Title: Monsters Born and Made
Author: Tanvi Berwah
Genre: Fantasy, YA
Rating: 4.2 out of 5

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.

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.

I enjoyed this read a lot! The culture this is set in is very dark and depressing—basically hopeless—and Koral’s struggles to save her family were set amidst that darkness. Though dark, the culture is vividly portrayed, with hints at centuries of history that hide many secrets. Of course this story will draw Hungry Games comparisons because of its very nature, but I found it compelling in its own right.

Tanvi Berwah graduated from the university of Delhi. Monters Born and Made is her debut novel.

(Galley courtesy of Sourcebooks Fire in exchange for an honest review.)

**I was provided with an ARC through Netgalley for a blog tour with Lonely Pages Book Tours in exchange for an honest review**

Monsters Born and Made is a book that throws you right into the mix, introducing a fascinating oceanic world where vicious creatures roam the waters whilst an oppressive caste system rules the land. The story follows Koral, who’s family are the designated Hunters in society - a position that not only exposes them to constant danger as they have to capture and breed the deadly Maristags for the Landers and their Glory Races, but also alienates them from their fellow Renters who look upon their servitude to the elite class with scorn.

When Koral and her brother fail to catch the last Maristag of the season, it’s a massive blow to their family’s financial situation and their capability to afford medication for their younger sister. With the Glory Race around the corner and its winning prize of gold and glory up for grabs, Koral sees the competition as her chance to help her family. Despite it being strictly for Landers and her ex being the favourite, she is determined to get in and to win and won’t let anything or anyone stop her.

Koral is one of those headstrong protagonists that rebels against the system in her own way and following her on this journey, which had her standing up to the machinations and oppression of a classist regime, was as inspiring as it was frustrating. The pacing and timespan overall had a perfect flow to it, with the competition and moments of action having a nice balance with character interactions and the political tensions that are ongoing in the background of the main storyline.

Now I’ll admit that it took some time getting used to the intricacies of the world because there was a lot going on from the beginning. As the story gets rolling you very much get the feeling that we’re only getting a glimpse of this expansive world that Berwah has put so much thought into but the more I read the more engrossed I became. There is definitely a Huger Games vibe to the primary narrative but this story and world are undoubtedly their own, with inspiration from Indian and Greek mythology giving this dystopia a unique edge.

For me what Berwah exceled with the most alongside the highly entertaining action scenes were the character relationships. Despite finding the beginning a little slow it was the relationships that kept me reading particularly the ones between the siblings as well as Koral’s friendship with Crane. With the romance, which surprisingly took a back seat, Berwah did really well at capturing that ex-lovers tension and history that was always buzzing when Koral and Dorian were in a scene together. The bond between Koral and her Maristag, Stormgold was also beautifully developed.

All in all really enjoyable fantasy dystopia debut and I like that the ending leaves the door open for more stories in the future because I would gladly welcome them!
Final Rating - 3.75/5 Stars

Koral has always lived on the outside of society. Not quite a lander not qute a renter due to her family’s hunter status. Charged with hunting the maristag’s that are used in the Glory Race, Koral and her brother are constantly in danger. When Koral’s family falls upon rough times, to save her sisters life Koral takes matters into her own hands and enters herself and her families last maristag into the legendry Glory Race. Never before has a Renter ever raced. Can Koral navigate through dealing with a potential uprising, past secrets, and a sick sister and come out a winner in one of the deadliest races?
Overall, this book is okay. I know this sounds silly and I read a digital copy of this text so I am hoping against all hopes that the physical copy of this book might have an image of a maristag. I know that sounds silly but there are so many descriptions of how poisonous they are and they have darts that shot out of somewhere. Where that somewhere is actually located and how overall a meristag looks I still have zero idea. A picture would have really helped. I also really feel like the relationship between Koral and Stormgold could have been fleshed out a bit more. I understand that there were so many other elements to the story that were so important to focus on, so I see why Stormgold was important but not always highlighted. I still think there was a miss opportunity with that. Also, sometimes the writing just lost me. I would be reading and not remember really what had happened and had to go back and reread it. I did enjoy parts of the book, but the parts that I just zoned out seemed to balance out the parts I liked, hence why I would rate this 3 stars. I will recommend this book if someone is looking for a semi dystopian novel, but I don’t think it will be one of the first books that comes to mind.
Thank you so much to Sourcebooks Fire and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of this title.

Monsters Born & Made is a YA novel detailing the main character’s, Koral, and her journey to win the Glory Race. The chariot race is held every 4 years and has traditionally been participated by Landers, the wealthy class of the island. Renters struggle on a daily basis for food and sustenance. Koral is a member of that community. She is forced to enter the race as her sister is chronically ill and the family can’t accord to pay the mounting medical debt.

The book describes many mythical-like creatures, all born off the sea. The title of the book though doesn’t only describe these “monsters’ but of the monsters born and made in life.

The first 40% of the book was okay for me. I kept waiting for something more to happen. The tournament itself reminded me a bit like the Tri-Wizard Tournament meets Hunger Games. The book did pick up by the 2nd phase.

But the end I was left wanting more. I assume there is a book 2 on the horizon.

I’d give this one 3.5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I enjoyed the concept of this novel, as it had a premise that was somewhat familiar, but done in a way I hadn't seen before. I also enjoyed how vivid the writing within the novel was. The story started off very strong and didn't have any issues keeping my attention. The world itself was very compelling.

At the same time, the plot was a little all over the place, It felt like some conflicts kept coming up and not being resolved. I struggled to connect with the characters. They needed a bit more depth and development.

All in all, this book was an entertaining read and had a great ending.

It is really rare that I start a book and don't finish it, I can usually persevere even if it's not completely holding my attention, however, I started this book with high hopes - the cover and blurb seemed intriguing - and just ended up confused by the world and everything in it. Unfortunately, this wasn't for me, but maybe I will try again at a later date.

Thanks to Netgalley, Sourcebooks and RB Media for the ARC and audio ARC of this!

The cover of this is so intriguing, and when I heard for fans of Hunger Games and Fable I was instantly requesting it. This has the lower class treatment with a near sea location of Fable and the fast pace dangerous game of the Hunger Games, so while it wasn’t quite the mashup I was expecting, I do see why those titles were chosen. The main character is treated poorly and just wants to help her family, especially her sickly younger sister, to survive, and so she enters a tournament that none of the ruling class wants to see her in. Think that instead of watching the games those in the Capitol of Panem played a bloody but not necessarily lethal game for glory and money that they don’t need - and that Katniss threw in her own name to try to save Prim from starving instead of from being entered herself. There was plenty of action and fantasy, but I completely missed how it is South Asian inspired. Nothing stuck out to me, but maybe I’m not familiar enough with the culture - I was expecting Poppy War vibes, maybe? Overall, a fast-paced and quick read, with an exciting plot, but maybe don’t expect it to be too much like the comped titles.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the early copy in exchange for an honest review.

Influenced by The Hunger Games and The Scorpio Races, MONSTERS BORN AND MADE doesn't quite meet the lofty goal it set for itself. There's a lot that I enjoyed here, from the world, to the creatures, to Koral and her relationship with her family and with Dorian (I enjoyed that while it was romantic, it was never a romance), however a good amount of things fell flat for me. The world was particularly hard to visualize - especially where the monsters were concerned - and I felt like the narrative was always reaching for more, but never got there. The ending especially felt sudden. Nothing was resolved and the big event that prompted the ending left me feeling nothing.

Similarly, this book marketed itself as being inspired by South Asian cultures and while I cannot judge how well this was incorporated, the main referenced myth was Icarus. It didn't match up with what the book had set itself up to be.

The setting is very intriguing a world where the environment is hostile and the sun scrotching - having to live underground or for the poor survive the harsh weather.

It is a fantasy dystopian. This cover and description made me super intrigue but the prose did not draw me in. I wish it did.

Overall average tale.

She stretched her bare feet in front of her, burying them in the warm sand. The ocean expanded in front of her, its end having no bounds. The air stirred, within it a sense of danger loomed. There were creatures stirring in the sea, ready for an attack. She could feel their predatory hunger, but she had other things to worry about.

Monsters Born and Made is a story about Koral, a young hunter who has entered a race to win prize money to help her family and her very sick sister. But this is not a race her kind usually enters and she’s met with repulsion and anger. The beasts they must race with are not easily tamed, but Koral is determined.

This was a really fun read and I enjoyed the race and the adventurous story. Koral’s character is resilient and brave and I loved being able to root for her. While this story is centered around a series of races, there is so much more within these pages. I thought the ending was a bit rushed and ended abruptly and I hope there are more books coming, because I’d love to keep reading about these characters!

"You swim with monsters; these people cannot scare you." -From Monters Born and Made

3.5 stars

That was a wild ride. I think fans of any sort of deadly competition games will really enjoy this book, or anyone who really likes a fast paced plot. In this ocean dystopain world you don't get a lot of "quiet" moments where you could grow to love the characters. The people and their relationships is really where I struggled to connect to this book. I don't know why Koral is so willing to risk everything for her family, they are trash. I couldn't stand her "best' friend. I'm not usually into YA love interests, but I was really the most invested in their relationship than anyone else. I was super confused at some of the later plot points, and how everything turned out, despite there being a classic evil villian-y sort of speach trying to explain things. It ends in a massive cliffhanger, which makes me want to pick up the next one to see if some of my confusion is addressed.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is a novel following Koral - a teenage girl who risks her life daily to hunt and capture monsters for elite. As her sister becomes more and more ill she decides to enter the elite’s Glory Race to see if she can win enough money to save her sister but also free her family.

This one gives off serious Hunger Game vibes. If you enjoyed those books you might enjoy this one as well. Overall the pace and storyline was enjoyable but I really struggled to visualize the world and the monsters. Ultimately I settled on the monsters looking like sparkly elks but that’s just me. Fun novel and probably more enjoyable for someone with a more active imagination than I have.

Thanks to Sourcefire Books and Netgalley for the ARC.

This YA debut is a South Asian inspired dystopian story that highlights the extreme marginalization that occurs in a caste system. It is an ocean based world with wild sea creatures, a Ben Hur style race competition and a struggle to do whatever is needed to provide for your family.

Koral is a Renter and Hunter, she and her family are forced to capture and train wild maristags to sell to the ruling Landers for the Glory Race, which is held every four years. Needing to be able to get medication for her sick sister leads Koral to enter the Glory Race with the hope of changing her families fortunes forever. However, the ruling Landers will not easily allow anyone to disrupt their dominion over the Renters.

Overall, there are more positives than negatives with this debut. The world building with the ocean focus is well done. I did have a hard time trying to visualize the maristags and other creatures, and at times this made the action scenes have less impact. As for the characters, I liked Koral overall but never felt deeply invested in her. I kept wanting more interaction with Dorian, and build up in their relationship. At times it felt like the story was trying to fit too much in and that there were missed opportunities for character growth and depth. I would like to see the next book and see the growth in the writing and overall story.

Thank you NetGally for an arc in exchange for an honest.

"If you keep living for everyone but yourself you'll never get off this island".


This dysopian sci-fi was marketed towards those who enjoyed Hunger Games and yes it did have similar elements. Enter a death competition or get married go save your family from financial ruin were here choices. The world building however was somewhat confusing. Monsters rule the land, water, and skies and the wealthy burry themselves underground. The Renters were basically the districts and the Landers were capital members. Landers can willingly enter a gladiator style completion to die or get rich but Renters aren't exactly allowed. There's no written rule against it but it's an unspoken one. So of course our MC is going to ignore that and enter. And of course her name is Koral being a hunter in the ocean for creatures.

The plot and characters seemed very basic but I enjoyed the water world. That was refreshing to me that this was taking place on such a unique location. In the end it didn't really have any new or exciting elements I have not already read and was somewhat predictable.

Thank you again NetGalley for the arc.

I love a strong female lead character, especially an impulsive one who acts on her emotions and then thinks later. This book started off well but improved greatly as the story progressed. I loved the created world ( but would not like to live there) and the characters were well rounded.

AS CAWPILE:
Characters: 4 | Atmosphere: 4 | Writing: 2 | Plot: 3 | Intrigue: 5 | Logic: 2 | Enjoyment: 1
Total: 3.00

I really wanted to enjoy this book, but unfortunately, it missed a lot. It should have been fleshed out a lot more, I feel, before going to publishing. There is almost no world-building whatsoever, which really is what left me the most disappointed as that was what I was most excited about. The thing I was excited about after that would be the mentioned monsters, but I couldn't tell you what a maristag was even if it was a life or death situation. The character relationships felt flat and the dialogue seemed half-hearted. This just wasn't it for me.

Thank you so much Netgalley and Lonely Pages Book Tours for the review copy!❤️ I'm super grateful.

'BLOODY HELL' are the words that came into my mind after finishing the book. It was intense! I was so damn frustrated with the ending that I wanted to stomp and lower the rating to 2 stars but that would be unfair to the captivating narration and wonderful characters. Intricate details coupled with somewhat predictable twists made it a very enjoyable read. Koral's stubborn attitude and determination to win, her relationship with Dorian, landmaster Minos reminded me of 'The Hunger Games'. The Landmaster actually wears sari! How cool is that? Now the reason why I am mad with the ending is it delivers a huge shock and leaves a few questions unanswered. I am quite familiar with these abrupt endings but it's so saaaaaaad. Okay maybe I'm being too much dramatic. Anyways, I strongly advise you to check out this book if you loved Hunger Games. Even if you didn't love hunger games, you should still read this one. There's no cringey Love triangle, I promise ( No offense to Gale).

I was provided an print and audio ARC of this book via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.

This book started off slow for me, but once I settled in I really enjoyed it. If you liked The Scorpio Races and The Hunger Games, I think this is a good book for you. It mashes up the race aspect and the mythical creature aspect of The Scorpio Races with the brutality and politics of The Hunger Games. There is a large focus on the caste system that is in place, and our main character Koral and her family are victims of that system. They are permitted to hunt and breed maristags and sell them to the upper class. This allows them to have barely enough to survive, but because they interact with the upper echelon of society, they are outcast by the lower class as sellouts. What is a maristag you ask? It is a fantastical and violent creature of the water, that can also walk on land. They are enormous, scaled, and have antlers. I have a hard time envisioning exactly what they look like but hope as this book gains popularity we see some fanart of the maristags and the creatures mentioned in the book. The author did a good job describing them on the page, but I know there are some extremely talented artists out there to life. The world building was great, the author does a great job describing the creatures and the setting. Koral's family are "hunters" and they capture maristags and raise them for the rich to compete in teh Glory Race every 10 years. The race is extremely violent and competitive. The winner gains riches and fame, while the rest of the population celebrates and gambles on who will win.

While I thought the world building and the concept of the plot was really interesting and I loved the action, I do think that the character development suffered a bit. Koral panics in every situation and that carries on throughout the book, despite the fact that she does many brave things to save herself, her family, and the people around her. It is very clear that she has been put down at home but by by the caste system, and that oppression has shaped her as a person. She doesn't believe in herself, and often doesn't think through her decisions. This unfortunately leads to Koral getting herself tangled up in some pretty rough political situations that she is not equipped to deal with. I hope there is more to this tale as I would really like to see Koral develop, as she only just started to come into herself at the very end of the book and I would love to see her continue to shine.

This book has an open ending so I expect that there is a book 2. I've got lots of unanswered questions, but if this truly is the end it did leave me fairly satisfied. I have enough information that I can imagine my own ending for Koral and Stormgold, but I would much prefer a concrete conclusion and hope that the author gets to keep telling this story.

Overall, I really loved this! It was unique and action packed. This leans on the darker and more violent side of things, so be sure to check out trigger warnings.

Gotta admit, it was the title and cover that drew me to this book. Comp titles of The Hunger Games and These Violent Delights told me I was in for an exciting read.

Koral and her family live in a dangerous world filled with deadly creatures both in the sea and air. As hunters, Koral and her brother must capture maristags, arguably the most deadly of these creatures, for the Glory Race. Trust me, this is not a job you want. Hunters risk their lives with every capture. This society is a caste system of Landers, the ruling class, and Renters, those on the bottom rung. Falling in the latter group, Koral and her family are lucky to have a roof over their heads and food to eat, but truggle to provide medicine her younger sister desperately needs. When their financial situation drastically changes, Koral has no choice but to enter the Glory Race. The problem? Only Landers may compete.

The race is very similar to The Hunger Games in that some of the contestants don’t survive, and the challenges aren’t for the faint of heart. Action moves at a breathtaking pace during those challenges, and I even gasped at certain points. The contestants ride maristags (the picture on the cover), and although they’re not horses, I was still reminded of Maggie Stiefvater’s The Scorpio Races. Clearly the stakes are high and the odds of survival slim, but Koral has no choice if she wants to save her sister and secure her family’s financial future.

This world is full of unrest and power struggles. I was a little confused, but it seemed as if several rebel groups operated under the same umbrella. With no clear leader, they fought not only against the Landers, but also against each other and lacked communication. It’s not the primary focus, but romance is included in the story, and I was intrigued by the unusual dynamic between Koral and Dorian.

With numerous power struggles, deadly creatures bent on killing humans, and a race with few survivors, this novel engaged me from beginning to end. After that cliffhanger, I’m anxious to see where the next book goes.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This book reminded me of the books of my middle and high school years in all of the best ways. A reluctant heroine, a deadly competition, and the danger of revolution heavy in the story. I thoroughly enjoyed this read! I've already asked my library to purchase it, and am excited to receive my special edition after publication!