Ruthless Gods

February 1, 2020
Magic and romance steeped in blood and betrayal. After the dramatic conclusion of Wicked Saints (2019), things have stuttered along. Serefin is king of Tranavia, but the court doesn't trust him; Malachiasz is the Black Vulture, a monstrous magic wielder, but he still doesn't have the power he sought, and Nadya can no longer hear her gods. Dual narration from Nadya's and Serefin's perspectives, with additional narrative interludes including two of the handful of brown characters in this Eastern European-influenced world of pale skin, takes readers on a (pedestrian) road trip to a scary forest where everyone has a goal that involves killing one of their reluctant allies and sort-of friends. Nadya and Malachiasz continue their doomed, toxic, intense romance even as they work at direct cross-purposes while Serefin (more tortured and less charming this time around) figures out that he likes Kacper and fights a voice in his head; meanwhile, gods (or maybe monsters) stir and manipulate mortals. The pacing lags early on before settling into a steady forward direction, and the prose veers toward overwrought, leavened by charmingly snarky, contemporary-sounding dialogue; fans of the first volume will be pleased to have more of the same, with higher stakes and increasingly complicated questions of power and divinity. Why mess with a formula that works? (map) (Fantasy. 14-18)

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April 24, 2020

Gr 9 Up-Duncan's sequel to Wicked Saints is dark and beautiful. Months after the horrific events at the cathedral, Nadya is trapped in Grazyk with Serefin, King of Tranavia, while Malachiasz lurks in the Salt Mines. As Nadya struggles to understand the black scar on her palm, Serefin tries to stop the voice in his head and garish visions. After visits from the witch Pelageya, the three learn that in order to put an end to what was started, they must enter the realm of the divine. The king and the cleric, along with the monster and their allies, encounter fallen ancient gods, now awake with mad and hungry power. Readers will be quickly pulled back into the strangely intertwined lives of Nadya, Serefin, and Malachiasz-the continued development of these characters is a testament to Duncan's powerful writing style and vivid imagination. The monsters, gods and goddesses described in this book are transfixing, and the pace is clipped, with plot twists and surprises to keep readers engaged and eager for the third volume in the trilogy. VERDICT A sure hit for fans of the first installment. Purchase where gothic fantasy is popular.-Kimberly Barbour, Manatee County Public Library System, FL

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