Book Stats:
📖: 592 pages
Genre: YA Fantasy
Publisher: Margaret K McElderry
Format: eARC from NetGalley
Series: 1/2

Themes:
💫: Equality
💫: Sexism/Racism

Representation:
🩸: Black Cast
🩸: Fat MFC

Tropes:
💗: Morally gray characters
💗: Secret Society
💗: Deadly competition

🥵: Spice: 🚫
Potential Triggers: **check authors page/socials for full list.

Short Synopsis:
Augustus is living life, navigating her grief and not making the best choices. When her brother disappears under mysterious circumstances, she finds herself engaged with a secret society of monsters and the people who mastered them.

General Thoughts:
I had a very mixed experience with this book. It is extremely dense and world building heavy. Which at times I really appreciated, and other times was just so much that it became confusing. Trying to keep the two separate secret societies straight as well as their overlapping rules and regulations got a little heavy at times. The length of the book was also extremely daunting and I felt like it could've been cut down without so much heavy info dumping at times.

However, the characters were extremely well done. They were interesting and well developed. I was interested in all of the different characters that were involved and their parts in the story. August was an extremely complicated and layered character that I felt had a lot going for her and kept me intrigued in the story.

The mysteries surrounding the plot line was also extremely engaging. It definitely kept me going and reading even during times of dense info dumping a world building that otherwise kind of made my mind wander. I am hoping since this book was so heavy concerning world building that the second book will focus more on plot and character development.

I really enjoyed the parallels between the themes in the book and current times today. I felt like they were utilized well and added air of relatability to the novel.

Overall, I enjoyed Moore than I didn't. I fully believe I will continue on with the Neurology because I have to see what happens.

Disclaimer: I read this book as a eARC from the publisher and NetGalley. All opinions are my own. This is my honest and voluntary review.

Special thanks to the author & @simonteen #SimonTeenInfluencer for my gifted finished copy‼️

Let me just say I love Liselle Sambury so if she writes it I’m reading it. Book 1 of the Mastery of Monsters Trilogy brings readers a slow-burning dark academia fantasy novel filled with secrets, flesh-eating monsters, deadly attacks, missing people, found family, and a secret society skilled in mastering monsters to help during the apocalypse.

This initially started out super slow for me. I didn’t really get into the book until I was over 40-50% in. There was a lot of world building, learning about the society, and the history behind the monster mutations. At times this became a little overwhelming but it’s all important to the plot. There were also quite a few characters to keep track of which I didn’t like. But I loved the map we’re given in the beginning of the book that helps you easily visualize where everything is on and around the campus.

I love how the monsters were given this shapeshifting ability to appear as human until something triggers them to flip form. You could literally be standing next to one and not know it. But all monsters aren’t as bad as they seem. Watching Virgil and August’s friendship grow proved that. They had to build a sense of trust in order to work together and the more they learned from each other the stronger their monster/master bond would be. And although August had different intentions for joining the society Virgil was still willing to help find her brother even if that meant he’d be betrayed in the process. I also thought their ranking classifications were cool with the Bachelor and Master status.

Overall, I enjoyed this one the last 30% was the most action-packed. But the author gives us well-drawn characters, a bloody competition, a vengeful rivalry, sabotage, a chain of masters gone rogue, cannibalism, and some supernatural elements with a bit of suspense and mystery. If you’re a fan of the Legendborn series you might enjoy this book‼️

Rating: 3.5/5⭐️

DNF at 10%. The plot just took too long to start, and I didn’t care enough about the characters. Concept sounds good and love cover but just didn’t keep my attention.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy for an honest review.

I went into this with very high hopes, especially when the blurb compared this to Legendborn, one of my favorite series. While it was a good read overall, unfortunately, I felt this missed the mark in some areas.

The book starts strong, with Sammie's disappearance serving as a great hook to draw the reader into the story. While I appreciate a strong female main character, I found August to be somewhat frustrating to deal with and, honestly, not someone I could root for, as her behavior towards those trying to help her was appalling. I understand that she showed some growth by the end of the text, but having to endure her terrible attitude was very off-putting throughout most of the book.

The book seemed to drag on in multiple places. There were several times when I wanted to stop reading, but I pushed through to the end, only to discover that it was the first in a possible series. Knowing that information, this first book would have been great for setting the foundation for some of the complications I had in understanding the order/hierarchy in the Society, along with the handling of all the character names mentioned upfront. By the end of the book, I had forgotten who Corliss and Natalie were, and given the roles they later play, that was a bit frustrating. I think it would also have been more helpful in understanding August's complicated family dynamics, rather than receiving the bulk of the information from Jules at the very end of the text.

Overall, this was an interesting read. I'm interested to see what comes in the next book of the series.

The worldbuilding in this book needs some serious work. Half the time I was wondering k8nd of what world this is placed in, because its never really said, like its normal and yet there are monsters roaming around being transformed and nobody really bats an eye. Plus the FMC is really hard to listen to her inner monolog. I have a hard time rooting for characters who in their head really couldn't give a shit about other people, like she got slightly better over time but I honestly just found myself frustrated. Plus I didn't really buy the slight romance that was in here because I didn't feel like his character was well fleshed out at all other than the fact that he needed her to be his Master, Plus Im not sure how I feel about the language used here seeing as it pertains to characters of color. Just doesn't sit right with me but I cannot relate so maybe my worries are unwanted. Overall its written very well I just couldn't connect to most of the characters.

I have to start off by saying..I absolutely LOVE Liselle Sambury’s books!! I received this arc from NetGalley and it was everything! August Black seems like your typical angsty teenager but for a good reason. Being pressured to be who everyone else wants you to be will do that to you along with a missing parent. Hanging out on the local college campus, turned into a quest for her own self worth along with some rather interesting…monsters. Using the skills she’s learned from her mother and with help from new friends along the way, August is determined to find her brother even if it means joining some secret society who turn out to be everything she needed on her journey. There were no dull moments but I have a feeling there’s a book 2. I would definitely recommend if you’re into monsters and SciFi.

I struggled a bit to figure out my overall feelings of this book, so three stars is where I landed. The world building for A Master of Monsters was very well done and interesting. There was a lot of information behind the monsters and different factions of the secret society. However, it did feel a little info dumpy at times. I loved the dark academia vibe and didn’t find it too pretentious, which is something I almost always struggle with when I read dark academia books. The pacing was overall really slow, but then would ramp up and be really difficult to keep up with. I also found the plot to be a little bit repetitive and thought the book was a bit too long. I also struggled a lot with all the real world issues that felt undercooked. I wanted those to be explored on a deeper level. Overall, I think I will read book two? At least that’s how I feel right now.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I want to extend my gratitude to Simon Teen and Simon Audio for the #gifted e-book and accompanying audiobook.

I approached this book with enthusiasm, but unfortunately, I struggled to engage with the storyline. Despite giving it two chances, through reading and via the audiobook, I found myself unable to connect and ultimately marked it as DNF at 40%.

The pacing was disappointingly sluggish, making it difficult for me to stay invested in the narrative. The storytelling didn't resonate with me, and I felt no emotional connection to the characters, which left me feeling detached.

Additionally, the narrator's voice came across as overly monotone, failing to bring the story to life or maintain my interest.

While I recognize that some readers may have rated this book highly, it simply didn't align with my tastes or preferred genre.

While I understand this is a YA book, the writing for the plot (college kids and drinking) felt a bit too juvenile for me. There was a lot of telling over showing, and all of the FMC’s thoughts were laid out for us very orderly.

I see the comparisons to Ninth House where they’d fit. but I think such an integral part of that series is the main character and August (FMC here) doesn’t necessarily match up with that.

I love an academic setting with secret groups, monsters and magic etc etc so I enjoyed that aspect but otherwise struggled to get through this due to how long it was

👹 monsters
⚔️ trials
🏆 chosen one
🏫 academy
⌛️political high stakes

I usually read books with more of a focus on romance but this book hooked me without it.

I was hoping for more closure in the ending, but now I’m not so patiently waiting for the 2nd book because the ending left on a pretty big cliff hanger/question mark

I love the BIPOC focus that is missing in most fantasy books, and the subtle nod at how the world is today with racism and masters vs monsters, color blindness, elite/rich families running everything.

DNF at 15%

I wanted to DNF after the first two chapters were about drunk girls partying but I continued to learn more about the monsters. It wasn't enough. I tried to stick it out, but I just couldn't. I disliked all the characters, especially August. She is rude and unlikeable, and the other characters were annoying or didn't have enough info to be interesting to me. I was forcing myself to read and decided it's not worth my time. There are plenty of positive reviews so I'm sure this book is good, but it's not for me.

This book felt like Legendborn’s darker, moodier cousin—and I was absolutely here for it.

Right away, I was hooked by the concept: secret societies, monsters, missing family members, and a main character who refuses to back down. August is a fierce, complex heroine whose determination to find her brother carries emotional weight and urgency. I loved her character arc. She’s brave, flawed, morally messy, and refreshingly self-aware. And Virgil? Just the right amount of tortured bookish boy with claws.

The world-building was chef’s kiss—vivid and layered with just the right amount of magic-meets-academia to satisfy my dark fantasy cravings. I was especially drawn to the structure of the secret society and the way the monster lore was woven into real-world stakes. It gave the story a grounded but eerie edge that kept me turning pages.

I also appreciated the moral ambiguity threaded throughout. No one is fully good or bad—especially not August—and that made her decisions all the more compelling. The political commentary did pop up in places where I felt the pacing could have stayed tighter, but it wasn’t enough to pull me out of the story for long.

If you like your dark academia with teeth (literally), and your heroines with grit, A Mastery of Monsters should definitely be on your radar.

🖤 Secret societies
🖤 Sibling bonds
🖤 Moral ambiguity
🖤 Monsters, both human and otherwise

I've read a couple other books by this author and was thrilled to receive an ARC of her newest release. Monsters? Deadly competitions? Absolutely.

Let's address the elephant in the room - main character August is selfish, rude, and takes advantage of the few people that care about her, although she loves her brother dearly. Nearly every time she's presented with a choice, she makes the wrong one. And yet - I rooted for her to see the error of her ways and let people in. With the disappearances of her mother and brother and her father practically an absent parent, she's experienced more than her share of trauma and has lived most of her life living up to the expectations of others. And then she meets Virgil, my favorite character who deserves every good thing in the world. Virgil is a monster seeking a master, someone who helps him control the beast within. If he's unsuccessful, he'll spend the rest of his life alone in a dark dungeon - and I wanted to claw my way into the book to make sure that didn't happen.

August prefers to be a lone wolf, but she needs help to find her brother. Her path throughout the story is filled with more valleys than peaks, but she's surrounded by people who want to help, love, and befriend her - if she'll let them. Thrilling and surprising developments near the end make me wonder which path she'll take in the sequel.

This is a complex world filled with political machinations, factions with conflicting beliefs, deep, dark secrets - and terrifying monsters. The descriptions of these creatures are vivid and highly creative. Their potential masters must compete against each other in several rounds in order to achieve the title. Stakes are high - literally life or death - and some don't make it out alive.

At nearly 600 pages, this is a chunk of a novel. Pacing is a little uneven in places, but overall it didn't feel that long to me - I was too invested in the story. Bring on the sequel. Highly recommended for fans of dark fantasy, morally gray main characters, and Hunger Games-like competitions.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.  Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

3.75

thank you to Simon Teen for the e-ARC

I did overall enjoy this book, and I think Legendborn is a fairly accurate comp title for it. with that being said, I enjoyed Legendborn a fair bit more, and think it did a better job of balancing character growth/wordbuilding/commentary. a mastery of monsters bit off a lot and had to spend a long time chewing, not necessarily resulting in a satisfying time all the way through the read.

the ending quarter of the book was quite satisfying, and Q1 and Q3 were fairly good, but Q2 was slow and a bit underwhelming. I think there was just so much set up of a world that doesn’t quite make sense. I think the injustice is a bit too strong to be treated as just—it would have made more sense if the characters were resigned rather to the sheer evil of the system rather than oblivious. I also think the monster system seems dumb, even from the perspective of exploitation and oppression. so I spent a decent amount of time just frustrated and confused by the world the readers are expected to accept as plausible.

still, I did enjoy the ambition of the book, and found a fair bit of payoff for all the set up I read. some of the structures of the world were explained (if not all) and I enjoyed witnessing different characters processing the injustice in different ways.

Thank you Netgalley for an advanced e-copy of one of my most anticipated reads of the year and IT DID NOT DISAPPOINT. Liselle is a genius to me and I'm so glad we have more stories to get from this world because I did not want to leave!

All the reasons this si a 5 star read to me:
- The worldbuilding into the secret society is done SO well. I am someone who loves politics in books and this definitley had that, along with the mystery and magic mixed in as well. To me it was a wonderful blend that I can't wait to dive back into for the rest of the triology.
- The human essence of August's backstory made her the perfect person to be brought into a secrety society and her attitude (while definitely petulent) I feel made sense and allowed for intruiging interactions with the other characters.
- The groundwork is LAID for a trilogy. There was enough resolution to feel satifised in book one, but enough questions to keep me piqued for books 2 and 3. I just have a feeling this won't fall into the issue of the 2nd book in a trilogy being weak because of how set up the trilogy seems to be (to me at least)
- Virgil is such a fun counterpart to August and I love the dynamic Liselle created between them in this first book. Corey, Isaac, Riley, Bailey and Mia were introduced as well with enough mystery to keep me thinking we haven't see the full scope of their backstories just yet.
- The adults were not clueless as they are in so many YA books, which was a nice change of pace, and I'm curious to see just how much they'll be involved going forward in the trilogy.

Overall, if you're looking for a YA dark academic series with quite a lot of action to sink your teeth into next, I'd put this as the first thing you read in August 2025, if not on release day.

This book was so intriguing! I felt compelled the whole time despite the long length, and the pacing was perfect. August Black was an incredible main character; she is determined, true to herself, and loyal, while also still a messy young adult. This is a somewhat dark, urban/academic fantasy. It’s the first book in a series (either duology or trilogy) and in introduces a secret college society with monsters. It was academia, games and trials, magic system, magical beings, and of course an action packed plot.

Overall, great read, thank you Netgalley!

𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: A Mastery of Monsters by Liselle Sambury
𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: Fantasy
𝐏𝐮𝐛 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: July 29, 2025

🖤 Urban Fantasy
🔏 Dark Academia
🖤 Monsters + Masters
⛓️ Deadly Competition
🖤 Missing People
📚 Secret Society

A Mastery of Monsters is a combination of dark academia, secret society, and a bit of mystery! Perfect for fans of Ninth House and Immortal Dark!

The premise of a secret society of Masters x Monsters is so interesting to me, and the author did an incredible job! The lore behind the monster origins/transformations, initial formation of the society, etc was perfect! I also enjoyed the collegiate setting, the tone of the book feeling like a combo of urban fantasy and dark academia.

While I disliked August initially due to her seemingly abrasive personality, I could empathize with the self destructive behavior from trauma. That being said, I loved her character growth so much. Throughout we get to watch her make real friends and her motivations evolve.

The characters were all fleshed out so beautifully that none of them felt like "side characters," as they all had their own trauma, family issues, and motivations.

I thought I had the villain figured out but it was just the tip of the iceberg! The twists just kept coming, and the cliffhanger is insane! I can't wait for book 2!

Thank you so much Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing and NetGalley for the digital review copy!

PG:16 ⚠️ profanity, eating disorder, parent loss

Liselle Sambury returns with another well-crafted story in a rich, dark academia fantasy.

I always enjoy Sambury's work, and this time around was no different. A Mastery of Monsters weaves a tale of secret societies and monsters, full of twists and turns, politics rife with bias with secret agendas, and a young Black woman trying to fight against a system determined to chew her up and spit her out, no matter the cost.

August Black was an incredible main character; she is determined, true to herself, and loyal, while also still a messy young adult. I loved seeing her growth as a character throughout the story; her arc was well thought out, and spoke well to her true self. She went from being the expectation of perfect, exceptional Black daughter to the young woman full of rage, passion, and love, finally able to express herself and not hide away from those who care about her most.

And Virgil! Ugh, the cuteness aggression with him was real. I adore him and his heart and personality, and I think he's the perfect match for August in every way. I cannot wait to see him fully in action in the next book!

The worldbuilding and lore, while heavy handed at times, was done well, in my opinion. It felt like I was right alongside August, learning everything at the same pace and my brain scrambling to keep up and remember everything. It added a lot to the reading experience for me!

All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and am on the edge of my seat for book 2!

i thought this book was just okay. i don't mind a lengthy book, but there were side plots that made the story hard to follow, and it took me over a month to finish it. i found it pretty hard to stay interested in reading this

This book was just okay. At first, I was interested to find out where the story was going and to learn more about the monsters and their masters. However, the system was difficult to follow, and at 60%, I still didn’t understand much about it.

I hope this book finds its audience, but unfortunately that does not include me.