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The Unsaintly, Vol. 1
This is the Prologue to the series that begins in January 2015 of dark, epic proportions where the book of Revelations collides with the likes of Shakespeare's Midsummer's Dream. Fantastical creatures, Apocolyptic wars, and edge-of-your-seat encounters that will leave their mark on your mind long after you put the book down. When Isabel - the daughter of the Blanche of Castille and Louis VIII - was young, she could only dream of serving her country and her family by putting her faith in God. A devout Catholic, she was known for her kindness and work with the sick. When she finally made her dream come true by convincing the head of the Church to allow her to open her own convent, she had no idea that it would test her conviction and faith on such a personal level... God had sent a watcher to record her life’s story. The Devil infiltrates her monastery, and she comes face to face with the Father of Lies in a story of Heaven versus Hell. Isabel then suffers through the worst case of stigmata the Church has ever seen, resulting in her being both feared and revered. Her nightmare truly begins when she must fight for her very soul from demonic possession which places the lives of those who are sworn to protect her in jeopardy. Everything she’s learned up to this point could not prepare for the dark truth... Humans are merely pawns in a game of chess between a father and a son torn apart by jealousy. (Cover art by Lisa Vasquez with stock images by Marcus Ranum of www.ranum.com -- Thank you so much for making this amazing vision come true)
248 pages, Paperback
First published July 24, 2014
About the author
Lisa Vasquez
51 books77 followersUnveiling the Darkness: Lisa Vasquez, owner and editor-in-chief of Momento Mori Ink ezine
With roles encompassing CEO, editor, author, and mentor, she has left an indelible mark as a versatile creative force.
Previously at the helm of Stitched Smile Publications, Lisa's visionary leadership transformed the publishing house into a haven for emerging horror authors.
As the editor-in-chief of House of Stitched magazine, Lisa unveiled the unsung heroes of the horror industry. Her discerning eye brought to light the behind-the-scenes contributors that make the genre thrive. Having retired from her role at House of Stitched, Lisa's editorial legacy stands as a testament to her dedication the art of storytelling.
In her role as a mentor, Lisa guided aspiring writers through the labyrinthine paths of the horror genre, imparting her wisdom and nurturing their talents.
Lisa's talents extend to the realm of multi-media artistry, where she wields acrylic, charcoal, and watercolor to create captivating works. Her artistic vision adds yet another layer to her creative tapestry, intertwining her love for horror with visual expression.
With roles encompassing CEO, editor, author, and mentor, she has left an indelible mark as a versatile creative force.
Previously at the helm of Stitched Smile Publications, Lisa's visionary leadership transformed the publishing house into a haven for emerging horror authors.
As the editor-in-chief of House of Stitched magazine, Lisa unveiled the unsung heroes of the horror industry. Her discerning eye brought to light the behind-the-scenes contributors that make the genre thrive. Having retired from her role at House of Stitched, Lisa's editorial legacy stands as a testament to her dedication the art of storytelling.
In her role as a mentor, Lisa guided aspiring writers through the labyrinthine paths of the horror genre, imparting her wisdom and nurturing their talents.
Lisa's talents extend to the realm of multi-media artistry, where she wields acrylic, charcoal, and watercolor to create captivating works. Her artistic vision adds yet another layer to her creative tapestry, intertwining her love for horror with visual expression.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
October 7, 2014
If only this were half the length.
And edited.
And written by someone with a sense of humor.
I guess what I'm actually saying is that I want it to be rewritten as a Bizarro novella in which an obsessive-compulsive nun hallucinates that she's having a threesome with God and the Devil.
And edited.
And written by someone with a sense of humor.
I guess what I'm actually saying is that I want it to be rewritten as a Bizarro novella in which an obsessive-compulsive nun hallucinates that she's having a threesome with God and the Devil.
Read
October 4, 2014I have not actually read more than a small sample of the Amazon preview, despite having marked it as read. I wished to review without rating, because I don't usually assign stars to books I haven't made a good faith attempt to read. I will not be making that attempt.I am well aware that writing novels is a deeply personal creative effort. Like any other creative effort, some are more successful than others.
The writing in this book is enormously, incredibly dull. There isn't actually anything wrong, in a lot of ways. It's grammatical and literate. There probably is a story in here, if I ever had the patience to find it. There are readers who care less about style than I do. Some of them might enjoy it.
Technically,what pops out at me is "overly descriptive', with virtually every sentence containing one, and everything being described with equal weight, in the same way. It can sound like an odd complaint, because writers paint with words. Description is one of our stocks in trade, and done correctly, it can evoke any number of things.
The writer overuses qualifiers too, which is pretty common and fairly easily corrected, but the issues here really aren't the technical errors, because they're not glaring. I could probably pick a few more out, but there are readable books out there that have at least as many. I can think of one I had the dubious pleasure of helping to proof. It was riddled with issues, but at the end of the day, it was a dynamic, interesting story.
This isn't. There's no life here. No art, to use the term loosely.
The writing in this book is enormously, incredibly dull. There isn't actually anything wrong, in a lot of ways. It's grammatical and literate. There probably is a story in here, if I ever had the patience to find it. There are readers who care less about style than I do. Some of them might enjoy it.
Technically,what pops out at me is "overly descriptive', with virtually every sentence containing one, and everything being described with equal weight, in the same way. It can sound like an odd complaint, because writers paint with words. Description is one of our stocks in trade, and done correctly, it can evoke any number of things.
The writer overuses qualifiers too, which is pretty common and fairly easily corrected, but the issues here really aren't the technical errors, because they're not glaring. I could probably pick a few more out, but there are readable books out there that have at least as many. I can think of one I had the dubious pleasure of helping to proof. It was riddled with issues, but at the end of the day, it was a dynamic, interesting story.
This isn't. There's no life here. No art, to use the term loosely.
July 24, 2016
3.4
I am writing a revision here of a review I gave this back in 2014 when The Unsaintly appeared in a collection of novellas and I was hugely disappointed in its failure to stand on its own as a novella. However, Vasquez contacted me saying that The Unsaintly was only meant to be a prequel and that was not advertised as such in the collection (Hallowed Horror) did it a disservice. She actually sent me a copy of the full book to check it out to see if maybe I would like it better if it was presented as it should be since I did like the core idea -- the possession of a medieval nun and the general fight between innocence and experience and good and evil -- and some of the elements of the story.
It has taken me forever to get around to reading it and to refining this review and for that I apologize since I really did like The Unsaintly and feel bad since the full book definitely deserves more stars than its poorly published earlier version.
Vasquez is a decent writer. In addition to the major storyline of the possession, we get interesting (relevant) backstories of many of the major characters, and these historical interludes, while difficult for me to evaluate in terms of verisimilitude, are entertaining and add to the overall tale. The story moves between POVs fluidly and this rounds out the story overall. And let's not forget all the super fun elements, like angels, demons, possession, nuns, God himself, Satan himself, creepy monks, and angelic battles. There are some genuinely scary moments too -- a scene that comes to mind of a monk stuck in a dark corridor while surrounded by demonic entities is so spooky it is still creeping me out. As someone who gets more jaded every day, I have to give Vasquez two thumbs up for that little ditty.
Buy, borrow, or burn: Borrow. But if you like demons and epic tales, borrow it quickly.
I am writing a revision here of a review I gave this back in 2014 when The Unsaintly appeared in a collection of novellas and I was hugely disappointed in its failure to stand on its own as a novella. However, Vasquez contacted me saying that The Unsaintly was only meant to be a prequel and that was not advertised as such in the collection (Hallowed Horror) did it a disservice. She actually sent me a copy of the full book to check it out to see if maybe I would like it better if it was presented as it should be since I did like the core idea -- the possession of a medieval nun and the general fight between innocence and experience and good and evil -- and some of the elements of the story.
It has taken me forever to get around to reading it and to refining this review and for that I apologize since I really did like The Unsaintly and feel bad since the full book definitely deserves more stars than its poorly published earlier version.
Vasquez is a decent writer. In addition to the major storyline of the possession, we get interesting (relevant) backstories of many of the major characters, and these historical interludes, while difficult for me to evaluate in terms of verisimilitude, are entertaining and add to the overall tale. The story moves between POVs fluidly and this rounds out the story overall. And let's not forget all the super fun elements, like angels, demons, possession, nuns, God himself, Satan himself, creepy monks, and angelic battles. There are some genuinely scary moments too -- a scene that comes to mind of a monk stuck in a dark corridor while surrounded by demonic entities is so spooky it is still creeping me out. As someone who gets more jaded every day, I have to give Vasquez two thumbs up for that little ditty.
Buy, borrow, or burn: Borrow. But if you like demons and epic tales, borrow it quickly.
August 12, 2014
I've been waiting for this book for a long time. I followed the book in it's infantile stages and eagerly waited and waited for it, so when I found out there were more in the works I was excited to get my hands on this book.
Scenes are written out in such a way that the reader can find themselves observing and watching it happen before their very eyes. I was intrigued throughout my read and found myself carefully reading through each page as I found myself almost being able to see it play out like a story or a movie.
The tale of Isabel is one that I think on a metaphorical level we as humans find ourselves in at many points throughout our lives and it continues to cause us to "question everything."
And if you haven't asked yourself before to question everything... you will by the time you finish this book.
Well written and well versed in her work, Lisa has been able to take her readers on a fantastic journey one in which might change your views, might cause you to question them, may offend, but will not leave her readers disappointed.
Scenes are written out in such a way that the reader can find themselves observing and watching it happen before their very eyes. I was intrigued throughout my read and found myself carefully reading through each page as I found myself almost being able to see it play out like a story or a movie.
The tale of Isabel is one that I think on a metaphorical level we as humans find ourselves in at many points throughout our lives and it continues to cause us to "question everything."
And if you haven't asked yourself before to question everything... you will by the time you finish this book.
Well written and well versed in her work, Lisa has been able to take her readers on a fantastic journey one in which might change your views, might cause you to question them, may offend, but will not leave her readers disappointed.
October 28, 2014
The Unsaintly is a bold book, aiming to draw its reader into the solemn, mysterious, and often forgotten world of a medieval monastery. If that sounds a bit too somber (or, be honest, boring!), blend that image of peaceful stone walls and quiet gardens with the eerie shrieking of a woman possessed by something inhuman clawing its way out of her soul. Author Lisa Vasquez delivers a strong, impassioned female character in the Princess Isabel, sister of King Louis of France, whose religious fervor amidst the crusades allows her to avoid an arranged marriage by seeking the sanctity of monastic life as a nun. Full of compassion, intelligence, strength of spirit and the confident independence that accompanies a king’s sister, Isabel is devoted to her God, her Church, and using her life therein for the love of the sick, poor and downtrodden. And yet, thinly veiled by such a noble personality, Isabel struggles with terrifying, bewildering problems that haunt her brothers and sisters in the monastery, slowly destroy both her life and the sanity of those who love her, and clue by clue point to something unnatural, something unholy, something… unsaintly.
Vasquez takes on with sweeping ambitions a dramatic blend of genres with this book: historical fiction, horror, mystery, and religious fiction. This can make The Unsaintly an attractive option for a wide audience, and the steady pace of the narrative allows for a flow that shouldn’t leave many of those readers bored or distracted. She does, however, stumble in the prologue as the scope of her ambitious creativity has her reimagining the fall of Lucifer from heaven, and then throughout the book the story is driven in large part by the activities of an equally reimagined interaction of God, Devil, and angels whose activities remain mostly hidden from human eyes. While she graciously concedes at the outset of the book the invitation for readers with religious backgrounds or convictions to maintain an open mind and remember that she is writing for fiction, by tackling so many dogmatic and traditional elements of Catholicism with such a freelance attitude, Vasquez creates her own stumbling blocks for readers for whom (spoiler alert) images like God murdering Lucifer’s son is a bridge too far for even fictional plausibility. As a foil to that, however, in The Unsaintly Lisa Vasquez demonstrates a truly breathtaking talent for vivid descriptions and chilling imagery which, at times, rivals William Peter Blatty’s renowned works in depicting the spiritual, physical, and psychological horror of a woman possessed.
Rating: 3 out of 5
Reviewed for Bit'N Book Promoters web | facebook | twitter
Vasquez takes on with sweeping ambitions a dramatic blend of genres with this book: historical fiction, horror, mystery, and religious fiction. This can make The Unsaintly an attractive option for a wide audience, and the steady pace of the narrative allows for a flow that shouldn’t leave many of those readers bored or distracted. She does, however, stumble in the prologue as the scope of her ambitious creativity has her reimagining the fall of Lucifer from heaven, and then throughout the book the story is driven in large part by the activities of an equally reimagined interaction of God, Devil, and angels whose activities remain mostly hidden from human eyes. While she graciously concedes at the outset of the book the invitation for readers with religious backgrounds or convictions to maintain an open mind and remember that she is writing for fiction, by tackling so many dogmatic and traditional elements of Catholicism with such a freelance attitude, Vasquez creates her own stumbling blocks for readers for whom (spoiler alert) images like God murdering Lucifer’s son is a bridge too far for even fictional plausibility. As a foil to that, however, in The Unsaintly Lisa Vasquez demonstrates a truly breathtaking talent for vivid descriptions and chilling imagery which, at times, rivals William Peter Blatty’s renowned works in depicting the spiritual, physical, and psychological horror of a woman possessed.
Rating: 3 out of 5
Reviewed for Bit'N Book Promoters web | facebook | twitter
August 16, 2014
book: The Unsaintly |22890862] BY LISA VASQUEZ
I found this book to be brilliantly freighting. Move over Linda Blair. you have nothing on Isabel. AS you read this book you find yourself feeling like you are there...a well written book that will give you chills and make you think about good verses evil...could not put this book down. Kudos to the Author on a FASINATING...CHILLING...AND INTERTAINING BOOK. 5 stars ALL THE WAY!!! Can't wait for sequel
Maureen Lanza
I found this book to be brilliantly freighting. Move over Linda Blair. you have nothing on Isabel. AS you read this book you find yourself feeling like you are there...a well written book that will give you chills and make you think about good verses evil...could not put this book down. Kudos to the Author on a FASINATING...CHILLING...AND INTERTAINING BOOK. 5 stars ALL THE WAY!!! Can't wait for sequel
Maureen Lanza
January 15, 2016
"I did enjoy this story. It has a lot of potential to turn into something huge in the next book when it comes out. As I said before Lisa Vasquez has a great imagination and her writing style is very easy on the eye. I love her character building and she has a definite knack for setting the mood in the story and making you feel very at ease with her writing. I think this would have been a five-star book for me if it hadn’t been for the extra padding and the poor editing in places."
See here for the full review:
The Anti-God
See here for the full review:
The Anti-God
November 10, 2014
It stared out slow but once i got in to it . It was a real page turner i could not put it down.
I had to know what happen next was very writing and entering i enjoyed the read and look forwarded to book two
I had to know what happen next was very writing and entering i enjoyed the read and look forwarded to book two
June 8, 2015
“The Unsaintly” is a work of historical fiction, written by Lisa Vasquez. The first portion shows a brace of disputes between God and Lucifer. The first dispute is a friendly argument; the second, a war in Heaven reminiscent of Milton’s “Paradise Lost”. And having been cast from Heaven, Lucifer vows to harm God however he can.
In Jewish folklore, Satan may be the enemy of mankind, but he does so as the servant of God. It is the Christian view that Satan is the enemy of God.
However, the meat of the story is not about God or Lucifer, but about Isabel, daughter of the king of France. First, her childhood friend, Marco, is attacked by another boy. When Marco kills him in self-defense, he is sent away. Later, Isabel is betrothed to be married but her suitor betrays her. And then, after being to a nunnery, the young girl begins to begins to suffer stigmata—the mark of Christ’s suffering. Through all this and more, Isabel has visions of demons and vile creatures attacking her.
Watching over future-Sainte Isabel is the angel Marciel, disguised as a monk within the nunnery. His guardianship is tested by his growing attraction to her… and the knowledge that Lucifer has sent one of his agents as well!
God and Marciel hang out from time to time, not really doing anything. God reminds Marciel to write Isabel’s story, but vanishes without telling him what to do about Lucifer. Other times, God and Lucifer pal around together and murmur fears about something called the Void.
In “The Unsaintly”, Lucifer pulls a sword and charges God, thinking he can slay the creator of the Universe. And seemingly God thinks that Lucifer might succeed, for he seems afraid and surrounds himself with bodyguards. The scene is almost comical.
So would anyone not Catholic get anything out of this story of a historical saint? There’re some humorous bits, with angels and demons squabbling. Not unlike the gods in the Iliad, they supply comic relief.
Still, it’s aimed at a Catholic readership. Those readers will get the most out of the story, though some Catholics might quibble over theological matters. Fans of history might enjoy the medieval setting and customs. There are some very good creep-out scenes of demonic possession for horror fans. It certainly builds to a dramatic conclusion.
“The Unsaintly” could have used a final proofreading due to some misspelled words cropping up. Throughout the book, but especially in the first few chapters, the narrative within a chapter suddenly jumps from one scene to another without a break. That’s a bit jarring at time, but these problems are not so bad as to ruin the book.
Also, Vasquez drops in chess moves like Nb1-c3, Bc8-g4, which are utterly meaningless to most people, even those who play chess non-professionally. It’s also anachronistic because that method of recording chess moves did not exist in the 13th Century. Better to describe the move in the narrative so everyone can follow the action.
Still, if you’re into stories of demonic possession and battles between the forces of Good and Evil, you will enjoy “The Unsaintly”, the first book in a planned trilogy.
In Jewish folklore, Satan may be the enemy of mankind, but he does so as the servant of God. It is the Christian view that Satan is the enemy of God.
However, the meat of the story is not about God or Lucifer, but about Isabel, daughter of the king of France. First, her childhood friend, Marco, is attacked by another boy. When Marco kills him in self-defense, he is sent away. Later, Isabel is betrothed to be married but her suitor betrays her. And then, after being to a nunnery, the young girl begins to begins to suffer stigmata—the mark of Christ’s suffering. Through all this and more, Isabel has visions of demons and vile creatures attacking her.
Watching over future-Sainte Isabel is the angel Marciel, disguised as a monk within the nunnery. His guardianship is tested by his growing attraction to her… and the knowledge that Lucifer has sent one of his agents as well!
God and Marciel hang out from time to time, not really doing anything. God reminds Marciel to write Isabel’s story, but vanishes without telling him what to do about Lucifer. Other times, God and Lucifer pal around together and murmur fears about something called the Void.
In “The Unsaintly”, Lucifer pulls a sword and charges God, thinking he can slay the creator of the Universe. And seemingly God thinks that Lucifer might succeed, for he seems afraid and surrounds himself with bodyguards. The scene is almost comical.
So would anyone not Catholic get anything out of this story of a historical saint? There’re some humorous bits, with angels and demons squabbling. Not unlike the gods in the Iliad, they supply comic relief.
Still, it’s aimed at a Catholic readership. Those readers will get the most out of the story, though some Catholics might quibble over theological matters. Fans of history might enjoy the medieval setting and customs. There are some very good creep-out scenes of demonic possession for horror fans. It certainly builds to a dramatic conclusion.
“The Unsaintly” could have used a final proofreading due to some misspelled words cropping up. Throughout the book, but especially in the first few chapters, the narrative within a chapter suddenly jumps from one scene to another without a break. That’s a bit jarring at time, but these problems are not so bad as to ruin the book.
Also, Vasquez drops in chess moves like Nb1-c3, Bc8-g4, which are utterly meaningless to most people, even those who play chess non-professionally. It’s also anachronistic because that method of recording chess moves did not exist in the 13th Century. Better to describe the move in the narrative so everyone can follow the action.
Still, if you’re into stories of demonic possession and battles between the forces of Good and Evil, you will enjoy “The Unsaintly”, the first book in a planned trilogy.
October 14, 2014
So I received this through the giveaway contest on Goodreads. I have been re-reading Anne Rice’s Vampire Chronicles in anticipation of Prince Lestat being released, so reading this book The Unsaintly in which we have God, Satan, and various angels and demons fits right in. The Unsaintly starts off pretty good but gets a bit choppy from there. At times it seems a little disjointed but it kept me interested and the story itself was quite good so I carried on and I am glad I did. From the chapter Nov 8, 1226: Miriam’s Interlude (probably the books finest) until the end the writing was tight and flowed beautifully especially compared to some earlier chapters. I could not put it down. The ending is just amazing. It is what I was hoping for and what possession type books and movies have been lacking lately…total brutality and fear. Some people are going to be turned off by it so it is not for everyone. I hope the author goes back and looks at the Miriam’s Interlude chapter to see how her next book should read all the way through. I would also suggest the author look into properly writing a movie script and start adapting this book. As a horror fan and somebody who has had a horror podcast for six years I would love to see this come out as a movie. So overall I think three out of five stars is fair but definitely a five out of five for the final seventy five pages or so.
October 16, 2014
You know, there are times when I pick up a book, start reading it, sigh out a “meh”, then put it back on the bookshelf never to be read again.
Not this time.
I acquired this book, not entirely certain of what wondrous depictions it would contain, what roads it might take me down, or if it would have me pause to reflect upon how deep the rabbit hole would go. Yes, this book did it all. I read through every page, savoring it's intricacies as well as its dark and delectable delights.
I won't give the story away, but allow me to note that it does take you back to a luscious past, the one that most of us yearn to discover in our lifetime but will never come to know. It beckons you to pull back the veil that hides the otherworld from that of the materialistic. Angels and demons battle against one another, and saints and sinners alike skim across these pages with their own tale to tell. Well worth the read, I might say. Kudos to the author for writing such a provocative and fantastic story. I am definitely looking forward to more!
Not this time.
I acquired this book, not entirely certain of what wondrous depictions it would contain, what roads it might take me down, or if it would have me pause to reflect upon how deep the rabbit hole would go. Yes, this book did it all. I read through every page, savoring it's intricacies as well as its dark and delectable delights.
I won't give the story away, but allow me to note that it does take you back to a luscious past, the one that most of us yearn to discover in our lifetime but will never come to know. It beckons you to pull back the veil that hides the otherworld from that of the materialistic. Angels and demons battle against one another, and saints and sinners alike skim across these pages with their own tale to tell. Well worth the read, I might say. Kudos to the author for writing such a provocative and fantastic story. I am definitely looking forward to more!
September 25, 2014
Lisa Vasquez has written an entertaining and imaginative tale that combines fantasy, history, religion, and horror. The world that the author has created is compelling and I was hooked from the prologue, with the conflict between God and Lucifer. It seemed believable, as the guards were displaying their support. Although, God was in control and ended it in His way and time. And what a way to introduce Isabel – that was a crazy scene with the rosary! “The Unsaintly” is one of those haunting stories you can't quite get out of your mind. I enjoyed it thoroughly and would recommend.
January 9, 2015
This was a good quick read. Demons, Angels, and more intertwine in the backdrop of Historically based fiction. The Unsaintly is the first in a 3 book series to be written. It is an interesting take on aspects of the Catholic Church of the period as well as a bold story. The ending leaves you wanting the next installment to know what happens next to the characters you have become invested in.
January 28, 2016
Isabel has dedicated her life to serving others. She is the daughter of the Blanche of Castille and Louis VIII and raised as a Catholic. She had a path she was supposed to follow but instead she chose to serve God and become a nun. Isabel is pure of heart and has suffered from stigmata, you could say she has a gift at showing compassion for others. Little does she know that her faith and kindness has made her a pawn in the battle between heaven and hell.
In her monastery, angels in disguise are watching over her and God and Lucifer are fighting for her soul. One angel was put there by god to record her actions and Lucifer is also there in the form of a priest. Isabel suffers through demonic possession and she watches the people she loves put in danger. She is put to the ultimate test of faith in the battle of good and evil and along the way she will have to accept some dark truths.
The Unsaintly by Lisa Vasquez is set in 1254, a time when religion was taken much more seriously then it is now. I was drawn to this book because I liked the idea of someone who is presented as almost saint like being stuck in a battle of good versus evil. In the beginning you get to know Isabel and you like her because she has humanity's best interests at heart. Isabel to me is a tragic character, you see that all of these eyes are on her and she is forced into some rough situations and you root for her to keep her faith.
While Isabel herself is my favorite part of this book I also liked the setting. This story wouldn't have worked if it was set in a different time period and I liked how the monastery and the armies battling towards the end are described. In the beginning of the book I also enjoyed the discussion that Lucifer has with God. Among the two you get the feeling that they are really shades of grey rather than black and white, but with the human characters you have an easier time telling who is good and who is bad. There is a lot going on this book, considering that it deals with the question of faith and what we believe to be right and wrong, you know it's going to be a serious novel that draws you into a different world.
The Unsaintly is no light read, this is a dark story and a little bit depressing. The good people in this book suffer and there is no humor to lighten the mood. I feel that Lisa must have really done her homework on this book. Its been a long time since I've read the bible but I remember what my perceptions of god and Lucifer were and the way they are presented in this book match how I saw them when I was a kid. This is a well written book and you can tell that Lisa put a lot of thought into how the characters and setting should be. This is a great horror novel that will have you questioning how you think about God.
In her monastery, angels in disguise are watching over her and God and Lucifer are fighting for her soul. One angel was put there by god to record her actions and Lucifer is also there in the form of a priest. Isabel suffers through demonic possession and she watches the people she loves put in danger. She is put to the ultimate test of faith in the battle of good and evil and along the way she will have to accept some dark truths.
The Unsaintly by Lisa Vasquez is set in 1254, a time when religion was taken much more seriously then it is now. I was drawn to this book because I liked the idea of someone who is presented as almost saint like being stuck in a battle of good versus evil. In the beginning you get to know Isabel and you like her because she has humanity's best interests at heart. Isabel to me is a tragic character, you see that all of these eyes are on her and she is forced into some rough situations and you root for her to keep her faith.
While Isabel herself is my favorite part of this book I also liked the setting. This story wouldn't have worked if it was set in a different time period and I liked how the monastery and the armies battling towards the end are described. In the beginning of the book I also enjoyed the discussion that Lucifer has with God. Among the two you get the feeling that they are really shades of grey rather than black and white, but with the human characters you have an easier time telling who is good and who is bad. There is a lot going on this book, considering that it deals with the question of faith and what we believe to be right and wrong, you know it's going to be a serious novel that draws you into a different world.
The Unsaintly is no light read, this is a dark story and a little bit depressing. The good people in this book suffer and there is no humor to lighten the mood. I feel that Lisa must have really done her homework on this book. Its been a long time since I've read the bible but I remember what my perceptions of god and Lucifer were and the way they are presented in this book match how I saw them when I was a kid. This is a well written book and you can tell that Lisa put a lot of thought into how the characters and setting should be. This is a great horror novel that will have you questioning how you think about God.
January 16, 2015
*I received this book in exchange for an honest review.*
First, I must say that the details and character building were great and the scenes of Hell, angels, demons and God were phenominal. But… Such mixed emotions! I wanted so desperately to love this book. I just got lost a few times. I mean, what a fantastic idea! The synopsis had my attention immediately. I felt myself losing interest in the confusion of changing times and setting.
The story jumped around quite a bit. I lost track of where we were going a few times, but I just can’t complain too much. I feel like this writer has a fantastic imagination and her technique will grown with time. Her attention to detail and remarkable imagination really has me curious as to what she will create next.
Dark and twisty, gory at times and a little hopeful… overall a good storyline, I don’t think Vasquez should be counted out. Historical fiction isn’t easy to write and from what I understand, this was her first go at it. I will most likely go on to read the future books because the creation of this world was outstanding. It was an interesting look at the interworkings of the universe and how humans fit into it all.
Overall, I’d say give it a shot. The talent is there and you may discover something you love in the unique writing of Vasquez. Even though I had a tough time here and there, the sheer creativity of the world is worth the read and it’s truly original.
First, I must say that the details and character building were great and the scenes of Hell, angels, demons and God were phenominal. But… Such mixed emotions! I wanted so desperately to love this book. I just got lost a few times. I mean, what a fantastic idea! The synopsis had my attention immediately. I felt myself losing interest in the confusion of changing times and setting.
The story jumped around quite a bit. I lost track of where we were going a few times, but I just can’t complain too much. I feel like this writer has a fantastic imagination and her technique will grown with time. Her attention to detail and remarkable imagination really has me curious as to what she will create next.
Dark and twisty, gory at times and a little hopeful… overall a good storyline, I don’t think Vasquez should be counted out. Historical fiction isn’t easy to write and from what I understand, this was her first go at it. I will most likely go on to read the future books because the creation of this world was outstanding. It was an interesting look at the interworkings of the universe and how humans fit into it all.
Overall, I’d say give it a shot. The talent is there and you may discover something you love in the unique writing of Vasquez. Even though I had a tough time here and there, the sheer creativity of the world is worth the read and it’s truly original.
January 14, 2015
I won 'The Unsaintly' in a book group (Band of Dystopian Authors and Fans on Facebook). While my choice of genres is very wide, I don't usually read this type of book. I don't like reading about demons and possession, etc, because as a Christian some of this type of thing can be very real to me (or was back in the day).
That being said, I think Lisa set the scene very well. It dark, creepy, and suspenseful. I did not appreciate how gory and graphic the novel got to be, especially nearing the end. I don't always mind gore, but in this case, I couldn't handle it. I found myself skimming a lot of the paragraphs near the end because I couldn't stand anymore tortuous bloody scenes.
I was intrigued by the way the author switched the points of view from 3rd person to first depending on the person.
To wrap it up, if you like demons, gore, and a good vs. evil battle, you will love this book!
That being said, I think Lisa set the scene very well. It dark, creepy, and suspenseful. I did not appreciate how gory and graphic the novel got to be, especially nearing the end. I don't always mind gore, but in this case, I couldn't handle it. I found myself skimming a lot of the paragraphs near the end because I couldn't stand anymore tortuous bloody scenes.
I was intrigued by the way the author switched the points of view from 3rd person to first depending on the person.
To wrap it up, if you like demons, gore, and a good vs. evil battle, you will love this book!
October 16, 2015
Here is a spoiler alert. I will give a five or four star rating to a novel that has marvelous potential in order to encourage that author to continue writing. One such writer is Lisa Vasquez, author of The Unsaintly. She concocted a good storyline, decent suspense, valid character interactions, realistic dialog, and spoiled the effect by adding an extra line between paragraphs. It’s such a minor thing that I should have been able to ignore it, but I couldn’t. I’m an old-time reader whose eyes expect to flow between paragraphs without extra white space. I loved the story itself, and the author is a writer to watch.
January 12, 2016
Lisa Vasquez’s The Unsaintly Chronicles: the Anti-God, is a wonderful novel that explores the ancient battle between God and Lucifer in a way that is fresh and original. Vasquez populates her novel with carefully drawn, believable characters. We feel the pain of Isabel Augustus as she becomes a pawn in the fight of good vs. evil. We suffer with Marciel and Father Dulante as they struggle to keep Isabel safe from the danger that threatens to destroy her. I loved everything about this book and look forward to reading more of this author’s work. Highly recommended.
September 19, 2015
I'm usually not into anything religious but this was different. It wasn't at all preachy but it was a great good vs evil story. In fact it was more like an evil vs more evil. Nothing was what it seemed but the characters were amazing and the story was very well done. I was engrossed and couldn't wait to read the end. I highly recommend this book!
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