"[P]itch perfect, with wit, romance, and a lovable found family." ―Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"This smart and entertaining, magical heist novel hits all the right notes!" ―T.L. Huchu
NPR Best Book of 2022! Paste Best Fantasy Book of 2022!
"Never make a deal with shadows at night, especially ones that know your name.”
Washington D. C., 1925: Clara Johnson can talk to spirits—a gift that saved her during her darkest moments, now a curse that’s left her indebted to the cunning spirit world. So when a powerful spirit offers her an opportunity to gain her freedom, Clara seizes the chance, no questions asked. The task: steal a magical ring from the wealthiest woman in the District.
Clara can’t pull off this daring heist alone. She’ll need the help of an unlikely team, from a handsome jazz musician able to hypnotize with a melody to an aging actor who can change his face, to pull off the impossible. But as they race along DC’s legendary Black Broadway, conflict in the spirit world begins to leak into the human one—an insidious mystery is unfolding, one that could cost Clara her life and change the fate of an entire city.
The Monsters We Defy is a timely and dazzling historical fantasy that weaves together African American folk magic, history, and romance.
Genre: Fantasy
"This smart and entertaining, magical heist novel hits all the right notes!" ―T.L. Huchu
NPR Best Book of 2022! Paste Best Fantasy Book of 2022!
"Never make a deal with shadows at night, especially ones that know your name.”
Washington D. C., 1925: Clara Johnson can talk to spirits—a gift that saved her during her darkest moments, now a curse that’s left her indebted to the cunning spirit world. So when a powerful spirit offers her an opportunity to gain her freedom, Clara seizes the chance, no questions asked. The task: steal a magical ring from the wealthiest woman in the District.
Clara can’t pull off this daring heist alone. She’ll need the help of an unlikely team, from a handsome jazz musician able to hypnotize with a melody to an aging actor who can change his face, to pull off the impossible. But as they race along DC’s legendary Black Broadway, conflict in the spirit world begins to leak into the human one—an insidious mystery is unfolding, one that could cost Clara her life and change the fate of an entire city.
The Monsters We Defy is a timely and dazzling historical fantasy that weaves together African American folk magic, history, and romance.
Genre: Fantasy
Praise for this book
"Stolen destinies, dubious bargains, and unlikely groups of allies, all in a city whose history deserves more fame; a fresh and engaging take on historical fantasy." - Marie Brennan
"Rich and immersive. . . full of mesmerizing magic!" - P Djèlí Clark
"Masterfully crafted. This smart and entertaining magical heist novel hits all the right notes." - T L Huchu
"An enchanting adventure that weaves a spell." - Justina Ireland
"Clara is a heroine for the ages, and her 1920s Black Washington society, both the glamour and the grit, is so compellingly evoked it's as though Penelope has given us a peek behind the veil to hear the tales of our ancestors." - Alaya Dawn Johnson
"Rich and immersive. . . full of mesmerizing magic!" - P Djèlí Clark
"Masterfully crafted. This smart and entertaining magical heist novel hits all the right notes." - T L Huchu
"An enchanting adventure that weaves a spell." - Justina Ireland
"Clara is a heroine for the ages, and her 1920s Black Washington society, both the glamour and the grit, is so compellingly evoked it's as though Penelope has given us a peek behind the veil to hear the tales of our ancestors." - Alaya Dawn Johnson
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Used availability for Leslye Penelope's The Monsters We Defy