It’s been a while since I picked up a book recommended by a friend, but A Ballad for Slayers & Monsters was a monster hunter surprise. This was such an action packed story about monstrosity and grief. Keep reading this book review of A Ballad for Slayers & Monsters for my full thoughts.
Summary
Kas of Veldenier is a Slayer, a travelling monster hunter for hire.
Claudia of Trulio is half-human, half-vampyric. Half monster.
They should be nothing more than enemies. But when the long-lost remnant of the dragon Ombral turns up, and with it the possibility of unleashing the dragons to wreak havoc on Vil Tresar as they did long ago, Kas and Claudia’s paths converge. Through a shared desire to keep the dragons from returning, they embark on a quest to see the remnant destroyed. Along the way, they will encounter fearsome monsters as well as a burgeoning desire for each other. Can a monster and a monster slayer truly find love together?
Pursuing them from the shadows is Serisa, a vampyric who wishes to see the world burn. And she will need the remnant to make that wish a reality…
Review
A Ballad for Slayers & Monsters is this queer adult fantasy story that gives Witcher vibes. It’s a multiple POV story about searching for monsters and what happens when we find them – spoiler, it’s not what you expect! I expected high action and adventure in this fantasy world. And I got it. I loved the world of monster hunting and even if at first the multiple POV threw me, I quickly began to love it. But then A Ballad for Slayers & Monsters becomes a story about grief and monstrosity. Who is the real monster? And what will grief turn us into? Might grief make us into a monster?
I will have the world burn for daring to take you from me.
(Disclaimer: Some of the links below are affiliate links. For more information you can look at the Policy page. If you’re uncomfortable with that, know you can look up the book on any of the sites below to avoid the link)
I wasn’t expecting this theme to go so hard in A Ballad for Slayers & Monsters, but it does and I loved it. We get to see the thin line between isolation and turning inwards. The thin line between what grief can do when we want the world to burn for the pain, the injustice. While the ending wrap up seemed a bit too hasty, I think this is such a solid fantasy read for me. Combined with the sister aspect, I ended up having the best time with A Ballad for Slayers & Monsters. It was action packed and emotional when we needed a gut punch.
Find A Ballad for Slayers & Monsters on Goodreads, Storygraph, Amazon, Bookshop. org, & Blackwells.