Book Review: The Sin Collector by Jessica Fortunato
4.5 Stars
The Short Version
The Sin Collector is a refreshing contemporary fantasy read that brings to life a new take on old myths. The elements of mystery and betrayal leave readers constantly second-guessing the other characters in the novel, and while the main character is lively and funny, she's still a strong-willed heroine that most readers will root for. There are some editing issues to consider and a few very minor loose ends, but none of that would stop me from recommending this book. I tore through it and loved every minute.
The Details
So I started this new habit where I don't get to read unless I'm on an elliptical. Boy, does it work! My ass is in the gym every day, now, and I had the pleasure of reading The Sin Collector by Jessica Fortunato. I tore through the book despite how swamped I am, and it was just a fun read.
Here's the blurb:
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?
I wanted in as soon as I read that blurb. Immortal Sin Collectors that have seen it all and are facing a deadly group that believes they're evil? Hells yes! It just sounds so damn good! And boy, I wasn't disappointed. Let's grab some coffees and chat about it.
Story – 5 Stars
This is unlike anything I have ever read. I don't pretend to have read everything in the world, or anything, but I think you'll agree that this is a fresh take on old myths. I love that!
The Sin Collector takes readers into the lives of magical beings that walk among us and, what's more, envy our mortality. It's a wonderful theme in unto itself, but of course it doesn't stop there. You walk into a world of wealth and suspicion, magic and rituals, and gods and demons.
What's even better is that this is a trilogy, so we get to read more! I'm chomping at the bit for book 2. Is it 2013 yet?
Style/Voice – 4 ½ Stars
I love it when a book makes me laugh out loud, and Sin Collector did. Not just once, either, but several times! So of course, I look like a fool stifling my snorting giggles while walk-jogging on an elliptical, but it was worth it. There were beautifully set up moments like when Lily and crew are discussing a rescue that might get them killed, to which she thinks:
Truth was, I didn't really want to die today. I was in the middle of a really good book.
There's another moment when another character whips out a box of weapons so that Lily can arm herself before going into the fray, to which she replies:
"Where did this box come from? Militia 'R' Us?"
I was laughing throughout the book because Fortunato's novel is riddled with chucklers like these. A good deal of them require context, so I'll refrain from telling you so that I don't spoil anything.
Now, there were a few moments in the narrative that were passed over when extra details would have made the moment stronger. There's a certain scene, for instance, where Lily and another character are making a bunch of noise (I'm sorry, I'm trying to be cryptic so that I don't ruin any fun bits for you). But that's all we get, a line or two about how they're making enough noise to wake the dead. I'd rather see them trip over a bucket and have it clang down the stairs, its tinny echo running back up the hall and making their ears ring. The later details are longer, sure, but we get more of an in-the-moment image. That's just my opinion, though, and my personal style. I want to be as open-minded as possible, and frankly, most readers don't care about the whole show vs. tell argument. That's why I only bumped a half-star off, because most people won't even acknowledge details like that. Overall, you're going to love this voice.
The novel is written in first person past, so it's easy to slip into the narration. There are always limitations to the first person narration, but here, it works; it's a mystery, with several who-done-it moments, and I believe that would be spoiled if we had any other view of what was going on. So gents, you'll have to dive into a woman's mind for a bit, but I think you'll find the narration witty and charming enough to content you.
Characters & Motivation – 4 ½ Stars
Main character: Remember that this is a first person narrative, so there is only one main character: Lily.
At times, Lily was too immature for her age. She would be rash or pouty, but would then redeem herself within just a few pages by showing how wise she could really be. The juxtaposition of wise and childish threw me at first, but over the course of the novel, I grew to appreciate her character for it. She grew, too, in the course of the novel, and became an even stronger force to be reckoned with. It was wonderful to see. Lily herself gets 5 Stars, hands down.
Secondary characters: There are a host of secondary characters, all of whom are independent. It's nice to have individual characters that act independently of each other, without duplicating each other's actions, dialogue, or mannerisms. Each character in The Sin Collector is his or her own person.
Most of the time, all of their actions made sense. I rarely had to reread for motivation, and each character was believable to me. In the climax, though, when the betrayer is revealed, I was confused. The traitor's personality did a bit of a 180, and the person tried to hurt someone they'd only ever tried to protect before. It might have been that the moment was too rushed to follow the full extent of the traitor's finally revealing their true self, but it caught me off-guard. Though I wasn't the biggest fan of this person's motivation in particular, I felt that the rest of the novel developed well. There were a few other moments where motivation was slightly askew or emotions developed too quickly, but again, nothing major.
Pacing – 4 ½ Stars
There is a lot of action packed into this book, which comes in at only about 44,000 words. That's short for a novel, and yet you see an intense amount of character development, action, and rich themes to carry with you afterwards. I found myself thinking about the story even when I wasn't reading, and wondering what was going to happen next. It just hooks you, and I think part of that is Fortunato's delivery.
Now, I still think she could have slowed down a bit here and there to give us a better understanding of what's happening. There were a few moments I had to reread, just because it referenced an item I either didn't see before or had forgotten entirely. If those moments were slowed down by just a fraction, I think it would have been smoother. Thus, the half-star knocked off. However, it's just half a star. I still loved the book.
Themes – 5 Stars
Where do I start? There's the classic good versus evil, so nothing too much new there. But The Sin Collector goes a step further and evaluates whether or not one's inherent purpose can be considered good or evil. I mean, the Collectors take sins from evil doers to let them rest peacefully in the next life. They let monsters into heaven. Are they, then, inherently evil?
There are at least a half dozen more themes like this. This novel addresses issues of self-doubt, trusting in others, what it means to have a home, and what family really is. The underlying themes are really beautiful, and those who know me know that I love theme-hunting. Theme-hunters will be happy with Sin Collector.
Logic – 4 ½ Stars
I didn't notice any logic holes, and while this isn't an overly complex story, it is a mystery/thriller to find out who is betraying whom. There were some loose ends that weren't completely flushed out, but that could just be me not piecing them together on my own.
These are spoilers, so beware ye who open this toggle bar!
Lily's boss is murdered in the first few chapters of the book, and that's never really wrapped up. We assume it's boy toy #1 (I'm not going to spoil who that is), but it's never confirmed or denied. Then there's the matter of the piece of paper on the floor of the car, and even though the name crops back up later, I'm still not sure what it entirely means. Aside from those two loose ends, though, I don't have any qualms with the logic. Overall, the mystery/betrayal component was an amazing and lovely touch to the narrative.
Editing – 4 Stars
Editing mistakes are to be expected in any novel, whether it's traditionally or self-published. The expected rate for mistakes like wrong words or misspelled words is about one a chapter, and hopefully no more.
What amazed me with The Sin Collector, then, is that I didn't make note of any typos. That's noteworthy. What struck me with Fortunato's novel, though, was an overuse of comma splices. Now, I'm an obsessive editor. I tend to edit ever book I read, just out of habit, and I tend to cringe when I see repeated mistakes. But – and this is an important *but* – it didn't stop my enjoyment of this novel at all. I didn't want to stop reading for a second. I'm really impressed by the lack of typos, and the comma splices were what knocked the star off here. I was waffling between 3 ½ and 4 stars, but ultimately went with 4 because I doubt that most readers will even notice the errors.
The Ending – 5 Stars
Fortunato wrapped up the first book with enough resolution to keep most readers happy while still prepping for book 2 with the unresolved, underlying tension from book 1. It was well done. Since it's a mystery and there's lots of Lily not trusting people, I can't really go into any more detail than that.
Extras
I just love it when authors do more outside the book! Fortunato has a character quiz hosted on her website where you can see what character from the novel you are. I'm Lily, FYI. Fellow Lilys, unite in the comments!
Overall, The Sin Collector is a great book. Fortunato is a sweet person and just lovely to talk to, so make sure you connect with her below. I would highly recommend you buy this book, so go forth, my darlings! I can guarantee you that I will be reading every book published in this series. I'm hooked.
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