Once A Monster

A wonderful magic trick of a story, full of very human monsters and monstrous humans. Dinsdale is a beautiful, evocative story teller. - Stuart Turton, bestselling author of The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle

[An] imaginative mash-up of the mythical with Victorian gothic. - The Times

Robert Dinsdale mixes history and mythology with great panache in Once a Monster - The Sunday Times Book of the Month (Nick Rennison's historical fiction picks)

What if the Minotaur survived, and followed Ariadne’s string out of the twisting darkness of the labyrinth? From this thread, Dinsdale spins an engaging yarn about dreams, second chances, and monsters both ordinary and supernatural. The story flows as smoothly as the waters of the Thames, and is just as dark and deep. Of note is Dinsdale’s ability to turn a phrase, shimmering like fine crystal held to the light. A dazzling and heartfelt book. - Luna McNamara, author of Psyche and Eros

An inventive and irresistible retelling of the legend of the Minotaur. - I News

A labyrinthine delight of a novel where a world of Dickensian darkness is infused with ancient myth. Historical writing at its finest . . . unique, seductive, and accomplished. - Essie Fox, bestselling author of The Fascination

I was very moved by this story about shame, the costs of survival, and being loved in all one’s brokenness. Minos makes perfect sense as a character living at the margins in Victorian London, and the different ways Nell searches for beauty in the dirt will stay with me for a long time. - Kate Mascarenhas, author of The Psychology of Time Travel and Hokey Pokey

Like the magic at the heart of the story, this vivid, haunting novel is both vast and intimate. A wonderful and thought-provoking read. - Katherine Arden, author of The Winternight Series, on The Toymakers The crystalline prose, deep characterisation and compelling story carry you along. Highly recommended. - Historical Novel Society