3.5⭐

I didn't really know what to expect from Saint Death’s Daughter by C.S.E. Cooney, so I went in with no specific expectations. What I found was a coming-of-age story set in a fantasy world overflowing with creativity and imagination. This beast of a book was a cauldron of rich world-building, eccentric characters, and prose unlike any I'd come across before. It blended darker themes with deep emotional stakes, and the themes of family and legacy gave it weight amidst the unending quirkiness. It earned a solid 3.5 out of 5 stars for its creativity and heart, but the excessive wordiness and long-windedness clipped its wings.

The book followed Miscellaneous “Lanie” Stones, a teenage necromancer in the kingdom of Liriat, where her family served as royal assassins and enforcers. But even among her family of colorful characters, Lanie was a tad more unique and special: she was a necromancer with the terrible luck of also being allergic to violence. Not a good combination. And definitely something Laney had to contend with in her journey from feeble and withdrawn little sister and forgotten daughter, to a young woman confident in herself, at peace with her powers, and surrounded by her loving chosen family.

Saint Death’s Daughter was not an easy book to read, however. It was super whimsical, yet dark. Cutesy but steeped in violence and death. The world-building was detailed and bulging. There was an unending array of characters that zoomed by or flitted around, and periodically came into focus just when I'd forgotten who they were supposed to be, and the vocabulary was oversaturated in color. Not unenjoyable, but definitely laborious to get through. Overwhelming at times—and the reason why it took me nearly four months to finish it, when typically I can knock down that page-count in 2 to 3 days.

As beautiful and vivid as the prose was, I wish it had been more restrained for the majority of the story so Cooney’s lyrical style could have shined all the brighter during the high festivals of summer, autumn, winter, and spring, when Lanie's powers overtook and overwhelmed her, and everything became sparkly, citrusy and soaked in magic, color, scent and rhymes. Instead, the overuse of all that exuberant, flowery, intricate vocabulary bogged down the pace, making the plot drag and feel heavy and unwelcoming.

The slow-burn plot and dense prose tested my resolve to see this novel through. It was a book that demanded time, but if you sank into it, it rewarded you. It sure built up. The latter chapters were a lot more gripping, intense, and interesting than I would have first believed this story able to achieve. It was a heavy, densely packed, and laborious book to read, but it was ultimately worth it.

If you have a short attention span or an aversion to overly complicated writing, this will not be the book for you. Saint Death’s Daughter was dazzling, but bloated. I would personally not read it again, but I'm glad to have stuck with it till the end. But if you're a big fan of fantasy, with an emphasis on rich world-building, lush prose, and compelling character-driven stories, this one might just end up tickling your fancy.

**I received an e-ARC of this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. **

The fact that it took me more than three years from this book's publication date to write this review should speak for itself....

Clearly, Cooney is a VERY talented writer--and she wants you to know it. Quirkiness for the sake of itself rather than for character building; worldbuilding so bogged down in details (most of them gratuitous, irrelevant, and/or confusing) that it sacrifices plot clarity, pacing, and character arcs; and a magic system that might have been brilliant if it were ever explained--or perhaps I just missed it in the 600 pages of dense narration.

And I was really disappointed, because the premise of this story is so genuinely interesting and original that even after three years of picking up this book and putting it down two chapters later (because that's about all I could manage at a time before I needed a break), I still kept coming back to try to finish it. But.... When you have to take a deep breath before beginning a new page because you know you'll have to slog through 4 or 5 tangents before you can even begin to parse what might be happening and why--it just sucks all the fun out of what should be an immersive, engaging reading experience.



***Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for providing me with a digital copy of this book to review.***

If your holiday gift recipient needs a little soft-hearted necromancy, look no further than Outland game designer C. S. E. Cooney's World Fantasy Award winning novel Saint Death's Daughter. Lanie Stones is a necromancer with a literal allergy violence, who must survive the turmoil of a nation after the ruler is murdered. The sequel, Saint Death's Herald, is due out in April, so giving this one over the winter holiday is a great way to get your friend hooked in time for the next book to arrive!

This book was fun but often got stuck in the world building. It reminds me of the sweeping world and humor of the discworld series by Terry prachett but lacked the ability to not info dump on the reader. This book had a lot of potential, and I look forward to seeing what is in the future for this author.

I think when I requested this, I saw the word "royal" and ran with it but from the bat I could tell it was the sort of fantasy I just don't click with and I ended up DNF'ing - I do think a big part of this was that I chose to listen to the audiobook and I really didn't like the narrator but truthfully I think that just helped me decide to dnf sooner than if I'd read on my kindle.

The is a charming, very character driven story that follows the MC as she deals with her magic, family, love and along the way threats of her country being invaded but that last one is easy to forget since the book meanders on its way. I saw one review note there was about 200 pages of plot in 500 pages of book which is a little harsh but not too far off. I gave it 3.5 stars but rounded up since I want to read the next one. (That is my typical way to measure for rounding; do I care enough to keep reading). The reason I care to keep reading is the characters and their relationships. I like the various non-romantic relationship though the one romantic one will be interesting to see where it goes because it is one of the more confusing points. I would recommend this if you like character driven book but not recommend this if you are more plot focused or will have issues with the world-building. The magic and political system has some real issues is you start thinking about it too much. I am excited for the next one that seems to be more of a road trip story and it will be interesting to see the further world.

The world-building was absolutely incredible and so vividly detailed; exploring different religions, cultures, languages and even magic systems that I found myself totally immersed.

Amazing! Loved the plot, loved the characters, loved the magic system, loved the whole thing!
IT ripped out my heart and sowed it back together several times.

I forgot to leave a review for this, but I really enjoyed it! It's been out for ages, so I won't say much more than I need to for my star rating. <3

I loved the premise of this and thought the writing was really lush, but the more I tried to read it the more it felt hard to retain and keep focused. This is definitely a case of my own brain not working with the writing, as much as I was interested, much to my regret. May give this another shot in the future.

Firstly, thank you to Netgalley, C.S.E. Cooney and Rebellion, Solaris for the opportunity to read this ARC in return for an honest review. The following is entirely my own views.

Having had this on my TBR for ages I thought it was about time I had a read of this. I'll confess I picked this based on the front cover. BUT overall, I enjoyed it. It took me until about a third of the book to get invested in the story and the characters. But once we had the addition of Mak and Datu and after the Blackbird Bride the story completely took off. We got to watch Lanie develop friendships and saw her character and confidence build throughout the remainder of the story.

My favourite parts were definitely the Lover's Complaint and Havoc and co. - this was when we could really see Lanie coming alive. The parts with Conan Lir were mixed. Initially enjoyable and towards the end, just a little confusing and I am almost hoping a second book comes out to explain his reasons and also for Lanie to finish the business she promised to Haakan.

I wanted more chapters like we were introduced to with Lanie, Datu and the puppy. It would have been great to see Lanie's use of the gods towards the end - both with the Blackbird Bride and also Mak at the end. The final chapters were still good, they showed how far Lanie had come, how confident and how unlike Grandpa Rad she was. They just seemed a little rushed - a little lacking in detail compared to earlier chapters. It lacked power and emphasis to me.

However, as I say, I did actually enjoy this. I am sitting somewhere around a 3-3.5 stars and will look for a second part if it does ever come out. To tie off some of the loose ends and unanswered questions.

A complex plot, compelling characters, word playing quirky names and superb world building. What’s not to love.

Do you love a darkly humorous and brilliantly queer fantasy novel that will make you fall in love with the characters and their world? Then you need to read Saint Death's Daughter by C. S. E Cooney! This book is a fun and flirty read that follows Lanie, a young necromancer who has a special bond with the goddess of death, but also a severe allergy to violence and bloodshed. She has to deal with her family's legacy of royal assassins, her sister's madness, her grandfather's ghost, and her own destiny as she navigates a complex and dangerous political landscape. Along the way, she finds friendship, romance, and adventure in the most unexpected places.

Saint Death's Daughter is a fast-paced and engaging read that will keep you hooked from the first page to the last. The characters are well-developed and realistic, with flaws and strengths that make them relatable and likable. The chemistry between Lanie and her love interests is adorable and sizzling, and the romance is diverse and inclusive. The plot is full of twists and turns that will keep you guessing and on the edge of your seat. The writing style is smooth and easy to follow, with vivid descriptions and witty dialogue. C. S. E Cooney is a talented author who knows how to write a captivating story that will leave you breathless. She won the 2023 World Fantasy Award for this novel, and it's easy to see why. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a blackly funny and gloriously queer fantasy with love, beauty, and necromancy.

#SaintsDeathsDaughter #NetGalley

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for giving me a free eARC of this book to read in exchange for my review!

This was really good and exactly what I expected going into it. However, o just could not get into it. There’s no particular reason I just found it very meh overall

Unfortunately the story didn't grab my attention and felt like it was dragging~ but thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with the opportunity to read this novel.

Whimsically dark fantasy and is possibly the most original and enchanting book.

Lanie Stones, the youngest daughter of Liriat’s Royal Assassin and Chief Executioner has never led a normal life. Born with a gift for necromancy and allergic to violence, she was raised in isolation at the family’s crumbling mansion by her friend and revenant Goody Graves.

But when her parents are murdered, it falls to Lanie and her murderess sister Nita to settle the family’s debts or loose their ancestral home—and Goody with it. Appeals to Liriat’s ruler are ignored …until she too, is murdered throwing the entire nation into doubt.

The world-building was absolutely amazing and so very detailed. The history and Lore incorporated was also really enjoyable—if rather dark—honestly,

The long cast of supporting characters that seemingly gravitates around Lanie is also really entertaining and thanks to the first person perspective we get a lot of details into them all. My favorites were Goody Graves and Canon Lir. There is some Addams family vibes from this story which I think makes it more enjoyable.

I really enjoyed this overall, it was a little slow to start but definitely a fully detailed fantasy, that I would fully recommend to others.

Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

It took my awhile to get into the story, but once I did I was able to immerse myself really well. The world building gave a great full circle experience. The characters had their flaws, but I appreciated their stories.

I've always loved books featuring death magic, and this one was no exception. I adored the rich, descriptive prose of this story, the distinctively whimsical writing style, the injection of dark humour running through the narrative, and most of all the family relationships explored in this story - both found and blood.