The Lives of Saints

Gr 7 Up–A look into the mythos of Bardugo’s Grishaverse, a land rife with magic and folklore. The book, which appears in the pages of Shadow and Bone and as a prop in the Netflix show of the same name, features short stories detailing the miracles, mysteries, and martyrdom of various saints. Zollinger’s beautiful illustrations accompany each tale, setting the tone and showing readers romanticized depictions of the saints, such as Sankta Maradi, patron saint of impossible love, helping two star-crossed lovers find each other in the dark; little Sankta Marya of the Rock, the patron saint of those who are far from home, saving her family from a collapsing mine; the enigmatic Saint of the Book, collecting the stories and putting them in the correct order; and many more. Longtime fans of the Grishaverse books will be excited by this series tie-in and newcomers may find this an interesting entry point into the novels.