Vampire's Curse

Shifting Magic #1

by Lysa Daley

Lacey McCray has a secret. And it might just get her killed.

Lacey isn't just a grad student living in Los Angeles. She's also a Class 2 Animagus or a witch who can shift into any animal she pleases. When her grad school scholarship mysteriously gets canceled, she receives a strange offer to work for a firm that specializes in collecting missing supernatural treasures. Desperate to make enough money to pay her tuition, Lacey agrees to give it a try.

After breaking into a troll's lair to retrieve an enchanted necklace, Lacey starts to think that she's a natural. And the money's not half bad either

It doesn't take long before she's ruffled the feathers of one of the firm's top agents named Stryker Smith. Oh, and then there's the young human cop who keeps turning up wherever Lacey happens to be.

Just when Lacey thinks she's made enough money to pay her rent and go back to being a full-time grad student, a rogue vampire threatens the life of someone she loves. Lacey McCray will find out just how good she actually is at this new supernatural job.

Book two in the Shift Magic series Siren's Song will be available in February 2018

Genres: Urban Fantasy

204 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 30, 2018

Reviews

[Rosie Rizk · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice premise, yet nothing too original. It was nicely written, but problems resolved themselves too easily. Anytime anything exciting happened, she would just turn into some small animal, and voila, problem be gone. Also, for all her whining about having forgotten how to do magic, she had zilcho problem restarting again. And why did she quit originally? And cut off contact with her parents? I don't recall seeing a reason for either.

It was a good read though. I'd rate it as a great juvenile book.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Myreadbooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would like to thank Booksprout and the author for this partnership

I was immediately attracted by the cover, we see the beautiful Lacey in leather jacket a magic fireball in the hand.

Lacey to a secret, and he could kill her. It's not that a graduate student from Los Angeles is also an animagus or a witch who can change his appearance as he sees fit, whether human or animal. His mysteriously canceled scholarship is offered to him to collect supernatural treasures. To pay her study fees, she accepts. By the time she thinks she's succeeding in life, a vampire threatens a loved one.

A captivating story filled with suspense and twists. The character of Lacey is endearing. Eager to read what follows.

[Blake · Rating 2 out of 5]

(FYI I tend to only review one book per series, unless I want to change my scoring by 0.50 or more of a star. -- I tend not to read reviews until after I read a book, so I go in with an open mind.)

This book 2.5* -- I had rated the next two books at a 3 star (a 'huh' issue in book 2 that made absolutely no sense kept it from being a 4 star series), until the last chapter of book 3 / novella and that put it back down to the 2.5. see update below and why I'm sticking here, not on the trilogy boxset.

This book review
I mostly liked the MC.
I liked her best friend.
The world is interesting.
There are two men in the story. I don't mind them as characters. I mean with the plot I dislike both, so if that's not what the author is going for, then... *shrugs*
I'll be annoyed if either become her love interest and if the author goes the love triangle route in later books, I'll dump the series.

Updated 22nd June 2025.
Just read books 2 and 3 and the free 3.5 novella back to back. -- I'm noting this here, not on the boxset because I think it makes more sense in case anyone 'likes' either of the two possible love interests and is invested in either of those relationships ending as her romantic partner.

FYI possible love interest 2, got upgraded from dislike to mostly neutral, so if the MC wants him then I'm on her side, grade.

Basic spoiler = the MC doesn't end up with either of the men, even though she 'really' likes one of them & it seems mutual. -- Last book (the free novella) was out in 2018, and that didn't 'fix' what happened at the end of the trilogy.

Book 3 'love interest' spoiler.
[] MC and possible love interest 2, who she really likes and he likes her, share a kiss.
[] MC of course manages to save her dad and clear him of the crime he was accused of.

[] So all is going great, and we think she's going to end up with the guy she really likes then in the very last chapter, LI2 is at a dinner MC had been invited to, with a date, a new female character introduced in that book. -- (The ex fiancee of LI 2 was annoying enough, good luck to this new woman dealing with her. LI 2's relationship with his ex kept me in the neutral zone with him. So she'll cause issues with your friends and family, man up and intro MC as your new GF who you happen to work with at your new job after you were pensioned out of the police force due to side effects of your injury. Then the ex will rightfully just be seen as a jealous harpy with anything negative she says about you... but no....)

The excuse from LI 2 is because they work together they can't date. (As partners, neither is in the others chain of command and I don't recall it being barred coming up in the books. Usually work places only care if its a power over / able to show favouritism situation.)

So the book ends with MC losing the guy she likes and putting on a happy face over it to get through dinner with her landlords, who are also the new woman's parents.

Free Novella spoiler
If you then bother to grab the free novella from the author in the hopes that with MC who is once again no longer working for the org., so that that obstacle is removed for her to date the guy she likes... well you'll be disappointed if you like LI 2 because the novella ends with her going for a drink with possible LI 1. It's not romantic though, MC got talked into another job, a one off with her old boss, and he helped her out. The drink is more a 'just escaped death, need a drink and also want to put off dealing with on again off again boss' than romantic, for both of them. She'd be offering to get a drink no mattr 'who' had just helped her out.

And then no more books as of June 2025, so seven years. -- The MC IMHO would work as the lead in more books, they don't need to have an overarching arc, a 'case of the book' would work.

I know the MC not getting either guy is 'real life' and that she solved the main issue, but its still annoying even if I personally didn't think the guy she liked was great, I didn't want him dead (like some love interests), so for the author to make it look like she'd get her guy and then nope, that was annoying!

Also annoying is in book 2 someone purposely destroy her printed dissertation and research notes etc. The idiotic MC didn't have it all backed up! Just 'some of it'. -- Her advisor has copies of some of the stuff, so MC doesn't have to completely start from scratch but it made her look like a complete moron, that she didn't have back ups of her work, just print outs.
Having to re-get copies of the research stuff that was destroyed makes sense and could work in hampering her due to access to the source materials etc.. But not having electronic copies of her own work, that's just completely stupid. -- Also if its not electronic, that means she re-types it on paper every time she wants to alter something or add something to her work, that makes no sense given the story is set in today's world! -- Doing 'for plot' stuff that makes your character look like she has no brains or common sense and doesn't actually make any sense in the world they live in, is not great and that also lost the series points with me.
Without the above two issues, this series would have ended at a 4 star rating from me.

First time read the author's work?: Yes

Will you be reading more?: Yes -- I'll give book 2 a read, since I already own it Having finished the series, I won't be reading more books by this author (she has another trilogy out).

Would you recommend?: This book = maybe
The series (trilogy and free 3.5 novella) = maybe -- if you don't care for the MC's love life, no if you do or if a last minute rug pull after she seems to get her man would annoy you.


------------
How I rate Stars: 5* = I loved (must read all I can find by the author)
4* = I really enjoyed (got to read all the series and try other books by the author).
3* = I enjoyed (I will continue to read the series)
or
3* = Good book just not my thing (I realised I don't like the genre or picked up a kids book to review in error.)

All of the above scores means I would recommend them!
-
2* = it was okay (I might give the next book in the series a try, to see if that was better IMHO.)
1* = Disliked

Note: adding these basic 'reviews' after finding out that some people see the stars differently than I do - hoping this clarifies how I feel about the book. :-)

[Nickole · Rating 4 out of 5]

rcvd an advanced reader copy from the author for giving my two cents. we meet Lacey, class 2 Animagus, PhD student who was just told that her tuition hasnt been paid and if its not paid soon, she wont be able to complete her degree. on top of that, her rent hasnt been paid and her father hasnt returned any of the msg left for him. She is handed a business card by a vampire and states to go to the address...its a great way to make money that she desperately needs. lacey arrives at the mysterious address and doesnt know what to make of it. she meets the director of sorts who explains that they specialize in finding supernatural treasures for their clients. Lacey is hesitant but needs the money. her first assignment is to track down a necklace that was stolen from a residence....by a troll....what has she got herself into? plus she has no idea how to find the troll as there were no specifics given to her, but she perseveres. what she didnt count on was a cute cop popping up and worried about her safety. The next job includes finding a helmet of invisibility...another toughy...but her quick thinking has her finding it and then losing it to another Seeker...and out the money. Lacey is still worried about her father and his disappearance plus whether or not she is cut out being a seeker. will lacey continue with the job? will she finally find out what happened to her father?

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

All that Lacey McCray wanted to do was go to grad school and ignore her supernatural background, but luck was not on her side. She gets summoned to the Bursar’s office and finds out that her tuition hasn’t been paid and no one has been able to reach her father, she has 5 days to make payment or be canceled from the program. Then she gets home to find a note from her landlord saying she is 3 months behind rent and will be evicted. Desperate to make money, she agrees to a strange offer to work for a firm that specializes in collecting supernatural treasures and capturing supernatural bad guys. With no other options, she can’t say no to the offer and the pay.

You soon discover that Lacey is a Class 2 Animagus. This means she is a witch that has the ability to shift into small animals, perfect for a job that requires sneaking into places, ease dropping on conversations, and getting out of sticky situations.

Lacey is a bit naïve, but as the book progresses you see her develop into a strong, confident, kick a** seeker and retriever. This is more than your typical paranormal book. It perfectly combines mystery, suspense, fantasy, and even a touch of a potential romance.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Dew · Rating 2 out of 5]

Headache

This is Americanised Harry Potter fanfic. I was not able to appreciate the female protagonist who has been in college for ~11 years and is unfamiliar with how people get money to pay their bills. Doesn’t everyone just leave it up to their Daddy? The inciting incident here is that her Da-Da’s checks bounced and she simply didn’t know what to do. Maybe she’ll become an English teacher because, obviously, teaching is the easiest fallback job in existence and it’s not like people have to do the work before they get paid. Speaking of work, she also didn’t know how to follow the instructions on pressing the button in the elevator. She then panicked when the elevator finally started moving. Then she get lost walking down a corridor before she started screaming and crying, collapsing into a heap await rescue.

I kept hoping that there would be something, anything that might make the book a worthwhile read, but I just couldn’t stick with it. The characters here made Professor Trelawney seem skilled, stable, and sane.

[The Mysterious Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

I haven’t read anything by Lysa Daley before, but after enjoying Vampire's Curse, the first book in her Shifting Magic series, I’m definitely going to have to see about changing that. The star here is Lacey McCray, regular L.A. grad student by day (at least until her money ran out) and secretly (once her funding ran out) specialist in “retrieving” missing supernatural treasures and, of yeah, she’s a “a Class 2 Animagus”. I love the whole concept of this, it’s a witch who can shift into any animal she pleases. I wanna be that, though I’d probably be the sort of Animagus who lays in her couch reading all day, you know, the wimpy-a** kind, so it would be wasted. That’s certainly not the case with our gal Lacey. She is definitely the kick-a** kind who has kick-a** adventures and can handle what’s thrown at her. Good thing I just need to do is sit back, read and enjoy it. I most certainly did that. Highly recommended.

[Caroline Doig · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve become a big fan of Lysa Daley’s and this story the Vampire’s Curse is absolutely fantastic so I’m only going to give you a taste of this story. Lacey is a non practicing witch she is having trouble staying in school and paying her rent, her father’s checks have bounced all over the place and he has disappeared and no one can contact him not even Lacey. A vampire at Lacey’s school gives her a card to go to a building in town that’s if she wants the money for school so she does. Lacey is offered a job as a seeker a seeker is a paranormal bounty hunter and her first job is finding a troll and getting the item back that he stole. And that my friends is all I’m going to give you, this is a fantastic story a 5 plus +++++ ⭐️ read and I highly recommend this book it’s definitely well worth the read.

[Carol 27 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this unique paranormal urban fantasy story. It was very well written with plenty of action and adventure. Lacey was intelligent, clever, resourceful and feisty when needed. I’ve not encountered an animagus witch in other similar genre books so it was a treat to explore this new world. Despite obvious natural talent as a ‘seeker’ (one who finds and retrieves missing supernatural treasures), Lacey’s uncertain if this is the career for her. While this adventure ends with a satisfying conclusion, there are unresolved storylines that will no doubt be addressed in future books. All in all, this was a great introduction to the ‘Shifting Magic’ series. I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

[a collective of books · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a really fun, fast paced, action packed read. Lacey only wanted to live a normal human life, but with the sudden diapperance of her father, her hope for a normal life started to dwindle when her college funds and rent payment bounced. She's an animagus who hasn't practiced in a few years, so she was offered a job to retrieve stolen magical treasures that eventually turned into bounty hunting to pay for her tuition and rent. She meets Stryker who is a competitor for the reward money and Sam a human who doesn't know about their world, but has been following her. I really enjoyed the book, fantastic story, and great writing. Note: I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Review Copy of this book.

[T. · Rating 3 out of 5]

A one-dimensional story with a loose, unfocused plot and a somewhat clueless heroine. Some repeated (almost cut and paste) descriptions and a few typos (for example last I heard, a half-century was fifty years, not 500). Lacey stumbles through a series of small events, relying on her shifting, Animage, abilities that she professed not to actively use anymore but seems to have no problem using anyway. I didn't hate it, as the story wasn't badly written, but so many events were unrelated as one scene segued to the next and many portions of the back story were never explained, leaving gaping holes in the worldbuilding.

[Tamara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. A non practicing witch who can transform into any small creature find out that her father is missing when her rent and tuition end up unpaid. She has to scramble for a way to make money quick or she has to take time off of college which she does want to do. She gets pointed in the direction of a mystious man for a job that will get her money fast. The jobs that she accepts thinking she can do them without magic quickly turn into situations she finds she has to use her magic for.

This book is a must read if you like the paranormal. It has a great mix of characters and is well written. I cant wait for the next book in the series.

[Sue Wallace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vampire's curse: shifting magic by Lysa Daley.
Lacey McCray has a secret. She isn't just a grad student living in Los Angeles. She's also a Class 2 Animagus or a witch who can shift into any animal she pleases. When her grad school scholarship mysteriously gets canceled, she receives a strange offer to work for a firm that specializes in collecting missing supernatural treasures. Desperate to make enough money to pay her tuition, Lacey agrees to give it a try.
This was a very enjoyable read. I liked the Lacey. She was my favourite character. I'm looking forward to the next one. 4*.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this first book in this series by Lysa Daley as her character struggled with everyday human problems which were of course compounded by her "assignments" to raise money for her magic college tuition and past due rent. Each one of her assignments caused her to more often use the magical gifts she had, but was afraid to really use to their fullest. I am looking forward to reading the second book in this series. This is a rather late voluntary review of an Advanced Reader Copy of this book from Hidden Gems Books.

[Darcy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my first book by Lysa Daley and I am very impressed. The story is well written and the flow is amazing. I loved the characters and the banter they shared. Lacey is a great character. She is strong, caring, intelligent and super quick. There is a lot of action, suspense, drama, and mystery throughout the entire story. It has so many twists and turns that it will keep you on the edge of your seat. It is definitely worth reading and doesn’t disappoint. I can’t wait to read the next in the series.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Destiny Bridwell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book for a fair and honest review. This is a first book in a series. I got this a little while back. I am finally getting the reviews up. Lacey is a college and trying to finish it all up and she discovers that she is no longer getting daddy's money. That means she has to get a job and she does working for a company that finds lost items. With this always comes a little danger and something more. You will have to read to find out what I am talking about. It is a good read and can't wait to get the others up too. 

[Angel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this story through Hidden Gems and this is my honest and voluntary review.
Once I started reading this story, I couldn't put it down. Lacey starts out with a bit of trouble, having found out, not only did her tuition check bounce with only a week to get it paid, but her rent check also bounced, and her father has apparently gone missing! Right away this story drew me in and Lacey's new action filled job to get the money she needs kept me turning the pages as fast as I could manage! I can't wait for the next books in this series!

[William Howe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solid writing, but

A content editor is needed. Halfway through the book and we change directions. The first half basically staggers through events with little or no forethought. And the infodumps are poorly handled. People don’t spout out complete explanations of things that both parties already know.

It’s not terrible, but too many paper-thin characters combined with a hectic pace make it hard to stay involved.

[Michelle VanDaley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the first book I have read by this Author and I will definitely be reading more of her work. The core of this story is Lacey's journey of trying to help her father as well as finding her true self . The characters are well written and likeable. The story is slow to start but picks up pace quickly and keeps you enterested through out. Looking forward to seeing where Book 2 takes the story.

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Vampire's Curse is the first book in the Shifting Magic series, and is an excellent story. With plenty of action, supernatural elements and a good grounding established for the series to continue, I'd definitely recommend it. I can't wait to read the next instalment to see what happens next!
NB I received a complimentary copy of this book, but I always give an HONEST review based wholly on my own opinions

[Scarolet Ellis · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG!!!! This is an awesome story someone who can do magic and shift too. Man I fell in love with story right away not very often you find those combination together. I can not wait to read the next book. This author is definately from now on be one of my favorite authors. I highly recommend this book to everyone who loves magic and shape shifters.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Florida Debi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love supernatural books; especially ones with mystery and intrigue. The author does a great job weaving the storyline with the characters and setting up the next book's plot. I love all the characters and am torn between 2 of the main characters. I haven't decided yet who I'm rooting for, but I'm hoping they continue in her next book & all throughout the series. Can't wait to read the next book.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lacey finds herself in a financial bind....Her dad is missing??? School is about to start and she is getting kicked out of her apartment. Looking for magic necklaces and helmets. A cute cop is following her. How will it all turn out? I loved this fun action packed story and I am looking forward to reading the entire series!

I was gifted an ARC in return of an honest review.

[Gea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lacey tries to solve some of her money problems. Along the way she finds out more about her father but also looses quite a lot of her innocence.
It’s hard to know who to trust and if her new employer is one of the good guys.

I received a copy from Hidden Gems and this is my honest and voluntary review.

[Rachael · Rating 5 out of 5]

A well written, easy to read story, with well rounded characters and a compelling storyline.

Lacey is likeable, funny and a little bit quirky, and her journey is full of pitfalls and close shaves.

I will definitely be looking out for book 2 in the Shifting Magic series.

I received an ARC of Vampire's Curse and this is my honest review.

[Mandy Walkden-Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very enjoyable.

Well written. Great characters, interesting paranormals and plenty of action.

Intriguing setup to the Council of Shadows, rather want to discover how Lacey's father extricates himself from the serious trouble he's now in. Will be reading more of this series.

Initially received this as an ARC, but then purchased my own copy.

[Siyka · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked Lacey very much and her careful taking of risks and looking for the truth.
The style was easy to read and the story entertaining.
I had fun following all the little quirks and strange events that made Lacey mature.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked Lacey and how she did what she could to pay for her graduate degree after her father goes missing. Lacey gets a tip from a vampire at school that gets her a job using her magic of all things when she wants to leave the magical world behind and teach in the mortal world. Awesome read.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Shweta · Rating 5 out of 5]

A gorgeous animagous witch
A human cop
Badass bounty hunters
A missing father
Council of shadows
Vampires
Demons
Trolls
& A missing artifact

A super duper amazing read. I suggest every single paranormal fan to give this series a try. I'm already at book 3 and haven't regretted it for a minute.

[Kim F · Rating 5 out of 5]

Extremely entertaining, captivating and interesting read. I could not put it down. Wonderfully written with strong, intriguing characters. I want to read more from this author.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.