Sci-Fi, Fantasy & Horror Reviews

Book Review: Sin's Dark Caress

By Sandy Amazeen Jul 23, 2012, 2:54 GMT

An ancient darkness has risen from the ashes . . . and terror has been loosed upon an unsuspecting world. Forensic witch Bianca Sin has never seen anything like it: homeless teenage girls torn to pieces by dark magic in the cold shadows of the city. More terrifying still is the symbol written in blood on an alley wall-the unmistakable seal of the Dark Brethren. ...more

Bianca Sin is a forensic witch who works with New York Police Department homicide detective Lancelot McManus. The hard-bitten, Neon Tears addicted detective makes no bones about disliking magic and its users but accepts Bianca’s assistance when things get ugly. With the blackest of magic, babies are being ripped from women’s wombs and worse, the Dark Brethren are involved. Should the Dark Brethren take shape in this world, humans, vampires, shapeshifters and witches alike will face a deadly threat beyond their worst nightmares. Bianca who has long been looked down upon because of her inability to bond with a familiar unexpectedly comes into her full powers with the hatching of a tiny blue dragon named Kedrex. The arrival of Bianca’s familiar couldn’t be timelier as she is pitted against an organization that will stop at nothing to achieve their goal.

As McManus struggles with his addiction, he cannot help but appreciate Bianca’s intelligence and abilities to the point where he finally opens up about the events that marred his childhood. He discovers an uncomfortable truth about the source of Neon Tears and more importantly, begins coming into his own considerable power. While interagency squabbles over territory continue, McManus and Bianca forge ahead with their investigation only to end up at the very heart of darkness, realizing too late the wisdom of a dragon’s advice.

O’Hara’s fast pace and interesting character mix propels the Dark Brethren series forward like a freight train. With the revelations about his past and discovery of his true nature, McManus’s character really begins taking on missing depth and gains new potential. Bianca’s relationship with her parents and the witch hierarchy are touched upon while a growing sense of camaraderie begins developing between the different races. Despite a hard-hitting climax, the showdown between the Dark Brethren and humans, vampires and shapeshifters is far from over. It will be interesting to see what butt kicking magical mayhem awaits Bianca and McManus and where their increasing attraction will end up in this entertaining urban fantasy series.