This is a review for the first book of the Monster Haven series, written by the Confabulator Café’s very own, R.L. Naquin. You can find Monster in my Closet, as well as the second book in the series, Pooka in my Pantry, wherever ebooks for Kindle and Nook are sold. The third installment of this six-book series, Fairies in my Fireplace, became available for purchase yesterday! Go check them out. Right now! What are you waiting for??
This series is one of my new favorites. I read an over-abundance of urban fantasy, and while each has its own world and mythology, they all tend to echo each other.
Not so with this book. This is something entirely new. Not only do we get to see monsters that have never before been included in urban fantasy, but there are new rules, and even new character archetypes.
What I love most about these books is that the monsters are all so amazingly, well, human – with human problems and human flaws. There’s also no such thing as a stock character in this book. Each character is unique and comes alive as the story unfolds. I am always in favor of character-driven stories, and this book is chock full of characters that risk stealing the show from the charismatic protagonist, Zoey.
She is the driving force, however. She collects these misfit monsters, gives them a safe haven while she helps them work through the roadblocks life has thrown them, and they, in turn, support and protect her in this strange new world she had no idea existed before. By the end of the book, the feeling of family created by all of these misfits coming together is warmly tangible.
This is a quick, action-packed read full of sassy attitude and heart-tweaking scenes. I’m not sure I’ve ever had so much fun reading a book. I can’t wait for the next book in the series!
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