Caelen

Monsters of Veridia, Book 2

By: Silvana Falcon

Narrated by: John Solo

Never fall for the villain.

Daniel is done dating bad boys—at least in real life. His only crush these days? The Shadow King: a devastatingly dangerous half-fae villain safely trapped in the pages of his favorite web novel.

Until he isn't.

The barrier between their world shatters, and when Caelen steps through, he tries to claim Daniel as his mate. His touch makes Daniel shiver, his kisses make him burn, and there's nothing safe about him anymore.

But Daniel doesn't want safe. He wants the man he glimpses behind the darkness consuming the Shadow King's soul. As their bond deepens though, he senses something else lurking in that darkness—a secret that could destroy them both.

Every instinct screams at Daniel to run. He knows better than to fall for the villain, better than to risk everything for an impossible love.

He’s going to do it anyway.

Note: This book should be heard after first listening to Knox (book one in the series). Content warnings can be found on my website.

©2025 Silvana Falcon (P)2025 Silvana Falcon

Wonderful story!

I truly love how Daniel tried to fallow his self imposed dating rules. He sternly decided no more bad boys, but what comes next he finds and falls for a very bad boy. The Shadow King is a half fae bad guy that he fell for in his novels. Then he ends up being taken by the Shadow King only to get away the first time and then he later finds himself trapped and lost again only to find out that he is his fated mate. Wow quite a shock but many people benefit from this news, his love for his mate is calming his rage quite a bit. I definitely recommend this book to everyone who loves mm romance stories with some fae adventures on the side.

yes, he is still bad, no, I don't care

I was expecting to not like Caelen but he and Daniel were smoky and burned up the pages. Don't get me wrong he was very morally grey but without giving away too much, I could accept hus reasons and see him as a love interest for Daniel. Daniel is sweet and sees the best in just about everyone.
The overarching issue or what is happening with the two worlds and barriers gets deeper and some answers are given but there us soooo much still to come.
Yes, John Solo, I can listen to Caelen all day.

Fantastic story

Caelen by Silvana Falcon is a wonderful paranormal romance. John Solo did a fantastic job with the narration, bringing the story to life. The story is entertaining, interesting, enjoyable, engaging and funny. When the barrier between reality and fantasy shatters things become interesting. The boy/boy relationship just adds to the tension and excitement to the story. I received a free copy of this book and I am voluntarily leaving a review. Highly recommen

Caelen and Daniel

Story: When Daniel’s quiet life is upended by strange disappearances near his hometown, he is forced to confront a past he thought was behind him—and a bond he can’t escape. Caelen, the enigmatic half-fae Shadow King, still lingers in Daniel’s dreams and thoughts, tethered to him by a connection forged in another world. But as the barriers between Earth and the magical realm of Veridia weaken, Daniel finds himself caught in a dangerous game of loyalty, love, and survival. Caelen, haunted by the dark god Morthul, struggles to retain his humanity while wielding powers that threaten to consume him. As political schemes and mystical forces unravel around them, Daniel must decide if saving Caelen is worth risking everything he holds dear. With shadowy enemies closing in, Daniel and Caelen are thrust into a battle for their worlds—and their hearts. Steamy MM, human-fae romance exploring love, action, identity, and redemption set against the backdrop of two clashing realms and impossible odds.

Audio: Narrator John Solo does a good job with the story and the tone he brings to the characters. The audio quality is good and there were no issues.

Villain romance

This is the second book in this series and, yet again, John Solo has done an excellent job of bringing the characters to life. Silvana has done some excellent world building as Viridia encroaches more into the "real"

Loved It!

I only recently read this book and was happy I didn't have to wait long to listen to the audiobook. (Original ebook review below) John Solo did a wonderful job again bringing these characters back to life. I liked the overall tone of Caelen's voice. It suited the Shadow King so well. I also liked how I could differentiate between the characters.

Overall: 5 stars
Performance: 5 stars
Story: 5 stars


Original Book Review 2.18.25:

'You underestimate yourself. Everyone underestimates you. Everyone except for me. I've seen inside your soul. I know you're far more special than anyone admits, even yourself.'

I loved Knox- both reading and listening to it- and was excited for another book in this series. It continues to be such a fun and captivating adventure! I was hooked again from the first chapter. Great world building and wonderful characters. I really loved Daniel. There was so much depth to him- his emotions, the face he shows on the outside in spite of whatever he may really be feeling, his protectiveness for his family, and desire to help people. I liked his sense of humor, too.

'Daniel flashed his friends his most winning smile, the one he used to convince everyone that there wasn't a problem in the world that couldn't be handled with just the right amount of spunk and glitter. It was his secret weapon for disarming people— a confidence bordering on delusion that everything would work out just fine.
If only he could convince himself.'

I loved seeing deeper into who Caelen is. I won't go into detail, because discovering that and how Daniel falls for him and vice versa is part of the beauty of this story.

I loved the whole group of supporting characters. Zev in particular never failed to make me laugh or smile wide. They were all just so loveable, fun, and quirky. They felt like family.

This story was an adventure with action and suspense. I can't wait until I can listen to it in audiobook. Book three please! 5 stars

misunderstood

I was fully prepared to hate Caelen after everything he did in Knox but my goodness, can Silvana write a bad guy turned good. The book was fantastic and I love this performance so much.

Mind-blowing

Caelen and Daniel story was explosive and mind-blowing. As things take an unexpected turn, the mastermind is revealed, but its motifs are still unknown.
A new villain makes its appearance, and old kept secrets are revealed.
The danger and adrenaline are high, and new characters enter the fray in trying tipping the scale while chaos still rules.
I really liked how the narrator brought to live the characters and the events. How he shaped the tension, the adrenaline and danger, but also the deepest emotions.
He left an impression with it’s cadence, tonality and inflection on this story that I came to love.
I really liked their moments together and how they ended deepening their bond, as well as how they got to be together.
Now, a new challenge is on the horizon as they are transported on the other side.
It was an exhilarating adventure, and I’m looking forward to seeing what happens next.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Incredible Story & Narration🎧A Wild & Fascinating Ride!

Silvana Falcon pens another fascinating novel, an imaginative and action-packed urban fantasy romance novel that captivates your attention from start to end. This second book of the “Monsters of Veridia” series is just as amazing as the first, “Knox”, a not to be missed book and to get the most of the incredible world building it is best to enjoy the series in order written. In the first book we see Adrian’s fictional crush, Knox, the demonic incubus, come to life and he did not come alone. Other monsters of Veridia followed Knox, stirring up trouble and creating havoc, including Caelen, the shadow king and a half fae villain, who has claimed Adrian’s friend Daniel as his mate. Daniel’s friends try to warn him to stay away from Caelen, that he is pure evil, but Daniel can sense he is not and that the evil within Caelen is not his own. Daniel is desperately looking for a way to rid of that evil, but as time things get worse in their world, and so does Caelen, who is gaining followers. I loved the originality of this story, the complexity, all its layers and how it all plays out, with the perfect balance of drama, angst, action, twists and turns, heartfelt emotions, and steamy romance. Silvana Falcon, thanks for another amazing story and wild ride.

🎧📚🎧 John Solo delivers another outstanding performance, bringing the characters to life and humanizing them with their voices and personalities. His portrayal of each character is spot-on and his character voices fit their personality and demeanor, and he is convincing in every role he plays. He sets the perfect tone for the story, captures all the characters’ emotions and has you feeling them all. John Solo is a versatile voice artist and the quality of his audio and performance is always top-notch, a treat for your ears and a joy to listen to.

Everyone loves a Villian

I loved this audio book
John Solo did an amazing job with the voices. I enjoyed hearing Daniel and Caelen's story. I liked how ever character had a unique voice and while it might not have matched the voices that I gave them each voice worked wonderfully.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.