If you’re a regular visitor to Cracking the Cover, then you might have noticed the sudden onslaught of fantasy reviews. It doesn’t happen often, as I tend to like a variety of genres, but here we are. One of the benefits of reviewing so many fantasies so close to each other is the ability to compare and really flesh out what you like.

In the case of Wicked Saints, the first book in Emily A. Duncan’s Something Dark and Holy series, comparison went beyond fantasy — it’s the second book I’ve read in the past two weeks that features blood magic as a major element.

It’s hard to describe Wicked Saints in any more detail than the synopsis above without giving away information. Wicked Saints isn’t a straightforward novel, and that’s why it works. Author Emily A. Duncan gives tiny nuggets of information in short bursts throughout.

Though Wicked Saints is set in its own world, the setting has an almost Russian feel to it. Emily’s world building is visceral, which adds to the overall ambiance.

As good as Wicked Saints is, it’s not for everyone. It is very, very dark. And while I’m glad I did read it, I don’t know that I would have stuck with it had I not been taking part in the blog tour.

Editor’s note: Due to the dark elements throughout Wicked Saints, I recommend it for readers 14 and up.

I’m firmly in the fangirl/loving-this group after finishing Wicked Saints. I’m happy I gave this one a chance since it’s not typically my go to type of read. Although outside me normal picks, this one blew me away. This was originally an ARC but I couldn't resist buying my very own hardcover copy :)

WS was full of action, intrigue and I was thoroughly entertained by the twists and turns of the story. There was some funny moments and at times even some sweet moments but overall this was a more of a dark read. The characters were also an interesting group, diverse, unique and complex.

Rashid and Parijahan (hope we get more of them in the next installments!) were great supporting characters. I was definitely all in with Nadya and Malachiasz. The jury is still out on Serefin though. Definitely feel for him and what he goes through but his past actions (think Konstantin back at the monastery) is really making it hard to warm up to him. All these characters have a lot of emotional growth ahead of them and I look forward to see each one finally be able to think and act for themselves. I wouldn’t classify the male leads as morally gray characters since it doesn’t look like they have morals to begin with but they are definitely anti-heroes. This starts off very black and white but with each new detail revealed you see how murky gray it all becomes and I think that really sold this for me.

Bottom line this book and the story it tells, fascinated me from start to finish. I fell for the characters hard and I’m shipping the romantic couple. All the internal dilemmas, inner conflicts and doubts, the trust issues and the rocky friendships were all highlights that kept me glued to the pages.

Memorable Moments:
The second half of this book really picks up the pace and it was hard to put down.

But a challenge was a riddle was a test.
Even if it meant putting back together what arrogance had torn apart. Even if it meant forcing one unwilling to listen. Even if it meant seeding doubt into a zealot’s heart. Even if it meant bringing madness.

Would I recommend? Yes, I really enjoyed reading this one and am definitely anxious to read how this all gets wrapped up. It ended with a nail biting explosion and I’m dying to know how things will turn around (or if they even can after that bombshell!) So many questions!!!

I'm not quite sure how to put my thoughts about this book out in words, it was that good. I mean it has Clerics, Blood Magic, Silent Gods and Countries at War.

Wicked Saints is the first book in a new trilogy, told in dual POV.

Nadezhda Lapteva (Nadya) a sheltered cleric that can communicate with the gods, when her home is under attack and this is when we first get to see the powers, she has access to. Seeing her home go up in flames Nadya is forced to escape with a friend in tow, in doing so she runs into a group of people that also want to see the King dead.

On the other side is Serefin who is the prince Tranavia, he is a blood mage. He would rather spend his time out on the battlefield fighting the war instead of being used as a pawn by his father.

Then there is the "dark bad boy" of the story, Malachiasz (Mal) who is a power blood mage, but he also has secrets and plans of his own. Even though there are the dual POV's (Nadya and Serefin) Mal does play an important role in the story.

I found how Nadya and Serefin's abilities were used very interesting. Naday uses a rosary that has beads inscribed with runes for each god on them, this allows her to communicate with each one. Serefin has a book that can be used with his blood to send out spells. Since there are two different types of magic, there is also two different views of how the other one lives, and this is brought up a few times in the book, and there are some intense arguments as to which side is right and which one is wrong. It was hard to pick a side since both sides had valid points.

This is a dark book, with some triggers that have been addressed by the author self-harm (both as a magic system, and talk of self-harm in the past), torture, parental abuse, abandonment, abduction, a lot of alcohol consumption (maybe addiction), gore, violence, and war themes.

I am looking forward to the 2nd book in the series even thought I may have to wait a year for it.

I... honestly don't know where to begin. And I have no idea what to write because What. Even. Are. Words.

This review has been in the works for weeks and I still don't know what to say. (I swear I know words.) So to keep my sanity, I decided to just give a list of all the things I love about this beautifully savage, bloody book. (Don't take too long reading this. Honestly I'd suggest you just skip this and start the book. Lol)

- My first thought reading Wicked Saints was "What the actual fuck is happening?!" Seriously. The beginning immediately thrusts us into this bloody, brutal, people-killing-people world that I absolutely don't know anything about and it was just so.. so.. I CAN'T THINK OF A WORD. But damn it. I LOVED IT.

- The magic system was different and unique and wonderfully written. It actually kind of reminded me of Everless. Only this time it's more bloody (literally) and quite gruesome. The way that the author wrote about blood magic was both terrifying and beautiful. I LOVED IT.

- The Vultures. I don't care what you say, they're super badass. I won't say too much because spoilers but I LOVED IT.

- The most slowburn, torturous, frustrating, swoony romance I've come across. I kept thinking WOULD YOU TWO JUST KISS ALREADY!? I am shipping this so bad. So. Bad. The banter and the theological arguments were EVERYTHING. I LOVED IT.

- Nadya. She's steadfast and loyal and selfless. Going thru the journey with her was unforgettable. I LOVED IT. I LOVE HER.

- Malachiasz. I would very much like to know what goes on in that beautiful, tormented, lovable head of his. (Maybe in book two?!?) I. LOVE. HIM.

- Serefin. Now I didn't expect to love him as much as I ended up feeling but love him I do. Anyone who knows me knows I have a certain weakness for tormented princes. Serefin crept into my heart and I never want him to leave. I LOVE HIM.

- The unexpected humor. For a book with a dark and sinister overall feel to it, it was, surprisingly, quite funny. I LOVED IT.

Wicked Saints is one of those things you have to experience for yourself to truly grasp how utterly magnificent it is. A word of caution? Prepare to be left breathless.

'When he shared his own name , she couldn’t help feeling as if he was pulling her under into some dark depth from which she would never escape.'

'Truth is never kind.'

“We’re all monsters, Nadya. Some of us just hide it better than others.”

I received an e-arc via Netgalley to read and review. Quotes cited may change in the final print.

You know when you hear a lot of people talking about a book, so you go in not knowing what to expect and worried about it living up to the hype? That’s how I felt going into this book, but of course I shouldn’t have worried. Emily A. Duncan creates such a rich world that I just wanted to know everything about it. It is dark and Gothic and gritty and just so atmospheric.

It is a story of warring countries, separated by belief systems told by two different view points. The first is Nadezhda Lapteva, raised in the monastery, she is born a cleric, able to speak to the gods. Though the other clerics that came before her could only speak to one god, Nadya has the ability to communicate with them all. The book opens as her monastery is being attacked by the Tranavians, the people who use blood magic rather than the magic straight from the gods. Nadya is forced to flee with her friend Anna. While on the run she meets three other misfits who have plans of stopping the war.

Our other point of view is Serefin Meleski, high prince of Tranavia. He is hunting Nadya because of her powers. As a highly efficient blood mage, he and his people are interested in the power of Nadya’s blood and what it could mean for their own magic.

The stakes are high and you feel the tension through every page. I could have read this in one sitting had life not gotten in the way. One of the most interesting aspects for me was the discussion around religion, beliefs, and magic. How these things affect our view points and those around us and the lengths you are willing to go for them.

A huge thank you to Wednesday Books for the opportunity to be part of this blog tour!

I wanted to love this. I wanted so badly to fall in love with these characters and this plot and as hard as I tried, I just couldn't.

Character-wise, I didn't really like any of them if I'm honest. I feel like I couldn't really form an attachment because we only ever really saw the superficial parts of their personalities. I wasn't a fan on Nadya, I agree that she was just sort of there.
And all I learned of Serafin was that he liked to drink a lot and I didn't really like him much.
Malachaisz's character had the most potential for me. But I think that he could have been even cooler although I didn't expect that ending. Maybe. Still, I feel like I wasn't that invested.

liked the magic too, but I was confused at times. I wish the author would have given us a set of rules for the magic. I also thought we would have more of the gods too! I was expecting them to be more present in the story. And the side characters didn't really seem like charcters. Like they could have been replaced or erased and the story would still work out about the same. I think they had so much potential and it was all wasted.

I also didn't like the pacing until the end when everything was building up. For the most part, it felt like there would be a little build up and then nothing would come of it. Things would come so easy to them. Like when they made the plan on how they were going to sneak into Tranavia and they made a big deal of it talking about how important it was to get the plan just right. Then they just sort of walked in and it wasn't even that hard. Or like how they would just stumble into information or things would be very convenient, you know what I mean?

Another issue I had was with the romance. In a way it made sense, but it also felt rushed to me. Like Nadya and Malachiasz didn't know each other. Their romance also had potential to be better I think. I also feel like the moment they fell in love both their character arcs went down the toilet.

Overall, I was not impressed. This book had the potential to be amazing. But alas, it was not. It was a decent debut, but then again, I've read far better debut novels than this.

Wow, that was one very interesting book. It starts out rather slowly, but the end is fantastic.

So anyway, this is about a girl, Nadya, who is the last cleric of Kalyazin. Her nation is at war with neighboring Tranavia, and up until now her life has been uneventful but full of dread, for she has been raised in a monastery, learning to use the power bestowed upon her by the gods.

Then the Tranavians invade the monastery and Nadya flees, meeting up with a guy and a girl from another country, and a mysterious Tranavian soldier. Together they decide to head to the capital of Tranavia to assassinate their king, and hopefully end the war.

Meanwhile, the Tranavian High Prince, who had invaded Nadya’s monastery, wants to catch her and bring her back, but his father the King of Tranavia calls him home for a tournament designed to find him a bride. When he gets home, things are suspicious, and he soon realizes that his father wants to get him out of the way.

I liked that the main character, Nadya, had such a close relationship with the gods. She prays to them, and they answer. Sometimes she has brief conversations with them, and they all have their own personalities.

I also liked the vast and rich world-building, especially the little quotes from the book of saints that preface every chapter. The use of blood magic is kind of gory – blood mages, of which are all from Tranavia, basically have to cut themselves and bleed on pages of their spellbooks. This kind of magic is forbidden in Kalyazin, and to Nadya, blood mages are heretics. Tranavia is a nation that has turned its back on the gods, complete with a blood magic powered veil to keep their influence at bay.

I also think the book has a fantastic villain, one that kept me guessing, as you don’t realize he is the villain until late in the book. At first, I thought, oh maybe he’s going to be a good guy and we’ll get the old Crisis of Faith trope, but no.

Nadya does get cut off from the gods, and she does do things that defy their will, and she also ignores the warnings they give her, which culminates in that brief Crisis of Faith. She does not turn away from the Gods, even after she’s tainted with dark blood magic, but her relationship with them, and her regard for the people of Tranavia is changed.

I think this is the first of a series, so it does have a satisfying ending, but still ends on a cliffhanger. Serefin, the High Prince that burned her monastery might just become an ally, and that will be interesting.

I want to thank the publisher for providing me a review copy through NetGalley, and I am sorry for taking so long to review this.

Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher, for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Before we get started, note that Duncan used 99% real Eastern European names within her novel, and that is absolutely awesome that she didn’t dilute these names and the culture just because the names are “hard to pronounce.” More like, a lot of us aren’t used to them because of how often Western societies have forced people with these names to change them, so I’m very happy to see them here. For those curious, Duncan uploaded a handy pronunciation guide on her Twitter that I absolutely referenced while reading.

The countries Kalyazin and Tranavia have been locked in a holy war for centuries. On one side are clerics who derive their magic from praying to their patron deity; on the other side are blood mages who have rejected the gods. As the war shifts in Tranavia’s favor, Nadezhda “Nadya” Lapteva finds she’s the last cleric left in Kalyazin, but instead of only hearing the voice of her patron goddess, she hears all of them, an unheard of feat. When her monastery is attacked by the High Prince of Tranavia, she is forced to flee, becoming entangled in a plot with two foreign Akolans and a rogue Tranavian that could turn the tide of the war.

Let’s be frank right now: Wicked Saints by Emily A. Duncan is definitely not a book for everyone—but it’s an absolute gift and love letter to me, and that’s really all I care about.

I loved this ARC so much that even though I was only 77% through it, I ran out and bought an official copy, and I have absolutely no regrets in doing so. (And yes, that cover is even more beautiful in person; Duncan struck gold.)

From the first chapter, I was enraptured with this dark and bloody atmosphere that Duncan has crafted. (And yes, this book is consistently bloody, so just be aware and take care of yourself, okay?) Duncan’s prose successfully captures that delicate balance between the holy and the profane that is a constant theme throughout. Her magic systems on both sides of the war are endlessly fascinating, opening up a lot of questions about where magic actually comes from, who is capable of wielding it, and why. And of course, there’s the ultimate question: what makes a monster?

From holy energy to bloody spellbooks and all the way up to cosmic forces and eldritch horrors, this magic system is one that I finally feel is fleshed out with a full spectrum of both known and unknown. There are rules, and there are drawbacks to using these powers, but there’s also a healthy amount of questioning what the true face of magic is as well as the line between mortal and immortal. Even after finishing the book, I still have a ton of questions, but I’m glad about that because there’s still so much of the journey to go.

Outside of the world and the magic system, the characters were all awesome, fleshed out, and unique. The dialogue here is some of the freshest I’ve seen in awhile, taking me off guard with delight so many times; I haven’t felt this way about dialogue in a book since Six of Crows, if I’m being honest.

I love Nadya. She’s so aware of her shortcomings but also about what her calling is. However, she doesn’t spend the whole book bemoaning her fate or wallowing in her inadequacies. She presses on and on, even when her heart and mind are consistently torn in different directions, even as her faith is shaken. Are those struggles a part of her? Yes, but she’s also here to do a job, and she’s going to do whatever she can to see it through, or die trying. She can be a suffering martyr later; right now, it’s mission time.

Also, all her different relationships with the gods intrigue me, especially since they all also have their own personalities and quirks. The pantheon and the accounts of the canonized saints that feature at the beginning of every chapter have me endlessly fascinated; that’s how you craft a religion and do some world-building right there.

Then, there’s Serefin Meleski, the High Prince of Tranavia, the true MVP and love of my life. His POV was probably my most favorite to read because his humor and mine understand each other so well. Duncan describes him as “awkward,” but I honestly never saw that. This boy is too sharp and dry-witted to come across as awkward, but that’s just my perception of him. It might be he’s “awkward” because he’s not the best at social graces anymore since he’s been a wartime prodigy more than he’s been a courtly prince, and I am totally fine with that.

If Nadya is the protagonist, then obviously we’re supposed to view Serefin and his trusted lieutenants, Kacper and Ostyia, as the antagonists. They’re the enemy forces, after all. But I loved how Duncan showed how perceptions about right and wrong actually change depending on whose head you’re in. If Serefin’s casual stepping around dispatched Kalyazi priests and priestesses while having a conversation with his friends seems crass and cold, it’s because we’re finally seeing war treated by characters with the one-sided viewpoint we all have. As Serefin himself says, he doesn’t care about Kalyazi citizens; he cares about Tranavians, and gosh, that shouldn’t be such a breath of fresh air for an antagonist to have, yet here we are.

And then there’s Malachiasz Czechowicz, the curveball, the blindside. I went all over the place with this one, much like Nadya did. I feel like my confusion and uncertainty about him reflects Nadya’s own, and I’m happy that’s the case because as much as I love the obvious villain-playing-the-heroine stuff, I love when even I get surprised about how everything turns out. While I don’t think the romance here reached the Darkling/Alina heights in pure sexiness, I also recognize that Malachiasz is a different breed of villain from the Darkling. And with that ending, I’m dying to go back and reread everything with a different lens.

But on the romance note, I do wish things with Nadya and Malachiasz had taken a darker turn because I’ve definitely read better enemies-to-lovers/villain romances. And I definitely needed Duncan to cool it with the whole describing him as “a boy who is the ultimate monster” and sentiments of that nature because we really didn’t see him commit a whole lot of monstrous acts to warrant the constant reminder.

But once again, that ending also did so much for me. It makes me incredibly excited for the next two books. I feel like Duncan is playing a long ballgame, and I cannot wait to see where it’s going to go, because I honestly have no idea. Like Nadya, I don’t fully understand Malachiasz’s history and motivations, and isn’t that novel?

I’m also excited to see just why and how he’s achieved what makes him so monstrous, rather than just hearing about it, but I’m confident that we’ll get there now.

I also loved, loved, loved Anna, Parijahan, and Rashid; like Ostyia and Kacper, I hope they play even larger roles moving forward because every time they were on a page, they shined. Everyone is just so interesting, with their own little quirks, and Ostyia especially still has so many more girls to flirt with.

But my hat is off to Pelageya, who is my unsettling, half-mad witch trope that I unabashedly adore, and I am so endlessly intrigued with her prophecy, especially since there are so many things that are unclear about it, and we’re also missing a key player. I truly haven’t been this fascinated with a prophecy given by a witch since Angela in Eragon, who was also one of my favorites of that series.

Also, so much happened with that ending that I’m still unpacking it. I still need Kostya’s fate to be addressed, both with what happened to him and the two characters it involves because that seems incredibly important, but I also recognize that there was no time or place to do that yet. But I think it’ll definitely be addressed in the next book, given how the lines between the characters have all been redrawn.

So yes, while there are definitely flaws with Wicked Saints and some things I wish had been done better or more to my tastes, overall, the experience was an incredible one. The settings were interesting, the world-building unbelievably strong, the scenes full of action and interesting dialogue, and the characters were instant favorites. (And yeah, the edgelord in me revels at the violence and the blood, the blood! Oh my God, there’s so much blood!)

The murkiness between good and evil, right and wrong, and character motivations will always warm me to a book, and Wicked Saints has it all in spades. I’m so excited for the other books and to see how my questions are answered about the true nature of magic, the pantheon, and what these characters are able to accomplish.

So, Emily Duncan, I will gladly continue to follow you into the dark, no torn loyalties or crisis of faith required.

I wanted to like this book more than I did. The bones of a great story were there, I just felt like it wasn’t fleshed out enough. I would have liked a bit more of a buildup in the beginning, as I felt thrown immediately into battle without knowing anything about it. The pacing felt a bit inconsistent, parts were slow and then incredibly fast, leaving it feeling a bit disjointed. All of that being said, it was an enjoyable read, just more depth and character development would have made it excellent. I really enjoyed the take on magic, politics and religion. Overall, I thought the book was average, but the series has potential to be much better.

Note: This review is based on an ARC from Netgalley.

Michelangelo allegedly said of his art, "I saw the angel in the marble and set him free." I sometimes have that in mind when I look at a book and I can feel a gap between the author's intention and what has been delivered.

Such is the case with "Wicked Saints." It is very much a Slavic (and generally Eastern European) flavored fantasy about two sides in a war. Our two sides are divided, among other things, about their position on religion and the articulation of magic. On side A we have our heroine, Nadya, who can speak to the gods (that is, act on faith); on side B we have a Serefin, a high prince and master mage. The two sides ultimately collide and set us on a path that will, according to the book blurbs, position us for a storyline that will last two more books.

What's good: The story is original and interesting. The nods to Eastern European culture are amusing. There has clearly been a lot of thought put into the world-building here. And at least one character (I see two myself) owes some development to Kylo Ren, which, as a member of Team Kylo, I am happy to see.

What's keeping this review at 2 stars: I feel like the characters were just beginning to develop actual characters by the end of the book. Before then, our fictional world is a bit flat. (Save for the snarky high prince--and for this reason, he's my favorite.) In addition, we have some insta-love and, what makes me cringe frequently, references to young men as "boys." If your character is out there fighting for his life, killing others, talking about marriage, he's a young man. Even if the heroine is young, the constant references to the male characters as boys just felt silly and inappropriate, given the surrounding events.

I really enjoyed following Nadya on her adventure to save her faith and country. Between the alternating POVs we were given such a dynamic look to the story that gave an outlook to support both sides. While we rooted for our divine, god appointed cleric we also sympathized with the heretic blood mage. Through multiple dangerous encounters the plot moved along swiftly and stayed entertaining, even as the characters battled with their religion, personal feelings and morality. While we are used to single villains we were given so many that it was easy to follow Nadya as she lost or gained trust in her companions.

Trigger warnings: victims of war/violence/torture, self mutilation for use of magic.

The World Building
What I love about this book is that the good and the bad becomes more and more ambiguous as the story progresses. While we are affronted with negativity towards certain characters, it is the adaptation of Nadya's plan that really unfolds the background of both countries and what they believe in. Though the magic itself wasn't quite explained, we are given bits and pieces as the story progressed. I was really hoping for a better understanding and limitations of the blood magic. As Nadya's magic was used through her prayers there wasn't much limitation to what she could do, however I wasn't sure how far that magic could go, how it was controlled - and same for the blood mages. What was actually in the spell book, what were the limitations to the spells themselves, as their durations and conduits changed.

The Characters
Lovers of morally grey character look no further. Not only do we get a POV from one of the bad guys, but we get a "divine" character that slowly loses her grip on her reality as she slips into the blood magic that the heretics she is against uses. What I love about Nadya is that she is confronted with her belief system that she was raised on, and is forced to decided what she believes, and decide on how her actions reflect her beliefs - not for herself but how it actually affects her relationship with the gods that she worships. On the flip side we get these monstrous characters that show bits of humanity. I remember reading somewhere about how fans of Leigh Bardugo's Darkling would appreciate this book, and I whole heartedly agree. While the magic and overall plot is completely different, I can see some similarity where people might draw from the desire for more, and more power. Or the idea that this naive good character is manipulated by the bad character.

I had already heard some amazing things about this before I picked it up and damn, it did not disappoint me at all! It was so good! I haven’t read a YA fantasy this good in a long time. I was hooked from the very beginning, as the book starts with a chapter that opens with a literal bang. It took me a while to read this, over two weeks actually, and it was partly because I was busy and partly because I didn’t want it to end. I fell for this book hook, line, and sinker.

The characters here are really fleshed out and are all morally questionable, which is exactly how I like my mains in YA fantasy. There is nothing, and I really do mean nothing, I like more than an evil, dark magic wielding, villain with a sly smile and long hair. Gimme. The more anti-heroes the better. That being said, I thought the main group of characters here were perfect. It was just the right balance of power, angst, and dark comedy. I loved that the author showed us both Nadya and Serefin as the two POVs in this novel, it was just the right balance and led me to question who I was rooting for. I adore books that leave me on my toes this way and make me question my loyalties.

This was a highly original work, with the kingdoms and magic systems being completely creative and interesting. I loved that we were learning so much about the cultures of both kingdoms and the values behind the magic systems as both were highly different. Not to mention all the revelations that both Nadya and Serefin have along the way about the state of the war and their magical abilities.

Sure, the novel is creative, but does it deliver this appropriately? Hell yes. Plot and pacing is not an issue with this novel. It starts with a bang and holds you until the very end, gripping you tightly until the last sentence in the epilogue. This may be a debut novel, but you wouldn’t be able to tell at all. The writing is fantastic and carries the book even in the slower moments, although those are few and far between. It’s full of twists, turns, magic, sword fights, binge drinking, and steamy kisses between a monster and a holy girl that had me completely giddy.

This novel was a complete knock-out. I honestly cannot thank the publisher and author enough for the chance to read and review this early. I cannot wait for the next novel in this series. If it is anything like this I’m ready to be wrecked emotionally, spiritually, mentally, and physically. Bring it, Emily.

Wicked Saints was an epic tale and definitely one I had never experienced before. It was so much darker than I was expected but that made it all the more unique. Never had I went on such a gothic fantasy tale with as much blood magic as this book encompassed. It was a journey and one I am grateful to had went on.

It's a bit hard for me to review this because there were so many parts that I enjoyed, and yet knowing it was only the first in a trilogy, I felt it was rather anticlimactic in some parts. Let me explain, I personally have difficulty were I have to refer to a pronunciation guide while reading. I have to come up with nicknames for each character I can't pronounce just so I don't get so caught up in trying to figure it out. Does that make sense? It's not that I don't care for unique names, I truly do, but I could only pronounce maybe 3 characters names in this whole book. So like, when I try to talk about this book to friends it's just going to be a bunch of "Yeah the character with...", "the prince, whatever his name was...", "and that bird guy...". Know what I mean?

This book was able to mix godly powers, blood magic, politics, and romance all into a single novel which was done so beautifully that those elements alone should make you go grab a copy. Okay, I mean apart from the most gorgeous book jacket you could ever add to your shelf, but hey, one thing at a time.

There are two rival nations at war, the Kalyazin and Tranavia. We are centered around Nadya who is one of the most powerful clerics and is sought after for her wicked powers. She may just happen to be able to communicate with the gods by her prayers. Serefin is the prince of Tranavia who is a powerful blood mage with an agenda for power. Now this book is centered around those two characters, there is also a character (whose name I can't pronounce so I called him Myk) Malachiasz. He is this rebel, who becomes an ally with Nadya trying to flee from Tranavia. He is very dark and mysterious. I won't give spoilers but just keep an eye on this one.

All these characters have one thing in common and that is to overthrow the King of Tranavia. Their paths cross many times, and yet they aren't discovered until near the end of the novel.
While this book took us for many turns, they felt rather anticlimactic. It could be that this book was overhyped and I knew too much about it going in, but I wish there was more of those "jaw-dropping" moments that could hold the reader in. I felt like the first half of the book was rather slow, and the only thing holding me in was the element of "What's going to happen next" but only for a certain character.

There are some trigger warnings going into this, so just be aware of them and make sure you are in the right state of mind before diving in.
Self-Harm
Violence
Parental Abuse
War Theme
Abandonment
Gore
Torture
Abduction

I hope you guys enjoy this book as much as I did!

Until Next Time,
DauntlessReading

“We’re all monsters. Some of us just hide it better than others.”

Stab. My. Black. Heart…

I just finished Wicked Saints, and oh beautiful monsters I AM NOT OKAY!!! This book. THIS BOOK!!!

*deep breaths*

Wicked Saints is phenomenal. Emily Duncan is a wielder of magic and I am captivated and enthralled. This book is like a dream. It’s ethereal and mystic, but with a deliciously sharp edge. There is a constant sense of foreboding. A feeling that something else is happening, right at the edge of your consciousness but it’s just out of reach. You want to wake up but you also want to stay wrapped in this hypnotic world. And by the end, it’s too late. You’re in it, trapped and unsure if it’s still a dream or if it’s turned into a nightmare.

Duncan plays with all of my emotions. All of them. She makes me turn one way, and then she sucker punches me from the other direction. I love how she hints at realities and beliefs other than what is actually at play. She toys with our doubts, not just the reader, but the characters as well. And since this is a war of holy proportion, this doubt, this questioning is perfect. We all believe certain things, and want to believe things are a certain way. But are they? I have a feeling things are going to become excessively murkier before they become clearer. But honestly? I am here for it!

Speaking of things I love. Betrayal. Treachery. Prophecies. Oh my! Wicked Saints is full of characters making all the bad decisions. Doing the right thing for the wrong reason. Doing the wrong thing for the right reason. Loads of bad, bad, bad choices. You will spend a lot of time yelling at fictional people while reading. DON’T DO THAT! DON’T TRUST THEM! DON’T GO THERE! NO STOP JUST STOP!!! Spoiler alert: they won’t listen. Get ready for many things to go terribly awry. In all the best ways, of course…

I cannot wait to see what the future holds for my trio of misfits and will definitely be rereading this black diamond before the next book comes out.

A million and one thank you’s to Wednesday Books for including me on this blog tour and sending my an e-copy to read!

I finished this book last night and I still can't wrap my head around what I read. This book was not what I was expecting but it ended up being so much more than I thought it would be. All I can say is READ THIS BOOK!

Thank you so much to St. Martins Press and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

First off let me say that I have not read many fantasy genre books before. I'm slowly starting to drop my toes into it and its been pretty hit and miss for me. This one was definitely a hit though. The cover is what drew me in first and then I read the synopsis and thought I might actually like this book.

Nadya is a cleric and can communicate with the gods and ask them for powers. As she is rumored to be the last of her kind, she must be protected. While her country is in a war a High Prince comes to kill Nadya and she barely escapes. She finds herself making an alliance with new companions that have the same goal as she does, to end the war.

This book started off with a bang for me and hooked me immediately. One thing with fantasy that I'm still trying to learn is how to pronounce everyone's names (how the authors come up with their names I will never understand) but I feel like I'm getting better at it!

I loved the magic and mystique of this book and how there was some romance thrown in. I do wish Nadya was more of the main character but I did enjoy reading from Seferin's point of view also. I'm always happy when books have chapters alternating with different characters points of view so I feel like I'm getting the whole story, not just from one character.

Emily Duncan's writing is beautiful and I loved this little goth world she created. I can't wait to read more by her!

Wicked Saints by Emily A. Duncan is the first book in the Something Dark and Holy fantasy series. Now with words like wicked and dark in the title I don’t think I need to mention it’s a darker fantasy, do I? This one is also told from a couple of different points of view from the main characters.

In this story the two main lands, Kalyazin and Tranavia, are of course at war with one another. Nadezhda or better known as Nadya is a cleric from Kalyazin and has been in hiding due to her powers, Serefin is a blood mage and Prince of Tranavia and after Nadya while Malachaisz is a mage from Tranavia but has runaway from his land.

Now obviously from my two star rating this one wasn’t a favorite of mine and I could keep it very short and sweet with simply this one wasn’t my cup of tea. I’ve seen a lot of comparisons to Leigh Bardugo and while I haven’t read a lot of hers I can see it in the fact that the story is rather slow paced and had a hard time holding my attention, it starts with a bang but fizzles quite a bit through the middle which isn’t my type of fantasy but I’m sure others will love it.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

I was provided a copy of this book to review as a part of this blog tour. Thank you to Wednesday Books for approaching me about this tour and for providing me a copy to review. This in no way affected my opinion.

My Thoughts:

Trigger Warning: Torture, Self Harm

It is not very often that I book is truly deserving of its hype.

This book was my most anticipated read of 2019, as I am sure it was for many of you. So when I was offered to read it early I WAS SO DELIGHTED!

This book was all that I had hoped for. I have developed a deep appreciation for Slavic inspired stories which was a big draw for me. Well besides the fact that it is heavily Grisha-esqe, that is if everyone had the mind of The Darkling.

The story begins in the most unlikely of places. Nayda and her friend, Kostya, peeling potatoes as punishment for their hijinx. But the fun of peeling potatoes ends quickly when the Tranavians show up on their doorstep and chaos ensues. Nayda must flee monastery before she is captured by the Tranavians. Why would the Tranavians want to capture a young girl you ask? Well, when your enemy has a cleric that can speak with all the Gods and therefore be quiet powerful, you find a way to make sure that she isn’t really a problem for you.

This is where Serefin Meleski, Prince of Tranavia and the most powerful Blood Mage comes in. He is the one who storms the monastery and is viewed as the main enemy throughout the book. Though it turns out in the end that he actually isn’t all that bad.

Then there is Malachiasz Czechowicz. Malachiasz is The Darkling of this story, down to the ultra-powerful bad boy lover. Now if you read my review of Shadow and Bone, you will know that I kind of despise The Darkling. I went into this book knowing that Malachiasz was the main love interest and that he had Darkling tendencies so I was expecting a cruel character that I was going to have issues with. Malachiasz, though he was not my favorite character, I did enjoy his mannerisms and effect on the plot. There is a scene towards the end of the book where Malachiasz shows Nadya his self-harm scars. They are from the past and there is no talk of them directly or recently but it is something that I do want to put out there just so readers who are triggered by this are informed of it.

The world of Wicked Saints is heavily inspired by Slavic cultures. This is most evident through the names which I had a fun time pronouncing when I was reading the book. I have a love/hate relationship with the way the information about the world was written into the story. On the one hand, it was more natural as the characters weren’t stopping in the middle of the scene to talk in detail about a general aspect of their world. So the other hand is that as the reader you had to wait to get your questions answered if answered at all. Though there are more books in this series so I am hoping that Duncan will be able to expand the world more.

I do love all the aspects of this book. The characters were human. The world is interesting. But the writing is where it is at for me. Duncan picks you up with the story but then she settles down. The whole middle portion of the book, where it is basically a Selection type event going on was completely unexpected. I didn’t hate it per se but I wasn’t counting on a competition for the Prince’s hand in marriage to be in the middle of such a dark story. But don’t worry, the ending is so, so dark and I was also completely unprepared for it in the best way possible.

That being said, I am definitely looking forward to re-reading Wicked Saints and reading the sequel when it is available.

Wicked Saints ended up being a dark, intense, bloody, and far more interesting story than I thought it would be. It was action packed and easy to get through—even when at the beginning, the whole talk about the war, their gods and the magic was a little confusing. As the story goes on and the pieces start clicking together, you’ll probably find yourself completely immersed in everything. And believe me, this is one of those books that once you get into them there’s no going back, but that's good, right?! One of the main reasons why I ended up loving it so much was because I felt like it was something fresh and new, exactly what I was looking for when I got the blog tour invitation. I really enjoyed how Duncan manages not only to suck you into this world that’s been at war for years now and the reasons behind it, but also into how this affects our characters and basically shapes the whole plot that revolves around the assassination of a king that's willing to go further than anyone has before for power. I also loved how we get immersed in a journey with both of our main characters Nadya and Serefin and their partners in crime and how witnessing a pair of intense encounters through two very different perspectives helps us see both sides of not only the war but also their magic systems as they travel from the battlefield to either their homes or deep into enemy territory.

The settings we get to explore through Wicked Saints turned out to be darker and more interesting. On one side, we’ve got Kalyazin, a land that’s been ravaged by the war against Tranavia and the heretics. Being a Kalyazi cleric, Nadya's point of view shows us this part of the world, but since she's on the run, we don't really get to visit many places besides part of her temple, hideouts, ruins and forests, but here's hoping we get to see more of this region in book two! On the other side, we have Tranavia, a swampy and lakey land ruled by King Izak Meleski, a man thirsty for power that enjoys using his son a weapon. Tranavia is not only the land of powerful blood magic users who walk around with spell books on their hips like crown prince Serefin, but also the land of the Vultures; the monsters. What I enjoyed the most about exploring a bit of these two places is how the contrast between them is presented through not just the geographical space, but also through the beliefs of their people.

And now, let’s talk about the characters! I loved every single one of them—yes, even the evil ones…specially those if I'm to be honest. I really enjoyed how through Nadezhda (or Nadya) Lapteva and Serefin Maleski's point of views, the author manages to help us get completely immersed not only in the mess the war has left behind, but also on these characters, what they’re willing to do and who they’re willing to work with in order to reach their goals and survive. Besides our main point of view holders, we also get to meet their friends and companions. Through Nadya’s side, we first meet some members of the convent she's lived all of her life like Father Alexei, Konstantin, and Anna—whom I hope to see again in the future. And then, as they're attacked and she’s forced to run for her life, Nadya ends up meeting with  the unexpected and unusual trio of Parijahan, Rashid, and a Tranavian deserter called Malachiasz, who are also known as my children. Now, through the Tranavian prince side, we get to meet Ostyia and Kacper, who are Serefin’s best friends, his father Izak, an old friend called Zaneta, the nightmarish Vultures and many more. And since talking about the rest could spoil something, I'll just let you know that they're all unique and relatable in their own ways and, believe it or not, you might end up loving, hating and even crying with some of them at some point.

In the end, Wicked Saints ended up becoming one of my top favorite books and I can’t wait for you all to see what this beautiful book full of blood, magic and monster boys has in stores for you! If you’re looking for a new dark fantasy with a forbidden romance and intriguing morally gray characters to fall in love with then this might be a book to add to your lists and keep on your radar!

I ended up DNFing this book because it was just not for me. I found it overly gory and boring. I don't mind gore when the story is interesting but I just wasn't finding this story interesting enough. The characters were really flat for me.