Ordinary Monsters

J.M. Miro's Ordinary Monsters is the first novel in a new series about young children with magical skills and the grownups who both protect and betray them. Miro is the pen name of an author and poet from British Columbia whose identity remains a mystery. Nonetheless, it is apparent that he is a gifted writer. He took what could have been unearthly and turned it into a cosmos of poetry and joy. The talents highlighted in the book possess a wide range of abilities. J. M. Miro's breathtaking new historical fantasy novel, Ordinary Monsters, brings you to the dark, labyrinthine realm of The Talents via the White Rain Book House.

1882, England. In Victorian London, two lads with unexplained abilities are pursued by a shadowy entity, a guy formed of smoke. Despite seeing a lifetime of abuse, Charlie Ovid, 16, has no scars. He has the ability to heal himself whether his body likes it or not. Marlowe, a cast from a train freight car, emits an odd bluish light. It has the ability to melt or mend meat. When two gray-haired detectives are tasked with transporting them north to safety, they are forced to confront the nature of difference and belonging, as well as the shadowy borders of monstrous.Ribs have the feature of being completely unseen. Charlie can recover swiftly from his most serious wounds. And Komako has mastery over dust and dirt, which he can employ against his adversaries. But Marlowe possesses the most amazing skill of all: the ability to converse with the gigantic symbol protecting the underworld's entrance. The wonderful thing about these abilities is that, when combined, they reflect the deep-seated feelings of loss and uncertainty that young people all around the world experience. Then there's the travel from London's gassy streets to a creepy estate outside Edinburgh where the skills of other gifted children are gathered.The worlds of the dead and the worlds of the living are about to collide here. As the Institute's secrets are disclosed, Marlowe, Charlie, and the other Talents will learn the truth about their powers and the nature of the power that follows them: the worst monsters sometimes come with the sweetest gifts. It depicts a bleak view of Victorian society and the bright, broken youth who must save it.

Miro makes his debut in a sprawling historical fantasy that transports readers across continents. When Eliza, a young woman fleeing her violent employer in Victorian England, discovers a newborn glowing blue in the gloom of a boxcar, she adopts and names the child Marlowe. The plot thickens with each chapter, and Miro maintains tight control over the details from beginning to end. The eclectic network of friends he has gathered, including Marlowe and other youngsters with unknown skills like him, is fascinating and easy to relate with, and the narrative flows quickly from exhilarating action scenes to calm moments of bonding.However, the universe is cruelly stiff, devoid of joy or even comfort, to the point where reading it can feel like a drag, despite the well-kept pace. Ordinary Monsters will reward readers who can stomach savagery in the White Rain Book House.