No Gods, No Monsters

Turnbull (The Lesson) mashes genres in a way that’s both beautiful and explosive. After a werewolf is shot and killed by police, monsters such as shapeshifters and dragons reveal themselves to the world. Humans, though, aren’t completely accepting of them, and this reveal also pushes two shadowy factions of monsters to the brink of war. Told through an omniscient but still human narrator, the novel jumps between the POVs of multiple characters, both human and monster, but Turnbull’s writing never gives the reader whiplash; he not only fully develops these characters but connects each individual story into the central narrative of the fight between the two factions and the overall fight for monster rights. Dion Graham is the perfect narrator for this story, giving all of the characters unique voices while expressing awe and terror in just the right moments. Perhaps the greatest strength of this novel is its metaphor of monsters as those seeking equality in a flawed system.