<b>5 stars</b>

Wow wow wow! This book started just as fast paced as its predecessor, however, in a way that was much more graspable. The story hooks you immediately, unfolding masterfully from the first chapter. <b>And I was in love with every minute of it</b>.
(spoilers for the first book will be included, so proceed with caution)

Nadya is struck with the loss of no longer having the voices of the gods in her head as well as the betrayal that cut her deep just a few months before. Serefin is attempting to figure out who he is—<i>why</i> he is. Why was he saved from death? And what has he become? Malachiazs sits on his throne, not knowing who he truly is, and still communicating somehow with a girl who he can’t remember.

<i>Ruthless Gods</i> was everything it needed to be. Some people might say it started to slow down in the second half, and though I do agree, I felt that the pace was perfect for the story. It didn’t particularly “slow down,” but instead allowed for all the rich details of the story to play out. I was truly enthralled every moment. The constant tension between Nadya and Malachiazs was angsty and romantic and chaotic and <i>bloody</i> brilliant.

If you thought <i>Wicked Saints</i> was dark, you’re in for a treat. <i>Ruthless Gods</i> was dark and enigmatic. The whole way through, I was on the edge of my seat waiting to be thrown for a loop. The characters are so diverse in personality and it makes for a fantastic read. The plot only thickens in this book. So many new revelations come to the surface, making you constantly question your loyalties. We also learn a lot more about Kacper as well as the Akolans, which I believe was much needed.

Here’s the thing, I just <i>adore</i> Malachiazs. His anxious, brooding, passionate, emotional, borderline evil self just hits me hard. And I was so happy with the development we got on his part. I do wish that we got more in his perspective but I definitely think that’ll happen in book 3.

I also adore Nadya and was thrilled with her personal development. Hopefully it goes even further in the third book.

I’m not terribly positive how I feel about Serefin’s story. I feel like it’s still a little jumbled up to me. That being said, I do feel like he grew in certain areas.

All together, Ruthless Gods was a brilliant second novel in the Wicked Saints series and I can’t believe I have to wait over a year to get the next one!

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

Nadya and the two boys return in this sequel, but nothing is easy. They are all forced far out of their comfort zones on individual quests that may or may not intersect with each other. On top of that the gods may be interfering…if there is such a thing as gods.

Second books are often duds for me. I find that they have trouble bridging gaps between book one and book three. I was scared with this book that would be the case. The stakes for the first book were ridiculously high. And going into the second I wondered if that would still be the case. Would it keep me interested or would I flame out part way through? My biggest fear was that – I had grown to love some of these characters and I worried that in this book I wouldn’t like them anymore. I was worried for absolutely nothing.

If you liked Wicked Saints, if you liked the characters (even just some of them) then you are going to love this book. This book goes more and more depth into religion and heresy and action and relationships, and it is all bound together in a supremely well-paced story. The same themes from the first book come back in this one, except in some cases this book feels just a tad darker than the first. It does have some horror elements (eye related stuff which I had to skim because ICK) and yet it feels as if the book was just as concerned with developing these characters.

Plot wise I enjoyed it. It was deftly paced, as in, it isn’t just action, there is a lot of introspection and a lot of thinking going on, so it is slow in that respect, but it is still interesting. I really don’t want to give too much away about the plot – suffice to say that Nadya, Serefin, and Malachiasz are dealing with a lot of things at the moment. A LOT. Nadya is on her own journey and Serefin and Malachiasz are as well, and somehow they all keep coming back together. The gods are not happy is an understatement in this book.

Serefin was my favorite character before and he remains my favorite in this book. He has his own delightful relationship arc, and I was so very happy with the way that it went. I will be so very glad to see more of it in the next book. His friends too, get a bit of their own little arcs as well, and more information about them is given to us throughout the book.

And of course, we have Nadya and Malachiasz. One of the more intriguing relationships I’ve read about. Nadya constantly talks about how it is based on betrayal, and it is. Very much so. If you like will-they-won’t-they this relationship has it all. Also, lots of blood, anger, angst, pining and unresolved emotions. I cannot keep up with those two at all.

We also get introduced to a new character in this book, and they help us with a balance in this odd group of theirs. There is a little section talking about some of the minor characters and their country as well. It felt a tiny bit out of place, but I do wonder if something is going to happen with it in the next book.

The plot and the writing and the events are all so twisted and confusing and good. This was a confusing book at times, and it wasn’t in a bad way. I felt that the confusion lent to the atmosphere of the book. Not only that you want to scream at the characters not to do the stupid thing they’re thinking of doing. Suffice to say I got really attached to the characters again. I dread to think of what Duncan is going to put them through next.

And of course, I loved the writing. I think it was well written and overall, I enjoyed it. I couldn’t put it down for one minute.

4.5 stars. I’m so into this trilogy. The second book was a good continuation of the first for me. This was one of those books where I could point out a lot of the flaws, but I still loved it. It's the exact type of bloody and romantic romp that I want, with some of my favorite character archetypes.

There should have been more character build up. I feel like I missed a chunk of characters getting closer to one another. It read like they were a lot closer friends than they were in the first book. Which, I guess they were. But when did it happen? This weirdly enough made me change my rating of the first book.

I still see very heavy Kylo Ren influence on Malachiasz, same as in the first book. If you read a lot of Reylo fanfic, you will definitely see the parallels. I don’t think that’s a bad thing per se, but I felt like it was too heavy handed in the first half of the book.

This book has a decent plot, though the pacing in this book was slower than the first. Thinking back, I feel like not a lot happened in the beginning of the book. It seemed like a little bit of plot was pulled out for the whole book. BUT, I think the pacing was better. The first book for me alternated between fast and slow pacing, while this one was more steadily paced. I’m also partial to slow paced books, so I was enjoying myself. It was never slow enough to be boring, but it wasn’t quite a slow burn either.

I liked that the characters were on this collision course that they couldn’t seem to stop. I liked Nadya more in this, too. Though I liked all the characters in the first book, Nadya was my least favorite then. I liked her more in this book.

All in all, I liked the second book better than the first book, I think? It was slower, but I felt like the pacing was much more steady.

It disappoints me to no end given that I really did like Wicked Saints, but I just did not like Ruthless Gods. I wish I could chalk it up to a bad day clouding my judgment, but I can't. (I'm kind of a binge reader, so when it takes me almost two weeks to get through a book, it usually means something.)

Usually, I would provide a plot summary for my ARC reviews, but I actually kind of feel like I can't, in this case, say all that much. The gang from Wicked Saints (Nadya, Malachiasz, Serefin, and their crew of other secondary characters I remembered nothing about) work to deal with the fallout from the events at the end of the first book. Eventually, they all, for different reasons, begin a journey to a holy site. This journey takes them through a forest that tries to kill them.

Part of the reason I can't give much of a summary is that I don't want to spoil the end of Wicked Saints, but an equally significant reason is that I'm genuinely struggling with it. I'm not really sure how such a small amount of plot was stretched out to as long as this book was. A very good chunk of the beginning of the book just involves all of the characters...debriefing on the situation? and getting cryptic warnings from our resident ~creepy~ ~mysterious~ ~all-knowing~ character. And once! They left! And couldn't commune with her anymore! Duncan just threw in a new character! To fill the same role! Who somehow just knows a bunch of plot-driving information! Just...because, I guess!

The romances in this story continue to make absolutely no sense to me. Build up? Foundations? Don't know them. It's kind of like...Ruthless Gods took all of the parts of Wicked Saints that I didn't like but was willing to overlook and then...made those parts the entire book.

Overall, I'm disappointed. I'm sure people will like this book -- it's got a lot of cool elements, too. Duncan turns the horror and more grotesque elements up to 11, which I know will appeal to a lot of readers who've been looking for more horror YA. It just wasn't for me, I guess?

Oh, the eye trauma. I was at a panel over the weekend listening to Emily Duncan discuss dark fantasy with Holly Black and some other great authors, and she said one of the things she perhaps regretted in Ruthless Gods was the amount of eye popping up in various places (poor Malachiasz) and the kissing in blood (you’ll know it when you read it). But this story contains a ton of eyes in places eyes have no right to be, and it is a bit disconcerting at times. (She also says she loves writing about teenagers doing all the wrong things thinking that they are the right things and well, it’s true.)
When Wicked Saints ended, Malachiasz had just drank some strange potion and was on his way to becoming a dark god, Nadya was stuck in Tranavia, and Serefin became the king of a nation (and the host to some unknown god).
It starts off slow. Nadya and Serefin are stuck in a strange situation in the palace, as no one can know what truly happened to the former king. Malachiasz is on the border of madness (okay, he is fully dark mad most of the time). And then they get kicked into action. They each go off on their own quests (some by accident) which takes them to the same place for the climax of the book. And then things get real and weird and wild, then it ends leaving the reader questioning what they just read.
While I love it, and I adore Wicked Saints (which I’ve read twice this year), some things just don’t add up. Malachiasz and Nadya have a strange connection because she stole her power that always her to see him at times, but it isn’t very well written, since at times it is hard to tell if he is physically present or just mentally. Malachiasz in general is stranger in this, because of his monster god issues, but his personality and motivations change almost without explanation, which is confusing. In fact, the majority of his eldritch god scenes are confusing and not well explained, which is a pity because sometimes I would like to be told what is going on in the things I read.
Wicked Saints, compared to Ruthless Gods, was light and fluffy. Ruthless Gods gets darker and darker, a cosmic horror fantasy where all the choices made are wrong ones and there is a lot of blood. I think my mind tried to shut that part out, as I enjoyed watching these teenagers walk down the path to hell, but I can’t even begin to imagine what havoc Emily Duncan will wreak on them in book 3.

**Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review**

This is a continuation of Wicked Saints and left right where it left off. Nadya does not trust her magic anymore and the Prince, the monster have their fates intertwined. The Prince is hearing voices in the night, the voices Nadya thinks are her gods and Malachiasz want to meet. These voices want a stake and will not be silenced any longer.

This is a bit of a middle book, I wasn't as into it as the first book. I did like how it kept how dark the first one was and felt like a natural continuation. I will say that I found it a bit forgettable, but that could be because I was reading it on my computer, not a physical book. I'm kind of worried if by the next novel, I will have forgotten everything that happened....

I liked how the characters aren't likeable and mess up in the novel. It makes them a lot more realistic and actually made me like them a lot more. They have some major flaws for sure, but it was very calculated and very well done. I'm really interested to see how this trilogy ends! The dark and gothic feel of the story just makes me so happy.

But I still did enjoy what i read (and remember), I love the world. The mixture of gods, magic and war is really intriguing to me.

4/5
Anyone who's a fan of YA fantasy or the Darklings should read this one.

I wasn’t quite sure what to expect when I first picked this book up but it ended up being fantastic.

The character development is great and it’s such a lush and wonderful book. I highly recommend it

Over a year ago, I wrote a review on WICKED SAINTS and gave it 4 stars. In that review, I made a comment about the comparison between it and the GRISHAVERSE series by saying the story was well enough to stand on its own. Well, here's a news update: I played myself big time. As I read RUTHLESS GODS, my brain kept drifting towards classifying this was a Darkling/Alina fanfiction story. I fought against it, but in the end, I couldn't deny it anymore. Nadya is Alina. Monster-boy Malachiasz is the Darkling. Serefin is Nikolai right down to "fighting against his own literal personal demon."

Duncan knows how to build suspense and orchestrate a dark gothic atmosphere. I'll give her that. However, we as readers stumbled through the plot unsure of what exactly each character is trying to accomplish, but we also learn that the characters have no clue either. The author purposefully sacrificed story-things that gave readers a sense of clarity and direction. While I understand she did it to build suspense and a foreboding sense of mystery in this gothic cosmic horror fantasy, I was SO confused.

Is there action? Yes. Is there romance? Yes. Is there worldbuilding? Sure.

But as I said in my previous review of WICKED SAINTS, the pacing was very sluggish.

The last 30 pages of WICKED SAINTS punched me in the gut and left me wanting more. After reading RUTHLESS GODS, I now know that's Duncan's signature WWE move. She loves to make the last 30 or so pages absolutely amazing so you MUST pick up the next installment. However, after stumbling through this dark mess of a book, I'm honestly not sure if I want to.

Well that was a blood soaked experience. I’m kind of surprised how much I love this series, because it is weird and intense and horrifying and I’m not exaggerating when I say it’s soaked in blood (seriously I feel like I should ring out the pages from it). These kids all need showers - and naps! What I love is that we have a cast of enemies and allies: Warring countries and characters and their relationships are all so complicated. Everyone is in physical and mental pain and nothing is easy. But these characters also love each other in ridiculous ways and would do anything for each other - also while stabbing them in the back. It doesn’t make any sense, but it’s fantastic and addicting all the same. I’ve no clue what just happened or where this series is going. I cannot fathom any of them coming out on the other side. But I’m fully board for the rest of this blood soaked horror show.

Love triangle factor: none. Trust me, these characters have enough obstacles to deal with.
Cliffhanger Scale: medium? The end is pretty wild, a lot happens. None of it is good, or at least it will all have big consequences. We are definitely not done with this series.

Will post a real review on blog closer to release. And on Amazon. Also recommending to library.

Real rating: 4.2/5

Thank you netgalley and publisher for the ARC.

Ruthless gods is a stunning and dark follow up to Wicked Saints. Right off the bat I just want to say I enjoyed this book A LOT more than the first- and I did like Wicked Saints a fair bit.

There is more time spent establishing each character- and the more you get to know them the more you see just how flawed they all are. Despite wanting to hate a few of them- I just couldn't. I have the same l0ve-hate relationship with them all as Nadya and Malachiasz do with each-other apparently ;')

Anyway, this book was very well done. Emily threw in an extra splash of heart break and cruelty just for us lovely readers. It doesn't take much for you to get drawn right into the story once again, even if you haven't read WS recently for a refresher. I would def recommend! I refreshing novel that was perfect to read in October, for that extra hint of spooky.


I am for sure getting a physical copy.

Words just cannot express what I’m thinking right now! Ruthless Gods left me absolutely gobsmacked and in a catatonic state at the last page! Whaaat!? I loved Wicked Saints with all my heart and read it a second time just because I loved it. Ms. Duncan took what I thought was THE best fantasy book. EVER. and gave it serious competition. I truly did not think that Ruthless Gods could be remotely close to being as amazing as Wicked Saints. I.Was.Wrong!

Serefin - be still my heart, Malachiasz – you dark and beautiful boy, and Nadya are such deep and unforgettable characters! Serefin is hearing a voice in his head – but who’s, Nadya is questioning her magic, and Malachiasz is fighting what the Vultures created in him. They are broken and bloody and will suffer horrors beyond imagining; what they go through in Ruthless Gods left me hanging my head in despair, crying at betrayals, and lastly frustration at the end of the book, where I, too, will be tortured for another year. Why, oh why, did you cliff hang me! This is going to stay with me for an incredibly long time and then some.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martins Press for providing this galley for me to read and review.

Emily A. Duncan has blown me clear away with this magnificent sequel to Wicked Saints. If you thought the first book was dark and cruel and tragic, you are in for a rollercoaster of emotions with this sequel.

We pick up about six months after the end of Wicked Saints where everyone is a little broken and unsure of what comes next now that Malachiasz has done the thing. Serefin is hearing the voices of a dark god that wants nothing good from him. Nadya is hearing no voices from the gods that have guided her all her life. And Malachiasz...well, he's not hearing anyone out these days.

These three are still inexplicably tied to one another and they are the only ones who can bring change to the warring lands of Tranavia and Kalyazi. Both Serefin and Nadya are hoping to end the war, and while they think they have different plans on achieving that end, the same dark gods are whispering to both of them to bring them to the one place where things can be changed from.

The relationship between Nadya and Malachiasz is a lot more heartbreaking in this one because they both want to believe in the other, but they both care slightly more about their people than they do about each other. And while Malachiasz was the one playing the long con in the first book, this time it's Nadya's turn to turn traitor and break hearts.

Serefin finally finds some love of his own and it's the cutest, sweetest thing that I honest never saw coming and it was so perfect and I love how quickly and deeply he and (view spoiler) fall together and it just hurts that Serefin is in such a terrible place when he finally finds this love. I just need them to be okay. Don't hurt my baby Serefin.

I really enjoyed meeting Katya and getting the perspective of one of the Kalyazi leaders. I liked how she fell in with Serefin and how the two of them kind of became friends, despite being on opposing sides of the war. I liked how they both wanted to bring it to an end.

As always, I adore my darling Parijahan and Rashid and I reeeeeally liked getting her POV and seeing how important she really is to her people. I'm wondering what's going to happen with her character arc in the next book, especially since the gods added a forth player in this grand game and I'm guessing it's my darling queen over here. Also, all the love for Rashid and everything about him. His devotion to Parj and his jokes and everything. He's the best. (also, please let that one little comment from him have meant he's ace/aro, because that would make my day, honestly).

Everyone is really broken in this one, be warned. Everyone is at war with themselves, everyone is a little bit crazy. Dark magic abounds. Malachiasz will break you heart. And also, if you have issues with eyes, be aware that there is a great deal of eye horror in this one. Be safe. Be darling. Enjoy this dark, heartless story. It's amazing.

Did not finish only because it has been a while since I read Wicked Saints and I was feeling a little lost. However, that being said, I LOVED what I read.! Dark and twisty, perfect mood for reading around the Halloween season! Will finish after re-reading Wicked Saints! Looking forward to giving this another try! Love Emily's writing style!

Definitely a strong sequel to a very interesting series! I found it a little outside my personal tastes- more poetic mystery and not many concrete facts about the world and what is going on, but if you are into super dark, mysterious, and spooky fantasy/ magic, this series would be right up your alley. I found the writing much stronger in the sequel than in the first book, and the story telling was more compelling. Biggest drawback for me was just feeling like I didn't know what was going on, which is not my preference. This is purposeful by the author however, not a flaw in her writing, so if you prefer having that sense of mystery and not knowing all the elements of a magical system, etc. until all is revealed in the final book I would highly recommend.

Sometimes second books in a series can fall short of expectations, this one did not. All the storylines didn’t get tangled, and were written well. The anticipation of what is going to happen next is clawing at me!

This book was one I have been waiting on since I finished Wicked saints, and to say it was everything I hoped for and more is an understatement, I honestly can't put into words how this book made me feel other than I loved every BLOODY second of it.
I love how the characters have grown and developed throughout the books, the story its self has followed along perfectly and I didn't feel like id missed anything with the way this followed on from the first book.
My particular favourite point of this book is the enemies to lovers relationship between Nadya and Malachiasz, you can see how much Nadya is struggling with her feelings for him and the way the books details the journey for them both is beyond amazing along with Serafin's struggles and the rest of there slightly strange group of companions problems this book has an amazing plot and pulled me in quickly and compellingly.
I found myself finishing this book in under three days and am eagerly awaiting the third instalment.

Ruthless Gods by Emily A Duncan
Book Review by Dawn Thomas

544 Pages
Publisher Wednesday Books
Release Date: April 7, 2020

Mythical, Dark Fantasy, Magic

This is the second book in the Something Dark and Holy Series. I didn’t read the first book in the series so I had to play catch up with the characters. Nadya is a cleric but has lost her connection with the Gods. She has been taken from her homeland when the monastery was destroyed. The new king, Serefin, helps her on her quest to find and return a girl taken by the Black Vulture. If they can do this, he may be able to retain his crown. There is a problem though. Nadya loves and hates the Black Vulture. Her conflicted feelings are shared by Serefin since his brother Mal is the Black Vulture.

It was a good book but I may have enjoyed it more if I read the first book in the series. This was a book I really wanted to like but had problems getting into it. I could not connect with the characters and the story did not flow easily for me. The story was written in the third person point of view.

This book hurt so good! As soon as I put down Wicked Saints I needed the sequel right away…. and now I need the final book soooo bad!!! Ruthless Gods picks up shortly after Wicked Saints left off with the Nadya dealing with the silence of her Gods, Malachiasz missing after his betrayal, and Serefin trying to deal with his new status as king as well as being God touched. If you enjoyed Wicked Saints you will love this journey as our main characters and also some new faces try to fix the cracks they made in the world… but will their quest to right their wrongs for each of their countries succeed, or break the world entirely.

In the beginning this book was a bit more difficult to get through and did a lot more world building and filling in some of the knowledge gaps on the Gods from book 1. Several times a character’s section had me saying what on earth was happening and rereading entries several times. But all of that building (and Malachaisz/Nadya teasers) was well worth it in the last quarter of the book, and OMG what an ending and set up for what is sure to be an AMAZING final installment. Duncan did such a great job of stringing me along needing answers and holding out hope for my favorite characters redemption, I love it when an author keeps me guessing! I have no idea how I am going to handle to wait for book 3 to find out how everything ends!

Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for a copy of Ruthless Gods in exchange for my honest opinion.

This was such an amazing read that I couldn’t put it down. It went everywhere with me. To the doctors office, the dentist, the eye doctor. IT WENT ABSOLUTELY EVERYWHERE. I was so sad when it ended that I immediately went and bought more books from this author!

Wow, this book took me for a ride! Sometimes series get 'second book syndrome' and the second book doesn't live up to the first, but I am hear to say that is not the case here. In this book, things get so crazy that you don't know who's good or bad or just misguided. Our three main characters, Nadya, Serefin, and Malachiasz have come into extraordinary power that they should not have and don't know how to wield. There are so many gods coming into play and I didn't know, which if any, were trying to save the world or destroy it.
The romance was also so good, I rooted for the couples and with Nadya and Malachiasz constantly battling each other, my heart was torn. I also loved getting more points of view and learning more about the side characters.
So well done and now I have to wait so long for the third book, I don't know how I'll survive.