Sins of the Heart by Eve Silver

Title: Sins of the Heart
Author: Eve Silver
Series: The Otherkins (book #1)
Next in series: Sins of the Soul

My rating: 4 Stars

Synopsis: When Roxy Tam first met Dagan Krayl, he changed her life forever. As the son of Sutekh (Set), the Egyptian god of Chaos, Dagan is a soul reaper but, nevertheless, chooses to spare Roxy’s life. Now, eleven years later, the two are on a collision course when they find themselves on opposing sides while investigating the murder of Dagan’s youngest brother. Can they put old hurts and rivalries aside in their common goal to discover the truth and prevent an all-encompassing war that may result in the destruction of humanity?

Review: Starts out a little slow but picks up pace and finishes off with a cliffhanger that leaves you gasping for more.

The plot develops slowly and becomes quite complex with the connections between people and events unclear at first. However, as the story progresses, things begin to make sense and I enjoyed the process of working out the mystery for myself without being spoon fed the details. There are, nonetheless, one or two unresolved questions and gaping plot holes that will hopefully be filled in later.

Roxy and Dagan have an intense and sensual relationship, and both are extremely likeable. Roxy is strong willed, defiant and honorable, and Dagan is intelligent, charming and sensitive despite his occupation as a soul reaper. I enjoyed the push and pull between them and it was interesting to see them reconcile their conflicting loyalties. In terms of the secondary characters, there are numerous gods and their minions to keep track of (not as many thankfully as in Sherrilyn Kenyon’s Dark Hunters series), and the more prominent figures, such as Dagan’s brothers and the various villains could have been better developed.

The writing is good and the banter between characters, especially between the hero and heroine, is witty and engaging. I did find some of the transitions between scenes and chapters disjointed, and there are several repetitive descriptions and turns of phrase, such as the emphasis on Roxy’s skin and eye color. The world of the Otherkins is intriguing but some readers may find it dark and disturbing. Some characters, for instance, are serial killers and child molesters.

Overall, a bold beginning to a promising series and I look forward to reading the next one.