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Her Cursed Protectors #1
The Blood of Monsters
Every decade, twelve young women from my island are gifted to the monsters.
This year, I’m in the line-up. But unlike the others, I want to be taken. Correction, I need to be taken—for my sister's sake. It's my fault she was chosen during the last offering, and I have to find out if she’s alive.
I thought I was ready, but nothing could have prepared me for the four monsters who claim me. A vampire, wolf shifter, demon, and siren. They're terrifying, powerful, and infuriatingly arrogant...and now these alphas are fixated on me.
Turns out, finding my sister won’t be as easy as I’d hoped. Now that I’m in their world, the monsters think I’ll become one of them. I’m in their monster trials, and they’re going to play with me until I turn.
These a**holes think it’ll be easy to break me, but they picked the wrong girl. Because I’m already a monster. They just don’t know it yet.
This is a fun reverse harem fantasy novel for audiences aged 18 years and older. **Language warning **Multiple POV
This year, I’m in the line-up. But unlike the others, I want to be taken. Correction, I need to be taken—for my sister's sake. It's my fault she was chosen during the last offering, and I have to find out if she’s alive.
I thought I was ready, but nothing could have prepared me for the four monsters who claim me. A vampire, wolf shifter, demon, and siren. They're terrifying, powerful, and infuriatingly arrogant...and now these alphas are fixated on me.
Turns out, finding my sister won’t be as easy as I’d hoped. Now that I’m in their world, the monsters think I’ll become one of them. I’m in their monster trials, and they’re going to play with me until I turn.
These a**holes think it’ll be easy to break me, but they picked the wrong girl. Because I’m already a monster. They just don’t know it yet.
This is a fun reverse harem fantasy novel for audiences aged 18 years and older. **Language warning **Multiple POV
272 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 20, 2022
1493 people are currently reading
2594 people want to read
About the author
Mia Hartson
12 books165 followersMia Hartson is an Australian author who loves writing stories about feisty heroines who aren't afraid to get their hands dirty, hunky, misunderstood heroes who would do anything to protect their girl, and intriguing fantasy worlds filled with magic.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 174 reviews
April 20, 2024
4.4 stars.
February 26, 2023
Zero spice for an RH, delusional actions/thoughts of FMC, so you are taken through a magical portal to a monster world, where you have learned that every human turns into a monster..that you can just escape the mountain and all will be hunky dory…not that you would be the only human, so ya you don’t stand out at all. 2 your sister is now a monster so even if you find her will she want to go with you it’s been 12 years maybe she has a family…but then how you gonna get thru the portal and move the ginormous rock cover…with your pitiful combat skills..and finally the lace underwear and leather outfit..,well no need to wax between those two pieces of garment your pubic hair will be chaffed off. Let alone sweat soaked swamp ass. The overall arc of the story was great, but the FMC thoughts and actions was too far fetched or willfully ignorant to overlook..and the zero spice.
August 12, 2022
OMG, I NEED MORE!
This is my first Mia Hartston book, and I loved it. She does such a good job building her characters and their world. There are just enough details to make you feel immersed, but plenty left to discover. I find the world Raine lives in intriguing and I can't wait to find out the rest of its secrets, because nothing so far has been what it seems.
The MCs are written really well...they are all complex and mysterious and leave you wanting more. I enjoy the bond between the males and I can't wait to see how Raine fits in to that bond. In case you missed the warning, this is a reverse harem and there are some sexy scenes. Also, it doesn't end on a cliffhanger, but it does end leaving you wanting more.
If you like some romance with your twisty fantasy books, this is definitely for you. I can't wait for the next book!
This is my first Mia Hartston book, and I loved it. She does such a good job building her characters and their world. There are just enough details to make you feel immersed, but plenty left to discover. I find the world Raine lives in intriguing and I can't wait to find out the rest of its secrets, because nothing so far has been what it seems.
The MCs are written really well...they are all complex and mysterious and leave you wanting more. I enjoy the bond between the males and I can't wait to see how Raine fits in to that bond. In case you missed the warning, this is a reverse harem and there are some sexy scenes. Also, it doesn't end on a cliffhanger, but it does end leaving you wanting more.
If you like some romance with your twisty fantasy books, this is definitely for you. I can't wait for the next book!
July 24, 2023
This was a fun quick read, and I will be reading the 2nd book in the series.
July 31, 2025
I read it. I don't remember much of it. I do remember thinking "that was ok but I don't think I'll continue".
Book review rating - 10/10. I once again provided valuable feedback in detail, and described the type of reader that I would and wouldn't recomend this to. Fantastic work.
Book review rating - 10/10. I once again provided valuable feedback in detail, and described the type of reader that I would and wouldn't recomend this to. Fantastic work.
October 30, 2022
Reasonably good story, the lore is interesting though the way it conveyed some of the world building was really bizarre: a character stands in a room full of people who already know the world and explains everything? Also an island population losing the ability to craft boats? wtf? That makes zero sense, just make it a landlocked nation.
What knocks 2 stars off for me is the fact that the main character starts wearing leather and nothing but leather and lacy underwear. Do you want to get swamp ass? That's how you get swamp ass.
Any cool/badass points you try to give the character instantly vanish when they become a sweaty gross mess. Just put them in linen or cotton clothing and have the leather armour in vital places. I promise it will look just as good and your characters won't be gross! Not to mention leather makes SO. MUCH. NOISE. Instant fail at stealth when wearing leather.
Better yet, this is a fantasy world: create a fictional material that looks cool and doesn't have the downsides of leather!
I swear, authors putting their characters in leather is going to be my supervillain origin story.
What knocks 2 stars off for me is the fact that the main character starts wearing leather and nothing but leather and lacy underwear. Do you want to get swamp ass? That's how you get swamp ass.
Any cool/badass points you try to give the character instantly vanish when they become a sweaty gross mess. Just put them in linen or cotton clothing and have the leather armour in vital places. I promise it will look just as good and your characters won't be gross! Not to mention leather makes SO. MUCH. NOISE. Instant fail at stealth when wearing leather.
Better yet, this is a fantasy world: create a fictional material that looks cool and doesn't have the downsides of leather!
I swear, authors putting their characters in leather is going to be my supervillain origin story.
January 19, 2023
This book had me enthralled from start to finish. It's fast-paced, and the story will keep you on your toes. The heroine is courageous, witty and headstrong. She keeps you entertained throughout the book and don't get me started on the 4 main love interests *fans face*. It's steamy and delicious my only complaint is how short it is. Can't wait to read book 2!!
March 19, 2024
✩‧₊ 3 stars ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
･ ｡ﾟ☆:The Blood of Monsters *.☽ .*:☆ﾟ
☾⋆⁺₊🎧✩°｡ 0:32 ──♡───── 3:47 ☾⋆⁺₊🎧✩°｡
🎶 I walked out, I said, "I'm setting you free. But the monsters turned out to be just trees 🎶
Raine (h) knows that every ten years, monsters select ten humans and this time, she wants to be chosen. When she was younger, her sister Cara got taken and she feels responsible for what happened and will do everything to get her back. That is until the monsters who take her: Kade, Asher, Locke and Darian (H) prove to intrigued about her and somehow bonded.
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: THOUGHTS*.☽ .*:☆ﾟ. ───
I've never read books from this author before, but I really like her writing, and I'm going to read more of her books once I finish the series. It was fast-paced but entertaining, and the plot was a focal point, but still was focused on the romance. There is obviously still more to discover, but it was only the series' first book, and we need to know more about world building, competition, and the curse. I feel like Raine has some connection to the Fae, so she hasn't turned into a monster. The whole plot is focused on how she wants to find her sister, but there's no trace of her sister yet, so I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series to figure out what happened since the others don't seem to know who she is. She only confided in him, but he didn't mention anything, and he didn't get any sense of recognition, so from there, I think he was genuinely honest and didn't know what happened to Cara. In terms of continuing the series I think this book did a great job at making it intriguing to the point where it had great writing and makes you want to pick up the next book there's sometimes when I read the first book in a series, and I automatically know it's not gonna be great, but this one was really concise and kept me hooked from beginning to end. I do tend to read paranormal romance, so this didn't work me out. The concept of monsters and a human wasn't strange at all to me, but I feel like she's not human. There's definitely something more to her, and I'm excited to figure out what it is.
Raine wanted to get picked by the monsters to get on this island because she’s looking for her sister sister. her plan wasn’t to make herself get noticed or be this bold character, but it was just easy nature to her. That’s who she is, and that got her selected because of her brazen attitude and she was so fearless that they had to take her. Normally the other humans are never willing to fight because they’re so scared so they’re more timid and meek but with Raine, she was giving them attitude from day one because she has a purpose and her purpose is to find her sister and she doesn’t care who gets in her way she will find it even if that means almost getting killed by the monsters.
There was also the strange pull from the first day that they took her and we end up finding out it’s because you’re bonded but we obviously don’t know how the bond came to be or if it was intentionally placed there or maybe they’re just faded mates. The point is that they don’t like to see her get hurt or else they feel the pain in their chest and so they can’t kill her because they would also die. They’re a tricky situation where they can’t kill her but they don’t know what to do with her because she’s human and they don’t want her to be an outlier to the point where she’s going to get scrutinized by the monsters around there because I put her in a vulnerable position if they don’t know what she is and she’s not turning she’s a rare species. he doesn’t want his father to do research on her because he knows that never goes well. He ends up, killing them I believe, and his father is just a sick man, but he knows something is suspicious because the boys are obviously keeping her a secret and haven’t put her with the rest of the monsters and that’s strange for them because this was supposed to be a quick job they were supposed to get it done and move on. It was just a waste so that they could prove themselves and show that they were more mature and disciplined, but that hasn’t happened yet you know they still kept her and they’re intrigued her because they’re obviously bonded so they don’t want to give her back.
[Locke]
He was suspicious about Raine from the start. He feels a pain in his chest, and he feels like Raine did something to him, but it was honestly the bond, and he didn’t know it at the time, and neither did she, but he was like, there’s something off about her, and I need to figure it out. He’s the one that brings her to the island in the first place. He selected her, and as soon as she gave him an attitude, he was like you’re coming with me he did not give an option. He was like you are the one, and they left once he picked her up. However, he doesn’t like that the others are getting closer to her. He doesn’t like how she makes him feel just because it terrifies him, not only because he’s interested in her. He feels the bond but also because his father could hurt her, and he doesn’t want that, so his best option is to distance himself from her, but she is still getting closer to Kade, and the others are treating her more kindly, so that’s where there’s a drift between Locke and Raine.
[Kade]
She ended up developing a connection with Kade first because he was the one who gave her the possibility to escape, so she gravitated toward that. There was a scene where he’s getting injured well, not really injured, but he’s getting attacked by the alpha male, and she sees that, but that’s also where her one-way exit is so she could possibly leave the island to save her sister, but she doesn’t take it because Kade is getting hurt and it’s the bond pulling her towards him to protect him. I think he realized that, and that’s when he got a soft spot for her because he didn’t like her at all. In the beginning, he thought that this was not a joke. She needs to go. He was telling the other boys and advising them what to do because they were being playful towards her, and he was like this is not what we came to do. We came to do one job and finish it, so when he starts to feel like this towards Raine, it’s like he doesn’t know how to act, but then he just let his guard down honestly like, even when he’s sleeping. She’s right there; she tries to kill him, but he doesn’t do anything about it because his wolf doesn’t want to kill her. Hence, this is when it starts to speed along because he was like, I’m not gonna fight my wolf, and I’m not gonna fight what it wants, and what it clearly wants is rain. So after that happens, they end up connecting, so that’s kind of where it’s left off in terms of like romance and relationships. Kade is the one right now, but obviously, we’ll see the others and the rest of the books in the series.
[Asher]
He’s a demon, and he’s the flirtiest one with her. He made it known that he’s attracted to her, like give him a chance. He wants one. He is so funny and makes the book interesting because he’s like a little comedian. He did have a sensitive spot because she ended up touching his tail, and that was because she thought it could get him to do something. I don’t remember what it was, but he didn’t take that lightly. He does not like people touching his tail. It’s because he has a dark backstory that she didn’t know of yet, so she didn’t know that it would trigger him. Still, it did, so now she knows never to touch his tail again. I’m interested in learning more about Ash's story just because there’s more to him, and he’s not bad. It’s just a fact that his upbringing was hard, and again, he’s there to do a job. It’s nothing personal; the fact that he’s testing her limits is because he needs to do it or else she’s going to be even more danger, and at this point, they don’t wanna hurt her because obviously they’re bonded to her, so they’re gonna try to be protective as much as they can but also try to make her turn into a monster.
[Darian]
He’s a siren, so it was my favorite part when he was using his powers on her. It didn’t work, so he was completely thrown off because no one had ever been able to withstand his siren song, so that gave for a great moment in the book. I think that he’s more open to the idea of having her in their vicinity. He’s flirting with her, but he does like her. He’s not opposed to her. He’s not an asshole; he’s just the perfect mix of broody, sarcastic and charming. He’s just right. He also said that he would’ve picked her to come with them either way if Locke hadn’t chosen her in the first place. Like the other, he feels the same towards her, so it would be inevitable. He finds her interesting. He likes her attitude and that she’s not like the other humans who have come in the past, but she doesn’t. I’m not like the other girls. She’s fierce but doesn’t think she’s better than anyone else. She’s always been there to defend other people, but she doesn’t think highly of herself because she can’t do those things. I think he notices that about her, so he’s obviously interested and willing to pursue more, given the chance.
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: OVERALL *.☽ .*:☆ﾟ. ───
I recommend the book. I mean, it’s fun. It’s quick. You can’t go wrong with the monster romance because it’s not a dark topic. It’s just fun and like, even though it has some paranormal elements. I’m a very picky leader. I’ll admit that, but actually, like this one, I didn’t have anything like that. Oh yeah, this is going to be a terrible book. No, it was great. The rating is in the middle. I’m neutral about it. I love love love it to the point where it’s five stars, but I didn’t hate it either. I’m looking forward to reading the next books in the series.
･ ｡ﾟ☆:The Blood of Monsters *.☽ .*:☆ﾟ
☾⋆⁺₊🎧✩°｡ 0:32 ──♡───── 3:47 ☾⋆⁺₊🎧✩°｡
🎶 I walked out, I said, "I'm setting you free. But the monsters turned out to be just trees 🎶
Raine (h) knows that every ten years, monsters select ten humans and this time, she wants to be chosen. When she was younger, her sister Cara got taken and she feels responsible for what happened and will do everything to get her back. That is until the monsters who take her: Kade, Asher, Locke and Darian (H) prove to intrigued about her and somehow bonded.
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: THOUGHTS*.☽ .*:☆ﾟ. ───
“Is there something you wish to say, human?”
“No,” I managed weakly, my heart thudding so hard it was like a drumbeat in my ears.
“Oh, don’t be shy now,” the monster coaxed, his unnerving onyx-colored eyes never leaving my face.
I've never read books from this author before, but I really like her writing, and I'm going to read more of her books once I finish the series. It was fast-paced but entertaining, and the plot was a focal point, but still was focused on the romance. There is obviously still more to discover, but it was only the series' first book, and we need to know more about world building, competition, and the curse. I feel like Raine has some connection to the Fae, so she hasn't turned into a monster. The whole plot is focused on how she wants to find her sister, but there's no trace of her sister yet, so I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series to figure out what happened since the others don't seem to know who she is. She only confided in him, but he didn't mention anything, and he didn't get any sense of recognition, so from there, I think he was genuinely honest and didn't know what happened to Cara. In terms of continuing the series I think this book did a great job at making it intriguing to the point where it had great writing and makes you want to pick up the next book there's sometimes when I read the first book in a series, and I automatically know it's not gonna be great, but this one was really concise and kept me hooked from beginning to end. I do tend to read paranormal romance, so this didn't work me out. The concept of monsters and a human wasn't strange at all to me, but I feel like she's not human. There's definitely something more to her, and I'm excited to figure out what it is.
“Step forward, beautiful. I’m going to enjoy devouring you,” he whispered, mocking me with the nickname.
Raine wanted to get picked by the monsters to get on this island because she’s looking for her sister sister. her plan wasn’t to make herself get noticed or be this bold character, but it was just easy nature to her. That’s who she is, and that got her selected because of her brazen attitude and she was so fearless that they had to take her. Normally the other humans are never willing to fight because they’re so scared so they’re more timid and meek but with Raine, she was giving them attitude from day one because she has a purpose and her purpose is to find her sister and she doesn’t care who gets in her way she will find it even if that means almost getting killed by the monsters.
“You all belong to us now. If we want to hurt you, we can. If we want to starve you, we can. And if we want to…touch you…”
There was also the strange pull from the first day that they took her and we end up finding out it’s because you’re bonded but we obviously don’t know how the bond came to be or if it was intentionally placed there or maybe they’re just faded mates. The point is that they don’t like to see her get hurt or else they feel the pain in their chest and so they can’t kill her because they would also die. They’re a tricky situation where they can’t kill her but they don’t know what to do with her because she’s human and they don’t want her to be an outlier to the point where she’s going to get scrutinized by the monsters around there because I put her in a vulnerable position if they don’t know what she is and she’s not turning she’s a rare species. he doesn’t want his father to do research on her because he knows that never goes well. He ends up, killing them I believe, and his father is just a sick man, but he knows something is suspicious because the boys are obviously keeping her a secret and haven’t put her with the rest of the monsters and that’s strange for them because this was supposed to be a quick job they were supposed to get it done and move on. It was just a waste so that they could prove themselves and show that they were more mature and disciplined, but that hasn’t happened yet you know they still kept her and they’re intrigued her because they’re obviously bonded so they don’t want to give her back.
[Locke]
“Let’s go, beautiful,” Locke said as he watched me. “You can stay in my room for the rest of the day.”
He was suspicious about Raine from the start. He feels a pain in his chest, and he feels like Raine did something to him, but it was honestly the bond, and he didn’t know it at the time, and neither did she, but he was like, there’s something off about her, and I need to figure it out. He’s the one that brings her to the island in the first place. He selected her, and as soon as she gave him an attitude, he was like you’re coming with me he did not give an option. He was like you are the one, and they left once he picked her up. However, he doesn’t like that the others are getting closer to her. He doesn’t like how she makes him feel just because it terrifies him, not only because he’s interested in her. He feels the bond but also because his father could hurt her, and he doesn’t want that, so his best option is to distance himself from her, but she is still getting closer to Kade, and the others are treating her more kindly, so that’s where there’s a drift between Locke and Raine.
[Kade]
“We’re not here to have fun,” Kade growled. “No matter how attractive you might find the human. There’ll be time for that during the Week of Orash if you’re that keen. For now, we have to get this done.”
She ended up developing a connection with Kade first because he was the one who gave her the possibility to escape, so she gravitated toward that. There was a scene where he’s getting injured well, not really injured, but he’s getting attacked by the alpha male, and she sees that, but that’s also where her one-way exit is so she could possibly leave the island to save her sister, but she doesn’t take it because Kade is getting hurt and it’s the bond pulling her towards him to protect him. I think he realized that, and that’s when he got a soft spot for her because he didn’t like her at all. In the beginning, he thought that this was not a joke. She needs to go. He was telling the other boys and advising them what to do because they were being playful towards her, and he was like this is not what we came to do. We came to do one job and finish it, so when he starts to feel like this towards Raine, it’s like he doesn’t know how to act, but then he just let his guard down honestly like, even when he’s sleeping. She’s right there; she tries to kill him, but he doesn’t do anything about it because his wolf doesn’t want to kill her. Hence, this is when it starts to speed along because he was like, I’m not gonna fight my wolf, and I’m not gonna fight what it wants, and what it clearly wants is rain. So after that happens, they end up connecting, so that’s kind of where it’s left off in terms of like romance and relationships. Kade is the one right now, but obviously, we’ll see the others and the rest of the books in the series.
[Asher]
“If you want to see what a real monster’s like, come join me, Sharachi,” Asher said, pulling her attention away from me. He winked at Raine as he made his way to the washroom.
He’s a demon, and he’s the flirtiest one with her. He made it known that he’s attracted to her, like give him a chance. He wants one. He is so funny and makes the book interesting because he’s like a little comedian. He did have a sensitive spot because she ended up touching his tail, and that was because she thought it could get him to do something. I don’t remember what it was, but he didn’t take that lightly. He does not like people touching his tail. It’s because he has a dark backstory that she didn’t know of yet, so she didn’t know that it would trigger him. Still, it did, so now she knows never to touch his tail again. I’m interested in learning more about Ash's story just because there’s more to him, and he’s not bad. It’s just a fact that his upbringing was hard, and again, he’s there to do a job. It’s nothing personal; the fact that he’s testing her limits is because he needs to do it or else she’s going to be even more danger, and at this point, they don’t wanna hurt her because obviously they’re bonded to her, so they’re gonna try to be protective as much as they can but also try to make her turn into a monster.
[Darian]
“Your name. I’m not a barbarian like my brothers, and I’m sure you have one. Unless, of course, you want me to call you ‘human’?”
He’s a siren, so it was my favorite part when he was using his powers on her. It didn’t work, so he was completely thrown off because no one had ever been able to withstand his siren song, so that gave for a great moment in the book. I think that he’s more open to the idea of having her in their vicinity. He’s flirting with her, but he does like her. He’s not opposed to her. He’s not an asshole; he’s just the perfect mix of broody, sarcastic and charming. He’s just right. He also said that he would’ve picked her to come with them either way if Locke hadn’t chosen her in the first place. Like the other, he feels the same towards her, so it would be inevitable. He finds her interesting. He likes her attitude and that she’s not like the other humans who have come in the past, but she doesn’t. I’m not like the other girls. She’s fierce but doesn’t think she’s better than anyone else. She’s always been there to defend other people, but she doesn’t think highly of herself because she can’t do those things. I think he notices that about her, so he’s obviously interested and willing to pursue more, given the chance.
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: OVERALL *.☽ .*:☆ﾟ. ───
I recommend the book. I mean, it’s fun. It’s quick. You can’t go wrong with the monster romance because it’s not a dark topic. It’s just fun and like, even though it has some paranormal elements. I’m a very picky leader. I’ll admit that, but actually, like this one, I didn’t have anything like that. Oh yeah, this is going to be a terrible book. No, it was great. The rating is in the middle. I’m neutral about it. I love love love it to the point where it’s five stars, but I didn’t hate it either. I’m looking forward to reading the next books in the series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 30, 2024
Quick read. Changing POVs, rh, shifters, demon and talk of fae so they’ll be in the story later too. Not sure if there will be a missing fae in harem??? MMCs group talk about there not being multiple different mate groups (harem) but I could have sworn that they said Lyra was in one when they described her mates and how Locke got the favor from her in the first place.
March 10, 2023
super fun read
This was a great read and I loved how fast paced it was while keeping me turning the pages to find out more. I can’t wait to jump in to book two to see what happens!
This was a great read and I loved how fast paced it was while keeping me turning the pages to find out more. I can’t wait to jump in to book two to see what happens!
February 1, 2024
Well that was shite.
It was cringey and forgettable with a single garbage sexy bit.
It was cringey and forgettable with a single garbage sexy bit.
April 27, 2024
Great
This was a great start to a series, really well paced, action packed, quick moving, mystery, intrigue and just a smudge of heat.
This was a great start to a series, really well paced, action packed, quick moving, mystery, intrigue and just a smudge of heat.
November 19, 2024
Raine and her monsters
Interesting storyline of human Raine and her four sexy monsters, cursed by the fae with no reprieve. Great ending to book one — just a minor cliffhanger. 4.5 star read. Strongly recommend.
Interesting storyline of human Raine and her four sexy monsters, cursed by the fae with no reprieve. Great ending to book one — just a minor cliffhanger. 4.5 star read. Strongly recommend.
August 13, 2025
Meh did nothing for me. Nothing wrong with it but vibe wasn't there for me. Will not be bothering with book 2. Cemented I don't like reverse harems
September 13, 2025
Decent book, interesting premise. Looking forward to see how it progresses. Wish there was more character development or world building, though there is some. I do like the relationship building, though it’s early days yet.
October 18, 2025
I picked this up during a Stuff Your Kindle day event, and I was hunting my TBR specifically for books with the word "monsters" in the title for October, so I read this one.
Let's grab some details first...
POV: First person
POV Character(s): Raine, Locke, Kade, Asher, Darian
Verb Tense: Past
Trigger Warnings: depictions of violence, abduction, human sacrifice
Content Warning: this is the start of a reverse harem series
Spice Level: low, one depicted sexual scene
I'll just start off saying this sounded like an interesting premise. An island where 12 women are sent off with monsters into a cave in a mountain every 10 year is preparing for the next human sacrifice. The women who go into the mountain never return, and no one knows what happens to them.
Our main character, Raine, is hoping she'll be chosen this year. She carries grief and guilt over being the cause of her sister Cara having been chosen 10 years ago, and she's determined to make things right and fight her way to Cara to get them both back home again. She's been training in fighting techniques for years and attends the ritual for the choosing of the 12 with an air of defiance and a faint hope she'll be pretty enough for the monsters to pick her.
Raine mouths off in front of the four monsters who appear from the mouth of the cave and winds up being chosen as one of the offerings. She and the other 11 women will enter the mountain and face a series of monster trials to determine what kind of monsters they'll turn into. It slowly becomes revealed that every human who enters the mountain becomes subject to a fae curse and turns into a monster.
Every human except for Raine, that is.
Honestly, the premise is fun, and the writing was decent for having been a first book that this author published. I didn't note many errors or typos or anything glaringly obnoxious. The characters were interesting, though since it's a reverse harem, I worry the four males will start to sound the same after a while. So far they don't, but I suspect it's harder to keep them all very individualized in their personalities as time goes on.
Overall this was a decent read and definitely tips you into an interesting world full of curious characters.
Let's grab some details first...
POV: First person
POV Character(s): Raine, Locke, Kade, Asher, Darian
Verb Tense: Past
Trigger Warnings: depictions of violence, abduction, human sacrifice
Content Warning: this is the start of a reverse harem series
Spice Level: low, one depicted sexual scene
I'll just start off saying this sounded like an interesting premise. An island where 12 women are sent off with monsters into a cave in a mountain every 10 year is preparing for the next human sacrifice. The women who go into the mountain never return, and no one knows what happens to them.
Our main character, Raine, is hoping she'll be chosen this year. She carries grief and guilt over being the cause of her sister Cara having been chosen 10 years ago, and she's determined to make things right and fight her way to Cara to get them both back home again. She's been training in fighting techniques for years and attends the ritual for the choosing of the 12 with an air of defiance and a faint hope she'll be pretty enough for the monsters to pick her.
Raine mouths off in front of the four monsters who appear from the mouth of the cave and winds up being chosen as one of the offerings. She and the other 11 women will enter the mountain and face a series of monster trials to determine what kind of monsters they'll turn into. It slowly becomes revealed that every human who enters the mountain becomes subject to a fae curse and turns into a monster.
Every human except for Raine, that is.
Honestly, the premise is fun, and the writing was decent for having been a first book that this author published. I didn't note many errors or typos or anything glaringly obnoxious. The characters were interesting, though since it's a reverse harem, I worry the four males will start to sound the same after a while. So far they don't, but I suspect it's harder to keep them all very individualized in their personalities as time goes on.
Overall this was a decent read and definitely tips you into an interesting world full of curious characters.
September 19, 2023
Why did you read this book?
I like reverse harems, this one had an interesting summary and good ratings.
What format did you read this book in?
Read it as an eBook on Kindle.
Is this an educational book or a book for entertainment?
I read this book for pure entertainment purposes.
What genres do you think this book belongs to?
Fantasy, Horror, Mystery, Romance
What was your favorite part of the book?
My favorite part of the book is when she was being seduced by the siren in one of the tests and she broke out of it because she had to pee.
Who would you suggest this book to?
Anyone who likes dark fantasy, reverse harems, monsters, violence, and gore.
What is your general opinion/ rating of this book?
I really liked this book. It's a bit on the darker side than what I usually like in my fantasy, but I was down for it. I didn't care for how the love interests were practically abusive towards the female lead. I mean, I get it, they're trying to put her in dangerous situations to make her change into a monster. But I feel like some of the damage that she's taken could have been looked at while she was still taking the tests. Other than that minor issue I had with the story, everything else was excellent. The world-building, the society, and the monsters were so much deeper than I expected them to be. There is a lot of violence in this book because these monsters live in a cutthroat world. I feel nervous for the female lead existing as a human in this place. There are so many things left unresolved. I am looking forward to the next book in the series.
How intense are the intimacy scenes?
The intimacy scenes are vividly detailed and described. Light BDSM in a dream she has, voyeurism, MF.
At what “burn” level is the romance?
MEDIUM burn.
Love interests, how many of them are there and what gender?
there are four love interests, all of them male, and monsters.
Locke is a vampire. Has a creepy father that is powerful and experiments on certain monsters.
Asher is a demon. His mother had gone insane and tried to chop off parts of his body.
Darian is a siren. Comes from a very manipulative and cutthroat house.
Kade is a wolf. He used to be the alpha of his pack House until an incident caused him to step down from the leadership position.
Any trigger warnings?
Racial and Religious: Racism, Racial Profiling, Talk of Superior Race, Microaggressions, Prejudice, Genocide
Mental Health: Suicide, Suicide Idealization, Self-Harm, Scars, Trivializing Mental Illness, Romanticized Mental Illness, PTSD, Emotional Abuse, Controlling Parents, Panic Attacks, Trauma, Child Abandonment, Confrontation Abuser, Nightmares about Traumatic Events, Non-consent behavior
Sexual Content: Explicit Sex Scene, Masturbation, Violent Sex
Violence and Death: Death, Death of a Loved One, Infant Death, Animal Death, Graphic Deaths, Mass Death, Murder, Execution, Suffocation, Extreme Violence, Gore, Torture, Mutilation, Mutilation of Corpses, Forced Blood Draining, Threatening child, Violence against Children, Child Abuse, Physical Abuse, Domestic Abuse, Escalating Violence, Described Blood, Graphic Violence
Other: Drugging Someone Against Their Will, Body Shaming, Oppression, Forced Marriage, Hostage Situation, Adultery, Bullying, Profanity, Classism, Sexism
I like reverse harems, this one had an interesting summary and good ratings.
What format did you read this book in?
Read it as an eBook on Kindle.
Is this an educational book or a book for entertainment?
I read this book for pure entertainment purposes.
What genres do you think this book belongs to?
Fantasy, Horror, Mystery, Romance
What was your favorite part of the book?
My favorite part of the book is when she was being seduced by the siren in one of the tests and she broke out of it because she had to pee.
Who would you suggest this book to?
Anyone who likes dark fantasy, reverse harems, monsters, violence, and gore.
What is your general opinion/ rating of this book?
I really liked this book. It's a bit on the darker side than what I usually like in my fantasy, but I was down for it. I didn't care for how the love interests were practically abusive towards the female lead. I mean, I get it, they're trying to put her in dangerous situations to make her change into a monster. But I feel like some of the damage that she's taken could have been looked at while she was still taking the tests. Other than that minor issue I had with the story, everything else was excellent. The world-building, the society, and the monsters were so much deeper than I expected them to be. There is a lot of violence in this book because these monsters live in a cutthroat world. I feel nervous for the female lead existing as a human in this place. There are so many things left unresolved. I am looking forward to the next book in the series.
How intense are the intimacy scenes?
The intimacy scenes are vividly detailed and described. Light BDSM in a dream she has, voyeurism, MF.
At what “burn” level is the romance?
MEDIUM burn.
Love interests, how many of them are there and what gender?
there are four love interests, all of them male, and monsters.
Locke is a vampire. Has a creepy father that is powerful and experiments on certain monsters.
Asher is a demon. His mother had gone insane and tried to chop off parts of his body.
Darian is a siren. Comes from a very manipulative and cutthroat house.
Kade is a wolf. He used to be the alpha of his pack House until an incident caused him to step down from the leadership position.
Any trigger warnings?
Racial and Religious: Racism, Racial Profiling, Talk of Superior Race, Microaggressions, Prejudice, Genocide
Mental Health: Suicide, Suicide Idealization, Self-Harm, Scars, Trivializing Mental Illness, Romanticized Mental Illness, PTSD, Emotional Abuse, Controlling Parents, Panic Attacks, Trauma, Child Abandonment, Confrontation Abuser, Nightmares about Traumatic Events, Non-consent behavior
Sexual Content: Explicit Sex Scene, Masturbation, Violent Sex
Violence and Death: Death, Death of a Loved One, Infant Death, Animal Death, Graphic Deaths, Mass Death, Murder, Execution, Suffocation, Extreme Violence, Gore, Torture, Mutilation, Mutilation of Corpses, Forced Blood Draining, Threatening child, Violence against Children, Child Abuse, Physical Abuse, Domestic Abuse, Escalating Violence, Described Blood, Graphic Violence
Other: Drugging Someone Against Their Will, Body Shaming, Oppression, Forced Marriage, Hostage Situation, Adultery, Bullying, Profanity, Classism, Sexism
October 11, 2025
* Didn’t have a good feeling about this book from chapter one. NLOG FMC. She nicknames the MMCs “Asshole One” “Asshole 2” etc. Great to know even the author doesn’t think these guys are worth differentiating in any meaningful way. The FMC spends an annoying amount of time thinking about her missing sister (taken in the “Monsters Need Moms” Human Harvest of ten years ago) and how she had to get to her, and even after she is told that all the human sacrifices get to choose their own Houses and become full members of monster society (meaning her sister is most likely living on Maple Street in Monstertown and is fine) she still has this annoying guilt-tripping thing on repeat about how it’s her FAULT that her sister was taken (it wasn’t) and she has to get to her (you’ll see her in one week babydoll, just do your best to follow along with Monstertown Initiation) but she also doesn’t ask any of the guys about her until 94% of the way through the book. Cause she’s real important to her. Embarrassingly enough, the FMC in her head compares the fact that she lost her sister 10 years ago in an incident that’s not her fault to the MMC having his mom and sister and 10 others murdered on his watch because he wasn’t nearby enough to defend them. He lost everything—his family and his position in society. God, I hope she doesn’t try to say that to his face. Anyway, the FMC spends the whole book doing these crappy little trials to try to scare her to turn her into a monster (this normally has a 100% success rate on Monster Island) while the guys hover around her fretting and not being very interesting. In the final chapter, one of the guys’ dads pops by to see why they’re hogging this one Monstertown Newbie and she like, just knows by looking at him that he’s the Josef Mengele of Monstertown (the “real monster,” if you will) and is all spooked. Then the book just ends. Buy Book 2, y’all!
July 25, 2024
SPOILER-FREE
I wasn't expecting much from a bargain book I stumbled across on Kindle, but holy moly, I blew through this book faster than any other this year. After slogging through the latest Crescent City book by SJM, this was exactly what I needed to pull me out of my slump.
This is one of those 'why choose?' stories and actually the first I think I've read, and I wasn't sure I would like it but I was mistaken! The bond has a time to develop between the FMC and each of the guys/monsters, and I enjoy that each guy is different and actually have some depth to them and their stories.
The FMC is strong, a bit badass and even though she is human in a world of monsters, she actually jumps in to save one of the guys at high risk to herself which I loved that the author included. It created a balance so that she isn't always the one needing to be saved by knights in shining armour, and the guys' masculinity wasn't threatened by her coming to help them which was nice.
Her determination to stay true to herself whilst trying to find and save her older sister, and not just automatically give in to the guys and the monster world she is now living in, was admirable and she has a definite protective vibe about her and she definitely doesn't take any crap from anyone.
The romance does have a teeny bit of insta-lust/insta-love about it BUT this is actually due to the story line (I won't spoil the details) and so in my mind is acceptable and doesn't have the same effect that this tope usually does. I actually hate this trope usually but in this case I enjoy it, and it doesn't go from 0-100 like you may think, it does start out and then steadily grow throughout the book as they all get to know each other more and as the plot thickens, so don't let this deter you.
I also really liked the setting of the book, it's like Moana meets the mountain from the ACOTAR series, with the island and mountain joining together followed by the monster city. It isn't over-described at all, allowing for the relationships and plots to be the stars of the show which is good, especially with the book not being a huge one.
I'm 1/4 way through book 2 of this series at the time of writing this review and I can say it is looking to be just as good as book 1!
I wasn't expecting much from a bargain book I stumbled across on Kindle, but holy moly, I blew through this book faster than any other this year. After slogging through the latest Crescent City book by SJM, this was exactly what I needed to pull me out of my slump.
This is one of those 'why choose?' stories and actually the first I think I've read, and I wasn't sure I would like it but I was mistaken! The bond has a time to develop between the FMC and each of the guys/monsters, and I enjoy that each guy is different and actually have some depth to them and their stories.
The FMC is strong, a bit badass and even though she is human in a world of monsters, she actually jumps in to save one of the guys at high risk to herself which I loved that the author included. It created a balance so that she isn't always the one needing to be saved by knights in shining armour, and the guys' masculinity wasn't threatened by her coming to help them which was nice.
Her determination to stay true to herself whilst trying to find and save her older sister, and not just automatically give in to the guys and the monster world she is now living in, was admirable and she has a definite protective vibe about her and she definitely doesn't take any crap from anyone.
The romance does have a teeny bit of insta-lust/insta-love about it BUT this is actually due to the story line (I won't spoil the details) and so in my mind is acceptable and doesn't have the same effect that this tope usually does. I actually hate this trope usually but in this case I enjoy it, and it doesn't go from 0-100 like you may think, it does start out and then steadily grow throughout the book as they all get to know each other more and as the plot thickens, so don't let this deter you.
I also really liked the setting of the book, it's like Moana meets the mountain from the ACOTAR series, with the island and mountain joining together followed by the monster city. It isn't over-described at all, allowing for the relationships and plots to be the stars of the show which is good, especially with the book not being a huge one.
I'm 1/4 way through book 2 of this series at the time of writing this review and I can say it is looking to be just as good as book 1!
July 22, 2024
Admitedly I was hoping this would be spicer than it was, but its only book 1. She only hooks up with one of the guys in this book. The story was interesting and had me hooked and ready for the next book right away.
Raine is strong willed and loyal. She has trained hard for the skills she has, I like this about the story instead of the FMC miraculously developing amazing skills out of nowhere.
The MMCs are unfortunately a fairly standard assortment for a reverse harem story, but honestly, this is why I read them.
The vampire is broody, full of self-loathing and a bit of an asshole. He's damaged and blames himself for anything that goes wrong.
The demon has demons of his own and hides them behind a laid back and happy mask.
The siren is beautiful inside and out but has been treated poorly by his people. He's nothing but a gentleman.
The wolf is gruff and also self-loathing. But when he decides to accept Raine, he's in all the way. He's obsessively protective and totally enamoured.
Raine is strong willed and loyal. She has trained hard for the skills she has, I like this about the story instead of the FMC miraculously developing amazing skills out of nowhere.
The MMCs are unfortunately a fairly standard assortment for a reverse harem story, but honestly, this is why I read them.
The vampire is broody, full of self-loathing and a bit of an asshole. He's damaged and blames himself for anything that goes wrong.
The demon has demons of his own and hides them behind a laid back and happy mask.
The siren is beautiful inside and out but has been treated poorly by his people. He's nothing but a gentleman.
The wolf is gruff and also self-loathing. But when he decides to accept Raine, he's in all the way. He's obsessively protective and totally enamoured.
November 18, 2025
I've read a lot paranormal RH books but I really like this one! The plot is very unique, I've never read any other paranormal romance book that was similar to it. When the curse started getting mentioned, it just made me so much more curious. I wanted to know why there's a curse, what's causing it, what they think the cure is/what is actually the cure (if there is one), what happened to her sister, what kind of monster she was going to turn into.... I just wanted to keep reading!
I also really like all of the main characters. The fmc isn't whiny. She is strong, independent, able to stand up for her self and also very intelligent. I like how she stands up for herself and others but is also smart enough to know which limits to push. I like the mmcs too! They all seem to have different personalities and are able to be separated easily, which can be difficult to do in RH. The banter between all of the guys is so funny too! I'm also so intrigued by the pain aspect they all are feeling due to the bond?! I'm assuming it's some type of fated mates thing but I can't wait to find out!
I also really like all of the main characters. The fmc isn't whiny. She is strong, independent, able to stand up for her self and also very intelligent. I like how she stands up for herself and others but is also smart enough to know which limits to push. I like the mmcs too! They all seem to have different personalities and are able to be separated easily, which can be difficult to do in RH. The banter between all of the guys is so funny too! I'm also so intrigued by the pain aspect they all are feeling due to the bond?! I'm assuming it's some type of fated mates thing but I can't wait to find out!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 6, 2022
I started reading just to have something to read and thoroughly enjoyed it.
I really liked how the story just started right from the get go. We are thrust into the choosing from the first couple of pages and learn that Raine is trying to be chosen by the monsters so that she can find her sister. The monsters choose 12 of the most beautiful women from the village every 10 years and they are never heard from again.
The 4 monsters that take them aren’t acting like the monsters Raine was expecting. And she finds they aren’t completely sinister in their reasoning to pick 12 human women.
This was a very short read and I inhaled it. I really liked the multiple POV and I really liked the growing tension and bond between Raine and her 4 captors.
I cant wait to jump into book 2.
I really liked how the story just started right from the get go. We are thrust into the choosing from the first couple of pages and learn that Raine is trying to be chosen by the monsters so that she can find her sister. The monsters choose 12 of the most beautiful women from the village every 10 years and they are never heard from again.
The 4 monsters that take them aren’t acting like the monsters Raine was expecting. And she finds they aren’t completely sinister in their reasoning to pick 12 human women.
This was a very short read and I inhaled it. I really liked the multiple POV and I really liked the growing tension and bond between Raine and her 4 captors.
I cant wait to jump into book 2.
December 31, 2023
Very entertaining!
Good
1) World-building was interesting
2) Settings were clearly depicted without being over-detailed
3) Series arc was clearly established
4) Female lead was strong, feisty and engaging
5) Love interests had their own voices and were intriguing
6) The relationship-building was appealing
7) The insta-lust caused by the bond did not overwhelm the characters and dictate their actions
8) No insta-love
9) Sex positive
Neutral
1) Not a full story, more like part 1 of a full story
Bad
1) The story's flow stuttered in places
2) The trial-driven storyline's execution was weak
3) So far only men have been shown to be in power
4) Given why they want humans from the island, there is no logical reason why they only want woman as men would be useful for the same reasons
Onto the next!
Good
1) World-building was interesting
2) Settings were clearly depicted without being over-detailed
3) Series arc was clearly established
4) Female lead was strong, feisty and engaging
5) Love interests had their own voices and were intriguing
6) The relationship-building was appealing
7) The insta-lust caused by the bond did not overwhelm the characters and dictate their actions
8) No insta-love
9) Sex positive
Neutral
1) Not a full story, more like part 1 of a full story
Bad
1) The story's flow stuttered in places
2) The trial-driven storyline's execution was weak
3) So far only men have been shown to be in power
4) Given why they want humans from the island, there is no logical reason why they only want woman as men would be useful for the same reasons
Onto the next!
August 29, 2022
Picked this book up because it had several elements I love - shifters, why choose, bada$$ FMC...and it met all of my expectations and more.
The world building is awesome, I love learning more and more about where they are without it feeling like too much "fluff" or being dragged out and taking away from the main story. Each of the alphas are very well written and unique, leaving me to instantly have a favorite but wanting them each to have their time with the FMC. And don't get me started on her, she is even more bada$$ and fierce than I could have hoped for.
Overall a great story, even if it is slow burn ;), and I cannot wait to see what happens in the next book.
The world building is awesome, I love learning more and more about where they are without it feeling like too much "fluff" or being dragged out and taking away from the main story. Each of the alphas are very well written and unique, leaving me to instantly have a favorite but wanting them each to have their time with the FMC. And don't get me started on her, she is even more bada$$ and fierce than I could have hoped for.
Overall a great story, even if it is slow burn ;), and I cannot wait to see what happens in the next book.
June 24, 2024
I actually enjoyed this way more then I thought I would.
I was expecting it to get on my nerves, and once or twice it almost did, but then something unexpected would reel me back in and I continued on without regret.
I found Raine's bad ass attitude both nice and also eye rolling.
She doesn't really have any actual training or toughness, nothing has trialed her through life and she has no real secrets or anything, but she does have a pretty good set of balls and some bravery to back them up which was nice.
All in all, I'm going to dive into book two now and hope that nothing deteriorates in the story.
I was expecting it to get on my nerves, and once or twice it almost did, but then something unexpected would reel me back in and I continued on without regret.
I found Raine's bad ass attitude both nice and also eye rolling.
She doesn't really have any actual training or toughness, nothing has trialed her through life and she has no real secrets or anything, but she does have a pretty good set of balls and some bravery to back them up which was nice.
All in all, I'm going to dive into book two now and hope that nothing deteriorates in the story.
October 18, 2024
Una volta a questo libro avrei dato 3 stelle, non perché sia brutto, anzi, proprio perché è carino, godibile, divertente, uno di quei libri con cui passare una piacevole serata.
Adesso?
Con tutto quello che ho letto nel frattempo?
Con tutto quello che so che c'è in giro?
Questo libro merita 4 stelle assolutamente, oltre a tutto quello che ho detto prima, ha anche una trama interessante, dei personaggi caratterizzati discretamente, e soprattutto una protagonista che non mi ha fatto venire voglia neanche una volta di prenderla testate... insomma una vittoria.
Al momento la mia intenzione è quella di leggere tutta la serie.
Adesso?
Con tutto quello che ho letto nel frattempo?
Con tutto quello che so che c'è in giro?
Questo libro merita 4 stelle assolutamente, oltre a tutto quello che ho detto prima, ha anche una trama interessante, dei personaggi caratterizzati discretamente, e soprattutto una protagonista che non mi ha fatto venire voglia neanche una volta di prenderla testate... insomma una vittoria.
Al momento la mia intenzione è quella di leggere tutta la serie.
March 5, 2025
4.5⭐️
Kind of a fated/bonded mates situation, paranormal romance.
The story opens at the night of the offering where you were either taken by the monsters or banished.
The MC was taken and the way things happen, was meant to be tortured but the monsters who took her didn’t think she was a normal human and wanted to find out what she was.
Through the book they put her through multiple tests and when her life force weakens, so does theirs, the story ends with some questions still to be answered though I assume we find out more in the next book.
Will they be able to protect her or get her to change?
Kind of a fated/bonded mates situation, paranormal romance.
The story opens at the night of the offering where you were either taken by the monsters or banished.
The MC was taken and the way things happen, was meant to be tortured but the monsters who took her didn’t think she was a normal human and wanted to find out what she was.
Through the book they put her through multiple tests and when her life force weakens, so does theirs, the story ends with some questions still to be answered though I assume we find out more in the next book.
Will they be able to protect her or get her to change?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 25, 2025
Not a literary masterpiece but it’s a good fluff piece to get someone out of a reading slump or to detox from some of the stuff we all subject ourselves to.
I don’t mind the characters and I know there are people that say the fmc isn’t realistic or whatever but honestly I’m the same way.
There are several times in my past where I was in danger and I started laughing. I guess it’s a trauma response lol
Anyway I like what Mia has written and I’m almost positive I’ll be reading all the books in the series.
Oh fyi ends on a cliffhanger. Hate those but 🤷♀️ it pushed me to immediately get the next book. So I guess it worked lol
I don’t mind the characters and I know there are people that say the fmc isn’t realistic or whatever but honestly I’m the same way.
There are several times in my past where I was in danger and I started laughing. I guess it’s a trauma response lol
Anyway I like what Mia has written and I’m almost positive I’ll be reading all the books in the series.
Oh fyi ends on a cliffhanger. Hate those but 🤷♀️ it pushed me to immediately get the next book. So I guess it worked lol
October 18, 2022
4 & 1/2 stars rounded up. Nice to read a book with an unusual plot -unlike any I've read before. Great start to a series too. This flowed well, and I couldn't put it down until I finished. It definitely wasn't predictable either. I liked the FMC, Raine. As for the 4 guys in the RH, I have a love-hate thing going on with them, at some moments, I love them, and others, I hate them. It definitely wasn't all hate, and the plot build up was good, leading to more love than hate towards the end. I am definitely looking forward to book 2 in January.
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