Review: Slaying Monsters for the Feeble - Annette Marie

Slaying Monsters for the Feeble by Annette Marie
Series: The Guild Codex: Demonized #1
My rating: {★★★★★}

Urban Fantasy
Published November 1st 2019 by Dark Owl Fantasy Inc.

Source: Review copy via Publisher

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.

** I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

After five of 'The Guild Codex: Spellbound' books and having just finished this, the second book in 'The Guild Codex: Demonised', I think it's safe to say that I'm in for EVERYTHING that happens in this world.

Firstly, a heads up that if you want to read this series, I would 1,000,000% recommend it, however - I also am fully screaming from the rooftops that you read Spellbound as well and 'Slaying Monsters' DOES have some spoilers for Spellbound.... So basically, do yourself a favour and start reading these books in the publication order... I'll assist you with a list at the end in my recommended order of reading.

Now, I know this is only the second book in this spinoff series but I'm close to calling it out as my favourite Annette Marie series to date. As much as I love Emi and Shiro and as much as I rave about Piper and Ash and Lyre and Cleo and as much as I have gotten to know and love my favourite three mages and Tori.... There's just something about Robin and Zylas and Amalia that keeps me thinking about them and just itching to reread their stories. Whilst there's only two books so far, there will be four (eventually!) and the next book should be out in April next year (*sob* not that far, right??)

So what do I love so much about this series that I'm already starting to tout it as the best to date? Gosh, where do I start?

First of all, the main character, Robin, is just the most relateable reluctant heroine I think I've ever read. She's bookish, she's introverted, she struggles with conflict and has confidence issues and she has stayed an arm lengths away from magic her entire life (even though she IS a sorceress). And then suddenly she finds herself landed in a demon contract where the absolutely evil and malevolent and definitely obscure demon binds himself to protect her..... In exchange for baked goods.

Zylas (above-mentioned malevolent protector) is a super complex and fantastically dark character. Anyone who loves an anti hero? This demon is your guy. He's ruthless, deadly and iniquitous and yet this is limned with his careful acceptance and absolute reverence for his contract and the fact that the more we read about Zylas the more I see his 'humanity' shine through.

Robin and Zylas make an incredible pair and I loved watching their relationship grow in this book. Their connection is tried and tested and very nearly broken at times and I am happy to see them both making mistakes but then being able to stand up to them later. They are both so complex and real and their interactions are the same and while this is (hopefully!) a super slow burn start to a ship I've been hoping for since this series was first mentioned, I'm just so delighted to watch a steady foundation being laid to a wonderful friendship (and then hopefully more!).

I've also thoroughly enjoyed seeing the Crow and Hammer and some of it's members through the eyes of another POV and getting to know the world of Demonica more and more. Need I mention the fact that the world building is (as always) completely on point?

The action packed plot, laugh out loud humour and sheer adventure in this one makes it unputdownable, but further to this, the promise of even more to come and the continual upping of the stakes makes me just want to buckle up and enjoy the ride (and take whoever I can convince to come with me too!).

Other books in this world (in my recommended reading order):

THREE MAGES AND A MARGARITA (THE GUILD CODEX:SPELLBOUND #1)
DARK ARTS AND A DAIQUIRI (THE GUILD CODEX:SPELLBOUND #2)
TWO WITCHES AND A WHISKEY (THE GUILD CODEX:SPELLBOUND #3)
DEMON MAGIC AND A MARTINI (THE GUILD CODEX:SPELLBOUND #4)
TAMING DEMONS FOR BEGINNERS (THE GUILD CODEX:DEMONIZED #1)
THE ALCHEMIST AND AN AMARETTO (THE GUILD CODEX:SPELLBOUND #5)
SLAYING MONSTERS FOR THE FEEBLE (THE GUILD CODEX:DEMONIZED #2)