Book - This Savage Song

Romeo Kennedy tries not to create monsters as he reads This Savage Song, a Monsters of Verity Novel by V. E. Schwab...

Monsters, mayhem and music.

And that is just a taste of what you can expect from This Savage Song. Using those key ingredients, Schwab creates a recipe for a thrilling read and one that you will probably not find in a Mary Berry cookbook.

Here is what the book is all about and as always beware of the spoiler monsters (But as usual I will try to keep them mild)

Kate Harker and August Flynn are the heirs to a divided city, a grisly metropolis where the violence has begun to create real and deadly monsters.

All Kate wants is to be as ruthless as her father, who lets the monsters roam free and makes the inhabitants pay for his protection. August just wants to be human, as good hearted as his own father - but his curse is to be what the humans fear. The thin truce that keeps the Harker and Flynn families at peace is crumbling, and an assassination attempt forces Kate and August into a tenuous alliance. But how long will they survive in a city where no one is safe and monsters are real ...

Schwab has written what can be described as a beautifully macabre plot. The monsters created from catalysts as violence feeds the notion that violence brings more violence.

The city of Verity is a complete dystopia, and Schwab makes it plainly clear within her narrative that people will do anything in order to feel safe, even in that comes with a higher price than they are willing to pay, especially under Callum Harker, Kate’s father.

With each chapter Schwab begins the first lines with almost lyrical quality, there were times when they felt the opening verse to a song, I’d like to think that was intentional and it added something quite special with each page turn.

August Flynn is one of three monsters that came from the catalyst of violence (There are Malchai, Corsai, and Sunai - August is the latter of the these) As the reader progresses, more and more is revealed about August, and we learn that the Sunai are pretty special and have special abilities, one being that they eat the souls of people who have done bad things, by playing music that is individually tailored to them, and a particular instrument. August wields a violin, whereas his brother plays a steel guitar. What I loved most about this is that Schwab has shown that even music can be used to devastating effect but despite that it carries such a beauty and shines pure.

The story is paced pleasantly and the book is a lovely introduction to what I believe is the first in a series (?) I’m very intrigued as to what will happen next to Kate and August, who are both fantastically written. They are flawed and they are two people who are trying to find their place in a world that is very dangerous and ever changing.

V. E. Schwab has written a brilliant Urban Fantasy tale and shows that sometimes even monsters aren’t all that they seem.

This Savage Song is released on the 7th June via Titan Books.

Image - Titan Books