The world is falling apart and the only way homicide detective Alexandra Jarvis can save it is to convince the man she loves to give her up. Seth Benjamin abdicated his role as Heaven’s son and the now the world is suffering cataclysmic results but Seth sees no point in relinquishing Alex only to delay the inevitable. Just when Alex thinks she making headway with Seth, an agent of Hell gets involved offering Seth another option.

 

Once again the ‘Grigori Legacy’ series stuns readers with an emotionally gripping story that turns everything upside down. The strong, captivating characters continue to engage readers in their world but they still remain quite stubborn and unaccepting and moving forward in this ongoing war between heaven and hell and they continue to make mistakes huge mistakes that results in some dire consequences because of that.

 

The plot is steady to fast paced and full of suspense, thrills and jaw dropping twists that keep readers hanging onto the edge of their seats. While exciting, it all also keeps things a bit on the depressing side when readers are faced with just how destructive humans can be. However, there is no denying that the story pulls readers and refuses to let go and ensures that they want to know just how this war will end.

 

3/26/14 ** NO IDEA where that cover image came from OR how I change it.  Glad the tag has the correct title.

 

1/30/14 ** The jacket copy says that this is the darkest of the three books in the series so far...I found this to be true. I had a hard time continuing to read in the middle, because I was so worried about the characters. They kept making choices that I feared were going to make the overall problems worse. Of course, in the end... well, I won't say.

I will say that the world-building in this urban fantasy series is excellent. There are many ways to enter - love of angels, cop procedural, apocalypse, paranormal, etc. Check it out, you won't be sorry.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This book is the second by Peter Ivey in the series. It won't make a lot of sense if you don't read the first book, as it expounds on the previous adventures of Mick and his friends. In the first book, the story is told from Mick's point of view. This one has two and sometimes more narrators. You have to pay attention to the insignia at the beginning of each chapter to know who is telling the story. At first this was rather annoying but it really helped overall.

The writing style was at times repetitive and wordy, something I believe could be tightened a good deal to add help to the reader's ability to enjoy the story more. However the story stayed on track through to the end, and did not waste time in tangents. The book needs a professional edit, as the typos seemed glaring at times. Another set of eyes would help polish things right up.

The characters were well played out, and I think the author was creative in how much they could change even during this story. Though some of them were mortal enemies, they had to come together for the greater good. And they did, though some paid the supreme sacrifice to do so.

As in the first book, the world building was weak. It felt like they really did not go to new worlds, but rather stayed in the same one. Perhaps in the third book, more detail will be spent on them.

The plot and story line were well thought out and delivered effectively. There was no, "ho hum, I know what's coming next", because there were some good surprises and twists in the plot that added to the interest.

The ending developed nicely, though it seemed like during the final confrontation with the bad guy, it ended too easily. Everything else was put together well and wrapped things up.

In all, a good read, and one I think that those who love adventure, science fiction, and the "impending doom of the universe theme", will enjoy the story as I did.

Oh. Em. Gee. THIS BOOK.

The Grigori Legacy has been a rollercoaster ride for me from the moment I started it. At first (before I knew better), I thought it would follow the usual formula. Yeah, there would be twists and turns unique to the series, but it couldn't be that different than other urban fantasy books I'd read, right?

WRONG.

I know what you're thinking. You're reading the book's blurb and saying to yourself, this girl is nuts, it sounds like standard UF to me! And you'd be right....to a point. There are certain required elements that every good UF must contain, and the Grigori Legacy has them all. Supernatural race? Check. Kickass hero and/or heroine? Check. Good and bad forces duking it out, with the fate of the world hanging in the balance? Double check. A romantic subplot that is teeming with unresolved tension and complications? Yep, got that too. So yes, if you want to call the Grigori Legacy "just another urban fantasy", you could totally do that.

Only...it isn't, and I didn't fully appreciate that until I read Sins of the Lost.

Nothing in this book happened the way I expected it to. Nothing! Linda Poitevin ripped the rug out from under my feet in the very first chapter - the first chapter, people! - and she kept on doing it, over and over, all the way to the end. At no time did I experience a quiet, comfortable, cozy moment - because there weren't any!Everything was topsy-turvy, everything was on the line, and it seemed like every darn thing that could go wrong for the characters (and the world they were trying to save), did. It was CRAZY. I haven't been so off kilter while reading a book since I don't know when. Never, maybe? Yep, that sounds about right!

Don't believe me? Here are some gifs I posted on Goodreads, documenting the state of my emotions as I read Sins of the Lost:


















And yet, despite all the craziness packed within Sins of the Lost's pages, it all made sense. Linda Poitevin didn't just toss random plot developments into a pot and hope it turned into a nice story stew. No, what she did was force me to take a looong step back so I could finally see the forest for the trees. Because that's what I'd been doing for the past two books - focusing on individual trees. I had tunnel vision in the worst way, so caught up in the action or the romance I was rooting for, I wasn't grasping the full picture. I didn't understand just how big the consequences for certain choices were. Well, I get it now. Oh boy, do I ever.

Alex. Poor, poor Alex. I honestly don't know how she was still functioning by the book's end, because if I'd been put through the hell she was, I'd be a whimpering ball of misery on the floor. But that's not who Alex is. She's a survivor, and I have enormous respect for her as a character - and respect for her author, too, for being brave enough to throw Alex into the fiery pit in the first place.

As for the romance and sorta-love triangle that was going on....yeah, I can't talk about it. Seriously, don't even ask. Just thinking about it has me rocking back and forth and looking for a corner.

If I had to pick the biggest surprise of the story - and there are many to choose from - it would have to be the character of Mika'el, or Michael as he's called in the human world. Holy freaking crap, where did he come from?! He intrigued me in book two (Sins of the Son), but in this book, he completely stole the show - or at least he did for me. I love him. LOVE HIM.

To wrap this review up, no, the Grigory Legacy is not your typical urban fantasy series. It doesn't play it safe. You can try to predict and pin it down, but trust me, it's not going to work. And that, my friends, is the sign of a series well done. Linda Poitevin is a freaking genius, and if you don't have her books on your reading list, you are missing out on some truly brilliant writing.

Sins of the Lost destroyed me. It ripped my guts out, crushed my heart, and turned me into a weeping, wailing, teeth-gnashing monster. I have no idea what will happen next, but I do know this: I CAN'T WAIT TO FIND OUT.

5 Stars ★★★★★
ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Sins of the Lost by Linda Poitevin 
Series: Grigori Legacy #3 
Genre: Urban Fantasy 
Published by Penguin Group on October 15, 2013 
Format: eARC 
Pages: 360 
Source: NetGalley 
Amazon • Barnes & Noble 

Goodreads 

 
 

My Initial Thoughts: An action packed and emotional read that I’m still recovering from…best in the series so far! Also, I apologize in advance for any rambling that may ensure during this review…

 

The battle between Heaven and Hell continues in an epic showdown towards Armageddon in the Grigori Legacy’s third installment, Sins of the Lost. Detective Alex Jarvis is just starting to recover from the traumatic events she experienced at the hands of Lucifer, when she learns of his plans to breed the perfect soldier to lead his Fallen army using his own DNA and that of the Nephilim. With the fate of the human race falling into the hands of the man she loves, Alex must make the ultimate sacrifice and betray Seth by working with Aramael, her long lost archangel soulmate, all in order to stop an impending apocalypse.

 

To say that this book is an emotional roller coaster is an understatement, Ms. Poitevin ripped my heart out, left me for dead and then stitched everything back together, bringing me back to life only to do it again…is more like it! The stakes are higher than ever for our beloved heroine Alex and each of the character’s actions play an important role in the outcome of the story. Sins of the Lost is a gripping read with multi-faceted characters in a beautifully tragic world – dark urban fantasy at its finest!

 

Alex is a powerful heroine who I didn’t really appreciate until this book. I love a strong heroine who can kick butt and stand up for herself, but the one that’s willing to sacrifice it all for the greater good while maintaining a pure heart just sets her apart from the rest and that’s what Alex did for me in this installment. She’s willing to sacrifice her happiness time and time again without feeling sorry for herself, which makes you connect with her character on a deeper level.

 

I always felt the relationship between Alex and Seth was doomed from the start (at least in my mind it was) but she loves with such conviction you can’t help but put yourself in her shoes and feel every emotion she’s experiencing. Alex is trying her best to find a sense of normalcy in a world turned upside down by angels, fallen and not, but it seems destiny is hellbent on making that impossible. As if she doesn’t have enough with the looming threat of an apocalypse, the archangel Aramael who happens to be her old partner and soulmate comes back into her life in during this trying time. This sets the stage for plenty of soul searching and temptation. I could share more about the “love-triangle” and forbidden romances but I’d give away too much, less is definitely more this time, you’ll have to read to find out. The bottom line is Alex handles everything thrown at her in Sins of the Lost with great fortitude making her one of my favorite book heroines!

 

Any author that can bring me to tears has a special place in my heart and Linda Poitevin pulled on my heart strings with the most unexpected character, the fallen angel Lucifer. She throws every preconceived notion about the fallen angel out the window, making him vulnerable and sympathetic to the reader. His story broke my heart and had me reaching for the tissues, oh yeah…I should I have added a warning earlier…read with tissues on hand!

 

Sins of the Lost pulled every emotion from me at one point or another, it’s more than good vs. evil or Heaven and Hell, it’s about self sacrifice, love, loss and redemption. I love the perfect symmetry of light and dark infused in the world and characters of this beautifully written story. There were times when I thought my heart couldn’t take any more and a few times when I almost flung my ereader across the room, but the one constant was the ever-present suspense that kept me turning the pages in anticipation…I guess that makes me somewhat of a masochist? :)

 

My final thought: Sins of the Lost delivers stellar world building, phenomenal character development, warrior angels, forbidden romances full of raw emotion and an unprecedented ending that I’m still recovering from…but could you really expect anything less when you’re dealing with Heaven and Hell?!

 

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.