“Our Dark Duet” by Victoria Schwab set the bar extremely high for my 5 star rating. The stories the author tells us in her second book in the series are even more brutal and managed to shake me in every way.
Book Review: “Our Dark Duet”
- Series: Monsters of Verity Book #2
- Author: Victoria Schwab
- 528 pages, Hardcover
- Published June 13, 2017 by Greenwillow Books
I’m going to tell you very briefly what you can expect from “Our Dark Duet”
If you’ve already read the first book “This Savage Song” or read the review here on our blog, then you know that the world in which the city of Verity is located is a cruel place. Monsters live here, intent on human flesh and blood. The darkness brings fear and death. Every violence brings forth a new monster.
It’s been six months since Kate ran away from home. A time spent focusing on the one thing she was convinced she was really good at: hunting the monsters in The Hollow. Because no matter how much the authorities deny it and the town’s news stations remain silent, the horror of Sincerity is taking root in this town. In those few months, Kate has been completely cut off from her hometown and has no idea what has become of Hearth and the divided city. Verity is closed, there are no transmissions, no warnings, and no one is allowed to enter or leave the city limits.
The image Schwab describes as he introduces us to the real state of the city of Verity is steeped in violence and aggression. If the monsters in This Ferocious Song disgusted you, be prepared to be shocked even more. Sloane is the heir to Kate’s father. No one is safe on the wrong side of the barricade. August and Flynn’s resistance threatens to crumble and the whole town is bathed in blood.
Identity
This theme is strongly addressed in both books. From the beginning, the main characters wrestle with the question of who they are supposed to be. Kate desperately wants to be her father’s daughter. She fights for his attention and approval, but Colin is gone and she must be anything but his daughter.
August, on the other hand, is a sunai, but he wants to be a normal boy. He lives in a constant battle with his instincts. He doesn’t want to take lives and devour sinful souls. But in “Our Dark Duet,” the concept and meaning of sonaito is now quite different. They are a symbol of justice. All refugees must pass a test before they are accepted into the ranks of Finn’s army. The sunai is the filter for good and evil.
Can I give a higher rating?
5 full stars is my rating for “Our Dark Duet” and I would not change it.
The book left me with very conflicted feelings, especially the ending. I did not expect the ending that Schwab served me. Until the last moment, I imagined that there would be a solution to all the problems, but that couldn’t be, could it? Once your soul has turned the red color of sin and a monster has been created from your actions, there is no turning back. Kate is a sinner, and it is August’s job to restore the balance.
“Our Dark Duet” is a book I would be proud to add to my library. Kate and August’s story captivated me throughout, and the world Victoria Schwab introduced me to is memorable in every way. To be honest, the author continues to win my affection and has once again solidified her place among my favorite books.
Kate Harker isn’t afraid of monsters. She hunts them. And she’s good at it.
August Flynn once yearned to be human. But no longer. He has a part to play. And he will play it, no matter the cost.
The war has begun.
The monsters are winning.
Kate will have to return to Verity. August will have to let her back in. And a new monster is waiting — one that feeds on chaos and brings out its victims’ inner demons.
Which will be harder to conquer: the monsters they face, or the monsters within?
