Synopsis (from Goodreads):

England, 1882. In Victorian London, two children with mysterious powers are hunted by a figure of darkness —a man made of smoke.

Sixteen-year-old Charlie Ovid, despite a lifetime of brutality, doesn't have a scar on him. His body heals itself, whether he wants it to or not. Marlowe, a foundling from a railway freight car, shines with a strange bluish light. He can melt or mend flesh. When two grizzled detectives are recruited to escort them north to safety, they are forced to confront the nature of difference, and belonging, and the shadowy edges of the monstrous.

What follows is a journey from the gaslit streets of London, to an eerie estate outside Edinburgh, where other children with gifts—the Talents—have been gathered. Here, the world of the dead and the world of the living threaten to collide. And as secrets within the Institute unfurl, Marlowe, Charlie and the rest of the Talents will discover the truth about their abilities, and the nature of the force that is stalking them: that the worst monsters sometimes come bearing the sweetest gifts.

With lush prose, mesmerizing world-building, and a gripping plot, Ordinary Monsters presents a catastophic vision of the Victorian world—and of the gifted, broken children who must save it.

Review:

I didn't know what to expect when I started reading Ordinary Monsters, by J.M. Miro, but I liked the blurb and was lucky enough to receive an advance copy from NetGalley.  This book was a cross between Miss Peregrin's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Rigs, and a Stephen King novel: Fantasy with a hefty helping of Horror.  The story follows several children who have supernatural "Talents" as they being sought by two groups of people.  Those who want to protect them, and those who want to use them for evil.  But who will reach them first?  The children in the story are pawns in a much larger game of chess.  Both sets of adults looking for them want to use them in some fashion or another.  They can sense this, and it's difficult to know who the children can trust. 

I really liked all the characters in this story, both adults and children.  All the characters are fully realized and one can really sympathize with nearly all of them.  Charlie, a African-American teen has been brutalized all his life.  He has no reason to trust anyone.  But he quickly sees a kindred spirit in Marlowe.  Although Marlow is much younger than Charlie, he has also seen many hard times.  He no sooner finds a stable home than he is ripped away from it.  Both have powers they don't understand. 

The adults in the story, especially the two detectives, Coulton and Alice, were also wonderful characters.  Each had a compelling backstory that added motivation to what they were doing.  I loved how protective they became as they got to know the children.  Even the villain, who of course never considered himself to be evil, had a long and interesting history.

The world-building is also top-notch.  The world is mostly set in Victorian London.  It's grimy, smoggy, and filled with desperate people.  Everyone is one step away from destitution.  Get hurt on the job?  You become homeless.  Kids who are orphaned must fend for themselves.  But it's the shadow world that some of the characters must enter that mirrors London that is even more terrible.  It's filled with dread, and horrible creatures.

My only complaint about this book is that it is SUPER LONG!  At nearly 700 pages, this book is an epic.  And it's part of a series!  If you are in the mood for a long, but compelling, read, this book ticks all the boxes.  Fun characters, creepy bad guys, magical school, vast conspiracies and very gothic horror await.  This book will keep you enthralled (and probably also give you nightmares).

Trigger Warning for Child Abuse

Rating:  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Release Date:  June 7th, 2022

Author:  J.M. Miro

Publisher:  Flatiron Books

Genre:  Historical Horror/Fantasy

Page Length:  672 Pages

Source: NetGalley

Format:  E-Book

Recommendation:  If you like dark fantasy mixed with horror, this book is for you. The world-building and characters will leave a definite impression.  This is the beginning of a series that will be a must read for me.