WOWZA, that was an adventure! If you haven’t read Wicked Saints by Emily A. Duncan, go do it now so that you are ready to go when this comes out! This book was so dark and a pretty good sequel! Emily Duncan, thank you for this series.

If you are not a fan of dark books, please turn away now because this is one dark book! We start a few months after the first book, and we follow our favorite as they find out answers to their questions, and experience some crazy magic. When I saw we follow our favorite characters, I mean, we get to read from a lot of people’s point of view! It’s crazy, a little confusing, and let’s not lie, like a lot of sequels, it was a bit boring at times.


I don’t want to get into too many details of the book, because I don’t want to give out any spoilers, but you will not see this coming. So many twists and turns I honestly got a little lost, it was good! I honestly have no idea who to trust. Everyone is so secretive, wanting to do their own thing, and I don’t even know what to think!

Even though I loved this book, it took me forever to finish reading it. I would always start it and either falls asleep or get bored and put it down. I can see a lot of people loving this book as much a the first one, but for me, the sequel just wasn’t as exciting as Wicked Saints.

I’m am not okay after reading this. Man this book is dark and twisting and amazing in so many ways. What a story Duncan weaves for us readers. There are moments my heart felt full and happy and secure and moments later it as ripped out of my chest and stomped on. Only to have to gently cradled and comforted after. Wicked Saints was amazing and Ruthless Gods was out of this world. I cannot wait to see what Duncan does with book 3.

A dark and twisted tale laced with betrayal and just the right amount of forbidden romance. You'll be angry and sad and theres never a shortage of questions but you wont be able to put it down.

This story picks up right where Wicked Saints left off. Nadya is on a desperate search for answers to understand her magic and how it is tied to the gods. Serefin is now King trying to keep others from taking over the throne while fighting to control his own actions and thoughts. The unlikely crew finds their fate is linked and must work together to find the answers to save their world.

You can't help growing attached to these characters and the relationship between Mal and Nadya is toxic yet seductive perfection.

There are ruthless gods, monsters, and so much blood. If you loved Wicked Saints you will not be disappointed.

I have very conflicting thoughts about this book, although I can tell I'm mostly likely in the minority.

I had enjoyed Wicked Saints, but always felt like there was something that I was missing, some integral piece that I just didn't *get*. I don't know if it was a case of the author not making some connections clear, or if I am just clueless. (Neither option is Great.)

I was excited to still read Ruthless Gods, however. There's a quality to Duncan's writing that I really like. I love the intertwining of religion and magic, and the deeper implication of Nadya's powers and who the gods really are. I looked forward to seeing the direction the story would take, especially with the ending of Wicked Saints.

The first 30-40% was really strong, but I started finding the same issues--characters would arrive at often unspoken revelations that I just didn't understand. As the story progressed, it felt like there were too many elements that were too similar to the first book. It didn't feel like enough had changed by the book's end.

Duncan has a fantastically messed up imagination and I love her monstrous creations and writing style. Unfortunately, I don't think I'll be seeing this series to its end.

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