This one absolutely hit; a breathtaking fantasy that shredded me emotionally. Selene wakes up after ten years of captivity, winged and broken, thrust back into a homeland that feels like a stranger’s. Then there’s Callan- an entire world built across a sea of starlight, and he’s the ultimate found-family anchor in the storm of her trauma.

The slow-burn romance is tender and devastating, the found family vibes are chef’s kiss, and the world-building is stunning in both pain and beauty. And that cliffhanger? I was NOT prepared- I literally audibly gasped in public.

Thank-you to NetGalleyUK and publisher, Hodder & Stoughton, for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Faithful Dark was billed as "Angels, demons, serial killers in a fantasy Vatican" and that's a pretty accurate summary of the starting point. We have three main characters who are introduced pretty early on as the soulless orphan taken in by the church, desperate to belong, but never allowed to be virtue of her lack of soul; the semi-angel con-conformist who is healing the people while preaching heresy and possibly responsible for many of them abandoning the church; and the sort of main-inquisitor who is flogging people to make them holy again or something. (It's also casually mentioned in the opening pages that said inquisitor is trans, before never being mentioned again. I can't decide whether it's cool that it's a non-issue, or irritating that it's used as a bit of queer baiting that has no bearing on the plot).

So far, so good. Flawed characters, but each quite likable in their own way.

And then the plot is something like...
- There's a holy city. Everybody in the city is pretty holy.
- There's special glass that can tell you what shape somebody's soul is in.
- There's some kind of high priest. He's referred to as the Incarnate, but he's actually just the one who can hear the main god's voice. (Does the author not know what incarnate means?) He's off at some kind of holy war and everybody is quite grumpy that he's not coming back sooner.
- Bad stuff is going down, and the church think it's because of the heretic angel.
- They send soulless girl off to kill the angel.
- Shenanigans ensue.

So far, so good. I liked the set up. I liked the atmosphere. I even liked the variety of characters.

However...

Lots of the world building just wasn't fleshed out. I enjoy being dropped in at the deep end with fantasy worlds rather than having every little bit of exposition spelled out for me, but I was a considerable chunk of the way into the book when I turned to my husband and said "... I don't know what's going on right now."

It's never really explained:
- What it means that the city is holy. (Given there are definitely still people sinning inside it).
- How this city fits in with the rest of the world and the war that's being fought.
- What this seal (that is failing) is there for and what will happen if/when it dies
- What the heresy that this angel is preaching is

So you're left with this weird situation where the angel is sort of redeemable because the heresy isn't that bad, but then 5 minutes ago the church was trying to murder him because he was so dangerous. Meanwhile you've got a weird kind of shallow half-love story going on, with some borderline necromancy stuff. And a power struggle that never really goes anywhere, other than introducing tension. There are a couple of plot twists that really aren't plot twists because the foreshadowing is written in capital letters so it's pretty clear who the bad guys are going to be.

Overall, I finished this book feeling frustrated. It felt a bit like having a tour from a really excellent tour guide who described everything beautifully and pointed out intricate details... but fundamentally they were showing you around an unfinished house where some of the walls hadn't been built yet. Cate Beaumer clearly has a lovely way with words, but it wasn't enough to get me past the gaps in the plot.

4.5-star review for The Faithful Dark by Cate Baumer

The Faithful Dark is a gorgeously written gothic fantasy that sinks its teeth into themes of faith, corruption, and redemption. Cate Baumer builds a vivid, eerie world full of sanctified magic and dangerous secrets, where the line between holy and horrific blurs at every turn. Csilla, a soulless girl raised by a ruthless Church, is a sharp and compelling lead. Her mission to assassinate a divine heretic takes an unexpected turn as he offers her something she’s never had: a chance at a soul and a life of her own.
The slow-burn tension between Csilla and the heretic is everything a romantasy reader could want, layered with yearning, mistrust, and the promise of something more. Their uneasy alliance adds emotional weight to the central mystery, which is both suspenseful and satisfyingly twisty. Ilan, the driven Inquisitor, is another standout, adding a dangerous edge to the tangled web of power and truth. Every character feels morally complex, shaped by a city that values obedience over compassion.
Baumer’s prose is lyrical without ever slowing the pace, and the lore of this miracle-bound city is both rich and unsettling. The themes of worth, sin, and self-determination are explored with care, and the story never shies away from asking hard questions about who gets to define faith and justice.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read The Faithful Dark in exchange for my honest review. This is a dark gem of a book that will stay with you long after the final page, perfect for fans of Ava Reid and Leigh Bardugo.

I have found another new favourite in The Faithful Dark. It is a wonderfully atmospheric, gothic fantasy with a murder mystery and engrossing characters.

In a holy city where touch reveals sin, Csilla is born without a soul and is seen as worthless to the Church. They order her to assassinate a heretic with divine magic they believe threatens the city’s magic and is murdering its citizens. Then the heretic offers her a deal; help him find the actual murderer and he will give her a soul. Joining them is a fallen High Inquisitor that will do anything to retain their position. Together, they hunt a murderer whose trail leads to secrets that could destroy their city and the faith that keeps them safe.

This is a dual-POV from Csilla and Ilan’s perspectives, but Mihaly is such a big part of their stories, all are multifaceted and engaging characters. Csilla and Ilan have such distinct voices throughout the book, and I loved how flawed they all are. The character development they go through is outstanding. Csilla is naive and kind, and her faith runs deep, no matter what others do to her. Ilan is intimidating in his righteousness, and has to confront his beliefs. Mihaly is charming, selfish, and lost in grief. His actions are questionable even though you know why he does what he does. I absolutely love a slow burn and Cate Baumer does not disappoint. The pining and yearning is superb, I could not get enough!

World-building is such a massive part of books for me, and when it’s done this well I just want to live between the pages. The Faithful Dark is set in a fantasy Vatican where the Church is the ruler and faith is an everyday part of life. I never felt overwhelmed with the information being fed to me as I read, and the lore behind how their world was formed was compelling. There’s angels, demons, saints, and a religion that may or may not be corrupt. The concept of having souls darken with sin and the only ways to banish the corruption is by pain or coin was so fascinating. I really enjoy murder mysteries in a fantasy setting and this one was so intriguing.

This is a suspenseful book that reflects religious politics, and what it means to see yourself as worthy no matter what others do or say. You don’t need to burn yourself on a pyre to please others. The pacing may be a bit slow to start with, but I didn’t have any trouble with it. I’m so sad I have to wait so long to read the conclusion to this wonderful book.

Rating 3.5 stars!

Thank you NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the ARC.

There were a lot of strong aspects to this book, and I'd really like to focus on them to start. Cate Baumer writes very well. Her lyrical, atmospheric prose is a joy to read, and she explains her concepts so thoroughly that I deeply understand what she is creating. This is a welcome shift from a lot of fantasy writers concocting complex magic and worlds and just throwing the reader in and hoping they'll figure it out. I enjoy actually LEARNING the systems. I loved the explanation on souls by Ilan, specifically. Csilla was a wonderful, different character. She, again, was a welcome change from a lot of current FMCs. There is nothing wrong with badass women who can throat punch a hulk of an enemy with their fists or words. However, Csilla was pure-hearted, real, innocent, and strong in her own right.

My main reason for rating this somewhat lower was the pacing and the confusing genre/plot. It felt too slow, and I really wanted things to pick up sooner than they did, and I wished the plot were more fleshed out.

I'm sorry to say this didn't really work for me. I originally requested this novel because of the queer representation (ace, trans masc and bisexual) and I will say I did enjoy those elements of it. I really do think we need more queer books and authors in the fantasy space. Where I lost the thread of this book was really down to pacing. It was a very slow start and I just didn't end up feeling very emotionally invested in the characters.

What an absolute monster of a book! I was blown away by the intricacies of Baumer's world and the characters living in it. And the subtle representation of diversity! The story itself, I have to say, got a bit convoluted at times - the murder mystery at the heart of it really was only secondary. The novel felt more like a set-up of the actual story, which I am excited for.

3.5 stars, rounded up.

This was interesting. I feel like the plot and pacing only properly pick up in the second half, but until then the worldbuilding and characters kept me hooked enough to keep reading. The slightly iffy pacing, and the fact that even by the end I wasn't fully emotionally invested keeps me from giving it a higher rating, but I still enjoyed it!

All the characters as well as the relationships between them just felt unique and quite interesting, I feel like things never quite went into the most obvious direction, which I liked. The three leads all are weird people who make plenty of questionable choices, but it was just interesting to watch them sort of stumble through the plot. I will say, there was a particular narrative choice made in the last few chapters that worked within the book itself, but makes me a little dubious about the sequel, as I know that this is the first of a duology. I will still be picking it up though!
My favourite part was probably the worldbuilding - it's sort of a fantasy Catholic church, but it just felt very thoroughly thought out and developed, so it was cool to learn about.

In short, even if there were some things I felt a little iffy about, I still liked it, and I will be coming back for the sequel!

The Faithful Dark kicks off the Brilliant Soul Duology by interweaving faith, morality, and murder mystery into a gripping tale, set in a beautifully crafted world. The start especially has definite Hunchback of Notre Dame vibes which I just loved! It has an intriguing plot, exploring themes of faith, redemption, and the blurred lines between good and evil.

The story is set in the holy city of Silgard, abandoned by its god and angels and now plagued by a serial killer leaving behind eerie, symbol-marked corpses. With the Church unwilling to confront the possibility of an escaped demon, a soulless ex-ward of the Church, a demoted Inquisitor, and a divine heretic form an unease alliance to uncover the truth.

I struggled at first to connect with Csilla, whose naivety felt a bit flat early on, though the reasoning for her actions does become clearer. Likewise it took me a good chunk of the book for my interest in Mihály to pick up. Ilan however had me hooked immediately! I pictured him as Claude Frollo at the start but his character quickly evolves into something so much more complex and multi layered. He absolutely makes the book for me and I’m looking forward to seeing what the second book has in store for him!

Overall it is a great, slow-burn fantasy with strong atmosphere and depth. With thanks to Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for the ARC!

This book was pretty good, I would definitely recommend

~This was given by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review………..

Konnte ich leider nicht lesen, da unser system die LCP dateien nicht verarbeitet, was schade ist, leider aber bei etwa 20% der titel der fall ist

First off, huge thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for the advanced copy of this gorgeously strange, hauntingly lyrical book.

The Faithful Dark is not your average fantasy. This one feels like stepping into a cathedral where the stained glass weeps, the pews whisper secrets, and the holy water may just burn.

Cate Baumer pulled me straight into Silgard, a dark, moody, holy city dripping in velvet, blood, magic, and sin. It's got that perfect gothic bite, all candlelight, shadows, and sacred wrongness. I was hooked from the first scene. The pacing stuttered a bit here and there, but the story never really lost its grip on me.

The characters are complex and fascinating. Csilla is a wreck in the best way. Fiercely loyal, dangerously reckless, and shaped by trauma she refuses to wear on the outside. And Ilan... Lord. Morally gray, stubborn, faith shattered, and still soft when it counts. Their slow burn, enemies to something more dynamic was layered and queer and beautifully raw, without relying on spice to sell the tension.

There's also ace (asexual), transmasc, and bi rep here. It's not preachy or performative, just present. Lived in. I appreciated how identity was woven into the world instead of spotlighted like a checkbox. That said, I do wish the ace rep had been explored a little deeper. It’s there, but it felt more like a whisper when I was hoping for a little more volume.

Plot wise, it’s a murder mystery wrapped in faith and magic. Think religious orders, sacred rituals, political secrets, and blood oaths. There's tension, twists, and a reveal that hit me hard. But this is where the fifth star slipped through. Some scenes leapt ahead or skipped key transitions. A few moments had me flipping back, wondering if I missed something. I didn’t. The pacing just needed a little more connective tissue.

But the writing? Baby, it sings. Lush, lyrical, drenched in atmosphere. Cate Baumer certainly knows how to write mood and emotion like a prayer and a threat at the same time.

Final Thoughts:

If you're into dark, immersive fantasy with queer characters, theological tension, and emotional weight, The Faithful Dark absolutely delivers. It's not flawless, but it’s bold, beautiful, and full of promise. I’ll be picking up the next book in this duology for sure. Csilla and Ilan’s story isn’t done. And neither is mine with this world. Solid 4 stars!

So I enjoyed this but the format really threw me off and made it difficult to read. Overall the book wasn't bad.

Firstly this book could be most wonderful if it was not for the odd formatting. I am hopeful that this is due to the early editing and not the final edition. As a regular ARC reader I generally put such things aside, yet the odd formatting did distract the reader (me) from the magic of the story.

Otherwise a wonderful Gothic tale that deserves to be read.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this eARC!

Thank you NetGalley and Hodderscape for providing a copy of this book in exchange of an honest opinion.
Wow. I don’t like when female MCs gets tossed and turned and used, but Csilla, the beautiful, good spirited, pure Csilla had to undergo a deep transformation in order to detach herself from the Church and get closer to her great strenght - her faith and her good spirit.
This book was very Catholic in how it built the Church at the center of the story: sacrifice and obedience are everything, and enlightenment through pain is a must. I liked the stories of the Saints. Most of all I liked the characters.
Ilan is my favourite. I love when a righteous man who is willing to do anything for the greater good is given a slap on the face and his beliefs shake and he has to rethink everything he’s always known. Getting to know him was a real pleasure, and I hope the sequel will still have his PoV.
Mihaly… you wretched, lovely thing. So human in your divinity, which maybe was the entire point of his character: not even divinity is perfect, when humanity spawned from it.
What I didn’t particularly liked about this book was the pacing - it felt like stalling until around 45%, then the action picked up. I wish there had been more insight on the “bad guys”’ motives, but I’m always happy when religious institutions are revealed to be a scam led by vicious men.
Multiple thumbs up for the queer cast
Go Csilla, make ‘em pay - gently, of course.

I can't say enough about this book! It is a dark gothic fantasy. The character development and the storyline were well written. This book provided a new vibe as it is quite unique and sooo good!!

The Faithful Dark is a remarkable literary achievement. Its intricate character work, immersive world-building, and unflinching examination of faith and manipulation mark it as a standout in contemporary speculative fiction. Readers interested in gothic aesthetics, queer narratives, and psychologically rich storytelling will find much to admire in this novel. It is, quite simply, one of the most compelling and memorable books of the year.

At its core, The Faithful Dark functions as a genre hybrid: a gothic murder mystery, a fantasy steeped in theological dread, and a slow-burning character study. The setting is a fictionalized theocracy where the Church exercises authoritarian control over both corporeal bodies and intangible souls. In this world, demons have been expelled, angels have vanished, and the state of one’s soul is a matter of bureaucratic record and spiritual currency—pain or coin can purge corruption. Religion, in this society, is not merely a belief system but a tool of manipulation and repression. The novel’s setting is atmospheric and meticulously rendered, immersing readers in a brooding cityscape where political and spiritual corruption pervade nearly every institution.

Baumer has crafted a richly immersive and evocative narrative, distinguished by atmospheric prose and a carefully constructed plot that sustains engagement throughout. The language is not only elegant but also functional in its service to tone and world-building. The pacing is deliberate, yet never sluggish, and the storyline unfolds with coherence and intention. Of particular note is the novel’s character development: the figures who populate the text are rendered with depth and emotional resonance, creating a cast that is both endearing and narratively compelling.

In conclusion, this work stands as a noteworthy contribution to contemporary queer literature. Its aesthetic and narrative accomplishments are impressive, as they present an affecting and masterfully told story.

Baumer wrote a compelling set of characters and an interesting world, but I didn't vibe with the pace and writing much. That said, I would still recommend it!

*I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.*

The Review

Likes

- Ilan. He is a former High Inquisitor, but the church lost their faith in him. Csilla is a soulless girl which received the same fate as Ilan. They immediately connected with eachother.
I love his grumpy villain vibes and I'm glad that 'cause of him Csilla isn't making the wrong choices. He made her remember how being her own self is important and beautiful.
Also his loyalty is admirable, even though that means that he is acting violent.

- I was glad to see that Csilla, the protagonist of this story was a gentle and soft girl, which couldn't hurt a fly. The most recent books seem to feature woman with strong bodies and minds, which is compelling too, but not what I'm looking for on the long-run. There is something intriguing with a protagonist who is so kind and never sins in a world so full of terrors (especially since a serial killer is on the run in her town). No matter how often Csilla faced rejection in life as she won't get accepted for being soulless she still is determined to save her fate by finding the serial killer herself.
(Though I was disappointed to see how easily she sided with Mihály instead of Ilan, even though Mihály is delusional and dangerous).

- I prefer slow-burn over anything, so I was happy to see that the romance between Csilla and Ilan was slow, but still in a steady pace.

- The magic in this book was really thought-through. There were so many things that were explained and one could see that the author really tried to make it realistic while reading. It also helped me feeling like being part of this story while reading. For instance, Mihály was divine and researched souls. This character introduced to the readers how souls truly work in this world. Ilan, the former High Inquisitor teaches us how fast a soul can be blackend (when it's full of sins) and how a device helps finding out. He also showed how corrupt and cruel the police is: Torturing (often innocent) people to get a confession out of them. This really added to the dark world which was promised to the reader.

- The torture scene near the end? Tension. I felt so tense watching it, though I believe the characters felt even more tense, after all I was lucky to not be part of all of this.
(I also have the feeling that it made the situation worse that it was with a cane and not a normal whip)

Dislikes

Extremely slow start. (Takes about 40% in to get actually interesting). In general, the pacing felt off the whole time while reading. Even though there were enjoyable moments while I read, I never felt like there was truly anything impactful. Like there was no climax in the story. I'm aware that this is a duology series, but each single book still needs its climax and I honestly didn't find one. Maybe there was one and I just didn't notice, but not noticing means it wasn't great enough to really call it a climax.
So, a pacing that is off and no climax. This book still felt like a draft that needed to fix a few things to make the reading flow more bearable and actually interesting to read about. I felt myself often bored 'cause a lot of things repeated itself (not just storywise but also wordwise) and 'cause a lot of stuff was included that wasn't really part of the plot later on. Don't get me wrong, there was definitely a story to be told and there were moments that were important later on, but just as I mentioned above, there were also lots of things that weren't interesting to the reader as it wasn't really necessary to include.

- Izir Mihály ('cause of him we got that boring journey outside Silgard)
+ even though he acted like a saint, I always had this iffy feeling about him (especially when he touched Csilla weirdly, WITHOUT permission, which she even says herself that it isn't really comfortable)

- A while, the book felt like it was trying to solve some murder mystery, but the vibe wasn't there to begin with. It was like: ‘Hey, let's find the murderer, but we don't actually know how, but you could help us...right?’ for a very long time. I get it that it wouldn't be interesting if they have a lead and find the murderer immediately, but having no lead at all and working with magic (which by the way, thanks to Mihály, made me feel like I was watching some weird sacrificial ritual) won't really advance the plot. Overall, the plot always felt very shaky as if it was about to come to a halt only for it to move forward at the last possible minute.

- Most characters were one- or two-dimensional but never really three-dimensional (though Csilla is three-dimensional since she is the protagonist and we actually read her thoughts all the time and know her full backstory). There is definitely still room to get to know the characters better in the last installment of the series, I just think it's a bit scarce.

Final thoughts

Thank you NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the advanced reader copy of The Faithful Dark by Cate Baumer!

I will probably be not there to read The Ruthless Light, the second and last installment of the series as I wasn't able to enjoy this story so far enough to actually be looking forward to the end of this story. My low rating is due to me having expected something entirely different when I read the blurb. It's on me, as I tend to always feel intrigued when I read that it's about some spiritual/mythical beings. After all, my favourite manga is about angels and demons as well, making me feel even more drawn in into stories that feature this.

I might not have liked this book, but that doesn't mean that it's awful. So far, I see people really enjoying this book from other reviews and I don't want to discourage anyone with my review to read it as well. Just be prepared that it's slow, not just in the pacing but also the romance. If a dark fantasy with a touch of gothic and mysterious atmosphere is making you feel intrigued as well as political tension, magic, religious faith and spiritual beings then this book might appeal you.

I also included a content warning on StoryGraph, which could be helpful by choosing if this book suits one or not.

Started the book: 12. July 2025
Finished the book: 13. July 2025
Wrote the review: 13. July 2025

I’m actually obsessed with this book! If I could give it infinity stars, I would!

The Faithful Dark is a dark, gothic fantasy set in a holy city where touch reveals sin. Soulless Csilla is seen as worthless until the Church orders her to assassinate a heretic with divine heritage, accused of murders threatening the city’s magic. But the heretic offers her a deal: help him catch the real killer and he’ll give her a soul. Joining them is Ilan, a fallen Inquisitor desperate to reclaim his title by any means necessary, and together they hunt a murderer whose trail leads to secrets that could shake the Faith itself.

The characters are so complex and fascinating! I love when authors make characters feel like real people, flaws and all, and Cate Baumer absolutely nailed it. Csilla and Ilan have such distinct voices, and the character development is phenomenal. There’s kind of a love triangle (but also not really, it’s complicated) and I was eating it up! And the slow burn and yearning? Perfection! It’s like Baumer wrapped up everything I love into one book!

The worldbuilding is incredible. In this world, souls can blacken with sin and only pain or coin can banish the corruption on a soul, which is such a brilliant concept. Add in a murder mystery that becomes so much more, vanished angels, banished demons, saints, and a dark and corrupted religion, and you have this masterpiece of a book! The gothic atmosphere is immaculate and the setting, a fantasy Vatican, is such a delight to be in.

Plus, the writing is so beautifully lyrical. If there were any flaws I didn't notice them, I was completely swept away. I binged most of the book in a day because I just couldn’t put it down! The ending actually made me cry, and I’ve only cried while reading maybe two other books in my life. The Faithful Dark made me feel so many things which is exactly what a book is supposed to do.

Some bonus amazing things: an all-queer cast (asexual healer, transmasc priest, bisexual angel descendant), political intrigue, fantastic plot twists, and so much depth in every character. I’m basically in love with everyone despite their many flaws!

Honestly, this whole book is a piece of art. It gave me The Knight and the Moth vibes, but darker, moodier, and with a slower slow burn. I absolutely adored it!

Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. Found a new favorite book!