This Monster of Mine

The electrifying first book in an Ancient Rome-inspired, dark romantasy duology, in which a young woman seeks vengeance for an attempted murder ... her own

She knows the taste of death. He'll stoke her hunger for it.

Eighteen-year-old Sarai doesn't know why someone tried to kill her four years ago, but she does know that her case was closed without justice. Hellbent on vengeance, she returns to the scene of the crime as a Petitor, a prosecutor who can magically detect lies, and is assigned to work with Tetrarch Kadra. Ice-cold and perennially sadistic, Kadra is the most vicious of the four judges who rule the land - and the prime suspect in a string of deaths identical to Sarai's attempted murder.

Certain of his guilt, Sarai begins a double life: solving cases with Kadra by day and plotting his ruin by night. But Kadra is charming and there's something alluring about the wrath he wields against the city's corruption. So when the evidence she finds embroils her in a deadly political battle, Sarai must also fight against her attraction to Kadra - because despite his growing hold on her heart, his voice matches the only memory she has of her assailant...

The first book in a dazzling, Ancient Rome-inspired romantic fantasy duology, This Monster of Mine is a bloodbath of manipulation, deception, and forbidden love

In a world rife with corruption, This Monster of Mine dares to ask the question: what's the cost of doing what is right? With sizzling romantic tension, intricate world-building, and an irresistible mystery at its core, this book is an absolute feast for the senses. A dazzling and deliciously dark debut! -- Keshe Chow, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Girl With No Reflection
Abeysekara's debut fuses romance, fantasy, history, and legal thriller into a uniquely strong combination. The difference between legality and truth, anger as fuel for both violence and justice, the willingness to ignore or embrace the faults in a partner, and the corrupting force of money in politics play just as key a role as the slow-burn romance and the thoughtful magic system. Sarai's permanent scarring from the attack is both plot-important and handled naturalistically. A relentless and beautifully balanced romantasy/legal thriller, offering blood and hope in equal measures. Recommended for fans of any of the genres it borrows from -- Library Journal (starred review)
Skilfully interweaving themes of political corruption, injustice, and grey morality ... [a] dark fantasy-romance that fans of the genre will enjoy Booklist

Shalini Abeysekara is a neurodivergent woman of color and a former lawyer based in Hamilton, Canada. She enjoys using fantasy as a mirror to interrogate both government policies and the bizarre workings of the business world. She is passionate about depicting other neurodivergent women of color reckoning with themselves and their place in a world that tells them they're too much or not enough. When not glued to the screen for some escapist purpose or the other, you'll find her attempting to re-create famous desserts, doomscrolling, or both. She still can't believe she's an adult and hopes you don't either.

This Monster of Mine is her debut novel.

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