Title: Ruthless Gods (Something Dark and Holy #2)
Author: Emily A. Duncan
Pub. Date: April 7, 2020
Rating: 4.5
This will be a spoiler free review.
I’m currently kicking myself for waiting so long to finally read this book. Not going to lie, I was a little hesitant to start it, and for a few reasons.
1. It’s been a long time since I read Wicked Saints – like 2018 long time. So, I don’t remember everything that happened in that book, but I remembered the ending.
2. I was terrified wondering what Emily was going to do to me with this book. I’m now distressed.
3. It’s thick and a little daunting.
4. I wasn’t ready to have to wait for book 3. Now I’m waiting and it sucks.
I am glad I’ve finally read the book, because y’all, it’s good. Really good.
I love the way Emily tells a story, and her writing style – I could read it her work all day, every day. I love her characters and her fantastic use of snark, sass and sarcasm. I like how this book focuses on the whole group and we learn more about each of the core characters. I loved that I had no idea what was going to happen next and I don’t think I could have guessed the ending even if I had tried.
I don’t think the ending was as omfg as the ending in Wicked Saints, but it does leave you with this feeling of dread and uncertainty. After reading and knowing how book 1 ends, I kind of expected Emily to do something drastic, but I couldn’t have guessed what. She definitely succeeded.
Jumping back to the characters, I loved that this book was very much a character driven book, versus plot driven. Lots does happen in this book plot wise, but more time is spent focused on character relationships and internal conflict. Because I consider this more of a character driven novel, over plot driven, I think it read a little slow. Now, I don’t think it’s truly a negative since I was thoroughly invested the entire book, but it took me forever to read it. Like, hours. I don’t think the book is too long, and mainly I think it’s due to her writing style. Like I said, I love it, I think it’s wonderful and I wish I could write like her, but it’s also a bit flowery. It’s also full of A+ dialogue that seriously personalizes the characters and it’s so much fun to read. SO much fun. I do think character driven books tend to read slower anyways, since it’s not necessarily about the plot, so just expect to take your time with this book, and enjoy every minute of it.
Since it’s character driven, I think this kind of saves it from suffering from middle book syndrome. I want to know the characters and love the characters. I really enjoyed them in Wicked Saints, but I thoroughly love them because of this book. I want to protect them all and give them hugs and maybe mugs of hot coco, a blanket and a puppy. They go through a lot in this book and are really worse for wear by the end of it.
Now, I love a good creepy atmosphere in books, but some of the inspo pics Emily had been sharing had me a little wary and uneasy. I’ll just put it out there, I’m not a horror fan, and creepy, eldritch monsters are Not My Thing. At all. I steer clear. I don’t like being spooked.
With that being said, Emily is amazing at painting a very vivid picture in your mind and she had me caring for a creepy, eldritch monster boy.
Any other book or media, I would have Nope-d right on out of there.
Instead I was fully invested and now I need book 3.
I think my favorite part of this book is this scene with Serefin, where something comes to light, and it’s like a little light bulb moment, and it was just so damn cute. You’ll know it when you read it, I promise. I loved that moment. For a series that is so dark and gritty and full of snarky sarcasm, it was such a soft moment, and I need more.
If you liked Wicked Saints, then you’re definitely not going to want to miss the next installment, out April 7, 2020! Make sure you pick it up wherever you can!

Thoughts
The writing and storyline has taken a dark turn. At the end of the first book, it was hinted that the gods of Kalyazin were not what they seemed – part of something much darker and much more twisted, and this is a recurring theme throughout the book. You can expect a lot of truly horrifying depictions of things in this book, (yes friends some bit are very wonderfully gruesome) and the entire time I couldn’t stop thinking about how fitting the series name “Something Dark and Holy” was. Also, we learn a lot more about the gods and their history (really wanna say more, but I’ll just leave it at that).
Not so much action as compared to the previous book, but definitely a LOT more character development. Not only do we get to see the main trio grow immensely, but also the supporting characters like Kacper and Paraijahan get a bit of their backstories shown. Of course, there are still some MAJOR PLOT TWISTS happening (especially at the end). Also this book is essentially one long journey.
If the theme of Wicked Saints was divine magic and the divide between two warring nations, then this book is all about shifting alliances, betrayals, and of course, the question of what divinity truly is. Each character is acting with their own agenda in mind.
Also I just want to say the tidbits from Vasilievs Book of Saints are SO good, and they keep me going each chapter. If you loved those exerpts, Ruthless Gods will make you so happy because not only does it make a comeback, but now we also get excerpts from some mysterious letters and from another more ancient, unknown source…
Read if you liked:
Shadow and Bone trilogy (SUPER SIMILAR VIBES: if you liked that one you will definitely like this one)

I didn’t have high hopes for this sequel due to not being in love with Wicked Saints. Unfortunately, this second installment was even worse. This world has so much potential but this writing style just isn’t for me. The plot is very jumpy and things come out of left field without any context. Having multiple POVs was hurtful as well because for me they didn’t have distinct enough voices and read the same. Sad to say I won’t be continuing with this series.

"Ruthless Gods" by Emily A. Duncan was just as dark and bloody as "Wicked Saints," but less shocking since we already knew Malachiasz was horrible. It seems by the ending that there's intended to be a third book, and I'm really hoping this third book has some clear explanations of how magic works and who gods are and what the heck Nadya is, because right now it's all still looking pretty murky. That would be my biggest complaint about this book, is that everything is dismissed with mysterious, vague statements about gods and magic and nothing is ever even remotely explained. It makes it seem like everything can just happen according to what is most convenient to the plot at the moment and never has to have any sort of center at all. But, I forgive it just because the gloomy, creepy mood of this book is just so awesome and addicting and Nadya and Malachiasz's dark Reylo romance is just too good and sexy. So I suppose you could say I have mixed feelings about this book, but I'm definitely not as angry as I was when I finished "Wicked Saints" because this time I knew to expect tragedy and complete horror. It will be interesting to see where the third book takes us. I'm hoping to finally find some well-defined answers.

I have started this book about 4 times and that is the amount of times it has taken me to finally get through it. I really enjoyed the first book although it felt a bit dark for me. This book took that dark from the first book, laughed at it, and then dragged you deeper into the black hole. If you thought the first book was bloody and tough then you probably should just bypass this one. I am glad I read it to know where the story went but it was a tad too dark for me.

An amazing follow up to Wicked Saints!! Can I just say I will never have enough of this world or these characters I NEED MORE!!

While many who loved Wicked Saints will enjoy Ruthless Gods just as much, for me, it exacerbated issues I had with the first book and I struggled to keep up motivation to finish. I am usually a very fast reader, and I easily get sucked into a story to the detriment of everything I am supposed to be doing – but with Ruthless Gods it was the exact opposite. I started reading in November or December and only finished now, having to force myself to continue a chapter at a time through the middle parts between other books. I wish I had enjoyed it more than I did!

One of the main issues I had throughout the book was that it felt like it was trying too hard. If Wicked Saints was your black-metal-loving cousin, then Ruthless Gods is his trve (yes, spelled with a v) Norwegian black metal friend who refuses to leave the house without corpse paint and spikes. Google it and you’ll see what I mean. The teen angst is strong with this one. The characters, which were still reasonably multi-dimensional in the first book, turned more and more into edgelord-types in this second volume, wearing their pain and issues on the outside and wallowing in their edginess. I felt that they lost self-reflection compared to the beginning of the series, which lost them many sympathy points with me and disconnected me from the story.

This, together with the fact that I read the book over a span of months instead of a few days, led to a lack of immediacy and drive in the plot. The prose felt overwritten, and the journey aimless. However, when action did happen, it felt like too much at the same time, without proper reflection. Some plot points had me rolling my eyes, and others were utterly predictable, having read a fair share of YA fantasy before.

Nevertheless, I can see many people loving Ruthless Gods just as much as they did Wicked Saints, it follows a similar formula and contains tropes known to be a surefire success in YA. It also has a stellar 4.13 rating on Goodreads as I write this review. But for me, it could have been so much more.

I have to admit I enjoyed Ruthless Gods more than Wicked Saints. This book somehow flows better, it's deliciously dark and I also enjoyed the characters way more than the first time around.

If you love dark fantasy you're going to enjoy Ruthless Gods just be ready because there is not only heartbreak and betrayal but there is also a cliffhanger at the end, then you'll probably sign up for at least one more book with this one.


* I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Ruthless Gods picks up in the same dark, gothic, and mind-bending world that Wicked Saints left us in. But then it throws in even more betrayal, far too many WTH moments to count, and of course, a cliffhanger at the end.
In Ruthless Gods, Nadya, Serefin, and Malachiasz are back—and I still don’t know who to root for. They’re all just as dark and full of angst as in book one, but I can’t seem to actually dislike any of them. Malachiasz—in his monstrous new form—has fled to the salt mines. Serafin is struggling to keep his kingdom from being overthrown, while also struggling to maintain his sanity against the relentless new voice in his head. And Nadya is still dealing with the aftermath of the gods having left her. But when they come together again, the story becomes rich with betrayal, vengeance, and, well…blood! Now, I love a dark, vengeful book, but there are a few things that have me struggling with Ruthless Gods. Emily A. Duncan used a lot of descriptive repetition in this book, it comes off as very heavy-handed rather than being seamlessly woven into the storyline. I also feel the characters—although I’m still interested in how they finish this journey—aren’t as emotionally engaging in this book as in book one.
Overall, I didn’t find Ruthless Gods as enjoyable as Wicked Saints, but I’m still looking forward to the next book because I was fully invested after book one and I need to know what happens!

*I received a copy of Ruthless Gods from NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review

Ruthless Gods is… unexpected. It didn’t go in a direction I could have predicted. At times, I felt like the story moved too fast to comprehend what was happening. It’s one of those books I already think I need to reread in order to comprehend what happened.

But it's also dark and weird and fascinating. Especially Serefin's story. This book is all his and his journey kept me reading. He goes through a lot , and it was intense. A lot of crazy, dark, “cosmic horror” stuff happens in this book, and most of it’s because of Serefin.

The other reason is Malachiasz. He’s a hot mess, and it was actually kind of fun to read about. I’m kind of tired of the “evil boyfriend” / bad boy love interest trope. I never understand why someone is drawn to another person who hurts them or lies to them constantly. So the romance between Malachiasz and Nadya was hard to grasp, but knowing Emily, I’m sure it works for people who like that kind of thing.

Most of the side characters weren’t as developed or memorable, even ones that were in book one. I expected them to play a bigger part in book two, but they kind of just followed the other characters around, trying to convince them what to do or saving them from danger.

The most promising aspect of the book is the world-building. The terminology, the blood magic, the pantheon of gods, the hint of older or dead gods, the descriptions, the cosmic horror--it was all so cool and carried the story forward. This book is weird and dark and kind of a mess, but it was also a fun, fascinating read. I never felt bored or overwhelmed while reading it. It had a good balance of introducing new, insane concepts while also keeping it relevant and advancing the story.

Fans of Wicked Saints are sure to enjoy this sequel.

ARC provided to me by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is one of those books where you HAVE to read the previous one before diving in. Book one in this series was Wicked Saints and this books picks up eight months after. There are a lot of references to the first book and unless you have read it you will be a little lost like I was.

I will absolutely be getting the first book so that I can fully appreciate this one.

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 very dark read, I think even darker than Wicked Saints, but that made me want to keep reading because I needed to know what was going to happen. I love all of the character interactions and seeing their development was really good. I especially loved Serefin's development and I think his character arc has been one of the strongest in the series so far. I do think the pacing was a little bit slower but I don't think it negatively impacts the book. This is definitely a series I recommend, especially if you like dark fantasy with an intriguing plot and unexpected twists.

DNF @21%

I'm feeling very slump-ish at the moment, and I can't figure out if it's this book that is driving me deeper into the reading slump, or if it's life in general, as there are so many things on my to-do list that I can't seem to focus on one at a time.

To the first book in this trilogy - «Wicked Saints» I gave only 3 stars, and I've been forcing myself to read «Ruthless Gods» for over two weeks now, not able to connect to the characters or to the story.

Unfortunately, I will be putting it down for now. But I honestly don't know when and if I will pick it up again.

4 🌟 --------------------------------------------------------------------
this book was just pure teenage angst and to be honest, I loved every second of it.

I already can tell from the reviews I have seen of Wicked Saints that this will not be everyone's cup of tea but personally I think it was very enjoyable. I think there is a lot of stigma surrounding enjoying books about teenage relationships and intense perhaps exaggerated emotions but I think that's stupid. I think its completely okay to enjoy things that are perhaps not the peak of literature. I read purely for enjoyment and I enjoyed this book.

However, there were portions of this book where I was sorta confused but that may have just been me since I was reading this at the speed of light. For me, my favorite parts are the chapters from the Black Vulture's perspective. I just find his inner monologue so interesting. For me, the epilogue of Wicked Saints was the best writing in that whole book and i really enjoyed how we got more chapters from that character's POV and just different characters in general. I am interested to see how the different plotlines develop in the next book.

I will definitely be keeping my eye out for book 3 and recommend this series for anyone looking for a fast-paced dark fantasy romance.

This is the second book in the Something Dark and Holy series. It continues the story of Serefin, Nadya, and Malachiasz. I love the characters and their personal growths throughout the book! Enemies become friends and people to count on and necessary to complete the task at hand.
Beautifully written and a story with lessons everyone can learn something from!

When I was originally drawing to the last ten or so chapters, I knew that my final rating would be 4.5 stars. Before I finished, I was going to rate it in favour of 4 stars (as Goodreads and Netgalley don't allow me to rate in half a star) but now that I have finished HOLY HECK I am so rating this in favour of 5 stars.

---

First of all--that ending though.

Second of all: I am happy to exclaim that Ruthless Gods did not suffer from the second book syndrome.


This book was worth it. After finishing Wicked Saints, I wasn't invested in the characters as much as I would've liked. But this book has made me feel so much for these characters, experience the journey and (quite a few--although this is most likely an understatment) hardships.

I loved the banter that was exchanged between the characters. I loved the unexpected romance and relationships that sprouted between out protagonists. And, like Nadya, I still fell for the same boy with pale blue eyes.

I cannot wait for the third installment; I would be honoured to receive an ARC for it as I have with this book.

You can read my full review on my blog: wordsofhannahkay.wordpress.com

Ruthless Gods is the second book in the Something Dark and Holy series written by Emily A. Duncan. A young adult fantasy that pulls you in from the beginning and leaves you wanting more. Enjoy mystery, intrigue, and unexpected twists and turns along the way.

This was one of my most anticipated sequels this year - and it was so worth the wait.

The followup to Wicked Saints is dark, powerful, bloody, and cerebral.  And it hurt my heart so many times.  Serefin is caught up in something he has no control over and struggles to keep his throne and his sanity.  Nadya makes impossible choices and discovers shocking truths.  And Malachiasz - what can I say?  He's broken, dangerous, cunning, tortured, and by far my favorite character.  His relationship with Nadya is complicated beyond explanation - love/hate on steroids.  Character development is magnificent - at times I wanted to throttle each of them.  

Pacing is a bit slower in this book, and occasionally the dialogue was disjointed and confusing, almost as if some lines were missing - possibly a whole scene.  But this was an ARC, so that occasionally happens.  

Ruthless Gods is a heavy, chaotic, and long read, but something dark fantasy fans will devour.  The next book can't come soon enough. 

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

In Ruthless Gods we follow Nadya, Serefin, and Malachiasz as they deal with the consequences of actions taken in Wicked Saints. Nadya, dealing with the silence of her Gods even after doing what they asked by tearing down the barrier keeping them out of Tranavia. Serefin, hearing voices and learning new facets of magic he never thought possible. Malachiasz, monstrous and lost with unimaginable power while still feeling inadequate in regards to his goals. As our main three all feel a pull to the west what awaits them and what more can be sacrificed to Ruthless Gods?

I feel so blessed in receiving a copy of this title. I absolutely devoured Wicked Saints and knowing that Ruthless Gods is almost 200 pages longer than Wicked Saints I was hungry to devour it. I honestly enjoyed this title even more than the first, not only because our characters felt more confident but the author truly was comfortable in this wonderful world she created. Each of these characters has stayed true to what they felt even with shifting alliances and new threats emerge. This series is so beautifully gothic and gory, no one is safe and you feel all the trauma right along with them. My one and only complaint is that some of the inner monologues were quite repetitive, but its such a small gripe that I can't justify giving it any less than 5 glowing stars. If you loved Wicked Saints buckle up, you're in for a divine ride.

3..5 Bloody stars

This novel was one of my most anticipated sequels of the year, if not THE MOST anticipated overall. Duncan's first novel, Wicked Saints, had left me at awe and I read it several times, on audio as well as in physical copy. (The audiobook is fantastic by the way. The narrator's accent is perfect!) What makes these novels so different are the Slavic folklore vibes infused with the gothic and grotesque, yet the writing is brilliantly beautiful in places.

Ruthless Gods has a bit of a different structure. The overall story arc doesn't build until you have read about 60% plus of the novel, and so as a reader, you find yourself in these situational pockets of circumstances and elements that need to be fitted together. With a cast of several characters, and the weaving in and out of a consciousness of a sort of dark underworld, there are many threads one has to hold on to before the picture overall comes together.

The Kalyazi and the Tranavians are still the main factions in this novel but a darker more powerful force is taking hold of the characters on both sides. Rumors of death and dark magic keep everyone guessing upon what is happening and what the reckoning will bring. Everyone lost something, everyone lost someone, and some lost it all.

Serefin is plagued by an inner voice about a boy in darkness, bred in lies and bitterness and the Gods aren't speaking to Nadya anymore. All she is is a Kalyazi peasant girl now. Notes on Kalyazi magic and blood magic keep her guessing about what is ahead. 'Her' magic should never be found in Tranavian spell books! How does it all intersect?

There's an infiltrated traitor among manipulating the outcome of a dooming prophecy and there is so much blood and bone and magic. It's dark, chilling, dirty and spiteful. Desires, hate, and revenge are the driving force of the plot until doubt brings it all to a halt, but a powerful force prevails.

Most of all the chapters begin with a proverb of some sort, like those from the Book of Saints. Those read amazingly genius and I wonder how much was taken from old Slavic texts or others as inspiration.

I find it really difficult to review this novel because I don’t want to give it all away, but at the same time, I may not have caught everything that I should have in reading. Like the first book, it may require several rereads. I have no doubt that Duncan has had it all wrapped up in her mind, but I couldn’t follow everything exactly that was going on. My experience reading this novel was riddling in parts but I love the excruciatingly well-executed situational moments the author has created. With that, the culmination of events didn’t rise as steep and fell slightly flat for me, however, it is still a great read and Duncan’s voice has me at her command.

If you loved Wicked Saints and the writing style, give this a try. Some say it is much darker, but I would say, it just is more intense and powerful in ways of expression. It isn’t all gore or horribly graphic, though I cannot say that a dip in a fountain of blood may or may not happen ;)

Enjoy


More of my reviews here:
Through Novel Time & Distance