What starts as a dark retelling of Sleeping Beauty quickly turns into a tale of theology, heresy, ghosts, and curses.
Lia Kurenava changes so much through the story as she exposed to ideas beyond those of her convent home and face with the realities of the gods and their powers. She was raised to believe that killing Ruven, the heretic who cast the sleeping sleep, would free the kingdom and the gods. Instead, she becomes haunted by his ghost, betrothed to a prince she just must, and must now hold her ground against a powerful queen. She is a very fleshed out character and her reactions to her religious ideology being challenged seems to real. Her characterization does leave Ruven's in dust, though. You get a feel for his character and his growth, but his position as 'ghost haunting Lia' hinders him a bit.

The world building is amazing, tying in parts of their world 500 years ago with their modern one. You get a feel for the history between the polytheistic religion and the monotheistic one (which is heavily influenced by Christianity/ Catholicism). It brings a lot of questions of what it means to be devout through the story and you can see the varying answers from different characters.

Another standout book from Hodge!

Full of dark magic and simmering romance, this new Sleeping Beauty-inspired read will whisk you away and into a heart-pounding adventure.

As the stories say, long ago, there was a heretic sorcerer who placed a cursed spell on the royal family, luring them into eternal sleep and creating an impenetrable briar surrounding the castle and its inhabitants. Only those born with a god’s touch can enter the briar and save them from their terrible fate. Centuries later, once the stories have turned into myths, one girl enters the forest to slay the enemy, but what lies beneath the deadly thorns may be more than any story foretold.

Overall, this was a fast-paced read full of mystery, intrigue, and a bit of magic combined with religious aspects. I loved the spin on the Sleeping Beauty tale. I thought it was really clever and imaginative, taking the inspiration and pushing it into a new twisted darker fairytale.

If you loved Hodge’s previous work, fairytale retellings, enemies-to-lovers romance, and a plot that will keep you on your toes, definitely keep this read in mind!

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.*

Thank you to NetGalley, HarperCollins/ Balzer & Bray, and Ms. Hodge for the opportunity to read an ARC of this book. An honest review was requested but not required.

I guess it should be a pretty clear sign that when the forward discusses all the absolutely hideously gruesome ways the saints die in service to their gods (think: maximum pain and suffering) that the book is going to have a rather dark view of the oppressive potential of religion. This book was not what I expected. It was definitely more character-centered than plot-centered, and focused on Lia's internal torment and growth as grapples with her beliefs. The beginning was gripping and, as another reviewer pointed out, Lia is one of the first (maybe only?) female MCs in of my recollection to actually follow through on the murder she was prepared for. Once Lia was ensconced in the palace things slowed down considerably. Nonetheless, I appreciated the dialogue between Ruven and Lia, and I think the slow burn (and low spice) was a good fit for the style of the story. I'm not particularly a ReyLo person but I get that many people are and that vibe was discernible even for me.

Recommended to fantasy readers who are willing to accompany the MC on a personal growth journey as opposed to a physical one.

The country Runakhia used to be the most blessed, until 500 years ago, a sorcerer called Ruven came and claimed he could end the rule of the royal family and end the age of saints. He succeeded, and since then has holed up inside the palace behind a maze of briar. Seven girls from the convent have tried to enter the palace to stop Ruven and all have failed. Lia is the 8th girl. Lia’s family all died of the Red Death years ago, but for some reason, Lia survived after the 14 day quarantine. She’s been living in a convent dedicated to the goddess of healing ever since. She’s 17 and is determined to finally travel to the palace to kill Ruven and end the plague.

Well this was an intense read! Much more religious than I expected 😅 and I enjoyed it WAY more than I expected to 😂

I read the author’s note about this book, and I loved the Rey/Kylo Ren vibes between the two MCs. It was very similar with Lia being this tough, stubborn and determined female MC who had such strong faith in her gods that even when they essentially betrayed her, she still would not give up that love for them even for the boy she fell in love with. And of course, Ruven with his words trying to get Lia to do what he wants or what he believes is right. I admired Lia’s grit and determination. Even though I think she was an idiot at times and dumb, I mean for being rather smart, she seemed to be blind to a lot of things, but I appreciated her loyalty.

I wish the world had more to it, or more world-building, but the focus was really on Lia and her learning her place and that she can be loved. I mean it was a JOURNEY for our girl! And I loved every moment she had with Ruven, even the betrayals and shocks just made their story even better. And I wanted to shake Lia at times, and yet, I couldn’t help but admire her tenacity and her determination to love these horrible and monstrous gods. I was quite impressive!

I will say it’s pretty heavy on the religion and was gruesome at times, which was a bit much for me at times, but the way the story was written kept me riveted and I couldn’t put it down.

I liked the other characters that played parts in here too. Some are against these gods, others were struggling to accept what they were taught, and others were falling in love even if they disagreed with each other’s beliefs, it was very interesting!

The ending, although built up to a climax, everything just so conveniently happened and was predictable. I kind of expected more to it, but I still liked how it ended and made me happy 🥰

This is for sure a unique read and I would definitely recommend it!

I received a free digital copy to read. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I have a lot of mixed feelings about this book. Initially it sucked me right in and I felt like the story was moving pretty fast, but then after chapter 5, it really slowed down for me. I still was interested, but I wasn’t as invested as I was at the beginning.

I loved Lia (the heroine) a lot, but I also got extremely frustrated with her because she acted so naive even as more and more information came to light.

The romance in this story is an extreme slow burn and it left me feeling pretty unsatisfied in the end. Other than that, I think my other issue with the book was that, as someone who isn’t very religious, I really struggled to understand why Lia would think all the horrible things that were happening were okay just because her gods willed it.

Overall, I thought the world created in this book was interesting and that Lia was a strong lead, but it just wasn’t the book for me.

What Monstrous Gods is a worthy spiritual successor to one of my favorite books of all time, also by Rosamund Hodge, Cruel Beauty. Both feature slow-burn romance between a heroine sent to kill a villain who’s not all he seems, betrayal by those meant to be family figures, as well as questioning faith. Though this novel is not quite as enchanting as Cruel Beauty, fans of that novel will also enjoy What Monstrous Gods.

Lia and Ruven’s interactions were always delightful. From their uncanny instant attraction to each other to their lively bickering, I was very much invested in their relationship from the beginning. However, despite their romance being more slow-burn, I did feel the two went too quickly from being frienemies to declaring their love for each other. Their dialogue, as well as some of the other characters’ felt repetitive at times and could have been strengthened with another round of edits.

I particularly liked the eerie description of the Gods and the afflictions that befall their saints. It definitely gave the novel a bit of a horror-tinged touch, which I always enjoy in a YA fantasy. The plot consistently kept me engaged and I was always looking forward to picking the novel up to read to see what would happen next. The only major complain I have is that the ending felt like a rushed and too easy solution ending. Overall, though, I had a good time with What Monstrous Gods and would recommend this to other readers. The novel releases today, on March 5th. Thanks so much to Belzer + Bray and Netgalley for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved the cover for this one and blurb sounded great but it didn't live up to the expectations I had for it.

The book is told from one point-of-view and it comes from Lia. She lost her family at a young age and since their deaths has been brought up to try and set everything right with the old gods. Everything isn't always as it seems and she has to figure out for herself what she should believe in. There is a lot she has to deal with and there is a lot of religious talk. If it is something that you aren't interested in then I would definitely skip this book. It's not bad how it is done in any way. Religion can be a complicated and messy thing, especially when you grow up in it. I thought that Lia tried her best to weave through it all.

My problem with this book lies in the pacing and the chaoticness of the plot. It was hard to get completely invested because of it. I thought the characters were okay, Lia being the best. I wasn't a fan of the romance even though I should have been because it is enemies-to-lovers.

Overall, this one wasn't for me and that's okay.

3.5 -⭐⭐⭐💫

"Seven girls they have sent, and none ever returned. The eighth girl is me."

What Monstrous Gods is a Young Adult Fantasy Romance novel following Lia, an orphan who has been raised to bring an end to a sleeping curse that has kept the palace and its royalty asleep and hidden behind briars for 500 years. Yet she never expected that doing her duty would not only throw her into a complex world of godly patronage, marriage, and sainthood, but lead to her being haunted by the very man she killed to end this curse, a heretic sorcerer who questions her gods and what they represent at every turn. Lia must decide how far she will go to earn her gods' love and if duty is above what is right.

This book has some really interesting elements to it that sucked me in during the first half. I enjoyed the complexity of Lia's character as she does bad things in the name of duty to those she loves and her gods. She struggles with her faith and, as such, this book is heavily embedded with theological discussions. I enjoyed this element of what you are willing to do for what you believe even if it is at odds with the world.

Ruven is the sorcerer who haunts Lia and he also struggles with many of the same things as Lia, but he remains resolute in his choices. I admired his tenacity and vengeance and yet his capacity to see Lia as not just an enemy but a person who is unsure. I mean, she didn't have 500 years of being away and locked in a castle to thinks about things.

There are additional character who help fresh thinks out like Auraunn, the prince, and Varia, the princess as the provide this discussion around devout worship and the impact of giving devotion blindly. Auraunn is sweet, gullible, and innocent in many ways - though I felt this made him quite flat. Varia had a bit more meat to her character with her willingness to do whatever it takes not for her gods, but for her people.

This is a YA book so there is no spice. There is a small amount of kissing but I will say the romance in the book is quite light. It's based on banter and connection but the heart wrenching care that I prefer was not there. I felt we only skimmed the surface of a potential romance than actually explore an actual romance.

"So do? Do we have a bargain?"
"Yes, my little apostate," he breathes, "we do."

In terms of the story and world, I enjoyed the first half of the book but found the second half appears to repeat things before the ending. I found the elements of the gods and the royals fascinating with the worship. I enjoyed the resentful forced proximity of Ruven and Lia; I also loved the exploration of religion on both ends - heretic and gods believer. Now, this may come from the fact I do not have a religious background, but Lia's struggle to do the right thing when it goes against the gods she loves who consistently do her harm did get a little frustrating as it happened again and again. She wants to live and I understood that but I just got the vibes the gods were bad and Lia's devotion was still resolute as she struggled until the end-ish. The ending had this interesting revitalization twist that intrigued me and it leaves you on something to ponder.

Overall, I felt this had a lot of promise but it can be a little repetitive with the main characters internal struggle in the second half.

Thank you Harper Collins for the arc!

How far would you go for your god? Reylo meets Sleeping Beauty in this story about gods, sacrifice, and forbidden romance. Lia is a girl who was raised by nuns to follow her goddess, believing that she was raised to kill the evil heretic sorcerer Ruven and bring back the royal family that was cursed to sleep. When Lia does succeed in killing Ruven, to her great disbelief his ghost begins haunting her. She also discovers that she is forced to marry the newly awakened prince and that if she refuses she will be killed. It also doesn't help that the new queen is forcing her to prove that she is blessed by gods... but Lia soon discovers just how monstrous the gods can be and that her love for them does not mean they will love her in turn. Then there's the matter of the fact that she is falling in love with the ghost of the boy who represents everything she doesn't believe in and the fact that she will have to turn to him for help as she fakes her miracles *(least she be killed by the royal family for not being blessed by the proper gods and performing proper miracles). Can she find a way to survive the royal family and bring back the boy who has captured her heart, no matter how blasphemous their relationship is. This was definitely an interesting stand alone fantasy romance. The pacing of the book was slightly odd to me, it felt rushed at some parts but dragged on at others. Lia was a frustrating protagonist and honestly I have to give her some leeway because she is 17 years old and was raised by nuns... but this entire book felt like watching someone's religious discovery of deciding whether or not to believe in god. I did like the romance (despite the emotional whiplash of : I love him, I hate him, I'm gonna make out with this other guy, but I love him again). So I am in between giving this a 2 star vs a 3 star, but I will give it that bit of bonus because I liked the overall romance in the end. It wraps everything up neatly. If you are a fan of Reylo, I'd say give it a go because I think you'll have fun with it.

*Thanks Netgalley and HarperCollins Children's Books, Balzer + Bray for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

4.5/5 Stars

TL;DR - A dazzling, unexpectedly grand tale of fickle gods and the flawed merits of mortals. Almost perfect, but exceptional enough outside the things I disliked that I still overall very much enjoyed it.

Big thanks to HarperCollins Children’s Books, Balzer + Bray, and NetGalley for providing the ARC for this book in exchange for an honest review!

***Trigger Warnings for: illness and death of a parent, illness and death of a sibling, throat-cutting, blood, vomiting, religious persecution, and prevalent Christian (specifically Catholic) religious ideology.***

‘What Monstrous Gods’ by Rosamund Hodge is a standalone fantasy novel that is very loosely based on Sleeping Beauty, but is also so much more. It follows Lia Kurinava, 17, a healer who has lived most of her life in the convent of the goddess of healing. She is sent into the enchanted briar that has surrounded the royal palace and kept the royal family asleep for five hundred years, with the sole goal of killing the sorcerer who cursed it, a young man by the name of Ruven. When she succeeds, his ghost haunts her every step, and she begins to understand that nothing - not even the faith she’s devoted her life to - is as it seems.

So, I have very strong, very conflicting feelings about this book. It has so many of the things I love, and one of the things I dislike more than almost anything else. It was interesting, that’s for sure.

Aside from a few nit-picky things (words used repetitively, some weird pacing things at the beginning, etc), the only thing I didn’t like about this book is the straight-up Catholicism in there for (in my opinion) no conceivable reason. I don’t mean Catholic allegories or a transparent facsimile, I mean this book has straight up Jesus on a cross (okay, it’s a tree, but it’s explicitly called a crucifix in the narrative) and depictions of the Virgin Mary (okay, Mareya, but still). It’s bewildering in a fantasy novel, especially alongside a full pantheon of original gods - and yes, it turns out the gods are actually fallen angels/demons, but still, it’s jarring and confusing for the like 60% of the book where Catholicism and literal, tangible gods seem to coexist. I really wish that had been left out completely - I even would have accepted just a blurry photocopy of Catholicism with names changed and the iconography more significantly altered, but as it is, it greatly reduced my enjoyment of the overall mythos of this book. But, I’ve been in fandom long enough to be an expert at excising and ignoring parts of canon I dislike, so that’s what I’m going to do with this book. Minus half a star for that alone, not a big deal.

(As an aside, I genuinely don’t care if people want to write and/or read Christian fiction, all the power to them, I just don’t want to read it. This is purely a personal preference - if you’re Christian and especially Catholic, I think you’ll have a grand ol’ time with how heavily these elements feature in this book.)

That said, I really enjoyed every other aspect of this book.

The gods, independent of their connection to the aforementioned literal Catholicism, were very cool - some of the most intriguing I’ve read in a long time. How they operate, their place in the world, their relationship to the “saints” they create, all of it super interesting and fun to read about. I especially like the deity Lia ends up connected to, but I’m partial to deities of that particular domain and proclivities. The whole concept of their saints and everything that title entails was so unique both in essence and execution, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Magic isn’t super well-defined, nor is a lot of history, but I honestly don’t mind, because I was so captivated by what was explained. The world is vaguely 18th or 19th century, not terribly detailed, but again, I really don’t mind. I certainly would have loved to have it more well-developed, but for what we get, I’m satisfied.

The writing is good - nothing groundbreaking, but still better than a lot of prose I’ve read recently. I did highlight a handful of passages, but more for what they were saying that how they said it.

Lia is capable enough as a heroine, with very relatable shortcomings and desires, and of course, I’m always here for a girlie who bucks the oppressive religion she was raised in and comes into her own power - yes, even if that’s through service to another deity. I think this book (again, minus the overt Catholic tones) has good conversations about blind devotion and the evils therein, which surprised me given the aforementioned religious themes.

The romance is very understated, which as unapologetically ace trash, I appreciated. It’s there, and it does feature prominently in a few plot points, but it wasn’t overbearing. If you’re a diehard romance girlie, it might be a little lackluster, but for my tastes, it was the perfect amount. I do like Ruven as a love interest, and I thought their relationship was sweet, so kudos there.

The last thing I’ll say is that this book is somewhat slow, with a plot that’s a little all over the place. It’s also very heavily character-oriented, with a lot of focus and time spent on Lia’s inner workings and her (repeated) crises of faith. It can be a little repetitive, but not to the point that I, personally, found that it crossed over into annoying. There is a plot, but I would say this book leans more towards the character-driven and ‘no plot, just vibes’ end of the spectrum. As a world-building girlie first and foremost, though, I give it a pass for those aspects outshining the plot.

Final Thoughts:

Overall, I’m shocked I enjoyed this as much as I did. I almost DNF’d when it became clear that Catholicism featured so heavily, but I’m so glad I stuck it out - and honestly, once you get into the last 50-60% of the book, it’s really only featured here and there. I’m even more shocked that I’m going to buy a physical copy, but here I am with the book in my cart and my credit card within reach.

I have mixed feelings.

I finished this book very quickly; it kept my attention and kept me turning the page. However, the world building and major themes were amorphous at best.

It’s very clearly a fantasy book, and yet there’s a very thinly veiled allusion to Catholicism as the “heretic” religion in the country of Runakhia and beyond. Like, very clearly Catholicism, complete with a martyred Jesus and an Adam and Eve, though without those names. This juxtaposed with a completely made-up polytheistic religion, with clear evidence of its existence, was jarring.

For half the book I thought it was a pro-Catholic narrative, but by the end I’m not sure what it was really trying to get across. That we are responsible for the spin we put on gods’ goodness and love? I’m not sure.

WHAT I DID LIKE: I very much enjoyed Lia and her monstrousness. She did what was necessary for her country in her point of view and didn’t have any qualms being as ruthless as the gods she loved. I can admire that.

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC of this book. This book takes a classic fairly tale and turns it on it head. The story follows Lia and she slays the Sorcerer Ruven and wakes up the sleeping noble family, and is betrothed to the prince, but not everything is as it seems. If you enjoy fairytale retelling, and morally gray characters, than this book is for you.

What Monstrous Gods had such an interesting description, and the beginning of the story took me by surprise. It felt like we were starting at the end! And that was so intriguing to me. As the book went on though it felt weighed down by the religious tones and the constant contradictions of the main characters thoughts, and at times I felt confused about the whole point of the book. For me, the world and the characters in the world did not feel fully fleshed out. I think this is one of those books that needed to be longer or split up into two books to truly get the full scope of world and characters to allow them to breath rich life into each other.

I feel conflicted about this one. On one hand, this had really stunning world-building, which really brought the setting to life and made it lush, but on the other hand the plot was a bit...scattered. Mostly, it just felt like the flow of the story was pretty non-existent so I felt jerked around a lot by what was going on and the pacing. I also felt that the story really lost me with Christianity v.2--I loved how rich the world was, even the religion, but I feel like the 1:1 Christianity was both obvious and a bit uninspired. I found the religious commentary relatively interesting, but I'm not religious nor have I ever been, so I'm sure a majority of it when over my head/was stuff I just wouldn't resonate with.

I received a free e-arc through NetGalley. Thank you NetGalley and Harper Collins. This is my honest opinion of the work.

I give it a 3.75/5. It is a very interesting story. It is very plot driven with a side of romance. It follows the FMC Lia and her struggle with her beliefs and what she finds morally good to the world and how it's being transformed. Which was gripping to read. I had more struggle with the lack of chemistry some of the interactions between characters had. Also the world building was a tad bit confusing. It did help there is a list of the gods included with the arc and was a good reference point. If you jump into this story thinking sleeping beauty you'll be disappointed it has some picks and choosing from the fairytale but overall it's own story that has a wonderfully complex FMC and a very intriguing world.

I have a lot of thoughts about this book and I’m going to try and organize them.

1. So much happens that I didn’t predict or see coming - which almost never happens. Especially at the beginning. It’s kind of wild.

2. It’s enemies to lovers but no spice so YA appropriate.

3. I really liked the symbolism between what the characters in the book are going through with real life issues. The FC and MC are on opposing political/ religious sides and both have to come to terms with the fact that their side is imperfect. Really great for anyone going on that “ex-evangelical” journey where you’re not sure you agree with classic religion or the Bible but you still believe in being a good person.

4. I did feel a little cringe about the Jesus inspired moments though. There are references to a higher power that humbled himself and died for his followers on a tree and mentions nails. It’s a little too on the nose for me. I wish the author was a little more creative since this is a fantasy world and a fictional book.

Overall really good book though and definitely recommend!

I went into this book knowing absolutely nothing besides sleeping gods and evil sorcerer ghost that is also very hot. That is all I needed to know. Because of this all, I didn't have too many expectations going in, and I haven't read the author's previous works so I didn't have anything to base expectations on. But I ended up thoroughly enjoying this and having a good time reading it!

Anybody who knows me knows that enemies to lovers is my favorite trope of all time. And by enemies to lovers I mean knife-to-the-throat, true enemies, not like romcom rivals. (Think The Cruel Prince). And this book? This was peak enemies to lovers. She took that knife-to-the-throat trope to the extreme and literally killed the man. (that is not a spoiler by the way).

I think that Lia was a well developed character with a lot of flaws and a lot of multi-dimensional things she was trying to work through. I think the inner turmoil she was facing of what she should feel vs what she does feel was very realistic and will be relatable for readers experiencing the same sort of religious trauma as she is.
I enjoyed seeing her character growth, from the blind faith follower to who she becomes at the end.
I liked the idea of personal identity that was explored throughout this novel. Personal identity, who you are outside of your religion. Not losing yourself completely to any religion, no matter which if any you follow. We are all individual people with individual thoughts and feelings.

The one downside is that it is VERY religion heavy, as you can probably tell from this review. I knew going into it that it would be religious, but I didn't realize just how much it would be. For me personally, I just felt like the same point just kept being driven over and over and I got bored of it.

This was a fun and entertaining read that I recommend to fans of fantasy romance where the romance is not the focus but rather a fun side plot.

Truly awesome world building, and some of the most vivid imagery I’ve ever read. I could really feel the world (although it felt a bit small, perhaps a map would have made it feel fuller?). I have 2 major gripes though:

1. The plot felt super disjointed. On one hand, I liked being surprised by sudden events and the plot changing directions far sooner than I expected. On the other, it made for a choppy ride. The major plot beats felt too powerful and too sporadic for the story to feel totally satisfying.

2. Copying Christian lore into this fantasy world. One of my favorite parts of this story and what drew me in during the beginning was how rich the religion and society was, because it felt like what Catholicism aims to be. So really I should be surprised by the mirroring iconography, names, etc.. For such a unique fantasy god system, it was jarring to see such blatant copying of a major real world religion opposite it. There was definitely a way to have kept the inspiration of Christianity for the heretic religion without being so obvious.

Still such a vivid world that I really want to read more from this author.

Bear in mind, whatever else I say in this review, I finished What Monstrous Gods in about 3 hours. 1 to begin in the evening, and then 2 straight hours of reading the next morning. So. Take that how you will (positive. You should take that positively).

The world Hodge has created is lush and magical, deadly and treacherous. The magic is interesting and the vague parallels to our own world offering tantalising possibilities. Lia is a wonderfully dynamic and true-to-life protagonist; we are so closely fitted inside her mind throughout the story that her journey is one we take as well.

But this intense closeness to Lia’s perspective means that a) some aspects of world building remain confusing and unexplored and b) all other characters feel much fuzzier and vague. While not necessarily a huge downfall, it was, at least for me (an adult reading YA lit, to be fair) a hindrance.

Thank you to Netgalley and HarperCollins Children's Books, Balzer + Bray for the ebook ARC. All opinions are mine alone.

An interesting high fantasy romance with an arranged marriage to a god and an enemies to lovers plot.

While I enjoyed Ruven’s characterization - her determination and tenacity, the magic, and the concept of the gods, there was a lot of info dumping yet also not enough explanation in the beginning of the various systems. I was confused in a few parts but overall it was good.