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adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I’ve been meaning to do a second read of the Monstrous series now that I’ve read Book 7 as well as the novella from Wyn’s POV, the short story compilation, and the Christmas compilation. Part of me wanted to return to the world and character that gripped me, and another part of me wanted to see if it compels me the same way after I’ve already dug deep enough to know most of the lore plus the author’s strengths and shortcomings.
So, Book 1, on a second read is actually weaker than I remember it being, mostly because now I see that Wyn is a more developed character than Danny, but I'm getting ahead of myself here.
The opening remains very powerful. It's also where Danny has the most going on. He's joined the military to escape the slums after his mom died, and, having only been enlisted for six months, already knows he absolutely hates it. His very first job is to be sent out as cannon fodder to capture Wyn, and he winds being up the only grunt spared. At the facility, Danny is also the only soldier that Wyn is willing to talk to.
Meanwhile, Wyn starts as a total enigma, and it's evident he has no reason to cooperate with humans. Over time it's also apparent he doesn’t even like cooperating with monsters. In fact, he prefers when people hate and fear him, though secretly he wishes they wouldn't. Wyn’s antisocial attitude is why he doesn’t feel the need to explain himself even when what he’s doing is altruistic. He is so antisocial that, honestly,Danny inexplicably being his soulmate is probably the only reason he’d ever think twice about a human. So while I still believe it would have been more interesting for Wyn to somehow find Danny fascinating in his own right, it’s also kind of funny imagining Wyn’s perspective at discovering that this random nobody of a mortal is meant to be his mate. Talk about humbling.
The story shifts to “road trip” mode around the 15% mark. Having Wyn's POV would have helped immensely, though I suppose it would have ruined the mystery of what's going in his head. Wyn appears to be cool and aloft to Danny, but actually he's secretly infatuated with Danny and has no idea what to do with a human, let alone how to be anything other than a bitter recluse. But he quietly learns and adjusts on how to take care of Danny. In the meantime, Danny suffers from the thought that his only chance at survival is ironically in the hands of mass-murderer. His ability to relax around Wyn becomes much easier after the reveal that Wyn’s not a “sadist serial killer,” which isn’t a complete spoiler since it’s done before the 30% mark.
Wyn’s murder-task should come with a million trigger warnings. Body horror and vomit is at the top of that list. This is like if the movie Alien (indirectly referenced by Danny) was crossed with series The Last of Us. And reason why Wyn gets blamed for it is because people rationalize what they don't understand. Wyn sucks out what looks like souls and leaves behind husks. But it's the parasites being sucked out, and the husks are just what the parasites cause. Except Wyn isn’t keen on explaining himself, so his infamy has spun out of control.
As far as post-apocalyptic road trip stories go, it's nice seeing Danny and Wyn grow closer by virtue of being stuck traveling together. Aside from the military hunting them, it’s a relatively peaceful journey. Danny is more socially energetic than Wyn, and this helps Wyn open up more himself. Their touches begin as only what’s strictly necessary, but then Danny develops a crush on Wyn and starts finding excuses to touch. Wyn never rebukes him and even begins small touches back. This inevitably spirals into sex.
Eventually Edin, another humanoid monster, is briefly introduced into the mix. He’s Wyn’s closest friend by virtue of being an extrovert who friend-adopted Wyn against Wyn's will, which is just peak friendship goals lol. Edin shakes up the dynamic by being loud and boisterous in a way that makes Danny appear quiet in comparison. Fortunately Edin doesn’t compete for page time or weaken the budding relationship between Danny and Wyn. Instead he catalyzes some things that were going to brew on their own over time.
I like how after the Big Climax, which is caused by external factors, there’s a second Climax due to internal problems in the relationship—things that make sense after everything they’d just gone through. It makes the relationship feel more real.
I also like how Wyn has insecurities in spite of being kind of overpowered. He’s not omniscient, so he can’t protect Danny to the extent he’d prefer to. And he’s also kind of self-conscious of the way his face looks compared to humans, hence his hood.
With all that said, I have a huge problem with Danny’s arc, or rather lack therefore. He starts off supposedly as a coward, but the few times he runs into danger, he’s punished for it in a way that feels like it stunts his character. For me there becomes this huge gap between what's shown in the story and what's told by the characters (and the author). Danny's called brave, but I don’t believe Danny ever does anything courageous that’s rewarded by the narrative. And when Danny gets angry at Wyn, thinking Wyn only sees him as weak and pathetic… well, Danny doesn’t really *do* anything strong and capable in the story, literally or figuratively. Wyn is always providing care and showing up to save him. Danny professes he can take care of himself, but can he? He’s never shown to on-page. I mean, Danny does have enough backbone to stand up for himself, I’ll give him that. But that’s about it. I’m not saying the story should have hardened Danny or made him lose his innocence—like Edin believed Danny should do—but I do think Danny’s missing some sort of arc.
In my first read-through of the book, I had a litany of questions bothering me, and I think it's easier to reiterate them here with my new thoughts. I have no idea how to structure this without sounding like I'm having a Q&A between my past self and my current self, so here ya go...
- How did Wyn discover Daniel’s name? We never find out
It’s really is never made clear how Wyn learns Danny’s name. Technically the answer is Wyn overheard it since the walls that were never truly soundproofed from his powers. However, Danny’s full name is never actually uttered by anyone on the floor Wyn was held nor was it said by literally anyone on-page prior to Wyn.
- What are the odds that something on Daniel’s military stuff has a secret tracking device? It was nagging at me the entire time
While the helmet is said to have a tracker on it, which is disposed of, I’m still wary of how there’s never any secret trackers. I suppose the answer would be Danny is too much of a low-level grunt for anyone to care enough to secretly track. The truck they steal is a bit more iffy, but they ditch it eventually.
- How come every single place they come across has working hot water? Or just any running water at all. It’s a little too convenient after a while
Danny does mention concerns about the motels/houses they visit possibly not having running water, and there is a three week time skip where it’s possible there were places without water. I missed the part where Danny notes “the military hadn’t shut off water and power in the Wastes. So little was consumed, and they kept it on for their bases that were dotted all around.” However, I still think there should have been at least one location they visited on-page that lacked water to emphasize that it's something that can happen.
- Why didn’t Daniel react to the fact that he wakes up in a random bed of someone long forgotten? Just no reaction at all after making such a big deal out of it. And then there’s the casual use of the towels, which are not motel towels. These had to have been used towels from ages ago, but it’s entirely glossed over
The issue with the bed/towels is part of a larger issue with Danny’s characterization lacking an arc. His reverence for the dead in the Wastes feels like an excuse for angst without any substance. Danny says the Waste feels like a mass grave that he’s disturbing, but this never turns into a story about getting over it, in spite of Danny noting he’d have to eventually. He chooses to sleep on a couch instead of bed that one time, but later in the same house doesn’t even blink at using someone long-gone’s towel. Then down the line it becomes a non-issue entirely that’s dropped from Danny’s character like it never even existed in the first place.
- How did the military discover that Daniel was having sex with Wyn? There’s not even an offhand mention of seeing them together in any intimate way, like holding hands, it’s just thrown in like it’s a publicly known fact (there’s demons later on that act the same way, like everyone knows Daniel and Wyn are together somehow without ever mentioning how they know this)
Ok so the military do see Danny and Wyn holding hands, but I still think the reaction is completely overblown. It’s like the dudes in power can only imagine the relationship as sexual (possibly as a form of projection). And in terms of the monsters, I dunno, probably the same projection. It’s not like Danny and Wyn are fucking in that motel, but they’re together so obviously assumptions are made or something.
- How did no one at the military base notice that Wyn’s head was growing back? They had Wyn’s body ready to dissect but somehow never noticed such a glaring detail??
- If it took Edin years to grow back an arm, how did it only take days for Wyn to grow back half his head? Is it because they’re different species? I wish the concept was brought up even if it was just a one line hand wave
- How did Wyn even get them out of the military base that second time? Did Wyn have to slaughter his way through while carrying Danny’s body?
I maintain that Wyn’s healing ability rate is a little too conveniently fast. And the only way the military would have missed the little tiny detail of a blown head regrowing is if Wyn was locked in a cooler or something away from seeing eyes. I dunno, that’s my headcanon fix-it I guess. Having Wyn’s POV would have helped with all of this, especially for the escape.
I also have new questions from my second read.
- Why does neither Danny nor Wyn hunt? It doesn’t make sense that Danny survives only on scavenging considering they walk through wilderness so much. At the very least I can imagine Danny trying to fish. That would have helped SO MUCH with Danny exclaiming that he's capable of taking care of himself. I wish we actually saw Danny take care of himself goddammit.
- How is Edin conveniently around for Wyn to make new plans with when the last time we see Edin he’s walking in the opposite direction from them? Just a way too convenient crossing of paths when they don't have phones or anything.
In conclusion, I still enjoyed the book. Many of the things that bothered me previously are less frustrating the second time around. But somehow Danny's characterization feels worse written on a second pass, so I'm actually lowering my rating due to it.
---
Here were my thoughts from my first read:
This story hit upon many of my guilty pleasures. The cherry on top is Danny is functionally demisexual (it’s not an explicit label, but he did assume he was fully asexual before Wyn) and Wyn is fantasy-level intersex (he’s not human so I think he can get a pass for having both a penis and a vagina, both perfectly good for fucking).
So, Book 1, on a second read is actually weaker than I remember it being, mostly because now I see that Wyn is a more developed character than Danny, but I'm getting ahead of myself here.
The opening remains very powerful. It's also where Danny has the most going on. He's joined the military to escape the slums after his mom died, and, having only been enlisted for six months, already knows he absolutely hates it. His very first job is to be sent out as cannon fodder to capture Wyn, and he winds being up the only grunt spared. At the facility, Danny is also the only soldier that Wyn is willing to talk to.
Meanwhile, Wyn starts as a total enigma, and it's evident he has no reason to cooperate with humans. Over time it's also apparent he doesn’t even like cooperating with monsters. In fact, he prefers when people hate and fear him, though secretly he wishes they wouldn't. Wyn’s antisocial attitude is why he doesn’t feel the need to explain himself even when what he’s doing is altruistic. He is so antisocial that, honestly,
The story shifts to “road trip” mode around the 15% mark. Having Wyn's POV would have helped immensely, though I suppose it would have ruined the mystery of what's going in his head. Wyn appears to be cool and aloft to Danny, but actually he's secretly infatuated with Danny and has no idea what to do with a human, let alone how to be anything other than a bitter recluse. But he quietly learns and adjusts on how to take care of Danny. In the meantime, Danny suffers from the thought that his only chance at survival is ironically in the hands of mass-murderer. His ability to relax around Wyn becomes much easier after the reveal that Wyn’s not a “sadist serial killer,” which isn’t a complete spoiler since it’s done before the 30% mark.
Wyn’s murder-task should come with a million trigger warnings. Body horror and vomit is at the top of that list. This is like if the movie Alien (indirectly referenced by Danny) was crossed with series The Last of Us. And reason why Wyn gets blamed for it is because people rationalize what they don't understand. Wyn sucks out what looks like souls and leaves behind husks. But it's the parasites being sucked out, and the husks are just what the parasites cause. Except Wyn isn’t keen on explaining himself, so his infamy has spun out of control.
As far as post-apocalyptic road trip stories go, it's nice seeing Danny and Wyn grow closer by virtue of being stuck traveling together. Aside from the military hunting them, it’s a relatively peaceful journey. Danny is more socially energetic than Wyn, and this helps Wyn open up more himself. Their touches begin as only what’s strictly necessary, but then Danny develops a crush on Wyn and starts finding excuses to touch. Wyn never rebukes him and even begins small touches back. This inevitably spirals into sex.
Eventually Edin, another humanoid monster, is briefly introduced into the mix. He’s Wyn’s closest friend by virtue of being an extrovert who friend-adopted Wyn against Wyn's will, which is just peak friendship goals lol. Edin shakes up the dynamic by being loud and boisterous in a way that makes Danny appear quiet in comparison. Fortunately Edin doesn’t compete for page time or weaken the budding relationship between Danny and Wyn. Instead he catalyzes some things that were going to brew on their own over time.
I like how after the Big Climax, which is caused by external factors, there’s a second Climax due to internal problems in the relationship—things that make sense after everything they’d just gone through. It makes the relationship feel more real.
I also like how Wyn has insecurities in spite of being kind of overpowered. He’s not omniscient, so he can’t protect Danny to the extent he’d prefer to. And he’s also kind of self-conscious of the way his face looks compared to humans, hence his hood.
With all that said, I have a huge problem with Danny’s arc, or rather lack therefore. He starts off supposedly as a coward, but the few times he runs into danger, he’s punished for it in a way that feels like it stunts his character. For me there becomes this huge gap between what's shown in the story and what's told by the characters (and the author). Danny's called brave, but I don’t believe Danny ever does anything courageous that’s rewarded by the narrative. And when Danny gets angry at Wyn, thinking Wyn only sees him as weak and pathetic… well, Danny doesn’t really *do* anything strong and capable in the story, literally or figuratively. Wyn is always providing care and showing up to save him. Danny professes he can take care of himself, but can he? He’s never shown to on-page. I mean, Danny does have enough backbone to stand up for himself, I’ll give him that. But that’s about it. I’m not saying the story should have hardened Danny or made him lose his innocence—like Edin believed Danny should do—but I do think Danny’s missing some sort of arc.
In my first read-through of the book, I had a litany of questions bothering me, and I think it's easier to reiterate them here with my new thoughts. I have no idea how to structure this without sounding like I'm having a Q&A between my past self and my current self, so here ya go...
- How did Wyn discover Daniel’s name? We never find out
It’s really is never made clear how Wyn learns Danny’s name. Technically the answer is Wyn overheard it since the walls that were never truly soundproofed from his powers. However, Danny’s full name is never actually uttered by anyone on the floor Wyn was held nor was it said by literally anyone on-page prior to Wyn.
- What are the odds that something on Daniel’s military stuff has a secret tracking device? It was nagging at me the entire time
While the helmet is said to have a tracker on it, which is disposed of, I’m still wary of how there’s never any secret trackers. I suppose the answer would be Danny is too much of a low-level grunt for anyone to care enough to secretly track. The truck they steal is a bit more iffy, but they ditch it eventually.
- How come every single place they come across has working hot water? Or just any running water at all. It’s a little too convenient after a while
Danny does mention concerns about the motels/houses they visit possibly not having running water, and there is a three week time skip where it’s possible there were places without water. I missed the part where Danny notes “the military hadn’t shut off water and power in the Wastes. So little was consumed, and they kept it on for their bases that were dotted all around.” However, I still think there should have been at least one location they visited on-page that lacked water to emphasize that it's something that can happen.
- Why didn’t Daniel react to the fact that he wakes up in a random bed of someone long forgotten? Just no reaction at all after making such a big deal out of it. And then there’s the casual use of the towels, which are not motel towels. These had to have been used towels from ages ago, but it’s entirely glossed over
The issue with the bed/towels is part of a larger issue with Danny’s characterization lacking an arc. His reverence for the dead in the Wastes feels like an excuse for angst without any substance. Danny says the Waste feels like a mass grave that he’s disturbing, but this never turns into a story about getting over it, in spite of Danny noting he’d have to eventually. He chooses to sleep on a couch instead of bed that one time, but later in the same house doesn’t even blink at using someone long-gone’s towel. Then down the line it becomes a non-issue entirely that’s dropped from Danny’s character like it never even existed in the first place.
- If it took Edin years to grow back an arm, how did it only take days for Wyn to grow back half his head? Is it because they’re different species? I wish the concept was brought up even if it was just a one line hand wave
- How did Wyn even get them out of the military base that second time? Did Wyn have to slaughter his way through while carrying Danny’s body?
I also have new questions from my second read.
- Why does neither Danny nor Wyn hunt? It doesn’t make sense that Danny survives only on scavenging considering they walk through wilderness so much. At the very least I can imagine Danny trying to fish. That would have helped SO MUCH with Danny exclaiming that he's capable of taking care of himself. I wish we actually saw Danny take care of himself goddammit.
- How is Edin conveniently around for Wyn to make new plans with when the last time we see Edin he’s walking in the opposite direction from them? Just a way too convenient crossing of paths when they don't have phones or anything.
In conclusion, I still enjoyed the book. Many of the things that bothered me previously are less frustrating the second time around. But somehow Danny's characterization feels worse written on a second pass, so I'm actually lowering my rating due to it.
---
Here were my thoughts from my first read:
This story hit upon many of my guilty pleasures. The cherry on top is Danny is functionally demisexual (it’s not an explicit label, but he did assume he was fully asexual before Wyn) and Wyn is fantasy-level intersex (he’s not human so I think he can get a pass for having both a penis and a vagina, both perfectly good for fucking).
The majority of the plot is a meandering road trip with no goal in mind. They’re just taking things a day at a time. But it worked for me. And there was always some sort of stakes or tension, and I felt like there was a decent balance between external threats and interpersonal relationship stuff.
The reason why it’s not a full 5 stars is because I have many lingering unanswered questions…
- How did Wyn discover Daniel’s name? We never find out
- What are the odds that something on Daniel’s military stuff has a secret tracking device? It was nagging at me the entire time
- How come every single place they come across has working hot water? Or just any running water at all. It’s a little too convenient after a while
- Why didn’t Daniel react to the fact that he wakes up in a random bed of someone long forgotten? Just no reaction at all after making such a big deal out of it. And then there’s the casual use of the towels, which are not motel towels. These had to have been used towels from ages ago, but it’s entirely glossed over
- How did no one at the military base notice that Wyn’s head was growing back? They had Wyn’s body ready to dissect but somehow never noticed such a glaring detail??
- If it took Edin years to grow back an arm, how did it only take days for Wyn to grow back half his head? Is it because they’re different species? I wish the concept was brought up even if it was just a one line hand wave
- How did Wyn even get them out of the military base that second time? Did Wyn have to slaughter his way through while carrying Daniel’s body?
None of these questions ruined the experience for me. It’s just stuff that kind of nags at me.
What *did* bug me more than it should have wasthe reveal that Wyn sensed Daniel was meant for him since the beginning. I dunno, I just preferred the idea that Wyn was merely curious about the human who didn’t try to kill him and then feelings grew from there. I’m not against mate-bond stuff, but it does take away some agency from characters.
What *did* bug me more than it should have was
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Gun violence, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Body horror, Sexual harassment
Minor: Sexual assault, Terminal illness, Death of parent