I’d love to interview M.K. for my podcast, Raise Your Words. Seven Faceless Saints is such a good sci fi book!!

Damien and Roz's romance is my favorite part of this book. I enjoyed the story and the premise around saints and religion, but I tend to read fantasy more for the pining these days. This one delivered, with two characters who definitely did not like one another at first. The tension and forced collaboration was excellent.

A debut with a fascinating world and enough religious allusions to personally interest me, SEVEN FACELESS SAINTS creates a fascinating world, with characters that are unfortunately a little bit harder to connect to. While I wasn’t completely disconnected while reading it, they didn’t stay on my mind when I wasn’t actively reading, and if I wasn’t intrigued by the mystery elements and plot, I likely wouldn’t pick up the next book. However, if you’re more interested in the mystery or worldbuilding elements (or the comps like Kerri Maniscalco), I would recommend checking this out!

SFS creates a world of saints, disciples, and murderers. The entire world concept was probably the most interesting to me, and seems like it’ll be further explored in the sequel (which I think will be a definite plus). Some of the basic elements of how it’s all set up weren’t particularly unique, but the overall lore of the saints, while not explored as much as I would have liked, kept me reading.

As far as characters went, I think they were sufficiently unique and somewhat interesting, I just didn’t particularly find myself caring. The relationship between Roz and Damian never particularly drew me in or felt like it had sufficient chemistry. The personal stakes never felt truly risky, and I wish as a whole everything in this category had gotten more developed. Despite a few standout moments, as a whole I was just underwhelmed.

Finally, the plot is kind of the in between element for me. I found the mystery decently interesting and as your resident oblivious mystery solver, I was fairly stumped (although I wish I’d cared more about that or the reveal). As a whole, the plot was decently easy to follow and interesting. I just needed to feel more personally connected for it to really hit. Ultimately, I think it serves as a pretty good setup for a sequel, so I’ll be keeping my fingers crossed to see what M.K. Lobb delivers there!

This is such a rich, wonderful debut YA fantasy! I very quickly got sucked into this story, and I loved the characters so much. They're messy and imperfect, and I think that's what made them so compelling and relatable. There were moments I didn't see coming, and I can't wait to see what happens in the next book and how this world expands, and where Roz and Damian go from here!

This gorgeous dark fantasy debut perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo’s ‘Grishaverse’ and Emily A Duncan’s ‘Something Dark and Holy’ is ultimately a study in how we choose to navigate grief and trauma, and how those choices affect our relationships with those we love.

You’ve got religious zealotry controlling the government, magical classism, and a murder mystery— all wrapped up in renaissance Italy/Vatican vibes. The in-world history is just well developed enough that we have an idea of what’s going on, but there are no lengthy exposition dumps (for better or worse, depending on your lore preferences) to drive up the word count and slow the pace. The city of Ombrazia and the culture of the seven Saints creates an atmosphere reminiscent of political oppression and impicit religious trauma. While the ongoing war, power structures, and threat of rebellion really only serve as backdrop for the murder mystery and romance, it all provides sufficient context for Roz’s and Damian’s motivations and differences of opinions.

The mystery itself progresses in a fun, crime drama episode type format, with a couple of twists and periodic interludes into the killer’s POV. If you thrive on solving the crime before the protagonists, you’ll have little trouble with this one, but that doesn’t detract from the pacing or satisfaction of the big reveal. You may even find and aspect or two of the reveal to be genuinely surprising.

As for Roz and Damian, both have solid narrative voices and are easy to differentiate. Both feel well developed and grow organically, and Lobb provides in them an inversion of a common romantic dynamic where this time the FMC is the jaded one who imagines she will never be good enough for her LI, and the MMC is soft and traumatised. The emotionally fraught childhood friends to teenage sweethearts to resentment to reluctant attraction to lovers provides great character tension outside of their own personal struggles. The only aspect truly lacking in development is in the secondary characters, and honestly with two POV characters who are so wrapped up in their own pain and feelings for each other, that feels very natural.

With a strong conclusion and solid foundation laid for the sequel, you won’t be throwing this one across the room from a cliffhanger ending, but you will be eager to see what comes next without feeling heated or incomplete.

A good read -- I thought the characters were well-developed and I really enjoyed their dynamic/chemistry. Loved the murder mystery theme in a fantasy book!

3.75 stars

CWs: death, blood, mentions of suicide, war, grief, ptsd

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an ARC from NetGalley for an honest review.

I have mixed feelings about this one. I thought the world was really interesting, and I really liked the concept of the seven saints and the disciples who have magic. I thought the political aspect of the story was well done, and the war aspect played into it really well. It also contributed to Damian’s character development really well, and I liked that.
I wasn’t a huge fan of either Damian or Roz, and I found that at times I was just annoyed with the characters. I did like their individualizations, and I thought both characters were really well developed. I did root for the characters at times, but I also struggled to really develop feelings about them. I wish that there had been more about Roz as a disciple because I wanted to see more of her in that world. Even though she didn’t like it, I thought it was going to be a bigger part of the story.
I struggled with reading this one a lot, and I’m not sure how much of it was my mood and not wanting to read in general, and how much was that the story wasn’t working for me in a few ways. I felt at times that there was so much going on that it was hard to become invested in the plot. I also found it quite slow at times. There’s the murder and the mystery-solving part of the plot, but there’s also the rebellion, and the romance and history between Damian and Roz. It was just a lot at times, and I felt like the murder plot often took a backseat to the relationship plot. I did find that the pacing picked up around the halfway mark, but then it felt like it dragged again around 75% and the ending was a bit rushed in the climax and then drawn out with the aftermath. I did like the writing style, and I felt like i was really drawn into the world. I just struggled to stay focused on the different parts of the story.
I think that this one will really appeal to a lot of readers, and I’m definitely intrigued by the ending and would probably pick up the sequel.

This book robbed me of my senses in the best way. Lobb pulled me into the current of a new world and I was happily swept along with fascinating characters an incredible magic system and a murder mystery my little heart went wild for. Highly recommend.

Thank you to TBR & Beyond Tours and Little Brown Young Readers for an eARC and finished hardcover in exchange for an honest review and promotion. All opinions are my own.

This book was so imaginative and I really enjoyed it.

Seven Faceless Saints follows the story of childhood sweethearts turned enemies: Damien and Rossana. Damien, a former soldier with PTSD, is now chief security officer for the city of Ombrazian. When citizens keep showing up murdered, he’s tasked with finding out who killed them.

Roz has changed since she and her mother were sent the severed head of her father. Now Roz is juggling taking care of her mother, being an active part of the rebellion and a disciple to the Saint of Patience. When she sees Damien, she strikes a bargain with him to help him solve the murders which includes one of her friends.

I really enjoyed our two main characters. They were equally relatable and compelling. Though I’ll say I always looked forward to Roz a little more bc she is a stabby bisexual 🥰. The pining between these two was so well done. I shipped them so hard 🥺.

I really enjoyed the world of Ombrazian. I definitely want to know more about the various saints and the training disciples go through and how their powers work. I cannot wait to see what will happen next!

I cannot adequately express how glad I am that this book lived up to my expectations for it--it was one of my most-anticipated reads of this year, and it was just what I hoped for. There was a murder mystery. There were fantasy politics and corrupt religion. There was an enemies-to-lovers arc. There were also things I didn't expect but was really happy to see--demisexual rep, mental health conversations, and a Soft Boy/Angry Girl pairing to die for.

As a preliminary note, if this is any endorsement, many parts of this book/its vibes reminded me of The Helm of Midnight by Marina Lostetter, another book that I absolutely loved. Both books contained a mix of fantasy and murder mystery, featuring protagonists dealing with serious past trauma, set in a world with many saints, one of whom has allegedly disappeared but might be resurfacing. This book is less complex (only one magic system instead of multiple, slightly faster pace, fewer fight scenes) and has more romance, but really does feel like a YA counterpart for that story.

Now, on to the actual review!

What's not to like about this book? It's dark, it's bloody, it has a twisty investigation with a satisfying villain reveal, and it takes the time to develop its protagonists thoroughly. Indeed, Damian and Roz are effectively two sides of the same coin: both were faced with extremely traumatic experiences, but they've responded in opposite ways. Damian feels too much and finds himself constantly pulled back into the past and his guilt; Roz pointedly ignores her feelings and channels everything into rage and a need to commit change. They both struggle to be vulnerable with each other, clinging to their secrets like fragile lifelines in their politically tumultuous world. The result is some very serious angst and mutual pining, the sort that had my chest constricting a little as they made certain declarations. (This is a compliment.)

The flipside of all of that is my two tiny complaints. First, all of that angst sometimes comes at a price: in a few scenes, characters went on what I can best describe as monologues. Though those extended declarations are certainly dramatic and written well, they also felt a little out of place or inorganic when placed next to the rest of the story; it might have been better to make these a bit more conversational and less dramatic. And second, for all that Roz and Damian are developed incredibly well, the side characters suffer somewhat in the same regard. Though we see some striking loyalty from Damian's friends, and we see Roz's deep care for her fellow rebels, those friends and fellows come across as a bit more two-dimensional. I'm hoping that at least some of that will be resolved in the sequel.

Speaking of the sequel--that ending was excellent. This is a perfect example of how to write a proper cliffhanger: the story arc from this book completes, there's a period to calm down and let the ending settle, and then the final pages reveal a complicating factor that opens the door for a sequel. I will say, interestingly enough, that the cliffhanger twist was the only part of the end that I predicted correctly. And now, I am absolutely dying to see where the sequel goes; I already have some theories as to what might happen next.

Finally, my obligatory note on the ace rep--Damian is canonically demisexual, something which he describes plainly to a friend in one scene (though, as this is a fantasy world, the term "demisexual" is not used). It isn't treated as if it's related to his past trauma, but rather just considered a regular part of who he is. It isn't touched on much outside of that scene, so it might be easy to miss if you aren't looking for it (or extra-sensitive to things like this), but I think it is a nice qualifier to the relative intensity of his relationship with Roz. It's easy to forget that folks on the ace spectrum can (a) experience romantic feelings, (b) experience some sexual attraction in specific circumstances, and (c) actually have and enjoy sex, and this book debunks all of those common misconceptions. (Related side note: there is one steamy scene--not graphic in detail, but also not closed-door.)

To sum up: satisfying mystery, plenty of romance but never overrides the plot, strongly developed main characters, and only a few tiny sticking points that prevented this from being a five-star read. If you like your YA on the darker side, this is a great choice.

You know what? This wasn't bad at all. Knocking a star because it was wholly unoriginal, BUT it was extremely enjoyable, and the writing was very fast-paced. Will definitely be picking up book 2.

“How strange it was, to be alive. To feel at once important and so incredibly insignificant.”
— M. K. Lobb
•••••••••••••••••••••••

Born without the blessings of any of the seven saints of Ombrazia, Damian Venturi feels like his life is meaningless. He served in the war for his city, but couldn’t handle that either, so now he works as the head of security at the Palazzo, protecting the disciples even though he will never be one of them.

Rossana Lacertosa is a disciple of saint Patience but she hates it. Her father was brutally murdered after he refused to fight in the war, for which she—rightfully—blames the saints and their descendant disciples, so she joins the rebels with the hopes of getting justice for the unfavored. No one cares about the unfavored of Ombrazia, the magic-less citizens who are not descended from the seven original saints, and Roz seems to be the only person with powers who sees their misery and mistreatment.

When two accursed citizens are found dead, Roz becomes determined to find the person who did it. Then a disciple is murdered and Damian is tasked to catch the killer. Once upon a time, Damian and Roz used to be best friends; maybe even a little more. Will their search for the killer finally bring them back together or will their differences drive them further apart?

A captivating, action-packed series-starter, SEVEN FACELESS SAINTS by M. K. Lobb is a fantasy thriller full of twists and turns, magic and murder. Well-crafted with engaging characters and astute world-building, this is a debut not to be missed! I loved the magic system and can’t wait for the book two!

Thank you, NetGalley and Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, for the chance to read this book in exchange of an honest review.

In the city of Ombrazia, there are saints and their disciples, ruling with terror and unjustice, while others struggle to survive. When the Ombrazian military kills her father, Rossana is determined to do whatever is in her power to bring this system down. Like tapping in her powers as disciple of Patience, joining the rebellion, facing the boy who hurt her. Damian is the youngest captain of the Palazzo security. He should serve the saints, be devoted and strong, ruthless and without compromise, but after years, now he's tired and with scars, ready to confront the girl he left behind. With a murderer on the loose, the military happy to overlook it, Damian and Rossana have to join forces after a disciple becomes the newest victim. Facing their buried emotions, each other's feelings and struggles, they have to dig deeper in Ombrazia's underbelly and discover sinister plots. Will they be ready to face the evil threatening the city or everything will be lost?

Seven faceless saints is a brilliant dark fantasy written by M.K. Lobb and I truly loved everything. The setting is fascinating, engaging and so so involving and I was so involved in the story. Not only for the saints, the ruthless and unfair system, but also for this characterization and how Rossana and Damian are brilliant and different and forced to join forces, even though their difficult and hurtful past.
The story is really captivating, I loved the murder mystery, their investigation and how they slowly discover things about the city, saints and also themselves.
I absolutely recommend this story, with twists and moments, moving, brilliant and so thrilling. So so recommended.

This was a bit of a miss for me. I wanted to love it, but I just couldn’t get into the mystery and didn’t find myself caring about the characters. However, I did appreciate that the central plot revolved around a murder mystery and not your typical fantasy plot.

The writing style felt a little flat and straight forward, which might have contributed to the lack of connection I felt with the characters. The magic system was fine. Overall, it felt very middle of the road YA fantasy, but I’ll still be checking out future works by the author and this series .

Thank you to NetGalley, Little Brown Books for Young Readers, and M.K. Lobb for an e-arc of Seven Faceless Saints in exchange for an honest review.

Seven Faceless Saints is a light fantasy enemies to lovers murder mystery… literally what’s not to love!! And by enemies to lovers I mean childhood friends to potential lovers to a couple split up by Damian going to WAR and then becoming enemies because Damian’s dad had Roz’s dad MURDERED while they were at war it’s a lot to take in

And now murders are happening around their city, and they’re happening to regular townspeople and not mattering, but of course when someone who lives in the palace is murdered everyone freaks out so Damian is investigating that, and Roz wants to solve the “normal people” murders, and they realize it makes sense to work together and maybe they also realize they actually still love each other

We have bi and demisexual rep, PTSD exploration, female rage, and just the sweetest instance of two people getting to know each other again and a juicy mystery to boot

This was an enjoyable read with very interesting and unique worldbuilding. Having gone to Catholic School my entire life I loved seeing the rather blind faith in a fantasy setting. I also loved how angry Roz was. It's rare to have a truly unlikeable female character like her in YA and Lobb's portrayal of her unapologetic rage was much appreciated. Overall, I am looking forward to the sequel and reading the conclusion of this story.

My first read this year was Seven Faceless Saints by M.K. Lobb- it’s an ARC I had for a while and was super excited to get to!

If you’re a fan of magical murder mysteries and powerful female characters, I can highly recommend. Especially if you love angsty romances as well! If you’re looking for some new YA fantasy for your TBR, add it on for the release in February!

An upper YA debut that sets up an intriguing murder-mystery in a deeply unjust society with a setting superficially based on historical Italy. The story tries to question faith, religion and juxtapose this against the greed and violence of practitioners but gets a little lost along the way, weighed down by childhood friends to lovers to a one-sidedly acrimonious relationship to second chance romance between the two leads that was given equal weight as the fragmenting of an empire.

Did not live up to my expectations and I’m very sad about it.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for an honest review .

i cant help but get the feeling that this book desperately wants the edgy atmosphere of ‘nevernight,’ but instead manages the vibes of a watered down version of ‘wicked saints.’

which isnt necessarily a fault. the idea of the seven saints is interesting and decently established, the group of rebels fighting against a system of neglect is believable, and the writing is easy to read. all the basics are there. that being said, i kept getting the feeling that the story was trying to be more, but just couldnt quite reach it.

i would be very interested to see how the writing and plot develops across the series, to see if MKL does indeed achieve the full potential of the story. but for right now, i think readers who are intrigued with the concept of holy wars, people chosen by saints to worship them, and rebellion will enjoy this first installment.

thank you, little brown books, for the ARC!

The first thing about M.K. Lobb’s debut novel Seven Faceless Saints that caught my attention was the cover. The young adult dark fantasy that lies within the boundaries of the cover is evocative and imaginative, and the murder mystery that the main characters find themselves at the center of is juicy. If you love Kerri Maniscalco’s Stalking Jack the Ripper books or Leigh Bardugo’s Grishaverse books, then this would be an excellent choice for you.

“That was what it meant to have power, wasn’t it? You could simply destroy that which didn’t serve you.”

The worldbuilding is dynamic. I loved how the author took a classic idea of a system where religion is the dominant power in a given civilization, and developed the idea of the seven faceless saints. The Saints exist at the center of the religious power base, so those not blessed by the Saints (“The Unfavored”) are regularly forced to fight in a war they have no part in. The attempt to remove Chaos from the history books is a tactic that shows up commonly in this type of a story, and usually sets the stage for a later conflict. However, despite this being a common archetype it still felt unique in the context of the story.

“Everything that reminded me of home - everything that reminded me of happiness - centered around you.”

Roz and Damian are at the center of the story, and there are a lot of unresolved feelings there. It was an interesting dynamic, to have Roz be the grumpy stabby character and Damian be the soft tender hearted figure. The contrast also extends to Damian being such a fervent supporter of the Saints while lacking any ‘blessings’ or powers, and Roz being the exact opposite. Communication is essential for any relationship to function, and there are a bucket load of miscommunications between those two over the course of the story (and even before the story begins, with them being childhood friends to enemies to lovers).

Overall, this was an excellent read and I’m excited for the sequel Disciples of Chaos. I did predict the ‘what’ of the ending, but I was pleasantly surprised by the ‘who’. The big reveals were well earned, and I really enjoyed how the story flowed. Narrators Barrie Kreinik, Sean Patrick Hopkins, and Saskia Maarleveld did an excellent job bringing the story to life with their performances in the audiobook version of the novel. I hope they bring them back for the next book.

Thank you to the author, the publisher Little Brown Books for Young Readers, NetGalley and the team at TBR and Beyond Tours for providing me with a complimentary review copy of the book as part of my participation in the tour. I appreciate the opportunity to read and review Seven Faceless Saints immensely. Please note - I voluntarily read and reviewed the book. All opinions expressed in the review are my own and not influenced in any way.