Liviania’s review of Sins of the Heart (Otherkin, Book 1) by Eve Silver
Paranormal romance released by HQN 1 Aug 10
I began this novel late at night, intending to read a chapter or two before I went to sleep. Note that I was already half asleep at this point. Shortly before 200 pages, I managed to put the book down and let my body rest. The first thing I did in the morning was pick it back up.
Eve Silver is not my new favorite paranormal romance writer. But her work is fast-paced while managing to remain detailed and wide in scope. The basic premise of the Otherkin series is this: Lokan Krayl, youngest and very immortal son of Sutekh (Set/Seth, an Egyptian god of the Underworld) has just been murdered. His three living brothers want revenge. The Daughters of Aset, aka the Otherkin, are the traditional enemies of the sons of Sutekh. They want the murderer to remain unknown so that the Krayls don’t start a war in pursuit of revenge. (Silver does a good job at making both motives seem like worthy goals.) War is very likely at this point, as most of the deities are about to meet for a peace conference and everything is quite on edge.
For those who aren’t big on world-building, this series might not be your thing. Silver put a lot of work into developing a world where various gods remain, and it shows. Sins of the Heart and the other two novels in the trilogy are all heavy on plot. In fact, since each of them end with the HEA, I was sometimes left bemoaning the fact a plot thread wouldn’t be resolved until the next book. Sins of the Heart is probably the heaviest on plot, but one of my favorite couples.
Dagan Krayl, the oldest son, met Roxy Tam fifteen years ago. She’d fallen prey to a man he was about to reap for his debt to Sutekh. He was attracted to her big mouth and actively helped her out of her situation, instead of just killing the man and leaving. But Dagan knew an immortal soul reaper does not a good boyfriend make, so he left her alone. Unfortunately, Roxy bit him. Their encounter left her immortal and she sought out the Daughters of Aset for help. Now the two are working on opposite sides of the hunt for Lokan’s murderer despite their mutual attraction.
I liked that neither Dagan nor Roxy protested too much. Both of them acknowledged their attraction, but both wondered how they could make their separate goals and lifestyles work in a relationship. While some of the resolution is done through talking, Silver does a good job of making actions speak louder than words.
Plus, the two have wonderful chemistry. Sins of the Heart is full of excellent banter whenever the hero and heroine come together. I do like the timeline. Roxy needed those fifteen years to become a self-confident, powerful woman before she began a relationship with the possessive Dagan.
As for whether Sins of the Heart made me want to read the rest of the series, I began Sins of the Soul the instant I finished the last page.
Grade: B+
Summary:
Half human, half god, Dagan Krayl is the Underworld’s most powerful soul reaper. When one of his brothers is murdered, Dagan must use every ounce of his power to hunt down those responsible for his brutal death. But he must move swiftly—and carefully—if he’s to have any chance of resurrecting his brother.
Yet that resurrection could wreak havoc on the mortal world. As an Otherkin, Roxy Tam has sworn to protect the human race, and it’s her mission to stop Dagan. But when she sees him face-to-face, she realizes that she has seen him once before—a meeting that changed her life forever.Neither Dagan nor Roxy expect to join forces for the sake of mankind. Or to have their loyalties tested as they struggle against the potent desire that threatens to consume them both….
Read an excerpt here.
Other books in this series:
