i really struggled to get through the first 40ish percent of this one which is unfortunately why this gets 3 stars for me. it also took me about half of the book, if not more, for me to care about the main characters as i found most of them really insufferable for the majority of the book. however, this did end up taking a delightful turn when out of no where i feel like it totally picked up and eventually hooked me in and i devoured the last half of this. this is dark, creepy, mysterious and i was very intrigued by the monsters and secret society aspects of this. this was my first book by this author but i did feel like the writing style was easy to read and i feel like she did a good job at describing the monsters and how the society worked. overall, i would definitely recommend this for those who like books that include secret societies, mysteries, and trials.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

3.75 stars rounded up. The world-building was a bit confusing in the beginning with all the names and titles thrown around but this was a pretty great first installment. However, the MC, August, was very frustrating for the first 60% and though this was the intention, it made the first half a bit of a struggle to read, but once she gets her character development, things get much better. The book was well-paced, for the most part, and the trials were all very high-stakes. The side characters were also my favorite part of the book, as I thought they were all written very strongly, particularly Henry, Margot, and Corey. I especially liked the epilogue and will be interested in picking up the next book.

dark academia, the transformations were well described, the chemistry was strong from the first moment, and the MMC's char is great. 5 stars. tysm for the arc.

Terrifying monsters, dark academia, and a secret society.

August’s brother disappears, and the only person willing to help find him is Virgil, who happens to be a monster of your worst nightmare. He introduces her to the Mastery of Monsters, a society that matches people who act as masters that can control a monster’s transformation. To become a master, you must compete in several life-threatening challenges to be deemed worthy of the task. August soon discovers this society is more complicated and sinister than she could ever have imagined.

I recommend this book for fantasy readers and young adults. Young adults will relate to August; she is battling several issues, including people-pleasing, mental health, and racism. August is struggling with family issues, including the absence of her mother and brother, as well as estrangement from her father. The Mastery of Monsters is an elaborate society with a complex history and a precise way of becoming a master. Monsters must match with a master to try to achieve a normal life instead of living underground.

Thank you Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing and Netgalley for the advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own.

Really fun YA fantasy, the worldbuilding was definitely inherently academic though I felt like I was just reading a classic fantasy from back in the day. I thought there were some standout moments, too - I can't wait until the sequel!

I felt nothing for August, and quite frankly her attitude/relationships seemed so insane to me. Lots of views on current topics which I dont wish to read about.

Thank you to NetGalley for this Arc!

Based off the description, I really though I would enjoy this book, but unfortunately it really did not hit for me, personally. I think when it is published, it will be really enjoyed by the masses, but it's just not what I liked.

The writing style is quite choppy, and the FMC thoughts break up the dialogue between characters so often it would be hard to follow a quick question and answer between two people because there is a page of inner monologue in between the original question. Also the "lore" of the societies and the factions was a bit hard to follow and I kept waiting for my brain to catch on (you know how a lot of books you can just go with the flow and all of a sudden with more context you are fully caught up?), but somehow with this I was still confused at the end as I was in the beginning.

The comparison between Legendborn and this book is definitely a great parallel, but Legendborn is very polished in the way it's world is built, and you feel a very good connection with that main character quickly, where as in A Mastery of Monsters, I felt nothing for August, and quite frankly her attitude/relationships seemed so insane to me even with her trauma influencing her current mental state. It seemed like the book was tackling a LOT of issues on mental health, racisim, "we don't see color" sentiment, eating disorders, broken family dynamics, etc and it was biting off more than it could chew - so to speak. Large character development areas were hinted at, then forgotten about. Family tension was resolved in a few paragraphs with no much gravitas when the whole book basically made you hate a family member.

Overall, I think this book needs some heavy editing, but the idea of it is neat. Just not for me!

2.5 Stars

I am obsessed with everything Liselle Sambury and this book was absolutely no exception. Her gothic, haunting prose is always my favorite thing in the world and this might be my favorite one of hers yet, which is saying something because I LOVED Delicious Monsters. I can't recommend this dark academia with a murder mystery twist enough!

Sadly DNF'd at 15%. I really wanted to love this one but I struggled to immerse myself in the story or the characters. I can't remember the last time I've thought this about a book, but I actually think it may have been too fast paced? A lot is packed into that first 15% and I couldn't keep up. I wasn't a fan of the setup here, especially with Jules's disappearance. It felt very abrupt to me which was surprising given this is a 600 page novel.

Speaking of, my main complaint about Liselle Sambury's other books is how unnecessarily long they are, some even 100+ pages too many in my opinion. So when I saw this first book of a trilogy was 600 pages I admittedly had my guard up. But I love dark academia and Sambury's prose is consistently some of the best in the YA sphere so I wanted to give it a chance anyway. And it's no different here, the prose is phenomenal. I do think it's worth picking up just off that alone since my DNFing of this truly comes down to personal taste. But with the right audience, this has potential to be the next beloved fantasy series a la Legendborn.

DNF at 77% (rating based on what I read).

I’m a big dark academia reader and was eager to try this new trilogy. While the ideas in here are great, I struggled personally with the core idea of people turning into monsters. Unlike other supernatural creatures, I found them a bit hard to imagine on the page. This book is also too long, and thus suffered from pacing, especially in the initial set-up.

Please note that I don’t normally tend to give a star rating for books I DNF, so the two star rating I put is not entirely accurate (but I couldn’t submit this without adding a rating.

I ended up DNF’ing this around the 25% mark. When I read the synopsis, I felt that this book would be right up my alley because I love dark academia with fantasy elements and the storyline seemed to catch my interest. The writing style was great and I thought it would end up being a book I would enjoy. However, I really struggled to get any farther into the book. I was confused a bit in the beginning and the plot moved really slow. Considering the book is close to 600 pages, I knew that if I chose to continue reading, I probably would have ended up disliking the book and I didn’t want that to be the case. I don’t think that this book is bad in any way and I’m sure a lot of people are going to love it. It just didn’t end up working out for me.

Thank you Netgalley and Margaret K. McElderry Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Liselle Sambury’s “A Mastery of Monsters” is a gripping and fiercely original blend of dark academia, urban fantasy, and monster mythos, anchored by a powerful protagonist and a narrative that doesn’t shy away from big themes. If you’re looking for a supernatural thriller that balances emotional depth with suspense and social commentary, this book is a must-read.

At the heart of the story is August, a 17-year-old girl haunted by grief and searching for answers after the mysterious disappearance of her brother. What begins as a personal investigation quickly spirals into a harrowing journey through an elite secret society filled with literal monsters, twisted initiations, and long-buried truths. The stakes? August’s survival, her brother’s fate, and the unraveling of an academic system built to protect only the privileged.

August is a standout protagonist—fierce, jaded, and flawed in deeply human ways. She lashes out, makes mistakes, and occasionally misses what’s right in front of her, but her growth throughout the story is palpable and rewarding. Watching her evolve from isolated and defensive to someone who reopens herself to connection and trust is one of the book’s greatest strengths. Her evolving relationship with Virgil—a bookish, brooding monster-boy with his own tragic secrets—adds emotional nuance without overwhelming the central mystery.

The supporting cast is compelling, though at times a bit hard to keep track of due to the book’s rich (and occasionally overwhelming) worldbuilding. A character glossary would have been helpful, especially as affiliations and allegiances shift throughout the story. Still, the dynamics—especially between August and her friends and family—feel authentic, with some truly sharp and heartfelt dialogue.

Sambury doesn’t just tell a monster story—she uses it to hold a mirror to real-world issues: the gatekeeping of higher education, systemic racism and fatphobia, class inequities, and grief. These themes are seamlessly woven into the plot, never feeling preachy but instead enhancing the world and characters. The cult-like structure of the secret society is chillingly believable, and the setting—particularly the eerie academic halls of Kingston—is richly imagined.

While the magical competition element may seem familiar at first, it’s refreshingly de-emphasized in favor of character development and mystery. There are some info-dumps, and the pacing dips slightly in the middle, but the emotional momentum and suspense keep the pages turning. A few twists are predictable, especially for seasoned YA readers, but others land with sharp surprise.

Overall, “A Mastery of Monsters” is a dark, deliciously readable YA fantasy that stands out for its emotional intelligence, social awareness, and complex characters. It’s perfect for anyone who wants their dark academia with teeth—both literal and metaphorical.

I think Sambury’s storytelling gets better with each book. This is my favorite so far. I’d been in a reading slump for the past few weeks. I started a book and wasn’t making progress so I decided to start this one and I’m glad I did because it was amazing. If you’re a fan of Fourth Wing (or not but like the concept) give this a try.

August is looking for her missing brother and stumbles across a secret society where participants bond with monsters (if they don’t die). She feels she can find information on her brother so decides to join. I won’t spoil it but I will say that this is fast paced and action packed. Would definitely recommend.

First off a big thank you to the publisher as well as to the author, an to Netgalley for the invite to read A Mastery of Monsters and other thank to the publisher for introducing to Liselle Sambury , because up until now I've never read anything by her and I'm so glad I decided to pick up this one and give it a try I loved the concept of a secret society and there was times it give off the vibes of the Shadow hunters, but it was also so different in many ways , other than is I ended up loving Virgil, but unfortunately I couldn't stand August, no matter how much she seemed to grew though out the book. And the third thing I loved was the monsters , even though there was times I was a little bit confused about some of the types of them since they sounded like they was they same type of Monsters. Over I did enjoy it and I'm looking forward to the next book to see what happens next.

Thank you to Simon Teen for the EArc in exchange for my honest opinion.

Rating 4.5 stars.

I loved the dark academia of this book. Anything with secret society, I’m down. They end of being some of my favorite reads and this one didn’t disappoint. I love the authors writing and how she is able to have you immersed in her stories. A must read!

A Mastery of Monsters is a fun book. Intriguing concept of the monsters we all hide. Definitely some dark content but I enjoyed it.

I see you, Miss Liselle. A Mastery of Monsters was a very solid 4 out of 5 for me. I didn’t go into this book expecting the sun, moon, and stars, but I ended up being very pleasantly surprised. I ate this book up in 2 and a half days, and I could have read the sequel if it was out already. I’m hungry for more!
Firstly, I am OBSESSED with Virgil. He reminds me of a sweeter, younger, less kinky, version of Josh from Lights Out. I identified so much with him and the need to constantly keep your emotions reigned in (obviously, not for the same reasons). I just wanted to protect him, even though he probably doesn’t need protecting.
I also loved August’s evolution. I really strongly disliked her in the beginning of the book, and for good reason. She had some things that she was working through, that I can deeply empathize with, but she handled it in a way that was much different from how I did/would handle it. Her lack of care for others really got under my skin, but that’s how I could tell that she was a well-written character. I was rooting for her to see that balance could be found, and I truly FELT her emotions.
I was a bit worried going into this book because, generally, I have difficulty getting into modern fantasy (I’m looking at you, Crescent City), but I keep trying to give it a shot. This book stayed so grounded in modern times while infusing elements of fantasy, that I didn’t feel like it took me out of the story. I also loved how the FMC acknowledged how wild some of the things sounded, at first, and that she wanted to see it to believe it. I also had concerns about how long this was for a YA, but I was HOOKED. I don’t feel like any part of the story should have been cut. I never had a moment where I was feeling like a particular part of the plot needed to just have a resolution already. It flowed really nicely.
The plot kept me engaged the entire time, and I was holding my breath at so many different parts. I will say that some of the “twists” were predictable, but I expected that from a YA book. With that said, I am definitely bummed that this was an ARC because the cliffhanger (although somewhat predictable), was something that left me hungry for more. I can not wait for the next installment to come out.
Lastly, I’ll say that as a white woman, I may not know the “right way” to share this experience, so I’ll ask you to forgive me or correct me if there’s something that I say that’s not quite right. I felt as though race in this book was front-and-center. It was something that the author didn’t dance around, which I appreciated. I learned a lot about race in writing from reading this, and it was really amazing to see fantasy through the lens of historically marginalized groups. As a non-person of color, I don’t fully understand a lot of what other communities go through. With that said, this book gave me the opportunity to learn. I was able to research things when I had questions, and this book gave me a new way to approach the fantasy genre.
Overall, I absolutely enjoyed this book. I can’t wait to get my hands on my shelf trophy in July!

LISELLE SAMBURY YOU ATE THIS
I have read works by Liselle and every single time the worldbuilding feels fresh and different and this was no different. Like others have said August and Virgil's relationship is a strong point of the book but when you have strong characters and a solid world around them the book takes off and A Master of Monsters takes flight in a dark and exciting way.

I found some parts of this book difficult to understand but the political aspect of this was interesting. The dark academia vibes paired with the paranormal elements of the plot was really cool.

The connections between masters and monsters gave me vibes of the anime Soul Eater which was really enjoyable.

The characters had to go through a lot of training both mentally and physically to develop a bond. Having the characters be strong but flawed was nice to see.

Plot: 8/10
Pace: 4/10
Ending: 7/10
Characters: 9/10
Enjoyability: 7/10
Writing Style: 6/10
Would I Recommend? Yes
Favorite Character: August

Favorite Quote: ❝ It isn't as grim as I imagined but is still historically maudlin. It feels like a place meant to trap people inside. And monsters, too, apparently. ❞

A Mastery of Monsters is a wild, intense ride from start to finish. Liselle Sambury drops you right into a world where monsters are real, secret societies run deep, and survival depends on more than just strength—it takes smarts, loyalty, and grit. August is the kind of heroine you can’t help but root for: determined, grieving, and completely unwilling to give up on her brother, no matter how terrifying things get. The world-building is rich without ever feeling overwhelming, and the society’s deadly trials keep the tension high. It has all the dark academia vibes, but with its unique flavor, full of eerie magic, high stakes, and sharp emotional beats.

The dynamic between August and Virgil is one of the book’s strongest points. Their partnership starts shaky (he is literally part-monster, after all), but watching them learn to trust each other is so satisfying. There’s no rushed romance here, just two people with a ton of baggage trying to survive something way bigger than they expected. Sambury handles its growth with care while never letting up on the action. This book has so much going for it—great characters, a gripping plot, and real emotional depth. I flew through it and already can’t wait for the sequel. If you like dark magic, monsters, and characters who refuse to break, this one’s a must-read.