Our Dark Duet (Monsters of Verity, #2) by Victoria Schwab Pages: 510
Published on June 13, 2017
by Greenwillow Books
Genres: Dystopian, Paranormal, Young Adult
Format: Hardcover
Source: Purchased
Amazon | B&N | Goodreads
Also by this author: The Archived, Vicious, A Darker Shade of Magic, A Gathering of Shadows, This Savage Song (Monsters of Verity, #1)
THE WORLD IS BREAKING. AND SO ARE THEY.
KATE HARKER isn't afraid of monsters. She hunts them. And she's good at it.
AUGUST FLYNN once yearned to be human. He has a part to play. And he will play it, no matter the cost.
THE WAR HAS BEGUN.
THE MONSTERS ARE WINNING.
Kate will have to return to Verity. August will have to let her back in. And a new monster is waiting—one that feeds on chaos and brings out its victims' inner demons.
Which will be harder to conquer: the monsters they face, or the monsters within?
After falling under the spell of This Savage Song, I was ready for the next Monsters of Verity novel. Victoria Schwab’s writing is, of course, poetic and magnetic. The idea is creative and engaging. The characters are well thought out. I adored August, monster and musician. I thought Kate, tough-as-nails, was fascinating. The questions about what makes a monster and what makes a human were well explored. And even though there was no way these two were getting together, I wanted them to get together.
I was not expecting to feel so…average… about Our Dark Duet.
Our Dark Duet takes its time to build up to its climax, like an opera. Kate is now a monster hunter in another part of the state. She’s teamed up with others who don’t know her past. She’s still reserved, but her knack for monster hunting is kind of what brings her closer to the new people in her life. This is huge considering, when we first meet her in This Savage Song, View Spoiler ». But when a new monster arrives on the scene, glimmers of the Kate from before come back. I appreciate the construction of her character more when this happens, because she shows she’s more than her tough persona.
Then there’s August. This boy is brooding and tortured now. He’s taken his Sunai nature and uses it, not only for the safety of his adoptive father’s army, but like a vigilante on the streets. While August’s inner demons are understandable, this transformation does stretch thin. I prefer the thought August over superhero August.
Found throughout Kate’s and August’s segments are glimpses of monsters in the city, all including lots of blood and gore. These parts slowed down the pace for me; some parts feel like they’re there for shock value only. But when Kate and August meet again though, the book picks up immensely. They have great chemistry, and View Spoiler ». Seeing them back together to fight for the greater good brings Our Dark Duet to a heart-racing crescendo.
When the crescendo reaches its resolution, I had mixed feelings. Some subplots wrap up nice and neat, other parts, particularly for our main characters, were surprising. I’m torn.
Our Dark Duet left me wanting, but I’m reading Victoria Schwab’s next books!
About Victoria Schwab
I am the product of a British mother, a Beverly Hills father, and a southern upbringing. Because of this, I have been known to say “tom-ah-toes”, “like”, and “y’all”. I also suffer from a wicked case of wanderlust, made worse by the fact that wandering is a good way to stir up stories. When I’m not haunting Paris streets or trudging up English hillsides, I’m usually tucked in the corner of a coffee shop, dreaming up monsters.
My first YA novel, THE NEAR WITCH, a dark original fairy tale, debuted with Disney*Hyperion in August 2011, and is now out in paperback.
My next YA novel, THE ARCHIVED, is the first book in a new supernatural series about a world where the dead are shelved like books, and it hits stores January 2013, also with Disney*Hyperion.
My first adult novel, VICIOUS, about two brilliant and highly disturbed pre-med students who set out to generate their own superpowers and end up mortal enemies, is out in hardcover from Tor September 2013.
I have more books coming out in 2014, but I’ll get to those later.
These days, when someone asks me what I do when I’m NOT writing, I just kind of laugh nervously. But in truth, on the odd occasion I’m not typing away, I’m probably baking cookies, or watching BBC shows, or wandering. (See how we came full circle, there?)
Leah
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Twitter: Cait
Awww I’m so so sad you didn’t love it! I absolutely adored it aND IT KIND OF BROKE MY HEART. ❤️💔 It was everything I wanted and I loved everyone’s character development so so much. And the world was so brutal omg. Also I kind of like it how it didn’t all wrap-up in a shiny bow?! I love books with open endings. :’) Annnnyway, sorry for gushing! 😂😂I hope you like your next Schwab book better!
I had hoped it was just me, but I wasn’t not as emotionally invested as I was for TSS. The ending for ODD did break me though, which is good? 🙁 🙂
I have a similar mixed feeling for this novel too! I liked but at the same time I don’t feel it… right? I don’t even know. I definitely enjoy it – even I wasn’t so happy about “the secondo spoiler”.
Right? Something felt off about the whole thing. But the second spoiler made my day!
I haven’t read the first book, but I was curious. I have enjoyed Schwab’s work before. Sorry this wasn’t as good as you were hoping it would be. 🙁
Something tells me that, even though I don’t like one of Schwab’s books, it’s still going to have something good. 🙂
Twitter: ajsterkel
I wasn’t the biggest fan of This Savage Song, but I liked it enough to want to read this one. Sorry you didn’t love it as much as you were hoping to.
It’s alright. I’m still going to read every book of hers. 🙂