ARC Review: The Sin Eater’s Daughter by Melinda Salisbury

Title: The Sin Eater's Daughter (The Sin Eater's Daughter #1)
Author: Melinda Salisbury
Genre: Fantasy
Source: Scholastic 
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Publication Date: February 24th 2015
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Summary: 

Seventeen-year-old Twylla lives in the castle. But although she’s engaged to the prince, Twylla isn’t exactly a member of the court. She’s the executioner. As the Goddess embodied, Twylla instantly kills anyone she touches. Each month she’s taken to the prison and forced to lay her hands on those accused of treason. No one will ever love a girl with murder in her veins. Even the prince, whose royal blood supposedly makes him immune to Twylla’s fatal touch, avoids her company. But then a new guard arrives, a boy whose easy 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 Twylla’s been promised to the prince, and knows what happens to people who cross the queen. However, a treasonous secret is the least of Twylla’s problems. The queen has a plan to destroy her enemies, a plan that requires a stomach-churning, unthinkable sacrifice. Will Twylla do what it takes to protect her kingdom? Or will she abandon her duty in favor of a doomed love?

The Sin Eater's Daughter is my first debut novel of 2015 and it did not fail to disappoint at all!  Melinda Salisbury's writing easily sucked me in, as well as her dozens of plot twists, heart aching moments and genuine feeling of denial that is was all over. Take my advice now, this is a book you will want to read this year! 

I connected with these characters for sure, Twylla especially. At first Twylla seems very naive to what is going on around her, which you can later see was to make her new life easier on herself. But Twylla from the beginning of the novel to Twylla at the end of the novel are completely two different people. She built herself up so much in with in the story and gave herself the courage she needed to get what she needed done. I feel like most princess you read about aren't that smart, but Twylla is quite intelligent. She put the pieces of the things going on around her together, that I would have never had guessed and she wasn't afraid to go after something far fetched. Twylla is the kind of main character that you will be routing for! 

I don't consider it a love triangle, I guess it could be considered one though. Twylla is expected to marry the prince, but her heart just isn't there. That relationship is forced upon her though, it isn't chosen. I don't doubt it that Twylla cares about the prince, it is easily shown through her actions. The other love interest is someone that Twylla has picked for herself. In my honest opinion I like Twylla and Leif better then Twylla and the prince. There is something real in their relationship, considering that this one wasn't being forced upon her. At the end of the novel, Melinda manages to shove a knife into your heart and twist it. With that in mind, I can see Twylla going for either boy. I still ship her and Leif, I probably always will. 

A good portion of the beginning of the book was a huge amount of info about the world. After pushing through it though it wasn't that big of a deal, because that info is absolutely needed to understand what is going on. But I think the The Sin Eater's Daughter had some of the craziest royal customs that I am still trying to work some of them out in head. The world building in this book was amazing! I expected Sin Eating to be something magical, when it was actually something very mundane. Which was good because it didn't make the book overly complicated. I can't wait to read more about this world in the upcoming books. 

Overall The Sin Eater's Daughter didn't disappoint at all. It didn't leave you bored for a minute, with an even pace and heart pounding moments. This book is going to leave you begging for the next book in the series. I can promise that! 

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