Scan barcode
A review by corsetedfeminist
Celestial Monsters by Aiden Thomas
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I realized yesterday that my physical preorder of this book wouldn’t make it until next week, so I preordered the Kindle version and read it in one sitting this morning. I plead the fifth, but I promise I didn’t neglect anything important.🙃
I really enjoyed the dual POVs, and I say that as someone who is picky about such things.
Teo continues to be a delight, and I loved how growth in this book and his growing confidence in himself and his abilities. His friendship with Niya continues to be one of my favorite friendships in a series, and his romance with Aurelio is somehow so soft and gentle even in the chaos of the overarching plot.
Also. The birds. Teo’s gift of speaking to bird is so much more important in this book and every time it made me so happy. We also get the reappearance of Peri and Pico.
Speaking of Niya, she was somehow even more endearing in this book. I love the twist of having a female character who could not be more of a Himbo if she tried, obsession with her own biceps and wreckless loyalty included.
Then we have Xio. Xio, my poor baby. I liked them in the first book, but I absolutely love them in this book. Their growth is so raw and gentle in this book, and, without spoiling, I love how they weren’t allowed to escape the consequences of their actions but everyone else came to understand the brokenness and isolation that motivated those actions. My other favorite thing was them changing pronouns in the middle of the book, which twice resulted in them telling the other semidioses of the change mid-argument and whoever they were talking to immediately respecting that while continuing to yell at them. Perfection.
The plot just grabs you by the throat and carries you along, partly a fun fantasy journey rather like Lord of the Rings, but four times as unhinged, partly a journey of self discovery, and partly a discussion of the reality of authority, divinity, and the importance of community support.
I think that one of Aiden Thomas’ strengths as an author is making all of his characters, vivid and endearing, no matter how small their role, and I loved each semidios even more in this book, especially Marino and Dezi.
I really enjoyed the dual POVs, and I say that as someone who is picky about such things.
Teo continues to be a delight, and I loved how growth in this book and his growing confidence in himself and his abilities. His friendship with Niya continues to be one of my favorite friendships in a series, and his romance with Aurelio is somehow so soft and gentle even in the chaos of the overarching plot.
Also. The birds. Teo’s gift of speaking to bird is so much more important in this book and every time it made me so happy. We also get the reappearance of Peri and Pico.
Speaking of Niya, she was somehow even more endearing in this book. I love the twist of having a female character who could not be more of a Himbo if she tried, obsession with her own biceps and wreckless loyalty included.
Then we have Xio. Xio, my poor baby. I liked them in the first book, but I absolutely love them in this book. Their growth is so raw and gentle in this book, and, without spoiling, I love how they weren’t allowed to escape the consequences of their actions but everyone else came to understand the brokenness and isolation that motivated those actions. My other favorite thing was them changing pronouns in the middle of the book, which twice resulted in them telling the other semidioses of the change mid-argument and whoever they were talking to immediately respecting that while continuing to yell at them. Perfection.
The plot just grabs you by the throat and carries you along, partly a fun fantasy journey rather like Lord of the Rings, but four times as unhinged, partly a journey of self discovery, and partly a discussion of the reality of authority, divinity, and the importance of community support.
I think that one of Aiden Thomas’ strengths as an author is making all of his characters, vivid and endearing, no matter how small their role, and I loved each semidios even more in this book, especially Marino and Dezi.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Violence, Death of parent, War, and Injury/Injury detail