
The Monsters We Defy
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Narrated by:
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Shayna Small
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By:
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Leslye Penelope
About this listen
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.
Washington D. C., 1925
Clara Johnson talks to spirits, a gift that saved her during her darkest moments in a Washington D. C. jail. Now a curse that’s left her indebted to the cunning spirit world. 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. The task: steal a magical ring from the wealthiest woman in the District.
Clara can’t pull off this daring heist alone. 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. But as they encounter increasingly difficult obstacles, a dangerous spirit interferes at every turn. 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.
©2022 Leslye Penelope (P)2022 RedhookListeners also enjoyed...
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Critic reviews
"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. The Monsters We Defy will keep you turning the pages and wanting more!”—P. Djèli Clark, author of A Master of Djinn
"Masterfully crafted, with gorgeous prose, colourful characters, and a compelling plot. This smart and entertaining, magical heist novel hits all the right notes and leaves the reader wanting more."—T. L. Huchu, author of The Library of the Dead
Featured Article: The 2023 Audie Award Winners Are Here
In a gala event at Chelsea Piers's Pier Sixty, the Audio Publishers Association announced the winners of the 2023 Audie Awards. Audiobook of the Year went to Finding Me by Viola Davis, which also won for Best Narration by the Author. Audible Originals and Studios titles picked up four awards, including Best Original Work for Sarah Page's Mrs. Wickham. If you're searching for a listen, look no further than this list. Each winner is a standout listening experience.
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Story
Sixteen-year-old Jake Livingston sees dead people everywhere. But he can't decide what's worse: being a medium forced to watch the dead play out their last moments on a loop or being at the mercy of racist teachers as one of the few Black students at St. Clair Prep. Both are a living nightmare he wishes he could wake up from. But things at St. Clair start looking up with the arrival of another Black student - the handsome Allister - and for the first time, romance is on the horizon for Jake. Unfortunately, life as a medium is getting worse.
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Brings up too much trauma
- By TheColorNerd on 10-14-21
By: Ryan Douglass
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Sorrowland
- A Novel
- By: Rivers Solomon
- Narrated by: Karen Chilton
- Length: 12 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
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Vern - seven months pregnant and desperate to escape the strict religious compound where she was raised - flees for the shelter of the woods. There, she gives birth to twins, and plans to raise them far from the influence of the outside world. But even in the forest, Vern is a hunted woman. Forced to fight back against the community that refuses to let her go, she unleashes incredible brutality far beyond what a person should be capable of, her body wracked by inexplicable and uncanny changes.
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This Book Was Written For Me
- By Legend F on 06-23-21
By: Rivers Solomon
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The Magician's Daughter
- By: H. G. Parry
- Narrated by: Rose McPhilemy
- Length: 15 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
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Off the coast of Ireland sits a legendary island hidden by magic. A place of ruins and ancient trees, sea-salt air and fairy lore, Hy-Brasil is the only home Biddy has ever known. Washed up on its shore as a baby, Biddy lives a quiet life with her guardian, the mercurial magician Rowan. A life she finds increasingly stifling. One night, Rowan fails to return from his mysterious travels. To find him, Biddy must venture into the outside world for the first time. But Rowan has powerful enemies—forces who have hoarded the world’s magic and have set their sights on the magician’s many secrets.
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Cute and Enjoyable
- By Cherise on 04-12-23
By: H. G. Parry
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Next of Kin
- A Foster Guardian's Romance (Next Series, Book 1)
- By: Hannah Bonam-Young
- Narrated by: Penelope Ann Rose
- Length: 7 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
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When people-pleasing Chloe learns that her birth mother has unexpectedly had another baby, she doesn't hesitate to become a next-of-kin guardian. But when she fails to pass Child Protective Services' financial evaluation, she is faced with a choice: see her baby sister placed in foster care or participate in CPS' new initiative, TeamUp. Enter Warren, a surly mechanic's apprentice attempting to get custody of his deaf fifteen-year-old brother after failing CPS' housing evaluation.
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truly such a cute story and audiobook!
- By Selina on 05-19-23
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The Book of Night Women
- By: Marlon James
- Narrated by: Robin Miles
- Length: 15 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
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The story of Lilith, born into slavery on a Jamaican sugar plantation at the end of the 18th century. Even at her birth, the slave women around her recognize a dark power that they - and she - will come to both revere and fear. The Night Women, as they call themselves, have long been plotting a slave revolt, and as Lilith comes of age and reveals the extent of her power, they see her as the key to their plans.
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"A lyrical, heart thumping, engaging masterpiece"
- By ann on 01-07-11
By: Marlon James
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Black Sun
- By: Rebecca Roanhorse
- Narrated by: Cara Gee, Nicole Lewis, Kaipo Schwab, and others
- Length: 12 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
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In the holy city of Tova, the winter solstice is usually a time for celebration and renewal, but this year it coincides with a solar eclipse, a rare celestial even proscribed by the Sun Priest as an unbalancing of the world. Meanwhile, a ship launches from a distant city bound for Tova and set to arrive on the solstice. The captain of the ship, Xiala, is a disgraced Teek whose song can calm the waters around her as easily as it can warp a man’s mind. Her ship carries one passenger.
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5-star Concept; Too Many Threads Left Hanging
- By Lisa Davidson on 10-26-20
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The Dead Cat Tail Assassins
- By: P. Djèlí Clark
- Narrated by: Lynnette R. Freeman
- Length: 7 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
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Eveen the Eviscerator is skilled, discreet, professional, and here for your most pressing needs in the ancient city of Tal Abisi. Her guild is strong, her blades are sharp, and her rules are simple. Those sworn to the Matron of Assassins—resurrected, deadly, wiped of their memories—have only three unbreakable vows. First, the contract must be just. That’s above Eveen’s pay grade. Second, even the most powerful assassin may only kill the contracted. The third and the simplest: once you accept a job, you must carry it out.
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Funnier and lighter than I expected
- By 🔥 Phx17 🔥 on 02-17-25
By: P. Djèlí Clark
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Black Leopard, Red Wolf
- The Dark Star Trilogy, Book 1
- By: Marlon James
- Narrated by: Dion Graham
- Length: 24 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
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In the stunning first novel in Marlon James' Dark Star trilogy, myth, fantasy, and history come together to explore what happens when a mercenary is hired to find a missing child. Tracker is known far and wide for his skills as a hunter: "He has a nose," people say. Engaged to track down a mysterious boy who disappeared three years earlier, Tracker breaks his own rule of always working alone when he finds himself part of a group that comes together to search for the boy.
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Opaque. And hard to care about.
- By Lisa Gray on 02-07-19
By: Marlon James
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The Poisons We Drink
- By: Bethany Baptiste
- Narrated by: Lynnette R. Freeman
- Length: 16 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
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In a country divided between humans and witchers, Venus Stoneheart hustles as a brewer making illegal love potions to support her family. Love potions is a dangerous business. Brewing has painful, debilitating side effects, and getting caught means death or a prison sentence. But what Venus is most afraid of is the dark, sentient magic within her. Then an enemy's iron bullet kills her mother, Venus's life implodes. When the powerful Grand Witcher, the ruthless head of her coven, offers Venus the chance to punish her mother's killer, she has to pay a steep price for revenge.
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enjoyable
- By Emm Muk on 05-12-24
By: Bethany Baptiste
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Ring Shout
- By: P. Djèlí Clark
- Narrated by: Channie Waites
- Length: 5 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
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In 1915, The Birth of a Nation casts a spell across America, swelling the Klan's ranks and drinking deep from the darkest thoughts of white folk. All across the nation they ride, spreading fear and violence among the vulnerable. They plan to bring hell to Earth. But even Ku Kluxes can die.
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The best story from a master mythmaker
- By Felicia J on 10-22-20
By: P. Djèlí Clark
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A Love Song for Ricki Wilde
- By: Tia Williams
- Narrated by: Mela Lee, Preston Butler
- Length: 11 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
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The daughter of a powerful Atlanta dynasty, Ricki Wilde is the opposite of her famous socialite sisters. In her bones, Ricki knows that somewhere, a different, more exciting life awaits her. When she moves into a Harlem brownstone, she leaves behind her family, wealth, and chaotic romantic decisions to realize her dream of opening a flower shop. One evening Ricki encounters a handsome, deeply mysterious stranger who knocks her world off balance in the most unexpected way.
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Why am I bawling on my lunch break?
- By Zakiya Jackson on 03-05-24
By: Tia Williams
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Wind & Wildfire
- A Mages of the Wheel Prequel
- By: J.D. Evans
- Narrated by: Tim Campbell, Caren Naess
- Length: 14 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
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He is the future sultan, a man who wields brutal magic and only knows how to be what they’ve made him. She is a commoner, a woman who champions the vulnerable and treads where she does not belong. Dilay Akar is the daughter of a judge. By day, she trains the wealthy in magic, and by night, she breaks the Sultan’s laws. But even those closest to her do not always appreciate what she is striving for, or believe that she can achieve it.
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This isn't slow burn it's no burn
- By Meredith Oliver on 02-15-25
By: J.D. Evans
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A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking
- By: T. Kingfisher
- Narrated by: Patricia Santomasso
- Length: 8 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
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Fourteen-year-old Mona isn't like the wizards charged with defending the city. She can't control lightning or speak to water. Her familiar is a sourdough starter, and her magic only works on bread. She has a comfortable life in her aunt's bakery making gingerbread men dance. But Mona's life is turned upside down when she finds a dead body on the bakery floor. An assassin is stalking the streets of Mona's city, preying on magic folk, and it appears that Mona is his next target. And in an embattled city suddenly bereft of wizards, the assassin may be the least of Mona's worries.
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A tour de force unimaginably good
- By Joella Berkner on 10-21-21
By: T. Kingfisher
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Immortal
- A Novel of the Celestial Kingdom
- By: Sue Lynn Tan
- Narrated by: Natalie Naudus
- Length: 14 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
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As the heir to Tianxia, Liyen knows she must ascend the throne and renew her kingdom’s pledge to serve the immortals who once protected them from a vicious enemy. But when she is poisoned, Liyen’s grandfather steals an enchanted lotus to save her life. Enraged at his betrayal, the immortal queen commands the powerful God of War to attack Tianxia.
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Beautiful Story with Slow Start
- By Kristin B on 02-18-25
By: Sue Lynn Tan
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The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois
- An Oprah’s Book Club Novel
- By: Honoree Fanonne Jeffers
- Narrated by: Adenrele Ojo, Karen Chilton, Prentice Onayemi
- Length: 29 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
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The great scholar, W. E. B. Du Bois, once wrote about the problem of race in America, and what he called “Double Consciousness,” a sensitivity that every African American possesses in order to survive. Since childhood, Ailey Pearl Garfield has understood Du Bois’s words all too well. Bearing the names of two formidable Black Americans—the revered choreographer Alvin Ailey and her great grandmother Pearl, the descendant of enslaved Georgians and tenant farmers—Ailey carries Du Bois’s problem on her shoulders.
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The Great American Novel is finally inclusive.
- By Margaret on 12-28-21
What listeners say about The Monsters We Defy
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Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Khalil
- 11-17-22
Amazing!
I have been looking for a book like this and it was definitely worth the read! The writing and the performance was superb! I look forward to this becoming a series.
Job well done!
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- V. Longacre
- 06-08-23
Fantastic book with incredible audio performance
This was audiobook was so hard to put down. Interesting story, rich characters, and the story performance was incredible. Will stay with me a long time.
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- RCH
- 04-20-24
Great story and performance
Loved the creativity and how the author brought it all together. I wasn't a fan of the genre but this story changed that.
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- Tienna Luster
- 07-11-24
I knew the author, not just the voice actors, had melanin. Some may take that poorly. I hope that they don't!
I can see it as an anime series; something akin to Black Samuri, off of the top of my head. I can't wait to read Daughter of the Merciful Deep.
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- Rhonda G Wilson Williamson
- 11-27-22
Excellent performance of a great story!
Curses, entities, Jazz Age Washington DC, brushes with historical figures, a heist that relies on special gifts, jewelry, AND a romance? This book had everything great and was so much fun. The reader knocks it out of the park, keeping this large cast of characters all distinct and well performed.
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- Zakia Norman
- 04-20-23
Yes.
If you love African American history, magic, and heists this is the book for you. I love all of this author’s works but this one is my favorite mainly due to my own personal interests and fondness for all things black and beautiful. I will patiently await the second book and I hope the same narrator gets to tell the story! This book inspires me and gave me a new book boyfriend lol thank L. Penelope!
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- Amazon Customer
- 05-18-23
Loved it!
This was really a fun listen! The mythos was intriguing, and it allowed for some interesting interactions between the human and spirit worlds.
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- Yahmeese McLennon
- 09-26-23
Amazing Read!
The plot of the story was outstanding, invigorating, and relatable! I hope there will be a second addition to this series. I totally recommend this novel!
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- Brittany Watkins
- 02-14-24
The perfect blend
I really enjoyed this book!!! The author blended my two favorite things. Historical fiction and magic. The era of the Harlem Renaissance was also great .
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- Love Love Audible
- 01-27-25
Glad I gave this book a try!!
This book is outside of my norm, but was recommended in a book club I'm apart of and glad I gave it a try. It was captivating from the very beginning. Quite a few moments in the book where I held my breath cause I didn't know what was gna happen next. I love it when that happens :) Now on to the next book from this author!!
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