Seven Faceless Saints

By: M.K. Lobb

Narrated by: Barrie Kreinik, Sean Patrick Hopkins, Saskia Maarleveld

Discover what’s lurking in the shadows in this dark fantasy debut with a murder-mystery twist, perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo and Kerri Maniscalco.

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?

©2022 M.K. Lobb (P)2022 Hachette Audio

Critic reviews

“A dark and delicious murder mystery. M.K. Lobb has created a fantastical and evocative world, blending the genres of fantasy, romance, and a murder mystery into one epic story. With lush prose, gripping characters, and an intricate lore that will keep you turning the pages, Seven Faceless Saints is an absolute hit.” (Adalyn Grace, New York Times bestselling author of Belladonna)

"Seven Faceless Saints is the rich taste of ceremonial wine, stolen kisses at midnight, a gallery lined by shrouded statues, and the flames of a corrupt system as it burns to the ground. M.K. Lobb has crafted an intricate world that is both dark and alluring; the perfect backdrop for the tempestuous romance of the two protagonists." (Lyndall Clipstone, author of Lakesedge and Forestfall)

"With an impressive and balanced command of gorgeous prose and compelling pace, Seven Faceless Saints draws its readers into a mystery as intelligent as it is intriguing. I thoroughly enjoyed the richness of Ombrazia, which perfectly complements the fresh, compelling characters Lobb has so artfully woven into this story’s every page. Truly, this is an exceptional debut, sure to find many, many fans." (Ayana Gray, New York Times-bestselling author of the Beasts of Prey trilogy)

Very friends to enemies to lovers

Was expecting more magic, but the characters were cool. I do love dual voice actors though.

great book and I hear the author is very cool.

Really good world building and great complex characters. Plot was exciting and kept me guessing til the end. Had me questioning what is real, which in the context of the story is a good thing!

Forced Romance got in the way

I thought it was going to be a fairly intriguing murder mystery/thriller, but the obvious forced relationship was just painful. The female protagonist is angry and short-sighted to the point of being boring and the male protagonist is so mind numbingly clueless and malleable that you just don't care about the things they care about. it's difficult to relate to them because they're caricatures not characters.

and the big mystery reveal is simply that. There's never any clever detective work. Just endless bickering punctuated by bland physical pining until the bad guy does a full Scooby-Doo plot reveal. No work was required by either protagonist to catch the bad guy at all. So if they're not relatable and they don't solve anything, why do they even exist??