Myth, Magic, and Moonlight

by Lily Baldwin

Discover the magic in four, stand-alone paranormal romances...

Best-selling and award winning authors Lily Baldwin, Elizabeth Rose, Aurrora St. James, and Sibelle Stone invite you to step back in time with spell-binding tales of myth and magic, and the passion of four unstoppable heroes who risk everything for the women they love.

Included in this set are:

HIGHLAND SHADOWS by Lily Baldwin
In Alexander MacKenzie’s youth, his clan prospered. Until one night fire and death descended, and all that was good and green fled the ensuing darkness, leaving the MacKenzie clan impoverished, and Alex's face severely scarred.

Known as the Mad Maid of Clan Ross, Cora has been imprisoned within her father's keep for a decade, but not against her will—she is her own warden. Cora locked herself away to protect those she loves from what she has become. Within the shadows that blanket their land lurk vampires and wolves. They know Cora’s savage secret and have laid claim to her body. But the fight for her soul has only just begun, and only Alex’s love can save her.

THE ORACLE OF DELPHI by Elizabeth Rose
Perseus, demi-god and son of Zeus is on a mission to save his mother's life. He needs to behead Medusa and bring it back to the evil king of Seriphus in a fortnight, or his mother will lose her life.

Princess Andromeda is on a mission of her own. Once thought to be the successor to The Oracle of Delphi, she bravely sits atop the throne over the pit of knowledge in trickery, to get an answer from the oracle herself. She is to be sacrificed to a sea serpent in order to save her village and the oracle tells her only the demi-god Perseus can slay the beast.

When Perseus seeks out the oracle in order to find the abode of Medusa, the feisty Princess Andromeda tries to trick him to go on a quest of her own. But Perseus has no time to lose in the mission of saving his mother. Shadows of doubt linger and it is certain someone will lose their life with one wrong choice, in The Oracle of Delphi.

STEFAN OF CAELI by Aurrora St. James
Dragon shifter Stefan Baudin’s future depends solely on unraveling a mystery from the past. But the journey will lead him into dangers he never expected and to a woman who enthralls him as no other.

Isabela Florin is the only female in Caeli’s guard. She’s determined to recapture the respect she’s lost—even if it means spying on the one man who awakens her desires.

When warrior and prince collide, who will gain the upper hand? Can love survive both secrets and betrayal?

WHISTLE DOWN THE WIND by Sibelle Stone
Escaping from the persecution of the European witch hunts, a beautiful witch with the power to control the wind joins forces with a handsome Cavalier on a mission to save the King of England and the colony of Virginia.

1600 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 1, 2016

About the author

"Lily Baldwin weaves thrilling tales in a beautiful, lyrical style, captivating readers from the first word to the last contented sigh." - Ceci Giltenan, Bestselling author

"Lily Baldwin...paints a beautiful literary picture with strong characters and an intriguing storyline." - Kathryn Le Veque, USA Today Bestselling author

"You know a book is great when you can feel the characters pain, their fears and their happiness...Lily Baldwin's books do that!" - Amazon Reviewer


Award-winning Historical Romance author Lily Baldwin loves writing, Scotland, her wonderful husband and beautiful young daughter--though not necessarily in that order. She has a BA in anthropology from the University of New Hampshire, and an MA in International Studies from Birmingham University in the UK. She daydreams constantly, and gets her best story ideas while running; she is even training for a half-marathon. She also finds inspiration in Nature, a quality revealed through the powerful description and drama in her books. Currently TO BEWITCH A HIGHLANDER, HIGHLAND THUNDER, and TO LOVE A WARRIOR (Books 1, 2 & 3 of the Isle of Mull series) are available. HIGHLAND SHADOWS, Beautiful Darkness Series, Book 1 is a Paranormal Highland Romance. Lily is hoping to release book 2 in the Beautiful Darkness Series in Spring 2016. A JEWEL IN THE VAULTS, an award-winning novella, will soon be available in audio! Most recently, Lily has released JACK: A Scottish Outlaw with the promise of many more Scottish Outlaws to come.

She lives in New England with her cherished husband and daughter.

Reviews

[Meghan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting collection of stories! A bit longer than your average novella, though I still felt with a few of them that I could have used more background information to understand what was going on. Below are my mini reviews of each story contained in this collection.

Highland Shadows by Lily Baldwin

I loved this story! One of the things that is common in my favorite books is a scarred hero or heroine, and this book not only has a scarred hero but a heroine with emotional wounds. It was wonderful to see the two come together and find love with each other. The story starts with Alexander MacKenzie, who was scarred at a young age by a vicious fire that killed his mother. Now that he is older, he is familiar with the revile of anyone who sees him, and he expects little else from Laird Ross' daughter, Cora. But Cora has a secret of her own and one that trumps the scars that cover Alex's face and neck. Hers may spell the doom of their love before it has even begun to take root. While I would have liked some more development between Alex and Cora in terms of their relationship, I still enjoyed reading it. I especially had my interest peaked by Alex's brother, Murdoch, whom I hope has his own story in a future book.

The Oracle of Delphi by Elizabeth Rose

This wasn't a very exciting story for me. While I love Greek mythology and reading the various retellings of it, it bothered me that while reading this story, I already knew how it ended. Took some of the fun out of reading it. Of course, this is no fault of the author but rather my own voracious reading habits growing up! The tale is of Andromeda and Perseus. Andromeda is a princess who is to be sacrificed to a sea serpent who is terrorizing her village. Perseus, a demi-god and son of Zeus, is the only one who can stop the sea serpent and save both Andromeda and her people. Before they can do this, however, Andromeda and Perseus must first rescue his mother from certain death by retrieving the head of Medusa and bringing it back to the king who holds his mother captive. Only then can Persues return to Andromeda's home and kill the serpent. Along the way, they fall in love, and with the help of a few gods, they race to save their loved ones. Elizabeth did a great job of retelling the story, though I felt some of the language used often felt out of place. Sometimes I felt like I could be reading a regency novel or a contemporary YA book. It was a bit confusing.

Stefan of Caeli by Aurrora St. James

This was my favorite story in the collection! At first, I felt a little confused as the author introduced a lot of characters in a short span of time. The story switched from one character's POV to another frequently, and I felt I could have understood better had I read other books by this author prior to reading this story. Stefan Baudin is the hero, a dragon shifter who has grown up in the human world with his twin brother and father. Abandoned by their mother at a young age, Stefan now searches for her via rumors of a hidden land rules by dragons. In his searching, he is taken captive by the dragon people, and while in the dungeon, he meets a captivating young woman named Isabela Florin. Isabela isn't who she seems though, and they must both learn to trust each other if they are to find the truth of what happened to Stefan's mother all those years ago. I was enthralled by this book and was glad it was one of the longer stories in the collection. I greatly enjoyed reading about Stefan and Isabela, and they were a well-developed couple. I am hoping to read a book about two of the secondary characters next - Rhys and Corina, who are important characters in this story.

Whistle Down The Wind by Sibelle Stone

I won't remark on this story too much, because it was one that I chose not to finish. The story follows a witch named Catlin Glyndwr who is saved from a trial for witchcraft by Sir Griffin Reynolds, a Cavalier who is soon to be journeying to the New Land. They almost immediately feel an attraction towards each other, but Catlin must decide if she can trust Griffin with her darkest secrets.

**I received a free copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.**

[Grace Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highland Shadows by Lily Baldwin

Bestselling author Lily Baldwin weaves a heartbreaking and largely sweet story in Highland Shadows. Alexander McKenzie lost his mother the same night a curse came to their lands. With half of his face burned Alex believes he’ll never find a woman willing to marry him. Thank God for Jamie the best friend who wouldn’t let him lodge around in self-pity. This story unites two people who completely believed they were beyond saving. I loved the way the heroine Cora moved from being a recluse to being part of her husband's clan once she realized she had his support. The book left me wanting more. Alexander’s brother has secrets and Jamie will live on as a vampire. This series has earned a place on my to-read list.

The Oracle Of Delphi by Elizabeth Rose

A retelling of the classic Greek adventures of Persues. In this version, Persues finds love in the arms of princess Andromeda. The Oracle Of Delphi expresses the old adage what goes around comes back around beautifully. King Acrisius met the fate he was so desperate to avoid through his own actions. I can’t say I was unhappy to see him die at Perseus’ hands. The funniest moment was the little tattoo trick the satyr played on Andromeda and Persues and the invisibility scenes come a close second. This story will make you mad, make you laugh and make you sigh. I fun new take on Perseus’ story.

Stephan of Caeli by Aurrora St James

This story was by far my favorite in the collection. I just love all things dragon. Stephan Baudin’s mother was stolen away when he was a child. Her absence left a vacuum his father and twin never recovered from. In his search for answers, Stephan is captured and tortured by the very people he came to find. I loved the heroine’s determination to achieve her dreams. I was pretty upset with Isabela Florin’s parents and felt their excuses were too silly for the mean way they treated their daughter. She was more forgiving than I would have been. There was no boring moment in this book. Every scene was emotionally engaging, my heart almost gave out on some scene’s…lol. I will definitely be looking for the next book in this series.

Whistle Down The Wind by Sibelle Stone

This story shows how craven human beings can be when they face what they don’t understand. As in other historical instances, Caitlin found that violence against their witch family was inevitable. When she is captured and sent for trial Caitlin finds an unlikely ally in ex-soldier Sir Griffin Reynolds. A bond forms when Caitlin saves Griffin’s friend from a critical illness. I liked this story though I felt it was a pity that Caitlin's little sisters never got to play a bigger role in the book. The evil warlock Sheffield alludes to there being a group determined to acquire the Glyndwr sister’s power so we will be getting more magical witchy stories in this series.

[Angel Hatfield · Rating 2 out of 5]

Best-selling and award winning authors Lily Baldwin, Elizabeth Rose, Aurrora St. James, and Sibelle Stone invite you to step back in time with spell-binding tales of myth and magic, and the passion of four unstoppable heroes who risk everything for the women they love.
The idea of this anthology was really interesting. I don’t find very many historical paranormal stories (my two favorite genres) so I was excited to read it. Unfortunately it didn’t quite achieve my hopes. It was drawn out, which isn’t something I like in an anthology where there’s already a lot to read. Also, the first story didn’t really keep my interest, making it hard for me to want to try the other stories.
**I voluntarily read and reviewed this book

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Publisher's Description:

Discover the magic in four, stand-alone paranormal romances...

Best-selling and award winning authors Lily Baldwin, Elizabeth Rose, Aurrora St. James, and Sibelle Stone invite you to step back in time with spell-binding tales of myth and magic, and the passion of four unstoppable heroes who risk everything for the women they love.

Included in this set are:

HIGHLAND SHADOWS by Lily Baldwin

In Alexander MacKenzie’s youth, his clan prospered. Until one night fire and death descended, and all that was good and green fled the ensuing darkness, leaving the MacKenzie clan impoverished, and Alex's face severely scarred.

Known as the Mad Maid of Clan Ross, Cora has been imprisoned within her father's keep for a decade, but not against her will—she is her own warden. Cora locked herself away to protect those
she loves from what she has become. Within the shadows that blanket their land lurk vampires and wolves. They know Cora’s savage secret and have laid claim to her body. But the fight for her soul has only just begun, and only Alex’s love can save her.

THE ORACLE OF DELPHI by Elizabeth Rose

Perseus, demi-god and son of Zeus is on a mission to save his mother's life. He needs to behead Medusa and bring it back to the evil king of Seriphus in a fortnight, or his mother will lose her life.

Princess Andromeda is on a mission of her own. Once thought to be the successor to The Oracle of Delphi, she bravely sits atop the throne over the pit of knowledge in trickery, to get an answer from the oracle herself. She is to be sacrificed to a sea serpent in order to save her village and the oracle tells her only the demi-god Perseus can slay the beast.

When Perseus seeks out the oracle in order to find the abode of Medusa, the feisty Princess Andromeda tries to trick him to go on a quest of her own. But Perseus has no time to lose in the mission of saving his mother. Shadows of doubt linger and it is certain someone will lose their life with one wrong choice, in The Oracle of Delphi.

STEFAN OF CAELI by Aurrora St. James

Dragon shifter Stefan Baudin’s future depends solely on unraveling a mystery from the past. But the journey will lead him into dangers he never expected and to a woman who enthralls him as no other.

Isabela Florin is the only female in Caeli’s guard. She’s determined to recapture the respect she’s lost—even if it means spying on the one man who awakens her desires.

When warrior and prince collide, who will gain the upper hand? Can love survive both secrets and betrayal?

WHISTLE DOWN THE WIND by Sibelle Stone

Escaping from the persecution of the European witch hunts, a beautiful witch with the power to control the wind joins forces with a handsome Cavalier on a mission to save the King of England and the colony of Virginia.

My Thoughts:

This is an interesting assortment of Novellas/Short Novels by some very talented and best selling authors.

Paranormal is not usually my choice of genre but it is near that spooky time of year known to us as Halloween so I thought I'd give it a try.
•Highland Shadows by Lily Baldwin
I liked this story. Lily Baldwin as usual entertains us and gives a well written story. I would give this one 4.25 stars.

•The Oracle of Delphi by Elizabeth Rose
This title was mildly interesting to me. Since I have read many retellings of this mythology theme it doesn't have any surprises as to how it will end. I would give this one a 3.5 star rating.

•Stefan of Caeli by Aurrora St. James
This is my pick of the collection. Although we are bombarded with a lot of characters in a short span of time in the storyline the author eventually gets around to the point of just telling the story. Maybe if I read her books more often this would not have presented a problem. This one gets a 4.5 star rating in my opinion.

•Whistle Down The Wind by Sibelle Stone
This story was the least compelling for me out of the collection. I just could not like the premise of this story and gave it the lowest rating I've ever given of 2 stars.
Overall this is a very readable collection and my overall rating is a 4 stars with a Heat rating of 3.
I received a complimentary digital ARC of this book from the publisher. This in no way affected my opinion.

[Susan Frances · Rating 3 out of 5]

An anthology of historical romances with a paranormal-slant, Myth Magic and Moonlight features short stories from award winning authors Lily Baldwin, Elizabeth Rose, Aurrora St. James, and Sibelle Stone. Although each story takes place at a different period in history, strangely, each one falls into the same pattern. The prologue and first chapter whet the reader's appetite, piquing the audience's interest but shortly thereafter each story fizzles, unable to hold the reader's attention.

The heroes are unmemorable, coming off as wishy-washy with character traits that make them followers rather than leaders. However, the heroines have qualities that are relatable to female readers from the way their thinking processes work to their treatment of the men they fall in love with, aroused by desire before the men are.

Highland Shadows by Lily Baldwin is set in Medieval Scotland and joins the deeply scarred Alexander MacKenzie with Cora, the Mad Maid of Clan Ross. Threatening the safety of their land are vampires and wolves who pursue Cora. Though Alex's love saves her from the clutches of her predators, Cora is independent, strong and willful, able to be her own warden. Alex is a secondary character in this yarn.

The Oracle of Delphi by Elizabeth Rose is an attempt at re-telling a Greek myth in a modern voice. In a nutshell, Perseus, who is the son of the Greek God Zeus and a mortal woman Danae, must save his mother from execution by the King of Seriphus. His mission is to behead Medusa in exchange for his mother's life. He is sidestepped by Princess Andromeda who is on a mission of her own, to save her own life from being sacrificed to a sea serpent in exchange for the safety of her village. The premise is enticing but as the story develops, the reader is pulled in different directions and loses sight of Perseus' purpose. Rose's interpretation of the tragic elements in the tale is credible though the language has too much a modern-slant.

Stefan of Caeli by Aurrora St. James is a Celtic romance about female warrior Isabella Florin and dragon shifter Stefan Baudin. The lack of concentration on their individual missions makes the point of the story lost in the tangled web of distracting details. The author strives to create a mystery that is so mysterious, the reader can't comprehend why Isabella and Stefan are together, what is connects them together.

Whistle Down the Wind by Sibelle Stone is set in 17th century Colonial America. Catlin Glydwr escapes persecution as a witch in Shrewsbury, England and is partnered with Griffin Reynolds, an English Cavalier who is on a mission to save the colony of Virginia. Catlin and Griffin have a great deal of tension as the two oscillate between trusting each other and distrusting one another. The seesawing confuses the reader and has the effect of pushing the reader away. Catlin's paranormal ability to control the winds is interesting, though it is incomprehensible how such a gift can enable her to heal human diseases, which is what she endeavors to do.

The periods of history featured in the anthology make for an interesting assortment of reads, though each of the authors explorations of these periods are rather superficial and do not sufficiently give the audience a feel for any of the eras in time. The heroes have more in common with wallflowers than memorable heroes, and the heroines possess the traits of modern day women.

[Molli Struebing · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a set of four stories by four different authors. The first one "Highland Shadows' by Lily Baldwin Centers around a Scottish chieftain who's clan is in dire straits since the 'fairies' have left the land, and wolves are roaming freely. He is forced to marry the daughter of a more prosperous chieftain who is hiding a secret. She is a werewolf. This tale contains werewolves, vampires, and other things that go bump in the night. The story needed to either be longer, or have a sequel as there are too many questions left unanswered.

The second story is the "Oracle of Delphi" by Elizabeth Rose. It is a wonderful retelling of Perseus and Andromeda and the strongest story in the book. Well worth reading!

Next we have "Stefan of Caeli" by Aurrora St. James. This story has everything...Dragons,mages, evil mages, a Queen, a Princess, an evil overlord who covets the princess, who also happens to be his step sister, and a young woman who is the only female in the overlord's guard. After Stefan is captured, she volunteers to get information from him, that the overseer's lackeys are unable to. This story is slow to get started, but well worth sticking with it.
Lastly we have "Whistle Down the Wind" by Sibelle Stone. It follows a family of witches in 1600's England, who are being pursued by a witch hunter. After saving a nobleman's life, Catlin falls under the protection of Griffiin, while the nobleman, Viscount Cranbourne, is taken with her sister Aelwyd. This tale ranges from England to a plantation in VIrginia.
Each story in the set has a happy ending. The two middle stories were the strongest in the group and are why I gave it a 4 star rating.

[Aurrora James · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review is on all but Stefan of Caeli. I truly enjoyed the other 3 books from these talented authors, and I'm reviewing them because I hadn't read these books before.

Highland Shadows: I loved this story. Alexander and Cora were a great pair and I really enjoyed the tale of the white wolf and his acceptance of Cora as someone different. Highly recommended!

The Oracle of Delphi: Even though I knew the story of Andromeda and Perseus, I enjoyed it being told as a romance instead of the adventure you see in the movies. I liked that Andromeda was her own woman and not just a simpering princess with no thoughts in her head.

Whistle Down the Wind: I know other reviews didn't find this book compelling, but I thought it was an interesting take for the time period. Catlin and Griffin fight to find the new world while avoiding the gallows and an evil sorcerer. I wish Catlin had trusted him earlier but I liked their romance. Griffin in particular was a strong hero that I liked.

Stefan of Caeli- I did not review my own book for obvious reasons. Not to mention I'm hyper critical of my own work. :)

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Four full length novels that center on witches and myths and dragons. HIGHLAND SHADOWS by Lily Baldwin , THE ORACLE OF DELPHI by Elizabeth Rose ,STEFAN OF CAELI by Aurrora St. James ,WHISTLE DOWN THE WIND by Sibelle Stone . All of these authors are new to me and the stories all seem to be part of previous books or introductions for books to come. All are well written and interesting to read. This book is over 800 pages. I'm thinking they would all do quite well as individual releases also.

[Anna Swedenmom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Engaging and interesting as well as enjoyable. . An unexpected collection of works from these authors. I enjoyed each of them and find it a little difficult to rate them so decided a collective rating would work. In each of the novels they can be a definite stand alone and could use a little more background information. I loved the plots and the way the writing was done. They are ones I would enjoy in a series. I was given this book in return for an honest review. Regards, Anna Swedenmom

[Dawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Each story offered a different setting and enjoyed for four stories. Perfect time of year to read these magical stories..

Ebook from Netgalley and publishers with thanks.

[poppy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great collection of stories.i enjoyed reading all of them but highland shadows was my favorite there all good reads recommended to all

[Diana · Rating 2 out of 5]

Book received from NetGalley.

I just could not get into this paranormal anthology.