While the plot and premise were amazing, I did not feel as much of a connection to the characters or the story arc. I wanted to know more about the world and the characters.

I really loved the world and the magic system in this world. I was completely engaged in the story and wanted to know what was going to happen next. The characters were interesting and I was always wondering what their end goals were. I especially loved the ending and I am really looking forward to reading the next book in this series.

This book was extremely gripping, but also very slow in the middle. I instantly was drawn to the two POV characters, and the overall tone of the novel is great. The romance was extremely trope-y, but I knew that it would be going in, and by the end, I was intrigued by even that aspect of the story. I would say this is at least a solid four stars, possibly slightly more. The final act of the story was intense and awesome, and well worth the draggy middle. I can’t wait to see where the story and characters go in the sequel! 4/5 stars.

This is my first book by Emily A. Duncan, and it took me a little time to get into the book.

A war is waging, and has been waging for a very long time. High in the mountains though, a young girl can speak to the Gods, and she is being trained to end this war. Pitted against and sometimes with a prince/magician and a defector from his country, Nadya finds shifting allegiances at every turn in her quest to bring an end to the war and return the Gods to power,

I love fantasy done well, but I feel this attempt fell flat. I did not care about the characters and far too much time was spent with action that amounted to nothing or went nowhere. I did enjoy some of the ideas and questions the book raised about allegiances, religion and strength, but I found the book to move to slowly for its intended audience.

Hopefully the book picks up on the second in the series.

I liked the premise of the book. The idea of salvation for a war-torn country resting in the hands of a girl who can speak to the gods is pretty awesome.
The execution of the story was less so. Nadya, despite her connection to the gods and ability to wield some serious power, was a bland protagonist. She was buffeted along by fate and circumstance much more than I expected a powerful cleric would be.
I wasn't much taken by the bad guys either. To be honest, they were predictable and not terribly interesting.
Although there is a lot of potential for Wicked Saints to be amazing, it never quite came together.

This book was so dark and delicious. The writing flowed well and the world building was well thought out and executed. I can't wait to add this to my shelves.

I was given an e-Advanced Reader Copy of this novel through Netgalley. Many thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to do so!

Emily A. Duncan’s debut novel Wicked Saints has two types of magic, one given by the Gods and the other given by blood. Nadya’s magic is given to her by the Gods. Gods who through her are going to bring their presence back to where they have been cast aside for blood magic. Malachiasz, a rogue blood mage who, albeit for different reasons, wants to take down the blasphemous king. The two travel to the kingdom full of heretics. Nadya’s is heavily aided by Malachiasz to get her close to the king. Serefin is the King’s son and the second point of view in the novel. The three of them eventually come together in a fight against the king, each using the other as a means to an end.
Oh geez where do I start… I didn't not like this book. It was like riding a roller coaster… a bad one. Some parts were interesting and exciting and others were just...there. Parts of this novel added nothing to the novel. The magic system is barely explained. Sure the Gods give you magic, but how are Clerics picked? Is there some kind of system do how the Gods choose? And why do they all talk to Nadya..which is apparently rare? Yes the other kingdom killed off all of the Clerics that knew about but why didn't the Gods keep picking new people when their chosen died? I mean, if they’re almighty why don't they?
Then there’s blood magic. Which I’ve always thought was a really cool magic system, though I’ve never seen it done in a way that was exceptionally well thought out and Wicked Saints is no exception. Malachiasz and Serefin both use blood magic. There is no explanation as to who or why people can use blood magic. They also mention that the King has blood magic but it is weaker than his son’s. What makes some people’s blood magic more powerful than others? Blood is composed of the same thing as everyone else? Eeek. This magic system is a hot mess.
I’d also like to mention that the ‘Villain’ of the novel is only around for like 100 pages tops and he’s barely mentioned. He’s suppose to be this big evil dude, but he’s not build in a way that makes him so. He’s just kind there so the author as something to bring everyone together for a common cause and then use him to divide them. And while were on the topic of characters, Nadya is so dumb. It’s like watching a horror movie where you’re screaming at the main character to not go look to she were the noise is coming from but they do it anyway and then they die. She continuously trusts someone that lies to her constantly and believes that it will be the last time that he will lie to her, which of course comes back to bite her.
The romance in this novel is so unnecessary. We are reminded ever 5 pages by Nadya that she shouldn’t love this man because he’s a blood mage but she does anyway. The gods, despite that she constantly says that they will punish her for kissing him or holding hands don’t. Malachiasz is a manipulative jerk, and their romance as zero growth. Please, YA authors stop putting romance in a book because you feel like it needs to be there.
Duncan’s debut novel is just a mess. I wouldn’t recommend reading it and I won’t be picking up the next one. I feel like there’s something that missed when others seem to enjoy it so much but this novel was just not for me.

*Advanced reading copy kindly provided by publisher and Netgalley. This review and the opinions expressed therein are explicitly my own.*

Wow wow wow! Where do I even START! I will tell you guys right now that I LOVED this book: 4.5/5 stars. So what's it about?

[ABOUT] Nahdezhda Lapteva is a Kalyazin monk who's been trained in the art of battle and to channel magic from the pantheon of gods her nation worships. They not only lend her magic, they actually talk to her- which in the book's lore is rare. Nadya is a powerful monk, and one of the last of her kind- which painted a target on her head. The Tranavian King has noted her existence, despite the efforts by Kalyazin to hide her, he wants her for his own sinister ends. The Tranavian army is pushing against the Kalyazin border, eager to finally win the centuries-long war as the tide has increasingly turned against Kalzazin with less and less divine monks being discovered and used in warfare. Tranavia has blood mages. The nation is god-less and has blood mages who access power via magic spells in their spell-books and their blood. The book starts with Nadya's monastery being attacked by the Tranavian Prince and his army. This is where the first two briefly meet, until Nadya is forced to run when the Prince Serefin, the lethal blood mage, efficiently crushes the monastery's warriors and guards.

As she runs with a fellow monk (who does not have magic of her own), they join forces with a group of rebels who have the insane idea to assassinate the Tranavian King. Two Akolan rebels from a bordering country, and one Tranavian blood mage who deserted form the band of rebels with intricate stories of their own. As they travel across the land, they hone their plan and learn more about each other. Before they get too far, they are attacked by Vultures, the closest to monks Tranavians have. These Vultures are super-powerful blood mages who have been warped and adulterated by blood magic- horrid and malevolent abominations in the eyes of the Kalyazin people. With both the vultures and Serefin at their heels, will these rebels be able to finally bring peace to Kalyazin and the surrounding kingdoms? Or are they playing right into the clutches of the Tranavian King?


[PROS]
This book had so much lore, culture, and complicated themes woven into it that it was hard to put down. It was mostly fast-paced and action-packed. I seriously couldn't put the book down. And it's been a while since a book made me want to stay up past my bedtime (I'm old-what can I say). The book is inspired by Slavic/Polish lore, which is a treat. The characters are likeable in that they are not flat- they are complicated and have to work through many ethical questions. The fact that you have two nations- one with a religion that is in bed with its politics, and one that is godless makes for very interesting conversations between characters. The book is dark and bloody and not for the faint of heart and I love it. There were twists and turns and backstabbing that I was not expecting- and that says a lot. The author is a good writer and had a marvelous idea to run with. The worldbuilding is decent- you didn't feel as if the book was dialogue-driven, and there were various sets the characters interacted with.

[CONS] I was a little bit confused about the ending and what the choice of one of the characters meant for everyone (if you read it, you'll know). I wish the author would have shed a little more light on who the one spiral god Nadya was interacting with was (or what she/he represented). And... apart from that I have no complaints.

eARC provided by St. Martin's Press and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!

This book was one of my most anticipated releases of the year. Duncan's debut was sold to me as a fantasy with a cleric, blood magic, a long war, and some complex and gripping characters. So many of the things I love wrapped up into one! It really did not disappoint and I'm here for these characters and this world.

This story really feels like a just the starting slice of this huge pie. With the long standing war and the world feels so so large, really engaging characters, complex magic systems, and the twist at the end?? Wow, there is so much to unpack here. Because this book packs a lot in, it can seem confusing when you try to talk about everything that happened over the course of the story. However, I think this was done intentionally and look forward to how the story moves forward and the plot unravels in the rest of the books in this trilogy.

The only thing that made this a 4.5 stars instead of 5 stars is the abrupt leaving of the gods in the story. It makes sense in the over all plot, I just really loved that part of the narrative and I really wish that was explained more to the reader. I liked our shady and sassy gods and wanted more of their opinions and how they play a role in the world as a whole.

Overall, I can't wait for the next in the series which I will glad sell my soul to read.

With so much hype surrounding The Wicked Saints before its release, I was glad I took the time to check out some of the more critical reviews before diving in. Doing so helped me prepare myself for the possibility that it might not be everything I had expected, and there were also a few things frequently mentioned by reviewers that I thought might cause me some issues as well. Turns out, they were right. While I don’t actually regret my time with this book (it had its saving graces), I can’t say I was engaged much with it either.

Set in a fantasy world which draws much of its inspiration from Slavic culture and history, The Wicked Saints splits its focus between three main protagonists: Nadya, a Kalyazi cleric raised in a monastery and trained to commune with the gods; Serefin, a High Prince of Tranavia who is also a blood mage; and Malachaisz, a rogue Tranavian mage who has defected against his own people. Nadya has spent her life hidden away in the remote mountains, Kalyazin’s secret weapon to use against Tranavia in the religious war between the two nations. However, before her time could come, the monastery that has been a safe haven to her for her whole life is suddenly attacked by Tranvaian forces led by Prince Serefin.

Fortunately, Nadya was able to escape, evading capture by falling in with a group of rebels. Meanwhile, Serefin is forced to abandon the search for the cleric when he is unexpected called back home by his father. Nadya is relatively safe again for now, but for how long? The resistance fighters are determined to take their cause all the way to the palace, where they plan on assassinating the king to put an end to the violence once and for all. Despite herself, Nadya also finds herself drawn to Malachiasz, the gorgeous blood mage who embodies everything she has been taught to hate and fear in her devout upbringing by the monastery priests. Every character seems to have an agenda of their own, each of them grinding against the others like rusty gears while none of them have a choice but to go along with the tide of the times. However, inevitably when the centuries of bad blood and brutal conflict come to a head, there will undoubtedly be consequences for them all.

First, let’s start with what I liked. Admittedly, this isn’t a long list, but what’s there is significant and goes a long way in making up for a lot of the issues in the book. Number one is the atmosphere. The Wicked Saints is a gothic fantasy novel and that’s obvious enough; you can practically feel its dark and broody vibes wafting off the pages like some cheap perfume. No, it’s not subtle. One might even say it’s a bit overdone, that this novel is “gothic” in the way a preteen would interpret the word—nihilistic themes, blood magic and death gods, bad boys and bad girls in black edgy clothing, etc. And yet, despite the prose dripping with angst, Emily Duncan’s writing is fantastic, which brings me to the second thing I liked most about this book. The author clearly has way with words, and I found her style perfectly suited to creating this gritty world full of richly decadent details.

And now for the things that didn’t work so well for me. As much as I enjoyed Duncan’s writing, the sad truth was, the very nature of it prevented me from connecting with her story and characters. While the prose may be well-crafted, I wouldn’t exactly call it easy on the eyes. In some ways, I feel like the writing may have placed too much emphasis on artistry while sacrificing readability and overall engagement. The plot was decent, but slow, and none of the character POVs managed to excite me long enough to keep the momentum going. Which brings me to the characters. I didn’t like them, nor did I dislike them. They were just there—and it was this ambivalence towards everyone in the book that frustrated me to no end. Make me love your characters or make me hate them—I don’t care. Just make me feel something, anything! The fact that I couldn’t relate in any way to the characters left me with an overall sense of ennui and coldness, and I think this was what resulted in the emotion disconnect I had with the novel.

So yes, I struggled, even though I’d be hard-pressed to point out anything that was seriously flawed about this book. In fact, despite experiencing problems early on, I still knew that deep inside I wanted to see the story through to the end. The problem though, was the incredibly difficult time I had motivating myself to pick up the book again, and in the end, what finally did it was borrowing the audiobook from the library and finishing it in another, more convenient format. It just goes to show, some books and I are simply on different wavelengths, making it hard for us to jive. I believe this was the case with The Wicked Saints, which proved not to be my cup of tea after all, but I’m sure it will find lots of love with others.

“I was born with the potential for monstrosity, as all people are.”

Wicked Saints was dark, dangerous and something that, in the long run, I think I needed to read. Opposing religions at war over a schism which divided beliefs, set neighbours against each other and paved the way for darkness to reign from shadows. In reflection of our own times and issues, I think the premise of this book is important to understand – a significant look at what the future could look like in a world where different views have divided humanity. (Of course, this book is fantasy, so magic is prevalent and the main controversial topic of the discourse between the two nations.

The thing is, I always always jump the gun when it comes to books with new fantastical worlds – it has something to do with me needing to fully immerse myself in the story, its world and its characters. And I can firmly say that I am so glad that I didn’t jump the gun with this book when I thought I wouldn’t click with it, that I gave those next few chapters a chance. Because in those chapters, everything that was being set up in the beginning suddenly unravelled into these twists and turns that spiced up the entire plot and had me avidly reading this book in all my spare moments between uni and work.

“All I have is what they made me.”

It took me a while to get into this book. Multiple points of views don’t confuse me, per se, but they do pull me into this kind-of-spiral that means I take a while to connect with the characters properly. And the characters were interesting; Nadya, a girl who can speak to the gods through prayer, is part of the losing side of a war that has been fought for centuries, Serefin, the prince who is searching to end her life and win the war, and Malachiasz, the survivor of the blood cult.

They say there are two sides to every war. Really, there’s too many sides to count.

Wicked Saints shows the reader what happens between factions of religion, government and magic when countries have a falling out over beliefs, and is a vivid reminder of the destruction that is war. Each storyline, once merged, pulled on these strings that spun a web of deceit and doubt. We only needed three points of views; the girl, the prince and the boy, to tell this part of the story. I hope that they continue to tell the stories throughout the series.

“Everything is a game…it’s all a play for power.”

I’m not really one for political intrigue. I often find it stressful or boring to listen about politics, and I have rarely found books that hold themes of this that I still enjoy. Duncan pulls intrigue into the storyline in a way that spurs the story on, so you don’t much notice. And you won’t notice, because all the political themes are combined with this emotional connection. Nadya, hiding in the Tranavian court, must deceive her way through blood duels and the royal court. She doesn’t have time to learn the way of the cruel and bloody court, she wants mercy, and to survive. While Serefin is fending off his own problems, trying to find people he trusts, and it reads as a thrilling action. Malachiasz, my sweet boy, I pity you your secrets but love you all the more for them as well.

“I’m going to save this world from monsters like you.”

Okay, and the more I think about it, the more I can’t keep writing these short little thoughts about all my favourite things about all these characters because then that would make this a spoiler review and that is the last thing I want. I want to encourage others to read and enjoy a book for the first time themselves, without the spoilers being known. Because honestly, Duncan’s ability to plot twist everything is insanely amazing. You think you’ll see it coming, but then you will not.

“We both know we’re the only ones who can save our kingdoms.”

It took me a while to get around the new spellings of people and places, and how they were pronounced while I was reading. I pulled accents I vaguely recall from Eastern Europe that helped me with how the story would flow.
Once I got passed the spellings and pronunciations, the storyline sings. Again, it did take a while for me to connect more with the characters, but I’m glad I stuck with it because once I was in, I was in. Bring me more!

I have so many words to say, but not enough ways to say them without repeating myself. Duncan’s writing was beautiful and I need to share that with people. And even though it had a slow start for me, this book is the start of something truly incredible and I can’t wait to see where it goes.

“Now you’ve tasted real power…what will you do with it?

What will you do with freedom?”

(Quotations pulled from kindle edition provided by the publisher for the blog tour – find a full review on my blog!)

It’s easy to understand why WICKED SAINTS by Emily A. Duncan is on the New York Times bestseller list. Lush worldbuilding, high stakes and well-written narratives create a page-turner that will delight fans of Game of Thrones and fans of Leigh Bardugo, Morgan Rhodes and Victoria Aveyard.

See link for full review at The Young Folks.

I will start by saying that I think this is a difficult book to get a clear rating. It was such a quiet, slow-burn of a story. Which I think really helped me get into the romance and then you pair that with gorgeous writing, a unique and somewhat twisted magic system, and lots of dark politics and it really is something that I look back on and feel like it gets a stronger rating than when I first finished the book. Because of the slower pace and build up of the story I found it easy to set down and what to read other things but when I was finished I realized how much the characters and especially the magic really stuck with me.

Duncan definitely has an idea for these characters, magic, and the world of this series and the ending has left me excited for the sequel!

I wasn't sure what to expect, but I enjoyed reading this. An interesting story with fun characters. Well written.

What you see is what you get with this blurb.  The plot is very straightforward. A war has been going on between Tranavia and Kalyazin for what seems like forever.  It's a religious war.  Tranavia is full of blood mage "heretics" while Kalyazin remains true to the gods and has one single cleric (god-blessed mage?) to help them.  Now a ragtag group of teens has decided to put a stop to it all by assassinating the King of Tranavia.

The book started out relatively good.  It was a little simplistic for my tastes but after spending all that time with The Stand it was a decent follow up read.  The characters  did feel a little flat to me.  There wasn't anything about them that popped off the page.  On the plus side, there was some diverse representation in there.  It wasn't explored too deeply, but I don't necessarily think that it's a bad thing.  I'm happy to see it being normalized.

There are two different magic systems.  One for Kalyazin, where a mage's ability is divine and god-granted.  Nadya must ask the gods's permission to use their power and they can either grant or deny it.  Most clerics can only speak with one god, but Nadya speaks to all of them.

The other magic system is for Tranavia, where some people choose to become blood mages.  This magic system was very odd to me.  I just couldn't envision it working in any practical way.  The blood mages have special razors that won't scar sewn into their coats so they can cut themselves quickly and easily.  They are also holding a spell book which is written by, I don't know, someone who is not the mage using it.  Then they tear out the page and soak it in blood and crumple it or stick it to a wall.

So here's where the confusion comes in.  How does one cut themselves with a razor sewn into their sleeve while holding a book in the heat of a battle or duel?  I feel like by the time all that has been accomplished, someone's probably already stuck a sword in them.   It's not that it was terribly complicated, it just would have required so much concentration and coordination I couldn't imagine it being practical in a duel or war.  Given that the blood needs to touch the page I couldn't work out the logistics of it, and had to pause and think about it anytime it was mentioned, which took me out of the story.

Towards the end, the book fell apart a little bit.  I often felt like I was missing parts of the conversation or character's thought processes.  I was confused and it involved a lot of flipping back and forth and re-reading trying to figure out what was going on.  Sometimes it felt like characters were removed from the present moment to stop and have little side conversations while other really important stuff was happening, which messed with the sense of place.  I would scratch my head and go: "Where are we right now?"

The romance was kind of silly.  Nadya loves Malachiasz (I've probably spelled this wrong).  She often says things like: "I know he's lying but I love him anyway."  And I get it- that describes plenty of relationships that exist in the world.  However, you can't also be presenting that character as a "Strong Female Protagonist" and have her saying stuff like this.  Maybe my idea of the strong female protagonist is narrow, but I personally can't relate to it, and it makes my eye twitch.  The romantic scenes were also very redundant (lots of fingers in hair) and I ended up skimming a lot of them.

My final complaint is about the character growth.  Nadya shows none and therefore the message of the book was pretty murky.  This is labeled as "Something Dark and Holy #1", so it's very much possible that her growth is being saved for later books, which is fine.  Basically, in a book about religious war where two enemy characters are coming together to fix a problem, I expect each of them to gain a little understanding of the other side, and their belief systems to change a little bit.  In Nadya's case, we make it all the way to the end with her believing that the Tranavians are heretics and need to go back to worshipping the gods as Kalyazin does.

I really hope that is not where this story is headed because that's an incredibly problematic message.

All in all- if you don't look too deeply at it, it's not a bad read.  It's quick and has some entertaining moments.

Wicked Saints (Something Dark and Holy #1) by Emily Duncan can be found on GoodReads here, or ordered on Amazon here.

Thank you to Wednesday Books/St. Martin's Press and Edelweiss for the ARC.

I'm still processing my feelings regarding Wicked Saints. The current leading emotions are shock and excitement. Shock because of the story and the way this first portion ended, and excitement tinged with dread because I'm ready for the next installment in the Something Dark and Holy Series yet will have to wait an entire year to get it. I went through the full gamut while reading this story.

Isn't that the way with great books though? You read through them in no time, taking part in adventures and lives, only to find your self wishing you had more to read featuring the characters you've fallen for. Wicked Saints and it's character are like that. I couldn't help but fall for Nadya and her conviction and grit. I grieved with her when she lost all those she cared for and felt her confusion at what she had always thought as the truth. And I shared in her feelings every step of the way, including the confusion and frustration she felt when things became challenging.

It wasn't just Nadya I fell for. The unlikely group with Anna, Malachiasz, Parijahan, Rashid, Serefin, Ostyia. and Kacper were all characters I fell for, feared for, and related to. To find people with opposing philosophies willing to work together for the greater good was a strong theme. Emily A. Duncan's characters are well developed and flawed but still likable. You find your self not only empathizing but at moments sympathizing with people you didn't like at one point.

There isn't much that can be said about Wicked Saints without ruining the reading experiences of others. The story is fast paced and rich with action and emotion. I loved how nuanced the story was, and how even though set in a world not rooted in reality, it still felt relative to the modern world and issues many regions and cultures face. In all honesty, this book has to be read to be understood and experienced. I applaud Emily A. Duncan for a fantastic debut novel and a wonderful start to a series, and very eagerly look forward to the next installment and further development of the spell-binding plot.

I decided to participate in #ARCAttack, the idea created by Vicky @ whatvickyread in an attempt to read as many advanced copies and proofs during the month of April. So, firstly, the first ARC I have read this month is Wicked Saints by Emily A. Duncan.
Synopsis from Goodreads:

A girl who can speak to gods must save her people without destroying herself.

A prince in danger must decide who to trust.

A boy with a monstrous secret waits in the wings.

Together, they must assassinate the king and stop the war.

In a centuries-long war where beauty and brutality meet, their three paths entwine in a shadowy world of spilled blood and mysterious saints, where a forbidden romance threatens to tip the scales between dark and light. Wicked Saints is the thrilling start to Emily A. Duncan’s devastatingly Gothic Something Dark and Holy trilogy..

I requested an e-copy from netgalley in return for an honest review.

I had heard a lot of things before I started this book, and it actually made me really apprehensive. Having heard that it was darkling fanfiction and that most people did not get on with the book, I am glad I read it after all.

My thoughts

With going in to this book with opinions floating around my head, I was impressed with how much I enjoyed this book. The story is centered around Nadya, a young cleric, who can talk to the Gods, and use magic. It seems like the generic YA fantasy lately, but somehow it is something I seem to be trash for.

The plot was fast-paced and the chapters from two points of view was interesting, especially when you knew events from the other character’s point of view. The characters also had a lot of depth, and it felt like, even though it was clearly darkling fanfiction, a lot of time and effort was put into this. Also, the characters could stand on their own. The plot was not something I could predict, even though I should have been able to, but I am ready for more books!

Overall I really enjoyed this book, and would definitely recommend to other people. Even though this is Darkling fanfiction, it is not clear unless you have read the grisha trilogy. But still worth the read!

Nadezhda Lapteva—Nadya—learned the hard way that “war didn’t care for carefully laid plans.” Nadya’s escape from her home in a monastery sets the scene for the book. Her country Kalyazin is in a holy war against the pagan country Tranavia. It’s a story of gods vs. blood magic, aka the heretics. Nadya, one of the main characters, is a powerful female cleric with the magic to save her country. But now she’s on the run. Nadya meets up with an unlikely group composed of two mercenaries and a blood page who deserted his country. Despite the lack of trust she has no other choice but to stick with them. Their goal: assassinate the king of Tranavia. However, as most quests go, it doesn’t work out exactly according to plan.

Serefin Meleski is the blood mage high prince—and the most terrifying person Nadya’s encountered. However, he’s got a major weakness. Serefin has poor eyesight. It’s almost humorous that the antagonist of the novel has such a human weakness. Regardless, he is anything but weak. Determined to find Nadya in order to understand and capture her magic, he sets off to find her in the harsh cold country. However, before he can race after her, his father sends him a missive calling him home. After years on the battlefields, Serefin returns to his country. His task: get married. Serefin is not a bad person though. He only follows orders and his point of view is used by the author to show that every conflict has two sides, and both believe they had just cause. Additionally, Serefin seems to really care about what is true and just. Just like Nadya, he’s not about to let the Vultures gain more power. Even worse, there is a plot woven throughout the court that could result in his death.

The premise of this book was really interested. While it definitely seemed like Serefin was the “bad guy” at the beginning, he really was quite likable. I enjoyed reading the two different points of views and seeing the similarities between the characters. Both characters are tied by their magic to physical objects: Nadya to her beads and Serefin to his spell books. The addition of the character Malachiasz made this book even more exciting and intriguing. Emily Duncan did an excellent job in world building and incorporating real world problems into her novel. She remarks that despite magic experiments being stopped, the by-product fog remained, giving real insight into the consequences for going too far.

One of my main complaints of this novel was that the fight scenes tended to be a little blurry. Obviously, it’s action and so it’s hard to write everything that is occurring, but I have read many books in which the authors were able to incorporate both order and chaos to paint a picture of the scene. For this book, Nadya’s powers were often overshadowed by how muddy the action writing was. Part of the problem is that too many names are introduced so it’s hard to keep track of who’s who. The gods talk to Nadya while she’s fighting, and then she has multiple companions, and then the people she’s fighting are sometimes given names.

It was a slow start but by the second half I was very invested. I loved the political intrigue, threat of assassinations, and forbidden romance. Nadya and the other characters are developed well. Nadya’s character development in particular was slow but formed well. She started out as a holier-than-thou girl who believed herself to be above others but slowly realized that underneath it all, everyone—including her—is a monster. While the book appeared to be predictable at first, it was anything but and the ending left me wanting more.

THIS BOOK WAS SOOOOOO GOOOOOOD!!! I’m trying to rein myself in and be constructive, but also I JUST LOVED THIS SO MUCH???? This book was dark and gritty and bloody and UGH. My Black Parade emo heart is so happy right now.

Reading this was such a pleasure. There’s action right off the bat within the first few pages and I couldn’t put this down. And then when I HAD to put it down to do things like eat and sleep (stupid basic human needs *shakes fist*), I couldn’t stop thinking about it.

Everything in this book is beautifully crafted. The whole world seemed so well thought out and intricate without being overwhelming and I loved all the Russian influence. To me, this had a hint of a few other book series I love like The Remnant Chronicles, Grishaverse, and Throne of Glass, but somehow still managed to be in a category completely on its own. Nothing ever felt cliche or trope-y and even when I guessed what was going to happen, it didn’t play out the way I thought it would.

And the characters. THE CHARACTERS. I could write a whole dissertation on how amazing the characters are because they were just so rich and compelling! I’m not sure I’ve ever read a book where I loved all the characters equally like this. There’s no clear cut villain. No good or bad, evil or saintly, black or white. Everyone is just so wonderfully grey! All of them are just people with their own complex histories and motivations pushing them to do what’s best for themselves and their country.

Also, can I get an amen for YA books that aren’t all about the romance?? This had just enough to make me swoon without making my eyes roll.

↬ FINAL WORD
READ. THIS. BOOK. It’s such a wild ride from start to finish and everything is so lush. I loved it all. Already can’t WAIT to get my hands on book two!!

Ahh, I don't know where to start with this book!! I was hooked from the first chapter and could barely put it down from that point on. This book is fast-paced in the best way possible and kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. The characters are all so, so endearing (yeah, yeah I have a thing for the bad guys) and I'm really not sure how I'm going to be able for the second book of the series.

My only complaint really was that I sometimes felt things were a little too rushed if that makes sense? I feel like there's a lot we still don't know about the characters like the surface has barely been scratched, but that's not entirely surprising given that it's a series! I'll definitely pick up the follow-up and have already recommended it to my friends.