Highland Beast [Paperback]

Hannah Howell (Author), Victoria Dahl (Author), Heather Grothaus (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 25, 2009

"The Beast Within" by Hannah Howell - Gybbon MacNachton spends his days searching for the Lost Ones - demons with the powerful MacNachton bloodline who are being hunted by those who want to destroy them. When he stumbles upon Alice Boyd, living like a wild animal in the forest, she stirs a primitive lust deep within him - a lust that can only be sated by their explosive union..."Laird of Midnight" by Victoria Dahl - For fifty years, Finlay Maclain has hunted the clan of vampires who murdered his family and turned him into one of them. Now, he's at the end of his quest, sitting at a tavern, waiting for the last vampire he must kill. But the tavern's beautiful wench is distracting him beyond reason - and all he can think of is teasing her until she begs him to take her again and again..."The Vampire Hunter" by Heather Grothaus - As the last surviving member of her family of witches, Beatrix Levenach must protect the townspeople from the vampires who stalk the land. But when her life is placed in danger, she receives help from Alder the White - a vampire from the clan responsible for wiping out her ancestors over a century ago. With no other choice, Beatrix accepts Alder's help. And when they discover an all-consuming passion, they must make the ultimate sacrifice for an eternal love...

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Misunderstood vampires roam historic Scotland (12th century in one story, 16th in the others) in three novellas. Each of the authors builds a credible paranormal world and sets up a satisfying confrontation. Howell starts off with The Beast Within, wherein passion flares when Gybbon MacNaughton, trying to find lost members of a dying vampire tribe, finds near-feral Alice Boyd hiding in the woods. In The Vampire Hunter, Grothaus (The Warrior) presents a strong heroine in a likable witch and tavern keeper, Beatrix Levenach, who fights ravening vampires to protect unappreciative villagers. Dahl (To Tempt a Scotsman) introduces serving-wench Kenna Graham, saved from a demon by a laird who then demonstrates a few devilish qualities of his own, in Laird of Midnight. Fans of Howell's Highland Thirst and Highland Vampire will find this equally enjoyable. (Sept.)
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Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Kensington (August 25, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0758235097
• ISBN-13: 978-0758235091
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #263,623 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars three enjoyable vampire historical romances, September 5, 2009

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Highland Beast (Paperback)

"The Beast Within" by Hannah Howell. In 1513, when Gybbon MacNachton of a clan of vampires rescues Alice Boyd, neither can believe the attraction.

"The Vampire Hunter" by Heather Grotaus. In 1104 Beatrix is the last white witch in the Highlands, but is accused of the misfortune that has hurt nearby villagers, who soon attack her. Only Alder can keep her safe, but his clan of vampires killed her ancestors a century ago.

"Laird of Midnight" by Victoria Dahl. In 1595 Finlay, the only survivor of clan Maclain, seeks to kill the vampires who destroyed his family and converted him five decades ago. He has no plans to live after he kills the last vampire until he meets tavern serving wench, Kenna whose life he saves from a deadly assault.

These are three enjoyable vampire historical romances starring strong lead characters.

Harriet Klausner

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Supernatural romance, November 1, 2010

By 

C. U. Read "Cindy" - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Highland Beast (Paperback)

Three stories for the price of one. Fun stories with supernatural alpha males looking for romance. Hannah Howell is one of my favorite.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hannah Howell at her Best, July 11, 2010

By 

Lunataina "lunataina" (APO, AE, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Highland Beast (Paperback)

Highland Beast is a typical PNR anthology with its ups and downs. It starts out with a bang in the form of The Beast Within by Hannah Howell. It is by far my favorite of the novellas. It is possibly my favorite of all of Howell's Highland Vampire tales. Gybbon is a captivating hero and Alice is one of the best leading ladies in the series. I really liked the way their relationship developed, particularly how Howell tackled the issue of Alice's rape and how it affected her relationship with Gybbon. It was well written, and even though it is a novella the author did not cut many corners. The pacing was just right. For me, the price of the book was definitely worth it just for that story alone. The Vampire Hunter by Heather Grothaus seemed to be the weakest of the stories. The premise was good and the leading lady, Beatrix, was strong and likeable. I just could not get past my dislike for the hero. Alder the White was not likeable, in fact I could not care for him at all for most of the story, and by the time he changes his ways it is almost too late. The novella itself seems poorly paced. It takes too long to really get moving and then the ending is too abrupt. You can take more time getting to the action with longer stories, but novellas are too short for that kind of thing. In the end the story was ok, but definitely not one I would read again. Laird of Midnight by Victorie Dahl was a different story altogether. I really enjoyed it, and while it was not as good as Howell's story, it was definitely worth the read and probrably a re-read. This is a typical case of a hero making a story. Finlay McClain was just adorable. He is the type of hero you cannot help but fall a little in love with even knowing he is just a fictional character. Kenna was a good leading lady, but Finlay was really the one who carried the tale. The story was well paced, eventhough it was a very simple plot with not a lot of depth to it. Then again, it is a novella and most are not meant to be deep and well explained (With certain exceptions of outstandingly well written novellas that come along once in while like JR Ward's Story of Son). Still, Dahl's story is entertaining and passionate. A solid novella to finish up this anthology. I would recommend this anthology for Howell's story alone, but Dahl's story makes it a highly recommended book despite having what I consider to be one very weak story.