This novel is about exactly what it says it is, the lives of saints. We learn about how they came to be saints. There are more than 20 stories about these holy people. 
Sankta Margaretha - patron saint of thieves and lost children, celebrated with candles lit along the canal and prayers
Sankta Anastasia - patron saint of the sick, celebrated with tiny dishes of red wine
Sankt Kho and Sankta Neyar - patron saint of good intentions and patron saint of blacksmiths
Sankt Juris of the Sword - patron said of the battle weary, celebrated by putting red amaranth over their doorways and welcoming soldiers and veterans into the house
Sankta Vasilka - patron saint of unwed women, said to be the first firebird
Sankt Nikolai - patron saint of sailors and lost causes, it is traditional to set a place for him at the table on the darkest night of the year
Sankta Lizabeta of the Roses - patron saint of gardeners
Sankta Maradi - patron saint of impossible love, the inceptive for the zemeni tradition of name choosing
Sankt Demyan of the Rime - patron saint of the newly dead
Sankta Marya of the Rock - patron saint of those who are far from home
Sankt Emerens - patron saint of brewers, paid homage when the harvest begins 
Sankt Vladimir the Foolish - patron saint of the drowned and of unlikely achievement
Sankt Grigori of the Wood - patron saint of doctors and musicians
Sankt Valentin - patron saint of snake charmers and the lonely, it is custom for the mother of the brides to offer him prayers and it is considered good luck to see a snake on your wedding day 
Sankt Petyr - patron saint of archers
Sankta Yeryin of the Mill - patron saint of hospitality 
Sankt Feliks Among the Boughs - patron saint of horticulture, celebrated in the spring with feasts of quince and apples
Sankt Lukin the Logical - patron saint of politicians 
Sankta Magda - patron saint of abandoned women and bakers
Sankt Egmond - patron saint of architects
Sankt Ilya In Chains - patron saint of unlikely cures (and someone very important for the shadow and bone trilogy)
Sankta Ursula of the Waves - patron saint of those lost at sea, a chapel was built into the rock of her island, people leave offerings of bread baked into the shape a fish and wish for their lovers' swift return; when they leave some find bones or sea pearls in their pockets, they are unsure if they are good or ill omens 
Sankt Mattheus - patron saint of those who love and care for animals, the domestication of wolves resulting in the first dogs
Sankt Dimitri - patron saint of scholars
Sankt Gerasim the Misunderstood - patron saint of artists 
Sankta Alina of the Fold - patron saint of orphans and those with undiscovered gifts (and main girl of the shadow and bone trilogy)
The Starless Saint - patron saint of those who seek salvation in the dark (the Darkling)
And the last one, the saint of the book. Each of these stories criticizes human defects, like greed and gluttony. Some of the saints were grisha, some just regular humans with strong principles. The illustrations were beautiful. Overall it was fine, nothing wow.