Sins of the Angels (The Grigori Legacy) [Mass Market Paperback]

Linda Poitevin (Author)

Book Description

Release date: September 27, 2011 | Series: The Grigori Legacy (Book 1)

A detective with a secret lineage. An undercover Hunter with a bullet-proof soul. And a world made to pay for the sins of an angel...

Homicide detective Alexandra Jarvis answers to no one. Especially not to the new partner assigned to her in the middle of a gruesome serial killer case-a partner who is obstructive, irritatingly magnetic, and arrogant as hell. Aramael is a Power--a hunter of the Fallen Angels.  A millennium ago, he sentenced his own brother to eternal exile for crimes against humanity. Now his brother is back and wreaking murderous havoc in the mortal realm. To find him, Aramael must play second to a human police officer who wants nothing to do with him and whose very bloodline threatens both his mission and his soul.
 
Now, faced with a fallen angel hell-bent on triggering the apocalypse, Alex and Aramael have no choice but to join forces, because only together can they stop the end of days.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Poitevin's debut novel launches an urban fantasy series that focuses on the world of angels, fallen and otherwise...Strong storytelling and a pair of intriguing characters make this title a strong draw for urban fantasy readers and heralds a new voice in the genre." -- Library Journal

"[A] graphic debut...Poitevin's addition to the recent fallen angel urban fantasy trend will appeal to readers who enjoy horror and crime stories." -- Publishers Weekly

"Sins of the Angels is a dark urban fantasy novel like you haven't read before. It is electric, thrilling and extremely intelligent. Linda Poitevin's worldbuilding is rich and layered and her writing is excellent. A fantastic new series which will appeal to urban fantasy, paranormal romance and thriller fans!" -- Ex Libris

"A wonderful debut novel. Sins of the Angels is an Urban Fantasy deeply infused with a richly developed mythology, excellent world building, characters you'll love, and villains you'll love to hate." -- The Qwillery

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Ace (September 27, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0441020917
• ISBN-13: 978-0441020911
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.1 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (57 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,255,849 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Linda Poitevin lives just outside Canada's capital, Ottawa, with her husband, youngest of three daughters, and a varied collection of animals. In her spare time, she gardens (organically), cans and freezes the family's winter fruit and vegetable supply, knits (basically), crochets (better), and starts way more projects than she ever finishes. (Fortunately that doesn't hold true of her books!) She loves spending time with her family, having coffee with friends, walking by the river and watching thunderstorms...in about that order.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A "Heavenly" Review October 6, 2012

By Seth H

Format:Mass Market Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

Let me start this review by first saying that while I'm a fan of the Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance genre, I've never been that interested in the "angel" stories. I've always been more inclined towards a good vampire or werewolf or other supernatural tale, but I had the pleasure of getting to know Linda Poitevin via Twitter and wanted to check out what she had published.

I went into the book hoping to find a new series to obsess over and characters to fall in love with and I think it really delivered in both areas. The writing was excellent and the story was thrilling. I have read many books taking on the Urban Fantasy genre and I was pleased to find that this tale featured a character who didn't so easily take to the supernatural world like so many other heroines in other books. I liked that she was headstrong and not blinded by a sudden mystery man without a care as to who or what he was. I appreciated that while this story has romantic elements, it's not your standard "girl meets tortured boy and falls madly in love" tale.

If you're looking for a great read, then I highly recommend checking out this book, it is a fantastic set up to the series, almost a prequel of sorts to what is to come next I would assume. I cannot wait to check out the sequel and see where this series takes me.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Not Heavenly, but Good October 20, 2011

By B. A. Connors

Format:Mass Market Paperback

Teaser:

Alex was silent for so long he thought she wouldn't answer; swallowed so often he found himself watching the movement of her slender throat in fascination. Then her shoulders lifted in a quick shrug. The shrug of a child trying to pretend that life had no impact on her; of an adult denying the child had ever existed.

Aramael waited. If she chose not to answer, he'd leave it alone, he told himself. He had his hands more than full already. He didn't need to take on the role of psychologist as well, and chances were he'd just foul things up further for her if he tried. His kind weren't well-known for their temperate approach.

My Thoughts:

I liked this book but didn't love it. I enjoy urban fantasy and I enjoy mysteries but this one never quite jelled with me. The female protagonist, Alex, is a homicide detective with a horrific trauma in her past that naturally ties into the ongoing murder investigation that is the focus of the book. The male protagonist, Aramael, is a Power, an angel who hunts Fallen Ones, fallen angels. The bad guy, Caim, is a fallen angel with a personal connection to Aramael. God is referred to as One by the angels, and oh, she's a woman. That worked for my feminist, slightly pagan, self. Poitevin takes Christian theology and angelic mythology and gives it her own spin. She has information on angels and what changes she made on her site for readers who are interested.

The book is marketed as an urban fantasy but Poitevein refers to it as a paranormal suspense, a phrase I like very much. Let's face it, a lot of urban fantasy books have a mystery or criminal investigation at the heart of their stories. There is also a romantic subplot whose effects reverberate throughout the story and into book two but it's not the main focus. The romance does use one of my least favorite tropes, that of soulmates, but Poitevin tweaks it, allows for free will, and destiny doesn't rule all. Speaking of free will, that's a concept that comes up again and again in the story and Poitevin actually makes Heaven seem, to me, not all that attractive. The angels, and Heaven, are highly bureauacratic, which seems hellish to me. :D

There are are a few cliches: the beautiful female detective whom our hero, well, heroine, dislikes and who makes poor choices and is portrayed as slightly slutty; the gruff boss, who can be a hard-ass but has a soft side; the homicide detective (Alex) who is smart and capable but also emotionally damaged and a loner.

I occasionally got annoyed with the interactions between Alex and Aramael - he's all arrogant and distant, and hates who and what she is; she's all annoyed and uppity, then they touch and there's instant electricity but they both back away, then one of them thaws and tries to be nice, but the other doesn't respond and they start all over again. It got old. But, Aramael is an angel, they don't act or feel the way we do and for most of the book, Alex doesn't know what Aramael is. That sets up some of the conflict.

What I really enjoyed were the glimpses into Heaven - the bureaucracy, the secrets, the plotting and planning, the relationships, etc. The investigation into the serial killings and the hunt for Caim, the Fallen One, was a little slow at times but it was humorous to watch Aramael, in his guise as detective Jacob Trent, try to actually be a detective. A ten year old who watches tv knows more than he does. Overall, it works. It's a decent start to a new series and I will definitely read the next one when it comes out.

I received an eARC from NetGalley and a paperback from the publisher.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars New fashioned love story May 8, 2013

By Kimberley

Format:Mass Market Paperback

The best way to judge a book is by how long you wait till you pick up the sequel. I was glad I had bought both books together cause I never left my couch in between. This was my first urban fantasy series and Im hooked.