Duncan lives in a world where it's kill or be killed, whether that's by his vampire allies or by the Clan's vampire hunters. But he wants something more. He wants freedom. When he stumbles across a rogue fire witch that the Clan has left to die, it's his chance. If he can persuade her to switch sides, together they can unite the vampires and destroy the Clan itself. There's just one catch.
Can Duncan convince the witch before she kills him?
The Unleashed Creation is a stand-alone prequel novelette to the upcoming The Clan-Vampire Clash, a series of YA paranormal fantasy novels. If you like sinister villains, complicated superheroes, and supernatural suspense, then you'll love Betsy Flak's magical new series.
Hi! I’m Betsy Flak, author of The Eversfield Academy Vampire Hunters book series.
Hmm, what to say about myself? Well, I’m reader too, so let’s start there.
I love fantasy books with a love story. The more magic, the more action, the more heart-stopping moments that make me go “Squeeeee!” the better.
I love books with twists and turns, especially when I can only see those twists and turns coming upon a reread (and when I do see those twists and turns coming upon a reread).
And I’m a sucker for forbidden love. Something about those characters fighting their way to each other over and over (and over and over) keeps me turning the pages.
So, that’s what I put into my own books. Lots of drama and action and magic and forbidden love that’s more an epic love story than strict romance (and only sweet romance here).
And of course, I love plotting those twists and turns, then adding a little trail of breadcrumbs throughout my books (and my exclusive VIP-reader shorts!) hinting at what’s to come for those reading closely.
So, that’s who I am as a reader and a writer, but what about as a person?
Well, I’m a mom to one dog and one human child. I’m a wife to one devoted, incredibly supportive husband.
And I’m a roller derby player. Which helps with writing those hunter-versus-vampire action scenes. ;)
In my free time (after all that’s taken care of, so yeah, there’s not a ton of it), I love curling up on the couch with the family and watching TV or reading a good book. Usually fantasy on both counts and occasionally sci-fi. I also love a good dramedy on TV.
Oh and I love singing to my favorite songs at the top of my lungs, almost always off-key.
Currently, I live in Ann Arbor, Michigan, but I was born and raised in Grand Rapids, Michigan. I’ve also lived in or near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Boulder, Colorado; and Los Angeles, California. Someday, I hope to try my hand at living outside the US!
This is a prequel to what I believe is a YA series about vampires. We mainly see what it is like for Duncan a vampire who really doesn't enjoy the way his life or unlife is going. He meets Adara a young woman who is even more powerful and perhaps than even the most deadly vampires. If I'm honest I just didn't connect with these characters and sadly will probably not continue to read the series. Alas not what I expected.
This books give mostly the story of vampires Duncan and Adrian. Adrian is on the cover of the book. Despite Adrian being twisted, the cover is wonderful.
If Duncan and Adrian were Disney characters, they would make excellent villains. They would give Cruella de Vil a run for the money. This is why i give the book 5 star. It the style of writing that hooks you.
“You poor simple fools. Thinking you could defeat ME?! Me, the Mistress of all evil!” – Maleficent, Sleeping Beauty
“After all, there are things so much worse than death!” – Jafar
We meet Duncan, a vampire, an indestructible, who's on the run from the Clan (Vampire hunters) after he managed to kill some of them. He hates the mindless fleeing though and when he comes across Adara, a Fire Diviner and one of the Clan's most devastating mages who was abandoned and left to die, he hatches a plan to get her to their side.
My take on this prequel:
A short prequel where we meet some of the main cast, Duncan and Adara (not sure if we'll meet the other vampires again or not in the actual series).
Honestly... I didn't particularly like it. The prologue really got on my nerves with all the it and it's variations. I know it was to show the contempt the Clan has for the vampires and viewing them purely as mindless beasts... but it was way over the top :(
World building so far was good, well described scenes which makes it easy to follow along. Character development was decent. In such a short prequel you wont be getting into the minds of the cast of course, but we got some history of Adara, which was nice. Some additional info about Duncan's group would have been a plus, they all seemed randomly thrown together by Jones (Duncan's late Sire).
While the plot is great, the execution felt chaotic and unfortunately I couldn't get into it.
Pacing seemed fine, there were no (noticeable) errors and no sex (if that is important to you).
While this prequel didn't do it for me, I will at least give the first in the series a try, since the plot really does have potential.
NEED A PICK ME UP??? Got a little time to kill. Interested in a fantastic, quick, pulse racing read that will captivate from the start. Maybe one that keeps your attention on the pages and total focus on the storyline as the tale unfolds. Here's the number you need. An easy to follow, smooth flowing read with characters so realistic they come alive before your eyes. Scenes vividly detailed and descriptive that you feel apart of the tale instead of on the sidelines reading it. The more works I read of Flak's the more I want. Great job Flak bringing this read together beautifully. Thanks for sharing this little gem with us.
I thought the premise for this was amazing and was so excited to read this novella, my first exposure to Betsy Flak, I was so disappointed to not be in love with it. It isn't a bad storyline, it just felt too juvenile. The characters seemed cookie cutter and parts seemed to drag on. I lost interest about a 1/3 of the way through. I'm hoping to find other books by Ms. Flak are more my style!
Wow, what a great start to a new series. I couldn't put this down and read it in a single go, my only complaint and why I've only given it four stars is because it is quite short. And I wish it was longer, but when it's a free novella there really isn't cause for complaint It' really is a great introduction to the next book, 'The Impossible Creation'.
An enjoyable read but found some of it confusing. The jumps three you as to how the sections linked together...although this did become a little clearer as you progressed. Having said that, it was well written overall...and did leave me wondering if everyone was actually sane!!
I have been reading excerpts about these characters, short stories, pieces, hopefully I can get it all together in my head, but having the background info will certainly make the books better. Adara, Duncan, Mike, 4 eyes, better keep practicing in order to breath the Academies and the Clan.
Follow Duncan's story as he reaches for his goal of freedom from The Clan's wrath. I am looking forward to reading more and I hope to see more of Duncan in future books.
An interesting introduction to this series. You have someone to starts fires and a vampire who talks her into joining him to go after the Clan. The author is very descriptive which make you feel like you're there. I'm interested to see where the story goes.
Intriguing story. Duncan and Adara are interesting characters. While their world seems cruel and vicious, they simply seem to want a place to belong. Great reading material.
I really enjoyed this book. I was hooked from beginning to end. I loved the characters and the story. The author did a great job and I’m looking forward to reading the series. I recommend this book. (I received this book as an arc and am leaving a voluntary honest review)
Only a couple of chapters long this short prequel introduces the main characters with a bit of background but finishes as soon as the story gets interesting
Interesting.. Story line is good. Explains how Adara came to be with the "indestructible" instead of the Clan.. ( I had misplaced this book and read it later on)
Very well written,fasted paced and great characters. Easy read. I really enjoyed what I read,felt like I was right there in story,and hard to put down. I love books you can get lost in.
Great teen vampire story. Great characters, great details, worth reading. I'm way past YA, but I enjoyed the book. Looking forward to more from this writer.
Interesting prequel with some backstory to characters from the main series. It's a very short read so it's an easy one to get through. Definitely recommend it for fans of the series!
Great book! Really enjoyed it and you will too!! Betsy Flak is a great author and writes really easy fashion so you can ride along with the character and really enjoy the story!