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jholt2899 's review for:
Ruthless Gods
by Emily A. Duncan
[TL;DR]
The aftermath of Malechiasz's betrayal is still shaking Serefin and Nadya as Tranavia and Kalyazin fall deeper into the pits of war with unrestful gods seeking to take their revenge. As Nadya grapples with her feelings for Mal and Serefin tips closer to a all-consuming godly possession, the three of them form a tentative alliance. Not everyone is telling the truth, though, and betrayal is always around the corner.
Some of my hope in this series has been redeemed but I still have a few pressing thoughts that ultimately taint the reading experience here. I think Ruthless Gods did a good job with what [b:Wicked Saints|36118682|Wicked Saints (Something Dark and Holy, #1)|Emily A. Duncan|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1539378101l/36118682._SY75_.jpg|57709985] gave it to work with. There are a lot of glaring issues in this series, but despite my irritation toward those things I found myself really enjoying this read. Serefin seemed to really come into his own in this book, a nice shift from Wicked Saints where he had little personality aside from being drunk.
Unfortunately, I have the same issues with Ruthless Gods as I did with Wicked Saints. Namely, that this is a carbon-copy of [b:Shadow and Bone|10194157|Shadow and Bone (The Shadow and Bone Trilogy, #1)|Leigh Bardugo|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1339533695l/10194157._SX50_.jpg|15093325]; similar characterization, Russian-inspired world, and similar storyline. There is little originality in this book and I think too much of the plot is cyclical (problem, easy way out, bad thing revealed, travel to a new location, repeat). There are not high stakes in this novel which is its biggest issue. Everything about it feels halfway. The romance between Nadya and Mal was pointless and only present because it's a staple of the genre. One, there is no chemistry, and two, both of them go back and forth between loving each other and genuinely wanting the other to die.
As much as I enjoyed my reading experience, I don't see a lot in this series that really sets it apart from the rest of the fantasy genre. This book just needed more. More intensity, more chemistry, more urgency, higher stakes, further characterization, and more originality.
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
TW/CW: murder, violence, alcohol abuse
The aftermath of Malechiasz's betrayal is still shaking Serefin and Nadya as Tranavia and Kalyazin fall deeper into the pits of war with unrestful gods seeking to take their revenge. As Nadya grapples with her feelings for Mal and Serefin tips closer to a all-consuming godly possession, the three of them form a tentative alliance. Not everyone is telling the truth, though, and betrayal is always around the corner.
Some of my hope in this series has been redeemed but I still have a few pressing thoughts that ultimately taint the reading experience here. I think Ruthless Gods did a good job with what [b:Wicked Saints|36118682|Wicked Saints (Something Dark and Holy, #1)|Emily A. Duncan|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1539378101l/36118682._SY75_.jpg|57709985] gave it to work with. There are a lot of glaring issues in this series, but despite my irritation toward those things I found myself really enjoying this read. Serefin seemed to really come into his own in this book, a nice shift from Wicked Saints where he had little personality aside from being drunk.
Unfortunately, I have the same issues with Ruthless Gods as I did with Wicked Saints. Namely, that this is a carbon-copy of [b:Shadow and Bone|10194157|Shadow and Bone (The Shadow and Bone Trilogy, #1)|Leigh Bardugo|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1339533695l/10194157._SX50_.jpg|15093325]; similar characterization, Russian-inspired world, and similar storyline. There is little originality in this book and I think too much of the plot is cyclical (problem, easy way out, bad thing revealed, travel to a new location, repeat). There are not high stakes in this novel which is its biggest issue. Everything about it feels halfway. The romance between Nadya and Mal was pointless and only present because it's a staple of the genre. One, there is no chemistry, and two, both of them go back and forth between loving each other and genuinely wanting the other to die.
As much as I enjoyed my reading experience, I don't see a lot in this series that really sets it apart from the rest of the fantasy genre. This book just needed more. More intensity, more chemistry, more urgency, higher stakes, further characterization, and more originality.
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
TW/CW: murder, violence, alcohol abuse