Customer Reviews

The Chosen Sin

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Daria is a policewoman for a futuristic government. In order to gain revenge against a man who almost derailed her career and killed her best friend, she becomes a "Chosen" (vampire) and goes under cover with another Chosen named Alejandro Martinez in order to try and bust the bad guy. Alejandro and Daria have a hot and heavy history. Daria realizes right off that Alejandro might be man enough to melt through all the protective emotional armor she put on after her ordeal with the villain, and tries to prevent that from happening. Alejandro has other ideas.

This is a layered, complex story about good and evil. Great character development. The book is extremely erotic and romantic, yet still makes you think. The characters stay with you long after the story is finished. I can see why some may not like it since the author does write the villain in a sympathetic way. He's not a 100% evil mustache twirler by a long shot. But in my opinion he's bad guy, a threat to their society, a murderer and a slave trafficker. He got what he deserved in the end.

The heroine is no Mary Sue and she's no fluffy brainless bunny. She's abrasive at times, but I think this makes sense given her history. She changes and grows throughout the course of the story. Alejandro is just flat out luscious, strong without being that overpowering alpha male. Three cheers for a hero who is not a Caucasian male!

Anya Bast writes hot sex scenes, I'll give her that. But this book suffers from some major narrative problems, to the point where I almost gave up halfway through. Luckily, the plot comes through in the latter half of the book, and I was glad I stuck with it.

What surprised me about this book is that it's not just a paranormal romance. It's a science fiction pararnormal. Vampires in space.

[blink]

Absolutely nothing on the cover or the back cover copy gave any indication of this. It's an interesting concept, to be sure, but for the most part, I feel like this book could have just taken place on a futuristic Earth instead of in a galaxy far, far away.

Which leads me to my first major problem with the book. The science is sketchy. I know that this probably won't bother many readers, but I'm enough of a nerd to really get annoyed at the scientific impossibilities. See, Earth has become overpopulated. That makes sense. People want to colonize other planets. No problems there, either. Astronomers discover a new galaxy, and some Earthlings move there.

Wait, wait. A new galaxy? Galaxies are really freaking far away. I mean, really far away. The two closest galaxies, the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds, which are satellite galaxies of the Milky Way, are 169,000 and 210,000 light years away. Even if humans could travel at the speed of light, it would take 169,000 to 210,000 years to get there. And according to our current understanding of physics, we can't even achieve a substantial fraction of the speed of light. Even if the characters used wormholes, it just doesn't make sense that we'd leave our own galaxy, which I'm sure has plenty of habitable star systems.

On top of the galaxy problem is the solar system that humans have colonized. According to the book, there are four planets within the habitable zone. This just stretches plausibility to the limit for me. In our solar system, only one planet is within the habitable zone: Earth. Venus and Mars are on the edge of it, but are outside. Four planets within that zone just doesn't make sense; they'd be too close together, causing their orbits to destabilize. Bast also falls into the old SF trap of creating an entire planet with the same climate everywhere. That just plain doesn't make sense (I partly blame Tattooine for this... I'm looking at you, George Lucas).

It would have just made more sense for me if Earth had colonized a nearby star system in the Milky Way and lived on a couple of planets and habitable moons. But like I said, I'm a nerd and I'm nitpicky about stuff like that. YMMV, of course.

The first half of the book is marred by expository dumps... you know, where the author pauses the action to tell you the last four hundred years of history of the people of Earth. That is one of my biggest pet peeves in fiction. I love good worldbuilding, but I love learning about the world as the story goes along instead of having it all dumped in my lap in the first hundred pages. Some of the infodumps were completely unnecessary, too; if you tell me that the characters popped out their PComps and mention that they're communication devices, I'm going to understand that it's a chip in the characters' bodies somewhere. I don't need a paragraph telling me exactly what they are, and that they're called PComps out of some bizarre sense of nostalgia the futuristic Earthlings have for "ancient" personal computers.

The plot doesn't really pick up until halfway through. The first half of the book is all setup; Daria and Alejandro (who are law enforcement agents), along with another vampire agent, Brandon, must infiltrate The Shining Way, a vampire commune. The Shining Way is run by Christopher Sante, who happens to be Daria's ex who also happens to have murdered her best friend along with a few other agents, and escaped the long arm of the law. Daria wants to bring Sante down both out of revenge and also because she's sure he's doing all kinds of naughty, illegal things in his commune.

On top of trying to pin a kidnapping and other sundry illegal things on Sante, Daria must also deal with Alejandro's advances as well as her recent transformation into a Chosen, a vampire. Alejandro has the hots for Daria, Daria has the hots for Alejandro but she is determined to focus on her mission and her revenge on Sante, so she tries to resist Alejandro of the Very Sexy Chest. It obviously doesn't work for long, because there's a lot of sex in this book, including some rather kinky scenes that aren't too common in romances. The sex is very hot, and luckily, within the last quarter of the book, I really started to buy into Daria and Alejandro's messed up relationship and started rooting for them.

I actually found the story's villain, Christopher Sante, to be much more interesting and compelling than the main characters. I won't give anything away, but he's much more complex than many villains I've come across in this genre.

If the first half of the book had matched the last in terms of plot movement, I would have been much happier with this book. As it is, I can only give it a B-. The plot finishes out well, but there was way too much dodgy science and telling instead of showing.

I normally do not like romance at all. I avoid paranormal romance like the plague even though I love urban fantasy. When I read about the vampires Anya created for the Chosen Sin, I had to give it a try. I didn't expect to end up liking the book at all. I thought it would be hard for me to just sit back and enjoy it.

BUT I LOVED IT.

I thought the characters were great. The world building was fun too. Thanks Anya!

I enjoyed it more than I expected to for the simple reason that I thought I would hate the character of Daria. She was very obsessive about her revenge. So much so that I thought it would unnerve me. Yet, the Alejandro character made up for it. Alejandro is described as that type of guy that any girl would want. He's sexy, thoughtful, protective, sexy, goodlooking, sexy, a great fighter,(ummm--did I mention sexy?)

The setting was the distant future and another solar system. Daria and Alejandro are undercover cops that are trying to uncover a slave/drug ring. I thought the story was intriguing and very hot. My complaints are that I wished the charcters were developed more and the setting was a brush over. Bast took the easy way out by making the characters prefer 20th century dress and decorating. This way she didn't have to create anything new or unique in her futuristic world.

Anya Bast is yet another erotica author who is making the move to mainstream publishing. I'm a big fan of her Elemental Witches series. Her writing has always (ok, everything I've read) leaned toward the dark fantasy/paranormal and "The Chosen Sin" is no different. I found this book to be light erotica which is still pretty darn hot for mainstream. The story contains some light BDSM and anal play so if that's not for you...don't read it!

Daria has spent the last seven years of life burning to get revenge on the 'Chosen' (vampire) who made her love him, and then betrayed her and killed her best friend, among others. She lost her faith in love and friendship that night and has struggled in her career as an agent ever since. Now she'll finally get her chance at her enemy...but she must become 'Chosen' to do so.

Alejandro has loved Daria for longer than seven years. He was in her circle of friends when she was betrayed by the man she loved and she turned to him for comfort...of a sexy sort. Since that night, Alejandro was 'Chosen' and his life changed forever. He still battles the bad guys, he just polices the Chosen instead of humans. When he hears about Daria's mission, he fights to be both her partner and the one who 'Chooses' her. Alejandro is a man who knows what he wants...and he wants Daria...forever.

In all honesty, I didn't particularly enjoy the book until I got about halfway through. Daria's continual push/pull drove me nuts! I found her actions fairly cruel, in a way, since once she was turned she HAD to know how she was affecting Alejandro...if she'd bothered to think about anything except her revenge. Once I begin to dislike a heroine, it's very difficult for me to enjoy the story. BUT, about halfway through Daria began to 'put on her big girl panties' and deal. For me, that made all the difference.

Bast's vampire world is set in the far future which gives it a different feel from many other vamp stories out today. She also wrote a bit more about the mental/psychological aspect of being a Chosen and I liked that. I had a pretty good idea of where the story was headed, but she did manage to throw a surprise or two at me before the end of the story. I'm guessing she may have plans to write more stories about this world and I'm hooked enough to want to read the next one if that happens.

Vampires in space make for a bizarre but intriguing read in Anya Bast's futuristic/paranormal/erotic romance mash-up.

Circa a thousand years from now, THE CHOSEN SIN is mostly set on the desert planet, Darpong. Earth-born Daria Moran is an Allied Bureau of Investigation agent whose mission in life - both personal and professional - is to bring down Christopher Sante, who killed Daria's best friend, and others, and may be guilty of other ghastly deeds.

But in order to infiltrate Sante's vampire commune, Daria has to become Chosen - and Alejandro Martinez will Choose her. But first Daria must break through the succubare, which could make her a sex vampire instead of a blood one. For an erotic romance, you'd assume Daria would become succubare, but for the sake of plot she enters the blood coven.

Daria's a strong-willed, pissed-off, kick-arse woman who wants revenge. Alejandro will teach her to love again, and release her inhibitions. But like a toddler who claims ownership incessantly, Alejandro plays the "mine" game repeatedly. I'm not a fan of Alpha males like him; don't like how he claims ownership of Daria, instead of her belonging to no one but herself. And Daria doesn't trust Brandon Nichols, thinks he's shifty, and yet chooses to sleep in the alcove of his door. Christopher Sante, however, is the most well-written character, all shades of grey and neither totally good nor completely evil.

Even if vampires and romance aren't your thing (they're not really mine), stay tuned for what happens around the time of the meteor shower and beyond, because this is where the action really kicks in. Keep an eye out for the show-stopping, devastatingly heartbreaking scene that alerts this is not just an escapist read: it's a reminder that contemporary society has horrors that most would like to pretend don't exist. It's memorable, emotional, and I don't remember ever having a scene in any book remain with me so long after the book's over.

Futuristic fans may want more about the Nabovsky Galaxy, its planets and citizens, and how they relate to Earth and other worlds. But romance fans may be wholly satisfied.

Betrayed by a lover who conned her and murdered her best friend, Daria was furious when he escaped with the equivalent of a slap on the wrist. Now she has her chance for vengeance, and she is willing to do anything to accomplish that, even if it means becoming a vampire herself.

That's what it will take to infiltrate the villain's compound. Not only that, she'll have to partner with none other than Alejandro Martinez, the one man - excuse me, vampire whose sexual lure she finds it impossible to resist.

Once inside the suspect's sanctuary, the plan is simple - find evidence he is trafficking in blood slaves or drugs - anything illegal they can use to bring him down legitimately. Easier said than done when surrounded by powerful vamps who revere their subject like an angelic benefactor, not to mention her libido is running wild because of her recent transformation from human to vampire.

I have never read an Anya Bast novel I didn't enjoy. The author's latest release, THE CHOSEN SIN, is right up there in my list of favorites by Ms. Bast. Combining erotic romance with a paranormal theme in a futuristic science fiction setting, this book blends several of my favorite genres into one unforgettable story.

There is a lot to love in this book - the plot, the characters, the world itself. I even found myself sympathizing with the villain of the piece. Well, one of the villains, anyway. *grin* Another thing I really enjoyed is the multiple layers in this plot - nothing and no one is exactly who they seem on the surface. There is some good and bad in everyone, at varying levels.

Of course the best of the bunch is our hero and heroine, who are inherently good but aware of the darker part of their vampire nature, yet keep it at bay. Both Alejandro and Daria have spent their lives fighting crime, and their purposes are ultimately altruistic, even if they have some personal motivations in bringing down their enemy.

Their cover as a mated couple is what helps them get in to the protected dome together, and it is also a delicious way to ensure they have a good bit of trouble keeping their hands off of each other. Alejandro is quite clear from the beginning that he wants Daria for good, but he exercises a good deal of patience in his seduction of her, allowing her space to find a way to trust him.

Daria's trust isn't easy to come by. That one past betrayal was so vile it left her unable to believe in any man again, fearful of the past repeating itself somehow. At times, it is doubtful whether she'll come around and admit her feelings for Alejandro, but in true hero style he never gives up, showing her what they could have together if she would just let herself go.

When she does let go, we have one heck of a happy ending for this pair. The love scenes up to then are absolutely explosive but nothing compared to what they enjoy when they both put their whole heart into it.

THE CHOSEN is the kind of story that makes you long for sequels. A world this vibrant and intriguing invites readers to revisit there again and again. I know this is a keeper on my bookshelf.

**Courtesy of Wild on Books**

I did not like Daria at all. Bought this book on sale - thankfully, but had the hardest time keeping interested. Even at a discounted price I can not recommend this book.
Alejandro is the high point - only real reason to read this book. Overall I found the plot very slow moving and fairly empty of real content. When the author had a chance to really put a spin within the story, I feel that it just prodded along as expected. Sante - Chosen (Bad-Guy Vamp) killed some people and Daria was used / abandoned - she was in LOVE! She finally gets a chance to nail Sante (she's some kind of cop), but has to become a vamp. Sante has setup this domed shelter for Chosen only (I actually thought this was pretty cool). But Daria is just sure that this is all funded by illegal activities and is busy trying to take him down. In the middle of this - she constantly keeps Alejandro at arms length even though he's hot and is actually in love with her. But it's all work and no fun with Daria. Sante has truly fallen in love / mated - but is feeling the ages / becoming unstable. Instead of Sante turning over a new leaf or having love save him (at least for a few years) he really is doing illegal stuff (boring) and allows himself to be arrested to save Ari from possible (future) harm... blah blah blah. Read at your own risk - I would suggest you take a pass.

Daria was seduced by Sante 7 years ago. Sante, loyal to his blood mother, needed to find out where they were keeping a witness who was going to testify against his B. mother. Upon killing the witness Sante also had to kill three of Daria and Alejandro's coworkers and friends. Soon after Alejandro was "chosen" to become a vampire, having the genetic markers for it. Daria was suspended and forced to rebuild her career after being blamed for the murders. Seven years later a daughter the leader of the chosen opposition is allegedly kidnapped. Daria undergoes plastic surgery and agrees to be chosen to enter the vampire colony under a secure dome. It is a society of chosen only. Daria asks Alejandro to chose her and be her mate in the colony, part of a joint task force. Alejandro has always loved Daria. Daria is so blinded by revenge she sees nothing else, it's irritating. Also she is so traumatized by Sante she is afraid to love or even get close to any male. Despite her blindness for revenge Sante isn't what he seems and Alejandro gets under her defenses. Despite Daria and her one track mind, I did enjoy the story. I liked the futuristic/other world things.

It's been a long time since I enjoyed a book as much I've enjoyed this one. I won't recap because others have done it for me, but I found the heroine to be strong, complicated, conflicted and well developed. She learns about herself throughout the novel, grows and changes.

The hero, Alejandro, is simply luscious. I definitely fell a little bit in love with him throughout the story.

It's hot! Like all of Bast's books, the sex scenes are smoking, but there's a lot of emotion there, too, and the emotion grows stronger between the characters the further in love they fall.

I found the setting to be original and inventive. This book definite puts a new twist in the vampire romance sub genre and I can't wait for the next book in the series!