Thank you so much for access to this proof it was massively appreciated but sadly I think it just wasn’t for me.
I was so drawn in by the magic and religious themes in the synopsis and I loved the initial world building but after preserving for over 55% of the book I just felt the plot was too slow to get going and I didn’t feel like I had the depth of character understanding to really care about them and be engrossed in their journey.
This wouldn’t stop me recommending it in store just sadly I think it wasn’t for me.
Thank you again!

The Faithful Dark is beautifully unsettling. I was immediately locked in - our main character, Csilla, is incredibly unique. At times seeming meek, she follows a strong inner compass and has the most pure intentions of any character I've ever read. Yet, she's serving an entity that is selfish and corrupt - though she is often too good to recognize it.

I remained curious of where this book would take Csilla, and how Mihaly's character would turn out. His identity as an angel, combined with his smarmy behavior and Csilla's continued trust of him had me torn - I wanted to like him but never wanted to trust him.

And Ilan, my personal fav. I enjoyed how we learned more about him and his background through the book - he felt like the stable thread leading us through the events everyone was experiencing. I loved his ability to see things for what they are, while still wanting to do something right in the world.

Reading through each of their perspectives and trying to solve the mystery of what is plaguing their city was exciting and kept me on my toes. The character development was excellent, and I appreciated how each character felt unique from any other character I've read, especially Csilla.

The sense of inner conflict while reading drove the themes of the book home, and made it a more fulfilling read. We see Csilla's impenetrable goodness be taken advantage of by a Church that is nothing what it supposedly stands for. The reign of religion has corrupted itself. While I desperately wanted Csilla to take herself away from the cruel, corrupt Church, I was also rooting for her at every turn as she tried to prove herself worthy to them.

I enjoyed the ending and the transformation we see each character had - each of them completed such full circles with their journeys.

The writing was gorgeous - vivid imagery that was at times gruesome and sickening. I felt fully immersed in the well-written world of Tne Faithful Dark, and enjoyed being baptized by the rich and often poetic prose.

Would recommend this to lovers of dystopian and fantasy works, and anyone with religious trauma looking for catharsis.

I think this book is great for those looking for a dark, gothic story, though I disagree with the description which likens it to Leigh Bardugo's works and calls it as a "slow-burn romance." There's not really any romance whatsoever, so don't go into this one expecting that. And while I was expecting the tragic atmosphere, the detailed animal abuse/death, torture, and sexual abuse/grooming(?) were more than I anticipated, Overall I think the summary should more accurately reflect the material so readers know what they're getting in to.

My favorite part of this book was the characters. I loved Csilla and Ilan, and I really enjoyed the dynamics between the three protagonists, I thought the characters felt both realistic and fleshed out, and it was great to see their development. Where this book fell a little short for me was the world-building. While I really like the world that Baumer has established, it was a bit hard to follow at times. It was hard to get a clear understanding of the lore regarding the Angels and the Severing, etc. One thing that I think would have been helpful was a page or two at the beginning with the Angels' names/designations and perhaps a map of the region.

I was a little apprehensive going into this, I think the blurb made me think this was going to be a bit more fluffy/romance-y, but I'm very glad it wasn't. This is definitely not a romance except for the pining, which adds a certain air of desperation more than anything.

This story is extremely well crafted - it's dark, brutal and hopeless. The setting is a religious walled city said to protect it's inhabitants, but what happens when a bodies covered in shadow writing start appearing? Our characters all have their own agendas and burdens, each plagued by something that powers their motivations. I love how these motivations change as the story develops. Csilla is my favourite, there's something so easy to like about her. The other protagonists, not so much, definitely a case of flawed personalities, but they're intrinsic to the story and the darkness/flawed light work so well in tandem with Csilla's pure light.

Overall, I really enjoyed the setting, I could see the walls and winding streets away from the cathedral so easily, The story was intricate without being too hard to follow, and most of all it was hella dreary and dark which I LOVE.

4.25 stars - thank you to Netgalley and Hodderscape for the free earc.

I’m in love. This is my new fantasy read that I’m going to be raving about while I desperately wait and pine for the next book in the duology. Where to begin my review? Gosh, I guess it started because I was in the mood for a book about angels—not the Catholic kind, really, but maybe something like Nalini Singh’s. I wanted a world where divinity was dark, gritty, and imperfect. In this the Faithful Dark showed me something new—a world broken by divinity’s leaving. The tattered faith of a people in a holy city cut off from the outside by monumentous walls that separate them and from those with souls not pure or lucky enough to be granted entry or born inside. Csilla, mercifully, born inside the walls but the one being without a soul toils away serving the people when a serial killer begins leaving bodies marked with unholy things around the holiest city. Meanwhile, there is a man with the blood of an angel preaching hearsay and an Inquisitor saving souls via torture—nothing about the religion in this world is holy or good, and the three of them make the unlikeliest company, but gosh did I love every second. Every moment I was screeching at Csilla for her faith and devotion, or fawning over my lovely Inquisitor for being so bloody and violent and still so good, and even warily eying the angelic descendant, I wanted more, and I was afraid for the book to end, and I needed to know what happened above all. I am so, so here for the next book, I’ve already been telling everyone I can about how much I’m enjoying this book because I just HAVE to talk about it and let people know.

This was exactly the fantasy I needed to sink my teeth into, that I didn’t even know I needed. I think it’ll be joining my bookshelf when it does come out next year, and so I hope this book is as gorgeous as it deserves to be on the outside as it is in the inside. Five star read, I’ll for sure be reading more by this author.

I see people struggled with this book. But if you like dark gothic romances give this a chance. I think this author is a work in progress but will get there. A lot of potential in this work here.

This was such a lush Gothic romantic book that I didn’t know I needed it in my life. I had this book when it was an Indie pub and I knew it was going to love it when it was traditionally published.

The premise of this book was amazing, but it was very lacking in the execution. The worldbuilding felt very uneven and I just couldn't push myself through the book.

I struggled with this book for weeks, even though the premise sounded so promising: angels, Nephilim, a serial killer, a cast of distinctive characters, and various theological elements. Still, the beginning is painfully slow, and some situations feel absurd and unconvincing within the context of the story. DNF at 30%.

DNF at ~50%
the premise of this book is fantastic — dark, atmospheric, and full of potential. but unfortunately, the execution was lacking to the point where I just couldn’t push through any further than the first half. the worldbuilding was based on some really interesting ideas but it felt uneven, leaving me with too many unanswered questions or even confused at times by what I just read. the characters felt flat and distant, which made it hard to care about their goals, relationships, or even the fate of the world they live in. the lack of true connection between them only highlighted how underdeveloped they were. when I saw that this was to become a duology, it became a little clearer to me why it was possible that so many words and time were wasted on nothing.

Thank you so much Hodder & Stoughton | Hodderscape Books for the arc!

„But this was the city of miracles, and not everything miraculous was good.“

- Fictional Vatican setting
- Corrupted religious leaders
- Murder Mystery
- Demon possession
- Shadow invocations

What I liked:
The three characters together: a divine-touched heretic, a soulless woman and a Inquisitor fallen from grace. Everyone had their own agenda and morals, and it was so entertaining to witness them working together while struggling with their suspicions, feelings and hate for each other.
Special shout-out for Ilan, my favorite character!
„If he died gasping the fucking angel's name he was going to forgo his blessed eternity to haunt him.“

What I didn’t like:
The religion was quite complex and went a bit over my head. Demons, angels, saints, children with divine powers, an absent god, a holy war … A lot had happened in the past and I never really figured the belief system out. Maybe some kind of glossary would have helped me.

Writing style: 3,5/5
Characters: 4,5/5
Story & Plot: 4/5
Vibes: 4/5

Screaming and crying for book 2!
I loved this one so much, the world building was amazing and the characters were great for a first book, im invested to know where they all go and do!

Thank you to NetGalley and Hodderscape for the ARC. I DNF’d at 25%. This book has an interesting premise and world building. I really thought the lore here was fresh and unique. That being said, the story didn’t really grab me. I felt like Csilla was very meek and bland, especially since she was supposed to have no soul. I’m sure that was supposed to loop back around and mean she was a goddess, but it felt like the plot was carrying her along like a leaf in a stream rather than her making any mark on the book.

4 Stars

This book was great. I was invested in the characters--especially in Ágnes and Csilla, as well as Mihály--and adored the story. The world was immersive and the writing, OH. MY. GOD. The writing! Lush and poetic; I could feel every heartbeat and chilling moment, every small instance of love and grief.
On the other hand, there were some typos in the text and moments where I struggled to understand choices made in the story. But thoese are miniscule points you coule critique.

My favourite quote:

"The helplessness of not being able to care for the person she loved was worse than the loneliness of no care at all."


Thank you to the publisher and author for the E-Arc. The review is entirely my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and Cate Baumer for providing me with this ARC.

The book is beautifly written. The world is beautiful. Where this book falls short is the characters unfortunately.

The premise of this book and the way the church was given so much power felt oddly beautiful, to make something that is seen as perfect, be so not? The story follows 3 POV's all with their own mission and purpose, but where it fell short for me was the fleshing out of them all. I didn't feel what they felt, by the end I didn't even mind if they lived or not, which is not good for me as a reader.

I will read book two, because I think with the proper time and tweaking this duology could be a homerun. One dark window suffered the same issues, and she knocked it out of the park with two twisted crowns. Hoping for the same for Cate!

🍵𝗧𝗲𝗮 𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀
This book walked into my brain with bloody communion hands and whispered “you are not ready.” Csilla is not your average chosen one—she’s the Church’s sinless assassin, used like a scalpel on holy rot. And Mihály? The divine golden boy with secrets under his smile and rage wrapped in silk? Yeah. He tore me up.

The way these two circle each other—one soulless, the other drowning in sanctity—it’s sacrilegious tension at its finest. Every chapter is dripping with guilt, divine magic, and the sharp ache of wanting something you’re told you can’t have. It’s church politics with daggers, an Inquisitor ex with a redemption kink, and a murder mystery so twisted I couldn’t tell which prayer was a lie until it bled out. I did not survive this book. I just confessed to it.

💔 Soulless protagonist as weapon
⚖️ Morality quantified by touch
🕵️ Mystery serial killer in sacred city
🤝 Reluctant allies with dangerous deal
🛡️ Inquisitor redemption run
🕳 Faith vs survival choices

4.5 ⭐️
The Faithful dark
This story takes place in a holy walled city where sin and sanctity are revealed through touch, Csilla - a girl born without a soul - is worth little to the Church that raised her. But when a series of murders corrodes the faithful magic that keep the city safe, the Church elders see a use for her she can assassinate their prime suspect, a heretic with divine heritage, without risking the stain of sin.

Content Notes
- Religiously sanctioned torture
- violence (no identity-based or sexual violence)
- animal death
- character death
- alcohol and substance abuse.

„The Faithful dark“ has a beautiful lyrical style of writing,it has gothic dark atmosphere, murder mystery throughout the whole story, Vatican vibes, one of the slowest burn I’ve ever read and yearning.
Honestly, at the beginning it was a little bit hard to get into the book, it took me some time to grasp the plot but when I did I was enthralled by the whole plot.

You get the POV of Csilla, girl without a soul and Ilan, Inquisitor of the Church.
I would recommend this book to someone who wanted a dark, mystic fantasy story with really unique story concept.

I can’t wait to continue this story 🙈

Thank you NetGalley, Cate Baumer, Hodderscape @HodderBooks and @HodderPublicity for providing me with an ARC of this book

4.5 stars. Original and deeply introspective. This novel has so much heart. The three leads (who also are the three POVs) are, in my opinion, all very distinct and well-developed. The world-building is immense but not confusing. The author (and perhaps, the editor as well) worked hard to make the story progress and grow while not getting bogged down in extraneous details. It was largely successful. Cannot wait for book 2.

This book is haunting beautiful. Everything feels like a labrynth of faith and fear. It’s giving The Name of the Rose vibes with Ilan and Csillas deep faiths and then there is Mihaly, touched by an Angel, grieving a lover.

The story is complex and although there are dark academia vibes through the research and experiments this is definitely a journey of discovery for all involved.

I don’t want to give anything away about what happens and complex relations ships of the three main characters who are drawn together.

I loved this book. The city in my head it like Edinburgh with a cathedral instead the castle with Labrynth like streets. This story is about faith, demons, darkness and blind trust. I highly recommend.

Cannot wait for book 2

The Faithful Dark is an interesting, beautifully gothic novel set in a world where God (Asten) and his angels once walked but then abandoned humanity, leaving behind their bloodlines (the Izir) and their faithful. The world appears to be queer-normative and one of the main characters is transgender. The church is dominant and entwined with the secular government, and a fall from grace within the church condemns the fallen to a lifetime of being shunned. Miracles are a given, and war is constant, both against nations that have broken away from the Immaculate Union, and the threat of demons.

Written in third person dual-alternating POV, the POV characters are Csilla and Ilan.

All our protagonist Csilla wants is to belong to the church. A foundling raised within its walls, she longs to be accepted and to give her vows. She works with the sisters of Mercy tending to the people of the sacred city Silgard. Lacking a soul, she is unable to be consecrated and the relics used by the church to suss out the sinful have no effect on her.

Ilan is the Inquisitor for the church, a high-ranking official who heads Judgment and is responsible for punishing those who stray. Ilan is a trans man - his background briefly given - and suffers no stigma. Ilan is desperately working to resolve the unholy murders occurring within the city, with each act eroding both the power of the church and his own authority.

Csilla and Ilan become embroiled by the murders and a charismatic Izir named Mihaly, and the three of them strike up an uneasy alliance to solve them. Their internal motivations are not aligned, and conflicts arise, mostly centering on Mihaly’s plans for Csilla and Ilan’s unease.

The prose is accessible and easy to read, and the pacing was relatively quick. I didn’t feel like I was struggling to get through the book, but also didn’t feel like I was flying through it. The character arcs are relatively well-fleshed out: Csilla loses some of her naivety as she progresses and experiences the world outside of the church, and has a dramatic if somewhat obscurely done reveal at the end; Ilan remains more stagnant but I enjoyed his POV chapters more than Csilla’s - they have a nice murder-mystery procedural feel to them at times.

The story is relatively well-balanced between world-building and plot, and I enjoyed the feel of the world very much. Gothic, crumbling, arcane, with a sense of distrust lurking around the corner. It reminded me of Rachel Gillig’s the Knight and the Moth in terms of the feel of the world and the religious structures. This is not romance driven and I greatly enjoyed its reliance on plot over character drama to advance the storyline. There is some tension but not enough to even term it a romantic subplot.

I did not expect the end and I enjoyed the reveals and twists the author crafted. I am interested to see where the story goes and will definitely read subsequent entries.