Wednesday, February 11, 2015

The Sin Eater’s Daughter by Melinda Salisbury - NO

Salisbury, Melinda The Sin Eater’s Daughter, 320 p. Scholastic, 2015.  $18.  Mature Content: PG-13 (birthing scene, slightly graphic sex); Language: G; Violence: PG.

Twylla, 17, was revealed as Daunen Embodied years earlier, but that means that just her touch will kill, unless that person is of royal blood.  Her destiny is to marry the Prince and be Queen.  In quick succession the Prince returns from his travels, Twylla receives a new guard, and her other guard, a faithful friend, is taken ill.  In the company of her new guard, Lief, Twylla finds a friend and a confidant, someone who doesn’t seem afraid that she might touch and kill, someone who makes her laugh.  She and the Prince seem to becoming to know each other better also, and Twylla starts to struggle with her feelings, torn between the two.  The Queen is hiding several dark secrets, some which have direct bearing on Twylla’s future – and her life.

I was in love with this book, until it started falling apart about two-thirds of the way in.  Not only does something weirdly unrelated suddenly become a major plot device, but also the “love story” becomes the totally unbelievable trope of “I was hired to ruin you, but now I truly am in love with you.”  I hate that SO MUCH!  That is the worse kind of lie that has ever been used as a plot device.  I was more than done by the time I finished the last third of the book.

NOT RECOMMENDED.  Cindy, Library Teacher

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