Review: Transcendent: Tales of the Paranormal

Transcendent: Tales of the Paranormal by Lani Woodland, Melonie Piper, Rita J. Webb, Wendy Swore, Melanie Marks, Heather McCubbin, and Evan Joseph

*** I received this book from one of the authors in exchange for an honest review.

Amazon Product Description:
Discover the secrets of a siren, fly with a hawk girl over the mountains of Montana, and flee supernatural party-crashers as the décor comes to life in this magical journey through paranormal stories. Along the way, watch for ghosts in a haunted house, or ride through the moonlight with a stranger. Save a comatose boy who has lost his soul, and don’t forget to bring your garlic and wolfsbane—you never know when the shadows will snag you. Transcendent includes eight stories of magic, love, death, and choice by some of the newest names in young adult fiction.
My thoughts:
This is a fantastic collection of short paranormal stories.  Each one stands alone as a great quick read.  I usually find myself choosing a favorite story or author when I read a collection such as this, but with this book I found that I enjoyed each story as much as the one before it. I thought that each story was my favorite until I read the next one.  Each story is one of dreams and desires, longing and loss, hope and expectation.  This is a great introduction into YA paranormal.
     The book begins with Seduction of a Siren by Lani Woodland and Melonie Piper.  The characters are great, the story is entertaining and creative, and the ending is clever.  I loved the message that there is more to someone than what meets the eye.
     The next story: Feather by Rita J. Webb, is an interesting tale of heritage and dreams.  I am shifter fan and this is a nicely done piece.  
     Spectre by Wendy Swore is next and is one of the the only non-romance type stories in the collection.  This one has a bit of the creepy, horror feel to it.  It's a little twisted from reality, with a tinge of Cinderella story gone scary.  
     Shadows of Promise by Heather McCubbin is sort of a romance, but truly this one is a ghost story.  The characters are well-done and the story is smooth and entertaining.  It wasn't what I expected as I started reading it.
     Pumpkin Thief by Evan Joseph is the best re-make of the legend I have read.  (Sounds odd, but I don't want to give too much away).  Completely enjoyed it.
     Strike by Wendy Swore and Rita J. Webb is next and will continue to entertain and enthrall.  This is clever, creative, and new in idea from the normal YA paranormal I read. 
     Ryan's Wish by Melanie Marks is a dark love story.  I enjoyed the read, but found myself saddened by lost love and desperate dreams - although buoyed by new hopes. 
     Kiss of Death by Lani Woodland and Melonie Piper is the final installment in this fabulous collection and is a wonderful story.  It is a little twist of fate, cheat death kind of a read.  
***all in all - I enjoyed each story completely and would recommend this to young readers, all lovers of YA, and any one who is looking for a well-written, fast read.