Let Slip the Beasts

The Monstermorphosis #1

by Suzanne Berget

Beneath the streets of East Resplendent, monsters are mounting a war against their masters.

Kaliope Dearborne, a customer service nobody for a pharmaceutical mega-conglomerate, wants only to escape her cubicle and find true meaning for her life. But after accidentally killing her little sister’s bully, she’s taken captive by The Warren, a ragtag group of runaway medical test subjects.

Kaliope learns that she and her captors are experiments owned by the VyroGen corporation. Locked away and evolving, pieces of her slough off as she grows stronger, faster, and hungrier. Only Thresher—not quite man, not quite animal—keeps her from losing her grip on reality.

When Kaliope discovers the hidden truth of her genetic code, she joins The Warren in the war against VyroGen. With chemistry-altering pheromones and brain-tampering, she’s converted into a sleeper agent. But deep inside the dark heart of the corporation, Kaliope finds something that drastically changes her role in the war. She might win back her memories, her body, and her life, but will Kaliope lose her humanity in the process?

Genres: Science Fiction

218 pages, Paperback

Published March 4, 2024

About the author

Suzanne is a huge nerd, a writer, a bookseller, an occasional seamstress (more pockets please) and a games journalist from Norway. She has written around 4500 news pieces, articles, previews and reviews about video games, and been published in 13 countries, including Taiwan.

Two of her short stories have been published in the literary magazines Bøygen and Kamilla.

Let Slip the Beasts is her first novel.

Reviews

[Nicolai Alexander · Rating 4 out of 5]

An exhilaratingly violent and unpredictable sci-fi thriller from Suzanne Berget, a Norwegian journalist, video games reviewer and comic book aficionado. Her debut novel is the first book in the “The Monstermorphosis” series. The story is based in a futuristic city called East Resplendent – a city where rage, pain, distrust and misery form and fester in the underground thanks to a big bad company called VyroGen.

Here’s what’s what:

For you VyroGen is a cancer research company, and they do research on the surface, but underneath their humanitarian work, they deal in human trafficking and human alteration. They steal people, usually outers – those who are poor, desperate, and alone – and use them as guinea pigs or make monsters out of them for money. Pump them full of chemicals, drugs, viruses, insert implants and tech, mess with their brains or splice their genes with whatever they like. And then they sell them. Or keep them for further experimentation. (89)

Exactly. This is for you, then, if you like action and well-choreographed fight scenes, badass characters, body horror and a clash between an evil corporation and a band of discarded, mutated rebel misfits. A classic standoff between power and privilege on one side and the oppressed on the other. There’s bound to be a lot of secrecy, blood, pain, torture and death!

According to the “About the Author” page, Suzanne has “experience with both martial arts and competitive shooting (albeit brief), learned a lot about injuries in her five years in the Norwegian Red Cross Youth, and has used this knowledge to craft the fights and action sequences in Let Slip the Beasts.” You can definitely tell that her experience shines through, because trust me: the book packs a wild flurry of punches with a genetically mutated fist.

VyroGen is setting themselves up as gods, Kallie. They are building their temples on the backs of the poor and the unwanted, and the foundation is tens of thousands of corpses deep. (173)

I won’t deny that this premise is somewhat overused, though: you have an antagonistic, single-minded, greedy and cruel corporation whose sole motivation is money and power, and which seems to have connections in high places while hiding behind some altruistic project. Lesson is: Nothing is as it seems! We can’t let them get away with it! Power to the people! But as much as I think it bears repeating, there’s more to it than that on this occasion. There are more layers here and even more complexity than you’d expect.

The writing, condensed with nouns, augments the heavy use of technology and achingly physical approach to storytelling. Paragraphs coming in short bursts to accentuate the alarm and urgency of the narrative. Berget also makes effective use of an unreliable narrator, which makes the reading experience even more intense and unpredictable. I won’t spoil why and when she might be unreliable, but there’s an overarching theme of distrust, disillusionment, loss of control, brainwashing and manipulation. It’s confusing and frustrating at times, but it makes sense in the end, and it makes it all the more satisfying to witness some screaming and butt-kicking in the name of freedom and autonomy.

Nothing about is real. Your life is a construct. Your memories are falsified information. Question that information, and it will unravel. (25)

Sometimes the narrative went a bit too fast for my liking, as I wanted more time to process what was happening, to get a feel for the character’s emotional response and better understand their motives. I also wanted Berget to make more use of scenery, to linger on impressions and descriptions to let the narrative and atmosphere breathe a little. There were some paragraphs which impressed me in that regard and convinced me she’s fully capable of it, as for instance evident by the opening lines:

Thousands of glass panes hummed with discontent as the thunderstorm rolled into the giant maw of East Resplendent. Lightning and torrential rain pounded the city like an erratic, miserable war drum. (5)

By the way, I read it as part of a group read in the group “Norsk fabelprosa”, and the author turned up to answer questions. She comes across as friendly and forthcoming, which I really appreciate, and her answers, along with all the questions I’m still left with after finishing the book, made me even more curious to read the next one in the series.

[Kristi Elliot · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great and Unpredictable Plot

There is a lot to like about this book. The plot is always moving, making you turn the page, and making you want more. There’s a mystery throughout, and it’s both infuriating and satisfying because I have ADHD, so my brain tries to work everything out before the big reveal. This is one of those rare books I couldn’t predict in terms of plot.

I feel really terrible leaving a four star rating on this because truly, it’s a great story, but the pacing was too fast (for me) sometimes, creating gaps in world building and plot holes in terms of side characters. As readers, we’re almost never in any place long enough to get a feel for our greater surroundings.

I’m also not drawn to unreliable narrators, but I do want to point out this is part of the brilliance behind me not figuring things out sooner. In this case, it’s a personal preference and no fault of the author.

There’s definitely a dark sci-fi/horror element, which I really like. It did make me a little squeamish at times because of gore, but the dark, creepy element of monsters in the shadows is always present as you move on throughout the story.

I definitely have questions for the future books, and I’m very curious to see where Kallie’s journey takes her into the future.

[Daniel Rønningen · Rating 5 out of 5]

So grotesque you can't look away, so exciting you can't put it down.

[Mia · Rating 5 out of 5]

A mix between Orphan Black and X-Men, Let Slip the Beast is a brutal sci-fi with twists and turns, great characters that you'll fall in love with and an intriguing plot.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Confusion, great character descriptions and TWs but nice read and lots of excitement! I feel like Kallie’s journey and storyline was so hard to put down.. even to eat! Must read.

[Abigail Walker · Rating 4 out of 5]

This sci-fi/dystopian book focuses on Kallie Dearborne, an unreliable narrator who doesn’t seem to know who she is or where she belongs. For years she believed herself to be a simple daughter, but when she murders a girl for hurting her sister she soon realises her life wasn’t anything like she thought it was. Kallie is an experiment whose genetic code is all over the place thanks to the experiments of VyroGen, and after joining the Warren she now has a team around her who are ready to go against them for messing with people and their lives. However, is everything as it appears? Or is Kallie a pawn in a much larger game? Unsure which way to turn, Kallie has to trust herself, but with everyone out to control her every move this becomes increasingly difficult.

I enjoyed this book and the unreliable narrator element to it. The action was rather fast paced so sometimes you had to really focus to keep up, but I enjoyed this. Sometimes it was frustrating as it was hard to understand Kallie’s choices and actions, but it always kept you on your toes and had you thinking what was going to happen next.

I also liked the family theme in this and the idea of choosing family. Throughout the book Kallie had three families and, while this was a lot at times, it kept things interesting. I particularly liked her relationship with Buck and wish this was further explored. I’m hoping it will be in the next book.

The only reason I didn’t give this five stars is because some of the surprise elements I saw coming which ruined the suspense for me, but overall the book had an interesting plot and intriguing characters. I would definitely want to read book two to see where this story goes.

[Loulose · Rating 5 out of 5]

A super engaging read with the most wonderful environment descriptions. I looooved all the little techie details combined with the grimy world. The tech was written in such a natural way as well, as if we already have this kind of technology.

Also, loved the knitting scarf-part. It tugged at my heartstrings. And the little gameboy scenes. It made the characters more real to me how the author took the time to describe the little moments. And the reader gets a bit of a breather between the visceral descriptions and action.

[Anniken Steinarsdottir · Rating 4 out of 5]

Spoiler below

I'm not sure how to describe this book other than vibes. I liked the vibe, despite the confusion as to what the hell was actually going on.

Main character Kalli was a very difficult woman to understand and like, but the story was interesting enough to keep my attention. Still not sure what drives her, tbh, and not sure I will ever know. She loves her sister, but after Kalli is kidnapped, she mostly just forgets about her family. Goes back there once when she runs away, but that's it.
She makes choices I do not understand, and a lot of things just fall into her lap.

Loved the descriptions of gore. Very effective and painful.

Did not love the "alpha" strain thing, it doesn't work like that in nature. The alpha theory has been debunked, so why not call it something else. If scientists were the ones creating this thing, they would definitely not call it the alpha strain. So that took me right out of the story.

Would love it if Leon could just crawl out of this book and marry me at his first convenience, please and thank you.

Ash is best girl. I loved Ash. Rip in pieces :(

Will definitely read the next installment.

[Anitra E. H. L. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is horror on many levels. A science fiction action thriller, not too far in a possible and bleak future. Well written, fast paced and almost impossible to put down. Heavily influenced by action games. The few glitches in the plot are probably intentional. I hate stories with children being hurt. The experiments, the torture scenes, and the enormous amount of dead bodies (real, virtually real and imagined) marres it quite a bit for my taste, even if they serve the story and the protagonist’s brainwashed mind in a convincing way. The pain and disability from all the injuries described seems way too downplayed, even with the characters’ regenerative powers. Like a game. Not real. Some of the characters are well fleshed out and complex, others are almost cardboard with a tiny amount of complexity. Mad scientists indeed. They are the real monsters here.
But why does this corporation take people and make them into brainwashed soldiers and monsters? Society seems quite at peace at first. Are they at war? They don’t seem to use these soldiers for anything but a private army. I did not see a motive for them beyond hate and a wish for control. Very unethical scientists. It happens, specially in dictatorships and during war. But how do they finance all these experiments, the people and the labs? Who buys their services? Is the government involved, the police too incompetent, under-financed or corrupt to do anything?

I struggle to understand the character’s motives and loyalty to her first captors, and how easily she believes in their cause. Especially after they have hurt her so thoroughly, shown themselves to be untrustworthy, and how willing they are to use her for their own purposes. Even Stockholm syndrome (which does not quite work the way often depicted in pop culture) has its limits. Some of this might be explained in later books, of course.
My criticism may seem harsh, it means I liked the heroine and wanted her to escape her captors. So I became involved, and a bit annoyed. The novel works. If I had read it when I was young, I would probably have loved it.

[Kat Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Page turner. Great wordsmithing evokes the confusion which Kallie encounters about who to believe in her world as it comes crashing down around her. Am I a monster? Did I kill someone? Well, they did bully my little sister. Was that another set of eyes looking back at me when I looked in the mirror?

This is book 1 on Kallie's journey. A science fiction novel about evil corporations, genetic experiments, feral women, an unhinged MC and a hot sharkman, and if you like stuff like the X-men, Orphan Black, Resident Evil, Lazarus, Firebreak and Ginger Snaps, then reader, you are in the right place! VyroGen corporation does experiments on humans splicing their genes with animals. When those experiments go wrong, they toss those humans away. Some of those people who were experimented on escaped and are hidden underground in The Warren. Kallie ends up there while on the run from the police and is held hostage as they believe VyroGen sent her to find them. They do have a traitor in their midst and it sure isn't Kallie.

Kallie learns the hard way she is not the biological child of her parents. So who are her parents? She's not registered anywhere and the government knows everyone's whereabouts. Is she one of those experiments that was tossed away after birth?

I want to read the rest of the story as it is so intriguing.

[Eric Lahti · Rating 5 out of 5]

Along comes Suzanne Berget, who decides to create a Moreau-esque critter of her own. Berget pulls from some of the classics - The Island of Dr. Moreau and Bladerunner spring to mind - and adds her own twists and turns. Unlike a lot of authors who find inspiration in simply copying the existing works, Berget uses those ideas as springboards for her own ideas. Now, it's been said that there's nothing new under the sun so building off something else is not a problem in my mind. Hell, I've got my own book that's an unholy marriage of Cthulhu and Tron, so I'm not really in a position to criticize. Even more importantly, Berget didn't just crib those stories, change a few names, and call it her own work. She used some basic ideas - human beasts and out-of-control corporations - and built her own unique tale.

That's not an easy thing to do, but Berget pulls it off with some aplomb and what we get is more than the sum of two stories separated by nearly 100 years. Instead, we get some great characters, some seriously nerve-wracking scenes, more than a few teeth, and a hefty dose of moral ambiguity on the part of both the supposed good guys and the supposed bad guys. In other words, we get a story that feels real.

Read the whole review on my blog

[Ida Thorsen Hatlevik · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5 ⭐️

Spennende Sci-Fi bok med onde selskaper og genetiske eksperimenter 🫶🏻 Den handler om Kallie som ønsker å rømme fra det kjedelige livet sitt. Man kan vel si at hun får ønske sitt oppfylt, men gjerne ikke helt som hun hadde tenkt, når hun uheldigvis begår et drap . Det leder til at hun blir fanget og fortalt at hun er et av VyroGens eksperimenter – et selskap som blander menneskers gener med dyr (boken har med en hot hai-mann🌶️). Hvem og hva skal Kallie tro på? Og er hun et monster?🫣

Hjernetuklingen var interessant, og plottet hadde flere overraskelser. Det jeg likte best var absolutt action-scenene, og det var mange av dem. Boken er ganske voldelig, men det passet meg godt 🙌🏻 Det er sjeldent selve plottet som fenger meg, men her var det nok twister og vendinger til at spenningen ble opprettholdt, og jeg synes boken ble bedre og bedre det lenger jeg kom. Og den siste tredjedelen suste av sted👏🏻

Tror denne vil falle i smak hvis du liker spennende og hårreisende lesestoff, og tåler litt blod og gørr🫶🏻

[Eline Holt · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book has a highly complex worldbuilding in a world that seems so familiar, yet so strange at the same time. It is a true science fiction in that department, and though I don't usually read much science fiction, I loved this world setting.

It was this same complexity that sometimes made the story a bit hard to follow (which is why I give it 4 instead of 5 stars). Especially in the beginning, when everything is still new and you haven't gotten fully into the story yet, places and people were introduced so quickly after another, that it was easy to forget important details. Therefore, I personally would've liked some more descriptive scenes and sentences scattered throughout the book to remind you of some of those important details.

Still, the overall storyline is amazing and makes you want to keep reading. Every time you finally think, this is where the story will go, you come across another surprising turn, which keeps you on edge at all times. Definitely a good book from an author with great potential.

[Vickiec192 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Phew! That was a whirlwind and a half. You know what, no. That was at least three whirlwinds.

Kaliope, is tired of her very normal and boring life. So when she finds out her sister is being bullied and she storms round to confront her, one rage filled mistake absolutely changes her life and truly begins to understand that the grass was definitely not greener!!!!

I can't even begin to describe the events, there is just too much and I wouldn't know where to start. This is a really unique concept and very well executed. Some really, erm, I'll go with, imaginative characters. Morally grey is probably an understatement and pretty much applies to all of them. I genuinely gave up trying to work out what would happen next due to the embarrassment of constantly being wrong!

You can definitely tell the author has a background in martial arts as the fight scenes were brilliantly done. What I find astounding is that this is her first novel!!!! I cannot wait for the sequel

[Doris · Rating 5 out of 5]

A thrilling read fit for all fans of gritty sci-fi stories full of twists and turns!

Fast paced, intriguing, page-turning, pulse-rising, squirm-inducing, gasp-worthy… I COULD GO ON!

The characters are so ALIVE and the writing is really dynamic and imaginative.

Just a little tip… try to avoid eating crunchy snacks while reading… I bit into an extra crunchy bit of cookie just as I read some VERY GOOD descriptions of various bones and body-parts being crushed and splattered around… felt a bit TOO real to add sound-effects to already incredibly vivid writing.

Super excited for the follow up, I need more Thresher in my life ASAP!

[Elisabeth Høgseth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This kind of story is right up my alley, and I really enjoyed it. This is Bergets first novel, and this sometimes gory, twisty-turny sci-fi meets urban fantasy is a well written use of my Reading Time.

It's not quite a 5 stars from me, but if you like this kind of books I think you should pick it up from your favourite book pusher. I must say I look forward to hearing more from this author in the years to come.

[Stephen Frame · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brutal, gory and violent. What's not to like? A non-stop, head-long charge through a dystopian future, alongside lost soul, Kallie, as she tries to uncover who, and what, she is. With more than a nod to video games past and present, evil corporations, genetic meddling, a surveillance state with eerie echoes of our own and a great roster of characters, this is one for anybody who likes their sci-fi served fast and dripping-red.

[Stian Antonsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book for sure has no trouble getting you hooked, in the need to dive further into the depths of the mysteries it wants you to unravel! The author has great skill of character development and description, which of some are not for the faint of heart!

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was brutal, dark, and violent. The story was engaging and kept me wondering "What's going to happen to Kallie now?" I feel like there wasn't a lot of closure by the end, but I suppose that's what the next book in the series is all about!

[Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sharp and straight to the point, yet full of detailed world building! East Resplendent might just be my favorite city. As if the scene wasn't perfect enough, the plot is amazing and takes turns I couldn't have guessed. Very entertaining, I need the sequel asap!

[Charlotte Annie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A breath of fresh air with a lot of action. The writing style is on point, the story is easy to follow, and the characters are really well fleshed out. Can't wait for the next one!

[carliereadsstuff · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved 'Let Slip the Beasts' – it was well-written and at times really hard to put down.
A queer MC always earns extra points in my book but I also found it enjoyably dark,
gritty and fast-paced. When Kallie finds out that her whole has been a lie and she is
suddenly accused of multiple murders, I desperately wanted to find out where the
story ends for her. I’d definitely read more books set in her world, though I am
usually not that big on science fiction.

[Tom André Vibeto · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cyberpunk! Corporate bio-tech experimentation! Whats not to love about that?

[Linn Skyum · Rating 5 out of 5]

This gem of a book had me on the edge of my seat from start to finish! The story is a perfect combination of fast-paced storytelling and vibrant character descriptions, resulting in a proper page-turner that got me absolutely hooked.

[Bethany · Rating 4 out of 5]

Let Slip The Beasts is a unique and fast paced world. I was instantly gripped after the first couple of chapters. When Kali ends up murdering her little sisters bully (not a spoiler, in the blurb!) life turns upside down... as you can imagine after such events. This was painted so vividly, with the emotion sweeping through the pages that I actually dreamt I did the same thing as Kali! Very creepy!

Anyway, Kali has much to learn about the world and herself after this. It leads to an action packed, sometimes brutal story!
I recommend this to people who like sci-fi worlds. It's really well written and really pulls you in! It's also not overly long so can deffo be devoured in a couple of sittings!

[K.W. Bernard · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story had an awesome Resident Evil vibe with a badass Terminator-style heroine. The writing and world-building were excellent, and the characters were super fun (cute shark-man, anyone?). Everyone seems like a bad guy, which I’m a big fan of. The body-horror elements were a little much for my taste (can Kallie keep her teeth for a while, please?), but it wasn’t a dealbreaker. I’m excited for Kallie’s next mission!

[Margaret Claire · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a trip and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Weird in all the best ways. Also, it's very well written!

[Lilliane · Rating 5 out of 5]

S. Berget wields words like a painter would a brush, creating vivid images that stayed with me long after the last words were read.

Disclaimer: I will be a bit vague on purpose from here on out to avoid spoilers.

The confusion the main character experiences because of conflicting information throughout the plot makes for a very interesting read. At multiple different points in the storyline I was certain that I had figured out the real truth, only for a curve ball to get thrown in and turn everything on its head again.

The novel is set in an environment where a lot of bad things happen and it could easily have ended up being entirely dark, but there are some glimmers of light here and there. They allow for a bit of hope, while simultaneously making the contrasts between what is and what could have been much more jarring. I hope there will be a sequel, because I would love to know what kind of future the main character is going to create for herself.

The author kindly gifted me a copy of the novel to review, but all opinions written above are my own. After reading it I purchased another copy on amazon, because I believe in the author and want to support her future endevours as a writer. In other words, I highly reccomend this book!

[Linn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good book! Read it! Buy it! Offer compliments and wellwishes to the author!

Disclaimer: I am definitely writing this review of my own volition, and not because the author happens to be my neighbour. She does not leave vaguely threatening notes on my front door urging me to write one (or else!!!), and she is not currently standing on her balcony, staring menacingly in my general direction. She has most certainly not done that on a regular basis in the year and a half+++ that has passed since I finished the book, just barely managing to give it a rating before I abandoned my Goodreads account. In fact, she has been super nice about my laziness.

[E Kummeneje · Rating 4 out of 5]

So, the book was surprisingly good! I didn't really have any expectations about this. All i knew was that it was written by someone Norwegian i follow on Xwitter. This is solid craft though. Well structured, functional no-nonsense language with drive and emotion. The initial world-building is great, you can easily imagine consequences beyond what is directly described.

It does unfortunately unravel a bit on the last 1/5 or so, both the story and the setting becomes a bit muddled and unfocused. I've seen far worse though, and the ending is quite acceptable - even if I can't quite recall what it was...