I fell heads over heels in This Monster of Mine. This dramatic ancient Romance inspired world captured me. It’s been a while since I’ve been as transported into the twists and turns. Keep reading this book review of This Monster of Mine for my full thoughts.
Summary
Eighteen-year-old Sarai doesn’t know why someone tried to kill her four years ago, but she does know that her case was closed without justice. Hellbent on vengeance, she returns to the scene of the crime as a Petitor, a prosecutor who can magically detect lies, and is assigned to work with Tetrarch Kadra. Ice-cold and perennially sadistic, Kadra is the most vicious of the four judges who rule the land – and the prime suspect in a string of deaths identical to Sarai’s attempted murder.
Certain of his guilt, Sarai begins a double life: solving cases with Kadra by day and plotting his ruin by night. But Kadra is charming and there’s something alluring about the wrath he wields against the city’s corruption. So when the evidence she finds embroils her in a deadly political battle, Sarai must also fight against her attraction to Kadra – because despite his growing hold on her heart, his voice matches the only memory she has of her assailant…
Review
(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
This Monster of Mine is a story about revenge and change. It asks us this question that keeps getting repeated throughout literature which is how do we make change happen? Is it made with a bang, a quiet coup, slow legislature? When the system is corrupt, when it’s rotting from the ground up, how do we make it better? This Monster of Mine commits to deeply exploring the rate of change and how these individuals fight against this avalanche of corruption and injustice. What would happen if people used the power and did it justly instead of what too often happens?
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It’s blends murder investigations, questions of justice, and swoony tension. At its core, This Monster of Mine examines what happens when we expect obedience without questions. What happens if our world expects justice without amendments, without proof? Without asking if it’s right. What would happen in this system if someone finally took a stand, made the difficult choice to do what’s right? I fell head first into This Monster of Mine. The twists and turns captivated me, but I also loved the character development of Sarai (and Kadra).
How we find forgiveness, justice, and retribution in these pages and on the streets. It also explores monstrosity and whether it’s all a matter of perspective. If we continually define monstrosity as taking a stand, of breaking the societal taboos, of being a protector, then what are we so afraid of? It’s a story dedicated to exploring corruption and power and I am so excited for what’s to come!
Find This Monster of Mine on Goodreads, Storygraph, Amazon, Bookshop.org, & Blackwells.