Monster Therapist: and the Warlock's Citadel

by Paul Regnier

When you offer therapy to monsters, it’s wise to keep a sword handy.

Master swordsman Logan Snow thought trading epic quests for a cozy counseling center would be his happily-ever-after. After all, when you delve into a giant’s dark past or advise an ogre with anger issues, what could go wrong?

When a letter arrives bearing the grim news that Logan’s old mentor has been captured by a powerful warlock and imprisoned in his citadel, he must dust off his sword and attempt a desperate rescue. He rallies a group of unlikely heroes including Tressa, an alluring and deadly magician, and Xander, a lightning-fast cheetahman.

The warlock unleashes vicious creatures to stop them, and they discover that his citadel is a heavily guarded fortress of death. As the dangers grow, tensions rise among the team, and Logan finds his therapy skills are just as needed as his sword.

Can Logan rescue his mentor and escape the warlock’s citadel, all while bringing much-needed therapy to this fantasy world? Buy Monster Therapist and find out today!

Genres: Fantasy, Adventure, Magic, Humor, Fiction

220 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 26, 2025

About the author

Paul Regnier is a speculative fiction author. He believes one of the closest things to magic on this earth is imagination. His favorite type of story is filled with adventure, humor, and heartfelt moments between characters. He likes to dream up worlds of fantasy, sci-fi, mystery, and the supernatural. Sometimes they end up in a book.

Paul is the writer of Monster Therapist, Bard Tidings, the Luke and Bandit cozy mystery series, the Paranormia series, and the Space Drifters series.

Paul lives in Treasure Valley, Idaho, with his wife and two children.

Reviews

[Ronie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fun read. Regnier's wit and wisdom shine through in this story. I thoroughly enjoyed the counselor angle to his character--and so amusing seeing monsters need therapy. There is a brilliant dose of action and battle, with some pretty clever D&D elements. This book was everything I'd expected!

[Rachael Ritchey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the cozy feel but action-packed plot of Paul Regnier's Monster Therapist! If you're a fan of D&D style teams and adventure stories, definitely pick up this quirky book about an adventurer who retires to become a therapist for ogres but whose past comes back to haunt him! With a diverse cast of magic-weilding to sword-swinging characters, this book hits its mark and will touch your heart with meaningful friendships, tragic loss, and a teeny tiny bit of romance to soften the edges!

I did receive an ARC copy, but this is my own honest review! Enjoy!

[A.M. Reynwood · Rating 3 out of 5]

Regnier does it again, blending classic fantasy adventure with a heart of humor that is both fun and refreshing. This book has a lot of things going for it: quirky characters, epic quests, reluctant heroes, second-chance romance, dark pasts, redeemed relationships, ill-fated lovers, dark caves, chatty griffons, savage monsters, jam. . . I found the concept of counselling an interesting trait in the book, and we do get the see both sides of it as the MC uses his knowledge and insight to help others, but also weaponizes it against his foes, touching on a deep topic of the power, impact, and responsibility that comes with such a vocation. While this is supposed to be a lighthearted adventure, it carries hard themes like guilt and revenge and I would have liked to see these (and the negative application of therapy) handles with more weight and emotion. It also would have been fun to see more of this monster therapy, as the title suggests. Yet while there are a lot of fun and interesting monsters encountered, seldom were they sentient enough or opportunity given to drive home the concept of a monster therapist, which could have brought a whole other twist to this story. Not to say there aren't plenty of twists already! Chapter by chapter ends with a compelling drive to keep reading, and even if things go right for our intrepid band of mishapful adventurers, they hardly ever go well, providing plenty of page-turning tension and action.

Glodthorn remains to be my favorite character, I rejoiced at the Easter egg, and appreciate Xander's respect for orderly kitchens. Also, that raspberry jam has me hankering for a piece of toast . . .

[Laurel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the idea of counselling monsters and while the moments our MC, Logan Snow, got to actually be a therapist were few and far between, it was a fun twist to the story. We were able to see how Logan was able to use his insights to help others, but also how it allowed him to analyze his foes. I would've like to have had a bit more monster therapy, as the title suggests, but I enjoyed this book.

I will note, that this was far from the light, humorous, cozy, fantasy adventure I was expecting based on the blurb, but that's not a bad thing. Instead, this was a dark / heroic fantasy with a D&D style adventure. Our reluctant hero is dragged into an epic quest to rescue a friend from near certain death. This book deals with darker themes, such as guilt, loss, and revenge, and all handled with care. In spite of that, this was a rollicking ride with plenty of humor.

This was a solid 3.75 stars for me, I'm rounding up to 4, and one I recommend.

[Teddi Deppner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Monster Therapist is a thoroughly delightful blend of D&D-flavored adventure and modern humor. The idea of the reluctant hero is a trope that never gets old for me, and Paul Regnier has such a master's touch when it comes to weaving action, dramatic character choices, light romance, unexpected revelations, and moments to laugh. Opening with the ogre therapy session was the perfect introduction to this world and our retired--oh, excuse me, career-shifted--swordsman-now-counselor.

I enjoyed Regnier's first D&D-style fantasy, Bard Tidings, and I'm hoping he'll make Monster Therapist into a series. Logan Snow is such a fun guy to follow around, and his companions make for great comedy and also the heartfelt hope that they'll all be okay in the end (no spoilers!).

Not sure who I like best... Xander, the best friend cheetahkin fighter who makes excellent raspberry jam but still longs for battle; Farfak, the clever and capable (but paranoid) miniature griffon; Tressa, the independent-minded but flirty ex-girlfriend mage; Damarius, the [redacted spoiler!] you're just not certain you can trust, though he comes in so very handy at times; then there's the bearkin warrior, the fearsome syslek duo, the ice mage... oh dear, shall I list them all? It's tempting, but I've got to wrap this up.

If you're looking for a book as soothing as sitting by a warm hearth and chuckling with your RPG friends over the good old days, yet intriguing enough to keep you up late reading for the next plot twist, I'd recommend Monster Therapist any day.

[C.O. Bonham · Rating 4 out of 5]

Monster Therapist by Paul Regnier is a rollicking fantasy adventure in the style of dungeon and dragons.

I enjoyed the characters chemistry with each other. The banter was whitty and plentiful.

Logan Snow is the titular Monster Therapist. The book opens with a great scene of him helping an oger with anger management.

I was really interested to see how the therapy angle would pay off in the climax.

Let's just say it wasn't how I expected.

*I received an advanced copy of this book for review purposes. All opinions stated above are my own honest opinion.*

[Suzie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Monster Therapist is a fun story with action, adventure, interesting creatures galore, a touch of romance, and—of course—monster therapy! From the start I was drawn in to this sprawling world, delighted by the quirky cast of characters and the noble leading man.

The plot was fast-paced and enjoyable, and the unique aspects of the story world made it one I hope the author writes more in! If you're looking for a quick read with humor, action, and a smidge of romance, pick this one up!

[Michele Harper · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so much fun! I loved the author's other book, Bard Tidings, so when I saw this cover, I had to get my hands on this one as well. And it did not disappoint! If you loved the Dungeons and Dragons movie or his other book, Bard Tidings (hilarious), you will devour this thing. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

[K. Pimpinella · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once again, a great, fun read from Regnier. Although a lighter read, when it came to humour and deep world building, I found this book on par with Mark Lawrence's Prince of Fools series. I hope there's more to come with Monster Therapist.

[Lizzy Hite · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun, comedic adventure that had me laughing out loud on several occasions—really enjoyed and definitely recommend!

~~I received an early copy of this book from the author and was not required to leave a positive review.~~

[Becky B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Logan has given up his wandering adventure/fighter ways and settled down to being a full time monster therapist. At least that’s what he thought. But then his old squad sends a message that their leader Filkspire has been imprisoned by an evil warlock and his only hope is if the band gets back together and stages a rescue. Logan and his cheetahkin pal Xander are pondering answering the call when a certain angry husband of a client gives them the push they need and burns down the barn/clinic they were working out of. They join up with the old gang of Claybridge the bearkin, a tiny griffin called Farfak, Tressa the magician…and that’s it, with the addition of a mage who is the warlock’s ex-girlfriend Nyssia and Logan’s rapscallion of a brother (but also legitimate mayor and thus person with status and an in) Damarius plus his two guards. Can their ragtag group pull off an impossible rescue, or are they doomed to catastrophic failure of epic proportions.

This was a lot of fun. It had the same kind of tone of some other Regnier series I liked, his Space Drifters series and Luke and Bandit mysteries. It’s a lighthearted rescue with a group you are cheering for to pull off something incredible, slightly hair-brained, likely doomed, but just crazy enough to work. I like the variety of mythical creatures Regnier included in this adventure, and appreciated that though they are up against a warlock it never gets too dark. (It is explained that the bad guy had a clear choice, he could have chosen to walk a path of hope and forgiveness, but he chose darkness and that’s about all the details we get about his evil powers.) I like Logan and his friend’s interactions. And the concept of a warrior using counseling strategies to talk down some foes (and help his compatriots) is one I’ve only ever seen elsewhere in Ryan North’s Marvel Squirrel Girl comics. And I like that strategy a lot. This was very entertaining and I hope Regnier makes more adventures for this group.

Notes on content:
Language: None
Sexual content: There’s some flirting between Tressa and Logan, but they keep getting interrupted before any kisses happen.
Violence: There are a couple battles. There are some battle wounds and deaths described, but for the most part they really aren’t gorily detailed. It mentions a beheading but no copious blood or gore. It feels more cartoonish in how it is written.
Ethnic diversity: Made up land and cultures.
LGBTQ+ content: None specified
Other: Some characters with PTSD, anger issues, abandonment issues, etc.

[Micaiah · Rating 4 out of 5]

D&D’s not my favorite but this was a good book based on that never a dull moment good book to read in a weekend

[Annika Crum · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book! It reminded me of Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves. Clever, witty, fun, with some epic moments and hilarious characters. Highly recommend!

[Doug · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good story that will appeal to the DnD fans amongst YA or even middle grade readers. Simplistic characters and plot with plenty of action and some humor.

[Elicia Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun adventure with sticky situations at every turn and a huge variety of fantasy creatures. The therapy angle adds a unique spin. And you can always bet on great humor with Regnier.

[Clean Mom · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun, clean fantasy adventure with a small touch of romance. I love the humor woven in the pages!

[Jane Maree · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a fun adventure! Hilarious and charming, with all the vibes of DnD and quirky adventures and team banter. Be sure to get your hands on this because it's such a fun ride!

[Sammm · Rating 4 out of 5]

In all honesty, I was a little surprised by the quality. This was such a fun adventure and I really enjoyed it

[Hilarey Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This would be a blast to read aloud to kids.

[April Choate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fun action adventure fantasy book from Paul Regnier! Quick read with his classic wit and charming characters. Stayed up late to finish this one!

One never knows the type of client you’ll run into at the idyllic barn nestled away in Gareneth Valley for once warrior now therapist Logan Snow. His desire to get out of the life threatening adventures in the infamous Squad of Shadows has led him to helping his fellow fantastical friends and neighbors through therapy. Though one might argue his warrior skills still come in handy during some sessions with ogres and the like. But will it be enough for him to talk through the emotions or will his desire to save his mentor get him back in the game? Come sit on the Monster Therapists couch for a front row seat of this fast paced witty and wildly entertaining tale from @pauljregnier .

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