The Wicked Saints is for those of you who love morally grey characters. Were you always a fan of the darkling? Like toeing the line between good and evil? I definitely think this book is for you. I personally thought the writing was great and the world was intricate enough for my taste. It was dark and broody but with fantastical elements. What wasn't really for me were the characters. I am not a fan of morally grey character so this just missed the mark for me, but I know a ton of people that really appreciate the characters. I did like the world building and the idea for the story. This definitely put the author on my radar and I can't wait to see what else she comes out with.

This was one of the most anticipated reads of the year and I was so stoked to get a copy. It wasn’t bad it was just a specific taste in YA. I’m curious to see what this author does next.

This was one of my most anticipated releases of 2019. It was described as a Joan of Arc-esque heroine in a Russian inspired world. Which is really just all my buzz words — Eastern European setting, retellings, gods! And oh my lord! Can I pre-order the rest of the series now please?

Wicked Saints is a debut fantasy which is about a centuries-long religious war between Kalyazin and Tranavia. The Kalyazin’s are losing and their hopes rest on, Nadezhda Lepteva. Nadezhda is a peasant girl who’s spent her life living under the protection of the monastery walls and can speak to the gods.

Nadezhda, or Nadya, is an amazing protagonist. She is quite a strong character but also very relatable. She, like every other character in this novel, is morally grey. I might not always agree with her actions but I can understand her motives. Nadya’s beliefs and unwavering faith is a huge part of her character. She has spent her whole like dedicating her life to the gods and obeying their orders. I’m excited to see what happens next and how her character develops.

The way Duncan has written these Saints is incredible. Generally, a cleric can communicate with one god, their patron, where Nadya can commune with them all. When the Saints talk to Nadya the passage is italicised. I’m amazed that Duncan is able to create a unique voice for each of the Saints, especially since there is no action or description to go with their words. The Saints do have the feel of the Greek Gods, but that might just be because they are known as the pantheon of Saints.

The story is told in dual perspectives and we get to see both sides of the war. One perspective continues Nadezhda and the second is from Tranavia’s High Prince and one of the strongest blood mage general's, Serefin Meleski.

I love, love, love Serefin so much! He is a snarky, alcoholic who’s a touch bitter about the constant warfare and doesn’t cope well with hangovers. Serefin, under his grouchy exterior, really just wants what’s best for his country.

I will say the diversity in this world is amazing! All ranges of sexuality, race and disability are represented here, which is really refreshing in fantasy novels.

The Tranavian blood mages have one of the most interesting magic systems I’ve read. I will preface this with this is a grim, dark book. For them to be able to use their magic the mages need blood—generally use their own by cutting themselves—which then is fused with the pages of their spellbook. Also, they can only use the spell once. I’ve never seen a magic system like this and I’m interested to see more for it and if there is any variation between mage.

Duncan’s writing style is lush and lyrical. There's a real gothic vibe, which I adore. I was totally engrossed in this world from the opening pages.

Overall, I could talk about this book for hours! I cannot wait for the next books in the series and already want to re-read it. If you’re a fan of the Grishaverse and fantasy with morally grey characters, this one is for you.

I stayed up until 3AM reading this book and I could have just kept reading until it was done. (I did force myself to go to bed.) This was one of my most anticipated 2019 novels for a very good reason!

I’m not going to lie though, I had my doubts in the beginning. Even though the story was entertaining and moving along at a nice pace, I was in a weird funk and just wanted to read a different book at first. This eventually corrected itself as the book became more epic.

A lot of the character names are really different than what I’m used to. So at first it was difficult to keep track of everything. It did take me about half the book until I became comfortable with the character names. So many z’s, ya’ll.

The book REALLY picks up about half way and I was freaking out about some of the stuff that was revealed in the second half of the book. I honestly did not see a lot of that coming. It was so freaking wonderful to be immersed in a new fantasy world that is so well built. I mean, this world has a history and it feels… immersive is the only word I can think of to really describe it.

I loved watching the characters’ relationships evolve and how the author slowly revealed more parts of Serefin’s character.

It has been a long time since I have read a fantasy book and been able to flip out with such joy and shock. I did not see the ending coming. It was shocking but so epically cool. I will definitely be buying the hardcover and picking up the sequel.

So, all in all, I had a bit of a hard time in the beginning but that was mostly my fault, not the book’s. But I freaking loved this book a lot. Honestly, I’d like to reread it eventually once I have the finished hardcover.

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I started reading Wicked Saints but I never imagined the pulse-pounding action, strong bad-ass heroine and a storyline that I couldn’t get enough of. Nadya was a character that I instantly connected with and the power that she was in charge was just amazing for a reader to watch. I absolutely got lost in this well-written story and I can’t wait to dive back into the second book of this series. Everyone needs to pick up this amazing story and follow along with Nadya on her supernatural journey.

I didn't think I would like Wicked Saints as much as I did. The first few chapters were very hard to get through--it felt like an editor told the author to chop off a chapter or two of setup and start in with an action sequence. And...it didn't work. I restarted the book about 4 times before I got going on it.

But once I did, I'm glad I pushed through. While Duncan has liberally taken a bit too much direct inspiration from Leigh Bardugo's Grishaverse (and is something that Duncan needs to be hella wary of as she goes forward. She toed the line of plagiarism hard IMO) Wicked Saints ends up being an interesting read. Duncan sometimes makes leaps of logic she expects her readers to follow (that aren't easy to follow) but her characters are so good that I forgave them. The writing is also good. Sometimes a bit too flowery for my taste, but it didn't hinder the story too much.

So I will be looking out for more from Emily Duncan and I hope that I can be impressed by the next installment.

I received a copy of Wicked Saints from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

You ever like build up a book so much in your head that when you finally read it, you kind of don’t even know what to think? Not in a bad way, just in a way where you have to sit on the book and your feelings because there is just so much going on, and you’ve wanted it for SO long that you almost can’t believe you even read it? Yeah, that’s where I’m at here with Wicked Saints. It feels like I’ve been waiting literally forever for this book, because I’ve been following Emily since it was announced. And she posts about it ALL THE TIME that I already felt like I knew the characters and the story, and it made me hunger for it. So this book felt almost like coming home, in a way. It felt like reading about people I’ve known and loved all this time, this unholy trio who dares defy gods.

Nadya: willing to risk the gods’ disapproval and anger to save people she cares about, Not Here For Your Heresy, can’t stop won’t stop calling Malachiasz in particular a heretic, is a bit self-righteous but who wouldn’t be when the gods only choose to listen to you, not afraid to fuck shit up and punch people (re: Malachiasz) when they prove distrustful. She’s also not afraid of her feelings, and she spends a lot of time in the book seeing how far she can go before she hates herself. It’s something about her that I loved, because here was this girl who had such a weight on her shoulders but who still chose the hard way out, who still fought for what she believed in. Even if those beliefs started shattering the moment her monastery was destroyed.

Malachiasz: smiles a lot more than I was expecting to be honest, offers girls jackets in the cold, fluent in sarcasm, a Tranavian abomination who has no business invading Kalyazin, has no problems lying and manipulating, turns into a monster when he’s fighting his own kind, would prefer you think him cold and uncaring rather than a boy who just wants to stop a war and take back control of his life. *flails because Malachiasz is a disaster* and he [REDACTED], [REDACTED], and [REDACTED]!!! I’m not sure what to THINK about him, but I do know that love villains, and I’m so ready to see just how far he goes before he can’t find his way back to himself. And to his people. *screams because ALL THE FEELINGS! but spoilers!*

Serefin: not actually a cinnamon roll prince omg, would rather be anywhere than his family’s palace, drinks too much, hates showing his weaknesses, is self-deprecating but has a charming wit, loathes his father, wishes people would take him seriously even when he won’t do it for himself, probably better at blood magic than you are, my precious queer boy. You get so many glimpses of Serefin as the book progresses, from the bloodthirsty general to the playboy prince to the drunk who can’t seem to stop getting himself into situations that Sober Serefin would yell about to the son of a bastard king who only cares about keeping his power. He’s got pain and rage behind that loathsome exterior, but he refuses to show you that.

There was just a big group of characters, but they were all easily their own person. Parijahan and Rashid are Malachiasz’s travel companions, and they become friends with Nadya. I ADORE them. Rashid is funny and comforting, and Parijahan has a sharp intelligence that hides so much that I want to know. There’s also Kacper (my baby) and Ostiya and Zeneta, Tranavians who are some of Serefin’s closest confidantes. The only people he can trust, tbh. I’m a bit sorry to say I paid more attention the main three (even though Malachiasz doesn’t have a POV, but I never said I wasn’t biased, I am just saying here).

I shipped Nadya and Malachiasz so damned much omg. Their banter and intensity and hate-to-possibly-love was just *chef’s kiss* It was slow burn, but not slow burn. It was a lot of back-and-forth anger and calling each other names and generally stating how much they despise one another while also freaking out if the other’s in trouble. *whispers* my jam. And if I’m not mistaken, I think Serefin and Kacper are in love??? Listen, I want this ship, and it better fucking set sail in book two! Anyway, since there are so many characters you can basically ship them all together, and that’s really the best thing about it.

jk there’s more, the book is so immersive without adding too much information too fast, and the author weaves in the elements of the worlds effortlessly. I loved the little paragraphs at the beginnings of the chapters, the stories about the saints and the gods. And there are religious tones to the story, but it takes those and twists them and reminds you that things are far more complicated than just right or wrong. I was also really happy Emily has a pronunciation guide on her website because that helped SO much. (I kept having to look at it every few pages because I’d forget how the names went, but shhhh).

DON’T EVEN GET ME STARTED ON THAT ENDING. EMILY DUNCAN WHAT HAVE YOU DONE. I’M STILL IN SOME SHOCK EVEN THOUGH I PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE SEEN THAT COMING. omg what a sharp move to shake the very foundations of what usually happens and go for the throat. There is nothing I love more than being thrown around like that, even if it’s k i l l i n g me. It’s kind of how I felt about The Wicked King, to be honest. I want more books that see your absolute adoration and raise you total devastation in the form of characters who have no qualms about going after their own twisted ambitions.

What an amazing read! I absolutely loved the premise of this story and the characters really pulled me in from the very beginning. I loved how unique the plot was and I couldn't put the book down. The setting was magical and I could picture every scene because the writing style was eloquent and very descriptive. There honestly wasn't anything about this novel that I didn't enjoy!

All in all, it was fast paced, entertaining, and full of unique and fun characters. I loved all of the magic and the setting had me dreaming of winters in Europe. I would highly recommend this novel if you've loved Sarah J. Maas novels or other YA Fantasy. Thank you to Wednesday Books for sending me a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Rating 4/5

I enjoyed this much more than I thought I would. I was afraid this would be another trope-filled YA but I loved the morally gray characters and the depth. It was fast-paced with romance that wasn't too cheesy. There were some good plot twists and it really made you sit back and think about life and the people you know. It had a dark, gothic feel that I really enjoyed. I can't wait to continue with this series.

HOT DAMN THIS WAS INSANE.

Launching myself into the sun would be less stressful than reading the final chapters of this book. Emily A. Duncan is the maestro of dark boys and probably evil gods. Emily is a bloodmage and this is her spellbook, I am entranced.

Wicked Saints is a bold and creative novel that takes some of our best loved themes and flips them on their head. This remarkable dark fantasy debut is rooted in a Slavic inspired world that will hold you hostage. Once you get started, you won’t be able to look away.

This is the type of story that will seek deep into your bones and consume you. I’ve seen it compared to Leigh Bardugo’s Grishaverse and while there are similarities and certainly appeal to fans of the aforementioned, Wicked Saints is wholly and uniquely its own story. There is nothing quite like it that I’ve read.

The story follows three characters - a young cleric and conduit of the Gods, a runaway heretic magic and a sassy alcoholic prince. These are the characters I didn’t know I needed. These are the characters you didn’t know you needed.

Full of witty banter and a chilling atmosphere, Wicked Saints soars to the top of my favorite debuts list. The hype is well deserved, you need this stunning book (inside and out!) on your shelf.

I have very mixed feelings about this book. On the one hand, I can see what Duncan was hoping to accomplish and I really appreciate the ambition of her effort. Unfortunately, it all fell a bit flat.
Nadya was a reasonably compelling character, even if we never really had the chance to dig deeper into her morals and religious values. I liked her tenacity and grit; she holds her own in new and dangerous situations, and she doesn't back down from a fight. Serefin was also surprisingly likeable after a while, although it bothers that there isn't even a passing attempt to address his alcoholism (he is drunk or wanting to be drunk in just about every scene he's in). Malachiasz...is a bizarre mix of Kylo Ren and Prince Zuko, I guess, but I still don't understand him at all. His motivation is...power? I just have so many questions, questions I'm pretty sure the last third of the book was trying to answer, except it didn't do a very good job. The secondary characters were underdeveloped, which is a shame because they seem interesting. Nadya spent 90% of her time with Malachiasz, leaving whatever friendship she built with with Rashid and Paji to happen "off-screen."
A big problem I had with with the book was Nadya's relationship with Malachiasz. He lies to her repeatedly, she forgives him, he lies to her some more, she forgives him some more, and (surprise!) he lies to her again. As interesting as I initially found him, his behavior toward the end of the book bordered on gaslighting, and Nadya continuing to be genuinely shocked every time she found out he had lied was incredibly frustrating and imo unrealistic. I have no idea where Duncan is planning to take these characters in the next book, but if Malachiasz and Nadya are endgame, I have no interest in continuing to read the series. He just isn't interesting or compelling enough for me to care about what happens to him.
All that being said, the magic system was interesting, if incredibly vague at parts, and the struggle for self-determination and independence throughout the story was very engaging. I would have liked to see a more in-depth discussion about the value system Nadya operates on. Why is blood magic heresy? What exactly does it mean to be a Vulture, and what makes them so blasphemous? Why is it wrong to reach for (too much) power? Where does magic come from, if not from the gods? Why is it wrong of Nadya to use hers on her own? How do Nadya's prayer beads/Kostya's necklace actually work?
I want answers to these questions, but to be perfectly honest, I don't see myself reading the sequel, whenever it comes out. It was a fun read, but I'm not invested enough to see the story through to the end.

4.5 stars

Not to be That Person™, but Emily A. Duncan’s bloodthirsty debut, Wicked Saints, is a lot like a potato.

There, I said it.

Why a potato? Well, let me tell you . . .

It is surprisingly good, despite appearances.

Did you know that potatoes are generally really really ugly?

I mean, imagine looking at a raw potato for the first time. It looks gross—some brownish, dirty, lumpy thing. Um . . . ew?

And this isn’t to say Wicked Saints is ugly (I mean—have you seen that cover?!), but it’s honestly not really my type of book. (Or so I thought.)

I’m not super huge into blood magic or high fantasy or religion or . . . well, a lot of things that characterize the premise of Wicked Saints. But after trying it (the potato and the book), it’s delicious. I devoured the whole book so much faster than I expected to.

Wicked Saints might have seemed like an ugly raw potato to me initially, but after, it was like eating a basket of fresh, hot French fries. So, so good.

I still might not love blood magic or high fantasy or religion, but when they’re together and in the way Duncan presented them? I am absolutely enamored.

The world was immersive and I loved the dynamic between the warring countries, and the way things changed near the front lines. I loved how elegantly Duncan tied it all together, and the way she slowly built up the world around what the reader saw as Nadya and Malachiasz journeyed. I loved the way Duncan didn’t hold back from the dark and the gritty.

(I also loved the potatoes who made their grand entrance in chapter one.)

It’s also versatile, integrating different themes.

Similar to how there are many variations of potatoes out there (russet, reds, fingerlings, Yukon gold) and ways to prepare them (boil ‘em, mash ‘em, stick ‘em in a stew), Wicked Saints is a book that puts on multiple hats.

Wicked Saints, for me, wasn’t just a piece of fiction to entertain (although it does this quite well).
It analyzes morality in a way that leaves me still questioning right and wrong. I think the dynamic between Kalyazin and Tranavia and how Wicked Saints not only looks at the complexity of war, but also puts a focus on why the war is occurring and how an end might (or might not) be found.

It weaves religion into its morality questions and looks at the gray area with Nadya and her journey.

I’m not evil enough to steal your fries or spoil the book for you, but the meaning is there, if you wish to find it. And I just so happened to. I think this part is very hit and miss though, depending on who you are and whether you’re looking for it, but I really happened to enjoy this element. In another book, I could have ended up missing it completely.

The more you cook it (er, progress in reading), the softer it gets.

The potato metaphor in this one is pretty obvious, but let me explain the book part.

Initially, I was wary about the characters. They were all war-hardened and how could I—a measly seventeen year old hiding out in her bedroom—relate to the war-ravaged, tough characters of Wicked Saints?

Well . . . they’re just not as tough as they want you to think. (Don’t tell them I said that, though.) As I read further and further, each character’s individual anxieties and stresses and oh-my-god-the-world-is-crashing-down-around-me became clear to me.

Nadya and her struggle to please the gods in her head and the people around her felt a lot like my own struggles to please my parents, my teachers, and everyone else who is putting a unique pressure on me. Maybe they’re not shouting in my head, but my own head does that enough that it’s basically the same thing.

Malachiasz and his general angsty disaster nature. (I get why people love him, now.) Serefin, the second disaster who is just Trying His Best.

They’re all really kind of soft and stressed inside (Still a bit bloody, I won’t deny that. Also, human viscera is generally soft.), and in the end I really liked them. (Which is why tHAT ENDING TORE ME UP.)

It’s still vicious, though.

Raw potatoes can poison you. Prepare to die.

Because I don’t just mean vicious in the bloody sense (and there is a LOT of blood in this book—also, definitely check out some of the content warnings from the author here!), but also in the way that the ending!!! Was just!!! [insert nonstop screaming]!!!

I’m so mad I have to wait for book 2. That was a mean, mean thing to do :(

I never asked to be invested! I didn’t ask for this type of emotional stress! Just make everyone happy please and stop doing ~THAT~!

Whew. It’s been three months and I’m still really worked up over how this book ended and what one of the characters ended up being. (aaAAARRrRGggghH)

I need to peel some potatoes to calm down.

Overall, Wicked Saints was a lot like a potato.

Potatoes come in many forms, but Wicked Saints was a lot like that perfect spiral peel. Maybe not absolute perfection (spiral peels are hard to do), but it was really really great, and one for the books.

If you’re someone like me who is excited but maybe not the biggest fan of the genre & topics, I think Wicked Saints is still worth a shot. It’s elegant in its grimness, and I personally relished reading. I was very surprised, and think you might be too.

I absolutely love the cover of this book - it is just delicious. As is the story inside. Bringing together those who are so different to uncover secrets and stop a war in a fantastical world. I will definitely re-read this book! Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for an ARC.

What hooked me to Wicked Saints was the book cover, the blurb, and the eastern European story. The story begins in a little monastery in the middle of the mountains in a country called Kalyazin where our protagonist, Nadya is peeling potatoes. The first chapter reels us in with its easy flowing narration and one can easily slip into this fantasy world without any hiccups. Nadya is a girl who can hear the gods. She's a Kalyazi cleric who can channel the power of gods to use magic, for both good and bad. The other protagonist is Serefin Meleski, the High Prince of Tranavia, which is in a centuries-old war with Kalyazin. The unique thing about this novel is that both of them come face to face in the first few chapters itself. It's so interesting to see the prince as the big bad at first then delve into his mind and his life to uncover what makes him tick. Another surprise element of this story is a dark-haired mysterious Malachiasz who's thrown into the same path as Nadya. After the big banging start of the book, it quickly falls into the familiar teenage tropes. The introduction of Vultures was certainly fascinating and gruesome and look for the twist in the last third of the book involving Malachiasz. After a lean and mostly sticky middle half of the book, the shocking ending would surely make you want to pick up the sequel.

*SPOILERS AHEAD* The problem with the middle half of the book was that the love story seems very shoe-horned, the Rawalyk feeling like a copy and paste of the arena fights in The Red Queen. The love story between Malachiasz and Nadya is also a fading echo of Maven and Mare from The Red Queen. Also, there's nothing grounding the story in emotions and to make me invested in this story except my curiosity about the plot. My dominant feeling was indifference to the plight and struggle of Nadya and Malachiasz. The two Akolans, Parijahan and Rashid had no importance except that they want to kill the king as well. The fights weren't gripping as I felt that the first encounter of High Prince and Nadya was the best. One last major gripe is the writing itself. If I had a penny for every time the author says "this boy", "this dark-haired boy", "this broken boy", "this beautiful, mysterious boy", I would have a million dollars by now. *SPOILERS END*

Having said all that, the book seems to have a rich, background world-building as each chapter had a little paragraph from the imaginary Holy Book of Saints of Nadya's religion. Conversations between Nadya and Malachiasz about Gods and Monsters and where magic is coming from were intelligent. I wished we had more of that. I do want to know how the Kalyazi's Silver court would be (maybe in the sequel?), although the name itself takes us back to another fantasy, Six of Crows. I truly appreciated the rogue element of The Vultures and the witch, Pelageya stole the show. However, I still feel that the story is a mix and match, a cut and paste of all the other fantasy book series that were famous.

I won't be picking up the sequel except maybe to wikipedia the plot as I still am curious. I hope this book sells for the author.

Wicked Saints had an interesting and clever way of telling a story through war, beliefs, and the power one either hopes to gain or will lose because of it. I wouldn’t consider it a religious tale, but more one of finding what drives you to keep pushing forward—one that is enjoyable because it doesn’t push anything on its reader. With strong world-building and a heavy heretic feel, the fast-paced but well-written story held me in its clutches until the very twisted end.

What was most enjoyable was Nadya’s story arc. It was unexpected how real and unsure she felt even with the power of many gods at her disposal. She felt more approachable and as insecure as one should feel in the throes of war, and for that I found myself really liking her. Her journey held much self discovery and introspection on her reliance on powers outside of her own self and what that meant for who she was stripped of that identity. That was a powerful piece for the story to explore and I thought Duncan did it well. Every step led her to the people she was meant to take the journey with and I loved what they brought to her journey and her growth. Her connection to the boy with the monstrous secret was at times not striking enough and instead a bit lazily explored, but I look forward to seeing what it will become in the second book. But maybe my most favorite character ended up being the prince; his self discovery just as life-changing and his personality just as catching which was an unexpected treat. He and Nadya had this instant camaraderie even though that went against everything they had ever known, and it was striking how it played out. I cannot wait to explore more of his story and where it takes the two of them together.

Even with the many foreign-sounding names and places and finding it difficult to maintain who everyone was, I eventually fell into the story in spite of it. The twists and turns made for an exciting story and I cannot even begin to fathom the depth of what’s to come, but I’m looking forward to it more than I expected to.

This book has great world building and a clearly thought-out backstory of the world. But that’s where the aspects of it that are well-done kind of end.
The pacing was mediocre at best, with half of the book being just setup for the 2nd half. The characters were just ok with nothing enticing about them, and the “surprise villain” trope is utilized, which happens to be my least-favorite trope.
So while this book had its unique aspects, I found it lacking in other areas.

I was immediately drawn into the world of Wicked Saints. A peasant girl who can talk to gods? Countries who’ve been at war for hundreds of years? The very powerful prince who uses dark magic? A mysterious boy on the run from powerful magicians? A magic wielding contest??? YESSSS, this is my jam!!!

Let’s chat about the characters:

Nadya, my Gryffindor Cleric – Nadya is fervent in her trust and belief in the gods. I LOVE HER. As someone who grew up in a religious household, I understand her implicit trust in the gods. She needs the pantheon’s approval and craves their guidance.
At the same time, she is nervous about ever doing anything outside the gods’ will. What a predicament! All her choices are an illusion, because without the gods’ approval, she’s void of her magic. Yet, she will constantly run into choices that make her question the gods, and doubt their hold on her life.

Serefin, the awkward mage prince – This precious boy! I love his character!!! He’s powerful, yet constrained about using his power. He’s been fighting on the frontlines of the war since he was 16 – and he knows the only reason he’s at the front is that his dead kind of might want him dead.

At first, you might think Serefin is just evil? I mean, he’s using blood magic, torturing people, and wants to kill the rumored magical cleric. But he’s a cinnamon roll, okay? i like Serefin.

Malachiasz, of the dark and twisted past – Malachiasz is the darkling we all don’t really deserve.Read this book for this tortured soul. Also, his feelings? KEPT ME DANGLING ON A TIGHTROPE. Seriously, he is something else.

I also really, really like all the other characters who help complete the setting, plot, and cast. Ostyia is blind in one eye, and flirts with every girl she meets. Goals. Zaneta is a powerful blood mage, who happens to be Serefin’s childhood friend, and she definitely aims to win that blood magic contest. Iconic Queen. Rashid and Parijahan are two plucky souls who stole my heart. I’m reading the NEXT book for ALL THESE FOLKS.

Wow, the plot kept me GUESSING SO MUCH. I thought I knew who was evil, who was going to maybe do some betrayal, who might try to kill everyone. But i was wrong. And that’s part of why I genuinely loved this book?

► Nadya was constantly second guessing herself and deciding who she should trust.

► Serefin had to decide if his dad was really trying to kill him.

► Malachiasz had so many layers, I’m still processing all of his motives and goals. Though, I still don’t know what he wants and i finished the book. So there’s that.

I also liked the romance – because it felt genuine and the characters falling for each other happed to hate the fact that they were falling in love. And there was definitely some enemies to lovers back to enemies vibe and I LIVE FOR ALL THAT, okay?

Roshani Choksi says this book is for anyone who shipped the Darkling and Alina, and yes, it is exactly that, except not so abusive or manipulative.
And have I mentioned all the religious conversations and internal conflict??? I briefly touched on this earlier but I really felt Nadya’s internal conflict. She was nervous to ask questions but she wanted to ask questions and I was here for her searching for answers. I feel like she’s going to get into even deep questions in the second book, and YES.

Also Malachiasz and Nadya had the best conversations about why they believed what they believed. I mean, sometimes, he could be mocking or kind of a jerk about her devotion to the pantheon of gods. But the way they talked about it! So great!

And the religious narrative fed directly into the war – and how war affects the average people. Serefin really cared for his country and it drove him into finding a way to end the war. My political icon Serefin.

I’ve heard this book referenced as a magical Joan of Arc storyv and YES THAT’S EXACTLY RIGHT! the action scenes are intense and Nadya is a fighter. I actually reread several of the fight scenes because they were just so gripping and I wanted to experience them again.

It reminds me of the time I read the best fight scene I’d ever come across – Molly Weasley’s take down of Bellatrix Lestrange. I reread that final battle scene over and over again, because it just consumed me. And I’m absolutely comparing the fight scenes in Wicked Saints to The Battle of Hogwarts. Because they were THAT well-written.

And before I finish chatting about this book, let me just mention the humor. It was on point and helped keep the story from being overwhelmingly dark.

One quick example, Serefin had to climb 4,000 steps to attack the monastery, but when he comes back to court, he notes that he’s winded after climbing a winding staircase. HE’S SO ANNOYED THAT ONE WEEK HOME FROM WAR AND A FEW STAIRS ARE ALREADY TIRING HIM OUT. And it’s just so funny? and maybe that doesn’t sound funny, but trust me reading the story, it’s quite humorous.

Now, before everyone goes rushes the stores to buy this amazing book, a quick trigger warning this book is graphic. I mean, there’s blood magic, which involves cutting oneself and lots of blood. And there’s death, and dark magic. While Wicked Saints is sold as Young Adult,I really feel like this story is much more New Adult, or at least much older YA.

Disclaimer: I received a copy free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Kalyazin and Tranavia are two neighbouring countries who have been a part of a centuries-long holy war. Nadya is a Kalyazi cleric and she can commune with the gods and, if they choose to, they can grant her magic. Serefin is a Tranavian Prince and a blood mage, who are deemed to be heretics in the eyes of Kalyazin. Malachiasz is a mystery – he’s a Tranavian defector, and a blood mage, whose motives and true allegiances are unknown. Together, they must come together to kill a king and to stop the war once and for all.

Wicked Saints has been a highly anticipated release of mine for quite some time. It first came to my attention when described as a Gothic Joan of Arc, and it sounded like my cup of tea, and I just loved the whole feel and aesthetic of the book. It is a dark and gritty book that will appeal to those readers who like their fantasy bloody. I went into Wicked Saints seeing continuously mixed and average reviews and yet I still came out of this one completely and utterly in love and impatiently waiting for the sequel… a whole YEAR away. Wicked Saints has also been constantly compared to the Grisha trilogy, especially regarding the Slavic inspiration, but I can’t comment on this because I personally haven’t ever read that series (but my co-blogger Lauren has!).

I do want to give some trigger warnings: self-harm, blood, gore, violence, abuse.

Wicked Saints focuses mainly on war and religion and it is the religious themes throughout that really sets it apart from a lot of other YA fantasies. Kalyazin is a highly religious country. A country that the gods favour, and choose ‘clerics’ that can commune with them and that they can bestow gifts upon. Kalyazin went to war with Tranavia due to their ‘heresy’ and their use of blood magic – power that the gods haven’t gifted so both the gods and Kalyazin see this as an affront to the Gods and their power. I really enjoyed this aspect of the book and how intricately it was woven into the story. It discusses heresy, divinity, and godhood and what actually makes a god? I also enjoyed the discussion into war and how it isn’t always a black & white or bad vs good situation and I especially loved the blood magic vs divine magic aspect as well.

The magic was also an aspect I enjoyed and how it is linked with the religious aspect. I enjoyed the subtle subversion of the ‘chosen one’ trope too. Nadya has been gifted with the ability to commune with the gods and when she prays to a certain god, they can choose to ‘gift’ her their power. I loved the twists and revelations that Nadya comes across concerning her own magic. I’ve seen a few people complain that Nadya is reduced to a love interest when Malachiasz is introduced, and in turn, becomes a one-dimensional character, but I never saw that? I enjoyed Nadya’s progression throughout the book, how she comes to see Tranavians as not just the enemy, how she questions the gods, goes against their wishes at times, and her relationship with them and her magic is interesting and one of my favourite parts of the book.

I wasn’t particularly fond of the romance between Nadya and Malachiasz, and I definitely don’t ‘ship’ it BUT I actually enjoyed their dynamic and definitely appreciated the complexity of the relationship between the two.

The characters are just so interesting and complex. I’ve already talked about Nadya a bit already, but she was one of my favourites. She is determined but also so self-righteous, she’s passionate and intelligent but also naive at times. She is headstrong and stubborn, but not always curious or open-minded enough. She is just a really well-rounded and flawed character and I really loved that. Serefin is also a great character and gives you an insight into the other side of the war and gives a different opinion than Nadya’s, a great balance. He’s powerful but also scared, he’s been part of the war for so long, he no longer knows how to be a Prince. Malachiasz is a complicated character, he’s a mystery, even more so now I’ve finished the book which I love!

Wicked Saints is a book full of morally ambiguous characters, each thinking they are doing what is right for themselves and their own respective countries and will betray and lie, and be as ruthless and manipulative as they need to be to get what they want and that is the exact type of characters I love in a fantasy.

Wicked Saints is a carefully crafted, neatly woven, and masterfully plotted fantasy that really should be gracing everyone’s shelves.

I've been sitting on this review for so long and have been dying to post it because I just want to talk about how much I love this book! I had seen so much hype for it for so long (I shelved it back in January 2018 when it was still called Something Dark and Holy and had no cover or synopsis, just "Something dark and holy is coming") and when I was blessed with an invite to join the blog tour, I jumped at the chance and flew through the book far too quickly. I fell absolutely in love with every single word that I read and I will very likely be talking about this book forever.

Plot:
A lot of the time with first books (Wicked Saints is book one in a trilogy!!!) you can really tell that it's, well, book one. Does that make sense? It's clearly a setup book that just info dumps and introduces you to the world and the characters and most definitely sets the stage for the sequel. But with Wicked Saints, not only does it not feel like a debut, but it also feels like it's a book in the middle of a series. Everything is so well fleshed out and the story was so engaging and honestly very stressful at times! The story kicks off with a bang and doesn't stop until the final page and I was completely and totally hooked. You learn about clerics and blood mages and that the gods that Nadya can speak to (she can speak with all of them, by the way) and you find out that they've been completely shut out in Tranavia. One of my favorite things about this story is the religious aspects of it, believe it or not. There's a big overall discussion about beliefs, who is "right or wrong," and both Nadya and Malachiasz are so set in their ways of thinking that they butt heads quite frequently. They each have their own reasons for why they believe the way that they do and while both sides are incredibly compelling, there's this overall sense of wrong that you can feel when it comes to anything to do with the gods. You want to believe that both Nadya and Malachiasz are "right" but there's this looming sense of wrongness that you can't exactly place but it keeps you going, keeps you turning the page to find out more. That's the sign of a good book for me as a reader, when I'm reading and I find myself getting so deep into the story that I keep wanting more and before I know it, I've accidentally read half of the book when I only intended to read for a few minutes. There's so much packed into all 400 pages of this book and yet I found myself wanting more. Not because the book was lacking, but because I fell so in love with the world, characters, writing, and the plot. It kept me so engaged and flowed like water, each page effortlessly blending into the next. I had so many questions that I actually got answers for and by the end, I was gasping for air and screaming about how I needed the sequel already! This is a debut that will sweep you off of your feet and take you for an emotional ride, but you'll enjoy every second of it and beg for more.

Characters:
Before I jump into gushing about how much I love these monstrous children, I want to include a handy pronunciation guide for certain things within Wicked Saints! Hopefully, this saves you a bit of embarrassment when you're pronouncing Malachiasz as Ma-lah-key-az or Ma-lah-kai-az and Parijahan as Par-ee-john, Parisian, or eventually Parmesan because you're frustrated with yourself for not being able to pronounce any names properly.

Nadya, my darling cleric and one of the main characters in Wicked Saints, is one of my all-time favorite characters in any book I've ever read. She's so strong, both with her abilities and her personal strength as a person, and I loved following her story. From the beginning where she's in a monastary to the end where...well...spoilers but let's just say she has such an incredible character growth throughout the book that I just cannot stop thinking about. Nadya is so set in her ways because it's all she knows and she's determined to please her gods, the ones that give her power. She goes through so many ups and downs and finds out things that do cause her faith to waver and she questions all she thought she knew. But by the end? She finds her strength and absolutely shines and I didn't think it was possible but I fell in love with her even more.

Malachiasz, oh sweet monster child. He's a blood mage from Tranavia with a seriously messed up past. Like Nadya, he has some pretty insane character development and the way he was written was just so...wow. You can't help but want to love him and side with him and really just help him in every way possible. But dang, boy.

And finally, we come to Serefin, my drunk son who just needs a hug. You get an idea of who he is and form an opinion fairly early on in the book, and my personal opinion was Serefin bad. But the more you read and the more you discover about him and what's going on within Tranavia, you realize that he's actually a cinnamon roll who is caught in the middle of some pretty awful stuff. Like, no wonder he's drunk all the time holy crap what is going on. Again, amazing character development and I really think that, while I love Malachiasz, that Serefin and Nadya have the best storyline and growth throughout Wicked Saints.

To sum this up, all of the main characters in this book are incredible and show huge (and super important) growth and why are they not real people I just want to hug Serefin please. As far as the side characters (Ostyia is my queen and I'm gonna need an entire book just about her please and thank you) go, they were all equally as important and impactful as the three main characters in this book. These are definitely not one-shot side characters that you'll end up forgetting after you've been introduced to them! I just cannot stop praising Emily A. Duncan for creating each and every one of these amazing characters because they genuinely feel like they could be real people and it warms my soul to imagine that. Well...it might not end well but at least I could give them all a hug, right?

Writing:
This book is goth AF, as the kids would say. Wicked Saints is dark, gritty, and so very bloody in the best way possible. Emily's writing has a way of capturing your attention and not letting you go until the very last page. Blood magic? Probably, but I'll let her work her magic on me any day. Below, you'll find some of my favorite quotes from Wicked Saints:

"In Tranavia, there was always another monster around the corner waiting to devour you."

"She didn't want to be this close to him but if she was going to get out of this alive she was going to need a monster who knew how to fight monsters."

"Monsters are seen as an ideal because monsters are powerful, more than human."

"We're all monsters, Nadya. Some of us just hide it better than others."

"Dazzle the monsters, Nadya."

"A witch is just a girl who has realized her power is her own."

"The girl, the monster, and the prince."

"Once there was a boy who was shattered into pieces and put back together in the shape of a monster. Once there was a boy who clutched at the remnants of what he had left as it fell through his fingers. Once there was a boy who destroyed what little there was remaining because it wasn't enough. The boy was gone. The monster had swallowed the heart that beat in his chest. He let the darkness take him."

Did I mention that Wicked Saints is dark? The writing in this book made me feel like I should be reading with the lights off by candlelight. Emily A. Duncan's writing comes across like she's been doing this for years and years and will absolutely have you hooked from the very first page. It's nothing short of magical and is so easy to get lost in that you'll never want to stop reading. There were so many times while I was reading that I just sighed and smiled out of pure love for how absolutely incredible and unique this whole book is.

This review was probably more of a gush about how much I loved every aspect of this book, but for a short and sweet "technical" review, Wicked Saints has it all. Addictive writing, a plot that keeps you on your toes and will likely have you screaming, and characters that are all so flawed but are really trying their best. This is a debut that you do not want to miss and I can say with 100% certainty that the hype around it is absolutely real.

Ever since I read about this book, even before it officially had a cover, I knew this would be a book I loved. I was right, Wicked Saints is a new twist on typical fantasy that I have been needing in my life. I was engaged by the characters and plot, finishing the book in about 2 days (70% in one day). I couldn’t put it down.

From the first chapter, I knew that I was in for a treat with this book. It begs you to keep reading, the plot full of captivating world building and engaging characters. A fast-paced story, you really hate putting it down because you feel that you will miss something, which is illogical since it is a book and the words on the pages aren’t going anywhere…or are they? About halfway through the story is when everything really converges and things pick up to a crazy pace. The last half of the book is a religious, bloody battle…one that you can’t help but become engrossed in.



First of all…clerics and blood mages…yes, please! I never really read much about blood mages until recently and I love them so much, the good ones at least. There is just something dark about having to give a part of yourself to use magic that resonates with me. I was unaware of what clerics were exactly but this story clears that up. Nadya, a cleric, and others such as herself get their power from the gods but not everyone agrees which type of magic is most powerful. Now, the thing is…clerics aren’t common. In fact, Nadya is the only one we see as of right now. She has a destiny that she’s been training for her entire life until it was cut unexpectedly short. In Wicked Saints blood mages and clerics are enemies but Nadya and Malachiasz have to work together to aid their mission, putting their differences aside.



There is a romance here but it isn’t what you first expect. It isn’t “love at first sight” or anything quick. This is a slow burn romance that takes time for the characters to truly see. At one point I thought there was going to be a love triangle but that was one fruit that never blossomed. In all honesty, I’m not sure I liked the romance but I couldn’t help but root for it. Another aspect about this I really loved was the dual POV. We see the story from the perspectives of both Nadya and Serefin. Dual POV always gives me a more complete understanding of the story, allowing me to know how others think or feel about certain things. It just adds another dimension to the story.