Lesser Known Monsters

I was given an e-book copy to judge this for the Indie Ink Awards for Prettiest Book Interior. Because I was judging several in this category, I actually ordered a physical copy as well to best judge then equally. There's a beautiful/creepy picture right in the front of the book that's a full page of black ink, it's followed by a title page in black with trees, fog, and the moon. It's probably my favorite I judged for the category. 
This is an urban fantasy with LGBTQ representation done right. The characters are not there as objects, that's just who they are, and it read as very authentic to me. And while urban fantasy typically isn't my main go to, this was very enjoyable. It's almost like an adult/gay Trials of Apollo, as it features monsters in the natural world. Plus, due to the monster taxonomy features, it gave it a kind of mythology feel that I liked. There's some romance elements, but it doesn't go into smut, which I endlessly appreciated. 
Good vs evil here, as most stories are, but with love and loss, grief and guilt, friendship and hardship, all mixed in. I was pleasantly surprised by the light tone and voice in the writing. Personally a 4/5* for me. Would gladly continue on with more!