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3.5 AVERAGE
3.5 AVERAGE
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
3.75 ⭐️
Friends to lovers to enemies back to lovers.... oh how it never gets old! I'm sure fans of Helnik will eat this one up, especially with the similar dynamic: Rossana is a hard-headed magic wielder with a grudge against Damian, her softhearted ex-lover who's been stationed as a guard and conditioned to follow orders before he can think too hard about what he really believes in.
I was under the impression that Seven Faceless Saints was primarily a fantasy, but I'd go as far to say this is romantasy or even a romance with a background plot of fantasy. I really enjoyed reading from both main leads, and while the mystery surrounding the murders near the Palazzo didn't strike me as particularly unique, I had a pretty fun time with this book. It was nicely written, and the dynamic between Roz and Damian entertained me to no end, especially with how badly they yearned for each other while trying to bury the feelings in entirely opposite ways. I love when men are lovesick and pathetic for strong bisexual women.... Damian you will always be famous in my eyes
Friends to lovers to enemies back to lovers.... oh how it never gets old! I'm sure fans of Helnik will eat this one up, especially with the similar dynamic: Rossana is a hard-headed magic wielder with a grudge against Damian, her softhearted ex-lover who's been stationed as a guard and conditioned to follow orders before he can think too hard about what he really believes in.
I was under the impression that Seven Faceless Saints was primarily a fantasy, but I'd go as far to say this is romantasy or even a romance with a background plot of fantasy. I really enjoyed reading from both main leads, and while the mystery surrounding the murders near the Palazzo didn't strike me as particularly unique, I had a pretty fun time with this book. It was nicely written, and the dynamic between Roz and Damian entertained me to no end, especially with how badly they yearned for each other while trying to bury the feelings in entirely opposite ways. I love when men are lovesick and pathetic for strong bisexual women.... Damian you will always be famous in my eyes
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
(No Spoilers)
As a debut novel, I believe this is a strong and promising start. While there were a few issues—such as moments of heavy-handed exposition and characters who often behaved more like 15- or 16-year-olds despite being portrayed as older—the story still managed to keep me engaged.
The thriller elements were particularly compelling, and the supernatural powers introduced added an intriguing layer, even though we didn’t get to explore them in depth. I also appreciated the LGBTQ+ representation, which felt natural and well-integrated into the story.
Although the ending felt somewhat rushed and could have benefited from more development, I thoroughly enjoyed the plot overall. Despite its flaws, this book left a positive impression, and I’m definitely looking forward to reading the next installment.
As a debut novel, I believe this is a strong and promising start. While there were a few issues—such as moments of heavy-handed exposition and characters who often behaved more like 15- or 16-year-olds despite being portrayed as older—the story still managed to keep me engaged.
The thriller elements were particularly compelling, and the supernatural powers introduced added an intriguing layer, even though we didn’t get to explore them in depth. I also appreciated the LGBTQ+ representation, which felt natural and well-integrated into the story.
Although the ending felt somewhat rushed and could have benefited from more development, I thoroughly enjoyed the plot overall. Despite its flaws, this book left a positive impression, and I’m definitely looking forward to reading the next installment.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is a slow dread. It really has a lot of what the characters are thinking that is overdone, could be inferred, or could be in dialogue instead.
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The premise of Seven Faceless Saints is somewhat intriguing, but the execution didn’t work for me. The writing felt clunky at times, and the word “unhinged” was used so frequently it became distracting—especially given the likely historical or pseudo-historical setting, where it felt out of place.
One of the more frustrating parts was toward the end, where Damian essentially walks the reader through the villain’s motives in a way that felt unnecessary and almost condescending. It gave the impression that the author didn’t trust the audience to put the pieces together on their own.
Overall, the book had potential, but the writing style and narrative choices pulled me out of the story too often to really enjoy it.
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes