The Sin Eaters Daughter is the amazing debut novel by new British author Melinda Salisbury and has already cemented her place on every YA reading list.
From the blurb;
'Twylla is blessed. The Gods have given her the power to kill with a single touch, making her the royal family’s perfect weapon.
She is destined to marry the prince and one day rule the kingdom. But the favour of the Gods has its price. Her skin, enthused with deadly poison allows her to kill, but prevents her from ever touching anyone.
Those who anger the Queen are put to death under Twylla’s fatal touch. Only Lief the outspoken new guard seems to see the girl she truly is over the weapon she’s become.
Yet in a court as dangerous as the queen’s, some secretes must never be revealed.'
Artfully written this novel takes the reader through what Twylla knows about life. We read from her perspective, and know no more than what she knows about her own existence and the court. However the Queen, a beautifully crafted and hateful character, appears to be pulling all the strings.
This novel is almost impossible to put down, gripping in its adventure, its wonder and the precision of each wonderfully thought out character. We are taken through plot-twist after plot-twist shattering and rebuilding what we and Twylla know, but namely highlighting how grey the truth can be.
This novel moves smoothly from moments of anguish to moments of joy and will keep any reader on their toes.
Although on its own this book feels complete, ending with questions yet to be answered but in such a way that it does not feel as if it has been cut off in the middle, as so many first books to a series do, it does still manage to leave the reader wanting more.
We give The Sin Eaters Daughter Four Stars
ISBN 978-1-407147-63-5
£6.99 Cover Price.
Available on Kindle.
Published by Scholastic.