Review: The Sin Eater's Daughter by Melinda Salisbury

The Sin Eater's Daughter by Melinda Salisbury

Book One of The Sin Eater's Daughter series

Publisher: Scholastic

Publication Date: February 24, 2015

Rating: 2 stars

Source: ARC sent by the publisher

Summary (from Goodreads):

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?

What I Liked:

Huge case of Alyssa-is-the-black-sheep, with this novel. To be fair, I was really, really excited to read this book, for months. I remember seeing the words "seductive fantasy", and was sold. And of course, the cover is gorgeous. The concept of a touch killing people isn't new, but I haven't read too many books with this concept (Kresley Cole's Arcana Chronicles features Aric with this ability) - I haven't read the Shatter Me series (soon though!).

Twylla was a commoner - the Sin Eater's daughter - until the royal took her in, because she is Daunen Embodied. She can kill with her touch, she has poison in her blood. She has killed many men, for treason, include her one and only friend. Twylla is a prisoner, engaged to the prince, slave to the queen. When a new guard is hired to protect Twylla, he makes her question who she is - or who she has been told she is. With or without the guard's help, Twylla must realize the danger that lies in the kingdom before the queen destroys everything and takes it all for herself.

I think the beginning of this book started really strongly. I was completely sucked in and wanted to know more about Daunen Embodied, the kingdoms' conflicts, the Sin Eating. I think the world-building is very well done - probably the best thing about this book. And Twylla's initial characterization (her guilt over killing so many people, including her best friend). I think my issues began when the guard - Lief - is introduced. 

What I Did Not Like:

When Dorin - Twylla's guard - falls ill, the queen hires a new guard, a Tregellian (from a neighboring enemy kingdom). I did not like Lief from the start. He is too childish, too stupid, too familiar. He speaks out of turn all the time, and disrespectfully so, to Twylla. I know Tywlla is lonely and kindhearted, but if my NEW, TREGELLIAN guard was speaking to me like that - I wouldn't be put at ease. And then he always apologizes (like an imbecile), and is always in Twylla's personal space. Something about him really irked me (and we find out why, in the end), but something about Twylla letting him do what he wants irritated me too.

Also, tell me why a GUARD serves a lady her food on a tray, or delivers messages, like a common courier. Guards are supposed to be stationed outside one's door, never leaving his post. Instead, it is Lief who is bringing her food, and messages, and entering her room like he owns the place. That's what FEMALE SERVANTS are for... correct me if I'm wrong, but I know enough about medieval history and fantasy to understand this basic concept. 

Okay so I basically hated Lief from the start. Something about his character, his being, is so wrong. I don't understand how others like him so much - he seems like a cartoon character or something, to be honest. Very one-dimensional and childish. He is never a GUARD to me - not once does he have to prove himself as a guard (meaning, not once does he actually perform his guard duties), and he's always "grinning" and "teasing" and "winking" at Twylla. Guard much? No. Aaaand, insta-love. There is that too.

To make matters worse, there is a love triangle. Oh, yes. We already know that Twylla is engaged to the prince (the queen's son and king's stepson). Twylla doesn't really like him (he's the queen's son), but it would seem that he falls for her. Twylla (stupidly) falls for Lief, someone who spouts pretty words and flexes a few muscles, and has her in his lap like nothing. Talk about insta-love, in terms of Lief and Twylla.

There really isn't much "Twylla and Merek" (the prince), because Twylla is so caught up in Lief (why), but it's obvious that the prince won't give up. Good for him. Although, this is one of those cases where I wish Twylla would end up alone. Or die, even. I wouldn't mind. I don't hate her, but a tragic story is fine, too. That won't happen, though. 

After the initial world-building and whatnot in the beginning, my interest tunneled. When Lief was introduced into the story (which is like, forty pages into the book), I was like, here we go. Dumb girl falls for idiot boy, everyone rebel and save the kingdom. Barf.

Here's something else that bothered me: the whole fake-princess-and-evil-queen thing is really grating on my nerves. A common girl is taken in by the royal family and engaged to the prince but then she falls for someone who isn't the prince OMG! This book. Red Queen. A Wicked Thing. All three books coming out in February 2015. All three featuring an evil queen, a commoner-turned-princess, an engagement between that girl and the prince, a love story with the girl and another guy... and a rebellion to rid the kingdom of the tyrant queen (and possibly king).

SO OVERUSED. SO CLICHE. I'M SICK OF ALL OF THAT. Perhaps this is circumstantial. Perhaps not. I'm really sick of those plot arcs though. Can we stop with evil queens and rebellions and twisted love triangles? Thanks.

The story kind of goes downhill after the big reveal, too. First of all, the big reveal is revealed in such a pointless, anticlimactic, thrown-in-there way. Twylla gets mad and paranoid for no reason, and then the big reveal happens. And then I got really REALLY bored, because things about Twylla's power as Daunen Embodied were revealed. I like things as they were, in the premise of the novel. Once other things were revealed, I was like, snooze...

And then things become all about the evil queen being evil and wanting to overthrow the kingdom and marry the prince (her son) to preserve bloodlines. Yep. I was pretty much done by that point.

Would I Recommend It:

Not really. This is a huge case of pretty-cover-lures-all-and-disappoints. At least, for me. There are a bazillion positive reviews on Goodreads, and I know I'm one of the few that didn't enjoy the book, so there's plenty of hope for you yet!

Rating:

2 stars. I'll probably pass on the next book - I'll wait until the synopsis is revealed, and then make that decision. Synopses are important, yo.

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