What do you think?
Rate this book
Shadows Inquiries #1
Sins & Shadows
Sylvie Lightner is no ordinary P.I. She specializes in cases involving the unusual, in a world where magic is real-and where death isn't the worst thing that can happen to you.
But when an employee is murdered in front of her, Sylvie has had enough. After years of confounding the dark forces of the Magicus Mundi, she's closing up shop-until a man claiming to be the God of Justice wants Sylvie to find his lost lover.
And he won't take no for an answer.
But when an employee is murdered in front of her, Sylvie has had enough. After years of confounding the dark forces of the Magicus Mundi, she's closing up shop-until a man claiming to be the God of Justice wants Sylvie to find his lost lover.
And he won't take no for an answer.
357 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published March 9, 2009
17 people are currently reading
1,669 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 100 reviews
September 4, 2017
A light paranormal investigations read. For all lovers of paranormal cityscapes.
The ending was rather overdosed on epic. Basically, this all lead to a battle-ish scene of about 15 pages.
The depressed god of love premise was a bit too washed out. Basically, some Prozak and timely psychotherapy could have solved the issues of this whole book.
The rest of the book was ok, though.
Q: ... I have a right—�
“People have fewer rights than they think,...� (c)
The ending was rather overdosed on epic. Basically, this all lead to a battle-ish scene of about 15 pages.
The depressed god of love premise was a bit too washed out. Basically, some Prozak and timely psychotherapy could have solved the issues of this whole book.
The rest of the book was ok, though.
Q: ... I have a right—�
“People have fewer rights than they think,...� (c)
June 6, 2016
Upon finishing Sins & Shadows it immediately hit me that something should have come before it. You know how you start up a first book of a series and this feeling creeps in that you've missed the short story. You know the one that launches the series. Well I got that feeling with Sins & Shadows. Except that I had missed the first two or three books prior to it. But no. Sins & Shadows is the first book in the series.
Despite that I could still follow along and I never felt myself lost. Why does this feel like a first book? Well there's a whole cast that has a history and we step right in the middle of the after affects of a huge moral changing event for the lead—Sylvie. Sylvie finds herself teetering on the verge of becoming a monster herself. The line of justice, vengeance, and helping the innocent without hurting them is being tiptoed. A beloved friend had died on a horrible case, and satanic creeps are after them. Not to mention world ending events lead Sylvie to Chicago on an adventure. Usually a move reserved for the 3rd of 4th book of a series, or even farther along.
Because of that I think it's off putting. You can't make the connection to the side characters because it's like a bunch of hit and runs here. No really most of the side characters that Sylvie interacts with are brief notes. Thus making her actions toward them and the characters themselves hard to care for. All you can see is how Sylvie treats the people in her life so horribly. You know there's a huge past and they should be important players in future books, but they're being ignored like they've already been developed.
There is a huge plus though. I admire a book willing to kill off the type of character that was brutally killed here. However, since we're told that Sylvie and that character had a past it felt cold. Not to mention that things weren't developed and the whole story isn't fully divulged. In fact, if the story would have started when they met I would have loved it. The events of this book would have had more impact as a book 3 or 4.
Overall I liked the lead and the Greek mythology presented here. The drama of the Gods and the immortality of both men and monsters was perfect. Not to mention that it wasn't just Greek mythology, angels with Christianity, Egyptian, and more! All of it is in this melting pot. They're aren't just Greek gods! And they're all aware of each other. It's all kind of hanging in some kind of crazy balance.
Considering the history already pack into this first book I'm looking forward to what else Shadows Inquiry series will bring. The mythology and world is original and gritty, getting a 5 stars from me on that front! The big reveals about Sylvie make me really curious as to what her new role will be. Also, I'm dying to see her in her city and with her people. She burned some bridges this book. Despite everything I still say this is a solid start. The world building is on point, and Sylvie is definitely one heck of a leading lady.
Sexual Content: Sexual humor, homo sexual themes, sexual abuse, talk of child molestation, and a sex scene. It's plenty dark, but things aren't overly explicit.
3/5- Adored it, just a few minor details held it back.
Originally reviewed at .
Despite that I could still follow along and I never felt myself lost. Why does this feel like a first book? Well there's a whole cast that has a history and we step right in the middle of the after affects of a huge moral changing event for the lead—Sylvie. Sylvie finds herself teetering on the verge of becoming a monster herself. The line of justice, vengeance, and helping the innocent without hurting them is being tiptoed. A beloved friend had died on a horrible case, and satanic creeps are after them. Not to mention world ending events lead Sylvie to Chicago on an adventure. Usually a move reserved for the 3rd of 4th book of a series, or even farther along.
Because of that I think it's off putting. You can't make the connection to the side characters because it's like a bunch of hit and runs here. No really most of the side characters that Sylvie interacts with are brief notes. Thus making her actions toward them and the characters themselves hard to care for. All you can see is how Sylvie treats the people in her life so horribly. You know there's a huge past and they should be important players in future books, but they're being ignored like they've already been developed.
There is a huge plus though. I admire a book willing to kill off the type of character that was brutally killed here. However, since we're told that Sylvie and that character had a past it felt cold. Not to mention that things weren't developed and the whole story isn't fully divulged. In fact, if the story would have started when they met I would have loved it. The events of this book would have had more impact as a book 3 or 4.
Overall I liked the lead and the Greek mythology presented here. The drama of the Gods and the immortality of both men and monsters was perfect. Not to mention that it wasn't just Greek mythology, angels with Christianity, Egyptian, and more! All of it is in this melting pot. They're aren't just Greek gods! And they're all aware of each other. It's all kind of hanging in some kind of crazy balance.
Considering the history already pack into this first book I'm looking forward to what else Shadows Inquiry series will bring. The mythology and world is original and gritty, getting a 5 stars from me on that front! The big reveals about Sylvie make me really curious as to what her new role will be. Also, I'm dying to see her in her city and with her people. She burned some bridges this book. Despite everything I still say this is a solid start. The world building is on point, and Sylvie is definitely one heck of a leading lady.
Sexual Content: Sexual humor, homo sexual themes, sexual abuse, talk of child molestation, and a sex scene. It's plenty dark, but things aren't overly explicit.
3/5- Adored it, just a few minor details held it back.
Originally reviewed at .
September 19, 2009
can't remember how I first heard of this book, but after getting a used copy, it stayed on my TBR pile until I saw a review at mardelwanda's livejournal. Mardel said of the main character, Sylvie: "She's kind of mean, kind of angry. But I actually enjoyed reading her angry sarcastic comments. She's just so damned mad and tough she doesn't care who she's mouthing off too, a god, an erinyes, witch, whoever. You get the feeling, from hints, that she's killed a lot of....beings."
So I was intrigued. A pissed off character. It can go either way. I mean, a character that rubs you the wrong way can make or break a book for the reader, if they're just jerks, that's no good, but if there's depth and development to them and it gets really interesting.
The Premise: Sylvie Lightener is a a private investigator specializing in paranormal cases. She's been through a lot, including the recent killing of one of her employees, and in an effort to protect the people around her, she's closing up shop. Just as she does, one last customer comes in. This man tells her: "My name is Kevin Dunne. I am the god of Justice. And I need your help." He wants Sylvie to find his missing lover, who he can't find anywhere, but he knows that he is still alive. Since Sylvie isn't really allowed to say no, she flies to Chicago to investigate.
This is the first in a new series called Shadows Inquires. Lyn Benedict also writes as Lane Robins (Maledicte - which I haven't read)
My Thoughts: I thought Sins & Shadows was well-written. Good sense of place (Chicago), characters with depth, and good pacing. I've seen reviews who disagreed about the pacing, but for me I just picked it up to read the first chapter and then it was 2 hours later and I'd read 150 pages. It starts out as a mystery, but turns into much more. I think my favorite part was anything to do with the gods and how they worked. Actually, how magic worked. This book had some really interesting ideas that sort of made me go, "Ohhh. Cool." because it made sense and things fit together. Most of it was about the Greek gods, but the Christian god fits into it as well, and the way Benedict brings in well-known characters associated with the deities (such as the Furies and others) was really nicely done.
The big make-it-or-break-it part of the book is definitely (as you'd guess from what I'd said about pissed off characters) Sylvie. You know how it can be really annoying when the main character is the type who just doesn't know when to shut up? It's a really close line here. I can see people finding Sylvie abrasive, but for me, these moments came in spurts (the more danger she's in, the worse she is). She starts off mean to her loyal employee Alex, trying to get Alex to stay away from the job in an effort to protect her, but then after that Sylvie didn't really seem that bad until much later on. It actually seems to work with the plot, which I was a little impressed by. There is an angry voice inside her which she hears, and I was beginning to wonder if that had deeper implications, but you have to read the whole book to see what I'm talking about. Sylvie is a dark heroine, one who is flawed in a way where I disagreed with what she was doing and saying. She's very motivated by revenge. It clouds her judgement where others look at her in dismay but she refuses to budge in her thinking. Yet this works because she has to deal with the consequences of this, and I want to know if she can redeem herself or not. It's truly a toss-up, because all through this book, she hasn't done enough assure me that she can change. It makes me really want to read the next book though and find out. Weird, huh?
One issue I had with the book would probably be that I kept getting the sense that I was reading the second book of a series rather than the first. The first chapter throws you in midstream with Sylvie closing up shop and you don't really find out why until much later. Then there's Sylvie and Alex's shared back story which sounds substantial but only piece together bit and pieces of it. And there's Sylvie's relationship with ISI agent Michael Demalion and other hints dropped here and there about Sylvie's past. I wanted to know more information but because it wasn't directly related to the current action, it wasn't forthcoming. I hope this is remedied in later books.
Overall: Has a pissed off main character, so avoid if you hate that, but I think there's so much potential there for character growth, and I'm so interested in what the author did here that I'm looking forward to the next book. (So I guess I kinda liked it).
April 28, 2010
An unlicensed PI who deals with paranormal cases, Silvie has given up and is closing down her detective agency when a client walks in and insists that she take his case. Silvie has no intention of taking the case, losing a partner has broken her spirit, but she soon finds that it's pretty much impossible to say no to the god who is searching for his lost lover.
There were things that I liked about the book, the whole thing with the human cop who became the god of justice and his companions who were the legendary Furies was great. But I just didn't like Sylvie, she is incredibly dark for a protector - quick tempered, vindictive, and quick to kill - and she has few redeeming moments in the book. She is supposed to be smart, but spends most of the story being reactive. I have to say that I liked the monsters better - the youngest leather wearing Fury was lethal but entertaining. I also really didn't like the ending of the story, I hated the final fate of a character who had gone through a transition which had given him the potential for being something really interesting.
So, overall since this was a mix read for me I ended thinking that Sins & Shadows was just okay, but I will be reading the next one book Ghosts & Echoes since it's already in my TBR pile.
There were things that I liked about the book, the whole thing with the human cop who became the god of justice and his companions who were the legendary Furies was great. But I just didn't like Sylvie, she is incredibly dark for a protector - quick tempered, vindictive, and quick to kill - and she has few redeeming moments in the book. She is supposed to be smart, but spends most of the story being reactive. I have to say that I liked the monsters better - the youngest leather wearing Fury was lethal but entertaining. I also really didn't like the ending of the story, I hated the final fate of a character who had gone through a transition which had given him the potential for being something really interesting.
So, overall since this was a mix read for me I ended thinking that Sins & Shadows was just okay, but I will be reading the next one book Ghosts & Echoes since it's already in my TBR pile.
January 17, 2012
Throughout the book, I found myself wondering if I was starting the series in the middle. Many loose ends were left unexplained. Proper explanations for past events were not provided.
If I met Sylvie in real life, I would find her extremely annoying with a capital A. Being bitchy and headstrong are not bad qualities to have, but Sylvie took it to the next level. Mouthing off to everyone, for no good reason, and being disrespectful all the time seems contradictory to her work of saving innocent lives. Although she doesn't seem to like people much. She lacked empathy for other people's circumstances, and was reactive most of the time. When key characters die, she does not seem to be affected at all. Never mind the dark voice in her head, or being revealed as "The Murderer's Child" - no excuse.
Secondary characters were more interesting, the Gods of Justice and Love - although they weren't considered just human, they seemed more human than Sylvie at times. Hoping to hear more about Alex, Sylvie's assistant. I still don't know why Demalion was willing to give his life for Sylvie.
I am hoping she will redeem herself in books to come.
If I met Sylvie in real life, I would find her extremely annoying with a capital A. Being bitchy and headstrong are not bad qualities to have, but Sylvie took it to the next level. Mouthing off to everyone, for no good reason, and being disrespectful all the time seems contradictory to her work of saving innocent lives. Although she doesn't seem to like people much. She lacked empathy for other people's circumstances, and was reactive most of the time. When key characters die, she does not seem to be affected at all. Never mind the dark voice in her head, or being revealed as "The Murderer's Child" - no excuse.
Secondary characters were more interesting, the Gods of Justice and Love - although they weren't considered just human, they seemed more human than Sylvie at times. Hoping to hear more about Alex, Sylvie's assistant. I still don't know why Demalion was willing to give his life for Sylvie.
I am hoping she will redeem herself in books to come.
May 14, 2010
"The only good thing about gods is that they prefer their realm to ours."
Lyn Benedict also writes political-intrigue fantasy under the name Lane Robins. I learned this before starting Sins & Shadows, and I've been wondering ever since whether I'd have figured it out if I hadn't known. The setting, plot, and prose style are completely different from the Lane Robins books, but there are some echoes in the general themes: love, vengeance, and the havoc that gods wreak when they meddle in mortal affairs.
Sins & Shadows introduces us to Sylvie Lightner, nicknamed "Shadows," who works as a sort of paranormal P.I. After a satanic cult kills one of her friends, Sylvie is about to call it quits. Just as she's firing her assistant and packing her office, she is approached by a god in need. Kevin Dunne is the Greek god of Justice, and he's shown up with his Furies in tow, wanting Sylvie to help him find his missing lover.
"Wait," you might say. "There's no male Greek god of Justice who the Furies answer to! And even if there were, he wouldn't be named Kevin!" Sylvie's reaction is much the same. How Kevin became a god is part of the central mystery Sylvie must unravel if she is to save the day.
I really loved the world-building here. Lyn Benedict immerses the reader in a complex setting filled with bureaucracy, gods of various pantheons, and competing agendas. The prose is great too. It's less ornate than the style she uses in Maledicte and Kings and Assassins, but the simpler style suits the gritty modern setting, and she's just as good at evoking beautiful or gory images with her words as she is when she's writing as Lane Robins. The scene that stands out most to me is the novel's (only) sex scene, in which Benedict twines together the romantic emotions with a very different kind of tension; there's a mysterious threat in the background that adds some creepiness to the scene. When I figured out why Sylvie was so affected by certain colors in her partner's room, I got chills.
The biggest sticking point in Sins & Shadows is Sylvie herself. I had a lot of trouble liking her. She pushes people away. She uses people. She loses her temper at the worst possible moments. The good news is, Benedict writes Sylvie's nasty streak into the story in a realistic way. She doesn't just go around mouthing off with no consequences. She gets called on it all the time, and her attitude often lands her and her friends in mortal danger. And once in a while, it works in her favor. Best of all, as Sins & Shadows ends, there is hope for a more-sympathetic Sylvie.
I'll be following the SHADOWS INQUIRIES series. The complex world-building, evocative prose, and layered plot are more than enough to make up for a heroine with a whole bag of chips on her shoulder. And as for her, well, I just need to keep in mind that I didn't like Kate Daniels much at first, either, and now she's one of my favorite fantasy characters. I'm looking forward to seeing what Sylvie's character arc will be.
This is a very dark urban fantasy without a lot of comic relief, but there was one line that cracked me up; I think Benedict may be giving the subgenre a little affectionate ribbing:
How many pretty women carry a big gun and an even bigger mouth?
Lyn Benedict also writes political-intrigue fantasy under the name Lane Robins. I learned this before starting Sins & Shadows, and I've been wondering ever since whether I'd have figured it out if I hadn't known. The setting, plot, and prose style are completely different from the Lane Robins books, but there are some echoes in the general themes: love, vengeance, and the havoc that gods wreak when they meddle in mortal affairs.
Sins & Shadows introduces us to Sylvie Lightner, nicknamed "Shadows," who works as a sort of paranormal P.I. After a satanic cult kills one of her friends, Sylvie is about to call it quits. Just as she's firing her assistant and packing her office, she is approached by a god in need. Kevin Dunne is the Greek god of Justice, and he's shown up with his Furies in tow, wanting Sylvie to help him find his missing lover.
"Wait," you might say. "There's no male Greek god of Justice who the Furies answer to! And even if there were, he wouldn't be named Kevin!" Sylvie's reaction is much the same. How Kevin became a god is part of the central mystery Sylvie must unravel if she is to save the day.
I really loved the world-building here. Lyn Benedict immerses the reader in a complex setting filled with bureaucracy, gods of various pantheons, and competing agendas. The prose is great too. It's less ornate than the style she uses in Maledicte and Kings and Assassins, but the simpler style suits the gritty modern setting, and she's just as good at evoking beautiful or gory images with her words as she is when she's writing as Lane Robins. The scene that stands out most to me is the novel's (only) sex scene, in which Benedict twines together the romantic emotions with a very different kind of tension; there's a mysterious threat in the background that adds some creepiness to the scene. When I figured out why Sylvie was so affected by certain colors in her partner's room, I got chills.
The biggest sticking point in Sins & Shadows is Sylvie herself. I had a lot of trouble liking her. She pushes people away. She uses people. She loses her temper at the worst possible moments. The good news is, Benedict writes Sylvie's nasty streak into the story in a realistic way. She doesn't just go around mouthing off with no consequences. She gets called on it all the time, and her attitude often lands her and her friends in mortal danger. And once in a while, it works in her favor. Best of all, as Sins & Shadows ends, there is hope for a more-sympathetic Sylvie.
I'll be following the SHADOWS INQUIRIES series. The complex world-building, evocative prose, and layered plot are more than enough to make up for a heroine with a whole bag of chips on her shoulder. And as for her, well, I just need to keep in mind that I didn't like Kate Daniels much at first, either, and now she's one of my favorite fantasy characters. I'm looking forward to seeing what Sylvie's character arc will be.
This is a very dark urban fantasy without a lot of comic relief, but there was one line that cracked me up; I think Benedict may be giving the subgenre a little affectionate ribbing:
How many pretty women carry a big gun and an even bigger mouth?
April 25, 2011
Sins & Shadows is the first book in the Shadows & Inquires series featuring Sylvie Lightner, nicknamed Shadows, who is a paranormal private investigator and basically a killer. When we first meet Sylvie, she has had enough and is closing up her shop, Shadows Inquiries, for good. After watching Rafael Suarez, a friend and assistant, get murdered by a group of Satanist in front of her, and the continued fighting with the Magicus Mundi without actually getting anywhere, she fires her friend Alex (for her own safety) and decides it’s time for her to walk away. If only it were that simple.
Sylvia has lived by two rules: Innocents don’t come between Sylvie and trouble and She doesn’t kill people cops can handle. Sylvie is an unlicensed private, unsupervised investigator who the ISI � Internal Surveillance & Intelligence Agency - has been keeping an eye on. They believe she is an amateur with a gun, and a vigilante at best who has killed a hellhound, sorcerers, succubi, and an angel with buckshot wings.
Along comes Kevin Dunne, a former police officer, who is now a god of Justice. (Yes, this is writers� choice to change the actual god from Themis to Kevin). Kevin asks Sylvie to find his lover Brandon Wolf who has gone missing. Kevin arrives with three Furies who formerly worked for Hera. Alekta, Magdala, and Erinya. Erinya was probably the most likable sub-character in the book, and then Alex who refuses to be terminated while Sylvie is away on her investigation.
Sylvie agrees to go to Chicago and investigate Bran's disappearance with the understanding that Kevin will take care of the Satanist that have been such a nuisance to her, Alexandra Figueroa-Smith (Alex), and her friends and family. He agrees and turns one of the more nasty females into a flower.
Sylvie is not the warm, touchy feely kind of character that you expect from UF stories. She is angry; she has a mean spirited attitude towards everyone. She has a deep seeded darkness within her soul that lashes out at her enemies, and also seems to steer her into constant trouble. She is also trigger happy, choosing to kill first, and ask questions later. People around Sylvie end up hurt, or dead. She ends up being responsible for another friend losing her witch powers most likely forever and another nearly dies because they couldn't reach Sylvie who is under a death curse. On top of all this, she discovers she may be the daughter of Lilith and Cain which may explain her darkness within. In the end she ends up making enemies of the Angels of God, Kevin and a Sphinx (Anne D) who is the mother of Michael Demalion an ISI investigator and a person Sylvie actually finds herself attracted to.
This book mixes the paranormal, Greek Mythology with the inclusion of Zeus and Hera to the storyline, as well as Judeo-Christian bible teachings with the inclusiion of Lilith as the main villian. My major complaint about this book is that it felt like the second book in a series, instead of the first. Not enough was explained about the ISI and Magicus Mundi, or why she decided to fight them. Maybe we can get the writer to do a prequel someday. It also went on, and on, and on, and at one point I actually screamed "ARE WE FREAKING THERE YET?"
Sylvia has lived by two rules: Innocents don’t come between Sylvie and trouble and She doesn’t kill people cops can handle. Sylvie is an unlicensed private, unsupervised investigator who the ISI � Internal Surveillance & Intelligence Agency - has been keeping an eye on. They believe she is an amateur with a gun, and a vigilante at best who has killed a hellhound, sorcerers, succubi, and an angel with buckshot wings.
Along comes Kevin Dunne, a former police officer, who is now a god of Justice. (Yes, this is writers� choice to change the actual god from Themis to Kevin). Kevin asks Sylvie to find his lover Brandon Wolf who has gone missing. Kevin arrives with three Furies who formerly worked for Hera. Alekta, Magdala, and Erinya. Erinya was probably the most likable sub-character in the book, and then Alex who refuses to be terminated while Sylvie is away on her investigation.
Sylvie agrees to go to Chicago and investigate Bran's disappearance with the understanding that Kevin will take care of the Satanist that have been such a nuisance to her, Alexandra Figueroa-Smith (Alex), and her friends and family. He agrees and turns one of the more nasty females into a flower.
Sylvie is not the warm, touchy feely kind of character that you expect from UF stories. She is angry; she has a mean spirited attitude towards everyone. She has a deep seeded darkness within her soul that lashes out at her enemies, and also seems to steer her into constant trouble. She is also trigger happy, choosing to kill first, and ask questions later. People around Sylvie end up hurt, or dead. She ends up being responsible for another friend losing her witch powers most likely forever and another nearly dies because they couldn't reach Sylvie who is under a death curse. On top of all this, she discovers she may be the daughter of Lilith and Cain which may explain her darkness within. In the end she ends up making enemies of the Angels of God, Kevin and a Sphinx (Anne D) who is the mother of Michael Demalion an ISI investigator and a person Sylvie actually finds herself attracted to.
This book mixes the paranormal, Greek Mythology with the inclusion of Zeus and Hera to the storyline, as well as Judeo-Christian bible teachings with the inclusiion of Lilith as the main villian. My major complaint about this book is that it felt like the second book in a series, instead of the first. Not enough was explained about the ISI and Magicus Mundi, or why she decided to fight them. Maybe we can get the writer to do a prequel someday. It also went on, and on, and on, and at one point I actually screamed "ARE WE FREAKING THERE YET?"
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 1, 2009
This was a confusing book. The backstory in the first of the book just confused. I kept thinking that I had missed the first two books even though Sin and Shadows is the first in a series. While the writing is good I did not like the characters and the world building was incomplete. All in all I was sorry I had purchased the book.
January 19, 2011
Technically good but I hated the main POV character with a passion.
To make a comparison to the author's other series, Maledicte was a murderous psycho, but she was likable. Charismatic. Sylvie waffled between "I'm a monster" guilt and "but that means I'm a strong woman!" sociopathy.
Do not want.
To make a comparison to the author's other series, Maledicte was a murderous psycho, but she was likable. Charismatic. Sylvie waffled between "I'm a monster" guilt and "but that means I'm a strong woman!" sociopathy.
Do not want.
December 7, 2016
I was really hoping to like this one, but after 30 pages I felt lost (like I missed the first book in the series) and I couldn't get into it the story or the characters. Unfortunately, it just isn't for me. I have other stories I'd rather read instead.
May 11, 2017
This book is like jumping into the 3rd book of any UF series, say Kate Daniels or Mercy Thompson, yet it is the first book. There is a whole background history of people dying on her watch in her P.I. business. That would be OK if there weren't new character after new character introduced and a new background story is told. It is like playing catch up the whole way through the book. No kidding, at one new story and character I noted that it was 68% into the book! It destroyed any interest in the characters as we didn't really settle in with any character including the main character. The main character is left unexplained for the majority of the book and some parts still linger.
The ending was completely unsatisfying to me, though it is dnot a cliffhanger. I ended with disliking all the surviving characters that I'd come to know, not one did I like in the end. The story was good up to the ending though the telling of the background wouldn't have given it more than a 3 star review anyway. I give it 2 stars but only because I was pretty entertained until the ending. If it had ended differently 3 stars, and if it had been told differently with maybe two or three prequels to let us in on the back story instead of just interrupting the story to tell us it, then it could have been 4 or 5 star read.
I know that the next books will but I don't think that will make me want to read on. Still I also feel like I'm into book 3 of a series and want retribution. This is why it get 2 stars instead of one, I was starting to like even the furies, a little of Silvie, and definitely Damelion, but the ending changed that. Silvie's almost indifference, kind of how it was in the beginning of the book while packing up her business, is back and now I just cannot accept it. I'm not really sure what she is upset about because so much has occurred and this is way later. Is she just feeling sorry for herself? Well, I probably will not read on, even knowing that some of the ending will be "fixed" in future books. This one just didn't do it for me. It might just be too dark.
The ending was completely unsatisfying to me, though it is dnot a cliffhanger. I ended with disliking all the surviving characters that I'd come to know, not one did I like in the end. The story was good up to the ending though the telling of the background wouldn't have given it more than a 3 star review anyway. I give it 2 stars but only because I was pretty entertained until the ending. If it had ended differently 3 stars, and if it had been told differently with maybe two or three prequels to let us in on the back story instead of just interrupting the story to tell us it, then it could have been 4 or 5 star read.
I know that the next books will but I don't think that will make me want to read on. Still I also feel like I'm into book 3 of a series and want retribution. This is why it get 2 stars instead of one, I was starting to like even the furies, a little of Silvie, and definitely Damelion, but the ending changed that. Silvie's almost indifference, kind of how it was in the beginning of the book while packing up her business, is back and now I just cannot accept it. I'm not really sure what she is upset about because so much has occurred and this is way later. Is she just feeling sorry for herself? Well, I probably will not read on, even knowing that some of the ending will be "fixed" in future books. This one just didn't do it for me. It might just be too dark.
January 8, 2020
Sylvie Lightner is no ordinary P.I. She specializes in cases involving the unusual, in a world where magic is real, and where death isn’t the worst thing that can happen to you. But when an employee is murdered in front of her, Sylvie has had enough. After years of confounding the dark forces of the Magicus Mundi, she’s closing up shop—until a man claiming to be the God of Justice wants Sylvie to find his lost lover. And he won’t take no for an answer. And so it begins....
Despite the promising blurbs, it took me awhile to get into this story. Sylvie herself isn't a very sympathetic character, but I liked that her snarky attitude had consequences. Usually, the lead can be sarcastic and impulsive and get away with it, but not Sylvie. People get hurt, and could even die. Fortunately, that seems to bother her, so she's not a complete monster. However, I couldn't understand why the secondary characters would be so loyal to her. Maybe there will be more background explanations in future books?
To be honest, I was interested in everyone except Sylvie. Especially liked Eri, the young punk Fury. And Kevin Dunne, a most unusual greek god who was not part of the original gang. The ISI was also an interesting concept, which I hope Benedict explores in more detail in future books.
All in all, after a slow start, I enjoyed this book. I like discovering new series, and look forward to seeing more of Ms Benedict in the future.
Despite the promising blurbs, it took me awhile to get into this story. Sylvie herself isn't a very sympathetic character, but I liked that her snarky attitude had consequences. Usually, the lead can be sarcastic and impulsive and get away with it, but not Sylvie. People get hurt, and could even die. Fortunately, that seems to bother her, so she's not a complete monster. However, I couldn't understand why the secondary characters would be so loyal to her. Maybe there will be more background explanations in future books?
To be honest, I was interested in everyone except Sylvie. Especially liked Eri, the young punk Fury. And Kevin Dunne, a most unusual greek god who was not part of the original gang. The ISI was also an interesting concept, which I hope Benedict explores in more detail in future books.
All in all, after a slow start, I enjoyed this book. I like discovering new series, and look forward to seeing more of Ms Benedict in the future.
June 19, 2016
I checked GRs three times while reading just to make sure this actually was the first book in the series. There are so many things that happened off screen (so to speak) and are hinted at but never discussed. I found it very irritating to figure out what the hell was going on as well as what happened before this book started. The main character, Sylvie is just plain rude to everyone. How does this mesh with a desire to help people?
If I didn't need the second book in the series to complete a challenge (need the word echo in the title), I wouldn't be continuing this series. I hope the second is better than the first but unless Ms. Benedict gives her heroine (and I use this term loosely) a lobotomy, I'm not holding out much hope.
If I didn't need the second book in the series to complete a challenge (need the word echo in the title), I wouldn't be continuing this series. I hope the second is better than the first but unless Ms. Benedict gives her heroine (and I use this term loosely) a lobotomy, I'm not holding out much hope.
February 14, 2019
Decent urban fantasy series about a PI who's kind of mean to everyone around her as she charges blindly forward...
December 31, 2018
Great Story
I wasn't sure if I would like this book at first. However, after finishing I see I found a new series to read.
I wasn't sure if I would like this book at first. However, after finishing I see I found a new series to read.
January 12, 2015
Sin and Shadows by Lyn Benedict
2 to 2.5 stars.
I would give this book more stars for writing style which is very good and some interesting ideas, but the ending pretty much ruined any chance I was going to continue the series.
**Spoilers from this point in the review**
Sylvie Lightner is a paranormal PI with a ton of baggage and she is about to close up shop when the book opens. Some reviewers complained that because this backstory is apparent but not explained and that the story feels like book 2 of s series. I don’t mind � origin stories are old fashioned. The entire urban fantasy genre is trending toward hit the ground running approach to story telling.
Enter Kevin Dunn, a man calling himself the god of justice complete with the Eumenides in tow, arrives at her door and tries to hire her to find his lover. She tries to refuse but it turns out she doesn't actually have a choice. The god’s love is a young man named Brandon Wolf and he is sure there is foul play because he can find any one any where but he can’t find Brandon.
After questioning Kevin Dunn about his missing boyfriend, Sylvie began tracing his steps and working the case like an ordinary missing person. Meanwhile Kevin’s need to find Bran causes the world around him � especially cops to increasingly become obsessed with that same goal.
Her investigation turns up a name from her past and Sylvie can’t believe it is a random coincidence. Then the story wonders through some procedural drama as Sylvie tracks downs leads, dead end � some literally as her best suspects keep turning up dead. About half way through we learn that Sylvie is a daughter of Lilith That comes out of nowhere and just muddies up the story. Then she actually meets Lilith who is involved in the plot. Turns out Lilith had been running a long game and Sylvie is just in time for the grand finale.
She finds Brandon trapped in an oubliette but it turns out that finding him wasn't the problem. Getting him out turns out to be the real puzzle. Brandon is really Eros and Lilith wants him dead so she can take on his power. Fortunately, he is much better at surviving than she expected. Sylvie ends up trapped with Bran and he tells her his story. He left the realm of the gods to become human then made his human lover into a god. She realized that the only way they are going to get out is to convince Bran that he can get himself out. By the time they do, Kevin is in a battle with Zeus as the skies literally rain blood.
Surviving that, he must face one more battle with Lilith and Bran must die to return to being a god.
This started really well and was actually pretty good until about page 300 of 357. The end was just too over the top and left me feeling meh instead of wowed. I just didn't feel like continuing with the series.
One of the biggest problems for me was that the story of Kevin and Bran was actually very interesting but when the series is supposed to by about Sylvia, being far more fascinated with the side characters just doesn't give me reason to read book 2. I was left with almost no feeling at all about Sylvia by the end of the book.
Oh and Justice turned a bunch of bad guys into flowers. Yeah, that happened.
2 to 2.5 stars.
I would give this book more stars for writing style which is very good and some interesting ideas, but the ending pretty much ruined any chance I was going to continue the series.
**Spoilers from this point in the review**
Sylvie Lightner is a paranormal PI with a ton of baggage and she is about to close up shop when the book opens. Some reviewers complained that because this backstory is apparent but not explained and that the story feels like book 2 of s series. I don’t mind � origin stories are old fashioned. The entire urban fantasy genre is trending toward hit the ground running approach to story telling.
Enter Kevin Dunn, a man calling himself the god of justice complete with the Eumenides in tow, arrives at her door and tries to hire her to find his lover. She tries to refuse but it turns out she doesn't actually have a choice. The god’s love is a young man named Brandon Wolf and he is sure there is foul play because he can find any one any where but he can’t find Brandon.
After questioning Kevin Dunn about his missing boyfriend, Sylvie began tracing his steps and working the case like an ordinary missing person. Meanwhile Kevin’s need to find Bran causes the world around him � especially cops to increasingly become obsessed with that same goal.
Her investigation turns up a name from her past and Sylvie can’t believe it is a random coincidence. Then the story wonders through some procedural drama as Sylvie tracks downs leads, dead end � some literally as her best suspects keep turning up dead. About half way through we learn that Sylvie is a daughter of Lilith That comes out of nowhere and just muddies up the story. Then she actually meets Lilith who is involved in the plot. Turns out Lilith had been running a long game and Sylvie is just in time for the grand finale.
She finds Brandon trapped in an oubliette but it turns out that finding him wasn't the problem. Getting him out turns out to be the real puzzle. Brandon is really Eros and Lilith wants him dead so she can take on his power. Fortunately, he is much better at surviving than she expected. Sylvie ends up trapped with Bran and he tells her his story. He left the realm of the gods to become human then made his human lover into a god. She realized that the only way they are going to get out is to convince Bran that he can get himself out. By the time they do, Kevin is in a battle with Zeus as the skies literally rain blood.
Surviving that, he must face one more battle with Lilith and Bran must die to return to being a god.
This started really well and was actually pretty good until about page 300 of 357. The end was just too over the top and left me feeling meh instead of wowed. I just didn't feel like continuing with the series.
One of the biggest problems for me was that the story of Kevin and Bran was actually very interesting but when the series is supposed to by about Sylvia, being far more fascinated with the side characters just doesn't give me reason to read book 2. I was left with almost no feeling at all about Sylvia by the end of the book.
Oh and Justice turned a bunch of bad guys into flowers. Yeah, that happened.
July 22, 2012
“Sylvie Lightner is no ordinary PI. She specializes in cases involving the unusual and unbelievable, in a world where magic is real, where hell is just around the corner--and where death isn’t the worst thing that can happen to you...� (Lyn Benedict, Sins & Shadows)
Absolutely brilliant pacing! I kept turning pages without having to skim through boring descriptions. (Because there is nothing worse than skimming through boring descriptions in order to find the action and the plot.) Benedict’s writing is concise and fast--a lovely combination for a mystery/fantasy writer.
And there was a plot! A plot that Benedict kept together throughout the book. Benedict was able to weave mystery, mythology, and magic together and create a wonderfully delicious tale.
However, I kept wondering if Sins & Shadows was the first book in the series. Each time I asked Google whether or not Sins & Shadows was indeed the first book in the series, I was matter-of-factly informed that: yes, Sins & Shadows is the first book in the series. There are no prequels or short stories involving Lightner. Sins & Shadows is it.
Lightner’s introduction into the world is rocky. Her past is an infuriating, confusing mystery. I don’t like picking up a book, reading it, and feeling like I’ve missed something. A lot of something. So, while Benedict kept the present plot together (missing man, upset god, and magical power struggle), she had holes in Lightner’s past.
Of course, this is also the first book in the series. There is a chance that Benedict will piece together Lightner’s past. In fact, a small part of me even likes the missing background. Lightner is an angry woman haunted by a violent past; her past drives her to do what she does.
I doubt Lightner’s angry character would be sympathetic if her entire past was known. After all, Lightner is not exactly loveable. She’s rough around the edges with a tendency to act as a vigilante--this is a woman with very few rules. She is not someone to cross.
Personally, I like her pissed off attitude and her stubbornness. But Lightner’s character is definitely not everyone’s cup of tea. And neither is her story.
Absolutely brilliant pacing! I kept turning pages without having to skim through boring descriptions. (Because there is nothing worse than skimming through boring descriptions in order to find the action and the plot.) Benedict’s writing is concise and fast--a lovely combination for a mystery/fantasy writer.
And there was a plot! A plot that Benedict kept together throughout the book. Benedict was able to weave mystery, mythology, and magic together and create a wonderfully delicious tale.
However, I kept wondering if Sins & Shadows was the first book in the series. Each time I asked Google whether or not Sins & Shadows was indeed the first book in the series, I was matter-of-factly informed that: yes, Sins & Shadows is the first book in the series. There are no prequels or short stories involving Lightner. Sins & Shadows is it.
Lightner’s introduction into the world is rocky. Her past is an infuriating, confusing mystery. I don’t like picking up a book, reading it, and feeling like I’ve missed something. A lot of something. So, while Benedict kept the present plot together (missing man, upset god, and magical power struggle), she had holes in Lightner’s past.
Of course, this is also the first book in the series. There is a chance that Benedict will piece together Lightner’s past. In fact, a small part of me even likes the missing background. Lightner is an angry woman haunted by a violent past; her past drives her to do what she does.
I doubt Lightner’s angry character would be sympathetic if her entire past was known. After all, Lightner is not exactly loveable. She’s rough around the edges with a tendency to act as a vigilante--this is a woman with very few rules. She is not someone to cross.
Personally, I like her pissed off attitude and her stubbornness. But Lightner’s character is definitely not everyone’s cup of tea. And neither is her story.
September 20, 2011
This is kind of a harsh rating for a book that was not bad at all, and I may change the rating later. I guess I'm rating it on my enjoyment of it, rather than how good I thought it was, if that makes any sense. I don't know why I just could not get into or connect with this book. I liked the characters. I didn't think it was poorly written at all. And so I wouldn't be surprised if there were tons of people out there that absolutely loved it and gave it 5 stars. Something just didn't click for me personally. Although I do have a few minor criticisms that may have led to the disconnect. A lot of the time I felt like this should have been a second book in the series. Between Sophie's inner 'voice', the frequently mentioned Satanists case and her relationship with the ISI and one of their agents, it just seemed like too much was left unexplained; like there were so many things about Sophie's current life that the reader wasn't privy to but should have been. The mythology felt a little jumbled and too rigid at times. I really enjoy books based off of mythology, especially Greek, but I thought the author should have taken a little more creative license with it's gods. It felt occasionally silly. Lastly, I thought the final 'scene' was way too drawn out and I just couldn't wait for it to be over. I think I may want to eventually give the second book in this series a try- I thought the writing and characters were actually strong enough to give it a second chance.
March 25, 2012
Review Brought to you by OBS staff member Heidi
Beware of spoilers
Sylvie is a private investigator involving all things paranormal. But after witnessing her partner being killed, she has decided to retire and close up shop. But then Kevin Dunne, the God of Justice shows up with a case and refuses to take no for an answer. His lover, Bran, has been kidnapped and he expects Sylvie to find him.
Sylvie’s search leads her to the Windy City of Chicago and to an active spell that was painted on the floor of an El station that was keyed to capture Bran. Now Sylvie must find out who cast the spell and how to get Bran back. In the meantime Dunne’s magic is shedding, causing strange things to happen all over the place and he has to fight off Zeus who wants him back on Mount Olypmpus.
I thought the synopsis of this book sounded interesting, but I had a hard time immersing myself in it. It had its moments, but for the most part I struggled on reading it. It just seemed weighted down with words and I kept finding other things to do instead of reading it. It was an annoyingly slow read for me.
I do have the next two books of the series on hand and I am going to attempt to read them both. I just hope they read a bit easier than this one.
Beware of spoilers
Sylvie is a private investigator involving all things paranormal. But after witnessing her partner being killed, she has decided to retire and close up shop. But then Kevin Dunne, the God of Justice shows up with a case and refuses to take no for an answer. His lover, Bran, has been kidnapped and he expects Sylvie to find him.
Sylvie’s search leads her to the Windy City of Chicago and to an active spell that was painted on the floor of an El station that was keyed to capture Bran. Now Sylvie must find out who cast the spell and how to get Bran back. In the meantime Dunne’s magic is shedding, causing strange things to happen all over the place and he has to fight off Zeus who wants him back on Mount Olypmpus.
I thought the synopsis of this book sounded interesting, but I had a hard time immersing myself in it. It had its moments, but for the most part I struggled on reading it. It just seemed weighted down with words and I kept finding other things to do instead of reading it. It was an annoyingly slow read for me.
I do have the next two books of the series on hand and I am going to attempt to read them both. I just hope they read a bit easier than this one.
May 5, 2011
SINS & SHADOWS was buried in my old eReader app, a read from pre-ŷ times. When a copy of GODS & MONSTERS came my way, I had to go back to where it all started.
SINS & SHADOWS is dark, dark, dark, but in a way that I appreciate more than some others (the Dante Valentine series, for example, often goes too close to horror and melodrama for me). The pacing is very quick, and very well done. Even though the eBook is missing some formating that helps show place/time transitions, I enjoyed the ride.
Ultimately, I bought SINS & SHADOWS at a time when it was the only book in the series, and the ending was demoralizing enough that I forgot to keep my eyes open for book two. As a savvier urban fantasy reader, I can now see some hope for Sylvie (and her love life), and look forward to seeing where Benedict takes the series.
SINS & SHADOWS is dark, dark, dark, but in a way that I appreciate more than some others (the Dante Valentine series, for example, often goes too close to horror and melodrama for me). The pacing is very quick, and very well done. Even though the eBook is missing some formating that helps show place/time transitions, I enjoyed the ride.
Ultimately, I bought SINS & SHADOWS at a time when it was the only book in the series, and the ending was demoralizing enough that I forgot to keep my eyes open for book two. As a savvier urban fantasy reader, I can now see some hope for Sylvie (and her love life), and look forward to seeing where Benedict takes the series.
August 10, 2014
One word review: disjointed.
There were so many things going on in this novel - combinations of Christian ideology and Greek mythology I just ended up completely confused at the end.
Sylvie is rude, aggressive, and has a complete lack of respect for anyone. It's not even that she does the right things for the wrong reasons - she simply comes off as an aggressive idiot that's spoiling for a fight with the world.
This book's universe is hard to understand - I find it hard when the author's tossing out new terms and spells that Sylvie identifies immediately. This book certainly needs a prequel, or several prequels.
There were so many things going on in this novel - combinations of Christian ideology and Greek mythology I just ended up completely confused at the end.
Sylvie is rude, aggressive, and has a complete lack of respect for anyone. It's not even that she does the right things for the wrong reasons - she simply comes off as an aggressive idiot that's spoiling for a fight with the world.
This book's universe is hard to understand - I find it hard when the author's tossing out new terms and spells that Sylvie identifies immediately. This book certainly needs a prequel, or several prequels.
July 26, 2013
Lyn Benedict also writes political-intrigue fantasy under the name Lane Robins. I learned this before starting Sins & Shadows, and I've been wondering ever since whether I'd have figured it out if I hadn't known. The setting, plot, and prose style are completely different from the Lane Robins books, but there are some echoes in the general themes: love, vengeance, and the havoc that gods wreak when they meddle in mortal affairs.
Sins & Shadows introduces us to Sylvie Lightner, nicknamed "Shadows," who works as a sort of paranormal P.I. After a satanic cult kills one of her friends, Sylvie is about to call it quits. Just as she's firing her... Read More:
Sins & Shadows introduces us to Sylvie Lightner, nicknamed "Shadows," who works as a sort of paranormal P.I. After a satanic cult kills one of her friends, Sylvie is about to call it quits. Just as she's firing her... Read More:
July 31, 2009
I'll read more of this on the train on the way home tonight, but after that. . .not so much. I rarely quit reading in the middle of a book, but I find it rather slow going. It goes off in too many directions and things aren't really explained. I find Slyvie to be a bit of a bitch, and I get the fact that it's her defense mechanism, but still! Was it really necessary for her to be so condescending to Tish when they're in Bran's studio looking for the portrait of Lily? The author’s ideas are great, but I agree with another reviewer, it feels like you’re reading the 2nd or 3rd book in the series.
June 19, 2012
This is the first book in Lyn Benedict's Shadows Inquiries series. It's a good book but it really felt like it was so really the second book. There was lots of referring back to things that the reader couldn't know about because there was no other book. Really weird. That said, this is a pretty good book. I listened to the audio version from the library and it was well done. The narrator did a very nice job. The heroine in this story is a little hard to get a handle on because we don't really know what made her what she is because of that feel for a previous book. I'll read the next one though to see if I can get a better feel for Shadow.
June 13, 2009
If this had been a normal book, I'd have put it down by page 50 and taken it to the used bookstore to recoup some cost.
As it was on my Kindle, though, I trudged through. It took forever and I won't be bothering with any other books in the series. I couldn't care less about the main character and the one character that had promise was killed off. Hate when that happens.....
As it was on my Kindle, though, I trudged through. It took forever and I won't be bothering with any other books in the series. I couldn't care less about the main character and the one character that had promise was killed off. Hate when that happens.....
Shelved as 'did-not-finish'
September 28, 2012I stopped at page 38. The god was unrealistic, characters flat, the plot and mystery boring.
November 14, 2011
Too dark for me.
January 20, 2012
I actually couldn't finish this, not because it was poorly written but because it was too dark for me at the time.
April 12, 2017
Holy crap! A year and a half later and I am finally finished with this book! I can’t say it was my favorite. It just didn’t click with me, but I have a hard time not finishing a book I’ve started.
April 30, 2016
I still don't like Sylvie but I might actually read book 2 now! I've up my rating to 4*'s
Displaying 1 - 30 of 100 reviews
Can't find what you're looking for?
Get help and learn more about the design.