Intriguing Sins

SIN EATER by Megan Campisi (to be released in April 2020) is an alternate history novel centered on a young woman, named May, caught stealing bread. The setting is similar to England in the 1500s. She is then sentenced to become a sin eater: unseen and unheard. The reason for her sentence is not revealed until very near the end of her tale.

At first, I wondered if she has the mental capacity of a child, due to her simplistic nature and the strange way she reacts to situations. I even thought her troubled childhood may have limited her emotional growth, and I wondered how on earth she would manage as a sin eater. Luckily, another branded in the same manner becomes a mentor to May.

As May accompanies her elder companion to Recitations and Eatings, they are confronted by a deer heart placed on a coffin, although no sin had been confessed to warrant such an item. From here on, May's fate becomes entwined with the Queen's household, and the sin eater becomes privy to more than just deathbed confessions.

What really made this story interesting for me is the cast of characters the author brings into May's new life. In a way, they reflect different aspects of May, which she cannot express on her own. Rather than focusing on the end of life as she knows it, this transforms into May's coming-of-age story.

While I don't agree with the description ( "The Handmaid's Tale meets Alice in Wonderland"), I do think Campisi creates an entertaining way of looking at the social construct of politics and religion, and their effects on everyone ranging from the privileged to the underprivileged, using mystery and drama.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Dystopian Fiction Or A History Lesson?

RISE is a story about a future world. Those who have a family history of violence are rounded up and placed in internment camps because they are seen as potential dangers to the public. One man, Aaric, whose grandfather brutally murdered his grandmother, knows it is only a matter of time before he's taken. Desperate, he tries to find an underground operation to falsify his blood and genetic tests so he won't be taken. When that doesn't work, he tries to prove that he is not bound by genetic fate and can "rise" above his own blood.

Written after the tragic Las Vegas shooting on October 1, 2017, this story is an ode to the nobility mankind is capable of. It is dedicated to those who lost their lives on that terrible day.

Rise by William Michael Davidson is quite the psychological story, with well-placed flashbacks and intriguing characters. I think Davidson should seriously consider writing a full-length novel with both Dempster and Aaric...I'd like to know Dempster's motivation behind the legislation, as well as some resolution for those sent away to the camps.

As always,
AstraDaemon

First Review of 2017: Better Late Than Never

All Souls Day by Martin Berman-Gorvine is an alternate history book that mixes elements of HP Lovecraft with American history. It took me almost a year before I could finally read All Souls Day, but, when I finally did, I read it in one sitting. While I found the story thrilling, I think this novel might be better appreciated by YA fiction fans.

Before I get any further into my review, I would like to say that the book cover doesn’t do the story justice. However, I think most readers will be hooked as soon as they dive in. The sociological aspects are expressed through the lives of the teenagers, and there are many levels at play throughout the storyline. Convinced that their community has been saved by a demon, the people dedicate their lives to serving Moloch, but the more that is revealed about their way of life, the more one has to wonder if the people are living a lie perpetuated by the demon.

As a result, a group of teenagers are reluctant to participate in an upcoming ceremony requiring a human sacrifice. The plot centers on their attempt to escape, while figuring out who they really are without the labels assigned to them. This is not unlike a coming of age story taking place in the shadow of a horrific entity who controls and destroys the lives of the people supposedly saved from the devastation plaguing the rest of the world.

If you’re looking for something cerebral AND action-packed, I recommend this novel.

As always,

Astradaemon