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Reviewed by:
  • Wicked Saints by Emily A. Duncan
  • Fiona Hartley-Kroeger
Duncan, Emily A. Wicked Saints. Wednesday/St. Martin’s, 2019 [400p]
Trade ed. ISBN 978-1-250-19566-1 $18.99
E-book ed. ISBN 978-1-250-19568-5 $9.99
Reviewed from galleys R Gr. 9-12

As the last magic-wielder in Kalyazin, Nadya communes with the gods and channels the powers they grant. She also is training to be a secret weapon in Kalyazin’s holy war with the heretical neighboring nation of Tranavia, and when the Tranavian crown prince, Serefin, attacks Nadya’s remote monastery home, she flees and falls in with two friendly travelers, Rashid and Parijahan, and their disturbing but personable Tranavian deserter friend Malachiasz. The motley crew hatches a plot to assassinate the Tranavian king, and they make their way into enemy territory. A climactic alliance of the erstwhile enemies against the power-hungry king comes together a bit too easily; even with Nadya’s and Serefin’s two alternating points of view providing sympathetic insight, it’s hard to believe that Nadya could so easily overlook Serefin’s supposed killing of her best friend and numerous others. Still, Nadya’s attraction to the enigmatic, anxiety-ridden Malachiasz is as entertaining as her semi-denial about it; rarely does a dark, magical epic have so effective a character-grounded sense of humor. The secondary characters are an engaging and diverse bunch, and they, as well as the intriguing pantheon of temperamental gods, invite further readerly investment. Some terrific plot twists, including Nadya’s realization that she may not know everything about her gods, provide compelling sequel material. [End Page 294]

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