Reviews with content warning for Murder - 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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bookcaptivated's review against another edition

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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

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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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briely's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot

3.75

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alexiab's review against another edition

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dark tense medium-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

5.0

VE SCHWAB DOES NOT MISS !!!

this was such an intense, dark, and yet hopeful story. I absolutely love the juxtaposition of a human who wants to be a monster and a monster who wants to be human, and the natural progression of both of them learning to somehow meet in the middle was *chefs kiss*.

Schwab is an excellent example of an author who can write YA stories that actually fit the age group they're targeting their book towards. The incredible world building and feel of the characters that is so stand out in her adult writing is still very much present, but on a smaller, more bite size scale in her YA books.

This book was very much Vicious-But-For-Teenagers, with a bit more morally upstanding characters and feel good vibes, and I really loved it. August and Kate have my whole ass heart.

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ajboyd_'s review

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adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-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

4.0

The author had no right to make August Flynn this adorable. It should be a crime.

The book in itself gets more interesting after the ‘Colton’ incident. I always did love a good family betrayal.

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theespressoedition's review against another edition

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adventurous dark tense medium-paced

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

4.0

It's been such a wild ride, reading Schwab's books over the past few years. I've stuck to no particular order, which has made each book a completely new experience - ranging from oh my gosh I'm obsessed (Addie LaRue and ADSOM) to wow, I really didn't care for that (The Near Witch). I feel like my overall thought when it comes to her writing is this: she's truly an artist and there's no one quite like her.

This Savage Song was no exception. Once again, I was blown away by the creativity and stunning style of writing. Monsters who use music to kill? An almost Romeo-and-Juliet kind of relationship (with actually very little romance, now that I think about it)? Dystopian cities and power-hungry leaders? There is so much going on in this book and not a moment to even consider becoming bored. Something is always happening!

From the beginning, you feel as though you may not like Kate. She's brash and reckless and has little care for others. You also feel as though you'll love August. He's quiet and caring and really just wants peace. However, as you continue reading, you begin to realize Kate's depth and August's faults. There's a lot more to these characters than what meets the eye! I think the turning point for me would be in the cabin. I won't say more than that because I would give away far too much, but I truly began to see the way the characters blended together and how much they had learned and grown during those chapters.

I mention that there's little romance. It fascinated me because I began the book thinking "okay, total Romeo and Juliet dystopian tale here" but despite the protagonists spending so much time together throughout the book, there was hardly anything romantic about their relationship. It was as though they were drawn to one another for a bigger purpose and yeah sure, you kinda wanna say "and now, KISS!" at a few different parts, but really, there's not something missing without the fluffy feelings. I'm typically someone who prefers a decent amount of romance in my books, but the plot was so good in this one that I never found myself desperately wishing for more passion.

Since it's part of a duology, I know my thoughts aren't completely finished. I still have to read Our Dark Duet to get a full grasp of the story. I look forward to picking it up soon and learning what happens next!

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nina90's review

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adventurous dark emotional medium-paced

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

5.0

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