Publishers Weekly
04/15/2024
Buba debuts with an intricate fantasy, inspired by Philippine history and mythology, about a bisexual woman who hides her goddess-given power to channel storms behind the walls of a convent. When Lunurin was 15, she impulsively promised her life to Anitun Tabu, the Aynilan goddess of storms and sky, in exchange for destroying the Codicían, Aynila’s colonizers. After she inadvertently called a storm down on her own village, however, Lunurin was sent away and has lived the past 10 years as a nun, playacting devotion to the Codicían religion while desperately ignoring the call of her goddess. Though she tries to make a peaceful life for herself with her lover, Catalina, who fears and rejects Lunurin’s powers, she can no longer stand aside as the colonizers steal ever more of the Aynilan people’s identity and their very lives. Meanwhile, her growing attraction to Alon, a childhood friend with whom she enters into a political marriage, frays the edges of her barely held control. As Lunurin learns to embrace her true self and her powers, very little of life as she knows it will remain standing. Buba crafts strong characters but bogs down their development in extensive detail about Aynila’s infrastructure. The resulting worldbuilding is impressive, but somewhat challenging to sift through. Still, readers who like their folklore with plenty of politics will find their fix with this one. (June)
From the Publisher
"Gabriella Buba writes the way the ocean moves: rhythmic and rolling, with dark currents and a powerful grace. Saints of Storm and Sorrow elegantly weaves the rich tapestry of Filipino folklore into a poignant, harrowing tale of magic and rebellion and sacrifice. Every page is drenched in the pain and hope that characterized our centuries-long struggle. This is fantasy at its finest, but it's also a story about us, and about how my love for you is one with our love for the motherland." Thea Guanzon, New York Times, USA Today and Sunday Times bestselling author of The Hurricane Wars
"Action, magic, romance...an unforgettable story filled with inspiration from myths across the Philippine islands. Crafted with exquisite detail that will resonate with fantasy fans--from those seeking new adventures to those like me, aching for the familiar." K.S. Villoso, author of The Wolf of Oren-Yaro
"I am feral for this book. Buba has written a sublime, devastating tale that crackles with romance, dazzles with political intrigue, and snarls with the pent-up fury of those who suffer under colonization. And that fury must be released. Saints of Storm and Sorrow will hook you from its tumultuous beginning, draw you into a richly realized Filipino world, and crush you with emotion." Mia Tsai, author of Bitter Medicine
"With prose as immersive and bracing as a sea storm, Saints of Storm and Sorrow is a stunning debut. Readers will be swept away by Lunurin’s struggles as she is torn between the life she’s building under the bonds of colonial rule and a vengeful goddess pounding at her mind’s door. This aching, rage-soaked novel is a must-read.” Nicole Jarvis, author of A Portrait in Shadow
"Saints of Storm and Sorrow is a vicious examination of the struggles a colonized culture must endure to survive, bundled in a devastating storm of rage, grief, and lost love. Love, betrayal, incredible worldbuilding, and righteous female rage… hell yeah!" Rebecca Thorne, author of Can't Spell Treason Without Tea
"Saints of Storm and Sorrow weaves an unforgettable journey into a world where gods walk among mortals and even the quietest whispers can spark a revolution. The thrilling action and complex characters provide a springboard from which Buba masterfully delves into the nuanced relationship between the colonizers and the colonized. Lush, vibrant, and spellbinding—this folklore-inspired fantasy gripped my imagination (and my heart) from the beginning and never let it go." Kyla Zhao, author of Valley Verified and The Fraud Squad
"Saints of Storm and Sorrow is an absorbing, compelling story of resistance and determination, offering fantasy readers a richly detailed world full of characters with exceptional emotional depth. Buba is a powerhouse, providing an unflinching examination of colonialism and the full range of tenderness, loyalty, and pain in the complex relationships between her characters, all with equal skill. " Faye Delacour, author of The Lady He Lost
