Challenge Corner discussion

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..

oops! I haven't started this yet but I will this weekend!!

No worries! I'm only 25% in but I'm loving it so far! (view spoiler)[I'm worried the vultures are going to catch them... They seem really creepy. Also, I wasn't surprised to learn that he escaped from them. Idk why I suspected it in the first place though. I also thought he could be a Prince... (hide spoiler)] I'll read a bit more tonight after work.

ooo yay! I have so many freaking ARCs right now lol so I was reading my smaller-ish ones before this one.

Ch. 10: (view spoiler)[ooo I'm liking this so far BUT every time I read Tranavian it makes me think about where I used to work - travinia. then i can't stop laughing. (hide spoiler)]

Ch. 20: (view spoiler)[that battle was so freaking good but weird at the same time. why did the vultures kill her? (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 30: (view spoiler)[low-key, not really liking the romance part of this. I thought she would end up with the high prince but at least this is interesting enough. totally saw the betrayal coming a mile away though. (hide spoiler)]
Finished: (view spoiler)[well that was a bit anticlimactic for me. I thought the little battle would be more than that. The cliffhanger wasn't really one but I don't know. I figure this guy was going to betray them but what happened to the gods - why did they leave her? (hide spoiler)]

Finished- (view spoiler)[I'm really disappointed by that ending. In the end I didn't care for any of the characters. I didn't expect the betrayal but it didn't make me feel anything sooo... Idk. The battle/fight scenes could have been better imo.

This book started really strong for me and I really liked it but then it changed. Also, I didn't care about the romance either and I'm confused about the gods situation.

Anyway, I'm probably not going to read the sequel when it comes out. :( The beginning was a 4 stars but in the end it was maybe a 2... (hide spoiler)]

Kelly wrote: " ..."
OMG that battle was ugh! I wanted something way better than that too!!

***************************************************************
***************************************************************

RESTARTING JANUARY 4TH, 2020

*******************************************************************
*******************************************************************

18% (view spoiler)[I really like the way that the book started off. It jumps right into the thick of the story, which I loved. I am glad that I am simultaneously listening to the audiobook while I read the actual book because all the names of people and places have been hella confusing to me. I think that I have them down now for the most part but I went back and reread some of the first chapter because it was a lot to take in at once. That said, I really like the names even if they can be confusing. I think that the world-building is great. I love the magic systems, both Nadya's and the blood mages, and I am so excited to learn more about it. I haven't gotten a good grasp on the characters yet but I like Nadya. I am not entirely sure what to think of Serafin yet. I think I like him though. And I really like Malachiasz for some unknown reason. (hide spoiler)]

39% (view spoiler)[I'm so confused about so many things right now. Maybe I need to go back and reread some of this. First of all, what in the world are the Vultures? I mean, I get that they are blood mages that they are tortured until their magic is more powerful (I think, anyway) but what about that makes them turn into monsters. Like physically turn into monsters. That part I am not getting. I guess I wasn't entirely shocked that Malachiasz is one of them. Or was one of them, rather. I guess he still is but he left them. I am curious about his background so I am itching for more info on him. I am totally shipping what I am guessing will be the romantic angle in the book - between Nadya and Malachiasz. I can see so much conflict in it since they have opposing beliefs and I am totally here for that. I don't think that I am following Serefin's part of the story as much. I don't get his personal motivation. I am curious about his father and what the heck is going on behind the scenes with the Vultures, his father, and the whole Rawalyk thing. There must be something that I either haven't picked up on yet or hasn't been revealed. But something is coming. And I will be honest, I have no idea what nonsense Pelageya was spouting off to Serefin. Some of it sounded like maybe a prophecy about Serefin, Nadya, and Malachiasz but then she mentioned a queen and she kept spouting off about blood and I didn't know what to make of it. Anyway, I'm still hella confused by a lot of things right now but I am also really liking parts of the story that I get. (hide spoiler)]

60% (view spoiler)[Will this book have a love triangle, I wonder? Now that Nadya is undercover and competing in the Rawalyk it seems like she has caught the prince's attention. And then that duel was pretty great. I wonder what ramifications if any there will be for Nadya using blood magic, even if it was by accident. (hide spoiler)]

79% (view spoiler)[Wow, I really wasn't expecting Malachiasz's little reveal there. Nope, not at all. I knew that there was something off about him, something secretive, but I didn't anticipate that he was the Black Vulture. Though, I am honestly still not sure of what his endgame is. His actions are so mysterious that I can't place his intentions. I also wasn't expecting that he is the prince's cousin. So yeah, plot twist. I am still a bit confused about the pendant and the "god" that was talking to Nadya. Also, I couldn't tell if she used blood magic or some other magic of her own to open the door when she was trying to escape that bloody room. And Pelageya is as confusing as ever. I can't get a grasp on her either. (hide spoiler)]

Finished (view spoiler)[Okay, so I wasn't anticipating the plot twists that popped up at the end of this story. I don't even know how to react to them if I'm being honest. And is it just me or is anyone else hella confused about a lot of things that happened in this book? For instance, I am not entirely sure what was up with Serefin dying and coming back to life with stars and moths? Did any of that make sense to anyone else? And did that mean that his father actually did have the power of a god for a short time? I feel like I have more unanswered questions than I should. Overall, I liked the book though. I liked the darkness of it. (hide spoiler)]

20%

(view spoiler)[Okay, this kinda reminds me of Avatar: The Last Airbender. I feel like this is going to be a slow-reading since the world-building confuses me (hide spoiler)]

ikram wrote: "20%

[spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[I felt the same way about the world-building when I first started. It has some great world-building, but it is a lot to take in at first. It gets easier the more you read, but I honestly had to go back and reread the first chapter because all the names were confusing me at first. (hide spoiler)]

Ugh, my copy has not come in yet. I promise to start as soon as I get my hands on it!

DNF at 35%

(view spoiler)[ Okay guys, I'm going to be real. I'm bored with this book. Not only it's confusing, but it's really slow-paced book for me. It's shame that it looks promising, but yeah, I think this book isn't for me at all. (hide spoiler)]

ikram wrote: "DNF at 35%

[spoilers removed]"

I am sorry that you didn't like it. Sometimes that happens though. I would much rather invest my time in a book that I enjoy.