A review by lydiascho
Monuments by Will Kostakis

adventurous funny inspiring mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

 

All sixteen-year-old Connor wants is his best friend back, until he discovers a trapdoor to a hidden god’s Sanctuary under his Sydney high school. When fellow trespasser Sally draws him into her quest to uncover the other hidden gods, the Monuments, it’s a distraction too good to refuse. As his adventure across Sydney and through time unravels, Connor is unsure who – himself and new love interest Locky included – can be trusted to protect humans from the powerful knowledge and malevolent powers the Monuments have kept at bay for so long. 

The story winds through Sydney’s oldest schools, which are rendered with such honest detail that the reader finds the sudden appearance of the Monument’s Sanctuaries in their basements and underground study centres both plausible and all the more magical for their place amongst the familiar. In the vein of Rick Riordan and Neil Gaiman, Kostakis’s world is deeply embedded in its setting, allowing his fantastical elements to shine. 

It's the characters who really make this novel. Bantering dialogue is present from the very first chapter and Connor’s narration drips with laugh-out-loud humour that brings his loose attitude to the forefront, grounding the Monuments’ lofty conflicts in real-world stakes and visions. Even Darroch, the huge rock-bodied Monument of the earth, has moments of dry humour and charming cluelessness about the world he helped create which bring the god to life on the page. The teenagers the true drivers of change and action, as Sally, Connor, and Locky are thrust into a web of enormous decisions, plots, and betrayals that affect their entire world. As Locky puts it, ‘The gods built the world and now we have the power to change it,’ and change it they do. 

Although there are moments of exposition-heavy lore-dumping which slow the plot, this is an accessible and fast-paced story, perfect for new fantasy readers. The lore-dumping means every character’s motivations are made clear in their introductions – with the Monuments’ histories etched into the Sanctuaries – but Kostakis still manages to pull the rug from under the reader with unexpected twists and tangled timelines. 

Overall, this is a vibrant, funny, hopeful novel in which a new generation shoulders the responsibility and power to change the world for the better and, despite their differences, manage to step up to the challenge together. It is a hopeful romp of a book.