The Sin Eater's Daughter

by Melinda Salisbury Narrated by Amy Shiels

Overview

A startling, seductive, deliciously dark debut that will shatter your definition of YA fantasy.



Sixteen-year-old Twylla lives in the castle. Although she's engaged to the prince, no one speaks to her. No one even looks at her. Because Twylla isn't a member of the court. She's the executioner.



Goddess-embodied Twylla kills with a single touch. So each week she's taken to the prison and forced to lay her hands on those accused of treason. No one will ever love her. Who could care for a girl with murder in her veins? Even the prince, whose royal blood supposedly makes him immune to her touch, avoids her.



Then a new guard arrives--a boy whose playful smile belies his deadly swordsmanship. And unlike the others, he's able to look past Twylla's executioner robes and see the girl, not the goddess. Yet a treasonous romance is the least of Twylla's problems. The queen has a plan to destroy her enemies--a plan that requires an unthinkable sacrifice. Will Twylla do what it takes to protect her kingdom? Or will she abandon her duty in favor of a doomed love?

Editorial Reviews

The New York Times Book Review - Lisa Von Drasek

The Sin Eater's Daughter…combines the compelling world-building narrative style of Kristin Cashore's Graceling with the political intrigue of Megan Whalen Turner's The Thief.

Publishers Weekly

★ 12/01/2014
This dark fantasy, Salisbury’s debut, transports readers to a kingdom ruled by a terrifying mad queen, the product of generations of incest, who has her enemies hunted down and torn apart by hounds. Seventeen-year-old Twylla, the prince’s betrothed and the human embodiment of the daughter of the gods, endures her duties at court—which include executing traitors with a mere touch of her poisonous skin—in hopes that money sent home will better her younger sister’s life. Though the clear-sighted prince hopes to enlist her as an ally against his cruel mother, Twylla begins to fall for her fearless and skeptical new guard, Lief, who reveals a shocking twist about Twylla’s position. In a triumph of characterization, Salisbury makes the path of duty represented by the prince and that of passion represented by Lief equally compelling. In addition to creating vivid and varied characters, Salisbury has a talent for worldbuilding, populating her world with shiver-inducing legends, original customs, and political and religious debates. First in a trilogy, this novel leaves many questions unresolved, but the open ending is nonetheless satisfying. Ages 14–up. Agent: Claire Wilson, Rogers, Coleridge & White. (Feb.)

From the Publisher

Praise for The Sin-Eater’s Daughter:

* "In addition to creating vivid and varied characters, Salisbury has a talent for worldbuilding, populating her world with shiver-inducing legends, original customs, and political and religious debates." —Publisher's Weekly, starred review

School Library Journal - Audio

07/01/2015
Gr 8 Up—Part dark fantasy and part romance, this is the story of Twylla, whose destiny has been predetermined. Once in line to become the Kingdom of Lormere's next sin eater, she is handpicked by the ruthless queen to be the Goddess embodied. Her new path will let her marry the prince but also deems her the kingdom's executioner. Her divine powers let her withstand poison but make her touch deadly, allowing her to be a pawn in the queen's treacherous games. When a new guard is assigned to protect Twylla, her eyes are slowly opened to the world she is living in. However, as lines blur, she is left to stand on her own and must fight for her destiny. While the middle of the story sags a bit under the details of Twylla's romantic trysts and the end seems underdeveloped, fans of romantic fantasy will be able to overlook these slight issues. Narrator Amy Shields does a fine job with tone to engage listeners. VERDICT Purchase this where fantasy and fairy tales are in demand.—Rebecca Flannery, Lyman Memorial High School, Lebanon, CT

JULY 2015 - AudioFile

Twylla lives in a castle among those who consider her the human embodiment of a goddess. Narrator Amy Shiels brings concern and angst to Twylla's voice as she expresses her distrust of the royal family she's been raised in. This slowly unfurling YA fantasy takes a while to get rolling. Twylla is unable to touch anyone—if she does, the person will die—and when she starts to fall for her guard, she’s torn between duty and love. Shiels’s narration keeps the story exciting and balances political intrigue, an evil queen, and a love triangle in an engaging way. This is a good choice for listeners looking for a slow-paced listen with chilling characters and an open ending. S.B.T. © AudioFile 2015, Portland, Maine

Kirkus Reviews

2014-11-04
A peasant girl transplanted to the royal court repeatedly confronts death in her new life as executioner, entertainer and bride.Raised as the Sin Eater's daughter and apprentice, Twylla expected to deal with the deceased by eating food symbolizing their sins (to free their souls) and to grow morose and morbidly obese like her mother. But four years ago, she came to the court of Lormere and became Daunen Embodied—the king and queen are the other divine representatives—only to find herself delivering death instead of salvation. Petrified that Lormere will become like Tregellan (a science-minded democracy) or Tallith (abandoned for 500 years), mad queen Helewys controls the court through fear and religion (and even darker means). Twylla is literally untouchable—her skin seemingly made poisonous through a mystical ritual and mysterious potion. She misses her sister and still mourns her dead friend, but she nevertheless longs for companionship. Accordingly, two men vie for her affection: her new, Tregellian guard, Lief, who encourages her to question her faith, and her betrothed, Prince Merek, who pushes for political upheaval. Torn between the boys and her beliefs, Twylla suffers identity crises, court conspiracies and cruel revelations before being able to redefine herself. Through Twylla's deliberate, present-tense narration, Salisbury weaves a complex tale of romance, religion, fairy tales and politics. A slow but satisfying read with impressive depth and emotion. (Fantasy. 14 & up)

Product Details

BN ID:	2940171263096
Publisher:	Scholastic, Inc.
Publication date:	02/24/2015
Series:	Sin Eater's Daughter , #1
Edition description:	Unabridged
Age Range:	10 - 13 Years

Read an Excerpt

When I first came to the castle, many, many moons ago, I was awed by it, by the decor and the beauty and the richness of it all. Everything is faultless and pristine everything is kept ordered and beautiful. The roses in the tall crystal vases are all cut to the same length, all the exact same color and. There is no room in the castle for things that are not perfect. My mother used to say that gold is not all that glitters. She was right, sometimes other things do glitter. Eyes glitter, at least until the life leaves them. My guards walk carefully at my sides, holding their bodies rigid and keeping a good distance between me and them. If I raised an arm to reach for one of them, they would recoil in horror. If I tripped, or fainted, if reflex sabotaged them and made them reach to save me, it would be a death sentence for them. They would find themselves with their throats slit where they stood as an act of mercy. Compared to a slow death by my poisonous skin, a slit throat would be lucky.“Are you ready, my lady?” Dorin, the elder of my guards, asks, his face eerily pale in the torchlight. I nod and we walk to the stairwell, Dorin at my right and the second guard, Rivak, to my left. And then we descend to the dungeons where the prisoners wait. For me.

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