Will I love This Savage Song?

This Savage Song is a dark urban fantasy set in a world where violence creates monsters. Not human monsters (though there are plenty of those in the tale), but real, shadowy creatures that roam the cityscape in the wake of murders, assaults, and other dark deeds.

The story is told from dual points of view, with chapters from the viewpoint of a rebellious daughter of the city’s overlord and the point of view of one of the monsters living in the city. Schwab is best known for the Shades of Magic series, but I personally think This Savage Song and… show more.

I’m a fan of V. E. Schwab’s writing in general, but This Savage Song is my personal favorite story of theirs. I’m not sure I’ve ever encountered a main character as unlikeable as Kate Harker. The daughter of a kingpin who rules over a city where monsters are real, Kate is ruthless and rebellious. As the city threatens to burst into an all-out war, Kate has to team up with another main character—one of the monsters. 

The writing in This Savage Song is lyrical and punchy at the same time, making it a quick and compelling read. If you’re looking… show more.

The. Rhymes. In. This. Book. Each monster in the terrifying world of This Savage Song comes with a warning rhyme. And they are intense. This book also has done away with the typical romance… In the sense that there isn’t any. Just a solid friendship. Not to mention there is a monster-boy who can play the violin and a teenage girl willing to set a church ablaze to get what she wants. If you’re looking for something full of action, a twist ending you won’t see coming, and a world with a touch of dystopian, this is a read you… show more.

The world of This Savage Song is one of the most excellently-built settings I’ve ever seen in a Young Adult novel. From gritty grayness to sleek and veneer-thin wealth, Victoria Schwab’s City of Verity—complete with bone-crunching monsters, blood-sucking monsters, and soul-stealing monsters—pokes quietly at the truths of human society. It is not, however, a philosophical book; instead, it’s a fast-paced read of trust and disgust, expectations and reality, and, of course, some cold betrayal. The characters are addictive and individual, the plot compels the pages to turn, and sympathies are pulled in both directions as two people, polar opposites,… show more.