Thank you for the eARC, NetGalley and HarperCollins.
I really liked Cruel Beauty and Crimson Bound by Rosamund Hodge, so I was looking forward to What Monstrous Gods.

I wish I'd liked it more, but it wasn't my cup of tea, sadly. Part of it is probably due to how much it focused on religion and belief. There were some interesting points on that, but there were just too many discussions between the main characters about their religions, and how one is better than the other.

The plot didn't really hold my attention, and I don't feel we got to know the characters enough, or that they had enough reason to fall in love.

It reminded me a bit (a lot?) of Wicked Saints by Emily Duncan. I think readers who liked that and maybe The Wolf and the Woodsman (more in terms of vibes and focus on religion) will also enjoy What Monstrous Gods.

Overall, I didn't think it was bad, it just wasn't for me - 2.5 stars.

Wow. The description of the book does not do it justice. It’s technically all an accurate plot description but really, this is the story of a girl who wrestles with her faith as she learns more about the gods she was raised to worship. The conversations between Lia and Ruven are incredibly deep for a fantasy romance.

Rosamund Hodge weaves a captivating tale of gods, duty, and betrayal in "What Monstrous Gods," a spellbinding fantasy that will keep readers on the edge of their seats.
Centuries ago, the heretic sorcerer Ruven cast a deadly briar around Runakhia's palace, plunging the royal family into an enchanted slumber and silencing the kingdom's gods. Lia, born with a miraculous gift, holds the destiny to kill Ruven and awaken the royals from their sleep. However, her task is far from over.
After successfully waking the royals, Lia is faced with a new duty—to marry into the royal family and forge a pact with a god, or face certain death. But the challenges don't end there. Ruven's spirit continues to haunt her, adding to the turmoil of her mission.

As Lia and Prince Araunn, her betrothed, embark on a pilgrimage to awaken the gods, they discover that the ancient deities are far more dangerous than they ever imagined. In a world where old and new guards clash, Lia finds herself torn between her beliefs and what she knows is right. The stakes are high, and the choices she makes will determine the fate of not just the kingdom, but also her own life.
Throughout their journey, Lia and Araunn find themselves drawn to each other in unexpected ways. Lia must confront the ultimate dilemma choosing between duty and love, between the prince she is bound to by obligation and the secrets of her own past. Rosamund Hodge crafts a richly detailed world filled with intricate politics, ancient powers, and characters who grapple with the weight of their destinies. "What Monstrous Gods" is a gripping fantasy that delves deep into themes of loyalty, sacrifice, and the blurred lines between good and evil.

I really enjoyed this one.

It is a dark YA fantasy novel about a girl fated to save the royal family, who have been put under a slumber for 500 years, by murdering the sorcerer who set the spell. But what she isn’t expecting is the sorcerer to be frozen in time too - and he’s not too much older than her and is as much a pawn as she is. This is within the first couple of chapters of the book - what she doesn’t expect is his ghost to haunt her and what happens after she has become a hero?

The world building in this is great, it’s very detailed and it makes sense. This was billed to me as almost romantasy, while I’d say you could remove 95 percent of the romance element and still have a really good fantasy novel. It almost felt like an afterthought and I felt the main characters relationship to the gods, the royal family and her own powers was much more interesting.

I would love another book set in this world - it is a stand-alone and I felt the story arc was completed so well that a second book would almost ruin it, but a second book following a couple of the secondary characters or the sorcerers origin story would be interested.

4/5 this is one of the better YA books I’ve read this year so far.

’Seven girls they had sent, and none ever returned.
The eighth girl is me.’

Promise me gods in a fairytale inspired world and I’m naturally going to be eager to pick a book up. What fantasy fan can resist a novel that shows it most mystical and mighty beings interacting with the world? And I’m always entranced by the prospect of fairytale inspired narratives; particularly ones that appear to promise very different takes on the original tales. As you can probably figure out for yourself from this book’s blurb ’What Monstrous Gods’ only takes loose inspiration from the tale of Sleeping Beauty, namely it’s sleeping curse, and gives it a completely different focus in the form of some very devastating gods.

As soon as I read the descriptions of the various gods of Runakhia and the afflictions that their individual saints each suffered I was hooked on this book. There’s something deeply compelling and horrifying about tales such as this one and the bond between mortals and the gods was crafted wonderfully. The viewpoints of both – and how a 500 year absence had shaped it – was portrayed beautifully and Lia’s perspective was a fascinating one to follow in as you got to see how her past and the present shaped and changed her feelings towards the divine.

The world is one that I thoroughly enjoyed exploring and would happily revisit again, particularly for the aforementioned gods, saints and the history surrounding them (surely I’m not alone in longing for a companion similar to ’The Lives Of Saint’ given some of the horrors and miracles that are referenced here?). There were other elements within the setting that intrigued me too though such as the religious divides, devastating plague and political manoeuvring. Let’s be honest though, the central drama of this book revolves around two things – the gods and romance.

Thankfully I can say that I quite enjoyed the romantic elements on the whole. There was the type of taunting and teasing that never fails to reel me in and the unique nature of the pairing made it an intriguing one to watch unravel. Personally I do wish that certain shifts in feelings had been given a little bit more page time however. Similarly I do feel that certain major events could have benefited from the same thing. There wasn’t any drama that I found truly out of place, I just feel that with a bit more time spent on certain sections the impact could have hit me harder, making this more of a five star read.

On the whole I certainly recommend ’What Monstrous Gods’ though and can see it appealing to many young adult fantasy fans. The godly involvement – which given the title will surely intrigue most readers – is fascinating to discover and the struggles of Lia concerning her faith are believably managed too. Admittedly there was one occasion when I felt that the gods could have been more impactful but on the whole they were gloriously well depicted. So if the title and premise intrigues you I’d certainly recommend checking this out. Personally I’m even more eager to read more of Rosamund Hodge’s previous novels now.

Well... every character in this book was infuriating. Lia is a naive girl - all the way through with "I love the Gods" saying it over and over again - yes, we get it and you're an idiot. The royal family were awful, as were the Gods. Not one likeable character. Its a great story but I didn't get the most out of it before I kept rolling my eyes are these frustratingly unrelatable characters.

I've read the Little Red Riding Hood retelling by this author and absolutely loved it. I also own the Beauty and the Beast retelling, but for some reason I still haven't read that one. I hope to change that soon. However, when I saw this book on Amazon and Netgalley I knew I had to have it. Gods, enemies to lovers, royalty. What's not to like? I was even happier when Magpie granted me a review copy through Netgalley a few days before the book was officially released! I started reading right away.

The beginning of this book was awesome. It immediately grabbed me and I immediately felt a connection with the heroine of the story. However, then I was surprised that the first part of the story went so incredibly fast! All of a sudden the book took a different turn from what I was expecting and I needed a little time to feel comfortable with that new direction. Although, the book and I never became the dream match I had hoped we would be.

I can't really pinpoint why though. The writing style is lovely. The book was easy to read and I flew through it. I also really loved all the characters in this story. They were all clearly different, layered, complicated and therefore interesting. Some characters showed their colors a little easier than others, but it was worth waiting to get to know them all. I also loved the Gods, the world building and all the politics.

So, why isn't this my new favorite book ever? I think for some reason the combination of all those elements felt a little chaotic. There was romance, but for some reason it felt like that romance never deepens. The world building is wonderful and yet it feels like it was maybe a little too brilliant for this specific story and book. Just like there were so many amazing characters that it was almost a pity that a lot of those characters had not enough pagetime.

I still loved this book and enjoyed reading it. I had just expected a little bit more which is now clouding my initial judgment.

"A Feather So Black" by Lyra Selene weaves a captivating tale set in a kingdom where magic has faded and intrigue thrives. The story follows Fia, a rare changeling with fae blood, raised by the queen and trained as a spy. Tasked with a mission to rescue the true princess, Eala, from the clutches of the dark fae lord Irian, Fia embarks on a journey fraught with danger and emotional turmoil.

The plot unfolds with layers of suspense and mystery as Fia navigates the enchanted forests of the Folk, where danger lurks behind every shadow. Alongside her is Prince Rogan, her childhood friend and Eala's betrothed, adding a complex dynamic to their quest. As Fia grapples with her feelings for both Rogan and the enigmatic Irian, she begins to question the true nature of her mission and her own identity.

Selene's writing style is rich with vivid imagery, painting a fantastical world brimming with magic and peril. The characters are well-developed, each with their own motivations and secrets. Fia emerges as a compelling protagonist, torn between loyalty to her queen and the stirrings of her heart.

However, while the story captivates with its intricate plot and vibrant characters, there are moments where the pacing falters, and certain plot points feel rushed. Additionally, some aspects of the world-building could have been further explored to enhance the reader's immersion in the fantastical realm of Tír na nÓg.

Overall, "A Feather So Black" delivers a mesmerizing blend of fantasy, romance, and adventure. It's a tale of love and sacrifice, where the boundaries between good and evil blur, leaving readers questioning the true nature of heroism. As Fia grapples with her destiny and the secrets of her past, she learns that the greatest battles are often fought within oneself.

"What Monstrous Gods" is a ya fantasy novel written by Rosamund Hodge and loosely inspired by the "Sleeping Beauty" fairy tale. A book about which I had very high expectations, but which unfortunately left me lukewarm.

I loved the dark fairy tale atmosphere that hovers between the pages, as well as the bewitching and evocative prose. The kingdom of Runakhia, inspired by Victorian England, fascinated me with its political, social and religious tensions. In particular, religion takes a central role in the book, in a land divided between faiths and beliefs deeply different from each other. The idea of the royal family, awakened after 500 years of magical sleep, is fascinating, as is the presence of gods and saints who, infused with divine power, are destined to die painfully. In short, a dark world building, full of potential, that unfortunately seemed poorly developed and nebulous to me.

The story proceeds hastily and chaotically, between plot holes and convenient situations, with numerous time jumps and scenes taken for granted. Seriously, at some moments I got the feeling that pieces were missing! 

Lia, protagonist with her only first person pov, convinced me by analysis and development. Born with a miraculous gift, survived a plague that wiped out her entire family, Lia is destined to awaken the royals and kill Ruven, the sorcerer responsible for their magical sleep and the silence of the gods. However, when her success leads to unexpected developments, Lia begins to falter. Unlike her, the rest of the secondary characters, including Ruven, seemed extremely shallow to me. A shame, especially for Ruven! I mean we are talking about a dead boy, killed by Lia, whose spirit begins to haunt her! Basically the recipe for the perfect enemies to lovers, with a lot of angst attached! 

All in all, "What Monstrous Gods" is a novel with a fantastic premise that, unfortunately, did not convince me in its development.

Thank you to the Publisher and NetGalley for giving me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Lia has the Royal Gift, so she has been raised to kill the evil Ruben, a sorcerer who trapped the royal family in a deep sleep 500 years ago. She succeeds in killing him and is welcomed by the royals - but that is only the start of her trials.

This book is phenomenal. I loved the world building, seeing Lia develop, learning more about the Gods. Was totally gripped from start to finish, and I suspect this will become a book that I reread whenever I want a solid, beautifully written fantasy!

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

For a book that has a lot of details about the gods, it is an incredibly easy and quick read. The world building is surprisingly easy and doesn't feel heavy, which is refreshing for a story that includes so much information about numerous gods.

I did find Lia to be a bit whiny sometimes and there's a lot of angst that she works through, but her character was interesting if a little annoying. She's a very naive character and this gets frustrating at points as you want her to learn but she's quite slow on the uptake, which means the reader has a much better idea of the peril she's in than she does.

I think the story may have benefited from dual POVs, as I wanted to know more about what drive Ruven to cast the spell and see more of the changes that he went through from his perspective. Not giving this insight meant that his character was quite weak and never really developed.

I wanted to get more into the politics of the story to fully understand the difference between the royal family and the modern world. This didn't really happen as the story follows Lia who is on the outside of all of this and we only gain understanding as she does.

While I enjoyed the book, I was expecting more. It was a much lighter read than I was anticipating though and while the end was inevitable, it was also sweet.

This book is entirely YA so a couple of kisses and a touch of romance with angst thrown in. It's a fun and easy read.

To caveat this review I think the writing in this book was good, I just don’t think the content was for me.

I went into this knowing that there was a religious aspect to this story. What I wasn’t prepared for is how prominent it is. I really struggled as I’m not religious myself and so couldn’t relate to the characters as well as I’d have liked to. I also felt that aside from Lia some of the characters were lacking in depth and the pace meant I didn’t buy into the story as much as usual.

As a sleeping beauty retelling it’s a really fresh take which was great. The premise was really interesting and if the religious aspect suits you then I think you’ll really enjoy it.

It’s closed door which I don’t mind, I don’t always need spice but I think sometimes intimacy can really add to a relationships dynamic.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this copy.

A retelling of the Sleeping Beauty fairytale and I really loved the character of Lia. Very enjoyable, in fact I loved the story. Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for giving me a copy of the book.

Talk about a traditional tale getting twisted... this one got my head turning and turning. It is a retelling of the Sleeping Beauty story. It is modernised with values that are more relevant to contemporaries, yet it is set in Victorian times. It is definitely a thought-provoking story.

What Monstrous Gods was a pleasant surprise of a read for me. I have tried some of the author's previous books, but never managed to get into them. But that wasn’t the case here. Right from the start Lia was the flawed but smart, selfless and determined main character that a story that deals with powerful gods and faith needs to carry it. The book deals with gods and their saints, faithfuls and faithless, blessings and burdens, and most importantly - who and what someone is willing to risk for the greater good. The pantheon of the gods, the concept of how humans connect with the gods abilities and the overall lore of the world was very interesting to read about.

While Lia was a great mc, the rest of the cast wasn’t very fleshed out, and sometimes felt pretty empty. This was also the case of her love interest Ruven. It felt like he only had a few lines he constantly cycled back to, and while the romance started out engaging it eventually started to stall as there wasn’t much more to it.

If you enjoyed books like Little Thieves and Vespertine, then you’ll probably also like this one.

I love Rosamund Hodge retellings. They’re always dark twisted and rooted in assorts of fascinating historical things as well as her faith which always gives an interesting extra dimension to her characters.
This novel take on Sleeping Beauty, flips gender roles and examines religion, faith, crisis of faith and religion as a political weapon whilst also being gripping, eldritch and absorbing.
As with all of Hodge’s stories, the world is rich and real, this one is analogous to the Victorian era of industrialisation, with Lia waking a royal family kept under a sleeping enchantment by the sorcerer Ruvan for 500 years. (Imagine falling asleep during the Hundred Years’ War and waking up in the industrial era). 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.

I really enjoyed the way the story develops, the way the truth of the royal family and the nature of the gods and the things Lia finds herself doing simply in order to survive are propelled by her dynamic with Ruven, her unwavering love for the gods even as she finds herself doubting what they are and deconstructing what she was taught by the nuns who raised her.
I really enjoyed how her core values remained the same even as she doubted herself, the gods, and everyone around her as her worldview shifted.
Her relationship with Ruven is brilliant and i love the way it develops and transforms and twists.

The book is so engaging and unputdownable The world building is dangerous, religious and engrossing . This is inspired by sleeping beauty fairytale. The characters were mysterious and they have hidden facades. The book has twists and turns. The ending is so shocking. It was such a rollercoaster ride, I felt so many emotions. I read it in one sitting.

Lia is born with a gift and she is destined to kill Ruven and unbind the Royal family, break the curse and wake them up and the gods too as centuries ago he raised a briar around palace and bound them and silenced the gods. What was a royal palace now is surrounded by thorns and hedge. Lia has lost her loved ones and grew up in orphan. The secrets spill off soon and truth comes in light. Old Gods are not what they appear to be and nothing hurts more than betrayal and rejection. To protect the royal family and Runakhia, Lia must awake the gods. If she fails to please them, then tragic death awaits her.

Things take a tragic turn and Lia’s odyssey becomes dangerous. So many terrifying things happens in the plot. When her destiny takes a different turn, she feels that she was living in a delusion till now and she finds it hard to trust anyone. Each action has a consequence, she must make a wise choice. Either she fulfil her royal duties or she choose a path that can lead to darkness and uncertainty.

Many thanks to the Author, Publisher and Netgalley