We'll see how book two goes, but this series might quickly join my favorites shelf.

We Shall Be Monsters borrows elements from Frankenstein and Indian mythology to create a lush world filled with magic and monsters, not born but made. I absolutely adored the worldbuilding, mostly because it relies heavily on parallels from the story's history, and I'm always a fan of unavoidable fate. It's also well-explained (as long as you don't skim the lore sections like I accidentally did at first), and I really like the imagery.
And the plot? Every time I thought I got a grasp on where the story was going, it became more complex and twisty, and I enjoyed every second of it. There's necromancy (in a sense), mythological magic, demons and other creatures, and plenty of "adventure." I did manage to predict some of the main plot twists, but usually not until right before they were announced, and I was still sort of shocked by them. The ending is cruel, and I can't say much else for spoiler purposes, but given my experience with one of the author's other series (Timekeeper), I'm prepared to be sad.
I also loved most of the characters. Kajal was incredibly complex, but I really enjoyed her narration, and her relationship with Lasya reminded me a lot of Ephyra and Beru from There Will Come a Darkness. Kutaa is amazing, and everyone needs an undead dog in their life. I didn't like the rest of the side characters as much because I felt they ruined the vibe between Kajal and Tav. And Tav? Look, the butterfly boy prince from history with some mythology tied into his backstory completely stole the show for me. If anything happens to him (and I'm sure this won't end well for a variety of reasons), I'm not going to be happy.
We Shall Be Monsters is the first book in what I anticipate to be one of my favorite fantasy series, and when book two releases, I will be buying it immediately.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the free e-ARC!
4.5/5