What a sequel!

Ruthless Gods surpasses the expectation I had for this series. It is more character-driven and the development of the story was exhilarating and lushly dark. The turnout events and the plot was well developed towards the goas of the story.

It was ruthless. It was dark. Duncan set the series to its heightening moments wherein it was more interesting than Wicked Saints. After reading Wicked Saints, you thought that this would be against Nadya and the monsters of the Black Vulture, but I never expected that it was bigger than we thought the plot is.

Nadya, Serefin, and Malachiaz's story was astounding. I love the growth of these characters.

Expect that the next sequel was gorier, bloodier, and more explosive.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Wednesday books for letting me read Ruthless Gods early! When I put in my request for it, I thought there was no way I’d be approved to review it, but pretty soon after I submitted it, there it was, sitting on my NetGalley shelf! Wicked Saints was one of my favorite books of 2019, so I was super excited to read Ruthless Gods this year, and it definitely didn’t disappoint! Ruthless Gods comes out on April 7th, so make sure you grab a copy then!

Ruthless Gods 4/5 Stars

Summary from Goodreads: Nadya doesn’t trust her magic anymore. Serefin is fighting off a voice in his head that doesn’t belong to him. Malachiasz is at war with who--and what--he’s become.

As their group is continually torn apart, the girl, the prince, and the monster find their fates irrevocably intertwined. They’re pieces on a board, being orchestrated by someone… or something. The voices that Serefin hears in the darkness, the ones that Nadya believes are her gods, the ones that Malachiasz is desperate to meet—those voices want a stake in the world, and they refuse to stay quiet any longer.

In her dramatic follow-up to Wicked Saints, the first book in her Something Dark and Holy trilogy, Emily A. Duncan paints a Gothic, icy world where shadows whisper, and no one is who they seem, with a shocking ending that will leave you breathless.

I really liked all of the different points of views we got here- like we had our Serefin chapters, we had our Nadya chapters, and we had our Malachiasz chapters, but we also had some Parijhan chapters and we had some Kascper chapters and some other characters who I won’t spoil (but so good)! So much happened in this book- and the pacing throughout the book was great too! I never felt as though there was a lull or I was bored or anything like that. There were so many twists and turns and every time I thought I knew when the betrayals were done BAM! Back to betraying! I can’t wait to see where Emily A Duncan takes things in book three, because let’s be real, things are going to get even more twisted and it’s going to be amazing!

“Ruthless Gods” by Emily Duncan is the exact reason why I have sworn a vow not to read unfinished YA series. I just can’t handle not knowing how this story will be resolved. I have so many questions still left unanswered, and that ending left me confused and terrified and...hopeful?

Book two of the Something Dark and Holy Series picks up a few months after the events of book one. Nadya is moping around Tranavia, mourning the loss of her gods and Malachiasz. Serefin is dealing with the inner workings of his court as the new king of Tranavia. Malachiasz is only gods know where, doing only gods know what. As the characters set off on three separate, but intertwined quests, Duncan takes the threads of the major conflict that has been building since the beginning of the series and expands them to become more complicated, raising the stakes even higher.

This book had some of the typical book two feelings — the pacing is a bit slower as the reader must learn more information, and as characters must grow and learn for themselves. As a result, the first half of the book dragged for me, which is mostly understandable. What I didn’t love was the last half of the book was too fast. There were even moments I had to reread because events went by too quickly, and I wasn’t sure what occurred. The system of magic she has created can read convoluted at times (especially since three main characters all play different parts in it), and much of the information we get about it occurs through prophetic ramblings of various gods and monsters. The relationship between Nadya and Malachiasz, which in book one felt like a guilty pleasure, has now turned into what I can only call an abusive relationship. In book two, I felt mostly ashamed for shipping their love. Maybe that’s the point? But at the end, I’m still totally into this coupling, even though it feels incredibly wrong to feel this way.

The most enjoyable part about the book for me was not Nadya and Malachiasz, as it was in the previous, but rather Serefin and the characters he engages with in his own journey. Serefin’s character is much more interesting away from court and his father, and I find myself loving his wit and wry humor. We also meet another character in Kalyazin who reads similarly who was equally as enjoyable. And as in book one, you will doubt every second of every word spoken by some of the characters. You will think you know what someone’s motivation is. But you will be woefully wrong. And this time, it hurts a lot more.

5 out of 5 stars

EMILY!!! What have you done? You have completely destroyed me!!! You guys, Ruthless Gods will leave you on the floor, sobbing and asking for more.

Second books are hard to write, especially in YA fantasy. A lot did not happen in the first 60% of the story, besides characters interacting and very little backstory. The romance really killed it in this and really made want to put down the book. This book also felt like a filler book, a bridge to get from the first book to the last, without providing anything relevant. Sadly, nothing important really happens until the last quarter of the book.

“Did you expect to return and find everything exactly like it was before you burned it to the ground? There are only ever ashes after a fire, Malachiasz, and I’ll have you at my feet yet.”

Nadya has stopped hearing the voices of her gods. Serefin is struggling to ignore the voice he’s hearing in his head. And both are dealing with the effects of Malachiasz’s betrayal and the death of the King of Tranavia. In search of answers, Nadya and Serefin make the most of unusual alliances between themselves and with others. But these alliances can only end with betrayal. Betrayal that will cut to the bone.

Wicked Saints, the first book in this series, was a bit much for me. For most of the novel, I was confused and frustrated for being confused. I felt that way in the beginning of Ruthless Gods. Of course, I couldn’t remember much of Wicked Saints (and looking up a recap proved to be ultimately fruitless) but I’d hoped there would be helpful recalls in the first few chapters, and yet there weren’t many. But by the middle, I didn’t feel as confused, and I found myself caring a bit more for our characters in a way I hadn’t in the first book.

The conversations between Nadya and Malachiasz were excellently crafted. The tension and desire mingling with the knowledge that betrayal was in their future made for an interesting dynamic. For their relationship alone I wanted to keep reading. The world building is vast and expansive, but it almost feels like too much? Which is something I never thought I’d say. It overwhelms the plot with words that aren’t contextualized and gods or characters that are mentioned here and there but don’t play a role in the story. But that didn’t bother me much.

However, Ruthless Gods felt unnecessarily long. The wordy descriptions and lengthy streams of consciousness interrupted the action. I am a firm believer in strong declarations and moments from characters, but it became overwhelming. Oftentimes, it would pull me out of the action and out of the story altogether. Nadya was constantly declaring something about her faith or the ultimate betrayal she would be committing. And the descriptions of blood and gore and eyeballs, Good Lord, Duncan loves eyeballs (which is kinda cool actually, because it’s not something often seen in YA).

Mainly the best parts of Wicked Saints and Ruthless Gods are the characters. These books are character-driven for me, with the plot moving slow and realizations and epiphanies being internal. The climax of the story took up less than 15% of the ending, which isn’t a bad thing, but is unusual for a fantasy series of this caliber.

Overall, I read this book for the relationship between Nadya and Malachiasz. And I’ll read the next one for the relationship between Nadya and Malachiasz. And I’ll probably be confused for the first half again, but what can you do?

Ruthless Gods by Emily A. Duncan is set to release on April 7th, 2020.

*Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest and thoughtful review.

Content Warnings: blood, gore, murder. From the author: pages 513 and 514 have massive eye trauma and can be skipped completely with the details being explained less graphically in the next chapter.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in advance. The following review is my honest opinion of this book. This book met with and possibly exceeded my expectations after what happened in the first book. It caught my attention in a way that many books have not been able to and I am excited to learn what happens next.

After the ending of Wicked Saints, I was beyond excited to pick up Ruthless Gods. To be honest, I was debating whether or not to re-read the first installment, because even though I really enjoyed it back when I read it last year, I didn’t remember much about what happened, but I ended up deciding to pick Ruthless Gods instead. And I must admit, that it took me a while to get into it.

First I want to say that I consider that Ruthless Gods had the second book syndrome. I feel not much happened in the first 60% of the story, other than interactions between the characters and a little bit of back story of certain things that happened during this past time. And I was also expecting a little recap at the very beginning of the book, as most sequels have, but there wasn’t any, so it took me a lot not only to get into the story, but to remember what happened to these characters in the previous book (which was totally my fault).

However, this sequel was more a character driven type of book, and I really enjoyed the journey these characters went through. Nadya was one of my favorite characters in the first book and I found her so intriguing and interesting, and I think she kept that same essence in this installment. I liked her evolution throughout the story and her dynamics with Malachiasz. Serefin was another character I adored and really enjoyed reading his point of view, but I think in this book not much happened to him and there were certain things and inner monologues that were quite repetitive, which was a bit sad.

The romance though, was actually pretty weird. I don’t know if it was me and I’m quite picky with my romances, but there was something between Nadya and Malachiasz’s relationship that didn’t really clicked. There was a lot of back and forth between them, and sometimes their interactions were a bit awkward and unrealistic. I’m not sure what will happen in the third installment, but sadly I wasn’t the biggest fan of their relationship, unlike in Wicked Saints where I really enjoyed it.

However, I was pleasantly surprised by the twists and turns and all the revelations made throughout Ruthless Gods. I didn’t know what I was expecting to happen, but I was pretty shocked by how it ended, and I am quite interested to see how everything will end, because after everything that happened in the last 30% of the book, I think the conclusion will be pretty epic.

Overall, even though I enjoyed Ruthless Gods and think it added a little extra information, I didn’t like it as much as Wicked Saints, mostly because the fist half was a bit confusing and slow, and not much was happening, sadly.

3.5⭐️

I've said this before in reviews, and I mean it: second books are hard. They tend to display the very best or the very worst of authors and their creations. A through-line has to be present, but the reader can't expect characters to remain the same or even within the same bounds. Second books often introduce new characters and new places which can be underdeveloped, in an attempt to avoid getting stale. Authors themselves have been known to complain about how difficult these are to write, and Emily Duncan is no exception as in her acknowledgements she states that this book almost killed her.

Ruthless Gods continues the story of Nadya, Malachiasz, and Serefin as they reckon with the consequences of their actions in the first book in the series. Nadya seems to fade into the background as Serefin becomes a more complex character, determining what type of ruler he would like to be and what his new relationship with the gods should be. Nadya frets about her feelings for Malachiasz, feels sad about how her relationship with the gods has disintegrated, and fights between her warring priorities, saving her country and protecting her new friends from the other side. Either way, she is absolutely less vivid in this book than she was in the last which is a loss.

I am sure many will complain about the violence and gore in this book, but quite honestly, if you read the first book before this one, what did you expect? I will say it become repetitive and is very focused on eyes - bleeding from them, changing them, becoming blind, eyes showing up in nontraditional and horrifying places. If you're looking for a fantasy without images that will push you to queasy, this is not your book.

One thing I will say is I am very glad I reread the first in this series, Wicked Saints, before I took on Ruthless Gods. The gods are significantly less present in this book, but it was helpful to have a grounding in Nadya's relationship with each of them and have a reminder of how the magic systems work before taking on an extended bloody storyline.

I'm glad I read this and will admit to being curious about how the series will resolve itself. Do I think it is the best YA series on the market right now? Not by a long shot. However, I do hope it encourages folks to think critically about religion and how they perceive people of other cultures. I'm just concerned that the trappings of violence and twisted romance will hide the strong parts of this book from the casual observer.

Where do I begin? Where would I start this review? Welp… I really don’t know where because first of all, it’s breaking me into pieces. At the very start of the book, it already breaks me inside.

I’ll be going to be direct to point and this book is absolutely getting more intriguing as ever. Yes it’s a very long read, it took me two weeks to finish the whole book to finish but it’s all worth it. Why it took me that long to read? Okay let me explain it to you;
1. High fantasy really needs to be precise and understanding, so I’m reading it slowly.
2. I don’t want to end it quickly.
3. This world creation is getting DARKER, CRUELER and HEARTLESS.
4. More stabbing, more blood.
5. Holy and unholy gods are awakening
6. I got to the point where I took a one day break reading because it’s too much pain.
7. And more blooooooood.

Ruthless Gods is the second installment of the series, Something Dark and Holy, and the journey continues with the three great characters; Nadya, Serefin and Malachiasz. Each chapter have their own perspective and I always love this kind of writing, seeing different perspective of the characters. Also, these 3 characters are elevating their game to the highest. Meaning their already not fooling around to each other, they need things to be done, once and for all. The more you read, the world is getting twisted, gruesome, people are getting mad… it’s really hard to say unless you read it to yourself.

To the characters, Serefin, he’s still one of my favorite character but he’s already fragile. My heart longs for him, I already want to hug him for what’s happening to him. He doesn’t deserve this world! Ugh! But it has to happen to him. He’s still the guy with brilliant and witty mind, already the king travania and he’s character development improves very well. Nadya, the sweet child, I’m happy for her accomplishments. I never doubt of her magic, I never doubt of her capabilities. She’s still one of the strongest girl I know. And as for Malachiasz (I’m still in a struggle to pronounce that name), he’s still my bae even though he’s getting crueler. I think that’s the magic did to him.

Some familiar characters are still there; Kacper, Ostiyia, Kotsya, Rashid, Parijiahan. These people are always been there. To be a good friend. I mean, I’m so glad they’re still alive after what the fuck happened to Tranavian. They never leave and I’m happy. There’s a new character to look out for, the name is Katya. She’s also one of the strongest woman I know in this book.

OKAAAAAAY I’m still shipping Nadya and Malachiasz! I’m still in their love radar, I’m still rooting for this love they have in the first book and man, please please, let me have the as a couple. It’ll be probably a gruesome couple because both them are powerful but please! I’m shipping these two HARDER and hopefully on the third book, I’ll see their happy ending.

Serefin also got a lover and I won’t tell who it is. You’ll be excited to meet …. *shuts up*

Overall, the book is absolutely great. The world building, the twist of the story, the characters are having their own highlight in the story… I mean, it’s perfect in very dark way. It’s getting intriguing and I admit it’s a complete cliffhanger for me. I. WANT. MORE!

This was an amazing book. So much happened and I loved it all. Like Wicked Saints, nothing in this book was predictable, I'm glad that mostly it took me by surprise!In this, you are reunited with the gang again: Nadya, Serefin, and Malachiasz. I really enjoyed this book. It's one that I was highly anticipating for this year and it did not disappoint. It takes place a few months after Wicked Saints ends and from start to finish, the stakes are high.It's a dark read and brilliant!

I received a digital ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I want to start by saying I did like this book more than the first one. I tried to stay open minded reading this one, since I didn’t like the first one much.

While reading, I felt like I was being run in circles. I was either getting cryptic sentences or paragraphs seemingly repeating the same information. Because of this, the story dragged on. I wish Duncan had kept her story a little tighter and saved the long-winded, cryptic language for when it really counted, which would have made the book easier to read and made those cryptic moments that much more powerful.

Again, like with the first book, we were given all these exciting twists and turns. But they weren’t built up to. It was like the information was dropped and I would think “yep, that’s a twist” but not have any feelings behind it. I wasn’t yanked around, agonizing over solutions and what would happen next. I was reading a series of events, and every so often I would get new information just handed to me.

Now to end on some positive notes, here are some things I enjoyed about this book:

1. Duncan did a great job of started this book on an easy-to-follow note. Too often I pick up a sequel and have no idea what’s going on and I need to go back and reread the books that came before. Not with this one! Duncan mapped out a perfect introduction that flawlessly let me be drawn in, even though it’s been weeks since I read the first book.

2. Do I wish she had been more precise and clear about what was happening in this world she has created? Yes. But Duncan has created an amazingly interested world. I cannot deny that fact.


FINAL THOUGHTS:

If you were on the fence about liking the first book, I would say it’s worth it to give this one a shot. I definitely think this book was an improvement. If you loved the first book, definitely read this one!

I will personally not be continuing this series.

Wow! This is one if those books that steals your breath and hurts your heart. I found this book to be so compelling, it just keeps getting better. The character's struggles (there are a lot of them) and their choices; make for such tantalizing storylines! I love the dynamics between all the characters, even the new ones. This was a wonderful read.

"I am the horror you kissed on an altar made of bone."
I am in love with Ruthless Gods . I will be picking this up so fast after release.
Nadya is a lone cleric stuck in a land full of heretics in love with the monster who wishes to destroy her gods. Serefin is the king of his country of blood mages and the host for a spiteful god.
The story was as gorgeous as it was grotesque. Equal parts beautiful and breaking. I was left crying and desperately flipping through for more.
Every time I thought I knew what was going to happen on the next page I was devastatingly wrong. I need time to recover seeing as I feel a bit empty now. Plus, I am unwillingly in love with Malachiasz and I don't know how to take that.
Too many feelings in my heart after finishing Ruthless Gods.

The long awaited sequel to wicked saints was WORTH IT! I loved the second book just as much as the first and am sad it’s over and will eagerly await the next installment with excitement. Thank you so much Emily for captivating me !

Ended up not finishing this one. I read about 31% before I put it down. I had forgotten a lot of details from the first one that I read a year ago and it was hard to find my bearing in this one. The random polish words (maybe not polish, maybe something else?) were never really given context clues, nor was there a glossary of terms or something in the book. I ended up searching for them on google translate, but the translation never really made sense for the context. As I read pages, I would forget them almost as fast as I read them. I didn't care for any of the characters and I finally just gave up after it took me two days to read one percent.

absolutely loved the second book in the wicked saints series 5/5 would recommend to a friend !! if you loved the first book grab this one to fill in bits of the story you will love it

I would have definitely benefitted from rereading the first book before jumping into this one, but I still fell quickly back into this rich, dark world. I love the dynamic between all the characters, though I didn't feel particularly close to any of them. The world that was introduced in "Wicked Saints" was expanded on quite a bit in this book and the ending definitely leaves me wanting to know more.

As much as I enjoyed the writing, worldbuilding, and storyline, there was a distance that I felt that stops me from really loving this book. A distance from the characters and from really grasping the flow of the story. It was tough to tell how much time was passing as the story was being told, what exactly was happening between some of the chapters, and how some events related to other events.

All things considered I think this second installment of the series did a good job of expanding on the worldbuilding of book one and added a lot more intrigue to the series. I'm really looking forward to the next book!

I read "Wicked Saints" and it was an enjoyable read. I read "Ruthless Gods" and I needed to stay up until 2 am to finish it because I was so engrossed. Second books are rarely as good as first books because they are so difficult to do. "Ruthless Gods" blows "Wicked Saints" right out of the water. The dialogue is both touching and witty, the plot is fun, and the different viewpoints (which can sometimes be where a book falls short) were well done. Sometimes I find in multiple PoV books that I get a bit annoyed with one PoV and resent reading a different one. This was not the case for this book. Each PoV switch had me clamouring for more. Great nuances on war and conflict (as a major in transitional justice I think she showcased the intricacies of conflict so well).

Also we have BABY GAYS!

All in all a wonderful read.

This was a very enjoyable sequel to Wicked Saints. I think everyone who enjoyed Wicked Saints will be satisfied with this continuation of the series. I like that every single character is morally grey and make some good choices as well as some very bad choices at times, it makes them all interesting for me to read. And I like that they all know each other well enough to acknowledge their flaws and that they don't always like each other but they are still bonded anyway and they are capable of feeling love but also betrayal at the same time. Nadya is a very interesting protagonist and I like how far she has come from being purely devout to understanding the grey areas of magic and what she had always been taught. I am really looking forward to where the series will go next.