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Our Dark Duet (Monsters of Verity #2) by V. E. Schwab

​"Kate Harker and August Flynn's dissonant notes collide to create a beautiful ending to this truly unique symphony by Schwab. It had a real Urbany Fantasy, "Romeo and Juliet" feel and in her seeminly effortless way, Schwab just made it work. This was definitely an interesting series."   

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Pros: August and Kate do have good chemistry/Ilsa is just a genuinely good soul/The ending kind of broke my heart but it worked.   

Cons: Kate’s attitude can get a little tiresome, the whole, "I'm the only one who can do it"thing/The ending felt a bit rushed, like Schwab was running close to deadline. 

Full Review: ***Disclaimer***If you have not read This Savage Song  by Schwab, please do so and then come back and read this at your leisure. That way you'll know what I'm talking about 🙌.***

It's been six months since the harsh end of This Savage Song. Six months since Kate and August went their separate ways. Kate made her way to the terrifoty of Prosperity where she finds herself teamed up with a group of "Hacktivists." Hackers who fight for the good of mankind, essentially 😂. They happen to have the means to track down strange deaths and together, they've been literally, hunting monsters. Thhe "Wardens" as they call themselves send Kate information and she hunts down and destroys the creatures. It's not a great life, but Kate finds herself reluctantly, kind of liking this quirky band of misfits. Of course, sometimes her mind will think of the monsters she's killed and she'll think of the Monster that spared her. August Flynn. 

He's been busy becoming, "Alpha", the leader of a Squad in the Night Squadrons of the FTF. Since Callum Harker's death at August's own hand, V-City has plunged into chaos. And August has taken up his brother Leo's mantle. He goes on missions but his main purpose is to "vet" souls. They bring in desperate, panicked people from South City and August plays his violin. Which is unfortunate for anyone who's soul isn't white. The FTF will not harbor Sinners. And August reaps them. It haunts him, he's in constant turmoil and is always arguing with the whisper of Leo's voice that lives in his head. He's at war with himself while he helps fight his Father's war.

Of course, Kate and August's paths meet when Kate is involved in an unfortunate run in with a new kind of Monster. Something that seems to feed off...pure chaos. A "Chaos Eater" as Kate names it. She sees it and unfortunately, it sees her. And Kate is plunged into a nightmare. She manages to keep some control but she knows that she can't stay in Prosperity. She saw inside the Monster' head and she knows it's headed to Verity. 

In true Schwab fashion, Kate Harker and August Flynn, two notes in a complicated symphony, find their dissonant lives colliding and yet, we're left with a beautiful symphony. The ending did feel rushed, though. Some deaths were just like, "Wait...did that just happen?" Overall though, this was a gut-wrenching conclusion to a really unique series. It was different, definitely one of a kind but Schwab's easy writing made it all work. The dystopian world, with the Phenomenon, the Corsai, Malchai and Sunai of Verity was vague enough as to be beliveable. This ending really kind of gutted me but I have to admit with a reluctant sigh that, it worked, it worked really well. 

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