This Monster of Mine is easily one of my top reads of the year! The first book in a sizzling dark Ancient Rome-inspired romantasy debut that blew me away, TMOM is definitely on my reread list! The magic system was so unique and the story kept me guessing.

You NEED to read this one if you’re a fan of:
🩶Slow burn forbidden romance
🩶Forced proximity - he’s literally her boss
🩶Magic x law
🩶Justice and revenge
🩶M*rder mystery
🩶Morally grey characters that are ACTUALLY morally grey
🩶MAJOR Darkling vibes PLS 🙂‍↕️🙏🏻

Definitely check trigger warnings for this one‼️

An absolutely magnificent debut! An unbelievable turn of events, fight for justice and discovery of true power.
The whole world building was extremely impressive, unique and I loved how the mysterious investigation went on, using the MC’s own personal history and the corruption of the jury/law system of this city.

I really enjoyed the exploration of a different type of enemies to lovers, unique magic system, gods, hint of Roman inspired world! Cannot wait to read from this author more.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for a free ARC in exchange for a review.

I enjoyed this Ancient Rome-esque world and the mystery within it! The Ancient Rome inspiration is definitely a whisper. If you weren't very familiar with the triumvirate period, you probably wouldn't notice a ton of similarities, which is quite fun, as Abeysekara really makes her world her own. I wish the runes and the magic system were a little more explained, but there's definitely enough to get you on the level.

Sarai is a great, strong main character, and Kadra is a fun morally-grey counterpoint. My main issue was actually the mystery itself. Cisure is an almost comically over the top character, to the point where her friendship with Sarai was completely unbelievable. Her <spoiler> devotion to Aelius is not really well-developed and neither is her fanatical hatred for Kadra. Some reasoning is given, but based on the rest of her character, it doesn't totally make sense. She's also just ridiculously evil to an almost unreadable point. If I was to DNF this book, it would have been because of her. She makes Sarai seem like an idiot for not seeing how awful her BFF is. </spoiler>.

The reveal of who attacked Sarai was also made pretty obvious about 5% in. <spoiler> They literally say she's someone's aide's friend and she only has one friend. And her one friend is an aide for one guy. It's not exactly a puzzle. </spoiler> Her suspicions about Kadra are very unfounded, but at least you feel like there's something to unravel there.

I also found Cassandane a very frustrating character. One of the four most powerful people in the country and yet is constantly doing literally nothing. And it's not really explained why. She's just useless.

Overall, it's an enjoyable read but there are some roll-your-eyes moments sprinkled in. Three stars from me.

1.5 stars. DNF'd at 45% . i got the Arc for this book and honestly i tried to read it more than 5 times and everytime i struggled. Then the audiobook came out and i said let's give it one more go ,but honestly it was even worse!
The narrator was barely adequate . All the characters sounded the same and most of the times i felt confused to who spoked and if it is in a dialogue or their inner thoughts!
Honestly i don't get the hype for this book . Our FMC has a traumatic past and she is out for revenge but everything feels that purposely opens a path for her without the author truly justified them . Our MMC is supposedly the bad guy and the most powerful character in the book but it feels like a shadow that barely speaks or does something. I keep picturing him in a throne bored ,having all the answers and just seeing the show that unfolds in front of him ...hilarious .
i get that this is supposedly a book about justice and famine rage but there wasn't any chemistry between the characters and the writing was so off that the book lost me. I tried reading it several times and i just couldn't continue. Each time i felt more confused and the plot holes in the book bigger ! the purpose of a book, above all else , is to take you on a journey amd along the way to pass on a message to you. If i have to sweat to read a book , i don't want it !

DNF at 55%

I am so sorry because I would have LOVED to LOVE this book since it has exactly what I look for a in story: mystery, revenge plot and a hinted lover story with some power play? Count me in. I don’t know if it is the writing style or the slowness of the story (I am still waiting for it to “click”) but I just could not connect with the character nor rooting for them, and the curiosity alone could not put me through other 200 pages. I would have loved to loved it. Really. I am keeping an eye on the author since I really enjoyed the overall idea and concept (this is why I gave 3 stars) but I don’t think it’s for me.

I have been so looking forward to this release - and I'm so thrilled it lived up to my very high expectations. I loved every moment of this and I couldn't recommend it enough.

"It is difficult to have to convince others of your humanity. Not just being human but being... worthy of all the accoutrements of humanity."

This book was absolutely phenomenal and exactly what I've been craving. It is based on Ancient Rome and I loved the political intrigue, romance, and the plot kept me on my toes. Not to mention, the justice system is so fascinating and expertly done in the story.

3.5⭐This was an enjoyable, dark romantasy debut set in an Ancient Rome inspired fantasy world that was overflowing with sinister undertones and corruption, I was immediately drawn in by the opening flashback, detailing the horrific and violent attack that should have killed Sarai, the FMC, four years before the start of this book. It's important to highlight that this book is very dark at times and does come with content warnings that readers should be aware of before jumping in.

The politics, justice and magic system were all really interesting although it could be a little confusing at times to keep up with everything. I enjoyed the sizzling romantic tension between Sarai and Kadra, who was your classic dark and brooding morally grey love interest in the enemies>reluctant allies>lovers journey also have to give a shout out to Kadra's slutty little robe). I found Sarai to be a great FMC and enjoyed her female rage and unwillingness to be silenced where issues of classism, equality and injustice were concerned. However, I do wish that where some things and certain characters were concerned she was a bit quicker on the uptake and didn't stand for their shit (I have so much hate for this character on a Taryn in TFOTA level - which indicates they were well written by the author to incense me so much although I did think the reveal ended up being a little obvious)

Overall I enjoyed this one and look forward to book 2!

This Monster of Mine is a dark, twisty debut that blends political intrigue, slow-burn romance, and a touch of monster-infested horror, all set against a backdrop loosely inspired by Ancient Rome. The story hooked me with its unique premise and kept me invested through courtroom drama, layered power plays, and the magnetic, ever-evolving dynamic between Sarai and Kadra.

Though the opening is particularly dark and heavy (a heads-up for sensitive readers), the narrative soon finds its stride. Sarai, a determined prosecutor with a vengeful agenda, and Kadra, the morally grey judge she suspects of betrayal, have electric chemistry that steals the show. Every interaction crackles with tension, and their enemies-to-lovers arc is deliciously well-drawn.

While the worldbuilding is rich and intriguing, some of the Roman-inspired elements and political terms could have been clearer. A bit more clarity would have elevated the setting and helped ground the reader more firmly. Still, this didn’t take away too much from my enjoyment—it’s a gripping, ambitious debut and I’m definitely looking forward to what’s next.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the ARC!

4.5 ⭐️
Thank you to Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the ARC of This Monster of Mine

Okayyyy hello Kadra. I loved this, if I had had the opportunity I could have sat and lapped this up in a day but time didn’t allow it for me and it took me so much longer to finish than I’d have liked, but it was worth it.

Think dark fantasy, enemies to lovers, morally grey MMC with a little murder mystery thrown in.

Sarai our FMC is hell bent on revenge returning to the place where the ‘died’ 4 years earlier, and ends up being the Petitor to the man she believes was behind killing her… I think we all know how this goes.

.5 stars deducted because apparently this was set in ancient Roman times….. I wasn’t aware until I began reading other reviews lol oops. This wasn’t obvious (maybe just to me though, after researching the titles if you know your stuff about ancient Roman times this probably is obvious) and a few of the terms mentioned I didn’t understand. Had I known I feel I could have built a much better picture of the world and characters but regardless this was great.

3.5 rounded to 4.

A deadly game of deception, revenge, and painfully slow attraction, This Monster of Mine throws you into a world of courtroom battles and monster-infested shadows—but takes its sweet time getting to the payoff.

✨ A prosecutor with secrets sharper than her blade ⚖️ A ruthless judge who makes morality look flexible 🔥 A romance that simmers (and simmers… and simmers…)

Abeysekara crafts an intense, tension-filled world where every glance is a threat, and every touch carries consequences. The slow-burn romance is agonizingly drawn out, which might work for some—personally, I needed just a little more urgency.

If you love enemies-to-lovers with a side of courtroom power plays, this one will keep you hooked—just be prepared to wait for the sparks to catch fire.

Amazing romantasy with great characters and tension! The writing is also super immersive and easy to follow.

Actual rating: 4,5 stars

This was such a unique story, I loved the whole concept and plot so much!
It started quite dark and to be honest, I wasn't sure if I was in the headspace to stomach it, but I'm very glad I kept going (the beginning is also the darkest part for anyone else who might be worried).
I really enjoyed the Ancient Rome-inspired setting with all the unique twists, and I also really appreciated that the form of government wasn't one I've ever seen in fantasy.

The chemistry between Sarai and Kadra was done SO WELL, my initial doubts over whether I want to keep going with this books were eliminated the second they interacted with each other for the first time. I'm obsessed with their dynamic and how their relationship developed over the course of the book.

This book was also filled with intrigues and political power games and explorations of greed. While it wasn't necessarily hard to guess who the true villains were, the book didn't feel predictable and it was hard to stop reading as I wanted to learn ASAP how everything would unfold.

The reason why I'm not giving the book 5 stars is because I found it a little bit confusing at times, and I think some plot lines and the worldbuilding could have been done a bit more elegantly.
Still, I think this is a great debut novel and I'm very interested to see how the story will continue.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC.

Still latest in’ a different kind of fantasy started so so well great premise , however the narrative became very repetitive and it started to drag for me and came to an unsatisfactory conclusion , I wouldn’t continue if it was a series . Still a good debut but not for me

This book was absolutely phenomenal and exactly what I've been craving. It is based on Ancient Rome and I loved the political intrigue, romance, and the plot kept me on my toes. This was an extremely strong debut, well-written, well-plotted, with characters you either love or love to hate.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Firstly, thank you to NetGalley and Hodder for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I honestly wasn’t sure what to expect going into this book, especially after the opening was so brutal, but oh boy did I get sucked in! The world building was a little bit intense and confusing at times because I’m not particularly familiar with ancient Roman terminology, but I got through it and figured it out.

Most importantly - the yearning, obvious slow burn was 👌🏻 I also enjoyed watching Sarai learn who was friend and who was foe (although I thought she was a bit naive after being screwed by her “friend” for the umpteenth time 😂)

Overall a really good read!

I am so grateful to have been given the opportunity to read this ARC. What a brilliant book.

It is beautifully written, with characters you learn to love and root for, and the romance was perfect, in my opinion. I love a rival/enemies to lovers, which was the vibe for this.

The pacing and overall story kept me hooked, and never felt lacking even when things were calm.

Overall, an awesome book that I adored.

4.5/5 stars!

Hours after finishing and I'm still here, spinning in my chair like Bella in that depressing Edward-less montage...

So this book follows eighteen-year-old Sarai who goes back to where someone tried to kill her four years ago. Now she's a Petitor (basically a magical prosecutor who can spot lies and pull out your memories to show the truth) working with Tetrarch Kadra—this ice-cold, brutal judge who might actually be the person who tried to murder her.

She's planning to get revenge while solving cases with him, but there's one problem—he's annoyingly charming and she's starting to fall for him, even though his voice sounds suspiciously like her attacker's.

For a debut, I am once again absolutely blow away. Every thing, and I mean everything, about this book had me absolutely feral. From the world building, to the character development, it was all sensational and perfect.

There were characters you loved and those you loved. I absolutely loved both our FMC, Sarai, and our MMC, Kadra, their chemistry was off the pages. I can’t even begin to tell you the amount of times I screamed for them to just get together, it was insane. And let me know even start on the villains of this novel. I HATED them, like with a passion of a thousand burning suns. They were so well put together, that if Sarai didn’t do something about them, then I would.

The only thing that I am distraught about is the fact that I have to wait for the second book. (And yes, you might not know this but there is a second FREAKING book).

So if you love a good enemies-to-lovers romantasy, with Ancient Rome vibes, slow burn energy, a morally grey MMC, and of course politics, intrigues and LOADS of deceit, then what are you waiting for, get your hands on this and read it today, you won’t be disappointed in the slightest.

This Monster of Mine is a dark fantasy set in a Roman-inspired world. Think: political intrigue, deception, brutal judgment.
Sarai, a young Petitor with the magical ability to detect lies, is determined on finding the person who tried to kill her years ago. When she’s assigned to work with Tetrarch Kadra—a feared judge and possible suspect—she begins a dangerous double life: solving cases by day and plotting his downfall by night while fighting her attraction to him.

Unfortunately, despite the promising premise and early hype, this one didn’t quite work for me.

The world-building was dense, filled with unfamiliar terms and systems that weren’t well explained. I felt lost, and the use of in-universe phrases without clarification made it hard to stay engaged (the glossary in the beginning didn’t help). It eventually becomes clearer, but by then I was already struggling to stay invested.

The mystery was predictable, and the romance—described as a slow burn—felt more like an insta-lust that suddenly morphed into love without enough emotional groundwork. The tension just wasn’t convincing, and the relationship arc didn’t feel earned.

The FMC frustrated me. Her choices didn’t always make sense, especially the way she repeatedly trusted people who had clearly proven themselves untrustworthy. And while I appreciate flawed characters, her lack of awareness made her feel a bit one-dimensional. Kadra, too, lacked the complexity needed to justify his role as both love interest and antagonist.

The writing style felt awkward at times, and overall the characters, romance, and world didn’t feel fully developed. For a story marketed as exploring female rage, I found it ironic that the female relationships were so underused.

TL;DR (maybe mild spoilers):
All My Sons, but make it dark fantasy and remove the remorse.
——end of spoilers——

While I know this book has resonated with others, it wasn’t the story I hoped it would be.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the DARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book so much! I love Rome and ancient Roman stories so this was such a refreshing and interesting read for me!