This was an anticipated release for me based not only on the description, but also on the comp titles, as I immensely enjoyed both Legendborn and Ninth House. A Mastery of Monsters follows a headstrong August, as she joins a secret society to find her missing brother.

I can see why this story was compared to Legendborn, as both have on-campus secret societies, monsters, and include similar themes.

While it did take me several chapters to feel invested, once I got past the 10% mark and began to better understand August's motivations and history, I became enveloped in the story. I quite enjoyed watching the relationships develop between August and the supporting characters, especially Virgil, as it felt incredibly realistic and genuine. I also particularly appreciated the heavy themes woven into this story, including:
- Navigating the pressures of parental and societal expectations and the necessary defiance of these in order to be true to oneself, and
- The implications of promoting "equality" over equity, by downplaying differences and ignoring factors such as privilege, class, race, etc.

While I did enjoy the story overall and am intrigued enough to continue on with the series, I do think there were some pacing issues and wish the delivery of some of the reveals at the end were handled differently.

3.5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing for providing me an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I thought this was a fun read overall!

I can tell that the author was inspired by anime when writing this book, given how the monsters fight and what not, and I thought that was really cool. The action scenes were well written, and I appreciate that the author didn’t hold back in terms of characters dying.

One of my favorite parts about the book was the mystery. This author is really good at writing mysteries, and it definitely kept me guessing as I was reading.

Some of the world-building, in terms of the setting and magic system, was a bit dense for my liking. But I can tell that the author truly put her all in this book, and gave every element of the world-building a lot of thought, and I respect that.

There were a lot (and I mean a lot) of characters to keep track of, which I didn’t love. On top of that, I didn’t necessarily fall in love with any of the characters; they were all just fine at best. I appreciate that our main character August was a tougher girl (and I understand why she had a hard exterior); but it became too much at times, at least for my liking.

I do feel that the book was a bit too long (it’s ~600 pages), and I feel that there are some places where the pacing slowed a bit too much for my liking. But I’m glad that the author had the chance to write this book, and I’m glad she will get the chance to write the next two books in the series as well (as I know from her youtube vlogs that she wanted this to be a trilogy rather than a duology).

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Simon and Schuster for allowing me to read the digital ARC!

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing | Margaret K. McElderry Books for an eARC of this title in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

"A Mastery of Monsters" had a lot of potential, but it didn’t quite hit the mark for me. I really, really struggled with the main character, August. Her selfish attitude and conflict-driven behavior made it hard to connect with her. While it's always good to have your characters make readers feel something, I don't think this is what the author had in mind...

That said, there were definitely a couple things I enjoyed! The competition aspect of the story was really engaging, and the descriptions of the monsters were terrifying—vivid and creepy in all the right ways. I also liked the male main character and most of the side characters, even though they often felt like they were there as punching bags for August and her issues.

Unfortunately, the world-building wasn't that well done. Mainly because it was delivered through awkward dialogue that interrupted the flow of the story instead of enhancing it. I even read a few of the scenes out loud and it just wasn't believable that a group of almost-adults would speak like that.

In the end, while I appreciated the cool monster designs and the excitement of the competition, I wish the author had taken more time to focus on character development and world-building.

If you love detailed political world building in a dark academia setting this is for you.

I generally do not BUT if you love found family, characters learning to trust each other and themselves and their feelings, complicated dynamics, girls who kick ass and gentle monster boys, then this is also definitely for you.

The cast of characters is really what sold this book for me, even when it felt a little long or there was more secret society and political sects than I’m interested in. I loved August and Virgil and Margot and especially Corey, and I’d love to see more Mia and Issac and Riley hopefully in the sequel.

The romantic subplot is very light and very slow burn but in such a great way.

August’s history with disordered eating is so well built into her character and so well done- while it isn’t mentioned frequently, it’s powerful and relatable and handled with care (but I’m definitely glad it was included in the content warnings).

The book also does a really good job of wrapping things up for the first book but definitely ends with an ooooommpphhh that makes me so ready for the next book already!

Thank you Simon and Schuster Children’s Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing for the advanced digital copy of A Mastery of Monsters by Liselle Sambury, which comes out on 7/29/25. This is the first book in a dark academia trilogy, and wow—it sets the tone strong.

The story follows August Black, who’s dealing with a lot: her father’s estrangement, her mother’s disappearance, and now her brother Jules has gone missing. All signs point to the Learner's Society, a secret organization made up of monsters and masters. To find Jules, August teams up with Virgil Hawthorne—a quiet, bookish boy who literally turns into a monster and is on the verge of losing his humanity for good unless he bonds with someone who survives a deadly competition. But not everything in their alliance is transparent, and neither is the Learner's Society, which is full of secrets, competing factions, and shady motives.

I really enjoyed this. First off, the action—especially during the competition—was intense and nonstop. The world-building is intricate and fascinating, and you can tell there’s so much more to uncover. This book lays the groundwork for themes of inequality and slavery within the society, and the descriptions of the monsters? Gruesome in the best way.

What really pulled me in was the characters and all their secrets. Everyone has a hidden agenda, and it made the interactions so layered and compelling. August especially stood out. She’s a little selfish, self-destructive, and sometimes just plain mean—and I loved that she was allowed to be like that. It made her more real, and watching her grow and channel that energy for people she actually cared about made her journey all the more interesting.

And that epilogue? It completely threw me, but in the best way. It drives home just how twisted and untrustworthy this society really is.

As for what didn’t quite work for me: it felt a bit long, but slow-burn fantasies usually are. It definitely picked up as it went on, so I didn’t mind the length too much. It was also pretty information-heavy, and at times it was hard to take it all in—but I get it, there’s a lot of lore to unpack, and it was genuinely interesting.

I rated this 4.5 stars. This is the fifth book I’ve read by Liselle Sambury, and it’s official—she’s one of my favorite authors. If you enjoy dark academia with fantasy elements, a Black lead, rich lore, and secret societies you absolutely cannot trust, this is a must-read.

Liselle Sambury has done it again with "A Mastery of Monsters," a riveting urban fantasy that had me hooked from the first page to the last. When August's brother disappears after their mother's recent vanishing, she discovers a hidden world of monsters and magic at Queens University in Toronto. Partnering with Virgil, a scholarly young man on the verge of becoming a monster himself, August joins the secretive Learner's Society, determined to find her brother while navigating deadly trials and political intrigue.
What makes this novel exceptional is how Sambury masterfully blends supernatural elements with powerful social commentary. The Society's treatment of monsters as "others" despite claims of equality creates a thought-provoking metaphor for institutional inequality. The world-building is rich and immersive, with faction politics (Progressives, Traditionalists, and Scientists) that reflect real-world divisions and power struggles.
August shines as a fierce, knife-wielding protagonist whose determination to find her family drives the narrative, while her forbidden attraction to Virgil adds emotional depth to the high-stakes plot. The supporting cast is equally compelling, particularly characters like Cory and the rival Queens Black Student Society members.
Perfect for fans of Legendborn, this novel delivers thrilling action, shocking twists, and complex themes that will stay with you long after the final page. I'm already counting down the days until the sequel!

A Mastery of Monsters
by Liselle Sambury
A Mastery of Monsters #1
Y(Y)A Fantasy
NetGalley eARC
Pub Date: July 29, 2025
Simon and Schuster Children's...
Ages: 14+

Keeping to herself after her mother disappeared, August felt as if she only had her brother. Then one night, walking alone, August is attacked by a monster. Virgil, a boy she just met, comes to her aid, but a few days later, her brother disappears, leaving a note not to look for him. She refused to obey him.

Believing the monster that had attacked her might have something to do with her brother's disappearance, August finds Virgil to get his help. He was willing, but only if she would help him. He needed a partner to help control the monster inside of him, and the only way to achieve this was if August won a competition. But if she fails, Virgil will end up a permanent monster imprisoned below ground, and, if she lives, she won't know what happened to her brother.


Even with the action that grabbed my attention at the beginning of this book, it was a slow read! Most of the issue was with the writing... For young adults, either in or about to start college, they talked like tweens, which makes me think it's aimed at middle school students. But August's 'acceptance' of the monsters was too easy. ('OMG! a monster is chasing me, run....' Next day.... 'There's monsters, okay...')

But I can say that as the story progressed, the writing and the characters matured. This was one of those books that I got lucky pushing through instead of DNFing.

I didn't care much for August. She was a typical trauma-suffering teenager, but flat. Giving her background earlier, those things she did before her mom disappeared would have given her some depth; instead, she was just there with an uncaring attitude. But the side characters had more depth and character than August. Virgil was kind of the same, but his backstory was presented at a time that gave him 'credibility'. He should have been a MC, because he needed the help, but he didn't have a big part in this story. The minor characters had more page time than him.

As for the story, it was a decent idea, though it reminded me a lot of other 'game trope' type books. A deeper dive into the 'society(s)' is needed because those are the backbone of these 'games' and the monsters. Sure, there was some, but not a deep enough dive to allow the reader to feel a part of them. But the 'game' part of the story, (think HP), I didn't care for. Yes, you need a way to get the best of the best, but I just felt there could have been a better/different way to go about it.

The title was what grabbed my attention, and while it lines up with the story, it made me expect more monsters, magic, and 'control' of said monsters. The cover is cool, but really has nothing to do with the story. I noticed no finches in it, but the knives had a role.

While there is some romance, it isn't graphic, but there is violence, thus making it suitable for readers fourteen and older.

This is the first book of the series, and, yeah, I'm a little interested in finding out what happens, but I won't be adding the next one to my TBR, though, if I stumble across it, I might grab it if I can get it on the cheap.

2 Stars

As soon as I see dark academia fantasy, you better believe I am hitting that request button. Let me tell you, I was not disappointed.
The magic system was intricate but not overly complicated to where you couldn't make sense of it. The setting was so atmospheric, and the secret society drama truly kept me on the edge of my seat. August was a fantastic FMC in my opinion, and her fierceness and loyalty to her brother really shone throughout. She is fighting to live up to and deal with society's expectations, and honestly, she was just kickass in my opinion.
The author tackles some heavy topics in this story, but they are so real in terms of today's society, such as sexism, racism, fat-shaming, and more, and that truly added another layer of depth to an already deep story.
I have so many unanswered questions, and I will be over here waiting very impatiently to hopefully get them answered in book 2! Fantastic fantasy read that I will be recommending.

I have been dying for a new Dark Academia book to come around, so when I saw this pitched as Ninth House meets Legendborn, I was very excited. Overall, this was a big hit for me. I loved the concept, the magic system, the setting, the secret society aspect- everything. Also, for it being DA, it was a breath of fresh air for it to not be an all white cast for once. I was drawn in and dialed into the story the whole time and never found myself guessing the plot (which is big for me). I did have a bit of a hard time envisioning the monsters themselves, I kept picturing the monster from the tv show Wednesday as basically every monster. The twists at the end and the ending itself had me very excited for book two. My only complaint is that for a first book, it was really long. 600 pages is a lot for a first book, if it’s not a series I’m not already invested in. That said, I do look forward to reading more of Liselle’s work soon. Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Children’s Publishing | Margaret K. McElderry Books for the free ecopy in exchange for my opinion.

This was my first book by Liselle Sambury, and she did not disappoint. Miss ma’am, I was not familiar with your game, but I am now!

This YA dark academia with found family elements is right up my alley. I especially loved the complexity of the FMC, August. She was a lot, but I loved her for it, flawed, fierce, and fully fleshed out.

Now the MMC? That’s a different story. I have a love-hate relationship with him. He constantly called August selfish, which was wild to me, because she was easily the most selfless character in the story.....to me!

As for the world-building... that’s where I struggled. It was dense, layered, and at times hard to follow. There was a lot of information dumping and a large cast of characters to keep track of, which made some sections feel overwhelming.

Other than that, I have no complaints, and I think my fellow dark academia lovers would enjoy this book. Thank you NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for the eARC!

This was a fairly easy and fast read. I found it to be a bit long for its content, and there was lots of “telling” instead of just “showing,” regarding the social commentary and themes. As this is a young adult novel, it leans more heavily on the dark academia plot with only small hints of romance. The main character, August, was a bit insufferable at times, but she did have character development towards the end.

The magic system was fleshed out quite simply, but the dark academia part of it felt a little watered down. This may be because it is the first book in a series, so readers would have to continue until more themes are explored in the future.

*A few potential grammar issues in the book:
- In Ch 12, there's a sentence that reads "He doesn't view himself as human, and I know that, strictly speaking, his isn't, but he's so willing to compromise himself for other people, maybe to provde that he is human." I think 'his isn't' is supposed to be 'he isn't'?
- In Ch 39, there's a sentence that reads "Not as straight and I'd like, but you could make up for it with power." I believe it should read "Not as straight as I'd like"

-- Review below --

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an arc of this book.

This book was a fun read. It features August, a teen who's coping with her brother's recent disappearance by forming a deal with those she thinks might be behind it. This felt like a very original premise to me, and I really enjoyed reading something that felt brand new. I will note that there is a lot of info-dumping and world-building in each chapter so I did have to really pay attention as I was reading, especially as there are a lot of characters/nuances to keep track of. There were also a few things I didn't love about the book: there was a lot of modern slang that took me out of the world a little (eg., "rizz", "ick", "trauma dump"). This book was styled to have a lot of shorter chapters (which I did like) but as a result I felt like every chapter had to end with some kind of revelation or dramatic phrase, which got a little repetitive throughout. However, I did really enjoy the found family aspects and the originality of the world, and I will definitely be reading the second book. I'd also say this book leans heavily towards fantasy instead of romance, so I wouldn't pick this book up if you primarily cared about the romance. Overall, this was a really interesting read, and I would recommend it for any fantasy fans.

LISELLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I want more! OMG this was a fun ass book! The twist and turns had me up at night wanting to finish it. (Which I did lol ) I for sure will get this book.

4.5 ⭐️

In this book:
✨️ dark academia vibes
✨️ forced proximity (or maybe better description is "bonded pair")
✨️ political scheming
✨️ high stakes trails (think hunger games)
✨️ magical realism elements

Wheeewwwww, where do I even begin? A Mastery of Monsters centers around a secret society whose goal is to pair "monsters" (people with a genetic mutation that literally turn into terrifying monsters) with "masters" (people bonded to a monster that allows said monsters to keep their humanity). Sounds simple right? NOPE! This story had so many layers, twists, and additions.

Things I enjoyed:
- August is THAT girl lol she had me giggling and rooting for her almost the entire book. There was a second in the middle where I wanted to shake her and ask wtf she was doing buuutttt she got it together and I really do see her choices as part of her character arc/growth. I found myself liking August for the same reasons Virgil said he did: she says what she wants when she wants and does what she wants. As a black mid/plus size woman in society there's always pressure to do/be something "more acceptable" and August was having NONE of that 🙌🏽
- Virgil is a cute little (actually v muscular) teddy bear. We love him- I will be accepting no Virgil slander 😤
- The world building was dense (this I found to be good + bad, more mentioned below), because August was new to this entire world the reader did get the benefit of learning along with her.
- In my opinion the society (and this story overall) is in part a commentary on society. The author tackled big topics like sexism, structural racism, fat phobia, people pleasing, micro/macro-aggressions etc. It was refreshing to see honestly, there is sooo much to unpack here. Some reviews have said that too many hard topics were addressed but in my opinion August is a black woman in academia- the amount of hard topics she faces is spot on lol (except the monsters of course)

Things I didnt like:
- The world was dense!! The down side of this is it was easy to get lost. There was A LOT going on here. 2 main societies both with many factions, several key "main characters" to keep track of and a few side characters whose back story was also important. There's the plot of saving Virgil but also the mystery of her mom + brother. AND there's significant time devoted to poking holes in the society to get the reader and August to critically think (I actually enjoyed this part, but just stating that there was a lot going on lol)
- this book was 600 pages, while I dont necessarily have an issue with the length because I do see how all the pieces were necessary to the story, I did spend the first 30-40% lowkey confused lol there was a lot of dialogue info dumping in the beginning thag at times made it difficukt. I kept going back to make sure I understood the magic/science foundation, who the characters were and political leanings. What i do have an issue with is after 600 pages Im still not sure I completely understand the magic system + society- but maybe thats purposeful?
- I wish there was a glossary to help keep some of the characters and factions straight.
- I NEED MORE ANSWERS! Im sad I have to wait for book 2 lol

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review

3.25/5 stars - I wasn't obsessed with this book, but I didn't dislike it enough to DNF. There are a lot of similarities to the Legendborn Cycle. It was hard not to think about that series while reading this! I enjoyed the premise of this book, and it ended on a bit of a cliffhanger. The first book kept my interest enough for me to tune in for book 2. I liked that August wasn't meant to be a super likeable FMC at the beginning, and we saw her growth throughout the book.

Like most fantasy series, there was a lot of time spent on world-building. A lot of it was info dumped through conversations with different characters, and it was a lot to keep up with at times. There were also SO many characters to keep track of throughout this book. This book is almost 600 pages, and I still didn't fully understand the magic system by the end of it. I'm hoping this is explained better in the next book. Thank you to Simon Teen for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Loved this book so much! Honestly the vibes were stellar. Secret society? Check. Wonderful world building? Check. Intriguing plot? Check. Something to say about the world we live in? Check, check, check. I loved that I could engage critically with this book, but I also feel like those who don’t will enjoy this story as well. We’ve got a realistic main character who’s rootable, but flawed. Anyone who’s ever struggled to live up to the suffocating pressure well meaning parents can assign to their children, and I know this especially hits home for children of color because of the sentiment that we must make the most of our lives because of the sacrifices our parents have made for us. August had a realistic chip on shoulder due to her upbringing and feelings of abandonment, which while it could be annoying to some, I really resonated with as someone who’s felt the same feelings and reacted in similar ways. Watching her arc throughout the book as she realized she wasn’t all alone and could let her guard down was very satisfying.

Overall, this was a 5 star read for me. I cannot wait for the next book. All of the unanswered questions that were being built up for the next installment have me intrigued, and I am so excited to jump back into another adventure with August and her newfound crew. The hints of romance as well, leave me wanting more. This is a slow burn my friends, but I have a feeling the wait will be well worth it. Thank you so much to NetGalley for this e-arc!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review

I tried my best to get into it, but after 150 pages. I gave up; it wasn't just my cup of tea. I am sure other fantasy fans will love it.

This one sort of falls between 3 and 3.5⭐ for but overall it's a hard one to rate. I can see where the Legendborn similarities come into play with the ~secret society~ and the black fmc involved in a larger plot she had no idea about, but something about this didn't really gel as well as that story did.

Starting with the things I liked:
- I think the world building was dense which lends itself well to a series which this seems like it's headed towards. I can tell that there was a lot of thought behind the factions and the monsters, and the magic system more or less made sense when it was being introduced.

- I think the overall mystery was actually pretty good even if by the halfway point I had a list of suspects that proved to be correct. This book had a lot of political scheming and it was done well. Lots of layers and clearly there's going to be a lot to unpack.

- The action scenes were good and this definitely was one of the better YA stories featuring ~challenges. The stakes were actually high and people did die lol.

For the things I was meh about/didn't like:

- Honestly, it was hard to like any of the characters in this. August the fmc was rude and selfish and she only got marginally better by the end. I get that she had trauma which rightfully would've impacted the way she behaved but she wasn't the only one. Everyone in this story had backstory trauma but she gave too much main character energy and just did things without thinking of how it would affect other people. This was made worse because it was always someone that she needed help from to solve her own questions.

The only person I really liked in this was Virgil and that's not saying much when you think about how many named characters are in this story. A LOT. Margo, Corey, Riley, Henry, Adam, Caden, Virgil, Jules, Mya like? This isn't even ALL of the characters. It got to be a little much which leads me to my next issue..

- this book is entirely too long. I don't know that this needed to be 600 pages? Like, the pacing was good for the first half, but then it gets bogged down in the middle by a lot of nothing. It all ends up leading to a bigger picture but I felt like we could've gotten to the point quicker. By the end I was waiting for it to wrap up. I get that the mystery & politics were dense but I don't even feel like I completely understood the mechanics of those things by the end of this.

- This also tried to tackle too many ...real world adjacent issues in one book imo and most of them were starting to get a little too obvious. Parental abandonment, anarchy, racism, suicide, elitism, fatphobia...the list goes on. Some of them were TOO on the nose. Like the factions being: progressives, traditionalists, and pro-libs? I understand the points being made with this though but it just felt too real world adjacent for this to be a magical society.

In addition, this whole magical society maybe had too many parts involved. Like I said above I don't even think I'm 100% clear on how exactly this organization works and I would think that by the end of 600 pages that I should? Not only that, there's like 2 (maybe 3 if you count the Pro-Libs) magical societies in this one book that you have to keep track of. Things definitely weren't even halfway clear until 300 pages in which imo is too many.

- Lastly, the romance I didn't really think added anything to this. It wasn't like hardcore in your face, but it's obviously there and I think August and the book had too much going on to add a romantic sub sub sub plot. Considering what we learn from this, I'm not even sure how that makes sense but I'll be tuning in for the following book(s).

I don't know. I didn't hate it, and I think if you enjoyed Legendborn you would like this (I did), but this sort of exhausted me to read. I will keep tuning in for the next book and hopefully things move quicker in part 2 after this set up book. The plots in this one are literally just getting started so at the very least the scheming will be good.

I received an arc from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you Simon and Schuster, Margaret K. McElderry Books, and NetGalley!

I admit this took me a few chapters before I was fully drawn in, but once I was, I couldn’t put the book down. Liselle Sambury creates a fantasy world that’s so rich, descriptive, and fully realized that it’s easy to immerse yourself in the story. There’s so many levels to the plot, that just when you think you’ve got it figured out there’s a pivot. What remains consistent throughout though, is our main FMC, August. Don’t get me wrong, she experiences growth and in ways is fundamentally changed by the end of the story, but she’s our anchor. Her tenacity, intelligence, and willingness to fight for what she cares about never change.

At the beginning of the novel August is broken. Her mother has disappeared, her father has pulled away in his grief, she’s thrust upon an aunt she doesn’t know, and the brother she’s close to is off at college. August is adrift in life, no longer sure of her purpose in the world is, until her brother too disappears leaving behind a cryptic note of warning. This is where our story truly begins, when August finds her purpose, which is to ultimately find her brother. To do this she must partner with our MMC Virgil, who introduces August to the world of the campus secret society. Monsters are real, and in order to get the information she needs to save her brother, August will have to help Virgil and join the society.

When I say there’s multiple levels going on, I mean there are warring factions within the society, politics surrounding a tense election to choose another society leader, and a Black Students Club on campus that may be more than what it appears to be. August has to navigate all of this from the place of someone who doesn’t want to form connections, but who reluctantly concedes she may need them. While the main story is about August trying to find her brother, it’s also about August finding herself, finding a found family who give her permission to make those connections she formerly shunned.

There’s a sufficient resolution to the main plot as the story concludes, but there are so many intriguing plot lines left dangling that I can’t wait for the next book. I rank this one 4.5 ⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing for the ARC.

This book had everything I love in a fantasy - including a good amount of dark academia - so I really should have loved it more than I did. Unfortunately the plot was slow and hard to connect with until the book was almost over - and the book itself felt longer than it needed to be. I enjoyed it, but I'm not sure I'd read it again

Thank you to the publisher for providing a copy for review