Monsters Born and Made

Berwah fuses a South Asian–inspired caste system with elements of classical mythology in this high-stakes debut. Sixteen-year-old Koral’s island home, Sollonia, is divided into two segments: the lower-caste Renters and the upper-caste Landers. As Renters, Koral, her level-headed older brother Emrik, and her younger sister Liria, whose asthma limits her mobility, have few options in life. To pay for Liria’s medicine, Koral and Emrik risk their lives daily to capture and breed dangerous maristags—bright green, amphibious monsters who dwell in the dark waters surrounding the island—which they then sell to Landers. Maristags are needed for the Glory Race, a ruthless chariot competition whose winning champion earns a lifetime of gold and glory. Renters can’t enter the competition, but when the last maristag gets loose, increasing her family’s debt and imperiling Liria’s health, Koral resolves to enter, win, and clear their dues. As she schemes her way through the race, she must face down elite opponents—and rebels from her own caste determined to see her fail. Though familiar dystopian worldbuilding and tropes at times constrain the narrative, fluid prose and a breakneck pace ensures a wild ride from start to finish. Ages 13–up. Agent: Rena Rossner, Deborah Harris Agency. (Sept.)