Slaying Monsters for the Feeble (The Guild Codex: Demonized, #2) By Annette Marie
12/23/2022: Reread. (Audiobook.)
06/20/2021: Reread. (Audiobook.)
09/26/2020: Reread. (Audiobook.)
08/11/2020: Reread! (Read to my son, Maddox.)
07/19/2020: Reread!
Disclaimer: I received an Advance Reader Copy at no cost from the publisher/author. All opinions in my review are my own.
This has been another ground-shaking installment of the Guild Codex world that has taken me farther than I ever could have imagined. And that is the best thing about reading a book by this author. No matter how many books Annette Marie releases, I am always completely captivated and awed by her storytelling.
The way that Annette Marie weaves both series from this world together is a bit of magic in itself. The Guild Codex world is complex and vibrant with so much lore and world-building infused into everything. The way that the author merges both series together to create something even more incredible is nothing short of brilliant. I get tingles just thinking about how much further she can take things and how much deeper this world can go. I have no doubts that whatever she has in store for us will blow our minds.
With Marie's storytelling you never quite know what to expect. I love that you never quite know where her stories will take you. The sky is honestly the limit where her stories are concerned and she takes her readers to extreme heights. Every time I stumble onto a plot twist, a big reveal, or a bit of foreshadowing I am left reeling. The twists and turns are real, ya'll. Prepare your heart now for the unpredictable.
Character development has always been another strong suit for this author. I never have to worry about connecting with characters when I read her books. I always do every single time. She is such a skilled craftswoman when it comes to developing her characters. Not only are the individual characters full of depth and distinct personalities but the relationships that the characters share are always meaningful and so well developed. Even the secondary characters shine. I am always so impressed with the characters that Marie bursts into existence.
Overall, Slaying Monsters for the Feeble is an astonishing new addition to the Guild Codex world. I love this world so much. I love these characters and the direction that the story is taking. I could gush about this author's superb storytelling all day long. Annette Marie is hands down my favorite author and I can only hope that she never runs out of stories to tell. Do yourself a favor and pick up one of her books today!
More reviews on my blog: Novel Nerd Faction Annette Marie I slammed through this second installment so fast and then moved straight on to the third that I can’t even write a coherent review!
All I can say is this series is sooooooo good and totally needs more press! It’s a hidden gem! Annette Marie Hate it.
*sneers*
Kick ass for me Zylas will you? Annette Marie Slaying Monsters for the Feeble
Guild Codex: Demonized, Book 2
By: Annette Marie
Narrated by: Cris Dukehart
Awesome follow-up! Not disappointed! Lots of magic, paranormal creatures, and demons! Characters are terrific, wonderful world building, witty, great plot, and I can't wait for the next book!
We learn more about our gal's demon besides he's hot! The relationship between the two is growing.
Wonderful narration performance! Annette Marie #1 Taming Demons for Beginners: ★★★★☆
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2 stars.
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Apparently there’s this thing that happens with me and Annette Marie novels where I love the first installment of a new series and then think the sequel just doesn’t live up to it. That’s what happened with Slaying Monsters for the Feeble. The pace was fast and the narrative was okay, but the plot seemed a bit disconnected from the previous novel in a way that made it seem like Marie was adding stuff to it so as to drag the series out.
The character development was also a bummer. Robin was the main POV character, as usual, but she was way more of a doormat/naive in this installment. She constantly found herself in danger and usually unable to save herself, having to rely on Zylas to rescue her, and then chastised him for being who he is aka a demon from Hell. There was a lot of back on forth regarding that and Robin feeling all angsty that Zylas didn’t have a human moral compass.
The plot, as mentioned above, introduced more mystery to the story while at the same time moving away from the core conflict of the previous novel: what happened to Robin’s parents and how to get Zylas home. There was still some pretty good and well written reveals regarding the first point, and it was great to get more information about Robin’s family, but the second point was totally sidelined and a point of friction between Robin and Zylas. And I was totally on Zylas’s side for that one.
I did like how the story focused more on action and mystery than the supposed romance, although I could have gone without the non-consensual touching from Zylas towards Robin. Sure, he’s a demon, but that was a boundary that was pushed several times, and to build a possible romantic relationship from that is a bit yicky. This feels like it’s going to be the slowest of burns, though, so there might be some development with that.
In the end, Slaying Monsters for the Feeble went in a direction that didn’t quite work for me, which seems to be the case with all Annette Marie series I read. I’m sure people will love the action and world-building and the way things are going, but I was not one of them. I’m unsure whether I’m going to give the next book a try, but we’ll see.
*
Series: #2 The Guild Codex: Demonized series.
POV: Told from Robin’s POV.
Content Warnings:
Instalove:
Steam: Nope!
Cliffhanger: Not really.
HEA:
Up Next: Hunting Fiends for the Ill-Equipped. Annette Marie
I'm bound to a demon.
For my entire life, I avoided magic at all costs. Now, I'm responsible for a demon who wields magic more powerful than the toughest mage or sorcerer.
Demons are evil.
That's what my textbooks say. That's what I see. He's ruthless, he's temperamental, he's cold. But he protects me without fail. I wonder if he's hiding a heart behind his hostility.
My demon is a monster.
Whether he's heartless or not, my contract with him is illegal and beyond dangerous. Together, we must find a way to return him to his own world before anyone discovers our secret. If that wasn't bad enough, I've come to realize something else:
My demon isn't the only monster I should be worried about. Slaying Monsters for the Feeble (The Guild Codex: Demonized, #2)
Star Rating: —> 5 [gleaming] STARS!!!
(Nov. 4th, 2019- ADDED MORE REVIEW BELOW! Take a look, if ya feel like lookin’ ☺️ thank youssss)
I’M FRICKIN FREAKING OUT RN!
[Here’s a blurb from my “review” of the next book in the series, Hunting Fiends for
the Ill-Equipped to kind of express what I’m feeling:
My God. After Demonized #2... my heart beats about 150 bpm thinking about this. Actually, I’m dead. Or maybe like undead, or you know, whatever. I will be reborn probably for Spellbound #6: Druid Vices & a Vodka (the sister series) and then die all over again.
Yes... these books are that incredible.
Kids, once again, this buttercup is BUCKLED UP (sitting impatiently with the intense need to damn unbuckle like a child on their way to Disney World. Are we there yettttttt??? 😉)
Annette Marie, take. my. money. Just all of it. You are an angel sent from heaven to write for all of us. I’m convinced.😂😂😂
💜💙💚]
So, yeah. Ummmm. I’m in love
Its offish!
(Nov. 4th, 2019): On to more about the book, instead of about me !
This installment truly rendered me speechless & my mind was straight up blown... I think I may have stared blankly at the wall for an indiscernible amount of time ? I needed a day or two after turning that last page to shake off that feeling you get when you read a novel that is so... just...
EVERYTHING❤️
; that feeling whenthe amazing high to the immediate low... post book depression at its finest, friends 🥺😩😭
This book, needless to say, was perfection.
Perfection! The character building was so rich in this novel, especially the many amazing moments between Robin & Zylas! Their developing dynamic & developing relationship is pure magic. Yeah. Those moments were by far my favorite part of this book! 😊😍💫 I also loved both learning about magic in even more detail, & learning more about Zylas. Something about Zylas is so... damn beautiful. I am enamored with him... and in LOVE with him & Robin! I SHIP THEM SO HARD. PLEASE GIMME GIMME GIMME MORE! :-)
The plot for this installment was completely unexpected; there was such an original & creative take on a common trope that normally can get so boring, but as it happens, is anything but, here! I LOVED this take on it!
Annette Marie is truly a master storyteller. Slaying Monsters for the Feeble brought answers to certain mysteries to light... providing such satisfaction!
...and then revealing even more INSANE secrets in the plot to be revealed eventually, and although there are hints that create fun speculation towards the answers we want to know, Marie knows how to push a reader’s buttons in the BEST way possible- making you crave the next book SO badly that it feels like you’re waiting for your food at your favorite restaurant while you’re hangry AF!
My goodness;
I recommend this book with ALL OF MY HEART.
You truly need to read the CodexVerse books- you will NOT regret it.
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Oct. 20, 2019
Okay my mouth cant form words. My brain is... i can barely type.
RTC
_________________________________
CAN. NOT. WAIT.
WHY MUST I WAIT? AHHHHH. I literally feel like when I was a kid, around Christmastime, i’d end up crossing right over excited and going straight to so-excited-that-you’re-anxious, territory haha.
(Sorry if you do not celebrate Christmas, but I’m sure anyone has something similar they may be able to relate to this with?). 😭😭😭
*Buttercup buckles up early because she’s so freakin’ excited/anxious she has to wait SOLONG*
(Yes, the beginning of November is WAY too far away, okay?! These books are THAT good!) Annette Marie 3.5 stars
It's official, I definitely prefer this series featuring Robin over the 'original' series featuring Tori. I hear that the two series start to overlap even more in future books so I will need to keep reading both in order to not miss anything about Robin. Not that I dislike Tori's series, it's just that I find her as a heroine to be kind of annoying. Ezra is definitely my jam though, so I'll keep reading it for him.
Back to this series and this installment - I enjoyed the developments in the plot that carried over from the previous book. Though Uncle Jack got a personality transplant, that was kind of weird. But otherwise I am interested in seeing what happens next! Annette Marie I've avoided writing a review for this book because it makes me sad. I liked it a lot and it makes me so SAD.
Slaying Monsters is lowkey compared to its sister series, but it's also so much more intense... at least it feels like that to me? Two books in and I'm so invested in Robin and Zylas' relationship--and not just in a romantic way, because I do ship them, but in every way.
Robin and Zylas are so complex. Both as a unit and as separate beings. Being in Robin's head means we see her in both dangerous and curious situations with her demon, and we can even see the change in her. She's still meek and, well, weak, and it did infuriate me a little, but Robin's strengths lie elsewhere and it shows so well! She's caring and compassionate and dedicated and maybe it's a quiet strength, but I find her so refreshing and wonderful.
Zylas, on the other hand, has my entire heart. I adore him. My favorite trope is when an otherworldly being is curious about basic human things. Annette Marie is giving me the CONTENT with him here, and I can't thank her enough. A real hero.
I love the take on the villains she did here! I know the synopsis doesn't say much and I don't want to give anything away, but... y'all. Vampires, okay? I love her take. It's so unique and it's so much fun! I love how it tied into the overall story, too. I'm even more eager to find out how the two series interconnect now because things are ROLLING, and it's stressing me out.
Overall, this book is a HIT. 4.5 stars! I'm so sad to have finished in a day because it means waiting so long for the third book. I need things to happen or else I might just die. Annette Marie Originally posted at:
This series is magical and I never want it to end! Please give me all the books pertaining to this series, I beg you! The world is so fascinating and well built. The characters are complex and some walk in a grey area that makes the story that much more interesting.
Robin has been withstanding everything that's been thrown at her up to this point and it's amazing she's still alive. I've never seen myself so much in a character like I do with Robin. She's a bookworm who normally likes to stick to the outskirts of groups of people. She wasn't taught any of the survival skills she needs to have in this magical world she's found herself in much to her mother's dismay. Though I still wish I had her cooking skills. It's a fascinating balance Annette Marie strikes with Robin and the world she put her in and I love it!
Zylas is amazingly intelligent while also being a jerk half the time. There are moments when he has me thinking that he actually cares and then that all goes out the window after he calls Robin stupid in his native tongue. It's an entertaining dynamic and I'm excited to see where it's heading. I've said this before and I'll say it again I can't help but want Zylas and Robin to become a couple as dysfunctional as that may turn out.
There were a lot of action-packed scenes that had me on the edge of my seat with my hands over my eyes. There were way too many close calls for comfort. The ending had a bad feeling churning in my gut and I don't know how it's all going to be ok again. At this point, I just need some assurances that everything and everyone will be ok again.
The Audio Book:
There were one or two scenes where I did get lost in dialogue because the voices were too similar. Other than that the narration was good! Annette Marie 5 demony stars
This book...
Seriously though. I think I'm liking this series even more than The Guild Codex. I LOVE Robin, and her personality is so #relatable. But what I enjoy the most is the relationship between her and Zylas. They are both locked into the contract they made, and they are doing their best to make the most of it. Kind of like marriage.
Okay so this book starts off a few weeks after the end of the first book because Robin had the flu (if she had gotten her flu shot maybe she wouldn't have gotten the flu, but that's a post for another day). And what's awesome is that we get to see Robin's point of view of her first guild meeting. Tori gave us her side of things, but I like Robin's better. Reading her thoughts to Zylas is the best =)
One thing I really enjoy about Annette's writing is that she puts a unique spin on old and tired tropes. Annette's version of vampires are AWESOME. AND she pokes fun at the silly and cartoon-y names that are usually associated with this kind of trope. So it's a win-win for me!
I can't remember the last time I enjoyed a book series as much as I've been enjoying this whole world that Annette has created. Her stories are witty, funny, full of action and a dash of romance. They are not trope-y, the characters are all enjoyable, and I am always left surprised at the outcome of the book. For this veteran reader, that is the most enjoyable thing of all. So thank you, Annette, for sharing these stories =)
I'll end this with my favorite quote from the entire book:
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ARC WOOHOO!! Annette Marie
