The Sin Eater's Daughter by Melinda SalisburySeries: The Sin Eater's Daughter #1
Published by: Scholastic Press on February 24, 2015
Genre: Fantasy, Romance
Pages: 320
Source: Edelweiss
Book Details
Rating: ★½
Seventeen-year-old Twylla lives in the castle. But although she’s engaged to the prince, Twylla isn’t exactly a member of the court.
She’s the executioner.
As the Goddess embodied, Twylla instantly kills anyone she touches. Each month she’s taken to the prison and forced to lay her hands on those accused of treason. No one will ever love a girl with murder in her veins. Even the prince, whose royal blood supposedly makes him immune to Twylla’s fatal touch, avoids her company.
But then a new guard arrives, a boy whose easy smile belies his deadly swordsmanship. And unlike the others, he’s able to look past Twylla’s executioner robes and see the girl, not the Goddess. Yet Twylla’s been promised to the prince, and knows what happens to people who cross the queen.
However, a treasonous secret is the least of Twylla’s problems. The queen has a plan to destroy her enemies, a plan that requires a stomach-churning, unthinkable sacrifice. Will Twylla do what it takes to protect her kingdom? Or will she abandon her duty in favor of a doomed love?
I could cry a thousand tears over The Sin Eater’s Daughter. 🙁 I was initially drawn to this book by the GORGEOUS cover, then I read an AWESOME synopsis which backed up my first thought of, “HOLY FREAKING CRAP!!!”
I had such high hopes for The Sin Eater’s Daughter. I imagined this epic, intense, romantic fantasy with forbidden love, conspiracies, betrayal, political plots, and more!
While this book does have all those things, it has them in a detached, muted, disappointing way.
Every single piece of info was dumped
At 20% into the book, nothing had happened. The entire first 20% was filled with info dumping. It was like reading a history textbook. The narrator told us all about the kingdom, their laws, the neighbouring kingdoms, their religion, their practices, and some of the things that happened to said narrator several years ago. It was just all background information being dumped on my face. It wasn’t seamlessly tied into the events of the story and explained slowly and naturally. It was just all poured on my head at once.
And, since it was all dumped on me so quickly, I feel like I immediately forgot EVERYTHING. Even though all the information was there, none of it stuck with me. So by the time we finally got to some plot developments, I’d forgotten all the pieces of information that I should have remembered.
Had this been woven into the plot more naturally, it would have stuck with me.
But at this point, I was 20% into the book and still NOTHING had happened and I had no sense of where the book was going. IT WAS BORING!!!
A mediocre romance
Finally at around 26-30% we got some actual progress. I see that a romance MIGHT be developing, and that’s my first inkling of where the story is headed. But we still don’t have any real conflict. There’s no “endgame” in sight. I don’t know what’s driving the plot.
But then, we get two horrible things: insta-love AND a love triangle. Not just one or the other, but BOTH!
Insta-love
To be fair, it wasn’t literal insta-love. They didn’t see each other and immediately fall in love. But there’s how I felt about the romance overall:
- I had zero connection to either character.
- They talked a little.
- Then they had like two “bigger” conversations.
- THEN they were professing their love.
I didn’t feel like I was there every step of the way with them, so I couldn’t get into the romance. That’s why it felt like insta-love to me.
Love triangle
The love triangle here was between Twylla, the prince, and the guard. To be fair, Twylla didn’t actually like both guys. She was torn between who she wanted to be with (the guard) and who she felt obligated to be with (the prince).
Not a great ending
Then we got to the ending… and it didn’t satisfy me. The whole thing felt a little anti-climactic. View Spoiler » I think the author was trying to create a cliffhanger, but instead it just felt like the book was cut off before it properly finished.
In terms of what actually happened at the end, View Spoiler »
tl;dr
- MASSIVE amounts of info dumping.
- I was disconnected from every single character.
- The whole narrative felt detached and lacking emotion.
- I didn’t enjoy the romance.
- NOTHING excited me or made me giddy/nervous.
- The ending was a bit weird, anti-climactic, and a let down.
Not done yet…
I’m actually adding this last bit like three weeks after writing the above review. I had a little rant with Nova and it brought more of my thoughts and frustrations to the surface. I’m not usually super ranty, but sometimes it just feels good to let loose and scream a little about your frustrations.
I’m just going to let our DM chat do the talking.
The Verdict
Aaah nooooo =( I got such a beautiful physical ARC of this one and I read about 12% and I don’t want to continue at all. *sob*
I’m so sorry Bieke! 🙁 I’m really happy for all the people who’ve been loving this book. I wish I could have been one of them.
I had a feeling about this book. I knew it would be bad from the incredibly enticing cover and synopsis.
Yeah, some things are too good to be true I guess. 🙁
Such a bummer that this book turned out to be so awful! How do they even come up with a blurb that’s so off? Is it intentional bad advertising? Whatever. Great review! I hope your next read is better! 🙂
I guess maybe they have an idea of what they WANT the book to be, so that’s where the synopsis comes from.. but then it just fails in its execution. 🙁 *sigh*
Agreed. As you know, I also really disliked this one. I think I gave it two stars. UGHHH. But everyone else loves it… oh well, we can be black sheep together, with Nova 😀
Excellent review, Ashley!
Alyssa @ The Eater of Books!
YAAAS ALYSSA [and now twitter can do group DMs. The more the merrier!]
Black sheep UNITE!!!
I’m really happy for all the people who are loving it. I wish I could be one of them. 🙁 *sob*
Wow, that is to bad, it looks like such a cool book. Glad I didn’t pick this one up!! 🙂
I know, it looks and sounds AMAZING! I really thought I was going to love it. 🙁
Oh man, I have zero tolerance when it comes to ‘info-dump’ books. That title though. 😀
Yeah info dumping is just… awful. It makes a book SO BORING. Then it’s just hard to keep up with everything… ugh. *sigh*
Great title, great cover, great premise, failing in execution.
Such a beautiful cover! It seems like you’re not alone because I’ve seen similar reviews around 🙁
Yeah I think a lot of people are either LOVING (4 and 5 stars) this or kind of hating it. 🙁 I’m sad that I fell into the latter category.
I was very excited about The Sin Eater’s Daughter. As you said it, that cover & synopsis, right? But since lately our tastes pretty much match, my excitement is tampered down. Who knows, maybe it will help?
BTW I love the tl;dr heading. LOL And chat addition was cute. 🙂
Adding in that Twitter chat was so fun! 😀
But yeah, I was SO EXCITED for this book. The synopsis, cover, and premise are all incredible. They sound damn near perfect. But sadly… the actual book not so much. 🙁
If you end up reading it, I do hope you love it. I know there are a few people who absolutely ADORED the book, and I’m super happy for them. You never know…
Once I see excessive info-dumps, I’m out. I can’t stand that the most. I keep seeing this book everywhere, but I won’t be tempted.
Yeah, info dumps just make it SO BORING. I can’t stand it.
There’s a reason history class was always one of my worst subjects. History text book = info dumping.
Haha.
This is SO SAD! OMG, it has such a perfect cover–ehem. I mean, sounds awesome. Yeah, that’s what I totally meant.
Taking this one of my TBR. Insta love & love triangle is already a no-no for me, but add that with info dumping? detached plot lines? People believing stuff with no proof? (kind of like Need by Carrie Jones. Have you read that one?) AND a passive, praying heroines?
Three (or rather twelve) strikes, and you’re out!
THANK YOU for this, Ashley! 🙂
I know, it’s SO SAD!!! 🙁 🙁 I’m literally devastated.
But you’re right, this book had so many strikes. It was like a downward spiral.
Well, sort of. I kind of thing the beginning was one of the worst parts because of all that info dumping lol.
Oh no! It’s so much worse when your hopes are especially high and the book disappoints!
Oh nooooooooo. I love the sound of this one but everything you pointed out, I hate. So, skipping.
Hmmm. This book is prompting really strong positive and negative opinions. I’m nervous but I’m trying it.
I hated history too, but I actually loved the book, I couldn’t put it down, I nearly made my tea go cold, trying to reach the end.
I admit the beginning was a little slow, but the twists were brilliant and worth the wait.
I think 1.5 stars is harsh, but every one has there own oppinion.
I’m glad you enjoyed it. 🙂 I know a lot of people who did.
Send me the book I can’t find it anywhere I’ll gladly read it
I finished the book and just calmly put it down and my only response was “well…that was a book”
I have never been so disinterested in a set of characters in my life, I kept hoping [praying…heh] that somehow it would all fall into place and I’d see a glimpse of what this book wanted to be.
It never came. The closing chapters basically had me going WHA?!! and the epilogue? Um…yes.
I had high hopes and I’m only glad I was given this book rather than paying actual money for it.
Yes! I agree with everything you said. You described EXACTLY how I felt.