Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Monsters We Defy | 2022 | Leslye Penelope | Buy |
| 2 | Daughter of the Merciful Deep | 2024 | Leslye Penelope | Buy |
Leslye Penelope’s standalone novels pair historical settings with fantasy and folklore. The Monsters We Defy (2022) is a heist novel set in 1920s D.C. among the city’s Black social elite, featuring spirits, magical rings, and a crew of misfit thieves. It won the 2023 Audie Award for Best Fantasy Audiobook and appeared on multiple best-of-year lists.
Daughter of the Merciful Deep (2024) continues Penelope’s interest in Black American history told through a fantasy lens. Each novel stands on its own, with different characters and settings united by Penelope’s approach to magical storytelling rooted in real communities and time periods.