I’ve got to be honest…… I did not expect to enjoy this book as much as I did. I LOVED IT. There’s gods, and human monsters, and magic, and badass women characters, and dark broody male characters that you can’t help but swoon over. So basically, it has everything for a great YA fantasy novel. There were some Throne of Glass vibes (sneaking into the castle and posing as someone else to assassinate the king) and I was TOTALLY living for it!!

Nadya slowly moved up to one of my top favorite YA female characters- probably number 4 or 5. There was so much character development. She starts out as a firm believer in her faith and learns what it is to question things outside of what she has been blindly taught. Personally, I was even switching between who I thought was right and who I thought was wrong in all of the debates between Malachiasz and Nadya. And normally I would be a little annoyed if this awareness was brought on because of a male character, but in this case I didn’t mind it. I adored Malachiasz and all his sinister ways. ALSO, if you shipped Alina and the Darkling from the Grisha trilogy (like me) then this book is for you my friend!!!!!

The world and the magic system is so unique! It’s a very dark book, probably one of the darkest that I have read! I thought that it was going to deter me early on, however I was pleasantly surprised at how much I soaked up the world.

Oh, Wicked Saints, you were just a whirlwind to read, and I was so happy be caught up in your storm. As a fantasy novel, Wicked Saints started off with a bang . . . but a very confusing bang: chaos and war proceeded throughout the pages and I was desperately scrambling to understand the magic system and who was who. In all honesty, it took me about 15% of the book to finally familiarize myself with all the names, who had what powers, and understanding the political and religious powers that fueled the war littered throughout the pages. But once I started to understand the holy mess and revolutions that ensued, I could not put this book down. 

As a rarity among society, Nadezhda can speak with gods. With this commodity, she can call upon her divine powers, but the power-granting gods hope for something in return. As Nadezhda tries to break the veil for the gods to finally return and stop a war, she is thrown into political intrigue and religious turmoil. The country and kingdom are crumbling, while her path interweaves with a drunken prince who has seen nothing but war and blood throughout his young adulthood and she joins ranks with a band of misfits (and an often-smiling, monstrous boy) who seem all too trusting and too good to be true to see as allies. 

You guys, you need to prepare yourself for the dark character agencies and merciless blood magic that saturates Wicked Saints. There are jaw-dropping moments of lies, deception, bloody kisses, and utter betrayal. And you know what, I am so here for the next book to knock me off my feet.

Rating: 4.5/5 Stars

First off, this is very much a 5-star book. I just need a little more time to gather my mind about a few points which I don’t understand yet and can’t bring myself to officially call it a 5-star read until I do.

If you’ve seen my tweet, I proclaimed that Wicked Saints by Emily Duncan FINALLY drew up my enjoyment for fantasy fiction to the surface. Some time within last year I seemed to have lost my liking for it and couldn’t bring myself to feel enraptured by the genre. Until now.

The beautiful magic of the Kalyazins and the darkly-tainted spells of the Tranavians amped up the sweeping beauty of the Russian-inspired backdrop. Reading about the actions scenes was actually entertaining and mesmerizing! Coupled with the slow-burn romance, I was just loving it! My love-interest radar was confused for a good part of the book but I still enjoyed it. I don’t know how she did it but Emily Duncan managed to infuse such intimacy and desire into a kissing scene. Only kissing! You could feel the charge emanating from the pages.

“Iron must be tested.”
Told from dual-POVs, one of Nadya’s and the other, Serefin’s, I enjoyed both and appreciate how it let you see two sides of the story. It illuminates different facets of the whole battle and that they might actually both be right and wrong! Dash in some gray areas, mistakes, betrayal, deception and revelations, my mind was tugged back and forth between the two warring sides.

Nadya was also a protagonist you could understand. Her beliefs were challenged, what she knew to be truths doubted, everything was a chaotic mess for her. It made you sympathize hard for her predicament and the great responsibility placed on her shoulders. It was realistic how inexperienced she was, an aspect which I loved about because I often wonder how on earth a young adult/teen knows JUST what to do in a dicey situation!

There’s also something else I liked about Wicked Saints but I can’t mention because it’s a spoiler. I’m hoping my hunch is true because I’ve been WANTING to find a story with this trope.
 
Also, can I just say how thankful I am of Emily Duncan got the Russian naming right? That female names have an ‘a’ at the end and males do not. For e.g. ‘Nadezhda Lapteva‘ is correct, whereas in Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo, it was ‘Alina Starkov’.  This was what spoiled it for me in Shadow and Bone as it took me out of the story.

I’d say that Wicked Saints is a rich-fantasy, in that it’s not quite a high-fantasy but still has sufficient worldbuilding. It’s dark, majestic, luminous, strong but most of all, human. It is an honor to be a part of it’s blog tour and I do look forward to the sequel 😉

Emily A. Duncan’s Wicked Saints is a dark and gritty fantasy that captivated me and kept me on the edge of my seat from start to finish.  It’s also a multi-layered story that features a religious war, political intrigue, morally gray characters, and a pretty hefty dose of secrets and lies.

At the center of the novel is a war between two lands, one is a land filled with heretics who rely on blood magic, while the other, a more religious land, is filled with those who worship saints and with clerics who can communicate with the saints and borrow their powers.  The heretics loathe all that the religious land stands for and the King of their land has made it his mission to wipe out his enemy.  This war has been raging for a long time and the King is so close to his objective, he can practically taste victory.

In fact, there is only one cleric left, a teenager named Nadya. As the last in her land who is able to call magic from the saints, Nadya had a target on her back and therefore has spent most of her life hiding in a monastery.  When the novel opens, the monastery is under attack because the King’s men, including his son Crown Prince Serefin, have figured out where Nadya is hiding and have been sent to kill her.

Nadya manages to escape but is on her own until she meets up with a band of rebels, led by Malachiaz.  The rebels say that they want to bring this war to an end, and when Nadya says she does as well, they hatch a plot to work together and assassinate the King.  Since he’s the one driving the war, they think eliminating him is the key to peace.

When they start implementing their plan, however, it becomes clear to Nadya that nothing and no one is as they seem.  She begins to question everything and has no idea who she can trust, if anyone…

Can Nadya bring an end to this war and bring peace to her people or is she destined to fail?

* * * * *

5 REASONS WHY WICKED SAINTS SHOULD BE ON YOUR MUST-READ LIST
 
Wicked Saints sounds pretty epic, right?  Now I want to dive just a little deeper (in a non-spoilery way, of course) and share some of the highlights of the story for me.  If you love these qualities as much as I do, then Wicked Saints is a must-read for you!
 

1. Nonstop Action and Suspense.. I’m all about action scenes when I read fantasy, and this book is filled with intense fight scenes.  They’re violent and bloody and probably not for the faint of heart, but they are an adrenaline rush for sure.  Think Game of Thrones and you’re in the right ballpark!

2. Incredible Worldbuilding.  It’s a Russian-inspired world and it is beautifully done.  The snowy, rugged landscape, the magic system, the lore surrounding the Saints — all of it combined to make a very atmospheric read.  If you’ve read Leigh Bardugo, there’s a slight Grishaverse vibe, but I actually preferred this world.

3. Morally Gray Characters.. The characters in Wicked Saints really drew me into the story because each one has his or her own agenda, whether political, religious or something else altogether, and all of them are willing to do whatever it takes to try to achieve that agenda.  Some motives seemed purer than others, but I found myself constantly second guessing which characters were the monsters but still liking them all even if I started to consider them villains.  I really liked Nadya, Serefin, and Malachiaz pretty equally even though they all couldn’t possibly be heroes.  And in many ways, the character who turns out to be the most monstrous ended up being my favorite, which I totally did not see coming and was fascinated by my own reaction..

4. The Magic.. Nadya’s use of magic was just so cool.  Most clerics have the ability to communicate with a single saint and to borrow that saint’s magic as needed.  As we learn in the opening pages, however, Nadya somehow has the ability to do this with all of the saints.  She therefore has a pretty powerful arsenal of magic at her disposal. While she may be the last cleric, she is a mighty one.  What I loved most about her magic is that she literally has conversations with these saints in her head and they talk back to her..

5. The Vultures.. I don’t want to say much about this little band of creeps, but they are just deliciously evil and add an extra layer of danger throughout the story, which helped to ratchet up the suspense.  Everyone is aware of the Vultures and how menacing they can be, but what no one anticipates is that these villains are somehow able to weasel their way into the castle and become unexpectedly tight with the King.
 

I have to admit that I was really nervous when I first started reading Wicked Saints.  I had been in a fantasy rut for a while – nothing I was reading was holding my attention – and I worried that Wicked Saints would fall short for that reason.  I’m thrilled to say that I had absolutely nothing to be worried about though because Wicked Saints is everything that I love in a dark fantasy.  The story is riveting and gritty throughout and it ends with a jaw dropping cliffhanger that has me anxiously awaiting the next installment.  Thanks to Emily A. Duncan for a read that was so entertaining it busted me out of my reading slump!

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

When I first read the summary of this book on Amazon, I was so excited and immediately put it on my wish list. I mean, "A girl who can speak to gods must save her people without destroying herself" sounded pretty intriguing to me. When I received an ARC from NetGalley, I was over the moon! 

In hindsight, I should have been a little less optimistic.

The first few chapters of the book were a bit slow going and the action that was present was not really all that exciting, but I was willing to push past it because that's just how some books start. However, as I kept reading, I got less and less interested and kept looking down at my phone trying to see just how close I was to finish it. 

I think the two biggest issues I have with this book is that the descriptions were just so bland and dull, and the characters were just as equally as boring. I couldn't connect with any of the characters on any sort of level. They didn't stand out or do anything worthwhile that made me care for them. The only time I ever felt anything towards any of them was probably annoyance at both Nadya and Malachiasz. 

My annoyance at Nadya stems from the fact that she was so steadfast in her beliefs and determined in her abilities, but after she meets Malachiasz, it all just goes downhill. She becomes somewhat obsessive about him and it seems as though she doesn't care about anything else except for him. I know love can change people, but man, this change happened far too fast and felt unrealistic.

As for Malachiasz, I just got tired of him and his lies. He reminded me of The Darkling from the Grisha trilogy, except less cunning and more... childish. To be honest, Malachiasz wasn't more of a villain as he was a gnat. 

I know Emily stated that this book is to be a trilogy, but in all honesty, I don't find myself excited to invest any more time in this series.

I received Wicked Saints as an advanced review copy thanks to NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I finished this book earlier tonight and I’m still not sure how I feel about it.
I had trouble in the beginning of the story with the world building and the two alternating perspectives. Because the two characters came from different places, they had significantly different views on the world and the politics within. So, going back and forth between the two while trying to learn about the world and which countries thought what and which terms meant what was a little confusing for me. But that wasn’t long lasting. I got the hang of the world and found myself completely immersed in the story. The other thing I want to mention with learning the world was the character names. I don’t think I could save a single one of them if my life depended on it. So I gave them all nicknames in my head, but until I did that some parts were tough.
The book starts out action packed and leaves you wanting more, but also immediately caring about the safety of the main characters. I loved this set up for the story. Things calm down for a bit as we learn about the world we’re in and how things work. This is where we really start to get to know the characters.
I immediately like Serefin even though I think we weren’t supposed to. I liked his complete distain for the things he’s ‘supposed’ to be doing.
Then there’s Nadya who does what she’s supposed to almost all the time. She was interesting. And I’m still not sure if I completely liked her. She took risks even when she knew they were risks and somehow was still surprised when it all backfired in her face. I thought her powers were incredibly interesting. I would have enjoyed seeing them used with the gods a bit more though. I’m interested to see where her story is going to go with the way this book ended.
Finally, Malachiacz. I wanted to like him. I really did. But I preferred Seferin the whole time. There was something about Malachiacz that I didn’t like and didn’t want Nadya to involve herself in.
Overall, the world and the magic systems in it were complex and interesting. I’d love to learn even more about them in the next book. I’m also hoping we get to travel a bit more and see some of Nadya’s home country. The characters were interesting and entertaining. There was some diversity which is always appreciated. I totally loved all the supporting characters. Wicked Saints was action packed and full of fun. Though the ending had me a bit confused and definitely wanting more. I’m not sure how I’m going to wait so long to see where this story goes next.

Actual rating: 3.5 stars

I wanted to love this one so bad. It sounded right up my alley. I can't pinpoint why exactly I didn't super love it, but I didn't. That being said, I didn't hate it either. I actually quite enjoyed it, it just didn't completely live up to my expectations. 

The beginning started off wonderfully. We jump right into the action and the world building isn't hard to follow at all. Unfortunately, after about the first 15%, it slowed down a lot. I thought about DNFing it several times until the 50% mark. Though picked back up again after that and I enjoyed the last half of the book. 

I loved that Nadya can talk to the gods. I found this super interesting. I also think it's really cool that each god grants her magical powers. She is fighting for her country, Kalyazin, and her gods. I am very curious to know if we will learn anymore about the woman who abandoned her at the monastery. 

I also really liked Serefin. Serefin is the Tranavian prince who has been at the front of the war since he came of age at 16. I don't think anyone under the age of 25 should be as tired and damaged as he is, but I get why he is. He wants what's best for his country, even if that means getting his people to do awful things. Speaking of his people, I absolutely adored Ostyia and hope we get to learn more about her in the next book. I also really liked Kacper. I almost thought there was going to be something romantic between Serefin and Kacper because of how touchy feely they are, but I guess not? Maybe in one of the next books. 

Malachiasz. He is a Tranavian that Nadya ends up working with. I really can't say much about him because of spoilers, but I will say that he is an incredibly intriguing character. 

Parijahan and Rashid are Akolan (a country torn between Kalyazin and Tranavia.) They are traveling with Malachiasz when Nadya meets them all. I loved them both a lot and want to know more about them, especially Rashid. We learn a little about why Parijahan is on her way to Tranavia, but we don't really know why Rashid followed her. 

Anna is a woman from the monastery who escapes with Nadya, but is only in the book for about half of it. She was a bit of a dull character with not very much personality, but I have a feeling she will be in the next book. 

I both loved and hated the ending of the book. I did have a lot of questions and some confusion in the end, but I'm confident they'll be answered by the end of the trilogy. I can't wait to see what happens next though! 

Overall it was not a bad book at all. I enjoyed most of the characters. The plot was slightly lacking, but I feel like it was overall a strong debut.

This is not the type of book I would typically teach for... at all. I was sucked in by the title and the cover and went in completely blind. The beginning felt a little tedious and slow for me as foundation was being built for this world of magic and lies. Once it got rolling, however, I really got into it. I feel like I can’t say much without giving away anything, but I am definitely looking forward to the next in this series!

This book. Oh my goodness, THIS BOOK. It’s been one of my most anticipated reads for 2019, and when I was invited to the blog tour I about lost it. I am so thankful I was given an opportunity to be on the tour, because this book was such a joy to read and will be going down as one of my favorite reads of all time!

The characters immediately pulled me in. I’ll admit it’s usually a bit difficult for me to get into stories with multiple points-of-views, but I had no such problem with Wicked Saints! I was sucked in by Nadya and Serefin’s voices. They were both delightful to read from, and their stories had me flipping the pages (well, scrolling through my Kindle) until my eyes could stay open no longer! I am absolutely obsessed with the whole cast of characters. Each of them felt real, and I was desperate to know more about each of them. I was not disappointed!

Ostyia, Kacper, Parijahan, Rashid, and Malachiasz will always have a special place in my heart. The interactions between both sides, Nadya with Parijahan, Rashid, and Malachiasz and Serefin with Ostyia and Kacper, was excellent to read. This cast was unforgettable. And this wasn’t even the full cast. There were other equally as wonderful characters, too!

I am absolutely obsessed with the setting and the monsters. This book completely immersed me in the narration. I felt like I was there. While I was reading, the rest of the world disappeared. The monsters were excellent, too. The Vultures were so interesting to read about. During their first appearance I was both amazed and terrified of them!

The constant struggle between what is good, what we’re told is good, and what could be good, was awesome. I especially loved seeing the dynamic between Nadya and Malachiasz. She’s been devoted to the gods her and entire life, and she views Malachiasz as a blood mage heretic. Unravelling the different nuances between the way they practice magic was fantastic as well as how they could maybe work together. The moral ambiguity was delightful and so much fun to read.

I could probably ramble on and on about how much I absolutely adored this book. It had everything I look for in my favorite books: enemies, moral ambiguity, a hint of blood (okay, more than a hint), and so much more. Did I mention yet there’s blood and chin grabbing? No? Well, yeah, there is, and you need to read this immediately.

I’m serious. Please read it. I need to cry to someone about how much I loved this!

Also, another side note, this book is a totally awesome aesthetic. That cover? Wow, I’m obsessed (if you couldn’t tell yet).

*I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review *

4/5

This book surprised me in a lot of ways, and ultimately I ended up very much enjoying. While parts of the book I did find myself not enjoying it as much, the last 20% of the book alone really made up for those parts by being action packed, full of twists, and completely surprising me. 


I loved how dark and gritty the story was. This book is full of characters who are incredibly morally grey, and I spent the entire book not knowing who to trust. Even the characters who were “bad” were understandable, so while the two countries are at war and at the beginning it felt like you were supposed to root for one specific city, very quickly you also started to root for the other one. 

I thought the pacing was well done and easy to follow, and the writing was really good. It was very atmospheric. 

I’d say this book definitely doesn’t suffer from feeling like you’re being bombarded with world building at the beginning as it starts with action and doesn’t really stop most of the book. And while this is good, and I was able to slowly put the world together throughout the book, starting right off on action did cause me to lose time meeting the characters and really caring about them. 

Because of this, I really found myself not caring or connecting with the characters for about half the book. I liked them (even the ones I’m not sure I was supposed to like), but I had trouble connecting with their story and their motivations because I didn’t get the time to know them before it was just action all the way through. This is definitely something that not every reader will notice, but I am very much a character driven reader, so that did make it a bit more difficult for me personally. 

The world and the magic system were really interesting and not something I’ve read before. There were many twists, lots of intrigue, and I was on the edge of my seat at the end. 

I did find all of the names very confusing particularly in the first half of the book before I got used to them. The main characters were easy, but the side characters all had very difficult names and I honestly would forget who was who and have to figure it out when they came back onto the page.

I really enjoyed this book and will definitely be continuing in the series.

So, it took me a few chapters to really get into this.  But once I did, I was very intrigued by this world, and their use of magic, and their gods.  This story was so complex and there was so much to follow and learn about as I read.  It took me a little longer to read because of that, but then a fantasy story like this always does as you get the world-building going.  Of course we know that Nadya is our good side, the one we are rooting for, but it is also easy to wonder if her fighting for her gods is something that maybe she does need to take a step back from. Her travels and tenuous truce with Malachiasz to work together towards their supposedly common goal were full of so many twists, and especially once they reached the capital city in Grazyk, it almost gave me whiplash, like watching a tennis match, wondering who was really the bad guy.  Who could Nadya really trust, who was really on her side, were the feelings she was developing for an assumed enemy ones that could be trusted, or was she being tricked? 

The monsters that we were worried about at the beginning became allies.  And those that Nadya thinks are allies may be the true monsters, more than she even realizes until it is too late.  But I could see a bit of redemption or want of redemption even in our monster at the end, and I look forward to another book for this story, to see just what is real and what is not.  That's a warning for you, that while this isn't a cliffhanger really, it doesn't end in a way that things are all wrapped up.  We must have more.  Hopefully when the next one comes out, I'll be lucky enough to get a copy to read and have plenty of time to read it.

This is an amazing dark and rich fantasy story about two worlds that can not survive the battle they are fighting. The heart of this story is all about magic and which country is correct in their use of it and those that want to control everything. On one side of the battle we have blood mages who use blood and spell books to work their magic. On the other we have a cleric who has been blessed to speak with the Gods and control magic by that blessing. This is a dark fantasy in that it a bloody war and not always sure who can be trusted. It moves along at fantastic clip told from different view points as we travel the path the war takes. I am eager to see how the story plays out and how the battle of magic is finished..

”We’re all monsters, Nadya,” Malachiasz said, his voice gaining a few tangled chords of chaos. “Some of us just hide it better than others.”

I absolutely loved this book!! Loved! Nadya and Serefin’s stories were addicting and enthralling. I couldn’t stop reading. I finished this book in one day in only a matter of hours. I couldn’t get enough and I’m actually happy that it was a cliff. That means I get to read more about them! 

Nadya is not just a normal girl. She’s divine. Touched by the gods and goddesses themselves with a power like no other. She has so much pressure and a lot of weight on her human shoulders. She’s meant to save the world and she handles it exactly how I would think anyone would. Not with grace. Not without doubt. She’s flawed and it makes it so much easier to love her. 

I have to admit I hated Serefin for a good portion of the book but he grew on me. I figured he would. I started loving him and hating someone else. I won’t say who as to not spoil this book. But love and betrayal is a constant in this book. You can’t have one without the other. 

Wicked Saints is wickedly fun, dark and suspenseful. It’s full of hope, love and betrayal. Loyalty and trust. I can’t wait for book 2. These characters are going to stick with me for some time.

A solid, golden 4.5 star rating. :)

You will rarely ever hear this from me, but I was blown away by this book. 
This book has a enchantingly lovely writing style, fantastic worldbuilding, and multilayered characters.

Three people (a prince, a girl blessed by the gods, and a mysterious boy) must work together in order to achieve their common goal to kill the king. It seems plain at first, but the author drives the plot with a relentless series of events that keep tensions high all throughout (with a few near plot twists! The plot twists were somewhat predictable, but that didn't take away from my enjoyment of the book). The book kept me hooked, and I was up pretty late just to finish it.

I really liked the depth of Malachiasz and Nadya's character. Malachiasz was always an interesting character, because I could never really quite judge his character. What were his motives? What was his plan? I just couldn't tell, and that was the fascinating part. Nadya, too, was such an awesome female protagonist to read about. She was strong, cared for her country's people, and brave, but she had flaws. She made mistakes that she regretted, and sometimes she was selfish. I really enjoyed that. However, everyone else fell rather flat for me. I think I was supposed to sympathize and care for Serafin, who is another POV character, but unfortunately, I could not.

Really I only grew attached to Malachiasz and Nadya and also Kostya. But I'm really tough to please when it comes to characters, so that I don't really mind. 

I'm a little confused on what happened to Kostya. I don't want to spoil too far, but to say in simple terms, the author seemed to set up something with Kostya. I thought there was potential for an interesting reveal in the plot with Kostya, and at first, the author went along with it. But all of a sudden, Kostya was abandoned and disappeared from the plot?? It was very weird.

I also disliked how self-harm and anxiety was briefly mentioned, but not properly addressed. I feel too much like the author just put it in simply to have it there.

I really did love the world building, though. Props to the author! She is really talented, and I'll be awaiting the sequel with bated breath.

Wicked Saints is a dark and twisty tale of a girl who can speak to the Saints, a girl thrust into the middle of a war. Its a tale of a horrible king and a devious prince. There are some murderous moments which reminded me of Nevernight and some forbidden love that was reminiscent of the Grishaverse...all of these things have been said multiple times before me, which is why I snagged it the first chance I could get. I wasn’t 100% sold on the story, as it does seem to resemble similar books. However, I really did like the writing style and characters in this story.

I really wanted to like this book, but I had such a hard time getting into it, and I ended up skipping around a bit at times. Some parts felt like there was too much going on, and other times, not enough. I was expecting more world building and character development than I found. I know this is the first book in a trilogy, but I don't know that I'll be picking up the remaining books in the series.

This book starts with a bang - not something I necessarily prefer in the books I read because there's a sudden influx of characters and it's a bit harder to keep track of them, to get into the story.

Nadya has special powers, so she must stay hidden because, due to said special powers, she is wanted by the enemies. And when the enemy finds her, she has to flee. This unravels the story; the heroine meets others who fight for the same cause - ending the war - but not all is what seems, and Nadya learns this the hard way.

Deception, betrayals, backstabbing, powerful characters battling for the throne - you have it all in this book. After the half point, I started liking it and am curious what will happen in book two because the ending on this one... Let's just say, I want to see how some characters will be redeemed. If they shall be redeemed, at all.

From what I understood, this book resembles Leigh Bardugo's, but since I haven't read anything by Ms. Bardugo yet, I can't say. I can, however, say to give this one a try. 

3.5 - 4 stars, voluntarily agreed to read an early copy of this book via Netgalley.

This book is 100% absolutely AMAZING. I saw the buzz around this book and knew I had to give it a go. It did not disappoint.

Too much fluff not enough fire!
Simply put I couldn't get into this one. Too many characters and too much involvement.
The girl who speaks to gods must save her people without destroying herself.
The prince has no idea who to turn too for help.
A mysterious boy shows up with a larger than life secret.
They must work together and save the king by stopping the impending war.
Can they do it?
Well read it and find out...
Thank you to Emily, the publisher, NetGalley, and Amazon Kindle for this ARC in exchange for this honest review.

The Quick Cut: Three people's lives and goals end up entangled with one another's as they try to kill the king. 

A Real Review:

 Thank you to St. Martin's Press for providing the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

 Magic is something often found in literature, but what about when it's interlaced with religion? This gothic tale attempts to differentiate itself from the ever widening pack of fantasy novels by tackling the religion topic subtly in the first book in the Something Dark and Holy Trilogy. 

 Tranavia is a world that is doing its best to eliminate the god-based magic of the Kalyazin. It is a place that does not believe in the gods that the Kalyazin do and obtain their magic through blood based rituals. The Kalyazin, as the opposing force, believe in the gods and depend on them for their magic - and must ensure they do what is required to continue to keep their magic coming. 

 Except one of the Kalyazin named Nadya does more than just get power from the gods - she communicates with them. She's on the run from forces who attacked her monastery when she runs into a blood mage named Malachiasz He is trying to overthrow the current Travanian reign. The third and final major character is Serefin - the prince of Travania and a blood mage. 

 This is such a dark, brooding tale that I can see being popular with many readers. For me, however, it didn't and a lot of that came down to confusion on my part. While Nadya talks to multiple gods, it can be hard to keep track of who is what and the blood magic isn't explained as well as I'd like. It would have been perfect if a glossary was provided - there's so much going on! I got lost in the details and ended up losing track of the plot and with a major headache. 

 On the upside, the dual narrators of Nadya and Serefin really pay off. Beyond getting the perspective from each side (and each magic type), it also gives you insight into two characters who are on different levels of good vs evil. 

 An intensely packed plot, this book may not be for everyone (but it will be very enjoyable to those who can keep up). 

My rating: 3 out of 5