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Monsters of Verity #1-2
Монстры Истины: комплект из 2-х книг. Эта свирепая песня / Наш темный дуэт
Эта свирепая песня
Спустя пять лет и шесть школ-интернатов ты возвращаешься домой и должна проявить себя. Стать такой же свирепой, как и отец. А на противоборствующей стороне - один из трех самых могущественных монстров в городе. Он хочет быть человеком. И похищает души с помощью песен.
Как можно выбрать, кем стать - героем или злодеем, когда нет разницы между добром и злом?
Кейт и Август - единственные кто может что-то сделать.
Их город разделен. Их пути распадаются.
Наш темный дуэт
Кейт Галлахер не боится темноты. Она охотится на монстров. В Истине их можно найти без труда. Есть те, что встретятся прямо на улицах. И те, что живут у тебя в голове.
Август Флинн - чудовище. Он не может стать человеком. И обречен играть свою партию, чего бы это ему ни стоило.
Темные силы выходят из тени. Война монстров с людьми приближается к кульминации.
Спустя пять лет и шесть школ-интернатов ты возвращаешься домой и должна проявить себя. Стать такой же свирепой, как и отец. А на противоборствующей стороне - один из трех самых могущественных монстров в городе. Он хочет быть человеком. И похищает души с помощью песен.
Как можно выбрать, кем стать - героем или злодеем, когда нет разницы между добром и злом?
Кейт и Август - единственные кто может что-то сделать.
Их город разделен. Их пути распадаются.
Наш темный дуэт
Кейт Галлахер не боится темноты. Она охотится на монстров. В Истине их можно найти без труда. Есть те, что встретятся прямо на улицах. И те, что живут у тебя в голове.
Август Флинн - чудовище. Он не может стать человеком. И обречен играть свою партию, чего бы это ему ни стоило.
Темные силы выходят из тени. Война монстров с людьми приближается к кульминации.
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About the author
Victoria Schwab
78 books129k followersThis author also writes under the name of V.E. Schwab.
VICTORIA “V. E.” SCHWAB is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of more than twenty books, including the acclaimed Shades universe, the Villains series, the City of Ghosts series, Gallant, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue and The Fragile Threads of Power. When not haunting Paris streets or trudging up English hillsides, she can be found in Edinburgh, Scotland, tucked in the corner of a coffee shop, dreaming up monsters.
VICTORIA “V. E.” SCHWAB is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of more than twenty books, including the acclaimed Shades universe, the Villains series, the City of Ghosts series, Gallant, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue and The Fragile Threads of Power. When not haunting Paris streets or trudging up English hillsides, she can be found in Edinburgh, Scotland, tucked in the corner of a coffee shop, dreaming up monsters.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
September 1, 2019
Victoria Schwab describes this series as “Sin City PLUS Romeo and Juliet MINUS romance PLUS monsters.” I wish I knew that before I started shipping the 2 MCs but cool who cares my heart is broken into a million fragments whatever.
So this is a world where violence breeds violence and monstrous acts lead to monsters. Like literally. Not a metaphor. So acts of non-fatal violence lead to Corsai, murders lead to Malchai and major catastrophe lead to Sunai. Very cool no. Except then there are 2 new monsters in book 2 and they don’t get an origin story despite being literally 80% of the second book #Justice4ChaosEaters.
Her writing was beautiful. You did good homegirl. But let’s focus on everything I dislike.
1) Leo. This poor guy, he could play any instrument which means he saw the beauty in all sounds but he’s was deemed irredeemable because a cat didn’t like him.
2) The tally marks tattoos are a cool concept and all where you body gives you a sicker for not going bat-shit crazy, but that’s pretty unfair for the other monsters, the rest are just inherently evil, while Sunai have morals and personalities and musical talent.
3) In the last couple of chapters in This Savage Song, August basically becomes the personification of the song Burnin’ up by the Jonas brothers and then he actually eats his brother. what.
4) I was upset when Ilsa ‘died’ the first time cause the cat liked her and hence she’s probably a good person or whatever but then she died for realsies when she…hugged the chaos eater?
5) Kate was supposed to be this ruthless and cold person but then she instantly became bfffl with August and they pretty much make each other friendship bracelets and braid each other’s hair
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 violins
So this is a world where violence breeds violence and monstrous acts lead to monsters. Like literally. Not a metaphor. So acts of non-fatal violence lead to Corsai, murders lead to Malchai and major catastrophe lead to Sunai. Very cool no. Except then there are 2 new monsters in book 2 and they don’t get an origin story despite being literally 80% of the second book #Justice4ChaosEaters.
Her writing was beautiful. You did good homegirl. But let’s focus on everything I dislike.
1) Leo. This poor guy, he could play any instrument which means he saw the beauty in all sounds but he’s was deemed irredeemable because a cat didn’t like him.
2) The tally marks tattoos are a cool concept and all where you body gives you a sicker for not going bat-shit crazy, but that’s pretty unfair for the other monsters, the rest are just inherently evil, while Sunai have morals and personalities and musical talent.
3) In the last couple of chapters in This Savage Song, August basically becomes the personification of the song Burnin’ up by the Jonas brothers and then he actually eats his brother. what.
4) I was upset when Ilsa ‘died’ the first time cause the cat liked her and hence she’s probably a good person or whatever but then she died for realsies when she…hugged the chaos eater?
5) Kate was supposed to be this ruthless and cold person but then she instantly became bfffl with August and they pretty much make each other friendship bracelets and braid each other’s hair
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 violins
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 31, 2018
One of the best series I've read all year! Absolutely brilliant and fantastic. Very dark and twisted yet also magical and uplifting. Even though it's one of the best I've read all year, I recommend passing on this if you aren't into evil creatures. If you're willing to go there though, this duet will not disappoint.
September 11, 2020
To start, I just want to say that I absolutely adore the idea behind this series; that bad deeds manifest literal monsters. Seriously, I’m such a sucker for metaphors and this one is just perfect. I’m also a massive poetry nerd so the lyricism of this series—as well as the literal dispersal of poems/songs throughout the books—made me so happy I could squeal.
Seeing as this is primarily a character-driven narrative, it’s only right to draw focus to Schwab’s two protagonists: Kate Harker and August Flynn. At first I feared that Kate would be a Mary Sue—an idealistic and unrealistically fantastical femme fatale—but god I love being wrong. Kate’s so complex as a character, complete with flaws, skills, weaknesses, ambitions, and agency in the story. I was also fascinated by August’s character and the high stakes he puts on music, likening it to addiction and even life itself. This series will make you laugh, cry, gasp, and scream. It’s the total package and the perfect read for lovers of fantasy and morally grey societies breeding dubious heroes.
In Schwab’s author note, she says that this series “nearly killed her” to write and, to be perfectly honest, it nearly killed me to read. The ‘Monsters of Verity’ series is ultimately a hopeful one but it isn’t without tragedy. These characters tore my chest open and laid my entire soul bare and I feel hollow and sad and like I could cry for weeks, but I’m so thankful these books made their way to me.
Madi
Seeing as this is primarily a character-driven narrative, it’s only right to draw focus to Schwab’s two protagonists: Kate Harker and August Flynn. At first I feared that Kate would be a Mary Sue—an idealistic and unrealistically fantastical femme fatale—but god I love being wrong. Kate’s so complex as a character, complete with flaws, skills, weaknesses, ambitions, and agency in the story. I was also fascinated by August’s character and the high stakes he puts on music, likening it to addiction and even life itself. This series will make you laugh, cry, gasp, and scream. It’s the total package and the perfect read for lovers of fantasy and morally grey societies breeding dubious heroes.
In Schwab’s author note, she says that this series “nearly killed her” to write and, to be perfectly honest, it nearly killed me to read. The ‘Monsters of Verity’ series is ultimately a hopeful one but it isn’t without tragedy. These characters tore my chest open and laid my entire soul bare and I feel hollow and sad and like I could cry for weeks, but I’m so thankful these books made their way to me.
Madi
December 25, 2020
The first book in the duology moves faster. The second book's first half was very blahh! It picks up in the second half. It was a good one time duology for me.
December 28, 2024
best books of all time. They made me cry. they made me laugh. it was a rollercoaster and i loved every second of it. definitely going to read them again
December 15, 2019
Desperately courageous. Achingly hopeful. Hungry for freedom.
" Why are there so many shadows in the world, Kate? Shouldn't there be just as much light? "
I am constantly in awe of how each book makes you feel after finishing them. Some books make me want to be braver, some make me want to fangirl my heart out, some make me simply want to have a good cry.
The Monsters of Verity series is incredibly philosophical, and I've been here asking all the questions days after.
Does it make us more human for wanting to feel alive?
Does it turn us into monsters for making mistakes?
Who's to judge us, when those we call judges cross the lines between human and monster themselves?
These books grapple with identity :
Who am I, when I feel human but everyone sees me as monster?
Who am I, when everyone sees me as human but I've done monstrous things?
These books call for us to bridge the divide amongst ourselves, so that we can move forward and actually affect change – or at least make a ripple that we could turn into a wave.
These books show us that humans and monsters have much in common :
There are innocent souls, there are stained souls, and most importantly, there are infinite degrees of gray souls in between.
Verity is such a dangerous place to live in :
Would you rethink every single step you have to make, just to be sure you don't create a monster in the process?
If you can't pay for safety, would you hide yourself in the dark trying to survive the monsters lurking?
What a precarious thing, the balance between living and surviving; freedom and fear.
" I just think that life is short, you know? You can't spend it afraid. "
I've said it a hundred times before : I have a soft spot for lost boys and girls.
August Flynn and Kate Harker are no exception.
Two lost souls find themselves in a world uncertain of its own identity; a monster who's afraid he will never be human, and a human who's afraid she will become a monster.
All the while the pull of the Waste and the nothingness – or something, anything else – beyond was so strong, and yet the monsters kept dragging them back to V-City, one way or another for they each had a part to play in the war to come.
Kate has longed for a place she could call home; to stop running away from everyone, from herself and the guilt over the sins she carries. But her demons are catching up to her, destroying the city of her childhood, and she's beginning to realize that the only way to escape them is to fight back.
August has longed to feel alive, to feel as real as humans do; to run away from his horrid nature and become something else, something good. But his demons have him in a vise grip, no matter that he strays to get away from them; eating up his soul and bringing him closer to darkness, to nothingness, and perhaps he could quiet the voices if he'd finally give in to his monster. . .
Both unreservedly brave and frightened all at once, for the things they long for and the things they fear come clashing together in the battle for Verity.
" I'm willing to walk in darkness if it keeps humans in the light. "
But the enemies without are winning for the allies within are contending amongst themselves, and Kate & August seem to be the only ones with enough sense left, despite keeping personal monsters at bay and crumbling apart on their own.
Are we so thoughtless as to only set aside our differences when there is no other choice left? When the stakes are highest, no matter how terrifying, our souls fight to be brave in the end. But should we truly wait for the end just to let our courage surface?
If we don't all come together, the world may very well end now; let's not wait for the monsters to destroy us – we're doing it to ourselves. What do we fight for if we cannot even see the goal anymore?
The world is breaking. Will we let the monsters have it so easily?
Time is running out. If they weren't literally at our doorstep, would we hide forever, or face the demons we deny ourselves even exist?
" You cannot win unless you're willing to fight. "
But the fight for Verity may well turn out to be the fight of their lives. The monsters outside and inside themselves are coalescing into a great final wave that could annihilate everything in their path and beyond.
There can be no more 'us and them'.
There can only be a today and tomorrow.
Will we let ourselves be fragile humans, cowardly and weak, to surrender the city, becoming monsters for failing the future?
Or will we be monster enough to brave through the darkness to reach the light of day, and thus humanity be saved?
" I am a man, not a movement. But if a movement is what it takes to end this war, then I will play my part. "
P.S. if I have gone overboard with the high stakes and monsters vs. humans and all that – I didn't mean to . . . But like I said, this series is very philosophical and it just had me thinking too much XD
January 11, 2019
Summary: This is a story in two acts, about a girl who wants to be a monster, and a monster who wants to be human. It takes place in an alternate present, in a large, war-torn, Midwestern city called Verity. In addition to everything else that’s wrong with Verity, there is an unexplained "Phenomenon" that began 12 years ago, through which the truism about violence begetting violence became literally true. Whenever a person commits an act of violence in Verity, it spawns a monster. The more egregious the violence, the stronger the monster. One of the strongest is August Flynn, who has the power to steal the souls of murderers. He is also the adopted son of the leader of one of the city’s warring factions, and he wants nothing so much as to be a Real Boy.
His opposite number is Kate Harker, daughter of the other faction’s leader, who is determined to prove that she can be as tough and ruthless as her father. (You may think this is going in a Romeo-and-Juliet direction, but it isn’t.) They do meet and become friends, end up pursued by bloodthirsty monsters, and each ends the first book learning some hard truths about themselves and their world.
The second book takes place six months after the first. In it, the two protagonists face the monsters (literal and figurative) that they unleashed at the end of the first book.
Thoughts: First off, this is a very good pair of books. Schwab is a great storyteller, and (as with her Shades of Magic series) she manages to pack a large amount of plot, character development, imaginative worldbuilding, and vivid imagery into a relatively short series. However, the experience of reading them was the exact opposite of escapism.
This story is about people finding within themselves the ability to fight against darkness in the world, even when they will almost certainly lose, even when the darkness is inside them, too. Maybe more like, especially when the darkness is inside them. Kate and August are flawed protagonists, but they are flawed in sympathetic ways that really made me want them to be okay. Throughout the second half of the first book, and the entirety of the second book, I was constantly anxious about what would happen to those kids. And the ending actually made me cry.
Escapist Rating: 1/4 (They're good, but not escapist at all)
Recommended for: People who liked Schwab’s Shades of Magic series but thought it was too upbeat, People who like dark (but not grimdark) stories
Dis-Recommended for: People who dislike dark stories, people looking for a fun and relaxing read
His opposite number is Kate Harker, daughter of the other faction’s leader, who is determined to prove that she can be as tough and ruthless as her father. (You may think this is going in a Romeo-and-Juliet direction, but it isn’t.) They do meet and become friends, end up pursued by bloodthirsty monsters, and each ends the first book learning some hard truths about themselves and their world.
The second book takes place six months after the first. In it, the two protagonists face the monsters (literal and figurative) that they unleashed at the end of the first book.
Thoughts: First off, this is a very good pair of books. Schwab is a great storyteller, and (as with her Shades of Magic series) she manages to pack a large amount of plot, character development, imaginative worldbuilding, and vivid imagery into a relatively short series. However, the experience of reading them was the exact opposite of escapism.
This story is about people finding within themselves the ability to fight against darkness in the world, even when they will almost certainly lose, even when the darkness is inside them, too. Maybe more like, especially when the darkness is inside them. Kate and August are flawed protagonists, but they are flawed in sympathetic ways that really made me want them to be okay. Throughout the second half of the first book, and the entirety of the second book, I was constantly anxious about what would happen to those kids. And the ending actually made me cry.
Escapist Rating: 1/4 (They're good, but not escapist at all)
Recommended for: People who liked Schwab’s Shades of Magic series but thought it was too upbeat, People who like dark (but not grimdark) stories
Dis-Recommended for: People who dislike dark stories, people looking for a fun and relaxing read
December 26, 2019
Its actually a 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 , 4.5 stars for me.
Let me start with a sigh. Why a sigh? Because I really, really, really couldn't contain the separation anxiety I am having right now, now that I finished the duology. The duology is actually my first @veschwab read. At first, I thought, okay... I'll get this one (I really thought it was a romance one😅). But as I started with the first book and is reading the first chapter, I paused. Then think again, flipped the page and then the cover. So I was wrong. It is not a love story as I first thought it was! Is this monster filled book really my thing now? I told myself. But then, a voice at the farthest corner of my mind convinced me, "Give it a chance." And I did. I savor every chapter of the book, fell in love on how human, and soft hearted August was, despite being a monster and envied Kate for being that living epitome of the so called, strong willed, independent woman. Whew! Book 1 and 2 were a ride! 😍 Book 2 scared the wit out of me, (I seem to imagine the corsai's and the malchai's in the dark, whenever lights were out at night) and so, I slept with lights open on the entire duration of me reading the series. Funny but true. The series gave me an adventure I'll savor. And additional characters etched in the deepest corners of my heart. Kate and August, I know your story is ended but I created an ending for you two. Haha, I dreamed of Kate, reincarnated into a Sunai, so that August will never be alone again. The end. 😂😂
#veschwab #monstersofverity #bookstagramph #bookstagram #ireadya #youngadultbooks #thissavagesong #ourdarkduet
Let me start with a sigh. Why a sigh? Because I really, really, really couldn't contain the separation anxiety I am having right now, now that I finished the duology. The duology is actually my first @veschwab read. At first, I thought, okay... I'll get this one (I really thought it was a romance one😅). But as I started with the first book and is reading the first chapter, I paused. Then think again, flipped the page and then the cover. So I was wrong. It is not a love story as I first thought it was! Is this monster filled book really my thing now? I told myself. But then, a voice at the farthest corner of my mind convinced me, "Give it a chance." And I did. I savor every chapter of the book, fell in love on how human, and soft hearted August was, despite being a monster and envied Kate for being that living epitome of the so called, strong willed, independent woman. Whew! Book 1 and 2 were a ride! 😍 Book 2 scared the wit out of me, (I seem to imagine the corsai's and the malchai's in the dark, whenever lights were out at night) and so, I slept with lights open on the entire duration of me reading the series. Funny but true. The series gave me an adventure I'll savor. And additional characters etched in the deepest corners of my heart. Kate and August, I know your story is ended but I created an ending for you two. Haha, I dreamed of Kate, reincarnated into a Sunai, so that August will never be alone again. The end. 😂😂
#veschwab #monstersofverity #bookstagramph #bookstagram #ireadya #youngadultbooks #thissavagesong #ourdarkduet
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 22, 2018
This book is my second series by Victoria Schwab, I loved ADSOM series. This one blew me away with characters I adored August and Kate. Beginning was slow until they went on the run, that's when I couldn't put it down. Amazing quotes as expected from Schwab. However, in my book it lost 1 star to plot. I wanted this to be fast as soon as I picked it up. Definitely, a good read though!
August 23, 2021
It's been a while since I read the books but just thinking about them brings back a wave of emotion. This is ultimately a series I will never forget. The characters pull you into their world and make you feel for and with them.
The concept behind the stories was also something new and very intriguing. Definitely worth reading.
The concept behind the stories was also something new and very intriguing. Definitely worth reading.
March 1, 2021
I got This Savage Song as a gift and as soon as I started it, my mind was glued. The descriptions of Verity and the way she has nabbed the characters into fitting so perfectly together is amazing. V.E Schwab blows me away by everything I read by her.
December 13, 2018
I loved both books and the last one almost killed me! I don't think I will be able to share Kate or August from my mind...
January 14, 2019
Brilliant
June 5, 2019
So good! Makes you think, what does make someone "human"?
Read
August 4, 2020it should've been split into more books, so we could get more backstory for it.
pretty underrated series but it's a good read ;)
pretty underrated series but it's a good read ;)
January 14, 2021
Amazing, I will never forget it
August 19, 2022
Have read the first of this two-part series. Can't wait to read part two.
April 10, 2019
I really liked this book. although the ending is sad--but I liked the ending.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews