Our Dark Duet

fc ♡

Kate would probably say that she was the stubborn and he was the hope, and he didn’t know if she’d be right, but he held on to that idea—to hope—

Two tears escaped down Kate’s face, but before August could reach out, she was scrubbing them away.

He took a careful step toward Kate, and when she didn’t pull away, he wrapped his arms around her. She didn’t soften against him but held on tight. 

“She’s my shadow,” said Kate, pressing her face into his collar.

And when she spoke again, the words were so quiet, a human would never have heard them.

For months, he’d imagined showing her this view. In his mind, Kate sat beside him, shoulder to shoulder on the sun-warmed stone, and they looked out at the city. In his mind, the war was over, and there was no North and South, no monster and human, only Verity, and a blanket of stars shining through the dark.

Everyone was made of sounds, and August had learned hers the first day they met.

he found Kate staring at him—or at least, at his warped reflection—studying him as if she could see the blood he’d scrubbed from his skin. “What?” 

“I’m just trying to figure out what happened to you.” 

 “What am I missing? Where did you go?”

 “No, you’re not. I don’t know who this is, but the August I knew—” 

 She twisted toward him. “Bullshit,” she snapped.

But she didn’t. Even pitched low, her voice had a way of filling the narrow space

“You’re not going to shadow me all day, are you?” she asked. “I’m already persona non grata, and I doubt I’ll earn any points by traveling with a bodyguard, especially a Sunai.” 

“Great, so just point me in the right direction. I promise not to run off or get in any fights—” 

“Okay, I promise not to start any fights—”

“This is a bad idea,” called August. He was down on one knee, trying to reattach the doorknob to his bedroom door while Kate finished dressing on the other side.

 “So you’ve said,” she called back. “Three times.” 

She rapped her knuckles on the wood—the signal that he could enter. August straightened and nudged the door open.

She gestured down at the fatigues. “How do I look?” 

The uniform suited her more than it had ever suited him. But it wasn’t just the clothes, it was the way she wore them. Commanding. Kate Harker had always had a kind of presence, and seeing her like this, it made him think of that game she played, imagining a different version of her life, herself. For a second he glimpsed the version where she’d stayed. 

 He couldn’t lie. He didn’t need to. “You look like you belong.”

 Kate flicked him a smile and sank onto his bed to lace up her boots. 

“But why would you even want to join the FTF?” 

“Oh, I don’t,” said Kate briskly, “but if I stay in this apartment, I’m going to lose my mind, and that wouldn’t be much good to anyone now, would it?” 

 “So help me God if you say bad idea.” 

“You’re Callum Harker’s daughter.” 

“Half the FTF would probably like to see you hanged.” 

August came charging into the kitchen, holding the doorknob she’d removed. His black hair was still wet, and his shirt was open, revealing a lean body newly corded with muscle. “Was this necessary?”

 “Sorry.” She shrugged. “I’ve never been a fan of locks.”

 August actually scowled—or what passed for scowling with him, a deep crease between his eyebrows.

Anna 

Kate Harkerová se nebojí tmy. Je to dívka, která loví a ničí monstra.
 August Flynn je nestvůrou, která má v téhle hře zahrát svou roli. A zahraje ji – za jakoukoli cenu.
 Téměř šest měsíců poté, co se Kate a August poprvé setkali, se válka mezi monstry a lidmi stala realitou.
August se stal vůdcem ve Verity, i když po této pozici nikdy netoužil, a Kate se živí jako lovkyně nestvůr v Prosperity.
Ale pak se ze stínů vynoří nová příšera, která se živí chaosem, a Kate se musí vrátit do hlavního města, aby čelila jak monstru, tak i démonovi ve svém nitru.
.
Pokračování dokonalé Divoké písně mě zezačátku místy nudilo. A hrozně jsem se bála toho, že druhý díl úplně zkazí ten první, krásně rozjetý. Pořád jsem nevěděla, jestli tomu mám dát čtyři nebo pět hvězdiček, ale kniha se přeci jen rozjela a byla stejně dobrá jako první díl.
Konec knihy mě úplně zničil, ale na druhou stranu jsem se konečně pevně rozhodla, kolik této knize dám hvězdiček.
5*/5*

Nova

...to my friends who read this book: y'all live like this?

okay do not tell me it ends just like that. victoria wants me so suffer or something? this is particularly victimizing me and i am asking a refund on the tears i shed. truly didn't know i could feel so much... so many unexpected and expected deaths and yet they both still succeeded in punching me in the stomach. i didn't give 5 stars because maybe it's just my situation personally but it just didn't grapple me as much as i'd like. still enjoyed it a lot, including the pain. it's fine. i am a changed person and it's okay.

also props to victoria for inserting a nonbinary rep, i almost choked on happy tears when soro was introduced lol

Selin Igten

this book was terrible, absolutely terrible. i don’t even know what to say...
i had to force myself to finish it. reading this felt like a chore. 

nothing in this book made sense like absolutely nothing. 3 major characters died in the last 5 pages? THEY JUST DIED? 

it just doesn’t make sense. i’ve never rated a book lower than 3 stars before but holy shit this was terrible.

please don’t read this ever it’s so bad

shru

i didn't like this is much as i wanted to? also book 1 is way better, i love that one

Vivi

3.5

Este libro dejó caer las altas expectativas que traía del primero. Al final, lo único que siento es una combinación entre decepción y vacío.

Los libros de Verity consiguieron atraparme con una trama y un mundo que me pareció excelente, pero que siempre tuvo fallas en algunas partes. Aún así, seguí leyendo, porque el primero me encantó muchísimo y no podía esperar a saber cómo terminaba todo.

Pero este comenzó introduciendo personajes irrelevantes que, para mí, le quitaron solidez a la historia. A pesar de presentarnos todo un entorno nuevo y distinto al que ya conocíamos, me decepcionó un poco que no se hablará más de este. Al final, fue solo una habitación de paso que se olvidó muy rápido.

A los personajes principales, Kate y August, los seguí amando tanto como antes (incluso tal vez un poco más), porque la fuerza y el desarrollo que consiguieron me encantó. 

No puedo negar que me siento disconforme con el final de cierto personaje importante, pero agradezco la coherencia de la autora ante los sucesos que le estaban ocurriendo, que la llevaron al final más acertado.

Esta duología, a pesar de ser ficticia y pura ciencia ficción, acierta muy bien con respecto a algunos valores morales de la sociedad y sus integrantes, lo cual hace que aún con los bajones que percibí en este último libro, fuera interesante de leer.

menna

excuse me while I go cry somewhere over that ending

i really don't know if this makes sense but this was was one of those books that make me go holy shit i love reading every time i picked it up, it kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. I love love love these kinds of books and this one was no different. victoria schwab is slowly making her way to being one of my favorite authors of all time!

mercy

only cared about august and wanted more ilsa

dija

*Throws the book* 
*Screams* 
*Falls apart* 
*Cries* 
*sobs* 
*wails*
*Picks up the book and hugs it, forever*

** spoiler alert **
           I really expected to love this, given that "This Savage Song" was simply amazing. Sadly, this book didn't do anything for me. The plot was weird. I didn't get the sudden change of character in August. And also, sacrificing Kate for his character growth? Not a godd idea. At all.

Jasmine

4.5 Stars

  “I don’t know,” she said, meeting his gaze, “but I’ll be damned if I let it kill me. You might not want to fight your monsters, August. But I’m fighting mine.”

Well, that unexpectantly ripped out my heart! I'm so gutted don't think I will be recovering anytime soon! WOW WOW does the dark atmosphere ever set the entire tone for this series, it's stunning!! What a phenomenal duology the internal conflict August and Kate went through individually in this book made for a really interesting read. This book pulled zero punches pretty much like how the city of Verity is; dark and unforgiving. I loved the direction this book took even if it did put my emotions through all kinds of living hell, especially with that ending. Our Dark Duet did an absolutely great job of building on an already fantastic storyline and then upping the intensity. It did start slower in the beginning but ramped up like crazy at the end. Completely blown away by this book!

tina

second read: aug. 8, 2019

im a literal clown for thinking this book wouldnt hurt me as much as it did the first time around. at some point, i actually had to put down the book to get my shit together bc i couldnt stop sobbing. every line and paragraph in the elegy made me fucking cry like a baby. P A I N LIT RALLY PAIN. i hate this So Much im still crying bye 

first read: nov. 23, 2017

  “I know it hurts,” she said. “So make it worth the pain.”  

I take back what I said. You can go wrong with a VE SCHWAB book. But not in the way that you’re thinking. 

Why did I even think that this book wouldn’t hurt? Wouldn’t leave me in a crumpled state? Why did I even think that after reading this book, I’ll immediately be on the road to recovery? I’m stuck on a fucking detour. This is like The Hero of Ages all over again, but SADDER. 

  “Mourning was its own kind of music— the sound of so many hearts, of so many breaths, of so many standing together.”  

Before I lose my shit, let me just talk about how beautiful this book is. 

This Savage Song and Our Dark Duet are completely different from each other. It’s astonishing to know that they’re even in the same duology. It’s like flipping the coin and seeing an utterly different side to it. ODD is darker, more brutal, and more gruesome— both in the storyline aspect and the emotional toll that it takes on the readers. IT IS SO GOOD! I don’t even know how to start. There’s just too much to say. There were a lot of things that happened and it was fast-paced. There’s a creepier vibe to the book compared to TSS. The storyline was so gripping, I couldn’t stop reading. And when I did have to stop reading, I constantly thought about it. (I couldn’t concentrate in my classes because I kept thinking about going home and reading ODD). The writing was so good, and so engrossing. The characters, THE CHARACTERS, they were phenomenal!!!!! I just love each of their developments so much! And the fact that Victoria managed to do this in just a span of two books is amazing! Characterization was incredible in this book and it was everything I never knew I needed. I do understand that the story completely focuses on our two main characters, that’s why it was a bit difficult to feel attached to the other characters. But the development of August and Kate’s characters is something that I really really appreciate. It’s one of the best character developments that I’ve ever read about. 

This was such a perfect conclusion to August and Kate’s story (eventhough it ended that way). But I do hope that Victoria is going to create a spin-off series or even just a book set in this world because I know there’s a lot more to it. We only got to see Verity and a little bit of Prosperity and the Wastes. That’s only the tip of the iceberg so I hope we’ll get to dive in deeper to some more. 

That ending hurt, A LOT, but I can’t see it going any other way. Somehow, I knew it was going to happen one way or another. But that doesn’t make it any less sadder :(

  “I didn't stop fighting," he said, the words so low he worried Kate wouldn't hear them, but she did. "I just got tired of losing. It's easier this way."

"Of course it's easier," said Kate. "that doesn't mean it's right.”  

Now let me lose my shit. 

SPOILERS AHEAD!!
(view spoiler)[
He didn’t want it— didn’t want anything except to give it back, to hold her together the way she’d held him. But he couldn’t. He didn’t know how. He closed his eyes as the light of Kate’s soul flowed through him, strong and bright.

 “I don’t know,” he whispered. “I don’t know if the souls stay with me. But I hope they do.” 

There was no answer.

August opened his eyes. “Kate?”

But the room was dark and quiet, and she was gone. 

— i’m crying as i’m typing this...

What the fuck. What the fuck. *nonstop sobbing* <— that was my first reaction.

After some time —> What a beautiful and perfect death scene. That’s such a weird thing to say but when it comes to main character deaths, sometimes it’s too messy or confusing, sometimes it doesn’t make sense, or sometimes it doesn’t give justice to what the character has done. My point is main character deaths can be shown or written poorly, but this one wasn’t. 

This is the saddest book I’ve read this year, next to The Hero of Ages (but ODD is definitely sadder). Kate’s death killed me and I honestly don’t know how I’ll be able to move on. Every (sad) song that I’d listen to would remind me of August and Kate even though the lyrics don’t have any correlation to their story. I still get teary-eyed whenever I think about THAT scene. Send help, mates!!!! 
 (hide spoiler)]
I’m actually more scared to read A Conjuring of Light now that I know that Victoria is willing to end a story like that ajsdmsjdjsjsjss. 

Our Dark Duet is such an impressive finale to a two-book series. It was so sad but it also left me with a sense of hope. The Monsters of Verity duology has definitely made it’s way easily to my top favorites list. I’m still crying, btw.

  “I’m willing to walk in darkness if it keeps humans in the light.”  

11/23/2017
WHAT THE FUCK THIS IS NOT WHAT I SIGNED UP FOR AMSJAJSJSJSNSNSNNS

Izza

4.5 stars | Perfect ending to an amazing series, even if it killed me.

Didi Chanoch

Being the second half of a duology, I won't say anything about plot.

The second half of the Monsters of Verity duology didn't quite stick the landing for me. While I gobbled the first one, Our Savage Song, in no time, this one took a while, with some false starts. 

This is not to say it isn't a very good book. Schwab's skill level is extremely high, so even a lesser book from her is a very strong effort.

Leonor Ribeiro 

While I did enjoy this book it just needed a little more umph. I liked the story and I liked the plot but I just wanted more. More connection, more reason, more excitement. Still liked August the most but Kate was more enjoyable in this book. I will say I’m excited to read some more of her more recent stuff to see how she’s grown. 

Laura Wilson

Such a big let down. I am so disappointed with how things turned to the worst. The first book was good and I liked it but this truly shattered me. I was not expecting any romance from it but God, I cried at end so much. The ending was devastating. 

Fumi Calafateanu

Laura Kehoe

Gisela Ayala 

So amazing but I'M SO UPSET IT'S OVER?! 

List form because I can't even handle complete paragraphs right now. 

- Sunai are so freaking cool and Ilsa is a cute little cinnamon roll and I'm just going to go lay down and cry right now.
- I love August's growth as a character. I like bad ass August as much as I love cute shy August. I just love August... 
- (view spoiler)[ That moment between Kate and August... ugh my heart hurts. <3 (hide spoiler)]
- Seriously, everyone just listen to Kate... she's usually right. 
- Ugh Kate, I love you!!!
- So many brilliant quotes about humanity. 
- This world was unbelievable (in a good way). Victoria Schwab is amazing at word building. 
- I'm content with the ending, but I'll never get over it. NEVER. *rolls over and cries some more*

Demi

4.5/5

Wow oh wow this book was such a perfect ending to this duoligy. I absolutely loved jumping back into this world and following along with our two main characters Kate and August. I really enjoyed how each of their characters grew and were developed in this book and I think that as always, Victoria Schwab did such an incredible job of giving us so many amazing side characters and developing them all so well. Every aspect of this book was so well written and I loved how the plot progressed. Now I will say, I was absolutely SHOCKED by the ending we got. I think it was the absolute perfect ending this duoligy could ever have but at the same time I’m just so shocked that it’s the ending we got. I really have to give credit where it’s needed because this book was a beautiful masterpiece.

Annwyn Jensen

3.5 stars. I was down for a... different... ending. I’m not completely satisfied in a way that I had hoped. It was still good I guess.

Kailey Rios

started off the year with a reading slump so it took me almost a full month to finish this book but i finally did it.

the writing in this was just as good, if not better, than the first one. 

i do wish the pacing was a little better, it felt like very little happened in the first 300 pages or so. things definitely picked up towards the end, i just wish more of the book had been like that.

the end tore my heart out so i’m just going to pretend it didn’t happened okay thanks.


  4.25 stars

Dee B. 

Ilsa, August, Kate. So much hurt endured by these three characters. 

I had been waiting patiently for this one, anxious to see what August and Kate get up to next, and I was not disappointed. August changed, due to necessity, but this change made him harder. Less the August I knew and loved, but still loveable. 

Kate changed too, but her change made me sad. She closed off even more than she was before. Yes, she let in the Wardens, but to a very little degree. Her reunion with August was the moment that I was waiting on, the moment that would give her the strength to fight off her demons and feel again. And it was beautiful.

Soro. I have no idea what to make of them. They have a single minded focus defined by being Sunai and nothing more. I could admire that even if that could make them dangerous. 

I liked this story because it (view spoiler)[wasn't the typical HEA where our heroine and hero save the world and collapse into each other's arms, confessing their eternal love. There was no romantic bliss and perfect happiness for anyone. August lost the two most important people to him but Verity was on the road to repair. (hide spoiler)] The ending worked for the story.

althea

4.5 
Miss author please pay for my therapy bills, my soul has been torn and smashed in pieces. I spent the last 30 mins crying over the ending.
I already miss kate and august so much

Our Dark Duet

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