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Broken Magic #2
Stone Cold
Book 2 in USA Today Bestselling author Devon Monk’s dark, gritty, magic-fueled, urban fantasy adventure. Life and Death duke it out in this enemies-to-brothers, hell-to-heaven twisty thrill ride. * Fully updated author bursting with extra Heart, Snark, and Ass-kicking.*
Shame Flynn is one of the most powerful Death magic users in the world. He has pushed himself and magic to the limit, even though there’s hell to pay. But he’s finally miscalculated and pushed magic too far.
The price for breaking magic? Death magic is eating him alive.
The only thing stopping it from slipping his grip and killing everything in a hundred mile radius, is the Life magic user, Terric Conely.
Bad Terric is losing his own battle with magic.
Worse A powerful old enemy bent on revenge found out about the broken magic. He stole forbidden technology so he can weaponize magic against the people who destroyed his life. People like Shame and Terric. People like their family and friends.
Shame and Terric are holding on by a thread. But that won’t stop them from fighting for the people they love.
Even if it means losing their humanity.
Even if it means losing control of magic.
Even if it means they have to die to do it.
Shame Flynn is one of the most powerful Death magic users in the world. He has pushed himself and magic to the limit, even though there’s hell to pay. But he’s finally miscalculated and pushed magic too far.
The price for breaking magic? Death magic is eating him alive.
The only thing stopping it from slipping his grip and killing everything in a hundred mile radius, is the Life magic user, Terric Conely.
Bad Terric is losing his own battle with magic.
Worse A powerful old enemy bent on revenge found out about the broken magic. He stole forbidden technology so he can weaponize magic against the people who destroyed his life. People like Shame and Terric. People like their family and friends.
Shame and Terric are holding on by a thread. But that won’t stop them from fighting for the people they love.
Even if it means losing their humanity.
Even if it means losing control of magic.
Even if it means they have to die to do it.
366 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 1, 2014
30 people are currently reading
886 people want to read
About the author
Devon Monk
88 books2,062 followersDevon 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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 102 reviews
April 26, 2014
Have I ever told you guys how much I fangirl over Devon Monk’s books? Cause I do. Before Goodreads I’d check her blog religiously to make certain I wouldn’t miss anything, and then after Goodreads I let my release day system fall by the wayside, and as a result I was nothing short of horrified to see how long ago this was released. I adore this series and I’d missed release day *insert wide eyed horror stricken face here*. Anyway, enough of my personal problems let me tell you why this is a series you should be reading. Key words: badasses everywhere, magic, Shamus Flynn, seat-of-your-pants action, heartbreak, love, masterful storytelling, fully developed world, grit, and more.
This is a spin-off of Monk’s Allie Beckstrom series featuring one of my all-time favorite characters: Shamus Flynn. Shame, as he prefers to be called, is a dark and twisted guy with a heart of gold; he is also the single most powerful Death magic user known. His soul complement, Terric, is the equally powerful Life magic user and the two of them have struggled with this tie for years. They were friends in their youth, actually several of these characters grew up close enough to be brothers, but when Shame realized he and Terric were soul complements things got even worse between them than it’d been. Terric is gay and Shame is not and for the longest time I wondered if their bond would be something that brought them together physically, but while they make serious strides with their connection in this book things are just as non-physical as they ever were, and it works perfectly.
In this story that sadistic madman Eli is still on the loose and coming after Shame with a vengeance to repay Shame for what he had done to him. Eli is a horror, an absolute horror of a human and as Shame and Terric fight against his horrific plot things looked pretty bleak. Shame and Terric may be the two most powerful magic users in existence since the effects of their actions in prior books meant that the two of them weren’t users so much as the embodiment of their given discipline, but it eats away at them and slowly but surely they understand they’re losing their grip on humanity. It doesn’t help either of them that they stubbornly refuse to accept the benefits of being each other’s compliment, but it works out for the best in the end.
We get to see Allie and Zay again, and Davy too, though Davy really got on my nerves at one point in the story. Poor Davy had been kidnapped and tortured by Eli and as Shame is trying to save him there’s a casualty… one of the people who’d gone with Shame on this rescue didn’t heed his warning about staying away from him as he wrestled with his magic and was killed. He bound the soul to him (his second) and that person raged at him so bad I just wanted him to shut them up. It wasn’t Shame’s fault- and the whole dynamic for a while pissed me off. Shame owed them a favor, which is how they ended up together at that warehouse, but Shame’s debt wasn’t nearly as important as he was being made to feel. Words thrown at him like “I own you in this” pissed me off- no, you don’t, and he’s helping you when he’s so completely fucked up from magic that it’s a shock he’s still standing, so re-fucking-lax, but instead someone died. Sigh. Then Davy got all ragey about it and blamed Shame and Shame just took it. Because guilt. I get his guilt, because poor guy, he didn’t want to kill them but he wasn’t in control of his magic and he was justified in that. He’d only just woken up from his own trip into death for cryin’ out loud! I really love Shame, always have, so it was hard for me to see these people always saying shit to him about how they’d take him down if his magic hurt someone- just cut the guy a break for the love of all that is holy! He tried staying away from everyone but then they insist on being around him but then give him hell for his suffering. GAH, frustrating, but be that as it may, I could still understand where they were coming from, though I wish they’d have more understanding for him.
As you can undoubtedly tell these are characters that I love a great deal, and it’s thanks to the fact that Devon Monk is a badass. Her writing snuck up on me several years ago, but man, let me tell you what, you’re missing out if you haven’t tried it yet. This series is a spin-off, yes, but it’s also fully able to stand alone. The characters that were in Allie’s series (like Allie herself, lol) are there with an explanation and not knowing their history doesn’t detract from the main storyline. I’d still recommend reading that series first just to have that joy of seeing old favorites again, and it was in Allie’s books that I realized I loved me some Shame. These books are all about the adventure, hard choices people have to make sometimes, and overcoming anything. They’re written with the skill that any bookworm wants- you’re not just along for the ride sort of watching from the sidelines, you’re in the story living with these people, hurting with them, and being overjoyed with them. From the start you are only ever at the mercy of what Monk wants you to be and I can’t get enough.
April 9, 2014
Spoilers
The ending was fairly entertaining but the rest was pretty much rubbish. It definitely wasn't as good as the Allie Beckstrom books - Allie might have been annoying but at least she held my interest, Shame on the other hand was an utterly charmless character and continuously bored me.
-I hated Shame, he was a self-pitying, pathetic loser. It was so irritating how he constantly whined about the Death magic inside him and how oh so dangerous he was. Every other page Shame kept banging on about losing control of his Death magic, the majority of the book was the same old repetitive BS. Also, Shame repeating his 'I'm-so-dangerous' nonsense actually made him seem anything but dangerous especially when he was constantly getting his arse kicked.
-I lost count of how many times either Shame or Terric died or came close to dying or blacked out or lost control of their magic or did something impossible with magic — the same things kept happening throughout and it made for very dull reading.
-I really wanted Shame to die a horrible death at the end, he caused too much suffering and death and he didn't deserve any sort of a happy ending.
-I liked most of the secondary characters, they were all so much more interesting and likeable than Shame.
All in all, I wasn't impressed… Shame was an awful emo protagonist, he was unbelievably repetitive and whiny, he really let the story down.
The ending was fairly entertaining but the rest was pretty much rubbish. It definitely wasn't as good as the Allie Beckstrom books - Allie might have been annoying but at least she held my interest, Shame on the other hand was an utterly charmless character and continuously bored me.
-I hated Shame, he was a self-pitying, pathetic loser. It was so irritating how he constantly whined about the Death magic inside him and how oh so dangerous he was. Every other page Shame kept banging on about losing control of his Death magic, the majority of the book was the same old repetitive BS. Also, Shame repeating his 'I'm-so-dangerous' nonsense actually made him seem anything but dangerous especially when he was constantly getting his arse kicked.
-I lost count of how many times either Shame or Terric died or came close to dying or blacked out or lost control of their magic or did something impossible with magic — the same things kept happening throughout and it made for very dull reading.
-I really wanted Shame to die a horrible death at the end, he caused too much suffering and death and he didn't deserve any sort of a happy ending.
-I liked most of the secondary characters, they were all so much more interesting and likeable than Shame.
All in all, I wasn't impressed… Shame was an awful emo protagonist, he was unbelievably repetitive and whiny, he really let the story down.
March 25, 2014
4 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum: http://bibliosanctum.blogspot.com/201...
Last year I read Hell Bent by Devon Monk, not realizing before I started that it is actually the first of a two-book spin-off series set in the world of the author's Allie Beckstrom novels. This book Stone Cold is the second. While the description for this Broken Magic duology says it can be read on its own without reading the Allie books, my own personal experience has shown that unless you have, it can be quite a struggle to keep track of the characters' histories and the series backstory. Don't get me wrong, I still had a great time reading. But I'm positive your experience would be richer and you'd feel a lot less lost if both series are read. Just something to consider.
At least I was more prepared this time around, having done most of the necessary catching up during the last novel. Shamus "Shame" Flynn is back and he is now even more damaged from the events at the end of Hell Bent. The book's main villain, a rogue magic user named Eli Collins is still out there, and Shame is determined to hunt him down and make Eli pay for the deaths of loved ones. Feeling angry and full of guilt, Shame's already unstable control of Death magic is threatening to slip away from him, which could mean great danger to everyone around him, even his friends and allies.
When all's said and done, I'm really glad I decided to read this book, and not just because it's the second half of a two-parter and I always hate to leave things hanging. I'm also glad because I liked Stone Cold much more than I did Hell Bent, and there are several reasons for this. Firstly, this book contains a conclusion that finishes things off with a bang. Secondly, that conclusion not only provides an ending for Shame's story, it provides one for Allie Beckstrom as well. Even though I've never read her character's series, I still could tell that this was a pretty huge deal.
But thirdly and most importantly, I liked Stone Cold because I felt Shame finally stepped up to take the reins to his own series. In the first book, his character was really hard to get into; even though that was my first exposure to Shame and this entire Allie Beckstrom universe, he always felt like a guest in someone else's world, which was why color me totally unsurprised when I eventually discovered that Hell Bent was a spin-off. It also didn't help that Allie and Zayvion made such frequent appearances making it obvious that they were still quite central to the story, and that Shame himself was such a curmudgeony character. However, in losing control of his Death magic in this book, he became a lot more interesting to me by turning into a very different kind of Urban Fantasy anti-hero protagonist.
I actually felt sympathy for Shame. Don't his friends realize just how volatile his powers are? You can't demand help from a person who can't control Death magic and then blame him when horrible things happen, especially when they are exactly what he'd warned them about! Give him a break! Geez, everyone was so hard on poor Shame in this one, I found myself on his side just because it was all so unfair.
Anyway, how sad it is that the series ends just as I was getting into the character. At the same time, I wouldn't have had it any other way. I'm actually glad this is only two books because I don't know if I would've continued if this was an ongoing series. With books, shows, etc. I always much prefer it if the spin-off character actually moves to a new locale and make new friends so we get to start off fresh. He or she deserves a chance to move out of the shadow and shine. That's probably my only beef with Broken Magic. I wanted more Shame, but it was also clear that Devon Monk wanted to hold on to the characters in her other series (the first half dozen or so chapters of this book was about Allie's baby shower, for example). I just don't know if I could take that, but two books is absolutely fine.
If you've kept up with the Allie Beckstrom novels, then picking this series up is probably a no-brainer. You'd have the advantage over me as well, and no doubt enjoy it even more. For readers who are new to the world but don't mind feeling like they've stepped into the middle of an ongoing saga, this is a good opportunity to discover Devon Monk's writing and these two books are actually a pretty decent choice for the urban fantasy enthusiast.
Last year I read Hell Bent by Devon Monk, not realizing before I started that it is actually the first of a two-book spin-off series set in the world of the author's Allie Beckstrom novels. This book Stone Cold is the second. While the description for this Broken Magic duology says it can be read on its own without reading the Allie books, my own personal experience has shown that unless you have, it can be quite a struggle to keep track of the characters' histories and the series backstory. Don't get me wrong, I still had a great time reading. But I'm positive your experience would be richer and you'd feel a lot less lost if both series are read. Just something to consider.
At least I was more prepared this time around, having done most of the necessary catching up during the last novel. Shamus "Shame" Flynn is back and he is now even more damaged from the events at the end of Hell Bent. The book's main villain, a rogue magic user named Eli Collins is still out there, and Shame is determined to hunt him down and make Eli pay for the deaths of loved ones. Feeling angry and full of guilt, Shame's already unstable control of Death magic is threatening to slip away from him, which could mean great danger to everyone around him, even his friends and allies.
When all's said and done, I'm really glad I decided to read this book, and not just because it's the second half of a two-parter and I always hate to leave things hanging. I'm also glad because I liked Stone Cold much more than I did Hell Bent, and there are several reasons for this. Firstly, this book contains a conclusion that finishes things off with a bang. Secondly, that conclusion not only provides an ending for Shame's story, it provides one for Allie Beckstrom as well. Even though I've never read her character's series, I still could tell that this was a pretty huge deal.
But thirdly and most importantly, I liked Stone Cold because I felt Shame finally stepped up to take the reins to his own series. In the first book, his character was really hard to get into; even though that was my first exposure to Shame and this entire Allie Beckstrom universe, he always felt like a guest in someone else's world, which was why color me totally unsurprised when I eventually discovered that Hell Bent was a spin-off. It also didn't help that Allie and Zayvion made such frequent appearances making it obvious that they were still quite central to the story, and that Shame himself was such a curmudgeony character. However, in losing control of his Death magic in this book, he became a lot more interesting to me by turning into a very different kind of Urban Fantasy anti-hero protagonist.
I actually felt sympathy for Shame. Don't his friends realize just how volatile his powers are? You can't demand help from a person who can't control Death magic and then blame him when horrible things happen, especially when they are exactly what he'd warned them about! Give him a break! Geez, everyone was so hard on poor Shame in this one, I found myself on his side just because it was all so unfair.
Anyway, how sad it is that the series ends just as I was getting into the character. At the same time, I wouldn't have had it any other way. I'm actually glad this is only two books because I don't know if I would've continued if this was an ongoing series. With books, shows, etc. I always much prefer it if the spin-off character actually moves to a new locale and make new friends so we get to start off fresh. He or she deserves a chance to move out of the shadow and shine. That's probably my only beef with Broken Magic. I wanted more Shame, but it was also clear that Devon Monk wanted to hold on to the characters in her other series (the first half dozen or so chapters of this book was about Allie's baby shower, for example). I just don't know if I could take that, but two books is absolutely fine.
If you've kept up with the Allie Beckstrom novels, then picking this series up is probably a no-brainer. You'd have the advantage over me as well, and no doubt enjoy it even more. For readers who are new to the world but don't mind feeling like they've stepped into the middle of an ongoing saga, this is a good opportunity to discover Devon Monk's writing and these two books are actually a pretty decent choice for the urban fantasy enthusiast.
April 5, 2014
This is not a review. This is basically me rambling on about the book. VERY SPOILER-Y, YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED
Seriously, I felt like running a marathon reading this, starting about 20% mark where Eli Collins appeared on Shamus' living room, put bullets into our bad boy, Shame, slit Terric's throat and kidnapped him. I was like, WTF!!! Then I went on the roller-coaster ride, gripping my babyMerlin (a.k.a. Paperwhite), because OMG Shame went to Heaven and Terric was tortured!
Being the last of a two-books only spin-off, the intense thrill of this story was insane. I thought Eli Collins was a ruthless son of a bitch, I wanted to kill him for torturing Terric like that (my Terric *hugs him*), but it also made him a very worthy villain. He seemed to pushed Shame and Terric to the very end, until the boys made that decision to practically brought magic for Cody to erase. It was what a final book should feel (I felt the Allie Beckstorm final book a bit anti-climatic).
I loved how Shame also felt like anti-hero, with his being Death and didn't really have problems killing people ... though he did feel the guilt when Death consumed him and resulted in him taking the lives of people he knew. The part where he must kill Terric, in order to bring Terric back to life was so touching. I love their complex nature of relationship.
Dash, by the way, the ex-assistant, rocked!! He matured and became an integral part of the story -- and I loved that he seemed a perfect fit for Terric :). I wished there was kissing scene between them *LOL*
Zay and Allie having a daughter!! *sigh*. It was adorable that Uncle Shame got frightened when he must hold the baby. So, SO cute! I loved how Shame and Terric's relationship in the end. It was so difficult and hard before. I guess it was a good thing that Terric being tortured and Closed then UnClosed ... so maybe the feeling was different and they boys became real comfortable with their magic and how they are together doing magic.
The talk about the magic part felt a bit repetitive though, which was why I could only give this 4*
I would love to go back to this world someday. Hey, maybe Devon Monk will return with novella or short story. I take anything...
Seriously, I felt like running a marathon reading this, starting about 20% mark where Eli Collins appeared on Shamus' living room, put bullets into our bad boy, Shame, slit Terric's throat and kidnapped him. I was like, WTF!!! Then I went on the roller-coaster ride, gripping my babyMerlin (a.k.a. Paperwhite), because OMG Shame went to Heaven and Terric was tortured!
Being the last of a two-books only spin-off, the intense thrill of this story was insane. I thought Eli Collins was a ruthless son of a bitch, I wanted to kill him for torturing Terric like that (my Terric *hugs him*), but it also made him a very worthy villain. He seemed to pushed Shame and Terric to the very end, until the boys made that decision to practically brought magic for Cody to erase. It was what a final book should feel (I felt the Allie Beckstorm final book a bit anti-climatic).
I loved how Shame also felt like anti-hero, with his being Death and didn't really have problems killing people ... though he did feel the guilt when Death consumed him and resulted in him taking the lives of people he knew. The part where he must kill Terric, in order to bring Terric back to life was so touching. I love their complex nature of relationship.
Dash, by the way, the ex-assistant, rocked!! He matured and became an integral part of the story -- and I loved that he seemed a perfect fit for Terric :). I wished there was kissing scene between them *LOL*
Zay and Allie having a daughter!! *sigh*. It was adorable that Uncle Shame got frightened when he must hold the baby. So, SO cute! I loved how Shame and Terric's relationship in the end. It was so difficult and hard before. I guess it was a good thing that Terric being tortured and Closed then UnClosed ... so maybe the feeling was different and they boys became real comfortable with their magic and how they are together doing magic.
The talk about the magic part felt a bit repetitive though, which was why I could only give this 4*
I would love to go back to this world someday. Hey, maybe Devon Monk will return with novella or short story. I take anything...
May 18, 2025
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.
You will either love or hate Shamus Flynn, the literal life vessel for death. In Hell Bent I asked myself, how many times can a guy get drugged, in Stone Cold I wondered how much more could Shamus spiral out of control. Stone Cold, the second book in Broken Magic , a spin off series to Allie Beckstrom, follows Shamus a wielder of Death Magic and Terric the living vessel for life magic as they navigate their soul compliment bond and try to save the world.
Shamus will be the reason you love or hate this book. He is broody, as someone that can kill you with a touch of his power, he often isolates himself from friends and family for their own good. He also tries not to see or spend too much time with Terric. Afraid that dealing too much of their magic back and forth will make them like some other soul compliments like Allie and Zayvion who can basically read each other's minds. And the last thing Shamus wants is to share his every thought with another person; it is a dark place in there.
Eli is a serious problem. Kidnapped by the government for nefarious purposes, he is wreaking havoc on the magical community. Eli has found a way to use magic with devastating effects when most of the world is very limited. The path chosen is cruel and tortuous and he now has his sights set on Shamus and Terric since he has a score to settle with them. Some brutal decisions and sacrifices will be made by the end. Both Terric and Shamus will go through some very painful trials as they work to take Eli out and both will be changed forever before this is all through.
I like Shamus, so for me this book works. He is cynical, dark and often has somewhat of a martyr complex. But he is loyal to his friends and family and will put himself in front of a bullet or magic to save them, even if it is from himself. I have also enjoyed the bromance between he and Terric. They are very different people but each is trying their best and struggling with the magic they hold trying to find the right path forward. It was good to see them come to a balance of sorts in Stone Cold.
Overall the story is tense and for the most part flew by. There are some instances of repetition, like moments that Shamus reminds the reader again, "Magic is fast, but bullets are faster", multiple times throughout the book. But overall, I found the story engaging with tension, drama and suspense.
You don't need to have read Allie Beckstrom to enjoy the story, although I think it would add to the enjoyment and the depth of all of the characters. I know I look forward to going back and reading it at some point. You do need to have read Hell Bent as this will clean up the story arc started in that book.
Narration:
Performance: ★★★★★
Character Separation: ★★★★★
Diction: ★★★★★
Pacing/Flow: ★★★★★
Sound Effects: None
Paul Bellantoni, continues on with the series. I again 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, Cody specifically has a great voice. 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. I would say his narration actually added to my enjoyment of the book and my overall rating.
Listen to a clip: HERE
Review copy was received from Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
You will either love or hate Shamus Flynn, the literal life vessel for death. In Hell Bent I asked myself, how many times can a guy get drugged, in Stone Cold I wondered how much more could Shamus spiral out of control. Stone Cold, the second book in Broken Magic , a spin off series to Allie Beckstrom, follows Shamus a wielder of Death Magic and Terric the living vessel for life magic as they navigate their soul compliment bond and try to save the world.
Shamus will be the reason you love or hate this book. He is broody, as someone that can kill you with a touch of his power, he often isolates himself from friends and family for their own good. He also tries not to see or spend too much time with Terric. Afraid that dealing too much of their magic back and forth will make them like some other soul compliments like Allie and Zayvion who can basically read each other's minds. And the last thing Shamus wants is to share his every thought with another person; it is a dark place in there.
Eli is a serious problem. Kidnapped by the government for nefarious purposes, he is wreaking havoc on the magical community. Eli has found a way to use magic with devastating effects when most of the world is very limited. The path chosen is cruel and tortuous and he now has his sights set on Shamus and Terric since he has a score to settle with them. Some brutal decisions and sacrifices will be made by the end. Both Terric and Shamus will go through some very painful trials as they work to take Eli out and both will be changed forever before this is all through.
I like Shamus, so for me this book works. He is cynical, dark and often has somewhat of a martyr complex. But he is loyal to his friends and family and will put himself in front of a bullet or magic to save them, even if it is from himself. I have also enjoyed the bromance between he and Terric. They are very different people but each is trying their best and struggling with the magic they hold trying to find the right path forward. It was good to see them come to a balance of sorts in Stone Cold.
Overall the story is tense and for the most part flew by. There are some instances of repetition, like moments that Shamus reminds the reader again, "Magic is fast, but bullets are faster", multiple times throughout the book. But overall, I found the story engaging with tension, drama and suspense.
You don't need to have read Allie Beckstrom to enjoy the story, although I think it would add to the enjoyment and the depth of all of the characters. I know I look forward to going back and reading it at some point. You do need to have read Hell Bent as this will clean up the story arc started in that book.
Narration:
Performance: ★★★★★
Character Separation: ★★★★★
Diction: ★★★★★
Pacing/Flow: ★★★★★
Sound Effects: None
Paul Bellantoni, continues on with the series. I again 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, Cody specifically has a great voice. 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. I would say his narration actually added to my enjoyment of the book and my overall rating.
Listen to a clip: HERE
March 27, 2014
Terric and Shame 4.5 stars
Oh these boys got themselves in trouble this time! Really good second book in the series. More, please? Full review to come on Fiction Vixen Book Reviews
Oh these boys got themselves in trouble this time! Really good second book in the series. More, please? Full review to come on Fiction Vixen Book Reviews
June 19, 2015
Second in the Broken Magic urban fantasy spin-off series from the Allie Beckstrom series and revolving around Shame Flynn.
Do read the Allie Beckstrom series before you read this one, Broken Magic. It'll make so much more sense if you do. I've read eight so far in Allie Beckstrom, and I'm still lost. I should have waited before I started reading this subseries.
My Take
It is an interesting and convoluted world of magic in the Broken Magic series. A useful ability, but it comes with a heavy price. One must drain off the build-up of magic energy and control it before it can destroy those around you. It's best with one's Soul Complement, but not shutting off the trade can kill one of the pair or drain their souls to the point where they are no longer human.
The story itself is horrifying and fascinating. Horrible for the pain and torture one human being will inflict on another. Horrible that men — investors and government departments — think this is okay, that it's worth a little pain. The people they use and abuse are nothing, so why should they care? Character-wise, they do some stupid things that horrify the editor in me. The fascinating is that trip to Heaven where one's friends are hangin' out, havin' a beer.
I also, mostly, enjoy Shame's character, his snark, his intelligence, but I do not enjoy his not thinking. He's had years to understand his Death magic, yet he continues to rush into everything, grabs without thinking, destroys everything around him. It's a wonder there is any plant life around Portland. Maybe that part of Shame that is so impetuous is what makes him the so-controlled Terric's Soul Complement.
The hidden trope in here is similar to the "stupid" one I hate. The one in which a character has this ability but refuses to learn how to use it. It's so much more "fun" for them to suffer. With all that instruction, surely they must have learned about being a Soul Complement? I mean, duhhhh…
More horrifying is how awful this whole story makes me feel. There is so much pain, and Monk does make you feel it.
Jesus, I've said it before, and I'll keep saying it. I Do. Not. Understand. Psychopaths and how they justify their actions to themselves. How they actually buy their own bullshit.
What the hell? Maeve and Shame's dad knew that Jingo Jingo was wrong, and they did nothing about it?? Then there's that transport thing, why hadn't they warded against it?.
As much as the magic users know about how Shame's magic works, they sure don't think it applies to them. I can't feel sorry for them when they're so dang stupid. I mean, Shame warns them! He tells them to get away. And they still close in on him. WTF? It does make me feel bad, but not as bad as I probably should. I do have to wonder what eats at Monk that she can think this way.
The Story
It's all about money, and what magic can do. Who cares if people suffer the torture of Eli Collins carving into them when the promise of all that power awaits?
What's worse is this new magic has twisted the kind Terric. When he loses control, he becomes an alien thing that will twist the world to his will. Life magic is eating Terric up, even as Death magic is eating Shame.
And the tortures Eli subjects Terric to will do just that.
The Characters
Shame Flynn wields Death magic, and it's killing him. Eleanor Roth worked for the Seattle Authority when she tried to kill Shame; now she's a ghost linked to him. Jinkies was Dessa's ferret that Shame inherited. Seems Shame's mom, Maeve, is back from Alaska with her one-handed lover, Hayden Kellerman, and they're renovating the inn, which means Shame got kicked out. Shame is now living in the house he won from Cody Miller, a magic user who had been Closed, split apart, and brought back together when he healed magic.
Terric Conley is Shame's Soul Complement and wields Life magic. Gay, he's a Boy Scout who used to be the head of the Portland Authority. Dashiell Spade used to work for Terric and Shame.
The pregnant Allie Beckstrom-Jones and Zayvion Jones are also Soul Complements and live in St. Johns; they're friends with Shame and Terric. Ramona Jozette is the baby. Nola Robbins Stotts is Allie's best friend, a non-magic-using human. (She's married to Detective Paul Stotts who used to head up the Magical Enforcement Response Corps, although he doesn't appear in this story). Violet is Allie's stepmother with a baby son, Daniel (Allie's half-brother), and she's married to Kevin Cooper, the bodyguard who was so in love with her. Stone, Allie's pet gargoyle, is still with them.
The Hounds are…
…magic users who can smell magic and track it back to the original user. Davy Silvers was kidnapped by Eli and has been tortured. Sunny is the current head of the Portland Hounds, a Blood magic user, and obsessing over her missing boyfriend, Davy. Other Hounds include Jamar who rocks the intellectual-tough-guy look, Sid who looks like an accountant, Theresa who could be in a military workout video, the bohemian Beatrice, and Jack who is Bea's boyfriend with a preference for whiskey.
The Authority is…
…the organization which polices magic users. It's not what it was. Clyde is the current head of the Portland Authority. Dr. Fischer is still around.
Mina is a doctor who used to wield Death Magic, and she helps Terric. And she doesn't know enough to back off.
Heaven is…
…where one catches up with old (and gone) friends. Victor Forsythe was a Voice and a teacher of magic users before he was murdered. Now he's enjoying a beer with Hugh Flynn. Chase and Greyson are together and happy. Dessa Leeds is the first woman Shame thought he could take a chance on loving, before she was murdered. Her brother, Thomas, was also murdered.
Eli Collins is at the top of the hit list. A psychopath who combines his medical knowledge with his magic to torture and experiment on humans. Brandy Scott was Eli's Soul Complement. Stuart is a killer on the hit list. Krogher is a high-up government official, Eli's boss, and much too interested in magic. He has Eli kidnapping people tainted by magic, so they can experiment upon them.
Isabelle and Leander were the Soul Complements for whom magic was broken. But they came back from the dead in the Allie Beckstrom series and almost destroyed the world.
Simone Latchly and Brian Welling were Soul Complements. Anthony was found dead; his Soul Complement, Holly, is missing.
Soul Complements blend their magic as no other magic users can. Death magic pulls the energy from living things while Life magic brings anything to life and may heal or destroy. The Beckstrom disks hold magic that anyone can use.
The Cover and Title
The cover is a range of blues with touches of orange. A room in shadow with floor-to-ceiling, narrow-framed windows looking out over a street canyon of buildings in daylight. Inside the room, it's Shame side-on to us in a long-sleeved blue T-shirt and jeans, a gun held in both hands and pointed upward. He's looking back over his shoulder, his eyes checking his surroundings, for you never know where Eli will pop up next.
I'm not really sure where the title comes from, but I'll guess it's a side reference to Stoney when he goes Stone Cold in the trap that's set.
Do read the Allie Beckstrom series before you read this one, Broken Magic. It'll make so much more sense if you do. I've read eight so far in Allie Beckstrom, and I'm still lost. I should have waited before I started reading this subseries.
My Take
It is an interesting and convoluted world of magic in the Broken Magic series. A useful ability, but it comes with a heavy price. One must drain off the build-up of magic energy and control it before it can destroy those around you. It's best with one's Soul Complement, but not shutting off the trade can kill one of the pair or drain their souls to the point where they are no longer human.
The story itself is horrifying and fascinating. Horrible for the pain and torture one human being will inflict on another. Horrible that men — investors and government departments — think this is okay, that it's worth a little pain. The people they use and abuse are nothing, so why should they care? Character-wise, they do some stupid things that horrify the editor in me. The fascinating is that trip to Heaven where one's friends are hangin' out, havin' a beer.
I also, mostly, enjoy Shame's character, his snark, his intelligence, but I do not enjoy his not thinking. He's had years to understand his Death magic, yet he continues to rush into everything, grabs without thinking, destroys everything around him. It's a wonder there is any plant life around Portland. Maybe that part of Shame that is so impetuous is what makes him the so-controlled Terric's Soul Complement.
The hidden trope in here is similar to the "stupid" one I hate. The one in which a character has this ability but refuses to learn how to use it. It's so much more "fun" for them to suffer. With all that instruction, surely they must have learned about being a Soul Complement? I mean, duhhhh…
More horrifying is how awful this whole story makes me feel. There is so much pain, and Monk does make you feel it.
Jesus, I've said it before, and I'll keep saying it. I Do. Not. Understand. Psychopaths and how they justify their actions to themselves. How they actually buy their own bullshit.
What the hell? Maeve and Shame's dad knew that Jingo Jingo was wrong, and they did nothing about it?? Then there's that transport thing, why hadn't they warded against it?.
As much as the magic users know about how Shame's magic works, they sure don't think it applies to them. I can't feel sorry for them when they're so dang stupid. I mean, Shame warns them! He tells them to get away. And they still close in on him. WTF? It does make me feel bad, but not as bad as I probably should. I do have to wonder what eats at Monk that she can think this way.
The Story
It's all about money, and what magic can do. Who cares if people suffer the torture of Eli Collins carving into them when the promise of all that power awaits?
What's worse is this new magic has twisted the kind Terric. When he loses control, he becomes an alien thing that will twist the world to his will. Life magic is eating Terric up, even as Death magic is eating Shame.
And the tortures Eli subjects Terric to will do just that.
The Characters
Shame Flynn wields Death magic, and it's killing him. Eleanor Roth worked for the Seattle Authority when she tried to kill Shame; now she's a ghost linked to him. Jinkies was Dessa's ferret that Shame inherited. Seems Shame's mom, Maeve, is back from Alaska with her one-handed lover, Hayden Kellerman, and they're renovating the inn, which means Shame got kicked out. Shame is now living in the house he won from Cody Miller, a magic user who had been Closed, split apart, and brought back together when he healed magic.
Terric Conley is Shame's Soul Complement and wields Life magic. Gay, he's a Boy Scout who used to be the head of the Portland Authority. Dashiell Spade used to work for Terric and Shame.
The pregnant Allie Beckstrom-Jones and Zayvion Jones are also Soul Complements and live in St. Johns; they're friends with Shame and Terric. Ramona Jozette is the baby. Nola Robbins Stotts is Allie's best friend, a non-magic-using human. (She's married to Detective Paul Stotts who used to head up the Magical Enforcement Response Corps, although he doesn't appear in this story). Violet is Allie's stepmother with a baby son, Daniel (Allie's half-brother), and she's married to Kevin Cooper, the bodyguard who was so in love with her. Stone, Allie's pet gargoyle, is still with them.
The Hounds are…
…magic users who can smell magic and track it back to the original user. Davy Silvers was kidnapped by Eli and has been tortured. Sunny is the current head of the Portland Hounds, a Blood magic user, and obsessing over her missing boyfriend, Davy. Other Hounds include Jamar who rocks the intellectual-tough-guy look, Sid who looks like an accountant, Theresa who could be in a military workout video, the bohemian Beatrice, and Jack who is Bea's boyfriend with a preference for whiskey.
The Authority is…
…the organization which polices magic users. It's not what it was. Clyde is the current head of the Portland Authority. Dr. Fischer is still around.
Mina is a doctor who used to wield Death Magic, and she helps Terric. And she doesn't know enough to back off.
Heaven is…
…where one catches up with old (and gone) friends. Victor Forsythe was a Voice and a teacher of magic users before he was murdered. Now he's enjoying a beer with Hugh Flynn. Chase and Greyson are together and happy. Dessa Leeds is the first woman Shame thought he could take a chance on loving, before she was murdered. Her brother, Thomas, was also murdered.
Eli Collins is at the top of the hit list. A psychopath who combines his medical knowledge with his magic to torture and experiment on humans. Brandy Scott was Eli's Soul Complement. Stuart is a killer on the hit list. Krogher is a high-up government official, Eli's boss, and much too interested in magic. He has Eli kidnapping people tainted by magic, so they can experiment upon them.
Isabelle and Leander were the Soul Complements for whom magic was broken. But they came back from the dead in the Allie Beckstrom series and almost destroyed the world.
Simone Latchly and Brian Welling were Soul Complements. Anthony was found dead; his Soul Complement, Holly, is missing.
Soul Complements blend their magic as no other magic users can. Death magic pulls the energy from living things while Life magic brings anything to life and may heal or destroy. The Beckstrom disks hold magic that anyone can use.
The Cover and Title
The cover is a range of blues with touches of orange. A room in shadow with floor-to-ceiling, narrow-framed windows looking out over a street canyon of buildings in daylight. Inside the room, it's Shame side-on to us in a long-sleeved blue T-shirt and jeans, a gun held in both hands and pointed upward. He's looking back over his shoulder, his eyes checking his surroundings, for you never know where Eli will pop up next.
I'm not really sure where the title comes from, but I'll guess it's a side reference to Stoney when he goes Stone Cold in the trap that's set.
November 20, 2015
Stone Cold caps off this spin-off duet featuring Shame and Terric, Soul Complements, from Monk's Allie Beckstrom series. For fans of these two, don't fret, Devon's self-published Back Lash, which she dubbed "... a spin-off of my spin-off", is available now.
As I mentioned in my review of the first book, Hell Bent, Shame has been one of my favorite characters since the start of the first series. But, I'll be the first to tell you - this boy is beyond messed up. He starts off as a moody, the-rules-don't-apply-to-me, bad boy and ends up being turned into a vessel for Death magic, which, if not fed, will feed on him. I had to keep reminding myself of this as he became more and more closed off, moody and irrational. The boy is paying a high price for saving a life and losing pieces of himself in the process. Yet, I couldn't stop myself from wanting to slap him more times than not throughout this final installment.
As I mentioned in my review of the first book, Hell Bent, Shame has been one of my favorite characters since the start of the first series. But, I'll be the first to tell you - this boy is beyond messed up. He starts off as a moody, the-rules-don't-apply-to-me, bad boy and ends up being turned into a vessel for Death magic, which, if not fed, will feed on him. I had to keep reminding myself of this as he became more and more closed off, moody and irrational. The boy is paying a high price for saving a life and losing pieces of himself in the process. Yet, I couldn't stop myself from wanting to slap him more times than not throughout this final installment.
"You too easily see the world as full of sorrow, and you too quickly assume that sorrow is all you deserve."However, you probably won't be surprised to learn that by the end of the book, I forgave him. Seriously, the boy takes a helluva beating throughout this series and the first yet continues to do the best he can to protect his friends and save the world from maniacal magic users. These two characters are among some of my favorites and I'm looking forward to, at least, one more read with them.
July 29, 2015
It seems that people either love Shame or hate him. I fall firmly in the love him camp. He's been irrevocably changed in the war to heal magic (Allie Beckstrom series) and isolates himself (or tries to anyway) in an attempt to protect others from himself. He's burdened himself with guilt over hurting friends and does everything he can, including drinking, to drown out the hunger of the death magic he carries.
Shame and Terric have a complicated relationship. Soul Complements, they are among the rare pairs who break magic down into it's much stronger components. Unfortunately, powerful people want to control all the magic and are willing to kill to keep it. Shame and Terric have to stop them, while struggling to deal with being carriers of Death and Life magic respectively.
I'm happy Devon Monk wrote this follow up duology to the Allie Beckstrom series, so I could see how magic has changed and the way the world copes with those changes. Being a Shame fan, I was also happy to see things from his POV. To anyone interested, I would recommend starting with the Allie Beckstrom series. It's not necessary, but I think you'll get more out of the duology if you start with the other.
I'll definitely be reading more Devon Monk books in the future.
Shame and Terric have a complicated relationship. Soul Complements, they are among the rare pairs who break magic down into it's much stronger components. Unfortunately, powerful people want to control all the magic and are willing to kill to keep it. Shame and Terric have to stop them, while struggling to deal with being carriers of Death and Life magic respectively.
I'm happy Devon Monk wrote this follow up duology to the Allie Beckstrom series, so I could see how magic has changed and the way the world copes with those changes. Being a Shame fan, I was also happy to see things from his POV. To anyone interested, I would recommend starting with the Allie Beckstrom series. It's not necessary, but I think you'll get more out of the duology if you start with the other.
I'll definitely be reading more Devon Monk books in the future.
April 10, 2014
Stone Cold left a huge impact on me. Honestly, the world that Monk has created, and her fantastic writing style, coupled with her complex characters and a magic system that is equal parts beneficial and negative, really makes Monk the author that has set the bar for all other urban fantasy authors in my mind. Check this series out. Stone Cold is a powerful conclusion to a series that has really effected me in ways I truly didn’t expect.
Read my full review (plus a GIVEAWAY) here:
http://www.bookwormblues.net/2014/04/...
Read my full review (plus a GIVEAWAY) here:
http://www.bookwormblues.net/2014/04/...
February 2, 2016
A bit disappointing. So much angsty drama. So much repetition. So much grating of nerves. Shame just plain disappointed me.
September 15, 2017
3.5
Is it nitpicky that I harp on simple grammar mistakes that 4th graders can catch? I wouldn't think so, considering published books are supposed to have editors who catch those minute details, who are paid to do just that; I don't see how it's possible a character gets called the wrong name, three separate times in the same scene. I legit got confused who was supposed to be in that scene because apparently Dash/Davy's name became interchangeable.
The plot gets heavy and confusing at times, but I expect it out of Monk by now, honestly. Otherwise I enjoyed this so much. It's a great reminder why I loved Shame/Terric in the first place.Though I could have done without the heaven scene, that was too hokey, lordy.
Is it nitpicky that I harp on simple grammar mistakes that 4th graders can catch? I wouldn't think so, considering published books are supposed to have editors who catch those minute details, who are paid to do just that; I don't see how it's possible a character gets called the wrong name, three separate times in the same scene. I legit got confused who was supposed to be in that scene because apparently Dash/Davy's name became interchangeable.
The plot gets heavy and confusing at times, but I expect it out of Monk by now, honestly. Otherwise I enjoyed this so much. It's a great reminder why I loved Shame/Terric in the first place.
April 4, 2014
Posted at Yummy Men & Kick Ass Chicks
When I wrote my review for Magic for a Price, the last book in Devon Monk’s Allie Beckstrom series, I started my review by saying “Now THIS is how you write a final book in a series!” And let me tell you, Stone Cold deserves the same acclamation. It is the last book in this short series but it finished it off perfectly.
Stone Cold is non-stop so make sure you have time to sit and just read without interruptions when you are about to crack it open. It is very difficult to put down and with the twists and turns you meet, you won’t want to.
Shame. OMG Shame! I thought the guy had it tough in the first book! Shame is going through some pretty intense sh*t. The worst of it is that there doesn’t seem to be a precedent for what is happening to him so he has no clue how to help himself, or Terric. But where Shame is dealing with Death magic and all that that means, Terric is dealing with Life magic. Now, you might think that’s not as bad as Death but it’s still pretty extreme.
Terric. I love him! Shame, I loved him the moment I met him in the Allie books. Terric had to grow on me a bit but now I adore him. He is the perfect friend to Shame and extra awesome in his own right.
Dash is amazing. That is all.
I’ve always loved how magic is portrayed in this world that Devon writes. You pull magic and infuse it into a glyph you trace and some are faster at it and better at it than others…it’s all very exciting. And even though magic has been ‘tamed’ since the Allie books, Shame and Terric still manage to be neck deep in it and the awesome power that very few can channel.
Eleanor. I really liked her in the first book and I like her even more in this one. I love how she handles Shame and her own situation. She is a great character put into very interesting situations. She fit perfectly in this book’s plot and I am very happy with how Devon wrote her.
Allie and Zayvion fans will be over the moon with this installment. We see them a little and hear about them a whole lot and what you hear will definitely bring a smile to your face. Okay, maybe not all of it, but what you see and hear by the end of the book will put a smile on your face. The other stuff will just stress you out but seeing that you are fans of their books, you are used to it by now ;) There is tons of Davy and Sunny action too. Sunny did drive me nuts a bit but seeing her situation, I suppose it’s all justified. Cryptic much?… *grin*
The villain is so nasty in this series! I have absolutely no sympathy for him this time around and just kept hoping that Shame or Terric or, heck, anybody would give him a miserable ending that involved quite a bit of pain. Devon wrote him very well. Every last maniacal inch of him.
I went into reading this book with a certain expectation when it came to the ending. I didn’t necessarily like the ending my mind conjured up but that was still the ending I expected. Boy was I wrong. Devon completely took me by surprise with how she wrapped this book up and looking back on it once I was finished reading, I found that she really did write the best ending for Shame and his story. My ending was just dumb. Hers was glorious. Yet another example of why I am not an author.
More glorious writing from Devon’s part came in how she wrote Heaven. I am not going to tell you why we see Heaven or who goes there but I will say that Devon’s version of it is fan-freaking-tastic.
I cried like a baby at the end of the first book. It really does take a lot to make me cry for a book and Devon managed to find the perfect formula to make me cry. Did a cry this time for Stone Cold? Yup. Yup I did. I didn’t cry for sadness (much). I cried over all of the emotion my poor heart and head went through while reading this book. The ups and downs and the constant craziness, in the very best way, really took it out of me which really only heightened my enjoyment of this book. But I’m still not impressed that Devon managed to make me cry. Again. (*shakes fist at Devon* Dang you Devon Monk! )
All in all, Stone Cold was an absolutely amazing read. Fans of urban fantasy NEED to check this series out and fans of the Allie Beckstrom books need to jump on these too. Shame and Terric have some of the most impressive on-page chemistry that I have ever read from a non-romantic couple. And Shame alone will break your heart, make you laugh and make you *happy sigh* over and over again. I can’t stress enough that this book is a NON-STOP RIDE! It really is an incredible read, one you should not pass up.
5 stars
When I wrote my review for Magic for a Price, the last book in Devon Monk’s Allie Beckstrom series, I started my review by saying “Now THIS is how you write a final book in a series!” And let me tell you, Stone Cold deserves the same acclamation. It is the last book in this short series but it finished it off perfectly.
Stone Cold is non-stop so make sure you have time to sit and just read without interruptions when you are about to crack it open. It is very difficult to put down and with the twists and turns you meet, you won’t want to.
Shame. OMG Shame! I thought the guy had it tough in the first book! Shame is going through some pretty intense sh*t. The worst of it is that there doesn’t seem to be a precedent for what is happening to him so he has no clue how to help himself, or Terric. But where Shame is dealing with Death magic and all that that means, Terric is dealing with Life magic. Now, you might think that’s not as bad as Death but it’s still pretty extreme.
Terric. I love him! Shame, I loved him the moment I met him in the Allie books. Terric had to grow on me a bit but now I adore him. He is the perfect friend to Shame and extra awesome in his own right.
Dash is amazing. That is all.
I’ve always loved how magic is portrayed in this world that Devon writes. You pull magic and infuse it into a glyph you trace and some are faster at it and better at it than others…it’s all very exciting. And even though magic has been ‘tamed’ since the Allie books, Shame and Terric still manage to be neck deep in it and the awesome power that very few can channel.
Eleanor. I really liked her in the first book and I like her even more in this one. I love how she handles Shame and her own situation. She is a great character put into very interesting situations. She fit perfectly in this book’s plot and I am very happy with how Devon wrote her.
Allie and Zayvion fans will be over the moon with this installment. We see them a little and hear about them a whole lot and what you hear will definitely bring a smile to your face. Okay, maybe not all of it, but what you see and hear by the end of the book will put a smile on your face. The other stuff will just stress you out but seeing that you are fans of their books, you are used to it by now ;) There is tons of Davy and Sunny action too. Sunny did drive me nuts a bit but seeing her situation, I suppose it’s all justified. Cryptic much?… *grin*
The villain is so nasty in this series! I have absolutely no sympathy for him this time around and just kept hoping that Shame or Terric or, heck, anybody would give him a miserable ending that involved quite a bit of pain. Devon wrote him very well. Every last maniacal inch of him.
I went into reading this book with a certain expectation when it came to the ending. I didn’t necessarily like the ending my mind conjured up but that was still the ending I expected. Boy was I wrong. Devon completely took me by surprise with how she wrapped this book up and looking back on it once I was finished reading, I found that she really did write the best ending for Shame and his story. My ending was just dumb. Hers was glorious. Yet another example of why I am not an author.
More glorious writing from Devon’s part came in how she wrote Heaven. I am not going to tell you why we see Heaven or who goes there but I will say that Devon’s version of it is fan-freaking-tastic.
I cried like a baby at the end of the first book. It really does take a lot to make me cry for a book and Devon managed to find the perfect formula to make me cry. Did a cry this time for Stone Cold? Yup. Yup I did. I didn’t cry for sadness (much). I cried over all of the emotion my poor heart and head went through while reading this book. The ups and downs and the constant craziness, in the very best way, really took it out of me which really only heightened my enjoyment of this book. But I’m still not impressed that Devon managed to make me cry. Again. (*shakes fist at Devon* Dang you Devon Monk! )
All in all, Stone Cold was an absolutely amazing read. Fans of urban fantasy NEED to check this series out and fans of the Allie Beckstrom books need to jump on these too. Shame and Terric have some of the most impressive on-page chemistry that I have ever read from a non-romantic couple. And Shame alone will break your heart, make you laugh and make you *happy sigh* over and over again. I can’t stress enough that this book is a NON-STOP RIDE! It really is an incredible read, one you should not pass up.
5 stars
December 22, 2014
Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales
Quick & Dirty: Shame and Terric are running out of time to track Eli down before he finished his goal of murdering Soul Complements. Will they find him before it’s too late?
Opening Sentence: The door behind Eleanor opened, letting in the March wind, a little rain, and the man I had come here to kill.
The Review:
I’m a fan of Devon Monk’s Allie Beckstrom series and really loved the world that was created, so when I found out there was a spin off series featuring Shame and Terric, I was really excited. I read the first book and enjoyed it, although not quite as much as the Allie Beckstrom series. Still, I was looking forward to reading this second book to see how it all turned out. As with the first book, this one never quite reached the level of the Allie series for me, but I still really enjoyed it, despite some issues here and there.
It’s been six months since Eli and Krogher first declared war on all the Soul Complements. Shame has not given up on his desire to find and kill Eli for the lives he took in book one. Sadly, there’s been no luck on locating Eli. While the search continues, Shame’s control over the Death magic living inside him is slowly slipping away. He is constantly feeling the need to kill. In the same way, Terric is losing his control over the Life magic living in him. Neither one of them wants to fully give in to their Soul Complement bond, but it’s becoming clear that they need each other if they have any hope of remaining human and not giving in to the magic. Will they be able to keep it together long enough to find Eli and stop him from murdering more Soul Complements, or will the magic inside each of them consume them whole?
First off, this is not a book you want to pick up if you haven’t at least read the first book in this spin off. To read this duology in general, it would be helpful to have read the Allie Beckstrom series, but I don’t think it’s necessarily imperative that you have done so, although it would help you feel more connected to the side characters if you have the background of the Allie Beckstrom series.
Shame was my favorite side character from the Allie Beckstrom series (aside from Stone the gargoyle of course), so I was thrilled to find out he was the main character in this series. This isn’t the same Shame though, which is disappointing. While his sense of humor is still present, he is a much darker character than he was in the Allie series, and this makes it very hard to continue liking him at times. I can understand he’s having a hard time controlling the Death magic, but his lack of remorse at killing people bothers me. I still like him, but he’s definitely a flawed character, and not everyone is going to connect to him as a narrator.
The book was very fast paced, which I loved. I kept wanting to press on and find out what was going to happen next. It ended in a very satisfactory way, and it makes me sad to think that I won’t get to visit this world again. Fans of the Allie Beckstrom series should definitely pick this duology up!
Notable Scene:
“Are you killing people, Shame?”
“That’s a question, not an accusation.”
Zay just waited. He knew me. He usually knew when I was lying, which had often put a crimp in our relationship.
So I looked over at Terric instead.
“Et tu, Terric?” I asked.
“Oh, I’m very interested in your answer,” he said. “You’ve been gone a lot lately too, Shame.”
“That’s because you moved into my house” – I made air quotes – “‘for just a few days’ and haven’t moved out. A man needs space. If you both think I’ve gone rogue, how come Stotts isn’t here Miranda-ing my rights?”
“I told him I’d talk to you,” Zay said.
I did not know Zay had that kind of pull with him. Interesting. “And?” I said.
“And make a decision on what happened next.”
See, when Zay threatened, it was a subtle sort of thing. Unless he was breaking your fingers. He wasn’t turning me in to Stotts yet if I could give him a good reason not to. I swigged beer and let the cold and bitter was through me. It would be easy to lie.
Except I wouldn’t get away with it. Not with these two who were practically brothers to me.
“I don’t know who Stotts is talking about,” I hedged.
“Let’s just settle on a yes/no,” Zay said amiably. “You killing people?”
I hated it when he got specific. “Maybe a little.”
FTC Advisory: Roc/Penguin provided me with a copy of Stone Cold. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
Quick & Dirty: Shame and Terric are running out of time to track Eli down before he finished his goal of murdering Soul Complements. Will they find him before it’s too late?
Opening Sentence: The door behind Eleanor opened, letting in the March wind, a little rain, and the man I had come here to kill.
The Review:
I’m a fan of Devon Monk’s Allie Beckstrom series and really loved the world that was created, so when I found out there was a spin off series featuring Shame and Terric, I was really excited. I read the first book and enjoyed it, although not quite as much as the Allie Beckstrom series. Still, I was looking forward to reading this second book to see how it all turned out. As with the first book, this one never quite reached the level of the Allie series for me, but I still really enjoyed it, despite some issues here and there.
It’s been six months since Eli and Krogher first declared war on all the Soul Complements. Shame has not given up on his desire to find and kill Eli for the lives he took in book one. Sadly, there’s been no luck on locating Eli. While the search continues, Shame’s control over the Death magic living inside him is slowly slipping away. He is constantly feeling the need to kill. In the same way, Terric is losing his control over the Life magic living in him. Neither one of them wants to fully give in to their Soul Complement bond, but it’s becoming clear that they need each other if they have any hope of remaining human and not giving in to the magic. Will they be able to keep it together long enough to find Eli and stop him from murdering more Soul Complements, or will the magic inside each of them consume them whole?
First off, this is not a book you want to pick up if you haven’t at least read the first book in this spin off. To read this duology in general, it would be helpful to have read the Allie Beckstrom series, but I don’t think it’s necessarily imperative that you have done so, although it would help you feel more connected to the side characters if you have the background of the Allie Beckstrom series.
Shame was my favorite side character from the Allie Beckstrom series (aside from Stone the gargoyle of course), so I was thrilled to find out he was the main character in this series. This isn’t the same Shame though, which is disappointing. While his sense of humor is still present, he is a much darker character than he was in the Allie series, and this makes it very hard to continue liking him at times. I can understand he’s having a hard time controlling the Death magic, but his lack of remorse at killing people bothers me. I still like him, but he’s definitely a flawed character, and not everyone is going to connect to him as a narrator.
The book was very fast paced, which I loved. I kept wanting to press on and find out what was going to happen next. It ended in a very satisfactory way, and it makes me sad to think that I won’t get to visit this world again. Fans of the Allie Beckstrom series should definitely pick this duology up!
Notable Scene:
“Are you killing people, Shame?”
“That’s a question, not an accusation.”
Zay just waited. He knew me. He usually knew when I was lying, which had often put a crimp in our relationship.
So I looked over at Terric instead.
“Et tu, Terric?” I asked.
“Oh, I’m very interested in your answer,” he said. “You’ve been gone a lot lately too, Shame.”
“That’s because you moved into my house” – I made air quotes – “‘for just a few days’ and haven’t moved out. A man needs space. If you both think I’ve gone rogue, how come Stotts isn’t here Miranda-ing my rights?”
“I told him I’d talk to you,” Zay said.
I did not know Zay had that kind of pull with him. Interesting. “And?” I said.
“And make a decision on what happened next.”
See, when Zay threatened, it was a subtle sort of thing. Unless he was breaking your fingers. He wasn’t turning me in to Stotts yet if I could give him a good reason not to. I swigged beer and let the cold and bitter was through me. It would be easy to lie.
Except I wouldn’t get away with it. Not with these two who were practically brothers to me.
“I don’t know who Stotts is talking about,” I hedged.
“Let’s just settle on a yes/no,” Zay said amiably. “You killing people?”
I hated it when he got specific. “Maybe a little.”
FTC Advisory: Roc/Penguin provided me with a copy of Stone Cold. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
April 3, 2014
Mon avis en Français
My English review
I took me some time to read the first novel in the series for fear of being disappointed by this new spin-off series, yet it was big a mistake because I really loved it. At the end, I was really excited to be able to immerse myself in the second and I was fortunate enough to have an uncorrected proof. I can tell you one thing, this novel is truly sublime and once again the author Devon Monk presents a new very good story.
We thus find Shame and Terric, trying to live their lives as they can. Terric moved in with his friend to his chagrin and Shame plays vigilante in the back of his friends. However, Eli has not forgotten his revenge and intends to make pay the two characters. Thus we enter in a wild ride where Shame must take a number of decisions, always very difficult, and yet some that could change his life and the ones of his family. Our two heroes will once again have to face many obstacles together, and despite appearances, it is always very touching to see how our two men care for each other more than anything. But there are not the only ones, and, we find with great pleasure Allie and Zay, while the delivery approaches faster and faster, with all its problems. And as you all know, I love them!
Shame and Terric are increasingly realizing that they are different, and nothing can change that fact. We’re indeed quite frightened and surprised with them when we see what they manage to achieve together. Because even with the best will in the world, it seems that sometimes their nature shows its true face and bodies are starting to appear in their path. They will face many hardships, even death on several occasions. But that’s not all, because the government is always closer and they seem determined to exterminate each soul complements, so nobody is immune. In addition, using Eli does not help this matter, especially when the man is determined to kill Shame for the murder of Brandy.
I will not say more, as many things happen in the novel but it is a spin-off series that I can only advise you to read, up to the Allie Beckstrom series, and fans will be delighted. A very good novel that will keep you spellbound throughout the story and you will be able to discover more and more about this world and its fascinating characters.
My English review
I took me some time to read the first novel in the series for fear of being disappointed by this new spin-off series, yet it was big a mistake because I really loved it. At the end, I was really excited to be able to immerse myself in the second and I was fortunate enough to have an uncorrected proof. I can tell you one thing, this novel is truly sublime and once again the author Devon Monk presents a new very good story.
We thus find Shame and Terric, trying to live their lives as they can. Terric moved in with his friend to his chagrin and Shame plays vigilante in the back of his friends. However, Eli has not forgotten his revenge and intends to make pay the two characters. Thus we enter in a wild ride where Shame must take a number of decisions, always very difficult, and yet some that could change his life and the ones of his family. Our two heroes will once again have to face many obstacles together, and despite appearances, it is always very touching to see how our two men care for each other more than anything. But there are not the only ones, and, we find with great pleasure Allie and Zay, while the delivery approaches faster and faster, with all its problems. And as you all know, I love them!
Shame and Terric are increasingly realizing that they are different, and nothing can change that fact. We’re indeed quite frightened and surprised with them when we see what they manage to achieve together. Because even with the best will in the world, it seems that sometimes their nature shows its true face and bodies are starting to appear in their path. They will face many hardships, even death on several occasions. But that’s not all, because the government is always closer and they seem determined to exterminate each soul complements, so nobody is immune. In addition, using Eli does not help this matter, especially when the man is determined to kill Shame for the murder of Brandy.
I will not say more, as many things happen in the novel but it is a spin-off series that I can only advise you to read, up to the Allie Beckstrom series, and fans will be delighted. A very good novel that will keep you spellbound throughout the story and you will be able to discover more and more about this world and its fascinating characters.
May 5, 2014
This is the second (and final) book in the Broken Magic series by Monk. This has been a good spin-off series from the Allie Beckstrom series. It features Terric and Shame. I enjoyed it a lot. I would recommend reading the Allie Beckstrom series before this one because there is a lot that happens in this book that ties back into that original series.
Shame and Terric are still trying to track down Eli, the magic user that has caused so much trouble throughout the series. Eli now is being backed by the government in another evil endeavor. The government wants to use Soul Complements as weapons by using them to make innocent people walking magical bombs. Shame and Terric will have to do their best to tame their Death and Life magic and stop Eli before he kills off even more Soul Complements.
A lot happens in this book. Shame and Terric are really run through the ringer here...they just go through so much pain and suffering throughout the book.
Most of the book is told from Shame’s POV, but some of it is also from Terric’s. Shame does a lot of angsting about how he is evil...blah, blah, blah. But if you have read about Shame in other books you know that that is just how his character is. We do get to learn more about Shame’s past and get to understand him a lot better as a character in this book. We learn what drives Shame and get to see past his obnoxious/selfish-seeming exterior.
Terric doesn't feature quite as much, but we do get more insight into Life magic and how too much Life isn’t necessarily a good thing. Both Shame and Terric are scary powerful magic users and the magic uses them more than they use the magic.
The plot is very well done and not only wraps up this duology nicely, but also wraps up a lot of loose ends from the Allie Beckstrom series nicely. Allie and Zayvion are in the story some, as well as all of the other characters we got to know and love in the Allie Beckstrom series.
Overall I enjoyed this book and thought it wrapped up the Broken Magic duology nicely. I would definitely recommend reading the Allie Beckstrom series before this one, there is just a lot that ties in with the Allie Beckstrom books that you will miss out on if you haven’t read those. I thought everything ended at an excellent place and enjoyed watching Shame and Terric wrestle with their powerful magic. I would definitely recommend this series to urban fantasy fans, especially those who were fans of the Allie Beckstrom series.
Shame and Terric are still trying to track down Eli, the magic user that has caused so much trouble throughout the series. Eli now is being backed by the government in another evil endeavor. The government wants to use Soul Complements as weapons by using them to make innocent people walking magical bombs. Shame and Terric will have to do their best to tame their Death and Life magic and stop Eli before he kills off even more Soul Complements.
A lot happens in this book. Shame and Terric are really run through the ringer here...they just go through so much pain and suffering throughout the book.
Most of the book is told from Shame’s POV, but some of it is also from Terric’s. Shame does a lot of angsting about how he is evil...blah, blah, blah. But if you have read about Shame in other books you know that that is just how his character is. We do get to learn more about Shame’s past and get to understand him a lot better as a character in this book. We learn what drives Shame and get to see past his obnoxious/selfish-seeming exterior.
Terric doesn't feature quite as much, but we do get more insight into Life magic and how too much Life isn’t necessarily a good thing. Both Shame and Terric are scary powerful magic users and the magic uses them more than they use the magic.
The plot is very well done and not only wraps up this duology nicely, but also wraps up a lot of loose ends from the Allie Beckstrom series nicely. Allie and Zayvion are in the story some, as well as all of the other characters we got to know and love in the Allie Beckstrom series.
Overall I enjoyed this book and thought it wrapped up the Broken Magic duology nicely. I would definitely recommend reading the Allie Beckstrom series before this one, there is just a lot that ties in with the Allie Beckstrom books that you will miss out on if you haven’t read those. I thought everything ended at an excellent place and enjoyed watching Shame and Terric wrestle with their powerful magic. I would definitely recommend this series to urban fantasy fans, especially those who were fans of the Allie Beckstrom series.
February 21, 2016
Surprisingly, this book did not do it for me. I think it was because I was constantly frustrated. I wanted to beat Sunny and Eleanor. Actually, there are more I want to beat, like Dash and Davy. Seriously, Shame is DEATH magic. He is not a death magician. DEATH owns his ass. He tells them to get away from him yet they tempt him with their life force constantly. Dude, the guy has been killed several times. He is bleeding and shot. He needs death to fuel himself. Demanding him to do things and saying he "owes" you is just plain fucking STUPID. Sunny, you dumb bitch. What exactly did you think would happen when you pulled the tiger tail? Eleanor, you dumb cunt, what did you think what happen when you decided to leave heaven and follow Shame?
Am I the only one who sees the problem here with these dumb as beyotches? Then they guilt him and blame him? Seriously, I'm not about blaming the victim, but they threw themselves at a person who already warned them to back off because he literally has little control of his magic. He is already freaked out about his death magic and everyone still disregards it? I say, they deserve to be dead. Bloody idiots.
This story does move at a fast pace with Shame and Terric having to save everyone once again. There is death, torture, pain and more pain. Really, this is *such* an uplifting book. I did like Terric when he is partially closed. It kind of makes him more bearable for Shame.
Shame's little side trip when he dies the first time in this book is mixed for me. He worked so darn hard. He needs rest and yet he still does not get it. This was a truly painful moment as he is forced to once again sacrifice so much for everyone else. I think he is under-appreciated here and it just drives me crazy. This book is a quick read and recommended for those who enjoy this world. Do not read it as a standalone.
Am I the only one who sees the problem here with these dumb as beyotches? Then they guilt him and blame him? Seriously, I'm not about blaming the victim, but they threw themselves at a person who already warned them to back off because he literally has little control of his magic. He is already freaked out about his death magic and everyone still disregards it? I say, they deserve to be dead. Bloody idiots.
This story does move at a fast pace with Shame and Terric having to save everyone once again. There is death, torture, pain and more pain. Really, this is *such* an uplifting book. I did like Terric when he is partially closed. It kind of makes him more bearable for Shame.
Shame's little side trip when he dies the first time in this book is mixed for me. He worked so darn hard. He needs rest and yet he still does not get it. This was a truly painful moment as he is forced to once again sacrifice so much for everyone else. I think he is under-appreciated here and it just drives me crazy. This book is a quick read and recommended for those who enjoy this world. Do not read it as a standalone.
April 3, 2014
* Warning: Spoilers for HELL BENT included*
STONE COLD is the second and last book in the Broken Magic series. The series was very well formed with the Allie Beckstrom Series so it was nice being able to enjoy the story of Shame and Terric without all the background we already know about. I don't feel that someone that is new to the world would be seriously lost, but I think the back story and character development that the Allie Beckstrom Series brought makes this one that more enjoyable.
Since you most likely read HELL BENT before picking this up you know the score what is going on. I feel that Shame really does hit rock bottom in STONE COLD. He seems to have given up completely after losing the woman he loves and not being able to control his death magic. He is deathly afraid of killing those he loves so he just pushes everyone away and isolates himself. Terric is having a hard time with his life magic but when he works magic with Terric it all seems to even out. They are both pretty stubborn so they fight their friendship and magic on their own until they have no choice but to work together, and they do it fabulously.
As with all the other books in the series there is a ton of action and twists to the story line. There are a lot of bumps in the road but STONE COLD ended on a perfect note for everyone involved. (And I loved watching Allie and Zayne become parents) It all just felt finished. Everyone seemed to be in a better place and on better terms than they have ever been. I will miss the gang!
* This book was provided free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
STONE COLD is the second and last book in the Broken Magic series. The series was very well formed with the Allie Beckstrom Series so it was nice being able to enjoy the story of Shame and Terric without all the background we already know about. I don't feel that someone that is new to the world would be seriously lost, but I think the back story and character development that the Allie Beckstrom Series brought makes this one that more enjoyable.
Since you most likely read HELL BENT before picking this up you know the score what is going on. I feel that Shame really does hit rock bottom in STONE COLD. He seems to have given up completely after losing the woman he loves and not being able to control his death magic. He is deathly afraid of killing those he loves so he just pushes everyone away and isolates himself. Terric is having a hard time with his life magic but when he works magic with Terric it all seems to even out. They are both pretty stubborn so they fight their friendship and magic on their own until they have no choice but to work together, and they do it fabulously.
As with all the other books in the series there is a ton of action and twists to the story line. There are a lot of bumps in the road but STONE COLD ended on a perfect note for everyone involved. (And I loved watching Allie and Zayne become parents) It all just felt finished. Everyone seemed to be in a better place and on better terms than they have ever been. I will miss the gang!
* This book was provided free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
April 14, 2014
I'm probably rounding the rating up a little bit because I already love the characters and the world so much. I can't tell how I would feel about it if I was reading it from a fresh perspective. I'm know I'd still be impressed by the rich world building and realistic storytelling. I might be a bit more annoyed by Shame's inability to take responsibility for anything while constantly taking responsibility for everything at the same time. But flawed characters are much, much more interesting than the perfect ones, especially those suddenly perfect one. There might also have been a couple of things toward the end that didn't seem consistent. But those are small quibbles, I'm always really happy to visit this world and these characters. Devon's a super storyteller and I'll read anything that she writes.
February 21, 2017
I may just have to read the third one again now...
December 14, 2014
I FINALLY got to finish reading this book. It is my favorite guy from one of my favorite series. I LOVE Shame. I also have loved Cody and Stone from the moment I knew of them. This book was filled me with fear for their lives and kept my heart pounding. I FELT so much. I wanted to hit Sunny. Seriously.
This is the end of this series. For now, maybe forever. As a 5 star favorite, I'll read again one day. I'll own this. I'll love it with all my heart, no holding back.
There's characters I love and hate here. There's action which seems to barely let me catch my breath. There's greed and revenge and selflessness. There's even some romance and humor. I needed the humor it has. I stopped reading because I was afraid, afraid of what would happen to my loved ones. Life isn't perfect, but there is feeling, growth, and change.
This is the end of this series. For now, maybe forever. As a 5 star favorite, I'll read again one day. I'll own this. I'll love it with all my heart, no holding back.
There's characters I love and hate here. There's action which seems to barely let me catch my breath. There's greed and revenge and selflessness. There's even some romance and humor. I needed the humor it has. I stopped reading because I was afraid, afraid of what would happen to my loved ones. Life isn't perfect, but there is feeling, growth, and change.
August 5, 2016
Much darker than Hell Bent, Shame spends most of the book really struggling to contain his Death magic, not always succeeding, and fearing that he's become the same monster as Jingo Jingo. The real question is this: can he prevent himself from killing his friends in his hunt for Eli?
April 4, 2014
I likened Hell Bent to a Death- driven bullet train, which makes Stone Cold that same train with no brakes. I like the Broken Magic novels better than the Allie Beckstrom series, but an amazing amount of bad things happen in these two books. Stone Cold has a little more happy than Hell Bent, but Death is definitely driving this out of control train. I agree with another reviewer who could not understand why everyone blamed Shamus for losing control of his Death magic when he was continually warning them to stay away from him. If you crowd Death, bad things will happen, and there is an abundance of bad in Stone Cold, but still a satisfactory happily ever after.
March 14, 2014
This was so good! I loved the Allie Beckstrom series, but I have enjoyed this offshoot even more I think. I love Shame and Terric and this book was amazing. It was dark and gritty and also full of love and hope.
It's also nice to see how Allie and many of the other characters from her series are doing as well. I really loved how this ended as well.
It's also nice to see how Allie and many of the other characters from her series are doing as well. I really loved how this ended as well.
July 26, 2014
I wasn't truly impressed with this second book in Broken Magic series. Shame Flynn and Terric Conley died to many times in this part. And what happened to them was just to fantastic, and unbelievable for me. I can't accept such foolish storyline or the way it ended, with HEA. Not that I mind per se, but just something felt wrong with this second part. Shame was to hard on himself nonetheless.
April 4, 2014
Really good spin off series. But Shame needs a girlfriend. Like the covers.
August 14, 2016
Really good. I don't know where we go from here but I'm sure it's going to be good. If you read this series though you have to read the Allie books first.
April 19, 2014
I adore Shame and Terric. This did not disappoint.
November 17, 2021
VERY nice conclusion to the spin-off, as well as wrapping up many things in the Allie Beckstrom world. Nicely done!
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