Ruthless Gods is the second book in the Something Dark and Holy trilogy by Emily A. Duncan. Released 7th April 2020 by Macmillan on their Wednesday Books imprint, it's 544 pages and available in hardcover, paperback, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately. It's especially convenient with huge doorstop fantasy tomes like this one.

This is a very dark, graphic, atmospheric, and creepily compelling YA/NA fantasy. It starts, chillingly enough, with a young girl chained to a rock who is to be sacrificed to an eldritch horror/god. There is an overarching war, invasions, lots of skullduggery, frenemies, and machiavellian machination behind the scenes. The alternating point of view narrative is easy to distinguish by the chapter headings as well as the author's alternating stylistic voice.

As the second book in the series, I found myself struggling a fair bit to keep the dramatis personae straight in my head and make sense of what had gone on in the first book. I don't recommend it as a standalone unless the reader is willing to put in the effort - there's definitely no spoon feeding on the part of the author. (The first book in the series is 385 pages, it's worth reading them in order).

On a very positive note, the writing is exceptionally good. The descriptions are crystal clear and evocative, the dialogue "fantasy-standard" but never clunky or awkwardly written. It's a very good, very creepy book written by a gifted storyteller. My middle aged self is trying not to say that it's too creepy for teens/YA, but it was quite creepy for *me*. (Then again, I'm not really the target audience).

Four stars for me, four and a half for fans of creepy epic campaign fantasy.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

An excellent follow-up to Wicked Saints, I loved it! Definitely expands more on the story I loved from book 1, and got my really excited for book 3!

I am behind on this series, and would love to get caught up at some point, but have not had time in current reading slump.

Ruthless Gods is a dark and intriguing sequel to a fascinating debut. I liked a lot of things about this book, but there were also some things I just did not enjoy and overall, I think I prefer Wicked Saints to its sequel. Here are some of my thoughts on Ruthless Gods as a whole:

Let’s start with the good: I think Emily A. Duncan has the kind of writing style that makes even over 500 pages fly by—her prose is atmospheric and beautiful, despite the dark tone of the story—and she definitely has a talent for making the reader emotionally invested in the well-being of her protagonists. I loved the travel aspect of Ruthless Gods, the way all the characters came together to solve some sort of riddle; I liked the meddling of the old gods and the introduction of new, even more twisted and calculating creatures. I still love the world-building of the Something Dark and Holy trilogy and I was excited to learn more about the mythology and history of this world. I’m also just a huge fan of the fact that so many of the characters are queer!

But, then, some things just weren’t for me. The violence and gore, all the body horror and the overall suffering the characters had to endure just really isn’t what I enjoy in a book and at some point it actually made me like the story less. Wicked Saints was dark, but nothing compared to this—be aware that there are so many trigger warnings to consider! And although I liked the way that we learned more about this world in Ruthless Gods, I also think that the focus was very much on Kalyazin and Tranavia; the rest of the world—and the characters—was somewhat disregarded. I would have liked to learn more about Akola and the few chapters we got from Parijahan’s POV weren’t enough to truly manage that, in my opinion. Similarly, I obviously loved how many casually queer characters were in this story and that all of them got love interests, but Nadya’s and Malachiasz “romance” was still very clearly the focus.

As you can see, I’m very torn. Writing this all down, it looks like the bad outweighed the good—and although there were quite a few things that I didn’t love about Ruthless Gods, I did enjoy reading it (well, everything but the violence and gore, because that just isn’t something I like to read about). I still think the main trio—Nadya, Serefin and Malachiasz—are incredibly well-written and interesting characters and I certainly want to see how their story ends, so what I can say for sure is that I want to read the last book in this trilogy. I’ll have to think a bit more on the rest.

The first book in the series didn’t really book me, but this was an absolute set up!! I finally became interested in the characters, not just the world building (which is what I loved from book 1)

Ruthless Gods by Emily A. Duncan is great second book in the series. The ending leaves you hanging and wanting the next book asap!

I love the horror element of this book and series, as well as the villain romance, but the writing just didn’t quite capture me the way I was hoping it would. I do look forward to reading the final novel in this series.

This was a fantastic sequel that builds upon Wicked Saints perfectly. A must read fantasy series for sure.

This book was AMAZING! The books and characters were completely captivating. I especially loved reading about Malachiasz’s changes, and how his power grew. The other characters reactions to their changing world was amazing.

One of my favorite scenes was after the characters had traipsed through the forest. I won’t spoil it, but this moment felt like it really brought everything together.

The introduction of new characters and settings was flawless.

I am so stoked to read the finale to this spectacular trilogy!

While I truly loved the darkly devious world and how much deeper I felt connected to it as a reader the characters just didn’t draw me in as much in this sequel. It felt much harder to get through this one compared to the first, less exciting. It just felt very different than Wicked Saints.

I made a few attempts to read this book but I just couldn't connect with it at all. I didn't super love the first book and there wasn't anything in this one to elevate my interest above and beyond what I read before. It just feels super try hard-y and there's no sense in writing a full review about a book that just fundamentally wasn't something I enjoyed. Review not posted anywhere else.

I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Man was I super excited when I got approved for this book. I hadn’t read Wicked Saints yet but I had been planning on it. Actually, I tried to listen to the audiobook but I couldn’t stand one of the narrators so I decided to wait till I had time to read the physical book. The storyline of Wicked Saints really interested me and from the little, I listened to I knew I would like it.

Ruthless Gods is the second book of the trilogy Something Dark and Holy. After the crazy that happened in Wicked Saints, we now get more insight into what in the world is going on. Nadya has grown so much since the first book and now feels lost since she can’t hear the voices of the gods anymore. Serefin finds out truths that have been hidden from him since he was a little boy. He also learns more about himself and the power that he possesses. Malachiasz might have messed up badly, and I mean badly, in the first book, but we get to know him more and his history in this book. Although they were separated for a while, there were some great times of them altogether.

This go-round I had to listen to the audiobook. I didn’t have time to read the physical copy so I went ahead and trudged through it. And honestly, I didn’t like this one nearly as much as I did the first book. It might have been because of one of the narrators, but I wasn’t as invested in the characters this go-round. I think Duncan is a great writer. But I don’t think I will be reading the last book in the series.

I loved the first book (Wicked Saints) but I ended up loving this one even more! The story really came together in this second book. I was on the edge of my seat especially towards the end. I highly recommend this especially for fantasy readers.

My Thoughts:

- Duncan expands the world from the first book, making it bigger, more dangerous, and really putting the “dark” in dark fantasy. Dark is my thing, and this book definitely delivered on that aspect. If you’re looking for something dark and devious, with unapologetically horrible characters (and I mean that in the best of ways), this really scratches that itch. The thing I loved the most about this was a deeper exploration of the gods and creatures in this world and the way they’re not quite what you’d expect. I feel like, as a society, we tend to really glorify gods, so it’s such a shock to find that the gods may have a dark side. It’s not exactly a stretch, but I really love the exploration of this in the book.

- In a lot of ways, this book is half Serefin’s, and his arc is just glorious. In this book, he has a lot to work out … and the collapse of his monarchy is really the least of his worries at this point (though, rest assured, it still is a worry). Serefin was every bit as entertaining as he was in Wicked Saints, but I feel like this book really delved into his character with a new depth. He’s got a lot going on, none of which I can actually say without spoilers. Needless to say, it’s complicated, and I enjoyed that. There was a lot of inner turmoil for him, and I was so freaking shocked by the way his arc ended in this book.

- Speaking of Serefin … he gets his own little LGBTQ romance, and I’m so for this. I won’t say who, because spoilers, but I do think it was hinted at in the first book, so I was thrilled when this became a thing. As much as I love Serefin and totally think we should get married and rule our kingdom with a bloody iron fist … I’m all for this ship, too. Actually, I wish this romance had been the focus of the book and that it’d gotten more attention. Alas, it wasn’t to be.

- Taken on his own, I actually kind of like Malachiasz as a villain. I’m no stranger to rooting for villains or loving villains. I’m probably predisposed to it, in fact. Malachiasz is neither of those, though. What I liked about him as a villain was that he had a purpose that made sense, and he was honest about his awfulness. Okay, hear me out. I’m okay with characters being lousy people, as long as they’re honest about it. I can get behind that. There are aspects about Malachiasz that I wasn’t a fan of (particularly his relationship with Nadya), but the one thing I can appreciate, if nothing else, is that he’s consistent. I understand his actions and motives, regardless of whether or not I agree with them, which made me appreciate his character all the more. Also, while I may not appreciate his means … I kind of support his goal? Definitely interested to see where this goes in book three.

- Pelageya plays a larger role in this one, and that can be both good and bad. I confess, I’m actually really curious about Pelageya and what role she plays in everything. She clearly knows more than she lets on, and thus far, she hasn’t actively done much of anything. In this book, she provides a lot of (sometimes heavy-handed) foreshadowing, and I do love me some foreshadowing. Pelageya tends to be a bit of a mixed bag, because her cryptic way she talks can get old really quickly, and she spends pages saying something that should’ve taken three sentences and foreshadows something that you probably could’ve already guessed. I’m crossing my fingers and hoping that she has a bigger role to play in the third book, because she’s obviously … powerful? Important? I don’t know. I want her to do something other than spout unhelpful prophecies and confuse the characters, even while I do enjoy her foreshadowing from time to time.

Sticking Points:

- While I enjoyed Nadya in Wicked Saints, she was downright unbearable in this book. Which is problematic, considering she’s the main character. In this book, Nadya basically had two functions: pining over Malachiasz and his betrayals, or whining about how she’s useless. That was it. Because Nadya without her magic is apparently nothing, which was such a disheartening message, considering everything she went through in the first book. Nadya was so fierce in the first book and had so much growth, but here, she really stagnated, and instead of being a character on her own, she only existed to pine after the villain. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good villain/hero love affair dynamic, but it doesn’t work here if the “hero” has no personality outside the villain. Nadya, for reasons unknown to me, completely throws out any and all logic and ability to reason, and by the end, I didn’t even understand her thoughts and actions, to the point where I was kind of just yelling at her, hoping my words would seep into the page (okay, Kindle) and maybe do some good.

- The Nadya x Malachiasz romance is just … a dumpster fire. And let me be clear … I like dumpster fire romances. I loved it in the first book, because ill-fated lovers is totally one of my things. Here, though, it’s a dumpster fire in a bad way. First, I’m not buying the romance at this point. There is literally no reason for them to be together, and the book does nothing to convince me of their feelings for each other. It’s basically just a manifesto of all the reasons they shouldn’t be together, repeated by the characters themselves over and over … followed with, “But I love him/her.” Yeah, okay, but that’s not enough, guys. The entire basis of Nadya and Malachiasz’s relationship is betrayal, from the first book, and the biggest problem is that the theme extends into this book, so how can I possibly buy into a romance where both parties are planning on stabbing each other in the back?! The entire romance in this book boils down to each character using the other as a means to an end, while feeling tortured about it, and I just wasn’t feeling this dynamic.

- In my opinion, you can’t have two books in a row where the big “plot twists” are based on betrayal, because it just cheapens it the second time. Especially when the characters spend the entire book talking about how they’re going to betray each other. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good betrayal. I found it super effective in the first book, even though I low-key expected it, because hey, I want to hope for the best in people and that they can change. So I was fine with that. In this book, though? It just wasn’t working for me. From almost page one of this book (so it’s really not a spoiler), the characters talk about their motivations and what they’ll do for their people and what their end game is, going so far as to blatantly tell other characters … who then act surprised when they do it? This is a dynamic that I just couldn’t get behind. You can’t whine about someone’s betrayal when they’ve been telling you from day one what they intended to do! That’s your bad, not theirs. Certainly not when you intended to do the same and are just mad that they beat you to it and did it better, despite them telling you their intentions and you lying to them the entire time.

This book was hard to finish even as I enjoyed what I was reading. It has all the elements of things I enjoy, weird magic that deals with blood and saints and heretics, the epic journey, the calling of destiny, and the villain who might be a hero but is mainly still a villain. The thing that sucks about a second book is that as a rule it has to leave things unresolved so that the threads can be picked up in the third. So as this book ends I am left with many questions and concerns that hopefully will be answered in the last book. This book was enjoyable but also a struggle because there was So Much despair and betrayal and weird eyes. It was turned up to 11 in both a good and a bad way. Can’t wait to read the last book in the series but I am unlikely to reread them.

As much as I loved Wicked Saints (easily a 5 star read) this one just didn't do it for me. I liked the overall idea of where the story was taken but something just felt like it was missing. Ruthless Gods was much slower in terms of pacing compared to Wicked Saints which didn't hell keep my interest. It took me a long time to finish tbis book simply because it didn't have that something extra to being me back for more.

Ruthless Gods is one apt title. It’s not one of those titles where you find it in the characters mouth in an attempt to be clever when it’s anything but. It truly describes the nature of religion in the world Duncan creates. Wicked Gods was a bit much. But while it was dark, it was interesting. The world building was vivid. Ruthless Gods amps the volume, exponentially. The level of gore is cringeworthy. The tone is somber. The creep level has to be taken in doses. Honestly, is the kind of book I try to avoid. I’ve gotten to a point where I don’t like my literature to weigh me down at night. I like to visit other worlds, I hate it when the stories attempt invasion.

Unfortunately for me, RG does just that. If you’re as sensitive and empathetic as I am, I don’t suggest this one. If you love feeling your skin crawl, pick this one up. It is rife with vivid imagery. At times, the images read as a bit convoluted, the symbolism is hollow and the romance is unhealthy, but it’s genre fiction not poetry or high literature, so I don’t mind. I enjoyed Twilight and Fifty Shades of Gray. Did I notice the Bella was always chagrined and Anastasia was neurotically obsessed with her inner goddess, yes, but their ineptitude with utilizing synonyms did not take away from the story.

Honestly, the clunky narrative voice made the story easier for me to breeze through. A story this dark on the surface doesn’t have room for layers. It doesn’t even have room for true romance if you ask me. That being said, will Malachiasz and Nadya inspire rabid fans or clandestine purchases reminiscent of unmarked, illicit packages of old ...no, it’s not likely. The characters are, however, engaging and complex and worthy of individual adventures not just romantic entanglements. For that, I have to say, well done. Not every female protagonist in YA needs an all-consuming love interest. That cliche is far more trite than the Duncan’s metaphors. It is the tension between authorial intent and reader response that must always exist.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing the ARC.

I dont know how to rate this book. I got it on netgalley. And it might be something to do with me knowing its an arc, because I want wait to read it again once I have my physical copy before I give my full opinion on it and my rating.

All I remember feeling is these abrupt cuts between locations and not knowing where we were and how long had passed since the last scene. I chose to think of that as part of it not being finished yet. But it did color some of my enjoyment of the story.

The other big thing was I disliked Nadya's childhood friend and how all that was handled. I get that the character felt lots about him, but I didn't. And I completely wrote him off based on how he was acting. That's probably not something that will get fixed on the final copy. I'm not sure what it says about the book. Possibly that if it was written into give me, the reader some emotional investment, it didn't work. But that's kind of a me thing. Just wanted to mention it.

Like I said, I want to read it again and see if my feelings on the book will clear up. I'm by no means put off by it and will definitely read book three, once the world calms down and lets me access books again.

This was even better than the first book! The pacing was excellent and the story kept me hooked the entire time. The characters are fantastic, and I fell even more in love with them.

I really tried with this book. I started it, stopped it, tried again and again. But I never made it past the middle of the book. The fast=paced excitement of the first book just wasn't here, and I felt like it was just muddling along, covering a lot of the same territory. I think this series just isn't for me.