TW: Self harm, Parental abuse

This book was already on many bloggers’ most anticipated lists because the author seems to have been famous on tumblr and all her followers have been with her on her journey of completing her debut novel. So, even though I wasn’t one of them, learning that this book has some sort of Grisha Trilogy vibes, especially a romance between the heroine and (possibly) villain that we never got in the trilogy, I was very intrigued to read it. And I have to say, despite being very bloody and dark for my tastes, it’s a compelling new fantasy world with fascinating characters who impressed me a lot.

This is a story of war, politics and religion - with a whole lot of blood involved. While we all have read many fantasy novels with kingdoms fighting each other and the female MC is destined to save her kingdom, I personally have never read a book whose foundation is a holy war and all the characters are very deeply religious in their own way. The author uses the conversations between the characters and their monologues to give us both the perspectives of the religious god fearing Kalyazin and the heretical blood magic using Tranavians - and the beauty of the writing is that we as readers see our loyalties shifting between both the sides until we are unsure who is worthy of our support. Emily is greatly skilled at writing action packed, violent and bloody sequences because I didn’t feel turned off by them. The pacing can feel off at times, because it starts off with a great action sequence which then follows into a slower paced journey. However, the interactions between the characters, the political intrigue and the spectacular climax make up for any other issues.

Nadya is a very sheltered girl when we meet her in the beginning. She only knows that her power to wield magic by communicating with the pantheon of gods has made her a target and she needs to survive to save Kalyazin in the war. However, as she meets the rebel gang and especially the Tranavian blood mage Malachiasz, she starts questioning her own devotion to her gods and her hatred towards the enemy kingdom, if she is ruthless enough to follow the gods’ orders and if they truly have the best intentions for her kingdom. She also fights her attraction to Malachiasz every step of the way, because he is the epitome of the monsters who were created to kill someone like her. I absolutely loved their push and pull, the constant tug between light and darkness, how they felt drawn towards each other despite knowing that it probably wouldn’t end well for either of them. I can’t wait to see what more the author has in store for them in the future.

Serefin is a very powerful blood mage and the High Prince of Tranavia, a general of the army who has seen too many horrors at a very young age and tries to drown his sorrows in alcohol. Being at war for too long has made him realize that it is destroying his country and he just wants to find a better way for his people. However, conspiracies abound back at the palace and he is constantly on the lookout for who is coming for him. I wanted to hate him because the book starts with him trying to kill Nadya but as the story progressed, I realized he was only doing what he thought was best and he wasn’t the bad guy after all. His character arc is marred by betrayals at every step and I’m even more excited to know where the author takes his story next. The book also some excellent side characters in Rashid, Parijahan, Ostyia and Kacper who are loyal and steadfast and I definitely don’t think the main characters would be so strong or survive their circumstances without these friends by their sides. I wish to see more of them in the sequel and hopefully, we’ll get to know more of their backstories too.

Overall, this is a very strong debut and I highly recommend it if you don’t mind your fantasy novels to be quite bloody and gory and violent. As promoted, it will definitely appeal to Leigh Bardugo fans with its Russian and Polish inspired world building and the Alina/Darkling vibes. This book also given me one of those ships whom I would die for with my whole heart and it’ll probably only end in tears for me but I won’t have it any other way. Such a great start to a series and I can’t believe I have to wait for more than an year for the next one... Why do these books torture us so 😭😭😭

How could you not want to read this book after reading the synopsis above? The story has all the elements of a good story. Intrigue, adventure, magic, but the story wasn't quite what I expected. In the beginning, the main female character was strong and witty. She commanded the story line like a seasoned veteran. Toward the end of the book, we kind of lose her and she becomes just another love interest. Even with this flip flop of roles, I still loved this story. It had a wonderful vibe about the world that drew you in and kept you reading.

~ I was given an advance reader copy of this title in exchange for an honest review, I'm not associated with the author or publisher in any way and the views expressed are completely unbiased and entirely my own. ~

My rating: 2*

'Wicked Saints' is the much anticipated YA fantasy novel from debut author Emily A. Duncan, which for me, unfortunately, didn't quite live up to the hype.
The plot is incredibly fast-paced, in fact we're thrown right into it, and subsequently it was quite confusing for the majority of the time. A little bit of world-building and establishing of at least the main characters would've gone a long way, especially considering that there are three of them, as it became apparent.
The secondary characters are also mostly non-descript to the point that they were literally just names on the page at times, with not a whole lot of other information given to the reader.
Dipping in and out of this story, from one
sitting to the next, it was often difficult to remember who was who, or distinguish what was what. Referencing the plot again, it often felt like portions of important information were missing linking scenes together, which for me felt really disorienting and ultimately I think is really alienating for the reader.
All in all I'd say the ideas presented here are really cool and I'd say that the magic system is this novels strongest aspect, but unfortunately it wasn't executed to it's full potential.

~ Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review this title ~

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

If you like your fairytales drenched in blood, deception and betrayal then this book is for you. From chapter one, this dark fantasy lures you into heart-racing adventure filled with magic, gods, monsters, and rich Russian lore. The plot if full of twists and turns that leave you questioning who you should trust. By the end, my heart was ripped out and spat back in my face. I need book two in my life.

Full review will be posted on my blog (https://thereadingchemist.com/) on 02 April 2019.

So. I started this book and took ages to get past the second chapter, but I have no idea why because this book is AMAZING. Once I got into it, I couldn't put it down. It was like the Grishaverse, except so much darker, and more gruesome: as if someone stitched Nevernight and Shadow and Bone together and didn't apply a bandage.

So if you don't like blood, turn away now. My only qualm with the book would be how gratuitous it was with all the bloodletting, cutting, and just everything blood; but I'm willing to look past it since it was such a gosh-darn great story.

Three characters come into play: Nadya, a cleric girl given power by the gods, trying to save her country; Serefin, prince of the enemy country, and Malachiaz, a mysterious boy on the run. We have holy, royal, and cursed - and each willing to do what they must to get what they want. Nadya's nation has been in a holy war with Serefin's for centuries. While her country worships the gods, Serefin's has renounced them, taking power from within under the form of blood magic. Both want the war to end by any means possible, and will become who they must to tear town the enemy.

So far, so formulaic. Other than quick pacing and incredibly violent magic, the book doesn't stand too far out of the realm of YA. Until the author does one single, tiny little thing: she makes her characters begin to question where the gods actually come from. All of a sudden, the holy war seems inconsequential, as we realize that there is so much more at play. The author delves into the complex issues of wars fought over ideas, of the people who are caught in between. And I was hooked.

It's basically YA on steroids. Everything is ramped up x1000: the blood, the magic, the complexity. Nothing was predictable. I really don't want to give anything else away if I can avoid it, so I'll stop my review here. But this book is really going to blow everyone away - I guarantee it!

OMG, I loved this SO much! This has been in high anticipation since I saw the first ad for it, and it's proved to be worth the wait. I cannot explain how much you need to read this if you're a fan of Leigh Bardugo. The writing and characters were both wonderfully rich and I didn't stop thinking about this book until I got to the last page, and even now, I still can't stop gushing over it.

I wanted to like this much more than I did, but because it was so plot-driven (and, at times, I couldn't even keep up with the convoluted, fast-paced plot) I just never connected with this story. The worldbuilding and characters have potential, but for a first book in a series I really wanted to see *more* - especially from Malachiasz, who is one of the main three characters (and who I thought had the most interesting storyline) but for some inexplicable reason isn't one of the narrators?

So between that and what felt to me like instalove rather than forbidden-romance, this just isn't a book for me, and the epilogue really didn't hook me for the sequel either.

Wicked Saints is a daring, dark, and gritty fantasy packed with mesmerizing characters, a tantalizing plot, and a feverishly vivid world! I'm a huge fan of lyrical prose with consistent pacing and this book really hit the spot, balancing intrigue with attention-grabbing depth and highly imaginative elements in the world.

Opening with action, I was immediately drawn into the very first scene -- and it never let go of me. Alternating between Nadya and Serefin's POVs, I was thrown into a world brimming with magic and politics and religion and conflict and discovery....

I could go on and on, but I won't.
You just have to read it for yourself :)
I heartily recommend it!

This was soooo good. Do you like Russian-esque settings and characters? Blood mages and magic? A sliding scale of good and evil? A shout out to Leigh Bardugo in the acknowledgments?! This book had it all and i cannot wait for the next book!

I've sat on this review for a few hours, and I am still reeling from how phenomanal this book was. The apacing was impeccable, the characters are so well developed, and the actual plot kept me intrigued. The writing was beautiful and lyrical and it did not disappoint at all. This was my most anticipated book of the year and my expectations were met and then some. I don't even have words to accurately describe how much I loved these characters and the world. I cannot wait for the next installment in the Something Dark and Holy trilogy.

OMG! OMG! OMG! PLEASE LET ME LOVE THIS......



Thank goodness I loved the book! Let just give you a little skinny on the book first before I tell you WHY I love it.

The book starts out with a bang; action right out of the gates. We have Nadya, she's a cleric and has been hiding in a monastery forever! She has powers and some peeps found out about her and all hell broke loose. She has to go on the run with a friend in order to not be killed or captured for other horrible reasons.

We have Serefin who is a Prince and a mage and he is after Nadya. The POV's are his and Nadya's but we get other characters through their story lines.

Then we have Malachiasz who is another mage character and from the same place as Serefin, but who helps Nadya and her friend get from point A to point B.

I loved the book in the very beginning but the only reason I kept loving it is because I fell in love with the villian! Yes, you heard it first here people. And there are actually a few villians in the book.

I also love the Vultures! They are bad guys and girls in the book as well. What is it with me and the bad guys! I don't always love them so there!

I am interested to see where this will go in the next book because that ending had me "shook" and I'm not over it yet. I hope that it gets better and doesn't suffer from second book syndrome!

Anyhoo!

*Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for a digital copy of this book to review.*

Mel ♥

Wicked Saints is compellingly dark. In a world of monsters, gods, and saints where politics, magic, and religion are closely intertwined, it is not always easy to discern what is evil and what is divine. Emily Duncan has created a cast of characters that keeps the reader guessing while pulling at their heartstrings enough to make them care. This is a book for those who enjoy morally grey (and maybe even darker) characters, are fans of Eastern European inspired worlds (e.g. Leigh Bardugo and Katherine Arden), and don’t mind blood (lots of it). Wicked Saints has a fresh, easy to understand magic system, had me frantically turning pages to see what happened next, and is exactly the book I've been waiting for.

I hope it's a case of "it's not you, it's me" but honestly I was at 21% and went off to do something else, read King of Scars, read something else, and forgot about this book.

I think it's because the worldbuilding in this 20 odd percent wasn't fleshed out enough and honestly? I didn't care about the main girl. I wasn't given a reason to. I saw a lot of paralells with Grishaverse, and that was done better imo.

Sorry :/ I may pick it up to read more but it's not grabbing me back.

This novel was a tumultuous trek because, A. It took me month to read (maybe not a crazy enough reason, but it felt like several months rather than just one); B. I was so conflicted on my feelings about this book; C. I wasn’t invested in the story until at least 50% through (I guess if I force myself to spend time with characters, I kinda sorta grow to like them a little bit); and D. I wasn’t too fond of the writing style (at the start, because like the characters, it grew on me).

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE
All of the pronouns were super hard to pronounce, and I had no idea there was a pronunciation guide (might've been helpful in the eARC). And there were a lot of words thrown in there that meant absolutely nothing to me so I would just be reading along, having no clue about some of things that I was reading and just feeling kinda dumb (but of course I’m too lazy to Google those words, because all I wanted was for them to be explained to me in the book). So that turned me off of it for the longest time.

WHAT I LIKED
Something that I can appreciate is how super fast we were thrown into action in the first chapter. No games were played! No bushes were beaten around! Nadya was just minding her own business with her pal Kostya, begrudgingly peeling potatoes, and then BAM! Under attack!

Sometimes alternating perspectives can be tedious and complicated (for me, the reader), but this was actually well done, and I applauded it from the start. Dual perspectives of Nadya the cleric from Kalyazin, and Serefin the High Prince and powerful blood mage of Tranavia. Nadya, a divine girl whose lived in a monastery her entire life, can talk to her gods by touching her necklace of beads, and the gods talk back. At war with a neighboring kingdom, her monastery is destroyed (along with almost everyone she’s ever known) by the High Prince of Tranavia. (And why are they at war? Religion, or lack thereof, basically.) Serefin, who has been in the heart of the battle between kingdoms for maybe as half as long as he’s been living, is kind of a drunk, but he’s just about the best damn blood mage there is, much to his father’s chagrin.

I enjoyed Nadya as a character, because even though all of her truths were being tested, she still hesitated at every turn since her gods were all she knew. She didn't up and leave every moral on a whim, because that would have made me lose all respect for her. Malachiasz was a beautiful monster, and I need more of him in my life. And the further we read into Serefin's perspective, the more we could see he was just a boy who wanted nothing but the best for his kingdom.

I will be reading that second book. Because now that it’s over, I really want more.

In this YA fantasy novel, the author tells the story of Nadya, who lives at a monastery. In this world, Gods exist and clerics usually only hear the voice of one single God; thus, they are granted one specific power. However Nadya hears the voices of all the Gods and when she requests powers from them, she receives it. She is powerful and potentially dangerous. This has made her a target for the enemy prince of Tranavia, who is at war with Nadya's home of Kalyazin. In the very first pages of the book, the monastery is attacked by Tranavians and the High Prince, resulting in Nadya being forced to flee. She leaves behind her best friend and goes on the run. From there, she meets a group of rebels that wish to end the war between Kalyazin and Tranavia. At this point in the novel, the plot really takes off. This has been a spoiler-free synopsis of this novel!

My ability to read quickly combined with the fast pace of the novel resulted in me literally flying through it in just over a day. Speaking of pace, the best thing about this book was the pace in which the plot progressed! After just barely being introduced to our main character, events escalate dramatically. Events escalate throughout the entirety of the book, which I quite enjoyed. It had been a while since I had read something at such a quick pace; it was refreshing! I loved being on the edge of my seat while reading this book. However, I will advise a warning about 'Wicked Saints'; if you are at all triggered by gore and self-harm, then this book may not be the best choice for you. There is a fair amount of it in the contents of this book. For me, this did not take away from my overall enjoyment of the book.

I feel that Duncan did a great job with her novel! This is especially true for the plot and the world-building. Can you believe this is her debut novel? I will definitely be purchasing a copy of this book when it releases on April 2nd, 2019. I look forward to the next book!

"Malachiasz was grinning now, sharp-toothed and dangerous. He lolled his head to one side, lazily closing his spell book. He took a bandage out of his pocket and slowly wrapped his hand. 'All right, you win. She'll be useful,' he said to Rashid." - Wicked Saints by Emily A. Duncan

This was such a unique and poetically written story. I was immersed in the world and pulled in from page one!

4.5/5

Oh my gosh. This book, guys... this book!!

Synopsis:

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

A prince in danger must decide who to trust.

A boy with a monstrous secret waits in the wings.

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

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

I LOVED IT. SO MUCH.

This story was one that captivated me right from the very beginning: action packed, dark, twisted, magical, and intense from the get go. I absolutely loved all the main characters, Nadya, Malachaisz, and Serefin mostly because none of them were perfect. They each had their flaws and set-backs, whether it be hypocrisy, lies, prejudices, etc, but each flaw made me love them more. There is nothing I hate more than main characters that are literally perfect in every way because that just isn't realistic in any facet of the world.

Saints, heretics, gods, magic, blood, all wrapped up in a Russian and Polish inspired world made this book everything I know and love about fantasy. The discussion brought about between religion and magic was absolutely captivating to me and really helped to establish the morally grey characterizations of many parts of this book, and forced the reader and the characters to try and challenge their own worldview.

The only critique I have after some reflection was just the pacing. While I do love fast-paced books, I would have enjoyed a bit more time reflecting on the world in particular - it was set up to be this fantastical world influenced by Slavic culture, but the characters moved so quickly between the landscapes that I felt it was missing something. It also would have added some suspense and tension to the already brutal and important plot.

This is shaping up to be an incredible new trilogy that I cannot wait to devour.

***Thanks to St. Martins Press for providing me with an E-ARC through NetGalley for review. <3***


This review was posted on my Goodreads

Nadezhda Lapteva is a cleric, raised in a monastery she has been blessed with an ability to speak with the Gods and channel their power. Most clerics can speak to one God but Nadya can speak to all of them. Nadya is a vessel for the divine powers, a protector of her people, but her powers are only granted to her as long as she follows the will of the Gods. When an invasion by the Tranavian High Prince, Serefin Meleski, forces her to flee her village she finds shelter with an unusual group of rebels, enemies of her people. One of the rebels, Malachiasz, is a powerful blood mage and defies everything holy that Nadya believes in. Their friendship challenges the will of the Gods. Together they plot to kill the Tranavian King and end the war, but not all of them are who they appear to be. Their journey begins a long forgotten prophecy about a girl, a monster, and a prince... one that can only end in death and destruction.

Wicked Saints is the first book in an exciting new YA fantasy series. I was so excited to get my hands on this and I wasn't disappointed. This first novel has a lot of information as it introduces several key characters as well as many of the saints/Gods and their history. That being said, the novel was still relatively action packed and offered a nice cast of fairly diverse and likeable characters. As the plot unfolds each character transitions from what they appear to be into something different. Hopefully the characters will continue to develop and grow as the series continues. The novel is set in a historical period in which a religious war between the clerics and the heretics (everyone else) has been raging for decades. The characters each have a role in a prophecy that they are unaware of which plays out towards the end of the novel with an ending that left me wanting more. I really enjoyed this first book in the series and can't wait for next book.

Unfortunately, this book did not grab me as I wanted to. I read the first 6 chapters and honestly, I can barely remember any point of the story. Though it was enjoyable for the first few pages, nothing stuck in my mind. Maybe I was not in the correct mindset to read this.

AMAZING! Wicked Saints was everything I was hoping it would be! Full of blood, monsters, magic and gutting betrayal.