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Saints of Storm and Sorrow
In this fiercely imaginative Filipino-inspired fantasy debut, a bisexual nun hiding a goddess-given gift is unwillingly transformed into a lightning rod for her people's struggle against colonization.
Perfect for fans of lush fantasy full of morally ambiguous characters, including The Poppy War and The Jasmine Throne.
Maria Lunurin has been living a double life for as long as she can remember. To the world, she is Sister Maria, dutiful nun and devoted servant of Aynila's Codicían colonizers. But behind closed doors, she is a stormcaller, chosen daughter of the Aynilan goddess Anitun Tabu. In hiding not only from the Codicíans and their witch hunts, but also from the vengeful eye of her slighted goddess, Lunurin does what she can to protect her fellow Aynilans and the small family she has created in the convent: her lover Catalina, and Cat's younger sister Inez.
Lunurin is determined to keep her head down—until one day she makes a devastating discovery, which threatens to tear her family apart. In desperation, she turns for help to Alon Dakila, heir to Aynila's most powerful family, who has been ardently in love with her for years. But this choice sets in motion a chain of events beyond her control, awakening Anitun Tabu's rage and putting everyone Lunurin loves in terrible danger. Torn between the call of Alon's magic and Catalina's jealousy, her duty to her family and to her people, Lunurin can no longer keep Anitun Tabu's fury at bay.
The goddess of storms demands vengeance. And she will sweep aside anyone who stands in her way.
Perfect for fans of lush fantasy full of morally ambiguous characters, including The Poppy War and The Jasmine Throne.
Maria Lunurin has been living a double life for as long as she can remember. To the world, she is Sister Maria, dutiful nun and devoted servant of Aynila's Codicían colonizers. But behind closed doors, she is a stormcaller, chosen daughter of the Aynilan goddess Anitun Tabu. In hiding not only from the Codicíans and their witch hunts, but also from the vengeful eye of her slighted goddess, Lunurin does what she can to protect her fellow Aynilans and the small family she has created in the convent: her lover Catalina, and Cat's younger sister Inez.
Lunurin is determined to keep her head down—until one day she makes a devastating discovery, which threatens to tear her family apart. In desperation, she turns for help to Alon Dakila, heir to Aynila's most powerful family, who has been ardently in love with her for years. But this choice sets in motion a chain of events beyond her control, awakening Anitun Tabu's rage and putting everyone Lunurin loves in terrible danger. Torn between the call of Alon's magic and Catalina's jealousy, her duty to her family and to her people, Lunurin can no longer keep Anitun Tabu's fury at bay.
The goddess of storms demands vengeance. And she will sweep aside anyone who stands in her way.
486 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 25, 2024
About the author
Gabriella Buba
1 book62 followersGabriella Buba is a writer and chemical engineer who likes to keep explosive pyrophoric materials safely contained in pressure vessels or between the covers of her books. She writes Filipino epic fantasy for bold, bi, brown women who deserve to see their stories centered.
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Want to read
January 15, 2024
Shelved as 'unreleased'
April 15, 2024THAT COVER + FILIPINO INSPIRED + MORALLY GREY BISEXUALS RAHHH OMG.
arc acquired and i’m so excited!
arc acquired and i’m so excited!
June 4, 2024
I applaud the author for doing the research and writing a story that feels really authentic. The author's note at the end is definitely a must-read if you're interested in religious syncretism and colonization's effects on Indigenous beliefs.
Within the first few chapters, you can feel yourself immersed in Aynila's lush tropical island setting while also feeling constricted by the Codicían's oppressive society. I was really impressed with how the world felt lived-in, with its cast of characters from different backgrounds and their respective positions within this colonized society.
There's definitely a wide gulf between the Indigenous Aynilans on their side of the island vs. the Codicían colonizers in their Palisade, but I think the author did well with showing how the Aynilans have been forced to live with the Codicíans and adhere to their beliefs and way of life.
Praise aside, I really wish this had been a more engaging read for me. I would've rated this much higher if it hadn't read so melodramatic and even YA at certain parts. There were some odd phrasings here and there. And some aspects made zero sense to me.
I honestly didn't understand the magic system.
"[...] a tide-touched needed their tongue to pull waves, and a firetender their hands to calm a volcano or shape flame."
Okay, makes sense.
"'I'm a stormcaller!" Lunurin exclaimed in frustration. 'Unless you keep my hair shaved, I will call storms with it!'"
But it turns out that Lunurin, a stormcaller, uses her hair to create storms??? And letting even one strand loose meant that a breeze will blow, while letting her entire hair down meant a thunderstorm???
There was a scene between Lunurin and Alon, her male love interest, where he washed her hair. And it started to rain because... her hair was down?? Lord, I was so lost.
Points for creativity, I guess.
There was a scene where Lunurin asked Alon to safeguard her mutya, a mother-of-pearl comb and hairstick that she uses to put up her hair to... lessen the effects of her magic(?) (I think?) or maybe control her magic(?) idek.
Anyway. So, because she didn't have her mutya, the goddess, Anitun Tabu, goes out of control and... possesses her???
If she grew up with this magic power, then shouldn't she have known that that would happen??? Sure, that entire scene/plot arc was a lot **SPOILERS** , but giving up the one thing that would control her powers/put her goddess on mute made absolutely NO sense to me.
And another thing...
I was under the assumption that the marriage of convenience trope applied to Lunurin and Alon. But there was a point where Lunurin was unhappy that Alon was busy governing his community and wanted him to spend more time with her. Before that entire scene where she complained that he left her alone for an entire week, I didn't get the vibe that she actually wanted this marriage.
And Lunurin kept implying that she was still in love with Cat, but she also wanted to take this marriage of convenience with Alon seriously.
And this wasn't a poly situation either. It was all so messy and I was so lost.
This is why I'm aromantic. I hate this stuff. Truly.
And lastly, the queer rep...
Cat was the only other fully fleshed out queer character, and for her character arc to go the way that it did felt really... off to me. Idk. I'm waiting to see what other reviewers will say.
Anyway...
If you've made it this far, here are a couple of things that confused me and made me chuckle (and not in a good way...):
There was no lead up to this random rough sex scene, so I was left feeling confused more than anything. Did Cat eat Lunurin? What in the world...
And this one:
What in the Harlequin mass market paperback romance novel
Anyway.
If you like melodrama and stories about oppressed peoples with magic, then this is definitely for you. I just wish it was less melodramatic and more cohesive. It was all over the place and at times, it felt like it was trying to take on way too much all at once.
Thank you to Titan Books for this arc.
Within the first few chapters, you can feel yourself immersed in Aynila's lush tropical island setting while also feeling constricted by the Codicían's oppressive society. I was really impressed with how the world felt lived-in, with its cast of characters from different backgrounds and their respective positions within this colonized society.
There's definitely a wide gulf between the Indigenous Aynilans on their side of the island vs. the Codicían colonizers in their Palisade, but I think the author did well with showing how the Aynilans have been forced to live with the Codicíans and adhere to their beliefs and way of life.
Praise aside, I really wish this had been a more engaging read for me. I would've rated this much higher if it hadn't read so melodramatic and even YA at certain parts. There were some odd phrasings here and there. And some aspects made zero sense to me.
I honestly didn't understand the magic system.
"[...] a tide-touched needed their tongue to pull waves, and a firetender their hands to calm a volcano or shape flame."
Okay, makes sense.
"'I'm a stormcaller!" Lunurin exclaimed in frustration. 'Unless you keep my hair shaved, I will call storms with it!'"
But it turns out that Lunurin, a stormcaller, uses her hair to create storms??? And letting even one strand loose meant that a breeze will blow, while letting her entire hair down meant a thunderstorm???
There was a scene between Lunurin and Alon, her male love interest, where he washed her hair. And it started to rain because... her hair was down?? Lord, I was so lost.
Points for creativity, I guess.
There was a scene where Lunurin asked Alon to safeguard her mutya, a mother-of-pearl comb and hairstick that she uses to put up her hair to... lessen the effects of her magic(?) (I think?) or maybe control her magic(?) idek.
Anyway. So, because she didn't have her mutya, the goddess, Anitun Tabu, goes out of control and... possesses her???
If she grew up with this magic power, then shouldn't she have known that that would happen??? Sure, that entire scene/plot arc was a lot **SPOILERS** , but giving up the one thing that would control her powers/put her goddess on mute made absolutely NO sense to me.
And another thing...
I was under the assumption that the marriage of convenience trope applied to Lunurin and Alon. But there was a point where Lunurin was unhappy that Alon was busy governing his community and wanted him to spend more time with her. Before that entire scene where she complained that he left her alone for an entire week, I didn't get the vibe that she actually wanted this marriage.
And Lunurin kept implying that she was still in love with Cat, but she also wanted to take this marriage of convenience with Alon seriously.
And this wasn't a poly situation either. It was all so messy and I was so lost.
This is why I'm aromantic. I hate this stuff. Truly.
And lastly, the queer rep...
Cat was the only other fully fleshed out queer character, and for her character arc to go the way that it did felt really... off to me. Idk. I'm waiting to see what other reviewers will say.
Anyway...
If you've made it this far, here are a couple of things that confused me and made me chuckle (and not in a good way...):
She bit back every hiss and grunt of discomfort as Catalina tried to devour her, a memory, a sacrifice, one final time to lie together in sin. The freshly knit edges of Lunurin’s skin, where metal bars had gouged her flesh, gave. She bled sluggishly onto the pallet, but at last, Cat lay over her, drenched with sweat, panting, and smiling as she only did when she’d finally sated her appetite.
There was no lead up to this random rough sex scene, so I was left feeling confused more than anything. Did Cat eat Lunurin? What in the world...
And this one:
Goddess but he was so much, like wet silk wrapped around a furnace.
What in the Harlequin mass market paperback romance novel
Anyway.
If you like melodrama and stories about oppressed peoples with magic, then this is definitely for you. I just wish it was less melodramatic and more cohesive. It was all over the place and at times, it felt like it was trying to take on way too much all at once.
Thank you to Titan Books for this arc.
July 16, 2023
I beta-d this before the author was agented. So I’m aware that there have been revisions with their agent and their editor. However…
THAT VERSION WAS ALREADY SO GOOD AND HAD ME BY THE THROAT. LUNURIN IS SO UNHINGED IN THE BEST WAY AND I WOULD SO ANYTHING—ANYTHING—FOR HER. AND DO NOT GEG ME STARTED ON ALON. OR THE THEMES AND THE NARRATIVE (avoiding spoliers here).
This is a book of my dreams. It deals with colonialism and the visceral ways it impacts us and our relationships and our beliefs.
I can’t wait to see how it got EVEN BETTER and for everyone, especially Filipinos, to see a narrative that is so teleserye coded.
THAT VERSION WAS ALREADY SO GOOD AND HAD ME BY THE THROAT. LUNURIN IS SO UNHINGED IN THE BEST WAY AND I WOULD SO ANYTHING—ANYTHING—FOR HER. AND DO NOT GEG ME STARTED ON ALON. OR THE THEMES AND THE NARRATIVE (avoiding spoliers here).
This is a book of my dreams. It deals with colonialism and the visceral ways it impacts us and our relationships and our beliefs.
I can’t wait to see how it got EVEN BETTER and for everyone, especially Filipinos, to see a narrative that is so teleserye coded.
June 25, 2024
3.5 (rounded up)
Saints of Storm and Sorrow is a wonderfully lush, evocative, and beautifully raw Filipino-inspired fantasy debut that explores the harsh realities and nuances of assimilation, of faith and its deconstruction, and the role of the Church during the Spanish colonialism in the Phillippines.
Lunurin, a stormcaller blessed by her goddess, hiding as a nun with her lover Catalina and Catalina’s sister, Inez, until one day events pushes her to enter into a marriage with her childhood friend, Alon, who has been in love with her for years. Here, Buba weaves together a compelling tale of anger, grief, and ultimately healing as Lunurin soon becomes a symbol of rebellion for the Aynilan people against their colonizers. I really appreciated how Lunurin and Catalina become representative of the different elements of colonialism and assimilation through their mixed-blood heritage and how Buba delicately explores these different intertwining perspectives through their rocky relationship.
While I thoroughly enjoyed this story and the themes examined, I did feel that it was a bit hard to get into the story at first as the prologue and first couple of chapters did little to explain the magic system outside of a few mentions of the tide-touched, and it wasn’t until about a third into the book that I managed to get a grasp onto Lunurin’s power and the existence of the different goddesses.
Overall, this was a great debut full of well-written prose, albeit with some small structural issues. All in all, I am definitely looking forward to what Buba will write next.
Thank you to Netgalley and Titan Books for providing this e-arc in exchange for an honest review. All opinions in this review are my own.
Saints of Storm and Sorrow is a wonderfully lush, evocative, and beautifully raw Filipino-inspired fantasy debut that explores the harsh realities and nuances of assimilation, of faith and its deconstruction, and the role of the Church during the Spanish colonialism in the Phillippines.
Lunurin, a stormcaller blessed by her goddess, hiding as a nun with her lover Catalina and Catalina’s sister, Inez, until one day events pushes her to enter into a marriage with her childhood friend, Alon, who has been in love with her for years. Here, Buba weaves together a compelling tale of anger, grief, and ultimately healing as Lunurin soon becomes a symbol of rebellion for the Aynilan people against their colonizers. I really appreciated how Lunurin and Catalina become representative of the different elements of colonialism and assimilation through their mixed-blood heritage and how Buba delicately explores these different intertwining perspectives through their rocky relationship.
While I thoroughly enjoyed this story and the themes examined, I did feel that it was a bit hard to get into the story at first as the prologue and first couple of chapters did little to explain the magic system outside of a few mentions of the tide-touched, and it wasn’t until about a third into the book that I managed to get a grasp onto Lunurin’s power and the existence of the different goddesses.
Overall, this was a great debut full of well-written prose, albeit with some small structural issues. All in all, I am definitely looking forward to what Buba will write next.
Thank you to Netgalley and Titan Books for providing this e-arc in exchange for an honest review. All opinions in this review are my own.
May 26, 2024
This was an interesting book with a good setting and a good premise, but ultimately it didn’t work for me.
The books are set in the Philippines in the 16th century, under Spanish colonial rule. (The author gives them different names, in the same kind of way Guy Gavriel Kay does, but I’m going to ignore that for purposes of this review.) The main character is Maria Lunurin - Lunurin her name from birth, Maria the name she took when she accepted baptism and became a nun. Her mother was a native Filipino woman; her father was a Spanish priest.
Lunurin is an avatar (Priestess? Saint? I’m not sure what the best term here is) of the native goddess of storms, something she has to keep carefully hidden while in the convent unless she wants to be burned as a witch. The goddess she serves is an elemental being of instincts and feelings, and she is *angry*. An idea that comes up frequently in the book is that the storm doesn’t heal, and it doesn’t build, but it can avenge. She is angry over the deaths and indignities her people have suffered at Spanish hands. She is angry that her statue has been renamed “Saint Mary the Drowned” (with a story spun about a Filipino woman who converted and drowned in sorrow when her husband and son wouldn’t renounce their heathen ways) and put into a cathedral. She is angry that her chosen people are burned as witches. And she wants Lunurin to use her power to destroy the Spanish and drive them into the sea.
Unfortunately, a typhoon is a blunt instrument, and Lunurin is unwilling to unleash a once-in-a-thousand-years storm on Manila - it would certainly destroy the Spanish, but it would also destroy her friends and family and many innocents. The goddess doesn’t care - she just wants her vengeance, and Lunurin has to work very, very hard to keep the goddess from working her will.
The other main character is Alon, the son of the chief Filipino official under the Spanish governor. He is in the position of wanting to please his father (who wants power and authority under Spanish rule) and protect his people from Spanish demands, while also preserving his people and their culture. He’s also been in love with Lunurin since they were kids, and himself is an avatar of a different member of the native pantheon, so to say he’s conflicted would be an understatement.
It’s a good set-up, and I’m always a sucker for books that are rooted in cultures I’m unfamiliar with. It didn’t work for me for two reasons. One is that the Spaniards were too villainous. Obviously this is an anti-colonial book, and I don’t want to seem like I’m defending colonialism, but none of the Spaniards in this book had any redeeming features. Colonialism is an evil system, but people are people. A kind Spanish friend to Lunurin, or a monk or nun of genuine faith who wanted to save the Filipino souls but not burn witches or stamp out their culture, would have gone a long way to fixing this. But there’s no one of the sort, and the book feels unbalanced for it. The other problem is that I *hate* it when tension in a story comes from when two people who are on the same side and have good will towards each other refuse to talk to each other. I hate it, hate it, hate it. And there was a lot in here.
Ultimately a decent book, but a flawed one.
My blog
The books are set in the Philippines in the 16th century, under Spanish colonial rule. (The author gives them different names, in the same kind of way Guy Gavriel Kay does, but I’m going to ignore that for purposes of this review.) The main character is Maria Lunurin - Lunurin her name from birth, Maria the name she took when she accepted baptism and became a nun. Her mother was a native Filipino woman; her father was a Spanish priest.
Lunurin is an avatar (Priestess? Saint? I’m not sure what the best term here is) of the native goddess of storms, something she has to keep carefully hidden while in the convent unless she wants to be burned as a witch. The goddess she serves is an elemental being of instincts and feelings, and she is *angry*. An idea that comes up frequently in the book is that the storm doesn’t heal, and it doesn’t build, but it can avenge. She is angry over the deaths and indignities her people have suffered at Spanish hands. She is angry that her statue has been renamed “Saint Mary the Drowned” (with a story spun about a Filipino woman who converted and drowned in sorrow when her husband and son wouldn’t renounce their heathen ways) and put into a cathedral. She is angry that her chosen people are burned as witches. And she wants Lunurin to use her power to destroy the Spanish and drive them into the sea.
Unfortunately, a typhoon is a blunt instrument, and Lunurin is unwilling to unleash a once-in-a-thousand-years storm on Manila - it would certainly destroy the Spanish, but it would also destroy her friends and family and many innocents. The goddess doesn’t care - she just wants her vengeance, and Lunurin has to work very, very hard to keep the goddess from working her will.
The other main character is Alon, the son of the chief Filipino official under the Spanish governor. He is in the position of wanting to please his father (who wants power and authority under Spanish rule) and protect his people from Spanish demands, while also preserving his people and their culture. He’s also been in love with Lunurin since they were kids, and himself is an avatar of a different member of the native pantheon, so to say he’s conflicted would be an understatement.
It’s a good set-up, and I’m always a sucker for books that are rooted in cultures I’m unfamiliar with. It didn’t work for me for two reasons. One is that the Spaniards were too villainous. Obviously this is an anti-colonial book, and I don’t want to seem like I’m defending colonialism, but none of the Spaniards in this book had any redeeming features. Colonialism is an evil system, but people are people. A kind Spanish friend to Lunurin, or a monk or nun of genuine faith who wanted to save the Filipino souls but not burn witches or stamp out their culture, would have gone a long way to fixing this. But there’s no one of the sort, and the book feels unbalanced for it. The other problem is that I *hate* it when tension in a story comes from when two people who are on the same side and have good will towards each other refuse to talk to each other. I hate it, hate it, hate it. And there was a lot in here.
Ultimately a decent book, but a flawed one.
My blog
June 11, 2024
Thank you to NetGalley & Titan for sending me an arc in return for an honest review!
Saints of Storm and Sorrow is a captivating Filipino inspired fantasy following a bisexual nun who has powers that she can’t control
The magic and world in this were incredible, i had so much fun learning and seeing the different powers explored and how they could work in tandem/be a part of the world. The magic system/powers in this are used to combat the colonisation of her people, and as such also the christianism that is being pushed against them. By having the powers have a god-given sense it really helped to add complexity to the characters as well as the world itself. However i do feel that the magic system was a little unclear at times and i never fully understood what was happening.
From the beginning of the book Cat and Lunurin have been dating for a while, but the book explores the breakdown of their relationship, and Cat’s obsession with religion is used to represent unmoving christian beliefs (i assume). i hated cat, she was such a whiny character to read about and everything she did was so annoying. i get why she’s there and the love that Lunurin has for her is a large part of her growth, but cat treated her horribly and never even tried to accept Lunurin’s identity and help her. It’s literally said that Cat does bad things when she’s angry - like why even bother stay with her?!?? it just really bugged me how they stayed together because they ‘loved each other’ even though cat was manipulative and horrible to Lunurin, and what she did at the end just consolidated that i was right to never like her.
Alon and Lunurin’s relationships begins as a marriage of convenience, but then grows into a real relationship which i did enjoy and was sweet but the lack of communication for a while was definitely annoying.
The amalgamation and moment of climax were well done, the lead up poised the story as one of revenge and whilst we did see the revenge, the characters didn’t lose everything about themselves as is sometimes done. The ending was dramatic and wrapped things up really nicely!
Overall a fun and revenge filled fantasy story with interesting character dynamics and a filipino inspired world commenting on religion and colonisation
Saints of Storm and Sorrow is a captivating Filipino inspired fantasy following a bisexual nun who has powers that she can’t control
The magic and world in this were incredible, i had so much fun learning and seeing the different powers explored and how they could work in tandem/be a part of the world. The magic system/powers in this are used to combat the colonisation of her people, and as such also the christianism that is being pushed against them. By having the powers have a god-given sense it really helped to add complexity to the characters as well as the world itself. However i do feel that the magic system was a little unclear at times and i never fully understood what was happening.
From the beginning of the book Cat and Lunurin have been dating for a while, but the book explores the breakdown of their relationship, and Cat’s obsession with religion is used to represent unmoving christian beliefs (i assume). i hated cat, she was such a whiny character to read about and everything she did was so annoying. i get why she’s there and the love that Lunurin has for her is a large part of her growth, but cat treated her horribly and never even tried to accept Lunurin’s identity and help her. It’s literally said that Cat does bad things when she’s angry - like why even bother stay with her?!?? it just really bugged me how they stayed together because they ‘loved each other’ even though cat was manipulative and horrible to Lunurin, and what she did at the end just consolidated that i was right to never like her.
Alon and Lunurin’s relationships begins as a marriage of convenience, but then grows into a real relationship which i did enjoy and was sweet but the lack of communication for a while was definitely annoying.
The amalgamation and moment of climax were well done, the lead up poised the story as one of revenge and whilst we did see the revenge, the characters didn’t lose everything about themselves as is sometimes done. The ending was dramatic and wrapped things up really nicely!
Overall a fun and revenge filled fantasy story with interesting character dynamics and a filipino inspired world commenting on religion and colonisation
June 27, 2024
I just finished this book and I am in shambles.
(see content warnings at the end)
This is an intense, dark, anti-colonization, queer fantasy set in a Filipino-inspired land during the Spanish colonization of the Philippines. Lunurin, storm bringer and lightning wielder, hides that she’s goddess blessed.
A novel overflowing with vengeance, grief, and primal rage, this is a story of a woman, one of the last of her kind, who tires of making herself small to endure the whims of white men.
As the last chapter came on and sat there staring at the wall like: “so how the fuck do I review this?”
Saints of Storms and Sorrows is in no way perfect. I see its flaws and yet Buba is an author with something to say and her voice echoes loudly over a century after the Spaniards pillaged our home land.
The Philippines is known as the only Christian nation in Asia with close to 80% of the population identifying as Roman Catholic. The current collective Filipino identity is so closely associated with Catholicism but its origins are brutal- Columbus came to a flourishing, native land with its own beliefs, languages, and culture, but deemed us uncivilized heathens only fit to be exploited, converted, and used as goldmine for resources.
Just knowing how much lived Philippine history went into this fantasy world hurts so much. I feel open and raw. My wounds weeping with scabs picked off and bleeding. Knowing my people were subjugated and forcefully civilized and converted to Catholicism under 333 years of Spanish colonization instead of having had Lunurin save them has me struggling to breathe.
Buba takes the historical narrative and flips it on its head offering freedom from the success of Spanish conquest that we know today and offers Filipinos their freedom, even if it’s just in a fantasy world.
Honestly, my biggest gripe with this book was that the male audio narrator was absolutely terrible. I feel like he didnt coordinate with the female narrator on how to pronounce words as most of the names he pronounced a DIFFERENT way. He also had a heavy American accent which when pronouncing Filipino-inspired words triggered me, most especially since this is an anti-colonization novel.
This is not a book meant for everyone. But if it is for you, I highly recommend picking up a physical copy.
READ THIS IF YOU LIKE: Sword of Kaigen and Blood over Bright Haven by ML Wang, To Shape a Dragon’s Breath by Moniquill Blackgoose, She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan, The Poppy War by RF Kuang, A Broken Blade by Melissa Blair, The Wolf of Oren-Yaro by K.S. Villoso, So Let Them Burn by Kamilah Cole
CONTENT WARNINGS:
(see content warnings at the end)
This is an intense, dark, anti-colonization, queer fantasy set in a Filipino-inspired land during the Spanish colonization of the Philippines. Lunurin, storm bringer and lightning wielder, hides that she’s goddess blessed.
A novel overflowing with vengeance, grief, and primal rage, this is a story of a woman, one of the last of her kind, who tires of making herself small to endure the whims of white men.
As the last chapter came on and sat there staring at the wall like: “so how the fuck do I review this?”
Saints of Storms and Sorrows is in no way perfect. I see its flaws and yet Buba is an author with something to say and her voice echoes loudly over a century after the Spaniards pillaged our home land.
The Philippines is known as the only Christian nation in Asia with close to 80% of the population identifying as Roman Catholic. The current collective Filipino identity is so closely associated with Catholicism but its origins are brutal- Columbus came to a flourishing, native land with its own beliefs, languages, and culture, but deemed us uncivilized heathens only fit to be exploited, converted, and used as goldmine for resources.
Just knowing how much lived Philippine history went into this fantasy world hurts so much. I feel open and raw. My wounds weeping with scabs picked off and bleeding. Knowing my people were subjugated and forcefully civilized and converted to Catholicism under 333 years of Spanish colonization instead of having had Lunurin save them has me struggling to breathe.
Buba takes the historical narrative and flips it on its head offering freedom from the success of Spanish conquest that we know today and offers Filipinos their freedom, even if it’s just in a fantasy world.
Honestly, my biggest gripe with this book was that the male audio narrator was absolutely terrible. I feel like he didnt coordinate with the female narrator on how to pronounce words as most of the names he pronounced a DIFFERENT way. He also had a heavy American accent which when pronouncing Filipino-inspired words triggered me, most especially since this is an anti-colonization novel.
This is not a book meant for everyone. But if it is for you, I highly recommend picking up a physical copy.
READ THIS IF YOU LIKE: Sword of Kaigen and Blood over Bright Haven by ML Wang, To Shape a Dragon’s Breath by Moniquill Blackgoose, She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan, The Poppy War by RF Kuang, A Broken Blade by Melissa Blair, The Wolf of Oren-Yaro by K.S. Villoso, So Let Them Burn by Kamilah Cole
CONTENT WARNINGS:
Shelved as 'dnf'
June 17, 2024dnf @40%
i really wanted to like this, but unfortunately, it missed the mark for me.
i'm almost halfway through and... not a lot has happened for what feels like is supposed to be an epic fantasy.
the characters didn't feel very strong to me except for the fmc's girlfriend, who's bought into all the christian rhetoric, so i found it really weird for the fmc to be paired up with her.
the magic system was confusing to figure out and despite taking place in the 15/16th century, one of the characters uses the phrase "pathological liars" which... i'm pretty sure were not a thing yet.
i was excited for the rep but i would've dnf'd even sooner if it wasn't an arc read, but i'm going to be true to my reading tastes and dnf now.
also i don't know if i'm just missing it bc it's an arc, but considering is a large piece of the book and pretty detailed, there should definitely be trigger warnings somewhere in here.
i really wanted to like this, but unfortunately, it missed the mark for me.
i'm almost halfway through and... not a lot has happened for what feels like is supposed to be an epic fantasy.
the characters didn't feel very strong to me except for the fmc's girlfriend, who's bought into all the christian rhetoric, so i found it really weird for the fmc to be paired up with her.
the magic system was confusing to figure out and despite taking place in the 15/16th century, one of the characters uses the phrase "pathological liars" which... i'm pretty sure were not a thing yet.
i was excited for the rep but i would've dnf'd even sooner if it wasn't an arc read, but i'm going to be true to my reading tastes and dnf now.
also i don't know if i'm just missing it bc it's an arc, but considering is a large piece of the book and pretty detailed, there should definitely be trigger warnings somewhere in here.
Shelved as 'dnf'
June 28, 2024DNF @ 21%
Sister Maria Lunurin lives her life under the thumb of the colonial empire that has taken over her country. Her people have ben stripped of their magic and culture, and are now forced to convert to the religious beliefs of those they now serve. Lunurin plays the role of the dutiful nun, but behind closed doors, she is a powerful Stormcaller - hiding, not only from the colonizers’ witch hunts, but also from her own vengeful goddess.
I am so sad to be DNFing this book right now, since I’ve really been looking forward to this release, but I need to put my mental health first. Sadly, this book contains triggering content that is worsening my anxiety (like religious trauma and the sexual assault of a minor).
From the 100 pages that I have read, I do think this will be a book that many people can enjoy. It is well written (from what I can tell), and deals with interesting real-world topics like colonization, discrimination, and religion.
I’ll maybe give this book another try when I’m feeling better mentally, but until then…
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ALC of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Sister Maria Lunurin lives her life under the thumb of the colonial empire that has taken over her country. Her people have ben stripped of their magic and culture, and are now forced to convert to the religious beliefs of those they now serve. Lunurin plays the role of the dutiful nun, but behind closed doors, she is a powerful Stormcaller - hiding, not only from the colonizers’ witch hunts, but also from her own vengeful goddess.
I am so sad to be DNFing this book right now, since I’ve really been looking forward to this release, but I need to put my mental health first. Sadly, this book contains triggering content that is worsening my anxiety (like religious trauma and the sexual assault of a minor).
From the 100 pages that I have read, I do think this will be a book that many people can enjoy. It is well written (from what I can tell), and deals with interesting real-world topics like colonization, discrimination, and religion.
I’ll maybe give this book another try when I’m feeling better mentally, but until then…
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ALC of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Want to read
August 14, 20238/14/2023
ahhh another filipino inspired fantasy yayyyy!!!
ahhh another filipino inspired fantasy yayyyy!!!
June 4, 2024
This was a compelling read with a fascinating storyline, but I wish there was another round of edits to clean up some structural issues.
I loved the Filipino culture explored in this, but because I'm not familiar with many Filipino terms I couldn't tell if my ignorance was due to it being a fantasy book term, or an actual Filipino cultural staple. In general, there was a lot of confusion in the first quarter of the book. I was trying to decipher how powers are distributed, what the mutya was, and why Lunurin was being sent away from her family. Most of this important background was glossed over to rush us into the present day. It was a critical need to understand that there are three goddesses, that 13 year olds dive for oysters and some are granted blessings from the goddesses and therefore have abilities. I also was initially confused on what the mutya had to do with using the abilities, and why Lunurin was an outcast.
It took far too much time to explore that Lunurin was unable to control her abilities and killed scores of people at the behest of her goddess. I had a vague idea, but no details. She's just suddenly sent off on a ship to another island where she meets Alon.
However, there was so much to love about this. I loved seeing Lunurin's internal struggle as she tried to reconcile her past as a stormcaller, and her present relative safety as a nun. Her pain trying to stifle her abilities in order to avoid the witch hunting catholics was so well written. On top of her being forced to essentially renounce her heritage, she is in love with another nun, Cat. They are everything to one another, but even that relationship is forbidden by the church. This relationship was incredibly interesting because of Cat's contradictory nature. She is truly devoted to God and her faith is her anchor, and because of this she shuns everything that makes Lunurin unique. Cat cannot accept that her lover would not denounce her abilities, she truly believes that Lunurin could stop having abilities if her faith was strong enough. It was a fantastic glance into the aftereffects of colonization, and the devastation that the Christian religion wreaked on many countries. Religious extremism is a strong theme throughout the book and it shows that religion and colonization go hand in hand to control native populations.
As evidenced by the above, Cat was unbearable. She claimed to love Lunurin, yet she betrayed her over and over again. She tried to make her change her basic nature, and constantly degraded her attempts to keep them all safe. She couldn't see past her own fear and the propaganda being fed to her by the church. It was incredibly difficult to watch Lunurin continue to be infatuated with her when Cat treated her like trash.
Alon was everything you could want in a MMC. He was always there for Lunurin, he never tried to overstep in her relationship with Cat, and he always believed that she could be more than destruction. That being said, there was an odd dynamic shift midway in the story where she became distrustful of Alon and his kindness even though they've been friends for 10 plus years. She has always known him to heal those who come to him, even though it endangers his position. He has water based powers and his people have been hunted down ruthlessly by the colonizers, so every risk he takes to help others is extreme. That being said, it was hard for me to believe that she didn't trust that he was helping her without strings attached. They've been healing and arranging escapes for gifted people on the DL for ages, but she can't trust him? Her anger at him for saving her life by cutting her hair was odd, as well as the anger for his father- she knew what she was getting into and he is nothing like his father?
In general Lunurin comes off as rather fickle. One moment she's incredibly proud of her gift, the next she's cursing the goddess for the destructive nature of it. Her anger comes out of nowhere, and she loses control. She's trying to hide from her goddess, then the next second she's calling a storm and nearly killing the Lakan. She's angry at Alon and others for a situation she created. All he has done is clean up every single one of her messes without complaining.
Overall, this was a fast paced and interesting concept, but I wish the execution was a bit better. I was left with questions for too long, and wanted more from Lunurin. I absolutely loved the dive into colonialism and religion; it was honestly the best part of the book! Such great looks into Christian guilt and corruption between the church and state. I think this will be a huge hit with lots of readers, and can't wait to see their thoughts. :)
Thanks NetGalley for the advanced readers copy!
I loved the Filipino culture explored in this, but because I'm not familiar with many Filipino terms I couldn't tell if my ignorance was due to it being a fantasy book term, or an actual Filipino cultural staple. In general, there was a lot of confusion in the first quarter of the book. I was trying to decipher how powers are distributed, what the mutya was, and why Lunurin was being sent away from her family. Most of this important background was glossed over to rush us into the present day. It was a critical need to understand that there are three goddesses, that 13 year olds dive for oysters and some are granted blessings from the goddesses and therefore have abilities. I also was initially confused on what the mutya had to do with using the abilities, and why Lunurin was an outcast.
It took far too much time to explore that Lunurin was unable to control her abilities and killed scores of people at the behest of her goddess. I had a vague idea, but no details. She's just suddenly sent off on a ship to another island where she meets Alon.
However, there was so much to love about this. I loved seeing Lunurin's internal struggle as she tried to reconcile her past as a stormcaller, and her present relative safety as a nun. Her pain trying to stifle her abilities in order to avoid the witch hunting catholics was so well written. On top of her being forced to essentially renounce her heritage, she is in love with another nun, Cat. They are everything to one another, but even that relationship is forbidden by the church. This relationship was incredibly interesting because of Cat's contradictory nature. She is truly devoted to God and her faith is her anchor, and because of this she shuns everything that makes Lunurin unique. Cat cannot accept that her lover would not denounce her abilities, she truly believes that Lunurin could stop having abilities if her faith was strong enough. It was a fantastic glance into the aftereffects of colonization, and the devastation that the Christian religion wreaked on many countries. Religious extremism is a strong theme throughout the book and it shows that religion and colonization go hand in hand to control native populations.
As evidenced by the above, Cat was unbearable. She claimed to love Lunurin, yet she betrayed her over and over again. She tried to make her change her basic nature, and constantly degraded her attempts to keep them all safe. She couldn't see past her own fear and the propaganda being fed to her by the church. It was incredibly difficult to watch Lunurin continue to be infatuated with her when Cat treated her like trash.
Alon was everything you could want in a MMC. He was always there for Lunurin, he never tried to overstep in her relationship with Cat, and he always believed that she could be more than destruction. That being said, there was an odd dynamic shift midway in the story where she became distrustful of Alon and his kindness even though they've been friends for 10 plus years. She has always known him to heal those who come to him, even though it endangers his position. He has water based powers and his people have been hunted down ruthlessly by the colonizers, so every risk he takes to help others is extreme. That being said, it was hard for me to believe that she didn't trust that he was helping her without strings attached. They've been healing and arranging escapes for gifted people on the DL for ages, but she can't trust him? Her anger at him for saving her life by cutting her hair was odd, as well as the anger for his father- she knew what she was getting into and he is nothing like his father?
In general Lunurin comes off as rather fickle. One moment she's incredibly proud of her gift, the next she's cursing the goddess for the destructive nature of it. Her anger comes out of nowhere, and she loses control. She's trying to hide from her goddess, then the next second she's calling a storm and nearly killing the Lakan. She's angry at Alon and others for a situation she created. All he has done is clean up every single one of her messes without complaining.
Overall, this was a fast paced and interesting concept, but I wish the execution was a bit better. I was left with questions for too long, and wanted more from Lunurin. I absolutely loved the dive into colonialism and religion; it was honestly the best part of the book! Such great looks into Christian guilt and corruption between the church and state. I think this will be a huge hit with lots of readers, and can't wait to see their thoughts. :)
Thanks NetGalley for the advanced readers copy!
May 21, 2024
Ooh, where do I begin. How about this—I’ve been in a slump for most of May and this pulled me right out. I started this last night and couldn’t put it down, basically devouring it for most of today. I’m a sucker for Filipino-rep fantasy, and this—with all its cultural references and representation—was an actual fever dream for me. Even the snippets of language included (Tagalog) made me so giddy and actually laugh out loud (happy to translate for those of you who pick this up when it comes out in June!).
I think the magic really stood out here—so intricately linked to the variety of pre-colonial religion practiced then. I loved that women were central to indigenous religion here, and the play on female “priestesses” (witches)—because this was such a defining point for my own culture. I loved that there was a big focus on the colonizer vs colonized vs mixed blood/mestizo (a thing here) politics, and even more so—the integration of Catholicism in the story! I have a lot to say that won’t fit this mini review (watch out for a full one closer to pub date)—but the comp for this was really accurate. If you liked The Hurricane Wars for its cultural references, you are going to absolutely d!e with how culture rich this is. If you liked the more political, grimdark-aspect of The Poppy War trilogy (and liked the Hesperian angle!!!), you’re going to absolutely fall over your feet with this one.
I also liked that there was a really good balance of romance and politics here—I never really felt like one was overwhelming the other. Overall a really engaging, action-packed fantasy novel with your requisite hijinks and drama. No sampalan (slapping scene in English) but we do get a variety of equally treacherous betrayals here 🤭 please do NOT sleep on this gem. I loved it so much.
July 1, 2024
My thanks to Titan Books for sending me an ARC through Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. This does not affect my thoughts about the book in any way.
A Saints of Storm and Sorrow is in its first official week on the shelves! This Filipino-inspired new adult fantasy book is a perfect book that sends an amazing fuck you to the Spanish settlers that erased the indigenous Filipino identity in the name of Christianity.
Check CWs/TWs before reading: Sexism, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Abortion, Gaslighting, Forced institutionalization, Toxic relationship, Rape, Medical trauma, Religious bigotry, Pedophilia, Colonization, Pregnancy, and Homophobia
The characterization in this book was done well, especially in the manner of how religion can be so destructive to its followers. It was reflective of the accounts from the Spanish colonial times, specifically since the Catholic church was established in the 1600s and Animism was eradicated for “witchcraft”. This book discusses toxic faith, which is a trait that remains prevalent in the Philippines and has significantly halted societal progression. The writer was trying to show the difference between a hurtful, manipulative relationship and a reassuring, safe one and gives readers, especially queers, a chance to both relate to it and form their own judgement. Moreover, it gives insight to how my country would’ve looked like without white colonizers and if indigenous culture was sustained.
I would’ve truly loved this if the pacing wasn’t messy, if not a bit all over the place. So much was happening, and at the same time, nothing. The lack of direction in the storytelling eventually lessened its appeal. There were highs and lows, which should’ve made this book exciting, but it fell flat to me. However, I would still recommend it because there are enjoyable parts and is overall very informative, centering on the dynamics of the church and state.
A Saints of Storm and Sorrow is in its first official week on the shelves! This Filipino-inspired new adult fantasy book is a perfect book that sends an amazing fuck you to the Spanish settlers that erased the indigenous Filipino identity in the name of Christianity.
Check CWs/TWs before reading: Sexism, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Abortion, Gaslighting, Forced institutionalization, Toxic relationship, Rape, Medical trauma, Religious bigotry, Pedophilia, Colonization, Pregnancy, and Homophobia
The characterization in this book was done well, especially in the manner of how religion can be so destructive to its followers. It was reflective of the accounts from the Spanish colonial times, specifically since the Catholic church was established in the 1600s and Animism was eradicated for “witchcraft”. This book discusses toxic faith, which is a trait that remains prevalent in the Philippines and has significantly halted societal progression. The writer was trying to show the difference between a hurtful, manipulative relationship and a reassuring, safe one and gives readers, especially queers, a chance to both relate to it and form their own judgement. Moreover, it gives insight to how my country would’ve looked like without white colonizers and if indigenous culture was sustained.
I would’ve truly loved this if the pacing wasn’t messy, if not a bit all over the place. So much was happening, and at the same time, nothing. The lack of direction in the storytelling eventually lessened its appeal. There were highs and lows, which should’ve made this book exciting, but it fell flat to me. However, I would still recommend it because there are enjoyable parts and is overall very informative, centering on the dynamics of the church and state.
April 17, 2024
I’d rate this book higher if I didn’t hate one character so much. Everytime Cat spoke I was like ugh here we go again. But then she just got so much worse?? and they kept giving her chances!! I think it infuriates me so much because I know people that like in real life. The writing & magic system in this book was beautiful. Reminded me a bit of iron widow or the poppy war! Anyways I love Cat’s sister Inez and Alon
Want to read
June 20, 2024Just learned from Gabriella Buba herself, that Dante Bosco, THE Prince Zuko himself, will do part of the audiobook narration.
June 21, 2024
*I received this book for free from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.*
HIGHLIGHTS
~no vows of chastity for these nuns
~supporting women’s wrongs 100%
~don’t touch someone else’s pearl (not a euphemism!)
~drown all colonisers
~brace yourself for ALL the Emotions
~a love triangle that is actually excellent
~if she lets down her hair, RUN
Saints of Storm and Sorrow grabs you by the throat and does not let you go for an instant.
It’s also a book where, to be honest, I feel like my main task is just to make sure you know about it – because once you do, it sells itself. A bisexual nun who can summon typhoons by letting down her hair is caught between the goddess she’s hiding from and the totally-not-Spaniards who’ve colonised her home? In a setting inspired by the Philippines?? What else could you possibly need to hear to convince you that Saints of Storm and Sorrow is a must-read?!?
I know, I know, sometimes we get super excited for books with amazing pitches that, in the end, are let-downs. But this is not one of those times. Saints of Storm and Sorrow is every bit as incredible as it sounds. There is no wasted potential here. If I may add a little more alliteration – Saints of Storm and Sorrow is simply superb.
Lunurin is biracial, the daughter of a woman of the archipelago and a Codicían priest – but although she’s spent a good chunk of her life playing a Christian (and therefore Codicían) nun, in her heart she’s anything but. Not for lack of trying; Lunurin works hard to be soft and pleasant, both for her lover and the Church that’s given her a (kind of) sanctuary; she has kept her head down for years, playing the dutiful Christian novice. Behind closed doors, though, she has her romance with Catalina, another biracial novice, with Catalina’s younger sister filling an almost daughter-like role to round out their little family. Interestingly, despite Catalina’s Christian faith being far more genuine than Lunurin’s, Catalina seems to have no shame or complicated feelings about being queer, despite the fact that her sexuality, and her love for Lunurin, go completely against the church’s rules. But in all other respects she’s a good Codicían woman – and very clearly wants Lunurin to be one too.
Lunurin isn’t, though. And not just because she’s a stormcaller – chosen by Anitun Tabu, goddess of the sky and weather, ‘blessed’ with immense power only kept under wraps by the same powerful talisman that hides Lunurin from her goddess. Lunurin sees the hypocrisies and abuses of the Church and the Codicíans, and can’t close her eyes to them; whenever she can, she helps the poor and abused escape the Church’s reach, often with the help of Alon. In Western terms, Alon is basically a prince, the heir of the island’s ruler since his older brother was exiled; he’s also, secretly, one of the tide-touched, able to manipulate salt water with the blessing of Aman Sinaya, goddess of the sea. And he’s the only one who might be able to help when Lunurin and Catalina make a horrific discovery in the early chapters of the book – one that will lead all three of them to the breaking point, and tear them, and maybe even their island, apart.
Drawing inspiration from the Philippines, its history, and its mythology, the setting of SoSaS feels new and unique, a gorgeous and entrancing contrast to the generic Medieval-Europe-esque backdrop that is so confusingly popular in Fantasy. The world Buba has created here is beautiful and intricate, one that I fell more and more in love with the more I learned about it. The people’s relationship to the land and sea and sky, the matriarchal politics, the pearls, the hair, the wildly different (from Christianity) approach to religion, the trio of goddesses whose chosen ones are so integral to the Aynilan way of life… It’s all incredible. No detail has been missed or hand-waved or not-thought-through, with the result that it feels real enough to be a place you could visit it in person if you chose. It doesn’t feel invented, which is the highest praise I can give to a land that doesn’t exist.
For example, let’s talk about mutyas. In the (unnamed) archipelago that Lunurin lives in – clearly a fantasy version of the archipelago that is the Philippines in our world – cultures vary somewhat from island to island (we know that there are hundreds of languages spoken in the archipelago, and in the prologue, we hear of an island ruled by rajs who have tossed out the Codicíans entirely; Lunurin’s island of origin Calilan had a Datu, who was some kind of ruler; and Aynila, which is the setting of SoSaS, has the Lakan who rules the entire island alone, as best I can make out) but mutyas are one of the many things that tie everyone together. A mutya is a piece of jewellery – usually some kind of hair comb for women with magic, but for others it can take just about any form – set with the pearl the person found when they underwent their naming dive. If a person finds a special kind of pearl, it marks them as goddess-chosen – a stormcaller like Lunurin, tide-touched like Alon, or a firetender, depending on the pearl and the goddess. This is a relatively simple piece of worldbuilding, I guess, but for one thing, it’s a beautiful concept, and for a second, it’s woven throughout the entire book. Lunurin’s mutya is one of the things that helps her control (read: suppress) her magic, so it’s something she nearly always has on her person; it’s a sacred, highly personal object that every Aynilan character we come into contact with has and wears, usually openly; by the time we see someone fondle another person’s mutya uninvited, I didn’t need Buba to spell out for me how shocking and violating that was, because she’d already made sure I’d absorbed exactly how important a mutya is. Every concept Buba invents or introduces us to is like that; easy to understand and remember, shown naturally rather than info-dumped on us, and never forgotten or not-followed-through on.
Read the rest at Every Book a Doorway!
HIGHLIGHTS
~no vows of chastity for these nuns
~supporting women’s wrongs 100%
~don’t touch someone else’s pearl (not a euphemism!)
~drown all colonisers
~brace yourself for ALL the Emotions
~a love triangle that is actually excellent
~if she lets down her hair, RUN
Saints of Storm and Sorrow grabs you by the throat and does not let you go for an instant.
It’s also a book where, to be honest, I feel like my main task is just to make sure you know about it – because once you do, it sells itself. A bisexual nun who can summon typhoons by letting down her hair is caught between the goddess she’s hiding from and the totally-not-Spaniards who’ve colonised her home? In a setting inspired by the Philippines?? What else could you possibly need to hear to convince you that Saints of Storm and Sorrow is a must-read?!?
I know, I know, sometimes we get super excited for books with amazing pitches that, in the end, are let-downs. But this is not one of those times. Saints of Storm and Sorrow is every bit as incredible as it sounds. There is no wasted potential here. If I may add a little more alliteration – Saints of Storm and Sorrow is simply superb.
Anitun Tabu herself, garbed in light, the dark moon of her face too beautiful to gaze upon, the black river of her hair a halo lashing in unseen winds. She was crowned in lightning, the spear of heaven’s judgement in her right hand.
“You called my name, Daughter?”
Lunurin is biracial, the daughter of a woman of the archipelago and a Codicían priest – but although she’s spent a good chunk of her life playing a Christian (and therefore Codicían) nun, in her heart she’s anything but. Not for lack of trying; Lunurin works hard to be soft and pleasant, both for her lover and the Church that’s given her a (kind of) sanctuary; she has kept her head down for years, playing the dutiful Christian novice. Behind closed doors, though, she has her romance with Catalina, another biracial novice, with Catalina’s younger sister filling an almost daughter-like role to round out their little family. Interestingly, despite Catalina’s Christian faith being far more genuine than Lunurin’s, Catalina seems to have no shame or complicated feelings about being queer, despite the fact that her sexuality, and her love for Lunurin, go completely against the church’s rules. But in all other respects she’s a good Codicían woman – and very clearly wants Lunurin to be one too.
Lunurin isn’t, though. And not just because she’s a stormcaller – chosen by Anitun Tabu, goddess of the sky and weather, ‘blessed’ with immense power only kept under wraps by the same powerful talisman that hides Lunurin from her goddess. Lunurin sees the hypocrisies and abuses of the Church and the Codicíans, and can’t close her eyes to them; whenever she can, she helps the poor and abused escape the Church’s reach, often with the help of Alon. In Western terms, Alon is basically a prince, the heir of the island’s ruler since his older brother was exiled; he’s also, secretly, one of the tide-touched, able to manipulate salt water with the blessing of Aman Sinaya, goddess of the sea. And he’s the only one who might be able to help when Lunurin and Catalina make a horrific discovery in the early chapters of the book – one that will lead all three of them to the breaking point, and tear them, and maybe even their island, apart.
It took everything in Lunurin not to laugh until she wept. What divine calling could there be when a primordial goddess of the heavens, with lightning for blood and storms at her beck and call, curled under Lunurin’s breastbone, whispering, “Daughter, won’t you drown them for me?”
Drawing inspiration from the Philippines, its history, and its mythology, the setting of SoSaS feels new and unique, a gorgeous and entrancing contrast to the generic Medieval-Europe-esque backdrop that is so confusingly popular in Fantasy. The world Buba has created here is beautiful and intricate, one that I fell more and more in love with the more I learned about it. The people’s relationship to the land and sea and sky, the matriarchal politics, the pearls, the hair, the wildly different (from Christianity) approach to religion, the trio of goddesses whose chosen ones are so integral to the Aynilan way of life… It’s all incredible. No detail has been missed or hand-waved or not-thought-through, with the result that it feels real enough to be a place you could visit it in person if you chose. It doesn’t feel invented, which is the highest praise I can give to a land that doesn’t exist.
For example, let’s talk about mutyas. In the (unnamed) archipelago that Lunurin lives in – clearly a fantasy version of the archipelago that is the Philippines in our world – cultures vary somewhat from island to island (we know that there are hundreds of languages spoken in the archipelago, and in the prologue, we hear of an island ruled by rajs who have tossed out the Codicíans entirely; Lunurin’s island of origin Calilan had a Datu, who was some kind of ruler; and Aynila, which is the setting of SoSaS, has the Lakan who rules the entire island alone, as best I can make out) but mutyas are one of the many things that tie everyone together. A mutya is a piece of jewellery – usually some kind of hair comb for women with magic, but for others it can take just about any form – set with the pearl the person found when they underwent their naming dive. If a person finds a special kind of pearl, it marks them as goddess-chosen – a stormcaller like Lunurin, tide-touched like Alon, or a firetender, depending on the pearl and the goddess. This is a relatively simple piece of worldbuilding, I guess, but for one thing, it’s a beautiful concept, and for a second, it’s woven throughout the entire book. Lunurin’s mutya is one of the things that helps her control (read: suppress) her magic, so it’s something she nearly always has on her person; it’s a sacred, highly personal object that every Aynilan character we come into contact with has and wears, usually openly; by the time we see someone fondle another person’s mutya uninvited, I didn’t need Buba to spell out for me how shocking and violating that was, because she’d already made sure I’d absorbed exactly how important a mutya is. Every concept Buba invents or introduces us to is like that; easy to understand and remember, shown naturally rather than info-dumped on us, and never forgotten or not-followed-through on.
Read the rest at Every Book a Doorway!
May 26, 2024
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I was so excited to read this book since it was announced, and it didn't disappoint! The premise is refreshing and how the author brought it to life was also original.
Our main character is Lunurin, a nun who pretends to be a dutiful devotee in order to survive and hide from her goddess. A goddess who seeks vengeance and will not stop until she gets it. Lunurin protects those in need and helps them find sanctuary through Alon. I think she's a great main heroine. Fierce and loyal, she means to do the right thing and she takes risks to help others. She also has a nice character development. She goes from someone who wants to hide her magic to keep her girlfriend to realizing that she shouldn't have to hide who she is for a person or a relationship. From someone who thinks she's only capable of destruction destroyed to someone seeing that sometimes destruction is needed to set things right.
Our other main character is Alon, someone in a privileged position who uses their privilege for his people, the Aynilans. He heals and protects those in need and his loved ones. He's pining for Lunurin and he's a generally very good guy. Things don't always go his way, and he's forced to do things he doesn't want to, but he makes these tough choices so that others may live. He wasn't always right, but he has good intentions and a keen mind. I loved how he embraced all of Lunurin, her magic, her temper and even her ill-advised feelings for Catalina.
Catalina is Lunurin's girlfriend in the first great part of the book, and I honestly don't understand what Lunurin saw in her. She hates magic and the indigenous beliefs. When her sister got hurt, she mostly cared about how her sister handled it, and not her trauma. She literally has no redeeming quality. While I do understand her role in the story, it did irk me that Lunurin wanted to work things out with her for a good part of the book.
I loved how the author explored religious syncretism and colonization's effects on Indigenous beliefs. It was easy to picture how the indigenous Aynilans lived and were oppressed by the Codicían colonizers in their Palisade. We saw vividly and wirh great detail how the colonizers changed and oppressed the Aynilans, how they forced their language and religion and society norms onto the Aynilans. We also saw how the Aynilans fought back. I really, really, REALLY liked the world-building even though it made me so mad and frustrated for the sake of the Aynilans.
One thing I was confused about was how their magic worked. A stormcaller uses their hair? But they also have two items they can't do without, that are seen as holy, as in nobody else should touch them? I didn't get it. While the societal part of the world-building was executed very well, the magical part was a bit confusing to me. So I decided to just go with the flow.
However, a detail I loved was that at the beginning of every chapter, we saw the name of the character whose pov we'd read. Lunurin's chapters went from Maria Lunurin to Lunurin, indicating Lunurin's character arc and state of self-identity. I found it to be a great detail that resonated with me.
Saints of Storm and Sorrow is an adult fantasy about fighting for your people against oppressors but also fighting for yourself. There are many different kinds of cages in life, some others put us in, and some we put ourselves in in order to blend in. This book is about setting yourself free, and I recommend it to anyone. I'll definitely read more books by this author in the future.
I was so excited to read this book since it was announced, and it didn't disappoint! The premise is refreshing and how the author brought it to life was also original.
Our main character is Lunurin, a nun who pretends to be a dutiful devotee in order to survive and hide from her goddess. A goddess who seeks vengeance and will not stop until she gets it. Lunurin protects those in need and helps them find sanctuary through Alon. I think she's a great main heroine. Fierce and loyal, she means to do the right thing and she takes risks to help others. She also has a nice character development. She goes from someone who wants to hide her magic to keep her girlfriend to realizing that she shouldn't have to hide who she is for a person or a relationship. From someone who thinks she's only capable of destruction destroyed to someone seeing that sometimes destruction is needed to set things right.
Our other main character is Alon, someone in a privileged position who uses their privilege for his people, the Aynilans. He heals and protects those in need and his loved ones. He's pining for Lunurin and he's a generally very good guy. Things don't always go his way, and he's forced to do things he doesn't want to, but he makes these tough choices so that others may live. He wasn't always right, but he has good intentions and a keen mind. I loved how he embraced all of Lunurin, her magic, her temper and even her ill-advised feelings for Catalina.
Catalina is Lunurin's girlfriend in the first great part of the book, and I honestly don't understand what Lunurin saw in her. She hates magic and the indigenous beliefs. When her sister got hurt, she mostly cared about how her sister handled it, and not her trauma. She literally has no redeeming quality. While I do understand her role in the story, it did irk me that Lunurin wanted to work things out with her for a good part of the book.
I loved how the author explored religious syncretism and colonization's effects on Indigenous beliefs. It was easy to picture how the indigenous Aynilans lived and were oppressed by the Codicían colonizers in their Palisade. We saw vividly and wirh great detail how the colonizers changed and oppressed the Aynilans, how they forced their language and religion and society norms onto the Aynilans. We also saw how the Aynilans fought back. I really, really, REALLY liked the world-building even though it made me so mad and frustrated for the sake of the Aynilans.
One thing I was confused about was how their magic worked. A stormcaller uses their hair? But they also have two items they can't do without, that are seen as holy, as in nobody else should touch them? I didn't get it. While the societal part of the world-building was executed very well, the magical part was a bit confusing to me. So I decided to just go with the flow.
However, a detail I loved was that at the beginning of every chapter, we saw the name of the character whose pov we'd read. Lunurin's chapters went from Maria Lunurin to Lunurin, indicating Lunurin's character arc and state of self-identity. I found it to be a great detail that resonated with me.
Saints of Storm and Sorrow is an adult fantasy about fighting for your people against oppressors but also fighting for yourself. There are many different kinds of cages in life, some others put us in, and some we put ourselves in in order to blend in. This book is about setting yourself free, and I recommend it to anyone. I'll definitely read more books by this author in the future.
June 16, 2024
Wow I really enjoyed this! Review to come! ⛈️
(FINAL REVIEW:)
This was such a fantastic debut fantasy inspired by Filipino mythology and colonial history. I really enjoyed the magic system and the idea that a single strand of hair could let rain pour down. 🌧️
I would first like to focus again on the Author’s Note and how I (again) believe this small bit in the book is so important to the overall reading experience. I found Buba’s inspiration from historical events wonderfully wrapped into this tale and how figures from the Philippine’s different communities’ mythologies inspired the magic system. Again, I would highly recommend reading this before diving into the story itself. 💙
The story follows two POVs. The first is that of María Lunurin who is hiding as a nun. I loved this chaotic bisexual queen as she tries to alleviate the suffering of her people through her connections to the church and the colonizing Codicíans. She is definitely someone who struggles with abandonment issues and guilt for things she did through the influence of her vengeful goddess. I loved her development throughout the story and really can’t wait to see her come into her own in the next book (which I’m so happy there is a second one because man I was about to go insane if it was a standalone)! 🌩️
The second POV is Alon who just screams “YAS, that’s my wife!” He’s so in love with Lunurin for who she is, and I just loved seeing a depiction of a younger man lovingly supporting his older woman even if she makes the worst decisions. That and also, it did take me a long time to not picture Zuko from The Last Airbender when it was revealed his voice actor is narrating his part. 😍
Another big character that’s crucial to the plot is Catalina, a fellow nun and the lover of Lunurin. Man she was a piece to read about. I can see how devoted she is to her faith, but the girl refuses to see that she’s incredibly toxic to those around her. Her emotional abuse and manipulation of Lunurin was just a bit too close to home for me to read, but another thing that really shown out is how she really is a foil to the loving and accepting Alon: she will only love Lunurin if she changes for her. Rather sad to see what could’ve been a wonderful sapphic love story in a conservative and hateful religious setting, but in a way, I can see how it all worked out. 🤷🏻♀️
All in all, I loved the beautiful magic system, the wonderful Filipino influences, and how kickass the characters are. Big thank you goes to Titan Books and NetGalley for accepting my request to read this wonderful debut. And a big shout out goes to the author, Buba, for creating such an incredible tale that feels reminiscent of The Poppy Wars. ⚔️
Publication date: June 25!!
Overall: 4.5/5 ⭐️
(FINAL REVIEW:)
This was such a fantastic debut fantasy inspired by Filipino mythology and colonial history. I really enjoyed the magic system and the idea that a single strand of hair could let rain pour down. 🌧️
I would first like to focus again on the Author’s Note and how I (again) believe this small bit in the book is so important to the overall reading experience. I found Buba’s inspiration from historical events wonderfully wrapped into this tale and how figures from the Philippine’s different communities’ mythologies inspired the magic system. Again, I would highly recommend reading this before diving into the story itself. 💙
The story follows two POVs. The first is that of María Lunurin who is hiding as a nun. I loved this chaotic bisexual queen as she tries to alleviate the suffering of her people through her connections to the church and the colonizing Codicíans. She is definitely someone who struggles with abandonment issues and guilt for things she did through the influence of her vengeful goddess. I loved her development throughout the story and really can’t wait to see her come into her own in the next book (which I’m so happy there is a second one because man I was about to go insane if it was a standalone)! 🌩️
The second POV is Alon who just screams “YAS, that’s my wife!” He’s so in love with Lunurin for who she is, and I just loved seeing a depiction of a younger man lovingly supporting his older woman even if she makes the worst decisions. That and also, it did take me a long time to not picture Zuko from The Last Airbender when it was revealed his voice actor is narrating his part. 😍
Another big character that’s crucial to the plot is Catalina, a fellow nun and the lover of Lunurin. Man she was a piece to read about. I can see how devoted she is to her faith, but the girl refuses to see that she’s incredibly toxic to those around her. Her emotional abuse and manipulation of Lunurin was just a bit too close to home for me to read, but another thing that really shown out is how she really is a foil to the loving and accepting Alon: she will only love Lunurin if she changes for her. Rather sad to see what could’ve been a wonderful sapphic love story in a conservative and hateful religious setting, but in a way, I can see how it all worked out. 🤷🏻♀️
All in all, I loved the beautiful magic system, the wonderful Filipino influences, and how kickass the characters are. Big thank you goes to Titan Books and NetGalley for accepting my request to read this wonderful debut. And a big shout out goes to the author, Buba, for creating such an incredible tale that feels reminiscent of The Poppy Wars. ⚔️
Publication date: June 25!!
Overall: 4.5/5 ⭐️
June 30, 2024
I read that this was a Filipino-inspired queer fantasy and I was immediately sold. Lunurin, our main character, is the chosen vessel/daughter of the storm goddess. But she must hide such power and suppress the vengeful tendencies of her goddess in order to protect herself.
Saints is an ambitious debut. I loved the rage and grief and the anti-colonial sentiments woven into the story. It’s meticulously researched and it’s unapologetically Filipino. The casual use of Filipino terms as well as the several references to our history and mythology and indigenous culture set further context into the story. I must admit, however, that this made the book easier for me to read, but I understand how this might be difficult for others to understand.
There were, however, a few things I had qualms with. First was the romance between Lunurin and Catalina. I don’t understand their romance—how Lunurin was so in love with Cat (and how Cat returned such affection), but Catalina refuses to acknowledge Lunurin’s roots and culture and constantly rebukes it. I feel like it might be framed as toxic sapphics, but in our culture, this feels more like gugmang giatay. Catalina is an interesting character, though; it’d be interesting to see her development.
Second was the pacing. The first 30% or so was captivating and fast-paced, but the plot and direction petered out during the middle. The last 25% was action-packed, though, but after the lackluster middle portion and buildup, the climax didn’t seem like much anymore. The plot and worldbuilding could have been better solidified, but in this one, it was just all over the place and with little to no direction.
Overall, Saints has solid potential. It’s heavy on politics, history, religion, and anti-colonial sentiments. The elements are all there; it just might have needed a bit of polishing. It’s still a fantastical homage to the Filipino culture and mythology.
Thank you to Netgalley and Titan Books for the ARC! :>
Saints is an ambitious debut. I loved the rage and grief and the anti-colonial sentiments woven into the story. It’s meticulously researched and it’s unapologetically Filipino. The casual use of Filipino terms as well as the several references to our history and mythology and indigenous culture set further context into the story. I must admit, however, that this made the book easier for me to read, but I understand how this might be difficult for others to understand.
There were, however, a few things I had qualms with. First was the romance between Lunurin and Catalina. I don’t understand their romance—how Lunurin was so in love with Cat (and how Cat returned such affection), but Catalina refuses to acknowledge Lunurin’s roots and culture and constantly rebukes it. I feel like it might be framed as toxic sapphics, but in our culture, this feels more like gugmang giatay. Catalina is an interesting character, though; it’d be interesting to see her development.
Second was the pacing. The first 30% or so was captivating and fast-paced, but the plot and direction petered out during the middle. The last 25% was action-packed, though, but after the lackluster middle portion and buildup, the climax didn’t seem like much anymore. The plot and worldbuilding could have been better solidified, but in this one, it was just all over the place and with little to no direction.
Overall, Saints has solid potential. It’s heavy on politics, history, religion, and anti-colonial sentiments. The elements are all there; it just might have needed a bit of polishing. It’s still a fantastical homage to the Filipino culture and mythology.
Thank you to Netgalley and Titan Books for the ARC! :>
July 6, 2024
I'm so sorry but I didn't enjoy this and honestly don't really know what it was going for.
Aside from a fake marriage of convenience (that is also, confusingly, a real marriage that they're both invested in??? though the wedding itself is such a farce that even the characters aren't sure it'll pass muster), nothing really happens in the first half of the book. It's pretty thoroughly an allegory for Spanish conquest of the Philippines, they use the term "empire" a few times, and there's some shitty clergymen who take advantage of the authority of their position to sexually assault teen and pre-teen girls in their care.
The main character is their only stormcaller, which has to do with how her hair is positioned and sometimes she accidentally makes it rain because she's washing her hair. (Though also this appears to be something she's managed to keep as a secret for decades while being a nun, and I have no idea how.) Her girlfriend/wife seems to be a native but doesn't understand the native magic system and goddesses and maybe is buying into the conquerors' religion? I didn't see enough of their relationship to find it believable or view it as anything other than antagonistic/as a foil to the relationship she forms in her straight marriage.
There's both not a lot going on (plot) and too much going on (messy and complicated relationships) and if I hadn't already decided to use this book as a Reddit bingo prompt for 2024, I would've DNF'd early.
ps I thought the female narrator did a good job, but the male narrator made my shoulders slump every time he came on.
pps When you make only one of the theoretical love interests a POV character, it's pretty clear whose side the author is going to take.
Thank you to Macmillan Audio for an audio arc. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Aside from a fake marriage of convenience (that is also, confusingly, a real marriage that they're both invested in??? though the wedding itself is such a farce that even the characters aren't sure it'll pass muster), nothing really happens in the first half of the book. It's pretty thoroughly an allegory for Spanish conquest of the Philippines, they use the term "empire" a few times, and there's some shitty clergymen who take advantage of the authority of their position to sexually assault teen and pre-teen girls in their care.
The main character is their only stormcaller, which has to do with how her hair is positioned and sometimes she accidentally makes it rain because she's washing her hair. (Though also this appears to be something she's managed to keep as a secret for decades while being a nun, and I have no idea how.) Her girlfriend/wife seems to be a native but doesn't understand the native magic system and goddesses and maybe is buying into the conquerors' religion? I didn't see enough of their relationship to find it believable or view it as anything other than antagonistic/as a foil to the relationship she forms in her straight marriage.
There's both not a lot going on (plot) and too much going on (messy and complicated relationships) and if I hadn't already decided to use this book as a Reddit bingo prompt for 2024, I would've DNF'd early.
ps I thought the female narrator did a good job, but the male narrator made my shoulders slump every time he came on.
pps When you make only one of the theoretical love interests a POV character, it's pretty clear whose side the author is going to take.
Thank you to Macmillan Audio for an audio arc. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
May 3, 2024
Let me start by saying that Saints of Storm and Sorrow is a masterpiece! Hands down one of the best debut books I’ve ever read Gabriella Buba does an amazing job writing a world with interesting characters, magic, and how colonization affects the native inhabitants. This book really made me emotionally invested in the journey Lunurin takes to not only accept who she is but also help her people break the chains of the Codicíans suppression. The magic system is interesting as to there are the tide-touched, fire tenders, and storm callers each having their own goddess that helps protect their people. What I found really interesting is that with each type of magic, there is a physical aspect that helps them draw their powers.
Throughout the book, there was one character that I slowly started to despise and that was Cat, at first I wanted to root for Lunurin and Cat but while reading I saw how toxic Cat became and I wanted her GONE. Seeing the relationship of Alon and Lunurin was sweet and they were end game for me once I saw just how much Alon loved her even after he realized she was using him for her own gain. One thing that shocked me and surprised me the most was that neither Lunurin nor Alon died in the end, there were close calls and I honestly thought that one of them was going to die by the end of the book but I was pleasantly surprised that was not the case.
While Saints of Storm and Sorrow ended well (with no big cliffhangers) there’s a small hope that another book be part of the series. The note that Alon’s dad left him opens that option up to what might happen in the future, but this book is amazing by itself and I loved every part of it.
I want to thank NetGalley, Gabriella Buba, and Titan Books for providing me with this amazing ARC.
Throughout the book, there was one character that I slowly started to despise and that was Cat, at first I wanted to root for Lunurin and Cat but while reading I saw how toxic Cat became and I wanted her GONE. Seeing the relationship of Alon and Lunurin was sweet and they were end game for me once I saw just how much Alon loved her even after he realized she was using him for her own gain. One thing that shocked me and surprised me the most was that neither Lunurin nor Alon died in the end, there were close calls and I honestly thought that one of them was going to die by the end of the book but I was pleasantly surprised that was not the case.
While Saints of Storm and Sorrow ended well (with no big cliffhangers) there’s a small hope that another book be part of the series. The note that Alon’s dad left him opens that option up to what might happen in the future, but this book is amazing by itself and I loved every part of it.
I want to thank NetGalley, Gabriella Buba, and Titan Books for providing me with this amazing ARC.
Read
June 18, 2024DNF
Thanks to NetGalley and to the Editor. I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
I am sorry to say that this book is not for me. I was pretty excited to start it, because I think I never read something Filipino-inspired, and I was curious. And the premises are interesting. But sadly I had a lot of problems with the characters. Even if the world-building is fascinating and completely new to me, I didn't enjoy the characters.
I really enjoyed the MC in the beginning, when we saw her defying a terrifying Goddess, and I was so there for it. But then things get way more sedate, on the one hand, because our MC is now a nun, and the other characters gravitate toward this world, nuns, priests, abbots, and girls that are with the nuns as students (or collateral for the good behavior of the parents), but still, all gravitate around this Christian setting because they are the oppressor. And this is a more sedate setting in general, even if we still have the old gods and goddesses around. And, on the other hand, because the story is pretty bleak, and it is just so full of suffering and unfairness and injustice.
I am not the biggest fan of this kind of story, but when the characters work for me I don't really mind, I can suffer through it without problems. But here I was not too fond of the characters, I wasn't impressed by Sister Maria, even if I admit that she may have some potential and that going forward maybe I would have started to like her (I am not so sure about it, but I am giving her the benefit of the doubt) but I strongly disliked Catalina, and I disliked who Sister Maria was when the two were together.
I am pretty sorry, but I don't think this is the right book for me, sadly.
Thanks to NetGalley and to the Editor. I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
I am sorry to say that this book is not for me. I was pretty excited to start it, because I think I never read something Filipino-inspired, and I was curious. And the premises are interesting. But sadly I had a lot of problems with the characters. Even if the world-building is fascinating and completely new to me, I didn't enjoy the characters.
I really enjoyed the MC in the beginning, when we saw her defying a terrifying Goddess, and I was so there for it. But then things get way more sedate, on the one hand, because our MC is now a nun, and the other characters gravitate toward this world, nuns, priests, abbots, and girls that are with the nuns as students (or collateral for the good behavior of the parents), but still, all gravitate around this Christian setting because they are the oppressor. And this is a more sedate setting in general, even if we still have the old gods and goddesses around. And, on the other hand, because the story is pretty bleak, and it is just so full of suffering and unfairness and injustice.
I am not the biggest fan of this kind of story, but when the characters work for me I don't really mind, I can suffer through it without problems. But here I was not too fond of the characters, I wasn't impressed by Sister Maria, even if I admit that she may have some potential and that going forward maybe I would have started to like her (I am not so sure about it, but I am giving her the benefit of the doubt) but I strongly disliked Catalina, and I disliked who Sister Maria was when the two were together.
I am pretty sorry, but I don't think this is the right book for me, sadly.
June 15, 2024
The world of Saints of Storm and Sorrow is so vividly depicted and so well-established as a Filipino-Based Fantasy setting. It all feels so authentic to the terrible real world history of colonization. And from all of this history, I get the anger of the Aynilan goddess Anitun Tabu, who gives our FMC, María Lunurin, her powers that make her a stormcaller. The hunting down of all people with magical powers and Lunurin’s desire to remain hidden and tamp down on her power in order to survive all resonate so well.
There is some great lesbian and bi representation in the story with Cat and Lunurin, respectively. And there was a lot of self-hatred for Cat as she wrestled with her identity versus the Catholic teachings of the colonizers. The drama that ensues from this was entertaining and really drove Lunurin’s anger and drive to be rid of the people that took over their lands. On the other side of the love interests is Alon, the son of the highest ranking Filipino official, and someone who is also blessed with powers from a deity. They end up married due to a marriage of convenience/to save Lunurin’s life and how their relationship develops from there is fantastic.
The magic system is a little nebulous, but still very enjoyable and many of the side characters blend into the background, likely because the main characters stand out so much more.
I listened to the audiobook for this story and love how the two narrators were able to distinguish our two POVs of Lunurin and Alon. I never found myself lost during POV changes which can always be a challenge with audiobooks. They brought the world to life so well.
FOUR STARS
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC and ALC of this book. All thoughts are my own.
There is some great lesbian and bi representation in the story with Cat and Lunurin, respectively. And there was a lot of self-hatred for Cat as she wrestled with her identity versus the Catholic teachings of the colonizers. The drama that ensues from this was entertaining and really drove Lunurin’s anger and drive to be rid of the people that took over their lands. On the other side of the love interests is Alon, the son of the highest ranking Filipino official, and someone who is also blessed with powers from a deity. They end up married due to a marriage of convenience/to save Lunurin’s life and how their relationship develops from there is fantastic.
The magic system is a little nebulous, but still very enjoyable and many of the side characters blend into the background, likely because the main characters stand out so much more.
I listened to the audiobook for this story and love how the two narrators were able to distinguish our two POVs of Lunurin and Alon. I never found myself lost during POV changes which can always be a challenge with audiobooks. They brought the world to life so well.
FOUR STARS
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC and ALC of this book. All thoughts are my own.
July 2, 2024
The first time I read Saints of Storm and Sorrow it was in a daze, a hurry, in two sittings, with all the tension of an imminent storm. There is a promise in the opening pages - an implicit promise made to the reader mirroring Lunurin's explicit promise to her angry goddess - to drown them, drown them all. These words propulsively carry you through the narrative with increasing urgency. I could not rest till it was done.
This time, the second time, I read Saints more slowly. I felt the weight of the colonial violence so suffocating in its pages. I don't claim to know what it is to have your land stolen, your people killed, and your culture erased. I carry some generational trauma from a five-year occupation; yet my anger is less for the occupiers than for the supposed allies who abandoned my ancestors to starve alongside the occupiers. I have deep admiration for Lunurin's refusal to forsake her people in her acts of vengeance, and even the generosity she showed again and again to her land's colonisers and people's murderers. They had SO many chances.
And every time they chose violence.
As much as Saints is a simple tale of standing up to evil, the story is deep and complex with a web of politics and religion, tangled up in quandaries of morality and hypocrisy and sacrifice. Buba's author note at the end about the fourteenth-century goddess statue and the inspiration for Saints especially reveals the tragedy of colonialism.
But for all that, Saints is full of hope. The writing crackles with its own "storm of life" as much as any of Buba's characters. It's an ode to Indigenous joy and a message to those who would suppress that which is different from what they know. It begins and ends with the "ambon", the sun shower, a song that celebrates and blesses children. Saints truly loves its children and that alone brings me tears.
I can hardly express how powerful this book is. It is a masterpiece.
This time, the second time, I read Saints more slowly. I felt the weight of the colonial violence so suffocating in its pages. I don't claim to know what it is to have your land stolen, your people killed, and your culture erased. I carry some generational trauma from a five-year occupation; yet my anger is less for the occupiers than for the supposed allies who abandoned my ancestors to starve alongside the occupiers. I have deep admiration for Lunurin's refusal to forsake her people in her acts of vengeance, and even the generosity she showed again and again to her land's colonisers and people's murderers. They had SO many chances.
And every time they chose violence.
As much as Saints is a simple tale of standing up to evil, the story is deep and complex with a web of politics and religion, tangled up in quandaries of morality and hypocrisy and sacrifice. Buba's author note at the end about the fourteenth-century goddess statue and the inspiration for Saints especially reveals the tragedy of colonialism.
But for all that, Saints is full of hope. The writing crackles with its own "storm of life" as much as any of Buba's characters. It's an ode to Indigenous joy and a message to those who would suppress that which is different from what they know. It begins and ends with the "ambon", the sun shower, a song that celebrates and blesses children. Saints truly loves its children and that alone brings me tears.
I can hardly express how powerful this book is. It is a masterpiece.
May 27, 2024
Firstly, thank you to Netgalley and Titan Books for an ARC of this book!
This books follows the story of Lunurin. A bisexual goddess-blessed nun that hides her true identity for fear of being lynched by her oppressors. This world is inspired by the Philippines and its history of oppression by the Spanish. The goddess of Storm and Sky demands vengeance for all the destruction that these oppressors have caused. Lunurin tries to suppress the goddess' rage until she can no longer ignore it and accepts it to save her people. She must make people remember the goddess' forgotten name and rid her people of the oppressors who colonize and force their religion and belief. She does this by unleashing her lightning and storm upon the world.
Lunurin is on a journey of self-acceptance. The character arc is amazing as she goes form a self-hating, weak girl to a strong, powerful woman to be feared by all that wrong her kin.
This is an adult fantasy book with bi-representation an BIPOC characters written by a BIPOC author.
The world building is great. You can almost feel and smell the storms Lunurin calls. I found myself looking up oyster farming and learned something new! Also found myself interested in learning about Philippines' colonial history and its oppression by the Spanish.
Characters:
Catalina is an insecure, selfish, treacherous, bigoted, judgemental little gaslighting wench. I felt no sympathy for her. She constantly tries to make Lunurin hate herself. She treats Lunurin horribly and Lunurin seems to think Cat is justified in treating her this way. At least, at first.
Lunurin seems to accept the love she thinks she deserves. At the beginning of the book (and for the biggest part of the book) Lunurin thinks lowly of herself and is riddled with guilt. She does not want to accept her goddess-given gift and vengeance with it. As the story progresses, Lunurin starts to accept herself. As that happens, she starts to realize that Cat's 'love' is not the love that she deserves. She deserves so much more.
In comes Alon. Alon is tall, dark and handsome but more importantly, kind, noble, sweet, sensitive, attentive, supportive, reliable and calming to Lunurin. Basically, he's a huge green flag. He provides her with stable support. He's good to Lunurin and heals her. He is also tide-touched. Which means he can control saltwater. His healing tide soothes her storming rage.
In conclusion, I really really like this book. I would definitely recommend this book if you're a fan of fantasy, character arcs, strong female leads and sweet MMC's. I rate this book 4.5 stars!
This books follows the story of Lunurin. A bisexual goddess-blessed nun that hides her true identity for fear of being lynched by her oppressors. This world is inspired by the Philippines and its history of oppression by the Spanish. The goddess of Storm and Sky demands vengeance for all the destruction that these oppressors have caused. Lunurin tries to suppress the goddess' rage until she can no longer ignore it and accepts it to save her people. She must make people remember the goddess' forgotten name and rid her people of the oppressors who colonize and force their religion and belief. She does this by unleashing her lightning and storm upon the world.
Lunurin is on a journey of self-acceptance. The character arc is amazing as she goes form a self-hating, weak girl to a strong, powerful woman to be feared by all that wrong her kin.
This is an adult fantasy book with bi-representation an BIPOC characters written by a BIPOC author.
The world building is great. You can almost feel and smell the storms Lunurin calls. I found myself looking up oyster farming and learned something new! Also found myself interested in learning about Philippines' colonial history and its oppression by the Spanish.
Characters:
Catalina is an insecure, selfish, treacherous, bigoted, judgemental little gaslighting wench. I felt no sympathy for her. She constantly tries to make Lunurin hate herself. She treats Lunurin horribly and Lunurin seems to think Cat is justified in treating her this way. At least, at first.
Lunurin seems to accept the love she thinks she deserves. At the beginning of the book (and for the biggest part of the book) Lunurin thinks lowly of herself and is riddled with guilt. She does not want to accept her goddess-given gift and vengeance with it. As the story progresses, Lunurin starts to accept herself. As that happens, she starts to realize that Cat's 'love' is not the love that she deserves. She deserves so much more.
In comes Alon. Alon is tall, dark and handsome but more importantly, kind, noble, sweet, sensitive, attentive, supportive, reliable and calming to Lunurin. Basically, he's a huge green flag. He provides her with stable support. He's good to Lunurin and heals her. He is also tide-touched. Which means he can control saltwater. His healing tide soothes her storming rage.
In conclusion, I really really like this book. I would definitely recommend this book if you're a fan of fantasy, character arcs, strong female leads and sweet MMC's. I rate this book 4.5 stars!
May 21, 2024
Thank you to Titan for my review copy
I found this book to be okay. There were parts I liked and parts I disliked.
This is definitely an adult book for some of the content mentioned and I do recommend looking at a list of content warnings before picking this up.
The plot was quite a slow one - I was about half way through and still trying to figure out where the plot was going. The slower pacing of the plot did mean that I felt like I was struggling around halfway to two thirds in.
It was clear that there has been a lot of careful research poured into this, with how developed the culture felt to me - especially in the way the main island and how different the cultures are between the Aynilan and Codicían influences on people. It was clear that Codicía was influenced by Spain and I did get heavy Spanish Catholicism vibes from the main Church in the book. However, there were some parts of the worldbuilding that I would have liked to get more development - namely the magic system.
I found the magic system to be lacking a concrete description of the differences between stormcallers, tide-touched, firetenders and how they interact with each other. It's mentioned that tide-touched and stormcallers can help each other with their abilities, but I would have liked more. We get a lot of development of stormcallers because the main character is one, but due to having a double life, it left me wanting more information about stormcallers and their powers and their goddess.
I wish the main relationships had a little bit more substance to them. It starts with an already established relationship between Lunurin and Cat, but I struggled to get any depth to that relationship. I did struggle to discern if they were just close friends or together for the first hundred pages or so. The other relationship we have is Lunurin and Alon. They have a marriage of convenience, but then Alon is also her male love interest.
Cat also felt a little flat to me. She can be distilled down to being jealous of Lunurin and Alon, and her faith in the Church.
There are explicit sex scenes in this book and I found one in particular to be a struggle to get through. The wording in this specific scene felt very clunky and it did fall into using some tropey euphemisms and I kept having to put the book down to give myself a breather as I was laughing so much (Apologies to my friends, who just got messages of the horror on my face at some of the lines.)
Despite all this the book did have promise and I know this is a debut. I will be keeping an eye out for what Buba writes next as this book did have promise and potential, even if the execution was messy at times.
I found this book to be okay. There were parts I liked and parts I disliked.
This is definitely an adult book for some of the content mentioned and I do recommend looking at a list of content warnings before picking this up.
The plot was quite a slow one - I was about half way through and still trying to figure out where the plot was going. The slower pacing of the plot did mean that I felt like I was struggling around halfway to two thirds in.
It was clear that there has been a lot of careful research poured into this, with how developed the culture felt to me - especially in the way the main island and how different the cultures are between the Aynilan and Codicían influences on people. It was clear that Codicía was influenced by Spain and I did get heavy Spanish Catholicism vibes from the main Church in the book. However, there were some parts of the worldbuilding that I would have liked to get more development - namely the magic system.
I found the magic system to be lacking a concrete description of the differences between stormcallers, tide-touched, firetenders and how they interact with each other. It's mentioned that tide-touched and stormcallers can help each other with their abilities, but I would have liked more. We get a lot of development of stormcallers because the main character is one, but due to having a double life, it left me wanting more information about stormcallers and their powers and their goddess.
I wish the main relationships had a little bit more substance to them. It starts with an already established relationship between Lunurin and Cat, but I struggled to get any depth to that relationship. I did struggle to discern if they were just close friends or together for the first hundred pages or so. The other relationship we have is Lunurin and Alon. They have a marriage of convenience, but then Alon is also her male love interest.
Cat also felt a little flat to me. She can be distilled down to being jealous of Lunurin and Alon, and her faith in the Church.
There are explicit sex scenes in this book and I found one in particular to be a struggle to get through. The wording in this specific scene felt very clunky and it did fall into using some tropey euphemisms and I kept having to put the book down to give myself a breather as I was laughing so much (Apologies to my friends, who just got messages of the horror on my face at some of the lines.)
Despite all this the book did have promise and I know this is a debut. I will be keeping an eye out for what Buba writes next as this book did have promise and potential, even if the execution was messy at times.
June 24, 2024
I would like to thank NetGalley for giving me an audio-arc in exchange for an honest review.
I'm a sucker for a good mythology, and this book delivered. I loved the gods and the way the magic system worked (it might've been slightly confusing every once in a while but overall I found it unique and well written). Not only was there a unique and interesting magic system, you have themes of anti colonialism that are addressed as well as what it means to be in a toxic relationship, both with your religion and with someone else.
(minor spoilers ahead, but nothing that will ruin your experience)
I mean, at one point I was screaming at Lunurin that Cat was just a giant walking red flag from page one. I hated the way Cat talked both to Lunurin about the old gods and about her own religion. However, that toxicity was so well written that I found myself physically angry to the point where I had to pause reading just to collect myself.
The writing was amazing, the audio narrators were amazing (I mean, COME ON IT'S PRINCE ZUKO!! How could he NOT be absolutely amazing??), but overall I both enjoyed this one and hung on to every word.
Actual Rating: 4.5 stars
I'm a sucker for a good mythology, and this book delivered. I loved the gods and the way the magic system worked (it might've been slightly confusing every once in a while but overall I found it unique and well written). Not only was there a unique and interesting magic system, you have themes of anti colonialism that are addressed as well as what it means to be in a toxic relationship, both with your religion and with someone else.
(minor spoilers ahead, but nothing that will ruin your experience)
I mean, at one point I was screaming at Lunurin that Cat was just a giant walking red flag from page one. I hated the way Cat talked both to Lunurin about the old gods and about her own religion. However, that toxicity was so well written that I found myself physically angry to the point where I had to pause reading just to collect myself.
The writing was amazing, the audio narrators were amazing (I mean, COME ON IT'S PRINCE ZUKO!! How could he NOT be absolutely amazing??), but overall I both enjoyed this one and hung on to every word.
Actual Rating: 4.5 stars
June 18, 2024
A great debut that stars a Filipino-inspired YA fantasy novel with a magic system connected with tides, storms, and winds. The women with magic get their power from the goddess they pray to. This is a Colonialism 16th century story well researched and interesting but whether it is middle grade, ya or adult I like to read stories about humans who can grow their character and transform, and this main character has such a great hatred for those who have come to take, while the takers all act like one single villain without any redemption. I prefer a more balanced human story. Apart from that the characters are interesting, it's very rich in lore, folklore, and culture and I loved that Lunurin is a stormcaster.
The rawness of the first chapters of this book will tell you if this is, or not, the read for you.
The part where women are mistreated and seen as properties of males is infuriating but historically accurate.
I listened to the audio and the narrator was perfect for this book
The rawness of the first chapters of this book will tell you if this is, or not, the read for you.
The part where women are mistreated and seen as properties of males is infuriating but historically accurate.
I listened to the audio and the narrator was perfect for this book
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