Penelope's novel features a fantastical, and fascinating plot, with well-timed dabs of humor. I loved her wonderful characters. Here's hoping the author turns this one into a series.

I forgot to leave a review for this, but I really enjoyed it! It's been out for ages, so I won't say much more than I need to for my star rating. <3

Fantastic. I loved everything about this gorgeous new novel from a great new talent. It was simply magical. Escapism that I really enjoyed as it allowed me to explore a whole new world. Please can I get more of this wonderful authors work. This was truly phenomenal. An excellent reading experience.

I was only able to read to 37% into this book before my copy glitched and wouldn't open, and was unable to find another copy anywhere else to read a to complete it. From what I read it was a very interesting story, with dynamic characters and an intriguing plot, and I would've really enjoyed finishing it had I been able to.

Do you ever read a book and wish you had books like this your younger self could read? The Monsters We Defy is one of those books for me. This is exactly the kind of book my younger self was begging for and I'm so glad to have read it now!

I absolutely loved this book! It's got such a good blend of mystery, history and fantasy. There is found family, a heist, a couple to ship, connections to real life events and great writing! I really loved this whole cast of characters, especially Zelda and Aristotle.

I enjoyed the pacing of the book and it was just the right length for me.

I also listened to this on audiobook and it's a wonderful experience! The narrator does an great job!

I did get a gifted copy of the book but purchased the audiobook myself.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me free access to the digital advanced copy of this book.

When spirits called their gifts a 'trick', it ain't a blessing.

I loved this structure of magic/tricks, how spirits granted many their abilities, and how even the afterlife has wars and conflicts that leak into the living world. But, let's be honest; if you are spirit & will be aware forever, you'll lose your compassion and add some tweaks to help folks - what else will you do?

The combination of characters & their motives, their magic and the background of their lives added to this story. It helped build the peril of the danger while making sense of the charm & deals of the spirits. Magic coming with a price/con with every use is always magic I love to hate & hate to love.
And I loved seeing the side much history doesn't touch; while fictional in this book, we only see white history & I enjoy seeing the lives of Clara, Zelda etc.

I see the potential for a series and would love this to continue!

This was such a unique story and was beautifully written I could not put this down . This story follows a group of young black people during the 20s in DC but also involves an interesting magic system and a heist. I really enjoyed this book the writing was so easy to fall into and I really enjoyed the magic system and folklore of this realm. I have not read to many urban fantasy but this definitely has me wanting to pick up more! I would like to thank Netgalley and the publishers for a chance to read this book for an honest review.

I'm a huge fan of mysteries. And when you have a mystery with vengeful spirits thrown in? Winner, winner chicken dinner. Clara is just the type of sassy main character that I fall in love with, identify with, and want to hear more from. I appreciate that underrepresented groups of people are front and center in this book. And I love that the language is that of the African American community in the Prohibition Era. I can hear them speaking, accents and all, in my head. It's wonderful. I seriously hope that we hear more from these characters and this is the start of a long relationship.

I need everybody to run, not walk; MAKE A MAD DASH to the bookstores and purchase a copy of Leslye Penelope's new novel, <i>The Monsters We Defy</i>. This book was soooo good! It has history, mystery, heist missions, paranormal activity, clairvoyance, ghosts, spirits, magical debts to said spirits, speakeasies, kidnappings, people who can control your mind with a whistle, and even circus-level acrobatic fighting skills that all play an essential role in this tale.

One of my favorite topics in this book was history. Ya'll know how I like to learn something new from a story I've read. I also loved its engagingness (yes, I made up a word. Fight me). I learned about people and events without feeling like there was a mission behind it.

As far as the storytelling goes, the characters and their developments were easy on the eyes. Typically when we get a story containing multiple characters, we tend to forget one, or they fade into the background. Not this team! Every heist member had a role to play that all connected to the mission.

And to think I was going to pass up on this book. Tuh!

In The Monsters We Defy, Clara Johnson sees spirits and helps people bargain with Enigmas for a Charm at the cost of a nasty Trick. She's in debt for a powerful Charm herself, one that she refuses to use ever again. It's the 1920s in Washington, D.C., and poor, Black citizens are vanishing off the streets after going vacant and unresponsive. When Clara is unable to help a frantic mother, she starts to investigate the larger phenomenon. The Enigma who gave Clara her Charm tells her to steal a magical ring that's causing the disappearances, so it's obviously time for a magical heist. Luckily, Clara has her roommate, Zelda, on her side. Zelda's an albino woman who escaped work as a circus performer but retains her acrobatic skills and sleight of hand. She's determined to be Clara's friend despite her prickly exterior. They also take on Aristotle, a former vaudeville performer whose Charm allows him to inhabit any character and convince his audience at the cost of going unheard as himself. Their scrappy gang must also decide whether to ally with musician Israel Lee. He's working to clear his debt to a competing Enigma who also wants the ring, and his Charm allows him to hypnotize listeners with his music.

The historical setting of the story is vivid, thoughtful, and intersectional. I appreciated the author's note at the end, which sheds light on her research and sources for people who want to dig into more after reading this book. The story touches on the Great Migration and several aspects of Black society a century ago. As the characters navigate D.C., the author examines class differences and colorism with nuance while driving home that race in broad strokes is the main factor in the U.S. determining safety and access to rights. It's a personal journey for Clara to see what her community means to her and how far she's willing to go to protect it. Clara is based on a real historical figure, and her highly publicized encounter with police violence in her own home should draw strong parallels with current events. And she's not the only real person you'll find in these pages (prepare for some excellent celebrity cameos). Furthermore, the book brings queer, Black culture to the forefront through Aristotle, a gay man, and through the characters' visit to a drag ball. This is a part of history I didn't know about, and I loved experiencing it as the author brought it to life, alight with queer people and vibrant gender expression.

All that history, important as it is, isn't responsible for the excellence of the fiction, however. For that, we can thank a clever, action-packed plot and heart-warming characters. Clara is a fiery, protective protagonist who brings a dragon's energy to mind. I loved her friendship and romance arcs as well as her relationship with her grandmother's spirit and herself. As she contemplates whether she embodies "the pursuit of happiness" and takes risks to safeguard her friends and community, we see her grow into herself. The team dynamic as they investigate and plan their heist is everything you want from the genre, bantery at times and touching at others. I was deeply invested in the outcome of their high-stakes mission and intrigued by the unveiling of each supernatural clue. I hope the team reunites for future shenanigans. I would follow them into any bind they find themselves in. Thanks to Redhook for my copy to read and review!

The Monsters We Defy is one of the best books that I have read this year! This book captured my attention from the very beginning to the end and is hands down one of the most informative and interesting fictional books that I have ever read and I learned so much from reading it. I loved going on the adventure of trying to figure out what was happening to the people of the town with Clara Johnson and her friends. I loved learning about Clara’s life both through her own narration and words and the narration, words, and stories of others. I enjoyed learning more about African American history in the United States, especially having the opportunity to learn more about the impacts of colorism and classism within the black community.

The fantasy elements in the book were fantastic! The idea of having a magical heist with people who have been tricked by enigmas and the enigmas themselves was incredible! The stories of each of the characters really pulled me in but I loved reading about them together and seeing them grow together.

One of my favorite parts of the book was the author’s note at the end, where the reader learns about the real Clara “Carrie” Minor Johnson and her story as the Sniping Negress. I appreciate the fact that Penelope interweaves elements of truth within the fantasy world that she has created. A world where enigmas, grays, ghosts, and all manner of spirits wander the human world together, unknown to most humans. I thoroughly enjoyed learning about the lives of Israel and Jesse Lee, Zelda, Aristotle, and Mama Octavia, and going on their own personal adventures with them as they grew and tried to solve the mystery of what was happening to people in their town. The African folklore woven into the story, with African American history was so informative and I found myself wanting to learn more on my own about the history and folklore.

This book was so well written and enjoyable that I have read it twice! It has it all: magic, fantasy, history, folklore, and romance! This story is incredible, and I want to read it again just to experience it for a third time. I am looking forward to reading more books by Leslye Penelope in the future! Thank you to the publisher Redhook Books and NetGalley for this ARC, all opinions are my own.

The narrator is awesome and does each character justice with their performance. For the story, it is very atmospheric and the ghosts are just as much characters as the living. Would recommend to anyone who enjoys a heist or a ghost story

I have been meaning to read L. Penelope for years, and I am so glad I finally sat down to do it. I will be accessing her backlist post haste. This book is perfectly paced, elegantly built, and a lot of fun. I love the way Ms. Penelope introduces each character to the story, and then fills us in on the circumstances of their birth and early life-- this adds depth to each (complex and fabulous) character, and is done so deftly. I love Clara, our protagonist, and the ragtag team she assembles. Heists are my favorite, and I think this is the first heist I've read with paranormal elements, which is a ton of fun. If you love the jazz age, love historically relevant novels that are fast paced, well drawn, and exciting, this is for you.

With the inspiration of a real historical figure, Carrie Johnson, who shot and killed a police officer in self-defense when police broke into her father's apartment (shivers due to parallels to Breonna Taylor), Penelope has created a rich magical world with allusions to racism, colorism, and classism in 1920's Washington, D.C. Penelope continues to grow as a writer and this is the best of her work I've read. Clara Johnson is a well-written protagonist I'd love to see more of. Her magical posse of Zelda, Aristotle, Jessie Lee, and Israel are all well written and leave us rooting for them to find their happy endings.

The audiobook is beautifully narrated by Shayna Small, whose voicing of the various characters is a delight.

Here are the highlights:
-->Magical Heist!!!!
-->Unlikely group of persons join forces
--> Some people have "gifts" in a world where every magical gift comes with trick
-->Characters you can root for

Mesmerizing. I thoroughly enjoyed the characters as well as the plot.
Many thanks to Redhook Books and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

3.75/5

I enjoyed this book for the most part. I found Clara to be utterly insufferable at times. But the group she assembled kept the story going and interesting. The entire concept is pretty unique and was done really well. I love a good heist story and the back drop of the Harlem renaissance really made the story colorful.

I did think some of the reveals were anticlimactic, but overall it is a very enjoyable story.

Set during the 1920’s in a black community, this is the story of Clara and her crew of characters who have made deals with spirits but are still paying the price of those deals. Clara, who has the gift of seeing and talking to spirits, lassos in these characters to steal a ring and save people who have been afflicted by a curse which robs them of their conscious minds.

I enjoyed the spirit world, the charms and curses, but the story started to remind me of an adult cartoon. Some might find this fun, but I was bored by the predictability of this adventure.

An amazing mix of historical fiction and fantasy with a clever heist and found family friendships.
I would love to read a continuation of this story!

4.25🌟