Monsters Born and Made

By: Tanvi Berwah

Narrated by: Deepa Samuel

*A BookRiot Must-Read South Asian Book of 2022*

She grew up battling the monsters that live in the black seas, but it couldn't prepare her to face the cunning cruelty of the ruling elite.

Perfect for fans of The Hunger Games and Fable, this South Asian-inspired fantasy is a gripping debut about the power of the elite, the price of glory, and one girl's chance to change it all.

Sixteen-year-old Koral and her older brother Emrik risk their lives each day to capture the monstrous maristags that live in the black seas around their island. They have to, or else their family will starve.

In an oceanic world swarming with vicious beasts, the Landers—the ruling elite, have indentured Koral's family to provide the maristags for the Glory Race, a deadly chariot tournament reserved for the upper class. The winning contender receives gold and glory. The others—if they're lucky—survive.

When the last maristag of the year escapes and Koral has no new maristag to sell, her family's financial situation takes a turn for the worse and they can't afford medicine for her chronically ill little sister. Koral's only choice is to do what no one in the world has ever dared: cheat her way into the Glory Race.

But every step of the way is unpredictable as Koral races against competitors—including her ex-boyfriend—who have trained for this their whole lives and who have no intention of letting a low-caste girl steal their glory. As a rebellion rises and rogues attack Koral to try and force her to drop out, she must choose—her life or her sister's—before the whole island burns.

Perfect for fans of:

Dystopian Fantasy

Sea Monsters

Exes-to-Rivals-to-?

Golden Boy x Pariah

Deadly Competition

Rebellion

Angsty Teenagers

Female Friendship

Praise for Monsters Born and Made:

"An exhilarating race of willpower and defiance, set on an utterly unique world filled with glorious monsters."—Xiran Jay Zhao, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Iron Widow

"Monsters Born and Made takes well-beloved YA tropes and turns them on their heads, creating an action-packed rallying cry against oppression and a riveting tale of one girl's desperation to survive no matter the odds."—Roseanne A. Brown, New York Times bestselling author of A Song of Wraiths and Ruin

©2022 Tanvi Berwah (P)2022 Recorded Books

This was a good book

I didn’t exactly understand what was going on it first but as the book progressed, I liked it more and more. I did not love the ending though.

Good book, terrible reader

This was a good book, and had the potential to be an AMAZING thing to listen too. Unfortunately the book sounded like it was read to me by first generation Siri and it hurt to listen too. Bummed about it

Amazing Book

Great book, a little slow in some parts but great action scenes throughout. The main character displays unmeasured resilience pushing through the stressors of her broken home and her crumbling society to come out on top with a true appreciation of the things that matter most. The last chapter was epic and revitalizes the reader after the tragic twists. With renewed energy and vengeance in her heart i truly cant wait to see where the journey takes koral and her loyal companion stormgold

Great narration

I loved the narrator, she did a fantastic job! Great story. It may have started off confusing with all of the new creatures and land, but as it continued I become fully immersed.