Monsteress

by C.K. Franziska

Magic. Loss. Hatred. Soulin. In a world blessed by the gods and goddesses, I, Soulin SinClaret, am the worst. Not only did I kill almost my entire family with the magic rushing through my body, but the loss and hatred boiling in my veins are ever-consuming and demand revenge. But how am I supposed to go head-to-head with a God, when my magic is weaning? Aemilius. Trying to live my life as an Ordinary, rejecting the gift of my kingdom and my duties, I find myself dragged into Monsteress’ territory. All I want is to rescue my fellow villagers and live in peace, but Monsteress has other plans for me. Khaos. Monsteress wasn’t born; she was made. I remember when Soulin didn’t need an army to keep her safe. As her Grand General, I vowed my life to protect her even if that means my certain death.
If you love magic, soulmates, and a healthy dose of spice… you’ll love diving into Monsteress’ world. 'Monsteress' is the first book in the series and ends with a cliffhanger. Due to mature material, it is recommended for ages 18+ and ends on a cliffhanger.

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Magic, Romantasy, Fantasy Romance, High Fantasy, Spicy

351 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 1, 2023

About the author

C.K. Franziska is the author of the finished A Speck of Darkness Series, The Crymzon Chronicles, Wish for it Duet, and the Veil of Fire Series. She is the wife of a traveler, as well as the mother of two mini versions of herself and way too many pets. In her spare time, she is also a photographer, traveler, full-time entertainer, and animal lover. She does her best writing at night, at the beach listening to the waves, or while camping. C.K. loves to play make-believe, transporting readers to a place where heroes must step out of the seemingly endless cycle of family curses, where magic is as beautiful and untamable as we think, and where every person deserves to be celebrated.

Reviews

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Promising Tale of Adventure, Power, and Growth

Star rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Spice rating: 🌶️🌶️

I would like to extend my gratitude to C.K. Franziska for generously providing me with a free advanced reader copy of her book. This review is entirely voluntary and reflects my genuine feelings towards the book.

Although I had not previously read any works by C.K. Franziska, I found Monsteress to be a captivating and enjoyable fantasy novel, serving as the first installment in a new series.

The narrative revolves around the individual journeys of Soulin, Khaos, and Cyrus within the world of Escela. Queen Soulin fights against King Keres while striving to rescue her kingdom Crymzon. Khaos plays the role of her Grand General, and Cyrus, a refugee from Eternitie (Another Kingdom), becomes a prisoner in Crymzon.

I truly appreciated the direction the plot took and the originality presented through multiple points of view. Although I'm not particularly fond of cliffhangers, the author succeeded in maintaining my interest, leaving me eagerly anticipating the sequel. The worldbuilding, along with the provided map, offered an immersive and enjoyable adventure.

While there wasn't an extensive amount of character development or romance in my opinion, I didn't mind because the narrative was filled with intriguing events. However, I do hope that the second book delves deeper into the romance and character growth.

Personally, I didn't connect with Soulin's character as she portrayed a cold and impulsive queen. Towards the end, there was some progress in her development, but it fell short of making me love her character. Her past didn't entirely convince me as a justifiable reason for her actions. Nevertheless, I remain hopeful that the next book will showcase further growth for her.

On the other hand, I absolutely adored Khaos, and I eagerly await his journey in the second book. Among the three main characters, he experienced the most significant development. As for Cyrus, I believe he holds a crucial role in the series, although we haven't seen much of him in Monsteress.

In conclusion, Monsteress is an enjoyable fantasy novel, and I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to read it in advance. Keep an eye on your calendars as Monsteress will be available in October, and I'm excited for everyone to experience it.

[Janneke RS · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a compelling als good story. It starts of in the start of the book whereas the writer address us:
"To all the readers who are done being the good girl; who are done doing what they are told; who are done waiting for someone to save the day.
Be the villian of your story and own that shit."
It's different and written very good. It had everything you want, but with a twist. I loved this one!

[Kyla Sixkiller · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a good and interesting fantasy novel. The events that happen in the book are intense and always moving. Queen Soulin struggles a lot with magic, or lack thereof, and inevitably continues to make things worse for herself. Khaos, while having good intentions, can be borderline toxic. But it fits the whole narrative. The plot continues to pull you in and keeps you on your toes. I foresee Aemlius becoming a much more prominent character in the next book. I look forward to Khaos’ situation getting better and going in the direction he’s so desperate in wanted since he was a kid. The author has done an amazing job of creating a high fantasy world with multiple courts and differentiating lands- and has a whole slew of characters that you just want to learn more about.

[✨🐓📚Amanda_Michelle🐓📚✨ Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

How!?! How can I love an awful person so much🫣🖤🫣 the author did a great job of writing the FMC .. not your typical FMC though…she’s a very vile Queen hated by most. But yet her heartbreak and past trauma make you have compassion for her. This book is full of a lot of unknowns…with soul mates, battles, banter, friends to lovers, magic and beautiful magically horse sized moths and other unknown creatures🖤🖤🖤 oh and don’t forget some spice and slow burn romance 😏😏😏 I’ll be immediately picking up book 2 dive book 1 ended in a cliffhanger…

[Toni A Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this in 4 days! Addictive from the start!

“To all the readers who are done being the good girl; who are done doing what they are told; who are done waiting for someone else to save the day.  Be the villain of your story and own that shit!”

It has:
- a map
- fated mates
- badass villain FMC
- I would d1e for you MMC
- multiple POV
- spice

Be warned though: I would not call this (the first book) a romance. It is, in my opinion, dark, high fantasy.
That is not my usual genre, I did have difficulty connecting to the FMC because I like reading about heroines and heroes and good guys. And our FMC actively tries to be a bad guy.

I will continue to read book 2 in the hopes that our FMC magically decides to be better, and in the hopes that there is more romance haha.

Ps. CHECK TRIGGERS! They are listed at the start of the book.

[Tricia Breinig · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ever want to read a story where the villain is the main character? This is the book for you. Filled with magic, gods, and moths (yes moths). Very unique take on a story where a villainous queen fights to save her kingdom and the magic of her land. Has you questioning the whole time is she really a villain? The cliffhanger at the end makes you want to jump into the next book right away.

[Stevie Deal · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story is very interesting and unique, however I did find it hard to get into.

There is a ton of world building, is heavily plot driven and has three POVs.

The POV shifts are easy to understand but I struggle with plot driven books.

Monsterress is a villain but acts more like a child than anything.

I wanna give Khaos a hug. Poor guy.

I strongly detest the third character POV and I never remember his name. I don't know why, he just really annoyed me but that could be my inner Monstetess.

There are a ton of characters and kingdoms introduced in this book and it was hard keeping them all straight.

[Raven · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a wonderful book! Absolutely loved Soulin’s journey and I didn’t even see that made bond coming! 😬

[Cristin Stackles · Rating 5 out of 5]

Monsteress was such a great book. The world building in the prologue and first few chapters were a great background. The MC is a beautiful evil queen tormented by the death of her family. This book has some of my favorite tropes. Friends to fated mates, multiple POV’s, action and a huge plot twist. What I thought was going to happen at the end didn’t and I’m glad the second book is out as it leaves on a cliff hanger! This book was so great. Definitely recommend reading this book.

[Nattievflo · Rating 5 out of 5]

First I would like start by thanking the authors, C.K. Franziska for the opportunity to be an ARC reader to her book.

The story follows Queen Soulin, Khaos, Cypress, Devanagari through individual adventures through the world of Escela. Queen Soulin has a secret she hides from her people while trying to save her kingdom.

I really, really enjoyed this book more than I thought I would!! Not to mention the absolutely beautiful cover. I pretty much finished the book in one day.

The world and character building is so descriptive and the way the author navigates so smoothly through the story keeps you entertained from beginning to end! The book contains very minimal spice but with how captivating the storyline is - you almost miss it.

The switch of the characters POVs from chapter to chapter was easy to follow and keep track of. You get to know each character and their story well. The way the author describes the world in her book is perfectly described.

There were a couple of gasping moments and times when I was sure I knew what was about to happen and was surprised by what actually occurred. The love interests for example.

This is the first book I have read by C.K. Franziska and I can’t wait to read more of her work!

[Ariana Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very plot driven fantasy. With splashes of romance and hint of spicy.

I really enjoyed the world building as it took place throughout the whole storyline.
Monsteress, Queen Soulin, is a heartbroken girl who has taken to hiding all emotion and becoming a monster. Khoas knows she belongs with him and wishes for the girl he used to know to come back. And Cyrus is in the wrong place at the wrong time and comes to play a big part in the plot.

There is political intrigue and adventure. Emotional turmoil and past trauma that continues to resurface.
It’s definitely sparked my interest in this series and I can’t wait to keep reading.

I was lucky enough to receive this as an ARC for free. I am voluntarily leaving this review.

[Urban_Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars, rounded to 5 because it was pretty darn close for me!

I wanted to re-read this closer to release date so that I could really do this review Justice!

I found CK Franziska on TikTok. She asked if I’d be interested in reading her YA novel Speck of Darkness. Never say no to that! I really loved it! Instantly read Book 2 of that series.

When I saw she was publishing a Dark Fantasy Romance (don’t feel like it’s super dark, btw) I immediately signed up to be an ARC reader… and got approved!

I read this book over a long weekend, although could have easily finished it in a day because I was hooked! I wanted to savor and make notes since it was an ARC read.

Here is what I felt was really unique…
• The work building is so good, but not so complex you can’t understand
•The magic and gifts are sooo interesting and some of it almost felt steampunk? Maybe that me hoping!
•The characters are really well developed and have such depth and complexity, I either loved them or hated some of them!
•The pacing is soooo perfect. Always l moving and giving you little hints of things to come that make you want to read more.

My only reason for not giving this a 5, although it’s a solid 4.5 is the spice/romance felt a bit forced? Don’t know how to describe it, like maybe it needed to be more “spicy” or leave it to the imagination. It felt a little in between and didn’t quite fit. That being said, it didn’t ruin anything for me. Loved this book and can’t wait for book 2!!! Cliffhanger for sure and I am so ready!!!

You can see all about her books on her TikTok

https://www.tiktok.com/@ckfranziska_a...

[Rebecca Maestas · Rating 4 out of 5]

First of I would like to that C.K Franziska for allowing me to read this book before the release date 10/23.

This is a great book, I gave it 4 stars because I felt some of the storylines got a little mixed up but then a few pages in it got back on track, also the storyline for cyrus and Liza never really came to light, but it left a heck of a cliffhanger for a next book.

This book has fantasy, romance, war, gods and goddesses, magic and creatures . Fighting for love and power are the main theme I gathered, yet learning that magic and power or not everything, amazingly told. I recommend this book and can not wait for a second book

[Lauren Eastman · Rating 1 out of 5]

Got about 25% of the way through this one on kindle unlimited before I finally decided to DNF. Each chapter switches POV but everything is in 1st person. Maybe it’s the kindle version but the chapter image and very faint print over it makes it nearly impossible to see the name of the character the chapter is about.

I made it to page 90 of ~340 and could not care less about any of the characters. It started to introduce a real plot with necromancers and lack of magic in the main setting but it wasn’t enough for me to try to get through it. Maybe if the chapters were longer or stayed with a character longer - though we can skip over the series of existential crises for each one.

I very very rarely DNF but this one… maybe I’ll revisit it one day in a different format.

[Amanda Gregory · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved reading this story. Completely addictive. As soon as I started reading I couldn’t stop. I can’t wait to find out what happens next.

[Alyssa Nead · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an e-ARC for the books in the series by the author. This is the first book.

One of my goals for 2024 is to try out different genres that I have never read and I thought that this series would be a perfect fit for trying dark romance. I hear about books similar to this on TikTok all the time and I was kind of feeling left out lol so I was curious to see what I was missing.

After reading this book I think I’ve decided dark romance is not for me. I guess I thought it would be more “extreme enemies to lovers” but I feel like instead there wasn’t any romance between the characters, it was just sexual (which isn’t really my thing). I would’ve liked if there was more romantic chemistry between Soulin and Khaos and less uncomfortable sex scenes.

Other than that though I loved this story. The queen is a very powerful lead and overall I found the book very entertaining. The setting of the story sounds very cool, I love to hear about different fantasy worlds. I found the book to be fast paced which I liked and the short chapters were also a bonus.

ALSOOO…. The cover of this book. Is. Sooo. Pretty. The chapter titles (which are in different P.O.Vs which I liked) have pretty moths on them and I thought that just added to the beauty of this book.

Although I did not 100% enjoy this book or the sexual content in it, I will be continuing this series because I can’t wait to see what happens next! :)

E-book (ARC)

[Gretchen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Y'all I consumed this book! This was such a compelling all around good story! I was already hooked when I read the dedication page:
"To all the readers who are done being the good girl; who are done doing what they are told; who are done waiting for someone to save the day. Be the villain of your story and own that shit."

This was a very captivating read! I read this in 4 days!

The world building in this dark fantasy is stellar! This is very plot-driven with a tad of romance/spice....the bath tub scene...O.M.G.!! The FMC Soulin is a badass morally gray individual who has closed off all of her emotions, especially love. Khaos one of the MMC is the General in her army and childhood friend who will stop at nothing to be by her side and protect her even if it kills him. Especially when Soulin actively tries to be the villain and push the ones that matter most to her away! Then you have Cyrus...I am not sure how I feel about him just yet so we shall see. That cliffhanger though.....I will be starting Hunteress right away to see what is in store next for these characters!

Make sure to check the TW that are listed in the start of the book.

[She Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had the honor to read this book by receiving an e-ARC copy of this entire series. This was my first book by C. K. Franziska, and I enjoyed very much.

The book is about Queen Soulin, Khaos the Grand General, and Aemilus the refugee. We get Multi-POV which is nice. I liked a lot the world building and Escela. The plot was interesting and immersive. The writing was very nice and even better since the chapters were short.

In my opinion there wasn’t very much of character development and romance. In fact, I didn’t liked Khaos and Soulin’s dynamic. They were great characters but not together. I didn’t felt love or chemistry between them unfortunately. But I’m hoping the next book does a better job in this case. Also there isn’t much spicy scenes.

Personally, I didn’t connect with Soulin, she’s not a easy to like character, but I was expecting it, so I didn’t hate her. Khaos was a very sweet man. Aemilus was my favorite character, he was SO interesting, I’m wanting to know more about him in the next book.

[Veronica Hooper · Rating 5 out of 5]

First, it’s important to say that this is my first experience into fantasy reading and I don’t think I could’ve picked a better book to get me hooked!
Soulin (called Monsteress and other “colorful” names by anyone who knows her or knows OF her), is the Queen of a kingdom called Crymzon. There are a few other kingdoms you’ll be introduced to in this story, but Crymzon has Magic and that’s something none of the other kingdoms have. But, there are things they have to do to keep the Magic.
This book has it all. Beautiful giant moths, not so beautiful other creatures, beautiful worlds, a ruthless queen, soulmates, wars with the underworld, friendship, loyalty, and so much more. It will take you through so many emotions and leave you wanting more!
I am anxious to get into book 2 of the Crymzon Chronicles! A very good read!!

[Keri Barber · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an ARC ebook in exchange for my honest review. This is a dark fantasy about a cruel queen who justifies her abhorrent behavior as being for the good of her kingdom and thus earns the nickname Monsteress. You will be introduced to Khaos, the queen's highest guard who continuously pines after her, Cyrus, a neighboring kingdom's runaway prince that is now a captive of Monsteress, among other characters in multiple Kingdoms. It is a multiple POV story told between Monsteress, Khaos, and Cyrus with little spice but ongoing action. It was hard for me to really get into this story because the main character, Monsteress, comes off as very pretentious and unlikable. The story leaves off on a cliffhanger, so I hope Monsteress will have more character development in the next story.

[Jessica Wolfe · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️

***Some spoilers***

I love fantasy, spicy, soulmate, dark books.

I was hooked on page 1, started off great. Queen Soulin(Monstress) is tough, I like her, but I also feel bad for her for what happened to her family. But man is she powerful.

Omg on chapter 15, I was not seeing that coming. Wow, just wow. Aemilius was Cyrus, I honestly didn’t see that.

This book had me shocked page after page.

I felt so bad for Khaos, Soulin was stubborn. I wanted to yell at her and tell her to stop being stubborn! Girl you know you want him, stop pushing him away.

You know this book was good when you end up reading it in one day. I have never read a book in 1 day. Wow, now onto book 2.

[Ava Tutty · Rating 4 out of 5]

What can I say this book is phenomenal. The world building is amazing and the writing is so smooth. The MFC is Monsteress and if you can’t tell from her name she can be pure evil. (She has her reasons that are explained in Hunteress.) It’s rare for a Protagonist especially a woman to be so cruel but it made me love her more, even when I was hating the things she was doing. She’s under pressure from the death of her family and her kingdom loosing their power. The spice is a one and the relationship between Monsteress and Khaos is complex and beautiful. The story keeps you on your toes and never gets boring. Monsteress is truly an amazing book and I would 100% recommend it. As always make sure you check trigger warnings as this book is dark.

[PetraReads2 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my first venture into C.K. Franziska’s work and I can honestly say I’m happy to join the club! This book is great and I enjoyed every second of it!

I loved reading about the FMC and everything she’s been through. Our girl has some SERIOUS trauma and trust issues and - I GET it but also, why does she have to be so mean? 🤣

I will say that there are quite a lot of lines in the book that have typos or are just using the wrong word(s) and that really had my eye twitchin’ but that’s the only thing I’d change about this book. It’s a great start to this series and I can’t wait to read the rest! 😁

[Maverick · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a little hard for me to get into at first just because it is in present tense and not something I’m used to. But the characters really sucked me in! The all have very diverse backgrounds and the reader is given pieces of what makes them who they are in a way that once you think you’ve got them figured out, you get a new piece that puts a twist in the puzzle. They all made me angry at one point but at the same time I was empathetic. The ending was a cliffhanger and I can’t wait to read the next one to find out what happens!

[Erica Huerta · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a quick and easy read! Finished in 3 nights.

Definitely more of a high fantasy vs dark. I didn’t find it to be nearly as dark as the triggers warned.
Spicy level was like a 🌶️ out of 5 lol. There was only 1 scene and it was extremely brief.

With that said this was a great story about a villain you love. What happens when we as women are exposed to too much trauma and refuse to meet the demands and standards that society thrust on us, but in a high fantasy setting. Definitely intrigued enough to read book 2, that and the big cliffhanger it left me on.

[Emily Mueller · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well written but I couldn't get into it

This book is well written but I just couldn't get into it. The FMC is a Villain and happy to remain that way and that's fine. My problem with her is that she can't seem to understand why everyone hates her and all her problems are her own fault. Even though everyone around her very clearly tells her to her face.

My second issue is that the love interest seems forced. I couldn't tell who was with who until the last 5 chapters and even then I was disappointed.

[Victoria Floyd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dark, hateful, cruel, self-centered. These are all the words I would use to describe the FMC in this novel. She doesn’t care who gets hurt along her path of destruction, including those who are closest to her. The world building in this book is great! There is plenty of detail and I love that each kingdom has its own individual features. The book ends on a cliffhanger, so I’ll be continuing the story. Soulin has a dark path, but after reading the story it is easy to understand why she is the way she is. Can’t wait to see where the story goes next!

[Mady Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book features a villain FMC. Yes. A REAL villain. Such one at time that it is a little hard to like her (but that’s the point). The book follows 3 main POVS, which I quite enjoyed. I like the darker elements of it and I really enjoyed the moths. I found the character building and chemistry to be a little lacking, but there are 3 more books to go! I like how short the chapters were and how easy it was to get through and read! Very “face value” reading, which I enjoy vs trying to figure out what the author is actually saying. LOVE this. Can’t wait for the next book :)

[Mikaela Talley · Rating 4 out of 5]

The way I felt reading this is the exact feeling I look for when going into a fantasy book! Or even a tv show or movie at that! The morally grey FEMALE character, though she makes questionable choices, is a breathe of fresh air! It’s nice having a badazzzzzz FMC who is also kind of the villain of the story! I loved every character, & the during the entire story I was like what the heck is about to happen next! Moving on to Hunteress ASAP!

[Moony Luve · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is really great if you love fantasy.
It builds the story line so so much. (Story line is the biggest part for me lol)
There is not a lot of back and forth between the characters, which is the only reason I gave it 4 starts.
But the characters themselves. Omg they are written so well. They are incredibly compelling, and it’s very easy to want to keep reading more of them.
You can feel the queens anger and pain come through the pages.
Spice level is a 2.
I highly recommend it!