How do you raise a boy who can bend reality with his mind? How do you keep him levelheaded, sane, and good? Raising any child is a tremendous undertaking, let alone one blessed by the goddess herself. Levi Guildersleeve, retired soldier and successful collector of rare books, finds himself as the only male role model of the most powerful witch ever born. This is a prequel story of the childhood of Declan O'Carroll, as told by Levi.
I'm the Urban Fantasy author of the Demon Accords series. For more information, check out my website or follow me on Facebook at the Demon Accords page.
A slow read might as well be code, for a slice of life novel. This series has an interesting explanation of magic.
Yet I wonder why the son of a witch. Has powers not attached to a coven. Wouldn't that make him a Mage?
Would hVe gotten 5 ⭐ 's if only the jokes were centered on Chuck Norris' Mustache. When he was approached by movie executives. Sp they put him opposite Bruce Lee. Thought he was the lead. They thought he could sell more films. But no! It wasn't until he grew out a mustache. Did he gain popularity.
This was a prequel tale showing Declan’s childhood from the POV of his mentor Levi. Felt like a non-essential lore piece and I’d definitely recommend folks start with the first book in the series rather than this prequel.
I felt like this book did an excellent job of establishing Levi as a character in his own right but that is did not overly work as a standalone story. Which is to say nothing happened here we did not already know from reading the main series. Felt a bit like what the Han Solo movie was to the Star Wars franchise.
Rating: 3 stars. It was non-essential and a tad repetitive if one has read the main series but it was readable enough for all that.
Audio Note: James Patrick Cronin did fine with the audio.
A pleasant little Clip Show mostly all told from levi's point of view. essentially no new information or character insight. This book ends just after Declan meets Chris & Tanya but before he goes to college.
"The Book of Levi: The Demon Accords, Book 0.5" by John Conroe, released in 2022, offers a captivating prequel to the beloved urban fantasy series, narrated with finesse by James Patrick Cronin. This audiobook shifts the narrative lens to Levi Guildersleeve, a retired soldier and rare book collector who becomes the mentor to Declan O’Carroll, the most powerful witch in the "Demon Accords" universe. This origin story, told from Levi’s perspective, delves into Declan’s childhood, providing fans with a deeper understanding of his formative years while introducing new layers to the series’ lore.
Set in the quaint, often-overlooked backdrop of Vermont, the story begins with Levi’s arrival at Rowan West, drawn by rumors of its unique bookstore and enigmatic owner, Ashling. His encounter with the young Declan, a boy with reality-bending magical abilities, sets the stage for a narrative that explores the challenges of guiding a prodigy blessed by a goddess. Conroe crafts a tale that balances Levi’s pragmatic, battle-hardened perspective with the awe-inspiring and sometimes terrifying scope of Declan’s powers. The story unfolds through key moments in Declan’s youth, highlighting Levi’s pivotal role in teaching him discipline, Krav Maga, and moral grounding. Ashling’s mystical presence and the subtle introduction of familiar characters like Chris and Tanya add depth without overshadowing Levi’s journey. The narrative’s episodic structure, originally published on Kindle Vella, lends a serialized feel, making each chapter a self-contained glimpse into Declan’s growth.
A standout highlight is Levi’s characterization. Far from a mere supporting figure, he emerges as a complex, relatable mentor whose military background and love for arcane knowledge make him a compelling narrator. Conroe excels at showing how Levi’s guidance shapes Declan into the hero fans know, without retreading familiar ground excessively. The Vermont setting adds a refreshing, grounded contrast to the series’ usual urban chaos, with vivid descriptions of rural life enhancing the story’s intimacy. Any minor flaws are overshadowed by Conroe’s engaging prose and knack for blending action, humor, and heart.
James Patrick Cronin’s narration is a high point, bringing Levi’s gruff yet warm voice to life with authenticity. His steady pacing and emotive delivery make the action sequences - often involving Declan’s early magical feats - pulse with energy, while quieter moments resonate with warmth. I also like Cronin’s convincing Irish accents for characters like Ashling, and Cronin’s overall performance should be lauded for its consistency and immersion, enhancing the Demon Accords’ cinematic quality. Needless to say, having loved my visits to Ireland, I like the Irish backstory.
"Demon Accords" enthusiasts should love this book, as it is a heartfelt, well-narrated addition that enriches Declan’s backstory, proving Conroe’s skill at crafting meaningful detours in his expansive universe.
Note: Kindle Vella was a platform for serialized storytelling, but Amazon announced its closure effective February 26, 2025, so it’s no longer possible to use it. The platform allowed authors to publish stories in short episodes (600–5,000 words) and readers to access them via the Kindle app or Amazon’s website, using tokens to unlock episodes after the first few free ones.
Sooo…maybe I’m judging too harshly & the breakneck pacing, episodic format & hurried climax are to be expected given where this stand alone book fits into a series; but it felt like the 3rd season of a really great tv show based on limited source material with any substance. Well written, yes. Developed characters, yep. But the end felt rushed & the additional supernatural characters added as window dressing. Young Declan & mentor & bookseller, Levi develop a mutually trusting & testing relationship under the watchful eyes of witchy Aunt Ash & her deputy sheriff partner in small town Vermont. Ok, that works. The training process & thought that goes into the dialogue & planning steps are excellent & would fit into any of the many magic worker series I’ve read, but the actionable events feel so hurried the idea behind them becomes lost. The ‘epic battle’ foretold in several premonitions / visions is glossed over with sudden government involvement (think Men in Black, but for supernatural activity) & a confusing cast of characters who help save the day. Perhaps future books in the series carry a single plot line throughout, this one felt like it tried to do a lot of heavy lifting & struggles with the weight.
Side arc books in a series, that track the "lesser" characters in the the series that show their importance to the primary arc, do a lot of infill to the characters and the story. This one is interesting, well written (as is the entire series), and worth reading. Could even be a starter into the series for someone not sure they are ready to invest much time or money in a new series or author.
I really loved this, but it all seems a little bit artificial. Like following recipe to make great story: add dramatic moments and tough choices for main protagonist, give them mentor with hard training, throw in a lot of almost unsolvable situations which actually can be solved with new information revealed (meaning magic system e.g. technology tree expands all the time) and spice it all up with humor. It all plays out a little bit like computer game scenario, so you know that there is always solution even to toughest problems.
I feel sheepish that a book I thought was a 0.5 out of however many there might be, turns out to be book 16.5. I suppose that happens to someone every once in a while. In either case, it’s a good plot/story, set in a place that I feel like it gets often overlooked by people.. (Vermont) if the other books are anything like this, then I’m pretty sure I’ll be not hating making my way thru the series.
This reminded me of the dreaded third season of the TV show “Lost”. That was the one where we got to see the wreck from the point of view of two characters that until then had never been noticed. What could have been an interesting look at the main people was ruined by the show having the two be repulsive, vapid characters. The fact that they ended up being buried alive and people cheered shows how much the audience hated them. I always thought that the premise the show tried to do would have worked if they had used likable characters.
Here John has taken Levi, who was actually a bright part of Declan’s journey, and shown us what someone looking at Declan would see and feel. Seriously, the power that Declan has is terrifying. When Chris and Tanya show up we get even more what an outsider sees.
With the way I rate things I had to give it 3 stars. Yes, I enjoyed it. However, it is not something I would read again and again like the main series. I love John’s books. I can’t afford to buy everything I read, especially when there are too many books already out. I had wanted to read the series, but it wasn’t on Unlimited. When it finally was listed, I read through them fairly quickly, the first four books in two weeks. I had caught up to what was the most recent book when I went to look up something from the first book. What should have been a quick glance wound up with me re-reading the book! That is when I spent way too much at once to purchase the whole series. I say all of this to show that if I am down-grading what should have been a four-star (the most common for me to rate books I love), there must have been something wrong. It seemed like there wasn’t an editorial review of the material. From what I understand this book was made up of a bunch of shorts. I’ve never dealt with Vellum, so I don’t know how that works. What I do know is this book starts with Declan being 10 in the fifth grade which seemed old (I turned 10 at the end of fourth grade and was one of the youngest in school). Age-wise, that would have been fine if the continuity had held. It did not. Throughout the age and grade didn’t line up. Then during the Houston story the chaperone switched from being Candace’s mom to Rory’s. These are things that should have been noticed by even just a glancing review. There was also the random misspelling, but I rarely gig a book if there are less than five in a 300 page book. Now if there are five in a novella, that is a problem. Even with all of this, I would recommend this book. Levi was an enigma in Declan’s life. This showed us one of the reason’s he turned out as well as he did.
I read this on Kindle Vella. I had never used Vella before and I did like the episode format. I am a library user though so I don't normally pay for my books unless I pick them up at thrift. But I really liked this one so after getting the first 10 eps with my free tokens I needed to read the ending. I will now seek out John Conroe's other books. I liked meeting Levi, Declan, and Ashling. They are complicated and I feel like they have such good stories.
The Book of Levi was previously published as the Kindle Vella Demon Accords Beginnings which is a prequel story of Declan O’Carroll’s childhood from Levi’s perspective.
Ashling has raised Declan since his sister was killed when he was just a young boy. Ashling, Darci, and Declan are very wary of strangers and Levi was no exception. Levi trades in rare books and has a touch of the sight. Through rumors and such he decides to visit Rowan West and check out the food, the bookstore as well as the owner. What he finds is so much more than he ever expected. It takes some time for Ashling to decide she can trust Levi and hires him to teach Declan Krav Maga. Through the years, we learn things that made Declan the man he becomes, more about what Ashling can do and about Levi himself.
This was a book I loved reading. I don’t usually love a prequel because I hate going back to the beginning and reliving things I already know but this one was needed and written so it didn’t seem like you were just rereading a previous book.
I did not know I needed a Declan origins book! When I saw the synopsis of this book - I was actually bummed. I wanted a continuation of the main story line. But I buy everything Mr Conroe writes so I reluctantly purchased it and boy was I surprised! I actually did want this prequel story! I never would have guessed that I would be so interested - heck I couldn't even remember who Levi even was. It dragged just a bit like 3/4s of the way in but otherwise - very cool. Now I find myself wanting to do a series reread because everything to do with Declan and his aunt will be shaded differently. If only I wasn't already doing a reread of the entire Jane Yellowrock series due to that last book coming out and a buddy reread of the Mistborn series, not to mention two other books hanging out that might be dnfs...then again - there is always time for more books!
After several weeks of literary desert, I have finally found a book that took me on a fantastic ride. There are some books that make you lose yourself in them and when you’re done, you realize you have lost a whole day. This book is one of this rare ones, for me, that I neglect almost everything around me to keep on reading. Lucky me I finished before night fall. John Conroe has been one of my favorite writers and here he didn’t disappoint. I have read all his books and was a little skeptical about reading a story of young Declan. What a surprise. A refreshing view point, which I totally identify with, having similar background as the narrator, superb action and more humane angles of some of our protagonists from JC books. It was a great experience and highly recommended for all of the “Demon accords” fans. Thank you John Conroe.
I really enjoyed this one and am please to find another writer I like with a bunch of books. Levi is a stand alone book that might yet be turned into a series.
Levi is an antiquarian book dealer who specialises in ancient magic books. In the course of checking out a restaurant often recommended to him, he met a teenage boy and his aunt, both ofd which have powerful magical abilities. The boy, Declan, is being hunted by other magical people who have very bad intentions.
It is the story of Levi helping Declan to live long enough for his power to mature.
The people win the story are easy to believe and like, except for the bad guys, of course.
Check it out on. Amazon's Kindle books, that is where I found it and have yet to find a paperback version.
Young Declan is one of the best characters in this series, and this is the story of his life before he meets CEICO and Chris Gordon.
Since this is a prequel, there's not a great deal of suspense in how things will turn out (a perennial problem with prequels), but watching him grow up through the eyes of his martial arts master is quite entertaining.
Within the constraints of the form, we get good vignettes from his early life and excellent character development. (I don't quite believe in the way his middle-school self is presented, but this is a superhero origin story, so a certain flexibility in belief suspension is necessary.)
The ending is a bit weak, since we've been here in previous volumes, but the rest of the book is quite good.
I picked this up as one of those random Kindle Unlimited books you get recommended. Had no expectations going in and had never heard of the author. I was greatly impressed with the building depth of the characters as the book progressed. I saw rather quickly that this could be the start of a decent series. Then the ending came and I realized that there is indeed a series out there that this ties to and it has plenty of books in it. I believe it is seventeen in the series as I write this. I'm about to dive into the series and I have a feeling I'm going to enjoy it as much as I did this book.
I loved getting more background on Levi. I especially enjoyed getting the story from Levi's point of view. As usual, John Conroe's writing simply flows giving a seamless story. The only criticism I have is he needs a much better proofreader. Too many places where words in the sentence were reversed or extraneous words inserted. Occasionally incorrect words were used (you're instead of your or to instead of too) which points to poor proofreading. This is the only book of his in which I have noticed this. The story line is wonderful and the series (Demon Accords) is excellent! I highly recommend this series.
WARNING: Reading this book may lead to the compulsive desire to re-read the entire Demon Accords series. Please plan accordingly.
Put together from a series of short stories, this book covers a handful of years in the life of Declan O'Caroll, up to his meeting Chris... but told from the perspective of Levi, his martial arts instructor & positive male role-model.
Honestly, we don't learn a lot that was not already in the main series. Despite this, I found it both interesting and comforting. It was so nice to dive back into the Demon Accords world when it was still relatively confined.
If you're a fan of the series, this is a must-read.
This really gave us more insight into Declans formative years and how Levi became involved. I thought it was perfect for filling in the blanks and getting the reader ready for the rest of the tale. My next step is to see about getting my granddaughters to read these. They have already done the Harry Potter ( I liked the books, slept through all the movies ) I hope Mr Conroe can keep producing at this high level for years to come. Thank you !!!
I love that Levi got his own story and that we not only got to view Declan from another point of view but also learned things about him we didn't get from the main series. Its hard when a good series ends or has to stop for a time. So when an author branches off and gives other characters their own story, book or even series it helps ease that sense of loss you get when you have to say goodbye to characters you have grown so fond of. I hope that we will get to see more of Levi's story and maybe a few others from The Demon Accords!
As the i was reaching the end of this latest book, i felt a little sad. The series is approaching the end and i have no idea what to look forward to. Mr. Conroe has spoiled and addicted many of us with this amazing series and like any drug, it is difficult to let go. I don't know how many times I've read the DA and compendiums but it is a lot. The story is never boring, always fresh and exciting. If you have never read any of these books, i urge you to do.
This book lines up in the middle of The Demon Accords series, more or less. It enhances and explains a lot about Declan and Ashling. It will help.if you read the series, this comes before Brutal Asset. It's a good story, long awaited! Yes, there are a few proofreading errors but I like the series v too much to let it bother me. Learning how Declan got through high school is nice.
Great fill-in of episodes from the Demon Accords seriex
A chronicle of the interactions of Levi Guildersleeve with the characters in the Demon Accords, told from Levi's point of view. The book is a mix of new material and expansion of scenes from the Demon Accords series. Some language is lifted word-for-word from Demon Accords, but it is melded in with new material, providing more background to Demon Accords. While not critical to the story, it is a good and fun read.
This is the story of the training of a young male witch who is fated to have a unique and prophetic destiny. It is an engaging story that flows well and holds the reader's attention. It was absolutely great until the very end. The ending itself, however, was abrupt and anti-climactic. The ending lost it a star in the rating. A good read which pooped out in the end, this is how I describe the book.
I was really liking this story till about 1\3 way through when the author suddenly goes stupid overboard with the magic.. I'm a science fiction fan but my god, there needs to be some since of reality. Once I reached the part where the boy creates his own little mountain with rivers, clouds, dragons and dirt people that were avatars. It was just too much. To far out for me.
I read the entire story chapter by chapter as it came out in Kindle vella and I devoured it again when it came out as full novella. I can honestly say that I love everything written by Mr.Conroe. This book gives us a better look into the people who helped shape Declan, my favorite character. If you liked Aunt Ash before, you will adore her in this book.
Adding immensely to the enjoyment and enrichment of the Demon Accords story line recommend this be read as soon as Declan and Levi are introduced in the series. Then follow Declan on to College Arcane and beyond with a much greater appreciation for how his values were learned and his powers earned.
When I realised that we couldn't get Kindle Vella in the UK I was gutted because I knew this author was working on something for it - I pretty much adore everything he's written & this didn't disappoint - I can see how it worked well for Vella but as a big fan of the Demon Accords universe it was great to see Levi's perspective & I think it works well as a whole book. Thank you John & I can't wait for Blood Cull 😁