This Savage Song

Rating: 5/5 Title: This Savage Song Author: Victoria Schwab Synopsis: There’s no such thing as safe in a city at war, a city overrun with monsters. In this dark urban fantasy from acclaimed 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, This Savage Song is a must-have for fans of Holly Black, Maggie Stiefvater, and Laini Taylor. 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. In This Savage Song, Victoria Schwab creates a gritty, seething metropolis, one worthy of being compared to Gotham and to the four versions of London in her critically acclaimed fantasy for adults, A Darker Shade of Magic. Her heroes will face monsters intent on destroying them from every side—including the monsters within. Initial thoughts: I’ve always been taught never to judge a book by it’s cover, but I gotta say, the cover of this one really had me interested. On the back cover there is a short little poem that explained what the different monsters of Verity were and I thought that it was quite clever. This book had been on my TBR list for a while now as well simply due to the fact that it was written by Victoria Schwab. There is a second book as well that I ordered with the first and have yet to read, but will do so as soon as I finish writing this review. Also, from what I had gathered before reading the book, it seemed like this was going to be a ‘what makes a monster’ book and Victoria did not disappoint me at all with this wonderful tale. Plot: What I liked: The way that Victoria Schwab writes madness is captivating. As soon as a character begins to feel stressed, the writing style of the book changes to match the thoughts of that person. It feels so relatable. Things move quickly, but never too quickly for the reader to be lost in the stylistic change each time it happens. I also really loved the world building and the characters in this book. Kate is wild, but always seems to have an end goal in mind while August is rather frazzled at times trying to understand humans and conform to their mannerisms so as not to be out of place. The change in tone that comes when each character is in the spotlight holds a lot of feeling and makes things very distinct as they both describe their understanding of their surroundings and give the reader a specific look at Verity. The villains in the book were executed fantastically. The idea of what is a real monster really plays a role as August and Kate both learn who is really pulling the strings within the city. The pace of the book was wonderful and I thought it was really cool to keep track of the days along with August as a new tally formed on his skin each day. What I didn't like: To be honest there wasn’t a lot that I found I disliked about this book. I really enjoyed the story and didn’t have a qualm with any of the characters that were written. Characters: Kate Harker: She is an amazingly strong character and personality. She does have her flaws though and that’s what makes her human and relatable. August Flynn: My favorite character in the book. He was so loveable even though he was a Sunai and could eat people’s souls. I loved how his mind jumped around like notes on a music score. He just didn’t want to hurt anyone and be considered ‘normal’ and I wanted to give him a hug. Ilsa Flynn: She is a little scattered, but I loved her. She seemed very graceful and seemed rather innocent, but she could also be very deadly. Leo Flynn: A Sunai with a very righteous way of thinking. He believes that humans deserve to be judged and punished for their crimes. Sloan: A Malchai who was made from Callum Harker. He is certainly a very manipulative character, but has his own sense of what needs to happen in order for change to occur. Callum Harker: I hated his guts. He was a very well thought out villainous character who only protected those who could pay for it. He didn’t seem to care about anyone and even when he showed a sliver of humanity, I couldn’t find myself to trust him. Henry Flynn: He was an interesting father figure who only wanted to protect. Overall: I would recommend this book to just about anyone. The theme of the book was amazing and so was the process in which it was conveyed. Violence breed more violence, literally. I know that I will read this book over and over again as time goes on and I cannot wait to finish reading the second book in the series.

I finally read a Victoria Schwab book and wow! It was pretty amazing! This Savage Song snagged my interest when I heard it involved monsters! And not like monsters we might be used to, but actual monsters who happily kill and/or eat humans! You might be thinking this sounds like a horror novel, it’s not. Not really. Sure there are creepy moments, but there’s more suspense to this one and quite a mystery brewing filled with many betrayals and lies! In this world, there are three kinds of monsters; Corsai, Malchai, and Sunai. They all come into being when there’s a serious crime committed. This is the part that was a little confusing for me, but I think what it summed up to was that Corsai are born from non-lethal violence, Malchai come from a more heinous crime like murder, and Sunai are born from truly awful crimes, like massacres, bombings, etc. They apparently appear human, unless they truly lose themselves. Some of this monster setup wasn’t really explained in detail. Just more like, Sunai are created from massacres and that there are only three rumored to be in existence. In walks August, who is one of those three. He’s a Sunai, a monster, but he doesn’t want to be one. In order to survive he does need to feed on the souls of the truly wicked. August though doesn’t enjoy doing this. It seems the easiest way he can go about getting a soul is when he plays his violin in the presence of such wickedness. He was raised by the Flynns who rule the South City, which is a part of the sector that has more chaos than order. You must fight to have safety in this place. While in the North City, that’s ruled by Harker, safety comes to those who can pay the price and it’s steep. If you don’t pay, then you basically forfeit your life. Kate Harker wants nothing more than to please her father, she’s gotten herself kicked out many boarding schools just to come home and prove herself to him. She and August meet at her new school which he is also attending. Oddly enough, he’s going “undercover” with a fake identity and is told to keep an eye on Kate. And Kate quickly becomes determined to puzzle August out. For me, This Savage Song is one of those books that feels so hard to review or explain to others, but when reading it, you get the gist of the storyline. Granted, I feel confused by a few unanswered questions. Mostly in regards to the world-building that I wish had been better explained, but when it comes to those instances, I always try to just roll with it. And usually, I am able to do just that! Because luckily here, it really only was a few things that I didn’t quite understand or grasp to the world-building and whatnot. From the start you can almost see Kate and August winding up enemies, but then you also already can figure out that soon that will change as well. The change was definitely a slow, gradual kind. And like other readers, I was pleasantly surprised by the lack of romance between them. Are things blossoming or being laid out for the future? Possibly. Who’s to really say? Maybe there won’t be romance in this story at all. But what you will see is a bond growing between Kate and August in some way. But I must say I truly enjoyed watching these two interact. While they may not exactly be friends, they are sort of comrades. They’re being attacked from enemies and they’re left with no one else to trust. As they say, “better the devil you know, than the devil you don’t”. There’s trouble brewing among the cities. Tensions are high and it seems the ones in South City are not happy about the current circumstances. There were quite a few secrets, betrayals and shocking surprises in this book. It can be hard to tell who the villain is. Is it the North City, the South City, someone else entirely? It’s a tough call. The ending was quite possibly the best part of this book! Okay, a lot about this book was really, really good! But that ending…oh that ending leaves me with chills! Not only do we pretty much have a nice all out battle of sorts and then watching the characters go in their given direction, but there’s one final chapter, one final segment that will totally blow your mind! Not only in a BIG way, but also in an added little way! Totally WTF?! moment, but in the best possible way!! The wait until the next and from what I heard final, as it’s a duology we’re dealing with, Our Dark Duet, is going to be killer! There are too many loose strings left in this one that I am desperately waiting to see what will befall our characters! This Savage Song was quite an intriguing read! It was puzzling at times, and filled with so many twists it will make your head spin! It’s a read to keep you on your toes and I would totally recommend it if you’re looking for that dark kind of read that will make you question what or who monsters really are! Overall Rating 4/5 stars

“The night Kate Harker decided to burn down the school chapel, she wasn't angry or drunk. She was desperate.” In einer zweigeteilten Stadt, in der Monster und Verbrechen regieren, findet sich August Flynn, selbst eines der stärksten Monster, mit dem Wunsch wieder, ... kein Monster zu sein. Doch er ernährt sich von den Seelen von Sündern, um ihn herum sterben Menschen, aus Verbrechen wachsen weitere Monster, die sich von Fleisch und Blut ernähren. Auf der anderen Seite der Stadt kommt Kate Harker endlich nach Hause, bereit ihrem Vater zu zeigen, dass sie nicht schwach ist, dass sie nach ihm und nicht ihrer schwachen Mutter kommt. Dass sie wie er eine Stadt regieren kann, monströs, schonungslos, ohne Reue. Doch als August auf Kate angesetzt wird, entgleisen ihre Wege. Erste WORTE Schon allein die ersten beiden Sätze des Buches sind absolut großartig. Ich habe das Buch mittlerweile zwei Mal gelesen und bin nach wie vor begeistert. Victoria Schwab hat einmal mit der Beschreibung 'Wie Romeo und Julia, nur ohne Romantik' (oder so ähnlich) geworben, was mich zu erst eher abgeschreckt hat. Aber ich liebe ihre Bücher und mich hat das Konzept fasziniert, also kam ich letztlich nicht drum herum. Und die Welt hat mich verschlungen. Die GESCHICHTE Die ganze Geschichte ist eher düster. Verity City wird von zwei Familien regiert. Im Norden von Harker, der die Menschen für ihr Überleben bezahlen lässt, während er die Monster beherrscht. Im Süden von Flynn, dessen Truppen auf den Straßen die Monster bekämpfen, um die Menschen zu beschützen. Doch Flynns stärkste Waffen sind seine Sunai, Monster, die nicht getötet werden können und sich von den Seelen von Sündern ernähren. Als Kate Harkers Weg zurück nach Verity führt, um ihrem Vater zu beweisen, dass sie seine Tochter ist, schickt Flynn seinen Sohn ... seinen Sunai August um sie zu überwachen. Denn der Frieden zwischen den beiden Seiten fängt langsam an immer mehr Risse zu bekommen. Ich könnte so viel mehr zu der Geschichte sagen, zu allem was passiert, über die Wesen und Monster - doch meiner Meinung nach, sollte man so wenig wie möglich über die Geschichte gelesen haben, ehe man das Buch liest. Es ist ein besonderes Erlebnis die Welt, die Victoria Schwab in dieser Duologie geschaffen hat, zu erkünden und ihr zu verfallen. Die CHARAKTERE Ich liebe, liebe, liebe August. Er ist so eine herrlich tragische Rolle. Verletzlich, hoffnungsvoll, so über alle Maßen bemüht. Kate auf der anderen Seite ist eine der wenigen Protagonisten, der ich diese ganze 'taffe Mädchen' Sache wirklich abgenommen habe. Aber wahrscheinlich auch, weil sie einfach so viel mehr ist als das. Kate weiß was sie will und ist bereit zu tun, was getan werden muss, damit die Leute sie so sehen, wie sie gesehen werden will. Sie ist zielstrebig, aber vor allem kennt sie sich selbst und ihre Schwächen. Kate Harker hat sich durch die Geschichte hindurch auf Platz eins meiner absoluten Lieblingscharaktere gekämpft. Dabei überzeugen aber - wie man es von Schwab kennt - nicht nur die Hauptcharaktere, sondern auch all die Nebenfiguren, die ebenfalls ihre eigenen Geschichten, Beweggründe und auch Abgründe mitbringen. Fazit This Savage Song ist eine düstere Geschichte, voller Menschlichkeit und ihren Schattenseiten. Das Buch überzeugt durch seine einzigartige Welt, großartigen Charaktere und die verzweifelte Verletzbarkeit und Stärke, die sich durch die Geschichte zieht. Lest. Dieses. Buch.

5/5 E' una meraviglia! Nonostante non sia proprio un lettura leggera, la storia è talmente appassionante e nuova che non riesci a smettere di leggere, devi per forza sapere di più. Peccato che il sequel mi abbia delusa tantissimo.

Kate Harker will do anything to get her father’s attention so he will bring her back home, including burning down her school’s chapel. Her father brings her back to the divided city of Verity where he allows the monsters to roam free and has humans pay for his protection. Meanwhile, August Flynn is the “son” of the ruler of the other half of the city. August is a monster, with the power to steal a soul with a violin song. When the Flynn family find out that Kate will be attending school in the city, they send August to masquerade as a student and get close to her. However, power is shifting in their city. When Kate’s life is put in danger, August has to put his secret at risk to figure out who is trying to kill them. This was such a thrilling and suspenseful story. It was an original and complex world. A lot of the rules and history of the world weren’t described until halfway through the story. I would have liked to learn that earlier so I could really understand the world. I still really enjoyed this story! This Savage Song is a great story! I can’t wait to read the sequel!

En cuanto a las condiciones del producto, el libro llegó bien asegurado (con plásticos necesarios) para que no se maltratara, la textura de la portada es bastante peculiar y llegó en el tiempo acordado. Altamente recomendable. En cuanto a la historia, debo decir que es un libro poco usual; tiene elementos bastante interesantes que hacen que te enganches de principio a fin. Este libro no puede faltar en tu librero, la verdad vale la pena ser leído.

If you want your stories to be driven by the characters, buy this book. Victoria Schwab writes these amazing, intricately woven stories with the characters at the center. Plot: You live in a world, where every misdeed by a human leads to the creation of monsters, monsters who in turn eat people. The monster is not bound to you, neither you to it. Would you live among people who created these monsters or would you rather live in a safe place where people fight these monsters and their creators? This is the story of the city of Verity, which is divided into two half - north and south. Each controlled by two humans - one who creates/rules monsters, the other who opposes and fights them. Then you have Kate and August the children of said humans. The stories they weave, and the lives they want to live, but can't because they're stuck in a world where every action has a consequence, and not all the choices you make, are for your own happiness. This story was so well-written, that I felt every emotion in it. August's chapters were so calming to read, even when everything was going to hell. The whole story is never told out-front, but in bits and pieces. There is no romance in this - as said by the author herself. The feelings in this book cannot be simply dubbed as romantic. There's so much more to it all. Fair warning - get ready for some form of heart break in this as that's the way Schwab writes. If you loved her other trilogy, Shades of Magic - then you'll love this duology too. There are some similarities between characters. Kate was in some way - both like Delilah Bard and Holland. Throughout this book, all I wanted was for people to leave August alone and to let him play his violin peace. Is that too much to ask?!