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The Isle of Lonely Monsters
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Expected 19 Jan 27Win a free print copy of this book!
28 days and 22:44:42
15 copies available
U.S. only
A monster hunter who secretly runs a sanctuary for the very creatures she pursues must form an unlikely alliance with a sorcerer in this profound and moving novel from the USA Today bestselling author of The Keeper of Magical Things.
When villagers in the Crownless Kingdom find themselves beset by winged or wicked creatures, they call on Meixin the monster hunter and her trusty hound to rid them of the beasts for a bit of coin. What they don’t know is this: Meixin rescues more monsters than she kills—most of them are just misunderstood—and brings them home to a hidden island sanctuary where they can live in peace. And where Meixin too can hide away from prying eyes, and keep her biggest secret: the one that explains why she understands what it is to be called a monster all too well.
Faran the Green is an upstart sorcerer with something to prove. When a magical reward is offered to anyone who can find the rumored last dragon in the kingdom, he decides his best chance at winning it means seeking out the services of a reclusive, yet renowned monster hunter: Meixin.
At first, Meixin wants to refuse the charmingly earnest sorcerer, until she realizes that she can use Faran to find the dragon for her own purposes. As their partnership deepens into something more, she wonders if she has finally found someone who might accept her for who—and what—she really is. But when their hunt threatens to expose her sanctuary and her secrets, she must choose a side—man or monster—in this captivating, poignant, and tenderly hopeful fantasy about finding acceptance and belonging in a world built to keep people apart.
When villagers in the Crownless Kingdom find themselves beset by winged or wicked creatures, they call on Meixin the monster hunter and her trusty hound to rid them of the beasts for a bit of coin. What they don’t know is this: Meixin rescues more monsters than she kills—most of them are just misunderstood—and brings them home to a hidden island sanctuary where they can live in peace. And where Meixin too can hide away from prying eyes, and keep her biggest secret: the one that explains why she understands what it is to be called a monster all too well.
Faran the Green is an upstart sorcerer with something to prove. When a magical reward is offered to anyone who can find the rumored last dragon in the kingdom, he decides his best chance at winning it means seeking out the services of a reclusive, yet renowned monster hunter: Meixin.
At first, Meixin wants to refuse the charmingly earnest sorcerer, until she realizes that she can use Faran to find the dragon for her own purposes. As their partnership deepens into something more, she wonders if she has finally found someone who might accept her for who—and what—she really is. But when their hunt threatens to expose her sanctuary and her secrets, she must choose a side—man or monster—in this captivating, poignant, and tenderly hopeful fantasy about finding acceptance and belonging in a world built to keep people apart.
416 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication January 19, 2027
About the author
Julie Leong
3 books1,430 followersJulie Leong is the USA Today and Sunday Times internationally bestselling author of cozy and cozy-adjacent fantasy novels. The daughter of Malaysian Chinese immigrants, she split her childhood across suburban New Jersey and Beijing, China. Her debut novel, The Teller of Small Fortunes, was published in the US/UK in November 2024, with translations forthcoming in German, French, Spanish, Czech, Portuguese, Hungarian, and Ukrainian.
Julie graduated from Yale University with degrees in Economics and Political Science. She lives in San Francisco, California with her husband and their spoiled rescue pup, Kaya. When she’s not writing, she enjoys making unnecessary spreadsheets and flambéing things.
Find her online at julieleong.com, or on Twitter or Instagram at @JulieLeongBooks.
Julie graduated from Yale University with degrees in Economics and Political Science. She lives in San Francisco, California with her husband and their spoiled rescue pup, Kaya. When she’s not writing, she enjoys making unnecessary spreadsheets and flambéing things.
Find her online at julieleong.com, or on Twitter or Instagram at @JulieLeongBooks.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
2027
September 9, 2026Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.
ANHPI TBR
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September 7, 2026
Julie Leong's most perilous book yet, a taut adventure that dares to care for the dragons that others hunt, while maintaining the warm heart that made Leong's earlier books unforgettable. It feels like a lantern has finally been carried into a dark and lonely corner. If you pumped your fists in Sapkowski's Witcher or Kaner's Godkiller when a hero bonded with uncanny critters and fought to help them? Then this book is for you. And we should be friends.
Thank you to the author for sending be an advanced reader copy.
Thank you to the author for sending be an advanced reader copy.
Did Not Finish
September 18, 2026DNF. Loved the first two from Leong. Not sure why this one isn't working for me.
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
Finished - another 5 star read from this fantastic author.
It's not as cozy as her first two books, this one had me a bit stressed at times and I was in tears towards the finish, but wow, beautiful story, amazing world-building, such a wonderful heroine, I didn't want this to end.
The only way it could've been improved is if it was sapphic, lol, but that's always going to be my feedback - I really did warm to Faran after my initial HARRUMPH that this wasn't going to be non-romantic like Teller of Lost Fortunes or sappphic like Keeper of Magical Things, once I gave him a chance, I found him charming.
PS. I forgive the author for not including a cat in this one after having cats on the covers of and briefly featured in the first two, lol.
___
A third of the way through and MY HEART 🥹❤️ all the 'monsters' are the cutest, I'm DYING
___
"Have you ever loved something and known it could destroy you?”
“I think that is the only way to love something."
😭😭😭
It's not as cozy as her first two books, this one had me a bit stressed at times and I was in tears towards the finish, but wow, beautiful story, amazing world-building, such a wonderful heroine, I didn't want this to end.
The only way it could've been improved is if it was sapphic, lol, but that's always going to be my feedback - I really did warm to Faran after my initial HARRUMPH that this wasn't going to be non-romantic like Teller of Lost Fortunes or sappphic like Keeper of Magical Things, once I gave him a chance, I found him charming.
PS. I forgive the author for not including a cat in this one after having cats on the covers of and briefly featured in the first two, lol.
___
A third of the way through and MY HEART 🥹❤️ all the 'monsters' are the cutest, I'm DYING
___
"Have you ever loved something and known it could destroy you?”
“I think that is the only way to love something."
😭😭😭
September 21, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley and Berkeley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.
THIS BOOK!!! I am a sucker for a solid found family dynamic, and add some creatures into the mix? I’m sunk. This novel was exactly what I hoped it would be.
I loved the dual point of view used and think it worked to the benefit of the narrative and the depth of characters.
The story is well paced, and while it wraps up cleanly I’m left wanting more.
The romance is also well matched and believable to most extents. I did feel like there was a sudden jump from interest to action. I find myself wishing that maybe the intent was little more well established but once it tipped over that particular point I think the rest of it played out nicely. (Overall it was well done and that is likely a just personal bias.)
The Isle of Lonely Monsters is a heartwarming read filled to the brim with found family, epic quests, magic, and monsters. If you’re considering it I HIGHLY recommend giving this book a go.
THIS BOOK!!! I am a sucker for a solid found family dynamic, and add some creatures into the mix? I’m sunk. This novel was exactly what I hoped it would be.
I loved the dual point of view used and think it worked to the benefit of the narrative and the depth of characters.
The story is well paced, and while it wraps up cleanly I’m left wanting more.
The romance is also well matched and believable to most extents. I did feel like there was a sudden jump from interest to action. I find myself wishing that maybe the intent was little more well established but once it tipped over that particular point I think the rest of it played out nicely. (Overall it was well done and that is likely a just personal bias.)
The Isle of Lonely Monsters is a heartwarming read filled to the brim with found family, epic quests, magic, and monsters. If you’re considering it I HIGHLY recommend giving this book a go.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you, thank you, thank you for allowing me to read this book prior to its release.
I will preface this review with a disclaimer that I have read all of Julie Leong's books and have had entire weekends melt away in pure bliss as I turned pages while forgetting I have a life outside of the story. Even if I wasn't a tiny bit biased, even if I didn't expect to be all-consumed and joyful while I read this... I loved this book.
The Isle of Lonely Monsters is a cosy fantasy, yes, but it's not as cosy as most books within this category are. It actually has some bite to it. Typically, I'd take a lot longer to get through a book in this genre because I need more stakes, generally I need... more. Not The Isle of Lonely Monsters. Leong did it again. She somehow created a book that had a whole heart but a mouth full of teeth. It had its darker, more gritty moments, but it also had the moments that felt like a warm hug. It was gorgeous. There are so many poignant themes within this book but at no point did it ever feel preachy - it had the perfect balance. The monsters themselves were so well described, and so unique which is hard to do.
I think, perhaps, this book made me love Julie Leong's writing even more. It had all the same aspects that I loved within her previous books, but this was so much more, so much deeper, so much more immersive. Leong has truly improved in her craft and I cannot wait to read what she writes next; I just know it'll be moving, whimsical, creative, gut-punching and giggle-inducing all wrapped up in a stunning cover.
ARC received in exchange for honest review.
I will preface this review with a disclaimer that I have read all of Julie Leong's books and have had entire weekends melt away in pure bliss as I turned pages while forgetting I have a life outside of the story. Even if I wasn't a tiny bit biased, even if I didn't expect to be all-consumed and joyful while I read this... I loved this book.
The Isle of Lonely Monsters is a cosy fantasy, yes, but it's not as cosy as most books within this category are. It actually has some bite to it. Typically, I'd take a lot longer to get through a book in this genre because I need more stakes, generally I need... more. Not The Isle of Lonely Monsters. Leong did it again. She somehow created a book that had a whole heart but a mouth full of teeth. It had its darker, more gritty moments, but it also had the moments that felt like a warm hug. It was gorgeous. There are so many poignant themes within this book but at no point did it ever feel preachy - it had the perfect balance. The monsters themselves were so well described, and so unique which is hard to do.
I think, perhaps, this book made me love Julie Leong's writing even more. It had all the same aspects that I loved within her previous books, but this was so much more, so much deeper, so much more immersive. Leong has truly improved in her craft and I cannot wait to read what she writes next; I just know it'll be moving, whimsical, creative, gut-punching and giggle-inducing all wrapped up in a stunning cover.
ARC received in exchange for honest review.
September 26, 2026
3.85⭐️
Julie Leong has crafted something genuinely special here; a cozy, gentle, comforting fantasy with so much warmth.
Meixin is exactly the kind of heroine I fall hard for, prickly on the outside, soft and grieving underneath, carrying a secret so big it's shaped her entire life. The irony of a "monster hunter" who's secretly running a sanctuary is such a perfect hook, and watching her tend to her island of misfit creatures while hiding her own monstrous nature gave the whole book this gorgeous ache of loneliness. You understand immediately why she trusts animals more than people.
And then Faran. Oh, Faran. A sorcerer with something to prove is such a classic setup, but Leong makes him so earnest and warm that I completely understood why Meixin's careful walls started cracking. The slow burn between him and Meixin is done so well: earnest, patient, funny, and never rushed. Watching her walk the tightrope between using him for her own ends and genuinely falling for him had me flipping pages.
A found-family sanctuary full of "misunderstood" creatures is exactly like the kind of cozy-but-aching world Leong writes so well and absolutely delivers in this book with themes of loneliness, belonging, found family, and choosing your people over the categories the world tries to sort you into👏 and what it costs to let someone see the parts of you you've hidden away.
A massive thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of The Isle of Lonely Monsters. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Julie Leong has crafted something genuinely special here; a cozy, gentle, comforting fantasy with so much warmth.
Meixin is exactly the kind of heroine I fall hard for, prickly on the outside, soft and grieving underneath, carrying a secret so big it's shaped her entire life. The irony of a "monster hunter" who's secretly running a sanctuary is such a perfect hook, and watching her tend to her island of misfit creatures while hiding her own monstrous nature gave the whole book this gorgeous ache of loneliness. You understand immediately why she trusts animals more than people.
And then Faran. Oh, Faran. A sorcerer with something to prove is such a classic setup, but Leong makes him so earnest and warm that I completely understood why Meixin's careful walls started cracking. The slow burn between him and Meixin is done so well: earnest, patient, funny, and never rushed. Watching her walk the tightrope between using him for her own ends and genuinely falling for him had me flipping pages.
A found-family sanctuary full of "misunderstood" creatures is exactly like the kind of cozy-but-aching world Leong writes so well and absolutely delivers in this book with themes of loneliness, belonging, found family, and choosing your people over the categories the world tries to sort you into👏 and what it costs to let someone see the parts of you you've hidden away.
A massive thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of The Isle of Lonely Monsters. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
September 9, 2026
Big Studio Ghibli vibes in this one! If I could, I'd rename it into "The Isle of Lovely Monsters" because they were all so amazing and inventive, and more of them were cute than scary and dangerous. There are environmentalist themes here (people hunting some of the monsters not because they're dangerous, but because it's profitable to the humans, even if they're pushing some to the brink of extinction), themes of belonging, curiosity vs blindly trusting traditions, and most importantly, what's at the heart of every cozy, a belief that humans are good actually in the depth of their souls, some are simply misguided.
Fans of Princess Mononoke will love Meixin the huntress with her secrets, as she's determined, wary, but ultimately caring. The dynamic between Meixin and Faran reminded me of The Apothecary Diaries, where she's more grumpy but only because she knows how much is stacked against her, and he's more carefree even though behind the facade of charm and humor he can be quite serious.
I would recommend it to any fans of cozy, fairy-tale-like fantasy and Chinese mythology. Also fans of Nghi Vo's The Singing Hills Cycle will find similar vibes here.
ARC received from Netgalley with the courtesy of Berkley Publishing Group & Ace.
Fans of Princess Mononoke will love Meixin the huntress with her secrets, as she's determined, wary, but ultimately caring. The dynamic between Meixin and Faran reminded me of The Apothecary Diaries, where she's more grumpy but only because she knows how much is stacked against her, and he's more carefree even though behind the facade of charm and humor he can be quite serious.
I would recommend it to any fans of cozy, fairy-tale-like fantasy and Chinese mythology. Also fans of Nghi Vo's The Singing Hills Cycle will find similar vibes here.
ARC received from Netgalley with the courtesy of Berkley Publishing Group & Ace.
Review of advance copy received from Author
❤️🔥💜🥹🥰
I’m so glad I will never be forced to choose a favorite of Julie’s books. She’s given me another world and found family to become entirely obsessed with and they’re perfect and I can’t wait for everyone to meet them.
Meixin is a monster hunter by trade, but what if maybe she asks some of those monsters if they’d prefer to live safely with her instead?
Faran is a member of the Enlightened, a group of sorcerers bound to maintain the rules of the past, set out to win a big prize, but what if a really badass monster hunter ends up giving him new things to question and understand?
I’ll tell you what if! Those what if’s turn into a gorgeous story of new magic, new creatures, and new family.
Meixin is so strong and beautiful and kind and hot. Faran is so sweet and compassionate and generous and hot. Oops, I fell in love with everyone again.
The magic in this story is SO PRETTY.
I am absolutely desperate to dig into the mythology that the creatures in this book might’ve been inspired by. I wanted to round up and adopt every one of them myself.
Anyway, everyone read this please. Thank you.
I’m so glad I will never be forced to choose a favorite of Julie’s books. She’s given me another world and found family to become entirely obsessed with and they’re perfect and I can’t wait for everyone to meet them.
Meixin is a monster hunter by trade, but what if maybe she asks some of those monsters if they’d prefer to live safely with her instead?
Faran is a member of the Enlightened, a group of sorcerers bound to maintain the rules of the past, set out to win a big prize, but what if a really badass monster hunter ends up giving him new things to question and understand?
I’ll tell you what if! Those what if’s turn into a gorgeous story of new magic, new creatures, and new family.
Meixin is so strong and beautiful and kind and hot. Faran is so sweet and compassionate and generous and hot. Oops, I fell in love with everyone again.
The magic in this story is SO PRETTY.
I am absolutely desperate to dig into the mythology that the creatures in this book might’ve been inspired by. I wanted to round up and adopt every one of them myself.
Anyway, everyone read this please. Thank you.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I received this ebook ARC from the publisher via Netgalley.
I already loved Julie Leong and her writing, but this book is beyond anything she's written before. Deeply emotional and impactful from the start, we meet Meixin, a monster hunter who isn't quite what she seems. Yes, she hunts monsters who kill humans, but if all the monster does is... exist? She gives them a safe haven on her island to hide from the sorcerers who just want monster parts for their spells. And Faran is a sorcerer who just wants to find his brother.
The story of Meixin and Faran and all the animals and what it means to protect and use... there's so much deeper meaning here in terms of what we take from our environment and are we doing it justly? Leong weaves it all together so perfectly - Meixin's loneliness as the only one of her kind in the Crownless Kingdom, Faran's struggle to learn about things beyond the Enlightened. I'm not much for getting emotional with books, but I teared up several times toward the end.
A beautiful story, and one that's going to stay with me a long time.
I already loved Julie Leong and her writing, but this book is beyond anything she's written before. Deeply emotional and impactful from the start, we meet Meixin, a monster hunter who isn't quite what she seems. Yes, she hunts monsters who kill humans, but if all the monster does is... exist? She gives them a safe haven on her island to hide from the sorcerers who just want monster parts for their spells. And Faran is a sorcerer who just wants to find his brother.
The story of Meixin and Faran and all the animals and what it means to protect and use... there's so much deeper meaning here in terms of what we take from our environment and are we doing it justly? Leong weaves it all together so perfectly - Meixin's loneliness as the only one of her kind in the Crownless Kingdom, Faran's struggle to learn about things beyond the Enlightened. I'm not much for getting emotional with books, but I teared up several times toward the end.
A beautiful story, and one that's going to stay with me a long time.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Another great fantasy by Leong. Great wordbuilding and endearing characters. I was a little disappointed that this was a little less "Cozy" than her previous books and I didn't love the steamy scenes personally (I think I loved her first so much because the main character was so uninterested in romance), however it was still a well written, fun fantasy adventure. Thanks to Netgalley for the advance copy.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!
I really loved this book. I knew I would because I like books by this author. Its so cozy, the romance is romancing I loved the dragons. Faran didn't irritate me that much, which is rare these days.
I really loved this book. I knew I would because I like books by this author. Its so cozy, the romance is romancing I loved the dragons. Faran didn't irritate me that much, which is rare these days.
Want to Read
September 11, 2026PLEASE i need this now
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews