***5 Stars***

Overall,
I received an audiobook of this from Netgalley and the first thing I can tell you is that it was long at 672 pages. I generally prefer to read longer books because I can read faster than I can listen. With that said I really enjoyed this book. It was incredibly original and interesting and pretty dark at times. It is a bit slow paced at parts and there are a lot of POVs with a lot of characters thinking and doing different things. This is where the audio really helped because the narrator did a phenomenal job of distinguishing between characters.

It is kind of difficult to describe this book without adding any spoilers but I will give it a shot. The overall story takes place in the late 1800s, mostly in the UK but there is travel to the US and Asia. It consists of two young boys (talents) who are rescued by “detectives” who belong to a school in Scotland. The school is a refuge for Talents, that is the name given to people with unique abilities. Throughout the book the POV shifts from several adults and some of the children depending on what is happening. They are being chased by a bad guy who is a very strong talent and his motivations are unclear. The story does answer a lot of questions by the end but still leaves you hanging on what will happen next. I have seen some sources count this as dark academia, I would not. While there is a school it is barely a blip in the overall story.

Narration
The book was Narrated by Ben Onwukwe, who, like I said before did a phenomenal job. I listened to most of the book on 1.3x or 1.5x speed, and that has nothing to do with the narration, that is just my preference. If you like Audiobooks and are unsure of this book I would definitely recommend this audio, it was well done, I could (and did) listen to Bens voice for hours.

Cover
The cover is kind of plain and to be honest I am not sure why there is a raven (or crow?) on it. However, it does get the vibe of this book pretty well.

Recommendation
Please check trigger warnings before reading this book, there is some child abuse, racism and violence in this book and if that is not for you then I do not recommend it. For those who love original stories, and dark fantasy set in the real world I would recommend this to you. I hesitate to compare this book to others because in my opinion there really isn’t anything that comes close enough to it. I really loved this book, and I believe J.M. Miro plans on a trilogy, which I am excited about.

This was such a phenomenal reading experience.

With an incredibly vivid world and so many fantastic characters, I had such a fun time reading this.

Such a beautifully dark world was painted for us in Ordinary Monsters, with richly crafted characters and such an engaging plot. I really enjoyed the gifts that each child had and the magical system that seemed effortlessly but also painstakingly brought to life.

I loved the food and evil aspect. I love the slow spiral into villainy for some characters and the flow of the back and forth timelines.

I loved the narration in this audiobook, The pacing really pulled me in and lulled me along on every single line.

This book was absolutely stunning. The level of detail and description has led to the book sticking with me well beyond my first read. As with any book in this genre, there was a lot going on and I had to truly focus at times, but it was so well crafted. I fell in love with the fantastical scenes. I will definitely be rereading.

Ordinary Monsters is a peculiar book. It’s unsettling, filled with dangerous magic, and spans across oceans and time. The sheer amount of world-building and number of characters immediately places this book in a category of its own. I listened to the audiobook and thought that Ben Onwukwe did an incredible job. Not only did I never get tired of listening to his voice during this 24 hour audiobook adventure, he did all the voices!! He gave each character a distinct voice, which helped bring them to life. The sheer amount of range displayed in his performance deserves some sort of award! I highly recommend listening to the audiobook of Ordinary Monsters, the production is outstanding.

J.M. Miro tries to do so much within these pages and it was a lot to take in. This is a book that ignores convention and instead embarks on a wild and fast-paced adventure. Miro creates a compelling story about dangerous magic, racism, and the mysterious people who are hunting the children with Talents. I found the characters lovable and beautifully fleshed out, especially the children. The world-building is intense and filled with details. I look forward to re-reading this book, as I think I will get even more out of a second read. Ordinary Monsters is a brave and daring fantasy debut. I’m very much looking forward to the sequel and seeing how the story continues. I hope Ben Onwukwe can narrate again! I would recommend to readers seeking dark fantasy, found family, and epic adventure.

Ordinary Monsters releases June 7, 2022. Thank you to J.M. Miro, Ben Onwukwe, Macmillan Audio, and Netgalley for a free audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

For publisher: My review will be posted on Instagram, Goodreads, Amazon, Storygraph, Wordpress blog, and Barnes & Noble etc

Ordinary Monsters was an interesting, but way too long of a book. This was a hodgepodge of some really good popular novels that have come out in the last decade. Loved all of the characters that were introduced, but again this book could have been broken down in to at least two books with all of the details and characters that were introduced.

This was an overall really good concept with interesting characters, but very long. It would be tough to go backwards, but I personally would be more inclined to keep reading the series if the books would be broken down in you smaller chunks.

What did I just spend 25 hours listening to!?!? This is an imaginative piece of epically long gothic science fiction. It’s like a way darker version of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. Only these kids are called Talents and they’re world seems just a tad more dangerous. Also, no time traveling.
The story focuses on Charlie and Marlowe, both boys of extreme “talents” who are escorted north to Scotland to keep them safe. The Cairndale Institute is a school of sorts for Talents. Run by Dr. Henry Birkhard, it’s purpose is the supposed safety of these Talents. But the Institute is not what it seems and neither is the good doctor.
There are many different perspectives in this story & many different settings. When I say epic, think Game of Thrones. This should appeal to a wide variety, if you can get through almost 700 pages. The story is never boring and the action can get very intense.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Flatiron books for this audio version.*

A story of motherhood and a reminder that family is the people you chose to love.

A young boy is adopted, saved, carried, loved by several women over the course of a short but violent life. He finds a brother the Civil War tried to keep from him, and finds friends he is willing to kill and die for.

The prose is lyrical, contrasting with the violence of the story. Reminds me of "Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell" in tone and style.

The late nineteenth century is a dangerous time for children, especially if they’re “different.” Charlie, a teenager in Mississippi, was killed but it just didn’t stick. Unsure of what he is, he’s found by a detective gathering children like him who have Talents. Along the way, he meets Marlowe, a young child who also has a Talent. But before they can arrive at the safety of the Institute, they learn they’re being hunted by a monster, and that their very Talents may be the only thing keeping the world of the living and the world of the dead from colliding.

This work was one of epic proportions. The story was fascinating, and I really enjoyed the dark, magical, Victorian setting. The characters were all well written with varying backgrounds and motivations. They were relatable with good depth, making them easy to connect to. The work did follow the stories of several characters though and included detailed backstory for them all, which did slow down the plot in a way that I didn’t prefer.

It did feel that the author tried to do too much in one book. Between the long flashbacks into the backstory of Jacob as well as the massive lore dumps that had to happen to situate the story and magic in this world, the plot came to a halt many times. While Jacob’s history did add depth to him as a character and villain, it felt that it didn’t fit well within this book. And the amount of depth and lore the author included added to the immersiveness of the world but probably should have been pared down some to keep the plot moving at a reasonable pace.

I listened to the audiobook version of this work (24 hours long!). The narrator did an excellent job with the tone and voices of the characters, especially considering how many character voices there were in all.

This was a good fantasy/historical fiction read. While I did enjoy it, I felt that its pacing and the breadth of the work were a bit off, which made the work feel terribly long in some places.

I received a complimentary copy of this work through NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I voluntarily listened and reviewed an advanced copy of Ordinary Monsters by J.M. Miro, narrated by Ben Onwukwe. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this ARC.

From the United States to Victorian London and Scotland, Ordinary Monsters creates an alternate world where children possessing "talents" are used in a game of life and death. The world-building was brilliant, and the intricate story where you don't know friend from foe was filled with creative twists. I look forward to reading the next in the series and highly recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys fantasy.

I want to commend Ben Onwukwe for his brilliant narration. His voice was perfect in creating the mysterious gothic tone that highlighted the story's mood. He brought the story to life, and I highly recommend listening to this book rather than reading it.

2.5

This gothic historical fantasy might be one of my biggest disappointments of the year. That being said, I don't think it's a bad book I just think it is not the book for me and I seem to be in the minority about this book, so I highly recommend you check it out if the summary sounds appealing to you!

This is a sprawling historical fantasy written with so incredible detail, a large cast of characters, and a plot that makes you question which side is "right" and which is "wrong". Unfortunately, it took about 40% of the book to figure out where the plot was going and even after the plot became apparent there were jarring POV switches that made it hard to follow the narrative timeline, especially in the third quarter of the book.

My feelings about this book are similar to my feelings about Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell. In both cases, I can appreciate the work that went into crafting the story but had a less than pleasant reading experience.

I have similar mixed feelings about Ben Onwukwe's narration. I enjoyed it in small doses, but if I listened to the book for longer than an hour at a time, the amount of gravel in his voice became irritating to me.

I rarely listen to fantasy audiobooks, the complicated names and powers and the casts that are usually big make it hard for me to keep track of things. But with some note-taking, I managed to understand who was who. The narrator Ben Onwukwe did an excellent job of transporting you into the setting even though I felt he handled the English accents better than the American ones.

This one is a historical fantasy, taking place in the Victorian era, across multiple parts of the world. The book introduces two children with mysterious powers who are hunted by a man made of smoke. There is an institute for gifted children like them as well to learn to control their talents.

Especially with the school, I've seen comparisons to a certain boy wizard, umbrella academy, and miss peregrine's. But I do think this one established itself as something different, drawing out a protective side of me for the children. The atmosphere is built up so well and despite the length, it never felt like a drag. While I thought it would be darker, there is definitely some whimsy in it. There is also a lot of questioning of the morally gray and a whole lot of movie-worthy scenes!

TLDR; I wasn't sure I could handle a long fantasy book on audio, but ended up enjoying it! I will be getting a paper copy as well as I want to make sure I got all the details right. Awesome world-building, character development, and cinematic story. If audiobooks are your thing and you can handle big casts and different magic systems this might work for you.

Thank you so much MacMillan Audio and NetGalley for the audio ARC

Thank you, Flatiron Books, for sending me a free advanced copy of this book! It comes out June 7 and I can’t WAIT for more people to read it. I really, really enjoyed it.

The book, the first in a trilogy, is like Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children meets Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell. Set in the 1880s, mostly in England and Scotland, it starts with a runaway domestic servant who finds a baby who glows. Then it moves to two investigators who travel the world looking for children with “talents” so they can bring them back to a safe haven (called the Cairndale Institute), and finally finds itself wedged between a murderous ex-talent who’s allied with an evil dark force and the old scientist who runs Cairndale. (Tbh, with 675 pages, of course, there’s a LOT of story here. But those wary of worldbuilding, fear it not! It’s easy to follow.)

I enjoyed the whole book (lovable characters, imaginative premise, great mystery, lots of layers!), but IMO, where this book really shows off is in the action scenes. J.M. Miro bounces between narrators with precision, perfectly pacing it so we’re at the edge of our seat but in no way frustrated. Really impressive stuff. And the ending felt like the perfect balance between cliffhanger and resolution; I have lots of questions, and there are plenty of threads hanging loose in what promises to be a vast overarching plot, but I also got enough closure from this particular book’s story that I walked away feeling pleased and accomplished.

Also, I had the chance to listen to some of the audiobook as well, and it was very well done! This would make a great choice if fantasy on audio is your jam.

Anyway, don’t let this one’s size intimidate you. If you like low, historical fantasy novels, I think you’ll also like this one a lot.

3.5 stars

I honestly wanted to like this book more than I did. There was nothing I disliked about it, and on paper, I loved everything about it. The world was interesting, the characters were cool, and the storyline, while not completely original, was pretty good. I also found the writing to be very good and there were moments when I would listen to a line and think, "Oooh, that was cool, let me rewind and listen to it again." That said, it is very possible it was the narration rather than the story itself that couldn't keep my interest. The book was narrated by Ben Onwukwe, and as an actor, he may be very good (I actually have no idea as I don't watch tv), but after a while, his gravelly voice, deep though it was, started to make me want to clear my throat. It wasn't terrible and he did a good job with some of the character voices, but I found it distracting. And other character voices were similar enough so that I couldn't always tell who was speaking. Then I would have to rewind to try to figure out who was talking to whom. There were also a lot of characters, many with unknown alliances, which made it harder to keep track. I loved the world and would definitely be interesting in continuing with this series, but I think I would reread this book on my own and then read the second book, especially if it has the same narrator. The ending was exciting and definitely left me wanting more, which is why I want to give this series another try. Overall, there is a lot to like about this series, if this book is any indication, so I plan on waiting for the official release, which should be June 7, and then reread it on my own.

I received an advance review copy from NetGalley for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Ordinary Monsters from JM Miro is an excellent audiobook! I loved Ben Onwukwe's voice and narration as he brought to life this fascinating historical fantasy book. Do not let the length of the book/audiobook put you off, this is an engaging story, one that you will return to easily and one that would fill a long car ride/summer trip nicely. There is a wonderful sense of world and character building (great since this is part 1 in a trilogy), a well paced and intriguing plot (this is a longer audiobook so I can't say it's fast paced but it never slowed down for me), and simply a sense of being pulled into a world that celebrates readers and fans of magic and mystery in books.

This book somehow captures all of the whimsical darkness of themes in Stranger Things, XMen, and even Harry Potter, and introduces us to children with special talents who are being tracked by a mysterious man of smoke. This book holds a lot of promise for moving into the next steps in the trilogy. It is an homage to many themes already present in books and popular media already but I also see movement into a world and characters that are their own, I can see how this book is setting up an expansion into the bigger stories and themes present in the first book and how overall the trilogy will stand out on its own. It's a book you will keep thinking about and will make you excited for book two!

Thank you MacMillan and also Flatiron for the review audiobook and physical arc.

Ordinary Monsters is a massive story with an impressive character set. I absolutely loved the narrator’s voice on this one and think it really added to the general feel of the book. The story, set mostly in Victorian England, generally follows two children with magical talents who are being chased by a mysterious shadow man. After some difficulties they both end up at a facility with other magical children. One of the best parts about this book was not knowing which characters to trust. It was hard to figure out many of the adults’ motivations. I think this was a really solid adult historical fantasy, but occasionally my attention drifted while listening.

An intricately woven story set primarily in England in the late 1800’s. Children with supernatural gifts are called “Talents” and are recruited to an institute where they are protected and educated. One of the newest recruits, Marlowe, is being hunted by a mysterious man made of smoke. Along the dangerous journey Marlowe befriends another talent, Charlie, that becomes a brother and protector. This is a story with a lot of gray areas. You are not sure of peoples intentions, many seem to bridge the gap between good and evil. The worlds of the living and the dead are colliding as the group of talents, including Charlie and Marlowe, are trying to uncover all of the secrets surrounding the institute.
The world that Miro has created is rich in detail and atmosphere. There are many wonderfully written characters within this story that keep you emotionally invested throughout. This is a little bit X-men, Harry Potter and Penny Dreadful meshed into a story that is still unique in its own way. The narrator was fantastic. Have you ever been to the Haunted Mansion in Disney World? Imagine his voice narrating a story of dark magic, set in Victorian England with lots of action and intrigue. Definitely worth listening to!!
4.5 stars
Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced audio version in exchange for an honest review.
#NetGalley #OrdinaryMonsters

Dark and sprawling with some deep world building. This is the size of an epic fantasy book and the story feels that epic just set in a gaslamp London time period . This will appeal to fans of Fantasy, Horror, Historical Fiction and Coming of age books. Highly Recommend.

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for sending me an audiobook arc of this title.

I just finished listening to Ordinary Monsters by J.M. Miro and what a magnificent story it is! 25+ hours spent in the best of ways!

Here’s the gist: Set in the late 19th century, it focuses on the Talents, children born with extraordinary abilities. Ordinary Monsters focuses primarily on two of these children, Marlowe and Charlie, and the detectives that have been sent to find them and bring them to Scotland to the isolated boarding school known as the Cairndale Institute. Here they will learn to use their talents under the protection of those that understand them. They are being hunted, though, by a man made of smoke and he is ruthless and he is everywhere.

Full of richly detailed characters, the story is told from multiple POV’s. I appreciated every unique perspective; it brought a richness and depth to the story. Sometimes too many characters can be a problem for me, especially while listening to an audiobook but because of each characters multifaceted personality and the narrator’s skill with voices, it was super easy to follow and become wholly invested in. And boy, did I become invested in them!

And then there’s the atmosphere; it is dark and gothic and completely immersible! Set in a richly described Victorian era, it paints a picture of both desolation and hope. The world-building is lush and vivid and when you combine everything together, it makes for an epic story that I couldn’t stop listening to and couldn’t stop talking about!

Narration: Ben Onwukwe narrates and what an absolute talent he is! He has a warm melodic voice and is an absolute delight to listen to! His ability to smoothly switch characters and change accents made this book feel like a full-scale audio production.

A beautifully written story that tugged at my heartstrings, gave me a fright or ten, and left me wanting more! I will highly recommend this all while eagerly anticipating the next in the series!

My sincere thanks to MacMillan Audio for this gifted ALC!

This book. Man oh man. How do I even explain this book?

Okay, so...there's kids, right? And they have gifts...or talents. Invisibility, healing, strength, earthbending...or dust controlling, whatever. These kids are all over the world and people hunt them for various purposes such as, in this book, basically to attend the Xavier Institute and protect the Upside Down.😳

X-Men meets Stranger Things with a tiny dab of Jack the Ripper vibe. All I kept thinking was Sherlock Holmes and Jack the Ripper. Seriously. 🧐

The writing was absolutely phenomenal. Slow but deep. Detailed without being repetitive or rambly.

I jumped back and forth between the hard copy and the audio and loved both. The audiobook has a wonderful narrator; masterful at voicework honestly. There was one part, however, where it was obvious they spliced two recordings mid sentence. That, or the audio did a weird jump thing. I rewound several times to make sure I wasn't going nuts...more than usual anyways. 😛

The story is an onion. Layer and after layer and the deeper you go the more you get. Lots of surprises, lots of characters. I got a bit confused on the characters here and there but by the end I was invested and wanted more.

Clean-ish book if not a bit scary, dark & tense.

I will definitely be reading the next book! 🤗

This was a really rich and engrossing story. Definitely a wide ranging and steadily moving tale about an 1800s London institute who locates and intakes orphan 'Talents' - people with special abilities.
Of course comparisons come to mind about Potter, and X-Men, and other stories with schools for magical children. But this story doesn't just stay within the institute and feels a bit more broad and exploratory within the world. 2 of the kids are from the US so there is some time spent in other places and areas within London. The story feels wide and lush. The elements here are also fresh when observing the motives and the auxiliary characters. It feels like a classic adult fantasy novel where magic is hidden within the observable world.
I did enjoy the story and the writing style is well done. There are not many negatives here. It was a solid and engrossing read. Would recommend if you're looking for another rich series that puts Harry Potter and the X-men kids, or Kvothe's childhood in the world Lies of Locke Lamora, or even The Gutter Prayer.