Front cover of This Monster of Mine by Shalini Abeysekara, paperback

This Monster of Mine : The searingly seductive and addictive enemies-to-lovers romantasy - Shalini Abeysekara

Shalini Abeysekara

£10.99

Available to order

Not on our shelves today. We’ll order it in and post it out — with you in 2–3 working days.

  • Pages · 448 pages, black & white maps
  • Publication Date · 09/04/2026
  • Genre · Fantasy romance
Collect in store Pick it up free from the shop in Oxford's Covered Market, usually quicker than the post.
Delivery Standard tracked £1.99, free on orders over £20. Express tracked £2.99.
Book Lovers' Happy Hour Three cocktails matched to your taste, three books chosen for you, an hour and a half at the bar. £60 per person. Book a place →

***BONUS CHAPTER FROM KADRA'S POV INCLUDED***She knows the taste of death. He'll stoke her hunger for it. Eighteen-year-old Sarai doesn't know why someone tried to kill her four years ago, but she does know that her case was closed without justice. Hellbent on vengeance, she returns to the scene of the crime as a Petitor, a prosecutor who can magically detect lies, and is assigned to work with Tetrarch Kadra. Ice-cold and perennially sadistic, Kadra is the most vicious of the four judges who rule the land - and the prime suspect in a string of deaths identical to Sarai's attempted murder. Certain of his guilt, Sarai begins a double life: solving cases with Kadra by day and plotting his ruin by night. But Kadra is charming and there's something alluring about the wrath he wields against the city's corruption. So when the evidence she finds embroils her in a deadly political battle, Sarai must also fight against her attraction to Kadra - because despite his growing hold on her heart, his voice matches the only memory she has of her assailant... The first book in a dazzling and addictive romantic fantasy duology, the #1 Sunday Times bestselling This Monster of Mine is a bloodbath of manipulation, deception, and forbidden love. Tropes Enemies to lovers Slow Burn Romance Morally grey FMC and MMC Magical world Political intrigue Vengeance High Stakes !!SPICE ALERT!!Join the legions of readers who have fallen hard for This Monster of Mine:★★★★★ 'Six stars if I could! This Monster of Mine is a masterclass in fantasy storytelling - combining political intrigue, betrayal, and a rigid class system with a slow-burn romance that keeps you on edge.'★★★★★ 'This book was absolutely phenomenal and exactly what I've been craving . . . I already want to reread this!!'★★★★★ 'This book swept me away . . . absolutely fire'★★★★★ 'OMG this book is absolutely incredible and interesting, I loved it so much. This Monster of Mine must be one of the most fascinating and unique books I've ever read . . . I couldn't put it down.'★★★★★ 'This Monster of Mine is an incredible romantasy book that I really can't recommend enough'★★★★★ 'I AM FREAKING OUT BY HOW DELICIOUS AND AWESOME AND AMAZING THIS IS!!!!! I am obsessed, I am Kadra's wine glass and Sarai's glower, THIS BOOK IS PHENOMENAL AND I HAVE OFFICIALLY LOST ALL BRAIN CELLS AND COHERENCE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Dark romantasy perfection, people!!! YOU NEEEEEEEEEEED TO READ THIS!!!#1 Sunday Times bestseller, 15/04/2025

Only at Gulp Fiction

Book Lovers' Happy Hour

An hour and a half at the bar, with three cocktails matched to your taste and three books chosen for you. Tell us what you like when you book, and we'll have them waiting when you arrive.

  • 1½ hours
  • £60 per person
  • 3 cocktails, 3 books
Book Happy Hour

Up to four of you can come — book a place each and choose the same time slot, then tell us who you're with. For larger groups, email gulpfictionbooks@gmail.com and we'll arrange it.

Three customers at the window table in Gulp Fiction, cocktails in hand beside a stack of books, with Oxford's Covered Market visible through the glass

Collect in store

Order online and pick it up from the shop. It's free, and usually quicker than the post.

Find us

Units 28–29, Covered Market, Oxford OX1 3DU. Mon–Wed 10–5, Thu–Sat 10–10, Sun 11–4.

Book a table

The bar is open late Thursday to Saturday. Reserve a table for a drink among the books.