3/5

For fans of: Leigh Bardugo, Kerri Maniscalo, friends-to-enemies-to-lovers, murder mystery, horror, dark fantasy, pining, crisis of faith, rebellion, magic vs non-magic

The Big Questions:

• What genre is this in? Romantic fantasy, mystery

• Are there any swoon-worthy characters? Damian Venturi is a brooding, broken man filled with guilt and failure. He also is the biggest simp for his childhood love and greatest heartache, Rossana Lacertosa. She is all fire and righteous steel with only one weakness, her childhood love and greatest heartache, Damian.

• Is it spicy? A sprinkle of spice that fades to black

• Is it violent or gory? PG-13 level violence with daggers and pistols, gory descriptions of dead bodies

• Should I buy, borrow, or pass on this book? Borrow or buy it! Highly Recommend!

Synopsis: In this thrilling sequel to Seven Faceless Saints, perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo and Kerri Maniscalco, Roz and Damian must face their destiny as the world crumbles around them.

Damian Venturi isn't aware of it yet. But as small shifts start to crack the foundations of the Ombrazian power structure after the Rebellion's attack, cracks are beginning to show in Damian's own facade. Uncontrollable anger is bubbling to the surface and can't always be pushed down. Can he keep everyone safe, even from himself?

Rossana Lacertosa should feel victorious. She accomplished everything she set out to do, and more. The Rebellion's attack set countless prisoners free and brought attention to the unfairness in the Palazzo's structure. And Damian is back by her side where he belongs. Yet the war with Brechaat rages on and government officials are hellbent on keeping the status quo.

Then an Ombrazian general arrives from the front lines, and orders dozens of arrests, shipping Roz and Damian's friends up north. Determined to free those who matter most, Roz and Damian set their sights on Brechaat. But their journey is dogged by strange magic, and Damian shifts further from the boy he used to be.

The complications of love, magic, faith, and war will keep readers eagerly turning the pages as they head towards the gripping conclusion in the Seven Faceless Saints duology.

Review: I really had high hopes for this sequel, but it just fell flat for me. The dynamic between Roz and Damian was not giving what I needed it to give. I was hoping that the other relationships in the book would fill the gap but no, by the end, I could not care less about any of the side characters. We also have a new general swooping in to deal with the rebellion and I just could not get Sue Sylvester out of my head whenever she entered the scene. It didn’t help. The main positive I had from this book was the world building. I loved delving deeper into the history and mythology of the saints, especially the dynamic between Patience and Chaos. And the Atheneum was PERFECTION. I needed so much more time there. Back to what didn’t work for me: the plot and pacing. There wasn’t room to breath. There is a middle book somewhere here that could have dealt with Roz and Damian’s shifting relationship that would have made the changes more real and devastating. The world building has so much potential that could have been explored much deeper in a middle book. Everything, however, wraps up quite neatly as needed for a YA novel. Maybe, a little too neatly.