Blog Tour: Pronunciation Guide and Review of Wicked Saints (Something Dark and Holy #1) by Emily A. Duncan

One of the most highly anticipated YA fantasy books of 2019 is here and it's everything! I have a pronunciation guide and a review to share with you all! Keep on reading to find out more!

Synopsis

“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

Pronunciation Guide

Review

★★★★★

I'm still processing my feelings regarding Wicked Saints. The current leading emotions are shock and excitement. Shock because of the story and the way this first portion ended, and excitement tinged with dread because I'm ready for the next installment in the Something Dark and Holy Series yet will have to wait an entire year to get it. I went through the full gamut while reading this story. 

Isn't that the way with great books though? You read through them in no time, taking part in adventures and lives, only to find your self wishing you had more to read featuring the characters you've fallen for. Wicked Saints and it's character are like that. I couldn't help but fall for Nadya and her conviction and grit. I grieved with her when she lost all those she cared for and felt her confusion at what she had always thought as the truth. And I shared in her feelings every step of the way, including the confusion and frustration she felt when things became challenging.

It wasn't just Nadya I fell for. The unlikely group with Anna, Malachiasz, Parijahan, Rashid, Serefin, Ostyia. and Kacper were all characters I fell for, feared for, and related to. To find people with opposing philosophies willing to work together for the greater good was a strong theme.  Emily A. Duncan's characters are well developed and flawed but still likable. You find your self not only empathizing but at moments sympathizing with people you didn't like at one point. 

There isn't much that can be said about Wicked Saints without ruining the reading experiences of others. The story is fast paced and rich with action and emotion. I loved how nuanced the story was, and how even though set in a world not rooted in reality, it still felt relative to the modern world and issues many regions and cultures face. In all honesty, this book has to be read to be understood and experienced. I applaud Emily A. Duncan for a fantastic debut novel and a wonderful start to a series, and very eagerly look forward to the next installment and further development of the spell-binding plot.

*A galley was provided by the publisher via Netgalley. All opinions and views are my own and I was not compensated for them in any manner*

Buy Links

https://static.macmillan.com/static/smp/wicked-saints/

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.

Website: https://eaduncan.com/
Twitter: @glitzandshadows
Instagram: @glitzandshadows
Tumblr: http://glitzandshadows.tumblr.com/