What Monstrous Gods

by Rosamund Hodge, Amber Lee Connors (Read by)

Overview

A rich and romantic new standalone fantasy loosely inspired by the classic Sleeping Beauty fairy tale, from the New York Times bestselling author of Cruel Beauty! Perfect for fans of These Violent Delights and The Shadow Queen.

Centuries ago, the heretic sorcerer Ruven raised a deadly briar around Runakhia's palace, casting the royal family into an enchanted sleep—and silencing the kingdom's gods.

Born with a miraculous gift, Lia's destiny is to kill Ruven and wake the royals. But when she succeeds, she finds her duty is not yet complete, for now she must marry into the royal family and forge a pact with a god—or die.

To make matters even worse, Ruven's spirit is haunting her.

As discord grows between the old and new guards, the queen sends Lia and Prince Araunn, her betrothed, on a pilgrimage to awaken the gods. But the old gods are more dangerous than Lia ever knew—and Ruven may offer her only hope of survival.

As the two work together, Lia learns that they're more alike than she expected. And with tensions rising, Lia must choose between what she was raised to believe and what she knows is right—and between the prince she is bound to by duty...and the boy she killed.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9798212900300
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	03/05/2024
Product dimensions:	5.83(w) x 5.67(h) x 1.18(d)
Age Range:	12 - 17 Years

About the Author

Rosamund Hodge grew up as a homeschooler in Los Angeles, where she spent her time reading everything she could lay hands on, but especially fantasy and mythology. She got a BA in English from the University of Dallas and an MSt in Medieval English from Oxford, and she now lives in Seattle with a mountain of books and the most beautiful dog in the world. Visit her online at http://www.rosamundhodge.net/.

Editorial Reviews

★ 12/18/2023

In this complex fantasy loosely inspired by Sleeping Beauty, Hodge delivers a thoughtful meditation on the relationship between faith and obedience, as well as religious and secular power. Five centuries ago, the sorcerer Ruven cast a spell of eternal sleep upon the royal family of Runakhia, surrounding the castle with an impenetrable briar and ending the age of gods and saints. In the present, 17-year-old Lia Kurinava—who was raised by the nuns of Nin-Anna, the goddess of springtime and healing—ventures into the briar, intent on killing Ruven and freeing the royal family. As unwelcome reward upon her triumph, Lia will marry into the royal family and help them reawaken the long-dormant shrines of the gods, returning the deities and their dark miracles to the present. Haunted by Ruven’s ghost, rejected by Nin-Anna, and claimed by the death goddess Mor-Iva, Lia must carefully balance mundane politics, divine caprice, and her own developing magical skills to take charge of her destiny. Lia’s evolution and exploration of her beliefs is the beating heart of this lush tale, and her nuanced relationship with Ruven and Hodge’s unsettling and visceral rendering of the gods as remote and inhuman add grit. Main characters read as white. Ages 13–up. Agent: Hannah Bowman, Liza Dawson Assoc. (Mar.)

Publishers Weekly

In this complex fantasy, Hodge delivers a thoughtful meditation on the relationship between faith and obedience, as well as religious and secular power.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“A haunting tale of gods and magic and those caught in between. Hodge’s complex world building and richly developed characters will ensnare contemplative readers as the story explores the murky yet powerful worlds of politics and religion as well as themes of truth, purpose, and choice." — Booklist

“A sharply original blend of romance and dark fantasy.”  — Kirkus Reviews

"Hodge brings her trademark rich worldbuilding and emotional eloquence to a dramatic premise that’s also darkly, ironically funny, the kind of subversive humor that balances on the knife-edge of despair." — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

"Inventive and richly imagined, What Monstrous Gods is a beautiful story of faith with teeth—lost, found, and fought for” — Hannah Whitten, New York Times bestselling author of For the Wolf

“A searing, fiercely inventive story of misplaced faith and what it takes to fully reimagine your place in the world.” — Laura Weymouth, author of The Light Between Worlds and The Treason of Thorns

“A gut-wrenching meditation on faith and divine love, with a heartbreakingly impossible romance set in a vivid, brutal world. Monstrous, brilliant, and beautiful.” — Joanna Ruth Meyer, author of Echo North and Into the Heartless Wood

PRAISE FOR Endless Water, Starless Sky: “More romantic and even more mystical than its predecessor.” — Booklist

Praise for BRIGHT SMOKE, COLD FIRE: “A bloody and bold tale for those who want some Romero with their Romeo.” — Kirkus Reviews

Praise for BRIGHT SMOKE, COLD FIRE: “An atmospheric tale that pits loyalty to kin against loyalty to self and loyalty to loved ones.” — School Library Journal

Praise for BRIGHT SMOKE, COLD FIRE: “High stakes, desperate love, and a healthy dose of gore keep this update fresh and intriguing.” — Booklist

Praise for BRIGHT SMOKE, COLD FIRE: “Hodge tackles a well-known tale…with a tougher heroine and a dark twist.” — Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA)

Praise for CRIMSON BOUND: “This novel will captivate readers. Outstanding.” — School Library Journal (starred review)

Praise for CRIMSON BOUND: “An intoxicatingly dark story of love, lust, murder, and redemption.” — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books (starred review)

Praise for CRIMSON BOUND: “Plot twists and romance keep the pages turning in this grim and intricate take on the classic tale.” — Booklist

Praise for CRIMSON BOUND: “The unusual, intricately woven story and themes make for a worthwhile read.” — Kirkus Reviews

Praise for CRUEL BEAUTY: “An intricate and arresting tale.” — Kirkus Reviews

Praise for CRUEL BEAUTY: “The push and pull romance between Nyx and Ignifex is pure fairy tale, but the characters themselves are complex and genuinely human as they struggle with their own culpability in a situation that forces them to choose between selfishness and selflessness.” — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

Praise for CRUEL BEAUTY: “An entertaining read for teens who enjoy romantic fantasy.” — School Library Journal

Praise for CRUEL BEAUTY: “Hodge has created a rich, complete world in this twist on ‘Beauty and the Beast.’” — Publishers Weekly

Praise for CRUEL BEAUTY: “[A] fast-paced romantic fantasy.” — Booklist

Praise for CRUEL BEAUTY: “Will have readers clutching the book and flying through the pages.” — Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA)

Praise for CRUEL BEAUTY: “A dazzling and clever retelling, Cruel Beauty is delightfully dark, lushly romantic, and utterly spellbinding. I adored it, and can’t wait to read Hodge’s next novel!” — Sarah J. Maas, author of the best-selling Throne of Glass series

Praise for CRUEL BEAUTY: “A completely engrossing tale.”

— Alex Flinn, New York Times bestselling author of Beastly and Towering

Praise for CRUEL BEAUTY: “What a stunning debut. This is a book you will want to read as fast as you can for the intricate plot and as slowly as you can to savor the gorgeous world-building and the ravishing love story.” — Sherry Thomas, author of The Burning Sky

From the Publisher

05/03/2024

Gr 9 Up—All Lia Kurinava asks for her 17th birthday is for Mother Una's permission to enter the briar that surrounds the royal palace and kill the sorcerer, Ruven. Five hundred years ago, Ruven cast a spell on the royal family and put the whole palace to sleep. By doing so, he silenced Runakhia's gods and ended the age of saints. Lia, adopted by the Convent of St. Eruvaun after her family died of the plague, has grown up worshiping Nin-Anna, one of Runakhia's eight gods, and fully accepts her destiny to break Ruven's curse. She successfully kills Ruven and wakes Queen Imvada and her children, Princess Varia and Prince Araunn. Lia, haunted by Ruven's ghost, joins the Prince and Princess on their tour to reawaken the gods and learns some unsettling truths about the old gods on the journey. Lia finds herself caught between her devotion to the gods, the political machinations of Queen Imvada, and her growing feelings for Ruven. VERDICT While billed as a loose interpretation of the "Sleeping Beauty" tale, this dark fantasy is more akin to Serpent & Dove by Shelby Mahurin with its religious musings about duty, love, and purpose.—Maria Martin

School Library Journal

2023-12-06
Five hundred years ago, the heretic Ruven imprisoned Runakhia’s royal family inside magical briar, silencing the gods they serve; in breaking the spell, a 17-year-old learns a fateful lesson: Be careful what you wish for.

After she lost her family to the plague, Lia Kurinava was raised by nuns who worship Nin-Anna, one of eight deities who formerly blessed Runakhia. A rare commoner born with the Royal Gift that permits the royal family to enter the gods’ realm, Lia uses her gift to breach the briar and kill Ruven. She awakens the royal family from their enchanted sleep to seek the gods’ help in defeating the plague and Runakhia’s enemies. The chillingly indifferent deities whom Runakhians worship work their magic through human saints whose miracles eventually cause the saints’ horrific deaths. They’re more demonic than saintly, according to Ruven, who’s now a tormenting but charismatic ghost upon whom Lia increasingly depends as she’s ordered to help the royals re-enter modern life, restore the gods to Runakhia, and marry Prince Araunn. Ruven may be her worst enemy—or her only hope—in her quest to ensure the gods are worthy of their powers. Sedate pacing and high-fantasy psychic distance lend heft to an original tale unfolding from an unsettling premise. Beyond the charmingly disembodied love story, the question of whether humans might outgrow their gods offers intriguing food for thought. Major characters are cued white.

A sharply original blend of romance and dark fantasy. (the gods and their shrines) (Fantasy romance. 13-18)

Kirkus Reviews