While it has a similar feel as The Hunger Games, it took me awhile to get into the book. The story felt slow to start but as it progressed I was keen to see how it ended.
I enjoyed the concept of a world riddled with oceanic monsters but overall it was a slow read.

Thank you to the publisher for the eARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I really liked this one but there is a sequel...right?
Monsters Born And Made is a wonderful book of Koral who joins the Glory Race so she can provide for her family specifically her younger sick sister. I loved reading about The Glory Race, it gave me major anxiety. Koral was a very accurate character, with her anger and rage that was totally understandable but her feelings were a bit repetitive after a while. The writing was great but the very heavy info-dumping in the beginning threw me off to the point where I skipped a few paragraphs. All in all, a great book with high stakes and I'd recommend.
Rating: 4 stars🌟

“…You’re a hunter. You swim with monsters; these people cannot scare you.”

Wow, what an entertaining book!! This gave me hunger games and Ben-Hur vibes. I was literally on the edge of my chair SOOO many times and I loved the crazy, hectic ride. When I finished this book, I felt heartbroken, excited, and thrilled. What a great beginning. It wasn't perfection, but I thoroughly enjoyed it.

I LOVED:
~Dorian. I wanted him to have more moments in the book cause…. that man. I wanted more of him.
~The Glory Race was intense, exciting and all the moments with Koral and her monster/maristag, was so satisfying and I loved their development throughout the book.
~Koral was such a fighter. I loved her passion and drive. Yes, she was also headstrong and made some rash and imperfect decisions, but she was unapologetically herself and fought for what she believed in. I couldn’t help but like her. “If you think anyone can squash me under their boots like a snail,… you’re wrong.”
~This one is a little silly, but I liked that the names of characters, monsters and places are easy to pronounce. It’s difficult for me to immerse myself in a world If it feels like a foreign language.
~The politics of the world was very interesting. A second book would answer some questions but a good beginning. “This is where humanity came to die.”

CRITIQUES:
I have to say that when I started this book, I was in a grumpy mood. I was basically looking for all the imperfections. (Again, grumpy mood moment) But this book helped bring me out of it, which is saying something. If I seem nit-picky, well, that’s probably why….

~The world building took some time to fully understand. Maybe 10 chapters in or 20%. and there were still some things that didn't make sense to me. They live on an island that is incredibly hostile and dangerous but then we get things like, cardboard boxes, bleach, microphones and tv screens? HOW do these things exist on an island that’s so hostile?? There’s no mention of a trading system with other islands so…. Eventually I let it go.
~I liked Koral, but I wanted her walls to go down a little bit. I understand WHY she was like that, but I wish she could have relaxed a little more. Especially with her best friend and Dorian.
~While the action was awesome, I think a couple scenes could have been taken out or shortened to make room for softer character moments.
~I barely know what the characters look like. They are vaguely described. I’m a visual person so some detailed descriptions of the characters help me see them in my mind and therefore, I can connect with them easily.
~There were some metaphors that didn’t make sense and a few choppy sentences.
~I would have liked a lot more angst with the romance. Especially on Koral’s end.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
CONTENT: Abuse, starvation, and violence/gore. Clean, slow-burn romance.

Characters - 7
Atmosphere/Setting - 6
Writing Style - 7
Plot - 8
Intrigue - 9
Logic/Relationships - 7
Enjoyment - 9

Total: 53
Divided by 7 = 7.5 (4 stars)
1.1-2.2 *
2.3-4.5 **
4.6-6.9 ***
7.0-8.9 ****
9.0-10 *****

Thank you Netgalley and publisher for allowing me to read this arc in exchange for an honest review.

DNF @ 25%. I always try to read at least a quarter of a book to give it a fair chance, but if I am not even the least bit invested by 25%, then it's not going to happen. When I read the description for this novel, I was interested in the idea. It mentioned being similar to The Hunger Games, but left out its similarity to The Scorpio Races. If I had known that, I probably wouldn't pick it up. I couldn't finish The Scorpio Races either.

The writing itself wasn't bad, it was just a lot. A lot of things to know and understand with little investment in characters or plot. Even though the novel is written in first person, there was a big disconnect with the main character and her relationship with other characters in the novel also felt flat. These are really big motivators for me. If I can't connect with at least one character in a novel, I lose interest pretty quickly.

This one wasn't for me, but that doesn't mean it's not a good book. If you liked The Scorpio Races, I think this book would be a good choice for you.

Ultimately, this wasn’t for me. The plot and world building were good, I was really interested in the wider scope of the story. Unfortunately I just didn’t come to care for any of the characters, even the main character Koral. I will probably read more from this author because I did like their writing style.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Sourcebooks and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Monsters Born and Made by Tanvi Berwah is an action-packed YA fantasy that takes place in an oceanic world. The story revolves around Koral, whose family runs a maristag (a horse-like creature) farm. The elite class in the society run a deadly tournament called the Glory Race every year. This year, for the first time ever, Koral decides to apply so that she can win the gold necessary to get her little sister medicine. Will she persevere and win the race? Or will the other contenders of the elite class succeed in taking her out of the race?

Here is a fantastical excerpt from Chapter 1:

"We hunt when the world sleeps. A risk that could kill us. A risk forced on us.
I try to awaken my brother, but he only murmurs sleepily, “Piss off.”
“It’s four already. Baba told us to be at the beach by now.”
...
His shoe thuds against the door just as I shut it. I press my back against the stone wall, the chill grounding me.
Minutes later, Emrik appears. We’re dressed alike: black pants, a fitted white shirt with collars up to our chins, and boots molded to our feet. Beneath, we’re both wearing skaya-threaded watersuits. The Hunter siblings."

Overall, Monsters Born and Made is an amazing YA fantasy that will appeal to fans of The Hunger Games or Tamora Pierce's Alanna series. In all of these series, the female protagonist is put down because nobody believes that she can do it, but she perseveres and ultimately proves the haters wrong. One highlight of this book are the cool fantasy elements, including the flying horse-creatures.

Another highlight of this book are the exciting action sequences. The races themselves were terrifying, and I was on the edge of my seat. I really hope that there's a sequel, but even if not, I will read anything the author writes in the future. If you're intrigued by the excerpt above, or if you're a fan of YA fantasy books in general, I highly recommend that you check out this book when it comes out in September!

The unusual animal on the cover of this book caught my attention first - enough for me to pick it up and read the blurb which made me want to read it. Of course I had to find out what a maristag might be. And yes, I love a competition. This book reminded me so much of The Hunger Games - only with monsters. The haves and the have-nots, a class war. Life is not fair.

Koral was perfectly groomed as an underdog heroine. Her determination and courage were admirable. The entire book was exciting and fast-paced. I would recommend YA fantasy to anyone who enjoys a great fantasy adventure. I would have given it 5 stars except, for me, the ending fell flat - but the rest of the book was excellent.

Thanks to Sourcebooks Fire through Netgalley for an advance copy. This book will be published on September 6, 2022.

This book sort of took me by surprise. From the blurb, I expected this to really be about the Glory Race, but it was more about social/class division and power. I didn't really get a sense for the world or the characters, but I can see the promise that this work had. I could almost see what was going on, but it just fell flat. The characters were a bit wishy-washy in their motivations and desires, which made the book not feel fully realized or complete, because there was really nothing holding it up or together. I thought that the social commentary/societal allusions were interesting and I did find myself getting sucked into the book more during those moments, but overall it just really didn't work for me. I would love to check out more by this author, because my issues were more about structure/fully realizing the idea rather than artistic ability, so I could totally see myself loving something else by this author!

DNF at 51%

I really thought this book would work for me, but sadly it didn’t. The premise sounds amazing – a deadly race, animal companionship, ex-to-rivals-to-lovers... but the execution wasn’t it. I am definitely not the audience target; even for a YA novel, however, it lacks depth. In the worldbuilding, the main character, the love interest, her relationship with her family and friends, the class struggle. I also thought there would be a deeper connection with the maristag (the animal she races with), because I’m a sucker for pet companions in fantasy books, but it doesn’t really seem the case?
It uses some known tropes and the dystopian air of Hunger Games, while at the same time it’s quite original, but it just didn’t hit.

Thanks to netgalley for this arc! I am looking forward to reading this one, and I enjoyed the first chapter. However, as I went through it, I realized this book isnt for me. The plot is a bit difficult to understand, and I didnt find anything resembles asian mythology or folklore despite the claim this book has. I had to Dnf-ed this due to personal reason, and I dont see myself loving this book.

However, kuddos to the author because i believe many readers love this book, and i believe it. But this book just not for me.

I'd heard really good things - a friend raved about this saying it was her favorite book of 2022 - and it's didn't disappoint. I had a few complaints, but nothing that really detracted from the book. It was the perfect blend of SF-F. I read most of it in one sitting and I *really* hope that there's a second book. It could easily have been expanded into a trilogy. I'm a bit obsessed and I definitely recommend checking it out!

The premise of this book was very interesting. It reminded me of The Scorpio Races and I expected the majority of the book to focus on the Glory Race. However, the plot was more about the division between the three social classes: Landers, Renters, and Arkers with a group of rebels. The worldbuilding was haphazardly done and I remember being confused about the power structure in this world, as well as the assortment of monsters in the sea and sky. The characterization was also weak. I couldn't really root for Koral, the main character, and the motivations of Emrik, Dorian, and Crane were inconsistent or badly explained. Koral's main driving force was not compellingly illustrated and I found it hard to believe that her sole motivator as described would be enough. Dorian and Koral's history was also only hinted at--I expected more depth to their relationship and their actions during the Glory Race. Although there is an interesting social component to the book with the rebellion and differing power factions within it, it feels like various aspects are more hinted at than fully described. The ending was fine but doesn't necessarily leave me hungering to find out what comes next.

Monsters Born and Made elicited a sense of dread that made me feel like I was reading a horror story disguised as a fantasy, and that was an interesting, new feeling for me. A tangible thread of unease ran throughout the story, and gave the reader the feeling that something isn’t right, that they don’t have all the info, that the story is missing something. This feeling plays right into the building apprehension and strife Koral faces in the book, and helps magnify it to the point that the reader is put into Korals shoes, feeling unsure and being constantly thrown off balance just as she is.

While this story deliberately avoided giving the reader all of the pieces in order to create that sense of “something isn’t right”, I felt that some of those missing pieces were too pivotal to the story to be missing, and it left me feeling unsatisfied. I struggled with visualizing the world and the monsters who live there until late in the story. If more world building happened at the front end, it would have helped me picture what was happening better, and would have been more immersive. I also wish more of the truth of the origins of the society were revealed at the end, though I think this was very purposefully avoided to cause the reader to stew about it once they are done.

The hardest thing about this book for me was the writing style. The short choppy sentences were too repetitive and brusque for me. I think this was intentional to give the reader more of a sense of Koral’s personality and upbringing- she’s no nonsense, does what needs to be done, and has pretty much only been educated in hunting monsters. But, I think I would have grasped these facets of her personality regardless of the writing style, and it ended up detracting from the story and boxing her in, rather than building her character more.

Overall, this was an interesting story which left me with a sense that I had just read something that had some great moral or societal truth secretly tucked within it. But, I just can’t seem to identify what that truth is…and I think that’s the point. A sneakily subversive fantasy story, able to both frustrate and intrigue me at once.

“May the Water Horse Watch Over You
May You Sail the Ocean of Stars
May You Find the Home of the Elders
May the End Begin Once More”
The sun is so hot it causes people who are forced to work during the daytime to burn & perish, the mines are filled with prisoners sent there for the smallest of crimes, the wealthy live underground where they thrive & just get richer, the poor are forced to live their lives up top where they face the harshest of the elements, plus always with the terror of being attacked by one of the many fantastical creatures that not only live on the island but surround it on all sides. On this island surrounded by an ocean filled with all kinds of mythical monsters’ lives Koral & her family. In servitude to the landers as Hunters & breeders of the magnificent & fearsome Maristags, they are considered nothing more than servants by the Landers (the ruling class on the island) & as traitors by the Renters (the lower caste of the society), essentially, they can’t win, they live on the outside of every level of society, even though all Koral wants in life is to protect her family, & all her parents & ancestors have done is try to survive. When they fail to capture enough Maristags to breed from for the next year, Koral finds the only alternative she can think of to keep a roof over her family’s head & save her baby sister from death, enter the coveted Glory Race. The Glory Race is essentially a Gladiator style competition but with Maristags pulling chariots. Maristags are a creature that looks like a hybrid of a Velociraptor & a Marine Iguana with the head of a Stag. Quite a combination! While normally the Glory Race is only ever entered by the Landers, Koral uses a loophole in the rules to get her chance for glory & riches, with the help of her Maristag, Stormgold. The storyline was interesting, there was enough world building to lay a good foundation, & while I did like the characters in the story there wasn’t a lot of character development throughout the book. I loved the addition of new mythological creatures like the Aquabats & the Maristags but I also liked the use of some classical mythical creatures like the Capricorn. At times Koral’s internal monologue was a little tedious & angsty but she really started to find herself by the end of the book. The rest of the characters felt a little one dimensional, but I can see the potential for growth from them in the next book. The action scenes were incredibly well done & really drew me in to the fights. I loved getting to know more about the Maristags & hope we learn more. The ending was a whirlwind of emotions, action packed, left me winded & wanting the next book the moment I finished this so I’m excited to see what happens next for Stormgold, Koral & her family.
Thank you to NetGalley and SourceBooks Fire for sending me a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review

Monsters Born and Made was okay. I Would have given a higher rating if it had been a bit shorter, the plot felt a bit dull at times. However, the cover is stunning! Great for lovers of fantasy.

Thank you NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Fire for the ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a digital ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

DNF at 36%

Monsters Born and Made had an interesting premise about a girl entering a competition in order to better her family's financial situation. Unfortunately, it just is not executed well, nor is it very original. The plot is extremely similar to "The Hunger Games," only—from what I read—much slower and more boring. There are only so many plotlines out there, so I understand if there are similarities between books, but I just could not find anything compelling about this story.

On another note, I also found the writing jarring and rough. The MC jumped from thought to thought and action to action with nothing in between to smooth the ideas out. It read like a first draft in dire need of editing.

I was not endeared to Koral in any way, or her family. The only person I sympathized with at all was Liria (I think that's how you spell it), Koral's sister, but she had like two pages of "screen" time, and her only trait was the sick, beloved little sister.

I was interested to see how it played out, but after forcing myself through 36% of this over the course of a week (yes, it took me a week to get this far), I had lost any desire to read further.

I'm sorry to say I DNFed this book.

I've been trying to read it for maybe the past four weeks, and I could not get into it at all. This was disappointing because I thought the concept was interesting and I love monsters and elite contests, etc., but MONSTERS BORN AND MADE dragged so incredibly much even during parts that were supposed to be interesting. I made it to chapter six, which was almost 1/5 of the way through the book and I did not care about the protagonist, Koral, or her family. I didn't feel anything about the stakes, or really understand how the Glory Race or their society as a whole worked.

The creatures were really cool, especially the capricorns, but all in all, this book just didn't do it for me.

Wow. This book is an action-packed thrill ride from start to finish. The author is incredible at creating suspense in action scenes and keeping the flow continuous between the down time. It’s incredible to think that one girls’ decision in the beginning could start a huge domino effect with groups and factions of people she has absolutely nothing to do with.





***** SPOILERS FROM HERE ON**************

Koral and her family are broke beyond broke and even though they are responsible for a very important task, they’re outsiders. Koral and her brother Emrik attempt to catch a beast that is used by the elites for chariot races. When that goes south, they’ve got nothing else to do for a sick little sister, starving family and very abusive father but for Koral to enter herself into said chariot races for money. However, this race is ONLY for the elites. The elites (Landers) hold these races sacred and will not take kindly to someone of her lowly status racing alongside them. It sparks an all out chaos between the haves and have-nots of the entire island. Lots of action, lots of monsters.

Let me know what you think of the ending.




This review was made possible thanks to an ARC I received from the Publisher.

I was so excited about this book only to be disappointed by it. The beginning was interesting and I really like the world. However, I found the execution quite slow and boring sometimes. I do not feel the spark between Dorian and Koral. The setting was still a mystery to me and I would like more world-building. Another reason was about the rebels. They were barely in this book. It would be better to have more monsters in this book. There were only a few.

What a pleasant surprise! I went into this with no expectations and genuinely enjoyed it. Perfect amount of mystery and twist & turns kept me turning pages super quickly. Recommended for all thriller lovers!

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for my ARC!