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3.5 AVERAGE
3.5 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
adventurous
dark
inspiring
mysterious
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
adventurous
mysterious
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:
Complicated
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror
Moderate: Murder
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
medium-paced
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, Dysphoria, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, Deportation
Pro-atheism plus hedonism, narcissism, and nihilism.
Lumping all religions based on Christianity
Lumping all religions based on Christianity
Set in a city ruled by saints and shadowed by rebellion, Seven Faceless Saints by M.K. Lobb follows Roz, a disciple bent on vengeance, and Damian, a reluctant soldier of the regime, as they uncover a string of murders and their tangled past. This dark YA fantasy blends mystery, faith, and fury in a gripping story of power, grief, and resistance.
There’s something so compelling about a second chance, not just at love, but at trust, at justice, and at figuring out who you are in a world that keeps trying to tell you otherwise. That’s what kept me turning the pages of Seven Faceless Saints. The dynamic between Roz and Damian, childhood friends turned ideological opposites, was the strongest part of the novel for me. I was rooting for them to figure it out. Not necessarily romantically, but emotionally. I love a story where the characters could reconcile, but it isn’t guaranteed. That tension really worked.
Roz was my favourite of the two main characters and I enjoyed being in her perspective. She’s rightfully angry, unwavering in her beliefs, and driven in a way that felt earned. I just wish we had seen more of her relationships outside of Damian. There are hints of depth there that I’m hopeful will be explored further in the sequel. Damian, on the other hand, felt too wishy-washy for me. I understood what the book was trying to do with him by showing the cost of complicity and war, but I wanted more decisiveness from him, especially since he’s meant to be a captain and a leader.
The murder mystery elements were strong, with enough clues sprinkled throughout to make the reveals satisfying. I did guess some pieces along the way, but the ending still surprised me, which I always appreciate. I just would have loved to see more emphasis on the worldbuilding and the magic system. The foundations are there: saints, disciples, a city divided by power and faith. But it felt like only the surface was explored.
Even so, I’m definitely planning to read the next one. The setup has me intrigued, and I want to see how the story deepens, especially with those character relationships and the magical elements. This was a solid debut with lots of potential, and I’m excited to see where it goes next.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book and chose to review it. This in no way impacts my opinion. Thank you to Little, Brown Books For Young Readers for the opportunity to review!
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book and chose to review it. This in no way impacts my opinion. Thank you to Little, Brown Books For Young Readers for the opportunity to review!
Content Warning: violence and murder (including graphic descriptions of dead bodies and murder scenes), needles, torture, physical abuse, war, aftermath of war, references to PTSD and trauma, death of a parent, religious oppression, class-based discrimination, grief, survivor's guilt, blood, injury, gaslighting, emotional manipulation, neglectful parent, militarized state violence, alcohol consumption