I felt a bit hesitant picking this book up, because I've been burned by Filipino fantasies in the past - the few I've found either not delivering on writing skill or mired in whitewashed details to better appeal to a wider audience. But within a few chapters, I felt enraptured by the rich world coming to life and strikingly loud voice raging against colonization (and the use of religion to accomplish that). 

Within Western Christianity, "positive" emotions are often preached as the only righteous character traits to have (ESPECIALLY if you are raised as a woman). If you exhibit joy, gratitude, and forgiveness you are often granted a sort of moral superiority. And I love how Saints spits on that and reminds us that our rage can be sacred and deserves a place as well. It is the only way we can find a passage to the other side and start to build a better future. 

This book brought me face to face with the history and colonization of my ancestors and flipped it on its head. I cannot express how visceral it felt to read this book and know so much of the fiction in this is based on fact. Buba then takes this painful history and provides a window into an alternate world, one in which Filipinos find their freedom and get to reclaim their identity. 

This book is a debut, and there are certainly some aspects you could nitpick. 
For me, I only had two issues: 
1) I wish the magic system was explained a bit more clearly, 2) I needed some more background building up Cat and Lunurin's relationship. I could NOT understand why Lunurin even put up with this bitch (y'all, I was SO MAD!!). 

But overall, Buba has delivered something special to the fantasy world and I will eagerly read anything else she might write!