Seven Faceless Saints by M.K. Lobb: A Dark and Gritty YA Fantasy That Doesn’t Flinch (Review)

SEVEN FACELESS SAINTS

Author: M.K. Lobb

Series: Seven Faceless Saints #1
Source: eARC via Publisher
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: February 7, 2023

Overall Rating:
Diversity Rating:
Representation: bisexual main character

Summary:

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

Rossana Lacertosa doesn’t believe in saints. After her father’s murder at the hands of the Ombrazia military, she’s willing to do whatever it takes to dismantle the corrupt system. Even if she has to pay for it in blood—or face the boy who broke her heart.

Damian Venturi is sworn to protect the city. As the youngest captain of the Palazzo security in history, Damian is expected to be ruthless, strong, and to serve the saints with unquestioning devotion. But three years spent fighting a gruesome, never-ending war left Damian with deeper scars than he wants to admit…and too many questions he’s afraid to ask.

When a murderer begins using the city’s slums as a hunting ground, targeting the weak and unprotected, the saints and their disciples are all too happy to look the other way. That is until a disciple ends up in the morgue. Tasked with finding the disciple’s killer, Damian’s investigation leads him to Roz, his childhood friend turned enemy. Together, they will have to put their past feelings aside to find the truth hiding in the pitch-black underbelly of Ombrazia.

As they unravel the mysteries behind the murders, they will discover that there’s something far more sinister—and far less holy—lurking beneath the surface. With darkness closing in and time running out, will Roz and Damian be able to save their city from an evil so powerful that it threatens to destroy everything in its path?

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Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book and chose to review it. This in no way impacts my opinion. Thank you to Little, Brown Books For Young Readers for the opportunity to review!

Content Warning: violence and murder (including graphic descriptions of dead bodies and murder scenes), needles, torture, physical abuse, war, aftermath of war, references to PTSD and trauma, death of a parent, religious oppression, class-based discrimination, grief, survivor's guilt, blood, injury, gaslighting, emotional manipulation, neglectful parent, militarized state violence, alcohol consumption

Set in a city ruled by saints and shadowed by rebellion, Seven Faceless Saints by M.K. Lobb follows Roz, a disciple bent on vengeance, and Damian, a reluctant soldier of the regime, as they uncover a string of murders and their tangled past. This dark YA fantasy blends mystery, faith, and fury in a gripping story of power, grief, and resistance.

There’s something so compelling about a second chance, not just at love, but at trust, at justice, and at figuring out who you are in a world that keeps trying to tell you otherwise. That’s what kept me turning the pages of Seven Faceless Saints. The dynamic between Roz and Damian, childhood friends turned ideological opposites, was the strongest part of the novel for me. I was rooting for them to figure it out. Not necessarily romantically, but emotionally. I love a story where the characters could reconcile, but it isn’t guaranteed. That tension really worked.

Roz was my favourite of the two main characters and I enjoyed being in her perspective. She’s rightfully angry, unwavering in her beliefs, and driven in a way that felt earned. I just wish we had seen more of her relationships outside of Damian. There are hints of depth there that I’m hopeful will be explored further in the sequel. Damian, on the other hand, felt too wishy-washy for me. I understood what the book was trying to do with him by showing the cost of complicity and war, but I wanted more decisiveness from him, especially since he’s meant to be a captain and a leader.

The murder mystery elements were strong, with enough clues sprinkled throughout to make the reveals satisfying. I did guess some pieces along the way, but the ending still surprised me, which I always appreciate. I just would have loved to see more emphasis on the worldbuilding and the magic system. The foundations are there: saints, disciples, a city divided by power and faith. But it felt like only the surface was explored.

Even so, I’m definitely planning to read the next one. The setup has me intrigued, and I want to see how the story deepens, especially with those character relationships and the magical elements. This was a solid debut with lots of potential, and I’m excited to see where it goes next.

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