by J. M. Miro
MOST ANTICIPATED SFF BOOK of 2022 by Tor, The Nerd Daily, CrimeReads, BookBub and more!
"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
A STUNNING NEW WORK OF HISTORICAL FANTASY, J. M. MIRO'S ORDINARY MONSTERS INTRODUCES LISTENERS TO THE DARK, LABYRINTHINE WORLD OF THE TALENTS
England, 1882. In Victorian London, two children with mysterious powers are hunted by a figure of darkness—a man made of smoke.
Sixteen-year-old Charlie Ovid, despite 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 a jaded female detective 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 theatres of Meiji-era Tokyo, to an eerie estate outside Edinburgh where other children with gifts—the Talents—have been gathered. There, the world of the dead and the world of the living threaten to collide. And as secrets within the Institute unfurl, Marlowe, Charlie and the rest of the Talents will discover the truth about their abilities, and the nature of what is stalking them: that the worst monsters sometimes come bearing the sweetest gifts.
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.
A Macmillan Audio production from Flatiron Books.
MOST ANTICIPATED SFF BOOK of 2022 by Tor, The Nerd Daily, CrimeReads, BookBub and more!
"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
A STUNNING NEW WORK OF HISTORICAL FANTASY, J. M. MIRO'S ORDINARY MONSTERS INTRODUCES LISTENERS TO THE DARK, LABYRINTHINE WORLD OF THE TALENTS
England, 1882. In Victorian London, two children with mysterious powers are hunted by a figure of darkness—a man made of smoke.
Sixteen-year-old Charlie Ovid, despite 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 a jaded female detective 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 theatres of Meiji-era Tokyo, to an eerie estate outside Edinburgh where other children with gifts—the Talents—have been gathered. There, the world of the dead and the world of the living threaten to collide. And as secrets within the Institute unfurl, Marlowe, Charlie and the rest of the Talents will discover the truth about their abilities, and the nature of what is stalking them: that the worst monsters sometimes come bearing the sweetest gifts.
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.
A Macmillan Audio production from Flatiron Books.
Reviews-
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September 1, 2022
The first book in Miro's "The Talents Trilogy" series is set in 1882 and follows two children who have magical abilities. They are recruited by an institute in Scotland where other children with abilities--Talents--reside. A mysterious man made of smoke stalks the children, and the veil between the world of the living and the dead is thinning. The Talents must discover the truth about their abilities and prevent the two worlds from colliding. This historical fantasy was exhaustive, though some characters lacked depth; there were so many introduced throughout the book. The start of the novel was fun and mysterious, the end was compelling, but the middle was a slower read. Narrator Ben Onwuke's performance is enjoyable. His deep voice gave gravitas to the novel, and he was great at differentiating the multitude of character voices and accents. VERDICT Listeners looking for a sweeping fantasy series with a lot of moving parts and different timelines might enjoy this novel.--Danielle Arpin
Copyright 2022 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
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Ben Onwukwe deeply engages the listening audience with this electrifying dark fantasy, which features characters with special powers who are in danger. They are being protected by a troubled female detective as they journey to a safe destination. Listeners must pay attention to the twists and turns that take them from London to the U.S. and other far-off places. The novel's impeccable attention to detail vividly comes alive through Onwukwe's tone and resonant timbre. He is distinct with accents and with the various personas in this fantasy. Most important, his ability to bring this story to life in an eerie, mysterious way keeps the adventure enticing. T.E.C. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine
