Hello, everyone! Today I’m reviewing Disciples of Chaos by M. K. Lobb, the follow-up to last year’s Seven Faceless Saints. Be sure to check out my review of the first book, as well!

In this thrilling sequel to Seven Faceless Saints, perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo and Kerri Maniscalco, Roz and Damian must face their destiny as the world crumbles around them.

Damian Venturi isn’t aware of it yet. But as small shifts start to crack the foundations of the Ombrazian power structure after the Rebellion’s attack, cracks are beginning to show in Damian’s own facade. Uncontrollable anger is bubbling to the surface and can’t always be pushed down. Can he keep everyone safe, even from himself?

Rossana Lacertosa should feel victorious. She accomplished everything she set out to do, and more. The Rebellion’s attack set countless prisoners free and brought attention to the unfairness in the Palazzo’s structure. And Damian is back by her side where he belongs. Yet the war with Brechaat rages on and government officials are hellbent on keeping the status quo.

Then an Ombrazian general arrives from the front lines, and orders dozens of arrests, shipping Roz and Damian’s friends up north. Determined to free those who matter most, Roz and Damian set their sights on Brechaat. But their journey is dogged by strange magic, and Damian shifts further from the boy he used to be.

The complications of love, magic, faith, and war will keep readers eagerly turning the pages as they head towards the gripping conclusion in the Seven Faceless Saints duology.

***Thank you to Little, Brown Books for Young Readers for providing a copy of Disciples of Chaos via NetGalley. My review contains my honest thoughts about my reading experience.***

My thoughts about Disciples of Chaos are in flux as I write this review. While reading, I did not want to put the book down. There was something compulsively readable about Lobb’s writing, and everything moved at a pretty quick pace. On reflection, though, there are some things about the book that don’t really work for me, despite enjoying them while I was reading.

The plot of Disciples of Chaos couldn’t be more different from its predecessor. Whereas Seven Faceless Saints was largely a murder mystery, this book revolves around a rescue mission that ultimately turns into a battle for the very survival of Ombrazia. It involved a lot of traveling, which I don’t typically love, but Lobb managed to hold my interest with the interpersonal and intrapersonal dynamics of the characters. The traveling also helped to build out the world some, which had been lacking in the first book.

The additions to the world-building in Disciples of Chaos were quite fascinating, and I appreciated that the new information was revealed in service to the plot and character development. The story provided much more information about the Saints and the history of the conflict between Ombrazia and Brechaat. The revelations allowed for an interesting exploration of how propaganda and religion can be used to alter history and keep the masses compliant to a corrupt order soaked in bloodshed.

I was excited to spend more time with Roz and Damian in Disciples of Chaos, but this book put them through the wringer. Damian’s struggles with the aftermath of his actions from the last book had me hooked. I felt so sorry for him and missed the wonderful soft boy he used to be. It was so hard to see Roz watch him slipping away bit by bit while being able to do nothing to stop it. His inner turmoil completely broke my heart, and the strife it caused between he and Roz had me so anxious.

There was a new, third POV in Disciples of Chaos, as well, but I don’t have much to say about it because it felt a little pointless by the end. The extra POV didn’t really add any extra information to the story, and it just sort of disappeared once the mystery of it was solved. I would have liked to get at least one more POV chapter from that individual to see the events of the last battle through their eyes, but it never happened. It could have provided such an interesting perspective, though.

The last leg of Disciples of Chaos was wild. I was on the edge of my seat waiting to see how it would all turn out, and there were so many stand out moments. There were times that I gasped and others that I sobbed, and I was a little surprised by all the emotion I felt for these characters. It really snuck up on me how much I came to care about them. In addition to the emotional moments, the climax of the story had tons of action and cool magic, and I just had such a great time watching it all play out.

So, why are my thoughts in flux about Disciples of Chaos? Some things weakened the story for me the longer I think about them. The reliance on fate and destined roles, in particular, cheapened a lot of the character growth in this novel for me. I also like the ending less and less the more I think about it. I’m sure the author was attempting something bittersweet that highlighted the need for sacrifice in love. Unfortunately, it came across, to me at least, as endorsing the toxicity of a woman needing to give up her personhood to save her man and right his wrongs. It was dramatic and poignant in the moment, but it didn’t hold up on further reflection.

All in all, I enjoyed reading Disciples of Chaos. It had lots of cool magic, emotional character developments, and an exciting finale. I just wish that the reliance on fate and the message embedded in the ending hadn’t undercut an otherwise solid and entertaining story. Therefore, I give Disciples of Chaos a rating of 4 out of 5 stars.

Have you read Seven Faceless Saints and/or Disciples of Chaos? What did you think? Let me know down in the comments!