
Member Reviews

Wicked Saints is a book that I am so very glad I took a chance on. From the gorgeous eye drawing cover to the alluring synopsis, it truly lived up to both.
Fast paced and completely unique I was sucked in from the very first bloody chapter. And that blood, that darkness, it continued throughout the whole story and I couldn't of been happier about it.
To say I was intrigued with this story is an understatement. It consumed me with it's brilliance, it's uniqueness, and with its utterly engaging storyline. I just couldn't get enough. Things were put on hold, phone calls ignored and pages were turned faster than they ever have before.
The lies, the deceit, the conspiracies. The blood. Truly a stand out read unlike most in the genre and one that I soon won't be forgetting and will be eagerly awaiting for the next.

When I first received the e-mail for the blog tour I got really excited for Wicked Saints. It said it was inspired by Eastern Europe (and hey, that’s technically next door), the author mentions Slavic folklore in her bio (and hey, I’m Slavic), so I didn’t want to pass on the opportunity.
This is a good book. But it’s not a five star for me at this point in time.
I feel like for this book to be enjoyed fully it takes a state of mind that I simply wasn’t in when I was reading it. Because of this I had a hard time connecting to the characters and the plot.
That being said, THIS IS A GOOD BOOK.
The writing flows very well and it captures the atmosphere of each scene beautifully. The story is interesting, the plot is executed well and well-paced, and the world-building does a great job at setting it all up for the sequels in the series. The characters are well-developed and intriguing, I liked Nadezhda best of them all (btw, did you know that the name comes from the word надеж (read NAH-dezh) means hope? If you like symbolism including symbolic names, there’s a whole lot for you in this book).
Wicked Saints does a whole lot of things right. And even though it wasn’t for me, you should definitely give it a shot.

In Wicked Saints we follow the points of view of two characters: nadya and serefin, both characters on opposing sides of an endless religious war. Serefin is the high prince of a country that has rejected the ‘gods’ and has in turn adopted a more progressive form of magic, if you dare, which is basically blood magic. The whole country is deemed as heretic because of the fact that they use their own blood to cast magic spells instead of letting the ‘divine gods’ do the work using the person as a vessel, which is the magic that is present where nadya comes from. Nadya is the last known cleric who happens to be able to speak to every single god of the pantheon, something that has never been seen before, because of course, it wouldn’t be ya fantasy if the protagonist wasn’t a special snowflake, am I right? Well, as interesting as this setting could have been, the story just fell apart as soon as it started. the magic system has no logic whatsoever as to how it works or what are its limitations, it’s just something that exists and you have to go with the flow of thinking you understand what is going on or how these characters do the things they do with it. If you can suspend your disbelief for the entirety of the book, then I’m pretty sure you’re going to love this, unfortunately, this wasn’t my case. Taken the aspect of the magic system being extremely vague and convenient aside, I need to talk about how EVERYTHING that happened in this book was just one huge convenience. The characters never once encountered an obstacle that wasn’t easily faced. They need to forge papers to enter the mouth of the enemy kingdom? well good luck one of the members of this crew is a perfect forger and will be able to find the materials necessary to forge said documents without any problems even though they have been on the run and living in the middle of a freaking forest! The country is riddled with enemy military? never fear, in this book you will not ONCE encounter one single soldier and you will be able to enter the border without a single glance at you. We have to kill the king to stop this war? easy peasy, there’s a royal tradition that is allowing RANDOM people to enter the palace AND LIVE IN THE ROYAL PALACE (???) to try and gain the heir’s hand in marriage, we should totally sign up the ENEMY girl into it without any problems! done, done and done. You see where I’m going? everything was so simple, everything just always fell into place, and I was tired of reading something that I knew was going to work out because apparently these characters never faced a single hindrance in their journey.
I love myself an enemies to lovers story. I’m a sucker for those stories…when they are written well. Wicked Saints was not the case. This book has been flaunted everywhere as the next best thing when it comes to that trope, but I have to digress with every single one who said such a thing. The author was so adamant in reminding the reader of this supposed ‘enmity’ between the characters when there was clearly nothing there. When you have to repeat over and over something just so that people will believe in it, I don’t think you’re doing a great job at CREATING said enmity. It would have been better if she had spent the book developing the characters and SHOWING us why we are to believe these characters are enemies than her drilling into our heads that they were enemies just because. The result of that was that everything felt forced; saying you are enemies does not make you enemies. You have to give me something concrete for me to believe in your supposed enmity. Malachiasz, the character we are to believe is our female protagonist sworn enemy, is a deserter, therefore, he is on the same side of the war as hers throughout the majority of the book; he wants an end to the war so why should I believe you when you tell me they are sworn enemies? it doesn’t make sense…….
When it comes to the side characters in Wicked Saints, they were extremely vague to the point where I could not even begin to differentiate between them; I could not tell you which one was which, they were all the same with lacking personalities because the author did not even made the attempt at proper characterization or give her characters a little bit of depth. And I can also say the same thing for the main three characters: they are the poster boy and girl of every other YA-fantasy character. The girl who is the ‘chosen one’ who is going to stop an endless war because ‘sHe Is So SpEcIaL’, she’s the special snowflake who has unique powers never seen before, and everybody wants her powers for themselves. The bad boy, the enemy who is the brooding and scowling guy who falls for her, as it always happens. They were every other character you always find in a YA book, there was nothing to make them stand out from the overly repetitive characters of the genre, which made me dissapointed but not surprised. After all, the genre has been severely lacking innovation for years now. The only silver lining in this boredom of a book -and the reason of this one star rating, because if I could, I’d have given it 0 stars- was the point of view of the high prince, Serefin, but unfortunately his role in the overall arc of the story wasn’t even that important. He was relegated to the background of a romance that lacked chemistry, depth and organical development….and for what? I guess saying your book focuses on an enemies to lovers ship nowadays sells a lot more.
This is nothing against the author, it’s just a personal opinion on what I felt was an overall lacking book: lacking in plot, lacking in characterization and lacking in world building -because let’s be real, naming gods and things in slavic does not equal world building-. I wish this would have been what was sold to me when I requested an arc, but it ended up being a dissapointment.

Nadya is divine, she can talk to the Gods and, with their permission, use their powers. She lives in a monastery where she was left as a child. Serefin is the High Prince who has been at the front line of the century-long war between Nadya’s country and his own heretic country since his father placed him there at only sixteen. After an attack on Nadya’s home, she must escape, running into some new friends on the way. Nadya’s new friends find out who she really is and think they finally have a shot at ending the war by killing the heretic king. With their master plan, they all slip into the heretic country using magic disguises. Secrets are revealed, hearts are broken, and you won’t be able to put this book down.
Let me start off by saying that I almost did not request this book, but I am SO glad I chawed my mind. Wicked Saints is only the first book in the Something Dark and Holy trilogy, and it’s just being published and I’m already antsy about reading the next one. I absolutely loved this book. The writing style, the characters, the themes, everything. I loved it all. I could not put it down. There’s fighting, there’s magic, there’s love, there’s secrets, there’s betrayal, this book has it all. I highly recommend this book to every young adult and fantasy book lover.
The author did such a great job with the way this book is written. The beginning isn’t slow like some 300+ page books (or series) usually are, but you also get all the information you need not to be confused about what is going on. The beginning of the book jumps right into the story and keeps a fairly good pace throughout with no dull points. The characters are great as well. As you read, you can definitely feel the internal struggle that Nadya is facing throughout the majority of the book because of the choices she must make to avenge her people. You can also feel all of Serefin’s smugness and paranoia throughout the book as well. It was definitely easy to get immersed in this story.

<b>Trigger warning: this novel contains references to parental abuse, self-harm and alcoholism.</b>
<b><i><blockquote>My name is Nadezhda Lapteva, she thought. I am from the monastery in the Baikkle Mountains. I am a cleric of the divine. I am here to kill the king and end this war.
She would bring this country to its knees.</b></i></blockquote>
When I decided I wanted to get back into the reviewing game, I told myself I would be more subjective. I told myself I wouldn't up a book a star just because a small portion of it blew me away. I told myself I would be more critical.
In truth, I went into <i>Wicked Saints</i> feeling all of the above. Hyped as it is, I was <b>ready to enjoy it but also ready to resist its dark seductions.</b> But it's impossible. Duncan weaves a dark, enthralling tale about deities, evils and the very blurred line between incredibly well, and I am <b>in love.</b>
Nadya is a cleric brought up in a monastery, far up in the mountains and away from civilization. Her whole life she has literally been in touch with the twenty or so gods the Kalyazin's worship -- they live in her head and grant her unimaginable powers.
<b><i><blockquote>The recorded histories never spoke of clerics who could hear more than one god. That Nadya communed with the entire pantheon was a rarity the priests who trained her could not explain.</b></i></blockquote>
When Nadya escapes an attack on the monastery by the warring soldiers of Tranavia, amidst a holy war, she finds unlikely help in people she has been brought up to believe are the enemies. But in <i>Wicked Saints</i>, it quickly appears that not everything as it seems, and sometimes help comes in the form of the most unlikely.
<b><i><blockquote>Cannons only meant one thing: blood magic. And blood magic meant Tranavians. For a century a holy war had raged between Kalyazin and Tranavia. Tranavians didn't care that their blood mgic profaned the gods. If they had their way, the gods' touch would be eradicated from Kalyazin like it been from Tranavia.</b></i></blockquote>
I quickly fell in love with Duncan's rich story-telling, spellbinding world-building and exceptional characters. There isn't a single character in <i>Wicked Saints</i> I dislike, and even evil High Prince Serefin is incredibly likable and quirky.
Although this is a "dark fantasy" there is plenty of humour, and even though it is incredibly gory (nothing flowery and sweet can come from "blood magic" after all) at no point did I feel like it was <b>too much.</b> The world-building and information given to us on both Tranavia and Kalyazin makes for rich, enthralling atmospheres and a genuinely enjoyable story.
<i><b><blockquote>Symbols fell from her lips like glowing glimmers of smoke and every star in the sky winked out.
Well, that was more extreme than I intended, Nadya though with a wince. I should've known better than to ask Horz for anything.</i></b></blockquote>
My only complaint would be the use of alcoholism. <spoiler>I feel like Serefin's addiction is never addressed, and it's a incredibly sad to see a character lean on alcohol so heavily, especially at such a young age, especially when alcoholism is such a prominent problem in today's day and age.</spoiler> I'm hoping that this will be something that is addressed in later novels.
All in all, <i>Wicked Saints</i> deserves the praise it's been getting. Prepare for magic, adventure, political intrigue and a story that will topple empires.
<i>Thank you to St Martins Press & Netgalley for providing me with a copy of Wicked Saints to review.</i>

Thank you to NetGalley, Wednesday Books and St Martin’s Press for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
"We’re all monsters, Nadya. Some of us just hide it better than others.”
A dark and religion-oriented high fantasy...It is not what I expected...It was darker than I anticipated.
A religious good girl falling for evil bad boy sounding like a cliche but the way it was entwined in the story It didn't feel like one.
The story was told by Nadya a Kalyazin cleric who communicates with gods and Serefin young prince and war leader of Tranavia who is responsible for all of the losses in Nadya's life. Malachiasz is a twisted character which left you guessing who he is really.
So If I talk about the story it is different from other fantasies, It got different elements from religion, family politics, war, betrayal, love, friendship.
But the thing which was off for me was the pace of the story, It was so difficult to get into the book but once you are into then it was nice, In the starting, there was too many information to handle though with time you know each and everything but It is hard to digest too many things at once and the last sometimes pace was a bit slow.
The ending wasn't what I expected which made me really happy :D
Overall if you love DARK FANTASIES, then go for it.

Gods, lore, death. This book was already going to be a win for me based off of the description. It's a YA fantasy read that's fast paced, full of action, religious canon, and monsters. Full review to come, but right now, this is high up on my new YA to-recommend to friends list..

I was so excited when I heard about this book, but once I got to a certain point, I realized that the content was too much for me, with too little payoff. Not my style and no characters to pull me emotionally in, this is a phone in for me, unfortunately.
Full review to come closer to release date.

Wicked Saints was a wild ride that pulled me in from the first few chapters. These characters grabbed hold of me and didn't let me go until the very last page.
Nadya - the Kalyazi divine touched cleric who can call upon the gods in times of need. Loyalty sworn to the Goddess of Death and Winter; while still gifted with the ability to call upon the other 19 Gods and Goddesses of the Pantheon. She is thrust into the war she prepared he whole life for when her monastery is attacked by the dreaded blood mages of Tranavia.
Serefin - High Prince of Tranavia and highly skilled blood mages fighting on the front lines of the Kalyazi/Tranavian war. Called home at a most in opportune time by his father while hunting a Kalyazi cleric to find a bride. He suspects there is something amiss with his call home and begins looking into reasons his father would call him away from the war when it is so close to being won.
Malachiasz - Mysterious Tranavian Blood Mage who offers to help Nadya in an attempt to assassinate the Tranavian King. He has fled his country in hopes to find a way to stop the war, but has more secrets than any of his companions know.
We struggle alongside these characters as they try to navigate the waters of magic and the Devine. What truely makes someone a monster, and are what the gods demanding of these characters in their best interest? Who are these gods and how did they come into being? Strap in for these questions and more in a story of love, inner strength, sacrifice, and betrayal in a rich new series that will leave you salavating for more.

First, thanks to Netgalley and Wednesday Books for the approval to read the eARC of Wicked Saints in exchange for an honest review.
Y’all. Wicked Saints has been one of my most anticipated releases of 2019, and now I know that it was for good reason. Emily A. Duncan has created a world that I never wanted to leave. This book will grab you from the first chapter and will keep stringing you along throughout the entire book. I honestly can’t wait for release day so I can finally have the copy I pre-ordered in my hands.
Wicked Saints follows from the point of two of the main characters: Nadya and Serefin. Nadya is the first cleric in years from Kalyazin that has been touched with the powers of the divine. Her gods speak to her and give her the ability to use their magic. Serefin is the High Prince of Tranavia, estranged from his father, a very intelligent war tactician, and one of the best blood mages around. While their countries have been at war for centuries, Nadya and Serefin have seemed to find their way in the middle of it. While Nadya is being chased by Serefin and the Tranavian empire, she collides with 3 others that are also intent on brining the Tranavian empire to its knees. Nadya, Rashid, Parijahan, and Malachiasz head towards Tranavia to help Nadya pose as a candidate for the new queen as Serefin heads back home to see who will become the next consort and, ultimately if it’s him, the new queen. But there’s something dark happening in the distance and witch's prophecy that involves Nadya, Malachiasz, and Serefin comes to light. What follows is a story of betrayal, romance, treason, evolution, and adapting.
The backstory that we’re given and the plot as you read is so well written, but honestly the main characters are my favorite part of this story. Though there are only two “view points” (as it’s written in the third person), there’s really three main characters in the story: Nadya, Serefin, and Malachiasz. Nadya is strong-willed and devout to her gods. Regardless of what happens to her, she holds onto the hopes that her prayers will be answered. She also has a really great arc of coming into her own and making decisions that are what she decides. Serefin is put in this really weird position of being put at the front lines of war, but expected to still know what to do at court even though he’s never there long. It’s actually super unfair to him, but he takes it in stride. He also really wants to do what’s best for his country and he really has great friends to back him up. Malachaisz is the tortoured soul that makes the you love him and hate him all at the same time. You can never truly figure out if he’s telling the truth or if he’s playing you. Also, he oozes sarcasm and I really hope that we get more from his view in the next book.
Duncan truly creates a world that is gorgeous, breathtaking, and one that you never want to leave. These characters are so of the most well written that I've ever read. The plot of this story has so many twists, turns, and scenes that leave you on edge that I honestly don't know I managed to NOT throw my kindle across the room. As a warning, this book will destroy you. You’ll think that you’re whole again, and then it will destroy you again. Truly, it’s a cycle of inner destruction. It was SO hard to put down and I can’t get this wonderful story that Duncan has written out of my head. I can’t wait for this book to release. Wicked Saints releases on April 2nd and it’ll truly be worth every moment you spend reading it.

Every once in a while you come across a book with a cover and blurb that will blow you away completely. A book that will have you looking at your calendar longingly until the day arrives when it's finally published. You might also luck out, and be invited to read it early and join the blog tour to help spread the love... This is exactly what happened when I was approached to read Wicked Saints. A dark, bloody and gothic fantasy story with superpowers, mysterious saints and an assassination plot to kill a king... What more to wish for in a story? This debut without doubt met my expectations and I already can't wait to find out what the sequel will have in store for us.So what made this story work for me? The first thing that stands out is just how delightfully dark and gothic Wicked Saints is. This story isn't for those with a weak stomach and blood, violence and monsters are a constant presence in the plot. This dark and disturbing atmosphere sets the right tone for this wicked beginning of a new fantasy series... The setting itself adds to the overall atmosphere. The two main countries at play, Kalyazin and Tranavia, are clearly inspired by Poland and Russia and I liked the little references to names and culture. Would I have liked to see the worldbuilding more developed with more descriptions to make it truly come alive? Most definitely. It would have given Wicked Saints that little something extra that would have made it in an instant favorite... But I was still more than happy with what I got.I also really liked how Emily A. Duncan incorporated religion into the story, with a clear difference between the Kalyazi culture and their magic by praying to different gods on one side and the Tranavians using blood magic and being called heretics on the other. It was interesting to see this theme evolve during the story, especially in Nadya's perception of the world as she no longer find herself in the sheltered monastery and learns to put things in perspective. I liked the idea of 'light and dark' magic and how it was developed. The blood magic and the vultures are basically the perfect villains of the story, but like in the real world, definitions are messy and there is not just one villain and side to the story.Wicked Saints has a dual POV, where the story alternates between Nadya and Serefin. They initially represent the cliche good and evil in the world, but as we get to know the characters better we learn that conclusions are not that easy to draw and things are not black and white but rather grey. I'm personally a big fan of the characters and their development. Not only Nadya and Serefin, but especially Malachiasz as well all turned out to be a fascinating characters. I admit there were some cliches involved and I can't do anything else but agree there are certain similarities between Wicked Saints and the popular Grisha Verse, but personally I wasn't all that bothered by that. The dynamics between the different characters are great and the secondary characters are mostly well fleshed out as well.As for the romance... Do I wish the story didn't go down that road? Probably. Wicked Saints is pretty mild on the romance though and we are spared a love triangle (or at least for now), so that is most definitely a bonus. This is by no means a sappy fantasy story and most of the plot is black and gothic to the core. It's my kind of fantasy, where the wicked and powerful get a leading role and are ready to kick ass. I loved the duality of this story; between the different countries, cultures and light and dark magic. It is a story with a fascinating premise and a lot of promise for what is yet to come, and without doubt recommended to those who enjoy darker YA fantasy stories with strong main characters.

Wicked Saints sounded right up my alley. It’s dark, magical, and bloody—like really bloody. And it’s marketed for fans of Leigh Bardugo which fits with this story also being set in a pseudo-Russia. But this book left me feeling disappointed. The first half was slow and left me feeling quite confused.
The book splits between Nadya, a Kalyazi cleric that can commune with the gods, and Serefin, a blood mage, prince of Tranavia. To be honest, I never connected with either of the leads. They were a bit blah, in my opinion. The magic system was interesting though.
The enemies to lovers romance was to be expected, but I actually didn’t mind Nadya and Malachiasz until the end... The ending, in general, was pretty lackluster and a bit anti-climatic.
The book was not as great as I thought it would be, but I am curious about the sequel so maybe I’ll pick it up once it comes out.

This book was just not for me, and I don't really know why. It has so many elements that I love to read: magic, religion, and romance. I just couldn't get into it.

Plot: Wicked Saints opened with the brutal murder of Nadya's friends and teachers at the monastery. As the last individual with the power of communicating with the gods and channeling their power, she ran off and found herself in the midst of people who had the power of being her enemy or friend.
Wicked Saints sold me with the second half of the novel. The first half was intriguing, albeit a bit slow. It was the second half where we learned about the corrupt king and our main character Nadya had to decide who was worthy of her trust. The plot in itself was fairly simple: two countries were at war with each other and girl had the power to change the course of it all. While the plot was simple, that didn't stop Duncan from throwing twist after twist and making you question everything you knew, up until the last page.
One thing to note was that the writing led readers to assume happenings instead of laying it out. This is something minor, but there were some scenes where I would have preferred over explanations because I wasn't confident I knew what Duncan was trying to hint.
Characters: Wicked Saints' middle name is 'complex characters'. Nadya was an intriguing character because she believed she was the last person in her country with the power of the gods. Being in enemy territory led her to question everything she knew about the gods and the power they granted her. Her frustration and confusion was evident, but I never doubted that she was trying to do the right thing. Serefin, the other POV was the High Prince who was at the forefront of the war. He had enough blood on his hands to mark him the enemy, but he also had the potential of being a better ruler than his father. While these were the two characters whose perspectives we followed, there were important secondary characters as well. I wish that some of the relationships were explored a bit more as it all seemed surface level. There weren't opportunities to explore the characters' separate pasts and how they had come to depend on their friends.
Worldbuilding: Duncan's inclusion of religion made the world of Wicked Saints fascinating. The two countries both had access to magic but from different sources which all stemmed from their differing religious beliefs. I especially enjoyed learning about the gods and what power they controlled, as well as the anecdotes from previous clerics who had been blessed by the gods. This book was definitely a dark fantasy and the atmosphere portrayed that perfectly. I'm excited to return to this world and see more of the world and the gods.
Short N Sweet: Wicked Saints is perfect for readers who prefer fantasy on the darker side, I just wish there was more time dedicated to the characters' relationships with each other.

I'm somewhere between a 3.5 and 4 star on this - it's a hard one for me to rate, because in terms of the actual story set in front of me, I thought this was perfectly serviceable YA fantasy that I would recommend but wouldn't necessarily continue in a series with, if that makes sense. So in that light, it would be closer to a 3 star book. But I absolutely loved the thematic content of this: the idea of how to trust your own experience versus macrosystems that we are taught to believe in is a fascinating idea to incorporate into a story for a young adult, as this is a key piece of finding your way in the world, and I thought the choices to work through this theme in the book were just so smart & showed a lot of care from the author. That said, this appreciation for the ideas behind the book didn't make the book itself more enjoyable for me... I'm not sure any of this makes sense :). Basically, the book itself was fine but the ideas behind the book were great. So I guess let's go with a 3.5 star

OK! **I received an eARC of this book from the publisher, but since I was planning on buying the book anyways I really just wanted to get it early...**
I'm going to make a review of this book on my youtube channel and also a critical analysis video as well once I get the physical copy and re-read it, but this book really deserves it.
It filled a hole I had in my heart for YA that wasn't bland and didn't try to be pretty, with characters who are *actually* flawed and *ACTUALLY* act like teenagers instead of mini adults, despite the fact that they have been placed in outrageous circumstances through no fault of their own. They're kids in a war, out of their depth, with a crazy, wild ambition to end it, and sometimes they hate each other but they are trying!! It really is a moving book, the religious exploration is fascinating, with two main characters having on-going discussions about their opposing views, so if you're into that, fictional or otherwise, you will enjoy this book.

Wicked Saints by Emily A. Duncan is a book that I had been anticipating hardcore. Like, I could not wait to read this book. So much about it seemed right exactly up my alley. There’s a war, magic systems, and conflicting religions? Hello, that is SO appealing. Then there are whispers of secrets. Also, apparently this is Slavic inspired. YES PLEASE. Unfortunately, there was a lot that was left to be desired for me.
I kind of want to put the caveat out there that I read and view books very subjectively. So you may have different mileage out of Wicked Saints than I did. So, this book alternates between Nadya and Serefin. Nadya is a Cleric and the last of her kind – or well to be more accurate, Clerics were gone for 30 years and now she’s the first. She is from Kalyazin. Meanwhile, Serefin is a Blood Mage from the country that is the enemy, Tranavia. Further complicating matters is another mage from Kalyazin and honestly I am not even going to attempt to spell his name but it’s Mal-something-something-csz. He’s the one with a secret. So okay, their paths all cross and it turns out that they may have a mission in common, to kill the Tranavian king and end the war.
Overall, I felt like the characters were kept at arm’s length from me. Like, I cared a little bit. However when Nadya was going through some extreme physical pain, I basically just shrugged. Probably my favorite was Serefin because he was the most complex and his arc was actually interesting. As for the rest, I just did not care. And I think that is something that lead to this book feeling so long too. By the end, I was so glad to be finished.
However, the gods part and the Cleric part is fascinating. I do wish this book had delved into that a little bit more. Like, it seemed like that was something that could have been expanded on. Actually, I feel like a lot could have been expanded on, but instead it seems like we’re only just scratching the surface with all the cool elements. Maybe I’ll check out the sequels, maybe not. At this point I feel no commitment to this series.

In the beginning this read to me like a dark, bloody twist on Avatar: The Last Airbender and I was there for it. The magic system that was being introduced seemed fascinating, I loved the atmosphere and I could see myself growing fond of the characters. Unfortunately, that didn't happen.
Not to say there was anything particularly wrong with them. They just weren't that gripping and neither were the relationships between them which is a shame because there was a promising villain-protagonist dynamic. I was ready to find enjoyment in another angsty duo while waiting for the return of Kylo Ren and Rey in my life. Weirdly enough, Kylo Ren is actually mentioned in the acknowledgements as an inspiration for the villain so perhaps I was on to something. Not to turn this into a Reylo nerd off, but those two are complex characters who have a proper development and that is where the angst and emotion comes from. Their link is convoluted and messy and it always keeps the viewers on their edge. In this book, it all came out as slightly forced and lacking impact because of that. The pacing and the writing style that I didn't fully get into also contributed to me not being invested in the characters and the story in general.
Wicked Saints had many ingredients of a great story, themes and tropes that usually create memorable experiences for me, but here the overall result felt a bit off.

First of all, I'd like to thank St. Martins Press/ Wednesday Books and Netgalley for the chance to read this book: The Wicked Saints, in exchange for my honest review.
This book will be released on April 2nd, so there's still time to preorder! Please be aware of self-harm and parental abuse triggers in this book.
Synopsis: A girl who can speak to gods must save her people without destroying herself. A prince in danger must decide who to trust. A boy with a monstrous secret waits in the wings. Together, they must assassinate the king and stop the war. In a centuries-long war where beauty and brutality meet, their three paths entwine in a shadowy world of spilled blood and mysterious saints, where a forbidden romance threatens to tip the scales between dark and light. Wicked Saints is the thrilling start to Emily A. Duncan’s devastatingly Gothic Something Dark and Holy trilogy.
Ok. So I'm going to be 100% up front. I gave this book 4.75 stars because it's brilliant, gorgeous, cold, and truly astonishing. I found it to be perfectly paced. You know how, when you're watching a movie or reading a story, and the characters are about to make a big decision and you just know it's going to be wrong, and it irritates you because it seems like the author/ writers didn't think the logic through? Yeah? There's NONE of that in this book. The characters make decisions that you're not sure about, but that you'd probably make yourself. I found myself thinking 'wow, I totally would have done that tool' and watching everything burn to ashes.
I really really liked this book. It wasn't perfect, but few books are.
I loved the {POSSIBLE SPOILERS}
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.twist on the 'royal hidden away in the monastery', instead of having Nadya actually belonging among the clerics and sisters in the remote place of god. The twist within the members of the little rebel group actually made my jaw drop, and I honestly enjoyed every bit of this story. If you're looking for a seriously dark, gothic epic fantasy that will blow your socks off, this is it.

• Title: Wicked City
• Author: Emily A. Duncan
• Series: Something Dark and Holy Book #1
• Pages: 400
• Genre: YA Fantasy
• Rating Out of 5 Stars: 2.5 rounded up to 3
My Thoughts: By all intents and purpose this should have been one of my top reads of the year. It was certainly one of the most anticipated reads. However,
It starts off with a bang. An attack on the monastery where our protagonist resides. When we are first introduced to Nadya, our Kalyazi priestess, I found her to be a quite the dynamic character. She comes across as flawed but still willing to try and work with what she is. She speaks with the entire pantheon of the faith system she follows and can earn the favor of using their powers. She’s got a bit of an attitude problem and doesn’t necessarily have the best relationship with several the deities which makes her use of her magic refreshing. Yes, she’s a bit of an anomaly in the realm of magic users but she not immediately an unstoppably badass either. She takes more then her fair share of knocks. Her early focus chapters I liked much better than the other two I will mention. Not only did they have more context and drive the story further, but the interactions between the characters could get highly entertaining.
Our next character is Malachiasz. He has defected from Tranavia, but he doesn’t really work for Kalyazi either. His intentions tend to flip to what suits his best interest until our main driving point in the story takes place. I can’t say too much more about him without their being some hefty spoilers.
Our antagonist Serefin is a blood mage with poor eyesight and a bad reliance on alcohol. He also has no love or respect for the gods of the realm. Instead of seeking the gods favor to produce magic he bypasses it all by shedding his own blood for access to his powers. He is also the prince and heir to the Tranavia throne. (which I’m not going to lie, I read this as Transylvania probably 95% of the time and had to mentally correct myself)
The issues between the two kingdoms are pretty standard. One follows one religion one follows the other, both think the others are heretics, long war ensues, one king is power mad…you get the picture. By the time we’ve made it to the height of all the chaos, politics, feuding and danger…I just didn’t care what happened anymore. This was such a shame because there are some wonderful pieces of writing in here that I did enjoy.
I think it has a big part to with this oddball handling of this three-way enemies-to-lovers trope that plays out about 2/3 of the way into the story. We have other side characters that tie into it making it even more of a convoluted mess. The other is that even though this book starts out being about Nadya, as soon as Malachiasz is introduced it really becomes his story. Nadya takes a backseat and he becomes the main driver of the narrative. If you want a romance in a story that’s perfectly fine. When it loses focus on everything else that been built up before just for the sake of said romance…that I have issues with.
We do meet several other characters that feel like they should mean more in the broad scope of things. Mostly they feel like they just pop in to help break up some of the tedium of scenes. I can’t really say more on them then that. I didn’t find them to be all that interesting or developed.
I don’t really have a complaint on the writing itself. I thought over all it was well done. (save for my dyslexic mental translations of places). My main issues fall with the execution of the overall story. There are plenty of strong points that have questioning which side you’ll agree with. Moments that will frustrate you, make you laugh. I can see the comparisons to the Grisha series in the first third of the book but after that it becomes its own entity. I feel this is going to be one of those polarizing books. People are going to either really love it or not care for it at all. Unfortunately, it was a miss for me. I do however encourage others to read this if the premise sounds interesting to you and make your own opinions.
Trigger warning for self-harm and gore.
EARC Kindly provided by NETGALLEY and St. Martin’s Press in return for an honest review. All opinion are my own.