I struggle with this series. I've restarted both the first book and this one many times because I couldn't get into it. The first book aesthetically grabbed me, but the writing was... off. I can't put my finger on why. Same for this book, though the plot was a little repetitive and strange. It felt random and not very thought out.

I… honestly don’t know what to say. Rest assured though, that whatever dark magic Emily Duncan had woven into writing Wicked Saints, it has become tenfold in this one.

Ruthless Gods is everything dark, terrifying, and bloody but also ironically, impossibly sweet and funny and so very endearing. It was everything I wanted in a sequel. As a follow-up to one of my most loved reads of 2019 I didn’t think it possible that I could love the characters more than I already did. But blood and bone, I do. I DO.

I’m terribly sorry for keeping this review vague but this is one of those books you just have to read for yourself to fully grasp how utterly amazing it is. How utterly terrifyingly brilliant it is. Suffice it to say, Serefin is still just as drunk and lovable and a heart stealer. Nadya is still the most badass, reckless heroine I’ve come across. Malachiasz is just as broken and charming and beautiful and I just want to give him the biggest hug. Rounding out the trio were Parj, Kacper and Ostyia, who were just as incredible.

Ruthless Gods had so much going for it. SO MUCH. Turning every page was both scary and exciting at the same time. My heart barely survived reading this. But dammit I want book three now. (2020 is gonna be a very, very long year for me)

I did not finish this book. I tried to read it but I won’t be finishing it. I won’t be rating this book.

DNF

I enjoyed parts of the first one, but this one just felt off and I did not enjoy reading the bits that I did. Unfortunately, this book was not for me.

I often try to separate art from the artist.

However, after some of this author's actions throughout the last year or so, I found it difficult to do so here. Furthermore, it's gritty, it's violent, and it's... not the type of thing I personally wanted to be reading as the world fell to shambles. I believe that fantasy and escapism have their time -- but not when they're hopeless and needlessly gory. At least, not at this moment in my life.

I hate writing lacklustre reviews, for I believe every author should have their work respected -- after all, they poured TONS of blood, sweat, time, and tears into its completion, and sharing it with the world is like handing the audience your very bleeding heart -- and yet, I just couldn't find myself reading this in good faith.

Others may love it -- but, unfortunately, it just wasn't for me.

Felt somewhat disjointed and jumpy. After hearing about the controversy regarding this author and this series, I will not be reading any more of her work.

I liked a lot of the grit and violence on display here, and I like the direction the story is taking overall. I think that in the last book, this series still has potential. I just think that there needs to be more literary variety and some resolution or solidification on certain relationship issues which could help provide needed plot and tone focus going into the final stretch. If you liked Wicked Saints, or wanted to like it, Ruthless Gods is better, but if you're on the fence, you can probably do better unless you have a distinct thirst for stories about the gods.

This book was a let down for me but I shouldn't be surprised because the first one was a let down as well. Everything about this book is so close to being amazing but it is not. There are times throughout the book where you are at one place and then all of a sudden your somewhere else but you don't know how you got there. I felt like there were parts of the book missing. Unfortunately this book was not for me. I wanted it to be but it was not.

I did not start this book. I don't remember anything of the first book and I'd have to reread it to get anywhere. I'm marking this series as DNF. I bought a copy of this but lost interest in continuing the series. I have heard not great things about the author, and also not great things about the ending of the trilogy.

I really, really wanted to love this book. Alas, it was not meant to be.

There are just too many things lacking - in depth world building, interesting characters, happiness of any kind, great magic scenes, etc.....

An opportunity for a great series was instead turned in to a drab love story between two characters that I didn't like.

If I'm reading a Fantasy story which includes magic, I'm fine with some romance thrown in but the world building should be fantastic. This one doesn't measure up for me.

Thank you to #WednesdayBooks and #NetGalley for providing this ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.

Alright, I've put off writing this because I hate writing bad reviews. I know many others love this book, but I just didn't connect with the characters, didn't enjoy the magic system, and just couldn't get into the writing style. I feel like my issues with the book are probably personal. Just wasn't my thing.

I sadly wasn't as into this one as I had been with the first book in the series. There's a lot of repetition that was really jarring for me, a lot of clichés. It felt like the author was more interested in creating a mood than a story? Going for the aesthetic? Maybe this was just me.

An impressive continuation to WICKED SAINTS, but I think I enjoyed the first book more.

While I love the world-building, and the overall dark tone of the series, RUTHLESS GODS goes into pretty grim territory, to the point where I had to put the book down several times to give myself a breather. This trilogy is by no means meant to be light, but I question whether some aspects were meant to just shock the reader than being strictly necessary to the characters, plot, and world.

I read part of the book but after seeing how problematic the author is I will not finish the book nor promoting the author on my instagram account.

Dark and twisted but fascinating read that is the second book in the Something Dark and Holy series - we continue the journey with romance, war, religion and misunderstandings.

This sequel was a good follow up to Wicked Saints. Although it took a little while for me to get into it, I ended up enjoying it.

RUTHLESS GODS is dark, atmospheric, and completely enchanting. It was everything I hoped a sequel to WICKED SAINTS would be and then some. Everyone is completely broken and yet somehow forging a way forward. After the first book, Nadya is still reeling from the betrayal by Malachiasz, Serefin is trying to hold the kingdom together as its new ruler while also fighting the powers speaking to him and corrupting his vision, and Malachiasz is something else entirely.

Their journeys all feel different and yet somehow aligned. Motivations are unclear and ever changing. The gods that are revered in one country and scorned in another are hiding secrets which are deeper than expected and raise more and more questions. The complexity of the plot is matched by the complexity of the characters, and this book is completely impossible to put down.

What I loved: It is hard to even say how many things I loved about this book. It is atmospheric and engrossing, and I felt completely transported to this unique world. The characters are deep, complex, and evolving. All flawed, all gorgeous, and all fantastically well crafted. Secrets cover secrets and questions grow in a completely amazing way. Dark and beautiful, this book is an absolutely incredible sequel that I highly recommend picking up. This is a book that you need to experience for yourself.

Final verdict: Fans of dark and compelling fantasies will delight in this gorgeously crafted series. Atmospheric, enchanting, and engrossing, RUTHLESS GODS is a powerful sequel in a must-read series. I highly recommend for fans of Roshani Chokshi, Sabaa Tahir, Leigh Bardugo, and Adrienne Young.

Decided to DNF this book after encountering the author's extremely racist and anti-asian comments online. I cannot in good faith review a book by such a person.

Whilst I had been a fan of this author, in light of their unacceptable bigoted comments I will not longer be providing a full review of this series and will no longer be supporting this author.

I was looking forward to reading this whole series. However, after news came out regarding the author's bigoted comments and bullying of fellow POC authors, I will not be reading this series or recommending it to anyone.