THIS BOOK?!?! IS SO AMAZING?!?!?! So this is a funny little anecdote, but you know how sometimes bad reviews are really helpful because they tell you why they didn’t like it and they’re pointing things out that you LOVE in a book? That’s what happened to me. I was like two thirds of the way done and I went on Goodreads and someone had posted a review that they didn’t really like this book because it reminded them a lot of And I Darken and the relationship between Lada and Radu and I was just like… THAT’S MY FAVORITE BOOK. So then I was wicked excited to read the rest of the book because comparing it to my fave is just the best and I was not disappointed. If you’re looking for a book where you’re constantly asking yourself how blurred the line between good and evil can be then this is the book for you!
It took me a little while to warm up to all of the characters (except Parijahan, who I loved and trusted almost instantly), but once I did I was WICKED INVESTED and LOVED EVERYONE. And then THAT THING at the end happened and I’m just… not okay.
LOOK AT HOW BEAUTIFUL AND DARK AND PERFECT THIS COVER IS!!!! Also, just like I did with the text on the cover of Anger is a Gift, I DID NOT NOTICE THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE TAG LINE until I was like… 95% done with the book?!?!?! BUT IT’S PERFECT. EVERYTHING ABOUT IT IS PERFECT. 100/10 STARS!!!
IF YOU ENJOYED…
AND I DARKEN, with it’s dark heroine and forbidden love and complicated relationships between people who may or may not be enemies…
FURYBORN, for the fantastic world building and magic system and how you can trace the ramifications of characters actions…
THREE DARK CROWNS, because of the super detailed and developed magic system and knowing something dark was coming the whole time and basically just the tone of these three books…
then you will LOVE Wicked Saints!!!

Want to know what I loved about this book? You just couldn't fully tell who was trustworthy or not so the end actually took me by surprise. Not a single main character was flat. I also loved the complexity of Nadya and her questioning feelings towards her beliefs and her relationship with Malachaisz. Only thing that took getting used to were the names of the characters and the countries and cities.

This was an amazing read and I cannot wait for the next book in the series. What a great start for a debut novel!

Thank you Netgalley and Wednesday Books for access to the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Nadya has trained all her life to fight in the battle against Travania. As the only cleric who can speak to all the gods, everyone believes she has the power to turn the tide in the battle against the blood mages of Travania. When the Travanian prince Serefin attacks the quiet monastery where she is training, Nadya escapes and goes on the run with Malachaisz, a damaged boy with dark secrets, and his friends who want to overthrow the King of Travania. As she travels with them to the capital, she finds herself attracted to Malachaisz, even though he is a blood mage and represents everything she hates about Travania. 

Wicked Saints by Emily A. Duncan is a deliciously dark fantasy that kept me guessing. When Nadya starts to fall for Malachaisz, she does so with her eyes wide open. She sees him for what he is but loves him anyway.  Gradually he causes her to doubt everything she's been taught about the gods. There are the beginnings of a love triangle, so readers are left guessing who she will choose in the end.  If you love romance and monsters and don't mind a little blood, you will love this one. I can't wait for the sequel!

This one's an amazing read, and I can't help but feel elated to see it land a spot in the New York Times bestsellers list! I absolutely adored the writing style, the overall feel / aesthetic of the story, the character developments, the immersive world building, and I CAN'T HELP but love the three main characters. Going on this adventure with them made my reading experience all the more enjoyable and memorable. Can't wait to read more from the author!

Wicked Saints was one of my most anticipated Spring 2019 reads and I honestly can’t say that it lived up to my expectations. I feel so conflicted about this book In some ways, it was witty and written in this amazing brutal but beautiful style. But then there were so many things that annoyed me about it and I spent more time being confused as to what was happening rather than being immersed into the story. It feels like the story was trying to do so much that in the end, I really like all of these characters. I felt that they were easy to relate to and I LOVED how snarky they all were in all sorts of situations. Drunk Serefin is still my favorite thing. There were some people who complained that Nadya didn’t have nearly enough character development and in some ways I am inclined to agree. She’s lived sheltered in a monastery her entire life and has always been a tool to be used by the monks and the gods who give her power. She has been taught to hate the Tranvanians and until now, has never had to challenge that thought process. Enter Mal. Mal is an elite blood mage and he’s just ruined everything for Nadya. And not just because he’s hot. That plays in later. He challenges her beliefs about blood mages and religion, and really makes her think about how to end the war between their countries. But, like many people who start to widen their mental model, Nadya sildes back into just being a tool for others to use rather than having her own agency A LOT. Which is to be expected, she’s just starting out.

The atmosphere of the book is really dark, which I expected from the cover. I tried not to go into this knowing too much about it. But I knew with that cover and a title like Wicked Saints, that things were going to be dark. The novel takes place in the middle of a war, and it is VERY plot driven. There are words/phrases from each respective character’s languages scattered naturally throughout the book. And while in the later half of the book, the transitions between the English of the book and the world languages were smooth and understandable, the beginning of the book lacked necessary context clues to understand what words meant. This led to a lot of frustration and an inability to fully immerse myself in the novel.

I will say that I LOVE Emily A Duncan’s writing style. Her sentence structures were well thought out and she easily blended descriptive language in with necessity. There were almost no areas where I thought her use of language was too over the top or too dull and I really appreciated the effort that went into that.

The plot to this novel sounds simple: three enemies team up to stage a coup and save their world. There’s a hate to love romance and everything will be fine. Except it’s not that simple. There is also an epic journey, magical beings who may or may not deign to answer prayers, a cult of sorts, the fight between religion and heresy, and don’t forget to throw in a crazy witch spouting prophecies! I ADORE the main premise of Wicked Saints. However, I am not crazy about all that it tried to do. It was just too much packed into one little world. There were too many gods in Nadya’s pantheon, too many magic types, too many plot threads that didn’t really make sense together. Now, if this had been twice as long as it was, I could see all of these pieces weaving together well, but it was just too much for a 400-page novel. I’m sorry.

I was very intrigued by this novel, and I am still intrigued as to what could possibly happen next. The way it ends feels rather self-contained to me, so I’m not sure how it will be a 3 book series. It dragged a lot though in the late beginning and through the middle though since it was just a lot of back and forth of all three characters traveling. I really

Over all, this book really felt like an overly ambitious debut novel. It felt like it was trying so hard to be good that it ended up falling short to me. Now, you could read it and love it. There are plenty of amazing things about this novel to love and enjoy. The character’s snarky and dramatic turns of phrase, the fact that Nadya has to learn her own beliefs when she’s confronted with the enemy, the sexual tension between two of the main characters, and drunk Serefin. Always drunk Serefin.

3.5 stars
I was really excited about this book as soon as I heard about it. I loved the blurb, and the cover is fantastic.
A girl who talks to the Gods is the only hope of stopping the war with the godless Tranavia. That should be enough to get you to read the book.
I was very conflicted in rating this one. I really enjoyed it, but I hate the good girl meets bad boy trope. Everything else was great, but that was a major downer for me. That being said, I still plan to continue the series because there is so much that didn't get resolved.

Firstly I'd like to thank Netgalley and publisher for offering this free copy in exchange for an honest review.

WOWOWOWOWOWOWOW!

I was so excited when I was approved for this book. The cover is amazing...if seen at the local BAM I'd walk over and see what it's about.
The story is all that is promised. Strong, gritty, dark and it will suck you in. I thought I sat in honey because my bottom wouldn't leave my seat!

Nadya is the heroine I needed to read. And the to and fro between her and the Gods is great.

This book appeals to both ya and adults. I'm not a gritty lover usually but I'll definitely be purchasing my own paper copy of this book and the 2 remaining for the trilogy!

Thank you!

t’s been a while since I’ve enjoyed a fantasy novel, particularly a YA one. But then Wicked Saints came along and made me remember why I fell in love with the genre in the first place.

This dark, gritty novel seems heavily inspired by Russia and Poland, a trend I enjoy seeing. And the alternating third person POV keeps you on your toes, wondering what will happen next. It starts off with a bang, and the pace is set early on. It has adventure, drama, romance, and of course, fantasy. It reminded me a bit of The Grisha Trilogy or Six of Crows duology but it is its own beast.

Wicked Saints portrays a darker side of YA fantasy than we normally see and I was all for it. We have three main characters- Nadya, Serefin, and Malachiasz- of who the first two’s POV we get. Each of these characters were fleshed out with nuanced traits and great personalities.

I’m forever thankful for Wicked Saints getting me out of my fantasy slump and cannot wait for the next book!
2 likes

I just finished reading this intense and magical story and am in denial that I have to wait months until I can read the next installment. Wicked Saints is based on Polish and Russian folklore (my ancestry so bonus points), has a main character who can speak with the saints/gods (as a saint lover, I was stoked to finally see a book featuring saints), and reminds me of the Grisha trilogy (that I adored). There are a few parallels to the Grisha world, but Wicked Saints focuses on a war between two countries with one relying on praying to the saints/gods and the other rejecting the higher power and using blood magic.

The story is written in two points of views: Nadya from Kalyazin and Serefin from Tranavia. Nadya is the sole cleric left in her country and is hidden in a monastery where she can train and communicate with the gods/saints. Serefin is the prince of Tranavia and has spent years on the front lines of the war against Kalyazin. Then we have Malachiasz as the cunning temptation.

I can see how the pronunciations of names and places can be difficult due to their Polish/Russian context, but I didn't have any issues because of my minor Polish vocabulary. Some of the words are exact Polish words and others are made up, though I could still deduce what was said. I didn't find the pronunciation guide (which is located under another review; link: https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1553876069i/27285991._SX540_.jpg) until I was over the 50% mark and most of what I pronounced was correct.

I will be counting down the minutes until I can get my hands on the next ARC!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

The anticipation for this one was stifling, to the point where I actually kept putting it off because I kept reading mixed reviews and was so afraid I would be disappointed with it. I loved the whole concept and really wanted it to be executed well… but I’m not entirely sure what side of the spectrum I ended up on.

Let’s start by saying this started really, really well. I immediately liked Nadya. She was perhaps a bit naïve, but she had a lot of potential that I knew that book would lay out for her and I looked forward to watching her grow into herself and into her powers.

The magic and the lore of the God’s was really interesting. I liked how it was portrayed and how the two fighting sides (Nadya’s people vs the High Prince’s people) had very different perceptions and use of power and magic and the influence of godly beings.

It was generally pretty dark and violent, with a lot of descriptions about blood and some self-harm, which could be triggering for some people. I liked that it didn’t hold back on the grit, you don’t get that too much in books like this and I didn’t think it was out of place or excessive.

I actually even liked the story for the first part. I went into this with my own assumptions and expectations, those of which were formed around the marketing of a “Gothic Joan of Arc”, which I get, but I also think is a little unfair of a comparison? It had a much heavier magical element that took me by surprise, but I liked the direction things were going in… until I didn’t.

I ended up with a very different feel to this book than I was hoping for. It started off really strong and empowering and interesting and then it seemed to sort of fall into the expected formula of many books like this, but not in a comforting way. Kind of in a scary way. And that scary way of course all comes down to the love story. Because of course there is a love story.

There was a very intriguing enemy-turned-love interest high tension bad boy meets good girl relationship between Nadya and Malachiasz, a member of the rogue rebellious posse who took Nadya into their group to protect her from the High Prince while also trying to stop the war. Malachiasz defected from the High Prince’s people and is Nadya’s sworn enemy, so cue the Romeo and Juliet tension, which I actually really liked. I thought it was presented in a very appealing way and I loved that Nadya didn’t instantly fall for him, she fought it hard but the chemistry just took on a life of it’s own. I really liked what was happening there. And then I didn’t.

[Spoiler] Without going into too much detail, I could not stand the way Nadya completely forfeited her beliefs and everything she stood for for this guy. We see it all the time in books, but I mean, the things she learned about him and the way he treated her and used her and lied to her, she should have been calling upon all the Gods to spurn him, but instead she ran into his arm and kissed him. Over and over. Every time he lied to her. And I’m not talking little lies that were for her protection, these were HUGE lies about his intentions and motivations and existence. Seriously Nadya? What were you thinking?

This was a bad turning point for me in the book. And honestly, I found the last quarter a little confusing when all the magic comes full frontal. I don’t know if I had sort of lost interest at that point and just wasn’t embracing it anymore, but it seems a little muddy and convenient and random. I did like that it didn’t end with a pretty little bow and all Malachiasz’ wrongdoings weren’t righted. But other than that, I didn’t think that this ended as strongly as it started and I’m not really sure I’d want to continue in this world.

I really wanted to like this, it had such potential to play out really well and it was set up to play out really well, but it just didn’t. I think it tried too hard to be something that fit in with the trendy magical genre when it could have been something great fully on its own. Which was super disappointing given my excitement for this.

** I received an advance copy of Wicked Saints for honest review through Netgalley from S.t Martin's Press and thank them for the opportunity to read this and share my thoughts.

* TW; blood, gore, or self-harm, self-harm in the magic system and past experiences for characters.

Wicked Saints is a frosty timeless fairy-tale that is vivid and spellbinding with lore, geography, history braiding death, magic, and winter. It carves out from Russian and Polish inspiration. The world is set in cathedrals, landscapes and ruins. The characters are sinister, ruthless, and intricate. Wicked Saints is a ruthless elegant story that is dark, monstrous and, set in a political war between gods, magic, and religion.

Readers who enjoyed Shadow and Bone, by Leigh Bardugo, Vicious, by V E Schwab, The Cruel Prince, by Holly Black, Throne of Glass, by Sarah J Maas, Vassa in the Night, by Sarah Porter and The Crown’s Game, by Evelyn Skye

Wicked Saints has been one of the most HYPE books of 2019. Like no one could stop talking about it. I see it around social media. It has one of the most enrapture premises ever. A debut that I could not ignore. 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. This book scream at me to read me. It calls for my monstrous heart. A book that would shatter me and leave me clawing for the next book. I want monsters to pull from the pages to steal my heart and scatter my organs over the snow-cover hills and forests.

However, this deliciously dark tale turned a bloody delicious mess.

Nadezhda Lapteva–Nadya–is a cleric who communes with the gods. She is to help the gods reclaim the world that was once theirs. I enjoy her character. She is a strong, fierce character. She is a hybrid of Alina, Feyre, Queen Katharine, Celaena Sardothien and a gothic Joan of Arc. Serefin, the High prince of Tranavia and a powerful blood mage. He's after Nadya. He is not my favorite character, yet I was invested in his POV. Many compare him to the Darkling. I don't know howwwwww??? I prefer Serefin over the Darkling. Malachiasz, a Tranavian and mysterious blood mage who needs Nadya. A very charming, bad boy. Another character I was invested and really enjoyed. What really glues the whole book together are the side characters. I adore everyone. Rashid and Parijahan, Nadya's alias and loyal friends. Ostyia and Kacper - Serefin's lieutenants and close friends. Without them, I don't think I would have enjoyed the book as much as I do.

The world is spectacular. I love landscapes, ruins, and cathedrals. The atmosphere is dark, bloody, and brutal. Wicked Saints focuses on magic, religion and the theological debates. I love how religion, magic, and politics is weave in the book.

Overall, I am really impressed with the book. This is such a promising debut and really recommend. I am invested and engaged enough to continue with the series.

*Thank you to Wednesday Books for an early edition to read and review!

My Highly Caffeinated Thought: A dark and gothic start to a trilogy which is made even better by the magic and a story rich in religious lore.

WICKED SAINTS is an addictive and fantastically dark start to what I have no doubt will be an epic trilogy. Duncan manages to bring to life a magical world with such vivid detail and the harsh reality that I couldn’t turn away.

Here is the thing. I love dark fantasy. For me, a well-told tale with the gritty details, the bloody fights, and the darkness of human nature propels me to read more. It may sound odd, but these are the books I crave. Sure there are glimmers of hope and friendship, but when an author highlights the struggles of the characters magical or not, it seems more real to me. We are not in a world where everything is rainbows and unicorns, so having our characters start of the book with a conflict that thrusts us right into the heart of the battle is perfection.

This world the author has created is marvelous. There is lore, religion, and discovery. The balance of what could be and what is becomes tenuous while bonds are formed as well as broken. I LOVE THIS BOOK! For those of us who love The Nevernight Chronicles, this is one you need to read. It has a similar vibe and darkness which I know I liked. This is a must read for me. I cannot wait for book two and three.

One of the things I struggle with most as a reader is DNF'ing books when I'm not feeling it. Part of it is the sense that it's quitting (a failure! giving up!), but mostly it's the idea that I'm going to miss out on something if I don't continue. I picked this book up for a reason, right? And when is the right time to make the decision? Can I really get a full sense of all the book has to offer in the first 50 pages? 20%? 50%? So, more often than not, I plow through anyway, hoping that at the end it won't feel like a waste of time.

Why do I say all of this? Because this book was definitely a slow boil for me. There are a few reasons for that, I believe. First, the whole book revolves around a holy war and a cleric who can speak to the gods (main character). That means there is a lot of religion in the book, something I'm not especially comfortable with. In particular, Nadya's (the cleric) blind faith and hate of the enemy (partially because they are faithless) really stuck in my craw. Aside from that, I was reading another fantasy book with a female protagonist at the same time, and even though they are very different stories, there is a reason I don't tend to read two books from the same genre at the same time. But I digress...

It was a slow boil for me, but I am SO glad that I signed up for the blog tour because I felt pressured to finish it. I am so, SO glad that I did. The second half absolutely made up for the first. There was action and intrigue, a steamy romance with so much chemistry it was killing me, betrayal and unexpected alliances, a twist that I really didn't see coming and absolutely slayed me. Honestly, the last half was all the things. In the second half we are reminded that people can change, that one of the biggest influences on our beliefs is the people that come into our lives, the people that we care about. Themes of finding power and strength within ourselves, of doing what's right instead of what's easy, of not giving up on ourselves or other people, of looking for good in everyone...and on and on. Seriously good stuff.

As it's the first book in a...trilogy?...it left off on a perfect note. Hints of a possible love triangle, an open-ended "what's next", and my gods I was dying knowing it was the last few pages and now I have to wait because I need to know right NOW!!! 

My final judgment: hopefully you aren't me and don't wrestle so much with the first half, but if you do, keep going. The payoff is huge!

This was one of my most anticipated books of the year, but I'm sorry to say I could not finish it. For a fantasy set in a medieval-type setting, the language was very modern, and that didn't sit right with me. But what really made this book hard was that I just couldn't connect with any of the characters. I read to about 30 percent and realized I just didn't care what happened. Many other readers are loving it, so don't let my unpopular opinion sway you. But there are just too many other books calling my name.

4.5 stars!

War has made us all used to living in desecrated spaces once considered holy.

WOW. Who knew this book would end up knocking my socks off?? Certainly not me. Going in, I expected it to be a 3-4 star book, and at the beginning I thought that prediction would reign true. But oh my god, the last half of the book was phenomenal.

I was very impressed by the writing in this book, as it was a debut novel. I feared that it would be very basic and not lend itself well to what I thought could be a basic YA fantasy. However, I am incredibly pleased that I was horribly wrong. The writing was beautiful and the author really knew how to write a good romance (and characters).

She wanted to shove him away; she wanted him closer. That always seemed to be the crux of it. She didn't know what she wanted.

Characters:

✧ Nadya- She is a fierce, brave, and yet realistic main character. She comes from Kalyazin, a nation that values its gods over all else, and she is the first person who is able to communicate with these gods in years. Her journey with religion and morals that is challenged throughout the novel is so interesting, and can really lend itself to dealing with religion in today's society as well.

✧ Malachiasz- Talk about a morally grey character, oh my god. This man will keep you guessing until the very end. No matter how much the line blurs between good and bad with him, there still lies an undeniable pull between him and Nadya. I'm not even a big shipper, but, despite this ship being COMPLICATED, I can't help but feel the tension between those two. [ OKAY AM I THE ONLY ONE WHO SO TOTALLY DID NOT PREDICT THE PLOT TWIST?? ALSO WHY AM I OKAY WITH HIM BEING EVIL AND HER STILL LOVING HIM?? this book has me feeling all kinds of ways (hide spoiler)]

✧ Serefin- Sass master, amirite? This type of character will never cease to entertain me, however I must also point out that Serefin is one of the best examples of this type of character that I've ever read; he isn't just a cookie-cutter of Nikolai Lanstov.

The High Prince of Tranavia was a charming boy who enjoyed self-deprecation and complaining.

While he does have the traits of sass and flamboyance, his character is completely unique. [I loved seeing his true heart, especially at the end when Rashid decided not to kill him. Also I CANNOT BELIEVE THAT ZANETA DOUBLE CROSSED HIM!!! He truly cared about her, and that's what he got... smh. Anyway, I MUST know what the stars and moth power situation really means lol (hide spoiler)]

Of course there are many other characters, but these are the main three, and are the ones that I had the most to say about.

I still cannot comprehend the ending of this book, and I wish I could have the sequel in my hands right now!

I was told Wicked Saints would destroy me but I still didn’t realize what that would mean until I read the last couple pages of this book. If you enjoy happiness at all, you will stay far away from this book. If you love gritty characters, none of whom are particularly good (and some who might just be PLAIN EVIL), you will love Wicked Saints.

Right off the bat, we are pushed into the middle of a war with an opening scene where one of our MCs has to watch as many people important to her are murdered. So no, there are no rainbows and puppies in this book. Honestly though, having such a powerful scene was helpful to me because I’ve been struggling a lot with fantasy and this allowed me to get into the book right away rather than sitting around for a quarter of the book until I finally figured out what was going on.

The world of Wicked Saints immediately sucked me in and I was fascinated with how Duncan incorporated religion into her world. Part of me was reluctant going in because I am vary of how religion in used in books but any doubts I had were washed away very early on. Not only is the religion in this world unique and fascinating, it was also depicted realistically?? The discussions about religion that happen throughout the book are so well-rounded and I love that even if the characters themselves stand firm in their beliefs, Duncan still manages to make the readers understand the complexities of this world and of the religion in this world.

SPEAKING OF THE CHARACTERS, omg. Serefin, Nadya and Malachiasz. Serefin is our residential day drunk, self-deprecating, charming prince… who also just happens to be one of the most powerful blood mages in Travania. Nadya is our naive little, all powerful child who can commune with the gods and also might have the ability to stop the war SINGLE HANDEDLY. AND Malachiasz is a turd. I mean, not really but I also have strong feelings.

Honestly, part of why this book isn’t a five star read for me is that I felt somewhat mislead by Malaschiasz?? He is a villain but he is also incredibly soft. When I finished the book I had no idea what was real and what wasn’t real and while a lot of people love that, to me, it felt kind of the same way poorly written red herrings do in mystery novels.

Another part was that from 38% to 75%, there was a BIG LULL. Things were happening but they weren’t particularly enticing and that is a LONG period for me to not be truly invested in what is happening.

But shit did hit the fan and it hit the fan HARD. A lot of theories about magic and gods came to the surface, an assassination plot was finally in place and all the good stuff. The last 22% truly packed a punch and made me fall in love with this world and the characters all over again.

I have so many theories and so many questions and I am genuinely so excited to see everything play out in the sequels. I want to see the evolving friendships and relationships, I want my baby Serfin to be happy, and high key, I kind of want to see the Gods be taken down (sorry, Nadya!!!!) What I truly want is the next book in my hands, right now. If you enjoy being miserable, please read Wicked Saints and come join the rest of us in our misery.

My Thoughts:

I was attracted to Wicked Saints when I read the book synopsis. It sounded magical, and I've been on a fantasy reading binge lately! This made Wicked Saints the perfect choice for my next reading adventure!

A century of holy war has raged between Kalyazin and Tranavia. Seventeen year old Nadezhda "Nadya" Lapteva resides in a secluded monastery in the mountains with her best friend Kostya, where she is to be protected at all costs. Nadya can communicate with the gods and goddesses, and they give her their power, magic, and language to speak powerful spells into existence. Marzenya, goddess of magic, sacrifice, and death, is Nadya's patron in the pantheon, and claimed her as an infant.

The Tranavians use blood magic, a dark and powerful magic. Their magic profanes the gods and is the antithesis of the Kalyazins form of magic. There is none more powerful than the Tranavian High Prince, who is just a couple of years older than Nadya. If he were to take her, her blood and magic could be used to make him even more powerful. When the Tranavians overrun the monastery in search of Nadya, dear mentors and friends are forced to sacrifice themselves, so that she can escape. The Kalyazins believe that she is powerful enough to win the war for them.

While on the run, Nadya and her friend Anna, an ordained priestess, meet and team up with Parijahan (a girl that wants Nadya to murder the Tranavian King), Rashid, and Malachiasz, a Tranavian Mage. Thus, begins Nadya's perilous and magical journey... Simultaneously, Tranavian Prince Serefin Meleski, and his friends and fellow soldiers, Ostyia, and Kacper are in pursuit of Nadya.

I enjoyed the opening scene of the story! I thought it was an excellent beginning and had my undivided attention. However, after that first scene, the story didn't continue to hold my interest. I felt like the plot wasn't moving fast enough for me. I was bored, and found myself falling asleep each time I would attempt to read more of the story.

I liked that we get the dual viewpoints of Nadya and Serefin, the Tranavian High Prince. I enjoyed the supporting characters, the elements of the different forms off magic, and learning about the opposing viewpoints on religion, politics, and magic. I found the Vultures of Tranavia, twisted, violent, powerful and dark blood mages, that were no longer human, and instead had become monster-like; to be extremely fascinating.

Overall, this story had a lot of ups and downs for me. There were moments of fascination and interest, as well as a majority of moments of boredom, where the plot fell flat, and the story just wasn't moving fast enough. This story just wasn't for me and didn't measure up to my high hopes.

Hello Book Dragons! So I read this book that in simple terms took over my life. Emily created a doubt book that had me up in the middle of the night asking why? I will also say Emily you are so very nice, I'm sorry for all the tweets I sent your way that night. Reading this book I had a moment of clarity were, I knew that Emily was going to become one of my auto-buy authors. I will be honest I won't be surprised if this book becomes a chart-topper, best selling book.

Now this book is stated to be that of a thriller. Now let me say most of us when we see a thriller in the description of a book we think of lots of action and a fast/good climaxing arc. Now for Wicked Saints, I would call it a thriller for the plot twist that will rip out your heart over and over again. This book is full of monsters, gods, and a gloriously slow-burning romance that will leave you wanting more.  Along with that, you get a world that is built in such a way that leaves you wanting to study the world itself. I wish I could almost have more of the Codex of the Divine, that we get to see at the start of each chapter. For fellow readers, I highly suggest that you don't skip these as you read through.

Now for the rest of this review, I am going to be really vague as I don't want to spoil anyone on this book.

This book is a morally gray story about what one would do to save their country. After reading the summary we know that there is a war going on between countries of Kalyazin and Tranavia. We have Nadya who is from Kalyazin and Serefin the prince of Tranavia and a blood mage. Now I love both of these characters. Nadya, a strong-minded girl whose the whole world is thrown into udder chaos as well as her beliefs. Now Serefin, who issues revolve around daddy, the lack of alcohol and the fact that hangovers exist. I love both of these characters but there is one who is slightly loved more than these two and that is Malachiasz, a blood mage who is on the run with others that wish to end this war.  Malachiasz is a broody, dark, driven and haunted character that you want to question on every turn but end up loving.

So to keep it simple and short, buy the book enjoy the characters. And become as enthralled with Emily's work. I'll link all the places that you can get yourself a copy. This book was one of my favorite reads this year and one I won't soon forget. Thank you, Emily, for writing such an amazing book!

Nadya has spent her entire life cloistered in a monastery buried deep in the Kalyazi mountains. As the only surviving Kalyazi cleric chosen by the Gods, she is to be protected at all costs as she is the only person who can turn the tide in the centuries old war. When the monastery is attacked, Nadya flees with only her friend Anna for protection. Chased by the High Prince, a strong and incredibly brutal blood mage, Nadya and Anna trek further into the forest not sure where to go. In the woods, they meet up with a young blood mage and two Aokan soldiers bent on ending the war by striking at royalty. Nadya joins forces with them, but it doesn't take her long to realize that things aren't necessarily what they seem . . . including the Gods themselves.

It took me a bit to get into this one, but I honestly think it's because ebooks tend to move a bit slowly for me. I enjoyed all of the characters in this book, and the plot was engaging and moved at a pretty steady pace. There isn't too much I can say without giving spoilers away, but this one is definitely worth a read especially for those who like darker fantasy.

I'm hoping that there is a pronunciation guide in the final version, and I'd be interested to know if there are threads of traditional mythology/legend woven through this. Most of the names and the languages throughout seem to have a Russian/Slavic base, so I'd really like to know more about the background of this one.

This one will definitely make it on my library order list, and I may even purchase this one for my home library.

I must say, I didn't know much about WICKED SAINTS before receiving an e-arc of it, so I had absolutely no expectations going into it. And when I picked it up, I really, really did enjoy it.

The worldbuilding, for one, was absolutely phenomenal. While reading, I felt as though I was being transported to a whole other world. The magic system, especially that of Nadya and the Kalyazi culture was so unique, so interesting that I couldn't wait to flip through the (albeit virtual) pages, was at the edge of my seat to learn more about the Gods and their mythology.

It was also incredibly quick into the action, which hooked me in nearly immediately. Other reviewers have compared this title to the incredibly talented Holly Black's, and in this regard, I ABSOLUTELY agree. Like Black's THE CRUEL PRINCE, the action WICKED SAINTS is sharp, exciting and absolutely constant. There was never a dull moment throughout the 385 pages of Duncan's writing.

Though there were aspects of the novel which I didn't love - for instance, some of the dialogue, especially that of Serefin in Chapter 3, when he first appears, and that between Nadya and Malachiasz throughout, well, nearly the entirety of their interactions was a little bit weak, appearing almost forced. In addition, I didn't love Nadya as a protagonist; though her use of Kalyazi magic kept me enthralled during the chapters in her point of view, I just couldn't connect with her and her temperamental, hot-and-cold nature. To me, it felt as though her emotions were completely flipping to complete opposite sides of the spectrum every one to two sentences!

Serafin, on the other hand... I LIVED FOR THE CHAPTERS IN HIS POINT OF VIEW. He was clever, quick, intriguing to read about... every time I saw his name at the top of a chapter, my heart beat a little faster. He was written so beautifully, and his point of view was so incredibly interesting, I can't wait to see where his character goes throughout the next book in Duncan's series!!

All in all, WICKED SAINTS was a creative and fun read; I wouldn't quite call it a stand-out fantasy in this world of beautiful, poetic works in the genre, and it had its flaws, but it really was enjoyable. Emily A Duncan has an incredibly bright future in front of her, and I look forward to reading the continuation of Nadya and Serefin's story the moment it is released!