Book Review: The Monster MASH by Angie Fox
Genre: Urban Fantasy/Paranormal Romance
Age: Adult
Format: ebook
This book was so much fun and I really regret not having picked it up sooner.
Petra is drafted as a surgeon into the ongoing, no sign of stopping war between gods, though there is a pesky prophecy regarding a healer who can see the dead. But the gods don’t want the war to end, and Petra is indeed a healer who can see the dead. If anyone finds out about her ‘gift’, it’d put a target on her back. Petra thinks the prophecy can’t possibly refer to her. When Commander Galen arrives, Petra pulls his soul back into his body, and unlike Petra, Galen is convinced she is the healer in the prophecy, and he’d really like to see an end to the war.
I loved Petra. I really liked the setting of the camp, and the various characters Petra is surrounded by, from her werewolf and vampire roommates, to the sphinx who guards the hospital, to the demigods who make up the rest of the army. Galen was a fascinating character, too, and the dynamic between them works really well; he’s optimistic because he wants to see the war end, contrasted with Petra’s pessimism due to her experiences with trying to ‘force’ the prophecy.
As you can imagine with a book called The Monster MASH, it’s also pretty funny. There’s a really great sense of humour underlying this, which largely comes from the absurdity of the situation Petra is in. Her roommates provide plenty, from the werewolf who misses his partner and pups, to the vampire who wants space to brood. There are also the pranks the whole camp are involved in, in a competition they use to entertain themselves.
But it’s serious when it needs to be, with a nice balance between the two. There are serious threats hanging over Petra and the people she cares about, contrasted with the fact that a lot of the army are made up of immortals. There’s plenty of action, and plenty of romantic tension between Petra and Galen.
I thoroughly loved this book. It’s a fantastic, clever and entertaining read that really pulls you through, while working in some serious themes yet giving you enough scenes to make you chuckle (like The Oracles. Absolutely brilliant). A really strong recommendation from me, and I’m so glad I have the rest of the series already – now just need to find the time to read them.
Review by Elle Turpitt
Twitter: @elleturpitt
Bluesky: @elleturpitt.bsky.social
I received this ebook from Moose Island Books via NetGalley for review consideration.
