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Mary ~Ravager of Tomes~'s Reviews > This Savage Song
This Savage Song (Monsters of Verity, #1)
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by
Actual Rating: 2.5 Stars
Ya know...
It pains me on a personal level to give a book with such a stunning cover such a low rating, but I cannot deny my problems with it no matter how much I love V.E. Schwab's book covers or her writing.
This book has such an intriguing premise.
Imagine this:
Monsters manifesting into existence as a result of sin. A city literally divided between two leaders, both with their own ideas about how to protect their citizens. Kate, desperately trying to prove her savagery and be the devil her father always wanted her to be. August, a Sunai monster, hopelessly clinging to his wish to be human.
And on top of this badass premise, no fucking love story.
But for all of those unique elements, this book could not be saved from its own mediocrity.
When I read Vicious, it really set Schwab apart for me. That story is captivating with dynamic and believable characters.
But with This Savage Song and A Darker Shade of Magic, I feel as though something is preventing me from getting on board.
I appreciate what Schwab sets out to do here. Kate is a cutthroat, stubborn & impulsive. August is quiet and contemplative, a lover of music. These two seem amazing on paper, but for some reason I remain unconvinced.
I adore their ambitions. It sounds great to have a female lead yearning to be a proper villain. It sounds excellent to have a male lead who is vulnerable and searching for his humanity.
But somewhere in the process of breathing life into these characters, Schwab missed the mark.
No matter how much I wanted to care about these characters, I didn't. I couldn't. They didn't feel real. Even with Schwab's amazing talent for weaving words together I cannot in all good conscience tell you that this book will blow you away.
The writing is to die for. Schwab's style is gorgeous and fluid in a way that only a master of writing can achieve.
However, the story, the characterization, and unfortunately even the world building will leave you feeling like something crucial is missing.
I don't know that I'll be continuing on with this series. There were a handful of excellent moments, but whether or not they are enough to salvage my interest will have to wait until June.
This review and other reviews of mine can be found on Book Nest!
Ya know...
It pains me on a personal level to give a book with such a stunning cover such a low rating, but I cannot deny my problems with it no matter how much I love V.E. Schwab's book covers or her writing.
This book has such an intriguing premise.
Imagine this:
Monsters manifesting into existence as a result of sin. A city literally divided between two leaders, both with their own ideas about how to protect their citizens. Kate, desperately trying to prove her savagery and be the devil her father always wanted her to be. August, a Sunai monster, hopelessly clinging to his wish to be human.
And on top of this badass premise, no fucking love story.
But for all of those unique elements, this book could not be saved from its own mediocrity.
When I read Vicious, it really set Schwab apart for me. That story is captivating with dynamic and believable characters.
But with This Savage Song and A Darker Shade of Magic, I feel as though something is preventing me from getting on board.
I appreciate what Schwab sets out to do here. Kate is a cutthroat, stubborn & impulsive. August is quiet and contemplative, a lover of music. These two seem amazing on paper, but for some reason I remain unconvinced.
I adore their ambitions. It sounds great to have a female lead yearning to be a proper villain. It sounds excellent to have a male lead who is vulnerable and searching for his humanity.
But somewhere in the process of breathing life into these characters, Schwab missed the mark.
No matter how much I wanted to care about these characters, I didn't. I couldn't. They didn't feel real. Even with Schwab's amazing talent for weaving words together I cannot in all good conscience tell you that this book will blow you away.
The writing is to die for. Schwab's style is gorgeous and fluid in a way that only a master of writing can achieve.
However, the story, the characterization, and unfortunately even the world building will leave you feeling like something crucial is missing.
I don't know that I'll be continuing on with this series. There were a handful of excellent moments, but whether or not they are enough to salvage my interest will have to wait until June.
This review and other reviews of mine can be found on Book Nest!
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Comments Showing 1-50 of 63 (63 new)
message 1:
by
Kaylin
(new)
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rated it 5 stars
Feb 24, 2017 02:00PM
Great review, Mary! I always hate it when characters don't mesh well with me. Hope your next read is better!
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Gosh same here Kaylin!! Thank you sweetness! <3
Great review, darling! I have this on my shelf, but haven't been able to make myself pick it up. Which sounds like it might've been the right decision.
Agree, I gave it two stars :/
Thank you Celeste!! I honestly have no idea if you would enjoy this one or not because I also am picky about ADSOM & that one is well loved so maybe it's me :') lol
*sighs with Carina* such a shame right?
Ohh too bad!!! Your review is excellent however!
I wanted to start Vicious before This Savage Song, but if Vicious is so much better, I think I'll leave it for the end. Great review btw and sorry this didn't work for you!
Yeah, I didn't like this one either. I read Vicious and loved it - but whenever I start this one, I can't finish it! Great review, anyways!
I tried reading this book 2 or 3 times but I just don't know why, I kept putting it aside. I'll try finishing this book, maybe I wasn't in right mood when I read it. But I also have this feeling that I won't end up liking this book.
I'm really hesitant picking this one up after all these reviews. Great review though Mary. <3
Never read this author's books yet. But I'll try her trilogy first.
A kickass review, Mary! Hope you love your next =)
Haïfoun wrote: "Ohh too bad!!! Your review is excellent however!"Thank you my sweet breadstick!! <33
Morgane wrote: "I've had the exact same feeling when I read ADSOM for the first time – and it was my very first Schwab read. It was kind of mediocre and felt weak to me. But I took the time to continue with the se..."Awhhhh I'm so glad that it came together for you Morgane! I would love for that to happen for me too especially with ADSOM because I think that one is overall much better than This Savage Song! :)
Diana ~Daughter of the Books~ wrote: "I wanted to start Vicious before This Savage Song, but if Vicious is so much better, I think I'll leave it for the end. Great review btw and sorry this didn't work for you!"Oh I think that's a great idea Diana!! Especially if you like her other books you should LOVE Vicious! Thanks love!! :)
❀EᖇYᑎ❀ wrote: "Yeah, I didn't like this one either. I read Vicious and loved it - but whenever I start this one, I can't finish it! Great review, anyways!"Same here Eryn!! Thank you so much!
Reynita wrote: "I tried reading this book 2 or 3 times but I just don't know why, I kept putting it aside. I'll try finishing this book, maybe I wasn't in right mood when I read it. But I also have this feeling th..."Rey its pretty mediocre unfortunately. But if you pick it up I sure hope you like it more than I did!! :)
Sana wrote: "I'm really hesitant picking this one up after all these reviews. Great review though Mary. <3"Have you seen other bad or meh reviews for it Sana? I've only seen great ones!! Maybe a couple bad ones but it's got a really great star rating so I was excited!! Thank you my little savage <3
P wrote: "Never read this author's books yet. But I'll try her trilogy first."That's probably a good place to start P lots of people love ADSOM!
Kristin (KC) wrote: "A kickass review, Mary! Hope you love your next =)"Awh thank you Kristin!! :') I hope so too! <3
Excellent review my dear. Seems like Vicious will be just a one time thing for us. If I don't love AGOS and ACOL I think I'm going to skip all of her books unless it have anything to do with Vicious. Sorry this doesn't work for you!!
Petrik wrote: "Excellent review my dear. Seems like Vicious will be just a one time thing for us. If I don't love AGOS and ACOL I think I'm going to skip all of her books unless it have anything to do with Viciou..."Awhhh thank you P!! <33 I agree I think Schwab is excellent in the premise department but all her books after Vicious seem to have disappointed me in some way. I may still give The Archived a try we shall see!!
Mary ~Ravager of Tomes~ wrote: "Sana wrote: "I'm really hesitant picking this one up after all these reviews. Great review though Mary. Have you seen other bad or meh reviews for it Sana? I've only seen great ones!! Maybe a cou..."
Yeah I've seen a couple of negative reviews on this one. People mostly say it was disappointing.
Yikesssssss those people would be right lol!
Thank you so much Lunacakessss <33333
This is disappointing. I have this book. But good review chica! Still might give this a go. Who knows. Haha.
Thank you Jennymort! Girl you know how we are with books ;) I hope that when you read it you love it more than I! <3
Just from your brief description Kate sounds a lot like Lila...
Darcy wrote: "Just from your brief description Kate sounds a lot like Lila..."Bahahaha yeeeaaaaa they could probably replace each other in their respective stories & no one would know :x
Mary ~Ravager of Tomes~ wrote: "Darcy wrote: "Just from your brief description Kate sounds a lot like Lila..."Bahahaha yeeeaaaaa they could probably replace each other in their respective stories & no one would know :x"
Ooooohhh dear. It's always disappointing when the same type of character is used over and over by authors :/
I knowwww like maybe they develop differently later who knows but I don't think I'll be sticking around to find out haha
Mary ~Ravager of Tomes~ wrote: "I knowwww like maybe they develop differently later who knows but I don't think I'll be sticking around to find out haha"Even if they do develop differently it's most likely going to be too little too late. Like it could be cool to see how similar personalities change with differing circumstances, but you do that in the same series, not two completely seperate ones.
I know right!? Plus if I am understanding correctly she only has 1 more book (Our Dark Duet) to make the differentiation & I just don't see it happening!
Mary ~Ravager of Tomes~ wrote: "I know right!? Plus if I am understanding correctly she only has 1 more book (Our Dark Duet) to make the differentiation & I just don't see it happening!"If her characters development is anything like Kell and Lila's then neither, unfortunately.
I don't think we could be more on the same page that we currently are lol! *high five*
Mary ~Ravager of Tomes~ wrote: "I don't think we could be more on the same page that we currently are lol! *high five*"Ahahahah *high fives back* I'm still hoping to get to this one day but I have been warned. Luckily characters aren't such a big thing for me as plot and writing are. I can get past [an] annoying character/s but bad writing I can't.
Haha I wish you the best of luck with it! Schwab's writing is almost always good for me but the plot of this one is... meh. *shrugs* I hope you like it more than I did!
Mary ~Ravager of Tomes~ wrote: "Haha I wish you the best of luck with it! Schwab's writing is almost always good for me but the plot of this one is... meh. *shrugs* I hope you like it more than I did!"I hope I do too, although I doubt that I will get to it any time soon to find out.
Completely agree with this review! Love the author and this book had the potential to be amazing but it really fell flat. Great review!
Thank you so much Kelly! :)
I loved this book but your review is great anyway!
Hahah thank you Aisha! I'm glad you enjoyed it more than I did! :)
I completely agree with everything you said. This plot sounded amazing and had all of the point to be so, but when I read it, I just felt underwhelmed.
Jenn that's exactly it. I am always taken in by Schwab's premises like every single book she's published has an amazing summary but all of them have let me down except for Vicious.
Mary ~Ravager of Tomes~ wrote: "Jenn that's exactly it. I am always taken in by Schwab's premises like every single book she's published has an amazing summary but all of them have let me down except for Vicious."This is the only book of Schwab's that I've read but I have others of hers on my to-read list. I will have to check out Vicious.
I hope you end up liking that one as much as I did!
Thank God Im not the only one who thinks that!!!!
Lol yea we've got pretty unpopular opinions on this one Maks
