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Stonehaven League #4

Citadel of Smoke

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It's okay to have a few inner demons, right?

Devon has a problem, and it's not just that her stealth skill is stuck at three. Though that is an issue when it comes to sneaking up on...well, anything.

The real problem is that her former guildmate, Owen, is trapped in the demonic plane. Not just his in-game avatar. His mind is lost there too, leaving his real-life body in a coma. The only way to get him back, it seems, is to journey into the underworld and guide him back.

Shouldn't be a big deal--as long as she doesn't mind transforming into a demon herself.

Stonehaven League Book 4 releases December 4th! Are you ready for a new adventure? Preorder now!

418 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 29, 2018

458 people are currently reading
116 people want to read

About the author

Carrie Summers

27 books277 followers

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5 stars
558 (46%)
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445 (36%)
3 stars
173 (14%)
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29 (2%)
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6 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 69 reviews
Profile Image for XR.
1,980 reviews107 followers
September 17, 2021
Devon and Chen's rescue of their mate Owen is so good, and Owen's girlfriend Cynthia is SO badass! This is such a cool series... I don't care how geeky that makes me. I'm loving it!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for GaiusPrimus.
870 reviews97 followers
December 13, 2018
A great comeback

I was disappointed about book 3, as it seemed like the story just wasn't moving forward at the same rate as the previous first two books.

This time around though, there's nothing to leave me wanting and it definitely screwed up my sleeping patterns.

Now I hope against reality that the blurb at the end of the book is right and we see book #5 by the end of the year.
Profile Image for The Mysterious Reader.
3,589 reviews66 followers
December 19, 2018
Ok, first an admission. Even though I’m literally a lifelong gamer, starting with D&D and GURPS as a kid (though my gamer husband, two near adult gamer kids and friends still do monthly campaigns) and morphing into MMORPGs when they came along, I’m still not quite sure what the difference is between “GamelLit” and “LitRPG”, so apologies to purists if I misuse these terms. Either way I adore stories where gaming elements are truly key to such a degree that characters actually live in an RPG for all or major chunks of the novels. And to me “live in” requires things like class selection, leveling up, skill development etc done in a way that both works for the story and is really recognizable to a gamer and has the “gaming experience” feeling. With that as a definition, whatever label you want to put on it, Carrie Summers’ Stonehaven League series is at the top of the list (right next to it is Shannon Pemrick’s Looking For series, closely followed by Jamie Davis & CJ Davis’ Accidental Traveler and Accidental Champion series, with Paul Bellow’s Tower of Gates in the list too). Why is Stonehaven League there? Because this series is perfect. Not only does it have a totally true “gaming experience” and realistic excuse for how the characters are involved in a game world but it also has a double storyline, “real world” and “game world” that works perfectly in both. So now we (I know, finally) get to Citadel of Smoke: A LitRPG and GameLit Adventure (Stonehaven League Book 4). On the game level Devon has another great adventure which this time involves her having to turn demon for a bit. That’s related to the real world level where one of the two AIs running their game is putting players into a coma, and Devon and friends need to take steps in both the game and real world level to save her friend Owen before he’s disconnected from life support. That’s frankly a very poor shadow of a description of a truly fantastic plot that advances an increasingly complex and totally wonderful overarching story arc. I adore this story, its lead Devon and the characters on both the game world (both PCs and NPCs) and real world levels (if you’re not a gamer I apologize for the acronyms - but don’t worry you don’t need to know any of them to totally enjoy this book). This book is a fantastic novel even ignoring that its LitRPG (or GameLit) and readers who know nothing about those genres will still find it a five star read. For those of us who are gamers it is pure catnip. But for the fact that I’m literally dictating this review to my husband from my hospital bed I could go on and on with praises - the book definitely deserves it. Since I can’t do that I will simply note that the book is most definitely one to read, it is easy to highly recommend. I’m definitely looking forward to the next book in this series.
Profile Image for Saundra Wright.
2,898 reviews13 followers
December 4, 2018
Fans are more than ready for the next installment of the Stonehaven League, and it certainly satisfies. With dual character and plotlines, Citadel of Smoke if filled with action. It is one of the very best LitRPG series available.

After sailing for weeks across the Noble Sea, Hailey and Chen spy land. They are the first to discover this new continent in Relic Online. From the dock full of ships and the buildings onshore, it is obviously a well populated land. But when they land, the population isn’t at all what they expected. Everything the duo hoped for will change in an instant!

Devon is happy attending to maintenance in Stonehaven. All the fortifications are nearly complete. Building of dwellings nearly meets the needs of the population. Now is a time for more specialization, with specific upgrades and positions to be filled. Devon’s hands are full just being Mayor and working of her ingame skills.

Unfortunately there is much more than that headed her way. Emerson is busy working to fix the problems Zaa has created. Coming up with a solution to remove Owen safely from the game so there can be a general disconnect of other players who have unwittingly been playing in their sleep is the goal. What he comes up with will entail a great sacrifice for Devon as a player. Can the two of them finally free Owen from Zaa’s clutches? What will become of the demon realm Zaa controls? Will they ever admit their feeling for each other?

Get Citadel of Smoke and join the game!

Kindle Unlimited edition
Profile Image for Thom.
1,827 reviews75 followers
August 22, 2024
Improves on the previous book; ending resolves very quickly. Thinking of the evil deity makes me want to order Pizza...

Devon continues to be a strong female character, and many of her former clan (from book one) appear or are at least mentioned here. We also learn a lot more about the game, from evil powers to Bob backstory. Actual dates are mentioned (I think for the first time?), putting this game further in the future than I originally thought.

Like most Dan Brown books, time is a major driving factor here, especially towards the very quick ending. Owen's girlfriend drove a good chunk of the race, and the character irritated me. These are minor quibbles, though - most reviewers agree, this book was better than the previous one.

On to the next book in the series!
Profile Image for Dean.
184 reviews
July 12, 2020
Citadel of Smoke continues the slow trend of introducing the reader to more of Devon's guildmates. In fact, this might be the first book where the "Star Born" are more important than NPCs in supporting Devon's quest.
The book seemed to start out slow, and for the first third of the book, it seemed that I really had to push through it. However, the second half of the book moves very fast, introduces a new strong character, and really pushes the cross over between the fantasy universe and the real world.
Profile Image for CJ.
32 reviews2 followers
February 18, 2021
What's that lassie? Owen fell down a hell pit and is now a demon lord General in Za's army? Don't worry, we've got Devon on the job!
Book 4 focuses more on a developed plot instead of city building, making it my favorite of the series so far!

Not that you would know since I have such low standards I rate everything a 5 🤷‍♂️
Profile Image for Lana.
2,780 reviews59 followers
December 1, 2018
This is the 4th book in the Stonehaven League series, and things are really heating up both in game and in real world. Devon is struggling to take charge of Ishildar and to keep everyone in Stonehaven safe but she still needs to find the last two relics before she can rule over Ishildar, and without a ruler the city could not be inhabited. Unless she is able to locate the last two relics she would remain an unwelcome guest in the ancient city. In real world Emerson is trying to convince the management at relic online to protect the gamers who were taken over by the Demon Lord Zaa, one of which, Owen has been lying in a coma ever since his mind was controlled by Zaa. Now they are suggesting that because Devon was such a strong player she should enter the demon side of the game as Ezraxis and try to bring Owen out before he loses his life. Seems like this game was affecting so many lives, Owen went into a come whilst in game, Tamara, Devon's friend was hoping to get a sponsorship for her desperately needed surgery after her accident, through the directors of the game and Hailey got away from her invalid real life self by playing her game persona. And so many people are depending on Devon, can she do all that is required of her? I am really enjoying all the intricacies in the series as we weave in and out of game and real life full of tension in both realms and I particularly loved the build up, which kept me reading at the edge of my seat, till the great ending of this book!
82 reviews
December 27, 2018
A Return To Form

The last book or two dragged a bit compared to the first, so I was very pleased to experience this entry. The real world segments didn’t feel like a diversion (as they often do in this genre), but felt interesting and integral to the plot. The in-game adventures were exciting and sometimes thought provoking, with the characters going through realistic arcs.

A must read.
Profile Image for R.K. Billiau.
Author 11 books43 followers
January 7, 2019
Ok, but off track.

I really enjoyed the series, but I felt like this particular book went off track from the previous three. I missed the town building and main quest information, and the ending felt rushed. There’s also some character foibles that really bug me that came out a lot in this particular book. I’m going to continue the series and hope the next one continues the main quest!
Profile Image for Teiva Livine.
11 reviews
April 7, 2019
Teen drama

The series has started well with the intro and plot, however it feels like it’s becoming more of a teen drama than a rpg literature...
Profile Image for Melissa Hayden.
996 reviews120 followers
June 28, 2023
I'm enjoying how this story is written with the troubles with the AI and how they tie into the real world for the players. Devon needs to help her friend through the game, but has to trust in herself to do what needs to be done. And, thankful for friends who can help her along too.

I'm enjoying these books. Venturing through the gaming world that's become like a second home to the players. Devon has started to expand her friend circle, from the village she's creating with NPC's to those she once was in a guild with in another game, to new players arriving at her village, as well as new players she meets and knows in the real world. Devon is normally an introvert, but she's learning to trust in others and herself through these adventures.

I love how Devon uses her abilities to her benefit. She's true to herself and makes it work out. Great going!

It's always neat to see the new area to be explored for the next relic. This relic... finds it's way to Devon in a different way. I really liked this! It's showing how things are adjusting and growing. And to see that an AI is what created this world and nuances, as we see Emerson experience it all for the first time. He's surprised and impressed!

The voices. Love listening to these narrators. They adjust the voices to fit the characters in tone, accent, and cadence. And, when there's a demon talking, there's a difference to the voice for that too.
Profile Image for Aidan Falk.
331 reviews2 followers
January 14, 2026
This book is crazy because it creates this political and ethical drama that all our protagonists are clearly in the wrong about. This would be fine if it was a bit more addressed, but the book sticks to the same old hero tropes.

Owen’s dad for instance is a stereotypical shitty politician (a Republican one judging by the family values talk), but in this fantasy situation the tech implants and video games did literally make his son comatose and injure hower many other people so he’s objectively correct that the industry needs to be put in check. Not to mention even if we accept that the NPCs are sentient AI then that’s just a whole additional set of ethical decisions that the corrupt game company shouldn’t be allowed to make without supervision.

As long as I’m ranting it also doesn’t make any fucking sense that people a get drunk in the game. Or if it does make sense it’s an indication that the implants are even more dangerous than already established.

The writing in this series isn’t bad when it comes to plotting and character work, but the big picture thinking leaves a lot to be desired.
183 reviews2 followers
December 7, 2018
It's okay to have a few inner demons, right?
Just finished reading book 4 of the Stonehaven League Series, Citadel of Smoke. For volunteering to read and review this book it was free, which is awesome, but not as awesome as this book. This Carrie Summers series has really come a long way. I look forward to having a Stonehaven League Book available to read and this one was the best yet. The story is fun and scary, funny and dramatic, with plenty of action, intrigue, and introspection. This book is well balanced for a LitRPG, with lots of imagination besides being very well written. I was happy to see many parts of the storyline from earlier books come together in this book yet still, I yearn for more. I highly recommend getting started on this series that you won't want to put down. My inner demon wants into your game Carrie (you know, want another book asap!)
Profile Image for Dave Wickenden.
Author 9 books109 followers
December 18, 2018
Epic!

This is the showdown that has been building as Devon and her allies fight to save Owen, both from a rogue computer entity and his own father’s political game. To do so, Devon must strengthen her dark powers and descend into the dimension of Hell and bring the fight to the evil Zaa and her band of Demon Lords.

A futuristic look at online gaming that allows full immersion into the gaming world. But when there’s a computer glitch, it creates an enemy that can cause real harm to the players. There’s no escape. You must fight. You must win!

Ms Summers once again shows that she is a master storyteller with a fantastic concept, suspense, massive battles, humor and the talent to pull it all together.

Loving this series.
Profile Image for Everlaine.
351 reviews14 followers
November 5, 2019
It was great to be back in the world of Relic Online, and back in Stonehaven. I just wish we'd been able to spend some more time there instead of the real world.

We continue to follow Devon and her friends but this time we got to do it from a lot more different perspectives and I think it was a few too many. I would have rather the Author makes a Sidequest sorta book following Hailey and Chen or some of the others than try to cram them all into this one book. It was just too short to be able to fully give time to all the people and the different plot lines in it.

Still loved it but here's to hoping the future books continue to focus more on the online world and the story that I loved instead.
Profile Image for Travis.
2,909 reviews49 followers
December 7, 2018
Pretty decent addition to the series. Like the ending, it promises us more in the series, and I for one am happy to see it, I like this series, even if it is a slow and steady type of series instead of an explossive all at once type of thing, sometimes building slowly is the kind of thing you want to read, and this series has no problem being that. It's not boring though, (never that), but if you're tired of all of the max level players doing max damage immediately, and being so overpowered, even the game can't keep up, then this just might be the series you're looking for. Definitely looking for more both from this author, and in this particular series.
Profile Image for Thomas Sizemore.
20 reviews
October 2, 2019
This book is, by far, my favorite of the series so far.

I've enjoyed all of Devon's exploits thus far, the in-game story more than the real world. But this book was great. I have limited time to read, but I read the last half of this book at one sitting, staying up way too late and suffering greatly the next day at work.

Devon's adventures trying to save Owen's avatar from the demon realm and Emerson and Cynthia's efforts to save Owen from his jerk of a dad had me on the edge of my seat.

Great book!
Profile Image for Rioghnach.
9 reviews
June 23, 2020
If I could give Citadel of Smoke 6 stars I would. The series and characters have slowly grown on me over these four books to the point where finishing this I am so delighted I have to leave my first review on Goodreads. I will now go back and post something longer on the first book for others thinking of launching into the delightful journey that is this series.

Not giving away any spoilers, I will just say that there is a scene later in the book where Chen busts out his repressed tanking in a way that me crying tears of laughter and cheering out loud. So much fun!
11 reviews
January 15, 2019
Great Book!

Okay, now I'm sad because there isn't a book after this one yet lol. This book I felt was a great improvement from the last book (and while I think the Emerson and Devon ship is a bit of a stretch, it was still good to see it become something other than an annoyance. Torald was way better if a choice imo..but can't win them all.) Great ending and I can't wait until the next book is finished so I can continue reading this series!
Profile Image for Cameron.
283 reviews9 followers
April 17, 2019
Great balance of real world to Virtual Game stories

What I love about this series is how it continues to balance the two sides of virtual gaming so well. There Are multiple arcs that all have the same levels of excitement that builds to a climax that occurs simultaneously in the best ways.

Looking forward to starting vault of the magi - probably as soon as I finish this review.
Profile Image for Vincent Archer.
443 reviews22 followers
December 29, 2019
More Stonehaven, more interactions, more exploits.

This entry is highlighting more the stakes between the virtual world and the real world. While the Zaa exploitation of the previous book did a good job of making the game world relevant to the real one, this one pushes the same buttons, but further, in a natural way.

For a VRMMO (a subgenre I'm not fan of), this remains a top-notch quality series due to its good characters.
Profile Image for Bookphile.
1,979 reviews133 followers
September 22, 2020
This book continues to be fun, with some heart. I appreciated that while the demon parts were intense, they weren't needlessly gory. Though some of the book's a little over the top, I'm still very much intrigued by Stonehaven and all the implications of Veia's creation, and I appreciated that Emerson finally got a chance to get an inkling of what Devon sees in it. I look forward to seeing where the story goes from here.
Profile Image for J.
335 reviews
December 16, 2018
Title is a bit misleading considering how late the Citadel shows up.

Also there are some minor continuity errors (it was Tamara's idea to try VR in book 3, not Devon's).

Besides that it's still going pretty well. I just hope we get to see Ezraxis again somehow, given that she's been along for the ride this long.
188 reviews12 followers
December 20, 2018
Another Triumph

Once again revisit the incredibly winning world of Devon and Stonehaven. As she seeks to gain mastery over the city, a real-life threat calls on her to face her darker nature.
A terrific world, great characterization, and gradually but dramatically increasing stakes, make this amongst the best in the genre.
1,000 reviews13 followers
December 26, 2018
Great

Great series so far. Devon continues to pull the publisher bacon out of the fire. Making new friends and growing as a person, she must continue her epic quest to help save her new world and the AI's in it. Maybe along the line she will learn how to cope with the real world. Can't wait for more.
691 reviews10 followers
February 19, 2019
Devon, Go to Hell (and come back)!

These stories keep getting better and better.
Devon the MC is a Starborn playing in a VR world. She is fighting to save her friends from the evils of the dark God, Zaa. To do this she has to go to Hell and come back with her sanity.
Good read and looking for the next book immediately.
Profile Image for asdfghl.
179 reviews1 follower
April 12, 2019
Ahhhh this was great

Owen is back because Chintya was absolutely awesome! I am worried about how pushy Tamara has become!!! I need Chen to be happy and figure his relationship with Jeremy! I need Hailey to be cherished in and off game!!! emerson is still not the brightest tool in the set. Devon gets a life and a new friend!!!! Man I hope the next one is good as well... #panic
Profile Image for Ben Mcpeake.
682 reviews5 followers
August 5, 2021
This is definitely the best book in the series so far for me. Devon is always great and so is the world of Relic Online and in this book we FINALLY resolved a few of the long standing "real life" problems from the story and continued the ingame plot at the same time.

This is quickly becoming one of my favorite series that i have read in recent history :)
9.5/10
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