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Drax Guard: Crew Six #4
Stoneheart
Full synopsis coming soon!
Following the cliff-hanger ending of CONDUIT, the team is back for another mission in the southern Allied States chasing traffickers and coming face-to-face with Dejan's past at a medical outreach camp in the borderlands...
Following the cliff-hanger ending of CONDUIT, the team is back for another mission in the southern Allied States chasing traffickers and coming face-to-face with Dejan's past at a medical outreach camp in the borderlands...
192 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 8, 2025
20 people want to read
About the author
C.M. Banschbach
15 books124 followersC.M. Banschbach is a native Texan and would make an excellent Hobbit if she weren’t so tall. She’s a pizza addict, a multi-faceted fangirl, and a firm believer in being authentic—even if it means acting like a dork sometimes! When not writing fantasy stories packed full of adventure and snark, she works as a pediatric physical therapist where she happily embraces the fact that she never actually has to grow up.
She also writesYA/MG fantasy-adventure as Claire M. Banschbach.
She also writesYA/MG fantasy-adventure as Claire M. Banschbach.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
August 11, 2025
I'm gonna cry; this was very good. 🥲😭 I need more people who don't like romance to write more romance because they write actually healthy romance. 🤣 (Note that this series is no spice but very PG-13 for themes and language.)
So I really hate "he's mean to/hates everyone but me" and usually am extremely skeptical of to outright dislike second-chance romance (I just usually don't buy that they won't repeat the same mistakes/aren't actually bad for each other) but THIS. THIS IS HOW YOU DO THOSE THINGS. WITH ACTUAL GROWTH AND DEMONSTRATED-THROUGH-ACTION-AND-NOT-AS-PERFORMANCE CHANGE. NO I WILL NOT STOP SHOUTING; I'M LOSING MY MIND BECAUSE YES, THANK YOU. (Okay, fine, I'll stop shouting. Maybe) And also with them being respectful and communicating (on a REAL level, not like "they shout at each other once and then go on cute dates") and taking things slowly.
But "he used to only be gentle and nice with me but now he cares about other people, even strangers, and he has people who care about him and that is a good and attractive thing"? YES, THANK YOU. (The shouting is back, not sorry.) And that he also notices ways she has grown & changed for the better, too—it isn't a one-sided thing, either. And both of them being attracted to the growth in each other, which makes it more believable they'd be healthier now. Yes.
Girl friendships? Check!
Past book couples being adorable? Check!
Believable handling of trauma? Check!
The immaculate band-of-brothers vibes continue? Check!
The character growth? Check!
HIS PLATONIC BEST FRIEND IS PART OF WHAT HELPS/GROUNDS HIM, IT ISN'T 100% ROMANCE THAT SAVES HIM? *indistinct pleased screeching*
So I really hate "he's mean to/hates everyone but me" and usually am extremely skeptical of to outright dislike second-chance romance (I just usually don't buy that they won't repeat the same mistakes/aren't actually bad for each other) but THIS. THIS IS HOW YOU DO THOSE THINGS. WITH ACTUAL GROWTH AND DEMONSTRATED-THROUGH-ACTION-AND-NOT-AS-PERFORMANCE CHANGE. NO I WILL NOT STOP SHOUTING; I'M LOSING MY MIND BECAUSE YES, THANK YOU. (Okay, fine, I'll stop shouting. Maybe) And also with them being respectful and communicating (on a REAL level, not like "they shout at each other once and then go on cute dates") and taking things slowly.
But "he used to only be gentle and nice with me but now he cares about other people, even strangers, and he has people who care about him and that is a good and attractive thing"? YES, THANK YOU. (The shouting is back, not sorry.) And that he also notices ways she has grown & changed for the better, too—it isn't a one-sided thing, either. And both of them being attracted to the growth in each other, which makes it more believable they'd be healthier now. Yes.
Girl friendships? Check!
Past book couples being adorable? Check!
Believable handling of trauma? Check!
The immaculate band-of-brothers vibes continue? Check!
The character growth? Check!
HIS PLATONIC BEST FRIEND IS PART OF WHAT HELPS/GROUNDS HIM, IT ISN'T 100% ROMANCE THAT SAVES HIM? *indistinct pleased screeching*
April 11, 2025
This was cute. I’m so happy for our resident grumpy elf.
April 12, 2025
I’m unwell. I’m impossibly more in love than I was before… but I am unwell…
You will not be getting a coherent review for this for awhile… needs processing *sobs*
You will not be getting a coherent review for this for awhile… needs processing *sobs*
August 22, 2025
So... Despite the eMoTiONaL DaMAgE, this might be my favorite so far. Somehow Claire always manages to take tropes I swear I don't like and makes me question everything. This time, it was the Second Chance Romance.
My usual gripe with a SCR is that if it didn't work out once, why would it work out now? To me, they can feel forced and disingenuous. BUT NOT WITH THIS ONE. There's a lot of bitterness and pain to work through, but the mistakes that forced them apart once, caused them both to grow in big ways. Is that enough to rekindle the relationship? Well, you'll have to read it to know for sure 😏 but rest assured it feels natural and appropriately weighty. They're not just jumping recklessly back into something because of the "feels."
The stoneheart curse, with it's memory lapses, emotional numbness, and eventual impact on relationships and work, felt like such a powerful allegory for depression, although I don't know if that was Claire's intention or not. Its effects on Dej and the crew are real and devastating, but not without hope. Seeing Dejan so vulnerable was heartbreaking, but his team's loyalty and support were just as endearing as always 🥹
I think my only "gripe," if I have one, would be that I wish there'd been a little more time to get to know the kids the crew rescued from the traffickers. Claire proved she's great at writing kids in book 3, and I would have liked more of a bond between some of them, because the few interactions we got were so good and made me want more! But what can a woman do in less than 200 pages and with an insane release schedule? It's still a wonderfully satisfying story and I can see myself coming back to this one once I recover. 🫡😌
My usual gripe with a SCR is that if it didn't work out once, why would it work out now? To me, they can feel forced and disingenuous. BUT NOT WITH THIS ONE. There's a lot of bitterness and pain to work through, but the mistakes that forced them apart once, caused them both to grow in big ways. Is that enough to rekindle the relationship? Well, you'll have to read it to know for sure 😏 but rest assured it feels natural and appropriately weighty. They're not just jumping recklessly back into something because of the "feels."
The stoneheart curse, with it's memory lapses, emotional numbness, and eventual impact on relationships and work, felt like such a powerful allegory for depression, although I don't know if that was Claire's intention or not. Its effects on Dej and the crew are real and devastating, but not without hope. Seeing Dejan so vulnerable was heartbreaking, but his team's loyalty and support were just as endearing as always 🥹
I think my only "gripe," if I have one, would be that I wish there'd been a little more time to get to know the kids the crew rescued from the traffickers. Claire proved she's great at writing kids in book 3, and I would have liked more of a bond between some of them, because the few interactions we got were so good and made me want more! But what can a woman do in less than 200 pages and with an insane release schedule? It's still a wonderfully satisfying story and I can see myself coming back to this one once I recover. 🫡😌
April 15, 2025
Oh. My. Gosh. I am SCREAMING. This book was so 👏🏼 good 👏🏼 PLEASE read this series. It’s literally iconic.
I’ll try to write a coherent review later but right now I’m just 😭🤧💕
I’ll try to write a coherent review later but right now I’m just 😭🤧💕
April 18, 2025
This is probably my favorite in the series so far but that could also be because the more time I spend with the characters, the more I love them.
I loved hearing Dejan's backstory and how much he has grown as a person to caring for others and finding that there are people he can trust.
Excited (and sad) to read the next (and final) book in the series!
I loved hearing Dejan's backstory and how much he has grown as a person to caring for others and finding that there are people he can trust.
Excited (and sad) to read the next (and final) book in the series!
December 5, 2025
AUGH this book is SO GOOD
Dejan's backstory is so good and so sad, and I LOVE him and Tara. This is THE second chance romance of ALL TIME. And Remy and Dejan's dynamic continues to be my actual favorite EVER
Dejan's backstory is so good and so sad, and I LOVE him and Tara. This is THE second chance romance of ALL TIME. And Remy and Dejan's dynamic continues to be my actual favorite EVER
April 18, 2025
Summary
Before Crew Six, Dejan has only ever been close to one person in his life. He abandoned her. The regret from that is part of why he can't admit to his crew now that he's losing his ability to function. The truth is, his crew doesn't know much about his life before he became a paramedic, and it looks like it's going to stay that way because the spell-curse meant to incapacitate Remy is slowly robbing Dejan of his emotions, his memory, his ... his everything. And, because of course he's not the kind of person that can even slide into oblivion with a modicum of peace, all of a sudden his ex walks back into his life and complicates everything.
My Thoughts
Claire has done a great job of making these books feel cohesive while also making each character's feature story feel unique and personal. Cieran in Flashpoint worked through grief and guilt, Bes in faultline worked through fear and loss of confidence and a general realization that helpers sometimes need to be helped in Faultline, and Remy dealt with confronting the reality of being s*xually taken advantage of (years earlier) in Conduit. In Stoneheart we find a character carrying the baggage of growing up in a criminal family and, based on a combination of desperation and immaturity, leaving behind the one person he loved to escape it all.
This story hit home especially "well" for me as someone who has spent a lot of my life carrying for relatives with dementia. I wasn't sure if Dej's Stoneheart slide of losing himself was meant to mirror dementia, but at one point he jokes that someone should use the money he leaves behind to take care of dementia patients, so I think the comparibleness was intentional.
Overall, this book (and the series as a whole) gets five stars from me because I'm completely sure I'll be back for a re-read, just like I've been back to all of Claire's other books.
Content Disclosures
Minor swearing with relative frequency. Violence and injury detail that is not described graphically but would definately be at least PG-13 level if on-screen, including a brief scene of torture. The crew is chasing a criminal group trafficking children and there is also veiled reference to s*xual manipulation from a previous book. A few brief kisses and flirting between secondary characters.
Before Crew Six, Dejan has only ever been close to one person in his life. He abandoned her. The regret from that is part of why he can't admit to his crew now that he's losing his ability to function. The truth is, his crew doesn't know much about his life before he became a paramedic, and it looks like it's going to stay that way because the spell-curse meant to incapacitate Remy is slowly robbing Dejan of his emotions, his memory, his ... his everything. And, because of course he's not the kind of person that can even slide into oblivion with a modicum of peace, all of a sudden his ex walks back into his life and complicates everything.
My Thoughts
Claire has done a great job of making these books feel cohesive while also making each character's feature story feel unique and personal. Cieran in Flashpoint worked through grief and guilt, Bes in faultline worked through fear and loss of confidence and a general realization that helpers sometimes need to be helped in Faultline, and Remy dealt with confronting the reality of being s*xually taken advantage of (years earlier) in Conduit. In Stoneheart we find a character carrying the baggage of growing up in a criminal family and, based on a combination of desperation and immaturity, leaving behind the one person he loved to escape it all.
This story hit home especially "well" for me as someone who has spent a lot of my life carrying for relatives with dementia. I wasn't sure if Dej's Stoneheart slide of losing himself was meant to mirror dementia, but at one point he jokes that someone should use the money he leaves behind to take care of dementia patients, so I think the comparibleness was intentional.
Overall, this book (and the series as a whole) gets five stars from me because I'm completely sure I'll be back for a re-read, just like I've been back to all of Claire's other books.
Content Disclosures
Minor swearing with relative frequency. Violence and injury detail that is not described graphically but would definately be at least PG-13 level if on-screen, including a brief scene of torture. The crew is chasing a criminal group trafficking children and there is also veiled reference to s*xual manipulation from a previous book. A few brief kisses and flirting between secondary characters.
April 11, 2025
Hey Jarvis, enter this book under the category of "I cussed out the author when I finished".
["This is the only book in that category. Continue?"]
"Yes, continue."
You heard me. For that matter, so did Claire. Loudly.
So, Stoneheart.
We finally hear from the least talkative of the whole crew, and from the moment he starts talking it's a wild ride. We've seen in earlier books how Dejan has learned to deeply care for his crew, and we've all suspected for a while that there's something in his past that has informed that quiet, excessively stubborn sense of loyalty. Well. Now we know. When they say someone is loyal unto death...
No, that's not really a spoiler. I might be speaking metaphorically, after all.
Ok but seriously, this book means a lot. Because it covers (a little) the question of what love means when you can't feel it. Does it still count if the emotion isn't there at all?
Dejan has literally been cursed, but it doesn't take a curse to make me question if I've been fooling myself and everyone else into believing that I care for them. What his story demonstrates, what I've held onto for the last six years, is that love isn't just emotion—it's choice. Action. Stepping into danger (fictional) or discomfort (real life) because you know it's best for that person. It's determination to grow and heal, and acknowledging the damage that past mistakes caused.
All that, and still, somehow, there's (hidden) emotion tied into it all. Obviously, since I'm pretty sure my blood pressure hasn't been that high in YEARS.
Read this one. You may cry, you may yell, but you might also realize that something once broken is now less so.
["This is the only book in that category. Continue?"]
"Yes, continue."
You heard me. For that matter, so did Claire. Loudly.
So, Stoneheart.
We finally hear from the least talkative of the whole crew, and from the moment he starts talking it's a wild ride. We've seen in earlier books how Dejan has learned to deeply care for his crew, and we've all suspected for a while that there's something in his past that has informed that quiet, excessively stubborn sense of loyalty. Well. Now we know. When they say someone is loyal unto death...
No, that's not really a spoiler. I might be speaking metaphorically, after all.
Ok but seriously, this book means a lot. Because it covers (a little) the question of what love means when you can't feel it. Does it still count if the emotion isn't there at all?
Dejan has literally been cursed, but it doesn't take a curse to make me question if I've been fooling myself and everyone else into believing that I care for them. What his story demonstrates, what I've held onto for the last six years, is that love isn't just emotion—it's choice. Action. Stepping into danger (fictional) or discomfort (real life) because you know it's best for that person. It's determination to grow and heal, and acknowledging the damage that past mistakes caused.
All that, and still, somehow, there's (hidden) emotion tied into it all. Obviously, since I'm pretty sure my blood pressure hasn't been that high in YEARS.
Read this one. You may cry, you may yell, but you might also realize that something once broken is now less so.
April 16, 2025
Who knew a book about not being able to feel emotion would be so emotional?
Once again, Claire has shown us the most relatable characters, with all their flaws and all their heroics, and just the best bonds of loyalty. Dej and Rem’s friendship might be my favorite depiction of brotherhood—just the snark and cussing and hugging and fighting together—I love them. And I love the soft portrayal of romance we get in this series, and how the crew has grown to include dragonwalkers and girlfriends, and snarky kidnapped children, and I just want to see more and more of the found family! Now let’s get the looming baddies sorted out so we can get to all happy things!
Once again, Claire has shown us the most relatable characters, with all their flaws and all their heroics, and just the best bonds of loyalty. Dej and Rem’s friendship might be my favorite depiction of brotherhood—just the snark and cussing and hugging and fighting together—I love them. And I love the soft portrayal of romance we get in this series, and how the crew has grown to include dragonwalkers and girlfriends, and snarky kidnapped children, and I just want to see more and more of the found family! Now let’s get the looming baddies sorted out so we can get to all happy things!
August 11, 2025
3.5 stars
Following directly after the events at the end of Conduit, when Dejan caught the spell Maeve tried to throw at Remy, Dejan is slowly dying as his heart turns to stone and eliminates all his emotions and ability to stay present and attentive. He's zoning out and can't watch his team's back but hasn't found a way to let them know what is happening.
And now it is time for Dejan's background, including a criminal family running an empire of illegality back in Detroit and a heartbonded girlfriend he left behind when he escaped his family and had his heartbond removed without even talking to her. He started over and made a life for himself in the Drax Guard. She had to mourn and move on.
Now they come face to face once more on a mission to rescue trafficked children and the guy she wants to hate is obviously not well and in no condition to fight with...
I hope the street kid from this one shows up again. I liked him
Following directly after the events at the end of Conduit, when Dejan caught the spell Maeve tried to throw at Remy, Dejan is slowly dying as his heart turns to stone and eliminates all his emotions and ability to stay present and attentive. He's zoning out and can't watch his team's back but hasn't found a way to let them know what is happening.
And now it is time for Dejan's background, including a criminal family running an empire of illegality back in Detroit and a heartbonded girlfriend he left behind when he escaped his family and had his heartbond removed without even talking to her. He started over and made a life for himself in the Drax Guard. She had to mourn and move on.
Now they come face to face once more on a mission to rescue trafficked children and the guy she wants to hate is obviously not well and in no condition to fight with...
I hope the street kid from this one shows up again. I liked him
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Want to read
May 23, 2025SM
July 31, 2025
*sobs and clutches book to chest* Man. My favorite of the series so far. Stoneheart wasn’t supposed to be a metaphor for depression but it read that way for me in many aspects and I needed that so badly. Dejan is a cinnamon roll bean, albeit a grumpy one. 😂 and I loved Tara too! The character dynamics just continue to get stronger and stronger and I cannot wait to finish the series.
May 13, 2025
I didn't know it was possible to laugh and weep so much in tandem. Until now. This is book is pretty much the reason to read the first three, not that it should take much convincing, since this entire series so far has been phenomenal. Gripping action, compelling characters, excellent storytelling, engaging voice. Snark. Brotherhood. All the good stuff.
Dejan is my favorite of the crew, has been from the start. Maybe because of the whole 'grumpy elf' thing, maybe because of the medic role, probably both, and finally getting a story that digs a little (or, like, a LOT) deeper into his character was a treat. But not like a really sweet one. A tart and bittersweet one that is wholly more satisfying in a 'you owe me a new box of tissues, you fiend' kind of way. That scene with the little girl and the dinosaur band aids? Best thing ever.
I so appreciate how Banschbach addresses hard issues and tackles them with grace, taking us to the pits and bringing us back out again fuller and more hopeful than before. STONEHEART broke my heart a little, then patched it back together with duct tape and gold.
And then that ending. Because for all these boys have been through, suffered, and overcome, there's another stretch in this valley of death to tackle. I'm so excited and utterly terrified and I can hardly wait.
182% recommend.
Dejan is my favorite of the crew, has been from the start. Maybe because of the whole 'grumpy elf' thing, maybe because of the medic role, probably both, and finally getting a story that digs a little (or, like, a LOT) deeper into his character was a treat. But not like a really sweet one. A tart and bittersweet one that is wholly more satisfying in a 'you owe me a new box of tissues, you fiend' kind of way. That scene with the little girl and the dinosaur band aids? Best thing ever.
I so appreciate how Banschbach addresses hard issues and tackles them with grace, taking us to the pits and bringing us back out again fuller and more hopeful than before. STONEHEART broke my heart a little, then patched it back together with duct tape and gold.
And then that ending. Because for all these boys have been through, suffered, and overcome, there's another stretch in this valley of death to tackle. I'm so excited and utterly terrified and I can hardly wait.
182% recommend.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews