I can’t say I enjoyed this as much as Wicked Saints. My favorite part of the first book was the romance between Nadya and Malachiasz, and I was disappointed that I couldn’t connect with them much this time around. It was only Serefin with whom I empathized. The world building is still a lot of fun, and it was interesting to get to know more about the gods but it just wasn’t enough to sustain my interest. I know I’ll still read the finale, and I hope it’ll wow me again.

<i>A huge thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a free eARC in return for an honest review.</i>

Wicked Saints is quite a polarizing book: you either enjoy/love it, or you can't stand it. There is no two ways about it. I am one of the people who really enjoyed Wicked Saints, and who had only a few qualms. I feel like Ruthless Gods will be the same way. If you enjoyed Wicked Saints, you'll enjoy this one. If you weren't sure, or didn't like it, and wanted to give the sequel a try... you'll probably hate it. So don't do it.

A few trigger warnings, before we get started, borrowed from my buddy bestie Giulia: <spoiler>blood and gore, eye trauma, cutting for blood magic purposes, mention of self-harm, light drug use, alcohol use.</spoiler>

Ruthless Gods starts 4 months after Wicked Saints' ending, and while slow paced, it is a constant rollercoaster. It is darker and bloodier than the first book, and there is A Lot more going on. There are lies upon lies upon lies and even more secrets. Both Nadya and Serefin are basically going through hell 432/432 pages. Especially Serefin. Be prepared.

All of these struggles and character insight and development really made me care about Serefin even more. Nadya is still the same annoying character, with so much drama I wanted to scream at her. All the back and forth and back and forth and contradicting herself constantly within a few sentences was just entirely too frustrating, and actually made me feel more disconnected from her. Which is a terrible shame of course, as she is the main character after all. The ending shows some promise that she might go through a change in the third book, and I am very curious about it, and have hope!

In my review of Wicked Saints, I mentioned I had expected and wanted a different star-crossed relationship, because the one we got was too insta-love for me. Well, joke's on me, because while we didn't get that particular relationship, we got another which I loved SO MUCH MORE. I will protect this ship with my life, whereas Nadya and Malachiasz can go off somewhere on their own and indulge in their insta-love.

That sounded a bit harsh. I liked the dynamic they had in Ruthless Gods, just not the way Nadya's mind worked. It was very exhausting to read her chapters, but luckily it wasn't all bad.

Malachiasz is still such an intriguing character, although I feel he is different from Wicked Saints in a way that didn't entirely gel with me, personally. I really wish we got to see inside his head. He is still one of my favorite characters, and I cannot wait to see where the third book will take him, as I absolutely have no idea right now. Also, some of his descriptions were gruesome and I loved it!

We also got some new characters, though I didn't particularly care for them a whole lot. I am suspicious as to what will happen to them, though, as they are (or at least can be) very important! There were also several POV interludes of certain characters I really loved getting some insight to, and I hope we get more of that in the final book.

Ruthless Gods takes the story to such a new height (quite literally) with such a climax, it left me reeling. That ending was stellar, and the fact that I now have to wait for the third book is really not something I'm looking forward to. I want answers. I want to know the fate of these characters and their countries. The way this book leaves things, is such a shift from what we've known, that it's truly impossible for me to even try to consider what might happen next. Which is, of course, awesome. We love to be surprised. And hopefully it will be in the best way possible!

A few things however, that just kept pulling me out of the story:
- the usage of 'boy' when talking about 17/18 year old guys from the perspective of a 17 year old felt really weird and juvenile to me. ; this is a direct quote from my Wicked Saints review, and it still holds true. It was jarring. As if they were 12 year olds.
- the usage of 'yanking/yanked'. I mean. What is wrong with pulling? Yanking felt so entirely out of place, and just wrong for the amazing world this is set in.
- Nadya's overthinking. <spoiler>At one point I just wanted her to turn dark completely so she could stop whining and side with Malachiasz at the end. She did side with him a little bit, but he took it to a direction she hadn't intended. It was a mess, and sadly, I didn't get dark!Nadya, or Dark Couple Extraordinaire.</spoiler>

For me, Ruthless Gods is a very solid 4 star read, and would be more if I hadn't been so annoyed with Nadya most of the time. I cannot wait for the third book, and for a reread before it comes out!

I received ‘Ruthless Gods’ through NetGalley and Wednesday Books, in exchange for an honest review.

When I began reading ‘Ruthless Gods’, I was very wary about the direction it was going to take. While I enjoyed reading ‘Wicked Saints’, I found the heavy focus on the romance slightly grating.
Within the first few chapters on ‘Ruthless Gods’, I was pleasantly surprised at the revelations placed at the very start!
‘Ruthless Gods’ takes place a few months after the shocking events in the cathedral at Tranavia. Both Nadya and Serefin underwent major changes that awakened innate abilities within themselves. They hold an uneasy alliance while Nadya is held in confinement within the castle, yet they’re forced to flee out of necessity. They set off to fulfill Nadya’s goal: travel west to Kalyazin and bring the gods back into power. This quest is filled with extreme challenges, as both characters are pawns in the gods’ perilous battle to regain their standing within the empire.
Malachiasz also plays a major role in this book, as he battles with the powerful monster he’s become, and the young man he struggles to maintain within himself. He’s the perfect villain as we saw during ‘Wicked Saints’, toying with his friend’s emotions in order to reach his end goal. In ‘Ruthless Gods’ he continues to fight with this internal struggle to regain humanity. He’s a powerful (and deadly) entity, and the more he succumbs to the desire to inflict pain, the deeper he ventures into darkness.
The ‘monster-romance’ factor between Nadya and Malachiasz is still alive and well in ‘Ruthless Gods’, yet it doesn’t pervade the entirety of the book. Nadya is still consumed with thoughts of desire, yet she is also aware that she has a mission to undertake. As they venture into Kalyazin, Nadya is refocused on achieving her end goal, and this delivers more confidence in drawing her power as the cleric who speaks to the pantheon. Her renewed confidence is accompanied by some major roadblocks, which causes Nadya to question if she’s truly ready for such a task.
Serefin is also thrusted into the game of power, albeit reluctantly. He’s consumed with mysterious hallucinations and haunting voices, and he discovers that he not only needs to worry about his throne overtaken by his fellow countrymen, he is willingly placed in the middle of a major conflict between the gods. The religious discourse continues to be a focal point in the book, as both Nadya and Serefin handle a religious awakening the further they delve into their journeys: Serefin fighting with the notion of a pantheon determining the fate of humankind, while Nadya struggles to face a new understanding a magic outside of her traditional ways of thinking.
This novel continues to be voiced in both Nadya and Serefin’s perspective, and it includes some extra points of view from companions on either side. It feeds some additional backstory into the conflict between Kalyazi and Tranavia as the story leads up to a very revealing conclusion!
I very much enjoyed reading ‘Ruthless Gods’, and it had a good balance of romance and action within a gothic backdrop. Readers will definitely enjoy such an intense story!


Cathleen (Woven From Words)

The publisher and Netgalley provided me with an ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review.

Wicked Saints was one of my top reads last year because of its intricate worldbuilding, morally gray characters, imaginative magical system, and tragic love story. Ruthless Gods builds on this brilliant debut and creates even more conflict for the main characters.

Nadya still loves the boy who became a monster- and she's determined to remind him of who he is. But first she needs to use him in a desperate gamble to stop the war that is decimating her world. She needs him to guide her on a possibly futile pilgrimage, a journey of forced proximity with someone who has edged beyond the reach of her forgiveness.

Malachiasz has two natures warring for domination of his mind. The brutal monster without a flicker of remorse and the lonely boy. Malachiasz's struggle manifests itself in strange, inexplicable ways that should repel Nadya but fascinate her instead.

Serefin just wants to save his kingdom. He's trying to survive a coup, retain power and figure out exactly what surviving his own death means. Why was he saved and how did his salvation transform him?

You will love the author's treatment of duality in all of her characters, the quest each character must undergo to fully mature as individuals, and the unavoidable pull of forbidden love.

I read the first book "Wicked Saints" last month in preparation for the sequel coming out, and must say that I really struggled with getting into it. It was the combination of choppy writing and the confusing storyline that kept pulling me out of the book. "Ruthless Gods" is a definite improvement. It grabbed me from the get go. Because we are dealing with the aftermath of the events that transpired in the first book, it is pretty important to remember the plot of "Wicked Saints". The author does not really give an overview. Since the aftermath is not what our characters expected, all three: Serefin, Nadya and Malachiacz are desperately trying to figure out what is going on. The suspense of the unknown definitely kept me interested. I also must say this book is even darker than the first one. So if you don't like dark fantasy, I would pass this one. Overall, a solid second book. 4 out of 5 stars.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for granting my wish and allowing me an ARC of this!

There is something poking you in the ribs while reading this book, something that feels unsettling. But this aspect just adds to the great deal that Ruthless Gods is. No mistake here.
It’s goth and cold and me likes it very.

“You danced at the edge of darkness and light and you fell.”

The atmosphere is the most incredible thing of this sequel. No matter that you happen to sit on top of your comfy bed with a cup of herbal tea in your hand while reading this, if there is a scene in a dark forest in the middle of the night where mythical creatures lurk in the shadow and look at you with hunger, you’ll be just there with them and you’re going to freeze your heart off because of the fright.

What the hell, man. This book is good. And it shows you things if you really open your mind to see them.
So just go, go, go for it!

“Can you love a god? No, such things were impossible.”

I don’t know how I feel about Ruthless Gods.

The good.

I really love the main characters, Nadya and Malachiasz. Nadya is strong, opinionated and has made some mistakes she’s determined to fix. She’s heartbroken and emotionally vulnerable in this one, but you can see her inner light glowing and her persistence of making things right, no matter the cost. Malachiasz is a lonely boy who is more monster than human. He’s lost in the depths of the dark power he absorbed in Wicked Saints, and we see him as he fights to seize control of himself. The scenes between them were beautifully-written, full of tension and set a very dark and dangerous tone which I, personally, appreciated. Unfortunately, these delicious moments that evoked so many emotions in me were only at the beginning and the end of the book.

The ending shocked me!

The bad.

Many parts of the story confused me and made the middle of the book a stuggle to get through. Something I found to be really frustrating was that the change of scenery and the time lapses were not executed in a smooth way. For example, in one paragraph we’re at some place with some people and in the next one, we’re somewhere else three days later. This was so disorienting!

The writing was repetitive and lacked creativity. The characters were having the same thoughts over and over again and they were using the same words to describe certain things.

I didn’t care about Serefin and, while a lot of things were happening in his life and I should care, I just wanted to pass his POV and get back to Nadya and Malachiasz. Also, the fact he was in some kind of trance for the majority of the book didn’t help me want to know what’s going on with him.

All in all, I loved some parts of Ruthless Gods but wasn’t very fond of some others, so it’s a 3-star read for me.

I received this e-arc from NetGalley for review purposes. All opinions are my own.

3.5 Stars

Wicked Saints was one of my favorite novels of last year. I loved the world-building, characters, and action. While most of this continues in Ruthless Gods, there were a lot of angsty reflections by the main characters. Growing pains?

What I Liked:

World-Building:

Imagine creating a complex religion just for a novel. There are so many gods and saints, each one with its own story and significance in this world. Having this level of detail makes us invest in the struggles of Nadya, Serefin, and Malachiasz.

There are also several different societies, each with customs, hierarchies, and myths, that combine to form a rich world for these characters to inhibit.

Characters:

Nadya really reminded me of Buffy the Vampire Slayer! She is a classic "chosen one", reluctant, and full of doubt. But she is also truly a one of a kind marvel who can talk to the gods.

Serefin grows the most of the main characters in this book. He is also a reluctant leader. But as he journeys through the novel, he comes to accept the huge responsibility for his nation and becomes willing to sacrifice everything. There are also some wonderful developments in Serefin's love life that made me cheer.

What I Didn't Like:

Characters:

I couldn't understand the competing natures of Malachiasz. At times he is the roguish, charmer who Nadya loves. At other times, he is the cruelest of demons, violent, and sadistic. And Nadya is very confused about her feelings for Malachiasz. This is where I get Nadya's Buffy vibe (remember her love/hate relationship with Spike?).

Although this made for a layered story, it was hard for me to see Malachiasz as anything but a villain.

Angsty inaction:

There was a great deal of angsty reflection by all the characters. Everyone seemed to second-guess themselves, or moan about their situation. Remember all the different gods in this world? Sometimes I felt they were being influenced by the God of Boredom!

Most of the book seemed to be filler to get to the next book in the series.

For all my complaining, I do look forward to the next book. I want to see how this plays out. And I will always root for Serefin and Nadya!

I have been sitting on this review for weeks and am finally ready to tweak the final version. Here goes.

Thank you so much to Wednesday Books via NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review, all opinions are my own.

I read Wicked Saints as an ARC too and enjoyed the basis of the story, although found Duncan's writing style to be repetitive to the nauseatingly "I need to skim" point of being terrible. I thought she would take that round of criticism from Wixked Saints and build a better novel (with editorial assistance) in Ruthless Gods....and OH god was I wrong.

If I had to read *one of 5 adjectives_____boy" one more time I would have died. She has the continent's ENTIRE future political leadership trekking across the country and all they do is continue to chase each other's tails. Maybe the hunter couldn't have done much politically but can we treat Serefin like the actual king of Tranavia? This entire trek could have been EPIC and all we got was more of "blah blah I was betrayed blah and now I'm afraid but let's kiss again" and Nadya's broken record just played, and played, and played.

Oh yeah, Nadya thinks that she did but she really learned nothing from book 1 and she's still terrible. She is changing but doesn't seem to be internalizing any of her lessons, although Kostya comes back long enough to force some true self-reflection. That particular dynamic was surprising and one of the more interesting ones.

Duncan did do a bit of a better job showing monstrosities versus just talking about them, but again it was so repetitive. I did like her take on the gods and monsters and older beings, but she could have used Nadya's broken record headspace to talk more about some of the Slavic lore she was throwing out in names and titles only. That is something I'd like to have read about.

Serefin was my favorite character again because he is amazing, even though Duncan turned him into the token "other" character. I really think Ostyia would have been enough in that department. Serefin and his moths and his bad vision and his nonexistent brutality (talk talk talk, never shown) just make me happy, and I think he had the most interesting arc in this book. If nothing else Duncan did use his and Malachiasz's time together to explain all of the Tranavian political hierarchy that was missing from Wicked Saints.

Last but not least: the @OneReadingNurse infamous medical rant. Have you ever actually seen a pupil blow? I have. Someone having a stroke? A blown pupil is TERRIFYING, and having someone's pupils "blow open" is TERRIBLE choice of phrase for someone surprised or experiencing adrenaline. Not only that but I think it was used at least 3 times throughout the book and I just don't understand why an editor didn't clam this up.

The ending (other than the last sentence which again was a terrible word choice, but sounded cool) was almost enough of a cliffhanger to make me want book 3, but I don't think the plot is enough to cancel out Duncan's writing. I will be waiting for the cliffnotes version.

In summary: if you liked Wicked Saints, read this, if not or if you were on the fence, stay away. Ruthless Gods IS marginally better but I personally can't do it for a third novel.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with this book in exchange for my honest opinion. This book is available now.

Gothically gorgeous, this follow-up to Wicked Saints (review here) was everything I wanted it to be. I loved the darker vibe, and the progression of characters. It took a little bit longer to really “get going” than the first book did, but the character-building made it worth it. All of the main players have had their world shaken in some form or another, and seeing how they handled it (or didn’t) was fascinating.

I enjoyed reading about Nadya’s crisis of faith (for lack of a better term); it was heartbreaking and interesting, all at once. As in Wicked Saints, Malachiasz was my favorite (I’ve nicknamed him “Mal” because there is zero chance I’ll ever read that name correctly). He’s such a complicated character; I love it!

Emily A. Duncan’s strength lies in her ability to create an atmosphere both dangerous and foreboding. I had no idea what was going to happen next, which was fabulous. My only complaint about this book is that I would have loved to have a summary from Wicked Saints in the beginning, simply because so much happened.

If you like a darker feel to your fantasy, this series is for you.

Ruthless Gods once again tells the story through Nadya and Serefin’s unique points of view, intertwining the overall story and their separate desires into a rich, emotional narrative. Emily does such a great job of making each and every character that comes on the page have such an expressive voice. In this sequel, we are introduced to new characters, such as Katya, the Tsevarna of Kalyazin who happens to have a few of her own interlude chapters as well. Emily also expands on some of her side characters like Parijhana, Rashid, Kacper, and Ostiya, giving them more depth throughout the story.

I loved the way she had Nadya grow in this story. There is nothing better than seeing a female protagonist come into her powers and find the strength within herself. I think it is one of the reasons I’m so drawn to Young Adult. Teaching young women that you are more than what people expect is a lesson I always find so encouraging, so powerful, and so important in every stage of life.

Furthermore, Emily’s ability to express both strength and vulnerability in Malachiasz and Serefin is something I always appreciate in her work. Despite the fact that he’s two boys are kings and very powerful blood mages, they are still children with emotional struggles of their own. I love how Emily showcases those struggles but also showcases their more vulnerable sides alongside movements of power and strength. Again, this is a very important lesson for boys of the Young Adult age range as well. To see that they do not have to be conformed into one sense of emotional expression, but that they are allowed to have vulnerabilities too.

Plot –
So, since I talk to Emily on Twitter I learned a fun little tidbit about her writing process – she does not outline anything for these books.

Yeah, you heard me. No outlining. I still can’t believe it. The plot of Ruthless Gods had me at the edge of my seat the entire read. Every chapter something new was developing, whether it be emotional or narrative, it didn’t matter. Something was always growing, new clues dropped, new discoveries made, new horrors twisting through every elegantly crafted word. The depths in which this story’s overarching plotline keeps developing has had me astounded since book one. I can’t wait to see what else we learn in the final book. Though, it is a bit of a gut-wrenching thought for this series to end. These characters have thoroughly stolen my heart.

Overall Thoughts –
An outstanding sequel, with amazing character development and rich, high-stakes plot. Emily does such an amazing job at continuing the thread of the story from Wicked Saints to Ruthless Gods and making it even better than the last. She is definitely an author to keep tabs on, and I can’t wait to read the next book and see what she comes out with in the future. If you were a huge fan of Wicked Saints then this is a must for pre-order. April can’t come soon enough.

While this sequel to Wicked Saints is stronger, there were still some things that didn’t surprise, some things that did surprise me, and some things that confused me or left me confused.

The one thing that didn’t change was Duncan’s writing. Some writers are not only great at atmospheric writing, but they also give great inner dialogue for their characters; things that make me stop and think or rhetorical questions posed that I try to find my own answer for at the same time that a character does. I believe that Duncan nailed all of that in Ruthless Gods. She really brought the Slavic folklore inspirations together really well with the darker gothic and grotesque elements. I also love all the tidbits we get before each chapter that come from fictional pieces of work.

The characters, I would say, changed a lot more from the first book. If you read the first book, then some of the immediate changes we see in the beginning of Ruthless Gods is not surprising, particularity with Malachiasz. I will say that Nadya felt much more what her age is supposed to be; must be all that living outside the monastery. Serefin changed, but not drastically.

While their motivations are always changing or in uncertain terms to themselves (and even others), at the end of the book, I was not surprised by any of their actions. And honestly, that is one thing that frustrated me throughout the book is that some of them are surprised when another behaves opposite of what they’ve been doing for the past X number of chapters. EXCEPT, it really shouldn’t be a surprise because they’ve done it before! Nadya in particular is no longer naive yet still acts naive too many times. I still cheer for her though.

The plot was much better than the first; it didn’t feel as simple as the first book. However, it did take quite some time to really jump off into the overall story arc. What’s more complex in this book, is that the darker forces connected to both Kalyazi and Tranavian magic systems, are starting to play bigger roles on both sides. Nadya is confronting her faith and magic and her trust in both; made much harder by the fact that she can’t hear her Gods. Serefin is battling for control from a vengeful fallen God and something darker. Parj and Rashid have friends on both sides and don’t know what to do. Malachiasz may not be the worst monster anymore. Or maybe he is. This story is wrought with blood and bone and magic.

And I can’t wait to see how it all ends.

ARC provided by St. Martin’s Press via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Ruthless Gods is the second instalment in Emily A. Duncan’s Something Dark and Holy trilogy.

When I first read Wicked Saints I wasn’t really caught in the story. Intrigued by the premises and the obscure theology, yes. But not involved with Nadya and Malachiasz’s romance. Straightness, alas, is really dull. Before starting on this adventure, I had though contacted via Instagram the author. and as she promised queerness in her second volume, I persisted.

Usually, the second tome of a trilogy happens to be tedious and unexciting or lacking pathos and substance. They are simply written to prolong the story, leaving all twists and turns for the grand finale set in the third book and that’s something I don’t particularly appreciate.

Ruthless Gods did not comply with the standard. It captivated me more than the first novel and glued me to the screen despite the fact that I hate reading on laptops, kindles or whatever. I prefer a physical copy to a digital edition, but I can’t always choose. Therefore, I was really grateful that Ruthless Gods managed to let me forget about that factor.

My only wish for the final volume is more Kacper and Serefin.

I loved the first book of this trilogy when I read it earlier this year and I'm so glad I got to read Ruthless Gods right after! I will now go into a hibernating slump while we wait for the third novel because I need to know what happens!!

Wicked Saints was dark and Ruthless Gods was DARKER. There's so much blood, eye-gore (major yikes), and a lot of heart-wrenching moments. I don't think I breathed the entire time while reading because my emotions were all tangled up. I'm not sure how in depth to go because of spoilers but essentially, it lived up to my expectations when it comes to a sequel. I feel even more invested in the story even throughout all the horrors that happen in the story. The story really stretches the definition of humanity and the all-consuming void that is power which are all topics that I think were discussed really well. All in all, I'm in love and in dire need of book 3 ASAP.

I LOVED THIS BOOK! It was even better than the first one and any issues that I did have were improved on! I love these characters so much and I need the next book like I need air!

DNF around 20%. I LOVED the first book and was super excited to get an early copy of Ruthless Gods. That excitement just didn't carry over to the actual reading of the book. I didn't have any real problems with the part that I read, it just didn't interest me enough to make me keep reading.

Title: Ruthless Gods
Author: Emily A. Duncan
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: 5 out of 5

Nadya doesn’t trust her magic anymore. Serefin is fighting off a voice in his head that doesn’t belong to him. Malachiasz is at war with who–and what–he’s become.

As their group is continually torn apart, the girl, the prince, and the monster find their fates irrevocably intertwined. They’re pieces on a board, being orchestrated by someone… or something. The voices that Serefin hears in the darkness, the ones that Nadya believes are her gods, the ones that Malachiasz is desperate to meet―those voices want a stake in the world, and they refuse to stay quiet any longer.

A lot of second novels are less impressive than the books they follow, but Emily A. Duncan’s Ruthless Gods is not one of them! This novel continues the story of Nadya, Malachiasz, Serefin, and the rest of their friends. It’s dark, cold, and compelling.

There’s a lot of blood, violence, and despair here, but there is also hope, albeit a tiny, trembling flame. The characters finally start to realize—truly realize—that what they’ve always thought to be truth may not necessarily be so, Compelling, mesmerizing, riveting…whatever your synonym of choice for “I couldn’t put this down!” is, Ruthless Gods is it.

Emily A. Duncan is a New York Times bestselling author. Ruthless Gods, her newest novel, is the second book in the Something Dark and Holy series.

(Galley courtesy of St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review.)

I really liked the first book in the series and I was happy to have an e-arc of this sequel.

This second volume really immerses us in the question of the divine. Is a being of power divine? Is he in a position to control beings who do not have powers. I really liked the characters' quest to find answers on the origin of magic, of the gods and this immerses us in the history of these opposing countries for years. I have always loved the universe of this saga and I really enjoyed learning more about it. It's dark and complex and fun to discover.

The novel continues to follow Nadya and Serefin. Nadya remains naive as always. Despite the events of the first volume, she continues to trust easily. I think I had a hard time understanding her actions and her motivations. Serefin is more aware of the problems. He quickly realizes the manipulations of some people arround him. He cares about the good of his country and his people and acts accordingly. I preferred its evolution.

For the plot, if I need to sumarize it in a word, it's confusion. I must admit that at times the intrigue seemed disjointed. There were missing transitions between chapters and some action scenes did not have really ending. In addition, it took me a long time to understand the author's overall goal. It is therefore complicated to judge the book. The universe is really good but I had trouble following everything and I think that the author could and should have better managed the information and the motivations of her heroes.

If I could describe this book in a few words, it would be BACK STABBING and BETRAYALS. And DARK.
It picks up about 4 months after the first book ends, and boy is there a lot going on- new characters, way more gods/ monsters/ mythology. At one point, I felt like most people reading Harry Potter #7 (how much walking/ traveling can you do), but at least there was some character/ plot development there. The ending was woah, so I definitely need book 3 now :)

Leaving reviews on goodreads and amazon

Ruthless Gods is the second book in Emily A. Duncan’s YA fantasy trilogy, Something Dark and Holy. It’s hard to review the middle book of a trilogy for fear of spoiling it for those who haven’t read the first book, but I’m going to do my best and will keep my remarks as general as possible.

What struck me the most about Ruthless Gods is that it definitely took a darker turn than Wicked Saints, which was already pretty dark. In that sense, it kind of reminded me of The Empire Strikes Back vs. A New Hope. There are dark forces at work everywhere, and those dark forces are impacting everyone, especially the main characters from the first book. Nadya, the cleric who is the only one who can communicate with her Gods, can suddenly no longer reach them. It’s like they’ve cut her off. Serefin, the Prince of Tranavia, is haunted by voices and feels as if his entire body has literally been taken over by someone or something else. And then there’s Malachiasz, the Prince’s brother, who is torn between who he once was and the monster he has become after incidents at the end of book one. All three are battling inner demons and trying to figure out what is expected of them because it becomes clear they are pawns in someone else’s game. Watching them struggle, I quickly found myself enamored with and rooting for all three characters all over again and anxious to see what awaited them.

As with Wicked Saints, the world building is phenomenal and I loved how dark and atmospheric it was and that it all felt tinged with the supernatural. As much as I enjoyed the world building, the characters, and the overall story, I do have to admit that the pacing was a bit slow early on. As Duncan starts to weave together the pieces that bind Nadya, Serefin, and Malachiasz, however, the book, thankfully, really takes off and I flew through the last half.

Even though I thought this second book was a little uneven in terms of its delivery, Ruthless Gods still gave me enough in that second half to have me anxiously awaiting the final book in the series. If you enjoy slow-burn, dark fantasies, be sure to check out Wicked Saints and Ruthless Gods. 3.5 STARS