This smart and entertaining, magical heist novel hits all the right notes and leaves the reader wanting more.'- T. 'Masterfully crafted, with gorgeous prose, colourful characters, and a compelling plot. In The Monsters We Defy, Leslie Penelope blends magic, mystery, and mayhem in this deliciously complex historical fantasy.'- Veronica Henry, author of Bacchanal A heist that pits them against a powerful member of the city's elite. 'A gritty heroine and crew that commune with trickster spirits. The Monsters We Defy will keep you turning the pages and wanting more!” - P. 'Leslye Penelope has created a rich and immersive world, set in an enchanting 1920s Washington DC full of jazz musicians, elite Black social organizations, fairy balls, bootleggers, lady gangster bosses, and mesmerizing magic! It's a story that weaves together threads of real history with bits of the utterly fantastic.

Conflict in the spirit world is leaking into the human one and along D.C’.s legendary Black Broadway, a mystery unfolds-one that not only has repercussions for Clara but all of the city’s residents. But as they encounter increasingly difficult obstacles, a dangerous spirit interferes at every turn. She’ll need help from an unlikely team, from a jazz musician capable of hypnotizing with a melody to an aging vaudeville actor who can change his face, to pull off the impossible. The task: steal a magical ring from the wealthiest woman in the District.Ĭlara can’t pull off this daring heist alone. So, when the Empress, the powerful spirit who holds her debt, offers her an opportunity to gain her freedom, a desperate Clara seizes the chance. Now a curse that’s left her indebted to the cunning spirit world. A woman able to communicate with spirits must assemble a ragtag crew to pull off a daring heist to save her community in this timely and dazzling historical fantasy that weaves together African American folk magic, history, and romance.Ĭlara Johnson talks to spirits, a gift that saved her during her darkest moments in a Washington D.

The Monsters We Defy by Leslye Penelope