Reviews with content warning for Violence - This Savage Song

This Savage Song is one of those books that you simply cannot put down, one of those action-packed novels that starts out slow but then hits you with a gripping momentum that sweeps you off your feet, refusing to stop for even a moment and forcing you to read everything in one sitting. I would have had I not read this at the beginning of a new semester, but when I did find the time to pick it back up, I couldn't find it in myself to stop. I devoured those 400 pages in between my classes, which I'm beginning to realize is a common trend whenever I read V.E. Schwab's work (like finishing the 600 page monstrosity that is A Conjuring of Light during exam week).

While it is nothing like A Darker Shade of Magic, the story is fascinating in its own right. It follows Kate as she attempts to prove herself worthy of following in the footsteps of her father, Callum Harker. As the city’s most notorious crime lord, Harker took over the Northern half of monster-infested Verity after the war and provided citizens with a false sense of protection in exchange for money. Kate is determined to be his perfect heir, one just as vicious as him and his monsters, so she buries her past along with her humanity, purging any hint of weakness from her bones. But then, she meets August, a powerful monster who wants nothing more than to be human like his adoptive father, Henry Flynn. Losing his previous family to the war, Flynn leads Southern Verity with justice and empathy, guided by a vision for peace. August shares these values, but his own nature always threatens his pursuit of them.

It poses a lot of questions. What does it mean to be human? Is it something we can easily shed, as Kate hopes it to be? Is it something we can grow into, as August wishes it to be? Is it something we are born with or something we earn? Does our nature determine our choices? Or do our choices eventually make up our nature? As Kate and August grapple for answers, we are also faced with the constant struggle of which side we should ultimately root for. Is it Harker who operates on cruelty and violence but brings quick and efficient results, whose vision of a safe and modern Capitol-esque Verity is secretly built on the backs of monsters? Is it Flynn, who is driven by his ideals, who treats monsters with the same compassion as he does humans but lacks the resources to truly enact progress? Or is it the monsters, who are merely fighting for their own survival just as much as humans are?

Every action has an equal and opposite reaction. V.E. Schwab takes this common truth and incorporates it into the magic system, making the consequences feel more real but also fantastical at the same time. In the story, violent acts breed monsters. The more violent an action is, a more powerful monster is born in its wake. Our actions, however personal they may be, have a collective impact in one way or another. This was true for the monster-infested Verity city and perhaps even in the places beyond its borders.

This Savage Song is more than just a young adult fantasy with a star crossed romance. It’s a thought-provoking tale that touches on the good, the evil, and the gray area that lies in between. It’s incredibly powerful and profound, and I can’t wait to see where the story goes from here.

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annielovesstories's review

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dark emotional sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Content Warnings

luceeefur's review against another edition

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dark emotional sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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bookcaptivated's review

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adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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booksanna's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Mesmerizing books with intriguing setting and unique characters. This book has a very well-written world with such beautiful characters. I mean even the philosophical meaning of this book shows so much depth and detail that you become emerged in this world. The question who really is a monster(and what it means to be good) is well-incorporated in the plot. Also the use of figurative language to portray meaning and significance in the story is so captivating. There’s so many quotes that I liked in this book(half the books is literally highlighted lol). The characters are so unique and well-written with flaws, interests, and personality. The reason I liked this books so much were how detailed and human(sometimes in-human) the characters were.

August’s desire/denial to be human, Kate’s desire to be her father’s daughter, but also be somewhere else and someone else, Flynn struggle with protecting his family, Ilsa being cracked but so human and yet monster, Leo’s control and coldness even towards his family, so many little details, Harker not being afraid to die to his daughter, his soul becoming a monster

. All of those conflicts, characteristic, relationships, details, interests, and morals were just so real and deep. The ending was so good too. It was just the perfect kind of ending.

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