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Untamed #6
This Vicious Way: The Dangerous Ones
REVENGE IS NEVER EASY...
Aged five, Inga was snatched from her sister's arms by Bridie's Assassins, a group of Untamed rebels who believe the way to win the War of Humanity is to use more Untamed children as soldiers. For seven years, Inga's life consisted of violence, exploitation, and death as they shaped her into their most deadly weapon. Then she escaped.
Now twenty-one, Inga has spent the last six years seeking revenge on the assassins—using the skills they taught her against them—and trying to find her family. She knows the Gods and Goddesses are behind her, because with every assassin she murders, Inga's gifted with a vision of her cousins, Keelie and Elf. And soon—very soon—Inga is sure she will find her family again. She's just got to kill all the assassins first.
But when she discovers her own sister is now leading the assassins, Inga's resolve is tested. Sure, she will stop at nothing to get the life she deserves—even if it means putting other Untamed in danger and losing herself—but can she kill her own flesh and blood?
"Madeline Dyer's This Vicious Way is an unyielding exploration into the motivations of a young assassin. Inga's determination to end the cycle of abuse that shaped her life makes for a gritty, heartbreaking, and captivating story." -- Sarah Mensinga, author of Currently
"This Vicious Way is brutal in all the best ways. It will suck you in and tear you apart, put you back together and then do it all over again. What a ride! If you want a fantastic dystopian world, with unique and flawed (but totally kick-ass) characters-- this is totally the book for you." -- Stacey Trombley, author of Trial of Thorns
Aged five, Inga was snatched from her sister's arms by Bridie's Assassins, a group of Untamed rebels who believe the way to win the War of Humanity is to use more Untamed children as soldiers. For seven years, Inga's life consisted of violence, exploitation, and death as they shaped her into their most deadly weapon. Then she escaped.
Now twenty-one, Inga has spent the last six years seeking revenge on the assassins—using the skills they taught her against them—and trying to find her family. She knows the Gods and Goddesses are behind her, because with every assassin she murders, Inga's gifted with a vision of her cousins, Keelie and Elf. And soon—very soon—Inga is sure she will find her family again. She's just got to kill all the assassins first.
But when she discovers her own sister is now leading the assassins, Inga's resolve is tested. Sure, she will stop at nothing to get the life she deserves—even if it means putting other Untamed in danger and losing herself—but can she kill her own flesh and blood?
"Madeline Dyer's This Vicious Way is an unyielding exploration into the motivations of a young assassin. Inga's determination to end the cycle of abuse that shaped her life makes for a gritty, heartbreaking, and captivating story." -- Sarah Mensinga, author of Currently
"This Vicious Way is brutal in all the best ways. It will suck you in and tear you apart, put you back together and then do it all over again. What a ride! If you want a fantastic dystopian world, with unique and flawed (but totally kick-ass) characters-- this is totally the book for you." -- Stacey Trombley, author of Trial of Thorns
388 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 2020
56 people want to read
About the author
Madeline Dyer
31 books259 followersMadeline Dyer is a Lambda Literary Award finalist. A novelist, poet, and anthologist, she is drawn to all things dark, spooky, and scary.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
March 11, 2020
If you like action-packed dystopians, I would really recommend checking out the series’ “The Dangerous Ones” and “Untamed.” The books in The Dangerous Ones are set in the Untamed world, but can be read as stand-alones, while the books in the main Untamed series are best to be read in order.
This book was certainly action-packed, but I happen to think that this book’s best quality was the world-building. It’s okay to be read as a stand-alone because the world that these people live in is thoroughly explained in every book, and that makes it super easy to follow what’s going on. The universe that the author has treated is not only massive, it is one of the greatest, most in-depth dystopian universes that I have read in any dystopian novel — both in Young Adult and otherwise.
That said, while Inga is definitely an interesting character with an intense backstory, I think I was able to connect with Keelie — the main character in A Dangerous Game, the first book in The Dangerous Ones — just a little bit more. I don’t think that has anything to do with the author’s writing, though. Both characters have unique personalities and backgrounds, and I just think that has everything to do with who you click with more, personality-wise.
Speaking of character backgrounds, there’s a review of this book on Goodreads that says that This Vicious Way is darker than A Dangerous Game, and I wholeheartedly agree with that. While it’s true that I personally liked Keelie’s narration a little more, Inga was literally kidnapped from her family at the age of five and raised to be an assassin, and the whole book revolves around her trying to seek revenge on the killers who kidnapped her. If that doesn’t scream “dark and twisty,” I don’t know what does.
Oh, and, this book has a MAJOR PLOT TWIST that LITERALLY made me do a double take. But I won’t say any more about that. :)
Overall, I think both the main Untamed series and the spin-off series are incredible, and I think they’re both definitely Must Reads for any fan of dystopians. It is truly an incredible, expansive piece of work, and includes, in my opinion, some of the best writing I’ve ever seen in the young adult reading audience!
This book was certainly action-packed, but I happen to think that this book’s best quality was the world-building. It’s okay to be read as a stand-alone because the world that these people live in is thoroughly explained in every book, and that makes it super easy to follow what’s going on. The universe that the author has treated is not only massive, it is one of the greatest, most in-depth dystopian universes that I have read in any dystopian novel — both in Young Adult and otherwise.
That said, while Inga is definitely an interesting character with an intense backstory, I think I was able to connect with Keelie — the main character in A Dangerous Game, the first book in The Dangerous Ones — just a little bit more. I don’t think that has anything to do with the author’s writing, though. Both characters have unique personalities and backgrounds, and I just think that has everything to do with who you click with more, personality-wise.
Speaking of character backgrounds, there’s a review of this book on Goodreads that says that This Vicious Way is darker than A Dangerous Game, and I wholeheartedly agree with that. While it’s true that I personally liked Keelie’s narration a little more, Inga was literally kidnapped from her family at the age of five and raised to be an assassin, and the whole book revolves around her trying to seek revenge on the killers who kidnapped her. If that doesn’t scream “dark and twisty,” I don’t know what does.
Oh, and, this book has a MAJOR PLOT TWIST that LITERALLY made me do a double take. But I won’t say any more about that. :)
Overall, I think both the main Untamed series and the spin-off series are incredible, and I think they’re both definitely Must Reads for any fan of dystopians. It is truly an incredible, expansive piece of work, and includes, in my opinion, some of the best writing I’ve ever seen in the young adult reading audience!
February 11, 2020
I couldn't read this book fast enough. I had so many questions reading it that I just devoured it looking for answers.
Although it is set in the same world as Madeline Dyer's previous books, This Vicious Way has a darker feel to it and reads well as a standalone.
The way the story unfolds switching between current day and flashbacks adds a depth to the main characters, as a picture of what led them to become the people they are today slowly reveals itself. Having two starkly different female lead characters who have developed in such contrasting ways, despite their shared childhood experiences, made this book a really interesting read.
As with all good books, there is the one character you love from the second you meet them, and the one you find that you love to hate. For me, these characters were Amelia and Falkes respectively, Amelia for her warmth and acceptance of Inga, and Falkes because as much he was a hateful specimen, I found I had a grudging respect for him and the motivation behind some of his actions.
This is a fast-paced, action-packed book, but at the same time manages to be deeply emotional, and at times completely heart-breaking.
Although it is set in the same world as Madeline Dyer's previous books, This Vicious Way has a darker feel to it and reads well as a standalone.
The way the story unfolds switching between current day and flashbacks adds a depth to the main characters, as a picture of what led them to become the people they are today slowly reveals itself. Having two starkly different female lead characters who have developed in such contrasting ways, despite their shared childhood experiences, made this book a really interesting read.
As with all good books, there is the one character you love from the second you meet them, and the one you find that you love to hate. For me, these characters were Amelia and Falkes respectively, Amelia for her warmth and acceptance of Inga, and Falkes because as much he was a hateful specimen, I found I had a grudging respect for him and the motivation behind some of his actions.
This is a fast-paced, action-packed book, but at the same time manages to be deeply emotional, and at times completely heart-breaking.
March 27, 2020
Dyer is back with another standalone set in the world of her Untamed series. I had high hopes for this one going in as I had thoroughly enjoyed the first standalone in The Dangerous Ones collection.
For me, this one wasn't quite as good as the previous. It starts strongly, with the introduction of the group Bridie's Assassins and the abduction of our main character, Inga, but I found Inga difficult to like, despite the motivations behind her actions being strong and carrying a form of justice to them. One thing Dyer does really well is create determined, independent female characters. Inga, despite being from that mould, was just missing something which didn't let me connect with her the way I have with characters in other books set in this world, perhaps because the majority of the killing we see her do is other Untamed rather than the usual enemy, the Enhanced.
As with A Dangerous Game, there's a whole new cast of supporting characters in this one, all of whom are interesting in their own ways. I loved Amelia, whose faith and compassion shone through in a book much darker than we've seen previously in this series. I also enjoyed the ambiguity of Oleta and loved to hate the antagonistic Falkes.
I did feel it took a little too long for the story to properly get going and, as it progressed, there were sections which were quite surreal. Eventually these bizarre episodes were explained and made sense but personally I could have done with those either being a bit shorter or explained a bit sooner. I enjoyed the flashbacks, which revealed the life Inga and the other children stolen by the Assassins had been forced to live. The climax of the novel was thrilling and worth waiting for and it came to a solid conclusion which most readers will be happy with.
For me, this one wasn't quite as good as the previous. It starts strongly, with the introduction of the group Bridie's Assassins and the abduction of our main character, Inga, but I found Inga difficult to like, despite the motivations behind her actions being strong and carrying a form of justice to them. One thing Dyer does really well is create determined, independent female characters. Inga, despite being from that mould, was just missing something which didn't let me connect with her the way I have with characters in other books set in this world, perhaps because the majority of the killing we see her do is other Untamed rather than the usual enemy, the Enhanced.
As with A Dangerous Game, there's a whole new cast of supporting characters in this one, all of whom are interesting in their own ways. I loved Amelia, whose faith and compassion shone through in a book much darker than we've seen previously in this series. I also enjoyed the ambiguity of Oleta and loved to hate the antagonistic Falkes.
I did feel it took a little too long for the story to properly get going and, as it progressed, there were sections which were quite surreal. Eventually these bizarre episodes were explained and made sense but personally I could have done with those either being a bit shorter or explained a bit sooner. I enjoyed the flashbacks, which revealed the life Inga and the other children stolen by the Assassins had been forced to live. The climax of the novel was thrilling and worth waiting for and it came to a solid conclusion which most readers will be happy with.
March 12, 2020
One of the best books Madeline Dyer has written to date: fast-paced, thrilling, with unforgettable characters and twists you will never see coming!
It's always hardest to write a review about a book I adored because most of my thoughts are just muddled screaming nonsense of just "read it read it read it!" which I am urging all my friends to do with this book right now.
Whether you've read the Untamed series or not, this book still manages to grip you from the first page. It's perfectly self-contained, though certain familiar characters make a return. It's not a spoiler to say that Keelie from A Dangerous Game plays a role, and seeing her from a different perspective was really cool. Vice versa, being inside Inga's head after having met her in the main series was a fascinating change.
Inga is violent. Not in the uninhibited way Keelie was in ADG, but in the cool and calculated way an assassin behaves. This is, at its core, a revenge story: a girl's childhood is stolen away, and she will kill all of those responsible for making her into the killing machine is today. She's brutal in a way the other Untamed characters haven't been yet, and it makes the read all the more engrossing.
This book was a wild ride start to finish. I can't wait to see who we'll meet next in this series!
It's always hardest to write a review about a book I adored because most of my thoughts are just muddled screaming nonsense of just "read it read it read it!" which I am urging all my friends to do with this book right now.
Whether you've read the Untamed series or not, this book still manages to grip you from the first page. It's perfectly self-contained, though certain familiar characters make a return. It's not a spoiler to say that Keelie from A Dangerous Game plays a role, and seeing her from a different perspective was really cool. Vice versa, being inside Inga's head after having met her in the main series was a fascinating change.
Inga is violent. Not in the uninhibited way Keelie was in ADG, but in the cool and calculated way an assassin behaves. This is, at its core, a revenge story: a girl's childhood is stolen away, and she will kill all of those responsible for making her into the killing machine is today. She's brutal in a way the other Untamed characters haven't been yet, and it makes the read all the more engrossing.
This book was a wild ride start to finish. I can't wait to see who we'll meet next in this series!
February 27, 2020
This book is my first foray into The Dangerous Ones series and I was worried I might not understand what was happening. I needn't have worried because the world-building is so well done that it was like stepping into a standalone. Things were made clear but not in such a way that it felt like a catch-up. It felt very natural. I loved the story of a child, Inga, snatched from her home and family to be raised in a band of assassins to become the most skilled of them. Her time with the assassins is told in flashbacks in alternating chapters. The rest of the story is told in present time. This is a real page turner and I couldn't turn them fast enough. The characters were well fleshed out and I liked the ambiguity of a couple of them whose motives remain unclear for most of the book. And although we know the series will continue, there isn't an annoying cliffhanger and the story concluded well.
April 2, 2020
A brutal, beautifully written tale of revenge. The worldbuilding is knife-sharp and the characters are well-written. I highly recommend.
May 14, 2020
As a teacher of creative writing and literature, I’m always looking for suggestions from my students, especially the cateogires of science fiction, fantasy, and thrillers—not usually my genre. On their recommendation this spring, I read Madeline Dyer’s THIS VICIOUS WAY, and was blown away by the character development. At first I thought I wouldn’t understand the dystopian world, since this is Book TWO in a series, and it makes use of the world Dyer built in an earlier series. Happily that wasn’t the case. Far from it. The world of epic struggle between the Untamed Ones and the Enhanced Ones is crystal clear; never once did I lose sight of the main character, Inga. I was hooked from the moment I was introduced to her in the first chapter swimming in an ocean as a young child, to the subsequent chapters where she is grown up and forced to become an assassin, to kill in grusome ways, to her struggle to turn the tables, to assissinate the assisns and reunite with her family (with plenty of heart-wrenching plot twists along the way). What I liked best about the book is how it toggles between past and present, how it even peers into Inga’s dreams and nightmares, which gave me an ever-evolving sense of Inga’s history and her motives. I empathized with her completely. I plan to include this in my syllabus next time I teach the prose fiction class.
June 3, 2020
New to me author, Madeline Dyer pleasantly surprised me with this fast-paced and action-packed dystopian story. The blurb intrigued me a lot and I am happy to have had the chance to read this book.
The world-building was great and the characters were well presented and were relatable. I absolutely loved Inga, she was a fierce heroine. She was strong-headed and lethal and she never loosed focus when it came to getting her revenge. The storyline alternates between the present and flashbacks of her time training to be an assassin, which I thought worked perfectly for the reader to get a clear picture of what was going on. This story was definitely darker than I expected and I found myself glued to the pages.
Emotional, heart-gripping and suspenseful, This Vicious Way is a must-read. I recommend it!
*Thank you NetGalley for the free copy in exchange for an honest review.
The world-building was great and the characters were well presented and were relatable. I absolutely loved Inga, she was a fierce heroine. She was strong-headed and lethal and she never loosed focus when it came to getting her revenge. The storyline alternates between the present and flashbacks of her time training to be an assassin, which I thought worked perfectly for the reader to get a clear picture of what was going on. This story was definitely darker than I expected and I found myself glued to the pages.
Emotional, heart-gripping and suspenseful, This Vicious Way is a must-read. I recommend it!
*Thank you NetGalley for the free copy in exchange for an honest review.
March 15, 2020
(creo que es más un 2,75 que un tres)
no soy una fanática de las distopías (en realidad, nunca leí un libro distópico, sólo ví adaptaciones de ellos) pero disfruté la experiencia de leer este libro.
la primera mitad es MUY aburrida. si no me equivoco, mejora desde la página doscientos y de ahí se mantiene en un ritmo entretenido.
las escenas de acción me gustaron, no podía parar de leerlas.
la construcción del mundo deja bastante que desear. teniendo en cuenta que es un mundo distópico me esperaba que la autora se explayara más.
los personajes son planos pero dinámicos a la vez. es muy probable que no te caigan bien y que cuestiones algunas -absolutamente todas- sus decisiones.
oscuro y cargado de acción, es una lectura rápida y consisa.
no soy una fanática de las distopías (en realidad, nunca leí un libro distópico, sólo ví adaptaciones de ellos) pero disfruté la experiencia de leer este libro.
la primera mitad es MUY aburrida. si no me equivoco, mejora desde la página doscientos y de ahí se mantiene en un ritmo entretenido.
las escenas de acción me gustaron, no podía parar de leerlas.
la construcción del mundo deja bastante que desear. teniendo en cuenta que es un mundo distópico me esperaba que la autora se explayara más.
los personajes son planos pero dinámicos a la vez. es muy probable que no te caigan bien y que cuestiones algunas -absolutamente todas- sus decisiones.
oscuro y cargado de acción, es una lectura rápida y consisa.
April 1, 2020
This is my first book by the author. Although this book is part of a series, it can be read as a standalone.
It’s a dark, twisty, tale of revenge. Packed with a lot of action in a dystopian world. I loved the world building, which made sure you don’t feel you are missing out any links with the first book in the series.
It did take me a little while to get into it, but it picked up pace soon and tied up the questions that kept popping up in my head.
There is one major twist in the book that makes it even more enthralling. The characters are well developed, although I liked the supporting characters more than the main character Inga.
Overall a nice thrilling read.
It’s a dark, twisty, tale of revenge. Packed with a lot of action in a dystopian world. I loved the world building, which made sure you don’t feel you are missing out any links with the first book in the series.
It did take me a little while to get into it, but it picked up pace soon and tied up the questions that kept popping up in my head.
There is one major twist in the book that makes it even more enthralling. The characters are well developed, although I liked the supporting characters more than the main character Inga.
Overall a nice thrilling read.
Want to read
February 17, 2020madeline dyers the vicious way is like a box of chocolates, sometimes sweet, sometimes dark and sumptuous its full of twists and turns as you ride alongside inga as she battles assassins and the enhanced. you journey between earthly and heavenly realms. the story teeters between the past and the present to understand the present you must understand the past. i couldnt put my kindle down as i met new characters along the journey that were so well formed you love or hate them and some you warm to slowly. madelines genius creation is one that will be a favourite to cuddle up and read.
March 9, 2020
A great follow up to the first book, although focused on a different character more, I still really enjoyed this, another fast paced read full of action, strong female leads, great characters, pick this up you won’t be disappointed. This is the second in a series but I think you can read as a standalone
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion
March 30, 2020
This was my first Madeline Dyer book so the whole series is new to me. Even though this isn't the first book, there were no confusions for me. It can easily be read as a standalone.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book! I was drawn in from the start. It was exciting, fast paced and at times emotional. A fantastic dystopian about revenge! I will definitely be reading more from this author!
I thoroughly enjoyed this book! I was drawn in from the start. It was exciting, fast paced and at times emotional. A fantastic dystopian about revenge! I will definitely be reading more from this author!
March 31, 2020
This is my first book by the author, I really enjoyed the story and the world building. It kept me guessing which way it would take Inga.
I felt Inga was very troubled with the past and present constantly nagging at her and this made her emotional but still a very dangerous person indeed.
I can't wait to read the other books in the series.
I felt Inga was very troubled with the past and present constantly nagging at her and this made her emotional but still a very dangerous person indeed.
I can't wait to read the other books in the series.
May 23, 2020
Oooooh I loved this. Complex and intriguing world and character building, I found this to be a massive page turner - I really cared about the characters and desperately wanted to know what happened. I haven’t read book 1 (but will now) but that didn’t matter as the main character is different and I didn’t feel lost at any point. Highly recommended.
March 3, 2020
The second instalment of The Dangerous Ones was not at all what I had expected. The main story focused on a completely different character but managed to make it all connect and flow well. I will definitely be checking out the later instalments since I need to know what happens next
April 2, 2020
A book that I could barely put down, it actually had me putting off sleep so I could finish it. Again a dark fantasy world and characters that you wanted to know everything about. Bring on Book 3! Thank you for my ARC NetGalley.
April 3, 2020
Dyer reveals a futuristic, dystopian world from the point of view of a fearless female protagonist. It's so refreshing and bad-ss! I read this all night. I couldn't put it down! You will absolutely rip through it and enjoy every minute in a strange new world.
March 31, 2020
I absolutely loved this dystopian story! I have previously read the Untamed series which I loved but I haven't yet read The Dangerous Ones. However it's not even noticeable that This Vicious Way is book 2 in the series, it can very easily be read as a standalone.
The story is told from the point of view of Inga and changes between past and present. The descriptive writing made the book unputdownable as I became so invested in Inga's character. It felt like coming home immersing myself back into this world. However the plot took me by surprise with a brilliant touch of fantasy and I was left guessing until the end!
This is a fast-paced, adrenaline filled, twisty and heartbreakingly emotional story that I thoroughly recommend!
The story is told from the point of view of Inga and changes between past and present. The descriptive writing made the book unputdownable as I became so invested in Inga's character. It felt like coming home immersing myself back into this world. However the plot took me by surprise with a brilliant touch of fantasy and I was left guessing until the end!
This is a fast-paced, adrenaline filled, twisty and heartbreakingly emotional story that I thoroughly recommend!
April 2, 2020
Review to follow shortly
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews