlds. A great way to sample and fall in love with these authors works.
January 12, 2018
Some great short stories that are mostly book one of a series
The book had several stories that were really good. I've already purchased the second book of the series from one of the stories. I really liked several of the author's books. I like the fact that these types of books allow me to get to know the style of each author, I can then decide whether or not they are worth my time. You will find some that are wonderful and a few that where not to my taste or style.
The book had several stories that were really good. I've already purchased the second book of the series from one of the stories. I really liked several of the author's books. I like the fact that these types of books allow me to get to know the style of each author, I can then decide whether or not they are worth my time. You will find some that are wonderful and a few that where not to my taste or style.
April 20, 2016
Each one ended in a cliffhanger and I won't lie drove me nuts but I knew each story was different and the set was a better way for me to read each one and decide which ones I wanted to read the second book and which I'd like to read first. It was a nice collection and if you enjoy vampires and werewolves with some romantic gush they are fun easy reads.
February 1, 2016
Spellbound paranormal romances
A mixture of short tales with plenty of paranormal characters. There are shadowed worlds, vampires, werewolves, a reluctant queen or two and an alternate reality. Great short reads.
A mixture of short tales with plenty of paranormal characters. There are shadowed worlds, vampires, werewolves, a reluctant queen or two and an alternate reality. Great short reads.
November 27, 2016
Good read
I enjoyed the stories in this collection and I love reading the stories from new authors who I haven't read yet. I would recommend this to anyone who is a paranormal fan.
I enjoyed the stories in this collection and I love reading the stories from new authors who I haven't read yet. I would recommend this to anyone who is a paranormal fan.
Want to read
June 18, 2015kindle
June 29, 2015
Was a good read
September 20, 2015
A good introduction to new authors
We are treated to several stories of reasonable length in this collection. Some are better than others, but overall this is a worthwhile purchase.
We are treated to several stories of reasonable length in this collection. Some are better than others, but overall this is a worthwhile purchase.
November 4, 2015
fantastic. it's opened a world of new books up for me
June 9, 2016
Spellbound journey
Story line was quite good. My only criticism was that too much emphasis on the politics of this world and it enough romance. Overall it was excellent!
Story line was quite good. My only criticism was that too much emphasis on the politics of this world and it enough romance. Overall it was excellent!
August 23, 2016
The first book which is the prequel to shadow light saga was pretty good. It was just a short story. The rest were just not my style.
January 2, 2021
Romance fiction; cliffhanger so you should continue series.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews