Customer Reviews

Wages of Sin (Cin Craven, Book 1)

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I found this book by accident. I had never heard of the author but someone suggested the book on a list I read. I have to say I was wonderfully surprised, this is a wonderful mixture of fantasy, and romance set in the regency period. I would not have believed it would blend togather so gracefully. I loved the book and will definitely follow the author.

Dulcie is an aristocrat, the daughter of a vis-count. Her parents die in an accident when she is 22 and immediately her life changes for the worse. Suddenly she is persued by a childhood friend who is now a vampire. All of the women in her family are witches, and now she comes into her own power, when the power of her mother comes to her and awakens her sleeping gifts. This is the reason her former friend wants her, he wants her power for his master, a demon trapped in our world.

Michael is a vampire. He is a member of The Righteous, he, Justine, and Devlin are the executioners of the vampires, they destroy those who kill humans. He is fasinated by Dulcie, but he was a low born Scot, who died at Falkirk, Devlin admired his swordmanship and turned him to save his life. Now he fights with Devlin and Justine.

When Dulcie is first attacked by her former suitor, Sebastion, she seeks aid from her friends and servants. In London she seeks the help of an old friend who is an appothicary, and a witch himself, Mr.Pendergast and his nephew Archie. They tell her about The Righteous, and suggest that she summon them and tell them her problems. The summoning goes very well but not quite as expected. She summons Michael and the others are not far behind. How to explain her needs and who she is before they kill her takes alittle doing. But finally they agree to help her and that is when they discover they face a demon not a vampire, a vampire demon.

The pace was fast, the plot intriguing, and the romance hot. I enjoyed it from cover to cover. With all the faux vampire romances out there, this one is fresh and tasty. Do not miss it.

A well written, fast-paced novel about witches, good and bad vampires, and other creatures of the night. Interesting characters, well constructed plot, great imagery, and spiced with flashes of humor and a little sex. I can't wait for the sequel.

When I first got this book, I didn't think I would like it - I thought Uh-ho, one of those lame historical romance books with a little bit of a vampire twist - why did I order this? But then I really ended up enjoying it. The heroine's love interest is a hottie, and I always enjoy fantasy and magic, but the story still leaned a little too much towards a romance novel for me to give it 5 stars (you know, she's the innocent, her lover is all gallant) - I hope the story progresses beyond that a little more if there is a next in the series. I did really like the heroine's strong side.

I debated buying this book for a long time, mostly because the price tag is pretty high. But I'm so glad I went ahead and finally took the risk. This is a very smoothly written, character-driven blend of historical romance, magic, vampire lore, and suspense. There are a ton of paranormal romance series out there, and I think this is the start to one of the best.

The first person narrative was difficult to get into at first, but in the end, I liked the way hearing the story in Dulcie's voice pulled me in. All the characters were interesting and well developed, including the servants, and the main love story is both sweet and passionate. Once in a while the dialogue or references-- like a character saying "great" sarcastically or Dulcie calculating Michael's height in terms of feet-- are too modern to belong in a story set in 19th century England, but that's a very minor quibble. Overall, this is a great debut novel and I can't wait to read the rest of the series!

Truly, a great book. I hesitated in ordering it for a while (unknown author, high price for a paperback, etc..) but I finally caved, desperate for something new to entertain me. This was a riveting story and I am anxiously awaiting the rest of the series.

Jenna Maclaine has written a supernatural adventure with vampires, demons and witches which will capture your mind and take you on an exciting and dangerous adventure. I couldn't put the book down since I just wanted to see what happened to Dulcie. Gave the book to my mom and she also loved the story. I totally loved the vampire, Michael! Loved the humor! This is a book you don't want to miss. Great job, Jenna!

In 1815 England, witch Dulcinea "Cin" Macgregor Craven loves her parents. So when they are murdered she is distraught with grief. However, she has no time to mourn her loss as an evil unwanted vampire stalks her; ultimately biting her.

Cin knows she cannot fight off her adversary alone. She has heard myths about The Righteous Vampires; a trio who resolved to do the honorable thing righting wrongs if they can when their species does harm. Cin conjures up a spell that brings them to her. They agree to help her, but quickly realize they are not dealing with just a vampire; her monster is in servitude to a powerful demon. One of her three protectors, Michael, who is attracted to the witch, vows his undead life to keep her safe.

This is the first act of the Cin Craven romantic fantasy saga and if it is any indication of the series, sub-genre fans are in for quite a treat. The story line is filled with action from the moment "Dulcie' as her beloved mom called her realizes her parents are dead and she is under supernatural attack. Cin is terrific as she tells her story in a first person account that brings to life the undead, the witches, and the undead witches. Jenna Maclaine provides an entertaining opening entry that will thrill readers who wonder what GRAVE SINS is coming next to Cin.

Harriet Klausner

I'VE BEEN WAITIN FOR A GREAT SERIES. AND I'VE FOUND IT. IT'S GOT WITCHES, VAMPIRES, WEREWOLFS AND ROMANCE. THE BOOKS FOCUS IS ON THE PLOT AND CHARACTERS VERSUS IT ALL FOCUSING ON STEAMY SCENES. I LOVED IT, HIGHLY RECOMEND IT AND CAN'T WAIT FOR THE NEXT RELEASE!!!!

Plot Summary: Dulcinea Craven appears to be just like any other aristocratic English gentlewoman, but her mother's family are witches, and `Cin' has inherited the magical power. When her parents die in a carriage accident, one of Cin's neighbors pressures her to marry him. It seems that turning him down is not an option, because he's now a vampire and hell bent on getting his hands on Cin. Knowing that even her magic cannot hold this immortal evil at bay, Cin seeks out a group of vampires who police their own kind, called The Righteous. Michael is the youngest member of this group, and he becomes Cin's temptation and salvation as she fights the evil vampire and his demon master.

I was surprised to discover that this is a historical paranormal romance, so I guess the clothing on the cover art threw me. The style of that red dress doesn't fit in with my image of the Regency period, but maybe I'm wrong and it's something the daring ladies wore. I was halfway into the novel when I realized that I had read a prequel short story for this series in The Mammoth Book of Vampire Romance (Mammoth Books), and I recall Jenna Maclaine's story as one of the few chocolate chips in an otherwise bland cookie.

I want to say that this is a fantastic new series, but I have several itchy problems that were never resolved. I'll settle instead and say that this is a good story by a new author. There were a few bold scenes in this book, the kind that make me sit up and think that Maclaine can pull off the darker, deeper stories that I want to see.

It's hard to go wrong by creating a vampire/witch hybrid heroine. Cin's got oodles of power, immortality, and witchy woman ways. Sadly I never got a bead on her personality, and I'd be hard pressed to come up with one word to describe her right now. She wasn't sassy, saucy, or prissy, and I need some defining trait to make Cin stand out from the dozens of powerful female protagonists who are duking it out for my attention.

The hero, Michael, was suitably gorgeous and the writer did an admirable job describing him, so my visual is spot on. Their courtship dance was regrettably short-lived, and that was the biggest missed opportunity in my opinion. I want tingles in my gut, shivers down my spine, and all sorts of angst wrung out of a new relationship, but Maclaine made it too easy for our couple. Before I knew it, they were together, and all the excitement bled out of my body. There was a `four musketeers' moment at the very end that was lame, but I suppose it sets the scene for the next books in the series.

The prequel short story I mentioned above in TMBOVR is called "The Righteous", and it provides the background on the relationship between Devlin and Justine, two other vampires who appear in "Wages of Sin." The second book was released this past winter, and it's called Grave Sins (A Cin Craven Novel).

Everything changes in an instant for Dulcinea Craven. A tragic carriage accident leaves her on her own with an added gift from her mother; Dulcie experiences The Awakening of her magical powers. Unfortunately, someone else out there wants Dulcie for their own nefarious purposes. Dulcie will have to rely on a group of vampires known as The Righteous if she has any hope of surviving....

What a surprisingly good story! I have to admit that I was a bit worried when I first started reading WAGES OF SIN. All too often, vampire books in the historical genre tend to veer more towards the romance than the paranormal side. However, Jenna Maclaine meshes both aspects together perfectly!

Dulcie's character transformation and growth is a key facet of WAGES OF SIN. She starts off young and fairly naive, still living under the shelter of her parents and not yet awakened to her magic. The things she will face and the decisions she has to make all help propel her into becoming a true heroine. Dulcie's willingness and desire to do the right thing, no matter the personal cost, make her both likable and admirable. Jenna Maclaine smoothly handles Dulcie's transition and the ride is quite a fun one!

WAGES OF SIN is a superb blend of urban fantasy and historical romance. Jenna Maclaine immerses the reader into the 1800s and makes all the paranormal elements seem quite believable in the setting. Excellent start to a new series and easily recommended!

COURTESY OF CK2S KWIPS AND KRITIQUES