The Monsters We Defy by Leslye Penelope is an original blend of historical and supernatural fiction. The setting is Washington DC in the 1920s. Black professionals are thriving as doctors, lawyers, bankers, and scholars. Professional advantages and societal privileges, however, are primarily granted to individuals with skin tones lighter than a paper bag. An economic and social hierarchy exists - those at the bottom struggle for upward mobility and those at the top fight to maintain their status.

Many are so desperate to achieve their goals, they jump at the chance to take any deal offered. And then suffer the consequences.

Clara Johnson was born with the sight. She can see “Over There,” and word has spread that she can call on spirits to help those in need. These gift-granting spirits are Enigmas, who will grant magical Charms to humans, but always include a Trick in the deal.

Clara, herself, is indebted to a powerful Enigma. Given the opportunity to regain her freedom, she enlists others similarly bound in the heist of a magical artifact. The team she forms is a wonderful cast of characters, including Zelda, who grew up as a sideshow act and performer in carnivals, and Israel Lee, a wildly popular jazz musician.

I loved everything about this story - the supernatural mystery, the characters and their group dynamic, and the 1920s setting complete with bootleggers, jazz clubs, and Langston Hughes.

The author beautifully weaves themes of trust in others and trust in self; community and belonging; destiny and free will throughout the book and illustrates the impacts of abandonment and generational trauma.

Thank you to Redhook/Orbit Books and NetGalley for early access to this title.

Vibes I wanted: adventure, ghosts, history, magic
Vibes I got: history, 1920s atmosphere, magic heists, intimate relationships, no-nonsense protagonist, destiny
Vibe rating: 5/5

I loved this book. I pulled out my phone at every chance to read a few more pages, I stayed up past my bedtime, I texted my friends as soon as I finished. This met and exceeded my expectations.

When I read the book described as a “magical heist,” I said yes without paying any attention to many other details. So when I started reading it and realized it was set in DC, it felt like an extra treat. DC is seriously underrepresented in fiction in general, much less fantasy, and Penelope does such a wonderful job of making the setting a vital part of the story. (Full disclosure: I recognize I live in the suburbs, but this is still exciting for me!)

Tied to her excellent use of the city is Penelope’s skill with the history side of historical fantasy. As someone who doesn’t know a lot about DC’s Black history and had never heard of U Street’s past as the center of Black Broadway, I spent much of the book looking up Penelope’s references to real people and places. Many of the people were familiar but I had no idea they had ties to DC in the 1920s. I’ve added the books Penelope mentions in her author’s note to my to read list, and I’m excited to learn more.

The fantasy elements fit perfectly within the 1920s atmosphere, heady and dangerous, and the magic acknowledges both the highs and the lows of the era. It’s intoxicating and unforgiving and full of potential. Against all of that, Clara Johnson is a perfect no-nonsense protagonist who’s being dragged into this world. I wouldn’t say she’s unlikeable—she is quite likable—but she’s not the most charming or exciting character. I like her all the more for it, and having her as the reader’s view into this world makes the novel’s Big Ideas of pasts and futures more powerful.

My favorite part, though, is the tenderness Penelope uses when writing the characters. The relationships they have with other people and the ones they develop with each other feel so genuine and intimate. Someone says to Clara, “You got something more powerful than stagecraft and illusion. You got a gift, a group of folks willing to help you, and a task worth doing. More than I can say for most.” And it’s with those relationships that dragons can be slayed.

I was trying to come up with some things I would change to prove that I can be a fancypants critical reader, but then I remembered I’m just here for the vibes. And the vibes are so, so good with this book. And honestly, I’m not sure there’s anything I would change

In the mood for any genre but itching for 1920s vibes and an exploration of class and colorism in the Black community? Read this book. Searching for a fantasy with a heist element that’ll keep you needing to know what happens next and reluctant wielders of magic due to complex and rich backstories? Read this book. And if all of that didn’t convince you, keep on reading to find out why you should most definitely pick up THE MONSTERS WE DEFY 😉

I stayed up until the wee hours of the morning TWO nights in a row because I couldn’t put this book down. I finished it in two sittings, and only because my body dared to start feeling sleepy towards the end of the first sitting. THE MONSTERS WE DEFY boasts an excellent balance of character work and a larger plot; I was invested in not just our main character Clara but in our crew of heist members. The mystery aspect is perfectly plotted and the reluctant friendship between Clara and Zelda is heartwarming. Perfect for fans of The Conductors by Nicole Glover; Conjure Women by Afia Atakora; Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Garcia-Moreno; and A Master of Djinn by P. Djèlí Clark! 5⭐️

The unique powers the characters in the book have are pretty cool - Clara can talk to spirits - and the way the relationships unfold in order to fulfill their shared destiny is well done.
"God made us all in four parts: soul, body, spirit, and destiny. The soul is the divine spark, every creature She created has one. The body is the soul's home, the animated clay some might say. The spirit is the independent essence - if the soul is the part of you that's connected to God, the spirit is the part of you that's all your own. And finally, the destiny - God's expectation. While everything that breathes and eats and shits gets the first three, the last is only for humans."
The mystery has interesting, and I enjoyed the nods to history.

This is a very cool historical fantasy set during the Black Renaissance in Washington, DC. (Did we know that the Harlem Renaissance had a sister movement in DC? Not until we read this book!) The Monsters We Defy integrates real history and historical figures with a rollicking fantasy heist. In this world, spirits called "Enigmas" make tricksy bargains with humans - the humans get a "Charm" but also a "Trick." So, for example, you might become the best thief of all time, but it's because no one will ever recognize you. At first the Trick might not seem so bad, but after a little bit of time you're desperate to get rid of it.

Now, Clara's been offered a way to get rid of her Trick. All she's got to do is to steal the ring from a famous opera singer and give it to the Enigma she made a bargain with several years ago. Along the way she gathers a master of disguise, an expert pickpocket, a WWI vet who can manipulate memories, and a musician whose tunes can affect everyone's moods except hers.

With seamlessly blended fantasy and history, complex characters, and a little touch of romance, this is a practically perfect read!

This objective review is based on a complimentary copy of the novel.

Negalley book for review ~~ I found this entertaining and had a lot of fun reading it, even if I was only able to access this copy on my phone! (Not my preferred reading device …). In any case I liked the main character, she was strong and got things done! The heist was done well as was the climax of the story. I didn’t find the side characters in the heist cast as quite as compelling as Clara and even Israel but that may just be me.

Anyway, I think anyone who loves historical fantasy and/or heist stories/fae-like creatures will appreciate this story.

I’ll keep an eye out for more books from this author on the future.

The Monsters We Defy is the latest novel by author Leslye Penelope, who previously had published (and first self-published) a number of romantic (epic) fantasy novels under the name L. Penelope. Unlike those novels, The Monsters We Defy is a different genre: Historical Fantasy, taking place in Washington D.C. during Prohibition, using a real life person - Clara Johnson, a black girl who shot a white policeman in self-defense - as the basis for its heroine. In this setting, in which humans, particularly black humans, kind find themselves in debt to the trickster Enigmas of the spirit world, Clara and a cast of others will have to pull of a heist for the sake of the entire Black community.

The result is a really well done novel, and while it never goes full on into heist mode like you might imagine it would by the midway point, it features some really great strong characters, a great setting, and some really strong themes. Its heroine Clara deals with severe anxiety around people relating in part to her tragic past and magical curse, and the story features themes of class, greed and exploitation even among people of the same oppressed group...and all of this works very well. A very enjoyable piece of Historical Fiction/Fantasy, and definitely recommended.


----------------------------------------------Plot Summary-------------------------------------------------
Clara Johnson could always see into the Spirit World....for all the good it did her in her past...even before she used that talent to make a devil's bargain with a powerful spirit - an Enigma called the Empress. Unfortunately, the "Trick" (downside) of that bargain is that she has no choice but to help others seeking supernatural help obtain a bargain with their own Enigma....even as she knows those bargains will always turn out poorly for the maker. Still, she has little else to do but survive in her life, no matter how much her carefree roommate, the albino girl Zelda, tries to forcer her to live a little.

But when poor black folk Clara knows begin to go missing, and others seem to be cursed into a seemingly zombie-like state, Clara discovers that the cause is a magical ring belonging to one of the wealthiest Black women in the community, one who isn't just a major jazz singer, but also is at the head of a major bootlegging enterprise. To get the ring and to save those in danger, Clara will need help: not just from Zelda's thieving ways, but from a series of others with their own magical Enigma-given gifts...and curses. But she's not the only one who wants the ring, and the Enigmas have their own eyes on it for their own purposes....purposes that don't suggest anything good for DC's struggling and not-so-struggling Black communities....
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The Monsters We Defy takes place in 1925 Washington DC, dealing near entirely with the black community living there during the height of Prohibition - while issues of racial inequality and oppression are very much in the background (and limit somewhat what the lead characters can do), this story sticks mainly to the Black Community itself and how its organized. And its not some single unified community - it's one very much gripped by inequality and its own forms of both classism and racism, with some rich black women looking down on Clara for her poverty - even as they are revealed to have exploited it - and some Black doctors are revealed to have as much eugenic/racist ideas as the White ones. It's this type of world that leads so many characters to make their own bargains with the sinister Enigma spirits...bargains that contain "Tricks", drawbacks that are far worse than their benefits, over and over.

In this world we have Clara Johnson, a really strong protagonist from whose perspective we get most of the story. Clara is based on a real life person and she has tremendous trauma from both that experience - shooting a white policeman in self defense, being thrown in prison and forced (unlike in real life) to use a magical power she is afraid of to survive. She also has trauma from her childhood, where her sight of the Spirit World eventually drove away her mother, leaving her feel tremendous guilt. And so Clara finds herself struggling to be around other people or to even trust other human people (she trusts the lingering ghostly spirit of her grandmother and is pulled into things by Zelda but that's about it), meaning that when circumstances force her to need other people's help, and to risk themselves alongside her, she struggles mightily. She also finds herself surviving more than finding happiness in anything, something that she comes to realize over the course of the story is something she might actually deserve to get.

Thankfully the plot forces her to work alongside a cast of characters who are really great and can get her to possibly loosen up a bit as needed. First of all there's Zelda, the albino girl who escaped from a circus and who uses her pickpocketing and acrobatic skills - and a daring happy-go-lucky attitude - to get the bits of happiness she deserves and who pushes Clara to get out there. Then there's Israel Lee, the love interest musician whose bargain allows him to spellbind with his music in exchange for being stuck with sycophants, and who has a similar tragic childhood in some ways to Clara. Then there's Aristotle, a gay actor whose bargain makes him able to magically camouflage himself as anyone else he wants...except for himself, making him unable to truly be himself with the man he has a crush on. And finally there's Jesse Lee, who has the power to steal memories....in exchange for the person he cares about the most having no memory of him.

They're a great crew who are a lot of fun together as they investigate what's truly going on with the missing people and the cursed ring, and try to come up with a way to save everyone....without getting themselves killed or worse. The story never quite goes full the way into Heist-mode as much as you might imagine, even their final plans tend to be somewhat impromptu and require less of each of their individual skills (Israel's skills are pretty much unused for instance) than Clara's quickwitted thinking, but it works well enough, and the interplay between this real world setting and the invented magic and spirit worlds all come together to keep this story moving really well, as it deals with the above-mentioned themes of class, race, and the battle to survive vs the battle to find happiness along the way.

It's just a really great and enjoyable historical fantasy story, and I definitely recommend it.

Clara Johnson can commune with spirits, acting as an unwilling intermediary between her world and Over There. When things start to go terribly amiss in Clara’s neighborhood, she enlists both friends and new faces alike for a heist that ends up being a lot more than anybody bargained for!

The writing of this story was absolutely incredible. Author Lesley Penelope writes with a strong voice that adds to the story immeasurably. The characters, main and secondary, were all fleshed out in a way you truly don’t see that often. Any member of the heist crew could easily have their own story after the solid foundations Penelope gave them. Zelda in particular, whose backstory included being sold to a circus as a sideshow act, could have been a set dressing with quippy one-liners like a lot of best friend characters tend to be. But she had this whole big LIFE and actually added a great deal to the story besides comedic relief. Most of the characters struggled with the repercussions of ill-fated deals, and the emotions that wrought were almost palpable at times. The setting— Washington, DC in the 1920s— was also really well done. Penelope mentions in the author’s notes that she had originally planned to set the story in New York City, but I really liked the muggy DC atmosphere and am glad she chose it.

I’ve seen a few reviews that characterize this as a fun, quick heist novel, but I’m not sure that characterization is 100% accurate. Yes, it was quick paced and certainly fun at times, but a lot of the story centers on racism and classism. There are also instances of police brutality, abandonment, death, and assault. Penelope tackles very real issues that many people deal with today, and some readers may be sensitive to that. This book is wonderful and I recommend it with my whole heart, but I don’t want anybody to be caught unaware.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
The Monsters We Defy is a daring new direction for Leslye Penelope, publishing under her full name for the first time. Like her L. Penelope stuff, it’s a fantasy, however it’s also a historical and somewhat stylistically different than what she’s written before.
Thematically, the narrative explores the long legacy of anti-Black racism, including police violence, with Penelope particularly drawing comparisons between her historical heroine Clara (inspired by a real person) and Breonna Taylor. Clara’s past includes having spent time in jail for the murder of a white police officer, and I admire how Penelope captures the darkness of the situation, with the bedroom being broken into. And even after she’s served her time, she’s still living in a deeply racist America, plagued by the Ku Klux Klan. But even with this bleak history setting the stage for the characters and lingering in the undertones of the plot, it doesn’t mean the story can’t also be fun and everything a heist narrative can be.
I really liked getting to know the characters and seeing these misfits with unusual powers come together. Clara is a wonderful lead, and I loved that despite her backstory, her arc throughout the book is not one focused solely on reckoning with trauma. She comes off as carefree most of the time, but she has vulnerabilities and insecurities beneath that. The rest of the cast isn’t as developed, but each of them does have a reasonably distinct personality and gift, which makes them stand out from one another.
I loved this book and hope Leslye Penelope continues to write more genre-bending works in this vein. If you like historical fantasy with a bit of mystery and a focus on social issues, I strongly recommend picking this up.

What do you do when you can communicate with spirits, are indebted to a treacherous Enigma, and that same Enigma tells you that in order to clear your debt you must steal an enchanted ring in a daring heist thats basically a suicide mission. Well if you are Clara Johnson, you grab your criminally minded best friend, assemble a rag tag group of other indebted peeps, and you go get your Oceans 11 on to drop some black girl magic on that sucka to help save yourself and your community.

The Monsters We Defy is a debut work by Leslye Penelope that is part magical heist, part historical fiction, and all-black excellence. It tells the story of Clara Johnson, a young woman, with spiritual gifts who discovers that some malevolent spirts are trying to bring some major drama earthside and it’s up to her and her . Dealing with themes of classism and racism, this book ultimately seeks to answer the question of what to do when your purpose scares the sh!#t out of you.

The good:
I loved the historical basis that is the foundation of this book. The main character is based on a historical figure, and there was also the casual sprinkling of other notable historical figures. We even get some Queen of Sheba mythology. I also appreciated that this book explored what life was like for black folks at such an interesting time. The 1920s (1925 to be exact) and living in such a dynamic city like DC, where there’s opportunity, glamor, luxury, and wealth. But we are not that far removed from slavery so it aftereffects is still very present and real for most of the characters (in a more direct way than the residual effects we still deal with to this day). I also loved the representation that hoodoo and african traditional spiritual practices received in the book.

The bad:
For a heist story, I felt like the pacing was a bit slow at times. But the action and suspense at various points helps to make up for that.

Thank you to NetGalley and Redhook books for the e-ARC.

Included as a top pick in bimonthly August New Releases post, which highlights and promotes upcoming releases of the month (link attached)

Do you like 1920s speakeasy gangsters?
Do you like motley crews hastily thrown together for a heist?
Do you like magical systems without European roots?
Do you like reading books with Black protagonists and primarily Black characters?
Do you like heroines based on little-known historical figures?

If you, like me, enjoy all of these things, go get a copy of THE MONSTERS WE DEFY right away. I'm glad that the ending left room for a sequel, because I would love to know more about Clara's journey and where life takes her.

The Monsters We Defy is an adventurous and fun heist romp with higher beings, bestowed gifts, and charming characters.

The world-building and premise is a mix between urban fantasy and historical, taking place around the prohibition era without leaning heavily into Black trauma which is definitely refreshing in historical fiction —- Leslye Penelope covers themes of race, class, and community without bogging down the narrative.

The leading mystery and adventure is engaging — even if some plot points were revealed too conveniently. The gifts imparted on each character does a great job of developing them, though I wish more depth was explored between them and the others.

I loved Clara Johnson as the protagonist, she was intelligent, headstrong, and compassionate — and someone you inevitably root for and become endeared toward. I would highly recommend reading the author’s note as well because the inspiration for her character was well done. Overall this was a positive read and a great summer mystery-adventure, would recommend if looking for something lighter.

This was a beautiful book. Set in 1920's Washington, D.C., it is a heist novel, budding rom-com, and history lesson rolled into one amazing story. Deep, divine, deadly, and delicious, this is a fantastic novel that I will definitely being returning to often.

Thank you to Redhook Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

The Monsters We Defy by Leslye Penelope is an adult fantasy heist novel set in Washington D.C. in the 1920's. The story revolves around Clara, a young Black woman with a magical power. Clara can talk to spirits. Soon, Clara is tasked with stealing a magical ring with the help of a ragtag team of people with magical powers. Can the team work together to commit this dangerous heist? Or will dangers from the spirit world be too much to handle?

Here is a magical excerpt from Chapter 1:

"Some folks say it wasn’t just being born with a caul that made Clara Johnson ornery as a red hornet, it was being born at the crossroads. Her spirit, unlike most, had a choice to make right there at the beginning. Cold or hot, salty or sweet, lion or lamb. She came into this world through one of the forks in the road, and Clara being Clara, she chose the rockier way.
See, her mama and daddy was migrating up North from Gastonia, North Carolina, riding in the back of a wagon with her grandmother and two other distant kinfolk from down that way, when her mama’s water broke. They was about to cross the Virginia state line, just outside a place called Whitetown, which didn’t give nobody in that vehicle a good feeling, when they had to pull over to the side of the road—one of those roads that no Colored person wanted to be on at night—just so that gal could push that baby out."

Overall, The Monsters We Defy is an adult fantasy that is like if The Great Gatsby met Six of Crows. One highlight of this book is the very unique and original premise. I don't often see fantasy heist novels, and especially not heists set in historical times. Another highlight of this book is that it features Black characters. I am so happy to support this book and more diverse fantasy books. I did take off 1 star, because I'm not a fan of books with large casts. Sometimes, it was difficult for me to keep track of who was doing what. If you're intrigued by the excerpt above, or if you're a fan of fantasy in general, I highly recommend that you check out this book when it comes out in August!

This was such a great debut novel! I though that the world complemented the plot so well, and made it so unputdownable. As a black person, I thought that adding in the bits of black history made the book all the more irresistible. But, unlike many other works, adding in the context and the history didn't slow down the pacing at all--this story was incredibly fast paced and tightly written. The characters and plot were so well balanced and I didn't feel like any sections particularly dragged/took me out of the story. I loved this and I hope you do, too! Looking forward to reading more from this incredible author.

Thank you, Leslye Penelope and Redhook Books for allowing me to read this ARC via Netgalley. My review is voluntary.

I requested The Monsters We Defy because:
1) I love a good heist story (though most of my faves have been onscreen, not in books)
2) I enjoyed a book I read by the author (book 1 of Earthsinger Chronicles, an epic fantasy). I want to finish that series, but I was eager to see how Penelope writes a totally different type of story.
3) It was refreshing to read an adult fantasy/paranormal story wherein all the the characters are black.
4) I've never read a fantasy set in this era (1920s Washington, DC).

I liked the blend of reality and fantasticale fantastical elements of this world. I liked the characters. Each had their own history, struggles and quirks. While Clara was the main POV, we learned enough about the characters to make them feel real. The romantic elements were believable, though somewhat predictable.

Spirituality and magic were well incorporated and I liked the specifics of Charms (a magical power granted to a person by a being of the spirit world that comes at a price and comes with a nasty "Trick" that often ruins the benefits of the Charm (like Midas' golden touch).

My criticisms are few. Clara keeps her Charm secret for 3/4 of the book. I understood why she refused to use it or talk about it with other characters, but the author's choice to keep it secret from the reader frustrated me a bit, especially since the eventual reveal was a bit anticlimactic. I think it could have been used in a more interesting way. I also wish that the book had a little more of Zelda and her friendship with Clara and a little less Israel.

Overall, I'm glad I requested it and read it and I do recommend it to other readers, especially those who like paranormal fantasy, 20th century historical fiction and heists.

I saw Leslye Penelope at a virtual author event for another author, and she seemed like such a genuine and nice person, I wanted to support her writing. Little did I know how talented she truly is!

The Monsters We Defy is a historical fantasy novel that takes place in Washington D.C. during the 1920s. The main character, Clara, has “the sight,” or the ability to see into the world of spirits and communicate with them. When people suddenly start mysteriously vanishing, Clara knows it is up to her to do something to stop it, but she unwillingly picks up a few helpers along the way.

There are so many aspects of this novel that were simply phenomenal, it’s hard to know where to start! What truly blew my mind was the author’s note at the end of the novel, explaining that the story was based off of a real person, Clara “Carrie” Minor Johnson, and real events. Penelope seamlessly incorporated the true story into the book, not only staying true to the real person’s story, but also adding an element of fantasy that was believable and intriguing.

Furthermore, I am usually not a fan of paranormal fantasy, but The Monsters We Defy had a great balance of believable fantastical elements and reality. While the main problem that Clara faced was seemingly fantastical, it was clearly symbolic of the way Black people have been viewed as worthless throughout history. I loved how Clara was an extraordinary yet ordinary person who was determined to change this, both in her every day life, and in her quest to stop an evil spirit.

Additionally, I always love the found family trope, but I particularly liked Penelope’s use of it in her book because Clara is seemingly completely uninterested in having friends. This aspect really added to her growth throughout the novel, and her reluctance to connect with the other characters made those connections that much more meaningful.

Overall, there are so many other aspects of this novel that I could go on about, but trust me when I say this is a book you don’t want to miss! It certainly appeals to readers who enjoy many genres, and addresses important issues, such as racism, classism, and the importance of fighting for what’s right. I will definitely be reading more books by Penelope in the future!

This is such a stunningly good debut! I’m not usually attracted to stories about spirits and ghosts, but the hook of that world as a background for a heist was irresistible. I’m so glad I got to read this book early and now get to talk about it non-stop, because it’s so much fun.

This book is filled with Black history and it’s also fast-paced, incredibly fun, and populated with fascinating characters I fell in love with almost as soon as I met them.

I’m really hoping this book gets a movie, because it will be amazing on the big screen.

LOVED LOVED LOVED everything about it was awesome. the mc was adorable and I was riveted for the whole book. it slows down a bit in the middle but it picks up again. definitely going to want to own a copy too, the cover art is gorgeous