The world Mya Lairis has created in ‘Love Stoned’ is simply amazing. It comes with a complete history, a set of fascinating preternatural characters, and a plot full of mystery, suspense, and a resolution I did not at all expect – which makes it just about perfect in my book. Honestly? The blurb had me at “gargoyle” since I am fascinated with them. In our reality, gargoyles are creatures of legend (first mentioned in the 7th century AD) much like dragons and other supernatural beings, and today they are stone figures mostly on old churches. In ‘Love Stoned’, they are physically enormous individuals, almost indestructible and close to immortal, with a metabolism that relies on various types of stone for sustenance. They live in a different dimension, have tasked themselves with protecting the much younger human race from all kinds of evils in the universe, and have an all-male society that breathes “survival of the strongest” to the extreme. Absolutely fascinating!

The story is told mostly from Devron’s point of view, which works well because he doesn’t even know he is a gargoyle until Farhad, a powerful older gargoyle, finds him. I learned about the gargoyles of this world along with Devron, although there was frustratingly little to find out in the beginning. There were all kinds of hints about the brutality of gargoyle society and the need for Devron to mature – from the seven foot or so when Farhad finds him to a stronger twelve foot or so at the least. Only then would he be able to survive the “trial” his fellow gargoyles would put him through once he enters their dimension. To help Devron become a better warrior, Farhad places him with Scylla, an organization tasked with protecting Earth. Its members are recruited from all kinds of preternatural societies, and it was fun to find out what missions they went on and how they worked together – or not, as the case might be.

But Devron is impatient, as was I. Training and waiting for decades without any details, as well as fighting an ever-growing attraction for Farhad, is not Devron’s thing. More and more hints point toward far graver problems than a physical trial upon Devron’s entry into the gargoyles’ realm, and the gradual reveal was tantalizing and kept me turning the pages. Finding out more about gargoyles, their society, and Devron’s and Farhad’s bond was interesting enough, but then the author added yet more elements. Politics and conspiracies abound as the novel barrels toward the unavoidable major crisis, and the sense of foreboding was so strong, I had real trouble taking breaks for things like sleep and food.

If you like preternatural stories that expose the darker side of human nature, if two gargoyles who seem destined for each other yet have trouble communicating sound like an interesting couple, and if you’re looking for a suspenseful read full of secrets, subterfuge and evil political machinations, the fight against evil in several dimensions and all its consequences, and a magnificent love story wrapped up in one breathtaking action/adventure, then you will probably like this novel. I am impressed with the world Mya Lairis created here, as well as the characters and the many imaginative twists and turns they went through before achieving their happy end. Bravo!


NOTE: This book was provided by the author for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews. ( )