The Gods Created Monsters

by Nicki Chapelway

The gods created the monsters…now it is up to the mortals to kill them.

Alya has always dreamed of adventure, but as a noble lady she knows that the only thing her future holds in store for her is marriage. However, when her engagement to the crown prince leads to her family’s murder, Alya loses herself to her need for revenge. She wants the future king dead and she is willing to do whatever she must to ensure his doom. Even if it means becoming a commissioned monster hunter and slaying as many undead as it takes to forestall the end of the world.

She is joined in her quest by the disillusioned guardsman who saved her life, a criminal who doesn’t want to do penance, a disgraced magicker who just wants everything to go back to the way was, and her cat. If they want to survive the dangerous duty of holding the line against the monsters then these outcasts are going to have to learn how to trust each other, ignore their selfish impulses, and do something right for a change. Because the world is ending and alone, they are not powerful enough to stop it.

Slay the monsters, defend the innocents, find the source of the rising dead… and don’t kill each other in the process. It shouldn’t be too difficult, right?

A band of novice monster slayers go up against creatures that have not been seen for a thousand years in this adult high fantasy series set in the world of Ruskhazar. It is perfect for fans of Michael J. Sullivan, J.R.R. Tolkien, and the Witcher Saga.

Genres: Fantasy

Unknown Binding

Published March 15, 2023

About the author

Nicki is a twenty-something author of swoony romantic fantasy. She has been writing since she was eleven and has since published several works. She enjoys creating stories with twisty-stabby faerie romances, retellings that take a darker turn, and epic fantasies in worlds full of monsters and magic.

Nicki lives in Ohio where she spends far too much time watching TV, playing video games, and sleeping. She listens to music basically all the time, and adores obsessing over mythologies, her shows, and her slew of fictional boyfriends. When not writing, she can usually be found at her desk with either a paintbrush or a pen in her hand.

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Reviews

[Nicki Chapelway · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite Marvel movies is Guardians of the Galaxy. To say that I love the misfits who can barely get along together finding a home and family in each other trope is an understatement. Which is why I am so excited for this book to finally come out. Guardians of the Galaxy meets good old fashioned Dungeon and Dragons questing in this new installment about a group of rejects being recruited as monster hunters.

If you like either of those comps, if you like Dragon Age, if you like sunshine and grump romances, if you like tabby cats, a complex world and magic system, monster hunting and butt kickery mixed in with a heavy dose of humor, banter, and snark... then this book is the one for you.

I am the author and all my opinions are 100% biased.

[Sarah Ryder · Rating 5 out of 5]

With every book of this author’s that I read I just fall more and more in love with each and every one of them no matter how different or similar they are. Because the best parts about them? Lots of action and adventure and characters that feel so real you want to meet them in person! (Or not depending on which ones…) And this new book in her ever expanding Ruskhazar series is no different on either of those aspects.

The characters are all amazing! Alya is a tough girl with a soft, caring heart (seriously this author writes these types of girls SO WELL where most everyone else…er, doesn’t, in my opinion, heh) and I love how she’ll both beat you up but also cares when if matters most. And then there’s Conan our wonderful cinnamon roll of amazingness who is so precious and certainly the underrated one in the group and I love him sooooo much! He and Alya are definitely my favorites and they are so sweet together and just eeee!!!!! 😍😍😍 They are just amazing and I love them to death!

Ikor got on my nerves a bit with his high and mighty arrogance issues but I warmed up to him especially when I realized just how lonely he truly is (not to mention how he treats Fluff is so cute). Zarynn’s about the only one I didn’t like until the very end and that’s mainly because he rubbed me the wrong way (not to mention he tried to break up our perfect couple and I’m sorry mister but you just don’t do that!) but I have a feeling I could grow to like him more as the series progresses. And Fluff is a typical cat who possibly may fight monsters which makes him amazing and super cool.

The plot of them being monster hunters is super cool and I got major Guardians of the Galaxy vibes from the plot and our group of misfits as a whole (which is a feat since I’ve only watched them in Avengers: Infinity War, lol). I love the found family in a group of misfits trope so I’m eager to see this be continued as the series progresses! I also have a hunch on how two characters might be connected but since it wasn’t revealed if I was right or not by the end I’ll just hold it close and see how things go… 👀

Another standout book by this author that I won’t hesitate to buy a physical copy of in the future! Highly recommend!


‼️Content‼️

Language: arse; gods

Violence: injuries and lots of blood (not to semi detailed); fighting with weapons and magic (not detailed); it’s mentioned in the past a character murdered someone (not detailed or shown); a character dreams about dead bodies of family members and a zombie likeness of another with blood all over him and a missing eye (semi detailed); a character punches and breaks another’s finger; a character is strapped to an altar and about to be sacrificed; a cavern is collapsed

Sexual: mild suggestive hints; a man is a womanizer and sleeps around (only mentioned never shown and not in a positive light); a guy attempts to kiss a girl (he doesn’t succeed); a kiss (not detailed)

Drug/Alcohol: characters drink and get a little drunk

Other: a character is in prison; fantasy gods, goddesses, and demigods are worshiped and prayed to in a fantasy world; magic; magical abilities, powers, objects, and creatures; death and grief; characters have PTSD and nightmares; characters explore a crypt; vampires and werewolves; a character is kidnapped and imprisoned


****Note: I received a free copy of the book from the author/publisher. All thoughts and opinions are most assuredly my own, and I wasn’t required to write a positive review. If I was, I wouldn’t have read it. 😜****

[Grace Morris · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author/publisher for promotional purposes. I was not required to write a positive review. These are my honest thoughts and opinions.

I can’t even begin to tell you guys how much I enjoyed this book! Think unlikely heroes thrown together who actually hate each other (and might kill each other off given the chance). But also, they kinda have to work together. Oh, and monster hunting! I love a good monster-hunting stories!

First off, when is the best time to read this book? The world of Ruskhazar is not only huge but there are a TON of books and series that are all connected, many of which are still in production. Think of the Marvel cinematic universe, where you have movies that focus on a particular character but sometimes have cameos of other important characters. Then later on you get a movie with all the characters in it.

Ruskhazar is very much like that. “The Gods Created Monsters” takes place around the same timeframe as “Rage Like the Gods”. Maybe a month or two after, considering that Ikor still had his position in “Rage Like the Gods” but it’s pretty close. I honestly think that “The Gods Created Monsters” is a good companion novel to “Rage Like the Gods”. The reason being is while that the characters in “RLTG” are the chosen ones of the gods. The characters in “TGCM” are to help them by hunting down the monsters and so forth. So their stories are very connected to one another.

I really enjoyed getting back into Ruskhazar. As always, the worldbuilding was rich and immersive. I think this is one of the only times that we get to see all four of the races in the same room together. And the whole thing was chaotic and I loved it so much! As a rule in this world, Higher Elves don’t like Lower Elves. Higher Elves are kinda hated by everyone since they often use sorcery of the demigods and so forth. Lower Elves are seen as cold and emotionless. Highlanders and Lowlanders are probably the most okay with each other.

This book kinda seemed like it was setting up the other books in this series. While I enjoyed getting to know this band of misfits getting thrown together and then working up the courage to be a team enough to give the book 5 stars. I was slightly disappointed that we didn’t get a ton of monster-hunting scenes (I was expecting dragons, krakens, giants, or for some reason something big). I still enjoyed the little monster hunting scene that we were given (and honestly it was probably best to be saved for the ending anyway since our heroes didn’t want to help each other for so long) and I do think that we might be given more monsters in the later book for these guys to take care of.

The Characters:

This was very much a character-driven story where a bunch of misfits get stuck together and hate each other. Very much a found family story, a trope I really enjoy in stories.

Alya. She was our ferocious character with a stabby personality. While she often reacted with violence, she actually had a soft side to her. I honestly really liked her. Plus, she has a cat! (Anyone with a cat or who likes cats wins bonus points from me!) She was an excellent sword wielder and could hold her own in a fight. And she made me *cry*.

Conan! The cinnamon roll! The heart of the story! He’s the guy who brought everyone together with his sweet, gentle personality, and adorable humor. The guy had the best comebacks to people. Even though the guy didn’t want to be, I think he’s a great leader. He takes care of the group without even thinking about it. He was my favorite character in the group (with Alya and Ikor being tied for second). And while Conan wasn’t much for violence, he could still handle a sword, keep his friends safe, and goes around caring for people. I mean, what else could you want from a guy?

Ikor was a grumpy old man with eternal youth and I loved him for it. I love how the cat, Fluff, just loved him right away. And how Ikor warmed up to the cat. Honestly best story material right there! Plus, Ikor running around with a book in his hands all the time is just a mood, one that I like to do all the time myself.

Fluff! Eek! The best kitty! The best character right here! Okay, I LOVE cats, so it was no miracle that I ended up loving this kitty! Also, I really enjoyed how Nicki wrote Fluff to not only be an animal companion but also be important to the plot while keeping Fluff relatable to other cats. Sometimes that can be difficult to do with animals in books, but Fluff was done so well. Love this precious kitty cat! ❤

Zarynn. In a moment you’re going to hear how I don’t like him very much. I will say that Zarynn serves his purpose, and I do see him maybe turning the other cheek one of these days. But for the entirety of this book except for a tiny part of the end? I really did not like him. He was a womanizer, he constantly jeopardized their mission, he was a coward, and he was selfish. I don’t know how he ever survived as a criminal. I have hope for this character to turn around. But I did really like all of the other characters putting him in his place.

Content in Book:

1. Violence. (Throwing dirt in someone’s eyes to win a sword training exercise and essentially scratching their opponent (not seriously, but a little blood). An assassination expedition with lots of death and some blood. Branding one’s face so others will know of their criminal status (once the character did it to their own face, only talked about in passing). Killing a man (only talked about in passing). Breaking someone’s finger. Threatening violence. Vampires killing people for their blood. Sacrificing people for their blood. With swords and hand-to-hand combat. Etc.)

2. Sex. (Only ever talked about. One of the characters keeps suggesting it or suggesting that the other characters are cozy with each other. One character was a womanizer and slept around, only talked about not shown).

3. Vampires. (Drinking blood. Sacrifice.)

4. Magic. (Concerning sorcery that is used by worshiping demigods. Spellbooks. Necromancers that animate the dead. Raising the dead. Etc.

5. Worshiping other gods and demigods.

6. Drinking alcohol. (Drinking contest. Getting drunk. Trying to drink problems away. Etc.)

7. Trauma.

Who I Would Recommend This Book To:

Those who love a bunch of misfits become a family trope. The found family trope. Those who like epic fantasy with elves, magic, vampires, monsters, and more. Those like monster hunting.

It has my seal of approval, go read it!

Review also posted on my website here (with fan art of the kitty Fluff!): https://gracemmorris.wordpress.com/20...

[Latisha Sexton · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is such a fun, action-filled fantasy adventure!

We follow the four main characters as their separate lives become intertwined thanks to one man who brings them together to stop the end of the world. Or, at least slow it down a bit.

Alya is a fierce noblewoman who loses everything and is out for blood.

Conan is funny, sweet, and the glue that holds the group together.

Ikor is the unamused spellcaster that just wants to be left alone with his books (I think we can all relate to that).

And Zarynn is the sorcerer who's just trying to keep from being executed.

This rag-tag team is forced to work together so they can each get what they want if they don't kill each other first.

The banter in this book is hilarious. Conan was my favorite, of course. But by the end of the book, I was even coming around to the grumpy Ikor and the trickster, Zarynn. I can't wait for book two!

If you love unlikely heroes, adventure, banter, and sweet and clean romance, then you will love this book!

**I voluntarily read an ARC. All opinions are my own.

[Miranda Sylvester · Rating 5 out of 5]

This epic fantasy was a cozy, slow-paced, found family story, and I am so here for it. If you are anything like me and like the concept of epic fantasy but also scared of it (think Lord of the Rings, Mistborn, Wheel of Time), then you'll be happy to know that this one is a lot more approachable, and a good place to start to see if you like "nothing seems to be happening but something is totally happening you just don't see it for a while" feeling. Basically, lots of travelling, quiet moments and a slow beginning to the plot. Personally, I loved every minute of it. It made me want to take my time with it (which I did, took months for me to finish), but it wasn't like I was dragging my feet through it. Generally, travelling scenes aren't my favourite to read in any way, but even in those moments I was still engaged.

I loved how four characters are thrown together against their will (well, there is an exception to "against their will"... but the point still stands since all of them are misfits in society and such an unlikely group to form under normal circumstances) to hunt down an invisible threat. The conflict and frustration arise because of that, but mostly because they don't know how to interact with each other properly.

I was surprised that I didn't mind that the plot, and the whole monster hunting mission, took a backseat for most of the story to focus on character moments, interactions and introspection. Generally, I like the balance between character and plot, but for this story I felt like the focus on the four main characters and their struggles suited the story, its style and purpose well. I really enjoyed getting to know each of them, how they think, what they desire, how they view each other. Sometimes it was repetitive, them thinking the same things and feeling the same feelings about the same certain things. On one hand, it made the story feel like it had no momentum and each character’s arc weren’t progressing in a bunch of chapters, almost making it seem like the chapters were filler and didn’t need to be included in the book. On the other hand, it’s quite realistic for people to have repetitive thoughts (speaking from experience), and in hindsight, seeing all of the chapters together rather than individual ones makes those “unnecessary” chapters add to the greater purpose and point of the story. Overall, the beginning section introduces us to the four POVs and sets up the plot, the middle part of the book focuses on and builds up the found family trope, and the end portion slowly, eerily comes back to the plot.

Conan is hands down my favourite. He is pure, kind, no questions asked (when it comes to doing good for others), cinnamon roll. Sometimes it’s nice once in a while to read about a character who isn’t selfish, tries to be good to everyone and wants peace. In times like these, it reminds me that I don’t always need as a reader to have a flawed character encountering hardship and out of that experience positive growth away from who they were. Sometimes, I need a role model, someone who I can look up to, and admire them for their ability to remain good and pure in a dark world. I also love how he isn’t a confident person at all. He’s awkward, stumbles on his words, and doesn’t know how to be romantic. Not typical for “a good character” like him, and I love it so much. It made being in his POV extra fun. Seeing him navigate falling in love with someone and not knowing what to do. Seeing him say he isn’t a leader, that he hates the role, yet naturally leading the group bit by bit in every way without realising it. Conan keeps them all together, he cares for them, he keeps them sane.

I enjoyed being in Alya's POV, she was quite an interesting character to follow, but it’s hard to talk about her without missing the depth of her internal conflict and character. She’s strong, a noble lady, wants revenge, has dead parents and trust issues. She sounds like a genetic YA protagonist, but she’s so much more than that. She’s easy to figure out, and so straight forward with her motives and feelings, but her simplicity as a character doesn’t make her less compelling.

Ikor’s POV was my second favourite one to be in. I was surprised how much I looked forward to reading his chapters and how I got more excited each time when I realised the chapter was in his POV. I honestly wished more chapters were in his perspective. I didn’t like him at first, but as I learnt more about him and his kind, he become way more interesting. I especially loved seeing the difference between how people saw him (Zarynn in particular has a harsh view of him), and how he was inside. I really enjoyed seeing that there is truly more to him than how he presents himself to be. He’s like Spock from Star Trek, but less likeable.

I loved Zarynn too, but he was the one character that I became frustrated with sometimes at the end. I liked his witty humour and how he was first introduced, and that was what caused me to enjoyed his chapters the most at the beginning. He was so anti-hero that I was looking forward to him being challenged by the other main characters. Anti-heroes are at their best when they are forced to be not themselves. But there wasn’t a lot of opportunities for him to grow or change, so I ended up not liking him as much as I did at first. He was so stubborn and delusional, it was getting annoying. It makes complete sense for his character, I just wish there was more movement rather than being stagnant in his arc. I did loved getting to know a little bit about his backstory. It surprised me, and I am so intrigued by it. I really hope to learn more about him there. Also how he acted at the end of the story was exactly what I was waiting for, and reminded me why I liked him at the start. It was almost worth the pain of seeing him being so irritating for so long.

It’s clear that the author has taken care to create a world that both familiar and unfamiliar, that is rich with history, lore and culture. She has two kinds of elves, two kinds of humans, sorcerers, vampires, other undead, gods, demigods. She has two types of magic systems: magic and sorcery. One is good, blessed by the gods, and requires spells from books. The other is evil, a power given from demigods, and only needs a person’s will and a wave of a hand. It’s like The Lord of the Rings meets Harry Potter, but it is also very much its own thing as well. A new world using old fantasy terms and language. I loved every moment, though it info dumping I loved every moment, even though it was often in the style of info dumping, when I learnt new information about the world and its people. It was just so fascinating to know how the different peoples function in society and their culture, the history of vampires and demigods, the different perspectives on the gods, how magic and sorcery work and their differences. It’s definitely a place that I’m happy to visit again and again.

Content warnings: descriptions of blood, several mentions of murdering someone, one characters plans to make another character fall for them and make love with them for their freedom, a conversation about and an offer to have sex outside of marriage, a finger breaking, one character calls another character “seductive mortal wench”, drinking, a character falls unconscious after drinking too much, mention of drugging a drink, a character complains about being “the only person she won’t have” and being the one “actually know what he is doing when it comes to love”, a character is chained to an alter as a sacrifice to a demigod, descriptions of people getting burnt and running through fire, ceiling falls in, a character gets badly injured in the head.

[Maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

An enjoyable fantasy adventure

The writing was good, the same banter and snark that I enjoyed in other books by this author. The characters were unique, some more likeable than others, although Alya's storyline was by far the most interesting to me. Each chapter was written from a different POV, and about halfway through the book, the "voice" for each character began to become distinct. This is something I rarely find, but I love it when an author can write a distinct voice for each character.

The thing I enjoyed less is that this book felt like an introduction- perhaps a prequel, or the first book of a series, or so on. The four main characters didn't even meet each other until over a third of the way into the book, and after that it was mostly traveling (I had expected a lot of monster hunting). This isn't to say that the book's pace is slow - it's not, there's plenty of action beginning early on. But there is a long plot thread going on, and this book only began that story. There also were several interesting elements set up in this book and I want to know how they play out, but all I have so far is questions. Not really spoilers, but hidden behind a tag just in case: Like the crown prince's side of the story. And Sergei. SOOOO many questions about Sergei. And will Ivan ever show up?

Overall: Enjoyable, very interesting, both was and wasn't what I was expecting.

[Cathryn deVries · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cozy monster hunting at its finest!

I LOVED ‘The God’s Created Monsters’ by Nicki Chapelway. It was just the type of book I needed. A gorgeous blend of sweet romance, crazy D&D vibes, and witty banter–with a bit of actual monster hunting thrown in. There are four POVs, all written in 1st person, and they were done well. I am not the biggest fan of 1st person, but I liked this, and Nicki balanced the four well, handing off from one to the next and moving the story forward at a good pace.

The book is the beginning of a journey of four unlikely companions (and a cat–we can’t forget the cat) who are thrown together by the king’s brother to complete a mission to stop the end of the world. Three out of four have a threat/promise hanging over their heads, and the fourth is just the cinnamon rolliest of cinnamon roll guys who doesn’t need much convincing since he has both a good heart and is infatuated with the very terrifying girl on the team (who he just helped escape from an assassination attempt). He and the cat are instrumental in breaking down the very substantial barriers that exist, allowing them all to work together in the end when it counts.

It could’ve done with a proofreader, but the mistakes didn’t dim my enjoyment. Definitely a series I will gobble up!

[Abigail · Rating 4 out of 5]

A noble lady who wants to escape her marriage. A guard who wants to do more than guard a mostly empty castle. A magicker who wants to regain his lost position. A sorcerer who want to escape his prison. And a cat who just want to be pampered and spoiled (okay, I honestly don't know what the cat's motivations are.).

Four companions are brought together by the queen's brother to stop the world from ending by hunting monsters, but pretty much all of them thinks it is a waste of time. However, he is dangling something over three of their heads, and the only way to get what each of them wants is to be his monster hunters for a year and a day.

Each of the four voices in this book are unique in their own way, along with having their own reasons for agreeing to the terms. The banter is great, the begrudging companionship for most of them is hilariously, and the progression is well-written. About the point that you despair that our monster hunters are on a fool's errand is when the stakes get raised.

I'm down for book 2 and whatever hijacks these characters get into next.

[Shannon Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutely loved the way the author immersed us in each character’s mind. This very personal style of POV narrating was wonderfully done (when it’s so easy to do poorly. She did it with amazing skill and prowess!)

If you like misfits in forced proximity to each other stumbling to save the world together (but not for very altruistic reasons) then I think this book is an excellent fit for you! It’s got elves, vampires, necromancies, assassin groups, and two-faced political figures (possibly the most realistic depiction in the book…). Anywho it’s also got an adorable cinnamon-roll handsome young man balanced out by a vengeance-seeking-stabby-girl that I 100% stan for life.

[Carinkla · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read some of this writer's other series ( this one is slightly related)  but this one is my new favorite!. 


A wonderful cast of varied characters brought together ( some of them unwillingly the others grudgingly) to fulfill a difficult quest. The characters are fallible but believable and kind of likable in their own way. In this first part they have to get used to each other and that brings nice slightly funny scenes.


The pace is perfectly balanced between emotional and adventurous scenes.


The team's first adventure promises much for future stories and I can hardly wait to read those. 

[Sabrina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book in Nicki Chapelway's What the Gods Did series, and it's another fantastically written story. In fact, it's one of my favorites from her so far. The characters are very different from each other, yet they're a perfect combination, so you can't help but love them. This book definitely gives off Guardians of the Galaxy vibes. If you loved that misfit squad, you'll love this one as much as I did. The characters are all beautifully written, and I've grown to love each one. I'm looking forward to reading the second book in the series.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Avery · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book, it was a fun read. The characters were my favorite part, Conan in particular. I enjoyed the uniqueness of each character and their distinct voices. Together, they had some fun interactions. It reminds me of Guardians of the Galaxy which I enjoyed. The writing style was engaging, too. My only thing is that it took a good portion of the book to set up the stage. Even though there is action almost from the beginning, I had a little bit of trouble getting hooked at first. I did come to enjoy the story eventually! Overall, I enjoyed reading this and I'm intrigued to see how the story continues in the next book!

[Carissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Gods Created Monsters has me hooked with just the first few chapters! I loved the D&D feel it had throughout the whole book. The team of characters that work together also remind me of the dynamic in the first Guardians of the Galaxy movie, which is another thing I enjoyed. There is also tons of witty humor, which is something I really enjoy in books.

This book felt very short and like it needed more story, which was easily fixed by immediately starting the next book in the series. Overall, I enjoyed reading The Gods Created Monsters and am excited to see what Chapelway does with the rest of the series!

[Deeanna West · Rating 4 out of 5]

I do so love a crew of misfits, especially ones that don’t entirely get along so there’s lots of arguing and banter.
We follow a noble woman, a guardsman, a scholar of magic and a criminal (sort of anyway), as they become a reluctant team of monster hunters.

I struggled with the first person present tense. I don’t like present tense at the best of times (which of course is a personal preference thing and is not an issue for lots of people) and having 4 different point of views made it worse for me. I’m not sure all those pov were necessary for the story but it was enjoyable to see the background thoughts of each of the characters.
While it didn’t detract from the story this one does need another edit. There are a number of missing words, like a missing ‘to’ in a sentence, that sort of thing.

I loved the monster hunting plot line and hope there are more monster/creature encounters in the next book. Conan is 100% my favourite. He is a sweet cinnamon roll and even though he is a guard he himself must be guarded at all costs.
There were no slow moments, the story clipped along at a decent pace that kept me reading. I’m keen to start book 2

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alya life takes a turn when something tragic happens in her family. Alya, a guardsman, a criminal, and a magicker with her cat Fluffy all become monster hunters. They will all face many trials and encounter lots of mysterious creatures. They will need to trust each other so they can fight the coming battles.