Wicked Saints by Emily A. Duncan is about a girl cleric who can speak to gods and summon their powers. Her monastery and community is completely destroyed. They are at war with the blood mages. Escaping with Anna, she meets a mysterious boy with a secret. She has to decide if he is worth trusting and if they can put their rivalry aside to end the war. The high prince returns home after years at the war front to marry a consort, but he suspects there is more to the game.

Wicked Saints is a good book if you like magic, gods, and fantasy in a book. Personally, it was not my cup of tea. I fancy myself a good fantasy and dystopian book that can keep me hooked and shocked when the plot twist hits. However, I never really got into this book in that sense. I think the main reason for that was because I wasn't too fond of the main protagonist. I did not like the romance thrown into the story either. While Nadya wasn't a favorite character of mine, I did really like Serefin's character. Overall, the book started off slow and was hard to get into for me. I didn't get interested until the middle of the book, but even then there weren't any hooks for me. There is a lot of difficult names to memorize and a bit of gods/religion.

Thank you to Netgalley, Emily A. Duncan, and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

"Some gods require blood."

This book was one of my most anticipated reads since I first heard about it, and it completely lived up to my expectations; I enjoyed it so much! Wicked Saints was a really great debut with such an intriguing world and one of my favorite things: morally questionable characters. I've read so many YA fantasies, but this one was so unique. I flew through this book and all I want right now is the sequel. It's definitely a standout novel and one that's going to stick with me for a long while.

Thanks to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the eARC! This review will be posted on Goodreads, and on Barnes and Noble's and Amazon's websites at the date of publication.

A girl on the run from a prince who wants her dead. A prince looking for the girl so he can take her powers. Betrayal around every corner.

This book was an ultimate roller coaster of emotions and I had a very hard time putting it down because I constantly needed to know what was going to happen next. The end was a little confusing, but mostly because my own brain couldn't come to terms with some of the events unfolding with the characters! I would highly recommend this novel to my students and also friends my age. I can't wait to see where this story goes in the next book!

This book is grand in all the best ways. It has monsters and magic. It has love, friendship, and assassination plots. It has some really amazing characters. It has serious Grisha-verse vibes. It has everything. And you need this book in your life.

Nadya is a cleric gifted by the gods, but she must confront what it means when the "heretics" might know more about her gods than she does. And it's interesting to see that contention between divinity and heresy. Malachiasz is everything Nadya has been raised to hate. He's a monster in the shape of a beautiful boy, with secrets and darkness swirling in his heart, and Nadya must decide whether or not to trust him. Serefin is a crown prince, heir to a throne he doesn't think he will ever inherit because he assumes he will die before then. Now, with a chance to live and rule, he must choose what kind of leader he wants to be.

And then the amazing Rashid, Parijahan, Ostyia, and Kacper are just the best friends anyone could ever ask for.

These characters all come together for one grand plot against the king and it is quite grand, and the ending leaves you needing the next book IMMEDIATELY. It is awesome. You need it.

A big thank you to the publisher for sending me an ARC of Wicked Saints.

I had a reading slump in January and that's why it took me so much to read this. If it wasn't for my reading slump, I think I would've finished it way faster.

The story is not boring at all. There are some pacing issues, but those can be worked in time. Some scenes feel like are there just for the romance subplot, which might not bother a lot of people, but I they just felt flat.

The atmosphere is so well constructed. I can see that the author put a lot of work into making the world dark and brutal. I was having actual chills while reading.

Also, the world building is really good. I know the two countries are inspired by Russia and Poland and I saw the similarities, but also Kalyazin and Tranavia were original in a great way.

About the magic system, I loved Nadya's power. I wish I could've read more of it. To see more of their personalities, rules, and limits. The fact that she can talk to gods made me request the book in the first place, so seeing them just in the first part disappointed me.

The blood magic was well executed. But, to be honest, I am getting tired to see blood mages everywhere. This trend started years ago (from what I know) and when I look for fantasy, this is the only thing I see. Blood.

Let's talk about the characters:

Nadya – I wish Nadya was another type of character. She was the basic save the world of find love – there is no in between. I feel like her character had so much potential, but was handled poorly. She readeemed herself by the end and I started to warm a little bit towards her, so I really can't wait to see her development!

Serefin – he is a walking cliche. Fortunately, I love that cliche. I enjoyed his parts a lot. And I'm so happy he didn't become a flat love interest for the female protagonist. Well, I hope that won't happen in the next books.

Malachiasz – I can't really say anything about him. I didn't hate him but I didn't love him either. Now that he became a villain, let's see how he develops.

I found the side characters (Rashid, Parijahan, Kacper and Ostya) so lovable. I feel like the story was to center around Nadya and Malachiasz that those great characters didn't have a lot of time to develop.

One thing I found really annoying was how Nadya saw everyone as a ''broken boy''. I was just rolling my eyes.

Something that happens with a lot of books: the romance makes them feel flat. I tried to not focus that much on the romantic subplot because I find them really cheesy in a lot of Fantasy books.

The relationship between Nadya and Malachiasz was cheesy and unrealistic for me,

(And I have a bit of a feeling that Serefin is bisexual. I need confirmation!!)

In conclusion: Wicked Saints was an average, 3 stars lecture for me. Some might enjoy it more, some might not.

I had my issues with it, but I also enjoyed it. I think I will read the sequel to see how the story progresses – and I'll probably buy a finished copy.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was not my cup of tea. Fantasy is a hit or miss for me TBH. This book didn't strike any chord with me in any way shape or form and just felt flat to me.

Again, I'm not a big Fantasy reader. I have a feeling that those who love that genre, will devour this book!
It just wasn't for me.

Mini review:

DNF

Trigger warning: War. Graphic scenes. Up till the point I read.

I received this E-Arc via St. Martin’s Press, as a part of the blog tour, and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was so excited when I got the email for the blog tour! I’d read the expert and was hooked. Even more floored when I got the widget. Unfortunately it wasn’t for me.

When I reread the first chapter that was in the expert, I felt nothing. The more I read on the less I cared about the plot and characters.

I also realized that this book won’t work for me. I’m not sure I would enjoy the religious elements. It sounded great when I heard about it. Not when I read it.

Still recommend. This was a personal thing and I’m sure others would enjoy it.

Wow, this was an interesting book! It was very evocative and the setting was well-done. The characters were compelling and I really wanted to know what would happen to them next. The war between countries and religions that the characters took part in was gritty and devastating. But once I got to the end of the book I just kind of felt like, "Oh...well, okay. I guess that's it, then,"
Nadya is come kind of religious acolyte/priestess/nun/cleric? who is forced to go on the run when her monastery/church/sanctuary? is sacked by Serefin, prince of a rival country whose religion(?) is different from Nadya's. This is just the latest act in a war between the two countries that has gone on for centuries. While Nadya is escaping she encounters a group of rebels led by Malachiasz, who is actually a former priest/sorcerer/mage? of Nadya's enemies. Nadya must decided whether or not she can trust Malachiasz while they travel to Serefin's palace and try to stop the war.
As I was reading this book the starkness of their world was both beautiful and horrifying. In order to perform most of the magic, the mages were forced to cut themselves and use "blood magic." It was off-putting and yet very well-described by the author, and helped create a brutal and grim world.
I had difficulty understanding the "religions" in the book, it's backstory or mythology, and the geography. I needed a great deal more clarification or less reliance on things that happened hundreds of years ago. I also was not sure if the use of Slavic folklore was supposed to be literal or just serve as some sort of framework. Having just finished the Winternight Trilogy I was familiar with some of the references that were made, but instead of clearing things up, it just made it more confusing. I also had a hard time with names--the Eastern European influenced languages were just unfamiliar to me. A glossary and a pronunciation guide would have gone a long way to enhancing this book.
As the book moved toward the final climactic events, I found myself becoming very confused. I was not sure what was happening and had to re-read chapters. I wasn't sure if it was due to the fact that I just did not understand the "mythology" or if I had missed some of the action somewhere. Then a few plot-points were tied up much too easily, while a big twist left me feeling cheated.
I found the first 2/3 of this book to be very interesting, darkly compelling, and fascinating while still a bit confusing. The ending left me very dissatisfied and disappointed, however. I am not sure that I will read the next book in the series.

Thank you to Netgalley, Emily A Duncan and St Martins Press for my copy of Wicked Saints in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Title: Wicked Saints
Author: Emily A Duncan
Format read: Ebook
Publication Date: 2nd April 2019
Page Count: 400 Pages
Publisher: St Martins Press
Genre: Fantasy
Star rating: 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟

Synopsis: two countries are at war. Kalyazin and Tranavia have opposing views about magic. In Kalyazin magic comes from the gods and is only given to those like Nadya who are blessed to be clerics. In Tranavia the people no longer want their magic to be under the god's control and instead believe in the magic of their own blood and spellbooks. Nadya is fighting to save her own country and bring the gods back to Tranavia while Malachiasz has his own agenda. Can they trust each other if their natural inclination is to be enemies but their goal is ultimately the same?

I really liked this, some parts felt slightly unpolished but not so that it ruined the story and I find that's kind of expected in a debut anyway. Basically to sum up in one sentence what I thought about this book 'this is what the Grishaverse trilogy could have been'. The storyline is similar (but different) and I felt far more powerful and cleverly done. I didn't see any of the twists coming and I do very much like multiple twists in one story! I have been left with tons of questions but of course that means I'm guaranteed to read the sequel! The characters were great, world building was fantastic, plot excellent. Generally just a really great piece of YA fantasy in a time when it was much needed as I've been struggling with a lot of the newly released books in this genre.
Can't wait for book two!

This was incredible. It was the most creative book I've read in a long time. I usually shy away from books that have religious undertones, but this one was written perfectly. I absolutely adored how gray this whole book was. I mean, all of the characters were morally gray characters. No one was perfectly reliable or perfectly black or white and it was amazing. Not since Leigh Bardugo’s Darkling have I loved Evil this much. Compelling. Intriguing. Gruesome.

I will write a longer review on the blog on March 28th.

Book: Wicked Saints
Author: Emily A. Duncan
Rating: 4 Out of 5 Stars

I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher, Wednesday Books, for providing me with the ARC. I really must say that I have been really liking what has been coming from Wednesday Books and I hope you keep providing such amazing books to the world.

So, Wicked Saints is one of those books that has been whispered about in young adult circles. I really haven’t been paying that much attention to it, but when I saw it on Netgalley, I decided to take a risk. I really do think that Wicked Saints is going to be one of the top books of 2019 for a number of reasons. There was just something about it that made it hard to look away from. Think of this book as being along the lines of the Grishaverse and Winternight books. Both of these series are beautifully written with just a touch of Russian in them.

Wicked Saints is beautifully written. Emily’s writing is one of the smoothest that I have read in a long time. It’s just simply beautiful. The way everything is woven together just makes for such an enchanting backdrop. I love how much detail we get, but it’s so sneaky. We are never really told the setting of the book in one go, but throughout the whole book. The further we get into the book, the bigger the world gets. I know a lot of people are saying that this writing isn’t the most original out there, but I really enjoyed it. it’s artsy, but without being over the top, like some authors who will not be mentioned. I just loved the feeling that I when reading this.

The plot was okay. I loved the mixing between magic, politics, and religion. Yes, this does make for a very complicated plot. It’s fine, but I really did feel like that the plot was just starting and it can to an end. Yes, I really did like all of the buildup and know that this is only the first book in the series, but it just didn’t have the full punch that it could have. If this is going to follow the set up of the Grishaverse, then it is going to get better and I hope it does.

What I really liked was the debate between religion and politics. It was hard to pick a side on who was right and who was wrong, which is very much a real thing going on in our world right now. A lot of fantasy don’t really play into this aspect; it was actually kind of a nice mix to see this come into young adult. It opens up a lot of places for discussion and makes the magic seem even more real, which is something that I love in fantasy.

The characters…Oh, boy, the characters. I don’t know what it was about them, but I just could not keep them straight nor could I really connect with them. It really did feel like we had too much characters for this book and that they were all trying to get their chance in the spotlight. I think that if we hadn’t had so many main characters, then it would have been better. I don’t know, but maybe they should had been introduced a little bit slower so we could have a chance to get to know them a little bit better. Honestly, I really didn’t care that much about them.

This book will be released on April 2, 2019. I will wrap up by saying that I am actually very interested to see where the rest of the books go.

(Review is already up on Goodreads)

How did Serefin turn out to be my favorite character in this? What happened Nadya?

Nadya, a Kalyazi cleric who can commune with an entire pantheon of gods, is training in secrecy in the holy mountains by priests who sought to wield the power that sheltered inside her into the one thing that could save Kalyazin from sinking to its knees. But a sudden Tranavian attack on the monastery sends Nadya’s destiny spilling out into the air, the storm of it no longer a far future to be reached, but a typhoon here and now.

That first chapter had me hooked, I was like: HELL YES, LETS GO! LETS KICK SOME ASS! I was ready for it, I had my hopes up. Serefin was terrifying and Nadya was interesting and I had that feeling in my pinky toe that this was going to be good. Guess who was left disappointed the moment Malachiasz entered the story. Yes, it's me.

Growing up in a monastery has made her naïve. Painfully so. 90% of her chapters was about how close she realized Malachiasz was, or how he was such a terrible monster yet she could not stay away from him. I mean... why? Her pantheon told her from the very beginning, from the moment they stumbled across Malachiasz and his gang, that she should kill him. At this point, she did not know him - all she knew was that he stood for everything she didn't and yet, you know, maybe he is good? Why should she kill him just like that? When all the signs that she should are there.

I also have to point out that when in the midst of war, with a purpose to kill the King of the kingdom she hates so, running from the Vultures hunting her, does a woman have time to fall in love with the one she doesn't remotely trust? I just don't get it. But maybe it's me and my endless feud with romance in fantasy novels.

The concept of blood magic needing an amplifier through spell books was very interesting, with the magic needing a funnel that requires maintenance and replenishment was a nice diversion from other fantasy reads. I also enjoyed the theology and political discussions that were constantly simmering beneath the conversations. If each side believes their religion is the "correct" one then who can really "win" a religious war?

I also immensely enjoyed the hints of Slavic folklore woven into the story - the mentions of all the creatures made me glee, but then again, there were only names written down, no mentions of what these creatures actually were. Nadya once mentioned she would send a Leshy after someone, but we never got an explanation as to what a Leshy actually is.

This book also focuses a lot on religion - Nadya is heavily religious and her main goal throughout the story is to remove the magical veil that covers the kingdom she hates the most, and bring the gods back (and the religion). Now, even though we're dealing with a polytheistic society, the language and setting bring to mind Christianity in Eastern Europe, which has a fraught history around the treatment of people labeled as "heretics". I think if we had just the Slavic-inspired setting OR the heavy religious aspect, I wouldn't have minded. It's not to say the book is trying at allegory, that the connection I'm making is even that strong. But for me, it was there, and I have major problems with organized religion in general, so I struggled connecting to an MC so ingrained in it, especially since she's constantly calling people heretics and her internal conflict is rooted in reconciling her religious beliefs and her relationships with those so-called heretics.

Serefin's story-arc was the one that I found interesting, yet it's also so painfully familiar. He's the ruthless prince, the powerful and monstrous blood mage that has been at the frontlines of war - yet he's the boy who is not ready for the crown, who faces the wrath of his abusive father. He is torn from the frontlines of war back to court, which in itself is a jarring experience. Especially when he learns that his own father is looking to have him murdered.

Also, I have been trying hard to figure out the meaning of the moths that are constantly swarming Serefin, as far as I know, having a moth as some sort of a "totem" associates with optimism and means that you're heading toward the 'lighter side'. This clearly relates to a moth's attraction to light. Is this supposed to signify that the big bad blood-mage and horrifying prince that we met in the beginning is making a 180? Also, the stars? I'm confused. This is also something that is never explained, and that I assume is something we will figure out in the coming books.

This is a story that has a lot of tropes woven into it and for me, what either kills a story or makes it blossom, is the romance. Unfortunately, the romance in most of the recent YA's has me rolling my eyes - this is no different. Malachiasz is the "brooding bad boy, the 'no, you shouldn't love me, I'm a monster' boy". His story-arc was predictable with the author constantly telling the reader how bad he is, what a monster he has become. Honestly though, this guy loves to grab chins a little too much. I must have counted at least 10 chin-grabbing incidents. It's hot like, the first time. After that it's just weird.

This is not to say that this is a bad read, nor was it something amazing. I came out of this not disappointed, but not impressed either. It was an average read and I hope that the story will impress me more in the sequels to come.

Lastly, please be careful reading this book if any of your triggers include self-harm, abuse, and alcoholism (that last one is used as a character trait/aesthetic, rather than an actual problem, which..... I don't fully agree with).

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

This book was quite a surprise! I was slow to start it because I wasn't sure I was in the mood for what felt like a "heavy" book but once I got into it I was unable to put it down. Blood magic, passion, romance, lies, truth, politics and history all woven together in way that the reader is thrust into a dangerous and beautiful world. I look forward to the next book by Duncan and to see where this story goes next! Thank you netgalley for this arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

was completely spellbound by this book and can’t wait for its release in April. The story was dark and oh so gritty. Truly a phenomenal read.

There have been a lot of hyped books I've been excited for in 2019 and Wicked Saints was one of them. And I love that they're all living up to that hype for me. I loved this book!

I did struggle a bit in the beginning. There is just so much to learn about this world and the names are tough (at least for me). There are multiple territories/countries, gods, people, and types of magic. But once I was able to fully get it, I flew through this book.

There has been a war going on between Kalyazin and Tranavia for centuries. Tranavia put up a veil to keep the gods out. They are heretics and use blood magic. They have spell books that work with their blood. There are vultures who transform and have stronger magic. They are also very hard to kill and are considered monsters. They're barely human anymore. They have their own leader, but they still have the king of Tranavia. In Kalyazin, they believe in the gods. Nadya is a cleric who can speak to the gods. They grant her magic when she needs it. The High Prince, Serefin, and his army ambushes the monastery and Nadya escapes. She is to be protected at all costs.

Serefin is called back home by the king for a ceremony to choose his wife. Serefin doesn't get along well with his father, but he goes back as ordered. But something feels off. He meets with the witch that lives there and she tells him some really strange things. Serefin realizes that his dad wants to kill him, so Serefin plans to kill the king first. There is also a division within the vultures that he can't figure out.

Nadya's small group meets up with 3 more people. Malachiasz is actually a vulture. But he explains that he left home because he didn't agree with all the politics and the war. He wanted to war to end. Nadya spends a lot of time with him and grows to trust him and his blood magic. They make a plan to go into Travania and kill the king. Nadya gets disguised and becomes a part of the competition for the prince. While there, so much happens. The prince, Nadya, and Malachiasz decide to work together to kill the king. Nadya wants to destroy the veil and let the gods back in. She finds out a lot about herself and magic which makes her start to doubt how she grew up.

There is a lot of action, killings, blood, and betrayal. I found myself wondering who was telling the truth and who was lying. I enjoyed the pacing and writing. There were two points of view, Nadya's and Serefin's. Each chapter starts with a little history about the gods.

Warnings for cutting (blood mages), lots of blood and fighting, and killings. The king is also abusive, both physically and mentally.

I gave this book 5 stars and cannot wait for book two. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for my copy for review.

I was pulled in early on, but this story fizzled out for me....it took a needlessly long time to get through, and it was ultimately too predictable and had too many subpar similarities to Throne of Glass. The writing did not help to further the depth of the story or connect me to the characters.

Sometimes, things are not what they seem. Is a prince just a prince? Can a monster be just a monster?

The Wicked Saints is a Young Adult Fantasy novel that dives right into the action. Information is thrown at you quickly but, fret not, the details and background are explained throughout the book. The story is told by two characters which usually irks me but it was done well and fluidly. I prefer to read from a single third-person point of view because switching between characters can feel really jumpy if not done well. The story was not fragmented by one character's time giving way to the other.

The pacing can drag at times during the first half of the story. I was not intrigued until about halfway through. Overall the writing style is appealing, and I saw no proof of purple prose. However, one of my biggest pet peeves definitely weighs on my rating of this novel: the unconventional and confusing names. I could not enjoy the flow of the story because I had to think too hard to keep track of who was who and where was where. One should not struggle so hard just to keep up! More often than not, extremely odd names is an instant turn-off for me but I was enjoying the plot so I trudged on. I was surprised to see some sporadic humor, a nice unexpected touch. The story ends on a cliffhanger but still wraps up the major points of book one.

While this is a lush fantasy full of magic, monsters, blood and kick-ass main characters, I probably will not remember the premise a year from now. Considering all the books I read within a year, I will remember reading the Wicked Saints but will be lost on the story. If I loved it enough to read the sequel (being published who knows how long from now) I would probably read book one again. This book was one of my top three most anticipated reads for the year. Did it meet my expectations? I think it fell a teeny-tiny-tad short.

Star ratings (out of 5)
Character development: 4
Writing style, persuasion, and pacing: 3
World building and atmosphere: 4
OVERALL: 3.5

If you’re the kind of reader whose favorite is often problematic or you find yourself falling for the villain.... this book is definitely up your alley. The story is rich with magic and grittiness with stellar world building and characters that you can’t get enough of. I was completely spellbound by this book and can’t wait for its release in April.

Wow!! Such a dark story...it was great!!
Nadya speaks to the gods and receives her magic through them and is trying to save her home. Serefin is a blood mage and prince of Tranavia. Malachiasz is a blood mage trying to say Tranavia. All three have one thing in common, they want the king dead. We go through their journey to Tranavia and get a glimpse into some very surprising relationships. I loved the magic system set up and the characters. I am very much looking forward to reading the next book in the trilogy.
I received this book in exchange for my honest review.

#wickedsaints

This book fabulously handles discussions of religion and politics; these dialogues alone make me want to rate this highly, but the plot becomes sort of muddled by the romance elements. The pacing is sometimes thrown slightly by the varying chapter headings of historic Kalyazi saints, but I otherwise was completely engrossed by this incredibly dark world. This is a good introduction to a series that I'm definitely interested enough in to continue.