Dulcinea Craven is stricken when her parents are killed in a carriage accident. Dulcie is descended from a long line of witches, so when her mother dies, Dulcie receives all of her powers in one wild rush. Though she's been trained as a witch, she's incapable of wielding the kind of power that made her mother such a strong witch. And it's this power that makes her a target.
Soon after her parents' death, one of Dulcie's neighborsโSebastian, a former suitor who has always rubbed her the wrong wayโcomes to her house in the guise of offering comfort. When his approaches are rebuffed, he bites her, and Dulcie learns that her formerly pesky neighbor has now become an evil vampire. While trying to find a way to escape Sebastian's clutches, Dulcie learns about The Righteous, a group of vampires who fight their own kind and protect the innocent. The Righteous are Devlin, the Dark Lord, his companion Justine, the Devil's Justice, and Michael, the Devil's Archangel. They are fierce warriors who are feared in the vampire communityโand they are Dulcie's only hope.
The Righteous aren't happy about being summoned by a witch, and they're even more displeased when they realize who they're fighting. Sebastien is not acting alone, and is following the orders of his master, Kali, a demon trapped in the human realm who believes that Dulcie will be able to help her return to the other side. Kali refuses to give up, and she is thousands of years old, making her the worst enemy The Righteous, and Dulcie, have ever faced. In an act of self-preservation, Dulcie decides to become a vampire, an act that she believes will help her to combat Kali's power. And she chooses Michael to make her. Now a witch and a vampire, Dulcie sheds the past and becomes Cin Craven, a sorceress beyond measure and a member of The Righteous. But will it be enough to combat an ancient evil?
WAGES OF SIN was an interesting new take on the vampire myth. I don't generally read a lot of books about witches, but I enjoyed this one because it combined other paranormal elements with the witchcraft element. Dulcie was an easy heroine to like because while she was inexperienced with her powers and unused to being the head of her household, she was willing to sacrifice herself to ensure the safety of her friends and family. She was willing to give up her mortality to keep them safe, and had no thought of the consequences. She's also a little naive, but not in an annoying way. She has no clue how to wield the enormous amount of power that she received upon her mother's death. She doesn't realize that there are creatures out there that would do her harm until one shows up at her door. And then she has to learn everything she can as quickly as possible to keep herself and her staff safe. It's admirable. I also loved Michael as a hero because he was willing to do anything to protect Cin. He knew that she wouldn't have any idea about the vampire lifestyle, or what it meant to give up your mortality, and he made sure that she was aware of the consequences before he turned her.
This story was an interesting beginning to a new series, and I'm looking forward to seeing where it goes. It's very clear that this is just the beginning, and I'm excited about the journey ahead. WAGES OF SIN whet my appetite for Cin Craven and The Righteous, and I'll be sure to buy the next book in this series.
Dulcinea Craven descends from a long line of
witches, and she has just inherited wild, untrained magical
powers that she has no idea how to control. Now a ruthless
vampire and an age-old demon are determined to enslave Cin
and steal her power for their own. Her only hope is The
Righteous, a band of warrior vampires who slay the rogue
undead. Among them is Michael, a fierce swordsman who
inflames Cinโs most primal hungers. Showing her a sensual
pleasure beyond anything in the mortal realm, she must
choose between the human existence she has always known, and
immortality as a vampireโa new life filled with forbidden
urges, dark yearning, and unearthly passionsโฆ
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