Review copy was received from Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Stone Cold by Devon Monk Narrator: Paul Bellantoni
Series: Broken Magic #2
Published by Tantor Audio on April 22, 2025
Genres: Urban Fantasy
Length: 10 hours, 57 minutes
Format: Audiobook
Source: Publisher
Amazon, Audible, Libro.fm, Barnes & Noble, Apple
Marked by Life and Death magic, Shame Flynn and Terric Conley are “breakers”—those who can use magic to its full extent. Most of the time, they can barely stand each other, but they know they have to work together to defeat a common enemy—rogue magic user Eli Collins.
Backed by the government, Eli is trying to use magic as a weapon by carving spells into the flesh of innocents and turning them into brainless walking bombs. To stop him, Shame and Terric will need to call on their magic, even as it threatens to consume them—because the price they must pay to wield Life and Death could change the very fate of the world...and magic itself.
You will either love or hate Shamus Flynn, the literal life vessel for death. In Hell Bent I asked myself, how many times can a guy get drugged, in Stone Cold I wondered how much more could Shamus spiral out of control. Stone Cold, the second book in Broken Magic, a spin off series to Allie Beckstrom, follows Shamus a wielder of Death Magic and Terric the living vessel for life magic as they navigate their soul compliment bond and try to save the world.
Shamus will be the reason you love or hate this book. He is broody, as someone that can kill you with a touch of his power, he often isolates himself from friends and family for their own good. He also tries not to see or spend too much time with Terric. Afraid that dealing too much of their magic back and forth will make them like some other soul compliments like Allie and Zayvion who can basically read each other’s minds. And the last thing Shamus wants is to share his every thought with another person; it is a dark place in there.
Eli is a serious problem. Kidnapped by the government for nefarious purposes, he is wreaking havoc on the magical community. Eli has found a way to use magic with devastating effects when most of the world is very limited. The path chosen is cruel and tortuous and he now has his sights set on Shamus and Terric since he has a score to settle with them. Some brutal decisions and sacrifices will be made by the end. Both Terric and Shamus will go through some very painful trials as they work to take Eli out and both will be changed forever before this is all through.
I like Shamus, so for me this book works. He is cynical, dark and often has somewhat of a martyr complex. But he is loyal to his friends and family and will put himself in front of a bullet or magic to save them, even if it is from himself. I have also enjoyed the bromance between he and Terric. They are very different people but each is trying their best and struggling with the magic they hold trying to find the right path forward. It was good to see them come to a balance of sorts in Stone Cold.
Overall the story is tense and for the most part flew by. There are some instances of repetition, like moments that Shamus reminds the reader again, “Magic is fast, but bullets are faster”, multiple times throughout the book. But overall, I found the story engaging with tension, drama and suspense.
You don’t need to have read Allie Beckstrom to enjoy the story, although I think it would add to the enjoyment and the depth of all of the characters. I know I look forward to going back and reading it at some point. You do need to have read Hell Bent as this will clean up the story arc started in that book.
Narration:
Performance: ★★★★★
Character Separation: ★★★★★
Diction: ★★★★★
Pacing/Flow: ★★★★★
Sound Effects: None
Paul Bellantoni, continues on with the series. I again completely loved his performance of this book. He embodied our bad boy in such a fun and charismatic way that the dialog just popped. I also liked all of the various voices he brought for the supporting characters, Cody specifically has a great voice. His pacing for the jokes and sarcastic quibbles made me laugh but he also brought depth of feeling to the Shamus’ voice. Just a stellar performance and I look forward to hearing his voice for the rest of the series. I would say his narration actually added to my enjoyment of the book and my overall rating.
Listen to a clip: HERE
About Devon Monk
Devon Monk has one husband, two sons, and a dog named Mojo. She lives in Oregon and is surrounded by numerous family members who mostly live within dinner-calling distance of each other. She writes the Allie Beckstrom urban fantasy series and the Age of Steam steampunk series. Her collection of short stories, A CUP OF NORMAL is a finalist for the Mythopoeic and Endeavour Awards. When not writing, Devon drinks coffee and knits strange things.
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“You will either love or hate Shamus Flynn, the literal life vessel for death” that alone has me curious.
I fell on the love him side but I can see why he isn’t going to be for everyone.
And it’s continuing to be a good series too! Another great review!