We Shall Be Monsters by Tara Sim
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Web ID: 18496907Fascinating blend of Frankenstein, Indian myths
We Shall Be Monsters is a Frankenstein retelling integrated into an Indian mythology inspired YA fantasy. Devastated after her sister Lasya’s sudden death, Kajal is determined to do whatever it takes to bring her back. She must hurry to resurrect Lasya before her trapped soul warps into a bhuta—a violent, wraith-like spirit intent on murdering those who have done her wrong. When Kajal is locked away as a witch, she is offered freedom by two strangers who are rebels against the kingdom’s usurper. Their offer of help comes with a request. She must resurrect the kingdom’s fallen crown prince. She agrees but when she resurrects the prince, things don’t go as planned. The world building in We Shall Be Monsters is unique, fascinating, rich and detailed. I loved the interesting cast of characters and mythological beings which included a resurrected dog. Overall, We Shall Be Monsters is a well written dark, sinister and serious novel with some moments of humor and lightness. I enjoyed all the plot twists. There was a section toward the end where the pacing slowed down for a long flashback. This section ended up being necessary to understand the story, which then ended in a cliffhanger. I look forward to reading the sequel which will hopefully be released soon.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Gothic Fantasy
We Shall Be Monsters is an amazing new duopoly perfect for the Autumn /Spooky Season. The official blurb says: Frankenstein meets Indian mythology in this twisty, darkly atmospheric fantasy where the horror is not the monsters you face but the ones you create. It's so true. It’s moody, mysterious, and a little sinister. I listened to it on audio and loved the narration. The story is captivating and immersive, transporting you to a world with mystery, drama, magical creatures, and folklore. Kajal is moody and angry, she is mourning the death of her sister and wants to revive her, she is impulsive and makes mistakes, which makes her more human and you can empathize with her or be desperate with some of her actions, it makes her more real, even in a world of magic and mystery. She is intelligent and brave hungry for knowledge, learning, and solving mysteries. Loved all the characters, not just Kajal, they all have their personality, a purpose, and a reason to work together, also an undead dog, called Kutaa and he is the most beautiful thing in the world. The world-building and the setting, it’s very interesting and unique, I love the mix between modern fantasy and folklore inspiration, not only do we have Frankenstein vibes, but there are also demons, ghosts, princes, and resurrections. The style is a little chaotic, and fast pacing, the last pages will keep you hooked, and it ends on a cliffhanger and leaves you wanting to know more. Overall is a great duology, it has a plot twist that makes you crave the second and final book. Read if you like: Gothic atmosphere Dark Mistery Indian mythology Duologies
Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Great Mythology/Fantasy
Actual Rating 3.5 This tale was compared to Frankenstein, which I mistakenly assumed meant a retelling. This certainly wasn’t (which I was just fine with!) but was inspired in some instances by the classic work. There were so many things that the author did well with this one, which included incorporating mythology and religion in a way that was familiar but still relevant to the fantasy setting of the book. I also liked that the book explored the themes of what makes a monster and the lengths people will go to for family and/or due to guilt. The characters were well written and interesting and added much to the reading experience. There was also strong worldbuilding and setting descriptions incorporated throughout, which kept the whole book quite immersive. There is a portion near the end of the book that randomly jumps to the POV of another character, one we haven’t been introduced to. And it’s set in the past, which is another thing that isn’t clarified until you just happen to get enough context clues from reading it. I disliked this at it was a somewhat jarring switch, and I wish it had been clearly marked to make it easier to know what was going on. I think this also contributed some to the pacing issues that were present – the first half of the book was well-paced and quite engaging, but there was a lag during the next 20 to 30% that made it a bit more of a slog to get through. There was also some somewhat heavy-handed foreshadowing that made it easy to guess where the book was going, but I still enjoyed the journey so I didn’t mind this too much. I really appreciated the author’s note at the end of the work that discussed the aspects of the work that were fantasy, those that were inspired by Indian myths, and where the two blended. This was especially helpful for someone (like me) who isn’t the most familiar with the mythologies and religions of India. While this book set up for a sequel, enough things were resolved to make it a satisfying read in and of itself. My thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group for allowing me to read this work. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Frankenstein in an Indian Fantasy World
Thank you NetGalley & Tara Sim for an eARC of this book. The following is my honest review of We Shall Be Monsters. Indian Frankenstein. That is all. That got me intrigued immediately and I loved this book. Kajal mourns her sister who was killed in an accident but instead of burning her body and releasing her spirit, she holds on in hopes of resurrecting her. After successfully bringing back a stray dog, she is found by two rebels who seek to resurrect the slain prince and restore him to the throne, usurping the man who stole it nearly two decades ago. I fell in love with Sim's writing with The City of Dusk, so I was very eager to read her YA retelling of Frankenstein infused with Indian folklore and Hindu mythology. The magic system was complex and interesting, and I enjoyed learning about the figures that are so integral in the Hindu and Buddhist mythology. The world felt so vivid and real and had me invested throughout the book. Sim's characters are also really fun to read. I loved our protagonist, Kajal, who has such clear character flaws and selfish motives. That twist at the end had my jaw on the floor and it made everything make so much more sense. I was not expecting that reveal even though Sim set it up so well. It makes me want to reread to connect all the dots. I also loved the prince. He was a twist on expectations we tend to have from all the tropes in fantasy so it was a nice reversal on what I was expecting him to be like. Though my favorite character was probably the dog. I love a good stray companion. I will definitely be picking up book 2 in this series. Sim is one of my favorite writers and I enjoy her worlds and her characters. If you haven't discovered her yet, you absolutely should! **Trigger warnings for war, death, blood, gore, medical procedures.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Great Read
Overall, I found We Shall Be Monsters to be a great read! My favorite thing about this book was the culture and mythology that was woven in. The author managed to wave Indian culture with the classic story of Frankenstein in a seamless way. So well done on that! I thought all the characters were well done as well. They were all complex, three-dimensional, and relatable in a way that I think many readers will enjoy. And the fact that not all characters were likable was something I liked. The diversity featured in this story was also something I really loved. I was definitely sucked into this story right away, and found it to be an easy read, to where I often did not want to put it down. I will say that there were a few chapters that felt a bit out of place, which is why this wasn't a 5-star read for me personally. But those chapters shouldn't deter anyone from giving this book a chance!
Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Amazing in spots, less so in others
First, the good. The world and characters are an easy 5/5. I loved Kajal and Tav right off the bat and continued to enjoy them and their interactions with each other throughout. The magic of the world takes a while to really show up but what is there is interesting. I found the resurrection plot highly compelling as well and was really rooting for Kajal the entire time. And now for what I didn't love. Five of the later chapters feel like reading a completely different book. What's up is explained by the end of the book but that's 50 pages of wondering how it relates to the main story. I found it really hard to get through reading and I'm still not sure it entirely makes sense. The twists in general don't feel handled well at all. There are a few characters that just sort of hang around and never do anything significant and honestly don't need to be there. The book felt generally unfocused in several places.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Loved!
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6359477227
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
oh this was good!
I was lucky enough to receive an Advance Review Copy of this book from the publisher, and I feel very fortunate indeed! This way I can tell everyone how good it was and that's what I'm here to do! Let's start with the cover, because how can we not? That image...it grabs you and doesn't let go, and it sets the scene perfectly for what's coming inside the book. I also love any plot that is based on mythology, so that was a very strong indicator that this book would be a winner for me! The characters were very well developed and inclusive--there's so much complexity there, which is awesome--but my favorite character was the dog, because of course it was. There's a Frankenstein element going on, and overall it's just a whole new take on fantasy, which is really welcome given how popular the genre has become. Anything that breathes fresh life into this category of book is going to be a must-read for me!
Customer review from barnesandnoble.com