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A review by woolgathering_jane
The Lives of Saints by Leigh Bardugo
hopeful
mysterious
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Erase my name. Indelible is a word for stories.
When I first saw the cover of The Lives of Saints back in October 2020, I already knew I'll love this book. Just look at it! It's so beautiful I almost didn't want to read it, so I would ruin the cover somehow.
Well, I got over my fear and very slowly got through those few pages, mainly because it didn't feel right to read more than one short story at a time.
And I have to admit, without the cover and the stunning illustrations inside, this book surely wouldn't get 4 stars. I'm not even kidding when I say that I spent more time looking at the art inside than I did reading the actual stories.
The stories themselves weren't bad, they mostly weren't that good, although there are a few that stood out and that I still randomly think about. Saint of the book stood out the most and I've reread that one page many times.But I have to say, I'm a little disappointed because the stories about Darkling and Alina weren't what I expected. I wanted to read their story in a way the "people" in Ravka would know it. About the tragic death of Alina, and perhaps the story about Darkling that his followers would tell me. This way, their stories were less interesting than the other stories, when I hoped for the opposite.
Overall, I definitely wouldn't call this the best Bardugo's work, but it's also not the worst. It just adds another beautiful layer to the world she created, but a layer that's not really needed. If you're a big fan of the GrishaVerse, It's worth it. Even if it was just for the cover.
Well, I got over my fear and very slowly got through those few pages, mainly because it didn't feel right to read more than one short story at a time.
And I have to admit, without the cover and the stunning illustrations inside, this book surely wouldn't get 4 stars. I'm not even kidding when I say that I spent more time looking at the art inside than I did reading the actual stories.
The stories themselves weren't bad, they mostly weren't that good, although there are a few that stood out and that I still randomly think about. Saint of the book stood out the most and I've reread that one page many times.
Overall, I definitely wouldn't call this the best Bardugo's work, but it's also not the worst. It just adds another beautiful layer to the world she created, but a layer that's not really needed. If you're a big fan of the GrishaVerse, It's worth it. Even if it was just for the cover.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death