Welcome back to The Bibliophagist on this beautiful Thursday, well I am not sure if it is nice weather where you live but it is finally warming up here where I live. Thank goodness, I’ve had enough of the cold. That also means that it is getting closer to Bookcon!! If you follow me, then you know I am at last attending Bookcon for the first time ever, VIP none the less. I’m beyond excited and have already starting to plan out our stay. My husband and I will be in NYC for a total of four days. If anyone has ideas on what we should do or see, please let me know below. We are open to suggestions. On that subject, if anyone else is going to Bookcon let me know! I’d love to meet some other amazing book bloggers.
Before we get started with today’s post I want to thank Wednesday Books for inviting me to participate in this blog tour. I was happy to be invited but even more excited when I received the email confirmation. Wicked Saints was one of my most anticipated books of 2019. If you are as excited as I am to hear more about this book then let’s get to it!
Wicked Saints (Something Dark and Holy #1)
Author: Emily A. Duncan
Published: April 2nd, 2019
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Book Length: 385 Pages
Genre: Fantasy
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Buy the book: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository (Use my referral ID: TheBibliophagist)
Disclaimer: I received a NetGalley copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion and review.
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.
The cover of this is beautiful! There have been so many beautiful covers lately and that means I have to force myself not to buy them all! I love the blood dripping from the “W” of Wicked. A subtle detail that many might not see is that the white looks like parchment. Paper from a book, which plays a big role in this story. You’ll just have to read to figure out why. The buildings on the lower right represent the place Nadya once called home but now she is thrown into a new world, a world she needs to help save.
About the Author
Emily A. Duncan was born and raised in Ohio and works as a youth services librarian. She received a Master’s degree in library science from Kent State University, which mostly taught her how to find obscure Slavic folklore texts through interlibrary loan systems. When not reading or writing, she enjoys playing copious amounts of video games and dungeons and dragons. She is represented by Thao Le of the Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency
Review
Ever since I read about this book, even before it officially had a cover, I knew this would be a book I loved. I was right, Wicked Saints is a new twist on typical fantasy that I have been needing in my life. I was engaged by the characters and plot, finishing the book in about 2 days (70% in one day). I couldn’t put it down.
From the first chapter, I knew that I was in for a treat with this book. It begs you to keep reading, the plot full of captivating world building and engaging characters. A fast-paced story, you really hate putting it down because you feel that you will miss something, which is illogical since it is a book and the words on the pages aren’t going anywhere…or are they? About halfway through the story is when everything really converges and things pick up to a crazy pace. The last half of the book is a religious, bloody battle…one that you can’t help but become engrossed in.
First of all…clerics and blood mages…yes, please! I never really read much about blood mages until recently and I love them so much, the good ones at least. There is just something dark about having to give a part of yourself to use magic that resonates with me. I was unaware of what clerics were exactly but this story clears that up. Nadya, a cleric, and others such as herself get their power from the gods but not everyone agrees which type of magic is most powerful. Now, the thing is…clerics aren’t common. In fact, Nadya is the only one we see as of right now. She has a destiny that she’s been training for her entire life until it was cut unexpectedly short. In Wicked Saints blood mages and clerics are enemies but Nadya and Malachiasz have to work together to aid their mission, putting their differences aside.
There is a romance here but it isn’t what you first expect. It isn’t “love at first sight” or anything quick. This is a slow burn romance that takes time for the characters to truly see. At one point I thought there was going to be a love triangle but that was one fruit that never blossomed. In all honesty, I’m not sure I liked the romance but I couldn’t help but root for it. Another aspect about this I really loved was the dual POV. We see the story from the perspectives of both Nadya and Serefin. Dual POV always gives me a more complete understanding of the story, allowing me to know how others think or feel about certain things. It just adds another dimension to the story.
There are many different names and places that might seem hard to pronounce but thank goodness Emily has given us a guide! You should have heard me trying to say some of these out loud…
Nadezhda Lapteva (Nadya): I was not sure of her character in the beginning. She always seemed to follow the gods or those around her, not really taking a stand for herself. It took the majority of the story before I really saw her do something for herself without trying to follow the wishes or desires of someone else. Through most of the story, I was not clear about what she really wants. She constantly goes back and forth between more so at the end of the novel than the first. In this story, Nadya’s role has a lot to do with self-discovery, learning about who she really is and who she wants to become.
Serefin Meleski: Serefin, I actually really like his character. Through the story, you will learn more about him but I suppose I can’t help loving a villain with a great back story. *cough cough* Asrian Skies by Anne Wheeler* He might seem awful but just stay with the story and you will learn so much more about him.
Malachiasz: Despite what people say, I still really like Malachiasz. I was unsure which side he was on for a good portion of the story and the ending did surprise me but I still want to hug him and tell him everything will be alright.
All of these characters have their morally gray moments but that is what I live for! I love complicated characters with rough past stories. Those are the characters I bond with because they tend to grow more and evolve as their story progresses.
When thinking of a tantalisingly dark tale with complex magical religions and the war between them, one might think the world building will be complex. Well, yes, there are many names and different things to memorize but overall I found it really easy to understand. The world is beautifully written. A seamless blending of religion, politics, and magic fill the pages of this story. Neither taking more importance than the other.
With beautifully detailed world-building, an engaging plot, lyrical writing and divine characters, Wicked Saints brings you something new and exciting. If this book is not on your 2019 TBR, it needs to be. Emily has created a unique story that you can’t help but fall in love with. I am looking forward to the next book. This does have some dark themes and many have mentioned trigger or content warnings such as self-harm, torture, parental abuse, neglect, abandonment, abduction, alcoholism, gore, violence, and war topics. None of these had an impact on me despite my past but you are your own best critic. If these things bother you start this with caution as others have suggested.
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I love when you get a book you can’t put down. Great review.
Thank you so much! Those are the best kind of books for sure
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