Our Dark Duet (Monsters of Verity, 2)

Like book 1 not my favorite Schwab story, but I still could inhale everything she writes.

- plot-heavy - spannend

3,5 🌟 Nachdem mir der erste Teil wirklich gut gefallen hat, muss ich sagen, dass Teil zwei mich nicht hundertprozentig überzeugen konnte. Insgesamt stehe ich der Geschichte recht neutral gegenüber, da ich nichts richtig schlecht, aber auch nichts überragend gut gefunden habe. Mein größtes Problem mit dieser Fortsetzung war das Tempo. Die erste Hälfte des Buches zieht sich ganz schön, während es im letzten Drittel Schlag auf Schlag geht. Obwohl der Schreibstil wirklich toll ist, hat mich das Buch nicht von Anfang an mitreißen können, und diese emotionale Distanz hat sich leider bis zum Ende gehalten. Schade ist auch, dass sich die Weltgestaltung weiterhin nur auf Verity und Umgebung beschränkt. Was das Ende betrifft, bin ich mir immer noch nicht sicher, ob ich es mag. Es ist sicher ein guter Abschluss für diese Reihe, doch mir persönlich hat einfach etwas gefehlt, um sie für mich selbst hundertprozentig zufrieden abschließen zu können.

Inhalt: Seit den Ereignissen aus Band 1 und dem Tod von Callum Harker sind knapp sechs Monate vergangen und es hat sich sowohl in Verity, als auch in Prosperity einiges geändert. Die beiden Protagonisten Kate und August haben sich im letzten Band voneinander verabschiedet und gehen am Anfang dieses Folgebandes getrennte Wege. Beide verfolgen ihre ganz persönlichen Ziele und beide mussten in den vergangenen Monaten so einiges durchmachen, das Spuren hinterlassen hat. Während August in Verity an vorderster Front an der Seite seines Vaters und eines neu entstandenen Sunais für die FTF kämpft, befindet sich Kate auf Monster-Jagd und trifft dabei ein sehr mächtiges, gefährliches und unheimliches Schattenmonster, das die Fähigkeit hat, Menschen gegeneinander aufzubringen - und zwar bis zum bitteren Tod. Nachdem sich Kates Wege immer wieder mit dem des Schattenmonsters kreuzen, bemerkt sie nach einer Weile, dass auch sie nicht immun gegen dessen (böse) Macht ist. Mit aller Kraft kämpft sie gegen den Einfluss dieses neuen Monsters an und begibt sich - auf der Suche nach ihm - zurück nach Hause in Prosperity. Dort angekommen bemerkt sie, dass die Malchais Jagd auf sie machen. Und es machen sich Gerüchte breit, dass der Drahtzieher kein Geringerer als Sloan ist. Ob Kate da je wieder heil heraus kommt? Meine Meinung: Während Schab das Storytelling in Band 1 eher ruhiger und gemächlicher angehen liess und viel Zeit in das Worldbuilding investiert hat, geht es in Band 2 deutlich actionsreicher und gefährlicher zu. Durch den Zeitsprung werden am Anfang des Buches viele neue Nebenfiguren eingeführt, die die Wege von Kate oder August gekreuzt haben. Ich hatte damit am Anfang etwas Mühe und dachte mir schon, dass ich zwischen Teil 1 und Teil 2 irgendetwas verpasst hätte. Nachdem ich aber dann halbwegs eine Orientierung darüber gefunden habe, wer eigentlich wer ist, konnte ich mich besser auf die Geschichte einlassen. Band 2 ist durchweg spannend und beinhaltet sehr viel Blutvergiessen. Ich fand das Buch stellenweise sogar etwas ZU temporeich und bin der Meinung, dass die Story rund um Kate und August als Trilogie besser funktioniert hätte, weil die Autorin dann nicht so durch die Story hätte hetzen müssen. Insgesamt bin ich aber sehr zufrieden darüber, wie sie die Geschichte am Ende aufgelöst hat. Auch wenn mir insbesondere das Ende ein wenig zu schnell ging und es für meinen Geschmack zu offen war. Die Auflösung der Identität des Schattenmonsters fand ich dagegen wiederum sehr gelungen und hätte ich so auch nicht erwartet. Schade, dass aber auch darauf kaum mehr eingegangen wird. Ein Minuspunkt gibt es von mir auch noch für die Einführung dieser oben erwähnten Nebenfiguren. Wie sich später herausstellt, kommt keiner davon im späteren Verlauf der Geschichte mehr vor und es war mir am Ende schleierhaft, weshalb sie überhaupt eingeführt wurden. Meiner Meinung nach hätte Schwab das getrost weglassen und sich auf die vielen, bereits bestehenden Haupt- und Nebencharaktere fokussieren können. Nicht ganz so stark wie Band 1, aber dennoch eine sehr packende und actionreiche Dilogie, die ich trotz einiger Schwächen sehr empfehlen kann. Für den zweiten Teil kann ich aber aufgrund einiger Kritikpunkte diesmal nur 4 Sterne vergeben.

An amazing conclusion to an amazing duology. I can't exactly explain why but this book seems very different from the first one. Despite all that happened both Kate and August seem stronger, more mature. They have grown in the six months since the last book. I feel that Kate is more open to the reader, more ready to say that she's afraid and show her emotions and deeper thoughts and feelings. And, seemingly against her will, she's made friends! And she misses August... August reads as grown up too. He has a team, has Leo's position, and he seems well adapted to it, seems to fill the role perfectly. He just wants to do the best he can for the people around him. Even if that kills him a little, because, as the refugees from North City pour in, he has to screen them, make sure no sinner enter South City, which means that he has to take their souls/life force, and that takes its toll on him... Besides, Leo is a voice grating inside his head... But he is much more mature now. It's a great development for these two characters! Well, Sloan narrates here too. And we get a backstory. He is powerful and unique. He arose from a massacre of twelve people, but, maybe because the people Harker killed were not innocents, he was born Malchai instead of Sunai. (but that's just a theory; the other says that fate has a sense of humour and that's less believable.) And yeah, Kate's monster looks like her but has her mother's name. Kate is going to come back to V-City because someone (Sloan) is wreaking havoc in her name (Alice). And I had a feeling that her friends (because they are her friends) from P-City are going to come with her, but unfortunately they didn't and the way their friendship ended was really sad, none of them deserved that... And I liked her new connections, the people she met; I think they are good for her (and in a way she is good for them too). I love that Colin is with August in the Compound, love that he treats August the same, that he wants to be on his team, even though I think like August and just want to protect that little cinnamon bun from harm! The creepiest monster in this duolgy award goes to the one that attacks Kate, gets into her mind and affects her so much, even long after it escapes. Kate is half out of her mind... Although Alice is creepy as hell too! An entire block completely dark, FTF soldiers strewn about, dead, and one to serve as bait, drawing them to the room only to be attacked by the human monsters, the Fangs (humans who have submitted to the monsters reigning over North City). And August is so strong trying to save Rez and keeping the others occupied with a song... But still she dies... And he kills the people who attacked them, leaving the one who murdered Rez for last and being rougher, holding revenge in his veins and then regretting how he did things... August also waited, among his dead comrades to kill the monsters made that night. And then there's Alice. She's taunting August, knows he sees Kate in her too and hesitates to kill her on sight. She wants to take him (thanks to Sloan's idea) but has had difficulties getting there. And, after the horrible night he had, August finally assumed the posture of a leader, but he's considering going off the deep end and do like Leo (just to become the monster the humans need, like he thinks his brother did), but I'm glad he never had to do that, at least not completely. And Kate is still half lost in what the monster did to her... She's going insane, in the sense that she is loosing control of herself and reality. She's responding in anger, her temper quick and uncontrollable. It's really bad, I was really worried about her. That monster is truly monstrous and is severely messing with her head... But she's strong enough to try to fight it when she realizes exactly how he is messing with her (through a kind of mirror shard in her eye). And so, instead of being the victim and falling down into confusion and memories that leave her feeling poorly, she uses the monster's way of getting into her head to search for it. And where does she find it? Verity. So then she packs for Verity, to warn August and try to vanquish this monster before it causes any more trouble and destroys the city fully. Kate is actually hurt by the fact that she left her life and friends in Prosperity behind to go back to Verity to kill a monster... Which only makes her ending more heartbreaking... Alice is completely and utterly insane! It's ridiculous the things she thinks and comes up with! Shoving a red-hot metal spike in a Malchai's ear to keep them from listening to a Sunai's song... She is every bit the monster Kate thought she was and wanted to be, just like August said, and it's creepy and frightening! And August is losing it a little, but I the sense that he is forcing himself to change because he couldn't protect Rez and he wants to do everything in his power to save the people in the Compound and outside South City. He is pushing himself to Leo's level, but it hurts him because he is not like that (even after going dark the last time and losing a piece of himself). And the monster from Prosperity did not pick a side, it's simply making humans (FTF or Fangs) kill each other, rising their tempers to the point of uncontrollable and making them snap. And, again, Kate has car trouble, but this time she runs to the border, the green. There she finds everything empty and abandoned but for one house. The guy lets her in but it's only a pretext to give her to the Corsai because the monsters don't let him sleep since they want to eat him but can't get into the house he's occupying. But she stays alive by having a "fight" with the man and sending him into the dark and awaiting Corsai. And Kate lives and sleeps and is still doing her best to resist the monster in her head and think rationally instead of violently and without thought. August is slowly becoming like Leo, violence creeping into his veins (when he doesn't have to worry about other people's lives) and shadow now slides out and helps him kill the monsters. Kate encounters Fangs in North City but manages to run across the Seam to South City. But there Soro, the other Sunai (this story has everything, this character is "they", not "he" or "she"; it's really refreshing to see this type of growth in a book, where gender is addressed in this way), almost kills her, because she's a sinner. But she calls August and he comes and saves her from being reaped but he is not kind. Not like he was before, and Kate, like me, sees how different August is how much space he takes, how commanding he can be. And she's surprised by that change. While Soro is interviewing Kate there's a moment when she tilts her head back and the silver in her eye shows in the camera and August catches it: a light, a blurring-focusing-blurring of the image, something that only happens with monsters. And I think Kate hit the jackpot when she says, during the interview, that the monster from the restaurant makes the victims the monsters, by amplifying the violence in them. It doesn't take matters into its own hands, as the other monsters, it makes the humans commit the crimes (and needs it to make it real, instead of just shadow). It's quite the difference in MO compared to the others! Kate's and August's relationship is very strained when they meet again, after the interview, especially because he has a wall up and because he forced the truth out of her. But she seems to feel more comfortable with Henry than I was expecting! They have a nice, smooth conversation and she tells him what he needs to know without it having to be forced out of her. And when Emily shows up, Kate turns colder. I like her interaction with Henry. And I have a feeling she'd be just as in love with Allegro as Ilsa and the rest of the Flynns if she hadn't died... When she is alone with August again she confronts him, again, about his complete change, pushes him enough that he snaps and gives her an answer. But I'll have to agree with Kate on this one: August is lying. He can't lie, yes, but the lies you tell yourself (and end up truly believing in) are still lies, ones that even Sunai can tell. And Leo keeps making comments in August's head, and it's grating on my nerves because even in death he manages to make August more to his image and I don't like it. I liked it better when August wasn't forced to step up and protect humans, simply because he was forced to change himself for that, because he feels too much and cares too much and now he can't... And that saddens me... With Ilsa's help, Kate starts to understand what August has been forced to do all these months, but she is still looking for the monster with hopes and dreams of being human. August and Kate go hunting for the monster (Chaos Eater) but it's too late it's already unleashing violence on the FTF soldiers' minds. Even August is kind of entranced by the monster, his response slow and when he finally picks up the violin, the monster's gone and a soldier is getting up. When he sees Kate, he lunges for her and August then starts playing. And he sees the oddest thing: the soldier's soul isn't red or white, it's both! And Kate sees herself reflected in that soldier, so August takes her away from him. They have a very sweet talk and August admits why he changed because the world doesn't need a hopeful August but August the monster... But Kate, sweet, sweet Kate (because despite all that she transmitted before, she is sweet) tells him to hold on, even though it hurts, to hold on to whatever makes him fight. And what August doesn't tell her is that she is the one that makes him keep on fighting! And it's such an adorable moment! And they kiss! But it doesn't last long because, apparently, kissing Kate has the exact same effect as music or violence. (And August is sarcastic for once and it's so unexpected that I laughed out loud!) The new monster feeds off violence and it makes it solid, if not for long. AT one point, the monster seems to engulf a prey inside itself (but it can be by looking at its eyes only) and it probably works like a virus at first, infecting the host and changing their eyes. Then it only takes one look at those eyes and other humans fall to the same trance and it spreads and feeds the monster. The thing here is that, and I had wondered about this before, this kind of violence doesn't breed monsters. In Sloan's words, the violence returns to its source, without the aftermath of more monsters. Kate tries so hard to lure the monster to where she is, but Sloan has a better plan, to gather all the Fangs in the basement of the previously known as Harker Hall and makes them fight, calling the monster to himself and trapping him under a cage with a pure gold sheet on top (which no monster likes, at all, they react worse than with any other metal). And then it's caught, completely under Sloan's control and he can unleash him on the Compound like he so desperately wishes... Sloan launches his plan and blows up a lot of places in South City throwing it into chaos. August falls to the subway because of an explosion and Alice explodes the ground near him, sending him to the river (and he might have gone dark had not Kate called Soro to help). But Kate sees Alice and she's startled by how similar they are, by the fact that she's right there, in Verity, in front of her. She confronts August and he tries to comfort her (and I love them). Now, thanks to Alice, Sloan knows that Kate is in Verity and he very much wants to kill her (because, for him, she's the one who got away, hence all the surrogate girls he killed). The entirety of the FTF receives a message that is meant for Kate. It's baiting her to go to Alice/Sloan and she knows it but goes anyway. August, of course, understands the message for what it is and goes after Kate. (August's squad is the best!!!) It gets them nowhere. Kate and Harris are injured and Henry, after joining the Alpha squad at the Sean, gets kidnapped by Sloan. The ending, like in the previous book, is a crescendo that rises very quickly and lasts for what seems to be a blink of an eye. But it's terrifying and sad and horrible and I want to cry. Kate gives in to the monster to fight Alice while the rest of August's team (and all the Night Squads) go back to the Compound to fight the new monster. There Sloan is fighting Ilsa and August joins the fight and the Malchai finally, finally dies. But the monster is real, has a shape (flickering) and even Sunai start faltering under its spell, as if they are hungry, tallies burning. And just as August starts toward it, because Soro is playing in the speakers and soothing every soul, Ilsa runs, goes dark and kills the monster herself. But she dies, turns to ash before August's eyes and it's heartbreaking... And then he goes after Kate because he hated leaving her, and she dies too! Alice put her on the edge of death and Kate let herself (because she wanted to) be reaped by August (even though he doesn't want that because he loves her so much!)... And, again, I'm crying! It's not fair... This hurt too much... But August is left with her soul in him (even though he didn't know if he would, but very much hoped to). So this book was amazing, reflecting too much the ugly side of humanity and society but also the best side of it. It had a bittersweet ending, that hurt but that was exactly right with the rest of the story. Heroes don't always win, they are not made of stone, they fall and make mistakes and hurt just like the rest of us. So I have to say that this duology was amazing, one the most creative, different and powerful stories I've ever read. So it is going to the "All-Time Favorites" and "always going to come back to" shelves. Because I don't think any other book deserves it more, this one is so different and special that it has a very special and sweet place in my heart. Always and forever.

This book! It brought me out of a giant reading slump! Rtc!

Im Sommer 2020 habe ich „This Savage Song“ von Victoria Schwab in einem durchgelesen. Zu Weihnachten bekam ich dann den zweiten Teil der Monster of Verity- Duology - „Our Dark Duet“ - geschenkt.„Our Dark Duet“ spielt fünf Jahre nach „This Savage Song“. Kate Hacker jagt immer noch Monster, aber außerhalb von Verity. Doch dann wird sie von einer neuen Art von Monster angegriffen. Sie versucht es auszuschalten, was sie zurück nach Verity führt.In Verity ist August Flynn Teil einer Söldnertruppe, die sich ebenfalls der Jagd von Monster verschrieben hat. Er hatte gedacht Kate nie wieder zu sehen, doch dann steht sie plötzlich vor ihm. Gemeinsam versuchen sie das neue Monster, das sich von den dunklen Herzen der Menschen ernährt, zur Strecke zu bringen.Die Erwartungen an „Our Dark Duet“ von Victoria Schwab war hoch. Zu Beginn des Buches wirkte es so, als ob diese nicht erfüllt werden. August und Kate scheinen die Rollen getauscht zu haben. Kate ist optimistisch, während August hoffnungslos auf sein Leben blickt. Beide wirken daher nicht mehr wie die Charaktere aus „This Savage Song“. Nach dem Kate und August wieder aufeinander treffen, ist die Dynamik zwischen den beiden aber wie früher.In „Our Dark Duet“ erschafft Victoria Schwab ein Monster, welches anders ist, als die anderen. Es ernährt sich von Chaos, Gewalt und Tod. Dadurch wirkt es unaufhaltsam. Doch es treibt gleichzeitig die Charakterentwicklung voran. Außerdem setzt Schwab in den Buch auf Metaphern. Viele davon sind auf den ersten Blick nicht ersichtlich. Das Monster wie Menschen und Menschen die Monster sind wird regelmäßig wiederholt.„Our Dark Duet“ von Victoria Schwab ist ein würdiger Abschluss der Duology, wenn auch schmerzhaft.

4,5/5 ☆ I listened to the audiobook of this novel. I love August and Kate so much, and I am really sad that their story is concluded with this novel. I would have loved to read more about them. But the thing I enioy mkst about this duology is the world it is set it. It is just such an interesting concept! And the writing is fantastic anyway, but I don't expect anything different from Victoria, honestly. This one was a bit more action packed than the first one which I also loved. Overall a very enjoyable duology!

I absolutely loved it. I will never recover, these characters will stay with me forever. I was so scared to pick up the second book, but it did not disappoint, it gave me so much. Character development felt so real, Kate and August are literally better then any other ship out there. They didn't even need romance to make me fall in love. I feel whole and not at the same time after having to leave this one behind. Absolute must read for me. V. E. Schwab, you're awesome.

Da mir der Auftakt so wahnsinnig gut gefallen hat, zog auch die Fortsetzung als Hörbuch ein und wieder macht Michael Hansonis die Sache perfekt. Er schafft es ein Gänsehautfeelig zu vermitteln und bringt den lockeren, düsteren und atmosphärischen Schreibstil der Autorin wunderbar rüber. Die wechselnden Perspektiven von August, Kate und Sloan sind einfach spannend und versprechen Tiefgang. Auch wenn zwischen Teil 1 und 2 bei mir eine Pause war, kam ich wieder gut in die Story rein. Kate befindet sich noch immer in Prosperity und befindet sich dort auf Monsterjagd. Doch, wer hätte das gedacht, Kate ist nicht allein unterwegs. Sie hat sich mit ein paar Nerds zusammen getan und sie jagen als Team. Man bekommt fast den Eindruck, dass sich die junge Frau wohl fühlen und Freunde haben könnte. Was tatsächlich so ist. Zumindest bis ein noch nie dagewesenes Monster auftaucht. Dieses führt sie zurück zu ihren Wurzeln. Zurück nach Verity. Zurück zu August. August ist nicht mehr der, der er in Teil 1 war. Das Geschehene hat ihn verändert und er kämpft jetzt ganz vorn mit im FEK. Er scheint so verloren, was mir das Herz gebrochen hat, denn seine wir ehrlich, er ist ein wahnsinnig toller Charakter. Kate wurde auch geprägt, aber sie will kämpfen und schlägt sich auf die Seite des FEK. Sie gibt ihr Bestes und rettet der Truppe mehr als einmal das Leben. Ich liebe ihre große Klappe und ihren Mut einfach. Fazit Wer wirklich dunkle Fantasy mit einem überzeugenden Sprecher mag, ist mit diesem Hörbuch sehr gut beraten. Die Zeit verfliegt und Michael Hansonis versteht es einen in die grausame Welt zu entführen und erst aus den Fängen zu entlassen, wenn man am Ende ist. Es wird düsterer, blutiger und stellenweise hoffnungsloser als in Teil 1. Es war also genau nach meinem Geschmack. Mir hat das Finale ebenso super gefallen, wie der Auftakt. Erneut gibt es monströse 5 Sterne von mir.