Reviews

Stone Guardian by Danielle Monsch

lark_reads's review against another edition

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5.0

I have a bunch of notes for a proper review, but all I can think about right now is WHO WAS FALLON TALKING TO AT THE END?!? And look at this, look at this- The author wrote a short Fallon story are you freaking kidding me. This series has turned me into such a fangirl.

I need the next book NOW

lynseyisreading's review against another edition

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4.0

Stone Cold and Hot as Hell

What a thoroughly enjoyable read! Walking the razor's edge between Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance, STONE GUARDIAN has a love story that simmers and action scenes that will knock your block off. Full of colourful characters, interesting supernats and dangerous adversaries, as well as many tertiary characters that are just screaming for further exploration, I'm really excited to see where Monsch will take the Entwined Realms series.

Here in STONE GUARDIAN I had the absolute delight of meeting Terak, our gargoyle main character. Such an underused, fascinating and pretty freakin' sexy (if Terak is any indication) supernatural class to explore. Monsch brings us a version that's dignified, steeped in tradition and in many ways, held apart from the rest of society. Humans included. That is until the Oracle tells Terak he must watch one particular human - school teacher Larissa Miller. Why? Well, that's what Terak would like to know. But like most Oracles, clear and concise answers are not her forte and she's being very vague about what makes Larissa so darn special.

But let me tell you, Larissa is special, as a main character. Hurrah for non-stupid heroines! Heroines that know their limitations, that don't run headlong into danger or try to commit suicide by stubborn! She was wonderful, charming, engaging, and very likeable. Born on the day the worlds collided, Larissa's family (Dad + four older bothers, all cops) all lost something precious that day - Larissa's mother. For that reason they have no love for any of the supernatural races and live in the human only area. This makes Larissa understandably a little ignorant when it comes to supes, so imagine being thrown into their world head first with EVERYONE trying to kill you, and only a stern-looking gargoyle for protection.

I loved the romance in STONE GUARDIAN. It was sweet, unhurried, tender. Just gorgeous. I hope to see more of Larissa and Terak in future books even if they're not the main characters next time. I also enjoyed several other characters, including some feisty female members of The Guild who brought some comedic relief.

All together a wonderful addition to the paranormal playing field

4.5 Stars ★★★★1/2
ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Incidentally, another author who does this UF/PNR mashup brilliantly is Kate SeRine. You should check her out, too, if you haven't already;)

javalenciaph's review against another edition

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4.0

"Stone Guardian" by Danielle Monsch was a unique read. It had an interesting story and strong characters and I'm always up for something that I haven't come across before. We all get to the point where you just want a story and/or characters that are different and "Stone Guardian" delivered. :)

This book had a human named Larissa Miller born during the Great Collision, a history-changing event that affected mankind and supernatural forces alike, and Terak, the leader of the gargoyles and tasked to watch over Larissa. The combination of a human and a gargoyle certainly sparked my interest and had me wondering how they engaged in their extracurricular activities. But hey, they seemed to do just fine so obviously stone and skin worked out.

"Stone Guardian" has a mix of action, intrigue, drama, and wit. I'd recommend it to anyone wanting something more than the norm. It gets four stars from me! :)

mystery_jem's review against another edition

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4.0

Gryphons flying past skyscrapers? Wizards battling it out in coffeehouses? Women riding motorcycles with large swords strapped to their backs? All normal sights since the Great Collision happened twenty-six years ago.

Well, not normal for everyone. Larissa Miller may have been born after the Great Collision, but as a history teacher who lives in the human-only city, she has never come into contact with any other race or species, nor has she wanted to. Her life is as ordinary as it gets - that is, until one day she walks out of her apartment and is attacked by a mob of Zombies, only to be saved by a Gargoyle.

leggothemeggoreads's review against another edition

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5.0

1/14/2014 - If I could, I would give the audio book 6 stars. Love this book and can't wait for the next in the series.

1/13/2014 - I'm re-reading this because it's now availabe on audio book. =)

This is one of the best books I've read in a while. It was very refreshing. I can't wait for the next installment.

shaila_m's review against another edition

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3.0

Liked the story, just don't know why the porn was needed..

calbowen's review against another edition

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1.0

Did not finish, and let me say why ...

First, I think that the concept was good, and the first chapter was fast paced

Chapter 2 begins 26 years later and things go askew - how does someone live in a world that combines our reality and fantasy 'entwined' and someone growing up in this time period not know details about the creatures and the magic and whatnot - and be a teacher that teaches about - the combining of the two worlds - wait, what?

but I am still on board, and even though this has the whole 'I have watched you from afar and I fell in love with you' type scenario (which is completely not romantic as it is stalker psychotic) I still read on - all the way up until the Gargoyle in human form began to touch himself - NOPE! - I am off this crazy train ....

Sorry - I hate to leave a book unfinished, but I have no desire to read about this and before you try to judge me, I would have thrown the book down at the same point in the story if it were female - I am not being a sexist, I am being anti-sexist -

My apologies to everyone that enjoys this book, but I for one won't even let it back into my home!

halynah's review against another edition

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4.0

A pretty solid read with an interesting word-building, diverse characters and beautiful romance.

clockworkbook's review against another edition

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4.0

Fun read. Great premise, interesting characters and a good beginning to a diverse supernatural group and the New Realms. Looking forward to reading this series and uncovering more, especially the oracle and the secrets/backstories of the other characters.

amybraunauthor's review against another edition

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4.0

I really enjoyed this book filled with gargoyles, action, and romance. Definitely what I needed, since gargoyles are underrated in fantasy.

The story follows many great and fun characters. They all have their own quirks and uniqueness, even if the dialogue came off as cheesy at some points.

Larissa and Terric have solid chemistry and their romance is a tender one. They definitely have the best banter and dialogue throughout the book.

I wished the villains were a little more in depth and that the ending had been extended since it didn’t feel terribly dire to me (even rushed at one point). That said, I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a fun, urban fantasy romance to occupy their time. This one is a hidden gem!