Fantasy
![J. M. Miro - [object Object] author](https://res.cloudinary.com/readsomnia/image/upload/authors/a_B09FPBHJYF.jpg)
Ordinary Monsters: A Novel (The Talents, 1)
NATIONAL BESTSELLER * "Charles Dickens meets Joss Whedon in Miro's otherworldly Netflix-binge-like novel." ―The Washington Post
MOST ANTICIPATED SFF BOOK of 2022 by Tor, The Nerd Daily, BookBub, Philadelphia Inquirer, Goodreads, CrimeReads, Buzzfeed, Professional Book Nerds, and more!
BEST BOOK OF SUMMER 2022 by SheReads, Book Riot, Goodreads, Gizmodo, Daily Beast, Paste Magazine, and more!
IN THIS STUNNING HISTORICAL FANTASY, journey to the Victorian era, as children with mysterious powers are hunted by a figure of darkness in a battle of good vs. evil...
"Ordinary Monsters is a towering achievement: a dazzling mountain of wild invention, Dickensian eccentrics, supernatural horrors, and gripping suspense. Be warned... once you step into this penny dreadful to end all penny dreadfuls, you'll never want to leave." ―Joe Hill, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Fireman and Heart-Shaped Box
Charlie Ovid, despite surviving a brutal childhood in Mississippi, doesn't have a scar on him. His body heals itself, whether he wants it to or not. Marlowe, a foundling from a railway freight car, shines with a strange bluish light. He can melt or mend flesh. When Alice Quicke, a jaded detective with her own troubled past, is recruited to escort them to safety, all three begin a journey into the nature of difference and belonging, and the shadowy edges of the monstrous.
What follows is a story of wonder and betrayal, from the gaslit streets of London, and the wooden theaters of Meiji-era Tokyo, to an eerie estate outside Edinburgh where other children with gifts―like Komako, a witch-child and twister of dust, and Ribs, a girl who cloaks herself in invisibility―are forced to combat the forces that threaten their safety. There, the world of the dead and the world of the living threaten to collide. With this new found family, Komako, Marlowe, Charlie, Ribs, and the rest of the Talents discover the truth about their abilities. And as secrets within the Institute unfurl, a new question arises: What truly defines a monster?
Riveting in its scope, exquisitely written, Ordinary Monsters presents a catastrophic vision of the Victorian world―and of the gifted, broken children who must save it.
MOST ANTICIPATED SFF BOOK of 2022 by Tor, The Nerd Daily, BookBub, Philadelphia Inquirer, Goodreads, CrimeReads, Buzzfeed, Professional Book Nerds, and more!
BEST BOOK OF SUMMER 2022 by SheReads, Book Riot, Goodreads, Gizmodo, Daily Beast, Paste Magazine, and more!
IN THIS STUNNING HISTORICAL FANTASY, journey to the Victorian era, as children with mysterious powers are hunted by a figure of darkness in a battle of good vs. evil...
"Ordinary Monsters is a towering achievement: a dazzling mountain of wild invention, Dickensian eccentrics, supernatural horrors, and gripping suspense. Be warned... once you step into this penny dreadful to end all penny dreadfuls, you'll never want to leave." ―Joe Hill, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Fireman and Heart-Shaped Box
Charlie Ovid, despite surviving a brutal childhood in Mississippi, doesn't have a scar on him. His body heals itself, whether he wants it to or not. Marlowe, a foundling from a railway freight car, shines with a strange bluish light. He can melt or mend flesh. When Alice Quicke, a jaded detective with her own troubled past, is recruited to escort them to safety, all three begin a journey into the nature of difference and belonging, and the shadowy edges of the monstrous.
What follows is a story of wonder and betrayal, from the gaslit streets of London, and the wooden theaters of Meiji-era Tokyo, to an eerie estate outside Edinburgh where other children with gifts―like Komako, a witch-child and twister of dust, and Ribs, a girl who cloaks herself in invisibility―are forced to combat the forces that threaten their safety. There, the world of the dead and the world of the living threaten to collide. With this new found family, Komako, Marlowe, Charlie, Ribs, and the rest of the Talents discover the truth about their abilities. And as secrets within the Institute unfurl, a new question arises: What truly defines a monster?
Riveting in its scope, exquisitely written, Ordinary Monsters presents a catastrophic vision of the Victorian world―and of the gifted, broken children who must save it.
Editorial Reviews
Indie Next Pick for June
"Charles Dickens meets Joss Whedon in Miro's otherworldly Netflix-binge-like novel." ―The Washington Post
"This grim but poignant debut showcases a bleak Victorian England, engaging characters, and the desire to belong." ―Library Journal
"A compelling, complex tale―one that sucks you into the magically grotesque underbelly that seethes throughout this alternate history of the late 19th century... The worldbuilding is also immaculate and impressive in its detail and expansiveness... I can't wait for the next book comes out to see where the story goes from here." ―Tor.com
"Miro intersperses crucial flashbacks to characters' backstories during intense moments, creating a gleeful and maddening ride between the past and the present as each character's arc is explored in full detail... Miro cleverly adapts beloved fantasy tropes and swirls them into Ordinary Monsters, a book about life and death, magic and monstrosities, with plenty of mysteries for readers to solve." ―BookPage
"As effective a Gaslamp fantasy as I've read...The prose is compelling with a dreamy tendency, elaborating on details and then skipping over transitions to insist only on the most important parts. Miro likewise writes emotional and situational complexity with a light, deft touch...Engaging from start to finish, and well-written to boot." ―Geekly, Inc.
"Haunting, tense, earth-shattering … A riveting mix of magic and terror." ―Tamora Pierce, author of
Trickster's ChoiceandIn the Hand of the Goddess
"Brilliant, subtle, bone-breaking. A book that creeps up on ...
"Charles Dickens meets Joss Whedon in Miro's otherworldly Netflix-binge-like novel." ―The Washington Post
"This grim but poignant debut showcases a bleak Victorian England, engaging characters, and the desire to belong." ―Library Journal
"A compelling, complex tale―one that sucks you into the magically grotesque underbelly that seethes throughout this alternate history of the late 19th century... The worldbuilding is also immaculate and impressive in its detail and expansiveness... I can't wait for the next book comes out to see where the story goes from here." ―Tor.com
"Miro intersperses crucial flashbacks to characters' backstories during intense moments, creating a gleeful and maddening ride between the past and the present as each character's arc is explored in full detail... Miro cleverly adapts beloved fantasy tropes and swirls them into Ordinary Monsters, a book about life and death, magic and monstrosities, with plenty of mysteries for readers to solve." ―BookPage
"As effective a Gaslamp fantasy as I've read...The prose is compelling with a dreamy tendency, elaborating on details and then skipping over transitions to insist only on the most important parts. Miro likewise writes emotional and situational complexity with a light, deft touch...Engaging from start to finish, and well-written to boot." ―Geekly, Inc.
"Haunting, tense, earth-shattering … A riveting mix of magic and terror." ―Tamora Pierce, author of
Trickster's ChoiceandIn the Hand of the Goddess
"Brilliant, subtle, bone-breaking. A book that creeps up on ...
Readers Top Reviews
bev colthorpeNina
A must read 📚 I fell in love with the characters the places, the era. Found myself longing to get back to reading it. An obsessive read, once started you cannot put this book down. A gem of a book . Take yourself on a magical journey and dont look back. Cannot wait for the next book. Im predicting a movie or series. If you loved Harry Potter, Lord of the rings Game of Thrones, Mrs Perigrins school for peculiar children. You will Love this book. Best read for me in a long time. Cannot praise this book enough. 10 our of 10.
Hillary Glick,Ph.
Concept is great and characters are great. I look forward to the future books in the series. It takes a long time to get going and really capture your interest, however, and even characters whom you will end up loving (or hating) make little impression for much longer than they should. The book fully redeems itself with moral ambiguity and the corrupting influence of power playing interesting roles
Rachael R.Hillary
Fantastic story building. Miro takes the time to layer the characters making it impossible for them to be all good or bad.
robusterM.E.Benja
First it is eerily similar to Ransom Rigs series. Not a loop driven plot , but I found it read like the other series. The book is to long and it is repetitive. It needs to be cut by a third and some of the actions scenes could easily be left on the editing floor. The book has a great hook and it starts off great. The protagonists are well done and they bond well throughout the story. I like Charlie , Marlow and Alice . Throw in the rest of the bunch and you can see why I link it to the other series by Ransom Rigs. The Villains in this story are well laid out and they are horrific. Jacob and Walter could leave the reader with nightmares. The twist and turns are good and some even unsuspected. I like the cat by the way. A little bit of Robert Jordons Wheel of Time may have found some influence here. It is a well crafted story about young people with talents. The talents are rounded up by two well meaning characters , Frank and Alice , to be taken to Scotland by the way of London England. To an Institute that will supposedly help them harness and control their special powers. For some reason , these powerful children are all orphans and close to death . Marlow , Charlie , Ribbs, Ko and Oscar are the primary characters for the young students. They represent the five talents the author has given to this story. There are a lot of twists and turns to this well written story. Alice has links to the talent thorough her mothers association with one, Frank is a talent himself and Charlie’s dad was a talent. It is a well crafted story , told with a passion that keeps the reader interested. I dropped the book from four stars to three for two reasons. It’s length and the repetitive issues.
Kindle Maddogish
The book was way too long. Too many flash backs and flash forwards. The story line was jerky and often times confused and laboured. If you read it you will understand. But I had to find out how it all came together in the end. Was it worth it? Not really.
