Moth by Lily Mayne (Monstrous #5)

Title: ⟫ Moth 

Author: ⟫ Lily Mayne 

Blurb: ⟫ When I—along with my best friend and his big purple monster boyfriend—come across a fortress-like raider camp while journeying across the monster-infested Wastes, we stop to deliver a message. 

Somehow, that simple pit stop turns into a seemingly impossible quest to get this camp’s missing leader out of the prison where he’s being held and forced to fight monsters and other humans. And I know exactly where it is, because I’ve been there. 

 Problem is, I’m making this journey with the prickliest and most arrogant guy I’ve ever met, who seems to immediately hate me on sight. 

Oh, and he’s also half monster. 

So there’s that. 

And he’s in love with a raider who definitely does not love him back, and he seems determined to take it out on me. So there’s also that. But I’m not going to rise to his childish insults and barbed words. I’m not. 

I’m also going to try very hard to ignore how mind-numbingly beautiful he is, even when he’s scowling at me. 

But the longer we’re out here together, the more I learn about my prickly half monster companion Moth. I realise there’s a reason he’s so closed off and angry. There’s a reason he hates everyone. There are secrets he’s been keeping, and when I find out what they are, I want to do everything in my power to help him—even though he’s telling me he can’t be helped. 

Moth is Book Five of the Monstrous series, a post-apocalyptic m/m fantasy series that features monsters and human men falling in love. It is best to read the series in order. 

Warning: This m/m love story contains explicit sexual content and is not suitable for young readers. It also contains graphic depictions of death and violence. 

Review: ⟫ Oh Moth!! 

My heart broke for this half-monster – I knew there had to be a good reason for what had happened in previous books, but I never imagined this. 

Lily Mayne pulled out the stops with this one – all of her monsters are beautiful, alien and scary in their own way, but Moth with his vulnerabilities, differences and awful childhood just about broke my heart. 

I devoured this in one sitting, then re-read it immediately to pick up all of the things that I might have missed, and I will probably re-read it again. This is another one of those series where each subsequent book somehow manages to replace your current ‘favourite’ couple, and Moth and Charlie most definitely did that. 

I loved Charlie. I loved how affable he was, how kind and understanding, how strong and unflinching. His loyalty to the people he cares about was palpable and what he did for Moth – building him up, listening, understanding and ultimately loving him – was just beautiful. 

More world building, catching up with our previous favourites and Cat – this was just such a brilliant book. I cannot wait for Lilac’s book, if only so we can finally see him wield that machete! An easy 5/5 from me.