Emily A. Duncan

“Prepare for a snow-frosted, blood-drenched fairy tale 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 This edition uses deckle edges; the uneven paper edge is intentional.

A Novel

Wicked Saints

This book was so hard to get into tbh. I felt like the ending was super duper rushed which made it very confusing.

Lauren Dale

Sunky

Selin Igten

worst book ever. i would give 0 stars but i can’t

i think there were so many people around me who disliked this book that i had such little expectations for it that i ended up finding it rather okay, after all. not mind blowing, but would read the next, maybe.

Mythos

Not reading because of problematic creator.

sansa-alayne 

why did you refer to an asian person as 'it' emily

Aishling

[Update May 2021]
I had initially rated this three stars but I’m downgrading my rating after the shit the authors said 

-

I feel very eh about this, the ending was confusing for me and the details weren’t clear enough. I enjoyed the characters and world building but it just wasn’t doing it for me? I would still recommended it tho cause I think I’m just really picky sometimes

Jasmine

3.75 Stars
This one is a little tricky for me to rate because I had a pretty great time reading this book for the most part, but that being said I also predicted 80-90% of everything that was going to happen which took away some enjoyment from big moments. Like when big reveals happen that I knew were suppose to be some big twist, and never got to have that moment of surprise, it was more like cool thought something like that would happen. Still, I love the idea of this story and the characters started to grow on me the deeper into the novel I got. Being honest the book cover was what really caught my attention and then the premise sounded so dark and interesting that I knew I had to get it. The book cover fits so fell with the gothic atmosphere that the author was going for and I love it when a book's setting has a dark tone and Wicked Saints did deliver on that. One major highlight is this book is constantly moving which makes it a really easy book to get into, and the events spiral out of control pretty quick so almost from the beginning you're thrown right into the action. It's that constant sense of danger and movement that makes sure this is not a boring read, and the world is still easy enough to follow without a whole lot of info-dumping so you don't feel lost either. I'm hoping book two gets to delve into the main characters more because that's normally what separates the books I enjoy from the ones I love.

The one thing I personally never bought into was the main romance, it always felt very forced, and so later events (without giving away spoilers) didn't have a big emotional impact on me because of it. I think that was never meant to be the main focus anyway. So even if that part was a little disappointing it's the main storyline and all court/country politics helped make up for it. With all the events that just happened book 2 should be very interesting. There are so many directions it can go now among all this chaos book 1 left at. I look forward to it, I think everything has been set up really well and it should make for a very exciting book.

An instant New York Times bestseller! “Prepare for a snow-frosted, blood-drenched fairy tale where the monsters steal your heart and love ends up being the nightmare.” - Roshani Chokshi, New York Times bestselling author of The Gilded Wolves and 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

I have upped my rating, as I really enjoyed myself this time around. I found the story to have more depth and I enjoyed Nadya's side of the story a lot more. I still wouldn't count it as one of my favorites, but the lore and the atmosphere were top notch. I am looking forward to continuing this series finally!

Emily B

Update 2/17/24 4.0 Stars:

I have upped my rating, as I really enjoyed myself this time around. I found the story to have more depth and I enjoyed Nadya's side of the story a lot more. I still wouldn't count it as one of my favorites, but the lore and the atmosphere were top notch. I am looking forward to continuing this series finally!

An instant New York Times bestseller! 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 edition uses deckle edges; the uneven paper edge is intentional.

Shay Henrion

I genuinely do not know if I loved or hated this book?

** spoiler alert **
           - 

I really wanted to love this book but ended up being meh about it. It read so slow, I mean there's nothing wrong with slow books as long as the story has substance and things make sense. The plot? Oh you mean the one where Alina and Mal try to stop the darkling? oh wait, that's right, that's grishaverse. Welp this is the same thing *rolling my eyes*. This read like a grishaverse retelling. I am so confused!!! At least in the grishaverse we knew why the darkling wanted all the power, but here? why does the villain want the power?! (I'm sorry, I am very upset at the let down of this book. Please help me understand if I missed anything).

So the story started out interesting, girl (Nadya ) speaking to gods.. heck yea I'm all about it. But 100 pages in Nadya was still annoying, I couldn't stand her. She reminded me a lot of Alina from the grishaverse, "boohoo I have magic, boohoo I don't want it", which irked me. I'm all about a badass MC and this was not a strong character. I had such a hard time connecting with the characters, they were so boring. The dynamic between them was just plain and weird. 
 
The romance was shoved down my throat and it was completely cringeworthy (eww). I typically don't give harsh reviews but I am extremely disappointed with the outcome of this story. I know a lot people loved this book and you know what that is great, but I am super disappointed. This was one of my most anticipated reads of the spring and it turns out it wasn't for me. 

Sadly, this book put me in a slump back in April and I decided to give it another shot, boy do I regret that. Like I said, this wasn't for me but maybe it's good for you guys.

Elisa Bieg

This was one of my most anticipated debuts of the year; and despite some of the negative reviews and criticism killing my buzz a bit, I ended up quite enjoying it.

I am not a fan of summarizing plot in a review, because everyone can read the synopsis for themselves; but what I do want to mention is that this story really does have religious intolerance as its foundation, and I like that very much, because it is always so relevant. Humans seems to be huge fans of picking fights, and unfortunately religion has spurred more than one conflict. That isn't intrinsically a fault of religion itself, in my opinion, but rather of individuals using intolerance as a tool to inflame hate and feed into conflict.

One theme that emerges again and again in the book is how pervasive the culture of hate and intolerance can be.  One of the characters keeps referring to people as "heretic", even after allying with them and even befriending them. She has grown up with that mentality drilled into her, and cannot see past it even after being saved by someone who, by all accounts, should be her mortal enemy and hate her guts.

I think that this type of social commentary on its own is worth a couple of stars. This character's inner dialogue is so strident to the circumstances, that the reader cannot help but cringe at it; and from there one could easily make a parallel into everyday life and actual modern conflicts. I think that prompting that type of reflection in a reader is a definite plus.

Setting aside the parallels to modern politics, I just... really liked the characters! Despite criticisms I've read, personally I think that they are all quite interesting and original, with intriguing backgrounds; and I really liked how their stories and fates intersect. I did feel a bit of a disconnect, they didn't feel quite as solid as they could have been, in my opinion; but I really liked them nevertheless. The three main characters are all morally grey, but they are also intriguing as hell (two out of three, at least), and I wanted to see where they would lead the story.

The dialogue was pretty good. It wasn't quite as sharp as I expected, but it did keep me interested and made me chuckle a couple of times. 

The world building was, in my opinion, the best part of this story, and I really liked how it grounded the characters. The world the author designed was beautiful, rich, and it made complete sense to me. More pieces would fall into place as I read, more bits of history and about the characters themselves, that made it come to life more and more as the story developed. I quite liked how linked the MCs were to the way the culture and politics were set up.

Overall, this was quite an enjoyable read for me, so although I prefer writing that’s slightly more polished, this was still a 4-STAR read for me.

Nicole Dykeman

I had no idea what I was going to rate this book until I turned the last page. I was all over the place—2? 3? 4? And we are settling on 4. 

At first glance, this is an annoyingly cliche enemies-to-lovers romance with a fantastical Joan-of-Arc-inspired conflict/magic system. The fact that this is a magical Joan of Arc retelling is actually SO cool (it’s a period of history I’ve never seen represented in YA before) and the distinctions between divine magic and blood magic are incredibly interesting. The enemies-to-lovers nonsense, though, I could do without. While the romance scenes with Nadya and Malachiasz were certainly well-written, I just wasn’t getting on board because something wasn’t sitting right with me. 

BUT THEN! Plot twist! Things happened that I did not expect! I fell in love with characters I thought I was going to hate (see: Serefin). Tropes were usurped. I was pleasantly surprised. I also appreciated that Nadya is struggling with her belief system by the end of the book, rather than knowing for sure which side of the war is the right one. Characters that have trouble distinguishing between right and wrong are always more interesting than heroes that are always right (cough Aelin Galythinius cough). 

So basically...I thought I wasn’t gonna like this at first but I lowkey loved it? And I want the second book right now?

Megan Lowe

There’s a lot to like about this book.
I love the sass, and the darkness. I like the imagery and the challenging topics, the questioning of faith and purpose.
But I was also a little confused about the names. I couldn’t pronounce them properly, I’d love a pronunciation guide, if for nothing else, accuracy.
But this is a solid book, a series I will continue.

jess

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This book seemed cool from the outset; look, I like dark fantasy, and I generally tend to enjoy all the blood and gore that comes with it. That paired with the Gothic, eastern-European setting made me think this book could be for me despite the mixed reviews I'd read. Alas, the potential was wasted. Despite Wicked Saints seeming like something I'd enjoy, I went into it with trepidation, and it still fell flat.

Wicked Saints focus on three main characters: Nadya, who can channel divine magic, Serefin, a blood mage and a prince, and Malachiasz, a dark and mysterious blood mage. Of these, the only one I really felt interested in was Serefin, but that was more because of his circumstance than because of his personality. I didn't find that either of these three characters were particularly developed; all of them sort of fell flat to me. One big problem I had--and I don't know how relevant this is--is that I could not shake the image of Malachiasz as Kylo Ren from my mind, knowing what I do about the author. Malachiasz really does feel like an expy (see: TV Tropes) of Kylo Ren from Star Wars--both self-serving and manipulative, and power-hungry. This doesn't necessarily make me dislike a character, but I disliked Malachiasz because of it, and his constant manipulation of Nadya.

Despite the fact there are two main male characters, there's not really a love triangle--it sets up Nadya with Malachiasz, and this pairing really frustrated me. It's insta-lust, instant hate-to-love, with Nadya going against all the beliefs she was raised with just because this Tranavian boy is hot, and it drove me literally nuts.

When it comes to the worldbuilding, it really does feel overboard with the blood, but that was really the only unique thing about it. Gothic worldbuilding has been done so much better by other authors, I feel, so this setting just feels like a rehash of things I've seen before. I also want to link to this excellent review by Kiki which goes very in-depth into how religion tends to function in societies and how this book falls short of it, which is especially egregious because religion makes up the backbone of Wicked Saints's worldbuilding. The war that's being fought is a holy war, and yet it's difficult to see how a war the scale of this one has raged on so long.

I couldn't get into Duncan's writing, either. I feel like so much of the book consisted of telling, not showing, and when I'm being told that a character felt something instead of being shown it, I feel much more disconnected from the story and the characters. It felt clunky and disjointed in so many parts.

If you want to read a grimdark book about gods in people's heads and perpetual war, I'd highly suggest reading R.F. Kuang's The Poppy War instead, which has so many elements of this book but ten times better. I ultimately don't recommend this book, except maybe if you're a Kylo Ren stan, and I won't be reading the sequel.

content warnings | self harm, gore

representation | sapphic side character, south-asian coded side characters

jupiter

i listened to the audio book and it was really good, although i was lost at times.... anyways i know how to say their names i just won’t be able to spell them 🤪

i liked the story, the lore and the plot. i love nadya cant wait to see my girl in her boss era! 

for some reason i thought one of the mcs were lgb 😭 maybe in the next book ... ?

Savannah Winchell

Wicked Saints by Emily Duncan
2.5⭐️
- THIS BOOK IS GROSSLY MISS-MARKETED
- I initially gave this book 5 ⭐️ solely bc I enjoyed it a lot and it was my most anticipated book. This book, unfortunately, falls apart under any scrutiny. Essentially you’re dealing with an entertaining story under the fine veneer of a Slavic/goth aesthetic. 
It’s not dark save the color scheme. It challenges no tropes. It is nothing new.
If You go In to this book believing the hype and the marketing you will be disappointed. This book had all the potential in the world, but unfortunately fell flat. My reasoning is below: 

- Nadya is white bread soaked in milk who lacks agency and is wholly devoted to her gods until a pretty boy comes along and she loses faith in literally a week??? Yes. A lifetime of faith dies that quickly bc the plot needed it.

- YOU WILL FEAR HER. why tho????

- Malachaiz is clearly the author’s favorite, which wouldn’t be a problem until you realize it’s at the expense of the MC. 

- Dialogue and banter are very clearly the author’s strengths 

- world concept is intriguing 

- the magic system is pretty inconsistent and changes for convenience. 

- literally all the other characters are so unimportant and unmemorable tho lmao. Tbh they could have just not been there and it would’ve been the same story

- I was solidly entertained tho so that’s nice

Allison Garrett

Wicked Saints, the first in a dark fantasy trilogy by new author Emily Duncan follows a devote acolyte, a prince, and a monster of a boy all three of which are devoted to saving their countries. There are highly political and magical storylines throughout this novel that drew me in immediately. Nadya, Serefin, and Malachiasz sucked me into their dark and complicated world and I’m excited to tell you about it. 
The Good: 
•	Worldbuilding- While at times complex and hard to follow with intense Russian-esque names and places, the world that Duncan has created is magical and unforgettable. 
•	Morally Grey Characters- Monsters are a key theme in this book. What defines them, how they label themselves, and the actions they take change throughout the novel. This was very much a love to hate certain characters type book. 
•	Nadya’s Journey- No spoilers, but I greatly appreciate Nadya’s religious journey as well as her growing confidence throughout the book. 
The Bad: 
•	Malachiasz- I did really like this character and I agree with many readers that he honestly made the whole book. However, he could be almost directly modeled off of Bardugo’s The Darkling from the Shadow and Bone trilogy. This isn’t a huge complaint because I like I said I do appreciate him, but it is worth noting. I also had a hard time figuring out what his true motivations were throughout the novel, Nadya even questions what his end goal is. 
•	Serefin- Serefin’s character is enjoyable I guess but compared to the other storylines it just lacks excitement. 
•	Confusing plotlines- I am not sure if I was just getting the names confused or something, but I genuinely found myself confused in a few instances about what was going on. Especially near the end it just seemed to be moving a little fast and I wasn’t sure what was happening. Some of that was by design I’m sure, but there were parts I don’t think I’ve still gotten and I’ve been digesting the book for a few days now. 
Favorite Quote: “She wanted to, though. Cry like a village maid who’d had her heart broken, not a girl touched by gods who fell for a monster and was devoured.” 

Overall, I’m giving this book a 4.25/5 stars. I tore through it pretty quickly after getting thought the initial few chapters and the Nadya/Malachiasz storyline had me hooked in. I’m really looking forward to the next installment.

Meg Cornhill

It was not my favourite, nor my least favourite book to read. I surprisingly enjoyed the magic system in it, and the connection with the divinity even if all the names are near impossible to pronounce (is there a guide for this anywhere?). It had some pretty big flaws, and I’m not normally one that enjoys romance heavy fantasy books, I prefer it more as a background in the plot but it was still surprisingly enjoyable and I will continue it to see if it gets better.

Leah Patton

I'm very excited about this series. I think it will just get better as it goes.

Elaine

This was a bit of a letdown for me. The story was fascinating  but I couldn't connect to the characters at all. For me that is very important, so I sm kjnd of sad about it. Maxbe it was thd audiobook narrator, but I just didn't care for sny of the characters. Don't know if I'll continue in the series.

Skye

This didn’t read like a debut novel! The writing felt seasoned and natural. I appreciated the pace it was written in as well. Emily Duncan did an excellent job introducing all the characters and challenges, and making us care for them along the way. It took me a couple chapters to get into it, but once I did, I was hooked. I thought the ending was devastatingly lovely, and I can’t wait to see what’s next! My favorite book of the year so far!

Zoë Eitel

I’d give this a 4.5 if I could because a couple things were predictable and the beginning was really hard to get into, but once I got like 100 pages in, I was hooked.

Wicked Saints A Novel

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