3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Grave Sins, Feb 24 2009
By Kathy E. "Kathy" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Grave Sins (Mass Market Paperback)
Thirteen years have passed since Cin joined Michael, Justine and Devlin and became one of the Righteous. Cin's yearly visit with her family at Ravenworth is interrupted when the Dark Council of the Righteous sends their right-hand man, Drake to gather up Cin and her mates. They have all been selected to investigate a powerful queen who is being suspected of going insane and killing humans. The case against the queen seems open and shut, until Cin senses that someone is using dark magic against the queen. This investigation takes a frightening turn and threatens to expose the dark secret Cin has been keeping from her mates. Cin's relationship with Michael is put to the test when Drake makes tempting advances towards her. This story was captivating. It was exciting from to start to finish. There was a good amount of sex, action and mystery. I did find some parts of the book too reminiscent and wordy. Beyond that, this book was enjoyable and I highly recommend it. I am also looking forward to the next book in the series Bound by Sin.
I also recommend:
Blood Engines (Marla Mason, Book 1)
Beyond the Grave
Magic to the Bone (Allie Beckstrom)
Wicked Game
Witch Fire (Elemental Witches, Book 1)
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Cin and Michael are becoming one of my favorite vampire couples to follow, Aug 27 2009
By Mrs. Baumann - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Grave Sins (Mass Market Paperback)
Plot Summary: The year is 1828. Cin has been a vampire for 13 years, and she's joined her consort, Michael, as a member of the Righteous, which is a small group of warriors who function as judge, jury and executioner amongst their vampire brethren. Their annual visit to Cin's relatives is cut short by an order from the High King - they must travel to Edinburgh and determine if the resident queen, Marrakech, has been slaughtering humans. Unfortunately Michael becomes mad with jealousy when another vampire makes a play for Cin, and it drives them apart.
I like the direction this series is headed, and the big reason why is because it focuses on one couple, Cin and Michael. More and more I prefer stories that follow the same couple over multiple installments. Relationships always feel more realistic when they mimic a roller-coaster ride, and I groove on the ups and downs that Jenna Maclaine has written for her lovebirds. There were a few misunderstandings between Cin and Michael that were spot on accurate, because sometimes all it takes is one misdirected look by a man to throw his woman into the seven stages of grief. With a woman like Cin, it's dangerous to be around when the anger hits.
When I read the first novel, "Wages of Sin (A Cin Craven Novel)," I worried that Cin was too powerful after she became a vampire combined with her witchy woman powers. Omnipotence is fun for a while, but in the end I can't root for a heroine who has no weaknesses. However, this installment put my fears to rest. Cin is no longer a white witch only, and she's battling some seriously dark magic that wants to bubble up whenever she gets mad. In a weird way, she has to fight herself, or risk becoming an alien in the eyes of her lover and her friends. Cin can call upon the powers of the darkness, but when she does, she becomes evil incarnate herself.
The sex scenes are too good for a straight-up fantasy novel, so I'm labeling this as a historical paranormal romance. There was a nice mystery running through the plot, but I spotted the guilty party right away, so I'm hoping to stay in the dark a lot longer next time. The third book in the Cin Craven series, "Bound By Sin (A Cin Craven Novel)," will be released in December 2009. According to Jenna Maclaine's website, this installment will be set in 1862, during the Civil War. I'll be very curious to see what has happened in the 34 years between books two and three.
5.0 out of 5 stars
In love with this series!, Feb 18 2012
By Candace Robinson "Candace's Book Blog" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Grave Sins (Mass Market Paperback)
I really enjoyed the first book quite a lot, but I loved this book! Cin is a character I love. She's kick ass but knows right from wrong. She's not at all struggling with what she is (a witch and a vampire) since 13 years have passed and I kind of enjoyed that. She does have some struggles regarding some of her witch powers, but it's a minor element to the story really. And her and Michaels relationship is great because after that many years you fall into a kind of familiarity but they still have the spark and the strong attraction toward eachother. And they actually do run into trouble in this one but it's nice to see they are human (well, not really) and do have weaknesses.
The mystery was pretty good and I felt like I really wasn't sure who or what the culprit was that was causing the queens 'illness'. I actually had some ideas of the who but I was kind of clueless how or what was going on. In the end as the mystery was revealed and all was figured out I was quite happy with how it all went.
This is one of those comfortable books. I didn't feel all stressed and tense while reading, but it kept me turning the pages and not wanting to put the book down. I wanted it to go on forever but it's actually a very fast read and I read most of it in one evening before bed. I want this series to go on forever because I really love every aspect of it. The characters, the setting and the story itself; it's all perfect! I very highly recommend you pick this series up!