I need more historical fiction fantasy recommendations y’all. The other day on a road trip, I listened to The Monsters We Defy and was enchanted. If I had to pick a favorite element, I adored the intersection of world and magic. Keep reading this book review for my full thoughts.
Summary
A woman able to communicate with spirits must assemble a ragtag crew to pull off a daring heist to save her community in this timely and dazzling historical fantasy that weaves together African American folk magic, history, and romance.
Washington D. C., 1925
Clara Johnson talks to spirits, a gift that saved her during her darkest moments in a Washington D. C. jail. Now a curse that’s left her indebted to the cunning spirit world. So, when the Empress, the powerful spirit who holds her debt, offers her an opportunity to gain her freedom, a desperate Clara seizes the chance. The task: steal a magical ring from the wealthiest woman in the District.
Clara can’t pull off this daring heist alone. She’ll need help from an unlikely team, from a jazz musician capable of hypnotizing with a melody to an aging vaudeville actor who can change his face, to pull off the impossible. But as they encounter increasingly difficult obstacles, a dangerous spirit interferes at every turn. Conflict in the spirit world is leaking into the human one and along D.C’.s legendary Black Broadway, a mystery unfolds—one that not only has repercussions for Clara but all of the city’s residents.
Review
(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
So the world building and magic are enthralling. I adored the way that The Monsters We Defy is grounded in this Jazz Age Era, the clothing and setting. At the same time, there’s also a distinct sense of class and ‘high society’ within. If you love rich worlds full of details, complexity, and tension, then you have to read! And then there’s the magic. I loved this magical system of deals, spirits, and even more (spoilers!) Because there’s always a price. Always a cost and what we want never turns out exactly like we thought.
While reading The Monsters We Defy, I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the hidden secrets. The mysteries we are just beginning to discovery. If you love heists, detective skills, and conspiracies, The Monsters We Defy is chock full! It was so easy, while listening to the audiobook, to get swept away in the action. But I think what makes it even better are the characters. And Shayna Small is a fabulous narrator to give these characters a voice. You could hear their differences, the ways in which they imprinted themselves in our heads and hearts.
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I loved how all of them are being haunted by their pasts or their charms. And at the core, The Monsters We Defy is about how we have to believe in ourselves, to write our destiny and manifest our life. To truth in our potential and let people into our hearts. Find The Monsters We Defy on Goodreads, Amazon, Indiebound, Bookshop.org, Libro.fm, Google Play & The Book Depository.