Name: Seven Faceless Saints
ISBN: 9780316386883

M. K. Lobb

During Ombrazia's Second War of Saints, former friends Rossana Lacertosa and Damian Venturi--she is a rebel who wants to dismantle the corrupt system responsible for her father's death while he is the young head of security who serves the city and the saints with unswerving devotion--must work together to investigate murders within the city.

Seven Faceless Saints

This was an enjoyable read. I picked it up not knowing anything about it, which is good. While I had tried to read it a couple of times and failed, once I pushed through the first few chapters, I got through it in a couple of days. It had some repetition, and I wasn't as invested in a few of the characters as I would like, so the twist that comes was surprising but not impactful. That said, I enjoyed Damian's character. He was the physical embodiment of guilt and yearning, and good for him.

Kiersten

The characters are 2 dimension, the plot is cliche, the vibes are weak, and the writing is not good. The atmosphere and setting as well as the whole 7 saints thing really had potential but it never got going/took hold.

Roz is the definition of unlikable protagonist who brings nothing to the plot other than the fact that for some reason the author thought that this is who the MC should be.

Deborah Kerr

Woof. An absolute let down.

The characters are 2 dimension, the plot is cliche, the vibes are weak, and the writing is not good. The atmosphere and setting as well as the whole 7 saints thing really had potential but it never got going/took hold.

Roz is the definition of unlikable protagonist who brings nothing to the plot other than the fact that for some reason the author thought that this is who the MC should be.

I loved this book. The vibes and voice are gripping, the characters are flawed and compelling and multi-faceted, and the murder mystery has me hooked. I'm here for the abundance of recent novels (especially YA) where the protagonists wrestle with oppressive religious systems that look eerily similar to real life deconstruction. If you liked This Vicious Grace, pick up Seven Faceless Saints!

Thank you NetGalley and Little, Brown Books for Young Readers for the eARC.

[Edited] If you’re looking for something to fill the Shadow & Bone season 2-shaped hole in your heart, might I recommend SEVEN FACELESS SAINTS? Filled with magic, conviction, murder mystery, and romance, this upper YA novel takes place in an Italian-inspired fantasy city threatened by external war and internal rebellion! (CW: war, parent death)

Liz Griffin

I loved this book. The vibes and voice are gripping, the characters are flawed and compelling and multi-faceted, and the murder mystery has me hooked. I'm here for the abundance of recent novels (especially YA) where the protagonists wrestle with oppressive religious systems that look eerily similar to real life deconstruction. If you liked This Vicious Grace, pick up Seven Faceless Saints!

Thank you NetGalley and Little, Brown Books for Young Readers for the eARC.

[Edited] If you’re looking for something to fill the Shadow & Bone season 2-shaped hole in your heart, might I recommend SEVEN FACELESS SAINTS? Filled with magic, conviction, murder mystery, and romance, this upper YA novel takes place in an Italian-inspired fantasy city threatened by external war and internal rebellion! (CW: war, parent death)

I love when fantasy books have a murder mystery element to them, so I couldn't wait to pick this up. The writing was engaging, and nothing about the world-building felt info-dumpy. I liked the magic system and how it tied into all the different saints, with each of their disciples having different abilities. It was interesting seeing how Roz dealt with being one of these disciples. Instead of flaunting her abilities, she would make her powers smaller so people would overlook her. I also enjoyed her dynamic with Damian. It was very friends to lovers-to enemies-to allies-to maybe something more, and I can't wait to see how it develops from here. There were moments where I think Lobb was trying to do too much, but overall, I really enjoyed this and am looking forward to the next book.

Seven Faceless Saints

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