Sins of the Lost—Book Review: Sins of the Angels by Linda Poitevin, an Interview and a Giveaway!

Title: Sins of the Lost
Series: The Grigori Legacy #3
Author: Linda Poitevin
Publisher: Ace/Penguin Grouplication Datre
Publication Date: October 15, 2013

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From the author of Sins of the Angels and Sins of the Son comes the newest novel in the “electric, thrilling and extremely intelligent” (Ex Libris) Grigori Legacy series.

Heaven and Hell are on the brink of war as Lucifer builds his Nephilim army and waits for his new agenda to become a reality — that of having a Nephilim child of his own bloodline to lead his forces to cataclysmic victory.

With rumors of the pending war rampant on Earth, Alex fights to save humanity from its own panic –­ leaving little time for her fledgling relationship with Seth, the man with heavenly origins who has captured her heart. But when Nephilim children begin to disappear, along with Alex’s own vulnerable niece, the inevitable war between Heaven and Hell becomes as personal as sin.

Heaven has its own plans to fight the coming apocalypse, but first it needs Seth back. Asked to betray the man she loves, Alex must turn for help to the soulmate she thought she’d given up — the Archangel Aramael, who may be her last chance to save her family and humanity from the ashes of Lucifer’s Armageddon.

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A Review of Book One

Sins of the Angels
The Grigori Legacy #1
Linda Poitevin
Ace, October 2011
ISBN 978-0-441-02091-1
Mass Market Paperback

From the publisher—

When homicide detective Alexandra Jarvis is assigned a new partner in Aramael, a Guardian Angel who doubles as a hit man, they have only one thing in common: a fallen angel hell-bent on triggering the apocalypse. Now they have no choice but to work together-relentlessly, fearlessly, intimately. Because only they can stop the rogue angel from ushering in the end of days.

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Oh, my. I hate this book. I love this book. This hardly ever happens to me.

When Alex met Jacob aka Aramael, I knew I was in for a rocky ride but I had no idea I’d be torn between so many emotions, not only my own but also those of many others. That has to be chalked up to really good writing, the ability to invest the reader in every significant character. I found myself liking and simultaneously sneering at Christine, I empathized with Staff Inspector Roberts in his battle of wills with Alex and his increasing frustration at the serial killer’s climbing body count, I felt compassion for that serial killer, Caim, and why he was doing it, and I was aggravated by the machinations of Verchiel and Mittron. Who knew Heaven could be mired in bureaucracy?

Most of all, though, I loved spending time with Alex and Aramael as they found ways to abide each other and, when Alex began to believe that perhaps she wasn’t going insane, I lost all resistance to what their story might become. The introduction of Seth Benjamin only made the future more questionable and there was no going back for me.

It didn’t hurt that one of my very favorite subgenres of mystery is crossgenre, particularly detectives and the supernatural and angels appeal to me much more than such creatures as vampires or shapeshifters. I’m fascinated by how any given author approaches the existence of angels and creates a story around them and Linda Poitevin has shown herself to be as good a storyteller as I could possibly want.

A note to the squeamish—you might want to page past the descriptions of Caim’s predations upon humans. In truth, they make the possibility of what might come ever more urgent so they’re not the least gratuitous but they are very graphic.

So, why did I say I hate this book? I’m not telling. Suffice it to say the ending will grab you by the throat AND the heart and make you run to get the next book, which is what I’m about to do 😉

Reviewed by Lelia Taylor, October 2013.

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An Interview with the Author

Thank you so very much for hosting me here today, Lelia—and for participating in the Sins of the Son blog tour!

1.   Who did you pretend to be when you were a kid?

You are so going to laugh at this…my most frequent “pretend” was to be a horse. I didn’t own one, but I loved horses. I lived, breathed, and dreamed horses. I obsessed over them. And every chance I got, I corralled (no pun intended!) my siblings into being my herd while I played the fearless stallion saving them from predators. I’m sure we made the most awful commotion as we romped around the living room on our hands and knees…my mother was very forbearing. 😉

2.   How much of you is in your character, Alex?

Definitely the stubbornness, lol! I grew up wanting to be a cop and ended up working as a dispatcher for the RCMP for almost three years (that’s where I met my husband), so I’d say that Alex is the kind of cop I would have liked to have been.

3.   What does Alex do for fun?

These days? Not much. Before the world began to fall apart, however, she spent a lot of time with her sister and niece (her only family). She introduced her niece to horror movies…hm…I wonder how she feels about that now that she’s learned how real monsters can be? o.O

She also used to get together outside work with her colleagues…usually for casual get-togethers such as barbecues and game nights. Oh, yes, and she was a runner, too…both to stay in shape and as stress-release. The life of a homicide detective can get a little grim.

4.   What is your favorite scene in Sins of the Lost and why?

Without giving spoilers, there’s a scene between the One and Lucifer later in the book that I absolutely love. I also agonized over it for weeks because it was so challenging to get down on paper. It’s powerful, pivotal, and a total game-changer in soooo many ways. It also made me cry as I was writing it…so yeah, it’s definitely a favorite.

5.   Do you carry on conversations with Alex while you’re working on the story?

Not directly with her, no. At least, not as myself. I tend to become the character whose viewpoint I’m writing. So if I’m writing Aramael, then I am Aramael…and if he’s speaking to Alex, then yes, I am too.

6.   What is the one thing you would say about Canada to lure tourists?

Whatever you’re looking for in a vacation, chances are excellent that we’ve got it. 🙂

7.   Is there one author (mystery or otherwise) who has really influenced your writing career?

Not one in particular, no…but I owe a debt of gratitude to every writer I’ve ever read over the years, because I think I’ve learned something from each of them (even the ones I didn’t like, who showed me what I don’t want to do!).

8.   If you had it to do over again, what would you do differently in your writing career?

I would have been much more realistic in my expectations, and I would have approached it from more of a business perspective. As much as writing fiction is a creative venture, producing a publishable book that people want to buy is a business one. This means knowing your genre and knowing where your audience lies—and these days, it also means building a relationship with that audience through social media long before you publish (which has also turned out to be great fun, incidentally!).

9.   What is your #1 secret–or not so secret–addiction?

Coffee. And it’s no secret! 🙂

10.  If you could spend a weekend with one fictional character not your own, who would it be and why?

Edmond Dantѐs from the Count of Monte Cristo. He was so intelligent and complex, and he could have so easily (and understandably) have given in to the bitterness, but in the end he didn’t. That speaks to a strong character I would like to know better.

11.  You just woke up as a castaway on a remote, uncharted island and you have one book to keep you entertained but it’s the very last book you’d want. What is it?

A cookbook with beautiful, glossy pictures of all the foods that I can’t have.

12.  Please tell us an embarrassing anecdote about yourself—we can always use a good laugh.

High school, grade 9: We had an annual “Greaser Day” where we were allowed to dress in 50s style for the day. I got my days mixed up and came to school one week early in a poodle skirt, bobby socks, and backwards-buttoned cardigan…and I lived too far away to go home and change. I drew a lot of attention that day…not the kind of thing you’re looking for at that age.  Then, to top it off, I did the exact same thing two years later…argh.

13.  What is in store for you? What’s happening next?

I’m currently at work on the fourth and final book in the Grigori Legacy series, tentatively entitled Sins of the Warrior. After that, I have another series in mind, but I’ll need to do some serious research and reading first. I’d also like to tackle a novella as a sequel to Gwynneth Ever After, a romance I self-published over the summer…several readers have asked for one, and it would make a wonderful (and lighter!) project.

Linda, thank you so much for being here today—it has been a real pleasure 😉

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About the Author

Linda Poitevin was born and raised in B.C., Canada’s westernmost province. Growing up in an era when writing was “a nice hobby, dear, but what are you going to do for a living?”, Linda worked at a variety of secretarial jobs before applying to be a member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). Due to an error in measurement, however, she was turned down when she didn’t meet the height requirement of that time. Undeterred, Linda became a civilian member in the force and was a dispatcher for two and a half years, during which time she met her husband, a police officer.

Following their transfer to Ottawa, Linda went on to become a real estate agent and then a human resources consultant before starting a family. She remained a stay-at-home mom, homeschooled her youngest daughter for nine years and, now that she has realized writing can be more than a nice hobby, she continues to live her dream of being a cop vicariously through her characters.

Linda currently lives near Ottawa with her husband, youngest of three daughters, one very large husky/shepherd/Great Dane-cross dog, two cats, a rabbit, and a bearded dragon lizard. When she isn’t writing, she can usually be found in her garden or walking her dog along the river or through the woods.

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Follow the tour here.

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There are two awesome giveaways included on the tour –

1 – GRAND PRIZE Giveaway (US & Canada ONLY) for a surprise
prize package from Penguin – ONE Winner

5 – GRIGORI LEGACY Swag Packs (International) – tote bag, pen,
fridge magnet, sticky notes & bookmarks – FIVE Winners

– The Grand Prize Giveaway is open to US/Canada.

– The Grigori Legacy Swag Pack Giveaways are open Internationally.

– Giveaways end on November 10th at 11:59 p.m. Pacific.

– Giveaways are open to anyone 18 and older.

Tweet daily for additional chances to win!

Enter the drawing at Rafflecopter.

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