Hell Bent

Broken Magic #1

by Devon Monk

Instead of the deadly force it once was, magic is now a useless novelty. But not for Shame Flynn and Terric Conley, “breakers” who have the gift for reverting magic back to its full-throttle power. In the magic-dense city of Portland, Oregon, keeping a low profile means keeping their gifts quiet. After three years of dealing with disgruntled magic users, Shame and Terric have had enough of politics, petty magic, and, frankly, each other. It’s time to call it quits.

When the government discovers the breakers’ secret—and its potential as a weapon—Shame and Terric suddenly become wanted men, the only ones who can stop the deadly gift from landing in the wrong hands. If only a pair of those wrong hands didn’t belong to a drop-dead-gorgeous assassin Shame is falling for as if it were the end of the world. And if he gets too close to her, it very well could be....

Genres: Urban Fantasy, Fantasy, Paranormal, Magic, Fiction, Romance, Science Fiction Fantasy

358 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published November 5, 2013

About the author

Devon Monk is a national best selling writer of urban fantasy. Her series include Ordinary Magic, House Immortal, Allie Beckstrom, Broken Magic and Shame and Terric. She also writes the Age of Steam steampunk series, and the occasional short story which can be found in her collection: A Cup of Normal, and in various anthologies. She has one husband, two sons, and lives in Oregon. When not writing, Devon is either drinking too much coffee or knitting silly things.

Reviews

[✘✘ Sarah ✘✘ (former Nefarious Breeder of Murderous Crustaceans) · Rating 2 out of 5]

► BR with my MacHalo Freaks, starting November 1, 2015.

Up until the 80% mark I thought I was going to give this book a 4.5-star rating. Or at least a 4-star one. Up until the 80% mark, I felt like this:



After the 80% mark? I felt like this:



What happened? Let's start with the most heartbreaking part of it all, shall we? Here we go.

Ladies and gentlemen, please meet Shamus Flynn, aka ex book boyfriend #12458 ← can someone please pass the booze? I'm on the verge of tears here. Thank you. Damn I was so in love with Shamus at first. I was so so so in love I wasn't even annoyed that everyone called him Shame. Which, you have to admit, is one of the stupidest nicknames ever. But hey, I was young, naïve, carefree (this was a week ago, I've changed a lot since then) and so so so in love at the time that I couldn't have cared less. So, here I was, happily scheming away, planning Shame's Shamus' abduction and subsequent transfer to my high-security harem, when this happened:



Note to self: DO NOT CONVULSE. DO NOT CONVULSE.

I was still young, naïve, carefree and so so so in love at this point so I thought to myself: "it's okay Sarah, it can't be as bad as it seems. This must be an evil trick of some kind. Surely something will happen. Devon Monk will not let this stand. She will pull a wicked twist out of her sleeve and make all the silly lovey-dovey stuff I need vodka! I need vodka! disappear!" And so I waited. And I waited. And I waited. Called off the goons I had sent to kidnap Shame Shamus and told them to stand by. But things only got worse. WHAT. THE. BLOODY. HELL. DEVON. MONK???????? What the fish were you thinking????!!!!!! How could you have a dark, brooding, woe-is-me, loner of a hot guy fall in fucking instalove with some stupid chick 5 minutes after meeting her for the first time???!!!! OUT OF CHARACTER, does that ring a bell, Devon Monk?! At all?! Obviously not. We wouldn't be here if it did. Bloody hell, woman, to think Shame Shamus had made it to my harem top 10! You ruined him ruined him ruined him ruined him ruined him. SHAME ON YOU! ←yes, I am aware this is a pathetic (yet totally intended) pun. That's the combined effect of grief, sorrow and despair on my two remaining grey cells. Hey Devon Monk, you know what this means, right? Yep, it means I'm pulling my favourite nun on you.



But you know what? My Shame Shamus isn't all that was ruined here. Oh no. Devon Monk also managed to ruin one of the best bromances that ever was. So here we have Shame and Terric: Shame has Death magic and Terric has Life magic and they have a magic bond thing going. So they're pretty close, if against their will. And they don't really get on that well. They are supposed to work together but when the story begins, Shame has been doing the loner thing for a while and hardly ever shows up at work ← and he still gets paid?! Damn, I want that job! Anyway, shit happens and they are more or less forced to work together again. What I really love here is how complex their relationship is. That complexity is partly due to their respective magic (no I'm not about to explain this here, things to do, places to go and all that. If you want to know more about this, just read the bloody book I suck, I know). But it also comes from their past and their reluctance to admit how important they are in each other's lives and that they care for each other. You know what's really cool about their relationship? Terric is gay. And what's so cool about that? The way Devon Monk handled it. No stupid "oooh my friend is gay" crap here. None of the usual gay clichés, either. It's just a story about two guys, it doesn't matter if one of them if gay and the other is straight. Pretty refreshing stuff. Too bad Monk made a mess of it towards the end of the story.



No, Yoda does not approve. So. Terric has been in this abusive relationship with a total dick of a guy for some time. Things escalate but does he do anything about it? Oh now, don't be silly! Why would he do anything when Shame is there to play knight in shining armour and rescue him from Mr Prick! Sigh. You know what bothers me here? It's the whole "poor little gay guy can't fend for himself and needs big bad REAL MAN to come and save him" thing. Pathetic much? Yeah, you could say that. I don't know, maybe I read it all wrong once again. Or maybe I'm reading too much into it. Anyway, one thing is sure, this really makes no sense as far as characterization goes. Why? Because Terric is a pretty tough guy who takes no shit from anyone. Ever. So it's completely out of character for him to behave the way he does here. Sigh.

You'd think Devon Monk would have left it at that. I mean, she'd ruined a potentially AWESOME story already, you wouldn't expect her to make an even bigger mess of it. But, lo and behold, she did! Yay! That final twist? It's probably one of the most pathetic things I've ever read. Manufactured drama, here I come! So ridiculous. Yes, this is a BIG BAD spoiler, do NOT read this if you are planning on reading the book So after realizing he had a heart after all poor old Shamus is a human wreck and out for revenge because you know, his GIRLFRIEND of two hours just died. And he LOVED her so he's out for blood. And the bad guy escaped, too! All set for book 2. GAH. One more cliché and I would have shot myself in the head. You know, Monk had done a pretty good job of ruining Shame's character so far, but this? It really killed it for me. Plain stupid. Completely out of character. Ridiculous. What? I already said that? Well watch me say it again: RIDICULOUS. But. I have to say there is something really positive about this twist. Yes there is. Because reading book 2 is now completely superfluous. Yes it is. Why bother to read it when what is going to happen next is so painfully obvious and predictable? Warning, I'm going to sigh again. SIGH.

Damn. Before writing this review I had given this book a 3-star rating ← I must have been in a really good mood that day. I love the world this story is set in. It has huge potential. But I just can't forgive Devon Monk for ruining it all the way she did. So 2 stars it is.

Shamus Flynn. I wanted your ass. Now you could die and I wouldn't give a damn.

[Liz* Fashionably Late · Rating 2 out of 5]

BR with my ladies.


I was expecting the Grim Reaper with a hangover. All I got was whinny teenager with a stupid name and lots of talking about FEELINGS. Terric was one of the few good moments of the book but the whole incident he was involved in seemed pointless to me.

The first half of this books was amazing, Shamus (ugh) was a sexy rebel with the power to kill everything around him. By the time I finished it, Shamus' moaning plus the insta-love drained me of the will to live.

[Brandi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hell Bent is a spin-off of Monk's Allie Beckstrom series, and I can't even find the words to explain my joy about this. The main characters in this one feature one of my all time favorites, Shamus (Shame) Flynn. Shame was one of those characters that you just wanted more from, and every single scene they were in you couldn't help but be distracted from the main character in order to follow along with what was happening with him (you know the type), and when I learned that there was to be a series set in Allie's world I was pretty excited (huge fan of that series) but when I found out it was centered around Shame?! I died a little.

This story starts off a few years after the magical apocalypse in the last Allie book, but if you haven't read that series you'll be able to pick this up easily, so don't worry about picking this up fresh. Shame and Terric had been put in charge of the Authority, but Shame is struggling- badly, with what had happened to him. Magic has changed him to such a degree that he doesn't always feel human and all the drinking in the world isn't dulling his pain. The ghost of the woman he killed still haunts him, literally, and he's fairly falling apart because of his guilt.

Shame isn't your typical hero at all, in fact, it's a fair statement to say he's the opposite. He's one of the most powerful magic users in the world but has perfected the art of lazy and irresponsible(lol). Terric, who is his soul compliment and a whole other issue for Shame, is the one people go to and seen as in charge. Terric is the opposite of Shame in looks as well as manners and personality. Shame is dark and carries Death magic; Terric is light and carries Life magic. Terric and Shame's relationship has confused me since Allie's series since Ter is gay and Shame is not, but there was always some kind of hinting about their feelings for each other. Happily that was explained in this book and I can finally know where they stand with each other.

I don't really know how to do this story justice at the moment, both because I'm far off my writing game, and because I'm a massive fan of Devon Monk's. I just love the way she writes, it's fast-paced, humorous, original, and unputdownable! It's a word.

I highly recommend this series to all UF lovers, and even those who didn't get past the first Allie book (first book syndrome, and admittedly some questionable romantic situations), but if you don't know the magic that is Shame you are missing out! Here are a few of the quotes from early in the book:

I'd put in a solid year of civic-mindedness before deciding I am not a people person and am more suited for darkness, destruction, and the slow madness of trying not to give a damn.

A lot of people were alive right now because I'd had the brains to stop punching the time clock.

Eyes snapped open: Jesus, the light! Every damn window poured full-watt sunlight into the room. It was daymageddon in here.

Even though I don't like Terric, it's not because he's a bad man. Quite the opposite: I am.

I thought about calling the cops to ticket him for it. Imagined how angry he would be. Smiled. Closed my eyes again.

Anther price I paid for casting magic? Terric's nagging.

I bit down on a smile. My bad habit of arguing with police officers had never once worked out in my favor.

"Set me free and we can bribe each other like adults," I said with a smile.

[Catherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm in a love book coma right now. I can't say or type anything for fear of exploding or turning to dust. Devon Monk is my hero.

[Ferdy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Spoilers

-I didn't like this as much as the Allie Beckstrom books, it wasn't as fun or engrossing. My main problem was the main character, Shame, I loved him as a side character and was looking forward to his spin off but he turned out be a rather rubbish MC.

-The majority of the book consisted of Shame moaning about his Death magic, how he was so dangerous, and how he couldn't control his evul powers. When he wasn't whining he was spending his time either smoking, drinking coffee, or wearing his sunglasses — the repetitiveness of his actions and his constant whinging was irritating.

-I rolled my eyes at the amount of times Shame was drugged, shot at, or tasered… He was meant to be a scary badarse but that was hard to believe considering how many times people got the better of him.

-Why did Shame keep saying mate and love all the time? It didn't make him sound Irish or British… If anything he sounded pretentious.

-Terric was a decent enough character, his boyfriend Jerome was a wanker though. One thing that bugged me about Terric was him not realising Jerome was using him, his friends kept warning him but the idiot wouldn't listen… His idiocy when it came to Jerome seemed out of character considering how intelligent and emotionally sound he was meant to be.

-I felt sorry for Eleanor being stuck with misery guts, Shame, forever. He killed her and because of that her ghost was attached to him forever — and instead of being pissed at him for ruining both her life and afterlife she was all friendly and lovely towards him. She should have made Shame suffer.

-There were quite a few times where Shame, Terric and co acted like the government and general population didn't know about magic until the big showdown at the end of the Allie Beckstrom series. It was odd because in other books it was established that magic wasn't a secret, the Authority was, but other than that everyone used magic in daily life. I don't why that didn't seem to be the case in this.

-Zay was even more boring than usual and Allie turned into a weepy mess.

-The romance between Dessa/Shame was quite sweet but at the same time it wasn't because 1. Dessa was killed off and 2. Dessa would never have been Shame's first priority. Terric would always mean more to him than anyone else, even if him and Dessa worked out she would have always come second to Terric and that wouldn't have been romantic.

-Shame was a hypocrite going after Eli after everything he'd done. Sure, Eli killed a few dozen people, but Shame was just as bad as him, he killed forty innocent people just because he was upset… He never felt any guilt and he didn't even think about the lives he took. How could he so easily forget killing forty innocent people? Shame needs to be killed off just as much as Eli.

-This was nowhere near as good as the Allie Beckstrom series, Shame wasn't endearing and his constant woe is me attitude was grating to read about. I'll still read the next one just for completion's sake.

[☕️Kimberly (Caffeinated Reviewer) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series is a spinoff of Monk's Allie Beckstrom novels. It is set in the same world three years after magic ended. I have not read them and this was my first encounter with the author. Hell Bent is the first in the Broken Magic series and you can start here. The author does an excellent job of world-building and introducing characters.

Shame Flynn and Terric Conley are magical law enforcers. Shame has death magic and struggles constantly not to consume life. He has a ghost attached to him. Terric is his Soul Complement and has life magic. The two of them have an interesting friendship. Despite caring deeply for Terri, Shane has been distancing himself, but that is about to change.

A darkness is coming to Portland, and it is killing soul companions. When it threatens their friends, Shane and Terric will stop and nothing to protect them. Suspense, friendships and well-paced world-building kept me engaged.

I found the magic system and the idea of soul companions an intriguing one. It is fated mates or anything like that. It's more yin and yang. The story is told from Shame's POV and I quiet enjoyed this dark, struggling, sometimes selfish character. Shame acts a lot like a recovering addict. Only his struggle comes from the power within him. Despite obvious flaws, Shame is loyal and when he cares about you, he cares deeply. He protects Terri and his friends despite feeling unworthy.

The murder mystery was fascinating, with plenty of twists. Shame and Terric are angered to discover what drives this murderer to act and the buildup to the end kept me listening. A second thread deals with Terric and his love interest. A man whom Shame feels is using Terric for his life magic. Then we have an assassin named Dessa who wants Shane's help to find the man who murdered her brother. All the threads were woven throughout.

There are romantic threads but don't look for an HEA; at least not yet. I love how the storyline explores not only both men's romantic interests but also highlights their bond of friendship.

Paul Bellantoni narrates and does a good job of capturing Shame's snarky personality while setting the tone for the story. I highly recommend listening.

Fans of urban fantasy with male protagonists will enjoy this gritty, action-packed tale. This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Reviewer

[Robin (Bridge Four) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart

Review copy was received from Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Grim Reaper with a hangover is how this was explained to me and it kinda fits.  Hell Bent is the first book in Broken Magic , a spin off series to Allie Beckstrom . I had not read the prior series at all but didn't have any trouble following the story.  I think I would have cared about some of the side characters a little more if I had read the series but I formed a strong attachment to Shamus right away since I love a broken man, and Shamus is so many shades of broken.

The world of magic was broken (in the prior series) but a few still have a lot of their magic.  Shamus is part of a soul compliment, a pair of magic users that are like yin and yang to each other.  Shamus hold death magic while his compliment Terric holds light magic or healing magic.  Together they can break magic and use it at the full force that is lost to the rest of the magic community.  I liked the way they complimented one another and were still able to be so different from each other.

The story is a little bit strange as someone is targeting the Soul Compliments and Shamus and Terric may not be safe.  Determined to stay in the city and fight against whoever this entity is they get caught up in in whirlwind of plots, crazy shenanigans and finally learn how to depend on each other.  The Bromance between Shamus and Terric is really fantastic and I loved it.  While Terric is gay, it was handled so well and in their friendship it was never an issue.

There is a smidge of insta-lust/love in the story.  To be fair, who doesn't want to fall for the cute bad girl assassin who has been following you for weeks.  While some people will have an issue with the relationship aspect, I loved Shamus' reactions to the love interest and how she literally captured him.  Shamus is not a good guy and does a lot of bad things, but if you are a person he cares about, he will do all of those things to protect you.

The ending was a bit weak and I have a few issues with some of the events towards the end.  But overall I had a great time with the story and fell a little in love with bad boy Shamus.  Anyone still haunted by a girl they accidentally killed and desperately trying to avoid people in the world in general so he doesn't accidentally kill them is someone I want to hang out with more and see what happens next.
Narration:
Performance: ★★★★★
Character Separation: ★★★★★
Diction: ★★★★★
Pacing/Flow: ★★★★★
Sound Effects: None

Paul Bellantoni, where has your voice been in my life.  I completely loved his performance of this book.  He embodied our bad boy in such a fun and charismatic way that the dialog just popped.  I also liked all of the various voices he brought for the supporting characters.  His pacing for the jokes and sarcastic quibbles made me laugh but he also brought depth of feeling to the Shamus' voice.  Just a stellar performance and I look forward to hearing his voice for the rest of the series.

Listen to a clip: HERE

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Posted at Yummy Men & Kick Ass Chicks

Hell Bent is the first book in Devon Monk’s new Broken Magic series. Yes people, this is Shame and Terric’s series. Now for those of you who have no idea who these two are, Shame and Terric were introduced in Devon’s Allie Beckstrom series. They were not the main characters but they were in every book of the nine book series and they were favorites among readers.

Holy crap on a cracker, this one put me through the ringer! In fact, I don’t remember the last time I was this affected by a book. To be honest, I believe it knocked me out so much is because I read all of the Allie Beckstrom books and in that series, Shame goes through hell and back (sometimes literally). So to see him in this book, going through both happy and devastating moments, made my heart truly go out to him. I don’t believe you need to read the Allie books to get anything out of this book. I honestly think if you are a fan of urban fantasy with a snarky element to it and a very unique concept and world, you will love this book. I’m just saying you will get just a little bit more out of it if you met Shame and Terric previously, as I did.

In no way was this ‘Allie Beckstrom series 2.0’. Hell Bent takes place three years after the end of the Allie books and the world and the way magic works within it has changed dramatically. Devon does a good job rehashing the important details from her previous series – the parts that are important to know for this series – but she did not dwell on any of it. We also see many familiar characters but again, not too much that it feels like a sequel book rather than a new book.

I was very surprised by who the villain was in this book. I won’t say any more. Wait, just one more thing: *shudder*

I’d heard that Shame will meet his special someone in this book and sure enough, he did. Her name is Dessa and OMG I LOVE HER!!! She is absolutely perfect for Shame. Just perfect! Spunky, strong, smart and an assassin to boot. She is his match in every way. Their chemistry is wonderful and how they meet is perfect for them. Exactly how I think Shame would have to meet a girl.

Dash is another new character and I love him too! I hope he ends up being Terric’s HEA but for now, he is just his assistant. Terric has a boyfriend in this book. It’s Jeremy. Jeremy is a douche. I do not like him. One bit. Can’t wait to see where everything leads in the next book, Stone Cold, due out April 1st 2014.

Devon did a perfect job telling the story through Shame’s point of view. The book is told in the first person and not once did I feel this was a woman trying to write from a man’s pov. One of the things I adore so much about Shame is his humor and snark. He has a sarcastic sense of humor and I love that kind of laugh. Devon definitely manages to incorporate Shame’s ‘smart-mouth’ while giving us a great inside view of what is going on inside Shame’s head and heart. He is such a beautiful mess but one you will love if this is the first time you meet or one you will love even more (if that is even possible) if you have followed his adventures before.

The story is a mix of a few things. People are dying via magic and that is not supposed to be possible anymore. How is that possible? Who is responsible? On top of that, the government is interested in strong magic users. Why? What do they want with these people? Why is there a sniper on that roof? All things you find out in this book. So good!

All in all, I adored Hell Bent. Devon’s voice blends perfectly to Shame’s. I laughed, I giggled, I cried (boy did I ever cry) and I sat at the edge of my seat. The moment I finished it, I wanted to start it all over again. This book will definitely end up on my top reads of 2013 list. Hell Bent blew me away.

5plus stars

[Pamela / SpazP · Rating 5 out of 5]

TERRIC & SHAME 4EVAAAH

[JAIME LOUISE]

DNF 54%

I just don't care enough to continue.

[Mogsy · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum http://bibliosanctum.blogspot.com/201...

While it's true I've never read anything by Devon Monk before this, her name had been on my reading list ever since her Age of Steam books first caught my eye. I wasn't aware that she was working on something else, which explained my surprise when I saw that she had a first book of a new Urban Fantasy series out this month. You know me, I can never pass up a chance to read new UF! The fact that I'll also finally get to check out a book by Devon Monk was also very exciting.

Hell Bent is the book in question, starring the jaded Shamus "Shame" Flynn as the main protagonist and narrator. Being a special kind of magic user called a Breaker, Shame along with his Soul Complement Terric Conley have the ability to "break" magic, channeling it in its full force. Thing is, Shame's magic is Death and Terric's is Life, and both are constantly engaged in a struggle against their power, which can consume them if they're not careful. In Shame's case, he has to remain control of himself at all times, lest his Death magic harms others arround him.

In a world where the power of magic has become so diminished, the Breakers immediately become targets when secrets behind their abilities leak out and become known to the government. A group of Breakers, including Shame and Terric, choose to stay and fight on home ground. But then, people with magic in their pasts start disappearing and dying -- people close to Shame and his friends. Then, beautiful and mysterious Dessa breezes into his life asking for help to find her brother's killer, making Shame realize the extent of the threat if the Breakers' secrets fall into the wrong hands.

Almost right away, I had to do a double-take of the blurb on the cover, to make sure I was indeed reading the first book of a new series. I had that strange feeling of being dropped into the middle of a a situation, much like walking into a theater fifteen minutes after the movie had already started. The world of the book had an "established" feel to it already, as well as a community of characters firmly set in place, described in a way that made me feel I should already know them. I did some research and that was how I ultimately came to discover Devon Monk's other Urban Fantasy series, the Allie Beckstrom books. I don't know how I managed to completely miss the boat on this series, because there are nine books all together and they were pretty popular, but I soon found out that Hell Bent is actually the first book of a spinoff. Which explains a lot!

With that mystery out of the way, I have to say that while those familiar with Allie Beckstrom will probably find a lot more to be excited about in this book, it was nevertheless a pretty fun ride for a newcomer like me too. Yes, I felt a little lost at first, but that was mostly due to my own compulsive desire to find out everything about the world and the relationships between all the members of this tightly-knit group of magic users (that is, nothing all that pertinent to understanding the story). The details that were important, on the other hand, were all there, so readers new to this world need not fear. If you're anything like me, you might even feel the urge to pick up the Allie Beckstrom novels. Indeed, my curiosity led me to add Magic to the Bone to my reading list, because I was just too intrigued by all the mentions and references to people and events in this previous series.

One thing I wasn't too sure of about this book was how I felt about the main character. I can tell Devon Monk is a talented writer from the way she has crafted this indepth and fully fleshed-out personality for Shamus Flynn. The problem is, that personality is a very caustic one. I'm used to reading Urban Fantasy starring snarky characters, but Shame's brand of snark was tinged with a little too much hostility for my tastes. Right from the start, I could tell he has a massive chip on his shoulder. Not that he doesn't have a good excuse, being Death Magic incarnate and all, but at times his angst would reach levels I could barely tolerate. It took me a while to warm up to him, when the story got going and the goodness in him eventually made itself known. He also has an unconventional way of showing that he cares, which actually won him points from me. Plus, I enjoyed his brutal and no-nonsense methods of payback. For a character I downright disliked at the beginning, he certainly has a way of turning things around and making me change my mind.

The final point I want to bring up involves the romance. Devon Monk did a fantastic job building it up and carrying it out, making it emotionally impactful for the reader. But for whatever reason, it just didn't work for me. Shame and Dessa were great together, but the way their relationship was written and presented somehow gave me the feeling like it was shoehorned into the story to make a point. It's definitely not a dealbreaker, but I do prefer it when a romance develops more realistically between two characters, especially in this case when things happen so quickly.

Despite being slightly disappointed at how the story was left wide open for the next book (not all the loose ends were tied up nicely), I did enjoy how this one ended. The climax was action-filled and suspenseful, leaving me excited to find out what will happen next. Hell Bent did its job as a good teaser and gave me a taste of what to expect, and I have a feeling I'll probably like the second Broken Magic book even more. I can definitely see Stone Cold in my future, not to mention the Allie Beckstrom series as well!

[Snarktastic Sonja · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was released right as I finished the Allie Beckstrom series – which left me wanting more, More, MORE! So, I happily snagged this one up from Netgalley with promises to provide an honest review. Not sure how honest or how fan girlish it will be – but they had no way of knowing that. ;)

First of all, this is a new series – same set of characters, new protagonist, new series. That being said, you will do yourself a favor if you read the Allie series first. While you can certainly jump into the story at this point, Shame does not start off particularly loveable. In order to really understand the whys and the wherefores and the what up, you need to follow his journey through the other series. If you don’t care, then by all means start here. I am, perhaps, ok definitely, a bit obsessive, and cannot tolerate reading out of order.

Shame . . . on the surface, Shame does not appear to be very likeable. He whines. A lot. He drinks. A lot. He is snarky. Very. Yet, those around him love him deeply. And, he returns this affection – and would defend those around him to the death – and he has. But, Shame’s deepest problem is that he wants to suck the life out of everything around him. Literally. That is what it means to be a death magic users in this world. Yet, Shame loves those around him too much to do so – so he is at war with his very nature. Once you understand this about him, it makes his quirks and foibles much easier to understand and accept.

This story is composed of mysteries. Why is the government looking for magic breakers (i.e. ‘soul complements’)? Who is killing people? Who is following Shame and/or Terric? Where is Davy? Who is Jeremy? And what does he really want with Terric? We are given a few clues to unravel a few of these, but by no means all of them. In fact, not all of them are resolved here – for it is a duology: another book will, hopefully, complete the story. But, it is not the mysteries nor their solutions that are the driving force to read here – it is Shame: his sarcastic nature and his desire to love and protect those people around him. He loves deeply and madly – and will do anything to protect. For one with a bent toward sarcastic humor, this book is a gold mine. And, even as I was choking back tears (and make no mistake, this one is a tear jerker), I was chuckling at some of the inner and spoken dialog.

It is also very entertaining to re-visit beloved characters in such a way that their lives are not greatly impacted but we still get to see what has happened with them since last we met. For instance, at least one couple is married and some others have moved out of the area to follow their loved ones. The Authority is learning to adjust to the magic as it now happens. (It is still a very creepy organization.)

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Not that, after devouring the Allie Beckstom series, I am at all surprised. That being said, I was confounded by the amount of death in this book. It leaves me in great fear for those beloved characters still in jeopardy. And, I do not feel entertained by tear jerkers nor deaths of characters. I feel sad and depressed. Yet, this book still worked for me. I love Shame. I am still hoping for his rehabilitation and improvement in his lot in life. I don’t actually expect it to ever happen, but a girl can hope, right? I would love to see him happy. I realize I am alone in a big crowd, but I do not wish to see him alone with Terric (who, if you ask me, has other really good options in the story). I really liked Dessa and their relationship, though it was a bit sudden and beyond reason – the actual relationship worked for me. Not sure how I feel about the revealed bad guy . . . It seems a little too easy and predictable.

It is a function of how much I loved the Allie series that I was willing to pick this one up before the second was published. I am usually a complete story kind of gal. I suppose I was rewarding Ms. Monk for completing the previous series before I actually began reading it. At any rate, I give this one a solid 4 stars. It is a very good story, with great characters and enjoyable mystery. I expect to love the next one more, so I leave it for room for improvement.

[Shelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Genre* Urban Fantasy
*Rating* 3.5-4

*My Thoughts*

Hell Bent is the first novel in a two-part series called Broken Magic. The stories are set in the same universe that the Allie Beckstrom series was but three years from the ending of Magic on the Line when Allie and Crew stopped the apocalypse in its tracks and changed magic for the better.

According to Devon's notes, you can most likely read this series without having to read the Allie Beckstrom series since she does a fairly decent job of summarizing the previous series events. However, I would like to point out that the main characters, Shame Flynn and Terric Conley, are directly related to the Allie's series and Allie, Zayvion, Maeve, Hayden, Cody Miller, Stone, and Davy Silvers all make appearances in various situations throughout the book.

Hell Bent is told in the first POV by Shame but Terric is not that far away and more than makes his appearance felt. He and Terric were named co-heads of the Authority in Magic on the Line, but Shame is still dealing very badly with his death magic and the fact that he has a ghost tied to him and therefore often finds himself deep into alcohol and forgetting his responsibilities. Shame literally goes through the ringer in Hell Bent. There are some awful moments, some amazing moments, and some moments that you want to pump your fist and yell HELLS YEAH!, and a tender moment when Maeve returns home to Portland after a most devastating moment that leaves Shame vulnerable and looking for major payback.

I don't remember having read that Shame ever had a steady girlfriend over the course of the 9 books in the Allie series. In Hell Bent, he meets Dessa Leeds who has come to Portland searching for her dead brothers killer. Dessa is a fun character. She's determined. She's lethal. She knows who Shame and Terric are and isn't all that afraid of either one of them. She's also a former covert government operative who knows that trouble is heading for Shame and the Soul Complements like Allie and Zay. I would say that Shame definitely had his heart in the right place where Dessa is concerned.

I will not tell you who the antagonists are in Hell Bent but will say that it is not hard to figure out. I am pretty sure that once he is introduced, readers from the Allie series will immediately pick up on it and get anxious and nervous about your favorite characters health and wonder whether or not they will survive until the end of this series. This story is quite bloody at times. There are a whole lot of dead bodies thanks to Shame. It has to in order to understand how much the Death magic and Shame are linked and if anyone hurts someone Shame loves, they become expendable. Monk definitely does not hold back in the body count.

I will say that I was a bit eager and a bit hesitant to read this series since I loved Shame and Terric in the Allie series. I appreciate the fact that they can become friends, and brothers, and not be forced into a situation where they become lovers or soul mates, as it were. Personally, I think there are enough series that feature M/M characters and I just want a break from all the PC nonsense. I don't see a problem with men just wanting to be best friends who look out for each other, and would stop the world if anyone hurt the other.

I am definitely eager to read Stone Cold now that the ending left me eager for more Shame, Terric, and some major payback on the antagonsits.

Part II, Stone Cold, releases April 1, 2014 by Roc

*Recvd via Netgalley 10/29/2013* Expected publication: November 5th 2013 by Roc

[Darcy · Rating 1 out of 5]

I knew this one was a spin off of the Allie Beckstrom series, but have been told that you don't need to read those to enjoy this one. However I feel like I am missing things, like how/why Shamus and Terric are Soul Complements.

I wasn't impressed with this book, part of it could be because of feeling lost by missing what happened in the other series. Also I can't stand Shamus, cannot stress enough how much I don't like him. I hate is self pitying/woe is me ways. I find his spending time at the bottom of a bottle repugnant. Sure, what he can do sucks, but you are stuck with it, so deal with it and get on with life.

I feel horrible for Terric, hate that his job, which he loves and seems to define him, has been taken away. Now for that I can see spending the night in a bottle. I find myself feeling very sorry for Terric and how he explained things to Shamus. I get the feeling that there is more that he wanted to say, but didn't feel like he could.

I liked Dash, worry about what he has told Shamus, hope it isn't true because if so I fear that Terric would give his live to help.

I love the ghost that is following Shamus, mostly because she seems to put him in his place.

I loved that the red-head, Dessa, managed to get one over on Shamus. Loved that she drugged him and then the trunk, that had me laughing. I hope she can stay ahead of him.

After 80 pages I am giving up. I can't get pass my dislike of Shamus, which makes me not care what happens to him. In the end this one just isn't for me.

[April · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book as an ARC give away on the authors blog. That's cool, I got to read the book before others. The problem is I've finished it and now my wait is longer than others for the second book. Ugh.

Hell Bent is full of the feels. Shame and Terric are as we remember them from the Alllie series, full of sarcasm, wit, and pain. Set three years after the end of the Alloe series, this book feels like it picks up where we left off, just with Shame driving. There were several times I thought 'geez Shame, are you really that thick?' He's a wee bit slow on some obvious points but it just further illustrates his inner turmoil. And boy is he ripe with it. Shame goes through so much in this book. I'll forewarn you if you want a spoiler, Devon gets all Joss Whedon on us toward the end. I cursed her for making my heart break.

This book truly deserves more than five stars. It's well written, the story pulls and tugs on your feely spots, and when you finish that page you're left disappointed that is over, emotional from the ride, and anxious to get your hands on the next one. So, it's a typical Devon Monk novel. Enjoy the ride.

[Ami · Rating 4 out of 5]

Three years after the 'magic apocalypse, magic is no longer evil. Shame and Terric are now Heads of Authority in Portland, though it's basically Terric who runs the show, while Shame is busy being, well, Shame. But then magic users are missing and found dead. The Overseer gets news that Government is targeting Soul Compliments, planning to make weapons out of them -- since they can 'break' magic. And Eli Collins, the rouge magic user whose mind is now unclosed, is getting his revenge by killing one of the person close to Shame and Terric...

--------------------------

Hell Bent is the first book of (two-titles only?) spin-off of Devon Monk's "Allie Beckstrom" series. It features Shamus (Shame) Flynn, the bad boy with complicated relationship with his Soul Compliment, Terric Conley. Shame is now taking the story front and center. Considering that I love Shame and Terric so much, and have been moaning of wanting more scenes about them, well, imagine my delirious excitement when I first find out about the spin-off!!

Shame is awesome ... he's full of baggage, he's snarky, he's difficult, and he's frustrating. He is what I will call an anti-hero. Shame doesn't want to be responsible, he's breaking laws because he can. And as Death magic, "capital D", when Shame releases his power, he's bloody scary. He kills everything, and I mean, EVERYTHING, by touch. Although sometimes Shame controls his monster because of Terric.

And Terric, the Life magic, Shame's soul compliment ... gosh darn, their relationship is deliciously complex. As a fan of M/M romance, I have to grumble and pout because there is no gay love between Shame and Terric (darn it!). But at the same time, I know that Shame is not gay, while Terric is, and Shame knows that Terric loves him, but he cannot return the feeling ... and for Shame, Terric will always be part of his life, a friend, sometimes a brother, but at the same time, Terric is also a 'challenge' because Shame's Death magic can kill Terric, and vice versa. Confuse yet? Told you it's complex :).

But this is Shame and Terric book. I have no doubt about it. There's a woman introduced as someone whom Shame flirt and have sex with -- but Dessa (that's her name) never stole the scenes from Shame and Terric. Although I have to say that I want Dash to be Terric's boyfriend in the next book, because Dash is adorable, and I can't believe Terric can't see that Dash is crushing on him! And instead he's sacking up with that douchebag, Jeremy?! I'm glad Shame takes care of him!

... and as you can see, I'm rambling *LOL*. I will restrain myself and say this then. It's a great start of the spin-off series. Some people died here, and one death shocked me because that character has been around since "Allie Beckstrom" series. But that's what so good about this, it doesn't pull any punches. There's a new threat in Portland, from the rogue magic user and the government.

The ending is great because it makes me react like this: "OMG, Shame, what are you doing?!?" However, at the same time, I love that Shame embraces his dark. I can't wait to read the next book. Because Shame is ready for war ... and Terric will be by his side.

PS: The book also gives updates about everyone else. I'm happy reading about them :)

[Steph · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hell Bent is Monk's Allie Beckstrom spin-off. It features Shamus Flynn, Death magic user and Terric Conley, Life magic user. The two are Soul Complements or "Breakers" who, when using magic together, are able to break magic and make it do whatever they want. The story picks up three years after the events in Allie's finale, Magic for a Price. It is not necessary to read Allie Beckstrom first or at all, though I recommend reading it if you enjoy Hell Bent because it will give readers further background into the world and characters, some of which overlap in both series.

If Shame and Terric had a Facebook page, their relationship status would most definitely be: 'It's Complicated'. They each struggle to contain their individual magics while dealing with the consequences. Shame is ... starving for life. The Death magic inside [him] demand[s] to be fed life. Any life. [His], if there was nothing else to devour. It [grows] stronger, more uncontrolled, the more [he] denie[s] it. Conversely, each time [Terric] used Life magic, it took him longer to come back to being [himself] ... when [they used magic together] Terric wasn't Terric anymore. He wasn't human. And [Shame fears] one of these days [Terric] wasn't going to recover from that.

"Soul Complements are in a unique position. When they work magic together, they are able to briefly break magic into its dark and light states, and cast it once again with the full force and effect it once offered."

The gang has recently learned that Soul Complements are being targeted by the government. Since the every-day magic user's magical impact has weakened, the government wants to use the power Soul Complements possess as a weapon. Upon learning of this news, some pairs decide the flee, but Shame and Terric as well as Allie and Zayvion are not runners they're fighters. To make matters worse, an old enemy resurfaces and is killing with magic.

I really enjoyed the first book in the Broken Magic duet. From the start, Shame has been one of my favorite characters, so I was happy to have the opportunity to learn more about him and his Soul Complement, Terric. And, it was great catching up with characters from Allie Beckstrom. Monk, always good at creating intriguing side characters, has introduced several very likable, new characters. One book remains, Stone Cold, then I'll finally be forced to say farewell to this magical world and its strong characters.

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Terric and Shame

Please, please, please, pretty please let Terric and Shame hook up. Please, please, please, Please, please, please, Please, please, please, Please, please, please.

[Kathy Davie · Rating 3 out of 5]

First in the Broken Magic urban fantasy series based in Portland, Oregon. The couple focus is on Shamus and Terric with a view to introducing the series.

I keep meaning to read the Allie Beckstrom series and hadn't realized this took up from it. I don't think you need to read it to read this.

My Take
Well this is different. For one, the tale is about two guys paired up. No, not like that. Only one of them is gay while the other partner is straight. It's more a study of contrasts which complement the other: life and death. Literally. Soul Complements who are in danger from governments wanting to use them.

It's a tough talent to deal with, a constant struggle to not consume life. Of course, it doesn't seem to be any picnic to carry life magic either. You never think how an ability to encourage life could be bad.

You'd think Shamus would be smarter than to accept a drink from an assassin...nor that the two of them could be so bloody stupid later on. Especially with all the information they go in with. Duhhh.

I do like the twist Monk has given magic, and the addition of the government conspiracy certainly makes it terrifying, but it's odd. There's a disorganized feel to this, even though it really isn't. It reads more like an introduction that is just getting started. Not like a complete story by itself. And the government conspiracy angle, while frightening, seems clichéd. I suspect the greatest interest in Hell Bent will be in its being a subseries to Allie Beckstrom. We'll see where Stone Cold goes when it comes out in April.

Then there's the whole question about what happened to magic that required it to be healed. It's vague, which is irritating. At one point, Monk says that Soul Complements almost destroyed the world. She also talks about Cody healing it even as it destroys his brain. That this event, which occurred three years ago, revealed magic's existence to the world. I guess it's part of what annoys me. The vagueness which I assume is meant to intrigue and make me want to read the next in the series.

The Story
God, he's a whiny thing, this Shamus who has abdicated all responsibility. And he's not so happy when he finds he's officially losing all responsibility.

It only gets worse for Shamus as he comes back to life and discovers all that he cares about.

The Characters
Shamus "Shame" Flynn lives at his mum's inn and wields death magic. Eleanor Roth is the ghost of a woman whom Shame drained. Terric Conley wields life. Together they're Soul Complements and the head of the Authority in Portland. Even if Shamus avoids the whole thing. Maeve, Shamus' mum, and Hayden have been staying in Alaska.

Dessa Leeds is an an assassin sniper, looking for a killer. Her brother, Thomas Leeds, is a Closer, a magic user who takes people's memories away. Jinkies is the name of her ferret. Krogher was Dessa's boss.

Detective Paul Stotts is human and very moral; his girlfriend, Nola, is Allie's best friend. Detective Mackanie Love has a long history with Shamus.

The Authority is the law enforcement organization which chases down illegal magic and deadly creatures. The Overseer Salvatore Moretti is in charge of the world.

The local magic users include Zayvion Jones, a former Guardian of the gates, who is Shame's best friend and a real goody-goody; the newly pregnant Allie Beckstrom, a former Hound, is his girl (see the Allie Beckstrom series). Stone is a construction of stone and gears powered by magic, Allie's loyal companion, and created by Cody. Kevin Cooper used to be Violet Beckstrom-Cooper's bodyguard before she took over her husband's magic and tech enterprise; now they're married with a son, Daniel.

Victor Forsythe is old-school and was one of Shamus' teachers, with some very dirty tricks; Clyde Turner handles Blood magic and becomes the new Head of Authority in Portland; Melba Maide seems to be a lawyer; and, Ethan Katz is the Beckstrom accountant. Dashiell Spade is the Authority assistant in Portland. He's got a hidden passion for Terric. Joshua Romero was a Closer, who had been counseling magic users.

Those who aren't local include three Soul Complement couples: Doug and Nancy Williams, legends; Simone Latchly and Brian Welling from San Diego; and, Anthony Pardes and Holly Doyle from Arizona.

Davy Silvers is a Hound and the head of the entire Portland network. Hounds track illegal spells back to the caster. Martin Pike had been a Hound and Davy's mentor. Gillian is another Hound. Sunny is a Blood magic user and seems to lead the Hounds.

Eli "the Cutter" Collins is a sociopath who likes to cut people. He used to be Allie's boyfriend and had worked experimental magic and technology integrations with her very dead, very disturbed father. His Soul half is the lost Brandy Scott. Cody Miller had some hot skills that were too dangerous for words; he was broken several times and still stepped up when needed.

Black Crane Syndicate
Jeremy Wilson is Terric's boyfriend [convenient if you have stage three brain cancer] and tied into a family of Blood magic users (and how Terric can be so blind, I'll never know). Phillip Soto is the leader while Rene Schuller is the second-in-command.

When magic was broken, and the light and dark were rejoined, all magic broke, including the spells put on people to remove their memories. Memories that came flooding back. Soul Complements, a.k.a., Breakers, are the only ones who can still wield strong magic if they do it together. The only problem is, the more they wield it, the more it binds them together.

The Cover
The cover is is yellows and yellow-greens in a stark contrast of bright and dark under a bridge with Dessa walking in the light with her gun out as Shamus waits for her, peering around a bridge support, his gun up.

The title is Shamus, for he's Hell Bent on revenge.

[Blodeuedd Finland]

This one had promise, but, I listened without listening so I gave up. Is it the narrator?

[Cathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was another really terrific book from Devon Monk. She's terrific at writing great characters and balancing action, heart and humor. The scene with Shame having to wear Terric's Uggs was worth the price of admission in and of itself.

Fans of the Allie Beckstom series will definitely love this book. And while it's always hard for me to tell what new readers to a series or world would think, it really felt like this would be a time when new readers would be able to jump in without any problem since it's the beginning of a new series. Allie readers get to appreciate the extra levels of knowing some of the history of the relationships or politics. But it definitely wasn't necessary to know about it, Monk was careful to make the book an independent story. Shamus and especially Terric were only supporting characters in the other series, although very popular ones obviously since fan demand what was what led to this series. So it isn't as though readers need to have read those books to understand what's happening here. Not having read the Allie books shouldn't be a barrier to trying this of it seems interesting to you. But if you try this and like it, you should consider trying those books too. It's one of my favorite series, well planned from beginning to end with great characters. But new readers should beware that there are some very general spoilers in this if you haven't read the other series because it takes place three years later. You kind of have to figure that if a character appears in this book that she or he survived at least, plus there are a few other small details.

There really wasn't anything about this book that I didn't like, I think it might be Monk's best book so far. Shame could have been annoying or whiny in his frequent state of depression and angst, but he wasn't. Monk managed to keep him sympathetic, a tiny bit of an anti-hero but mostly just a hero. Eleanor the ghost added a touch of humanity somehow to his situation and helped explain his despair at the same time. Plus she was just a cool character, no pun intended. I wasn't sure about Dessa at first, I thought maybe the relationship was rushed, too insta-love just to fulfill a standard need for romance in every publication, but I trusted Monk to take it where it needed to go and she did. But most of all, the heart of it all, was Shamus and Terric. Their push and pull is what fans responded to in the Allie books and it's what they're going to love in this book too. Brothers, partners, complements, it's really magic to read. The book isn't fluffy, it's pretty dark at times. Shame is not a happy man, to say the least. He has real troubles, and he isn't dealing with them well, especially at least at the beginning. Terric has his serious issues as well. And they're dealing with a very dangerous situation, they're in danger, the people they love are in danger. And they're not men who will take that lying down. But there's a balance in the storytelling that keeps it from getting too dark as well. Shame's wit and sarcasm can lighten up almost all of the darker moments. Not to mention all of his pals, they're great at picking on him and pointing out his little and not so little foibles, and he takes it well.

It was a great book all around. I'm looking forward to seeing what Portland's little vigilante gets up to next, and how much Terric kicks his rear when he finds out what he's been up to.

[Jen Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book took me to places I never expected to go. First, let me say that there is no way this series will have the same impact for people who did not read the Allie Beckstrom books before it. Yeah, you might understand what is going on, but I just don’t see how you could have the same kind of empathy and understanding for Shame and Terric. You may not really “get” the Soul Complement thing the way you would if you had been there with Allie and Zay. The changes in magic, the loss of a character, the time spent with Cody: none of it would have resonated the way it did for me, had I not read the previous books. And that would be a shame, because there are powerful emotions working here.

This story picks up three years after the events of the last Allie book. Magic has gone from a screaming force, to barely a whimper. Unless you happen to be a Soul Compliment. For those powerful pairs, magic can do everything it did before, because they can break the magic back into elements of Light and Dark. The Authority is trying to keep their existence a secret. But that’s not really working out. We learn early on that someone is hunting Soul Compliments, which puts Shame and Terric right in the line of fire.

Shame hasn’t been doing so well since the big battle where he died and came back to life. He constantly wants to suck the life out of everyone and everything. So he spends most of his time drunk and generally avoiding responsibility, including his job as co-head of the Authority. But suddenly, he has a mission he can’t ignore. A beautiful redhead named Dessa taps him to help her search for her brother’s killer and it’s tied to the Authority and the Soul Compliment threat. He’s motivated to help protect the people he loves, not to mention his growing feelings for Dessa.

I don’t want to give away too many twists and turns. But the plot goes in a direction I never saw coming. It draws on characters and events of the previous series. It gives you reason to celebrate and it kicks you in the gut. More than once. Poor Shame is such a messed up guy. I loved reading his voice in the first person. I loved getting his perspective on his powers, Eleanor, and (of course) Terric. I have to say, I was a little shocked at how unapologetically he kills, but oddly, it never turned me off. The people he killed needed killing. And he does it in spectacular fashion.

I really do kind of love Shame, his sarcasm, and his self loathing. It’s not too often I read books from a male first person POV, but it totally worked for me here. I believed in his narrative and was totally invested in the trials he faced.

The ending is tough. You don’t leave this story in a good place. Things are bad for our hero and the plot is unresolved. It’s not a cliffhanger as much as a first-part of a two-part story. Fortunately book two is already waiting for me.

My only beef, really, is how quickly the relationship progresses between Shame and Dessa. It was definitely love too soon. But it feeds the powerful twists. And it was nice to see Shame have something like a relationship that he didn’t reject. If you are a fan of Allie Beckstrom, you won’t want to miss this. Not only is the Shame and Terric story great, but all of our old friends are back in supporting roles. It’s good stuff… and anything but predictable.

Rating: B+

[Jennifer (Moonlight_Rendezvous) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been a fan of the Allie Beckstrom series and I was excited to see that one of my favorite characters, Shame, was getting his own book. I loved Shame because he was such a mysterious guy and I just wanted to learn more about him. He has always been such a bad boy and it was a treat to see how his world has changed since magic isn’t so readily available as it was before the apocalypse three years ago.

In Hell Bent, Shame is struggling with his death magic and worrying that someday his need to kill will consume him and there will be nothing left of his humanity afterwards. He is partners with Terric Conley, who is his Soul Complement, the one person that can join forces with Shame to harness magic and use it at its full power. While dealing with his own personal demons, Shame discovers that they have a new threat. Someone is out there killing people from their past with magic and the government is looking to use their magic as a weapon. And a beautiful redheaded assassin named Dessa needs Shame’s help to find her brother’s killer and becomes more than Shame bargained for.

Terric and Shame have a very difficult relationship together. They are stuck together as partners and have a brotherly love/hate relationship and both are bordering on losing control of the magic that almost consumes them. I could see how hard it is for Shame and Terric to have this relationship with one another knowing that you will always be connected to this one person who is the exact opposite of you which causes quite a bit of conflict between Shame and Terric. Shame wants to push everyone away in his life and just let go but finds that the people that care about him pull him back from the brink and convince him to keep going.

Hell Bent is a great start to a new series and I’m still a big Shame fan after all this. The book was a little slow in the beginning but picked up the pace nicely and was a thrill-ride of emotions for me, both good and heart-breaking. It was nice to get updates on Allie and Zay as well as other characters from previous books to see how they were doing three years later. I loved the addition of Dessa because she was just a kick-ass character that just seemed to be perfect for Shame and wasn’t afraid of anything that he could dish out. Kept him on his toes which was fun to watch. Devon Monk has created a well-written paranormal adventure in a world that I love and can’t wait to visit again. Looking forward to the second book, Stone Cold, which is expected to be released sometime next year.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review and this review appears on Books-n-Kisses.com

[Mara · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 1/2

I have read just one book, the first, in the Allie Beckstrom series. I liked it, but not enough to keep me interested in the series overall.

But Ms Monk is quite a name in the field, and I decided I was going to give her books a try. Hell Bent was my second taste of this author, and I admit that I'm going to read the next book.

Overall, though, this is a tough book to grade. The first part is difficult to accept, it deals with self-pity, whining, alcohol abuse and the like. All things that grate on my mind. There really was a moment when I thought "no way, I cant' stomach such a character". But the author pulled him slowly and reliably toward a world I could and did love. Gritty, dark, where the lines of good and bad aren't at all clear. It was a pity that the turning point arrived late (and I mean late), but I do understand the reasons.
This way the change from whiny cry baby to man had sense. The losses were bigger and more bitter.

I loved that the "hero" of the series is a couple of men, one of whom is gay.
I loved the world behind the story. I liked the plot too. But, even if you don't need to read the Allie Beckstrom series, my take is that you get much, much more if you did. Otherwise you're gonna miss a lot. In fact, all the backstory is hinted, but never explained.

There's a romantic thread in the plot, too. I'm not sure if it could live on its own, or if it's just a trigger. It was nice, but lethally quick. More in the realm of possibly, than in that of reality.

In any case, I'll be waiting for the next book, out in April 2014.

[BookAddict ✒ La Crimson Femme · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I first started this book, I almost didn't finish. Shame Flynn turned me off completely. I liked him in the previous series. Yes, he is death. Yes, he needs to drink life in order to survive. His over year long pity party drags out too long for me. What really bugs me is how he treats Terric Conley. Shame matches his name. He is a shame. His appalling behaviour wants me to whack some sense in him.

Ignoring asshat, Shame, the plot is riveting. This new world where magic is basically nothing now unless you are a soul complement is fascinating. The serial killing and more dark secrets coming out when Victor ran the Authority in this area is just one hit after another. I tried hard to ignore Shame's monologue because it is so irritating. I get that he has done bad things. I get that he feels like a monster. Grow a pair and OWN your monster, Shame! Terric does.

No lie, the last third of the book is a page turner. As we learn more about the vile government assholes and more beloved characters are killed off, I can't stop reading. When Shame finally stops drinking his misery away and uses his power, this is when I like it. I like his anger and I love his revenge. The way he kills is arousing and so good. The power at his finger tips when he finally loses his temper and decides to make a statement is orgasmic for me. I am so satisfied at the end and I can't wait to read the follow up book. Recommended for readers who can plow through the whining so they can sink their teeth into the meaty plot.

[Manda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyed this spin off of Devon's Magic series. Always enjoyed and loved Shame and Terric in the previous books, even better seeing them in a book of there own.

This series carries from when Magic is fixed, weakened and only Soul Compliments can break magic to make it powerful again. The hounds are still around, and every so often we see the other characters we love and know.

This is the journey of Shame trying to control his death magic, trying not to lose what makes him human to it, as he fights to protect the people in his life, and of course Terric is a big part of this this.

Devon has lost nothing with this book. There is always that one book you think might be the one that doesn't quite do it, Hell Bent is not that books. There are OMG. Devon. Did. Not. Just. Do. That! situations which keep you on your toes. The story was enjoyable, and I for one look forward to the next installment.

This is the start of a new series, but you will enjoy it so much more if you have read the previous series and know the history of the world and characters. Without the history I think a reader may struggle with it, definitely not enjoy it as much as they could.

[Jeanny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent start in a series. Of course the fact this world & characters are developed are a benefit to this spin off series. It allows the first installment to have plenty of adventure & not much info dropping. It was all show in this case from Shame's POV.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good spinoff pair of books about a formerly magic rich world nearly bereft of magic, except for a few people who are paired in Soul Complements.

[Johnny · Rating 3 out of 5]

In spite of the old western saying (“Hell bent for leather!”), Hell Bent is not a western. Oh, it has shoot-outs, confrontations with the law, and just a sprinkle of the warning against civilized influences creating a lack of awareness of danger. But Hell Bent is a new modern fantasy series based on two Soul Complements, Terric and Shamus, who need each other in a mystical, Eastern religious, yin-yang sort of way. Terric is practically consumed with overflowing, disruptive LIFE magic while Shamus (with the unfortunate nickname of “Shame”) is being devoured by a destructive and disruptive DEATH magic. But since the clear dominance of one form of magic over the other would mean destruction of the other, the erstwhile friends have a relatively suspicious détente going, an uneasy balance of cooperation followed by significant isolation.

Hell Bent does even more genre-busting as it unfolds. Imagine fantasy infused with action-movie gunfights and government (and gang) conspiracies. Remember that great line in Eastwood’s A Fistful of Dollars (aka Yojimbo and Last Man Standing (the film, not the television series) which have an umbilical cord dating back to Kurosawa’s script), “You mean the Mexican government on one side and the U.S. government on the other? Huh, uh! Too dangerous!” In the film, this takes place after the gunfighter with no name has taken down two rival gangs, working from the middle. Well, in Hell Bent, the federal government is on one side and a criminal gang on the other while the Soul Complement protagonists are in the middle.

Need more interesting ideas than that? How about the idea of a ghost whose soul is attached to her murderer because she “can’t go on?” What if it appears that one reason she “can’t go on” is because she wants to stop the murderer from hurting others? And, in a weird psychological quirk—maybe supernatural Stockholm Syndrome—it appears she might have “feelings” for her murderer? Then, just to make things even more interesting, what if there is another player in between the government and the gang—a former government sniper/spy? And what if she seems to be the “soul mate” for one of the Soul Complements, but things just keep getting in the way? That’s the kind of interpersonal dynamics that kind of keep one going in this emotionally interesting work.

There are moments in the pacing of the novel where I personally wished we could get on with it, scenes which felt like we were circling the plot like vultures and essentially seeing things we’d already observed. I’m not claiming that there is literal redundancy here, just a feeling of marking time by circling the block (particularly in the shorter scenes with the alleged ex-sniper/spy, some of the socializing scenes between the friends, and in many of the scenes involving the Authority). If even someone who hasn’t read the series from which this new series has spun off can get it right away, it must have really bogged things down for those who read the other series. But if a story can fill me with as many ambivalent thoughts and emotional feelings as Hell Bent did, I’m willing to put up with a little remedial work on the fictional universe’s foundation.

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's been forever since I read the Allie Beckstrom series (and apparently I'm still missing a couple of books there, whoops), so it took me a while to find my way back into this world and figure out what's going on. Probably would have been better to finish the previous series before picking up the first volume in this one, but oh well - a quick and entertaining read as well as great motivation to go chase down those missing books!