Book: Monsters Born and Made
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Sci-fi
Publishing Date: September 6, 2022
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Synopsis:
She grew up battling the monsters that live in the black seas, but it couldn't prepare her to face the cunning cruelty of the ruling elite.
Perfect for fans of The Hunger Games and Fable, this South Asian-inspired fantasy is a gripping debut about the power of the elite, the price of glory, and one girl's chance to change it all.
Sixteen-year-old Koral and her older brother Emrik risk their lives each day to capture the monstrous maristags that live in the black seas around their island. They have to, or else their family will starve.
In an oceanic world swarming with vicious beasts, the Landers―the ruling elite, have indentured Koral's family to provide the maristags for the Glory Race, a deadly chariot tournament reserved for the upper class. The winning contender receives gold and glory. The others―if they're lucky―survive.
When the last maristag of the year escapes and Koral has no new maristag to sell, her family's financial situation takes a turn for the worse and they can't afford medicine for her chronically ill little sister. Koral's only choice is to do what no one in the world has ever dared: cheat her way into the Glory Race.
But every step of the way is unpredictable as Koral races against contenders―including her ex-boyfriend―who have trained for this their whole lives and who have no intention of letting a low-caste girl steal their glory. When a rebellion rises and rogues attack Koral to try and force her to drop out, she must choose―her life or her sister's―before the whole island burns.
Praise for Tanvi Berwah:
"An exhilarating race of willpower and defiance, set on an utterly unique world filled with glorious monsters." ― Xiran Jay Zhao, #1 New York Times Bestselling author of Iron Widow
"Monsters Born and Made takes well-beloved YA tropes and turns them on their heads, creating an action-packed rallying cry against oppression and a riveting tale of one girl's desperation to survive no matter the odds." ― Roseanne A. Brown, New York Times bestselling author of A Song of Wraiths and Ruin
My Review:
I quite liked this book!
➳ I'll start from the beginning. This story is about Koral who is a Renter (and Renters are treated awfully) who participates in the Glory Race because her family is in a desperate situation and especially her sister who is sick. The whole Glory Race is about competing against Landers who are proud and arrogant with maristags, wild creatures of the ocean. I loved reading about Koral's maristag, Stormgold and while I didn't fully understand their relationship, I am expecting some explanation in the sequel and am excited to read where this relationship goes.
➳ One thing I didn't like in the beginning was the super heavy info-dumping which threw me off and made me lose my interest but it got better after that, I might've skipped a few paragraphs. There wasn't much to the world except the people, Landers and Renters, hated the former and a few other creatures which I would also love to read about.
➳ Most people hated Koral but I liked her because I understood her. Her anger, mistrust and hatred towards Landers was totally understandable and also these same feelings towards her father. I loved her fierceness how strong she was despite everything, she was willing to do a lot for her sister which I loved a lot. I was liking Dorian in the start and thought he would stand up to his father but he turned out to be such a jerk. I really liked Judas though😔
Overall, I am very excited to read the second book and thrilled to read where this story goes! Thank you so much Lonely Pages Book Tour for this eARC and an opportunity for being on tour for this book!
Book Links:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Monsters-Born-Made-Tanvi-Berwah/dp/1728247624/
Target: https://www.target.com/p/monsters-born-and-made-by-tanvi-berwah-hardcover/-/A-86384200
Indiebound: https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781728247625
More purchase link options here (based on country): https://tanviberwah.com/monsters/\
About The Author:
Tanvi Berwah is a South Asian writer who grew up wanting to touch the stars and reach back in time. MONSTERS BORN AND MADE, her debut YA novel, is forthcoming from Sourcebooks Fire. Her short story, Escape, is out now in Foreshadow anthology from Algonquin Young Readers. She graduated from the University of Delhi with a Bachelor’s and Master’s in Literature of
English, and always found ways to fit in The Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones in her academic life. A history and space enthusiast, she would’ve loved to be an astronomer, had her lack of mathematical skills allowed it. Find her at tanviberwah.com.
Author Links:
Website: http://tanviberwah.com/
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/tanviberwah
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tanviberwah/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/tanviberwah/
Tumblr: https://tanviberwah.tumblr.com/
Goodreads: https://goodreads.com/tanviberwah