In a Filipino-inspired world set during the throes of colonization, Maria Lunurin, a bisexual nun, grapples with her storm-bringing, goddess-given powers—but the goddesses of the old world are bent on vengeance against the brutish colonizers who invaded their lands. And they won’t stop until all the goddess-blessed have unleashed fury and destruction upon the invaders.

Gabriella Buba’s skillful wording and creative world-building result in a vivid story of far-flung lands and varied peoples with feuding motivations. I appreciated the story’s originality and the retelling of the colonial history that devastated the origins of Filipino history and culture. The first 10% of the book was a bit difficult to get through, as the author immediately throws in a *lot* of new terms (or at least new to me), to the point where it feels almost like the book picks up in the middle of the story. But pushing through was highly worthwhile and made for a fantastic reading experience.

I loved all the characters but one, and this seems to be a consensus among other ARC readers. You’ll know who I mean immediately. It’s a character who doesn’t really have much in the way of redeeming qualities nor a redemption arc, and I really don’t love when someone comes across so evilly two-dimensional. But my love for the other characters trumps my extreme dislike for that one person. I mean, Lord Alon… SWOON. And Lunurin—girl is unhinged but in the best ways possible!

Highly recommend this exuberantly imaginative debut novel. Thank you @netgalley, @titanbooks, and the author for a copy of this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I think this was my first Filipino inspired novel and most certainly a fantasy. I have to say I was instantly gripped from the start.

I adored the magic system in this novel and the world building. I also loved the way that this was done by Buba, we do not, or at least I didn’t feel we did, get massive dumps of information or explanations that break the narrative. We learn about the world, the magic system and types of magic as we go along with Lunurin.

Speaking of Lunurin I adored all the character’s and enjoyed the dual points of view which gave the story another tone and side as it were. Even the characters I didn’t like so much were interesting and well rounded. They all felt genuine, flaws and all and I adored seeing the relationship between Lunurin and Alon develop.

If you are into fantasy I would highly recommend this one. It’s enjoyable, paced well and has a solid world that has been clearly crafted with love and care.

This was such a gripping and captivating Filipino inspired fantasy which follows a bisexual nun who is hiding her goddess given gift that she can't control.

I really enjoyed the world building in this one and found the magic system so interesting. I loved learning more about the different types of magic and powers and watching as Lunurin dealt with her own struggles and thoughts about her own abilities. Lunurin is an amazing main character whose goes through so much in this book but it only makes her more resilient and strong.

I really liked getting Alon's point of view and felt that it really helped progress the story and get to know him as a character. I loved the lengths he would go to for Lunurin and loved the whole marriage of convenience trope. I really found myself disliking Cat, I found her to be such an unlikable character and hated the way she treated Lunurin!

Overall I found this one to be a really great fantasy debut which was really well paced with an amazing plot. I definitely recommend picking this one up!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley for Providing me with an ARC of this story.
SPOILERS TO FOLLOW

This was everything I ever wanted and more!!!!
A bisexual Filipina main character.
Gay nuns.
Elemental powers.
A love triangle.
Political intrigue.
The list goes on and on. I really admired Lunurin for her tenacity and will to live. I loved how her goddess kept calling out to her and I kept WAITING for when Lunurin would let her in. I was not disappointed when she did either. I also really loved Alon and how incredibly infatuated he was with Lunurin. It was great seeing one of the main couple be a younger man with an older girl. (Alon is two years younger at 23 and she's 25). So many times it's usually the man who is MUCH older than the girl. Inez was also a really great side character. Her story made me really sad in the beginning because of everything that happened to her but I was so glad to see that Lunurin and Alon could help her. Catalina was never really a favorite character of mine. As someone who was forced into the Catholic faith as a child and lived most of their life going to church and listening to the way people talk about those different from them, I could never stand by Catalina and the things she did/said. She was very vicious and cruel at times without even meaning to because she was trying to live and act in the way God intended for her but she went about it in all the worst ways possible. I did still enjoy the quiet non-angsty moments between her and Lunurin though. In another life they would have been perfect for one another.

This is a beautifully written book inspired by the colonization of the Philippines and the devastation the colonizers brought with them.

This story is full of hope and faith in old gods to give people the power to fight back against colonizers and take back what is rightfully theirs. Along the way, there is love and loss, as well as reflection on the sacrifice needed to do what is right.

If you love high fantasy stories with unique magic systems, you should definitely.pick up this book!

THIS COMES OUT TOMORROW AND YOU ALL NEED TO READ IT ASAP

Right from the first page, this book drowned me in a thousand emotions and a fierce protagonist.

Review of ‘Saints of Storm and Sorrow‘ by Gabriella Buba. In this Filipino-inspired fantasy debut, Gabriella Buba weaves a tale of hidden powers and divine wrath. Follow the journey of Maria Lunurin, a bisexual nun with a stormcalling gift, as she navigates a world of colonization and perilous love.

“This rage and bloodlust isn’t yours. It doesn’t have to be your only birthright.”

Synopsis
Maria Lunurin has been living a double life for as long as she can remember. To the world, she is Sister Maria, dutiful nun and devoted servant of Aynila’s Codicían colonizers. But behind closed doors, she is a stormcaller, chosen daughter of the Aynilan goddess Anitun Tabu. In hiding not only from the Codicíans and their witch hunts, but also from the vengeful eye of her slighted goddess, Lunurin does what she can to protect her fellow Aynilans and the small family she has created in the convent: her lover Catalina, and Cat’s younger sister Inez.

Lunurin is determined to keep her head down—until one day she makes a devastating discovery, which threatens to tear her family apart. In desperation, she turns for help to Alon Dakila, heir to Aynila’s most powerful family, who has been ardently in love with her for years. But this choice sets in motion a chain of events beyond her control, awakening Anitun Tabu’s rage and putting everyone Lunurin loves in terrible danger. Torn between the call of Alon’s magic and Catalina’s jealousy, her duty to her family and to her people, Lunurin can no longer keep Anitun Tabu’s fury at bay.

The goddess of storms demands vengeance. And she will sweep aside anyone who stands in her way.

Cover of the book 'Saints of Storm' and Sorrow by Gabriella Buba.
Review
I received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. Thank you NetGalley and Titan Books for this eArc.

In Gabriella Buba’s debut, Saints of Storm and Sorrow, we are plunged into a Filipino-inspired fantasy that weaves a complex tale of colonization, hidden identities, and divine wrath. The cover is absolutely stunning and sets the stage for the vibrant yet tumultuous world within.

The story centers on Maria Lunurin, a bisexual nun with a hidden gift of stormcalling, living under the oppressive rule of the Codicían colonizers. The pacing, however, felt uneven. It took me until around 25% into the book to get fully invested, and the middle sections became confusing with scenes that seemed unnecessary. The narrative’s foundation —a richly imagined Filipino history— did keep me engaged. It’s a fantasy steeped in cultural nuances, though at times it veers more into romance territory, especially with the tension between Lunurin, Catalina, and Alon.

Lunurin is an interesting protagonist. Her stormcalling powers, influenced by her emotions, are compelling, and her internal struggles as both a nun and a stormcaller add depth. However, her relationship with Catalina often felt forced and diminished her character’s strength. Catalina came across as unnecessarily antagonistic, which sometimes made Lunurin appear too malleable. On the other hand, Alon Dakila is a standout. His unwavering support and respect for Lunurin make him the book’s most admirable character.

Buba’s writing has both brilliant moments and inconsistencies. I was fully immersed at times, eager to see where the story would lead, but other moments left me confused. Some phrasings disrupted the flow and clarity. Despite these issues, the historical backdrop of the narrative—the 16th century Philippines under Spanish rule—was compelling. The blend of fantasy and Filipino history was well-done, though I occasionally struggled to distinguish fantasy terms from cultural elements due to my unfamiliarity with Filipino culture.

Saints of Storm and Sorrow tackles themes of identity, loyalty, and resistance. Lunurin’s dual identity as a nun and a stormcaller reflects the broader struggle of her people against colonization. The dynamic between duty to her family, her people, and the vengeful goddess Anitun Tabu drives the story’s tension. Buba explores these themes with a keen eye, though the romance subplot sometimes overshadowed the more profound elements of the narrative.

Would I recommend it?

Overall, Saints of Storm and Sorrow is an ambitious debut that blends lush fantasy with rich cultural history. Despite its pacing issues and occasional writing missteps, it offers a fresh perspective in the fantasy genre. For readers who enjoy morally complex characters and culturally infused storytelling, this novel is worth a read. Gabriella Buba has crafted a world that, while imperfect, is undeniably captivating.

HIGHLIGHTS
~no vows of chastity for these nuns
~supporting women’s wrongs 100%
~don’t touch someone else’s pearl (not a euphemism!)
~drown all colonisers
~brace yourself for ALL the Emotions
~a love triangle that is actually excellent
~if she lets down her hair, RUN

Saints of Storm and Sorrow grabs you by the throat and does not let you go for an instant.

It’s also a book where, to be honest, I feel like my main task is just to make sure you know about it – because once you do, it sells itself. A bisexual nun who can summon typhoons by letting down her hair is caught between the goddess she’s hiding from and the totally-not-Spaniards who’ve colonised her home? In a setting inspired by the Philippines?? What else could you possibly need to hear to convince you that Saints of Storm and Sorrow is a must-read?!?

I know, I know, sometimes we get super excited for books with amazing pitches that, in the end, are let-downs. But this is not one of those times. Saints of Storm and Sorrow is every bit as incredible as it sounds. There is no wasted potential here. If I may add a little more alliteration – Saints of Storm and Sorrow is simply superb.

<Anitun Tabu herself, garbed in light, the dark moon of her face too beautiful to gaze upon, the black river of her hair a halo lashing in unseen winds. She was crowned in lightning, the spear of heaven’s judgement in her right hand.

“You called my name, Daughter?”>

Lunurin is biracial, the daughter of a woman of the archipelago and a Codicían priest – but although she’s spent a good chunk of her life playing a Christian (and therefore Codicían) nun, in her heart she’s anything but. Not for lack of trying; Lunurin works hard to be soft and pleasant, both for her lover and the Church that’s given her a (kind of) sanctuary; she has kept her head down for years, playing the dutiful Christian novice. Behind closed doors, though, she has her romance with Catalina, another biracial novice, with Catalina’s younger sister filling an almost daughter-like role to round out their little family. Interestingly, despite Catalina’s Christian faith being far more genuine than Lunurin’s, Catalina seems to have no shame or complicated feelings about being queer, despite the fact that her sexuality, and her love for Lunurin, go completely against the church’s rules. But in all other respects she’s a good Codicían woman – and very clearly wants Lunurin to be one too.

Lunurin isn’t, though. And not just because she’s a stormcaller – chosen by Anitun Tabu, goddess of the sky and weather, ‘blessed’ with immense power only kept under wraps by the same powerful talisman that hides Lunurin from her goddess. Lunurin sees the hypocrisies and abuses of the Church and the Codicíans, and can’t close her eyes to them; whenever she can, she helps the poor and abused escape the Church’s reach, often with the help of Alon. In Western terms, Alon is basically a prince, the heir of the island’s ruler since his older brother was exiled; he’s also, secretly, one of the tide-touched, able to manipulate salt water with the blessing of Aman Sinaya, goddess of the sea. And he’s the only one who might be able to help when Lunurin and Catalina make a horrific discovery in the early chapters of the book – one that will lead all three of them to the breaking point, and tear them, and maybe even their island, apart.

<It took everything in Lunurin not to laugh until she wept. What divine calling could there be when a primordial goddess of the heavens, with lightning for blood and storms at her beck and call, curled under Lunurin’s breastbone, whispering, “Daughter, won’t you drown them for me?”>

Drawing inspiration from the Philippines, its history, and its mythology, the setting of SoSaS feels new and unique, a gorgeous and entrancing contrast to the generic Medieval-Europe-esque backdrop that is so confusingly popular in Fantasy. The world Buba has created here is beautiful and intricate, one that I fell more and more in love with the more I learned about it. The people’s relationship to the land and sea and sky, the matriarchal politics, the pearls, the hair, the wildly different (from Christianity) approach to religion, the trio of goddesses whose chosen ones are so integral to the Aynilan way of life… It’s all incredible. No detail has been missed or hand-waved or not-thought-through, with the result that it feels real enough to be a place you could visit it in person if you chose. It doesn’t feel invented, which is the highest praise I can give to a land that doesn’t exist.

For example, let’s talk about mutyas. In the (unnamed) archipelago that Lunurin lives in – clearly a fantasy version of the archipelago that is the Philippines in our world – cultures vary somewhat from island to island (we know that there are hundreds of languages spoken in the archipelago, and in the prologue, we hear of an island ruled by rajs who have tossed out the Codicíans entirely; Lunurin’s island of origin Calilan had a Datu, who was some kind of ruler; and Aynila, which is the setting of SoSaS, has the Lakan who rules the entire island alone, as best I can make out) but mutyas are one of the many things that tie everyone together. A mutya is a piece of jewellery – usually some kind of hair comb for women with magic, but for others it can take just about any form – set with the pearl the person found when they underwent their naming dive. If a person finds a special kind of pearl, it marks them as goddess-chosen – a stormcaller like Lunurin, tide-touched like Alon, or a firetender, depending on the pearl and the goddess. This is a relatively simple piece of worldbuilding, I guess, but for one thing, it’s a beautiful concept, and for a second, it’s woven throughout the entire book. Lunurin’s mutya is one of the things that helps her control (read: suppress) her magic, so it’s something she nearly always has on her person; it’s a sacred, highly personal object that every Aynilan character we come into contact with has and wears, usually openly; by the time we see someone fondle another person’s mutya uninvited, I didn’t need Buba to spell out for me how shocking and violating that was, because she’d already made sure I’d absorbed exactly how important a mutya is. Every concept Buba invents or introduces us to is like that; easy to understand and remember, shown naturally rather than info-dumped on us, and never forgotten or not-followed-through on.

And the magic system! Again, at first glance it looks fairly simple; we have stormcallers who can work the weather, tide-touched who control waves and ocean currents, and firetenders who manipulate heat and flame. But if you look a little deeper, and pay attention, it becomes clear that it’s more complex than that. For example, each kind of magic-user is marked or chosen by one of the three goddesses. We don’t know how or why a person is chosen, but it does seem to be true that the goddesses can’t work their will on the world except through their chosen. For all that she hates the Codicíans, the storm goddess Anitun Tabu can’t destroy them herself – she needs Lunurin for that. Functionally, then, the goddess-chosen are not just the go-betweens between the gods and their people, but literal funnels for the wills of their goddesses. The magic-users are the linch-pin in the relationship between gods and humans; they are arguably that which sustains, and/or allows, the symbiosis between gods and humans. Is that not an absolutely fascinating set-up?!

Not to mention that this is emotion-based magic, tied to the feelings of the person working the storms or sea or fire. Tied, also, to their hair; God can’t help you when a stormcaller lets down her hair, okay? At that point, it’s far too late to run for cover.

<“Go to a stormcaller for vengeance, for they do not heal, and they do not save.”>

But it gradually becomes clear that all three kinds of magic are actually, also, integral to human life in the archipelago. If the goddess-chosen are the symbiosis of the gods and humans, they’re also what allow humans to live in reasonable balance with the natural world around them. Before the Codicíans came, magic-users didn’t just fulfil important societal roles (the tide-touched were magical healers, which is a whole nother THING that is BRILLIANT but I won’t spoil it for you): the firetenders kept the volcanoes dormant; the stormcallers protected the archipelago from terrible storms; and the tide-touched turned aside tsunamis and carried ships from island to island on magic-made currents. It was never a mastery of the natural world – which would have meant mastery over the goddesses, after all – but it was an elegant system that benefited everyone. The simplicity and genius of that idea? I loved it!

It serves as a powerful, visceral metaphor for the archipelagan way/s of life vs that of the Codicíans, who have come in knowing nothing – and caring nothing – for the islands or the peoples of those islands.

<One could use even cage bars to stand.>

The Codicíans are, in a word, awful. Not cartoonishly so – if they were, it would be easier to bear. It would hurt less; it would enrage less. But no; these fantasy-Spaniards are painfully believable, as Europeans, as colonisers, as that particularly ugly kind of proselytising Christians. And how to deal with them is one of the central themes, questions, of the book; is it better to submit? To pretend to submit but resist quietly when they’re not looking? To try and compromise with them? To resist loudly? To resist violently?

It is impossible to pretend that this is a question – questions – that exists only within a fantasy setting; to ignore the fact that this is a question that is being asked louder and louder in the real world. It is a question that has been asked throughout history, obviously, but for white readers especially, it is a question that demands an answer right now. (And always.) Because it is generally white people who condemn the violent resistance of minorities and other oppressed groups; it is generally white people who, when pressed, will sometimes admit they understand the impulse to violently resist, but insist that ‘violence is never the answer’. It is generally white people who have no experience, and therefore no true understanding, of what it is like to be the oppressed group. There’s a reason our schools and society hold up and praise Martin Luther King Jr, and ignore or actively decry Malcolm X, and it’s a reason that’s hard to look in the eye if you’re white.

Saints of Storm and Sorrow puts white readers in the place we’ve never been in real life. Buba’s prose is powerful and immersive, creating a story that feels less like something you read than something you experience. I felt everything as if I were inside Lunurin’s skin; the injustice, the insults, the fury, the pain, the desperation, the trying so impossibly hard to be…not good, but good enough; good enough to be valued, good enough to be considered a person, good enough to be safe.

This is as close as someone with my skin colour can get to understanding what it’s like for those in power to see your entire people as less. Sure, my Welsh and Irish ancestors knew oppression under the English – terrible oppression – but not the same kind as this, and I am not my ancestors or in their situation; I in the present day have no idea what that feels like. But Buba conveys Lunurin’s position, experiences, and emotions so well, so intensely, and I’m not claiming that I get it now, but I am saying that this book pulls no punches and sweeps you under and into it, the thick of it, the tangled morass of conflicting desires and needs and feelings that gradually gets simpler and simpler and simpler as the rage burns everything else away – until there’s nothing but the rage left.

How does one deal with this situation? I’ll never know. But Buba puts me in it, as much as anyone can – makes me feel it, as much as anyone can – and then asks: what would you do?

Would you be good – would you be NICE – would you bow your head and take it, all of it, forever? Would you only object politely, quietly, ‘properly’? Could you? Really?

<Years she’d made herself small thinking hiding was the best way to protect herself and others. That anything else was too big a risk. But it hadn’t changed the outcome, she only lost a little more, and hurt more deeply, and watched more of her people suffer. She couldn’t keep hoping that if she made herself innocuous enough, she would be safe. Someone would always find her wanting. Like her mother, like her father, like Magdalena and all the sisters of the convent…>

Alon is trying, trying to be ‘good’. Standing as a starker and starker contrast to Lunurin as the book goes on, Alon is desperately trying to keep the peace, is fighting so hard to keep all sides happy. Doing what he can to help his people without making waves among the Codicíans (and there’s a point there, maybe a metaphor, about his magic, him being one of the tide-touched and not making waves). He does not think the Codicíans are right or good, but they are powerful, and he is very sure that any violence on the part of the Aynilans will only make things worse. In many ways he’s pretty much the ideal of a ‘good’ oppressed minority, exactly the kind of BIPOC person too many white people think someone like him should be: polite and nice and inoffensive. Not making waves.

But does it help him? Does it help his people? Can he accomplish what he wants by being inoffensive to the offenders? How can he? It’s not sustainable. You can’t have a compromise when one side wants to destroy everything the other is. You can’t protect your people with words when those in power won’t listen; when those in power won’t give you the power to protect them.

What are you supposed to do then?

<“Your god can’t help you now.”>

And let’s be really clear: the colonisation is not coming from, or fuelled by, just the secular arm of the Codicíans. The Christianity is an equal evil; maybe even a worse one. The Christians are also Codicíans, of course, but their religion is inextricable from the mindset that tells the Codicíans that they are better than the people of the archipelago. Their religion fuels that mindset, reinforces it, validates it. Christianity’s obsession with converting people, with stamping out other faiths, with cannibalising other faiths, is a fundamental part of the colonisation process. This has been true throughout history, and it’s very true in this book, epitomised by the way the Church has stolen and renamed a statue of Lunurin’s patron goddess, Anitun Tabu.

<Though Lunurin did not dare speak or even think the goddess’s name for risk of drawing her eye, she knew the statue over the altar was no Codicían saint.

When storms raged and the goddess’s thwarted gaze roamed over Aynila, Lunurin could hear her in the thunder. “Daughter, how can you hide from my sight? How can you let them defile me so? Can’t you see they are erasing me? Won’t you call me by my true name?”>

Like: Jesus was a pretty cool dude. I dig him, even if he was weird about a fig tree that one time. But Christianity as practised, particularly as practised during this period of history, is immensely fucked-up. Are there Christians who are good people? Plenty! But baked into Christianity is the idea that non-Christians are, at best, flawed, and we can’t gloss over how that fuelled (and still fuels) colonisation and oppression. And even when the religious beliefs are good, the power structure of what is now the Catholic church – like many power structures – allows terrible people to flourish; it arguably encourages members of that structure to become terrible.

[This is where I initially wrote a rant on all the ways the Catholic structure/system is fucked, but I’m here to talk about an amazing book, not Catholicism, so instead of getting side-tracked let’s just take it as read that I have receipts and the Catholic power structure is deeply dodgy on its best day.]

And honestly, I am glad that Buba doesn’t try to gloss over this, or give the Church a pass. Nope! Nope, no way, nuh uh, we’re not fucking doing that. Besides, it would be deeply strange to explore colonisation in a Philippines-stand in and not acknowledge the harm Christianity did and does in that part of the world and literally hundreds of others. It was a huge Thing. Feel free to read up on it.

For Lunurin, the Church not only wants to demonise her for her non-Codicían ancestry (or kill her for her magic, if they discover it); they also belittle her and dismiss her as a woman, and again, that’s something that is baked into Catholicism. I will, again, not write you another rant essay. But I will point out that fervour with which the Church hunts indigenous ‘witches’ and the fact that the majority of goddess-chosen are women (including trans women!) are extremely unlikely to be unrelated.

(Aynila’s matriarchal culture, powerful elemental magic wielded by women, a pantheon of goddesses… Of course the Codicíans and their Church are determined to crush this culture, these people. Of course they are. It’s not just that they see Aynilans as lesser; the Aynilan way of life is an active threat to everything the Codicíans believe to be good and natural.)

What I’m saying is, the Church is Lunurin’s enemy. It’s the enemy of the whole archipelago, and certainly its goddesses. It’s not just the Codicíans that are the enemy; it’s also the Christian god – or at least his representatives on Earth. There’s no pretending otherwise.

<Lunurin did laugh then. The ache of it was grounding. All of her hurt. Her time in the cage made it impossible to swallow her bitterness. “Yes, I’ll apologize, like the last three servants he had caned and caged till their backs festered. What shall I apologize for–my blood? My mother who seduced a priest? Shall I beg his pardon for being a soulless water witch?”>

Saints of Storm and Sorrow is very much a story about colonisation and oppression, and examines those things from all angles – the racism and the misogyny, the role of the Church, the Aynilans who side with the Codicíans for power (not realising that the moment they sell out, they’ve lost all power). It’s a book that looks at the different ways to resist these things, the question of which way (if any) is good or best; it looks equally at the whys and the hows. Buba doesn’t simplify or water any of it down for us; these are complex, ugly, many-layered issues, insidiously working its way into every aspect of the story, every facet of the characters’ lives. It’s not as simple as Aynilans good, Codicíans bad; as mentioned, there are Aynilans, especially those in the structures of power, who are all too happy to work with the Codicíans. Nor are the Codicíans a monolith; they have their own internal politics and shifting balances and power struggles. From some angles, it’s plenty complicated.

If you look at it head-on, though, it’s really not complicated at all.

<“Ten years I’ve humbled myself. I have cut myself down and swallowed every offending sliver. The time for that is past.>

Buba has chosen every detail of her world, and most especially her characters, very carefully. Everything about Lunurin, Catalina, and Alon has a wealth of symbolic meaning for us to ponder (if we choose – you can just as easily allow the story to sweep you along without analysing every little thing, but if you DO enjoy analysing it all, there’s plenty of food for thought). For example, Lunurin is not a native of Aynila – she was born on another island. This feels subtly important. The Codicíans, after all, are not natives either. But Lunurin considers Aynila her home; she considers its people her people. The Codicíans do not. The Codicíans do not even consider Lunurin a person, not really, despite her Codicían father – and sure, some of that is because she’s a woman, but most of it is because she is not white, not white enough – only half, by blood, and not at all in her heart. Her Codicían blood has granted her some security and some measure of privilege for many years, but she is still less, to them.

Catalina is biracial too, and just as Lunurin and Alon stand in opposition when it comes with how to deal with the Codicíans, Lunurin and Catalina are opposing examples of being biracial in this context. Even in the beginning of the book, when Lunurin is still playing at being a good little Codicían nun, she is playing at it. Whereas Catalina, as becomes clearer and clearer, is not playing; she means it, all of it, wants more than anything to be Codicían, to be Codicían enough. Lunurin embraces the archipelago; Catalina refuses to acknowledge that side of her heritage at all. Thus do the politics of their peoples worm their way into Lunurin and Catalina’s romance, because…well, of course they do. No spoilers, but I thought Buba handled that wonderfully, realistically, all-too-believably. I’m very curious to see what other readers end up thinking of Catalina.

Personally I want to fire her into the sun, but ymmv.

And where the two women are both all-or-nothing when it comes to their respective positions, we have Alon kind of in the middle: not agreeing with the Codicíans, and having no desire to assimilate, but trying to walk a line, hold the line, between the Codicíans and his own people.

The three of them form a love triangle, yes, but it’s this other triangle – I don’t know whether to call it philosophical, or political, or what – that is much more interesting to me.

<Aman Sinaya preserve him, she even smelled good. The floral sweetness of the sampaguita garlands mingled with the nuttiness of her hair oil. He decided the better part of honor was not breathing.>

That being said, the love triangle? Is actually pretty great. I generally don’t have very strong feelings about the romantic arcs of the stories I read, and I actively dislike love triangles unless they end in polyamory. But – probably because Alon and Catalina represent such different stances in and approaches to the world they live in – I actually got so invested in this one! Part of this is Buba’s super-immersive prose, which I’ve already mentioned; but the biggest part of it is…how do I put this? Is: the different expectations, even demands, that Catalina and Alon each place on Lunurin. The different shapes she has to fit into for each of them, and Lunurin’s struggle – though ‘struggle’ doesn’t feel like the correct word – to figure out and accept what her own, real shape actually is. The way this pushes her to push back against both Alon and Catalina’s expectations (and demands), and how intimately this is tied into her growing desire to push back against the Codicíans. It’s a love story that is inextricably tied to the politics of her world, and that is extremely cool to me!

The love triangle is also a very important catalyst for Lunurin’s…I think we can call it growth. I’m a bit worried I’ve given the impression that she’s a swoony, useless kind of heroine: she isn’t. She is fiery, passionate, full of anger – it’s just that she has been keeping that side of herself suppressed for a very long time (for very good reasons!) But while it’s events that lead her to stop suppressing her rage and power, it’s her relationships with Catalina and Alon that teach her that she doesn’t always have to be the strong one, the powerful one. That softness does not cancel out strength. That it is very okay to lean on people when you need to. She has to re-figure out what romantic love really is, but more vitally, she also has to learn how to love herself – including the magic she was raised to see as bad and dangerous; including the rage; including her vulnerabilities, and the (perfectly natural!) need for support and care and kindness.

She cried without worrying how high the river would rise, or if anyone’s roof was leaking, or if she’d start a mudslide. She wept without fearing her unspooling power would draw her father-in-law’s or the Codicíans’ wrath.

I’m making it all sound very Hallmark-y, but it’s not. It’s not.

(And also, I am HERE for men who absolutely worship the women they’re in love with. Alon gets a lot of things wrong, but he gets All The Points for being completely heart-eyes at literally everything Lunurin does – including when she’s being terrifying.)

<“Yes.” The word was a growl.

He kissed her again, fervent as worship. “Yes.”

He kissed her a third time, gentle as silk. “Yes.”>

I expected to love Saints of Storm and Sorrow; I was not expecting to feel as if I living the story, going through all of it myself. I didn’t expect to feel so much, swinging from fury to panic to delight constantly. I wasn’t expecting there to be so many layers of meaning woven into the tiniest of details. I wasn’t expecting a book that would place feminine rage and power front and centre. I had no idea I would fall for this world, and these characters, as hard as I did.

It’s phenomenal. I can’t believe this is a debut novel, and I can’t wait for more: for more people to read this and love it and scream about it with me; for the sequel, of course; and for anything and everything Buba writes in the future.

REMEMBER THE NAME GABRIELLA BUBA, MY FRIENDS. REMEMBER IT.

This one makes you think. Almost too much. I felt like I was constantly almost having to flip back to check if I read something right and was remembering how something happened. It was beyond world building it was character driven. It was great but more in depth than I was expecting.

3.5 Stars

The Saints of Storm and Sorrow is a Filipino-inspired fantasy set in a world where magical communities are in hiding and under colonial rule. The story starts off with our main character Lunurin living as a nun and keeping her power as a stormcaller secret from all except her lover and fellow nun, Cat, after a deadly and catastrophic accident with her powers forced her to renounce her goddess and her power.

I loved the set up for this story with its culturally rich descriptions of the setting and political structure that set the tone of the book as “oppressed persons stage resistance against colonizer rule” – if this is a trope, I am consistently HERE FOR IT. I also found the way that culture was weaved into the magic system and the talismans of power to be incredibly unique. However, the magic system was a bit muddled and I struggled to logically follow which actions would activate the magic. I understood the basics, but the lack of overall clarity made some of the action scenes difficult to follow.

The queer rep in this book was wonderful! It had a bisexual MC and appeared that same sex marriages (specifically f/f) and trans folk were commonplace among the magical societies (not so much under the colonizer’s society as it was deeply integrated into the christian church).
I will say that I was bummed by the final character arc of Lunurin’s female paramour and how toxic that relationship was. The relationship between Lunurin and Alon was much more prominent in the book as a whole and despite my hopes of Lunurin and Cat, grew to love Alon (despite his constant wavering and self-effacing nature which drove me nuts!!!). I do wish that we didn't enter the story with Alon’s love for Lunurin already present (and not well earned); it would have been much more entertaining to watch that grow over the course of the story.

This is marketed as adult fantasy but truly sits in the new adult space with characters that are juvenile at times and constantly wavering in belief and opinion – unsure of who they are, what motivates them, and what the motivations are of others.

I think this book had a lot of potential but was in need of a bit of fine-tuning in both the magic system and the characterizations. I am thinking this is a series so maybe we will see some character growth and further dive into the magic system in future books.

This book has a gorgeous cover, a fascinating premis, and complex world building but, somehow, the characters and writing itself fell flat for me. I do think it will find a better fit with other readers though, and this os very much personal preference.

I received an ARC from NetGalley.

In this Filipino-inspired Fantasy, a bisexual nun hides a goddess-given gift that could help the struggles of her people against colonization.

Set in the Philippines in the 16th century, under Spanish colonial rules, Maria Lunurin, known as Sister Maria, is a nun and servant of Aynila's Codicían colonizers, trying to hide the fact she’s a stormcaller, chosen daughter of the Aynilan goddess Anitun Tabu. She tries to have a normal life in the convent with her lover Catalina and Cat’s younger sister Inez.

But her goddess demands vengeance, a burning rage threatening to consume Lunurin. A devastating discovery shatters her fragile peace. To protect her found family, Maria reaches out to Alon Dakila, heir to the most powerful Aynilan family (and who has been in love with her for years). But this choice provokes a chain of events that she can’t control.

This was a solid debut, but I felt a bit confused with how the magic system worked. I love it when the magic system is based on the elements, but some parts made me a bit lost. I wasn’t expecting some turns and twists that the story took, and it pleasantly surprised me. If you want a book with Female Rage – look no further.

DNF

I am sorry to say that this book is not for me. I was pretty excited to start it, because I think I never read something Filipino-inspired, and I was curious. And the premises are interesting. But sadly I had a lot of problems with the characters. Even if the world-building is fascinating and completely new to me, I didn't enjoy the characters.
I really enjoyed the MC in the beginning, when we saw her defying a terrifying Goddess, and I was so there for it. But then things get way more sedate, on the one hand, because our MC is now a nun, and the other characters gravitate toward this world, nuns, priests, abbots, and girls that are with the nuns as students (or collateral for the good behavior of the parents), but still, all gravitate around this Christian setting because they are the oppressor. And this is a more sedate setting in general, even if we still have the old gods and goddesses around. And, on the other hand, because the story is pretty bleak, and it is just so full of suffering and unfairness and injustice.
I am not the biggest fan of this kind of story, but when the characters work for me I don't really mind, I can suffer through it without problems. But here I was not too fond of the characters, I wasn't impressed by Sister Maria, even if I admit that she may have some potential and that going forward maybe I would have started to like her (I am not so sure about it, but I am giving her the benefit of the doubt) but I strongly disliked Catalina, and I disliked who Sister Maria was when the two were together.
I am pretty sorry, but I don't think this is the right book for me, sadly.

Thank you to NetGalley and Titan Books for providing me with a digital ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review!

I have such mixed feelings about this book. I expect my review might be a little all over the place, but I'll do my best to describe my thoughts.

Saints of Storm and Sorrow is a fantasy novel inspired by the Spanish colonization of the Philippines around the 16th and 17th centuries. Our main character, Lunurin, is the daughter of a Codicían priest and an Aynilan woman. As a child, Lunurin obtains the power to call on an ancient goddess, Anitun Tabu, to summon storms. Her family sends her away to become a Catholic nun under the Codicíans (who are colonizing the region), where she must hide her magic. Anitun Tabu is furious at the horrors her people have faced and urges Lunurin to seek vengeance. Lunurin must decide what path to choose - should she ignore her magic and practice a religious life with her lover? Or should she follow the goddess's wishes and help her people? There are all sorts of other elements thrown in - such as a love triangle, a marriage of convenience, political drama, characters with other magical abilities, and more. So much happens throughout this story; some of it works well, and some of it I found to be a bit disappointing.

I'll start with a couple positives. This is clearly a well-researched story with some strong themes - such as female rage and feminism, bisexuality, religious hypocrisy, the effects of colonialism, and more. Gabriella Buba does a great job of weaving these themes throughout the novel. Each piece of the story fits into a greater message. This could be a great book club pick, because it brings up a lot of discussion questions and ideas for readers to consider. I also thought the atmosphere was strong; I was immediately pulled into Lunurin's world and wanted to learn more about its rich history.

I also mostly liked the characters. Lunurin is an intriguing, morally grey protagonist. I didn't always understand her thought process, but I was consistently interested in what she would do next. I love to read books about strong women who don't back down from their beliefs, and wow, Lunurin certainly delivers on that front. It is rewarding to see Lunurin develop throughout the story, which builds up to a strong conclusion. I also thought her bisexuality felt authentic. Alon, the male love interest, is fine. He's a little boring, but he is extremely sweet. I really liked some of the side characters - Sina was my favorite, but I found all of the scenes with Alon's friends to be entertaining.

The one character I couldn't stand, though, was the female love interest, Cat. She's a nun who is much more devout in her faith than Lunurin. As a result, she hates Lunurin's magic and is constantly yelling at her for her choices. I understand why the author chose to include Cat, because she does bring a contrasting perspective to all of the Aynilan characters. However, I didn't understand the choice to make her such an unlikable love interest. Part of the issue is that we never see Cat and Lunurin fall in love, since the book starts with them having already been together for years. So, we never see the positives that Cat brings to Lunurin's life. We also never get to truly understand Cat's perspective - she just comes off as a villain. She is so horrible that the love triangle she's involved in feels unrealistic. If you're looking to read this book purely because there's a sapphic relationship, you'll probably be disappointed, as the relationship is very toxic.

There were a few additional things that detracted from my enjoyment of this book.

First, I wish that the magic system and worldbuilding had been developed more. There are three different types of magic that various characters use, and none of them made much sense to me. The magic is explained so vaguely that I never understood what the characters were capable of. At times, they all felt way too overpowered, while in other chapters they were limited by strange rules. I identified some inconsistencies throughout the story, but I'm not positive if they were plot holes or just confusing plot points resulting from the under-explained magic system. There is also a lot of time spent discussing politics, but I never felt like the world was developed enough for me to care about the leaders and the minutiae of their conversations. Had the political players been developed more, it probably would have been more engaging.

Additionally, the pacing is off throughout the novel. The first 25% is a really difficult read. The subject matter is very dark (I would recommend checking out content warnings before reading this book), and because we're thrown immediately into the world, there are a lot complicated details to keep track of. For me, I was so confused, yet disturbed by the content, that it was super tough for me to get into the story. After that, it does start to get better as you understand the world and meet more characters, but the pacing still struggles. Some scenes in the middle feel drawn out, while other scenes are not given enough detail... which brings me into my last critique.

This last one is probably a personal preference, but in my opinion, far too much time is spent developing Lunurin and Alon's relationship. There's cool magic, an interesting world, fascinating goddesses, and more in this book... and yet, a huge chunk of the middle of the novel is just centered on romance. I don't mind romantasy as a genre (a couple of my favorite books from the past few years I would label as romantasy), but I just found that the relationship was the least interesting part of this story. I'm sure others may feel differently, though.

Saints of Storm and Sorrow is a complicated novel that is still captivating at times. I found myself truly enjoying some moments while reading, but then struggling to continue a few chapters later. I'm not disappointed that I read this, though, and I'll keep an eye out for future work by Gabriella Buba. I would recommend this to folks who are interested in romantasy and enjoy stories about strong women seeking revenge against their oppressors. If you're looking for a book with detailed worldbuilding and magic systems, though, this might not be for you. And finally, please do look up the content warnings, because I found this book to be much darker than I expected.

3 stars out of 5 stars.

TW: Underage pregnancy, off-page rape of a minor, magical termination of pregnancy.

I am giving this an early review because I had to take a break due to the above mentioned TWs, but based on a flip through, I think this would be about a 4-star review. I really enjoyed the part that I did read, and look forward to picking this back up when I'm in a better head space because I went into this completely unaware of those TWs.

I received an advanced copy for review. Thanks to Netgalley and Titan books for the ARC!

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Saints of Storm and Sorrow by Gabriella Buba is a third person, dual-POV Bisexual romantic fantasy taking place during the colonization of the Philippines. When Lunurin helps her lover, Cat’s, sister out of a terrible situation, it sets in motion a call back to the goddess Lunurin was pledged to and will test Lunurin’s relationships. Alon, Lunurin's friend who has loved her for years, declares them to be engaged in order to save her from being killed for witchcraft, inciting Cat’s jealousy.

What I really liked about this was how Lunurin's Bisexuality is never questioned by the narrative. She is attracted to men and women and loved both Cat and Alon, though she initially thought her attraction to Alon was due to their powers (her with storms and him with tides). That felt extremely realistic to me as someone who is also Bi, as my romantic feelings towards women doesn't feel exactly the same as my feelings towards men and I know many Bis who would say their attractions are different. It's really nice to see that depicted.

The Church comes up quite often as Lunurin is not only a nun under the Church's care, but is also the biracial daughter of a high-ranking member of the institution. Saints of Storm and Sorrow details the ways in which the Church colonized the Philippines and stripped parts of their culture away. Cat is deeply devoted to the Church and is also biracial and a child of a Church official, taking a different stance than Lunurin, showing how people from similar backgrounds can have different opinions on the same topic. Cat rejects her native culture in favor of embracing the Catholic Church and what it teaches her.

The coolest thing about Saints is how it integrates dugongs, especially with the goddess Lunurin is tied to taking the form of a dugong in the beginning. I loved that little detail. Saints also depicts trans characters openly and doesn't shy away from how trans people have been part of the Philippines for centuries.

I would recommend this to readers looking for a romantic fantasy with a Bisexual lead, fans of slower burn friends-to-lovers romances, and those looking for a fantasy exploring the history of the Philippines.

dnf @40%

i really wanted to like this, but unfortunately, it missed the mark for me.

i'm almost halfway through and... not a lot has happened for what feels like is supposed to be an epic fantasy.
the characters didn't feel very strong to me except for the fmc's girlfriend, who's bought into all the christian rhetoric, so i found it really weird for the fmc to be paired up with her.

the magic system was confusing to figure out and despite taking place in the 15/16th century, one of the characters uses the phrase "pathological liars" which... i'm pretty sure were not a thing yet.

i was excited for the rep but i would've dnf'd even sooner if it wasn't an arc read, but i'm going to be true to my reading tastes and dnf now.

also i don't know if i'm just missing it bc it's an arc, but considering an abortion for a pregnant minor from long-term statutory rape is a large piece of the book and pretty detailed, there should definitely be trigger warnings somewhere in here.

eARC Review: Saints of Storm and Sorrow by Gabrielle Buba ⛈️

This was such a fantastic debut fantasy inspired by Filipino mythology and colonial history. I really enjoyed the magic system and the idea that a single strand of hair could let rain pour down. 🌧️

I would first like to focus again on the Author’s Note and how I (again) believe this small bit in the book is so important to the overall reading experience. I found Buba’s inspiration from historical events wonderfully wrapped into this tale and how figures from the Philippine’s different communities’ mythologies inspired the magic system. Again, I would highly recommend reading this before diving into the story itself. 💙

The story follows two POVs. The first is that if María Lunurin who is hiding as a nun. I loved this chaotic bisexual queen as she tries to alleviate the suffering of her people through her connections to the church and the colonizing Codicíans. She is definitely someone who struggles with abandonment issues and guilt for things she did through the influence of her vengeful goddess. I loved her development throughout the story and really can’t wait to see her come into her own in the next book (which I’m so happy there is a second one because man I was about to go insane if it was a standalone)! 🌩️

The second POV is Alon who just screams “YAS, that’s my wife!” He’s so in love with Lunurin for who she is, and I just loved seeing a depiction of a younger man lovingly supporting his older woman even if she makes the worst decisions. That and also, it did take me a long time to not picture Zuko from The Last Airbender when it was revealed his voice actor is narrating his part. 😍

Another big character that’s crucial to the plot is Catalina, a fellow nun and the lover of Lunurin. Man she was a piece to read about. I can see how devoted she is to her faith, but the girl refuses to see that she’s incredibly toxic to those around her. Her emotional abuse and manipulation of Lunurin was just a bit too close to home for me to read, but another thing that really shown out is how she really is a foil to the loving and accepting Alon: she will only love Lunurin if she changes for her. Rather sad to see what could’ve been a wonderful sapphic love story in a conservative and hateful religious setting, but in a way, I can see how it all worked out. 🤷🏻‍♀️

All in all, I loved the beautiful magic system, the wonderful Filipino influences, and how kickass the characters are. Big thank you goes to Titan Books and NetGalley for accepting my request to read this wonderful debut. And a big shout out goes to the author, Buba, for creating such an incredible tale that feels reminiscent of The Poppy Wars. ⚔️

Publication date: June 25!!

Overall: 4.5/5 ⭐️

The world of Saints of Storm and Sorrow is so vividly depicted and so well-established as a Filipino-Based Fantasy setting. It all feels so authentic to the terrible real world history of colonization. And from all of this history, I get the anger of the Aynilan goddess Anitun Tabu, who gives our FMC, María Lunurin, her powers that make her a stormcaller. The hunting down of all people with magical powers and Lunurin’s desire to remain hidden and tamp down on her power in order to survive all resonate so well.

There is some great lesbian and bi representation in the story with Cat and Lunurin, respectively. And there was a lot of self-hatred for Cat as she wrestled with her identity versus the Catholic teachings of the colonizers. The drama that ensues from this was entertaining and really drove Lunurin’s anger and drive to be rid of the people that took over their lands. On the other side of the love interests is Alon, the son of the highest ranking Filipino official, and someone who is also blessed with powers from a deity. They end up married due to a marriage of convenience/to save Lunurin’s life and how their relationship develops from there is fantastic.

The magic system is a little nebulous, but still very enjoyable and many of the side characters blend into the background, likely because the main characters stand out so much more.

I wanted to love this so much, and there were parts of it that I latched onto tenaciously, but it just didn’t hold up against the barrage of my curiosity.

I loved the Filipino-inspired pantheon of Goddesses, the magic system drawing upon the environment, and the goal of fighting back against colonialism/imperialism (particularly against weaponized religious conversion). I loved that the main character is bisexual and that she cares fiercely for her found family.

The magic system was bizarre and didn’t seem to follow its own rules. If the Tide-touched needed tongues to sing forth the waves, why does Alon never sing and how can a person with no tongue still perform healing magic? If Lulurin’s magic is controlled by her hair (??) then why are her volatile emotions causing storms and wreaking havoc? It’s not like being angry or having an orgasm affects your hair??

The timeline is also kind of warped, which messes with the pacing. In order to make sense with the construction of the bridge, the acquisition and use of building materials, and the steady buildup of revolution, the story would have had to take place over the course of months but honestly I have no idea how much time passed between the wedding and the ending.

And one of the major betrayals/“twists” is telegraphed pretty much from page one because that character is toxic AF.