Official Review: Monster's Children by Daniel Paul Hansen

Jaime Lync · Post by **Jaime Lync** » 23 Apr 2018, 14:38

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Monster's Children" by Daniel Paul Hansen.]

3 out of 4 stars

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Monster’s Children by Daniel Hansen caught my eye because of its intriguing title and the stylish artwork on the cover. This novel is classified as sci-fi/ fantasy. However, I would also label it as philosophical fiction since Hansen subtly inserts numerous thought-provoking philosophy lessons throughout the story. Not surprisingly, the author is a philosopher and an artist. He obviously employed skills from both disciplines to write this book, the first installment in The Tricksters’ War Series.

The premise for this story is quite interesting. The “Monster” once roamed the Earth, leaving destruction wherever he went. Hence, the Queen of Order and the Trickster gods allied to defeat him. However, after their victory, the allegiance was dissolved due to differences in world views: The Queen of Order believes that the world should be like a rigid organized system, but the Tricksters believe in being wild and free. This war of ideology has been ongoing for millennials unknown to most humans.

In this novel, the focus is on Jasmine, the newest Chosen of the Spider Trickster, Uazit. The Tricksters and the Queen of Order have chosen ones to champion their cause. Jasmine, nicknamed Jamie throughout the book, must learn to harness the power that Uazit has gifted her to fight in the war. She must also learn to interact with the other chosen children of Uazit (all of Uazit’s chosen are underaged).

I enjoyed reading Monster’s Children. It consisted of 14 chapters and was just a little over 300 pages, so I was able to read it in a few days. I was not able to detect any grammatical or formatting errors, so I must conclude that it was professionally edited. Once again, I make mention of the philosophy lessons, because they were well thought out. Alcibiades (from the First Alcibiades accredited to Plato, may be a key character in this novel). I was really impressed by the level of detail in Hansen’s writing style. There were numerous extended metaphors, emotive words and other literary devices that helped me to create a clear mental picture of the story. The characters also kept their roles consistently throughout the novel and there was still an element of suspense from beginning to the end of the novel.

Unfortunately, some of the strong points in this book can also be classified as weaknesses. There were many instances where the highly detailed writing style, while beautiful, hindered the pace of action scenes. For example, there was a scene where an awesome fight was about to start but I had to read a paragraph about one of the villains’ ‘high-quality suit,’ in the middle of the action. This was not the case for every action scene but there were many other cases where the story would have flowed more smoothly if the level of description was toned down. I was not able to really connect with any of the characters, but this is a subjective point because I have a feeling that other readers may be able to connect with them. Jamie and Nettle (another of Uazit’s children) seemed to be developing a lesbian relationship near the end of the book and this was not appealing to me at all.

In conclusion, I rate Monster’s Children 3 out of 4 stars. I would have given this a perfect rating if the highly detailed writing did not interfere with the enjoyment of several action scenes. I still highly recommend this book to fans of sci-fi/fantasy novels.

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Monster's Children
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Mildred Tabitha · Post by **Mildred Tabitha** » 24 Apr 2018, 10:09

Your review is very well detailed and I like that you were not afraid to express the little negative side of the book. Most of us think a book with no grammar errors deserves a perfect 4 out of 4 star rating but your review is a perfect example that other messages expressed from the book can be an issue.

cpru68 · Post by **cpru68** » 24 Apr 2018, 11:03

This book looks so unique and intriguing. The cover is so eye catching like you said in your review, and the storyline sounds fascinating. Sounds like a lot of detail went into this one. I know what you mean about too much description though in places where the writing should be fast paced and a little less descriptive. Overall, it sounds like a good work.

Sirhenry002 · Post by **Sirhenry002** » 24 Apr 2018, 12:18

Monsters and children? Wooow!!!The picture on the cover itself is extremely eye catching. With a wonderful blend of colors and accurate placing. This is a science fiction book by Daniel Paul Hansen that we all need to read.Just read afew pages and am already in love with it.

MsTri · Post by **MsTri** » 24 Apr 2018, 12:57

This sounds like a very entrancing book - AND my youngest's name is Jasmine! - and like my kind of read. I especially like the idea of the opposing sides and the Tricksters in particular. It is a shame about the unnecessary bits interrupting the flow of the story, but I'm glad you were able to enjoy it just the same. Thanks for the review!

Libs_Books · Post by **Libs_Books** » 24 Apr 2018, 13:49

The philosophical angle certainly sounds intriguing but, in a story such as this, I think a high proportion of description to action would probably put me off.

melissy370 · Post by **melissy370** » 24 Apr 2018, 14:28

The beautiful artwork caught my eye also. I am not afraid of some philosophical talk in my fantasy book. It sounds interesting. What I am not sure about is the relationship between Jamie and Nettle. This would not appeal to me either

stacie k · Post by **stacie k** » 24 Apr 2018, 17:37

You've done a great job with this review, highlighting both positive and negative qualities. Unfortunately the budding lesbian relationship is a deal breaker for me. Thanks for sharing your insights!

Post by **kandscreeley** » 24 Apr 2018, 17:42

This sounds like an interesting book. I'm definitely into sci fi, but I'm just not sure about the premise of this one. I'll have to think about it some more. Thanks for the review, though.

Jaime Lync · Post by **Jaime Lync** » 24 Apr 2018, 21:00

Mildred Tabitha wrote: ↑24 Apr 2018, 10:09 Your review is very well detailed and I like that you were not afraid to express the little negative side of the book. Most of us think a book with no grammar errors deserves a perfect 4 out of 4 star rating but your review is a perfect example that other messages expressed from the book can be an issue.

Thanks for your post Mildred. I am glad you liked it and could see that the rating of a book is dependant on more than grammar.

Jaime Lync · Post by **Jaime Lync** » 24 Apr 2018, 21:01

cpru68 wrote: ↑24 Apr 2018, 11:03 This book looks so unique and intriguing. The cover is so eye catching like you said in your review, and the storyline sounds fascinating. Sounds like a lot of detail went into this one. I know what you mean about too much description though in places where the writing should be fast paced and a little less descriptive. Overall, it sounds like a good work.

Yes, it's like you said, it is evident that the author put a lot of work into this book. Thanks for reading and commenting.

Jaime Lync · Post by **Jaime Lync** » 24 Apr 2018, 21:04

MsTri wrote: ↑24 Apr 2018, 12:57 This sounds like a very entrancing book - AND my youngest's name is Jasmine! - and like my kind of read. I especially like the idea of the opposing sides and the Tricksters in particular. It is a shame about the unnecessary bits interrupting the flow of the story, but I'm glad you were able to enjoy it just the same. Thanks for the review!

Glad you liked the review. I found it imperative to mention that the main character's name is Jasmine even though she is mostly referred to as Jamie. My penname here is Jamie but I was really thinking of James when I chose the name. Jasmine is a really pretty name.

crediblereading2 · Post by **crediblereading2** » 25 Apr 2018, 00:02

The artwork and the title of this book certainly grab my attention. The story is truly out of this world and has a certain hypnotic flavor. I truly appreciate your honest review of this book.

Jaime Lync · Post by **Jaime Lync** » 25 Apr 2018, 09:50

crediblereading2 wrote: ↑25 Apr 2018, 00:02 The artwork and the title of this book certainly grab my attention. The story is truly out of this world and has a certain hypnotic flavor. I truly appreciate your honest review of this book.

Thank you so much for reading and commenting on this review.

Sahani Nimandra · Post by **Sahani Nimandra** » 26 Apr 2018, 09:12

I can understand your rating to this book. There is a Chinese proverb which says wu chi pi fan -too much of good stuff is bad stuff. Nothing out of balance is not good. A philosophical read is certainly good once in a while. Your review is inviting!