War of Witches

The Shifter Prophecy #3

by Megan Linski

Revenge bites back. I am Lysandra, and my mate and I are out of options. Everything has fallen under Csar Dragomir’s domain. To survive, I must prove myself to a hidden coven of vampires, and rise to become the leader of a rebellion. Valentina has summoned an army of witches against me and cast a curse upon the wolves. If a cure is not found in time, the curse will be the end of the shifters… and the end of Lisar. Can our love withstand its greatest trial yet? Or has our romance doomed what’s left of the pack, and any kingdom that I may claim?

Genres: Audiobook, Fantasy, Romance, Paranormal, Paranormal Romance, Werewolves, Fantasy Romance

224 pages, ebook

First published June 19, 2017

About the author

Megan Linski lives in Michigan. She is the author of more than fifty fantasy and paranormal novels which feature themes of friendship, community, and healthy romantic relationships. She has over fifteen years of experience writing books alongside working as a journalist and editor. She graduated from the University of Iowa, where she studied Creative Writing.

Her passions include ice skating and horseback riding. In her free time she enjoys dancing in the snow and drinking fancy coffee while at her natural habitat, the mall.

Megan advocates for the rights of the disabled, and is an activist for mental health awareness.

Megan co-writes the Hidden Legends Universe with Alicia Rades. She also writes under the pen name of Natalie Erin for the Creatures of the Lands series, co-authored by Krisen Lison.

Awards Megan has won include;

Best Fantasy Book of the Year 2019 by Once Upon a Book

Best Co-Authored Book of the Year 2022 by Once Upon a Book

Author of the Year 2022 by Once Upon a Book

Keynote Speaker at Once Upon a Book 2023

Best Book Friends (Ava and Kallie) 2023 by Once Upon a Book

Featured in the FOX Teen Choice Awards Gift Baskets

Two-time Reader's Favorite Five Star Read (Bronze Medal Finalist)

Winner of Amazon's Kindle Scout Competition

Reviews

[Lexy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought that this book was good

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

ABSOLUTELY OUTSTANDING!! A TRUE MASTERPIECE!! THE SHOCKING MOMNTS!! THE ROMANCE AND LOVE AND ACTION!!! LOVED EVERYTHING
Lyssy, Lisar and their pack seek refugee in Siberia. They steal an airplane and the wolves must JUMP INTO A FLYING PLANE!! The trip is dangerous and they fall down the sky!!! Sergei managed to not let them die because of the fall! But in siberia they are met by the vampire coven: Elizaveta, Lyssy's old friend, Lyssy has to pass the test for safety: KILL 2 POLAR BEARS WITHOUT WEAPONS!!! she was trained in Salkovia. After she defeated the polar bears she is the csarina and the vampires will help them against dragomir!! But Lyssy doesn't want to go into battle...
Meanwhile Lyssy said NO to Lisar's proposal!! She wants to wait for the war to be over...
But the pack is attacked by Valentina and Lidia and the witches!!! Bryn is hit with a spell meant for Lyssy: SHE CAN'T BE IN CONTACT WITH HER LOVE TOMMY!! How CRUEL!!! it physically hurts her because of the mating bond!! Bryn becomes bitter due the curse and her mother's death...
Shioni the head witch tries to break the spell but it can only be broken if Valentina dies
Suddenly the lisar, kipcha, georgie, and rosa are POISONED!! Valentina completed the curse: THE WOLVES ARE UNABLE THE SHIFT INTO A WOLF ANYMORE!!!
this changes EVERYTHING!!! they can't fight back and they have lost themselves!!!
For the cure they have to contact the witch Baba Yaga who is neutralin this was: they need ingredients from her, lyssy has to pass a test: look into the cauldron and face her future: the army of witches setting Salkovia on fire and buring up in flames!! A woman with a baby on the run (she later finds out IT'S HER!!), and THE SUN BURING HER ALIVE IN A DUNGEON!!!
She obtains the ingredients
After lisar is attacked and almost died, Lyssy says YES!!! THEY ARE GETTING MARRIED!!! I AM SOOO HAPPY
There is witch camp and the pack attacks but lyssy is attacked by Lidia, THE WITCHES WERE AN ILLUSION. Lidia who was human is A MADE A WITCH!! by Valentina!! They fight but Nicholae appears!! Bryn and tommy fight but they are forced to the brigde bryn killed her fsther but LIDIA LETS THE BRIDGE COLLAPSE, bryn managed so throw tommy away back to safety BUT BRYN FALLS TK HER DEATH!!! NOOO OMG THIE CAN'T BE!!!!
everything, everyone freezes... time stands still for a long time...
The cure is a failer... all seems lost
They decide to continue woth the wedding (Lyssy's birthday 21 dec) for that's what Bryn would have wanted..
Valentina and her army have arrived!!! The battle has begon, because the wolves can't change, they don't stand a change even together wirth vampires they are losing, until Sergei and Elizaveta attack with the POLAR BEARS!! They all fight a cruel battle but THEY WON!!!!
But Lyssy is KIDNAPPED BY LIDIA!!! she is a jealous bitch who wants to have Lyssy's life and to accomplish it SHE TRANSFORMS HERSELF INTO LYSSY TO MARRY LISAR!! OMFG THIS BITCH CRAZY!!!
after Valentina will have her army of witches and Dragomir will kill the wolves amd the witches will defeat them all!!
Lyssy is rescued by non other than BRYN!!! OMG SHE IS ALIVE!!! she was saved by Valentina!!! To use her as a pawn but because of ther curse she locked her up and bryn escaped. She leads Lyssy through the FRENCH castle that is enchanted and the need to find a mirror: it shows your deepest fear: Bryn's mother Sylvia!!! She has to speak the thruth to pass: she is angry and hurt... she blames her mother for not doing everything against Nicholae and her and lisar not being enough for her.... angry at her for dying... she fades away... Lyssy sees her mother: she is angry of her for leaving her and not caring about her to being there for her when Dragomir hurt them... EMOTIONAL AND SAD SCENE!! but they can portal to Salkovia and STOP THE WEDDING!!! Valentina is disguised as sergei who was locked away, shoini casts a spell and Lidia is reveald!! HUGE FIGHT: WAR OF WITCHES. Valentina against Shioni!!! SHIONI KILLS VALENTINA!!!by crushing her!! Lyssy killed Lidia FINALLY!!! By drinking her human blood!!!
Bryn's curse if broken!!!! TOMMY AND BRYN CAN BE TOGETHER ONCE MORE!!! Baba the witch BROKE THE CURSE OF THE WOLVES, THEY CAN SHIFT AGAIN!!!! THIS HAPPINESS!!
Lisar and Lyssy HAVE THEIR WONDERFUL, BEAUTIFUL WEDDING!!! So emotional and romantic!!! LOVE!!!
After: the mirror is back to shioni her it was the stolen artifact of her eradicated coven. IVAN GIGORY IS BACK!!! WTF, apparently Valentina healed him, huge fight but he managed to escape, the Coward!!!
they plan to go to Italy for their honeymoon but Lyssy is more determined than ever to kill Dragomir, go to war and fight back!! BECAUSE SHE IS PREGANT!!!! OMG I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS!!!

[Lillie · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

This was the weakest of the 3 books in this series so far. I did really enjoy my time reading this book, but there was a plot point where I was literally skimming through it because I hated it. I loved the expansion of the world and how everything was presented throughout this series this far. And omg Bryn and Tom are so cute. I literally hope nothing but the best for them. The ending was a bit predicable, but I don't think it was meant to be a huge plot twist. As much as I loved this series so far, I think I'm ready to say goodbye to these characters, at least for a while. I feel like this series is going to hold a special place in my heart regardless of its flaws.

[Patrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow this book was a blast! I listened to this book on audio and I thoroughly enjoyed it! This has to be my favorite book in the series so far! This was an action packed book with plenty of twists and turns, many moments that caught me off guard. The characters have had a lot of character development and I’m thoroughly enjoying this story so far, can’t wait to listen to the last book!

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review also posted at: http://underthebookcover.blogspot.com...

4.5/5


Thank you to Megan Linski for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for review! All opinions are my own.

War of Witches is the third book in Megan Linski's fantastic paranormal Shifter Prophecy series. Picking up where the second book, Den of Wolves, left off, this book grabs you by the hand and doesn't let go until the last page. Get ready for a wild ride full of paranormal creatures, rocky romances, curses, and an ending that you won't see coming!

Plot:
With Romania under Dragomir's rule, it's no longer safe for vampire princess Lysandra and wolf Alpha Lisar. Their only option is to flee and seek asylum in Siberia with a coven that's outside of Dragomir's influence and is hopefully safe. But nowhere is safe with Valentina hot on their tails. With an army of witches at her side, Valentina plans to find Lysandra, kill her friends and loved ones, and bring her back to the csar in order to use her for his own twisted plans. As if things couldn't get any worse, Valentina has cast a curse on the wolves that, if not cured in time, will be the end of the shifters for good. Can Lisar and Lysandra's love survive its most difficult trial yet or will it be the end of an entire nation?

War of Witches is probably my favorite installment of the Shifter Prophecy yet! I really enjoyed getting to see more of the witches in this world while still getting a good dose of the vampires and wolves that I've come to love. Not only do you get some backstory on witches, but also vampires as well. It was great to get some more lore on these supernatural characters, especially on the creation of witches and just how the vampires came into existence.

The story moves very quickly with War of Witches. There is always something happening, and it's not necessarily always action packed. It's a fantastic balance of fast paced action and relatively slow but still important plot and/or character progression. Maintaining that balance is not always easily done, but Megan Linski pulls this off with ease. The world of the Shifter Prophecy is already large, and this third book just continues to expand everything from the characters to the lore and it's so much fun to see the growth that comes with each new installment. There are ups and downs all throughout this book and it really keeps the reader engaged and wondering just what will happen next. I've mentioned this before but I appreciate how quickly you're able to fly through these books but also how they flow so well. There's a lot happening but you never feel overwhelmed or like you're getting too much thrown at you all at once. In fact, I personally found myself flipping pages like crazy in order to get more of the story! It was so fascinating to get a book that focused more on witches, as the first book was mostly vampires and the second was wolves. I am so excited to see how all of these creatures come together in the final book because I've come to enjoy all of them for their own unique reasons.

Characters:
I've probably said this in every review of the Shifter Prophecy books so far, but Lysandra and Lisar are amazing. These two have the most realistic relationship I've ever read in a YA book, even with them being a vampire and a wolf. They're not perfect by any means. They argue, disagree, fight, yell, run off, and all kinds of other things that real couples do. But they're also so in love with each other and care so much about each other that they're willing to acknowledge that they're not perfect and they will have their differences, but they want to make it work no matter how difficult things might be. Honestly, I read far too many YA books with insta-love and "perfect" couples, so this is always refreshing to read about a more realistic couple. They just continue to grow so much not only as a couple, but as individuals as well, and it's so great to see how their individual growth contributes to their growth as a pair. I love that they don't fully rely on the other to take care of them but can use their individual strengths to help each other succeed. They really are just two amazing characters and with the ending of War of Witches, I'm scrambling to find out what happens in Heir to Russia!

A character that has completely won me over is Serghei, Lysandra's grandfather. He's so supportive and protective and just an all around wonderful character. His presence was definitely needed in this book, because Lysandra experiences a lot that I honestly don't think she could have gotten through without the support of her grandfather. Of course, Lisar is a great support system for her, but I just feel Serghei was a great maternal figure that she never got with Dragomir. I really hope we get to see more of him in the final book because he is without a doubt my favorite side character.

The overall character development continues to improve with each book and I love seeing the various directions that all of the characters, main and side, go in. There are so many things that happen and so many choices that each character makes and watching them all rise and fall, make mistakes and grow almost feels like I'm there with them, learning the things that they learn. I've grown so close to all of them and even through the tough things that they all experience, I couldn't be more happy with how everything ended up once I reached the final page. I'm so excited for all of the possibilities for each character in the last book because really, anything could happen, and I truly support any and every decision that they make.

Also, Tom has redeemed himself for me and I no longer think he is a poophead. That is all.

Writing:
It's never surprising when I read a Megan Linski book that I fall in love with the writing. It's so easy to sit down and lose yourself in the world that she's created. The atmosphere is so mystical and you really feel like you're caught up in a world filled with vampires, wolves, and witches. This is a series that really holds true to the paranormal genre while still being a beautiful and fun read. The descriptions paint a picture in your mind of the beautiful Siberian landscape and the town that Lysandra and friends seek asylum in. You can almost see the spells being cast by the witches and feel the snow falling from the sky. It's impossible not to completely immerse yourself in these books and that's what I enjoy most about them.

War of Witches is another successful installment in the Shifter Prophecy that will leave you scrambling for the final book. It has some incredibly beautiful and magical writing, character development that will pull at your heart strings, and a story line that is sure to keep you hooked until the very end. This series is a refreshing take on the familiar vampire versus wolf war that continues to evolve with each book. Be sure to pick up War of Witches and keep an eye out for the final book, Heir to Russia releasing in August!

[Teri · Rating 5 out of 5]

How is it this author can do this consistently, I just don't understand. But I am so glad to be on the receiving end of it. Things don't slow down in book two and this team has not given up. They are hit with everything in the book and end up doing plenty of kick but stuff but it isn't without a cost. They will be attacked and torn, betrayed, suffer loss, deep love, and curses. Yes they will be tested to the end of all they know and love. The battle is just beginning and it is anyone's guess who will survive. The characters are amazing, all of them. You can't help but stand beside them when the need a hand and want to catch them when they fall, laugh out loud with them, they are just that real.

This author puts us in a world and builds it so well we forget it's a book and then it's over. No it isn't a standalone but that isn't a secret. The hard part is the waiting the easy part is becoming invested in the outcome. I can't wait for more and you wont be disappointed.

[Teodora Florentina · Rating 3 out of 5]

As much as I enjoyed the previous 2 volumes of this series, this one isn't my cup of tea. The plot was depressing and certain characters did questionable things. I wanted to see more of Lysandra and Lisar. Also, 99% of the book went bad, nothing good happened along the way. I do understand that the plot twists and the tension were there to keep readers interested in the book but this was way too much. Yes, it was emotional and yes, I did enjoy it as part of the series overall, but so far this is my least favorite book in the series (having high hopes for Heir to Russia). If this series ends badly, then I will end up regretting I had called this series "one of my favorites".

[Veronika Haruka · Rating 2 out of 5]

There were a few things that disappointed me greatly.
1. That situation where you suspect it's a trap but do it anyway works once. Maybe twice more.
2. Little prepared ground for the situation when the main character tasted human blood. The whole situation seemed rather forced. I didn't buy it.
3. In conversations where she is supposed to defend herself and speak smartly against her opponent, the protagonist just whines and makes stupid threats. And when, for the umpteenth time, she falls into a trap she knew was a trap, she can't even say she suspected it. Maybe she could start listening to her instincts. But if at least she starts doing it at the end of the story, then this third point doesn't bother me so much.

[Sherilyn Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series is the first books I've read by this author and I love them!!

I am such a sucker for a good vampire/shifter book. I love a good vampire/shifter series even more. I was hesitant to read this series at first because I have been so disappointed by the numerous vampire/shifter books out there that just don't hold my attention. I am so happy I did one click the first of this series. I read all 3 books in 24 hours. I didn't even want to sleep!! LOL and now I must wait almost 2 months for the last of the series!!!! This is going to be hell for me!!!

[Brandy Blake · Rating 5 out of 5]

Epic cliffhanger

Geez you can’t leave a girl hanging like that the group arrives in salkovia in Siberia looking for aid and after an epic battle and some losses a great surprise occurs must read

[Teya Teya · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm giving it a three star. ONLY because I hit an "f" bomb about 76%. No matter where I am in a book or series I stop when that word shows up. It's a fascinating series. Well written, great plot, and amazing characters. I am truly sorry I ran in to that word.

[Mercedes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good different paranormal adventure romance,with intrigue,angst,action
romance.
3rd in series.
Love the vampires,shifters and witches coming together.
Enjoyed reading.

[KarizzPuff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Omg!

I was not ready for where this book took me but I devoured it in less then a day and loved every second of it!

[Mari · Rating 4 out of 5]

So much excitement.