Aria Knight has an unusual set of skills: she will hold back the hounds of Hell so you can fly toward the Pearly Gates, and she will wipe your slate clean so that you don't become karma's bitch...for a price.Review:
A Sin Eater has to make a living in today's world somehow.
But when she's called in the dead of night to perform her rite for a recluse billionaire, she stumbles upon a murder scene, and the evidence points to her.
In an attempt to clear her name and uncover the true culprit, Aria is forced to team up with a private investigator who's possessed by three spirits, and a handsome wizard who would rather see all Sin Eaters like Aria go extinct.
Aria knows her job is never easy, but now it's become downright deadly.
SIN EATER is the first book of the Aria Knight Chronicles by USA Today bestselling author Samantha LaFantasie and Alesha Escobar, author of the bestselling Gray Tower Trilogy.
Lately I've been craving a good paranormal book so when Sin Eater, the first book in the Aria Knight Chronicles, landed on my radar, I immediately added it to my wish list. I was especially intrigued by the concept. A young woman who can eat people's sins when they die? Now that's crazy yet fascinating! As it turned out, Sin Eater was an exciting, fast paced, and incredibly addictive series opener- so incredibly addictive in fact that I easily devoured this book in one sitting.
Sin Eater begins the story of Aria Knight, part-time nanny/part-time sin eater. Aria is the first person to admit her life is kind of insane; however, the one thing she doesn't anticipate is for it to get any crazier then it already is. So when the call comes in to help out a recluse billionaire in his final moments on Earth, she agrees. She needs the money, and the person paying her offers her aide in finding her birth mother. Going to the billionaire’s house turns out to be a huge mistake, though, as Aria finds him dead. The lead suspect in the murder? Aria, of course. Teaming up with Jacob and Harry, two complete strangers who are also being targeted by the same person who set up Aria, three free vow to find the guy behind this.
Sin Eater is told in three POVs: Harry, a private investigator who is plagued by a curse, Jacob, a wizard who serves as the mayor’s chief of staff, and Aria, the resident sin eater of their small town.
The three POVs flowed seamlessly. The authors did a fantastic job of making each POV sound not only unique but also important to the overall tale. While I didn’t feel like I truly connected with any of the characters beyond a superficial level, I still liked reading about them, if that makes sense. Each brought their own crazy story to the table – be it Aria’s sin eating, Harry’s curse that lead him to have three deceased voices in his head, or Jacob’s complications in being the unofficial liaison between the normal and the paranormal of the town.
I also enjoyed the world building in this. I felt that the authors did a great job of creating this world of wizards, sin eaters, witches, etc. I loved the little snippets about what each could and could not do, and I look forward to seeing everything expanded in the coming sequel.
As hinted to above, the plot in Sin Eater was rather addictive. From the first page, I was thrown into this world of mystery, such as who cursed Harry, who is Aria’s birth mom, who’s the person targeting all three of them. There were so many different questions and theories swirling around during the entirety of the book, and I loved seeing each play out in front of my eyes. I thought the authors did a great job of balancing all sides of the story as well as developing them.
The two things that brought this book down a notch in my eyes though were the ending as well as the character development. As mentioned before, I felt that I really didn’t get to know Harry, Aria, or Jacob beyond a superficial level. I feel that the book would have benefited from a slightly more in-depth look into their lives, but maybe the sequel will dive more into that! The ending, on the other hand, felt a little rushed. It was like build up, build up, build up then BAM the big revelation. It felt somewhat out of place for me. I don’t know if it’s because I feel there’s still more to be revealed in the future or because I felt that the one bad guy came out of nowhere...it just wasn’t my favorite part of this book.
Regardless, Sin Eater provides an entertaining story perfect for fans of urban fantasy and paranormal. I, for one, am dying to know what will happen next! Luckily, the second book Revelations is due out September 21, 2017!
Grade: B
Source: eARC provided by publicist for blog tour
I’m a caffeine addict and chocoholic who enjoys reading and writing engaging stories, loveable (and not-so loveable) characters, and expressing my creativity daily. I write fantasy with intriguing characters, action-packed scenes, and always throw in a good dash of humor and romance.
Science Fiction and Fantasy are my favorite genres, but I also adore the classics (Shakespeare, Dante Alighieri, etc.) and I have a soft spot in my heart for Victorian poetry. You can geek out with me all-day every day over these
Some of my favorite contemporary fantasy authors are George R.R. Martin, Robert Jordan (rest in peace), J.K. Rowling, Neil Gaiman, Jim Butcher (Dresden Files made me love Urban Fantasy), and Ilona Andrews among others. I enjoy movies and shows like Sleepy Hollow, Supernatural, Arrow, The Flash, The Avengers…there are too many to name!
I want to read more comics and graphic novels, please shoot a recommendation or two my way (I LOVE the Hellblazer comics, by the way).
Please don’t be a stranger–I want you to kick up your feet, sip your coffee (or tea) and join in on my weekly rants, discussions, and updates.
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Oh wow, you gave grades instead of ratings. Awesome idea!
ReplyDeleteAnyway, glad that you loved this book. I hope you'll enjoy the next book in this series even more. Love your review! :)
Thanks, Geybie! I've gone back and forth between stars and grades, but I like grades better - I like having the +/- opportunity.
DeleteI do love fantasy and paranormal books...and lots of other genres, actually. "Sin Eater" sounds like an interesting profession!
ReplyDeleteDoesn't it? It's certainly a unique paranormal power!
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