<b>OH. MY. GOD.</b>

Where do I begin?!

If you follow me on Bookstagram (@skyeslibrary), then you know <i>Something Dark and Holy</i> is my favorite series. I’ve dedicated many posts to expressing how much I love it and why. So, it isn’t a surprise to anyone that <i>Blessed Monsters</i> was my most anticipated read of 2021. I’m not going to lie, though — I was nervous. I just didn’t know how Emily could give these beautiful characters the endings they deserve without completely ripping my heart out. HOW COULD I HAVE EVER DOUBTED HER?!

This series ending is truly EVERYTHING I could have asked for!

<b><u>The Summary</b></u>
<i>includes minor spoilers for Ruthless Gods</i>

We pick up a few weeks following the ending of Ruthless Gods. Our characters are split up all over the place. Serefin and Nadya are plagued by their regrets and grief. Malachiasz is a whirling ball of chaos trying to grasp onto the little bit of humanity he still has. And the others are somewhere in between all of it.

One thing that’s absolutely certain is what they did on the mountaintop has had MASSIVE repercussions. The eldritch gods that were locked away for ages have been freed and are ready to strike — ready to consume the world and cover it in everlasting darkness. It’s only a matter of time (<i>and not a lot of time</i>) before they overtake the world.

And who is the one that gets to remind our motley crew how badly they’ve screwed up and what they need to do in an attempt to save the world? Our resident salty witch, Pelageya, of course!

The question is: can these monstrous characters who’ve so brutally betrayed each other at every opportunity come together to save the world and redeem themselves?

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<b><u> The Characters </b></u>

Ever character — main and secondary — experiences significant growth. We get to journey with each of them as they dig deep to recognize who they truly are and who they want to be. Each has to FIGHT to bring about the change they want to see in themselves and in their world.

I’ve always loved the inclusion of a polytheistic religion in this series, and <b>Nadya</b>’s spiritual journey has been such a constant theme weaved throughout <i>Something Dark and Holy</i>. Even after everything they’ve put her through, she still wants to hope in her gods. But can she exist as she is — with her inner darkness breaking through the surface — and still keep her faith? Can <i>she</i> accept who she truly is and own her power, or will she continue to tamp it down and pretend to be less than she was born to be?

<b>Malachiasz</b> has always been our lovable, anxiety-ridden, monster boy that just wants to create peace for his country and its people (<i>he also wants to possess all the magic he can — that doesn’t change</i>). But now that he’s in the grasp of a malevolent god after being so thoroughly betrayed by the only people he has ever loved, will he succumb to the darkness that is waiting with open arms? Or will he be strong enough to overcome it and sacrifice what he must in an attempt to save the world and make it better than it’s ever been?

<b>Serefin</b> never thought he’d make it off the battlefields to claim his rightful throne. He has gladly accepted his reputation as drunkard, soldier prince. Now that he is a gods-touched boy that wears the Tranavian crown, can he grow up and bring about the peace his people so desperately need?

I would never forget our amazing supporting cast! We get so much of Parj, Rashid, Katya, Anna, Kacper, Ostyia, and a Vulture or two. This is one of the best ensembles I’ve ever read, and I can’t get enough of them!

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<b><u>The Review</b></u>

As always, Emily does an incredible job getting us into the headspace of each of the characters. We feel their pains, their doubts, their hopes, their fears — everything they feel, we experience right along with them.

Emily’s writing is so beautiful. This chaotic, mad, macabre, gothic world comes to life so easily thanks to her world-building. She stays true to it from start to finish. This world is fleshed out thoroughly, and she builds on the solid foundation she laid in the first two books.

I am obsessed with the different magic systems within this series, and I love that we get to see even more of that in this one: blood magic (<i>my personal fave</i>), divine magic, healing magic…ALL the magic! And it doesn’t hurt that my love, Malachiasz, is a such curious magic monster! I love his desire to break down and analyze every piece of magic he encounters so he can understand how it works. He continuously wants to push the boundaries of what exists in order to move his country forward.

The relationships just get better and better! I was all-in from the moment I read <i>Wicked Saints</i> because the relationship dynamics are SO GOOD. <i>Ruthless Gods</i> explored that theme even more. And <i>Blessed Monsters</i> takes it to another level by increasing the amount of relationship content we get. Emily is a master at exploring individual relationships as well as weaving them all together as a collective.

<u>Topics you can find in <i>Blessed Monsters</i> that make it AMAZING:</u>
- friendship in the midst of betrayal
- love at the end of the world
- hesitant brotherly bonding
- forgiveness
- self-acceptance
- riddles
- international relations
- queer representation
- magic
- cults
- transportation huts

<u>If you have a weak stomach, be warned this book includes massive amounts of:</u>
- blood
- gore
- mutilation
- cannibalism
- eyeballs
- spiders
- death

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I highly recommend this series, and I can’t gush about it enough. It really is my favorite! If you are reading this before April 6, 2021, please preorder <i>Blessed Monsters</i>. If you are reading after April 6, 2021, please go buy it immediately! If you already own it, share it with everyone you know!

Thank you so much to Emily A. Duncan for writing this beautiful, messy, bloody, series! We are undeserving, and I don’t think I’ll recover anytime soon, but I don’t really want to!

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<i>Thanks to Wednesday Books and D.J. DeSmyter for providing me with a digital ARC of this book to read and review prior to publication date! You made my dreams come true.</i>

Thank you for this early copy to read!

This was one of my most coveted reads this year! I couldn’t wait to finish this series and see what happened to this band of monster characters. This was an involved read and parts of it I had trouble visualizing. I think I would have been better off rereading the first two because I had forgotten a lot of the world details. Because of this some aspects were confusing. I felt the pacing was pretty good through out though some parts (esp in the middle section) dragged a little. I loved M and N and was so happy to read their conclusion. Overall I enjoyed these books and really loved the cast of characters

I received a copy through NetGalley for review.

So firstly let me say that I absolutely adore this series. Upon finishing it, my heart is so full and I love all these incredibly flawed, characters so very much.

Rashid and Kacper were my shining stars, along with Serefin's defeatist humor.
Nadya finally reaching a breaking point and wearing in multiple languages, also a highlight.
Parijahan finally opening up, and embracing her true nature, and revealing her secrets.
Malachiaz is well, always himself even while he's a roiling ball of chaos.

There were four. There always needed to be four to bind the horrors into the earth and contain them for another cycle. The girl, the monster, the prince, the queen. All are needed, all are requires and all have a decision to make.

Meanwhile a god of entropy is about to get his wish, and devour all. If all our players can't figure out what exactly they are supposed to be doing.

Then there's Pelageya who actually has all the answers, but can't seem to remember to tell everyone the important stuff. I really hope Malachiasz figures out that transportation spell someday.

I thoroughly enjoyed this series so much.

This book was received as an ARC from St. Martin's Press - Wednesday Books in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

I could not be more happy than to read Blessed Monsters because it is not like any other Fantasy books I have read before. The concept was so different that it was just pure brilliance and all of the monsters I can relate at least one characteristic to. The story line was so invigoratingly intoxicating that I just wanted to finish all 548 pages in one sitting. Our teen book club will be so excited for this book and they will definitely have a few words to say and I can't wait to share this book with them.

We will consider adding this title to our YA collection at our library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.

4.5/5 stars

I love how the author ended this series, but I couldn’t get over the repetition of words at points. I’m hoping the final copy has the word “entropy” at least a dozen less times.

Other than that, I loved it. These kids never listen to anyone and they’re disastrous and I had such fun with them! It was a wonderful end to a trilogy I have loved.

Emily A. Duncan does an excellent job tying up a well-crafted and well thought out series. It has stayed true to itself all the way into the final book. I recommend this book, plus the series if you have never read it. What a ending!

This is one of those rare books that I've been impatiently waiting for but at the same time I did NOT want this series to end. Despite the fact that I am always drawn to dark stories, I was not prepared for Blessed Monsters, mostly because Emily A. Duncan is a brilliant, evil, genius and I need everything she ever writes.

I loved it! It destroyed me! I want more, especially more Malachiasz and Nadya. Blessed Monsters is very dark, with more gods, more monsters, more blood and more eyeballs. Malachiasz will always and forever be my favorite, but I really enjoyed watching Serefin and Nadya grow closer, and getting to know more about the other characters, especially Parijahan.

The final book in this trilogy was everything I wanted and more, because I like the darkness, and I was never going to get enough of Malachiasz and Nadya together. Love this book, love the whole trilogy!

It's so hard to describe this very weird book! It's filled with monsters, gods, magic, friends, royalty, love, and blood. So much blood. Blood everywhere. Blood and eyeballs. I think Emily Duncan honestly needed a fourth book, because she clearly knows everything about Serefin, Nadya, and Malachiasz, but that in-depthness comes at the price of not knowing the other characters, or really the world around it.

I'd be very interested in seeing what she comes up with next.

Blessed Monsters was the ending I was hoping for the Something Dark and Holy trilogy. I fell in love with Wicked Saints and a world full of monsters and clerics and gods and magic as soon as I started reading it, and even though Ruthless Gods tore me apart I enjoyed every moment of it. This finale left me wanting more yet feeling satisfied at the same time. Secrets unveiled and mysteries solved. It was beautifully haunting and dark in the best possible way. The dynamic between the characters is amazing and I found myself falling in love with them even more. I’m going to miss them and this series so much (Malachiasz especially). I was at the edge of my seat the whole time - a great start to 2021!

Ruthless Gods was one of my favorite reads of 2020. I am currently in consultations for a moth tattoo. My friend made me a custom mug with all the characters on it for my birthday. I have Wicked Saints and Ruthless Gods earrings. Needless to say, I love this series and I cannot believe it’s over.

Malachaisz is my favorite character. My brooding, emo, evil, sweet baby… Which is why I definitely expected Blessed Monsters to be my favorite book of the series, but it wasn’t. Compared to Ruthless Gods, I felt the book left me a little wanting. But, I still enjoyed it immensely and I think Emily did a great job bringing the book to a fitting conclusion. I think ultimately, in my soul, I was hoping for a little bit more Nadya + Malachaisz than I ultimately got, which makes sense since half the book at least one of them assumes the other is dead.

Serefin and Nadya’s relationship really gutted me in this book though in a way it didn’t really in the previous. Their friendship, based so much on hurt and betrayal as well, grows into such a wholesome sister/brother relationship. It makes my soul hurt in a happy way.

The final battle scene is kind of skipped in the climax of the story, which left me a little reeling and confusion. The action in this book just felt lacking. But, the reason I love this series isn’t necessarily for epic physical battles. The mental turmoil and battles each of these characters faces is the real story.

Ultimately, it was a four star read for me. I think it was a fitting conclusion to the series, but I found it a little less engaging than the previous novels in the series. Still getting that moth tattoo.

Malachiasz gets called a boy in this book way too many times (72). It's bad and someone should have edited that down.