I was slightly concerned when I saw this tale was set in Victorian Britain, the location very much overused within Fiction. However, I was pleasantly surprised by the complex gothic world-building. Miro introduces many well-developed characters, and a lot of them come in different shades of grey.

In simple terms, the book follows children who are born with various special talents. Talents, that land them finding refuge in Cairndale Institute in Scotland, whilst a man hunts them down with terrifying determination. The ensemble is diverse and every character does have their own voice, ensuring you find your own favourite amongst the group.

The only reason I mark it down is because the pace is a bit slow, there was quite a bit of fluff, and with the length of the book - I wouldn’t recommend it for those who enjoy a shorter read. The pace definitely picks up in the last hundred pages, but for me - that didn’t make up for the rest of the book.

The concept is good but sometimes hard to follow. I feel that if Miro had made this darker it would have been more captivating.

What an amazing Sampler!! I'm so excited for the full book!! Not much to say at it was only a touch of the story but it sounds amazing. I'm very intrigued as to where this is going and what is going to happen!!

Ahhhh I need more! I need to see more of cute little Marlowe and see what happens with the others. I can't wait for the release of this book, it's going to be incredible. Thanks for the exclusive look!

Firstly I want to thank Netgalley and the publisher for the e-arc exclusive extract 😍❤️

I may have only read a chunk of this book but what I have read was incredible. The author has today drawn me in and I can’t wait to get my hands on the finished book!!

I’ve already formed a bond with the characters that I’ve read about, their lives have been sad and hard and yet have been full already in the small amount of years. Magic has touched them and I REALLY want to know more about this. Right at the end of the extract it implies that there’s going to be some sort of The Atlas Six or X-Men sort of gathering of magical abilities in Edinburgh and I’m so here for that!! 😍😍

I also loved that it was based in Victorian London and we went to the US for a bit. The contrast was everything, the horrendous life that Charlie has lived there is shown so well.

As I said previously, I really can’t wait to get my hands on the finished version on this book, J.M. Miro’s world has set my imagination on fire ❤️❤️ 5 Stars for sure!!

I loved this extract and can't wait to finish this book as I need to know that Eliza is OK! I found this an extremely easy read and was easily able to imagine the 19th century London setting as if it were a film I was watching in my head. The story of Marlowe a blue boy with the power to melt people and Charlie who has died multiple times but keeps coming back with out a blemish. Thank you Bloomsbury publishing and Netgalley for the extract in exchange for an honest review.

This is without a doubt my most anticipated book for this year and I am so excited now I’ve read this extract!! There were so many things going on in these few pages already and I’m intrigued by the different powers and abilities everyone has in this book - Marlowe has blue glowing powers and Charlie can heal himself: what other powers may emerge in the book!??
I’m already so in love with Eliza and I hope good things for her !!! I also really enjoyed the writing style, not overly complex like some fantasy books, plain English that was easy to understand!! I definitely want to know what happens to Charlie Ovid and if he manages to leave Mississippi, it’s so interesting to bring in the slave narrative and I’m so Intrigued by the two murder cases that are happening!!

just enough to draw you in to the story - in London, a blue shining boy who can melt people with his touch. In the mid West of the US, a teenager who heals himself, even from bullets. a couple of detectives with instructions from a mysterious employer to gather these people up and bring them to Edinburgh. like Umbrella Academy meets Ruby in the Smoke - I'm definitely looking forward to the rest of the story!

This extract has me so excited to read the full novel. This will be my first dalliance with JM Miro’s work and I’m excited to see where this story takes us!

So, nagging on scottish representation is kind of my niche, and I will admit I requested this book hoping it would give me an excuse to pull out all of the critisisms again. The excerpt did not so any part of Scotland as such, but it doesn't really matter, as I quickly forgot my origional goal. The story starts off rather uncomfortably, I must say, the rapidfire of topics as abuse, unwanted pregnancy and miscarriage in the first chapter alone was a wee bit, very, much. the book does this with other subjects as well and it is slightly jarring, sometimes feeling like these things are written in as an aftertought without the gravitas I feel they might hold otherwise. This my main complaint with this book, but in the end there is a cast of characters I found more than pleasantly surprising. I found myself genuienly caring what was going to happen to little Marlowe, but even less prominent characters like Brynt, feel like people with lives and pasts, with stories to tell, and that is what pulls me straight back in. I want to know it all... so yes I think I may need to get the rest of the book when i get the chance. I am intrigued.

Thrilled to have been granted the chance to read an early extract of this book, and now cannot wait even more for it’s release!! Checking every day to see if the full novel is on here yet!! Haha
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Thanks to Bloomsbury and Netgalley for the early glimpse!!

I thank the publishers for allowing me to read the extract from this book. I found the writing to be good and the plot, or at least as much of it as was revealed in the extract, absorbing. I will definately look forward to reading the book in its entirety.

This excerpt, giving the origins to Marlowe and Charlie Ovid, two of the Talents of this series, is such a strong hook that I’ll be grabbing the full text at the earliest opportunity. The opening prose is very dense, and more editing of the fulsome sentences in the first few pages would make for a better, more engaging beginning, but the writing soon gets more accessible. I really liked the approach of introducing Marlowe through Eliza’s eyes, and it makes for a good contrast to Charlie’s background as well. Alice and Coulton are solid creations, though we’ve yet to get anywhere near the full measure of them, or whether they will matter to the ongoing story once Charlie is back in the UK. As these are still introductions, I don’t think the brisk pacing is a problem here, but I’d be concerned that the plot might run away with itself if the pace stays this skittish all the way through.

So, not a lot to go on, then, but very tantalising. Definitely a book I will be buying and recommending.

a good if brief insight into ordinary monsters. it reminded me vaguely of night circus and other historical fantasy novels. it had a certain dickensian feel to it.

This book is going to be a true masterpiece in historical fantasy and I can't wait until I have the opportunity to read the full and finished version

Even though this was only an extract the author is already doing a wonderful job of conveying a darkly atmospheric late 1800s setting. There is plenty of mystery to keep a reader riveted and wanting more and I'm very intrigued by the characters and story so far!

Definitely looking forward to reading more, many thanks to J. M. Miro and Bloomsbury for the chance to read and review this extract.

I really enjoyed this extract. It strikes me as an 18th Century version of the XMen! People have unusual powers that mean they are misunderstood and mistreated. Someone (don’t know who yet) is trying to bring them together. (I think!)

Oooo I'm interested. I have so many questions. Who are these people and what do they do? Why is the kid the way he is? What's going on and what's going to happen? A dark and mysterious sort of book that I can't wait to read more!

I was lucky enough to receive and early extract of Ordinary Monster by J. M. Miro and let me tell you I am counting down the days until I can get my hands on the whole thing !

The atmosphere of gothic-esuqe mystery and darkness is impeccable, set in the 1880s it has all the style, gloom and suspense of a Sherlock Holmes novel.

Everything about this book draws you in closer and closer and the character and world building is just excellent.

I would recommend for readers who enjoy Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Manisclaco, Frankenstein and The Alienist.

Thanks to J. M. Miro and Bloomsbury publishing for the opportunity to review this extract

A dark, atmospheric opening with some excellent character building. I was already looking forward to this book being released, but now I really can’t wait

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this amazing extract....

wow for a very short extract it has it all...violence, mystery and all sorts of wonder....

cant wait for the actual book to come out because if its as good as the extract then this book is going to be amazing