Review: "Sins of the Heart" by Eve Silver

Title: Sins of the Heart
Author: Eve Silver
ISBN: 0373774826

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Series: Otherkin Trilogy #1

Publisher: HQN
Published: 1 August 2010

Source of my copy: Publisher via Netgalley

About the book (from Goodreads)

National bestselling author Eve Silver returns with a darkly sexy new series about forbidden alliances... and inescapable desires.

As the son of Sutekh, the lord of evil, Dagan Krayle is one of the most powerful soul reapers. Dagan intends to use every ounce of his power to find his brother's remains and punish those responsible for his brutal death. But he must move swiftly-and carefully-if he is to have any chance of bringing his brother back to this world, because his enemy is on the hunt.

Otherkin Roxy Tam will stop at nothing to keep the soul reapers from resurrecting Dagan's brother. To allow Sutekh access to his remains would wreak havoc and destruction on the mortal world...and would be her unforgivable failure.

Neither Dagan nor Roxy expect to join forces for the sake of mankind. Or have their loyalties tested as they struggle against the potent desire that threatens to consume them both....

 

My Review

Roxy Tam is strong, yet venerable at the same time, a member of the Artesian Guard.  She was abandoned by her mother when she was only five then experienced the care system and suffered a tragic event which lead to her becoming strong, self reliant and afraid of being alone forever.  She has no real family and is scarred by her early life.

Roxy is tied up when we first meet her, when Dagan appears she thinks he’s come to kill her rather than her original capture.   But he tells her “this is not your night to die” before she witnesses him killing her two captures then removing their hearts and dark souls.  He was entranced by the female who was shaking with fear yet did not scream and was defiant towards him.  

Although he is a soul reaper, an immortal, he allows Roxy not only to go free but to see his face, and live, unheard of.  But Dagan has some sort of connection to Roxy and when he sees her pendant tries to warn her ageist the Daughters of Aset.  Only nineteen “and a half” - he has no choice but to leave her.  Warned her noting more he can do.  He tries to forget about her.

Dagan Kryale is a soul reaper, he harvest dark souls for the consumption of his father Sutekh.  Dagan is one of four brother Sutekh bred with human women and raised all of them apart, Dagan the only one raised in the Underworlds.   The brothers bonded and become very close.  

Eleven years later Roxy and Dagan are reunited when chasing information which turns out to be about the same case, but Roxy has not been told the full story about what is going on, as usual.   Lokan, one of Dagan’s brothers, has been killed, something which should be almost impossible.  Both Sutekh and the Asetian Guard want to find the body first but for very different reasons.  Dagan wants vengeance and a chance to resurrect his brother, all the evidence seems to point towards the Daughters of Aset being responsible. 

Dagan can not understand his overwhelming reaction to Roxy, Soul Reapers do not have much emotion, certainly not towards their enemies, the Daughters of Aset.  Throughout the eleven years Roxy had dreams about Dagan in a strange overly real way, which would waken her sweating.  Dagan had what can best be described as waking dreams of Roxy, but he tells him self soul reapers do not dream.   The attraction between Roxy and Dagan burns under the surface for a long time before they finally give in to desire.  Theirs is an attraction between two venerable and distant people who are just right together. 

The perpetrators of the crime are not what the reader anticipates, the twists and turns kept me interested and I did not feel that the murderer was made to obvious too soon.  The other characters were all well written and developed, even the minor ones.  A lot of the information given about each will probably become even more relevant as the trilogy develops.  

Sins of the Heart is dominated by lots of detailed world building with a lot information about the many characters, Topside and the various realms of the Underworld.  Egyptian mythology is heavily used in building the world and the detail was fascinating, even if it does make you concentrate on which bit is about who!  The complex information is a lot to take in but made the story really powerful and much more intriguing.

Sins of the Heart is a great first book in the Oherkin Trilogy.  It ends on a real cliff hanger and I am really looking forward to Sins of the Soul and Sins of the Flesh.

 

Find out more about Eve Silver and her other books: 

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