Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.43 AVERAGE
3.43 AVERAGE
So...Yay and nay. I don't know. This is one I'm going to have to re-read later. It comes out as a read of epic adventure to the level of LOTR or Mortal Engines (which I plan to read) in my opinion. There's so much in between across such dark lands and the magics that are interwoven into it are intricate and really caught my attention. Gods versus a world that rejects gods. Magic versus culty darkness. The downside was that it took way too long for me to get invested and that was a bummer. Plus, Nadya, the pinnacle for purity in this book flitting between "is Malachiasz truly evil or not?" was exhausting. I do wish the reveals ha been more surprising. I want a reread for this at some point because I feel in my gut that there is an appreciation for this book and I want to find it. Magic runs deep in it and the war in its pages and within the characters.
The detail, however, was beautiful and dark and breathtakingly creepy and barren. I really did like the world Duncan created.
Full Review:
https://thescarletreaderreviews.wordpress.com/2019/11/17/a-dark-new-world-wicked-saints-a-book-review/
The detail, however, was beautiful and dark and breathtakingly creepy and barren. I really did like the world Duncan created.
Full Review:
https://thescarletreaderreviews.wordpress.com/2019/11/17/a-dark-new-world-wicked-saints-a-book-review/
Just meh. Wasn't really impressed by anything in this book, and I probably won't finish the rest of the series.
I'm going to give this 3.5 stars. It was confusing as hell in the beginning but I loved the world/magic system. The characters need work but the angst was 👌🏻
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The pacing was weird and while the premise was so good, it felt convoluted and I was annoyed with the characters half the time.
Bleh. Everyone was kindof annoying and not as strong as they were purported to be. The ending was incredibly annoying. So many loose ends and I'm too irritated to even find out what all the mysteries were
A gripping dark adventure
Wicked Saints by Emily A. Duncan is a dark journey where kingdom's cm easily rise and fall.
It's a journey, gripping in its storytelling and it keeps you engaged until the very end. I'm looking forward to book 2.
On a more humorous note, the person who created the map has the same name as a sibling of mine! (No relation, but still interesting)
~3.75 stars
Wicked Saints by Emily A. Duncan is a dark journey where kingdom's cm easily rise and fall.
It's a journey, gripping in its storytelling and it keeps you engaged until the very end. I'm looking forward to book 2.
On a more humorous note, the person who created the map has the same name as a sibling of mine! (No relation, but still interesting)
~3.75 stars
4.5 stars!
Summary:
Wicked Saints follows Nadya, a cleric patroned by the God of Death, as she quests to free her country from a long-running war with neighbouring Travania, where blood magic abounds and the gods are kept at bay.
Characters 5/5:
I think one of the strongest components of this story was its characters. They were vibrant and incredibly well developed. I absolutely loved Nadya, I thought Serefin was really fun and a little cheeky, and Malachiasz was dark and broody and I loved him with my whole soul. Their personalities were all just so clear and strong and I really loved that about this novel.
Plot 3.75/5:
I had some loves and hates about the plot, but I think the loves won out over the hates. I thought the war plot was maybe a LITTLE under developed, and made the key moments a little confusing. But the ROMANCE. WAS. GOLDEN. I was kept hooked and I cared so much for the characters and their development and the angst tore at me like it was obviously meant to. I really do hope the action part of the plot gets a little bit more development in Book 2, but I could reread this tomorrow just for the angsty romance.
Setting and atmosphere 4/5:
This was strong! The world was super interesting and the magic systems were really unique and clever. I was constantly intrigued by the way magic was used and its limitations, and the imagery of the world was super poignant.
Writing style 5/5:
I loved the writing style, I think it really did a great job of tugging at my angsty heart strings and making me feel the things. The gory elements were done really well and the imagery was incredibly vivid. Honestly, I could devour another book by Emily A Duncan tomorrow, this was just so easy to read and get absorbed in.
I really enjoyed Wicked Saints! I think it fell a little flat on some of the plot elements but it was so engaging and the characters and their relationships were just so darn good. The final quarter of the book was probably the strongest, but that leaves me with incredibly high hopes for book 2!!!!
Summary:
Wicked Saints follows Nadya, a cleric patroned by the God of Death, as she quests to free her country from a long-running war with neighbouring Travania, where blood magic abounds and the gods are kept at bay.
Characters 5/5:
I think one of the strongest components of this story was its characters. They were vibrant and incredibly well developed. I absolutely loved Nadya, I thought Serefin was really fun and a little cheeky, and Malachiasz was dark and broody and I loved him with my whole soul. Their personalities were all just so clear and strong and I really loved that about this novel.
Plot 3.75/5:
I had some loves and hates about the plot, but I think the loves won out over the hates. I thought the war plot was maybe a LITTLE under developed, and made the key moments a little confusing. But the ROMANCE. WAS. GOLDEN. I was kept hooked and I cared so much for the characters and their development and the angst tore at me like it was obviously meant to. I really do hope the action part of the plot gets a little bit more development in Book 2, but I could reread this tomorrow just for the angsty romance.
Setting and atmosphere 4/5:
This was strong! The world was super interesting and the magic systems were really unique and clever. I was constantly intrigued by the way magic was used and its limitations, and the imagery of the world was super poignant.
Writing style 5/5:
I loved the writing style, I think it really did a great job of tugging at my angsty heart strings and making me feel the things. The gory elements were done really well and the imagery was incredibly vivid. Honestly, I could devour another book by Emily A Duncan tomorrow, this was just so easy to read and get absorbed in.
I really enjoyed Wicked Saints! I think it fell a little flat on some of the plot elements but it was so engaging and the characters and their relationships were just so darn good. The final quarter of the book was probably the strongest, but that leaves me with incredibly high hopes for book 2!!!!
What a fascinating set-up of magic systems against a war-torn backdrop filled with monsters, political intrigue, martyrs and saints. This was a rich, dark, and intense read. I look forward to the next.
