What a wonderful journey into this vivid new world inspired by the Graeco-Indian kingdom. The factor that truly got me hooked was obviously the world-building, as it was filled with brilliant descriptions which were easy (for me) to imagine. Moreover, the themes of family and duties coming along with it may hit close to home for lots of girls, especially eldest daughters. In addition, the nods to oppressive systems of castes and imperialism worked perfectly to create this society and everything that came along with it.

Whether or not you want to call this book "representative enough", I highly recommend you read this piece (https://www.getrevue.co/profile/tanviberwah/issues/newsletter-issue-12-book-trailer-thoughts-on-diverse-worldbuilding-1248520) by the author herself. First of all, I want you to ask yourself if you truly understand what representation means, as it's not just some expectations of how a culture is. Saying it's not representative enough is derisive as everyone has different experiences of their own cultures.

People expecting more of this book do forget that it's actually aimed at young adults, and will not have the same complexity as full-on developed adult fantasies. It is maybe not at the same level as, for instance, the Hunger Games when it comes to social commentary. However, I truly enjoyed the journey I experienced while reading as well as this unique world. Moreover, the main character Koral is a bit unique, as she finds herself not belonging anywhere and hated by both sides. It really reminds us of the many layers of rebellions and institutions.

Overall, I really liked this book. And I am really itching to get my hands on the next book (hopefully), as this book ended with a bang.

Over and out. -Nora<3

A deadly race to win glory, a girl desperate to survive and protect her family, and a world on the brink of war. Sixteen year old Koral is a hunter, her family capture monstrous maristags ( horse like creatures) that are dangerous and poisonous to be tamed and used in the Glory Race ( essentially the Hunger Games). When Koral’s older brother Emrik is injured trying to capture one, it was their last chance to be able to find a way to afford her little sister’s medication... and her abusive father suggest that Koral be sold off to the marriage mart in order to afford medication and to pay off their debts, but Koral comes up with another solution... the Glory Race. In a world where there are Landers and Renters, one group of people living protected underground and another being forced to live in dangerous monster infested land above ground... the Renters have never participated or even allowed to participate in the Glory Race, yet Koral knows if she wins the race she will be able to pay off all her family debts and be able to afford all the medical care that would save her sister’s life. The Glory Race is a dangerous game though with only one winner and contestants who are constantly being killed... with politics thrown into the race the moment Koral enters as the first Renter to enter... things are about to get complicated. Koral will now have to survive not only the race itself but the contestants and rebels who want to kill her and her family. It does not help that Koral is racing against her ex-boyfriend, the one person she knows was made to win and has been training his entire life to win and will do anything to win... including killing her. This definitely DEFINITELY was a mixture of The Scorpio Race meets the Hunger Games. Koral is our Katniss, willing to do anything to save her younger sister, including participating in a race that would get her killed as well as falling for a contestant who she has history with and even her dealings with the Landmaster ( aka this books version of President snow), the one thing I really liked about Koral was that she was so determined to win and determined to protect her family. Dorian on the other hand is our resident Peeta.. except he isn’t as lovable, kind, or well as good as a love interest. Dorian is trained by Koral and they have history... until he leaves her and now is trying to kill her... he’s definitely got daddy issues and as mentioned by Koral the guy has three separate versions of himself that he works with. While this book ends on a cliffhanger, the tension in this book wasn’t ever as high as the Hunger Games, but I did really empathize with Koral’s constant struggles. The politics of this world were kind of overshadowing the race in a way that made the race seem not as important or as high stakes compared to the actual dangers that Koral was constantly facing outside of the race. The romance was very very small but I definitely think there is potential for the second book. I will definitely give the second book a read because I am curious to see where Koral goes next and how the story progresses, I personally really liked Koral. She’s a bit head strong and stubborn but she’s sixteen, she’s living in a world where her family situation is horrible, where people are constantly trying to kill her and put her down, and all she wants is to make it out alive with her family.

*Thanks Netgalley and SOURCEBOOKS Fire, Sourcebooks Fire for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

Do you adore enemies-to-lover? I'll give you one better. Friends-to-enemies-to-lovers.

It's always something special being approved for an ARC. But it's always more enchanting when the story you read encaptures you within its pages.

What initially caught my attention was the beautiful and clear writing. The flow of the story ran like water droplets through my fingers — unstoppable in its course and irresistible to watch.
Then here came the main protagonist: Koral. Sometimes I have certain problems with protagonists in ya fantasy where their rage and anger and pain are toned down into a dulled blade. The hype the synopsis brings to my attention remains just that, unfair hype that isn't found in the story itself.
But Koral's rage was real. She was angry and her determination to join the Glory Race was felt through the pages. A desperate yearning for a better future, for salvation that the victory would bring for her family, especially her sister. A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to finally be recognized as human in the eyes of others, for being a Hunter meant being an outcast among Landers but also among Renters —a curse that was bestowed upon her and her siblings at birth.

Surprisingly, the race wasn’t as focal as I thought it would be. It is there, it's happening but what really snagged my attention was the constant struggle Koral was facing time after time. Her fight against injustice, for her family's survival, to be recognised as an equal. Unfortunately, there are many people who would rather see her gone but her thirst for revenge, to take the very thing rich people coveted the most motivated her to stop bowing her head and bare her teeth instead.

The story focuses on underlining that there isn’t a clear line between good and evil. There is a constant thrum of power among greedy people but even if they are divided by class greed and ambition infect minds all the same. The thirst for power, for being at the top can be found among rich and poor, young and old. That is why I loved the nuanced depiction of rebels — not every rebel has a noble cause and even among rebels wranglers can be found.
This story also showed the amazing strength women wield. From being a mother of three who is abused by her husband, to a daughter who fights every day for her family’s survival to a neighbour who is constantly searching for her son who has been taken away. This fortitude is mostly silent yet it perseveres across time.

Wow this was a bit of a ride, quite literally as the main events in this book are literally a chariot race with sea monsters!
The premise of this book is so good, its said to be good for fans of the Hunger Games and I don't disagree with that, although the games and elimination element are similar, the politics of the world are very different and it holds its own story and history.
Its pretty action packed in the last 60% of the book but the build up is also well done with lots of character context and I really enjoyed that we don't find out everything about or main character in one go, lots of her past unfolds with the story and that kept me reading..

I defiantly could feel the South Asian inspiration for the creatures, I'm not sure it existed much beyond that. Perhaps there is more of the story that links to myths and legends that I'm not aware of but I didn't feel any more of the culture as the story is heavily built on a dystopian world and its politics and the events that take place .
I did find the creatures/monsters of this world pretty fascinating,
I cant wait to see some fan art for this book, it would help the monsters come to life.if anyone here is listening, read this for some big art inspiration!
I also enjoyed the connections between humans, creatures and the sea and how this builds throughout the story.

At times I found the arena, where the races take place, a little tricky to picture and keep up with. I don't know if its my imagination or if it needed a little more depth.
The events that take place are brilliant, exciting and at times suspenseful but I found them turning or bumping into something I hadn't realised would be there or coming in and out of water when I wasn't expecting it, I almost couldn't place where they were so my perception and scale was defiantly off. A reread may help me with this and it didn't seem to stunt my enjoyment of the action.

Im so excited to see where this story goes, although its not a cliffhanger as such there is a lot still to unpack and lots of unanswered questions.
If you like a trial/competition trope, betrayal and mythical creatures I think your in for a treat!
However those who look for a romance in their books may need to wait a little longer, however this book does have some good contenders for a cracking romance!

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for providing me with a copy of Monsters Born and Made, I did really enjoyed it!

The comparison to both The Hunger Games and Fable immediately made me want to read this book. Unfortunately, it falls prey to trying to create a story that’s already been written. To me it seemed like the story was trying to incorporate too many separate elements from other successful dystopian novels, but was unable to pull them together cohesively to give more than surface level information. I was left wondering about Crane’s motivations, the Landmaster’s, and Solomon’s. Even Leela’s backstory reveal doesn’t give enough information to explain decades of rejection by the Renters.

Things I did enjoy:
- the bond between Koral and Stormgold
- Koral’s love for Liria
- Dorian

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I hate it when a book sounds fantastic, but just ends up falling short of expectations, and sadly this was the case for Monsters Born and Made. The worldbuilding is very lacking, I was confused throughout the whole book as to what is going on, what maristags are, why the Glory Races exist, I don't think anything was ever explained well enough. The main character is not well developed, I couldn't feel any emotional connection to her, let alone any of the side characters. Essentially my problem is that nothing in the book was well fleshed out, even though there was so so much potential to work with. The dialogue was quite stilted, awkward and at times cringeworthy to read, the pacing was very uneven, and while it's pitched as a South Asian fantasy, there wasn't much apart from the names of the characters to distinguish itself as that; instead, it felt very Greco-Roman. The writing took very much a Tell rather than Show approach, and it just doesn't work.

I've seen from other reviews that there's actually meant to be an attempt at a romance in here between Koral and Dorian? But I literally did not pick up on that at all, they have no chemistry whatsoever and I can barely remember a single thing about who he is as a character.

Giving it 2 stars because of the potential, and I think that if the author does develop better writing in the future I would read again from her, because of the potential of the concept, but otherwise, I would have given it 1 star.

A lot of the worldbuilding in this book is great, but overall it just didn't gel with me. I felt like a lot of the plot points I found interesting kept getting dropped or ignored.

For example, the maristags are a really cool creature, and I loved Koral's maristag a lot. I thought the creatures overall were really interesting, and there were a lot of elements of this world I'd have liked to see more of.
But the plot itself felt very similar to the Hunger Games, and it felt like the book kept shying away from these more interesting, new ideas in favor of being like The Hunger Games,

The relationships between characters, too- especially between Crane and Koral, and between Koral and her mother. I loved what was going on there, when we saw it, but I feel like wasn't given enough page time to really be developed. I felt the same way about Koral herself- she has really interesting character traits, her anger especially, but I didn't feel like she had much of an arc.

On the other hand, two of the main things that turned me off of this book might not necessarily be a problem for other readers. The first was that I found myself falling into darkness-induced apathy, because of all the bad things constantly happening to poor Koral. The second was that the rebel group was set up in a way that edged close to one of my least favorite tropes.

If you're a fan of dystopian YA, or a librarian with a lot of dystopian YA readers, I would still say this book is worth a shot! It just wasn't for me.

Despite how much I truly wanted to love this book, I have to say that I was disappointed.

Let's look at the positives first. I think the second half of this story is the strongest. The entire book has very well-written action scenes and good pacing overall which kept me going. Not to mention that it's a shorter book when it comes to the genre and I like that. Speaking of characters, I really liked Koral: her anger, where she came from, her dreams and everything. I think she was mostly a strong mc I could root for. There were many themes in place that I could see reflected from the author's lived experiences as an Indian like colonialism and I think they were beautifully put across.

Unfortunately, I found more things that disrupted my reading experience than those that kept me going. The worldbuilding was overall nice and mostly well written but it was rather heavy-handed in the beginning. A lot of things were dumped on us when we started and I just found myself impatiently waiting for the race, the action part of it all which the blurb made me believe we would be introduced to way sooner.

While some side characters like Crane were built and developed, most others weren't and I couldn't relate to them or understand their role in the story. And throughout the book, a lot of Koral's friends and family were angry at her, criticising her every move but never giving a reason for it or giving her a solution. It was extremely confusing to me. I also didn't get Emrick who seemed to switch from one extreme of a mood to another and left me feeling absolutely clueless as to who he really was.

And I hated the romance that was being hinted at. I'm not talking about the romance in Koral's past but how it seems to be re-emerging in her present. I mean we weren't handed the romance and it was just being heavily hinted at but I honestly saw Dorian as a toxic person for Koral, even though he himself had his fair share of issues to deal with, it still didn't redeem or excuse him for me. There were times when he tried to sort of make assumptions or analyse Koral's situation while coming from an upper class and never having experienced them himself which made me quite angry. I think this was challenged once and I'm not saying it's something that the author shouldn't have written. It just made me dislike the character even more and it would have been great if that's the author's intention. Anyway, yeah I was just scowling every time he was on page.

Lastly, I'm not very clear on the rebel group situation. What is their structure? They're said to have factions with conflict and different aims and some of the members are Landers too. But why? What do the Landers gain from joining a Renters rebel group? It became more confusing towards the end but maybe that's just me.

I did quite enjoy the ending, especially the last 20% of the book. But since the characters and many of the relationships didn't capture me the way I hoped they would it really brought down my experience.

Thanks to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Fire for gifting me an advanced copy. The opinions below are my own honest review.

The Pros: a (mostly) strong female protagonist, neat mythical creatures, a high stakes tournament, a relatively interesting caste system

The Cons: feels a lot like a ripoff of Scorpio Races and Hunger Games, a confusing world - both in setup and in mythology (the mythology feels like a very poorly executed amalgam of too much mythological lore crammed together), a bit predictable, and it took way to long to really understand why so much revolved around maristag hunting (seriously, aren't there other ways to get income?).

Overall, it was a decent book. I didn't love it. I didn't hate it. I'm not sure I liked it that much, so, an average star rating it is. Two and a half stars rounded up. Recommended for patient enjoyers of dystopian YA with lots of mythological influence.

I really enjoy this unique, fast- paced YA fantasy! I really like the main character Koral and how she was willing to do what it takes to help save her sister and family.
The world building was very interesting with all the monsters and ocean creatures! The islands were dangerous and the temperatures were so hot, that most people have to live underground. The races were exciting and had me on the edge of my seat! After the ending though..I can’t wait to see what happens in the sequel!

Thank you Netgalley and Publisher for this Arc!

This was such a great read! Competition, rebellion and a kind of dystopian setting make this book immediately one of my favorites this year.

Koral is a Hunter. Her and her family are lucky Renters who have had this title passed down through generations which give them a greater chance at monetary security. However, they have hit hard times and Koral decides to enter the Glory Race with their last Maristag(a very dangerous but beautiful creature). The Glory Race is usually only for the Landers who live much richer and safer lives than any Renters. In the midst of rebellion, monster attacks and romance, Koral has no idea what she's really getting into.

This is an insightful, beautiful and vicious story and I really can't help but hope for more to come!! (Please!!)

Out September 6, 2022!

**Thank you, Netgalley and publisher, for giving me an electronic ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.**

Monsters Born and Made started off slow, the Glory Races didn't start until chapter eight where Koral without failing switched her name with someone.  Even if Koral gets hurt, it seems as if there is no follow through with her injuries. However, I did like the worldbuilding and creatures my favorite chapter was twenty-one. The ending was a bit confusing and felt like it ended abruptly, I'm curious if there is a sequel and how will it pick up.

This book had me on the edge of my seat, desperately flipping pages to find out what would happen to Koral! I could not put it down. The dystopian world is rich with details and a phenomenally complex political system ripe for rebellion. The monstrous Maristag sea creatures bring gripping life-and-death stakes to the chariot race competition. And Koral is such a fierce, compelling, complex character. What an amazing ride!

Thank you to SOURCEBOOKS Fire and NetGalley for an electronic ARC of this novel.

This novel, Monsters Born and Made by Tanvi Berwah, intrigued me from its description, and I have to say, it didn't disappoint. Koral and her brother Emrik, are maristag hunters, who capture the wild maristags in the sea and breed them in captivity to sell to the upper class Landers so they can compete in the Glory Race, a race among Landers for glory (and gold). Unable to capture a male maristag to breed to their last remaining female, Koral's family is desperate to raise money to help pay for the medicine of her sickly sister. In an unprecedented move for the lower class Hunters that she belongs to, Koral decides to put herself in the Glory Race in the hopes of becoming champion. She has many enemies, including a Lander who she knew when they were young, Dorian, who she gave a Maristag to for free because she felt sorry for him and his relationship with his overbearing and demanding father.

The book's synopsis describes it as a blend of the Hunger Games and Fable with a South Asian twist, and that is an apt description of it. I enjoyed reading it, although the world building was a little confusing at first. Looking forward to hopefully a sequel!

A world largely covered in water with monstrous creatures in its oceans and a sun shining down that truly burns is the setting for this story. Our protagonist at sixteen is part of the lowly “Renters” forced to survive above ground whereas the elite “Landers” survive protected below ground . To make things worse Koral’s family are seen as outsiders who have sold out to the “Landers” as they hunt and capture fierce creatures for chariot racing. When things go badly wrong and there’s no Maristags to sell Koral decides to somehow become a competitor but this deadly race isn’t just about glory and gold it’s about stopping a revolution from happening and Koral is right in the middle of it !
I truly enjoyed this although if I’m brutal the world building was sadly lacking. We know the humans arrived there centuries ago but why did they travel and just how did the two factions that depend on each other become so separated ? The creatures that are the natural predators of this world are fantastical without a doubt but I did feel I needed more information about them . All that being said and in spite of suggestions that this resembles a very famous dystopian trilogy I found this wholly unique and at times very exciting. There’s a lot of action here to offset the characters and what felt at times like perhaps just too far fetched reactions . The quiet revolution that’s happening underground was perhaps too quiet because as this ends there still wasn’t a clear picture of these would be revolutionaries just a few brutish thugs ! I think my final thoughts are that I really wanted Koral to succeed no matter how naive and blinkered she was but as this ends it’s in many ways a beginning well, certainly a new life for Koral .
This voluntary take is of a copy I requested from Netgalley and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair

Monsters Born and Made is a book that I wanted to read as soon as I heard about it. One look at that cover and I was sold! It’s so beautiful and the book just sounded absolutely incredible. I knew this one would be right up my street and it absolutely was! This book was everything I could have hoped for and more. Right from the very first page I was completely and utterly sold!

Monsters Born and Made is a high fantasy filled to the brim with danger and unpredictable magical creatures. I got some serious Hunger Games vibes from this book and I was living for it! As a huge fan of Hunger Games, anything that gives me those feelings is a major plus for me. This book was high action, high intrigue and a dash of longing and romance. I just absolutely loved it!

Now, it did take me quite a while to get through the whole book, but that was more due to my busy work schedule and after being really busy working constantly for a good 3 weeks, I found myself in a huge reading slump. Everything about the book was utterly fantastic, but as I read it sporadically, with large gaps of time in between reading sessions, I felt like it lost a little bit of the impact, and the magic for me. I really need to re-read this when I have time to binge read the whole thing to really feel the magic properly.

Monsters Born and Made is truly a fantastic read. I loved everything about it, the characters, the world building… the animals! I am left dying for the author to announce that there will be a second books, because I need more from these incredible characters. I’m not ready to say goodbye to them just yet! If there is one book that you need to pre-order this year… make sure that it is this one! You will not be disappointed!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing this eARC.

Monsters Born and Made is the first in a series following Koral, a Hunter, who enters the dangerous Glory Race in pursuit of its cash prize, a sum that would all but guarantee the health and survival of her chronically ill sister.

This was a solid 2.5 star read for me. At its core, the story is basically Scorpio Races-meets-Triwizard Tournament set against a distinctly 2010s-YA-Dystopian backdrop. While these are all things I enjoy, or have previously enjoyed, the idea of combining them sounds better than the ultimate execution. The elaborate world that Koral lives in is explained, so the reader can objectively understand it, and yet the world does not feel as fully realized on the page as the worlds it is derived from. With a plot that relies heavily on the establishment of a solid Dystopian fantasy world, this means that the plot kind of suffers, too. In all honesty, beyond a vague people-in-power-want-to-maintain-that-power-at-all-costs, I’m not even really clear on why the bad guys were doing what they were doing, and how the political system gave them a sufficient level of power or what that power even was beyond just, like, being in charge of people. I will also note that I’m really not clear on what specific aspects of this story/world were actually South Asian inspired? As a white woman I know that this is already a blind spot for me, but in comparison to South Asian fantasies I’ve read before, I wasn’t really able to tell what was South Asian inspired outside the occasional character name.

Beyond the confusing aspects of a heavily detailed yet somehow still shockingly vague world and political system, the core plot was… incredibly predictable. There are times when I think that’s fine, because genre conventions do often require particular story beats that the reader is expecting. And this book did try to live up to its genre conventions. But a predictable plot, no matter its purpose, only works if, despite its predictability, it’s still riveting. Every plot twist, even if the reader has seen that exact twist a dozen times before, should feel earned and emotionally charged and involve genuine tension. But this plot was not only predictable, but also lacked that underlying X factor that would have kept me better emotionally involved and entertained.

Add to that a pretty bland and occasionally annoying cast of characters whose growth feels almost forced into distinct stages rather than allowed to develop naturally, and this book was mostly a letdown for me. I did sit with this for awhile before writing my review, and I did ultimately come to the conclusion that I would have likely adored this book if I’d come to it as the twelve year old I was when The Hunger Games came out. Though it has its flaws, the appeal is still there. This fantasy is approachable, and I think the writing generally strives to be clear and not over complicated. Plus, the under-400 page count is great for readers who may shy away from the popular, thicker fantasy tomes that dominate lately. I just wish that it better lived up to the predecessors that so clearly inspired it.

Unfortunately, this book wasn’t for me. There was a lot going on, and not in the best way. There was a lot of potential, but not a lot of the plot points were fleshed out enough for me to be fully engaged.

When the description told us, that this book has "Hunger Games" vibe, that's not a lie. And with this world building and the creature, Monsters Born and Made sure is better than "Hunger Games"
Also, it's a slowburn romance and I am in love with that !!!
The only thing I hate about this book is Koral's father... WHY ARE YOU SO TOXIC !!!!

Anyway, It's a good book and I am definitely gonna preorder for the hidden cover

This unfortunately didn't capture my attention. However, I will give it another go once it is published as the summary of the book sounds awesome!