Blog Tour Stop: Sins of the Lost by Linda Poitevin ★★★★★

Sins of the Lost by Linda Poitevin
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series: Grigori Legacy #3
Publication Date: October 15th 2013
ISBN: 9781101635261
Page Count: 358
Rating: ★★★★★
Review Copy: ARC
Reviewed by: Janice

**Buy Links: AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE



Synopsis: 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.

Trailer:

Review:

Phenomenal! 

Oh. Em. Gee. THIS BOOK.

The Grigori Legacy has been a rollercoaster ride for me from the moment I started it. At first (before I knew better), I thought it would follow the usual formula. Yeah, there would be twists and turns unique to the series, but it couldn't be that different than other urban fantasy books I'd read, right?

WRONG.

I know what you're thinking. You're reading the book's blurb and saying to yourself, this girl is nuts, it sounds like standard UF to me! And you'd be right....to a point. There are certain required elements that every good UF must contain, and the Grigori Legacy has them all. Supernatural race? Check. Kickass hero and/or heroine? Check. Good and bad forces duking it out, with the fate of the world hanging in the balance? Double check. A romantic subplot that is teeming with unresolved tension and complications? Yep, got that too. So yes, if you want to call the Grigori Legacy "just another urban fantasy", you could totally do that.

Only...it isn't, and I didn't fully appreciate that until I read Sins of the Lost.

Nothing in this book happened the way I expected it to. Nothing! Linda Poitevin ripped the rug out from under my feet in the very first chapter - the first chapter, people! - and she kept on doing it, over and over, all the way to the end. At no time did I experience a quiet, comfortable, cozy moment - because there weren't any! Everything was topsy-turvy, everything was on the line, and it seemed like every darn thing that could go wrong for the characters (and the world they were trying to save), did. It was CRAZY. I haven't been so off kilter while reading a book since I don't know when. Never, maybe? Yep, that sounds about right!

Don't believe me? Here are some gifs I posted on Goodreads, documenting the state of my emotions as I read Sins of the Lost:


















And yet, despite all the craziness packed within Sins of the Lost's pages, it all made sense. Linda Poitevin didn't just toss random plot developments into a pot and hope it turned into a nice story stew. No, what she did was force me to take a looong step back so I could finally see the forest for the trees. Because that's what I'd been doing for the past two books - focusing on individual trees. I had tunnel vision in the worst way, so caught up in the action or the romance I was rooting for, I wasn't grasping the full picture. I didn't understand just how big the consequences for certain choices were. Well, I get it now. Oh boy, do I ever.

Alex. Poor, poor Alex. I honestly don't know how she was still functioning by the book's end, because if I'd been put through the hell she was, I'd be a whimpering ball of misery on the floor. But that's not who Alex is. She's a survivor, and I have enormous respect for her as a character - and respect for her author, too, for being brave enough to throw Alex into the fiery pit in the first place.

As for the romance and sorta-love triangle that was going on....yeah, I can't talk about it. Seriously, don't even ask. Just thinking about it has me rocking back and forth and looking for a corner.

If I had to pick the biggest surprise of the story - and there are many to choose from - it would have to be the character of Mika'el, or Michael as he's called in the human world. Holy freaking crap, where did he come from?! He intrigued me in book two (Sins of the Son), but in this book, he completely stole the show - or at least he did for me. I love him. LOVE HIM.

To wrap this review up, no, the Grigory Legacy is not your typical urban fantasy series. It doesn't play it safe. You can try to predict and pin it down, but trust me, it's not going to work. And that, my friends, is the sign of a series well done. Linda Poitevin is a freaking genius, and if you don't have her books on your reading list, you are missing out on some truly brilliant writing.

Sins of the Lost destroyed me. It ripped my guts out, crushed my heart, and turned me into a weeping, wailing, teeth-gnashing monster. I have no idea what will happen next, but I do know this: I CAN'T WAIT TO FIND OUT.

5 Stars ★★★★★
ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

To read Lynsey's review of Grigori Legacy #1 - Sins of the Angels - click HERE

To read my review of Grigori Legacy #2 - Sins of the Son - click HERE

To check out all the other amazing stops along the Sins of the Lost tour, just click on the tour banner below! 

AUTHOR Q & A: 

Janice: Hi Linda! *waves excitedly* We are so thrilled to have you here with us today! 

Linda: Thank you so very much for taking part in the Sins of the Lost blog tour, Janice! It’s a pleasure to be here! 

Janice:  We have TONS of questions for you (most of which you can't answer, lol) but we'll try to keep this quick and spoiler-free for all the fans at home :) 

Q:  What is your favorite part of the writing process? Coming up with the initial idea, plotting/outlining, writing the first draft, or revising? 

A:  My very favorite part is wandering along the river and through the woods with my dog, running the scenes like movies through my mind. There’s just so much potential at this stage of pure imagination. Absolutely anything is possible and I’m not yet having to try to make things fit together and make sense. It’s bliss, I tell you. Pure bliss. :-)

Q:  If you could go on a writer's retreat anywhere in the world, where would you go? 

A:  A cottage on a beach where I have no neighbors, miles of sand to walk along, and the sound of the surf crashing onto the shore. I’m not fussy about where, exactly, but I’m not a big fan of heat, so nothing too warm. Great thunderstorms would be a bonus! 

Q: There are a lot of supernatural races you could have chosen to write about. Why angels? 

A:  I think angels have been sadly neglected, to be honest. The mythology surrounding them is so rich and diverse, spanning multiple religions and cultures...there are just so many possibilities for stories and I really wanted to explore some of those.

Q:  You've put your characters through more than one wringer. As the author, is that hard, to put them in those tough spots and have them make those difficult choices? 

A:  Do I feel like a total sadist sometimes, do you mean? Absolutely. And yes, it can be very difficult to force them into situations with seemingly impossible choices. When you’ve been writing certain characters for more than ten years (Alex and Aramael in particular), you can’t help but become close to them and feel responsible for them. That said, however, being so close to them also makes it possible to know how much they can withstand...and we haven’t reached our limits just yet. *insert evil chuckle*

Q:  In book 1, Sins of the Angels, the romance seemed to be going one way, and then in book two (Sins of the Son), you took it in a bold new direction. Not that we're complaining, mind you, but but we're curious, was that planned from the start, or did it just sort of happen? 

A: It was completely unplanned until the very end of Sins of the Angels. When Seth first appeared, he was an extraordinarily strong presence, but it wasn’t until the end of the first draft of the book that I realized he had formed such an intense connection to Alex. And it wasn’t until book 3, Sins of the Lost, that I understood why. I so love when a puzzle takes shape, don’t you?

Q:  What's your favorite moment in the series so far, or what was your favorite scene to write? 

A:  Choosing just one is hard because I have soooo many favorites! I’m particularly fond of the really heart-wrenching ones, though, probably because I put so much into them. I love how those scenes challenge my ability to translate the intensity I feel into words that will trigger the same response in my readers. 

Q:  Do you have a favorite character in your books? Which one, and why? 

A: I have a special place in my heart for Michael...not so much because of what readers have already seen of him, but because I know what’s still coming for him in the final book (you’ve been warned!). He truly is the epitome of the tortured hero, poor guy, and I’m such a sucker for those. :-)

AUTHOR BIO: 

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.

GIVEAWAY:

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.

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