Creatures: A Limited Edition Collection of Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance

I was able to get an ARC of the story "Accidental Witch" in this series (written by Lydia Sherrer). I really enjoyed it! Mrs. Sherrer has written 4 books in a series about a wizard and her sidekick witch friend, Sebastian. This story Accidental Witch is the beginning of the backstory on Sebastian, and how he went from normal annoying teenager to pursuing magic and communing with darkness. It is not necessary to have read any of her other books to enjoy this one! The writing style moves quickly, and the plot contains plenty of action and romance, but also reflection and character growth. I highly recommend if you enjoy fantasy!

Savannah

Author 1 book25 followers

own-on-my-kindle purchased

This an ARC review of Gypsy Heart by Juliana Haygert included in this collection.

Take this from a no-fantasy reader: Purchase your copy of Creatures and look for Gypsy Heart by Juliana Haygert, you won’t regret entering the amazing world Juliana created for this series.

Mirella Reyes is a young lady, college student and dancing teacher. Her life seems plain and simple, she goes study and teach her passion. But she is a lonely person, she doesn’t have friends or boyfriend, and her relationship with her colleagues and classmates is nonexistent.

One fine day, Mirella meets Philips, a single father of one her dance student and between them a few sparks report. But Mirella shouldn’t be close to them because weird things happen to people close her.

If this wasn’t enough, Mirella is going to discover a secret about her, which change her life forever.

As I said at the beginning of this review, I am not a fantasy reader, at all, but I really enjoyed this book and I devoured it in a couple of days.

Juliana made an impressive job creating a fantastic universe printed with magic elements, music, dance, and gypsy vibe. All of these is effing great. I was immersed in the tziganes world in spite I am a gadjo. Yes! Tziganes are an ancient race, descendents of gypsies and the gadjos are non-tzigane people. Awesome, right?

Aside from this, I pictured Mirella’s dancing classes with the kids, or her solo practices dancing flamenco or reggaeton. Her trainings with both enclaves, because yes, there are two tziganes enclaves fighting for her attention. My mind run with crazy theories about the characters and the storyline: It was so much fun.

There is something I always love of Juliana Haygert’s books: her heroines. They never disappoint to me. They’re real, impressive and badass women and Mirella isn’t the exception. I was witness the way she learnt how to deal with these changes in her life, how she raise her voice when she needed it and how she makes her own decisions.

So, my truly advice is: Do yourself a favor and get your copy of Creatures boxed set and read Gypsy Heart and the rest of the stories there.

Ana

2,038 reviews6 followers

OMG what a bundle of awesome authors!!! Every single one of these guys writes amazing stories, I can never get enough of them and to have them all in one place is the ultimate high! This set is full of magic, action, intrigue, romance, hot passion tough females and lots of hotties, just my cup of tea....LoL

"Shade" by A.K. Michaels
Those men, no matter how much they try they just can't run from that Hunger, it will get 'em every time!

Shade has no idea what is wrong with him, he just can't fill his tummy and sex won't sait him either. Guess he's going to have to take his beta's Ash and Royce's advice and just search the Archives to find out what the heck is wrong with him before he goes insane. But what the archives reveal can't be for real, no way, no how does he want to give up the freedom he's had up until this darn affliction took hold of him.. His wolf is jumping for joy at the prospect of looking for his mate, now if his human side would agree with his wolf. Guess he is just going to have to give the beast the go ahead, or relinquish all he holds dear.

Marissa Farrar is on the run from an abusive father and the alpha of her pack. Being a submissive she-wolf just isn't in her genes. When she thinks her life is over because she would rather die than go back to the bed of a sicko alpha, in comes the wolf from her dream in shining armor and everything goes black. She is so tired of running now she can finally just give in to her dreams and stay in the arms of her dream man.

Will Marissa just give up before having had a chance at happiness for once in her life. Will Shade lose his soul mate after just finding her as punishment for not wanting her in the first place?

So many more great authors like Gina Kincaid, Angelica Dawson, Monica La Porta, Bianca D’Arc, Erzabet Bishop and soooooo many more! Get this Limited Edition Bundle, you won't be sorry.

Tamara Edmunds

82 reviews2 followers

I received a free advanced copy of Accidental Witch by writer Lydia Sherrer to give an honest review. I really enjoyed reading the book. To learn more about Sebastian when he was younger and how he became a witch was very entertaining. I laughed at some of the conversations Sebastian had with Peter and cried during the sad parts. When Sebastian was confronted by Bryan and his thugs, I wished I could help him get away from them. I would definitely recommend this book to my friends.

Kenneth Morris

132 reviews1 follower

I had the opportunity to read one of the stories in this collection "Accidental Witch" by Lydia Sherrer. Yes it was an ARC, but that doesn't mean it wasn't a great read about a character whose background was foggy at best from other books. This shows his origins and how he had to cope with certain problems in life. Great storytelling from a great author!

Rosemary

30 reviews

I was an ARC/beta reader for a book in this set entitled "Accidental Witch" by Lydia Sherrer.

The book follows the story of Sebastian Blackwell, a young teenage boy coming to terms with the untimely death of his parents through...magic!

A fantastic read for anyone who enjoys urban fantasy, and mystical beginnings.

Joyffree

3,420 reviews62 followers

August 2, 2017

I love when a group of authors get together and create a collection of shorts. This is a great opportunity for new readers to test out some authors and various different series. Not to be passed up! Each author has definitely brought their A game to this series.
I had the great pleasure of reading many of the stories in this the set as advanced readers copies - I still preorder it - It really is a great collection of Fantasy and Paranormal and I want it all!
Demon Whiskey is only one of the books in this set - Whiskey Witches Was Wickedly Wonderful -Say that five times fast and see what you summon -
This is an introduction to the Whiskey Witches and why they are where they are - another mouth full- The fantasy world Blooding has created is detailed with very realistic possibilities - You will find laughter - insanity - love and some heart breaking angst woven within these pages- One click the set and get started on an adventure you will not regret!

Laura Greenwood

Author 575 books1,676 followers

Read

December 26, 2019

My book in Creatures was Ocean's Serenade, co-written with J & L Wells: books2read.com/oceansserenade

Judy Lewis

1,566 reviews55 followers

OUTSTANDING COLLECTION !!!
Title: Creatures
Author: Multiple
Designation: Limited Edition Collection of 21 Fantasy, Paranormal, and Supernatural Tales Filled with Mystery, Suspense, and Romance
Reading Platform: Kindle Edition
My Rating: Five Super Sexy Stars*****
Oh my! Oh my! Oh my! I love, love, love this collection! Anyone familiar with my reviews already knows how much I love multi-author anthologies. Yup, I'm a box set junkie. I'm totally addicted and not ashamed to admit it! I love paranormal/supernatural/fantasy romance, adore stories with dangerous, dark creatures that go bump in the night, and completely smitten with thrills, chills, mystery, & suspense, so when I can get it all in one great collection, I'm in heaven! And I hit the jackpot with Creatures, an extraordinary collection of 21 captivating tales written by some of today's most talented indie authors, and you get them all for less than the price of a single book! I'm retired and very passionate about reading, but like most people, I have to manage my money carefully. I've found buying box sets and anthologies to be one of the best ways to get the most bang for my buck, especially when the set includes several of my favorite authors like A.K. Michaels, Monica La Porta, Gina Kincade, and Erzabet Bishop. I have a little confession to make, but it's just between us, right? I bought this set just so I could read Shade by A.K. Michaels and The Fifth Moon's Dragon by Monica La Porta. Shade is a standalone novella in Michaels' A Wolf's Hunger Kindle World which I've been following faithfully and own every single book in the collection to date. I've also been following The Fifth Moon's Tales Series by Monica La Porta and could hardly wait to get The Fifth Moon's Dragon in my hot little hands. I've been waiting for this story for months! When I discovered these two stories were being included exclusively in this limited edition set, I was all over it! Heck, I've paid a lot more than 99 pennies for just one story from either of these authors. Another advantage of purchasing a collection like this is I get to try new-to-me authors without breaking the bank. I always find several to add to my favorites list and this time was no exception. Although I haven't finished the entire set, I have been glued to my Kindle since midnight and read 90% of the collection. I found all the stories to be imaginative, well-crafted, beautifully written and delightfully entertaining. Were they all perfect? No, but you definitely get your money's worth and a whole lot more! And fyi, these are not chapters, excerpts or teasers but complete stories. Several are part of an ongoing series but each can be read as a standalone with a beginning, middle, and end, and every single one is filled to the brim with thrills, chills, danger, drama, action, adventure, mystery, suspense, angst, and romance. Did I like this collection? No, I loved it! Would I recommend it? Absolutely! Will I be reading stories by these authors again? You bet! And finally, was I entertained? Completely! Hours of fabulous entertainment, awesome reads, and an incredible bargain! This is one collection you don't want to miss!

JodyL

1,644 reviews5 followers

September 19, 2017

Creatures

I will update as I read the stories. So far I've read;

Lone Wolf by Bianca D'Arc( which is why I bought the collection)
5 stars
I have read all of the Tales of the Were except the Grizzly Cove series. I am glad that we got to see Duncan again as a cameo. I liked Josh from the beginning. He seemed like a good person even though he had magical issues and evil mages chasing him down. Venifucus, an evil group of mages who wants to ressurect Elspeth the Destroyer, is still trying to get powers that don't belong to them by killing people. They were there when Josh discovered his power accidently. Now they want it.
Deanna is a priestess of the light. Josh was sent to her so she could help him learn to control this power. Venifucus finds them. A fight ensues. There is a HEA, of course.
The book was short (because it's part of the collection) but leads into the next book about Josh's missing fey father.

The First Moon's Dragon by Monica La Porta
4 stars
It was a little confusing at first, like I missed a previous book. There was a lot of clockwork items involved in this story. A dragon shifter named Dragon is the leader of the planet Solarian. There is an assassin after him. Her name is Jade. She is a Master Assassin that was trained at The Academy. She has never failed before. But Dragon stops her and brings her back to the palace with him. He has two genetically enhanced females that were made specifically for him that he is to marry within the month. Shifters can't have children without the genetic engineering because of radiation. But now that he met Jade he doesn't want them. He believes Jade is his mate. More assassins come and Jade tries to leave.
I wish I realized that this book was the first in a trilogy before I read it. It leaves off at a place where you wonder what is going to happen to them next. It is not a deep cliffhanger, but enough of one that I would have waited had I known.

Taming the Beast by Erzabet Bishop
5 stars
This is a fun cute story about werewolf Soren, who broke up with his evil witch of a girlfriend and she cursed him. If he doesn't find true love within a month he and everyone he cares about will turn into beasts and stay that way forever. So his friends do the only thing they can think of.....host a reality bachelor show.
Allyse is a small time witch that needs a job to help pay her mom's medical bills. She thinks that after they interviewed her at the job fair that when she got an acceptance letter that it was for a behind the scenes job. When she gets to where filming will take place they tell her she is one of seven contestants.
Because she is plus sized she believes that no one could want her especially with the other girls being skinny, pretty girls with sparkly dresses.
At the end of the story there is a ad for book five, so this must have been book four. I did not feel like I was missing any information though, so I recommend this book.

Either I wasn't interested in the rest of the stories or they were part of a series that I haven't read or part one of a book. So the rest is not included in my star rating.

Emily Pennington

20.8k reviews366 followers

August 18, 2017

I purchased this boxed set for the variety of more than 20 paranormal and urban fantasy stories it included. Below is a review of one of them as a representative sample of the stories. You won't want to miss this set!

>>> Reviewing “Ocean’s Serenade” by J Wells and L Wells writing with Laura Greenwood <<<
Merrick swam toward the female he came to see every day. He hadn’t seen her face yet, just a lovely reflection in the waves. But today, she accidentally kicks him and, when he looks up, she is looking back at him through goggles! She screams and quickly swims toward shore.

Ronan was a competitive swimmer, watching the women’s butterfly competition. Polly had done well, and he congratulated her. But she was hostile to him, still blaming him for the disappearance of her sister, Coral, four years previously. He and Coral, his best friend and excellent swimmer, had been racing each other for fun. When he turned around, she was gone and no one believed him.

In her new life and her memory incomplete, Coral dreams repeatedly about someone important to her whom she struggles to reach but can’t quite get there. It feels so real. But she has always been here with Merrick – at least she thinks she has? The dreams confuse her. She swam near a room in the shipwreck they lived in where Merrick tried to teach her magic, and she felt drawn to it again. Inside, she went to a bottle with a green swirling potion of some kind. But Merrick entered the room and she pretended she was trying to do the magic he was teaching her. In her frustration at continually failing it, she swam away to a place near the shoreline that calmed her somehow.

Ronan and Polly, still grieving over Coral, went to the place where she had disappeared. Ronan went there often. Polly swam to the buoy and left her half-heart necklace in Coral’s honor. She swam back to shore as Ronan remembered when he gave the two sisters the necklaces. He looked up and was startled to see Polly out in the deeper waves?? But she had gone back to shore? As she came closer, he recognized her swimming stroke – CORAL!!! Then she dove and never resurfaced . . . Would she remember Ronan? Would she ever be able to come back to the land? And does this put Ronan – and maybe even Polly – in danger with the Mer now that he has found Coral?

This was a good story line and suspenseful as the reader is never sure at first what happened or where the story would go. There are also many other excellent stories in this collection to read as well. You can’t go wrong with so many good stories to choose from! Take a chance and enjoy your reading!

reviewed

T.M. Payne

Author 37 books92 followers

Book Reviewed: Creatures: A Limited Edition Collection of Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance
Authors: A K Michaels , Gina Kincade and Kimberly Gould , Bianca D'Arc , Heather Marie Adkins, Boone Brux , Morgan Wylie , Felicia Beasley , Kyoko M , Jules Barnard , Monica La Porta , Aoife Marie Sheridan , Alex Owens , Juliana Haygert , E. M. Moore , Skye Knizley , Shelique Lize , Lydia Sherrer , Wendy Owens , S.M. Blooding , Stephanie Marks, J & L Wells writing with Laura Greenwood , Erzabet Bishop
Publication Date: 8/15/2017
Reviewed by: Tammy Payne- Book Nook Nuts
My Rating: 5 Stars

REVIEW
I am leaving a review for the following books in this set. I hope to in time finish more stories and add to my review.

Shade by A.K. Michaels

Holy smokes...
This Alpha is one hot smoking tough guy. Shade takes names and asks questions later.
But first, he must deal with this dreaded hunger. Once he knows how to deal well things kind of move quickly.
He must save the one given to him by the Goddess.
Marissa although a tough as nails young woman has been beaten down so much by her pack Alpha and her father
she is at her wit's end.
Can these two find each other and stop the madness? Oh and we meet Zohar again in this book. If you have followed along in this series, he is the council's henchman. He enjoys taking out the trash so to speak.
I cannot wait till the next book as this series is indeed taking off in a good way.

Darkness Of Light by Gina Kincade and Kimberly Gould - 5 Stars

Reverie is a young woman who has to go fill in at her granny's store while she is having surgery.
Reverie, however, doesn't know the entire truth of her family but she is in for one heck of a shock, and it's not all in a bad way.
Enter one male Lucius and her morning starts off with a bang.
Tons of cousins and one of which has his eyes also on Rev now what will she do? Kerwin finally makes his move. Now what?
Well read it and find out.
I enjoyed this story very much, and it leaves us needing more which is to come I hope.

Creatures: A Limited Edition Collection of Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance

Mandy (MP Book Reviews)

5,000 reviews45 followers

Shade - AK Michaels - 5 of 5 stars

Shade Shawcross is the Alpha of the Silver Lake pack and seems to have a insatiable hunger that is beginning to consume him. His Betas (and best friends) suspect they know what might be happening and persuade him to look through the pack archives to confirm what it is and find out the cure. Shade eventually agrees and they start to go through the recently digitised archives. They are all shocked at what they find and when Shade finally lets his wolf take control to try and find his soulmate. This is not going to be easy as she is on the run from her pack and Shade has three bothers after him after their scheming sister told them a story that was incorrect. Will he find his mate or will either of them die from the others chasing them?

Wow - lots of action and excitement in this Wolf's Hunger story. After a slightly slow start the action just kept coming and the danger kept piling up on them both. Well written as always and all the thoughts, dreams, emotions and frustrations were all easy to feel and experience as you read this story.

The Fifth Moon's Dragon - Monica La Porta - 5 of 5 stars

Dragon Sol (High Lord of Solaria) has returned to marry his brides but ends up having to fight off an assassin. Jade is a member of the Assassin Academy and loves what she does. This mission however becomes dangerous for a whole list of reasons when their roles are reversed and their hearts and lives are both at stake.

I loved this story - drama and action from the very start and continued throughout the story. I defy anyone to read this and not want or need to know the rest of the story between Dragon and Jade.

Sue

1,018 reviews10 followers

December 10, 2017

This is shaping up to be a fantastic collection of stories

A WOLFS HUNGER : SHADE by Ava
5*
Oh my, this Wolfs Hunger is proving to be a rather brilliant series!
I love Shade's character and Marissa has an incredible strength about her that won't allow her to accept the life that's being pushed on her in her pack.
Ms Michaels has captured the emotions perfectly, The fear, the desperation, hate, anger and of course love, not forgetting the satisfaction I felt seeing a couple of characters in this story being put in their place :-)
If you are a fan of hot sexy paranormal romance with a HEA then this is most definitely a series/story for you.

DARKNESS OF LIGHT by Gina Kincade & Kimberly Gould
3.8*
This was an interesting concept but at times I found it confusing as it seemed to jump from one thing to another making me think I'd missed something. There were a few errors, missing words etc so it didn't flow smoothly enough for me.
I like the idea of the town secretly being full of different shifters and the attraction between Rev and both Kerwin and Lucius is scorching, how could any girl be expected to choose between them.

LONE WOLF by Bianca D'Arc
4*
This is a new author to me but one I'm definitely going to be on the lookout for, this story was different, intriguing and totally absorbing. The characters were interesting and left me wanting to know more.

Amanda

133 reviews37 followers

July 19, 2017

I received an advanced reader's copy of Accidental Witch by Lydia Sherrer, one of the many authors in this boxed set. I was chosen to beta read for Lydia based on the fact that I had zero previous connection to her other series, Love, Lies, and Hocus Pocus. She wanted fresh eyes and a blank minded canvas to get an honest opinion.
I thoroughly enjoyed Sebastian Blackwell's coming of age story. There was just the right amount of detail, dialogue, and rich imagery. Based solely on this story, I will be diving head first into the rest of her imagination as quickly as possible. She pulled the entire spectrum of feeling out of me ranging from frustration, nervousness, anticipation, laughter, deep sadness, and elation. I found myself connecting to the story quickly on, and loved the pace of it. There are so many intriguing characters, and I'm excited to meet them at the beginning of their story, rather than later on as most have.
I give this specific story 5 stars, and because of the talent I see in Lydia, I will gleefully crack open the rest of the stories by all the other authors in this set. Do yourself a favor and pick this boxed set up for hours of sheer entertainment!

Julie Pederick

186 reviews1 follower

BOOK REVIEW : DEMON WHISKEY BY S.M. BLOODING

Witches, A Demon Summoner, The Demon Balnore, A Demon Hunter, And An Angel Summoner.

Three generations of Whiskey Witches are happily going about their lives all living under Grandma Whiskey's roof until their long lost deserted mother who walked out on the girls when they were young sails back into their lives as if nothing happened. With a Mother like that, who needs enemies?

I found very early on in the story I gravitated towards Paige, finding it easy to slip into Paige's skin as if I was playing her role in the story which is a credit to the writing talents of Ms Blooding. I loved all the characters even learning to love to hate girl's Mother!

A Brilliant Introduction to The Whiskey Witches and S. M. Blooding. The Only Problem With This Book, It Ended Much Too Soon, Making This A Great Quick Read That's Definitely Guaranteed! This Definitely Won't Be The Last Whiskey Witches or S.M. Blooding's Book I read!

4.8's⭐️out of 5⭐️'s Loving The Whiskey Women Witches

Reviewer : Jewelz Pederick.
💁🏻❤️ from the 😜 🇦🇺 📖🐛❗️

Nikki Brooks

3,578 reviews55 followers

pnr reviewed series-boxsets

Shade by AK Michaels

Shade may be the Alpha of the Silver Lake pack but he has been floored by a hunger that he cannot satiate! His Betas try and make him understand that he has been targeted by the Hunger and that his mate is nearby and in trouble but he is a hard nut to crack! When they uncover more information in they newly updated archives, Shade finally has to accept that he is about to get his mate.

Shade's mate hunt is oveshadowed when one of his ONS decides that she is going to be his mate and sets her own plans in motion by setting her three very overprotective brothers on Shade, telling them that he has disrespected her.

His soon to be mate Marissa, has her own problems. Can she and shade find each other before it's too late? Will Shade accept that his wild party boy days are finally over?

Lots to keep you interested in this story. Slots well into the Wolf's Hunger World and I can't wait for the next!

Niki Driscoll

889 reviews17 followers

August 17, 2017

A lot of great authors have come together to entertain us with some seriously interesting stories. Vampires, shifters, witches and fae are sure to appeal to even the pickiest of reader.
Shade by A.K. Michaels joins the other Wolf's Hunger stories and completes a reference made in another tale. Shade Shawcross is the Alpha of the Silver Lake pack and he is experiencing an unstoppable hunger. Searching the archives he and his friends stumble upon the cause now he just has to accept what fate has in store for him. Marissa is running from her father and her pack. She would rather die than submit and she might just get her wish if Shade doesn't accept he has to find his mate and find her in time. Love the characters, lots of drama and a strong alpha female who knows how to make a statement. Fast paced, easy to follow and fun to read.
I volunteered to read this story for my honest opinion.

finished

Tabi Ann

1,102 reviews5 followers

August 19, 2017

Wonderful Collection

*Each books deserves a review of its own so as I read along I will update this entry. So make sure you come back and read the review again*

Shade....Ava K. Michael's

This was a perfect addition to the Hunger books and you should read all of them. This book once again shows a an Alpha who wants to fight the fact what the Hunger means. Another stubborn wolf who thinks he can make it through without a mate by his side.

You have the Alpha and his broken mate who have to find each other and battle their demons in order to connect with each other. Will Marissa realize that she is a strong wolf and can fight her demons now so she can become the strong Alpha She-Wolf that Shade knows she is before it's too late?

Please come enjoy this story with me and bring some tissues you will need them.

Until Next Time...Tabi

Kelly Cooper

53 reviews1 follower

I love when a group of authors get together to release a collection of stories as it gives you an opportunity to discover new authors that you may not have read before and boy does this anthology deliver!! One of the stories that I particularly enjoyed was Shade by A.K.Michaels. It is part of her Wolf's Hunger series and is truly gripping from start to finish. If you have never read anything by her then this is a brilliant story to start with. It's full of everything you want in a great story, action, intrigue, romance and plenty of twists and turns. I highly recommend this anthology to everyone.

Sydney Hopke

1,384 reviews18 followers