The Monsters We Defy

I love it when books have a mix of genres. The Monsters We Defy is such a great mix of historical fiction and fantasy. Set in the 1920s in Washington DC, some characters and events in the book were actually inspired by real life. I’m not at all familiar with what happened in DC around this time, and while a fictional book isn’t the best source, learning about it was still really cool!

Clara Johnson has the ability to talk to spirits and must pull off a heist to save her community. The task? Steal a powerful ring from the wealthiest woman in the District. Clara assembles a ragtag crew of a jazz musician who can hypnotize with his music, an actor who can change his appearance, a war veteran who can alter memories, and her roommate with a circus background. I loved the characters’ interactions with each other and I love how each of their motivations felt real to me. While their abilities may be incredible, there is also a trick attached to it – consequences that have impacted each character deeply.

I love heist stories and I’d be lying if I didn’t say that was the biggest pull this book had on me. As far as pacing goes, I think my expectations were quite different. I was looking for something a bit more fast paced but while the novel slowed in parts, I still liked it. There’s African American folk magic, mystery, found family, history, deals with spirits, clairvoyants, ghosts, and a heartwarming romance that make this book an enjoyable ride.

Thanks to the team at Orbit for sending me an eARC for review! All opinions are my own.