 First edition (US) | |
| Author | J.M. Miro |
|---|---|
| Cover artist | Keith Hayes |
| Language | English |
| Genre | |
| Publisher | Flatiron Books (US) Bloomsbury (UK) |
Publication date | June 7, 2022 |
| Pages | 658 |
| ISBN | 1-526-65004-5 |
| OCLC | 1313968701 |
Ordinary Monsters is a 2022 fantasy novel by J.M. Miro, a pseudonym for Steven Price. [1]
Ordinary Monsters is the first of a planned trilogy. [2]
The plot is set in the Victorian era and is about children with special abilities. The employees of a special academy called the Cairndale Institute are determined to find them, and a monster is hunting the children as well. In this alternate timeline, some people are known as Talents, those who have specific abilities that enable them to do seemingly supernatural feats like control dust, become invisible, heal themselves, or be able to harden their skin, among others.
Vanessa Armstrong of Tor.com said the "worldbuilding is ... immaculate and impressive in its detail and expansiveness." [3] Lisa Tuttle of The Guardian said the novel is "a complex, often horrific tale ... it is an enthralling read." [4] Margaret Kingsbury of Buzzfeed News said that "character development and backstory drive the novel's sometimes meandering but always intriguing plot forward." [2] Robert Wiersema of The Toronto Star said the book is "an easy match for the quality readers have come to expect from Price's work." [1]
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