Sins of The Angels (The Grigori Legacy #1) by Linda Poitevin
Urban Fantasy
Paperback
September 27, 2011
Ace Books

Reviewed by Tori

Favorite Quote: “Know that I hate you for what you have done. Almost as much as I hate him.”

When I first heard of this book I immediately placed it on my to-be-read list. I found the premise of a serial killer and the partnership between a warrior angel and a tough cop just the sort of story I love. Our story starts out with intrigue when Detective Alexandra Jarvis is called to a homicide scene that is similar to what she has been investigating. She realizes with this last murder that she has a serial killer in her city. A serial killer that leaves no clues and no hints to who he is. When she is informed she will be paired with a new partner, she is optimistic until she meets him.

Aramael is a Power. He is the angelic version of a bounty hunter. He is who they send when an angel has fallen. His last capture was his brother Caim, which almost destroyed him. When he is informed that Caim has escaped and he will once again have to hunt him, he is furious but resigned. It’s when he is told he will be acting as a Guardian to a human that he goes ballistic. He has never guarded the humans and has never wanted to. But this human is special and certain precautions must be taken to make sure Caim never gets his hands on her.

The sparks fly when Aramael and Alex meet. She sees glimpses of what he really is and that tells Aramael she is something more then he has been told. Alex swears she saw and heard wings when she was introduced to Aramael. She feels she is going insane as her “angelic visions” bring back childhood memories she prefers to keep buried deep inside her. Aramael is like no detective Alex has ever met. His ignorance of basic investigative skills and overly aggressive behavior bothers her to the point of requesting reassignment. When Aramel reports to heaven, searching for answers, he finds out that Alex is Nephilim. A descendant of the Gregori, fallen angels who were tasked with overseeing humans and choose instead to interact with them against the One’s orders. These souls are not ones to be reabsorbed into the One’s life force but would be taken into heaven itself before being discarded. Alex cannot NOT be allowed to die or the pact between heaven and hell is broken and it’s the beginning of the end of days. As Aramael and Alex spend more time together, the attraction between them grows as Alex inspires Aramael to experience emotions he has never had before. When Alex is put into danger, Aramael realizes that he will do whatever it takes to save her-even challenge Heaven and Hell.

Sins Of The Angels is the first in The Grigori Legacy by debut author Linda Poitevin. A dark and somber urban fantasy that brings the war between Heaven and Hell to the human streets. Malevolence foreshadows our protagonists as they each search for a killer for different reasons. Aramael and Alex are both strong, rigid loners whose jobs are their lives; existing behind walls of their own making to ensure no one can breach their defenses or secrets. All sharp corners and angles; you have to be careful around these two. The tension they generate from first meeting is like an electric current that keeps humming through out the story. So much anger and despair; it’s a physical presence that stays with you till the end.

Solid characters and a strong foundation cradles a tense storyline where the suspense and mystery grips you tight as you follow the twisting and turning path that Ms. Poitevin has laid out for us. We flash back and forth between Earth and Heaven as the subplots slowly reveals themselves and the ties that bind this woman and angel together. The romance in here is low key yet feels like a major part of the storyline. It is a viable presence that simmers just below the surface. I found myself uneasy about that. The chemistry and timing felt wrong and it took away from the main conflict. Alex and Aramael spend so much time being angry and on the defensive that it was hard to reconcile any romantic feelings between them. I would have been more comfortable with this couple had our author spent a couple books building and solidifying the arc before investing this heavily into the romance angle.

Numerous villains and heroes dot the landscape and nobody is what they seem. There are many players in this elaborate and complicated game and the lines between good and evil are rapidly blurring. The end comes hard, fast, and ugly; effectively closing the main conflict but leaving us with a titanic proportioned cliffhanger that shocks you into silence. I look forward to seeing what Ms. Poitevin brings with her second book, Sins Of The Sons, set to release March 2012.

RATING: C

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