Wicked Saints

Received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

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.

I wanted to read Wicked Saints because it sounded like a dark YA fantasy, which I like, and the synopsis gave me Leigh Bardugo vibes (and I love her books).

I don’t know why it took me so long to get into this. I know I was trying to read some library books before they were due back, but I also just struggled to feel pulled into this story. After the first couple of chapters, though, I got so into it! Wicked Saints is definitely a dark YA fantasy, and I’m here for it! I really liked the story and the world (although the world-building and different magic systems were a bit confusing for me to follow at first). Once I understood, I thought the magic system was really interesting.

There were some exciting scenes, and I liked the romance. And I loved that the story took a surprising turn once or twice. I loved all the main characters, but I think I was most interested in Serefin’s story.

I definitely got Leigh Bardugo vibes as I read: there was a very similar dark, moody, tense atmosphere that reminded me of the way I felt reading the Six of Crows duology, so that was a definite plus for me.

Overall, I really enjoyed Wicked Saints and I’m definitely looking forward to the next book in the series. Recommended!