I would like to thank the publishers and NetGalley for giving me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The concept of the book and the idea of death being pitched as a character drew me in to wanting to pick this one up. I ended up DNFing this book close to the halfway mark because I simply couldn't connect with the writing style. Whilst the characters and the world building were intriguing and there was a strong element of mystery, I found the approach the author took in penning this novel, to be distracting. It is a lengthy book so I assume that the story does build and events start to unfold but unfortunately I couldn't keep going with this one. Simply wasn't for me!

Fun, whimsical, and macabre, Saint Death's Daughter reads like a glorious mashup of Gideon the Ninth and the Addam's Family. Miscellaneous "Lanie" Stones is a necromancer born into a storied household of wizards with a passion for death, nearly all of whom have died dramatically before their time (Cooney details the erstwhile family tree in hilarious little footnotes that read like tombstones in Disney World's Haunted Mansion). Lanie and her odd mixture of family, both blood and found, must contend with the ominous threat of the Blackbird Queen Bran Fiakhna and her polycule of shapeshifting wizard spouses to save each other and preserve their nation.

The world-building, while brilliant, can get a bit elaborate and hard to follow at times. Similarly, the prose is rich with adjectives and adverbs that give add plenty of quirky embellishment but sometimes lead to discursiveness that distracts from the plot. The magic system was fascinating, but I wish we'd been able to explore the other godly magic in more detail. I feel well-versed on necromancy, fire-magic and fascination (a type of magical compulsion), but when I'm being tantalized by wizard's who can slow time, create illusions, and turn invisible, it is hard not to crave more information. Which gods do their magic stem from? How is it similar or different from Lanie or Mak's magic? Generally, my main issue was this misplacement of detail: for example: contrary to the above, Cooney spends basically a whole chapter elaborating on Lanie's love for a couple of resurrected mouse skeletons,.

The true heart of this story, however, is the relationships between Lanie and her family. Whether it is the tense tutorship of Grandpa Rad, the solemn devotion of Goody Graves, or the childish fire of Sacred Datura Stones, this story shines when it is imparting meaning into Lanie's relationships, both living and dead. These moments of connection keep what can sometimes become a fairly grim story grounded in tenderness and humor.

Thank you so much publisher for providing an arc! I just devoured this book. It was so nerve-wrecking so I can not express enough about the plot. The plot is so interesting that you will find yourself gasping everytime you find something new.
I really like the worldbuilding, and how the author can create a world that has the capability of making us vicariously live through it. I feel like the introduction was a bit too slow-paced for me. The characters are fairly interesting.
Henceforth, it was quite a good read.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Saint Death's Daughter by C.S.E. Cooney is an adult fantasy that will appeal to fans of Jay Kristoff's Nevernight trilogy or Sarah J. Maas's Crescent City. The story revolves around two sisters: Lanie and Nita. Estranged when they were children, Nita storms back to Stones Manor, the family estate, when Lanie is 15 years old. And Nita is not alone. Nita returns with Mak, a man who she can force to change into a falcon at will. Nita has the power of Fascination. Whoever looks into her eyes has to obey her will. But Lanie has her own powers. She can raise the dead back to life. What adventures will these two sisters get into?

Here is an emotional flashback from Chapter 1, which introduces us to the two sisters:

""Stoneses die young,” her big sister explained patiently. “We have to grow up fast if we’re to grow up at all.”
Hoppy Bunny’s sundered halves plonked to the ground. Lanie stared but did not dare cry. At best, Nita would laugh; at worst, Lanie would end up just like Hoppy Bunny.
...
“I won’t be here anymore to toughen you up, Miscellaneous,” said Nita, and for the first time that Lanie could remember, her sister sounded afraid. “Put your toys away. Work hard. Write me often. Don’t forget me.”
Last, a terrible cold kiss on Lanie’s brow.
Lanie was eleven when Nita left for school. And though she would regularly have nightmares about that day for years to come, what she always remembered when she woke up was this:
The real nightmare—Nita—was gone."

Overall, Saint Death's Daughter is an adult fantasy with plenty of world-building. Although Part 1 (the first 25%) takes place when Lanie is 15, there is a time jump in Part 2 to when Lanie is 22 years old. Just like Nevernight, there are plenty of footnotes, because the author's creativity could not be contained to the pages of the story. There is also plenty of humor. In fact, I was surprised by how light-hearted and "slice of life" this adult fantasy was. I had been expecting bloodshed or at least some action, but up until the 50% mark, there is little to no action. That is also the point when my interest began to wane, which is why I took off 1 star. This book seems to be more about daily living in the fantasy world. If you're intrigued by the excerpt above, or if you're a fan of adult fantasy fiction, I highly recommend that you check out this book when it comes out in April!

Thank you Rebellion and NetGalley for providing me an e-arc in exchange for an honest review. My review is my own and not influenced by others.

The description of this book sounded really good, so I couldn’t wait to dive into this world. The world building and the characters were good developed. The reason I decided to give this book 3* is because I had a lot of trouble with the writing style. Not only did it pull me out of the story everytime but it annoyed me a lot. If you love the writing style of this author than I think you will like this story.

The blurb totally entranced me, and I couldn’t wait to jump in and experience this world. The plot was interesting and well thought out, and the world building was stunning! I really enjoyed the characters, which was great since lately main characters are just coming off as whiny and entitled into most of the books I read!

To be born into a family of royal assassins pretty much guarantees that your life is going to be... rather unusual. Especially if, like Miscellaneous "Lanie" Stones, you also have a vicious allergy to all forms of violence and bloodshed, and an uncanny affinity for bringing the dead back to life.

To make matters worse, family debt looms – a debt that will have to be paid sooner rather than later if Lanie and her sister are to retain ownership of the ancestral seat, Stones Manor. Lanie finds herself courted and threatened by powerful parties who would love to use her worryingly intimate relationship with the goddess of death for their own nefarious ends. But the goddess has other plans...

This is an intriguing world with an unique storyline. I like the magic described in the book and the world building is amazing. I love the heroine Lanie too. Love how independent and resourceful she is. The whole story is rather 'magical' for lack of a better word.

Thanks to the publisher for providing an arc.