This Monster of Mine
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 and addictive romantic fantasy duology, the #1 Sunday Times bestselling This Monster of Mine is a bloodbath of manipulation, deception, and forbidden love.
Tropes
Enemies to lovers
Slow Burn Romance
Morally grey FMC and MMC
Magical world
Political intrigue
Vengeance
High Stakes
!!SPICE ALERT!!
Join the legions of readers who have fallen hard for This Monster of Mine:
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'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.'
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'This book was absolutely phenomenal and exactly what I've been craving . . . I already want to reread this!!'
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'This book swept me away . . . absolutely fire'
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'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.'
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'This Monster of Mine is an incredible romantasy book that I really can't recommend enough'
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'I AM FREAKING OUT BY HOW DELICIOUS AND AWESOME AND AMAZING THIS IS!!!!! I am obsessed, I am Kadra's wine glass and Sarai's glower, THIS BOOK IS PHENOMENAL AND I HAVE OFFICIALLY LOST ALL BRAIN CELLS AND COHERENCE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Dark romantasy perfection, people!!! YOU NEEEEEEEEEEED TO READ THIS!!!
#1 Sunday Times bestseller, 15/04/2025
Shalini Abeysekara is a neurodivergent woman of color and a former lawyer based in Hamilton, Canada. She enjoys using fantasy as a mirror to interrogate both government policies and the bizarre workings of the business world. She is passionate about depicting other neurodivergent women of color reckoning with themselves and their place in a world that tells them they're too much or not enough. When not glued to the screen for some escapist purpose or the other, you'll find her attempting to re-create famous desserts, doomscrolling, or both. She still can't believe she's an adult and hopes you don't either.
This Monster of Mine is her debut novel.