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3.5 AVERAGE
3.5 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
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
Did not feel connected to the characters? Feels like it’s trying to be “shadow and bone “ but gritty and set in a vague fantasy stand-in for Venice. Idk, didn’t do it for me.
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
In a city-state where there is a sharp class divide between those blessed by the saints and those without magic, ex-lovers Roz and Damian must work together to uncover the identity of a ritual murderer.
I don’t read as much fantasy as I used to nowadays – certainly I don’t read much YA fantasy anymore, especially from authors I am unfamiliar with. But I enjoy a good mysterious dark fantasy, and I was intrigued by the inclusion of a second chance romance, which would undoubtedly add a great deal of tension.
There’s plenty to keep Roz and Damian apart, but they are drawn to in a convincing manner and I understood and appreciated the obstacles and differences between them that needed to be surmounted before they could get together. I also enjoyed how the two lead characters were drawn out, with plenty of realistic fears and flaws that are acknowledged and make an impact on the story.
However, I did think the world-building was haphazard – we learn a lot about how things are but not why, which is frustrating in a book that has a lot going on. Perhaps some of it will be answered in the sequel, but in the meanwhile we get left with a lot of questions and hints at things that may be revealed in the future, but not a lot at the current moment. I also thought the ending became somewhat rushed, especially as the characters accept a lot of long-coming change without much reaction. It left me unsatisfied.
Disclaimer: I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. This is my honest and voluntary review.
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I don’t know why people are rating this book so poorly. It’s not perfect, of course, but it had enough intrigue and a fast pace to keep me interested.
World: The world is influenced by Italy and borrows the language when it comes to names and phrases. In Ombrazia, the society is built on their faith in saints (clearly influenced by Christianity and the kingdoms in past European history, but I’ll get to that later). According to the world’s religion, the world was created by seven saints: Chaos, Patience, Grace, Strength, Cunning, Mercy, and Death. Each individual is a descendant of one of the saints, and their lineage determines their type of magic. However, some individuals are unfavored, meaning magic has skipped over them. Similar to the Red Queen and the red and silver blooded, powerless vs powerful. People with power are called disciples of a certain guild, the one of their lineage, in which they use their powers to create goods for the economy. For example, disciples of Patience can manipulate metal. Part of the history is that the reincarnation of Strength and Chaos had fought in the First War of Saints, with the kingdom splitting in half into two city states with Chaos supported in the north and Strength in the south. Chaos lost and was erased in the new southern state of Ombrazia as much as possible, while the north were deemed heretics and still believed in Chaos. Now there is a second war, as the northern city state, Brechaat (I think that’s what it’s called), does not have enough resources as they do not have the strong guilds that Onbrazia has to support their economy, and wants to gain territory. Only the unfavored are drafted into the war because they are more expendable according to the rationale that they don’t contribute as much to the guilds and the economy.
Political System: As assumed based on the importance of religion, Ombrazia is governed by a council made up of six representatives from the six guilds (excluding Chaos) along with a Chief Magistrate who is said to be the closest to the saints (almost like a high priest). These representatives stay at the Palazzo, the seat of government. Of course, the unfavored aren’t represented in the government and continue to be drafted and either die or return scarred for life. And of course, there is a rebellion working against the Palazzo to change this.
Now to the actual plot.
Actual Plot: Murders arise in the city-state of Ombrazia. After the finding of a third body in the Palazzo (what is supposed to be the most protected building), Damian Venturi, head of palace security, is blamed for it and tasked with solving it. He has been given this job due to his general father’s rank, pulled out from his draft to the war effort with their city-state neighbor in the north. Three years in the midst of war have shaken him. Only the continuous work as head of security has kept him sane. Now the case becomes his main focus. It is increasingly important Damian solves it, as his father sees him as too soft to be capable, and chief magistrate Forte (person with highest authority in the city state) is disapproving that Damian didn’t earn the job. Under threat of being sent back to war if he doesn’t work fast enough, Damian thinks looking into the first two victims’ deaths will speed up the process, but his father and Forte tell him not to. Damian can’t help but do it anyway and soon accepts the help of Rossana Lacertosa in the murder case.
Rossana and Damian had been childhood friends, but after Damian was drafted, Rossana’s father had deserted and was killed by Damian’s father, the general. And while Rossana had been awash with grief, Damian ceased correspondence and she never knew if he were dead or alive. Damian never reached out after returning either. Rossana’s grief and sadness over her father grew into hatred for the Venturis, both Damian and his own father, and the government in general that only sent the unfavored to war (people without powers) while the rest were protected. So she joins the rebellion efforts wanting a better world. The murders begin, and the first two victims are unfavored. One of them is her close friend’s sister. Officers refuse to look into it due to lack of importance. But the third victim is a disciple, and a representative of one of the guilds at the Palazzo. Finding out that Damian is working on it and secretly looking into the unfavored victims’ deaths as well, she forces him to let her help or else she’ll reveal he’s defying orders. Her intentions in solving the case are to find closure for her friend and gaining the trust of the rebellion (they don’t trust her because she’s a disciple).
DISCLAIMER: If you’re expecting a mystery-focused novel, this is not it. It’s heavily about our main characters and their personal development. The case is the center of the plot, but it’s really just a vessel to throw the MCs back together. As they discuss the case they can’t help but dissect their actions and lost relationship, and reopen past wounds. So, it’s a friends to lovers to enemies to friends to lovers story wrapped in the guise of magic and death and mystery.
The Mystery: The plot is simple; they are trying to find the culprit. For one thing, the reader is left in the dark as much as the characters about the murder mystery, as in there were barely any clues or information revealed that the reader could put together. The main characters working to solve this case didn’t make much progress and were at a standstill. This was why the great “reveal” was surprising, because we weren’t given anything to work with. Sure, I could try to guess, but I didn’t know enough of the other characters who were possible culprits for it to be even exciting on my part to do so.
Characters: Damian Lacertosa is one of those soft and broken MMCs. He is overly trusting of the system and his father to the point that he listens to him blindly, but it’s become harder to keep it together and be a son his father is proud of. He knows Roz hates him for her father’s death and regrets not being there when she needed it, but also knows he can’t do anything to amend it, keeping his feelings to himself.
Rossana Lacertosa is all rage. She’s not likable at all. It’s not one of those cases where they say the character hates the other but then instantly kisses them simply because they’re physically attractive. She is brutal to Damian and wants nothing to do with him or understanding his perspective.
The ONLY reason why they mended things was because of Damian, and I’m not just saying that. They were both prideful but I know Roz for sure would have gotten what she wanted out of the case and left. But Damian wanted her to know what happened to him, and he spoke to her first about his war experience and why he was so broken and desperate. And Damian was the one who compromised his beliefs for Roz while she just flaunted around because she was “always right.” It wasn’t fair and it made Roz even more arrogant and unlikeable.
But the road to an improved relationship was the most chaotic one I’ve read. It’s like this: Damian and Roz meet. They hold their ground on what they believe and yell at each other for what they did. They make no progress because they’re stubborn and never intended to understand the other. Then: One of them reveals something. The other takes it in. Can’t help but remember who the other person was to them in the past, and add this new information to the blurred story. Can’t help but empathize because they’re not monsters. Yippee. Then, something else comes up and they argue again. It should have gotten old but there was so much tension and drama that it was hard not to keep reading.
You might be thinking where 4 stars came from after all that. I did like the world and the concepts and half of the characters and just thought it was a good time.
World: The world is influenced by Italy and borrows the language when it comes to names and phrases. In Ombrazia, the society is built on their faith in saints (clearly influenced by Christianity and the kingdoms in past European history, but I’ll get to that later). According to the world’s religion, the world was created by seven saints: Chaos, Patience, Grace, Strength, Cunning, Mercy, and Death. Each individual is a descendant of one of the saints, and their lineage determines their type of magic. However, some individuals are unfavored, meaning magic has skipped over them. Similar to the Red Queen and the red and silver blooded, powerless vs powerful. People with power are called disciples of a certain guild, the one of their lineage, in which they use their powers to create goods for the economy. For example, disciples of Patience can manipulate metal. Part of the history is that the reincarnation of Strength and Chaos had fought in the First War of Saints, with the kingdom splitting in half into two city states with Chaos supported in the north and Strength in the south. Chaos lost and was erased in the new southern state of Ombrazia as much as possible, while the north were deemed heretics and still believed in Chaos. Now there is a second war, as the northern city state, Brechaat (I think that’s what it’s called), does not have enough resources as they do not have the strong guilds that Onbrazia has to support their economy, and wants to gain territory. Only the unfavored are drafted into the war because they are more expendable according to the rationale that they don’t contribute as much to the guilds and the economy.
Political System: As assumed based on the importance of religion, Ombrazia is governed by a council made up of six representatives from the six guilds (excluding Chaos) along with a Chief Magistrate who is said to be the closest to the saints (almost like a high priest). These representatives stay at the Palazzo, the seat of government. Of course, the unfavored aren’t represented in the government and continue to be drafted and either die or return scarred for life. And of course, there is a rebellion working against the Palazzo to change this.
Now to the actual plot.
Actual Plot: Murders arise in the city-state of Ombrazia. After the finding of a third body in the Palazzo (what is supposed to be the most protected building), Damian Venturi, head of palace security, is blamed for it and tasked with solving it. He has been given this job due to his general father’s rank, pulled out from his draft to the war effort with their city-state neighbor in the north. Three years in the midst of war have shaken him. Only the continuous work as head of security has kept him sane. Now the case becomes his main focus. It is increasingly important Damian solves it, as his father sees him as too soft to be capable, and chief magistrate Forte (person with highest authority in the city state) is disapproving that Damian didn’t earn the job. Under threat of being sent back to war if he doesn’t work fast enough, Damian thinks looking into the first two victims’ deaths will speed up the process, but his father and Forte tell him not to. Damian can’t help but do it anyway and soon accepts the help of Rossana Lacertosa in the murder case.
Rossana and Damian had been childhood friends, but after Damian was drafted, Rossana’s father had deserted and was killed by Damian’s father, the general. And while Rossana had been awash with grief, Damian ceased correspondence and she never knew if he were dead or alive. Damian never reached out after returning either. Rossana’s grief and sadness over her father grew into hatred for the Venturis, both Damian and his own father, and the government in general that only sent the unfavored to war (people without powers) while the rest were protected. So she joins the rebellion efforts wanting a better world. The murders begin, and the first two victims are unfavored. One of them is her close friend’s sister. Officers refuse to look into it due to lack of importance. But the third victim is a disciple, and a representative of one of the guilds at the Palazzo. Finding out that Damian is working on it and secretly looking into the unfavored victims’ deaths as well, she forces him to let her help or else she’ll reveal he’s defying orders. Her intentions in solving the case are to find closure for her friend and gaining the trust of the rebellion (they don’t trust her because she’s a disciple).
DISCLAIMER: If you’re expecting a mystery-focused novel, this is not it. It’s heavily about our main characters and their personal development. The case is the center of the plot, but it’s really just a vessel to throw the MCs back together. As they discuss the case they can’t help but dissect their actions and lost relationship, and reopen past wounds. So, it’s a friends to lovers to enemies to friends to lovers story wrapped in the guise of magic and death and mystery.
The Mystery: The plot is simple; they are trying to find the culprit. For one thing, the reader is left in the dark as much as the characters about the murder mystery, as in there were barely any clues or information revealed that the reader could put together. The main characters working to solve this case didn’t make much progress and were at a standstill. This was why the great “reveal” was surprising, because we weren’t given anything to work with. Sure, I could try to guess, but I didn’t know enough of the other characters who were possible culprits for it to be even exciting on my part to do so.
Characters: Damian Lacertosa is one of those soft and broken MMCs. He is overly trusting of the system and his father to the point that he listens to him blindly, but it’s become harder to keep it together and be a son his father is proud of. He knows Roz hates him for her father’s death and regrets not being there when she needed it, but also knows he can’t do anything to amend it, keeping his feelings to himself.
Rossana Lacertosa is all rage. She’s not likable at all. It’s not one of those cases where they say the character hates the other but then instantly kisses them simply because they’re physically attractive. She is brutal to Damian and wants nothing to do with him or understanding his perspective.
The ONLY reason why they mended things was because of Damian, and I’m not just saying that. They were both prideful but I know Roz for sure would have gotten what she wanted out of the case and left. But Damian wanted her to know what happened to him, and he spoke to her first about his war experience and why he was so broken and desperate. And Damian was the one who compromised his beliefs for Roz while she just flaunted around because she was “always right.” It wasn’t fair and it made Roz even more arrogant and unlikeable.
But the road to an improved relationship was the most chaotic one I’ve read. It’s like this: Damian and Roz meet. They hold their ground on what they believe and yell at each other for what they did. They make no progress because they’re stubborn and never intended to understand the other. Then: One of them reveals something. The other takes it in. Can’t help but remember who the other person was to them in the past, and add this new information to the blurred story. Can’t help but empathize because they’re not monsters. Yippee. Then, something else comes up and they argue again. It should have gotten old but there was so much tension and drama that it was hard not to keep reading.
You might be thinking where 4 stars came from after all that. I did like the world and the concepts and half of the characters and just thought it was a good time.
thank you to LBBYR and Netgalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
A debut with a fascinating world and enough religious allusions to personally interest me, SEVEN FACELESS SAINTS creates a fascinating world, with characters that are unfortunately a little bit harder to connect to. While I wasn’t completely disconnected while reading it, they didn’t stay on my mind when I wasn’t actively reading, and if I wasn’t intrigued by the mystery elements and plot, I likely wouldn’t pick up the next book. However, if you’re more interested in the mystery or worldbuilding elements (or the comps like Kerri Maniscalco), I would recommend checking this out!
SFS creates a world of saints, disciples, and murderers. The entire world concept was probably the most interesting to me, and seems like it’ll be further explored in the sequel (which I think will be a definite plus). Some of the basic elements of how it’s all set up weren’t particularly unique, but the overall lore of the saints, while not explored as much as I would have liked, kept me reading.
As far as characters went, I think they were sufficiently unique and somewhat interesting, I just didn’t particularly find myself caring. The relationship between Roz and Damian never particularly drew me in or felt like it had sufficient chemistry. The personal stakes never felt truly risky, and I wish as a whole everything in this category had gotten more developed. Despite a few standout moments, as a whole I was just underwhelmed.
Finally, the plot is kind of the in between element for me. I found the mystery decently interesting and as your resident oblivious mystery solver, I was fairly stumped (although I wish I’d cared more about that or the reveal). As a whole, the plot was decently easy to follow and interesting. I just needed to feel more personally connected for it to really hit. Ultimately, I think it serves as a pretty good setup for a sequel, so I’ll be keeping my fingers crossed to see what M.K. Lobb delivers there!
A debut with a fascinating world and enough religious allusions to personally interest me, SEVEN FACELESS SAINTS creates a fascinating world, with characters that are unfortunately a little bit harder to connect to. While I wasn’t completely disconnected while reading it, they didn’t stay on my mind when I wasn’t actively reading, and if I wasn’t intrigued by the mystery elements and plot, I likely wouldn’t pick up the next book. However, if you’re more interested in the mystery or worldbuilding elements (or the comps like Kerri Maniscalco), I would recommend checking this out!
SFS creates a world of saints, disciples, and murderers. The entire world concept was probably the most interesting to me, and seems like it’ll be further explored in the sequel (which I think will be a definite plus). Some of the basic elements of how it’s all set up weren’t particularly unique, but the overall lore of the saints, while not explored as much as I would have liked, kept me reading.
As far as characters went, I think they were sufficiently unique and somewhat interesting, I just didn’t particularly find myself caring. The relationship between Roz and Damian never particularly drew me in or felt like it had sufficient chemistry. The personal stakes never felt truly risky, and I wish as a whole everything in this category had gotten more developed. Despite a few standout moments, as a whole I was just underwhelmed.
Finally, the plot is kind of the in between element for me. I found the mystery decently interesting and as your resident oblivious mystery solver, I was fairly stumped (although I wish I’d cared more about that or the reveal). As a whole, the plot was decently easy to follow and interesting. I just needed to feel more personally connected for it to really hit. Ultimately, I think it serves as a pretty good setup for a sequel, so I’ll be keeping my fingers crossed to see what M.K. Lobb delivers there!
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Wow. I feel the same after finishing this book as I did after I finished Powerless - albeit with a different sort of cliffhanger - particularly because of Roz and Damian. They are almost foils of each other in every good way, and I really enjoyed their dynamic. The characters themselves were very well-written, and I do SO enjoy an unhinged FMC with grey morals! The magic system was also very unique, but it did follow that YA trope of magic-nonmagic conflict guiding the entire plot, but it was done very well regardless.
Excited to read the second one!
FQ: “Because that was the central function of faith, wasn’t it? To act as a stand-in for one’s own agency. “ - Roz, pg 131
Excited to read the second one!
FQ: “Because that was the central function of faith, wasn’t it? To act as a stand-in for one’s own agency. “ - Roz, pg 131
dark
sad
medium-paced
I like the magic system in this book and the story within the book just found the characters hard to get invested in.