Help! I've Fallen For a Monster and I Can't Get Up!

Title: This Savage Song
Author: Victoria Schwab
Series: Monsters of Verity, book #1
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Publication Date: June 7, 2016
Source: from publisher via Edelweiss, ARC gifted by Jessica
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

The city of Verity has been overrun with monsters, born from the worst of human evil. In North Verity, the Corsai and the Malchai run free. Under the rule of Callum Harker, the monsters kill any human who has not paid for protection. In the South, Henry Flynn hunts the monsters who cross the border into his territory, aided by the most dangerous and darkest monsters of them all—the Sunai, dark creatures who use music to steal their victim’s souls.

As one of only three Sunai in existence, August Flynn has always wanted to play a bigger role in the war between the north and the south. When the chance arises to keep an eye on Kate Harker, daughter of the leader of North Verity, August jumps on it.

When Kate discovers August’s secret, the pair find themselves running for their lives and battling monsters from both sides of the wall. As the city dissolves into chaos, it’s up to them to foster a peace between monsters and humans.

A unique, fast-paced adventure that looks at the monsters we face every day—including the monster within.

You know how some writing feels forced, as if the author had to really work for their words? Victoria Schwab's novels feel nothing like that. Her writing flows effortlessly, as if the story has always been there for her to tell, and it was just a matter of her putting pen to paper. I'm sure she doesn't feel that way, but it doesn't show. Schwab's stories are always such a pleasure to read because they are so immersive, so all-encompassing, even when they're about really awful things.

Here's the thing: now that I've read this book, I don't think I really understood that synopsis before starting this novel. But now...now it makes complete sense and I think it's a brilliant summary. Also, maybe I just read that Victoria was the author and skimmed the synopsis because auto-buy author right here. Forever and always. This book was so amazing. I mean, I knew it would be amazing because it's Ms. Schwab doing her thang, but hot damn, This Savage Song was awesome!

I've said it before, but I just love how all of her characters teeter on the brink of good and evil, how they don't seem to be inherently one or the other. Okay, well, some of them do, but not the ones I feel I'm really supposed to care about. I think V has more than a little evil in her, though, with that ending. Heh, maybe that's why the writing seems to flow the way that it does: she sold her soul to the devil for this impressive power. ;0)

Speaking of incredible abilities, August's is. Impressive, I mean. Using music to steal the soul's of your victims....I've heard of worse ways to die, but maybe none so eerie. The Sunai of Schwab's story vaguely remind me of bean sidhe, often called banshees, whose wailing always portents death. Except in this novel, each Sunai has their own method or instrument for exorcising -- for lack of a better word -- the souls of their victims. And the Sunai's victims are only those who've committed the greatest of sins.

This sounds more or less like a good thing, right? But a power this great could be used as a weapon, so the "youngest" of the only three Sunai in existence must keep his identity hidden. I just loved this violin-playing boy so much and wanted to see him safe and sound. August is a little bit shy and very much sheltered, and I found that I had to keep reminding myself that he was technically a monster. He doesn't act like it, though. I'd liken his character to Pinocchio: he just wants to be a real boy. I worried more for him than I did Kate, who was an actual human.

Kate is something else. So guarded. So in control. So unflappable. I liked her right away. Mostly because it was all a disguise to keep her safe. As Kate fights to win her father's approval, she's also forced to fight for her life. If I'm being honest, I relished watching as Kate and August's worlds practically imploded before their eyes. If that makes me a monster, too, well, I think I can live with it. Because without their lives going to hell, they wouldn't have formed the uneasy alliance that they did, and things wouldn't have started clicking into place.

As with pretty much all of Victoria's stories, don't expect much of a romance. V's books are all full-throttle, ramped up action, and if feelings develop, so be it. But don't get your hopes up. Not this early on, anyway. There's way too much story to tell for the characters to start sucking face at this point. And still way too much animosity.

This Savage Song was fantastic. I'm a hardcore VSchwab fangirl, and so I always set out to read one of her books with the highest of expectations, whether it be YA or adult. But every single time, she knocks it out of the ballpark. Expectations be damned, I'm going to love her books no matter what. And This Savage Song was no different. Schwab blurs the line between good and evil with the best of them, and it's impossible for me to keep from falling for her monsters.

GIF it to me straight:

About the author:

Victoria is the product of a British mother, a Beverly Hills father, and a southern upbringing. Because of this, she has been known to say "tom-ah-toes," "like," and "y'all."

She also tells stories.

She loves fairy tales, and folklore, and stories that make her wonder if the world is really as it seems.

Find Victoria:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Pinterest | Tumblr | YouTube

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Labels: beautiful covers, harper-collins, monsters of verity, reviews, urban fantasy, victoria schwab

Waiting on Wednesday: Traveler by Arwen Elys Dayton

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's WoW selection is...








's Pick:



Title: Traveler
Author: Arwen Elys Dayton
Series: Seeker, book #2
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Publication Date: January 12, 2016

For readers of A Game of Thrones and Legend: Traveler, the sequel to Seeker.

Quin Kincaid is a Seeker. Her legacy is an honor, an ancient role passed down for generations. But what she learned on her Oath night changed her world forever.

Quin pledged her life to deception. Her legacy as a Seeker is not noble but savage. Her father, a killer. Her uncle, a liar. Her mother, a casualty. And the boy she once loved is out for vengeance, with her family in his sights.

Yet Quin is not alone. Shinobu, her oldest companion, might now be the only person she can trust. The only one who wants answers as desperately as she does.

But the deeper they dig into the past, the darker things become. There are long-vanished Seeker families, shadowy alliances, and something else: a sinister plan begun generations ago, with the power to destroy them all.

The past is close. And it will destroy them all.

I've already read Seeker twice now in anticipation of this sequel. And I've come up with the same conclusion both times: Shinobu is awesome. Sure, he went off the rails for a bit, but he's there for Quin when it matters most. And I want the answers that they seek just about as much as they do. :)


What are you desperately waiting for this Wednesday? Let us know in the comments or share a link to your own WoW post!

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Labels: arwen elys dayton, fantasy, magic, random house, seeker, time travel, urban fantasy, waiting on wednesday (wow)

Waiting on Wednesday: Marked in Flesh by Anne Bishop

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's WoW selection is...








's Pick:



Title: Marked in Flesh
Author: Anne Bishop
Series: The Others, book #4
Publisher: Roc/Penguin
Publication Date: March 1, 2016

Fourth in the “flawless” (The Reading Café) New York Times bestselling series from the author of Vision in Silver.

For centuries, the Others and humans have lived side by side in uneasy peace. But when humankind oversteps its bounds, the Others will have to decide how much humanity they’re willing to tolerate—both within themselves and within their community...

Since the Others allied themselves with the cassandra sangue, the fragile yet powerful human blood prophets who were being exploited by their own kind, the delicate dynamic between humans and Others changed. Some, like Simon Wolfgard, wolf shifter and leader of the Lakeside Courtyard, and blood prophet Meg Corbyn, see the new, closer companionship as beneficial—both personally and practically.

But not everyone is convinced. A group of radical humans is seeking to usurp land through a series of violent attacks on the Others. What they don’t realize is that there are older and more dangerous forces than shifters and vampires protecting the land that belongs to the Others—and those forces are willing to do whatever is necessary to protect what is theirs…

I absolutely adore this series. I've been listening to these books from the beginning and I'll probably grab the audio for this fourth book just as soon as it's available. Alexandra Harris does a fabulous job with the narration. Now...if only we could just get Simon and Meg to KISS ALREADY!


What are you desperately waiting for this Wednesday? Let us know in the comments or share a link to your own WoW post!

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Labels: adult, anne bishop, favorites, grabby hands, penguin, the others, urban fantasy, waiting on wednesday (wow)

Waiting on Wednesday: I'll Give You the Sun & The Girl at Midnight

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's WoW selections are...








's Pick:

Title: I'll Give You the Sun
Author: Jandy Nelson
Series:  n/a
Publisher: Dial Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: September 16th, 2014

A brilliant, luminous story of first love, family, loss, and betrayal for fans of John Green, David Levithan, and Rainbow Rowell

Jude and her brother, Noah, are incredibly close twins. At thirteen, isolated Noah draws constantly and is falling in love with the charismatic boy next door, while daredevil Jude surfs and cliff-dives and wears red-red lipstick and does the talking for both of them. But three years later, Jude and Noah are barely speaking. Something has happened to wreck the twins in different and divisive ways . . . until Jude meets a cocky, broken, beautiful boy, as well as an unpredictable new mentor. The early years are Noah's story to tell. The later years are Jude's. What the twins don't realize is that they each have only half the story, and if they could just find their way back to one another, they’d have a chance to remake their world.

This radiant, fully alive, sometimes very funny novel from the critically acclaimed author of The Sky Is Everywhere will leave you breathless and teary and laughing—often all at once.

So I know this one comes out really soon, but it doesn't make me want/need it any less. I've seen so many bloggers already dive into it and post good things, so I'm anxiously awaiting it. Jandy Nelson's The Sky is Everywhere was my first Audio books. I loved it. I think I'll be sticking with Audio on this one too! :)

's Pick:



Title: The Girl at Midnight
Author: Melissa Grey
Series: The Girl at Midnight, book #1
Publisher: Delacorte Press/Random House
Publication Date: April 28, 2015

For readers of Cassandra Clare's City of Bones and Leigh Bardugo's Shadow and Bone, The Girl at Midnight is the story of a modern girl caught in an ancient war.

Beneath the streets of New York City live the Avicen, an ancient race of people with feathers for hair and magic running through their veins. Age-old enchantments keep them hidden from humans. All but one. Echo is a runaway pickpocket who survives by selling stolen treasures on the black market, and the Avicen are the only family she's ever known.

Echo is clever and daring, and at times she can be brash, but above all else she's fiercely loyal. So when a centuries-old war crests on the borders of her home, she decides it's time to act.

Legend has it that there is a way to end the conflict once and for all:  find the Firebird, a mythical entity believed to possess power the likes of which the world has never seen. It will be no easy task, but if life as a thief has taught Echo anything, it's how to hunt down what she wants . . . and how to take it.

But some jobs aren't as straightforward as they seem. And this one might just set the world on fire.

Not liking the comparisons to previous series -- really wish publishers would stop doing that -- but I love the sound of this book otherwise. An underground civilization. A thief. Magic. All of those aspects guarantee I'll be giving this book a read.


What are you desperately waiting for this Wednesday? Let us know in the comments or share a link to your own WoW post!

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Labels: i'll give you the sun, jandy nelson, magic, penguin, random house, the girl at midnight, urban fantasy, waiting on wednesday (wow)