3.5 An enjoyable, unique addition to the YA dystopian canon. The worldbuilding was a ton of fun to delve into, and I particularly enjoyed the sea creatures studded throughout the story.

However, while the action was engaging, the pacing of the story was noticeably shaky until the tail end of the book, which was what really gripped me. Most of the characters seemed like weak pastiches of familiar tropes and figures from other series, fulfilling their roles within the plot and little else. (The representation of the main character's complex relationship with her father was a major exception.) This issue also extended to a few key plot points and beats—a side character presents a symbolic pin to the main character at one point, and I literally started wondering if the author was going to get in legal trouble.

All in all this ride is an enjoyable, if familiar, one. The strongest parts of the book lie in some of the more complex relationships depicted, the action sequences, and the bond between a girl and her meristag. I'd be interested in seeing where this series continues.

An enjoyable read! A girl who will do anything to help her family finds a way to enter a race that will result in glory for the winner. Koral has been a hunter her whole life, hunting maristags, breeding them, and selling to the Landers who participate in the Glory Race. Hunters do not participate, an unwritten rule, which Koral will break. Many are not happy with Koral being selected to enter the Glory Race, and she faces trouble from Landers, rebels, and others. Koral knows she can win, but she needs help from her brother and her friend Crane. However, many have ulterior motives and Koral gets stuck in the middle. She even has to face the one who is expected to be the champion, a boy from her past, now an enemy. But Koral needs to get her own maristag ready, for she is years behind all those who have been training for this event, but she has something they do not; more knowledge about maristags, having captured them and raised them for Landers. Will it be enough for her to win, for most do not survive the Glory Race.
I received this novel from net galley and the publisher as an ARC. Thank you! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I absolutely loved this exciting new novel. Unique in its world building, I was sucked in by the different creatures, the political intrigue, and the amazing cast of characters. Competitions in a fantasy world are my bread and butter. This was top of the line. The plot was well thought out, characters were well developed, and the story kept me turning pages to find out what could possibly happen next. There were some terrifying moments that have stuck with me since reading. I laughed. I cried. I cheered. This was everything I wanted and more.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read and review this book.

This book started off super slow for me. It took me about a third of the way to really get into it. But…. I ended up absolutely loving this book. I love the characters. I love the plot. I love the creatures. I literally loved everything, well almost everything.

I will say that I do wish there was more background on some of the characters and more of an explanation on some things. It gets a bit confusing trying to understand something’s when you don’t know the backstory. I’m really hoping there is a second book to this because the way it ended, you just can’t leave us hanging that way.

This did give a hunger games vibes but in a different complete way. This is a fantastic read and if you love books about an underdog and sea creatures then I recommend you read this.

thank you to netgalley and sourcebooks fire for providing an arc exchange for an honest review.

i can definitely see why many people pitching it as a cross between the hunger games and the scorpio races, and monsters born and made definitely live up to the expectations.

koral is the kind of character that makes the reader work and places themselves in the protagonist’s shoes and rooting for her success. i like the social structure and how berwah weaves the critique of oppression, the current issues about caste systems and the corrupting power abuse all woven nicely with the worldbuilding and the deadly chariot tournament in this newly debut dystopian YA fantasy.

i’m totally in love with every lil process of the friendship building between koral and her maristag. they warm my heart. also dorian akayan. oh to have a lander ex bf who threatens to kill me every day but is willing to sacrifice himself fighting beside me against all monsters to make sure i make it out alive <3 (ok lol i’m done being corny) but anyway! i was hooked with the exes-to-rivals premise and i have every of their interaction highlighted. they were so much fun to read.

overall, monsters born and made is an exciting read for those who are looking for a thrilling and bloody oceanic fantasy adventure.

tw: violence, gore, parental abuse, domestic abuse, chronic illness and torture.

YA dystopian fantasy. Hard-willed female main character. Injustices between living classes. And a deadly sea monster race. Hopefully that will get you hooked!!

My luck with Netgalley's ARC broadens even more. I just can't believe that I'd stumble upon a debut ARC this freaking good. I'm sure as hell gonna shove this one down everyone's throat!!

Let's start with how much I love the name Koral, and how damn fitting it is to be given to a massive sea girl. The characterization of Koral blew me away. Her determination and sheer will to live despite her entire world keeps stomping on her🤯. The way that I could feel her agony through lines of a book is what convinces me that this author is going places.

The world building is probably my most favourite thing about this book. We're kind of just shoved into it, but page after page we just naturally pick up on it all and it's just so satisfying. The strain between the elite and the lower class, the looming tense from the rebels, the ruthless business of the maristags. These are what really drives the book forward.

I'm also a huge fan of all the maristag in action sequences. The race itself really was brought to life. My only complaint is I wish we have more backstory from Dorian. I kinda wanna know his side of the story, I feel like we're still scratching the surface when it comes to him and his family.

All in all it's been a great read. Ngl I wish this ends up being a series, I just can't get enough of Koral's savegeness!!

Ever since I laid my eyes on “Monsters Born and Made” and read the premise I was sure that this book was gonna be amazing. It was one of my most anticipated fantasy books of the year and it didn’t disappoint me at all.

The world building and the fantastic characters is what hooked me from the very first chapter. While reading all of the very detailed descriptions and learning more about the world in which this book is set it was so easy to forget about the one we live in and be totally absorbed by the story.

It’s not hard to see why this book is compared to The Hunger Games since there are a lot of very similar aspects like for example a set of teenagers competing for status and glory but the two books surely do have their major differences.

The one other thing I loved about this book are the characters, especially Koral, our protagonist. I loved every single thing that she did in this book and I’m ready to forgive her for all her mistakes. She is brave, loyal to her family and won’t stop at nothing to win the Glory Race and give them a better life. For her the race is about survival but for the elites it’s nothing more than entertainment and showing off. Tanvi Berwah did a great job at showing just how messed up and oppressive the caste system is.

Just like everyone else I was also mostly interested in seeing how the romance in this book was gonna play out and it was so satisfying. Even though the romance in this book is definitely a subplot it was just enough for me. Dorian and Koral start of as exes turned rivals and there was so much pent up pain and anger between them. The tension was immaculate.

I can’t wait to annotate this book sometime in the future because there were some really great quotes and moments that will forever live rent free in my head!

Also, I’m dying to learn more about the maristags because the moments between Koral and Stormgold were so wholesome and I just know there’s so much more to know.

In conclusion, “Monsters Born and Made” is the perfect fantasy book to read in the summer and I’m sure many people will enjoy it!

By far one of my favorite reads of the year! A ruthless main character that just wants to protect her family and care for her sister enters a tournament meant to change everything. And yet, the risk of losing everything comes with it. Berwah does a stunning job interweaving dynamic characters against a lush, seaside setting with glorious sea monsters

More of a 1.5 star rating. While I appreciated what this book was trying to do, I neither enjoyed the writing, nor the characters. Many of them felt hollow, the story felt oddly borrowed, and even the stakes lacked anything that I could grab hold of. While this certainly isn't a horrible story, and it is readable, it's not something I would ever want to come back to. There's promise here, but too much of it felt boring, overdone, and predictable in a bad way. I have high hopes for Tanvi Berwah in the future, but for now, this is a book I really didn't enjoy reading.

It is rare that I see a book live up to its comp titles. Monsters Born and Made by Tanvi Berwah is the perfect companion to The Scorpio Races and The Hunger Games, weaving both an immersive atmosphere and a high-stakes tournament where only the strong survive.

Koral comes from a family of renters on a deadly island where monsters roam the sea and sky. As her sister gets sicker and her family is threatened with losing what little status they have left, she cheats her way to join the Glory Race, a tournament that has competitors race on maristaggs, one of the most dangerous creatures on the island. But a lifetime of training these monsters cannot prepare her for what's inside the Dome and the fracturing socio-politics that threaten to devour everything.

Berwah draws on her South Asian background, grounding this dystopian fantasy with real and current issues about caste systems and abusive powers. Koral is more than just marginalized, she's isolated from a number of support systems, a community that could help her rise. This is, in my opinion, what many dystopian novels lack, characters who are truly outcasts who have no good choices left. Even the rebellion and rogues are shown in shades of gray, twisting on the usual YA tropes. It's rare that I've seen this kind of portrayal since The Hunger Games.

Monsters Born and Made is a book that needs a sequel. I want to see more of Dorian and Koral's relationship develop, what happens to her family, the mysteries of the world – please, Sourcebooks! This book got me through a heatwave in the city!

A copy was provided to me by NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

EXCERPT: "When considered as a whole, Tanvi Berwah’s debut novel Monsters Born and Made is an enjoyable and captivating ride. Broken down into parts, however, many aspects are confusing when it comes to the details and feel like engineered inclusions."

Full review published online at Asia Pacific Arts Magazine.

A thrilling ride I’m not quite sure I completely understood but definitely one I’ll be thinking about for a long time.

“Monsters Born and Made” tests just how far one would go to protect her family as Koral joins the deadly chariot race in order to have the money to help her sisters ailing health but shaking up the competition is the last straw in a long drawn out conflict between those in the region and if Koral isn’t careful she might find herself in the crossfire.

The tie in to Hunger Games was spot on but in a way where if you love that vibe from a series you will fall head over heels for this but still have the freshness of a new story to devour.

As I said above there’s a lot to this story I’m not quite sure I completely got with the first being the structure of the world, for a good portion I was thinking it was more fantasy based which is true but there’s also high tech and almost elitist kind of class structure where those privileged enough have access to more which is fine but it was a bit jarring when it first shows up which also maybe be on purpose given the struggle Koral and her family are going through. The second was that of the maristags I have no idea what those creatures are supposed to look like and though I have built something in my head based on the description I could be completely wrong so I look forward to the fanart.

I really enjoyed Koral as a character she’s tough and selfless while also just determined to do what she came to do and get the heck out which is different than our usual protagonist for this kind of story. I liked the beats of her and her complicated relationships with her family and close allies as well as Dorian who was perfect for the friends to enemies combo we see for him and how that complicated history drives forward their behavior on the race both good and bad.

A very fun read that I’m almost sad I was so early to find since I want to immediately jump to the sequel and see what happens next which is the highest of compliments I can give.

**special thanks to the publishers and netgalley for providing an arc in exchange for a fair and honest review**

Thank you Sourcebooks fire and NetGalley for providing me an e-arc in exchange for an honest review. My review is my own and not influenced by others.

The beginning of this book started really good and I had difficulty putting this book away and do stuff. However, the further I got in the story, the less I became to like it.

The world building was something I liked a lot, it remind me of The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater, which I like a lot. But, to be honest, the world building was also the only thing I liked from this book. The characters felt flat, there was little to no romance even though it was hinted at in the story and the plot was very predictable. Which doesn’t have to be a bad thing, if the wheel is good, why invent something else, but I would like to feel something with the characters or writing style to like it and there wasn’t some of that in this book.

Overall 2* but only for the world building if I’m being honest.

I liked this book, but I didn't /love/ it. To address a couple things first: This book is VERY similar to The Scorpio Races. It differs a lot the further in you get, but it has carnivorous water horses/stags that are rode in races for prize money and the MC wants to do this to keep her family together. Based on concept alone, you could describe either and I might not know the difference. However, the fantasy worlds are very different, as are the eventual structures of the races, so while this book isn't the most unique ever, it's not straight-up plagiarized in my opinion.
Let's talk characters! I didn't think these very very stand-out, but they were definitely good. Koral and Dorian were really interesting to see, especially since they had a past that only Koral could tell the reader about. The book was very action-y, so characters didn't really take priority, but they were still good.
Although romance is very much not the point of this book, we have a lot of complex family dynamics. Koral's father believes that her brother is more capable, even when Koral is the one saving him from certain death. Everyone in the family thinks of Koral as less than him even though she's just trying to help her younger sister survive. It's intriguing to see how their opinions of each other all change the further into the competition Koral gets.
The world-building was both comprehensive and simple. There are two castes, Renters and Landers, the latter being much richer. Koral is a Renter, so people like her much less for it. We also have the maristags, marine stags much like water horses that have venom and a thirst for human blood. It wasn't the most detailed ever, but it showed what it needed to show to understand the Glory Races and the politics around them.
Overall, I'd recommend this book to people who want a slightly higher fantasy version of The Scorpio Races with a more diverse cast. It's not my favorite ever, but I really enjoyed the high stakes and action-packed competition.

There were things about this book I really enjoyed and things I thought were just OK. I loved how this book was written, the writing style was really engaging.I found the fantasy elements to be really inventive and I really liked the monstrous beasts. That being said, I felt like some of the side characters and side conflicts were a little 2D and lacking at times. They advanced the plot but I felt like they were lacking deeper motivation. Honestly though? Looking forward to a sequel.

Monsters Born and Made has an interesting opening- the first chapter details Emrik and Koral hunting for a maristag. As Hunters on the island of Sollonia, their jobs is to hunt these mysterious creatures for the Glory Race. Sollonia has two groups of people- the Landers, who reign supreme, and the Renters, who must work for and submit to the Landers.

When the maristag escapes, Koral decides to cheat her way into the Glory Race (historically, only Landers have ever competed), convinced that a win will bring glory to her family and alleviate all of their debts.

As a reader, it’s impossible not to cheer for Koral. She is reliant and strong, brave and bold enough to do what she needs to do to protect her family. She fights to protect those she loves, and to promote equality in an unfair world.

I love the descriptions of this world. It is fun to imagine what it looks like- so harsh but probably also beautiful with cliffs and the oceans and the dangerous creatures. I imagine the maristags to look unlike anything we have in our world, but likely incredible in an exotic way.

Monsters Born and Made is the perfect book to fall into- a world so different from our own, but containing many of the same difficulties we experience in terms of family, loyalty, human rights.

I also love how perfectly positioned this is for a sequel and I hope to see that come out soon!

Incredible. Fans of Hunger Games will enjoy this fantasy novel that will have you reflecting on the parallels to real life hierarchy systems.

I always love a book that is hard to put down, yet you don’t want it to end. This one definitely fits that bill, and I am hoping that the way things ended keeps it open for book two: Well done!

This book reads like a combination of "The Hunger Games" and "Ben-Hur," taking from the former its plot revolving around a competition between youngsters from ten islands that's so very obviously rigged in favour of the wealthy competitors, and from the latter its deadly chariot race over the waters on sea monsters that reminisces the nail-biter chariot race between Arrius and Messala in the film. With such an attractive mix, it'd have been right for someone like me who enjoyed both very much.

But it turned out to be too light and a bit hollow, unsatisfying to me. Part of it is that "Monsters Born and Made" suffers from derivative syndrome. Meaning, the similarities to "Hunger Games" are so many and ever-present that it becomes a point against instead of an asset. Of course, this can also be appealing, because many will grab this book precisely because of this similarity. However, it commits the sin of many a teen dystopia novel of trying to ape "Hunger Games" too closely, down to the post-apocalyptic caste districts, rebels in the shadows, to the point its protagonist girl, Koral, is a copy of Katniss (unsubtle that even their names start with the same letter) and the boy is basically a Peeta Mellark clone. There's even a sickly sister for Koral to agonise over and protect, just like Prim. It's all so awfully familiar that the predictability factor is off the charts as a result.

There are enough elements to make this book its own different story, such as the fact that this is a Waterworld-style planet, covered by oceans where strange monsters live that the poorest caste, the Renters, hunt and breed and train to sell to the rich castes, the Landers, that use them in spectacular competitions a la Roman Colosseum chariot races; competitions that are voluntary and not a punishment. But these differences aren't that big, more like a collection of smaller differences that cumulatively give the book a distinct flavour and atmosphere, but not one I necessarily find more interesting, because the derivative aspect is stronger.

Anyway, derivative works can be good, too, and this one had its interesting parts, so it was a case of the issues overshadowing the good parts for me. The writing and the dialogue that weren't very good in many parts and sometimes laughably bad exchanges took place, the jumpy and uneven pacing at the start that stayed for most of the book until the last stretch, and above all the so very undeveloped characterisation and unexplained world were the bigger issues that I had and bothered me as I read and took away from my appreciation of the story. Koral lacks a depth to her and is hard to like or understand, because she mostly reacts to what the plot throws at her and there's so little of her inner world, and it's even worse for the secondary characters, who often feel like they simply are and that's all there's to them. And the world? If there are first books that suffer from being too much set-up and exposition, there are other first books that go the other way and refuse to explain much of the world. The water planet is a mystery for now, so little about how it came to exist, how those people survived whatever caused the Apocalypse, how were the island castes established exactly, how Koral can sneak into the competition, how... I imagine there'll be a sequel that'll explain what this first book doesn't, but still the feeling of lack of development and hollowness isn't going away. This also impacts the ability to visualise the world and its creatures, because the maristags, for example, are very hard to visualise. What are they exactly? Big fish with antlers? <i>Enfin!</i> I don't think I'll be picking up the next book, unfortunately.

DNF @ 81%

In another universe, I might have finished this. But I just got an arc of a highly anticipated release and my enjoyment for this one is slowly waning the longer I'm far from it. I haven't picked up a book in days because I felt like I needed to finish this first before starting a new one. But life is too short for that. And so here I am with the fifth DNF of the year. Le sigh.

The start was amazing. I really thought I would end up loving this debut. I was already imagining myself with as many editions of this book I can get my hands on. Unfortunately, the more I read the less amazing it became. The worldbuilding needed more fleshing out. The transition between scenes felt wonky. I was confused at times and when I cared enough, I would go back and reread. Other times I just read on and let the wheels of fate take the reins. And the romance? It was next to non-existent for me to really care.

That's pretty much all I have to say at this moment. Maybe someday I'll get to know what happens in the last 19%.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Fire for this ARC!

This book is exactly what a YA Fantasy/Dystopian should be! It delivers everything it promised.

The first half is a slow build-up and a lot of world-building, but as soon as the first race happens, it's non-stop action until the end. There is a romance (rivals to lovers, knife to throat scene, you have been warned), but it's not the main focus, which is rare in YA. The main focus is really on the political/social landscape of the island seen through the main character's eyes. Her family is in the strange position of being marginalized by the people who hold themselves above them (the Landers), as well as by those who are their equals (the Renters).
It's darker than I expected from a YA, especially with that ending, what in the fresh hell was that?? I loved it but also I'm in pain.

One of my only problems with the story is that the two main antagonists don't feel very threatening. We're constantly told how powerful and vicious they are, but I didn't really feel it, even when they did atrocious things, I don't know why honestly.

All this to say that I hope there is a sequel somewhere in the future because it's a new different kind of torture waiting for a sequel to a book that's not even out yet :')