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Magic & Mischief
Homoerotic stories involving griffons, demons, dragons, wizards, and thieves. In 'The Dragon's Treasure', a dragon obsessed with cleanliness quietly pines over a regular customer to his shop. In 'The Selkie No One Wanted', a selkie who is nothing like his beautiful siblings winds up helping the fisherman he has long admired. A demon finds himself dealing with two troublesome humans in 'The Spawn', and in 'Mad Finnegan', a mad wizard reunites with the person who first drove him into the 'madness' that has made him infamous. A young chef winds up with an unusual assistant in Dragon Stew and a man finds that life has not quite yet passed him by in 'The Innkeeper's Story'. 'The Quest' sends a loud-mouthed demon to earn the affections of a mate who does not want him, and in 'Spellbound' a talented thief longs to find a way to steal the heart of his latest client.
Warning! The story 'Mad Finnegan' contains incest.
Warning! The story 'Mad Finnegan' contains incest.
255 pages, ebook
First published August 1, 2010
37 people are currently reading
593 people want to read
About the author
Megan Derr
283 books2,936 followersMegan is a long time resident of queer romance and keeps herself busy reading and writing it. She is often accused of fluff and nonsense. When she’s not involved in writing, she likes to cook, harass her wife and cats, or watch movies. She loves to hear from readers and can be found all over the internet.
meganderr.com
patreon.com/meganderr
meganderr.blogspot.com
facebook.com/meganaprilderr
meganaderr@gmail.com
@meganaderr
meganderr.com
patreon.com/meganderr
meganderr.blogspot.com
facebook.com/meganaprilderr
meganaderr@gmail.com
@meganaderr
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 78 reviews
April 23, 2013
A very enjoyable collection from Megan Derr.
I’m far to lazy to review each story individually but I particularly enjoyed The Spawn, a delightfully humorous tale and Quest which played to my hurt comfort addiction.
My least favourite would be Mad Finnegan, purely on the incest grounds, but still an interesting story, I just pretended they were not really brothers lol.
Overall recommended to all who enjoy Megan Derr’s Mystical universe.
I’m far to lazy to review each story individually but I particularly enjoyed The Spawn, a delightfully humorous tale and Quest which played to my hurt comfort addiction.
My least favourite would be Mad Finnegan, purely on the incest grounds, but still an interesting story, I just pretended they were not really brothers lol.
Overall recommended to all who enjoy Megan Derr’s Mystical universe.
May 4, 2016
I'm pretty much up to reading whatever the hell Megan Derr wishes to write. And I love her short stories, and adore her dragons (in whatever form they may take), so this was pretty much going to be a hit no matter what. And on rereading it, I found I loved it just as much as when I first bought it. Wouldn't mind if some of these shorts were expanded into longer versions either.
There were some pretty obvious formatting errors, though, so that did drop the rating down a bit. Sometimes a space in between words was missing, or the first letter in the beginning of sentence was gone, and while it didn't make it horribly hard to understand, it was still annoying.
I'd still recommend this short story collection, though.
4.25 stars
There were some pretty obvious formatting errors, though, so that did drop the rating down a bit. Sometimes a space in between words was missing, or the first letter in the beginning of sentence was gone, and while it didn't make it horribly hard to understand, it was still annoying.
I'd still recommend this short story collection, though.
4.25 stars
April 2, 2012
This was a wonderful fairy tale anthology written by one of my favorite authors, Megan Derr. While all of these stories are short and I would love further development in almost every one, I still enjoyed them. I am just sorry that the readings were over so quickly! Overall, these are fun stories and give you more of a fairy tale ending that is nice on the romance, and very light on the explicit descriptions (with the excepction of Mad Finnegan).
The Dragon's Treasure [5 stars]: Tate is a dragon who works for the magician, Mad Finnegan. Tate admires Macklin, a demon. When Macklin comes in and asks Tate to watch a treasure for him, Tate will do anything to help. This was a very cute story and I liked Tate's character immensely.
The Selkie No One Wanted [4 stars]: Kelp is a Selkie who is not like his brethren. While the other Selkies are tall, blonde, and gorgeous, Kelp's appearance has always made him feel like the ugly duckling. After a mighty storm, Kelp finds that a fisherman has lost his hut. As Kelp helps him to rebuild, he and Llyr become friends. What will Llyr do when he learns that not only is Kelp a Selkie, but that he is the runt of the litter? A very cute, sweet short.
The Spawn [3 stars]: Amancio is the local demon that discovers a human "spawn" abandoned on his lands. When a knight, Delwyn, comes to "rescue" the child, Amancio tries to convince him that he did not kidnap the child. A good story and an interesting storyline. I didn't connect with these two characters as much as the other stories and the relationship between the two seemed a little superficial. But it was still a fun read.
Mad Finnegan [3.5 stars]: **Warning contains incest** I liked this story because it grew from the first tale "The Dragon's Treasure". Since I felt like I was already familiar with the characters, all the additional character development was a bonus. This story does tend to get on the uncomfortable side. I think the incest didn't bother me as much as it would in a different book because this anthology was about fairy tales, magic, dragons, etc. Because it was so fanciful, the incest didn't seem as "real". So aside from that uncomfortable topic, the story was pretty interesting.
Dragon Stew [5 stars]: This was one of my favorite stories of the series. Huey is in trouble for beating up the King's cook. As a punishment, he is tasked to create the annual "Dragon Stew" for the king. If he does it as well as the king's cook, he can live. Otherwise - off with his head! I thought this was a very fun and interesting tale.
The Innkeeper's Story [4 stars]: I loved the characters in this book, especially Kord, the innkeeper who is a kind and generous man. The story was interesting, but the actual plot was a little light. Overall though, the interesting characters carried the story well.
Quest [5 stars]: Quest is like part 3 of The Dragon's Treasure and Mad Finnegan. Becket was Macklin's brother that was rescued in The Dragon's Treasure. Becket is sad that his brother and Mad Finnegan have their happily ever afters, and Becket can't even find someone who won't sneak off before dawn. This was one of my favorite stories of the anthology. It had a very touching ending.
Spellbound [5 stars]: Talis is a thief that works for the magician, Hex. Talis steals items for Hex in exchange for spells. What Hex doesn't know is that Talis would probably steal for free if he can only spend more time with Hex. When a mission goes wrong, their feelings come to the forefront. I thought this was a wonderful story and I loved the ending.
The Dragon's Treasure [5 stars]: Tate is a dragon who works for the magician, Mad Finnegan. Tate admires Macklin, a demon. When Macklin comes in and asks Tate to watch a treasure for him, Tate will do anything to help. This was a very cute story and I liked Tate's character immensely.
The Selkie No One Wanted [4 stars]: Kelp is a Selkie who is not like his brethren. While the other Selkies are tall, blonde, and gorgeous, Kelp's appearance has always made him feel like the ugly duckling. After a mighty storm, Kelp finds that a fisherman has lost his hut. As Kelp helps him to rebuild, he and Llyr become friends. What will Llyr do when he learns that not only is Kelp a Selkie, but that he is the runt of the litter? A very cute, sweet short.
The Spawn [3 stars]: Amancio is the local demon that discovers a human "spawn" abandoned on his lands. When a knight, Delwyn, comes to "rescue" the child, Amancio tries to convince him that he did not kidnap the child. A good story and an interesting storyline. I didn't connect with these two characters as much as the other stories and the relationship between the two seemed a little superficial. But it was still a fun read.
Mad Finnegan [3.5 stars]: **Warning contains incest** I liked this story because it grew from the first tale "The Dragon's Treasure". Since I felt like I was already familiar with the characters, all the additional character development was a bonus. This story does tend to get on the uncomfortable side. I think the incest didn't bother me as much as it would in a different book because this anthology was about fairy tales, magic, dragons, etc. Because it was so fanciful, the incest didn't seem as "real". So aside from that uncomfortable topic, the story was pretty interesting.
Dragon Stew [5 stars]: This was one of my favorite stories of the series. Huey is in trouble for beating up the King's cook. As a punishment, he is tasked to create the annual "Dragon Stew" for the king. If he does it as well as the king's cook, he can live. Otherwise - off with his head! I thought this was a very fun and interesting tale.
The Innkeeper's Story [4 stars]: I loved the characters in this book, especially Kord, the innkeeper who is a kind and generous man. The story was interesting, but the actual plot was a little light. Overall though, the interesting characters carried the story well.
Quest [5 stars]: Quest is like part 3 of The Dragon's Treasure and Mad Finnegan. Becket was Macklin's brother that was rescued in The Dragon's Treasure. Becket is sad that his brother and Mad Finnegan have their happily ever afters, and Becket can't even find someone who won't sneak off before dawn. This was one of my favorite stories of the anthology. It had a very touching ending.
Spellbound [5 stars]: Talis is a thief that works for the magician, Hex. Talis steals items for Hex in exchange for spells. What Hex doesn't know is that Talis would probably steal for free if he can only spend more time with Hex. When a mission goes wrong, their feelings come to the forefront. I thought this was a wonderful story and I loved the ending.
April 6, 2013
Average (total stars / 8 stories) = 3.28 stars
Favorites: The Quest, Making Dragon Stew, The Innkeeper's Story
----------------------------------------------
The Dragon's Treasure: 3.5 stars
Tate was a grumpy dragon who quietly pining over a demon, Macklin. I found this set-up to be adorable. I loved Megan Derr's grumpy characters! Plus dragon and demon?? We need more of that kind of couple ^^. My complaint was the part with the sorcerer was a bit rushed and the 'action' part to be lacking punch.
The Selkie No One Wanted: 2.75 stars
This one was just so-so; I felt that the relationship lack, uhm, something. I just don't felt them nor I care for either MCs *shrugs*. I would love to read Kelp's siblings got what they deserved for being jerks, though. Alas, I didn't get that *pout*
The Spawn: 2.75 stars
This was another so-so. There's wasn't enough chemistry (or one of those delicious interaction) between Amancio and Delwyn for me to care about them. Plus, I wasn't big on Amancio calling a baby with "Spawn". I kept imagining some sort of demonic-look-baby, when it's only human-baby.
Mad Finnegan: 2 stars
I knew the warning, but I didn't want to skip it since I wanted to write an opinion of it. I should've skipped it after all. Despite the story having much more intensity between the two MCs, the fact that they were brothers just didn't sit well for me. I don't like incest stories. Plain and simple. In fact, I usually stay away from them
Making Dragon Stew: 4 stars
Separate review: Right here
The Innkeeper's Story: 4 stars
Now, this, I LOVED!! Kord being over 40s was good! His chemistry with Hadley was good! Plus it had a bit more sex scenes to it *ha!* Loved the twist, loved the emotion. Just loved it.
The Quest: 4.25 stars
This is Becket's story, the older brother of Macklin (the demon, from The Dragon's Treasure). I loved his story better than Macklin's. In fact, this might be my favorite story in this anthology. Why? Feelings, people!! *lol*. I loved Becket's honesty and bravery -- how he challenged the nobles and the Quest's purpose. How he didn't back down when Glendan snarled at him. But he also yearned for love, for one person who truly cared and wanted him. HUGS BECKET!!! Of course, I wanted Glendan to grovel a bit more. However, since he also to win the right for Becket's love, and he got all the wounds to show it, I could forgive Glendan *grin*
Spellbound: 3 stars
Read this September 2012 -- directly from Derr's website. Not feeling the MCs very well, but the ending was sweet.
Favorites: The Quest, Making Dragon Stew, The Innkeeper's Story
----------------------------------------------
The Dragon's Treasure: 3.5 stars
Tate was a grumpy dragon who quietly pining over a demon, Macklin. I found this set-up to be adorable. I loved Megan Derr's grumpy characters! Plus dragon and demon?? We need more of that kind of couple ^^. My complaint was the part with the sorcerer was a bit rushed and the 'action' part to be lacking punch.
The Selkie No One Wanted: 2.75 stars
This one was just so-so; I felt that the relationship lack, uhm, something. I just don't felt them nor I care for either MCs *shrugs*. I would love to read Kelp's siblings got what they deserved for being jerks, though. Alas, I didn't get that *pout*
The Spawn: 2.75 stars
This was another so-so. There's wasn't enough chemistry (or one of those delicious interaction) between Amancio and Delwyn for me to care about them. Plus, I wasn't big on Amancio calling a baby with "Spawn". I kept imagining some sort of demonic-look-baby, when it's only human-baby.
Mad Finnegan: 2 stars
I knew the warning, but I didn't want to skip it since I wanted to write an opinion of it. I should've skipped it after all. Despite the story having much more intensity between the two MCs, the fact that they were brothers just didn't sit well for me. I don't like incest stories. Plain and simple. In fact, I usually stay away from them
Making Dragon Stew: 4 stars
Separate review: Right here
The Innkeeper's Story: 4 stars
Now, this, I LOVED!! Kord being over 40s was good! His chemistry with Hadley was good! Plus it had a bit more sex scenes to it *ha!* Loved the twist, loved the emotion. Just loved it.
The Quest: 4.25 stars
This is Becket's story, the older brother of Macklin (the demon, from The Dragon's Treasure). I loved his story better than Macklin's. In fact, this might be my favorite story in this anthology. Why? Feelings, people!! *lol*. I loved Becket's honesty and bravery -- how he challenged the nobles and the Quest's purpose. How he didn't back down when Glendan snarled at him. But he also yearned for love, for one person who truly cared and wanted him. HUGS BECKET!!! Of course, I wanted Glendan to grovel a bit more. However, since he also to win the right for Becket's love, and he got all the wounds to show it, I could forgive Glendan *grin*
Spellbound: 3 stars
Read this September 2012 -- directly from Derr's website. Not feeling the MCs very well, but the ending was sweet.
September 22, 2012
Nobody does fantasy/fairy-tale M/M like Megan Derr. This was such a fun collection of stories. I loved how many of them interconnected, so we got to see the same characters reappearing in later stories.
I loved the way magic works in this world, and the various magicians were delightful. My favorite unique approach to magic was in the last story where the spells were woven into hair or wrapped around arms and then activated with words when they were needed. Very cool idea, and one it would be fun to see used in a longer work.
I think my absolute favorites in this collection, though, have to be the dragons. I've been in love with the idea of dragons since my first exposure to fantasy when I was little, and I adore the way they were portrayed here. That they can shape change and interact with humans on a human level, but then that they can also have their crazy-powerful dragon shape and accoplish insane things--while still being able to communicate with their humans telepathically. I also got a kick out of the dragons taking humans as "treasures." Very cute.
This was a lot of fun. I adore these shorter fairy-tale story collections.
I loved the way magic works in this world, and the various magicians were delightful. My favorite unique approach to magic was in the last story where the spells were woven into hair or wrapped around arms and then activated with words when they were needed. Very cool idea, and one it would be fun to see used in a longer work.
I think my absolute favorites in this collection, though, have to be the dragons. I've been in love with the idea of dragons since my first exposure to fantasy when I was little, and I adore the way they were portrayed here. That they can shape change and interact with humans on a human level, but then that they can also have their crazy-powerful dragon shape and accoplish insane things--while still being able to communicate with their humans telepathically. I also got a kick out of the dragons taking humans as "treasures." Very cute.
This was a lot of fun. I adore these shorter fairy-tale story collections.
May 2, 2020
The short stories were really cute. As the author mentions, there is an incest story which I just skipped over since it's just not my thing. So I just skipped over it and enjoyed the rest of the book immensely!
December 18, 2021
Not at all what I expected. A nice change of pace, compared to what I've been reading recently.
And it's a book with freaking fairy tales! Do you know how long it's been since the last time I read fairy tales? Because I honestly can't remember.
My favourites so far:
The Innkeeper's Story
Drunk Butterflies
Dragon Stew
Mad Finnegan - Intense. I loved it.
The Quest
The Selkie No One Wanted
And it's a book with freaking fairy tales! Do you know how long it's been since the last time I read fairy tales? Because I honestly can't remember.
My favourites so far:
The Innkeeper's Story
Drunk Butterflies
Dragon Stew
Mad Finnegan - Intense. I loved it.
The Quest
The Selkie No One Wanted
January 11, 2016
A collection of cute bedtime stories :)
Final score 3.5
The Dragon's Treasure: 2.5 stars
The Selkie No One Wanted - 3.5
Half point for unusual shifters
The Spawn: 2.5
Mad Finnegan: 2.5
Making Dragon Stew - 4 stars
The Innkeeper's Story - 3.5 - Loved older characters
The Quest: 4.5
Spellbound: 4
Final score 3.5
The Dragon's Treasure: 2.5 stars
The Selkie No One Wanted - 3.5
Half point for unusual shifters
The Spawn: 2.5
Mad Finnegan: 2.5
Making Dragon Stew - 4 stars
The Innkeeper's Story - 3.5 - Loved older characters
The Quest: 4.5
Spellbound: 4
January 14, 2012
I really loved every story of this book.
There were many smiles, some laughing and a few tears.
There were many smiles, some laughing and a few tears.
February 18, 2019
This anthology was a treat and I liked every story in it. Dragon Stew was my favorite, but the rest weren't far behind.
December 28, 2014
Sweet comfort reading at its best. Exactly what I was looking for!
August 2, 2020
4.5 stars
Megan Der is an enigma...
Spoilerish....
If you are familiar with her work you probably know that not all of her books contain sex. If I were to guess I’d say it’s mainly her shorter novella that are kept pretty clean and her longer books that get all the nasties (the good nasties)...
Considering this book was filled with a lot of short stories, I fully expected there to be just sweet, sweet romance with no sex. This was pretty much true except for of course the romance between 2 brothers.
I just love soo much that Derr keeps it sweet and simple with no sex for many stories and then doesn’t pull any punches and gives you hot sex between brothers. It’s fucking fantastic. There does end up being one more sex scene towards the end of the book but not nearly as hot, or taboo.
In the end the only story I didn’t enjoy was The Innkeeper.
Megan Der is an enigma...
Spoilerish....
If you are familiar with her work you probably know that not all of her books contain sex. If I were to guess I’d say it’s mainly her shorter novella that are kept pretty clean and her longer books that get all the nasties (the good nasties)...
Considering this book was filled with a lot of short stories, I fully expected there to be just sweet, sweet romance with no sex. This was pretty much true except for of course the romance between 2 brothers.
I just love soo much that Derr keeps it sweet and simple with no sex for many stories and then doesn’t pull any punches and gives you hot sex between brothers. It’s fucking fantastic. There does end up being one more sex scene towards the end of the book but not nearly as hot, or taboo.
In the end the only story I didn’t enjoy was The Innkeeper.
March 8, 2012
At times I found it took a lot for me to get through some of the stories but this was mainly because I don't typically like the fantasy/magic genre. The first few stories dragged a bit for me but I really loved the last half of the stories. I did like the anthology as a whole, though, and liked that it was made up of a bunch of short stories. Where there was one or two that I didn't connect with, there were others that I loved.
The Dragon's Treasure-This wasn't my favorite of the set but I did enjoy the characters that I would later see in other stories (I love when that happens).
The Selkie No One Wanted-The self doubt was charming in the story but it drove me nuts that it took so long for Llyr to come back to find Kelp. Kind of annoying.
The Spawn-Cute and funny story about trying to figure out what the heck to do with a baby.
Mad Finnegan-Had incest between brothers. Not my favorite storyline but I liked revisiting characters from The Dragon's Treasure.
Dragon Stew-Really loved this story. Great story and loved the characters.
The Innkeeper's Story-Really liked this story as well.
The Quest-I loved the character of Becket. Tells things like they are but still yearns for someone to love him. Too sweet.
Spellbound-This was a sweet story of a thief and his employer. I found myself skimming past a lot of details to get to the story but it was a decent story overall.
The Dragon's Treasure-This wasn't my favorite of the set but I did enjoy the characters that I would later see in other stories (I love when that happens).
The Selkie No One Wanted-The self doubt was charming in the story but it drove me nuts that it took so long for Llyr to come back to find Kelp. Kind of annoying.
The Spawn-Cute and funny story about trying to figure out what the heck to do with a baby.
Mad Finnegan-Had incest between brothers. Not my favorite storyline but I liked revisiting characters from The Dragon's Treasure.
Dragon Stew-Really loved this story. Great story and loved the characters.
The Innkeeper's Story-Really liked this story as well.
The Quest-I loved the character of Becket. Tells things like they are but still yearns for someone to love him. Too sweet.
Spellbound-This was a sweet story of a thief and his employer. I found myself skimming past a lot of details to get to the story but it was a decent story overall.
July 21, 2017
The Dragon's Treasure ★★★
Grumpy Tate, the OCD cleaning dragon, is the best part of this story.
The Selkie No One Wanted ★★★
Poor misunderstood Kelp who feels like he does not fit with the Selkies or the humans. This story could have been a smidge better if we understood what Llyr was thinking.
The Spawn ★★★★
This is a pretty funny little story.
Madd Finnegan
Umm, no. Just no.
Dragon Stew ★★★★
A perfect revenge story
The Innkeeper's Story ★★★★
The very sweet story of a man who has put his life on hold to take care of his family.
Quest ★★★★
Becket's snarky mouth forces him on a quest for a Roc egg, but deep down he is really looking for a happy ending. I would have loved to see more of the time that Becket and Glendon spent together.
Spellbound ★★★★
Talis is a professional thief in love with Hex the wizard he has been stealing items for the last year. But how could a wizard possibly love a lowly thief.
Overall this was a fun read, but I would have loved a little more depth from some of the stories.
Grumpy Tate, the OCD cleaning dragon, is the best part of this story.
The Selkie No One Wanted ★★★
Poor misunderstood Kelp who feels like he does not fit with the Selkies or the humans. This story could have been a smidge better if we understood what Llyr was thinking.
The Spawn ★★★★
This is a pretty funny little story.
Madd Finnegan
Umm, no. Just no.
Dragon Stew ★★★★
A perfect revenge story
The Innkeeper's Story ★★★★
The very sweet story of a man who has put his life on hold to take care of his family.
Quest ★★★★
Becket's snarky mouth forces him on a quest for a Roc egg, but deep down he is really looking for a happy ending. I would have loved to see more of the time that Becket and Glendon spent together.
Spellbound ★★★★
Talis is a professional thief in love with Hex the wizard he has been stealing items for the last year. But how could a wizard possibly love a lowly thief.
Overall this was a fun read, but I would have loved a little more depth from some of the stories.
March 6, 2012
I really loved this anthology. There's quite a bit of humor throughout and the characters are likable and interesting which made the stories entertaining as well as fun to read. This collection is all M/M although the sex is very low-key. One of the stories deals with incest (brothers) and so may not be for everyone but overall this was a really great read.
July 11, 2015
A bunch of lovely story stories. Three stories are loosely linked but can be read fine separately.
Though one of the middle stories does have a incest romance which some may not like.
The few love making scenes were really well written. Wish the author wrote more of them! lol
I just want more dragon stories! Really loved those ones!
Dragon Stew is still my favourite.
Though one of the middle stories does have a incest romance which some may not like.
The few love making scenes were really well written. Wish the author wrote more of them! lol
I just want more dragon stories! Really loved those ones!
Dragon Stew is still my favourite.
June 3, 2018
A sweet collection of short stories. I liked the baker and the dragon one but my favourite was the dragon and demon, the two brothers, the Griffin and the demon. I liked how they all interconnected. Favourite pairing would be Tate and his treasure.
March 26, 2021
I’ve read this book bc when I’m in bookslump I need short stories to come over. And wow! This book did miracles... and I found a new author to me. So jumped to The High King's Golden Tongue immediately.:) That book is another 5 stars!:)
November 10, 2010
I love Megan Derr's writing. Really enjoyed all the stories offered here. Highly recommended!
August 4, 2011
So ridiculously sweet and funny. Feel good doesn't even begin to describe :D
September 22, 2011
Loved every single story, they were fantastic
November 2, 2020
Solid 3 stars overall. There needed to be better editing in the ebook version. Lots of mistakes especially in the first two stories.
Warning for incest in Mad Finnegan and hints of it in Quest.
I really liked how these took place in the same world, except maybe the last story. Was interesting seeing the different views of it. I didn't realize that this was going to focus so much on the romantic side of things and not as much of the magic or mischief... Entertaining overall, however.
Also, I don't know if there's a fascination with the word "stupid" by the author or what but it was used way too much and in all the stories. Was super annoying.
The Dragon's Treasure
3 stars. It was cute. Tate was kinda annoying (stupid this, stupid that) but overall liked his character. Nothing much too this one. Would have liked more with the sorcerer.
The Selkie No One Wanted
3 stars. Enjoyed this one more than the last. Not much to say about it though.
The Spawn
2 stars. I'm biased. Baby... But when things picked up after all the thoughts about how to take care of the baby, it got a lot better.
Mad Finnegan
2 stars. This was just too focused on pining after another for me. The serpent bit was too quick.
Dragon Stew
3 stars. Interesting enough. Really annoying how much most - if not all - say stupid so much! Everything and everyone is stupid. Ugh. Don't think I've ever read it so much, or even heard it so much. Cassarah's change of speech pattern was also annoying. Thankfully didn't have to endure that long. But ignoring those this was still a pleasant read.
The Innkeeper's Story
3 stars. Liked this one but not much to say about it.
Quest
3 stars. Was alright but all the action was left out - from the Quest to the fighting... I guess since this is just a short piece but still disappointing.
Spellbound
3 stars. Actually got some action in this one instead of just the love story so that was great. I liked how magic worked in this one with the ribbons.
Warning for incest in Mad Finnegan and hints of it in Quest.
I really liked how these took place in the same world, except maybe the last story. Was interesting seeing the different views of it. I didn't realize that this was going to focus so much on the romantic side of things and not as much of the magic or mischief... Entertaining overall, however.
Also, I don't know if there's a fascination with the word "stupid" by the author or what but it was used way too much and in all the stories. Was super annoying.
The Dragon's Treasure
3 stars. It was cute. Tate was kinda annoying (stupid this, stupid that) but overall liked his character. Nothing much too this one. Would have liked more with the sorcerer.
The Selkie No One Wanted
3 stars. Enjoyed this one more than the last. Not much to say about it though.
The Spawn
2 stars. I'm biased. Baby... But when things picked up after all the thoughts about how to take care of the baby, it got a lot better.
Mad Finnegan
2 stars. This was just too focused on pining after another for me. The serpent bit was too quick.
Dragon Stew
3 stars. Interesting enough. Really annoying how much most - if not all - say stupid so much! Everything and everyone is stupid. Ugh. Don't think I've ever read it so much, or even heard it so much. Cassarah's change of speech pattern was also annoying. Thankfully didn't have to endure that long. But ignoring those this was still a pleasant read.
The Innkeeper's Story
3 stars. Liked this one but not much to say about it.
Quest
3 stars. Was alright but all the action was left out - from the Quest to the fighting... I guess since this is just a short piece but still disappointing.
Spellbound
3 stars. Actually got some action in this one instead of just the love story so that was great. I liked how magic worked in this one with the ribbons.
April 12, 2018
reviewing stories as I finish them...
The Dragon's Treasure: 4.5 stars, only because there are some editing errors. I love Tate -- he's a fantastic character! All sorts of warm fuzzies from this story, and it made me laugh with how cranky he is!
The Selkie No One Wanted: 4 stars. Only one missing capital letter, and no other grammar errors, but I just didn't like this one as much as Dragon's Treasure -- although Kelp is pretty wonderful.
The Spawn: 5 stars! This one is fantastic, despite the previously mentioned lack of proper capitals. Amancio is an amazing character! Would love to see them 10-15 years down the road...
Mad Finnegan: yay, the dragon's master! Vile is a taste and vial is what the vile potion is kept in...I hate these stupid editing errors! They're pulling me out if the wonderful story telling! Still, 4.75 stars -- I can't put any spoiler tags in (damn phone!), so I can't explain how normally I really dislike this type of story, but I LOVED this one! Go Megan Derr, making even delicious and sweet!
Dragon Stew: I think I've read this before -- it's sounding very familiar. However, there's this: "He reached out delicately to touch them where they hung from the SEALING..." (emphasis mine) NO NO NO! Who the hell edited this?! Fire them immediately! GAH! ... 5 stars despite the things hanging from the sealing.
The Innkeeper's Story: hold on, I need to re-read this one right now....sigh. 5 squishy sweet stars...
Quest: Good story -- solid 4 star. I just wished there had been more to the ending, maybe another few scenes...but this ending is pretty typical of her short works. Oh well.
Spellbound: 5 stars -- lovely, lovely lovely!
So, total is 4.65 for 8 stories. Rounding up to 4.75, but so close to 5!
The Dragon's Treasure: 4.5 stars, only because there are some editing errors. I love Tate -- he's a fantastic character! All sorts of warm fuzzies from this story, and it made me laugh with how cranky he is!
The Selkie No One Wanted: 4 stars. Only one missing capital letter, and no other grammar errors, but I just didn't like this one as much as Dragon's Treasure -- although Kelp is pretty wonderful.
The Spawn: 5 stars! This one is fantastic, despite the previously mentioned lack of proper capitals. Amancio is an amazing character! Would love to see them 10-15 years down the road...
Mad Finnegan: yay, the dragon's master! Vile is a taste and vial is what the vile potion is kept in...I hate these stupid editing errors! They're pulling me out if the wonderful story telling! Still, 4.75 stars -- I can't put any spoiler tags in (damn phone!), so I can't explain how normally I really dislike this type of story, but I LOVED this one! Go Megan Derr, making even delicious and sweet!
Dragon Stew: I think I've read this before -- it's sounding very familiar. However, there's this: "He reached out delicately to touch them where they hung from the SEALING..." (emphasis mine) NO NO NO! Who the hell edited this?! Fire them immediately! GAH! ... 5 stars despite the things hanging from the sealing.
The Innkeeper's Story: hold on, I need to re-read this one right now....sigh. 5 squishy sweet stars...
Quest: Good story -- solid 4 star. I just wished there had been more to the ending, maybe another few scenes...but this ending is pretty typical of her short works. Oh well.
Spellbound: 5 stars -- lovely, lovely lovely!
So, total is 4.65 for 8 stories. Rounding up to 4.75, but so close to 5!
March 28, 2023
Have you heard the sound bit of Wendy Williams saying “that’s what she said….what was that?”
That’s how I felt after the great world building, diverse characters, and interesting storylines in the first few stories before I got to Mad Finnegan. Then I got surprise incest which is arguably the worst kind of incest? Also the first story in the anthology to actually show the smut (which unfortunately due to the BROTHER aspect I skipped through). I even kept with the story thinking maybe it would be a third act reveal that they weren’t really siblings, or foster brothers or something but nope. Finn wanted to (and had previously) done the nasty with his biological brother who admittedly helped raise him? I just didn’t understand what was the point. If the author wanted a story about why he loved someone and couldn’t be with them, there are so many other ways to do that.
All that to say, you know the other stories were great because normally that would be an automatic 1 star rating for me. The other non-incestous stories were 4 or 5 stars easily.
That’s how I felt after the great world building, diverse characters, and interesting storylines in the first few stories before I got to Mad Finnegan. Then I got surprise incest which is arguably the worst kind of incest? Also the first story in the anthology to actually show the smut (which unfortunately due to the BROTHER aspect I skipped through). I even kept with the story thinking maybe it would be a third act reveal that they weren’t really siblings, or foster brothers or something but nope. Finn wanted to (and had previously) done the nasty with his biological brother who admittedly helped raise him? I just didn’t understand what was the point. If the author wanted a story about why he loved someone and couldn’t be with them, there are so many other ways to do that.
All that to say, you know the other stories were great because normally that would be an automatic 1 star rating for me. The other non-incestous stories were 4 or 5 stars easily.
October 7, 2018
A really enjoyable treat! My favorite one was the Dragon's Treasure with an unbelievably cute, clean freak dragon. The Dragon's Stew would be the second best - starring a lovely dragon with an inclination for licking. I didn't mind the incest in Mad Finnegan story - in fact I don't usually mind incestuous themes between siblings if the story is well written - I was rather more disturbed by the fact it took them idiots as much as a few centuries to work things out. Glad I found this treasure of a book to brighten my weekend!
May 6, 2019
I love Megan Derr's short stories and this collection was a delight to read! I really think this collection has something for everyone, since while I loved some stories, I felt somewhat indifferent towards others.
My personal favorite stories where: The Selkie No One Wanted, The Spawn, Dragon Stew and The Quest! The other stories weren't bad or anything, they just didn't do much for me, personally.
My personal favorite stories where: The Selkie No One Wanted, The Spawn, Dragon Stew and The Quest! The other stories weren't bad or anything, they just didn't do much for me, personally.
December 28, 2020
I'm cheating and including this blurb from my last review because it applies to this collection as well:
One of my biggest complaints about Derr's writing is that there is so much opportunity for character and plot development that would truly create more depth in her stories, but instead, she often takes the easy route of "picking up" stories midway through or explaining away feelings and emotions rather than actually sketching them for the reader.
It's hard to read some of her books and short stories because there is the potential for so much more, and yet she often doesn't go there. The lack of editing and/or editing mistakes also goes without saying. I can overlook it, but it is highly annoying, especially as an educator and a writer myself.
Now, here are the stories that I loved.
A Dragon's Treasure: Tate can have my whole heart. So cute. The characters were well-drawn and pretty well fleshed out for the shortness of the story.
The Spawn: OMG a demon who thinks he's raising a human baby against his will but is really so soft and smitten? Give me more.
What I really liked:
The Selkie No One Wanted: This one was good, but definitely could have been expanded. Loved Kelp's insecurity. I mean, who doesn't love a cure little unsuspecting character who is surprised in love?
Dragon Stew: Called this one really early on. So cute!
The Innkeeper's Story: I want a series with all of Kord's younger siblings right now. This was also super cute, and I liked that Kord wasn't a spring chicken.
Quest: Yay, the return of Becket, who made a very brief appearance in A Dragon's Treasure. Too short and needed some major character and plot development, but it was good.
Spellbound: Also really good and original. Loved the idea of weaving spells.
And now, the last one.
Ummmmmm....
Mad Finnegan. There's no way around it, folks. This story is incestuous. I'm not even spoiling it because it comes out in the wash like on page 2. And what did I do about it, you ask? Well, I kept reading and hating myself and every time Seamus called Finnegan "brother," I about gagged.
But dammit, if I didn't have a good time reading it. So, the incest is like, really BAD and I'm not sure why they couldn't have been close childhood friends instead (Megan Derr has some messed up ideas, that's for sure). At the same time, it is fantasy and they are fucking wizards (ha!) and they are both dudes, and honestly, idk what even to say about it.
This collection is an improvement over her others in terms of character and plot development, but there's still a lot that needs work.
One of my biggest complaints about Derr's writing is that there is so much opportunity for character and plot development that would truly create more depth in her stories, but instead, she often takes the easy route of "picking up" stories midway through or explaining away feelings and emotions rather than actually sketching them for the reader.
It's hard to read some of her books and short stories because there is the potential for so much more, and yet she often doesn't go there. The lack of editing and/or editing mistakes also goes without saying. I can overlook it, but it is highly annoying, especially as an educator and a writer myself.
Now, here are the stories that I loved.
A Dragon's Treasure: Tate can have my whole heart. So cute. The characters were well-drawn and pretty well fleshed out for the shortness of the story.
The Spawn: OMG a demon who thinks he's raising a human baby against his will but is really so soft and smitten? Give me more.
What I really liked:
The Selkie No One Wanted: This one was good, but definitely could have been expanded. Loved Kelp's insecurity. I mean, who doesn't love a cure little unsuspecting character who is surprised in love?
Dragon Stew: Called this one really early on. So cute!
The Innkeeper's Story: I want a series with all of Kord's younger siblings right now. This was also super cute, and I liked that Kord wasn't a spring chicken.
Quest: Yay, the return of Becket, who made a very brief appearance in A Dragon's Treasure. Too short and needed some major character and plot development, but it was good.
Spellbound: Also really good and original. Loved the idea of weaving spells.
And now, the last one.
Ummmmmm....
Mad Finnegan. There's no way around it, folks. This story is incestuous. I'm not even spoiling it because it comes out in the wash like on page 2. And what did I do about it, you ask? Well, I kept reading and hating myself and every time Seamus called Finnegan "brother," I about gagged.
But dammit, if I didn't have a good time reading it. So, the incest is like, really BAD and I'm not sure why they couldn't have been close childhood friends instead (Megan Derr has some messed up ideas, that's for sure). At the same time, it is fantasy and they are fucking wizards (ha!) and they are both dudes, and honestly, idk what even to say about it.
This collection is an improvement over her others in terms of character and plot development, but there's still a lot that needs work.
January 8, 2021
Individual ratings for each story:
The Dragon's Treasure: 2.5 stars
The Selkie No One Wanted: 4.0 stars
Spawn: 3.0 stars
Mad Finnegan: 3.5 stars
Making Dragon Stew: 4.5 stars
The Inkeeper's Story: 4.0 stars
The Quest: 4.5 stars
Spellbound: 4.5 stars
An overall rating of 3.8 stars rounded up to 4.0
March 23, 2021
Cute short stories. The description on the ebook in Overdrive didn’t make it clear they were fantasy romances but I’m glad I read this. They were sweet stories for the most part. I could have done without the incest one...
The goodreads description says homoerotic but they aren’t terribly explicit, more romance than erotica.
The goodreads description says homoerotic but they aren’t terribly explicit, more romance than erotica.
June 30, 2022
A Griffin For Your Thoughts
What a nice compilation of stories. Some I read previously, and some for the first time; all are enjoyable.
Some even have extra snippets in the Little Moments collections. Really fun!
What a nice compilation of stories. Some I read previously, and some for the first time; all are enjoyable.
Some even have extra snippets in the Little Moments collections. Really fun!
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