Slaying Monsters in Verity in This Savage Song by Victoria Schwab

This Savage Song by Victoria Schwab
Publisher: Greenwillow Books (5th Jul 2016)
Series: Monsters of Verity #1
Format/Source: Hardback (sent by MPH Distributors) 

Blurb:
There’s no such thing as safe.

Kate Harker wants to be as ruthless as her father. After five years and six boarding schools, she’s finally going home to prove that she can be.

August Flynn wants to be human. But he isn’t. He’s a monster, one that can steal souls with a song. He’s one of the three most powerful monsters in a city overrun with them. His own father’s secret weapon.

Their city is divided.

Their city is crumbling.

Kate and August are the only two who see both sides, the only two who could do something.

But how do you decide to be a hero or a villain when it’s hard to tell which is which?

Rating: 4.25/5

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Lo and behold, Kevin Loh has finally read a book by Victoria/V. E. Schwab. Not saying that it’s not easy to read Schwab’s books but I’ve been meaning to read them but they are so expensive here in Malaysia. But I was incredibly lucky to receive a copy of This Savage Song in all its shiny hardback glory.

For the longest time, I wanted to read This Savage Song because the entire premise of the book really intrigued me. Yes, you’ll find that I am easily intrigued. Maybe it’s my inquisitive nature that lands me in Ravenclaw (total Potterhead here, say hi!) but I was totally drawn to This Savage Song for inexplicable reasons and I knew that I had to read it.

In case you don’t know about This Savage Song, it’s a book about monsters. In the city of Verity (also known as V-City), monsters roam the streets. There are the Corsai, who are nothing but shadow and bone that prey on humans who step into the darkness. The Malchai are a sort of vampires who will suck your blood dry. Then there’s the Sunai, monsters that look like humans and they will sing a song that will steal your soul.

“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.”

Set in a post-apocalyptic world, Victoria Schwab introduces a haunting, richly textured and chaos-ridden world. The world building is fantastic and I loved the idea that there are monsters living among humans and everything comes with a price, especially your safety. The different monsters in This Savage Song were such a thrill to read and I loved that each and every one of them had their own quirks and traits. The Sunai were interesting to read about, especially the way they were made/born.

“He wasn't made of flesh and bone, or starlight.
He was made of darkness.”

You may think of This Savage Song as a dystopian, post-apocalyptic version of Romeo & Juliet without the kissing, swooning and serenading. For This Savage Song, the romance takes a seat in the backseat because it’s such a character driven story that explores really intriguing themes, such as humanity, ambition and self-discovery.

There is no denying that Victoria Schwab is an incredible writer. Her writing is beautifully haunting in This Savage Song and it’s undoubtedly solid and readable.

“The beautiful thing about books was that anyone could open them.”

I loved the characterisation of Kate Harker and August Flynn . They were so different in terms of their ambition but in some way or another, they are linked together. Schwab explores the idea of a monster who tries so very hard to be human and a human who desperately wants to be monstrous to live up to her father’s expectations. I thought that part of the story was integral in the entire scheme of things.

“I read somewhere," said Kate, "that people are made of stardust."

He dragged his eyes from the sky. "Really?"

"Maybe that's what you're made of. Just like us."

And despite everything, August smiled.”

The first book in the Monsters of Verity duology, This Savage Song is a marvel. I couldn’t stop reading it and I loved the book so much. The world building was exquisite, the friendship and dialogue between Kate and August was gold and the ending really made me want to read Our Dark Duet, the sequel which is out next June.

Read This Savage Song now! It’s a fast-paced, gripping page-turner.