This was a fantastic sequel to the first book. I loved it. Heartbreaking at some points. Unique story. I love Damian and Roz so much.

DISCIPLES OF CHAOS picks up right where the end of Seven Faceless Saints left us, with the fear that Chaos wasn’t truly done with this world. This book proves that he indeed wasn’t, and proceeds to do what Chaos does best — forge a path of death and destruction in his quest for victory. Roz and Damian are still grappling with the events from the previous book, and things get even more serious when the darkness that overtook Damian seems to be strengthening. Destiny plays a huge role in this book and both Roz and Damian are right in the center of the fight between Patience and Chaos. ⁣
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A fantastic conclusion to Roz and Damian’s story, this was a tense journey from start to finish as we watch our beloved characters often act as shadows of their former selves. Everyone on this book is touched by loss of many forms, but it’s particularly hardest on both Roz and Damian. Not only are they changing and growing, but so is their relationship and despite the bonds that hold them together, destiny seems to have other plans for them. ⁣
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While things in this world will never be sunshine and rainbows, the ending was fitting for this world. I adore these characters so much and their strength and resiliency is one of the highlights for me. While things will never be normal, the end gives hope that a new normal is on the horizon and finally within reach. I adored this book (and book 1), and it’s one that I’ll definitely be revisiting in the future. Definitely pick this one up if you’re a fan of:⁣
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⁣⁣⁣➽ Wars of faith⁣
⁣⁣⁣➽ Strong characters ⁣
⁣⁣⁣➽ Dark and brutal worlds ⁣
⁣⁣⁣➽ Romance ⁣
⁣⁣⁣➽ Destiny and fate ⁣
⁣⁣⁣➽ Tortured hero

The finale in the Seven Faceless Saints duology, where both Roz and Damian must tackle the ongoing war and the power of the saints that lie within them. Damian has barely survived killing his former best friend who turned out to be a killer and now something has awakened in him.... the chaos magic and it's slowly turning him into someone he is not. Rossana "Roz" should be feeling happy, she got the prisoners free, she's back together with Damian and they both stopped Enzo.... but now Damian is slowly losing his grip on reality and the war still rages on. Roz, Damian, and their friends find themselves being sent up north when a new general arrives and arrests them. Roz and Damian have to find a way to end the war while also figuring out to stop whatever is beginning to possess Damian. Yet the price to undo what Enzo did to Damian is high and it might cost Roz everything. Can they end the war and save their romance or were they doomed from the start just as the Saints of Patience and Chaos were? This was a really fantastic series overall and I loved the ending, did it feel a bit rushed at the end? Yeah, but I loved it nonetheless. I loved how much Roz and Damian loved each other, they truly would do anything for the other and that's what made their love story so amazing. I really enjoyed the world that M.K. Lobb created and can't wait to read what she writes next! I would absolutely recommend this series to anyone who enjoys a fantastic fantasy series with war, romance, magic, and more!!

*Thanks Netgalley and Little, Brown Books for Young Readers for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

Thank you to Little Brown and Books for Young Readers, M.K.Lobb, and NetGalley for giving me an eARC of Disciples of Chaos in exchange for my honest review.

Disciples of Choas takes place shortly after the end of Seven Faceless Saints. The rebels are hoping that the city government will be remade into something better. However, when negotiations are turned against them, Damian, Raz, and friends are forced on the run. On top of that, Damian is struggling with the aftermath of Seven Faceless Saints, and no one seems to know how to best help him. What I appreciated about Disciples of Chaos is that it was a good ending to this duology. At times, the outcomes felt predictable, however, in a way I did not mind that. In my opinion, what was more difficult for me in terms of reading this book is the fact that the book is both driven by plot and character development. It almost felt like too much was going on and that there was not enough time to get it all out there. I rarely say this, but I almost wish the book was longer and that there was more time to draw things out and fully flush the different plots and narratives out. Do not get me wrong, this book was still great and anyone who enjoyed the first book will be satisfied with how this book plays out. I myself plan on purchasing a copy to make my collection of the duology complete.

MK Lobb's style of writing just really soothes something in my soul. I am intrigued and attention is kept from the first page until the last. Seven Faceless Saints was in my top reads of 2023 and I was so relieved that Disciples of Chaos held up in comparison. Cannot wait to read more from Lobb in the future!!

I adored this sequel. It was the perfect follow up to the dark murder mystery of Seven Faceless Saints. The plot threads from the end of book one were seamlessly interwoven into book two, and the fun characters were even better this time around, in my opinion. There were so many things to love about this book!

🖤 Damian becoming something *other* was so fascinating. It also begged to be revealed and the answer did not disappoint!! I loved how he and Roz’s relationship developed and the ending had me low-key sobbing lol
🖤 I loved exploring new parts of the setting. The new places and characters expanded on the worldbuilding of book one and made it such a fascinating read!
🖤 The magic system was expanded on as well as the lore behind it and it was all done in such an incredible way. Truly the whole plot flowed and I couldn’t put the book down.

I’m so excited to buy a physical copy of this book to add to my shelf too because that cover?? 😮

Huge thanks to the publisher, the author, & NetGalley for the arc! Make sure to add Seven Faceless Saints & Disciples of Chaos to your tbr ❤️

Disciples of Chaos takes place almost immediately after Seven Faceless Saints and despite me reading SFS and enjoying it a year ago, I could have done with a refresher. There were a lot of questions I had with the world building when the book began but luckily Lobb is smart enough to focus on Damian and Roz and the ramifications the events of Saints (with the exception of an additional POV that, in my opinion, wasn't really needed).

While Saints was mainly a murder mystery of sorts, Disciples of Chaos is a large departure. The world expands and the follow up focuses more on the war and powers that be who are dictating the terms of a war that, as our crew slowly begins to find out, is largely destroying the very people it allegedly is trying to hold up.

The book is extremely propulsive. There is constant action and our protagonists are almost constantly in some sort of peril. Damian was my favorite character in the first book but he is largely changed after the events of the first book which was a bit of a bummer. The romance wasn't really as prevalent in this book other than some truly lovely lines of dialogue and few and far between moments. The beginning was a little slow for me but the second half of the book is packed with revelations, twists and drama.

I wish I could say I loved the ending and there were definitely aspects of the ending I enjoyed. It was maybe a bit too bitter versus sweet for me and didn't feel as resolved or earned as I would have liked.

I recommend reading this duology together, one book right after the other instead of taking time in between books. I think that would enhance the reading experience. Overally, this is a clever and well written duology that I definitely recommend if the idea of an Italian/saint based fantasy world appeals to you.

Thank you so much to the publisher and NetGalley for letting me read an E-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

When I tell you Damian is one of my favourite fictional characters ever, you better believe it because he is. He’s just that amazing and I love him. I love Roz as well, but Damian just takes my heart (and Roz’s). I’ve recently learnt the “if he could he would” trope and I think it applies to Damian (I think).

There is a bunch of politics and I get that it’s not everyone’s cup of tea but I really enjoyed it! I like it best in fantasies when the politics of the world is really intertwined with the rest of the book and characters. I think Lobb did a good job with that – I think that when readers get confused with the politics it’s because the author doesn’t explain it as well as they could. Maybe that’s just me, I don’t know.

The magic system did take me a while to wrap my head around it (even though this is the second book). It did get better when I reread the audio (plus audio helped me to understand it better). Plus in this book they explore more of the magic system, which I liked to see.

I didn’t really think I was a big fan of one character “simping” for another but I was extremely wrong because Damian simping for Roz utterly won me over. Like I see it. I see the vision. I get why people love it. Roz was great too, don’t worry. I loved her passion for wanting to help and stand up for everyone. I always love it when we have a strong female main character and that definitely describes Roz.

My heart broke for them two a ton while reading this. I loved to see it because, for some reason, I love it when characters are in danger and have a lot of angst. This duology has it in spades; stemming from the romance, plot, world-building, everything.

Also the progression from the first book where Damian always calls her Lacertosa and then her first name (full name when he’s annoyed, short when he’s more emotional) when it’s serious. To this one where he mostly always calls her Roz but Rossanna when it’s an emotional scene. It’s a good trope and I love seeing it every time.

Now and then I get a sequel I didn’t like but I’m so happy that this wasn’t the case here. Especially this being a duology – you don’t want the final book to be a bummer. I don’t think Lobb can write a bad book; and I’ll say this just having read two books by her.

Disciples of Chaos is a conclusion to the Seven Faceless Saints duology. If you were a fan of Seven Faceless Saints, I believe you would love this book but be warned that the plot is a lot different. I would definitely describe the first book as a murder mystery. Disciples of Chaos begins back up from the ending of Seven Faceless Saints but the plot is centered way more on the politics and war going on in Ombrazia.

I had a Fairyloot copy of Seven Faceless Saints and remember picking it up because it looked like a quick read and ended up loving it more than I thought I would. That is why I was so excited to read the second book, Disciples of Chaos! It is still full of action and adventure and I would definitely say it is a pretty fast-going plot. I felt that the interactions and relationship between Roz and Damien was way stronger and a bigger part of the plot than in the first book. That being said, do not expect the main plot of this book to be centered around their romance.

I would definitely describe myself as someone who prefers duologies over trilogies. However, the reason I rated this a 4 and not a 5 star is because I felt something was missing in the book and the ending felt a bit underwhelming and unfinished. I genuinely liked all the side characters in the story and I wish they were a bit more fleshed out. Moreover, there were scenes in the book that felt significant but they were way too quick and didn’t seem to have too much of an impact on the rest of the story. I think another book would have given enough room to dive into all the characters and the story a bit more because I thought the overall story was very good and unique.

Overall, I really enjoyed this conclusion to the duology and I will not lie that this is, in fact, one of those books where the ending makes you want to cry and/or throw the book across the room. This is definitely one of my favorites so far this year!

Happy reading!

Actual Rating: 3.5⭐

Disciples of Chaos is the sequel to Seven Faceless Saints and also the final book to this duology.
This book finally answers some of the questions I had in the 1st book.

Unlike the 1st book which focusing about the murder mystery, in here we finally got to know more about the Saints, especially about Chaos and Patience as well as the people living in the north.
Not just that, a few new characters addition and a rescue mission are also thrown inside which kept this book interesting until the end.

While I like most things in this book, there a few that I wish could be more.
I wasn’t really a fan of the romance because it seems that Roz and Damian relationship didn’t really progressed until the last few chapters.
I also wish there’s more chapters from the 3rd POV to get to know him but it only has a few throughout the story so I didn’t feel connected to that character.

So many secrets are kept hidden and it’s finally out in the open by the end of this book. I admit the ending is quite heart-breaking.
The last 20% had me holding me breath not knowing what kind of ending the author had in store.

Overall, I really enjoy this duology as a whole. Although, one thing I would like to suggest is re-reading the 1st book before diving into this one because it started right after the end of the 1st book.
I’m looking forward to read more books by this author in the future!

Thank you to TBR and Beyond Tour, Netgalley, author and publisher for giving me an e-ARC of the book and for having me on this book tour. I’m leaving this review voluntarily!

Another solid sequel here! We pick up where we left off, with a lot of fighting and messy political turmoil. And some magic, which let’s be real, is the last thing politicians need. (I will say, one of my favorite parts of this book was the political and war commentary, which felt incredibly relevant in today’s global climate.) I enjoyed the characters, though perhaps a bit less than the first book- Damian has undergone some unfortunate changes, and while it makes perfect narrative sense, it made me sad for his character, and for Roz having to watch it happen.

I loved that the world-building was taken to the next level in this installment, and a lot of my questions from the first book were answered. As always, I loved the ensemble cast that accompanied our main characters, and there was certainly a ton of action and adventure to keep the reader on their toes. The ending was both satisfying and narratively appropriate, and I can’t really ask for much else!

Bottom Line: Satisfying duology is satisfying.

Sweeping conclusion to the duology, this sequel to Lobb’s Seven Faceless Saints is an epic fantasy where god-like saints grant favor and humans covet power. The star here is the timeless love story, but it is set against an interesting political landscape and an imaginative magic system.

I do wish that some elements had been more thoroughly fleshed out, perhaps extending the series past two books. The periodic POV that was not from the two main characters, including the epilogue, felt out of place. This was an echo to what we were given in book one, but it made more sense there. We definitely could have used more time in enemy territory as things take a dramatic turn there that felt very rushed. In fact, so many of the plot movements seemed forced and abrupt. Maybe with a third book they could have been smoothed out.

I did enjoy the arc of the MCs relationship. It was complex but still rounded out by a sense of destiny. Again, the strength of the story lies here.

I think you’ll enjoy the tension-filled closed-door steam, the strong personalities of the protagonists and the way this story is rounded out well across the duology.

Thank you to NetGalley and TBR and Beyond book tours for my copy. These opinions are my own.

Thank you NetGalley and M.K. Lobb for the eARC copy of this novel.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 4.5 stars

"What use is a man to a saint?"

My heart absolutely broke for Roz and Damian.

I am so absolutely ecstatic over the ending of this novel. It couldn't have ended any better. Against all odds, love conquers all. My emotions were running at an all time high for them, Roz and Damien.

The battle scene was great and even better than what I expected. This duology was so unique to others and that makes me love it even more.

Dez will always hold a special spot in my heart. Iykyk. 🖤

***Thank you to Little, Brown Books for Young Readers for providing a copy of Disciples of Chaos via NetGalley. My review contains my honest thoughts about my reading experience.***

My thoughts about Disciples of Chaos are in flux as I write this review. While reading, I did not want to put the book down. There was something compulsively readable about Lobb's writing, and everything moved at a pretty quick pace. On reflection, though, there are some things about the book that don't really work for me, despite enjoying them while I was reading.

The plot of Disciples of Chaos couldn't be more different from its predecessor. Whereas Seven Faceless Saints was largely a murder mystery, this book revolves around a rescue mission that ultimately turns into a battle for the very survival of Ombrazia. It involved a lot of traveling, which I don't typically love, but Lobb managed to hold my interest with the interpersonal and intrapersonal dynamics of the characters. The traveling also helped to build out the world some, which had been lacking in the first book.

The additions to the world-building in Disciples of Chaos were quite fascinating, and I appreciated that the new information was revealed in service to the plot and character development. The story provided much more information about the Saints and the history of the conflict between Ombrazia and Brechaat. The revelations allowed for an interesting exploration of how propaganda and religion can be used to alter history and keep the masses compliant to a corrupt order soaked in bloodshed.

I was excited to spend more time with Roz and Damian in Disciples of Chaos, but this book put them through the wringer. Damian's struggles with the aftermath of his actions from the last book had me hooked. I felt so sorry for him and missed the wonderful soft boy he used to be. It was so hard to see Roz watch him slipping away bit by bit while being able to do nothing to stop it. His inner turmoil completely broke my heart, and the strife it caused between he and Roz had me so anxious.

There was a new, third POV in Disciples of Chaos, as well, but I don't have much to say about it because it felt a little pointless by the end. The extra POV didn't really add any extra information to the story, and it just sort of disappeared once the mystery of it was solved. I would have liked to get at least one more POV chapter from that individual to see the events of the last battle through their eyes, but it never happened. It could have provided such an interesting perspective, though.

The last leg of Disciples of Chaos was wild. I was on the edge of my seat waiting to see how it would all turn out, and there were so many stand out moments. There were times that I gasped and others that I sobbed, and I was a little surprised by all the emotion I felt for these characters. It really snuck up on me how much I came to care about them. In addition to the emotional moments, the climax of the story had tons of action and cool magic, and I just had such a great time watching it all play out.

So, why are my thoughts in flux about Disciples of Chaos? Some things weakened the story for me the longer I think about them. The reliance on fate and destined roles, in particular, cheapened a lot of the character growth in this novel for me. I also like the ending less and less the more I think about it. I'm sure the author was attempting something bittersweet that highlighted the need for sacrifice in love. Unfortunately, it came across, to me at least, as endorsing the toxicity of a woman needing to give up her personhood to save her man and right his wrongs. It was dramatic and poignant in the moment, but it didn't hold up on further reflection.

All in all, I enjoyed reading Disciples of Chaos. It had lots of cool magic, emotional character developments, and an exciting finale. I just wish that the reliance on fate and the message embedded in the ending hadn't undercut an otherwise solid and entertaining story. Therefore, I give Disciples of Chaos a rating of 4 out of 5 stars.

Thank you netgalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is such a unique fantasy series with a plot unlike anything else I've ever read. This sequel definitely lived up to the first book in the series. The plot has a lot of action and keeps you hooked into the story, never leaving you bored. I really enjoyed this.

I’ve been waiting for this book since MK Lobb left me with that nagging sense of foreboding that everything was very much not ok for Roz and Damian at the end of Seven Faceless Saints. And Lobb wasted no time letting me know that feeling was right.

This book is part two of a duology, so Lobb throws you right back into the story without wasting a ton of time rehashing 7FS (which I appreciate). That being said, the pacing of this book is much faster than 7FS and things for our characters are *intense,* so buckle up for a bumpy ride.

Roz and Damian may have stopped Enzo, the disciple of Chaos with a penchant for murder, AND convinced the Palazzo to give the unfavored a voice in running Ombrazia, but things go sideways pretty quickly when General Falco arrives and we learn it was all a trap. Roz, Damian, Siena and Dev barely escape their capture and flee to the front lines to rescue Nasim and Kiran, finding some VERY unlikely allies along the way. But…things are even worse than they seem. I don't want to spoil too much of the reveal, but let's just say Lobb promised us “unhinged Damian,” and she 100% delivers in the best way.

Disciples of Chaos felt like it was supposed to be more Damian-centric (iykyk), but honestly, Roz’s arc kind of stole the show for me. Again, don’t want to give away too many spoilers because her arc surprised me a lot more than Damian’s, which is perhaps why it was one of my favorite parts of the book.

I also loved the way Disciples of Chaos tied up all the threads from 7FS, but my only complaint is that I’d hoped for more Roz and Damian *moments.* That being said, the characters were a little *busy* for most of the book (and poor Damian was having a bit of a personal crisis), so it does make sense why we didn't get them.

All in all, really enjoyed Disciples of Chaos, and while Roz and Damian’s story is over, I am looking forward to Lobb’s next book!

Thanks to Little Brown and Netgalley for the early copy.

in this sequel to seven faceless saints, roz and damian face their destiny as the world around them collapses. damian is losing himself to chaos, making it harder to keep everyone else safe. roz, despite her accomplishments, can’t feel satisfied yet, as the war with brechaat rages on.

this book had the perfect amount of drama and action. i absolutely loved getting patience and chaos’s backstory and how this tied to roz and damian’s story. this was heartbreaking in the best way. i absolutely loved taking this journey with damian and roz, and while i’m sad to say goodbye, i cannot wait for whatever m.k. lobb writes next.

thank you to netgalley for giving me this arc!

first off, i really liked book one in this series, i thought the idea of the saints was a really unique plot point. I also really liked the complex relationship between the two main characters, and was excited to see more of that in book 2! I really liked that the plot was action filled in that it was a duology so that kept the speed of things fast rather than falling victim to the book 2 curse of many trilogies. I loved the twists that happened in this book, of course the bittersweet ending made me wish that i could have slowed down instead of powering through the book. overall i think that this is a really nice duology!

I thought this book was good, for sure, but when I start a sequel to a book with an almost cliffhanger ending, I want to be sucked into it immediately. Unfortunately that didn’t happen- I got into it properly around 50% or so, but that felt like such a long time to wait for a sequel. I did love Roz especially in this, but the other characters didn’t get enough love to me.

But the saints, god I love the setting and the mythology and religions and all. Even though the beginning was slow, I loved learning about them the whole way through.

The first book for me was a bit of a slow read, so I was nervous on how the sequel would go, but I was genuinely surprised. I really enjoyed this one, definitely alot more than the first book. There was more action and we find out a lot of interesting new facts about Damian and Roz. I spent a lot of the book wondering why Damian and Roz didn't just break up because I tend to dislike relationships where two people butt heads all the time. I do like that they followed Chaos and Patience story, basically history repeating itself. I find that tragically romantic in a way. I was hoping to know more about Milos, since we got chapters in his POV, but was pretty disappointed that we met him and got nothing. We didn't really get to know him at all. I understand wanting to show what happen to the kids who ended up being disciple of chaos, but I would have loved to get to know him.

Thanks again to netgalley for the ARC!