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HOLIEST
"Dies illa, dies iræ, calamitatis et miseriæ, dies magna et amara valde,
Dum veneris iudicare sæculum per ignem."
(That day, day of wrath, calamity and misery, day of great and exceeding bitterness,
When thou shalt come to judge the world by fire).
Deep in the heart of Hell, the Fallen Host is living with as much peace as their Father allows them to have, until one day when a treacherous cherub is cast down into their realm like the star Wormwood from Revelation. Yet all of the other portents from Revelation seem to be missing, with the exception of a mysterious manuscript that begins haunting the Devil's dreams and eventually his waking world as well.
Set in a universe that combines Dante's Hell with Milton's angels, HOLIEST follows the mistakes and delusions of Hell's prince as he falls into psychosis, believing that the Day of Wrath is upon him. The novel also features over twenty-three artworks by the author, who is a professional illustrator.
Originally shared online in 2019 as a web series instead of a book, this heavily revised and expanded first edition of HOLIEST has new illustrations and new appendices including a glossary, a list of characters, full explanations of the structures of Heaven, Hell and Purgatory, expanded explanations of the Angelic Choirs, the three hosts, the nychthemera, and has updated maps of Hell and Pandemonium.
Dum veneris iudicare sæculum per ignem."
(That day, day of wrath, calamity and misery, day of great and exceeding bitterness,
When thou shalt come to judge the world by fire).
Deep in the heart of Hell, the Fallen Host is living with as much peace as their Father allows them to have, until one day when a treacherous cherub is cast down into their realm like the star Wormwood from Revelation. Yet all of the other portents from Revelation seem to be missing, with the exception of a mysterious manuscript that begins haunting the Devil's dreams and eventually his waking world as well.
Set in a universe that combines Dante's Hell with Milton's angels, HOLIEST follows the mistakes and delusions of Hell's prince as he falls into psychosis, believing that the Day of Wrath is upon him. The novel also features over twenty-three artworks by the author, who is a professional illustrator.
Originally shared online in 2019 as a web series instead of a book, this heavily revised and expanded first edition of HOLIEST has new illustrations and new appendices including a glossary, a list of characters, full explanations of the structures of Heaven, Hell and Purgatory, expanded explanations of the Angelic Choirs, the three hosts, the nychthemera, and has updated maps of Hell and Pandemonium.
- GenresQueer
505 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 13, 2025
11 people are currently reading
73 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
August 18, 2025
First, thank you very much to the author for the arc of this book. I'd give it a 4.5 if goodreads would give us those percentages. A longer version of this review is available here
I think the first thing that strikes me about this book, is how much love has gone into it. Its by no means a light read, but that doesnt take away the clear feeling of passion the author has for this story and its characters. Hats off for the handling of the introduction, it covers a lot of information but does so without being long winded or hard to follow. Cant express how refreshing that is. I didnt feel left to stumble my way through the setting or its terms.
If you're someone who reads about angels and heaven for dramatic fights and actions scenes, that's not the focus here. Its more character centered, in my opinion, with most fights being off the page, or references to events before the book. That's not to say there's no violence, Lucifer really goes through it, but those scenes are more impactful because of both the mentioned character focus, and the considered way physical conflict is employed.
There's also an excellent use of humour, day to day details, threaded through the more serious overarching plot.
Speaking of characters, huge fan of this representation of Lilith, of her qualities as a mother, I wish more authors would use that side of her, and if the story allows I'd love to see more. I went from wanting to assist Beelzebub with bringing Abdiel down a peg, to feeling for his situation- there's a lot of that here, no characters situation, be they angel, demon, or fallen host is one dimensional. Layers are peeled back as the book goes on, evolving the readers relationship with the characters. I like the messy family, the antagonist I didnt predict immediately, and the potential for all of it to be expanded upon in future books.
The rest of this got very long, so I'm putting it under a spoiler, but it can be read without concern of actual spoilers.
I think the first thing that strikes me about this book, is how much love has gone into it. Its by no means a light read, but that doesnt take away the clear feeling of passion the author has for this story and its characters. Hats off for the handling of the introduction, it covers a lot of information but does so without being long winded or hard to follow. Cant express how refreshing that is. I didnt feel left to stumble my way through the setting or its terms.
If you're someone who reads about angels and heaven for dramatic fights and actions scenes, that's not the focus here. Its more character centered, in my opinion, with most fights being off the page, or references to events before the book. That's not to say there's no violence, Lucifer really goes through it, but those scenes are more impactful because of both the mentioned character focus, and the considered way physical conflict is employed.
There's also an excellent use of humour, day to day details, threaded through the more serious overarching plot.
Speaking of characters, huge fan of this representation of Lilith, of her qualities as a mother, I wish more authors would use that side of her, and if the story allows I'd love to see more. I went from wanting to assist Beelzebub with bringing Abdiel down a peg, to feeling for his situation- there's a lot of that here, no characters situation, be they angel, demon, or fallen host is one dimensional. Layers are peeled back as the book goes on, evolving the readers relationship with the characters. I like the messy family, the antagonist I didnt predict immediately, and the potential for all of it to be expanded upon in future books.
The rest of this got very long, so I'm putting it under a spoiler, but it can be read without concern of actual spoilers.
August 12, 2025
First of all thank you to the author for providing me with an ARC for an honest review!!
I really liked this, a bit more different than my usual reads. This has quite a lot of world-building in it and I've got to be honest it took me a few pages to truly get into this but it was really intriguing. Felt very unique.
Since I'm not the biggest expert on fallen angels and their "lore" I had to look up a few things here because I didn't always know whats going on which is my own fault.
While this book focuses mostly on Lucifer and his inner dealings, I enjoyed reading from the other characters pov's as well. I didn't quite expect to get out of this having Beelzebub as one of my favourites??
This book got quite dark at times (Lucifer is literally going through psychosis) and there are suicidal thoughts so keep that in mind while reading. There is also some body horror (which I personally like - don't judge me, pls) The plot is not really action packed and focuses more on Lucifer and his relatonships I'd say! Maybe even more of a character study than anything else.
Overall really enjoyed this and recommend if you're interested in the themes and topics!!
I really liked this, a bit more different than my usual reads. This has quite a lot of world-building in it and I've got to be honest it took me a few pages to truly get into this but it was really intriguing. Felt very unique.
Since I'm not the biggest expert on fallen angels and their "lore" I had to look up a few things here because I didn't always know whats going on which is my own fault.
While this book focuses mostly on Lucifer and his inner dealings, I enjoyed reading from the other characters pov's as well. I didn't quite expect to get out of this having Beelzebub as one of my favourites??
This book got quite dark at times (Lucifer is literally going through psychosis) and there are suicidal thoughts so keep that in mind while reading. There is also some body horror (which I personally like - don't judge me, pls) The plot is not really action packed and focuses more on Lucifer and his relatonships I'd say! Maybe even more of a character study than anything else.
Overall really enjoyed this and recommend if you're interested in the themes and topics!!
July 30, 2025
I want to thank the author for providing me with an advanced reader’s copy for an honest review.
If the themes of (fallen) angels, apocalyptic literature, and Dante’s Inferno with a healthy dose of intricate character-work and magnificent world-building are your thing, HOLIEST is for you!
First, I have to say I started reading HOLIEST with high expectations, and still it knocked every single one out of the park. I can for sure say this book will be my obsession for a long, LONG time.
It has been quite a while since I’ve read a book with such well done pacing, wording and overall plot, everything being worked out till the finest of details. And I have a whole list of quotes that just left me in awe. Harkening back to the classics like Robin Hobb’s The Farseer Trilogy, Sancta manages to transport the reader into a rich and mystical world, while still making the plot easy to follow. In many ways HOLIEST feels like a homage to the early ‘90s fantasy novels that turned a whole generation into readers. Weaving this magical form of storytelling into a narrative steeped in horror and mystery, it shines bright in it’s very own genre. Leaving me, more than once, with chills snaking over my spine (in the very best way possible). At moments it felt like I was strolling through the circles of hell with the characters, both the ice or the burn prickling my skin.
Speaking of the characters… I never expected to adore them this much. Even the antagonist has stolen a (very, veeeeeeeeery, tiny) piece of my heart. Had I expected to like Lucifer? Absolutely. However, the way both Lucifer and Beelzebub snaked their way into my heart, took me by surprise. Even though HOLIEST has a host of characters, they all feel distinct and true to themselves. The dialogue did not only feel natural for the characters, but even in the tiniest details their personalities would shine through. Sancta has managed to bring a diverse cast to live throughout the narrative within a queer-normative world, both with disability representation and an important focus on topics of mental health.
HOLIEST keeps the reader on the edge of their seat, with excellent usage of cliff-hangers - urging you to ‘just read one more chapter’ - sprinkles of meaningful foreshadowing and Lucifer’s waning sanity. The reader is left with the uncanny feeling that something might be lurking just around the corner. The narrative dragging us all the way down to hell, you have no choice but to be swept away in the delightfully intriguing descend into madness that is HOLIEST. And the best part is, there is more to come!
Sancta makes a strong book-ish debut with HOLIEST, not only could I quite literally spend hours talking about the book and characters itself, but the art is beyond stunning in and of itself. A classic in the making, HOLIEST is a true masterpiece. But what else did we expect, it has Lucifer’s stamp of approval after all 😉
If the themes of (fallen) angels, apocalyptic literature, and Dante’s Inferno with a healthy dose of intricate character-work and magnificent world-building are your thing, HOLIEST is for you!
First, I have to say I started reading HOLIEST with high expectations, and still it knocked every single one out of the park. I can for sure say this book will be my obsession for a long, LONG time.
It has been quite a while since I’ve read a book with such well done pacing, wording and overall plot, everything being worked out till the finest of details. And I have a whole list of quotes that just left me in awe. Harkening back to the classics like Robin Hobb’s The Farseer Trilogy, Sancta manages to transport the reader into a rich and mystical world, while still making the plot easy to follow. In many ways HOLIEST feels like a homage to the early ‘90s fantasy novels that turned a whole generation into readers. Weaving this magical form of storytelling into a narrative steeped in horror and mystery, it shines bright in it’s very own genre. Leaving me, more than once, with chills snaking over my spine (in the very best way possible). At moments it felt like I was strolling through the circles of hell with the characters, both the ice or the burn prickling my skin.
Speaking of the characters… I never expected to adore them this much. Even the antagonist has stolen a (very, veeeeeeeeery, tiny) piece of my heart. Had I expected to like Lucifer? Absolutely. However, the way both Lucifer and Beelzebub snaked their way into my heart, took me by surprise. Even though HOLIEST has a host of characters, they all feel distinct and true to themselves. The dialogue did not only feel natural for the characters, but even in the tiniest details their personalities would shine through. Sancta has managed to bring a diverse cast to live throughout the narrative within a queer-normative world, both with disability representation and an important focus on topics of mental health.
HOLIEST keeps the reader on the edge of their seat, with excellent usage of cliff-hangers - urging you to ‘just read one more chapter’ - sprinkles of meaningful foreshadowing and Lucifer’s waning sanity. The reader is left with the uncanny feeling that something might be lurking just around the corner. The narrative dragging us all the way down to hell, you have no choice but to be swept away in the delightfully intriguing descend into madness that is HOLIEST. And the best part is, there is more to come!
Sancta makes a strong book-ish debut with HOLIEST, not only could I quite literally spend hours talking about the book and characters itself, but the art is beyond stunning in and of itself. A classic in the making, HOLIEST is a true masterpiece. But what else did we expect, it has Lucifer’s stamp of approval after all 😉
August 17, 2025
I cannot sing enough praise for Sancta Seraphina and HOLIEST!
Sancta Seraphina's writing is eloquent, articulate, and stunning. As a reader, you can tell the love and labor that went into this story and these characters, whether it be the development of each characters specific voice, the religious research that the story centers around, or the delicate balance between a tone that is both ancient and modern in its executions. Not to mention the art (also done by Seraphina–I know incredible right??) is absolutely stunning!
The title of this series fits perfectly: it is a BEAUTIFULLY written divine tragedy. The characters are ethereal in their own Angelic/Fallen nature but relatable in the deeply human emotions that consume them. I cannot wait to continue the journey in the next book!
I was lucky enough to ARC this book and I can confidently say I cannot wait to continue reading for Sancta Serphina in the future!
Sancta Seraphina's writing is eloquent, articulate, and stunning. As a reader, you can tell the love and labor that went into this story and these characters, whether it be the development of each characters specific voice, the religious research that the story centers around, or the delicate balance between a tone that is both ancient and modern in its executions. Not to mention the art (also done by Seraphina–I know incredible right??) is absolutely stunning!
The title of this series fits perfectly: it is a BEAUTIFULLY written divine tragedy. The characters are ethereal in their own Angelic/Fallen nature but relatable in the deeply human emotions that consume them. I cannot wait to continue the journey in the next book!
I was lucky enough to ARC this book and I can confidently say I cannot wait to continue reading for Sancta Serphina in the future!
August 9, 2025
Thank you Sancta for an eArc of HOLIEST. I knew this book would be right up my alley..because of fallen angels. There were points in the books when you had to distinguish from Lucifers true reality and what he was hallucinating which made it way more intriguing. I truly never expected to like Lucifer as much as I did and he was so genuinely himself that it was inevitable. Beezlebub was another favorite of mine.
While this book focuses mainly on Lucifer, all of the characters are very well written and their own individual personalities absolutely show up on the pages.
This is a good book to dive into for those who are curious about fallen angels.
While this book focuses mainly on Lucifer, all of the characters are very well written and their own individual personalities absolutely show up on the pages.
This is a good book to dive into for those who are curious about fallen angels.
August 4, 2025
Disclaimer: I was lucky enough to receive an advance reader copy of this book, in exchange for an honest review.
UPDATE:
The book has now had that extra editing pass to resolve some of the more awkward sentences and the shift in quality after the first chapter. So I'm bumping this review to 5 stars because my only complaint with it has been resolved.
***
First of all, my actual rating on this book is more like a 4.5, but Goodreads is continuing to be Goodreads about that.
So. I will say that this is a book which would benefit from one more look over by a professional editor, but given that it is self-published, I entirely understand why this isn't a Thing. I'm not going to hold a few awkward phrasings against an independent author, especially in a book which is so good overall.
Now, it's time for my biases to show through, because I was always going to love this. it was practically tailored to my specific interests as a reader.
The characterisation of every single major character is stellar. Because we're mostly seeing them in regards to how they perceive Lucifer, there's a lot of depth to every one of them, they have layers to their behaviour, and it's as interesting to see what they don't say as what they do.
Lucifer himself is amazing as a main character, the way you can see how he is simultaneously this prideful creature who rebelled against heaven AND this sad, Gothic Heroine who is sort of losing his mind and sort of not. Seeing him evolve through the book is rad. I was obsessed. (Again, biased, you don't name yourself after a guy and approach stories about him in a normal way, yk?)
The plot isn't particularly action packed, it's more measured and seeing plans within plans playing out, working out who is doing what and Why. If you were hoping for big fight scenes between angels, you're going to be disappointed. this leans more toward character study than summer blockbuster.
If you're anything like me when reading books, you'll be looking for things you can pick apart and look for meaning in, which I'm pleased to say Holiest has in spades. I have so many highlights in my copy of things I want to look at in more detail now I've finished the book, to see what they Mean in the wider context of the narrative.
Also, I should point out that so many of these chapters end of cliffhangers. It is like reading a Dickens novel. This is a good thing. The number of times I would finish a chapter and be absolutely ravenous to find out what exactly was just revealed were Many and usually very much earned.
Broadly, this is a great novel. I want more of it, the art (oh, yeah there's art in this too) is stunning, the lore is complex, but the characters are where it really shines. I recommend this text fully to anyone who enjoys Paradise Lost, Angels in general or (for anyone here who has also read my liveblog) anyone who is a fan of the music of the band Ghost. They pair together Perfectly. I read the whole book while listening to Ghost. From The Pinnacle To The Pit is *literally* about Lucifer.
Thanks again to the author for letting me get my little raccoon hands on this text early, and to everyone else: You are in for a treat.
UPDATE:
The book has now had that extra editing pass to resolve some of the more awkward sentences and the shift in quality after the first chapter. So I'm bumping this review to 5 stars because my only complaint with it has been resolved.
***
First of all, my actual rating on this book is more like a 4.5, but Goodreads is continuing to be Goodreads about that.
So. I will say that this is a book which would benefit from one more look over by a professional editor, but given that it is self-published, I entirely understand why this isn't a Thing. I'm not going to hold a few awkward phrasings against an independent author, especially in a book which is so good overall.
Now, it's time for my biases to show through, because I was always going to love this. it was practically tailored to my specific interests as a reader.
The characterisation of every single major character is stellar. Because we're mostly seeing them in regards to how they perceive Lucifer, there's a lot of depth to every one of them, they have layers to their behaviour, and it's as interesting to see what they don't say as what they do.
Lucifer himself is amazing as a main character, the way you can see how he is simultaneously this prideful creature who rebelled against heaven AND this sad, Gothic Heroine who is sort of losing his mind and sort of not. Seeing him evolve through the book is rad. I was obsessed. (Again, biased, you don't name yourself after a guy and approach stories about him in a normal way, yk?)
The plot isn't particularly action packed, it's more measured and seeing plans within plans playing out, working out who is doing what and Why. If you were hoping for big fight scenes between angels, you're going to be disappointed. this leans more toward character study than summer blockbuster.
If you're anything like me when reading books, you'll be looking for things you can pick apart and look for meaning in, which I'm pleased to say Holiest has in spades. I have so many highlights in my copy of things I want to look at in more detail now I've finished the book, to see what they Mean in the wider context of the narrative.
Also, I should point out that so many of these chapters end of cliffhangers. It is like reading a Dickens novel. This is a good thing. The number of times I would finish a chapter and be absolutely ravenous to find out what exactly was just revealed were Many and usually very much earned.
Broadly, this is a great novel. I want more of it, the art (oh, yeah there's art in this too) is stunning, the lore is complex, but the characters are where it really shines. I recommend this text fully to anyone who enjoys Paradise Lost, Angels in general or (for anyone here who has also read my liveblog) anyone who is a fan of the music of the band Ghost. They pair together Perfectly. I read the whole book while listening to Ghost. From The Pinnacle To The Pit is *literally* about Lucifer.
Thanks again to the author for letting me get my little raccoon hands on this text early, and to everyone else: You are in for a treat.
August 6, 2025
disclaimer: i was given an ARC in exchange for an honest review! thank you sera <3
i had such a great time reading this! it has probably the best depiction of psychosis i've ever read (the times where lucifer had to just give in to people saying his delusions were just nothing really hit me, as a psychotic man who has had other *psychotic* people tell me my delusions and hallucinations were nothing), and i really enjoyed that lucifer wasn't a perfectly flawless protagonist. there were times while i was reading where i just went 'dude really' because of some of the decisions he made but i still really enjoyed him. everyone had their flaws and that really cemented them in my head. i even ended up liking metatron but in the 'i want to drop an anvil on your head' way
if you're a fan of angels, gothic horror, dante's inferno, and/or paradise lost and have found yourself lacking in genuine depictions of psychosis: read this! it is so good and i'm so honored to have helped with this. i'm super excited to see where everything goes from here
side note: mikhael, lilith, and asmodeus are all marriage material. i will stand by this until i die
i had such a great time reading this! it has probably the best depiction of psychosis i've ever read (the times where lucifer had to just give in to people saying his delusions were just nothing really hit me, as a psychotic man who has had other *psychotic* people tell me my delusions and hallucinations were nothing), and i really enjoyed that lucifer wasn't a perfectly flawless protagonist. there were times while i was reading where i just went 'dude really' because of some of the decisions he made but i still really enjoyed him. everyone had their flaws and that really cemented them in my head. i even ended up liking metatron but in the 'i want to drop an anvil on your head' way
if you're a fan of angels, gothic horror, dante's inferno, and/or paradise lost and have found yourself lacking in genuine depictions of psychosis: read this! it is so good and i'm so honored to have helped with this. i'm super excited to see where everything goes from here
side note: mikhael, lilith, and asmodeus are all marriage material. i will stand by this until i die
August 31, 2025
I've been eyeballing the art for this book for ages, and I'm so, so excited to finally get the chance to read tw atiry that goes with it. Endless thanks to Sancta for the e-ARC! It's greatly appreciated!
While this book went a little darker than I usually like, I'm so glad I stuck with it, because wow! The writing is lush and gorgeous, and I really enjoyed Lucifer as a main character, he was tragic and absolutely fascinating! Honestly, what more can you ask for in a lead? And the expansion of Biblical lore is just absolutely incredible. I'm so weak for this sort of thing, and it was done so well here!
Favorite quote: Your heart was made proud because of your beauty. You corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor.
While this book went a little darker than I usually like, I'm so glad I stuck with it, because wow! The writing is lush and gorgeous, and I really enjoyed Lucifer as a main character, he was tragic and absolutely fascinating! Honestly, what more can you ask for in a lead? And the expansion of Biblical lore is just absolutely incredible. I'm so weak for this sort of thing, and it was done so well here!
Favorite quote: Your heart was made proud because of your beauty. You corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor.
November 7, 2025
atmospheric, slow paced, low tension, rich and dense with biblical lore and figures, a world builders dream with the amount of info and depth. the prose is straightforward, we spend alot of time in character's heads. personally the style doesnt fit my taste but the interior and the art is gorgeous! a good look into the world of demons
August 14, 2025
Are you into the whole "let's explore the concept of fallen angels" trend? Then you need to read this. Hop to!
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews