This book was thoroughly enjoyable and I really enjoyed the different magic systems! I liked the characters and their development throughout the book. It was really well written and I enjoyed the writers style. Thank you for providing me with this book to read, I cannot wait to see where the story goes in the next one!

My request on NetGalley was approved by the publisher, so thank you Wednesday Books / St. Martin's Press!

Wicked Saints by Emily A. Duncan

My Rating: 3.25 / 5 🌟

One of the things I really enjoy about this book was how it was such an easy read for me, considering it's fantasy. World building and descriptive writing usually puts me off to continue a book but that wasn't the case at all with this one, so that's definitely a win for me.

Wicked Saints was also very different than most fantasy books I've read. From the tone of the story to the way of storytelling, the direction Emily used to tell this story was something I find to be very refreshing.

The magic system in this book was really intriguing for me considering how it had to do with Gods and religion. And I really appreciate how the system was being explained one at a time instead of dumping it all at once.

Unfortunately, the characters in this book could definitely be better. The main characters weren't really that interesting to me and I find them to be very dull with little personality. Even the side characters were quite forgettable, they serve very little purpose to this story except to continue the plot. They didn't have enough moments in the book for readers to really get to know them and the information that was given were only bits and pieces of who they are. With that being said, I do see potential for all these characters to grow as the story progresses, and I'm really excited to see their development in the next book.

Another sad thing is, I find that this story didn't really have a distinct plot. Before starting this novel, I decided to skip reading the synopsis and go into the story with as little knowledge as possible. And sadly, I couldn't really figure out what the main plot of the story was. It felt really messy and all over the place. The story had no clear direction to where it was heading and for me, it was a major flaw of the book.

However, I do want to give major props to Emily for the representation in this book! From disabled characters to people of colour and a lesbian character, the diversity in this book deserves recognition. Writing diverse characters can be difficult and feel as if the author is trying too hard but the way Emily included these characters felt very seamless and it really worked well with the story.

All in all, I really think this story has a lot of potential to grow as it continues on and I'm looking forward to read the next installment in this trilogy.

Sorry - this was DNF for me. I tried several times and just couldn't get into the storytelling and found myself drawing too many comparisons to Leigh Bardugo's Grisha Trilogy. Perhaps a try again later?

If you’re a fan of dark stories, political intrigue, monsters, moral ambiguity, and fantastic dialog, you need this book.

Even though you will scream at the ending and promptly demand book two drop itself immediately into your hands, you still need this book.

The world building was delightful. There is a twist there, and if you are into unsettling paradigm shifts, you’re in for a treat.

The shifts in point of view kept the pacing at a clip and the narrative voice was distinctive for each character. I was particular taken with Serefin’s headspace. Each group was distinctly characterized, and I found favorites I wanted more of immediately. A slow clap leading into a standing ovation from me.

I am insanely curious to see where our trio of narrators head next and what sorts of mind-melting wreckage will be left in their wake. Heavy on the “mind-melting.” That ending will stay with me.

I really loved Wicked Saints it’s so dark and enthralling I just couldn’t stop reading.

I just have to put this out there first though. In order for blood mages to use their magic they need to cut themselves. They do this sometimes by using razor blades in their sleeves. There are points in the book that this made me feel uncomfortable, more so the mention of a particular characters marks. My brother has used cutting as a release for emotional pain and so it might have impacted me differently. I’m not sure how someone with first hand experience would feel.

So back to this amazing, dark and enthralling book. There are so many things I loved about this story, how it so cleverly toes the line between what is a good and what is evil. The characters are rich with personality. You are not only invested in the main POVs but I feel like almost everyone that you come in contact with.

The world building in the book is phenomenal. I truly felt transported into the story. Also the magic system is very interesting. From the use of blood in order for the Blood Mages to cast to the Vultures who are at inhuman level of magic user. Which the crypts are a scary place. Also the fact that on the opposite side we have clerics like Nadya who have been wiped out. I thought the way she interacts with the Saints themselves is very interesting. She can call on a Saint and ask for them to grant her power. Each Saint is different in their abilities and temperament. The best thing about the book is how things are shown in a way that you can see how each person feels they are in the right. That they are actually going to be the one to save the world. Also we are dealing with the two war torn countries of Kalyazi and Tranavia. I felt like the affects the war had on them was well portrayed.

Like I mentioned I felt invested in every character, from main to side. I also loved loved how they all walk this line between good and evil. Really though what makes someone evil, doing everything in their power to save their people. Is there a point where that goes to far? What if you think what you are doing is the right thing or the best thing? Maybe you truly believe it’s the only option. Each character is complex in their own way. Although we see a lot of spotlight on Nadya, Serefin and Malachiasz. There are many other kick ass characters, especially some of the ladies like Parj, Ostyia and the witch in the tower. I really don’t want to give anything away about their personalities and intentions because I think first impressions versus later impressions in the book are important and I don’t want to ruin anything for anyone.

I also want to mention the headers of each chapter is a wonderful addition and helps you to understand some of the history. Both of the Saints and the war of the two countries.

The book is really captivating, dark and magical. I was in an absolute coma after reading it, turning things over and over in my head. I really love a book that can show two sides of a story and make you really think. I both desperately want book 2 and I’m also very afraid.

3.5 Stars

Title: Wicked Saints
Series: Something Dark and Holy #1
Genre: YA fantasy

This was long, it was a bit hard to understand at times. I enjoyed the story overall but some things just kind of dragged. It took me over a week to actually finish reading it and well i had to be on the right mind set to read it because I couldn't get into it, I felt a bit disconnected with the characters. Overall, I am glad I read it through the end because it was a good story with lots of potential. If you're looking for a new series to start that is filled with magic, monsters, and mayhem, this book is right for you.

This was fantastic!

Gritty, complex, and darker than I expected.

So enjoyed reading Wicked Saints from Emily A. Duncan and can not wait to read the next 2 books in the trilogy.

I can always tell that a book is good when I finish and am surprised, like you brain comes to a halt so fast because you've been racing to the end and the next thing you know you've been thrown out of this awesome book world. That's exactly how I felt about Wicked Saints.

Wicked Saints is wild, gorgeously descriptive, and so beautiful - I just wish it had ended slightly less sooner. I hope to hear more from Nadya and Serafin.

I gave Wicked Saints 3.5/5 stars, which is my average rating! It means that I liked it, but that it didn’t blew my mind.

What I mostly loved was the setting, the world the story was happening but also the whole idea of the book. It was such a dark and brutal plot, based on different types of magic and religions, and that’s something that really worked for me. It made the whole thing so mysterious and atmospheric, which made my reading experience even better. I really had a great time reading it, though sometimes I was a bit lost with all those names, but it was all complex and very interresting.

However I did struggle a bit while reading it, and not only because of all those characters. I found the book extremly slow, which usually works for me, but not here. I don’t know why but I sometimes had to push myself to keep reading it and it took me at least a week to actually finish it. I also didn’t find the whole story totaly original because it reminded me of the Grisha trilogy by Leigh Bardugo or even Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi. That’s mostly why I didn’t give this book more than 3.5 stars, not because it was slow but because it looked like too many other series I read in the past.

Overall I believe that Wicked Saints is a great read which will definitely make some people go nuts about it, but it wasn’t my new favourite book. I still had a great time and can’t thank enough the team at Wednesday Books for trusting me with it!

I received a digital copy of this book from Netgalley for an honest review.

This did not grab me like I thought it would. In fact, it was rather a struggle to get through. The thing I find most confusing about this is the writing is really good but I was really bored and could not connect with the characters. They were all so one-dimensional to me and I just didn't care what was happening. I know others will find more enjoyment out of this series than I did.

I loved the title, the cover and the blurb absolutely peaked my interest, but when push comes to shove, I just could not get into this one. I know that my primary focus is the romance genre, but I have my moments where a little SciFi/Thrillers/Fantasy is needed to feed my soul, and this one just didn’t give me what I needed to make turning the pages effortless and want to see where things were going to go for the characters.

I received this book in exchange for an honest review, which has not altered my opinion of the book itself.

Overall, I have mixed feelings about this book. For one part, the names are a nightmare to figure out. I ended up listening to the audiobook on Scribd for a bit in order to get the names into my head, which is highly recommended in my opinion. The plot itself was a bit all over the place, and it felt like several things were touched on that could have been expanded on or could have been a full subplot. I'm hoping that the next book will expand a bit on Nadya's life at court and her relationships with the Gods. I also found the Gods to be a bit confusing and I had trouble keeping track of them.

I know that many people had issues with the plot being a bit confusing, and I won't disagree with that because I do wish that it had been a bit less running around and a bit more character development. While I cared a bit about each character, I still was a bit indifferent as to some of the issues the characters ran into. I will say that I loved the action in this book. It was non-stop and even though many of the planning scenes were rushed through, I found myself appreciating the side characters and the calm that they brought into the story.

In conclusion, I enjoyed the book and I do plan on continuing on with it. The characters intrigue me and I want to see how the plot develops, not to mention I think that all three of our main characters are cinnamon rolls of some sort. They all have lived lives that are very different from each other. I do fear that there will end up being a love triangle, but I'm hoping that Nadya has common sense about it. Overall, three point five out of five from me!

A girl who speaks to the gods, a prince with a talent for blood magic, and a boy/monster. On these three hinge the future of their world. Only who do you trust when no one is who they appear to be and even the gods have turned their backs? This first in a planned trilogy has all the makings of a fantastic, terrifying, magical adventure that fans of fantasy and adventure will have a difficult time putting down.

This book just wasn't for me. The premise sounded amazing but the execution didn't work for me. I tried to get into it on 3 separate occasions; however, I couldn't get into it.

This book is so dark and holy, so gothically bloody, so cruelly romantic; and the part of me that loves dark stories has never been happier.
“We are all monsters, Nadya. Some of us just hide it better than others.”
The strength of this story is the magic, the ferocious yet satisfying magic, hands down. The characters are brutally intense and beautifully developed, but its how magic affects them and their world that is so captivating. The entire plot is driven by the opposing beliefs about the nature of magic and I thought Emily Duncan did a great job at bringing that struggling debate to life. It’s impressively well thought-out and a real high point to the story.
I will admit this isn’t without faults. The romance is a very insta-lovey and the writing can get confusing/muddled at times, but there is such a strong foundation here that I know great things can be expected from the future installments of this series.
Also, the physical aesthetic of this book is so drop dead gorgeous, it makes me want to cry. the incandesce foil artwork, the color tones, the spine, and overall design is just so much, I can’t stop looking at it. This gets 5 stars for that alone!

This was one of my most anticipated reads and it was so good!! It is a dark, fantasy story perfect for Bardugo or Kristoff fans. Lush, detailed, and just plain sinister world building that has me really excited for the next book.

Wicked Saints follows Nadya, a cleric blessed by the gods with magic. Her country has been at war with a country of blood mages - heretics, in the eyes of her religion - for many years. She believes her power may be useful for turning the tide of the war. When Nadya’s home is attacked, she flees for safety and ends up in the company of Malachiasz, a blood mage who also wants to end the war. We also follow Serefin, the crown prince and a strong blood mage.

While Wicked Saints has a strong atmosphere and some unique world building aspects, it borrows heavily from existing stories - the Grishaverse, Star Wars, and Avatar: The Last Airbender. This can make it feel, at times. like fan fiction. The characters, especially Malachaisz and Serefin, were endearing. However, they are modeled heavily off of characters readers will be familiar with (Kylo Ren, Zuko), and so their plot lines were easily predicable. The story might excel in future volumes if it takes a step away from tropes and the heavy influence of other works.

I was really excited for this book when I heard it being compared to the Grisha trilogy- and I'm happy to say that I enjoyed it just as much as I did the Grisha!
I loved the world of this story- the combinations of saints, gods, and blood magic was really interesting, as well as all of the mythology that came with the world.
Emily Duncan's writing was also great-it completely sucked me in!
I can't wait for book 2!

I would like to thank Netgalley and publisher for allowing me to read this book. I enjoy this book and can't wait to read the sequel.

Overall a decent dark (and rather blood drenched) young adult fantasy with obvious similarities to Leigh Bardugo's Grisha books, different enough though in my opinion so far. I liked the setting, magic systems, gods and world building, although the characters felt a bit flat at times prompting me to not really care all that much, and the secondary ones could have done with more depth and page time. This took a lot longer than usual for me to read, although I was never tempted to give up, it did on occasion feel slightly tedious. I found it easy to just read a chapter here and there, and then I finished the last third within a day. The usual tropes, betrayals and cliff hanger appear, I eventually enjoyed it enough that I'd pick the sequel up to try.

(ARC provided by publisher via NetGalley)