The vibes of this completely hit. A questioning nun with a big ole destiny being tormented by the very sorcerer she was "meant" to kill? God tier. I think the main characters are beautifully portrayed and I found myself loving every step of the mystery. This was an easy yet illusive read that had me questioning everything by the end. Lia is fighting to understand the honor she's always been told is hers versus the consequences of her most ruthless actions. This cover is gorgeous and so is the writing, her words completely flow.

This book addresses what it is to believe in something strongly even while that faith is falling apart. This book does a great job of showing how many people with different beliefs are all doing their best to do good.

》ARC Review: What Monstrous Gods《

What Monstrous Gods was a read that left me deep in thought upon completion. I absolutely felt positive towards it— happy to have read it, but I wasn’t sure if I truly unlocked all it offers, because it offers so very much. It’s the type of book that I think, if I read again I will develop a deeper understanding and a greater appreciation. But for this first go I can sum it up that I felt a lot towards this book. A lot of intrigue and a lot of love. It surprised me, in a very good way.

It wasn’t always easy to traverse through the journey presented, but it’s one I’ll look back on fondly.

》The Leads《

Lia. Lia is our protagonist. Sent on a mission to kill one with the purpose to heal all else, Lia accomplishes said mission right away at the start of the book, an action that will haunt her for the rest of the story. Lia is not a warrior, nor aggressor, she intends on being a nun, on being blessed to heal others. But the action she was raised to do comes with great consequence, altering her expected destiny, making her question who she is.

What I enjoyed about Lia was she is not without flaws. She is very flawed, in fact. She can be envious, insecure, stubborn, and even ignorant. She is vulnerable and unsure of herself. But she is always full of love, of hope, of desire to better the world. To do good. To learn to regret and reconsider her actions. Even if it takes a while (a too long while at times), she reflects in a ways not all YA leads will do. Oftentimes, YA leads seems invulnerable to wrongs and flaws, they tend to stand on the right side whilst everyone else is in the wrong; so it’s refreshing to witness a heroine who doesn’t always get it right. And how to internalized those wrongs and question the right next step.

Ruven. Ruven may not be a POV co-lead, but he is a major play nonetheless. He is in every way Lia’s foil. What she considers blasphemy, he considers truth, and vice versa. Their perspectives of the world far differs one another, but at the same time they come to deeply understand one another because they see each other reflected in the other. They are an imperfectly perfect complement. They were born to be weapons without realizing it and they understand the inner plight that realization wrought within their souls. I really enjoyed when Ruven would interrupt Lia with his observations and stances of the newly (re)created world she seemingly saved. I enjoyed his character immensely.

》The Romance《

The romance is very understated in the book, and a slow burn. I was part satisfied, part wanting more. Much more. I wanted more focus on the complex, complicated love story than the plot featuring gods, saints, and royals. The connection between our leads is immediate and undeniable, their falling in love doesn’t surprise me, but it also didn’t wholly satisfy. I mean, Lia killed Ruven, his blood is literally on her hands. Their is so much complicated history between them, and while that aspect is well navigated, how it jumps to falling in love felt a bit too sudden. I wish it would have developed more overtly.

》The Caveat《

I did struggle navigating the world-building: the theology, the magic, all of it. However, I felt this was more an issue with me than the book. I just couldn’t unlock it even as everything was laid out for us. To put it bluntly, I didn’t feel smart enough for it, so it went right over my head most times. While this did hinder my enjoyment at times, I wouldn’t say it affects my rating.

My only prominent caveat was Lia’s actions, or inactions should I say. For as much as I enjoy seeing a lead be flawed and vulnerable, I became frustrated by her clearly willful ignorance. Even as the truth seeped in to the point of obvious, Lia still denied it as much as she could. On one hand, I appreciate the internal struggle, I massively, massively appreciate seeing a lead who isn’t perfect, who isn’t always right, but I wish she was more decisive for the right things a lot quicker than she demonstrated. I was frustrated a bit too often for my liking.

But I still loved Lia, flaws and all, while I’d change that aspect, I wouldn’t change the rest.

》The Conclusion《

This book intrigued me, it was a slow burn in many ways, not just in romance but also in build up. It allows the reader to take their time in unrolling all they feel as they read along. I’m still going through the emotions but I know this a book I won’t forget any time soon— and one I plan to happily purchase to rest upon my shelves.

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins for providing me an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Content warnings: murder, ghosts, questioning religion

Lia's one golden eye marks her as the chosen of the gods, touched with the same gift of Runakhia's royal family. The royals have been asleep for 500 years in their palace surrounded by a deadly briar; the heretic sorcerer Ruven created the briar and put the royal family into their long sleep. That's where the resemblance to Sleeping Beauty ends.

The gods have been silent since the briar was erected. Their temples still exist, but holy saints have not been created for centuries and the gods have all but abandoned Runakhia. Lia is raised at the convent of Nin Anna, a goddess of healing. Lia's purpose is to use her royal gift to venture into the briar and kill Ruven, freeing the royal family and allowing the gods to visit Runakhia once again.

As the title suggests, the gods aren't role models. The saints they create eventually die because their mortal bodies can't handle being touched by the godly power. Only those with the royal gift (like Lia) can be chosen by the gods and live indefinitely.

Lia fulfills her divine purpose and cannot wait to visit her goddess, Nin Anna. But when her visit with Nin Anna goes awry, Lia must reevaluate her purpose, her past, and her act of murder. She is haunted by the ghost of the boy she killed, who encourages her to question the royal family, the saints, and the gods themselves.

Recommended for readers of YA fantasy and dark fantasy.

Representation: orphan, polytheism

This is my second favorite of the entire year, hands down. I went into this book blindly but this did NOT disappoint. There’s not a single chapter where something DOESN’T happen. I felt like I was I was the main character tbh and could not put this book down.

🖤Heretic x Wannabe nun
🖤Murder meet cute
🖤Politics and cults
🖤Enemies to lovers
🖤He haunts her
🖤Religious trauma


One day a stranger wearing a dark cloak with shadows lapping at his feet entered the Royal palace……
**cough** gives shadow and bone vibes **cough** and he challenged the Royal rule and end all saints. His name is Ruvan, the man Lia is tryna kill. But he puts all the royals to sleep 🫠. I loved this entrance and I knew ruvan was my favorite anti hero Romeo

We have this badass heroine who has so much confidence and worships a god she’s not even sure is real. She was born with the “royal gift” and was expected to kill ‘Ruvan’, and awake the royals and the gods again after 500 years.

Although, her childhood is completely devastating and heartbreaking. She went through a lot of trauma, but she persevered through it. You can see the way the trauma sticks with her throughout the book and the way it translates into her decision making.

The politics and cults in this world is outstanding. Honestly could probably connect to the reality rn in our world on earth……. Anyways, I loved learning about the gods and their meanings. I was crying, laughing, and loving everything about the gods. You will experience so many emotions.

I’m so swoony over Ruvan and Lia. I LOVED their first interaction. Every single interaction after that is to die for. I couldn’t ask for better enemies to lovers than this cause she literally kills him.

There’s lots of different groups of people in this world and I love it. That’s where politics comes in because when the royals wake up, they’re obviously wayyy before the current time, where a prime minister takes place.

Another AMAZING character : Prince Araunn, a Royal who was awakened by Lia. The Queen announces him and Lia are to be betrothed (for political alliance). He is so gentleman like and it’s kind of a love triangle in a way. He’s actually one of the best characters in this story. It was actually really hard for me to choose Araunn or Ruvan and thats a first.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ take all the stars for this one ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Please read this when it comes out in March if 2024, and thank you to NetGalley and Rosamund Hodge for allowing me to read an eARC 😭

This was such a fantastic and a tantalising read! Without spoiling it any further, I would just simply say, I loved the take on *this* specific fairy tale. The twists and turns had me gasping every now and then, but that ending made it all very fulfilling!

I wish I loved this book more than I did, because the premise of it was wonderful. However, it was heavily religious in a somewhat odd way, and I never quite got a grasp on the magic system for the world, which made it frustrating to read through at times.

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Thank you to NetGalley for providing me an e-arc of this title. This review contains my honest thoughts.

Thank you NetGalley and the publishing company for giving me an advanced readers copy in exchange for my honest review.

If you are a fan of any fairy tale retelling then you will want to pick this book up! Especially if you love character development and character focused stories then you will need this book!

On paper, Rosamund Hodge’s latest promises everything I look for in a comfort read. Magic world? Check. Enemies to lovers? Check. Fairytale retellings featuring strong women MCs that cast aside old-school gender norms? Check, check, check. In reality, WHAT MONSTROUS GODS is less of what the premise implies, and more of an intensely religious story that ultimately fails to deliver.

Protagonist Lia’s journey in this is frustrating to follow. She stubbornly repeats the same mistakes and is quick to turn away insight from evidently genuine sources, which makes her a difficult character to root for. I’m all for a mystery unraveling as the plot progresses, but here it’s done so slowly, that by the time Lia realizes what’s actually taking place, I was ready to launch this into the SEA (and not in a good, angsty kind of way). Her budding romance also ended up losing me. It takes ages for Lia and her love interest to move from intense mutual dislike into something substantial. When it finally happens, their relationship progresses so rapidly it feels false.

I truthfully had to shrug off the growing urge to DNF this—I really only stayed with it through the end for the sake of this review—and I can see that being the case for other YA or fantasy readers, too. That said, if you’re someone who is big on religious themes being the overarching focus in your fiction of choice, you may want to give this a chance.

All in all, WHAT MONSTROUS GODS has promise, but fails to offer much beyond that.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC. All opinions my own.

I received this ARC for free (thank you Netgalley!) in exchange for an honest review.

Rosamund knows how to write a story that keeps you reading well into the night. I laughed, I cried, yes I even cringed some at the details. Lia and Ruven’s characters are well done. You hurt when Lia is hurt. You are sad when Ruven is sad.
Great job!

I wasn't expecting such a fantastic read. I don't know what I was expecting exactly, but let me just say this was beyond wonderful. While reading this I felt my attention suspended solely between the pages of the book. It was part romance, action and fantasy. If you're looking for something different, something that'll have you guessing till the end, then check this out. Highly recommended!

I did not understand the magic system and was not rooting for anything in this world. I thought I would love it but alas I didn't.

Thank you HarperCollins Children's Books, Balzer + Bray/Netgalley for the eARC!

Rosamund Hodge has always been a favorite author of mine--and I was thrilled to see that she was coming out with a new book. I think this one will be on my favorite shelf. Richly written, engaging, and dripping with worldbuilding, if you've liked Hodge's previous titles, I'd definitely recommend picking this one up as well. With a lot of novels I'm seeing lately, there are definitely some religious (and political, really) undertones that drive the book. I imagine--for various reasons--that won't be for everyone. At times, I thought it became Too Much, but I liked the story, world, and characters enough to read on, and I didn't regret spending my time with this book. Leaning on the darker side of fairytale-ish stories, which seem very popular right now, WHAT MONSTROUS GODS ranks up in my favorites, definitely.

Looking forward to seeing where Rosamund Hodge goes from here.

This was amazing, I really loved the dark nature of the book, kind of graphic and dealing with things like bad gods and religious trauma/failings. It was just violent enough to be enjoyable and stand out.
The plot was incredibly fast-paced and I couldn't put the book down. I loved the ghost love interest and the idea that Lia kills him, only to fall in love with him later. The political intrigue and religious/saint aspects were so interesting.
One of my favorite YA fantasies in a while! I don't read a lot of YA anymore, but I'm so glad I did for this.

Thank you to HarperCollins Children's Books, Balzer + Bray, and Netgalley for an e-arc for honest review. What a monstrous god was such a beautiful story to read. I loved the retelling.

This was my first book by this author and I really enjoyed the flow of the story. I like the undercurrent of dark themes and enjoyed the political/religious drive of the book with the fantastical aspects of fantasy mixed into a “sleeping beauty retelling”. I especially love how the book takes off right at the beginning and immediately turned away from the story I thought I’d be taken on! Lia & Ruven’s dynamic was great writing, but Lia was a little frustrating with how long she took to pick up on everything 🥴 Great YA book!

This book was a pleasure to read. It scared me at the start, because it practically starts with an ending. I was obsessed with the relationship between Lia and Ruven this entire book. I also really like the way this book looks at religion. Lia's powers were super cool, as was her character arc. I cannot wait to see if there's another book or what the author writes next

This book was brilliant and gut-wrenching, thoughtful and strange, sad and beautiful. I deeply enjoyed the meditation on religion and what it means to love (and to be loved by) the divine. The horribly impossible romance was absolute perfection—she's blessed by the death goddess and he's the ghost of the man she KILLED and aughhhh it was AMAZING. My hat is off to Rosamund, and I cannot wait to see what she has in store for us next.

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

First of all, what a gorgeous cover! What Monstrous Gods by Rosamund Hodge is a YA fantasy book that takes the Sleeping Beauty fairy tale and runs off with it. The story revolves around Lia, who has been raised by an order to nuns to assassinate the sorcerer Ruven. Long ago, Ruven cursed the royal family into an eternal sleep, and if Lia manages to kill him, the royal family will reawaken. Unfortunately, when Lia succeeds, nothing is like what she expects. Ruven's ghost is haunting her, and she's now engaged to the royal prince. What is her heart telling her?

Here is an atmospheric excerpt from Chapter 1:

"The gods are silent.
The gods are always silent.
We know this, in the Convent of St. Eruvaun, better than anyone. The gods no longer touch our world. They do not make saints who can work miracles. They do not speak, and perhaps they cannot even hear us.
But that doesn’t stop me from praying silently, desperately, as I half trot to keep up with Sister Zenuvan’s long strides, my boots slipping against cobblestones that are slick with the morning’s rain."

Overall, What Monstrous Gods is a Sleeping Beauty retelling that will appeal to fans of the book Wicked Saints and the movie Just Like Heaven. One highlight of this book is the very original premise. It really made me want to keep reading. Another highlight of this book is the detailed world-building and explanations of the magic system. I felt like I was immersed into a new world while I was reading. One final highlight of this book is how the story went into different directions that I wasn't expecting. If you're intrigued by the excerpt above, or if you're a fan of YA fantasy in general, I highly recommend that you check out this book when it comes out in March!

I have been waiting for this book for YEARS. I first read the synopsis on Goodreads and have been checking for updates ever since. I knew I would love this concept, and I absolutely did. I think the world and the conflict are interesting and immersive. I personally love stories where we discover things alongside our protagonist, so I didn’t mind being kept in the dark for some things. My only complaint is the main character. Lia was really hard to like or understand. She seemed so naive to the world around her and just flat out refused to accept things that were right in front of her. Her motivations didn’t make sense to me either. Overall though, I think the rest of the cast and the story itself are strong enough to make an enjoyable reading experience.