Blog tour: Lesser Known Monsters by Rory Michaelson

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I received a free copy of this book to read and judge as part of the 2022 BBNYA competition organised by TheWriteReads. All opinions are my own, unbiased and honest.

This year, the Book Bloggers’ Novel of the Year Award (BBNYA) is celebrating the 15 finalists with a blog tour for each title. Lesser Known Monsters came tenth in BBNYA 2022.

BBNYA is a yearly competition where book bloggers from all over the world read and score books written by indie authors, ending with 15 finalists and one overall winner.

If you want some more information about BBNYA, check out the BBNYA website or take a peek over on Twitter @BBNYA_Official.

BBNYA is brought to you in association with the @Foliosociety (if you love beautiful books, you NEED to check out their website!) and the book blogger support group @The_WriteReads.

‘Being the chosen one isn’t always a good thing…

‘Oscar Tundale is not a hero. Anxious, indecisive, and awkward, he can barely get through a normal day. Now he’s about to find out monsters are real.

‘Oscar’s friends: brave, stubborn Zara, and hyperactive, paranoid Marcus, might help discover what hunts him, and unravel the truth about the handsome doctor he pines for.

‘But only heroes can save the world, so maybe the best Oscar can hope for is to not end it by accident.’

Lesser Known Monsters

In Lesser Known Monsters, by Rory Michaelson, we meet bumbling, unassuming Oscar and his friends and hospital colleagues Zara and Marcus.

An encounter with what appears to be a wounded child leads them to discover a whole world of creatures they previously had no idea of - and it’s down to them to save humanity from the less pleasant ones.

I found Lesser Known Monsters an entertaining, imaginative read. I was intrigued by the different beasts that popped up throughout the book, with the occasional ‘Taxonomy of Monsters’ interludes giving it great folk horror vibes.

The setting, though, is strictly urban, thanks to Michaelson’s vivid, atmospheric descriptions of locations in London. I especially appreciated his portrayal of the creepy, dilapidated Victorian house where Dmitri is based, and the scenes that took place in a cemetery.

I really liked Oscar - he has a lot of shortcomings, which he’s highly aware of, but he more than makes up for these with his sweet and caring nature. His interactions with Zara and Marcus are often a hoot, and his budding relationship with Dmitri is lovely.

I also liked the more benevolent fantastical creatures who make an appearance, namely Gax and the Bean-Nighe, who are full of character and put me in mind of Alice in Wonderland and Labyrinth.

What’s more, the story is fast-paced, with action, danger, and surprises at every turn.

Lesser Known Monsters is imaginative and action-packed, with a likeable main character.

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About Alice Violett

Writer of blogs and short stories, reader of books, player of board games, lover of cats, editor of web content, haver of PhD.

Colchester, UK https://www.draliceviolett.com