In a city-state where there is a sharp class divide between those blessed by the saints and those without magic, ex-lovers Roz and Damian must work together to uncover the identity of a ritual murderer.

I don’t read as much fantasy as I used to nowadays – certainly I don’t read much YA fantasy anymore, especially from authors I am unfamiliar with. But I enjoy a good mysterious dark fantasy, and I was intrigued by the inclusion of a second chance romance, which would undoubtedly add a great deal of tension.

There’s plenty to keep Roz and Damian apart, but they are drawn to in a convincing manner and I understood and appreciated the obstacles and differences between them that needed to be surmounted before they could get together. I also enjoyed how the two lead characters were drawn out, with plenty of realistic fears and flaws that are acknowledged and make an impact on the story.

However, I did think the world-building was haphazard – we learn a lot about how things are but not why, which is frustrating in a book that has a lot going on. Perhaps some of it will be answered in the sequel, but in the meanwhile we get left with a lot of questions and hints at things that may be revealed in the future, but not a lot at the current moment. I also thought the ending became somewhat rushed, especially as the characters accept a lot of long-coming change without much reaction. It left me unsatisfied.

CHILDHOOD FRIENDS TO LOVERS TO ENEMIES THE LOVERS?!!

HELL YES

Things you can expect from Seven Faceless Saints:

⚜️ Childhood friends to lovers to enemies to lovers
⚜️ Italy-inspired fantasy world
⚜️Reluctant allies
⚜️Soft boy X Stabby girl
⚜️ Rebel(h) X Officer (H)
⚜️Betrayal
⚜️Murder mystery
⚜️Crush the corrupt system
⚜️I’d choose you over anything, anyone
⚜️Dual POV

I’ll be honest with you guys, I tried to keep my expectations low just in case this book didn’t live up to my expectations. Because unfortunately, a lot of books are carbon copies of each other nowadays, especially when it comes to fantasy books. But oh boy… Lobb created an absolutely incredible world with a captivating storyline!! This book was PERFECT from start to finish. The action and romance were balanced so well! And I was so very invested in the story from the very first page.

I really don’t know how the author came up with this whole “saints and their disciples” idea, but the magic system she created was beyond incredible!! I’m still in awe. And the fact that the whole world is inspired by Italy and Italian culture?! ✨CHEF’S KISS✨ Maybe it’s just me, but it was low-key like reading a dark academia book with Renaissance elements! Also, this book hurt so fucking good! THE ANGST Y’ALL… THE PAIN WAS REAL— you guys know I’m always looking for some angst in romance books because I’m a sucker for it. For that reason, Roz&Damian’s relationship was such a serve imo!! I LOVED THEM SO MUCH.

4.25⭐️ One of the best debut novels I’ve read in my life!

Lobb has created characters full of angst and a world on the brink of chaos….all top tier things I look for in a story.
The darker tone and broody, headstrong main characters Roz & Damian are reminiscent of the television show The Vampire Diaries. (In all the best ways!)

While the dialogue between characters wasn’t my favorite and often felt forced or uncomfortable, upon further reflection I think it is crafted perfectly for the age group for which it was written.

With the storyline being rather simple at its core, the magic, fantasy, and world-building elements were thought out and executed well. The romance was done SO WELL and didn’t take away from the mystery of the story.

Lastly—I did not see that twist coming!!!! Love a good plot twist. I can’t wait to pick up the sequel 🤩

oh my gosh the drama, the magical elements, the tension as the bodies started to pile up! this one really kept me on my toes and i binged it in a day!! i loved the writing style, i’m keen to read more from this author, the way they described the characters and the world building was *chefs kiss*

Fantastic debut for this YA fantasy series!

"Seven Faceless Saints" is the first book in author M.K. Lobb’s new YA fantasy series of the same name, grabbing me from the start and never letting go until its tease of an ending! Ombrazia has been embroiled in the Second War of Saints for decades, and the downtrodden populace has had enough of being fodder for the prolonged fight with Brechaat. The book is an intriguing high fantasy with a compelling backstory starting with the First War of Saints and leading up to the simmering civil unrest within the country’s main city.

I enjoyed the premise of the seven saints of old and that only some of the members of their bloodlines inherited their ancestor’s magical traits. Those so gifted are known as disciples and lead lives of privilege. However, there are apparently some drawbacks to their lifestyle, such as working in the temple, which are only explored briefly through the eyes of the main heroine, Rossana “Roz” Lacertosa. Those individuals skipped in the genetic lottery are referred to as the unfavored. Their existence is much more difficult, and they seem to disappear into the unwashed masses, forgotten and disenfranchised.

The story unfolds in alternating chapters through the viewpoints of Roz, a disciple, and her former childhood friend, Damien Venturi, unfavored but the son of the leading general in Ombrazia. Their budding romance as teenagers was interrupted when Damien was sent north to fight in the war with Brechaat. The fallout from the war results in tearing the couple apart, setting them on opposing paths in the future, and creating huge conflicts for them to overcome when they must work together to solve a series of murders. They are both damaged people, and I rooted the entire story for them to have a second chance and to heal with each other at their side.

The author has a wonderful writing style: descriptive yet easy to read. The dialogue flows well throughout the novel and is one of the author’s strong suits. Exchanges between characters felt natural, even under tense or unnatural circumstances. I can’t wait to read more by this author.

With its wonderfully imaginative fantasy world, compelling plot, and endearing main characters, I recommend SEVEN FACELESS SAINTS to readers who enjoy high fantasy, magic, and stories with a second chance romance.

3.5

I didn't know what to expect when I picked this up, but I enjoyed this quite a bit! It felt a little like a YA version of The Helm of Midnight. Set in a war-torn city, Seven Faceless Saints follows Rossana, an unwilling disciple who has joined the rebellion and her childhood best friend/would be lover, Damian, a captain of Palazzo security dealing with PTSD from being on the front. The two join forces (sort of) to catch a murderer and feelings get involved. In a lot of ways this book follows many classic YA tropes, which made it easier to sink into the story because it felt comforting despite containing darker elements.

I think where I struggled the most was with the romance, but mostly because I am no longer a teenager so when Roz was making certain choices my brain was screaming about the lack of communication but the choices were very in line with teenage decision making.

While this book isn't a new favorite, I do think it's a solid debut and it ends on a major cliffhanger so I'd be interested in picking up the sequel to see what happens next.

It starts with death and ends in chaos in a full-circle moment that is both satisfying and addicting.

Seven Faceless Saints is a perfect depiction of everything I love in fantasy. An angry, fierce girl, who loves and fights with equal passion. A sweet, honest boy whose determination and inner strength inspire others to follow his lead. And the fresh, inventive world they inhabit.

Lobb does a phenomenal job building this world! She uses the lens of her characters expertly, in ways that tell us about Ombrazia and about the two young people whose lives we're following. She drips in dribbles of information about the pantheon of gods that made this magical and tragic city what it has become. It's one of the many things that separates Roz and Damian.

This is no simple love story. But then, the best ones rarely are.

The combination of romance, angst, and mystery, gives us an inviting plot that keeps its readers turning the page

Thank you to the publisher for the free copy!
While the premise of Seven Faceless Saints was interesting, I found the pacing slow and it was not enough to grip my interest. Hence, I had to dnf it midway through the story.

This was well written and so much fun to read. I have been moving away from young adult novels as I get older, but this one was well worth the read!! I enjoyed how mysterious and dark it was.

Having had some time to think about it, I think this book firmly sits at 3.5 stars for me. But I rounded it up to 4 stars.

As is probably evident from my notes below, I loved most of this book—it was sitting at 5 stars for me most of the way through. And then the ending happened—that last 25% of the book fell flat for me, and was somewhat underwhelming.


~~~~~~

My notes while reading:

- I love Roz and Damien’s relationship. The banter. The angst. The memories ugh. I’m a sucker for enemies to lovers, but childhood friends to enemies to lovers is even better!

- The writing was great. I loved it a lot.

- I know some people took issue with Roz because of how angry she was. But I think it was totally justified. Was she unnecessarily rude in some instances? Yes. But in terms of her deep-seated rage over what happened to her father, and how the unfavored are being treated, I understood where she was coming from.

- Damian is a soft boy soldier and I absolutely adored him as a character! His pining (obsession) for Roz was a bit much at times, but I still loved his journey outside of that.

- I absolute adore Isla, the Coroner. I wish we’d seen more of her!

- The angst was laid on a little too thick sometimes; but I did enjoy it for the most part. There were just some moments where Roz and Damien were potentially in danger, and I felt like it wasn’t a good time to be pining for the other person so hard.

- The narrators for the audiobook were both great, but I especially loved the narrator for Damian. He was fantastic, and really captured Damian’s voice well! I also really liked their voice for the killer.

- I will say I guessed the killer fairly early on in the book. But then I started to second guess myself as the investigation went on. So in a way I was right, and in another way I was wrong. Anyway, I wish that there had been clues as to who the killer was, so that readers who were paying close attention could figure it out (unless there were clues that I just missed? that's totally possible)

- Once I reached the last quarter or so of the book, and once the villain was revealed, the story fell a bit flat for me. I won’t give spoilers, but the killer’s monologue just felt a bit too mustache-twirling for my liking. The way the villain treated Roz and Damian (toying with them almost) in those final chapters also felt a bit off to me. Also, Roz's thinking at the end kind of threw me. That is the main reason why I ultimately couldn’t give this book a higher rating.


Overall this was an enjoyable read, and I will most likely read the sequel. I was just more excited about doing so before I read the ending, if that makes sense.

If you know me, you know that I love books about gods and magic and myths, especially when part of the story interrogating the stories the characters grew up with and finding what the truth actually is. The world of Seven Faceless Saints definitely falls into this sort of category, where we have a city ruled by these saints and their disciples, and power is shifted to those graced with the magic of these saints. It’s a setting rife with corruption, making it the perfect place to break down these saints and their influence and wonder what it really means to be blessed by them.

While I do wish we explored other aspects of this world a bit more, I did like how the mystery brought together so many factions of people and led to a nuanced discussion of power and oppression within this city. We had characters with power and without, with some powerful characters hating their gift and wishing they didn’t have it (while still understanding and appreciating the benefits it brought them in terms of status and wealth), and characters that struggled with the lack of power when they believed they should have it, and how that calls their worth as a person into question. All of this was framed in a murder mystery, as our two MCs try to figure out who has been killing people in the city (even though those in power only care about the deaths of a few).

I also really liked the dynamic between our two main characters, as it had plenty of layers to it that made the book feel deeper as a result. In one way, it’s a second-chance romance between two characters who were together before but were split by war and circumstances. In another way, it’s a story about atoning and learning to forgive, as one character’s family is directly responsible for the pain and suffering of the other’s. Then there’s also the angle where one of the two has power, and doesn’t want it, while the other lacks power, and bases his entire self-worth (or lack of it) on the fact he doesn’t have it. It made for a fascinating power dynamic between the two, and I’m curious to see where it goes in the rest of the series.

This book was far from perfect, and it’s definitely not one that will stick with me for a long time, but I did enjoy my time with it and I can see the second book possibly focusing more on the aspects I liked about the story. I did find the pacing a bit slow at times and enjoyed the characters more for how they were together than them individually, but I’m hoping the second book will help them stand out a little more for me!

I liked a lot about this book, but I think the thing I enjoyed most was the writing. The prose was lush and immersive, and it made the world come alive for me. After reading Seven Faceless Saints, I'll be seeking out many more fantasy murder mystery stories, because I thought this was a ton of fun!

Thank you to the publisher and to Netgalley for granting me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was stunning. I read it in one sitting. This is now an auto-buy author for me. I purchased a physical copy as soon as I finished the ARC. Such a deep, dark world. Highly recommend!

A great romantacy read! Easy to get caught up in the mystery. Very interesting world building - excited for the next one!

An engaging, immersive story combining fantasy and mystery in a way I felt I hadn't experienced before. I think that with its unique magic system, and a romance that will make readers invested, this is sure to be a new favorite for many YA readers.

SEVEN FACELESS SAINTS is a fresh new fantasy from debut author M.K. Lobb. I particularly enjoyed the childhood friends-to-enemies-to-lovers aspect, as it's not a common dynamic in books I read! Very much looking forward to the sequel

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book, as this book has already been published, I will not share my review on Netgalley at this time.

A fun, immersive mystery with an interesting magic system and a crackling romance at its core. Enjoyed this one!

I really wanted to love this book because the premise sounded interesting. I thought that I would have a good mix of both fantasy and mystery. However, the story was confusing and hard to follow. I could not understand the plot or world-building. Still, I recommend this for fantasy fans!

This book was so so so good!!! I could not put it down. The prose was amazing and rich and just beautiful and I was instantly sucked into the world. This is such an amazing debut and I can’t wait for the next book and what M.K. Lobb brings out next!