Review copy was received from Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Back Lash by Devon Monk Narrator: Paul Bellantoni
Series: Broken Magic #3
Published by Tantor Audio on May 6, 2025
Genres: Urban Fantasy
Length: 4 hours, 52 minutes
Format: Audiobook
Source: Publisher
Goodreads
Amazon, Audible, Libro.fm, Barnes & Noble, Apple
Shame Flynn and Terric Conley hadn't meant to become the living, breathing vessels for Death and Life magic. But they hadn't meant to die, be reborn, break magic, save the world, and kill a few psychopaths along the way, either.
The one thing they had meant to do was to seal magic away so it could never be used to kill again.
When a string of dead bodies–people killed by magic–appear throughout Portland, Oregon, Shame and Terric must scramble to uncover who broke the locks on magic and how.
Shamus and Terric have had a year since the events of the last book and have worked out a comfortable rhythm of sorts on how to use their magic and keep it from using them in Back Lash, the third book of the Broken Magic series. But where there is a will, there is a way and even though most of magic was locked behind doors someone has found a new way to tap into it.
Shame and Terric with the help of a few of their friends are looking for who is killing with magical means. Terric just assumed it was Shame and with Dash’s help, tries to have an intervention with him. Shame just assumed it was Terric and was going to never talk about it and get those icky feelings all over him. When it is discovered that it is neither of the,m they realize they have a problem on their hands and a new player in the game. Terric’s little sister also needs some help as she has gotten on the wrong side of the Russian mob and may have stolen a lot of their money and Robin Hood style and given it to charity.
What follows is a fast adventure of discovery and danger as our reluctant heroes face the mob and the mercenaries who can some how tap into a back door of magic. Once the fun starts, it doesn’t stop until a lot of people are beat up or dead. There is a little time in the story for Shame and Terric to solidify the boundaries of their duo-ship and for Terric and Dash to work out their relationship as well. It isn’t easy to be in love with someone who literally shares part of his soul with another person. Dash is such a likeable character that I’m rooting for him and Terric all the way.
I enjoyed the story and how Devon Monk was able to twist the way magic was used this time. It showed some real imagination and ingenuity to work out the method and the “wands” were a nice touch. Again though your enjoyment of the series will hinge on if you like our broody, grim reaper with a hangover protagonist as he is the sole PoV for the story. I have enjoyed him overall and so for me these are a lot of fun.
I liked the dynamic Jolie added to our mostly male cast. She is a wiz when it comes to computers and hacking and could bring a lot to their team if the boys let her play with them. While it is teased that she might be a potential love interest for Shame and there was a little flirting, I don’t see that going anywhere due to the relationship between Shamus and Terric. They sometimes tap into each other’s feelings and I think that is just one complication too many between the duo. Still I liked her and think she rounds out the cast nicely.
If you have enjoyed the series so far, this is on par with the other books, just a little lighter than the last. This is also Devon Monk‘s first self published book so that in itself is a big accomplishment.
Magic wasn’t a blessing with drawbacks, it was a curse with upsides
Narration:
Performance: ★★★★★
Character Separation: ★★★★★
Diction: ★★★★★
Pacing/Flow: ★★★★★
Sound Effects: None
Paul Bellantoni, does a fantastic job and 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, again.
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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- 🎧 Dirty Work by Devon Monk @devonmonk.com @PaulJBellantoni @tantoraudio.bsky.social @RobinBridgeFour #LoveAudiobooks @TantorAudio - May 23, 2025
- 🎧 Jilted by Vi Keeland @vikeeland.bsky.social #AidenSnow #AndiArndt @macmillanaudio.bsky.social @RobinBridgeFour #LoveAudiobooks #KindleUnlimited - May 19, 2025
- 🎧 Back Lash by Devon Monk @devonmonk.com @PaulJBellantoni @tantoraudio.bsky.social @RobinBridgeFour #LoveAudiobooks @TantorAudio - May 12, 2025
Sounds pretty good. Interesting find!