Blood Creek Beast

Blood Creek Series, Book 2

By: Jay Barnson

Narrated by: Janel Valentine

Worlds apart and just 'round the bend....

For years, Jack Parsons dreamed of escaping the tiny community of Maple Bend, West Virginia. Now, he is trapped in another world entirely. Seeking help to protect the crossroads from the immortal “man in the white suit” and his coven, Jack ventures into the world 'Round the Bend, a mirror image of West Virginia more wondrous, and more dangerous, than he had ever imagined.

On the other side of the crossroads, the coven pursues Jessabelle Rose with plans to use her shape-shifting powers for their own dark ends. Jessabelle must choose between flight or fight; to escape the coven forever or risk everything to protect her family.

What began with mysterious deaths deep in the Appalachian Mountains now threatens to engulf two worlds. Witchcraft and creatures of folklore mix with shadowy high-tech organizations and political intrigue in this thrilling tale of magic and adventure.

©2019 Jay Barnson (P)2019 Immortal Works

Baskerville Book Reviews

I’ll start this review off with a warning. Partially because I said everything I wanted to say in my review of book 1 and I don’t know what else to say. Go read Blood Creek Witch. For starters, it’s really damn good. The main thing though, this is not one of those sequels you’ll be able to pick up and follow along with. It’s more of a part 2 than a standalone novel. Think of it as a large book that’s been split into 3 separate books.

A lot of the characters are left in the dust for the most part. It does a pretty good job of juggling two plots and two protagonists. It had me feel invested. Though it felt like the ball was dropped on the other characters because they’re only mentioned in passing. The story is full of new interesting characters to replace the old, but I worry that they’ll just be tossed aside in part 3.

One thing I liked about this series is how the author is willing to kill off characters. It makes the action scenes and the danger feel intense. There are some stories (Sons of Anarchy, I’m looking at you.) where the danger scenes hold no weight because you know the main character will always be safe. The last story I reviewed, Flames Over Frosthelm did that. It had a few too many fake-out deaths that I just found annoying. It just makes me appreciate the authors who are willing to kill off protagonists.

I wish I had more to say about the story. It’s great, I enjoyed it. The world and lore are interesting and could easily fit a dozen more stories. Most sequels are difficult to review because they’re usually just more of the same. If you enjoyed part 1, you’ll surely enjoy this. If you’re interested in this based on the summary, then go give part 1 a try. As for me, I’m going to go listen to part 3. I put off reviewing this one so I would hopefully have more to say, but that’s not the case. So waiting on the next book makes no sense. I really can’t wait to see how the story concludes.

As for the narrator; I had to hear her say “farmiliar” way too many times. That was annoying enough but she also says o as if it’s a number and jagwire. What makes that final one even more insufferable was when she later said Jaguar properly numerous times. If you’re going to mispronounce a word or pronounce it properly, at least do it consistently.

NOTE: This copy was provided to me free of charge as a digital review copy. The opinions stated in this review are mine and mine alone, I was not paid or requested to give this book a certain rating, suggestion, or approval.

great characters and overall storyline!

continues to keep you engaged as new and old characters continue to surprise you with how they deal with transpiring events. The inner dialog is a bitty chatty but once you adjust you do get used to it.

The author does a great job catching you up if you have not read the first installment but I do suggest reading both Blood Creek Witch and Blood Creek Beast for the best reading experience and full storyline.

I look forward to seeing how this series progresses.

Proper Fairytale

Blood Creek Beast starts where Blood Creek Witch ended. Jack and Jenny stayed behind in “Round the Bend” with Annabelle Rose to seal the gateway and keep guard over it. Jessabelle and Sean went back to Maple Bend to keep watch on the gateway on their side.

When Annabelle sends Jenny and Jack to buy provisions in the nearby town of Hobbfield, they end up chasing away bandits who were extorting the poor villagers. Jenny goes back to Annabelle for help, and Jack sets off to find the sheriff in the next town.
Jack always wanted an adventure; as he travels further away from Jenny, he is thrown into the deep end of a fantastical fairytale reminiscent of Jack and the Beanstalk. He encounters friendly Giants and evil Fae creatures. An as in any good fairytale, there is a Princess, conspiracies, loyal guards and torturers.
While Jack is living his adventure, Jessabelle is discovered in her Panther form and taken by the Coven and Thadeus. With the help of an old friend of her father’s, she escapes; she aims to find the other gateway to Round the Bend to warn the people there that Thadeus is on his way to free his daughter.
When Jack and Jessabelle meet up around the bend, they are friends and fighters gearing up to take a stand against the Coven.
Will the friends prevail and save two worlds? Will Jenny and Annabelle be in time to save their friends, and what happened to Sean?
This action-filled audiobook is captivating, and you need to continue listening. I kept checking how much time was left in the book as I did not want the story to end.
Now for Blood Creek Phantom…

A. Great 2nd in the series

I love this series. So many great characters. This book just kept me turning pages. Jack certainly learned it doesn't always pay to be a nice guy. Jack & Jenny split up in order to defeat the evil that was trying to come round the bend. Jack met a girl who seemed to be in trouble so he wanted to help her. In doing so he opened himself up to a new quest that was dangerous & infuriating. While on his journey he met some new friends & made plenty of enemies. Jesebel also had her own set of problems to work through. A story full of friendship,, hope,, deceipt & revenge. A great series & can't wait for # 3.

Another Exciting Story, The Continuation!

This is a Great Story, with additional Characters coming into pay as Story expands. I highly recommend getting book #1 so you do not get lost as the story continues. Narrator does a good job with the characters and storyline. This Story will have a book #3 because though alot is explained, there are definitely more loose ends that need tiring up. NOT a Cliffhanger!!

Good

I'm glad I offered to review this book,I was surprised how good it was. It had a few twists that were unexpected. For fans of shifters this is a book for you.

Great story!

I loved Jack and Jessibel's stories! They're becoming stronger and learning to fight. The new characters were fun to get to know.

What a crazy ride this is.. I am loving it!

The story picks up pretty much right where book 1 (Blood Creek Witch) left off, and no time is wasted catching the reader up.. so make sure you're reading this series in the proper sequence. But wow, it's such a great story! The multiple character storylines are so complex and dynamic, yet I never got lost. It all blends into a cohesive whole. And I am so emotionally invested in each and every one of the protagonists .. I feel real stress, happiness, and sadness as they work their way along.

I was a little snooty about the narration in my review of book 1, but now that I've settled in I have even more appreciation for the complexity of the character lineup and how masterfully those voices are portrayed. I quickly forgot that a single person was reading this story to me. Each character has a unique voice and the narration is so consistent I could tell who was speaking before a name was mentioned. It's pretty remarkable really..

I can't wait to get into book 3 (Blood Creek Phantom).. I need more..