Original Sin

Quickie: An action packed thriller, filled with demons and evil witches that will have your spine shivering. The novel digs in after a few chapters and doesn't let go, sending you on an adventure that is reminiscent of the final throws of Sunnydale (Buffy the Vampire Slayer). My knuckles were white throughout most of this novel as the protagonist battled demon after demon, fighting for her life and the future of mankind. With each page more and more was revealed as layer upon layer of religious background, forensics, demonology, showed of the immense amounts of research the author must have put in to pen this series. Review: Moira is a witch. A witch descended from a long line of magic and evil. Her mother conceived her for the soul purpose of sacrificing her to Hell to be used as a conduit between the worlds. A goddess her mother had said, one that walks both worlds, yet none. Moira knew the truth though, she wouldn't be a goddess, she would be a slave. She escaped and found solace with her mother's enemy, the priests of the order of St. Michael's. She learned to battle the forces of evil, she learned faith and she also learned to love. Her mother would not stop until she was either found, or destroyed. And all it took was one error on Moira's part, and everything she had came crashing down upon her and she barely escaped with her life. Her life, faith and reputation in tatters, Moira sets off to do the one thing she was destined to do, find and kill her mother. Her mother Fiona has other plans though... Original Sin surprised me. Within the first two chapters I was actually getting to the point where I thought I might have to put it aside. It was moving slowly, well written but nothing was sucking me in. Boy was I surprised as I got deeper in the book and couldn't put the thing down! Action sequence after action sequence, Original Sin, definitely wasn't boring anymore. I'm very glad I didn't give in and push it to the side. Original Sin has it all, great characters, fast moving plot, detailed background, excellent tone and chills and thrills to make you want to run to the nearest church and say a few Hail Marys. Reviewer Fact #42, raised Catholic, very Catholic (didn't go to a day of public school) and the Catholic religion is a big focus of this novel, and it was done well. Nothing like reading about warrior priests to bring back childhood memories. Some of those Jesuits looked like they've taken down a demon or two. Beside bringing out repressed Catholic memories the book did more than just entertain. Well worth the money, and from what I could tell, very easy to find, since I saw rows and rows of the book at every store I went to this weekend, from Rite Aid to Sam's. Recommendations: Adult book for adult readers, there is violence, sex and a smidge of cursing. This is not what I would call a Paranormal Romance, there are a lot of "I Love Yous" from various characters, but the romance is not the main focus, it is the battle

Allison Brennan's first in her Seven Deadly Sins series is a real winner! An excellent combination of traditional thriller and satisfying urban fantasy/paranormal elements. Moira's mother is a powerful witch with a terrible agenda. When a spell to harness the demonic incarnations of the seven deadly sins goes terribly wrong, those demons are loosed on the world and Moira is the only one who can stop the battle that is coming. Fans of darker paranormal mysteries with a touch of romance will really enjoy this latest from Brennan. This series revisits characters from her novella in What You Can't See.

Moira hasn't had an easy life. After being possessed by a sadistic demon and witnessing brutal murder, she is now searching for her mother, Fiona. Having a hell raising mother hasn't been easy for Moira, but she isn't letting that stand in her way. Moira is determined to stop her mothers evil deeds at any cost. The problem is, her mother is using the seven deadly sins to her advantage. Will Moira be able to stop her mothers destruction or will mankind cease to be? My heart about beat out of my chest when I was reading this. I think I forgot to breathe while reading a few pages too... The suspense was electrifying and I felt like I was right along-side Moira. If you like the "on the edge of your seat" then you will like this book.

Since escaping from the queen of the underworld her evil mother Fiona the black magic practitioner, Moira O'Donnell has trained mentally and physically for several years to reach the point of not just demon hunter, but confronting mommy dearest. Her mentor Father Philip of the St. Michael's Monastery has taught or arranged for Moira to receive lessons in magical combat. Time has run out and though Moira feels unready she knows her mother plans to use a special incantation to open a portal to Hell that will enable the malevolent witch to control demons and the seven deadly sins. In Santa Louisa, California, Fiona begins her spell after an assault on a nearby mission left one survivor former seminarian Rafe Cooper. He leaves the hospital and interrupts the enchantment at a critical moment; allowing the seven deadly sins to cross as living essences. Moira, Rafe, demonologist Anthony Zaccardi, local sheriff Skye McPherson and two haunted teens unite to battle Fiona, her minion and seven deadly sins. This is a terrific opening urban fantasy that contains a high degree of suspense. The allies are an interesting mix as each has baggage and distrust of one another while failure to unite means defeat. Fiona is super villainess with her thirst for power, which is thwarted by the bungling of Rafe leading to rage. Fans will relish this first of the Seven Deadly Sins as Allison Brennan makes her demonic invasion seem real. Harriet Klausner

Moira O'Donnell is a powerful witch who no longer practices witch craft. She was born to an evil magician who dedicated her at birth to evil but wants no part of this life. She is both on the run from and hunting her mother who seeks to use her or kill her. She has trained with Father Philip of St. Michael's Monastery to help fight those like her mother who summon demons from hell by practicing black magic. Moira discovers her mother and her coven in the small town of Santa Louisa and travels there knowing she may die in a confrontation with her. She discovers evidence that her mother and the coven have been conducting rituals drawing evil to this small town. When Fiona, Moira's mother, attempts to summon and trap the demons from hell known as the seven deadly sins, something goes terribly wrong and the demons are released on earth to wreak havoc. Moira and her allies may be the only hope in trapping the demons and sending them back to hell. There were a few characters that stood out for me. Moira first of all, was a great heroine. Courageous doesn't even begin to describe her. She has to face down her own mother, who is a powerful witch hell bent on capturing and using her or destroying her. Not only does Moira face her mother but she battles the most vile demons from hell. Anthony, a demonologist, comes off hard and jaded. He's angry and doesn't trust Moira blaming her for the death of his friend and her former lover. Although he distrusts Moira he still works with her for the greater good. Rafe, Moira's love interest is brother from the Monetary. He was a bit a of a mystery to me and I never really could get a handle on his character. While committed to the cause and key to the plot, he seemed to take a backseat in character. I never really understood where the romantic connection between Rafe and Moira originated or why it evolved though. Fiona is the villain of all villains. She is evil, self centered and worst of all uses her own children in the pursuit of power. This book was billed as a paranormal romance however the romance was very light taking a backseat to the more prevalent mystery and suspense aspect of the book. If you're looking for a more traditional paranormal romance then you may be disappointed in Original Sin. Being a romance lover myself, I will say that I didn't miss the romance angle at all as the plot was strong and the characterization good and I think the tiny bit of romance was not needed at all. Original Sin worked for me on several different levels. The suspense build-up alone was enough to keep me turning the pages and the mystery held right up until the very end. I will admit, it took me about 6 chapters to really get into it but once the action started I did not want to put this book down.