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Never fall for the villain.

Daniel is done dating bad boys—at least in real life. His only crush these days? The Shadow a devastatingly dangerous half-fae villain safely trapped in the pages of his favorite web novel.

Until he isn't.

The barrier between their world shatters, and when Caelen steps through, he tries to claim Daniel as his mate. His touch makes Daniel shiver, his kisses make him burn, and there's nothing safe about him anymore.

But Daniel doesn't want safe. He wants the man he glimpses behind the darkness consuming the Shadow King's soul. As their bond deepens though, he senses something else lurking in that darkness—a secret that could destroy them both.

Every instinct screams at Daniel to run. He knows better than to fall for the villain, better than to risk everything for an impossible love.

He’s going to do it anyway.

This book should be read after first reading Knox (book one in the series.) Content warnings can be found on my website.

372 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 28, 2025

24 people are currently reading
56 people want to read

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Silvana Falcon

25 books319 followers

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5 stars
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
Profile Image for Natalie  H.
3,798 reviews30 followers
June 9, 2025
June 2025
Kindle edition

Huh. I got through this one in one sitting and a lot quicker than the first book. Didn't think I'd like the shadow king but turned out to be a lot more complex than it seemed. Knox and co were around but felt background. The friends and brother were the no club and not sure why but didn't like Malik. For a moment there I thought this was going to be a case of accept the dark and stop trying to fix the bad boys, but nope. Daniel finally redeems one of them. Felt a bit cultish with the dark god, manipulation etc. Curious what's happened to the others and whether Yuri is going to be a male lead or another bad guy to take down.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Bette.
3,295 reviews24 followers
February 28, 2025
Incredible Story & Narration🎧 A Wild & Fascinating Ride!

Caelen
Monsters of Veridia, Book 2
By: Silvana Falcon
Narrated by: John Solo

Silvana Falcon pens another fascinating novel, an imaginative and action-packed urban fantasy romance novel that captivates your attention from start to end. This second book of the “Monsters of Veridia” series is just as amazing as the first, “Knox”, a not to be missed book and to get the most of the incredible world building it is best to enjoy the series in order written. In the first book we see Adrian’s fictional crush, Knox, the demonic incubus, come to life and he did not come alone. Other monsters of Veridia followed Knox, stirring up trouble and creating havoc, including Caelen, the shadow king and a half fae villain, who has claimed Adrian’s friend Daniel as his mate. Daniel’s friends try to warn him to stay away from Caelen, that he is pure evil, but Daniel can sense he is not and that the evil within Caelen is not his own. Daniel is desperately looking for a way to rid of that evil, but as time things get worse in their world, and so does Caelen, who is gaining followers. I loved the originality of this story, the complexity, all its layers and how it all plays out, with the perfect balance of drama, angst, action, twists and turns, heartfelt emotions, and steamy romance. Silvana Falcon, thanks for another amazing story and wild ride.

🎧📚🎧 John Solo delivers another outstanding performance, bringing the characters to life and humanizing them with their voices and personalities. His portrayal of each character is spot-on and his character voices fit their personality and demeanor, and he is convincing in every role he plays. He sets the perfect tone for the story, captures all the characters’ emotions and has you feeling them all. John Solo is a versatile voice artist and the quality of his audio and performance is always top-notch, a treat for your ears and a joy to listen to.
Profile Image for Red.
29 reviews
February 4, 2025
I loved this book. Daniel’s inner conflict as to how much he can trust himself felt very real, despite the fantasy setting. It was a journey of Daniel opening his eyes to what he really wanted, acknowledging the real consequences of chasing it, and whether he can allow himself to make decisions that might destroy far more than just himself.

This story, put simply, was a battle between Daniel’s head and his heart.
Knowing all that the Shadow King Caelen has done—and knowing he himself has a bad history in choosing men—Daniel mistrusts his reactions to Caelen even while a part of him yearns to chase that connection.
When circumstances force him to rely on Caelen, their bond grows tighter and Daniel sees more of who Caelen really is—the good and the bad within him. Despite all the advice of his friends and brother, the evidence of Caelen’s unchangeable bad intentions, and his own better judgment, Daniel just can’t let go of that glimpse of who Caelen could be—of what they could be together.

I actually really liked being able to see from Caelen’s perspective as well. I think otherwise I would have believed he was exactly as terrible as everyone warned Daniel he was and any glimpses of someone different were pure manipulation. But when the real Caelen begins to peek through in his own mind you realize maybe Daniel’s insane hope to save the worst bad boy he’s ever fallen for aren’t so crazy after all.

The story ends on something of a cliffhanger for the other characters but with enough emotional resolution for the reader to breathe while they await the next book. Some have labeled it a HFN but it feels like a HEA even with a lot of things up in the air.
I would highly recommend it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Scatteredashes.
439 reviews5 followers
January 29, 2025
I was very excited for this as I really liked Daniel in the previous story and wanted to see Caelen get his HEA (who doesn't like a bad boy). Daniel is definitely a stand by your man, even when he makes bad decisions, type of character. At first, I didn't mind this so much, but it started to take over and at points seemed to drag down the pace. It was a lot of the same thing over and over again. I truly wanted to give this a four star review but I felt a bit let down when Caelen didn't seem to fight nearly as hard as Daniel. Meanwhile, Daniel's friends also didn't seem to listen or support him (with the exception of Leon). We're also introduced to a whole new bunch of potential baddies who I never understood their motivation. I think Jamie, Daniel's brother, was one of the best characters in this story. I did enjoy Daniel's fight for love. However, I'm not sure I believed the chemistry between these two. I would've loved to have seen more of Caelen and Daniel without the Shadow King's presence.

This one had some really great moments and I wanted to rate this higher. However, I felt that some things dragged on and it felt that Daniel kept ending up in a loop hoping for a different ending and getting the same result. This series is not hitting for me even though it has everything I thought I would want.
159 reviews4 followers
February 2, 2025
Caelen is the half-Fae villain of the webnovel Monsters of Veridia, until he follows Knox, Lyrian and Zev through the portal onto Earth. Here is finds an environment rich in followers, the kind that can worship him right out of the shadows and back into the evil incarnate he believes he should be. In Book 1, our heroes, chase the Shadow King to a Fan convention where they hope to stop Caelen’s ever-growing fan base from giving him more power. Caelen kidnaps Daniel, a young fan who Caelen claims is his mate. Rescued from where they find Daniel handcuffed to a bed, they take Daniel to their new “headquarters”, not realizing Daniel is constantly hearing Caelen in his head. When Daniel sees a news report about mysterious disappearance close to his brother’s beloved bookstore, Daniel rushes to help him. There he meets the Barrier Keepers who supposedly are there to keep the barrier between the two worlds separate, but everyone mistrusts their motives - with good reason. Caelen must do everything in his power to convince Daniel to stay with him as his mate as the not so evil Shadow King.
More fun and snark, a few more tears. Another great read and Heas for Knox and Adrian and Caelen and Daniel. More to come in this series?
Profile Image for Emily Pennington.
20.7k reviews361 followers
February 4, 2025
Daniel and Caelen’s Story . . .

Daniel suddenly woke up, heart pounding, once again dreaming of a half-fae villain trapped in the pages of a web novel. And he can’t seem to get rid of the voice speaking in his head. How can they be connected like this? Each is in a different world, so this should not occur! The Shadow King is back in Veridia once more, a character in a book! But when the barrier separating their worlds shatters letting Caelen come through, he wants Daniel as his mate. It’s hard to love a bad guy because everyone around you advises you to stay far away. But Daniel knows he must at least try to free Caelen from the evil god, Morthul who has possessed him. Daniel knows he is in danger. He knows he should stay away. But will he choose safety? Or is he determined to free Caelen from his misery? And with what result if he succeeds?

The author’s writing is wonderful in this series. It’s just like being there, taking part in all the action (even if you might not want to at the moment!). If you haven’t started reading these books, catch up while you can because another will be coming along soon after and you won’t want to miss it!
Profile Image for ....
2,057 reviews15 followers
February 9, 2025
Another absolutely gorgeous cover, and another "monster" book that... really didn't have any significant monster elements (Magic? Yes. Monstrous attributes? Eh, not any physical fun differences that impacted their relationship, which is really half the fun with monster fucking.)

Anyway, I jumped right into this one after enjoying the first in series, and... it was also fun? The pacing after maybe the halfway mark felt a bit off, but honestly, that could have been me and my mood. I ended up skimming maybe the last third and skipping the sex scenes that got crammed into that portion, but overall, still had fun in this world even if I wasn't completely sucked in.

I'd call this one a 3.5 star-read for me, rounded up here for GR of course. I do plan on picking up the next in series if I remember once it releases, but it's definitely a "could be fun" sort of anticipation vs an "OMG MUST READ!".

There *is* an overarching series plot, which kind of bums me out (at myself) for jumping in too early, since I know with months ??? between releases, I'll probably lose the thread. But still, not a bad few hours of diversion!
Profile Image for kymagirl.
6,237 reviews89 followers
February 4, 2025
When Daniel’s quiet life is upended by strange disappearances near his hometown, he is forced to confront a past he thought was behind him—and a bond he can’t escape. Caelen, the enigmatic half-fae Shadow King, still lingers in Daniel’s dreams and thoughts, tethered to him by a connection forged in another world. But as the barriers between Earth and the magical realm of Veridia weaken, Daniel finds himself caught in a dangerous game of loyalty, love, and survival. Caelen, haunted by the dark god Morthul, struggles to retain his humanity while wielding powers that threaten to consume him. As political schemes and mystical forces unravel around them, Daniel must decide if saving Caelen is worth risking everything he holds dear. With shadowy enemies closing in, Daniel and Caelen are thrust into a battle for their worlds—and their hearts. Steamy MM, human-fae romance exploring love, action, identity, and redemption set against the backdrop of two clashing realms and impossible odds.
74 reviews
January 24, 2025
I couldn't stop reading this book I absolutely demolished it in hours. This second book is even better than the first and I loved how much you learnt about Daniel and Caelen. It felt longer in comparison to Knox but I think that's because of the story building. I wanted to shake Jamie throughout for not listening to his brother when he needed supprt and for staying at his shop! I could say so much more about what i loved but it will give spoilers and I'm not about that. Read this book you won't be disappointed. I can't wait for more!.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Bianca.
982 reviews7 followers
January 25, 2025
Caelen and Daniel story was explosive and mind-blowing. As things take an unexpected turn, the mastermind is revealed, but its motifs are still unknown.
A new villain makes its appearance, and old kept secrets are revealed.
The danger and adrenaline are high, and new characters enter the fray in trying tipping the scale while chaos still rules.
I really liked their moments together and how they ended deepening their bond, as well as how they got to be together.
Now, a new challenge is on the horizon as they are transported on the other side.
It was an exhilarating adventure, and I’m looking forward to seeing what happens next.
1,999 reviews25 followers
January 26, 2025
Caelen and Daniel’s story is packed with explosive action and mind-blowing twists. As the mastermind behind the chaos is finally revealed, their motives remain unclear. A new villain emerges, and long-hidden secrets come to light. The stakes are high as danger and adrenaline escalate, with new characters entering the mix, complicating things further. I really enjoyed the moments Caelen and Daniel shared, especially how they deepened their bond and came together. The second book in the Monsters of Veridia is even better than the first one and I'm looking forward to the next book in this series.
522 reviews
January 27, 2025
Absolutely fabulous fantasy romance! What these two went through for & because of each other was intense, and a huge reason they are my favorite couple from this series thus far! No spoilers, but this one is full of action, sacrifice, mystery, pining, suffering, magic and bonds of love that reach beyond reality itself. Daniel & Caelen have a tough road to be together, friends & enemies alike have their opinions & make them known. I love this author's writing, her characters & their development, and the world-building is amazing. Looking forward to the next book - I gotta know what happens! Read it, if the blurb intrigues you, take a chance. You're welcome.
Profile Image for Bright Love.
32 reviews
February 5, 2025
I did receive an arc from booksprout. I did read the first book of the serie for the storyline, but I didn´t like that book. I thought would I like this book if I didn´t like the first one. I almost wanted to skip this book and I´m happy I didn´t.

I love Daniel and Caelen.
Daniel has his past with bad boys and why not give the biggest bad boy a change?
Caelen is the villian in this story. I think the way the storyline is written is good.
This book is to understand without reading the first one.

What I liked the most from this book were some plottwists, I didn't see it comming.

Profile Image for Saskia Veldhuis .
1,913 reviews15 followers
March 5, 2025
Audiobook - as always, a superb job done by one of my favourite narrators.
Story - 4 stars. A very good second part in a continuing series, with a HFN, which at times seemed almost impossible. The long-term plot is apparently even more complicated than it appeared to be in the first book. While I really liked Daniel's determination to help despite having a history of choosing those that couldn't be helped, it was sometimes a bit irritating that everyone kept pushing him not to help Caelen. This just repeated a bit too often. I'm looking forward to the next book, with hopefully more details about Veridia.
Profile Image for Crystal.
45 reviews
February 9, 2025
I wasn't sure if I would end up liking this with the way things went and ended between Caelen and Daniel at the end of Knox. However I was pleasantly surprised that I ended up loving this and could not put it down. I loved seeing the growth of Caelen and learning why he is the way he is. The only thing I would say I would have loved to see more of is going more in depth and expanding on his backstory and what happened with this parents to cause the situation to happen to begin with. Overall the story was very engaging with both moments that made me laugh and made me sad.
3,261 reviews20 followers
February 10, 2025

It’s Complicated, Loving the Bad Boy
Caelen, the Shadow King, once kidnapped Daniel, and a bond between them was accidentally formed. But is Caelen redeemable, or will he bring about the end of the world? The world building in this series is fantastic, full of unexpected avenues and additional nuance. I loved how complex this relationship was, a complicated mess of belief and doubt, light and dark, yin and yang. There’s so much yet to be resolved - I can’t wait to see where this series goes next.
Profile Image for Nina Diab.
5,295 reviews51 followers
March 5, 2025
'You underestimate yourself. Everyone underestimates you. Everyone except for me. I've seen inside your soul. I know you're far more special than anyone admits, even yourself.'

I loved Knox- both reading and listening to it- and was excited for another book in this series. It continues to be such a fun and captivating adventure! I was hooked again from the first chapter. Great world building and wonderful characters. I really loved Daniel. There was so much depth to him- his emotions, the face he shows on the outside in spite of whatever he may really be feeling, his protectiveness for his family, and desire to help people. I liked his sense of humor, too.

'Daniel flashed his friends his most winning smile, the one he used to convince everyone that there wasn't a problem in the world that couldn't be handled with just the right amount of spunk and glitter. It was his secret weapon for disarming people— a confidence bordering on delusion that everything would work out just fine.
If only he could convince himself.'

I loved seeing deeper into who Caelen is. I won't go into detail, because discovering that and how Daniel falls for him and vice versa is part of the beauty of this story.

I loved the whole group of supporting characters. Zev in particular never failed to make me laugh or smile wide. They were all just so loveable, fun, and quirky. They felt like family.

This story was an adventure with action and suspense. I can't wait until I can listen to it in audiobook. Book three please! 5 stars


Audiobook Review 3/4/25-

I only recently read this book and was happy I didn't have to wait long to listen to the audiobook. John Solo did a wonderful job again bringing these characters back to life. I liked the overall tone of Caelen's voice. It suited the Shadow King so well. I also liked how I could differentiate between the characters.

Overall: 5 stars
Performance: 5 stars
Story: 5 stars
Profile Image for Melissa.
645 reviews1 follower
January 25, 2025
I was expecting to not like Caelen but he and Daniel were smoky and burned up the pages. Don't get me wrong he was very morally grey but without giving away too much, I could accept hus reasons and see him as a love interest for Daniel. Daniel is sweet and sees the best in just about everyone.
The overarching issue or what is happening with the two worlds and barriers gets deeper and some answers are given but there us soooo much still to come.
3,029 reviews19 followers
February 4, 2025
Daniel seems to have a thing for the really bad boys so it in not surprising that he just can't help missing Caelen and wanting Caelen despite everyone's warnings about him. Daniel is a good guy and he wants to do good things for others and he has such a deep compassion. No spoilers here but I will say this book was a good follow-up to Knox. And it left me looking forward to the next book.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Jax Blu.
2 reviews
February 21, 2025
Complex and satisfying

I love how complex Caelen is and how Daniel is so determined to be with Caelen, without giving away the plot, I can't really say much more.

Silvana worked her magic in this world, she keeps us guessing until the right moment, if I could change one thing, it'd be that I could read fasterer, I wanted to devour it all, but then I don't want it to be over already.

... Dear author.... When's the next one coming out? 👀
Profile Image for K-Me.
2,832 reviews
January 26, 2025
Ok who has never crushed on the villain in a book or movie? I loved the way Caelen was able to leave the pages and become part of Williams world. I admit I really do enjoy a bad boy trying to possess and own his man! William was just so likable I needed him to tame his villain! The mystery is exciting and well these two were smoking hot together too
Profile Image for Jennifer Carter.
Author 70 books47 followers
January 28, 2025
“…next to their darkness, his light didn't seem so blinding.”

I absolutely loved this book and the characters. Cheers to Danial for sticking it out and finding his HEA <3 and I swear my heart broke for caelen! Can’t wait to see what’s next in this series :)
Profile Image for tobifun.pp.
379 reviews9 followers
March 7, 2025
✍️Audio review✍️

rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
spice: 🌶️🌶️
darkness: 🖤🖤
feelings: 😭🥰😱🥵😍🫠😡
narration:⭐⭐⭐⭐

After Knox, I was really looking forward to Daniel and Caelen's story.
It was very interesting to learn more about Caelen and Daniel's dedication is so admirable.
John Solo's interpretation is touching.
Profile Image for Felix Léon.
Author 1 book3 followers
January 24, 2025
To those who can never resist a well written villain, who think "I could fix him" at every broken shell of a man: this is your happy ending.
Profile Image for Kate.
2,574 reviews6 followers
February 5, 2025
**********Contains Spoilers**********

I enjoyed this book and thought that it was a good addition to the Monsters of Veridia Series. I enjoyed immersing myself in this world that Silvana Falcon has created. I loved Caelen and Daniel’s story and seeing the lengths that they would go to protect them other. This book was filled with not stop action and considering how the book ended it’s made me even more excited about reading more from this wonderful world that Silvana has created. I wonder who going to get their chance at a happily ever after during the next book? I’m really looking forward to seeing what happens as the series continues. I’d recommend this book, series and author to others.

******I received a complimentary copy of this book through Booksprout. I would still happily review this book even if I purchased it myself. My thoughts and feelings about this book are completely unbiased******
145 reviews2 followers
February 5, 2025
Sadly, Caelen was not a bad boy I could fall for, and neither was this book. Quite disappointing since the first book of the series was fantastic.
Profile Image for Stacie Streck.
445 reviews
March 10, 2025
Ending on a sex scene was an immediate one star loss for me. Also, Daniel was so incredibly whiny. I liked his brother much better.
Profile Image for Jenna Long.
32 reviews3 followers
March 11, 2025
Caelen is a great continuation of the Monsters of Veridia series, narrated by the always amazing John Solo (this is a review for the audio book). In this book, we have the story of Daniel, reformed bad boy lover and Caelen, the Shadow King and current villain of our story. While Caelen and Daniel may be mates, there's no easy road for them. We learn why Caelen is the way he is (no spoilers here but it's a great plot line), and we see Daniel continue to try and love/help him, regardless of how bad things get and at the frustration of his friends and family. There's way more action in this story, however I wish we were able to get more of Caelen's viewpoint throughout. Also, while I understand why it worked out this way, I wish that Caelen and Daniel were able to truly be together throughout more of the story rather than just towards the end.

Overall, you can't go wrong with this series and the writing of the side characters (soon to be mains) have you waiting and wanting to hear their stories.
Profile Image for Jeanette Waters.
2,016 reviews5 followers
February 27, 2025
Daniel's relationship history is littered with bad boys. Ask his brother, Jamie, or his best friend, Adrian. Caelen is the ultimate bad boy. When Caelen links their energies together, a bond forms. And Daniel gets to glimpse Caelen's soul. Where he finds a tortured, captive creature, Caelen's true self. While the world goes to hell in a handbasket, Daniel is obsessed with freeing Caelen from the evil god, Morthul who has possessed the King of Shadows.
Book two of the Monsters of Veridia series is full of action and tension. Better than book one, which was an excellent read. It contains some really spicy scenes between Daniel and Caelen. And scenes of frustration as Daniel tries to explain to everyone why he needs to save Caelen.
Once started, I couldn't put the book down. Edge of seat tension. Especially when Morthul subjugates the people of the Earth realm. We're left with a HFN and a cliffhanger. Book three can't come soon enough.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

2/27/2025
Daniel fell in love with Caelen, the half-Fae villain in the web novel Monsters of Veridia. Plastering his walls with Caelen's image, reading all the fan-fic and subscribing to chat rooms. Meeting him in person and getting kidnapped created a bond between the two. Unfortunately for him, Caelen isn't just the latest poor choice in bad boys that Daniel always falls for. He's possessed by the dark god, Morthul.
John Solo's narration really brings the story's tension and steamy sizzle across. I love the Morthul growl in his voice. As well as Daniel's guilt and worry. There's a lot of edge of seat nail biting in the last quarter of the book. And that's done so well.
Of course, listening to the story really makes me greedy for the next book. Which of the group is going to get their own monster? Can't wait.

I received a free copy of this audio book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
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