Of Monsters and Mazes was absolutely The Labyrinth retelling I didn’t know I needed in my life! I am a Labyrinth movie junkie from way back when it was first released. In college, it was one of my “drunk movies” that I would turn on at 3am because I just loved it so much. All that not say, I really, really love the movie and this book did it PERFECT justice. I adored the twists on all the familiar scenes and characters. I loved how the author put her own spin on it all by combining mythology with movie elements. This book was definitely dark and twisted, but not nearly as bad as I thought it would be. I did have a conversation with the author prior to reading because I don’t like to be scared (I’m such a baby!) and she reassured me if I can get through chapters 5 and 7, I’d be ok for the rest of the book. I would add chapter 41 as well. However, as big of a baby as I am, I did just fine. They didn’t scare me, just made me squeamish.

I thought this book was so much more than just a retelling; it really delved into Sela’s psyche. The whole Labyrinth seemed like it was designed to show Sela what could be, versus a silly game for Jericho. I wouldn’t have been surprised if, at the end, the whole thing was a crazy fever dream to help Sela learn how to balance her professional and personal lives. I both loved and hated each of the men. I suppose I like even my darker MMCs to have a bit of a soft spot for their girl. These men all had the soft spot, but it didn’t come out until the end. And, I can’t believe I’m saying this, I was kind of hoping for a bit more heat in the form of group “activities.” There was plenty of steamy moments, but I was waiting for more group play.

Overall, I’m so, so happy I read this book. I’m going back to read the other books in this series.

I received an ARC of Of Monsters and Mazes from BookSirens. I am leaving this review voluntarily.