Moira O'Donnell was baptized to Hell's service as an infant,
and was raised to be ritually sacrificed by her mother's
coven at age 16; job title: 'Spirit Mediator' between earth
and Hell. She declined.
The story picks up 13 years after Moira's escape. She is in
service now to the Order of St. Michael, an offshoot of the
Catholic church charged with destroying demonic influence
here on earth.
Drawn by horrific visions of current events to a small town
on the coast of California, she is hot on the trail of her
mother, Fiona, who has schemed to release (and control) the
Seven Deadly Sins and become the supreme ruler over all the
world's witches and wizards.
Awaiting her is Rafe Cooper, whose subconscious can bring
forth the language of the demons, not to summon them but to
protect the innocent against them, and Anthony Zaccardi.
Anthony is a member of the Order of St. Michaels also, but
he doesn't trust Moira. Why should he, since she killed her
lover, his brother?
Allison Brennan is known for writing romantic thrillers with
a dark edge of suspense. ORIGINAL SIN is her first foray
into paranormal fiction, but it is built on a firm
foundation of criminal procedure.
Uncommon in the paranormal genre, ORIGINAL SIN is heavily
Christo-centric with a theme of 'Witches are evil and magic
use will damn your soul to hell'.
The background love story between Anthony and the local
sheriff, Skye McPherson, provides another insight into
Anthony's character. Other minor characters including
innocents of the town and members of Fiona's coven have
fairly strong roles, and Brennan allows you to learn enough
to care about what happens to them.
The 'True-crime writer" mentioned in the back cover blurb is
only incidental to the story, perhaps he will make a
stronger appearance in one or more of the upcoming 6 books
in the series. (Book 2, Carnal Sin is due out in June
2010)
Haunted by chilling memories of demonic possession and
murder, Moira O'Donnell has spent seven years hunting down
her mother, Fiona, whose
command of black magic has granted her unprecedented control
of the
underworld. Now Moira's global search has led her to a small
California town
that's about to become hell on earth.
Tormented by his own terrifying past and driven by powers he
can't explain,
ex-seminarian Rafe Cooper joins Moira's dangerous quest. But
Fiona is one
devilish step ahead. Hungry for greater power, eternal
youth, and stunning
beauty, the sorceress is unleashing upon the mortal world
the living
incarnations of the Seven Deadly Sins.
Together with a demonologist, a tough female sheriff, and a
pair of
star-crossed teenagers, Moira and Rafe are humanity's last
chance to snatch
salvation from the howling jaws of damnation.