Caffeinated Reviewer

Narrated by Paul Bellantoni and set in Portland, Oregon, Hell Bent by Devon Monk delivered a story where magic is broken, but “breakers” have the power to restore it. Shame Flynn and Terric Conley are magical enforcers and someone is trying to kill breakers. Come check out this first in series filled with snark, friendship and danger.

Shamus "Shame" Flynn is a Death magic user with a smart mouth and a bad attitude. His job riding a desk while keeping an eye on the city's humdrum magic users isn't making his mood any better.

Sure, the most dangerous magic was locked away for good three years ago, but that doesn't mean people have stopped trying to access the old, deadly powers.

Shame isn't trying to access the deadly powers, because he already found a loophole. He can break magic and make it just as powerful as it used to be—as long as he gets the cooperation of goody-good Life magic user, Terric Conely.

Terric Conley has devoted his life to enforcing magical laws, and he's not about to change now. Besides, breaking magic will only lead to disaster, and he refuses to be a part of Shame's death wish.

But when dark government forces and an assassin bent on revenge align to kill the people Shame and Terric care about, there is only one choice left. Break magic, pay the price, and hunt the killers all the way to hell and back again.

This series is a spinoff of Monk’s Allie Beckstrom novels. It is set in the same world three years after magic ended. I have not read them and this was my first encounter with the author. Hell Bent is the first in the Broken Magic series and you can start here. The author does an excellent job of world-building and introducing characters.

Shame Flynn and Terric Conley are magical law enforcers. Shame has death magic and struggles constantly not to consume life. He has a ghost attached to him. Terric is his Soul Complement and has life magic. The two of them have an interesting friendship. Despite caring deeply for Terri, Shane has been distancing himself, but that is about to change.

A darkness is coming to Portland, and it is killing soul companions. When it threatens their friends, Shane and Terric will stop and nothing to protect them. Suspense, friendships and well-paced world-building kept me engaged.

I found the magic system and the idea of soul companions an intriguing one. It is fated mates or anything like that. It’s more yin and yang. The story is told from Shame’s POV and I quiet enjoyed this dark, struggling, sometimes selfish character. Shame acts a lot like a recovering addict. Only his struggle comes from the power within him. Despite obvious flaws, Shame is loyal and when he cares about you, he cares deeply. He protects Terri and his friends despite feeling unworthy.

The murder mystery was fascinating, with plenty of twists. Shame and Terric are angered to discover what drives this murderer to act and the buildup to the end kept me listening. A second thread deals with Terric and his love interest. A man whom Shame feels is using Terric for his life magic. Then we have an assassin named Dessa who wants Shane’s help to find the man who murdered her brother. All the threads were woven throughout.

There are romantic threads but don’t look for an HEA; at least not yet. I love how the storyline explores not only both men’s romantic interests but also highlights their bond of friendship.

Paul Bellantoni narrates and does a good job of capturing Shame’s snarky personality while setting the tone for the story. I highly recommend listening.

Fans of urban fantasy with male protagonists will enjoy this gritty, action-packed tale.

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About Devon Monk

Devon Monk is a USA TODAY Bestselling fantasy author. Her series include Ordinary Magic, Souls of the Road, West Hell Magic, House Immortal, Allie Beckstrom, Broken Magic, and the Age of Steam steampunk series. If it's a Monk story, it's stuffed with magic, action, heart, and humor. She also writes all sorts of short stories which can be found in various anthologies and in her collection: A Cup of Normal.

She lives happily beneath the rainy skies of Oregon. When not writing, she can be found drinking too much coffee, watching hockey, and knitting silly things.

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About Paul Bellantoni

Paul Bellantoni, a classically trained actor, is a former opera singer in the US and Europe. He voiced all the fight efforts for Wenwu in the Marvel movie Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and made his animated feature debut in the Annie Award–nominated Ruben Brandt, Collector. Thrilled to be narrating audiobooks, he excels in character voices, accents, and captivating passionate storytelling. He was the singing voice for the Cowardly Lion of Oz ornament from Hallmark, and is the voice for Uatu, The Watcher in the Marvel Super War videogame. He has voiced lead characters in the English versions of several Netflix and Hulu series, and has appeared in many videogame franchises, including Dungeons & Dragons, League of Legends, Hearthstone, Black Desert, Genshin Impact, and Shenmue. He sang lead roles in opera companies throughout the US and Europe for over a decade, appears on the cast recording of "The Ballad of Baby Doe" with Central City Opera, as well as a solo CD of arias "Heroes & Villains" with the Moravian Symphony. He made his solo recital debut at Carnegie Hall as a winner of the Koussevitzky Prize.

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About Kimberly

Kimberly is a coffee loving book addict who reads and listens to fictional stories in all genres. Whovian, Ravenclaw, Howler and proud Nonna. She owns and manages Caffeinated PR. The coffee is always on and she is ready to chat. BlueSky | Facebook | Instagram

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