Ruthless Gods by Emily A Duncan

Ruthless Gods (Something Dark and Holy, #2)

by Emily A Duncan

Nadya doesn't trust her magic anymore. Serefin is fighting off a voice in his head that doesn't belong to him. Malachiasz is at war with who-and what-he's become.

As their group is continually torn apart, the girl, the prince, and the monster find their fates irrevocably intertwined. They're pieces on a board, being orchestrated by someone. or something. The voices that Serefin hears in the darkness, the ones that Nadya believes are her gods, the ones that Malachiasz is desperate to meet-those voices want a stake in the world, and they refuse to stay quiet any longer.

In her dramatic follow-up to Wicked Saints, the first book in her Something Dark and Holy trilogy, Emily A. Duncan paints a Gothic, icy world where shadows whisper and no one is who they seem, with a shocking ending that will leave you breathless.

Reviewed by Witty and Sarcastic Bookclub on

4 of 5 stars

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Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with this book in exchange for my honest opinion. This book is available now.

Gothically gorgeous, this follow-up to Wicked Saints (review here) was everything I wanted it to be. I loved the darker vibe, and the progression of characters. It took a little bit longer to really “get going” than the first book did, but the character-building made it worth it. All of the main players have had their world shaken in some form or another, and seeing how they handled it (or didn’t) was fascinating.

I enjoyed reading about Nadya’s crisis of faith (for lack of a better term); it was heartbreaking and interesting, all at once. As in Wicked Saints, Malachiasz was my favorite (I’ve nicknamed him “Mal” because there is zero chance I’ll ever read that name correctly). He’s such a complicated character; I love it!

Emily A. Duncan’s strength lies in her ability to create an atmosphere both dangerous and foreboding. I had no idea what was going to happen next, which was fabulous. My only complaint about this book is that I would have loved to have a summary from Wicked Saints in the beginning, simply because so much happened.

If you like a darker feel to your fantasy, this series is for you.

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  • 6 April, 2020: Reviewed
  • Started reading
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