#BookReview :: The Sin Eater’s Daughter (The Sin Eater’s Daughter #1) by Melinda Salisbury

A startling, seductive, deliciously dark debut that will shatter your definition of YA fantasy. Sixteen-year-old Twylla lives in the castle. But although she's engaged to the prince, no one speaks to her. No one even looks at her. Because Twylla isn't a member of the court. She's the executioner.As the goddess-embodied, Twylla kills with a single touch. So each week, she's taken to the prison and forced to lay her hands on those accused of treason. No one will ever love her. Who could care for a girl with murder in her veins? Even the prince, whose royal blood supposedly makes him immune to her touch, avoids her.But then a new guard arrives, a boy whose playful smile belies his deadly swordsmanship. And unlike the others, he's able to look past Twylla's executioner robes and see the girl, not the goddess. Yet a treasonous romance is the least of Twylla's problems. The queen has a plan to destroy her enemies-a plan that requires an unthinkable sacrifice. Will Twylla do what it takes to protect her kingdom? Or will she abandon her duty in favor of a doomed love?

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I have to admit that this is one of those books that I picked up purely based on the cover. The Sleeping Prince (The Sin Eater’s Daughter #2) was also out by the time I discovered this series and the two covers just mesmerized me.

Twylla is the Sin Eater’s Daughter who thought that she knew what her future held for her – take over Sin Eating after her mother. But instead she was swept off to the castle and found herself to be engaged to the Prince as she was chosen by the Gods. As the goddess-embodied, her touch could kill anyone other than the royal family. So she served as the official executioner for the kingdom until she meets her newest guard, Leif - the guard who is not scared of her; the boy who makes her feel and want things; the boy who says things that could get both of them killed. She is suddenly not so sure about the things in her life.

This book is just awesome. I loved the plot which felt different, unique and had more than one aspect to it. The world setting has been done well as the readers will get the feeling that they know the places and the traditions of this world. I liked the concept of the Gods and how Lomere was created which basically the history of the world that the book is set in. The concept of ‘the sleeping prince’ is introduced in the book as a fairy tale which is very similar to the mix of Pied-piper of Hamlin and The Sleeping Beauty. 

The characters are really well done. Twylla comes off as a naive girl at first but she grows quite a bit, especially towards the end of the book. I liked her for the most parts. Then there’s the prince who makes a late appearance in Twylla’s life but we soon find out more about his strength of character. Leif on the other hand had me feeling torn. He felt nice towards the beginning. But I really do not ‘get’ him towards the end of the book. And the Queen… she is just so evil that you feel the vibe off her even when she is trying to play nice.

There’s a lot happening in the book and it ends with a feeling of doom coming. I definitely want to read the rest of the series because I WANT TO KNOW what happens next.