I started his right after finishing Wicked Saints but I made myself read this one more slowly because the conclusion is coming in 2 weeks and I wanted as short a time as possible waiting to find out how it ends.
I really liked this one too. But I am so mad at Emily for making me love a monster so hard!! But I love Malachiasz so much. I will stop here and say that I won't spoil you for this book but I will make reference to Wicked Saints so if you are worried about spoilers stop here and just know I think you should read these books.
And a reminder that while the story is deep and thought provoking and really good and interesting, a major catalyst of the Something Dark and Holy trilogy is blood, using it, cutting yourself to get at it, being covered in it...there is a lot of blood. If cutting/self-harm (see note at the end) triggers you or blood makes you squeamish, this isn't the story for you. And that is ok, not all stories are right for everyone.
So here in Ruthless Gods we start about 4 months after the ending of Wicked Saints. Nadya is still in Grazyk with Serfein. Still with us are Ostyia, Kacper, Parijahan, and Rashid. The gods and goddesses are here, sort of in some ways, and a new character joins the mix. We meet Katya, who is quite the interesting person. I liked her more before a certain incident and then became quite angry with her for something she did that caused a terrible thing, or allowed the terrible thing, to happen. There hasn't been resolution of this yet so I wonder if it will come up and be confronted in Blessed Monsters.
There is one particular scene that really made me feel icky from the gore, and that is saying something since this is a book rooted in the use of blood. But I understand why it happened and it didn't stop me from really enjoying the book.
The thread started in book 1, which really feels like the overarching theme here, is are the monsters who we think they are? Who are our enemies and why? And, how far can love take you?
I am really looking forward to finding out where this goes and how it can possibly end and end well for characters I have fallen hard for.
**Note: even when the harm isn't a defense to anxiety but a way to access magic there is cutting and there is a reference somewhere to noticing faint scars and that seed planted in the observer's mind because cutting for magic doesn't usually scar but heals and leaves no scars. It isn't dwelled upon or described in that context but the mention is there**
(Finished March 21, 2021)
No comments:
Post a Comment