I finished this novel not too long ago and it was certainly a treat! I am not an expert reviewer by any means, but ‘The Sin Eater’s Daughter’ deserves recognition for restoring my faith in reading!

For too long I have started and stopped novels because life gets in the way and this is one of few I have managed to finish in recent months. This blog isn’t here to give spoilers but to provide you with an insight as to why you should go out and buy this book right now! If you are reading this post, you will see it as an appreciation of good writing, rather than a deconstruction of an entire text.

From the opening chapter, your curiosity gets the best of you. I mean a member of the royal family who can poison anyone with just the touch of her finger has to spark some interest, right?

I am usually reluctant to read first person novels written in the present tense, but it is executed perfectly without monotony. What is so clever about ‘The Sin Eater’s Daughter’ is that in terms of setting, you never really journey far from the castle and yet the strong character relationships compel you to read on. There are some meaty characters to sink your teeth into. The Queen, for example, is a force to be reckoned with, presented in such a way that you feel like getting inside the pages and screaming at her on the protagonist’s behalf.

Melinda Salisbury feeds you with fantastic mythology that flows seamlessly through dialogue, short flashbacks and character building. The monarchy reminded me of modern novels such as ‘Game of Thrones’, yet simpler and engaging in its construction. At the same time, the city of Lormere and its historical traditions, reminded me of classic Disney tales such as ‘Sleeping Beauty.’ Both are elements that I feel young readers crave in High Fantasy fiction. I know I do!

If you are a lover of twists, my god, there are enough twists in this novel to leave your jaw permanently dislocated. You have to expect the unexpected. Every incident foreshadows future events, many of which you fail to see until the last minute. ‘The Sin Eater’s Daughter’ is certainly a refreshing read because even when you reach a climatic point in the novel (and there are many of these), it never goes in the way you expect it to.

I would recommend shutting yourself in a room for the final ten chapters because you are not going to want any interruptions. You will also find that when you finish, your heart will be crushed, you will be suffering from a terrible reading hangover, and you will tweet Melinda Salisbury begging to read the sequel right away.

It is hard to do a novel justice without giving in depth details about the story but at the same time, ‘The Sin Eater’s Daughter’ is a novel that you have to read blind, so to speak, to truly appreciate the author’s genius thought process.

If my enthusiasm has you curious, then check out the novel here: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21936988-the-sin-eater-s-daughter

Alternatively, you could always give Melinda Salisbury a follow on Twitter – @AHintofMystery

I can’t wait for the sequel!