This Monster of Mine

The #1 Sunday Times bestselling dark romantic fantasy inspired by Ancient Rome

Shalini Abeysekara author

Format:Hardback

Publisher:Hodder & Stoughton

Published:3rd Apr '25

Should be back in stock very soon

This Monster of Mine cover

*#1 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER*

'Sizzling romantic tension, intricate world-building, and an irresistible mystery at its core . . . an absolute feast for the senses. A dazzling and deliciously dark debut!' - Keshe Chow

She knows the taste of death. He'll stoke her hunger for it.

Eighteen-year-old Sarai doesn't know why someone tried to kill her four years ago, but she does know that her case was closed without justice. Hellbent on vengeance, she returns to the scene of the crime as a Petitor, a prosecutor who can magically detect lies, and is assigned to work with Tetrarch Kadra. Ice-cold and perennially sadistic, Kadra is the most vicious of the four judges who rule the land - and the prime suspect in a string of deaths identical to Sarai's attempted murder.

Certain of his guilt, Sarai begins a double life: solving cases with Kadra by day and plotting his ruin by night. But Kadra is charming and there's something alluring about the wrath he wields against the city's corruption. So when the evidence she finds embroils her in a deadly political battle, Sarai must also fight against her attraction to Kadra - because despite his growing hold on her heart, his voice matches the only memory she has of her assailant...

The first book in a dazzling, Ancient Rome-inspired romantic fantasy duology, This Monster of Mine is a bloodbath of manipulation, deception, and forbidden love.

Join the legions of readers who have fallen hard for This Monster of Mine:

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'Six stars if I could! This Monster of Mine is a masterclass in fantasy storytelling - combining political intrigue, betrayal, and a rigid class system with a slow-burn romance that keeps you on edge.'

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'This book was absolutely phenomenal and exactly what I've been craving . . . I already want to reread this!!'

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'This book swept me away . . . absolutely fire'

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'OMG this book is absolutely incredible and interesting, I loved it so much. This Monster of Mine must be one of the most fascinating and unique books I've ever read . . . I couldn't put it down.'

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'This Monster of Mine is an incredible romantasy...

In a world rife with corruption, This Monster of Mine dares to ask the question: what's the cost of doing what is right? With sizzling romantic tension, intricate world-building, and an irresistible mystery at its core, this book is an absolute feast for the senses. A dazzling and deliciously dark debut! -- Keshe Chow, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Girl With No Reflection
Abeysekara's debut fuses romance, fantasy, history, and legal thriller into a uniquely strong combination. The difference between legality and truth, anger as fuel for both violence and justice, the willingness to ignore or embrace the faults in a partner, and the corrupting force of money in politics play just as key a role as the slow-burn romance and the thoughtful magic system. Sarai's permanent scarring from the attack is both plot-important and handled naturalistically. A relentless and beautifully balanced romantasy/legal thriller, offering blood and hope in equal measures. Recommended for fans of any of the genres it borrows from -- Library Journal (starred review)
Skilfully interweaving themes of political corruption, injustice, and grey morality ... [a] dark fantasy-romance that fans of the genre will enjoy * Booklist *

ISBN: 9781399732055

Dimensions: 238mm x 154mm x 44mm

Weight: 630g

416 pages