A thin serving boy about Damian’s age appeared in the door- way, clad in the slate-gray uniform of Palazzo staff. He’d been standing outside the room when Damian arrived, and clearly hadn’t moved. His grimace was animated as he took in the sight of Leonzio’s sheet-covered body. “Signore?” A copy of this book was provided by the publisher – Little, Brown Books for Young Readers – for review. In the city of Ombrazia, saints and their disciples rule with terrifying and unjust power, playing favorites while the unfavored struggle to survive. M.K. Lobb: Roz and Damian are both very much a part of me, and I resonate with both of them in different ways. Roz is angry at the world. She’s very focused on justice, and simply can’t abide [by] what she perceives as arbitrary rules informed by a system of belief that can’t be proven. It’s the same rage I felt as a teen, and it really touches every part of your life. Damian, on the other hand, is struggling with what he’s supposed to believe. He’s beginning to question what he’s been taught, but looking too closely will cause his entire worldview to crumble, and that’s so hard to reconcile. At the same time, he’s filled with an all-consuming sadness he doesn’t quite know how to bear. I know that kind of inner turmoil – I’ve felt it. Rossana Lacertosa doesn’t believe in saints. After her father’s murder at the hands of the Ombrazia military, she’s willing to do whatever it takes to dismantle the corrupt system. Even if she has to pay for it in blood—or face the boy who broke her heart.

You wrote about seven other manuscripts before choosing “Seven Faceless Saints” as your debut novel. What prompted that decision? And did you have a specific origin point, or maybe an “aha! this is it” moment of inspiration for this book? Paste: What made you want to write Seven Faceless Saints as a YA story versus an adult fantasy? There are some really dark themes here so I feel like it could have gone either way. SAINTS this was great. I was hooked from the prologue as soon as you knew someone had been murdered until the very last twist that completely took me by surprise… I loved everything about this from the worldbuilding to the magic to how badass Roz was and how sweet Damian was… This should absolutely be on everyone’s radar and I truly cannot believe this was a debut! It was everything and I need the next one asap.” A Little Mermaid retelling with teeth, Christo weaves a tale of two characters who team up while actively working against one another. Lira, a siren cursed to be a human, can only return to the sea if she delivers Prince Elian’s heart to her mother. He wouldn’t be the first prince she’s killed, after all. Unfortunately for her, Prince Elian is a renowned siren hunter.

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While reading your book, I was mulling over the idea of how fascinating it would be to create a cinematic/literary universe of your own or their spin-offs, given the creative liberty that fantasy fiction brings with interconnected storylines. What do you think of this concept? Paste: Roz is such an interesting heroine for a story like this – usually, the young girl getting powers doesn’t get radicalized by having them! Talk to me a little bit about how you view her evolution as a character and where her journey is headed. James Davis Nicoll on Five SF Visions of Society Free From Rules, Regulations, or Effective Government 3 hours ago

That said, writing Roz was definitely more of a cathartic experience for me. She has so much of the rage I felt as a teen, and the rage that sits inside me still. She also possesses a lot of qualities I think people are predisposed to dislike in female characters, whether they realize it or not, and yet she’s unapologetic about it. I found that really fun to write. Damian’s heart sank. If Giada didn’t know what had killed Leonzio, it would be more difficult to come up with a list of suspects. The dungeons beneath the Palazzo were quiet as a tomb, currently empty of criminals and deserters. Damian ushered Giada into an interrogation room, all cold stone and grim shadows. She sat, studying him with a mixture of fear and apprehension. Damian remained standing.M.K. Lobb: I love this question! I like to think I’d be a disciple of Patience, mainly because I just think it would be cool to make weapons. That said, I’m probably more of an unfavoured rebel at heart (i.e. someone without magic). I would definitely be out there questioning the saints and railing against the system. My only power would be my complete inability to keep my thoughts to myself. This YA fantasy thriller book strikes a chord with readers who love the whodunit mystery, full of mayhem, fast-paced world-building, and unpredictable twists with a message at its heart, as well as, shines a light on the sizzling “friends-to-lovers” and “enemies-to-lovers” romance with strong chemistry, angst, worries, dreams, and passion of youth. It offers an optimistic spin to the story with a fiercely independent and strong leader-at-heart female protagonist, one who everyone loves to watch. Truth be told, he was weary in general. The night had long shifted closer to dawn than dusk, and it was increasingly difficult to focus on the dead disciple before him. He adjusted the collar of his Palazzo-issued coat, hoping it might ease some of the pressure building in his throat. Giada swallowed a dry sob as she caught sight of Leonzio’s body. She was older than Damian—probably in her mid twenties—but was a slip of a thing, with dark hair and a darker gaze. “It’s true, then. He’s really dead.” She touched her eyelids, then her heart, in the sign of the patron saints.