Just from this excerpt, I don't have much to say except that I wasn't feeling it. I wasn't a fan of the writing style or the sort of story this seems to be. I still have hope that this could have a good story, but for having the first chunk of the book and being unexcited wasn't a great first impression.

Thanks to Netgalley for the eARC sample of this book.

This one will be short and sweet mainly because I just had an excerpt from the book, not a full review copy. That being said, I did enjoy what I read.

Koral, the protagonist, comes from an impoverished background where their only respite is capturing and raising maristags. However, this is a dangerous task because maristags are highly unpredictable and can often be unruly, which is shown when Koral's brother is injured by one. Knowing that money is scarce, Koral decides to enter the Glory Race in order to bring income to her family and save herself from a possible arranged marriage.

Okay, right off the bat, I could see many similarities between this book and the Hunger Games, but it's well deserved. Like Katniss, Koral is placed in a race where elites bet on the winners, regardless of the stakes for the participants, and Berwah doesn't shy away from presenting the elites for the troublesome and problematic people they are.

I look forward to reading this book in its entirety and seeing what happens to Koral and how her story ends!

This review is for the excerpt, not the entire novel.
From what I've read so far, this book gives strong Scorpio Races vibes, almost too strong to be honest. The summary relies heavily on it being South Asian but there is zero indication of that, hopefully it will become more realized farther into the book.
There's a lot going on in these first few chapters and the stakes are already high. I'm eager to read the rest of the novel upon release.

I was really looking forward to reading this excerpt because I am a big fan of south asian inspired fantasy. however, after reading this excerpt I'm not sure I want to read the rest of the book. the writing style was strange and choppy, so maybe this just isn't meant for me. also, the worldbuilding was really confusing and because I spent the whole time trying to understand what was even going on, I found myself frustrated and not caring about the characters or the plot.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with an excerpt to read and review!

Because I only as able to read an excerpt, I can’t say whether or not my opinion of the book would’ve changed after the first 6 chapters that I was able to read, but from what I read i don’t think I’ll be picking up the full book when it releases, unfortunately.

The first thing I really didn’t like was the writing style, it was way too choppy for me. For example, here’s a section that I highlighted: “We’re in mourning. I chew on every bit of food like it’s my last. A feeling Iremember from the year I turned eight. The squelch of my chewing is too loud. I drag my steel spoon across the table to camflauge it. Baba shoots me a sharp look. I stop. The silence resumes. It simmers.” Since this is an ARC of those first few chapters, this particular quote could change but the entire excerpt was written like this, and I just really didn’t mesh well with this writing style. I’m not sure if this will end up in the finished copy, but I also didn’t like how random words were hyphenated, like historian was hyphenated to his-torian, or consider-ably. There were also random numbers (which I think were meant to be page numbers?) that would appear sometimes in the middle of words. These formatting issues combined with the writing type made it really hard for me to enjoy the excerpt..

I wa also very confused as to what was going on and the world building was pretty vague. There is talk about the sun being deadly so people live underground and there being all these deadly monsters, but I feel like we’re just told that instead of us actually seeing it. Along with that, it seems like the author had a lot of ideas that they tried to pack into one book, such as maristags and aquabats and raptors (like he dinosaurs?) and then there is this weird ship that fell to the earth, so I don’t know if that also means there are aliens as well? And none of the creatures are described in a way that makes it sound plausible, like there are Capricorns (which are goat/fish hybrids) that we are told patrol on land, but how do they carry a rider when they only have two legs and a fin? This book really lacked a lot of descriptive elements, and I think looking at the quote I mentioned above, it’s very much a book where we’re told things rather than shown things.

I was also a bit confused because this is being pitched as a South Asian-inspired world so I was expecting more of the world building to be Asian inspired, but that wasn’t the case. The author does have a note on Goodreads, and says that for her, the South Asian aspect comes in with the caste system and how characters are marginalized and that’s how for her, this story is South Asian and I fully respect that, but the marketing for this book makes it sound like it would’ve been more than that, so my expectations going in were different. That said, I’m also confused as to why the groups are called Landers and Renters, does it have to do with real estate like I imagine, or is it just the names that were chosen? There is also a rebel group called Freedom’s Ark, or Arkers for short. Is that a biblical reference? In the chapters I read, nothing was ever really explained in a way that made sense to me.

Finally, I was also confused by the family dynamic because it seems like everyone in Koral’s family hates her for some reason. Her brother doesn’t want her to do her job capturing maristags, her father blames her for them not having money and trying to solve their problems, and her mother has been beaten down so much that she can’t bring herself to stand up for her daughter. Koral herself seemed to want to help her family, but came off as selfish at the same time. And that was maybe due to the fact that we’re told how she’s feeling instead of seeing her emotions.

This chapter sampler was also6 chapters long, and at the end of it we still hadn’t gotten to the race yet, which is the major plot point of the story and I feel like maybe it could’ve gotten there sooner.

Unfortunately, this particular book isn’t for me which is really disappointing because I was really looking forward to it, especially as it’s a debut with a stunning cover and an intriguing synopsis. That said, these are just my feelings on the excerpt so if you think the book sounds interesting definitely give it a shot, it just wasn’t my cup of tea.

I was approved for an excerpt of this book. There was a lot of world building and the flashbacks made it a little confusing to get into but I am intrigued. I would read the rest of this.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this excerpt.

This book immediately gripped my attention as it is set in a sort of dystopian world and gives Hunger Games vibes. The writing took me a minute to get into because I feel like there's a lot of world building thrown at you at once, however once you get into it the world is fascinating. I love the creatures, the different castes of people, and the whole set up in general.

The main character Koral is rootable and I found myself really invested in her and her dysfunctional family dynamics. I also think I know what the romance in this book will be and I am here for it. I can't wait to see where it all goes.

Once you get a hang of the world building the writing is fast paced and fun and keeps you pulled into the story. I think if you like dystopian and Hunger Games-esque stories you will like this one. I was lucky to have received a full ARC as well so I can't wait to dive in and finish the story!

This starts off super fun - more dystopian than I expected, I like the main character so far, and I’m excited to read the rest!

Well, it was a rough start in the first few chapters; I had to re-read it. I was having a hard time grasping what was happening. The writing is choppy and the micro-flashbacks muddle things a bit. I also had difficulty perceiving many of the world-building concepts in the beginning, with a lot of lingo being thrown at us at once without further explanation to the references. The sequencing of events feels a little chaotic and skips you around in the start.

However, with all that being said, by chapter four it all starts to smooth itself out and I found myself getting immersed into the story. I think the first three chapters just need a little reworking to give us more depth up-front, to help with the flow and readers’ comprehension.

I already like the main character, Koral, and her struggles within the family dynamics. The story world has a really interesting social structure and a unique atmosphere. Although, I can’t help noticing the striking similarities in the plot to The Scorpio Races. Still, I found the start of this story intriguing and I am definitely interested in continuing to read the full book.

By the end of this excerpt I felt the writing really started to find its flow and the pacing got its rhythm. In the sixth chapter we get hints of some layers being added to the plot that left me wanting more. It has definitely piqued my interest and I would love to find out what happens! It will be going on my TBR list for sure.

Thank you to NetGalley and the published for this excerpt.

I found this book really confusing. There wasn't a good explanation of what the situation is between Renters, Landers and Hunters or why some some people are relegated to one versus the other. Sometimes I thought the MC was a Renter and other times a Hunter because she uses the two so interchangeably.

I'm not sure if this is because this is an excerpt but there are also formatting issues and words split in the middle.

I actually had the opportunity to have a reread of this sample and I enjoyed it much more than the first time. I has some interesting world building, unlike anything else I have been exposed to. I enjoyed to social structures that we learnt about so far, and I also enjoyed the way the family referenced each other, showing the influence of culture in the writing. So far I think our heroine is fantastic, very strong and vulnerable at the same time.

Thank you Netgalley for the preview of' Monsters born and made'.
I am intrigued after reading the chapter. Definitely going to read when it comes out.

This is a very interesting start to a book!! This excerpt ends with a cliffhanger that leaves me intrigued and wanting to continue on. All I would say is the different terms made me a bit confused about the dynamics of the different types of people, but I did figure it out later on. I definitely know that fantasy books can be hard to understand the world building at first and this one did a fine job. I really like the creatures and the grand event everyone is looking towards.

I am always doubtful with YA as I hear great stuff about every book coming out. This excerpt really helped, and convinced me that I might like the book. I'm definitely putting this on my TBR pile, and if you aren't sure if you need this book, this is sure to win you over.

Thank you to Sourcebooks and NetGalley for the six-chapter excerpt of Monsters Born and Made.

I would give this book a solid 3.75 stars, rounded up to 4.0 stars. The characters and plot drew me into the story right away, and at the end of the excerpt, I found myself interested in what happened next.

There was a lot of originality in the worldbuilding and magical creatures/beasts that populated the world. I now want a maristag like Stormgold for my own, and I'm fascinated to learn more about the creature. However, the world is complex, and so much information is thrown at the reader so quickly that I didn't feel as comfortable as I would have liked in the environment.

Koral is a solid main character, and I enjoy the side characters of Liria and Crane. The family dynamics, particularly with the parents, are also interesting, and ones I hope are further explored in the rest of the book. The one aspect of Koral's personality that grates on my nerves is a popular YA trend—main characters who have no filter and cannot stop themselves from saying things they know will be taken poorly. So much of the plot thus far has been driven by this main character flaw, which feels a bit lazy to me.

The writing itself is a mixed bag. The descriptions and worldbuilding are solid, with well-written sentences giving the reader the lay of the land. However, it's interspersed with these choppy, short sentences that are supposed to be colloquial but almost pull the reader from the story. That said, it didn't bother me as much as other reviewers.

The excerpt was fun, fast-paced, and hooked me at the end. I look forward to reading the entire book to provide a full review to share with other readers.

The worldbuilding is really perfect, the writing is very very smooth and the plot for now seemed a lot exciting and adventurous to me!
I will definitely read the book!
Thanks to Netgalley for this excerpt.

I was somewhat hooked by this sample and am fairly glad that I got a chance to read the full book. It was a good start, and I urge everyone to stick it out once they get the hang of the writing style.

If you are a fan of the Hunger Games theme, then you will probably like this one a pretty good bit.

I'm sparing spoilers because I feel like that would make you like the book less as you are reading it. It's honestly kind of chaotic, and not in the best of ways. However, I would try to go in with an open mind and understand that the chaos lends to the style of story that we are going for here. If you recall the jumping around that one might expect in action packed movies, this is very similar. It's not one cohesive stream, which for many might be a huge negative. But if you try to lean into that style of writing/reading, it can actually be a fairly enjoyable book.

Thanks for this excerpt! I've been hearing and seeing this book around in the book community, so I was looking forward to reading a bit. I'm not sure if it's just the first few chapters, or if the whole book is like this.. but it's really choppy. MANY super short sentences. Like "I looked around." "Pain in my arms." "Right in my face." (These are actual sentences I grabbed.)

I'm sure some people will love this short fast paced writing.. but it felt a bit off for me. I'm still interested in the story enough though to read the book. But it also sounds like a typical chosen one YA story..

Thank you Netgalley and Sourcebooks Fire for an excerpt of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
First, the cover is marvelous, and that's what drove me to the book in the first place. Then it was the unique premise. That's why I was so excited to read the first pages. However, I'm not quite sure of what I've just read. I was really excited to read this book, but the first chapters are a bit messy. I hope it is because I don't have all the story, I was confused but it starts off strong, and I was hooked nonetheless.
I am still intrigued as to where the story goes and how.

i had mostly forgotten about this book before seeing some people mention it as one of their anticipated releases of this year, but apprently, ive been waiting for it to release for over a year now!

(this is a review of only the first 6 chapters provided in the sampler but may contain spoilers for those chapters!)

set in a world that is ruled by a system similar to the caste system that was used in south asia, it follows a girl called koral, whose family has been ordered to catch creatures called maristags, which is a very dangerous job.

it starts out with her brother, emrik, and koral going out to the waters to catch a maristag, the last one thats supposed to appear for months and the one that will keep them alive for that time. however, her brother gets injured and since her family cant afford to buy medicine for him and their ill, younger sister, liria, koral decides to join the very dangerous glory races (which no renter, the lower class in this world, has ever done before) and she is determined to win.

the story so far has been pretty good! the writing style is ok and works for me but i can imagine that some readers may find it boring and/or too descriptive at times. i have a love for books that are set near the sea/ocean and this is set in a world that is mostly covered by oceans which is interesting! the worldbuilding has been a little confusing so far but im sure itll start making more sense in the rest of the book. also, the cover is so pretty! there was also a really cool map which was kinda hard to look at on an e-reader but i think itll look amazing on the physical copy. i am excited to see what happens next and will be reading the rest of the story pretty soon!