* Disclaimer: I received a copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. *

Prepare yourself to settle in with this one for the long haul. It's an investment, but I found it worth the time. Ruthless Gods is a very slow burn with an extensive reach. There are lots of intermittent moments of tension and action to keep things going (just as in the first book in the series). There are also places where the prose gets quite thick and confusing, so a slow and steady reading is best. Don't expect this to be a single sitting read. Plan to spend a little time here. It is a rewarding read, but takes some patience and diligence.

This continues to be a severely dark and BLOODY series. It is marketed as YA, but absolutely feels more adult to me due to the level of macabre. I'd say split the difference and regard this one as New Adult.

There were some improvements over the first novel and some places where this second in the trilogy felt a little less polished. There was a lot of repetition utilization to hammer home pieces of the plot or bits of foreshadowing. This grew a little frustrating. The inclusion of cultural dialect (there is heavy Russian and Polish influence in the creation of this world) continues to be a bit of a struggle for me. My ability to infer language apparently just isn't that great and this frustrated me on occasion. On the positive side, the plot progression is good and the world development continues to be very detailed and intriguing. Character development felt more balanced and well fleshed out in this sequel, owing partially to the setup from the first novel. Nadya is admittedly a less than sophisticated character and feels, at times, annoyingly naive, but this can easily be attributed to her upbringing and age. She acts very much like a teenager in her confusions of both her situation as a cleric and her romantic feelings for Malachiasz. It can be frustrating as a reader, but seems appropriate to her particular situation. I would have liked to have more of Parijahan in this novel, but I have a feeling that she will be making more of an impact in the finale.

As with Wicked Saints, the ending of Ruthless Gods gave some resolution and satisfaction, but it also left open some large pieces in the plot for the next installment to explain and solve. This book made me pause and pay attention. It is an intricate read, but an entertaining one. There is some overly cerebral construction, but it is worth the investment to focus and take the time to move through the pages. I am looking forward to the concluding novel in the series and hope for a satisfying conclusion.