A Compelling, Creepy & Thrilling Duology | Monsters of Verity Duology by V. E. Schwab

This is the second series I picked for my 2019 Series Challenge – #2019FWSeriesPick – I would love for you all to join me; especially if you have unread series on your shelf like I do 😀

There’s no such thing as safe in a city at war, a city overrun with monsters. In this dark urban fantasy from author Victoria Schwab, a young woman and a young man must choose whether to become heroes or villains—and friends or enemies—with the future of their home at stake. The first of two books.

Kate Harker and August Flynn are the heirs to a divided city—a city where the violence has begun to breed actual monsters. All Kate wants is to be as ruthless as her father, who lets the monsters roam free and makes the humans pay for his protection. All August wants is to be human, as good-hearted as his own father, to play a bigger role in protecting the innocent—but he’s one of the monsters. One who can steal a soul with a simple strain of music. When the chance arises to keep an eye on Kate, who’s just been kicked out of her sixth boarding school and returned home, August jumps at it. But Kate discovers August’s secret, and after a failed assassination attempt the pair must flee for their lives.

“Why would you want to be human? We’re fragile. We die.”

“You also live. You don’t spend every day wondering why you exist, but don’t feel real, why you look human but can’t be. You don’t do everything you can to be a good person only to have it constantly thrown in your face that you’re not a person at all.”

I have heard nothing but amazing things about V.E. Schwab – but while I have her books on my shelf; I have never really picked up any of her books. So with my Unread Series Challenge of 2019; her two series, A Darker Shade of Magic Trilogy as well as the Monsters of Verity duology made the list.

It didn’t take me long to understand why Ms. Schwab has such a dedicated fanbase – This Savage Song (Monsters of Verity #1) has a decent plotline – the city is divided into North and South; between monsters and humans – yes this sounds quite like a used before plotline – but what made This Savage Song unique is that I just couldn’t put it down – it is dark, enigmatic, page – turning paranormal thriller in a dystopian setting, that ended on a cliffhanger that almost had me throwing the book – because that ending was work of someone purely evil (and I say that with utmost adoration!).

“Being. Not being. Giving in. Holding out. No matter what I do, it hurts.”

“That’s life, August. You wanted to feel alive, right? It doesn’t matter if you’re monster or human. Living hurts.”

Beyond the writing style; I also enjoyed the fact that the main two characters – Kate Harker and August Flynn, two teenagers on the opposite sides of the war, might have been of opposite sex; and that though they might have been intrigued with each other, there was no hint of romantic gestures or feelings for each other.

This Savage Song is a compelling, captivating and engrossing with just the perfect amount of macabre to keep the readers interested in this duology, just like me.

“Funny, she thought, that even monsters had fragile hearts.”

AMAZON IN | AMAZON US | FLIPKART

THE WORLD IS BREAKING. AND SO ARE THEY.

KATE HARKER isn’t afraid of monsters. She hunts them. And she’s good at it.

AUGUST FLYNN once yearned to be human. He has a part to play. And he will play it, no matter the cost.

THE WAR HAS BEGUN.

THE MONSTERS ARE WINNING.

Kate will have to return to Verity. August will have to let her back in. And a new monster is waiting—one that feeds on chaos and brings out its victims’ inner demons.

Which will be harder to conquer: the monsters they face, or the monsters within?

“There were two kinds of monsters, the kind that hunted the streets and the kind that lived in your head.

She could fight the first, but the second was more dangerous. It was always, always, always a step ahead.”

This Savage Song was interesting; not plot – wise (which can be considered predictable!) but it was honestly addictive, thrilling and creepy in the most wonderful way!

So, I had quite the expectations from the conclusion to the Monsters of Verity Duology – and while I was actually enchanted with the plot (and the ending pretty much obliterated parts of my soul) – this one was a lot more informative as compared to the first one; so ended up being a bit slow at times during the plot.

“People are messy. They were defined not only by what they’d done, but by what they would have done, under different circumstances, molded as much by their regrets as their actions, choices they stood by and those they wished they could undo. Of course, there was no going back – time only moved forwards – but people could change.

For worse.

And for better.”

But a bonus point, we get not only Kate and August’s POV but we also get Sloan’s POV – who is the monster of the story. There are also some amazing new characters introduced in the story; which I had high hopes would have their own stories, especially with the deleted scenes at the end of the book, but sadly my hopes were dashed; at least for now!

But it’s the talent of the author; that pretty much cements how much I enjoyed this duology – and while it’s the first one for me from V.E. Schwab; this duology definitely won’t be the last.