astarion's bhaal babe (wingspan matters)'s Reviews > All the Crooked Saints

It is, after all, not the tasks people do but the things they do around the edges of them that reveal who they are.

They say miracles don’t happen, and that’s true, to an extent.
However, in Bicho Raro, that’s something you’ll never hear anyone say.
From the dawn of time, the Soria family trades in miracles. For generations, the members of this extraordinary family, the Saints as the pilgrims call them, have helped people in need of redemption on the condition that they’ll never interfere with their healing process or else, they’ll suffer from consequences, too.
What happens when one breakes this unwritten rule? All The Crooked Saints will help you find out.



Before I start this review I must admit that I might be a little biased in my judgment, since I adore this author and I appreciate everything she creates, but I'll try my best to be objective. I also promise to keep the majority of details to myself, because a)spoilers, and b)my words could never do this story justice, you have to read it by yourself to understand.

All The Crooked Saints is like nothing MS’s ever written. It has nothing in common with her other series, except for the ever-present magical aura that surrounds her works, and the quotable lines.
I reckon that it might not be for everyone, especially if you’re not up for the amount of notions and sensations the author’s going to dump on you at any given chance and without further warning. It’s not the kind of book you’d die to binge on, that’s why suggest you take it in small doses.
I highly recommend it, anyway, because it’s a book that has things to say and it craves to be heard.

I’d like to start by addressing the writing, since it’s the thing that hit me the most, and I’ve been dying to gush about it since when I picked this book up.
Don’t get me wrong, I knew Stiefvater was good (I have a whole scrapbook of quotes from The Raven Cycle and I’m not sorry), but I didn’t know she could be this good.
The style has a sweetness to it that’s different, the usually sharpened edges are rounded and presented with a handshake instead of a middle finger.
The entire book reads like a nice chat you might be having with a friend you haven’t seen in awhile, like a story whispered around a campfire.
It's an indefinite number of stories inside other stories, the matrioska effect make it so that reading this book is like opening a drawer only to find another smaller drawer inside of it, and so on.
Her writing style is at its best. Easy, colloquial, with that sense of freedom that shines through every word, both in terms of prose (which is quite musical, if you ask me) than for what concerns the sarcastic tones Maggie Stiefvater’s become famous for.
The author guides you through the world she’s created, she doesn’t leave anything to chance and takes care of every detail.
I know someone might find this a bit boring, but I like this whole thing of giving a believable and solid background to even the smallest of characters. It’s what gives this story the impression that there’s even a thinner line between the reader and the story they’re reading.
It kinda reminded me of The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende, with which this book also shares a fiabesque-like narration.
I’d also give her a prize only for all those Here was a thing he wanted…Here was a thing he feared...
PURE GENIUS.
There’s love behind the words. You can tell the author really wanted to write this novel and, even more, that she really enjoyed doing it.

The cast is a cheerful and colorful cocktail of people that you probably only meet a handful of times in books, almost never real life.
I speak for myself when I say I don't like to say that there's a main character, because they seemed all equally interesting and important to me.
Everyone in Bicho Raro has a voice, a story and a sin that they’re not afraid to hide.
Each one of them, the Saints, the residents, people passing through, all connected and light years far away from one another at the same time.
They’re multilayered, authentic and genuinely transparent to the point you’ll never find yourself asking what 's going on in their mind, because you’ll eventually know.
By the end of the book you’ll be so engrossed in their lives that you’ll forget they’re not people you actually know and hand out with.
The family dynamic is an element that’s quite recurrent in MS’s works but I think she’s overdone herself in this one. It makes you want to be part of the Sorias, even though you know that comes with risks.
Before you ask, yes, there's a little bit of romance (a little more than usual, to be honest), but it's not there for the sake of shippy hearts. It's all about the feelings, the patience and the sacrifice.
Deep stuff, basically.

In her usual Stiefvater fashion, the writer offers you her view on magical realism almost with restraint, shyly but persistent it its intent.
The paranormal element never overtakes the plot, but it manages to float on the sides like the fancy frame of a family picture.
You have the facts –indisputable facts-, and then you have something to dream about.
I loved the way the whole miracle thing was handled. It makes you realize how, sometimes, the weight of the demons we carry around is the only thing that stops us from being completely happy and accomplished.

I liked this book, I liked the ending. I reached the last page with a sad smile on my face.
I think Stiefvater should write more standalones because her ability of creating a story that starts and ends in the same amount of pages is impressive and should be recognized.
Alas, I also can't give this book a solid 5 because, honestly speaking, and with a hand over my heart, I’ll say that I’d expected something more. Or something less, it depends on how one looks at it.
Overall, All The Crooked Saints is a story you can’t miss. I’m glad I didn’t.