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3.43 AVERAGE
3.43 AVERAGE
*2.5 stars
Ugh. This had so much potential!
I loved the first few chapters. They were engaging, and I really didn’t want to put it down at all. I was so excited to learn more about the world and the pantheon and the magic. Then things started to go downhill.
At times, I felt like this was a romance novel disguised as a fantasy. Nadya was so focused on her love interest all the time and hardly ever remembered her best friends who had saved her life multiple times. She just couldn’t get this “beautiful broken boy” out of her head. Idk if I would say that this was insta-love, but it was pretty close. So that part was disappointing.
As far as the magic/gods go, I think there was just a little too much going on for a first book in a series. A lot of important things were glossed over, too, in the wake of the featured budding romance.
I didn’t hate this book. It kept me pretty interested right up to the end. Overall, the writing was solid. Not my favorite, but solid for the most part. There were paragraphs here and there that really impressed me. Then, at other points, I would find myself rolling my eyes at the cheesiness or the aforementioned glossing over of scenes that I think should’ve been focused on more.
I have a lot of thoughts on this book because it was probably my most anticipated book for this year, tbh. I wanted so much more from it. It was written by a librarian, and libraries have always been near and dear to my heart, since I’m a former youth librarian myself. I’m proud to support Duncan’s work by buying her book, but I’m sad to say I may not actually be reading book 2, unless I hear that the quality is significantly better than the first.
I’d recommend this if you like dark yet slightly cheesy YA fantasy romance that’s really bloody and gothic.
Oh well, on to the next! :)
Ugh. This had so much potential!
I loved the first few chapters. They were engaging, and I really didn’t want to put it down at all. I was so excited to learn more about the world and the pantheon and the magic. Then things started to go downhill.
At times, I felt like this was a romance novel disguised as a fantasy. Nadya was so focused on her love interest all the time and hardly ever remembered her best friends who had saved her life multiple times. She just couldn’t get this “beautiful broken boy” out of her head. Idk if I would say that this was insta-love, but it was pretty close. So that part was disappointing.
As far as the magic/gods go, I think there was just a little too much going on for a first book in a series. A lot of important things were glossed over, too, in the wake of the featured budding romance.
I didn’t hate this book. It kept me pretty interested right up to the end. Overall, the writing was solid. Not my favorite, but solid for the most part. There were paragraphs here and there that really impressed me. Then, at other points, I would find myself rolling my eyes at the cheesiness or the aforementioned glossing over of scenes that I think should’ve been focused on more.
I have a lot of thoughts on this book because it was probably my most anticipated book for this year, tbh. I wanted so much more from it. It was written by a librarian, and libraries have always been near and dear to my heart, since I’m a former youth librarian myself. I’m proud to support Duncan’s work by buying her book, but I’m sad to say I may not actually be reading book 2, unless I hear that the quality is significantly better than the first.
I’d recommend this if you like dark yet slightly cheesy YA fantasy romance that’s really bloody and gothic.
Oh well, on to the next! :)
It’s…..fine? I’m interested to see where the series goes but this first book felt like a lot of other first books.
I wouldn't have read this book if I hadn't obtained a free copy of it, on account of the antisemitism it abounds in. But I did obtain a free copy of it, which meant I could check it out without giving any money to the author.
I think it's important to consume media that has problematic aspects, I think it helps with media literacy. It helps you learn to recognize other times you may stumble upon those problematic aspects.
I find it incredibly disheartening how many fantasy authors write stories that would fall apart without the various -isms that fill the world. It makes me mad that we can't simply enjoy media without having to worry that said media was created to cause harm or was inspired by other media that was created to cause harm.
There are so many ways that Emily Duncan could have changed this book to maintain the same aesthetic of blood magic and dark gods and questioning one's own religion without directly compounding on harmful tropes, so many ways to choose not to directly benefit from the violence that has been enacted upon Jewish people for countless years at this point, and yet she chose none of the above. She chose to almost directly copy those harmful stories, she chose to make the "villians" of the story look like those of Jewish ethnic background, she chose to make it clear what part of history and geography inspired her, and she chose to publish this thinly veiled bigotry in a way that she knew would probably reach those who had never heard of blood libel, making it easier to indoctrinate them. She could have had all of the cake of blood magic and a dark gritty world with dark gritty gods and characters without directly invoking blood libel, and yet here we are, where somehow I just find myself having to be thankful that she didn't go as far as Jay Kristoff did in Nevernight. But this is just book one, so honestly, I'm sure it just keeps getting worse
I'm not saying it's impossible to write a book that addresses antisemitic tropes in an appropriate manner. I'm just saying that Emily Duncan failed miraculously at it, and that perhaps she shouldn't have tried in the first place.
I would like to say that aesthetically, this could have been super neat, I feel the same way about this as I did about Seven Faceless Saints in that aspect. But the author really butchered the MC and made her only important contribution to the story that of her romance with a boy. She could have written about a badass religious zealot going through a questioning period in regards to her religion without it being because she inexplicably found herself attracted to someone that her religion has taught her to hate. It really just felt like Nadya was along for a ride in a book that's actually just about Malachiasz and Serefin.
I think it's important to consume media that has problematic aspects, I think it helps with media literacy. It helps you learn to recognize other times you may stumble upon those problematic aspects.
I find it incredibly disheartening how many fantasy authors write stories that would fall apart without the various -isms that fill the world. It makes me mad that we can't simply enjoy media without having to worry that said media was created to cause harm or was inspired by other media that was created to cause harm.
There are so many ways that Emily Duncan could have changed this book to maintain the same aesthetic of blood magic and dark gods and questioning one's own religion without directly compounding on harmful tropes, so many ways to choose not to directly benefit from the violence that has been enacted upon Jewish people for countless years at this point, and yet she chose none of the above. She chose to almost directly copy those harmful stories, she chose to make the "villians" of the story look like those of Jewish ethnic background, she chose to make it clear what part of history and geography inspired her, and she chose to publish this thinly veiled bigotry in a way that she knew would probably reach those who had never heard of blood libel, making it easier to indoctrinate them. She could have had all of the cake of blood magic and a dark gritty world with dark gritty gods and characters without directly invoking blood libel, and yet here we are, where somehow I just find myself having to be thankful that she didn't go as far as Jay Kristoff did in Nevernight. But this is just book one, so honestly, I'm sure it just keeps getting worse
I'm not saying it's impossible to write a book that addresses antisemitic tropes in an appropriate manner. I'm just saying that Emily Duncan failed miraculously at it, and that perhaps she shouldn't have tried in the first place.
I would like to say that aesthetically, this could have been super neat, I feel the same way about this as I did about Seven Faceless Saints in that aspect. But the author really butchered the MC and made her only important contribution to the story that of her romance with a boy. She could have written about a badass religious zealot going through a questioning period in regards to her religion without it being because she inexplicably found herself attracted to someone that her religion has taught her to hate. It really just felt like Nadya was along for a ride in a book that's actually just about Malachiasz and Serefin.
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book had a great storyline. The one downside was that it was very rushed. I had to re-read several paragraphs, multiple times to fully understand where we went from point A to point B.
The book is about a young girl Nadya who is full of magic that she thinks come from the Gods and she is one of the only ones who can talk to him. Enter a war, a monstrous boy, and prince blood mage and it is a pretty intriguing story. I do wonder if there will be a book two. It could easily be a stand a lone novel as well.
The cover and spine are gorgeous and map on the inside is detailed. Overall, this was a great novel for a first time author.
The book is about a young girl Nadya who is full of magic that she thinks come from the Gods and she is one of the only ones who can talk to him. Enter a war, a monstrous boy, and prince blood mage and it is a pretty intriguing story. I do wonder if there will be a book two. It could easily be a stand a lone novel as well.
The cover and spine are gorgeous and map on the inside is detailed. Overall, this was a great novel for a first time author.
(4.5 stars)
Okay, so here it goes. I wasn't sure whether I wanted to read this book. I had heard very mixed things about it, which led me to ask the lovely people on Twitter whether I should read it. I had very mixed opinions, and it appears that Wicked Saints is a very marmite book. I took the plunge, and I am happy to report, I LOVED THIS BOOK (I also love marmite, so I suppose it makes sense). This was a very high 4 stars for me, so maybe a 4.5 stars and I cannot wait to move onto the next book.
I think my favourite thing about Wicked Saints is the atmosphere that is portrayed. The writing style that Emily A Duncan adopts really does make this for a very eery and gripping read. I loved the monsters, I loved how they were portrayed. It was such a fast paced book, I literally couldn't catch my breath. I found that one night I could not sleep, I was halfway through, 6am happens and I've finished the book without even realising the time. Not realising that I had spent my whole night, where I should have been asleep absorbed into this wonderful world. Not many books do that for me but this one certainly did.
I absolutely love the complexity of the characters. There was so much to learn about them, which at times could be confusing and some of the names are very similar so you have to make sure you are paying attention so you know which character is which. That is not a criticism by any means. I loved the complex side of them, it made getting to know the characters and building up a relationship with them a bit more satisfactory.
The political/religious system is something that took me by surprise. As a rule, I do not enjoy books or even pick books up when the plot heavily relies on these factors, it just isn't for me. Had I have know a little bit more about this book I may not have picked it up through fear that it would not be for me. But I am so glad that I did. I absolutely loved this element and could not get enough, I wanted to know more and more.
It is killing me not to pick up the next book, I need to order it but I don't get paid until tomorrow. You can be sure that the first thing I do in the morning is order Ruthless Gods so that I can have it in my hands to devour asap. This has become one of my favourite series and I cannot wait to find out what is going to happen next.
Okay, so here it goes. I wasn't sure whether I wanted to read this book. I had heard very mixed things about it, which led me to ask the lovely people on Twitter whether I should read it. I had very mixed opinions, and it appears that Wicked Saints is a very marmite book. I took the plunge, and I am happy to report, I LOVED THIS BOOK (I also love marmite, so I suppose it makes sense). This was a very high 4 stars for me, so maybe a 4.5 stars and I cannot wait to move onto the next book.
I think my favourite thing about Wicked Saints is the atmosphere that is portrayed. The writing style that Emily A Duncan adopts really does make this for a very eery and gripping read. I loved the monsters, I loved how they were portrayed. It was such a fast paced book, I literally couldn't catch my breath. I found that one night I could not sleep, I was halfway through, 6am happens and I've finished the book without even realising the time. Not realising that I had spent my whole night, where I should have been asleep absorbed into this wonderful world. Not many books do that for me but this one certainly did.
I absolutely love the complexity of the characters. There was so much to learn about them, which at times could be confusing and some of the names are very similar so you have to make sure you are paying attention so you know which character is which. That is not a criticism by any means. I loved the complex side of them, it made getting to know the characters and building up a relationship with them a bit more satisfactory.
The political/religious system is something that took me by surprise. As a rule, I do not enjoy books or even pick books up when the plot heavily relies on these factors, it just isn't for me. Had I have know a little bit more about this book I may not have picked it up through fear that it would not be for me. But I am so glad that I did. I absolutely loved this element and could not get enough, I wanted to know more and more.
It is killing me not to pick up the next book, I need to order it but I don't get paid until tomorrow. You can be sure that the first thing I do in the morning is order Ruthless Gods so that I can have it in my hands to devour asap. This has become one of my favourite series and I cannot wait to find out what is going to happen next.
Setting: a fancy restaurant
At Rise: a Woman sits trying to catch the attention of a well dressed waiter without being too demanding or rude
WAITER
Yes, Madame, how can I help you?
WOMAN
I just—I think there’s been a mistake. You see, I ordered Wicked Saints, and I received . . . this.
[gestures to the book with obvious distaste]
WAITER
As you can see, Madame, it says Wicked Saints right there on the cover.
WOMAN
I know. I know! It’s just—it was described as “devastatingly Gothic?” And—just, there’s no transgression against the natural order, let alone a price to pay for it. No subversion of the romantic paradigm? There’s no Edenic state of bliss to return to! Where’s the atonement? Maybe you could say Nadya has forbidden knowledge being able to talk to all the gods, but that’s just a thing she can do. There’s no price for any of this. Do you see what I’m saying? And if these are what passing for Byronic heroes, these days, well, I shudder to think of the state of poor Lord Byron’s corpse.
WAITER
I’m sorry it did not meet madame’s expectations.
WOMAN
It’s hardly your fault that the copywriter apparently confused Gothic with Slavic. Although the wordbuilding is so slapdash that it seems quite the insult to say so. The Slavic countries have such a wonderful rich history and are so often ignored by the fantasy genre. It’s such a shame that this is the representation they get. Shaking a few Eastern European names over a generic, underdeveloped fantasy land doesn’t really season the pierogi—if you will excuse my turn of phrase.
WAITER
Of course, madame.
WOMAN
And now there’s an underdeveloped romance, and the female lead loses all her agency as soon as the love interest shows up. And I just—it’s too much. I can’t do it.
WAITER
You have our deepest apologies. Allow me to remove this and to fetch a menu so that you may choose something more to your taste.
WOMAN
Oh. Thank you. That would be wonderful.
At Rise: a Woman sits trying to catch the attention of a well dressed waiter without being too demanding or rude
WAITER
Yes, Madame, how can I help you?
WOMAN
I just—I think there’s been a mistake. You see, I ordered Wicked Saints, and I received . . . this.
[gestures to the book with obvious distaste]
WAITER
As you can see, Madame, it says Wicked Saints right there on the cover.
WOMAN
I know. I know! It’s just—it was described as “devastatingly Gothic?” And—just, there’s no transgression against the natural order, let alone a price to pay for it. No subversion of the romantic paradigm? There’s no Edenic state of bliss to return to! Where’s the atonement? Maybe you could say Nadya has forbidden knowledge being able to talk to all the gods, but that’s just a thing she can do. There’s no price for any of this. Do you see what I’m saying? And if these are what passing for Byronic heroes, these days, well, I shudder to think of the state of poor Lord Byron’s corpse.
WAITER
I’m sorry it did not meet madame’s expectations.
WOMAN
It’s hardly your fault that the copywriter apparently confused Gothic with Slavic. Although the wordbuilding is so slapdash that it seems quite the insult to say so. The Slavic countries have such a wonderful rich history and are so often ignored by the fantasy genre. It’s such a shame that this is the representation they get. Shaking a few Eastern European names over a generic, underdeveloped fantasy land doesn’t really season the pierogi—if you will excuse my turn of phrase.
WAITER
Of course, madame.
WOMAN
And now there’s an underdeveloped romance, and the female lead loses all her agency as soon as the love interest shows up. And I just—it’s too much. I can’t do it.
WAITER
You have our deepest apologies. Allow me to remove this and to fetch a menu so that you may choose something more to your taste.
WOMAN
Oh. Thank you. That would be wonderful.
I really wanted to like this and it started out with a lot of promise, but by the end I just hated everyone and wanted to shake Nadya for being so naive. I would have liked to see a lot more agency from her, honestly, because even though she was supposed to have these great powers, she never stepped beyond puppet.
Terribly written and everything was just lacking in this boring book.
World building was confusing, characters I did not feel for and side characters were really inconsequential also.
Needless to say, the anticlimactic ending to this story will not entice me to read the next book.
I love a good dark fantasy but this is far far from good by any stretch of imagination.
World building was confusing, characters I did not feel for and side characters were really inconsequential also.
Needless to say, the anticlimactic ending to this story will not entice me to read the next book.
I love a good dark fantasy but this is far far from good by any stretch of imagination.
adventurous
challenging
dark
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced