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wintertiger7's review
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
I could see why this book was being compared to The Hunger Games and The Scorpio Races. There were plenty of class politics and discrimination embedded in the story. The world building was fascinating too. The creatures of Sollonia are deadly and terrible, but also beautiful. I wish we learned more about the maristags.
Sadly, Monsters Born and Made wasn't for me. What I really needed was a strong reason to root for Koral that wasn't because she and her family have been ostracized for years, or because she needs money to buy meds for her sister (who we got very little interactions with). I love rooting for the underdogs! And it was so disappointing that I didn't love Koral. For me, she kept making decisions that she knew were BAD bc she wanted to make a statement. She didn't listen to her brother or her best friend and I'm just like, GURL why?! I don't see what made Koral special other than her ambition and anger at the world.
Let's talk about Dorian because oh, I can see the potential, but this boy is such a freaking coward! I'm so mad at him for not standing up to his father and honestly, the reason he gave Koral for still doing what his father wants him to do is not good enough. There were moments I shipped Koral and Dorian because I'm a sucker for friends to maybe lovers to enemies (it wasn't super clear if they were romantically involved in the past). I wish there were full, fleshed out scenes of them being friends instead of a short reminder of their doomed friendship.
Maristags. I adore animal companions. I am so invested in their background, especially Stormgold (Koral's stag). What makes her different from the rest? Why don't these people know more about them?? Why are they only used for sport?? If something is dangerous, doesn't it make sense for them to understand these creatures better??? I have questions!!
It's unlikely I'll read the sequel but I'm hoping if I do, there will be more information on maristags, world building, and character development.
Sadly, Monsters Born and Made wasn't for me. What I really needed was a strong reason to root for Koral that wasn't because she and her family have been ostracized for years, or because she needs money to buy meds for her sister (who we got very little interactions with). I love rooting for the underdogs! And it was so disappointing that I didn't love Koral. For me, she kept making decisions that she knew were BAD bc she wanted to make a statement. She didn't listen to her brother or her best friend and I'm just like, GURL why?! I don't see what made Koral special other than her ambition and anger at the world.
Let's talk about Dorian because oh, I can see the potential, but this boy is such a freaking coward! I'm so mad at him for not standing up to his father and honestly, the reason he gave Koral for still doing what his father wants him to do is not good enough. There were moments I shipped Koral and Dorian because I'm a sucker for friends to maybe lovers to enemies (it wasn't super clear if they were romantically involved in the past). I wish there were full, fleshed out scenes of them being friends instead of a short reminder of their doomed friendship.
Maristags. I adore animal companions. I am so invested in their background, especially Stormgold (Koral's stag). What makes her different from the rest? Why don't these people know more about them?? Why are they only used for sport?? If something is dangerous, doesn't it make sense for them to understand these creatures better??? I have questions!!
It's unlikely I'll read the sequel but I'm hoping if I do, there will be more information on maristags, world building, and character development.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture, Classism, Blood, Violence, Body horror, Gaslighting, Death, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Domestic abuse
Minor: Chronic illness
betweentheshelves's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This book feels like a combination of The Hunger Games, a tri-wizard tournament, and The Scorpio Races, but in the way that it doesn't really know what it wants to be? There is a lot going on in this book, and that makes the overall plot a little difficult to follow. It would have benefited from narrowing some of the conflicts and maybe just focusing on the races and the reason that Koral is entering the races.
The plot itself drags a bit, and it ends like it might have a sequel coming? But it also kind of reads like a standalone, so I'm not sure. A few of the main characters were fleshed out, but most of the characters kind of blended into the background. I wanted to like this a lot more than I did, honestly! It mostly felt like a lot of the YA fantasy you can find out there.
The plot itself drags a bit, and it ends like it might have a sequel coming? But it also kind of reads like a standalone, so I'm not sure. A few of the main characters were fleshed out, but most of the characters kind of blended into the background. I wanted to like this a lot more than I did, honestly! It mostly felt like a lot of the YA fantasy you can find out there.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, and Gore
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Child abuse, and Domestic abuse
Minor: Chronic illness, Animal death, and Racism
lizgriffinwords's review
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
A powerful novel for fans of The Hunger Games and The Scorpio Races. Koral must overcome familial criticism, cutthroat sea creatures, and a caste system that seeks to obliterate her. There’s a delightful friends to enemies to maybe more (with a knife to the throat scene), but romance never takes over the story, which I greatly appreciated. The writing is punchy and alive, and the peril kept me glued to the page!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death, Death, and Violence
Minor: Chronic illness
poppywarphan's review
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
I'm having a really difficult time rating this book. But I think I'm giving it a 3.5
Note: I take issue with the marketing. I saw this art posted by the publisher, and in the caption it said: they were lovers, then exes and now rivals, or something like that. But I explicitly remember it saying lovers, which is extremely weird to me. The synopsis states that she's 16. In my understanding, they hadn't been around each other for a few years. So saying that children were lovers doesn't sit right with me. I was even more surprised when I went to check the author's page and found the exact same post. I guess she's trying to market to the “enemies to lovers” fans, but it just does not seem appropriate.
On to the review. Not spoiler free!
I quite enjoyed the story. Action definitely came through during the races. Koral wasn't my favorite, but I guess she'd appeal to a younger audience. Suffered from self-sacrificing heroism. It wouldn't really be that much of an issue if she weren't a huge hypocrite and got mad every time someone else did the same. I loved the strong sense of family. Look, a ya protagonist with parents 👀. Sike. Anyway, I just wished her friendship with Crane was shown more, rather just told. The hatred Koral had for Dorian seemed a bit forced at the beginning. Only a bit later did we find out the reason for it. Basically, she was upset he didn't hang out with her like when they were younger. He, on the other hand, was doing the “being a dick to drive her away to protect her” act. Because, boy, does he have an abusive pos power hungry father. Also forgot to mention Dorian is from a powerful, important lander family, so there's also that. But I'll admit, I'm a bit of a sucker for romance, and it's not terribly done so… 😏 When he calls her my star, I was gone.
It took me a while to realize it wasn't just a fantasy world, but rather a dystopian/post-apocalyptic one. The history was not explained. I'd love to know what happened for the world to end up the way it is currently in the book. Also, a map would be quite helpful, I don't remember there being one. Which leads me to the biggest fault of the book. The worldbuilding. I could not wrap my head around it at all. Now, I'm not one to usually be bothered by this because I speed through everything. But with this book, I was really trying and still couldn't figure it out. I'm hoping the sequel clears things up. History and world building-wise. I have numerous questions. Why was Koral the first renter to enter the glory race? If technically it's not forbidden, and she got in easily. Did no one before her try? Furthermore, what is the renter/lander thing? I'm assuming the landers are those who live on the (main) land. But why renters and for what reason are they inferior? A considerable detail I could not understand at all were the maristags. I gathered they're water creatures, but sometimes they read as horses. They had stables… (filled with water? Or like an aquarium?), also the races themselves were confusing. Do they swim? Or run through the water? Because at some point it was described how it's feet hit the ground. And occasionally they attack people. But the people aren't in water? Do they survive on land? Furthermore, gills/lungs, how do they breathe? I need a picture of this maristag. And a lot of explanations. The cover is stunning, though. Can't wait for my pre-order to arrive.
Arc provided by publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Note: I take issue with the marketing. I saw this art posted by the publisher, and in the caption it said: they were lovers, then exes and now rivals, or something like that. But I explicitly remember it saying lovers, which is extremely weird to me. The synopsis states that she's 16. In my understanding, they hadn't been around each other for a few years. So saying that children were lovers doesn't sit right with me. I was even more surprised when I went to check the author's page and found the exact same post. I guess she's trying to market to the “enemies to lovers” fans, but it just does not seem appropriate.
On to the review. Not spoiler free!
I quite enjoyed the story. Action definitely came through during the races. Koral wasn't my favorite, but I guess she'd appeal to a younger audience. Suffered from self-sacrificing heroism. It wouldn't really be that much of an issue if she weren't a huge hypocrite and got mad every time someone else did the same. I loved the strong sense of family. Look, a ya protagonist with parents 👀. Sike. Anyway, I just wished her friendship with Crane was shown more, rather just told. The hatred Koral had for Dorian seemed a bit forced at the beginning. Only a bit later did we find out the reason for it. Basically, she was upset he didn't hang out with her like when they were younger. He, on the other hand, was doing the “being a dick to drive her away to protect her” act. Because, boy, does he have an abusive pos power hungry father. Also forgot to mention Dorian is from a powerful, important lander family, so there's also that. But I'll admit, I'm a bit of a sucker for romance, and it's not terribly done so… 😏 When he calls her my star, I was gone.
It took me a while to realize it wasn't just a fantasy world, but rather a dystopian/post-apocalyptic one. The history was not explained. I'd love to know what happened for the world to end up the way it is currently in the book. Also, a map would be quite helpful, I don't remember there being one. Which leads me to the biggest fault of the book. The worldbuilding. I could not wrap my head around it at all. Now, I'm not one to usually be bothered by this because I speed through everything. But with this book, I was really trying and still couldn't figure it out. I'm hoping the sequel clears things up. History and world building-wise. I have numerous questions. Why was Koral the first renter to enter the glory race? If technically it's not forbidden, and she got in easily. Did no one before her try? Furthermore, what is the renter/lander thing? I'm assuming the landers are those who live on the (main) land. But why renters and for what reason are they inferior? A considerable detail I could not understand at all were the maristags. I gathered they're water creatures, but sometimes they read as horses. They had stables… (filled with water? Or like an aquarium?), also the races themselves were confusing. Do they swim? Or run through the water? Because at some point it was described how it's feet hit the ground. And occasionally they attack people. But the people aren't in water? Do they survive on land? Furthermore, gills/lungs, how do they breathe? I need a picture of this maristag. And a lot of explanations. The cover is stunning, though. Can't wait for my pre-order to arrive.
Arc provided by publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Domestic abuse, Violence, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Torture, and Bullying
Minor: Kidnapping, Racism, Sexism, Chronic illness, Death, and Death of parent
mjscooke's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
I am so happy to have received a digital reading copy of this novel from Sourcebooks Fire via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Set in a dystopian oceanic world where a caste system relegates a large portion of the population to suffer to survive under the glaring heat of the sun, Monsters Born and Made is at its heart a tale of humanities fight for survival and struggles with greed and dominance. Koral has been force to hunt sea creatures throughout her adolescence and when her family's circumstances look even more hopeless than usual she makes a drastic decision to cheat her way into a Hunger Games style race seemingly reserved for the upper classes. Koral is feisty, loyal and fiercely protective of her family and it's a delight to inhabit her perspective throughout the novel. Tanvi Berwah's writing is engaging and it felt like Koral was recounting what happened directly into my brain. I loved every page and sincerely hope to see what happens next in this world.
Set in a dystopian oceanic world where a caste system relegates a large portion of the population to suffer to survive under the glaring heat of the sun, Monsters Born and Made is at its heart a tale of humanities fight for survival and struggles with greed and dominance. Koral has been force to hunt sea creatures throughout her adolescence and when her family's circumstances look even more hopeless than usual she makes a drastic decision to cheat her way into a Hunger Games style race seemingly reserved for the upper classes. Koral is feisty, loyal and fiercely protective of her family and it's a delight to inhabit her perspective throughout the novel. Tanvi Berwah's writing is engaging and it felt like Koral was recounting what happened directly into my brain. I loved every page and sincerely hope to see what happens next in this world.
Content Warnings
Minor: Blood, Chronic illness, Death, Violence, Animal cruelty, and Classism
azrah786's review against another edition
3.75
[This review can also be found on my BLOG]
**I was provided an ARC through Netgalley for a blog tour with Lonely Pages Book Tours in exchange for an honest review**
CW: violence, blood, gore, animal cruelty, death, death of parent, chronic illness, child abuse, domestic abuse, fire, panic attacks, police violence, classism
--
Monsters Born and Made is a book that throws you right into the mix, introducing a fascinating oceanic world where vicious creatures roam the waters whilst an oppressive caste system rules the land. The story follows Koral, who’s family are the designated Hunters in society - a position that not only exposes them to constant danger as they have to capture and breed the deadly Maristags for the Landers and their Glory Races, but also alienates them from their fellow Renters who look upon their servitude to the elite class with scorn.
When Koral and her brother fail to catch the last Maristag of the season, it’s a massive blow to their family’s financial situation and their capability to afford medication for their younger sister. With the Glory Race around the corner and its winning prize of gold and glory up for grabs, Koral sees the competition as her chance to help her family. Despite it being strictly for Landers and her ex being the favourite, she is determined to get in and to win and won’t let anything or anyone stop her.
**I was provided an ARC through Netgalley for a blog tour with Lonely Pages Book Tours in exchange for an honest review**
CW: violence, blood, gore, animal cruelty, death, death of parent, chronic illness, child abuse, domestic abuse, fire, panic attacks, police violence, classism
--
Monsters Born and Made is a book that throws you right into the mix, introducing a fascinating oceanic world where vicious creatures roam the waters whilst an oppressive caste system rules the land. The story follows Koral, who’s family are the designated Hunters in society - a position that not only exposes them to constant danger as they have to capture and breed the deadly Maristags for the Landers and their Glory Races, but also alienates them from their fellow Renters who look upon their servitude to the elite class with scorn.
When Koral and her brother fail to catch the last Maristag of the season, it’s a massive blow to their family’s financial situation and their capability to afford medication for their younger sister. With the Glory Race around the corner and its winning prize of gold and glory up for grabs, Koral sees the competition as her chance to help her family. Despite it being strictly for Landers and her ex being the favourite, she is determined to get in and to win and won’t let anything or anyone stop her.
"This is the ocean, and you're a Hunter. You swim with monsters; these people cannot scare you."
Koral is one of those headstrong protagonists that rebels against the system in her own way and following her on this journey, which had her standing up to the machinations and oppression of a classist regime, was as inspiring as it was frustrating. The pacing and timespan overall had a perfect flow to it, with the competition and moments of action having a nice balance with character interactions and the political tensions that are ongoing in the background of the main storyline.
Now I’ll admit that it took some time getting used to the intricacies of the world because there was a lot going on from the beginning. As the story gets rolling you very much get the feeling that we’re only getting a glimpse of this expansive world that Berwah has put so much thought into but the more I read the more engrossed I became. There is definitely a Huger Games vibe to the primary narrative but this story and world are undoubtedly their own, with inspiration from Indian and Greek mythology giving this dystopia a unique edge.
"Everyday people make choices that they think have no impact on their lives. But if you look right instead of left, you don't know who you'll meet and who you'll miss.. Choices can mark a turn in fate that we might never get back."
For me what Berwah exceled with the most alongside the highly entertaining action scenes were the character relationships. Despite finding the beginning a little slow it was the relationships that kept me reading particularly the ones between the siblings as well as Koral’s friendship with Crane. With the romance, which surprisingly took a back seat, Berwah did really well at capturing that ex-lovers tension and history that was always buzzing when Koral and Dorian were in a scene together. The bond between Koral and her Maristag, Stormgold was also beautifully developed.
All in all really enjoyable fantasy dystopia debut and I like that the ending leaves the door open for more stories in the future because I would gladly welcome them!
Final Rating – 3.75/5 Stars
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Blood, Gore, Death, and Death of parent
Moderate: Child abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Animal cruelty, Chronic illness, Domestic abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Police brutality, and Classism
oracle_of_madness's review
adventurous
inspiring
4.75
Thank you Netgalley and Publisher for this Arc!
This was such a great read! Competition, rebellion and a kind of dystopian setting make this book immediately one of my favorites this year.
Koral is a Hunter. Her and her family are lucky Renters who have had this title passed down through generations which give them a greater chance at monetary security. However, they have hit hard times and Koral decides to enter the Glory Race with their last Maristag(a very dangerous but beautiful creature). The Glory Race is usually only for the Landers who live much richer and safer lives than any Renters. In the midst of rebellion, monster attacks and romance, Koral has no idea what she's really getting into.
This is an insightful, beautiful and vicious story and I really can't help but hope for more to come!! (Please!!)
Out September 6, 2022!
This was such a great read! Competition, rebellion and a kind of dystopian setting make this book immediately one of my favorites this year.
Koral is a Hunter. Her and her family are lucky Renters who have had this title passed down through generations which give them a greater chance at monetary security. However, they have hit hard times and Koral decides to enter the Glory Race with their last Maristag(a very dangerous but beautiful creature). The Glory Race is usually only for the Landers who live much richer and safer lives than any Renters. In the midst of rebellion, monster attacks and romance, Koral has no idea what she's really getting into.
This is an insightful, beautiful and vicious story and I really can't help but hope for more to come!! (Please!!)
Out September 6, 2022!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
leahjanespeare's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
3.5
My official small blurby thing:
A mix of The Hunger Games and The Scorpio Races, I couldn't put down this debut. Koral's harsh world of terrifying monsters and an oppressive regime has made her ruthless. She has to be, in order to survive, to protect her family. I loved following her and the other contestants' bloody adventures in the Glory Races.
Now, that being said....
This is a great debut. The writing is good, and there are some great ideas here. I'll definitely be looking for future titles from this author. And I loved about 85% of the book - unfortunately toward the end it failed to deliver. It got really messy and seemed to set up a LOT (but as far as I can tell, it's a standalone??) and then it suddenly ended. I think it should have either been the first in a series, or made longer to properly flesh things out (it's on the short side for a YA fantasy at 350 pages).
There are a lot of social issues addressed in here--class struggles, oppressive governing system, domestic abuse, etc. Also, I really loved her characters because they were complex, messy, and I rooted for all of them, even though everyone is pitted against each other. Worldbuilding though could have been better, character development can't carry the whole book, especially a fantasy.
Anyway, since she tried to fit SO MUCH (good stuff!) in such a short standalone book, by the end she didn't have the follow through to pull it off. I think another editing pass would have helped.I was super bummed. But like I said, I see big potential, and will definitely keep an eye on the author.
A mix of The Hunger Games and The Scorpio Races, I couldn't put down this debut. Koral's harsh world of terrifying monsters and an oppressive regime has made her ruthless. She has to be, in order to survive, to protect her family. I loved following her and the other contestants' bloody adventures in the Glory Races.
Now, that being said....
This is a great debut. The writing is good, and there are some great ideas here. I'll definitely be looking for future titles from this author. And I loved about 85% of the book - unfortunately toward the end it failed to deliver. It got really messy and seemed to set up a LOT (but as far as I can tell, it's a standalone??) and then it suddenly ended. I think it should have either been the first in a series, or made longer to properly flesh things out (it's on the short side for a YA fantasy at 350 pages).
There are a lot of social issues addressed in here--class struggles, oppressive governing system, domestic abuse, etc. Also, I really loved her characters because they were complex, messy, and I rooted for all of them, even though everyone is pitted against each other. Worldbuilding though could have been better, character development can't carry the whole book, especially a fantasy.
Anyway, since she tried to fit SO MUCH (good stuff!) in such a short standalone book, by the end she didn't have the follow through to pull it off. I think another editing pass would have helped.I was super bummed. But like I said, I see big potential, and will definitely keep an eye on the author.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence
libscote's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
I really enjoyed this one. It's sort of like The Scorpio Races mixed with a dash of Hunger Games. Koral and her brother Emrik catch maristags for the Glory Race, an event that happens every 4 years and is usually reserved for the upper class. If they don't catch maristags, they don't get paid, and then they starve and can't afford medicine for their sick younger sister. When they lose the last maristag of the season, Koral makes a desperate bid to enter the Glory Race. Can she win despite all the odds?
It's definitely a hard book to read at times. There's an upper class determined to hold onto their place at any cost, and the lower class is balanced between trying to survive and being resentful of anyone who earns a little more. There's a rebellion happening, but it's complicated. The way the rebellion is portrayed I actually really enjoyed, because it felt very realistic. The ending leaves space for a sequel.
I read an ARC of this title.
It's definitely a hard book to read at times. There's an upper class determined to hold onto their place at any cost, and the lower class is balanced between trying to survive and being resentful of anyone who earns a little more. There's a rebellion happening, but it's complicated. The way the rebellion is portrayed I actually really enjoyed, because it felt very realistic. The ending leaves space for a sequel.
I read an ARC of this title.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Domestic abuse and Violence
e_flah's review
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Koral and her family are Hunters -- tasked with capturing the aquatic monsters, maristags, for the wealthy Landers who live on the island. The Hunters have a precarious position in society as they have a bit more prestige than the lowest class, Renters, yet are entirely dependent on the upper-class Landers for their continued employment and social position. When Koral's sister, Liria, needs medicine that the family can no longer afford, Koral decides to enter the Glory Race, a dangerous chariot race that is historically only for Landers. Monsters Born and Made follows Koral as she fights for her family, tries to find her place in the world, and questions the power structures she's forced to operate within.
Monsters Born and Made was an immersive story set in a world I desperately want to learn more about. The island of Sollonia brimmed with interesting monsters and characters who all have different views of how life on the island should be. Koral was a main character who was so easy to root for. Koral's fierce determination to provide for her family paired with her deep rage about the structural inequalities of her life made her a compelling protagonist. I loved seeing her work to forge a path that was different from the ones typically available to Hunters, particularly through her growing friendship with her maristag Stormgold.
To top it all off, this book brims with action from the very first chapter. There are aquatic fights with sea monsters, chariot races, and so much more. The action paired with the captivating setting and Koral's magnetism to make Monsters Born and Made a book that was hard to put down. This was a highly enjoyable debut that left me wanting more in all the best ways.
Thank you to Sourcebooks Fire and Netgalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Monsters Born and Made was an immersive story set in a world I desperately want to learn more about. The island of Sollonia brimmed with interesting monsters and characters who all have different views of how life on the island should be. Koral was a main character who was so easy to root for. Koral's fierce determination to provide for her family paired with her deep rage about the structural inequalities of her life made her a compelling protagonist. I loved seeing her work to forge a path that was different from the ones typically available to Hunters, particularly through her growing friendship with her maristag Stormgold.
To top it all off, this book brims with action from the very first chapter. There are aquatic fights with sea monsters, chariot races, and so much more. The action paired with the captivating setting and Koral's magnetism to make Monsters Born and Made a book that was hard to put down. This was a highly enjoyable debut that left me wanting more in all the best ways.
Thank you to Sourcebooks Fire and Netgalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Violence, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Gore, and Death of parent