was completely spellbound by this book and can’t wait for its release in April. The story was dark and oh so gritty. Truly a phenomenal read.

There have been a lot of hyped books I've been excited for in 2019 and Wicked Saints was one of them. And I love that they're all living up to that hype for me. I loved this book!

I did struggle a bit in the beginning. There is just so much to learn about this world and the names are tough (at least for me). There are multiple territories/countries, gods, people, and types of magic. But once I was able to fully get it, I flew through this book.

There has been a war going on between Kalyazin and Tranavia for centuries. Tranavia put up a veil to keep the gods out. They are heretics and use blood magic. They have spell books that work with their blood. There are vultures who transform and have stronger magic. They are also very hard to kill and are considered monsters. They're barely human anymore. They have their own leader, but they still have the king of Tranavia. In Kalyazin, they believe in the gods. Nadya is a cleric who can speak to the gods. They grant her magic when she needs it. The High Prince, Serefin, and his army ambushes the monastery and Nadya escapes. She is to be protected at all costs.

Serefin is called back home by the king for a ceremony to choose his wife. Serefin doesn't get along well with his father, but he goes back as ordered. But something feels off. He meets with the witch that lives there and she tells him some really strange things. Serefin realizes that his dad wants to kill him, so Serefin plans to kill the king first. There is also a division within the vultures that he can't figure out.

Nadya's small group meets up with 3 more people. Malachiasz is actually a vulture. But he explains that he left home because he didn't agree with all the politics and the war. He wanted to war to end. Nadya spends a lot of time with him and grows to trust him and his blood magic. They make a plan to go into Travania and kill the king. Nadya gets disguised and becomes a part of the competition for the prince. While there, so much happens. The prince, Nadya, and Malachiasz decide to work together to kill the king. Nadya wants to destroy the veil and let the gods back in. She finds out a lot about herself and magic which makes her start to doubt how she grew up.

There is a lot of action, killings, blood, and betrayal. I found myself wondering who was telling the truth and who was lying. I enjoyed the pacing and writing. There were two points of view, Nadya's and Serefin's. Each chapter starts with a little history about the gods.

Warnings for cutting (blood mages), lots of blood and fighting, and killings. The king is also abusive, both physically and mentally.

I gave this book 5 stars and cannot wait for book two. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for my copy for review.

I was pulled in early on, but this story fizzled out for me....it took a needlessly long time to get through, and it was ultimately too predictable and had too many subpar similarities to Throne of Glass. The writing did not help to further the depth of the story or connect me to the characters.

Sometimes, things are not what they seem. Is a prince just a prince? Can a monster be just a monster?

The Wicked Saints is a Young Adult Fantasy novel that dives right into the action. Information is thrown at you quickly but, fret not, the details and background are explained throughout the book. The story is told by two characters which usually irks me but it was done well and fluidly. I prefer to read from a single third-person point of view because switching between characters can feel really jumpy if not done well. The story was not fragmented by one character's time giving way to the other.

The pacing can drag at times during the first half of the story. I was not intrigued until about halfway through. Overall the writing style is appealing, and I saw no proof of purple prose. However, one of my biggest pet peeves definitely weighs on my rating of this novel: the unconventional and confusing names. I could not enjoy the flow of the story because I had to think too hard to keep track of who was who and where was where. One should not struggle so hard just to keep up! More often than not, extremely odd names is an instant turn-off for me but I was enjoying the plot so I trudged on. I was surprised to see some sporadic humor, a nice unexpected touch. The story ends on a cliffhanger but still wraps up the major points of book one.

While this is a lush fantasy full of magic, monsters, blood and kick-ass main characters, I probably will not remember the premise a year from now. Considering all the books I read within a year, I will remember reading the Wicked Saints but will be lost on the story. If I loved it enough to read the sequel (being published who knows how long from now) I would probably read book one again. This book was one of my top three most anticipated reads for the year. Did it meet my expectations? I think it fell a teeny-tiny-tad short.

Star ratings (out of 5)
Character development: 4
Writing style, persuasion, and pacing: 3
World building and atmosphere: 4
OVERALL: 3.5

If you’re the kind of reader whose favorite is often problematic or you find yourself falling for the villain.... this book is definitely up your alley. The story is rich with magic and grittiness with stellar world building and characters that you can’t get enough of. I was completely spellbound by this book and can’t wait for its release in April.

Wow!! Such a dark story...it was great!!
Nadya speaks to the gods and receives her magic through them and is trying to save her home. Serefin is a blood mage and prince of Tranavia. Malachiasz is a blood mage trying to say Tranavia. All three have one thing in common, they want the king dead. We go through their journey to Tranavia and get a glimpse into some very surprising relationships. I loved the magic system set up and the characters. I am very much looking forward to reading the next book in the trilogy.
I received this book in exchange for my honest review.

#wickedsaints

This book fabulously handles discussions of religion and politics; these dialogues alone make me want to rate this highly, but the plot becomes sort of muddled by the romance elements. The pacing is sometimes thrown slightly by the varying chapter headings of historic Kalyazi saints, but I otherwise was completely engrossed by this incredibly dark world. This is a good introduction to a series that I'm definitely interested enough in to continue.

WICKED SAINTS fully lives up to it's title! WOW! What an excellent read! Dark, gritty, and completely addictive, Emily A. Duncan's debut novel will suck you in on the very first page and leave you wanting more. If monsters, gods, and twisted fairy tales are your thing, this book is perfect for you! Once you start reading this novel, you won't want to put it down. I can't wait to see what she comes up with next!

***Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press / Wednesday Books for providing an advanced ARC of Wicked Saints by Emily A. Duncan, in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.***

Kalyazin is a cold and snowy land blessed by the Gods with divine magic. Tranavia is a land of lakes, rivers and blood magic. For a century, they have been at war with one another. With no end in sight, it’s clear there is only one thing that will prevent both countries from being left in ruin - kill the Tranavian king.

Nadezhda Lapteva, known as Nadya, is the last known Kalyazi cleric. Nadya has lived in relative peace at an isolated monastery at the top of a mountain, speaking to the Gods and using the powers they grant when she asks. That is until the day the monastery is attacked by the Tranavian prince and his soldiers. Joined by three rebels, one of which is a blood mage that she finds herself inexplicably drawn to, Nadya begins her journey to kill a king and end a war.

With alternating perspectives, we follow Nadya as well as the Tranavian prince who is reluctant to return home after his time at the warfront. Seeing this world from opposing points of view makes it nearly impossible to choose a side, even for the characters who are faced with a decision to make when everything comes to a head. The lines between heresy and holy will be blurred. Blood will be shed. Betrayal and heartbreak will occur.

Emily A. Duncan has created a rich and deliciously dark world in Wicked Saints. With her captivating writing, she paints a gruesome world of religion, politics, war and, most importantly, magic. This world is dark and gritty with Russian influences, Middle-Age-Martyr-vibes and complex characters that you come to love even with their flaws and moral ambiguity. The magic system is sharp and unique, setting it well apart from other books in the same genre. Wicked Saints is something dark and holy, indeed.

This was a really great book filled with magic, thought-out worldbuilding, compelling relationships, well-written characters, and a twisting plot. I couldn't stop turning the pages or thinking about the book when I wasn't reading it. I would definitely recommend giving this a shot.

This was a fairly enjoyable story with lots of action and an interesting magic system. It could have benefited from more character development and world building but not too bad over all.

With the massive hype surrounding this book, I was sure I was going to love it. Sadly, I did not. I think this was just a solid case of "not for me." I was rather bored with the plot (or lack thereof) and didn't care a lot for the prose, so I couldn't bring myself to continue.

I do, however, think that I'm going to be the black sheep on this one. It actually felt a lot like the Grishaverse, so I think that fans of Bardugo will love this one!

I have been forcing myself to try and understand the world but I either come up confused or find myself skimming. With me skimming and the need to keep putting down the book, I just decided that I won't force myself to read it and review it.

This is a case of a "maybe it's not the book, it's me" scenario.

Firstly thank you so much to Netgalley and St Martins Press for granting me this arc in exchange for an honest review!

This was one of my most anticipated books of 2019 and I have so many mixed feelings about it.

There were a LOT of dry parts to this which made it feel like it was a lot longer but the action parts were done so well too.

The writing was amazing and I gave it 3 stars due to not gelling well with the story however I would definitely pick up anything else Emily A Duncan writes.

This reminded me of The Bear and the Nightingale as well as This Savage Song which are two books I really enjoyed.

All in all an enjoyable read

The first half was certainly a solid start, though after the halfway mark things definitely slowed and it became a bit harder to get through. It’s not that things slowed down per se. There’s a constant pressure of infiltration and not being caught and discovering secrets, but there came a point where I found I wasn't invested in the characters as much as I'd like to be? Not saying I didn't like them, but wasn't personally attached to them. I did appreciate the the theological discussions and the aspect of questioning your faith and it still being valid. I am interested in what comes next and I had fun reading this.

This had so many good aspects that never really amounted to much for me. The concept of blood magic needing an amplifier through spell books was very interesting, with the magic needing a funnel that requires maintenance and replenishment was a nice diversion from other fantasy reads. I also enjoyed the theology and political discussions that were constantly simmering beneath the conversations. If each side believes their religion is the "correct" one then who can really "win" a religious war?
I was drawn to the Slavic setting and the way Nadya can speak to her gods, almost like a mashup of Leigh Bardugo's Grishaverse series and Claire Legrand's Furyborn. Unfortunately it didn't live up to either of those epic fantasy works. There was a lot of telling rather than showing, and it felt jumbled or rushed during the dialogue and action, leaving me confused. I would have to flip back a few pages to remember who was speaking or who was moving during the action.
This was filled with tropes, and all the characters felt very token and predictable. I really wanted to like this, but it felt very niche-filler and fell flat for me. Malachiasz fills the role of dark and brooding bad boy, and I immediately thought of Bardugo's Darkling or Nikolai from later on in her Grishaverse series. Malachiasz doesn't quite meet expectations though, as his political moves felt a bit too predictable. His travel companions Rashid and Parijahan could've played much more complex and layered roles, but they currently feel very irrelevant for the plot. Maybe they'll play bigger parts in the sequels.
This will probably end up being a hit with fans of the Red Queen series by Victoria Aveyard, And I Darken by Kiersten White, or Throne of Glass by Sarah J Maas, even if it lacks the plot and sophistication of characters that are so popular in these aforementioned best sellers. Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy and the opportunity to read and review!

Fans of Leigh Bardugo’s Grishaverse series will enjoy this dark fantasy. With elements of the European Holy War and the dark tales of the Grimm’s fairytales, this story will appeal to anyone that has ever doubted themselves. I’m honestly having an existential crisis after finishing this book. Wicked Saints is a must read debut author, Emily A. Duncan.

5 out of 5 stars.

This book cleared my skin, raised my grades, and took all of my emotions with it.
So, as a backstory, I accidentally got word of this book sometime in early 2018 on tumblr. And I have been hyped for it ever since. Thank you so so much to NetGalley for the e-arc. It made my month.

I loved this book so much. I loved the premise. This is a dark YA fantasy. If you’re on the hunt for something that has a darker premise, and characters who make some morally gray decisions, this is for you. I definitely would say it’s a lot darker than a lot of YA fantasy that I see nowadays. Also, to all you Reylo fans out there, you’ll totally love this. One of the characters is inspired by Kylo Ren and the Darkling from the Grisha Trilogy.

This book is set in Kalyazin (a fictional country). There focus on religion and gods, political strife and war. Tranavia and Kalyazin are at war, and have been for hundreds of years, over their beliefs relating to religion, gods, and magic. Nadezhda Lapteva (Nadya) one main character. She is a cleric, someone who is able to harness the power of all the gods (when she asks the gods). Clerics like her are rare, as clerics most often only have access to power from one god. Serefin is another main character, the prince of Tranavia. The book alternates between the POV of Serefin and Nadya.

I love the way this book creates a religion and gods. I think that was really well done. There’s 20 gods in this word, and they’re all built up so well. On the lines of things that this book did well, the plot and pacing were other things to add to this list. I think I got a good idea of the magic systems and the background for the first book in a series, without any info dumps. The pacing quick in some parts, slow in others, which came together really well for me. There was a part where I thought some things were glossed over and could have been in some more detail, but overall the pacing was great.

So, I’m a linguistics major in college, and I was totally impressed by the names and language phrases. So many times while I’m reading a book, the country names sound so… fake. These didn’t. They sounded real. After watching the video that Alexa done did with Emily A. Duncan, Duncan did do some linguistics research to create the language phrases and names, which are based off of Russian/Polish names/phrasing. (I love that so much.) There’s also a lot of Polish/Russian inspired names in this book.

EDIT: One little thing that bothered me was, at one point in the book, Parijahan, a brown skinned character, turned "as white as chalk". Authors do this all the time, to characterize fear in characters. But it doesn't really work for brown skinned characters, the melanin doesn't disappear when we're afraid.

Emily A. Duncan Q+A by Alexa Donne: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_uHy1ai6uI
Emily A. Duncan pronounces Malachiaz at 5:39, for all those of you who read this and were, like me, thrown off by how to pronounce the “ch” in his name.

I really hope the publisher puts a pronunciation guide at the front. I know a lot of books set them at the back (which I think is super weird).

TW: Self-harm. There’s a lot of blood magic.

This book took me for a ride! Complex character's, intriguing plot, betrayal and more! I can't wait for the next book.

This is a difficult book to rate. Some of its aspects deserve full five stars while others are weaker. In the end, it amounts to average.

I was looking forward to this one because I want to build a course exploring fantasy set in a Slavic-like setting. With a great popularity of the Grisha series, you get more and more books along those lines. This one is clearly inspired by Bardugo's books, but to give credit where it's due: there is also a clear effort. Linguistic aspects are particularly well done, and so is thematic choice to tackle issues of theology. What are gods? Why do we believe? What is the nature of magic, or the divine, or free will? All those themes were interesting and unlike your typical Young Adult offering. These are the book's strongest points. (Just for the record: I have nothing against "typical Young Adult"; there are many great books that fall into that category. Still, it is refreshing to see themes going outside of that.)

Unfortunately, other aspects bring the book down. The editing seems to be poorly done; there are so many little things that make reading difficult and tedious. The story is patched up in so many places, and I am not sure the author is to blame. Other than that, there is a problem of too much telling and very little showing at times, while many parts of the book and the magic system are poorly explained. For a book that relies so heavily on different aspects of magic and/or religion, it does a poor job explaining the rules. Certain things happen in the second part of the book that seem to expand on the previously established system, but since the system was never properly established in the first place, we cannot judge this change. Still, the main problem of the book is the fact that its narrators are not protagonists: at the end of the day, this is a book about Malachiasz. While there is nothing wrong for his story to be told through the eyes of other people, it does make some of narration unnecessary (do we really need half of the book to be told from Serefin's point of view?) and it does hurt our female protagonist's development. Don't get me wrong: I like the idea of a sheltered young woman learning about the wider world, making mistakes and trying to do her best. It is more realistic than to make her a super-powerful, know-it-all person in book 1. Still, Nadya is hurt by so much spotlight on Malachiasz. The fact that I am tired of abusive men being portrayed as love interests probably plays a role here (can this cliché die already?)

Also, as a Slavic person, I must say that Duncan takes her time to explore languages, but everything else Slavic is used for the aesthetics only. It is clear she has a passing knowledge of Russian and Polish cultures, but she uses those simply to spice things up and make her setting different than a typical fantasy set in a world inspired by Medieval England. One might recognize certain details and elements as Slavic, but make no mistake: this is a typical Gothic novel of a Western tradition. There is nothing Slavic about it. Nothing wrong about it, of course, but I am disappointed because I was specifically looking forward to a Slavic-inspired story. (Plus, do we really need yet another story portraying Slavic people as wild, constantly at war, punishing heretics? And it feels really uncomfortable given historical relations between Russia and Poland.)

All in all, this was an intriguing story with some excellent themes and some poor narrative choices. I will be reading the sequels and I hope for it to improve. Ultimately, the story has all the elements of a future hit: intense magic, memorable setting and (probably the most important for this type of a book) a bad boy love interest. This seems to be a winning combination so I predict great things for Wicked Saints and Emily Duncan.