I received an eARC of this book via the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of this review.

This Savage Song by Victoria Schwab is a unique story about a girl, a monster, and a war that is brewing beneath the surface of their city. It’s been years since the world as we know it collapsed and monsters came out of the shadows, born of our evils. Now the citizens of Verity are ruled by a cruel man who works with the monsters to control the population. His daughter Kate Harker wants to take his place and prove her worth and now that she’s given her father no choice but to bring her home she can. On the other side of Verity is another man, a good man, working to rid the city of monsters and free the people. His son August Flynn wants to be human, normal, not the monster he was born to be.

Kate is a difficult character to like. In fact she got on my nerves. She projects this air of nobility, of being better than everyone else because she is a Harker. She does things to make the other students scared of her. She’s mean, manipulative, and works towards being worthy of the empire her father’s acquired. She’s never had a friend, but the new boy at school intrigues her.

August is easy to like, yet hard to understand. He is one of the three types of monsters that roam the city. He is (at the same time) the least and most dangerous of them all. He kills with his music, eating the souls of sinners, specifically those that have killed another human. He detests his nature and fights it at every turn, which is one of the reasons I like him. August is a monster with morals, an oxymoron. His father enrolls him in the private school in Verity to keep an eye on Harker’s daughter, find out if she is as evil as her father. But August finds a kindred spirit in Kate and finds he must be very careful to keep his true nature hidden.

The story alternates between Kate and August’s POV, and I found myself skimming Kate’s chapters to get to August’s. The plot revolves around the brewing war between the two sides of the city. An attempt to frame August for Kate’s death leads to the two of them running for their lives out of the city. It’s suspenseful, fast-paced, and one of those reads that I couldn’t tear my eyes from!

Overall I enjoyed the book, despite not being a fan of Kate. The world-building was intriguing to say the least and intricate. I loved the little details the author gives to their world, complete with a history! If you’re a fan of paranormal, fantasy, and don’t mind a touch (just a touch) of romance, I highly recommend it.