Dangerous Creatures

I was excited to see a new Beautiful Creature book out since I really enjoyed. I couldn't wait to see the gang together again and especially the aunts that make me laugh out loud. This book is about Link and Ridley which are two of my favorite characters, but the book just didn't work for me. Too much of a downer and then it leaves you hanging.

I waited too long to get this book and the store was great at dealing with the delay in delivery of this book. All that anticipation lead to poorly written, overpublicized book of mindless drama. I'll give five stars to the original script, "Beautiful creatures" but this book is nothing but betrayal.

I am REALLY sick and TIRED of reading a series and at first the books are good and complete story.
Now this author IS ANOTHER GREEDY author charging full price for half of a book. Makes
me so angry and frustrated that I fell for this crap again since this also happened with other greedy authors.
NO MORE will I buy anymore of her books. Story is find but it's only half of a story. skip this book
and read another series

If I didn't already own this book, I probably wouldn't have decided to read it. I bought it years ago when I read the original Caster Chronicles because I loved that series, though I don't think I wanted to read this spin-off series much when I bought it or I would have done so by now. At least I finally read it this year.

Dangerous Creatures follows our favorite bad girl, Ridley, and her boyfriend, Link. They move to New York City to follow Link's dream of being in a band, or so Link thinks that's the plan. It turns out Ridley's keeping from Link the real reason she came to New York with him: she has a debt to pay. Honestly, this book felt a lot like a typical YA novel, full of unnecessary drama. If I didn't already know the characters, I probably wouldn't have cared much about them.

But speaking of characters, Ridley had a different disposition in this book than in the original series. In Beautiful Creatures, she was dark and rebellious, not caring what anyone else thought of her. She forged her own path regardless of the situation. She is a siren, after all. But in Dangerous Creatures, she has turned soft. She suddenly cares about these "friends" she's known for only a few weeks. She whines about doing mortal work. She even sheds a tear. Ridley just wasn't the same siren I've grown to love in the other books. Link, on the other hand, was every bit the same.

One nice thing about this story is a cameo appearance from Ethan, Lena, Liv, and John in the beginning. They make a pact and Lena forges these rings for them to keep them all bound together. She tells the group they will warn the others of danger, and they will all jump to the rescue if anyone needs it. This sounds great and all, but this concept was left open. Throughout the story, the rings Link and Ridley wear change color and burn them, but we never learn what that really means. Shouldn't the crew back home be warned that the two in New York need their help? Wasn't that the whole purpose of the rings? We never hear from Ethan and Lena, etc. again in the story though, so we can't know what they were experiencing and thinking while Link and Ridley were fighting for their lives up north. I was a little disappointed the authors didn't put a deeper purpose behind the rings.

I listened to this book on audio, and the audiobook was done really well. The narrator did voices for the characters, so it was easy to keep the dialogue straight. There were even sound effects and music in the background. My favorite thing, though, was that whenever Link and his band performed, there was a snippet of a band playing with Link singing his lyrics about chicken wings, etc. It was a nice touch.

Overall, this book was just alright. While I want to reread the original series someday, I won't be rereading this book. However, I'm probably going to read the next book just to finish out the series and because Dangerous Creatures ended on a cliffhanger -- and not a very good one at that; it was more of an afterthought thrown in there for suspense.

I have read all of the Beautiful Creatures books and was kind of on the fence as to whether this spin-off could live up to the others, but it does and I am so glad that I picked this one and the next one up!
The reader is instantly transported back to Gatlin and can pick up right away with their favorite characters. This has a little bit of all of them, but it primarily centers on Lincoln and Ridley and their next adventure.

This book leaves the reader with a CLIFFHANGER to beat all cliffhangers...be warned - don't start it until you have the next book - so that you don't have to impatiently wait for it to arrive. This is an epic journey that leaves the reader on the edge of their seats waiting and wondering what is going to happen next. It takes you on a roller coaster ride of emotion, as well as on a twisting, turning, looping, curving ride that the reader can't keep up with.

Be prepared to fall in love with the world that authors Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl have created for us once again in this installment. It will make you want to go back and re-read all of their books!

I have to admit, prior to reading this book I wasn't the biggest Ridley or Link fans. I could still take or leave Link to be honest, but Ridley really grew on me. She's just so harsh and abrasive. While in my mind I knew she hadnt had things very easy, it was hard to remember that when I would see how she would treat others. Now however, after being in her head, I realize just how truly damaged and broken she is. She's in an almost constant battle with herself between her siren nature and what she wanted from her life. It's a struggle to balance her desire to be good with her true nature, and the fact that she cannot trust and good emotions due to her influential nature, well it's utterly heartbreaking. Suddenly it all made sense why she always did things to make people angry with her, negative emotions she could trust to be real, but any affection may not be. And sometimes something real even if it's negative is better than something fake. So that being said, seeing her try to be with Link is painful to watch because you know she's trying so hard, but yet everything keeps falling apart. As I said, Iink's not really my favorite character, but since he has the potential to make Ridley happy, he's alright in my book in the end.

Can I just say that I am 100% over cliffhangers? I mean prior to reading this book I wasn't the biggest fan of them, but this one seals the deal. To me cliffhangers most times feel like a marketing ploy to keep readers coming back. But I'd rather come back because a book sold me on its own merits rather than a driving need to find out what happened after a shocking ending. I just don't see the need to leave readers frustrated for months if not years until the next installment comes out, especially in this case as the series can more than stand on its own without the need for this. Granted, this could be the way the authors wanted to tell the story, with the shocking ending, but frankly it's turned me off and overall lessened the read for me. It's to the point where I'm seriously struggling with how to rate this book. Without the cliffhanger, a solid, well earned four, but the cliffhanger makes me want to knock it down to a two. That's how much it's frustrated me, but in the end I'm going to ignore the ending and look at the rest of the book as a whole to rate it.

One thing to note is that even though this is a spin off series, it really isn't the place to start reading this world. There is no recap, no explanation or back story, so if you haven't read the main series, you will probably be pretty lost. Even as myself, having read the previous series, I still felt just a bit lost and scrambling to remember everything, so I think at least a little recapping would have gone a long way. That being said and frustrations with the ending aside DANGEROUS CREATURES was a pretty good read for me. I loved seeing Ridley in a new light and want to see where things head next.

I recently became a convert to the Beautiful Creatures series by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl, having read and immensely enjoyed the first one. While a bit unorthodox, I skipped over the other books in the series to read this latest one thanks to NetGalley, so any blanks in the series that you may find in this review are my fault – which I’ll remedy, by requesting the other books in the series from the library, posthaste.

Dangerous Creatures follows Ridley and Link, who is – if you’ve been keeping up with the series, you know this – a quarter incubus now. So I really need to catch up. The gang we (I) know, including Lena and Ethan, are all together right after graduation and the events of the last book in the series, Beautiful Redemption. They’re going their separate ways, but vow to stay together and not drift apart, as so many groups of friends do.

From there, Ridley and Link head up to New York, where Link intends to find success in a band. What he doesn’t know is that Ridley is in trouble – when isn’t she, really? – and Link’s future is part of her settling her debts. Link, while ignorant of Ridley’s troubles, knows that something’s up between he and Ridley, more than the usual at-each-other’s-throats business. Ridley knows she’s no good for Link, but they just can’t seem to stay apart – or will something drive them apart for good this time?

Beautiful Creatures introduced a lot of characters and set several storylines into motion. The story of Ridley and Link has been developing since the very first book, so by now, readers know who they are. They’re a hugely popular couple and have nicely fleshed-out backgrounds and storylines. Having only read the first book in this series, I was able to follow the story easily enough, with exposition drawing in any details I missed in the meantime. Newcomers to the series will be able to jump in, and established fans will be very happy.

The book is a page-turner. There are some new characters and there’s magic; new troubles for Ridley to get herself (and Link) into, and repercussions from previous events. What I loved so much about the first book – the weaving of the Caster storyline with the history of the old South – is missing here, but the authors introduce readers to New York nightlife, which is exciting in terms of a new locale. I missed the history of it all, to be honest, and the constant “he/she loves me, he/she loves me not” interplay between Ridley and Link became a little tedious for me, but I’m sure it will continue to be hugely popular with teen readers.

2.5 stars.

Thank you to Little, Brown Books for Young Readers via Netgalley for the free review copy of this book!

Did I like this book?

I don't really know what to say about this book. I haven't read the "Beautiful Creatures" series, so I had no previous emotional investment in these characters at all- I wonder if that negatively affected my reading experience? I'm going to say yes.

The book starts off right away with Ridley and Link saying goodbye to the four others of their group. Immediately I was confused because I didn't know who was what kind of supernatural or what their powers were or anything. Maybe I should have stopped reading right there, but I persevered, and things eventually became a bit more clear.

Ridley is an interesting character. She's bitchy and mouthy, but I rather enjoyed her feistiness. Link, on the other hand, kind of annoyed me. I think he's supposed to come off all funny and sweet, maybe quirky, but I think I would smack him upside the head if I had to put up with him for any length of time. The real surprise here was Lennox Gates - I kind of liked him and found myself rooting for him from the start, even though he's the villain - or is he? Anyhow, I kept hoping Ridley would ditch Link and hook up with Lennox, although I don't think that was the authors' intention. Whatever. Honestly, my feelings about this love triangle lean heavily towards ambivalence - I don't care too much which guy Ridley ends up with, or even if she ends up with neither of them. Now if she ended up with both...that could be interesting! But we are talking YA here, so the chances of that happening are pretty slim.

Will you like this book?

I suppose if you've read the "Beautiful Creatures" series and liked it, you might enjoy "Dangerous Creatures" as well. If you haven't read the first series, however, I wouldn't recommend this one- you'll be as lost as I was.

Will I read more from these authors?

After reading "Dangerous Creatures", I've decided that I'm not interested in reading more of this series or the "Beautiful Creatures" series. They're just not really my thing. However, I might still be inclined to read books from other series by Garcia or Stohl, depending on if the synopsis intrigues me.

Ridley Duchannes is a bad girl, the absolute worst. A siren with enough juice to persuade anyone to do as she bids, she's out for her own. But after losing a poker game, she's in a world of s***e and she can't seem to get out on her own. Wesley "Link" Lincoln just wants to make it big in the big bad city. Off to New York to start a new band (or join a band) on his way to fame and success. Link, though, is a southern gentleman at heart and he also really wants to be with Ridley. Can the two love birds make it work or are they going to crash and burn in NYC?

I've been avoiding writing this particular review because I have only negative things to say. I hate writing negative reviews on books I got just to review. X_X I might as well get it over with, right? Ridley and Link are just the same as they have always been, but we get a few new cast members here. I honestly won't go into details about them because I didn't love any of them and that's part of where this series failed as a spin-off. With Beautiful Creatures (and it sequels) I loved most of the characters and generally wanted their success and happiness. Here I was pretty ambivalent about the new people. Hell, I was even a bit ambivalent about Ridley herself. Her determination to remain a "bad" girl and the idea that it was all she was capable of doing drove me freaking nuts. She refuses to even try to be better. And we all know she is capable of more, but she is just so darn stubborn. It really made me sad because I loved Rid in Beautiful Creatures & Beautiful Darkness.

The only cast member I really loved was Link. Sweet, devoted Link. He should irritate me. He's a pretty stereotypical southern boy, but he's got so much charm that it just works somehow. That's probably why I was still rooting for the Rid/Link duo, because I wanted to see him happy. But we don't get that here. This veers straight into love triangle (square) land, with both Ridley and Link finding new love interests, but somehow still being interested in each other. It was a bit confusing because it was clear they were both moving on and then the thing at the end? WTF?

Another issue for me was this was exceedingly boring. I know I received an eARC for review, but I just couldn't get through it. I ended up getting an audiobook copy and listening to it almost entirely that way. Even with audio, it was a struggle to get through. I didn't care about the characters. Without a connection to them, it is hard to muster up emotions about their journey.

Then there is the villian. I won't say who he is, but I'll give you a hint. It's the same one as the previous books, which was another problem for me. How many freaking times do we need to kill this guy?!? And then there is the horrid cliffhanger ending that you don't see coming. You don't see it coming because when it ends, the audiobook still has well over an hour of time left (which is obnoxiously filled with excepts from Kami's & Margaret's other books). But the thing is over and it is a cliffhanger from hell and I wanted to punch my computer when it happened.

I know I am OCD about finishing series, especially ones that I once loved, but I don't know that I will read any more of these books. Things for me starting going downhill in Beautiful Chaos and they have just kept rolling downwards. This was no improvement. I wouldn't say it's a bad story, but I've come to expect more out of Ridley and she just doesn't delivery. Maybe you'll love it to bits, but it just pissed me off.

****Thank you to Little, Brown Books For Young Readers for providing me with an eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review****

When I found out that Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl were writing a new series in the Caster world about Link and Ridley, I literally ran around my dorm squealing. I kid you not. I ran up and down the hall trying to find someone who could share in the excitement with me. Of course, there was no one so I just had to share my epic fangirling with random people who had no idea what I was talking about. I absolutely loved Link and Ridley in the Caster Chronicles and knowing they'd be getting their own series filled me with so much joy.

After reading the prequel novella, Dangerous Dream, I knew that Dangerous Creatures was going to be completely different from Beautiful Creatures but still completely awesome. After reading it, I can happily say it lived up to my high expectations.

Dangerous Creatures picks up at the end of the summer, when Lena and Ethan are heading off to college, Liv and John are headed to England, and Link and Ridley are off to start a new adventure in New York City. At the end of Beautiful Redemption, we're not left with much knowledge of what the future held for these characters, and it was really great to see what they were up to, if only for a little while in the beginning.

After the gang said goodbye, Link and Ridley jumped straight into their adventure - traveling to New York City and into the mess Ridley created over the summer. It was really interesting to get more of Ridley's voice in Dangerous Creatures. While she was present pretty often in the Caster Chronicles, those books were all from Ethan's perspective, and Ridley is certainly one character who presents herself differently from how she is on the inside. I always felt like Ridley had a lot more dimension to her than what she presented in the previous books but actually experiencing her inner thoughts and doubts gave her even more depth and interest in the story. In the Caster Chronicles, I'm not sure I ever thought Ridley could make me tear up, but she felt so much and it translated really well through her perspective.

Besides Ridley just being as awesome as always, she's got a great set of "friends" with her. There's Link, who I've always loved as a guy who's funny and kind of dim-witted sometimes. And let me just tell you something about Link - his lyrics are AMAZING. Seriously. If you didn't see my tweets about these lyrics, here's just one example:

"Butcher my heart, fillet my soul, and when I bleed, sop it up with your roll."

Absolutely brilliant.

One awesome new character is Nox. At first he is such a mystery but we gradually get to see more and more about him in the story. I really liked seeing the relationship with him and Ridley grow, although I think I'm still firmly planted as Team Link. All the other band members introduced in Dangerous Creatures were awesome as well, especially because they helped to show Ridley's growth as a person.

Some general complaints I've seen about Beautiful Creatures, although I'm inclined to disagree, are that the book is too slow and drags. What I can tell you about Dangerous Creatures, in comparison, is that it definitely does not drag. Ridley Duchannes is sassy and strong and sensitive and stubborn and she doesn't take anything slow. Besides Ridley's personality propelling the story, it just makes sense that a story set in the bustling metropolis of New York City would have a faster pace than one set in the sleepy town of Gatlin, South Carolina.

So, one question you might have right now is, "Do I need to read the Caster Chronicles series to understand Dangerous Creatures?" To answer this question, I will say no, you definitely don't need to read it but, as a huge fan of the series, I will recommend it. There's a lot of background about the Caster world that isn't necessary explained in full depth in Dangerous Creatures. While the lack of in depth background doesn't take away from the story, having the background makes it even more enjoyable.

While I think reading the Caster Chronicles is not necessary before reading Dangerous Creatures, I highly recommend reading Dangerous Dream, the prequel novella, beforehand. Dangerous Dream is basically the inciting incident to the events in Dangerous Creatures - it sets up a lot of what happens in Dangerous Creatures. What happens in the novella is touched on but not in the detail that I would have wanted if I hadn't read the novella.

All in all, Dangerous Creatures was awesome, and I have to say that I definitely liked it more than the Caster Chronicles. I just really love Ridley - she's awesome! I highly recommend Dangerous Creatures to people who like fantasy and magic because this book is definitely packed full of it. This was such a fast read and I had so much fun throughout the whole story.

The gang is splitting apart. Ethan and Lena are off to college. John and Liv are off to England (And if Rid and Link get a spin-off surely these two will as well. Right? Right?). Link has told his mother he’s attending a bible college, but he’s really headed to NYC to make his way as a musician, despite the fact that his plan is to sleep out of his car. Ridley hops along for the ride, and while she hooks Link up with a band, there’s more going on than meets the eye.

Spin-offs can be hard, even with characters as beloved as Ridley and Link in the original series. For one, I commend Garcia and Stohl for giving Rid and Link’s journey it’s own setting. I also enjoy the new cast of characters we’ve been introduced to, even if I would have liked some more time to get to know them. At the same time, I miss the gothic-feeling South that I fell in love with in the first place with this series.

The plot here could feel almost too fast-paced at times. In the way that events are happening without all the proper motivation or justification, but it wasn’t too far over that line. I guess I wanted a little more time to grow into our new settings, even if they will probably change by the next book. We’ll see how I feel about our villain as the series goes on. Right now, I’m not necessarily digging it. It feels kind of stretched. The emotional stakes feel much more real than the supernatural ones.

There were things in this novel that were set up and never came to fruition. Early in the book Lena connects all the friends, but when Rid and Link get into some hot water there is never any indication she knows something is wrong. On one hand I like that Lena and Ethan don’t come in and save the day as a deus ex machina. Rid and Link get to do their thing. But on the other hand, why is this set up if we’re not going to use it? I can only assume it will show up in the following novels, which there will be.

Really what was great about this novel was Ridley’s growth, even if some of her backstory given in Dangerous Creatures seemed to clash somewhat with what I remembered from the Caster Chronicles. For instance, this novel hints to her dark nature even before her claiming, when I thought the previous backstory had her going dark as coming out of the blue. But it’s been a while. Please correct me if I’m wrong! Regardless, I’m enjoying watching her change and evolve as a character, and more as a person.

There is absolutely no rejecting that Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl seized the YA world by storm when Beautiful Creatures initially hit shelves back in 2009, and their fanbase only continued to grow with each instalment in the series. Ever since the writers concluded their Beautiful Creatures series in 2012, BC devotees have remained desperate for more.

Garcia and Stohl have finally answered fans and their latest book, in the follow-up series to BC, Danergous Creatures goes on sale May 20th. I am exceedingly pleased to report that I unconditionally loved the start to what is surely to be another splendid series from these two authors. In my opinion I think it may even turn out to be better than Beautiful Creatures iself!

This book was truly a whirlwind and rollercoaster of feels superbly put together. I am excited to see what is in store for Ridley and Link and what adventures they end up on. Do go buy it when the book is out! I am eagerly awaiting the next instalment in the remarkable series.

An Advanced Readers Copy was provided by the publisher in return for an honest review.

AudioBook Review:
Stars: Overall 3 Narration 4 Story 3

I will admit that I didn’t despise Beautiful Creatures, I found it better than the film, and the narration, twists and turns it held my interest and felt particularly appropriate for a teen story. The authors have taken a particularly difficult and interesting character from the original story, and given her a story to herself.

Ridley, Lena’s slightly older cousin and best friend until the Choosing, Ridley is a dark caster: unapologetically devious, manipulative and at odds with most of her family. After the serious show-down at the end of Beautiful Creatures, Ridley had been using Linc, Ethan’s best friend and wanna-be rockstar. The two had developed a ‘relationship’ of sorts, more Linc being in constant thrall, even though Ridley isn’t wasting a ton of energy on keeping him interested.

Instead, Ridley has issues of her own to deal with: an inability to pay back the last 2 markers lost to the dark caster in a card game – the story, ostensibly, is going to focus on Riley’s struggle to maintain her relationship and settle this problem with the debt she owes. But sadly, the story seemed to circle around a crisis of confidence that Riley is in the middle of, and NEVER seems to recover from.
The love-hate relationship between Riley and Linc is far less predominant: Linc is about 7 ants short of a picnic, he does LOTS of utterly inane and stupid things. And his music? Not wonderful. We won’t discuss his “ode” to a meatball sub, his songwriting is childish and horrible. But, in the few scenes with them in Beautiful Creatures, their moments were full of tension and wit, you could feel Riley’s patience wearing thin with his antics. Here, it is Riley who devolves into the clingy, childish and annoying one in the relationship: WHEN did she lose that confidence and edge?

From losing that edge that gave Riley her appeal – Riley then loses her strength and appeal as she turns into a tiny teenaged emo girl, with little to no fun and edge left. AND then we have the “love triangle” that is tossed into the mix. Now, I’m not saying that it isn’t a wonderful plotting device and can give some real insight into character’s thoughts and heart – but here it just didn’t serve much of a purpose. Linc is essentially missable in this story he’s not grown or changed since leaving friends behind: he will be the guy reliving his high school years at the reunion years from now: with little to nothing having changed. And Nox at least had an edge that COULD have brought some interest back into the story, but aside from adding a speedbump into what had become a fairly stagnant plot, it just did not work.

Narration in this story is provided by Khristine Hvam and she manages to bring a solid performance, giving appropriate vocal nuances and change in pacing and delivery to present each character. They were distinct and easy to understand, without feeling over-presented or over-acted. Her delivery of the story felt proper and right, and this will leave me thinking positively about other titles she has narrated.

I didn’t love this story, it felt stagnated and circling, and took the sparkle out of a character that I found intriguing and interesting, if not always likable. I did find there were some elements added that didn’t seem to further this story or Riley’s situation, and there were more unanswered questions and no resolution to the initial issue of the markers. I can only hope that they will be resolved in further books.
Those who enjoyed the Beautiful Creatures series, and have followed it through to its conclusion should find enjoyment in this series.

I received an AudioBook copy of the title from Hachette Audio for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

I received Dangerous Creatures in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Sometimes you pick up a book just because you can’t resist. That’s what happened when I requested an ARC of Dangerous Creatures. I loved the world that Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl created in the Caster Chronicles series. The Dangerous Creatures series is a spin-off of that series. I hesitated for a millisecond before I picked this one up, only because I’ve only read the first book in the previous series. I knew going in that I would inevitably run across some spoilers and that there would be times that I would be lost. Do I regret my decision to pick up Dangerous Creatures before catching up with the rest of the Caster Chronicles series? Maybe just a teeny, tiny bit, but not enough to not want to get my hands on the next book in this series as soon as it’s available. (More on that later….)

There was a lot to like about Dangerous Creatures. There were more than a few characters that were familiar and some that weren’t. Even if I hadn’t read Beautiful Creatures, I would have been fine picking up Dangerous Creatures. There’s enough back story to keep new readers in the loop. There were parts that were border line silly, but those moments didn’t last long because there were life and death moments that followed. Link and Ridley were an interesting pair to say the least. The ‘friends’ that they made in New York were even more interesting. This book had twists, turns and then came right back to where you were in the beginning. I loved every minute of it!

Ridley pretty much broke my heart in Dangerous Creatures. She took things for granted, she wasn’t perfect, but she also didn’t feel like she deserved anything beyond what she received. She made a lot of bad decisions, but she also cared a lot more than she wanted to admit.

This is one of those books that merit a re-read. I’m sure that I’ll get a lot more out of it the next time I read it, which will probably happen after I finish the Caster Chronicles series. One thing that reading Dangerous Creatures did was make me want to go back and play catch up. If you decide to pick this one up, which I highly recommend, play close attention to the flash back scenes. They’re not just filler, they reveal more than you think…. trust me, you can thank me later.

As for the way things end? Oh, I won’t spoil that for you. All I’ll say is that it’s been a while since I read a book that ended leaving my jaw dropping as much as Dangerous Creatures did. I’m still trying to wrap my head around the way the authors left things…. Repeat after me “Authors Are Evil.”

As any of my book friends will tell you, I was a HUGE advocate for Beautiful Creatures. Anyone who knows me knows two things about me. First, I love everything about the American South. The history, lifestyle, the culture: it's home to me so I love anything that has to do with it. Secondly, when it comes to paranormal stuff, Witches are my thing. I love magic, can't ever read enough about it. Beautiful Creatures was the perfect series for me, it encompassed EVERYTHING I love in one 4 novel series. You can only imagine how excited I was when I discovered that a spin-off series was in the works!

So far as the novel itself, I will start out with my very few criticisms before I love on to the awesome parts of it. My biggest criticism was that this book was really nothing like the Beautiful Creatures series, but not in a bad way. Dangerous Creatures takes place in a whole different world than it's predecessor. New York City. It's loud, it's dangerous, it's new, flashy, and full of excitement. Nothing like Gatlin, South Carolina. I guess I was just so used to the setting of the first series that it was really hard for me to adjust to Caster life in the big city. At times it felt overwhelming, much like NYC really can be to a small-town nobody, I am sure. Whereas the first series had to develop the entire Caster world, this one jumped right in with little to no description of the Caster world. Usually I would have really liked that, but I feel like it could have been off putting for someone who hadn't read Beautiful Creatures. Even I, as someone who read and loved the BC, series, was a little lost about some things, seeing as it has been over a year since I was inside the Caster world.

Now I realize I shouldn't be comparing the two series, but it is really difficult not to.

Onto more exciting and positive things: the characters. From the very beginning, when we first meet Wesley Lincoln, I was a fan. He has always been a favorite character of mine, while Ridley Duchannes was always kind of "meh". Link has always been a fun, determined, best-friend kind of character that I always really appreciated. On the opposite side of the spectrum, I have always seen Ridley as a brat and never really liked her, even after she became a big part of the BC series. Funny enough, this novel turned that on it's head. By the time the ending came, Ridley was my favorite character and I was completely fed up with the antics of Link. I am beginning to wonder if that was the point! I would have never expected that my views on the Rid-Link relationship would have changed, but in comes Lennox Gates and blew my thought process right out of the water. All I am going to say, without giving spoilers is that I am not Team Rid-Nox! Secondary characters such as Necro (a Necromancer), Floyd (an Illusionist), and Sampson (a Darkborn) really added to the story in ways I wouldn't have imagined! I really liked that this novel didn't have SUCH a large cast of characters, making it much more intimate and easier to keep up with.

Lots and lots of reviews I have read are ripping this story a new one and downing it because of the "cliff-hanger" ending. I, on the other hand, loved it! It definitely makes me want more! I know this is the first book in a planned series, but I cannot find any information about the next books! I will be sure to update and keep you guys in the loop as soon as I learn more!

All-in-all, this book is a must read for any fans of the Beautiful Creatures series. Kami and Margaret have done it again with their rare brand of storytelling: the drama, the darkness, the laughs and the excitement that only the story of a Siren and a "one-quarter Incubus/Mortal-Hybrid" can bring! I am anxiously awaiting book two!

Ridley, Leah, Link and the Gatlin Gang of partial mortals have finished high school and prepare to leave their small-town world behind. Ridley and Link head north to NYC so Link can find himself a band and get busy getting famous. Ridley, well, she's in a bit of hot water with a wager-gone-wrong. She has to provide a drummer for a Caster band in New York, or face the wrath of nightclub owner and Dark Caster Lennox Gates.

They arrive in NYC and meet up with the remnants of Devil's Hangmen, Sampson, Necro and Floyd. And, to Ridley's great chagrin, Link fits into the band too well. Floyd, who happens to be an adorable Illusionist, is not shy about sharing her attraction to Link...expect the usual salty exchanges and claw sharpening.

Bringing Link, a partial Incubus, to Lennox's Dark Caster club gets Ridley all tweaked out. She knows the danger he faces among full-blodded supernaturals and fears for his safety. It also doesn't help that Lennox is happy to insinuate himself between herself and her Shrinky Dink. (Yeah, these kids have a lotta 'pet names' for each other. I ain't going into Link's food-based song lyrics, but they help ground the story firmly in the YA category...)

Seems Lennox has a problem, a powerful adversary that is demanding to be avenged, and Lennox must collect the two people who ticked off his tormenter: Ridley and Link. He will, of course, except that he knows Ridley's fate. Part of his gift is Sight, and he has seen how Sirens are treated in Caster society. His mother was one, after all. Meanwhile, Lennox is drawn to Ridley--and hopes he can save her from his tormentor's captivity if only she'd drop Link. After all, that dude is a Dead Man Walking in the Caster realm.

The story is fast-paced with the usual juvenile misunderstandings and new adult wanderings for a life long-dreamed-for, but little-planned. I must say, I enjoyed Ridley. She is completely self-aware of her shallowness, insofar as she finds herself totally unlovable and isolates herself to protect her heart. She loves Link, but she can't bring herself to acknowledge this and risk further vulnerability. Link, on the other hand, is ecstatic over his new band--and their success--he's sure Ridley is just being mean when she tells him his adoring audience was being Charmed. Still, he loves her. He just can't deal with her fears--she's sure they are in great danger--and her manipulations--she totally lied about how he got hooked up with the band. Lennox is wealthy and sophisticated and everything Link is not, but will he win Ridley away in time to save her? Also, Link's execution is all but planned--and from the last Caster either Ridley or Link could have suspected. In fact, Lennox risks his own life in order to tip them off.

While the book has a resolution, the story is clearly unfinished. Without question Lennox will be made to pay for his (well-meant) treachery and Link and Ridley can't seem to get far enough out of the line of fire to prevent attack. I enjoyed the ride, and am sure that fans of earlier books will laud the "Link and Ridley" story for which they clamored. Considering all the romantic tension and simmering desire, the book is wholly innocent with only a few kisses to propel the love stories...so it's safe for all YA readers.

Having not read the BEAUTIFUL CREATURES books, I was still able to get into this spinoff series. All the main players are quickly introduced and all backstory details highlighted without bogging down the book. I received a review copy of this book via NetGalley

This book had good and bad elements. I appreciated the insight into Ridley's complicated mind and past, and although her actions are sometimes unpredictable, that is representative of who she is, and has been in the story. Link in the other hand didn't get treated with the same character development. He still seems like the same side character he was, no change, growing, or interest, really. I wasn't charmed by him at all, he seemed more like furniture. I was completely rooting for the new love interests to take hold and spin us on a new direction, and maybe they will. I was annoyed at the end *spoiler alert* when Rid and Link so quickly went back to each other, I was hoping they would show some deeper feeling and reflect upon how that changed them- you know, basic lit 101 stuff. My last complaint is that the book was really very short. The authors didnt have time to develop the characters and the plot line in the same manner that they did In the preceding series. I wish that they had taken more time and care with this book.

It seems like so many authors take advantage of the sequel opportunity to make money, and don't really have great ideas or a fully developed story line. This book would never have become the hit that the beautiful creatures series was, the quality is not at all equal. Hopefully Kami and Margaret step it up for the rest of the series. I will read.

I took a longer time finishing this book, because I was juggling this, watching OUAT series and playing Assassins Creed on Vita. HAHA. But anyway, this book is kinda like the side book for the Beautiful Creatures series. Remember Ridley and Link? Well, ofcourse they get to have their own story too. Admittedly, I have ALWAYS love Ridley. I always thought she was misunderstood. And hey, Sirens. WOW, hehe eventhough they're evil, but still, you get to have EVERY guy at your disposal. MMMMM. Anyway, so yes, this new series (Yes, it's another series.) is about Ridley and Link's story. And honestly, them breaking up is even more heartbreaking than Ethan and Lena's breakup. Sigh. ANYWAY, this story is as predicted, all Ridley awesome hehehe. But obviously, she's in a much horrible predicament than ever. And you'll meet more characters that you'll love, and hate too. Like, I so love Necro and Sampson, but I HATE FLOYD. And the ending. WHAT IS WITH THE ENDING!? Like, NUUUUU, what happened!? I need need need need the next book. Like, NOW. :(

Wonderful spin off about two supporting characters from the original series Beautiful Creatures. Insight into Ridley, the Dark Caster Siren with a heart of pure light & her half Mortal, half Incubus, wanna-be rock star, boy-toy, boyfriend Link. After Gatlin High's Senior Graduation the two set off to make Link's dreams come true in New York City. But New York isn't just a dangerous place for mortals, even those gifted or cursed with dark magic must be wary in this deadly city. When Link finds himself headlining at a hot new underground dark caster club Ridley knows something about the arrangement just doesn't add up. Ridley is no heroine and she'll be the first to tell you that she can't be trusted, but Ridley is determined not to blow it with the first guy she has ever truly carried for. When she discovers that Link has a price on his head that no mortal & no caster could ever be able to pay-off she realizes that it's worse than even she could have imagined. What's a Siren to do when the boy she loves was foolish enough to do something as stupid as fall in love with her too? This book was hard to put down once I started reading it, I hope the authors continue the spinoff with a few more tales of the turbulent dark-crossed lovers.

When the group splits up and heads off to College, Ridley and Link head to New York. Link hopes to make it big as a drummer, but Ridley has more pressing matters to attend to — particularly, the two markers she’s lost to Lennox Gates, a rich teenage Caster with eyes for her.

This first book in the sequel series to Dangerous Creatures is pretty disappointing. I found myself reading on mainly for Lennox Gates’ character — he was just as teenager-ish as the rest of the cast but he worked out to be rather interesting because the authors made sure to add a lot of mystery to him. He has great chemistry with Ridley despite the awkward dialogue that ran the length of the book, and he is the kind of smouldering dark character that attracts a lot of attention (mine included, of course.)

Unfortunately, the story itself was deeply flawed. Dialogue was weak, leaving snappy lines awkward and lacking bite:

Sampson ignored him and glanced back at Necro. Then he looked Floyd dead in the eye. “I don’t know how to help her but I can tell you who did this to her.”

"Who?" Floyd swallowed.

"More like what," Sampson said. (p178)

and

The bald guy turned even redder beneath his tats. “No? How about this? Here’s your big break. Only it’s for your head. I know because I’ll be the one doing the breaking.” (109)

None of this is tongue-in-cheek, in case you thought it was.

Plotlines were raised and dropped, and many points were disregarded later on in the story. Ridley says she went to museums while in Europe, and when Link mockingly says she would never go to a museum, she tells him off by accurately describing spray-paint art as Dali-inspired work. However, later on, when Nox tries to take her to the museum, she scoffs at the idea and states that she would never be found in one.

Ridley’s on-and-off friendship with Necro is jarring and feels unrealistic. The very first day they meet, Ridley and Necro fight viciously, and yet roughly one to two days later, Necro is helping Ridley get to her place of work, and just as suddenly, a day or so later, Ridley is marking Necro as a traitor. The relationship moves too quickly to be believable. This same timing issue also occurs between Sampson and Link — why do the girls wait through several days of the two boys bickering to tell Link that Sampson could crush his bones with his bare hands? Why wouldn’t Link be warned immediately, especially by Floyd, who shows intense romantic interest in Link, and would probably not want him to get hurt?

Reading this story without having read the original series, it was also hard to understand what kept Link and Ridley together — he seems to be devoted to her entirely. Link enjoys talking with Floyd, but it never hits flirtation levels on his end. While Ridley seems to reciprocate, her behavior throughout the story makes it seem like they aren’t a very good fit. She constantly yells at and uses Link, even though she feels bad about it, and fails to correct her errors.

It was also disappointing to see how, despite the fact that there were so many girls in the story, more interactions were threats against touching each other’s love interests than about working together to stop the main villain (who doesn’t make a real entrance at any point—the whole book is a redemption story for Nox, and badly done). Scenes where Ridley speaks with the other girls about something unrelated to boys are few and far between. One of the highlights of the book was such a scene, where Ridley is telling Lena a story about Sirens. The way she discovers and deals with her fears of intimacy due to what she is was pretty well set out — the way she treats Link and her attraction to Nox are both indicators of Ridley’s relationship with and fear of losing her powers. If there had been more of this soul-searching in relation to her friendships with girls as well as her love interests instead of the surface-skimming “friendships” made between Floyd, Necro, and Ridley (which felt superficial), the story could have been a lot more interesting. I want to see Ridley rip herself open, now that she’s away from Gatlin, and I want to see her face her fears under duress, both embracing and shivering under the weight of her abilities. Instead, she’s just toyed with while attempting to do the toying, and she’s saved instead of saving herself. All of her independence and ability is lost in the mess of teenage romance.

If you’ve already read and enjoyed the original Casters Chronicles books, there’s a possibility that this spinoff will be a treat. However, for those who don’t like YA paranormal romance a la Twilight , you can skip this series. You won’t be missing much.

2.5 Stars.

There wasn't necessarily anything wrong with this book, it just wasn't for me. Ridley was a lot less likable than I remembered - I felt like her characterization was inconsistent, and she came off as a bit whiney. I also thought that Nox x Ridley was a lot more compelling than Link x Ridley, but I didn't particularly want her to be with either guy. Plot-wise, there was one thing that was mentioned a few times and seemed like it was going to be a huge part of the plot, but nothing really happened with it. I'm sure it will become a plot point in later books, but it seemed pointless to include it so much in this story. I also am not a fan of huge cliffhanger endings, so the ending turned me off of the book more than I already was.
This book was a disappointment to me since I've enjoyed Ridley and Link previously, but I'm sure many fans of the full Beautiful Creatures series will enjoy it.

After having mixed feelings about the Beautiful Creatures series, I wasn’t sure if I should give Dangerous Creatures a shot. But with the focus being on Ridley, who was easily my favorite character from the Beautiful Creatures series, I couldn’t get around it, and had to read this. Unfortunately, the book never really delivers on its promise, and the promise we’ve been expecting since first meeting this unlikely couple in the Beautiful Creatures series. Ridley never quite regains the spark she had in the previous series, Link never redeems himself nor does he become anything more than the insecure boy he is in the first series, and their relationship feels forced. Not what I’d expected or hoped.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I liked seeing Link and Rid again :).

The book started out slow and choppy. I was about to hang it up but held out and am glad I did. It really pucker up and began to flow nicely.

We start out with the gang getting together one last time before going off to college. Lena casts a binding spell around them and magically rings are formed in the fire for each of them.

The next morning Rid heads to Link's to say bye. Link and his mom are arguing in the driveway. Ridley ticks off his mom by planting a sexy kiss on him. He has his mom thinking he's headed to a Christian college when he's really going to NYC. Ridley catches up with him and they go together.

This is all part of Ridley's plan. She has a gambling debt she gas to fulfill. She owes a drummer (Link) and has an open marker.

Great story as Rid lies and Link catches on.

The last third of the read is very interesting and exciting.

After reading Dangerous Creatures i would highly recommend this book for anyone that likes a little mystery, romance and adventure. Ridley comes to small little town of Gatlin with a big secret but her wannabe rocker boyfriend Link does not care and takes her out for a journey to follow his rock star dream. but what they both did not realize is that New York is a dangerous place and links band mates had a horrible that put a big target on Link.
There's a mythological aspect to the book as well Ridley is the "dark" force in the book but she has her Heroes journey throughout the whole book for leaving Gatlin going to New York and finding her siren urges to figure out what bad things could be coming over Links head.

That cliff hanger. WOW. Be ready for it!

I was not as much of a fan of this book as I have been the rest of them. Getting to know Ridley was nice and her and Link having their own story is always helpful in growing the story, but it just wasn't the same as the others.

Okay, just had to get that out of the way.

This book almost literally picks up where "Beautiful Redemption" leaves off. We get a brief, but satisfying glimpse of the main players from the "Beautiful" series with quick explanation of where they are headed now that the summer after graduation is ending. The story then moves to concentrate on what may be the two most interesting characters in the series' Universe, Ridley and the quarter Incubus Link. The "I hate loving you" relationship is expanded here with interesting results. Ridley is the driver of the story, not unexpectedly she has gotten herself into a bad situation that seems to have no escape.

The evolution of Ridley as a character from the more or less two dimensional Siren of the "Beautiful" series to a fully fleshed out, likable albeit frustrating focus is wonderful to read. Link get less of an arc, but his character was already far more fleched out in the previous series. One can almost see the changes being wrought as the pages pass. There are some very interesting, if not fully drawn new characters, although it seems unlikely that they will be a regular part of the new series.

The cliff hanger is incredibly frustrating, as they are supposed to be. The only one in the "Beautiful" series that can compare is that found at the end of "Beautiful Chaos" and even that open ending had been somewhat telegraphed throughout the book. The ending here, in "Dangerous Creatures" simply appears fully formed.

It is going to be a long year waiting to see the resolution in the next book of this new series.

Here we go...back in the world of Casters! This time, Dangerous Creatures is the start of Ridley and Link's story. I totally enjoyed these two characters in The Caster Chronicles, where I was first introduced to these them in a little place called Gatlin. Now, high school is over, and everyone is off to follow their dreams. But, as for Ridley and Link, that meant going to New York! As they start their adventures in New York, trouble also follows...or is already waiting for them.

Read the full review at: http://moviesshowsnbooks.blogspot.com/2014/07/my-thoughts-dangerous-creatures-by-kami.html

If you are a fan or not of the Caster series you must read Dangerous Creatures. What more could you want out of a story that has Link and Ridley in it. Link and Ridley in their off/on relationship go to New York to follow Link's dream of being in a band. What could go wrong with a incubus and a siren well when the siren's name is Ridley then everything. I enjoyed reading Dangerous Creatures. Great spin-off and I cannot wait to read more.

I really enjoyed Ridley and Link in the Caster Chronicles and was so happy to learn that they had their own series! Reading about Link and Ridley's journey and love story was fun, sad at times, but always passionate! I can't wait to read the next installment to see what happens!!

Dangerous Creatures is the first book in a spin-off series of The Caster Chronicles more commonly known as the Beautiful Creatures series. It follows two of the side characters from the original series Ridley Duchannes, and Wesley Lincoln.

One of the nice things about this book is it gives you a peek inside of Ridley’s head. In the Beautiful Creatures series you see her as she shows herself to everyone. In Dangerous Creatures, you get to see who she really is and all the thoughts and feelings that make up why she does what she does as her and Links relationship goes up and down in this book.

Lastly, while I feel its kind of important to mention this does end in a cliffhanger the story was all around good and I would readily recommend it to a friend.

Going in I knew this book focused mostly on Link and Ridley , instead of the main characters from the previous books Lena and Ethan.But for me, they just weren't as easy to connect with.I didn't really find myself caring about what would happen to them.I really wanted to, but even the ending left me more annoyed than excited about the next installment..SPOILER ALERT: major to be continued ending.It is technically however,a decently written book, just never grabbed me..I may try some of their other books ..maybe I'm just tired of this storyline.