The Beast of Blackmoor (A Gathering of Dragons #0.5)
Published July 7th 2020 by Intermix (first published November 24th 2014), Kindle Edition 150 pages
Dive into the world of beasts and barbarians in this prequel to the exhilarating Gathering of Dragons series by Milla Vane.
A warrior princess must tame The Beast of Blackmoor to earn a place among her people. When she arrives in Blackmoor, however, she finds a land cursed by a demon and ruled by an evil warlord...and discovers that the beast isn't a monster, but a barbarian warrior who intends to do some taming himself.
This was previously published in the Night Shift Anthology
User Reviews
Rating: really liked it
4.75 Stars
I freaking loved it!
Even though I read it out of order, it was still absolutely awesome.
The steam was 'Blow Your Socks Off'
The main characters, both Kavik and Mala was FanTabuLous!
The adventure, suspense ....
Absolutely Every Element
Was .... Just ..... 'PurrrrrrFect!'
Highly Recommend this series and I will definitely be continuing it!
No Matter What!
Rating: really liked it
This series is verrrry dark and I would not recommend it to everyone, but I’m really enjoying this world.
Rating: really liked it
I somehow missed this story when I first grabbed the
Night Shift anthology. And that is completely my loss - because this novella was freaking AMAZING.
I said, when I finished
A Heart of Blood and Stone, that it was the start of a fantastic reading year for me - and even if Milla Vane were the only one giving me fantastic books this year, I’d count the year a reading win. She keeps hitting them out of the park and I’m just grateful to be able to go along for the ride.
There aren’t many authors that I feel truly can do the novella format well, especially when trying to build a world, develop characters, and show a convincing romance. Milla Vane does it all, flawlessly.
Before I get into the main characters, let me just fan-girl about the goddess Vela for a moment. I’m pretty enamored of her. From the moment when she takes affront at Kavik’s disrespect, cursing him,
“Wait for the woman in red. When she arrives, you will know that the end is near...” To the moment when she
twists the knife. I love her.
Mala, our heroine, is on a mission for Vela. She’s chosen to take on a quest for the goddess. Those that succeed in their quest are often granted immense rewards, though not always in the way expected. Mala needs just such a reward. Vela’s tasks are never easy, almost always cause pain in the person completing it, and there are severe consequences for those that fail or give up.
Mala is eager to succeed and win her reward. With her friend Shim, a horse descended from a god, her red cloak marking her, and the years of training under her belt, she’s ready to complete the task Vela set. I don’t think I can do justice to how much I love Mala. She is so utterly
comfortable in herself. With good reason, she can kick the asses of almost anything that comes at her. But it’s not just that. Mala feels at ease with who she is, and doesn’t feel the need to overly protect herself. Many people crumble under the pressures and strains that happen throughout their lives, building walls and keeping others at arm’s length. Not Mala. She remembers and feels the pain, but she doesn’t let it stop her from risking being hurt. She’s funny and confident and has so much honor and heart. I need so many stories about Mala.
So, Kavik pissed off Vela and Mala is on a quest for Vela. Their meeting is meant to be. And their encounter instantly made me fall in love with Kavik.
“I waited for you, little dragon. Every night, I dreamed of you.” He’s come a long way from the boy that challenged a goddess. And their sexual tension singes, it’s so hot. But the feeling that this book brought out in me, damn.
I was saying to a friend that Milla Vane makes me feel all the feels in her books. It’s so true. And all the more impressive because she does it a novella. Romances generally don’t work in novella format, there’s just not enough page time to convince me of a
happily ever after. But I was rooting for these two from their first meeting. I loved them together. Mala and Kavik are perfect for each other. And their HEA is eminently satisfying.
Milla Vane packs a punch - she brings the action, the sexy-as-hell romance, and the drama in spades.
The Beast of Blackmoor is a fantastic story in the Gathering of Dragons Series, and I hope we see loads more of Kavik and Mala.
More at The Alliterates
Rating: really liked it
1st read - December 2014 (Read in the Night ShiftNight Shift anthology)
2nd read - April 20203rd read - July 20204th read - December 20205th read - July 2021I already wrote a brief review of
The Beast of Blackmoor when I read it as part of the
Night Shift anthology but I didn't go into much depth at the time and having reread the novella a couple of times recently I wanted to talk about it some more. This is one of those stories that I've loved more every single time I read it and I don't think I fully appreciated it the first time around. It's the first novella in
Milla Vane's A Gathering of Dragons world and is a great intro to the dark and dangerous world she has created.
Mala is a warrior on a quest from her Goddess Vela to tame the Beast of Blackmoor, she will do whatever it takes to achieve her goal because her people are depending upon her to protect them and she needs the Vela's gifts to help them survive. What she doesn't realise is that the Beast is in fact a man and Kavik will do anything to avoid being enslaved again. Kavik angered Vela so it's not too surprising that she has forsaken him but Mala believes that they can both earn redemption for themselves and their people if they only listen to the Goddess and follow her will.
I think one of the things I love most about this series is the strong women
Milla Vane has created. Not only do we have Vela, a powerful Goddess who is brilliant even as a minor character but we also have Mala, a strong and fierce warrior who stands up for people who can't stand up for themselves. This is a harsh world but Mala thinks nothing of taking on dangerous causes if she believes they are worthwhile. She chose to take on a quest for Vela knowing that the reward would be great if she achieves it but that the punishment will be even worse if she fails, she has faith that while the Goddess will make her task difficult Vela won't give her an impossible challenge so she believes that with hard work she can achieve her goal.
Mala and Kavik are brilliant together, he is the rightful leader of his people but his life was turned upside down as a child by an evil conqueror. Kavik has been to hell and back but has spent his entire life focused on saving his people. He made a huge mistake when he offended Vela but you could feel the frustration he felt as a teenager and could easily understand how desperation led him to fall so low. Now he has spent years waiting for his punishment, knowing that one day the Goddess will catch up with him and the minute he sees Mala he knows she is here for Vela's vengeance. Kavik has waited years for this moment but nothing had prepared either of them for the sparks that fly. The heat between these two was intense and from that very first meeting I was totally rooting for the pair of them.
There aren't many authors who can pack quite such a punch into a novella but
Milla Vane manages to create a whole world, give us fantastic characters and create a romance that doesn't feel at all rushed. There was just so much to love about this book and considering I've already read the first full length book in the series,
A Heart of Blood and Ashes, three times I can definitely confirm that this whole series is going to be a firm favourite.
Rating: really liked it
I think I liked this "prequel" (would not recommend reading this before book one, though, context is helpful!) better than the full length. Infact I know I did.
That's it, that's the review.
Rating: really liked it
4 1/2 to 5 stars
Rating: really liked it
This romance novella was an experience. I thought the world-building involving gods/goddesses and magic were very interesting, and I liked that our heroine is this complete badass. I guess this is a take on a barbarian romance? It's very...aggressive. And bloody. I also wasn't expecting so much sexual assault and enslavement (not graphically described and not perpetrated by the hero or heroine, but I still found it startling).
The hero is more aggressive than I prefer in my romance, but the heroine was fine with it so *shrug* Also, this will vary based on the reader, but I found the descriptions of the sex scenes to be... less than sexy. For instance, I could do without the extended metaphors involving swords and sheaths. Is is just me that finds that off-putting? I don't know, I guess I liked the magical/revenge/goddess parts of the plot more than the romantic part. Curious to see how I get on with the rest of the series!
Rating: really liked it
If you read this novella when it first released or even a year ago in the Night Shift anthology, then the world that Milla Vane has created was completely new to you. However, Milla Vana aka Meljean Brook has released her first full-length novel under this pen name titled A Heart of Blood and Ashes this year. I fell in love with the world and especially enjoyed the grittiness of the story. So when I discovered that she had written a novella in this world, I just had to read it. I am not a big fan of novellas, but I just needed something to hold me over until the next book releases in July this year.
The Beast of Blackmoor was a HOT action-packed fantasy romance. I loved that the heroine Mala was strong, fierce, determined, and didn't hold back. The hero Kavik is broken and doesn't think he deserves to be happy. He was broody and hard, and a great match for Mala. She is on a quest and has been sent to tame the Beast of Blackmoor. However, what does the goddess mean by taming, and who is the Beast? The author did a great job in telling Kavik and Mala's story. I enjoyed the characters a lot and would love for them to make appearances in the Gathering of Dragons series. I would've loved an epilogue just to see what they were up to in the future. Nonetheless, this was a quick and sexy read that I fully enjoyed.
(I read this novella in the Night Shift anthology)
Rating: really liked it
4.5 stars
Rating: really liked it
MEh... I was expecting something much better...
Rating: really liked it
A solid fantasy romance novella.
I had a very similar experience reading this and reading
A Heart of Blood and Ashes. Both took me a long time to get into, and I was confused with the writing and what was going on a lot of the time. Still, I think the world-building and the mythology are super interesting, both main characters were strong and the romance was great, just the right amount of angst and steam.
Rating: really liked it
In Night Shift anthology....
Rating: really liked it
This is my first book/novella by Milla Vane, and I've only read a couple of novellas by her alter-ego Meljean Brook. It was very readable, and I felt absorbed by the action, but I wasn't enthralled either by the characters or the world.
This is a fantasy world, filled with magic, villains, honorable quests, stupid drunks and sex. There is nothing soft about Vane's lands, which have been decimated by evil that has lasted generations. Harsh things happen in harsh worlds, so this is a warning for triggers of violence and rape. Perhaps it is the harshness that left me a little separated from the characters and the world. Depravity, poverty, hunger, vicious beasts and violence are constant.
Vane has a talent with describing a scene. I see a drunken youth peeing in a temple, a brave warrior being buried beneath a rabid horde of animals, and the very inventive way that Mala and Kavik have their first sexual encounter.
In the end, I would have to say it is the savagery that keeps me distant. Perhaps I also wanted more detail for the main couple falling in love, but it is a novella. I definitely want to try a full length novel in the Gathering of Dragons series, but I will need to be in the mood to visit such a dark place.
Rating: really liked it
[most of his family was raped and murdered and then he was gang raped when he was 14 (hide spoiler)]
