Book info:
Title: Wicked Saints
Author: Emily A. Duncan
Series: Something Dark and Holy #1
Genre: YA Fantasy
Release Date: April 2nd, 2019
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Source: E-galley from publisher which did not influence my opinion
My rating: 4 stars
Synopsis:
where the monsters steal your heart and love ends up being the nightmare.” –
Roshani Chokshi, New York Times bestselling author of The
Star-Touched Queen
A girl who can speak to gods must save her people without destroying herself.
A prince in danger must decide who to trust.
A boy with a monstrous secret waits in the wings.
Together, they must assassinate the king and stop the war.
In a centuries-long war where beauty and brutality meet, their three paths
entwine in a shadowy world of spilled blood and mysterious saints, where a
forbidden romance threatens to tip the scales between dark and light. Wicked
Saints is the thrilling start to Emily A. Duncan’s devastatingly
Gothic Something Dark and Holy trilogy.
“This book destroyed me and I adored it.”- Stephanie Garber, New
York Times bestselling author of Caraval
When you start, just know that this image below of the pronunciation guide will be very helpful. It definitely helped me as I was reading.
“Prepare for a snow
frosted, blood drenched fairy tale where the monsters steal your heart and love
ends up being the nightmare. Utterly absorbing.” – Roshani Chokshi, New
York Times bestselling author of The Star-Touched Queen
“Full of blood and monsters and magic—this book destroyed me and I
adored it. Emily is a wicked storyteller, she’s not afraid to hurt her
characters or her readers. If you’ve ever fallen in love with a villain you
will fall hard for this book.” – Stephanie Garber, New York
Times bestselling author of Caraval
“This is the novel of dark theology and eldritch blood-magic that I’ve
been waiting for all my life. It’s got a world at once brutal and beautiful,
filled with characters who are wounded, lovable, and ferocious enough to break
your heart. A shattering, utterly satisfying read.” – Rosamund Hodge,
author of Cruel Beauty and Bright Smoke, Cold Fire
“Wicked Saints is a lush, brutal, compelling fantasy that is dark,
deep, and bloody—absolutely riveting! With a boy who is both man and monster,
mysterious saints with uncertain motives, and a girl filled with holy magic who
is just beginning to understand the full reaches of her power, this gothic
jewel of a story will sink its visceral iron claws into you, never letting go
until you’ve turned the last page. And truthfully, not even then -the explosive
ending will haunt you for days! ” – Robin LaFevers, New York
Times bestselling author of the His Fair Assassin trilogy
“Dark, bloody, and monstrously romantic. This is the villain love interest that
we’ve all been waiting for.” – Margaret Rogerson, New York Times bestselling
author of An Enchantment of Ravens
“Seductively dark and enchanting, Wicked Saints is a
trance you won’t want to wake from. Duncan has skillfully erected a world like
no other, complete with provocative magic, sinister creatures, and a plot that
keeps you guessing. This spellbinding YA fantasy will bewitch readers to the
very last page.” – Adrienne Young, New York Times bestselling
author of Sky in the Deep
Twitter: @glitzandshadows
Instagram: @glitzandshadows
Tumblr: http://glitzandshadows.tumblr.com/
Yes to a pronunciation guide. I am loving fantasy right now and this sounds like it has great characters and world building.
It has both of those things! And the guide was a big help! Thanks for stopping by!
It's always awesome to know when a book takes a while to get going or to grab your attention, because otherwise you can find yourself mostly thinking about when it's a good point to stop and DNF it, if that makes any sense. I don't know, it's just easier to give these books a fair chance when you know what you're getting into!
Yeah, it helps. So many times I want to quit, and I hate to do that and then be sad that I missed out if I'd just kept going. That happened recently with a book. I did quit, but gave it to a friend to read, and she said it really got good right after where I'd quit. So I gave it another try and ended up loving it! Thanks for visiting!
Sounds like the type of book I'd want to read via audiobook–complex worldbuilding usually works better for me that way. Glad you ended up really enjoying this one!
Nicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction
I'm the opposite. I have to actually read a physical copy of complex world-building, with audiobooks my attention wanders if it gives too much detail and less action happening. So my best bet with audiobooks are those that have lots of action, whether that be fighting scenes, or sex scenes. 🙂 Thanks for stopping by!
I've heard this starts slow but gets better, so good to know. Nice that there is a pronunciation guide. LOL
-Lauren
http://www.shootingstarsmag.net
It definitely did start out a little slow, but a few chapters in, it was worth having kept going. The pronunciation guide was so helpful for my poor brain as it tripped over names. Thanks for visiting!