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A review by shealivs2read
This Monster of Mine by Shalini Abeysekara
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
sad
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? No
5.0
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Themes/Tropes: Enemies to lovers, fantasy, mystery, magic, slow burn, magic, romance
Holy crap holy crap holyyyy crap. First (non-reread) 6 ⭐️ read of 2025, this was phenomenal! I am blown away that this is Shalini Abeysekara’s debut novel because it was so incredibly well thought out and written. It’s marketed as a romantasy but I’d say it’s more fantasy with a romance subplot. The romance is AMAZING but it is an incredibly slow burn and takes a backseat to the riveting plot.
I absolutely fell in love with this world and the complexities of this society Shalini created. The complicated relationship and power dynamics between a Petrarch and their petitor was so interesting to explore, and the overarching theme around questioning and dismantling the corrupt legal systems in place was so powerful and um super important considering today’s political climate...
And the characters!! The love, the hate, the friendships, the betrayals. I cried for Sarai, I raged at Cisuré, I swooned over Kadra, cheered on Sarai for her bravery and determination, then cried some more, for Kadra this time. I felt every emotion so powerfully reading about these characters because they were SO well rounded and felt so incredibly real.
Sarai and Kadra are my new favorite book couple, no exaggeration. The way they are willing to burn the world down for each other time and time again had me a gooey blubbering mess. The slow burn was so incredibly good, the tension and the banter and the pining my god I was DYING. I have a million things I want to gush about with these two but I want to try and keep things somewhat spoiler free here. All I’ll say is I never thought I’d sob over a ribbon.
This is a huge win for Shalini, I cannot wait to see where she takes this story next. I hope to see so many more works from this author, I am blown away!!
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Themes/Tropes: Enemies to lovers, fantasy, mystery, magic, slow burn, magic, romance
Holy crap holy crap holyyyy crap. First (non-reread) 6 ⭐️ read of 2025, this was phenomenal! I am blown away that this is Shalini Abeysekara’s debut novel because it was so incredibly well thought out and written. It’s marketed as a romantasy but I’d say it’s more fantasy with a romance subplot. The romance is AMAZING but it is an incredibly slow burn and takes a backseat to the riveting plot.
I absolutely fell in love with this world and the complexities of this society Shalini created. The complicated relationship and power dynamics between a Petrarch and their petitor was so interesting to explore, and the overarching theme around questioning and dismantling the corrupt legal systems in place was so powerful and um super important considering today’s political climate...
And the characters!! The love, the hate, the friendships, the betrayals. I cried for Sarai, I raged at Cisuré, I swooned over Kadra, cheered on Sarai for her bravery and determination, then cried some more, for Kadra this time. I felt every emotion so powerfully reading about these characters because they were SO well rounded and felt so incredibly real.
Sarai and Kadra are my new favorite book couple, no exaggeration. The way they are willing to burn the world down for each other time and time again had me a gooey blubbering mess. The slow burn was so incredibly good, the tension and the banter and the pining my god I was DYING. I have a million things I want to gush about with these two but I want to try and keep things somewhat spoiler free here. All I’ll say is I never thought I’d sob over a ribbon.
This is a huge win for Shalini, I cannot wait to see where she takes this story next. I hope to see so many more works from this author, I am blown away!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Violence, Blood, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Alcoholism, Confinement, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Transphobia, Kidnapping