My second ever OwlCrate came a couple of weeks ago, and once again, I was thrilled with the contents (and especially the book!). This Savage Song by Victoria Schwab had been getting so much dang hype since being released in early July that I could not contain my excitement when it showed up in my box. Since the book has an overarching “good vs evil” plot, the box carried the same theme. Half of the subscribers received a good box and half received an evil one. Which did I get? Well, read on my dear friend…
 

Did I get the “good” or the “evil” box? Can you tell from the little objects below?

I got the good box! Yay! I always knew I was awesome, and this just confirmed it. Here were the main contents:
1. A Dobby POP Figure from Funko! The other “good” character I could have gotten was Luna Lovegood. The evil box had either Draco Malfoy or a dementor (not going to lie: the dementor looked really cool).
2. A beautiful Millennium Falcon necklace from Vector Engraving. The evil box had a Death Star necklace (also supremely cool).
3. A magnetic bookmark of Alice from Alice in Wonderland by Jane’s Tiny Things. The evil box had the Red Queen.
4. A sticker with a quote from Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff. It says, “You have me. Until the last star in the galaxy dies, you have me.” *swoon* The evil sticker was baller, though. It said, “Am I not merciful?” It’s what the villain in the book says at one of its creepier moments and is totally spot-on-perfect. The stickers were made by Drop and Give me Nerdy (who also has a subscription box that I subscribe to!).

5. And finally the book, which always comes with a note from the author! This Savage Song is a urban fantasy novel about a city that has been overrun with monsters and is consequently divided. The story follows two characters who are the children of the powerful leaders from their respective sections. See below for my review.

This Savage Song by Victoria Schwab
Series: Monsters of Verity #1
Published by Greenwillow Books on July 5th 2016
Genres: Horror, Fantasy, Paranormal
Pages: 464
Format: Hardback
Goodreads

There’s no such thing as safe in a city at war, a city overrun with monsters. In this dark urban fantasy from author Victoria Schwab, a young woman and a young man must choose whether to become heroes or villains—and friends or enemies—with the future of their home at stake. The first of two books.

Kate Harker and August Flynn are the heirs to a divided city—a city where the violence has begun to breed actual monsters. All Kate wants is to be as ruthless as her father, who lets the monsters roam free and makes the humans pay for his protection. All August wants is to be human, as good-hearted as his own father, to play a bigger role in protecting the innocent—but he’s one of the monsters. One who can steal a soul with a simple strain of music. When the chance arises to keep an eye on Kate, who’s just been kicked out of her sixth boarding school and returned home, August jumps at it. But Kate discovers August’s secret, and after a failed assassination attempt the pair must flee for their lives.

a broken society, things that go bump in the night, and a hint of Romeo & Juliette

I liked this book from the moment I opened it. I LOVE all things horror, so when you combine monsters with a super fun plot you deliver me a winner.

What I loved:

1. The monsters. The monsters, the monsters, the monsters. I loved everything about them. Tell me this song isn’t cool. Just tell me (that’s right, you can’t):
   

   “Monsters, monsters, big and small,
   They’re gonna come and eat you all.
   Corsai, Corsai, tooth and claw,
   Shadow and bone will eat you raw.
   Malchai, Malchai, sharp and sly,
   Smile and bite and drink you dry.
   Sunai, Sunai, eyes like coal,
   Sing you a song and steal your soul.
   Monsters, monsters, big and small,
   They’re gonna come and eat you all!”

2. The city. It’s North and South divided. These halves are completely different, they hate each other, and they’re both full of spooky monsters (both human monsters and monster monsters).
3. Good vs. evil! Every character in the book oscillates between good and evil. You can’t necessarily trust a “good” character not to be evil or an “evil” character not to become good. I see exactly how the theme of this OwlCrate came to be!
4. The ending. The story arc gets mostly resolved (which I appreciate). There isn’t a huge cliffhanger, but there is a hint of the next novel at the very end of the book… and it is SO COOL.

What I didn’t love:

1. That there wasn’t more of it. That it ended. That I have to wait WHO KNOWS HOW LONG for the sequel.

If you like horror at all, you should this. It’s fast, it’s fun, it’s HORRORlicious.

What do you think? Would you read This Savage Song? Have you read this yet? What were your thoughts?

A.S. Thornton

A.S. Thornton has evolved from book blogger to author with a particular fondness for writing forbidden love in ancient deserts. When not writing, she’s caring for dogs and cats as a veterinarian. You’ll never find animals at the center of her writing, though, because those fictional worlds don’t have veterinarians and her literal brain can’t accept that the poor critters would be without parasite prevention. Thornton’s debut, DAUGHTER OF THE SALT KING is available wherever books are sold.