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Our Dark Duet Monsters of Verity Victoria Schwab Books

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Our Dark Duet Monsters of Verity Victoria Schwab Books

Not quite 5 stars. Maybe 4 1/2? Or 4 3/4? I'm not sure yet.

What I am sure of, though, is that OUR DARK DUET will devastate you. The last couple chapters left me lurching, breathless, and sad. But at the same time, it's wholly appropriate, and it reminds us that sometimes the most fitting ending will come at a cost to the characters.

OUR DARK DUET starts off introspective, catching up with Kate and August in their new roles and realities since the end of THIS SAVAGE SONG. Then a new monster, one that Kate discovers in the city of Prosperity, is introduced - and all hell breaks loose. In positive ways that will keep you reading, of course.

It has more of everything that made THIS SAVAGE SONG so unputdownable for me: more suspense, more unique monsters, more heart-stopping action, and more reasons to be scared for Kate and August. But it's also more psychological, exploring the idea of inner demons as well as outer. It's twisty and terrifying and so intense that you'll swear it's going to give you nightmares, and yet you keep reading because WHY ON EARTH NOT?! The only part that didn't sit well with me was an almost-romantic moment between two characters that, to me, was unnecessary. It was the only such scene in the book, but I think it could have been more effective if it stayed platonic.

Otherwise... wow. OUR DARK DUET is exciting, heart-rending, and thought-provoking - perhaps the stronger book of the duology, and the crescendo that this series deserves.


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Our Dark Duet Monsters of Verity Victoria Schwab Books Reviews

I have, so far, loved every one if Victoria Schwab's novels. But I might love the Monsters of Verity series the most. Schwab is an incredibly talented writer and an amazing storyteller which combined creates an author to treasure. I marvel at the worlds she builds and the complicated and dynamic characters she populates them with. Still I've never been as emotionally invested in any characters as I was with August and Kate.

This book is obviously the sequel and finale to the Verity series and it was, in a word, perfection. I definitely wish I could see this one as a movie. Not just because the action and intensity would translate that well to film (but it would) but also for those who wouldn't for whatever reason pick up this book or don't have time to read, a film would allow this tale to be shared with a broader audience and I believe it deserves that.

Now to take a break from blubbering over how in love I am with this story, a few words about the actual plot the sequel takes place 6 months after Kate and August part ways. The traumatic events that concluded the first novel has changed them both, for better and worse and they have both grown up and grown harder. Naturally there is unfinished business that must be addressed as the first book suggested in the form of Sloan and Alice... but there is also a new terrifying monster to deal with and hunt. And just like the first novel, the specter of war and destruction looms over Verity. Again as hinted by the first book, through Kate, we get to read about a new city, Prosperity, which, on surface, seems to be the antithesis of Verity - safe and "normal" - but as usual, our hero Kate can always suss out a rotting core.

Kate's adventures lead her to return to Verity where she reunites with August and they both attempt to resolve the new trouble together as well as the dangers that still stalk the night from their past.

Schwab pulls no punches when writing about violence and death so if you're squeamish you should avoid this book. We get to meet a new Sunai in this novel which is interesting and fascinating. Overall, themes ubiquitous to this sequel revolve around (1) questions about how humanity can secure a future paved with hard decisions in a post apocalyptic world (2) contemplating morality, particularly sin and forgiveness, choices and change and (3) do the benefits outweigh the cost of being more human, or more monster?

I'm sad this series is over, but it ended with both beauty and pain and hope. And like the title of this review implies, I totally cried, but this story is worth it.
Our Dark Duet picks up several months later after the events of the first book, This Savage Song. While the first book explored the taut levels of human nature and what it means to be human, Our Dark Duet seems to be a reckoning of sorts. It very much deals with consequences of one's actions and how a person must deal with those consequences. Kate and August have been irrevocably changed on a fundamental level, the latter changing the most. August consumes himself with his vile duty to Verity--- the reaping of souls of those who've committed heinous acts of violence. As August immerses himself in his deadly deeds, we find that Kate has joined a small group of people who's mission is to help keep the monster population low by fighting and killing them---Kate being their leader and executioner.

The beginning of the book is bogged down with a lot of introversion. August's thoughts are dark and critical of himself. He struggles with doing his duty to Verity because he feels his actions are wrong. His dead brother's voice plagues his thoughts, haunting him at every turn. Kate deals with her own mental endeavors, fighting both inner and outer demons. Kate is battling the loneliness she's feeling now that she's left Verity, August, and everything else behind. Like August, she hunts monsters to combat the inner turmoil going on in her head. Everything seems to fit the status quo at the beginning.

A new monster comes to town. One no one, monster and human alike have ever seen before.

"The air smelled like blood and panic as she forced herself toward the restaurant, toward the massacre, toward the chaos.
And there, in the middle of it all, so still she almost didn’t see it, stood a monster."

This monster goes beyond the realm of what monsters have been capable of before. It's not a Corsai, Malchai, nor is it a Sunai. It's something else entirely. Worse, it seems to be connected to Kate in a way that put both her life and those she loves in danger. Kate, ever so determined to track it down finds herself on a one way track back to the place that she both reviles and loves---Verity.

Schwab introduces some new characters that create an interesting dynamic to the story. Alice is a monster created by the violent act Kate committed in book one. For spoiler purposes, I won't reveal what. Alice teams up with Sloan, in order to hunt down Kate and kill her. Like Sloan, Alice has very sadistic tendencies and loves to play mind games with her prey. Sloan loves to keep Alice around because she resembles Kate. He's become obsessed with finding Kate and he will stop at nothing until he finds her. Alice takes great liberties when it comes to following Sloan's commands, and we see that their relationship is tenuous at best. Sloan often is forced to tighten his leash on his new minion Alice, because she loves to do things her way. She has a taste for human blood that is insatiable, which brings unwanted attention to Sloan and his operation. In addition to Alice, Schwab introduces us to another unique character that goes by the name of Soro. He's written to be genderless which I found fascinating and very progressive on Schwab's end. It's always refreshing to see an author push the envelope and test those boundaries. 

Victoria Schwab compacts her fast-moving plot masterfully with issues about morality, identity, and judgement for one's own actions. The quote that encompasses the themes of this sequel, which is also my favorite quote is, 

"People were messy. They were defined not only by what they’d done, but by what they would have done, under different circumstances, molded as much by their regrets as their actions, choices they stood by and those they wished they could undo. Of course, there was no going back—time only moved forward—but people could change.
For worse.
And for better."

Kate and August contend with their past actions and they see how those actions generate dark consequences. Schwab takes her readers on a journey and the latter half of the book is one you DO NOT want to miss. Victoria Schwab broke me to pieces with the ending to this duology. I believe she's evil and secretly writes with the sole purposes of torturing her readers. I still haven't recovered, as I'm sure you won't either. Be sure to pick up This Savage Song as well as Our Dark Duet for one emotionally dark ride.
Not quite 5 stars. Maybe 4 1/2? Or 4 3/4? I'm not sure yet.

What I am sure of, though, is that OUR DARK DUET will devastate you. The last couple chapters left me lurching, breathless, and sad. But at the same time, it's wholly appropriate, and it reminds us that sometimes the most fitting ending will come at a cost to the characters.

OUR DARK DUET starts off introspective, catching up with Kate and August in their new roles and realities since the end of THIS SAVAGE SONG. Then a new monster, one that Kate discovers in the city of Prosperity, is introduced - and all hell breaks loose. In positive ways that will keep you reading, of course.

It has more of everything that made THIS SAVAGE SONG so unputdownable for me more suspense, more unique monsters, more heart-stopping action, and more reasons to be scared for Kate and August. But it's also more psychological, exploring the idea of inner demons as well as outer. It's twisty and terrifying and so intense that you'll swear it's going to give you nightmares, and yet you keep reading because WHY ON EARTH NOT?! The only part that didn't sit well with me was an almost-romantic moment between two characters that, to me, was unnecessary. It was the only such scene in the book, but I think it could have been more effective if it stayed platonic.

Otherwise... wow. OUR DARK DUET is exciting, heart-rending, and thought-provoking - perhaps the stronger book of the duology, and the crescendo that this series deserves.