Editorial Review: Company of Monsters by Shami Stovall

Geist and the Ethereal Squadron face both new and old enemies in their attempt to protect Russian noble families from a sorcery-hungry Kaiser willing to do the unthinkable to gain more power.

Shami Stovall, once again, has hit it out of the park with this phenomenal sequel, A Company of Monsters. Second in the gritty fantasy series The Sorcerers of Verdun, readers follow Geist in her valiant attempt to save sorcerers from an evil fate. 

This time Geist and her US-UK division team, The Ethereal Squadron, face not only sorcerers with evil in their hearts but also the Eyes of The Kaiser. This team are devoted to the Kaiser and can dominate and control with a mere glance, these brothers pose perhaps the most dangerous threat to Geist and her friends. The main mission objective is to protect the Romanovs, powerful sorcerers and the ruling family of the Russian empire, in addition to warning important Russian magical houses and helping them to flee - if possible. Motivated dually by the knowledge that, if the Kaiser successfully overthrows the Russian empire, he will turn the full might of his wrath on France and Britain, as well as protecting the sorcerers’ lives and powers.   

A Company of Monsters is complex and builds upon themes established in the first book, though the basic story can be enjoyed without having read the first. However, if you do this you are likely to become hooked and find yourself needing to read the first book in the series. Stovall balances both the gritty realistic aspects of war - the blood and the trauma - with universal human emotion, and occasionally, the haunting lack thereof.

With an astounding grasp of history, Shami Stovall weaves reality into her fiction with gratifying results. Stovall delivers an incredibly well-built world, with just enough fantasy elements to real historical facts to make any history lover smile. It almost goes without saying that Stovall creates and maintains amazing characters, but her characters are genuinely so well done that it warrants discussion in any review of her writing. 

This book will appeal to anyone who is already a fan of Stovall’s writing as her signature style and historical twisting is strong as ever in A Company of Monsters. Furthermore, those interested in historical or military fiction and fantasy will find a rewarding read. 

A Company of Monsters builds on the fantastic premise of the series, develops the characters, and packs a hell of a punch - Stovall has delivered a brilliant and addictive series.