19 books we can’t wait to get our hands on in 2019

Wicked Saints – Emily A. Duncan

Also coming out in April next year is Emily A. Duncan’s Wicked Saints, her debut novel and the first book in a gothic series dubbed Something Dark and Holy. If the gorgeous cover art isn’t enough to convince readers to pick this one up, the book’s summary should do the trick.

Wicked Saints appears to be a multi-perspective work, following three characters: a peasant girl who can speak to gods, a prince whose life is in danger, and a boy with a treacherous secret. As if the three don’t have enough on their plates, they’ll have to assassinate the king of their realm in order to end a war that’s lasted centuries.

The synopsis doesn’t offer much more than that, though it does promise a “shadowy world” and a “forbidden romance,” two things that add excitement to almost any story. Those details, along with the story’s high stakes and interesting cast, are sure to make Wicked Saints a promising debut.

In the cover reveal for the book, Wednesday Books also mentioned that Wicked Saints is inspired by the story of Joan of Arc. It’ll be fun to see how Duncan works that inspiration into her own story, especially given the fantasy components of Wicked Saints. The title and basis of the story seem to imply that it will include religious commentary, though readers will have to wait to see if that’s the case.

Readers with a soft spot for darker tales and retellings will want to pick up Wicked Saints when it comes out on April 2.