september book haul – 2018

well hello. hi. how are ya? it’s been a very long time since i’ve done a book haul. i actually haven’t been buying books because i don’t read. i’ve been in a huge reading slump since i started this whole author thing. i don’t remember the last fictional book i read tbh. but umm i’ve been wanting to read again so here we are =) let’s get started okuuuurrrrrr


26856502Vengeful (Villains #2) by V.E. Schwab

Genre: Adult Fiction, Fantasy, Sci-Fi

Synopsis: The sequel to VICIOUS, V.E. Schwab’s first adult novel.

Sydney once had Serena—beloved sister, betrayed enemy, powerful ally. But now she is alone, except for her thrice-dead dog, Dol, and then there’s Victor, who thinks Sydney doesn’t know about his most recent act of vengeance.

Victor himself is under the radar these days—being buried and re-animated can strike concern even if one has superhuman powers. But despite his own worries, his anger remains. And Eli Ever still has yet to pay for the evil he has done.

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29386918Wildcard (Warcross #2) by Marie Lu

Genre: YA Sci-Fi

Synopsis: Emika Chen barely made it out of the Warcross Championships alive. Now that she knows the truth behind Hideo’s new NeuroLink algorithm, she can no longer trust the one person she’s always looked up to, who she once thought was on her side.

Determined to put a stop to Hideo’s grim plans, Emika and the Phoenix Riders band together, only to find a new threat lurking on the neon-lit streets of Tokyo. Someone’s put a bounty on Emika’s head, and her sole chance for survival lies with Zero and the Blackcoats, his ruthless crew. But Emika soon learns that Zero isn’t all that he seems–and his protection comes at a price.

Caught in a web of betrayal, with the future of free will at risk, just how far will Emika go to take down the man she loves?

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35403058City of Ghosts (Cassidy Blake #1) by Victoria Schwab

Genre: Middle Grade, Paranormal, Fantasy

Synopsis: Cassidy Blake’s parents are The Inspectres, a (somewhat inept) ghost-hunting team. But Cass herself can REALLY see ghosts. In fact, her best friend, Jacob, just happens to be one.

When The Inspectres head to ultra-haunted Edinburgh, Scotland, for their new TV show, Cass—and Jacob—come along. In Scotland, Cass is surrounded by ghosts, not all of them friendly. Then she meets Lara, a girl who can also see the dead. But Lara tells Cassidy that as an In-betweener, their job is to send ghosts permanently beyond the Veil. Cass isn’t sure about her new mission, but she does know the sinister Red Raven haunting the city doesn’t belong in her world. Cassidy’s powers will draw her into an epic fight that stretches through the worlds of the living and the dead, in order to save herself.

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39088508Fierce Fairytales: Poems and Stories to Stir Your Soul by Nikita Gill

Genre: Poetry, Short Stories

Synopsis: Traditional fairytales are rife with cliches and gender stereotypes: beautiful, silent princesses; ugly, jealous, and bitter villainesses; girls who need rescuing; and men who take all the glory.

But in this rousing new prose and poetry collection, Nikita Gill gives Once Upon a Time a much-needed modern makeover. Through her gorgeous reimagining of fairytale classics and spellbinding original tales, she dismantles the old-fashioned tropes that have been ingrained in our minds. In this book, gone are the docile women and male saviors. Instead, lines blur between heroes and villains. You will meet fearless princesses, a new kind of wolf lurking in the concrete jungle, and an independent Gretel who can bring down monsters on her own.

Complete with beautifully hand-drawn illustrations by Gill herself, Fierce Fairytales is an empowering collection of poems and stories for a new generation.

***thanks you Hachette Books and Nikita Gill for sending me a finished copy

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41154741Lemon Acuarelas by Chyenne Raine

Genre: Poetry

Synopsis: cheyenne raine explores the themes of culture, faith, love, and more in a bilingual collection of poetry. lemon acuarelas is soaked in light and things that feel both sweet and sour.

 

 

 

 

 

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42141361By The Thread of My Heart: A Poetry Collection by Nicki Naomi

Genre: Poetry

Synopsis: ‘By the Thread of My Heart’ is self-love, honesty and the beauty of what it is to be a woman. It is the belief in the magic that happens when we stop hurting and begin healing. The shift changing occurrences that happen when we begin to own exactly who we are. This collection of prose and poetry also contains a series of letters written to Love. Personifying it and speaking to it in its truest form. This is a collection based on the personal life experiences of Nicki Naomi as she continues to remain vulnerably open to growth.

 

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and done! i am excited for all these books. i keep eyeing vengeful though because vicious was an ultimate fave and i have been waiting YEARS for this second book. i had received the owlcrate special edition and schwab wrote a note for the readers, she mentioned some new characters that i cannot wait to read more about. any of these books on your tbr or to be hauled pile? let’s chat in the comments!


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twitter: @chicnerdreads

June Wrap-Up 2017

Hello everyone! I hope you are all doing well! I must say that I am very proud of my reading month in June. I feel like I definitely got my kick back in the reading game lol! So without further ado, let’s get started!

What I Read:


31451174A Court of Wings and Ruin (A Court of Thorns and Roses #3) by Sarah J. Maas
 ★★
Genre: New Adult Fantasy
I have a full RANT review here. The review has a lot of spoilers so I wouldn’t recommend it if you haven’t read the book. Let’s just say that I was very disappointed and will not be reading more from this author.

 

 

 

 


32075662Our Dark Duet (Monsters of Verity #2) by Victoria Schwab ★★★★★
Genre: YA Paranormal, Fantasy
Amazing conclusion to the Monsters of Verity duology. I am still in my feelings and can’t quite believe it’s over. I have a non-spoiler review for it here. The review does however contain spoilers from the first book, please be cautious.

 

 

 

 


elizaEliza and Her Monsters by Francesca Zappia ★★★★★
Genre: YA Contemporary
Ugh I absolutely loved this book and will recommend it for days to come! It is contemporary but it talks about some very important things like mental health, family dynamics’s, and friendships. I also loved how the author inserted some of the webcomic in the book. I have a non-spoiler review here.

 

 

 

 


27207807soft magic. by Upile Chisala ★★★★★
Genre: Poetry
I’m not sure if I’m going to do a review on this one. But definitely a FOREVER FAVORITE!! Wow this book should be read by all women, especially Women of Color. This one was amazing.
Goodreads Synopsis:
‘soft magic.’ is the debut collection of prose and poetry by Malawian writer, Upile Chisala. This book explores the self, joy, blackness, gender, matters of the heart, the experience of Diaspora, spirituality and most of all, how we survive. ‘soft magic.’ is a shared healing journey.

 

 


1088164160;recovery by Jasmine Smith ★★★★
Genre: Poetry
For anyone who likes break-up poetry, I would recommend this one. The author takes us through the ups and downs of a relationship and her thought process.
Goodreads Synopsis:
a collection of modern poetry surrounding the most vulnerable time – post-breakup. follow the journey of hurt on the road to recovery

 

 

 

 


35062842lavender petals and a wild heart by Cheyenne Raine ★★★★★
Genre: Poetry
Such a beautiful written collection. filled with curiosity, color, and wonder. I cannot wait to read more by this author!
Goodreads Synopsis:
A lavender sky of words, thoughts, poetry and prose written with love and curiosity. A collection inspired by the emotions that flow from the heart due to the gentle presence of a wild and adventurous soul. This book dives into the mixture of warm and lovely feelings that blossom when adoring another’s heart.

 


Poetry Posted in June:
a letter to the moon
some kind of self-love

for my short poetry, you can check out my instagram! link is at the end of this post ❤


I did a few memes this past June but the two that I will be featuring are the Top Ten Tuesdays since the others were WWW’s and Friday Reads.

TTT: Series I’ve Been Meaning to Start But Haven’t
TTT: Best Books You’ve Read in 2017 So Far


that is all for this monthly wrap-up! have you heard and/or read any of these books? let’s chat in the comments!


Instagram: @chicnerdreads
Twitter: @ChicNerdReads

Our Dark Duet (Monsters of Verity #2) by Victoria Schwab Spoiler Free Book Review

Title: Our Dark Duet (Book #2)
Series: Monsters of Verity
Author: Victoria Schwab
Genre: YA Paranormal, Fantasy
Publisher: Greenwillow
Format: Hardcover
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

our dark duet

Synopsis from Goodreads:

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 will be spoilers from the previous book, if you have not yet read This Savage Song, please do not read further. I have a non-spoiler review for This Savage Song here.

Plot

When reading Our Dark Duet, Schwab starts 6 months after the ending of This Savage Song. At first we jump into different perspectives with Kate and August in which we see two different sides of the spectrum. I love how Schwab expands her world and we see what is going on in two different towns, Prosperity and Verity. Kate had ran away to Prosperity in This Savage Song after the death of her father, meanwhile August stays behind in Verity.

In Prosperity, Kate hunts the monsters with a little help of a new set of characters that go by the name of The Wardens. In Verity, August becomes leader of the FTF and makes sure that the only humans who can trespass to safe grounds are humans with pure souls. Kate while in chase of monsters meets a new one that has never been spoken of and/or seen. When meeting this new monster, Chaos the Eater, some things are set in motion and everything goes downhill from there. August although being a leader is still struggling with the monster within himself while dealing with the ones outside and slowly but surely everything starts clicking.

Thoughts

 

Excuse me while I sit here and cry over that heart wrenching ending. WTF Schwab!!! How do you write such amazing books that leave me crying and hurting for dayyysss?!?! HOOOOWWWW?!?! An amazing conclusion to the Monsters of Verity Duology. I have never felt more satisfied by a series. Schwab left me with my heart in my throat and literal tears.

Our Dark Duet is the continuation of This Savage Song. After This Savage Song had ended, I was left in anticipation for this book. I was also left with a lot of questions, wondering about August and Kate and their whereabouts. Left with questions about other characters as well. And Schwab just took my soul and ran with it. Like if August played his violin and left me in bliss.

Our Dark Duet was filled with darkness, poetry, mentions of stardust, edge of your seat scenes, and tons of chaos. READ IT!

I really liked how Schwab gave us character development but also realistic characters that I was able to relate to. She did an amazing job in showing us their thought processing and what they were going through internally. Ugh, I love when books do that!

I absolutely loved the open-ending and just how raw it was. I couldn’t imagine the book with another type of ending, especially when the book was very dark. I found it to be much darker than This Savage Song, to me it was the perfect ending. Schwab had me on the edge of my seat and I couldn’t stop reading the book.

I am hoping that Schwab makes a spin-off for The Wardens.

“…..
so alone
it buries her
that sadness
swallows her
whole
the only sound
a voice
her voice
….”

please click here for credit and link


i would love to chat in the comments about this book!! what were your thoughts?


Instagram: @chicnerdreads
Twitter: @ChicNerdReads

Top Ten Tuesday: Best Books You’ve Read in 2017 So Far

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature with new topics every Tuesday, hosted by The Broke and The Bookish. If you would like to participate, the link provided will lead you to the feature and upcoming topics for the rest of the month

Today’s topic is: Best Books You’ve Read in 2017 So Far

**titles of books will link you to goodreads


Here Are My Best Books:

13330943The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
Genre: Fantasy, Historical, Romance
Thoughts: One of my all time favorite books and my heart will be forever changed by the characters and the circus. I will need to revisit this world sometime in the future again. Review here.

 

 

 

 

 


30312837The You I’ve Never Known by Ellen Hopkins
Genre: YA Contemporary, Verse, Realistic Fiction, LGBTQ+ (Bi)
Thoughts: Ellen Hopkins is definitely a fave auto-buy author for me so when she came out with this book, I was really excited. I wouldn’t suggest reading all of the synopsis because it gives away the whole story, however I have a full review here.

 

 

 

 


25296512-2Pennies (Dollar #1) by Pepper Winters
Genre: Dark New Adult
Thoughts: Absolutely a very hard read but I was addicted and sucked in. This book is about a girl who is sold via sex slavery. We go through her physical, mental, and emotional abuse. I have a mini review here.

 

 

 

 


30325231The Chaos of Longing by K.Y. Robinson
Genre: Poetry
Thoughts: AMAZING!!!! I love love loved it and it will be forever a favorite. I have a full review with some poems attached here.

 

 

 

 

 

 


28243032We Are Okay by Nina LaCour
Genre: YA Contemporary, LGBTQ+
Thoughts: Deep, short, and to the point. A very impactful read and I have a review for here.

 

 

 

 

 

 


29748925Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor
Genre: YA Fantasy
Thoughts: A fantastical lyrical read. I would recommend reading my review here.

 

 

 

 

 

 


32890474The Seafarer’s Kiss by Julia Ember
Genre: YA Fantasy, Retelling, LGBTQ+ (Bi)
Thoughts: For fans of The Little Mermaid and Norse Mythology, please check out this awesome read. I have a review for it here.

 

 

 

 

 

 


35022465Love Poems I found In My Closet by Evette Blue
Genre: Poetry
Thoughts: An amazing collection of poetry that features old poems this author literally found in her closet. I do not have a review but you can check it out on Amazon here.

 

 

 

 

 


35014002Afterlife by Melissa Jennings
Genre: Poetry
Thoughts: Lovely debut dark poetry that deserves to be read. I have a review with some of the poems here.

 

 

 

 

 

 


our dark duetOur Dark Duet (Monsters of Verity #2) by Victoria Schwab
Genre: YA Paranormal, Fantasy
Thoughts: OMG!!! MY HEART STILL HURTS!! I have yet to write a review for this book, it should be out in the next few days. But I absolutely loved it and thought it was a great heart-wrenching conclusion. If you haven’t checked the first book, This Savage Song, I have a review for it here.

 

 

 

 


that is all for today! have you read any of the books mentioned or plan on to? let’s chat in the comments!


Instagram: @chicnerdreads
Twitter: @ChicNerdReads

Friday Reads and a Chat

hey everyone! happy friday! i hope you are all doing very well today. i guess wanted to mix things up a bit; tell you what i’m going to start reading today and also have a chat with you. let you know what’s going on with me.

i’ve been very out of whack with blogging and life. which is why sometimes you don’t see me around as much, i’m trying to get back into the swing of things but wow my life has changed so much since April 4th (the day i released my poetry book). it’s the point where i have forgotten to take care of myself and my mind has been pulled into so many directions. i am overly exhausted but i am sorting things out.i am figuring out a schedule since i cut some hours from work in order to dedicate more time to writing/blogging, taking care of myself, and not forgetting the body that i am in. because my body and mind has taken the biggest hit of all which i won’t be going into details.

i miss the shit out of blogging and going through all of the other blogs. i miss posting book related post and poems. i just miss all of you *cries*
I AM READING AGAIN THOUGH!! whoop whoop!! while writing my book, editing, drafting, etc. i had read slim to nothing because my mind was just focused on all of that. especially since i am self-published, i was doing everything by myself. but i literally reaped what i sowed because the book community has had my back and i will forever be grateful. the amount of love, reviews, people telling me the sweetest things about my book…omg here come the water works lol.

so yeah, i probably still won’t be on much while i’m trying to figure out my schedule but i hope you don’t go anywhere! i have a few ideas and discussions for things ❤


to the reads:

23766634
i recently finished A Court of Wings and Ruin (ACOTAR #3) by Sarah J. Maas, which i will definitely be doing a .gif review for because i have a lot to say about this one. i won’t say much right now but that i am disappointed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


our dark dueti am going to start reading *drum roll please* Our Dark Duet (Monsters of Verity #2) by Victoria Schwab WHICH I HAVE BEEN HIGHLY ANTICIPATING SINCE LIKE FOREVER!!! oh my heart please be still! I definitely plan on starting this one later on today.

and what i love that is only a duology!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


haven’t heard of This Savage Song, the first book in Monsters of Verity? i have a non spoiler review of it here filled with .gif’s and aesthetics. the synopsis from Goodreads:

23299512There’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.


and that is it for today! have you read any of these books mentioned or plan on too? what’s your read for the weekend? i would love to chat in the comments!


Instagram: @chicnerdreads
Twitter: @ChicNerdReads
Goodreads: Gretchen (ChicNerdReads)

WWW Wednesday

Hi everyone! I thought I would participate in WWW Wednesday today. This meme is hosted by Sam over at Taking on a World of Words. You can link your blog post to Sam’s website that way we can interact and find other bloggers =)

The questions are:
1. What are you currently reading?
2. What did you recently finish reading?
3. What do you think you’ll read next?


what are you currently reading?

23766634.jpg
I am currently reading A Court of Wings and Ruin (ACOTAR #3) by Sarah J. Maas. This is the third book in the A Court of Thorns and Roses “trilogy”.. quotation marks because there will be more books added into this world but with different characters..let’s see how that goes. So far I am LOVING this and I am so happy that I’m reading about some of my favorite characters again because I missed them so much. After the ending of A Court of Mist and Fury, this third one was long overdue. I will not be adding the synopsis because I don’t want to spoil anyone. But you should definitely check out A Court of Thorns and Roses if you haven’t because its a New Adult Fantasy with romance and faeries and magic!

 

 


what did you recently finish reading?

35014002
i recently finished Afterlife by Melissa Jennings. it is a dark poetry book! i love love loved it and i cannot wait to read more by this author! i have a mini poetry review for it here.

Synopsis from Goodreads:
“The sun does not rise when you need it most. You rise instead.”
Afterlife is a collection of poetry about catharsis, self-love, and self-revolution. Afterlife is a journey from the darkness to the light again, and again, and again.

 

 

 

 


what do you think you’ll read next?

there are two books that i know for certain i will be reading next! just depends on how quickly i finish A Court of Wings and Ruin since one of these books comes out this Tuesday. these are the two:

eliza
Eliza and Her Monsters by Francesca Zappia

Synopsis from Goodreads:
Eighteen-year-old Eliza Mirk is the anonymous creator of Monstrous Sea, a wildly popular webcomic, but when a new boy at school tempts her to live a life offline, everything she’s worked for begins to crumble.

In the real world, Eliza Mirk is shy, weird, smart, and friendless. Online, Eliza is LadyConstellation, the anonymous creator of a popular webcomic called Monstrous Sea. With millions of followers and fans throughout the world, Eliza’s persona is popular. Eliza can’t imagine enjoying the real world as much as she loves her digital community. Then Wallace Warland transfers to her school, and Eliza begins to wonder if a life offline might be worthwhile. But when Eliza’s secret is accidentally shared with the world, everything she’s built—her story, her relationship with Wallace, and even her sanity—begins to fall apart. With pages from Eliza’s webcomic, as well as screenshots from Eliza’s online forums.

our dark duet
Our Dark Duet (Monsters of Verity #2) by Victoria Schwab

Since this book is the second in a duology, I will not be posting the synopsis since I do not want to spoil anything again lol! But This Savage Song was amazing and I really cannot wait to read Our Dark Duet! Schwab has not disappointed me, I NEED THIS!

 

 

 

 

 

 


and that is it for this post! what are you currently reading or reading next? are any of these books on your radar? i would love to chat in the comments!


Instagram: @chicnerdreads
Twitter: @ChicNerdReads
Goodreads: Gretchen (ChicNerdReads)

Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking The Spine. On every Wednesday you discuss a book that you are highly anticipating.

This weeks pick is due to the fact that the author did a cover reveal. I read the first book this past summer and loved it. I am anxiously waiting for this second book and that would be:

32075662.jpgOur Dark Duet (Monsters of Verity #2)
by Victoria Schwab

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Kate Harker is a girl who isn’t afraid of the dark. She’s a girl who hunts monsters. And she’s good at it. August Flynn is a monster who can never be human, no matter how much he once yearned for it. He’s a monster with a part to play. And he will play it, no matter the cost.

Nearly six months after Kate and August were first thrown together, the war between the monsters and the humans is terrifying reality. In Verity, August has become the leader he never wished to be, and in Prosperity, Kate has become the ruthless hunter she knew she could be. When a new monster emerges from the shadows—one who feeds on chaos and brings out its victim’s inner demons—it lures Kate home, where she finds more than she bargained for. She’ll face a monster she thought she killed, a boy she thought she knew, and a demon all her own.


If you haven’t heard of the first book in this duet, This Savage Song, here’s the synopsis:

23299512There’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.

I also have a review for This Savage Song where I obsess over this book. Click here =)

I cannot wait for Our Dark Duet and see what these characters are up to and whats going to happen with this society full of monsters and humans. I would highly recommend this! What’s on your Waiting on Wednesday?


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Friend me on Goodreads: Gretchen (ChicNerdReads)

This Savage Song Spoiler Free Book Review

Title: This Savage Song (Book #1)
Series: Monsters of Verity
Author: Victoria Schwab
Genre: YA, Paranormal
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

aTqrzKLTM

23299512-2

Synopsis from Goodreads:

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.


I buddy read this with my friend Lilly over at Lair of Books (check out her amazing blog)! We both had quite a ride with this book and I think neither of us can put it down. It’s just that good!! Before I get into this review I want to thank her for giving me music to listen while reading this. I placed on repeat Dark Violin Songs by Max Ablitzer

My Initial Thoughts After I Finished:

need

Seriously, I had to rush over Tumblr to get some sort of closure after I finished TSS. That ending had me like woah.


In This Savage Song we follow two characters Kate (human) and August (monster), their stories are told in third person which I enjoyed because although we follow their individual stories, we get told their mindset and their surroundings.

The first 50 pages were slow which I feel like is typical in Schwab fashion. However, there was building, getting to know this world that’s divided (literally, there’s a truce so you either live here or there) and getting to know the characters. Everything is so dark here, from the world to the characters to the cat.

My feelings on Kate:

crazy(but I ended up really liking her character)

My feelings on August:

shock.gif*whisper* my precious child

Sometimes the real monsters are humans and the people who are supposed to have your back, don’t. Kate trying to please her father by doing all these horrible things and August who tries to hide his monstrous ways by acting human.

I loved that we get tons of building here, nothing was rushed, and the action was on point. We have three different types of monsters in this book: Corsai, Malchai, and Sunai. The author described each one through a song:

“Corsai, Corsai, tooth and claw,
Shadow and bone will eat you raw.
Malchai, Malchai, sharp and sly.
Smile and bite and drink you dry.
Sunai, Sunai, eyes like coal,
Sing you a song and steal your soul.
Monsters, monsters, big and small,
They’re gonna come and eat you all.”

Everything takes place in Verity; North City that Kate’s father, Callum Harker runs and South City that August adopted father, Henry Flynn runs. You want protection from the monsters? Then you pretty much have to sell your soul to Harker for protection. And selling your soul always comes with consequences. The truce that’s between Harker and Flynn is about to break and a lot of stuff start spiraling out of control. We see all of this happening within this book.

I loved the writing. Have you read Schwab? She writes in this dark way that captivates you and she writes these characters with such raw personalities. Each character, even some of the side characters have an individual story to tell and I thought that was great.

My all time favorite side character that I absolutely love and would love even more if we had a book just for her is Isla. I felt like I connected with her so much.

tumblr_o9i5uzqf4h1qlsocno2_500Photo credit here

The plot has tons of suspense and thriller aspects in it that include monsters and humans. Following Kate and August, we also follow their fathers and what they really stand by at the end of the day. Callum Harker is just a selfish man who does what he needs to do for his own benefit, meanwhile Henry Flynn just wants peace and safety for everyone including the monsters. Although not all monsters can be saved due to their nature.

We see Kate and August both struggle with themselves and also struggle between right and wrong, good and evil, light and darkness.

I love that the author didn’t add romance here because it was not needed at all. It wouldn’t have added to the story, if anything, romance would’ve taken away from the greatness of this dark world. I definitely recommend this!!

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