4.5/5

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 the city of Ombrazia, saints and their disciples rule with terrifying and unjust power, playing favorites while the unfavored struggle to survive.

After her father’s murder at the hands of the Ombrazian military, Rossana Lacertosa is willing to do whatever it takes to dismantle the corrupt system—tapping into her powers as a disciple of Patience, joining the rebellion, and facing the boy who broke her heart. As the youngest captain in the history of Palazzo security, Damian Venturi is expected to be ruthless and strong, and to serve the saints with unquestioning devotion. But three years spent fighting in a never-ending war have left him with deeper scars than he wants to admit… and a fear of confronting the girl he left behind.

Now a murderer stalks Ombrazia’s citizens. As the body count climbs, the Palazzo is all too happy to look the other way—that is, until a disciple becomes the newest victim. With every lead turning into a dead end, Damian and Roz must team up to find the killer, even if it means digging up buried emotions. As they dive into the underbelly of Ombrazia, the pair will discover something more sinister—and far less holy. With darkness closing in and time running out, will they be able to save the city from an evil so powerful that it threatens to destroy everything in its path?

Review: WOW, what a devour-able debut! With elements of Rome, specifically the Vatican, the world feels fully realized. History and religion are intertwined as society is divided between those favored with magic and those not. Further divisions within those with magic form a very rigid society built on the faith in seven saints. The unfavored fight the wars and serve the favored, all while being given the least of what this supposedly beautiful society can offer. The city is rife with corruption and barely hangs on by the ideals of the seven saints.

This is not lost on Rossana, a young woman once thought to not be favored, but later develops the power to manipulate metal. Had her past experience with the favored not been so horrific and painful, she would probably relate more to her best friend-turned-reviled enemy, Damian. While she resents the favored and does not care for the saints, Damian desires desperately for all of that and more. Sent to the war as an unfavored and failed son of a favored general, his experience destroyed him. While he sees how the system isn’t perfect, he wants nothing more than to do his part and believe in the ideals he was raised in. Their relationship is fraught with anger, hurt, betrayal, and unrelenting love.

Brought together by murders affecting them both, their relationship was the biggest highlight of the book. I loved their back and forth on the merits of their society, the role of faith, the need for constructive criticism of systems of power, and actions needed to bring about real, society change. All the while, pining for each other and the relationship they once had. Throughout this development, the plot moves swiftly as the murders pile up, discoveries lead to a larger and more devious plot, and the city edges closer and closer to chaos. I had a blast reading this. The quick pace in both plot and character development as well as the twists and turns as they chased down an elusive murderer kept me on my toes. The sequel, Disciples of Chaos, will be a highlight of my reading in 2024!