Dagan Krayl is a soul reaper and the eldest son of the underworld's most powerful god - Suketh. When his youngest brother is murdered, he's focused on one thing, finding and resurrecting him. But there's a careful balance to be maintained, not only between the mortal world and the underworld, but within the underworld itself. God's are constantly vying for power and as information is power, Dagan's search for the truth of what happened puts several opposing factions of the underworld in his path. Dagan must maneuver carefully and avoid added complications. Then an unexpected development leads him to her. The one person he never expected to see again. Eleven years since he'd left her to a better life, and now she was his sworn enemy...
Roxy Tam escaped death once, but was forever changed...in a fundamental way. Confused and wanting to belong she runs straight into the arms of the Daughters of Aset - when she was specifically warned to stay away from them. Now an Otherkin, it's her job to protect mankind. And when rumors of a soul reaper's death reach her, and seeing a potential link to it in her current assignment, she knows the vengeance of a god could have huge implications on the mortal world. She's working to prevent just that when the man that's haunted her waking dreams shows up with a different agenda.
Can Roxy and Dagan set aside their conflicting causes in order to get to the truth? Will they survive having their loyalties tested when the flames of desire flare hot between them, threatening to consume them completely?
The world in Sins of the Heart was something that immediately caught my attention. Long in love with Egyptian mythology I've often wondered why more people didn't tap this rich history. Eve Silver not only delved into the gods and goddesses of Egypt but made the complicated underworld and topworld in her story rich and diverse. She obviously spent a lot of time crafting the atmosphere. There's such rich detail in each scene that I could clearly see wherever the story took me, whether it be to Suketh's chambers, the lines of souls waiting for passage or an audience, Roxy's house, or the house of a serial killer. Places jumped off the pages just as clearly as the characters.
Roxy is a tangle of fascinating contradictions. Rarely alone, but always lonely. Strong, but vulnerable. Aloof, but caring. All of these combine to make her a great character that I could really love. She wanted connections but was afraid to open herself up to them because of past abandonment. She kicked ass in her job, had a smart mouth and yet still knew her limitations. It was never in-your-face or overdone, which can sometimes get on my nerves. And she was loyal to those she cared about, which in this book meant that she was constantly at odds with herself over helping and protecting Dagan or her Otherkin sisters. I definitely sympathized with her conflicting desires and her attempts to make them work.
Dagan's a strong, intelligent, dedicated male that did what needed to be done to get the outcome that was needed. He was direct, both in action and words, making his motives abundantly clear. After growing up in the underworld, surrounded by souls but alone, Dagan knows how to observe. I liked that he not only participated in scenes and action, but observed and thought about others' motives. He always seemed willing to re-evaluate and revise his own thoughts. I also really loved the connection between him and his brothers. It was clear that they cared a great deal for each other and always had each others' backs.
Dagan and Roxy have a ton of chemistry from the beginning. I couldn't wait to see how these two characters came together. With such big issues that were in their way, conflicting goals and ideals, I loved that a lot of the resolution came not only through dialogue between the characters, but actions. A scene near the end made me laugh with tears in my eyes. The only thing I could have asked is to see more of them, but that's just me being greedy.
Ms. Silver has created a fantastically rich, detailed world that kept me reading well into the night. Sins of the Heart was fast paced, with a tight, interesting plot and strong, passionate characters that simply felt real. As soon as I put it down I couldn't wait to start the second book in the trilogy, Sins of the Soul, and see where she took me next!
Grade: B+
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