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Slaying Monsters for the Feeble by Annette Marie Narrator: Cris Dukehart
Series: The Guild Codex: Demonized #2
Published by Tantor Audio on February 4, 2020
Genres: New Adult, Paranormal, Urban Fantasy
Length: 8 hours and 27 minutes
Format: Audiobook
Source: Library
Purchase Links: Amazon*Libro*Kobo*Chirp*B&N
Goodreads
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.
Also in this series: Taming Demons for Beginners
I’m taking part in the 2026 Read-Along for the Guild Codex World by Annette Marie hosted by Books of My Heart.
I’ve heard nothing but amazing things about the Guild Codex Universe, so I’m having an absolute blast diving into this year’s Read-Along using the author’s recommended reading order!
Slaying Monsters for the Feeble is book two in The Guild Codex: Demonized series by Annette Marie and narrated by Cris Dukehart.
This installment overlaps directly with the timeline of The Alchemist and an Amaretto from the Spellbound series.
The action is completely non-stop in this sequel. I absolutely love diving deeper into the demon lore, tracking the mystery of the Grimoire, and dealing with the sudden rise of local vampires. Between the desperate search for Robin’s uncle and the constant stress of keeping their demon contract under wraps, the pacing never lets up. The ending also delivers a massive cliffhanger that leaves you eager for the next book.
Zylas: He is easily one of the best parts of this series. He is such a fascinating, cool demon, and getting a glimpse into his unique, non-human perspective and thought process is incredibly enjoyable.
Amalia: A great addition to the cast! While she isn’t the easiest character to warm up to initially, her unique ability is fantastic, and she gives some incredibly sound advice. I really appreciated watching the friendship slowly start to build between her and Robin.
Robin: Unfortunately, Robin continues to be the main drawback for me. I understand she comes from a long line of demon summoners, grew up completely in the dark, and is forced to learn on the fly—but she frequently leans too far into “damsel in distress” territory. Her spineless, doormat tendencies can be incredibly frustrating, and the sheer luck required for her to survive some of these unbelievable situations stretches thin.
If you are looking for a quick match, look elsewhere—this is shaping up to be the absolute slowest burn romance in the history of slow-burn romances!
Audio: Cris Dukehart continues to be an absolute perfection choice for the narration of the Guild Codex universe. She does an enjoyable job with the character voices, flawlessly setting the overall tone, and perfectly capturing the snarky, fast-paced interactions between friends and guild members. At this point, I truly cannot imagine experiencing this series any other way than through audio.
I am definitely reading on, but let’s be clear: I’m sticking around for the incredible world-building, the fast-paced plot, and Zylas—not for Robin.
Rated: 3 Stars
Was this review helpful? If so, please consider liking it on Goodreads (Angela)!
About Cris Dukehart
My name is Cris Dukehart. I am an Audie Nominee and Earphones Award Winning audiobook narrator and voiceover.
I’ve been told I approach the world with the quick witted humor of Mrs. Maisel and the spirit of a Southern Magnolia (which seems to me like a pretty mighty leap but sure felt good to hear and also seemed like the sort of thing a gal might want to include in her bio).
I’ve narrated over 400 books, across genres, from quirky memoirs, southern women’s fiction, and young adult titles to new adult urban fantasy and female-driven mysteries and I love being able to immerse myself in tales that include a rich array of characters of all ages and into stories that make a body believe in just a little bit of magic.
I have a natural and easy Mid-Atlantic dialect but also confidently perform the dialects from my southern upbringing (North Carolina, Virgnia, and West Virginia) as well as those I’ve picked up just meeting folks from my travels across the US and abroad.
I divide my time between my Mountain House, a Mid Century home perched on a mountain over looking the Caribbean, and an 1870 Southern Victorian riverfront home.
Both homes are PROJECTS (with a capital P) and need more than a little love, but along with my ridiculous sooper pooch, Bruce Ed, a menagerie of strays, a cast of family, friends, and characters that could just as well have stepped right off the pages of the books I read, a silly lot of DIY elbow grease, and you too… if you hang around here long enough… I’m pretty sure there’s a happily ever after waiting for all of us at the end.
About Annette Marie
Annette Marie is the best-selling author of The Guild Codex, an expansive collection of interwoven urban fantasy series ranging from thrilling adventure to hilarious hijinks to heartrending romance. Her other works include YA urban fantasy series Steel & Stone, its prequel trilogy Spell Weaver, and romantic fantasy trilogy Red Winter.
Her first love is fantasy, while fast-paced adventures and tantalizing forbidden romances are her guilty pleasures. She lives in the frozen winter wasteland of Alberta, Canada (okay, it’s not quite that bad) with her husband and their furry minion of darkness—sorry, cat—Caesar. When not writing, she can be found elbow-deep in one art project or another while blissfully ignoring all adult responsibilities.
Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
- 2026 Audiobook Challenge
- 2026 Beat the Backlist Challenge
- 2026 COYER Out To Lunch Again
- 2026 Library Love Challenge
- 2026 Read-Along Annette Marie
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Aw I love Robin and her growth and solid integrity and compassion. The action is fun too as we learn more about demons and their worlds.
I completely agree—Robin just doesn’t click with me, but the rest of the series is fantastic! Thanks so much for stopping by and sharing your thoughts.
I love the cover for this one. It sounds like my kind of book.
Annette Marie always has incredible covers, and this series is no exception! They truly do the novels justice. Thanks so much for checking out the post!