About This Book
Reach for this book when your teenager is grappling with the idea of sacrifice, the weight of being different, or the complicated nature of how history remembers its heroes. While set in a fantasy world, these tales speak to the very real feelings of isolation and the courage required to stand up for one's beliefs, even when the world is unkind. It is a stunningly illustrated collection of hagiographies (lives of saints) from the Grishaverse, but it functions as a dark, atmospheric fairy tale collection that explores the thin line between a miracle and a curse. Because these stories often end in tragedy or martyrdom, this is a choice for mature readers who enjoy folklore with a sharp edge. The book serves as a beautiful companion to Leigh Bardugo's novels, but it also stands alone as a meditation on faith, power, and justice. Parents might choose it to spark deep conversations about why we tell legends and how stories can both inspire and haunt us.
What Parents Should Know
Sensitive Topics
DISTRESS: This book contains several depictions of martyrdom and execution. In the story of Sankt Nikolai, he is tied to a tree and shot with arrows. In the story of Santa Lizabeta, she is consumed by bees. These are stylized like classic Grimm fairy tales but are viscerally described and may be distressing to readers sensitive to body horror or the deaths of idealistic figures. CONVERSATION: Be ready to discuss the concept of martyrdom and religious iconography. Parents may need to explain how historical folklore often uses suffering to convey a moral or spiritual lesson, and how these fictional tales mirror real-world hagiography.
Ideal Reader
A 14-year-old fan of dark fantasy or mythology who appreciates gothic aesthetics and isn't afraid of stories where the hero doesn't always survive.
Parent Prep
Preview the story of 'The Starless Saint' and 'Sankt Nikolai' to gauge the level of dark imagery your child is comfortable with. These stories can be read 'cold' as they are self-contained myths. A parent might hear their child asking why the 'good' people in these stories often have to die or suffer to be remembered.
Age Experience
Younger teens will likely focus on the 'cool' magic and the monsters, while older teens will pick up on the political and social commentary regarding how institutions and religions co-opt the stories of individuals and their sacrifices to serve their own ends.
What Makes It Special
Unlike standard fantasy anthologies, this is designed to look and feel like a holy relic, using the 'found book' trope to deepen the immersion in its fictional culture.
Read plot summary
This is an in-world artifact from Leigh Bardugo's Grishaverse, presented as a collection of short stories detailing the lives and deaths of various Istorii Sankt'ya (Saints). Each story is a brief, folklore-style narrative explaining how a common person became a figure of worship through magical intervention, sacrifice, or suffering. Characters range from those who control the elements to those who protect the misunderstood, often meeting violent or bittersweet ends.
This overview was generated by AI based on the book's content and reviews, and may not capture every nuance.
Discussion Prompts
1
In many of these stories, a 'miracle' is also seen as a curse or something scary. Why do you think people in the stories reacted with fear to things they didn't understand?
2
Sankt Nikolai and Santa Lizabeta both suffered for their beliefs. Do you think the world remembering them as saints makes their sacrifices 'worth it'?
3
How does the artwork in the book change the way you feel about the characters? Would the stories feel different if there were no pictures?
4
Many of these saints were ordinary people who were forced into extraordinary situations. Which saint's 'origin story' felt the most relatable to you, and why?
5
Leigh Bardugo writes that 'history is a story told by the winners.' Based on these tales, how do you think the 'losers' or the forgotten people would tell these same stories?
