Our Dark Duet (Monsters of Verity #2)

Picking up my next unfinished duology, I turned to Victoria Schwabs Our Dark Duet which brings a conclusion to the Monsters of Verity duology. It had been awhile since I read This Savage Song, but luckily I found a summary for THAT! Diving back into the series was still a bit hard, but manageable. When we start we join Kate in Prosperity, having left Verity behind, and somehow finds herself working with a group of monster hunters, for monsters are everywhere in this world. Though one chance encounter with a monster leaves Kate shaken, this monster was different from the usual sort and as you can imagine will be a feat of impossibility to defeat. Eventually, we pop back in on August whos still in Verity acting as a sort of police force trying to keep some semblance of order and justice in the city that is being run rampant with monsters. Then of course, as teased at the end of This Savage Song, we see that Sloan is still alive and well, and theres a new monster in town, one who just rose and looks like Kate in a lot of ways and goes by the name of Alice. Apparently whatever theories I had developed about this were grossly incorrect as I seemed to have forgotten the tidbit about how new monsters are created! Lol. It seems these two have decided to join together because of shared common enemy. I remember reading reviews saying that it took a while for Kate and August to reunite, and it does. Over a 100+ pages into the story, it almost makes those pages feel like an overly drawn out prologue especially since Kate was in Prosperity all that time. Already, I felt like I was getting off to a bad start with this one since the pace was slow. I understood the need for the slower pacing, there was a lot that had to be built up, but at the same time, I had hoped for something more along the way to these bigger events. One thing that I did miss that I felt like wasnt as present in this one was the relationship between Kate and August. They had that sort of reluctant budding friendship that danced along the lines of something maybe more but also the greater potential to turn into a battle to the death. It was heavy. It was complicated. Here, I feel like we got know of that. Mostly because they spend so much time apart. Even when they finally reunite, they still put physical distance between them and I kind of hated it. That spark of chemistry that was infrequently teased in the first book was no longer here. I had idealistic hopes that there wouldve been a stronger romance segue in this story, but alas that was not the case. The ending was even more shocking! I mean, I was expecting something major to happen but the results were far more devastating than I anticipated. Its an ending that left me with conflicted feelings and I am not sure how I feel about everything overall now that its all said and done. Was it fitting? Sure, I guess. Could it have ended in another way and been better? Most assuredly. Is this ending the right one? Tough to say, but its the ending that we got. Despite the conflicting feelings I have about its ending, Our Dark Duet was still a satisfying read that definitely was one that took me by surprise. Overall Rating 3.5/5 stars

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.

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.

VE Schwabb has become one of my top 5 authors in an incredibly short time. I cannot recommend her books enough. For that reason, once I had made my way through her adult-leaning catalogue, I wanted to check out her YA novels. The story of this duet of novels is both curious and compelling; the characters that get a lot of focus are very well fleshed out, and have nuance. My main disappointment comes from the fact that I know how much better VE Schwabb\’s writing is, than what is provided here. One of the first things I know will turn off experienced slush-pile readers is describing the character through a convenient reflection, as they assess themselves in the mirror. These novels are full of tropes like that, that I *know* are not used in her adult works. For that reason, I cannot recommend these books, because I have always firmly believes that just because a book is aimed at younger readers, it shouldn\’t be of lower quality. VE Shwabb is truly exceptional; a defining voice in the genre. These books are not that. They\’re great, don\’t get me wrong; I enjoyed them thoroughly – but if you\’re going to be introduced to Schwabb\’s work? Wait. Read the [Shades of Magic] series, or [The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue]. I promise you won\’t regret it.

Oh. My. Life. How did I wait months to read this?! Our Dark Duet is the second (and final) book in the Monsters of Verity duology and it was a brilliant finale to a brilliant series. I can\’t wait to read more of Victoria\’ Schwab\’s work because this was just fantastic! 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 waitingone 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? I\’m guessing that if you\’re reading this review, you\’ve read the perfection that is This Savage Song. It pains me so much to say this but honestly? I don\’t think Our Dark Duet was as good as the first one, but it was still good enough to earn five stars so it\’s all good! Don\’t come at me with your pitchforks! Our Dark Duet had more badass fighting from Kate which made me so proud because she just wanted to make her city a safe place. We were also introduced to a new monster that\’s like a shadow, but when it feeds on chaos, it starts to become more and more solid. This new monster is scary. I know that the Malachai are vicious and bloodthirsty, but this new monster is pure fear. I was scared of it just by reading about it. People were messy. They were defined not only by what they\’d done, but by what they would have done, under different circumstances, moulded 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. It wasn\’t easy. The world was complicated. Life was hard. And so often, living hurt. So make it worth the pain. Victoria Schwab, Our Dark Duet The let down of this book? Again, it absolutely kills me to say this… August. I love him. I really do. He was amazing and my little smol bean in the first book, but in Our Dark Duet, I didn\’t even recognise him. He could have been a completely different character. If was hard-faced and NOTHING LIKE OUR AUGUST AT ALL… You saw glimpses of him now and then again (mainly towards the end), but it just wasn\’t enough. Even Kate was getting angry, yelling at him for being so blank about everything. GO KATE! I can\’t talk about this book without mentioning how amazing V.E Schwab\’s writing style is. She\’s got it bang on. Every word just flowed into the other with perfection and I was hooked… I couldn\’t bring myself to stop reading so I ended up reading it in a couple of hours. I was absolutely addicted to the writing, the description, the dialogue, the poetry… Everything. AND THAT ENDING! <—- that\’s all I can say about the ending because of spoilers, but just know that it was worth putting it at the end in capital letters because OH MY GOD! Overall, this was a brilliant finale to the Monsters of Verity duology, and I would happily read the series over and over and over again. Even though the character of August slightly let this book down for me, it was still an amazing read and has a storyline that I will never forget.

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