Monsters & Mind Games by Emily Brandish is an exciting fantasy romance combined with an alien invasion that will keep you guessing right up until the end.
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Monsters & Mind Games by Emily Brandish
🥭🥭🥭🥭🥭
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
(you can find my rating and spice system here)
POV & Tense: Single POV, third limited, past tense
Genre: MM Fantasy Romance, Science Fiction
Tropes/Themes: Alien Invasion, Mind Control, Telepathy, Quest, Battles, Magic, Orcs, Elves, Aliens, Forbidden Romance, Size Difference, Angst with a Happy Ending, Prejudice
tw: Brief memory of a past SA, brief attempted SA (not main pairing)
Synopsis:
The world is in chaos. Humanity is on the verge of extinction after an alien invasion by the gyle—parasitic squid-like creatures who can control minds. When the king pushes up half-elf mage Ambrose Fairday’s graduation so he can save the world, Ambrose is sure there’s been a mistake. But with his boyhood orc crush Kilgore the Conqueror by his side, he forges ahead, even though it means teaming up with a nefarious gyle traitor. Grist is cruel and cunning, and always one step ahead.
All his life, Ambrose had dutifully maintained a public image that commanded respect: a pristine military record, stellar academics, and pious work for the church. But this was a threat like none before: Grist couldn’t just tell Ambrose’s darkest secrets, he could show them to someone.
My Review:
Right from the blurb I knew Monsters & Mind Games was a must-read. I love spicy romance, but I love it even better when there’s a compelling plot and a sense of adventure, which this book has in spades.
Empathetic Characters
I adore Ambrose Fairday, from his boyish naïveté to the way he overthinks everything, from his pining over Kilgore to the way he forges ahead and gets things done even when afraid. The damage done during his youth is heartbreaking, but his growth throughout this story is a tremendous thing to witness.
Kilgore may be deadly in battle, but he’s a giant teddy bear to those who get close. He’s thoughtful and has a kind heart, and his calm demeanor is a soothing balm to Ambrose’s chaos.
Grist is a little shit. He’s cunning and clever and can’t resist manipulating the situations and people around him. But he grew on me, and I couldn’t help but sympathize with him.
Alien Invasion
My mind is blown by how effortlessly Brandish has woven together a middle-earth style fantasy adventure with an alien invasion. I am so here for all the details, from how the squid-like aliens spawn from seeds and latch onto a host (giving you Aliens face-hugger vibes), and their development from grub to mature gyle. And the comparisons between the newly spawned gyle versus the original gyle from space are incredible. I’m eating it all up with a satisfied grin.
The traveler lifted his head revealing a swollen face like that of a drowned man. His skin was rippled and pink like fresh scar tissue and four thick tentacles surrounded his mouth area, dangling down the front of his chest.
Magic and Society
The magic in the story is intriguing. While we only see the specific elements that pertain to this story, you get a sense that there is a more extensive magic system in place. Ambrose is gifted with force magic, so he can manipulate objects and people around him, and astral project. This comes in handy during battle.
Prejudice is a theme throughout, with elves looked down upon by humans (but mages are revered), and orcs not tolerated at all. This is especially evident when Kilgore, despite being invaluable to the cause, isn’t welcomed within the battle camp. This is a huge eye-opening moment for Ambrose and makes your heart ache for them both.
Forbidden Romance
I adored the forbidden romance between Kilgore and Ambrose—they fit together like two pieces of a puzzle, necessary and vibrant. It may start off as a boyish infatuation, but Ambrose quickly sees Kilgore as the real man he is and not the hero of legend. Ambrose has only known the conditional love of this mother and headmaster, and Kilgore’s unconditional love is life-altering. While the quest on its own would have made for a fascinating story, the romance adds an emotional component that is both heartfelt and delicious.
It was like Kilgore’s arms formed a circle of protection, holding all the bad feelings at bay, even the ones that came from inside. And when that smog of misery cleared, something giddy and hopeful began to take place…
Final Thoughts:
Monsters & Mind Games is an incredible journey, and although I am completely satisfied, I’m sad it’s over and am greedily hoping for more stories in this world. To temporarily satiate the need for more, there is a bonus story (Kilgore’s POV) if you sign up for Emily’s newsletter via her website (link below). I can’t wait to see what other stories Emily comes up with.
Monsters & Mind Games by Emily Brandish
Author Stalking (but not in a creepy way):
Monsters & Mind Games is Emily Brandish’s debut novel. She has an MM contemporary romance releasing Fall 2023.
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~~If you like spicy books with orcs, check out my Orc Rec List ~~
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