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The Living Saint: Blood and Rubies Book Two
The Saint lives and the Empire crumbles.
The resurrection of the Saint brought destruction to the Empire of the White Snake. As cities bow and break beneath his rule, the continent is desperate for a champion capable of reversing the terror he's unleashed,
Sorcha, his loyal priestess and now confidant, feels lost in the Saint's dangerous world. In the Red Tower he wiped portions of her memory, leaving her with a sense of loss and loneliness without explanation. Adrian, once the notorious Wolf, is tormented by his final moments with Sorcha. Now, he's searching for a friend to help reverse the terrible mistakes of the past. But the brothers-in-arms he betrayed are close on his heels, determined to have their revenge.
Adrian and Sorcha must find their way back to each other to defeat the Saint. But she distrusts everything, especially the man who claims to love her. Their lives depend on Adrian convincing her that their hearts were once connected by fate, but can he prove that she once loved a monster?
Men or monsters will decide the future of the Empire—the world will end in darkness or light.
The Saint is ready.
The resurrection of the Saint brought destruction to the Empire of the White Snake. As cities bow and break beneath his rule, the continent is desperate for a champion capable of reversing the terror he's unleashed,
Sorcha, his loyal priestess and now confidant, feels lost in the Saint's dangerous world. In the Red Tower he wiped portions of her memory, leaving her with a sense of loss and loneliness without explanation. Adrian, once the notorious Wolf, is tormented by his final moments with Sorcha. Now, he's searching for a friend to help reverse the terrible mistakes of the past. But the brothers-in-arms he betrayed are close on his heels, determined to have their revenge.
Adrian and Sorcha must find their way back to each other to defeat the Saint. But she distrusts everything, especially the man who claims to love her. Their lives depend on Adrian convincing her that their hearts were once connected by fate, but can he prove that she once loved a monster?
Men or monsters will decide the future of the Empire—the world will end in darkness or light.
The Saint is ready.
576 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 2, 2026
7 people are currently reading
9 people want to read
About the author
Kathryn Trattner
15 books194 followersKathryn Trattner is an award-winning author who has loved fairy tales, folk stories, and mythology all her life. Her hands-down favorites have always been East of the Sun, West of the Moon and the myth of Persephone and Hades. When not writing or reading, she's traveling as much as possible and taking thousands of photos that probably won't get edited later. She lives in Oklahoma with her wonderful husband, two very busy children, one of the friendliest dogs ever, and three cats who think they’re in charge.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
February 11, 2026
I received a ARC copy of this book from the author and though I wasn’t required to post a review, I truly wanted to offer my honest, voluntary impression upon finishing this epic story!
To enjoy this book fully, you really must start at the beginning where this story started and that is with the book Sacrament and Smoke which gives a taste of the Saint before he is transformed and scattered and the legend of the Vessel and Oracle who will resurrect him.
Then you need to read The Dead Saint to meet Sorcha, the Vessel and Oracle who has been brought up knowing she is to be the sacrifice to bring the Saint back to life. In this book you’ll also meet The Wolf, Adrian, who destroys Sorcha’s home and takes her captive. You’ll read of how a temple girl starts to see a murderer of her friends in a different light as they are forced to find pieces of the Saint to bring about his resurrection.
There is betrayal and love and finally death for Sorcha but death isn’t the end because with his resurrection, the Saint resurrects Sorcha as well only he removes her memories of who she was and what Adrian meant to her.
Then there is this book, The Living Saint, which continues the story of Sorcha and Adrian and Sorcha finally breaking free of the Saint and after meeting Adrian again, a truce develops because she knows to
defeat the Saint she needs others. Later some of her memories are restored which lets her see what Adrian meant to her.
This epic saga is long but it’s a story that will consume you as Kathryn spins a tale you are mesmerized by as you get deeper into it and discover how reliance on others is the only way to achieve one’s objective!
These books take time to read because they are so detailed and you remember the previous books and what happened then as this book races towards its climax!
I throughly was captivated by this story from start to
finish and again I must emphasize you need to read those other two books first to truly enjoy this book
Two other characters you meet briefly in the Dead Saint, Finian and Daphne play a bigger role in this book and their story is covered in a book by itself entitled Steel and Starlight which I also recommend you read.
I wholeheartedly and enthusiastically recommend this book and series to all who crave an epic love, adventure story which you won’t soon forget!
Kathryn is a master storyteller who will take you on an adventure in your mind you won’t soon forget! I
truly urge you to read this series and get caught up in a book unlike any other you’ve read previously!
It’s a journey you’ll be glad you took!
To enjoy this book fully, you really must start at the beginning where this story started and that is with the book Sacrament and Smoke which gives a taste of the Saint before he is transformed and scattered and the legend of the Vessel and Oracle who will resurrect him.
Then you need to read The Dead Saint to meet Sorcha, the Vessel and Oracle who has been brought up knowing she is to be the sacrifice to bring the Saint back to life. In this book you’ll also meet The Wolf, Adrian, who destroys Sorcha’s home and takes her captive. You’ll read of how a temple girl starts to see a murderer of her friends in a different light as they are forced to find pieces of the Saint to bring about his resurrection.
There is betrayal and love and finally death for Sorcha but death isn’t the end because with his resurrection, the Saint resurrects Sorcha as well only he removes her memories of who she was and what Adrian meant to her.
Then there is this book, The Living Saint, which continues the story of Sorcha and Adrian and Sorcha finally breaking free of the Saint and after meeting Adrian again, a truce develops because she knows to
defeat the Saint she needs others. Later some of her memories are restored which lets her see what Adrian meant to her.
This epic saga is long but it’s a story that will consume you as Kathryn spins a tale you are mesmerized by as you get deeper into it and discover how reliance on others is the only way to achieve one’s objective!
These books take time to read because they are so detailed and you remember the previous books and what happened then as this book races towards its climax!
I throughly was captivated by this story from start to
finish and again I must emphasize you need to read those other two books first to truly enjoy this book
Two other characters you meet briefly in the Dead Saint, Finian and Daphne play a bigger role in this book and their story is covered in a book by itself entitled Steel and Starlight which I also recommend you read.
I wholeheartedly and enthusiastically recommend this book and series to all who crave an epic love, adventure story which you won’t soon forget!
Kathryn is a master storyteller who will take you on an adventure in your mind you won’t soon forget! I
truly urge you to read this series and get caught up in a book unlike any other you’ve read previously!
It’s a journey you’ll be glad you took!
February 22, 2026
"In every lifetime, she would have been the Oracle and Vessel, and he would have been the Wolf."
The Vessel and the Wolf. The temple girl and the most feared assassin. Sorcha and Adrian. In the end, names and titles don't mean anything. What's left is something deeper, more meaningful: a person, a soul, a choice made. A dream of peace and joy. A tether binding two people across time and space. In the end, all that is left are two people still standing. A Saint defeated, and a myth dispelled.
"Ah, but hate is just another form of love, isn't it?"
What is hate but the opposite end of love? Love for a myth, a Saint, and a dream he was supposed to bring to the world. Instead, he brought destruction and pain. Mindless devotion. An endless thirst for blood and violence. And in such a world, love, even the most devoted kind of love, births hate. And hate, mixed with the purest need for freedom and choice, will be the downfall of a god reincarnated. In the end, love does conquer all: the kind that heals and nurtures, the kind that is mindful and sacred at its core.
The tale of Sorcha and Adrian comes to an end. A glorious, epic end dripping with bottomless black joy, pain, heartache, and beautifully crafted emotions. It explores love, sacrifice, redemption, and the blurred lines between good and evil, leaving us with a raw, thought-provoking experience. It pulls us in and never lets us go. Never.
Thank you, Kathryn, for having me on your ARC team. Your stories live within me.
The Vessel and the Wolf. The temple girl and the most feared assassin. Sorcha and Adrian. In the end, names and titles don't mean anything. What's left is something deeper, more meaningful: a person, a soul, a choice made. A dream of peace and joy. A tether binding two people across time and space. In the end, all that is left are two people still standing. A Saint defeated, and a myth dispelled.
"Ah, but hate is just another form of love, isn't it?"
What is hate but the opposite end of love? Love for a myth, a Saint, and a dream he was supposed to bring to the world. Instead, he brought destruction and pain. Mindless devotion. An endless thirst for blood and violence. And in such a world, love, even the most devoted kind of love, births hate. And hate, mixed with the purest need for freedom and choice, will be the downfall of a god reincarnated. In the end, love does conquer all: the kind that heals and nurtures, the kind that is mindful and sacred at its core.
The tale of Sorcha and Adrian comes to an end. A glorious, epic end dripping with bottomless black joy, pain, heartache, and beautifully crafted emotions. It explores love, sacrifice, redemption, and the blurred lines between good and evil, leaving us with a raw, thought-provoking experience. It pulls us in and never lets us go. Never.
Thank you, Kathryn, for having me on your ARC team. Your stories live within me.
March 9, 2026
3 stars
I actually enjoyed this one less than the first one. While the first book managed to stand head and shoulders above the run of the mill romantasy tropes, this one perhaps fell a bit short of the expectations.
The Living Saint picks up immediately after the ending of book #1, with Adrian escaping and Sorcha resurrected by the Saint after her sacrifice to bring him back. It hit such a high note that it ended up falling short: the tension is lacking except for this beginning. Sorcha especially is resigned to the role of an unwilling pet, unable to make any difference in the beginning and constantly love bombed by the Saint to obey to every whim.
I guess I can undestand the arc, with Sorcha forgetting everything about Adrian because of the Saint picking and choosing the memories he wanted her to have when he resurrected her. It builds back some enemies to lovers tension, or rather tries to.
Anyways this said it's still worth a read if you enjoyed The Dead Saint, if only to know how the story ends.
I actually enjoyed this one less than the first one. While the first book managed to stand head and shoulders above the run of the mill romantasy tropes, this one perhaps fell a bit short of the expectations.
The Living Saint picks up immediately after the ending of book #1, with Adrian escaping and Sorcha resurrected by the Saint after her sacrifice to bring him back. It hit such a high note that it ended up falling short: the tension is lacking except for this beginning. Sorcha especially is resigned to the role of an unwilling pet, unable to make any difference in the beginning and constantly love bombed by the Saint to obey to every whim.
I guess I can undestand the arc, with Sorcha forgetting everything about Adrian because of the Saint picking and choosing the memories he wanted her to have when he resurrected her. It builds back some enemies to lovers tension, or rather tries to.
Anyways this said it's still worth a read if you enjoyed The Dead Saint, if only to know how the story ends.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 8, 2026
Thank you so much to the author and Book Sirens for the arc, all opinions are my own.
I will preface that I adored the first 3 books in this series. It could have been the time that passed between books (which I do not fault the author at all) but I believe moreso the difference in length between this book and the earlier ones in the series, which are about 300, and 2 under 100 pages being novellas. I do wish this would have been split into 2 books, even if it were another cliffhanger ending.
Overall, the story picked up right where we left off, and follow Sorcha as she is now not so willingly reunited with the resurrected Saint. They travel across the desert to go back to the citadel, where Sorcha comes to terms that she doesn't want to be connected to him anymore. As becoming a giant sentient skeleton God somewhat changes how you treat those around you. Sorcha and Adrian reunite, and they set off to officially end Saint once and for all.
I will preface that I adored the first 3 books in this series. It could have been the time that passed between books (which I do not fault the author at all) but I believe moreso the difference in length between this book and the earlier ones in the series, which are about 300, and 2 under 100 pages being novellas. I do wish this would have been split into 2 books, even if it were another cliffhanger ending.
Overall, the story picked up right where we left off, and follow Sorcha as she is now not so willingly reunited with the resurrected Saint. They travel across the desert to go back to the citadel, where Sorcha comes to terms that she doesn't want to be connected to him anymore. As becoming a giant sentient skeleton God somewhat changes how you treat those around you. Sorcha and Adrian reunite, and they set off to officially end Saint once and for all.
March 7, 2026
As happy as I am to see this story come to a satisfying conclusion for Adrian and Sorcha. I’m still left with a LOT of questions about several characters. Namely Nina, the Mapmaker and the eldritch horror inhabiting Cautes. Their pasts, their secrets and their ultimate fates all leave open avenues to revisit the world of the Dead/Living Saint.
As for this chapter of the story I admit it teeter-totters between too drawn out in places and too rushed in others. Things that have been building the whole story come to abrupt endings. Looking at you Revenant and Prince Eine.
Overall I’m pleased with the outcome.
I give it 3.75 stars just for the unsteadiness of the pacing.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
As for this chapter of the story I admit it teeter-totters between too drawn out in places and too rushed in others. Things that have been building the whole story come to abrupt endings. Looking at you Revenant and Prince Eine.
Overall I’m pleased with the outcome.
I give it 3.75 stars just for the unsteadiness of the pacing.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews