Blog Tour Review: Wicked Saints by Emily Duncan

Welcome to my stop for Wicked Saints blog tour! I’m super excited for this tour as it’s my first and Wicked Saints is one of my most anticipated book of the year. It was pitched as a darker Grisha Trilogy, so obviously it sounds perfect for me!

THE BOOK

“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

You’ll love it: if you love Slavic-inspired world building

You all know how much I love atmospheric book, and this book could definitely won the award for the best atmosphere! It is dark and bloody, filled with ancient power of the gods and cold winter frost. It promised war and gore, and this book really delivers! The beautiful prose really transports you to the world without being overbearing, and the world-building was paced really well. Plus, I think it is inspired by middle-age Slavic setting, so it’s definitely a perfect place for me to be!

You’ll love it: if you are fans of the Grisha trilogy, especially Darklina shippers

Aaand, you also know how much I love the Grisha Trilogy; how I think Ravka is one of the best world, how the Darkling is one of the best villains ever, and how Darklina supposed to be endgame. This book did not get compared and recommended for fans of TGT for no reason, it is honestly a perfect alternate universe where everything is more sharper. The world is more refined, the characters are more morally grey, the magic is more cruel and the gods are more deadly. And yes, the romance is also more fleshed out, has more chemistry, and more soul-crushing!

You’ll dislike it: if you expected more originality

My only qualms of this book is how similar it feels with TGT that I could drawn hand-in-hand comparison. Not that it is a bad thing, the similarity could help readers familiarizes themselves with the world and the characters, and it may help you enjoying the story even more. Some people may enjoy the similarities, others may not. It depends on how you view it and how you’ll react to it!

OVERALL 🖤

As one of my most anticipated book on 2019, I had a sky high expectations for Wicked Saints. This book promises dark stories and blood, and it truly delivers. The magic is harsh and the world-building is rich; it sets in a world where the landscape is wide and the gods are blood thirsty creatures. However, the similarities made me uncomfortable. It doesn’t mean that I didn’t enjoyed it; I did! Plus, the story is super intriguing and I can’t wait to see where it would go next!

PRAISES FOR WICKED SAINTS

“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 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

EMILY A. DUNCAN works as a youth services librarian. She received a Master’s degree in library science from Kent State University, which mostly taught her how to find obscure Slavic folklore texts through interlibrary loan systems. When not reading or writing, she enjoys playing copious amounts of video games and dungeons and dragons. Wicked Saints is her first book. She lives in Ohio.