In religious circles, one is expected to tithe a portion of their income to support their congregation. While I don’t consider myself religious, I tithe when I visit a brick and mortar magic shop or an independent bookstore. I intentionally buy something to help keep the doors open. J.M. Miro’s Ordinary Monsters (Flatiron Books, 2022) was a tithe purchase and a fortunate one at that.
J.M. Miro, a pseudonym for Canadian author and university professor Steven Price, has launched a new trilogy, the Talents. Ordinary Monsters is book one.
It’s an engaging tale of conflicting forces. Talents are children who exhibit unique abilities like invisibility, controlling certain elements, and the ability to heal themselves or others. There’s one group that is looking for them to bring them to their school and nurture them, while another wants to capture them and, well, consume them. It sounds like it’s classic good versus evil, however things aren’t as they seem.
Miro has created a great cast of characters that live in a fully developed world of the late 1800’s. Each has their own backstory that evolves as the novel moves forward. While there’s a few cliche moments, the story grabs you and holds you to the end. Since it’s a trilogy, the ending sets up the next book.
I must warn you that the book is about 650 pages. It’s fast paced and great fun to read. Book two is expected in 2024. I am looking forward to it.
