Saints of Storm and Sorrow

Pros

• Filipino and bisexual representation—always here for it.
• Loved the female rage and the FMC protecting her people and home
• Clearly a lot of research went into building a world reflective of Spanish-era Philippines. I especially appreciated the blend of Catholicism with native Filipino religions, which have been so overshadowed and erased by colonisation. I didn’t care much for most of the characters, but I’ll always root for people (bonus if led by matriarchs) taking vengeance on their oppressors.

Cons

• The use of Filipino words and phrases often felt off. I kept wondering if the author actually spoke Tagalog or had lived in the Philippines—not because you have to, but this is where more research would’ve helped. ‘Tabi-tabi po’ to a bakunawa/dragon? Huh? And ‘giving’ someone a ‘Mano po’ felt so awkward. It started to feel like cultural appropriation—using Filipino language without context or accuracy to give ‘Filipino vibes’ that might seem authentic to outsiders but fall flat for actual Filipinos. It fell flat for me anyway.
• I forgot Dante Basco was the male narrator, so hearing Prince Zuko’s voice was a pleasant surprise—but ultimately not the best execution. His Tagalog pronunciation was rough, which really pulled me out of some scenes. Alon’s “Punong puno na ako sa’yo!” was a bit cringe. I wanted to laugh in this scene but all I could think of was Dante struggling with the line.
• Loved the bi rep in this (weak) love triangle, but hated how the female love interest Cat was written compared to the male MC Alon. Alon gets all the depth and character and I actually found myself giggling at scenes with him and Lunurin (PS. that name? Booo). Meanwhile, Cat is just a flat, abusive ex who creates drama and establishes Alon’s brand as hot gentle boyfriend. Of course I wanted to see her fall, but it would’ve hit harder if she were actually complex and not another caricature like the Lakan and the Spanish villains.

I respect that the book didn’t shy away from the brutal stuff that happens to Inez early on—a real reflection of the violence Filipinos endured. But I honestly thought this was YA because of the cover and the writing style (why so many all-caps and exclamation marks??), so those dark scenes felt jarring and a bit out of place.

I do appreciate this book’s premise and some of the world-building. A lot of my issues might just come down to this being a debut, and I’m hopeful the next one will build on what did work in this book.