Title: Monsters and Mocha

Series: The Haunted Brew #4 (standalone within the series)

Author: Sarah Beran

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Retelling, Romance

Rating: 4.5 stars

Review:

One a monster becomes…

Darby Shelton’s future is bright—as a top graduate from the Mavorian Academy of Science and Magic, she now holds a prestigious and highly-sought after surgical internship with the famous Dr. Fransten. Sure, he might treat her more like a secretary than a fellow professional, but how can she complain when she gets to learn from the best? And unlike her other teachers, he doesn’t seem to mind that she spends the rest of her free time tinkering with gears and cogs, searching for connections between the medicine she loves and the machines that captivate her imagination.

But war throws a shadow over her future, and a battle fought a little too close to home sends her on a completely different course. The wounded soldiers are brought to their hospital, among them a captain who had sacrificed life and limb to protect his comrades. Dr. Fransten might not think him worth treating, but Darby can’t leave him to suffer. It takes everything she knows of magic, metal, and medicine to save him, but at what cost? If the Guild of Medicine finds out, she could lose her position.

Her mentor promises to shield her, but when a series of strange and unnerving accidents target both her and the recovering captain, Darby is left to

In saving a man, has she somehow created a monster? – summary from Goodreads

Monsters and Mocha is a retelling of Frankenstein with magic, romance, and secrets!

I don’t really love Frankenstein, but I loved this book! It was so good and twisted the story in a really unique way. I could never really get behind the whole Frankenstein idea, but the way Sarah Beran switched the story was something I could get behind. I love the prosthetics usage and how magic was incorporated into the story.

Very minor spoilers follow.

In this book, Fitz is fighting in a war when he is caught in an explosion. He is nearly dead, and Darby, our main character, decides to save him. She does this by making prosthetics for his arm and leg, as well as adding machinery to half of his heart and putting metal plating across his left torso. Fitz obviously struggles with this and feels like a monster. It was very well done and I loved the inclusion of prosthetics and the complicated emotions that comes with it. While not wholly realistic (the prosthetics were able to fully function with magic) I really like it.

There was a scene at the end of the book that was closer to the original story. I liked the nod to the original story, though it was a little startling since I wasn’t expecting it and kind of gross.

Darby was such a lovely character! She was so kind and caring, and very hard working! I love hard working characters, and she is one of the best! I also love how seriously she took her job as a doctor and how she really did want to care for her patients to the best of her ability. I often have a distrust of the medical system, so I did enjoy the positive representation. She was also just a really optimistic and bubbly character, which I liked.

Fitz was a wonderful character! He was very protective of those around him, especially Darby, and was a good leader. I loved how he wanted to protect and care for the soldiers under him. He was a little grumpy, which was completely understanding considering everything that happened to him.

I also really enjoyed the side characters. Henry and Robertson were wonderful additions to the story, and I loved how protective of Darby they were. They also were helpful in Fitz’s healing, especially Robertson in helping Fitz heal from the mental-emotional trauma of war. The patients, notably Merry, were also wonderful additions to the story. Raven, the crow, was a lovely animal companion to Darby and I loved him so much!

The romance in the book was subtle and slow, but Darby and Fitz are adorable together! I loved them so much! They were a nice match for each other, with Darby being a little more optimistic and Fitz being a little cynical. They were so sweet and protective of each other, too, which I loved!

In the other books in the series a drink was part of the story and brought the main characters together in some way. This book the drink was mocha, and Darby was addicted to it. Unlike the other books, this drink wasn’t something Fitz and Darby bonded over, but it did hold a special place in their story. It was very sweet, and I loved Fitz teasing her over her love of the drink.

Monsters and Mocha is a fantasy retelling of Frankenstein with magic and romance!