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“We’re all monsters, Nadya, some of us just hide it better than others.”
Wicked Saints is a young adult dark fantasy about a girl who can speak to gods, a boy with a dark secret, and a prince of a country that has denounced the gods and in their place have taken up blood magic. Trigger warning for a considerable amount of self-harm and intense violence.
Buckle up, my thoughts on this one are complex. Overall, Wicked Saints was a three star read for me. I have several critiques, but I overall enjoyed the story. The book caught my attention right away, with a slight lull in the middle, and an incredibly fast paced ending. If you are looking for a darker YA fantasy you may enjoy this! There are numerous morally grey characters that provide intrigue to the plot, but they could use more development. Our main character started to fall to the wayside, looking more like simply an insta-love interest of another character, who then appeared to be more interesting and have more potential depth.
I applaud the author for taking on the concept of religion and culture, which I personally think isn’t as explored as other current themes in fantasy. That being said, I found myself trying to dig for more in the magic system and religion. I understand not explaining everything in the first book of the series, but I found it hard to root for Nadya and her quest to end a war against “heretics” (big claim!) when we don’t understand why they are so bad after all. Wicked Saints has a different and intriguing concept, but lacks depth in the world building. I found it to be more confusing than complex. I look forward to seeing how the world and religion develops more in the second book, which I do plan on reading!
Overall, Wicked Saints is an interesting read that I think many teens would like and find to be edgier than most YA fantasy. From a critical adult eye it’s possible you may see room for development of characters and world. I look forward to the second book and learning more about the magic and religion!
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