Name: Hannah Bateman's review of Our Dark Duet by V.E. Schwab
Item: Our Dark Duet
Rating: 4.5
Author: Hannah Bateman

V.E. Schwab

The sequel - and conclusion - to Victoria Schwab's instant #1 New York Times bestseller, This Savage Song. Kate Harker is a girl who isn't afraid of the dark. She's a girl who hunts monsters. And she's good at it. August Flynn is a monster who can never be human. No matter how much he once yearned for it. He has a part to play. And he will play it, no matter the cost. Nearly six months after Kate and August were first thrown together, the war between the monsters and the humans is a terrifying reality. In Verity, August has become the leader he never wished to be, and in Prosperity, Kate has become the ruthless hunter she knew she could be. When a new monster emerges from the shadows - one who feeds on chaos and brings out its victim's inner demons - it lures Kate home, where she finds more than she bargained for. She'll face a monster she thought she killed, a boy she thought she knew, and a demon all her own.

Our Dark Duet

Emma letkeman

Because she knew a secret: there were two kinds of monsters, the kind that hunted the streets and the kind that lived in your head. She could fight the first, but the second was more dangerous. It was always, always, always a step ahead.

Kate Harker is a girl who isn't afraid of the dark. She's a girl who hunts monsters. And she's good at it. August Flynn is a monster who can never be human, no matter how much he once yearned for it. He's a monster with a part to play. And he will play it, no matter the cost. Nearly six months after Kate and August were first thrown together, the war between the monsters and the humans is terrifying reality. In Verity, August has become the leader he never wished to be, and in Prosperity, Kate has become the ruthless hunter she knew she could be. When a new monster emerges from the shadows one who feeds on chaos and brings out its victim's inner demons it lures Kate home, where she finds more than she bargained for.

Deep down, most people didn't want to make decisions. They liked the illusion of co trol, without the consequences. 

Iara Figueira

Hannah Bateman

The sequel—and conclusion—to Victoria Schwab’s instant #1 New York Times bestseller, This Savage Song. Kate Harker is a girl who isn’t afraid of the dark. She’s a girl who hunts monsters. And she’s good at it. August Flynn is a monster who can never be human. No matter how much he once yearned for it. He has a part to play. And he will play it, no matter the cost. Nearly six months after Kate and August were first thrown together, the war between the monsters and the humans is a terrifying reality. In Verity, August has become the leader he never wished to be, and in Prosperity, Kate has become the ruthless hunter she knew she could be. When a new monster emerges from the shadows—one who feeds on chaos and brings out its victim’s inner demons—it lures Kate home, where she finds more than she bargained for. She’ll face a monster she thought she killed, a boy she thought she knew, and a demon all her own. A gorgeously written dark fantasy from New York Times-bestselling author Victoria Schwab, and one to hand to fans of Holly Black, Laini Taylor, and Maggie Stiefvater.

Date read:
 October 8-October 11, 2019

 Actual Rating: 4.00 STARS 

I've said it before that I am not so much into Kate's character. I didn't hate her, I just didn't love her character that much. I loved tough female characters, but for me, her personality is just plain hard and stubborn and irrational some times. But what happened to her in the last part, I just really feel sad. Maybe it's inevitable. I actually think that what happened to her is the best way to give her character. I even wondered in some part of the story on how would the author decides Kate's fate. I thought it is the best conclusion for her. Because for me, she was somehow holding August back with her being a sinner. Maybe the big portion of my regret with her character is, as August said, she was the reason he was fighting to be a human even if a lot of people needed him as a monster. With her being gone, I just really feel sorry for August. I just wanted for August to be less in pain, that's all. 

All in all, I enjoyed this duology so much. A really great read from Victoria Schwab's works. I am just so excited to read more of her books.

chloe rae

Damnit. I knew this book was going to rip my heart out. I KNEW IT. All the reviews said so but I still hoped; I still believed that things could end how I saw fit. But I think that's what this book's about: hoping in spite of darkness, and that sometimes bad things happen because that's just...life.
I'm so sad. But I loved this book. This book filled all the gaps that This Savage Song left and gave me so much more. I couldn't put this down. Again, I feel like it took just a teensy bit too long for the two main characters to align but the pacing and smoothness of this novel was great.
AMAZING. SO AMAZING.

This book was a difficult read for me. The overall story and also then different points of view seemed a bit redundant ( was great for the introduction). The ending was rather sad but still feels unfinished to an extend. Overall the story was nice but could have been better.

Ksenija 

I have tear stains in my copy of this book now...I’m...wow

When I say I wasn’t expecting that ending, oh my god p a i n. This book was such a journey, I loved every single page of it! August and Kate, Ilsa, so many good characters! I honestly just love so much and that ending literally wrecked me. There’s just so much I loved about this book, this duology, I’m really glad I got round to reading it I think it’s one of my favourite series of all time now! The characters are so well done, the world building is amazing, the monsters just!

I honestly just don’t know what to say, short review bc I’m just shook and don’t know how to process that at all, I’m trying to recover from...that...*cries*

A New York Times bestseller The bestselling sequel--and conclusion--to Victoria Schwab's instant #1 New York Times bestseller This Savage Song. Kate Harker is a girl who isn't afraid of the dark. She's a girl who hunts monsters. And she's good at it. August Flynn is a monster who can never be human. No matter how much he once yearned for it. He has a part to play. And he will play it, no matter the cost. Nearly six months after Kate and August were first thrown together, the war between the monsters and the humans is a terrifying reality. In Verity, August has become the leader he never wished to be, and in Prosperity, Kate has become the ruthless hunter she knew she could be. When a new monster emerges from the shadows--one who feeds on chaos and brings out its victim's inner demons--it lures Kate home, where she finds more than she bargained for. She'll face a monster she thought she killed, a boy she thought she knew, and a demon all her own. A gorgeously written dark fantasy from New York Times-bestselling author Victoria Schwab, and one to hand to fans of Holly Black, Laini Taylor, and Maggie Stiefvater. "Explosive."--Brightly

lisa roeling 

i am broken
note to self: don't finish books in the middle of the night

grace richards

** spoiler alert **
           i am furious. i am so wholly enraged that i am going to take a walk after this to calm down. nobody told me this duology had a sad ending? nobody warned me that not only would i lose my baby isla but i would also lose KATE?!;&?! kate who had spent the whole second book fighting against the darkness?!;&,! and don’t even get me started on isla, my girl was hardly in this book apart from to open elevators and then she goes and DIES?!:&?’ when i was reading i was going to write some quirky review about kate and isla deserved more time together and how i wanted to see more of them. and i guess in some sick and twisted way i’m getting what i asked for because at least they’re TOGETJER IN DEATH. 

anyway, now i am going to consume as much fanart and edits as possible to attempt to close the gaping wound this book has left in my heart.

Livia

2nd read

Going into this book knowing how it ends, of course, I brace myself to make sure I'm prepared for the emotional roller coaster. Yet this book still made me sob like a little baby to the point where it got swollen. Overreacting much? I deserve to. This was one of the books that truly made my heart ache so bad, that I can feel the weight of it. V.E. Schwab was right when she said this book nearly killed her. I can see why. It must be tough, writing something this heartbreaking to the characters that you absolutely love and care for. 

The plot of this book is fairly simple. We follow Kate and August 6 months after the events that happened in This Savage Song. Kate is in Prosperity, hunting down a monster that roamed the city. Meanwhile, August was back in South City and had become a commander of the FTF, of a sort. One thing led to another, and Kate was being pulled back to Verity to try and save the city from a new threat looming over it. Of course, Kate and August's paths collide again and they have to work together, along with the FTF, to get rid of the shadows that grow even bigger than before.

Now, it's no secret that the duology is definitely more character-heavy than it was plot-driven. It wasn't as fast-paced nor was it overly complicated, but the way V.E. Schwab mixed both aspects and explored the complexity of human nature and monstrous acts was done so wonderfully that you can't help but contemplate. The characters were spectacular, dare I say even V.E. Schwab's best works. Kate Harker has shadows in her, and she was trying her best to fight them in herself while also accomplishing what she came back to Verity for. August Flynn was grappling once again with his role as a Sunai and his inner self, who longed to feel and be human. Their dynamic was one of my favorites ever, in any book, because it wasn't too much nor too little, and they both are what keep each other reminded of who they are and why they still cling to hope. They have hope for each other and I love seeing that.

That ending... yes it still broke me, as previously mentioned. I might need something trashy or light to read because right now, it has rendered me hollow and in denial, despite knowing already how it will end. It was hopeful, yet painful because in a city like Verity, nothing good comes freely and V.E. Schwab truly sticks with it.

---
1st read

HOW AM I SUPPOSE TO RECOVER FROM THAT ENDING

Sophia Lazari

god fucking damn it victoria schwab. you had no right. gonna go cry in a corner now. bye I think I will never recover.

I really enjoyed the first book, but unfortunately this book was cliched and full of some rather silly YA tropes. The character development was non-existent and the ending was super rushed. I really wanted to like it, but unfortunately it didn’t deliver.

Becky Carpenter

Flavia Louise

4 stars
This was a nice book but it didn't give me quite as much as the first book

Jackie Siegel

I DEVOURED this book. I needed to know what happened to August and Kate next, and the ending wasn’t what I hoped for, but it was a story that was well told and ended in a way that made sense. 

Could not recommend more, Victoria Schwab has done it again.

A New York Times bestseller The bestselling sequel—and conclusion—to Victoria Schwab’s instant #1 New York Times bestseller This Savage Song. Kate Harker is a girl who isn’t afraid of the dark. She’s a girl who hunts monsters. And she’s good at it. August Flynn is a monster who can never be human. No matter how much he once yearned for it. He has a part to play. And he will play it, no matter the cost. Nearly six months after Kate and August were first thrown together, the war between the monsters and the humans is a terrifying reality. In Verity, August has become the leader he never wished to be, and in Prosperity, Kate has become the ruthless hunter she knew she could be. When a new monster emerges from the shadows—one who feeds on chaos and brings out its victim’s inner demons—it lures Kate home, where she finds more than she bargained for. She’ll face a monster she thought she killed, a boy she thought she knew, and a demon all her own. A gorgeously written dark fantasy from New York Times–bestselling author Victoria Schwab, and one to hand to fans of Holly Black, Laini Taylor, and Maggie Stiefvater. “Explosive.”—Brightly

Sheila

Nadia Minaruto 

Loved it. I preferred the first book, but this one was still absolutely amazing and I was on the edge of my seat when I was reading it.

Rania Singla

Thank you Abi for buddy reading this with me! :)

First of all, let’s talk about the ending here.

I have seen a lot of reviews screaming about the unfortunate ending and how they will never recover etc etc etc.

Even I have to admit, I did not like the ending one bit. Why in the world would you do that to my heart? But on the other hand, I’m also not surprised.

I mean, I already sensed from the beginning that something like this was going to happen. But I did not think it would be written so perfectly that it made tears fall out of my eyes. 

I’m glad Kate and August’s relationship was developed in this book, because I was really looking forward to it and I was not let down. 

I had a lot of fun reading about Prosperity and how different it was from Verity. I loved the relationship The Wardens had. Though I would have really liked to know what happened to them in the end. I was just left hanging after that terrible ending, wondering what the heck happened.

But overall, I think I liked this more than the first book and would recommend it to everyone who is dying to know what happened after This Savage Song.

Sahi K

I mentioned in my previous review that This Savage Song was a creepy fun read and hoped the same for this book too. Ohh was I wrong!!! “Fun” is not the right word to describe this book. It’s deep, dark, violent, monstrous, horrifying and gut wrenching. Mind you, this is not a negative review. The writing is brilliant and I have to give a hats off to the author for this amazingly thought out plot. And the characters are just WOW!!!! No other words that I can think of to describe my feelings towards them.

Kate has fled to Prosperity and become a monster hunter. August has become the leader of the task force and given up his pursuit of trying to live in exchange for the protection of everyone who needs him. And there are new monsters in town – Soro is a new Sunai who doesn’t think like August but believes that all sinners deserve their punishment, irrespective of their intent, everything is just black or white; Alice a Malchai is born out of Kate’s sin and is ruthless, baiting and trying to kill August and waiting for the day when she can destroy her maker; and a new shadow monster who feeds on chaos and turns everyone into killing each other. Kate’s encounter with this Chaos Monster forces her to come back to Verity, to August. The book is full of deaths, each side killing the other, monsters and humans fighting each other and themselves and the ultimate fight that everyone is waiting for – Alice vs Kate, August vs Sloan.

I just love Kate and August. She is a warrior through and through and will fight any obstacles to defeat her enemy. August has changed, he is not the shy boy from the first book, he is a leader now, but doesn’t mean he has started to enjoy the reaping. Finally when they both meet, I realized why they should be together. Because he makes Kate think of someone other than herself, and she makes August think of himself rather than all of South City. They bring out the best of each other and I just love the implicit trust and friendship that they share. They are the pillars of this book and the character development through just two books is astounding. The ending is bittersweet, heartbreaking but still hopeful. The monsters still linger, but hopefully they can be defeated.

chloe torres

** spoiler alert **
           im sobbing
*edit:
I wrote "im sobbing" the night that I read this book because the ending absolutely broke me. This book, to me, was even better than the first. More action, characters, tension, love, development. There's more for the protagonists to fight, both within themselves and around them. Kate and August's relationship got deeper and better in this book. Kate helped bring August back to the person who cared and loved and wondered so passionately. August reminded Kate that she's not alone, that she is someone not associated to the mistakes her father has made, someone redeemable, and someone who made a mistake herself but still is worthy of life, someone who has changed. It absolutely broke me that she died, but somehow it felt fitting too. Ilsa's death was also not great for my heart. This series holds a special place within me. One of my favorite reads.

Johanna

Julianne Storms

** spoiler alert **
           So apparently I still am just a happy ending kind of girl - this didn't do it for me lol

Kath Lau

"People were messy. They were defined not only by what they’d done, but by what they would have done, under different circumstances, molded as much by their regrets as their actions, choices they stood by and those they wished they could undo. Of course, there was no going back—time only moved forward—but people could change. For worse. And for better."

Nearly six months has passed and a lot of things has changed. August leads the FTF and continue protecting the humans of Verity. Meanwhile, Kate ends up in Prosperity and has become a monster hunter with the help of The Wardens. Kate finds her way back "home" after encountering a new terrifying monster lurking in the dark.

I was really pleased that I ended up loving this book. Most of the sequels I read this year were quite disappointing but Our Dark Duet is epic. I liked it even more than the first book. There were additional characters including a non-binary one and they're all amazing. Also, can we get a spinoff stories with The Wardens and Soro? Please! The new monster called Chaos Eater, who brings out the violence in people and feeds on the chaos, was insane. This book was definitely more bloody and action-packed. Schwab's writing is flawless and it never disappoints. It's one of the many reasons why I love her and her books. Morality is one of the themes in this book and I loved how she handled it flawlessly. The ending! I'm still processing it. It was poignant but inevitable. It hit me so hard that I ended up crying even after closing the book. I honestly can't think of any other way this book could have ended. This was a perfect and brilliant conclusion to the Monsters of Verity duology. I highly recommend it if you love books with fascinating concept, captivating complex characters, and engaging storyline.

sara louise

“it’s not about what you are, august, it’s about who, and that stupid, dreaming boy— that wasn’t a mistake, or a delusion, or a waste of energy. it was you.”

I could say a lot of things about this book but I’m going to leave it at this: o boy, what an ending.

Elke

** spoiler alert **
           This Savage Song was amazing and Our Dark Duet was even better. I love August and Kate. They are amazing characters and they feel so real. Also this book broke my heart... more than once... I don't know if I will ever recover from this book.

Sandy

It was amazing and heartbreaking and I find myself missing August every day. I can highly recommend the audio books!

Iara Figueira &
Our Dark Duet by V.E. Schwab

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