Leslye Penelope

The Monsters We Defy

A woman able to communicate with spirits must assemble a ragtag crew to pull off a daring heist to save her community in this timely and dazzling historical fantasy that weaves together African American folk magic, history, and romance. 

Washington D. C., 1925 

Clara Johnson talks to spirits, a gift that saved her during her darkest moments in a Washington D. C. jail. Now a curse that’s left her indebted to the cunning spirit world. So, when the Empress, the powerful spirit who holds her debt, offers her an opportunity to gain her freedom, a desperate Clara seizes the chance. The task: steal a magical ring from the wealthiest woman in the District.

Clara can’t pull off this daring heist alone. She’ll need help from an unlikely team, from a jazz musician capable of hypnotizing with a melody to an aging vaudeville actor who can change his face, to pull off the impossible. But as they encounter increasingly difficult obstacles, a dangerous spirit interferes at every turn. Conflict in the spirit world is leaking into the human one and along D.C’.s legendary Black Broadway, a mystery unfolds—one that not only has repercussions for Clara but all of the city’s residents.

Sophia 

No, she looked me in the eye and wrote her own story. Then went out and lived it. So the way I figure, if you want somebody else to buy what you're selling them, you gotta believe it too. You can't show any doubts or the audience will feel it. Deep in their bones. You show fear or waver in any way, then that's what they focus on. You believe your own story…You make them all believe what you want them to.

I really enjoyed this historical fantasy! The mix of characters was fun, and it was fast paced throughout the whole book. Some queer rep in the supporting characters.

Amanda

Glorious! Absolutely gorgeous! Stunning characters, interesting plot, historical events discussed that educated me along the way. Loved that the story is complete but leaves open the possibility of future stories about the main characters. The narrator for the audio did a fabulous job with all the different accents and voices. The writing style is riveting. Absolutely cannot wait to read what Leslye Penelope writes next!

Clara Johnson talks to spirits. Once a gift, now a curse that's left her indebted to the cunning spirit world. So, when the Empress, the powerful spirit who holds her debt, offers her an opportunity to gain her freedom, Clara seizes the chance. The task: steal a magical ring from the wealthiest woman in the District. But Clara can't pull off this daring heist alone. She'll need help from an unlikely team, from a jazz musician capable of hypnotizing with a melody to an aging vaudeville actor who can change his face, to pull off the impossible. As they encounter increasing obstacles, a dangerous spirit interferes at every turn, and conflict in the spirit world begins to leak out into the human one. And along DC's legendary Black Broadway, a mystery is unfolding-one that not only has repercussions for Clara but all of the city's residents.

The Monsters We Defy

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