This Savage Song by Victoria Schwab Book Analysis

Fantasy fiction is a type of literature in which the storyline is impossible to imagine happening in actual life. Victoria Schwab's work This Savage Song is an excellent example of fantasy literature since it has mythical monsters, transformations, and a battle between good and evil. 

To begin, a  mythological creature is a mystical animal, sometimes half monster and part human, whose origins have not or cannot be confirmed in the book. August, the hero is a mythological creature since he is both human and part beast and possesses fantastical abilities. For instance, “Monsters, monsters, big and small’, she sang cheerfully. “They’re gonna come and eat you all’. A shiver ran through him. “Corsai, Corsai, tooth and claw, Shadow and bone will eat you raw. Malchai, Malachai, sharp and sly, Smile and bite and drink you dry’. August swallowed hard, knowing what came next. ‘Sunai, Sunai, eyes like coal, Sing you a song and steal your soul’. The little girl’s smile grew even wider. ‘`Monsters, monsters, big and small, They’re gonna come and eat you all!’”. (Schwab 3, 99-100). This quotation discusses mythical animals, what they are known as, how they look like, and how they consume. This Savage Song has fantastic creatures, demonstrating why it is a wonderful example of fantasy fiction.

Furthermore, in a fantasy fiction work, transformation refers to a dramatic reform in a natural shape or appearance. It is the power to physically convert oneself into a supernatural being. Mythical creatures change shape according to their emotions or the environment.“Where there had been a boy, now there was a monster. Tall, and graceful and terrifying. The chains crumbled from its wrists, blew away like ash, when it lifted its head, its black eyes gazed wide and empty, lightless, shineless, matte as the sky on a moonless night. Smoke trailed up over the creature’s head into horns and billowed behind its back into wings and shed curls of fire like burning paper. And there, in the center of its body, cracking through the darkness like a smoldering coal, its heart pulsed with fiery, constant light”.(Schwab 8, 744). The hero transformed his body from a boy to a flaming monster. Since it is supernatural, monster transformations and shapeshifting are fantastic examples of fantasy fiction.

Lastly, a conflict between good and evil examines the hero's process of development as they deal with their good and bad thoughts or desires. Usually, a battle between good and evil occurs to the hero or the monster in order for them not to harm anyone.“Anger, madness, joy…. I don’t want to keep going. That’s what he’d said in the woods.”(Schwab 2, 661). This phrase describes how the hero has always struggled with and dreaded the feelings of good and evil. The conflict between good and evil releases feelings of fear, despair, and rage with joy, causing uncertainty and leading to more rage and ultimately leading to evil, which leads to regret. 

This Savage Song by Victoria Schwab is a good example of fantasy fiction because it includes mythical creatures that do not exist in reality, transformations (when the protagonist embraces their true form), and a struggle between good and evil that usually ends in redemption or delight.