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A review by perfectplaces
The Forsaken Souls by Varsha Ravi
challenging
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
was honoured to have betaed this!
so everyone who knows me knows i’ve been singing the praises of THD since it came out two novembers ago and the second book? does not disappoint in the slightest
personally this is exactly what i wanted from this book! even more delving into the idea of deification? check. unhinged characters doing unhinged things? check. kiran’s loose thread to the concept of being a person? check. doomed romance? check. viro my number one dream boy? check. it really feels like it was written to be up my alley entirely.
if THD was about the concept of deification and of being turned into a myth and of what it means to become a god, TFS is about what it means to be human. and this isn’t just told through kiran who is excellent here (varsha ravi ur nightmare godboy looks personhood issues as fuck) but also suri in the past plot and viro in the modern plot and tarak in the. well. everything. all of whom have to do some serious reckoning with being turned into weapons/tools/treated as subhuman in some way. THD talked a LOT about myths and stories but TFS talks about ending those stories and ending the cycles and imo it’s a perfect ending thematically.
some of my favorite highlights:
- suri and viro’s dynamic is incredible and insane and the yelling i’ve done about them being actual irl found family siblings? it’s a lot. personally i think viro deserves all the siblings bc he is in fact my poor meow meow.
- the first third or so of the past plot is insane. it’s almost entirely kiran centric with some new god characters weaved in and it does oh so much to hammer home how the kiran we know from the past plot becomes the kiran we known from the modern plot (which of course is one of the biggest questions of the first book).
- the villain gives me brain worms. i will not be elaborating.
- there is fake dating in the past plot! fake dating and reluctant friendships and found family and actual family like what is there to not like.
- the prose is beautiful. as it always is. i can’t quote direct favorite lines atm out of fear of spoilers but there are some real bangers in here.
- i love you kiran “athrasakhi” the heartless divine my little meow meow my favorite little mistreat your altar boys long enough and this is what you get bitch.
the whole duology is an immensely ambitious project but i think it’s pulled off insanely well and i’d recommend really sitting on it because when i finished it i felt so empty before i started to Think. And Perceive. personally this duology has ticked off not just everything i want in a ya fantasy romance but also has set the standard for media i consume regarding gods and myths and fairytales at all. i’m so unbelievably envious of how varsha writes (like how do you even DO that!!) and i can’t wait to see what she does next!
so everyone who knows me knows i’ve been singing the praises of THD since it came out two novembers ago and the second book? does not disappoint in the slightest
personally this is exactly what i wanted from this book! even more delving into the idea of deification? check. unhinged characters doing unhinged things? check. kiran’s loose thread to the concept of being a person? check. doomed romance? check. viro my number one dream boy? check. it really feels like it was written to be up my alley entirely.
if THD was about the concept of deification and of being turned into a myth and of what it means to become a god, TFS is about what it means to be human. and this isn’t just told through kiran who is excellent here (varsha ravi ur nightmare godboy looks personhood issues as fuck) but also suri in the past plot and viro in the modern plot and tarak in the. well. everything. all of whom have to do some serious reckoning with being turned into weapons/tools/treated as subhuman in some way. THD talked a LOT about myths and stories but TFS talks about ending those stories and ending the cycles and imo it’s a perfect ending thematically.
some of my favorite highlights:
- suri and viro’s dynamic is incredible and insane and the yelling i’ve done about them being actual irl found family siblings? it’s a lot. personally i think viro deserves all the siblings bc he is in fact my poor meow meow.
- the first third or so of the past plot is insane. it’s almost entirely kiran centric with some new god characters weaved in and it does oh so much to hammer home how the kiran we know from the past plot becomes the kiran we known from the modern plot (which of course is one of the biggest questions of the first book).
- the villain gives me brain worms. i will not be elaborating.
- there is fake dating in the past plot! fake dating and reluctant friendships and found family and actual family like what is there to not like.
- the prose is beautiful. as it always is. i can’t quote direct favorite lines atm out of fear of spoilers but there are some real bangers in here.
- i love you kiran “athrasakhi” the heartless divine my little meow meow my favorite little mistreat your altar boys long enough and this is what you get bitch.
the whole duology is an immensely ambitious project but i think it’s pulled off insanely well and i’d recommend really sitting on it because when i finished it i felt so empty before i started to Think. And Perceive. personally this duology has ticked off not just everything i want in a ya fantasy romance but also has set the standard for media i consume regarding gods and myths and fairytales at all. i’m so unbelievably envious of how varsha writes (like how do you even DO that!!) and i can’t wait to see what she does next!