Review: House of Stone by Vaughn R. Demont

A modern knight, a noble quest, and a magical sword. What could go wrong?

Welcome to the City, where gods run nightclubs, goblins hire out as mercs, sorcerers work their magic, the Fae hold court over every neighborhood…and humanity is blissfully ignorant of it all.

For minor Fae noble Richard Stone, life is going well. He has a decent fiefdom (okay, it’s a slum), a budding acting career (okay, so it’s porn), and one of only five magical swords in the City. An arranged marriage is barely a blip on his worry meter—until his family blade loses its magic. The shame of it puts his noble standing in jeopardy.

To regain his status, Richard needs help. Fortunately, his new bride is a sidhe knight and his servant Simaron has, er, his back. Together they embark on a quest to find the demon who slew his father, investigate a conspiracy that goes to the highest echelons of Fae nobility, and discover a secret family legacy that could ruin his House.

All while keeping up appearances to a society that demands perfection. And they say a noble’s life is easy…

Warning: This book contains explicit gay sex, not-so-explicit gay sex, explicitly implied gay sex, routine breaking of the fourth wall, occasional bouts of Pearl Jam fanboy-ism, and plot. Side effects include confusion and headaches, and are best avoided by reading the pages therein in numerical order.

While Vaughn Demont is September's Author of the Month, these are not new reviews.  No, they're better.  What you are about to see is a couple of fangirl squeesplosions.  Unicorn twins Jenni Lea and Sunny Lea love this book so much they decided they JUST HAD TO re-read it.

Announcing Her Grace, Duchess Anastasia Gwendolyn Rebecca Sunny Glitterhorn, Lady of the House of Sunshine, Keeper of the Stable Lists, Protector of the BMBR Schedule, Guardian of the Neighborhood Garbage Bins and Wielder of the Almighty Spanking Ruler:

Take one minor Fae noble who also happens to be a snarky (and ginger!) porn star and one ever so proper, half blood manservant, throw in some intrigue, and you get a crazy, fun filled, sexy adventure with moments of nail biting suspense.  Incredibly entertaining, reminiscent of Month Python or Mel Brooks, but darker and more intense.

I have to start with the characters because they made the story for me.  Richard and Sim were so well drawn, and with such distinctive personalities, I couldn't get enough of them.  Their complex relationship was full of humor, and a sweet devotion to each other.  I loved every bit of it.

The world building was also well done, with so many great details.  I admit there were moments I got a little lost in all those details, though. Part of the confusion was probably due to Richard being the one who shared the information. He tended to ramble, and sometimes threw out facts without full explanation, leaving the reader to try fitting it all in to the existing framework.

The story, though! What a story!  A unique and intricate plot containing surprising twists and turns.  Definitely a rollercoaster of a ride.  As things came together, you could see the genius of it all.  I loved the intrigue and how everything played out.  It was so intense!  Especially the climax. 

Me, during said climax: "OMG! OMG! OMG!"

Stunning.

*bows to Mr. Demont*


Also announcing Her Grace, Duchess Ariana Kathryn Josephine Jenni Lea Fuschiamane, Lady of the House of Knots, Champion of the Pregnant Males, Defender of the Shifters, Warden of the Stable Boys and Guardian of Her Two Front Teeth:

That was fantastic! A perfect balance of action, adventure, drama, romance and humor. Exquisitely detailed, the complexities of the story made my heart leap whenever I discovered yet another twist in the plot. I was on the edge of my seat throughout the entire book.   

Vaughn Demont put so much depth into this story that I felt as though I was actually there.  I think that stems from his complete and total mastery of the fourth wall.  Rarely have I read a book that knows how to break through that fourth wall correctly.  He makes it feel as though you're not reading the story but that the main character is relating it to you as he stands next to you.  Now that's talent! 

And such details!  I could see everything, hear everything.  I had such a clear picture in my mind.whilst reading.

And the best part (for me, at least) is all the humor and emotions that are infused in the story.  Oh, the feels!  Mr. Demont certainly has a firm grasp on how it feels to love. *sigh*

I recommend this book to anyone out there that is looking for a wild adventure filled with hope, betrayal, swordplay, car crashes, secrets and fun.  Read it people!  This is my decree.