The Monstrous Kind

By: Lydia Gregovic

Narrated by: Fran Burgoyne

A National bestseller!

“A gorgeously evocative gothic fantasy.” —Ava Reid, #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Study in Drowning

A lush haunting romantasy from the New York Times bestselling author of The Weaver Bride, perfect for fans of House of Salt and Sorrows and Anatomy: A Love Story. In Regency-era England, two sisters fight to hold on to their manor while deadly monsters prowl along its perimeters.

Merrick Darling’s life as daughter of the Manor Lord of Sussex is better than most. Unlike the commoners, she is immune to the toxic fog that encroached on England generations earlier. She will never become a Phantom—one of the monstrous creatures that stalk her province’s borders—and as long as the fires burn to hold them back, her safety is ensured. She wants for nothing, yet she will never inherit her family’s Manor. She must marry smartly or live at the kindness of her elder sister, Essie.

Everything is turned on its head, though, when Merrick’s father dies suddenly. Torn from her New London society life of ball gowns and parties, Merrick must travel back to her childhood home, the Darling estate of Norland House, and what she finds there is bewildering. Once strong and capable, Essie is withdrawn and frightened—and with good cause. A recent string of attacks along the province’s borders has turned their formerly bucolic countryside into a terrifying and unpredictable landscape. The fog is closing in and the fires aren’t holding, which makes Merrick and Essie vulnerable in more ways than one. Because the Phantoms are far from the only monsters in Merrick’s world, and the other eleven Manor Lords are always watching for weakness.

Revealing her and her sister’s current state to the rest of the Manors is out of the question, but when Essie goes missing, it’s clear that Merrick needs help. Only, who can she trust when everyone seems to be scheming, and when all she holds true feels like it’s slipping right out of her grasp?

Critic reviews

"From its first page, The Monstrous Kind beguiled me, seizing hold of my imagination with its eerie landscapes and fog shrouded manor. Gregovic’s world-building is decadent and nightmarish. I was consumed by this book!”—Erin A. Craig, #1 New York Times bestselling author of House of Salt and Sorrows

“A gorgeously evocative gothic fantasy, conjuring mist-cloaked manors, unearthly monsters, disturbing family secrets, and a dark thread of forbidden romance. This is everything I look for in a book.” —Ava Reid, #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Study in Drowning

“Lushly atmospheric and exquisitely gothic, Gregovic’s world of haunting gray mist will ensnare you with its intricate web of politics, sinister monsters, and brooding romance. A deliciously dark, genre-bending tale to sink your teeth into and devour.” — Amélie Wen Zhao, New York Times bestselling author of Song of Silver, Flame Like Night

“Romantic, clever, and deeply emotional. The Monstrous Kind is the darkly glimmering crown jewel of YA Gothic fantasy.” —Allison Saft, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Wings of Starlight

“Lydia Gregovic’s masterfully eerie twist on the Austenian will captivate readers with its haunting prose, decadent romance, and Gothic mise-en-scène. I was entranced by the beguiling world of regency and rot, where skeletons lurk in every closet and nothing is ever as it seems.” —Sophie Kim, author of The God and the Gumiho

"Eerie, romantic, and laced with treacherous mysteries, The Monstrous Kind will lure readers into the mist and hold them captive until the very last page." —Emily Thiede, author of This Vicious Grace

"A page-turner of a fantasy-horror debut from a promising new voice." —Kirkus Reviews

"Serpentine plotting and similarly matched language....make this a simmering read." —Publishers Weekly

"Give this to fans of Craig’s House of Salt and Sorrow for their next addictive, atmospheric read, and know that an unresolved ending will have them asking about sequels." —The Bulletin

"This engrossing debut novel grabs one's attention with the first sentence and holds onto it until the end." —Booklist

"Readers who enjoy detailed worldbuilding will sink their teeth into the story....recommended for fans of YA Gothic ­romance authors such as Dana Schwartz and Erin A. Craig." —School Library Journal

I misunderstood what this was, but was pleasantly surprised

It’s a really good book. I bought it from a dirty bookshop so I expected it to be a lot more dirty but the plot’s really good overall main character is definitely not the brightest bulb in the box