Let’s get straight to the point, I loved the premise but the execution was ultimately lacking for me. I have been a fan of Rosamund Hodge’s work for a while and a retelling of Sleeping Beauty with a very unique setting and history, enemies-to-lovers, and coming-of-age tropes sounded so promising. I loved the discussion of the power of religious institutions, childlike faith being challenged by reality, being given immense power but simultaneously losing any form of control, and dark history being uncovered. Even the characters of Lia, Ruven, and the royals. Their relationships were sudden, confusing, angsty, and full of distrust. The plot moved perfectly as well with twists and turns full of hidden truths uncovered and hidden agendas. This should all add up to an amazingly fun and epic story, but it just doesn’t have the emotional punch I was expecting. If you are looking for something fun, a bit dark, and fast, I highly recommend it! Thank you Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this one! With the focus on religion it was a little different from other books I typically read in this genre and gave the story a depth and heart that I really enjoyed. It had many moments that made me think a little deeper…as well as the romantic moments that kept it lighter as well. All in all a good read that I would recommend.

'What Monstrous Gods' by Rosamund Hodge is a literary labyrinth that had me captivated, at least for the first half. Then, I hit a wall – theological musings turned into a marathon. The romance felt like an afterthought, and genuinely believe did not need to be there.

By halfway, the main character's goals are ticked off, leaving me confused about why there was so much book left. The magic system was was just as confusing, and trying to unravel the pantheon of gods, saints, and royals had me just shrugging and turning the page.

Although I couldn't wait for this book to end, and completely exhausted from reading it the past four days, this book is a unique beast – it's unlike anything I've ever read. Because of that, it earns four stars from me.

Thanks so much to NetGalley for supplying me with a copy of this book.

Lia has spent much of her life being trained to kill the heretic sorcerer who has forced the royal family into a time-freezing slumber. When she completes her task, she expects the royal family to awaken the gods and end the Red Death. What she doesn’t expect is to be forced to make a pact with a god and marry the prince or be killed by the queen. Lia certainly doesn’t expect her entire life to be turned upside down at every turn. The only person she can trust is the ghost of Ruven, the man she murdered, who she has accidentally bound to herself.

I’m a huge fan of fairytale retellings, so I was all over this the second I saw it. This time around, we’ve got a compelling Sleeping Beauty retelling. We follow Lia, a woman chosen by the gods who was born into a world that mostly doesn’t believe in them. However, Lia was raised in a convent and knows all about how and why so many people became heretics: Ruven. I thought it was an interesting twist that sleeping beauty is the royal court rather than a single person, and that the innocent people forced into a 500 year slumber are not so innocent after all.

This was truly a fascinating take on Sleeping Beauty. I really enjoyed the characters, especially Ruven. I wish we got to learn more about Ruven and his life, but it is what it is and I’m happy with what we got. Lia is a great character, but she was constantly going back and forth about her decisions and not seeing what was very obviously sitting in her face. I had to keep reminding myself that she’s an extremely sheltered character who grew up in a convent, and that she is not prepared for anything she’s facing. In fact, I’m surprised she held up as well as she did given how much she faced, with the main thing being everything she’s believed turning straight on its head.

That said, I do wish we got to see more of the royal family and see exactly what they’re made of. We barely touch the surface with them and it would’ve been nice if they were a little more fleshed out. I also wish we learned more about the gods and their world, but I’m also happy with what we did learn because they are still meant to be mysterious to everyone, including readers. I do think that the entire mythology behind the gods was really interesting, though.

All in all, this is an excellent read. I love how different this story is compared to the source material to the point that I actually forgot it’s a fairytale retelling at some point. I’m excited to check out the author’s other books because the characters and the world they live in are extremely interesting.

I happily give this a good 3.75/5 stars.
What Monstrous Gods was a read that left me deep in thought upon completion.
The FMC Lia was sent on a mission to kill one with the purpose to heal all else, Lia accomplishes said mission right away. Though this is an action that will haunt her for the rest of the story. Lia is not a warrior, nor aggressor, she dreams of being a nun, on being blessed to heal others. I enjoyed that Lia was not without flaws, rather is very flawed. She can be resentful, doubtful, obstinate, and even occasionally a little ignorant. She is vulnerable and unsure of herself, yet she is always full of love, hope and a desire to better the world. Lia reflects in a way not all YA leads will do. Oftentimes, YA leads seems invulnerable to wrongs and flaws, so it’s invigorating to find a heroine who doesn’t always get it right. Our other MC (so to speak) Ruven may not be a POV co-lead, but he is a major play nonetheless. He is in every way Lia’s hinder. What she considers sacrilege, he considers truth. Their assessments of the world far differ from one another, but at the same time they come to deeply understand the others.
The romance is enjoyably very understated in the book, and definitely a slow burn. Which, per usual for me, left me in a constant state of being partially satisfied, partially craving more. The connection between our leads is instant and indisputable, their falling in love doesn’t surprise me, but it also didn’t wholly placate. I mean, Lia murdered Ruven, his blood is on her hands. There is so much complex history between them, and while that aspect is well directed, how it jumps to falling in love felt a bit too sudden.
My only prominent quandary was Lia’s inactions. For as much as I enjoy seeing a lead be flawed and vulnerable, I became unsatisfied by her clearly willful obliviousness. Even as the truth became blatantly obvious, Lia still denied it. While I’d change that aspect of Lia, I wouldn’t change the rest.
This book charmed me, it was a slow burn in many ways, not just in romance but also in climax. It allows the reader to take their time in unfurling all they feel as they read along.
Thank you NetGalley, Edelweiss+ and HarperCollins for providing me an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

This is a standalone retelling of sleeping beauty where it is the prince who is sleeping and a warrior novice who awakens him with a kiss and then slits his throat. Sounds promising, but the narrative becomes bogged down by the central character Lia’s struggle with apostasy which would seem appropriate for a much weightier genre than a romantasy. I was annoyed by Lia and her relationship with pretty much every other character and her gods. I think it maybe that I like my fantasy with a little more adventure and action. It was well-written, but it just fell a little flat for me.

This book had some deliciously religious/theological themes. A lot of allusions to catholicism and christianity. I appreciated the contemplations of faith and love and what a gods purpose was.

Definitely worth reading if youre into that. I would recommend for fans of Robin Lafevers, Wicked Saints and even Sky in the Deep by Adrienne Young.

What Monstrous Gods by Rosamund Hodge is a deeply atmospheric fantasy read that drew me in from page one. Sleeping Gods will be awoken but are the stories around them to be believed?
What I loved
1. The enemies to lovers story line was expertly done
2. The religious themes bolstered the plot and wove into the world building in a wonderfully intricate way.
What didn't work as well for me
1. I would have liked a deeper exploration of the magic system
2.some of the dialogue felt oddly stilted.
Who I would recommend this title for
Fans of Stories like the mediator series by meg cabbot and themes like those found in the girl who fell beneath the sea looking for a slightly darker Young adult fantasy will have a good time with this story.

I really enjoyed this book. I hope the author continues to write more books in the future. I can't wait to see what this author releases in the future.

A HUGE thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollin's for providing me an eARC of one my most anticipated reads of 2024, in exchange for an honest review.

Rosamund Hodge? In 2024? I screamed when I got the email that I was approved for this book.

What Monstrous Gods by Rosamund Hodge is a YA dark fantasy novel about a girl who was raised to slay a sorcerer, but everything goes awry when it's revealed her life was a lie and the sorcerer is now haunting her. Centuries ago, the heretic sorcerer Ruven raised a deadly briar around Runakhia's palace, casting the royal family into an enchanted sleep—and silencing the kingdom's gods. Born with a miraculous gift, Lia's destiny is to kill Ruven and wake the royals. But when she succeeds, she finds her duty is not yet complete, for now she must marry into the royal family and forge a pact with a god—or die. To make matters even worse, Ruven's spirit is haunting her. As discord grows between the old and new guards, the queen sends Lia and Prince Araunn, her betrothed, on a pilgrimage to awaken the gods. But the old gods are more dangerous than Lia ever knew—and Ruven may offer her only hope of survival. As the two work together, Lia learns that they're more alike than she expected. And with tensions rising, Lia must choose between what she was raised to believe and what she knows is right—and between the prince she is bound to by duty...and the boy she killed.

My love for Hodge's monstrous boys remains strong. Ruven was no Ignifex, but I loved him anyway. And I can't just get enough of this book and the rest of Hodge's collection! Ugh, if you need me I will be re-reading Cruel Beauty and this on until the end of my days.

This book was heavily religious, so I would skip if that's not for you. I personally loved it though!! I feel like there are so many religious light books where the gods just come and go when they need them for *plot* but without ever really putting much thought into anything more than that.

The magic could have been better explained; and truthfully I would have appreciated much less info dumping; but it was a really interesting young adult Sleeping Beauty retelling! I love that it touched on the now what of Sleeping Beauty. Like, why would they truly live happily ever after when the people may have gotten used to ruling themselves?

And man, that enemies to lovers plotline. It was great. It really was. Was there room for improvement? I think that can be said if a lot of books, but I loved it! Teenage me would have eaten this book up, like utterly devoured it and then immediately gone back to re-experience and reread it.

This book is perfect for those, like me, who are obsessed with fairytale retellings. If you love low to no spice romantasies, this book is for you (sure they kiss, but I didn't feel like it ever really hit actually spice, if that makes sense? It was just very very sweet to be honest).

I will say that I was expecting more of an Asian feel to the book from the cover art, but I didn't really get that vibe from the book itself while I was reading. The cover art is absolutely STUNNING though!!

This book features:
Death
Loss
Revenge killing
Human sacrifice
True Enemies to Lovers
Political and Religious Intrigue
Heretic x Fighting Nun in training
Reminiscent of The Mediator series by Meg Cabot and the Gilded duology by Marissa Meyer


One quote I struggled with though was, "Not some useless weakling of a god who died screaming and nailed to a tree, that's for certain." It felt very pointed towards Christianity and just not for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the advanced reader copy of this book! The thoughts and opinions contained in this review are my own.

This was really good!! The world building and pacing was great. But what I loved the most was the unique plot!! Like woah! Loved this so much. Thank you for letting me read it.

What could be better than a Sleeping Beauty retelling with ghosts? I thoroughly enjoyed Rosamund Hodge's previous retelling "Cruel Beauty," so I just had to get my hands on the arc. Lia is an innovative, brave revitalization of the classic Princess Aurora character. I adore the classic trope of having a character embark on an epic quest that induces self-exploration on their part. Having Lia not fall into the stereotypical princess trope and instead have a murky, morally grey past was such an intriguing story choice. This novel is the perfect blend of the fairytale story we know and modern plot twists.

this book was so so so good and super fun to read! the world building was great and so was the story’s pacing. additionally, i loved how this book had aspects you don’t usually see in fantasy books and how it also had a very unique plot! i loved alll of the characters especially ruben and lia! this book was so interesting and definitely a book i’d recommend to any fantasy lover.

The gods—and the royal family that serves them—have been asleep for hundreds of years. Lia, an orphan raised in a convent, is tasked with waking them up. But to do so, she must brave the dangers of a cursed briar and slay the sorcerer Ruven who resides inside. And she does kill Ruven, awakening the royal family. For a few moments, it’s something out of a fairytale; the royal family stirred from a cursed slumber and the kingdom was saved. But then Ruven’s ghost starts haunting Lia, and the stories she believed about the gods may be nothing more than pretty lies. But with the eyes of the world watching, Lia has no choice but to pretend that everything is perfect, even as the world she’s always known comes crashing down around her.

What Monstrous Gods by Rosamund Hodge has the makings of a truly epic fantasy. I loved how divinity was toyed with so expertly and the contrast the author created between unwilling saints and hopeless martyrs. It’s rare to see a YA novel tackle such complex themes of divinity and what it means to believe in god(s), especially in a fantastical setting. While I certainly give Hodge credit for attempting to deal with moral complexities, I felt that the novel’s ending undermined the point the book was trying to make. At times, I wasn’t sure whether the story was trying to warn me against the evils of Catholicism or convert me to the religion. I usually don’t like books that are trying to preach at me—whether that be religious or social preaching—-but I didn’t find it too bothersome in this novel because the main character was dealing with a crisis of faith. Unfortunately, Hodge’s argument about divinity got lost in Lia’s contradictory actions and the anticlimactic ending.

The best part of What Monstrous Gods by far was Lia. She’s a heroine who is constantly forced to question everything she knows, and her reactions feel realistic and true to her character. Her character was never undermined by a religious message, and I adore watching her struggle to redefine what she wanted divinity to be. Ruven was a wonderful assistant to the process, and while I didn’t necessarily buy into their romance, I still enjoyed their interactions.

Beyond the characters, the aesthetic and tone of the novel were incredible. I could see every visceral image Hodge described, and it was easy to get lost in a world of wicked gods and the people who couldn’t help but worship them. The world had strong foundations, as did the novel’s religion. It never felt like the author was info-dumping, even as her complex worldbuilding unfolded. In general, the plot wandered, but that fit in well with the tone of the novel. Overall, I’d recommend What Monstrous Gods for fans of Vespertine who wanted more romance and those looking for an early winter read with a bit of teeth.

This book was an absolute joy to read. I loved the world building, the religion and the tension between the main characters. I couldn't put this book down and sincerely hope there will be a sequel. The main character was strong, faithful and complex and her love interest, well, he's a fun time for sure! I would highly recommend this book.

Deep & thought provoking. I liked this book though it felt like I never got fully sucked into it. I still very much enjoyed reading this though!

this was sooooo good i loved it so much and the spooky ghost vibes mixed with fairy tales was so amazing

Unfortunately, this book wasn't for me. I really enjoyed Hodge's other works, though I admit I found them all hard to get into. This was the worst offender for me. The world building isn't as concise as I would like, and it's like you as the reader are dropped into an over complicated, underexplained world with little to work with. This is definitely a book you have to work for to enjoy, and I'm not that kind of reader. It doesn't help that the names are complicated for the average YA reader. It's much harder to understand what's going on when the names are also vaguely similar.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

What Monstrous Gods
Rosamund Hodge

“… he tried to save me from a fate that I’m only now beginning to comprehend.”

If falling in love with a ghost intrigues you, this is for you. A definite enemies to lovers tale. YA with little to no spice.

Loosely inspired by the classic Sleeping Beauty fairy tale, I gotta say I was intrigued the entire time. A combo of magic, ghosts, gods, with great worldbuilding. Really enjoyed it!