Hello besties !!!
Today I am so delighted to have had the opportunity to invite Tanvi, the wonderful author of MONSTERS BORN AND MADE (out 6th September 2022!) over on Misty Realms.
I have been so excited to read MONSTERS BORN AND MADE for the past few months, and I cannot wait to go yell at everyone to read it when it comes out !!! Today I interviewed Tanvi with some questions I had about her book, so I hope you all enjoy it 🌊 ⚔️ 🤍
Monsters Born and Made by Tanvi Berwah
SYNOPSIS:
You swim with monsters, these people cannot scare you.
Sixteen-year-old Koral and her brother Emrik risk their lives to capture the monstrous maristags that live in the black seas around their island. They have to, or else their family will starve.
In an oceanic world swarming with vicious beasts, the ruling elite have indentured her family to provide the maristags for the Glory Race, a deadly chariot tournament reserved for the upper class. The winning contender receives gold and glory. The others—if they’re lucky—survive.
When they fail to capture a maristag for this year’s race, her family can’t afford medicine for Koral’s chronically ill little sister. Koral decides her only choice is to do what no one in the world has ever dared: cheat her way into the Glory Race.
But Koral must race against contenders who have trained their whole lives and have no intention of letting a low-caste girl steal their glory. And when riots break out Koral has to do more than win the race, she’ll have to stop the whole island from burning.
Monsters Born and Made is an epic South Asian inspired fantasy that will leave you breathless until the very last page.
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Interview with Tanvi Berwah
Hi Tanvi! Thank you so much for joining me over here on Misty Realms. Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your writing journey till now?
I was raised in New Delhi, and from the very beginning my family surrounded me with stories in the form of bedtime tales and the many literary magazines that were available in the mid-late 90s (I miss them!). I began writing when I was about 7. I wrote a bunch of short stories and a ton of Lord of the Rings, Eragon and Harry Potter rip offs, until I finally began writing original worlds in my late teens. I went to college for English Literature and throughout, I kept writing until I got in Pitch Wars mentorship with MONSTERS BORN AND MADE, and here I am.
Pitch your upcoming novel, Monsters Born and Made in a short sentence!
In a world of oceans and a harsh sun, 16-year-old Koral cheats her way into a monsters chariot tournament to save her family, and faces the power of the elite and the true price of reaching for glory.
What inspired you to write Monsters Born and Made and how has it evolved since?
The very first inspiration was the idea of a constrained, oceanic world. And, of course, Maggie Stiefvater’s The Scorpio Races. From that initial inspiration, this story has gone through many iterations. The whole set-up of the tournament has changed from draft to draft, including the types of monsters. And while Koral has remained the same throughout, her relationships and the people around her have come and gone as this story changed. The story that will come out now is a completely different execution of that first idea.
Can you describe your main character Koral in five words?
Stubborn, resourceful, angry, romantic, impulsive.
Do you have a playlist/ some songs that embody Monsters Born and Made? If so, would you like to share it with us?
I have a Spotify playlist!
If I had to pick one from that list, it’s Icarus by Bastille. For reasons.
Without spoiling much, what is your favourite scene/ dialogue/ chapter from Monsters Born and Made?
There is a scene where Dorian, Koral’s ex-boyfriend and a powerful charioteer, asks about her seemingly irrational rage. Koral’s answer comes from deep within her–and me, as it turned out. This whole scene is pivotal to who Koral is, and her story in turn.
How would you describe the dynamic between Koral and Dorian? What is their backstory?
They met in childhood, they’re exes, and now they’re rivals meeting for the first time since their break-up. I don’t know what else I can say without it being super-spoilery!
I love it when my favourite tropes are included in books and other media. What are your favourite tropes that you have included in your book?
So this won’t be a complete list, of course, but immediately I can think of the high-stakes tournament arc, exes to rivals, jealousy (only a little of this but it was so much fun to write!), knife against the throat (hehe), dancing with someone else while making Eye Contact(™) with the love interest and… I have no idea what this one is called, but you know where characters have to make out to not get caught while snooping or something? That one. You’re welcome.
What do you hope readers take away from your debut novel, Monsters Born and Made.
Primarily this story is an exploration of a society divided on the lines of caste and class, and how the lack of community stands against any real change. I hope this book adds to the conversation of community-building and alternate ways of social systems.
Can you give us any hints about upcoming projects that you have been working on?
I’m currently working on Book 2, and it’s pretty early in the process so I don’t know what I can say!
That was it! Thank you so much for your time Tanvi, it was so so lovely having you over on my blog, and I cannot wait to read Monsters Born and Made! Is there anything you would like to add?
Thank YOU for having me on here! It was so fun to answer these questions.
About Tanvi!
Tanvi Berwah is a South Asian writer who grew up wanting to touch the stars and reach back in time. She has a Master’s degree in English Literature from the University of Delhi. Her debut YA novel, MONSTERS BORN AND MADE, is forthcoming from Sourcebooks Fire in 2022.
If you enjoyed reading this post and wish to support the blog, please consider checking out my WISHLIST ! You’ll be helping me read and feature more books 🤍
Thank you so much Tanvi for taking your time to do this interview for Misty Realms, I had a delightful time chatting about Monsters Born and Made !!!
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