In The Monsters We Defy we follow Clara, a young woman cursed with the ability to communicate with spirits. People often seek out the spirit's assistance in their every day lives and she acts as their go between helping broker the deals. The problem is when you accept help from a spirit there's always a twist to it that never works the way you want it to.
Clara has the opportunity to break this curse upon here by stealing away an enchanted ring from Madame Josephine. However stealing the ring won't be easy and Clara puts together a band of people who need to be released from bad deals with enigmas to help her. At the same time young people are going missing in her neighborhood and she's trying to investigate the cause. Clara is told by The Empress that securing the ring will bring back those who are missing so that's additional motivation for pulling off this heist.
DC provides a unique backdrop with personality of it's own while still giving the vibes expected from the art scene of that era. Even if I wasn't familiar with DC from a recent visit, Leslye Penelope paints a clear image of the city. While it is more of a slow burn type of fantasy there's enough here to keep readers engaged. The cast of characters are each entertaining in their own right. One of my favorites being Clara's feisty roommate Zelda. And I suggest reading through the author's note if you're interested in hearing about what parts of this story were inspired by real life people besides the celebrities you hear name dropped on page. So much attention to detail when into this story including the addition of Clara working at The Journal of Negro History. Fans of historical fantasy will enjoy this one but it's worth checking out if you're looking for a different kind of fantasy in general.
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