This Savage Song [Book Review]

Hello everyone!

Title: This Savage Song (Monsters of Verity #1)

Author: Victoria Schwab

Publisher: Greenwillow Books

Published Date: 7^th June 2016

Rating: 4 Stars

*Thanks to the publisher for this review copy*

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Synopsis: 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.

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Review: I have wanted to read a book by Victoria Schwab for the longest time possible. Everyone is always raving about how wonderful they are. When I received this one for review, it took me a while to get to it because I was wary. What if the hype was misplaced? But don’t worry, it isn’t. This author is probably going to end up being a new favourite of mine with the more of her books that I read. Her writing style is so easy to sink into, and I loved almost everything about this book.

I was most impressed with the world when I started to read. We are transferred into this world where monsters exist, and they can hurt you. There are three different types. One which is violent, one which is made of shadows, and the rarest type, which if they play you a song, they can consume your soul. I loved the idea of this. I loved how the society had been built around it – how there were curfews to avoid the shadows, and how a city had been divided. Where one side had a ruler who worked in tandem with these shadows, and used them to their advantage. And the other side hunted these monsters and was fighting against them. Both sides simply trying to survive. It’s creative genius, right?

But the best thing about the world? The monsters are created because of human violence.

I really, really liked that aspect most of all. I do believe that violence and the pain we inflict on the world has its consequences. I thought it was significant and also unique to bring those consequences into a physical form in the novel. The worse your violent crime is, the worse of a monster you create. Which is why the Sunai (the monsters who steal your soul with music) are so rare. It’s because you need to have done something truly horrific in order for them to come into existence.

Monsters have their own problems as well. This novel doesn’t only focus on the humans. However, if you want to know about what problems the monsters themselves face and what consequences that can have, I’ll leave you to discover that by reading. I wouldn’t want to spoil the experience of sinking into the world for you!

I also really liked the two main characters. There’s Kate, who is the daughter of the criminal mastermind who runs one side of the city. She feels the need to be tough, and on top of her game all the time, in order to gain his respect. I did like her, but I didn’t feel for her particularly. I felt like it was a statement to make her so over confident and so unwilling to trust anyone else. In my opinion, I felt like it was a little bit overdone… but I did still like her character. However, it was the other point of view that I loved most of all. August is a monster. He wants to be human, and wants to be normal. He wants to be able to call himself ‘good’. Ironically, he has plenty of his own demons and monsters to face. I really, really loved him. But I won’t tell you too much about him, because that’s the fun in reading.

Kate and August have a whole rivalry-but-friends thing going on. I kind of ship them as well. I really loved that game of rivalry, and how things kind of turn on them and force them to have to help each other as well. It was very well done.

If you’re tired of romance in your novels as well, this one doesn’t really have romance? It has hints of it, and hints of them possibly becoming something more. But the romance definitely takes the back burner in this story, as the plot hikes up.

When starting this story, I was not hooked for the first 50%. I kept reading because I was enjoying the world, and was enjoying the characters, but it is probably a little over halfway when the plot really starts to kick in. I really liked the plot, but it took a while in coming. I wouldn’t say not to read this because of the time it takes for the plot to appear, but I would say to be patient :D It’s worthwhile waiting for.

I’m so looking forward to the sequel. It’s a duology, so I know it will be the end of everything. I just need more!

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Gif Summary:

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Links: Goodreads and Amazon!

Olivia’s Question: Do you play any instruments?

Olivia-Savannah x