Blog Tour~Wicked Saints by Emily A. Duncan

Series: Something Dark and Holy #1
Release date: April 2nd 2019
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Pre-order: Amazon

Synopsis via Goodreads:

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.

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.

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REVIEWS:

“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

“Wicked Saints is a lush, brutal, compelling fantasy that is dark, deep, and bloody—absolutely riveting! With a boy who is both man and monster, mysterious saints with uncertain motives, and a girl filled with holy magic who is just beginning to understand the full reaches of her power, this gothic jewel of a story will sink its visceral iron claws into you, never letting go until you’ve turned the last page. And truthfully, not even then -the explosive ending will haunt you for days!” - Robin LaFevers, New York
Times bestselling author of the His Fair Assassin trilogy

“Dark, bloody, and monstrously romantic. This is the villain love interest that we've all been waiting for.” - Margaret Rogerson, New York Times bestselling author of An Enchantment of Ravens

"Seductively dark and enchanting, Wicked Saints is a trance you won’t want to wake from. Duncan has skillfully erected a world like no other, complete with provocative magic, sinister creatures, and a plot that keeps you guessing. This spellbinding YA fantasy will bewitch readers to the very last page." - Adrienne Young, New York Times bestselling author of Sky in the Deep

Review: Sky in the Deep by Adrienne Young

Release Date: April 24th 2018
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Purchase: Amazon

Synopsis via Goodreads:

OND ELDR. BREATHE FIRE.

Raised to be a warrior, seventeen-year-old Eelyn fights alongside her Aska clansmen in an ancient, rivalry against the Riki clan. Her life is brutal but simple: fight and survive. Until the day she sees the impossible on the battlefield—her brother, fighting with the enemy—the brother she watched die five years ago.

Faced with her brother's betrayal, she must survive the winter in the mountains with the Riki, in a village where every neighbor is an enemy, every battle scar possibly one she delivered. But when the Riki village is raided by a ruthless clan thought to be a legend, Eelyn is even more desperate to get back to her beloved family.

She is given no choice but to trust Fiske, her brother’s friend, who sees her as a threat. They must do the impossible: unite the clans to fight together, or risk being slaughtered one by one. Driven by a love for her clan and her growing love for Fiske, Eelyn must confront her own definition of loyalty and family while daring to put her faith in the people she’s spent her life hating.

*Publisher approved request via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Such a great story. From the characters to the different tribes, this world of war, family, loyalty, and adventure had me invested from beginning to end. 

I must start out by saying Eelyn is quite a strong young woman, and her strength was depicted not only when it came to fighting next to her father and other men in her village, but it's also her willpower and sheer determination to survive in the enemy's camp and make it home. Yes, she could be rash at times and put herself and others at risk, but Eelyn was true to her heart and would make that leap without hesitation, something not many could do. I actually liked how fearless she was, some may find her impulsive but in those situations, her reaction was understandable. And although she went through hell at the beginning of being captured, it was interesting how she eased up toward Fiske's family and their way of life. Eelyn is definitely a warrior to the core, but she also showed a softer, vulnerable side to Fiske's little brother and in time towards him and his family. But honestly, if she remained pissed at her brother for the entire story, I'd be okay with that too. In spite of the fact that she also felt guilty about what happened to him and how he ended up with the Riki people.

The relationship between Eelyn and Fiske was a growing one, and there was a lot of tension to break through before their defenses started to fizzle away. But I loved that. The story moved at a steady pace and there was never a lagging moment, but with those two, it slowed down a bit, as if to give them time to allow their true emotions to come forth. And I liked the choices they made at the end because with both being from opposite clans that have warred for centuries, I was concerned with how things would turn out and if they'd give their hearts this freedom to love no matter what. 

There's not much else I could say without giving too much away, other than the fact that it was interesting seeing how a mutual enemy could finally unite two warring clans and potentially put an end to a belief, which was crazy to think that people would fight based on something like that anyway. I mean, the fact that they had children learning how to kill and sending them out to war at the age of twelve was truly scary. I doubt I could survive in such a situation. But although I hate wars and people fighting for power or just because they happen to come from different villages, I must say I do like that women are treated equally and are trained and placed at the forefront to fight alongside the men. And this story proves that women can be just as tough and heroic, and not only love and hold the family down. So kudos to Adrienne for delivering such a fantastic and well-written story and I look forward to her next work. 

About the Author

Adrienne Young is a born and bred Texan turned California girl. She is a foodie with a deep love of history and travel and a shameless addiction to coffee. When she’s not writing, you can find her on her yoga mat, scouring antique fairs for old books, sipping wine over long dinners, or disappearing into her favorite art museums. She lives with her documentary filmmaker husband and their four little wildlings beneath the West Coast sun.

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