Stone Shadow

Heart of Steel #5

by Demelza Carlton

Octavia has always lived in her sister's shadow. A perpetual student, she's this close to fulfilling her dream – a VR world that brings history to life.
Until a freak accident destroys all her work and sends her back to square one.
Harlow has spent half his life paying for his brother's mistakes. Enough is enough. He's not going to help Grant this time. Instead, he's going to keep a lady scholar company, and to hell with whatever Grant wants.
Until he discovers Grant may hold the secret to breaking both Harlow and Octavia from the spell binding them…

Kindle Edition

Published March 28, 2023

About the author

USA Today Bestselling Author Demelza Carlton has always loved the ocean, but on her first snorkelling trip she found she was afraid of fish.
She has since swum with sea lions, sharks and sea cucumbers and stood on spray-drenched cliffs over a seething sea as a seven-metre cyclonic swell surged in, shattering a shipwreck below.
Sensationalist spin? No - Demelza tends to take a camera with her so she can capture and share the moment later; shipwrecks, sharks and all.
Demelza now lives in Perth, Western Australia, the shark attack capital of the world.
The Ocean's Gift series was her first foray into fiction, followed by the Nightmares trilogy. She swears the Mel Goes to Hell series ambushed her on a crowded train and wouldn't leave her alone.

Reviews

[Amanda Bhear]

I loved it! I can't wait until the rest of them get here! I always love a good story with a little bit og paranormal & a little magic with mystery & a dash of extra spicy here and there. That gives me the right recipe for wow! It always keeps me reading to come back for more. I love how it keeps you wondering what's going to happen next if you just read a little more even if it is late & you know you should put it down & get some sleep. Sometimes you just can't do it, because you want to know & even if you do you can't sleep anyway because you are trying figure it out on your own. You think several different ways it could end & try to remember all the clues you read in the book & piece it together in your mind when you are supposed to be sleeping. You try everything to shut down & sleep. It doesn't work, I know, I've tried. I just keep reviewing everything in my mind trying to figure out who did what, trying to see if I guessed the author's ending right when the book is done. You're better off finishing the book then getting some sleep. I love them.

[Cheryl Drake johnson]

Harlow hears the call for help and responds to find that Octavia needs his help for information about what went on in the year 1834 concerning her ancestor Carline and the strong women that were part of her and finding out whom she was married to. Harlow is happy to help but she thinks he is an hallucination but runs with it, she has a deadline to meet for her grant. Harlow is a gargoyle with a curse but he is not aware of what happened to him after he died. He and Octavia together will find a lot more than either one bargained for. A wonderful story line and great characters, it is the last book in this series. I received a copy without obligation. I volunteered an honest review.

[Rosalee Tabor]

Family together

This series was such a wonderful experience in history to read and how things can happen and getting second chances on life that was taken away without choice or age. Glad they all got their happily ever after. Can't wait to continue reading in next three.

[Chris Mckay]

This is the final book in a series about gargoyles, if you aren't afraid of falling in love with gargoyle book or already love them you need to buy and read this entire series.

[Cleocutie]

Fun and magical romance.

[Linda]

A lot packed in!🤔
3-3.5🌟
I liked the series and this last story draws all the threads from the former parts together for a happier than I expected ending. It's actually a bit confusing, though, especially since each book about a different male gargoyle pairing with a feisty, independent Australian woman seems to have taken place simultaneously and the couples don't share what's happening to them with the others until late in this story. The women are all either housemates, family or close friends, the gargoyles all immigrated to Western Australia together in the early 1800s and met sudden death before waking up in modern Australia as guardian gargoyles.

I preferred Stone Sentinel, the previous book about Octavia's older sister Tacey and her young daughter Rory, to this one mostly because I was not excited about Octavia as a character or her Virtual Reality project and I thought the romance was absent one moment, all hands on deck the next: too sudden.

Also, it just packed so much in that the romance between Octavia and Harlow got short shrift. And rather than revealing bits and pieces from the guys' origin story, I would have preferred someone assembling the characters and telling the whole backstory or waiting to read the whole series together, as a unit, now that it's complete.

I read a complimentary advance copy of the story; this is my voluntary and honest opinion.

[Lisa Hunt]

Received as an ARC, I am leaving my honest review. This latest tale of Octavia and Harlow will grip you right from the start. The continuation of the tale of 4 Bell sisters that dared perform a spell to raise demon protectors. Each tale is told separately, but intertwines with the others to give you the clearest understanding of how the women raised Gargoyles from their grave. Originally human, these brothers were killed and buried as a foundation guardian, till they were awoken by cries for help. Arriving as gargoyles, they take their place watching over, and helping the chosen ones. They only have the nights, for during the day they hide within the walls, for sunlight will turn them to stone. As the tale is told, the heat builds, as Octavia cannot resist the closeness that develops while Harlow helps her with creating a virtual reality of what the area was like in 1834. Harlow is an expert witness, having lived then. He makes her virtual world perfect in every way, including a bond that quickly escalated into hot romance. Maybe their love for each other will break the curse, for Octavia wants Harlow near her 24/7 and in every way possible

[Adena Lee]

When computer geeks go crazy, things get really interesting. And so it was with Octavia, who was the rational skeptic of the 4 ladies with the drunken summoning, and who ended up with a man who supported her dream of creating a virtual history of Perth, Australia. The way Octavia and Harlow's relationship develops is sweet, platonic and downright sweaty in its potential. I like this - it is so different from the usual fall-in-lust-at-first-sight romances and it feels so right and real, especially when they end up trying another crazy not-good-bad-awful idea. I had no idea that computer geeks could be so daringly badass!

I received an ARC from the author and I am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Denise]

I love all of Demelza's gargoyle books. This one is Harlow and Octavia's story. If you have read the rest of the series, you will have some understanding of where this one fits within the rest. Octavia is using the studio above her sister's Cafe to work on her 3D rendering of what the original Swan River Colony had looked like. She hopes to have a working prototype to assist her in obtaining funding and is happy when a man shows up who seems to have knowledge that would improve her rendering. But how exactly does he have this information? Could he really have been there?

Lots of appearances by people (and gargoyles) from past books will bring this one to a surprising conclusion with a demonic twist! We even get a hint at the first book in the upcoming series which will feature some more protectors.

[Christinaraven]

We have finally made it to Harlow and Octavia's story. And it is full of action, drama, trouble, surprises and some intrigue as these two deal with it all. I laughed and sighed and was entertained as expected from this Heart of Steel story. And get the joy of others from the series popping in. Had to see how this one would play out and had fun along the way.

[Stephanie Villere]

Stone Shadow: A Paranormal Protector Tale written by Demelza Carlton. In this book we meet Harlow, another gargoyle protector who is watching over Octavia. This one also gives us a lot more answers on how, when and why they are here to protect each lady. Can’t wait to see what’s next!

[Flo Hill]

Love meant to be

A great story about the gargoyles protecting the women in Bell House. This time it was Octavia's turn to meet the gargoyle, Harlow. Harlow was helping Octavia to recreate the village he originated from and while doing so they fell in love.

[Marianne]

Super gargoyle romance! Loved it! It is magical and fun-to-read, mysterious and romantic..