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A review by edgedancer
Our Dark Duet by V.E. Schwab
4.0
I almost didn't read this book.
After reading This Savage Song last summer, I wasn't sure I wanted to continue. I liked the first book, but it didn't quite grab me in the way Schwab's other works have and I felt as if I was mostly satisfied with the way TSS had ended. However, Victoria Schwab has become one of my favorite authors in the last few years and I've picked up each of her books on release day since I first discovered her. Ultimately, I ended up pre-ordering Our Dark Duet last minute and I definitely don't regret it.
I thought this was a stronger book than the first. It moved incredibly quickly and had quite a few really nice payoffs. A lot of my questions from the first book were answered and I felt like the conclusion was really satisfying. My biggest worry with dark stories like this is the cop-out ending (or as I like to call it, Doctor Who syndrome), but Schwab didn't shy away from keeping the ending both tragic and hopeful at the same time. At times, the book felt a bit like an action movie and often had me turning to the next chapter long after I planned to stop reading. My biggest gripe with the book is less to do with Schwab's story and more with my own personal experience, but I didn't have any strong connection to any of the characters which made some of the emotional beats of the book (and there are plenty, trust me) not quite as impactful as they should have been.
Overal, Our Dark Duet is another excellent addition to Schwab's body of work and I can't wait to see what she publishes next.
After reading This Savage Song last summer, I wasn't sure I wanted to continue. I liked the first book, but it didn't quite grab me in the way Schwab's other works have and I felt as if I was mostly satisfied with the way TSS had ended. However, Victoria Schwab has become one of my favorite authors in the last few years and I've picked up each of her books on release day since I first discovered her. Ultimately, I ended up pre-ordering Our Dark Duet last minute and I definitely don't regret it.
I thought this was a stronger book than the first. It moved incredibly quickly and had quite a few really nice payoffs. A lot of my questions from the first book were answered and I felt like the conclusion was really satisfying. My biggest worry with dark stories like this is the cop-out ending (or as I like to call it, Doctor Who syndrome), but Schwab didn't shy away from keeping the ending both tragic and hopeful at the same time. At times, the book felt a bit like an action movie and often had me turning to the next chapter long after I planned to stop reading. My biggest gripe with the book is less to do with Schwab's story and more with my own personal experience, but I didn't have any strong connection to any of the characters which made some of the emotional beats of the book (and there are plenty, trust me) not quite as impactful as they should have been.
Overal, Our Dark Duet is another excellent addition to Schwab's body of work and I can't wait to see what she publishes next.