This review was written by: C
Received: Library
Date of Publication: July 2016
Pages: 427
Stars: 5/5
Official Summary:
There’s no such thing as safe.
Kate Harker wants to be as ruthless as her father. After five years and six boarding schools, she’s finally going home to prove that she can be.
August Flynn wants to be human. But he isn’t. He’s a monster, one that can steal souls with a song. He’s one of the three most powerful monsters in a city overrun with them. His own father’s secret weapon.
Their city is divided.
Their city is crumbling.
Kate and August are the only two who see both sides, the only two who could do something.
But how do you decide to be a hero or a villain when it’s hard to tell which is which?
My Thoughts:
I'm not sure if any other readers experience this, but I have a particular story formula that I absolutely love. This formula involves a male protagonist, antagonist, or antihero experiencing a difficult life as a result of a superpower, terrible event, or the conflict of whether or not they are truly human. For some reason, I am fascinated with any story that fits the above description, and This Savage Song was definitely one of them.
The very first book by Victoria Schwab that I ever picked up was The Archived. It sounded fairly interesting so I figured that I would give it a try. However, I never made it a quarter of the way through the book. I'm not particularly fond of female protagonists, and the book gave off one of those "not for me" vibes. So, I decided to try out Vicious next and I was so glad that I did because it has become one of my favorite adult fantasy/science fiction novels. Of course, this book also followed my formula and the story was just so well put together. When I eventually came across This Savage Song, I was a little hesitant to try it out due to my lack of interest in Schwab's previous YA book, but I knew I had to give it a try especially after I read the back cover:
“Monsters, monsters, big and small,
They're gonna come and eat you all.
Corsai, Corsai, tooth and claw,
Shadow and bone will eat you raw.
Malchai, Malchai, sharp and sly,
Smile and bite and drink you dry.
Sunai, Sunai, eyes like coal,
Sing you a song and steal your soul.
Monsters, monsters, big and small,
They're gonna come and eat you all!”
I love it when authors come up with an original snappy quote, prophecy (I'm looking at you Percy Jackson & the Olympians), poem, or song that fits their story. They just bring an extra element that makes the book a bit more intriguing.
Getting back on track, Schwab's story was fresh and new. Essentially, there came a point in time when human sins began to result in the creation of three types of monsters: Corsai, Malchai, and Sunai. Sunai are the rarest / most powerful, and are born from great tragedies in which many people die. All three types of monster can only feed on humans, not each other.
Due to the formation of monsters, the world is divided into territories. Verity is one of these territories, and it is a city that has been cut in half and ruled by two separate individuals -- Harker and Flynn. Harker controls the north half and the Flynn family protects the south. Harker controls various monsters in his half of the city (only the Corsai and Malchai), resulting in protection for those in his territory who are willing to pay for it. Flynn, on the other hand, has the moral high ground and aids all on the south side with the help of the only three Sunai that are known to exist and any man or woman who is willing to fight. This setup results in Harker's territory possessing a facade of normalcy, beauty, and safety, while the south side appears war torn.
Essentially, Harker wants to take over the southern half of the city, which can only happen if the crumbling truce is truly broken. The Flynns send August to Kate Harker's school to keep an eye on her and to possibly use her if the truce falls apart. On a side note, I thought it was kind of adorable to have August (a Junior) a year younger than Kate (a Senior). It was a subtle dynamic that I appreciated. What August finds is actually a young woman who isn't quite what everyone believes her to be. Thus, he forms a relationship with the enemy and eventually gets caught up in a conspiracy involving Harker's monsters and the attempt to break the fragile accords between the two families.
The concept of human sins resulting in the creation of actual monsters was something that I had never seen in a book before and it definitely piqued my interest. August was also quite the philosophical one, especially in regards to his origins, what he is, and whether or not he can truly be human. This inner conflict was interesting, and August became a beloved character for me.
Kate was also kickass and above the norm for female protagonists. She was strong-willed, intelligent, could hold her own ground, and was quite manipulative when it suited her needs. I loved the fact that Schwab made both Kate and August such well-rounded characters. They both had issues, strengths, and weaknesses, which made them far more real and believable. Too often there are female protagonists that just seem flat and unrealistic, they have a single aspect of their being/personality that is focused on, and it makes them boring and annoying. However, Schwab juggled various aspects of Kate's character remarkably well, and she did a superb job of showing the reader exactly what's going on in Kate's head. I also think that Kate and August suited each other quite well.
The only criticism that I have for the novel would be a single aspect of the ending. I don't want to spoil anything, so I'll just say that one character seemed to die a little too easily. They were portrayed as a far more powerful individual throughout the story, and I was disappointed that it didn't take much to kill them and perhaps it was also the fact that they died so quickly. However, Schwab did make up for it via a little surprise in the last few pages, and I am so excited to see where this will lead the story. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the book and will definitely be reading the next novel!
Kate was also kickass and above the norm for female protagonists. She was strong-willed, intelligent, could hold her own ground, and was quite manipulative when it suited her needs. I loved the fact that Schwab made both Kate and August such well-rounded characters. They both had issues, strengths, and weaknesses, which made them far more real and believable. Too often there are female protagonists that just seem flat and unrealistic, they have a single aspect of their being/personality that is focused on, and it makes them boring and annoying. However, Schwab juggled various aspects of Kate's character remarkably well, and she did a superb job of showing the reader exactly what's going on in Kate's head. I also think that Kate and August suited each other quite well.
The only criticism that I have for the novel would be a single aspect of the ending. I don't want to spoil anything, so I'll just say that one character seemed to die a little too easily. They were portrayed as a far more powerful individual throughout the story, and I was disappointed that it didn't take much to kill them and perhaps it was also the fact that they died so quickly. However, Schwab did make up for it via a little surprise in the last few pages, and I am so excited to see where this will lead the story. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the book and will definitely be reading the next novel!
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