5/5
RELEASED: 10/06/2021
PUBLISHER: Head of Zeus
GENRE: Young Adult, Historial Fiction, Fantasy
With swashbuckling, super-fast paced action and own voices queer romance, The Battalion of the Dead return in a dazzling new adventure, set amid the opulence and squalor of 18th-century London and Paris.
1794, London: where luxury and squalor rub shoulders and men of science conspire to raise the dead and make monsters.
From the glamorous excesses of the Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens to the city’s seedy underbelly, Camille continues her search for Olympe de l’Aubespine – the girl born of magic and mayhem.
But with half the battalion trapped in Paris and a new enemy lying in wait in London, time is running out. Camille must decide how much she’s willing to risk. To get what you want, how far is too far?
Perfect for fans of Netflix’s Shadow and Bone series.
I absolutely adored Dangerous Remedy when it came out; it’s one of those books that I seriously regretted not picking up immediately because it was just such a brilliant adventure that kept me hooked! So, when I was invited to be a part of the blog tour again for the next book in the series, I couldn’t resist and I’m so grateful for the opportunity as, yet again, I’ve loved this adventure with the Battalion of the Dead!
Firstly, Monstrous Design opens with a little catch up on what happened in book one – a feature that I think every series should have. It was so useful to remember exactly which point I was coming into the story at! Immediately I fell in love with the writing style which is so easy to get lost in. From catching up with Ada and Guil in Paris, to crossing the channel over to England, I’ve loved the setting of the story so much. I have to admit though, my favourite part of the book was a reference to My Chemical Romance (teenage and not so teenage any more emo me very much approved!). Monstrous Design really allows you to get to know the characters a lot more, whilst still exploring a fascinating world of revolutionary Paris and England in that era.
Monstrous Design really does justice to the brilliance of Dangerous Remedy with the character and world development. Kat’s writing feels so much more fluid and polished in this one (bearing in mind that book one was still a 5* read!) and I’d highly, highly recommend making a start on this series if you haven’t already! As I said about Dangerous Remedy, Kat takes a popular genre and setting and really makes her own stamp on it, and Monstrous Design is no different. This book is a must read!
Thank you to Amber at Midas PR for sending me a copy of this book and for involving me in the blog tour!