Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.
The Monsters We Defy  By  cover art

The Monsters We Defy

By: Leslye Penelope
Narrated by: Shayna Small
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $21.83

Buy for $21.83

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Publisher's summary

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 Redhook

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

"A gritty heroine and crew that commune with trickster spirits. A heist that pits them against a powerful member of the city's elite. In The Monsters We Defy, Leslie Penelope blends magic, mystery, and mayhem in this deliciously complex historical fantasy."—Veronica Henry, author of Bacchanal

"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.

What listeners say about The Monsters We Defy

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    168
  • 4 Stars
    31
  • 3 Stars
    8
  • 2 Stars
    1
  • 1 Stars
    0
Performance
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    174
  • 4 Stars
    14
  • 3 Stars
    1
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0
Story
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    153
  • 4 Stars
    27
  • 3 Stars
    7
  • 2 Stars
    1
  • 1 Stars
    0

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

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!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

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.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

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.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

My new favorite author!

OMG, just finished the book. Wow, it was EXCELLENT! Fast paced, well written, deep and compelling. Love that it was set locally. I learned things about DC that I didn't know. I loved the fantastical theme.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

An Invigorating and Insightful listen

This is a truly new and unique heist novel that gradually builds to an epic showdown. Leslie Penelope amazingly weaved the characters an story seamlessly into a fictionalized Black Washington DC during the 1920s filled with nuggets of history, only enriching the book. And the narrator truly embodied the characters, creating an overall great listen.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent!

The story captured me from the start. The reader voiced the different characters distinctly. I always knew who was speaking. Looking forward to more books by this author and this voice artist.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

So quirky, cheeky, brilliant

I loved this book, its characters, its plot, and the fun way it engaged with American History. Loved the fantasy / spiritual elements. The audiobook performer was INCREDIBLE!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

well written and well read

Great historical fantasy focused on the black community in 1920's Washington DC. Characters and setting are well drawn and the narration is excellent. I highly recommend

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
  • ko
  • 09-23-23

Great book and great historical references

I loved the splash of history with a happy ending. Story was excellent as well as narration.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

A fantastic odyssey!

I loved this book. Each character brings a unique perspective to the overall experience. The flashbacks of characters lives just brings them together as a cohesive team to battle the enemies of the spirit world. Thrill ride of adventure and horror,with a great historic plot.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!