The Sin Collector [Kindle Edition]

Jessica Fortunato (Author), Dolly Ries (Editor), Susan Fortunato (Editor), Juliana Fortunato (Narrator)

Book Description

"The Sin Collector" follows the life of Liliana, a born Sin Collector. She has spent over 100 years absorbing people's sins so they may rest in peace come death. However when she meets another Collector, one who insists everything she has been taught is a lie, Liliana must make her way from sunny L.A. all the way to the streets of Madrid. Searching for answers to a question we all share. Why are we here? The friends and enemies she makes along the way only seem to blur the line between right and wrong. Can Liliana fight the Castus, an organization whose sole mission is to kill every Collector? Should she trust her head or her heart when the two most important men in her life are fighting alongside her?
Then there is the worst question of all, who will be left when the dust settles?

Editorial Reviews

Review

#61 In Amazon Kindle Store
~Amazon, April 2012

#1 Rated In Supernatural
~Amazon, June 2012

#79 Rated In Occult
~Amazon, April 2012

S.M. Boyce Author of Lichgates (The Grimoire Trilogy)
"The Sin Collector is a refreshing contemporary fantasy read that brings to life a new take on old myths."

Noree Cosper, Author
"I loved the voice in this series. It was humorous, yet it didn't get overly snarky like a lot of books. I had several laugh out loud moments."

Urban Fantasy Review
"The Sin Collector had me hooked from the second page, the story was fresh and new and I didn't put it down until I finished it."

Reading By The Beach Blog
"Liliana is lonely, she's still an adept female protagonist. She's strong, resilient, determined and loving. She also has a hilarious sarcastic flare that adds life to her character."

Product Details

• File Size: 219 KB
• Print Length: 147 pages
• Publisher: Jessica Fortunato (February 6, 2012)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B0076D11WK
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #293,583 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 31 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars Three Strikes June 10, 2012

By Michelle Scott

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

120-year-old Liliana is a sin collector - a supernatural being who gathers the sins of mortals upon their deaths. Over the years, Liliana has been asked to gather some of the most brutal sins humankind has committed, and now, she's had enough. Unsure of who she really is or why she was created to do her job, she embarks on a quest to learn the truth.

Three things drew me to read this book: the gorgeous cover, the intriguing concept, and the well-written blurb. Unfortunately, the story fell flat.

This seems to be a novel by a young, first-time, author, and she definitely has promise. Her prose is fairly solid, and her character, Liliana, makes a few quips that are very good. As I said, the concept was terrific. Unfortunately, there were three things that really turned me off .

The first thing was that, although the main character was supposed to be over a hundred years old, she behaved and thought like a teenager. If the author would have chosen to make Liliana twenty or even twenty-five, I might have bought it, but to have a character older than my grandmother storm off in a childish rage or simply behave as a giddy teen whenever she's around a cute boy brought me out of the story every time. Overall, the book was simply too naive.

The second thing I didn't care for was the fact that the story wasn't about the concept of collecting sins as much as it was about girl-meets-boy-then-meets-danger. Yes, the main character had questions about her past, but very little of the story involved Liliana actually doing her job. Instead, the plot revolved around group politics and infighting among the sin collectors. I was disappointed to see that the premise of the book was never fully explored. Sin collecting should have been the focus of the story, not a side note.

***Warning: Spoiler Alert***

These two things, however, wouldn't have bothered me quite as much if not for the final one, and that happened at the end when Liliana not only fell in love with, but apparently had a physical relationship with, the man who had been her father figure for the first twenty years of her life. Although these two characters were not related by blood, the mentor who raised her was clearly in a father/uncle/other brother role, and so when Liliana fell in love with him, I was horrified.

***End Spoiler***

I had high hopes for this book, but unfortunately, it fell short of my expectations. I suspect that the author will continue to write, and as she does, her work will continue to mature, but for right now, the book simply didn't do it for me.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Unique and Entertaining March 26, 2012

By Noree

Format:Kindle Edition

I was given a copy of this book by the author to review.

The Good:

Voice: I loved the voice in this series. It was humorous, yet it didn't get overly snarky like a lot of books. I had several laugh out loud moments, such as Lily's whole balance and bike issues. The voice had a balance of light and dark moments when appropriate. It kept me interested.

Characters: I love Liliana. Yes, at times she can be immature for her age, but I think she is trying to cling to that last bit of innocence. I can really see this when she is with another character Juliana. The secondary characters are great as well. Each has their own personality and motivations. Jessica kept me guessing at who was the traitor for most of the book.

Story and Worldbuilding: The Sin Collector concept is something I have rarely seen. I think i have only heard of another movie perhaps a book that had anything like it. (I'll have to look those up again). Anyway, You know how we've talked about wanting to see a different type of race in Modern Fantasy. Well, here is your chance to read about one.

Themes: The main theme I saw through the book was finding home, whereever home was. I love this theme and Jessica has pulled it off. The story also touches on good and evil. Not just good vs. evil, but also intention vs action. If you have good intentions does that justify your actions?

The Bad:

Pacing: I loved faced paced books but I felt the pacing was little too fast on this. It is a short book, so it is like taking a bite and it's done.

Details: I felt the author could have shown more detail in certain points in the story. . I think this could have also helped with the pacing and gave us a deeper look at the characters. I had a few moments of confusion during the story, such as: "Wait, she on the ground? I thought she was standing." or "Where did she get that knife?" These were very few, but could have been cleaned up by going into more detail. Also, I would have loved for Jessica to go into the history of Sin Collectors more. I'm hoping she will in the next book.

Overall: Get this book. It was unique and entertaining!

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Sinful Good Read February 26, 2012

By Nicole R Peterson

Format:Kindle Edition

Since there have been Sin Collectors there have been Castus. Sin Collectors may come from demons or from God, there is no absolute certainty. At the time of death Sin Collectors "collect" the sins of the persons soul that is passing on to secure their place in heaven. The Castus is an organization that hunts down Collectors. Their belief is that Collectors are abominations, that they allow corrupt souls to pass into heaven when they should not be allowed in.

Liliana was raised by her mentor Olexander to take her place in society. When she is a young girl, another Collector passes through with her ward and Lili and William become quick friends before he leaves town a month later. Once she turns 20 Olexander leaves her on her own, because Collectors can not handle being around each other.

After 100 yrs Lily is working at a library and William happens upon her in his search for information on Sin Collectors. He asks Lili to accompany him on his search and when they reach Dublin she reunites with Olexander, who has found a way to mingle with their own kind. Olexander is certain that The Castus are after Liliana and has come to rescue her. Now Lily must make the decision on who to trust and not to trust. Both William and Olexander are hiding secrets that could get them all killed.

This was a really good novel and I enjoyed reading it. The genre is refreshing in that it hasn't saturated the "market" yet. I look forward to reading the rest of this trilogy =)

More About the Author

Jessica Fortunato is a writer in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania.

She has been a freelance reviewer for the past three years. She has always loved a supernatural aspect to literature, as well as the addition of theology, so it is no surprise that her debut novel "The Sin Collector" combines just that.

She has been a waitress, a cook, a librarian, a book binder, nanny, and even a hairdresser when the occasion calls for it. However writing is her main focus and she is thrilled to share the first installment of what she hopes will be a a beloved book trilogy. The Sin Collector mixes action, travel, paranormal, supernatural, love triangles, and as sprinkling of Oscar Wilde's wit.