Stray Magic

by Zile Elliven

From the author who eats plot bunnies for breakfast, comes another book that jumped the line and ruined hours of painstaking planning.





The utterly unremarkable and forgettable assistant for the Boston chapter house is having the best/worst day ever, and it just keeps going! He's either getting a monster boyfriend or getting eaten by one, and neither of them is sure which one they want more.



Throw in some missing kids, a mysterious, sentient tree, and a boat that refuses to sink, and Clayton has what he’d call a regular Tuesday.


***





The monster inside him just wants to eat people in peace and not get sucked into some bullshit wannabe guardian drama getting between him and a proper meal. Unfortunately for him, not only is Clayton’s misfiring magic constantly dragging Mal into his world, but the little asshole has the audacity to be attractive while doing it.



Also, why do kids keep following him around like ducklings? A monster has his dignity, okay?



This book can be read independently from any other book in the series because the author is a psychopath with no ability to follow traditional series rules. Perhaps one day they will, but so far, not so much.

339 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 25, 2026

Reviews

[SNik · Rating 4 out of 5]

Second in series (Guardians of Boston), best if read in order. Paranormal. Found family. Mostly dual POV. Heed content warnings.

Clayton excels at assisting the Guard at the local chapter house, and is mostly happy, but when he’s asked for help he doesn’t hesitate, even if it leads to a monster he’s slightly attracted to and Clayton adopting his own assorted chaotic family. At first Mal wants to eat Clayton, and not in a nice way, but he soon realizes their connection runs deeper and he suddenly can’t bear to let Clayton or his found family go.

This story is filled with adventure and intriguing characters, lots of loyalty, acceptance, and love. On a mission to retrieve missing children, Clayton and Mal discover whole new realms, powers, and family. I really enjoyed how Clayton held his own against a powerful being like Mal, and his sassiness never wavered even as he had to quell his personal insecurities. I was expecting the second book in the series to be a continuation of Cym and Fourteen’s story, but this certainly did not disappoint as it was truly a fun and entertaining read. I enjoyed every moment Clayton and Mal were on page together, their special found family, and their ability to make each other stronger and feel wanted. 4.25

[Katriana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can't believe that this book almost didn't happen, it's hard to think that this book, and these characters, almost got scrapped. Clayton, Mal, and their found family are honestly so amazing and incredible! They are all so different and VERY chaotic, but they all make such a beautiful family together.

I loved how overtime we not only got to learn more about the various realms and magic, but we also got to see these characters grow and learn more about themselves and how to be a family. I really enjoyed reading this chaotic book, Clayton and Mal have my heart, and their kiddos are just absolutely precious!

All the twists and turns along with the unexpected surprises made this book so enjoyable and fun to read. I enjoyed reading this book from start to finish, and I also really adored the unicorn.. even if he is destructive...

This was a really fantastic magic filled, found family romance book! I'm so excited to see this series continue in the future!

~~I received an early copy of this book and these are my honest thoughts and opinions.~~

[Sarah☀️ Somerville · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was fun, but it was also a mess and not in a good way.

I liked the general plot and the characters. Relationships just happened rather than developing - I'm talking about all the relationships in the book, not only the main "romance", and since the idea of this book was the main character building his found family, that just didn't work for me at all.

Clayton/Mal could have been a lot more fun than it was. It started out promising, then the first sex scene was fun, then it was just kinda dull after that.

All the challenges the characters faced were resolved extremely easily.

I still have absolutely no interest in Marshall and the Guardians, and they brought this book down as well. Would've been better without them.

[Cynthia M Brow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stray Magic is the second book in the Guardians of Boston series. In my opinion this series is best read in order. This is the story of Clayton and Mal. A story that almost didn't happen, I'm so happy that it did. I loved all the characters and learning more about the other realm and magic was an added bonus. I loved the found family aspect of the story. I loved the rollercoaster ride of twists and turns of the story. I think Clayton and Mal aren't just perfect for each other. I can't wait for the next book in the series. I would definitely recommend this book and series as 5 star reads.
received a review copy

[K-Me · Rating 5 out of 5]

What more can I say, how can you not love a story where one love interest literally wants to eat the other one? Clayton and Mal were absolute chaos but the romantic parts really balanced them out. I loved all the found family vibes, and I was glad things stayed on the lighter side with issues from the outside sources resolving themselves!

[Cory · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my word, that was a joy to read. It was the best kind of hot mess, combining the ridiculous and over the top with big hearts, found family, and incredibly lovable characters - not just Clayton and Mal, but also the rest of the wonderfully drawn secondary characters.