Publisher’s Description of The Lives of Saints

Enter the world of the Grishaverse and Shadow and Bone, now a Netflix original series!

Dive into the epic world of international bestselling author Leigh Bardugo with this beautifully illustrated replica of The Lives of Saints, the Istorii Sanktya, featuring tales of saints drawn from the beloved novels and beyond. Out of the pages of the Shadow and Bone trilogy, from the hands of Alina Starkov to yours, the Istorii Sanktya is a magical keepsake from the Grishaverse.

These tales include miracles and martyrdoms from familiar saints like Sankta Lizabeta of the Roses and Sankt Ilya in Chains, to the strange and obscure stories of Sankta Ursula, Sankta Maradi, and the Starless Saint.

This beautiful collection includes stunning full-color illustrations of each story.

Rebecca’s Thoughts on The Lives of Saints

Is anyone else excited about the Grishaverse coming to Netflix?

Because I AM!

So when Leigh Bardugo’s The Lives of Saints popped up on NetGalley, I requested it.

I’m not usually one for short story collections, but I’ve read the Shadow and Bone Trilogy as well as the Six of Crows Duology and loved them both. So, I figured I had little to lose.

The downside, The Lives of Saints stories are . . . you got it. Short. You don’t get that deep character building that sets Leigh Bardugo’s books apart from the pack.

But what you do is get delicious bit-sized nuggets of story. Each story is filled with Bardugo’s lyrical description of setting and character plus cold, fierce justice. A few of the saints will familiar to those who have read the Grishaverse books.

These stories are perfect for just before bed or when you need a quick break before diving in the next thing on your “to do” list and don’t have time to get lost in a full-length book.

I read the audio version of the book and thought the performances were great. The illustrations in the print book are supposed to be lovely, though, so going that direction is not a bad call either.

Fans of Shadow and Bone and Six of Crows will love the added depth into the cultures, fables, and religions in the stories.

Recommended, especially for Leigh Bardugo fans. And let me know in the comments if you’re watching on Netflix. I know I’m not the only one planning to binge this series! Season 1 just launched!

I received a free advanced reader copy of The Lives of Saints in exchange for an unbiased review.

The Lives of Saints was published on October 6, 2020. You can add it to your “want to read” list on Goodreads, or order on Indiebound, Barnes & Noble, or Amazon.

If The Lives of Saints sounds good, you might like these other young adult fantasy books we’ve recently reviewed:

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Everything that Burns by Gita Trelease

Girl, Serpent, Thorn by Melissa Bashardoust

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