Thanks to NetGalley & Sourcebooks Fire for the copy in exchange for an honest review.

Koral and her brother are Hunters--shunned by society for taming nature and providing the elite with brutal monstrous weapons known as Maristags. Their youngest sister needs expensive medicine they can't afford anymore and Koral decides to sign up for the Glory Race, a deadly tournament for the elite's entertainment.

I really enjoyed this one! I like the world the author created, and it was easy to picture a brutal dystopian fantasy thanks to her words. Although this is advertised as "fantasy" I'd promote it more as dystopian fantasy rather than straight-up fantasy. We have fantastical creatures but not fantasy as in magic and wizards. This is more of an action-packed book with intricate world-building than anything.

I think the only thing I wanted to see more of were the maristags, the sister, and the best friend. I'm sure they'll be expanded on in the sequel though. Very thrilling read!

A good debut that has good action (and I'm saying this as a sucker for good action). The atmosphere in the Glory Race was a blast to read about so were the different sea monsters.

But overall this truly feels like a book all over the place, that hoped to achieve a number of things but failed miserably. It's difficult to get through the beginning as a whole lot of info about the world and its rigid class system was dumped on us . Even though Koral's decisions were justified based on all the injustice she faced, I couldn't really care about her narrative that closely. And all other relationship developments were just there. So, I truly think this book had potential but I'm disappointed it didn't work out for me.

Monsters Born and Made is incredibly crafted, with well-written characters, a unique premise, and an intriguing new world. The unique setting and new sea monsters were a breath of fresh air for YA fantasy readers. The story was fast-paced and perfect for lovers of the Hunger Games.

A bit Hunger Games, a bit Fable this book is set in a world divided by weath, with only a dangerous game as an escape. With Amazing characterization and intriguing plot, Monsters Born and made is intriguing and well written and I can't wait to know what will happen next.

This book was really interesting! I was intrigued by the storyline and that's what initially drew me to this title. I also really love the cover artwork.

This book was action-packed, and it had an intriguing magic system and good world-building. I really was on the edge of my seat for most of the book, and I'll be recommending this to my readers that love fantasy with tons of action.

Thank you to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Fire for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The cover is absolutely pretty and drew me into wanting to read this boo.

I enjoyed the character development and the world building.

This book kept me engaged for most of it.

This was a really fascinating story!! I loved the world building and the magical creatures, they were all so unique and exciting to read about, and the South Asian-inspired setting was beautifully depicted. Each character was flawed and imperfect, easy to differentiate and wonderfully interesting – and the questions of whether rebellion and war are worth the pain and poverty they bring, combined with the The Hunger Games style vibes of a brutal, corrupt challenge, were addictive and gripping.

“Where do we fit in, Crane? What about people like you and me? It feels like all we do is fight.”
(This quote may not be in the published version of this novel, it was copied from the advanced reader’s copy.)

I was incredibly invested in the enemies-to-lovers vibes between two of our main characters, though it definitely wasn’t the focus of the book. I wouldn’t have hated a little more of them… but maybe future books! And though I was a little disappointed by the naivety of the main character, I also hope that she’ll continue to develop as the series continues.

All in all, this was a really solid start to the series, and the author has definite potential – the world and characters created were incredible! Thank you so much to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the free copy provided in exchange for an honest review.

This is an author to keep an your radar. Excellent world building and character development. I loved the mythology of it all.

I struggled a little to get in to the story and I thought that it came off as a little juvenile. However, I think it will appeal to a wider audience of YA readers and the concept was so unique that it is still worth reading and I will definitely be recommending to fantasy lovers.

I This was a really unique YA fantasy novel, that I would definitely recommend trying!

I received an e-ARC from the publisher.

I legit liked this complex ans dangerous world that Tanvi Berwah created in Monsters Born and Made. The world building was good, which was one of my main expectations going into this book based on the description. I liked the characters and was curious to see how their stories would develop. The pacing was a bit slow at times, but this may be because of the descriptive language. Overall, it was a good story.

I really wanted to love monsters born and made, but it just didn't happen. I felt it was the same story we've read before with nothing new or fresh brought to the concept. I enjoyed the characters, but the predictable plot made it really hard to rate this any higher than three

I flew through this book, even though there were a few moments that lulled. I loved the different creatures, and way they interacted with the characters. I would have liked more character development, but it wasn't terrible.
Sign me up for an underdog story, especially when it is someone from poverty going against the suppressive government. Books like The Hunger Games, Red Queen, and Red Rising all have this similar vibe, and I am never disappointed by it. Add in Asian mythology, and you have won me over.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me an advanced reader copy of Monsters Born and Made.

I didn't understand enough about what was going on in this and didn't care enough to find out. Weirdly, everything was over detailed but found the world building hard to follow. The MC was just annoying. This just wasn't for me, which is too bad because the artwork was beautiful.

unfortunatly this one wasn't for me. I struggled with the main character Koral, it felt like she very naive. I struggled to like her or most of the characters. What I loved about the book was the creatures, they were so beautifully described. It was a lot of fun to try to imagine. The charrette races where high action and intense.
2.5 stars

Thank you to Sourcebooks Fire and Netgalley for my review copy

This book was ok. It kind of felt like a Hunger Games wannabe though, and not in a good way. There is an elite group that race monsters caught in the sea every 4 years. Then there is a group of people that are second class citizens that have to fight the elements. Then there is one family that sits between the two groups, the Hunters that go and capture and then raise the monsters from the sea. The main character is from this family and sneaks her way into the big race to try and get money to help save her sister that is sick. This is seen as a rebellion and the rebels want to use her against the elite. But she thinks the rebels are bad and how could they want to do that (even as she is literally rebelling against the elite, but only for her family!). So that’s what annoyed me the most. She is so self centered (or at least her family) that she literally can’t see that she is rebelling in a very public way. I also found the ex-boyfriend storyline to be eyeroll inducing. Overall, not a terrible YA book, but don’t expect too much, except cool monsters, those were neat.

good book and really enjoyed the characters and their journey. I liked the romance.. I enjoyed how the characters grew in the book and what happened.

This was a really interesting story with monsters, hunters, and an epic race. This is a Young Adult Dystopian story with a single point of view from Koral. The writing was ok, some explanations and details were a bit jumbled, and I would have liked a bit more descriptions and world building, especially since it seemed so complex and needed more flushing out for readers. I liked the take on the monsters and the race was very exciting. The romance in this story was lacking but I think if there is a sequel that it might expand more on it. Koral is an interesting main character, with a rough past and a complex family life. She is mostly on her own and she gets blamed for a lot, even when trying to help. Overall, I found this story interesting but lacking in a couple areas, but I think it's a good start.
Trigger warnings: sick child, gore, death
I received this advanced ebook, via Netgalley. This review is my own honest opinion.

Frankly, this could have been a more interesting read if it has a steadier pacing, plot driven with a smooth writting that can make it easier for the reader to understand the whole plot.

○Dystopian World Building
○Caste System
○Tournament